text:
B&N Blogs
B&N Author Events
swiftian
A Book for Every Song on Lover, Taylor Swift's New Album
by Tara Sonin/
CD $16.66 | $17.99
See All Formats & Editions ›
TS7 is finally here!
If you're like me or any of the millions of Swifties out there, the arrival of this next era is just as exciting as a brand-new bookshelf full of reads you get to experience for the first time.
After listening to the album on repeat all weekend, I decided to celebrate Lover with a book roundup inspired by each of the songs (since it's the only thing I'll be listening to for the foreseeable future, don't @ me.).
Best Friends Forever: A Novel
1. "I Forgot That You Existed" (Best Friends Forever, by Jennifer Weiner)
You heard it from Taylor first: indifference is the new vengeance. This solid album-opener is upbeat and poppy, a nice contrast with the lyrics about the (final?) end of a broken relationship, friendship (or feud), when you actually forget that the person you once had so much ire for still lives. She transitions from "Your name on my lips, tongue-tied/Free rent, living in my mind" to "forgot that you existed/and I thought that it would kill me, but it didn't" with ease. But of course, insisting that you forget someone existed while singing about them would introduce interesting tension into any relationship. It reminded me of Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever, about what happens when a former friend shows up on your doorstep in a crisis, insisting you're the only one who can help them out of a tight spot (when you'd rather do anything but).
Do You Want to Start a Scandal
2. "Cruel Summer" (Do You Want to Start a Scandal, by Tessa Dare)
Lyrically and sonically, this is one of my favorites on the entire album (it's so good it should have been a single!) It's got an Out of the Woods meets Getaway Car vibe in terms of the melody. Wistful, a bit haunting, but also a total bop. "So cut the headlights, summer's a knife/I'm always waiting for you just to cut to the bone" describes a low point in Swift's life (Summer 2016, ugh), juxtaposed with the high of discovering new love. There are so many books I could have picked for this, but "I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you" reminded me of the Regency romance trope where the heroine has a secret, or finds herself in a situation where her reputation is at stake, but is still tempted by a handsome rogue who might lead her into temptation and true love. (Sound a bit familiar?) Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare feels like the perfect accompaniment to this song about a woman who must prove her innocence in the face of a sullied reputation or be forced to marry a man she doesn't think she could ever love.
Roomies
3. "Lover" (Roomies, by Christina Lauren)
The title track (and the one I've been singing in the shower for days) is a swoony daydream of a couple in complete harmony, as Swift spins wedding vow-like lyrics such as "With every guitar string scar on my hand/I take this magnetic force of a man to be my…lover/My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue/all's well that end's well to end up with you/swear to be overdramatic and true/to my…lover." But Swift is all about balance in her songs, so imagery of keeping up the Christmas lights in "our place" is juxtaposed with suspicion that "everyone who sees you wants you." This track reminded me of Roomies by Christina Lauren, with its musician main character and the trope of having to share a space while inevitably falling in love.
Whisper Network
Hardcover $20.99 | $26.99
4. "The Man" (The Whisper Network, by Chandler Baker)
The double-standards between men and women have been explored in songs and novels since both art forms existed. Swift has already confronted the media's perception of her as a victim, as a girl who goes on too many dates but can't make them stay, etc. But in "The Man", she more directly confronts how different she'd be treated if she were the opposite gender. How could I not think of the new thriller The Whisper Network, about a group of women who come forward about their male boss' behavior of harassment in the workplace. Instead of continuing to suffer in silence, they tell the truth, resulting in an explosive conflict. I sort of saw the ending coming, but was very glad I was right.
Pride and Prejudice (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
5. "The Archer" (Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
Another slower, lyric-driven track on the album with gut-punching truths about love, friendship, and holding on to the one who has your heart. "The Archer" is associated with being a Sagittarius (which Swift is), but also her dynamic with the world. "Who could ever leave me, darling?/But who could stay?" is self-aware in a new way for Swift, as is "I never grew up, it's getting so old" or "I see right through me." This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, as Swift confronts her cultivated image as both archer and prey of fame and of love. Listening to the rising energy of the track as it builds to a anti-fairy-tale crescendo plus Swift's lyrics made me think of Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Bennet is forced to acknowledge how her own prejudices have made it difficult for others to love her, but that she is deserving of an imperfect love. (And how could "All of my enemies started out friends" not remind you of awful Mr. Wickham?)
6. "I Think He Knows" (The Duke and I, by Julia Quinn)
After a slower song, this heats things up a bit, describing the early sizzle of a relationship before it even starts. For an entire album that sings the praises of a man, I liked the moment in the pre-chorus where she says "He's so obsessed with me, and boy, I understand." Own your worth, girl! The bridge was my favorite part of this song (as it often is with Swift; girl knows how to bridge) as it played with tempo and rhyme. "Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh/We can follow the sparks, I'll drive." Swift explores the tension of the moment between seeing someone and initiating contact—songs like these always sting with a bit of danger, too, because the man knows she wants him but neither of them say anything in public about it. She's whispering in the dark, which gives me serious secret romance vibes. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn is about Simon, who is planning to propose to his BFF's sister even though he doesn't actually love her. It's an arrangement that suits them both, but before they both know it, Daphne is giving Simon serious "I Think he Knows" vibes.
The Cheerleaders
Paperback $9.89 | $10.99
7. "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" (The Cheerleaders, by Kara Thomas)
If you don't get the oft-spoken adage that "politics is like high-school," this song takes the metaphor to the next level. Subtly political but 100% heartbreaking, Swift reimagines the political sphere (and her role in it) as a high school romance, moving from "American glory, faded before me," painting the democratic 2016 election loss as a ripped-up prom dress (from Miss Americana, who assumed she would win.) Oozing drama and storytelling the way only Swift can, I love the moody elements of the brokenhearted girl contrasted with the new riff on a cheerleading chant (Go Fight Win!). This song is about mourning loss and then finding the strength to say "I know we're going to win," but it's haunting melody and lyrics led me to pick a Cheerleader-inspired thriller. The Cheerleaders is about a string of cheerleaders murdered in a small town five years ago… and just when everyone thinks it's time to move on, one girl becomes the center of a mystery that never truly died.
8. "Paper Rings" (The Royal We, by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan)
I'm on my fourth listen of the album and this might be my favorite track on it (though that changes minute by minute, with an album as dynamic as this—just to further accentuate the point, by the time of posting this piece, my new favorite might be I Think He Knows?). It's a totally retro, '60s style song—a totally fresh sound for Swift, and one that fits perfectly with her new aesthetic. (Makes me wonder why this wasn't one of the singles released before the record.) It is a gold-mine for Swiftian lyricism, with so many gems I can't possibly call them all out, and it moves so fast (like a good read) that you both want to cascade over them and pause to hear each line at least 5x before it passes you by. It's an unabashed love song, relishing in the joy of knowing you're with the one you love so much that "I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings". The line that stuck out the most was "I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this," which made me think of when Bex Porter goes to Oxford in The Royal We and, completely by accident, falls in love with the heir to the throne.
Passion on Park Avenue (Central Park Pact Series #1)
9. "Cornelia Street" (Passion on Park Avenue, by Lauren Layne)
"Cornelia Street" is sort of the antithesis to I Think He knows. It's about remembering the early days of a new relationship ("We were a fresh page on the desk/filling in the blanks as we go") and being more than willing to give up all the good that comes with fresh starts in order to settle into something real. It aches with melancholy, because any time we give something up should be a little sad—but it brims with hope and Swift's trademarked optimism about love. "I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends/I'd never walk Cornelia Street again/ That's the kinda heartbreak time could never mend." I had to pick an NYC-set story for this, like Lauren Layne's Passion on Park Avenue. The city is another character in the romance between a successful jewelry-business owner and the son of the woman her mother used to work for.
Please Don't Go Before I Get Better
NOOK Book $10.99
10. "Death By a Thousand Cuts" (Please Don't Go Before I Get Better, by Madisen Kuhn)
Inspired by the Netflix movie Something Great, this is one of the few sad songs on the record, about a girl going through a breakup who can't help but linger in happier memories. (For the record: "I dress to kill my time" is genius, as are so many of these lyrics.) Only Swift is so good at pairing such devastating messaging with a pop beat you can't help but want to sing. This song was the hardest one to pick a book for (especially because it's already inspired by a movie) so I decided to go with a poetry collection! Please Don't Go Before I Get Better is all about the aches and sun rays of growing up, told in a staggeringly relatable voice that will make you want to curl up on the couch and cry your eyes out.
Paperback $13.99 | $16.99
11. "London Boy" (Red, White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston)
This is 100% about Joe Alwyn, but also… Taylor dated at least two Brits that we know of before him, so this song is also about what we already knew ("the rumors are true"): she has a penchant for London Boys. Essentially a road map of her favorite places in the city, this indulgent ditty trades "Tennessee Whiskey" for "A gray sky, a rainy cab ride" and of course, her man by her side. Red, White, and Royal Blue is the perfect pick for this song, about two boys who fall in love (after a rough start where they were almost enemies) amidst those gray, rainy skies… but one of them happens to be the son of an American President, and the other, the current Prince of England.
Swamplandia!
12. "Soon You'll Get Better (feat. Dixie Chicks)" (Swamplandia! by Karen Russell)
Of all the songs on the album, this one gave me the most vintage Swift vibes. There's no denying that she is an astonishingly talented songwriter, especially when you listen to what is essentially her greatest fear laid bare on this track with just a bit of guitar and the Dixie Chicks harmonizing in the background. Here, the story shines: Swift's mother has been sick for a number of years, and while they've mostly kept the details of that battle private, this is the most vulnerable moment of love for her mother on an album mostly about finding true love. "Holy orange bottles, each night I pray to you/Desperate people find faith, so now I pray to Jesus, too." A friend of mine recently lost their mother just after getting married, and it made me marvel at how life often delivers us highs and lows to grapple with simultaneously. While all of this was going on—Kanye and Kim, Joe and London, another world tour, another album—in the background, Swift has been terrified of losing her mother. This song made me think of Swamplandia!, a novel about a young girl living in a gator-wrestling theme park where her mother used to be the main event, until she passed away. Now, in the wake of her death, the girl and her siblings must grapple with their mother's legacy as a competing business rises up to swallow the success she built on the swamp.
13. "False God" (City of Girls, by Elizabeth Gilbert)
Is that a saxophone in the background of a Taylor Swift song? This slow, jazzy number is all about love and desire—and how we come back to it even when the world around us (and sometimes we, ourselves) put it in jeopardy. "And I can't talk to you when you're like this/Staring out the window like I'm not your favorite town/I'm New York City" and other lyrics referencing New York seem to be the grounding force in an otherwise tumultuous relationship. Multiple times on this record Swift has alluded to rough patches in her current happiness, but connection is always the solution to fixing it. She seems to say that if you treat your relationship like it's your religion, you can get through anything. This is one of the sexier songs on the album, but it's also got serious NYC vibes, so I'm picking City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert: a novel all about relishing romance in the glitzy 1940's New York Theater scene, but also how desire can either set us on the road to ruin, or redemption.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
14. "You Need to Calm Down" (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid)
This song has done what Swift does best: inspire conversation and a bit of controversy. Acknowledging that it was past time for her to be an outspoken ally for the LGBTQIAP+ community, YNTCD tackles the various ways communities are pitted against one another (especially on the internet.) The first verse examines her personal haters ("Say it in the street, that's a knock-out/But you say it in a Tweet, that's a cop-out), the second calls out homophobes ("Shade never made anybody less gay"), and the third examines how her relationships with her female contemporaries have often been antagonistic, something she herself has been responsible perpetuating in the past with songs like "Bad Blood" and "Better Than Revenge" ("We all know now, we all got crowns/you need to calm down.") The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about a famous actress who hid the great female love of her life behind multiple male partners and uses her platform to tell the truth (all while hiding one last devastating secret). While Taylor herself has not come out as part of the LGBTQ community, she has come out as an ally, and this book made me think about the issues of privacy, platform, allyship, and identity that the song also confronts. If there's more to the story of Swift's relationship to the LGBTQIAP+ community, she's going to share it on her own terms.
15."Afterglow" (Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams)
This song ranks high on my favorites from the album, and it's a rare genre from Swift: the apology song. (The other famous one is Speak Now's "Back to December.") In this mid-tempo song with slamming drums and a breathy falsetto, Swift yearns for the partner she pushed away to meet her in the moments after the fight ends. "It's all me, in my head/I'm the one who burned us down/ but it's not what I meant," she insists. There's still hope here though, as opposed to earlier songs on the record that signal the doom of a friendship or a breakup after-the-fact. Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams, is a novel about a girl coming to terms with her role in a failed relationship, a career she can't seem to succeed in, and friends she unknowingly betrays. "Why'd I have to break what I love so much?" is a question asked in this song's chorus, and one Queenie must answer in order to find real, lasting happiness.
Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy #1)
16. "ME! (feat. Brendon Urie)" (Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan)
This self-love anthem is bubblegum sweet and full of earworms: the "Shake it Off" of the TS7 Era. It makes me think of lightning-fast beach reads that you can't put down and that feel so good to read but also have a deeper meaning to them. Just because it's not the most lyrically advanced of her songs doesn't mean this bop doesn't deserve to be celebrated— it reminded me of how romances constantly get a bad rep (lol, see what I did there?) as somehow lesser than other genres. I love that Taylor doesn't care about what other people think and is 100% focused on being her authentic self— just like the heroine of Crazy Rich Asians, Rachel Chu. When confronted with the wealth and expectations of her boyfriend Nick's family (who don't think she's good enough for him), she insists it's her individuality that makes her the perfect partner for him.
This Love Story Will Self-Destruct
17. "It's Nice to Have a Friend" (This Love Story Will Self-Destruct, by Leslie Cohen)
This track might be my second favorite? It's so different (Ukulele? Trombone? Is that what I'm hearing?) and such a contrast to the beginning of the album, the opener closes the door on a once meaningful friendship. It's also a deceiving song, in that I'm still not 100% sure what it's about. I think Swift is exploring the importance of friendship in all its forms: in childhood ("School bell rings, walk me home") to adolescence "Something gave you the nerve/to touch my hand") to romantic love ("Church bells ring, carry me home/rice on the ground looks like snow"). Ultimately, she may be saying that the most important thing about a romantic partner is that they make you feel like you have a friend—when you're young, the thing that matters most is feeling seen by other people. If your lover is also your best friend, then you know they always have your back. A love story that takes place over two characters' twenties, This Love Story Will Self-Destruct is about the missteps, betrayals, beautiful moments and connection that forms between two people over a decade.
Evvie Drake Starts Over
18. "Daylight" (Evvie Drake Starts Over, by Linda Holmes)
"My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in." What a way to begin this album closer. Swift's last tracks have a tradition of being the ones that are most emblematic of her current state of mind, but they also have developed certain themes over time. Renewal, starting over, self-reflection, and hope are all subjects "Daylight" sheds a little light on. She acknowledges past failings ("I wounded the good and trusted the wicked") and what she wants for the future ("I once believed love would be [burning red]/but it's golden"). A book that feels like daylight on your skin is what's needed for this song, and I think Evvie Drake Starts Over is the perfect pick: a story about a woman still grieving the loss of her husband but who finds herself moving on with a former major league baseball player. Both of them have pasts they are healing from, but together, they find hope for the future. "I've been sleeping so long in a twenty-year dark night/and now I see daylight." And, unlike (I think?) any other song in her catalogue, she speaks in the end, not sings, in a direct appeal to her audience. Her very last words are "You are what you love." Well, I love Taylor Swift. I love a good song lyric to sink my teeth into, or to sing. I love love. And I love a good story, whether it comes from a song or a book, and when you're done with the album, I hope you find some here.
Leave a comment below with which books you'd pick for your fave Taylor songs!
Tags: best friends forever, city of girls, crazy rich asians, do you want to start a scandal, evie drake starts over, lover, passion on park avenue, please don't go before I get better, pride and prejudice, queenie, readalikes, red white and royal blue, roomies, swamplandia!, swiftian, taylor swift, the cheerleaders, the royal we, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, the whisper network, this love story will self-destruct
More in Music
Your Soundtrack to Prince's The Beautiful Ones
Your Guide to a Star-Studded Season of Music Memoir and Biography
The Best New Vinyl To Spin in October 2019
15 New Vinyl Releases to Spin This Spring
Fictional Musicians We Wish Were Real
10 Albums to Pick Up During Barnes & Noble's Vinyl Weekend
6 Musical Memoirs for Fans of All Stripes
The Best New Vinyl to Spin this October
The Best New Vinyl to Spin This September
Join Us July 13–15 for Vinyl Weekend at B&N Stores!
Previous Previous Post: 9 Books to Read if You Loved Inland, August's B&N Book Club Selection
Next Post: The Best History & Current Affairs Books of September 2019 Next
Follow BNReads


The Nebraska AFP Conference for 2019 will be September 19th.
Please check the Nebraska AFP website for more details.
All meetings begin with lunch at 11:30.
Please send us any suggestions for speakers.
We return again for the 2018/2019 season in September!
Please click here to view our registration page. We are providing you with a link here to view a PDF Grid listing of all the presentations offered along with our breakfast and keynote speakers' information.
*Half day registration – price includes lunch/conference materials.
For all A/R teams, large volume of check payments create a direct cost impact with high bank lockbox fees and time lost to inefficient, manual exception handling and cash posting.
Cusotmers paying via ACH, add to the burden. ACH and other electronic payments require manual reconciliation because of non-standard or incomplete remittance data received via a multitude of sources including emails, email attachments and web portal, minimizing the speed and cost advantages of electronic payments.
Join, Elaine Nowak, Director, Product Management, HighRadius, as she walks you through how leading credit and A/R teams from Danone, adidas, Starbucks are moving from a completely manual, supervised process to automating more than 90% manual tasks and eliminating bank lockbox fee.
You will receive the recording if you cannot attend.
TreasuryJobs.com is thrilled to offer our first webinar of 2017 on Thursday, February 9th, Effectively Mitigating Payments & Cyber Security Risk Exposures: Your Career Depends on It , as part of our ongoing commitment to impact the career success of Treasury professionals.
The evolution of the Treasury function involves more ownership of the mitigation and management of financial & operational risk exposures which encompass payments and cyber risk exposures. Does your company have the right methods, technology and tools in place to minimize fraud and cyber security risk exposures?
I personally invite you to join us to discover how Treasury leaders can collaborate with IT, HR, sales, marketing and other company leaders to identify, monitor and manage these risk exposures, and devise a comprehensive data breach response plan to mitigate the cost of any data breach.
* Construct a data breach response plan to minimize the costs of a data breach or another event that impacts key technology resources.
You can register at http://bit.ly/CPRTIS to impact your career, and earn CTP credit.


text:
Go to Burn the Boats
When Failure is Not an Option
Host, Ken Harbaugh, interviews political leaders, influencers, and other history makers about the choices we confront when failure is not an option. Choices like Alexander the Great made when he landed his troops on the shores of Persia and ordered his men to burn their boats.
Bonus: The Rights of American Samoans
Dec 12, 2019 | S:1 E:4.5
"After 18 years of service, realizing then that I was no longer considered a citizen was a slap in the face and overwhelming and- Realizing at that moment in time that I was considered a non-citizen was, it was heartbreaking to be honest." - Staff Sergeant Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson
In this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Staff Sergeant Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson talks about losing her security clearance and, with it, a pathway to career advancement, just because she was born in American Samoa.
Find Equally American at www.equalrightsnow.org to keep up with their fight.
Join in the discussion! Participate in Episode 5 of Burn the Boats with Adam Frankel by leaving a voicemail at 216-245-5461 or sending a voice memo to [email protected] Tell us your first name (or anonymous, if you prefer) and tell us if your family has benefited from having an honest but difficult conversation, like Adam's conversations about the Holocaust, mental illness, and generational trauma.
This episode of Burn the Boats is sponsored by Storied Hats: high-quality baseball hats from sustainable materials, crafted in ethical facilities – and always without a logo. Burn the Boats listeners get free shipping and 15% off with the code BOATS.
Ken Harbaugh: Today's show is brought to you by Storied Hats -- high-quality baseball hats from sustainable materials, crafted in ethical facilities – and always without a logo. Just great quality and design that is about your style, and not some random corporate logo -- and made with values you can be proud of.
Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson: After 18 years of service, realizing then that I was no longer considered a citizen was a slap in the face and overwhelming and- Realizing at that moment in time that I was considered a non-citizen was, it was heartbreaking to be honest.
KH: I'm Ken Harbaugh, and this is Burn the Boats, a podcast about big decisions. On Burn the Boats, I interview political leaders and other history makers about choices they confront when failure is not an option.
As promised, this week we have a special bonus episode for you. During my conversation with Admiral Joe Sestak, I mentioned the plight of American Sa'moan service members. I wanted to give that issue the attention it deserves.
In March of 2018, US service members born in American Samoa received an email alerting them to a change in military policy. They are now required to either verify their citizenship, file for naturalization, or lose their security clearance.
American Samoa IS US soil and those who are born there hold US passports, but they are not full US citizens. The naturalization process can take years and is not guaranteed. But without security clearance, service members are unable to rise through the ranks. They hit a ceiling in their military careers, despite years of hard work, and patriotism. Indeed, American Samoans serve in the US military at extraordinarily high rates -- their casualty rate in Iraq and Afghanistan is seven times the national average.
I spoke with Staff Sergeant Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson, born in American Samoa, about what it was like to receive that email and about the actions she and others are taking to fight it.
Staff Sergeant Jen Afualo-Robinson, it is an honor to have you on the show. You've been on the front lines in a number of ways, but you're on the front lines today of this fight over citizenship. I want to hear a little bit about what it's like growing up in American Samoa. I have not been, I have always wanted to go, but everyone I've talked to who is from there or who has visited there, talks about this deep sense of patriotism. I mean, you can't turn a corner without seeing an American flag. American Samoa has the highest proportion of its residents serving in the US military as any state or territory, seven times the casualty rate of the national average. Tell me a little bit about what it was like growing up there and your background and what led you to join the US military.
JAR: Sure, so it's a small island. I think the average speed on the island is 25 miles an hour and you can go around the island in about I would say maybe two, three hours. But it's a quaint place. It's beautiful. It's an easy living, you know, beat at your own drum and it's just easygoing. Every morning at school, you know, we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we'd say our prayer, we'd sing hymns, the American Samoa anthem and the national anthem, you know, and that was a natural occurrence for me. It never dawned on me that this was something not practiced worldwide, but I soon realized afterwards that, yeah, this was rather unique to the island.
KH: Is it a strange feeling to come from American Samoa to the mainland, to the states, and realize that that same sense of patriotism isn't shared across the country?
JAR: Yeah, it's kind of, it's ingrained in us as Samoans from day one. You know, it's the name is in itself American Samoa, so you know, you go to downtown Samoa and there's the Samoan flag, the US flag, and you know, it's not hard to feel that that drive or the passion of not just the culture itself, but for citizenship, for patriotism of the country and of the United States and being so willing to share our culture with others and just loving what we have and being willing and so giving of it. It's awesome. It's a great feeling.
KH: Well speaking of giving, the act of giving extends well beyond the borders of your islands. It is an area that gives more than just about anywhere else to the defense of the country. Can you provide any glimpse at all, any insight into like the foundations of that patriotism? I totally understand the rituals of the Pledge of Allegiance and the American flags reinforcing that sense of patriotism, but sort of what's at the root of that that love of country in American Samoa?
JAR: I think what it boils down to is being able to represent your family, being so prideful of your family name that having that patriotism behind it and backing it with the love of country just propels you forward and excels that love of country and the pride that you have for not only your family name, for the culture and for all that there is to offer.
KH: Can you explain the difference between a citizen born in the US with all of the rights inherent to birthright citizenship and an American Samoan who was denied that?
JAR: What I do know is that as American Samoans, we did not want to give up our land rights, which is what we were afraid would happen if we were allowed full citizenship, as birthright, whereas natural births in the states are given that that birthright as soon as they take their first breath, they're given that citizenship, that title, that I want- I don't want to say that honor, but you know at this point in time it does seem like something honorable, you know, and I value that tremendously.
KH: Well, you value it enough to fight for it, which is the subject of my curiosity here, because you are not a US citizen and as a non-citizen, even one who has spent 17 years in uniform in service to this country, you are denied certain rights that citizens take for granted. When did you first realize that that that distinction was real, that in fact, you could swear an oath to the Constitution, you could join the US military, and still not be considered a citizen and that that mattered.
JAR: That would be when I received an email from the Department of Defense stating that I had about nine months wiggle room to either file for naturalization or risk losing my security clearance in the military, which was very valuable to me because that allowed me the opportunity to go forward, to progress in my military career, so after 18 years of service realizing then that I was no longer considered a citizen was a slap in the face and overwhelming and insulting and just a realm, a whole realm of emotions tied into it, frustrating and infuriating. Realizing at that moment in time that I was considered a non-citizen was, it was heartbreaking to be honest.
KH: You use the word insulting and I'm going to pick that apart a little bit, because 18 years of service, most of it on active duty. You deploy, you kept us safe. You did your part for 18 years and then you get an email saying, in effect, "We don't trust you."
JAR: Pretty much.
KH: For those who are unfamiliar with the whole pretense of a security clearance, it's about trust, right?
JAR: Right.
KH: And you had a security clearance. What level was your security clearance?
JAR: It was a secret security clearance.
KH: So you had a secret security clearance for a good chunk of your 18 years of military service, during which time the Army, the government, the American people trusted you with some of our most important secrets and then by email you were told nope, by virtue of you being born in American Samoa, which by the way has more people serving in uniform as a percentage of their population than anywhere else, by virtue of you being born there, we no longer trust you.
JAR: That's exactly what happened. It just breaks your heart a little and you can't help but get mad at receiving news in that form or in any way or you know, even if anyone in my leadership brought that news to me, I still would have been infuriated and still would have been just as insulted and still am to this day. And being able to vote. Goodness, if I could gain that, if I had that citizenship back, that would be the first thing that I would fight for: the ability to vote.
KH: Yeah, I want to highlight that last point. Given the reality that so few Americans, far too few Americans who have that right enshrined just by virtue of where they were born to vote actually exercise that right. You spent 18 years and continue as a reservist to serve in a military that answers to a commander-in-chief who you have no ability to vote for. Did I say that right?
JAR: That's correct. That is very correct.
KH: Keep listening for more of my conversation with Staff Sergeant Afualo-Robinson, but first, here's a quick word about our sponsor for this episode - Storied Hats.
Here's a radical idea: your forehead should not be a billboard. I'm excited to introduce you to Storied Hats. They create baseball hats from high-quality, sustainable fabrics, crafts them in ethical facilities, and always without a logo. Solid colors, original patterns, hats with liners, corduroy, denim, and more. I got one of the early Stored Hats and I hardly ever wear it... because my daughter always steals it! That's no surprise because their average online review is 4.99 stars. Go to storiedhats.com/boats and check out the range of styles and sizes, including kids. And they make a great holiday gift with free shipping and 15% off for our listeners. Free returns if you're not totally happy. Again, storiedhats.com/boats and use code BOATS at checkout for 15% and free shipping. Your forehead is about to look awesome. And now, back to Staff Sergeant Afualo-Robinson.
Where's the fight right now? Because you're not taking it lying down.
JAR: No, so Neil Weare, he's an attorney for the organization called Equally American and it's trying to shed light on the inequalities and the unfairness of how American Samoans are the leading recruits for the military, how we've sacrificed a lot of lives in the fight for our freedom, and yet we're still not viewed as citizens and we've given so much for so little. I've also- have taken to social media as well to try to gain some footing with my other colleagues - American Samoan colleagues - to help them realize that they don't have to bow down to this email that they've all received, we've all received, there is a way to fight it and that we should fight it.
KH: Well it's a perfectly named organization, Equally American, and fits the case that you're trying to make, that being born on American soil, which American Samoa is, should give you the same rights to claim citizenship as anyone else born on American soil. But it doesn't, I mean that's the reality we're at now and it- in this political climate, it begs the question, do you think there is any, gosh, any political motivation behind it? Because I cannot fathom someone making a sincere claim that there's a national security argument behind it. We trusted you for 18 years. We've asked more American Samoans than any other group of Americans to give their lives. It just seems beyond imagining to me that this really is about trusting American Samoans with security clearances. Do you think there is anything else going on?
JAR: I can't help but to feel that there is some tie to this sudden distrust to the current political challenges that we're facing. For the first 15 years of my active duty career, never once was my citizenship ever challenged, ever questioned, ever doubted and then we have the current administration and it wasn't until now that the doubt started to linger and manifest itself into an email that confirmed the distrust. So I definitely can't help but to feel that there is a strong relation to this email and to the current administration.
KH: And this issue of security clearances isn't some some phony grievance or some way to split hairs. Without a security clearance, tell me what your career trajectory would look like.
JAR: Without it...
KH: I mean, it's a short answer right, you wouldn't have one.
JAR: Yeah, I wouldn't be able to progress.
KH: You are basically relegated to to those roles in the military that don't require a security clearance, that basically end your career. There are so many pathways that are automatically shut off without it.
JAR: Indeed. For example, the unit I'm in right now is a military intelligence unit and in order to progress to the next rank, to be promoted from E6 staff sergeant to E7 sergeant first class, I'm required to hold a security clearance because of the level of confidential documents that we may or may not come across. Now being that I do not have a security clearance, I'm therefore relegated to staying as E6 in this unit that I'm in or I can seek further employment with another unit, which is just nonsense to me. It shouldn't come down to transferring out of one unit to another just to progress, just to further my career-
KH: I mean there's the practical aspect of career progression and then there's the moral, the philosophical assault on your integrity, your trustworthiness, and ultimately your patriotism. Do you think that this effort and the other sort of parallel efforts to marginalize people who are serving faithfully in uniform has an effect on national security, kind of the opposite of what these justifications articulate, that they're trying to bolster national security by taking away your security clearance or by banning transgender troops. I would submit, and would love your thoughts, that they're actually harming national security by not allowing people like you to be the best you can be.
JAR: Right. I honestly don't see the parallel. I don't see how trying to bolster national security by removing citizenship for American Samoans, how that equates. I truly don't understand it. There's so many people willing to give up their lives for this country, namely American Samoans, and to say that we pose a security risk, that's just lost on me. It truly is.
KH: Outside of American Samoa, how has the case been received on the mainland? Are people starting to realize the injustice being perpetrated?
JAR: Definitely. One of my cousins, John Fitisemanu here in Utah, has a case with Neil as well. They've taken it to the courts, trying to fight this injustice and trying to help put that awareness out there. That case has gained some great footing and we're just, we're waiting patiently for some good news. So that's where we're at with that.
KH: Well Staff Sergeant Afualo-Robinson, thank you so much for bringing this issue to our attention. Thank you, of course for your service to this country in uniform and now as an advocate for justice for American Samoans,
JAR: Thank you Ken. It was great chatting with you as well. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
KH: Thanks again to Staff Sergeant Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson for joining me. Check out Equally American at www.equalrightsnow.org to keep up with their fight.
Next week, we'll be back to our regular episodes. I'm talking with Adam Frankel, former speechwriter for President Obama and author of a new memoir, The Survivors. Adam talks about the Holocaust, generational trauma, and the benefits of honesty and vulnerability to the healing process.
And don't forget to join our discussion. Tell us if your family has benefited from opening up about difficult things. Leave us a message at 216-245-5461 or send a voice memo to [email protected].
Burn the Boats is a production of Evergreen Podcasts. Special thanks to Evergreen executive producers Joan Andrews and Michael DeAloia. Our producer is Isabel Robertson. Audio engineer is Sean Rule-Hoffman. Our theme music is Climbing to Greatness by Cody Martin.
If you enjoyed today's episode of Burn the Boats, please rate and review us on iTunes - it really helps other listeners find the show.
I'm Ken Harbaugh and this is Burn the Boats, a podcasts about big decisions.
Rerun: Rep. Jason Crow talks about January 6th
Burn the Boats Jan 12, 2022 | S:1 E:58
Rep. Jason Crow, former Army Ranger and congressman from Colorado's 6th district, talks about the January 6th insurrection and the importance of truth and accountability.
Listen to Rerun: Rep. Jason Crow talks about January 6th
BONUS: Reflections on the January 6th Insurrection
Burn the Boats Jan 6, 2022 | S:1 E:57
Various guests from over the last year discuss the causes and consequences of the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Listen to BONUS: Reflections on the January 6th Insurrection
Lucas Kunce: Populism and Power
Burn the Boats Dec 29, 2021 | S:1 E:56
Lucas Kunce hopes to fill Missouri's vacant Senate seat in 2022, and he's running a populist campaign that focuses on taking power out of the hands of corporate monopolies.
Listen to Lucas Kunce: Populism and Power
Heidi Heitkamp: The Democratic Party's Branding Problem
Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp discusses the importance of rural communities, and the Democratic Party's branding problem.
Listen to Heidi Heitkamp: The Democratic Party's Branding Problem
Listen toUp2
Listen tobecause I said I would.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Andy McNab
Robert Rigby
Availability: Available to order, ships in 10-12 business days
Overseas supplier - delivery times are longer then expected due to COVID-19
Description - Meltdown by Andy McNab
Fourth in a gripping, action-packed sequence of thrillers about Danny and Fergus Watts, from the bestselling author of Bravo Two Zero, Andy McNab, and Robert Rigby, veteran of many successful TV screenplays. Ideal for adventure-seeking readers.
A lethal new drug with devastating side effects, known as Meltdown, is threatening to destabilize society. Dudley knows that the security services have to act fast, and when his 4 x 4 arrives at their remote hideout in the Canadian lakes, eighteen-year-old Danny and his grandfather, ex-SAS hero Fergus Watts, are once again sucked into a deadly undercover operation and a race against time.Their search for the mastermind behind a pair of murderous gangland twins takes them from the clubs of Manchester to Spain and Germany, and Danny needs all his newly learned expertise when he comes up against an old adversary -someone he hoped never to encounter again. And this time, when the battle is joined, it is a battle to the end.
Buy Meltdown by Andy McNab from Australia's Online Independent Bookstore, Boomerang Books.
Adventure stories (Children's/YA)
Imprint: Corgi Childrens
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Publish Date: 14-Feb-2008
Other Editions - Meltdown by Andy McNab
(May 2007)
Book Reviews - Meltdown by Andy McNab
» Have you read this book? We'd like to know what you think about it - write a review about Meltdown book by Andy McNab and you'll earn 50c in Boomerang Bucks loyalty dollars (you must be a Boomerang Books Account Holder - it's free to sign up and there are great benefits!)
Author Biography - Andy McNab
Andy McNab joined the infantry as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was 'badged' as a member of 22 SAS Regiment and was involved in both covert and overt special operations worldwide. During the Gulf War he commanded Bravo Two Zero, a patrol that, in the words of his commanding officer, 'will remain in regimental history for ever'. Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, McNab was the British Army's most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS in February 1993. He wrote about his experiences in two phenomenal bestsellers, Bravo Two Zero, which was filmed in 1998 starring Sean Bean, and Immediate Action. He is the author of the bestselling novels, Remote Control, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light, Liberation Day, Dark Winter, Aggressor and Recoil. Besides his writing work, he lectures to security and intelligence agencies in both the USA and UK. Robert Rigby began his career as a journalist, then spent several years in the music business as a songwriter and session musician. He turned to writing for radio, television and the theatre and has also directed and performed in
More Books By Andy McNab
Silent Weapon - a Street Soldier Novel
Bravo Two Zero - 20th Anniversary Edition
Line of Fire
Whatever It Takes: The thrilling new novel from bestseller Andy McNab
SAS: Red Notice: The electrifying thriller from the No. 1 bestseller, now a major Sky film
Fighting Evil: The Ordinary Man who went to War Against ISIS
Exit Wound
Crisis Four
Seven Troop
Good Psychopath's Guide to Success
Today Everything Changes
New Patrol
Spoken From The Front


communication and academic writing of high standard.
and prepare a professional report.
at the end in a reference list using IEEE referencing style.
with the full policy and procedure available at: http://www.mit.edu.au/aboutmit/institute-publications/policies-procedures-andguidelines/Plagiarism-Academic-Misconduct-Policy-Procedure.
a report on the chosen topic.
 Appendix – Include literature review of each paper.
 The cover page must identify student (name and number), teaching staff, and assignment.
a reference list. List of bibliography/references used must follow IEEE style.
2. The assignment must be submitted on Moodle.
– Appendix – Include literature review of each paper.
2. Blockchain Technology: An application Blockchain Technology such as Bitcoin to be investigated.
places for humans. Please research on remote control of robots.
6. BYO topics are subject to approval by lecturer.


AYER - Many of us have made New Year's resolutions to take better care of our health, and healthier eating should be a part of our plan.
The Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) and the Nashoba Valley Medical Center invite the public to join them for a free "Healthy Eating and Preventing Diabetes" presentation on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Nashoba Valley Medical Center, 200 Groton Road.
The presenter will be Susan Morris, registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at the Endocrine and Diabetes Center at Nashoba Valley Medical Center.
This lecture is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required; please contact Rosanna at the Nashoba Valley Medical Center by calling (978) 784-9204, or email rosanna.casavecchia@steward.org.


text:
Merkel the Menace
In News The Israel-Palestine Conflict
By JUDY DEMPSEY
BERLIN — There are some foreign policy issues that Angela Merkel does not like to talk about. One is Afghanistan. The other is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So when she was asked about Israel's settlement policy and the blockade of Gaza during a joint news conference here Monday with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, she minimized the issue. It was time to restart the peace process, she said, moving quickly to another topic.
German leaders find it very difficult to criticize Israel because of the responsibility Germany bears for the Holocaust and their commitment to the existence of the state of Israel. This is true of Mrs. Merkel in particular, who wants to forge a much closer relationship with Israel. The chancellor's position has made it even more difficult for the European Union to speak with one voice on the Middle East.
But Mrs. Merkel's policy is inconsistent. When she was first elected chancellor in late 2005, she placed much emphasis on human rights and freedom. She criticized China's human rights policy and made the highly controversial decision to meet the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, in the Chancellery in 2007. China warned of dire consequences, such as severing lucrative trade contracts. Apart from the cancellation of a few high-level meetings, little happened.
When Mrs. Merkel met nongovernmental organizations that Vladimir V. Putin had tried to ban, the relationship between Berlin and Moscow became frosty. That was all.
But as far as the Middle East is concerned, Mrs. Merkel has paid scant attention to the miserable living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza as well as Israel's settlements and detention policies. German legislators and analysts say that of all chancellors of the postwar period, Mrs. Merkel is considered the most pro-Israeli. "The chancellor is particularly close to Israel," said one conservative legislator, Ruprecht Polenz, who is chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Parliament.
So close that Mrs. Merkel was muted in her criticism of Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip in late 2008, which killed many civilians. In contrast, when the Iranian authorities used force last year against the opposition, which was claiming that the presidential elections had been rigged, Mrs. Merkel took an admirable stance, becoming one of the few leaders to publicly criticize the regime, even calling for new elections.
Mr. Polenz says that every German chancellor is responsible, rightly, for defending Israel because of the Holocaust. When it comes to Berlin's relationship with the Middle East, "we are not neutral," he said. "But that does not mean we cannot speak our minds to our Israeli friends."
It is different with Mrs. Merkel. As chancellor, she set herself three foreign policy objectives: better relations with the United States, a much closer relationship with Israel and the integration of the European Union. These issues, said Gerd Langguth, a political science professor at Bonn University and Mrs. Merkel's biographer, "are what Mrs. Merkel inherently believes in."
Since the global financial meltdown, relations between the chancellery and President Barack Obama have become strained, not least because the United States openly criticized Germany for not doing enough to stem the crisis. As for E.U. integration, which depends on France and Germany cooperating, it has gone nowhere. Mrs. Merkel and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, have proposed no new initiatives that would make Europe more coherent and credible as a global player. Mrs. Merkel has also often put German interests before Europe's.
The only success is Israel. "Mrs. Merkel has an emotional relationship with Israel and the Jewish people," Mr. Langguth said.
Mrs. Merkel has embarked on her own particular policy toward Israel, pursuing a special relationship even after the Gaza bombings. Against the advice of German diplomats, Mrs. Merkel, who is also leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union party, which is a staunch defender of Israel, referred to Israel as a "Jewish state" in the government's coalition agreement with the Free Democrats last October. Israelis were delighted. "It is our policy that other states recognize Israel as a Jewish state," said Professor Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv.
No wonder then that the meeting Monday in Berlin was significant. It was the first time the German and Israeli cabinets ever met jointly in Germany. Mrs. Merkel initiated these special consultations, reserved only for a few countries, including France, Poland and Russia, after her 2008 visit to Israel, where she was given the rare honor of addressing the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament.
Muriel Asseburg, a Middle East expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, said Mrs. Merkel's policy toward Israel was linked to the fact that she was raised in Communist East Germany.
"It has much to do with the former East Germany. It did not recognize Israel and did not assume responsibility for the Third Reich, the Second World War and the Holocaust. Merkel has tried to distance herself from that stance and to compensate for that East German past," Ms. Asseburg said.
So while Mrs. Merkel does say, as she said on Monday, that it is time for Israel and the Palestinians to become re-engaged in a peace process, Ms. Assenburg says Mrs. Merkel "would not publicly take a critical stance of Israel's policies and the occupation." Her goal is not to make the peace process a priority in Germany's relations with Israel. It is to have ever closer relations with Israel, regardless of the conflict.
This runs against the official German position of unequivocal support for the peace process and a two-state solution so as to realize both Israel's security and Palestinian aspirations. But analysts say that policy is not pursued. "A critical stance with regard to the occupation and settlement policies as well as active German engagement in the peace process should actually follow from Germany's historical responsibility and not fall under the taboo of the Holocaust," Ms. Asseburg argued.
It will not happen under Mrs. Merkel. It means that Israel, much criticized by some other E.U. countries, will always have a special ally in Europe, and Europe, for the foreseeable future, will remain unable to wield influence in helping end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


text:
Joakim Persson, né le  à Helsingborg en Suède, est un footballeur international suédois qui évolue au poste de défenseur central ou de milieu central. Reconverti entraîneur, il est actuellement en poste à Varbergs BoIS.

Biographie

En club
Né à Helsingborg en Suède, Joakim Persson est formé par le Högaborgs BK mais c'est avec le Malmö FF, qu'il rejoint en 1992, qu'il commence sa carrière professionnelle. Considéré comme un grand talent en Suède, il rejoint l'Italie et l'Atalanta Bergame en 1996, mais il joue peu et ne parvient pas à s'y imposer. Il retourne finalement en Suède deux ans plus tard en signant à l'IFK Göteborg mais son passage à Göteborg n'est pas glorieux et il est très critiqué.

En 2000, Joakim Persson rejoint l'Esbjerg fB. Le club évolue en deuxième division danoise lorsqu'il est élu joueur de la saison au Esbjerg fB, en 2000-2001, année où le club est également promu.

En , il rejoint librement le FC Hansa Rostock, le transfert est annoncé dès le mois d'avril. Il joue son premier match sous ses nouvelles couleurs le 14 août 2002, lors de la première journée de la saison 2002-2003 de Bundesliga face au TSV 1860 Munich. Il est titularisé au milieu de terrain et son équipe s'impose par deux buts à zéro ce jour-là.

Il signe au Stabæk Fotball en 2005, mais quitte le club en 2006 après la relégation du club norvégien en deuxième division. Persson, qui souhaite retourner dans son pays natal, termine ensuite sa carrière au Landskrona BoIS, club évoluant alors en Superettan (D2).

En sélection
Joakim Persson honore sa première sélection avec l'équipe nationale de Suède le , lors d'un match amical contre la Roumanie. Il est titulaire lors de cette rencontre remportée par son équipe sur le score de deux buts à zéro. Il marque son premier et unique but avec la Suède le 16 février 1997, lors d'un match amical remporté par les Suédois contre la Thaïlande (1-3 score final).

Carrière d'entraîneur
Après sa carrière, Joakim Persson devient entraîneur. Il dirige l'équipe première du Ängelholms FF à partir de 2011, avant d'être limogé en  en raison d'un mauvais début de saison.

En , Persson retrouve un poste d'entraîneur, au , une équipe évoluant alors en Division 1 (soit la troisième division du championnat suédois).

En novembre 2017, Joakim Persson devient le nouvel entraîneur principal de Varbergs BoIS. Il commence sa mission à partir de janvier 2018, signant un contrat de trois ans. Alors que le club évolue dans la Superettan, il parvient à le mener à la deuxième place lors de la saison 2019, permettant à Varbergs BoIS d'accéder à l'Allsvenskan pour la première fois de son histoire.

Vie privée
Joakim Persson est le père d'Oliver Alfonsi, lui aussi footballeur professionnel.

Palmarès
 Esbjerg fB
 Championnat du Danemark D2 (1) :
 Champion : 2000-01.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Footballeur international suédois
Joueur du Malmö FF
Joueur de l'Atalanta Bergame
Joueur de l'IFK Göteborg
Joueur de l'Esbjerg fB
Joueur du Hansa Rostock
Joueur du Stabæk Fotball
Joueur du Landskrona BoIS
Naissance en avril 1975
Naissance à Helsingborg
Entraîneur du Varbergs BoIS

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Supreme Court asks Bihar DGP, High Court Registrar General reasons behind 21 year delay
Supreme Court's Bench of Justices NV Ramana, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose heard an appeal on October 15, 2020 filed by the accused husband in a dowry death case in Bachcha Pandey v State of Bihar [Special Leave to Appeal (Criminal) No.4769/2020].The appeal arose out of impugned final judgment and order dated July 6, 2020 in Criminal Miscellaneous No.21680/2020 passed by Justice Madhuresh Prasad of the Patna High Court. It upheld High Court's order.
In its order, the Supreme Court observed: "The materials placed on record indicate a shocking state of affairs." The order records the sequence of events. In this case a First Information Report was registered as far back as on February 2, 1999 against Bachcha Pandey, the petitioner and some of his relatives under Sections 304B, 201 and 34, IPC based on a complaint made by the brother of the deceased (wife of the Petitioner). A perusal of the records suggest that the petitioner got married to the deceased in 1993. The deceased was allegedly harassed continuously by the petitioner and his family for dowry, and was even thrown out by the petitioner and his family, after they took her jewellery. The deceased apparently started living with the petitioner and his family again, consequent to an agreement prepared by the petitioner in court. It was alleged by the complainant that he was informed by unknown persons about the death of his sister, whose funeral ceremonies were being completed by the petitioner and his family without informing the deceased's side of the family.
The court's order records that after nearly 10 years, a final report/chargesheet was filed in the case against all the accused named in the FIR, including the petitioner, on September 30, 2009. The final report notes that "sufficient evidence has been made available for chargesheet against all the accused named in the FIR".
Besides this, the order dated February 14, 2020, passed by the Patna High Court while dismissing the petitioner's anticipatory bail application, being Criminal Miscellaneous No. 64116 of 2019, noted that as per the case diary a "very highly poisonous substance was detected in the viscera examination of the deceased".
The court observed that despite the seriousness of the allegations, it is quite alarming that no actions were taken by the police against the petitioner. After the elapse of more than 20 years since the incident and the registration of the FIR, the petitioner was arrested in relation to the case only on June 7, 2020. Thereafter, the petitioner filed a bail application before the Additional District and Sessions Judge which was rejected on June 12, 06.2020. Being aggrieved, the petitioner filed a bail application before the High Court, being Criminal Miscellaneous No. 21680 of 2020, which was dismissed vide impugned order dated July 6, 2020.
The court's order reads: "The flagrant delay in conducting the investigation and prosecution of the accused in connection with the serious crime involving the death of a young married woman is extremely troubling, and the reasons for the same are unclear. In the above facts and circumstances, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order of the High Court, or to extend the benefit of bail to the petitioner. His plea is therefore dismissed at this stage." The petitioner from Vaishali had challenged the aforementioned order before the Supreme Court by way of the present Special Leave Petition.
The court issued notice to the Director General of Police, Bihar as well as the Registrar General of the Patna High Court with a direction to them to place before us a report about the particulars of the present case, particularly with respect to the reasons behind such inordinate delay. The matter is likely to be listed before the court on November 11-12 after four weeks.
Posted by mediavigil at 8:02 AM
Labels: Delay, Dowry death case, High Court, Supreme Court
Only my fitness said...
Hello Bhai
kya aap backlink exchange karenge { aap mere Website ko Dofollow Backlink dijiye or main aapke website ko Dofollow Backlink Dunga article ke bich se jisse aapki site Grow karegi sath hi mera bhi site grow karegi} agar aap backlink exchange karna chahte hai to hame Reply jarur kre dhanywaad
my Webbsite - fitness tips in Hindi
My Gmail - udevi1018@gmail.com
The strange case of Nitish's dissenting voice with...
Supreme Court asks Bihar DGP, High Court Registrar...
Supreme Court asks Registrar General, Patna High C...
District Judge, Aurangabad assaulted by a S.I. of ...
Two urgent issues around Bihar Assembly Elections ...
Patna High Court suspends 4 Judicial Officers pend...


Love the Insta photos! The first one is my favorite!
Que maravilla de fotografias, son todas preciosas!!
So nice instaphotos C: Love it!
I love that place. I wanna go.
I want to visit Germany too one day. Funny how we just went to a German town here for Oktoberfest.
Amazing instagram shots. Thanks for stopping by!
Amazing photos. I love Heidelberg!


ReactionGrid no longer offers $25 regions, offering only entire servers starting at $150 a month, with a $500 setup fee.
Each server can handle four regions, and there is a discount for educators — to $75 a region with a $220 setup fee.
"The price for a $75 four-sim dedicated server actually works out to less than $25 per sim should users decide to go that route," ReactionGrid CEO Kyle Gomboy told Hypergrid Business.
According to Gomboy, the company has decided to focus on dedicated server deployments and the Jibe platform, which is accessible via the Web.
Those looking to rent individual regions can go through a reseller, Gomboy said, but declined to provide any names.
For the past year, ReactionGrid has been the gold standard for the mid-market, $25 regions, with a reputation for excellent customer service and a focus on performance and stability. ReactionGrid also offers web-based management tools for region owners.
However, other players have been emerging to fill this niche.
The latest player is PrimHosting, which has a self-serve interface to restart, rename, backup and move regions – and the magic price point of $25 per region per month.
Snoopy Pfeiffer's Dreamland Metaverse is currently developing a new user interface that will allow for increased region management. The company already has a web-based interface for restarting regions and — for those running mini-grids — to create new users on their grids. In the future, the interface will also allow region owners to load and save the "OAR" region backups files, load and save the "IAR" user inventory backup files, and load and save terrains. Prices start at $30 per region per month.
Other moderately-priced hosting providers include Talent Raspel and 3D Hosting, both based in Germany. The latter, run by OpenSim core developer Melanie Thielker, also offers a Web-based management panel for restarting, moving, or backing up regions.
Meanwhile, two providers have begun offering bargain-basement hosting. YourSimSpot, at $15 a month, and German-language Annuna, at $13 a month, both promise full regions of up to 15,000 prims each — the standard size of a full Second Life region.
YourSimSpot head Anthony Gill tells Hypergrid Business that his company offers hypergrid and groups and is in the process of implementing Freeswitch voice and the OMC currency. "We have a simple web-based management panel for region owners to perform administration tasks," he added.
According to Annuna head Stefan Pommerening, the company doesn't yet have any OpenSim customers. "Opensim hosting is still in the planning but will be realized within a reasonable short period of time," he told Hypergrid Business.
There are great risks associated with cut-rate hosting, however.
One big issue is lag. Low-cost hosting providers typically use shared virtual servers to run their regions. This works well with low-traffic websites that don't require any applications to be running non-stop. It doesn't work so well for virtual worlds, which are up and running whether someone is visiting or not. In addition, virtual worlds have high bandwidth requirements compared to the average small website. As a result, developers recommend that shared virtual servers be used for non-mission-critical virtual worlds such as a low-traffic personal region or a testing area.
Another issue is the frequency and reliability of backups. Backups take time and use up storage, and no provider — big or small — is completely immune to failures. SimHost, for example, recently lost a region due to a server crash combined with a backup failure. And OSGrid has been having repeated outages over the past week and lost inventory issues.
Both are lessons for users to take their own backups. With OpenSim, it's possible to get both a backup of your entire region (in the form of an OAR file) and a backup of your inventory (in an IAR file).


text:
Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner Swapped Faces and Literally Nothing Happened
We're scared.
Kris Jenner's vagina is a clone machine.
That's the only explanation for the mystifying series of events that just took place on Kylie' Snapchat. The obvious social media prodigy of Kim K. blew our minds when she used the app to swap faces with her big sis.
"I look really good," says Kylie. "I look OK, I think this is the best face swap ever," Kim responds. She knows.
Brace yourselves for an optical illusion of the ages. In 3, 2…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCg0IgWsw5g/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCg0KhvMw5k/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCg0PN0Mw5w/
It's a good thing Ky "always wanted to look like" Kim, because this is straight madness.
As lyrical geniuses Pussycat Dolls once said: "Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it."
Kylie and Tyga Shared PDA on Snapchat
Tags: The KardashiansKim KardashianKylie Jenner


- Iron box chain is formed by some rectangular link just like some box get together. That is why we call them box chain. Box chain necklace or other box jewelry are very popular now especially for man. Welcome to check the following iron box chain and order some you need. No matter you deal with jewelry, costume, bag or other project, our box chain will surely give you a big help.


NEW Deadline: April,15 June 28, 2019.
Notification of acceptance: April,30 July 15, 2019.
Call for papers for the ICEUBI2019 – "Engineering for Evolution", a multi-track interdisciplinary congress that brings together researchers in all areas of Engineering.
Call for Special sessions that complement the regular technical program by highlighting new and emerging research topics or innovative applications of established approaches.
Call for workshops that are intended to bring together researchers, developers, and technology providers for discussion of issues and informal exchange of ideas and information.


text:
1. bataljon vietnamskih padalcev (izvirno francosko 1ere Bataillon de Parachutistes Vietnamiens; kratica 1. BPVN) je bila padalska enota, ki so jo ustanovili Francozi v času svoje vladavine v današnjem Vietnamu.

Zgodovina
Bataljon je bil ustanovljen 15. julija 1951 z združitvijo 1. čete indokinskih padalcev in 1. padalske gardne čete Severnega Vietnama.

Maja 1955 so bataljon preoblikovali v 1. zračnoprevozni bataljon.

Viri

Glej tudi
 3. bataljon vietnamskih padalcev
 5. bataljon vietnamskih padalcev
 6. bataljon vietnamskih padalcev
 7. bataljon vietnamskih padalcev

Francoske kolonialne enote
Padalske enote Francoske kopenske vojske
Francoski daljnovzhodni ekspedicijski korpus
Vojaške enote, ustanovljene leta 1951
Vojaške enote, ukinjene leta 1955


Here are the essential words and topics to whip out and impress your Swedish friends and family in the season of new beginnings.
This article was written in 2016 and updated in 2017.
Despite snow in parts of the country, this week we still have two sure signs of spring -- the vernal equinox (vårdagjämning) and the arrival of summer time (sommartid) when we screw the clocks forward an hour and rage against the machine for depriving us of a full night's sleep. So make a note of these words as they're cropping up everywhere.
So elated was one member of parliament at the arrival of spring last year that he never wants to go back and is lobbying to make summertime permanent. "You can not remove the winter, but you can make it brighter," he said. Despite his efforts, the clocks will go forward this weekend.
From the ground they emerge to make our world a brighter place. We're talking tussilago (which surely is one of Sweden's loveliest words), vitsippa and krokus. Translation: coltsfoot, wood anemone and crocus.
Like everyones' favourite denim jackets (jeansjackor), they were hidden away for the winter but now suddenly they're everywhere.
And look! Knoppar (buds) are on the trees too!
3. Is it safe to come out yet?
Bears know the score. While the human population gets all droopy for half the year in Sweden and enters a sort of semi-hibernation, our ursine friends take it all the way. They gå i ide (go into hibernation). But in spring they're back, emerging from their dens and getting chased up trees by dogs.
Also, the flyttfåglar (migratory birds) are on their way back to these parts. Indeed, a sure sign of spring each year is the first sighting of a crane (trana) returning to Lake Hornborga in south-western Sweden.
If you're lucky you might even see a skäggdopping (great crested grebe) or an ormvråk (buzzard).
Bye bye melancholy, hej då melatonin and good riddance (or tears, depending on your viewpoint) Melodifestivalen. There's vår i luften (spring in the air) and we're happy as a kalv på grönbete (calf in green pastures). At least, that is, until we catch the first whiff of gråbopollen (mugwort pollen) and we're basically one big human sneeze until the hay fever (hösnuva) abates.
But while we may be runnier of nose, we are also prettier of face as the first fräknar (freckles) appear.
As soon as you can no longer see your own breath it's time for the first grillfest (barbecue) of the year. Throw another korv (sausage) on the engångsgrill (disposable barbecue) mate, it's going to be a scorcher.
And once the temperature nears the 10C mark everyone starts to brave the outdoor sections of cafes and restaurants (uteserveringar). From April 1st they proliferate and stay there until the end of October, by which time the bears have already decided they're about ready for their ide again. Sov gott, björn/Björn (Sleep tight, bear/guy called Björn).


Monica Lewinsky finished off Clinton and his Global Initiative Saturday, delivering the keynote address to an auditorium of awaiting students, much to the former president's dismay.
Lewinsky gave a mouthful of advice, speaking about the importance of staying headstrong as a young professional and how it will lead to endless opportunities where you won't have to spend your life behind – but possibly under – a desk.
When Lewinsky took the stage in a rather unwashed-looking blue dress, Clinton was seen sweating off to the side of the stage, visibly angered at the idea that she was giving the speech that many members viewed as the climax of the three-day event.
He had been saving a cigar for the moment the event ended, but while backstage, it appeared as though he only had the cigar tube in hand, devoid of any cigar – a further sign of his distaste with Lewinsky.
Secretary of State, Class, Amazingness and Poise Hillary Clinton was unable to attend the event, as she was doing diplomatic work in Bangkok, but she did provide a statement regarding Lewinsky's speech.
Lewinsky said she was very satisfied with the crowd turnout, noting that her reputation hasn't been the greatest since her scandal with the president in 1998, but she remained optimistic for her address, speaking on lessons from her past.
"Sometimes to get ahead in life, you just need to take your pride and swallow it," she said.
Junior Ovurr Uhcheever, who applied to attend the conference only to appease his need to fawn over political speakers, did not have anything to say about his actual project, but said Lewinsky's speech got a rise out of the crowd.


What We Have Done : Babypoppits - Baby diaper cakes, towel cakes and personalized gifts from the heart, for the heart., We are specialized in baby diaper cakes, towel cakes and other personalized gifts for babies and toddlers. They serve as perfects gifts for a new baby and/or new parents, as a centerpiece for baby shower, or for birthdays.
An order of the announcement card with baby's picture for 50 guests!


A trocar cleaning device includes a connecting rod having a first end and a second end. A first sponge is coupled to the first end of the connecting rod, and a second sponge is coupled to the second end of the connecting rod. An X-ray detectable element is coupled to at least one of the connecting rod, the first sponge, and the second sponge.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/985,359, filed on Nov. 5, 2007, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Cleaning the Interior Cannula of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Access Devices", the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This invention generally relates to a device for cleaning surgical instruments, and more particularly relates to a surgical device and method for cleaning the internal cannula of access devices used in videoscopic medical procedures.
Access devices commonly referred to as trocars are inserted into the body by the surgeon or medical staff at the beginning of a procedure to maintain an open channel into a body cavity for the easy introduction of endoscopic cameras or other minimally invasive surgical instruments. The videoscopic procedures that use trocar access devices include laparoscopies, arthroscopies, thracoscopies, pelviscopies, and cystoscopies.
During minimally invasive surgical procedures, the endoscopic camera and all instruments must be passed through channels maintained open by access devices commonly called trocars. Because instruments are repeatedly inserted in and pulled out of these trocars over the course of a procedure, the internal cannula or walls of the trocar can accumulate blood, tissue and other bodily fluids that instruments have come into contact with inside the body cavity. This is particularly the case when specimens of tissue are intentionally removed from the body through these trocars for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
Surgeons currently have no devices or methods for effectively cleaning the internal walls of trocar access devices. Because cameras are passed into body cavities through these channels, surgeons and medical staff often find that their endoscopic image is blurred or blocked when the lens picks up the blood, tissue, or other debris along the trocar's wall as it is passed into the body through these channels. Once the camera is inside the body and the problem is identified, the endoscope must be removed again and cleaned. This is still no guarantee that the vision will be clear upon reinsertion, as the fluids that were coating the internal walls of the trocar may still remain.
If the surgeon believes that he or she can no longer proceed because the camera can not be inserted through the trocar without collecting an unacceptable amount of debris on the lens, the surgeon may roll up a piece of gauze or other towel and attempt to introduce it into the trocar either manually or with the aid of a grasping instrument. While this may clean the proximal end of the trocar's internal cannula, it typically fails to reach the distal end and is certainly not capable of thoroughly scrubbing the internal walls of the trocar.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a device and method of overcoming the above-mentioned drawbacks in cleaning the internal cannula or wall of trocars or similar laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical access devices.
In an aspect of the present invention, a trocar cleaning device includes a connecting rod having a first end and a second end. A first sponge is coupled to the first end of the connecting rod, and a second sponge is coupled to the second end of the connecting rod. An X-ray detectable element is coupled to at least one of the connecting rod, the first sponge, and the second sponge.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trocar cleaning device including cylindrically-shaped cleaning sponges coupled at each end of a connecting rod in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 2B is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 wherein the sponges are transparent to show the connecting rod extending into the center of each sponge.
FIG. 3A is a side elevational view of a trocar cleaning device with the sponges meeting in the middle of the connecting rod such that the rod is not visible in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 3A wherein the sponges are transparent to show the connecting rod extending into the center of each sponge for structural support.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a trocar cleaning device having cone-shaped sponges in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a trocar cleaning device having ovoid-shaped sponges in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a trocar cleaning device having spherically-shaped sponges in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a trocar cleaning device having a disk slidably coupled to the connecting rod for preventing the device from accidentally falling entirely into a body cavity.
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a sponge having a raised lip or fin circumferentially extending thereabout to ensure cleaning of the inner wall of a trocar.
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a sponge having a raised rounded ridge circumferentially extending thereabout to ensure cleaning of the inner wall of a trocar.
With reference to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, a trocar cleaning device embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference number 10. The device 10 includes a connecting rod 12 coupled at a first end 14 to a first sponge 16 and coupled at a second end 18 to a second sponge 20. The sponges 16, 20 are shown as generally cylindrically-shaped, but can have other practical shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention. The trocar cleaning device 10 preferably includes an X-ray detectable element 22 coupled to or imbedded in at least one of the parts of the device 10 such as the connecting rod 12, the first sponge 16 and the second sponge 20. The connecting rod 12 can be coupled to ends of the sponges 16, 20.
The X-ray detectable element 22 can include a radiopaque tape that is adhered to or otherwise coupled to the connecting rod 12 either in a circumferential or longitudinal direction along the connecting rod. Radiopaque materials by definition are opaque to various forms of radiation including X-rays. The tape itself can be made of an X-ray detectable material, or the tape may include an X-ray detectable thread embedded in the tape. The tape may also be printed with colors, designs or instructional text. Moreover, the X-ray detectable element 22 also can be an X-ray detectable thread that is adhered to or otherwise coupled along the connecting rod 12. The thread can span substantially along the entire length of the connecting rod 12, and can serve to hold the device 10 in one piece in situations where the connecting rod 12 has broken and would otherwise separate into pieces.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the connecting rod 12 can extend into the sponges 16, 20 for increased structural support of the sponges on the connecting rod. More specifically, the first sponge 16 defines a first channel 24 extending into a central portion thereof. The first channel 24 receives the first end 14 of the connecting rod 12. Likewise, the second sponge 20 defines a second channel 26 extending into a central portion thereof. The second channel 26 receives the second end 18 of the connecting rod 12. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the first sponge 16 and the second sponge 20 are spaced from one another in end-to-end relationship along the connecting rod 12 so as to expose a portion of the connecting rod therebetween.
The present invention relates to a single patient use, sterile device that is comprised of a connecting rod with absorptive sponges at both ends. The sponges on each end of the connecting rod can have different average diameters relative to each other. For example, the dimensions of the first sponge 16 on one end of the connecting rod 12 are designed for cleaning an access device with an internal cannula that is about 5 mm in diameter, and the dimensions of the second sponge 20 on the other end of the connecting rod 12 are designed to clean an access device with an internal cannula that is about 10 mm in diameter. With these dimensions in mind by way of example only, at their widest points one absorptive end of the first sponge 16 has a diameter of greater than about 10 mm and that of the second sponge 20 has a diameter in the range of about 5 mm to about 10 mm. The full length of the device 10 from one end to the other is preferably greater than about 6 inches (152.4 mm).
The material of the sponges can be foam, fabric, or any other material or combination of materials that are both durable and absorptive. The absorptive ends are preferably composed of a microfiber material. This can be a piece of microfiber fabric folded, pressed or rolled onto itself, or it could be a surface of microfiber cloth over a foam, cotton or rayon core (or perhaps another absorptive material). What constitutes the microfiber is the D.P.F. or "denier per filament". The microfiber material preferably has a D.P.F. from about 0.05 to about 1.5.
The absorptive end of the sponges could be shaped as a sphere with the connecting rod intersecting its center, an ovoid shape with its long axis in line with the connecting rod, or a cone also with the long axis in line with the connecting rod and with the base at the distal end. It is important that the widest parts of the absorptive ends of the sponges are able to clean the underside of a trocar tip and the underside of a trocar valve as they are pulled from the trocar. To this end, the absorptive ends may be designed with ridges or a lip as will be later described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.
The material of the connecting rod can be a plastic, a metal, or any other generally rigid material that will not easily bend or break. The total length of the device (from the outwardly facing end of one sponge to the outwardly facing end of the other sponge) preferably is at least about 6 inches (152.4 mm), but may be about 12 inches (304.8 mm) or longer. The sponges may be attached to the ends of the connecting rod, or the connecting rod may continue internally through the center of each sponge for added rigidity and support. A portion of the connecting rod may be visible in the center of the device between the two sponges, or the sponges may meet in the center of the connecting rod so as to cover the entire length of the connecting rod.
The device preferably has an X-ray detectable element imbedded in the sponges, the connecting rod, or both. This is to ensure that the location of the device can be easily identified should it accidentally be passed entirely through the trocar and into a body cavity.
The device can be opened at the beginning of the surgical procedure and kept ready for surgical staff on a sterile back table, or may be opened during the surgical procedure as needed. The device is sterilized, preferably with gamma radiation, and designed for single-patient-use only.
The device is operated by holding one end of the device by hand and passing the other end through a trocar. The device may be pushed in and pulled out of the trocar as needed to clean fluids, tissues, and other debris that has collected along the circular internal wall of the trocar. The device is for single patient use, and must be disposed of at the end of each procedure, but the device may be used repeatedly over the course of a single procedure until it becomes saturated with fluids or other debris.
With reference to FIG. 3A, a trocar cleaning device in accordance with another embodiment is indicated generally by the reference number 100. The device 100 is generally similar to the device 10 of FIG. 1, except that ends of first and second sponges 102, 104 abut one another in end-to-end relationship along the connecting rod so as to conceal the connecting rod. With reference to FIG. 3B, the first and second sponges 102, 104 are illustrated as transparent so as to reveal an otherwise hidden connecting rod 106 extending into the first and second sponges 102, 104.
With reference to FIG. 4, a trocar cleaning device 200 is generally similar to the previously illustrated devices except that first and second sponges 202, 204 are conical in shape.
With reference to FIG. 5, a trocar cleaning device 300 is generally similar to the previously illustrated devices except that first and second sponges 302, 304 are ovoid in shape.
With reference to FIG. 6, a trocar cleaning device 400 is generally similar to the previously illustrated devices except that first and second sponges 402, 404 are spherical in shape.
With reference to FIG. 7, a trocar cleaning device 500 is generally similar to the previously illustrated devices except that the device further includes a disk 502 slidably coupled to a connecting rod 504 between first and second sponges 506, 508 for preventing the trocar cleaning device from accidentally passing completely through a trocar and into a body cavity of a patient undergoing a surgical procedure. The disk 502 is preferably formed of a generally rigid material such as plastic, and is sized to slide freely along the length of the exposed connecting rod but not travel over the absorptive end of the sponges 506, 508. In an exemplary embodiment, the disk is greater than about 12 mm in diameter to prevent the device from falling entirely into the body cavity. However, the disk 502 can be either smaller or larger in diameter without departing from the scope of the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the sponges can include an outwardly extending projection extending circumaxially about a connecting rod for pressing against an inner surface of a trocar and thereby improve the cleaning action of the sponges. The projections can take various practical shapes. As shown in FIG. 8, for example, a sponge 600 includes a circumaxially extending projection 602 having a fin-like shape. As shown in FIG. 9, for example, a sponge 700 includes a circumaxially extending projection 702 in the form of a raised rounded ridge.
As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, numerous modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the preceding portion of this specification is to be taken in an illustrative, as opposed to a limiting sense.
an X-ray detectable element coupled to at least one of the connecting rod, the first sponge, and the second sponge.
2. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the X-ray detectable element is imbedded in at least one of the connecting rod, the first sponge, and the second sponge.
the second sponge defines a second channel extending into a central portion thereof, the second channel receiving the second end of the connecting rod.
4. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 3, wherein the first sponge and the second sponge abut one another in end-to-end relationship along the connecting rod.
5. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 3, wherein the first sponge and the second sponge are spaced from one another in end-to-end relationship along the connecting rod so as to expose a portion of the connecting rod therebetween.
6. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first sponge and the second sponge each are cylindrically-shaped.
7. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 6, wherein the first sponge and the second sponge have generally different diameters relative to each other.
8. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 6, wherein one of the first and second sponges has a diameter greater than about 10 mm, and the other of the first and second sponges has a diameter in the range of about 5 mm to about 10 mm.
9. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein a length from outwardly facing ends of the first sponge and the second sponge is greater than about 6 inches (152.4 mm).
10. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein a length from outwardly facing ends of the first sponge and the second sponge is about 12 inches (304.8 mm) or longer.
11. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1 wherein the first sponge and the second sponge each include an absorptive material.
12. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 11, wherein the absorptive material includes one of foam and fabric.
13. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 11, wherein the absorptive material includes a microfiber material.
14. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 13, wherein the microfiber material has one of a folded, pressed, and rolled-onto-itself configuration.
15. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 13, wherein the microfiber material includes a microfiber cloth disposed over a core material including one of foam, cotton, and rayon.
16. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 13, wherein the microfiber material has a D.P.F. from about 0.05 to about 1.5.
17. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first sponge and the second sponge each are one of a cylindrical shape, sphere shape, ovoid shape and cone shape.
18. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting rod, the first sponge and the second sponge are in a sterilized state.
19. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting rod, the first sponge and the second sponge are in a gamma radiation sterilized state.
20. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first sponge and the second sponge each include a projection extending circumaxially about the connecting rod for pressing against an inner surface of a trocar.
21. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 20, wherein the projection has a fin-like shape.
22. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 20, wherein the projection has a raised rounded ridge shape.
23. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting rod includes a generally rigid material.
24. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 23, wherein the generally rigid material includes one of plastic and metal.
25. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a disk slidably coupled to the connecting rod and disposed thereon between the first sponge and the second sponge, the disk being fabricated of a generally rigid material to prevent the disk from entering a trocar and thereby preventing the first sponge, the second sponge and the connecting rod all from accidentally passing through a trocar and into a body cavity.
26. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 25, wherein the generally rigid material includes plastic.
27. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 25, wherein the disk has a diameter greater than about 12 mm.
28. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the X-ray detectable element includes a radiopaque tape.
29. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 28, wherein the radiopaque tape is coupled to the connecting rod in a longitudinal direction along the connecting rod.
30. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 28, wherein the radiopaque tape is coupled to the connecting rod in a circumferential direction along the connecting rod.
31. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 28, wherein the radiopaque tape itself is an X-ray detectable material.
32. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 28, wherein the radiopaque tape includes an X-ray detectable thread embedded in the radiopaque tape.
33. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the X-ray detectable element includes an X-ray detectable thread coupled to the connecting rod.
34. A trocar cleaning device as defined in claim 33, wherein the X-ray detectable thread extends substantially along the length of the connecting rod.


text:
Buffalo Beauts
Buffalo Beauts Bring Back Fan Favorite Kelsey Neumann
By Nathaniel Oliver August 8th, 2019
There are a lot of joyous youngsters around Western New York's hockey rinks right now. Word was released on Aug. 8, 2019 that the Buffalo Beauts had brought back a fan favorite in goaltender Kelsey Neumann, the 2016-17 winner of the NWHL's Foundation Award.
SIGNING NEWS: @lilneumy is back with the Buffalo Beauts! ✍
(And we'll never get BOARD of her A+ content 😂)
📝https://t.co/4Ax1AFpzXt pic.twitter.com/q4bKc4W8jv
— NWHL (@NWHL) August 8, 2019
"We are happy to have Kelsey back with the Beauts," said Beauts GM Mandy Cronin in the press release for the signing, "She plays an important role not only within our team and organization, but also in the Buffalo community."
Back on Jun. 6, THW suggested that Neumann was a player that Cronin should acquire for the team's 2019-20 roster. Not to give the appearance of being prophetic, adding the beloved goalie was simply a no-brainer and a way to keep Beauts fans feeling good about the team. It just made sense for all parties involved.
Neumann's Previous Go-Round for Buffalo
Neumann was previously a goaltender for the Beauts for two seasons, including the team's 2016-17 Isobel Cup-winning squad. She was limited to mainly a third-string role that season, namely due to the stellar goaltending of Brianne McLaughlin and Amanda Leveille who were ahead of her in the depth chart.
Ironically, while she did not see any regular season action, she still was Buffalo's recipient of the Foundation Award. The award is given annually to one player from each of the league's teams. It is bestowed upon the individual who most actively applies the core values of hockey to her community. Neumann was the obvious choice, stemming especially from her coaching mentorship of young female athletes and her overall good-naturedness towards children.
Kelsey Neumann returns to the Beauts for what will be her third season with the team (Photo Credit: Matthew Raney).
Even as she attended the Beauts' recent 2019 Free Agent Camp on Jul. 27 and Jul. 28 at the NorthTown Center, she was mobbed by youngsters on both days whenever she was not on the ice. Kids adore her because she is genuine and they know that she is invested in them.
Neumann was also with the Beauts for the 2017-18 season. This time she handled most of the backup duties for Leveille, while newcomer Julia DiTondo was oftentimes tertiary. Neumann would see her very first regular season action, albeit briefly, during the final 32 seconds of a Beauts 4-1 victory on the road in Connecticut – the last game of the regular season.
Come playoff time, Neumann would be on the bench during Buffalo's opportunity to defend the Isobel Cup in New Jersey. Facing the Metropolitan Riveters in the 2017-18 Isobel Cup Final, the Beauts fell just short and relinquished the crown by a 1-0 score.
Back for a Larger Role in the Goal Crease
Kelsey Neumann's alongside one of her young goalies, Melissa. Neumann was the Beauts recipient of the 2016-17 NWHL Foundation Award (Photo Credit: Joe MacLeod).
It is not an exaggeration to state that numerous youngsters were disappointed and confused when Neumann was not re-signed for the 2018-19 edition of the Beauts. She was one of a handful of players whom the Beauts parted ways with at the time, that also seemed to deplete the team's character.
But that was then and this is now. While Neumann is a veteran Beaut, she is joining a very new team. New GM, new head coach, new arena, and likely two dozen new players that have never worn "Beauts blue" before.
It is also a new opportunity for Neumann.
With the NWHL schedule now increased from 16 games to 24, she will most likely see her first true test of NWHL action. The Beauts also have a very good goaltender in Mariah Fujimagari, and there is strong possibility that the former Maine Black Bear could be the starter. That being said, it is doubtful that any goaltender will suit up for all 24 games.
The increased number of games will be a bit of a balancing act for all of the league's players. A busier schedule will mean that health, safety, and off-ice commitments will need to be taken more into consideration than ever before. For the Beauts, it will also mean that Neumann is going to need to win them some games.
She is certainly ready and raring to go for such a challenge.
"I'm looking forward to working with GM Mandy Cronin, Coach Pete Perram, and my teammates in our quest to bring the Isobel Cup back to Buffalo," Neumann stated. "I am extremely excited for the opportunity to rejoin the Buffalo Beauts, be part of the NWHL again, and continue to promote the growth of women's hockey."
As of Aug. 8, here is how the Beauts' roster currently looks:
Goaltender: Mariah Fujimagari, Kelsey Neumann.
Defender: Meg Delay, Marie-Jo Pelletier.
Forward: Corinne Buie, Brooke Stacey, Kim Brown, Becki Bowering, Cassidy MacPherson, Emma Ruggiero.
Beginning May 15, NWHL teams can re-sign players from their 2018-19 roster and their draft picks. Additionally, for those players who have completed their college eligibility and want to continue their hockey careers, NWHL Free Agency provides the best opportunity to continue playing at the highest level of professional women's hockey. The fifth season of the NWHL will begin in October as the Minnesota Whitecaps look to defend their Isobel Cup championship.
My colleague Dan Rice will keep THW readers up-to-date on Metropolitan and Connecticut's signings throughout the summer, while I post updates on Buffalo and Boston. Together we will be keeping readers informed of all of Minnesota's signings.
Whale Bring Back Hughson and Meneghin For a Second Season
Beauts Sign Buffalo Native Emma Ruggiero
Buffalo Beauts Ink Providence's Cassidy MacPherson
Kelsey Neumann