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louisupdates · 6 months

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The Habit He Can’t Break, 1/4

IQ 123 | Gordon Masson | 9.11.2023

Usually, when an act completes a world tour, they come off the road for an extended period to rest, record new material, and then typically two or three years later, the wheels are set in motion for an album, released, promo, and tour dates.

Louis Tomlinson did not get that memo.

His first solo tour ran late due to the pandemic restrictions, meaning that by the time it concluded in September 2022, his second album, Faith in the Future, was scheduled to drop and tickets for the associated tour were ready to go on sale.

“This tour went on sale late October or November - basically a year in advance,” explains agent, Holly Rowland, who represents Tomlinson alongside Alex Hardee, internationally, while Wasserman Music colleagues, Marty Diamond and Ash Mowry-Lewis do likewise for North America.

Despite that quick turnaround between tours, Rowland reports that ticket sales for the current tour are going very well indeed. “The first leg went through Scandinavia before doing the Baltics and Eastern Europe – Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece – places that most people, especially arena-level acts, don’t really go. And the second leg, which is more mainland Europe, started 2 October.”

The tour is big. Very big for just a second outing in his own name.

Between May and July this year, Tomlinson played 39 dates in the US and Canada across a mix of amphitheaters, arenas, pavilions, and stadiums. In August, he returned to Europe, where he currently is in the midst of another 39 dates in arenas across the continent and the UK, which will take him to 18 November. Then, in early 2024, the Faith in the Future tour goes to Australia for two outdoor dates in Melbourne and Brisbane, before he takes the show to the country’s biggest indoor venue, the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

And, as IQ went to press, Louis Tomlinson released dates for a return to Latin America in May 2024 for a mix of indoor and outdoor shows, including stadia, across Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay.

“We’re going to Australia and part of Asia early next year,” states artist manager Matt Vines of London-based Seven 7 Management. We then go into Latin America in May and June. And then we’ll handpick a selection of festivals next summer, before we draw the line on the campaign at the end of the summer.”

Rowland comments, “The tour before obviously was a Covid tour where the dates had to be chopped and changed. The positive aspect of that was that we were able to upgrade venues where that made sense. But it was really nice to start from scratch on this tour to make sure the routing was all going in the right direction.”

Back to You

Playing a major role in shifting that ticketing inventory is a network of promoters also enjoying Tomlinsons rising star.

“On this tour, it’s mainly Live Nation – we use a lot of the One Direction promoter,” explains Rowland. “But for Greece, we used Honeycomb Live, Charmenko did Romania, 8 Days A Week promoted the three shows in the Baltics, All Things Live did Finland, Fource are doing Orague, it’s Gadget in Switzerland, Atelier in Luxembourg, and when we get to the UK, it’s SJM, and MCD in Ireland.”

With a total of 39 European dates, Rowland split the outing into separate legs, scheduling a break after Scandinavia, the Balkans, Baltics, and Athens, Greece, and another after mainland Europe, ending in Zürich, Switzerland.

“It’s a perfect ratio, if I do say so myself,” she laughs. “It was right to split it up – 39 dates is a long, long tour, especially with the American tour throughout the summer being 11 weeks! We made sure to schedule days off, for everyone to recharge their batteries.”

In Spain, Nacho Córdoba at Live Nation promoted Tomlinson’s shows in Bilbao, Madrid, and Barcelona, and reports sell-outs at each of the arenas involved.

“When Louis was last here, it was three days before the pandemic shut everything down in Spain. In fact, I think he played the final show before the market closed because of Covid.,” says Córdoba.

“Last year, Louis organized his Away From Home Festival in Fuengirola, and that also sold out, so we know he has a big following in Spain, and we also know that Spanish fans are super loyal. So, on this tour we sold out 7,000 tickets at Bilbao Arena Miribilla, 13,600 tickets at Wizink in Madrid, and 11,200 at Palau St Jordi in Barcelona.”

Already looking forward to Tomlinson “and his fantastic team” returning on the next tour, Córdoba believes it will be important to see what happens with the next album – and Tomlinson’s expectations – before making any plans.

“The most important thing is to keep the fans happy and keep the momentum building with Louis,” he states. “I am a big fan of the arenas, because the atmosphere at his shows was incredible. So, rather than look at going bigger, it might be a case of looking at other arenas in other markets. Whatever he does, we cannot wait to have Louis back in Spain.”

Stefan Wyss at Gadget abc Entertainment in Switzerland promoted Tomlinson when he visited Zurich’s Hallenstadion on 23 October and explains that he previously played the city’s Halle 622 venue on the first tour.

Recalling the debut solo outing, Wyss tells IQ, “At first, we announced a mid-size theatre club show, 1,800-capacity, but it sold out instantly. Then we moved it to Halle 62, which is 3-500-cap and that also sold out immediately, so it was a really big success.

“They’ve invested a lot in the production of this current tour, and it’s doing really strong numbers, so that’s why we decided to go to the arena this time around, where we set a mid-size capacity of 7,000, which is good for a small market like Switzerland, especially because he’s coming back just one year later and playing a much bigger show.”

Wyss adds, “He’s kept the ticket prices reasonable – and he never wants to do any gold circle or VIP tickets. I think that’s why he’s so close to his fans, because it’s not about maximising profits. Another reason for his success is that in addition to attracting a mainstream audience, he’s also getting the music lovers because he’s just a very good songwriter and has brilliant songs.”

Wyss also notes that with many young fans typically arriving the day before the concert, the responsibility to look after them is extended. “We set up toilets, we have security overnight, we give water away. It’s part of the organization that we will take care of the fans.”

Fresh from announcing 12 dates across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay, promoter Fabiano Lima De Queiroz at Move Concerts reports that Tomlinson will visit a mix of arenas, as well as stadiums in Santiago, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires, during his May tour.

“Our first tour with Louis was supposed to be in 2020 and we’d booked half arenas everywhere – 5,000–6,000 capacities,” he informs IQ. “Louis was one of those acts who connected very well with the fans during the pandemic, so when we shifted the dates, first to 2021, and then to 2022, we ended up selling out and having to upgrade in certain metropolitan markets.”

2/4, 3/4, 4/4

#iq magazine #louis tomlinson #louis press #9.11.2023

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dailytomlinson · 6 months

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Faith In The Future Tour (Behind The Scenes) for IQ

Full interview with Matt Vines, tour promoters, agents and more people involved in the making of the tour under the cut:

Usually, when an act completes a world tour they come off the road for an extended period to rest, record new material, and then typically two or three years later the wheels are set in motion for an album release, promo, and tour dates. Louis Tomlinson did not get that memo. His first solo tour ran late due to the pandemic restrictions, meaning that by the time it concluded in September 2022, his second album, Faith In The Future, was scheduled to drop and tickets for the associated tour were ready to go on sale.

“This tour went on sale last October or November ‒ basically a year in advance,” explains agent Holly Rowland, who represents Tomlinson, alongside Alex Hardee, internationally, while Wasserman Music colleagues Marty Diamond and Ash Mowry-Lewis do likewise for North America.

Despite that quick turnaround between tours, Rowland reports that ticket sales for the current tour are going very well indeed. “The first leg went through Scandinavia before doing the Baltics and Eastern Europe ‒ Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece ‒ places that most people, especially arena-level acts, don’t really go. And the second leg, which is more mainland Europe, started on 2 October.”

The tour is big. Very big for just a second outing in his own name.

Between May and July this year, Tomlinson played 39 dates in the US and Canada across a mix of amphitheaters, arenas, pavilions, and stadiums. In August, he returned to Europe, where he is currently in the midst of another 39 dates in arenas across the continent and the UK, which will take him to 18 November. Then, in early 2024, the Faith In The Future tour goes to Australia for two outdoor dates in Melbourne and Brisbane, before he takes the show to the country’s biggest indoor venue, the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

And, as IQ went to press, Tomlinson released dates for a return to Latin America in May 2024 for a mix of indoor and outdoor shows, including stadia, across Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay.

“We’re going to Australia and part of Asia early next year,” states artist manager Matt Vines of London-based Seven 7 Management. “We then go into Latin America in May and June. And then we’ll handpick a selection of festivals next summer, before we draw the line on the campaign at the end of the summer.”

Rowland comments, “The tour before obviously was Covid tour where the date had to be chopped and changed. The positive aspect of that was that we were able to upgrade venues where that made sense. But it was really nice to start from scratch on this tour to make sure the routing was all going in the right direction.” She reports, “We’ve done nearly 16,000 tickets in Amsterdam, and 14,000 in Paris, which I think just underlines his credibility as an artist and his growing reputation among fans.”

Playing a major role in shifting that ticketing inventory is a network of promoters also enjoying Tomlinson’s rising star.

“On this tour, it’s mainly Live Nation ‒ we use a lot of the One Direction promoter,” explains Rowland. “But for Greece, we used Honeycomb Live, Charmenko did Romania, 8 Days A Week promoted the three shows in the Baltics, All Things Live did Finland, Fource are doing Prague, it’s Gadget in Switzerland, Atelier in Luxembourg, and when we get to the UK, it’s SJM, and MCD in Ireland.”

With a total of 39 European dates, Rowland split the outing into separate legs, scheduling a break after Scandinavia, the Balkans, Baltics and Athens, Greece and another after mainland Europe ending in Zurich, Switzerland.

“It's a perfect ratio, if I do say so myself,” she laughs. “It was right to split it up ‒ 39 dates in a long, long tour, especially with the American tour throughout the summer being 11 weeks! We made sure to schedule days off, for everyone to recharge their batteries.”

In Spain, Nacho Córdoba at Live Nation promoted Tomlinson’s shows in Bilbao, Madrid, and Barcelona and reports sell-outs at each of the arenas involved.

“When Louis was last here, it was three days before the pandemic shut everything down in Spain. In fact, I think he played the final show before the market closed because of Covid,” says Córdoba.

“Last year, Louis organised his Away From Home festival in Fuengirola, and that also sold out, so we know he has a big following in Spain, and we also know that Spanish fans are super loyal. So, on this tour we sold out 7,000 tickets at Bilbao Arena Miribilla, 13,600 tickets at WiZink in Madrid, and 11,200 at Palau St Jordi in Barcelona.”

Already looking forward to Tomlinson “and his fantastic team” returning on the next tour, Córdoba believes it will be important to see what happens with the next album ‒ and Tomlinson’s expectations ‒ before making any plans.

Recalling that debut solo outing, Wyss tells IQ, “At first, we announced a mid-size theatre club show, 1,800-capacity, but it sold out instantly. Then we moved it to Halle 622, which it 3,500-cap, and that also sold out immediately, so it was a really big success.

Wyss adds, “He’s kept the ticket prices reasonable ‒ and he never wants to do any gold circle or VIP tickets. I think that’s why he’s so close to his fans, because it’s not about maximising profits. Another reason for his success is that in addition to attracting a mainstream audience, he’s also getting music lovers because he’s just a very good songwriter and has brilliant songs.”

Fresh from announcing 12 dates across Argentina, Brazil (x 3), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Pery, Paraguay, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay, promoter Fabiano Lime de Queiroz at Move Concerts reports that Tomlinson will visit a mix of arenas, as well as stadiums in Santiago, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires during his May tour.

“Our first tour with Louis was supposed to be in 2020 and we’d booked half arenas everywhere ‒ 5,000-6,000 capacities,” he informs IQ. “Louis was one of those acts who connected very well with the fans during the pandemic, so when we shifted dates, first to 2021, and then to 2022, we ended up selling out and having to upgrade in certain metropolitan markets.”

“In Santiago, for instance, we’d sold out two full arenas of 13,000 cap, but then the government declared that for mass gatherings the numbers needed to be limited to 10,000 people.”

Rather than let fans down, Move added a third date, which again ended up selling out. “I remember being on a night plane from Miami, while Matt Vines was flying in from Dallas, and we were both using the aircraft wi-fi to negotiate via text for that third show,” says Queiroz. “It was an interesting way to confirm putting the third date on sale, just three days before the actual show!”

He adds, “We’re taking a big bet on this tour when it comes to the number of cities and the capacities of the venues, but we’re hoping for the best and we��ve gone out strong. We feel that the artist is in a good moment and that the latest album has just created more interest, so we’re looking forward to when he arrives in May.”

Further north, Ocesa will prompte three dates in Mexico, including a stadium show at the F1 circuit, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, deepening Tomlinson’s footprint in that crucial North America market.

Meanwhile, in Tomlinson’s homeland, Jack Downling at SJM is promoting seven UK dates in November at arenas in Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton, Cardiff, London, and Birmingham, which will round out the European leg of the tour.

“SJM has done every show Louis has been involved with, including all the One Direction arena and stadium shows,” notes Dowling, adding that on the first tour, the London show was originally pencilled in as a Roundhouse, then two Roundhouse shows, before finally being upgraded to Wembley Arena.

“This time, The O2 arena show in London will be sold out, while all the others have passed the expectations of where we wanted to be on this tour. In fact, when the UK dates were announced, it ranked as the fourth most engaged tour on social media in SJM’s history ‒ his fans are just nuts.”

But Downling also reports that the fanbase for Tomlinson is expanding. “The demographics are pulling not just from pop but also from indie rock now.”

Downling adds, “Louis really looks after his fans. On the last tour they did a deal with Greggs {bakery chain} to give free food to the people waiting in line, as some of them camped out for days in advance.”

Ensuring his fans are looked after properly is the number-one priority in Tomlinson’s live career.

Noting that Tomlinson’s audience comprises mainly young women and girls, Rowland reveals that, at the artists’s insistence, a safety team has been added to the tour to ensure everyone that attends his shows is looked after. “Thry manage all the safety within the shows for the fans,” she explains. “They came in for the Wembley show last year and have been with us ever since ‒ they’ve been beneficial to the running of the tour.”

“When he played in South America, some of his fans were camping outside for a month. So we have a responsibility to look after them. Coming to a show should be a safe space, it’s where they find joy, and we have a responsibility to protect that.”

Manager Vines comments, “One issue we came up against almost all last year was crushing and fans passing out. We adopted a system where we could communicate with fans, who could hold up a mobile phone with a flashing red-and-white sign if they were in trouble but then we’d see them all popping up.”

“I don’t know whether some of that was a hangover of the pandemic where fans just weren’t used to being in venues. But we experienced a number of situations where hydration and temperatures in venues became an issue. I know Billie Eilish went through similar issues.”

With Tomlinson determined to meet a duty of care towards his fans, Vines says that the team now sends a “considerable advance package” to promoters ahead of their tour dates. “Our safety team goes into venues in the morning and basically ensures that a number of different things are in place ‒ making sure that water is given to the fans, where the water comes from, and at what points in the show it happens.”

And on the crushing phenomena, he reports, “We’ve worked out how many fans it’s safe to have without a secondary barrier. So we instruct promoters to have certain barriers in place to relieve that pressure and avoid crushing.”

He adds, “I get detailed incident reports after each show, which lets myself and my management team know exactly what happened, and so far on this tour, we haven’t had any issues with crushing or hydration, which is fantastic.”

Production manager Craig Sherwood is impressed by the way the tour has pivoted to protect the ‘Louies’. “The welfare officers are vital for the young girls who are aged from, I guess, 14 upwards. They can get dehydrated and malnourished pretty quickly if they are camping out for days, so it’s important that we look out for their wellbeing,” says Sherwood.

Citing the extremes that the Louies will put themselves through in an effort to secure themselves prime positions at the front of the stage, Sherwood recalls, “The first show on our US tour was in February, and it was freezing, but we found out that girls had been camping out on the pavement for five days. It’s crazy, as we know these young girls are coming from all over the world to see Louis.”

However, Tomlinson’s connection with those fans is evident in the level of merchandise sales at each show. “It’s a huge part of our business,” says Vines. “In America, we averaged about $36 a head, and it’s not much shy of that in Europe ‒ we’ve set a few national records in terms of spend per head. But we spend a lot of time on merch plans, and we do venue-specific drops and give it a lot of care and attention, as it’s a really important element of Louis’ business.”

Making sure that the Faith In The Future tour delivers Tomlinson to his growing legion of fans, PM Sherwoord’s long association with artist manager Vines made him the obvious choice when the artist first began his solo career.

“I remember doing a lot of promo dates around the UK and US before we started touring properly,” says Sherwood of his work with Tomlinson. “In fact, one of the first shows I remember doing with Louis was in Madrid when he played in a stadium, and I could see it was a taste of things to come.”

The partnership between Sherwood and Vines is crucial.

“In terms of the show growing, our biggest challenge is keeping costs down, because we’re extremely cautious on ticket pricing,” says Vines. “We don’t do dynamic pricing, we don’t do platinium ticketing, we don’t do paid VIPs, we don’t increase ticket prices on aisle seats ‒ all those tricks that everyone does that most fans don’t know about: we don’t do any of those.”

“So, when it comes to the production side of things, we need to be incredibly careful. But I’ve been working with Craig for a decade, and he knows the importance of trying to keep costs as low as possible. For instance, we’ll run the show virtually a number of times so Louis can watch it with the show designer, Tom Taylor, make comments and tweak things. Then we’ll go into pre-production. But we try to do as much in virtual reality as possible before we take it into the physical world.”

Sherwood states, “Basically, we started out with two or three trucks, but now we’re up to nine, and things seem to be getting bigger day by day.”

Thankfully, Sherwood has amassed a vastly experienced crew over the years, allowing them to handle even the most unexpected scenarios. “I’ve been touring since the dawn of time, but the core crew I work with now have been together since about 2010, and I trust them implicitly, so I leave it up to them who they hire, as long as they think I’m going to like them, and they’ll get along with everyone. So far, it has worked well,” Sherwood reports.

And that veteran crew has dealt with some terrifying weather extremes on the current tour, including a show at Red Rocks in Colorado where the audience were subjected to a freak storm with golf ball-sized hailstones injuring dozens of people.

Elsewhere, the crew has had to act quickly when the threat of high winds in Nashville caused problems on that outdoor run. “We didn’t want the video screens blowing about above the heads of the band, so it must have been amusing for the audience to see us taking them down,” Sherwood reports.

Indoors in Europe, the environment has been more controllable. The production itself involves an A-stage set 180 degrees across the barricades, although Sherwood says that on occasion a catwalk is also used by the performers.

“It’s a great lighting show and fantastic for audio, as we have a phenomenal front-of-house sound engineer ‒ John Delf from Edge Studios ‒ who makes life very easy for the rest of us,” says Sherwood. He also namechecks Barrie Pitt (monitor engineer), Oli Crump (audio system designer), Tom Taylor (lighting designer), Sam Kenyon (lighting technical director), and Torin Arnold (stage manager), while he praises Solo-Tech for supplying the sound, and Colour Sound Experiment (CSE) for taking charge of lighting video, and rigging equipment.

Indeed, CSE has ten personnel out with the Faith In The Future tour. “We have eight screens on the road ‒ six on stage plus two IMAGS that we use wherever appropriate,” the company’s Haydn Cruickshank tells IQ.

“We need to tweak the rigging on a daily basis, as we move to different venues, but other than that it’s a fairly smooth process thanks to Craig Sherwood. He is old-school and planned and worked on the production very far in advance, which is a great scenario for all involved. Craig is definitely one of our favourite production managers to work with.”

Garry Lewis at bussing contractors Beat The Street is also a fan of PM Sherwood.

“Craig split the European tour into different runs. So, from Hamburg to Zurich, we had two super high-decker 12-berth buses for the tour party and two 16-berth double-deckers for the crew,” says Lewis. “After the show in Athens, we still have the two super high-deckers, as Louis loves them ‒ he prefers to spend time on the bus, rather than in hotels ‒ but we also have two 12-berth super high-deckers for the crew, as well as another crew 16-berth double-decker.”

Lewis continues, “We’ve worked with Craig for a good few years, and we have a great relationship with him. He plans everything way in advance, so it means it’s all very straightforward for us with no issues. So, we use single drivers for each bus, except on the longer runs or when our drivers are scheduled for prolonged breaks, and then we’ll fly in extra drivers as needed.”

With the production travelling to Australia in early 2024, before shifting to Latin America, Andy Lovell at Freight Minds is gearing up to become involved with Tomlinson once again.

“We did the Central and South America dates on the tour last year, and onto Mexico,” says Lovell. “It was very challenging back then as we were still coming back from Covid, and various systems and infrastructure were in pieces. But it all went well in the end, as we kept an eye on things and worked on it every day to make sure we had solutions to everything that was thrown our way.”

Lovell continues, “Things on this tour kick in early next year for us. Historically, Australian services were quite reliable, as we could use any number of airlines. But post-pandemic, the number of long-haul flights still aren’t as frequent as they were. As a result, the production is being reverse engineered with the budget being worked out before we can see what we can afford to take as freight, and then we try to plan accordingly.”

“Similarly, in Central and South America there are still just a fraction of the flights operating, compared to pre-Covid, so that makes it very challenging. If there aren’t the flights to handle the gear, then you have to start looking at chartering aircraft, or alter your schedule, and that can become very expensive, very fast.”

With everyone working on the artist’s behalf to make sure the tour remains on track, being able to call on such experienced production experts is paying off on a daily basis.

Sherwood notes, “There are a few back-to-back shows over long distances that occasionally mean we don’t arrive at the next venue until 11am, rather than 6am. But we’ve never failed anywhere to open the doors on time, so we know we’re capable of getting things done, even if we have a late start at mid-day.”

Such dilemmas are not lost on agent Rowland. “It’s not so much the routing, it’s more like the timings, because Louis does have two support acts, so the show starts at 7 o’clock, and then when we’re done, we need to load out to get to the next show in good time for loading in the next morning and soundchecks, etc.”

Nonetheless, Sherwood admits that he loves the trickier venues and schedules. “Because I’m a dinosaur, I relish anything that makes things difficult or awkward for us on the production side of things,” he says. “I think everyone on the crew looks forward to challenges and finding the solutions to problems.”

Having amassed millions of fans through his association with One Direction, Tomlinson very much has a ‘pay it forward’ attitude to music and is building a reputation as a champion for emerging talent, wherever he performs.

“He’s a great advocate for alternative music,” says manager Vines. “Louis realises that he’s in an incredibly privileged position in terms of what he can create in terms of awareness. He loves alternative music and indie music, and he understands how hard it is for that music to be heard. But we have this amazing platform where we can put these bands in front of these audiences as a showcase that allows them to build these authentic new audiences. It’s a hude part of his love of music, wanting to help younger bands.”

Rowland agrees. “He took an act called Andrew Cushin ‒ a very new artist ‒ on the road in America with him as his support, and he’s doing the same for Europe. Louis is a fan and is championing his career.”

Indeed, Tomlinson’s A&R skills have knock-on effects for his agent, too. “He asked me to confirm the Australian band Pacific Avenue as support for his Australian tour last year. The music was great and they didn’t have an agent, so now I’m representing them!” says Rowland.

As the European tour speeds toward its conclusion, agent Rowland is enjoying every minute of it.

“It’s incredible ‒ they’ve really stepped things up,” she says, fresh from seeing the show in Athens and Paris. “They’ve got 6 hanging LED screens on the stage, and the whole production just looks polished and professional.”

And Rowland is especially excited about next year’s Latin America dates, which will deliver her first stadium shows as an agent.

“The return to Latin America is going to be huge ‒ Louis is playing arenas and stadiums in South America and Mexico: 15 shows in 11 countries,” she says.

Vines is similarly enthused. Harking back to the Covid situation, when a show would go on sale, sell out, be postponed, and then rescheduled in a bigger venue, Vines says, “For example, in Chile, originally the show was scheduled at a 5,000-cap, half-capacity arena in Santiago. And what we ended up doing was three nights at 10,000-cap in that same venue.”

Vines contends that Tomlinson’s work ethic is outstanding. “He loves his fans, and he loves performing for them, it’s as simple as that,” he says. “He just loves being on the road and seeing how the songs connect live. In fact, the second album was very much written with the tour and live shows in mind ‒ ‘This song could work live,’ ‘This one will open the set,’ ‘This is the one we can do for the encore.’”

Another element to Tomlinson’s psyche has been his decision to visit places off the usual tour circuit.

“Louis has a real desire to perform to fans in markets that are often overlooked,” says Rowland.

Manager Vines explains that while the Covid-delayed first tour allowed them to upgrade venues pretty much everywhere, “On this tour, we’re a bit more competent on venue sizes, but we still speculate a little bit in different territories. In Europe, for example, we’ve gone into the Baltics and a number of different places to test the markets there, while in America, we are looking at A and B markets but also tertiary markets as well ‒ we go to places where people just don’t tour in America, just to see what the reaction is. That was something that very much interested Louis ‒ to play in front of people who don’t normally have gigs in their town. So there’s been a lot of experimentation on this tour in terms of where we go and what room to play.”

That concept is something that Vines has employed before. “I manage a band called Hurts who were pretty much overlooked by the British radio system and we have spent 15 years building a business outside of the UK. And that was built on going to play at those places where people didn’t normally go. They built to multiple arena level in Russia, for instance.”

“If you can build fanbases in lots of different places, you have festivals that you can play every summer, as well as youring those places. It allows you to have more consistency over a number of years, by having more opportunities.”

Such a strategy found a convert in Tomlinson. Vines tells IQ, “Louis also is extremely fan-focused in everything that he does. He comes at it from a perspective of ‘I want to take the show to them,’ meaning he’s always more willing to take the risky option to try something out.”

And the results? “It’s a combination,” concludes Vines. “There have been a couple of places where we now understand why tours don’t go there. But there are more places where it’s worked incredibly well. For example, we enjoyed incredibly good sales in Budapest. And overall, it’s allowing us to get a clearer idea, globally, of where the demand it, which will help us when we go into the next tour cycle.”

#louis tomlinson #iq magazine #matt vines #interview #faith in the future tour bts #holly rowland #this was a PAIN to transcribe my god

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usafphantom2 · 1 month

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Northrop Grumman releases new photo of B-21 Raider, after receiving prestigious award from Aviation Week magazine

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/21/2024 - 22:28in Military

Northrop Grumman Corporation received the Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award in the defense category for its role as the main contractor in the delivery of the B-21 Raider to the United States Air Force. Aviation Week announced the Grand Laureate winners at its 66ª annual Laureate award in Washington, D.C.

"On behalf of the entire B-21 Raider national team, Northrop Grumman is honored to receive this prestigious award," said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. "The Grand Laureate represents the pioneering spirit, innovative technology and pioneering approach to contract management that gave life to the world's first sixth-generation aircraft."

In the fall of 2023, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that the first B-21 test vehicle had entered a flight test, followed by a low-rate initial production premium. The aircraft is currently undergoing a robust flight test campaign run by the B-21 Combined Test Force at Edwards Air Base in California. The program continues to meet all technical, schedule and accessibility requirements of the Department of Defense on its way to operational capacity.

Developed with the next generation of stealth technology, advanced network capabilities and open systems architecture, the B-21 Raider will serve as the backbone of the U.S. bomber fleet. Capable of carrying conventional and nuclear loads, the B-21 will be one of the most effective aircraft in the sky, with the ability to use a wide combination of isolated and direct attack ammunition.

“This bomber will be able to defend our country with new weapons that have not yet been invented,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin when the B-21 was launched in the spring of 2023. "Even the most sophisticated anti-aircraft systems will have difficulty detecting the B-21." The Raider is also "multifunctional," says Austin. "He can do anything."

Details about the progress of the program were only made available in pieces from the beginning, because the myth of secrecy surrounds the project. Only a few scattered observers recorded the start of the first flight on November 10, 2023, which took the Raider prototype from its place of origin in Palmdale to Edwards Air Base for posterity. Since that day, things have been calm in relation to the B-21. The manufacturer and the U.S. Air Force remained silent about the status of the flight tests. All that is confirmed is that they are happening and that they are obviously on schedule.

Tags: Military AviationB-21 RaiderNorthrop GrummanUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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glvlvukcan · 3 months

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What Could Happen

(SOPA Images / Getty)

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Ukraine is fighting for the lives of its people and its very existence, and it is running out of ammunition. If the United States does not step back in with aid, Russia could eventually win this war.

Despite the twaddle from propagandists in Moscow (and a few academics in the United States), Russia’s war is not about NATO, or borders, or the balance of power. The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin intends to absorb Ukraine into a new Russian empire, and he will eradicate the Ukrainians if they refuse to accept his rule. Europe is in the midst of the largest war on the continent since Nazi panzers rolled from Norway to Greece, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is by far the most important threat to world peace since the worst days of the Cold War. In a less febrile political era, defeating Russia would be the top priority of every American politician.

The Republicans in Congress, however, remain fixated both on their hatred of Ukraine and on their affection for Russia. Their relentless criticism of assistance to Kyiv has had its intended effect, taking a bite out of the American public’s support for continuing aid, especially as the war has been crowded out by the torrent of more recent news, including Donald Trump’s endless legal troubles and Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

And so it’s time to think more seriously about what might happen if the Republicans succeed in this irresponsible effort to blockade any further assistance to Ukraine. The collapse and dismemberment of a nation of millions is immediately at stake, and that should be enough for any American to be appalled at the GOP’s obstructionism. But the peace of the world itself could rest on what Congress does—or does not do—next.

First, what would it even mean for Russia to “win”? A Russian victory does not require sending Moscow’s tanks into Kyiv, even if that were possible. (The Russians have taken immense losses in manpower and armor, and they would have to fight house-to-house as they approached the capital.) Putin is reckless and a poor strategist, but he is not stupid: He knows that he doesn’t need to plant the Russian flag on the Mother Ukraine statue just yet. He can instead tear Ukraine apart, piece by piece.

The destruction of Ukraine would begin with some kind of cease-fire offered by a Ukrainian leadership that has literally run out of bullets, bombs, and bodies. (The average age of Ukraine’s soldiers is already over 40; there are not that many more men to draft.) The Russians would signal a willingness to deal only with a new Ukrainian regime, perhaps some “government of national salvation” that would exist solely to save whatever would be left of a rump Ukrainian state in the western part of the country while handing everything else over to the Kremlin.

The Russians would then dictate more terms: The United States and NATO would be told to pound sand. Ukraine would have to destroy its weapons and convert its sizable army into a small and weak constabulary force. Areas under Russian control would become, by fiat, parts of Russia. The remaining thing called “Ukraine” would be a demilitarized puppet state, kept from integration of any kind with Europe; in a few years, an internal putsch or a Russian-led coup could produce a new government that would request final union with the Russian Federation. Soon, Ukraine would be part of a new Russian superstate, with Russian forces on NATO’s borders as “peacekeepers” or “border guards,” a ploy the Russians have used in Central Asia since the 1990s.

Imagine the world as Putin (and other dictators, including in China) might see it even a few years from now if Russia wins in 2024: America stood by, paralyzed and shamed, as Ukraine was torn to pieces, as millions of people and many thousands of square miles were added to the Kremlin’s empire, and as U.S. alliances in Europe and then around the world quietly disintegrated—all of which will be even more of a delight in Moscow and Beijing if Americans decide to add the ultimate gift of voting the ignorant and isolationist Trump back into the White House.

The real danger for the U.S. and Europe would begin after Ukraine is crushed, when only NATO would remain as the final barrier to Putin’s dreams of evolving into a new emperor of Eurasia. Putin has never accepted the legitimate existence of Ukraine, but like the unreformed Soviet nostalgist that he is, he has a particular hatred for NATO. After the collapse of Ukraine, he would want to take bolder steps to prove that the Atlantic Alliance is an illusion, a lie promulgated by cowards who would never dare to stop the Kremlin from reclaiming its former Soviet and Russian imperial possessions.

Reckless and emboldened, emotional and facing his own mortality, Putin would be tempted to extend his winning streak and try one last throw of the dice, this time against NATO itself. He would not try to invade all of Europe; he would instead seek to replicate the success of his 2014 capture of Crimea—only this time on NATO territory. Putin might, for example, declare that his commitment to the Russian-speaking peoples of the former Soviet Union compels him to defend Russians in one of the Baltic states. After some Kremlin-sponsored agitation close to the Russian border, Russian forces (including more of the special forces known as “little green men”) might seize a small piece of territory and call it a Russian “safe zone” or “haven”—violating NATO sovereignty while also sticking it to the West for similar attempts many years ago, using similar terms, to protect the Bosnians from Russia’s friends, the Serbs.

The Kremlin would then sit on this piece of NATO territory, daring America and Europe to respond, in order to prove that NATO lacks the courage to fight for its members, and that whatever the strength of the alliance between, say, Washington and London, no one is going to die—or risk nuclear war—for some town in Estonia.

Should Putin actually do any of this, however, he would be making a drastic mistake. Dictators continually misunderstand democracies, believing them to be weak and unwilling to fight. Democracies, including the United States, do hate to fight—until roused to action. Republicans might soon succeed in forcing the United States to abandon Ukraine, but if fighting breaks out in Europe between Russia and America’s closest allies—old and new—no one, not even a President Trump, who has expressed his hostility to NATO and professed his admiration for Putin, is going to be able to keep the United States out of the battle, not least because U.S. forces will inevitably be among NATO’s casualties.

And at that point, anything could happen. The world, should Russia win, will face remarkable new dangers—and for what? Because in 2024 some astonishingly venal and ambitious politicians wanted to hedge their bets and kiss Trump’s ring one more time? Perhaps enough Republicans will come to their senses in time to avert these possible outcomes. If they do not, future historians—that is, if anyone is left to record what happened—will be perplexed at how a small coterie of American politicians were so willing to trade the safety of the planet for a few more years of power.

From The Atlanic Newsletter Feb 9th 2024

#politics #gop #donald trump #ukraine #russia

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yujeong · 4 months

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With 2024 approaching in less than an hour here in Greece, I am flooded with feelings about the year that will soon leave me behind. 2023 was a weird year. It started with me having found KinnPorsche The Series only a few months prior, and having slowly gotten accustomed to the fandom and everything surrounding it. It started with me losing my mind over the announcement of 4 Minutes and the chance to see the actors I loved, the actors that portrayed characters that mean so much to me, in another potentially phenomenal show. It also started with a scandal so large it shook the entire fandom, hell the entire nation of Thailand, apparently, since it reached actual news channels and shit. A scandal that made me cry so much, it almost rivals the crying I did in 2022 due to my previous relationship, when I used to be crying every two days for like half of it. A scandal that has left scars, that made me question myself an innumerable amount of times and that almost made me lose the joy in what brought me into the fandom in the first place. Despite that, I managed to battle through it by finding a small part of the internet filled with people who were kind and understanding, who were also shaken but optimistic about it all, who were rational and subjective about everything. I managed to find a community I felt safe in and for that, I'll always be grateful. The second half of the year had me see the return of Build, which I'll start crying about again if I think about it too hard, it had me meeting my fandom friends up close for the 1st time, it had me become fully independent and find myself in a better job, it had me writing so much and enjoying the process, even if the lack of engagement hurt. It also had me create this blog, with which I managed to find such incredible people sharing their passion with others, and with me too, which felt like a blessing. There were indeed so many small blessings in 2023, despite me rarely recognizing them sometimes. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who decided to follow me, who engages with me, who supports my writing and my thoughts about Pete, the person-who-isn't-a-person we all love. I hope all the Pete girlies will still be here throughout 2024 with me, losing our minds over him and sharing our thoughts and feelings with one another. Happy New Year <3

#personal post #thoughts #reminiscing over a year with many ups and downs #I'm just glad the fandom has in some way survived it #it's not like it used to be but it's still here and I'm both relieved and grateful #let's hope 2024 will be better for all of us #and for the people who bring us so much joy

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corvid-language-library · 3 months

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Norwegian Bokmål for Total Beginners (January 2024 Crash Course)

25. Nordic Countries

Welcome to day 25! We're doing pretty well here, huh? :D Today we're learning the names for the nordic countries!

land (n) - country

Norden - the north (specifically the nordics)

Norge - Norway

Danmark - Denmark

Sverige - Sweden

Finland - Finland

Island - Iceland

Færøyene - The Faroe Islands

Bonus

språk (n) - language

nasjonalitet (m) - nationality

Grammar: Language & Nationality

Unlike English where we can change the word of the country in any number of ways to get the language/nationality (France -> French, Germany -> German, Norway -> Norwegian, Sweden -> Swedish, China -> Chinese etc), it's pretty easy in Norwegian: it'll always end in -sk:

Norge -> norsk (Norwegian)

Sverige -> svensk (Swedish)

Danmark -> dansk (Danish)

Finland -> finsk (Finnish)

Island -> islandsk (Icelandic)

Færøyene -> færøysk (Faroese)

This pertains to both the language and the nationality:

Han er norsk. Han snakker norsk. (He's Norwegian. He speaks Norwegian)

Vi er finske. Vi snakker finsk og svensk. (We're Finnish. We speak Finnish and Swedish)

Den islandske mannen snakker islandsk og dansk. (The Icelandic man speaks Icelandic and Danish)

Er dere færøysk? Snakker dere færøysk? (Are you Faroese? Do you speak Faroese?)

Note: all countries are capitalised just like in English, but languages and nationalities aren't.

Your turn!

Here's a list of countries in alphabetical order. Find your country and tell me what languages you speak! If your country or language isn't there, you're welcome to look it up, reblog and add it (there's like 200 countries and over 7000 languages in the world so I'm not gonna list them all, sorry. I chose the countries I did because I have or have had followers of those nationalities)

I'll go first!

Jeg kommer fra Storbritannia. Jeg er britisk. Jeg bor i Japan. Jeg snakker engelsk og norsk, og jeg lærer meg japansk. (I come from the UK. I am British. I live in Japan. I speak English and Norwegian, and I'm learning Japanese)

🇬🇧->🇳🇴

Argentina/Argentinian -> Argentina/argentisk

Australia/Australian -> Australia/australsk

Austria/Austrian -> Østerrike/østerrisk

Belarus/Belarusian -> Hviterussland/hviterussisk

Belgium/Belgian -> Belgia/belgisk (Flemmish = flamsk)

Bosnia & Herzegovina/Bosnian -> Bosnia og Hercegovina/bosnisk

Brazil/Brazilian -> Brasil/brasiliansk

Bulgaria/Bulgarian -> Bulgaria/bulgarsk

Canada/Canadian -> Canada/kanadisk

China/Chinese -> Kina/kinesisk

Croatia/Croatian -> Kroatia/kroatisk

Cyprus/Cypriot -> Kypros/kypriotisk

Czechia/Czech -> Tsjekkia/tsjekkisk

Egypt/Egyptian -> Egypt/egyptisk (Arabic = arabisk)

England/English -> England/engelsk

Estonia/Estonian -> Estland/estlandsk

France/French -> Frankrike/fransk

Germany/German -> Tyskland/tysk (Yiddish = jiddisk)

Georgia/Georgian -> Georgia/georgisk

Greece/Greek -> Hellas/gresk

Greenland/Greenlandic -> Grønland/grønlandsk

Hungary/Hungarian -> Ungarn/ungarsk

India/Indian -> India/indisk

Ireland/Irish -> Irland/irsk

Israel/Israeli -> Israel/israelsk

Japan/Japanese -> Japan/japansk

Korea/Korean -> Korea/koreansk

Latvia/Latvian -> Latvia/latvisk

Lithuania/Lithuanian -> Litauen/litauisk

Mexico/Mexican -> Mexico/meksicansk

Moldova/Moldovan -> Moldova/Moldovisk

The Netherlands/Dutch -> Nederland/nederlandsk (Frisian = frisisk)

New Zealand/New Zealander -> New/Ny Zealand/new/ny zealandsk (Aotearoa = Aotearoa)

Palestine/Palestinian -> Palestina/palestinsk (Gaza = Gaza, the West Bank - Vestbredden)

The Philippines/Filipino -> Filippinene/filipinsk

Poland/Polish -> Polen/polsk

Portugal/Portuguese -> Portugal/portugisisk

Romania/Romanian -> Romania/rumensk

Russia/Russian -> Russland/russisk

Scotland/Scottish -> Skottland/skotsk (Scots = skotsk, Scottish Gaelic = skotsk-gælisk)

Serbia/Serbian -> Serbia/serbisk

Slovakia/Slovak -> Slovakia/slovakisk

Slovenia/Slovenian -> Slovenia/slovensk

South Africa/South African -> Sør-Afrika/sørafrikansk

Spain/Spanish -> Spania/spansk

Thailand/Thai -> Thailand/thailandsk

Turkey/Turkish -> Tyrkia

The UK/British -> Storbritannia/britisk

Ukraine/Ukrainian -> Ukraina/ukrainsk

The USA/American -> USA/amerikansk

Vietnam/Vietnamese -> Vietnam/vietnamsk

Wales/Welsh -> Wales/walisisk

Zimbabwe/Zimbabwean -> Zimbabwe/zimbabwisk (Shona = sjona)

#nutrcracker norsk #norwegian langblr #beginner norwegian #jan '24 beginner norwegian crash course #learning norwegian #norwegian: a1 #my oc: norwegian #norwegian #norsk

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mariacallous · 2 months

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What Could Happen

Ukraine is fighting for the lives of its people and its very existence, and it is running out of ammunition. If the United States does not step back in with aid, Russia could eventually win this war.

And at that point, anything could happen.

The world, should Russia win, will face remarkable new dangers—and for what? Because in 2024 some astonishingly venal and ambitious politicians wanted to hedge their bets and kiss Trump’s ring one more time? Perhaps enough Republicans will come to their senses in time to avert these possible outcomes. If they do not, future historians—that is, if anyone is left to record what happened—will be perplexed at how a small coterie of American politicians were so willing to trade the safety of the planet for a few more years of power.

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xtruss · 4 months

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Miracle Plant Used in Ancient Greece Rediscovered After 2,000 Years

— By Giovanni Prete | January 3, 2024

Ancient Greek Plant Silphium. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Eckard Wolff-Postler cc By 3.0

The “miracle” plant Silphium consumed by Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, which was thought to have become extinct two thousand years ago, has recently been rediscovered in Turkey by a professor, who thinks he’s found a botanical survivor.

The plant, which the Ancient Greeks called silphion (Silphium), was a golden-flowered plant. It was once the most sought-after product in the Mediterranean even before the rise of Athens and the Roman Empire.

It is believed that the plant with yellow flowers attached to a thick stalk was crushed, roasted, sauteed, and boiled for medicinal purposes, food, and even contraception. During the reign of Julius Caesar, more than a thousand pounds of the plant were stockpiled alongside gold in Rome’s imperial treasures, and silphion saplings were valued at the same price as silver.

However, just seven centuries after the adored plant was first documented growing along the coast of Cyrenaica in what is now modern day Libya, silphion disappeared from the ancient Mediterranean world.

Roman chronicler Pliny the Elder in his Natural History claims that “just one stalk has been found” of the plant in the first century A.D., “and it has been given to Emperor Nero.” This was the last documented account of the silphion.

Inspired by ancient accounts, botanical explorers throughout the Middle Ages perpetually sought the plant across three continents although in vain. Consequently, historians believed the disappearance of silphion to be the first recorded extinction of any species, plant, or animal.

Despite the plant having been perceived to be extinct for centuries and having completely disappeared from the history books, a researcher at Istanbul University, Mahmut Miski, suspects he has re-discovered the ancient plant. He believes the Ferula Drudeana that grows on Mount Hasan is the elusive ancient plant—nearly a thousand miles from where it once grew.

According to a report by National Geographic, the researcher found it has similarities with the silphion plant which line up with old botanical texts and images of the plant on Ancient Greek coins.

Ancient Silver Coin From Cyrene Depicting Silphium. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The researcher has noticed that both plants have the same thick branching root and yellow flowers. In addition, both have powerful medicinal purposes. Ferula Drudeana has anticancer compounds and anti-inflammatory properties much like those known to be found in silphium.

Even though Ferula Drudeana is found hundreds of miles from where it originated, according to Miski, it has been found in two locations in Turkey, which were once home to Ancient Greeks thousands of years ago. One of these locations is Cappadocia.

Analysis Shows Similar Medicinal Compounds As The Ancient Plant

Miski, who specializes in pharmacognosy, the study of medicines derived from natural sources, first encountered the modern plant he now believes to be silphion while conducting postdoctoral research. He had received a grant to collect specimens of Ferula, which is in the same family as carrots, fennel, and parsley, and has the reputation for yielding many novel disease-fighting compounds.

While Miski was studying the plants on Mount Hassan, he determined it had thirty secondary metabolites that have medical purposes. Among the compounds are many have cancer-fighting, contraceptive, and anti-inflammatory properties. Miski believes that future analyses of the plant will reveal the existence of dozens of yet-to-be-identified compounds of medical interest.

On Mount Hassan, Miski also encountered caretakers of the plants who informed him sheep and goats are fond of the leaves, as is mentioned in Pliny’s record of the ancient silphion.

According to Pliny’s records, sheep and goats would graze in pastures where silphion grew. The sheep would fall asleep after consuming it, and it caused goats to sneeze. His text reads: “The juice of this plant is called ‘laser’ and it is greatly in vogue for medicinal as well as other purposes, being sold at the same rate as silver. For these many years past, however, it has not been found in Cyrenaica.”

According to a 2021 study published in the journal Plants by Miski and his team, Ferula drudeana had similarities with the silphion as described in ancient text and depicted on Cyrenaican coins: from thick branching roots to celery-like leaves.

A Coin of Magas of Cyrene c. 300–282/75 BC. The Reverse Side Depicts Silphium. Credit: Wikimedia CommonE

However, similarity in appearance wasn’t the only compelling link. It is said that the first silphion appeared after a “heavy spring downpour,” which, in those days, was called “black rain.”

According to Miski and his team, “We find it stated by the most trustworthy among the Greek writers…that this plant made its appearance near the gardens of the Hesperides and the Greater Syrtis immediately after the earth had been soaked on…by a shower as black as pitch.” This event took place seven years prior to the foundation of the city of Cyrenae.

Miski observed that when rains came to Cappadocia in April, Ferula Drudeana would spring from the ground, growing up to six feet in just a month.

Moreover, as ancient silphion resisted cultivation, it had to be harvested in the wild. It is said that Cyrenaic nobles entrusted its cultivation to desert nomads. Two attempts reported by Hippocrates to transplant it to mainland Greece failed. Similarly, Miski found that Ferula Drudeana is difficult to transplant. He found that the only way it could be done was by using cold stratification, a process of subjecting seeds to both cold and moist conditions. By utilizing this technique, Miski and his team were able to grow Ferula in a greenhouse.

One of the main reasons Ferula had not immediately been identified as silphion is mainly because of its location. However, as Miski had discovered, the region in Turkey where Mount Hasan sits was home to ancient Greeks thousands of years ago, and these people could have easily transported the plant.

Erica Rowan, an associate professor in archaeobotany at Royal Holloway University of London, finds Miski’s speculations plausible. “The ancients were very good at transporting things,” Rowan points out. “There’s no reason why people from Cyrenaica couldn’t have brought the seeds to Cappadocia and planted them. They’re similar enough with a Mediterranean climate. And this Ferula species does look like what’s shown on the coins.”

#Ancient Greeks 🇬🇷 | Flowers | Miracle Plant | Silphion | Silphium

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brookston · 4 months

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Holidays 12.30

Holidays

Cleaning Day (Haiti)

Falling Needles Family Fest Day

Feast of the Holy Family

Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

Flail Day French Republic)

Freedom Day (Scientology)

Incwala Day (Eswatini, f.k.a. Swaziland)

International Day of Indian Cinema

Kodachrome Day

Let's Make A Deal Day

Lhosar (Gurung People, Nepal)

National Cheryl Day

National Resolution Planning Day

New Year’s Eve Eve

Rizal Day (Philippines)

Smart Highway Day

Take a Walk Show

Tamu Lochar (Sikkim, India)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bacon Day [also 8.31]

Baking Soda Day

Coffee Day (Hawaii)

Drink With a Straw Day

International Day of the Donut

Kona Coffee Day

National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

5th & Last Saturday in December

Evergreen Tree Day [Last Saturday]

Last Saturday of the Year [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Day of the Declaration of Slovakia as an Independent Ecclesiastic Province

Midget Nation-in-Exile (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Northern Federation of Occidental Republics (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

USSR (Established, 1922)

Xenlandia (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abraham the Writer (Christian; Saint)

Anysia of Salonika (Christian; Saint)

Boxing the Jesuit Day (Church of the SubGenius)

The Clam (Muppetism)

Ecgwine of Worcester (Christian; Saint)

Egwin of Evesham (Christian; Saint)

Felix I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Frances Joseph-Gaudet (Episcopal Church)

Gall (Positivist; Saint)

Get Drunk Early for Hogmanay Day (Pastafarian)

Kwanzaa, Day 5: Nia (Purpose)

Liberius of Ravenna (Christian; Saint)

Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée (Artology)

Maximus (Christian; Saint)

Obatala’s Day (Pagan)

Ralph of Vaucelles (Christian; Saint)

Roger (a.k.a. Ruggero) of Cannae (Christian; Saint)

Sabinus, Bishop of Assisi, and his companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Sixth Day of Christmas (a.k.a. Bringing in the Boar)

Twelve Holy Days #5 (Leo, the heart; Esoteric Christianity)

Twelvetide, Day #6 (a.k.a. the Twelve Days of Christmas or Christmastide) [until 1.5]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Premieres

Alice, Darling (Film; 2022)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force (TV Cartoon Series; 2000)

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Film; 1925)

Born to Die, by Lana Del Rey (Song; 2011)

The Curious Puppy (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Dallas (Film; 1950)

The Gallopin’ Gaucho (Disney Cartoon; 1928)

Kiss Me, Kate (Broadway Musical; 1948)

Let’s Make a Deal (TV game Show; 1963)

A Man Called Otto (Film; 2022)

The Merry Widow, by Franz Lehár (Operetta; 1905)

My Way, recorded by Frank Sinatra (Song; 1968)

Nelly’s Folly (WB MM Cartoon; 1961)

No Man of Her Own (Film; 1932)

Rob Roy, by Walter Scott (Novel; 1817)

The Roy Rogers Show (TV Series; 1951)

Some Came Running, by James Jones (Novel; 1957)

Sounder, by William H. Armstrong (Novel; 1969)

Tainted Dreams (TV Soap Opera; 2013)

Tangled Up In Blue, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1974)

Tin Yop (Pixar Cartoon; 1988)

Two’s a Crowd (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

Why Him? (Film; 2016)

Today’s Name Days

Felix, Lothar (Austria)

Feliks, Rajner, Srećko (Croatia)

David (Czech Republic)

David (Denmark)

Taave, Taavet, Taavi, Taavo, Tavo (Estonia)

Daavid, Taavetti, Taavi (Finland)

Roger (France)

Herma, Hermine, Minna (Germany)

Anisios, Filetairos, Gideon, Josef (Greece)

Dávid (Hungary)

Eugenio (Italy)

Dāvids, Dāvis (Latvia)

Dovydas, Gedrimė, Gražvilas, Irmina, Sabinas (Lithuania)

David, Diana, Dina (Norway)

Dawid, Dawida, Dionizy, Eugeniusz, Irmina, Katarzyna, Łazarz, Rainer, Sabin, Sewer, Uniedrog (Poland)

Anisia (Romania)

Dávid (Slovakia)

Judit, Judith, Raúl (Spain)

Abel, Set (Sweden)

Ainsley, Kelsa, Kelsey, Kelsi, Kelsie, Mason (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 364 of 2024; 1 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 52 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Beth (Birch) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 18 (Ren-Xu)

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

Hebrew: 18 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 17 Jumada II 1445

J Cal: 4 Fest; Foursday [4 of 5]

Julian: 17 December 2023

Moon: 87%: Warning Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Bichat (13th Month) [Gall]

Runic Half Month: Eihwaz or Eoh (Yew Tree) [Day 5 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 10 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 9 of 31)

#calendar #Holidays

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personalcareexpo · 3 months

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Visa-free! 🎉Entry policy relaxed!🎉 Visa waiver added!🤝 Relax visa requirements for foreigners!😆

🐼Relaxing visa conditions for foreigners， More convenient for overseas visitors✈️ To visit exhibitions in China for business cooperation💼🥂 ! ! !

In 2023, the transit policy and visa process will be optimized, international flights will resume and increase at a faster pace, and multiple entry favorable policies will further facilitate international business exchanges. China's door to the world will open wider and wider!🐼💖🤗

01✨

Shanghai port issued a new visa-free transit reminder📣 The National Immigration Bureau issued a new visa-free transit policy in November, 23📣

At present, the 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy is implemented at 31 ports in 23 cities in 18 provinces for people from 54 countries. Namely Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Belarus, Norway, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries, totaling 54 countries with valid international travel documents and confirmed dates and seats within a limited time. Persons from 54 countries who transit from China to a third country (region), with valid international travel documents, and connecting passenger tickets with fixed dates and seats within a limited time, may apply for transit visa exemption to the port entry inspection authorities of the cities that implement the transit visa exemption policy, and the exit border inspection authorities will handle the temporary entry formalities for them. The duration of visa-free stay starts from 00:00 on the next day of entry.

❤️[Please see the table at the bottom for details of Shanghai ports]👇👇

02✨

📢New news on visa-free policy released in November 📢China’s new visa-free policy promotes high-level opening-up

On November 24, 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that China has decided to try to expand the scope of unilateral visa-free countries and implement a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from six countries: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. From December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, ordinary passport holders from the above countries who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days can enter China without a visa.

03✨

New news on convenient foreign personnel coming to China released in January📣 The National Immigration Administration has officially implemented five measures to facilitate foreign nationals to come to China📣

Another good news has come recently. Starting from January 11, the National Immigration Administration has officially implemented five measures to facilitate foreigners coming to China, which mainly include:

Relax the conditions for foreigners coming to China to apply for port visas. For foreigners who urgently need to come to China to engage in non-diplomatic and official activities such as business cooperation, visits and exchanges, investment and entrepreneurship, visiting relatives, and handling private affairs, and who do not have time to apply for a visa abroad, they can apply for a port visa entry to the port visa authority with relevant proof materials such as invitation letters.

For foreigners, 24-hour direct transit passengers at nine international airports including Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Xiamen Gaoqi, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an, Chengdu Tianfu, and Xi'an Xianyang are exempted from border inspection procedures.

Foreigners in China can apply for visa extension, replacement and reissue at their nearest location.

Foreigners in China who need to enter and exit multiple times can apply for a re-entry visa.

Simplify the application materials for visa documents for foreigners in China.

04✨

📢Starting from February 9, China and Singapore will exempt each other from visas

On January 25, representatives from the government of the People's Republic of China and the government of the Republic of Singapore signed the 'Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Singapore on Mutual Visa Exemption for Ordinary Passport Holders' in Beijing. The agreement will officially enter into force on February 9, 2024 (Lunar New Year’s Eve). By then, people from both sides holding ordinary passports can enter the other country without a visa to engage in tourism, family visits, business and other private affairs, and their stay shall not exceed 30 days. If you enter the other country to engage in activities that require prior approval, such as work or news reporting, or plan to stay in the other country for more than 30 days, you must obtain the corresponding visa before entering the other country.

As of January 25, China has concluded mutual visa exemption agreements covering different passport types with 157 countries, and has reached agreements or arrangements with 44 countries to simplify visa procedures. Comprehensive mutual visa exemption has been achieved with 22 countries including Singapore, Maldives and Kazakhstan. In addition, more than 60 countries and regions offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival convenience to Chinese citizens. The convenience for Chinese citizens to leave the country has been greatly improved, and the 'gold content' of Chinese passports will become increasingly valuable. (Source: CCTV News)

05✨

Starting from March 1, China and Thailand will exempt each other from visas📣

On January 28, the government of the People's Republic of China and the Royal Government of Thailand held a signing ceremony in Bangkok for an agreement on mutual visa exemption for ordinary passport holders. The agreement will take effect from March 1, 2024.

After the news was released, data from a travel platform showed that the search popularity of Thailand-related keywords on the platform increased by more than 7 times compared with the previous day. Among them, air tickets and hotels increased by more than 6 times compared with the previous day. (Source: CCTV News)

In addition, recently, China has stated that it will grant unilateral visa-free treatment to Sweden and Ireland. This is the second time that China has granted visa-free treatment to European countries after France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy.

#visa #China #chinesevisa #visafree #entrypolicy #visawaiver #businessinchina #transitpolicy #internationalflights #internationalbusinessexchanges #business #Shanghaiport #transitvisaexemption #tourism #visitrelatives #visitfriends

#personal care #china #china expo #expochina2024 #public exhibition #trade shows #guangzhou #pce #personal care expo #nanfung #visafreeentry #visafreetravel #chinese #business #shanghai

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brookstonalmanac · 2 months

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Holidays 3.5

Holidays

Act Goofy Day

Alimony Equality Day

Anthass Day (Kerala, Fans of Indian actor Mukesh)

Arivee de l’Evangile (Gospel Day; French Polynesia)

Babysitter Safety Day

Boston Massacre Day (Massachusetts)

Brain Injury Awareness Day

Charity Day (Iran)

Children’s Day (New Zealand)

Cinco de Marcho

Cincomarzada

Crispus Attucks Day

Custom Chief’s Day (Vanuatu)

Day of Physical Culture and Women in Engineering & Technology begins

Dr. Doolittle Day

Erotic World Book Day

Excited Insects (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Goat Day (French Republic)

Green Hellebore Day

Hula Hoop Day

International CVS Awareness Day

International Day for Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Awareness (UN)

International Day of Energy Efficiency

International Day of the Seal

Judiciary Employee Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Katyn Massacre Day

Learn from Lei Feng Day (China)

Madison Beer Day

Mother-in-Law's Day

Multiple Personalities Day

National Dissociative Identity Disorder Day

National Emetophobia Awareness Day (UK)

National Industrial Design Day

National Journalist Day (Thailand)

National Kalpak Day (a.k.a. Hat Day; Kyrgyzstan)

National MAR5 Day

National Potty Dance Day

National R&B Music Day

National Scott Day

National Tree Planting Day (Iran)

Panchayati Raj Divas (Odisha, India)

Reel Film Day

Running of the Reindeer (Alaska)

Say Hi to Mom Day

Scouts’ Day (Taiwan)

Spread the Word to End the Word Day

Stapler Day

Stop the Clocks Day

Temperance Day

305 Day

World Sustainable Energy Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Absinthe Day

National Cheese Doodle Day

National Mobile Food Vendors Day

National Pasty Day (UK)

National Poutine Day

Ramen Noodles Day

1st Tuesday in March

Cotton Carnival (Memphis, Tennessee) [1st Tuesday, Lasts 5 Days]

Football Day (England) [1st Tuesday]

National Sportsmanship Day [1st Tuesday]

Peace Corps Day [1st Tuesday]

Peace Day (Jamaica) [1st Tuesday]

Town Meeting Day (Vermont) [1st Tuesday]

Unique Names Day [Tuesday of Name Week]

Independence & Related Days

Rebellion Anniversary Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)

Trujillo Anniversary Day (Peru)

Festivals Beginning March 5, 2024

CinemAsia Film Festival (Amsterdam, Netherlands) [thru 3.10]

Heritage Miami: Wine and Food Experience (Miami, Florida)

Research Chefs Association Culinary Expo (Quincy, Massachusetts) [thru 3.7]

World Championship Cheese Contest (Madison, Wisconsin) [thru 3.7]

Feast Days

Adrian and Eubulus of Palestine (Christian; Martyrs)

Blessing of the Fleet by Isis (Ancient Egypt)

Ciarán of Saigir (a.k.a. Kiaran of Ireland; Celtic & Christian; Saint)

Clive Cahuenga (Muppetism)

Diasia (Festival of Zeus Meilikhios; Ancient Greece)

Eusebius of Cremona (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Orthodoxy (Greek Orthodox) [1st Sunday in Great Lent; 2023]

Feast of Saint Piran (Cornwall)

George Carlin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Gerasimus (Christian; Saint)

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Artology)

Howard Pyle (Artology)

John Joseph of the Cross (Christian; Saint)

Momfuku Ando Day (Pastafarian)

Navigum Isidis (Blessing of the Vessel of Isis; Ancient Egypt; Everyday Wicca)

Navigum Isis (a.k.a. Ploiaphaesia; Poseidon’s Day; The Festival of Navigation; Ancient Rome)

Orthodox Sunday (Orthodox Christian) [1st Sunday in Great Lent; 2021]

Phocas of Antioch (Christian; Martyr)

Piran (Christian; Saint) [Cornwall]

Roger (Christian; Saint)

Serpent Mother Day (Ancient Minoa; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Solon (Positivist; Saint)

Symphony No. 7, The “Leningrad Symphony,” in C Major, by Dmitri Shostakovich (Symphony; 1942)

Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea (Christian; Saint)

Thietmar of Minden (Christian; Saint)

Virgil of Arles (Christian; Saint)

Wedding of the March Dryads (Shamanism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

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

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because it’s Stalin's birthday.)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [17 of 57]

Premieres

Airport (Film; 1970)

Alice in Wonderland (Film; 2010)

Amos & Andrew (Film; 1993)

Analyze This (Film; 1999)

The Ant and the Aardvark (Ant and the Aardvark Cartoon; 1969)

The Ballad of Nessie (Disney Cartoon; 2011)

Barnyard Blackout (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1943)

Big-Hearted Bosko (WB LT Cartoon; 1932)

Bongo Boris or The Hep Rat (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 103; 1961)

Coming 2 America (Film; 2021)

Cruel Intentions (Film; 1999)

Diner (Film; 1982)

Donald’s Diary (Disney Cartoon; 1954)

Down pin the Levee (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Drip Dippy Donald (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

Evil Under the Sun (Film; 1982)

Fire! Fire! (Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1932)

For Your Love, by The Yardbirds (Song; 1965)

Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco (Novel; 1988)

Human’s Lib, by Howard Jones (Album; 1984)

Kindly Scram (Phantasies Cartoon; 1943)

The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Novel; 1969)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Film; 1999)

The Mad Dog (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Mad Dog and Glory (Film; 1993)

Neon Bible, by Arcade Fire (Album; 2007)

The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbit (Novel; 1905)

Raya and the Last Dragon (Animated Film; 2021)

Red Hot Music (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Rival Romeos (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1928)

The Road to Serfdom, by Friedrich A. Hayek (Political Theory; 1944)

Room and Bored (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1962)

Run Baby Run, by Nicky Cruz (Novel; 1969)

The Saint to the Rescue, by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories 1959) [Saint #35]

The Secret of Kells (Animated Film; 2010)

Shaun the Sheep (Animated TV Series; 2007)

Songs For Swinging’ Lovers!, by Frank Sinatra (Album; 1956)

The Spies of Life or When a Fella Needs a Fiend (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 104; 1961)

Stairway to Heaven, 1st performed live by Led Zeppelin (Song; 1971)

Swing Kids (Film; 1993)

Us Again (Disney Cartoon; 2021)

Where Do Teenagers Come From? (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1980)

Today’s Name Days

Dietmar, Jeremia, Olivia (Austria)

Hadrijan, Lucije, Teofil, Vedran (Croatia)

Kazimír (Czech Republic)

Theophillus (Denmark)

Laila, Laili, Leila, Leili (Estonia)

Laila, Leila (Finland)

Olive, Olivia (France)

Gerda, Dietmar, Olivia, Tim (Germany)

Arhelaos, Evlogios, Konon (Greece)

Adorján, Adrián (Hungary)

Adriano, Foca, Giovanni, Giuseppe, Virgilio (Italy)

Aurēlija, Aurora, Austra (Latvia)

Giedrė, Klemensas, Virgilijus, Vydotas (Lithuania)

Patricia, Patrick (Norway)

Adrian, Adrianna, Fryderyk, Jan, Pakosław, Pakosz, Wacław, Wacława (Poland)

Conon (Romania)

Fridrich (Slovakia)

Adrián, Adriano, Eusebio (Spain)

Tora, Tove (Sweden)

Ciara, Ciera, Cierra, Keren Keri, Kerri, Kerrie, Kerry, Kiara, Kiera, Kieran, Kierra, Sierra (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 65 of 2024; 301 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 10 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 25 (Wu-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 25 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 24 Sha’ban 1445

J Cal: 5 Green; Fryday [5 of 30]

Julian: 21 February 2024

Moon: 29%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 9 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Xenophanes]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 76 of 89)

Week: 1st Week of March

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 16 of 30)

#Holidays

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dizzydispatch · 11 days

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IX-I-I

History Lessons with Dizzy: Part 1 (the Origins of 9-1-1)

Content warning: brief mentions of domestic violence, school shootings, and death

"Hurry!" coughed one little boy. "Hurry! Get us out!"

"We're suffocating!" the other cried, his voice echoing from beneath the boulder that has entrapped them.

Through coughs and pleas for aid, one of the two boys managed to utter one of the funniest lines ever written into a kids' movie, if you're sharp enough to pick it up:

youtube

"Somebody call IX-I-I!"

This moment from Disney's 1997 film Hercules has always been one of my favorite moments. For anyone who doesn't get it, the boy is pleading for some bystander to dial IX-I-I, which is how one might represent 9-1-1 in Roman numerals.

The reference is further anachronized by the fact that, despite using the titular hero's Roman name (Hercules was, by many accounts, a Romanized take on the Greek Heracles), it is well-established that the movie takes place in Greece. Roman numerals wouldn't be invented until the ninth century B.C.E., whereas the hero Heracles would have been assumed to live closer to 1280 B.C.E., a few decades prior to the start of the Trojan War-- three hundred years prior to the advent of Roman numerals.

However inconsistent with historical and mythological timelines, the detail is, nevertheless, still amusing. Of course, to the layperson (especially one who didn't spend their junior high years poring over the Percy Jackson series, and who certainly wouldn't have read The Iliad well before high school), the joke is as forgettable as it is quick.

Most people my age grew up being taught that, in case of emergency, you dial 9-1-1. I can't remember a time I didn't know that. Even if my parents hadn't taught me, my kindergarten would have, when the fire department did yearly visits to the local elementary schools to teach kids how to do that funky little dance we call stop, drop, and roll.

So it's probably a bit mind-boggling for anyone under the age of thirty to realize that "Call 9-1-1" wouldn't be the accompanying lyrics to the You're On Fire: Now What? choreography. Today, about 96% of the United States is covered by 9-1-1, with much of the "dead space" belonging to areas where cell service is not a guarantee anyway.

But 9-1-1 has only been around for about fifty years. In fact, my town still has the old copper lines in operation today, their upkeep likely due to the not-insubstantial population of mostly older folks who still use them to dial the Police and Fire Departments directly.

In the "old days," to report a fire, you'd call your town's local FD directly. To request police response to a scene, you'd call the PD. The first "dispatchers" were often just whatever officers happened to be in the station. There were also no standards by which these officers would be obligated to respond to every reported emergency.

This lack of response standards is how you get fiascos like the one depicted in one of my favorite campy horror movies, Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988). I had a movie night with some work friends once, and we turned this one into a drinking game: Take A Shot Every Time Someone Does Something That Would Get You Fired In 2024.

Before 9-1-1, if you were in need of medical transport, you would have called a hospital. (If the hospital could spare you an ambulance, it wouldn't have been staffed by medical professionals, either. The advent and development of EMS as we now know it was a result of the spread of large highways, as the increasing rate of speed in modern vehicles and the danger of their occasional collisions became more and more prevalent-- but that's a topic for another day.)

The need for these numbers to be consolidated was first pointed out in 1957 at the National Association of Fire Chiefs, where the idea for designating one standardized number at which fires could be reported. A decade later, in 1967, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice convened and decided that the Fire Chiefs were right.

It was at the suggestion of AT&T to the FCC that the numerals 9-1-1 were chosen, as they were easy both to remember and to dial, and had not yet been assigned either as an area code or a direct line to anywhere.

Up until then, all phone numbers had been seven digits, and the telephone infrastructure was not equipped to take or dial out a 3-digit one. So the structures in place that facilitated telephone communications had to be fixed up in order to process 9-1-1 calls and route them to emergency response agencies, later dubbed "PSAPs". This was a lengthy process, but Congress had backed AT&T's proposal with a series of legislative acts carried out over the next few decades.

The first 9-1-1 call was made on February 16th, 1968 by Rankin Fite, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. However, it wasn't yet a standardized practice. Just because Haleyville, Alabama incorporated 9-1-1, soon to be followed by the State of Alaska and some scattered other places, didn't mean the rest of the country automatically did, too.

Furthermore, by the time that call volume necessitated designated call-takers, such individuals were not equipped the way we are today. My training enables me to virtually triage a mass casualty event, give life-sustaining medical intervention instructions, and analyze (and hopefully diffuse) a variety of dangerous situations. But the idea of EMD wasn't introduced until after 1978, when the Salt Lake Fire/EMS determined that dispatchers could play a far more vital role in saving lives if only they were trained in pre-arrival intervention.

In 1973, the White House's Office of Telecommunications issued a declaration encouraging mass adoption of the program. In the next three years, 9-1-1 was adopted by just under a fifth of the country. By the 80s, it was up to a quarter, with nine states fully covered, and by 1987, about half the country recognized 9-1-1.

Just as the century was about to turn, Congress passed the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999, which amended the Communications Act of 1934 (the same bill that created the FCC). The amendment did several things, including officially establishing 9-1-1 as a nationwide emergency number, allowing cell phone carriers to release location information with PSAPs, and requiring that both listed and unlisted phones be able to access 9-1-1, whether they were contracted for phone service or not.

As the 20th Century came to a close, over 90% of the United States had 9-1-1 coverage, and 95% of that was what we call "Enhanced 9-1-1." This refers to the location service that cellular callers mean when they respond to my inquiries about their location by asking me that frustrating question: "Don't you have, like, a map or something?"

(For the record, yes. I have a map. No, I do not wish to gamble your safety, no matter how annoying you are, on the odds that my maps are always correct. Remember, kiddos: 911: Lone Ranger is not a higher authority than my training.)

It's not just the scope of 9-1-1 that has been developing since its inception, however: the quality of 9-1-1 care has been a constant source of legislative motions as well.

In 2013, in a quiet hotel room in Texas, a man broke into the room of Kari Hunt Dunn and her daughter. While Kari recognized the man as her estranged husband and likely pleaded with him to not hurt her, Kari's daughter was trying to call for help. Though only nine years old, she knew to dial 9-1-1 in emergencies-- but unfortunately, the hotel's landline service required its users to dial "9" before making external calls.

To a generation raised with cell phones, the idea of needing to "dial out" is unthinkable, so of course the little girl didn't know why none of her four calls went answered. All she knew is that she'd been told her whole life that, no matter what happened, if she dialed 9-1-1, someone would come to help, and now, nobody was coming.

For five years, Kari's father Hank Hunt fought to make sure nothing like this would ever happen again. Finally, on February 16, 2018, "Kari's Law" was passed federally, requiring all phone service companies to ensure that 9-1-1 would be accessible on all serviceable phones, without the need to dial out.

Along with Kari's law, you also have RAY BAUM’S Act, which highlights the importance of exact location services and encourages PSAPs to use whatever tools and technology are available to obtain as precise a location as possible. There's also Alyssa's Law, named for a victim of the Parkland school shooting, that requires schools to have silent panic alarms linked directly to emergency response services, and has been passed in many states.

It's hard to reconcile the good these laws do with the names we give them: each one a reminder of the people we've failed to save, the disasters we couldn't prevent, the deaths we couldn't stop. But each call I take, I learn a bit more, and I get a little bit better at my job. And with each tragedy that we as emergency responders fail to prevent, we refine our craft a little bit more.

Seeing how 9-1-1 has developed in this time is one way to mark our progress. We've come a long way, after all, from the days of IX-I-I.

#911 dispatch #911 dispatcher #911 dispatchers #dizzydispatch #dizzydispatch911 #History Lessons with Dizzy #history of 911 #history of emergency response #history of public safety #public safety #history of 9-1-1 #origins of 9-1-1 #public safety communications #history #Kari's law #RAY BAUM'S Act #Alyssa's Law #Youtube

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newstfionline · 12 days

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Friday, April 19, 2024

Expanding the surveillance state (NYT) U.S. lawmakers are looking to expand America’s already-bloated surveillance programs by sneaking through an extension to a Bush-era wiretapping law. Last week, the House voted in favor of extending Section 702 for two years, allowing the government to collect the communications of people living abroad without a warrant, even if they’re communicating through American companies. The government can also wiretap those individuals’ communications with American citizens. Privacy advocates have pointed out that the expansion and extension of Section 702 could essentially turn American businesses into mass wiretapping operations. Nevertheless, surveilling Americans and foreigners seems to be a bipartisan topic for American lawmakers, as the Senate is expected to pass the bill with little issue.

European farmers’ discontent (AP) Inside the barn on the flat fields of the northern Netherlands, Jos Ubels cradles a newborn Blonde d’Aquitaine calf, the latest addition to his herd of over 300 dairy cattle. Little could be more idyllic. Little, says Ubels, could be more under threat. As Europe seeks to address the threat of climate change, it’s imposing more rules on farmers like Ubels. He spends a day a week on bureaucracy, answering the demands of European Union and national officials who seek to decide when farmers can sow and reap, and how much fertilizer or manure they can use. Meanwhile, competition from cheap imports is undercutting prices for their produce, without having to meet the same standards. Mainstream political parties failed to act on farmers’ complaints for decades, Ubels says. Now the radical right is stepping in. Across much of the 27-nation EU, from Finland to Greece, Poland to Ireland, farmers’ discontent is gathering momentum as June EU parliamentary elections draw near.

Frustration in Ukraine (Washington Post) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had reason for frustration Wednesday after Russian cruise missiles hit the downtown area of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. The strike—one of the deadliest single attacks carried out in recent months by Russia—killed at least 17 people and injured more than 60 others. “This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram. “There needs to be sufficient commitment from partners and sufficient support to reflect it.” In the aftermath of the attack on Chernihiv, which is close to the Russian border, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba lamented that his country lacked what was so readily provided for Israel. “These innocent people would not have been killed or injured if Ukraine had sufficient air defense capabilities,” Kuleba wrote on social media. “Three days ago in the Middle East, we saw what reliable protection of human lives from missiles looks like.”

Once a fringe Indian ideology, Hindu nationalism is now mainstream, thanks to Modi’s decade in power (AP) Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, is now mainstream. Nobody has done more to advance this cause than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of India’s most beloved and polarizing political leaders. And no entity has had more influence on his political philosophy and ambitions than a paramilitary, right-wing group founded nearly a century ago and known as the RSS. “We never imagined that we would get power in such a way,” said Ambalal Koshti, 76, who says he first brought Modi into the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the late 1960s in their home state, Gujarat. Modi was a teenager. Like other young men—and even boys—who joined, he would learn to march in formation, fight, meditate and protect their Hindu homeland. A few decades earlier, while Mahatma Gandhi preached Hindu-Muslim unity, the RSS advocated for transforming India—by force, if necessary—into a Hindu nation. (A former RSS worker would fire three bullets into Gandhi’s chest in 1948, killing him months after India gained independence.)

Just A Casual Military Flight Near Your Borders, No Worries! (NBC News) The U.S. Navy took a flight for freedom (or to escalate tensions with China) on Wednesday, just a day after a U.S.-China defense talk—the first time the two powers held a military-to-military discussion since 2022. The U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft, a patrol and reconnaissance plane, took its flight over the Taiwan Strait, a 100-mile-wide body of water that separates China from Taiwan. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” said the Navy in a statement. China scrambled fighter jets in order to “monitor the U.S. plane’s passage” in a response that was also “in accordance of laws and regulations,” according to a Chinese Navy spokesman. “Theater troops are on high alert at all times to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,” he added.

Indonesians leave homes near erupting volcano and local airport closes due to ash danger (AP) Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. Mount Ruang on the northern side of Sulawesi Island had at least five large eruptions Wednesday. The crater emitted white-gray smoke continuously during the day Thursday. People have been ordered to stay at least 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the 725-meter (2,378 foot) mountain. More than 11,000 people live in the affected area and were told to leave.

Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, US official tells CNN (CNN) Israel has carried out a military strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN Friday, a potentially dangerous escalation in a fast widening Middle East conflict that Iranian government officials have so far sought to play down. Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several locations after three explosions were heard close to a major military airbase near the Iranian city of Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning. Iranian officials said air defenses intercepted three drones and there were no reports of a missile attack. Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were “completely secure” and the attack appeared to be limited in scope. Iranian media appeared to further minimize the scale of the attack later Friday, broadcasting calm scenes from Isfahan showing residents walking through parks and visiting landmarks. Traffic was reported as normal and the airport was also reported to have reopened after flights were briefly canceled or suspended early Friday.

Qatar reassessing Gaza war mediator role (BBC) Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said his country is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. The Qatari official said Doha had been exploited and abused by those trying to score political points, as weeks of ceasefire talks have so far proven inconclusive. Hamas rejected the latest proposal, which involved a six-week truce during which it would free 40 women, children and elderly or sick hostages. The group claimed it needed a ceasefire to locate all the living hostages and find those who met the criteria. Israel, meanwhile, is continuing its military operations in Gaza, while exchanging fire with Iran-affiliated Hezbollah fighters across the border with Lebanon.

U.N. Report Describes Physical Abuse and Dire Conditions in Israeli Detention (NYT) Gazans released from Israeli detention described graphic scenes of physical abuse in testimonies gathered by United Nations workers, according to a report released on Tuesday by UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Palestinian detainees described being made to sit on their knees for hours on end with their hands tied while blindfolded, being deprived of food and water and being urinated on, among other humiliations, the report said. Others described being badly beaten with metal bars or the butts of guns and boots, according to the report, or forced into cages and attacked by dogs. Israeli forces have arrested thousands of Gazans during their six-month campaign against Hamas, the Palestinian armed group. The Israeli military says it arrests those suspected of involvement in Hamas and other groups, but women, children and older people have also been detained, according to the UNRWA report.

Flooded UAE counts cost of epic rainstorm (Reuters) Emergency workers tried to clear waterclogged roads and people assessed the damage to homes and businesses on Thursday after a rare and epic rainstorm swamped the United Arab Emirates. Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday’s deluge. The rains were the heaviest experienced by the Gulf state in the 75 years that records have been kept. They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage. Flooding trapped residents in traffic, offices and homes. Many reported leaks at their homes, while footage circulated on social media showed malls overrun with water pouring from roofs. Some vehicles, including buses, were almost entirely submerged in water.

The U.N. rights chief says eastern Congo’s escalating violence is being forgotten by the world (AP) The world is forgetting the escalating violence in eastern Congo as conflicts continue in places like Ukraine and Gaza, the U.N. human rights chief said Wednesday while visiting the region and calling for peace and support for millions repeatedly displaced. Eastern Congo has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups seeking to control the region’s rich resources as they carry out mass killings. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced in recent months, worsening one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. About 7 million people are displaced, many beyond the reach of aid. The humanitarian crisis must be taken “very seriously” to avoid further escalation, U.N. rights chief Volker Türk said after meeting with displaced people in Bulengo near Goma, the region’s largest city.

Sea dragons (1440) Researchers have identified remnants of what may be the largest marine reptile ever discovered. The species, ichthyotitan severnensis, was believed to reach over 80 feet long, twice the length of a city bus. The newly discovered species is a descendant of ichthyosaurs (sea dragons), which coexisted with dinosaurs. Like dolphins, the sea-bound creatures were capable of breathing air and subsisted off fish and squid. This particular fossil was discovered by a father-daughter duo in 2020 on the beaches of Somerset, England, and later corroborated by paleontologists. The duo uncovered part of the creature’s lower jawbone, known as a surangular, estimated to reach over 6 feet.

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Qatar received its first Typhoons ready for operation, but the transfer was not so smooth

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 09/12/2022 - 10:30 in Military

Qatar's Typhoons are painted with a unique disruptive camouflage and currently carry the military registrations of the United Kingdom and Qatar. (Photo: BAE Systems)

The first four Eurofighter Typhoons to the Qatari Emirates Air Force (QEAF) have been taken to the Gulf nation and have already arrived ready for operation. But the transfer flight of the first lot did not take place with peace of mind.

They were officially accepted into service during a ceremony at the BAE Systems facility in Warton, UK, on August 15.

Three of the four aircraft left Warton on August 25 and the fourth aircraft was planned to follow a few days later. After joining the RAF Voyager tanker that accompanied them, one of the aircraft had a small technical problem and returned to Warton for further checks, while the remaining pair continued to Athens, Greece.

After takeoff on August 27, an aircraft went through a small problem and the pilot decided to make a return as a precaution to Athens, leaving the QA404/ZR505, piloted by the commander of the Qatar squad (Colonel Faisal Al-Ghanim) to fly with the new aircraft to his new home at Tamim Air Base, Dukhan. Upon arrival in Dukhan, the Typhoon made a low overflight, flanked by a pair of F-15QA Eagles, and was parked next to the F-15QAs and pairs of Rafales and NH90 helicopters. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, followed the arrival of the aircraft.

The next pair of Typhoons left Warton shortly after noon on August 30, bound for Luqa airport in Malta. The remaining aircraft in Athens flew to the Akrotiri RAF Base in Cyprus, where it joined on August 31 with the pair. The three aircraft departed from Akrotiri on September 1, passing through the base of the Royal Saudi Air Force in Tabuk.

A bird clash on one of the aircraft delayed the completion of the journey, but the three finally arrived in Dukhan on September 4. Its arrival allowed the activation of the new QEAF Typhoon unit, the Al Thariyat squadron (‘Moving Wind’), more formally known as Wing No. 1 of Squadron No. 7 (formerly the Mirage 2000 unit of the QEAF).

The aircraft were operational after their arrival in Dukhan, and a sufficient crew ready for combat completed training with the Qatar-UK Squadron No. 12 of the RAF so that the unit could activate its own QRA Typhoon detachment immediately. Although Qatari pilots have trained in the Typhoons Tranche 3 with mechanically scanned radar, the new ECRS.Mk 0 AESA radar uses the same man-machine interface, so the conversion to the QEAF standard is largely a matter of understanding the capabilities of the new sensor instead of learning to operate a totally different system.

The squadron began operating in air defense rapid reaction alert functions on September 4. Additional aircraft are expected to be operational when the FIFA World Cup starts in November, and Squadron No. 12 (the Joint Typhoon United Kingdom/Catar) is expected to be deployed in Dhukan with eight Typhoons to strengthen the Qatar unit, under the Al Thariyat Exercise. The RAF aircraft will be deployed in Qatar for six months from the beginning of September.

BAE Systems has established comprehensive support facilities in Dukhan and will provide a ready-to-use support solution. The company's presence is still growing and expects to reach 300 employees by the end of 2022. The last of the 24 Qatar Typhoons ordered is expected to be delivered in mid-2024.

Tags: Military AviationEurofighter TyphoonQatar Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. It has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.