Father's Day Facts

In the USA, we take for granted that every year, we celebrate Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June.  Not every country does this.  Certain countries expect that every day, you honor your parents in some form or another, especially when you still live at home.  In Japan, they celebrate Girls' Day on 3/3, Boys' Day on 5/5 - though it's starting to shift to having 1 Children's Day per year.

Here are the countries, other than the United States, which celebrate Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June every year:  Argentina, France, Netherlands, Chile, Canada, United Kingdom, India, and Japan.  Other countries do celebrate but on different days.

It is interesting though, how different cultures celebrate.  Breakfasts and brunches are somewhat popular around the world.  Going fishing or on other outings that the dads enjoy are also popular.  One that is underrated yet great, especially for dads who have everything, is to donate to a good cause in his honor would also be something cool.

Speaking of giving to dads, an author friend is a giving dad.  While I don't know how he pulls it off on occasion, but, evidently, his military background helps him keep a good regimen going.  He gets to the Hospitality Center before 0600 all 4 days in the morning and helps set up for breakfast to feed the people who come in, make the coffee for everyone, and all of the things that need to get set up to run smoothly.  Once that is in place, it's taking in and organizing all of the various donations which include food from multiple sources, among other donations for clothing and more come in, on top of getting called to make more coffee, get supplies for the main meal into the kitchen, and everything else...  These people are lucky to have him there helping.  

Would you be a dear, and give this Navy dad of 3 grown daughters a read?  It would cool to be able to make Plans & Tours (Chapter 37) and treat our families, like in Soldwolf’s story, Meeting the Parents. Children can be handfuls. You either know how to handle 'em, or you don't, and they still crack me up to pieces. It's also interesting learning a little bit about Military etiquette. And, just like any place else, you have young ones who wander off, and adults who can't keep track of themselves, much less anyone else... Let's just hope the mischief is kept to a bare minimum!

4th of July is coming up in just a few weeks, where it’s like a Festival (Chapter 38) all by its self. Who doesn't love festivals? And a designated driver? But no, it isn't because of what you might think... It just would be nice once in a while. Of course, with every festive gathering, there are always gifts. Now I'll have to find what happened to MINE (you'll have to read the chapter to figure out what of mine I'm talking about) to show off & take pictures of... And it's so fun to introduce people to customs familiar to me but new to them, so I almost wish that I could be this type of gift bearer! The Lady is also Japanese, so I am relating with her as she gives her omiyage to people (okay, so I'm only half, and was a child in coming here, but...)

Just remember, every read he gets, gets him one step closer to being able to be found by publishers to turn this work in progress into a book. And what would YOU give to a Navy dad if you knew one, anyway? I don't know...

I have a story about that!

Hello Blogspot bloggers!  It has been a while, and it's good to be back.  I have updates, more advocacy & a story to share.

Since blogging last in August, I'd had several interviews with a ton of interesting and great places, landed a great game, tried to help a couple of people out, kept my side gigs, and lost the game...  Other personal issues are happening, but, nothing I can't handle.  While I loved the paid gig I'd landed, and I really appreciated my time there, sometimes these things are meant to be temporary rather than permanent.  We'll leave it there.

In the interim, I was presented with two different people who needed some personal advocacy and needed a safe haven, so I'd taken them in, individually.  That didn't work so well, either, though it was a learning experience.  Neither of them really had it in mind to better their situations, and I found out that maybe I'm better at generally helping the masses than I thought, on a more basic level rather than the smaller groups I once used to thrive on.

So, it's back to the drawing board after I take care of some personal issues.  In the meantime, to keep active in the community, I still volunteer as an advocate for Sexual Assault Services, a tutor with the Racine Literacy Council, animal care at the Eco-Justice Center, and various duties including administrative work at the Hospitality Center.  I hope to be able to get into further details about each of these agencies in future blogs.  They're all great places for their own reasons.

Anyway, I remember when my son was preschool age...  his favorite thing to say, when he wasn't interested in the conversation, was "I have a story about that"! and the way he used to climb up on my lap and get really close was way too cute.  Sometimes I miss those days, but, today he is a 19-year-old college student at Gateway Technical College pursuing a Culinary Arts associates degree while working as a kitchen assistant at Sebastian's, and he makes me proud to be his mom.

Speaking of stories, though...  I have a few friends who are authors, musicians, artists, etc. and one author named Soldwolf is writing a story called Meeting the Parents, which is a Military Sci-Fi featuring an intergalactic love affair that starts with a series of events, leading to some steamy romance in quest of happiness and the humor that goes with it all...  As of right now, the story is still a work in progress (not quite finished yet), and with enough hits on his chapters, it has the chance to become published into a real book.  I'd like for that to happen, so, could you be as kind as to read, like, even comment, and support the writing?  Here are the 1st 4 chapters:
Chapter 1 - Meeting the Parents
Chapter 2 - The Morning Edition
Chapter 3 - Big Sister Interrogation
Chapter 4 - Big Sister Interrogation 2

Trigger warning and it might make you ~sick~

Let me educate some Online peeps. This is also the reason why we need something along the line if #LikasLaw4Wisconsin. Please read all the way through.

There is the web, you get on google or your search engine of choice and look up your topic. There is a whole other web embedded underneath called the dark web. You have to know how to get into it, no I will not tell you how. What you find there is utter depravity at its worse. Today I will stick with the children.  

You will find forums where the freaks go to chat, buy and sell pics of kids, regular pics like the ones they take off your Facebook. THEN there are nude pics, pics of sexual acts between adults/children. Child/child. Animals/Child. Wanna hurl yet? I'm not done. Websites where you can go, whip out that credit card and really get your freak on. You will watch it unfold in real time with real children. Request the gender, request what you want to see done.

Better take a deep breath here... Rape. Torture. Sodomy. Murder. Children for sale. *FOR SALE* a pedophile's dream, in a smorgasbord. I'm not making this up, google it and if you are offended delete me. I AM a child advocate in several ways not just one. Some people on this social network need to get their heads out of their asses and understand some cold hard facts about what goes on with kids and the net. This IS the evil I confront and I will not stop till I'm dead. I fight for the kids in court and online. THIS is EVIL at its worst!

Then people wonder why I caution about things, and turn their noses up, until it's one of theirs that ends up in a film. Sign this petition today, and pass it around. Speak up, or you're supporting these monsters.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/367/880/690/likas-law-4-wisconsin-demand-stiffer-sentencing-4-child-sex-offenders/

Important Info 4 Activated 501c3-Nonprofits!

As the founder for Youth Voice Initiative, a 501c4 nonprofit a social organization to push the social changes necessary to better protect our abused children in this great society, there is a reason why I made it a 501c4, and not a 501c3, which is for charitable or faith based organizations (before anyone says they’re not the same thing, yes, duh, I know... the word “or” is an identifier for a choice, not to say that 2 things are the same). Some faith organizations are very charitable, yet many charitable organizations have little to nothing to do with faith organizations.

Faith based or not, there are a lot of things a 501c3 can do. Rescue abused animals; adopt homeless pets; raise awareness and collect money for homeless veterans; create a safe place for those who are abused; organize to ensure foster children have suitcases or backpacks instead of garbage bags to hold their personal items; start a community center; find a faith based organizations; and the options are almost limitless... One thing that does not cover, is how much lobbying, political activism, etc. involved... A 501c3 is also tax exempt, and also can apply for government grants to help fund charitable activities, such as food for the poor. These organizations can also do as much awareness campaigns as they see fit, also. But I think (don’t quote me) that the amount of government campaigning or lobbying efforts are limited to 10% of the money/efforts, and there are rules as to which areas of that are allowed or not.

See, YVI, as a 501c4, can dedicate as much time to political activities, such as changing laws, etc. as it sees fit. Awareness can be anywhere from 0-99%, but taking political stances on issues like child abuse can take anything from 1-100%. Here is the official website: https://sites.google.com/site/youth... 

So, just as an FYI, I want to be able to give you links, to understand what is or isn’t allowed as a 501c3, because without the awareness and charity organizations to put forth toward this topic of how childhood abuse and trauma lasts a lifetime, YVI’s job would be so much more difficult... Here are the links:

Limits on political campaigning - http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclope...

How much lobbying is allowed - http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclope...

Risks to Nonprofit status - https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/...

IRS Reporting issues - https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-p...

 

There are many more articles online, from reputable areas. So... Any 501c3 out there who deals in part or in full about childhood abuse & trauma, I, as the founder of YVI, am offering to partner up with you, to be able to expand your reach into being able to pursue these endeavors under the Youth Voice Initiative mission, to help make our corner of the planet a safer place for abused children. Carry on!