29th august (’23): martyrdom of john the baptist

John the Baptist(c. 1st century BC – c. AD 30) was a Judaean preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early 1st century AD. He is also known as John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist Christian traditions, and Prophet Yahya in Islam. He is sometimes alternatively referred to as John the Baptiser. John is mentioned by the Roman Jewish historian Josephus and he is revered as a major religious figure in Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí faith, the Druze faith, and Mandaeism, the latter in which he is considered to be the final and most vital prophet. He is considered to be a prophet of God by all of the aforementioned faiths, and is honoured as a saint in many Christian denominations. According to the New Testament, John anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself, and the Gospels portray John as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus. Jesus himself identifies John as “Elijah who is to come”, which is a direct reference to the Book of Malachi (Malachi 4:5), that has been confirmed by the angel who announced John’s birth to his father, Zechariah. According to the Gospel of Luke, John and Jesus were relatives. Some scholars maintain that John belonged to the Essenes, a semi-ascetic Jewish sect who expected a messiah and practiced ritual baptism. John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his pre-messianic movement. Most biblical scholars agree that John baptized Jesus, and several New Testament accounts report that some of Jesus’ early followers had previously been followers of John. According to the New Testament, John was sentenced to death and subsequently beheaded by Herod Antipas around AD 30 after John rebuked him for divorcing his wife Phasaelis and then unlawfully wedding Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. Josephus also mentions John in the Antiquities of the Jews and states that he was executed by order of Herod Antipas in the fortress at Machaerus. The Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566Followers of John existed well into the 2nd century AD, and some proclaimed him to be the messiah. In modern times, the followers of John the Baptist are the Mandaeans, an ancient ethnoreligious group who believe that he is their greatest and final prophet. In the Roman martyrology, apart from Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, John is the only saint whose birth and death are both commemorated.

29th august (’23): International Day against Nuclear Tests

“The Blue Marble” is a famous photograph of the Earth taken on December 7, 1972,
by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft en route to the Moon
at a distance of about 29,000 kilometres (18,000 mi)

The International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed on August 29. It was established on December 2, 2009, at the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly by the resolution 64/35, which was adopted unanimously. The resolution in particular calls for increasing awareness “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world”. The resolution was initiated by Kazakhstan together with several sponsors and cosponsors to commemorate the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site on August 29, 1991. Following the establishment of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, in May 2010 all state parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons committed themselves to “achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons“.

On September 15, 2014, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States in co-sponsorship with Arms Control Association, Green Cross International, the Embassy of Canada, and the ATOM Project held a conference “Nuclear Weapons Testing: History, Progress, Challenges” commemorating United Nations International Day Against Nuclear Tests. The conference took place at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. This conference was focused on the issue of nuclear weapons testing and the road forward for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The keynote presenters included the U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose E. Gottemoeller, the U.S. Under Secretary of Energy and NNSA Administrator Frank J. Klotz, and the Executive Secretary of CTBTO Lassina Zerbo. The participants of the conference underlined their commitment to the nuclear weapons non-proliferation.

29th September ’22: World heart day

World Heart Day, celebrated on 29 September each year, is a global information and awareness campaign on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, promoted worldwide by the World Heart Federation through a community of over 200 national organizations that together support the commitment of the medical society and foundations for the heart in over 100 countries.

Cardio-cerebro vascular diseases are by far the leading cause of death in many countries of the world. They are responsible for 17.5 million premature deaths each year and are projected to increase to 23 million by 2030. In Italy 127,000 women and 98,000 men die each year from cardio-cerebrovascular diseases and many of these deaths occur prematurely before the age of 60. Cigarette smoking, high cholesterol levels, hypertension, high blood sugar levels, poor diet, weight and abdominal circumference, sedentary lifestyle, stress and living conditions in unhealthy environments are the modifiable risk factors responsible for at least 80 % of premature deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, heart failure and stroke, which can be avoided.

World Heart Day adheres to the “25by25” campaign launched by the World Health Organization in 2012 to urge all countries of the world to put in place alliances and the best strategies to reduce, by 2025, 25% of premature deaths caused from chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diseases of the heart, blood vessels and diabetes.

In Italy, World Heart Day is coordinated by the Italian Foundation for the Heart Association, a national member of the World Heart Federation. In September and beyond there are many free events open to the public, with the distribution of information material, organized freely by hospitals, ASLs, patient associations, hospitals, public and private bodies to sensitize people to take care of their heart.

29th october (2021): Today is blessed ROSARIO LIVATINO (magistrate killed by the mafia in the 90s): beatified by Pope Francis this year, 9may 2021

Rosario Angelo Livatino (Italian pronunciation: [roˈzaːrjo livaˈtiːno]; October 3, 1952 – September 21, 1990) was an Italian magistrate who was killed by Stidda.

Livatino was born in Canicattì, in Sicily. After successfully completing high school, he entered the university Law Faculty in Palermo in 1971, and graduated in 1975. Between 1977 and 1978 he serviced as vice-director in the Register Office in Agrigento. In 1978, after being among the top percentage in the Judiciary audit, he was assigned a post as magistrate at the court at Caltanissetta.

In 1979 he became “sostituto procuratore” (deputy prosecutor) at the Agrigento court, a position he kept until 1989, when he was appointed assistant judge (giudice a latere). He was murdered on September 21, 1990, along route SS 640 by four killers, as he travelled without bodyguard to the court. The assassins had been paid by the Stidda of Agrigento.

During his career, Livatino worked against corruption, and gained success in a number of cases, obtaining the seizure of large sums of money and property and the arrest of senior figures in organised crime.

His story inspired a novel, Il giudice ragazzino (“The Boy Judge”), written by Nando Dalla Chiesa in 1992, and this was made into a film with the same title in 1994 by director Alessandro di Robilant.

In 1993 the Bishop of Agrigento asked Rosario Livatino’s former teacher, Ida Abate, to collect any available testimony for Livatino’s beatification.

Pope John Paul II said that Rosario Livatino was a “Martyr of Justice and in an indirect way, of the Christian Faith”.

In December 2020, Pope Francis approved the decree of martyrdom proposed by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Servant of God Rosario Angelo Livatino has been officially proclaimed Blessed on Sunday, 9 May 2021, in the Cathedral of Agrigento, Sicily by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on the same day John Paul II, in 1993, at the Valley of the Temples, addressed his peremptory invitation to the Mafia: “Convert! once God’s judgment will come!

International Day Against Nuclear Tests

tests

The International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed on August 29. It was established on December 2, 2009 at the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly by the resolution 64/35, which was adopted unanimously.

The resolution in particular calls for increasing awareness “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world”. The resolution was initiated by Kazakhstan together with several sponsors and cosponsors to commemorate the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site on August 29, 1991.

Following the establishment of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, in May 2010 all state parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons committed themselves to “achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”.

29th july: world tiger day

Male_Tiger_Ranthambhore

Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.

We can also use this day to support tiger conservation issues and to raise awareness. After all, when more people are aware of something, they are going to be more inclined to help, and that is why this day is so important.

There are a number of different issues that tigers all around the world face. There are a number of treats that are driving tigers close to extinction, and we can do our bit to make sure that we do not lose these incredible creatures. Some of the threats that tigers face include poaching, conflict with humans, and habitat loss.

Poaching and the illegal trade industry is a very worrying one. This is the biggest threat that wild tigers face. Demand for tiger bone, skin, and other body parts is leading to poaching and trafficking. This is having a monumental impact on the sub-populations of tigers, resulting in localized extinctions. We often see tiger skins being used in home decor.

Moreover, bones are used for medicines and tonics. This has seen illegal criminal syndicates get involved in the tiger trade in order to make huge profits. It really is a worrying industry. In fact, it is thought to be worth 10 billion dollars per annum in the United States alone. This is why we need to support charities and work hard to put an end to poaching and the illegal trade of tiger parts.

While this represents the biggest threats to tigers, there are a number of other threats as well. This includes habitat loss. Throughout the world, tiger habitats have reduced because of access routes, human settlements, timber logging, plantations, and agriculture.

In fact, only around seven percent of the historical range of a tiger is still intact today. That is an incredibly small and worrying amount. This can increase the number of conflicts between tigers, as they roman about and try to locate new habitats. Not only this, but genetic diversity can reduce because it can cause there to be inbreeding in small populations.

Today (29th Feb) is World Rare Disease Day

trasferimento

The 13th World Rare Disease Day is celebrated today. This year the theme is dedicated to equity as access to equal opportunities to enhance the potential of people with a rare disease.
February 29 – it says – is a rare day and was chosen as the day of rare diseases. The term Rare Diseases indicates those conditions whose prevalence in the population is less than 5 cases per 10,000 inhabitants. They are heterogeneous conditions, very numerous (the World Health Organization has calculated the existence of approximately 8,000 known and diagnosed rare diseases) and represent a public health problem due to the strong impact on the population. The concept of rarity includes the diagnostic and care problems that rarity entails. That is, the difficulty in being diagnosed, the complexity of the approach, the chronicity, the onerousness of the treatment and management. This translates into long times for diagnosis, the need for a coordinated multidisciplinary approach, the need for a multisectoral approach, the need for a multidimensional approach. and to take care of. The task of health workers is to take care and this can be best accomplished by integrating scientific knowledge with deep solidarity.

29th February: leap year day

29thfeb

The famous popular proverb says: bisetile anno fatesta year .. will it be so? Regardless of beliefs and superstitions, 2020 began with one of the most perilous epidemics of recent decades. In addition, fires in Australia destroyed several hectares of land in early December.
How will a person born on February 29th celebrate his birthday? I imagine you celebrate it the day before (February 28), as it happens for name days. Today, moreover, it is also the world day of rare diseases .. as if this theme was linked to the rarity of this day.

February is also generally one of the coldest months of the year together with January. In March, although it is called crazy, it is almost always a warmer month. But this year, February was also a very hot month for many nations due to strange weather conditions.

🎵 U2 – City of Blinding Lights

I believe this is the most suitable song on this day, where shops and malls have dazzling lights on the cities.

LYRIC

The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now
Neon heart dayglo eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They’re advertising in the skies
For people like us
And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground…
Ooh ooh ooh
OOh Ooh ooh
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Don’t look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can’t see
I’ve seen you walk unafraid
I’ve seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me
And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground
Ooh ooh ooh
OOh Ooh ooh
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
Time… Time
Won’t leave me as I am
But time won’t take the boy out of this man
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights
The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel… luckily

 

TRADUZIONE TESTO
Più vedi, meno sai
Più cresci, meno capisci
io sapevo più cose rispetto a quanto so adesso

cuore che dà luce, luce giornaliera agli occhi
la città è illuminata dalle lucciole
si stanno annunciando nei cieli
e noi piacciamo alle persone

e mi manchi quando non sei qui intorno mi sto preparando a lasciare il suolo

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

oh sei così bella stanotte…
nella città di luci accecanti

non pensare prima di ridere
cerca di sembrare cattiva in una fotografia
lampade, iridi color porpora che
la macchina fotografica non può vedere

ti ho vista camminare senza paura
ti ho vista nei vestiti che hai fatto
riesci a vedere la bellezza dentro di me?
cos’è successo alla bellezza che avevo dentro di me?

e mi manchi quando non sei qui intorno
mi sto preparando a lasciare il suolo
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

oh sei così bella stanotte… stanotte…
nella città di luci accecanti

il tempo… il tempo… il tempo…
non mi lascerà così come sono
ma non porterà via il ragazzo che c’è in quest’uomo

oh sei così bella stanotte…
oh sei così bella stanotte…
oh sei così bella stanotte…
nella città di luci accecanti

Più sai meno senti
alcune preghiere che gli altri ruberanno
le benedizioni non sono solo per quelli che strisciano fortunati