All - Leep Calendar

National Nail Polish Day celebrates the many colors available for wear on your fingers and toes, just in time for the summer. This event was created by Essie Nail Lacquer in 2017.

Africa

Jun

Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day, World: June 1

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In 2016, Bree Bonchay, LCSW, and survivors of narcissistic abuse established World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day (WNAAD) to raise awareness about narcissism and promote summits and tools for those impacted. Narcissistic abuse is a form of emotional abuse projected by a narcissist onto those around them. It can manifest in various ways, including verbal and psychological abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, and control tactics. The effects of narcissistic abuse can be deeply damaging, leading to trauma and a wide range of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). WNAAD encourages victims and survivors to share their stories to spread awareness and validate others who have experienced similar situations. The hashtag #IfMyWoundsWereVisible is often used on social media in conjunction with this day, aiming to highlight that just because abuse isn't physically visible doesn't mean it's not real. NARCISSISM What it is and how to recognize it By LD Lewis Referred to as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) by most in the medical and social fields, the nature of this disorder is challenging to diagnose and, to date, impossible to cure. As a descriptor, narcissism is a collection of personality/behavior disorders. Narcissists cannot love like ordinary people, but they can sap all the love from everyone around them and create a living nightmare for all within their reach. Since narcissists see themselves as perfect, they are always the victim. NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER "The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual, Rev IV," lists the following as descriptive of Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Has a grandiose sense of self-importance, including exaggerating achievements and talents, with the expectation of recognition as superior without commensurate achievements. The narcissist is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. Believes he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions. The narcissist requires excessive admiration. He/she has a sense of entitlement, including unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations. Is interpersonally exploitative and takes advantage of others to achieve his or her ends. Lacks empathy and is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others. Cruelty is a goal. He/she is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her. The narcissist shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes. Narcissism becomes visible in a person's late teens and early twenties, growing in intensity and cruelty as the narcissist ages. Unfortunately, no long-term treatments exist for narcissism; once it develops, few narcissists will admit they have a problem since one of the signs of narcissism is the tendency to play the victim and blame everyone else for any ill will, problems and incomplete or substandard work, most won't seek help. They consider themselves perfect. THE CASE OF BETTY BRODERICK A famous case of narcissism involves a former housewife, mother, and socialite in San Diego, California, named Betty Broderick. Today she is a convicted murderer doing life for killing her ex-husband Dan Broderick and his new wife of six months, Linda, in 1989. Betty's story illustrates the classic narcissism symptoms in the movie, "A Woman Scorned," and its sequel, "Her Final Fury." In 2021, a limited series, "Dirty John, The Betty Brodrick Story," also emerged, focusing more attention on the manipulation tactics of her husband. In the movie, Betty's marriage begins to fall apart due to her overbearing attitude, accusations of infidelity, sense of entitlement, self-perceived victimization, and persecution. Rather than addressing the issues, her behavior goes from bizarre— Burning her husband's clothing and throwing a ring across the room because it isn't exactly what she wanted at Christmas. To callous—Dropping her young children off in the middle of the night and leaving them sitting alone outside without supervision or even knowing if her husband is home. And finally, to violent—driving her car into her ex's house while her children are home, destroying family pictures and heirlooms, and using psychological blackmail on her children for sympathy. Throughout all of this, the harm she's doing to her children remains insignificant to her. How her four children feel, think, or how her behavior affects them matters not. All that matters is hurting the cause of her perceived persecution, Dan and Linda. Ultimately she sneaks into the house and kills the couple while they sleep. Ironically, she apologized to her two eldest dollars a few hours later, saying, "I hope I didn't ruin your day. You didn't have anything special planned did you?" Throughout the trial and even from prison, Betty continues to stress her persecution, grief, and victimization at her husband's hands. She feels no remorse or responsibility for causing their deaths or the impact on her children, stating, "There may be two dead bodies, but there are five victims, me and my four children." SPOTTING NARCISSISM Seeing narcissism before it finds you can be a task. Self-absorption and narcissism are not the same thing. Each human possesses some trends toward narcissism, and we all can be selfish from time to time. Empathy is the easiest distinguishing factor between self-absorption and narcissism. Someone who is self-absorbed feels empathy and can show genuine sympathy. A narcissist cannot and does not understand the concept. He or she may act sympathetic because it is expected. Rather than an emotion, the person is mirroring those around him/her rather than expressing emotion. But when pressed to discuss, reflect or analyze why he or she has feelings of empathy, a narcissist cannot. Most relationship experts recommend dating each other at least twice a week and speaking on the phone nearly every day—long distance does not count in this recommendation—for an entire year before considering marriage. This time allows for spotting psychological problems, anti-social behavior, and sociopaths in the dating pool before you say I do. Issues like active drug and alcohol addiction, mental or physical abuse, and con artists bubble to the surface during this period. Most people, including narcissists, can behave well for three to six months; however, very few can hide who they are daily for a year. NARCISSISTS VS CON ARTISTS AND ADDICTS Living a lie takes a tremendous amount of energy, and one of the advantages of dealing with self-worshipping elitists, is they think they are more intelligent and better than everyone else, so they tend to slip up sooner than con artists or addicts, who are somewhat paranoid and hyper-vigilant due to the fact they are hiding something. In contrast to addicts on con artists, narcissists do not believe they have a problem—everyone else does, but not them. Second, they are very good at superficial relationships, possessing charm that portends excitement when with them. They are grandiose, attribute a high level of sophistication and elitism to self, and often look like the "person in the know." A little research into their background will tell you if their boasting matches their presented achievements. Narcissists are generally smoke and mirrors with little substance). What signs should you look for in dates, friends, politicians, leaders, and business associates to discover if you are dealing with a narcissist? NINE WARNING SIGNS OF NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER Narcissists refrain from introspection, rarely discussing memories, dreams, or thoughts of self-analysis. Cause and effect are foreign ideas—nothing is a narcissist's fault. Personal accountability is an unknown concept. Narcissists cannot relate how they learned a lesson about themselves or the world. Self-improvement rarely enters a narcissist's realm as the narcissist already sees him or herself as perfect, superior, and above most others. Generally, if self-improvement is a goal, it is done for manipulation's purpose: to get something he or she wants. At the same time, they are very good at pointing out everyone else's faults, shortcomings, or handicaps. Narcissists do not share thoughts, feelings, or dreams of their own. Instead, if ideas are shared, they quote others, rarely thinking for themselves. When asked to elaborate or explain how they came to such a conclusion, unless it's scripted, they cannot. When asked where the opinion came from, a narcissist rarely sources the information as it takes the spotlight from them and places it on another. If feelings are shared, they'll respond with what they perceive to be the answer you want to hear based on behavior they've seen in others. When pressed to elaborate, they cannot. Narcissists consider themselves superior and never ask for collaboration in problem-solving. Rather, narcissists prefer to find someone else to do it and then minimize the delegated person's contribution or take the full glory and ignore the others altogether. When asked about their past, narcissists are vague and ambiguous. Childhood friends, siblings, and others hold no importance unless they can be used to make the narcissist seem more important than he or she is. Empathy is a foreign language. Narcissists lack empathy and cannot "put the situation on the other foot to look at it from both sides." People are tools to narcissists, not human beings. A narcissist sees no problem using people to attain his objectives and does not care if he destroys others because his needs, objectives, or agenda are the only things that matter. He is superior, and everyone else is here to serve him, the legend in his mind. This "God complex" illustrates why physical contact rather than long-distance relationships are needed. This type of behavior surfaces through interaction with others, specifically family and friends. If you are not there, you won't see it. So what can you do if you are involved with a narcissistic personality? If dating and not married or employed in a situation where you are required to work with someone like this in close cooperation, run, leave, and do whatever you can to limit contact and distance yourself from this person. You cannot fix a narcissist, and the nature of their disorder prevents them from improving themselves. The emotional cost to you is not worth it. A narcissist cannot love you or receive love for love's sake. They think differently. Stay with a narcissist, and you will spend the rest of your life unfulfilled, snatching scraps of attention and rationalizing and using your energy to set right the escalating damage the narcissist leaves in his/her wake. If married and you've had children with this person, once you've determined you are dealing with a narcissistic personality disorder, your primary responsibility is the children. The cost to them and their self-esteem daily can produce issues that last a lifetime. If divorce isn't an option, counseling is a must. The children must learn to deal with this disorder without undermining their self-worth. Parental approval and recognition mean a lot to children, and withholding or attaching conditions to love causes extreme confusion and angst. Children need to learn that though they express love, this person is sick and cannot, but this does not reflect the quality of their love or being. Children brought up by a narcissistic parent often chase poor relationships because this is the only definition of love they know, that which is given and never returned. As a healthy parent, you can prevent a lifetime of heartache once you realize this is the cause. The best way to deal with persons with NPD is not to deal with them. If avoidance is not possible, limiting exposure is essential for your health, sanity, and the health and sanity of those around you. ____________ The above is an abbreviated and updated version of this article that originally ran on CouplesCompany.com in the Dating Advice Channel from 2004-2011.

Africa

Jun

Drug Abuse and Trafficking, World Day Against (1839): June 26

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World Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking was declared by the United Nations through General Assembly Resolution 42/112. This awareness campaign highlights the fight against drug abuse, the illegal drug trade, and more robust courses of action toward creating a drug abuse-free international society. June 26 commemorates the anniversary of Lin Zexu's breaking of the Guangdong opium trade before the first Opium Wars in China in 1839. With his workers, it took 23 days to dump more than one million kilograms of opium into the ocean.

Africa

Jun

Dysphagia Awareness Month, Ntl.: June

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Dysphagia Awareness Month educates the public about Dysphagia, including how to detect and cure it. Dysphagia is the general term attributed to the difficulty of swallowing, a condition that affects people of all ages. One of this month's objectives is to connect sufferers with experts who can help them.

Africa

Jun

E-mail Week, Ntl.: June 7-13

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Email has become the preferred method of communication for business. As of 2010, texting and social media applications have quickly surpassed email as the favorite form of non-professional interaction. The sheer volume of emails we receive is a matter of concern for many people. Spam, unsolicited, and at times, malicious emails clog mailboxes, leading to wasted time and fraud in the case of malfeasants. National Email Week's primary purpose is to raise awareness of emails' do's and don'ts while providing tips that allow people to manage their email correspondences.

Africa

Jun

Eel Festival (DK): June 6-7

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Each year since 1968, the town of Jyllinge, Denmark, has hosted an eel festival. Eel has been a long-time staple and delicacy of the Danish people. The festival includes music, theater, markets, saying competitions, and fireworks. You might even hear Hasse Havgaard’s eel song: Now here we sit and grease our gums with eel – skol An eel that has come so far it deserves a skol – skol And shame on the ass who won’t raise his glass to the eel – skol For now, it has finally come to its goal – skol Annually the first weekend of June. This event does not have a website.

Africa

Jun

Elder Abuse Awareness Day, World: June 15

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Elder abuse is a global social issue affecting the health and human rights of millions of elderly persons worldwide. It is an issue deserving the attention of the international community, as well as action by it. This day gives voice to older people and focuses on the situations that breed abuse and suffering while raising awareness of the resources available to older adults and caretakers to prevent harm from occurring in the first place.

Africa

Jun

Emancipation Day (TO)(1970): June 4

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The 150 Polynesian islands comprising Tonga were granted independence from the British Empire on June 4, 1970. Emancipation Day is the national holiday marking this anniversary.

Africa

Jun

Energy Shopping Day, Ntl.: June 22

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National Energy Shopping Day encourages consumers and businesses in deregulated states to check their energy contracts and shop for a fixed-rate energy supplier. Annually on the first Monday of Summer. Energy Supply Shopping 101 Most people cannot choose which company delivers their electricity or gas to their homes or businesses, and utilities are essentially monopolies. However, on that gas and electric bill, you're paying three different entities, at the minimum: the service provider (your electric or gas company); the government (taxes and fees); and the supplier, the actual gas or electricity you use. You can't do anything about the service provider (except go off the grid). The only way to change anything about the taxes is to lobby your government. You can do something about the supply, though; that is where Energy Shopping Day comes in. Gas and electricity are commodities. That means they are traded on the commodities market daily, and the actual price fluctuates daily. Most businesses of any size, if they're in one of the 37 states with energy deregulation, tend to apply fixed-rate contracts to their gas and electric supply to protect against price volatility. It is like signing a lease for rent or a fixed-rate mortgage. You know what you'll pay for a set period, and even if the landlord raises everyone else's rent, your rent doesn't go up until your lease ends. For example, after the 2008 economic crisis, electric and natural gas supply prices increased nearly 100% over the next three years. By 2014, they were at all-time highs. Companies and residents locked in their fixed rates with suppliers didn't experience the wild price increases, and they paid whatever they had agreed to pay on their 12-60 month contracts. What about businesses that signed fixed-rate contracts at the height of the market in 2014 and 2015? The market tanked in 2016 and 2017 again. If a company signed up with a broker rather than an individual supplier, they're usually covered. Reputable brokers watch the market and re-negotiate with all their suppliers when the market drops dramatically for an extended period. They then redo their clients at lower rates, choosing from whichever supplier has the best rate for that client's usage. Brokers aren't locked into a specific supplier. The business or residence is protected against large fluctuations in the market while given a "get out clause" if everything goes south. Over three to five years, the Canadian government and US government reporting agencies and several news organizations have shown that companies opting for fixed-rate energy contracts pay less over the full term. There may be a month, quarter, or even a year in that contract that they pay a little more than the variable rate. However, over a long time, choosing a supplier not only increases your accuracy at budgeting (you know what your usage was last year, so you can accurately calculate total cost this year now that you know what the energy will cost) but it also protects you from the unknown: hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, political instability in energy supplying nations, extended cold weather, pandemics and anything else that might affect supply and demand that is beyond your control. What's the caveat? If you're not working with a broker (brokers prevent this from happening), you must keep a close eye on when your contract expires and renew before then. People and businesses that sign up for "introductory offers" or fail to renew their contracts before expiration will start to see their rates skyrocket once out of contract. They return to variable rates, whatever the supplier wants to charge. Going back to the lease versus month-to-month rent, on a lease, your rent cannot go up. Once the lease expires, the landlord can raise your rent monthly if you haven't signed a new one. It's the same principle with energy supply contracts.

Africa

Jun

Entrepreneurs Do it Yourself Marketing Month: June

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Research, Strategy, Promotion, and Public Relations, are the four primary disciplines of Marketing. Entrepreneurs, of course, often find themselves in charge of marketing, finance, operations, and everything else (there are a lot of hats to being an entrepreneur). Entrepreneurs Do it Yourself Marketing Month is about learning to market your company and what tools and research are available to help you do this. Resources exist on LinkedIn. The American Marketing Association has hundreds of online courses and templates to help. YouTube, Coursera, Small Business Administration, and other online educational platforms exist to help you get a handle on your marketing and grow your company.

Africa

Jun

Environment Day, World: June 5

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World Environment Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting nature and the planet proactively. This awareness campaign is sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program and was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 as an initiative for the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Parades, rallies, tree-planting activities, and clean-up campaigns are held worldwide.

Africa

Jun

EU Green Week: June 3-5

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Refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle are the five Rs of a Green office. #EUGreenWeek Businesses and individuals throughout Europe use EU Green Week to become more eco-friendly and find ways to streamline their offices and homes in a more environmentally friendly way. In 2024, the event expanded significantly, with African and European countries scheduling over 86 events during the summer dedicated to water and eco-conservation. It begins with a 2-day conference in Brussels. Then, each country chooses its week during the period to focus on all things green. Events include online symposiums, film festivals, focused actions, education and awareness campaigns. The complete list of this year's events and the countries in which they occur is here: https://green-week.event.europa.eu/partner-events_en Green Week first ran in 2009 in the United Kingdom and, with support from the USDA, crossed the pond to the United States in 2019.

Africa

Jun

Evacuation Day (EG) (1954): June 18

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On June 18, 1954, the British army formerly withdrew from the Suez Canal region of Egypt. Evacuation Day is a national holiday that celebrates that event.

Africa

Jun

Evacuation Day, American (LY)(1970): June 11

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Evacuation Day commemorates June 11, 1970, when American troops evacuated from Libyan soil and its ports. There are several evacuation days in Libya marking various departures, including March 28, 1970, British Evacuation Day. October 7, 1970, Italian Evacuation Day.

Africa

Jun

Exchange Day, Ntl. Adoption (UK): June 14*

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Adoption Exchange Days (AEDs) are events held in the United Kingdom to facilitate adoption by bringing together prospective adoptive families and children waiting for adoption. These events include adoption agencies, local authorities, and adoption support organizations in collaboration with one another. The main goals of Adoption Exchange Days are to: Increase the visibility of children waiting for adoption: AEDs help raise awareness about children who need adoptive families. Many of these children may have special needs, come from sibling groups, or be older, making it more challenging to find a forever home. Provide information and support: AEDs allow prospective adoptive parents to gather information about the adoption process and learn about the available support services. These events often feature workshops, seminars, and presentations from experienced professionals and adoptive families. Facilitate connections: By bringing together prospective adoptive parents and children waiting for adoption, AEDs allow both parties to interact and potentially form connections, which is crucial in helping the children find families they can thrive with. Improve the adoption process: AEDs help streamline the adoption process by offering a centralized location for families to learn about available children and the support they need, leading to more successful matches and reducing the time children wait in the care system. While Adoption Exchange Days have proved successful in helping many children find their forever families, some critics argue that these events can feel like a "shopping experience" or "beauty pageant" for children. To address these concerns, organizers strive to create a sensitive, supportive environment that respects the children's and families' dignity.

Africa