The post National Cook for Your Pets Day 2024: When It Is &; How to Celebrate by Grant Piper appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. The calendar is filled with unique and interesting days. Most days on the calendar contain a number of holidays that can be used to learn something new‚ support a cause‚ or change your perspective. One such day is National Cook for Your Pets Day‚ which takes place every year on November 1st. The holiday supports education about pet food and the bond between animal and owner. Every year‚ people are encouraged to find recipes and learn how to cook fresh food for their pets. Here is everything you need to know about National Cook for Your Pets Day this year and beyond. How to Celebrate National Cook for Your Pets Day As the name suggests‚ the best way to celebrate National Cook for Your Pets Day is to cook food for your cat. This activity will help foster a stronger bond between you and your cat. You can also explore healthy‚ fresh‚ and alternative foods for your beloved furry friends. You can cook a single meal for your cat on November 1st to participate‚ or you can use it as a chance to learn about cooking fresh food for cats and other pets and continue the trend into the future. You can also use the day to look up safe and healthy recipes for your cat. Healthy and safe recipes can be saved and stored for future use. National Cook for Your Pets Day is the perfect excuse to stock up on recipes for your cat. Recipes don’t go bad so save some every year to build your very own pet cookbook. Before cooking for your cat‚ there are some important things that need to be considered. Image Credit: Tagwaran‚ Shutterstock Tips for Cooking for Your Cat Avoid any seasoning or flavorings. Avoid salt and oils. Only feed foods that are safe for your cat. Do not feed any raw food. Boiling or baking is the best way to cook for your cat. Do not fry food for your cat. Some foods need to be softened or prepared to be digestible by your cat. Maintain proper portions. Do not overfeed your cat. Do not feed pre-prepared foods. Only feed fresh foods that you have cooked yourself. If you attempt to use any packaged or prepared foods‚ be sure to read the labels and ingredients to avoid accidentally feeding your animal something toxic. Consult Your Veterinarian Before Cooking for Your Cat For the best results‚ you should consult your veterinarian before cooking food for your cat. That way‚ your vet can give you tips and advice on what you should and should not cook for your animal. For example‚ for cats‚ you should ask your vet about how to prepare something like fish or chicken for them. You should only lightly bake or boil meats for your cat and ensure that you do not add any seasoning‚ salt‚ or oil. Cook for your pet at your own peril if you do not ask your veterinarian for information beforehand. Cooking for a pet is not as simple or straightforward as people might imagine. If you have never cooked for your pet before‚ make sure to do adequate research before starting. National Cook for Your Pets Day is a great way to learn how to cook for your pet safely. Image Credit: H_Ko‚ Shutterstock Conclusion National Cook for Your Pets Day is one of the more obscure but interesting holidays on the calendar. It takes place every year on November 1st. Before participating‚ be sure to do your research‚ consult your vet‚ and stock up on recipes. National Cook for Your Pets Day can be used as a springboard into new information and bonding between you and your pets. Sources Two Row Times National Today Featured Image Credit: Vova Shevchuk‚ Shutterstock The post National Cook for Your Pets Day 2024: When It Is &; How to Celebrate by Grant Piper appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

The post National Microchipping Month 2024: When &; What It Is by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. The facts of lost pets tell a sad tale. Roughly 15% of cat owners will lose their pet within a 5-year timespan. Outdoor felines often travel about 1 mile farther from home‚ complicating returning the animals to their families. That’s where microchipping comes into play. This ID system can help reunite pets with their owner and avoid the tragic endings of these incidents. Some people were skeptical about these devices‚ with much misinformation floating around the internet. That’s what makes National Microchipping Month every May or June (depending on where you live) such an essential public information campaign. Its goal is to educate people about their benefits and address their concerns. Unfortunately‚ many myths exist that make this awareness campaign necessary. Microchipping 101 Microchips came on the scene in the mid-1980s. It revolutionized wildlife tracking and pet tracking. The premise is to implant an electronic device under an animal’s skin that would provide permanent identification with a unique tracking code that identifies the owner. The device is relatively small and implanted under the scruff of the neck. Veterinarians often microchip pets when they are fixed. Its value is a permanent form of ID. If your pet gets lost‚ vet clinics and shelters routinely scan for a device. Manufacturers producing these products include HomeAgain‚ Avid Identification Systems‚ BuddyID‚ and AKC Reunite. The cost is typically under $100. Some pet insurers may cover this expense. Once implanted‚ you must register it with the company. The costs are minimal after your initial purchase. Some may charge you a one-time fee; others have annual plans. Many offer additional services to expedite reuniting you with your pet if they get lost‚ such as alerting organizations or flyers to distribute in your neighborhood. Any expenses you incur are negligible compared to reuniting you with your animal companion. You only need to have it done once since the typical chip lasts up to 25 years. Contrary to popular belief‚ a microchip is not a GPS tracker. It doesn’t raise privacy concerns on this score. Its sole purpose is identification. However‚ it doesn’t replace a collar and ID tag since individuals who may find a pet may not have access to a scanner. You can think of a microchip as insurance. Image Credit: LightField Studios‚ Shutterstock National Microchipping Month in May — AKC Reunite AKC Reunite is the non-profit arm of the American Kennel Club (AKC). Since its founding in 1995‚ the organization has reunited more than 600‚000 pets. Their success stories are a moving testament to getting your animal companion microchipped. They also work with pet disaster relief and K9 rescue operations. May is the organization’s official National Microchipping Month. It’s the AKC’s way to give back to the pet owner community with knowledge and awareness about its importance. They work closely with veterinarians and animal shelters to promote microchipping and address any concerns pet owners may have about the process. National Microchipping Month in June — The Kennel Club The Royal Kennel Club conducts a similar campaign in June in the United Kingdom. The goals of the national holiday are the same. It also helps pet owners stay compliant with legislation that requires registration with a government-compliant database such as Petlog. It’s worth noting that microchipping is compulsory for cats beginning June 10‚ 2024. Failure to do so will result in a hefty fine. Therefore‚ that makes National Microchipping Month a PSA for pet owners to ensure they’re following the law. Cat owners in the United Kingdom are more likely to let their pets outdoors than Americans. This measure seems fitting‚ given this fact. Image Credit: Evgeniy Kalinovskiy‚ Shutterstock National Check the Chip Day — The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) It’s all well and good to get your pet microchipped. However‚ it helps little if you fail to keep your contact information up to date. A study conducted by the AVMA found that 41.9% of lost pets turned into animal shelters were not registered with the microchip’s manufacturer. Roughly 35.4% had incorrect contact information. That makes the organization’s decision to create their awareness day so fitting. August 15 is National Check the Chip Day. Many companies allow free updates to your registration information. Things change. People move. Cell phones get lost. This day is an excellent reminder to ensure everything is current. Hopefully‚ you’ll never need to put it to the test. Final Thoughts National Microchipping Month and National Check the Chip Day are effective ways to reduce the number of pets ending up in shelters‚ separated from their human families. It’s added insurance that you’ll be reunited with your animal companion if they slip a collar or harness. It’s not an expensive procedure‚ but the results‚ if you have to use it‚ are priceless. Sources https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/2/2/301 https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/54/5/447/417483?login=false https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-microchip-can-keep-you-and-your-pet-together https://www.petlog.org.uk/ https://pawversity.com/history-and-society/how-cat-ownership-differs-in-the-united-kingdom https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19601734/ Featured Image Credit: LightField Studios‚ Shutterstock The post National Microchipping Month 2024: When &; What It Is by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Welcome back to Reading the Weird‚ in which we get girl cooties all over weird fiction‚ cosmic horror‚ and Lovecraftiana—from its historical roots through its most recent branches. This week‚ we cover Algernon Blackwood’s “A Victim of Higher Space‚” first published in The Occult Review in December 1914. Text (particularly Barker’s accent) varies slightly between printings. Spoilers ahead! “It was the awful waste and drift of a monstrous world‚ so utterly different to all we know and see that I cannot even hint at the nature of the sights and objects and beings in it.” Physician Extraordinary John Silence has met many extraordinary people in his career as an occult detective and healer of psychic ailments. It’s therefore not unusual for his new man Barker to announce there’s “a hextraordinary gentleman” to see him—except that Barker can’t tell him this one’s name or describe him beyond his resemblance to a “cold wind‚” and the fact that the man’s so thin Barker can hardly see him. Silence‚ pleased that Barker’s proving usefully sensitive‚ excuses his confusion. Prompted‚ Barker remembers that the caller presented a letter from a friend who always refers “vitally interesting” cases. Silence has Barker show the man into his study rather than the padded chamber reserved for “candidates for the asylum.” Even the study isn’t without safety contrivances. A spyhole allows Silence to scrutinize visitors before they assume their public masks. The guest chair is secured to the floor‚ and at need hidden buttons can release a narcotic gas around it. In previewing this visitor‚ Silence sees his hat‚ gloves and umbrella but no man. However‚ his ability to sense the proximity of any “incarnate or discarnate being” tells him someone’s in the room. What’s more‚ he senses the invisible man is scrutinizing him right back! He glimpses movement and realizes that something otherwise invisible partly blocks his view of the fireplace. A thin line appears and develops into an eye “bright with intelligence‚” then a complete human figure: A middle-aged man extremely thin but otherwise ordinary-looking. His “vibrations” are reassuringly pleasant‚ though certain “currents and discharges” betray a disturbed mind. The visitor‚ Racine Mudge‚ confirms he knew of Silence’s spyhole‚ and adds that he’s read Silence’s thoughts about the narcotic-triggering buttons and unmovable chair. Mind-reading is part of his strange condition as “a victim of Higher Space‚” which he hopes Silence can treat. He’s encouraged that Silence projects sympathy‚ and that he expresses an understanding of “Higher Space” as a spiritual state rendered abnormal to humans at their “present stage of evolution.” Silence is also correct that Mudge’s dilemma isn’t accidental but the result of long‚ deliberate study. But it is chance circumstance that can send Mudge out of the world of three dimensions into one of four or more. Certain “human atmospheres‚” “wandering forces‚” combinations of color‚ and most of all certain sounds—perhaps Silence noticed a German street band passing outside shortly before entering? Mudge is particularly sensitive to Wagner’s music‚ which the band must have played. Mudge takes the immoveable chair and relates his history. After inheriting wealth‚ he was able to avoid conventional schooling and so had nothing to unlearn when he dedicated himself to the higher mathematics for which he seemed to have an innate knack. Excited by groundbreakers like Bolyai and Gauss‚ and encouraged by one exceptional author‚ he realized that Higher Space partially borders our world; ergo‚ at “home” we see only portions of objects‚ whereas in Higher Space objects appear as they truly are. When he first slipped bodily into this new reality‚ Mudge was intrigued. Alarm came when at the approach of sleep he began‚ willingly or not‚ to enter the fourth dimension. There he was unable to control his movements‚ subject to queer geographical displacements and to finding familiar things and creatures rendered monstrous by their nearly unrecognizable “true forms.” Silence is sufficiently advanced along the “legitimate paths of spiritual and psychic transformation” to believe Mudge’s story. He fetches a locked red book from a locked bookshelf. It holds the cure to Mudge’s suffering‚ but Silence can’t help but express regret that with such an opportunity to discover great things‚ Mudge would take the cure. It’s alternating between our world and Higher Space that sickens and terrifies him—now if Mudge were to leave behind his three-dimensional life entirely— Mudge nervously begs Silence not to delay. He hears that German band returning! Silence opens his book. The cure‚ he says‚ lies in Mudge learning how to “block the entrances” into Higher Space. These are all inside his mind‚ and it’s concentration that can close them off. Silence will now read instructions for pulling off the trick. But before he gets far‚ the band arrives‚ playing Wagner’s March from Tannhauser no less. Mudge panics‚ begging Silence to prevent him from vanishing. Silence tries to grapple the man to his chair‚ but his body slips away like air‚ to pass even through Silence’s own body. “Block the entrances!” Mudge cries. His internal struggles are to no avail. He flashes out of sight‚ his voice echoing in Silence’s mind: “Lost! lost! lost!” Silence tells Barker that Mudge has left‚ and left behind his things. If he returns at any time‚ Barker should bring him instantly to Silence. He should also remember to think sympathetically of Mudge while he’s away‚ for Mudge is “a very suffering gentleman.” Two days later‚ Silence receives a telegram from Bombay. It’s from Mudge‚ who informs him that he’s slipped out of Higher Space again‚ and he has blocked the entrances‚ a thousand thanks to the doctor! He encloses a London address‚ to which Silence tells Barker to send the left-behind hat‚ gloves and umbrella—exactly one month from this day and marked to be called for. Barker sighs and goes his way‚ asking no further questions. Libronomicon: Mudge has benefited (and suffered) from “the audacious speculations of Bolyai‚ the amazing theories of Gauss… the breathless intuitions of Beltrami and Lobatchewsky…” and an unnamed “dreamer” who is probably Charles Hinton. But his new favorite comfort read has to be that little locked book that Silence conveniently keeps in his study. Weirdbuilding: Bocklin was Swiss symbolist painter known for five version of The Isle of the Dead. All are somber depictions of a cloaked figure in a rowboat‚ approaching an island with sculpted cliff-dwellings to either side and a towering pine forest in the middle. They’re fascinating; I’m not sure they would be my choice to reassure nervous visitors. Madness Takes Its Toll: Dr. Silence has a whole separate sitting room for people who are “only candidates for the asylum‚” set up to handle “sudden violence.” This is not the only place where the story equates mental illness with violence; presumably then as now the mentally ill were actually far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. Maybe even victims of the “concealed contrivances” in Silence’s sitting room.   Anne’s Commentary When will financially independent gentlemen with a bent toward esoteric study learn that our own little three-dimensional world holds mysteries enough to occupy a lifetime of investigation‚ or several lifetimes if they’ve already discovered the secret of immortality and are getting bored? There are doubtless more undescribed flea beetles in Papua New Guinea than are dreamt of in entomological taxonomy‚ to name only one research opportunity. Leave extra-‚ inter-‚ hyper-‚ higher-dimensional space and parallel universes alone—they’re never anything but trouble‚ and you can’t get travel insurance to cover your lost luggage or funeral expenses. Another thing‚ financially independent gentlemen—and ladies‚ though you seem to be underrepresented in weird fiction of this ilk: I can’t find a single health plan that covers extra-‚ inter-‚ hyper-‚ higher-dimensional related injuries‚ nor any list of participating providers that includes psychic-healing Physicians Extraordinary like the good Dr. Silence. So be prepared to pay out of pocket if you do manage to come back alive but spatially challenged or driven to madness by what you’ve experienced Out There. Whereas no one has ever been harmed while hunting unknown flea beetles in Papua New Guinea‚ unless of course they’re bitten by taipans or death adders while poking around the leaf litter‚ and even then the toxicology of Pacific Island elapids is another fascinating field of research. Similarly‚ mamas‚ don’t let your children grow up to be mathematicians. Look what happens to Racine Mudge in today’s tale‚ or Walter Gilman in “The Dreams in the Witch House.” It’s okay if your kids grow up to be financially independent‚ but see above. On further thought‚ don’t raise composers given to eldritch harmonies or German Romantic High Opera‚ either. If they don’t end up like Erich Zann‚ they may perpetrate music that triggers dimension-hoppers trying to kick the habit‚ and that is just not cool. Speaking of Richard Wagner‚ I wonder what Blackwood’s opinion of his work was. Does he mean to praise Wagner for creating music sublime enough to lift sensitive listeners like Mudge into higher planes‚ or does he mean to suggest the opposite‚ that a Wagner march might suffice to drive sensitive listeners (like Mudge) to desperate measures of escape? Either way‚ why does that German band keep trundling by? Silence himself can’t come up with an explanation for this‚ he can only shrug and state that it happened even so. I speculated briefly that an agent of Higher Space knew of Mudge’s triggers and so arranged for the band to haunt Silence’s neighborhood. But the simplest answer strikes me as more likely: Blackwood’s plot required someone to play some damn Wagner two damn times‚ and he therefore made it so. Why not? Stranger things happen here‚ such as the very name Racine Mudge and the likelihood that a Frenchwoman of greatish expectations should have married an English bargeman. And from which side of his family did Mudge inherit an ancestral memory of and genius for higher mathematics? I think Blackwood is having some fun with this story‚ down to the comic relief provided by Silence’s Cockney serving man‚ Barker‚ who’s at once semi-clueless and encouragingly psi-gifted. To return to the concerns with which I opened my comments. From personal experience‚ Silence has learned that while external stimuli can compel one to enter Higher Space‚ the entrances are internal‚ spiritual‚ and through concentration one can learn to block them. He has simple instructions on how to achieve such concentration in his Little Red Book. Mudge doesn’t get to hear them all before he’s sucked away from our reality‚ but apparently he figures out the trick for himself with no more complication than popping out in Bombay rather than London. Okay. If the solution to unwanted dimension-hopping is really this easy‚ I’m not so much against experimenting with it. And to celebrate Mr. Mudge’s triumphant return‚ I’d like to time-express-mail him tickets to the 1914 Bayreuth Festival production of Der Ring des Nibelungen. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it greatly‚ now that the good doctor’s cured him.   Ruthanna’s Commentary I ran across this story because I’m footnoting a new edition of Blackwood’s The Willows from Lanternfish Press‚ and went down a rabbit hole for a line about “the way a sound in the fourth dimension is supposed to come.” I discovered that Charles Hinton first proposed the concept in 1880‚ not referring to time as some modern speculators often do‚ but to additional directions of space. I also learned that Blackwood was certainly inspired by Hinton‚ and fleshed out his reaction to these ideas—chiefly the idea that taking new spatial perspectives was inherently tied to empathetically taking the perspectives of other humans—in “A Victim of Higher Space.” It’s an interesting set of ideas‚ if occasionally eye-rolling to the modern reader who is me. A century-plus of woo-woo charlatans are not really Blackwood’s fault—well‚ no‚ maybe they are‚ I can imagine any number of charlatans taking John Silence as a model. But after many stories in which seeing beyond our customary reality is inherently horrific‚ it’s nice to see one where those views would be just fine if only we were ready. It’s getting ahead of ourselves‚ evolutionarily and spiritually‚ that results in seeing things we aren’t ready for—falling into Higher Space is fundamentally the equivalent of a kid sneaking an R-rated slasher flick. The “monstrous” is an artifact of our immaturity. We need a couple thousand more years of neural development before trying to see the familiar in an unfamiliar way‚ more real than we’re used to: the uncanny mountain rather than the uncanny valley. Unfortunately‚ the story doesn’t do a ton with these ideas other than heap them before the reader with enthusiastic smuggery. John Silence was created on the recommendation of Blackwood’s editor to tie together a set of otherwise unrelated tales of psychic phenomena. He’s also a smug‚ manipulative asshole. And if there’s one thing that ruins an asshole hero‚ it’s being constantly told how empathetic and kind he is. Blackwood could’ve leaned into it and made me root for the guy. But I’ve got no patience for hearing how nice it is that he non-consensually drugs his patients and spies on them through the peephole. Sherlock Holmes would never—well‚ at least not the drugs. (He drugs himself‚ and not while working.) He would totally spy on people through the peephole‚ if he weren’t so eager to show off to them. But Conan Doyle knows that Holmes is an asshole who’s also kind and sympathetic‚ and it makes him intriguingly nuanced. Blackwood misses that lesson. Mudge embodies a more interesting set of authorial assumptions. It turns out the route to spiritual overachievement is to (1) avoid the biasing influences of parents‚ school‚ and any sort of social interaction‚ and (2) get lucky in the mathematical prowess of your past lives. Number 2 is why Mudge is a spiritual explorer rather than feral child or Outsider. He’s intuitive and psychic and deeply impressed by Silence‚ possibly because number 1 doesn’t give him a lot of actual sympathetic friends for comparison. Personally‚ if I have to tell someone not to non-consensually drug me‚ it puts me on edge. But to each their own. Geometry is an ongoing fascination of Weird authors: not surprising‚ given the deeply non-intuitive implications of something that feels like it should be deeply intuitive. What makes more plain sense than a square or a circle? But expand out into dimensions beyond human perception‚ and you might have either a map to what humans could become‚ or to things with as much sympathy for us as we have for the lesser-dimensional beings of Flatland. Or less: the Hounds of Tindalos track us through the original sin of angles‚ and the Witch House offers all sorts of peril to mathematical grad students. On the spiritual side‚ both Wells and Le Fanu warn against trying out the wrong experiments‚ or even new teas. Blackwood at least offers the possibility of graduation. Silence points out that Mudge might be on the edge of wondrous discoveries—he only needs the cure because he’d rather his recognizable life in this dimension than unrecognizable wonder. But others might make different choices—and might find those choices more palatable if made in company.   Next week‚ we enter the Medicine Wheel—or try—in chapters 23-24 of Max Gladstone’s Last Exit. Ruthanna Emrys is the author of A Half-Built Garden and the Innsmouth Legacy series‚ including Winter Tide and Deep Roots. You can find some of her fiction‚ weird and otherwise‚ on Tor.com‚ most recently “The Word of Flesh and Soul.” Ruthanna is online on Twitter and Patreon and on Mastodon as r_emrys@wandering.shop‚ and offline in a mysterious manor house with her large‚ chaotic household—mostly mammalian—outside Washington DC. Anne M. Pillsworth’s short story “The Madonna of the Abattoir” appears on Tor.com. Her young adult Mythos novel‚ Summoned‚ is available from Tor Teen along with sequel Fathomless. She lives in Edgewood‚ a Victorian trolley car suburb of Providence‚ Rhode Island‚ uncomfortably near Joseph Curwen’s underground laboratory.

Monk is an underrated class in Baldur’s Gate 3‚ which prompted me to make this ranked list of the best Monk subclasses. Like most classes‚ Monk gives you the option to play as three unique subclasses‚ each giving you a different experience. Let’s discuss which is the best of them and why. Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Monk subclasses‚ ranked Honestly‚ this is a difficult choice to make‚ as all the subclasses rule pretty hard. Way of the Four Elements grants you a variety of elemental actions‚ Way of the Open Hand specializes in powerful unarmed strikes‚ and Way of Shadow has you teleporting and hiding in the darkness. But in the end‚ the best monk subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Way of Shadow. Way of Shadow Way of the Open Hand Way of the Four Elements Screenshot: PC Invasion 1. Way of Shadow Some of the best ways to take down your foes in BG3 has to be in the shadows. This is what the Way of Shadow sub...

Finding the latest and greatest games out there can be quite a daunting task. With so many marketplaces for artists to post their content on‚ itch.io might just seem like another random storefront. But we’re here to take a deeper look at the indie-oriented online store and figure out: is itch.io safe for downloading games? Is itch.io safe? — explained Screenshot: PC Invasion Itch.io was first launched back in 2013. And for the most part‚ the website has the same feel as it did over 10 years ago. The main appeal to a store page like itch.io‚ is the fact that any indie developer can upload a game on the website for free and start selling copies. Gamers can even download a desktop app for itch.io much like Steam and the Epic Games Store. This is a blessing and a curse since players can experience any new game from anyone in the world‚ there of course can be room for malicious intent. Thankfully‚ itch.io has implemented plenty of safeguards to ...

Instagram deleted the America First Policy Institute’s account Wednesday without any explanation. Brooke Rollins‚ founder and CEO of the organization‚ announced on X that the account‚ a1policy‚ was banned at 8:49 a.m. The organization appealed at 9:10 a.m. only to receive another message from Instagram at 9:16 a.m. permanently disabling the account. “After posting graphics highlighting the radical Left’s duplicity and egregious double standards relating to Hunter Biden’s failure to honor a congressional subpoena‚ this morning the America First Policy Institute’s Instagram account was suspended and deleted by the leader in Big Tech censorship‚ Meta‚” Rollins said in a statement. She added‚ “Once again‚ when the Left is confronted with the facts‚ they do everything in their power to silence and censor those with whom they disagree‚ including removing their opponents from the ballot.” ? In less than an hour this morning‚ Meta suspended and then deleted @A1Policy’s Instagram account after posting facts about how The Biden Administration has dismantled the rule of law in our Nation. See original post below ?? pic.twitter.com/CCMj4tz9uF— Chad Wolf (@ChadFWolf) January 10‚ 2024 The Daily Signal asked Instagram to explain its decision‚ but did not receive a response prior to publication. AFPI’s account had 39‚000 followers on Instagram. After it was deleted‚ the organization created a new account‚ a1policy2.0. In 2021‚ AFPI supported former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Big Tech CEOs from Facebook‚ Google‚ and Twitter (before it was sold to Elon Musk). Rollins promised to take immediate legal action against Meta‚ the parent company of Instagram. Instagram’s decision prompted conservatives to express outrage at Big Tech censorship‚ a problem the Media Research Center has documented extensively at CensorTrack. Its database includes more than 6‚000 documented cases of censorship. The Heritage Foundation’s Kara Frederick‚ director of the Tech Policy Center‚ said Big Tech companies should suffer consequences if they censor political content or other constitutionally protected opinions. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s news outlet.) 2024 Government-Tech censorship ahead of the election. It’s begun. America-First Policy Institute just got shut down by Instagram. https://t.co/nul3miHbd7— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 10‚ 2024 I swear the same nightmare keeps happening over and over.Big Tech (every election year) will ban anyone they politically disagree with‚ BUT will let actual TERRORIST organizations remain active on their platform.It’s past time to crack down on this. We need answers from Meta… https://t.co/l0iEIN0pFZ— Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) January 10‚ 2024 Big Tech is a cancer and it needs to be excised and destroyed. https://t.co/gqpKvvB8iv— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 10‚ 2024 Censorship of American speech and debate is an epidemic. Evokes Soviet era controls. Utterly terrifying and awful. https://t.co/LzGwJj1Y1F— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 10‚ 2024 The post Instagram Censors Conservative Organization After Hunter Biden Post appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. It seems to be that time of year in Canada again – namely‚ early in the year – when true limits of the country’s staunchly declared‚ yet increasingly loosely adhered to‚ democracy is tested. Two years ago it was the Freedom Convoy participants that got “manhandled” by the state and its supporters debanked in a way that could have taught Stalin himself a thing or two about repression – and this January‚ it’s the freedom of the press that’s in the authorities’ crosshairs. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland features in both these controversies – it was under her watch that people’s bank accounts were frozen as punishment for participation in a peaceful civil protest in 2022. This time around‚ Rebel News reporter David Menzies (whom Canada’s public broadcaster CBC refers to as “Rebel News personality” that “encountered” Freeland) got arrested for attempting to ask Freeland questions related to a 2020 incident‚ where Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is accused of shooting down a Ukrainian jet. Display content from Twitter Click here to display content from Twitter. Learn more in Twitter’s privacy policy. Always display content from Twitter Open content directly The incident‚ which Tehran said was an “error‚” happened on January 8‚ and so activists trying to keep this issue alive organized a vigil‚ urging the government to designate IRGC as a “terrorist group” in response – considering 55 Canadian citizens were among the victims. When Menzies tried to ask Freeland why IRGC was never designated that‚ he not only got arrested‚ but also‚ according to his media outlet‚ got assaulted by the minister’s “bodyguard” – apparently‚ a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). But Rebel News and its “personality” maintain that the approach was just an attempt to ask a question‚ and note the irony of this happening in a democracy (considering it’s around an issue that happened in what Western democracies consider an authoritarian regime‚ namely‚ Iran.) It turns out – neither those in power in Ottawa nor Tehran care much for the free press. But in the end – in a win for Canada – the charges were dropped‚ since according to CBC‚ the police found David Menzies’ behavior to have represented “no credible security threat.” The post Canada: Police Arrest Journalist Who Questioned Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The social network formerly known as Twitter has been undergoing more than just “superficial” branding transformations as of late‚ going from a reliable ally of state-driven censorship‚ to a platform that became the first major one to try to shed light on the mechanisms and practices of deep censorship. The Twitter Files disclose more than just a private company exercising the right to be wrong in suppressing users’ free speech: they also implicated the US federal government with damning proof of serious transgressions‚ such as (explicitly unconstitutional) state collusion in censorship. However‚ the US Supreme Court has now refused to consider X’s request to be able to publish some relevant numbers. The original filing dates all the way back to 2014‚ in the wake of the revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden‚ that sent shock waves both among citizens and politicians. But those behind the company/platform‚ now called X‚ seem well-aware that this story by no means ended with some government concessions (regarding disclosure) made after the Snowden revelations‚ or with the Twitter Files. And so‚ possibly as a defense tactic going forward‚ X tried to be granted the right to reveal the number of times federal law enforcement “gets in touch” to get information‚ framed as pertaining to national security. The Supreme Court decision came after X appealed when a lower instance court said that the FBI had every right to constrain X in sharing the information about the “national security investigations requests” number with the public. The Supreme Court found the original court judgment did not violate First Amendment free speech protections. It didn’t help that X frames its request as an attempt to (finally) set up “clear standards” pertaining to the right of tech companies to come clean with their users about the magnitude of government surveillance (even if only in terms of request number over a six-month period.) With the dark cloud of US elections looming over the entirety of the political‚ social‚ and internet landscape in the US‚ this quote from the X petition rings pertinent: “History demonstrates that the surveillance of electronic communications is both a fertile ground for government abuse and a lightning-rod political topic of intense concern to the public.” But the US Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed‚ confirming an earlier judgment‚ and stating that “the government’s restriction on Twitter’s speech is narrowly tailored in support of a compelling government interest.” X owner Elon Musk reacted by saying it was “disappointing that the Supreme Court declined to hear this matter.” The post Supreme Court Declines To Hear X’s Challenge to FBI Surveillance Gag Orders appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The tennis world has had a few very rough years. From banning‚ and even attempting to humiliate‚ the best player in the game’s history‚ Novak Djokovic‚ as he tried to participate in major tournaments‚ all because of his decision not to get the Covid jab – to having to deal with geopolitics creeping into the sport to ostracize athletes based on their ethnicity. Djokovic weathered his storm and is still the world No. 1 – not thanks to any kind of support from the tennis governing bodies‚ but rather despite them; and tennis lovers might have thought that by now‚ a lesson (or a few) has been learned. But‚ as ever‚ optimists will have to think again. The latest we are hearing from the tennis organizations is that they are actively getting on the (online) content surveillance and suppression bandwagon. Ironically‚ this time it’s supposedly to “support” athletes. As well‚ if you thought the UK might be championing this latest push to monitor social media for “abusive” content‚ you would be absolutely right. As easy a guess as that might be at this point. Namely‚ the UK has both the storied Wimbledon tournament – and‚ the infamous Online Safety Act. Since January 2‚ tennis bodies the ITF Tennis‚ Women’s Tennis Association‚ Wimbledon‚ USTA launched pro-active social media abuse monitoring service for players. Besides Wimbledon‚ the organizations referenced here are International Tennis Federation‚ Women’s Tennis Association‚ and United States Tennis Association. The goal this initiative sets for itself is to flag content they find offensive‚ to social platforms‚ with the purpose of getting it removed. But not only to social sites – these groups give themselves the right to report content to law enforcement as well. Top athletes are a remarkably hardy variety of humans; even so‚ none of them should endure abuse. But does online trolling (which is what social media abuse turns out to be in an overwhelming number of cases) truly warrant putting into motion a whole scheme that could easily be “repurposed” as yet another censorship tool – and naming it‚ no doubt for dramatic effect‚ “Threat Matrix”? Signify Group‚ Quest and Theseus Risk Management are the beneficiaries of the contract to develop this‚ to “monitor players’ public-facing social media (and‚ DMs) for abusive and threatening content on X‚ Instagram‚ YouTube‚ Facebook and TikTok.” The post Tennis Bodies Are Monitoring Social Media‚ Aiding in Speech Removal appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

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