text:
«Таксист» ( Тэкси Унджонса) — южнокорейский кинофильм 2017 года режиссёра , в главных ролях Сон Кхан Хо и Томас Кречманн.

Основанный на реальной истории, фильм рассказывает о водителе такси из Сеула, который непреднамеренно участвует в событиях Восстания в Кванджу в 1980 году. Он основан на общении немецкого журналиста  с южнокорейским таксистом Ким Са Боком. Поскольку личность и настоящее имя Кима были неизвестны во время создания фильма (Хинцпетер знал его только как «Ким Ман Соб»), большинство элементов, касающихся его жизни и событий, которые произошли с ним за пределами Кванджу, являются вымышленными.

В Южной Корее фильм был выпущен 2 августа 2017 года. Он был положительно воспринят критиками, которые высоко оценили его уникальный подход к событиям Восстания в Кванджу, эмоциональный вес, а также главного героя и его отношения с Хинцпетером, и был выбран в качестве южнокорейской заявки на «Оскар» за лучший фильм на иностранном языке в 2018 году. Фильм имел заметный коммерческий успех, став вторым самым кассовым фильмом 2017 года в Южной Корее, и в настоящее время является одиннадцатым самым кассовым южнокорейским фильмом в истории.

Сюжет
1980 год. Вдовец Ким Ман Соб работает таксистом в Сеуле и воспитывает дочь. Однажды он слышит, как другой таксист рассказывает об иностранном клиенте, который забронировал его для поездки стоимостью 100 000 вон. Клиент намерен отправиться в Кванджу на день и вернуться в Сеул до комендантского часа. Ким хитростью перехватывает клиента.

Клиентом оказывается Юрген Хинцпетер — западногерманский журналист, который хочет осветить растущие гражданские беспорядки в Кванджу. Из-за строгой цензуры иностранным журналистам запрещён въезд в страну. Юрген представляется миссионером, чтобы попасть в Южную Корею.

Двое мужчин обнаруживают, что все дороги, ведущие к Кванджу, заблокированы и тщательно охраняются солдатами. Ким пытается убедить Юргена, что они должны вернуться в Сеул, но журналист отказывается платить 100 000 вон, если они не достигнут Кванджу. Им удается доехать до города, обманув солдат и сказав им, что Юрген важный иностранный бизнесмен.

В Кванджу они обнаруживают, что все магазины закрыты, а улицы пустынны. Ким отрицает серьёзность происходящих событий в городе, поскольку он считает, что недавние беспорядки были вызваны студентами, которые только и делают, что протестуют. Юрген начинает снимать всё на камеру.

Мужчины встречают группу студентов, которые едут на грузовике. Лидер группы, Ён Пхё, приглашает Юргена на борт. Они также знакомятся со студентом Джэ Сиком, который знает английский. Ким говорит, что будет ехать за ними, но вместо этого решает повернуть назад, не желая, чтобы его такси было повреждено во время беспорядков. По пути он жалеет старуху, которая ищет сына, и отвозит её в местную больницу. Сыном женщины оказывается Ён Пхё, который находится в больнице с незначительными травмами. Студенты вместе с Юргеном ругают Кима за его эгоизм, не позволяют журналисту заплатить ему, пока он не выполнит оговорённую поездку.

Ким соглашается провести Юргена и Джэ Сика (исполняющего обязанности переводчика) через Кванджу. Местные протестующие приветствуют иностранного репортёра и дают им еду и подарки. Юрген снимает на камеру, как солдаты жестоко избивают демонстрантов. Офицеры  в штатском видят, что иностранец снимает беспорядки, и пытаются арестовать его, но троице удаётся сбежать.

Внезапно такси Кима ломается, и Тхэ Су, один из местных таксистов, буксирует его в свою мастерскую. Ким расстраивается, что его маленькая дочь дома одна и он не может связаться с ней, так как телефонные линии Кванджу оборваны. Тхэ Су позволяет мужчинам остаться в его доме на ночь.

Во время ужина они слышат взрывы и обнаруживают, что телевизионная станция горит. Юрген, Ким, Джэ Сика и Тхэ Су, как и множество других жителей, направляются туда, и Юрген снимает возникшие столкновения и жестокость усмирителей. Тхэ Су теряется, а офицеры узнают Юргена и преследуют троицу. Взяв в плен Джэ Сика, офицеры требуют, чтобы Юрген отдал им плёнки и камеру. Ким подвергается нападению со стороны лидера DSC, который обвиняет водителя в том, что он коммунист. Юрген спасает Кима, и они бегут обратно в дом Тхэ Су.

На рассвете Тхэ Су даёт Киму поддельные номерные знаки Кванджу, поскольку солдаты ищут сеульское такси. В одиночку Ким едет в соседний город Сунчхон, где он слышит разговоры людей в кафе о событиях в Кванджу: СМИ ложно утверждают, что хаос был вызван «преступными группами и мятежниками». Он переполнен чувством вины и едет обратно в больницу Кванджу, где находит шокированного Юргена и Тхэ Су, который плачет над трупом Джэ Сика. Ким напоминает Юргену о его обещании показать миру, что происходит в Южной Корее, и призывает его продолжать снимать.

Они снимают улицу, где солдаты беспощадно стреляют в мирных жителей. Ким и другие таксисты используют свои машины, чтобы закрыть гражданских от огня солдат и вывозить раненых, но солдаты продолжают стрелять на поражение.

Ким и Юрген едут в Сеул по просёлочной дороге и натыкаются на блокпост. Ким заявляет, что он увозит иностранного бизнесмена от беспорядков. Молодой сержант обыскивает машину и находит номерные знаки из Сеула, но умалчивает о своей находке и приказывает пропустить такси. В этот момент солдаты получают приказ не выпускать из Кванджу любых иностранцев, но Киму удаётся пробиться через заграждение. Их со стрельбой преследуют джипы DSC. Но таксисты из Кванджу , среди которых Тхэ Су, выезжая на шоссе и блокируя машины службы безопасности, спасают машину Кима. Некоторые таксисты погибают, а Тхэ Су в итоге жертвует собой, чтобы позволить Киму и Юргену убежать.

Двое мужчин добираются до аэропорта и прощаются друг с другом. Юрген спрашивает у Кима его имя и номер телефона, поскольку он хочет вернуться в Южную Корею позже, чтобы встретиться с ним ещё раз. Ким колеблется, но затем записывает имя и номер телефона в блокноте Юргена. Журналист благополучно покидает страну. Ким счастливо воссоединяется со своей дочерью.

Репортаж Юргена о событиях в Кванджу распространяются по всему миру. Через некоторое время Юрген возвращается в Корею и ищет «Ким Са Бока», но понимает, что тот специально написал ему неверное имя и номер телефона.

Спустя 23 года Юрген получает награду в Южной Корее за репортаж о Восстании в Кванджу. В своей речи он выражает благодарность «Ким Са Боку» и надеется увидеть его снова. Ким, всё ещё работающий водителем такси, читает газетную статью о речи Юргена, включая слова благодарности ему. Ким шепчет, что он более благодарен Юргену и что он тоже скучает по нему.

В эпилоге говорится, что Юрген пытался найти Кима и умер в 2016 году, так и не встретившись с ним снова. Фильм заканчивается кадрами с настоящим Юргеном, который благодарит «Ким Са Бока».

В ролях

Основные персонажи
 Сон Кхан Хо — Ким Ман Соб (Ким Са Бок)
Овдовевший таксист, который живёт со своей одиннадцатилетней дочерью в небольшом доме. Он обычный работяга, который заботится только о средствах к существованию своей семьи и не интересуется политическими вопросами. Персонаж в значительной степени основан на реальном таксисте Ким Са Боке, который переправил Юргена Хинцпетера в Кванджу. Ким оставался вне поля зрения общественности до выпуска «Таксиста», но в сентябре 2017 года после огромного успеха фильма в Южной Корее личность Кима была окончательно подтверждена его сыном, Ким Сын Пхилом. Младший Ким поделился с журналистами фотографией Юргена Хинцпетера с отцом и сообщил, что его отец умер от рака в 1984 году, через четыре года после событий в Кванджу.
 Томас Кречманн — Юрген Хинцпетер
Немецкий репортёр из ФРГ Юрген Хинцпетер (1937–2016) был единственным иностранным журналистом, который снимал и освещал беспорядки в Кванджу.

Вспомогательные персонажи
 Ё Хэ Джин — Хван Тхэ Су, отзывчивый таксист Кванджу
 Рю Джун Ёл — Гу Джэ Сик, наивный студент, который знает английский
 Пак Хюк Квон — репортёр Чхве
 Ум Тхэ Гу — сержант первого класса Пак
 Ё Ын Ми — Ын Джон, дочь Ким Ман Соба
 Чхве Гви Хва — лидер Командования обороны (DSC) в штатском
 Чха Сун Бэ — таксист Чха
 Шин Дам Су — таксист Шин
 Рё Сон Хён — таксист Рё
 Пак Мин Хи — Кхвон Джун Рён
 Ли Джон Ын — жена Хван Тхэ Су
 Ён Сок Хо — сын Хван Тхэ Су
 Кхвон Сун Джун — Кхан Сан Гу
 Ли Бон Рён — беременная женщина в Сеуле
 Хо Джон До — муж беременной женщины в Сеуле
 Ли Хо Чхол — Хон Ён Пхё
 Ли Ён Йи — жена Хон Ён Пхё
 Хан Гын Суп — протестующий студент
 Хон Ван Пхё — протестующий студент

Специально приглашённые актёры
 Кхо Чхан Сок — отец Кхан Сан Гу
 Джон Хе Джин — мать Кхан Сан Гу
 Джун Джин Ён — репортёр Ли
 Рю Тхэ Хо — директор газеты Кванджу
 Джон Сок Ён — президент автоцентра в Сеуле

Съёмки
Съёмки начались 5 июня и закончились 24 октября 2016 года.

Релиз
В Южной Корее фильм был выпущен 2 августа 2017 года. В тот же день фильм был показан на Международном кинофестивале «Fantasia» в Монреале, где Сон Кхан Хо был назван лучшим актёром.

Дистрибьютор Showbox заявил, что фильм выйдет в Северной Америке 11 августа, в Австралии и Новой Зеландии — 24 августа, в Великобритании — 25 августа, в азиатских странах, включая Гонконг, Тайвань и Японию, — в сентябре.

Эдельтраут Брамштадт, вдова Юргена Хинцпетера, посетила Сеул во время премьерного проката фильма и посмотрела его 13 августа 2017 года вместе с президентом Южной Кореи Мун Чжэ Ин. Один из чиновников Синего дома сказал: «Фильм показывает, как усилия иностранного репортёра способствовали демократизации Кореи. Президент Мун увидел фильм в честь Хинцпетера в отношении того, что он сделал для нашей страны». После просмотра фильма президент Мун отметил: «Правда о восстании до конца не раскрыта. Это задача, которую мы должны решить. Я верю, что этот фильм поможет решить её».

Восприятие
«Таксист» получил положительные отзывы. Сайт агрегации обзоров Rotten Tomatoes дал фильму рейтинг одобрения 96% на основе 26 обзоров, со средним рейтингом 7,3 из 10. На Metacritic, который присваивает нормализованный рейтинг на основе обзоров, фильм имеет оценку 69 из 100, основанную на 7 критических обзорах, что указывает на «в целом благоприятные отзывы».

Мэгги Ли из Variety пишет: «Повторяя роль американского корреспондента Сиднея Шанберга в «Полях смерти», Хинцпетер прибывает в Корею как диссидент-новичок, а не как защитник правосудия. Сначала Кречманн играет его с непривлекательной холодной эффективностью, рассматривая своего водителя и других корейцев как простой инструмент для своего репортажа. Впечатляет, что в его личности не происходит мгновенных изменений. Скорее, актёр сохраняет определённое хладнокровие, даже несмотря на свою страсть и привязанность к демократии. Последнее расставание искренне трогательно, так как теперь двое мужчин относятся друг к другу как равные».

Шери Линден из The Hollywood Reporter в своём позитивном обзоре фильма написала: «Неожиданным и удивительным образом водитель такси задействует симбиотические отношения между иностранным корреспондентом и местными жителями. ... Фильм Чана наполнен моментами напряжённого ожидания и быстрых действий ... Спокойствие и смех среди ужаса прекрасно подчеркивают то, как обычные жизни попадают в перекрестье истории».

Сборы
По данным Корейского совета по кинематографии (KOFIC), в первый день выхода было продано 698 090 билетов, что принесло 4,5 млн долл. США. Фильм был доступен на 1 446 экранах и был показан 7 068 раз по всей Южной Корее. К полудню второго дня показа фильм прошёл отметку в миллион зрителей.

На третий день общая аудитория удвоилась до двух миллионов зрителей. Число зрителей продолжало расти, число проданных билетов увеличилось до 4 млн к четвёртому дню проката.

«Таксист» заработал 30,7 млн долл. США за пять дней. Он, как и «Битва за Мён Рян» и «Кунхам: Пограничный остров», собрал 4 млн зрителей за первые пять дней проката. В конце первой недели фильм посмотрело более 5 млн зрителей. На одиннадцатый день с момента выхода фильма зарегистрировано более 7 млн зрителей.

«Таксист» стал самым популярным южнокорейским фильмом в 2017 году менее чем через две недели после его премьеры и привлёк более 8 млн зрителей. К 15 августа 2017 года он собрал 62,7 млн долл. США.

К 20 августа, всего за 19 дней с момента выхода фильма, «Таксист» увидели уже 10 млн зрителей. Фильм собрал 73 млн долл. США. «Таксист» также стал первым фильмом 2017 года и пятнадцатым корейским фильмом, преодолевшим рубеж в 10 миллионов зрителей. Также это третий фильм с актёром Сон Кхан Хо, который посмотрело более 10 млн зрителей.

Фильм возглавлял кассу Южной Кореи в течение трёх выходных подряд. К 28 августа фильм привлёк 11,4 млн зрителей. По словам дистрибьютора, по состоянию на 9 сентября 2017 года общая посещаемость фильма превысила отметку в 12 млн, что сделало его десятым самым просматриваемым местным фильмом всех времён в Южной Корее.

Реакция в Китае
«Таксист» не выпущен в какой-либо форме в материковом Китае, хотя был показан 21 сентября 2017 года в Гонконге, специальном административном районе Китая. Фильм получил тёплые отклики на китайском кино-сайте Douban, где он имел высокий рейтинг пользователей. Однако вечером 3 октября 2017 года фильм был полностью удалён с китайского кинопортала. Возможно, причина в том, что в ряде рецензий содержание фильма сравнивалось с Событиями 4 июня 1989 года — протест, который строго подвергается цензуре в СМИ в Китае.

Награды и номинации

См. также
 Список претендентов на 90-ю премию «Оскар» за лучший фильм на иностранном языке
 Список претендентов на премию «Оскар» за лучший фильм на иностранном языке от Республики Корея

Заметки

Примечания

Ссылки

 A Taxi Driver на сайте Korean Movie Database
 A Taxi Driver на сайте HanCinema
 A Taxi Driver на сайте Naver Movies

Фильмы Республики Корея 2017 года
Фильмы на корейском языке
Фильмы-драмы Республики Корея
Фильмы-боевики Республики Корея
Фильмы Чан Хуна
Фильмы о такси
Фильмы-драмы, основанные на реальных событиях
Фильмы о студентах
Фильмы о журналистах


text:
Is Robert Whitaker's book Anatomy of an Epidemic acceptable heresy, or dangerous nonsense?
Over the past year in the world of psychiatry there has been a small hubbub about a book that was released last April entitled Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America. Its author is Robert Whitaker, a science journalist who has an expertise in issues involving psychiatry, having written a previous book entitled Mad In America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and The Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill. The gist of Whitaker's book is that the very treatments used for psychiatric illness (that is, drugs) for the past generation may, in fact, be driving the epidemic in the first place, prolonging and worsening psychiatric symptoms.
Needless to say it is a provocative hypothesis, but for the most part it has not yet taken hold in the collective consciousness in the manner of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, to which vague comparisons could be made. As of now it ranks only 19th in the amazon.com category for "Mental Illness," being edged out by such books as Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers as well as The Sociopath Next Door (which particularly sounds like a remarkably silly book). Part of its modest showing has to do with the media coverage, mostly limited to smaller outlets such as Salon and New Scientist; a local NPR station in Boston covered Whitaker's address to the department of psychiatry at Harvard earlier this month. Time had a brief dispatch, and The Boston Globe published a review, somewhat oddly, by a pediatrician specializing in lung and sleep disorders. Without the media flap, the book's sales appear to have faltered.
This last review by Dr. Daniel Rosen is particularly interesting because he finishes his review, which roundly criticizes Whitaker's contentions, by making a dark allusion to the dangers of agreeing with Whitaker's thinking. "Thabo Mbeki [the president of South Africa at the turn of the century] refused to accept that AIDS was caused by the HIV virus, believing instead that it was a side effect of malnutrition and the medications used to treat AIDS itself," Rosen noted. "Those who would seize the opportunity to cast psychiatry as a discipline into the rubbish heap without consideration for the benefits it has brought to so many would do well to remember how Mbeki's inability to distinguish between theory and fact exacted such an enormous toll in human life and suffering."
It's an interesting little maneuver because, without explicitly saying so, Rosen essentially proclaimed that Whitaker's book belongs to a completely different class of book than the kind a reader would naturally assume he was discussing, which is to say that Rosen was accusing Whitaker of writing dangerous nonsense rather than acceptable heresy. And the two categories are as different as they could be in the world of science and medicine.
The typical mechanism of scientific progress relies on the establishment of heresies. Let's say we have some model about how stomach ulcers come into being: people think that it's related to stress, and doctors who read the literature prescribe a bland diet and tell people to chill out. Then along comes someone who's been doing biopsies of patients with ulcers and reports a new bacteria that's pretty much impossible to grow, but is clearly there, and thinks that it's this weird new bacteria, and not a stressful lifestyle, that is the cause of ulcers. This someone--after doing further research on his little bacterium--writes papers, gives talks at various conferences, and essentially argues with the scientific establishment that he's right and the old way of thinking about ulcers is wrong. Eventually, enough people are convinced by his data and adopt the new model. What I've just described actually happened and involves the discovery of the bug Helicobacter pylori by Dr. Barry Marshall in Australia in the early 1980's; by the late 1990's the H. pylori model was universally accepted. It's what you'd call standard, acceptable heresy, and science thrives on such a process.
The problem that very simple-minded people frequently are unable to appreciate, however, is that just because science works by overturning conventional beliefs, it doesn't mean that anything goes, or that just because some theory isn't shared by mainstream scientists, it must by definition have some merit. So a lot of writers and thinkers of science distinguish this form of thinking from "acceptable heresy" by regarding it as "dangerous nonsense." In the world of science, the two most dangerous forms of nonsense is that a) evolution isn't really true, and b) man-made global warming doesn't exist. In the world of medicine, the two would be a) vaccines cause autism, and b) HIV is not the cause of AIDS.
Which brings us back to Dr. Rosen's comparison of Robert Whitaker and AIDS denialists: it's Rosen's way of telling people that they shouldn't even bother, that Whitaker's work is not acceptable heresy, but rather dangerous nonsense. And Whitaker got the point of that right away: he posted a same-day reply in his blog at Psychology Today decrying that particular rhetorical trick, calling it "a bit over the top" in what wins points for remarkable restraint.
The question is: who is right? Should we agree with Dr. Rosen, think of Whitaker as a purveyor of dangerous nonsense, and throw it on the ash heap of silly attacks on medicine, or should we give Whitaker's argument a wide berth and read his book with care? For me, this is not an idle question as I haven't read the book, and I've been wondering whether I should put it on my reading list, and if so, how high should it go?
The answer is that I think Whitaker's probably solidly in the camp of acceptable heresy (which doesn't mean I think he's right, only that I am taking his contentions quite seriously). Anatomy Of An Epidemic is going on my reading list, and may go pretty high, for at least three reasons:
a. Whitaker clearly did his homework. One doesn't need to have a Ph.D. in statistics, or be a psychiatrist, to see that Whitaker researched his subject thoroughly, and for me that counts a great deal. Far too often people hostile to science rely on clinging to single studies as proof of their rightness. Whitaker sought to undertake what appears to be a comprehensive survey of the literature and ask the singularly heretical question is all of our modern therapy making a difference for the better? But even a causal glance at the reviews makes clear that he has done due diligence in trying to assess what the entire field knows. It's entirely possible that his interpretation of the data is flawed, as psychiatrist-blogger Dan Carlat thinks (part 1 here and part 2 here), but he isn't cherry picking data in order to further his pet theory, an intellectual strategy that drives me nuts.
b. Studying outcomes in psychiatry is a tricky business. One of the reasons why AIDS denialism is dangerous nonsense is because it's really not that hard to follow the progression of HIV viral load through sickness and death. In other words, outcomes are pretty clear. I have personally witnessed what happens to some patients who have stopped taking their antiretrovirals (small, nonstandardized nonexperimental data to be sure, but persuasive data nonetheless). In other fields, like cardiology, studying the effect of this-or-that drug is comparatively easy, because you are often measuring death as the main outcome, which as outcomes go is pretty fixed. In psychiatry, by contrast, outcomes are much more slippery: "feelings" are notoriously hard to standardize, and even in more severe cases such as schizophrenia, I remain skeptical that you can easily and cleanly reproduce results in clinical trials. As a consequence, I'm inclined to listen to multiple interpretations of effectiveness data, including those that question the value of the entire enterprise--and I'm inclined to listen to it in a way that I wouldn't if I hear an attack on HIV meds, for which there is far too much data to suggest anything other than their effectiveness.
c. Other people whose opinions I respect think highly of him. It's of course the weakest of the three reasons, but still counts for something. Particularly when one has to deal with sorting garbage from gems, it helps to have a trusted figure offer their two cents. E.g. Carlat: "[Anatomy Of An Epidemic] is the work of a highly intelligent and inquiring mind--a person who is struggling to understand the nature of psychiatric treatment. Put it on your reading list, and join the debate."
It is, and I will.
Labels: Anatomy of an Epidemic, Dan Carlat, Dan Rosen, Robert Whitaker, Salon, scientific literacy
HIPAA, Medical Writing, and the Problem of Disclosure
Recently I saw a patient whose case I very much wished to write about, but as far as I was concerned she was off limits. The problem was that the particulars of her case could allow readers to figure out her identity without too much effort. Although "Billy Rubin" is a pseudonym, I don't zealously guard my pseudonymity, and an intrepid reader could figure out not only my actual name, but the hospitals where I work, and if anyone in the area of that hospital happens to read about a patient whose story is unusual, it won't be hard to connect the dots, and voilá, I have just casually violated this patient's privacy. Without discussing the particulars of her case, there was nothing to discuss, so I shelved the idea.
My own policy about writing about patients follow these rules:
Never write about a patient where the particulars of the story could lead a reader to suspect with a high degree of confidence the actual identity of the patient;
If I write about a patient with some idiosyncratic quirk, I change the details of the patient's description enough to preserve their anonymity--details like where they are from, what they do for a living, even their sex; and
I let people know that in advance.
Thus, when I wrote about last week about a woman whose hip replacement had gone wrong, there was nothing in the story that could lead anyone to identify her. There are lots of patients with hip replacements in your typical community hospital, and about 5 to 10 percent of them have some kind of postoperative complication, so it's hardly a narrow group. I felt comfortable writing about that, because I gave no detail other than that she was a she. Earlier in my professional life I wrote a book about my experiences as a medical student (feel free to follow link and buy it!), and said up front in the introduction to the book that I had changed around details such that nobody would be able to know whom I was writing about.
Jerome Groopman is one of medicine's more famous writers, and his most recent book is How Doctors Think, a book that delivers on its title as an explanation of the kind of reasoning that drives medical decision making from the doctor's perspective. I have a few quibbles about the book but it's a very good read for both physicians and laypeople. That said, he starts out the book by illustrating a case of a woman (whom he refers to as "Anne Dodge") who lives in western Massachusetts. She had been progressively losing weight and given the psychiatric diagnosis of anorexia and bulimia by her physicians, but her boyfriend suspected a missed diagnosis and urged her to see Groopman's colleague, Dr. Myron Falchuk at Beth Israel-Deaconness Medical Center in Boston. He proceeds to find the correct diagnosis, celiac disease, possibly saving "Anne's" life as a result.
Nowhere does Groopman tip us off that any of these details are altered so we can't identify this woman, and the medical particulars, when combined with her personal history, could easily lead someone to identify this patient. Groopman likewise doesn't let us know that "Anne" gave permission for him to write about her so that he doesn't have to hide her identity. From my perspective, you've gotta do one or the other, and in the age of rapidly decreasing privacy, you have to do it every time you discuss a patient with "the public." Either make it clear that nobody could figure out the identity of the actual person, or make it clear that it was okay with the patient to write about them, or include so few details that it's effectively an anonymous affair. (I still think the book is worth the read and don't mean to imply that Groopman is a careless doc--anyone who reads his work knows this ain't true. But I did, and still do, find it troubling about the book.)
If anyone out there has encountered similar issues where they have felt squeamish when reading a medical professional's discussion of a given patient, or is familiar with any formal considerations about the ethics of medical writing and the problem of disclosure, do let me know.
Labels: HIPAA, Jerome Groopman, medical writing, patient privacy
Salon's Retraction on Vaccines, and Blog Revamp
I just returned from a symposium sponsored by the New England Science Writers on science and medicine blogging; it was truly invigorating to listen to some tips from some fellow travelers, all of whom have a good deal of experience and heavy-hitting credentials as they blog on issues dear to my heart. Their thoughts have inspired me to do the blogging equivalent of a facelift, so there will be some changes in the coming days. An important change will be that I will revamp the links, adding some and losing others.
One of the additions is Retraction Watch written by Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky (Ivan spoke eloquently and humorously at tonight's symposium), a blog devoted to tracking the retractions taking place in scientific literature "as a window into the scientific process," as they say. It is a fascinating blog and makes for a kind-of scientist's version of The National Enquirer. Though behind the tawdry headlines (and reading some of the scientific shenanigans really does require a strong stomach) lies a journalist's concern for the accuracy in scientific research, and more broadly a serious concern for transparency--both critical elements in a healthy, functioning democracy. The Billy Rubin Blog is officially a fan! (And, with blogs like this, he is wondering what his own purpose in blogdom is.)
One of the pieces Retraction Watch discusses is a piece I've linked to on Facebook but not on the Billy Rubin Blog: the recent retraction by Salon of their own anti-vaccine article of 2005. Salon gets huge credit for coming clean on its past mistakes, not just in admitting the specific errors of the piece, but in saying that it was wrong to the core. The link in Retraction Watch notes how Rolling Stone, which wrote a similar piece entitled "Deadly Immunity" also in 2005, has removed the article from its website without ever owning up to its general wrongheadedness, even issuing a "correction" that acknowledged they were wrong on some specifics, but with a generally defiant tone that most lay readers would assume meant that Rolling Stone wasn't really disowning it.
This all reminded me of the 2006 article by "journalist" Celia Farber in Harper's Magazine essentially contending that AIDS wasn't actually caused by HIV after all, and which led me to cancel my 12-year subscription to the magazine. (Please don't actually follow the link unless you plan to read this point-by-point rebuttal here, or get a general introduction to AIDS denialists here.) It was a depressing, though relatively little noted, episode in the history of American intellectualism and a huge blot on one of America's great magazines of ideas.
Retraction Watch includes Salon's retraction alongside periodicals more commonly thought of as "journals"--that is, "magazines" written on technical matters by and large for specialists. But Salon reaches not only more readers than these specialized publications, but is writing about science and staking claims about the validity of science just like all these other organizations whose collective feet are held to the fire when faulty or, much worse, fabricated data grace their pages. Yet the errors of a publication like Salon, just because they are written by lay writers, are no less excusable, and Salon should be commended for coming clean. (To my knowledge, Harper's has never issued a retraction of the Celia Farber piece, as far as I am aware, for instance.)
Labels: Adam Marcus, AIDS, Harper's, Ivan Oransky, New England Science Writers, Retraction Watch, Rolling Stone, Salon, scientific literacy, vaccination
Billy Rubin To Orthopods: Man Up or Drop Dead
A rant:
In the pecking order of physicians, both in terms of salary and status, I'm not especially high up there. As an infectious disease doc, I make a bit more than primary care docs, a bit less than hospitalists, a lot less than some of my fellow internal medicine subspecialists such as gastroenterologists and cardiologists, and a whole lot less than general and plastic surgeons. All of which is fine with me, as salary wasn't the main reason I got into medicine in the first place, and I have always put very little stock in status. Moreover, I have always maintained a huge level of respect for the vast majority of cardiologists and surgeons, most of whom are not only consummate physicians but incredibly hard workers as well. I'm content to play the bottom-feeding catfish to their swordfish (cardiologists, in this somewhat strained analogy) or shark (general surgeons, of course).
Also in this metaphorical fishbowl of American medicine are the clownfishes: small but beautiful, always the envy of the other fish in that they draw the admiring stares from people while flitting through the tank. Orthopedic surgeons are the clownfishes. They're not a big subspecialty: of the roughly 22,000 residency positions available last year, only 641 were for orthopedics. But oh, do they do well: the median income of an orthopod is estimated to be over $400,000 (!). Hence, a lot of very good medical students in med schools in the US work very, very hard as they pine for the joys of knee arthroscopy, laminectomy, and hip replacements, to say nothing of the Cabernet Sauvignon or trips to Bermuda that await.
One of the central ironies of American medicine is that several of these very fine students, whom many a prestigious Internal Medicine or General Surgery program would be delighted to train, will have spent an inordinate amount of time and energy learning medicine only to forget the vast majority of it during their residencies. You see, the orthopedic surgery residency takes people who have doctorates in medicine and turn them into doctors of bones! They spend their residency years un-learning all the medicine that their expensive education gave them in the first place. My experience is that most orthopods can't even deal with the simplest postoperative medical issue for their patients, and they tend to punt problems to a medical consult that even a third-year medical student could handle competently.
Again, bone surgery is not what interests me so I'm not trying to rain on their parade, and I'm not trying to cry about unequal compensation. I do think, however, that with all that compensation comes a few obligations.
Take, for instance, the patient that I saw this weekend while covering for the local ID physician at the nearby community hospital. My pager chirped early Saturday morning and I got one of the hospitalists on the line. "Billy, I'm not sure what's going on with this lady, and she's not even 'mine'," said the hospitalist, meaning that he wasn't the attending of record, but just a consultant managing the medical issues. The attending of record was an orthopedic surgeon from one of those "Sports Medicine Associates"-type groups (not the real name). It turned out that the patient had gotten a new hip eleven days before, and her postoperative course was complicated by a fever that never seemed to go away, even though cultures, x-rays, a CT scan of the hip, and a few other tests turned up nothing. Plus her white count was normal.
I relate this story not because of its "House"-like interest (though MDs out there are welcome to take a crack at the diagnosis), but because during those eleven days she was not once seen by the orthopedic surgeon who put the new hip in. Nor was she seen by the surgeon's partners who were on call; she got visits from three different Physicians Assistants, all of whom assured her that she was on the mend (she wasn't) and would be discharged the next day. Eleven days!
You know what? I don't care that the clownfishes make the big bucks until I see a patient not merely suffering (sometimes that's unavoidable), but feeling abandoned, which is inexcusable! I know that they're just doctors of bones and not real doctors at this stage of their careers, and that they can't manage anything other than deciding between a press-fit stem and a cement-stem, but the patients don't know that! It's fine, let me and the other consultants who actually know how to be doctors of people do the real work of taking care of the patient--I'm handsomely compensated as far as I'm concerned, even if it's a third of what they make. Just try to make the patient feel like you care! So Man Up, you asshole, and see your fucking patient! She's sick!
Lest you think I'm overstating the case, take a look here at this 2007 NYT article about "specialty" hospitals not being able to handle sick patients. Not all of these specialty hospitals are completely orthopedics, but a lot of them are. You know what's really rich about this? These hospitals are often built by the physicians themselves because they want to cut out "traditional" hospitals so that they can receive even higher levels of compensation. Amazing! (And yes, "rich" was an intentional pun.) Physician salaries are often a delicate matter to discuss, because docs want to be well paid, but this isn't just your typical societal working-out of a doc's salary. This is greed! Good grief.
When I signed off for the weekend to the regular ID doc, I related this story. He sighed. "Yeah, we have really had problems with that group over the years," he said. "The amazing thing is that when something goes wrong and the patient doesn't just recover in three days like normal, they tend to get mad at the patients for sticking around."
Labels: orthopedic surgery, practice of medicine
Billy Rubin, The Patient
Over the past year I have been having increasing difficulty with my breathing, having frequent episodes of wheezing and chest tightness, to the point where over the summer I could no longer exercise. I had never had such a problem before, but knew enough to know that albuterol would temporarily halt the symptoms. I stole some of my son's albuterol nebs, and the incredible relief they brought made me realize that I shouldn't be self-medicating and so I arranged an appointment with my doc. His take (after noting my room air pulse oxygenation of 93%--abnormally low for a 40 year-old with no major medical problems) was that I had new-onset asthma probably due to reflux, and while I was skeptical, I duly arranged to take a battery of medications, including the acid suppressor protonix, a steroid nasal spray, a steroid inhaler, and most importantly at that time, a two-week tapering course of prednisone, which by the end had me feeling like a million bucks and allowed me to get back on my bike again.
Two months later, though, despite being nearly completely faithful to the medications, I was tightening up again. Each week exercise became harder and harder, and I got more and more reliant on the albuterol (which helps symptoms but doesn't fix the problem). I went to see an ENT doc and he found nothing. My doc shrugged and suggested that I see a pulmonologist. When I called to make an appointment, though, the first opening they had was in mid-February, and I was getting worse by the day. Finally, by last week I had reached the end of my rope and decided to prescribe myself a steroid taper. Treating yourself as a doctor is definitely not considered smart, but I felt I had little option. When the pulmonologist had a cancellation a few days later, I came in and sought to apologize for the self-medication. After she listened to both my story and my lungs, though, she looked me straight in the eye. "You sound terrible, even now, a few days after you've started the prednisone," she said. "You absolutely did the right thing; I just can't believe you waited as long as you did." Well, how about that, I thought, Billy Rubin, model patient!
Then came the conversation about cats.
I knew it was coming. Anyone who suffers from asthma is advised to minimize exposure to a variety of allergens known to (or at least suspected of) drive the pathology in the first place. So my pulmonologist asked me if I had cats. I replied I had three. She paused, then said, "you may need to consider placing them somewhere." (Disclosure--I can't remember if those are her precise words but it's damn close.) Place them somewhere?
Doc, you seem nice and all, but I ain't getting rid of the cats.
A story leaps to mind. Back in med school I had a classmate whose wife had just delivered. She had two cats who had lived with her for about ten years and regarded them as "her kids," but the process of having human-based children had a profound effect on her. "I just came home from the hospital and looked at them," she told us, "and I said, 'Oh my God, they're just cats!' It was like I never really realized it until I had my own."
The family joke around the Rubin household is a bit different: I'm fond of saying that I have two and a half children and two and a half cats, the third cat being a good deal more than just some friendly fur that eats food and wants its box cleaned. This little feller sleeps with us, cries when we leave, comes right to the door as soon as we walk in and jumps straight to my shoulder. The other two are your basic cats, and while I'm very partial to them I suppose that I could banish them if my life were threatened. But this third cat? My baby? Oh, you must be kidding.
During my infectious disease fellowship, I had a clinic with a few patients who had advanced HIV and owned cats. Cats, especially the outdoor ones, carry a parasite called toxoplasmosis that's harmless to them and is in general harmless to us. However, those with compromised immune systems have to be careful--thus warnings against changing your cat's litter box if you are pregnant, are a transplant recipient, or you have advanced HIV. Usually there's some easily found solution so that the person at risk doesn't have to change the box, but twice I had patients who simply didn't have options: it was change the cat's boxes themselves or get rid of the cat. Both times I suggested they consider getting rid of the cat.
I remember both of these moments because I remember the looks I got in response to my suggestion. It was the same look I gave Doctor Pulmonologist last week.
In medicine, sometimes the equations are simple and so is the advice. But the solutions (and the docs that give them) have to take into account the whole of the person: knowing what's adjustable and what's non-negotiable. I don't blame my doc for her advice--it is, after all, the right initial advice to give--nor do I have any trouble with the clinical detachment that she delivered it. She's supposed to be detached! As we continue to visit, though, I'm hoping that she'll come to appreciate how very un-simple the equation of getting rid of some cats would be for Billy Rubin, The Patient.
The Whitewashing of Mark Twain
The most appalling tidbit in this story about an English professor who has redacted the word "nigger" from Mark Twain's novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is not the preciously childlike logic motivating his actions, thoroughly childlike though it is. The professor, one Alan Gribben of Auburn University, Montgomery--more thoughts on the Auburn connection anon--said that he felt that the more polite term "slave" should be put in "nigger"s stead, in part, because he was approached by a number of local teachers who said they would love to teach the book, but can't because "in the new classroom, it's not really acceptable." No, what is truly, deeply appalling, even beyond this triumph of bowdlerizing stupidity is that Gribben actually justifies his decision in the wake of critical e-mails he has received. "None of them mentions the word. They dance around it," he says, and one can hear a certain tone of schoolmarmish pride.
At the Billy Rubin Blog, while we unquestionably react viscerally and angrily to the casual use of such words, we do not shy away from mentioning words that have real power to broadly offend in American society (of which we would only list two: the aforementioned "nigger," and "cunt") simply because such words are deemed impolite.
[A digression: "bitch" used to be in this category but has attained a certain level of acceptability, with restrictions: noting that you've had a "bitch of a day" in polite chit-chat with colleagues won't raise eyebrows, but referring to one of the female SCOTUS Justices as a "bitch" certainly would. And obviously people immediately think of various words that in part helped launch the career of comedian George Carlin--"shit," "fuck," "motherfucker," "twat," "cocksucker," et cetera--words which might induce a scowl by others at work or play for their overall rudeness, but have basically become accepted at all but the most austere gatherings of the D.A.R. or Focus On The Family. Indeed, some of Carlin's words that couldn't be mentioned on television in 1978 are considered fully acceptable, if perhaps vaguely crude: "piss," "turd," and "fart" (this being a favorite word of Benjamin Franklin's...Billy delights in having selected writings of Franklin sit in his bathroom with the large title "FART PROUDLY!" referring to an essay of the same name). Such words, while having perhaps the power to titillate, almost never except in the most tight-wadded communities have the power to immediately and thoroughly offend. "Nigger" and "cunt," however, maintain an absolutely-out-of-bounds status in more social situations than any other words currently in use in the US. And we are, of course, ignoring the fascinating-but-complicated appropriation of the word "nigger" by African-Americans themselves. Suffice it to say that no sane white person would utter the word except among like-minded racists.]
Professor Gribben's exultation of prissiness (and the similarly comic reactions of at least some mainstream media outlets such as USA Today, who refused to actually write the word "nigger" since their policy prohibits it, admirable though such misguided intentions are) ironically misinterprets Twain in more than one way. The clear error, as explained by Jonathan Turley, who delicately tries to avoid the direct use of the word himself, invokes the notion that "to truly appreciate great works of fiction, such books must be read with an understanding of the mores and lexicon of its time." (The blog Rightpundits.com--we can safely assume that the Billy Rubin Blog concurring with such a site is rare if not unprecedented--merely decries the nonsense but doesn't bother to take the time to argue the point since it seems obviously ludicrous, an attitude toward which I am not entirely unsympathetic.) That said, Gribben's logic is not merely embarrassing because it fig-leafs Twain's equivalent of David (though my favorite has always been Pudd'nhead Wilson), but because it seems to operate on the logic that since Twain's work is great, Twain therefore is a Great American, and Great Americans by definition could not have possibly meant to use "nigger" the way most white people actually meant "nigger" until only 20 years ago, and it goes without saying, still used as the butt of jokes in a good many social circles, though much more discreetly.
But the reality is a good deal more complicated, and Gribben's attempt to anoint Twain as saintlike in his pursuit of racial equality ignores the fact of Twain's actual, explicit racism, and astonishingly manages to undervalue his incredible contributions to the American discussion about race (at least from this white Jewish kid's late-20th century perspective). Take, for example, Twain's love of the minstrel show, which without question would make Gribben blush himself into oblivion: "If I could have the nigger show back again in its pristine purity and perfection I should have but little further use for opera," he waxed nostalgic in his Autobiography published in 1906 [my emphasis]. How does Whitewasher-In-Chief, Professor Gribben account for such an unguarded and honest remark from his hero? Could the autoclaved Twain ever have uttered such ugliness?
Illustrating Twain's contradictions, though, should never be used to create the shibboleth that Twain was just another white racist who used the word "nigger" without care or concern for the people it referred to or those who used it. Twain unequivocally maintained a palpable disgust at slavery and the inequalities between whites and blacks, and did so quite vocally throughout his adult life. If one can read Pudd'nhead Wilson and not feel the rage against racism fly off page after every page, then one perhaps belongs in Professor Gribben's little Sam Clemens picnic of decorum, where the finer aspects of human cruelty are swept under the rug in the attempt to tell comforting bedtime stories, where nobody curses and all are treated with respect.
The actual Mark Twain, though, wrote about the real world, and he unleashed his vehemence at the peculiar racial injustices of America over the course of decades. Before he became the affable, wry man as portrayed by Hal Holbrook--Mark Twain! Utterer of Witticisms! Large Mustache and Pre-Einstein Hair!--he was a guy willing to skewer existing attitudes at great personal risk. The following is an essay that Twain wrote while living in Buffalo entitled Only A Nigger, commenting with acidity in the newspaper The Buffalo Express (of which Twain was part owner) on the lynching of an innocent man in 1869, and deliberately emphasizing the word "nigger" by putting it in quotation marks. Twain himself calls deliberate attention to the word--it's no accident! How would Professor Gribben even begin to try to teach this essay to his innocents, sunk as it is in the mire of foul language?
A dispatch from Memphis mentions that, of two negroes lately sentenced to death for murder inthat vicinity, one named Woods has just confessed to having ravished a young lady during the war, for which deed another negro was hung at the time by an avenging mob, the evidence that doomed the guiltless wretch being a hat which Woods now relates that he stole from its owner
and left behind, for the purpose of misleading.
Ah, well! Too bad, to be sure! A little blunder in the administration of justice by Southern mob-law; but nothing to speak of.
Only "a nigger" killed by mistake -- that is all. Of course, every high toned gentleman whose chivalric impulses were so unfortunately misled in this affair, by the cunning of the miscreant Woods, is as sorry about it as a high toned gentleman can be expected to be sorry about the unlucky fate of "a nigger." But mistakes will happen, even in the conduct of the best regulated and most high toned mobs, and surely there is no good reason why Southern gentlemen should worry themselves with useless regrets, so long as only an innocent "nigger" is hanged, or roasted or knouted to death, now and then. What if the blunder of lynching the wrong man does happen once in four or five cases! Is that any fair argument against the cultivation and indulgence of those fine chivalric passions and that noble Southern spirit which will not brook the slow and cold formalities of regular law, when outraged white womanhood appeals for vengeance? Perish the thought so unworthy of a Southern soul! Leave it to the sentimentalism and humanitarianism of a cold-blooded Yankee civilization! What are the lives of a few "niggers" in comparison with the preservation of the impetuous instincts of a proud and fiery race? Keep ready the halter, therefore, oh chivalry of Memphis! Keep the lash knotted; keep the brand and the faggots in waiting, for prompt work with the next "nigger" who may be suspected of any damnable crime! Wreak a swift vengeance upon
him, for the satisfaction of the noble impulses that animate knightly hearts, and then leave time
and accident to discover, if they will, whether he was guilty or no.
At the Rubin Blog, we consider ourselves to be at one with Twain's rage, though of course the issues have changed (but see the following paragraphs) and we do not believe that Professor Alan Gribben's Dolores-Umbridge-inspired prettyfying of American history does anyone any good as it generally short-circuits the justifiable rage that one could muster about any number of political issues. Such is the dismaying attitude not only of a silly professor in Alabama, but of the vast majority of political pundits and various television celebrities, all of whom would assiduously avoid saying "nigger" but who would be loath to remark on racial matters with anything approaching honesty.
Case in point: as one final note, I can't help but relish the irony that such a rationale is being dished out by an employee of Auburn University, which if you haven't been paying attention, is about to play for the national championship. Look at their webpage, which as of this writing has a gleaming picture of their star quarterback Cam Newton! Cam has been at the center of a number of stories detailing inappropriate transactions between various schools and his father in a "pay-for-play" arrangement.
How badly does this story stink? It depends on whether you choose to point the finger at Newton and his family, or rather the system which blithely chews up and spits out players, the vast majority of whom do not have a future in the NFL. This system does this, moreover, with generally little regard for a given player's education (or indeed, their eligibility to attend such schools), but rather in the quest for tens of millions of dollars in advertising revenue as funneled through ESPN and other major networks. Most of the colleges of the major conferences such as the SEC, Big-10, ACC, Pac-10 and former Big-12 have large numbers of football players, a good many of whom are African-American and frequently are descended from the very people that Twain wrote about; these players are being systematically exploited in ways that any impartial observer would at least find vaguely similar to the economic system of slavery that every Serious Thinker publicly declares as a thing of the dark ages. And what is the skin color of most of the boosters and coaches and University students that come to the stadium on Saturday ready for the rah-rah-rah! as long as their players are winners, damned be everything else? I'm thinking they're mostly white.
Sometime soon: Billy Rubin, The Patient.
Labels: literature, Mark Twain
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The PFT2R-132B-250 security tape features a full adhesive transfer when removed. All of the adhesive remains on the surface and no adhesive remains on the tape film. The tamper evident feature will function within one minute of application on the recommended surfaces. This security tape is also TSA-CCSP compliant.
Tamper evident security tapes provide a security seal for shipping cartons, pallets, wood crates, envelopes, bags and other containers. The PFT2R-132B-250 security tape features a full-transfer adhesive, and the adhesive contains a hidden repeating security message. When the tape is removed, all of the adhesive remains on the surface of the container (not the tape film), and a very legible message of "OPENED [ ] OPENED [ ] OPENED" is revealed in a repeating pattern. Because the adhesive and film separate when the tape is lifted, the tape cannot be reapplied to obscure the tamper-evident message.
PFT2R-132B-250 security tape is offered in a 2" x 250' roll with our standard red film coat and a repeating tamper evident message in a horizontal pattern (as shown).


K&N Performance Gold Oil Filters meet or exceed all high performance automotive engine builders' standards. The K&N filter will flow up to12 gallons per minute and is unaffected by racing fuels. Filters also feature a 1" wrench nut for easy removal, an anti-drain back valve to eliminate "dry starts" and a ribbed core constructed of a resin impregnated filter media to provide maximum filtering surface.


Następne spotkanie odbędzie się 14 grudnia o godzinie 17:00 w sali 40, Ingardena 3.
Zachęcamy do nadsyłania tekstów. instrukcja znajduje się tutaj.
Godłem może być dowolna rzecz kojarząca się ze świętami.
Pierwsze regularne spotkanie Creative Writing odbędzie się 23 listopada (piątek) o 17:00 w sali 40, Ingardena 3.
Zachęcamy do nadsyłania tekstów (tematyka dowolna), instrukcja znajduje się tutaj.
Ostatnie spotkanie znakowała ciekawa koniunkcja ciał niebieskich: liczba przybyłych wyjątkowo zgadzała się z liczbą nadesłanych tekstów, a tekstów było sześć.
Poza omawianiem tekstów mówiliśmy dużo o włosach, zakupach i fałszywym obrazie rzeczywistości na portalach społecznościowych ;).
Spotkaliśmy się ponownie by omówić dwa nadesłane teskty. Mówiliśmy o world-building, filmach i popkulturze.
Dodatkowo pisaliśmy wspólnie dwa teksty po jednym zdaniu. Najpierw z możliwością przeczytania całości a potem tylko zerkając na poprzednie zdanie.
Eksperyment na pewno kiedyś jeszcze powtórzymy.
Miejsce: sala 40A przy ul. Ingardena 3.
Spotkaliśmy się w nielicznym gronie i omówiliśmy nadesłane teksty. Rozmawialiśmy między innymi o snach, śmierci, popkulturze i zombie.
Następne spotkanie odbędzie się 20 kwietnia o 16:45.
And so, one summer afternoon she called her closest friends around her and said to them, "More and more I find that my parties entertain everyone but me. The secret of my long life is that nothing has ever been dull for me. For all my life, I have been interested in everything I saw and been anxious to see more. But I cannot stand to be bored, and I will not go to parties at which I expect to be bored, especially if they are my own. Therefore, to my next ball I shall invite the one guest I am sure no one, not even myself, could possibly find boring. My friends, the guest of honor at my next party shall be […]!
Tym razem spotkaliśmy się w nielicznym gronie, ale za to mieliśmy szansę gościć dr Bazarnik oraz Patricka Quigleya, pisarza z Irlandii.
Autorowi nieobce jest zarówno pisanie fikcji ("Borderland") jak i biografii ("The Polish Irishman", "Sisters Against the Empire").
Rozmawialiśmy o rodzinnych stronach, o tym jak pewne kultury przeplatają się nawazajem, o Galicji, kresach i wyobraźni.
Mówiliśmy też o narracji pierwszo- i trzecio-osobowej. O tym, jak ten pierwszy rodzaj narracji pozwala się bardziej przybliżyć do bohatera. Mówiliśmy też o tym, jak pisanie daje nam szansę wcielić się w różne postaci, choć często może nam to sprawić wiele trudności. Padło pytanie o to, jak często w pisanych tekstach używamy własnych doświadczeń.
Omawialiśmy wspólnie dwa nowo nadesłane teksty oraz cztery teksty z poprzedniego spotkania. Przeczytaliśmy na głos jeden tekst, fragmenty książki "Borderland" oraz książki innego irlandzkiego autora, który tworzył w czasach Joyce'a. Na pamiątkę spotkania nasz gość wręczył nam jedną kopię "Borderland" (oczywiście podpisaną).
Następne spotkanie odbędzie się 23 marca 6 kwietnia o 16:45.
Miejscem jak zwykle będzie sala 40A przy ul. Ingardena 3.
By uczcić naszego gościa godłem tym razem jest wybrany symbol Irlandii.
This moment was everything Jasmine had wished for.
The light scent of spring flowers was no longer detectable. They approached the station, and the smell of exhaust fumes took over. It was a very loud and unpleasant place. A small square invariably busy with bulky coaches, people running around with suitcases, hastily looking for their bus.
Obviously, smiling was far from enough. She felt like singing and dancing and jumping, but she had to wait another ten or fifteen minutes before she could freely express her feelings, and there were so many. Overwhelming excitement, paralysing shyness and also a little bit of sheer joy, all mixed in her head.
It doesn't happen all too often that your life becomes just what you've always wished it to be. So when it finally does, you're overcome with all kinds of feelings, most of them positive, but sometimes you get this notion that it all might just be a dream. Dreams have their limits too, however. And this was so far beyond any limits.
Zach got on the bus and looked at Jasmine through the window. She was smiling at him widely and as their eyes met, she raised her hand and waved shyly. He returned the gesture and smiled too. A nice girl, that Jasmine. She's probably in love with him, judging by the way she's been acting.
Zach sighed heavily. How does he tell her about… about everything?
He closed his eyes as the bus moved on the bumpy road. He was almost asleep when he remembered: he promised to listen to Jasmine's music! He pulled out his earphones and plugged them in. He opened the email app in order to see what it was that she sent him. No internet connection. Well then, he'll listen to it later.
Thank God traffic wasn't too bad that day and two bumpy hours later Zach opened the door to his house.
'Yeah', Zach nodded in response. As if he had any other choice than to return here every couple of days, he thought. He had so many more interesting things to do, going out with his friends or seeing Jasmine to start with. He'd rather have coffee with her in some cozy café than come here again and again, that's for sure. No one was interested in his preferences though.
Or, more precisely – the king wasn't.
Zach entered his room and headed straight for his desk. He turned on the computer and listened to its quiet humming, waiting for it to boot. The blueish light of the screen made the furniture cast weird shadows on the walls. Zach rubbed his eyes and sighed.
Installing updates: one out of twenty-three. Do not turn off your computer.
Zach checked the time. It was almost half past six, so he still had some time left. Hopefully the updates are installed before seven because he needs to have the music playing by then.
Installing updates: thirteen out of twenty-three. Do not turn off your computer.
He's going to make it, thank God.
Too many long minutes later the computer was finally ready to work. Good. Zach tried to keep calm, but the time passed quickly and now it was almost five to seven. His hands trembled and it didn't help.
Just open the browser… type the address… pick any album… loop it… and turn the volume up a notch.
No sooner than he clicked on the 'play' button, it was exactly seven o'clock.
Zach looked at the chest next to his bed and waited. It should light up any time now.
First it seemed almost as if the light of the computer screen danced on it, but with every next second the glow became more intense and it was obvious that the chest was emitting it. Soon the whole room was lit up and Zach had to cover his eyes.
His hand trembling, Zach reached for the chest and opened its lid. The light was so intense that covering his eyes didn't help much anymore. Pressing his hand against his eyelids and turning his head away, trying to protect his sight from the beam, he stretched his arm and grasped the stone that was inside the chest. Immediately the light stopped being painfully intense. Zach opened his eyes and looked around. He wasn't in his room anymore, but he still could hear the music playing from his computer. It was very important that he could hear it at all times. It was the only thing that would make his return possible later.
In the earthly world, the light was so strong that his eyes hurt even though he did everything not to look directly at its source. Now he could stare at the stone for minutes and he found it funny how its delicate silvery glow didn't even make his fingers look orange. Zach slipped the stone into his pocket and the light disappeared.
It seemed as if the voice came from all directions as it echoed against the rocks around Zach. Everything was in the colour of dark blue here, the ground, the rocks and the sky. Well, if there was any sky. Zach couldn't say for sure, everything was in the exact same colour. He could only tell the soil from the rocky walls judging by their surface and temperature. This world produced no sounds and no scents. Everything Zach could hear in the background was the music playing in his room. Anything else that he could hear or smell in this world was there for some specific reason.
Zach jumped to his feet obediently as the voice echoed, reached into his pocket and produced the glowing stone. He presented it on an outstretched palm and stared into it nervously, waiting for the king to speak again.
Zach dared not move or sigh, but he felt his stomach form a tight knot. Again, he thought. How many years was it already? He'd lost count. He was only wasting his time. He knew that he had to deliver the stone somewhere, but the king wouldn't let him try for some reason, and Zach had no idea why.
'Hail to the king,' said Zach and closed his eyes, preparing to cover them from the unbearable light of the stone he was holding. He focused on the music in the background, following every single note of the song that was playing. The glow of the stone grew more and more intense; so intense that covering his eyes didn't help much anymore. Zach fell to his knees, but he didn't hit the hard ground – he was back in his room, at home, kneeling on the soft carpet. His head turned away and his eyes covered, he hastily threw the stone back into its chest and shut its lid. The light weakened and disappeared in a couple of seconds. Zach hid his face in his hands and cried. The situation has been beyond his control for such a long time, and he felt that he was nowhere near the solution.
Some time later, Zach stood up and turned off the music. Another album off the list. He had this notion that music was somehow important when it came to his quest, but he didn't know how exactly. He still tried changing his choice every time he visited the kingdom, but his choices were blind each time. All he knew was that he needed to loop the album so that – in case the king allows him to do what he's meant to – he's got a chance of coming back.
Jasmine walked with him to the station again, clearly delighted with his presence. Of course, Zach did like her as well. He just felt that he shouldn't really get into a relationship if he can't ever promise anyone that the next week he'll still be around. He could die in the kingdom any time and he couldn't tell what the blue darkness was hiding from him.
Zach could see that her eyes sunk a little, but she didn't stop smiling.
When Zach reached home, it was almost quarter to seven.
'I'll eat later!', he shouted as he rushed upstairs. He threw his bag on the floor and turned on his computer. Thank God, no updates this Friday. With his trembling fingers, he opened the browser and started typing the address when he remembered Jasmine's email. He could give her music a shot, why not. It should load by nineteen hundred. Zach opened his inbox and saw the email Jasmine had sent him a week ago. It had no subject, just the link. He followed it and quickly set the album to play on the loop. Its beginning was rather weird, sounded as if… it was the middle of a song? Zach didn't give it too much thought because the chest started glowing and he had to cover his eyes quickly.
Zach kneeled and bowed his head as the voice echoed in the blue darkness.
The king didn't speak for a long time, but Zach kept focusing on the stone. Its shimmery light made the surroundings look lively, as if everything was made out of water. Zach knew that it was just an impression, and that this dark blue world was entirely solid. Well, at least so was everything he'd seen here so far. The music was flowing smoothly. This album was different from all the music Zach had known. It seemed as if it was one complete work rather than a collection of songs. Jasmine had clearly said that it was an album, there was no doubt about that, but also undoubtedly this one wasn't usual.
The voice sent shivers down Zach's spine. Today is the day!
'H-hail to the king,' he answered, his voice trembling with anxiety and excitement.
Zach focused his gaze on the stone even more intensely and he felt as if some force dragged him forward. He made one cautious step, then another one, and soon he was marching forward at quite a pace.
He lost his sense of time and space. There was no beginning and no end to the music that was playing, as there was no beginning and no end to the blue. Nothing was changing, even the rocks around him looked all the same. The force was invariably pushing him forward, the silvery stone was invariably glistening, and the world around was invariably dark blue.
It could have been an hour, it could have been a day, it could have been a week. All Zach could tell was that he felt exhausted. His muscles were sore, his body was weak. He couldn't walk anymore. He fell to his knees and crawled forward, moving slower and slower. Was that how it was going to end? Was he going to just die there in this realm?
'H-hail… to… the king…' he muttered and passed out, only hearing the endless music flowing.
The voice seemed to come from all directions as it echoed around Zach. This time however it sounded smoother, as if the rocks that reflected it were polished. Music in the background seemed smoother here too.
Zach opened his eyes, lifted himself up on his elbows and looked around. He was in a vast room whose floor, walls and ceiling were made out of marble of all colours – all except for blue. Tiny pieces of marble created detailed compositions of beautiful geometrical patterns, all of them forming perfect nonagons. The chamber itself was in the shape of a nonagon as well.
Zach jumped to his feet and reached into his pocket, only to find that the stone wasn't there. He raised his eyes, scared, and noticed a majestic figure right in front of him. The man was holding the stone in his hand, the silvery light making him look royal. Zach fell to his knees immediately and bowed his head.
Zach raised his head and jumped forward. He covered the stone with his hands.
The king looked at Zach carefully.
Zach glared at the king, feeling confident suddenly, anger building up inside him. His life has been guided by this weird quest for so many years!
King Gizzard closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
Zach had mixed feelings about this story. He figured that King Gizzard's powers were essential to maintain the right balance in the world, but he also did force Zach into a particularly uncomfortable situation, and kept him in the dark for years.
King Gizzard's voice echoed in the perfectly shaped chamber. Zach looked into the king's eyes and saw deep sorrow in them.
Zach nodded, stepping back. King Gizzard raised the stone up above his head and threw it on the floor with his full force. With a piercing sound resembling shattered glass, the stone smashed into tiny pieces which covered the entire floor. They weren't glowing anymore. The only source of light was now something that lied at the king's feet.
As Zach carefully moved forward, King Gizzard slowly reached for the shimmering item.
King Gizzard was holding a tiny quill, a grin of satisfaction on his face.
'A quill?' Zach said, puzzled.
King Gizzard didn't answer. He rushed to the other side of the nonagonal chamber. Zach followed, suddenly noticing a huge old volume sitting on a bulky desk across the room. The volume emitted this familiar silvery light. As Zach approached it, he could see that letters were appearing on the volume's pages, and when a page was fully covered in writing, it would turn, and letters started appearing on the next page. King Gizzard reached the old volume and hesitated for a moment.
King Gizzard turned to Zach and stretched his hand, presenting the quill to him. Zach hesitated, but he grasped it. He leaned over the volume and tried to follow the appearing words.
'NOW,' shouted King Gizzard, and Zachary lowered his hand quickly, touching the paper with the glistening quill. The nonagonal chamber trembled but Zach held the quill firmly.
King Gizzard smiled at Zach. The chamber was trembling stronger and stronger, and Zach knew it was going to fall apart. He closed his eyes and focused on the music, following every note if the infinite loop it created. The light of the quill grew more and more intense, and Zach had to turn his face away from the intense silvery glow. He fell to his knees, but they didn't hit the cold marble.
Zach collapsed onto his soft carpet, back in his room at home. He spent some time staring at the ceiling, listening to the music that was still playing in the background.
The music, what was it?
Zach jumped to his feet and reached for his computer. The blueish light of the screen made the furniture cast weird shadows on the walls.
Zach looked at the author and the title of this mysterious infinite album, and he felt a rush of blood to his head.
The band was called King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
The album's title was Nonagon Infinity.
Zach closed his eyes and focused. Please, please let Jasmine be real.


According to VGR, the Fortnite hype has taken the world over, and almost everyone has heard of it. Unfortunately, some people are addicted to this video game, and the latest report indicates that this addiction can be very harmful. It appears that there are some Fortnite players who can't live without the game, and their addiction is even being compared to that of a heroin addiction.
Health experts also state that the popular video game can "get in the way of your child's brain development." Further explaining what exactly happens with kids in a video game addiction situation, Fortnite gets kids' dopamine system involved and it releases addictive chemicals. These chemicals are very similar to a drug addiction, and the game creates cravings some people can't live without.
"I am obsessed," one 13-year-old gamer told The Post in March. "'Fortnite' is special. I never wanted to play so much in my life." Some of the kids who were tested by health experts for a gaming addiction were teenage boys, and one of them actually admitted that he was so addicted to the game that he continued to play Fortnite while a tornado was sweeping through his neighborhood.
In June, the World Health Organization announced that compulsive gaming has been classified as a mental health condition as well.
Taking personal responsibility for all addictions, whether they be drug or alcohol related, or behavior, such as social media and gaming addictions is not something many are prepared to do. And as society increasingly becomes more and more dependent on technology, these types of addictions will continue to worsen.


text:
SXSW band gets guitar back, man charged in theft
Posted: Apr 3, 2015 / 03:53 PM CDT / Updated: Apr 3, 2015 / 03:53 PM CDT
AUSTIN (KXAN) – A Mississippi-based band whose van was broken into and their musical gear stolen during the annual South by Southwest festival in March has at least one guitar back after a savvy Craigslist shopper took action and called police, who then made an arrest.
Charged with felony theft over $1,500 is 17-year-old Juan Maximillian Gonzalez of Austin. He was in the Travis County Jail on Friday and bond is set at $10,000, records show.
Early on the morning of March 17, members of the band returned to where they had parked their van at 8th St. and Chalmers and found only broken glass in the street. The arrest warrant shows police had earlier towed the vehicle after a security guard working at nearby Huston-Tillotson University called suspecting the 1999 Ford Econo van had been broken into.
When band members got the van back, they realized $11,000 worth of guitars, amps, foot pedals and other equipment was gone. They set up a Go Fund Me account which has quickly raised more than $7,000 in donations to help replace the gear, some of which the band owned for years and had sentimental value.
"When you play an instrument almost your entire life, you really get to know it well. The only reason we miss these objects are the memories we built with them," band member Joe Regan told KXAN's Amanda Brandeis in March.
Attention Craigslist shoppers
A man shopping on Craigsliston on March 31 saw a white Fender Stratocaster for sale for $250. After meeting Gonzalez in a downtown HEB parking lot he realized the instrument was worth far more. Speaking to Gonzalez, he noticed the young seller knew nothing about the instrument. Gonzalez also showed the man a photo of a black Gibson Les Paul guitar, the affidavit states. He told Gonzalez he wasn't interested and drove away.
Later that evening, the man received a text from Gonzalez which contained a photo of foot pedals mounted on a power board. The seller was wanting to know if he knew what those items were worth and if he knew of anyone who might want the items "for cheap," according to the affidavit.
The man then posted his own ad on Craigslist looking for anyone who recently had guitars and music equipment stolen. An email in response led him to The Jag's webpage where he saw photos of what appeared to be the same guitars he had been offered, right down to a chip in the finish near the top strap of the Fender.
The man called Gonzalez back and said he had changed his mind. Gonzalez said he had only the Gibson guitar left. This time, Austin Police officers accompanied him to the rendezvous. "Gonzalez was spotted walking in the HEB parking lot carrying a guitar that appeared to be the stolen Gibson guitar. Periodically, Gonzalez would stop and crouch behind a parked car and then raise his head above the parked cars to look around as if to make sure no one could see him," the affidavit shows. "This is not the normal activity of someone conducting a legitimate Craigslist sell/buy."
Gonzalez was arrested and asked for his lawyer, the affidavit states. He then said if he was released he could take police to where the remaining stolen property was. Police reminded Gonzalez he had already invoked his right to have an attorney present. He declined to waive that right, the arrest record shows. Only the black Gibson Les Paul, valued at $4,000, has been recovered.
At SXSW in 2014, KXAN reported the theft of a band's trailer during a show. Police say they do all they can to protect personal property. But parked vehicles can still be vulnerable to break-ins. Authorities remind vehicle owners to always park in well-lit, well-traveled or patrolled areas, leave valuables covered or out of sight and to lock up and roll up windows and moon roofs before they leave.
The Austin Police Monthly Reporting for March 2014 shows 2,433 thefts citywide, down slightly from 2,691 in March the year before. Downtown, police received 311 theft reports during the month the 10-day SXSW festival is held. Compare that number to 339 thefts in 2013.
KXAN investigated the sale of stolen items on local Facebook pages. Those items include firearms taken in home burglaries. Austin Police are having such success finding crooks online, they are planning to hire a full-time detective to scour social media for leads.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kinder Morgan has secured 100% of the right-of-way it needs to complete construction of the highly-controversial Permian Highway Pipeline, the company announced Wednesday.
Despite facing multiple lawsuits by environmental groups and municipalities, Kinder Morgan's pipeline project can now complete construction on the western phase of the project.
by Harley Tamplin / Jan 29, 2020
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — This is the touching moment a young girl put her heart and soul into a rendition of the national anthem before a high school game.
A video of 16-year-old Elena Chacon singing The Star Spangled Banner – and her delighted celebrations afterwards – has gone viral, winning hearts for her passion and pure joy.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Lyceum released its 2020 Democratic presidential and senate primary polls Wednesday, and it shows Texans are split when it comes to picking a Democratic nominee for President.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders are the top two choices for the Democratic nomination for president. Biden holds a slim lead over Sanders, 28%-26%, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren is far behind in third at 13%.


text:
Church Street Senior Housing
Historic Preservation, Senior Living
Location: Ware, MA
The former Church Street School in Ware has been beautifully renovated to provide 29 housing units for the elderly and disabled. Prior to this complete renovation, the historic Church Street School consisted of two brick buildings and a 1950's gymnasium addition that connected the two structures. During renovation, the gymnasium was demolished and a new connector building was designed to combine the two disparate buildings into a cohesive housing complex that totals 40,568 square feet.
Award: 2009 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award
https://dietzarch.com/portfolio/church-street-senior-housing/


Selected Suppliers: ABLIC U.S.A. Inc.
Description: The S-24C128C is a 2-wire, low current consumption and wide range operation serial EEPROM. The S-24C128C has the capacity of 128K-bit, and the organization is 16384 words × 8-bit.
Description: The S-24C256C is a 2-wire, low current consumption and wide range operation serial EEPROM. The S-24C256C has the capacity of 256 K-bit, and the organization is 32768 words × 8-bit.


WASHINGTON — In a rambling, grievance-filled interview, President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to intervene in the Justice Department's Russia investigation, again derided former FBI Director James B. Comey as "a leaker and … a liar," and defended allies now under investigation.
Trump also used the wide-ranging half-hour phone conversation with the hosts of "Fox & Friends" to praise his handling of Iran and North Korea, and said his accomplishments as president were unparalleled. "I would give myself an A-plus," he said.
Yet even in that friendly territory, the focus came back again and again to what Trump called the "phony cloud" of controversy surrounding him.
He flared with anger at the Justice Department, which he said should be investigating his enemies instead of him.
"I'm very disappointed in my Justice Department," he said. The FBI's actions in investigating his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, were an "absolute disgrace," Trump added, citing particularly the ways federal officials searched for evidence at their homes and offices.
"That's not the FBI, that's a fix," he said. He also suggested that his pledge not to intrude on the Russia investigation — a vow he has broken many times with verbal suggestions to Attorney General Jeff Sessions — could be reversed.
"I have decided that I won't be involved. I may change my mind at some point, because what's going on is a disgrace," he said.
The president also perhaps stoked concerns among some members of Congress from both parties that he might try to fire the two men in charge of the Russia probe, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. He referred caustically to the "witch hunt with people in the Justice Department who shouldn't be there."
Trump indicated that he had watched some of CNN's Wednesday night town hall discussion with Comey, whom the president fired last spring and who has resurrected his criticisms of Trump on a book tour for his new memoir.
"I did a great thing for the American people by firing him," Trump said. "Look, Comey is a leaker and he's a liar and not only on this stuff — he's been leaking for years."
Trump insisted that memos Comey had given a friend recounting conversations with Trump were not only false but classified, a charge the former FBI director has denied.
"He is guilty of crimes and if we had a Justice Department that was doing their job — " Trump said before being interrupted by the Fox News hosts, who repeatedly struggled to keep the president on topic.
Trump also defended Cohen, who said in court papers on Wednesday that he would decline to testify in upcoming proceedings, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The president called him "a good person, a great guy" who did only a "tiny, tiny, little fraction" of Trump's legal work.
With that, Trump likely caused some shudders among his legal team, by undercutting their argument that Cohen was acting as Trump's lawyer and anything seized in the raids on his property is protected by attorney-client privilege. Indeed, prosecutors in New York quickly cited Trump's remarks to legally counter the Trump team's privilege claim.
"They're looking at something that has to do with his business," Trump said of federal investigators, distinguishing that from Cohen's legal work. "This doesn't have to do with me."
The president did say that Cohen represented him in "this crazy Stormy Daniels deal," referring to the $130,000 payment made to an adult film star shortly before the election to silence her allegations that she and Trump had an affair a dozen years ago.
"From what I see, he did absolutely nothing wrong," Trump said of the deal, which Cohen has said was financed by his own home equity loan. "There were no campaign funds going in, which would have been a problem."
On policy, Trump once again criticized the Iran nuclear deal; he faces a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the agreement. The topic was prominent in Trump's talks earlier this week with French President Emmanuel Macron, who pleaded with Trump to remain part of the multinational 2015 agreement.
"He came to recognize, I can say it from my standpoint, he is viewing, I believe, Iran a lot different than he did before he walked into the Oval Office," Trump said of Macron. However, in Macron's address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, he outlined additions to the deal to placate Trump, but stood by the agreement and said the United States should, too.
Trump called Iran "a real problem for this country," but said that he has forced Iran into behaving better than it did under President Barack Obama.
He also said he was looking forward to meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. And he mocked people who, he said, expected him to engage in a nuclear war with a country whose leader he has often derided in the past.
"It was very, very nasty with 'Little Rocket Man' and with the buttons — 'my button's bigger'" he said, recounting his tweeted taunts at Kim. "Everyone says, 'This guy is going to get us into nuclear war.' Let me tell you: Nuclear war would happen if you had weak people."
He also continued to exaggerate Kim's promises leading up to the proposed summit.
"I haven't given up anything. I haven't even talked about it," he said. "They have given up denuclearization, testing, research, (said) 'we're going to close different sites' … They gave it up before we even asked."
While North Korea has paused some of its nuclear activities, it has not promised a permanent change, including giving up its nuclear weapons — and its vows in the past have proved to be fleeting.
The interview came just minutes after Trump's nominee as secretary of Veterans Affairs, White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, withdrew under a torrent of allegations about his personal conduct.
Trump called the accusations false.
"They're trying to destroy a man," he said, blaming Democrats.
He took particular umbrage at Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who released a list of the accusations Wednesday. Trump noted his own popularity in the state where Tester must run for re-election.
In the interview, Trump also touched on topics as diverse as entertainer Kanye West's support of him — "He's got good taste" — and his wife's 48th birthday on Thursday.
"I may get in trouble, maybe I didn't get her so much," Trump said of first lady Melania Trump, citing his busy schedule. "I got her a beautiful card and some beautiful flowers."
He also recited familiar complaints dating to the 2016 campaign, and lashed out at the news media. He recalled the alleged leak of a primary debate question to Hillary Clinton's camp by a CNN consultant with such extended vehemence that even Fox anchor Brian Kilmeade sought to calm him down.
"Don't worry about that," Kilmeade counseled, barely breaking into the president's long list of grievances.


The documentation https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004602603-Authenticating-Mixpanel-Email-with-DKIM walks through how to setup DKIM to validate emails being sent from a non-mixpanel domain, but no where in settings is there the option of setting the send email address (you can set reply-to but the sender still shows as datadrivenemail.com).
Also, the documentation doesn't make it clear how to properly setup SPF (what name does the TXT go under?).
Mixpanel requires that you add a public DKIM key to your DNS settings to get rid of the 'via datadrivenemail' text in your emails.
Here is a helpful article to give you more background on how to set up DKIM — The exact steps for altering your DNS settings differ for each provider.
As an example, instructions for a Rackspace provider can be seen here.
Once the DKIM key has been set I would recommend checking it with the dig +short mixpanel._domainkey.your-domain.com txt command as mentioned in our help article (be sure to change your-domain.com to your domain). It can take some time (up to 24 hours) for the DNS settings to take effect so it is a good idea to try some test emails before sending to customers.


You play a little blob that lives within a much bigger blob (your Motherhome). This Motherhome doesn't move, but floats in space waiting for you to bring food to it. Your safe inside your Motherhome, but when you venture outside you enter a dangerous world full of red plants and pincher creatures, looking to destroy you. Each time you get attached, the screen zooms in on you, making our view of the world very small. You can make your way back to your home, pinchers following, and go inside. There, the pinchers will die off and you can give the blob your food.
Food trails behind you when you run into it, waiting to be brought home. Once it's given to your home, it turns into little organisms that follow you, shooting along with you and protecting you. After a while, you can build up a bunch of these organisms, which are now your family members, to help you survive.
The control scheme is a bit cumbersome, but it's a fun game with a great visual style the an interesting biological shooter concept. Just try not to get lost when you venture out from your Motherhome!


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Home » CNN - Entertainment » 'Crikey! It's the Irwins' Season 4 is the Irwin family's gift to us
'Crikey! It's the Irwins' Season 4 is the Irwin family's gift to us
Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
Terri Irwin and her children Robert and Bindi are grateful to America.
That's because Americans have been so supportive of their conservation work through both the Australian wildfires and the more recent global pandemic.
"America's really stepped up through donations to our charity," Terri Irwin told CNN. "Everyone has their own challenges through this pandemic, but America's been really good at seeing, you know, outside of your own bubble and being able to say, I can do this philanthropic thing."
Season 4 of their series "Crikey! It's the Irwins" shows exactly what that support is going toward, from a giant runway that helps the elephants at Australia Zoo (where the Irwins live) move around more freely to the care given to the koalas during breeding season.
But more than just showcasing the family's work, there's also their personal lives.
"It's definitely the most real and raw true look into our families," Robert Irwin said. "It seems to be the most kind of intimate look into our family lives and really exciting time for us personally, of course, with the arrival of Grace."
Grace, born in March, is the daughter of his sister, Bindi, and her husband, Chandler Powell.
Bindi Irwin said that being a new mother has increased her passion for the work her family does because "being wildlife warriors, it's not just what we do, it's who we are."
"I think we're incredibly lucky to have found our purpose in life and to be able to share it together, and, for me, being a new mama, I'm so blessed that I get to bring my beautiful daughter with me on the adventure, too," she said. "I was passionate before I had Grace about making a difference in the world, but now I have this fire inside of me."
"I want to make sure that Grace grows up in a world with clean water and fresh air and wildlife and it is so important to me that we protect our planet for her generation."
Terri Irwin said that's what her late husband, Steve Irwin, wanted for their children, as well.
Steve Irwin, who became famous as the "Crocodile Hunter," died after being pierced by a stingray while filming a documentary in Australia in 2006.
The show includes footage of him. Terri Irwin said their children are very much like him in terms of Bindi's fascination with the science aspect of wildlife and Robert being very much "boots on the ground" at the zoo.
"It's a great balance of two wonderful kids who are wanting to keep their dad's legacy alive," Irwin said. "And I know he'd be proud."
"Crikey! It's the Irwins" Season 4 debuts on Discovery+ on New Year's Day.
Sammy Hagar & The Circle cover "Won't Get Fooled Again"
After Trending on Twitter, Rush's Geddy Lee Confirms He's Not Dead
sbanuelos - Posted on September 8, 2020


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Max Planck Institute Takes Delivery of Waters Synapt High Definition MS System
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) announced today that the world-renowned Max Planck Institute is enhancing its research on neurodegenerative diseases by adding a Waters? Synapt High Definition MS? (HDMS) System to its complement of research technologies. The Institute?s Department of Cellular Biochemistry recently took delivery of its Synapt? HDMS System to study the role of proteins in causing brain-wasting diseases including Huntington?s Disease.
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) announced today that the world-renowned Max Planck Institute is enhancing its researchon neurodegenerative diseases by adding a Waters Synapt High Definition MS? (HDMS) System to its complement of research technologies. The Institute?s Department of Cellular Biochemistry recently took delivery of its Synapt? HDMS System to study the role of proteins in causing brain-wasting diseasesincluding Huntington?s Disease.
?Our initial impression of the Synapt HDMS system was of a very powerful two-dimensional separation device. We wanted a system that could measurelarge intact protein complexes with high accuracy. The ability to additionally separate species by ion mobility greatly enhances the appeal of thissystem,? commented Prof. Ulrich Hartl, Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Manajit Hayer-Hartl.
Dr. Hayer-Hartl?s research focuses on the understanding of the mechanisms by which molecular chaperones mediate protein folding and inhibit misfoldingin neurodegenerative diseases. The Synapt System will analyze the large protein complexes, and their subunit composition, that are involved in suchdiseases. Prof. Hartl and Dr. Hayer-Hartl are looking to the Synapt System to give them greater insight into protein folding, assembly, andaggregation pathways by being able to resolve, identify and characterize intermediates based on differences in conformation, something that is nearlyimpossible to do with current technology.
?We will follow folding and/or aggregation pathways in the presence or absence of chaperone systems in combination with hydrogen/deuterium exchangetechnology. The Synapt System?s Triwave technology for separating ions by their mobility will allow us to characterize our proteins of interest ingreater detail than any other mass spectrometry system currently available,? Dr. Hayer-Hartl explained.
Waters introduced the Synapt HDMS System at the American Society of Mass Spectrometry annual meeting in Seattle in June of 2006. It is the firstcommercially-available mass spectrometer to combine high-efficiency, ion mobility-based measurements and separations with a high-performanceorthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer.