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The Light of Their Lives by Boris Glikman
The Light of Their Lives
by Boris Glikman
"Delighted by Light" by Michael Cheval
It was perhaps inevitable that some bright spark in the Research and Development Department of a certain, internationally famous company would, during a brainstorming session, come up with the idea of a beverage consisting solely of pure light. The essential concept behind it was simplicity itself: Why, in these modern, fast-paced times, go through the lengthy and convoluted process of needing the Sun's light to be photosynthesized by plants into chemical energy, which then has to be converted into carbohydrate molecules, which we then have to consume and digest in order for us to finally incorporate the energy from the Sun into our systems? Why not bypass all the intervening stages and just capture, bottle and imbibe the sunlight energy directly?
The management loved the proposal and supported its realization by all means possible. Thus, less than a year after the go-ahead was given, the product appeared in the shops: a soothing, delightful elixir of natural sunshine, free of any preservatives, added sugar or artificial flavours.
The drink provided an instant energy boost, sating hunger without any necessity for digestion, as well as immediately quenching thirst and making one feel warm all over. And, of course, it was suitable for all types of diets including but not limited to kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan, gluten-intolerant and fruitarian. No one could take any issue with it, for it was pure light straight from the Sun. And, fortuitously, it was also very suitable for those dieting, for according to the famous E = mc^2 equation, even a tiny amount of mass released a tremendous amount of energy and thus one could quaff great quantities of this potation with hardly any weight gain.
Amazingly enough, apart from satisfying the most basic physical needs (food, water, warmth) in the hierarchy of needs, this beverage also enabled the consumer, and this was a completely unforeseen consequence, to become instantly spiritually enlightened once they have drunk it and thus fulfil the highest need in the hierarchy of needs – the yearning for self-actualisation. (Perhaps it should not have been so unexpected, for, by ingesting light one, ipso facto, became illuminated within, which is exactly what enlightenment is, and also as the very morphological structure of the word "enlightenment" indicated its intimate connection to light.)
This serendipitous effect was perfect for the contemporary society, for given that the online world now provided instant information, instant communication, instant entertainment and instant gratification of needs and desires, it was only natural there would also be a great demand for instant self-realisation. And with this product, one no longer had to spend countless hours meditating and repeating the mantra, or sit at the feet of a guru, or clamber up the Himalayan mountains in search of monasteries. Instead, there was the convenience of immediate spiritual awakening in a bottle, accessible to all.
The advertising campaign was built around the slogans "Instant EnLIGHTenment™ in a Bottle!", "Fast Food for Body and Soul!", and "Let the Light DeLIGHT You!". For once the reality corresponded exactly to the promotional claims, as it truly was a unique kind of an invention the likes of which had never been seen before.
And so, as was to be expected, everyone flocked to buy the new drink, for, apart from its obvious appeal to the general public, its attraction was also irresistible to a diverse range of people with specific needs, such as the athletic types looking for an immediate energy fix, the spiritual seekers looking for the truth about themselves and the Universe, and the weight-conscious dieters, who immediately added it to their fastidious regiments. Of course, children loved it too, given its novelty value and its almost-magical properties.
This unqualified success gave the company the freedom and the impetus to experiment with new varieties of the product. The flavour of the original sunlight brand was a mixture of melon and orange. Later on, many more flavours became available, as the company's researchers went about capturing and bottling light from other celestial objects, as well as from man-made sources.
It was discovered that each planet and star had its own unique taste: Moonlight was cooler on the palate than sunlight and had an indefinable element to it one couldn't quite put a finger on; Mars tasted a bit like tomato juice; Venus was quite tart and almost vinegary, and thus was best drunk in combination with light from other sources; Jupiter and Saturn, as befitting their gaseous nature, were like the finest bubbly champagne; and supernovas had a mouth-exploding, extremely hot chilli flavour that only the very brave and the foolhardy dared to sample. It was also found that the illuminations of every city had their own particular flavour, although the health-conscious preferred only drinks made from natural sources and scorned the artificial flavours of light globes, fluorescent lights and neon signs, which invariably tasted like cheap wine.
With this product on the market, many believed the world was surely heading towards a utopian existence in which humanity would finally be liberated from its burdensome, imprisoning dependence upon plants and animals for nutrition; and the common man, having become instantly enlightened, would see beyond the constricting confines of self-interest and self-preservation and realise everything is inextricably connected and we are all one.
Yet, those who were optimistic that an idealistic state of being would, at last, be achieved had forgotten all about a deep-rooted and paradoxical aspect of human nature, namely that anything that brought pleasure and enjoyment was open to abuse, misuse, and overuse. Consequently, the very source of gratification and bliss, like for example alcohol, could and did mutate grotesquely into a dire threat to one's very existence. Thus, obesity and all the maladies it caused was rife in those societies in which food was in ready supply; alcoholism was the scourge of many a land; addictions to both legal and illegal substances destroyed countless lives.
Given the way this beverage immediately satisfied, in one neat package, a person's needs on so many levels, it was inevitable some would become hooked on it. As is often the case with addicts, they found ways to bypass the option of legally purchasing a limited quantity of the product, instead consuming for free limitless amounts by staring directly at the Sun and letting the light flow both into their open mouths, as well as into their eyes. Imbibing light through the eyes was something non-addicts would never do, and that particular experience was likened to mainlining heroin, giving an even greater kick.
These addicts quickly became known as "sunkies" (a portmanteau word blending "sun" and "junkie"), and this word coincidentally had the additional connotation of "sinking" which was very apt, for no drug addict had ever sunk as low as these sunkies. Most of those hooked on narcotics could be rehabilitated and again become respected members of a community. The Sun junkies however voluntarily gave up their sight and their mobility, two of the most precious and vital features a human being possesses, and assumed a static, plant-like existence, remaining rooted to one spot. They cared for nothing else but to follow with their turning heads the Sun's daily progress across the sky, using their sense of warmth to locate it, their retinas having been burnt out, and to drink in the light.
"In Sol Veritas", in Sun all Truths lie, was their motto and guiding principle, believing as they did that the Sun is the portal to the ultimate reality and the sole source of eternal, absolute truths. Their proselytising spiel to the non-addicts was quite persuasive, claiming that once you started staring at the Sun, you would quickly realise how petty and drab are the affairs of daily life, and how overflowing-with-meaning and magnificent are the inexhaustible revelations and infinite beauty emanating from the Sun, the place where perfection, transcendence, purity lies. The sunkies also extolled the stability and the security their lives now possessed, for the Sun's motion, perfectly regular and unvarying each and every day, scorched away the unpredictability and the uncertainties of their previous everyday existence.
One saw these sunkies everywhere one went, sitting, standing or lying on the pavements, roads, grass, in the mud, in puddles, in gutters, totally oblivious to their surroundings. Their limbs became atrophied from complete lack of movement and turned into something resembling gruesome, withered tree branches, further accentuating their plant-like appearance. The sight of these addicts was both sickening and unspeakably sad, especially as many of them were young people who had sacrificed all the promises the future held out for them.
The greatest tragedy was that the sunkies denied their lives had turned into an irrevocable tragedy. Not only did they become physically blind, they also became blind to the reality of their situation, convincing themselves into believing they were the superior beings living superior lives, and the only ones in possession of the ultimate secrets of existence. They saw themselves as part of an elite caste, the vanguard of an egalitarian utopia to come, for, before the Sun everyone was equal. These Sun's Sons (as they preferred to call themselves, in reference to their claimed filial kinship with the star, for they felt reborn through gazing unwaveringly at the Sun, and also in reference to the brotherhood they felt they had entered into) were totally untroubled by their loss of sight and mobility, for there was nothing down on Earth they wanted or needed to see or do. Indeed, they considered their blindness and immobility to be a godsend, for not only did it stop them from being distracted from giving all of their attentions to the Sun, but, even more importantly, it prevented their minds and souls from being contaminated by the imperfections and iniquities that so marked and defined earthly existence.
Thus, light in a bottle, previously the greatest blessing to mankind, became its greatest curse, causing a calamity the likes of which could not be imagined before its arrival on the market, for who could ever envision healthy people willingly becoming immobile vegetables, sacrificing their lives just so they could stare at the Sun and feel its warm smile upon their faces. The sunkies were now completely lost to society, both bodily and mentally, and no kind of rehabilitation was possible for them. In the bitterest of ironies that occur so often throughout the course of history, mankind, having liberated itself from its dependence upon plants, and thus attaining the greatest freedom it had ever possessed, now found an ever-growing proportion of its population choosing to lead a plant-like existence.
But this unfolding global tragedy was of little concern to the company that brought the beverage into the world, for its technicians were busily working on an even greater creation which would undoubtedly trump the bottled sunshine for popularity. Inspired by instant coffee, the new invention-in-the-making already had the brand name of Insta-Life, and, once completed, it would allow a person to experience their whole life in an instant. This surely was, or so the management thought, the ultimate desire and goal in this instantaneousness-obsessed era, for by condensing all of your life into one single moment, you no longer would have to trudge through decades of endless drudgeries and tediously repetitive routines of daily existence, through all the banal and boring stretches of life, and instead get it over and done with in a jiffy. Additionally, you would gain an unbeatable upper hand over your rivals in the field of fast living.
With the lure of holiday profits in their minds, the management kept prodding its engineers and scientists to work harder and harder, so that Insta-Life could appear on the market around Christmas time. And so, it was only a matter of time before this new invention swept the world, and people would begin to live and die faster than mayflies.
Boris Glikman
Posted byBodacious Copy March 5, 2017 December 20, 2020 Posted inAuthors, Fiction, WritingTags:Australian author, Australian writer, Boris Glikman, energy drink, energy from the sun, enlightenment, fantasy fiction, fast food for body and soul, Insta-Life, instantaneous-obsessed, light beverage, Michael Cheval, plant-like existence, quick fix, quirky fiction, quirky short stories, sci-fi, sunkies, sunlight, The Light of Their Lives2 Comments on The Light of Their Lives by Boris Glikman
Existential Prose: A Train's Journey by Boris Glikman
Existential Prose: A Train's Journey
I live in a train. I have food, warmth, a place to sleep.
I feel certain that I am its sole occupant, for if there were anyone else on it I would know by now, as I have lived in this train my entire life.
Where it is heading to, I can not tell. On occasions, it stops entirely or even begins to move backwards, but I can never get off for all the exits are hermetically sealed.
In earlier times, I cherished the hope that the train contains something that would help me escape it, this unwieldy metal hulk, and separate my existence from its course. I searched exhaustively for a button that would throw open all the doors simultaneously or a lever that will allow me to prise open a window. Yet I dared not to go through every carriage and compartment, partly out of fear that I would find nothing of use and that thereby all of my hopes would be terminally dashed.
I can only perceive the outside world as it appears through the windows of the train. I know not how veracious my perceptions are, for it may well be that the windows are made of distorting glass. I often wonder what it would be like to experience life directly.
Occasionally, I see other trains go nearby and catch a glimpse of their solitary dwellers. My train might run parallel to theirs for a short distance but then the tracks diverge and I never see them again. There may be time enough to wave or shout out a few quick words but the words get mangled by the noise of wheels on the tracks.
Once, and oh, how the memory of that event heartens me still, my train travelled close to another with a young woman occupant for a considerable period of time, maybe as long as two minutes. I put my palms upon the window and spread my fingers and the girl did the same in her carriage. Our hands were perfectly aligned, and despite the glass between us, I was sure that I could feel her body warmth.
I can not jettison my dream that I will see her again, that our trains will run side by side forever and we will never be apart. In every train that I see, I continue to search out for her sublime features, yet at the same time I am wracked by doubts as to how I appeared to her, whether the windows of her train distorted her vision of me.
Does my train have a driver? Is there any purpose to its voyage? Is it moving of its own volition and choosing its own way through the land or has its journey been pre-planned by some unknown hand? Is there a Master Scheduler who has organised the timetables and the routes of every train? Shall I direct my prayers to him to allow me to see that girl again? These are the questions; the answers to which I am still searching.
With time, I grow to accept having one's existence tied up with the train. The desire to leave the train now appears to be no less preposterous and unnatural than the idea of a foetus trying to make its way through the world, a walking miscarriage. Existence outside would be so precarious and haphazard, without protection from the elements and other vagaries of fate. The train gives me solid cover, carries me forward, brings certainty to my life.
There may be things in the unexplored compartments that would make my journey more meaningful and fulfilling, things that would allow me to grow as a person. For all I know, treasures and tools, placed there especially for me, might be waiting for my discovery.
But lulled by the rhythm of the train upon the tracks, I remain seated in my seat for hours, days, weeks, years on end. I look out of the window and watch the world go by, not moving, indeed afraid to move, so accustomed have I become to seeing things from this vantage point. In my deluded periods, I imagine that I can influence the train's course and destination just by wishing for it hard enough.
Lately, I've been seeing vaguely familiar landscapes. Is the train taking me to the place whence it commenced its voyage and will my journey then be over? Will there be someone waiting for me when the train pulls into its last station, someone that knows where and when my train will make its final stop? Perhaps it will be the Master Scheduler himself and he will then explain to me the purpose of my voyage and why my journey took this particular route.
I live in a train. Although I have food, warmth, a place to sleep, sometimes a feeling comes over me that I have nothing at all, but I quickly push it away.
A TRAIN'S JOURNEY: Further Interpretations and Ideas
It's true that the most obvious interpretation of this story is that it is about isolation and alienation from society. However, there is another possible interpretation of this story, namely that this is an extended allegory about physical existence, the train being a metaphor for the body and being stuck in it, the windows of the train (which are possibly made of distorting glass) being the unreliable senses that are the only way we can perceive the outside world, the unexplored compartments that might hold the tools needed for liberation are the unexplored areas of the mind and the journey itself as an allegory for life, not knowing if it has been pre-planned. etc.
So, this story actually works as an allegory on several levels, for not only is it an allegory about isolation, but it's also an allegory about the deep philosophical problems of solipsism, the unreliability of our senses, of how we could ever be sure if there's anything out there and it's not our mind that's making it all up, predestination, free will, the meaning of life, of whether there is a God who has pre-planned our lives, etc.
Train as a symbol of destiny that carries us forward, despite ourselves and over which we have no control, no control over its direction, the route it takes, whether its route has already been pre-determined and we are helpless to change it, its destination point, when it comes to a stop or how fast it moves.
One is destined to be forever alone, for we all just pass each other momentarily in our own trains and then continue along our divergent train tracks. The most you can hope for is a fleeting connection with another being. We cannot connect with anyone; everything and everyone just passes us by and we are unable to make any meaningful or long-term connections with anyone. People and things just pass us by in our lives, you can't/don't have any control over them and they are never seen again. Life just passes you by, you can't stop or control it. Each and every day we are closer to reaching the terminus, the terminal/final station of the train.
"In my deluded periods, I imagine that I can influence the train's course and destination just by wishing for it hard enough." – an allegory for trying to affect, control and influence one's destiny/life through praying, by wishing for it hard enough. Not by doing anything, but just by desiring it hard enough, deluding oneself that one can change one's life/destiny just by wishing for it or praying for it hard enough.
"But lulled by the rhythm of the train upon the tracks, I remain seated in my seat for hours, days, weeks, years on end." – symbolises the acceptance and resignation that comes with age, just weariness and loss of desire to change anything or change one's life.
"I look out of the window and watch the world go by, not moving, indeed afraid to move, so accustomed have I become to seeing things from this vantage point." – being afraid of change and so not changing our lives or our perspectives because we have become so used to particular lifestyles and we take comfort and security from that stability and consistency and so are loathe and afraid to change it in any way, even if the life we have chosen leaves a lot to be desired, is not ideal or is actually harming us in some way.
The glass between the man and the woman represents the social conventions, the pride and the ego, the prejudices, the unfounded fears, the preconceived ideas and the pre-judgements, the non-caring and selfishness, the rush of life and all the other things that stop people from establishing meaningful, friendly, loving connections with one another. The fact that the glass is transparent (so that the woman and the man can clearly see each other), invisible and impenetrable only accentuates further the parallel to real life in which invisible barriers prevent people from making real, authentic connections with one another.
The empty train that the protagonist lives in can symbolise the emptiness of our lives, whether physical emptiness, i.e. isolation from others, or emotional/inner vacuum/emptiness. As the train can be a symbol of the body/mind as described above, its emptiness can clearly represent the emotional/mental/innert vacuum of our lives.
A TRAIN'S JOURNEY: Interpretations from Other Readers
"One other interpretation of A Train's Journey could be that the narrator just died but doesn't know it yet, as in the movies "Ghost" and "The Sixth Sense" and "The Lovely Bones." So he lives between two worlds, life and death, and he crosses another train where there is a woman living in the same two worlds."
"I read the Train story, and though I found it beautifully written, it left me with a feeling of great sadness and loneliness (probably the feeling you intended to convey). I feel that the existential philosophy conveyed by that story is one of futility and impotence in the face of an incomprehensible universe, over which we have no power and against which we are totally helpless."
"My interpretation of the story is a long metaphor about life. Why are we here? What sense is there to be here? What's the purpose of our life on this earth? On the Universe? We are born knowing nothing and we will die knowing nothing. We are born owing nothing and we will die the same way. Even in the middle of millions of people, we are alone in our own self but we can sometimes connect with another human being, even if it is for a very short time."
"A Train's Journey is such a great story. I catch the train regularly for work now, and always catch myself thinking of it as a metaphor for life's journey and the choices we make."
"Intriguing but sad as I feel this is a lost soul from an aborted fetus."
"I believe, at one time or another, we have all felt like the train in this story, trapped in the vacuum, we call our lives."
"Feeling like you're different from others and trapped inside your own world in your head. Thinking you are the only one to feel this way and to be in this situation and on the very rare occasion meeting someone who is possibly just the same. But this 'someone' usually just comes and goes because they are following their own path, their own journey, in their own train."
"Train tracks represent your path in life. Tracks can change, take turns and lead you to things you never experienced before. But if you're not in control of the train, if you're only a passenger, then your life is not in your hands. You can choose to let this train take you on a random journey or take your life in your own hands and lead the train. Stop the train when you need to. Change the tracks when you have an option to do so and take the path you believe is right at any point in time. The other carriages may also be full of other passengers in this story. But I don't think so. I think it's your own train. It's your own personal journey through life. You are the only one who can take the conductor's seat or choose to remain a passenger."
"A Train's Journey is surely a journey through life, highlighting the way we're all inclined to become fixed in respect of direction and speed of travel, and the way in which we ultimately all find ourselves alone. At the same time, it drew attention to the dubious 'reliability' of our sensory information about the world through which we pass. I felt (as I often do with your stories) that there was a touch of the Aesop in it, though the comparison with Kafka is no less fair."
"One aspect of the train journey I liked is that lately he feels like he is seeing vaguely familiar landscapes. That is a lot like life, like the first time you see cruelty or love, it seems so shocking, and then, as you get older, you see it again and again, it has an air of familiarity about it, still distasteful (for cruelty) or encouraging (for love) but some of the shock value has leached away. It does make you wonder if you've seen it all, but I guess the traveller on your train often feels like he hasn't quite seen anything properly."
"The story's opening and closing paragraphs start with a simple sentence, 'I live in a train.' Food and shelter are mentioned next in both paragraphs – the basics. But there's more to human life, of course. The following paragraphs explore the existential questions of our journey through life, from longing to escape the train from its predestined course, its conformity, to reach higher grounds with our dreams fulfilled to connecting meaningfully with other people and finding answers not only to the purpose of life but also to the existence of God and afterlife.
With maturity comes acceptance of conformity although the wish is still there to change the train's course. The last two sentences leave me with a sense of sadness, but then, I need to push that feeling away too."
'I live in a train. Although I have food, warmth, a place to sleep, sometimes a feeling comes over me that I have nothing at all, but I quickly push it away.'
Posted byBodacious Copy January 28, 2016 December 20, 2020 Posted inAuthors, Fiction, WritingTags:A Train's Journey, alienation, alienation from society, allegory, allegory about isolation, Australian author, Australian writer, Boris Glikman, destiny, existential prose, isolation, quirky fiction, quirky short stories, short story, the human condition, the meaning of life, the train as a metaphor, train as a symbol of destiny, train metaphors, trains1 Comment on Existential Prose: A Train's Journey by Boris Glikman
The Pen of Plenty (or A Portrait of an Artist as the Entire Universe) by Boris Glikman
The Pen of Plenty (or A Portrait of an Artist as the Entire Universe)
"Take this Boris, may it serve you well!", a booming voice commanded, as a hand, holding a shining writing implement, extended towards me.
I was all of thirteen years old when the Hand from Above bestowed the Pen of Plenty upon me.
" You shall be my voice! I shall speak through you with this pen. You shall be a conduit to that Other Reality, the one inhabited by Eternal Truths, Infinite Beauty and Ineffable Questions. From this pen will spring forth an inexhaustible flow of Magic, you will not be able to help begetting works of perfection, each one more perfect than the one before it.
There is a price to pay. You will not be able to feel, smile, laugh, love, pursue ordinary human activities. You will only be able to write, writing alone shall be your existence.
You shall move solely in the Infinite, Eternal, Universal sphere. You will capture and portray through your writings every permutation, manifestation and aspect of life, yet you shall remain cut off from mankind.
This pen shall be the bathyscaphe with which you will descend to the lowest abysses, and it shall be the alpenstock with which you will ascend to the highest heights not yet scaled by mankind. The world will ostracize, scorn, misunderstand, persecute, laugh at you and it will cherish, adore, worship, celebrate you. But you will stay numb, unmoved by both love and loathing.
You will not know how to be young, yet you will not grow old and will stay a man-child, for, by not partaking in the outer world, you shall be free of its deleterious effects.
You will give life to an infinity of uniquely bizarre, wondrous realities, yet you yourself will be a mere metaphor, an empty shell of a shadow, never being able to feel real, concrete. The worlds you engender will be suffused with sensation and meaning, while your own outer reality will be bare, senseless and pedestrian by comparison.
This pen shall be the flame that will illuminate truths as yet invisible, you will help others find their identity, will bring clarity and enlightenment to humanity, will reveal the underlying, inner structure of existence, yet you will be forever lost, confused, at odds with yourself and the world, drifting aimlessly through existence, a jellyfish in the ocean of life.
This pen shall speak with a thousand voices, educing hysterical laughter, uncontrollable tears, twisting minds into Moebius strips, creating transcendental beauty that will stop others dead in their tracks, dumbfounded with awe, even if they have had just a fleeting contact with it, but you will be blind and deaf to its powers and will stay frozen inside. You will feel no pride or pleasure in your creations, for you will know that you are merely a conduit.
But even though this is a Pen of Creative Cornucopia, one day it shall run out and will write no more. Consequently, writing will be the hardest and most terrifying task of your existence, for you will be forever insecure, not knowing when you no longer will be able to create any more. Yet, before that time comes, you shall be flooded with a ceaseless deluge that will demand every instant of your life and your very sanity.
Once you take this pen, it can never be un-taken, you can never disown it or rid yourself of it."
The voice stopped. I waited a while for it to resume, but it remained silent. Then, with childish, reckless eagerness, I extended my hand upwards, to meet the hand reaching down from above, caring not at all about the consequences.
The Writer sits in his room, writing at his desk. He has access to the deepest secrets and mysteries of the Universe, but the question that the whole world, from the tiniest and simplest organism upwards, seems to know the answer to, he can not solve: " Why live?"
The Writer is torn apart by two contradictory thoughts that occupy his mind simultaneously and seem equally valid. He is certain that he is blind to a fundamental truth that the rest of the world is in possession of, for how else can one explain the whole world choosing life over death and existing with a purpose, something that he is not capable of. Yet he also knows that he is in possession of a fundamental truth that the rest of the world is blind to, for if it was privy to this truth, it would not be able to live in certainty.
The Writer is triply trapped by his room, his mind and his pen. Occasionally, overcome by curiosity and longing, he steals a brief, wistful glimpse, through the window, of the world outside that is teeming and pulsating with life in all of its infinite variations, life that he can never be a part of and whose simple pleasures he could never enjoy or grasp the meaning of. Other times he catches sight of a sliver of the sky that is visible to him from his sitting position. But he immediately feels guilty for neglecting his sacred task and hurriedly resumes scribbling, letter after letter, word after word, sentence after sentence, in his notebooks of madness.
Life passes him by, and then death passes him by too. He has no time for life and he has no time for death either. Neither life nor death can arouse his interest or get their hands on him, and just as he has forgotten all about time, so time has forgotten all about him. In any case, the Writer can not die, for the pen is still working and so he must keep on writing, for his commitment to his pen is greater than his commitment to life and death.
Years, centuries, millennia, billions of years elapse. The Sun expands into a red giant and then collapses into a white dwarf. The stars are torn apart by the forces of the Universe's expansion, and the protons themselves rot into pieces. Cosmos begins to wind down, all of its energy having dissipated and turned into useless forms. Then the fabric of space-time dissolves.
Still, the Writer remains writing at his desk, which is now floating in vacuum, separate from time and space. Now and then he sneaks looks at the outside world, even though nothing remains there but pure nothingness.
And then, for the very first time, something leads the Writer to take a close look at the pen he was gifted with. He examines it carefully and notices the faded blue letters forming the words MADE IN CHINA etched on its side. Distant memories come flooding back to him, memories of his mother buying pens at the local supermarket, for the start of the new school year; memories of the bare walls of the bathroom that distorted the acoustics, and how he liked to speak to himself there and listen to his boy voice transforming into the stentorian voice of a man. He remembers standing in the bathroom and hearing a million voices calling out his name, then turning around and seeing all of humanity in the mirror looking back at him, as his left hand passed the pen to his right hand.
The Writer now realises that he is the Creator. Having had encompassed the Universe with his mind, the Writer expands to encompass the Universe with his body, so that the Universe and the Writer become one and the same, identical entities, coinciding precisely with one another.
With quiet satisfaction the Writer slowly puts the pen down and that is how the Universe
( and this story) ends, not with a bang or a whimper, but with a .
1) In Australian English, "." is known as "full stop" rather than as "period".
Posted byBodacious Copy December 4, 2014 December 20, 2020 Posted inAuthors, Fiction, WritingTags:A Portrait of an Artist as the Entire Universe, alpenstock, Australian author, Australian writer, bathyscaphe, Boris Glikman, fiction, Melbourne writers, Moebius strips, pen, Pen of Plenty, Portrait of an Artist, quirky short stories, short story, the Creator, the Writer, writer, Writing2 Comments on The Pen of Plenty (or A Portrait of an Artist as the Entire Universe) by Boris Glikman
The Caterpilion by Boris Glikman
The Caterpilion
There once was a Caterpillar who was thoroughly sick of always being stuck near the bottom of the food chain. All the other animals – birds, moles, lizards, frogs and spiders – would hunger for his soft, succulent sausage-like body, licking their lips avidly in anticipation of a delicious meal. Even the tiny ants posed a mortal danger to his life.
The only option open to the Caterpillar was to mimic some inedible object like, for example, a bird dropping, but that would be such an ignominious existence. Not only would he have to remain motionless all day long, but, most humiliating of all, he would be forced to alter his appearance to resemble a piece of dung. Surely, that was a price too high to pay for staying alive, for nothing could be lower than looking exactly like the end product of the digestive process.
One day, full of anxiety and fear as usual, lest he be seen and eaten, the Caterpillar was furtively drinking from a puddle on the forest floor. In the reflection cast by the clear and still water, he noticed, for the first time, that his head was covered by a thick mane of yellow hair. It was then that the Caterpillar was struck by the happiest, most brilliant insight of his life – he realised that, given his looks, he could impersonate a lion! The advantages of such a mimicry would be numerous: amongst other things, not only would he be on the very top of the food chain, afraid of no other animal, but, even more importantly, he would be simply gorgeous.
All the insects scoffed at the Caterpillar, saying how ridiculous his plan was, but the Caterpillar just ignored them and, enclosing himself in a cocoon, proceeded confidently with the metamorphosis.
A certain time had passed and the silly Caterpillar with his crazy dream was almost forgotten about, until early one morning, there was a terrific thunderclap of noise that reverberated right across the woods. The cocoon that held the Caterpillar burst open and out of it emerged a perfect specimen of a flawlessly proportioned, at-the-top-of-his-strength, full-sized lion.
The insects were petrified as to what the Caterpillar-Lion might do to them in revenge for their previous jeers, but he haughtily disregarded them, for, after all, he now was the king of the jungle that wouldn't even deign to notice such measly bugs.
Proudly, the Caterpilion descended from the tree and began to stride majestically, as befitting his new station in life, roaring at the top of his lungs and showing off his muscular, lithe torso and luxuriant mane.
No other animal dared approach him, of course, and the Caterpilion was very pleased with himself, feeling the kind of deep, pure contentment that only those who had tasted the very dregs of life and found a way to clamber out of the abyss could ever feel. Ahead, a whole new existence shimmered in all of its glory and the Caterpilion was eager to find other lions with which he would live out the rest of his days in joy, happiness and freedom.
And so, when he saw a pride resting lazily in the midday sun, he rushed blithely towards it, eager to make friends with those he now saw as his compatriots, being completely unaware that lions are territorial animals who are viciously protective of their domain. The incensed pride could not believe that a mature lion would be so recklessly stupid as to completely ignore the markings that they assiduously used to bound their dominion, and enter carefree into their land. They promptly tore him into little pieces and that was the end of the Caterpilion and his happy, new life.
Boris Glikman is a writer, poet and philosopher from Melbourne, Australia.
He says: "Writing for me is a spiritual activity of the highest degree. Writing gives me the conduit to a world that is unreachable by any other means, a world that is populated by Eternal Truths, Ineffable Questions and Infinite Beauty. It is my hope that these stories of mine will allow the reader to also catch a glimpse of this universe."
Boris welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at bozlich@yahoo.com.au
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bozlich/
Twitter: @bozlich
Previously published at http://omtimes.com/2013/07/the-caterpilion/
Posted byBodacious Copy November 6, 2014 December 20, 2020 Posted inAuthors, Fiction, WritingTags:Australian author, Australian writer, Be Careful What You Wish For, Boris Glikman, caterpillar, cocoon, fantasy fiction, fantasy short story, fiction, food chain, lions, Melbourne writers, metamorphosis, quirky short stories, short story, The Caterpilion1 Comment on The Caterpilion by Boris Glikman


text:
Syntormon freymuthae är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Friedrich Hermann Loew 1873. Syntormon freymuthae ingår i släktet Syntormon och familjen styltflugor. Arten har ej påträffats i Sverige. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Styltflugor
freymuthae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Dregoviči byl jeden z východoslovanských kmenů nebo spíše kmenových svazů, které se usadily na západě Východoevropské roviny, v dnešním Bělorusku během 8. a 9. století. Dregoviči se poprvé uvádějí v staroruské Povesti vremennych let (čes. Pověst o dávných dobách), známé též jako Nestorova kronika. Jejich nejdůležitějším centrem byl Turov (poprvé zmiňován v souvislosti s rokem 980). Jimi obývané území bylo ohraničeno na východě řekou Dněpr a na jihu překročili řeku Pripeť až přibližně k dnešní ukrajinsko-běloruské hranici. Dále hranici tvořily na západě západoběloruské močály, na severozápadě řeka Němen a na severu přibližně města Lahojsk a Borisov (severně od Minsku).

Sousedy Dregovičů byli převážně slovanské kmeny (ze severu, východu a jihu). Ze západu a severozápadu pak sousedili s baltským etnikem. Na severu od Dregovičů ležel kmenový svaz Krivičů, na východě je Dněpr odděloval od Radimičů, na jihovýchodě byli (východní) Polané a na jihu seděli Drevljané a poněkud západněji od Drevljanů Volyňané. Na západ od Dregovičů ležel baltský kmen Jatvingů a severozápadně na pravém břehu Němenu Litvané.

Pojem "Dregoviči" se v pramenech naposledy vyskytl v souvislosti s rokem 1149 (srov. jejich sousedy Kriviči do r. 1162, Radimiči do r. 1169).

Turovsko-pinské knížectví

Podobně jako jinde na Rusi, i u Dregovičů jsou počátky státnosti spojeny s příchodem severských Varjagů. Využíc tak tohoto kmenového svazu, založil knížectví Dregovičů, známé spíše pod názvem Turovské knížectví, Varjag Tur. Stalo se tak během 9. století a ač zpočátku samostatné, bylo později podrobeno silnějšími sousedy. V 80. letech 10. století si je podřídil kyjevský kníže Vladimír Svjatoslavič a dosadil zde svého syna Svjatopolka. Od té doby se již Turovské knížectví dlouhodobě nikdy zcela neosamostatnilo a dostalo se pod vliv Kyjevské Rusi a poté, co se začala Kyjevská Rus drobit a r. 1162 byla mezi Kyjevem a Turovem podepsána dohoda o míru (což deklarovalo i samostatnost Turova) se země dostala na počátku 13. století pod nadvládu haličsko-volyňských knížat a později, během 14. století, pod vliv Litvy.

Literatura

 SAHANOVIČ, Hienandź; ŠYBIEKA, Zachar. Dějiny Běloruska. Praha 2006.

Slovanské kmeny


Water Damage of Orlando is highly experienced in the repair of wind damaged and natural disaster of homes, commercial buildings. Natural disasters cause a huge amount of damage to property in the stat of Florida with roofs damaged or blow off, garage doors being blown in, and trees falling into the home. If your home or business has been damaged by a windstorm, hurricane or tornado, call the disaster recovery professionals at Water Damage of Orlando.


Actor John Paragon portrayed a character called The Breather in several early episodes of Elvira's Movie Macabre. He'd call up and say something like "Hello, Elvirus? Do you have anything on tonight?" And she'd say "Ya. And I'm keeping it on." Then he'd exclaim "That's a bummer." Those were the jokes, people.


EGW Marlin 1895, 336, 444 Scope Bases.
Add the versatility of a one-piece Picatinny scope rail to your shotgun with no drilling or tapping. Precision machined from extruded aluminum with Picatinny slot-and-rail spacing that allows fast and simple changes to eye relief, plus great flexibility in scope choice. Drilled to fit the factory scope mount holes on the gun's receiver. Accepts Picatinny or Weaver scope rings. Lightweight Tactical mounts have a milled center channel for weight reduction. Full-width cross-slots are gauged to MIL-STD 1913 specs to +/-.002". Machined from ultra-rigid, extruded 6061 T6 aluminum. Includes socket head Torx® screws and wrench. EGW recommends 20 inch lbs of torque and a drip of blue loctite for mounting.


text:
Westford Flag Football Senior and High School Divisions
Three co-ed divisions, ages 9-11, and 12-14 as of 9/1/2017
Our NFL flag football league is a non-contact sport where everyone plays and has fun while learning the game of football. Ask any of the 300 players from last season.
REGISTRATION Early bird fee is $90 per player if registered by June 1st, and $100 per player if registered after that date. Registration closes Aug 15, 2018.
AGE LIMIT Players must be 9 – 18 years old as of 9/1/2018
SEASON Practices begin in mid-August; playoffs end in late October.
PRACTICE Teams typically practice one evening a week for one hour.
GAME DAYS Teams typically play one hour-long game on Saturdays between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. The league will reschedule all rain-outs to the next day. (Sunday), if possible, or weekday evenings.
ASSESSMENTS All player assessments will be held on June 10, 11, 17 and 24 at 6PM. All players (9-18 ages) must attend one of these three sessions. (Player assessments are used for team balancing purposes). Parents of new players will be contacted with specific details on the assessments.
UNIFORM Each player will receive: NFL-logo jersey, flag belt and 2 flags.
NOTIFICATION Coaches will contact parents in mid-August
QUESTIONS Email questions to
Registration Instructions:
Follow the online registration link to NFL Flag to the registration page for the age appropriate links. If you are registering players in both the junior and senior leagues, go through the process for each league separately. For example, when adding new players on the initial registration page, only enter players for the current league (5-8 or 9-18).
Westford Juniors age 5-8
Westford Seniors age 9-14 Westford High School 15-18
If this is your first visit to NFL Flag's new site, you'll be asked to create a new account. If you already have an account, simply Log In.
After Logging In, click the blue "Add new Player" box, which takes you to the Player Registration page. Leave the optional child's (player's) e-mail box blank, as it has been problematic. There is box below for a second, parent e-mail contact - ENTER THE PARENT'S E-MAIL HERE.
Click "Add Another Player" if registering multiple children. Click "Done adding players" when finished.
Read the NFL Flag Football Terms and Conditions, and click the box indicating acceptance.
Click "Pay Now" via PayPal (there are no promo codes for discounts - Early Bird registration is automatically priced, no code is necessary)
After completing the PayPal process, return to the NFL Flag page to complete the registration process, through to the confirmation page. You will receive 2 confirmation e-mails, one from NFL Flag, and one from PayPal.
If you do not receive both confirmation e-mails, your registration is not complete!
Contact with *any* questions about the league or registration.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Another major difference between the three types of business taxpayers under the real regime relates to the amount of patent tax payable with respect to their business activities, and the patent tax fee rules were also amended in December 2015. (O'Connell, supra.) All corporate taxpayers that operate in Cambodia must "register and pay Patent Tax by 31 March each year for each business activity that they carry out." (Id.) Under a proclamation on the rules and procedures for managing patent tax collection, issued in connection with article 12 of the Law on Financial Management 2016, the three categories of taxpayers must pay the following fees.
with branches, warehouses, factories and workshops located in a different capital, an additional KHR3 million.


text:
Q: Find the integral of $\int{\frac{e^{3x}+1}{e^x+1}dx}$ Find: $$\int{\frac{e^{3x}+1}{e^x+1}dx}$$
Here's my wrong solution:
$$t=e^x, t'=e^x=t, dx=t'dt=tdt$$
$$\int\frac{t^3+1}{t+1}tdt=\int\frac{t^4+t}{t+1}dt$$
Through polynomial division:
$$\int\frac{t^4+t}{t+1}dt = \int (t^3-t^2+t)dt=\frac{t^4}{4}-\frac{t^3}{3}+\frac{t^2}{2}+C=\frac{3t^4-4t^3+6t^2}{12}+C$$
Revert $t$ back to $e^x$:
$$\frac{3e^{4x}-4e^{3x}+6e^{2x}}{12}+C$$
... Which is wrong because the derivative of that expression is:
$$e^{4x}-e^{3x}+e^{2x}$$
Where's my mistake?

A: Your substitution computation is wrong. It is $dt=t'dx=tdx$ or $dx=dt/t$ which you would also get from $x=\ln(t)$.

But in the end, you can apply polynomial division already to the original expression
$$
\frac{e^{3x}+1}{e^x+1}=e^{2x}-e^x+1
$$
which is easy to integrate.

A: Another approach:
Expanding the integrand gives:
$$=\int\frac{e^{3x}}{e^x+1}dx+\int\frac{dx}{e^x+1}$$
Set $t=e^x$ and $dt=e^xdx$
$$=\int\frac{t^2}{t+1}dt+\int\frac{dx}{e^x+1}$$
Long division:
$$\int\frac{dt}{t+1}+\int t dt-\int1dt+\int\frac{dx}{e^x+1}$$
$$=-t+\frac{t^2}{2}+\ln|t+1|+\int\frac{dx}{e^x+1}$$
Set $\nu=e^x$ and $d\nu=e^xdx$
$$=-t+\frac{t^2}{2}+\ln|t+1|+\int\frac{d\nu}{\nu(\nu+1)}$$
Partial fractions:
$$=-t+\frac{t^2}{2}+\ln|t+1|+\int\frac{d\nu}{\nu}-\int\frac{d\nu}{\nu+1}=\dots$$
I will let you finish

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Professor Francesca Cordeiro is a clinician scientist with a specialist interest in the field of glaucoma and neurodegeneration.
She currently heads the "Glaucoma and Retinal Neurodegeneration Research Group" at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London and is an Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Western Eye Hospital, St Mary's NHS Trust in London.
She qualified in medicine from St Bartholomew's Hospital University of London in 1987 and completed training in general and surgical ophthalmology at Moorfield's Eye & St Thomas' Hospitals in London in 2003.
Her research is focussed on the molecular mechanisms involved in either the treatment or pathogenesis of glaucoma and retinal neurodegenerative diseases. She has investigated novel and translational approaches to these problems, and has received a number of awards for her work including the 2005 Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize from the New York Academy of Medicine, the 2000 International Glaucoma Review Award, and the 1998 Moorfields Research Gold Medal.
Targeting Amyloid-ß in glaucoma treatment.
This paper described a brand new approach to glaucoma treatment and strengthened a link between Alzheimer's and glaucoma, and was reported in Science and JAMA as being an important breakthrough.
Real time imaging of single nerve cell apoptosis in retinal neurodegeneration.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2004; 101: 13352-13356.
Guo L, Moss SE, Alexander RA, Ali RR, Fitzke F W & Cordeiro M F.
Retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in glaucoma is related to intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP-induced effects on extracellular matrix.
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2005; 46(1):175-82.
This paper was selected as being in the Top Ten international glaucoma publications for the year by the Associated International Glaucoma Societies.
Guo L, Salt TE, Maass A, Luong V, Moss SE, Fitzke F W & Cordeiro M F.
Assessment of neuroprotective effects of glutamate modulation on glaucoma-related retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in vivo.
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2006; 47(2):626-33.
Cordeiro MF, Gay JA and Khaw PT.
Human Anti-TGF-ß2 monoclonal antibody: a new antiscarring agent for glaucoma filtration surgery.
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 1999; 40: 2225-34.


text:
Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian hooked tags
The following article is an evaluation of the long-term collection of information on the fixation of European clothing worn on the legs during the Early Middle Ages. The main focus will be on hooked tags that are known in vast number of specimens and that are widely used by historical reenactors. Attention will be paid primarily to archaeological finds and more detailed iconography. The resulting text serves as a review of finds and presented theories, from which both academics and reenactors can source.
An example of an early medieval hooked tag. Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme, finds.org.uk.
Definition of hooked tags
Dress hooks, mainly known as hooked tags in English, form a relatively uniform group of objects in terms of material, size and shape. The basis is usually a triangular or circular, less often differently shaped plate, which is terminated at one end with holes placed in the body of the plate or on separate lobes or loops, and the opposite side is equipped with a sharp hook. In total, two cases are known where the plate is equipped with two hooks (Webster – Backhouse 1991: 89, 236). Hooked tags are usually made from a single piece of material, with the exception of examples made from perforated coins to which the hooks are riveted (https://finds.org.uk/). The material is most often a copper alloy or silver, less often iron. According to the production method, tags can be divided into hammered and cast. The resulting tags are 1.5-4.5 cm long and are often decorated.
Pair of silver tags from grave 67 at Winchester. Source: Hinton 1990: Fig. 148.
They have a dominant presence in central, southern and eastern England, where they were used from the 7th to the 11th century (Thomas 2009: 17). If we combine the lists of older literature (e.g. Wiechmann 1996: Liste 26, Karte 75) with more recent detector finds registered on the Portable Antiquities Scheme (https://finds.org.uk/), it is clear that the number of finds in this region at present it is around 1200. The representation north of the Humber River is smaller and according to the same sources the number is close to 85. We know of at least one tag from Ireland, as well as from France (Wiechmann 1996: Liste 26) and Poland (Strobin – Żołędziowski 2021: Tabl. XXVI.3). One pair is known from Rome, Italy (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991). An unspecified number originates from the territory of the Netherlands and remains unpublished.
Hooked tags are quite rare in Scandinavia. One pair comes from the site of Vesle Hjerkinn, Norway (Thomas 2007). At least five pieces are known from northern Germany, two being from List (Wiechmann 1996: Taf. 6.3-4) and three from Haithabu (Hilberg 2009: Fig. 16). The portal of detector finds Digitale Metaldetektorfund (https://www.metaldetektorfund.dk/) lists up to twenty possible candidates from the territory of Denmark, which are expanded by the four finds from Lejre (Christensen 2015: 522) and one from Endebjerg (Adamsen 1997). At least five pieces are known from Sweden: a single tag from grave Bj 348 and paired hooked tags from grave Bj 905 are known from Birka (Arbman 1943: 99, 353), one tag comes from the Gerete hoard, Gotland (Stenberger 1947: Abb. 249.5) and one from the SE-Banken site in Lund (Cinthio 1999: Fig. 5). A pair was found in grave 78 at Långängsbacken in Åland (Kivikoski 1980: 32 , Pl. 11-12). At least sixteen pieces come from Russia: five tags were discovered at Rurikovo hillfort (Chvoščinskaja 2007: 132-4; Nosov et al. 2017: 116-8), at least five tags are known from Gnězdovo (Puškina 1996: 63-4; Širinskij 1999: Рис. 24), a pair was picked up from grave 383 of the Timerevo cemetery (Nedošivina – Zozulja 2012: Рис. 12), two finds were found in the Staraya Ladoga agglomeration – one in the Plakun cemetery (Korotkevič 2003: 78-9) and another – a mold for casting a bird-shaped tag – at Earthen hillfort (Kirpičnikov – Sarabjanov 2013: 79). We must also mention two unpublished pieces come from illegal detector activity in the Vladimir Region. At least two detector finds come from the territory of Ukraine.
From these numbers, it would be possible to establish that it is primarily an Anglo-Saxon fashion that was adopted to a limited extent and copied in a modified form in the Scandinavian environment (Thomas 2007: 85). The youngest hooked tags in England may date from the period of the Norman Conquest (Thomas 2007: 84), while Scandinavian Borre-style variants are limited to the 10th century. In the late Middle Ages, dress hooks reoccured (Read 2008).
Pair of tags from grave 383, Timerevo. Sources: Nedošivina – Zozulja 2012: Рис. 12; Smirnov 1963: 17.
Current trend in reenactment
Hooked tags are very popular objects in the early medieval reenactment, owned by the majority of men who represent the Old Norse and Old Rus people. The dominant material for production is copper alloy, but silver pieces are also present. Both hammered and cast tags are used, and in both cases they are made from a relatively strong material of around 0.09-0.15 cm, which can withstand rougher handling without bending. Hooked tags are usually made of material of the homogenous thickness, both plates and hooks. Hooks and plates are usually spaced close to 0.5-1 cm. Tags are almost always sewn directly to the ends of the leg wrappings and serve to fasten them. It is common for the wrappings to lack any prepared holes and the hooks are inserted in a slightly different location each time.
Hooked tags attached to the leg wrappings. Maker: For the Gods.
Detailed reading of the originals and reconstruction proposal
A detailed reading partially agrees with the reenactor trend, but not completely. It is true that the hooked tags are in some cases used in pairs and that the holes of the plates are never filled with rivets, suggesting that they were used to sew organic material to an organic substrate (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 222). At the same time, some of the tags are slightly bent to one side or the other, which means that they bound material of an organic nature. Both original pieces and modern reproductions are intended to be viewed from one side, as evidenced by unilateral decoration and, in some rare cases, legible inscriptions (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991). However, this is where the similarities end.
Archaeologically preserved hooked tags have closed hooks so that the distance between the hook and the plate is a maximum of 0.4 cm, while in modern reproductions are more open. This can be judged as modern reproductions are designed to hook into thick material, while the originals are much more likely to hook into one not-so-thick layer. The thickness of the sheet corresponds well with this; the thickness of hammered tags is on average less than that of reenactor versions and varies between 0.02-0.12 cm, usually under 0.07 cm. This fact shows that the tied fabric was not expected to be under much stress so that the tag would not be deformed. Although the hooks themselves compensate for the strength by usually being the thickest parts of the piece of jewellery, it is assumed that hammered tags were not subjected to strong tension (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 222; Hinton 1990: 548) and that they were used to fix silk and other light textiles (Graham-Campbell 1982: 148; Thomas 2009: 17). The unusual double tags shed an interesting light on the entire corpus and testify to the fact that the underlying material may have been wider than the tag. It should be added that for repeated use it is advisable to create holes into which sharp hooks are inserted, otherwise the material would be damaged. It is generally assumed that in Anglo-Saxon material culture hooked tags were universal objects with a wider range of applications and had no distinct specialization (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 225; Hinton 1990: 548; Thomas 2009: 17).
Fixation of textiles on the legs
The most widespread opinion in the academic literature is the one that evaluates the hooked tags as fasteners of garters, i.e. laces in the knee areas (see Graham-Campbell 1982: 146, 148; Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 224; Hinton 1990: 548; Thomas 2009: 17). Textile or leather garters are known from all over Europe (see e.g. Ungerman 2019; 2020) and their main purpose is to hold the textile wrapping around the leg, fit the garment so that the silhouette stands out, and at the same time offer new decorating options. The simpler garters of the European early medieval tradition are situated only below the knee and take the form of a tied lace with free ends (e.g. Bartel 2005: Abb. 15; Zariņa 1999: 83; Žeiere 2017: 99) or a strap fastened with a buckle (Birkebæk 1983: 65; Clauss 1976/1977: Abb. 1, Abb. 4). In some cases, the simpler garters were sewn directly on the leg wrapping (Clauss 1976: Abb. 5; Zariņa 1999: 83), in other cases they were separated, which brings the advantage that the same garters can be used to fix different garments. The second important group of garters consists of long bands crosswise wrapped around a large part of the calf (Bartel 2005; Möslein 2005; Seljun 2017; Ungerman 2019). From 8th-11th century archaeology and iconography, we only know pairs of bands that are wound in the space from the ankle to the knee. The lower ends of the bands are always fixed either by being tied one to the other, or they are connected to the ends of the shoe laces by means of buckles (Bartel 2005; Möslein 2005). The upper ends are most often finished with a knot.
Manuscript BNF Lat. 1, 423r, made in 845-6. Source: gallica.bnf.fr.
Manuscript BL Add MS 49598, 24v, made in 963-984. Source: bl.uk.
Bayeux tapestry, tituli 12, 1070s. Source: bayeuxmuseum.com.
Equestrian statuette of Charlemagne, made in the 9th century. Source: Wamers 2005: 59.
Manuscript BNF Latin 9448, 55r, made in 975-1000. Source: gallica.bnf.fr.
9th-11th century artworks that depict both short and long garters.
Hypothetical reconstructions of short garters using hooked tags.
Authors: Tomáš Vlasatý and Charles Bruns.
Since the hooked tags do not appear in the iconography, we have to focus in detail on the archaeological finds. One of the most famous and telling find is a pair of richly ornamented silver tags placed at the knees of a deceased from grave 67 at Old Minster, Winchester Cathedral (Biddle 1965: 256). The deceased, who was a man aged 21-25 or 25-35, was apparently of royal descent and died in the mid to late 9th century (Biddle 2018: 23, 30; Yorke 2021: 65). He was placed in a wooden coffin with iron nails and, in addition to the hooked tags, it is worth noting that he had a veil-like fabric placed over his head and shoulders, the edge of which was hemmed with golden tablet-weavings of two different widths (Biddle 1965: 256; Crowfoot 1990: 480-1; Owen-Crocker 2010: 155, 158). Depending on the source, the position is described as "at the feet" (Roesdahl 1981: 50), "by the knees" (Webster – Backhouse 1991: 236), "at the knees" (Biddle 2018: 30; Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 224), "next to the knees" (Thomas 2009: 17), "under the knees" (Wilson 1965: 256) or "both hooked tags under the right knee" (Owen-Crocker 2010: 155). However, the most detailed and precise position is given by Hinton (1990: 549): one tag lay below the right knee under the distal end of the right femur, the other tag was placed directly on the proximal end of the left tibia. However, the grave plan shows that both tags are located on the front side of the proximal ends of the tibiae and their hooks point towards the knees.
Plan of the grave 67 from Winchester. Source: Coatsworth – Owen-Crocker 2007: Fig. 4
The closest and most complete parallel to this find is grave Bj 905 from Birka. The deceased was an adult male (Linderholm et al. 2008: 452; Sten 1979: 24) who was buried in a wooden coffin with iron nails (Arbman 1943: 353). Small tools aside, the main component of the inventory consists of a cloak penannular brooch on the right shoulder and cast hooked tags located below the knees. The grave is usually not dated in the literature, but there are clues to dating it to the 10th century – Gräslund dates all coffin graves from the Hemdalen cemetery to the younger Birka phase, i.e. to the period 900-970 (Gräslund 1980: 15). The tinning of the copper alloy brooch is assessed as a feature of the first half of the 10th century (Graham-Campbell 1984: 32), which is in agreement with the dating of the closest parallel of the hooked tags (e.g. Puškina 1996: 63). If we focus on the tags, it is necessary to mention that they are both oriented so that their hook points towards the torso of the deceased, which is evaluated as the original, unchanged orientation (Geijer 1938: 144-5). A fragment of thick diagonal twill wool fabric with a density close to 11×8 threads per cm is still sewn to the back of one tags (Geijer 1938: 38, 170). A small iron ring was inserted into the hook of this jewel, which was sewn to the linen fabric of the plain weave (Hägg 1986: 68). The literature considers the hooked tags to be sewn on the tops of woolen hoses that were fixed on the knees by hooking into rings sewn on breeches made of linen or woolen trousers lined with linen (Geijer 1938: 144-5; Hägg 1986: 68).
Tags position in grave Bj 905 and detail of tag with fabric. Source: SHM Stockholm.
This function explains the absence in the iconography that is characterized by concentrating on the more prominent elements of clothing. However, it should be mentioned that it is only suitable for hooked tags made of strong material, especially cast ones. We can assume that the paired tags from Timerevo grave 383 (Nedošivina – Zozulja 2012: Рис. 12) and grave 78 from Långängsbacken (Kivikoski 1980: 32, Pl. 11-12), as well as other hooks from the Swedish-Old Russian cast production, can be explained in a way analogous to the solution from grave Bj 905. In this context, it is interesting to add that when Ibn Fadlan records a burial of a Rus chieftain around 921, he describes the retinue putting on "trousers, hoses and shoes" on the deceased (Risala § 89). From the 9th and 10th centuries, we have physical evidence of hoses from Europe, with the fragmentary legging from Haithabu (fragment H 2) being the most relevant find in the Scandinavian context. It is made of diagonal 2/2 woolen twill and Hägg dates it to the period from late 9th to late 10th century (Hägg 2015: 49, 252). On the slight tip, which appears to represent the front, there is a thin leather strap with two ends, which may have served the same function as a hooked tag – i.e. it could have been laced to an opening in breeches.
Left: fragment of a hose from Haithabu. Source: Hägg 1984: Abb. 8.
Right: approximate reproduction of the find from Bj 905. Author: Pavel Nikitsky.
Fastening bags and wallets
In 1883, a hoard of at least 830 predominantly Anglo-Saxon silver and one gold Byzantine coin was discovered in Rome (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991; Naismith – Tinti 2016). The treasure also included two hooked tags with the divided inscription +DOMNO MARINO PAPA+, "to Master Pope Marinus". The hooked tags are oriented in such a way that the inscription is readable when the hooks are pointing upwards. It should be added that these are some of the longest known hooked tags and that they have a prominent hook that is almost as long as the plate. The total weight of the metal component of the hoard is 1.25 kg (Naismith – Tinti 2016: 48). A review of the hoard showed that it was stored in a leather bag or wallet, on which the tags functioned as closing mechanism. Apparently, it was a payment of the Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical circuit to Pope Marinus II, who was in office 942-946, which corresponds well with the dating of the youngest hoard coins to the reign of Edmund I (939-946). A specimen found at the High Wycombe site shows a striking resemblance to Roman hooked tags (Farley 1991).
Hooked tags appear in several other hoards in which they may have had a similar role. The most discussed of these come from Tetney, England, where two identical silver tags along with 420 coins were buried in a chalk container. The dating of this treasure goes to the years 963-965 (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 223; Naismith – Tinti 2016: 30). Another hoard containing two unpaired silver hooks comes from List on the island of Sylt (Wiechmann 1996: Taf. 6.3-4) and one is known from a hoard from Gerete, Gotland (Stenberger 1947: Abb. 249.5). Theoretically, we can also mention Vesle Hjerkinn, Norway where one of the tags was found in connection with the coins of Magnús the Barefoot (1093-1103) (Thomas 2007: 84). However, unpaired tags in hoards may have a simpler explanation; they may have been chosen for their material (silver) and may not have had any practical function.
Hooked tags have been preserved in several graves in the pelvic area, which is evaluated by commentators as a possible evidence of wallets. One example is a grave from Shudy Camps where the tag was found at the left hip along with a knife with a belt buckle (Geake 1997: 66; Griffiths 1988: 46). Another piece from the pelvic area comes from grave 36 from the excavations near St. Albans Abbey (Biddle – Kjølbye-Biddle 1980: 31). However, the location in the pelvic area does not rule out that it was originally a fastening of hoses or belts.
Owen-Crocker 2010: Fig. 114.
Naismith – Tinti 2016: Fig. 28.
Designed reconstructions of purses and bags using hooked tags.
Pendants bearing beads
A remarkable pair of objects was found in a woman's grave in Šestovica, Ukraine in 2011 (Androščuk – Zocenko 2012: 350). The finds are identical to hooks of Swedish or Old Rus production, but they differ in that they have eyelets instead of hooks. Beads were found in the grave, leading Androščuk to interpret the objects as pendants that separated the bead rows that were attached to the holes. Theoretically, it is not impossible that hook tags from the same cultural circle could have performed the same function. The tag from grave 348 at Birka was apparently reworked into a pendant that was suspended between oval brooches (Arbman 1943: 99).
Left: the find from Šestovica (Androščuk – Zocenko 2012: 350).
Right: schematic representation of function. Maker: northanvikingsilver.com.
Unexplained function
Apart from the rejected theories that the tags are cloak fasteners (Naismith – Tinti 2016: 7, 48) or book fittings (Wilson 1964: 64), there are hints of other functions in the archaeological literature that cannot be specified. For example, we are talking about the tags that were found near the head of the deceased. One such tag was found in 7th century grave 1 from the site of Burwell, where it was placed under a skull (Dickinson 1973; Geake 1997: 66). Two hooked tags were found in a grave from the Castledyke site, one found at the skull and the other at the chest (Geake 1997: 66). In grave 4 from Meon Hill and grave 24 from Stockbridge Down, single hooks were found on the right hand, suggesting that they were garment fasteners similar to cufflinks (Graham-Campbell et al. 1991: 224-5). The largest number of tags found together comes from the Shakenoak Farm site, where five pieces were found that may have fastened a larger piece of clothing (Dickinson 1973; Hinton 1990: 548; Thomas 2009: 17).
Hypothetical reconstruction of neck slit fixation. Author: Andreas "Drees" Hansen.
This work would not have been possible without the help of the researchers who helped by sharing unavailable literature, consulting and allowing to publish their photographs. I am grateful to the following colleagues for assistance in getting unavailable literature: Matt Bunker, Joel Tang Hermansen, David Huggins, and Katie Newell. My warmest thanks go to Artis Āboltiņš, Aleksandra Ščedrina, Barbara Yorke, who patiently answered my questions. I would like to thank the following for the opportunity to publish their photos: Charles Bruns, Alban Depper (Northan), Andreas "Drees" Hansen, Pavel Nikitsky, Nathanaël Simmen (For the Gods).
We hope you liked reading this article. If you have any question or remark, please contact us or leave a comment below. If you want to learn more and support our work, please, fund our project on Patreon or Paypal.
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text:
Only Safe Drivers Get Self-Driving Tesla Opens Beta Test of Full Self Driving Feature
BusinessVisionAutonomous VehiclesTeslaFull Self-Driving
Tesla's autonomous driving capability has inspired hair-raising antics on the road. Now the company is deploying an algorithm to determine whether customers have shown sufficiently sound judgement to use its "Full Self-Driving" software.
What's new: Starting this week, the beta-test version of Tesla's latest self-driving update will be available only to drivers who have demonstrated safe driving. The beta program previously was open to about 2,000 drivers.
How it works: Drivers can request the software through a button on their car's dashboard screen.
The car then collects data about five factors: forward collision warnings per 1,000 miles, hard braking, aggressive turning, unsafe following, and forced disengagement of self-driving features when the car determines that drivers aren't paying attention.
Customers who maintain a high safety score for a week will be allowed to use the Full Self-Driving beta. The software will enable Tesla vehicles to autonomously brake for traffic lights and decide when to change lanes.
Most drivers have a safety score of 80, which they can view in the Tesla app, the company said. It didn't specify the score necessary to gain access to the beta.
Behind the news: The engineering association SAE International has graded Tesla's Full Self-Driving system at Level 2 autonomy, which means it must be supervised constantly by a human driver. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy recently said that Tesla's use of the term "full self-driving" is irresponsible and called on the company to address basic safety issues before expanding the test program. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has the authority to demand recalls, is investigating the culpability of Tesla's software in 11 accidents.
Why it matters: Self-driving technology is still developing and has not yet been proven safe under the vast variety of circumstances that arise in real-world driving. Most companies that are developing such technology hire safety drivers to test their systems within tightly constrained boundaries. In contrast, Tesla is enrolling the best drivers of Tesla vehicles to test its system on the open road.
We're thinking: Scoring driver behavior and limiting the distribution of special features only to the safest drivers is a good idea, assuming the score is well designed and implemented. It both ensures that only excellent drivers can use the riskiest features and incentivizes all drivers to do their best. But recruiting customers to test unproven technology is reckless. We urge Tesla, and any company that would consider following its lead, to prove its technology's safety under controlled conditions before putting the general public at risk. And can we stop calling a great driver assistance system "full self-driving"?


Where did you go with Coleen?
Andries fell over and landed flat on his face.
Ram wouldn't put it that way.
Galen said he didn't have to wait so long.
Sid is lying to her father.
Can you find Harmon for me?
Pierre bought an electric car.
Ronni started to get drowsy again.
Saul manages to get along on very little money.
Vincenzo was wrongly imprisoned for nearly 10 years.
We're almost home now, Leo.
I think Heinz is awesome.
Vijay didn't have to go with me.
Laura is gullible, isn't he?
I think Joseph is about thirty years old.
Panzer is a truly amazing person.
Krzysztof has nothing to hide.
Nikolai waited for Grant for three hours.
I'll tell Raghu this afternoon.
Wendell earns twice as much as Susan.
Hitoshi was green with envy.
It's possible Anatole doesn't have a driver's license.
Do you think Joubert still has any friends left in Boston?
Timothy didn't take it with him.
Dana owns his own company.
I want to know where Kenton is.
Marcel has been there three times.
Tarmi was faced with an enormous task when his mother died leaving a badly cluttered house for him to clean up.
A certain man called Cristopher used to see Christmas as a feast without the least sense to it.


text:
Netanyahu in Passover message: Israel now admired by 'the Arab and Muslim world'
In video marking festival of freedom, prime minister says he's 'persistently and systematically turning Israel into a rising global power'
By TOI staff	19 April 2019, 12:37 pm 0 Edit
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) with Sultan Qaboos bin Said in Oman on October 26, 2018 (Courtesy)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted what he said were burgeoning ties between Israel and the Arab and Muslim world Friday in a Passover video he released on his social media platforms hours before the start of the Jewish festival.
"Citizens of Israel, Jewish brothers and sisters around the world. Each year on Seder night, I am deeply moved. Passover touches upon the roots of our national identity. Thousands of years ago we raised the banner of freedom and liberty," he said of the Jewish festival that celebrates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt.
"We went from slavery to freedom, from subjugation to independence. We began our long journey from Egypt to our home — Zion and Jerusalem," he said in the Hebrew clip.
Presenting the Jewish state's "incredible achievements by any standard," Netanyahu said that he is "persistently and systematically turning Israel into a rising global power. Specifically, "a country admired by many other countries, including in the Arab and Muslim world."
Each year at the Seder table, I am deeply moved. Passover touches upon the roots of our national identity. Thousands of years ago we raised the banner of freedom and liberty. We went from slavery to freedom, from subjugation to independence.
Happy Passover! pic.twitter.com/r2IAWrDqUm
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 19, 2019
Netanyahu has made diplomatic outreach to Africa, Latin America and the Far East a cornerstone of his foreign policy, and has pushed for more open ties with moderate Arab states.
Israel has formal relations only with Egypt and Jordan, but its relations with some Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, indeed appear to have recently warmed as part of a tacit alliance against Iran.
In October, Netanyahu was welcomed to Oman by the country's longtime ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said. That same month Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev traveled to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo tournament, and the Israeli national anthem was played for the first time in the Arabian peninsula after Sagi Muki won gold in the under-81 kilogram category.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians feel increasingly sidelined, fearing Israel, Gulf states and the US plan to strike a deal behind their backs about the future of lands they seek for a future state.
Passover, which lasts seven days, begins on Friday night when Jews around the world mark the festival with the seder holiday feast.
Israel-Abu Dhabi relations
Israel-Oman relations
UAE United Arab Emirates
Sultan Qaboos bin Said


text:
detail from Opera House Steps December, Jess MacNeil, 2006.
The Watch Detail, Bill Seaman, Interactive Video Installation
Bill Seaman's first major interactive work was entitled The Watch Detail. Video images, sound and text that addressed the subject of time were explored interactively. This work employed Macintosh Hypercard media, that was used to control an interactive laserdisc. Thus the work became a meta-media time piece. A large database of...
Conversations, Jeffrey Shaw, Dennis Del Favero, Ross Gibson, Interactive Video Installation
Conversations is an experimental Distributed Multi-User Virtual Environment forming the central focus of an Australian Research Council funded study that investigated the reformulation of narrative within digital cinema. It offers viewers an immersive multi-modal interactive narrative experience dealing with the events leading up to the escape,...
Conversations@theStudio, Jeffrey Shaw, Dennis Del Favero, Interactive Video Installation
Conversations@the Studio presents an innovative mixed-reality narrative model of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Decorative Arts collection within a uniquely designed Intelligent Interactive Information Environment. It takes the natural navigation of a real world situation – a contemporary Glass Studio – as its point of departure, ...
Cupola, Jeffrey Shaw, Interactive Video Installation
Created by Jeffrey Shaw and Bernd Lintermann.
Eavesdrop, Jeffrey Shaw, Interactive Video Installation
Presented in a 360 degree purpose-built cinematic environment, ten people are forever doomed to repeat nine minutes of their lives. Exploring terrain that is at once spiritual, moral, ethical, psychological and physical, this ingeniously crafted artwork is driven by any member of the public who, as...
Place - Ruhr, Jeffrey Shaw, Interactive Video Installation
In this installation a rotating platform allows the viewer to interactively rotate a projected image within a large circular projection screen and explore a three dimensional virtual environment constituted by an emblematic constellation of panoramic locations and cinematic events.
The Distributed Legible City, Jeffrey Shaw, Interactive Video Installation
This new version of The Legible City (1989) encompasses all the experiences offered by the original version, but introduces an important new multi-user functionality that to a large extent becomes its predominant feature.
T_Visionarium, Jeffrey Shaw, Dennis Del Favero, Interactive Video Installation
T_Visionarium was created for the UNSW iCinema Centre's Advanced Interaction and Visualisation Environment (AVIE), and it offers the means to capture and re-present televisual information, allowing viewers to explore and actively edit a multitude of stories in three dimensions. For T_Visionarium, 28 hours of digital free-to-air...
Web of Life, Jeffrey Shaw, Interactive Video Installation
The theory of networks and networking has provided radical new insights into the underlying processes of nature, economy, and society. The Web of Life project was conceived as a multi-disciplinary project that conjoins art and science to give form and expression to this important new realm of ...
Bio Tek Kitchen, Josephine Starrs, Leon Cmielewski, Interactive Video Installation
Players clean up the kitchen laboratory of a home biotech enthusiast using weapons such as dish cloths and egg flippers. The player is attacked by nasty mutant vegetables which are the product of genetic nouvelle cuisine, and learns throughout the game of a world wide corporate...
Fuzzy Love, Josephine Starrs, Leon Cmielewski, Interactive Video Installation
fuzzy love dating database gallery installation with online component in the 'Fuzzy Love Dating Database' people voluntarily photograph themselves and answer a series of questions as a kind of entry fee allowing access to the database of previous respondents, however access is limited to searching through responses to...
Evolution of Fearlessness, Lynette Wallworth, Interactive Video Installation
Evolution of Fearlessness is an intimate, interactive installation dealing with loss, survival and strength. The work incorporates filmed portraits of several women, originating from countries such as Afghanistan' Sudan' Iraq and El Salvador. They have lived through wars' or survived concentration camps or extreme acts of...
Invisble by Night, Lynette Wallworth, Interactive Video Installation
Invisible by Night is a gently interactive video installation which responds to touch and presents a projection of a life–sized woman whose eternal pacing can be quietly interrupted by the viewer. Commissioned originally for The Melbourne Festival 2004, in response to the layered history of the site of...


Manager Jaap Stam said his "risk-taking" triple substitution against Brentford paid off as Reading kept pressure on the Championship's top two.
Two goals in four minutes for the Royals turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory against the Bees on Tuesday.
Two of the three substitutes - winger Roy Beerens and forward Yann Kermorgant - combined for the winner.
"It was a great game to watch, but I think for both managers quite tense," Stam told BBC Radio Berkshire.
Reading extended their unbeaten run to six games and closed the gap on second-placed Brighton to five points with the victory.
Stam confessed his decision to bring on Beerens, Kermorgant and midfielder George Evans with 17 minutes to go proved the value and togetherness of his squad.
"Sometimes you need to take certain risks," the Dutchman said. "The players that came on earned it very well and that's what they need to do.
"Sometimes we make choices on who's going to be playing, looking at the opposition and the fitness of the players.
"The players are sometimes not too happy when they're not playing, but that's part of being a team and a process.
"If you want to achieve certain things, then you need to be a professional and do your job and that's what the players have done."


In a recent letter to Education Week (May 11, 2011), Stanley Pogrow makes a claim that he has made many times in the past: that Success for All, our whole-school-reform approach for Title I elementary schools, is ineffective or harmful to children. Mr. Pogrow dismisses the fact that Success for All recently received the highest score in the federal Investing in Innovation, or i3, scale-up competition, which required strong, replicated, scientifically valid evidence of effectiveness. He dismisses the fact that the What Works Clearinghouse gives high ratings to the evidence base for Success for All. He does not mention that numerous independent studies of Success for All, including a recently released study of more than 130 schools by the University of Michigan, have found positive effects of Success for All. He does not mention the fact that numerous published, independent reviews of research on comprehensive school reform have all supported the effectiveness of Success for All.
Instead, Mr. Pogrow cites isolated, out-of-context cases, none of which are published or meet any standard of research. Each of his cases can be answered, but the overwhelming, widely acknowledged evidence base for Success for All makes this unnecessary.
The Education Week Commentary that I wrote and which Mr. Pogrow critiques ("Job One for Title I: Use What Works," March 30, 2011) was advocating an emphasis on all proven programs, not just Success for All, in the upcoming reauthorization of Title I. His letter to the editor is a good illustration of why this is essential. In the world Mr. Pogrow seems to inhabit, "evidence" is anecdote, and any assertion about a program's effectiveness or lack thereof is as good as any other. That is in fact how research has so often been used in education, with selected, unrepresentative, and out-of-context anecdotes thrown back and forth to support or undermine an ideological position.
In recent years, objective and scientifically defensible standards of evidence have come to be accepted by the field, by the U.S. Department of Education, and by many other agencies. The research on Success for All amply meets the requirements of these standards, and most importantly, hundreds of thousands of at-risk children have benefited from this approach.
Mr. Slavin is the co-founder and chairman of the Success for All Foundation, in Baltimore.


text:
Perovskaia, Sofia | Article about Perovskaia, Sofia by The Free Dictionary
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Perovskaia%2c+Sofia
Perovskaia, Sofia
Perovskaia, Sofia L'vovna
Born Sept. 1 (13), 1853, in St. Petersburg; died there Apr. 3(15), 1881. Russian revolutionary and Narodnik (Populist). Descended from the dvo-rianstvo (nobility or gentry).
In 1869, Perovskaia enrolled in the Alarchin Women's Courses in St. Petersburg. Late in 1870 she broke with her father and left home. In 1871 and 1872 she was among the organizers of the Chaikovskii circle. In 1872 and 1873 and from 1874 to 1877 she prepared herself for "going to the people," working in Samara, Tver', and Simbirsk provinces, earning a diploma as a public school teacher, and completing feldsher training. She maintained secret apartments in St. Petersburg in 1873 and conducted propaganda work among the workers. In January 1874 she was arrested and incarcerated in the Peter and Paul Fortress but was acquitted in the Trial of the 193 (1877–78). She participated in the unsuccessful attempt to free I. N. Myshkin.
Shortly after joining Land and Liberty in the summer of 1878, Perovskaia was again arrested and administratively exiled to Olonets Province. On the way to her place of exile, however, she escaped and went underground. As a member of Land and Liberty, she traveled to Kharkov to organize the freeing of political prisoners from the central prison. In 1879 she attended the Voronezh Congress and in the autumn of that year became a member of the executive committee of People's Will. She was involved in the party's organizational affairs, conducted propaganda work among students, soldiers, and workers, helped organize Rabo-chaia gazeta, and maintained communications with political prisoners in St. Petersburg. She helped prepare the attempts on the life of Alexander II near Moscow (November 1879), in Odessa (spring of 1880), and in St. Petersburg (Mar. 1, 1881). She was the closest friend of A. I. Zheliabov, whom she married. Arrested on Mar. 10, 1881, she was sentenced at the trial of the March 1 conspirators to be hanged. Perovskaia was the first woman in Russia to be executed in a political case.
Pavliuchenko, E. A. S. Perovskaia. Moscow, 1959.
Segal, E. A. S. Perovskaia. Moscow, 1962.
E. A. PAVLIUCHENKO
Perovskaia, Sofia
Sofia Lvovna Perovskaia
Sofia Perovskaia
Pernambuco Wood
Pernau
pernetti
pernicious anaemia
pernicious malaria
Pernik District
Pernik Strike of 1906
perniosis
Perodicticus
Perognathinae
Perón, Eva Duarte de
Perón, Isabel María Martínez de
Perón, Juan Domingo
peronine
Peronosporales
Perosis
Perot, H. Ross
Perothopidae
Pérouse, Jean François de Galaup, comte de La
Perov, Vasilii
Perov, Vasilii Grigorevich
Perov, Vasily Grigoryevich
Perovskii, Lev
Perovskii, Lev Alekseevich
Perovskii, Vasilii
Perovskii, Vasilii Alekseevich
Peroxidase
peroxide number
peroxide value
Peroxide-Type Compounds
peroxisome
peroxyacetic acid
peroxydol
peroxynitrite
Peroxysulfate
Peroxysulfuric Acid
perpend
perpend stone
perpend wall
perpendicular axis theorem
perpendicular bisector
perpendicular recording
perorational
perorations
perorator
perosomus
perosomy
perosplanchnia
perosplanchnus
perosplanchny
perosseous
Perossnal computer
Perot Systems
Perot Systems Government Services
Perotinitis
Peroulakis Research, Inc.
Peroutka syndrome
Perovskite structure
perovskites
peroxi-
peroxidase reaction
peroxidase stain
Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase smear test
Peroxidase-Labelled Protein A
Peroxidases
Peroxidation


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