progree
progree's JournalThe Minneapolis Alano may have to close - donations less than 1/3 pre-covid levels
The famed "2218", 2218 1st Ave. S. Around these parts, if you want to burnish your AA credentials, you mention your time spent at "2218". And of course you attended the "By the Book 4th Step Workshop" (I forget how many weeks that is).
Contrary to what the article says, it's not a "treatment center". It's just a place that holds AA and Al Anon (and maybe some other 12-step) meetings and hosts events.
This may be a "local story" but I'm sure the same thing is happening everywhere -- fewer face-to-face meetings, fewer donations. I hate to see the physical infrastructure crumble and go away.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/historic-substance-recovery-center-in-minneapolis-faces-closure-as-funding-fades/
It's one of the oldest treatment centers in the world - and the Minneapolis AA house could have to close - unless something changes fast.
The timing couldn't be worse. Substance abuse and overdoses skyrocketed during the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
It's a piece of recovery history, and these days it's a piece of work, as part of the 1887 building is crumbling. This Minneapolis Alano AA Club is a place for people to go to meetings and keep themselves busy and sober in the evenings.
the building is crumbling and the funding is fading.
"COVID reduced our pledging numbers to less than a third of what they were and COVID reduced our income to less than a third.
And prior to COVID, we were barely scraping by," treasurer Cheryl Larson said.
So they are hoping to raise $250,000 for emergency repairs so they can keep repairing lives.
"The Alano Society of Minneapolis was incorporated in March of 1942 which makes it is the oldest continuously operating Alano Club at a single location in the world."
http://www.2218alano.org/history.html
So at least we have one world-class distinction, pretty surprising for "north of flyover country".
Only 7 years (6 3/4) after Dr. Bob had his last drink.
There are other alano clubs in Minneapolis, and plenty more in the metro area, but this one is the "mother ship".
Texas Republicans pass resolution denying Biden won 2020 election
Source: CBS News by way of MSN
The Texas Republican Party officially rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election over the weekend, passing a resolution in its platform that falsely blames election fraud in five battleground states for President Joe Biden's victory over former President Donald Trump. The resolution refers to Mr. Biden as "acting" president.
...
It claims that the elections in five states violated Articles 1 and 2 of the Constitution because "various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple ways, including by allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020."
Reviews of the vote tallies and various recounts did not change the outcome of any state's election. Officials including Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly rejected claims that there was widespread election fraud. The president and his allies waged dozens of unsuccessful legal battles and looked to the Supreme Court to help deliver Mr. Trump a second term in the White House after Mr. Biden was declared the winner, asking the justices to take up numerous disputes that sought to halt the certification of election results from key battleground states.
But the Supreme Court appeared not to have an appetite to wade into the disputes -- it rejected requests to fast-track cases that took aim at the election results in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania and spurned other challenges to the outcome of the election in those four states.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/texas-republicans-pass-resolution-denying-biden-won-2020-election/ar-AAYFEFt?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=3fae966f50fd44e589d32b75677bf22a
I don't know how much of this nuttiness I can take, but unfortunately, I'm sure there is plenty more coming down the pike.
There is also a lot of stuff about a gun resolution in the article, but I barely skimmed it, as I can't take any more of this.
People who read LBN have probably seen this one --
Texas Could Vote to Secede From U.S. in 2023 as GOP Pushes for Referendum
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142932106
Iraq's 'pearl of the south' Lake Sawa dry amid water crisis,
This year, for the first time in its centuries-long history, the lake dried up. A combination of mismanagement by local investors, government neglect and climate change has ground down its azure shores to chunks of salt.
. . . Lake Sawa is only the latest casualty in this broad country-wide struggle with water shortages that experts say is induced by climate change, including record low rainfall and back-to-back drought.
. . . “The degradation of the water began over 10 years ago, but this summer was the first time we lost the entire wetland,” said Laith Ali al-Obeidi, an environmental activist in southern Iraq.
Experts said the lake has not dried up for good but its disappearance this year is a concerning consequence of the thousands of illegal wells dug by businessmen in nearby cement factories and manufacturing zones, a result of drought and decreasing waters along the nearby Euphrates.
By early June, some water began to reappear because farmers, done with the harvest season, stopped diverting underground water.
================================
It was apparently only 5 square miles in the good ol' days, so it wasn't a monster.
It is south of Baghdad -- about halfway between Baghdad and the Iraq-Saudi border.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawa_Lake
Map
I've been seeing several articles lately about how long and severe Iraq's drought has been.
Toronto Blames Woman Who Was Pushed Onto Subway Tracks: 'She Was Travelling Alone'
The TTC is the Toronto Transit Commission. See reply #2 for their Facebook page.
... According to the TTC’s statement, Al-Balushi “failed to take reasonable steps and precautions for her own safety and protection.” The statement says “she chose to stand close to the edge of the platform,” “failed to pay due care and attention to her surroundings,” and “was travelling alone and unassisted on public transit when she knew or ought to have known that it was unsafe for her to do so.”
More: https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7be5a/toronto-woman-pushed-onto-ttc-subway
Since the TTC went ahead and let out their inner bigot, I'm surprised they didn't go all the way and suggest she is unwise to ever leave her house without an adult male escort, who is either a husband or blood relative. Otherwise, she is just "asking for it".
And it really is a thick yellow line - there are some pictures at the TTC's Facebook page (See #2 below). Maybe 2 feet thick.
Edited to Add Video --
Woman shoved onto Toronto subway tracks speaks out as video emerges of disturbing incident
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/disturbing-video-captures-moment-woman-is-pushed-onto-tracks-at-toronto-subway-station-1.5867608
the standing and pushing --- start at 0:48
And here are a couple of pictures the 2nd one just as she was about to be pushed.
Cross-linked to Women's Rights and Issues https://www.democraticunderground.com/113813582
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