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Women's Week | Challenging humanitarianism beyond gender as women and women as victims by Dorothea Hilhorst, Holly Porter and Rachel Gordon
By	Dorothea Hilhorst Posted on March 7, 2018 May 18, 2020
Problematic assumptions related to women's position and role in humanitarian crises are unpacked in a special issue of the journal Disasters on gender, sexuality and violence. The main lesson drawn from the special issue is that aid actors should tread carefully and seriously invest in their capacity to carefully monitor the intended and unintended effects of programming on gender relations.
At the United Nations (UN) World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in May 2016, 'achieving greater gender equality and greater inclusivity' was identified as one of the five key areas of humanitarian action. The WHS wanted this to be a watershed moment that would spark a shift toward systematically meeting the needs of women and girls and promoting their role as active decision-makers and leaders.
After more than four decades of discourses on 'gender in development' and a substantive history of evolving international law and practice on women, peace, and security, the WHS marked an important declaration that the humanitarian aid field takes gender seriously. 'Gender' too often has been understood as synonymous with 'women and girls,' neglecting questions of agency, vulnerability, and the dynamic and changing realities of gendered power relations.
The focus on sexual violence has brought significant attention to some of the challenges that many women face, but has also reproduced a generalised image of women as victims. That idea was already well-embedded in classic views of conflict that see men as aggressors and combatants and women as non-combatant victims. While this depiction is grounded in sad empirical realities, it leads to a kind of tunnel vision that only centres on the suffering of women, viewing them as the primary victims and primarily as victims. The victim discourse furnishes a rationale for providing women with direly needed assistance, and in fact, women themselves are often keen to play the role of victim to become eligible for aid, backgrounding other aspects of their identity, including their (political) agency. Nonetheless, this focus is problematic in obscuring other realities in which men and women assume different and more complex roles.
Humanitarian programmes often seek the participation of women because they (we) are considered the more caring gender. Women are often targeted for aid as a proven means to improve the wellbeing of children, foster more peaceful conditions, and prevent the misdirection of resources. In the process, international aid often aims to also structurally improve the position of women. This is why UNICEF considers engaging women in service delivery as a positive step towards promoting women's rights, and describes it as the 'double dividend of gender equality'.
While well-intentioned, all of these assumptions pertaining to women's position and role in humanitarian responses have problematic aspects. These dimensions are what we aimed to unearth and explore in our new special issue of the journal Disasters on gender, sexuality and violence in humanitarian crises.[1]
What about men?
The attention on women as aid recipients drowns out the voices that are asking: 'What about men?' (not to mention other marginalised gender categories like LGBT communities). Men also cope with specific vulnerabilities, often related to their gender. They are much more often at the receiving end of lethal violence than women, and are frequently victims of sexual violence. When aid is channelled through women, it can lead to a situation where men's vulnerability is forgotten, or where men feel emasculated or disenfranchised from their traditional social roles (see, for example, the contribution by Holly Ritchie to the special issue). Such situations can have a variety of consequences, ranging from mental health problems among men to the (violent) re-assertion of men and masculinities.
Gender as relations of power
The articles in the special issue bring another layer to this discussion that all too often boxes men and women into stagnant categories. By prioritising these categorical issues that ascribe and assume particular traits as specific to men and women, debates may miss the mark regarding gender as relations of power that, like everything else, are cast into disarray during humanitarian crises. It is well-established that gender roles are interwoven with other social identity markers, and that these intersectional gender relations are, moreover, deeply ingrained in and reproduced by the working of all institutions in society, ranging from the personal between men and women to the working of cultural values, geopolitics, governance practices, and religion. In creating the special issue, we asked: how do humanitarian responses interact with these myriad aspects of gender and other interrelated social identities? And how do humanitarian responses thus affect gender relations?
Persistence and change
The special issue testifies both to the persistence of gender relations as well as their propensity to change. Julian Hopwood, Holly Porter, and Nangiro Saum found a drastic reported change in everyday gender relations in Karamoja, Northern Uganda, especially where women's material resource bases were enhanced, but they raise questions about whether such change is enduring. The economic empowerment of women may spill over positively into other domains of life, or contrarily may undermine goodwill towards women's positions and bring about a violent backlash against them (and against humanitarians)—or both. Likewise, well-meaning interventions can have adverse effects, as Luedke and Logan found in South Sudan, where a narrow focus on conflict-related sexual violence and recycled (although well-intentioned) responses thereto by international organisations were not only unhelpful, but also ran counter to and undermined local norms that might have protected women.
The instrumentalisation of gender
A final layer that complicates the analysis of and interventions in gender relations is that gender as an issue is often instrumentalised for different purposes. Gender has firmly become part of the high politics of international relations. More locally, an interest in the position of women can, for example, obscure attempts of a government to firm up its grip over local authorities, as Rebecca Tapscott found in another contribution to the special issue on Northern Uganda. Likewise, Hilhorst and Douma found that the responses to sexual violence in the DRC were instrumentalised for various purposes by a large range of actors.
Treading carefully
What do these different layers mean for humanitarian action, apart from standing as a reminder that paying attention to women should not result in turning a blind eye to vulnerability and agency of other gender categories? The special issue highlights the dynamic and entangled nature of gender relations, and how humanitarian and political attention to gender adds additional layers to the complexities of gender relations in crisis environments. Aid can often do lots of harm. This does not mean that gender objectives should be abandoned, but that aid actors need to tread carefully and seriously invest in their capacity to carefully monitor the intended and unintended effects of programming on gender relations.
[1] The issue is open access for the duration of 2018.
Picture credit: Kate Holt/Africa Practice
Dorothea Hilhorst is Professor of Humanitarian Aid and Reconstruction at the ISS. Her blog article 'Emergency sexwork: should NGOs recognise transactional sex as livelihood strategy?' further touches on the topics discussed in this article.
Holly Porter is Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the Institute of Development Policy and Management (University of Antwerp) and Conflict Research Group (Ghent University). She is also Research Fellow at the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Rachel Gordon is an independent research consultant on gender and humanitarian aid, and was formerly an SLRC Researcher and the SLRC Gender Team Leader, Feinstein International Center (Tufts University)/Overseas Development Institute.


text:
using Newtonsoft.Json;

namespace PholioVisualisation.PholioObjects
{
    public class ConfidenceIntervalMethod
    {
        // NOTE: Usage field is not for display, it is for internal info

        [JsonProperty]
        public int Id { get; set; }

        [JsonProperty]
        public string Name { get; set; }

        [JsonProperty]
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    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I am providing some links to websites that I like to visit when looking for home decorating ideas. I thought that you might find them helpful while you are working on decorating your home or perhaps trying to decide on the style of decor that you want in your home.
My friend Mandy gives some wonderful ideas for decorating your home or parties for the different times of the year. She also comes up with some of the most awesome themes to use for different occasions.
HGTV Decorating And Designs You see these ideas on television and now you can visit the website to find the items or add to your ideas for your own home decor.
This is my Pinterest page where I show some of my favorite room designs that I have found across the internet.


Now you can reply to a notification and send the reply to any URL available on the internet.
This is especially useful when integrating with services like IFTTT webhooks.
Handy way to sent iOS notifications!


Users of Twitter created the idiom "RT @suchnsuch said sumfink", and as with @ replies, RT's have been rolled in to Twitter's architecture. Now we have, what I think should be called, the native retweet.
It was turned on for early users and more of the "twittersphere" is getting the feature now. Certainly the first thing I wanted to see was what a native RT of 140 characters would look like. Well...truncated...but not really.
I'm wondering: using the new retweet feature, what retweeting messages of 140 characters looks like to users that are not in the beta group.
So kindly, RellyAB (amongst others) retweeted for me.
Notice the ellipsis. No huge surprise there.
What's interesting is that the actual tweet is modified in the Twitter's view of the timeline, i.e. it's mashing together Relly's tweets and her retweets in to one view.
There's already a "like": Favourite. I think using that intelligently would have been wiser than the over-engineered RT.
Moreover, this is because the API call to user timeline is free of native retweets - so apps relying on it won't contain the retweet (for better or for worse - you may be using Snap Bird to find the tweet that was retweeted by Relly and fail to find it).
In fact, all of the native retweet APIs require authentication, so apps that rely on working without auth (such as Snap Bird) won't contain retweets at all in the future!
I'm not 100% sure whether this is good or bad, but it certainly mixes things up for the developers working with the API.
I think, if anything, it shows that Twitter are treating twitter.com as a client to the API, and (rightly) they're aggressively keeping up to date with API changes, and I think that other twitter apps are going to have to do the same.
This is perfect for those people you follow and value their retweets, something you could have missed, and where you can choose to ignore others. Ignoring the developer implications for a moment, the user experience is definitely better, and this will pass down the chain to the third-party apps like Tweetie (once they update).
Obviously you'll still be able to bork the retweet feature by just adding it yourself, just like I can break the @mentions feature by adding a character (usually a period) in front of the @!
Posted 19-Nov 2009 under api & twitter & web.


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I would like more information about becoming a jewellery stylist.
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Fifth Avenue Collection Pty Ltd.


Swastek Joseph - The Formative Years of the Polish Seminary in the United States. - Wydawnictwa emigracyjne po 1939 r.
Swastek Joseph - The Formative Years of the Polish Seminary in the United States.
Drewnowski Jan - O myśl polityczną.
Res Publica. 1979, nr 2.
Orchard Lake, Michigan. 1985. Center for Polish Studies and Culture.
Format: 23,5x15,5 cm, stron: 127. Oprawa: oryginalna płótno, obwoluta.
Obw. lekko naddarta, poza tym stan bardzo dobry. Ilustracje w tekście.


Tau Kiwi Games is the result of just one person designing, developing and publishing games.
It started as a hobby with Make Your Solar System, in the free time while studiying astrophysics. I was not expecting a success in downloads but it went fine and I decided to continue with other games.
Then this website became necessary as a decent presentation of the games and news so here it is!
About me, my name is Javier Gómez Pereda. I am from Spain. I studied mainly IT, and also a master in astrophysics. I have also experience as Scrum Master.
I am developing my main career as QA Automation Engineer.
I will be satisfied if I you have fun with any game from my creation.


A sweeping criminal investigation into deceptive and fraudulent practices in foreclosure cases serves as a compelling reminder for Notaries to refuse improper requests from employers.
That reminder came too late for Notaries working for three Florida law firms suspected of filing bogus documents in an effort to speed up foreclosure proceedings.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is investigating whether the law firms submitted forged, notarized mortgage documents in thousands of foreclosure cases. He recently issued subpoenas requiring the firms to turn over extensive records, including the names of every Notary they employed during the past five years.
Notaries who fail to adhere to the requirements and best practices of their office may get caught up in investigations. In the current investigation, if it turns out that any of the law firm's Notaries put their stamps and signatures on forged documents, it will be difficult to defend their actions by claiming they were merely following their bosses' orders.


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Rebellion buy The Bitmap Brothers for rereleases and revivals
25th November 2019 / 2:37PM
Rebellion today announced they've bought the brand and portfolio of The Bitmap Brothers, a name that may impress or mystify you depending on how old you are and how successful the Commodore Amiga was round your way. Lot of goosebumps running up the arms of people who grew up in England during the 80s. Rebellion say they're planning to rerelease vintage Bitmap Brothers games as well as make new games in the old series. I never had an Amiga myself but a pal did so here's me going "Oh yeah, Speedball was good! Right? I think? I liked its sportfights?" Ugh, my tight five of 'D'ya remember?' gags is dangerously loose.
Rebellion's announcement called out four Bitmap Brothers games by name, so it seems likely these are the ones they're most interested in resuming and rereleasing: Speedball, the futuresport of murderhockey; the shmup Xenon, top-down shooter Chaos Engine; and robot RTS Z: Steel Soldiers. The biggest Bitmap games do still get releases and remasters every now and then, but I guess Rebellion will really go for it – and multiplatform it.
"We're delighted with the addition of The Bitmap Brothers to the ever-growing Rebellion portfolio," Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley said. "The Bitmap Brothers are renowned for making great games and for bringing gaming into the mainstream with inimitable style. We've known Mike Montgomery for many years, and we're honoured by the faith and trust that he has shown in us by passing on the torch. We'll strive to be vigilant custodians of one of gaming's great names."
Rebellion are well into a bit of nostalgia. They bought Battlezone off Atari a few years back and made a new VR-focused tank shooter as well as revamping the unexpectedly good FPS-RTS Battlezones from the 90s. They also recently remastered their own Rogue Trooper and are working on Evil Genius 2, a sequel to the 2004 Bond villain 'em up they bought up. They recently spoke with us about the challenges and opportunities of chasing nostalgia too.
They certainly are busy bees. Last week Rebellion also announced a board game division, Rebellion Unplugged. That's starting with a Sniper Elite board game, and plans are afoot to trap more of Rebellion's games in cardboard.
Speedball 2 screenshot via MobyGames.
Tagged with rebellion.
When not writing news, Alice may be found in the sea.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Jennifer Sherman Roberts
March 16, 2013 · 12:22 am
The Coolest Thing You'll See All Day: The Renaissance Anatomy "Pop-Up Book"
My eldest daughter—burgeoning animal-rights activist and wannabe vegan (alas, she likes bacon and cheese too much to commit)—is supposed to do her first dissection soon in biology class. She is not happy about it, and after some thought, I realized I wasn't really either: with all of the virtual tools at our disposal, do we really need to kill animals and expose our kids to harsh chemicals for 7th-grade biology?
So I'm doing some prep to make a case to the school district for using a virtual program like Frogouts or McGraw Hill's dissection tool.
This may be a moot point (as the school district may already have something in place as a substitution), but it got me to thinking again about the bizarre history of dissection practices and early instances of virtual dissection. Unlike in current medical schools, where a cadaver is shared between three or four medical students, in the middle ages dissections occurred in a theater. The actual cutting was performed by a surgeon—a relatively low-level practitioner who couldn't claim the vaulted status of physician. Guiding the surgeon was the professor of medicine, who sat on high and read from Galen, the undisputed ancient authority on medicine. Actual physicians seldom (if ever) cut into a real body (there's some discussion of this here), like this:
Illustration of a dissection from the Fasciculo di Medicina, ed by Johannes Ketham, 1493
In the Renaissance, a physician named Andreas Vesalius challenged Galen's primacy and encouraged physicians and medical students to cut into the bodies themselves. Though the idea caught like wildfire, there was a hitch: it was not easy (and often not lawful) to obtain human bodies for dissection. At different times and in different places, those wanting to dissect a human body had to obtain them from professional grave-robbers who kept the anatomists in fresh bodies.
It is perhaps due to the desire to have first-hand experience, and the difficulty of getting fresh bodies, that there was a boon in the publication of what are called "fugitive sheets," or what a professor of mine in grad school called "Renaissance pop-up books." Basically, they are anatomy books with illustrations that can be lifted and folded back to provide a sort of early modern virtual dissection. Here's a great example of a fugitive sheet from the Wellcome Collection:
Anatomical fugitive sheets of a skeleton, male figure and a female figure. Wittenberg, 1573
Anatomical fugitive sheet, male figure
Anatomical fugitive sheet, female figure
(Really, you have, have, have to click on these to see them—they're cool.)
Anatomical flap books were not just a Renaissance phenomenon, however. Here's an amazing website from Duke University Library's exhibit, Animated Anatomies.
And here it is in video form:
And if that is not the coolest thing you've seen all day, then . . . well, you have an amazing life.
Tagged as anatomy, early modern, flap books, fugitive sheets, history of medicine, Renaissance, virtual dissection
The Perils of Wisdom: Vile-Hearted Renaissance Peckerhead of the Month, March
A Renaissance poesy ring inscribed with the verse, "In love abide till Death devide," a sentiment Henry, Lord Neville, might have done well to remember. (This ring, from medieval-rings.com, can be yours for a mere $6,500)
Have you ever met one of those peckerheads who's almost too pathetic for so robust an insult? The kind of guy who doesn't want to do bad things, but would be okay with it if bad things happened to people he didn't like?*
Our Vile-Hearted Renaissance Peckerhead for March** is that guy. His name was Henry, Lord Neville, the earl of Westmorland, and he conspired to murder his wife and father. Kind of.
I learned about Henry in this great book called The Sorcerer's Tale by Alec Ryrie that I bought at the Wellcome Collection bookstore (not where you'd expect to find a book about a sorcerer). I bought it because I'm fascinated by the intersections of magic and science in 16th- and 17th-century England, and this book didn't disappoint: Ryrie meticulously recreates the life of Gregory Wisdom (yes, that seems to have been his real name), who managed to craft a life as (in unequal parts) con-man, magician, and surgeon in 16th-century London.
Ryrie's book is about Wisdom, but this blog post is about Henry, Lord Neville. As Ryrie describes it, Lord Henry was easy pickings for a charlatan like Wisdom. He was rich, dumb, greedy, and unhappy in his marriage.
Wisdom was introduced to Lord Henry by one of Henry's servants, the euphonically named Ninian Menville (who was also a massive peckerhead, but maybe we should leave that for another month).
Wisdom offered to make a magic ring for Lord Henry, a talisman that would help him win at cards and dice. Not that Wisdom was in the habit of making such rings for just anybody, mind you . . . only his "dear friends." He assured Lord Henry that the ring would net £2000 or £3000 in only a few months, and for this amazing trinket he required only a pension of £20 for life (enough, says Ryrie, to comfortably retire on). Lord Henry took the bait.
The ring didn't work. Wisdom blamed Lord Henry, accusing him of laying with a woman not his wife, an act that would void the ring of any magic it contained. (This was a pretty astute guess on Wisdom's part, as Lord Henry was known to have an unhappy marriage and to frequent the brothels as well as the gambling houses.)
You'd think Lord Henry would have nothing more to do with Wisdom, but ignorance and greed are powerful forces. To distract Lord Henry from the ring debacle, Wisdom revealed that another magician of his acquaintance had told him of a vast buried treasure on the Nevilles' own estate, a cache of gold worth well over £2000. Of course, somebody would have to go retrieve it, and that somebody would need traveling expenses…
Lord Henry was out another £6.
Up till now, Lord Henry had proved to be an idiot, but he wasn't yet a peckerhead. That was about to change.
After allowing time for Menville to soothe Lord Henry's ruffled feathers, Wisdom again showed up, this time tempting Lord Henry with a different kind of bait: "My lord, I know you love not your wife" said Wisdom (according to Lord Henry's own account), "whereby you lead an abominable life in whoredom, which will be your destruction both of body and soul. If your wife were dead, then might you choose one, which you might find in your heart to love, and by that means lead an honest and a godly life. And here I have a book, wherewith I can dispatch her, and not known but that she died of God's hand."
Lord Henry wrote that he was shocked—gasp, just shocked!—by Wisdom's proposal to use magic and spells to murder his wife, but somehow he overcame his revulsion in order to meet Wisdom and Menville again three weeks later. This time, though, they informed him that they had placed a spell on his father as well. This double murder would make Lord Henry not just a bachelor, but a *rich* bachelor.
The spell on the father was a bit of a surprise, it seems, and seems to have caused Lord Henry some guilt–though not enough guilt to do anything about the situation for several weeks. However it came about, Lord Henry had Wisdom captured and claims to have gone, with Menville, to the duke of Suffolk's house to confess his sins. Unfortunately, claimed Lord Henry, the duke was too ill to see him (a clear fabrication, as the duke, who did get sick later in the year, was perfectly capable of receiving visitors during the time in question).
Oh well. He tried. Shrug.
He let Wisdom go, perhaps finally realizing that he, too, would be implicated in any charge brought against the sorcerer.
Lord Henry's wife, Anne, lived. The earl lived. Everything went on as normal until a year later, when the story finally broke. Lord Henry was imprisoned, and there was the requisite scandal.
And then, here's the crazy thing—after a little cooling-off period, Lord Henry was free to go. He went back to his wife and father and resumed his gambling and whoring and all-around-jerkiness. He outlived his wife and lived to assume the earldom from his father.
What gets me about Lord Henry is his bullshit passiveness in the proposed murder of his wife and father. One can imagine him throwing up his hands, feigning helplessness: "Oh well, what could I do? I mean, the spell was already cast! And, I mean, my wife was going to get to go to heaven, after all…"
So, for behavior befitting a peckerhead (albeit a weak, limp, flaccid peckerhead), I nominate Henry, Lord Neville, for March's Vile-Hearted Renaissance Peckerhead of the Month.
*Kind of like George Costanza from Seinfeld, maybe? I still haven't recovered from the episode in which George called up Marisa Tomei for a date mere hours after Susan died from licking too many of the wedding invitation envelopes . . . but that's fodder for an altogether different kind of blog.
**I know, I know, I skipped February. I was too busy celebrating Valentine's Day and the birthday of my decidedly non-vile-hearted husband.
March 7, 2013 · 11:22 am
I hope Ursula K. Le Guin's paradise is a kind of library
A Coupla Thoughts in the Time of Trump
My New Year's Resolutions (May Contain Trump)
I am George III, Know You Not That?: On Trump, Hamilton, and Shakespeare
After Trump, What?
Lalisa Month to Month
generallymedicine
Rachel E. Moss
Travels revisited
The Sloane Letters Project
Pamela Boston
jfitzmaurice
migrainehistories
Kitchen Fancies
Jon Kaneko-James
Permanent Mary Sue
Magic and the Supernatural
Cooking in the Archives
Mathew Lyons
Corrina Connor
CheapyKeen
Provenance Online Project
Things Medieval
Jennifer Sherman Roberts, Writer
Jennifer Sherman Roberts ·
a doctor who is also a mom/ a mom who is also a doctor
Blogging on feminism, medieval studies, teaching and learning
Photography, travel, education
God is good...all the time.
Margaret Cavendish Blog Posts and a Video
Looking for migraine through the centuries
old manuscripts, new ideas
History, Folklore and Fiction
in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods, Cardiff University, 21st July 2015
Documenting the evolution of an independent Author
Updating Early Modern Recipes (1600-1800) in a Modern Kitchen
WRITER & HISTORIAN
anciens et modernes - music and research
Exploring ideas for affordable, sustainable, enjoyable living.
Shedding light on the Dark Ages one post at a time.


Once praised as one of the most promising countries in Africa, the country has become the victim of an authoritarian and militarized regime. The country has rapidly descended into intolerable levels of political repression, leading to abject poverty and "social anomie," an environment that precludes fulfilment of its international commitment to sustainable development, economic growth and progress. The fundamental obstacle of political repression can only be removed with the help of outside pressure on the Eritrean Government.
UN Special Rapporteur Sheila Keetharuth presented her report to the Third Committee , calling on the General Assembly to adopt a resolution submitting the Commission's report to the Security Council for a referral of the Human Rights situation in Eritrea to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The report highlights the Human Rights situation in Eritrea where it states crimes against humanity has been committed by Eritrean officials since 1991. Allegations of enslavement, enforced disappearances, torture and other crimes were on the report. Keetharuth emphasised the need for accountability for these crimes.
It has been reported that ten Eritrean footballers are seeking political asylum in Botswana after a World Cup qualifying match that took place between Eritrea and Botswana on 10 October.
According to the Sunday Standard, "[s]ources from within the Eritrean diplomatic service have revealed that Eritrea is piling pressure on Botswana to have the ten players repatriated" with concerns being expressed by the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR) that plans to repatriate are under way.
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea has released a damning report about the situation in the country in the Horn of Africa. "It is not law that rules in Eritrea – but fear," states the report. Some of the violations described in the report may constitute crimes against humanity.
An unapologetic Dutch blogpost by the chair of the Dutch YPFDJ, Meseret Bahlbi, gives an indication of the urgent need for a sober and realistic benchmarking of a process of change in Eritrea, which is heralded in some quarters. The YPFDJ is the youth wing of Eritrea's only allowed political party. It has an active membership that actively sends out the messages of the party. Unashamedly Bahlbi is expressing the position of Eritrea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Osman Saleh who called for an urgent review of European migration policies towards Eritreans. According to Minister Saleh these are "to say the least, based on incorrect information". Bahlbi makes similar claims, suggesting further that his views are vindicated by a recent Danish report. Offering contradictory arguments, this report by the Danish Migration Service suggests returning Eritrean migrants home because of current changes in Eritrea.Human Rights Watch has criticised the report as deeply flawed. Meanwhile the Danish Migration Service has publicly expressed doubts on the content of its report.
On Tuesday the 27th of May 2014, Mirjam van Reisen was interviewed by the Dutch newspaper the 'Volkskrant' concerning the human trafficking of Eritrean refugees. She explains that those in power in Eritrea richly profit from the human trafficking and even find ways to extort money from Eritrean refugees in Europe via taxation. In addition, it is likely that Eritrea also profits from the extortion of Eritrean families in Europe who pay human traffickers money in order to save their kidnapped relative.
An incredible amount of money circulates within these human trafficking practices and estimations surpass 600 million Euro's in the last 5 years alone. In order to protect Eritrean refugees and in the attempt to stop these criminal practices, Mirjam van Reisen advises to close all Eritrean embassies in Europe, to better secure refugee camps where refugees are kidnapped from, and to cooperate with refugees to reveal and capture those responsible for these criminal practices.
The Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR, national focal point of Social Watch) held a comprehensive seminar last week as part of its commemoration of the 18th September 2001, when Eritrean reformists and independent media journalists were kidnapped and disappeared since.
In its last regular session this month in Pretoria, the General Council of the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR, national focal point of Social Watch) took note of the worsening humanitarian, political and economic crises in the African country, and underlined that every effort should be exerted to bring about durable solutions for those who need protection.
In terms of gender equity Eritrea lags well behind the Sub-Saharan African average, although is in a better condition than some of its neighbours.
Despite great attention paid to the Arab Spring, a ghastly silence prevails about the largest African 'open air prison': Eritrea is so isolated from the outside world that many inhabitants haven't even heard about the revolutions in Libya or the uprising in Syria, wrote Mirjam van Reisen, founding director of the Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA), a member organization of Social Watch network and based in Brussels.
Eritrean refugees in Eastern Sudan.
The European Union (EU) must support the people of Eritrea after the government of that African country decided to terminate its ongoing EU aid programmes, said Mirjam van Reisen, chair of International Social Responsibility at Tilburg University and director of Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA).
The European Union (EU) should change its policy towards Eritrea, says Mirjam van Reisen, professor of International Social Responsibility at Tilburg University. The people are better of if the EU would spent its allocated subsidy for Eritrea on housing and education of the Eritrean refugees in Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Egypt or Yemen, adds Van Reisen, also founder and director of Brussels-based Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA).
The European Union (EU) and the European Parliament censured the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki for sending independent journalists and "thousands of Eritreans" to jail, and urged the African Union to exert pressure on the government to free prisoners. "Europe finally condemns Eritrea; but does it do anything to support the Eritreans?" asked Professor Mirjam van Reisen, founder and director of Brussels-based Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA).


Every morning I wake up and think: Today might be the day.
Today marks one week. One week since we signed the papers, one week since I told the world, one week since I started watching my phone like a love stricken teenager.
We've met so many parents on this journey and they tell you their story.
"They called while we were in CPR."
"They called thirty minutes after we signed."
And others who said no to five or so calls before they said yes, waiting for what felt right.
I have every one of their stories in my head and my heart. Every single one I've been lucky enough to receive, to hear.
We received a text from J, the head of adoptions yesterday.
"You're next," said said. "Top of the list."
I wonder what our story will be. Together, on our own, with the birth parent. In so many endless ways I wonder what our story will be. I'm cultivating curiosity over fear, that little girl in me that always wanted to adopt now growing her family in ways she never would've imagined.
Volumes and volumes of blank pages lie before us.
I know better than to think I have any control over what's happening. As though my clenched fists and jaws could hurry "fate." And though the moment this baby enters our home will be a beautiful moment for us it's a moment steeped in loss. There will be losses that have already occurred for birth mom and babe. There will be losses for us. We will do our best.
I don't know about forever but today or tomorrow or the next day I will wrap you up and keep you safe and wish all the blessings on you in the world.
A part of one another's story.


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Q: What happens when you change the variable in differentiation? I was asked a somewhat elementary question, but it got me a bit confused.
Suppose I have a function $f(k)$ and I change variables, so now $k = \frac{c}{y}$ where $c$ is constant. What happens to $\frac{df(k)}{dk}$ under this change?
Is this correct: $dk = -\frac{c}{y^2} dy$, so
$$\frac{df(k)}{dk} = \frac{df(\frac{c}{y})}{-\frac{c}{y^2} dy} =-\frac{y^2}{c} \frac{df(\frac{c}{y})}{dy}$$

A: Simply apply the chain rule for your variable change: $k=c/y$
$$\frac{df(k)}{dk} = \frac{df(y(k))}{dy}\frac{dy}{dk} =-\frac{c}{k^2} \frac{df}{dy}=-\frac{y^2}{c} \frac{df}{dy}$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Topics › Consumer Freedom › Smoking Bans and Tobacco
© Dreamstime.com
A Question of Taste: The Public Health Case for E-Cigarette Flavors
Any policy that harms the exclusive makers of reduced-risk products such as e-cigarettes more than the makers of traditional cigarettes is not in the interests of public health.
Flavored tobacco products have long been the subject of controversy, especially with regards to their potential appeal to youth. In 2009, the federal government banned the manufacture and sale of all combustible cigarettes flavored to taste like clove, candy or fruit, but made an exception for menthol. The reason given for banning these products is that certain flavors could be especially attractive to children, luring them into smoking and serving as a gateway to lifelong cigarette addiction.
The debate over e-cigarette flavors is fundamentally different from the one over flavored cigarettes. Unlike combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes are a harm reduction product that offers smokers a significantly less dangerous alternative to smoking cigarettes. To do so, they deliver nicotine and/or flavorings that consumers want in a vapor that contains far fewer toxicants than cigarette smoke, the inhalation of which leads to the deaths of more than 480,000 Americans every year. Unlike combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes are a harm reduction product that offers smokers a significantly less dangerous alternative to smoking cigarettes.
When FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANRPM) on the regulation of flavored tobacco products in March 2018, he recognized the role flavors can play in tobacco harm reduction:
I've talked to ex-smokers, who've told me that they quit cigarettes altogether and that they now vape. And they've also told me it was the flavors that helped them make that transition off combustible cigarettes. Now I know anecdotes aren't the same as data. And the ANPRM specifically seeks data on this issue. But these personal stories are important to me as we shape our overall approach to smoking cessation.
Gottlieb has since emphasized that while e-cigarettes can play a role in reducing tobacco-related harms, it must not come at the expense of addicting a new generation of teens to nicotine. Gottlieb echoes the main objection to the widespread availability of e-cigarettes and their promotion as a tool for smoking cessation. While they may present a benefit for adult smokers, critics argue, they could prove a threat to adolescents. So-called "kid- appealing" flavors are regularly singled out as targeting children and being of little interest to adult smokers trying to switch to vaping.
In September 2018, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that e-cigarette use among teenagers had reached "epidemic" levels. To combat this alleged epidemic, Gottlieb asked the nation's five largest e-cigarette manufacturers to submit plans to tackle youth use. If these plans do not meet FDA's approval, all non-tobacco flavors could be withdrawn from the market, and the deadline for e-cigarette product applications could be brought forward from the current 2022 deadline. If implemented, these policies could provide a devastating and possibly irreparable blow to the independent e-cigarette industry.
While flavor plays a role in the decision of some youth to try vaping, the evidence shows that it is one of many factors and is often not the leading reason for youth vaping. Curiosity, peer influence, and rebellion are also major influences as they are with youth use of many adult products. There is no reason to believe that banning e-cigarette flavors would, in fact, reduce youth vaping. Removing these flavors would not necessarily alter their decision to experiment with e-cigarettes to begin with. It is a leap in logic to suggest that without a variety of flavors kids would not experiment with e-cigarettes as they do with other adult products such as alcohol.
In this way, the role e-cigarette flavors play in youth vaping initiation is grossly exaggerated. As well, while all youth use of e-cigarettes is undesirable, rates of use are not significantly higher than other adult products that teens experiment with. In fact, youth e-cigarette use is lower than for other illicit products.
Nonetheless, non-tobacco flavors are consistently labeled "kid-appealing." While it is true that the majority of kids who vape use non-tobacco flavors, that is not the end of the story. Non-tobacco flavors such as fruit, dessert, and pastry are in fact the most popular choices among adult vapers also. According to the largest surveys ever conducted, most adults switching from cigarettes to vaping opt to switch with a non-tobacco flavor. Increasingly, literature both from testimonials and longitudinal studies shows that flavor varieties assist smoking cessation among adult smokers who switch to vaping. There is nothing in the data to suggest that non-tobacco flavors are inherently and solely "kid-appealing," that adults do not like flavors, or that e-cigarette companies use these flavors to target minors.
While debates over the possible long-term impact of e-cigarette use remain a subject of intense discussion, there is an overwhelming consensus that these products are significantly less harmful than cigarettes and can play an essential role in helping adult smokers quit. A substantial emerging literature demonstrates that the majority of adult vapers use flavored products when transitioning away from cigarettes and maintaining cigarette abstinence. As such, e-cigarettes are a harm reduction product in that they pose vastly less danger to their users than traditional cigarettes, and smokers who switch to these products will dramatically lower their risk of smoking-related disease.
As it stands, there is no justification by way of scientific evidence or consumer welfare analysis for a tobacco product standard prohibiting or severely limiting the number of e-cigarette flavors. Developing such a standard would be counterproductive, degrading the appeal and user experience of products which, when used exclusively in place of combustible cigarettes, dramatically reduce the risks of tobacco-related disease. The FDA itself has stated that e-cigarettes are a vital part of the policy mix to reduce deaths from
smoking and Scott Gottlieb has said that if every smoker in America switched to e-cigarettes, it would be a net benefit to public health.
The key objective for FDA should be to maximize the public health potential of e-cigarettes by ensuring widespread availability of e-cigarette products in the forms that actually appeal to adult smokers, which is for the most part in non-tobacco flavors. At the same time, FDA must use its authority to limit sales of these products to youth as much as possible.
To tackle youth use, FDA should use its enforcement power to prevent and punish illegal sales of these products to minors. But banning or severely restricting the most popular category of a tobacco harm reduction product in order to tackle underage use is misguided and presents a net harm to public health by removing a popular option for adult smoking cessation.
The FDA does not have to make a choice between helping adults quit smoking and preventing youth from vaping. A sensible regulatory policy can achieve both these objectives at the same time. If FDA gets the correct balance between enforcement and ensuring a thriving market for tobacco harm reduction products, the results could be millions of lives saved.
Full Policy Brief: The Public Health Case for E-Cigarette Flavors
More from Consumer Freedom, Smoking Bans and Tobacco, Vaping, E-Cigarettes
Tobacco harm reduction should be on Congress' agenda
"We do know that e-cigarettes — as a general class — have markedly less risk than a combustible cigarette product," admitted FDA's tobacco chief, Brian King.
By Guy Bentley
FDA needs a new approach to e-cigarettes and other safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes
Reagan-Udall report calls for FDA to "identify and address the policy and scientific questions that underpin its regulatory framework" and invest in "more substantial engagement with stakeholders and the public."
Fix D.C.'s sports betting market by ending the monopoly
Increasing the competitiveness of D.C.'s mobile sports betting market would produce better products and prices for consumers.
By Michelle Minton


PRICE DROP!!! Great northside bungalow with updates in all the right places; ready for a new owner. Hardwood floors, 2 large family rooms, wood fireplace. Updated electrical and 200 amp breaker, vinyl windows. Newer furnace, newer roof, fresh exterior paint & a large fenced backyard. Over-sized garage has power and could make for a great shop. Conveniently located near schools, parks, and shopping.


Raja Rani (English: King, Queen) is a 2013 Tamil romantic comedy film directed by debutant Atlee, who previously worked with Shankar as an assistant in Enthiran (2010) and produced by AR Murugadoss in association with Fox Star Studios. The film features Arya and Nayantara in the lead roles with Jai, Nazriya Nazim, Santhanam and Sathyaraj appearing in other pivotal roles. It received \\\'U\\\' Certificate from Central Board of Film Certification. The film released worldwide on 27 September 2013. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
The story begins with John (Arya) and Regina (Nayanthara) getting married in a church. John and Regina have agreed to get married solely for purpose of making their parents happy. When they take their wedding oath Regina utters her lover\\\'s name \\\'Surya\\\' and on hearing this,Regina\\\'s father faints in the church. Regina feels sorry for her father and eventually ends up marrying John. They live in a flat and John turns up drunken every day, causing disturbance to both Regina and the other flatmates. They try to irritate each other in every possible way. Regina applies for transfer to stay away from John and he is not affected by this decision.
One fine night Regina falls prey on the ground with fits. John calls up an ambulance and takes Regina to the hospital, where he sees Regina being treated with electric shock. The next day John inquires Regina about her health an she reveals she was already attacked twice by fits. She also reveals her past relationship with Surya (Jai),who is very timid and humorous. Surya gets selected for a cabin-crew training in the USA. They both decide to inform their parents about their relationship. Surya feels that his father might not approve of their relationship. Regina\\\'s father is more like a friend to her, so she requests her father to talk to Surya\\\'s father. Their marriage talks doesn\\\'t go as expected so Regina and Surya decide to get married without informing their parents. Regina waits for Surya to get married but he doesn\\\'t turn up. Regina\\\'s father feels sorry his daughter and takes Regina to Surya\\\'s house. There they both learn that Jai has already left to the US. Shocked and devastated, Regina\\\'s father has his first heart attack. A few days later Regina gets a call from Surya\\\'s friend Iyappan (Sathyan) that Surya has committed suicide in the US. Regina is heart-broken and attacked with fits. 3 years later, Regina is still not able to get over her past but decides to marry John only for the sake of her father.
On hearing this John says that he has never come across a girl who can value a relationship so much. John starts to like Regina and he now has immense respect for her but this doesn\\\'t go well with Regina and she often insults John until one day when Sarathy (Santhanam) comes to John\\\'s flat and reveals his past. John falls in love with Keerthana (Nazriya Nazim),an orphan. It is love at first sight for John, when he sees the bubbly and energetic Keerthana. John and Keerthana fall for each other and get married, on the first day of marriage when Keerthana crosses a road she meets with a fatal accident and dies in front of John. After 4 years, a heart-broken John is forced to marry Regina on Sarathy\\\'s insistence.
On hearing John\\\'s past Regina begins to like John.Though John and Regina like each other, they never reveal it. Finally on John\\\'s birthday Regina gives a gift to John and insists that he opens it alone but John never opens the gift as he thinks that Regina is only putting up a drama in front of her father. Regina gets a transfer to Australia for 2 years and asks her to go ahead with her plans, but actually John wants her to stay with him and Regina is waiting for John to say it.
John agrees to drop Regina at the airport and they both never reveal their true feeling till then. Regina waits at the in the immigration counter and a frustrated John goes to the parking lot and he gets a all from Regina to see her at the entrance. Ecstatic John runs to the entrance to meet Regina. Regina says they she saw Surya at the immigration counter. Without even listening to what Regina says he runs to meet Surya. Surya says that he was forced to leave by his father and he knew that Regina an never get over him,so he had asked his friend to tell Regina that Surya has committed suicide. Surya says that he is now happily married and asks John to be happy with Regina and leaves. John tries to convince Surya but he refuses and leaves. When he walks away from John Surya cries and looks at the ring which he and Regina had exchanged.
John meets Regina who is terribly angry with John as she never wanted to get back with Surya and all that she wants now is John. Regina throws the gift that John never opened in which it is written \\\"Let us begin our life\\\". John and Regina realise their love for each other and live happily ever after.
Atlee Kumar, an assistant director to Shankar, narrated his script to Murugadoss in early 2012 and the pair agreed to make a film featuring Arya and Nayanthara in the lead roles. Jai was also signed on to feature in a pivotal role in the film, appearing as Nayanthara\\\'s love interest in a flashback segment. Initially Priya Anand was considered another leading role, but the opportunity was later offered to Nazriya Nazim who had made her debut with Neram (2013) in Tamil films.
Sathyaraj, Santhanam and Sathyan were also signed to play other supporting roles in the film. The film has music by G. V. Prakash Kumar, art direction by T. Muthuraj and cinematography by debutant George, a former associate of Nirav Shah.
The film began its first schedule at a bungalow in Greams road, Chennai. Kamal Haasan switched on the camera and a song picturizing Jai and Nayanthara was canned on the occasion. The sequence involving Jai and Nayantara will be canned first and Arya will join the team after he completes his work on Irandam Ulagam.
A first official film teaser showing the lead pair quarreling through their projections in a mirror, was released on May 11 by Fox Star Studios. The teaser went instantly viral garnering a large number of views. This film released in many theatres across the USA especially Towne 3 cinemas in San Jose. It is running successfully for the second week.
The official trailer was released along with the music album in a very innovative manner on 23 August 2013. The trailer was released on YouTube earlier in the day and was simultaneously telecast across 12 television channels at 7 PM. The trailer received tremendous response and the film released in 320 screens worldwide.
Critics have also noted that the film draws similarites to Mani Ratnam\\\'s Mouna Ragam and the Kannada film Milana.
The film earned approximately ₹3.20 crore on its first day, which was said to be Arya\\\'s best ever opening, and had collected an opening weekend collection of 12.2 crores in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The total collections from overseas market after the opening weekend were estimated at around 5.02 crores.


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Josh earned his BS in Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University (summa cum laude, Tau Beta Pi and Alpha Eta Mu Beta). Currently, he is a research scientist at the Center for Engineering in Medicine at MGH.
Nick received his BA in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Genetics, Genomics, and Development from Cornell (Phi Beta Kappa). He is now pursuing a dual MD/PhD in the Harvard-MIT joint program
Kellen is a postdoc scholar at the Stanford School of Medicine. Previously, he earned his BS in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at UVA.
Justin earned his BA in Math with a minor in Computer Science at Boston College. After spending a few years working as a web developer, he moved to New York, where he is now an MBA candidate at NYU.
Michael earned his BS in in Physics and in Mathematics from Brandeis (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). Recently, he completed his PhD in Physics at Harvard, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
Jenna holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Columbia) and a BA in Biology with a minor in Psychology (Boston University, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). She is currently faculty at Columbia University.
Jon is a History PhD student at UVA and a Visiting Fellow in History at Harvard. He earned his BA in History at McGill, where he received awards for his research and graduated with the highest GPA in the Department.


New comic time, new comic time! I've been fortunate enough to have some really strange, funny and unusual things happen to me in my life: things that I've always thought could make great little comics. This is my attempt to get some of them down for other people to enjoy.
This comic is probably going to update sporadically and vaguely infrequently - it's something quick and relaxing for me to work on in between other projects.
the guy on the bike looks like David Tennant!


Your 2006 Ford F-150 might be the best vehicle you've ever owned. Or you may just be struggling to keep it highway-approved. No matter the situation, Advance Auto Parts has the Crankshaft Bolt product you desperately need.
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Expert: Roughly 20 million tons of trash in Indian Ocean
Malaysian officials announced Wednesday that new satellite images show 122 objects scattered across a remote stretch of water southwest of Australia. The objects range in size from about 3 feet to 75 feet.
The discovery comes days after similar findings in the same general area, all part of the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The plane vanished on March 8 with 239 people aboard.
New satellite images show '122 potential objects' http://t.co/aFmeuvCX5o @ErinBurnett has the latest. #OutFront @CNN pic.twitter.com/dMObVwTDsz
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) March 26, 2014
This possible debris field covers an area the size of Denver. It's rapidly moving target, that investigators acknowledge could be debris of Flight 370 or garbage.
Charles Moore is merchant marine captain. He's spent a lot of time researching the amount of garbage that's in the oceans. He's OutFront.
Moore tells CNN's Erin Burnett that the amount of garbage in the Indian Ocean can fool investigators into thinking they found something significant.
"The ocean is a kind of a plastic soup," said Moore. "The larger objects could be from container ships, they could be from Banda Aceh Tsunami docks, boats, all those things could be part of this confounding litter in the ocean."
ConservationMatters
At the end of the day, it's all about Energy.
Yet, AMERICA continues to WASTE over 70% of the energy it consumes. Our horrendous Energy Waste is everywhere!
Municipalities, businesses, industry, offices, and SCHOOLS are the worst offenders.
(1) 100's of millions of lights burn unnecessarily every day and night.
(2) We OverLight, OverHeat, OverCool, and OverDRIVE as if it doesn't matter.
(3) Over packaging is the norm, and recycling is inadequate. Our landfills are busier than ever. (Plastics are the cause of most cancers and therefore our most heinous polluter.)
(4) Very few Americans minimize their driving; road congestion is commonplace. America's incessant obsession with driving and road construction is the ultimate contradiction to sustainable living. Mass transit needs to be made FREE (we subsidize all kinds of 'projects, why not one that helps everybody ! ), SAFE (have cops ride whenever needed. They can still be utilized elsewhere when needed.), CLEAN, & CONVENIENT(this is the hard part; requires intelligence.)
Solar, Wind, Hydroelectric can only succeed when energy conservation is also utilized. Only our dwindling fossil fuel supply has the energy potential to support our waste and overuse. Fracking, Off-shore Drilling, Tar Sands, Nuclear Power; it's OUR own dumb fault.
The way to eliminate waste and reduce demand for energy is by using the economic impact of taxing energy. Crude oil must be Federally taxed at $160 per barrel(42 gal) and this 'energy consumption tax' be OFFSET by making Federal Income Tax begin at $60k. Only with a tangible and substantial dollar$$ consequence/reward will there be a plausible incentive to conserve energy. (Reward the 'Prius drivers, cyclists, walkers, & mass transit riders. Let the Hummers and other gas guzzlers pay a fair price for their high energy consumption.)
Global warming continues to rapidly increase with our persistent waste and overuse of fossil fuels.
Our hedonist energy waste is culturally pervasive, flagrant, irresponsible, disgraceful, abominable, sinful, and suicidal !
Human extinction will be the reward for our failure to quickly and broadly implement renewable energy supplies and genuine conservation.
RT @CNN: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his decision to block a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being…
RT @CNN: Biden and Trump are slamming Republican efforts to link Social Security and Medicare reforms to the vote to raise the nation's deb…
RT @CNN: Chief climate correspondent and anchor @BillWeirCNN describes to @ErinBurnett the "thrill" of traveling to David Crosby's home for…
Comment »


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Q: how to write output of command "adb push file.txt /sdcard/" to text file? Command :
adb push test.mp4 /sdcard/test.mp4

output of command :
2717 KB/s (17104177 bytes in 6.146s)

i want to write above output in one text file.
i tried following command :
adb push test.mp4 /sdcard/test.mp4 > Result.txt

but still Result.txt file is blank.
Please help, if you have any idea !!!
if solution is with using perl or python then also it is ok for me.

A: Assuming you are using bash, you can redirect stderr :
adb push test.mp4 /sdcard/test.mp4 2> Result.txt

or both stdout and stderr :
adb push test.mp4 /sdcard/test.mp4 > Result.txt 2>&1


Would you believe me if I told you that I barely know what I'm doing?
I didn't think so. I couldn't do my job if I didn't balance the right spell while making fine adjustments on my growing inventory of devices. The newest tool I've been learning to upkeep since receiving one from my professor, the rune arm, is particularly challenging to keep working without blowing up in my face.
The professor doesn't have to cut me a break, but he does. He's used to teaching humans on the ways of House Cannith, home of the arch-craftsmen of Ebberon. I'm just an orphaned Drow lucky enough not to be wolf food years ago.
I hear a metallic creak at my feet. Syracuse, my pet defender, looks up at me. He's a smart dog. I pick up a small metal cog and fling across the workshop–a bit too hard. It sails through a small pane in a window.
Syracuse dutifully leaps straight through the window, smashing it to bits. Not the first time it happened. I walk over and apply a repair spell on the window. After the fourth time I broke it (and the third time Syracuse leaped through it) I converted the window into a construct that holds panes and restores itself.
"You're really intent on leaving, aren't you?" the professor said.
I returned to my bag. One of my crossbows sat by. It needed something more, later. "Yes. I need to find why I was abandoned," I said.
A series of hard, fast footsteps introduced Syracuse, the cog in his metal teeth. Sometimes I could swear he was smiling if I didn't remember that I've not added any emotional gears and detachable plates on his face.
The professor shouldn't assume that the irritation I felt wasn't a racial thing.
Growing up entirely with humans has left me in a disadvantage. I've learned the history of drow, some tribal stories. But to other drow, I'm completely an outsider. I can't seem to make them answer anything. It's not as if I have a distinct difference in appearance. Maybe it's my accent.
I finished packing, adding the last of my ingredient bags.
"You'll write, I hope, Medes? It gets awful quiet when you're on your adventures." The professor looked distressed in a way I could understand, for once. It was…nice to know somebody wanted me. He was one of two men that found me. His partner had since passed on.
"I will, papa." I walked over to kiss him on the cheek.
"Don't worry," I said. The professor and I had made a meager living in the upkeep of iron constructs. Once in a while we'd get a beautiful adamantine in our shop for repair, which kept us fed for months. But it was a long time since one showed up. I needed to leave home, not just for finding my parents–anyone who can tell me who I am.
I left. The usual bustle of House Cannith, of hisses and steam whistles and blindingly bright metals adorned homes and shops and constructs, even a few people.
As much as I like it here, it is not my home. Machines have crept into my memory of my infancy. I remember the smells of sulphur and grass, in the place where I was found, alone and left to die in the Searing Heights.
I need to know why I was abandoned. And once I learn why, perhaps I can return. Perhaps I can rid myself of this…anger that keeps me from being–well, whatever I need to be.
My first mission is in search of a tool I'll need if I'm ever to survive for long. The professor said I'd never be able to wield one. I know otherwise. A rune arm will be the difference between nights in a cramped, warm inn or death on the plains outside Stormreach.
Syracuse looks up at me as we leave the enclave and head through the marketplace. I pat his head.
"You're going to get a lot more to chase and chew on than just a rusty cog, little guy." I load my repeater. Adventure…and answers, await.


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Les astéroïdes de type A sont un type d'astéroïdes relativement peu commun de la ceinture d'astéroïdes. Ils sont caractérisés par un spectre de réflexion présentant un pic de réflectance dans le rouge à la longueur d'onde , un puits (un pic d'absorbance) dans le proche infrarouge autour de , et une remontée de la réflectance (à longueur d'onde croissante) de pente et de forme caractéristiques. Mise à part la forte pente de la montée de la réflectance dans le rouge avant le pic, explicable par une altération des roches de surface, ces spectres sont très proches de ceux des météorites de type pallasite et brachinite, et s'expliquent par une forte abondance (> 80 %) de l'olivine à la surface de ces astéroïdes.

Classification
Les astéroïdes de type (secondaire) A font partie du groupe des astéroïdes de type (principal) S, dont le spectre de réflexion indique une forte abondance des silicates (d'où le « S ») dans les roches de leur surface. Ce groupe S comporte aussi les astéroïdes de types (secondaires) K, L, Q et R.

Le « A » des astéroïdes de type A fait référence à (246) Asporina, le premier astéroïde reconnu de ce type (découvert en 1885).

Fréquence et répartition

Inventaire
Jusqu'en 2005 on n'avait répertorié que 17 astéroïdes de type A, dont certains sur la base de leur spectre de réflexion dans le visible :

L'inspection des spectres infrarouges conduit à une liste plus restreinte encore, de seulement 14 astéroïdes de type A connus en 2018 :

Des études comme celles du Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), qui a parcouru le ciel dans le visible à différentes longueurs d'onde pendant plus de dix ans, permettent de repérer des candidats au statut d'astéroïde de type A grâce au pic à , mais la spectroscopie dans l'infrarouge est nécessaire pour les vérifier. En effet, la moitié seulement de ces candidats montrent un spectre infrarouge correspondant effectivement au type A. Sur les plus de  observés par SDSS, 155 ont été retenus comme de possibles candidats et seulement 21 nouveaux astéroïdes de type A s'ajoutent en 2019 à la liste précédente :

L'essentiel (> 80 %) de la masse de ces  astéroïdes de type A est dû au seul (354) Éléonore, qui a une magnitude de 6,4 et une masse d'environ .

Répartition des tailles, des orbites et des compositions
L'inventaire ci-dessus des astéroïdes de type A de diamètre supérieur à  montre une proportion des astéroïdes de type A parmi l'ensemble des astéroïdes qui ne semble pas dépendre, ni de la taille, ni du demi-grand axe, ni de l'inclinaison : . Les astéroïdes de type A ne sont pas non plus regroupés parmi les familles d'astéroïdes supposées provenir de la fragmentation d'un même astéroïde-source. Cette absence de dépendance est un argument en faveur d'une formation des astéroïdes de type A en dehors de la ceinture principale, et de leur injection dans cette ceinture au hasard des impacts.

L'extrapolation de la proportion de 0,16 % aux zones non explorées (ou incomplètement, quand il manque des classes de faible luminosité) par SDSS conduit à estimer à environ 600 le nombre total des astéroïdes de type A de diamètre supérieur à  dans la ceinture d'astéroïdes.

L'abondance de l'olivine dans les roches de surface des astéroïdes de type A n'est pas la preuve qu'il s'agit d'astéroïdes différenciés, pour lesquels l'olivine devrait être essentiellement magnésienne (forstérite ). Une olivine essentiellement ferreuse (fayalite ) est plutôt le signe d'une formation par condensation directe à partir de la nébuleuse protosolaire. L'étude détaillée du spectre de réflexion de 9 gros astéroïdes de type A aux alentours de la longueur d'onde  montre que 7 d'entre eux sont différenciés, et 2 non (Nenetta et Asporina), ce qui correspond à environ 80 % d'astéroïdes de type A différenciés.

Origine : le problème des manteaux manquants
Il est naturel d'imaginer que les roches astéroïdales riches en olivine magnésienne représentent le manteau d'un astéroïde différencié. L'analyse chimique et isotopique des météorites différenciées (achondrites, météorites de fer et météorites mixtes) permet de montrer qu'elles proviennent d'au moins  différenciés différents. Dans ce contexte, la rareté des météorites riches en olivine magnésienne et des astéroïdes de type A (alors qu'on a repéré un grand nombre d'astéroïdes dont la surface est basaltique ou métallique) pose un problème identifié depuis des décennies, et dénommé le  ou la .

Ce problème a reçu quatre types d'explication :
 les manteaux des astéroïdes différenciés auraient été , c'est-à-dire réduits par les impacts à l'état de morceaux de taille inférieure à notre seuil de détection ;
 les astéroïdes concernés seraient catalogués dans d'autres types, en raison de phénomènes d'altération de leurs surfaces ;
 ces astéroïdes se seraient formés très tôt dans la zone de formation des planètes telluriques et seuls des fragments auraient été plus tard injectés dans la ceinture principale ;
 notre compréhension de la différenciation des astéroïdes serait incomplète, et d'épais manteaux riches en olivine ne se seraient formés que rarement.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Classification spectrale des astéroïdes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A 14-year-old girl whose body was found buried in her family's back garden was kept naked in a cage and starved, a court heard.
Mary Crocker was left hunched and contorted from spending so much time confined in horrific conditions - and was beaten for not carrying out housework, it is alleged.
The tragic girl was also fed foul-smelling food by her evil family as punishment, according to prosecutors in Effingham County, Georgia.
Mary was treated as a slave by her cruel relatives who carried out a sickening campaign of abuse before she died in agony in October, authorities say.
Her body was later found buried behind her family's trailer near Savannah, Georgia, on December 20 last year.
Police also discovered the body of her brother Elwyn "JR" Crocker Jr - who was two years older than Mary.
Both children had been home-schooled and neither had been reported missing, according to AJC.com.
Now, five members of the Crocker family have been charged with Mary's murder.
Mary's father Elwyn Crocker Sr, his wife, brother-in-law, mother-in-law and mother-in-law's boyfriend have all also been charged with child cruelty.
Harrowing details of their alleged abuse were yesterday read out in court.
Investigator Abby Brown told the preliminary hearing that Mary would be forced to live in the tiny pen for up to 24 hours a day.
The girl would be bound with zip ties and brutally beaten, the court heard.
She also severely lost weight and her joints were left badly swollen because of her painful contorted position.
The girl would only be washed when a relative would drag her cage into the bathroom and spray her with water, it is alleged.
A photo of Mary naked and trapped in the cage was found on her dad's phone, cops say.
The court was told that the abused girl's food was often doused with powerful ingredients like rice vinegar so she could not hold it down.
These sickening punishments were doled out at whim for not doing chores, misbehaving - or desperately stealing food, it is claimed.
Crocker Sr and the children's step-uncle Tony Wright appeared in court on Tuesday where they were denied bail.
Candice Crocker, 33, her mother, Kim Wright, 50, and Wright's boyfriend, Roy Anthony Prater, 55, also face murder and child cruelty charges.
Authorities said the other dead child, JR, was also abused and charges could be filed once medical experts finish examining his body.
Mary is thought to have died on October 28, while JR is said to have died up to two years earlier.


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Nandivaram-Guduvancheri is een panchayatdorp in het district Chengalpattu van de Indiase staat Tamil Nadu.

Demografie
Volgens de Indiase volkstelling van 2001 wonen er 27.386 mensen in Nandivaram-Guduvancheri, waarvan 51% mannelijk en 49% vrouwelijk is. De plaats heeft een alfabetiseringsgraad van 79%.

Plaats in Chengalpattu


What's New at S&J Motorcycle Repair?
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New Homepage Up and Running!
Now you can stay in-the-know with the new S&J Motorcycle Repair homepage.


The CUH-ZVR2 has also been announced in Japan, where it's priced at the standard 44,980 yen ($398).
Going clockwise from the top, the above image shows the earpiece holder (イヤーピースホルダー), the stereo headphone jack (ステレオヘッドホン端子), and the volume controls (音量ボタン).
The CUH-ZVR2 will be released in Japan on October 14. Its North American release date will be announced at sometime in the future.


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Home » Single-Seaters » F1 » Paul Fearnley's Top 10
Paul Fearnley's Top 10
November 29th 2012 - Last updated: November 24th 2020
Paul Fearnley
For more information about the investigation into the green/yellow flag incident, please check back later this morning.
Usually I finish my blogging process knee-deep in reference works and/or up to my elbows in screwed-up statistical scrawls.
Not this time. This one is subjective to the max. Nary a glance at the final points standings and not so much as a reminding peek at the list of 2012 winners, never mind a dissection of lap times, miles led and who was on what tyres when.
Rather I have let a long, frantic and complex season wash over me before wringing the following Top 10 from it:
1 Fernando Alonso
His ability to coax the last drop of juice from a Ferrari that was more of a lemon than a peach marks the Spaniard with the 'Dolmio' eyebrows as the category's most complete performer. His cavernous spare capacity allows him to keep track of all those around him and grab any opportunity that comes his way. He's not perfect, of course: he cannot deflect all the blame for his team's inability to keep developmental pace with Red Bull – all it did was make the car easier for Felipe Massa to drive – and for the second time in three years his strategic radar went on the blink at the crux. Brazil was a race that realistically he had to win if he wanted to become a three-time world champion and thus an early gamble to stick with slicks was surely the call to have made. Erk! Tyres. Time to move on…
Most like: Tazio Nuvolari
2 Sebastian Vettel
In the manner that Alonso's inferior equipment has allowed his talent to shine, so this young German's hot line to Adrian Newey has clouded his. There can, however, be no doubt now that he is the Herr McCoy. In 2010, he snuck up on the rail. In 2011, he disappeared into the distance. And in 2012, he did a bit of both: patient when the Red Bull was pawing the ground and soaringly assured when it earned its wings. The onboard evidence of his calmness as he rolled backwards down the hill at Interlagos, the oncoming pack slithering scarily either side, bore witness, in a weird way, to a talent who has every base covered. Christian Horner's twitchy foot went haywire, but suddenly I knew his charge would be crowned. (Easy to say when all you have invested is a love of the sport.) Vettel's next 20 or so laps – car holed just above its aerodynamic water line, conditions changeable, rivals in a school's out mood – promoted him from the rank of extremely, absolutely, jolly bloody good to genuine great.
Most like: Jim Clark
3 Lewis Hamilton
The mood lifted once he had made his decision, one party starkly aware of what he was giving up, the other of what it was about to lose, but both dealing with it and benefiting from the process. The joie de vivre of that startling 2007 rookie season was not recaptured – how could it be? – but finally the Brit's evolution and experience overcompensated for its absence and tipped his balance deep into the positive: the fastest man in Formula 1 – so the number-crunchers tell us – has never driven better than he did this season. That this still wasn't enough was due to the failings of the team; Hamilton more than kept his part of the bargain. His move to Mercedes-Benz will prove whether he is ready to lead with his head as well as with the seat of his pants. That he was unable to prevent smoothie Jenson Button from getting under his skin and into the team's veins shows that he does not yet wield the armoury of the current Alonso.
Most like: pre-1959 Stirling Moss
4 Kimi Räikkönen
I was a naysayer – well, my middle name is Thomas – a disbeliever. This comeback was surely doomed. Lotus would not come up to snuff and the taciturn Finn, hardly the most patient of men, would leave in a huff sometime before mid-season. Instead he was unwaveringly terrific, as buoyant as his downbeat demeanour allows, in a car that almost broke through to make it a Top Four. Both man and machine fell short – Kimi displayed some ring-rust and hesitancy when wheel-to-wheel – but only by whiskers. Free to do his own thing, Räikkönen stripped the process to its bare essentials to remind us that being a modern racing driver has become much too frilly. He can go a monosyllable too far the other way for my tastes, but hats – and silly baseball caps – off to him for the most stylised and focused return since Niki Lauda's of 30 years ago.
Most like: oh, go on then, James Hunt
5 Jenson Button
Cor, he can make it look so easy: his wins at Melbourne and Interlagos book-ended a Spa that oozed imperial progress; there are days when he can look more untouchable than even Vettel. Yet equally it can all drain frustratingly away to leave him with only a bemused smile, a shrug and a few quips, plus a mid-grid slot and a short shrift of points. Giving him a shake would be counterproductive – he's too set in his set-up ways, knows too well his own mind – but occasionally I have the urge. There can be no excuses in 2013 when presumably McLaren will base its design around his needs, but still I expect his adaptable new team-mate to occasionally barge him aside.
Most like: Carlos Reutemann
6 Sergio Pérez
It went to pot once his near future with McLaren was assured, and there were rather too many stand-aside lunges and petulant, pointless hand gestures. Sorry, Sergio, but not everybody knows who you are – yet. Luckily, he had already proved his point: it sounds woolly, I know, but there is something about him. That ability to meter his tyres, to hound the best of the best in the trickiest of conditions – he's different. McLaren had its pick and it too was wooed by the cocky Mexican's potential and the buzz that that brings. It's good to know there might be some data to confirm my gut instinct. Or has the silver-grey team from Las Woking gone wild and wacky and taken a punt? Pérez is that sort of (well-funded) driver.
Most like: it's too easy to say Pedro Rodríguez, but I've said it nevertheless
7 Nico Hülkenberg
The sensible choice might also have been a wise one for McLaren, for although the German has been going about his impressive business unobtrusively, anyone who saw him tame and aim a wayward A1GP car will be aware of the balance and speed that provides the foundation of a career that many expect shortly to include a spell at Ferrari. He's not showy, but he's steely. He could have settled for second at Interlagos to top off a season that saw him wrest control of Force India from the incumbent Paul di Resta, but instead he went for bust, albeit in a calculated way that should have earned him praise and respect but instead resulted in his taking a ludicrous drive-through penalty.
Most like and unlike: Nick Heidfeld
8 Romain Grosjean
Having sat motionless at my keyboard for 20 minutes musing this one, I have decided to simply let it ride bar assuring you that, no, his selection was not made merely for controversial effect and, yes, I have turned a blind eye to his blind spots.
Most like: Riccardo Patrese
9 Mark Webber
His pole laps are picture-postcard models of the ideal culled straight from the coaching manual. I could happily watch them, billing and cooing, for hours. But when a Newey design demands something counterintuitive from its driver, Aussie Grit remains stuck in a groove that is beautiful rather than bountiful. His dealings with the pack also lack variety and wisdom and he can look like an overwhelmed rookie on occasion. Of course, he is undoubtedly number two at Red Bull, but that's only right and proper; witness his re-signing. His time was ripe for a Hamilton-like move, a cold, invigorating plunge to locate the missing piece, but, too grounded to suffer a mid-life crisis, he ducked it. Because of that I'm predicting that he will never find it.
Most like: Patrick Tambay meets Gerhard Berger
10 Pastor Maldonado
Yes, points mean funding, but I like to think that the racers at Williams would swap any number of what-if fifth places for that unexpected victory at Barcelona. I would. Sense and strategy can be dialled in and learned by rote in a way that raw speed cannot. And the Venezuelan is unquestionably a raw nerve of a racing driver: all twitch and reflex or, as Frank Gardner might have put it, balls and eyesight. Those are no bad things. Yet.
Most like: Vittorio Brambilla, with the potential to become the next René Arnoux
To take this very unscientific treatise to its far from inevitable conclusion: 11, Paul di Resta; 12, Nico Rosberg; 13 Daniel Ricciardo; 14 Kamui Kobayashi; 15, Michael Schumacher; 16, Charles Pic; 17, Felipe Massa; 18 Heikki Kovalainen; 19, Jean-Eric Vergne; 20, Vitaly Petrov; 21, Bruno Senna; 22, Timo Glock; 23, Pedro de la Rosa; 24, Narain Karthikeyan.
Right, 2013.


The information book details the items, tips, and where to buy.
•tarte Tartiest Lash Paint Mascara. 4.5 ml. Value $15. The first time I tried this was in December thanks to Boxycharm and it became one of my favorites! Length, definition, & drama.
•Skinfix Lip Repair Balm in Minty Mint. Full Size. Value $4.99. Great staple item. I love minty lip balms.
Youth to the People Kale + Spinach Green Tea Hyaluronic Age Cream 0.5 oz. Value $12. This is a superfood for your skin. It's feels great on my skin. Definitely a fan!
It looks like a completely different color than it is. It came out almost yellow on my skin. Very bright highlighter though. Swatched below.
Juice Beauty Liquid Lip in Gwyneth. 0.02 oz. Value $6.86. Pretty deep pink color. The formula is moisturizing & not sticky at all.
Total Value $68.85. Amazing value for a $15 box. Allure never fails me. There are always products I love and I use most of the items I receive from my box. The highlighter will have to be played around with a bit until I figure it out but I'm determined because it has major highlight.


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Pure Mahjong – A Great Addition to Your Switch Collection
Dan RubinOther Apps
If you've never played a game of Mahjong before, you're in for a treat. Pure Mahjong on the Nintendo Switch is perhaps one of the best Mahjong games we have seen for a long time, and it also happens to be one of the best-looking games for a long time. These great looks and the depth of play make this a great addition to your Switch collection.
It's not often that a game blows us away with its variety, but here you not only have hundreds of levels to grapple with, you also have the added delight of a game that lets you play through seasons of the year. Pick up the game at any time, and the title will have chosen the right mood for the season. So in winter, for example, you're looking at backgrounds that have a truly wintery feel. Summer brings you bright and vibrant colour backgrounds that perfectly match what is (probably) going on outside your window.
Then there's the music. It's simply beautiful, and unlike most game music is entirely enjoyable all of the time. Atmospheric and sweeping soundscapes are always there, so you become immersed in the game. In fact, we recommend that you simply turn the volume up while hooked up to your TV. The images and music are breathtaking.
That's all well and good, and the imagery and music will be attractive to many players. However, how does it fare when it comes to playability?
First up, you get 'special event' games every day of the year. We played it and found that it had four a day. They're different to what has come before too, so you're never bored. However, to add even more variety to things, you can access a special area called the 'Teahouse'. Here, you can play a ton of levels at any time of the year.
There is a variety of difficulty settings, so if you're new to Mahjong the game will ease you in gently. Also, a multitude of options (it's almost as if the developers wanted to make the most user-friendly game ever) ensure that you can change imagery, sounds and so on.
A neat feature we really enjoyed is the comparison feature. Every game you complete, you're given a clear idea of how you've done compared to other players. The result comes as a percentage, and it can be either incredibly heartening (or not) to see you're better than 90% of the players for example.
No game is perfect, and we thought that there was some work needed in one certain area. The only thing we found lacking came about when the screen was full of tiles. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of slow-down when the tiles really started to explode during the more involved games we played. Maybe it will be fixed in the future, we don't know, but it takes a little of the shine off the end product. Not a lot, but enough to notice.
That's a minor quibble off the back of an excellent game. It isn't going to turn us off the game, and we think this particular Switch title will become an essential part of every gamer's collection.
One of the best things about this game on the Switch is the depth of play. There are literally hundreds of levels to play through, and they all present you with an amazing beautifully UI. We cannot stress enough just how good-looking this game is. And then the sheer size of the game hits you.
Pure Mahjong app reviewSwitch app reviews
Luminar 3 honored to be the smartest photo editor due to Accent AI 2.0
Dan RubinMac Apps
Skylum has taken photo editing to a new level with their fantastic program Luminar 3. This software has been hailed …
Arcade: The Video Games of a Bygone Era
Michael WalshOther Apps
Since their inception in the early 1970s, arcade games have been a driving force in the video game industry. They …
Octopus.do – The Best Outline for Your Website
Tracy DaviesOther Apps
When writing a novel, essay, or article we're taught to outline first before making the content. This allows us to …
Efficiently and Safely Use Your Mac with Combo Cleaner
Dan RubinMac Apps, Other Apps
Macs are fine machines. Left to their own devices, they deliver superb computing power, freeing you from being fettered by …


Actor Michael Boatman voiced recent audiobook "The Good Lord Bird" by James McBride.
Printers Row Journal caught up with Boatman, 49, for a phone interview from his home in New York. (Boatman is an author himself, with a new novel set in Chicago coming out in the spring.) Here's an edited transcript of our chat.
Q: How did you get into doing audiobooks?
A: In a strange way, it's an extension of both of my first loves. But it never occurred to me as something to do until, one day, someone called and asked me to record a book by E. Lynn Harris. I was still on "Spin City" at the time, and my agent called and asked if I wanted to do what was then called a "book on tape." And I said, "Oh." For me at that time, books on tape were what my great-grandmother listened to — you know, a 75-year-old woman sitting in her lonely apartment listening to a book. But I said yes, because I love books, and I love reading. And it was right around that time that I had started writing myself, and I figured doing the books on tape would be a nice intersection of all my interests.
A: Wow. It was around 1999, I think.
Q: And you've done quite a few audiobooks since then.
A: Three dozen or so. I just love it. The very first book I narrated — that E. Lynn Harris book — I remember thinking, "I couldn't be happier." The only way I could have been happier was if I'd be recording it in a library! (Laughs.) I'm a rabid reader, and I'm an actor, so it seemed like a match made in heaven.
Q: So how does it work? You go to a recording studio like musicians would use?
A: Very similar, but typically it's a very small, airless, soundproof room. I stand or sit, depending on the role and the demands of the book. And there's an engineer sitting on the side, watching and recording, and usually there's a director or producer there to guide you. Sometimes it's almost a hallucinatory experience, because you're doing something that's emotionally demanding, and you're doing it in this very small, airless chamber for eight hours a day. But that sort of environment focuses me, in a way; it's easy to imagine the audience listening on the other end.
Q: How long does it typically take for you to do a book?
A: Depending on the book and depending on your schedule, it can take anywhere from three days to two months.
Q: Do you do voices that are distinct to each character, or do you do it all in your own voice?
A: I really try to bring a different voice to each character. Some books, that's not what's really called for, or appropriate. But most do require a certain amount of characterization. Of course, some directors don't want full-on screen performances; they want just a suggestion of the characters. The most challenging ones for me are the ones, obviously, where I'm doing a lot of acting — lots of voices, lots of characters to keep track of.
Q: In the Mandela book, I gather, you weren't trying to do an impersonation of him, but you did want to suggest how he sounds because his voice is so well known.
A: Yes. His voice is so distinct, and everyone knows how Mandela sounds. I've never been a mimic, in the sense that I don't do impersonations or impressions, but I have sort of a facility for accents — an ear for them, I guess, and I try to render them as honestly and authentically as I can. In the Mandela book, there were dozens of African and British dialects; there was even an Irishman or two in there.
Q: You also did a book by a favorite author of mine, Dennis Lehane's "The Given Day." You had to do Boston accents for that one.
A: Several of them, yes. There were Boston Irish accents, Boston Italian accents. They're so specific that they can swing wildly from character to character based on the neighborhood the character lives in, even if it's a bunch of Irish guys. They come from one county in Ireland or a different county. The director of that book came to the recording sessions with dozens of audio snippets of Irish people, Italian people, different parts of these countries. So we really got it nailed down. I'm always very nervous, because I know I hate it when actors do an accent poorly.
Q: So it's not just a question of walking in, picking up the book and start reading. You really have to do your homework.
A: Oh, absolutely. A really involving book, like "The Given Day" or "The Good Lord Bird" or the Mandela book, is as engaging for the narrator as if it were a performance onstage or in front of a camera with millions of people watching. You really have to do it right.
Q: Were there particular challenges in "The Good Lord Bird"?
A: Lots of challenges. Lots of characters, lots of voices. And it's a big book; the draft we used was 700 pages, something like that. And lots of vocal energy required for all of the characters, particularly John Brown, who was in quite a different register than mine. I spoke in this low, gravelly voice for him, which was very demanding.
Q: There's a unique tone to the book, in that it's about these very serious subjects, terrible events being described, but in an often very comic way. That had to be tricky.
A: It was surprising, because I'm so used to movies and books that deal with slavery, and those books are always, of necessity, very grim. So when I was offered the job of reading "The Good Lord Bird," I sort of mentally prepared myself for the slog through this horrific history. And very quickly, as I got into the book, I found myself laughing. Which was confusing. I'm like, "That can't be right! Let me go back and read that again." But it was really funny, which was a completely unfamiliar experience to find anything funny about the institution of slavery.
And so the challenge was to shift gears from what I had been expecting enough to understand what McBride was doing, which is subversive to what we're all sort of accustomed to when we're talking about slavery. It's sort of one of the holy grails of horror in humanity's history, and we don't take lightly to it being made fun of. And yet he does it over and over again.
Q: There's an additional layer of complexity in that the narrator, Onion Shackleford, is a child in the story, but he's telling it from the perspective of a quite older man looking back.
A: You know, you always struggle at the beginning of a book to figure out the voice. As a narrator, you have to figure out: How does this guy talk? Who does he sound like? What are the specifics of his speech patterns? In this case, it was harder for me to figure out the younger Onion than it was the older gentleman that he became, because the older man reminded me a lot of so many members of my own family, including my great-grandfather and my uncles. The older Onion's voice reminded me of the way I had heard them all talk around the table at family gatherings when I was a kid.
Q: When I interviewed him for Printers Row, James and I talked about Onion as an embodiment of the black barbershop raconteur.
A: That's the perfect description. I call guys like Onion "ghetto philosophers" — guys who can hold forth on pretty much any topic, and even though they may not have graced the doors of higher learning, they've figured out enough about life to come off as sage characters.
Q: Let's talk about your own writing. I gather you write in a subgenre of horror known as "splatterpunk," which is pretty violent but also funny.
A: You know, the very first short stories I published were deemed "splatterpunk," which is a term that I claimed at the time. I absolutely thought of myself as a devotee of horror, particularly comic horror — although I really blame "Monty Python's Flying Circus" more than any literary genre you can name. My first published novel, "Revenant Road," was a comic horror story that walked a fine line between, as a friend of mine said, "a scream and a laugh." That was, I would say, the first half of my writing journey so far.
The novel that I have coming out in April, "Last God Standing," is a departure from that. It's a comic fantasy with no real horror, no monsters, no vampires, nothing that goes bump in the night. It's sort of an updated take on the old movie "Oh, God!" with George Burns. It's about what God may have been up to, and what he's up to today. My protagonist is a stand-up comedian — on the South Side of Chicago, by the way — who, it is revealed, is actually the final incarnation of the Judeo-Christian God. There's a lot going on in his life, including the fact that there are other gods from the other pantheons — Greek gods, Roman gods, Norse gods, African gods — who are coming to sort of try and occupy the space he once held — to take his old job, basically. A friend of mine read it recently and said, "Hey, there's no horror!" And so I think my horror phase was just that, a phase.
Q: Who is publishing it?
Angry Robot, a great science-fiction and fantasy label in the U.K.; in the U.S. they're partnered with Random House. I have a two-book deal with them, of which "Last God Standing" is the first book. It will be out in April of 2014, and the sequel to it will come out in 2015.
Q: And will you do an audiobook of it?
A: You know, I'm not sure. I did the audiobook for "Revenant Road," and it seemed perfectly natural at the time, but at this point I'm not sure it was the right move. I may be too close to the material, and I think I may be more interested in hearing what another actor would do with it. We'll see.


Category: Sonee - MIXTOGOMUSIC.COM Stay in the mix with Mix To Go...YOUR ultimate insider's guide to new music, travel-oriented events, dj culture, model culture and nightlife!
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing SONEE. This new R&B and soul music artist is a newly featured talent on the Rhythm & Soul Music Group roster.
SONEE will be featured on an upcoming mix compilation, "SOUL ODYSSEY" June 2014.
In addition she'll be holding down a weekly residency in Brooklyn-with details to be announced shortly.
Linking up with SONEE will be easy in the coming weeks. Her TWITTER is already active; her Facebook and Reverb Nation pages will be up this coming week.
Updates will be posted to her all-new website, SONEE'S WORLD weekly. You can go there and get more details about her musical moves.
The all new Rhythm & Soul Records website...fresh for 2014! You'll find the latest here, on our Facebook group and fan pages, as well as our Twitter, Instagram, Reverb Nation, Sound Cloud and Mix Cloud pages...we are out there people!