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We Can Be Anyone: A Pride Month Conversation with Nicole Dennis-Benn
The Millions Interview
Sarah Neilson June 24, 2019 | 6 books mentioned 12 min read
Novelist Nicole Dennis-Benn is having a well-earned cultural moment. Pick up any newspaper or arts publication and you're likely to see her, or a (glowing) review of her newly released sophomore novel, Patsy. This nuanced, layered story about a mother and daughter touches on issues like motherhood, immigration, family, politics, sexism, say colorism, class, and queerness.
Dennis-Benn is one of the most well-known and highly recognized fiction writers working today, and being a queer Jamaican immigrant informs much of that writing, enriching the literary landscape in the process. In honor of Pride Month, The Millions sat down with Dennis-Benn to discuss Patsy, representation, the idea of home, gender and sexuality, what it means to have access, and what Pride means to her.
The Millions: In a recent Vulture interview, you said that, "The idea of home is so complicated…Both of my homes don't give me the opportunity to be my whole self. So I feel I'm divided still. Really home has to be within myself." This disconnect between identity, which is kind of the internal home, and the physical home where one lives is often a crucial aspect of stories about immigrants, queer people, and anyone who feels out of place. Both Patsy and Tru—the mother and daughter from Patsy—have periods of feeling very much not at home in their bodies or in their physical spaces. You also said that, "Love is synonymous with home." How do you think the idea of home shapes these characters, and how do you think they shape or claim home for themselves in the novel?
Nicole Dennis-Benn: That's a very good question. Let me start off with Patsy because she's the matriarch, the first protagonist. Patsy, living in Jamaica, does not feel like she is home, in that she is a working-class Jamaican woman in a society where upward mobility is really hard. In addition to that, she's a woman finding out that her body is in many ways not her property. She was violated at a very young age, and also feels like she has never been able to claim how she really feels as a woman. She is a mother, but a reluctant one, and in a culture like Jamaica's, a woman who says to herself, "I do not want to be a mother," or "I cannot be mother," is seen as a pariah.
The reason why she looks so hard to Cicely is because Cicely, as a light-skinned woman, represents something that Patsy, a dark-skinned woman, was told to desire. She also looks to Cicely for her escape. Cicely was that person who she clung to, and was willing to move all the way across the ocean to be with, because of that false perception that Cicely chose her and accepts who she is. In that way, she claims Cicely as home.
Meanwhile, you have Tru, the five-year-old daughter who is left behind, who comes of age questioning this abandonment. She's also coming into her own identity and realizing that her identity doesn't really match anything that she sees around her as a gender nonconforming person. But Tru doesn't have a word to describe this. These characters are not calling themselves lesbians or trans or gender nonconforming. It's not a vocabulary that they have. But I had to write it in so that the reader picks up on it and sees that there's internal conflict, in addition to the external ones that they are pushing against.
For Tru, I gave her a community that kind of sees her for who she is as gender nonconforming, but doesn't really chastise her for it. A lot of that is because she's Sergeant Bigfoot's daughter; if she wasn't, that would have probably been a different story altogether. So that's where I wanted to go with that story line—home is not necessarily the safest place for people. And the home that we think is safe is not necessarily the safest place either. So the next best thing is to find home within yourself.
TM: In the beginning of the book, Patsy feels very burdened by motherhood in a lot of ways, as well as by her home life and her relationship with her own mother. So she kind of has this tunnel vision toward Cicely, because she has this fantasy that it's going to be this freedom, this life that she can live with Cicely in New York. And it turns out she just kind of trades some limitations for other limitations. This makes her reflect on what she left behind, it seems.
NDB: Yeah, because you have Cicely now existing in that place in America, trying to mimic this American dream. She's suffering the abuses of her husband and is really unhappy, and here Patsy is saying "I love you, I can give you more in terms of love." But Cicely doesn't want that either. That crushing disappointment is something I really wanted to add to Patsy's story, to show what's at stake for her. Because after that, she's left all alone trying to now fend for herself in this country where she thought she would be happy.
TM: Yes. You also mentioned Tru and how she really struggles with the abandonment of her mother on a daily basis. The fact that both Patsy and Tru are queer or struggle with traditional gender roles feels like this lifeline between the two characters. But it's also devastating because, within the novel, they never really know this about each other. Can you talk about the decision to have both mother and daughter, the two characters at the heart of the book, deal with different but parallel journeys when it comes to gender and sexuality?
NDB: Yeah. I wanted to explore that irony, that mother and daughter definitely are queer. So they might have been best friends if they had been together—they probably would have been able to talk to each other and sympathize with each other. However, Patsy struggles with the knowledge that the world is not kind to women who dare step out of the box. Girls and women are told to like a certain thing, to be a certain thing. This seeds into Tru when Patsy tells her that she doesn't want her to be a tomboy, enforcing this burden on Tru and telling her that if she doesn't police herself now she's going to be criticized. She tries to protect Tru by telling her this, but it's a harmful way to do that. Women aren't provided with a list or guidelines to guide our own daughters or our siblings or friends. We just say what the authority tells us to say, right?
So I wanted to play around with that a little bit where both are leading parallel lives as queer women or queer persons trying to navigate love and loss and relationships. Tru is coming into herself not feeling that she is girl or boy. She's looking around and noticing that everybody else is so contained in their little boxes. So who can she look to? And of course the one person who she could have looked to is gone.
TM: Tru is one of my favorite characters in Patsy; I loved reading about her and found her journey really compelling. There's still so few gender nonconforming characters in mainstream fiction, so it's really refreshing to see such a well-rendered and complex gender nonconforming character like Tru on the page. What was the process of her character development like for you?
NDB: I did interviews. I researched. I went to an all girl's school in Jamaica, and I always asked myself, what if? Especially when I came here to America. What does a person who isn't gender conforming feel like wearing those gendered uniforms?
So I reached out to all my friends who are trans or gender nonconforming and I asked them, "What was it like for you in high school, coming out to yourself and feeling that you're not girl or you're not boy?" And they said they had to grit their teeth and bear it. For them it was like wearing a costume. So that's how I started developing Tru, writing her in that way where she says she has to wear her tunic like a costume. And in terms of wrapping her breasts—that was research as well, where I looked on YouTube and I did interviews with trans men.
But more than that action itself is the emotion attached to it. The desperation. Wanting so badly to hide that part of oneself. And so I wanted to get into Tru's mind, to get into this mentality of a teenage girl growing up in a society where no one else is doing this. No one else has words for it. She herself has no words for it—how devastating and crushing it can feel. I wanted to get into her psychology and also her ultimate depression. Existing in that realm.
TM: Yeah, actually the depression is kind of a throughline between Patsy and Tru also. You write about the Devil's Cold and this kind of dark depression that consumes them both at different points. Can you talk a little about the portrayal of mental illness and depression in the book?
NDB: Yeah, so that's another thread; they have depression in common as well. Depression is also biological. Similarly to their queerness, I wanted to tell a story where mother and daughter are grappling with the same thing. Mama G, Patsy's mother, also suffered with depression, and she was the one who gave it the word Devil's Cold. For her, the church could solve it. In Jamaican culture, everything is about the church. The church can cure mental illness, the church can cure cancer. Pray about it and it's all good.
So in a way Mama G imparts that to her daughter, Patsy. Mama G looked to the church to cure her depression or to feel good about herself and her situation as a working-class impoverished Jamaican woman trying to make ends meet. In a sense, Patsy herself was abandoned for the church. She had her mother present, but her mother was absent. When she's going through these depressive spells, she thinks about all the choices that she doesn't have. About how helpless she is in society.
Patsy was never really given a choice to be herself, to be anything she wants to be. Depression is not a term we use loosely back home, especially among working-class Jamaicans. She doesn't know how to treat it. She doesn't know where to go. Her one attempt to get help in America, when she went to the pharmacy and she asked for Prozac, they told her it has to be prescribed, so she just turned back and walked away. She's an undocumented immigrant; she doesn't have that accessibility to mental health care or health care in general. Then there's Tru suffering back home in Jamaica. She internalizes it even more and she starts cutting herself. That's how she's able to cope. In addition to that, I gave her soccer, where she feels that she's more powerful on the field playing soccer with the boys.
They each have different coping mechanisms, and some of them are harmful coping mechanisms. But they don't know to walk into a psychiatrist's office, or they can't, so I wanted to write it subtly, given that there's still cultural stigma attached to depression.
TM: Yeah, that really comes across too. And it's true, the question of access. There's so little access to mental health resources across the board.
NDB: Exactly, and that came to me as well. Once my grandmother was here for three months and my wife and I were taking care of her. She was just here on a visiting visa, so we had to wait in the emergency room for four hours because she didn't have papers. And I looked around and there were all these different Caribbean immigrants sitting in there who had been living in the country undocumented for years, and they had to do the same thing. Sit inside that emergency room to be called.
And I said to myself, wow, if anything happened to these people, this is what they have to do. They have to take the day off from work, and most of them don't even have agency in their own jobs. They have to sit it this place for four hours to be seen by an intern who could care less what the symptoms are. They just say, okay, let me write you a prescription, go. No specialists, nothing. Nothing about mental health. There are so many different psychosomatic symptoms that could be a result of mental illness, but undocumented immigrants are rarely seen in the medical care industry, much less cared for in a nuanced way. So in writing a book like Patsy, I wanted people to see that our assimilation and acculturation process is mentally taxing and if you are a person who is predisposed to mental illness, it could send you over the edge.
TM: Switching gears a little bit, your 2017 Modern Love column, "Who's Allowed to Hold Hands?" is one of my favorite of the whole series. In it, you simultaneously paint this beautiful picture of lesbian love, and also write about how important visibility is in the face of homophobia, which exists everywhere—even in supposedly safe places like Brooklyn. Can you talk about how, if at all, increasing visibility and dismantling internalized homophobia informs your writing process? And is that something you actively try to do with your writing?
NDB: Oh yeah. I always think of that little girl in me, that 17-year-old girl, 14-year-old girl, who wanted to see books like mine. I didn't see it. I wanted to see two women, love between two women on the page. I did not see that, or see anything Jamaican even, on the page. So I write the kind of books I want to see.
The incident I wrote about in that essay for Modern Love was really disheartening, because I came to America, like Patsy, for that freedom to be able to express my love for another woman. I didn't realize that I'd get the same catcalls or that a man would ever say what that man said to us; he said, "Oh you two are going to hell." And it really crushed me for a long time, but then I realized as a writer I do have the power to write it on the page so people can see that we're visible. That we exist. And so the next time they see two women walking hand in hand, they already know it because they already see it in books. They already see it on film, hopefully. They already see it everywhere, so to them it's not a shock anymore. And that's really what I'm writing toward. I'm writing toward that place where readers can say, "Oh, this is normal." They're not going to pull back anymore when they see two women loving each other on the page. They'll embrace it, embrace us. And know that we exist, no matter how we look. Black, white, Jewish, Asian, we exist. That's my goal.
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TM: Do you have any recommendations of things you're reading now that you're really loving? Or where you first saw yourself represented in books or media, if you did?
NDB: Yeah. The first time I saw myself represented in books was in Beloved by Toni Morrison. Also Audre Lorde's Zami. That book! I read that book once a year. It's so important to me. She was of immigrant descent, with parents from Grenada, and lesbian. I'd never encountered a woman who spoke so openly about her sexuality and her sexual exploits. Audre, she's my literary mother. Zami, I'll put that on everybody's list. As for what I'm reading now, I recently started Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, and I found his story so similar to mine. I wasn't born a crime, but existing as a lesbian back home felt similar. I didn't come out in Jamaica, but I felt like it was such a crime that I couldn't identify to anyone. Going through his story and seeing how he navigated that with comedy—I found myself laughing along more than anything else. So that was a really nice way to take my mind off of other things. And I love Kiese Laymon's Heavy. That one floored me. I was not prepared for that weight, the gravity in that book.
TM: It's aptly named.
NDB: Yes! It was amazing. That's another book with a motherhood aspect, where there's another mother who tried her best; it was really interesting. I loved how he explored that relationship between this mother and son, and seeing her flaws. Because people usually look at mothers and they put them on this pedestal and don't see them as human beings who have flaws, who have desires, who have dreams of their own. So I was really glad that he pared her down, he made us see the human being. That's similar to what I wanted to do with Patsy—see the human being behind the woman, the person.
TM: Yeah. I love that. It really works in Patsy too. Similar to Margot in Here Comes the Sun—these women are so complicated and they make big, painful decisions that have consequences for so many people besides themselves. You've talked before about sometimes judging your own characters. There seems to be something inherently queer about these complex characters that challenge readers, and even the writer who is writing them, to question their own assumptions and biases and empathetic capacity. Because queerness seems rooted in this constant questioning and challenging of norms and values.
NDB: Exactly. Right. I'm so happy that you said that because I was just thinking about that myself. When you think about Patsy and Tru, I was skirting around these boxes that people were quick to put them in. Patsy, I would say she's lesbian, but when you backtrack a little bit there's also attraction to Barrington, there was attraction to Roy. So Patsy also dabbles, but her ultimate desire is for Claudette and before that Cicely. So what box do you put her in? Or do you put her in a box at all? Same with Tru. In terms of her sexuality, yes she's attracted to Saskia, but she's also attracted to Marlan. So again, the lines are very blurred in their attractions and their queerness and that's what I wanted to do as well—to write around those boxes, the outside of them.
TM: I love that. That seems very queer to me and I love that. Finally, June is Pride Month, so it's perfect timing for the release of a book with queer protagonists. I don't know if that was intentional.
NDB: It was really supposed to be Mother's Day at first.
TM: That makes sense too. Since it's Pride month, what if anything, does Pride or the concept of Pride mean to you?
NDB: To me it means freedom. My first Pride in America was in New York City. It was the Summer of 2006. And it was an emotional journey for me because I stood there on the sidewalk—I didn't march because I didn't have any affiliations back then. So I stood on the sidewalk and I was in awe. Coming down the parade were police officers, fire fighters, nurses, doctors, and I thought, here I am, this girl from Jamaica, standing there saying oh my god, all these gay people existed!
I grew up in an island where you're told to be wary of the funny people, that these people are not to be associated with. In your imagination you visualize who they are and what they look like, and I never thought I looked like a lesbian. I never thought that my next door neighbor could be a lesbian, or that my friend could be a gay man. I don't know how to explain this, but it meant so much to me, seeing that there are so many different parts to who we are as far as gayness and queerness. We could be a police officer, we could be a doctor, we could be a lawyer. We are walking down in that parade together. It really touched me. So that's really what pride means to me—saying to the world that we exist and we don't have to look a certain way. We don't have to have a certain profession. We can be anyone. We could be your paramedic. We could be the person that you're tipping in the parking lot. We can be anyone. And that's really what we're saying to the world when we show our faces on that day and we march on those streets. Because you never know who could be watching, who is struggling with that themselves, and seeing us would say "Oh my god, that looks like me! I could be in this parade." And that's really what pride is.
Sarah Neilson is a writer and book critic based in Seattle. She is on Instagram @readrunsea, Twitter @sarahmariewrote, and blogs about books at Pages and Bones.
A Vicarious Encounter with Gregory Pardlo
Nick Ripatrazone April 10, 2018 | 6 books mentioned 7 min read
If I'm trying to capture a nuanced emotion, I turn to poetry. When I suspect there is an insight to be gained that could potentially contribute to the discourse around a particular issue, I bring my essay game.
Nick Ripatrazone | 6 books mentioned 7 min read
Limerence, Lust, and Love: The Millions Interviews Melissa Broder
Adam Vitcavage May 3, 2018 | 6 books mentioned 1 7 min read
I always need to be writing because just living — and this is probably a fault of mine — living in the moment is not my forte. Sometimes when I am just alive, I forget to live in the moment. I feel like there is nothing is tethering me to the planet. Yet, when I write it makes me feel like — I guess it makes me feel less depressed. It makes me feel like, okay, I can do this. It makes sense why I am here.
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Why Does Roddy Doyle Wish to Disillusion Us?: The Millions Interview
Paul Morton March 10, 2014 | 6 books mentioned 1 10 min read
Roddy Doyle has spent four decades playing with Irish-English, a dialect that in its contemporary incarnation absorbs pop song lyrics, Internet speak, and television. His novels contain very little information on his character's physical appearances. The reader draws an outline of Doyle's heroes based on one or two details, the humor of their spoken words and the rhythm of their interior monologues, which probably sound more lilting to the American than to the Irish ear.
In the opening pages of Doyle's new novel The Guts, we learn that Jimmy Rabbitte, Jr., the soul-band promoter from the '80s classic The Commitments, is now 47, losing hair, gaining weight, and facing a cancer diagnosis. This is Doyle's fourth novel about the Rabbitte family. The previous three — The Commitments, The Snapper, and The Van — form The Barrytown Trilogy. (Stephen Frears adapted the latter two. Alan Parker's adaptation of The Commitments became a VHS gem.) In some ways The Guts is better paired with Doyle's Paula Spencer, a sequel itself to his 1995 novel The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, a brutal depiction of domestic abuse. Like Paula Spencer, The Guts is a story about facing the mixed blessings of middle age in the Irish section of the eurozone.
I met Doyle at the Alexis Hotel in downtown Seattle on February 11 for an hour-long lunch. The following is a pared-down version of our conversation.
The Millions: I think we as readers have an image from The Commitments of Jimmy Rabbitte, Jr. as this vital figure, forever young. He doesn't get old and he doesn't die. Why do you wish to disillusion us?
Roddy Doyle: Well, it never occurred to me that that was the case, to be honest with you. I couldn't care less really if I've disillusioned you. It is within your gift not to read the book. So really, it didn't give me the minimum pause for thought.
It was just a good creative decision, I think, the same way that bringing back Paula Spencer 10 years after The Woman Who Walked Into Doors [in Paula Spencer] was, which had never been a plan of mine at the time. The Irish economy picked up so much after those 10 years. So I followed her and used her as a guide through the story. [That said] I didn't want to write about the economy. I wanted to write about her.
This time [with The Guts], the Irish economy collapsed. I wrote The Commitments at a time of economic recession or depression. And I wanted to see how Jimmy would be getting on now and how the other characters would be getting on now.
As for the poor old readers and moviegoers: There are so many ways to disillusion people. It's endless. People ask me if there's life beyond the book and there isn't. They ask me questions and the outside worlds don't exist. I'm probably disillusioned by telling them that. But then again, what can you do?
TM: I've heard you say before that the child born in The Snapper is an extremely lucky child because he's born into an extremely loving home. The family with whom Jimmy grew up is not unhappy, but the members of it are now very distant from one another.
RD: They're geographically not-distant from one another.
TM: They're emotionally distant.
RD: I don't know. You mean, with his siblings? Well, there are a lot of them for a start. And in Ireland you got a lot of families that live in one another's ears, which isn't particularly healthy either: one person dictating what the rest of them do. I've seen examples of that. And Jimmy is relatively close to his brother Darren and that means regular phone calls or whatever. And his sisters are elsewhere. But there is a sense that if needed they're there. And they live independent lives.
So certainly, yes, it's not the depiction of an Italian family around the table every Sunday.
TM: It's more than that.
RD: You think?
TM: I think there's a certain melancholy many people realize in their relationships with their siblings as they get older. They find they have less in common than they had when they were children.
RD: Well that's inevitable.
TM: You say it's inevitable, but that inevitability is part of the melancholy that exists in this book.
RD: It's there to be read if you see it there. The circumstances are different as well. There is a health scare in the family with Jimmy. I think if one of the parents was hospitalized or something like that, all the siblings would rally around pretty quickly. So that's there, though they've gone their separate ways.
But I don't see it at all that way. If you interpret it that way, grand. It's grand. I like it when people interpret things differently. You're an active part of the process. So that's grand.
TM: You have a certain amount of comfort in your career that Jimmy doesn't have. How do you get inside characters who [get to middle age] and aren't as satisfied with their careers?
RD: Well, the question is built on a lot of assumptions that may not be true. Yeah I've enjoyed a large degree of success. But actually, in day-to-day living it means nothing to me. I'm not worried about the immediate financial future in the same way Jimmy is likely to be. Not so long ago, I was. Not to the same degree perhaps, but I would have been. I'm no stranger to the anxieties of any middle-aged man who happens to be a parent, who happens to work for a living and worries, for example, about the future of the book industry. And sends off a book and it's rejected. Pours over a short story for months and then it's turned down. I'm well acquainted with disappointment as well, not to the same degree as people in other occupations. If we were to take that angle in a literary sense, that one should write about what one knows, I'm only going to write about relatively successful novelists for the rest of my life. Perhaps some time in the future that might make sense. But now, no. It doesn't at all.
My day-to-day life is about getting up and sending my one remaining schoolchild to school, probably emptying the washing machine, going upstairs to work, coming down for a cup of coffee and then going back up to work, trying to make several deadlines that I have to meet. The work is probably rewarding more financially than a lot of people who are being paid. But the average doctor or dentist in Ireland exceeds my income quite handsomely. With the fluctuations I might have a very big year and then a non-existent year depending on what I'm publishing and what I'm involved with. I do enjoy a pure form of self-employment, but I also live with the anxieties of self-employment.
There are elements here that everyone has in their life. And remember that I'm a novelist. I make these things up.
TM: I know you make it up. I just want to know how you get inside it.
RD: Like I said. I share a lot of these opinions.
TM: But I'm not even asking about financial issues.
RD: I know. But you see you're absolutely not qualified to ask me this question because you know absolutely nothing about my personal life. You haven't a clue. And I don't mean that aggressively, but you haven't a clue. (laughs). Sure you don't.
TM: Well how about if I ask this in a slightly different way.
RD: Fire away. And I'm not at all angry. It's just past you because you have no notion about my life.
TM: Jimmy has a certain amount of anxiety not so much about money but about whether or not he's as good as he wants to be at what he does. Do you share that anxiety?
RD: Yes. On occasions, no. On occasions, yes. Starting off a piece of work, I feel like the king of the world. Halfway through the piece of work, I feel like a gibbering idiot. Sometimes it seems to glow, the piece of work. Sometimes it just feels like rubbish. I did write a book for children quite recently and it was turned down by my damn publisher. And that's like a slap across the face. And that's no harm. It's part of the job. But it did give me pause for thought because I did have six books published by these people and they were all successful. As much as anything else it was annoying. And as much as anything else it hammered home the future of the precariousness of the writer. And I'm lucky in most cases in that here and in the UK I've had the same publisher for a long long time. But will that stop when the current people I deal with retire? Probably is the answer to that. Well what the fuck will I do then? What will they do when they read the figures and realize no one reads books by middle-aged men?
TM: It's striking to go to Ireland today and hear Russian spoken on the streets and to hear second-generation African immigrants speaking with Irish accents. Do you sense that the Irish-English language has changed since you started your career?
RD: English as it's spoken in Ireland? Yes.
I worked on the script of a musical based on The Commitments. It opened on the West End last September. And I wasn't going to do the job myself, but I did and I had to read The Commitments again. And I hadn't read it in 25 years or something like that. And one of things that fascinated me was that I had been anticipating the absence of certain sentences in that book, things that I thought were relatively modern. [But those things] were in the book. I don't mean that I was ahead of my time. I just mean that people spoke like that back then. But they were little quirks that I thought [wrongly] had shown up in the '90s or whatever the last decade was called.
I don't know what changes have come from Eastern Europeans and Africans coming to Dublin. But I am aware of Eastern Europeans and Africans coming here and hearing certain colloquialisms and then taking them in and making them into things that are brilliant. If you're buying something from an Eastern European behind a counter, she might say, "Is it grand?" You never heard that before. "Grand" was never a question. It was always "It's grand," "Everything's grand." But here she's asking, "Is it grand?" So that was a new one on me. I'd never heard that before. So I think in the same way that the Irish people brought their Gaelic grammar into English, [the new immigrants] are bringing their own grammar into English.
TM: Have you considered writing a novel from the perspective of the new Irish?
RD: I've written several short stories from that perspective. But that's a hole in the water, so to speak. Would I consider writing an entire novel? I wouldn't dismiss the possibility. I'd be loathe to jump into it because it would be a huge endeavor. Writing any novel is a huge endeavor. The initial decision is always a bit flippant. I'd be starting my eleventh now sometime this year. At least now I go in with the knowledge that it's going to be a pain in the arse but that at this time next year there will be all these things that I know. So to invest all that time and the emotional energy — really the confidence — the confidence that I can carry a whole novel from the point of view of one of the new Irish…It would be a big decision to make and maybe a right decision to make. I doubt very much that it would be the next book I write. It's not the urge at the moment.
TM: There's much less you have to imagine in the shorter form. You can just dip in.
RD: You can get a glimpse of life. In a short story you put on a pair of blinkers really and you get a glimpse. Whereas with a novel the blinkers come off and you have to know it all…Or not know it all, but look at it all. I'm not sure if I could do that. I'm not sure. But again, is it any different from deciding to write from the point of view of a woman?
TM: Did you have the same anxiety when you started The Woman Who Walked Into Doors?
RD: Yeah.
TM: Or The Snapper?
RD: The Snapper, no. The arrogance of youth.
The Woman Who Walked Into Doors was a greater challenge, because that wasn't just a different gender, it was a life experience that was totally foreign to myself. But the language wasn't. [Paula Spencer] came from around the corner, so to speak, from where I grew up. So she was never foreign. There were aspects of her life that were foreign to me. But she wasn't. I knew her grandmother. I knew her inside out. It was a question of choosing the right words. Somebody from outside Ireland, particularly someone for whom English wasn't their first language: it would be a tricky one to carry out. It wouldn't be impossible to carry out. But it would be a tricky one. And I would need a story, you know. But no I wouldn't write off the possibility.
TM: Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr. has a daughter who is happily partnered to another woman and he's ok with it. I think it's perfectly reasonable to get inside the head of Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr. and decide that that would be his reaction. It also wouldn't be a stretch for me to imagine that he wouldn't be ok with it.
RD: Well, you're talking family here as well. And what has happened in Ireland is that the circumstances from family to family are different. And you would have had family members who would have been seen as a bit special. Norman [Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.'s gay cousin] is the example in this book.
My parents, they're 88, and they reminisce a lot. They told me about a man in the 1930s walking about the area that my mother grew up in in a dress. And he was known as "Mrs. Something" – I can't remember the name – even though he was a man. He was a character. A "character." And left alone. And I think family often respected their "characters." Now, decades later, attitudes change. There's no need in a way to protect these "characters," so to speak.
I think the father is a fundamentally decent man. He's a blue-collar worker, but he's not a behind-it blue-collar worker. And he would probably like it if things were different. But one of the things you do is you drop in a surprise. One of the things I love is that he judges his daughter's partner by the quality of her pitch penny pub game.
TM: Still, it wouldn't be unthinkable for a man of his generation to disown his daughter for being gay.
RD: No it wouldn't be. The man next door might well do that. But [Jimmy, Sr.] doesn't. What does he want to do? Destroy his family. That's what would happen.
TM: Let me put it this way. It's very challenging for the reader in The Woman Who Walked Into Doors when this husband who abuses Paula does things that are likable. It's not something we really want to think about. We want him to be kept in this box of pure evil. You seem to love the characters in The Barrytown Trilogy to the point where they don't do anything truly awful.
RD: Well, a lot of people have been upset with Jimmy having the fling with Imelda and not being punished for it. I've encountered that again and again, including in reviews. So they're upset about that. A few people are upset about the attitudes of the men towards women. I don't know how you deal with that. I could have made it more politically correct there. I could have had Jimmy having a confrontation with Aoife about the affair. She could have found out about it on his phone. She might have thrown him out of the house or something like that. I thought it was much much better to leave it messy and unfinished. Life is often messy and unfinished. It's Hobson's choice to a degree.
TM: There are moments of exhilaration in The Barrytown Trilogy and The Guts. And I think there's a sense in these books that you must enjoy these moments of exhilaration because they won't last. You will have to go back to monotony soon enough. What for you would be the moments of exhilaration in your career?
RD: Watching the fourth episode of the series called Family that I scripted. Writing a very very small passage of The Woman Who Walked Into Doors and knowing it was exactly as I wanted it to be. Watching rehearsals of The Commitments musical. Watching the things I put on paper becoming, I don't know, the finished product. Not all of it. It can be quite tedious. But there are moments. The first time a cast got from beginning to end of a song, a song that I had chosen and chosen how to get into it and how to get out the other end. That felt particularly good, being part of it, and watching the movement that I hadn't anticipated and that I thought was wonderful.
I'm trying to think if there are others. It's all in the work actually. The work builds on the work. Just being there and working.
Paul Morton | 6 books mentioned 1 10 min read
'Bad Stories': The Millions Interviews Steve Almond
Melissa Chadburn June 21, 2018 | 6 books mentioned 12 min read
The ache is how we know we're alive. And when we're telling good stories, the ache is how you know you're not alone in this life.
Melissa Chadburn | 6 books mentioned 12 min read
Unsettling the American Dream: The Millions Interviews Viet Thanh Nguyen
Jianan Qian October 17, 2019 | 6 books mentioned 18 min read
I couldn't pay attention to that, not to write the novel I wanted to write. We can't let our work be driven by the anxieties around narrative scarcity.
Jianan Qian | 6 books mentioned 18 min read
Literary Magazines: A Roundtable, Part 2
Garth Risk Hallberg February 7, 2007 | 6 books mentioned 5 2 min read
Next up in our series of interviews with lit-mag editors is Yasmine Alwan, co-founder of the Brooklyn-based Tantalum. Yasmine, an old colleague of mine from NYU, is herself a talented fabulist whose work has appeared in such well-regarded publications as NOON. After earning her M.F.A., Yasmine started Tantalum with her pal Cynthia Nelson. The first issue, with a handsome letter-pressed cover from Red Hook's Ugly Duckling Presse, features experimental prose with an emphasis on language, in the great tradition of Gertrude Stein and Samuel Beckett. Contributors include Leslie Scalapino, Sara Marcus, and Martha Ronk.The Millions: What possessed you to start your own literary magazine? How did the first issue come together?Yasmine Alwan: The why right now is entirely personal. I had never thought to start a magazine – in fact I thought quite the opposite, "why should I when there are so many out there" – when a professor of mine, Lytle Shaw, talked about what it had meant for him to start a magazine (which was Shark) and how it had opened a new […] space to write into, from, toward (these are my words; he had much better ones). Also, I remember once Robert Fitterman answering a question about the danger of a small or "exclusive" readership, and he said something to the effect of how he wasn't necessarily worried about his readership, because he felt like it was always being "made" by his work and surrounding people's work. That struck me as a profound point, relievedly moving against what I hear some writers talking about, worrying about their work complying to market dictates and wanting market attentions. […] The idea of making an audience or rather a community to write to and with was striking, thrilling.TM: How does Tantalum distinguish itself in a crowded marketplace?YA: There's such a multiplicity of prose writing out there and what can occur in the name of prose seems to me to be limitless. "Fiction," even, is a word that makes me feel restless because it is burdened by familiar codes of representation of reality, time, character etc. It seems to me that I can turn in many directions and get a confirmation on my expectations, but that is exactly what I don't want in terms of prose – that satisfaction upon "delivery" of the familiar. I would rather read something that asks me to take it apart or for which I have to take myself apart a little bit. You could also say I am engaged by prose that is highly sensitive to language or organized around it, although the fictions in Tantalum are driven by a wider range of engagements (image, sound, concepts, appropriations, character, metafictional thoughts, etc.). When soliciting, we tried to leave the map open.TM: How do you support the endeavor, economically?YA: I just paid for it myself. I hope to gain access to grant money for the next round. […] Although my starting Tantalum right now is just idiosyncratic timing, there is a wide upwelling of DIY publishing happening these days. I think it born out of the shifts in megapublishing and the ways in which some people are shrugging off the expectation of publishing via traditional means. It's really quite exciting.(Our literary magazine roundtable concludes on Friday, with an interview with one of the editors of [sic]. We encourage our readers to leave comments below on the state of the literary magazine. Do you read lit-mags? Why or why not? What do you look for in a litmag? What are your favorites? And so on…)Parts 1 & 3
Garth Risk Hallberg | 6 books mentioned 5 2 min read
Cut the Sentimentality: The Millions Interviews Polly Rosenwaike
Sarah Layden April 25, 2019 | 6 books mentioned 8 min read
There are a lot of secrets in these stories, and secrets play an important role in fiction generally. Everyone knows fiction writers are liars, right?
Sarah Layden | 6 books mentioned 8 min read
Lists The Millions Interview
Homage vs. Rip-off: An Interview with Lev Grossman and a Guide to Literary Allusions in The Magician King
Cassandra Neace August 10, 2011 | 6 books mentioned 14 7 min read
I quickly realized that the danger isn't going too far, it's not going far enough. If you're going to borrow from Lewis, you have to travesty him, openly poke fun at him, say something about him. Anything less and readers will see your allusions as merely plagiarism.
Cassandra Neace | 6 books mentioned 14 7 min read


NEW!! In December 2007, President Bush signed into law the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act. The law went into effect December 19, 2008 and requires safety improvements for public pools and spas, specifically in the area of entrapment prevention. Year round public pools had to be in compliance by the December 19th, 2007 and seasonal pools had to be in compliance by opening time for the 2009 season.
For More information on the law or it's requirement click here to download the State of Connecticut's Department of Public Health Recreation Program's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Document. And don't forget to check PoolSafety.gov's site for further information on how to comply and what to look for when purchasing Drain covers to comply.
All public and semi-public swimming pools within the district are inspected for compliance with the Connecticut Public Health Code including the new Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, for the prevention of Recreational Safety & Water Illness. With most pools within the district being seasonal, the pools are inspected each year before opening and must be in compliance with the health code prior to being issued their license and allowed to open. Pools open year around are inspected on a more frequents basis. The inspection process involves checking compliance of the water chemistry as well as ensuring proper safety equipment & procedures.
Bathing beaches are also a great way of remaining cool in the summer as well as offering great opportunity for recreation. However, bathing beaches can also be a source of Recreational Water Illness and therefore are also regulated to prevent the spread of illness. The North Central District Health Department monitors its local bathing beaches by routinely collecting samples of the water at the beaches and submitting those samples to the state laboratory for water analysis. Sampling is performed during the summer months that the bathing beaches are open and continue till the bathing beaches are closed for the season. The samples submitted to the state laboratory are tested for bacteria and other pollutants. If bacteria or other pollutants are present in the sample, the bathing beach is closed until the bacteria or pollutants are no longer present. Beach closing signs are posted by the local health department at our municipal locations if warranted.
Click here for the current status on recreational bathing areas monitored by the state.


four-legged cinema lover along. New this year are two overnight camping events that extend the movie screening into a fun summer camp experience for grown-ups.
The Anime Expo is a four-day event located at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Festivities include panels, cosplay, art, and dedicated areas for card and electronic gaming. Tickets are $60 a one-day adult pass and $105 for a four-day adult pass.
at 2:00 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Experience musical and cultural bliss at this fun and funky music event. From Latin soul to soulful oldies, this is an event to mark your calendar for!
Spice up your summer this July at the Oxnard Salsa Festival! Sample craft and retail salsas, enjoy live music and dance the night away in this lively two-day event.
Neapolitan, Sicilian, New York, gluten free, and vegan options!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged cal title co, California, caltitle, events, July, los angeles, real estate, title insurance on June 20, 2018 by caltitlemarketing.


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THE SHORT LIST
NEWS: Sec't Of Ed Endorses Marriage Equality, Ex-Gays Win (And Lose), CA Assembly Gets Ugly, And More!
By Dan Avery May 7, 2012 at 4:05pm
Following in the footsteps of Vice President Joe Biden, Education Secretary Arne Duncan (above) has come out in favor of marriage equality. When asked on by Morning Joe's Mark Halperin if he believed "that same-sex men and women should be able to get legally married in the United States?" Duncan said "Yes, I do." [Morning Joe]
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) has claimed victory after a federal judge tossed activist Wayne Besen's defamation lawsuit claiming PFOX's Greg Quinlan wrongly stated Besen was fired by HRC. "Filing frivolous lawsuits and abusing our judicial system seems to be a new tactic of radical homosexual activist pressure groups like Besen's. They are desperate to silence the message of hope that there is freedom from unwanted same-sex attractions.," says PFOX's Matt Barber. [PR Newswire]
Speaking of ex-gays, Exodus International has canceled its planned national convention due to lack of interest. "It is with great disappointment that we are notifying you today that the Love Won Out Conference scheduled for May 19th at Legacy Church in Albuquerque, NM has been cancelled… We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. In my seven years serving on the Exodus team, this was one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make," wrote EI events planner David Fountain [Ex-Gay Watch]
The three Iowa judges voted out of office in 2009 after legalizing same-sex marriage are receiving the John F. Kennedy Library's Profiles in Courage Awards on May 29. Said Lambda Legal's Camilla Taylor, "Chief Justice Ternus, Justice Streit, and Justice Baker took an oath to defend the Iowa Constitution and earned their place in history when they lived up to their oath with integrity and did the right thing before much of the rest of the country was ready." [CBS News]
Republican members of the California Legislature started picking at number of new measures aimed at helping the LGBT community. One would require the state to track the sexual orientation of business owners it does business with—in addition to data on race, ethnicity and gender it already collects. "Assemblywoman Linda Halderman (R-Fresno)… [said] some people would 'cheat the system' by lying about their sexual orientation, while others would feel exposed." [AP]
arne duncan Ex-Gays Exodus International Greg Quinlan Linda Halderman PFOX profiles in courage
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vampire at work
Of course some people would "cheat the system", aka as "being closeted".
May 7, 2012 at 10:05pm

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: How delete file from a custom file created in upload folder in custom wordpress plugin I created a custom wp plugin with image upload section in front-end theme. user can upload image but how it can be removed from folder?
if(isset($clicked_item_name)){
    chmod(CARSELL_UPLOAD_DIR_TEMP.$current_user_id, 0755); //this will get permission to file
    chmod($clicked_item_name, 0777);  //this will give permission to file. I this there is problem!?
    unlink($clicked_item_name);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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You are at:Home»News & Current Affairs»Opinion»Lots of Bombs and Lots of Loughs
Lots of Bombs and Lots of Loughs
By David November 25, 2015 No Comments
"Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines."
General "Buck" Turgidson, Dr. Strangelove
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson opened his mouth in Westminster on Wednesday and said:
"With support for the Union in Northern Ireland growing ever stronger, may I help to assuage the concerns of the Right Honourable Member for Moray by saying that we have lots of loughs and lots of ports, and that if the government ever need a new home for Trident, Ulster is there."
These foolhardy words were uttered during a debate about the UK's Trident Nuclear missile programme. The Prime Minister broke a smile in acknowledgement but Donaldson, in a later interview, insisted that he wasn't joking about the province guarding the nuclear nest egg.
The immediate backlash to the comments was outrage – naturally. Who wants WMDs in the background of their Belfast lough selfies? There are some scenes an Instagram filter can't improve, weapons for mass murder is one of them. On Tuesday, in a poll by the Belfast Telegraph, 68% of people disagreed with the notion that we should look after Trident. Ulster clearly isn't 'there'.
On the political scene, however, the SDLP and the Green Party were quickest in clarifying their positions. Green Party Leader Steven Agnew and his party members even going so far as to call the comments by Donaldson "reckless" and "arrogant".
Agnew is right. The caustic little quip at the SNP was nothing but a colour display. The brittle trust necessary to Stormont's running has not been easily achieved and brash or silly outbursts become worthy of panic.
Among the fundamental pre-ceasefire agreements and documents that brought peace to Northern Ireland, one of the most important involved the Joint Declaration on Peace, known as the Downing Street Declaration, in which the Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and British Prime Minister John Major committed to earnest cooperation in moving forward.
In it, the British government declared "no selfish strategic or economic interest in Northern Ireland" in order to achieve "peace, stability and reconciliation established by agreement among all the people to inhabit the island".
At the time the DUP's fiery Ian Paisley viewed it as a conspiratorial sell-out to "bring about the sole and sovereign authority of a Dublin Government over us".
The progressive language and tone set by the declaration was echoed in the 1995 Framework documents and still form an important foundational cornerstone to today's peace and institutional set-up. The basis for consensus, paralysing as it can be at times, is supposed to protect the representation of all communities and constantly needs to be reinforced.
Donaldson's fleeting cheap shot commandeered the opinion of the entire Northern Irish population, disrespecting any consensus. Further to that, the imprudent remarks disregard the very principles of consensus, only serving to erode trust and play entirely into any paranoias about the integrity and democratic commitment of those at Stormont. It's offensive and embarrassing. No public debate or political consultation.
Even if Trident were ever to reside in Northern Ireland it would result in a back-tracking on that original Declaration in a basic and powerful way. Such a move could dangerously be perceived as renewed strategic interest on the part of Britain in Northern Ireland, seismically damaging our fragile peace by undermining it's tentatively laid building blocks – and who knows where that would lead. Donaldson's comments were a casual and pointless invitation to the British government to renege on that commitment.
That said, while Donaldson may actually dream at night of looking after rusting nuclear submarines in exchange for a pat on the back from Westminster, I doubt Number 10 will take him any more seriously than the Northern Irish populace.
Jeffrey Donaldson Trident Union Unionism
Previous ArticleSinn Fein and Welfare reform – economic realism for slow learners by Terry Wright
Next Article Does anyone think 'national security' interests including use of collusion would be tolerated by the families of the French people killed in Paris? – Asks Mark Thompson of RFJ
POLITICAL PURGATORY or POLITICAL HELL? – By Brian Rowan
The dilemma facing Unionism on all fronts – By Dave Maley
A Referendum on Irish Unity – An Economic Imperative – By Gerry Carlile


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Highlands Chamber honors local Heroes
HIGHLANDS– At their monthly luncheon, the Highlands Chamber presented service awards to local public safety officials, and community leaders in an annual tradition.
The top award is the Terry Davis Award, named for a person each year who gives outstanding service to the community, beyond what is necessary to make a difference in the Community.
Chamber president Jessica Woods said that she was honored to be able to award her father, C. R. "Dickie" Woods with the Terry Davis award. Dickie was cited for his leadership, support of community activities including the Chamber and Rotary, and outstanding business practices in the community, including many years as owner of several key businesses.
Another key award is to the Business of the Year. This went to Woodforest National Bank, for their participation in Chamber activities, and support of community events. The award was presented by Jessica Woods, and accepted for the bank by Tonya Russell and Tammy Earls.
Public safety awards included the following:
Outstanding Sheriff's Deputy, to Deputy Gordon Trott, Jr. who made over 1500 calls for service over the last 12 months. The award was made by his Captain, Mike Talton, who also paid tribute to Gordon Trott, Sr. for his service in the military, specifically at Iwo Jima during World War II.
Outstanding Constable's Deputy, to Herman Eagleton, for his work in making a large number of drug arrests in his 7 years on the force, helping to eliminate a community problem. The presentation was made by Constable Ken Jones and Capt. Gary Jones.
Outstanding Firefighter of the Year, to William "Tommy" McMorrow, who also serves as a deputy constable as well as a volunteer firefighter. Fire Chief Harvey Little cited McMorrow for his work in keeping the communications equipment of the department up to date.
The Chamber also presented a check for $500 to Principal Karen Thomas of B. P. Hopper Primary School, who is the Partners In Education school for the Highlands Chamber. Kristi Stallings, PTO president and Chamber president Jessica Woods made the presentation to the Principal.


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The Full Moon, The Wolf and The Lion…
Photo by David Besh on Pexels.com
Tonight is the first Full Moon of 2021. The January Full Moon is nicknamed the Wolf Moon.
At this time of year in northern America and Northern Europe, wolves used to come down to human settlements in search of food- with resulting conflict.
A British Wolf Hunt
The dog is looking rather surprisingly nonchalant, just lounging about next to the man. Unless it has just been bitten, but it is looking rather too laid back and chilled for that. Folk stories suggest the last wolf in England was killed in 1390 by John, son of Sir Edgar Harrington of Wraysholme, after he chased it all the way from the Coniston Fells to Humphrey Head in Cumbria (coastal North West England).
Windblown trees of Humphrey Head, Cumbria via Wiki
There had always been wolves in Britain, but efforts to exterminate them started from the time of King Edward I. By the late middle ages, they were very rare in England, although they continued in Scotland until the 17th or 18th century. Officially the last Scottish wolf was killed (shot) by Sir Ewen Cameron in 1680 in Killiecrankie (Perthshire), but other reports suggests wolves survived in Scotland till much later, with one possible sighting as late as 1888.
Not only is a Wolf Moon tonight, but it is a fire sign moon in the sign of proud, passionate, playful Leo, the Lion King of the Zodiac.
The major arcana Tarot card associated with Leo is Strength. This signifies not only the raw power of physical strength, but fortitude; moral courage, although it is a lucky card, suggesting recovery if someone has been ill.
The minor arcana cards of Leo are the Five, Six and Seven of Wands, representing good-natured Competition, Victory, and Fortitude in Adversity respectively.
From The Gilded Tarot Royale, Ciro Marchetti
Here the figure – we may think of her as Una- The One-but she is you and me, has not tamed the lion as such. They walk side by side, facing futurity, focused on their purpose, or looking inward on their dreams.
The lion walks alongside as an equal, though actually it could deal with Una any time it likes. One bite, one blow of the giant paw. She holds the leash only very lightly, but the lion remains by choice. No-one may presume to think to tame another, but there is no true Strength without the power of self-command.
Any one who would be a leader must first learn to rule himself, or herself.
Leo says 'fame'. Leo says shine your light, walk the stage, write your part and play it, but don't overlook the audience. Not only is there no play without them but they too, have their part to play.
There may be an added element of tension in the air at the moment, thanks to Uranus, planet of innovation and rebellion, making things extra-unpredictable.
Some rebels have a true and just cause. Others are just a pain in the a*se, saying, me! me! me! while others still, are out to do damage for reasons of their own, wreaking havoc, making hay, fuelling the fire. It's all out there today, playing out on the public stage. Lions, wolves, the hunters, the agents provacateurs….and those Iagos on the make. And the viewers.
Some applauding, others booing, some silently approving, dismayed or disgusted.
The Lion of the Zodiac is capable of many things, not always good. The Lion may be careless, arrogant, but he is incapable of pettiness or spite. Leo could make mincemeat of any Iago in this world….but so honourable is the Lion, alas, the malice and the cunning of an Iago may elude him, as too alien to his own nature to be recognized for what it is.
Dandy Lion's
Prideful, Greying
Casts Away
Alight on chance
To Lionise again
–Katie-Ellen
Here's a book fit to make you roar like a lion or more likely, howl like a wolf any time. It may say here it's for 2-6 year olds, but don't you believe it.
Lion and Blue by Robert Vavra, illustrated by Fleur Cowles.
A lonely old lion loves a beautiful blue butterfly, but the butterfly must leave him to follow its own destiny. The old lion pines for his friend and goes in search…
His devotion will be rewarded.
Author Katie-EllenPosted on January 28, 2021 November 17, 2021 Categories TarotTags Leo Moon, The Strength card, Wolf Moon
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Opinions on WordPress Gutenberg , the test version... anybody ? Ive only slighly messed around with it nothing to in depth as my those days are a little behind me. Though as it was were i started i still am curious.
It's a love it or hate it scenario. Many WordPress site builders are scrambling to make sure it works with Gutenberg and that it doesn't make their design plugin/theme incompatible. I think there is still a lot of people that don't like it on the WP reviews?
Looks like you need a upgraded them in order to work with new editor.
Thanks for the update on Gutenberg. I think it's about time WordPress evolved beyond its classic editor. I've been using Elementor for some time now and it's great. Gutenberg looks promising.
Yea apparently the project is still in its infacy, from what I read big guys like elementor, divi, visual composer and maybe some i missed are looking to integrate themselves into gutenburg.
I think lesser site builders like site origin are going to get knocked off and the same for many plugin developers, I know this is a dog eat dog world but I just cant help but feel this commoditization of the web is taking food off the table from some theme, plugin developer who has spent years doing what he does. If this was a offline think you could be sure there would be strikes and appeals. I hope that it fails.
It tough though, this world is really adapt or die.


text:
I-80 clear after big rig overturns near Donner Lake
Part of eastbound I-80 closed for nearly 4 hours
Updated: 5:35 PM PDT Oct 15, 2014
Sarah Heise
Senior Digital Editor
u local
(Oct. 15, 2014)
SOURCE: u local
Caltrans said all lanes of eastbound Interstate 80 in Nevada County have reopened after an overturned big rig blocked the wet roadway Wednesday afternoon.Officials said all lanes were back open at about 5:20 p.m. on I-80 just east of the Donner rest area near Donner Summit.The big rig overturned at about 1:30 p.m. and blocked all lanes for a period of time until crews were able to move the truck over to make way for traffic.There is no word on what caused the big rig to overturn or if there were any injuries.Earlier in the day, a big rig overturned about a mile down the road from this crash and blocked westbound lanes of I-80 for about an hour.
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) —
Caltrans said all lanes of eastbound Interstate 80 in Nevada County have reopened after an overturned big rig blocked the wet roadway Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said all lanes were back open at about 5:20 p.m. on I-80 just east of the Donner rest area near Donner Summit.
The big rig overturned at about 1:30 p.m. and blocked all lanes for a period of time until crews were able to move the truck over to make way for traffic.
There is no word on what caused the big rig to overturn or if there were any injuries.
Earlier in the day, a big rig overturned about a mile down the road from this crash and blocked westbound lanes of I-80 for about an hour.


I love to do school visits. I read from my books, tell stories, draw, show animation and talk about where ideas hide out. I reveal drawing tricks and ask my audience to participate either by drawing or inventing stories with me.
I am happy to present to nearly any group, tots, teens and in-betweens. I have also lectured at high schools and colleges.


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		}
	}
	if((!get_option('shariff_hideonoverview',false) || is_single()) && !strpos($content,"shariffhere") !== false) {
		if (!((strpos($content,'hideshariff') !== false) && (strpos($content,'/hideshariff') == false)) && !(get_post_meta($post->ID, 'shariff_enabled', true))) {
			$content2 .= generateshariff($serv,$services,$image);
		}
	}
	if (get_option('shariff_beforeafter','before') != 'after') {
		$content2 .= $content;
	}
	if (strpos($content,"shariffhere")) {
		$content2 = str_replace("shariffhere",generateshariff($serv,$services,$image),$content2);
	}
	if ((strpos($content,'/hideshariff') !== false)) {
		$content2 = str_replace("/hideshariff","hideshariff",$content2);
	} else {
		$content2 = str_replace("hideshariff","",$content2);
	}
	return $content2;

}
function generateshariff($serv,$services,$image) {
	if (get_option('shariff_twittervia',"") != "") {
		$twittervia = ' data-twitter-via="'.filter_var(get_option('shariff_twittervia',""),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'"';
	}
	return '<div class="shariff"'.$twittervia.' data-title="'.get_the_title().'" data-info-url="'.get_option('shariff_infourl',"http://ct.de/-2467514").'" data-backend-url="'.plugins_url( 'backend/index.php', __FILE__ ).'" data-temp="'.filter_var(get_option('shariff_temp',"/tmp"),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'" data-ttl="'.filter_var(get_option('shariff_ttl',"60"),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'" data-service="'.$serv.'" data-services=\''.$services.'\' data-image="'.$image.'" data-url="'.get_permalink().'" data-lang="'.__('en', 'shariff').'" data-theme="'.get_option('shariff_color',"colored").'" data-orientation="'.get_option('shariff_orientation',"horizontal").'">
';
}
function setting_plat_callback() {
}
function init_settings() {
	add_settings_section('shariff_platforms',__('Shariff platforms',"shariff"),'setting_plat_callback','shariff');
	add_settings_field('shariff_gplus','Google+','setting_gplus_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_fb','Facebook','setting_fb_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_twitter','Twitter','setting_twitter_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_linkedin','LinkedIn','setting_linkedin_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_pinterest','Pinterest','setting_pinterest_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_xing','XING','setting_xing_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_stumbleupon','StumbleUpon','setting_stumbleupon_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_reddit','Reddit','setting_reddit_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_whatsapp','WhatsApp','setting_whatsapp_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_field('shariff_email','E-Mail','setting_email_callback','shariff','shariff_platforms');
	add_settings_section('shariff_other',__('Other Shariff settings',"shariff"),'setting_plat_callback','shariff');
	add_settings_field('shariff_info',__('Privacy information',"shariff"),'setting_info_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_image',__('Default Image URL',"shariff"),'setting_imageurl','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_color',__('Design',"shariff"),'setting_color_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_orientation',__('Orientation',"shariff"),'setting_orientation_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_beforeafter',__('Button location',"shariff"),'setting_before_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_hideonoverview',__('Hide on overview page',"shariff"),'setting_overview_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_ttl','TTL','setting_ttl_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_twittervia','Twitter via Tag','setting_twittervia_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_temp',__('Temp directory',"shariff"),'setting_temp_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	add_settings_field('shariff_infourl',__('Info URL',"shariff"),'setting_infourl_callback','shariff','shariff_other');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_gplus');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_fb');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_twitter');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_linkedin');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_pinterest');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_xing');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_reddit');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_stumbleupon');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_image');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_whatsapp');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_email');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_info');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_color');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_hideonoverview');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_orientation');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_beforeafter');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_ttl');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_twittervia');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_temp');
	register_setting('shariff','shariff_infourl');
}
function setting_before_callback() {
	echo '<select name="shariff_beforeafter">
			<option value="before" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_beforeafter') == "before") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("Before","shariff").'</option>
			<option value="after" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_beforeafter') == "after") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("After","shariff").'</option>
		</select> '.__('Show the sharing buttons before or after the article.',"shariff");
}
function checkbox_setting($checkid,$checktitle,$default) {
	echo '<input name="'.$checkid.'" id="'.$checkid.'" type="checkbox" value="1" class="code" ' . checked( 1, get_option($checkid,$default), false) . ' />';
}
function setting_gplus_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_gplus','Google+',true);
}
function setting_fb_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_fb','Facebook',true);
}
function setting_xing_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_xing','XING',false);
}
function setting_stumbleupon_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_stumbleupon','XING',false);
}
function setting_twitter_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_twitter','Twitter',true);
}
function setting_linkedin_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_linkedin','LinkedIn',false);
}
function setting_pinterest_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_pinterest','Pinterest',false);
}
function setting_reddit_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_reddit','Reddit',false);
}
function setting_overview_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_hideonoverview','Hide on overview',false);
}
function setting_imageurl() {
	echo '<input type="text" name="shariff_image" value="'.filter_var(get_option('shariff_image',''), FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'"> '.__('Used for services such as Pinterest','shariff');
}
function setting_whatsapp_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_whatsapp','WhatsApp',false);
}
function setting_email_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_email','E-Mail',false);
}
function setting_info_callback() {
 	checkbox_setting('shariff_info','Privacy information',true);
}
function setting_orientation_callback() {
	echo '<select name="shariff_orientation">
			<option value="horizontal" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_orientation') == "horizontal") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("Horizontal","shariff").'</option>
			<option value="vertical" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_orientation') == "vertical") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("Vertical","shariff").'</option>
		</select>';
}
function setting_ttl_callback() {
	echo '<input type="number" name="shariff_ttl" value="'.filter_var(get_option("shariff_ttl","60"),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'">';
}
function setting_twittervia_callback() {
	echo '<input type="text" name="shariff_twittervia" value="'.filter_var(get_option("shariff_twittervia",""),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'">';
}
function setting_temp_callback() {
	echo '<input type="text" name="shariff_temp" value="'.filter_var(get_option("shariff_temp","/tmp"),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'">';
}
function setting_infourl_callback() {
	echo '<input type="text" name="shariff_infourl" value="'.filter_var(get_option("shariff_infourl","http://ct.de/-2467514"),FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING).'">';
}
function setting_color_callback() {
	echo '<select name="shariff_color">
			<option value="color" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_color') == "color") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("Colored","shariff").'</option>
			<option value="grey" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_color') == "grey") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__('Grey',"shariff").'</option>
			<option value="white" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_color') == "white") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("White","shariff").'</option>
			<option value="round" ';
			if (get_option('shariff_color') == "round") { echo 'selected'; }
			echo '>'.__("Round","shariff").'</option>
		</select>';
}
function loadjs() {
	 echo ''."\n";
}
function shariff_options_page() {
	?>

<?php echo _e("Shariff configuration","shariff")?>

			<?php
				if (version_compare(phpversion(), '5.4.0') >= 0) {
					echo '
✔ '.__("You're using PHP 5.4 or greater.","shariff").'
';
				} else {
					echo '
✗ '.__("You're using an outdated PHP version which will cause problems. Please update PHP to 5.4 or greater to have full support.").'
';
				}
			?>
	        <form action="options.php" method="POST">
	            <?php settings_fields( 'shariff' ); ?>
	            <?php do_settings_sections( 'shariff' ); ?>
	            <?php submit_button(); ?>
	        </form>

	    <?php
}
function shariffconfigmenu() {
	add_options_page('shariff', 'Shariff', 'manage_options', 'shariff', 'shariff_options_page');
}

function select_init(){
	$options = array("post","page");
	foreach($options as $option) {
		add_meta_box("useshariff", __( 'Shariff settings', 'shariff'), "shariff_box_callback", $option);
	}
}
function shariff_box_callback(){
  global $post;

  echo ''.__("Deactivate Shariff?").'  ';
  $field_id_value = get_post_meta($post->ID, 'shariff_enabled', true);
  if($field_id_value) $field_id_checked = 'checked';
  echo '<input type="checkbox" name="shariff_enabled" '.$field_id_checked.' />';
}
add_action('save_post', 'save_details');

function save_details(){
	global $post;
	if ( isset( $_POST['post_type'] ) && 'page' == $_POST['post_type'] ) {
		if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_page', $post_id ) ) {
			return;
		}
	} else {
		if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_id ) ) {
			return;
		}
	}
	if (defined('DOING_AUTOSAVE') && DOING_AUTOSAVE) {
		return $post->ID;
	}
	update_post_meta($post->ID, "shariff_enabled", $_POST["shariff_enabled"]);
}
add_action("admin_init", "select_init");
add_action('admin_menu','shariffconfigmenu');
add_action('admin_init','init_settings');
add_action('init','init_locale');
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'loadshariff');
add_action('wp_footer','loadjs');
add_filter('the_content','shariffsharing');

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Discover Lisbon, Porto and the Douro Valley 2020
8 days with CroisiEurope Rating: First Class
DAY 1 LISBON
At the end of the day, we'll check in to a 4-star hotel in Lisbon. After dinner, the evening is free to do as you please.
This morning, we'll set out for a guided tour of Lisbon. We'll discover the Belém Cultural Center and its famous Belém tower, an architectural jewel and a symbol of the Age of Discovery. We'll also visit the Jeronimos Monastery, a masterpiece of Manueline architecture. In the afternoon, we'll take a panoramic tour of Lisbon, also known as "the City of the Light¿. Afterwards, we'll return to our hotel. The evening is free to do as you please.
DAY 3 LISBON - COIMBRA - PORTO
Departure by coach to Coimbra, a romantic source of inspiration to many a poet. This afternoon, we'll discover this charming city that cascades down the hillside to the Rio Mondego. After our tour, we'll hit the road again towards Porto. Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 5:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. In the evening, join us on an excursion by coach for both packages: Tour of Porto by night.
DAY 4 PORTO - REGUA
This morning will be spent cruising. Join us on an excursion for both packages: Guided tour of Lamego. Enjoy an evening of dancing.
DAY 5 REGUA - PINHAO - PORTO ANTIGO
Take part in our excursion for both packages: Discover the formal gardens at the Mateus Palace and Vila Real. We'll spend the afternoon cruising. Enjoy an evening of onboard entertainment.
DAY 6 PORTO ANTIGO - PORTO
We'll spend the morning cruising. This afternoon, join us on the excursions proposed :
CLASSIC: Guided tour of Porto, one of the oldest cities in Europe, whose historic center was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
DISCOVERY: Touring Porto via tram and visiting the tram museum. We'll board one of the city's trams and partake in this urban-tourism experience all the way to the mouth of the Douro. We'll finish up our excursion with a tasting of some of the local specialties.
The evening is free to do as you please.
DAY 7 PORTO - GUIMARÃES - PORTO
Enjoy time at leisure this morning to discover Porto at your own pace. This afternoon, join us for the excursions proposed :
CLASSIC: Tour of Guimarães.
DISCOVERY: Hiking to Vila Nova de Gaïa and tasting of some of the local wines*.
Tonight's our gala evening and dinner followed by traditional folk entertainment.
DAY 8 PORTO
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9.00 a.m. End of our services.
Tour of Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, and enchanting Coimbra
Cruising in the spectacular Douro Valley
Traditional folk evening on board
Porto, the pearl of Portugal
Vila Réal and the formal gardens at the Mateus Palace
Guimarães and its medieval center
Lisbon is a city of incomparable beauty, marked by a rich history and a great culture. Pastel houses, blue waters and trams that evoke San Francisco will captivate you. The Portuguese capital is a city that has crossed history with brilliance, perfect combination of a rich past that gives it its charm and attractive modernity. You will enjoy 3 days in Lisbon before joining the cruise in the heart of Portugal.
Cruising: Cabin onboard MS Infante Don Henrique or MS Miguel Torga
The number of moorings on the Douro is limited. Our boats may be moored side by side.
Arrival times at ports of call and the order of the excursions can change.


text:
Rural Voices
Whispers, Noise & Rumors
Whispers, Noise & Rumors: June 8, 2020
By David Haynes | June 8, 2020
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Rural Insights or its members.
Students Returning to UP Campuses in August: Current plans are for all three public universities in the UP to hold on-campus, in-class sessions for the Fall semester that starts in August. Good news that the Marquette County Health Department and NMU are working together to plan on how to best plan for this–both in town and on campus. Same in the Soo/Chippewa County.
Estimates are that approximately 10,000 students will be returning from downstate and out of state to these counties/cities, so lots of questions on how to handle this. Planning and coordination will help prevent increases in COVID-19 cases. Kudos to all involved.
Universities are economic pillars in the communities of Sault Saint Marie, Houghton and Marquette. Students and staff are an important part of the restaurant and hospitality industry as well as to the housing rental/sales market. Students and their parents spend thousands of dollars in these communities.
Athletic events also bring people to each town spending money, with visiting fans and athletic teams staying in local hotels. A recent story in the mid-Michigan City Pulse said "As MSU goes, so goes the local economy." MSU, of course, has 50,000 students, so their impact is much bigger–but the three public universities in the UP have a huge impact on their local economies as well.
Is it time for an economic study on how big and important an economic impact this will have in Houghton, Marquette and the Soo? Maybe. Would be very informative for future regional economic planning.
Years and years ago Marquette's Sawyer Air Force Base had a huge impact on the Marquette economy. Local folks will remember that the base sometimes would pay their staff with silver dollars or two dollar bills to remind the local community of how important they really were to the region. An economic study would give us all some facts and data as to how important the universities are to our Upper Peninsula.
Same is true of the health care sector. Maybe the study should be of both sectors in the UP.
Soo Locks Expansion/Construction: The first phase of construction will be over $922 million. That is a major boost to the eastern UP economy. It will also mean that possibly hundreds more public and private sector jobs will emerge after construction is completed, and a big impact on Michigan and the regional economy. More to come in Rural Insights in coming weeks.
Copper Country WiFi Hotspots: This week's news of a collaborative effort to provide more internet service to the Copper Country is really important news for residents. According to the Portage Health Foundation, "WiFi hotspots are located all around the Copper Country. From Alston to Calumet, there are currently 10 locations up and running; organizers hope to have at least 30 over the next few months."
Executive Director Kevin Store said that "hopefully this might serve as a bit of a model for rural communities as multi-sector collaboration, and trying to have a larger conversation about connectivity in a rural area and the role that it plays–not only for the overall health of our community but just the overall quality of life and access to the information, communication, and resources needed in rural communities." (Peter Curi, UP Matters).
The availability of internet services, technology and hardware is a major issue in rural areas across America, as well as in the Upper Peninsula. Seeing this community-collaborative effort is encouraging and worth watching. Maybe its successes will be copied in other UP communities.
Airport Service In The UP: With airlines announcing what appears to be cuts in service to smaller airports and hubs across the nation, attention has turned to what will happen to our airline service in the UP.
Will we still have air service at the same levels in Marquette, Houghton, Iron Mountain, Escanaba and Sault Saint Marie? Will we see consolidations of airports to deal with these reductions in service? No solid news yet on this, but we will have more on Rural Insights in coming weeks.
Good news is that the federal budget included almost $10 billion to be given to eligible airports. Marquette's Sawyer Airport got $18 million of that and Houghton received $1.098 million, Iron Mountain $1.085, and Escanaba $1.076.
Quote: "When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy… Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political views, that place must–at that moment–become the center of the universe." Elie Wiesel.
Quote: A Golden Rule Thought. "As the world gets more deeply intertwined, everyone's behavior–the values that each of us bring to this interdependent world–matters more than ever. Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you, because more people in more places in more ways on more days can now do unto you and you unto them like never before." Thomas Friedman.
bold fix
David Haynes
Professor David Haynes is a Professor of Public Administration and teaches in the MPA graduate program at Northern Michigan University, where he previously served as President. David has been involved in the public administration and political science field for over 45 years.
Robert Thompson on June 8, 2020 at 7:27 am
Upper Peninsula regional government is essential and eventually inevitable.
We are the primary research and information source for Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beyond. Join our mailing list to receive weekly insights on the issues that affect life in rural areas.
Reader Survey, UP Election Results by County, Canadian Government Sees Citizenship Request Increase, and Higher Ed Affordability
January 11, 2021 | Whispers, Noise & Rumors
Rural Insights 2021 readership survey, new way to view Upper Peninsula election results, Canadian government
A New Year and Beginning, Fun News to Begin 2021, COVID-19 Vaccines in the UP, Small Business Jobs, and a Rural Czar
January 4, 2021 | Whispers, Noise & Rumors
A new year and a new beginning, some fun news to begin 2021, COVID-19 vaccines
Michigan Presidential Electors Vote Today, High Voter Turnout, and Ideas to Fix America, Michigan, and the U.P.
December 14, 2020 | Whispers, Noise & Rumors
Michigan Presidential Electors to vote today in Lansing, high voter turnout in the November election
david@ruralinsights.org
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Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the biological rationale for why large doses of corticosteroids given repeatedly over several weeks may help individuals with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects more than 1 million people in the U.S.
Unlike the anabolic steroids athletes sometimes use illegally to bulk up muscle, corticosteroids are routinely used to treat inflammation in lupus patients. The drugs, however, can cause undesirable side effects including weight gain and acne when taken over long periods of time.
In a study published in a recent issue of Nature, researchers at UT Southwestern and other institutions show in blood cells that giving very high doses of intravenous corticosteroids early and frequently in the course of the disease is more effective at killing the cells that drive lupus than giving the standard limited intravenous steroids followed by high doses of oral corticosteroids over a period of months. The cells used came from lupus patients as well as from animal models of lupus.
"By giving the very high dose early and frequently in the course of the disease, we could actually end up using much less steroids in the long run," said Dr. Marilynn Punaro, professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern and co-author of the study. "This finding suggests that by doing so, we might be able to get the disease under control more quickly and patients might experience fewer long-term side effects."
Dr. Punaro, who treats patients at Children's Medical Center Dallas and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, said her team often uses this treatment plan referred to as pulse steroids with lupus patients because they've found it can be more effective than standard treatment at maintaining control of the disease.
The standard treatment involves giving very high doses of steroids intravenously for only a few days. Most physicians then transition to a high oral dose and gradually reduce the amount of steroids to the lowest level at which the drugs are still effective.
Lupus is a debilitating autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue and organs, including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood and skin. The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans have the disease, which affects all age groups. It is 10 to 15 times more likely in adult women than adult men.
The immune system of lupus patients is dysfunctional, causing inflammation throughout the body. In this study, researchers used the blood cells to investigate why the standard treatment might be less effective in halting the inflammation.
They found that pulse doses of intravenous steroids kill off the cells called plasmacytoid dendritic cells producing interferon alpha, a protein that promotes this inflammation. Oral corticosteroids given at much lower doses did not have this effect.
"Now we have the biological rationale for why pulsing is often more effective than standard therapy," said Dr. Tracey Wright, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern and another study co-author.
Dr. Punaro, director of the pediatric rheumatology division at UT Southwestern, said the team hopes that this study will lead to recommendations on ways to treat lupus patients more effectively.
"If the patient receives very high doses of pulse steroids during the induction period, when steroid-sparing long-term drugs which take a while to work are being ramped up to an effective level, then our experience has been that we end up using fewer steroids overall," Dr. Punaro said. "Steroids are probably always going to be a short-term fix because they work quickly and powerfully, but we hope that this information will enable physicians to be smarter about how they use steroids."
The next step, she said, is to use the paper's scientific rationale as the basis for a clinical trial comparing patients who receive the more intensive therapy with those getting standard therapy.
Dr. Virginia Pascual, former director of the pediatric rheumatology division at UT Southwestern, contributed to the study. Researchers from Dynavax Technologies Corp. were lead and senior authors of the paper; researchers at Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, the National Institutes of Health and Institut Curie in Paris also contributed to the investigation.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Alliance for Lupus Research and the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research.
UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Researchers Uncover Biological Rationale For Why Intensive Lupus Treatment Works." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 27 Jul. 2010. Web.


Some really exciting news I was so lucky to be chosen as a Guest Designer in March for Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge. Just can't wait.
The cute image is from the Miss Anya Love Set.
This entry was posted on Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 8:52 pm and is filed under Greeting Farm Stamps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Wow, absolutely love this card shirl, you make some excellent cards, but this one is stunning. one of the loveliest cards you have made.


text:
Anna Barbauld: Civic Sermons to the People (4338 words)
Scott Krawczyk (Georgetown University )
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University )
First Circulation/Publication: 1792
United Kingdom, England (Country of Origin)
Genres and Modes
Pamphlets/ Tracts/ Chapbooks
Barbauld's Life
Barbauld's Works
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Works)
Areopagitica (Works)
Reflections on the Revolution in France (Works)
The Rights of Man (Part 1) (Works)
Anna Barbauld's Civic Sermons to the People (Number I), written in the summer of 1792, responds directly to the Royal Proclamation Against Seditious Writings and Publications, which was issued by England's King George III on 21 May 1792. As with her other notable political pamphlets, namely Sins of Government, Sins of the Nation (1793) and An Address to the Opposers of the Repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts (1790), Barbauld entered the sphere of public discourse to register her discontent with the political climate, especially as manifested in royal decrees. Anna Barbauld, née Aikin (1743-1825), gained initial literary acclaim in 1773 for her first commercial publication, Poems. By eighteenth-…
Citation: Krawczyk, Scott. "Civic Sermons to the People". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 November 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5957, accessed 23 January 2020.]
View recommended reading for this article
5957 Civic Sermons to the People 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.


text:
Aagt Germonts, född 1621, död efter 1660, var en nederländsk kvinna som var föremål för en uppmärksammad häxprocess i Hoorn 1659–1660.

Hon var gift med en bonde i De Weere, en by i Abbekerk. Sedan hon hade fött tre döda barn grävdes hennes dödfödda barns gravar upp och deras lik visade sig vara dockor. Hon åtalades för häxeri. Hon dömdes till döden för trolldom i första instans. I andra instans ändrades domen till att stå i skampålen med de tre dockorna i famnen. Hennes mål var uppmärksammat i Nederländerna, där den sista avrättningen för trolldom hade ägt rum 1608.

Hennes fall blev föremål för en studie redan 1661.

Referenser

 https://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/vrouwenlexicon/lemmata/data/Germonts

Födda 1621
Avlidna okänt år
kvinnor
Häxprocesser i Nederländerna
Personer i Nederländerna under 1600-talet

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: PHP & MySQL: IP addresses like 0.0.7.102 I have a a bit of code in my PHP which tries to get the user's IP address:
// Test if it is a shared client
if (! empty($_SERVER['HTTP_CLIENT_IP'])) {
    $userIP = $_SERVER['HTTP_CLIENT_IP'];
}
// Is it a proxy address?
elseif (! empty($_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR'])) {
    $userIP = $_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR'];
}
else {
    $userIP = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
}

Then I store $userIP in a MySQL table using the INET_ATON() function to convert the string to an integer. I can retrieve this value using MySQL's INET_NTOA() function.
It works perfectly most of the time. However, sometimes I get an IP like 0.0.7.102, for example.
I know these functions don't work with IPv6, but could this problem be caused by something else? Are there a lot of people using IPv6 already? How do I deal with this?
Thanks!