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John Scalzi's Lock In
Lock In by John Scalzi: Chapter 2
Thu May 22, 2014 10:00am 2 comments Favorite This
More Chapters from Lock In:
Chapter One - May 22, 2014
Chapter Three - May 22, 2014
Chapter Four - May 22, 2014
Chapter Five - May 22, 2014
Read a free excerpt from Lock In, John Scalzi's new novel, out on August 26 from Tor Books! And check back every morning for another chapter from Scalzi's new science fiction thriller.
Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever, and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent—nearly five million souls in the United States alone—the disease causes "lock in": Victims are fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to any stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.
A quarter of a century later, in a world shaped by what's now known as "Haden's syndrome," rookie FBI agent Chris Shane is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann. They are assigned what appears to be a Haden-related murder at the Watergate Hotel, with a suspect who is an "Integrator"—someone who can let the locked in borrow their bodies for a time. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden client, then naming the suspect for the murder will be that much more complicated.
But "complicated" doesn't begin to describe the puzzle that ensues. As Shane and Vann begin to unravel the threads of the murder, it becomes clear that the real mystery—and the real crime—is bigger than anyone could have imagined. The world of the locked in is changing, and with change comes opportunity that the ambitious will seize at any cost. The investigation takes Shane and Vann from the halls of corporate power to the virtual spaces of the locked in, and to the very heart of an emerging, surprising new human culture.
For additional context, check out "Unlocked," a short story by John Scalzi set in this world.
Who's the clank?" the man asked Vann, as he met us at the precinct. My facial scan software popped him up as George Davidson, captain of the Metro Second Precinct.
"Wow, really?" I said, before I could stop myself.
"I used the wrong word, didn't I," Davidson said, looking at me. "I can never remember if 'clank' or 'threep' is the word I'm not supposed to be using today."
"Here's a hint," I said. "One comes from a beloved android character from one of the most popular films of all time. The other describes the sound of broken machinery. Guess which one we like better."
"Got it," Davidson said. "I thought you people were on strike today."
"Jesus," I said, annoyed.
"Touchy threep," Davidson said, to Vann.
"Asshole cop," Vann said, to Davidson. Davidson smiled. "This is Agent Chris Shane. My new partner."
"No shit," Davidson said, looking back at me. He clearly recognized the name.
"Surprise," I said.
Vann waved at Davidson to get his attention back over to her. "You've got someone I want to talk to."
"Yes, I do," Davidson said. "Trinh told me you would be coming."
"You're not going to be as difficult as she's been, I hope," Vann said.
"Oh, you know I'm all about cooperation between law enforcement entities," Davidson said. "And also you've never crossed me. Come on." He motioned us forward, into the bowels of the station.
A few minutes later we were staring at Nicholas Bell through glass. He was in an interrogation room, silent, waiting.
"Doesn't look like the guy to shove someone out of a window," Davidson observed.
"It wasn't a guy," Vann said. "The guy was still in the room. It was a love seat."
"Doesn't look like the guy to shove a love seat out of a window, either," Davidson said.
Vann pointed. "That's an Integrator," Vann said. "He spends a lot of time with other people in his head, and those people want to do a lot of different things. He's in better shape than you think."
"If you say so," Davidson said. "You'd know better than I would."
"Have you talked to him yet?" I asked.
"Detective Gonzales took a pass at him," Davidson said. "He sat there and didn't say a word, and did that for about twenty minutes."
"Well, he has a right to remain silent," I said.
"He hasn't invoked that right yet," Davidson said. "He hasn't asked for a lawyer yet, either."
"That wouldn't have anything to do with your Officer Timmons zapping him into unconsciousness at the scene, now, would it?" Vann asked.
"I don't have the full report from Timmons yet," Davidson said.
"You're a beacon of safe constitutional practices, Davidson."
Davidson shrugged. "He's been awake for a while. If he remembers he's got rights, then fine. Until then, if you want to take a pass at him, he's all yours."
I looked over to Vann to see what she was going to do. "I think I'm going to pee," she said. "And then I'm going to get a coffee."
"Down the hall for both," Davidson said. "You remember where."
Vann nodded and left.
"Chris Shane, huh," Davidson said to me, after she was gone.
"That's me," I said.
"I remember you when you were a kid," Davidson said. "Well, not a kid, exactly. You know what I mean."
"I do," I said.
"How's your dad? He going to run for senator or what?"
"He hasn't decided yet," I said. "That's off the record."
"I used to watch him play," Davidson said.
"I'll let him know," I said.
"Been with her long?" Davidson motioned after Vann.
"First day as her partner. Second day on the job."
"You're a rookie?" Davidson asked. I nodded. "It's hard to tell, because—" He motioned to my threep.
"I get that," I said.
"It's a nice threep," he said.
"Sorry about the 'clank' thing."
"It's not a problem," I said.
"I'd guess that you'd have less-than-flattering ways of describing us," Davidson said.
" 'Dodgers,' " I said. "What?"
" 'Dodgers,' " I repeated. "It's short for 'Dodger Dogs.' It's the hot dog they serve at Dodger Stadium in L.A."
"I know what a Dodger Dog is," Davidson said. "I don't think I get how you get from us to them."
"Two ways," I said. "One, you guys are basically meat stuffed into skin. So are hot dogs. Two, hot dogs are mostly lips and assholes, and so are you guys."
"Nice," Davidson said.
"You asked," I said.
"Yeah, but why Dodger Dogs?" Davidson said. "This is a lifelong Nationals fan asking."
"Got me," I said. " Why 'threep'? Why 'clank '? Slang happens."
"Any slang for him?" Davidson pointed to Bell, who was still sitting there, quietly.
"He's a 'mule,' " I said.
"Makes sense," Davidson said.
"Ever use one?"
"An Integrator? Once," I said. "I was twelve and my parents took me to Disney World. Thought it would be better to experience it in the flesh. So they scheduled me an Integrator for the day."
"I hated it," I said. "It was hot, after an hour my feet hurt, and I nearly pissed myself because I had no idea how to do it like you guys do, right? That's all taken care of for me, and I got Haden's so young that I don't remember doing it the other way. The Integrator had to surface to do it, and they're not supposed to do that when they're carrying someone. After a couple of hours I complained enough that we went back to the hotel room and swapped back out with the threep. And then I had a good time. They still had to pay the Integrator for the full day, though."
"And you haven't done it since."
"No," I said. "Why bother."
"Huh," Davidson said. The door to the interrogation room opened and Vann came through it, carrying two cups of coffee. He pointed to her. "She's one, you know."
"She's one what?"
"An Integrator," Davidson said. "Or was, anyway, before she joined the Bureau."
"I didn't know that," I said. I looked over to where she was sitting down and getting comfortable.
"It's why she's got this beat," Davidson said. "She gets you guys in a way the rest of us don't. No offense, but it's hard for the rest of us to wrap our brains around what's going on with you."
"I understand that," I said.
"Yeah," Davidson said. He was quiet for a second, and I waited for what I knew was coming next: the Personal Connection to Haden's. I guessed an uncle or a cousin.
"I had a cousin who got Haden's," Davidson said, and internally I checked off the victory. "This was back with the first wave, when no one had any idea what the fuck was going on. Before they called it Haden's. She got the
flu, and then seemed to get better, and then—" He shrugged.
"Lock in," I said.
"Right," Davidson said. "I remember going to the hospital to see her, and they had a whole wing of locked-in patients. Just lying there, doing nothing but breathing. Dozens of them. And a couple of days before, all of them were walking around, living a normal life."
"What happened to your cousin?" I asked.
"She lost it," Davidson said. "Being locked in made her have a psychotic break, or something like that."
I nodded. "That wasn't uncommon, unfortunately."
"Right," Davidson said again. "She hung in for a couple of years and then her body gave it up."
"Sorry," I said.
"It was bad," Davidson said. "But it was bad for everyone. I mean, shit. The first lady got it. That's why it's called Haden's."
"It still sucks."
"It does," Davidson agreed, and pointed to Vann. "I mean, she got Haden's too, right?" Davidson asked. "At some point. That's why she's like she is."
"Sort of," I said. "There was a tiny percentage of people who were infected who had their brain structure altered but didn't get locked in. A tiny percentage of them had their brains altered enough to be able to be Integrators." It was more complicated than that but I didn't think Davidson actually cared that much. "There's maybe ten thousand Integrators on the entire planet."
"Huh," Davidson said. "Anyway. She's an Integrator. Or was. So maybe she'll get something out of this guy after all." He turned up the volume on the speakers so we could hear what she was saying to Bell.
■ ■ ■
"I brought you some coffee," Vann said, to Bell, sliding the coffee over to him. "Knowing nothing about you, I guessed you might want cream and sugar. Sorry if I got that wrong."
Bell looked at the coffee, but otherwise did and said nothing.
"Bacon cheeseburgers," Vann said.
" What?" Bell said. Vann's apparent non sequitur had roused him out of complete silence.
"Bacon cheeseburgers," Vann repeated. "When I worked as an Integrator I ate so many goddamned bacon cheeseburgers. You might know why."
"Because the first thing anyone who's been locked in wants when they integrate is a bacon cheeseburger," Bell said.
Vann smiled. "So it's not just me it happened to," she said.
"It's not," Bell said.
"There was a Five Guys down the street from my apartment," Vann said. "It got so that all I had to do was walk through the door, and they'd put the patties on the grill. They wouldn't even wait to take my order. They knew."
"That sounds about right," Bell said.
"It took two and a half years after I stopped integrating before I could even look at a bacon cheeseburger again," Vann said.
"That sounds about right, too," Bell said. "I wouldn't eat them anymore if I didn't have to."
"Be strong," Vann said.
Bell grabbed the coffee Vann brought for him, smelled it, and took a sip. "You're not Metro," he said. "I've never met a Metro cop who'd been an Integrator."
"My name is Agent Leslie Vann," she said. "I'm with the Bureau. I and my partner investigate crimes that involve Hadens. You're not typically what we consider a Haden, but you are an Integrator, which means a Haden might have been involved here. If there was, then you and I both know this is something you may not be responsible for. But you have to let me know, so I can help you."
"Right," Bell said.
"The police tell me that you've not previously been forthcoming on the whole talking thing."
"I'll give you three guesses why," Bell said.
"Probably because they zapped you as soon as they saw you."
"Not that it means anything, but I apologize to you for that, Nicholas. It's not the way I would have handed it if I were there."
"I was sitting on the bed," Bell said. "With my hands up. I wasn't doing anything."
"I know," Vann said. "And like I said, I apologize for that. It wasn't right. On the other hand—and this isn't an excuse, just an observation—while you were sitting on the bed with your hands up, not doing anything, there was a dead guy on the floor, and his blood was all over you." She moved a single index finger to point. "Still all over you, come to think of it."
Bell stared at Vann, quiet.
"Like I said, not an excuse," Vann reiterated, after fifteen seconds of silence.
"Am I under arrest?" Bell asked.
"Nicholas, you were found in a room with a dead guy, covered in his blood," Vann said. "You can understand why we all might be curious about the circumstances. Anything you can tell us is going to be helpful. And if it clears your name, so much the better, right?"
"Am I under arrest?" Bell repeated.
"What you are, is in a position to help me out," Vann said. "I'm coming into this late. I've seen the hotel room, but I got there after you were taken away. So if you can clue me in to what was happening in that room. What I should be looking for. Anything would help. And if you help me, I'm in a better position to help you."
Bell gave a wry smile to this, crossed his arms, and looked away.
"We're back to the not talking," Vann said.
"We can talk about bacon cheeseburgers again, if you like."
"You can at the very least tell me if you were integrated," Vann said.
"You're kidding," Bell said.
"I'm not asking for details, just whether or not you were working," Vann said. "Or were you about to work? I knew Integrators who did freelancing on the side. A Dodger wants to do something he can't be seen doing in public. They've got those gray-market scanner caps that work well enough for the job. And now that Abrams-Kettering's passed, you've got a reason to go looking for side gigs. The government contracts are drying up. And you've got family to think about."
Bell, who had been sipping his coffee, set it down and swallowed. "You're talking about Cassandra now," he said.
"No one would blame you," Vann said. "Congress is taking away funding for Hadens after the immediate infection and transitional care. Said that the technology for helping them participate in the world has gotten so good that it shouldn't be considered a disability anymore."
"Do you believe that?" Bell asked.
"My partner is a Haden," Vann said. "If you ask me, it means now I have an advantage, because threeps are better than the human body in lots of ways. But there are a lot of Hadens who slip through the cracks. Your sister, for example. She's not doing what Congress expects her to do, which is to get a job."
Bell visibly bristled at this. "If you know who I am then you certainly know who she is," he said. "I'd say she has a job. Unless you think being one of the prime movers behind the Haden Walkout this week and the march they have planned for this weekend is something she's doing in her spare time."
"I don't disagree with you, Nicholas," Vann said. "She's not exactly working at Subway, making sandwiches. But she's also not making any money doing what she's doing."
"Money isn't that important to her."
"No, but it's about to become important," Vann said. "Abrams-Kettering means that Hadens are being transitioned out to private care. Someone has to cover her expenses now. You're her only living family. I'd guess it falls to you. Which brings us back to that hotel room and that man you were with. And brings me back to my point, which is that if you were integrated, or were about to be integrated, then that's something I need to know. It's something I need in order to help you."
"I appreciate your desire to help, Agent Vann," Bell said, dryly. "But I think what I really want to do is wait until my lawyer arrives and let him handle things from here."
Vann blinked. "I wasn't told you'd asked for a lawyer," she said.
"I didn't," Bell said. "I called him while I was still in the hotel room. Before the police zapped me." Bell tapped his temple, indicating all the high-tech apparatus he had stuffed into his skull. "Which I recorded, of course, just like I record almost everything. Because you and I agree on one thing, Agent Vann. Being in a room with a dead body complicates matters. Being electrocuted before I could exercise my rights complicates them even more."
At this, Bell smiled and looked up, as if paying attention to something unseen. "And that's a ping from my lawyer. He's here. I expect your life is about to get much more interesting, Agent Vann."
"I think we're done here, then," Vann said.
"I think we are," Bell said. "But it was lovely talking food with you."
Lock In copyright © 2014 John Scalzi
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Warren Field is the location of a mesolithic calendar monument built about 8,000 BCE. It includes 12 pits believed to correlate with phases of the Moon and used as a lunisolar calendar. It is considered to be the oldest lunisolar calendar yet found. It is near Crathes Castle, in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland, in the United Kingdom.  It was originally discovered from the air as anomalous terrain by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.  It was first excavated in 2004.

The pits align on the south east horizon and a prominent topographic point associated with sunrise on the midwinter solstice (thus providing an annual astronomical correction concerning the passage of time as indicated by the Moon, the asynchronous solar year and the associated seasons). The Aberdeenshire time reckoner predates the Mesopotamian calendars by nearly 5,000 years. It was also interpreted as a seasonal calendar because the local prehistoric communities, which relied on hunting migrating animals needed to carefully note the seasons to be prepared for a particular food source. The Warren Field site is particularly significant for its very early date and the fact that it was created by hunter-gatherer peoples, rather than sedentary farmers usually associated with monument building.

See also
 Prehistoric Scotland
 Prehistoric Britain
 Neolithic British Isles
 Göbekli Tepe
 Callanish Stones
 Stonehenge

References

Stone Age sites in Scotland
Archaeological sites in Aberdeenshire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Perhaps you are in denial of your actions, words, behaviors and/or the relative consequences; guilty, nonetheless.
You are guilty of finding fault in another whilst turning away from the faults that lie within.
You are guilty of placing responsibility for your actions upon the heart, mind and shoulders of another, who; has already been carrying the weight of their own experiences, and, likely the burdens of the many more like you.
You are guilty of holding someone, something, anyone, anything outside of yourself accountable for your actions, beliefs, choices, decisions, and experiences.
Do I write to shame you? Never. You are already dense with affliction. If you were not; you would not be the one projecting your negative thoughts and dark feelings of obscure inadequacy upon another.
I write to inform you; you are weak. Not necessarily a permanent state of being, but in the now, you have shown yourself incapable of carrying the less savory aspects of your own experiences.
Your defined muscles, obsessive commitments to fitness and perceivable stamina are no indication of strength.
Same place you'll find: addictions, ailments, burdens, complaints, complications, confusion, difficulties, dilemmas, disorders, grievances, messes, predicaments, quandaries, troubles, worries and weakness.
I write to enlighten you; those of you who blame: abuse, manipulate and distort love, and, one of its most sacred aspects, forgiveness.
You knowingly or unknowingly walk into sacred spaces that have taken lifetimes to heal, purify, and rebuild, and you destroy.
You were ill taught that you can be absolved, cleared, forgiven, freed, liberated and pardoned from your behaviors; why be accountable in the first place?
I write to advise you; your feelings of entitlement are erroneous. Your jaded belief systems which permit your deceptive actions, behaviours, sentiments and words to plague another are not warranted or justifiable.
You have likely forgotten; life and its inhabitants do not owe you anything for your inability to navigate your way through the emotions, experiences and intended evolution that is yours and yours alone to traverse.
You are manipulative, irresponsible and lazy.
For more self-study, The Urban Howl recommends Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself .
Aliza Gerritt is an Alchemist, Catalyst, Educator, Entrepreneur, Empowerment Architect, Writer and Visionary. She is passionate about educating, empowering and inspiring all sentient beings to consciously, confidently and creatively reclaim: vibrant health, balanced well-being and radical self-love. Aliza seamlessly weaves her quest; ancient teachings, innate wisdom, intuition, metaphysics, mysticism, sacred and universal truth into an eclectic tapestry of yoga as a lifestyle. Aliza is universally recognized as a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Therapist, esteemed Multi-Dimensional Healer|Shamanic Reiki Master and a Certified Nutritional Therapist. Connect with her via Facebook and Instagram.
Ah, the student becomes the teacher, the daughter becomes 'the mother' as she offers powerful words like fingers probing and dissecting, while embracing my soul–words making me aware of how far I have yet to go.
Yes. HELL YES. Someone had to say it! The unspoken sentiments of many others, I imagine, have been tactfully assembled into words.


I attended and graduated Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School, and am attending Guelph University in the fall as an English/Theatre major.
I have previously babysat for my little sister and for families in my neighborhood. I intend to become a teacher once I've completed university, and I've always enjoyed interacting with kids! In my other jobs, I was responsible for getting the kids to bed on time and house-sitting for another hour or so before the parents would return home, and when babysitting my little sister I would be responsible for preparing simple meals for dinner.


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Choosing a Financial Partner
Select Investments
Private Equity Portfolio
Home / Teamnew / Martin LeBlanc
Martin LeBlanc
CEO Advisory Board Member
mleblanc@gppfunds.com
Martin LeBlanc joined Great Point Partners' CEO Advisory Board in 2012 and is currently on the Board of Softbox Systems, a GPP II portfolio company, and was previously a Board member of Cytovance Biologics, a GPP I portfolio company.
Mr. LeBlanc is the current CEO of Caprion Proteomics, a company in which GPP invested in 2007 and sold in 2012 for 3.4x invested capital and a 28% IRR. During the GPP investment period and while he was CEO, Caprion grew from around $100,000 of EBITDA in 2007 to nearly $9 million of EBITDA in 2012. Today, Caprion Proteomics is the leader in providing proteomics and immune monitoring services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Prior to Caprion, Mr. LeBlanc began his professional career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company. He then initiated his career as a biotech entrepreneur at Advanced Bioconcept, initially as Vice-President of Sales & Marketing and then as General Manager following the company's acquisition by NEN Life Sciences (now part of Perkin-Elmer).
Mr. LeBlanc earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Moncton prior to completing an M.A. in economics and politics at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
CEO Experience
Caprion Proteomics – biomarker services for pharmaceutical companies
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© 2020 Great Point Partners, LLC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


WordPress is one of the famous website management system widely used. This software will help you to create a website from the beginning and to make your small business to grow. You can either choose a free version where you can create your site on a WordPress.com sub-domain, or you can select free themes to install it in your domain name.
Installing WordPress on your domain involves the cost of web hosting, theme and other support. Basically, installing on your domain needs be paid from the beginning, and you will have access to everything, while the other one can be installed for free but will deny you the access to some of its services. That means that you will have limitations at the moment you start to create your website.
Why are people into WordPress?
WordPress is a straightforward website content management system that everyone can use without being a programming expert. That is probably the most important reason for its popularity. Also, a lot of known companies use it to create their pages.
However, as everything in the world, it cannot be perfect and has its pros and cons. WordPress is not perfect, but today we will show you some of the pros and cons of using it for your website.
You can use WordPress to create any page you like; there are no limits. You can also install some plugins to modify your website, and WordPress will let you do it.
WordPress can also provide you with a WordPress developer; this one will help you a lot to create a unique site.You will have no limits when you start to create your page, and you will be able to add any type of content or format to it.
WordPress will allow you to integrate a data capture quickly and to add forms to your site. Moreover, the number of options is vast.
In WordPress the control of the content is up to you, you can put anything you want, and this software will not remove it.
There is no restriction on the things that you upload to your website, and you can develop it in any way you want.
Also, if you want to take out some content, it just as natural as breathing. WordPress has many tools available to its users to help you export and back up any material.
It is a well-known software.
Even the big companies use this software to create their pages. That gives to its professionalism, and you will feel comfortable working with it.
You can either use WordPress multilingual plugin or WordPress multisite, this way you will be able to create other versions of your website in multi-languages, which will also help your page to reach every corner in the world.
That is something that other software like Squarespace will not allow you to do. This plugin is fundamental if you want your page to be seen in different territories and this way everyone will enjoy your post and your content.
The responsibility, maintenance, and security of your site depend on you. WordPress does not take responsibility for anything that happens to your website. It is up to you to keep maintenance of the version of WordPress up to date. Moreover, if you do not stay on top this aspect, your website will be vulnerable to any type of hacks.
Some pages and software have support included with it (live chat or through e-mail). That way, if you have problems, you can contact them and receive help to solve those issues. On the other hand, WordPress does not have this feature. That means that if you have problems with your page, you do not have anyone to turn to from the WordPress team.
To receive any help, you will have to pay a WordPress developer plus the price of your monthly payments (This comes from costs perspectives).
As it is known, this software has a variety of themes that you can use even if you are not an expert creating websites, but, if you do not find a WordPress developer, your page will look pretty similar to many pages using the same theme as you. So, if you want your web to be unique, you will have to find some plugins, and you will need help for it.
If you are not an expert, you will have no control of the codes that you are using.
WordPress is excellent software to work with if you want to start your small business website design . Owning a site or a page is essential to make your business grow because it will provide your company with professionalism. Plus, your clients and customers will feel safer and more comfortable knowing that you can manage the constant technological advances.
Showing you the pros and cons will only help you see which software do you need to start your page and which one works better or which one you can understand more clearly. It all depends on you and your abilities in the technological field.


Between 2000 and 2018, the road motor vehicle stock (excluding mopeds) increased by 33% to 6,1 million. Passenger cars account for around three quarters of this stock; for some time there has been a trend towards diesel and 4x4 vehicles. 19 181 all electric cars were registered in 2018 in total, i.e. around 25 times more than in 2000. A considerable increase has also been seen among motorcycles and light goods vehicles: their stock has risen by 50% since 2000.
In 2015, 65% of all households owned at least one bicycle. 7% of households had an e-bike.
In 2018, there were an average of 543 passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants in Switzerland, with considerable regional differences: Particularly in urban agglomerations with a dense public transport network, the level of motorisation was considerably below the Swiss average.
Approximately 6700 public road transport vehicles were registered in 2015. Four fifths of these vehicles were buses. Their stock has risen by 26% since 2000. In parallel, the stock of trams has increased by 5%, whereas the number of trolley buses has fallen by 15%. This decline is primarily due to the acquisition of larger vehicle combinations and larger vehicles.


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Melanoma therapy
Why pregnancy could literally save your skin
Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a new therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma.
Credit: Penn Medicine
For decades, research has associated female sex and a history of previous pregnancy with better outcomes after a melanoma diagnosis. Now, a research team from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania says it may have determined the reason for the melanoma-protective effect. The mechanism is related to a cellular protein called the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). When GPER was activated and combined with anti PD-1inhibitor drugs in mouse cancer models, the therapy dramatically extended survival in all animals and completely eliminated the tumor in 50 percent of the mice. Researchers published their findings in the journal eLife.
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, despite accounting for only about one percent of skin cancers overall. Rates of melanoma have been rising for 30 years, and the American Cancer Society estimates there were more than 87,000 new cases in the United States in 2017. Even with recent advances in immunotherapy, the majority of patients with metastatic forms of melanoma will die from their disease.
Source: Penn Medicine
In melanoma and many other types of cancer, women have a better prognosis than men, and women with a history of pregnancy seem to have a better prognosis than those women that have never been pregnant" said the study's senior author Todd W. Ridky, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Dermatology at Penn. "Decades of research certainly suggests that there is something about female sex and pregnancy hormones that helps protect against melanoma, but no one really understood how that might work."
Researchers say the key is GPER, a receptor found on melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells in the skin. The receptor is normally activated by estrogen, which is higher in females, especially during pregnancy. Activation of GPER likely explains why many women notice that many areas of their skin gets darker during pregnancy. Previous research from the Ridky lab has shown the effects of GPER activation are totally different than the effects of classical estrogen receptor signaling, which is important in breast cancer. The team discovered that melanocytes do not even express the classical estrogen receptor, and that all estrogen effects were the result of GPER. In melanoma specifically, once GPER is activated, the cancer cell becomes more differentiated. This means it divides less frequently, makes more pigment, and becomes more visible and vulnerable to the natural immune system. This makes it harder for the cancer to become resistant to immunotherapies.
So much of the cancer field is focused on inhibitors, but in this new treatment approach, we're actually activating something rather than blocking it
Todd W. Ridky
No drugs specifically target GPER, but Ridky and his team used a lab compound called G-1, originally developed by Eric Prossnitz, PhD, at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, to stimulate GPER in mice, and then used anti-PD-1 inhibitors to treat the melanoma. The approach eliminated the tumors in half of all mice. The authors note that anti-PD-1 inhibitors, when used alone in mice with melanoma, extend survival modestly, but do not completely eliminate tumors, and no animals survive long-term. "We hope this work inspires other researchers to revisit old ideas of differentiation-based cancer therapies now that immune therapies are available," said the study's lead author Christopher A. Natale, a researcher in Ridky's lab. "It is clear that the future of cancer therapy lies in combination treatments, and differentiation drivers may be a very useful component in future cancer therapy regimens."
As Ridky points out, this represents a unique approach to immunotherapy and cancer therapy in general. "So much of the cancer field is focused on inhibitors, but in this new treatment approach, we're actually activating something rather than blocking it," Ridky said. "We used a synthetic compound to mimic part of what happens naturally during pregnancy, and as a result, the GPER activator is very well tolerated without any obvious toxic side effects that are common with most cancer drugs." Ridky also said this approach could be promising beyond melanoma. "This is a receptor that is expressed in many organs, so there's a reasonable expectation that this may work in other tumor types too," Ridky said. Although researchers did not observe any toxicities from the compound in mice, though they say they plan further toxicity studies before hopefully moving on to human trials.
Source: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
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"Bless you!"
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Fallen Chinese Politician Bo Xilai Loses Appeal
Denial marks the final disgrace of former Communist Party highflyer whose graft trial became China's biggest political scandal in decades
By Hannah Beech Oct. 24, 2013
Xie Huanchi / Xinhua Press / Corbis
Bo Xilai, center, at the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in Jinan, capital of eastern China's Shandong province, on Aug. 26, 2013
Bo Xilai, the disgraced Communist Party boss, had his appeal against a life sentence for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power denied Friday during a brief hearing at the Shandong Higher People's Court in eastern China.
This final dishonoring of China's most charismatic and controversial politician was never in any doubt. While appeals are technically part of the Chinese judicial system, they are almost never successful in high-profile cases. For more than a year, the Chinese Communist Party made it clear that Bo would fall — and Chinese courts are bound to follow the mandate of the ruling party.
A former Politburo member and the princeling son of a Communist Party elder, 64-year-old Bo had once been tapped as a possible future member of the Standing Committee that rules China. But in the most scandalous episode to strike the Chinese Communist Party in decades, he was removed from power last year, after his deputy tried to defect at a U.S. consulate in southwestern China and his wife was implicated in the murder of a British business consultant. (Bo's deputy, Wang Lijun, is serving a 15-year jail sentence, while Bo's wife Gu Kailai was handed a suspended death sentence last year.)
(VIDEO: As Bo Xilai Goes to Trial, Disgraced Chinese Official Still Has His Fans)
As the hours to the decision on the Friday appeal ticked down, Bo's fate was relegated to non-news status on Chinese state-linked media websites, which ran with homepage stories on strengthened ties between China and the E.U. and the impending departure of a giant inflatable duck from a Beijing lake, among other articles.
Still, the denouement in the Bo case proved a hot topic on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging platform. Some fans of Bo — who gained support for his populist Maoist revival campaign even as he trampled over individual rights during his time as party boss of the sprawling southwestern municipality of Chongqing — expressed their disgust with what they considered an unfair fight.
"The reality is very cruel," wrote one Weibo user. "When the tiger and dragon fight with each other, the loser usually will be suppressed brutally by the winner. Sometimes human beings are no different from animals. I feel pity for [Bo]." Others commented on the predictability of the appeal rejection. "The director of this play will not change his script," opined another Weibo user.
Aware of the poor reputation of its officials among the Chinese public, the Communist Party has launched a well-publicized corruption crackdown. Xi Jinping, who came to power as China's leader last year, has made tackling official graft one of his signature campaigns. A report released this month by China's Supreme People's Procuratorate stated that 32 ministerial-level officials (including Bo) had been investigated for graft from January 2008 to August 2013. A story on the judicial report by Xinhua, China's state news service, did not mention whether all 32 senior cadres had been found guilty. It didn't need to — Chinese reading the story know well the inevitability of these disgraced officials' fates.
— With reporting by Gu Yongqiang / Beijing
MORE: Viewpoint: China's Bo Xilai Trial


text:
Li Guiyun and Five Other Falun Gong Practitioners Are Tried by Nongken Court in Baoquanling City, Heilongjiang Province
On April 19th, Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Li Guiyun, Ms. Zhao Hongyu. Ms. Qi Xiumei, Liu Hongbin, Liu Gui, and Lu Chengying were put on trial in Nongken Court. The trial lasted over five hours. The practitioners' defence lawyer, who was from Beijing, pleaded not guilty on their behalf. After a fierce battle between good and evil, the trial was put on hold. Practitioners' families who attended the trial felt good about the lawyer's brilliant defence, and the overall response from the spectators was very positive.
During the trial, Ms. Li Guiyun, Ms. Zhao Hongyu and Ms. Qi Xiumei talked about their experiences in cultivating in Falun Gong and how they have greatly benefited from the practice both physically and spiritually. Everyone in the courtroom were moved by their heartfelt sharing. Even a prosecutor said, "I know that Falun Gong practitioners are good people. Your sharing is very touching."
During the trial, Ms. Li Guiyun recounted how the police used torture to extort confessions from practitioners. When Ms. Li was detained in Lingxi Police Station and Nongken Public Security Bureau in Baoquanling, she was interrogated. Officers Zhang Aiwu, Wu Yinglong, and Wang Xuejun repeatedly used torture in an attempt to extort a confession from her, yelling "I will kill you and leave no evidence, so no one will know." They turned off the monitoring device and twisted her hands behind her back. They then handcuffed her to a torture device with her feet off the floor. Her arms had to support her entire body weight, causing excruciating pain. Within a short time, she lost consciousness.
Ms. Zhao Hongyu was kicked and beaten by the police during detention. They grabbed her hair and banged her head against the wall. Ms. Qu Xiumei was arrested by officers Xu Min and Yu Haisha, who threatened that they wouldn't let her child to go to college if she continued with the practice.
During the trial, the spectators learned about the persecution that practitioners were enduring. Meanwhile, the truth scared the police, who said, "We didn't want to persecute you, but we had no choice. Please don't reveal our names on the Internet. We are afraid of receiving phone calls condemning us."
Before the trial, practitioners from other areas had already explained the facts about Falun Gong to people in the Baoquanling region through informational materials, phone calls, letters, etc. The trial went especially well from beginning to end. Neither the judge, nor the prosecutors maliciously interrupted the defendants' lawyer or practitioners' statements. Even the lawyer was very surprised. He said that he has never had such a smooth Falun Gong-related case.
The "truth-clarification" invitation that practitioners gave out to people played a big role. Hundreds of invitations were sent out, and the feedback was positive. After they received the invitation, people in the area went around spreading the news: "Falun Gong is about to be vindicated!" On April 19th, one local resident had an invitation in his hand when he came to attend the trial. After he entered, the police stopped him. Without fear, he asked them, "Isn't the trial open to the public? Why am I not allowed to go in?"
Many practitioners have incorporated news of the trial and the recent "Wang Lijun and Bo Xilai Incident" in explaining the facts to their families. The results have been very good.
Gansu Province Women's Prison Orders Criminals to Persecute Falun Gong Practitioners
Four-and-a-Half-Year Sentence for Falun Gong Practitioner Ms. Hu Huomei
Ms. Gong Qiumin Handcuffed to "Death Bed" in Baishan, Jilin Province
Law Officials Sentence Ms. Zhao Deqiong at Her Home
Twenty-three Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested by Police in Yentai City, Shandong Province
80-Year-Old Retired Minister of the Prefectural Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Propaganda Bureau Again Sentenced


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Sonic Youth, Wild Flag & Kurt Vile played Williamsburg Waterfront (pics, review & setlist)
photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin, words by Andrew Sacher
Kurt Vile and the Violators started the evening pretty early at Williamsburg Waterfront on Friday (8/12), taking the stage at a prompt 6:30 PM. The crowd hadn't filled in too much yet but those who did make it out early were treated to a short, but great set. Drawing almost entirely from his recently released Smoke Ring for My Halo, Kurt's shoegazey folk rock kicked off the show well and was especially fitting on the sunny waterfront with whiffs of barbecue and cigarette smoke floating through the air.
Up next was Wild Flag, who initially won me over when I saw them open for Bright Eyes earlier this year at Radio City, but their Radio City set doesn't compare at all to what they did at the waterfront on Saturday. The all-girl indie supergroup, featuring Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, Mary Timony of Autoclave and Helium, and Rebecca Cole of The Minders, were greeted to tons of immediate applause as soon as they stepped out onto the stage. Unlike at Bright Eyes, where many people in attendance seemed unfamiliar with the group, this crowd was giving the band some serious support, and that might have encouraged them to rock even harder.
As Bill pointed out, Wild Flag's album is not out yet and hasn't even leaked, but even being only vaguely familiar with their material from live shows and various online singles, I was blown away by every song. The two frontwomen (Carrie and Mary) switched off lead vocal duties every other song and both of them ripped through killer guitar solos. I was a little more drawn to the Carrie-fronted songs because of how ferocious of a performer she is, but needless to say, Mary's were excellent as well. I feel more than confident in saying that Friday's show is not the last I will be seeing and hearing of Wild Flag.
Sonic Youth took the stage a little after 8 PM as their 5-piece incarnation of the band with Pavement's Mark Ibold, unlike last summer's NYC show at Prospect Park, when it was just the four of them. They launched right away into a handful of old material, focusing most heavily on 1985's Bad Moon Rising, and diving as far back as Confusion is Sex and the Kill Yr Idols EP. After a few more old favorites like "Kotton Krown" and "Eric's Trip," the band played a few cuts off their most recent proper LP, 2009's The Eternal. Having Mark on stage gave Kim Gordon the opportunity to put down her bass and sing. And as Kim proved when she left the constraints of a mic stand and took to the front of the stage during the pummeling "Sacred Trickster," she's an electrifying frontwoman. She carried the band as if she was solely a vocalist for their entire career.
They played material from 1983 alongside stuff from 2009, all sounding like it came from the same brilliant place. While most bands who are thirty years into their career are either fading away or living off of the nostalgia of their older material, Sonic Youth continue to sound and perform as fresh as ever. They thrash around stage with a youthful fervor that could destroy the hip-to-be-bored lo-fi scene who cite the band as an inspiration. And while you could try to argue that the similarities between their newer and older material is a negative thing, you'd be leaving out the fact that with only guitar, bass, and drums, all of it sounds like music from a time period that the rest of the world hasn't experienced yet.
Kim returned to the front of the stage around 9pm to sing "Drunken Butterfly" off 1992's Dirty. The band then left the stage after what seemed like far too short of a set. The crowd was audibly disappointmented. However, Sonic Youth quickly began making up for it when they returned for the first of three encores. Kim gave a shout out to Wild Flag and dedicated the song "Flower" to them. After leaving and returning to the stage a couple more times, the band were preparing to play their actual last song when a fan threw a ukulele to Lee Ranaldo, which he used to create the noise intro to "Inhuman." As the song progressed, Thurston Moore unplugged the bass he was playing and started making feedback with his guitar cable that he proceeded to wrap around his neck and body as he sang into the mic that he'd ripped off the stand. Mark Ibold and Steve Shelly kept what was left of the song's structure intact as Kim and Lee continued to create layers and layers of guitar noise. The band stretched the song's ending for at least twice the duration of the recorded version as Thurston kicked around stage moaning and shrieking "inhuman" and Lee swung guitars around by drumsticks lodged underneath their strings, completely stripping at least three of them. By the song's end, Thurston had uprooted the mic setup, and over a sea of fading feedback he said, "With the power of love, anything is possible," threw the mic down and walked off stage.
More pictures, a video, and setlists from the show below...
Sonic Youth at Williamsburg Waterfront 8/12/11
Wild Flag
Kurt Vile Setlist:
Overnite Religion
Runner Ups
Jesus Fever
Sonic Youth Setlist:
Brave Men Run (in My Family)
Death Valley '69
Kotton Krown
Kill Yr Idols
Eric's Trip
Sacred Trickster
Calming the Snake
Starfield Road
I Love Her All the Time
Ghost Bitch
Tom Violence
Drunken Butterfly
Encore 1:
Sugar Kane
Psychic Hearts
Filed Under: Andrew Sacher, Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Wild Flag, Williamsburg Waterfront
Categories: Music News, Photo Galleries


Clone of Sesame Snaps by debdell. A Thermomix ® recipe in the category Baking - sweet on www.recipecommunity.com.au, the Thermomix ® Community.
Submitted by Lizardlover on 23. June 2018 - 18:01.
I just tried making these. I thought it sounded wrong, but went for it anyway. I can only assume the temperature is meant to be 180F, as all I got out was a burnt mess.


text:
By glabwrites	Resist
Hot Air: Killing The Messenger
Among the top villains in the President Gag admin. (w/ the exception, of course, of the chief dope himself), as many, many people opposed to Li'l Duce see it, is spokesbeing Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She's been vilified as no one in that position since Dick Nixon's squealer, a former Disneyland carnival barker (true story) named Ron Ziegler.
Me? I have no quibble with SHS. After all, she's a flack and…, well, let me let Chip Berlet, investigative journalist and tracker of right wing groups, explain things:
OK, She makes me crazy, but … I think much of the criticism of her is sexist. Her job is to represent to the press what the Presidential staff tells her is reality. It is not her job to say the White House is run by a bunch of liars. When she tells the media that she is telling them the information she gets from the White House staff–she is telling the truth.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is not the problem here, folks, any more than the eardrum-piercing noise of all the fire engines' sirens is the problem when your house is on fire.
Big Talk, Big Country
Did you miss my gabfest with Russophile Tristra Newyear yesterday on Big Talk? Don't sweat it: Here's the link to the podcast.
Tristra, one of our town's many supremely talented wordsmiths, has written an historical fantasy novel, The Tomb and the Stone, a family drama set in the Central Asia Buryat region of good ol' Russkie.
The Buryatia region, nestled between Mongolia and Siberia.
Next week, stay tuned for a double play — two guests, bestselling poet Ross Gay and singer songwriter Kacie Swierk.
Big Talk airs every Thursday at 5:30pm on WFHB, 91.3 FM. Then, an added treat, sort of a Big Talk unplugged, Big Talk Extra, a feature of the Daily Local News at 5pm, runs every Monday with material left on the cutting room floor from the previous week's show. Other future Big Talks include Derek Richey, founder of Bloomington Fading, and bestselling author Michael Koryta, whose newest mystery, How It Happened, inspired by the Jill Behrman murder here in 2000, will hit the streets May 15th.
We'll talk.


text:
Q: startLeScan(): null on IntentService I implemented an IntentService for Beacon detection and I encounter a non-systematic issue while starting BLE Devices detection.
here is the sample code of my Service:
public class BeaconService extends IntentService{
...
...
    @Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
...do initialization stuffs....

    startBLE();

}

    public void startBLE(){

    mHandler = new Handler();
    if (!getPackageManager().hasSystemFeature(PackageManager.FEATURE_BLUETOOTH_LE)) {
        Log.d("BeaconService", "Erreur Bluetooth pas de feature Bluetooth sur le mobile...");
    }
        // Initializes a Bluetooth adapter.  For API level 18 and above, get a reference to
    mBluetoothAdapter = bluetoothManager.getAdapter();

    if (mBluetoothAdapter == null || !mBluetoothAdapter.isEnabled()) {
        mBluetoothAdapter.enable();
        Log.d("JRE","enabling BLE");
    }

    // Checks if Bluetooth is supported on the device.
    if (mBluetoothAdapter == null) {
        Log.d("BeaconService", "Erreur d'adapteur Bluetooth...");
        return;
    }

    mHandler.post(scanRunnable);

}

private Runnable scanRunnable = new Runnable()
{
    @Override
    public void run() {

        Log.d("JRE","Round Scan for Beacon started");

        if (isScanning)
        {
            if (mBluetoothAdapter != null)
            {
                mBluetoothAdapter.stopLeScan(mLeScanCallback);

            }
        }
        else
        {
            if (mBluetoothAdapter != null)
            {
                mBluetoothAdapter.startLeScan(mLeScanCallback);
            }
        }

        isScanning = !isScanning;

        mHandler.postDelayed(this, scan_interval_ms);
    }
};

 private BluetoothAdapter.LeScanCallback mLeScanCallback =
        new BluetoothAdapter.LeScanCallback() {

    @Override
    public void onLeScan(final BluetoothDevice device, int rssi, byte[] scanRecord) {

                Log.d("BeaconService","onLeScan callback");
        .....do my stuff on detection....

I'm faced with a strange behavior as sometimes I get an error:
startLeScan(): null
06-27 14:25:14.115: I/Timeline(29500): Timeline: Activity_launch_request     id:com.jre.ordolink time:43106423
06-27 14:25:14.185: E/ViewRootImpl(29500): sendUserActionEvent() mView == null
06-27 14:25:14.325: D/BluetoothLeScanner(29500): onClientRegistered() - status=0 clientIf=6
06-27 14:25:14.625: D/PhoneWindow(29500): *FMB* installDecor mIsFloating : false
06-27 14:25:14.625: D/PhoneWindow(29500): *FMB* installDecor flags : -2139029248
06-27 14:25:14.965: I/art(29500): Background sticky concurrent mark sweep GC freed 12983(984KB) AllocSpace objects, 7(160KB) LOS objects, 0% free, 40MB/40MB, paused 1.210ms total 314.016ms
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500): Handler (android.os.Handler) {1e3fad36} sending message to a Handler on a dead thread
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500): java.lang.IllegalStateException: Handler (android.os.Handler) {1e3fad36} sending message to a Handler on a dead thread
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.MessageQueue.enqueueMessage(MessageQueue.java:325)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at     android.os.Handler.enqueueMessage(Handler.java:631)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.Handler.sendMessageAtTime(Handler.java:600)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.Handler.sendMessageDelayed(Handler.java:570)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.Handler.postDelayed(Handler.java:398)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at com.jre.ordolink.BeaconService$2.run(BeaconService.java:325)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:739)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145)
06-27 14:25:15.065: W/MessageQueue(29500):  at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:61)

A: I finally used another way to get my project working by using the following:
private BluetoothLeScanner mBluetoothLeScanner;
mBluetoothLeScanner = mBluetoothAdapter.getBluetoothLeScanner();

mBluetoothLeScanner.startScan(mScanCallback);

//Scan call back function
private ScanCallback mScanCallback = new ScanCallback() {
@Override
public void onScanResult(int callbackType, ScanResult result) {
     super.onScanResult(callbackType, result);
     mLeDeviceListAdapter.addDevice(result.getDevice());
     mLeDeviceListAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
}
};

hope it will help somebody !

A: I would suggest not using Handler for scanning for bluetooth devices. This is a background asynchronious operation, and default handler thread is main.
Use your own thread for it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag: Observation Tower
On Top of Old Smokey
November 16, 2017 March 21, 2019 Posted in hiking, landscape, National Parks, Nature, Photography, travelTagged Andrews Bald, Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains, Observation Tower, sundogs12 Comments
A side trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Asheville takes only an hour, but the payoff is timeless. Admission is free, but the views are priceless.
The National Park straddles North Carolina and Tennessee, with Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in Tennessee, and a natural boundary between both states. The park is situated within a day's drive for 60% of the nation's population, making it the most popular of all National Parks, with over 9 million visitors per year.
The park can be accessed through a dozen different gateways, with Sugarlands Visitors Center being the prevailing entry point from the north side through Gatlinburg, TN. But Leah and I approached the Great Smokys from the south, and entered via Oconaluftee Visitors Center, the heart of Cherokee Nation.
Once there, we took our time strolling through the Mountain Farm Museum on the banks of the Oconaluftee River…
…before driving north on Newfound Gap Road–stopping frequently at the many overlooks–to gaze across Carolina's side of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
and preview our next destination, Clingmans Dome, at 6,643 feet elevation.
A dogleg turn onto Clingmans Mountain Road took us through short winding turns as we climbed the Appalachian Trail ridgeline, eventually leveling off at an over-sized parking area with trails radiating from the top of the bald, and views extending a hundred miles.
Thinking that views might be even better at the very top–allowing us to see over Mount LeConte–we trekked half a mile up a very steep asphalt path to Clingmans Observation Tower, albeit knowing it was closed for repair until next year.
To our surprise, families were scaling the spiraling ramp to the tower.
Looking around, there were no views to be had at the base. We were surrounded by a dense growth of evergreens without breaks. Sacks of concrete were stacked under the column with flimsy, yellow, KEEP OUT tape tied across the tower entrance.
Scores of visitors-turned-violators stood around the column base, determining their next move. Should they make the ascent or not? Yes, the tower was officially closed to the public while undergoing repair. But was it too risky to breach the ribbon barricade? There weren't any park rangers present, but maybe there were cameras? What a moral dilemma!
"I'm not going up there," exclaimed Leah. "There's a reason that tower is closed."
"But look around us! Where are the views?! We hiked up here expecting to see something, yet there's nothing to look at, unless you want a closer look at this fir stump," I argued. "And what about everyone already up there? If they really wanted to keep us out, then why didn't they secure the entrance better? Why didn't they use fencing instead of tape?"
Leah was adamant. "I'm still not going up there, and I don't care about everybody else! It's not the right thing to do."
I offered Leah my Roy Moore rationale: "But it ain't illegal if ya don't get caught!"
I deliberated carefully…
…and ducked under the tape. I couldn't help myself. I wouldn't deny myself the views I had come all this way to capture.
The 45-foot tower was completed in 1959 to give unobstructed 360° views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and it was showing its age. The concrete pathway was separating from the wall in places, and patches of rebar were visible along the way. But did it warrant closing while in the midst of being repaired?
Probably, but not until I had the chance to document the landscape. I scurried up the ramp with the intention of quickly getting my shots, and hurrying back down, just in case I should be noticed.
On our way back down the trail, several families on their way up the trail, paused to catch their breath and ask, "Is it worth it? Is there anything to see up there?"
"It all depends on how good you are at following orders," I'd answer cryptically.
But our day wasn't done yet. It was only three o'clock, and we hadn't hiked more than an easy mile. We'd been told by a park volunteer at the Visitor Center that the two-mile trail to Andrews Bald–which intersects with the Appalachian Trail–was a worthwhile hike with amazing views at the end.
So, we took her advice, and set out down a narrow, terraced ridge capped by embedded logs as steps–to keep the erosion to a minimum–until it turned to saw-toothed rocks and twisted roots, and occasional mud in low lying places.
"You realize that it's now getting dark around five, so we're not gonna have much time before we have to turn around," Leah warned. "And climbing back up this hill is gonna be a bear!"
"Sunset's at 5:30, but as long as we're out by five, we should be fine," I replied. "Besides, there's no way I'm gonna miss the sun going down from up top!"
We made excellent time down the mountainside, and crossed onto Andrew Bald, a grassy clearing with breathtaking views. While Leah was making new friends, and photobombing their picture,
I was focused on the sky, and that's when I realized that the sun had created something remarkable.
That slivered arch of a rainbow crisscrossed by contrails was an elusive sundog, a small portion of an optical phenomenon caused by sunlight refracting off tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere, and creating a larger halo around the sun.
The excitement of capturing this meteorological moment was enough to propel me up the mountain and back to the parking lot with plenty of time to prepare for sunset. But the look on Leah's face after emerging from the hike told a different story; her feet were achy and her knee was throbbing.
While she retired to the truck to relax and seek shelter from the bite of cold air moving across Clingmans Dome, I stood steadfast on the edge of the mountain, camera in hand, taking a front row seat to nature's second act.
Almost immediately, all the visitors who stood shoulder to shoulder, drifted back to their cars and trucks to wind their way down to the bottom of the mountain road in the faint tinted light of dusk.
If only they had stuck around long enough for nature's curtain call…
Museum of Mirth, Mystery, and Mayhem