What's Happening in August?
Featured events, anniversaries, sports and holidays.
August is known as the "Silly Season" in journalism. The news, like many people, seems to take a vacation.
Header Image: I took this photo in 2013 on a visit to Philadelphia outside the Reading Terminal in Center City. The street performing dance group Project Positive put on a show for spectators. Its mission is to utilize hip-hop as inspiration for the city's youth through positive energy and excitement.
Next year, 2023, will be the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music. On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell) and his brother held a jam session in one of the rooms of their apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the West Bronx. The hip-hop style was born. The first hip-hop party had a cover charge of $.25 for women and $.50 for men.
THEMES IN AUGUST
The heat is the primary theme if you're in the northern hemisphere. Down under? It's chilly! Many of the health events in August focus on children getting vaccines, annual check-ups for eyes, ears, and sports, and of course, returning to school. It's also festival season in the northern hemisphere with state fairs, music festivals, and cultural events. In nature, it's fire season, and we're approaching the apex of hurricane season in September.
This year is a La Niña, which is supposed to be cooler than average. Based on the record-breaking temperatures around the globe, this baby is throwing a tantrum. It also means the record droughts will continue in the southwestern US, East Africa, and South America, with flooding in Southeast Asia and Oceania continuing for an unusual third year.
NOTABLE ANNIVERSARIES
The following anniversaries mark important events on the world stage. For August 15, 2021, the anniversary of the Taliban Retaking Afghanistan, I include what I wrote on that day as I watched events unfold. It is hard to believe a year has passed.
INDEPENDENCE DAY: UKRAINE & MOLDOVA
Dates: Ukraine: August 24, 1991; Moldova: August 27, 1991
Location: Ukraine & Moldova
Champion: Historical Anniversary
Independence Day in Moldova marks August 27, 1991, and Independence Day in Ukraine marks August 24, 1991. For both nations, these are the dates each gained its independence from the Soviet Union.
For Ukraine, August 24 is the second time it achieved independence from Moscow. The first time was on January 22, 1918, and freedom would last until 1921, when the Soviet Union took control of the country until it ceased existing in 1991 and re-emerged as Russia. In February 2014, the Republic of Crimea, an autonomous region of Ukraine, was invaded and remains under Russian occupation today.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine again, and that war continues. For obvious reasons, Moldova and other nations bordering Ukraine are in a precarious situation, hoping history does not repeat itself. Seeing these two independence days together, given current events, is chilling.
RADIO COMMERCIAL DAY
Date: August 28, 1922
Location: Worldwide
Champion: Historical Anniversary
National Radio Commercial Day commemorates the anniversary of the first radio commercial on WEAF, a New York-based radio station, on August 28, 1922. The advertiser was Queensboro Realty, an American real estate company.
TALIBAN RETAKE AFGHANISTAN
Date: August 15, 2021
Location: Afghanistan
Champion: Historical Anniversary
Written August 15, 2021: In literally ten days, against the backdrop of US and NATO military withdrawal, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan by taking over every provincial capital, including Kabul, and forcing the president to flee on August 15, 2021.
The speed and efficiency with which the para-military group gained control of the entire nation shocked the world, catching Afghanis and world leaders by surprise. The action left an uneasy void, with the Afghan people specifically concerned. When the United States and its coalition invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, women had few rights. Women were forced to wear burkas in public and prohibited from attending school, working, or moving freely. Music, dancing, and public mingling between the sexes were forbidden. Men were required to wear beards and dress under specific laws. All of these laws and rules were enforced by the Taliban brutally.
It is unknown if the Taliban will return to its draconian measures or if it will migrate toward a more inclusive and equitable Islamic rule. Inclusive governance was the norm during the Golden Era of Islam, and even highly conservative Islamic states like Saudi Arabia and Iran have been moving toward Golden Era norms.
I am writing this on August 15, 2021, and we'll update it in 2022. For the sake of the people of Afghanistan and an entire generation that hasn't been barred from school and work, we hope the Taliban learned from its previous mistakes in its two decades of exile. Given the speed they were able to accomplish this, at least in fighting, they have. Inshallah, this translates to governing and diplomacy.
LEAVING AFGHANISTAN: WAR ENDS
Date: August 30, 2021
Location: Afghanistan
Champion: Historical Anniversary
At 15:29 Washington DC time and 23:59 August 30, 2021, local time, the final C-17 plane lifted off from Afghanistan, ending nearly 20 years of occupation and war. The 16-days preceding saw over 123,000 civilians, diplomats, allies, and personnel evacuated, the largest extraction mobilization by air in history.
The US invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001.
As of July 2022, the Taliban has regained control of the country and reversed most of the democratic, progressive policies and privileges adopted in the previous twenty years. Women have suffered disproportionately, losing access to work, school, and personal independence. Poverty, starvation, and authoritarian rule have returned and are the norm.
SPORTING EVENTS
The following is a summary of some major sporting events in August 2022.
Belgium Grand Prix (Auto Racing) Belgium: August 26-28
Dog Surfing World Championship (Surfing) United States: August 6
European Championships (Beach Volleyball) Germany: August 18-21
European Championships (Swimming) Italy: August 11-17
European Championships (Triathlon) Germany: August 12-14
FEI World Equestrian Games (Equestrian) Denmark: August 6-14
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup (Football/Soccer) Costa Rica: August 10-28
Global Champions Tour (Equestrian) United Kingdom: August 19-21
Islamic Solidarity Games (Multi-sport) Turkey: August 9-18
Little League World Series (Baseball) United States: August 17-28
UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships (Bicycle) France: August 24-28
US Open (Tennis) United States: August 29 - September 11
World Para Athletics Championship (Multi-sport) Japan: August 26 - September 4
FEATURED EVENTS
INTERNATIONAL BAT NIGHTS
Dates: August 27-28
Location: Worldwide
Champion: Bat Conservation Trust
International Bat Night falls on the last week of August and aims to educate people on the importance of bats for the environment. They're pollinators, control insect populations, and are a vital part of the ecosystem. As part of International Bat Night, there are bat walk events and bat talks, usually near dusk. International Bat Night is sponsored by various global bat groups and the Bat Conservation Trust.
UNEP/EuroBats created the original event in 1996 in Bonn, Germany, which is now celebrated worldwide. Additional sites include http://www.eurobats.org and http://www.batcon.org.
Personal note: I like bats and find them fascinating and graceful (plus they eat mosquitos). As I checked out of my hotel in New Dehli at sunset, the sky above the driveway exploded with wave after wave of bats. I stood there, mouth gaping and fascinated as they flew in formation less than 20 meters above me. Thousands of them were humming with wings flapping just above the trees, and I'd never seen anything like it. It was magical.
15th OF AV
Date: August 11/12
Location: Worldwide
Champion: Jewish Celebration
Love, glorious love! The 15th of Av is a holiday in the Jewish faith, often referred to as the Jewish Valentine's day. It is a celebration of love and future redemption.
The tradition is noted in The Talmud, a collection of books teaching Jewish law (Gemara) and (Mishnah) oral traditions determined between the third and fifth centuries of the common era (CE). It is an encyclopedic collection used in Rabbinic Talmudism (Judaism as practiced after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE). The Talmud describes this night as a time when young Hebrew maidens would dance in the vineyards, and any man seeking a bride could go there and find one. For this reason, the 15th of Av is called Jewish Valentine's Day.
STURGIS RALLY
Dates: August 5-14, 2022
Location: Sturgis, South Dakota, United States
Champion: The City of Sturgis
If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, your Mecca is Sturgis, South Dakota. Each year over one-half million motorcyclists, their families and friends collect in the little town of Sturgis for the largest gathering of motorcycles in the world. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was founded in 1938 by a group of Native American motorcyclists and has grown into an iconic event that includes live music, festivities, competitions, and a host of other activities.
BURNING MAN
Date: August 28-September 5, 2022
Location: Black Rock, Nevada, United States
Champion: Burning Man Project
Burning Man is an arts-inspired carnival held annually from the last Sunday of August to the first Monday of September in Black Rock, Nevada.
First held in San Francisco in 1986, Burning Man has become one of the most anticipated events in the Western United States, attracting tens of thousands of people each year. On Saturday night, a giant wooden man, representing the idea of radical self-expression, is burned, creating one of the largest campfires in the world.
Attendees enjoy camping in the temporary city created, art exhibits, music, and a quirky collection of just about everything under the sun.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
DIGITAL NOMAD DAY
Event Date: August 8, 2022
Location: United States
Champion: Rootless Living Magazine
Digital Nomad Day celebrates the lifestyle of people who live in their cars, vans, buses, and recreational vehicles (RV) and travel around the United States. Internationally, it describes people with jobs that allow work anywhere with an internet connection. Most are either self-employed or in positions that allow for remote work.
This event is not about international digital nomads. Digital Nomad Day is specifically about the vehicle-living nomads in the United States, some of whom have money and luxury RVs. A large percentage in this lifestyle do not.
Digital Nomad Day began in 2019.
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Given the pressing nature of homelessness in the United States, United Kingdom, and other nations, I am editorializing the rest of this entry. Rarely am I irritated by an event; this one has me in a tizzy.
Given the urgency and prevalence of the vehicle dwelling unhoused, an event like this typically includes an awareness campaign, fundraiser, or a measure of altruism designed to alleviate the issue, such as 5% of proceeds going to assist with vehicle repairs or support for mobile health services. Digital Nomad Day does not, nor does its sponsor, give or support any philanthropic enterprise associated with homelessness, the environment, or related issues based upon their website. Digital Nomad Day is about selling magazine subscriptions, gear, and glamourizing glamping.
In 2019, the US Census Bureau estimated that more than 140,000 Americans live in their cars, RVs, or boats. Some choose this, but many do not. The people I know, some well, living this lifestyle aren't doing it for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. They're not retirees traveling the country with pensions or college kids taking a gap year. They're homeless, unhoused, or unsheltered, if you prefer. They live this way because, as waitstaff, retail workers, caretakers, or jobbers, they don't make $2000 a month, the minimum requirement for a basic apartment with a roommate, utilities, food, and expenses. Nor do they have the first month and last month's rent plus a deposit to move into a decent rental.
Here are the facts. The minimum wage in the United States is $7.50/hour. Working 40 hours a week, that's $1,200 a month before taxes or $900 a month after taxes. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the United States is $1,295. That's the national average, not what you pay in a major city. Even with a roommate and split costs, once you add utilities, and necessities like food, clothes, water, internet, and cellphone, you're well over $900 a month in expenses.
Many digital nomads aren't nomadic by choice but transitory by necessity. We do a disservice to the problem by dressing it up for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Celebrate the ability to live this way when you have a choice, but let's not glaze over the fact that a high percentage living this way have no choice. These nomads are making the best of a challenging situation. If the event sponsor wants to make this day special, look for ways to help the people forced into this lifestyle. Celebrate glamping without using it as a veneer. Set up a grant fund, link to services that can help, sponsor mobile hotspots, or create a network of mechanics that can assist. These are just some of the ideas that can make a difference. The day has much potential for good; currently, it promotes commerce.
Here are additional resources on this issue:
As police crackdown on homelessness, unhoused end up in the Mojave desert
When LIVING IN A CAR is Your Last Choice - "Mobile," a Short Film
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I also published it on Substack a day later, in case you'd like to share it with people not on Linkedin. https://ldlewis.substack.com
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