📎Kristy Ockunzzi-Kmit
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kmitko.bsky.social
📎Kristy Ockunzzi-Kmit
@kmitko.bsky.social
160 followers 240 following 64 posts
Time-traveling, dimension-hopping, incredibly lost freelance writer and artist.
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kmitko.bsky.social
Thank you to everyone who came out to Día de Muertos Cleveland at Gordon Square yesterday; it was amazing seeing everyone having such a wonderful time. Thank you also to Hector Castellanos-Lara, CPT, & everyone who helped make yesterday possible. The hearse will be back next year-- "te veo pronto" 🧡
A plastic skeleton dressed up as Santa Muerte with the sun at her back; the photograph is shot at an upwards angle, making her look tall. She is draped in black cloth, with beaded necklaces around her neck (over the cloth.) On her head is a floral crown, made primarily of marigolds but accented with purple sprigs and berries. Blades of grass stick upwards in a crescent shape from the center of the crown to mimic the sun's rays. Behind Santa Muerte is a clear blue sky and some barely-visible brick buildings.
November 2, 2025 at 10:29 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
John Gorman, former WMMS Buzzard, on what happened with Cleveland State University's WCSB, what has happened at other colleges, and the difficulties of modern radio.

The link he mentions:
www.ideastream.org/community/20...

Photo of CSU added to complete alt text from John's post.
John Gorman's Facebook post: For months there were reports and rumors of an adjacent market entity negotiating with unidentified Cleveland market college radio stations for either a lease programming arrangement or a consummate sale. Now, we know. Ideastream Public Media, possessor of FCC broadcast licenses of WKSU, WVIZ-TV and their many media affiliates assumed what is still undetermined dollar-amount lease broadcasting deal with Cleveland State University's WCSB, which was consummated and announced in a what most in the broadcasting industry feel was in an undiplomatic manner. The story, from Ideastream, in attached below. The announcement was coincidentally announced on the 15th annual World College Radio Day, though I doubt the timing was intentional. As it often is with format and ownership changes, the WCSB staff was never provided the opportunity to bid their listeners goodbye. When they learned of the change, the new format ("Jazz NEO") was already on the air. The elimination of WCSB’s programming affects me personally. I enjoyed listening to and being an occasional guest on Ray Carr’s show and enjoyed Steve Trania’s Saturday morning folk show. Additionally, WCSB, in a prior incarnation (WCSU), was a early 1970s proving ground for many of the radio talents that helped make WMMS an international success, including Kid Leo, Mat the Cat, Betty Korvan, Ed Flash Ferenc, and Larry Bole. The leasing or selling of college radio stations has been an ongoing trend since federal radio deregulation in 1996 with a substantial surge since 2010s following the rapid drop in FM and AM radio listening and the decline in student interest in college radio. Those factors led many school administrators to conclude that traditional FM broadcasting, in addition to its expense of equipment, maintenance, and other fees, was no longer relevant for students. Confronting challenging financial decisions, universities prioritize core academic programs and often determine a school-owned radio station as a non-essential service. These schools eyed their FM licenses as valuable assets to sell for a one-time infusion of cash to take advantage of religious non-commercial broadcasters like the non-profit the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and other non-profit religious and Christian National groups that are willing to lease or outright buy their station’s broadcast license - with many willing to pay above market costs. In other cases, school radio stations, which are partially funded through average high five figure dollar contractual donations with independent music promoters, acting as pay-for-play mediator agents for music labels and artist management, will negotiate with other college stations to simulcast all or some of the host’s college radio’s programming for a predetermined fee. The station carrying the simulcast will also receive additional revenue for carrying the programming. There’s found money and expenses saved by schools leasing or selling their radio station licenses. Examples include include: In 2010, Rice University sold its KTRU, to the University of Houston for $9.5 million. In 2011, Vanderbilt University sold its WRVU to Nashville Public Radio for $3.3 million in 2011. In 201l, Duquesne University: Sold WDUQ-FM to Essential Public Media in 2011 for $6 million. In 2011, the University of San Francisco sold its KUSF to Classical Public Radio Network for $3.7 million, IN 2011, the Akron Board of Education’s WAPS instituted a programming lease arrangement with the Struthers Board of Education’s Stuthers High School WKTL in Youngstown for an undisclosed sum. (Photo of CSU tower, added to continue text from John's post.) In 2014, Georgia State University leased its daytime broadcast hours on WRAS-FM to Georgia Public Broadcasting for $150,000 for the first two years of the lease and a yearly payment of a minimum of $100,000in succeeding years. WRAS was one of the first album rock format stations in the U.S. In 2021, the Akron Board of Education expanded its reach to Athens, Ohio – home of Ohio University – through an FM translator, W211BT, for $425,000. In 2022, Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY sold its WGCC-FM to Family Life Ministries in 2022 for $55,000. In 2025 the University of Texas at Tyler sold its KVUT to Scottie Rice's RCA Broadcasting for $100,000. Terrestrial radio is dying. Consider that Nielsen, the ratings service rates less than 800 households to represent the estimated radio listening habits over 1.5 million in the five-county Greater Cleveland radio market (which does not include Summit county). Participating households are paid to participate and “rewarded” gift cards for restaurants and retail outlets. For struggling households, being a Nielsen household is added value. I hope all WCSB announcers and support staff can migrate to either another area college station or an online broadcaster. This was move was handled poorly, especially considering public radio’s current plight with the Trump administration and Congress’ decision to de-fund the system. A little diplomacy toward their staff, many which volunteer their services, would have softened the blow.
October 4, 2025 at 4:02 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
“We have so far to go to realize our human potential for compassion, altruism, and love.”

A monumental loss today -- the world has lost a tender soul. Walk with compassionate steps.

You're already missed, Dr Goodall.
Dr. Jane Goodall sits, smiling at something off to the side of the camera, or perhaps smiling at a memory. She is older in this photograph, hair grey and white, one hand caught in a thoughtful gesture near her face. She is wearing a light green button-up shirt, and behind her, out of focus and on a desk, is perhaps a chimpanzee toy or another similar object. The entire photo is very wabi-sabi, very wistful and full of light, all at the same time.
October 1, 2025 at 8:59 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSVe...
Lyrics to the song "Goodness Gracious" by Kevin Gilbert Goodness Gracious is there nothing left to say? When the ones that get to keep looking are the ones that look away It's pabulum for the sleepers in the cult of brighter days In the cult of brighter days Goodness Gracious at the mercy of the crooks We're broke and stroking vegetables and there's way too many cooks In every pot a pink slip, in every mouth a hook Every mouth a hook Goodness Gracious I'm not listening anymore ‘Cause the spooks are in the White House and they've justified a war So wake me when they notify we're gonna fight some more We’re gonna fight some more Goodness Gracious not many people care Concern is getting scarcer, true compassion really rare I can see it on our faces, I can feel it in the air Goodness Gracious me Goodness Gracious my generation's lost They’ve burned down all our bridges before we had a chance to cross Is it the winter of our discontent or just an early frost? Just an early frost Goodness Gracious of apathy I sing The baby boomers had it all and wasted everything Now recess is almost over and they won't get off the swing Won’t get off the swing Goodness Gracious we came in at the end No sex that isn't dangerous, no money left to spend We're the cleanup crew for parties we were too young to attend Goodness Gracious me Goodness Gracious we came in at the end No sex that isn't dangerous, no money left to spend We're the cleanup crew for parties we were too young to attend Goodness Gracious me Goodness Gracious my grandma used to say The world's a scary place now, things were different in her day What horrors will be commonplace when my hair starts to grey
August 22, 2025 at 8:26 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
Just in case anyone needs a little bit of brightness today.
Bright orange ornamental roselily. The predominant color of the petals is a vibrant, candylike orange. They are yellow at the center and along the outermost edges of each petal. Between the orange and yellow central sections there is also a flash of red, giving the flower an almost fiery appearance. The red is not cleanly contained to a small section of each petal; it looks almost as if it were brushed on with watercolor, and there are tiny drips of it along the outermost sections of some petals as well. This lily is bright against the background of weathered grey wooden steps, a dark brick pillar, and some slightly overgrown front yard vegetation. (I know, I know, I'm getting to it. I'll pull the weeds and trim the hedges. But it was so much more nice to take a moment to appreciate this lovely flower on a pleasant summer day.)
July 21, 2025 at 8:10 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
Thank you to everyone who came to the Parade the Circle rain date celebration today at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It was great to see you all there! With any luck, next year the weather will cooperate for us once again.

Art by Hector Castellanos-Lara & Parade the Circle artists and volunteers.
A giant owl head sits on a stone dais outside the Cleveland Museum of Art. It is a sunny day with a bright blue sky and few clouds. The owl head is made out of papier mache and similar lightweight materials suitable for a parade. It is primarily white and grey in color, but it has soft purple detailing and shading. It also has a black beak and a few black stripes for definition. Its eyes are bright yellow and wide open. Most interestingly, the owl is wearing a pair of red and black headphones and gold-rimmed round eyeglasses. This owl head was originally meant to sit on the keyboard float with Mark Kmit as part of Hector Castellanos-Lara's finale presentation during Parade the Circle 2025: The Magical Allure of the Snowy Owl. Art by Hector Castellanos-Lara and several other Parade the Circle artists and volunteers.
June 30, 2025 at 2:22 AM
kmitko.bsky.social
Black, gritty background with off-white and gold text in all caps which reads: Be the hero you signed up to be. (877) 447-4487 Call the GI Rights hotline. Have the courage to resist what you know is wrong.
June 12, 2025 at 12:49 AM
kmitko.bsky.social
A happy and peaceful day to all, whether you are celebrating mothers, remembering mothers, or simply having another Sunday.
The day is sunny and bright. A wild strawberry plant is in the foreground with tall, spent dandelion stalks to the right and undefined greenery in the back. A wooden fence defines the background against a clear blue sky. On the left, in the background, the branches of a tree hang over the scene, providing a bit of shade. The strawberry plant has a lovely handful of white blossoms with yellow, buttonlike centers. Its serrated, almond-shaped leaves are layered and numerous, giving it a bushy appearance. One of the blossoms stands straight up, just off-center in the image, showing off the light green star shape and white petals that surround its yellow center.
May 11, 2025 at 3:59 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
Image of a Lamar-brand billboard with text underneath, presumably from Tumblr. The billboard has a scene from Super Mario Bros. There is a blue sky in the background with clouds. In the foreground there is a green pipe, a bush, little hills, and a small brick castle. A pixelated font says Have A Super MAR 10, as in March tenth. In other words, "Have a Super Mario." Below this image, the first person (thesassycat) says: You can only reblog this today. The second person (askbombasticblake) says: I missed my chance last year. Not gonna let it happen again.
March 10, 2025 at 6:50 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
In April 2022, it was my honor to make a sawdust carpet along with my daughter and our friend Hector Castellanos-Lara as part of the Infioritalia International Day of Peace/Flowers of Peace.

Cleveland still stands with Ukraine.

www.casoli.org/wpa/post/fla...
The completed sawdust carpet for the Infioritalia Flowers for Peace Day 2022. The carpet has been drawn on a concrete sidewalk. There is a large blue heart with a gold sash along the right side, and the sash reads "PEACE" in red, orange, green, purple, and blue letters. On the left side of the heart, there is a white dove carrying a black and white olive branch. Beneath the heart, "CLEVELAND" is written in gold on a blue background, and underneath that is the word "OHIO" in white letters on a red background. The official Infioritalia map, showing all the places where a peace carpet was drawn for the international day of peace on 10/11 April 2022. Cleveland, Ohio is the only American participant. There are several participants in Central America, South America, and Europe. The base of the sawdust carpet, a large blue heart with a golden sash covering the right side.
March 1, 2025 at 12:55 AM
kmitko.bsky.social
Sometimes, while writing (or helping others with their writing), I get to research fun things. Today it was Morse code in non-audio communication, like knitting--which I only vaguely knew about before.
Here's a neat pattern and a chart if you'd like to make your own.
ktslowcloset.com/2012/01/13/m...
Morse code chart, alphabetical with numbers zero through nine. From the Radio Society of Great Britain. Dot for short, dash for long. A: dot dash B: dash dot dot dot C: dash dot dash dot D: dash dot dot E: dot F: dot dot dash dot G: dash dash dot H: dot dot dot dot I: dot dot J: dot dash dash dash K: dash dot dash L: dot dash dot dot M: dash dash N: dash dot O: dash dash dash P: dot dash dash dot Q: dash dash dot dash R: dot dash dot S: dot dot dot T: dash U: dot dot dash V: dot dot dot dash W: dot dash dash X: dash dot dot dash Y: dash dot dash dash Z: dash dash dot dot 1: dot dash dash dash dash 2: dot dot dash dash dash 3: dot dot dot dash dash 4: dot dot dot dot dash 5: dot dot dot dot dot 6: dash dot dot dot dot 7: dash dash dot dot dot 8: dash dash dash dot dot 9: dash dash dash dash dot 0: dash dash dash dash dash
January 23, 2025 at 9:05 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
Alan Turing
Frida Kahlo
Sylvia Rivera
Harvey Milk
Anne Lister
Billy Tipton
Wendy Carlos
Ashurbanipal
Chevalier d'Éon
Freddie Mercury
Alexander the Great
Maybe Julius Caesar, Leonardo DaVinci, and Sir Isaac Newton

LGBTQIA+ is as old as humanity itself.

Please live and continue to change the world.
Text image which reads: The first transgender suicide hotline is now up and running in the US. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 Text image which reads: LGBTQ+ support lines in the US: The Trevor Project, website thetrevorproject.org, phone (212) 695-8650 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, website 988lifeline.org, phone 988 SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline, website sageusa.org, phone (877) 360-5428 Trans Lifeline, website translifeline.org, phone (877) 565-8860 LGBT National Youth Talkline, website lgbthotline.org, phone (800) 246-7743
January 21, 2025 at 9:02 PM
kmitko.bsky.social
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Joyous Yule, Hanukkah Sameach, Heri za Kwanzaa, Blestivus Festivus, or just Happy Wednesday and enjoy your week, if you don't partake.
Face of an Indonesian Garuda statue lit by a string of tiny fairy lights. The Garuda is bright red with a golden crown and gold armor. The accents on his crown and armor are light blue, pink, and white. Garuda looks like a cross between a bird and a dragon, with a beak, teeth, feathery wings, big round eyes, and claws.
December 25, 2024 at 6:02 PM