It is thirty six days to the 2012 elections; this is the home stretch.
Yesterday, September 30th began a commemorative event dear to my heart, Banned Books week, about which I will try to write something more specific each day of this week. I'm including it here since most of the week falls on the October calendar. Apart from being the month of one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, this is another occasion, if less well known or celebrated that I try to acknowledge each year.
And a belated nod here to Blasphemy Day International, which was also on September 30 and which bears noting internationally because it represents the civil right of freedom of speech, even if people who have strong religious beliefs don't agree with dissent or critical examination of religion. While too many ignorant people believe that only Muslim countries under Sharia law have theocratic statutes relating to the crime of blasphemy, that would be incorrect. So if you missed International Blasphemy Day on Sunday, feel free to celebrate a day late if you so desire, and - for example - go stand in your front yard and yell something about whatever religious dictate annoys the heck out of you, I invite you to have at it, but I would offer that we might want to begin with offering a hearty one-finger salute to those blasphemy laws on the books in the U.S. and the European Union as well. I would suggest to our readers that while we should be tolerant and respectful of people's religions, they should not be above discussion or even criticism; there is an appropriate latitude for disagreement that is well the safe side of hate speech, which should include respect for factual information about any religion, (a criticism I have of the Islamophobes), and it should only reflect an individual disagreement, not advocate harm to anyone by anyone in either support OR opposition to any religion.
(from the wikipedia entry):
A few things for the day - it is the national day in China today, as well as Nepal, Nigeria and Cyprus, equivalent to our 4th of July. I like to remediate our national ignorance of other countries and cultures. This is especially important when China has the importance to our nation and globally that it does - so go celebrate today - and keep in mind that it is also fair trade month! Have some Chinese food, or maybe some Nepalese, eastern Mediterranean or Nigerian food, be a little daring, go outside the same old same old comfort zone and live a little on the wild side.
It is also national Hispanic heritage and German-American heritage month, Filipino American history month, Italian American heritage month, and Polish American heritage month. Consider celebrating those events as well with some ethnic-specific cuisine from those parts of the world. As I've got a DVR'd episode of Gerald Norton playing in the background, I'll add in that it is National Black History month IF you are in the UK.
It is national Cyber Security Awareness month,so be extra careful about keeping your security software current and doing all the things that you should do to keep your computer safe so you can continue reading here. It is also national auto battery safety
It is also world architect day today; I'm an architect maven, although I haven't written much about it here - (for one of my favorite uncles who is an award winning architect, this is for you).
That scare that global warming was leading to a world bacon scarcity is apparently a hoax (although I predict that droughts will make it more expensive). However, it IS national pork month!
It is also, in no particular order of precedence, National Clergy Appreciation month, National Arts and Humanities month, national anti-bullying month and domestic violence awareness month, and national LGBT history month.
It is national Health Literacy awareness month, National Dental Hygiene Month, national Physical Therapist Month. It is Breast Cancer awareness month, Healthy Lung Awareness month and a whole lot of other health issues use this as their signature awareness month: national pregnancy loss and infant loss month, National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome month, and National Infertility Awareness month.
Politically sensitive 'awareness months' include American Pharmacist month, Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month and now 3D Medical Ultrasound Awareness month.
It is Mental Illness Awareness month. Rett Syndrome Awareness month and National Down Syndrome Awareness month and National Spina Bifida Awareness month.
It is Dwarfism Awareness month, and it is National Lupus Erythmatosus month and World Blindness month, Celiac Sprue Awareness month and National Vegetarian Month. I guess that brings us full circle back to celebrating the month of October with a bit of adventurous eating.
Yesterday, September 30th began a commemorative event dear to my heart, Banned Books week, about which I will try to write something more specific each day of this week. I'm including it here since most of the week falls on the October calendar. Apart from being the month of one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, this is another occasion, if less well known or celebrated that I try to acknowledge each year.
And a belated nod here to Blasphemy Day International, which was also on September 30 and which bears noting internationally because it represents the civil right of freedom of speech, even if people who have strong religious beliefs don't agree with dissent or critical examination of religion. While too many ignorant people believe that only Muslim countries under Sharia law have theocratic statutes relating to the crime of blasphemy, that would be incorrect. So if you missed International Blasphemy Day on Sunday, feel free to celebrate a day late if you so desire, and - for example - go stand in your front yard and yell something about whatever religious dictate annoys the heck out of you, I invite you to have at it, but I would offer that we might want to begin with offering a hearty one-finger salute to those blasphemy laws on the books in the U.S. and the European Union as well. I would suggest to our readers that while we should be tolerant and respectful of people's religions, they should not be above discussion or even criticism; there is an appropriate latitude for disagreement that is well the safe side of hate speech, which should include respect for factual information about any religion, (a criticism I have of the Islamophobes), and it should only reflect an individual disagreement, not advocate harm to anyone by anyone in either support OR opposition to any religion.
(from the wikipedia entry):
Anti-blasphemy laws exist throughout the world. In many parts of Europe and North America they have been overturned, although there are anti-blasphemy laws in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Iceland, the Netherlands, San Marino and the UK. There are also "religious insult" laws in 21 European nations.[8][page needed]
The Republic of Ireland passed the "Defamation Act 2009" in that year, which states in part, "A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €25,000."[9]
Finland has been the setting for a number of noteworthy blasphemy trials in the 2000s. The Finnish linguist, political blogger Helsinki City Councillor and subsequent member of parliament Jussi Halla-aho was charged with "disturbing religious worship" because of internet posts in which he called Muhammad a pedophile, Halla-aho was fined €330.
In some countries, blasphemy is punishable by death, such as in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.[citation needed]
Six US states (Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming) still have anti-blasphemy laws on their books, although they are seldom enforced.I'm going to belatedly celebrate Blasphemy Day International by giving the religious extremist who just upped the bounty on Salmon Rushdie for having written Satanic Verses a hearty raspberry, aimed in the general direction of Iran. And an accompanying enthusiastic rude gesture in the same cosmic general direction for the hanging of homosexuals. And a similar rude gesture to those of the religious right who promote the failed 'ignorance only'/abstinence only religiously motivated anti-sexual view that are puritanical in trying to force an anti-sexual world view on others who do not share their religious narrowness. And a final rude gesture to the religious zealots who have waged religious culture war on women, including the Roman Catholic bishops and the rest of the hierarchy who oppose contraception, its use and availability to women. It turns out this is a holiday with a great deal of unexplored potential for satisfying celebratory expression!
A few things for the day - it is the national day in China today, as well as Nepal, Nigeria and Cyprus, equivalent to our 4th of July. I like to remediate our national ignorance of other countries and cultures. This is especially important when China has the importance to our nation and globally that it does - so go celebrate today - and keep in mind that it is also fair trade month! Have some Chinese food, or maybe some Nepalese, eastern Mediterranean or Nigerian food, be a little daring, go outside the same old same old comfort zone and live a little on the wild side.
It is also national Hispanic heritage and German-American heritage month, Filipino American history month, Italian American heritage month, and Polish American heritage month. Consider celebrating those events as well with some ethnic-specific cuisine from those parts of the world. As I've got a DVR'd episode of Gerald Norton playing in the background, I'll add in that it is National Black History month IF you are in the UK.
It is national Cyber Security Awareness month,so be extra careful about keeping your security software current and doing all the things that you should do to keep your computer safe so you can continue reading here. It is also national auto battery safety
It is also world architect day today; I'm an architect maven, although I haven't written much about it here - (for one of my favorite uncles who is an award winning architect, this is for you).
That scare that global warming was leading to a world bacon scarcity is apparently a hoax (although I predict that droughts will make it more expensive). However, it IS national pork month!
It is also, in no particular order of precedence, National Clergy Appreciation month, National Arts and Humanities month, national anti-bullying month and domestic violence awareness month, and national LGBT history month.
It is national Health Literacy awareness month, National Dental Hygiene Month, national Physical Therapist Month. It is Breast Cancer awareness month, Healthy Lung Awareness month and a whole lot of other health issues use this as their signature awareness month: national pregnancy loss and infant loss month, National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome month, and National Infertility Awareness month.
Politically sensitive 'awareness months' include American Pharmacist month, Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month and now 3D Medical Ultrasound Awareness month.
It is Mental Illness Awareness month. Rett Syndrome Awareness month and National Down Syndrome Awareness month and National Spina Bifida Awareness month.
It is Dwarfism Awareness month, and it is National Lupus Erythmatosus month and World Blindness month, Celiac Sprue Awareness month and National Vegetarian Month. I guess that brings us full circle back to celebrating the month of October with a bit of adventurous eating.
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