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April 2018 Issue
The women who busted a con man, refugee detectives in Germany, and why cartoonists struggle with drawing Trump. Plus the problem with Nancy Pelosi's effectiveness, BLM meets sci-fi, an interview with Cory Booker, fiction by Mary Morris, and much more. View Magazine
The Last Temptation
Michael Gerson
The Perfect Man Who Wasn't
Rachel Monroe
The Refugee Detectives
Why Is Donald Trump So Hard to Caricature?
Sarah Boxer
Mama's Haven
The Nancy Pelosi Problem
Peter Beinart
Julien Capmeil
By Mary Morris
It's on the train that Marni realizes she doesn't have the address. She has the 15 pages of instructions, including how to use the washing machine, how to hang up clothes outside to dry. She has the warning about pigeons roosting above the bedroom window and the apologies for the crumbling stairs and the hallway in disrepair. She has pages of information about where to buy the best fruits and vegetables, and wine, and about the Arab markets down the hill that sell the best dates and olives (because their host has written that they are almost in North Africa, don't forget). They have the keys for the building and the apartment. But there is no address.
It's not possible, she thinks to herself. And then, Trevor will kill me.
They are on the fast train, the TGV, to Marseille, which they almost missed. You had to be there, the travel agent had told them, 20 minutes before it was to depart. But traffic was so bad in Paris, and all the way Trevor grumbled that they should have just taken the metro but they'd had so much to carry. All the books and laptops and things they carted with them. So they rushed to the Gare de Lyon, but they had forgotten that it was what the French called the "black weekend." That weekend when everyone leaves Paris on their holidays—all the Parisians escaping to the south.
So the train platforms were jammed and the ticket takers indifferent, as the French can be, and they had trouble finding their compartment. In fact, they dashed at the end, just making it, then flung themselves into their seats, which were, of course, facing the wrong way, as Marni had been praying wouldn't be the case, because sometimes she suffered from motion sickness.
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But then they settled in and were even slightly amused by the scene before them. That French businessman in his tidy suit and tie putting his briefcase overhead when the African man with the shaved head and a pungent odor, in that wifebeater, sat down beside him. The businessman could barely hide his disgust. Marni whispered to Trevor, "Was that about race, class, or just hygiene?" They chuckled. At last they could relax, after running around in Paris. Also, though this was hard to admit, they had felt slightly uneasy in Paris, wary, hesitant to ride the metro or visit Notre-Dame. But now they were going to Marseille to have the real vacation part of their vacation, if one can divide things in this way.
As the train zips along, Marni flips through the pages again and again. She hadn't really looked over these notes. She knows that she should have well before now, but she'd trusted Danielle to give her all the information required in the attachment she'd sent with the last email, with "Happy Marseille" in the subject line. After all, Danielle works for the Michelin Guides, doesn't she? And so Danielle had sent her these pages and pages of notes, which will prove useless if they can't find the apartment they've rented for a week.
It's Marni who plans their travel. Marni finds the apartments and hotels; she books their flights. She's meticulous. She makes sure that they get two seats in a side row, rather than the middle, when flying economy. She tries to get upgrades whenever she can. She finds affordable Airbnbs in cities like Barcelona and Rome, located not too close to the center of town and all the tourist attractions. She spends months on every trip they take. But she didn't look over the information that Danielle had sent her until now. She'd been so busy. There's always so much to do.
What's the worst thing that can happen?, Marni asks herself. It's what her father used to say: What's the worst thing? It isn't that Trevor has a temper. He doesn't, not really. But he has a sternness about him. He can go cold on her, sometimes. But she can't avoid it. She has to tell him. She turns to Trevor. "I don't know where we're staying. I think Danielle forgot to give us the address."
"That's impossible," Trevor says, putting down his book.
Marni is shaking. "Maybe you can find it?" She sits watching Trevor, a lawyer, turn the pages slowly, carefully, as if this were a deposition he's just received. After about five minutes he turns back to her. "You're right. We don't know where we're staying."
Marni tries to text Danielle, whom they've never met and who's on vacation herself somewhere, in Greece, perhaps, though Marni isn't entirely sure. But there's no service on the train. "What are we going to do?" This isn't the worst thing that can happen, is it? It's an inconvenience and maybe they'll be out a little cash, but it isn't really something bad, except that it feels bad. And Marni has no idea what they are going to do.
All the way down to Marseille they miss the fields of sunflowers and lavender, the castles and ramparts in the surrounding hills. They miss the only glimpse they'll get of the Alps—all because they are trying to figure out where they are going. Together they scan the 15-page document, searching for clues. Coordinates, landmarks. Ways to at least get closer to the apartment they will be renting for the next week. There is the metro stop near the building: Cours Julien. So they know the general area. There is a mention of a good bookshop that's "up the street," so perhaps that will get them closer.
Then they see that Danielle has told them about the hotel that has just been built next door. It is a disaster, Danielle writes, and she is in a lawsuit against the owners because the foundation of Danielle's building was damaged when the hotel was built. Its restaurant has a large garden with an outdoor bar that can be loud, and the noise can go on until the wee hours. The hotel is called Mama's Haven, and she's given them the mobile-phone number of the manager. "You can call him," Danielle has written, "if things get too loud."
"So," Trevor says, "we'll go to Mama's Haven and take it from there."
"And if worse comes to worst, we'll spend the night at the hotel."
So it is agreed. They have a plan.
When the train pulls into Marseille, Marni begins trying to call Danielle, but there is no answer. "You have reached the cellphone of Danielle. I am away from my desk …" Now Marni wonders whether the number she has is her cellphone at all, or an office line. And then she wonders whether the whole thing isn't a scam. She's read about it. Those people who paid $1,000 for an apartment in New York, only to arrive at a parking lot. Or that young man who was held captive by his Airbnb host in Brussels. But Danielle had come well recommended. She had more than 60 reviews for her place in Marseille.
Marni isn't sure why they picked Marseille. It seems as if it was Trevor's choice. He likes those gritty cities. And he wanted the south. He enjoyed Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo, but he was more interested in the fringes, the outskirts. Not that Marseille was exactly off the beaten track, but you could almost skip a stone to North Africa. Tunisia, Libya, Algeria weren't that far away. It was tucked into the edge of no return. So they compromised, as they do on most things. They are good at compromise. They share their entrées in restaurants. They alternate going out with his friends on Friday night and hers on Saturday. Or if they stay home one night (Trevor's preference), they go out the next (Marni's). On this trip it is 50-50. A week in Paris, and now a week in Marseille.
They had, of course, planned this before the Bataclan attack. Marni thinks they wouldn't have done so afterward, but they'd already had their tickets. It was a terrible thing, a tragedy, but it seemed as if life would go on and Paris would be Paris, and besides, they didn't have travel insurance. That wasn't the only reason they went ahead, though it was a factor.
As they leave the station, they are met with a blast of hot, boiling air. The stench of the city, fetid, rotting, shocks them. And the light. It is as if they have just emerged from a cave. This light is so bright that it almost burns. No wonder van Gogh, Matisse, Cézanne came to Provence to paint. It was for the light and the shadows. Still, they feel as if they've walked into an incinerator. It has been a long journey, hot on the train, really, and with this glitch in their plans and riding backwards, they are tired.
They stand in the line for a taxi. Danielle had warned them that the apartment was quite close to the train station but that the taxis might overcharge. "Do not pay more than 10 euros for a cab," read her instructions.
Marni tells the man who is ushering people into cabs, "Mama's Haven." He is small and wiry with greasy skin, and he barely looks at her. "Twenty euros," he says. He says it in French that they can hardly understand. This must be the Midi dialect she'd read about.
Marni shakes her head. She knows how to bargain. "I know it is a 10-euro ride."
The little man, who seems like a thug, turns his back on her. "Twenty from here."
Then Trevor steps in. "If he thinks he can pull one over on me, he's got another thing coming." It sounds like something a cowboy might say before a gunfight. Trevor never talks that way, but he is so earnest that Marni almost laughs. Instead they walk away from the taxi stand toward the bustling street, where traffic zips by. They try to hail a cab, but the ones they flag won't stop and instead drive up to the taxi stand, where that same man stands guard. At last, defeated, they surrender. "All right," Trevor says, "take us to Mama's Haven."
Everything feels like a rip-off. They've been in Marseille only half an hour, and they've been fleeced twice.
It's the principle that bothers them, of course. After all, what does the ride come to? Not much more than $20. Still, it reminds Marni of that time in Fez when the guide the hotel set them up with finally broke them down, and they ended up buying a rug that has never left their closet. "It was made with the blood of widows," their guide kept saying. Those tourist traps you fall for because you are in a strange place and vulnerable and you don't know all the rules.
The greasy man takes them himself, and now they really know he is ripping them off. This annoys them as much as anything, but they are too drained to argue. It is hot in his black SUV as he drives them on a winding route through old Marseille, in and out of one-way streets that seem like a maze they will never get out of, and as he is driving Marni is sending texts to Danielle that read, "URGENT. PLEASE ANSWER." She doesn't really notice the twists and turns they make, the laundry hanging out to dry, the dirty streets, the old buildings by the sea.
This will all work out, Marni thinks. We'll get to the hotel, where we'll have an iced tea and regroup. Danielle will write back to them. They'll have the address and, voilà, they'll be in the apartment. Marni had been thrilled by the pictures. The white walls, the French doors that opened onto courtyards of ancient houses, the small balconies. The shelves lined with books and records. It would be the perfect place for them to retreat and rest. They will go to the sea and visit the famous Calanques (which Trevor keeps referring to as the Colonics because he can't pronounce the name), perhaps spend a day in Cassis. All of that is waiting for them.
"Mama's Haven," the driver says. He doesn't get out to help them, and Trevor doesn't give him a tip, though in Europe you really don't have to tip anyway, do you? Besides, you wouldn't tip someone who's ripping you off. They walk from the hot, blaring sun into the almost cold, black lobby of the hotel. At first neither of them can see in the darkness. The only sensory organ that seems to be working is their ears. Disco music is blasting. Slowly their eyes adjust. To their left is an enormous bar lit only with deep-blue lights that remind Marni of an aquarium. Thirty-somethings are sipping cocktails, though it is fairly early in the afternoon. In the austere lobby, it is difficult to see where the black floor ends and the black walls begin.
Since Trevor speaks French better than Marni does, he decides to go up to the reception desk, where he struggles to explain their problem. The clerk listens and then, without a word, begins typing. A few moments later he replies in English, "I have one room available for tonight, sir. It is 350 euros." Trevor hits his hand to his head. He turns to Marni. "What do you want to do?"
"It's my last room," the receptionist says, not without some contempt. Marni isn't sure it is their last room.
"Can we leave our bags here for a minute while we talk? Could you hold the room for us for 10 minutes?"
Now the receptionist doesn't look at them. "Ten minutes."
Everything feels like a rip-off. They've been in Marseille only half an hour, and they've been fleeced twice. But what alternative do they have? Trevor and Marni go out onto the street. "I hate it when I speak French and they answer in English."
Marni nods. Why does he care about such a petty pride thing now? "I know," she says. "The French are that way …" And of course they are. Everyone knows how the French are about their food and their language. How arrogant and at times pointlessly mean they can be.
They almost decided not to come to France. To just cancel the whole thing, never mind the loss. The events of the past year had given them pause. Trevor was a survivor, after all. He should have been in the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. He had a breakfast meeting there that was called off at the last minute. Someone had a toothache. At dinner parties he'd shake his head. "It wasn't my appointment in Samarra," he'd say, and people would nod thoughtfully, though Marni often had the feeling that they didn't know what Trevor meant by that, and it would be so awkward to explain about the servant in the marketplace who meets death and so on.
Marni checks her phone one more time. No text from Danielle. "What do you want to do?"
Trevor is shaking his head, trying not to be annoyed. "Well, we both had a responsibility to look at what she sent us, didn't we? I mean, I'm used to you doing the checking, but you've been busy."
"It's my fault," Marni says. "I should have checked …"
"We are both responsible." He sighs. "This is ridiculous." They go back into the hotel and take the room.
Their room is a study in black and white, with a series of complex light switches and faucets that are difficult to figure out. Exhausted, they put down their things and both take a shower. Then they flop on the huge king-size bed in the ultramodern room that does look out onto some old buildings that appear as if they might collapse. That old European look is what Marni was hoping for. They fall asleep, and wake up hours later. It is after 10 o'clock and dark out now. Marni checks her phone to see whether she's received a text from Danielle, but nothing. "She's probably on some isolated beach somewhere. In Crete or something with no reception."
"I have an idea," Trevor says as he pulls on his trousers, his shoes. "In the morning we could go door-to-door and see if the key fits into any of the buildings. After all, Mama's Haven has to be close enough to cause a problem with the foundation and make noise to bother the people living there, right?"
Marni nods. "Good work, Sherlock!"
Trevor smiles and takes her by the arm. They are very hungry now. Too hungry to wander around, so they decide to eat downstairs, where they are without question the oldest people in the restaurant, and they aren't even 40 yet!
Dinner is slow to arrive, and they spend most of the wait watching another couple, with two children who should be in bed but instead are throwing tantrums at the table next to them. They think about moving to another table, but Marni thinks it would be rude and perhaps make the parents feel badly about having their children up until almost 11 o'clock at night.
They've been married for five years. No kids. They've gone back and forth, but in the end they don't think they want children. Trevor is an entertainment lawyer, and Marni is an architect whose specialty is brownstone restoration. They have their careers. Their daily spin or yoga classes. They eat out all the time. Like many of their friends, they don't want to be burdened. No dog either. Besides, they like to travel.
At last their meal arrives. It is served on wooden plates. Fish and salad. The fish is fried, which wasn't clear on the menu. They eat quickly and head upstairs. They think they won't be able to sleep because they took a long nap in the afternoon, but within moments they drift off.
They are up early, trying to slip the larger key in the doors of buildings near the hotel. They have decided to work strategically, moving building by building away from Mama's Haven. The street is surprisingly dirty, with trash everywhere. They have to be careful where they step. Already that North African sun is beating down on them. When the key doesn't work in the first two locks, they begin on the buildings farther down the block. As Trevor fiddles with the key, Marni leans casually against the wall, attempting not to look suspicious. It would be difficult to explain that they are not criminals trying to break into people's homes. "I don't think my French is good enough to explain that," Trevor says.
"We could just act like dumb tourists who don't remember where we're staying."
"Nous sommes perdus," Trevor says. "We are lost." He smiles at how quickly his college French is returning. At the fifth building, the key opens the front door. "Bingo!," Marni shouts. They enter a hallway of broken stairs, with clumps of plaster on the floor. It looks like a construction site. Marni vaguely recalls in Danielle's magnum opus a description of the hallway in disrepair. "Do not be dismayed," she wrote.
So now they have the building, but it is six stories high. Do they try to open every door? "We can't just go from door to door, putting our other key in the locks. What if people are home?"
They decide to knock on doors. If someone answers, then obviously it's not that apartment. An elderly woman comes to the first door and glares at them. "Excusez-moi, Madame," Marni says, almost with a curtsy. They continue up the stairs. A young mother answers, then a teenager, a man in his boxers. Marni leads the charge with Trevor pulling up the rear.
"Maybe this isn't the way to go about it," Trevor shouts up at her. He is a floor below, reluctant to climb any higher. At last, on the fourth floor, Marni knocks and there is no answer. Hesitantly she puts the key in the door, and it opens. "Eureka!" she shouts. As Trevor comes huffing and puffing up the stairs, Marni walks into the pristinely white apartment, darkened now because in the Mediterranean style, all the shutters are latched. It is stifling hot—the place has been closed up for weeks. So hot she thinks she will faint. Marni begins to move through the apartment, opening windows to get the air flowing. She recalls what Danielle wrote in her manifesto. "Marseille is always cooler than Paris, especially when those sea breezes blow."
"It wasn't my appointment in Samarra," he'd say, and people would nod thoughtfully.
She pulls back the thick velvet curtains in the bedrooms, shoving the French doors open as wide as she can. She moves on to the kitchen and living room, which is large and white and spotless. It is a beautiful apartment, and she opens the shutters and the windows, and while the view of the old port of Marseille is spectacular and old and dilapidated and quaint and just what Marni hoped for in this flat, there is no breeze from the sea. There is no breeze at all. In fact, the air is perfectly still.
Trevor, who's just coming into the apartment, sees her rummaging around. "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for the fan. Danielle said she had a big fan."
Tucked in a corner in what Marni assumes is a child's room, there is a standing fan, but it is hardly big. It's tall, but small. Marni turns it on. The fan blows hot air into her face. Marni finds that if she stands directly in front of the fan, she gets a breeze. She moves it into the living room. They go back to Mama's Haven and bring their belongings to their place and settle in. Marni loves the apartment. The white curtains that billow out in the occasional hot breeze that blows up from North Africa. The whiteness of it all compared with Mama's Haven. Marni shudders. "That was hell."
"Yes," Trevor agrees, "but it was cool."
Trevor comes up behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders. "Someday we'll laugh about this."
"I bet we'll be laughing about it by next week."
"We'll be dining out on it," Trevor says, pulling her to him despite the heat, kissing her, running his hands through her thick brown hair.
Afterward Marni unpacks. As she's hanging up her clothes, she realizes that she's forgotten her blue summer dress, the one she planned to wear when they walked by the sea. She is annoyed at herself for forgetting. It was perfect to wear in Marseille. In the eaves she hears the pigeons that Danielle said would be roosting there.
It is still early as they head out. They stop at Place Paul Cézanne for coffee. The café is actually an offtrack betting parlor, and all around them men are placing their bets. They head down the hill to the North African markets, where in her notes Danielle has promised they will find purveyors of dates and spices and roasting chickens. There is a breeze as they walk down the rue d'Aubagne, heading to the long street of the Capucins. From the top of the hill they have views of the harbor, the sea, and the rooftops of old Marseille.
As they descend, the world around them changes. The dull, dirty streets become washed and scrubbed, planters with blooming geraniums are in front of every store. They pass hair salons with pictures of African men, their hair buzzed circa 1980 New York. A tall, handsome black man is sweeping the front of an Ivory Coast restaurant. They come to a world of spices, colors, smells, curries, turmeric, sugared fruits, dried fruits, nuts, tea from Sri Lanka, China, and Indonesia. There are shops for soap and for grain. In a spice shop they buy a bag of the sweetest dates they have ever tasted. They buy olives and cheese. They eat an Arabic crepe soaked in honey.
They turn onto a larger street that is much more crowded, and suddenly they find themselves caught up in a sea, a tsunami, a flash flood of humanity that stuns them. It seems to have come from nowhere as it surges around them, past them, surrounds and engulfs and carries them along. A crowd that can drown them or just choose to ignore them. The street is filled with the young, the hungry, the idle. It is as if with one step they have left Europe and walked into a street of Algiers, Tangier, Tunis. Africa is just a boat ride away.
They are just two of millions who rise and fall and emigrate and immigrate and come crashing like a great wave onto these shores.
Women from Mali in elaborate wrapped dresses and head wraps that resemble enormous flowers sell yellow fruit from baskets. Muslim women in white and lime and pale pink scarves pull their children through the throngs. Arabs hawk their wares, selling socks, fans, watches, fake Louis Vuitton and Prada bags, slippers, miniature Eiffel Towers, key chains, scarves. Some are speaking various dialects from Africa, Arabia. Others are speaking French and Ligurian, Italian and Spanish. A man rocks a screaming baby in a soggy diaper that he will never change. Another man sits in a wheelchair, his right leg raised and bandaged. His foot is missing. His junkie girlfriend pushes him along. They are both shouting into their cellphones. Meanwhile, the elderly try to shove their shopping carts through the throng.
An Arab carries a huge electric fan, and for a moment Marni contemplates offering him money for it. Pregnant women are rubbing their bellies. Asian women in shorts with dyed red hair giggle on street corners. Everyone is doing a deal, selling something. No one knows what will happen the next day.
This is where accidents occur, where someone will yell in your ear or spit in your face or steal your bag. It strikes Marni as they make their way down these market streets that they are no one. They are just two of millions who rise and fall and emigrate and immigrate and come crashing like a great wave onto these shores. They come crashing down on you, carrying you along, and there is nothing you can do, not even step aside. There is nothing you can do to get out of the way.
Marni feels as if she will suffocate in the crowds. She's never been able to handle mosh pits, stadiums, packed trains. Breathless, she grabs Trevor by the arm, pulling him toward an alleyway. "I need to get off of this street," she tells him. Trevor guides her by the elbow, leading her down the passage. They come to a corner shop that is decorated in blue and white tiles. Inside, shoppers and merchants are sipping cups of sweetened tea. "Let's go here." And Trevor follows her in.
It is a beautiful little shop with pastries lined up in perfect rows and dry tea in glass jars labeled from Sri Lanka, Japan, Morocco. Marni and Trevor select the teas they want, and the waiter brings them in red and blue glasses that are at first too hot to touch. They sit for a moment, bent over, sipping without lifting the glasses to their lips and munching on cookies sweetened with honey and almonds. The waiter comes by. "How is your tea?" he asks. He is a handsome man with salt-and-pepper hair, but when he smiles, he has bad teeth. They are crooked and yellow.
"It's delicious," Marni says, and it is.
Tea, the waiter explains, evokes the memories of childhood. It is all in the tea. "What memories do you taste in yours?" he asks Marni.
"My wet dog when he'd get out of the lake."
The waiter laughs. It seems as if he can picture the wet dog. "And what do you taste, sir?"
Trevor thinks for a moment. "It's the smell of the cemetery near my home at night. My friends and I used to go there when I was a boy."
The waiter looks at Trevor oddly, as if there is suddenly something frightening about him. Then he slips away. "Well, that was a conversation stopper, wasn't it?," Marni says.
"I guess so. Let's head back."
They finish their tea and trudge up the hill to their apartment, laden down with the food they've bought. Marni is surprised at the heat. It isn't like anything she's ever known. It's as if you are walking in an oven. A steady heat that is all around you, even in the shade.
When they get back to the apartment, Marni takes a cold shower, which means sitting in the bath and holding the nozzle in her hand. Then she goes into the kitchen, wrapped in a towel, to help Trevor unpack their purchases. He is setting the table for lunch. He has put out a platter of dates and cheese, figs and roast chicken. A bottle of rosé is on the table. "How lovely!," Marni exclaims.
Marni digs into their shopping bag to see what else they have bought. She finds some fruit and olives, which she puts into a bowl. Then she touches something hard and cold. Pulling it out, she finds the blue tea glass that Trevor was drinking out of. She holds it up to him. "Trevor, did you steal this tea glass?"
Trevor shakes his head. "No, of course I didn't. Why would I do that? I have no idea how that got in there."
"But you must have picked it up by mistake."
Trevor shrugs. "But I'd know if I picked up a tea glass. Maybe you put it in the bag." Marni is perplexed. How did the tea glass get into the bag? It's almost like a magic trick. She has no idea when or how it happened.
"I didn't pick it up," Marni says firmly. They both realize that they are about to enter the blaming cycle that their couple's counselor has warned them against. You don't always have to win, she hears the therapist saying. Sometimes you win by losing (a concept neither of them has quite grasped). "Well, it really doesn't matter, does it? We'll take it back this evening."
Marni had noticed that the tea shop closes at six and Trevor smiles. "It's amazing how you remember those little things." They eat in silence. They are both disturbed by the tea glass, and neither can quite let it go. Whose fault was this? How did it get into their shopping bag? And now they must take it back. They don't want the waiter to think that for some reason they stole it. What if, it occurs to Marni to wonder, that tea glass is a tipping point? What if the waiter has lost faith in humanity and somehow the fact that they stole the tea glass pushes him over the edge to the point of no return?
Now the heat of the day is upon them, and the apartment is boiling hot. They decide to rest. Marni drags the fan around with her as if it were an IV pole. She finally settles onto the couch with a book, and Trevor goes into the bedroom. When they get up, it is almost 5 o'clock, but it is still sweltering. On the way down the hill, Trevor says, "I think I know what happened. I think that when I was picking up our things to put them into the shopping bag, I must have swept the tea glass in as well."
Marni nods. "Yes, that's probably what happened."
They are proud to be on this little mission. The waiter will be grateful. Somehow they will have made the world a little bit better by returning it. The karmic balance will be tilted slightly in their favor. When they arrive, their waiter is standing out front, smoking a cigarette. He smiles, remembering them, and when they show him the tea glass, he looks at it curiously. "It fell in our shopping bag," Marni says.
"Merci," the waiter replies, crushing out his cigarette. "I thought that's what happened." And without another word he takes the tea glass inside.
They'd planned to go to all those cities whose names begin with A—Aix, Arles, Avignon. But it is too hot to travel and sightsee. They read in the news that this wind, called a sirocco, is blowing up from North Africa to Provence. It is too hot to do anything during the day. At night the noise from the disco at Mama's Haven is blasting. And it is so hot in the apartment. There really aren't any of those Mediterranean breezes that Danielle promised. Not to mention a big fan. Whenever they are inside, Marni keeps dragging the fan from room to room. They go out in the early morning, but in the afternoon they are too hot to do anything. They lie in the bed, reading, the fan blasting whatever moving air it can, until after four days of this, Marni turns to Trevor. "Let's go back to Paris."
"But we have our train tickets. And where will we stay?"
"I'll change the tickets. I think I can do it online. And I'll get us an Airbnb for the weekend."
"All right." Trevor seems relieved. "If you want to take care of it, let's do it."
It is easier than Marni thought to change the train tickets. Same train, two days earlier. No extra charge. Now that was a small stroke of luck. And she finds an Airbnb studio in the Marais that promises air-conditioning and is less than 100 euros a night. This is so easy. It's all meant to be. They really won't be out that much in the end, and besides, they never heard from Danielle and this whole thing feels like a rip-off. Truth be told, Marni doesn't feel that comfortable in Marseille. She can't tell from the streets or the neighborhoods where safety ends and danger begins.
The next morning they clean up the apartment and pack their things. They call a cab to take them to the train station. The cab costs half of what it cost them to come here. "It's all a racket" is what Marni's father would say. She tried to get them seats facing forward, but online there was no way to guarantee the direction. They inquire at the train station as well, but the ticket agent says that she has no way of knowing. In the end they are riding backwards again.
At first the train is fairly empty, and they are able to sit across from each other, with Marni facing forward, but in Avignon the train fills up. Marni is sitting in a woman's seat, and they have to switch. She is an attractive brown-haired woman, but she has tears in her eyes. She slumps into her seat and begins blowing kisses out the window. A man stands on the platform blowing kisses back. He is older than she is, with a head of long gray hair. He is frumpy, with a scarf flung around his neck. They keep blowing kisses, muttering "Je t'aime, je t'aime" as the train pulls out. He is definitely not her husband. Has she gone to Avignon for a midweek tryst? Now the woman has her lips to the glass. When she slumps back into her seat, the impression of a kiss remains.
Across from Marni a man is sitting, reading an auto-mechanic magazine. He seems very absorbed in it. As the train moves on, Marni watches as the light of Provence recedes, the skies turn gray, and the land becomes brittle and brown. She has yet to see a field of lavender, and now she knows that she won't. At least not on this trip. Marni turns to Trevor, "Let's go get a drink."
He follows her into the café car, which is filled with travelers, including two gendarmes. One is almost 7 feet tall. Marni stares up at him. It's as if John Wayne is guarding her train. She orders a glass of rosé, and Trevor gets a beer. They sit on stools, looking out the window. The train is oddly calming, soothing. The man next to them is an American from Texas, and he starts to tell them his story out of the blue. He was on the train earlier that day, going to Paris. His wife wanted some space (in other words, they were having a fight), so he got off the train to stretch his legs in Avignon. And the train took off, just like that, without him. He snapped his fingers to show them how fast. He had nothing with him. No luggage, no passport, not even his wallet. The stationmaster was understanding and helped the man get a ticket back to Paris. His wife, he tells them, will meet him at the station. "I guess she got the space she wanted," he quips.
The man from Texas starts speaking to the giant gendarme about guns. He is telling the gendarme how the French need to arm themselves. "You need more guns," the Texan says. Marni and Trevor finish their drinks in silence, and then return to their seats. Now the woman who was blowing kisses is sleeping, perhaps dreaming of her lover, wanting to hold on to that moment longer, not ready to let it go. The man with the auto-mechanic magazine is speaking into his phone rather loudly.
She can't tell from the streets or the neighborhoods where safety ends and danger begins.
As they sit down, Trevor makes a face, and the man gets up to go between cars to talk. They are glad to be going back to Paris. They got to see Marseille. That was good. But they are disappointed as well. They didn't make it to the Calanques. They didn't get to see the wild horses of the Camargue. "Well," Trevor says, "we'll have something to come back for."
"That's right." This pleases Marni to no end. The notion of having something to come back for, but definitely it won't be in July or August. They've already decided this. They never want to come to Europe again in the summer. "Why is it that the Europeans have no air-conditioning?," Marni muses.
"And no screens on their windows," Trevor adds.
It is what they like about travel, though. The way other people do things. The not knowing. And they had that funny experience of not knowing where they were staying. It will be a good story to tell when they get home. "That was so inconvenient," Marni says.
"And expensive," Trevor adds.
Marni nods, but she feels badly. It was really her fault. She should have checked. She should have made sure, but on the other hand, Trevor never blamed her, which showed progress for them as a couple, didn't it? Anyway, what's important is that they got through it, and they managed despite the heat to have a good time. She checks the weather in Paris and sees that, though it is raining, it will be cooler. "I'm glad we decided to go back to Paris early," Marni says, yawning.
"So am I," Trevor says and yawns as well. Yawns are contagious. They are joking, and then they both grow drowsy. It is almost as if someone has sprinkled fairy dust on their heads, and they fall asleep as the train speeds along beneath them.
Lauren Groff
The Cross Word
There's a Better Way to Parent: Less Yelling, Less Praise
Joe Pinsker
Marni isn't sure what startles her out of sleep. Perhaps it is a rumbling she hears somewhere in the back of the car, or perhaps it is just when Trevor gets up suddenly. Or the ping of a text that comes in. The text is from Danielle. "Sorry! My bad." Do people all over the world say "My bad"? Danielle includes the address of the apartment where they've just spent the past five days and offers them a slight refund.
Marni laughs to herself. Then she looks up because she wants to tell this funny ending to Trevor. The end of their silly story. Why did he get up so suddenly? She calls out his name, pointing to her phone. Trevor is bounding down the aisle toward the front of the car with a strange sense of purpose. Would he walk that way just to go to the bathroom? A man in a grimy T‑shirt with a fixed stare in his eyes is moving through the car. He has something slung across his chest. "What is that?," Marni calls out. But Trevor doesn't answer. He's rushing toward the man.
For an instant Marni freezes. She thinks she should warn her fellow passengers, and then fling herself under the seat. She waits to see what Trevor will do, but he goes past the man. He was just going to the bathroom after all. The man walks toward her but doesn't seem to see her. One of his eyes doesn't move because it is made of glass. He has a small pack slung across his chest. He goes past her into the next car.
A few moments later Trevor returns, and she slips her arm through his. For the rest of the ride the sky turns grayer until they are on the outskirts of Paris, where it is raining but less muggy and warm.


I have been affiliated with Private Advisor Group since January 2009 when there was fewer than 100 affiliated advisors to now with the ranks of over 500 affiliated advisors. Private Advisor Group is a unique provider of world class service, in depth risk management and forward thinking strategies for independent advisors. Built to support the distinct needs of LPL Financial advisors.
In addition to being vigilant in its risk management process, Private Advisor Group holds premier one-and-a-half day semiannual conferences in New Jersey where they have world class speakers, the actual mutual fund money managers and industry experts on a variety of relevant topics. It is at these conferences that I am able to network with other LPL Financial advisors outside of the Tunkhannock and Northeastern Pennsylvania area to share and learn different ideas and strategies so that I can better serve my clients.


text:
namespace bench
{
namespace tests
{
namespace dummy
{
class test_fail : public test_template<test_fail>
{
public:
    test_fail(bench::test_config config) : test_template(config)
    {
    }

    void run_iteration(unsigned long iteration)
    {
        throw std::runtime_error("This exception has been intentionally thrown during test.");
    }

    static std::string name()
    {
        return "dummy_test_fail";
    }

    static std::string description()
    {
        return "Throws in test";
    }

    static bool size_dependent()
    {
        return false;
    }
};
}
}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
NEC Tariff IRS Form 990s: 2017 2018 2019
Bylaws (as of 11-2019) Articles of Incorporation
NEC Privacy & Confidentiality Policy NEC Privacy Notice
Financial Audit:
Your Rights as an NEC Member
Click HERE to view or print your rights as a Member in English & Spanish as of April 2014. As a valued Member, we want you to know and understand your rights as well as some of the policies of Nueces Electric Cooperative. Please use the attached document to serve as your guide to understanding:
• Meter Testing
• Outstanding Bills
• Disconnection & Reconnection
• Service & Bill Disputes
• Alternate Billing Plans
• Financial Assistance
• Deposit Policy
Nueces Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEC) is proud to be your local electric cooperative. Whether NEC provides your electric delivery services, or your competitive retail power supply services through NEC Retail, or both, we exist only to serve the needs of our members like you. It is our belief that working together towards a common vision is the cooperative difference. Let us tell you more about your cooperative.
Release of Cooperative Information
Member Education & Involvement
Director Election Process
Nominating Process
Director Compensation
Escheated Funds
Nueces Electric Cooperative believes its members should have an opportunity to request certain information with regards to the operation of the cooperative. Such information includes our bylaws, policies, Articles of Incorporation and the tariff, just to name a few. We welcome requests for cooperative information and are happy to visit with any member interested in understanding how their cooperative works. Standard information (mentioned above) is available via the links on the left or by contacting our office. Requests for other and more specific information must be made in writing to the cooperative. NEC believes that as a member, you have every right to know how your cooperative is doing.
Written Requests for Co-op Information May Be Sent to:
Nueces Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Attn: Request for Information
14353 Cooperative Ave
Robstown, Texas 78380
As a member of Nueces Electric Cooperative, we encourage you to be informed and involved in the co-op. First, all members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting and participate in the election of their directors. NEC also sends a monthly magazine to all of its members called Texas Co-op Power. The center eight (8) pages of this magazine are customized for NEC members and its here, on this website at www.nueceselectric.org and through bill inserts, that NEC communicates important information to its members. NEC has a Community Involvement Committee (CIC) that includes members from each district of the co-op. If you would like to serve on this committee, please contact your director directly or the co-op. NEC is also active in the school systems through our electric safety, Youth Tour, and scholarship programs. We encourage you to contact us for more information about these programs. Operation RoundUp supports Nueces Charities, a charitable trust dedicated to community investment. The money in the Operation RoundUp fund is voluntarily donated by our delivery service consumers as they round up the delivery services portion of their bills. Grants are awarded to worthy causes within the eight South Texas counties of NEC's delivery, or "wires" area. NEC members, who meet eligibility requirements, may submit requests to Nueces Charities to receive a contribution for worthy projects and causes.
NEC prides itself on its director elections. The election process reflects one of the Seven Cooperative Principles - democratic member control: one member, one vote. Nueces Electric Cooperative is member-owned and is governed by a ten (10) person, member-elected board of directors. These directors represent the ten member directorate districts of the cooperative. A portion of the co-op directorships stand for election each year - usually three districts. The board of directors determines the method for voting in the director election. For many years, the method of voting has been an in-person or proxy voting process which takes place in conjunction with the annual membership meeting. Relevant information about this meeting and the annual report appear in the Texas Co-op Power magazine. It is up to you, the members, to elect the directors best qualified to run your cooperative. There is no term limit for an NEC director but he/she must complete the nomination process every three years and be re-elected by the members.
NEC's director nomination process begins each June as members in the districts up for election are invited, through the Texas Co-op Power magazine, to request petition packets to become candidates on the annual meeting director election ballot in accordance with the bylaws. Any NEC member in a district up for election may seek to become a candidate. Those members interested in becoming candidates may request and sign for an official petition form and instruction sheet. At least twenty (15) signatures of qualified members within the voting district, received at the co-op by the designated deadline, are required to nominate a member from a district for the Board. If more than two candidates are nominated for a directorship, a primary election will be held in the district to select two candidates who will appear on the election ballot. At the annual membership meeting all members of NEC may vote to elect the new directors in the districts up for election. All members will receive a ballot by mail or attached to the Texas Coop Power Magazine. If members cannot attend the meeting, they may cast their vote by mailing in the ballot.
Directors are tasked with the development of governance policies and monitoring the financial health of the cooperative. In addition, they are charged with keeping up-to-date on industry trends, legislative actions, and other pertinent issues affecting cooperatives as well as representing the membership at cooperative related functions.
Section 8. Compensation; Expenses.
(a) Directors shall not receive a salary for their services as such. However, subject to subsection (b) below and as determined by policy adopted by the Board, directors may receive a fee, which may include insurance benefits, for each day during which they attend meetings or otherwise perform duties on behalf of the Cooperative. Fees for otherwise performing their duties need not be the same as for attending meetings of the Board.
(b) For attending meetings and otherwise performing duties pursuant to authorization thereof by the Board, directors shall be reimbursed their related expenses actually and reasonably incurred and expended by them, in accordance with the policy established by the board for reimbursement of expenses for Cooperative directors..
Each year NEC files IRS Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax). NEC is a 501(c) (12) organization under the IRS code. Form 990 has financial information for the cooperative in addition to a list of directors and the executive manager along with their annual compensation. This document is public information. The IRS regulations, which became effective on June 8, 1999, state that every organization required to file Form 990 annually is obligated to immediately provide copies of its three most recent 990s to anyone requesting them in person, or send out copies within 30 days to any written request. You may request copies from NEC, download them via the link at left or Form 990s are also available from the IRS upon request at the district office where the forms would have been filed.
Because we are a not-for-profit organization, any margins made above and beyond our operating expenses are allocated to our members. The board of directors determines each year whether or not to return (or "retire") capital credits. Their decision is based on the cooperative's financial position. To date, Nueces Electric Cooperative has returned approximately $11.1 million dollars to its members in capital credits.
After three years, unclaimed retired capital credit funds are forwarded to the State of Texas. The State then allocates a portion of the unclaimed funds back to the cooperative for the purpose of distributing the funds through specified accounts. This money funds the NEC Ramiro De La Paz Memorial Scholarship program for high school seniors.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Being resourceful, means using what resources you have available now, to have what you want now, and to get what you want now. Money is a resource, but it is not the only resource. Sometimes people feel limited by money, but thoughts and ideas coupled with taking the right actions are unlimited resources that can bring you more money. There is always something that you can do to have what you want right now, and there is always room for improvement and there is always the ability to take the next step, regardless of where you are at.
– They can't have a partner until they have a car or house first.
– They don't have enough money to achieve their goals now.
– One thing NEEDS to happen before another thing can.
– They can't be happy, healthy and wealthy all at the same time.
– There is nothing they can do right now with their given resources.
It is important to heal your Resourcefulness, so that you can have and see effective results in the present.
– Your thoughts and intuitions are an infinite resource.
– There are plenty of ideas to take action on now and plenty of actions that you can take now, to have what you want.
– Love can manifest anything that we want now, so long as we are thankful, peaceful, calm and receptive. It also helps to do the right things and allow ourselves to be helped and guided.
– You are actually being helped by love to have more money and more happy experiences with that money right now.
– Attachment to money is a problem in our society.
– Having what you want can happen instantly, easily and effortlessly without needing to create stress, worry or negative stories.
– You can have money through doing work that you love and through feeling totally happy.
– Know that the physical world is just energy and it is easy to shift, change and manipulate so that you can be happy.
A Light Axis Healing Session can help you to vibrate at the right level and frequency so that you can actually have the experiences that you want. The healing session can help you to feel comfortable and "used to" having what you want. It can also help you to feel mature enough, ready enough and confident enough to have what you want.
Have a Light Axis Healing Session Today so that you can become more resourceful.
Many of our students have become more resourceful after having done the 4 courses and read our books. Please also view our courses and books.
Tags: detox, happy, Healing, healing sydney, light axis healing, love, peace, pranic, Reiki, resourceful, spiritual healing, thankful, wellness.


text:
HomeNewsExperts Describe How To 'Disappear' From Modern World
Experts Describe How To 'Disappear' From Modern World
September 18, 2015 Sean Adl-Tabatabai News, UK 0
Two experts in the art of tracking fugitives have devised a list of techniques that you can use in order to completely vanish without a trace from the modern world.
Peter Bleksley – a former undercover police officer, and Paul Vlissidis – a cyber security specialist, have written a list of do's and don't.
Telegraph.co.uk reports:
Do: ditch your smartphone
Bleksley and Vlissidis agreed the number one thing to do is ditch your mobile phone. Around 70 per cent us in the UK have a smartphone, most of which transmit a GPS signal of our current location, or apps that do so.
"As soon as you make a digital connection with your phone," says Vlissidis, the apps are up and running and giving info away about you. People often give these apps permission to geographically locate them without realising it."
"Basically a mobile phone is akin to having a tracking device on you," says Bleksley. "Even if location services are disabled the state has the means to track you."
Timescale: minutes. "There has to be some communication between the mobile phone company and law enforcement," says Bleksley. "But in a mission critical situation – life or death – the red tape is cut through and police are given that info in as close to real time as possible. "
Don't: use bank cards
"You wouldn't want to be using any kind of cards." says Vlissidis. "Or your ApplyPay device unless you really want to get picked up quickly," "If you have time to plan, gather quantities of cash.
Timescale: minutes. "If a bank card or account is flagged by us that account is monitored 24/7" says Bleksley. "The minute there is any activity the information is quickly passed to the police," says Bleksley. "Systems have been honed over the years to ensure that information comes almost instantly. From there it's a just question of how quickly officers on the ground can move."
Do: torch your tablet, lay waste to your laptop, pulverise your PC
"Before you run try and eliminate your digital footprint, which is difficult," says Vlissidis. "We can gain an extraordinary amount of information from accessing accounts, social media etc. If you planned your escape, it will be in your search engine history." If you asked questions online, there will be a record. "Anyone who thinks that private chats on social networks are actually private is an idiot. Even if you deactivate your account, it disappears from public view but all the information is still there and generally the state has the ability to access it."
Don't: phone home
With police monitoring your family and friends, this is an instant giveaway. 93 percent of police requests to access phone calls or emails are granted. Last year they peaked at just below 250,000.
"This would be the most difficult thing for me," says Bleksley, who himself spent two years in witness protection after a contract was put out on him. "Fugitives find it incredibly difficult to cut themselves off from friends, family, loved ones. The lure is incredibly strong."
Don't: check your emails
"Email is tremendously useful, says Vlissidis. "We can monitor accounts and the second you log on it will be flagged and we can tell immediately where you're coming from by reversing the IP address.
Timescale: It's only a matter of minutes generally speaking. If you're using a wireless system it might take a little longer – but not much. You can use systems like Tor that's designed to anonymise you but the truth is, if we're sitting on your email and we see you log in, and you're using, say, a mobile phone for access then there are ways for us to track it."
Do: worry about CCTV
Britain has one CCTV camera for every 11 people. It is estimated that the average city dweller is caught on CCTV 70 times a day.
"The majority of city centre CCTV systems are owned by local authorities and operated by police employees," says Bleksley. "The systems are very, very extensive. In some you can track people from the moment they enter a city."
Timescale: "It's simply a question of how quickly a human can impart that information to officers on the ground." Although the likelihood of being identified by CCTV alone is small unless operators already know you are in the area, once your presence is flagged by other sources CCTV is the No 1 means for tracking you.
Don't: worry about facial recognition technology
"It is one area of forensic science which is in its infancy," says Bleksley, "but I'm sure in the years to come it will become prevalent."
Do: travel by bus or train
As they take cash, but avoid station CCTV.
Don't: use motorways
The Highways Agency operates an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera system with around 8,000 cameras. On the major road networks you are never more than 15 miles away from an ANPR camera.
Timescale: "It's a nationwide police resource and operates instantly," says Bleksley. "There are also many private APNR systems, say, in supermarket car parks. In those the process can be a little lengthier because providers have to be brought on board."
Do: disguise your physical appearance
"After technology, our best weapon is 100,000 pairs of eyes and ears on the ground – policemen plus the public who often are an enormous help. There's also the massive media machine that the police are able to call upon." So, delete any online photos. The less recognisable you are the better.
Do: plan ahead
Accumulate as much cash as you can in the weeks, preferably months, running up to departure. Plan your escape offline as much as possible. Prepare disguises, alternative identities. Share your plans with no one, unless it is to arrange communication channels. "The longer you've got before you run the better chance you have," says Vlissidis. But stay away from tech. Roll the clocks back 15 years and pretend the internet doesn't exist. If you have to devise a strategy for communicating with loved ones keep it old school – intermediaries, dead letter drops, proper spooks stuff."
Don't: assume rural is remote
You'll stand out like a sore thumb in small communities, and sleeping rough/living wild is hard to keep up for any amount of time even if you're trained. "I don't think staying off grid necessarily means the back of beyond," says Vlissidis. "That would be difficult for an extended period of time. I'd probably look at lower grade accommodation, things like hostels, B&B's that take cash – old school basically.
Do: be strong
We all lay down patterns that can expose us, but the sheer psychological slog of keeping up the mask is tough. Maintaining an assumed identity can mess with your head too. "Living the adopted life of a completely different person in a strange environment, dreading leaving my front door, having to layer lie upon lie upon lie," as Bleksley describes it. Longer term, this is the thing that will get you caught.
It's fair to say I'd last about ten mins. I'd be so excited about getting away from my kids I wouldn't make it further than the pub #Hunted
— Katy Brent (@Littlemisskatyb) September 10, 2015
Don't: whatever you do, challenge people to find you
US And Russian Defence Chiefs Discuss Syria Crisis
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U.S. Navy Destroyer Will Stay In Black Sea Despite Russian Warning
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Study Links GMOs To Cancer, Kidney Damage & Severe Hormonal Disruption
ISIS Is Selling 2 Hostages From Norway & China
If UK scraps the Human Rights Act we'll be in grim company
11-Year-Old Boy Arrested, Jailed After Refusing to Recite Pledge of Allegiance
Video – How Religions Would React To Extraterrestrial Life
Actress Stacey Dash Runs For Congress, Vows To Clean Up Hollywood
Alan Henning: Al-Qaeda appealed to Isis to release British aid worker following kidnap


text:
Pauline De Tholozany, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of French
Office: 512 Strode
Website: http://pdetholozany.weebly.com
Email: pdethol@clemson.edu
Ph.D., Brown University (2011); Masters of Arts, Brown University (2008)
Pauline de Tholozany specializes in 19th-century French Literature and culture. She is particularly interested in the history of civility and social customs during this period. Her first book, L'école de la maladresse (Paris: Honoré Champion, 2017), is a history of clumsiness in the 18th and 19th centuries. It seeks to understand why clumsiness came to be viewed as a sign of sincerity and/or originality in the 19th century.
Professor de Tholozany is now working on a new book-length project on the history of impatience. How are patience and impatience gendered concepts? How and why have calls for patience been used by those who wished to resist social change? And could we imagine ways to define impatience without pitting it against patience? Those are some of the questions that this book will seek to approach.
At Clemson, Professor de Tholozany teaches intermediate language courses as well as classes on 18th- and 19th-century French Literature. In the Spring of 2018, she will also teach an Honors course on the notion of adventure.
L'Ecole de la maladresse : de J.-J. Rousseau à J.J. Grandville, XVIIIe-XIXe siècle. Paris : Honoré Champion (September 2017).
https://www.honorechampion.com/fr/champion/10498-book-08533552-9782745335524.html
De Tholozany. How to be an Impatient Woman: Patience and Impatience in Indiana and Consuelo," George Sand Studies, vols. 37–38, 2018–2019. Hofstra University Press, 2019, pp.57-73.
"Teaching Les Misérables in a course on Childhood." MLA Approaches to Teaching Les Misérables, eds Michal Ginsburg and Brad Stephens, Forthcoming (2017).
"Fromentin on Cactus Grandiflora: the Aesthetics of Ecology in Une Année dans le Sahel." L'Esprit Créateur, Johns Hopkins University Press, Forthcoming (Spring 2017).
"Del francés al español : sobre dos poemas de José Maria de Heredia." INTI, Revista de Literatura Hispànica, N. 83, p. 110-118, Spring 2016.
"Panoramic Distraction(s) : Entertainers and Entertained in Nineteenth-century Paris." Nineteenth-Century Contexts. Boston, MA/Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge/Taylor and Francis, Fall 2013.
"Chronicles of Clumsiness: Hyperopic flâneurs and Myopic Bourgeois in the Streets of Paris." Dix-Neuf. Leeds: Society of dix-neuviémistes, Spring 2012.
"Revolutionizing the Fossilized: Balzac and Janin's Naturalist Discourse in Les Français peints par eux-mêmes." Nineteenth-Century French Studies. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, Fall 2012.


Two lenses offer you full protection on the road! Full HD 1080P @30fps of front camera plus 720P @30fps of back camera present ultra-high quality and smooth video.
Two lenses offer you full protection on the road!
The N2 is equipped with two cams and both have top class F/2.0 6 glasses lenses: front camera has a 170 degree wide angle lens and back camera has a 140 degree wide angle lens. The back camera is 80 deg. up & down rotatable, easy to adjust to the best view point.
Front camera features 1080P Full HD video recording, while the back camera is 720P HD, plus the HDR presents more details from shadows to highlights, recording your journey of day and night in excellent quality.
You could also choose only front camera recording mode.
Auto turns on and record while car engine started. Seamless loop recording enables it to overwrite the oldest footage with the newest upon filling a card to capacity. Support up to 32GB microSD card.
Reminder: The N2 comes with no memory card. Samsung Evo 32GB card is recommended.
G-Sensor data protection automatically senses a crash and saves the video files so they are not overwritten or corrupted. Also supports manually locking videos by pressing the emergency button. All G-Sensor data will be saved in Event folder for convenient review.
G-Sensor auto locks the Evernt videos to prevent to be looped. Also supports manual lock when emergency.
N2's parking mode could be triggered by motion detection or time lapse.
Triggered by the Motion Detection, the camera will record when people or things come closer to your car, and stop recording when no movement detected.
Triggered by Time Lapse, the camera will keep taking photos at the set time interval and then auto edit them together to a video clip.
Strong suction cup mount sticks to the windshield firmly. USB port on the mount also makes it easier to hide wire.
Feature Mini dual lens dash cam: Small Size, front facing and back facing camera in one body. On dual cam recording mode, simultaneously captures the road ahead and the cabin in HD video (Front: 1440x1080p30 HD, Rear: 1280x720p30 HD). On front cam recording, 1920x1080 @30fps Full-HD resolution of front cam provides great sharp video quality and super night vision with infrared light for the front cam. Wide Viewing: Ultra wide viewing angle films the road ahead and inside your car without edge distortion (Front: 170 degree, Rear: 140 degree). Event Protect: G-Sensor data protection automatically senses a crash and saves the video files so they are not overwritten or corrupted. Also supports manually locking videos. Seamless Loop: loop recording overwrites the oldest footage with the newest upon filling a card to capacity. Auto LCD off after the recording begins so you won't be disturbed by another glowing rectangle on your windshield. Support up to 64GB card, please format it to FAT32 first. Dual Parking Modes: Auto switch the dash camera to Parking Mode. Triggered by the Motion Detection, the camera will auto record when people or things come closer to your car from 10M / 33FT away in front. Triggered by Time Lapse, the camera will keep taking photos at the set time interval and then auto edit them together to a video clip. Please note: Parking modes only works for front camera.


This is a shortcut for every-day life. If you use a keyboard to type, this book will save you time, lots of time.
You may have tried a text expansion app before, and maybe you didn't have much luck, but this book isn't about any particular app, it's about a process. A process anyone can learn, and more importantly, anyone can remember.
I'm not going to call you an idiot if you don't use it…well, maybe I will. So just pick up the book and use it. It only cost a few cups of coffee.


text:
Watching Our Water Ways
Watching Our Water Ways Environmental reporter Christopher Dunagan discusses the challenges of protecting Puget Sound and all things water-related.
Tag Archives: Admiralty Inlet
Female orca in declining health shows amazing signs of recovery
Christopher Dunagan
The killer whale J-17, known as Princess Angeline, seems to have made a remarkable recovery since December, when the 42-year-old female was diagnosed with "peanut head" — an indicator of malnutrition that almost always leads to death.
Princess Angeline, J-17, in Admiralty Inlet Sunday
Photo: Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research
Federal permits: NMFS 21238 / DFO SARA 388
Now Princess Angeline looks much better and shows few signs of that dire condition, said Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research who got a good look at her Sunday when J pod came into Puget Sound.
"Since New Year's Eve, J-17 has fared much better than we expected," Ken told me. "They must have found some winter food up in Georgia Strait."
At one point, Ken had said it would be a "miracle" if she were ever seen again.
April 11, 2019 Marine mammals, Research, SalmonAdmiralty Inlet, Center for Whale Research, endangered species, Ken Balcomb, killer whale, Monterey Bay, orcas, Peanut head, Princess Angeline, Southern Resident killer whales, Southern resident orcas
Lunar energy could offer a steady, predictable supply
The gravitational pull of the moon offers an enormous potential to provide electrical power, since ocean tides move massive amounts of water on a regular schedule.
Harnessing ocean energy has the potential of providing a steady, predictable power supply. And, while wind and solar power are still favored on a cost basis, tidal power has the benefit of being always on, undiminished by clouds or lack of wind. That alone is considered a major benefit when it comes to operating the regional power grid.
This week's conference on ocean energy in Bremerton turned out to be interesting, not only for the types of technology discussed but also for its variety of viewpoints — including fishermen who want to make sure tidal turbines don't hurt their operations. Check out the story I wrote for Thursday's Kitsap Sun.
In the Puget Sound region, the Snohomish County Public Utility District is studying the potential environmental effects of placing a tidal turbine in Admiralty Inlet between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island. A small pilot project is all that is planned at this time.
At the Bremerton conference, Jim Thomson of the University of Washington described some of the ongoing studies, from measurements of currents passing through Admiralty Inlet to the possible effects of noise on sealife. So far, concerns appear to be manageable. I reported some of Thomson's comments in my story.
Another news report on the project itself was written this past summer by Charlie Bermant of the Peninsula Daily News. Charlie reported that the latest schedule calls for installing the turbines in 2013.
The top video on this page depicts a commercial turbine developed by OpenHydro, the company working with the PUD on the Admiralty Inlet site. The second video, though made in 2008, offers a nice perspective of the overall effort by SnoPUD General Manager Steve Klein.
Worldwide, the quest for energy is not bypassing the gravitational power of the moon. John Daly of Oilprice.com reported last week that Rolls Royce, which has become a formidable player in the energy business, has developed a tidal turbine that could make inroads into Great Brittain's electrical needs — although Daly failed to describe the potential cost obstacles.
Needless to say, this subject is worth following, and sponsors of the Bremerton event — including organizer Cleantech West Sound — are already discussing new issues that could be discussed at a repeat conference next year.
November 11, 2011 Business and industry, Ocean energy, Oceans, Planning, Puget Sound, ResearchAdmiralty Inlet, Marine energy, ocean energy, OpenHydro, Tidal power, tides, Turbine, Whidbey Island
Ole Birkland on Low rainfall during November contributes to smaller salmon runs
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John Williams on Amusing Monday: Costumes for people who wish to be sea creatures
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Christopher Dunagan on Native Olympia oysters expected to gain a new foothold in Sinclair Inlet
Gary Dering on Native Olympia oysters expected to gain a new foothold in Sinclair Inlet
Warren Lewis on Native Olympia oysters expected to gain a new foothold in Sinclair Inlet
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"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught." — Baba Dioum, Senegalese conservationist
Change for the new year: new home for this blog
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Nowadays people have many tensions in their mind related to the several things and they don't do anything to solve the problems. When you take a lot of burden on the mind then it can harm the health of brain which is not good for the brain. Now it is too necessary to have a sharp mind because without that you are unable to get the aim or goal of the life. if you really want to be the successful person and want to get the name and fame then you just need to take the help of the brain supplements like the Cogniflex because by this you can ignore the tensions from the mind.
With the use of that, you are able to improve memory which is too necessary because when you have the problem of memory loss then it can make you irritated. You must have a good memory and if you are a student then it is too important to have the great level of the memory and the energy so that you can study easily and in a good manner. In fact when you use that you can easily improve the creativity of the mind and it will also help you to improve concentration.
In order to get the more and deep information about the benefits of then, www.cogniflex.com will help you and here you can get all the answers of the quarries. This product has no side effects for the health because of the medically proved ingredients and nootropics are used in a wide level as an ingredient of this product. It will increase focus which is the best part of this brain supplement and if you are not satisfied with the result then you can get the refund ion a simple way.


Boost.Accumulators is both a library for incremental statistical computation as well as an extensible framework for incremental calculation in general. The library deals primarily with the concept of an accumulator, which is a primitive computational entity that accepts data one sample at a time and maintains some internal state. These accumulators may offload some of their computations on other accumulators, on which they depend. Accumulators are grouped within an accumulator set. Boost.Accumulators resolves the inter-dependencies between accumulators in a set and ensures that accumulators are processed in the proper order.


text:
Q: How to use single sign-on on iPhone native app? I'm developing a mobile version of a web app that uses single signon. How do I use Single sign-on on native iPhone app?

A: The term "single sign-on" could mean a whole lot of different things, but here's how I handle user authentication on the apps I've been building.
First thing, if I've never seen them before, I require them to log in or register (more on that in a sec). Once they do that, on the web app, I generate a magic token and store it with their user record. I return that token as part of the HTTP response of the login/registration request, and I store it in NSUserDefaults.
From then on, I supply that token with every request, and use it to auth the user. If they ever submit anything to me without a valid token, I bounce them back through login/registration.
I don't delete it between launches of the app. When you come back to me later, you're still you unless you hit the "log out" button.
I can also let you log your phone out from the web app this way, just by zapping the auth token from the user database.
Now (this is the more later) I've been hearing about Apple rejecting apps because they require user registration up front. That hasn't become a big widespread thing, so I suspect it was just a blip, but there it is, it's a risk.

A: You basically want to save the credentials and then provide them to the request when needed by any authentication challenge.
http://iosdevelopertips.com/networking/handling-url-authentication-challenges-accessing-password-protected-servers.html
I actually wrote a PhoneGap plugin to wrap abunch of login/authentication functionality
http://blog.clearlyinnovative.com/post/1012434483/phonegap-and-iphone-development

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Renault Fluence Reviews»
Renault Fluence User Reviews»
Renault Fluence User Review
User Review On Renault Fluence Car - 114854
I have purchased the petrol version called Renault Fluence E4
Posted by Kabir on September 19, 2011
I have purchased the petrol version called Renault Fluence E4 that comes with a 1997cc multi-point injection engine that has the capacity to deliver maximum power output of 137 ps at 6000 rpm and maximum torque of 190 nm at 3700 rpm. The front suspension is Mac Pherson type with coil spring, stabilizer bar and double responsive shock absorber.
I am most satisfied with the high class luxury features that are offered in the interior of the car. Simple features like auto-zone climate control, rear air-conditioner vents and ducts, illuminated glove compartment, start/stop engine button and power steering make the drive full of convenience.
Additionally, the cabin has features like tilt and telescopic steering, automated headlamp, smart access card entry, rain sensing wiper system, rear sun-blinds, cruise control and speed limiter. To facilitate optimum cabin space and storage, the car comes with equipment like storage box and cup holder in the front armrest and rear armrest.
CD MP3 player along with radio is also part of the centre console that offers entertainment to the passengers and the driver. The power steering is mounted with various audio controls, in order to cater convenience while driving. Lastly, the most important aspect, all safety equipment can also be found in the car. These include Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), SRS driver passenger air bags and Electronic stability program (ESP).
Read other Renault Fluence Reviews Post a Review
on April, 17 2014
Renault Fluence Facelift Review...
Ratings: 2.86 from 7 user(s)
Renault Fluence, which marked the company's solo entry in the Indian car segment, was as an important model. It was a gutsy move for the company to enter the D segment of sedans post its dissociation with Mahindra....
Read Full Renault Fluence Review
on March, 03 2012
Renault Fluence: Voluptuous Sedan...
Ratings: 0 from user(s)
The D+ segment of sedans have been making news with an array of launches and events. Heading this segment is the so called "Diesel Rocket"- the Chevrolet Cruze, which is an instant favorite if you are looking for an efficient and luxury sedan in that segm...
on May, 29 2011
Renault Fluence - Renault's Debut Premium Car - First Impressions...
After breaking off its Joint Venture with Mahindra and Mahindra, Renault had long been planning to enter India with its independent venture. Now, Renault has launched its premium sedan Fluence, along with an announcement for several more Renault cars to c...
Good But Not Too Good
(Renault Fluence User Review)
Snehankur Mondal | Dec 06, 2013 | Car's age:more than 10 years | Petrol
What's Good: only the model look......
What Can Improve: Its ok but not appropriate for Indian roads due to...
Read Full Renault Fluence User Review
Can't Ask For Anything...
Somasundaram Krishnan Kut | Aug 27, 2013 | Car's age:6-12 months | Petrol
What's Good: Excellent built quality.......
What Can Improve: Ground Clearance.....
ravindra nath pareek | May 03, 2012
What's Good: ......
I Purchased The Renault...
Chandra bhargav | Dec 16, 2011
Very Worst Interiors Nd...
srikant | Oct 30, 2011
Fluence Is One Of The Most...
Sasi Menon | Oct 03, 2011
I Have Purchased The Petrol...
Kabir | Sep 19, 2011
The Wonderful Fluence
vikas | Sep 16, 2011
Beauty Queen Of Indian Roads
RAVINDRA NATH PAREEK | Aug 03, 2011
Fluence Looks Likea Audi
Sukhvir Singh Pannu | Jun 08, 2011
More on Renault Fluence


I am looking for some Christmas inspiration, especially for the kitchen for some new styling projects, and these images from an old Artilleriet Christmas exhibition are just perfect. I am very into the rustic Scandinavian feel lately, but I like to introduce some minimal elements as well to it, this way it feels I am making it a little bit more my own. As for the perfect pre Christmas afternoon, some gløgg , wood fire, music and a good book is all I need!


Last year, an estimated $13 trillion in home equity was available to U.S. homeowners. It has doubled since 2011 and many people are now looking for someplace other than their home to make money from real estate. Investing in commercial properties may result in significant financial benefits. Of course, getting approved for a commercial real estate loan is not always easy, especially if you're a first time commercial investor. Here are just a few tips to help you qualify for commercial real estate loans.
A lender's first rule is that income repays loans. So if you are buying real estate as an investment, it will likely produce income for you. A banker is going to make sure that the income produced from the property is enough to repay all expenses 1.25X over. Those expenses include the loan repayment, taxes, insurances, potential vacancies, management fees and any other costs associated with the property. The more you understand this before you make an offer on a property, the easier the loan process will be.
You will also hear lender's speak about your Global Cash Flow coverage ratio. Lender's will look at income from the property itself, but they will also look at your personal income and personal expenses to make sure that you have enough income to cover all personal expenses. The property coverage and Global Coverage both need to be in excess of 1.25X. If you experience a hardship on one property, they want to make sure you can move cash around to keep all your debt service intact," writes Joe Fairless on BiggerPockets.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that lenders take your overall net worth into consideration when determining whether or not you're eligible for commercial real estate loans. When calculating or estimating your net worth, determine the difference between your assets and your liabilities. Ideally, your net worth will be equal to or greater than the amount of the loan. However, this isn't a hard and fast rule. Lenders may make an exception for those with a particularly high income.
As with other types of loans, your credit score matters when it comes to commercial real estate investment loans. Although it's not the only factor, it's important to keep your score above 650. Anything below 650 may cause challenges in getting approved.
LTV stands for" loan-to-value" ratios. For instance, if your down payment covers 50% of the property's value, then your loan will have a low loan-to-value ratio. In general, the higher the LTV, the higher the interest rate you can expect to pay. Keep in mind that commercial real estate loans typically have much shorter re-payment periods than residential mortgages, so think carefully about what interest rate will be acceptable.
For information about qualifying for a commercial real estate investment loan, or for information about business checking accounts and other banking services, contact First Bank of the Palm Beaches.


Inspired by Bollywood movie 'Padman', the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Odisha capital today installed automatic sanitary napkin vending machine for women travellers.
The vending machine has been installed in ladies washrooms of both the terminals. The user has to insert Rs 10 coin (coins of denominations of Rs 10 or Rs 5 or Re 1, total amounting to Rs 10) to get one napkin.


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Air-Sea Interaction
Biogeochemistry & Marine Ecosystems
Ocean State Estimation
The ocean is a stratified fluid on a rotating Earth governed by the laws of mechanics and thermodynamics, driven from its upper surface by patterns of momentum and buoyancy fluxes. The ocean contains a wide variety of phenomena on a plethora of space and time scales, ranging from tides, internal gravity waves, large-scale ocean currents and geostrophic turbulence. Modeling the ocean is a formidable challenge; it is a turbulent fluid containing energetically active scales ranging from the global down to order 1 to 10km horizontally and some tens of meters vertically. Important scale interactions occur over the entire spectrum. The ocean also interacts with the cryosphere (land and sea-ice) and harbors life which plays a central role in biogeochemical cycles.
Researches in PAOC are driving forward modeling of the ocean both in its physical (water and ice) and biogeochemical aspects. To this end, much effort is being devoted to developing:
algorithms that seamlessly range from convective (non-hydrostatic) scales to balanced (hydrostatic) motions of planetary scale
inverse methodologies and code that interface models with observations
biogeochemical and self-assembling ecosystem models that incorporate aspects of natural selection
novel approaches to coupled modeling employing atmosphere/ocean isomorphisms to render models of both fluids from a single hydrodynamical kernel.
CLIMATE MODELING INITIATIVE
The Climate Modeling Initiative is an open-source collaborative based at MIT which has developed a modeling infrastructure for the study of the atmosphere, ocean and climate of the Earth.
Estimating The Circulation And Climate Of the Ocean
Understanding the ways in which the ocean interacts with the remainder of the climate system is one of the most interesting and challenging of scientific problems.
MITGCM
The MITgcm (MIT General Circulation Model) is a numerical model designed for study of the atmosphere, ocean, and climate. By employing fluid isomorphisms, one hydrodynamical kernel can be used to simulate flow in both the atmosphere and ocean.
John Marshall's Group
John Marshall's group studies the general circulation of the ocean and its role in the global climate.
Mick Follow's Group
We use models and data analysis to investigate the connections between ocean circulation, biogeochemical cycles and marine ecosystems.
Glenn Flierl's Group
Paola Rizzoli's Group
Paola Rizzoli's Group is currently working on modelling tropical ocean behaviour and data assimilation in the Singapore Strait, as well as regional climate simulations connecting the regional model of the Maritime Continent to the Integrated Global S...
Carl Wunsch's Group
Chris Hill's Group
Chris Hill's work centers on how digital computing technology in its broadest sense applies to Earth science and especially the ocean.
Patrick Heimbach's Group
The overarching theme of our research rests on the recognition that many elements of the present climate remain poorly sampled by observations, preventing a quantitative mechanistic understanding of climate variability and change over the past decade...
Raffaele Ferrari's Group
Professor Ferrari's Group is interested in the dynamics of the ocean, its interactions with present and past climates, and its coupling to biogeochemistry.