Birthday

 

FedEx Update

Update: FedEx just delivered my Kansas City Steaks (2 days late.)

They seem to be still good, but if they were late one more day they would have been spoiled.

I still wish I never had to use FedEx for any deliveries since they consistently mess it up.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday In Different Languages

Afrikaans        Gelukkige Verjaarsdag

Albanian (Gheg)         Gzuar Dit-lindjën

Armenian (Eastern)   Ծնունդդ շնորհավոր (Tsnundet shnorhavor)

Armenian (Western)  շնորհաւոր ծննդեան տարեդարձ (shuhnorhavor dzuhnuhntyan daretarts)

Azerbaijani     Ad günün mübarək

Belarusian      З днём нараджэння (Z dniom naradžeńnia)

Bosnian           Sretan rođendan

Bulgarian        Честит рожден ден (Čestit rožden den)

Catalan           Per molts anys

Chinese (Mandarin)   生日快樂 [生日快乐] (shēngrì kuàilè)

Croatian         Sretan rođendan

Czech  Všechno nejlepší k narozeninám!

Danish Tillykke med fødselsdagen

Dutch  Gelukkige verjaardag

Estonian         Palju õnne sünnipäevaks

Finnish Hyvää syntymäpäivää

French Joyeux anniversaire

German           Alles Gute zum Geburtstag

Greek (Modern)         Χρόνια Πολλά! (Hrónia Pollá)

Hebrew           יום הולדת שמח (Yom huledet sameakh)

Hungarian      Boldog születésnapot

Icelandic         Til hamingju með afmælið

Irish (Gaelic)   Breithlá sona duit

Italian Buon compleanno

Japanese         お誕生日おめでとうございます (otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu)

Latin    Felix dies natalis

Latvian            Daudz laimes dzimšanas dienā!

Lithuanian      Su gimtadieniu

Maltese           Heppi berdej

Norwegian     Gratulerer med dagen

Polish  Sto lat!

Portuguese     Feliz aniversário!

Romanian       La mulți ani

Russian           С днём рождения! (S dnëm rozhdeniya!)

Serbian           Срећан рођендан (Srećan rođendan)

Slovak Všetko najlepšie k narodeninám

Slovenian       Vse najboljše

Spanish           ¡Feliz cumpleaños!

Swedish          Grattis på födelsedagen

Ukrainian        З днем народження (Z dnem narodžennia)

Esperanto       Feliĉan datrevenon

My Birthday

 

Sunday

 

Delivery Fail

Last week I ordered a Steak Sampler from Kansas City Steak.

They were for my Birthday tomorrow (Monday) and were expected to be delivered by FedEx yesterday (Saturday.)

Despite FedEx Tracking stating that my order was “Out For Delivery” nothing was delivered.

Late last night I then received an e-mail from FedEx stating that my order would be delivered this Monday (2 days late.)

If you take out the fact that these steaks were for my Birthday and I now can’t have them for my Birthday the main point is that these steaks are perishable and being delivered 2 days late (in our Summer Heat) will most likely mean these steaks will be inedible (again due to the extreme heat and the 2 day delivery delay.)

The blame here is solely on FedEx.

They aren’t good in my area.

In the past they have delivered my packages to my mailbox (which is 3 Streets from my house) and leaving the item(s) on the ground in the mud, snow, etc.

A FedEx Delivery Man also randomly walked into my house. I was mowing the yards with my headphones on and didn’t lock my doors. I came inside my house startled to see a FedEx Delivery Guy standing in my Dining Room.

I did complain to FedEx about the delivery of the packages to my mailbox and about the Delivery guy in my house.

I will have to wait until the steaks arrive tomorrow to see if I will need to complain to both FedEx and Kansas City Steaks about my order.

They may still be good to eat, but I have my doubts.

Watching TV

 

Firework Safety

 

Something to remember with Canada Day on July 1st and Independence Day on July 4th.

Ukraine's Constitution Day

 

Today is Constitution Day in Ukraine.

The current Constitution was created on June 28, 1996.

 

Сьогодні в Україні День Конституції.

Чинна Конституція була створена 28 червня 1996 року.

Budapest Pride

 

Budapest, Hungary held their Pride Parade today despite Prime Minster Orban’s legal threats (Attendees face a fine of €500 or $586 while Organizers face 1 year in prison) and the Hungarian Polce banning the event under a new “Child Protection” Law that restricts Homosexual Events (which is similar to one Putin made in Russia.)

Non-Hungarian Members of the European Parliament are also attending Budapest’s Pride Event to show how Orban’s Anti-Homsexual Attacks are Anti-EU.

Tens of Thousands of Gay and Straight People are participating in Budapest’s Pride this year to show how Orban (and other Politicians across the World  - including in the US) are using fake Moral Panic to distract People against the real issues (Unemployment, Rise of Authoritarianism, etc.)

99: Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks

 Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky) was born on June 28, 1926 in New York City.

His Father died when Brooks was 2 years old.

At 14 Brooks worked as an Entertainer at a Borscht Belt Hotel in Upstate New York.

He changed his name to Mel Brooks (taken Brooks from his Mother’s Maiden Name: Brookman) after being confused with Trumpeter Max Kaminsky.

He graduated High School in January 1944.

Brooks took the Army General Classification Test, a Stanford–Binet-type IQ test where he got high scores and was sent to the Army Specialized Training Program at the Virginia Military Institute to be taught Electrical Engineering, Horse Riding, and Saber Fighting.

12 weeks later, when he was 18, Brooks was Drafted into the Army.

Brooks was sent to France in November 1944, and later to Belgium, serving with the 78th Infantry Division as a Forward Artillery Observer.

In December 1944 Brooks was transferred to the 1104th Engineer Combat Battalion as a Combat Engineer, participating in the Battle of the Bulge.

After the Battle of the Bulge Brooks was stationed in Saarbrucken and Baumholder (Germany) where the Battalion was responsible for clearing booby-trapped buildings and defusing land mines as the Allies advanced.

In April 1945, Brooks' Unit conducted its last Reconnaissance Missions in the Harz Mountains, Germany.

After V-E Day, Brooks joined the Special Services as a Comic touring Army Bases.

In June 1946, Brooks was Honorably Discharged from the Army as a Corporal.

He returned to the Borsht Belt as an Entertainer until he became a Comic and a Writer for Sid Caesar's Variety Show “Your Show of Shows” from 1950 to 1954.

This started his 8 Decade (and counting) Career in Film (including: “The Producers - 1968”, “Blazing Saddles”, “Young Frankenstein”, “History of the World: Part 1”, “To Be or Not To Be”, “Spaceballs”, The Producers – 2005”, “Robin Hood: Men In Tights”, etc.) and in TV (including: “Get Smart”, “History of the World: Part 2”, etc.)

He was married to Florence Baum from 1953 until their Divorce in 1962) and then to Anne Bancroft from 1964 until her Death in 2005. He has 4 Children.

He is 99 years old today – June 28th.

Dog's Birthday

 

79: Canadian Citizenship

The Canadian Citizenship Act

79 years ago today (June 27, 1946) The Canadian Citizenship Act (French: Loi sur la citoyenneté Canadienne) was passed. It created Canadian Citizenship for the first time ever.

Brief Canadian Citizenship History:

From 1633-1763: Those living in the Colony of New France (Quebec) were “French Citizens.” They later automatically became “British Subjects.”

From 1583-1867: Those living in the Colony of British North America (Canada) were “British Subjects”, but not British Citizens.

From 1867- 1914: The British North American Act made those living in Canada “British Subjects with a Connection to the Dominion of Canada.”)

From 1876-2013: The 1876 Indian Act made Indians living in Canada “Wards of the State” subjected to the Federal Government and not the Provinces or Territories. The Federal Government had direct say over what they could and could not do.

It also created a separate “Status Indians” (those who lived on Reservations and are on the Indian Register) and “Non-Status Indians” (those not living on Reservations, not on the Indian Register and neither considered Indians nor Canadians.) Non-Status Indians was done away with in 2013.

From 1914-1946: Those living in Canada became “British Subjects and Canadian Nationals.” The order is important to note.

From 1946-1982: Those living in Canada became “Canadian Citizens and British Subjects.”

In 1953: a separate Canadian Monarchy was created with Queen Elizabeth II (Queen Elizabeth 1 in Canada) becoming the first Canadian Monarch and the First (and so far only) Canadian Queen.

King Charles III is the Current Canadian Monarch and the First (and so far only) Canadian King.

It also created the Canadian Royal Family.

From 1946-1967: Any Canadian Citizen living outside of Canada for 10 years or longer or who acquired Citizenship of another country automatically lost their Canadian Citizenship.

From 1960-1982: Status Indians could also become “Canadian Citizens and British Subjects” if they applied for. It.

From 1976- Present Day: Dual Citizenship is officially allowed in Canada.

From 1982-Present Day:  When Canada became a completely independent country due to Patriation those living in Canada (including Indigenous Peoples) are now “Canadian Citizens and Commonwealth Citizens.”

From 2009- Present Day: Re-instated Canadian Citizenship to those that had automatically lost it between 1946-1976 if they apply for it. Limited Citizenship to the Second Generation born outside of Canada.

In 2014: Gave Canadian Citizenship to “The Lost Canadians” (Those that should have received Canadian Citizenship since 1946, but were denied it by the Canadian Government despite their undeniable ties to Canada.)

Note: I am a dual Canadian and American Citizen as well as a Commonwealth Citizen (through my Canadian Citizenship.)

I am considered a Natural Born Canadian (not Naturalized) and a Natural-Born American (not Naturalized.)

This picture is a stamp that the Royal Mail Canada (today Canada Post) created in 1946 to honor (honour in Canada) the new Canadian Citizenship Law.

PTSD Day

 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Help:

Suicide and Crisis Nationwide Hotline: 988  (24/7/365)

Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis: 988 (24/7/365)

Options For Deaf + Hard of Hearing: For TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988 (24/7/365)

Veterans Crisis Hotline: 988 Then Press 1  (24/7/365)

Veterans Crisis Text: 838255 (24/7/365)

National Website:

https://988lifeline.org/

All of these Numbers are Free and Confidential.

There are also many more Local, State and National PTSD Programs and Support.

No Direct Airlinks

Countries and Territories With No Direct Airlinks to the United States:

Algeria

Libya

Sudan

Tunisia

Benin

Burkina Faso

Cape Verde

Gambia

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Liberia

Mali

Mauritania

Niger

Saint Helena (UK)

Angola

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Congo, Republic.

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Botswana

Eswatini

Lesotho

Namibia

Burundi

Comoros

Djibouti

Eritrea

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

Mayotte (France)

Mozambique

Reunion (France)

Seychelles

Somalia

South Sudan

Tanzania

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Sint Eustatius (The Netherlands)

Saba (The Netherlands)

Montserrat (UK)

Honduras

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)

Bolivia

Falkland Islands (UK)

French Guiana

Paraguay

Venezuela (due to Safety Concerns since 2019)

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

North Korea (US has no Diplomatic Ties)

Mongolia

Macau (China)

Bangladesh

Bhutan (US has no Diplomatic Ties)

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Brunei

Cambodia

East Timor

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Thailand

Afghanistan

Bahrain

Iran (US has no Diplomatic Ties)

Iraq

Lebanon

Oman

Syria

Yemen (Due to Civil War)

Northern Ireland (UK)

Wales (UK)

Gibraltar (UK)

Guernsey (UK)

Isle of Man (UK)

Jersey (UK)

Luxembourg

The Czech Republic

Hungary

Slovakia

Croatia

Cyprus

Turkish Occupied Northern Cyprus

Malta

Slovenia

Albania

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belarus (Due to Political Sanctions)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Georgia

Kosovo

Moldova

Romania

Montenegro

North Macedonia

Russia (US Airspace was closed to Russia since 2022)

Serbia

Ukraine (All Ukrainian Airports closed since 2022)

Estonia

Faroe Islands (Denmark)

Latvia

Lithuania

Christmas Island (Australia)

Cocos Islands (Australia)

Easter Island (Chile)

Nauru

Norfolk Island (Australia)

Niue

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Wallis and Futuna (France)

I have been to 8 of these.

10: Marriage Legal

 

10 years ago today (June 26, 2015) the US Supreme Court made Gay Marriage legal throughout most of the United States.

Gay Marriage remains illegal on some Indian Reservations and the US Territory of American Samoa.

Massachusetts became the first US State or Territory to allow Gay Marriage in 2004.

68% of American Adults approve of Gay Marriage.

Homosexuality was first decriminalized in 1962 with Illinois becoming the first US State or Territory and last decriminalized (by the US Supreme Court) in 2003 in Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

However, there is currently a new Lavender Scare causing Unnecessary Mass Moral Panic across the United States (the same way it did in the 1940s-1970s.)

Many US States (such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, Arizona, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, Arkansas, Tennessee, etc.)  currently have or are working on making Anti-Homosexuality Laws where they can including: Education, Sports, “Don’t Say Gay”, Pride Parade Bans, Gay Book Bans, Boycotts,  etc.

The US Federal Government is also looking into doing away with Gay Marriage and many other Federal Homosexual Protections.

Politicians and Groups of People across the United States are trying to cause panic and fear against Homosexuals so attention is deflected from the real issues and so People have a Scapegoat to blame all their problems on.

I’m not Gay, but I support Gay Rights and Gay Marriage because I am Straight, but not Narrow (Minded.)

Good Life

 

Kind Honor

 

Donate Your Birthday

 

 For my Birthday this year I don’t need anything (and I’m not just saying that to be polite.)

Whatever I want I buy for myself.

If you want to send me something then you can send me a Birthday Card by Regular Mail (I love Cards and have every single one I have ever received.)

If you still feel a need to get me a present then you can donate (your money, food, clothes, your time, etc.) to a Charity or Organization that helps the causes I care about: US Soldiers, the Sick, the Homeless, Military Families, the Hungry, Ukrainians, Veterans, the Disabled and Animals.

If you need some ideas here are some of the places I donate to:

 

Koda’s Mission:

(A German Guy running an Animal Shelter to rescue and help Dogs, Goats, etc. in war-torn Ukraine)

https://www.kodasmission.com/

War Paws:

(A British Animal Shelter in Iraq that helps animals in warzones)

 https://warpaws.org/...

 

EOD Wounded Warrior Foundation:

(Helps Wounded Soldiers in EOD – Explosive Ordinance Disposal.)

 https://eod-wf.org/...

 

Greater Good Charities:

(Helps People, Animals affected by Natural Disasters, Homelessness, War, etc.)

 https://greatergood.org/...

 

Note: These are just a few of the many good and helpful Charities and Organizations.

Zelenskyy At NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wearing a Black Suit (instead of his regular Military-Style Black Sweatshirt), while meeting Leaders at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands today.

NATO Member Countries have agreed to continue to support Ukraine against its War with Russia.

Best Friend

 

Planned Spontaneity

"Spontaneity is best when planned." - - I'll pencil you in for a week from Tuesday at 11 am (please kindly give 24 hours if you are unable to keep this appointment.)

6 Months

 

Paragraph 175

Paragraph 175

Many People believe that the Nazis made it illegal to be Gay in Germany, but that is not the case.

Paragraph 175 (which made it illegal to be Gay, but not a Lesbian) was created in 1871.

Anyone convicted of being Gay was sent to a Regular German Prison.

Between 1902 and 1918 (when World War 1 ended) 9,384 Gays were convicted in Germany and sentenced to Prison.

Between 1919-1932 (during the Weimer Republic) 9,257 Gays were convicted in Germany and sentenced to Prison.

In 1935, the Nazis amended Paragraph 175, to make it easier to denounce Gays with just the belief that a Man liked another Man with no evidence needed. It also included imprisoning Gays in Concentration Camps as well as in Regular Prisons.

In 1936 the Reich Central Office for the Combating of Homosexuality and Abortion, working with Gestapo Special Bureau II S was established in Berlin. It worked with the Regular German Police to arrest any suspected Gay Man.

In April 1941 Hitler declared that any Gay Man in the Hitler Youth (which was made Compulsory for all Non-Jewish German Boys and Teenagers in 1936) get the Death Penalty. They were not usually sent to the Camps, but killed privately with their numbers kept secret.

In November 1941 Hitler declared that any Gay Man in the SS, the Gestapo or the Regular German Police get the Death Penalty. They were not usually sent to the Camps, but killed privately with their numbers kept secret.

In 1943 Hitler declared that any Gay Man in the Regular German Military (which was Compulsory for all Non-Jewish German Men) get the Death Penalty. After the great German losses at Stalingrad in February 1943 (where 235,000 German Soldiers and 22 German Generals were captured by the Soviets) the Death Penalty for being Gay in the Military was not followed. Instead any Gay Soldier was sent to Special Battalions that did dangerous jobs (like clearing minefields or trying to kill Partisans in the Forests and Swamps of German-Occupied Eastern Europe – where the majority were killed.)

Between 1933 – 1945 the Nazis arrested at least 100,000 German and Austrian Men for being Gay or the suspicion of being Gay.

50,000 of these Men were sentenced in German Civilian Courts; 7,000 by German Military Courts and an unknown number by Special Closed Courts.

15,000 were imprisoned in Concentration and Death Camps (where they were made to wear the Pink Triangle on their Prisoner Uniform or a Yellow Star with a Pink Triangle if they were Jewish and Gay.)

60% of those imprisoned in Concentration Camps and Death Camps died or were murdered (the highest rate of all other Prisoner Groups except the Jews.) Those not killed in the Gas Chambers were either killed through Forced Labor or during Experiments carried out by the German Nazi Doctors at the Camps.

Some of these Experiments included forcing Gay Men to have intercourse at the Camp Brothel (known as the Lagerbordell) in order to see if it would “cure” them.

10 Concentration and Death Camps had their own Brothels for the Non-Jewish Prisoners (that doesn’t include the Brothels for the SS and the Wehrmacht throughout German-Occupied Europe) which the Non-Jewish Prisoners could use if they filled their Quota.

34,140 Female Prisoners (mostly Political Prisoners and Roman and Sinti, but no Jews) were forced into these Brothels during the War.

Gay Men were forced to be with these Women while Nazi Doctors watched. The Gay Men were then almost always killed immediately after to be studied. If a Woman became pregnant the Baby was taken to a State Orphanage and the Mother was killed.

Other Experiments on Gays included Castration, Lobotomies and Hyperthermia Tests.

Gay Men were arrested from all over German-Occupied Europe and sent to Concentration and Death Camps, but they were usually recorded as being Political Prisoners and not Gay so their numbers are not known.

When World War 2 ended in 1945 Gays continued to be imprisoned some went from a Death Camp or a Concentration Camp to a Regular Prison.

Gay Homosexuality (but not Lesbian Homosexuality) was illegal in the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union and the United States so the Allies did not recognize Gays as Victims of the Nazis, but as Regular Criminals.

The 1935 Version of Paragraph 175 – one of the few Nazi-era laws that remained in force and unaltered in West Germany – was upheld by the West German Federal Constitutional Court in 1957 and remained in force until 1969, when Homosexuality was partially Decriminalized.

From 1946-1968 (from when World War 2 ended until it was Decriminalized) West Germany sent 58,361 Homosexuals to Prison.

From 1968 – 1990 (from when it was Decriminalized until Reunification) West Germany sent 4,904 Homosexuals to Prison.

In East Germany, the Pre-1935 Version of Paragraph 175 was kept into law. Homosexuality was rarely prosecuted after 1957, was Decriminalized in 1968 and Paragraph 175 was repealed there in 1988.

Paragraph 175 not only continued in West Germany and in East Germany, but also in United Germany.

From 1990 to 1994 United Germany sent 283 Homosexuals to Prison.

Paragraph 175 was not repealed in Germany until 1994.

Since 1994 Homosexuals have been allowed to openly serve in the German Military (German Men had to serve as Conscripts until 2011.)

Until 2000 Officers in the German Military were forbidden to be Homosexual.

Same-Sex Civil Unions became legal in Germany in 2001.

In 2002, Germany finally annulled the Nazi-Era judgements under Paragraph 175 and in 2017, Victims were offered Compensation (the Annulment and Compensation extended to Men convicted from 1945-1994.)

Each Person convicted under Paragraph 175 received €3,000 Compensation, plus €1,500 for each year spent in Custody as a result of a Conviction.

The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism opened in Berlin in 2008. Inside is a Video showing 2 Men Kissing. Every 2 Years the Video is changed to show 2 Women kissing.

Same-Sex Marriage became legal in Germany in 2017.

 

Triple Digits

 

240 Million Americans are baking in temperatures of 90 F to 110 F with Tropical Humidity.

Remember to check in on: the Elderly, Children, the Disabled and Animals.  

6 Months

Sorry For Dogs

 

Piergoi

 

St. John The Baptist

 

Saint John The Baptist

Today is Saint John the Baptist National Day in Quebec, Canada.

This Provincial Holiday has two meanings:

1. It is the Catholic Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist (celebrating his Birthday.)

2.  It remembers and celebrates French Culture and History in Quebec.

The first Saint John the Baptist Day was celebrated in 1606 in New France (France’s Colony in North America – today Quebec) and continued until the British Takeover in 1763 when it was forbidden by the British.

In 1834 the Province of Lower Canada (which included Quebec) and was a separate British Colony in North America brought back Saint John the Baptist Day to celebrate French Culture.

Celebrations continued after Canadian Confederation in 1867 (Confederation is when the separate British Colonies of the Province of Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia, and the Province of New Brunswick—were united into one British Colony called the Dominion of Canada,)

In 1908, Pope Pius X designated St. John the Baptist as the Patron Saint of French Canadians.

In 1925, June 24th became a legal Provincial Holiday in Quebec.

In 1977, Saint John the Baptist Day on June 24th became a National Provincial Holiday for all Quebecers (rather than only for French-Canadian Quebecers or Catholics.)

Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Saint-Jean-Baptiste

 Aujourd'hui, c'est la fête nationale de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste au Québec, Canada.

Cette fête provinciale a deux significations :

1. C'est le jour de la fête catholique de Saint Jean-Baptiste (célébrant son anniversaire.)

2. Il se souvient et célèbre la culture et l'histoire françaises au Québec.

La première journée de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste a été célébrée en 1606 en Nouvelle-France (la colonie française en Amérique du Nord - aujourd'hui Québec) et s'est poursuivie jusqu'à la prise de contrôle britannique en 1763, date à laquelle elle a été interdite par les Britanniques.

En 1834, la province du Bas-Canada (qui comprenait le Québec) et était une colonie britannique distincte en Amérique du Nord a ramené la Saint-Jean-Baptiste pour célébrer la culture française.

Les célébrations se sont poursuivies après la Confédération canadienne en 1867 (la Confédération est le moment où les colonies britanniques distinctes de la province du Canada, de la province de la Nouvelle-Écosse et de la province du Nouveau-Brunswick ont été réunies en une seule colonie britannique appelée le Dominion du Canada)

En 1908, le pape Pie X désigne saint Jean-Baptiste comme saint patron des Canadiens français.

En 1925, le 24 juin devient une fête provinciale légale au Québec.

En 1977, la Saint-Jean-Baptiste le 24 juin est devenue une fête nationale provinciale pour tous les Québécois (plutôt que seulement pour les Québécois ou les catholiques canadiens-français.)

Stay Safe

 

Zelenskyy Meets King

 

Today, The King welcomed the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Windsor Castle for lunch.

Сьогодні Король Чарльз ІІІ вітав Президента України Володимира Зеленського на ланчі у Віндзорському замку.

Vital

 

Iran Attacks Bases

 

Iran has attacked US Military Bases in Qatar and Iraq in response to the US attacking several locations in Iran.

The US Embassy in Qatar advised Americans "to shelter in place."

Thank You

 

Be The Person

 

Stand With/For

I Stand With/For

In a time where saying or writing this can get you physically and verbally attacked I will continue to say:

I am NOT Homeless, but I stand FOR Homeless Rights!

I am NOT a Woman, but I stand FOR Women’s Rights!

I am NOT Homosexual, but I stand FOR Homosexual Rights!

I am NOT in an Interracial Relationship, but I stand FOR Interracial Couple’s Rights!

I am NOT Jewish, but I stand WITH the Jews!

I am NOT Ukrainian, but I stand WITH Ukraine!

I am NOT a Veteran, but I stand FOR Veteran’s Rights!

I am NOT Disabled, but I stand for Disabled Rights!

Don’t let any Person, Politician, Religious Leader or Organization try to place blame or incite fear towards the above Groups.

They are merely trying to use them as Scapegoats so we don’t look too deep at the real reasons for our current problems.

Sergey Fetisov

Sergey Fetisov

Sergey Fetisov was born on August 12, 1952 in Oryol, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (today Oryol, Russia.)

He served his two year mandatory Conscription (which every Soviet Man had to undergo) in the 1970s at the Soviet Air Force Base in Soviet- Occupied Estonia.

There he fell in love with a young maverick Fighter Pilot (who later died during the Soviet-Afghan War.)

Later in life, Sergey graduated as an Actor from Moscow’s prestigious GITIS Institute, but turned down numerous offers from major Theaters and took a job as a night Mail Man instead, after learning about his Mother’s terminal illness.

Sergey nursed his Mother to death for 5 years, and for a while did not return to the stage, until a Director rediscovered him on a city street.

Besides his extensive Theater career, Sergey acted in over 40 Soviet and later Russian films and TV series, including the Estonian feature film “Georg” (2007).

He was one of the founding members of the “Russian Style Theatre” in Oryol in 1994.

Sergey published his memoir “A Tale About Roman” in the early '90s under the pseudonym Sergey Nizhny.

It’s a story of courage, love and fear during the height of the Cold War, and following his heart in the face of all the dangers of the Soviet Union at the time, is a testament and example of true love, that love is love.

In 2017, Sergey fell ill and had to undergo serious surgery.

He passed away following surgery on May 3, 2017.

Overlooked

I’ve been asked why I regularly write about: the Disabled, the Holocaust, the Military, Ukraine, Homosexuals, Veterans and Animals.

I believe in keeping awareness up on those that otherwise would be forgotten.

The Disabled have always been kept hidden away from Society. From the 1800s-1974 there were “Ugly Laws” around the United States and around the World. People didn’t want to see anyone not like them and so they were kept in horrible conditions in basements and Institutions where they were abused.

Not only were the Disabled hidden away, but they were Forcibly Sterilized in Canada (from 1803-1982), in China (from 1978-Present), in Czechoslovakia (from 1973-1989), in Denmark (from 1936-1976), in Nazi Germany (from 1933-1945), in East Germany (from 1945-1990), in Japan (from 1907-1996), in Peru (from the 1920s-1998), in Sweden (from 1934-1976) and in the United States (from 1883-1978.)

Nazi Germany also murdered the Disabled by Gas or Lethal Injunction. 300,000 Disabled People were murdered between 1939 and 1945 in the Aktion T4 Program.

Even today, the Disabled seem to be protected by Local, Regional and Federal Laws, but in reality the Disabled continue to be kept as Second-Class Citizens (they are allowed to be paid below Minimum Wage in many Places for the same work that the Non-Disabled do.)

Ordinary People tend to keep away from the Disabled when they do see them rather than interacting with them.

 

Homosexuals have been used as Scapegoats by different Countries and Politicians for Decades.

The Nazis arrested 100,000 Homosexuals between 1933-1945 and sent 9,000 to Concentration and Death Camps where they were forced to wear a Pink Triangle and were subjected to cruel and inhumane punishments including Medical Experiments (like Castration.)

The rest were kept in regular Prisons.

Even when World War 2 ended in 1945 the Allies (Soviets, French, British and Americans) didn’t consider the Homosexuals as Political Prisoners of the Nazis and sent most from the liberated Concentration and Death Camps right into German Prisons.

In West Germany in 1959 alone 3,530 Homosexuals were convicted and sent to prison (44 were sent to prison in 1994 in United Germany – the year Paragraph 175 was repealed.)

From 1947-1977 the United States Government used the German Law Paragraph 175 (1871 to 1994) to discriminate against American Homosexuals.

10,000 Federal Employees were fired

From 1940 – 2010: 100,000 Soldiers were kicked out of the US Military for being Homosexual.

There is currently a new Lavender Scare causing Unnecessary Mass Moral Panic across the United States (the same way it did in the 1940s-1970s.)

Currently, the US States of Alabama, Texas and Florida have Official Anti-Homosexual Laws.

Many other US States are also looking into creating their own Anti-Homosexual Laws.

The US Federal Government is also looking into doing away with Gay Marriage and many other Federal Homosexual Protections.

 

The Holocaust seems to get a lot of coverage everywhere, but when you look at the facts (85% of Americans were found to be Anti-Semitic in 2023 with similar numbers across the World) then you see that after 78 years little has changed.

6 Million Jewish Men, Women and Children were murdered by the Germans and their Collaborators from 1933-1945.

11 Million Non-Jewish Men, Women and Children were murdered by the Germans and their Collaborators from 1933-1945.

20 Million Jewish and Non-Jewish Men, Women and Children were imprisoned in German Concentration Camps, Labor Camps and Death Camps from 1933-1945.

Holocaust Denial may be illegal in many places today, but Holocaust Admiring (People who believe the Germans didn’t do enough and want to “finish the job”) grows every year with violent attacks on Jews in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, Spain, Poland, Russia, etc.

 

The Military and Veterans seem to get a lot of coverage everywhere, but when you look at the facts you see it isn’t.

 A Poll conducted in 1973 (when the US Military Draft ended) found that 84% of every American either served or knew a Loved One that served in the US Military.

A Poll conducted in 2019 found that 0.01% of every American either served or knew a Loved One that served in the US Military.

With less than 1% of all Americans serving or knowing a Loved One who is serving in the US Military little to no attention is really paid to what the Soldiers and the Veterans are going through. A lot of people post or say things like “Thank You for your service” and give no other thought to the Homeless, Disabled and Hungry Veterans or the Soldiers away from their Families.

 

Ukraine seems to be everywhere, but other than getting a few “likes” and many “Slava Ukraines” not much is being done by the General Population to help end Russia’s Genocide against Ukrainian Men, Women and Children. Putin is using the same excuses and methods against the Ukrainians that Hitler used.

Every Man, Woman and Child around the World that doesn’t side with Ukraine and do everything they can to help them defeat the Russians is just as guilty of the War Crimes being committed there as the Russians are themselves.

 

Abused, Abandoned and Hurt Animals seem to be posted everywhere (on TV, Social Media, etc.) but other than feeling sorry for what they see many people simply ignore what is going on. Animals, especially Pets, are seen as “Property” in many places so you can do whatever you want to them. Pets need to be protected as the loving and living creatures they are. 

Ever since I was little my Mom told me one phrase over and over again: “Do Good.”

She showed me (through her words and actions) to stand-up to Anti-Semitism when I was in 5th Grade in Germany, to help Veterans, Soldiers and Military Families, to care for Animals and shortly before she passed in 2014 she told me to do what I could to help the Ukrainians after the Russians invaded and occupied Crimea – she went with me to Kyiv, Ukraine in November 2007.

That is why I always write and will continue to write about these often over-looked People and Animals.

Firebird

Firebird

 A Ukrainian Friend of mine sent me this DVD for my Birthday. I had never heard of the movie (it came out in April 2022) but she said since it was June (Gay Pride Month) and one of the main Actors (Oleg Zagorodnii - Олег Загородній) is Ukrainian  - born and raised in Kyiv - I should watch it. So I did. It is in English, by the way.

Spoiler Alert!!!!!

(Tom Prior and Oleg Zagorodnii)

It’s a true story about a Private  - Sergey - (played by Tom Prior) in the 1970s who is almost done with his Soviet Military Service that all Soviet Men had to do when he meets a Fighter Pilot  - Roman - (played by Oleg Zagorodnii) and they fall in love, but they have to hide their love – especially from the KGB who are watching them. There is also a Woman  - Luisa - (played by Russian Actress Diana Pozharskaya) in between the two. The story doesn’t end well. Spoiler Alert!!!!! With Roman dying during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s.

Being a Gay Man in the Soviet Union was illegal (although being a Lesbian was not) from 1933-1991 and you would go to a Forced Labor Penal Colony for at least 5 years if caught. Being Gay was also illegal in Russia from 1991-1993 and again since 2013 (including in Russian-Occupied parts of Ukraine.)

The man it is based off of, Sergey Fetisov, died in 2017. He had been in Soviet and Russian Theater for decades as well as over 40 Soviet and Russian films.

The title “Firebird” refers to the 1910 Russian Ballet “Firebird” (French: L'Oiseau de feu; Russian: Жар-птица) by Igor Stravinsky.

You can watch “Firebird” on different Streaming Services.

Not Done

 

US Bombs Iran

From Reuters/Yahoo:

“US has struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says, joining Israeli air campaign”

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on social media. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.” Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.

The strikes are a perilous decision for the U.S. as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran. He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks, a timeline that seemed drawn out as the situation was evolving quickly.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday the United States that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region." Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.

Israel ’s military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.” The prospect of a wider war threatened, too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel’s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced the U.S. had begun “assisted departure flights,” the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. But Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel’s operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps permanently.

The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’s air defenses, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites. But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel has appealed to Trump for U.S. bunker-busting bombs, the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The penetrator is currently only delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.

Trump’s decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program. For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and again in late May — persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time. The U.S. in recent days has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and U.S. bases from Iranian attacks. All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a “second chance” for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran’s unconditional surrender. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said in a social media posting. “He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.” The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran’s non-nuclear malign behavior.

Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/diplomatic-breakthrough-elusive-israel-iran-041120123.html