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1. 

   Pop Culture Library Review @popculturelibraries.wordpress.com@popculturelibraries.wordpress.com · 2025-02-02 · 15:10 UTC

   Recently added titles (January 2025)

   Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.

   Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October,  November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September,  October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.

   Animated series recently added to this page

   None for this month.

   No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):

   • Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
   • My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
   • My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
   • The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
   • We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
   • We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
   • We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
   • Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
   • Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
   • Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
   • Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.

   Anime series recently added to this page

   • Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
   • Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
   • Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]

   In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.

   Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.

   Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.

   No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:

   Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.

   …

   [3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.

   I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.

   Comics recently added to this page

   • Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
   • Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
   • The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
   • The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
   • The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
   • The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
   • The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“

   In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.

   As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.

   Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.

   Films recently added to this page

   None for this month.

   Other entries recently added to this page

   • Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
   • Rebel Princess Guide
   • Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]

   As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]

   However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.

   On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.

   Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.

   Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:

   Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.

   © 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

   Notes

   [1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.

   #AdventureTime #BillyMandy #BlackLibrarians #BlackMen #bullying #DiamondDive #DoYouLikeTomboys #DonTLookAtTheSky #gayLibrarians #HoneyLemonSoda #HugPrettyCure #InMyHeart #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #librarianStereotypes #LibrariansOfColor #lists #LiteraryLink #MedakaKuroiwaIsImperviousToMyCharms #MyLifeAsATeenageRobot #MyMasochisticBoss #OfficeTalk #OurDaysInLumain #PickMe #quiet #RebelPrincessGuide #RecentlyAddedTitles #RegularShow #SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower #shortBlogs #SolarEclipse #StevenUniverse #students #SusuharaIsADemon #TeasingMasterTakagiSan #TeenTitansGo #Thundercats #WarmSpringRain #WeBareBears #yuri

   #adventuretime #billymandy #blacklibrarians #blackmen #bullying #diamonddive
2. 

   Pop Culture Library Review @popculturelibraries.wordpress.com@popculturelibraries.wordpress.com · 2024-07-10 · 13:07 UTC

   Barcodes, library slips, bookworms, and book deliveries in “Whisper of the Heart”

   Shizuku’s father is a librarian in this film. He later says that he would like the card catalogs to stay too, like her.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart, a romantic drama anime film which came out over 29 years ago (on July 15, 1995), on Max, I never expected that libraries, and librarians would be such a central part of the film! I was aware that the film was listed on Jennifer Snoek-Brown’s list of “Foreign-Language Films” on Reel Librarians. The latter list notes films reportedly with librarians and/or archivists alphabetically by title”. She warns that she can’t confirm that “every film on this list actually includes a librarian and/or archivist” as her primary focus is on examining English-language films. While that is a laudable goal, I don’t limit myself in that way, personally, and happily cover anime on this blog time and again. In fact, I have written about over 70 anime series, four films, and various manga, with my first post in August 2020. [1] This review will focus on the role of libraries, and librarians like the protagonist’s father, in the story, while relating it to other fictional examples and real-life library concepts.

   One of the first conversations in the film is between the 14-year-old protagonist Shizuku Tsukishima, living in the Tokyo suburb of Tama New Town, who learns the local library is going to the bar code system, and her father. She tells him that she likes the library slips instead. He actually agrees with her, but decides to go with the library’s change anyhow. Thanks to the library slip, she learns that one man’s name is in common on all the books she has checked out: Seiji Amasawa. This piques her interest. This major plot point is mentioned in many summaries and reviews of the film, noting that Seiji is on every single one of these checkout slips and how she is slowly drawn to him as the film goes forward, with their feelings growing. Shizuku is also drawn toward these books because she loves fantasy books, and meets Seiji at an old antique shop somewhere in town. Other reviewers have noted that the checkout cards are an interesting narrative device, which “lends itself well to romantic daydreaming.” It is worth noting that Shizuku is spending his summer vacation, last one she has at Mukaihara Junior High School, translating and reading “popular foreign music into Japanese” like John Denver’s Country Road. [2]

   At one point, Shizuku checks a book out of the library, which was never checked out before, and even though she somewhat ends up disturbing the job of the librarian (or the teacher standing in as a librarian), she comes across Seiji. Then, not longer after, he is curiously reading the book she checked out and she takes it from him, surprised to see him. And he even knows her name from the book. So much for reader’s privacy! Although some may see a sense of relief and kinship at seeing these library check-out cards, looking at these cards would run afoul of existing ethics, as outlined by the ALA. Those ethics state that libraries will “protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.”

   Such cards are sometimes known as borrowing cards. They had/have an equivalent inside the library: a circulation card. Such cards may include the name of who borrowed the book and name of the book. There are also slips/cards which remain in a book only listing the date a book is due to be returned, known as date due slips. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone into this much detail on this before, but better late than never. In the case of this film, it would be a borrowing card, rather than a date due slip, which was stuck in the back of book, and then the book would be shelved, a way to record who borrowed a book before computer systems supplanted this system. Paper can still be used in today’s libraries, even to write down call numbers for books. The latter has also been shown in the films Dangerous Minds and Regarding Henry.

   I am reminded of a scene in All the President’s Men, in which Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein go to the Library of Congress, and a Black male librarian gives them the slips for who checked out certain books, as opposed to an interaction with a White female librarian. I described this all in a post on this very blog in February of last year:

   …In the classic 1976 political thriller, All the President’s Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein travel to the Library of Congress after their research seems to be stalled and having a librarian have a strange conversation with one them. They go to one librarian, who declares that the records they want are confidential, and that he can’t fulfill their request of library card checkout slips since July 1971. The other, the image of which is shown above, fulfills their request. Voiced by Jaye Stewart, he tells them “I’m not sure you want ’em, but I’ve got ’em.” Woodward and Bernstein proceed to go through perhaps thousands of check-out slips in the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, the work is for naught, as it doesn’t confirm if a White House staffer checked out books on Ted Kennedy…Snoek-Brown…[said] hat it is not ethical to “give out checkout slips or records without a court order” as librarians have an “obligation to protect the privacy rights of our patrons.” I agree with Snoek-Brown entirely on that point

   Coming back to the film, I would think that such borrowing cards would weaken the commitment of the library to reader confidentiality.  As it presently stands, almost every U.S. state has laws “protecting the confidentiality of library records”. The Japan Library Association in a statement published in 1980, states that librarians should respect the privacy of each library user, and should not “divulge his/her name or details of books or other library materials used to third parties”. A more recent statement notes library privacy and confidentiality, among other virtues, as important. This film came out before the economic downturn in Japan, in 1997, which unfortunately lead to privatization of libraries through “outsourcing of staff to reduce costs and provide a flexible workforce”, with privacy of user information is at stake because private management companies are “not obligated to protect users’ privacy and routinely gather their data”. [3]

   Shizuku says card catalogs are better than digital records

   Moving on from that, and back to the film, Shizuku soon follows a cat to an antique shop and is drawn to a cat statue named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, with the shop’s owner, Nishi, telling her about him. She barely makes it to the library in time, is annoyed by Seiji, and is embarrassed in the process, as he delivers “her” lunch for her, with the fat cat (she had followed to the shop) riding on the back of the bike. The lunch is actually for her dad, who works in the library! This library is a fictional place created for the film itself, as no such library exists at that location (Irohazaka Sakura Park). [4]

   This fantastical nature of the library is not unique. However, this library is more akin to something that exists in reality, rather than in a magical realm by itself. This makes the series unique. Surely, there are public libraries akin to those in real-life in Josee the Tiger and the Fish or I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, to give two examples, apart from the many within school buildings that I’ve often written about. This library is clearly a place of knowledge, but it is not a place or refuge. Rather, it is a place of learning and development.

   As the movie goes on, Shizuku learns who donated a book at the library:  the father of Seiji. She is later called a “bookworm”, which she accepts happily. After all, she often goes to the library, a fantasy reportedly depicted in The Cat Returns, a 2002 film. She takes out books in the public library, so she can learn more for her story. At one point, she remains one of the last people there, writing away, and Seiji visits her in the library, while she writes her story. As a writer, she becomes more than a bookworm, and Seiji is more than a novice violin maker. Both characters are not exceptional, but have proven that they have what it takes to ensure their work can become “exceptional”, with their romance blossoming by the film’s end, even without a kiss. [5]

   There is much more to this film than what I’ve noted so far and ending the article here would be selling it short, to say the least. For Shizuku to be called a bookworm as an insult, and turning it into a positive, is not limited to this film. There is an entire series entitled Ascendance of a Bookworm, which focuses on Myne and her quest to provide free books to the populace, building her previous life as a college librarian. In his quest, she even becomes a church librarian with some magical powers. The series has even been cited as an example of when an outsider from another world “usher systematic change in their adopted one.” The term was even alluded to in the series Bibliophile Princess, as a bibliophile, someone who frequently reads or collects books, and loves books, is also known as a bookworm. Bibliophile appears more “positive.”

   Otherwise, there was a British comic from 1978-1985 entitled Bookworm about a young boy who always has a book and his parents tell him to do more “boyish” things, but it results in disaster. There’s also an 1850 painting entitled The Bookworm by Carl Spitzweg. A variation of this piece was even named The Librarian! Pu Songling published a romantic short story, in about 1740, entitled The Bookworm, while there are characters known as bookworms in Tiny Toon Adventures and most infamously in the campy 1960s Batman series. There are many other bookworms in fiction, like in Wonder Man (1945), Navy Blues (1937), and even Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to an extent.
   

   There is also the Association internationale de bibliophilie, which is called International Association of Bibliophiles or AIB in English. It is dedicated to bibliophiles. Russia has its National Union of Bibliophiles (formed in 2010), while there are is a book club in Detroit, a former group for female bibliophiles (Hroswitha Club), and the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles. There is even a 15-minute film, which I haven’t seen, entitled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, about a man who is writing his memoir, but is blown off a balcony, writing out of a library,and even becomes a librarian with the city suffering from impact of a storm. There’s also books such as The Great Book-Collectors about book-collecting practices of the British Library, Bodleian Library, and Ashmolean Museum, along with a physical archive named Library of the Printed Web dedicated to “web-to-print artists’ books, zines and other printout matter.”

   All of this is related to the concept of tsundoku, which means acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in your home without actually reading them. It can refer to books ready for reading later, as well, when those books are on a bookshelf. It is related to what A. Edward Newton wrote about in 1921, and stands in opposition to the term antilibrary. The latter, coined by Lebanese-American author Nassim Nicholas Taleb means a “collection of unread books”, which make people curious and humble. [6] He further stated that the older someone gets, the more they know, the larger is their “accumulation of unread books” and those who focus on such unread books are antischolars, i.e. those who do not “care about how much you know, but how much you don’t know” and how to find information you need.

   When it comes to libraries, I would think people would side more with idea of antilibrary than the idea of tsundoku, as the latter seems to imply that having unread books is “bad.” Having books you haven’t read should not be seen as a negative. It is inevitable there will be books you haven’t read in your lifetime, no matter what. And libraries hold the books so they can be read by others, and shared, to spread knowledge, and understanding. This doesn’t mean that every book is right, immutable, or correct. Rather, the books can help you understand more about the world, at their best, and at their worst, promote misinformation. The latter can be prevented with careful weeding to ensure that patrons have the best information available.

   Shizuku is studying in the library with a stack of books sitting on the table next to her. The man she likes is across the table from her, I believe.

   As I’ve noted on this blog various times, libraries serve many important functions in society. One of those is providing a place to study. This is shown clearly, as indicated in the above screenshot. You don’t have to be a bibliophile/bookworm for that. In fact, not all bookworms are librarians, and not all librarians are bookworms. Some are, but due to the many tasks during the work-day, often librarians don’t have time to read a book on the job, as some people might think.

   When it comes to Japan, I’ve noted this before on here, but there are over 3,000 public libraries in this island nation, and remain an important part of the country’s society. In fact, there is even an entire Wikipedia page listing them, entitled “List of libraries in Japan” (not to be confused with the page “List of archives in Japan“). Some probably still have card catalogs. These libraries, known as toshokan in Japanese, are centered by the National Diet Library. The only series, I know, to date to directly feature this library is 26-episode early 2000s R.O.D. the TV anime series, which features characters from the Read or Die light novels, manga, and OVA, and the Read or Dream manga.

   Academics have noted that information commons/learning commons which provide various materials, facilities, and services, in one place, originally appearing in North America, has also appeared in Japanese universities and college. Such spaces are reportedly in an ” the early stage of development”, and there is a need for such spaces to rebuild their own services because of student needs. Furthermore, many libraries in pre-modern Japan were arguably private and have been called bunko, meaning “storehouses of books.” Currently, most have been subsumed into larger national, prefectural, university, or research library institutions. Some have even covered this in books such as Youth-Serving Libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States.

   It is also said that Japanese academic libraries are well-resourced and support the country’s research capacity, while reflecting the country’s “strong bureaucratic culture.” I’m not sure if this is also the case for the country’s public libraries as well, to be perfectly honest. I can say, with certainty, that libraries are an important part of the country, especially considering that the Imperial Library (forerunner to the National Diet Library) was established in the latter 19th century, and in 1947, the National Library Act created Japan’s sole national library (National Diet Library). This was followed by the landmark 1950 Library Act. The law states, in part, that the country’s libraries are aimed to promoting “sound development…[and] the enhancement of the education and culture of the nation”. It goes onto say:

   …libraries shall endeavor to accomplish…[collection of] nooks, archives, audio-visual materials and other necessary data and materials…with suitable attention paid to the acquisition of local materials, art works, materials on local administration, gramophone records and films…library materials shall be properly classified and processed…efforts shall be made to ensure that library personnel acquire sufficient knowledge of library matters…close communication and cooperation shall be maintained by…inter-library loans between libraries…reading circles, seminars, appreciation groups, film showings and exhibits of data…shall be sponsored and encouraged…close contact and cooperation shall be maintained with schools, museums, community centers and research institutes, etc….professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians and assistant librarians.

   And that’s only part of Chapter 1! There is no comparison to this in U.S. law. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress in April 1800 (see page 56), only mentioned that the purchase of books “as may be necessary for the use of Congress at the said city of Washington, and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them and for placing them therein, the sum of five thousand dollars shall be…appropriated.” That same law went onto say that a library catalogue shall be furnished by a joint congressional committee, with books “placed in one suitable apartment in the capitol in the said city, for the use of both…houses of Congress and the members thereof”. That is it. It wasn’t until 1802 that a law defined the functions and role of this library, the Library of Congress (LOC), and even made the appointment of the Librarian of Congress a “presidential responsibility”! Still, this was nothing like the Library Law in Japan, which was much more extensive.

   Such a law in the U.S, would be unthinkable, even at this current time, despite the fact it could have extreme value in ensuring the institution’s mission and objectives. On the other hand, LOC has broadly defined that on its own, and has a bit of autonomy, as it is only the de facto national library. This makes it different from the many across the world, coupled with any state-established libraries serving as preeminent information repositories for specific regions.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart on Max, with my mom and dad, I never expected libraries to be as big of a part of the film from the get-go. I am truly grateful that I came across this film, and would surely watch it again if I get a chance. That;s all for this post. Until next week! As always, comments are welcome.

   Shizuku looks at library slips and finding out some man checked the SAME book out before her

   © 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

   Notes

   [1] Since then, I’ve written about (I don’t recommend you watch all of these, though, and some of the following I would not watch again) over 80 anime series: Revolutionary Girl Utena, Wandering Son, Ice, Kuttsukiboshi, Paradise Kiss, Macross Frontier, Classroom of the Elite, Gargantia, Kandagawa Jet Girls, El-Hazard, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Ascendance of a Bookworm, R.O.D. the TV, B Gata H Kei, Bloom Into You, Little Witch Academia, Yamibou, Whispered Words, Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Strawberry Panic!, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Manaria Friends, Kampfer, Lapis Re:Lights, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Blue Drop, The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, Cardcaptor Sakura, Venus vs. Virus, Otherside Picnic, My-Hime, Simoun, Riddle Story of Devil, Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood, Dear Brother, Library War, Girl Friend Beta, Kokoro Library, Attack on Titan, Let’s Make a Mug Too, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra, Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Komi Can’t Communicate, The Ancient Magus Bride: Those Awaiting a Star, Gosick, Laid-Back Camp, As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Bibliophile Princess, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, My Roommate is a Cat, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Kin-iro Mosaic, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Makura no Danshi, Azumanga Daioh, Oresuki, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Gabriel DropOut, Spy x Family, A Couple of Cuckoos, Märchen Mädchen, Healer Girl, Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation, Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force, A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepard, A Place Further Than The Universe, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Myself ; Yourself, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Stars Align, Tokyo Mew Mew New, Skip and Loafer, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Violet Evergarden, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Aharen-San wa Hakarenai, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Chitose Got You, Clannad, Cue!, Encouragement to Climb: Next Summit, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Gabriel Drop Out, Kin-iro Mosaic, K-On!, Noir, Otherside Picnic, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Re:Zero, and four films: I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, Calamity of a Zombie Girl, Your Name, and Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Later posts this year will focus on series such as Ouran High School Host Club, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kiss Him, Not Me, The Demon Girl Next Door, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, YuruYuri, Library War, Maria Watches Over Us, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, and Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka’s Secret), to name a few.

   [2] “Whisper of the Heart,” IFC Center, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Russo, Lee. “How Whisper of the Heart Explores the Fear of Failure,” CBR, Jun. 13, 2020; Graeme. “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” Film School Rejects, Jun. 15, 2018; “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Faith. “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli Movies, Nov. 28, 2014; Toole, Michael. “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” Anime News Network, Nov. 29, 2014; Osmond, Andrew. “Whisper of the Heart Review,” Anime News Network, Jan. 11, 2012; Mindus, Jay. “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” CBR, May 12, 2022; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba),” Harvard Film Archive, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Cyrenne, Randall. “Whisper Of The Heart,” Animated Views, Mar. 7, 2006.

   [3] Alix, Francis A. “The History and Current Challenges of Libraries in Japan,” SLIS Connectings 10(1): 10.

   [4] Graeme, “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” 2018; Toole, “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” 2014; Osmond, “Whisper of the Heart Review,” 2012; “Tracing Shizuku’s Steps: Visit ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Locations in Real Life,” tsunagu Japan, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; “Visiting ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Movie Location,” justa-fangirl, 2014.

   [5] “Whisper of the Heart,” Ghibli Wiki, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; Cyrenne, “Whisper Of The Heart,” 2006; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba,” Harvard Film Archive; Mindus, “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” 2022; Pineda, Rafael Antonio. “Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Film Delayed Due to COVID-19,” Anime News Network, Apr. 20, 2020. The live-action sequel, also named Whisper of the Heart came out in October 2022 in Japan, but it was received badly if the reviews from Japan Times and Crunchyroll listed on the “Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)” Wikipedia page are any indication. Apparently, there is even a library scene in the film. I haven’t watched the film, so I can’t confirm that completely, however.

   [6] Brooks, Katherine. “There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read,” HuffPost, Apr. 19, 2017; Tobar, Hector, “Are you a book hoarder? There’s a word for that,” Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24, 2014; “Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them,” BBC News, Jul. 29, 2018; Crow, Jonathan. “‘Tsundoku,’ the Japanese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves, Should Enter the English Language,” Open Culture, Jul. 24, 2014; “A QUOTE ON BIBLIOMANIA,” Language Hat, Feb. 7, 2008; Popova, Maria. “Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones,” The Marginalian, Mar. 24, 2015; Stillman, Jessica. “Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You’ll Ever Have Time to Read,” Inc., Dec. 5, 2017; McDonough, Lauren Smith. “Everyone Is Obsessed With the Trend of Antilibraries Right Now,” House Beautiful, Dec. 19, 2017; Boyd, Rebecca Lowry. “The book trend everyone is talking about right now,” Better Homes & Gardens, accessed Jun. 27, 2023.

   #AllThePresidentSMen #AnimeNewsNetwork #antilibrary #AscendanceOfABookworm #barcodes #BibliophilePrincess #bibliophilia #BlackLibrarians #BlackWomen #BluRays #books #booksAreNotSacred #ethics #femaleLibrarians #IWantToEatYourPancreas #JapaneseLibrarians #JapaneseMen #JapanesePatrons #JoseeTheTigerAndTheFish #KOn #libraryCards #librarySlips #magic #NationalDietLibrary #NavyBluesFilm #RODTheTV #ReadOrDieLightNovels #ReadOrDieManga #ReadOrDieOVA #ReadOrDream #readerConfidentiality #ReelLibrarians #SeitokaiYakuindomo #Simoun #students #studying #teachers #TheCatReturns #tsundoku #WhisperOfTheHeart #WhiteLibrarians #WhiteWomen

   #allthepresidentsmen #animenewsnetwork #antilibrary #ascendanceofabookworm #barcodes #bibliophileprincess
3. 

   Pop Culture Library Review @popculturelibraries.wordpress.com@popculturelibraries.wordpress.com · 2024-07-10 · 13:07 UTC

   Barcodes, library slips, bookworms, and book deliveries in “Whisper of the Heart”

   Shizuku’s father is a librarian in this film. He later says that he would like the card catalogs to stay too, like her.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart, a romantic drama anime film which came out over 29 years ago (on July 15, 1995), on Max, I never expected that libraries, and librarians would be such a central part of the film! I was aware that the film was listed on Jennifer Snoek-Brown’s list of “Foreign-Language Films” on Reel Librarians. The latter list notes films reportedly with librarians and/or archivists alphabetically by title”. She warns that she can’t confirm that “every film on this list actually includes a librarian and/or archivist” as her primary focus is on examining English-language films. While that is a laudable goal, I don’t limit myself in that way, personally, and happily cover anime on this blog time and again. In fact, I have written about over 70 anime series, four films, and various manga, with my first post in August 2020. [1] This review will focus on the role of libraries, and librarians like the protagonist’s father, in the story, while relating it to other fictional examples and real-life library concepts.

   One of the first conversations in the film is between the 14-year-old protagonist Shizuku Tsukishima, living in the Tokyo suburb of Tama New Town, who learns the local library is going to the bar code system, and her father. She tells him that she likes the library slips instead. He actually agrees with her, but decides to go with the library’s change anyhow. Thanks to the library slip, she learns that one man’s name is in common on all the books she has checked out: Seiji Amasawa. This piques her interest. This major plot point is mentioned in many summaries and reviews of the film, noting that Seiji is on every single one of these checkout slips and how she is slowly drawn to him as the film goes forward, with their feelings growing. Shizuku is also drawn toward these books because she loves fantasy books, and meets Seiji at an old antique shop somewhere in town. Other reviewers have noted that the checkout cards are an interesting narrative device, which “lends itself well to romantic daydreaming.” It is worth noting that Shizuku is spending his summer vacation, last one she has at Mukaihara Junior High School, translating and reading “popular foreign music into Japanese” like John Denver’s Country Road. [2]

   At one point, Shizuku checks a book out of the library, which was never checked out before, and even though she somewhat ends up disturbing the job of the librarian (or the teacher standing in as a librarian), she comes across Seiji. Then, not longer after, he is curiously reading the book she checked out and she takes it from him, surprised to see him. And he even knows her name from the book. So much for reader’s privacy! Although some may see a sense of relief and kinship at seeing these library check-out cards, looking at these cards would run afoul of existing ethics, as outlined by the ALA. Those ethics state that libraries will “protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.”

   Such cards are sometimes known as borrowing cards. They had/have an equivalent inside the library: a circulation card. Such cards may include the name of who borrowed the book and name of the book. There are also slips/cards which remain in a book only listing the date a book is due to be returned, known as date due slips. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone into this much detail on this before, but better late than never. In the case of this film, it would be a borrowing card, rather than a date due slip, which was stuck in the back of book, and then the book would be shelved, a way to record who borrowed a book before computer systems supplanted this system. Paper can still be used in today’s libraries, even to write down call numbers for books. The latter has also been shown in the films Dangerous Minds and Regarding Henry.

   I am reminded of a scene in All the President’s Men, in which Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein go to the Library of Congress, and a Black male librarian gives them the slips for who checked out certain books, as opposed to an interaction with a White female librarian. I described this all in a post on this very blog in February of last year:

   …In the classic 1976 political thriller, All the President’s Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein travel to the Library of Congress after their research seems to be stalled and having a librarian have a strange conversation with one them. They go to one librarian, who declares that the records they want are confidential, and that he can’t fulfill their request of library card checkout slips since July 1971. The other, the image of which is shown above, fulfills their request. Voiced by Jaye Stewart, he tells them “I’m not sure you want ’em, but I’ve got ’em.” Woodward and Bernstein proceed to go through perhaps thousands of check-out slips in the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, the work is for naught, as it doesn’t confirm if a White House staffer checked out books on Ted Kennedy…Snoek-Brown…[said] hat it is not ethical to “give out checkout slips or records without a court order” as librarians have an “obligation to protect the privacy rights of our patrons.” I agree with Snoek-Brown entirely on that point

   Coming back to the film, I would think that such borrowing cards would weaken the commitment of the library to reader confidentiality.  As it presently stands, almost every U.S. state has laws “protecting the confidentiality of library records”. The Japan Library Association in a statement published in 1980, states that librarians should respect the privacy of each library user, and should not “divulge his/her name or details of books or other library materials used to third parties”. A more recent statement notes library privacy and confidentiality, among other virtues, as important. This film came out before the economic downturn in Japan, in 1997, which unfortunately lead to privatization of libraries through “outsourcing of staff to reduce costs and provide a flexible workforce”, with privacy of user information is at stake because private management companies are “not obligated to protect users’ privacy and routinely gather their data”. [3]

   Shizuku says card catalogs are better than digital records

   Moving on from that, and back to the film, Shizuku soon follows a cat to an antique shop and is drawn to a cat statue named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, with the shop’s owner, Nishi, telling her about him. She barely makes it to the library in time, is annoyed by Seiji, and is embarrassed in the process, as he delivers “her” lunch for her, with the fat cat (she had followed to the shop) riding on the back of the bike. The lunch is actually for her dad, who works in the library! This library is a fictional place created for the film itself, as no such library exists at that location (Irohazaka Sakura Park). [4]

   This fantastical nature of the library is not unique. However, this library is more akin to something that exists in reality, rather than in a magical realm by itself. This makes the series unique. Surely, there are public libraries akin to those in real-life in Josee the Tiger and the Fish or I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, to give two examples, apart from the many within school buildings that I’ve often written about. This library is clearly a place of knowledge, but it is not a place or refuge. Rather, it is a place of learning and development.

   As the movie goes on, Shizuku learns who donated a book at the library:  the father of Seiji. She is later called a “bookworm”, which she accepts happily. After all, she often goes to the library, a fantasy reportedly depicted in The Cat Returns, a 2002 film. She takes out books in the public library, so she can learn more for her story. At one point, she remains one of the last people there, writing away, and Seiji visits her in the library, while she writes her story. As a writer, she becomes more than a bookworm, and Seiji is more than a novice violin maker. Both characters are not exceptional, but have proven that they have what it takes to ensure their work can become “exceptional”, with their romance blossoming by the film’s end, even without a kiss. [5]

   There is much more to this film than what I’ve noted so far and ending the article here would be selling it short, to say the least. For Shizuku to be called a bookworm as an insult, and turning it into a positive, is not limited to this film. There is an entire series entitled Ascendance of a Bookworm, which focuses on Myne and her quest to provide free books to the populace, building her previous life as a college librarian. In his quest, she even becomes a church librarian with some magical powers. The series has even been cited as an example of when an outsider from another world “usher systematic change in their adopted one.” The term was even alluded to in the series Bibliophile Princess, as a bibliophile, someone who frequently reads or collects books, and loves books, is also known as a bookworm. Bibliophile appears more “positive.”

   Otherwise, there was a British comic from 1978-1985 entitled Bookworm about a young boy who always has a book and his parents tell him to do more “boyish” things, but it results in disaster. There’s also an 1850 painting entitled The Bookworm by Carl Spitzweg. A variation of this piece was even named The Librarian! Pu Songling published a romantic short story, in about 1740, entitled The Bookworm, while there are characters known as bookworms in Tiny Toon Adventures and most infamously in the campy 1960s Batman series. There are many other bookworms in fiction, like in Wonder Man (1945), Navy Blues (1937), and even Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to an extent.
   

   There is also the Association internationale de bibliophilie, which is called International Association of Bibliophiles or AIB in English. It is dedicated to bibliophiles. Russia has its National Union of Bibliophiles (formed in 2010), while there are is a book club in Detroit, a former group for female bibliophiles (Hroswitha Club), and the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles. There is even a 15-minute film, which I haven’t seen, entitled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, about a man who is writing his memoir, but is blown off a balcony, writing out of a library,and even becomes a librarian with the city suffering from impact of a storm. There’s also books such as The Great Book-Collectors about book-collecting practices of the British Library, Bodleian Library, and Ashmolean Museum, along with a physical archive named Library of the Printed Web dedicated to “web-to-print artists’ books, zines and other printout matter.”

   All of this is related to the concept of tsundoku, which means acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in your home without actually reading them. It can refer to books ready for reading later, as well, when those books are on a bookshelf. It is related to what A. Edward Newton wrote about in 1921, and stands in opposition to the term antilibrary. The latter, coined by Lebanese-American author Nassim Nicholas Taleb means a “collection of unread books”, which make people curious and humble. [6] He further stated that the older someone gets, the more they know, the larger is their “accumulation of unread books” and those who focus on such unread books are antischolars, i.e. those who do not “care about how much you know, but how much you don’t know” and how to find information you need.

   When it comes to libraries, I would think people would side more with idea of antilibrary than the idea of tsundoku, as the latter seems to imply that having unread books is “bad.” Having books you haven’t read should not be seen as a negative. It is inevitable there will be books you haven’t read in your lifetime, no matter what. And libraries hold the books so they can be read by others, and shared, to spread knowledge, and understanding. This doesn’t mean that every book is right, immutable, or correct. Rather, the books can help you understand more about the world, at their best, and at their worst, promote misinformation. The latter can be prevented with careful weeding to ensure that patrons have the best information available.

   Shizuku is studying in the library with a stack of books sitting on the table next to her. The man she likes is across the table from her, I believe.

   As I’ve noted on this blog various times, libraries serve many important functions in society. One of those is providing a place to study. This is shown clearly, as indicated in the above screenshot. You don’t have to be a bibliophile/bookworm for that. In fact, not all bookworms are librarians, and not all librarians are bookworms. Some are, but due to the many tasks during the work-day, often librarians don’t have time to read a book on the job, as some people might think.

   When it comes to Japan, I’ve noted this before on here, but there are over 3,000 public libraries in this island nation, and remain an important part of the country’s society. In fact, there is even an entire Wikipedia page listing them, entitled “List of libraries in Japan” (not to be confused with the page “List of archives in Japan“). Some probably still have card catalogs. These libraries, known as toshokan in Japanese, are centered by the National Diet Library. The only series, I know, to date to directly feature this library is 26-episode early 2000s R.O.D. the TV anime series, which features characters from the Read or Die light novels, manga, and OVA, and the Read or Dream manga.

   Academics have noted that information commons/learning commons which provide various materials, facilities, and services, in one place, originally appearing in North America, has also appeared in Japanese universities and college. Such spaces are reportedly in an ” the early stage of development”, and there is a need for such spaces to rebuild their own services because of student needs. Furthermore, many libraries in pre-modern Japan were arguably private and have been called bunko, meaning “storehouses of books.” Currently, most have been subsumed into larger national, prefectural, university, or research library institutions. Some have even covered this in books such as Youth-Serving Libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States.

   It is also said that Japanese academic libraries are well-resourced and support the country’s research capacity, while reflecting the country’s “strong bureaucratic culture.” I’m not sure if this is also the case for the country’s public libraries as well, to be perfectly honest. I can say, with certainty, that libraries are an important part of the country, especially considering that the Imperial Library (forerunner to the National Diet Library) was established in the latter 19th century, and in 1947, the National Library Act created Japan’s sole national library (National Diet Library). This was followed by the landmark 1950 Library Act. The law states, in part, that the country’s libraries are aimed to promoting “sound development…[and] the enhancement of the education and culture of the nation”. It goes onto say:

   …libraries shall endeavor to accomplish…[collection of] nooks, archives, audio-visual materials and other necessary data and materials…with suitable attention paid to the acquisition of local materials, art works, materials on local administration, gramophone records and films…library materials shall be properly classified and processed…efforts shall be made to ensure that library personnel acquire sufficient knowledge of library matters…close communication and cooperation shall be maintained by…inter-library loans between libraries…reading circles, seminars, appreciation groups, film showings and exhibits of data…shall be sponsored and encouraged…close contact and cooperation shall be maintained with schools, museums, community centers and research institutes, etc….professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians and assistant librarians.

   And that’s only part of Chapter 1! There is no comparison to this in U.S. law. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress in April 1800 (see page 56), only mentioned that the purchase of books “as may be necessary for the use of Congress at the said city of Washington, and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them and for placing them therein, the sum of five thousand dollars shall be…appropriated.” That same law went onto say that a library catalogue shall be furnished by a joint congressional committee, with books “placed in one suitable apartment in the capitol in the said city, for the use of both…houses of Congress and the members thereof”. That is it. It wasn’t until 1802 that a law defined the functions and role of this library, the Library of Congress (LOC), and even made the appointment of the Librarian of Congress a “presidential responsibility”! Still, this was nothing like the Library Law in Japan, which was much more extensive.

   Such a law in the U.S, would be unthinkable, even at this current time, despite the fact it could have extreme value in ensuring the institution’s mission and objectives. On the other hand, LOC has broadly defined that on its own, and has a bit of autonomy, as it is only the de facto national library. This makes it different from the many across the world, coupled with any state-established libraries serving as preeminent information repositories for specific regions.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart on Max, with my mom and dad, I never expected libraries to be as big of a part of the film from the get-go. I am truly grateful that I came across this film, and would surely watch it again if I get a chance. That;s all for this post. Until next week! As always, comments are welcome.

   Shizuku looks at library slips and finding out some man checked the SAME book out before her

   © 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

   Notes

   [1] Since then, I’ve written about (I don’t recommend you watch all of these, though, and some of the following I would not watch again) over 80 anime series: Revolutionary Girl Utena, Wandering Son, Ice, Kuttsukiboshi, Paradise Kiss, Macross Frontier, Classroom of the Elite, Gargantia, Kandagawa Jet Girls, El-Hazard, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Ascendance of a Bookworm, R.O.D. the TV, B Gata H Kei, Bloom Into You, Little Witch Academia, Yamibou, Whispered Words, Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Strawberry Panic!, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Manaria Friends, Kampfer, Lapis Re:Lights, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Blue Drop, The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, Cardcaptor Sakura, Venus vs. Virus, Otherside Picnic, My-Hime, Simoun, Riddle Story of Devil, Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood, Dear Brother, Library War, Girl Friend Beta, Kokoro Library, Attack on Titan, Let’s Make a Mug Too, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra, Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Komi Can’t Communicate, The Ancient Magus Bride: Those Awaiting a Star, Gosick, Laid-Back Camp, As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Bibliophile Princess, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, My Roommate is a Cat, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Kin-iro Mosaic, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Makura no Danshi, Azumanga Daioh, Oresuki, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Gabriel DropOut, Spy x Family, A Couple of Cuckoos, Märchen Mädchen, Healer Girl, Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation, Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force, A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepard, A Place Further Than The Universe, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Myself ; Yourself, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Stars Align, Tokyo Mew Mew New, Skip and Loafer, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Violet Evergarden, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Aharen-San wa Hakarenai, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Chitose Got You, Clannad, Cue!, Encouragement to Climb: Next Summit, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Gabriel Drop Out, Kin-iro Mosaic, K-On!, Noir, Otherside Picnic, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Re:Zero, and four films: I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, Calamity of a Zombie Girl, Your Name, and Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Later posts this year will focus on series such as Ouran High School Host Club, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kiss Him, Not Me, The Demon Girl Next Door, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, YuruYuri, Library War, Maria Watches Over Us, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, and Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka’s Secret), to name a few.

   [2] “Whisper of the Heart,” IFC Center, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Russo, Lee. “How Whisper of the Heart Explores the Fear of Failure,” CBR, Jun. 13, 2020; Graeme. “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” Film School Rejects, Jun. 15, 2018; “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Faith. “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli Movies, Nov. 28, 2014; Toole, Michael. “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” Anime News Network, Nov. 29, 2014; Osmond, Andrew. “Whisper of the Heart Review,” Anime News Network, Jan. 11, 2012; Mindus, Jay. “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” CBR, May 12, 2022; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba),” Harvard Film Archive, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Cyrenne, Randall. “Whisper Of The Heart,” Animated Views, Mar. 7, 2006.

   [3] Alix, Francis A. “The History and Current Challenges of Libraries in Japan,” SLIS Connectings 10(1): 10.

   [4] Graeme, “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” 2018; Toole, “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” 2014; Osmond, “Whisper of the Heart Review,” 2012; “Tracing Shizuku’s Steps: Visit ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Locations in Real Life,” tsunagu Japan, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; “Visiting ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Movie Location,” justa-fangirl, 2014.

   [5] “Whisper of the Heart,” Ghibli Wiki, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; Cyrenne, “Whisper Of The Heart,” 2006; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba,” Harvard Film Archive; Mindus, “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” 2022; Pineda, Rafael Antonio. “Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Film Delayed Due to COVID-19,” Anime News Network, Apr. 20, 2020. The live-action sequel, also named Whisper of the Heart came out in October 2022 in Japan, but it was received badly if the reviews from Japan Times and Crunchyroll listed on the “Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)” Wikipedia page are any indication. Apparently, there is even a library scene in the film. I haven’t watched the film, so I can’t confirm that completely, however.

   [6] Brooks, Katherine. “There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read,” HuffPost, Apr. 19, 2017; Tobar, Hector, “Are you a book hoarder? There’s a word for that,” Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24, 2014; “Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them,” BBC News, Jul. 29, 2018; Crow, Jonathan. “‘Tsundoku,’ the Japanese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves, Should Enter the English Language,” Open Culture, Jul. 24, 2014; “A QUOTE ON BIBLIOMANIA,” Language Hat, Feb. 7, 2008; Popova, Maria. “Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones,” The Marginalian, Mar. 24, 2015; Stillman, Jessica. “Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You’ll Ever Have Time to Read,” Inc., Dec. 5, 2017; McDonough, Lauren Smith. “Everyone Is Obsessed With the Trend of Antilibraries Right Now,” House Beautiful, Dec. 19, 2017; Boyd, Rebecca Lowry. “The book trend everyone is talking about right now,” Better Homes & Gardens, accessed Jun. 27, 2023.

   #AllThePresidentSMen #AnimeNewsNetwork #antilibrary #AscendanceOfABookworm #barcodes #BibliophilePrincess #bibliophilia #BlackLibrarians #BlackWomen #BluRays #books #booksAreNotSacred #ethics #femaleLibrarians #IWantToEatYourPancreas #JapaneseLibrarians #JapaneseMen #JapanesePatrons #JoseeTheTigerAndTheFish #KOn #libraryCards #librarySlips #magic #NationalDietLibrary #NavyBluesFilm #RODTheTV #ReadOrDieLightNovels #ReadOrDieManga #ReadOrDieOVA #ReadOrDream #readerConfidentiality #ReelLibrarians #SeitokaiYakuindomo #Simoun #students #studying #teachers #TheCatReturns #tsundoku #WhisperOfTheHeart #WhiteLibrarians #WhiteWomen

   #allthepresidentsmen #animenewsnetwork #antilibrary #ascendanceofabookworm #barcodes #bibliophileprincess
4. 

   Pop Culture Library Review @popculturelibraries.wordpress.com@popculturelibraries.wordpress.com · 2024-07-10 · 13:07 UTC

   Barcodes, library slips, bookworms, and book deliveries in “Whisper of the Heart”

   Shizuku’s father is a librarian in this film. He later says that he would like the card catalogs to stay too, like her.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart, a romantic drama anime film which came out over 29 years ago (on July 15, 1995), on Max, I never expected that libraries, and librarians would be such a central part of the film! I was aware that the film was listed on Jennifer Snoek-Brown’s list of “Foreign-Language Films” on Reel Librarians. The latter list notes films reportedly with librarians and/or archivists alphabetically by title”. She warns that she can’t confirm that “every film on this list actually includes a librarian and/or archivist” as her primary focus is on examining English-language films. While that is a laudable goal, I don’t limit myself in that way, personally, and happily cover anime on this blog time and again. In fact, I have written about over 70 anime series, four films, and various manga, with my first post in August 2020. [1] This review will focus on the role of libraries, and librarians like the protagonist’s father, in the story, while relating it to other fictional examples and real-life library concepts.

   One of the first conversations in the film is between the 14-year-old protagonist Shizuku Tsukishima, living in the Tokyo suburb of Tama New Town, who learns the local library is going to the bar code system, and her father. She tells him that she likes the library slips instead. He actually agrees with her, but decides to go with the library’s change anyhow. Thanks to the library slip, she learns that one man’s name is in common on all the books she has checked out: Seiji Amasawa. This piques her interest. This major plot point is mentioned in many summaries and reviews of the film, noting that Seiji is on every single one of these checkout slips and how she is slowly drawn to him as the film goes forward, with their feelings growing. Shizuku is also drawn toward these books because she loves fantasy books, and meets Seiji at an old antique shop somewhere in town. Other reviewers have noted that the checkout cards are an interesting narrative device, which “lends itself well to romantic daydreaming.” It is worth noting that Shizuku is spending his summer vacation, last one she has at Mukaihara Junior High School, translating and reading “popular foreign music into Japanese” like John Denver’s Country Road. [2]

   At one point, Shizuku checks a book out of the library, which was never checked out before, and even though she somewhat ends up disturbing the job of the librarian (or the teacher standing in as a librarian), she comes across Seiji. Then, not longer after, he is curiously reading the book she checked out and she takes it from him, surprised to see him. And he even knows her name from the book. So much for reader’s privacy! Although some may see a sense of relief and kinship at seeing these library check-out cards, looking at these cards would run afoul of existing ethics, as outlined by the ALA. Those ethics state that libraries will “protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.”

   Such cards are sometimes known as borrowing cards. They had/have an equivalent inside the library: a circulation card. Such cards may include the name of who borrowed the book and name of the book. There are also slips/cards which remain in a book only listing the date a book is due to be returned, known as date due slips. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone into this much detail on this before, but better late than never. In the case of this film, it would be a borrowing card, rather than a date due slip, which was stuck in the back of book, and then the book would be shelved, a way to record who borrowed a book before computer systems supplanted this system. Paper can still be used in today’s libraries, even to write down call numbers for books. The latter has also been shown in the films Dangerous Minds and Regarding Henry.

   I am reminded of a scene in All the President’s Men, in which Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein go to the Library of Congress, and a Black male librarian gives them the slips for who checked out certain books, as opposed to an interaction with a White female librarian. I described this all in a post on this very blog in February of last year:

   …In the classic 1976 political thriller, All the President’s Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein travel to the Library of Congress after their research seems to be stalled and having a librarian have a strange conversation with one them. They go to one librarian, who declares that the records they want are confidential, and that he can’t fulfill their request of library card checkout slips since July 1971. The other, the image of which is shown above, fulfills their request. Voiced by Jaye Stewart, he tells them “I’m not sure you want ’em, but I’ve got ’em.” Woodward and Bernstein proceed to go through perhaps thousands of check-out slips in the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, the work is for naught, as it doesn’t confirm if a White House staffer checked out books on Ted Kennedy…Snoek-Brown…[said] hat it is not ethical to “give out checkout slips or records without a court order” as librarians have an “obligation to protect the privacy rights of our patrons.” I agree with Snoek-Brown entirely on that point

   Coming back to the film, I would think that such borrowing cards would weaken the commitment of the library to reader confidentiality.  As it presently stands, almost every U.S. state has laws “protecting the confidentiality of library records”. The Japan Library Association in a statement published in 1980, states that librarians should respect the privacy of each library user, and should not “divulge his/her name or details of books or other library materials used to third parties”. A more recent statement notes library privacy and confidentiality, among other virtues, as important. This film came out before the economic downturn in Japan, in 1997, which unfortunately lead to privatization of libraries through “outsourcing of staff to reduce costs and provide a flexible workforce”, with privacy of user information is at stake because private management companies are “not obligated to protect users’ privacy and routinely gather their data”. [3]

   Shizuku says card catalogs are better than digital records

   Moving on from that, and back to the film, Shizuku soon follows a cat to an antique shop and is drawn to a cat statue named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, with the shop’s owner, Nishi, telling her about him. She barely makes it to the library in time, is annoyed by Seiji, and is embarrassed in the process, as he delivers “her” lunch for her, with the fat cat (she had followed to the shop) riding on the back of the bike. The lunch is actually for her dad, who works in the library! This library is a fictional place created for the film itself, as no such library exists at that location (Irohazaka Sakura Park). [4]

   This fantastical nature of the library is not unique. However, this library is more akin to something that exists in reality, rather than in a magical realm by itself. This makes the series unique. Surely, there are public libraries akin to those in real-life in Josee the Tiger and the Fish or I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, to give two examples, apart from the many within school buildings that I’ve often written about. This library is clearly a place of knowledge, but it is not a place or refuge. Rather, it is a place of learning and development.

   As the movie goes on, Shizuku learns who donated a book at the library:  the father of Seiji. She is later called a “bookworm”, which she accepts happily. After all, she often goes to the library, a fantasy reportedly depicted in The Cat Returns, a 2002 film. She takes out books in the public library, so she can learn more for her story. At one point, she remains one of the last people there, writing away, and Seiji visits her in the library, while she writes her story. As a writer, she becomes more than a bookworm, and Seiji is more than a novice violin maker. Both characters are not exceptional, but have proven that they have what it takes to ensure their work can become “exceptional”, with their romance blossoming by the film’s end, even without a kiss. [5]

   There is much more to this film than what I’ve noted so far and ending the article here would be selling it short, to say the least. For Shizuku to be called a bookworm as an insult, and turning it into a positive, is not limited to this film. There is an entire series entitled Ascendance of a Bookworm, which focuses on Myne and her quest to provide free books to the populace, building her previous life as a college librarian. In his quest, she even becomes a church librarian with some magical powers. The series has even been cited as an example of when an outsider from another world “usher systematic change in their adopted one.” The term was even alluded to in the series Bibliophile Princess, as a bibliophile, someone who frequently reads or collects books, and loves books, is also known as a bookworm. Bibliophile appears more “positive.”

   Otherwise, there was a British comic from 1978-1985 entitled Bookworm about a young boy who always has a book and his parents tell him to do more “boyish” things, but it results in disaster. There’s also an 1850 painting entitled The Bookworm by Carl Spitzweg. A variation of this piece was even named The Librarian! Pu Songling published a romantic short story, in about 1740, entitled The Bookworm, while there are characters known as bookworms in Tiny Toon Adventures and most infamously in the campy 1960s Batman series. There are many other bookworms in fiction, like in Wonder Man (1945), Navy Blues (1937), and even Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to an extent.
   

   There is also the Association internationale de bibliophilie, which is called International Association of Bibliophiles or AIB in English. It is dedicated to bibliophiles. Russia has its National Union of Bibliophiles (formed in 2010), while there are is a book club in Detroit, a former group for female bibliophiles (Hroswitha Club), and the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles. There is even a 15-minute film, which I haven’t seen, entitled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, about a man who is writing his memoir, but is blown off a balcony, writing out of a library,and even becomes a librarian with the city suffering from impact of a storm. There’s also books such as The Great Book-Collectors about book-collecting practices of the British Library, Bodleian Library, and Ashmolean Museum, along with a physical archive named Library of the Printed Web dedicated to “web-to-print artists’ books, zines and other printout matter.”

   All of this is related to the concept of tsundoku, which means acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in your home without actually reading them. It can refer to books ready for reading later, as well, when those books are on a bookshelf. It is related to what A. Edward Newton wrote about in 1921, and stands in opposition to the term antilibrary. The latter, coined by Lebanese-American author Nassim Nicholas Taleb means a “collection of unread books”, which make people curious and humble. [6] He further stated that the older someone gets, the more they know, the larger is their “accumulation of unread books” and those who focus on such unread books are antischolars, i.e. those who do not “care about how much you know, but how much you don’t know” and how to find information you need.

   When it comes to libraries, I would think people would side more with idea of antilibrary than the idea of tsundoku, as the latter seems to imply that having unread books is “bad.” Having books you haven’t read should not be seen as a negative. It is inevitable there will be books you haven’t read in your lifetime, no matter what. And libraries hold the books so they can be read by others, and shared, to spread knowledge, and understanding. This doesn’t mean that every book is right, immutable, or correct. Rather, the books can help you understand more about the world, at their best, and at their worst, promote misinformation. The latter can be prevented with careful weeding to ensure that patrons have the best information available.

   Shizuku is studying in the library with a stack of books sitting on the table next to her. The man she likes is across the table from her, I believe.

   As I’ve noted on this blog various times, libraries serve many important functions in society. One of those is providing a place to study. This is shown clearly, as indicated in the above screenshot. You don’t have to be a bibliophile/bookworm for that. In fact, not all bookworms are librarians, and not all librarians are bookworms. Some are, but due to the many tasks during the work-day, often librarians don’t have time to read a book on the job, as some people might think.

   When it comes to Japan, I’ve noted this before on here, but there are over 3,000 public libraries in this island nation, and remain an important part of the country’s society. In fact, there is even an entire Wikipedia page listing them, entitled “List of libraries in Japan” (not to be confused with the page “List of archives in Japan“). Some probably still have card catalogs. These libraries, known as toshokan in Japanese, are centered by the National Diet Library. The only series, I know, to date to directly feature this library is 26-episode early 2000s R.O.D. the TV anime series, which features characters from the Read or Die light novels, manga, and OVA, and the Read or Dream manga.

   Academics have noted that information commons/learning commons which provide various materials, facilities, and services, in one place, originally appearing in North America, has also appeared in Japanese universities and college. Such spaces are reportedly in an ” the early stage of development”, and there is a need for such spaces to rebuild their own services because of student needs. Furthermore, many libraries in pre-modern Japan were arguably private and have been called bunko, meaning “storehouses of books.” Currently, most have been subsumed into larger national, prefectural, university, or research library institutions. Some have even covered this in books such as Youth-Serving Libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States.

   It is also said that Japanese academic libraries are well-resourced and support the country’s research capacity, while reflecting the country’s “strong bureaucratic culture.” I’m not sure if this is also the case for the country’s public libraries as well, to be perfectly honest. I can say, with certainty, that libraries are an important part of the country, especially considering that the Imperial Library (forerunner to the National Diet Library) was established in the latter 19th century, and in 1947, the National Library Act created Japan’s sole national library (National Diet Library). This was followed by the landmark 1950 Library Act. The law states, in part, that the country’s libraries are aimed to promoting “sound development…[and] the enhancement of the education and culture of the nation”. It goes onto say:

   …libraries shall endeavor to accomplish…[collection of] nooks, archives, audio-visual materials and other necessary data and materials…with suitable attention paid to the acquisition of local materials, art works, materials on local administration, gramophone records and films…library materials shall be properly classified and processed…efforts shall be made to ensure that library personnel acquire sufficient knowledge of library matters…close communication and cooperation shall be maintained by…inter-library loans between libraries…reading circles, seminars, appreciation groups, film showings and exhibits of data…shall be sponsored and encouraged…close contact and cooperation shall be maintained with schools, museums, community centers and research institutes, etc….professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians and assistant librarians.

   And that’s only part of Chapter 1! There is no comparison to this in U.S. law. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress in April 1800 (see page 56), only mentioned that the purchase of books “as may be necessary for the use of Congress at the said city of Washington, and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them and for placing them therein, the sum of five thousand dollars shall be…appropriated.” That same law went onto say that a library catalogue shall be furnished by a joint congressional committee, with books “placed in one suitable apartment in the capitol in the said city, for the use of both…houses of Congress and the members thereof”. That is it. It wasn’t until 1802 that a law defined the functions and role of this library, the Library of Congress (LOC), and even made the appointment of the Librarian of Congress a “presidential responsibility”! Still, this was nothing like the Library Law in Japan, which was much more extensive.

   Such a law in the U.S, would be unthinkable, even at this current time, despite the fact it could have extreme value in ensuring the institution’s mission and objectives. On the other hand, LOC has broadly defined that on its own, and has a bit of autonomy, as it is only the de facto national library. This makes it different from the many across the world, coupled with any state-established libraries serving as preeminent information repositories for specific regions.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart on Max, with my mom and dad, I never expected libraries to be as big of a part of the film from the get-go. I am truly grateful that I came across this film, and would surely watch it again if I get a chance. That;s all for this post. Until next week! As always, comments are welcome.

   Shizuku looks at library slips and finding out some man checked the SAME book out before her

   © 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

   Notes

   [1] Since then, I’ve written about (I don’t recommend you watch all of these, though, and some of the following I would not watch again) over 80 anime series: Revolutionary Girl Utena, Wandering Son, Ice, Kuttsukiboshi, Paradise Kiss, Macross Frontier, Classroom of the Elite, Gargantia, Kandagawa Jet Girls, El-Hazard, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Ascendance of a Bookworm, R.O.D. the TV, B Gata H Kei, Bloom Into You, Little Witch Academia, Yamibou, Whispered Words, Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Strawberry Panic!, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Manaria Friends, Kampfer, Lapis Re:Lights, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Blue Drop, The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, Cardcaptor Sakura, Venus vs. Virus, Otherside Picnic, My-Hime, Simoun, Riddle Story of Devil, Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood, Dear Brother, Library War, Girl Friend Beta, Kokoro Library, Attack on Titan, Let’s Make a Mug Too, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra, Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Komi Can’t Communicate, The Ancient Magus Bride: Those Awaiting a Star, Gosick, Laid-Back Camp, As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Bibliophile Princess, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, My Roommate is a Cat, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Kin-iro Mosaic, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Makura no Danshi, Azumanga Daioh, Oresuki, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Gabriel DropOut, Spy x Family, A Couple of Cuckoos, Märchen Mädchen, Healer Girl, Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation, Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force, A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepard, A Place Further Than The Universe, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Myself ; Yourself, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Stars Align, Tokyo Mew Mew New, Skip and Loafer, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Violet Evergarden, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Aharen-San wa Hakarenai, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Chitose Got You, Clannad, Cue!, Encouragement to Climb: Next Summit, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Gabriel Drop Out, Kin-iro Mosaic, K-On!, Noir, Otherside Picnic, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Re:Zero, and four films: I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, Calamity of a Zombie Girl, Your Name, and Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Later posts this year will focus on series such as Ouran High School Host Club, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kiss Him, Not Me, The Demon Girl Next Door, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, YuruYuri, Library War, Maria Watches Over Us, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, and Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka’s Secret), to name a few.

   [2] “Whisper of the Heart,” IFC Center, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Russo, Lee. “How Whisper of the Heart Explores the Fear of Failure,” CBR, Jun. 13, 2020; Graeme. “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” Film School Rejects, Jun. 15, 2018; “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Faith. “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli Movies, Nov. 28, 2014; Toole, Michael. “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” Anime News Network, Nov. 29, 2014; Osmond, Andrew. “Whisper of the Heart Review,” Anime News Network, Jan. 11, 2012; Mindus, Jay. “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” CBR, May 12, 2022; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba),” Harvard Film Archive, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Cyrenne, Randall. “Whisper Of The Heart,” Animated Views, Mar. 7, 2006.

   [3] Alix, Francis A. “The History and Current Challenges of Libraries in Japan,” SLIS Connectings 10(1): 10.

   [4] Graeme, “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” 2018; Toole, “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” 2014; Osmond, “Whisper of the Heart Review,” 2012; “Tracing Shizuku’s Steps: Visit ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Locations in Real Life,” tsunagu Japan, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; “Visiting ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Movie Location,” justa-fangirl, 2014.

   [5] “Whisper of the Heart,” Ghibli Wiki, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; Cyrenne, “Whisper Of The Heart,” 2006; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba,” Harvard Film Archive; Mindus, “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” 2022; Pineda, Rafael Antonio. “Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Film Delayed Due to COVID-19,” Anime News Network, Apr. 20, 2020. The live-action sequel, also named Whisper of the Heart came out in October 2022 in Japan, but it was received badly if the reviews from Japan Times and Crunchyroll listed on the “Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)” Wikipedia page are any indication. Apparently, there is even a library scene in the film. I haven’t watched the film, so I can’t confirm that completely, however.

   [6] Brooks, Katherine. “There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read,” HuffPost, Apr. 19, 2017; Tobar, Hector, “Are you a book hoarder? There’s a word for that,” Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24, 2014; “Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them,” BBC News, Jul. 29, 2018; Crow, Jonathan. “‘Tsundoku,’ the Japanese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves, Should Enter the English Language,” Open Culture, Jul. 24, 2014; “A QUOTE ON BIBLIOMANIA,” Language Hat, Feb. 7, 2008; Popova, Maria. “Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones,” The Marginalian, Mar. 24, 2015; Stillman, Jessica. “Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You’ll Ever Have Time to Read,” Inc., Dec. 5, 2017; McDonough, Lauren Smith. “Everyone Is Obsessed With the Trend of Antilibraries Right Now,” House Beautiful, Dec. 19, 2017; Boyd, Rebecca Lowry. “The book trend everyone is talking about right now,” Better Homes & Gardens, accessed Jun. 27, 2023.

   #AllThePresidentSMen #AnimeNewsNetwork #antilibrary #AscendanceOfABookworm #barcodes #BibliophilePrincess #bibliophilia #BlackLibrarians #BlackWomen #BluRays #books #booksAreNotSacred #ethics #femaleLibrarians #IWantToEatYourPancreas #JapaneseLibrarians #JapaneseMen #JapanesePatrons #JoseeTheTigerAndTheFish #KOn #libraryCards #librarySlips #magic #NationalDietLibrary #NavyBluesFilm #RODTheTV #ReadOrDieLightNovels #ReadOrDieManga #ReadOrDieOVA #ReadOrDream #readerConfidentiality #ReelLibrarians #SeitokaiYakuindomo #Simoun #students #studying #teachers #TheCatReturns #tsundoku #WhisperOfTheHeart #WhiteLibrarians #WhiteWomen

   #allthepresidentsmen #animenewsnetwork #antilibrary #ascendanceofabookworm #barcodes #bibliophileprincess
5. 

   Pop Culture Library Review @popculturelibraries.wordpress.com@popculturelibraries.wordpress.com · 2024-07-10 · 13:07 UTC

   Barcodes, library slips, bookworms, and book deliveries in “Whisper of the Heart”

   Shizuku’s father is a librarian in this film. He later says that he would like the card catalogs to stay too, like her.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart, a romantic drama anime film which came out over 29 years ago (on July 15, 1995), on Max, I never expected that libraries, and librarians would be such a central part of the film! I was aware that the film was listed on Jennifer Snoek-Brown’s list of “Foreign-Language Films” on Reel Librarians. The latter list notes films reportedly with librarians and/or archivists alphabetically by title”. She warns that she can’t confirm that “every film on this list actually includes a librarian and/or archivist” as her primary focus is on examining English-language films. While that is a laudable goal, I don’t limit myself in that way, personally, and happily cover anime on this blog time and again. In fact, I have written about over 70 anime series, four films, and various manga, with my first post in August 2020. [1] This review will focus on the role of libraries, and librarians like the protagonist’s father, in the story, while relating it to other fictional examples and real-life library concepts.

   One of the first conversations in the film is between the 14-year-old protagonist Shizuku Tsukishima, living in the Tokyo suburb of Tama New Town, who learns the local library is going to the bar code system, and her father. She tells him that she likes the library slips instead. He actually agrees with her, but decides to go with the library’s change anyhow. Thanks to the library slip, she learns that one man’s name is in common on all the books she has checked out: Seiji Amasawa. This piques her interest. This major plot point is mentioned in many summaries and reviews of the film, noting that Seiji is on every single one of these checkout slips and how she is slowly drawn to him as the film goes forward, with their feelings growing. Shizuku is also drawn toward these books because she loves fantasy books, and meets Seiji at an old antique shop somewhere in town. Other reviewers have noted that the checkout cards are an interesting narrative device, which “lends itself well to romantic daydreaming.” It is worth noting that Shizuku is spending his summer vacation, last one she has at Mukaihara Junior High School, translating and reading “popular foreign music into Japanese” like John Denver’s Country Road. [2]

   At one point, Shizuku checks a book out of the library, which was never checked out before, and even though she somewhat ends up disturbing the job of the librarian (or the teacher standing in as a librarian), she comes across Seiji. Then, not longer after, he is curiously reading the book she checked out and she takes it from him, surprised to see him. And he even knows her name from the book. So much for reader’s privacy! Although some may see a sense of relief and kinship at seeing these library check-out cards, looking at these cards would run afoul of existing ethics, as outlined by the ALA. Those ethics state that libraries will “protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.”

   Such cards are sometimes known as borrowing cards. They had/have an equivalent inside the library: a circulation card. Such cards may include the name of who borrowed the book and name of the book. There are also slips/cards which remain in a book only listing the date a book is due to be returned, known as date due slips. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone into this much detail on this before, but better late than never. In the case of this film, it would be a borrowing card, rather than a date due slip, which was stuck in the back of book, and then the book would be shelved, a way to record who borrowed a book before computer systems supplanted this system. Paper can still be used in today’s libraries, even to write down call numbers for books. The latter has also been shown in the films Dangerous Minds and Regarding Henry.

   I am reminded of a scene in All the President’s Men, in which Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein go to the Library of Congress, and a Black male librarian gives them the slips for who checked out certain books, as opposed to an interaction with a White female librarian. I described this all in a post on this very blog in February of last year:

   …In the classic 1976 political thriller, All the President’s Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein travel to the Library of Congress after their research seems to be stalled and having a librarian have a strange conversation with one them. They go to one librarian, who declares that the records they want are confidential, and that he can’t fulfill their request of library card checkout slips since July 1971. The other, the image of which is shown above, fulfills their request. Voiced by Jaye Stewart, he tells them “I’m not sure you want ’em, but I’ve got ’em.” Woodward and Bernstein proceed to go through perhaps thousands of check-out slips in the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, the work is for naught, as it doesn’t confirm if a White House staffer checked out books on Ted Kennedy…Snoek-Brown…[said] hat it is not ethical to “give out checkout slips or records without a court order” as librarians have an “obligation to protect the privacy rights of our patrons.” I agree with Snoek-Brown entirely on that point

   Coming back to the film, I would think that such borrowing cards would weaken the commitment of the library to reader confidentiality.  As it presently stands, almost every U.S. state has laws “protecting the confidentiality of library records”. The Japan Library Association in a statement published in 1980, states that librarians should respect the privacy of each library user, and should not “divulge his/her name or details of books or other library materials used to third parties”. A more recent statement notes library privacy and confidentiality, among other virtues, as important. This film came out before the economic downturn in Japan, in 1997, which unfortunately lead to privatization of libraries through “outsourcing of staff to reduce costs and provide a flexible workforce”, with privacy of user information is at stake because private management companies are “not obligated to protect users’ privacy and routinely gather their data”. [3]

   Shizuku says card catalogs are better than digital records

   Moving on from that, and back to the film, Shizuku soon follows a cat to an antique shop and is drawn to a cat statue named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, with the shop’s owner, Nishi, telling her about him. She barely makes it to the library in time, is annoyed by Seiji, and is embarrassed in the process, as he delivers “her” lunch for her, with the fat cat (she had followed to the shop) riding on the back of the bike. The lunch is actually for her dad, who works in the library! This library is a fictional place created for the film itself, as no such library exists at that location (Irohazaka Sakura Park). [4]

   This fantastical nature of the library is not unique. However, this library is more akin to something that exists in reality, rather than in a magical realm by itself. This makes the series unique. Surely, there are public libraries akin to those in real-life in Josee the Tiger and the Fish or I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, to give two examples, apart from the many within school buildings that I’ve often written about. This library is clearly a place of knowledge, but it is not a place or refuge. Rather, it is a place of learning and development.

   As the movie goes on, Shizuku learns who donated a book at the library:  the father of Seiji. She is later called a “bookworm”, which she accepts happily. After all, she often goes to the library, a fantasy reportedly depicted in The Cat Returns, a 2002 film. She takes out books in the public library, so she can learn more for her story. At one point, she remains one of the last people there, writing away, and Seiji visits her in the library, while she writes her story. As a writer, she becomes more than a bookworm, and Seiji is more than a novice violin maker. Both characters are not exceptional, but have proven that they have what it takes to ensure their work can become “exceptional”, with their romance blossoming by the film’s end, even without a kiss. [5]

   There is much more to this film than what I’ve noted so far and ending the article here would be selling it short, to say the least. For Shizuku to be called a bookworm as an insult, and turning it into a positive, is not limited to this film. There is an entire series entitled Ascendance of a Bookworm, which focuses on Myne and her quest to provide free books to the populace, building her previous life as a college librarian. In his quest, she even becomes a church librarian with some magical powers. The series has even been cited as an example of when an outsider from another world “usher systematic change in their adopted one.” The term was even alluded to in the series Bibliophile Princess, as a bibliophile, someone who frequently reads or collects books, and loves books, is also known as a bookworm. Bibliophile appears more “positive.”

   Otherwise, there was a British comic from 1978-1985 entitled Bookworm about a young boy who always has a book and his parents tell him to do more “boyish” things, but it results in disaster. There’s also an 1850 painting entitled The Bookworm by Carl Spitzweg. A variation of this piece was even named The Librarian! Pu Songling published a romantic short story, in about 1740, entitled The Bookworm, while there are characters known as bookworms in Tiny Toon Adventures and most infamously in the campy 1960s Batman series. There are many other bookworms in fiction, like in Wonder Man (1945), Navy Blues (1937), and even Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to an extent.
   

   There is also the Association internationale de bibliophilie, which is called International Association of Bibliophiles or AIB in English. It is dedicated to bibliophiles. Russia has its National Union of Bibliophiles (formed in 2010), while there are is a book club in Detroit, a former group for female bibliophiles (Hroswitha Club), and the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles. There is even a 15-minute film, which I haven’t seen, entitled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, about a man who is writing his memoir, but is blown off a balcony, writing out of a library,and even becomes a librarian with the city suffering from impact of a storm. There’s also books such as The Great Book-Collectors about book-collecting practices of the British Library, Bodleian Library, and Ashmolean Museum, along with a physical archive named Library of the Printed Web dedicated to “web-to-print artists’ books, zines and other printout matter.”

   All of this is related to the concept of tsundoku, which means acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in your home without actually reading them. It can refer to books ready for reading later, as well, when those books are on a bookshelf. It is related to what A. Edward Newton wrote about in 1921, and stands in opposition to the term antilibrary. The latter, coined by Lebanese-American author Nassim Nicholas Taleb means a “collection of unread books”, which make people curious and humble. [6] He further stated that the older someone gets, the more they know, the larger is their “accumulation of unread books” and those who focus on such unread books are antischolars, i.e. those who do not “care about how much you know, but how much you don’t know” and how to find information you need.

   When it comes to libraries, I would think people would side more with idea of antilibrary than the idea of tsundoku, as the latter seems to imply that having unread books is “bad.” Having books you haven’t read should not be seen as a negative. It is inevitable there will be books you haven’t read in your lifetime, no matter what. And libraries hold the books so they can be read by others, and shared, to spread knowledge, and understanding. This doesn’t mean that every book is right, immutable, or correct. Rather, the books can help you understand more about the world, at their best, and at their worst, promote misinformation. The latter can be prevented with careful weeding to ensure that patrons have the best information available.

   Shizuku is studying in the library with a stack of books sitting on the table next to her. The man she likes is across the table from her, I believe.

   As I’ve noted on this blog various times, libraries serve many important functions in society. One of those is providing a place to study. This is shown clearly, as indicated in the above screenshot. You don’t have to be a bibliophile/bookworm for that. In fact, not all bookworms are librarians, and not all librarians are bookworms. Some are, but due to the many tasks during the work-day, often librarians don’t have time to read a book on the job, as some people might think.

   When it comes to Japan, I’ve noted this before on here, but there are over 3,000 public libraries in this island nation, and remain an important part of the country’s society. In fact, there is even an entire Wikipedia page listing them, entitled “List of libraries in Japan” (not to be confused with the page “List of archives in Japan“). Some probably still have card catalogs. These libraries, known as toshokan in Japanese, are centered by the National Diet Library. The only series, I know, to date to directly feature this library is 26-episode early 2000s R.O.D. the TV anime series, which features characters from the Read or Die light novels, manga, and OVA, and the Read or Dream manga.

   Academics have noted that information commons/learning commons which provide various materials, facilities, and services, in one place, originally appearing in North America, has also appeared in Japanese universities and college. Such spaces are reportedly in an ” the early stage of development”, and there is a need for such spaces to rebuild their own services because of student needs. Furthermore, many libraries in pre-modern Japan were arguably private and have been called bunko, meaning “storehouses of books.” Currently, most have been subsumed into larger national, prefectural, university, or research library institutions. Some have even covered this in books such as Youth-Serving Libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States.

   It is also said that Japanese academic libraries are well-resourced and support the country’s research capacity, while reflecting the country’s “strong bureaucratic culture.” I’m not sure if this is also the case for the country’s public libraries as well, to be perfectly honest. I can say, with certainty, that libraries are an important part of the country, especially considering that the Imperial Library (forerunner to the National Diet Library) was established in the latter 19th century, and in 1947, the National Library Act created Japan’s sole national library (National Diet Library). This was followed by the landmark 1950 Library Act. The law states, in part, that the country’s libraries are aimed to promoting “sound development…[and] the enhancement of the education and culture of the nation”. It goes onto say:

   …libraries shall endeavor to accomplish…[collection of] nooks, archives, audio-visual materials and other necessary data and materials…with suitable attention paid to the acquisition of local materials, art works, materials on local administration, gramophone records and films…library materials shall be properly classified and processed…efforts shall be made to ensure that library personnel acquire sufficient knowledge of library matters…close communication and cooperation shall be maintained by…inter-library loans between libraries…reading circles, seminars, appreciation groups, film showings and exhibits of data…shall be sponsored and encouraged…close contact and cooperation shall be maintained with schools, museums, community centers and research institutes, etc….professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians and assistant librarians.

   And that’s only part of Chapter 1! There is no comparison to this in U.S. law. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress in April 1800 (see page 56), only mentioned that the purchase of books “as may be necessary for the use of Congress at the said city of Washington, and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them and for placing them therein, the sum of five thousand dollars shall be…appropriated.” That same law went onto say that a library catalogue shall be furnished by a joint congressional committee, with books “placed in one suitable apartment in the capitol in the said city, for the use of both…houses of Congress and the members thereof”. That is it. It wasn’t until 1802 that a law defined the functions and role of this library, the Library of Congress (LOC), and even made the appointment of the Librarian of Congress a “presidential responsibility”! Still, this was nothing like the Library Law in Japan, which was much more extensive.

   Such a law in the U.S, would be unthinkable, even at this current time, despite the fact it could have extreme value in ensuring the institution’s mission and objectives. On the other hand, LOC has broadly defined that on its own, and has a bit of autonomy, as it is only the de facto national library. This makes it different from the many across the world, coupled with any state-established libraries serving as preeminent information repositories for specific regions.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart on Max, with my mom and dad, I never expected libraries to be as big of a part of the film from the get-go. I am truly grateful that I came across this film, and would surely watch it again if I get a chance. That;s all for this post. Until next week! As always, comments are welcome.

   Shizuku looks at library slips and finding out some man checked the SAME book out before her

   © 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

   Notes

   [1] Since then, I’ve written about (I don’t recommend you watch all of these, though, and some of the following I would not watch again) over 80 anime series: Revolutionary Girl Utena, Wandering Son, Ice, Kuttsukiboshi, Paradise Kiss, Macross Frontier, Classroom of the Elite, Gargantia, Kandagawa Jet Girls, El-Hazard, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Ascendance of a Bookworm, R.O.D. the TV, B Gata H Kei, Bloom Into You, Little Witch Academia, Yamibou, Whispered Words, Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Strawberry Panic!, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Manaria Friends, Kampfer, Lapis Re:Lights, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Blue Drop, The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, Cardcaptor Sakura, Venus vs. Virus, Otherside Picnic, My-Hime, Simoun, Riddle Story of Devil, Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood, Dear Brother, Library War, Girl Friend Beta, Kokoro Library, Attack on Titan, Let’s Make a Mug Too, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra, Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Komi Can’t Communicate, The Ancient Magus Bride: Those Awaiting a Star, Gosick, Laid-Back Camp, As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Bibliophile Princess, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, My Roommate is a Cat, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Kin-iro Mosaic, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Makura no Danshi, Azumanga Daioh, Oresuki, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Gabriel DropOut, Spy x Family, A Couple of Cuckoos, Märchen Mädchen, Healer Girl, Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation, Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force, A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepard, A Place Further Than The Universe, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Myself ; Yourself, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Stars Align, Tokyo Mew Mew New, Skip and Loafer, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Violet Evergarden, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Aharen-San wa Hakarenai, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Chitose Got You, Clannad, Cue!, Encouragement to Climb: Next Summit, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Gabriel Drop Out, Kin-iro Mosaic, K-On!, Noir, Otherside Picnic, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Re:Zero, and four films: I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, Calamity of a Zombie Girl, Your Name, and Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Later posts this year will focus on series such as Ouran High School Host Club, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kiss Him, Not Me, The Demon Girl Next Door, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, YuruYuri, Library War, Maria Watches Over Us, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, and Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka’s Secret), to name a few.

   [2] “Whisper of the Heart,” IFC Center, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Russo, Lee. “How Whisper of the Heart Explores the Fear of Failure,” CBR, Jun. 13, 2020; Graeme. “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” Film School Rejects, Jun. 15, 2018; “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Faith. “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli Movies, Nov. 28, 2014; Toole, Michael. “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” Anime News Network, Nov. 29, 2014; Osmond, Andrew. “Whisper of the Heart Review,” Anime News Network, Jan. 11, 2012; Mindus, Jay. “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” CBR, May 12, 2022; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba),” Harvard Film Archive, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Cyrenne, Randall. “Whisper Of The Heart,” Animated Views, Mar. 7, 2006.

   [3] Alix, Francis A. “The History and Current Challenges of Libraries in Japan,” SLIS Connectings 10(1): 10.

   [4] Graeme, “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” 2018; Toole, “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” 2014; Osmond, “Whisper of the Heart Review,” 2012; “Tracing Shizuku’s Steps: Visit ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Locations in Real Life,” tsunagu Japan, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; “Visiting ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Movie Location,” justa-fangirl, 2014.

   [5] “Whisper of the Heart,” Ghibli Wiki, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; Cyrenne, “Whisper Of The Heart,” 2006; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba,” Harvard Film Archive; Mindus, “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” 2022; Pineda, Rafael Antonio. “Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Film Delayed Due to COVID-19,” Anime News Network, Apr. 20, 2020. The live-action sequel, also named Whisper of the Heart came out in October 2022 in Japan, but it was received badly if the reviews from Japan Times and Crunchyroll listed on the “Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)” Wikipedia page are any indication. Apparently, there is even a library scene in the film. I haven’t watched the film, so I can’t confirm that completely, however.

   [6] Brooks, Katherine. “There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read,” HuffPost, Apr. 19, 2017; Tobar, Hector, “Are you a book hoarder? There’s a word for that,” Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24, 2014; “Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them,” BBC News, Jul. 29, 2018; Crow, Jonathan. “‘Tsundoku,’ the Japanese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves, Should Enter the English Language,” Open Culture, Jul. 24, 2014; “A QUOTE ON BIBLIOMANIA,” Language Hat, Feb. 7, 2008; Popova, Maria. “Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones,” The Marginalian, Mar. 24, 2015; Stillman, Jessica. “Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You’ll Ever Have Time to Read,” Inc., Dec. 5, 2017; McDonough, Lauren Smith. “Everyone Is Obsessed With the Trend of Antilibraries Right Now,” House Beautiful, Dec. 19, 2017; Boyd, Rebecca Lowry. “The book trend everyone is talking about right now,” Better Homes & Gardens, accessed Jun. 27, 2023.

   #AllThePresidentSMen #AnimeNewsNetwork #antilibrary #AscendanceOfABookworm #barcodes #BibliophilePrincess #bibliophilia #BlackLibrarians #BlackWomen #BluRays #books #booksAreNotSacred #ethics #femaleLibrarians #IWantToEatYourPancreas #JapaneseLibrarians #JapaneseMen #JapanesePatrons #JoseeTheTigerAndTheFish #KOn #libraryCards #librarySlips #magic #NationalDietLibrary #NavyBluesFilm #RODTheTV #ReadOrDieLightNovels #ReadOrDieManga #ReadOrDieOVA #ReadOrDream #readerConfidentiality #ReelLibrarians #SeitokaiYakuindomo #Simoun #students #studying #teachers #TheCatReturns #tsundoku #WhisperOfTheHeart #WhiteLibrarians #WhiteWomen

   #whitewomen #whitelibrarians #whisperoftheheart #tsundoku #thecatreturns #teachers
6. 

   Pop Culture Library Review @popculturelibraries.wordpress.com@popculturelibraries.wordpress.com · 2024-07-10 · 13:07 UTC

   Barcodes, library slips, bookworms, and book deliveries in “Whisper of the Heart”

   Shizuku’s father is a librarian in this film. He later says that he would like the card catalogs to stay too, like her.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart, a romantic drama anime film which came out over 29 years ago (on July 15, 1995), on Max, I never expected that libraries, and librarians would be such a central part of the film! I was aware that the film was listed on Jennifer Snoek-Brown’s list of “Foreign-Language Films” on Reel Librarians. The latter list notes films reportedly with librarians and/or archivists alphabetically by title”. She warns that she can’t confirm that “every film on this list actually includes a librarian and/or archivist” as her primary focus is on examining English-language films. While that is a laudable goal, I don’t limit myself in that way, personally, and happily cover anime on this blog time and again. In fact, I have written about over 70 anime series, four films, and various manga, with my first post in August 2020. [1] This review will focus on the role of libraries, and librarians like the protagonist’s father, in the story, while relating it to other fictional examples and real-life library concepts.

   One of the first conversations in the film is between the 14-year-old protagonist Shizuku Tsukishima, living in the Tokyo suburb of Tama New Town, who learns the local library is going to the bar code system, and her father. She tells him that she likes the library slips instead. He actually agrees with her, but decides to go with the library’s change anyhow. Thanks to the library slip, she learns that one man’s name is in common on all the books she has checked out: Seiji Amasawa. This piques her interest. This major plot point is mentioned in many summaries and reviews of the film, noting that Seiji is on every single one of these checkout slips and how she is slowly drawn to him as the film goes forward, with their feelings growing. Shizuku is also drawn toward these books because she loves fantasy books, and meets Seiji at an old antique shop somewhere in town. Other reviewers have noted that the checkout cards are an interesting narrative device, which “lends itself well to romantic daydreaming.” It is worth noting that Shizuku is spending his summer vacation, last one she has at Mukaihara Junior High School, translating and reading “popular foreign music into Japanese” like John Denver’s Country Road. [2]

   At one point, Shizuku checks a book out of the library, which was never checked out before, and even though she somewhat ends up disturbing the job of the librarian (or the teacher standing in as a librarian), she comes across Seiji. Then, not longer after, he is curiously reading the book she checked out and she takes it from him, surprised to see him. And he even knows her name from the book. So much for reader’s privacy! Although some may see a sense of relief and kinship at seeing these library check-out cards, looking at these cards would run afoul of existing ethics, as outlined by the ALA. Those ethics state that libraries will “protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.”

   Such cards are sometimes known as borrowing cards. They had/have an equivalent inside the library: a circulation card. Such cards may include the name of who borrowed the book and name of the book. There are also slips/cards which remain in a book only listing the date a book is due to be returned, known as date due slips. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone into this much detail on this before, but better late than never. In the case of this film, it would be a borrowing card, rather than a date due slip, which was stuck in the back of book, and then the book would be shelved, a way to record who borrowed a book before computer systems supplanted this system. Paper can still be used in today’s libraries, even to write down call numbers for books. The latter has also been shown in the films Dangerous Minds and Regarding Henry.

   I am reminded of a scene in All the President’s Men, in which Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein go to the Library of Congress, and a Black male librarian gives them the slips for who checked out certain books, as opposed to an interaction with a White female librarian. I described this all in a post on this very blog in February of last year:

   …In the classic 1976 political thriller, All the President’s Men, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein travel to the Library of Congress after their research seems to be stalled and having a librarian have a strange conversation with one them. They go to one librarian, who declares that the records they want are confidential, and that he can’t fulfill their request of library card checkout slips since July 1971. The other, the image of which is shown above, fulfills their request. Voiced by Jaye Stewart, he tells them “I’m not sure you want ’em, but I’ve got ’em.” Woodward and Bernstein proceed to go through perhaps thousands of check-out slips in the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, the work is for naught, as it doesn’t confirm if a White House staffer checked out books on Ted Kennedy…Snoek-Brown…[said] hat it is not ethical to “give out checkout slips or records without a court order” as librarians have an “obligation to protect the privacy rights of our patrons.” I agree with Snoek-Brown entirely on that point

   Coming back to the film, I would think that such borrowing cards would weaken the commitment of the library to reader confidentiality.  As it presently stands, almost every U.S. state has laws “protecting the confidentiality of library records”. The Japan Library Association in a statement published in 1980, states that librarians should respect the privacy of each library user, and should not “divulge his/her name or details of books or other library materials used to third parties”. A more recent statement notes library privacy and confidentiality, among other virtues, as important. This film came out before the economic downturn in Japan, in 1997, which unfortunately lead to privatization of libraries through “outsourcing of staff to reduce costs and provide a flexible workforce”, with privacy of user information is at stake because private management companies are “not obligated to protect users’ privacy and routinely gather their data”. [3]

   Shizuku says card catalogs are better than digital records

   Moving on from that, and back to the film, Shizuku soon follows a cat to an antique shop and is drawn to a cat statue named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, with the shop’s owner, Nishi, telling her about him. She barely makes it to the library in time, is annoyed by Seiji, and is embarrassed in the process, as he delivers “her” lunch for her, with the fat cat (she had followed to the shop) riding on the back of the bike. The lunch is actually for her dad, who works in the library! This library is a fictional place created for the film itself, as no such library exists at that location (Irohazaka Sakura Park). [4]

   This fantastical nature of the library is not unique. However, this library is more akin to something that exists in reality, rather than in a magical realm by itself. This makes the series unique. Surely, there are public libraries akin to those in real-life in Josee the Tiger and the Fish or I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, to give two examples, apart from the many within school buildings that I’ve often written about. This library is clearly a place of knowledge, but it is not a place or refuge. Rather, it is a place of learning and development.

   As the movie goes on, Shizuku learns who donated a book at the library:  the father of Seiji. She is later called a “bookworm”, which she accepts happily. After all, she often goes to the library, a fantasy reportedly depicted in The Cat Returns, a 2002 film. She takes out books in the public library, so she can learn more for her story. At one point, she remains one of the last people there, writing away, and Seiji visits her in the library, while she writes her story. As a writer, she becomes more than a bookworm, and Seiji is more than a novice violin maker. Both characters are not exceptional, but have proven that they have what it takes to ensure their work can become “exceptional”, with their romance blossoming by the film’s end, even without a kiss. [5]

   There is much more to this film than what I’ve noted so far and ending the article here would be selling it short, to say the least. For Shizuku to be called a bookworm as an insult, and turning it into a positive, is not limited to this film. There is an entire series entitled Ascendance of a Bookworm, which focuses on Myne and her quest to provide free books to the populace, building her previous life as a college librarian. In his quest, she even becomes a church librarian with some magical powers. The series has even been cited as an example of when an outsider from another world “usher systematic change in their adopted one.” The term was even alluded to in the series Bibliophile Princess, as a bibliophile, someone who frequently reads or collects books, and loves books, is also known as a bookworm. Bibliophile appears more “positive.”

   Otherwise, there was a British comic from 1978-1985 entitled Bookworm about a young boy who always has a book and his parents tell him to do more “boyish” things, but it results in disaster. There’s also an 1850 painting entitled The Bookworm by Carl Spitzweg. A variation of this piece was even named The Librarian! Pu Songling published a romantic short story, in about 1740, entitled The Bookworm, while there are characters known as bookworms in Tiny Toon Adventures and most infamously in the campy 1960s Batman series. There are many other bookworms in fiction, like in Wonder Man (1945), Navy Blues (1937), and even Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to an extent.
   

   There is also the Association internationale de bibliophilie, which is called International Association of Bibliophiles or AIB in English. It is dedicated to bibliophiles. Russia has its National Union of Bibliophiles (formed in 2010), while there are is a book club in Detroit, a former group for female bibliophiles (Hroswitha Club), and the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles. There is even a 15-minute film, which I haven’t seen, entitled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, about a man who is writing his memoir, but is blown off a balcony, writing out of a library,and even becomes a librarian with the city suffering from impact of a storm. There’s also books such as The Great Book-Collectors about book-collecting practices of the British Library, Bodleian Library, and Ashmolean Museum, along with a physical archive named Library of the Printed Web dedicated to “web-to-print artists’ books, zines and other printout matter.”

   All of this is related to the concept of tsundoku, which means acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in your home without actually reading them. It can refer to books ready for reading later, as well, when those books are on a bookshelf. It is related to what A. Edward Newton wrote about in 1921, and stands in opposition to the term antilibrary. The latter, coined by Lebanese-American author Nassim Nicholas Taleb means a “collection of unread books”, which make people curious and humble. [6] He further stated that the older someone gets, the more they know, the larger is their “accumulation of unread books” and those who focus on such unread books are antischolars, i.e. those who do not “care about how much you know, but how much you don’t know” and how to find information you need.

   When it comes to libraries, I would think people would side more with idea of antilibrary than the idea of tsundoku, as the latter seems to imply that having unread books is “bad.” Having books you haven’t read should not be seen as a negative. It is inevitable there will be books you haven’t read in your lifetime, no matter what. And libraries hold the books so they can be read by others, and shared, to spread knowledge, and understanding. This doesn’t mean that every book is right, immutable, or correct. Rather, the books can help you understand more about the world, at their best, and at their worst, promote misinformation. The latter can be prevented with careful weeding to ensure that patrons have the best information available.

   Shizuku is studying in the library with a stack of books sitting on the table next to her. The man she likes is across the table from her, I believe.

   As I’ve noted on this blog various times, libraries serve many important functions in society. One of those is providing a place to study. This is shown clearly, as indicated in the above screenshot. You don’t have to be a bibliophile/bookworm for that. In fact, not all bookworms are librarians, and not all librarians are bookworms. Some are, but due to the many tasks during the work-day, often librarians don’t have time to read a book on the job, as some people might think.

   When it comes to Japan, I’ve noted this before on here, but there are over 3,000 public libraries in this island nation, and remain an important part of the country’s society. In fact, there is even an entire Wikipedia page listing them, entitled “List of libraries in Japan” (not to be confused with the page “List of archives in Japan“). Some probably still have card catalogs. These libraries, known as toshokan in Japanese, are centered by the National Diet Library. The only series, I know, to date to directly feature this library is 26-episode early 2000s R.O.D. the TV anime series, which features characters from the Read or Die light novels, manga, and OVA, and the Read or Dream manga.

   Academics have noted that information commons/learning commons which provide various materials, facilities, and services, in one place, originally appearing in North America, has also appeared in Japanese universities and college. Such spaces are reportedly in an ” the early stage of development”, and there is a need for such spaces to rebuild their own services because of student needs. Furthermore, many libraries in pre-modern Japan were arguably private and have been called bunko, meaning “storehouses of books.” Currently, most have been subsumed into larger national, prefectural, university, or research library institutions. Some have even covered this in books such as Youth-Serving Libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States.

   It is also said that Japanese academic libraries are well-resourced and support the country’s research capacity, while reflecting the country’s “strong bureaucratic culture.” I’m not sure if this is also the case for the country’s public libraries as well, to be perfectly honest. I can say, with certainty, that libraries are an important part of the country, especially considering that the Imperial Library (forerunner to the National Diet Library) was established in the latter 19th century, and in 1947, the National Library Act created Japan’s sole national library (National Diet Library). This was followed by the landmark 1950 Library Act. The law states, in part, that the country’s libraries are aimed to promoting “sound development…[and] the enhancement of the education and culture of the nation”. It goes onto say:

   …libraries shall endeavor to accomplish…[collection of] nooks, archives, audio-visual materials and other necessary data and materials…with suitable attention paid to the acquisition of local materials, art works, materials on local administration, gramophone records and films…library materials shall be properly classified and processed…efforts shall be made to ensure that library personnel acquire sufficient knowledge of library matters…close communication and cooperation shall be maintained by…inter-library loans between libraries…reading circles, seminars, appreciation groups, film showings and exhibits of data…shall be sponsored and encouraged…close contact and cooperation shall be maintained with schools, museums, community centers and research institutes, etc….professional personnel of libraries shall be called librarians and assistant librarians.

   And that’s only part of Chapter 1! There is no comparison to this in U.S. law. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress in April 1800 (see page 56), only mentioned that the purchase of books “as may be necessary for the use of Congress at the said city of Washington, and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them and for placing them therein, the sum of five thousand dollars shall be…appropriated.” That same law went onto say that a library catalogue shall be furnished by a joint congressional committee, with books “placed in one suitable apartment in the capitol in the said city, for the use of both…houses of Congress and the members thereof”. That is it. It wasn’t until 1802 that a law defined the functions and role of this library, the Library of Congress (LOC), and even made the appointment of the Librarian of Congress a “presidential responsibility”! Still, this was nothing like the Library Law in Japan, which was much more extensive.

   Such a law in the U.S, would be unthinkable, even at this current time, despite the fact it could have extreme value in ensuring the institution’s mission and objectives. On the other hand, LOC has broadly defined that on its own, and has a bit of autonomy, as it is only the de facto national library. This makes it different from the many across the world, coupled with any state-established libraries serving as preeminent information repositories for specific regions.

   When I watched Whisper of the Heart on Max, with my mom and dad, I never expected libraries to be as big of a part of the film from the get-go. I am truly grateful that I came across this film, and would surely watch it again if I get a chance. That;s all for this post. Until next week! As always, comments are welcome.

   Shizuku looks at library slips and finding out some man checked the SAME book out before her

   © 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

   Notes

   [1] Since then, I’ve written about (I don’t recommend you watch all of these, though, and some of the following I would not watch again) over 80 anime series: Revolutionary Girl Utena, Wandering Son, Ice, Kuttsukiboshi, Paradise Kiss, Macross Frontier, Classroom of the Elite, Gargantia, Kandagawa Jet Girls, El-Hazard, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Ascendance of a Bookworm, R.O.D. the TV, B Gata H Kei, Bloom Into You, Little Witch Academia, Yamibou, Whispered Words, Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Strawberry Panic!, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Manaria Friends, Kampfer, Lapis Re:Lights, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Blue Drop, The Mystic Archives of Dantalian, Cardcaptor Sakura, Venus vs. Virus, Otherside Picnic, My-Hime, Simoun, Riddle Story of Devil, Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood, Dear Brother, Library War, Girl Friend Beta, Kokoro Library, Attack on Titan, Let’s Make a Mug Too, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra, Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Komi Can’t Communicate, The Ancient Magus Bride: Those Awaiting a Star, Gosick, Laid-Back Camp, As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Bibliophile Princess, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, My Roommate is a Cat, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Kin-iro Mosaic, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Makura no Danshi, Azumanga Daioh, Oresuki, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Gabriel DropOut, Spy x Family, A Couple of Cuckoos, Märchen Mädchen, Healer Girl, Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation, Smile Pretty Cure!/Glitter Force, A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepard, A Place Further Than The Universe, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Myself ; Yourself, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Stars Align, Tokyo Mew Mew New, Skip and Loafer, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Violet Evergarden, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Aharen-San wa Hakarenai, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Chitose Got You, Clannad, Cue!, Encouragement to Climb: Next Summit, Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Gabriel Drop Out, Kin-iro Mosaic, K-On!, Noir, Otherside Picnic, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Re:Zero, and four films: I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, Calamity of a Zombie Girl, Your Name, and Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Later posts this year will focus on series such as Ouran High School Host Club, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kiss Him, Not Me, The Demon Girl Next Door, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, YuruYuri, Library War, Maria Watches Over Us, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, and Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka’s Secret), to name a few.

   [2] “Whisper of the Heart,” IFC Center, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Russo, Lee. “How Whisper of the Heart Explores the Fear of Failure,” CBR, Jun. 13, 2020; Graeme. “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” Film School Rejects, Jun. 15, 2018; “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Faith. “Whisper of the Heart,” Studio Ghibli Movies, Nov. 28, 2014; Toole, Michael. “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” Anime News Network, Nov. 29, 2014; Osmond, Andrew. “Whisper of the Heart Review,” Anime News Network, Jan. 11, 2012; Mindus, Jay. “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” CBR, May 12, 2022; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba),” Harvard Film Archive, accessed Jun. 6, 2023; Cyrenne, Randall. “Whisper Of The Heart,” Animated Views, Mar. 7, 2006.

   [3] Alix, Francis A. “The History and Current Challenges of Libraries in Japan,” SLIS Connectings 10(1): 10.

   [4] Graeme, “The Best Films I’ve Ever Seen: Whisper of the Heart,” 2018; Toole, “Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD Review,” 2014; Osmond, “Whisper of the Heart Review,” 2012; “Tracing Shizuku’s Steps: Visit ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Locations in Real Life,” tsunagu Japan, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; “Visiting ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Movie Location,” justa-fangirl, 2014.

   [5] “Whisper of the Heart,” Ghibli Wiki, accessed Jun. 7, 2023; Cyrenne, “Whisper Of The Heart,” 2006; “Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba,” Harvard Film Archive; Mindus, “Why Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart Is the Perfect Movie for Young Artists,” 2022; Pineda, Rafael Antonio. “Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Film Delayed Due to COVID-19,” Anime News Network, Apr. 20, 2020. The live-action sequel, also named Whisper of the Heart came out in October 2022 in Japan, but it was received badly if the reviews from Japan Times and Crunchyroll listed on the “Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)” Wikipedia page are any indication. Apparently, there is even a library scene in the film. I haven’t watched the film, so I can’t confirm that completely, however.

   [6] Brooks, Katherine. “There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read,” HuffPost, Apr. 19, 2017; Tobar, Hector, “Are you a book hoarder? There’s a word for that,” Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24, 2014; “Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them,” BBC News, Jul. 29, 2018; Crow, Jonathan. “‘Tsundoku,’ the Japanese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves, Should Enter the English Language,” Open Culture, Jul. 24, 2014; “A QUOTE ON BIBLIOMANIA,” Language Hat, Feb. 7, 2008; Popova, Maria. “Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones,” The Marginalian, Mar. 24, 2015; Stillman, Jessica. “Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You’ll Ever Have Time to Read,” Inc., Dec. 5, 2017; McDonough, Lauren Smith. “Everyone Is Obsessed With the Trend of Antilibraries Right Now,” House Beautiful, Dec. 19, 2017; Boyd, Rebecca Lowry. “The book trend everyone is talking about right now,” Better Homes & Gardens, accessed Jun. 27, 2023.

   #AllThePresidentSMen #AnimeNewsNetwork #antilibrary #AscendanceOfABookworm #barcodes #BibliophilePrincess #bibliophilia #BlackLibrarians #BlackWomen #BluRays #books #booksAreNotSacred #ethics #femaleLibrarians #IWantToEatYourPancreas #JapaneseLibrarians #JapaneseMen #JapanesePatrons #JoseeTheTigerAndTheFish #KOn #libraryCards #librarySlips #magic #NationalDietLibrary #NavyBluesFilm #RODTheTV #ReadOrDieLightNovels #ReadOrDieManga #ReadOrDieOVA #ReadOrDream #readerConfidentiality #ReelLibrarians #SeitokaiYakuindomo #Simoun #students #studying #teachers #TheCatReturns #tsundoku #WhisperOfTheHeart #WhiteLibrarians #WhiteWomen

   #allthepresidentsmen #animenewsnetwork #antilibrary #ascendanceofabookworm #barcodes #bibliophileprincess
7. 

   sabotmedia @[email protected] · 2023-06-01 · 06:58 UTC

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   Find us on Itunes, IHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please like, rate, and review us. Tell your friends about it. To support us use the Blackflower Collective account on Patreon.

   Outline:

   S: This is Sprout

   C: and this is Charyan, and we are the hosts of Molotov Now!, thank you for joining us on this episode of the podcast.

   S: On this episode we will be Interviewing Dr. Aaron Goings about their presentation regarding the 100th year anniversary of the death of a local wobbly named William McKay at the May Day On The Harbor Celebration put on by the Blackflower Collective and doing a report back on the days festivities, but before we go on with our regularly scheduled Radical News Round Up we here at Molotov Now! have an announcement regarding the future of our podcast that we would like to share with our listeners.

   C: That’s right as of now we are officially Co-Conspirators of the Channel Zero Network

   S: Hold on Charyan, what is the Channel Zero Network?

   C: I’m glad you asked,

   Channel Zero is an English-based anarchist radio/podcast network run by radical media makers. We are here to present anarchist analysis & context to deepen peoples understanding of the situation and broaden the struggle. We share stories from the front-lines, lessons from history, and battle-tested ideas to spread revolutionary practices.

   During these days of late capitalism & rising nationalism we are constantly bombarded with right wing radio and shallow liberal analysis with the threat of fascism. Everything in this framework falls within parameters set by the state and offers no way out. We present perspectives that exist outside of that paradigm through interviews, documentaries, panel discussions and audio-zines.

   Fuck what you heard, this is resistance.

   S: This is gonna be sick

   C: For sure but along with a new platform that allows us the opportunity to bridge the divide between rural and urban radicals comes a fresh start with a new format for the podcast. We will be limiting our reporting for the time being to our radical news round up and stories specific to radical organizing within the Pacific Northwest and the Grays Harbor Area, as well as warning the people about those mischievous Sabot Cats.

   S: We hope this in turn will allow us the time needed to sharpen the focus on the main content of our episodes, start planning for future episodes, and hopefully in the near future with your support and donations we may be able to begin to better fortify the defenses in our recording studio from the Sabot Cats in order to start posting on a bi weekly schedule as opposed to monthly and bring you twice the content .

   C: So be sure to check us out on the Channel Zero Network as well as other great podcasts such as Its Going Down, The Final Straw, Indigenous Action, Grounded Futures, and many more. If you enjoy this content and would like to see more of it please consider donating to our sponsor the Blackflower Collective, you can find all the ways to donate them at linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

   S: The Blackflower Collective LLC is a worker-owned and operated enterprise dedicated to the creation of a world in which individuals have the autonomy, knowledge and resources to create fulfilling lives and communities free of oppression.

   Blackflower’s mission is to learn together the ways in which to healthily relate to each other and our environment. They seek to sustain and nourish the collective through fulfilling work, personal empowerment and equitable compensation while providing a hub for political thought and culture in Grays Harbor County.

   Their goal is to provide low income housing to people facing homelessness. Pairing this living experience with a social center that provides for the needs of the residents and wider community.

   C: If you are interested in participating in or donating to this project for more information please visit linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

   S: We will return after these brief messages, when we come back we will kick this episode off with our regularly scheduled Radical News Roundup, but for now a word from our sponsors.

   Local News:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now! Time for the news.

   In Local News:

   The third annual May Day on the Harbor was held on the first of May, or International Worker’s Day, in Hoquiam this year. More on that later in the show.

   Picking up on a story that we have been covering in Dayton Washington…

   After years of harassment at the hands of her local law enforcement, we are please to announce that the charges against Katey Hussey have been dropped. After going to court the prosecutor has decided to drop all charges relating to her case. This is likely because if the case had gone to trial the police department would have ended up looking bad if not loosing the case outright. This is great news but Katey still faces a tough battle to regain what has been stolen from her. During and because of this ordeal she has lost her job and housing. The charges still show up on her record as of now and so none of her typical contract work will hire her at the moment. Her mental health has suffered because of this harassment and she said “The charges may be dismissed but that doesn’t bring my home back or my job or the people I had in my life who looked at me differently because of this whole thing now”. With no sense of closure or justice she has been thoroughly abused by this system and now has to work to get to where she was prior to all of this. When asked what justice would look like she said that having disciplinary charges brought against the sheriff and deputies involved would be a good place to start. Some measure of accountability so that this doesnt end up happening to anyone else. If any of our listeners have suggestions for getting Katey the justice she deserves please contact us at [email protected]. This situation has her feeling lost and she would appreciate any advice or direction so that she can help to make sure no one else has to go through this.

   On a warm holiday Sunday in Southwest Washington State, dozens of local queers celebrated the unofficial start of summer by gathering from morning till afternoon for a ‘Big Gay Wedding’ — right outside of a Christian Nationalist hate church that preaches their eradication. On May 28th Vancouver residents came together in solidarity to protest the on going “King James Conference” that was being hosted by christian nationalist hate-preacher and Jack Chick reject Aaron Thompson. Thompson, of Washington’s Sure Foundation Baptist Church, who’s sermons openly call for the genocide of Queer folk received viral attention last November as a video of one of his sermons praising the Club Q mass shooter and calling the atrocity that left 5 dead and 17 injured a “Good Thing” began to make its rounds about the internet.

   CONTENT WARNING genocidal content, slurs, anti LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric, etc

   [Video Clip] https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1595622960731394048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1595622960731394048%7Ctwgr%5E9c82356d2ec8bd61c62cdec9319c4622c6dcad23%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fonlysky.media%2Fhemant-mehta%2Fchristian-hate-preacher-aaron-thompson-club-q-shooting-good-thing%2F

   On the 4th Day of this christian nationalist conference, locals had organized a “Big Gay Wedding” in order to protest the ongoing genocidal rhetoric of the church, including 4 Queer Marriages, multiple musical performances including Gabe from 1876, Indigenous Spoken Word, Drag Show performances by Johnny Nuriel and Isiah, And speeches Kim Harliss from the Vancouver City Council and various local pastors of inclusive churches who came out to support the queer community and speak out against the genocidal rhetoric of the Sure Foundation Baptist Church.

   In the face of rising christo-fascist violence in the United States, organizers did a wonderful job of doing everything in their power to maintain a protest environment that was safe for all members of the community to participate in, they provided free water and snacks for participants, maintained free and clear access to the entrance to the roadway while offering assistance to those pulling out who couldn’t see past the crowd, multiple medics stood near by with first aid and trauma kits, as well as a well armed local community defense group well trained in de escalation tactics who provided security for the event. The preparation taken on by the organizers and the commitment to take seriously the threats of fascism when they arise in their community are great examples of what we should see in our actions. There are many lessons that can be learned from such a wonderful action of queer resistance and militant joy.

   In a Instagram post written by drag performer Johnny Nuriel stated that

   https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs2cVj2OlZO/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg%3D%3D

   For more information about this action, keep a eye out for a report back from The Harbor Rat Report coming soon

   The Everett City Council expanded its “no sit, no lie” law Wednesday, giving the mayor new authority to set buffers around social service providers and areas “highly impacted by street-level issues.”

   The council in 2021 approved the law that created a buffer zone around the Everett Gospel Mission, which runs a homeless shelter on Smith Avenue. The ordinance made lying down and sitting on nearby public property — mainly sidewalks and streets — a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 and 90 days in jail.

   In April, city staff and Mayor Cassie Franklin proposed expanding that law with broad authority for the mayor to make similar buffer zones as she sees appropriate. It also would ban groups and people from giving food, supplies and water to someone on city property in the buffer zones, unless they have a permit.

   On Wednesday, the same day Snohomish County published its annual homelessness snapshot that found an 8.5% growth from last year’s count, the council passed the law on a 4-3 vote.

   Everett City Council President Brenda Stonecipher, who voted for the law, said the buffer zones are imperfect solutions to homelessness but can help persuade residents from opposing service facilities opening near them.

   Council member Paula Rhyne, who voted against the law, said people should have somewhere they can go before being told they can’t be there. Her request to tie the law’s effective date to when the city opens a day shelter failed on a similar 4-3 vote.

   Across the street from Everett City Hall, people who coordinate mutual aid groups and stock a free food pantry and refrigerator in north Everett rallied to decry the ordinance before and during the council meeting Wednesday.

   In a response to this action by the city council, local mutual aid group Punks in the Park said on twitter that the City is already leaving people uninformed of the decisions being made and expressed that the permits mentioned do not exist in reality. They have held demonstrations in opposition to this ordinance and have a call for action currently around this issue.

   Call to Action. Email City Council Members to let them know that we oppose EMC 9.54.000 and EMC 10.35.000 . EMAIL TEMPLATE & COUNCIL EMAILS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE LINKS! . Feel free to write your own thoughts! #homelessnessisnotacrime #housesnothandcuffs #stopthesweeps That linktr.ee is linktr.ee/PunksInThePark.

   https://twitter.com/PunksEverett/status/1653853966126686208

   For more information follow Punks In The Park, Medic Viv, and South Everett Mutual Aid on twitter.

   As mentioned in our last show the Dual Power West Gathering is happening June 2 – 4 an hour outside of Portland, OR. This unconference is being organized by a temporary collective of autonomous organizers in an attempt to spread community, radical ideas, and action throughout the west coast and beyond. Come on out to help organize the event and learn from other participants how we can resist State power and build collective autonomous power outside the State. For more information and to RSVP for the event visit the website dualpowerwest.org

   Monthly Radical News Roundup:

   Its time for our radical news roundup from other autonomous media organizations that we follow. Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of journalists. Unicorn Riot engages and amplifies the stories of social and environmental struggles from the ground up. They seek to enrich the public by transforming the narrative with our accessible non-commercial independent content. You can find the following articles on their website at unicornriot.ninja April 27, 2023 Federal Agents Kill Man in North Minneapolis April 29, 2023 The Battle of Sainte-Soline May 1, 2023 Guilty Verdict in Saint Paul Murder Trial of White Vigilante Not Enough, Says Victim’s Family May 2, 2023 May Day Riots Against Pension Reform in Paris May 3, 2023 Fourth Killer of George Floyd Found Guilty May 4, 2023 One Granted Bond, Two Denied Pretrial Release: Forest Defenders Appear for Preliminary Hearings May 6, 2023 ‘Crimes On Humanity’: UN Visits Minneapolis to Investigate Human Rights After Pressure Campaign

   May 8, 2023 Three Face Felonies for Allegedly Flyering Near Home of One Georgia Trooper Tied to Killing of Forest Defender

   May 10, 2023 Ten Years After Terrance and Ivan Killed by Minneapolis Police May 11, 2023 Andrew Kearse Remembered: Widow Shares the Pain of Losing Her Husband to Police May 16, 2023 Defense Attorney Earl Gray Says Black Foreman is ‘Racist’ After Guilty Verdict, Judge Grants New Hearing May 16, 2023 ‘We Do Not Need a School for Assassins’: Hours of Public Comment Unanimously Against ‘Cop City’ May 17, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History PT. I May 18, 2023 Thousands Attend Vio.Me.’s Celebration of 10 Years of Factory Occupation in Greece May 18, 2023 ‘Cop City’ Panel Member Posted Slurs Online, Archived Tweets Indicate May 19, 2023 Rally Demands Marvin Haynes’ Release from 19 Years Wrongful Imprisonment May 20, 2023 Tale of the City: Gentrification in London – Part 1 May 23, 2023 Judge Rejects White Vigilante’s Defense Motions Against Black Foreman, Sets Sentencing Date

   May 24, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History Rages On, PT. II

   May 25, 2023 Revolution in Every Country Comic Series: Episode 3 – Lebanon: On the Necessity of Intersectionality May 26, 2023 Minneapolis Continues Encampment Evictions, Displacing Hundreds in May May 27, 2023 Palestinian Khader Adnan Dies on Hunger Strike in Israeli Prison May 30, 2023 Rave Against the Machine: How One Rave Promoter Stood Up to the DEA and Won May 30, 2023 ‘Don’t Forget Us’: Forest Defenders Confront Horrors of Life in DeKalb County Jail

   It’s Going Down is a digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements across so-called North America. Their mission is to provide a resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action. You can find the following articles on their website at itsgoingdown.org:

   Apr 28, 23 2023 Statement from Marius Mason Apr 28, 23 Report on March and Encampment at Georgia Tech to Stop Cop City Apr 29, 23 Solidarity Campaign With ‘Florida 4’ Underway Apr 30, 23 Patriot Front Leader Exposed in Flyers in Ann Arbor Apr 30, 23 In Contempt #28: Anti-Repression Campaigns Spread, Barton Jail Hunger Strike May 2, 23 TERF Rally in Trenton NJ, Shut Down by Antifascist Coalition May 2, 23 May Day 2023: Announcing Our Program – The Black Rose Anarchist Federation announces the publishing of the organization’s political program. May 3, 23 This Is America #186: May Day; Fight Against Cop City Continues; Cleveland Anarchist Killed in Ukraine May 4, 23 Remembering Cooper Andrews May 6, 23 People Take the Streets in Occupied Flagstaff to “Honor & Avenge” #MMIWG2ST May 8, 23 Judges Uphold Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Stop Cop City Activists May 8, 23 Final Straw: Trans Resilience in Texas May 8, 23 Anarchist Political Prisoner Dan Baker Needs Support! May 8, 23 Xenophobic Title 42 Ends, Biden’s Immigration Reform Nowhere to Be Found May 10, 23 Neither Condemned, nor Persecuted! Solidarity with Miguel Peralta May 12, 23 Indigenous Resistance in Mexico, Border Militarization, and the End of Title 42 May 13, 23 Betraying the White Race in the 21st Century May 13, 23 SM28 Dissolves: A Balance Sheet May 13, 23 Call for Solidarity from the #EkoniAci Movement! Blockade at KM 16! May 16, 23 Proud Boys Plan Unsuccessful Trap for Antifascists In the Inland Empire May 17, 23 Hitler Saluting “White Lives Matter” Neo-Nazis Chased Off by Locals in Templeton, CA May 18, 23 Urban Ore Workers in Berkeley Win IWW Union Election, Get Ready to Negotiate Contract May 18, 23 Autonomous Distros Give Away Thousands of Trees May 22, 23 Community Mobilizes and Defends Church Drag Event from Proud Boys in Portage, Michigan May 23, 23 System Fail: Rise of AI, Resistance Committees in Sudan, and Defending Squats in Barcelona May 23, 23 Final Straw: Mutual Aid At The Border in Tijuana with El Comedor May 24, 23 Zine Release: Creeker Vol 4 May 24, 23 Antifascists Shut Down Neo-Nazis and Proud Boys Throwing Up Hitler Salutes in Sacramento May 16, 23 Canadian Tire Fire #59: Drag Defense, Mining Shareholder Meeting Disrupted May 21, 23 Storming In: Struggle in Atlanta Against Cop City Continues Despite Repression May 22, 23 “States of Incarceration”: Abolition, Revolt, and Organization May 22, 23 Graffiti Writers Are Painting Over a Pro-Police “Street Art” Campaign Backed by a Tech Billionaire in San Francisco

   May 27, 23 Independent Media in the Social Struggle: An Interview with Avispa Midia

   Crimethought is everything that evades control:

   CrimethInc. is a rebel alliance. CrimethInc. is a banner for anonymous collective action. CrimethInc. is an international network of aspiring revolutionaries. CrimethInc. is a desperate venture.

   2023-04-27 Bash Back! Is Back:Reviving an Insurrectionary Queer Network: An Interview

   2023-05-03 In Memory of Dmitry Petrov: An Incomplete Biography and Translation of His Work

   2023-05-24 Recipes for Disaster: Asphalt Mosaics: A Hot Weather Activity for Lonely Asphalt Near You

   We’re getting the cue thats its time for a short break, when we return we will read from The Harbor Rat Report on a report back on the May Day On The Harbor event presented by the Blackflower Collective titled Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat? , in the meantime Here is Hoquiam’s Blues By the Window Smashing Job Creators. Hit it! https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/full-text-wsjc-1.mp4

   Segment one:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now! Let’s read this article and report back on the third annual May Day on the Harbor held here in Hoquiam.

   Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat?

   Since 1886, May Day has been an important holiday for the global working class. This history is often repressed in this country, being one of a minority that doesn’t celebrate International Worker’s Day on May first, despite being the country which served as the catalyst that created the holiday after the Haymarket Massacre of 1886. In an attempt to rekindle the knowledge of and the respect for that forgotten history – local leftists have put on an annual May Day celebration for three years running.

   Initiated by the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network in 2021, the yearly celebration has grown exponentially since its grassroots beginning in Zelasko Park. An event which included performances by the Plank Island Theater Company. Growing with each passing year, public interest in the event has continued to steadily grow, as turnout has increased with each passing year and local business participation has taken off – including participation from ART HQX, The Blackflower Collective, and Events on Emerson who came together to put on a wonderful May Day On The Harbor for 2023.

   This year had a full day of activities and events, including plenty of historical exhibitions. The third annual May Day on the Harbor event was held at the local event center Events on Emerson and was sponsored by the newest radical project on the Harbor, The Blackflower Collective. The Blackflower Collective has formed around the issues that have arisen from the continued organizing among the unhoused population in the Aberdeen area, such as lack of housing, work, food, and community.

   In that effort of improving conditions for the working class in Grays Harbor and in the spirit of the working class holiday, they have taken on the role of leading a new affinity group on the Harbor called the May Day On The Harbor Planning Committee that we here at Sabot Media have had the pleasure of taking part in. Through our connections with The Blackflower Collective, we helped to develop historical displays, produce video shorts, zines, buttons, and more for the event. We were happy to donate the work to this worthwhile effort and join them in celebration as this years May Day marked the 1st birthday of Sabot Media.

   We were not the only people that showed up to table at this event however. Quite a few guests had come to share in this celebration of working class history with us, other tables at the event included historical displays from our local area and local historian Connie Parsons. The zine distro ‘Historical Seditions’ came with literature and merchandise. One table even offered zines produced during The Center for Especifismo Studies’s Militant Kindergarten coursework. Blackflower Permaculture, an offshoot landscape design team, was there to demonstrate their design services and talk about permaculture in relation to the need for working class food sovereignty. Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network participated again in this years event hosting an info table and collecting signatures for volunteers looking to get involved in mutual aid and community outreach. Our local chapter of Food Not Bombs also arrived in tandem with the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network and catered a community potluck where they served free food including burgers and hot dogs throughout the day. ART HQx also participated in the event by donating art supplies and helping to set up a kid’s corner filled with DIY art projects. Other activities included free face painting, an educational history scavenger hunt, and subsequent prize table.

   A major draw for people seemed to be the live music portion of the day. Various bands from Olympia  including Them Badgers, Virtual Bird, and The Window Smashing Job Creators came down to support our Harborite comrades and hosted a free benefit concert at the 3rd Annual May Day On The Harbor. Citizens and guests of all ages cheered on the guest performances and young and old alike sang along to these songs of freedom.

   And of course the Blackflower Collective themselves were in attendance fundraising for their land projects, selling merchandise and auctioning off a library’s worth of radical literature and other items donated by the community. Their table also hosted a contest to win a brand new Nintendo Switch by entering to guess the correct number of jelly beans contained within a large glass jar.  Many people generously bid on the slew of awesome items up for auction and the word is the event was a huge success for them bringing in somewhere between 150 and 200 attendees throughout the day. “Anytime we can get out into the community and talk to people about the stuff we are so passionate about is a good day.” said one member of the collective when reached for comment.

   In a scene as wholesome as apple pie, the end of the announcements of the auction winners and at the declaration of the winner of the jelly bean count. A little girl in the audience, after having taken a savvy approach to the challenge by using math to approximate the number of jelly beans, was declared the winner and her response was comparable to the excitement of the classic “Nintendo 64 Kid” video.

   The peak of the evenings events though was a moving lecture from labor historian Dr. Aaron Goings who gave a historical presentation about the radical working class history here on the Harbor as discussed in his books by the titles of “Port of Missing Men” & “The Red Coast”. During the duration of his talk Dr. Goings brought to attention the life of William McKay, an Aberdeen resident and member of the International Workers of The World who was murdered on the picket line 100 years ago in 1923 while protesting for the release of political prisoners captured by the state in a concentrated effort to demoralize the working class and the burgeoning labor movement.

   The oration concluded with a final message written on the banner of William McKay’s funeral procession: “Fellow Worker William McKay, killed by a company gunman, a victim of capitalist greed, We Never Forget?” As 100 Years have passed since the death of William Mckay, as 100 years have passed since the their death was last spoken to the public ear, the question mark at the end of this banner has become less of a question, and more of a challenge, a challenge to remember, a challenge to preserve the history of the working class. What will the future histories told of today be? Will they be stories of workers lives and struggles, or will they be stories of the era’s capitalists? Who will be the victors that write the histories of tomorrow? Of the struggles facing the modern working class, will “We Never Forget?”

   As we look back on the past and the many tragic and joyous things that have occurred on the first of May, it is wonderful to see how much our small community has grown over the years. Years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. But years of growth and community too, years of comradery and delicious meals. One local fascist once called out the communities very first May Day on the Harbor (since the collapse of the labor movement) for “falling flat”, in a post made to their now defunct blog site, despite having a decent turn out for the length of preparation and resources available for the first May Day Event.

   We can only laugh at that short lived fascist blog and it’s attempts to undermine the work of Harborite radicals as we smile and look on towards the future. Though many trials and obstacles await, we will continue to out grow the fascist creep and continue to do everything we can to bring class consciousness to the Harbor. As we look forward to the fourth annual May Day On The Harbor in 2024 with the experience of our past successful events under our belts we wonder, “Will the local leftist festivities continue to fall flat?”

   We hope so…

   Were getting the cue its time for a musical break, when we come back we will be interviewing Dr Aaron Goings about his presentation at May Day on the Harbor 2023, but until then here is THem Badgers LIVE from May Day.

   https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/untitled.mp3

   Segment two:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now!

   Feature Dr. Aaron Goings interview.

   Conclusion:

   So in conclusion there are loads of lessons to be learned by studying the past. Lessons that are directly applicable to our current day struggles. We can learn that it is wrong to trust the ruling class will ever do anything but consolidate power and serve it’s own interest. We can learn that the police, courts, politicians, and major institutions will always side with the status quo and work together to organize against the interest of the working class. The history of the working class struggle is incredibly violent, and we can learn from that as we prepare our actions in the present. Power will never grant the demands of the workers, we must organize to take what we want without asking. It is not enough to go to the boss with demands, that has never worked. What we need to do is realize that we dont need the boss at all, worker co-ops can replace the union negotiations with the bosses.

   We need to be organizing outside of our small circles, we need to be talking to and interacting with masses of people. People who may not be anarchists neccessarily, but who want to see a better, more liberated world. We need to road test our ideas in the real world, alongside people with diverse opinions and life experiences, not silo ourselves off into smaller and smaller designations. The core of our work needs to be rooted in joy, and the core joy of anarchy is that it is accessible to all. It is the spread of these ideals that we need to be concerned with. Not evangelizing about sacred texts but through living and practicing the very concepts in our daily lives for people to see and experience. Showing someone anarchy is going to go a lot further towards convinvcing them of its merits than merely telling them about it or having them read it in a book. Our actions are what is important, and it is by examining the actions of others in our region that we can find accomplices in our revolutionary work, not by listening to what people say, but by looking at what they do.

   Outro:

   Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Molotov Now! We hope you found it informative and inspiring. Our goal with the podcast is to reach out beyond our boundaries and connect the happenings in our small town with the struggles going on in major urban centers. We want to talk to you if your a big city organizer, we think we have a lot you can learn from, and we know you have much to teach us. If you would like to come on the show please email us at [email protected] with the header “Molotov Now!” and we will be in touch about setting up an interview and crafting an episode to feature you.

   We want to give a shout out to our friends at:

   • S: The South Florida Anti-Repression Committee who have launched a solidairty campaign for two individuals facing 12 years for an alleged graffiti attack on a fake Christian anti-choice clinic that does not provide any reproductive care. This Federal overreach and use of the FACE Act, an act meant to protect people visiting reproductive clinics from harassment, is unprecedented. To support this solidarity campaign please visit bit.ly/freeourfighters
   • C: We want to thank The Blackflower Collective for their continued support and wish them luck in their fundraising efforts. To support them or learn more their website is blackflowercollective.noblogs.org.
   • S: Kolektiva, the anarchist mastodon server, is growing faster than ever thanks to Elon Musk’s stupidity as many activists close their accounts for bluer skies as can be seen in the fluctuation of followers over on IGD’s socials, join at kolektiva.social (spell kolektiva) and follow us and other online activists on decentralized federated internet.
   • C: Don’t forget to go to bit.ly/lakotalawicwa and sign the petition by the Lakota Peoples Law Project telling Joe Biden and attorneys for the Department of Justice to do everything in their power to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act and defend Secretary Deb Haaland.
   • S: Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network is holding a fundraiser to purchase a brand new canopy tent for their weekly meals with Food Not Bombs. To donate visit linktr.ee/crmutualaidnet
   • C: Don’t forget The Communique is looking for artist and author submissions, please write to [email protected] to submit your entry before June 7th for our Summer Solstice edition.
   • S: As reported previously, Katey Hussey is still struggling in the wake of harrassment by Dayton Police that has cost her their employment and housing. Luckily it appears as though the charges against her have been dropped. But she has lost everything because of this and still faces an uphill battle getting back on her feet. Please send any donations to Venmo @katyHussey or Cashapp $KatyHussey to help them during this time.
   • C: Thank you to Pixel Passionate for producing our soundtrack, please check out their website at www.radicalpraxisclothing.com and check out their portfolio in our show notes
   • S: and finally we were recently featured on an episode of Live Like The World Is Dying, where we delved into the dichotomies between rural and urban organizing and the plans for the radical future of the Harbor. To check it out visit the new webpage blackflowercollective.noblogs.org/press/

   Remember to check out Sabot Media’s website for new episodes, articles, comics, and columns. We have new content all the time. Make sure you follow, like, and subscribe on your favorite corporate data mining platform of choice and go ahead and make the switch to federated social media on the kolektiva mastodon server today @AberdeenLocal1312 for updates on Sabot Media projects such as The Harbor Rat Report, The Communique, The Saboteurs, our podcast Molotov Now! and many other upcoming projects.

   That’s all for tonight. Please remember to spay and neuter your cats and don’t forget to vote.
   Solidarity Comrades,
   This is Molotov Now! Signing off

    

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   #186 #28 #59 #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st

   https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/episode-7-interview-with-dr-aaron-goings/

   #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st
8. 

   sabotmedia @[email protected] · 2023-06-01 · 06:58 UTC

   Download and Subscribe: RSS

   Find us on Itunes, IHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please like, rate, and review us. Tell your friends about it. To support us use the Blackflower Collective account on Patreon.

   Outline:

   S: This is Sprout

   C: and this is Charyan, and we are the hosts of Molotov Now!, thank you for joining us on this episode of the podcast.

   S: On this episode we will be Interviewing Dr. Aaron Goings about their presentation regarding the 100th year anniversary of the death of a local wobbly named William McKay at the May Day On The Harbor Celebration put on by the Blackflower Collective and doing a report back on the days festivities, but before we go on with our regularly scheduled Radical News Round Up we here at Molotov Now! have an announcement regarding the future of our podcast that we would like to share with our listeners.

   C: That’s right as of now we are officially Co-Conspirators of the Channel Zero Network

   S: Hold on Charyan, what is the Channel Zero Network?

   C: I’m glad you asked,

   Channel Zero is an English-based anarchist radio/podcast network run by radical media makers. We are here to present anarchist analysis & context to deepen peoples understanding of the situation and broaden the struggle. We share stories from the front-lines, lessons from history, and battle-tested ideas to spread revolutionary practices.

   During these days of late capitalism & rising nationalism we are constantly bombarded with right wing radio and shallow liberal analysis with the threat of fascism. Everything in this framework falls within parameters set by the state and offers no way out. We present perspectives that exist outside of that paradigm through interviews, documentaries, panel discussions and audio-zines.

   Fuck what you heard, this is resistance.

   S: This is gonna be sick

   C: For sure but along with a new platform that allows us the opportunity to bridge the divide between rural and urban radicals comes a fresh start with a new format for the podcast. We will be limiting our reporting for the time being to our radical news round up and stories specific to radical organizing within the Pacific Northwest and the Grays Harbor Area, as well as warning the people about those mischievous Sabot Cats.

   S: We hope this in turn will allow us the time needed to sharpen the focus on the main content of our episodes, start planning for future episodes, and hopefully in the near future with your support and donations we may be able to begin to better fortify the defenses in our recording studio from the Sabot Cats in order to start posting on a bi weekly schedule as opposed to monthly and bring you twice the content .

   C: So be sure to check us out on the Channel Zero Network as well as other great podcasts such as Its Going Down, The Final Straw, Indigenous Action, Grounded Futures, and many more. If you enjoy this content and would like to see more of it please consider donating to our sponsor the Blackflower Collective, you can find all the ways to donate them at linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

   S: The Blackflower Collective LLC is a worker-owned and operated enterprise dedicated to the creation of a world in which individuals have the autonomy, knowledge and resources to create fulfilling lives and communities free of oppression.

   Blackflower’s mission is to learn together the ways in which to healthily relate to each other and our environment. They seek to sustain and nourish the collective through fulfilling work, personal empowerment and equitable compensation while providing a hub for political thought and culture in Grays Harbor County.

   Their goal is to provide low income housing to people facing homelessness. Pairing this living experience with a social center that provides for the needs of the residents and wider community.

   C: If you are interested in participating in or donating to this project for more information please visit linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

   S: We will return after these brief messages, when we come back we will kick this episode off with our regularly scheduled Radical News Roundup, but for now a word from our sponsors.

   Local News:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now! Time for the news.

   In Local News:

   The third annual May Day on the Harbor was held on the first of May, or International Worker’s Day, in Hoquiam this year. More on that later in the show.

   Picking up on a story that we have been covering in Dayton Washington…

   After years of harassment at the hands of her local law enforcement, we are please to announce that the charges against Katey Hussey have been dropped. After going to court the prosecutor has decided to drop all charges relating to her case. This is likely because if the case had gone to trial the police department would have ended up looking bad if not loosing the case outright. This is great news but Katey still faces a tough battle to regain what has been stolen from her. During and because of this ordeal she has lost her job and housing. The charges still show up on her record as of now and so none of her typical contract work will hire her at the moment. Her mental health has suffered because of this harassment and she said “The charges may be dismissed but that doesn’t bring my home back or my job or the people I had in my life who looked at me differently because of this whole thing now”. With no sense of closure or justice she has been thoroughly abused by this system and now has to work to get to where she was prior to all of this. When asked what justice would look like she said that having disciplinary charges brought against the sheriff and deputies involved would be a good place to start. Some measure of accountability so that this doesnt end up happening to anyone else. If any of our listeners have suggestions for getting Katey the justice she deserves please contact us at [email protected]. This situation has her feeling lost and she would appreciate any advice or direction so that she can help to make sure no one else has to go through this.

   On a warm holiday Sunday in Southwest Washington State, dozens of local queers celebrated the unofficial start of summer by gathering from morning till afternoon for a ‘Big Gay Wedding’ — right outside of a Christian Nationalist hate church that preaches their eradication. On May 28th Vancouver residents came together in solidarity to protest the on going “King James Conference” that was being hosted by christian nationalist hate-preacher and Jack Chick reject Aaron Thompson. Thompson, of Washington’s Sure Foundation Baptist Church, who’s sermons openly call for the genocide of Queer folk received viral attention last November as a video of one of his sermons praising the Club Q mass shooter and calling the atrocity that left 5 dead and 17 injured a “Good Thing” began to make its rounds about the internet.

   CONTENT WARNING genocidal content, slurs, anti LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric, etc

   [Video Clip] https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1595622960731394048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1595622960731394048%7Ctwgr%5E9c82356d2ec8bd61c62cdec9319c4622c6dcad23%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fonlysky.media%2Fhemant-mehta%2Fchristian-hate-preacher-aaron-thompson-club-q-shooting-good-thing%2F

   On the 4th Day of this christian nationalist conference, locals had organized a “Big Gay Wedding” in order to protest the ongoing genocidal rhetoric of the church, including 4 Queer Marriages, multiple musical performances including Gabe from 1876, Indigenous Spoken Word, Drag Show performances by Johnny Nuriel and Isiah, And speeches Kim Harliss from the Vancouver City Council and various local pastors of inclusive churches who came out to support the queer community and speak out against the genocidal rhetoric of the Sure Foundation Baptist Church.

   In the face of rising christo-fascist violence in the United States, organizers did a wonderful job of doing everything in their power to maintain a protest environment that was safe for all members of the community to participate in, they provided free water and snacks for participants, maintained free and clear access to the entrance to the roadway while offering assistance to those pulling out who couldn’t see past the crowd, multiple medics stood near by with first aid and trauma kits, as well as a well armed local community defense group well trained in de escalation tactics who provided security for the event. The preparation taken on by the organizers and the commitment to take seriously the threats of fascism when they arise in their community are great examples of what we should see in our actions. There are many lessons that can be learned from such a wonderful action of queer resistance and militant joy.

   In a Instagram post written by drag performer Johnny Nuriel stated that

   https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs2cVj2OlZO/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg%3D%3D

   For more information about this action, keep a eye out for a report back from The Harbor Rat Report coming soon

   The Everett City Council expanded its “no sit, no lie” law Wednesday, giving the mayor new authority to set buffers around social service providers and areas “highly impacted by street-level issues.”

   The council in 2021 approved the law that created a buffer zone around the Everett Gospel Mission, which runs a homeless shelter on Smith Avenue. The ordinance made lying down and sitting on nearby public property — mainly sidewalks and streets — a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 and 90 days in jail.

   In April, city staff and Mayor Cassie Franklin proposed expanding that law with broad authority for the mayor to make similar buffer zones as she sees appropriate. It also would ban groups and people from giving food, supplies and water to someone on city property in the buffer zones, unless they have a permit.

   On Wednesday, the same day Snohomish County published its annual homelessness snapshot that found an 8.5% growth from last year’s count, the council passed the law on a 4-3 vote.

   Everett City Council President Brenda Stonecipher, who voted for the law, said the buffer zones are imperfect solutions to homelessness but can help persuade residents from opposing service facilities opening near them.

   Council member Paula Rhyne, who voted against the law, said people should have somewhere they can go before being told they can’t be there. Her request to tie the law’s effective date to when the city opens a day shelter failed on a similar 4-3 vote.

   Across the street from Everett City Hall, people who coordinate mutual aid groups and stock a free food pantry and refrigerator in north Everett rallied to decry the ordinance before and during the council meeting Wednesday.

   In a response to this action by the city council, local mutual aid group Punks in the Park said on twitter that the City is already leaving people uninformed of the decisions being made and expressed that the permits mentioned do not exist in reality. They have held demonstrations in opposition to this ordinance and have a call for action currently around this issue.

   Call to Action. Email City Council Members to let them know that we oppose EMC 9.54.000 and EMC 10.35.000 . EMAIL TEMPLATE & COUNCIL EMAILS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE LINKS! . Feel free to write your own thoughts! #homelessnessisnotacrime #housesnothandcuffs #stopthesweeps That linktr.ee is linktr.ee/PunksInThePark.

   https://twitter.com/PunksEverett/status/1653853966126686208

   For more information follow Punks In The Park, Medic Viv, and South Everett Mutual Aid on twitter.

   As mentioned in our last show the Dual Power West Gathering is happening June 2 – 4 an hour outside of Portland, OR. This unconference is being organized by a temporary collective of autonomous organizers in an attempt to spread community, radical ideas, and action throughout the west coast and beyond. Come on out to help organize the event and learn from other participants how we can resist State power and build collective autonomous power outside the State. For more information and to RSVP for the event visit the website dualpowerwest.org

   Monthly Radical News Roundup:

   Its time for our radical news roundup from other autonomous media organizations that we follow. Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of journalists. Unicorn Riot engages and amplifies the stories of social and environmental struggles from the ground up. They seek to enrich the public by transforming the narrative with our accessible non-commercial independent content. You can find the following articles on their website at unicornriot.ninja April 27, 2023 Federal Agents Kill Man in North Minneapolis April 29, 2023 The Battle of Sainte-Soline May 1, 2023 Guilty Verdict in Saint Paul Murder Trial of White Vigilante Not Enough, Says Victim’s Family May 2, 2023 May Day Riots Against Pension Reform in Paris May 3, 2023 Fourth Killer of George Floyd Found Guilty May 4, 2023 One Granted Bond, Two Denied Pretrial Release: Forest Defenders Appear for Preliminary Hearings May 6, 2023 ‘Crimes On Humanity’: UN Visits Minneapolis to Investigate Human Rights After Pressure Campaign

   May 8, 2023 Three Face Felonies for Allegedly Flyering Near Home of One Georgia Trooper Tied to Killing of Forest Defender

   May 10, 2023 Ten Years After Terrance and Ivan Killed by Minneapolis Police May 11, 2023 Andrew Kearse Remembered: Widow Shares the Pain of Losing Her Husband to Police May 16, 2023 Defense Attorney Earl Gray Says Black Foreman is ‘Racist’ After Guilty Verdict, Judge Grants New Hearing May 16, 2023 ‘We Do Not Need a School for Assassins’: Hours of Public Comment Unanimously Against ‘Cop City’ May 17, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History PT. I May 18, 2023 Thousands Attend Vio.Me.’s Celebration of 10 Years of Factory Occupation in Greece May 18, 2023 ‘Cop City’ Panel Member Posted Slurs Online, Archived Tweets Indicate May 19, 2023 Rally Demands Marvin Haynes’ Release from 19 Years Wrongful Imprisonment May 20, 2023 Tale of the City: Gentrification in London – Part 1 May 23, 2023 Judge Rejects White Vigilante’s Defense Motions Against Black Foreman, Sets Sentencing Date

   May 24, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History Rages On, PT. II

   May 25, 2023 Revolution in Every Country Comic Series: Episode 3 – Lebanon: On the Necessity of Intersectionality May 26, 2023 Minneapolis Continues Encampment Evictions, Displacing Hundreds in May May 27, 2023 Palestinian Khader Adnan Dies on Hunger Strike in Israeli Prison May 30, 2023 Rave Against the Machine: How One Rave Promoter Stood Up to the DEA and Won May 30, 2023 ‘Don’t Forget Us’: Forest Defenders Confront Horrors of Life in DeKalb County Jail

   It’s Going Down is a digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements across so-called North America. Their mission is to provide a resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action. You can find the following articles on their website at itsgoingdown.org:

   Apr 28, 23 2023 Statement from Marius Mason Apr 28, 23 Report on March and Encampment at Georgia Tech to Stop Cop City Apr 29, 23 Solidarity Campaign With ‘Florida 4’ Underway Apr 30, 23 Patriot Front Leader Exposed in Flyers in Ann Arbor Apr 30, 23 In Contempt #28: Anti-Repression Campaigns Spread, Barton Jail Hunger Strike May 2, 23 TERF Rally in Trenton NJ, Shut Down by Antifascist Coalition May 2, 23 May Day 2023: Announcing Our Program – The Black Rose Anarchist Federation announces the publishing of the organization’s political program. May 3, 23 This Is America #186: May Day; Fight Against Cop City Continues; Cleveland Anarchist Killed in Ukraine May 4, 23 Remembering Cooper Andrews May 6, 23 People Take the Streets in Occupied Flagstaff to “Honor & Avenge” #MMIWG2ST May 8, 23 Judges Uphold Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Stop Cop City Activists May 8, 23 Final Straw: Trans Resilience in Texas May 8, 23 Anarchist Political Prisoner Dan Baker Needs Support! May 8, 23 Xenophobic Title 42 Ends, Biden’s Immigration Reform Nowhere to Be Found May 10, 23 Neither Condemned, nor Persecuted! Solidarity with Miguel Peralta May 12, 23 Indigenous Resistance in Mexico, Border Militarization, and the End of Title 42 May 13, 23 Betraying the White Race in the 21st Century May 13, 23 SM28 Dissolves: A Balance Sheet May 13, 23 Call for Solidarity from the #EkoniAci Movement! Blockade at KM 16! May 16, 23 Proud Boys Plan Unsuccessful Trap for Antifascists In the Inland Empire May 17, 23 Hitler Saluting “White Lives Matter” Neo-Nazis Chased Off by Locals in Templeton, CA May 18, 23 Urban Ore Workers in Berkeley Win IWW Union Election, Get Ready to Negotiate Contract May 18, 23 Autonomous Distros Give Away Thousands of Trees May 22, 23 Community Mobilizes and Defends Church Drag Event from Proud Boys in Portage, Michigan May 23, 23 System Fail: Rise of AI, Resistance Committees in Sudan, and Defending Squats in Barcelona May 23, 23 Final Straw: Mutual Aid At The Border in Tijuana with El Comedor May 24, 23 Zine Release: Creeker Vol 4 May 24, 23 Antifascists Shut Down Neo-Nazis and Proud Boys Throwing Up Hitler Salutes in Sacramento May 16, 23 Canadian Tire Fire #59: Drag Defense, Mining Shareholder Meeting Disrupted May 21, 23 Storming In: Struggle in Atlanta Against Cop City Continues Despite Repression May 22, 23 “States of Incarceration”: Abolition, Revolt, and Organization May 22, 23 Graffiti Writers Are Painting Over a Pro-Police “Street Art” Campaign Backed by a Tech Billionaire in San Francisco

   May 27, 23 Independent Media in the Social Struggle: An Interview with Avispa Midia

   Crimethought is everything that evades control:

   CrimethInc. is a rebel alliance. CrimethInc. is a banner for anonymous collective action. CrimethInc. is an international network of aspiring revolutionaries. CrimethInc. is a desperate venture.

   2023-04-27 Bash Back! Is Back:Reviving an Insurrectionary Queer Network: An Interview

   2023-05-03 In Memory of Dmitry Petrov: An Incomplete Biography and Translation of His Work

   2023-05-24 Recipes for Disaster: Asphalt Mosaics: A Hot Weather Activity for Lonely Asphalt Near You

   We’re getting the cue thats its time for a short break, when we return we will read from The Harbor Rat Report on a report back on the May Day On The Harbor event presented by the Blackflower Collective titled Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat? , in the meantime Here is Hoquiam’s Blues By the Window Smashing Job Creators. Hit it! https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/full-text-wsjc-1.mp4

   Segment one:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now! Let’s read this article and report back on the third annual May Day on the Harbor held here in Hoquiam.

   Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat?

   Since 1886, May Day has been an important holiday for the global working class. This history is often repressed in this country, being one of a minority that doesn’t celebrate International Worker’s Day on May first, despite being the country which served as the catalyst that created the holiday after the Haymarket Massacre of 1886. In an attempt to rekindle the knowledge of and the respect for that forgotten history – local leftists have put on an annual May Day celebration for three years running.

   Initiated by the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network in 2021, the yearly celebration has grown exponentially since its grassroots beginning in Zelasko Park. An event which included performances by the Plank Island Theater Company. Growing with each passing year, public interest in the event has continued to steadily grow, as turnout has increased with each passing year and local business participation has taken off – including participation from ART HQX, The Blackflower Collective, and Events on Emerson who came together to put on a wonderful May Day On The Harbor for 2023.

   This year had a full day of activities and events, including plenty of historical exhibitions. The third annual May Day on the Harbor event was held at the local event center Events on Emerson and was sponsored by the newest radical project on the Harbor, The Blackflower Collective. The Blackflower Collective has formed around the issues that have arisen from the continued organizing among the unhoused population in the Aberdeen area, such as lack of housing, work, food, and community.

   In that effort of improving conditions for the working class in Grays Harbor and in the spirit of the working class holiday, they have taken on the role of leading a new affinity group on the Harbor called the May Day On The Harbor Planning Committee that we here at Sabot Media have had the pleasure of taking part in. Through our connections with The Blackflower Collective, we helped to develop historical displays, produce video shorts, zines, buttons, and more for the event. We were happy to donate the work to this worthwhile effort and join them in celebration as this years May Day marked the 1st birthday of Sabot Media.

   We were not the only people that showed up to table at this event however. Quite a few guests had come to share in this celebration of working class history with us, other tables at the event included historical displays from our local area and local historian Connie Parsons. The zine distro ‘Historical Seditions’ came with literature and merchandise. One table even offered zines produced during The Center for Especifismo Studies’s Militant Kindergarten coursework. Blackflower Permaculture, an offshoot landscape design team, was there to demonstrate their design services and talk about permaculture in relation to the need for working class food sovereignty. Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network participated again in this years event hosting an info table and collecting signatures for volunteers looking to get involved in mutual aid and community outreach. Our local chapter of Food Not Bombs also arrived in tandem with the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network and catered a community potluck where they served free food including burgers and hot dogs throughout the day. ART HQx also participated in the event by donating art supplies and helping to set up a kid’s corner filled with DIY art projects. Other activities included free face painting, an educational history scavenger hunt, and subsequent prize table.

   A major draw for people seemed to be the live music portion of the day. Various bands from Olympia  including Them Badgers, Virtual Bird, and The Window Smashing Job Creators came down to support our Harborite comrades and hosted a free benefit concert at the 3rd Annual May Day On The Harbor. Citizens and guests of all ages cheered on the guest performances and young and old alike sang along to these songs of freedom.

   And of course the Blackflower Collective themselves were in attendance fundraising for their land projects, selling merchandise and auctioning off a library’s worth of radical literature and other items donated by the community. Their table also hosted a contest to win a brand new Nintendo Switch by entering to guess the correct number of jelly beans contained within a large glass jar.  Many people generously bid on the slew of awesome items up for auction and the word is the event was a huge success for them bringing in somewhere between 150 and 200 attendees throughout the day. “Anytime we can get out into the community and talk to people about the stuff we are so passionate about is a good day.” said one member of the collective when reached for comment.

   In a scene as wholesome as apple pie, the end of the announcements of the auction winners and at the declaration of the winner of the jelly bean count. A little girl in the audience, after having taken a savvy approach to the challenge by using math to approximate the number of jelly beans, was declared the winner and her response was comparable to the excitement of the classic “Nintendo 64 Kid” video.

   The peak of the evenings events though was a moving lecture from labor historian Dr. Aaron Goings who gave a historical presentation about the radical working class history here on the Harbor as discussed in his books by the titles of “Port of Missing Men” & “The Red Coast”. During the duration of his talk Dr. Goings brought to attention the life of William McKay, an Aberdeen resident and member of the International Workers of The World who was murdered on the picket line 100 years ago in 1923 while protesting for the release of political prisoners captured by the state in a concentrated effort to demoralize the working class and the burgeoning labor movement.

   The oration concluded with a final message written on the banner of William McKay’s funeral procession: “Fellow Worker William McKay, killed by a company gunman, a victim of capitalist greed, We Never Forget?” As 100 Years have passed since the death of William Mckay, as 100 years have passed since the their death was last spoken to the public ear, the question mark at the end of this banner has become less of a question, and more of a challenge, a challenge to remember, a challenge to preserve the history of the working class. What will the future histories told of today be? Will they be stories of workers lives and struggles, or will they be stories of the era’s capitalists? Who will be the victors that write the histories of tomorrow? Of the struggles facing the modern working class, will “We Never Forget?”

   As we look back on the past and the many tragic and joyous things that have occurred on the first of May, it is wonderful to see how much our small community has grown over the years. Years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. But years of growth and community too, years of comradery and delicious meals. One local fascist once called out the communities very first May Day on the Harbor (since the collapse of the labor movement) for “falling flat”, in a post made to their now defunct blog site, despite having a decent turn out for the length of preparation and resources available for the first May Day Event.

   We can only laugh at that short lived fascist blog and it’s attempts to undermine the work of Harborite radicals as we smile and look on towards the future. Though many trials and obstacles await, we will continue to out grow the fascist creep and continue to do everything we can to bring class consciousness to the Harbor. As we look forward to the fourth annual May Day On The Harbor in 2024 with the experience of our past successful events under our belts we wonder, “Will the local leftist festivities continue to fall flat?”

   We hope so…

   Were getting the cue its time for a musical break, when we come back we will be interviewing Dr Aaron Goings about his presentation at May Day on the Harbor 2023, but until then here is THem Badgers LIVE from May Day.

   https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/untitled.mp3

   Segment two:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now!

   Feature Dr. Aaron Goings interview.

   Conclusion:

   So in conclusion there are loads of lessons to be learned by studying the past. Lessons that are directly applicable to our current day struggles. We can learn that it is wrong to trust the ruling class will ever do anything but consolidate power and serve it’s own interest. We can learn that the police, courts, politicians, and major institutions will always side with the status quo and work together to organize against the interest of the working class. The history of the working class struggle is incredibly violent, and we can learn from that as we prepare our actions in the present. Power will never grant the demands of the workers, we must organize to take what we want without asking. It is not enough to go to the boss with demands, that has never worked. What we need to do is realize that we dont need the boss at all, worker co-ops can replace the union negotiations with the bosses.

   We need to be organizing outside of our small circles, we need to be talking to and interacting with masses of people. People who may not be anarchists neccessarily, but who want to see a better, more liberated world. We need to road test our ideas in the real world, alongside people with diverse opinions and life experiences, not silo ourselves off into smaller and smaller designations. The core of our work needs to be rooted in joy, and the core joy of anarchy is that it is accessible to all. It is the spread of these ideals that we need to be concerned with. Not evangelizing about sacred texts but through living and practicing the very concepts in our daily lives for people to see and experience. Showing someone anarchy is going to go a lot further towards convinvcing them of its merits than merely telling them about it or having them read it in a book. Our actions are what is important, and it is by examining the actions of others in our region that we can find accomplices in our revolutionary work, not by listening to what people say, but by looking at what they do.

   Outro:

   Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Molotov Now! We hope you found it informative and inspiring. Our goal with the podcast is to reach out beyond our boundaries and connect the happenings in our small town with the struggles going on in major urban centers. We want to talk to you if your a big city organizer, we think we have a lot you can learn from, and we know you have much to teach us. If you would like to come on the show please email us at [email protected] with the header “Molotov Now!” and we will be in touch about setting up an interview and crafting an episode to feature you.

   We want to give a shout out to our friends at:

   • S: The South Florida Anti-Repression Committee who have launched a solidairty campaign for two individuals facing 12 years for an alleged graffiti attack on a fake Christian anti-choice clinic that does not provide any reproductive care. This Federal overreach and use of the FACE Act, an act meant to protect people visiting reproductive clinics from harassment, is unprecedented. To support this solidarity campaign please visit bit.ly/freeourfighters
   • C: We want to thank The Blackflower Collective for their continued support and wish them luck in their fundraising efforts. To support them or learn more their website is blackflowercollective.noblogs.org.
   • S: Kolektiva, the anarchist mastodon server, is growing faster than ever thanks to Elon Musk’s stupidity as many activists close their accounts for bluer skies as can be seen in the fluctuation of followers over on IGD’s socials, join at kolektiva.social (spell kolektiva) and follow us and other online activists on decentralized federated internet.
   • C: Don’t forget to go to bit.ly/lakotalawicwa and sign the petition by the Lakota Peoples Law Project telling Joe Biden and attorneys for the Department of Justice to do everything in their power to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act and defend Secretary Deb Haaland.
   • S: Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network is holding a fundraiser to purchase a brand new canopy tent for their weekly meals with Food Not Bombs. To donate visit linktr.ee/crmutualaidnet
   • C: Don’t forget The Communique is looking for artist and author submissions, please write to [email protected] to submit your entry before June 7th for our Summer Solstice edition.
   • S: As reported previously, Katey Hussey is still struggling in the wake of harrassment by Dayton Police that has cost her their employment and housing. Luckily it appears as though the charges against her have been dropped. But she has lost everything because of this and still faces an uphill battle getting back on her feet. Please send any donations to Venmo @katyHussey or Cashapp $KatyHussey to help them during this time.
   • C: Thank you to Pixel Passionate for producing our soundtrack, please check out their website at www.radicalpraxisclothing.com and check out their portfolio in our show notes
   • S: and finally we were recently featured on an episode of Live Like The World Is Dying, where we delved into the dichotomies between rural and urban organizing and the plans for the radical future of the Harbor. To check it out visit the new webpage blackflowercollective.noblogs.org/press/

   Remember to check out Sabot Media’s website for new episodes, articles, comics, and columns. We have new content all the time. Make sure you follow, like, and subscribe on your favorite corporate data mining platform of choice and go ahead and make the switch to federated social media on the kolektiva mastodon server today @AberdeenLocal1312 for updates on Sabot Media projects such as The Harbor Rat Report, The Communique, The Saboteurs, our podcast Molotov Now! and many other upcoming projects.

   That’s all for tonight. Please remember to spay and neuter your cats and don’t forget to vote.
   Solidarity Comrades,
   This is Molotov Now! Signing off

    

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   #186 #28 #59 #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st

   https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/episode-7-interview-with-dr-aaron-goings/

   #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st
9. 

   sabotmedia @[email protected] · 2023-06-01 · 06:58 UTC

   Download and Subscribe: RSS

   Find us on Itunes, IHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please like, rate, and review us. Tell your friends about it. To support us use the Blackflower Collective account on Patreon.

   Outline:

   S: This is Sprout

   C: and this is Charyan, and we are the hosts of Molotov Now!, thank you for joining us on this episode of the podcast.

   S: On this episode we will be Interviewing Dr. Aaron Goings about their presentation regarding the 100th year anniversary of the death of a local wobbly named William McKay at the May Day On The Harbor Celebration put on by the Blackflower Collective and doing a report back on the days festivities, but before we go on with our regularly scheduled Radical News Round Up we here at Molotov Now! have an announcement regarding the future of our podcast that we would like to share with our listeners.

   C: That’s right as of now we are officially Co-Conspirators of the Channel Zero Network

   S: Hold on Charyan, what is the Channel Zero Network?

   C: I’m glad you asked,

   Channel Zero is an English-based anarchist radio/podcast network run by radical media makers. We are here to present anarchist analysis & context to deepen peoples understanding of the situation and broaden the struggle. We share stories from the front-lines, lessons from history, and battle-tested ideas to spread revolutionary practices.

   During these days of late capitalism & rising nationalism we are constantly bombarded with right wing radio and shallow liberal analysis with the threat of fascism. Everything in this framework falls within parameters set by the state and offers no way out. We present perspectives that exist outside of that paradigm through interviews, documentaries, panel discussions and audio-zines.

   Fuck what you heard, this is resistance.

   S: This is gonna be sick

   C: For sure but along with a new platform that allows us the opportunity to bridge the divide between rural and urban radicals comes a fresh start with a new format for the podcast. We will be limiting our reporting for the time being to our radical news round up and stories specific to radical organizing within the Pacific Northwest and the Grays Harbor Area, as well as warning the people about those mischievous Sabot Cats.

   S: We hope this in turn will allow us the time needed to sharpen the focus on the main content of our episodes, start planning for future episodes, and hopefully in the near future with your support and donations we may be able to begin to better fortify the defenses in our recording studio from the Sabot Cats in order to start posting on a bi weekly schedule as opposed to monthly and bring you twice the content .

   C: So be sure to check us out on the Channel Zero Network as well as other great podcasts such as Its Going Down, The Final Straw, Indigenous Action, Grounded Futures, and many more. If you enjoy this content and would like to see more of it please consider donating to our sponsor the Blackflower Collective, you can find all the ways to donate them at linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

   S: The Blackflower Collective LLC is a worker-owned and operated enterprise dedicated to the creation of a world in which individuals have the autonomy, knowledge and resources to create fulfilling lives and communities free of oppression.

   Blackflower’s mission is to learn together the ways in which to healthily relate to each other and our environment. They seek to sustain and nourish the collective through fulfilling work, personal empowerment and equitable compensation while providing a hub for political thought and culture in Grays Harbor County.

   Their goal is to provide low income housing to people facing homelessness. Pairing this living experience with a social center that provides for the needs of the residents and wider community.

   C: If you are interested in participating in or donating to this project for more information please visit linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

   S: We will return after these brief messages, when we come back we will kick this episode off with our regularly scheduled Radical News Roundup, but for now a word from our sponsors.

   Local News:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now! Time for the news.

   In Local News:

   The third annual May Day on the Harbor was held on the first of May, or International Worker’s Day, in Hoquiam this year. More on that later in the show.

   Picking up on a story that we have been covering in Dayton Washington…

   After years of harassment at the hands of her local law enforcement, we are please to announce that the charges against Katey Hussey have been dropped. After going to court the prosecutor has decided to drop all charges relating to her case. This is likely because if the case had gone to trial the police department would have ended up looking bad if not loosing the case outright. This is great news but Katey still faces a tough battle to regain what has been stolen from her. During and because of this ordeal she has lost her job and housing. The charges still show up on her record as of now and so none of her typical contract work will hire her at the moment. Her mental health has suffered because of this harassment and she said “The charges may be dismissed but that doesn’t bring my home back or my job or the people I had in my life who looked at me differently because of this whole thing now”. With no sense of closure or justice she has been thoroughly abused by this system and now has to work to get to where she was prior to all of this. When asked what justice would look like she said that having disciplinary charges brought against the sheriff and deputies involved would be a good place to start. Some measure of accountability so that this doesnt end up happening to anyone else. If any of our listeners have suggestions for getting Katey the justice she deserves please contact us at [email protected]. This situation has her feeling lost and she would appreciate any advice or direction so that she can help to make sure no one else has to go through this.

   On a warm holiday Sunday in Southwest Washington State, dozens of local queers celebrated the unofficial start of summer by gathering from morning till afternoon for a ‘Big Gay Wedding’ — right outside of a Christian Nationalist hate church that preaches their eradication. On May 28th Vancouver residents came together in solidarity to protest the on going “King James Conference” that was being hosted by christian nationalist hate-preacher and Jack Chick reject Aaron Thompson. Thompson, of Washington’s Sure Foundation Baptist Church, who’s sermons openly call for the genocide of Queer folk received viral attention last November as a video of one of his sermons praising the Club Q mass shooter and calling the atrocity that left 5 dead and 17 injured a “Good Thing” began to make its rounds about the internet.

   CONTENT WARNING genocidal content, slurs, anti LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric, etc

   [Video Clip] https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1595622960731394048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1595622960731394048%7Ctwgr%5E9c82356d2ec8bd61c62cdec9319c4622c6dcad23%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fonlysky.media%2Fhemant-mehta%2Fchristian-hate-preacher-aaron-thompson-club-q-shooting-good-thing%2F

   On the 4th Day of this christian nationalist conference, locals had organized a “Big Gay Wedding” in order to protest the ongoing genocidal rhetoric of the church, including 4 Queer Marriages, multiple musical performances including Gabe from 1876, Indigenous Spoken Word, Drag Show performances by Johnny Nuriel and Isiah, And speeches Kim Harliss from the Vancouver City Council and various local pastors of inclusive churches who came out to support the queer community and speak out against the genocidal rhetoric of the Sure Foundation Baptist Church.

   In the face of rising christo-fascist violence in the United States, organizers did a wonderful job of doing everything in their power to maintain a protest environment that was safe for all members of the community to participate in, they provided free water and snacks for participants, maintained free and clear access to the entrance to the roadway while offering assistance to those pulling out who couldn’t see past the crowd, multiple medics stood near by with first aid and trauma kits, as well as a well armed local community defense group well trained in de escalation tactics who provided security for the event. The preparation taken on by the organizers and the commitment to take seriously the threats of fascism when they arise in their community are great examples of what we should see in our actions. There are many lessons that can be learned from such a wonderful action of queer resistance and militant joy.

   In a Instagram post written by drag performer Johnny Nuriel stated that

   https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs2cVj2OlZO/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg%3D%3D

   For more information about this action, keep a eye out for a report back from The Harbor Rat Report coming soon

   The Everett City Council expanded its “no sit, no lie” law Wednesday, giving the mayor new authority to set buffers around social service providers and areas “highly impacted by street-level issues.”

   The council in 2021 approved the law that created a buffer zone around the Everett Gospel Mission, which runs a homeless shelter on Smith Avenue. The ordinance made lying down and sitting on nearby public property — mainly sidewalks and streets — a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 and 90 days in jail.

   In April, city staff and Mayor Cassie Franklin proposed expanding that law with broad authority for the mayor to make similar buffer zones as she sees appropriate. It also would ban groups and people from giving food, supplies and water to someone on city property in the buffer zones, unless they have a permit.

   On Wednesday, the same day Snohomish County published its annual homelessness snapshot that found an 8.5% growth from last year’s count, the council passed the law on a 4-3 vote.

   Everett City Council President Brenda Stonecipher, who voted for the law, said the buffer zones are imperfect solutions to homelessness but can help persuade residents from opposing service facilities opening near them.

   Council member Paula Rhyne, who voted against the law, said people should have somewhere they can go before being told they can’t be there. Her request to tie the law’s effective date to when the city opens a day shelter failed on a similar 4-3 vote.

   Across the street from Everett City Hall, people who coordinate mutual aid groups and stock a free food pantry and refrigerator in north Everett rallied to decry the ordinance before and during the council meeting Wednesday.

   In a response to this action by the city council, local mutual aid group Punks in the Park said on twitter that the City is already leaving people uninformed of the decisions being made and expressed that the permits mentioned do not exist in reality. They have held demonstrations in opposition to this ordinance and have a call for action currently around this issue.

   Call to Action. Email City Council Members to let them know that we oppose EMC 9.54.000 and EMC 10.35.000 . EMAIL TEMPLATE & COUNCIL EMAILS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE LINKS! . Feel free to write your own thoughts! #homelessnessisnotacrime #housesnothandcuffs #stopthesweeps That linktr.ee is linktr.ee/PunksInThePark.

   https://twitter.com/PunksEverett/status/1653853966126686208

   For more information follow Punks In The Park, Medic Viv, and South Everett Mutual Aid on twitter.

   As mentioned in our last show the Dual Power West Gathering is happening June 2 – 4 an hour outside of Portland, OR. This unconference is being organized by a temporary collective of autonomous organizers in an attempt to spread community, radical ideas, and action throughout the west coast and beyond. Come on out to help organize the event and learn from other participants how we can resist State power and build collective autonomous power outside the State. For more information and to RSVP for the event visit the website dualpowerwest.org

   Monthly Radical News Roundup:

   Its time for our radical news roundup from other autonomous media organizations that we follow. Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of journalists. Unicorn Riot engages and amplifies the stories of social and environmental struggles from the ground up. They seek to enrich the public by transforming the narrative with our accessible non-commercial independent content. You can find the following articles on their website at unicornriot.ninja April 27, 2023 Federal Agents Kill Man in North Minneapolis April 29, 2023 The Battle of Sainte-Soline May 1, 2023 Guilty Verdict in Saint Paul Murder Trial of White Vigilante Not Enough, Says Victim’s Family May 2, 2023 May Day Riots Against Pension Reform in Paris May 3, 2023 Fourth Killer of George Floyd Found Guilty May 4, 2023 One Granted Bond, Two Denied Pretrial Release: Forest Defenders Appear for Preliminary Hearings May 6, 2023 ‘Crimes On Humanity’: UN Visits Minneapolis to Investigate Human Rights After Pressure Campaign

   May 8, 2023 Three Face Felonies for Allegedly Flyering Near Home of One Georgia Trooper Tied to Killing of Forest Defender

   May 10, 2023 Ten Years After Terrance and Ivan Killed by Minneapolis Police May 11, 2023 Andrew Kearse Remembered: Widow Shares the Pain of Losing Her Husband to Police May 16, 2023 Defense Attorney Earl Gray Says Black Foreman is ‘Racist’ After Guilty Verdict, Judge Grants New Hearing May 16, 2023 ‘We Do Not Need a School for Assassins’: Hours of Public Comment Unanimously Against ‘Cop City’ May 17, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History PT. I May 18, 2023 Thousands Attend Vio.Me.’s Celebration of 10 Years of Factory Occupation in Greece May 18, 2023 ‘Cop City’ Panel Member Posted Slurs Online, Archived Tweets Indicate May 19, 2023 Rally Demands Marvin Haynes’ Release from 19 Years Wrongful Imprisonment May 20, 2023 Tale of the City: Gentrification in London – Part 1 May 23, 2023 Judge Rejects White Vigilante’s Defense Motions Against Black Foreman, Sets Sentencing Date

   May 24, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History Rages On, PT. II

   May 25, 2023 Revolution in Every Country Comic Series: Episode 3 – Lebanon: On the Necessity of Intersectionality May 26, 2023 Minneapolis Continues Encampment Evictions, Displacing Hundreds in May May 27, 2023 Palestinian Khader Adnan Dies on Hunger Strike in Israeli Prison May 30, 2023 Rave Against the Machine: How One Rave Promoter Stood Up to the DEA and Won May 30, 2023 ‘Don’t Forget Us’: Forest Defenders Confront Horrors of Life in DeKalb County Jail

   It’s Going Down is a digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements across so-called North America. Their mission is to provide a resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action. You can find the following articles on their website at itsgoingdown.org:

   Apr 28, 23 2023 Statement from Marius Mason Apr 28, 23 Report on March and Encampment at Georgia Tech to Stop Cop City Apr 29, 23 Solidarity Campaign With ‘Florida 4’ Underway Apr 30, 23 Patriot Front Leader Exposed in Flyers in Ann Arbor Apr 30, 23 In Contempt #28: Anti-Repression Campaigns Spread, Barton Jail Hunger Strike May 2, 23 TERF Rally in Trenton NJ, Shut Down by Antifascist Coalition May 2, 23 May Day 2023: Announcing Our Program – The Black Rose Anarchist Federation announces the publishing of the organization’s political program. May 3, 23 This Is America #186: May Day; Fight Against Cop City Continues; Cleveland Anarchist Killed in Ukraine May 4, 23 Remembering Cooper Andrews May 6, 23 People Take the Streets in Occupied Flagstaff to “Honor & Avenge” #MMIWG2ST May 8, 23 Judges Uphold Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Stop Cop City Activists May 8, 23 Final Straw: Trans Resilience in Texas May 8, 23 Anarchist Political Prisoner Dan Baker Needs Support! May 8, 23 Xenophobic Title 42 Ends, Biden’s Immigration Reform Nowhere to Be Found May 10, 23 Neither Condemned, nor Persecuted! Solidarity with Miguel Peralta May 12, 23 Indigenous Resistance in Mexico, Border Militarization, and the End of Title 42 May 13, 23 Betraying the White Race in the 21st Century May 13, 23 SM28 Dissolves: A Balance Sheet May 13, 23 Call for Solidarity from the #EkoniAci Movement! Blockade at KM 16! May 16, 23 Proud Boys Plan Unsuccessful Trap for Antifascists In the Inland Empire May 17, 23 Hitler Saluting “White Lives Matter” Neo-Nazis Chased Off by Locals in Templeton, CA May 18, 23 Urban Ore Workers in Berkeley Win IWW Union Election, Get Ready to Negotiate Contract May 18, 23 Autonomous Distros Give Away Thousands of Trees May 22, 23 Community Mobilizes and Defends Church Drag Event from Proud Boys in Portage, Michigan May 23, 23 System Fail: Rise of AI, Resistance Committees in Sudan, and Defending Squats in Barcelona May 23, 23 Final Straw: Mutual Aid At The Border in Tijuana with El Comedor May 24, 23 Zine Release: Creeker Vol 4 May 24, 23 Antifascists Shut Down Neo-Nazis and Proud Boys Throwing Up Hitler Salutes in Sacramento May 16, 23 Canadian Tire Fire #59: Drag Defense, Mining Shareholder Meeting Disrupted May 21, 23 Storming In: Struggle in Atlanta Against Cop City Continues Despite Repression May 22, 23 “States of Incarceration”: Abolition, Revolt, and Organization May 22, 23 Graffiti Writers Are Painting Over a Pro-Police “Street Art” Campaign Backed by a Tech Billionaire in San Francisco

   May 27, 23 Independent Media in the Social Struggle: An Interview with Avispa Midia

   Crimethought is everything that evades control:

   CrimethInc. is a rebel alliance. CrimethInc. is a banner for anonymous collective action. CrimethInc. is an international network of aspiring revolutionaries. CrimethInc. is a desperate venture.

   2023-04-27 Bash Back! Is Back:Reviving an Insurrectionary Queer Network: An Interview

   2023-05-03 In Memory of Dmitry Petrov: An Incomplete Biography and Translation of His Work

   2023-05-24 Recipes for Disaster: Asphalt Mosaics: A Hot Weather Activity for Lonely Asphalt Near You

   We’re getting the cue thats its time for a short break, when we return we will read from The Harbor Rat Report on a report back on the May Day On The Harbor event presented by the Blackflower Collective titled Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat? , in the meantime Here is Hoquiam’s Blues By the Window Smashing Job Creators. Hit it! https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/full-text-wsjc-1.mp4

   Segment one:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now! Let’s read this article and report back on the third annual May Day on the Harbor held here in Hoquiam.

   Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat?

   Since 1886, May Day has been an important holiday for the global working class. This history is often repressed in this country, being one of a minority that doesn’t celebrate International Worker’s Day on May first, despite being the country which served as the catalyst that created the holiday after the Haymarket Massacre of 1886. In an attempt to rekindle the knowledge of and the respect for that forgotten history – local leftists have put on an annual May Day celebration for three years running.

   Initiated by the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network in 2021, the yearly celebration has grown exponentially since its grassroots beginning in Zelasko Park. An event which included performances by the Plank Island Theater Company. Growing with each passing year, public interest in the event has continued to steadily grow, as turnout has increased with each passing year and local business participation has taken off – including participation from ART HQX, The Blackflower Collective, and Events on Emerson who came together to put on a wonderful May Day On The Harbor for 2023.

   This year had a full day of activities and events, including plenty of historical exhibitions. The third annual May Day on the Harbor event was held at the local event center Events on Emerson and was sponsored by the newest radical project on the Harbor, The Blackflower Collective. The Blackflower Collective has formed around the issues that have arisen from the continued organizing among the unhoused population in the Aberdeen area, such as lack of housing, work, food, and community.

   In that effort of improving conditions for the working class in Grays Harbor and in the spirit of the working class holiday, they have taken on the role of leading a new affinity group on the Harbor called the May Day On The Harbor Planning Committee that we here at Sabot Media have had the pleasure of taking part in. Through our connections with The Blackflower Collective, we helped to develop historical displays, produce video shorts, zines, buttons, and more for the event. We were happy to donate the work to this worthwhile effort and join them in celebration as this years May Day marked the 1st birthday of Sabot Media.

   We were not the only people that showed up to table at this event however. Quite a few guests had come to share in this celebration of working class history with us, other tables at the event included historical displays from our local area and local historian Connie Parsons. The zine distro ‘Historical Seditions’ came with literature and merchandise. One table even offered zines produced during The Center for Especifismo Studies’s Militant Kindergarten coursework. Blackflower Permaculture, an offshoot landscape design team, was there to demonstrate their design services and talk about permaculture in relation to the need for working class food sovereignty. Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network participated again in this years event hosting an info table and collecting signatures for volunteers looking to get involved in mutual aid and community outreach. Our local chapter of Food Not Bombs also arrived in tandem with the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network and catered a community potluck where they served free food including burgers and hot dogs throughout the day. ART HQx also participated in the event by donating art supplies and helping to set up a kid’s corner filled with DIY art projects. Other activities included free face painting, an educational history scavenger hunt, and subsequent prize table.

   A major draw for people seemed to be the live music portion of the day. Various bands from Olympia  including Them Badgers, Virtual Bird, and The Window Smashing Job Creators came down to support our Harborite comrades and hosted a free benefit concert at the 3rd Annual May Day On The Harbor. Citizens and guests of all ages cheered on the guest performances and young and old alike sang along to these songs of freedom.

   And of course the Blackflower Collective themselves were in attendance fundraising for their land projects, selling merchandise and auctioning off a library’s worth of radical literature and other items donated by the community. Their table also hosted a contest to win a brand new Nintendo Switch by entering to guess the correct number of jelly beans contained within a large glass jar.  Many people generously bid on the slew of awesome items up for auction and the word is the event was a huge success for them bringing in somewhere between 150 and 200 attendees throughout the day. “Anytime we can get out into the community and talk to people about the stuff we are so passionate about is a good day.” said one member of the collective when reached for comment.

   In a scene as wholesome as apple pie, the end of the announcements of the auction winners and at the declaration of the winner of the jelly bean count. A little girl in the audience, after having taken a savvy approach to the challenge by using math to approximate the number of jelly beans, was declared the winner and her response was comparable to the excitement of the classic “Nintendo 64 Kid” video.

   The peak of the evenings events though was a moving lecture from labor historian Dr. Aaron Goings who gave a historical presentation about the radical working class history here on the Harbor as discussed in his books by the titles of “Port of Missing Men” & “The Red Coast”. During the duration of his talk Dr. Goings brought to attention the life of William McKay, an Aberdeen resident and member of the International Workers of The World who was murdered on the picket line 100 years ago in 1923 while protesting for the release of political prisoners captured by the state in a concentrated effort to demoralize the working class and the burgeoning labor movement.

   The oration concluded with a final message written on the banner of William McKay’s funeral procession: “Fellow Worker William McKay, killed by a company gunman, a victim of capitalist greed, We Never Forget?” As 100 Years have passed since the death of William Mckay, as 100 years have passed since the their death was last spoken to the public ear, the question mark at the end of this banner has become less of a question, and more of a challenge, a challenge to remember, a challenge to preserve the history of the working class. What will the future histories told of today be? Will they be stories of workers lives and struggles, or will they be stories of the era’s capitalists? Who will be the victors that write the histories of tomorrow? Of the struggles facing the modern working class, will “We Never Forget?”

   As we look back on the past and the many tragic and joyous things that have occurred on the first of May, it is wonderful to see how much our small community has grown over the years. Years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. But years of growth and community too, years of comradery and delicious meals. One local fascist once called out the communities very first May Day on the Harbor (since the collapse of the labor movement) for “falling flat”, in a post made to their now defunct blog site, despite having a decent turn out for the length of preparation and resources available for the first May Day Event.

   We can only laugh at that short lived fascist blog and it’s attempts to undermine the work of Harborite radicals as we smile and look on towards the future. Though many trials and obstacles await, we will continue to out grow the fascist creep and continue to do everything we can to bring class consciousness to the Harbor. As we look forward to the fourth annual May Day On The Harbor in 2024 with the experience of our past successful events under our belts we wonder, “Will the local leftist festivities continue to fall flat?”

   We hope so…

   Were getting the cue its time for a musical break, when we come back we will be interviewing Dr Aaron Goings about his presentation at May Day on the Harbor 2023, but until then here is THem Badgers LIVE from May Day.

   https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/untitled.mp3

   Segment two:

   Welcome back to Molotov Now!

   Feature Dr. Aaron Goings interview.

   Conclusion:

   So in conclusion there are loads of lessons to be learned by studying the past. Lessons that are directly applicable to our current day struggles. We can learn that it is wrong to trust the ruling class will ever do anything but consolidate power and serve it’s own interest. We can learn that the police, courts, politicians, and major institutions will always side with the status quo and work together to organize against the interest of the working class. The history of the working class struggle is incredibly violent, and we can learn from that as we prepare our actions in the present. Power will never grant the demands of the workers, we must organize to take what we want without asking. It is not enough to go to the boss with demands, that has never worked. What we need to do is realize that we dont need the boss at all, worker co-ops can replace the union negotiations with the bosses.

   We need to be organizing outside of our small circles, we need to be talking to and interacting with masses of people. People who may not be anarchists neccessarily, but who want to see a better, more liberated world. We need to road test our ideas in the real world, alongside people with diverse opinions and life experiences, not silo ourselves off into smaller and smaller designations. The core of our work needs to be rooted in joy, and the core joy of anarchy is that it is accessible to all. It is the spread of these ideals that we need to be concerned with. Not evangelizing about sacred texts but through living and practicing the very concepts in our daily lives for people to see and experience. Showing someone anarchy is going to go a lot further towards convinvcing them of its merits than merely telling them about it or having them read it in a book. Our actions are what is important, and it is by examining the actions of others in our region that we can find accomplices in our revolutionary work, not by listening to what people say, but by looking at what they do.

   Outro:

   Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Molotov Now! We hope you found it informative and inspiring. Our goal with the podcast is to reach out beyond our boundaries and connect the happenings in our small town with the struggles going on in major urban centers. We want to talk to you if your a big city organizer, we think we have a lot you can learn from, and we know you have much to teach us. If you would like to come on the show please email us at [email protected] with the header “Molotov Now!” and we will be in touch about setting up an interview and crafting an episode to feature you.

   We want to give a shout out to our friends at:

   • S: The South Florida Anti-Repression Committee who have launched a solidairty campaign for two individuals facing 12 years for an alleged graffiti attack on a fake Christian anti-choice clinic that does not provide any reproductive care. This Federal overreach and use of the FACE Act, an act meant to protect people visiting reproductive clinics from harassment, is unprecedented. To support this solidarity campaign please visit bit.ly/freeourfighters
   • C: We want to thank The Blackflower Collective for their continued support and wish them luck in their fundraising efforts. To support them or learn more their website is blackflowercollective.noblogs.org.
   • S: Kolektiva, the anarchist mastodon server, is growing faster than ever thanks to Elon Musk’s stupidity as many activists close their accounts for bluer skies as can be seen in the fluctuation of followers over on IGD’s socials, join at kolektiva.social (spell kolektiva) and follow us and other online activists on decentralized federated internet.
   • C: Don’t forget to go to bit.ly/lakotalawicwa and sign the petition by the Lakota Peoples Law Project telling Joe Biden and attorneys for the Department of Justice to do everything in their power to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act and defend Secretary Deb Haaland.
   • S: Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network is holding a fundraiser to purchase a brand new canopy tent for their weekly meals with Food Not Bombs. To donate visit linktr.ee/crmutualaidnet
   • C: Don’t forget The Communique is looking for artist and author submissions, please write to [email protected] to submit your entry before June 7th for our Summer Solstice edition.
   • S: As reported previously, Katey Hussey is still struggling in the wake of harrassment by Dayton Police that has cost her their employment and housing. Luckily it appears as though the charges against her have been dropped. But she has lost everything because of this and still faces an uphill battle getting back on her feet. Please send any donations to Venmo @katyHussey or Cashapp $KatyHussey to help them during this time.
   • C: Thank you to Pixel Passionate for producing our soundtrack, please check out their website at www.radicalpraxisclothing.com and check out their portfolio in our show notes
   • S: and finally we were recently featured on an episode of Live Like The World Is Dying, where we delved into the dichotomies between rural and urban organizing and the plans for the radical future of the Harbor. To check it out visit the new webpage blackflowercollective.noblogs.org/press/

   Remember to check out Sabot Media’s website for new episodes, articles, comics, and columns. We have new content all the time. Make sure you follow, like, and subscribe on your favorite corporate data mining platform of choice and go ahead and make the switch to federated social media on the kolektiva mastodon server today @AberdeenLocal1312 for updates on Sabot Media projects such as The Harbor Rat Report, The Communique, The Saboteurs, our podcast Molotov Now! and many other upcoming projects.

   That’s all for tonight. Please remember to spay and neuter your cats and don’t forget to vote.
   Solidarity Comrades,
   This is Molotov Now! Signing off

    

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   #186 #28 #59 #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st

   https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/episode-7-interview-with-dr-aaron-goings/

   #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st
10. 

    sabotmedia @[email protected] · 2023-06-01 · 06:58 UTC

    Download and Subscribe: RSS

    Find us on Itunes, IHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please like, rate, and review us. Tell your friends about it. To support us use the Blackflower Collective account on Patreon.

    Outline:

    S: This is Sprout

    C: and this is Charyan, and we are the hosts of Molotov Now!, thank you for joining us on this episode of the podcast.

    S: On this episode we will be Interviewing Dr. Aaron Goings about their presentation regarding the 100th year anniversary of the death of a local wobbly named William McKay at the May Day On The Harbor Celebration put on by the Blackflower Collective and doing a report back on the days festivities, but before we go on with our regularly scheduled Radical News Round Up we here at Molotov Now! have an announcement regarding the future of our podcast that we would like to share with our listeners.

    C: That’s right as of now we are officially Co-Conspirators of the Channel Zero Network

    S: Hold on Charyan, what is the Channel Zero Network?

    C: I’m glad you asked,

    Channel Zero is an English-based anarchist radio/podcast network run by radical media makers. We are here to present anarchist analysis & context to deepen peoples understanding of the situation and broaden the struggle. We share stories from the front-lines, lessons from history, and battle-tested ideas to spread revolutionary practices.

    During these days of late capitalism & rising nationalism we are constantly bombarded with right wing radio and shallow liberal analysis with the threat of fascism. Everything in this framework falls within parameters set by the state and offers no way out. We present perspectives that exist outside of that paradigm through interviews, documentaries, panel discussions and audio-zines.

    Fuck what you heard, this is resistance.

    S: This is gonna be sick

    C: For sure but along with a new platform that allows us the opportunity to bridge the divide between rural and urban radicals comes a fresh start with a new format for the podcast. We will be limiting our reporting for the time being to our radical news round up and stories specific to radical organizing within the Pacific Northwest and the Grays Harbor Area, as well as warning the people about those mischievous Sabot Cats.

    S: We hope this in turn will allow us the time needed to sharpen the focus on the main content of our episodes, start planning for future episodes, and hopefully in the near future with your support and donations we may be able to begin to better fortify the defenses in our recording studio from the Sabot Cats in order to start posting on a bi weekly schedule as opposed to monthly and bring you twice the content .

    C: So be sure to check us out on the Channel Zero Network as well as other great podcasts such as Its Going Down, The Final Straw, Indigenous Action, Grounded Futures, and many more. If you enjoy this content and would like to see more of it please consider donating to our sponsor the Blackflower Collective, you can find all the ways to donate them at linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

    S: The Blackflower Collective LLC is a worker-owned and operated enterprise dedicated to the creation of a world in which individuals have the autonomy, knowledge and resources to create fulfilling lives and communities free of oppression.

    Blackflower’s mission is to learn together the ways in which to healthily relate to each other and our environment. They seek to sustain and nourish the collective through fulfilling work, personal empowerment and equitable compensation while providing a hub for political thought and culture in Grays Harbor County.

    Their goal is to provide low income housing to people facing homelessness. Pairing this living experience with a social center that provides for the needs of the residents and wider community.

    C: If you are interested in participating in or donating to this project for more information please visit linktr.ee/blackflowerllc.

    S: We will return after these brief messages, when we come back we will kick this episode off with our regularly scheduled Radical News Roundup, but for now a word from our sponsors.

    Local News:

    Welcome back to Molotov Now! Time for the news.

    In Local News:

    The third annual May Day on the Harbor was held on the first of May, or International Worker’s Day, in Hoquiam this year. More on that later in the show.

    Picking up on a story that we have been covering in Dayton Washington…

    After years of harassment at the hands of her local law enforcement, we are please to announce that the charges against Katey Hussey have been dropped. After going to court the prosecutor has decided to drop all charges relating to her case. This is likely because if the case had gone to trial the police department would have ended up looking bad if not loosing the case outright. This is great news but Katey still faces a tough battle to regain what has been stolen from her. During and because of this ordeal she has lost her job and housing. The charges still show up on her record as of now and so none of her typical contract work will hire her at the moment. Her mental health has suffered because of this harassment and she said “The charges may be dismissed but that doesn’t bring my home back or my job or the people I had in my life who looked at me differently because of this whole thing now”. With no sense of closure or justice she has been thoroughly abused by this system and now has to work to get to where she was prior to all of this. When asked what justice would look like she said that having disciplinary charges brought against the sheriff and deputies involved would be a good place to start. Some measure of accountability so that this doesnt end up happening to anyone else. If any of our listeners have suggestions for getting Katey the justice she deserves please contact us at [email protected]. This situation has her feeling lost and she would appreciate any advice or direction so that she can help to make sure no one else has to go through this.

    On a warm holiday Sunday in Southwest Washington State, dozens of local queers celebrated the unofficial start of summer by gathering from morning till afternoon for a ‘Big Gay Wedding’ — right outside of a Christian Nationalist hate church that preaches their eradication. On May 28th Vancouver residents came together in solidarity to protest the on going “King James Conference” that was being hosted by christian nationalist hate-preacher and Jack Chick reject Aaron Thompson. Thompson, of Washington’s Sure Foundation Baptist Church, who’s sermons openly call for the genocide of Queer folk received viral attention last November as a video of one of his sermons praising the Club Q mass shooter and calling the atrocity that left 5 dead and 17 injured a “Good Thing” began to make its rounds about the internet.

    CONTENT WARNING genocidal content, slurs, anti LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric, etc

    [Video Clip] https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1595622960731394048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1595622960731394048%7Ctwgr%5E9c82356d2ec8bd61c62cdec9319c4622c6dcad23%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fonlysky.media%2Fhemant-mehta%2Fchristian-hate-preacher-aaron-thompson-club-q-shooting-good-thing%2F

    On the 4th Day of this christian nationalist conference, locals had organized a “Big Gay Wedding” in order to protest the ongoing genocidal rhetoric of the church, including 4 Queer Marriages, multiple musical performances including Gabe from 1876, Indigenous Spoken Word, Drag Show performances by Johnny Nuriel and Isiah, And speeches Kim Harliss from the Vancouver City Council and various local pastors of inclusive churches who came out to support the queer community and speak out against the genocidal rhetoric of the Sure Foundation Baptist Church.

    In the face of rising christo-fascist violence in the United States, organizers did a wonderful job of doing everything in their power to maintain a protest environment that was safe for all members of the community to participate in, they provided free water and snacks for participants, maintained free and clear access to the entrance to the roadway while offering assistance to those pulling out who couldn’t see past the crowd, multiple medics stood near by with first aid and trauma kits, as well as a well armed local community defense group well trained in de escalation tactics who provided security for the event. The preparation taken on by the organizers and the commitment to take seriously the threats of fascism when they arise in their community are great examples of what we should see in our actions. There are many lessons that can be learned from such a wonderful action of queer resistance and militant joy.

    In a Instagram post written by drag performer Johnny Nuriel stated that

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs2cVj2OlZO/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg%3D%3D

    For more information about this action, keep a eye out for a report back from The Harbor Rat Report coming soon

    The Everett City Council expanded its “no sit, no lie” law Wednesday, giving the mayor new authority to set buffers around social service providers and areas “highly impacted by street-level issues.”

    The council in 2021 approved the law that created a buffer zone around the Everett Gospel Mission, which runs a homeless shelter on Smith Avenue. The ordinance made lying down and sitting on nearby public property — mainly sidewalks and streets — a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 and 90 days in jail.

    In April, city staff and Mayor Cassie Franklin proposed expanding that law with broad authority for the mayor to make similar buffer zones as she sees appropriate. It also would ban groups and people from giving food, supplies and water to someone on city property in the buffer zones, unless they have a permit.

    On Wednesday, the same day Snohomish County published its annual homelessness snapshot that found an 8.5% growth from last year’s count, the council passed the law on a 4-3 vote.

    Everett City Council President Brenda Stonecipher, who voted for the law, said the buffer zones are imperfect solutions to homelessness but can help persuade residents from opposing service facilities opening near them.

    Council member Paula Rhyne, who voted against the law, said people should have somewhere they can go before being told they can’t be there. Her request to tie the law’s effective date to when the city opens a day shelter failed on a similar 4-3 vote.

    Across the street from Everett City Hall, people who coordinate mutual aid groups and stock a free food pantry and refrigerator in north Everett rallied to decry the ordinance before and during the council meeting Wednesday.

    In a response to this action by the city council, local mutual aid group Punks in the Park said on twitter that the City is already leaving people uninformed of the decisions being made and expressed that the permits mentioned do not exist in reality. They have held demonstrations in opposition to this ordinance and have a call for action currently around this issue.

    Call to Action. Email City Council Members to let them know that we oppose EMC 9.54.000 and EMC 10.35.000 . EMAIL TEMPLATE & COUNCIL EMAILS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE LINKS! . Feel free to write your own thoughts! #homelessnessisnotacrime #housesnothandcuffs #stopthesweeps That linktr.ee is linktr.ee/PunksInThePark.

    https://twitter.com/PunksEverett/status/1653853966126686208

    For more information follow Punks In The Park, Medic Viv, and South Everett Mutual Aid on twitter.

    As mentioned in our last show the Dual Power West Gathering is happening June 2 – 4 an hour outside of Portland, OR. This unconference is being organized by a temporary collective of autonomous organizers in an attempt to spread community, radical ideas, and action throughout the west coast and beyond. Come on out to help organize the event and learn from other participants how we can resist State power and build collective autonomous power outside the State. For more information and to RSVP for the event visit the website dualpowerwest.org

    Monthly Radical News Roundup:

    Its time for our radical news roundup from other autonomous media organizations that we follow. Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of journalists. Unicorn Riot engages and amplifies the stories of social and environmental struggles from the ground up. They seek to enrich the public by transforming the narrative with our accessible non-commercial independent content. You can find the following articles on their website at unicornriot.ninja April 27, 2023 Federal Agents Kill Man in North Minneapolis April 29, 2023 The Battle of Sainte-Soline May 1, 2023 Guilty Verdict in Saint Paul Murder Trial of White Vigilante Not Enough, Says Victim’s Family May 2, 2023 May Day Riots Against Pension Reform in Paris May 3, 2023 Fourth Killer of George Floyd Found Guilty May 4, 2023 One Granted Bond, Two Denied Pretrial Release: Forest Defenders Appear for Preliminary Hearings May 6, 2023 ‘Crimes On Humanity’: UN Visits Minneapolis to Investigate Human Rights After Pressure Campaign

    May 8, 2023 Three Face Felonies for Allegedly Flyering Near Home of One Georgia Trooper Tied to Killing of Forest Defender

    May 10, 2023 Ten Years After Terrance and Ivan Killed by Minneapolis Police May 11, 2023 Andrew Kearse Remembered: Widow Shares the Pain of Losing Her Husband to Police May 16, 2023 Defense Attorney Earl Gray Says Black Foreman is ‘Racist’ After Guilty Verdict, Judge Grants New Hearing May 16, 2023 ‘We Do Not Need a School for Assassins’: Hours of Public Comment Unanimously Against ‘Cop City’ May 17, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History PT. I May 18, 2023 Thousands Attend Vio.Me.’s Celebration of 10 Years of Factory Occupation in Greece May 18, 2023 ‘Cop City’ Panel Member Posted Slurs Online, Archived Tweets Indicate May 19, 2023 Rally Demands Marvin Haynes’ Release from 19 Years Wrongful Imprisonment May 20, 2023 Tale of the City: Gentrification in London – Part 1 May 23, 2023 Judge Rejects White Vigilante’s Defense Motions Against Black Foreman, Sets Sentencing Date

    May 24, 2023 The Battle at NagaWorld: The Longest Strike in Cambodian History Rages On, PT. II

    May 25, 2023 Revolution in Every Country Comic Series: Episode 3 – Lebanon: On the Necessity of Intersectionality May 26, 2023 Minneapolis Continues Encampment Evictions, Displacing Hundreds in May May 27, 2023 Palestinian Khader Adnan Dies on Hunger Strike in Israeli Prison May 30, 2023 Rave Against the Machine: How One Rave Promoter Stood Up to the DEA and Won May 30, 2023 ‘Don’t Forget Us’: Forest Defenders Confront Horrors of Life in DeKalb County Jail

    It’s Going Down is a digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements across so-called North America. Their mission is to provide a resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action. You can find the following articles on their website at itsgoingdown.org:

    Apr 28, 23 2023 Statement from Marius Mason Apr 28, 23 Report on March and Encampment at Georgia Tech to Stop Cop City Apr 29, 23 Solidarity Campaign With ‘Florida 4’ Underway Apr 30, 23 Patriot Front Leader Exposed in Flyers in Ann Arbor Apr 30, 23 In Contempt #28: Anti-Repression Campaigns Spread, Barton Jail Hunger Strike May 2, 23 TERF Rally in Trenton NJ, Shut Down by Antifascist Coalition May 2, 23 May Day 2023: Announcing Our Program – The Black Rose Anarchist Federation announces the publishing of the organization’s political program. May 3, 23 This Is America #186: May Day; Fight Against Cop City Continues; Cleveland Anarchist Killed in Ukraine May 4, 23 Remembering Cooper Andrews May 6, 23 People Take the Streets in Occupied Flagstaff to “Honor & Avenge” #MMIWG2ST May 8, 23 Judges Uphold Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Stop Cop City Activists May 8, 23 Final Straw: Trans Resilience in Texas May 8, 23 Anarchist Political Prisoner Dan Baker Needs Support! May 8, 23 Xenophobic Title 42 Ends, Biden’s Immigration Reform Nowhere to Be Found May 10, 23 Neither Condemned, nor Persecuted! Solidarity with Miguel Peralta May 12, 23 Indigenous Resistance in Mexico, Border Militarization, and the End of Title 42 May 13, 23 Betraying the White Race in the 21st Century May 13, 23 SM28 Dissolves: A Balance Sheet May 13, 23 Call for Solidarity from the #EkoniAci Movement! Blockade at KM 16! May 16, 23 Proud Boys Plan Unsuccessful Trap for Antifascists In the Inland Empire May 17, 23 Hitler Saluting “White Lives Matter” Neo-Nazis Chased Off by Locals in Templeton, CA May 18, 23 Urban Ore Workers in Berkeley Win IWW Union Election, Get Ready to Negotiate Contract May 18, 23 Autonomous Distros Give Away Thousands of Trees May 22, 23 Community Mobilizes and Defends Church Drag Event from Proud Boys in Portage, Michigan May 23, 23 System Fail: Rise of AI, Resistance Committees in Sudan, and Defending Squats in Barcelona May 23, 23 Final Straw: Mutual Aid At The Border in Tijuana with El Comedor May 24, 23 Zine Release: Creeker Vol 4 May 24, 23 Antifascists Shut Down Neo-Nazis and Proud Boys Throwing Up Hitler Salutes in Sacramento May 16, 23 Canadian Tire Fire #59: Drag Defense, Mining Shareholder Meeting Disrupted May 21, 23 Storming In: Struggle in Atlanta Against Cop City Continues Despite Repression May 22, 23 “States of Incarceration”: Abolition, Revolt, and Organization May 22, 23 Graffiti Writers Are Painting Over a Pro-Police “Street Art” Campaign Backed by a Tech Billionaire in San Francisco

    May 27, 23 Independent Media in the Social Struggle: An Interview with Avispa Midia

    Crimethought is everything that evades control:

    CrimethInc. is a rebel alliance. CrimethInc. is a banner for anonymous collective action. CrimethInc. is an international network of aspiring revolutionaries. CrimethInc. is a desperate venture.

    2023-04-27 Bash Back! Is Back:Reviving an Insurrectionary Queer Network: An Interview

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    We’re getting the cue thats its time for a short break, when we return we will read from The Harbor Rat Report on a report back on the May Day On The Harbor event presented by the Blackflower Collective titled Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat? , in the meantime Here is Hoquiam’s Blues By the Window Smashing Job Creators. Hit it! https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/full-text-wsjc-1.mp4

    Segment one:

    Welcome back to Molotov Now! Let’s read this article and report back on the third annual May Day on the Harbor held here in Hoquiam.

    Local Leftist Festivities Fall Flat?

    Since 1886, May Day has been an important holiday for the global working class. This history is often repressed in this country, being one of a minority that doesn’t celebrate International Worker’s Day on May first, despite being the country which served as the catalyst that created the holiday after the Haymarket Massacre of 1886. In an attempt to rekindle the knowledge of and the respect for that forgotten history – local leftists have put on an annual May Day celebration for three years running.

    Initiated by the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network in 2021, the yearly celebration has grown exponentially since its grassroots beginning in Zelasko Park. An event which included performances by the Plank Island Theater Company. Growing with each passing year, public interest in the event has continued to steadily grow, as turnout has increased with each passing year and local business participation has taken off – including participation from ART HQX, The Blackflower Collective, and Events on Emerson who came together to put on a wonderful May Day On The Harbor for 2023.

    This year had a full day of activities and events, including plenty of historical exhibitions. The third annual May Day on the Harbor event was held at the local event center Events on Emerson and was sponsored by the newest radical project on the Harbor, The Blackflower Collective. The Blackflower Collective has formed around the issues that have arisen from the continued organizing among the unhoused population in the Aberdeen area, such as lack of housing, work, food, and community.

    In that effort of improving conditions for the working class in Grays Harbor and in the spirit of the working class holiday, they have taken on the role of leading a new affinity group on the Harbor called the May Day On The Harbor Planning Committee that we here at Sabot Media have had the pleasure of taking part in. Through our connections with The Blackflower Collective, we helped to develop historical displays, produce video shorts, zines, buttons, and more for the event. We were happy to donate the work to this worthwhile effort and join them in celebration as this years May Day marked the 1st birthday of Sabot Media.

    We were not the only people that showed up to table at this event however. Quite a few guests had come to share in this celebration of working class history with us, other tables at the event included historical displays from our local area and local historian Connie Parsons. The zine distro ‘Historical Seditions’ came with literature and merchandise. One table even offered zines produced during The Center for Especifismo Studies’s Militant Kindergarten coursework. Blackflower Permaculture, an offshoot landscape design team, was there to demonstrate their design services and talk about permaculture in relation to the need for working class food sovereignty. Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network participated again in this years event hosting an info table and collecting signatures for volunteers looking to get involved in mutual aid and community outreach. Our local chapter of Food Not Bombs also arrived in tandem with the Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network and catered a community potluck where they served free food including burgers and hot dogs throughout the day. ART HQx also participated in the event by donating art supplies and helping to set up a kid’s corner filled with DIY art projects. Other activities included free face painting, an educational history scavenger hunt, and subsequent prize table.

    A major draw for people seemed to be the live music portion of the day. Various bands from Olympia  including Them Badgers, Virtual Bird, and The Window Smashing Job Creators came down to support our Harborite comrades and hosted a free benefit concert at the 3rd Annual May Day On The Harbor. Citizens and guests of all ages cheered on the guest performances and young and old alike sang along to these songs of freedom.

    And of course the Blackflower Collective themselves were in attendance fundraising for their land projects, selling merchandise and auctioning off a library’s worth of radical literature and other items donated by the community. Their table also hosted a contest to win a brand new Nintendo Switch by entering to guess the correct number of jelly beans contained within a large glass jar.  Many people generously bid on the slew of awesome items up for auction and the word is the event was a huge success for them bringing in somewhere between 150 and 200 attendees throughout the day. “Anytime we can get out into the community and talk to people about the stuff we are so passionate about is a good day.” said one member of the collective when reached for comment.

    In a scene as wholesome as apple pie, the end of the announcements of the auction winners and at the declaration of the winner of the jelly bean count. A little girl in the audience, after having taken a savvy approach to the challenge by using math to approximate the number of jelly beans, was declared the winner and her response was comparable to the excitement of the classic “Nintendo 64 Kid” video.

    The peak of the evenings events though was a moving lecture from labor historian Dr. Aaron Goings who gave a historical presentation about the radical working class history here on the Harbor as discussed in his books by the titles of “Port of Missing Men” & “The Red Coast”. During the duration of his talk Dr. Goings brought to attention the life of William McKay, an Aberdeen resident and member of the International Workers of The World who was murdered on the picket line 100 years ago in 1923 while protesting for the release of political prisoners captured by the state in a concentrated effort to demoralize the working class and the burgeoning labor movement.

    The oration concluded with a final message written on the banner of William McKay’s funeral procession: “Fellow Worker William McKay, killed by a company gunman, a victim of capitalist greed, We Never Forget?” As 100 Years have passed since the death of William Mckay, as 100 years have passed since the their death was last spoken to the public ear, the question mark at the end of this banner has become less of a question, and more of a challenge, a challenge to remember, a challenge to preserve the history of the working class. What will the future histories told of today be? Will they be stories of workers lives and struggles, or will they be stories of the era’s capitalists? Who will be the victors that write the histories of tomorrow? Of the struggles facing the modern working class, will “We Never Forget?”

    As we look back on the past and the many tragic and joyous things that have occurred on the first of May, it is wonderful to see how much our small community has grown over the years. Years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. But years of growth and community too, years of comradery and delicious meals. One local fascist once called out the communities very first May Day on the Harbor (since the collapse of the labor movement) for “falling flat”, in a post made to their now defunct blog site, despite having a decent turn out for the length of preparation and resources available for the first May Day Event.

    We can only laugh at that short lived fascist blog and it’s attempts to undermine the work of Harborite radicals as we smile and look on towards the future. Though many trials and obstacles await, we will continue to out grow the fascist creep and continue to do everything we can to bring class consciousness to the Harbor. As we look forward to the fourth annual May Day On The Harbor in 2024 with the experience of our past successful events under our belts we wonder, “Will the local leftist festivities continue to fall flat?”

    We hope so…

    Were getting the cue its time for a musical break, when we come back we will be interviewing Dr Aaron Goings about his presentation at May Day on the Harbor 2023, but until then here is THem Badgers LIVE from May Day.

    https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/files/2023/05/untitled.mp3

    Segment two:

    Welcome back to Molotov Now!

    Feature Dr. Aaron Goings interview.

    Conclusion:

    So in conclusion there are loads of lessons to be learned by studying the past. Lessons that are directly applicable to our current day struggles. We can learn that it is wrong to trust the ruling class will ever do anything but consolidate power and serve it’s own interest. We can learn that the police, courts, politicians, and major institutions will always side with the status quo and work together to organize against the interest of the working class. The history of the working class struggle is incredibly violent, and we can learn from that as we prepare our actions in the present. Power will never grant the demands of the workers, we must organize to take what we want without asking. It is not enough to go to the boss with demands, that has never worked. What we need to do is realize that we dont need the boss at all, worker co-ops can replace the union negotiations with the bosses.

    We need to be organizing outside of our small circles, we need to be talking to and interacting with masses of people. People who may not be anarchists neccessarily, but who want to see a better, more liberated world. We need to road test our ideas in the real world, alongside people with diverse opinions and life experiences, not silo ourselves off into smaller and smaller designations. The core of our work needs to be rooted in joy, and the core joy of anarchy is that it is accessible to all. It is the spread of these ideals that we need to be concerned with. Not evangelizing about sacred texts but through living and practicing the very concepts in our daily lives for people to see and experience. Showing someone anarchy is going to go a lot further towards convinvcing them of its merits than merely telling them about it or having them read it in a book. Our actions are what is important, and it is by examining the actions of others in our region that we can find accomplices in our revolutionary work, not by listening to what people say, but by looking at what they do.

    Outro:

    Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Molotov Now! We hope you found it informative and inspiring. Our goal with the podcast is to reach out beyond our boundaries and connect the happenings in our small town with the struggles going on in major urban centers. We want to talk to you if your a big city organizer, we think we have a lot you can learn from, and we know you have much to teach us. If you would like to come on the show please email us at [email protected] with the header “Molotov Now!” and we will be in touch about setting up an interview and crafting an episode to feature you.

    We want to give a shout out to our friends at:

    • S: The South Florida Anti-Repression Committee who have launched a solidairty campaign for two individuals facing 12 years for an alleged graffiti attack on a fake Christian anti-choice clinic that does not provide any reproductive care. This Federal overreach and use of the FACE Act, an act meant to protect people visiting reproductive clinics from harassment, is unprecedented. To support this solidarity campaign please visit bit.ly/freeourfighters
    • C: We want to thank The Blackflower Collective for their continued support and wish them luck in their fundraising efforts. To support them or learn more their website is blackflowercollective.noblogs.org.
    • S: Kolektiva, the anarchist mastodon server, is growing faster than ever thanks to Elon Musk’s stupidity as many activists close their accounts for bluer skies as can be seen in the fluctuation of followers over on IGD’s socials, join at kolektiva.social (spell kolektiva) and follow us and other online activists on decentralized federated internet.
    • C: Don’t forget to go to bit.ly/lakotalawicwa and sign the petition by the Lakota Peoples Law Project telling Joe Biden and attorneys for the Department of Justice to do everything in their power to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act and defend Secretary Deb Haaland.
    • S: Chehalis River Mutual Aid Network is holding a fundraiser to purchase a brand new canopy tent for their weekly meals with Food Not Bombs. To donate visit linktr.ee/crmutualaidnet
    • C: Don’t forget The Communique is looking for artist and author submissions, please write to [email protected] to submit your entry before June 7th for our Summer Solstice edition.
    • S: As reported previously, Katey Hussey is still struggling in the wake of harrassment by Dayton Police that has cost her their employment and housing. Luckily it appears as though the charges against her have been dropped. But she has lost everything because of this and still faces an uphill battle getting back on her feet. Please send any donations to Venmo @katyHussey or Cashapp $KatyHussey to help them during this time.
    • C: Thank you to Pixel Passionate for producing our soundtrack, please check out their website at www.radicalpraxisclothing.com and check out their portfolio in our show notes
    • S: and finally we were recently featured on an episode of Live Like The World Is Dying, where we delved into the dichotomies between rural and urban organizing and the plans for the radical future of the Harbor. To check it out visit the new webpage blackflowercollective.noblogs.org/press/

    Remember to check out Sabot Media’s website for new episodes, articles, comics, and columns. We have new content all the time. Make sure you follow, like, and subscribe on your favorite corporate data mining platform of choice and go ahead and make the switch to federated social media on the kolektiva mastodon server today @AberdeenLocal1312 for updates on Sabot Media projects such as The Harbor Rat Report, The Communique, The Saboteurs, our podcast Molotov Now! and many other upcoming projects.

    That’s all for tonight. Please remember to spay and neuter your cats and don’t forget to vote.
    Solidarity Comrades,
    This is Molotov Now! Signing off

     

    Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook on Google+

    #186 #28 #59 #ekoniaci #mmiwg2st

    https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/episode-7-interview-with-dr-aaron-goings/

    #mmiwg2st #ekoniaci
11. 

    Sharon A. Hill @[email protected] · 2023-02-09 · 01:21 UTC

    Anomalous claims from Turkey-Syria earthquake 2023

    With a flood of images and videos coming out of the affected area in southern and central Turkey and western Syria from the February 6, 2023 series of quakes, there are MANY inaccuracies, misattributed content, conspiracies, and pseudoscientific claims being shared and promoted by nonexperts.

    It is sad because the real disaster provided more than enough drama to handle. The images from Turkey (Turkiye) and Syria are horrific and disturbing. It is detestable that fake information is embraced and often used for ugly purposes. In this post, I collect some of the more prominent bullshit circulating about the catastrophic event and point out that it’s not that difficult to spot the problems. In short, do not distribute such posts on social media until you have multiple and legitimate sources to support outrageous claims being made.

    Earthquake lights videos

    The following video seems legitimate and appeared on social media shortly after the quake. It was supposedly from Hatay province but I can’t verify that. The video depicts flashing lights in the sky that were then interpreted as “earthquake lights”.

    Some details to note: The shaking is not particularly bad at first. The blue flashes are seen in the distance. The second large flash (around 0:13) coincides with the lights going out in the foreground. As the shaking really affects the person with the camera, you can see blue flashes nearer to the location, possibly along the street. All of these characteristics together suggest we are seeing electrical transformers exploding and power lines arcing as they are broken.

    In addition, an Italian site noted that there was stormy weather in the area at the time. So, possibly some of the lightning (in this or other videos of “earthquake lightning”) could have just been typical lightning.

    As with other examples, such as those seen in the past few years in Mexico City and New Zealand, which look similar, odds are they are a result of electricity failures. They are not “piezoelectric” or “triboluminescence” as many armchair scientists are positing on social media. Those are over-simplistic and mistaken ideas about how earthquake lights might manifest. Beware of “experts” who suddenly speak authoritatively using big words who aren’t citing legitimate scientific research.

    See the Spooky Geology EARTHQUAKE LIGHTS feature

    Another frequently shared video said to depict the sky during the time of the quake is far less credible. It’s not clear where this one came from but it shows pinkish-white flashes of light. Again, these appear to be explosions. However, most viewers ignore the date which is either set wrong or is evidence that this was not taken at the time of the quake because it reads 11-23-2022.

    Title reads in Turkish “a beam of light appeared at the time of the earthquake”

    Worse than using old and outdated ideas, many are speculating that the sky flashes are related to HAARP – a research program that runs experiments and makes observations on the upper atmosphere. It has absolutely nothing to do with this research center which is located in Alaska. Anyone who suggests HAARP as a cause is steeped in conspiratorial content and doesn’t understand what HAARP is or how it works.

    Finally, images and videos depicting a raging fire in the distance are genuine. But this did not occur prior to the quake but after as a result of gas fires that ignited after lines were damaged.

    Animals acting strangely

    The first video that came out suggesting that animals were behaving strangely prior to the quake was this one of birds flying around the city.

    There is no indication of time or location in this short. When I first noticed it via Twitter feed, commenters said this was not unusual. Unless we have more detail and comparisons, there is nothing we can conclude about this video to say that animals (birds) reacted to some unusual environmental condition. One observation is that the birds are flying and landing; they are not flying away. If the birds detected some natural disaster, one would expect they would exit, not land.

    A security camera recorded a free-roaming dog howling in the street. The context was added that it happened prior to the quake. Again, there is no indication of time or place. The earthquake took place at 4:15 AM local time. We don’t know how long prior to the event this dog let loose his mournful howl or why. The claim was submitted to the Snopes fact checking site but they came to no conclusions. While unnerving, a random dog howling in the street does not mean that animals know what is coming.

    Anomalies in the sky

    In mid-January, social media feeds were excited over a strange red lenticular cloud that appeared over the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa. Because Chinese culture associates strange clouds with earthquakes, people are now connecting this occurrence to the earthquake weeks later. There is no connection. The cloud was caused by the movement of air in the mountainous region in the far northwest portion of the country. The epicenter of the quake was near the south east city of Gaziantep. There is no physical connection between the two.

    A video being passed around TikTok suggests that a bright fast moving light in the sky prior to the quake was related to it. Not sure who hasn’t seen a SpaceX launch, but that’s what this is. It’s another example of wrong place, wrong time, with no connection to the earthquake. Notice how this screen cap shows that the original video was taken from someone else and the label placed across. It’s not clear if people do this for clicks but someone must make the decision to link the events together whether they know they are being deceptive or not.

    Assertion that the quake was predicted

    A notorious Dutchman named Frank Hoogerbeets posted on Twitter on February 3 that an earthquake was imminent in the region. But there are multiple problems with the conclusion that he “predicted” the quake. First, look at the wording – it’s general and describes an area that is extremely seismically active. Because he was not specific, this helped no one. He doesn’t explain why he thinks the time is ripe for the fault to break, he doesn’t indicate the location. He got lucky. It happens sometimes. What we can be sure of is that “geometry between celestial bodies” isn’t a sound basis for saying earthquakes will happen.

    Hoogerbeets is a self-described “quake mystic” with a worldwide following. In 2018, he preached that a rare cosmic event at Christmas could trigger a “megaquake”. It didn’t happen. He’s well-known as one of those people who keep beating the drum about a coming quake. A broken clock is right twice a day. After many years of peppering the public with his predictions, he finally got lucky. You’d be foolish to put any trust in a guy with that kind of record and no reasonable mechanism except pseudoscientific hand waving. But lots of people are now erroneously calling him successful.

    Belief that quake in Buffalo was related

    Some 11 hours after the first quake on the Anatolian fault, a 3.8 magnitude quake rattled Buffalo, New York, a place not used to noticeable seismicity. Some people latched on to the correlation and assumed that the earth energy that caused one was related to the other. But there is no connection between them. The fault rupture was severe in Turkey-Syria but localized only to that area. The first quake caused a stress change that triggered aftershocks along that fault and connected faults. But such effects are not transmitted more than 500 km in distance.

    Unfortunately, there are many people who subscribe to an apocalyptic vision of days and think that all natural anomalies or disasters are a signal of the end times. They aren’t aware that the earth is dynamic and quakes happen all the time, even in unexpected places.

    Tsunami fizzled

    In the past decade, news consumers have become accustomed to the relationship between earthquakes and tsunamis. When news of the latest event started to circulate, at least two videos showing tsunamis also began to circulate. Both depicted past events in other areas but they did lead people to think that waves had made things worse for the devastated countries. There had been a tsunami warning issued for Mediterranean coastal areas in neighboring countries. It was not an unreasonable fear. Soon, a 2018 video from Palu, Indonesia and a 2017 video from Durban, South Africa were circulating with false claims they were recent and from Turkey. The International Tsunami Center confirmed that very small (7 inch) waves had been recorded at the shores but did not cause damage.

    Man-made disaster conspiracy

    As mentioned above, the conspirasphere loves HAARP so much that it is the go-to excuse for any anomaly – a ridiculous and silly assertion. But maybe not as silly as the claim that the light flashes were from “space weapons” and that the quakes were a retaliation, somehow created by the US and other NATO countries, to punish Turkey for their political positions. It’s sad to have to say how unhinged these ideas are – there is no way to trigger a quake like this. Turkey is naturally very prone to earthquakes. There is no need to manufacture a quake when the extensive active faults do their destruction without any prompting.

    What made the building destruction worse was related to humans. It was the years of wars in Syria and the lack of building code enforcement that allowed unstable masonry structures to be susceptible to collapse and, thus, resulting in the massive death toll. The first event, unfortunately, took place at night, when people were in buildings. It was cold, so people were less likely to be outside. And, the shallowness of the rupture meant that the surface waves were devastatingly destructive. It’s obscene to ignore the preventable or understandable characteristics of this event and to focus on imaginary villains and science fiction only to feed a view count or gain followers and attention.

    Fake news is the norm

    It is now a given than any disaster will be accompanied by social media videos that do not depict what they say they do. Old footage and images are recycled either on purpose or without thought. They are then viewed and shared without thought. A growing audience who applied no critical evaluation to the evidence now believes a falsehood about the event because the images feel so appropriate and add to the drama. Fact checking is left to others or ignored entirely. When the content is explained or debunked, the truth is not passed along to the same extent and it’s often rejected in favor of the more interesting fakery and lies.

    I’ll update this post as needed to reflect additional claims or information. I would greatly appreciate submittals of reliable references for consideration. With this post, I am not discounting the potential that some truly remarkable and anomalous observations accompanied this event. But the evidence to support remarkable claims must be equally as impressive.

    #animalBehavior #animalsAndEarthquakes #BuffaloEarthquake #earthquakeLightning #earthquakeLights #earthquakePrediction #earthquakes #HAARP #Pseudoscience #sky #tsunami #TurkeyEarthquake #TurkeySyriaEarthquake #TurkiyeEarthquake

    https://sharonahill.com/?p=2610

    #animalbehavior #animalsandearthquakes #buffaloearthquake #earthquakelightning #earthquakelights #earthquakeprediction
12. 

    Sharon A. Hill @[email protected] · 2023-02-09 · 01:21 UTC

    Anomalous claims from Turkey-Syria earthquake 2023

    With a flood of images and videos coming out of the affected area in southern and central Turkey and western Syria from the February 6, 2023 series of quakes, there are MANY inaccuracies, misattributed content, conspiracies, and pseudoscientific claims being shared and promoted by nonexperts.

    It is sad because the real disaster provided more than enough drama to handle. The images from Turkey (Turkiye) and Syria are horrific and disturbing. It is detestable that fake information is embraced and often used for ugly purposes. In this post, I collect some of the more prominent bullshit circulating about the catastrophic event and point out that it’s not that difficult to spot the problems. In short, do not distribute such posts on social media until you have multiple and legitimate sources to support outrageous claims being made.

    Earthquake lights videos

    The following video seems legitimate and appeared on social media shortly after the quake. It was supposedly from Hatay province but I can’t verify that. The video depicts flashing lights in the sky that were then interpreted as “earthquake lights”.

    Some details to note: The shaking is not particularly bad at first. The blue flashes are seen in the distance. The second large flash (around 0:13) coincides with the lights going out in the foreground. As the shaking really affects the person with the camera, you can see blue flashes nearer to the location, possibly along the street. All of these characteristics together suggest we are seeing electrical transformers exploding and power lines arcing as they are broken.

    In addition, an Italian site noted that there was stormy weather in the area at the time. So, possibly some of the lightning (in this or other videos of “earthquake lightning”) could have just been typical lightning.

    As with other examples, such as those seen in the past few years in Mexico City and New Zealand, which look similar, odds are they are a result of electricity failures. They are not “piezoelectric” or “triboluminescence” as many armchair scientists are positing on social media. Those are over-simplistic and mistaken ideas about how earthquake lights might manifest. Beware of “experts” who suddenly speak authoritatively using big words who aren’t citing legitimate scientific research.

    Another frequently shared video said to depict the sky during the time of the quake is far less credible. It’s not clear where this one came from but it shows pinkish-white flashes of light. Again, these appear to be explosions. However, most viewers ignore the date which is either set wrong or is evidence that this was not taken at the time of the quake because it reads 11-23-2022.

    Title reads in Turkish “a beam of light appeared at the time of the earthquake”

    Worse than using old and outdated ideas, many are speculating that the sky flashes are related to HAARP – a research program that runs experiments and makes observations on the upper atmosphere. It has absolutely nothing to do with this research center which is located in Alaska. Anyone who suggests HAARP as a cause is steeped in conspiratorial content and doesn’t understand what HAARP is or how it works.

    Finally, images and videos depicting a raging fire in the distance are genuine. But this did not occur prior to the quake but after as a result of gas fires that ignited after lines were damaged.

    Animals acting strangely

    The first video that came out suggesting that animals were behaving strangely prior to the quake was this one of birds flying around the city.

    There is no indication of time or location in this short. When I first noticed it via Twitter feed, commenters said this was not unusual. Unless we have more detail and comparisons, there is nothing we can conclude about this video to say that animals (birds) reacted to some unusual environmental condition. One observation is that the birds are flying and landing; they are not flying away. If the birds detected some natural disaster, one would expect they would exit, not land.

    A security camera recorded a free-roaming dog howling in the street. The context was added that it happened prior to the quake. Again, there is no indication of time or place. The earthquake took place at 4:15 AM local time. We don’t know how long prior to the event this dog let loose his mournful howl or why. The claim was submitted to the Snopes fact checking site but they came to no conclusions. While unnerving, a random dog howling in the street does not mean that animals know what is coming.

    Anomalies in the sky

    In mid-January, social media feeds were excited over a strange red lenticular cloud that appeared over the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa. Because Chinese culture associates strange clouds with earthquakes, people are now connecting this occurrence to the earthquake weeks later. There is no connection. The cloud was caused by the movement of air in the mountainous region in the far northwest portion of the country. The epicenter of the quake was near the south east city of Gaziantep. There is no physical connection between the two.

    A video being passed around TikTok suggests that a bright fast moving light in the sky prior to the quake was related to it. Not sure who hasn’t seen a SpaceX launch, but that’s what this is. It’s another example of wrong place, wrong time, with no connection to the earthquake. Notice how this screen cap shows that the original video was taken from someone else and the label placed across. It’s not clear if people do this for clicks but someone must make the decision to link the events together whether they know they are being deceptive or not.

    Assertion that the quake was predicted

    A notorious Dutchman named Frank Hoogerbeets posted on Twitter on February 3 that an earthquake was imminent in the region. But there are multiple problems with the conclusion that he “predicted” the quake. First, look at the wording – it’s general and describes an area that is extremely seismically active. Because he was not specific, this helped no one. He doesn’t explain why he thinks the time is ripe for the fault to break, he doesn’t indicate the location. He got lucky. It happens sometimes. What we can be sure of is that “geometry between celestial bodies” isn’t a sound basis for saying earthquakes will happen.

    Hoogerbeets is a self-described “quake mystic” with a worldwide following. In 2018, he preached that a rare cosmic event at Christmas could trigger a “megaquake”. It didn’t happen. He’s well-known as one of those people who keep beating the drum about a coming quake. A broken clock is right twice a day. After many years of peppering the public with his predictions, he finally got lucky. You’d be foolish to put any trust in a guy with that kind of record and no reasonable mechanism except pseudoscientific hand waving. But lots of people are now erroneously calling him successful.

    Belief that quake in Buffalo was related

    Some 11 hours after the first quake on the Anatolian fault, a 3.8 magnitude quake rattled Buffalo, New York, a place not used to noticeable seismicity. Some people latched on to the correlation and assumed that the earth energy that caused one was related to the other. But there is no connection between them. The fault rupture was severe in Turkey-Syria but localized only to that area. The first quake caused a stress change that triggered aftershocks along that fault and connected faults. But such effects are not transmitted more than 500 km in distance.

    Unfortunately, there are many people who subscribe to an apocalyptic vision of days and think that all natural anomalies or disasters are a signal of the end times. They aren’t aware that the earth is dynamic and quakes happen all the time, even in unexpected places.

    Tsunami fizzled

    In the past decade, news consumers have become accustomed to the relationship between earthquakes and tsunamis. When news of the latest event started to circulate, at least two videos showing tsunamis also began to circulate. Both depicted past events in other areas but they did lead people to think that waves had made things worse for the devastated countries. There had been a tsunami warning issued for Mediterranean coastal areas in neighboring countries. It was not an unreasonable fear. Soon, a 2018 video from Palu, Indonesia and a 2017 video from Durban, South Africa were circulating with false claims they were recent and from Turkey. The International Tsunami Center confirmed that very small (7 inch) waves had been recorded at the shores but did not cause damage.

    Man-made disaster conspiracy

    As mentioned above, the conspirasphere loves HAARP so much that it is the go-to excuse for any anomaly – a ridiculous and silly assertion. But maybe not as silly as the claim that the light flashes were from “space weapons” and that the quakes were a retaliation, somehow created by the US and other NATO countries, to punish Turkey for their political positions. It’s sad to have to say how unhinged these ideas are – there is no way to trigger a quake like this. Turkey is naturally very prone to earthquakes. There is no need to manufacture a quake when the extensive active faults do their destruction without any prompting.

    What made the building destruction worse was related to humans. It was the years of wars in Syria and the lack of building code enforcement that allowed unstable masonry structures to be susceptible to collapse and, thus, resulting in the massive death toll. The first event, unfortunately, took place at night, when people were in buildings. It was cold, so people were less likely to be outside. And, the shallowness of the rupture meant that the surface waves were devastatingly destructive. It’s obscene to ignore the preventable or understandable characteristics of this event and to focus on imaginary villains and science fiction only to feed a view count or gain followers and attention.

    Fake news is the norm

    It is now a given than any disaster will be accompanied by social media videos that do not depict what they say they do. Old footage and images are recycled either on purpose or without thought. They are then viewed and shared without thought. A growing audience who applied no critical evaluation to the evidence now believes a falsehood about the event because the images feel so appropriate and add to the drama. Fact checking is left to others or ignored entirely. When the content is explained or debunked, the truth is not passed along to the same extent and it’s often rejected in favor of the more interesting fakery and lies.

    I’ll update this post as needed to reflect additional claims or information. I would greatly appreciate submittals of reliable references for consideration. With this post, I am not discounting the potential that some truly remarkable and anomalous observations accompanied this event. But the evidence to support remarkable claims must be equally as impressive.

    #animalBehavior #animalsAndEarthquakes #BuffaloEarthquake #earthquakeLightning #earthquakeLights #earthquakePrediction #earthquakes #HAARP #Pseudoscience #sky #tsunami #TurkeyEarthquake #TurkeySyriaEarthquake #TurkiyeEarthquake

    https://sharonahill.com/?p=2610

    #animalbehavior #animalsandearthquakes #buffaloearthquake #earthquakelightning #earthquakelights #earthquakeprediction
13. 

    Contemporary Classical - Thea Derks @[email protected] · 2022-01-13 · 13:36 UTC

    Never heard of?!! Ethel Smyth – successful composer, ardent suffragette

    In their podcast series Never heard of?! NPO Radio 4 and VPRO Vrije Geluiden showcase female composers. In short episodes of 15 to 18 minutes, Rae Milford and Andrea van Pol alternately shed light on their life and work. On 6 August 2021 it was the turn of Ethel Smyth (1858-1944).

    Van Pol en Milford recount how Smyth ended up in prison as a suffragette, where she immediately composed her March of the Women; that she was friends with contemporaries such as Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, enjoyed the patronage of celebrities such as Princesse de Polignac and Queen Victoria, and was nevertheless soon forgotten after her death in 1944. ‘But she was convinced that new generations would rediscover her work’, they conclude their podcast. In 2005 Smyth was my Composer of the week for VARA Radio 4.

    ETHEL SMYTH: VITAL AND FEARLESS

    ‘If I hadn’t had three things that have nothing to do with music, I would have gone to waste from loneliness and disillusionment at an early age’, wrote Ethel Smyth when she was sixty. Those three things were: ‘A cast iron constitution, an outspoken fighting mentality and a modest but independent income.’ Many people know Smyth mainly as one of the famous English suffragettes, who fought for women’s right to vote and wrote the famous March of the Women, which became a sort of battle song.

    Smyth had enormous vitality and led a stormy life, in which she made no secret of her love for women. But most importantly, in a time when women were hardly taken seriously as composers, she created an impressive oeuvre, in which large-scale choral and orchestral works abound. Unlike many of her peers, she did not need to limit herself to composing chamber music.

    Smyth wrote no less than six operas, of which Der Wald was staged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1903. – Never before had an opera by a woman been heard there, and it would last until 2016 before this occurred once more, when they staged L’amour de loin by Kaija Saariaho. Smyth’s most successful and best-known opera The Wreckers seems to have been the model for the opera Peter Grimes, which Benjamin Britten composed a year after her death.

    A LIFE FOR MUSIC

    Ethel Smyth was an original and strong-willed soul who did not allow herself to be dictated to by anything or anyone. Her fighting spirit came from no strangers: she was born the daughter of an army general, on 22 April 1858. As was customary in upper-class circles, she was taught by governesses as a child and then sent to a boarding school.

    Her upbringing naturally included piano lessons, and when Smyth learned to play Beethoven’s piano sonatas, she decided to ‘devote my life to music’- A salient detail: just like Beethoven, Smyth would become deaf at an early age.

    In a time when women were hardly taken seriously as composers, Ethel Smyth created an impressive oeuvre, in which large-scale choral and orchestral works abound.

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    When she announced at 17 that she was going to study composition, her father exclaimed that he would ‘rather see her dead and buried’. Whereupon she decided on the spot to ‘make life at home into such hell that my parents had to let me go’, as she commemorates in her hilarious memoirs. In 1877 she went to the Leipzig Conservatory, where she studied with Carl Reinecke and others.

    Characteristic for her critical and independent mind is that after one year only Smyth left the academy, dissatisfied with the teaching climate. She continued to live in Leipzig, however, where she became intensely involved in musical life. She was soon on friendly terms with musicians such as Johannes Brahms, Edvard Grieg, Joseph Joachim, Julius Röntgen and Clara Schumann, who stimulated her compositional aspirations. Because of her fearless, determined attitude and musical intensity, Brahms jokingly called her ‘the oboe’.

    She studied privately with Heinrich von Herzogenberg, whose teaching made her blossom. She also fell madly in love with his wife Lisl, the first in a series of fervently loved women. ‘If I ever worshipped a creature on earth, it was Lisl’, she would later say. ‘She was attractive, intelligent and musically extraordinarily gifted’.

    Elisabeth had studied with Brahms for a short time, whose music Ethel greatly admired. She also had great respect for Bach, whom she described as ‘the beginning and end of music’. This love is reflected in her Prelude and Fugue for piano solo, which she composed in 1880.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MNS5woXjZQ

    POWERFUL GESTURES – MELODIC RICHNESS

    Ethel Smyth gradually developed her own style, rooted in Romanticism and interspersed with Wagner, Debussy and English folklore. Whatever genre she composed in, her music always grabs you by the scruff of the neck with its powerful gestures, overwhelming melodic richness and varied, well-balanced structures.

    Her music was frequently performed by famous musicians in prestigious halls. Yet it was not until 1883 that she published her first opus, the String Quintet in E major opus 1. This work is influenced by her affair with Elizabeth von Herzogenberg, who was a fervent advocate of Antonin Dvořák. Smyth had met Dvořák herself and in the first movement of her quintet, we clearly recognise elements of Bohemian folk music.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZKEigaXFoU

    The String Quintet had its premiere in the Leipzig Gewandhaus. ‘The piece lacks the feminine charm one would expect from a female composer’, wrote one critic. Smyth was annoyed by such preconceived judgements, but could let them slide because she did not have to live off her compositions.

    Independent and headstrong as she was, she also flouted social conventions. Sometimes she even managed to antagonise her best friends. When, in 1884, her relationship with Elisabeth van Herzogenberg had turned into a close friendship, she began an affair with her Lisl’s brother-in-law Harry Brewster. Lisl was affronted and turned away from her in shock. Though this saddened Smyth, she did not give up on Brewster; to ease the heartache, she bought a little dog, Marco.

    LARGE-SCALE COMPOSITIONS

    In the same period, Peter Tchaikovsky advised her to start writing orchestral works. He gave her some instrumentation advice and wrote to a friend: ‘She is one of the few female composers who really matter. She has composed several interesting works. The best of these is a Violin Sonata, which I heard in an excellent performance by the composer herself and the violinist A Brodsky.’ – He is referring here to Adolph Brodsky, a famous Russian violinist who spent some time in Leipzig. In response to Tchaikovsky’s exhortation, Smyth wrote her ambitious, almost forty-minute long Serenade in 1889.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQk2o38c_c8

    The Serenade had its world premiere in 1890 in the renowned Chrystal Palace in London. It was also her first composition to be performed in England. Earlier that year she had returned from Leipzig to her native country, where she fell in love with yet another woman, Pauline Trevelyan. ‘Her extreme gentleness and fragile beauty adorn her soul’, she wrote of her new lover.

    Trevelyan was a devout Catholic and her intense devotion to this faith inspired Smyth to compose a grand Mass in D for soloists, choir and orchestra. She completed this over one-hour long work in a year, mostly at Cap Martin, near Monaco. Here, her friend Empress Eugénie, the widow of Napoleon III, had a summer villa. When she had finished her Mass in 1891, Smyth played two parts for Eugénie and Queen Victoria during a stay at the royal castle Balmoral in Scotland.  

    In her memoirs, Smyth reports vividly: ‘It involved me singing both the choral parts and the solos and trumpeting the orchestral effects as well as I could. One particular effect in the drums even involved footwork, and I imagine that – at least in terms of volume – choir and orchestra were hardly missed.’ Queen Victoria was very impressed and invited her to come and play a longer excerpt. Her son Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, then arranged for the Royal Choral Society to premiere the Mass on 18 January 1893 in the Royal Albert Hall.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVSpw3srMbc

    OPERAS

    The premiere of the Mass in 1893 was well received, except for one sour response. ‘It was funny to see a female composer trying to ascend to the higher regions of musical art’, wrote one critic. George Bernard Shaw described the Mass as ‘the light literature of church music’. Such criticisms increasingly antagonised Smyth and contributed to her eventually becoming an active campaigner for women’s suffrage.

    Sir Thomas Beecham: ‘The prisoners marched across the courtyard singing March of the Women at the top of their voices, while Ethel Smyth, from a window, beat time in almost Bacchic frenzy with a toothbrush’.

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    Smyth had always had a great affinity with the human voice, and after the success of her Mass in D, she began work on the first of six operas, Fantasio. She wrote the libretto with Harry Brewster, her only male lover. After endless peddling, the opera was finally performed in Weimar. Shortly afterwards, she completed Der Wald, which was staged with great success at Covent Garden in 1902 – described by Smyth as ‘the only blazing triumph I ever had’.

    The American premiere in the New York MET a year later led to questionable praise in The Telegraph: ‘This little woman writes music with a masculine hand and has a sound and logical brain, such as is supposed to be the especial gift of the rougher sex. There is not a weak or effeminate note in Der Wald, nor an unstable sentiment.’

    For her next opera, The Wreckers, Harry Brewster again wrote the libretto, based on a legend Smyth had heard in Cornwall. The inhabitants of an 18th century fishing village lure cargo ships onto the cliffs, after which they plunder them. The lovers Thirza and Mark rebel against this and light warning fires. They are discovered and locked up in a cave, where they are drowned in the rising tide.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIyT62cBA4

    The Wreckers premiered in Leipzig in 1906, in a drastically shortened version. Nevertheless, The Times judged it to be ‘one of the very few modern operas that we should count as Great Art’. In England, the opera was performed three years later, but despite its success and the power of the score, it is rarely if ever performed on stage today. My attempts to interest programmers and conductors invariably came to nothing.

    SUFFRAGETTE

    At the beginning of the 20th century, when Smyth had a brief affair with Princesse de Polignac and started to spice up her music with touches of French flair. In 1910, she received an honorary doctorate from Durham University and that same year she fell in love with Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the English women’s movement. She decided to devote the next two years to the cause of women’s suffrage and became one of the militant suffragettes. After throwing a stone through the windows of the Home Office, she was sentenced to six weeks in prison.

    While in prison, she promptly wrote the protest piece March of the Women for female choir, which would become the anthem of the women’s movement. When Sir Thomas Beecham visited her in prison, he stumbled on a scene typical of Smyth. The prisoners marched across the courtyard singing March of the Women at the top of their voices, while Smyth, from a window, ‘beaming with delight, beat time in almost Bacchic frenzy with a toothbrush’.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ_ppIKBWPY

    After this, Smyth composed her comic opera The Boatswain’s Mate, in which the high-spirited Mrs. Waters rejects two suitors because she does not see any point in giving up ‘my independence for Mr. Wrong’. – Smyth herself had always refused to marry her lifelong friend Harry Brewster, who died in 1908. – In her opera she included quotes from March of the Women.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXDlk63uGkQ

    DEATH

    In the early twentieth century, Smyth slowly lost her hearing, which made composing more difficult. She therefore developed another talent: writing. In 1919, a two-volume autobiography, Impressions that Remained, was published. Thanks to its lively style it was highly successful, providing her with a welcome extra income. In 1922, she was knighted, in recognition of her great importance to English musical life. Henceforth she went through life as Dame Ethel Smyth; four years later she received an honorary doctorate from Oxford.

    Despite her deafness, Ethel Smyth continued to compose. In 1927 she wrote her much-praised Concerto for violin, horn and orchestra. In 1930 she wrote her last large-scale work, the impressive cantata/vocal symphony The Prison for soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra on a metaphysical text by Brewster.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y_T9pxvv8A

    OBLIVION AND BELATED RECOGNITION

    Smyth remained militant in the last decades of her life, campaigning for the right of women to play in orchestras and to compose. Her music was heavily promoted by such luminaries as Thomas Beecham and Bruno Walter, who described her as ‘a composer of great significance’.

    Towards the end of her life, however, Ethel Smyth’s music fell out of favour and was less frequently performed. Many saw her as an eccentric composer who published amusing memoirs. On the other hand, she also received belated recognition.

    Bernard Shaw, for instance, responded enthusiastically to a new performance of her Mass in D: ‘Dear Lady Ethel, thank you for persuading me to listen to that Mass. Wonderful! […] It was your music that cured me forever of the old delusion that women could not do the work of men in art and other things.’ Shaw even confessed that without Smyth he would never have been able to write his play Saint Joan.

    After a short illness Ethel Smyth died on 8 May 1944, at the age of 86. Her unfailing confidence in the power of her music proved prophetic, as Van Pol and Milford observe in their podcast. Lately, Smyth’s ever-scintillating music has been resurrected (be it sparsely) in concert halls and on CD.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VKc3jRxvvE

    Contemporary Classical is ranked among the 70 best classical music blogs worldwide. Your support, however small, is welcome through PayPal (friends option) or direct money transfer to NL82 INGB 0004261694, TJM Derks Amsterdam

    A 1958 radio documentary features testimonies from Ethel Smyth herself, Thomas Beecham, Bruno Walter, Ethel Davidson (niece of Smyth), C S Lang, Ronald Storrs, Adrian Boult, Herbert van Thal & others.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP_qrXdKdq8

    #ClaraSchumann #DerWald #EmmelinePankhurst #EthelSmyth #HarryBrewster #TheWreckers

    #claraschumann #emmelinepankhurst #ethelsmyth #harrybrewster #thewreckers #derwald
14. 

    Sharon A. Hill @[email protected] · 2020-10-09 · 01:22 UTC

    Ringing rocks and sonorous stones

    We expect a certain dull, earthy, *chink* sound when rocks are hit with a hammer. We do not expect rocks to ring like metal bells, chimes or gongs when struck. Yet, some do. The story of ringing rocks spans history, locations, and legendary themes around the world. They are seen as magical, mysterious, and scientifically curious. 

    Bridgeton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Photo: Sharon Hill

    It was a pleasantly warm day in mid-July when I parked in the parking lot of Ringing Rocks county park near Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, and chose the less obvious left-hand trail through the trees. Within a short distance, the trees dwindled, the rock rubble increased and the shade gave way to sun and a small sea of boulders. People scrambled and jumped on the treacherous uneven surface, going at the stones with metal hammers. Some produced a clear bell-like tone. Others, a dull clank. When a particularly sonorous stone was encountered, the founder was amazed and yelled to their companions to listen. Clearly, this place and its hidden tones were surprising and amusing to the visitors young and old. 

    Video: Sharon Hill

    This park, also named in sources as Bridgeton (for the Township), is probably the most famous location of ringing rocks in the U.S. It has been repeatedly written about in travel logs and by chroniclers of anomalous natural phenomena. There are several sites around the world known for their ringing rocks. They are of various geological origin and some specimens have been fashioned by humans more so than others. Because of these differences, there are several possible explanations for why they ring and why similar or adjacent specimens do not. There has been less methodical investigation into this special property of stones than one would expect, considering that humans have known about and used rocks as musical and ritual instruments since before written history. 

    History

    Lithophones and rock gongs have been used as part of rituals since ancient times. Rocks, boulders, and cave stalactites and stalagmites show evidence of percussive use by ancient humans. Archaeologists, especially those interested in the development of music, have documented this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq0DjwSZzkc

    The wider sub-field of archaeoacoustics examines how sound produced by the natural environment was viewed in the context of belief. Areas where rocks have sonorous properties may have been interpreted as special places of spiritual significance. Researchers speculate that shamans may have attempted to communicate with the spirits at these places. One group even suggested that the standing stones of Stonehenge ring when struck and that this was the reason the particular type of stone was used. Today, it’s difficult to test for ringing properties at historical or environmentally sensitive sites as preservationists rightly prohibit hammering on all protected features. 

    The Skiddaw Stones is a lithophone dating from 1840 composed of 61 shaped and tuned rocks from Cumbria, England. Its component composition is hornfels, a dense, metamorphic rock type. Slate, also a metamorphic rock, is also used for constructing lithophones or rock chimes.

    While ringing rocks can be either natural or enhanced by humans to make sound, there are numerous areas around the world where such rocks have been documented. One type of rock is known to characteristically produce a distinctive clinking sound. Phonolite is a somewhat uncommon volcanic rock of intermediate chemical composition that was named after the metallic sound it produces. Several locations that have documented ringing rocks are phonolite. Several other locations of phonolite worldwide may have the ringing feature but they have not been as widely publicized. 

    Flint stones are also well documented to clink or make a unique sound when struck together. Long and slender flints are said to ring best.

    Chinese style gong chimes, Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
    ksblack99, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ksblack99/sets/72157688950209202

    Locations

    Wikipedia and Corliss (1989) list various locations that have rock chimes or gongs such as Ethiopia (flint), Nigeria (granite), and China (oolitic limestone). In India, there are musical boulders of Hiregudda Hill (dolerite). African east coast coral rock is also said to be sonorous. A field of boulders in the Namibian desert are called the “singing stones”. 

    In Australia, two locations are notable: Ringing Rocks of Kiandra, NSW – an outcrop of boulders in the Snowy Mountains, and the Bell Rock Range of Western Australia – an ultramafic intrusion near Warburton.

    In France, musical flints and strips of stone from chalk beds across the country were used to make lithophones. Like Stonehenge, one source (via Corliss), says that the standing stones at Carnac also ring. Corliss also had excerpts from 1889 sources about the sounding stones of Guildo, France. Now known as the Singing Stones of Brittany, the black crystalline amphibole rock show well-worn spots where people repeatedly tested for sound. The Wikipedia entry says there is a legend that the rocks were “spewed up by the giant Gargantua” but no citation is given. This entry is also incorrect (as of this writing) in that it calls the rocks “basalt”. Only a few of the rocks produced sound, those with more iron did not ring. This suggests that the source of the ringing was a combination of composition and weathering as will come up later in this post.

    Several sites in the UK are notable: limestone from Kendal and Portland, Wolf Rock – a true phonolite (Na and K-rich volcanic rock) – near Lands End, Cornwall, the Ringing Stone of Tiree, Scotland – a glacial erratic granodiorite that was clearly used for its sound characteristic, and the Ringing Stone of Ballater/Richachary in the Cairngorms National Park of Scotland. In Wales, the Preseli range dolerite is said to ring. Also of note is the village of Maenclochog which some translate as “noisy stone”. The name may be based on a legend where the local rocks rang. It’s not clear if any still do.

    Two locations in Mexico – appropriately called The Hill of the Bells (Cerro de las Campanas) in Querétaro, and The Hill of the Bell (Cerro de la Campana) in Hermosillo, Sonora –  are both phonolite. 

    In the US, the rocks at Devils Tower are said to ring. Again, rock hammers and collecting are prohibited in National parks and protected areas. A ringing rock “place of interest” in Butte, Montana hosts surface rocks derived from a pluton consisting of olivine basalt and granitic magma. The periglacial freezing of the bedrock during the Pleistocene resulted in a rocky peak of chiming boulders. This location is on federal land between Butte and Whitehall. Similar to the Pennsylvania boulder fields, the slightly rounded rocks have a rusty brown coating over the dense rock. According to Butler, the outcrop does not ring like the isolated boulders do. 

    Ringing Rocks, Butte, MT

    Pennsylvania and New Jersey sites

    By far, the most extensive, documented, and publicized areas of ringing rocks are in eastern Pennsylvania into New Jersey. There is a good reason for this. Most of these areas are geologically related and their history and setting give us a good indication of why they ring while adjacent formations do not. Pontolillo and Pontolillo documented at least sixteen locations in PA/NJ. Many were diabase features but some were slate or other metamorphic rock types. Several of these locations have been quarried, developed, or have grown over – their special characteristics lost forever. Some had more “ringers” than others. The Ringing Hill Fire Company park in Lower Pottsgrove Township, near Pottstown, PA, has a boulder field known since 1742 that was once part of an amusement park with an electric trolley for visitors. Stony Garden in Nockamixon Township, Bucks County PA is another large area in PA. These two public areas are not as popular as Ringing Rocks Park in Bridgeton Township, Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, PA. Sometimes, writers will mix up the locations and their history due to similar names and proximity. 

    Locations of ringing rocks PA/NJ. Credit: Andrews66 – CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17626641

    The areas of ringing rocks in PA and NJ are found as boulder fields or “felsenmeer” (German for “sea of rock”). These blockfields look distinct and have spawned folklore regarding their origin. But, geologically, the rock fields are formed in situ as a result of proximity to freeze-thaw weathering associated with past glacial advances. These boulder fields are all relatively young, formed within the past tens of thousands of years. 

    There was no sudden catastrophe that created the felsenmeer – they were a result of steady forces breaking down the rock. The boulder fields in the Newark Basin of PA and NJ are formed from intrusive sills, layers of magma that were injected into the host rock during the early Jurassic as tectonic plates pulled apart in what was to be a failed arm of the Atlantic. During glacial times, these rock layers were exposed at the surface where they became broken, pitted and grooved.

    The rock layer was devoid of soil and open to the elements. Water seeped into cracks, then froze, breaking up the bedrock into fragments. Wherry (1912) noted that these boulder fields were always found at the base of a sheet of igneous rock, over top of a layer of sedimentary rock baked by the original intrusion of hot rock thus made more resistant to erosion. The slight dip of the field, about 8 degrees, means that any sediment that formed washes away, leaving a barren field of rubble additionally jumbled by seasonal ice and runoff. 

    Flat hornfels layer forms a waterfall at Ringing Rocks County Park, Upper Black Eddy, PA. Rounded diabase boulders sit on top. Photo: Sharon Hill

    As an example, let’s focus on the major location in Upper Black Eddy where the Coffman Hill diabase blankets the layer of resistant hornfels forming a bluff above the Delaware River. With a slight dip and a solid foundation, no soil could form in this field so the rocks remain barren of most plant life. The rocks are exposed to direct sun, all forms of precipitation, and freezing open air. The margin of the field is shaded by the edging trees where the rocks have eroded and organic matter forms a blanket of thin soil. The vegetation, in turn, leads to conditions that break down the rock further. The vines, ferns, and weeds slowly encroach into the felsenmeer where boulders along the edge are partially buried in soil, hosting lichen and moss. These rocks do not ring. Perhaps, long ago, they once did. The bare rock will eventually succumb to the greenery. 

    Generalized depiction of ringing rocks boulder field formation. Wikimedia Commons. Andrews66, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Folklore

    Ringing rocks certainly had a role in ritual and popular beliefs of ancient peoples. A more modern belief was that the ringing meant the rock was hollow and that gold or silver was hidden inside. This myth is invoked at the Welsh village of Maenchochog where the ringing boulders were supposedly smashed to bits to find the treasure inside.  The “Gyllenstaninen” or golden ringing stone of Fole, Gotland, Sweden was split in half in the 19th century by those who thought that the presence of gold caused the ringing. They didn’t find a treasure inside.

    The starkness of these seas of rock has inspired fear and legend. When people cannot readily work out the source of the rock, they infer supernatural agency. The devil usually has left his historical mark on these legends. Ringing rocks were historically noted at places like the Devil’s potato patch near Sumneytown in Montgomery County, PA, and the Devil’s Half-Acre, now overgrown, in the Sourland Mountain preserve in New Jersey. 

    An old story goes that the devil himself walked over the Delaware river in Bridgeton Township, PA where he experienced some personal calamity, sat down, and blighted the land that became the Ringing Rocks Park in Upper Black Eddy. 

    Infamous Fortean writer Ivan T. Sanderson wrote about the Upper Black Eddy park in his book Things in 1967. He dramatically stated that “something was frightfully wrong here”.  He found the place to be mysterious, ignoring and rejecting what was already geologically known about the formation of the site. Instead, he exaggerated the weirdness, suggesting that the field was formed by a cosmic impact. Sanderson, a zoologist prone to paranormal speculation,  irresponsibly and arbitrarily stated he didn’t trust the whole notion of igneous intrusions. He also erroneously said that there were no plants, birds, or other life on the boulder field, and that compasses went haywire over the location. Sanderson’s fantastic misrepresentations and baseless speculation were popular and subsequently were quoted in many paranormal-themed books and, later, on websites, that perpetuated the misinformation. The Travel Channel listed the Ringing Rocks Park on a 2016 list of “supernatural places” with no basis whatsoever. Such sources promote the mistaken idea that scientists are still “baffled” about the explanation and rarely clarify that far more is known now about why the rocks ring if one only does their homework.

    Life finds a way. Ringing Rocks Park. Photo: Sharon Hill

    The locals sometimes promote strange ideas for tourism. On the other hand, they may play it down as paranormal sensationalism can result in unwanted attention and vandalism. There are still visitors who say they feel special “energies” (positive or negative) from the areas.

    Frequently, it is said that removing the rocks from their location will cause the ringing to cease. This contentious allegation is likely both true and false, depending on how long you wait and how you treat your purloined piece, as I’ll discuss in the next section. It’s possible that this outcome was popularized by locals who didn’t want all the “ringers” to be taken from their site. The trouble is mostly in hauling the very dense, heavy boulders away from their homes. 

    Even more so than how the fields formed, the biggest question about the rocks from observers is “why do they ring?”

    Cause of ringing

    Corliss, in his catalog of anomalies citing scientific journals such as Nature and Scientific American as sources, explained that the anomalousness of ringing rocks worldwide was inherent in the observation that this rock rang but the one next to it did not. Why did these rocks ring and not others of similar type? Only a fraction of the rocks in an area will ring. Why do fragments of a parent rock ring at the same frequency? It was unexpected that randomly-shaped, unassuming rocks would produce such clear metallic tones. 

    Early local settles were aware of the ringing rocks but they were almost certainly known through Native stories that suggested the areas were spiritually special. White settlers would have translated that as “cursed”. Documentation of ringing rocks is in obscure, old sources. But since their discovery, they have garnered the interest of a few scientists who tried to unlock the secret of the sounds. This has been a controversial venture. Initial causes of the ringing included ideas about metal content (gold, silver, iron) or hollowness. It was also thought that only rocks that were arranged above the ground (to vibrate freely) would ring. Researchers broke them into smaller pieces – at a certain size, they indeed stopped ringing.

    With some background in geology, one can suppose that the density of the rock plays a role. Even though the local diabase is often referred to as “ironstone”, the rock does not have appreciable iron but the rusty coating was indeed an important feature. 

    Video: Sharon Hill

    Several scientists suspected that the crystal structure of the rock and internal stresses allowed the sound waves to be produced. Some thought that the rocks always made a “sound” because they were under stress but it could only be audible to humans if you hit it. In summary, several of the early geological speculators were on the right track but muddled the explanation and weren’t yet able to use the right technology to figure it out.

    Careful testing of the rocks had only rarely been done. The most significant test was done by Gibbons and Schlossman and reported in the journal Natural History. They studied the crystal formation in microscopic cross-sections of rocks that rang and ones that didn’t. They discovered that the Upper Black Eddy site exhibited microclimatic differences between open sun and shade that caused differential weathering in the rock field. Those rocks in the open field were exposed to various factors that caused the pyroxene minerals on the surface of the rock to weather into the clay mineral montmorillonite. This change resulted in an expansion of the thin crust of the rock at the molecular level, creating new internal stresses. It was these stresses that facilitated conditions that caused audible ringing when struck. In contrast, the rocks in shade released their stresses by exfoliating their outer layers and breaking up like normal rocks. They did not develop the internal stresses necessary to produce ringing. Some paranormalists disliked this explanation. They argued that it didn’t apply to ringing rocks around the world and objected that ringing rocks removed from their place would stop ringing. Geologists Pontolillo and Pontolillo, however, confirmed this work to their satisfaction and agreed that the microclimate scenario was indeed a factor to explain why some of the boulders in the open range rang while none of the shaded ones did. 

    Shaded field of rocks that do not ring. Photo: Sharon Hill

    It’s a fair bet that there used to be many more ringing rocks than there are now. Over time, conditions change and the internal stresses are eventually released. The sound frequency of the rock may change over time as stresses build and then subside. Sanderson, who argued that the ringing rocks he brought home were still ringing, failed to understand many things, especially the pace of geologic time. 

    Ringing Rocks Park, Upper Black Eddy. Vegetation encroaches on the felsenmeer. Photo: Sharon Hill

    So, the mystery of why rocks ring is illuminated but not completely understood. It seems likely that rocks exposed to cycles of sun, cold, and precipitation are prone to develop these weathering-related stresses that enhance ringing. This scenario can be applied to several sites around the world, perhaps even Stonehenge or other standing stones exposed for millennia. But other factors are certainly involved for ringing rocks of other compositions. 

    There is no one answer to why rocks ring. Nature is complex and the context of each location is important. It’s also important to recognize this complexity when exposed to the popular literature of anomalistic, Fortean, and paranormal sources that emphasize the spookiness about a place or phenomenon. Even archaeological articles focused on the social use of ringing rocks promoted geologic ignorance of their origin and explanation. In many cases, these writers have never asked a geologist, or if they did, they asked one who was clueless about this niche subject. I found much misinformation propagated about this topic. It’s not the easiest or most captivating thing to explain and it takes a good deal of effort to find reliable information and sort it all out. Even now, there remains much work to be done to unlock the music of the rocks, but it’s not that mysterious. 

    So, now that you know what conditions are conducive to ringing rocks, feel free to tap the occasional sunny boulder. I recall one time, years ago, I was collecting rocks in a Pennsylvania quarry with no previous indications of sonorous stones when a random sample surprised me with a pleasant tone. It was pretty magical. Even when you know that it’s natural, it’s still a fantastic moment.

    References

    Aldred, J., et al. (2016). The influence of solar-induced thermal stresses on the mechanical weathering of rocks in humid mid-latitudes. Earth Surf. Process. Landforms. 41: 603–614.

    Barlyn, P. (2017). Seven Wonders: Ringing Rocks Park, a geological mystery in Upper Bucks. Bucks County Courier Times. Aug 1, 2017.

    Butler, B. A., (1983). Petrology and geochemistry of the Ringing Rocks pluton Jefferson County Montana. Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7723. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7723

    Cianchetta, M. (2010). If Rocks Could Sing: The Ringing Rocks of Bucks Co. Pennsylvania Center for the Book. https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/if-rocks-could-sing-ringing-rocks-bucks-co

    Corliss, W.R., (1989). Anomalies in Geology: Physical, chemical, biological. Sourcebook Project. pp. 218-224.

    Devereux, P. (2004). Archaeoacoustics – Spirits in the Stones. Fortean Times, 188. p. 46.

    Gibbons, J.F. . and S. Schlossman. (1970). Rock Music. Natural History. 79 (10): 36–41.

    Lund, C.S. (2009). Early Ringing Stones in Scandinavia – Finds and Traditions, Questions and Problems. Reprinted from Studia instrumentorum musicae popularis I. Edited by Gisa Jähnichen.

    Montgomery, A. (1956). Thermal Metamorphism of Redbeds by Diabase at Ringing Rocks, Near Kintersville, PA. Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. 30: 176-181.

    Pontolillo, J. and J. Pontolillo (1993). Ringing Rock Sites in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The INFO Journal. Feb 1993: 6-16.

    Psilovikos, A and F.B. Van Houten (1982). Ringing Rocks Barren Block Field, East-Central Pennsylvania. Sedimentary Geology, pp. 233-243.

    Sanderson, I. T. (1968). Things: Monsters, Mysteries, Marvels, Uncanny, Strange, But True. Pyramid Books. pp. 50-58.

    Wheery, E.T. (1912). Apparent Sun-Crack Structures and Ringing-Rock Phenomena in the Triassic Diabase of Eastern Pennsylvania. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. pp. 169-172.

    #boulderField #felsenmeer #lithophones #musical #Pennsylvania #phonolite #ringingRocks #RingingRocksPark #rockChimes #rockGongs #rockMusic #sonorousStones #stoneChimes

    https://sharonahill.com/?p=1499

    #boulderfield #felsenmeer #lithophones #musical #pennsylvania #phonolite
15. 

    Toy Box Comix @[email protected] · 2026-05-09 · 18:37 UTC

    Random Old Comic: Rejector https://www.toyboxcomix.com/2017/05/21/rejector/ Rejector #Ejector #Transformers

    #ejector #transformers
16. 

    Toy Box Comix @[email protected] · 2026-05-09 · 18:37 UTC

    Random Old Comic: Rejector https://www.toyboxcomix.com/2017/05/21/rejector/ Rejector #Ejector #Transformers

    #ejector #transformers
17. 

    Toy Box Comix @[email protected] · 2026-05-09 · 18:37 UTC

    Random Old Comic: Rejector https://www.toyboxcomix.com/2017/05/21/rejector/ Rejector #Ejector #Transformers

    #ejector #transformers
18. 

    Toy Box Comix @[email protected] · 2026-05-09 · 18:37 UTC

    Random Old Comic: Rejector https://www.toyboxcomix.com/2017/05/21/rejector/ Rejector #Ejector #Transformers

    #transformers #ejector
19. 

    Toy Box Comix @[email protected] · 2026-05-09 · 18:37 UTC

    Random Old Comic: Rejector https://www.toyboxcomix.com/2017/05/21/rejector/ Rejector #Ejector #Transformers

    #ejector #transformers
20. 

    Toy Box Comix @[email protected] · 2025-09-29 · 18:49 UTC

    Random Old Comic: Rejection https://www.toyboxcomix.com/2017/09/08/rejection/ Rejection #GhostRider #Marvel #MastersoftheUniverse #PhantomLimb #RedSkull #Skeleton #Skeletor

    #ghostrider #marvel #mastersoftheuniverse #phantomlimb #redskull #skeleton
21. 

    RS, Author, Novelist, Prosaist @[email protected] · 2024-05-26 · 21:03 UTC

    This is a very good comic, and it describes every author (or #artist) who is unsure of themself. Don't let this be you!

    • Complete stories (your vision) regardless of the merit you see in them.
    • Start a next one. Full stop. Then another.
    • Complete and send out more stories even if some editor (or commenter) doesn't buy or like them.
    • It's all practice, every single failure or not-good-enough. Practice makes you better, whatever they think, or you think. Keep practicing.
    • Take from criticism only whatever helps you identify or fix problems; reject being put in your place or ridiculed. It's practice. Your art is unique to you. Be truthful with yourself, though.
    • Keep starting and completing stories. Statistically, some will be good—and you will start to recognize the wheat in the chaff.
    • Their first stories weren't fabulous. Neither may be yours. The difference? They kept on starting, completing, sending (or posting), until they found success. Let that be you.

    Please remember: #boostingIsSharing and boost to give others a moral boost.

    #Writer #Author #Writers #Writing #WritersOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #Fiction #Nonfiction #peptalk #art #fineart #photography #painting #watercolor #watercolour #sketch #comics #photographer #painter

    https://www.gocomics.com/speedbump/2008/07/31

    #boostingissharing #artist #writer #author #writers #writing
22. 

    Doom Disco! @[email protected] · 2024-12-16 · 18:16 UTC

    My goodness, as a teenage outsider in the countryside, it really wasn't easy to get hold of the German edition of #Elfquest. The @elfquest.bsky.social series influenced me more than #LordoftheRings etc. I hardly knew the history before, groundbreaking for #comic fans... youtu.be/w-Pygh3A4bY?...
    
    Marvel rejected this couple, s...

    #elfquest #lordoftherings #comic
23. 

    Viy Sitante @ health "break" @[email protected] · 2024-05-16 · 00:33 UTC

    (I posted this enough in promo posts, so let's post it on its own!)

    The internet in the hands of local Astemarites can be a dangerous tool...

    Then again, would you reject such a cute bear? :bunhdaww:

    #MastoArt #CreativeToots #FediArt #comics #comic #manga #sfw #OC #OriginalCharacter #blackAndWhite #tone #OCFedi #howCanHeavenLoveMe

    #mastoart #creativetoots #fediart #comics #comic #manga
24. 

    Author Carlo Carrasco @[email protected] · 2026-05-28 · 16:01 UTC

    A Look Back at Team 7 #3 (1994)

    Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

    Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

    For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Michael Cray (Deathblow) – who were younger, were proficient with combat and gained special abilities as a result of a sinister move by their superiors. Issue #2 took place after the team got exposed to something they never anticipated and their superiors knew it.

    With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #3, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the 3rd chapter of a 4-issue mini-series.

    The cover.

    Early story

    Set in the 1970s, the surviving Team 7 members (already exposed to the chemical agent) are in the middle of a new mission somewhere in East Africa. Because their teammate Johnson abused his new power to manipulate a black general to kill himself against his own will, Cole Cash eliminates Johnson causing John Lynch to be outraged. Cash tells Lynch that Johnson lost himself completely. He also tells him to list Johnson as MIA (missing-in-action) and turn a blind eye as before.

    Lynch points his gun at Cash’s head believing he is standing for the mission and rules. After Cash tells him that they are monsters and that the world is better off without them, Lynch relents and shoots the wall instead. The mission concludes and Team 7 goes home by helicopter.

    As the ride goes on, John Lynch thinks very deeply about everything that happened since they got exposed to the chemical agent. He realizes that they were exposed to genetic altering elements and wonders if he and his teammates were nothing more than lab rats for International Operations (IO)…

    Quality

    John Lynch in the presence of his traitorous superiors following the East African operation.

    If there is anything notable here apart from the continued dark and gritty tone, the plot really thickened clearly. At this stage, it is more obvious that the superiors have indeed something more sinister planned for Team 7 to endure. They know that the infected team members are closing ranks to protect itself which means they are ready for the so-called final test.

    Along the way, John Lynch gradually realizes the evil of his superiors and being the field leader, he begins to analyze what is best for him and his teammates and which options to take knowing the betrayal from above. Quitting is simply not an option for Lynch and the pressure builds up as the story went on. Cole Cash here sees things very clearly and he easily became the pathfinder among Team 7 members. When he scolds his teammate Fairchild (father of Gen13’s Caitlin Fairchild) for abusing his power in a public place while off-duty, it is clear that Cash wants to keep the team together by means of keeping together while maintaining sanity.

    As for Team 7 itself, there is something intriguing that awaits readers once they start their new mission here. I won’t spoil it and it has to be seen. Simply grab a copy of this comic book, read it and pay attention to the details. It’s strong stuff from the creative team.

    Conclusion

    Cole Cash (Grifter) talks sense into John Lynch about what has really been going on and why they have become monsters.

    Team 7 #3 (1994) has a lot of intrigue as the plot thickened. At this stage, it is clear that IO is really up to no good and Team 7 is symbolically their scientific and military experiment. Fortunately for the team, they have John Lynch and Cole Cash as the reasonable members who are able to cut through the noise and became aware of what IO has been executing. The stage is set for the concluding issue and this comic book is indeed a solid build-up and also an engaging WildStorm read.

    Overall, Team 7 #3 (1994) is recommended.

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #1990s #action #Africa #Africans #amusement #AronWiesenfeld #Backlash #blackPeople #Blog #blogger #blogging #CarloCarrasco #ChuckDixon #ColeCash #comic #comicBook #ComicBookReview #comicBooks #comicReview #comics #comicsBlog #comicsReview #CovertActionTeams #Deathblow #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #espionage #explosions #film #fun #geek #Gen13 #Grifter #guns #illustratedLiterature #ImageComics #InternationalOperationsIO #IslamicTerrorism #IslamicTerrorists #Islamist #IslamoLeft #JacksonDane #JimLee #JohnLynch #literature #MarcSlayton #MichaelCray #military #militaryIntelligence #militaryLifestyle #movies #NOToTerrorism #NOToTerrorists #nostalgia #RejectTerrorists #retroReview #Retrospective #review #Reviews #specialForces #StormWatch #superhero #superheroes #Team7 #terror #terrorism #terrorist #terroristStateIran #terrorists #The1990s #war #Wetworks #WildStorm #woke #WordPress #WordPressCom

    #1990s #action #africa #africans #amusement #aronwiesenfeld
25. 

    Author Carlo Carrasco @[email protected] · 2026-05-28 · 16:01 UTC

    A Look Back at Team 7 #3 (1994)

    Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

    Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

    For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Michael Cray (Deathblow) – who were younger, were proficient with combat and gained special abilities as a result of a sinister move by their superiors. Issue #2 took place after the team got exposed to something they never anticipated and their superiors knew it.

    With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #3, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the 3rd chapter of a 4-issue mini-series.

    The cover.

    Early story

    Set in the 1970s, the surviving Team 7 members (already exposed to the chemical agent) are in the middle of a new mission somewhere in East Africa. Because their teammate Johnson abused his new power to manipulate a black general to kill himself against his own will, Cole Cash eliminates Johnson causing John Lynch to be outraged. Cash tells Lynch that Johnson lost himself completely. He also tells him to list Johnson as MIA (missing-in-action) and turn a blind eye as before.

    Lynch points his gun at Cash’s head believing he is standing for the mission and rules. After Cash tells him that they are monsters and that the world is better off without them, Lynch relents and shoots the wall instead. The mission concludes and Team 7 goes home by helicopter.

    As the ride goes on, John Lynch thinks very deeply about everything that happened since they got exposed to the chemical agent. He realizes that they were exposed to genetic altering elements and wonders if he and his teammates were nothing more than lab rats for International Operations (IO)…

    Quality

    John Lynch in the presence of his traitorous superiors following the East African operation.

    If there is anything notable here apart from the continued dark and gritty tone, the plot really thickened clearly. At this stage, it is more obvious that the superiors have indeed something more sinister planned for Team 7 to endure. They know that the infected team members are closing ranks to protect itself which means they are ready for the so-called final test.

    Along the way, John Lynch gradually realizes the evil of his superiors and being the field leader, he begins to analyze what is best for him and his teammates and which options to take knowing the betrayal from above. Quitting is simply not an option for Lynch and the pressure builds up as the story went on. Cole Cash here sees things very clearly and he easily became the pathfinder among Team 7 members. When he scolds his teammate Fairchild (father of Gen13’s Caitlin Fairchild) for abusing his power in a public place while off-duty, it is clear that Cash wants to keep the team together by means of keeping together while maintaining sanity.

    As for Team 7 itself, there is something intriguing that awaits readers once they start their new mission here. I won’t spoil it and it has to be seen. Simply grab a copy of this comic book, read it and pay attention to the details. It’s strong stuff from the creative team.

    Conclusion

    Cole Cash (Grifter) talks sense into John Lynch about what has really been going on and why they have become monsters.

    Team 7 #3 (1994) has a lot of intrigue as the plot thickened. At this stage, it is clear that IO is really up to no good and Team 7 is symbolically their scientific and military experiment. Fortunately for the team, they have John Lynch and Cole Cash as the reasonable members who are able to cut through the noise and became aware of what IO has been executing. The stage is set for the concluding issue and this comic book is indeed a solid build-up and also an engaging WildStorm read.

    Overall, Team 7 #3 (1994) is recommended.

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #1990s #action #Africa #Africans #amusement #AronWiesenfeld #Backlash #blackPeople #Blog #blogger #blogging #CarloCarrasco #ChuckDixon #ColeCash #comic #comicBook #ComicBookReview #comicBooks #comicReview #comics #comicsBlog #comicsReview #CovertActionTeams #Deathblow #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #espionage #explosions #film #fun #geek #Gen13 #Grifter #guns #illustratedLiterature #ImageComics #InternationalOperationsIO #IslamicTerrorism #IslamicTerrorists #Islamist #IslamoLeft #JacksonDane #JimLee #JohnLynch #literature #MarcSlayton #MichaelCray #military #militaryIntelligence #militaryLifestyle #movies #NOToTerrorism #NOToTerrorists #nostalgia #RejectTerrorists #retroReview #Retrospective #review #Reviews #specialForces #StormWatch #superhero #superheroes #Team7 #terror #terrorism #terrorist #terroristStateIran #terrorists #The1990s #war #Wetworks #WildStorm #woke #WordPress #WordPressCom

    #1990s #action #africa #africans #amusement #aronwiesenfeld
26. 

    Author Carlo Carrasco @[email protected] · 2026-05-28 · 16:01 UTC

    A Look Back at Team 7 #3 (1994)

    Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

    Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

    For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Michael Cray (Deathblow) – who were younger, were proficient with combat and gained special abilities as a result of a sinister move by their superiors. Issue #2 took place after the team got exposed to something they never anticipated and their superiors knew it.

    With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #3, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the 3rd chapter of a 4-issue mini-series.

    The cover.

    Early story

    Set in the 1970s, the surviving Team 7 members (already exposed to the chemical agent) are in the middle of a new mission somewhere in East Africa. Because their teammate Johnson abused his new power to manipulate a black general to kill himself against his own will, Cole Cash eliminates Johnson causing John Lynch to be outraged. Cash tells Lynch that Johnson lost himself completely. He also tells him to list Johnson as MIA (missing-in-action) and turn a blind eye as before.

    Lynch points his gun at Cash’s head believing he is standing for the mission and rules. After Cash tells him that they are monsters and that the world is better off without them, Lynch relents and shoots the wall instead. The mission concludes and Team 7 goes home by helicopter.

    As the ride goes on, John Lynch thinks very deeply about everything that happened since they got exposed to the chemical agent. He realizes that they were exposed to genetic altering elements and wonders if he and his teammates were nothing more than lab rats for International Operations (IO)…

    Quality

    John Lynch in the presence of his traitorous superiors following the East African operation.

    If there is anything notable here apart from the continued dark and gritty tone, the plot really thickened clearly. At this stage, it is more obvious that the superiors have indeed something more sinister planned for Team 7 to endure. They know that the infected team members are closing ranks to protect itself which means they are ready for the so-called final test.

    Along the way, John Lynch gradually realizes the evil of his superiors and being the field leader, he begins to analyze what is best for him and his teammates and which options to take knowing the betrayal from above. Quitting is simply not an option for Lynch and the pressure builds up as the story went on. Cole Cash here sees things very clearly and he easily became the pathfinder among Team 7 members. When he scolds his teammate Fairchild (father of Gen13’s Caitlin Fairchild) for abusing his power in a public place while off-duty, it is clear that Cash wants to keep the team together by means of keeping together while maintaining sanity.

    As for Team 7 itself, there is something intriguing that awaits readers once they start their new mission here. I won’t spoil it and it has to be seen. Simply grab a copy of this comic book, read it and pay attention to the details. It’s strong stuff from the creative team.

    Conclusion

    Cole Cash (Grifter) talks sense into John Lynch about what has really been going on and why they have become monsters.

    Team 7 #3 (1994) has a lot of intrigue as the plot thickened. At this stage, it is clear that IO is really up to no good and Team 7 is symbolically their scientific and military experiment. Fortunately for the team, they have John Lynch and Cole Cash as the reasonable members who are able to cut through the noise and became aware of what IO has been executing. The stage is set for the concluding issue and this comic book is indeed a solid build-up and also an engaging WildStorm read.

    Overall, Team 7 #3 (1994) is recommended.

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #1990s #action #Africa #Africans #amusement #AronWiesenfeld #Backlash #blackPeople #Blog #blogger #blogging #CarloCarrasco #ChuckDixon #ColeCash #comic #comicBook #ComicBookReview #comicBooks #comicReview #comics #comicsBlog #comicsReview #CovertActionTeams #Deathblow #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #espionage #explosions #film #fun #geek #Gen13 #Grifter #guns #illustratedLiterature #ImageComics #InternationalOperationsIO #IslamicTerrorism #IslamicTerrorists #Islamist #IslamoLeft #JacksonDane #JimLee #JohnLynch #literature #MarcSlayton #MichaelCray #military #militaryIntelligence #militaryLifestyle #movies #NOToTerrorism #NOToTerrorists #nostalgia #RejectTerrorists #retroReview #Retrospective #review #Reviews #specialForces #StormWatch #superhero #superheroes #Team7 #terror #terrorism #terrorist #terroristStateIran #terrorists #The1990s #war #Wetworks #WildStorm #woke #WordPress #WordPressCom

    #1990s #action #africa #africans #amusement #aronwiesenfeld
27. 

    Author Carlo Carrasco @[email protected] · 2026-05-28 · 16:01 UTC

    A Look Back at Team 7 #3 (1994)

    Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

    Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

    For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Michael Cray (Deathblow) – who were younger, were proficient with combat and gained special abilities as a result of a sinister move by their superiors. Issue #2 took place after the team got exposed to something they never anticipated and their superiors knew it.

    With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #3, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the 3rd chapter of a 4-issue mini-series.

    The cover.

    Early story

    Set in the 1970s, the surviving Team 7 members (already exposed to the chemical agent) are in the middle of a new mission somewhere in East Africa. Because their teammate Johnson abused his new power to manipulate a black general to kill himself against his own will, Cole Cash eliminates Johnson causing John Lynch to be outraged. Cash tells Lynch that Johnson lost himself completely. He also tells him to list Johnson as MIA (missing-in-action) and turn a blind eye as before.

    Lynch points his gun at Cash’s head believing he is standing for the mission and rules. After Cash tells him that they are monsters and that the world is better off without them, Lynch relents and shoots the wall instead. The mission concludes and Team 7 goes home by helicopter.

    As the ride goes on, John Lynch thinks very deeply about everything that happened since they got exposed to the chemical agent. He realizes that they were exposed to genetic altering elements and wonders if he and his teammates were nothing more than lab rats for International Operations (IO)…

    Quality

    John Lynch in the presence of his traitorous superiors following the East African operation.

    If there is anything notable here apart from the continued dark and gritty tone, the plot really thickened clearly. At this stage, it is more obvious that the superiors have indeed something more sinister planned for Team 7 to endure. They know that the infected team members are closing ranks to protect itself which means they are ready for the so-called final test.

    Along the way, John Lynch gradually realizes the evil of his superiors and being the field leader, he begins to analyze what is best for him and his teammates and which options to take knowing the betrayal from above. Quitting is simply not an option for Lynch and the pressure builds up as the story went on. Cole Cash here sees things very clearly and he easily became the pathfinder among Team 7 members. When he scolds his teammate Fairchild (father of Gen13’s Caitlin Fairchild) for abusing his power in a public place while off-duty, it is clear that Cash wants to keep the team together by means of keeping together while maintaining sanity.

    As for Team 7 itself, there is something intriguing that awaits readers once they start their new mission here. I won’t spoil it and it has to be seen. Simply grab a copy of this comic book, read it and pay attention to the details. It’s strong stuff from the creative team.

    Conclusion

    Cole Cash (Grifter) talks sense into John Lynch about what has really been going on and why they have become monsters.

    Team 7 #3 (1994) has a lot of intrigue as the plot thickened. At this stage, it is clear that IO is really up to no good and Team 7 is symbolically their scientific and military experiment. Fortunately for the team, they have John Lynch and Cole Cash as the reasonable members who are able to cut through the noise and became aware of what IO has been executing. The stage is set for the concluding issue and this comic book is indeed a solid build-up and also an engaging WildStorm read.

    Overall, Team 7 #3 (1994) is recommended.

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #1990s #action #Africa #Africans #amusement #AronWiesenfeld #Backlash #blackPeople #Blog #blogger #blogging #CarloCarrasco #ChuckDixon #ColeCash #comic #comicBook #ComicBookReview #comicBooks #comicReview #comics #comicsBlog #comicsReview #CovertActionTeams #Deathblow #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #espionage #explosions #film #fun #geek #Gen13 #Grifter #guns #illustratedLiterature #ImageComics #InternationalOperationsIO #IslamicTerrorism #IslamicTerrorists #Islamist #IslamoLeft #JacksonDane #JimLee #JohnLynch #literature #MarcSlayton #MichaelCray #military #militaryIntelligence #militaryLifestyle #movies #NOToTerrorism #NOToTerrorists #nostalgia #RejectTerrorists #retroReview #Retrospective #review #Reviews #specialForces #StormWatch #superhero #superheroes #Team7 #terror #terrorism #terrorist #terroristStateIran #terrorists #The1990s #war #Wetworks #WildStorm #woke #WordPress #WordPressCom

    #1990s #action #africa #africans #amusement #aronwiesenfeld
28. 

    NAAN @[email protected] · 2023-11-15 · 00:20 UTC

    This is technically "old" art, if you count months-old art as old (or has it been a year already since I drew this? I can't remember anymore :akko_badday: ), but--a character sheet of the cast from my Footballerinas pitch. I wanted to, uh, not show anything from it for reasons but eh, beggars can't be choosers.

    Two characters may have their design tweaked later. :zerotwowave:

    The comic pitch is about a young girl deciding to create an all-girls' (American) football team at her school. Hijinks ensue, of course. Each of the girls come from different sports backgrounds, bringing said skills to this newfangled experience...

    The inspirations for it come from childhood memories (and wanting to "give" that same feeling) of watching Babysitters' Club and Mighty Ducks, with a heavy dose of my time spent at my alma mater's student sports bar which showed all airings of, well sports, on its TVs. (One specific game that started to spark it was one involving the Cincinnati Bengals, especially with Ocho Cinco :zerotwoevillaugh: )

    I also originally pitched this to Sparkler Monthly in 2017 and got soundly rejected--I'll post the pages below!

    You'll have to go to twitter to see some more, sorry: https://twitter.com/JadineRhine/status/1640872985002139648

    #MastoArt #CreativeToots #OriginalCharacter #OC #art #CharacterDesign #manga #comic #TheFootballerinas #NAANcomics

    #naancomics #thefootballerinas #comic #manga #characterdesign #art
29. 

    NAAN @[email protected] · 2023-11-15 · 00:20 UTC

    This is technically "old" art, if you count months-old art as old (or has it been a year already since I drew this? I can't remember anymore :akko_badday: ), but--a character sheet of the cast from my Footballerinas pitch. I wanted to, uh, not show anything from it for reasons but eh, beggars can't be choosers.

    Two characters may have their design tweaked later. :zerotwowave:

    The comic pitch is about a young girl deciding to create an all-girls' (American) football team at her school. Hijinks ensue, of course. Each of the girls come from different sports backgrounds, bringing said skills to this newfangled experience...

    The inspirations for it come from childhood memories (and wanting to "give" that same feeling) of watching Babysitters' Club and Mighty Ducks, with a heavy dose of my time spent at my alma mater's student sports bar which showed all airings of, well sports, on its TVs. (One specific game that started to spark it was one involving the Cincinnati Bengals, especially with Ocho Cinco :zerotwoevillaugh: )

    I also originally pitched this to Sparkler Monthly in 2017 and got soundly rejected--I'll post the pages below!

    You'll have to go to twitter to see some more, sorry: https://twitter.com/JadineRhine/status/1640872985002139648

    #MastoArt #CreativeToots #OriginalCharacter #OC #art #CharacterDesign #manga #comic #TheFootballerinas #NAANcomics

    #mastoart #creativetoots #originalcharacter #oc #art #characterdesign
30. 

    NAAN @[email protected] · 2023-11-15 · 00:20 UTC

    This is technically "old" art, if you count months-old art as old (or has it been a year already since I drew this? I can't remember anymore :akko_badday: ), but--a character sheet of the cast from my Footballerinas pitch. I wanted to, uh, not show anything from it for reasons but eh, beggars can't be choosers.

    Two characters may have their design tweaked later. :zerotwowave:

    The comic pitch is about a young girl deciding to create an all-girls' (American) football team at her school. Hijinks ensue, of course. Each of the girls come from different sports backgrounds, bringing said skills to this newfangled experience...

    The inspirations for it come from childhood memories (and wanting to "give" that same feeling) of watching Babysitters' Club and Mighty Ducks, with a heavy dose of my time spent at my alma mater's student sports bar which showed all airings of, well sports, on its TVs. (One specific game that started to spark it was one involving the Cincinnati Bengals, especially with Ocho Cinco :zerotwoevillaugh: )

    I also originally pitched this to Sparkler Monthly in 2017 and got soundly rejected--I'll post the pages below!

    You'll have to go to twitter to see some more, sorry: https://twitter.com/JadineRhine/status/1640872985002139648

    #MastoArt #CreativeToots #OriginalCharacter #OC #art #CharacterDesign #manga #comic #TheFootballerinas #NAANcomics

    #mastoart #creativetoots #originalcharacter #oc #art #characterdesign