Through a delightful set of magical connections and synchronicities, I am thrilled to let you know that I am going to be a Wellness Host on a eight day/seven night cruise in the Sea of Cortez, January 26 to February 2nd 2019.
AND!!! I am inviting you to join me!
Uncruise is a "Small ships, Big Adventure" cruising company that offers fantastic expeditions in some of the most glorious, natural settings available.
Please check out their full website and all the details about the cruise in Baja.
When you register for the cruise, please let them know you were referred by me, Grace MacLeod.
AND!!! I will also be Wellness Hosting for the Columbia and Snake River cruise October 26 to November 2nd 2019 so please consider joining me for a beautiful cruise along these gorgeous northwest rivers.
← SOUL RENEWAL RETREATS ON BEAUTIFUL BAINBRIDGE ISLAND AND BEYOND!


Leaders are individuals who are capable of guiding an individual or a group of people solely by gaining their trust and control. A few words that could be used to describe a leader are innovative, creative, bold, courageous, brave, intelligent, humble, and fearless. Leaders can fail into both categories of being born or made. Each individual has the will power to do anything or be anyone they choose to be. This also connects to the role a person plays. In many cases, someone who generally displays characteristics of a leader, are appointed leadership roles. This can account for the belief that individuals are born with leadership skills. In other circumstances, individuals may look at the examples of past leaders and try to follow in their footsteps. Individuals who are motivated will be able to carry out the role of being a leader if they incorporate these lessons in their day-to-day interactions. In these cases, the belief that an individual can learn leadership skills is accounted.
...at students may learn as much or more from failures in leadership as they would in attempting to replicate successes, and that to effectively teach leadership, programs must be tailored to the particular needs, attitudes and circumstances of the students." (Doh, 2003) Based on the different point-of-views given by the author and scholars, the information that was given in this article seemed unbiased.
Recommendations for the article are as follow, there should have been exploration and comparison on whether individuals can be born with leadership skills and information about those with a completely different opinion which could be used to compare information given by each scholar. With information on whether or not people are born with leadership skills should be explored to further compare the effectivity of taught leadership skills.


Learn HTML Language And Create Your Own Website, Using A Simple Text Editor Like Note Pad.
No Need To Attend Any Class Training; No Internet Connection Required To Learn. You Can Use This Virtual Training Model And Learn Right From The Comfort Of Your Home Or Office.
Have you ever thought about how the internet works? or have you ever thought about how you could sit down and from the comfort of your home or office, download a file hosted on the internet? I strongly believe a lot of people use the internet but majority of users had never sat down to think about how browsers work, how websites are designed and how you link from one page of a website to another – Even those who even think about it, reckon the same as the creation, by some extra ordinary or super-terrestrial human beings – But this is far from the truth.
Well, if you are in the same situation, I would not blame you because I was like that before. The way I see rapid change in technology, the creation of programs, that make life so simple, made me wonder if these were not created by humans – My curiosity was aroused. Thereafter, I made up my mind, in 2002, that I must be a computer literate. This was the time my journey started to keep learning computer programs while worked as account officer, account supervisor, accountant, Financial controller, Financial analyst, in various organization that cuts across trading, commercial banking, investment banking, oil and gas and manufacturing. Yet, my quest to be IT literate never waned.
I kept learning and even up till this moment, I am still learning because one would not know the use to which these soft skills can be put to use.
Among all the programs I learnt such as Ms Office programs, I dabbled into web design as well, most especially web design coding using HTML. In fact, I used to be scared when I see some seemingly unintelligible HTML scripts until I found out that it is one of the most simple language to learn, among program languages.
This same language is called "Hypertext Mark-up Language, which is the language used in creating websites using a simple text editor like notepad.
Although, you cannot completely exhaust all the knowledge required for website creation since there are so many programs like Joomla, wordpress, PHP, Ruby On Rails, Dreamweaver etc, used in creating websites. Whatever, the case may be, the starting point is the understanding of HTML. This is because server side langauges like PHP, dynamically generate HTML codes.
If you want to learn HTML, you need to attend a web design class. Although, you can learn HTML on your own, I guess you would not want to do that because it can be a tedious task, to learn a seemingly strange language on your own. This is even worse, if you have no one to boost your morale.
On the other hand, if you would attend a web design class, you may have to pay about N80,000 for a 6-weeks weekend program, 14-working days weekdays program or even a 5- working day crash program for about N40,000 to N50,000. Also, you busy work schedule may not afford you the time to attend class training.
As a result of your desire to learn web design without spending so much and with a flexible arrangement which you can control, I have decided to create a training model that will suit your objective – A cost-effective and convenient training program.
learn the about the kind of data that web servers sends to your web browsers. This knowledge will help you learn how you can enter your log-in details on website and how the web server delivers the information you requested for and how such information are displayed on your browser.
Learn the language used in creating websites – HTML and how to add style to your websites using CSS, which is the acronym for "Cascading Style Sheets".
Your knowledge of HTML and CSS will be a springboard to learn server side languages, such as PHP etc.
It is cheap and very convenient.
It is the best program for people who don't have time to attend class training.
What Is The Course Contents For This Program?
Module #1- Learning About The Internet:-This is just a video presentation about the workings of the internet. It include just one video and a PowerPoint Slide. You will get this video immediately on registration.
Module #2- Getting Started With HTML:-This module comprises 3 videos that teaches you about the tools you need to get started with, definition of HTML as well as HTML syntax and tags. You also have working files for these videos. This Module will be delivered along side Module 1.
Module #3- Writing Your First HTML Scripts:-This module comprises 4 videos that teaches you how to set up your HTML Editor using note pad. Also, you will be introduced to the "div" and "section" tag. More also, you will learn how to set the structure of your HTML documents as well as add texts to your HTML documents. This will be delivered 2 days after module 1 and 2.
Module #4- Adding Image And Links:-This module comprises 3 videos that teaches you how to add image to your web page using the image tag, create multiple web pages and use the anchor tag to create links between one web page and another within your website. This will be delivered alongside with Module 3.
Module #5- Creating A List And A Table:-This module comprises 2 videos that teaches you about 3 types of list tags and how to use them as well as using the table tag to add table to your web page. This Video shall be delivered 2 days after Module 3 and 4.
Module #6- Using The Div, Span And Nav Element:-This module comprises 4 videos which will be delivered alongside module 5. Here, you will learn how to use the "nav,div, and span" element. You also have a video that throws more light about the complexity of websites.
Module #7- Tag Review:-This module comprises 5 videos and will be delivered 2 days after module 5 & 6. Here, you will take a review of some tags you would have become familiar with such as the head tag, Paragraph tag, Line break tag, Horizontal tag etc.
Module #8 Tag Attributes Review:-This module comprises 2 videos and shall be delivered 2 days after module 7. Here, you will learn more about tag attributes on your HTML documents. You also have a PDF document for a list of attributes you might want to explore.
Module #9 Formatting With HTML:-This module comprises only 1 video and will be delivered 2 along with Module 8. Even though it is advisable to use HTML strictly for contents and CSS for styling, we can still see how we can use HTML to format our web page.
Module #10 Using Phrase Tags:-This module comprises 1 video and shall be delivered days after Module 8 and 9. Here, you will learn about phrase tags and how to use them.
Module #11 Using Meta Tags:-This module comprises 2 videos and shall be delivered alongside module 10. Here, you will learn about meta tags and also how to use HTML comments.
Module #12-Table, Image And List Review-This module comprises 4 videos and shall be delivered 2 days after module 10 and 11. Here, you will go greater depth to learn about more table, image and list attributes.
Module #13-Link Review-This Module comprises 4 videos and shall be delivered alongside Module 12. Here, you will learn more about linking web pages, adding downloadable files, link to specific area within a web page, as well a creating an image link.
Module #14-Understanding The Concept Of Block And Inline Element:-This Module comprise only 1 video and shall be delivered 2 days after module 12 and 13. Here, you will get more light into Block and inline elements.
Module #15-Learning About HTML Background Colours:-This module comprises only 1 video and will be delivered alongside with Module 14.
Module #16-Learning About HTML Fonts:-This video comprises only 1 video that teaches you about font style, size, etc. It will be delivered at the same time with Module 14 and 15.
Module #17-Styling With CSS Basics:-This is the second part of this training series that teaches you about how to add styles to your HTML document. It comprises a number of videos which shall be delivered at once, 3 days after Module 14-16. Here, you will understand basic CSS rules, use Class and IDs to add CSS, learn about different types of selectors and how to 3 ways to apply CSS to your HTML documents.
Module #18-Website Layout With CSS:-This module comprises 8 videos that teaches you how to create layout with CSS. Here, you will understand about box and block properties, margins and padding, as well as background image.
Module #19-Adding Forms To Your Document:-this module comprises 5 videos that will teach you about form elements, form tags, style forms and add same to your website. you will also learn how to create contact forms.
Module #20-Adding Multimedia -Video & Audio:-This Module teaches you how to add videos or audios to your website. You will also learn about video tags. There are 4 videos on this module.
Module #21-Completing Our Website Project:-Module comprises videos that shows you how to complete your website, testing the site, validating your HTML documents, SEO consideration as well as webhosting.
How Will This Training Be Delivered?
These course shall be delivered via email on downloadable Zip Folders, through a follow up series as no one-time download is available at this time.


text:
2019 Is a Big Year for Law Firm Mergers
By William Vogeler, Esq. on April 10, 2019
Following a years-long trend, 27 law firms merged in the first quarter of 2019.
Legal consultancy Altman Weil said the mergers continue a rapid pace from last year. In 2018, the legal industry saw a record-setting 106 law-firm mergers. All of the mergers so far this year have been acquisitions of small law firms. It suggests that if you have fewer than 20 lawyers, your firm could be next.
Small Firm Movement
Altman Weil's Eric Seeger said acquisitions of small law firms can be smoother than mergers with large firms. Smaller firms usually provide a higher return on investment, he said. "We'll continue to see the occasional 'large plus large' merger, but most of our large law firm clients are pursuing serial acquisition strategies rather than big, identity-changing mergers," Seeger told Bloomberg.
He said a well-branded boutique firm can open doors for larger firms to compete in new areas. It's about being in the right place at the right time. Big firm mergers can be complicated with compensation, client conflicts, and leadership changes. Lateral moves may also shed clients as lawyers leave rather than follow the merged firm.
Expanding Practices
Porter Wright, a 200-lawyer firm based in Ohio, took on 19 lawyers from Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd to get into the legal market in Chicago. It was the largest acquisition so far this year. Meanwhile, San Francisco's Littler Mendelson expanded its operations in Europe by acquiring 12 lawyers at Homble Olsby in Oslow. Michigan's Clark Hill acquired O'Gradys Solicitors' nine lawyers in Dublin.
The pattern has been going on for years. In 2015, for example, 48 mergers took place in the first six months. It was the fastest rate since Altman Weil started following mergers.
Seeger, a principal at the firm, said sometimes a merger is a succession strategy. Many small firms merge when a founder retires, he said. Sometimes mergers may foreshadow layoffs. So if you sense a merger coming your firm's way, you may want to look for another way to make a living.
How to Say Farewell to Your Colleagues (FindLaw's Strategist)
How Texting Clients Can Save You Money (FindLaw's Strategist)
Statements That Will Get You Disciplined for 'Inappropriate Litigation Behavior' (FindLaw's Strategist)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Crews from Billinghay, Metheringham and Sleaford were called to a bungalow fire between Billinghay and Tattershall Bridge on September 28 (Friday).
Firefighters were called to a derelict bungalow fully on fire on the A153.
According to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, crews used breathing apparatus, one main jet, two hose reels and Cobra to extinguish a wooden derelict bungalow that was on fire.
Firefighters from Billinghay returned to the scene the following morning for an inspection.


text:
Q: How to remove the number key from the biblatex bibliography? I'm referencing by authortitle so don't need the number key in the bibliography. How do I get rid of it? Here's my code
\usepackage[
    backend=biber,
    style=nature,
    citestyle=authortitle
]{biblatex}

and here's the output

How do I get ride of 1. and 2.?

A: Don't mix citestyle=authortitle with a numeric style like nature to be used for the bibliography. Instead simply use style=authortitle to have the same non-numeric style as style for the bibliography and the cites.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Peter Eldridge (* um 1962) ist ein US-amerikanischer Jazzmusiker (Gesang, Piano, Komposition).

Leben und Wirken
Eldridge stammt aus einer Musikerfamilie; sein Vater war Bassist bei Benny Goodman. Nach seinem Studium am Ithaca College gründete er 1987 mit Darmon Meader, Kim Nazarian, Caprice Fox und Sara Krieger das Vokalensemble New York Voices, das 1988 erste Auftritte hatte; 1989 erschien bei GRP Records das Debütalbum. Es folgten bis 2007 zahlreiche weitere Alben des Ensembles zunächst bei GRP, später bei RCA Victor, Concord und Palmetto Records. Daneben begann Eldridge eine Solokarriere und veröffentlichte im Jahr 2000 zwei Alben unter eigenem Namen bei Rosebud Records: Auf der Balladen-CD Stranger in Town wurde er von Michael Brecker, Claudio Roditi, Lewis Nash, Romero Lubambo und Andy Ezrin begleitet; das Album Fool no More enthält zwölf Eigenkompositionen von Eldridge. 2005 folgte das Album Decorum, 2011 Mad Heaven und 2016 Disappearing Day.

Im Jahr 2008 arbeitete er mit Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks und Mark Murphy als Four Brothers. Zudem ist er ein Mitglied des Vokalensembles MOSS mit Luciana Souza, Kate McGarry, Theo Bleckmann und Lauren Kinhan, mit der 2008 er ein vom Down Beat hochgelobtes Album vorlegte. Mit Matt Aronoff tritt er im Duo Foolish Hearts auf. Weiterhin arbeitete er mit Nancy Wilson, Joshua Redman, Bobby McFerrin, Patti Austin, Ray Brown, Astrud Gilberto, George Benson und seiner Schülerin Jane Monheit. 2019 legte er das Album Somewhere vor, auf dem er von Kenny Werner und Streichern begleitet wird.

Gemeinsam mit Adam Waite verfasste er die Musik für den Dokumentarfilm No Job for a Woman. Als Hochschullehrer für Jazzgesang war er seit 1993 an der Manhattan School of Music tätig; seit 2014 ist er Professor am Berklee College of Music.

Weblinks
 Webpräsenz

Einzelnachweise

Jazz-Sänger
Jazz-Pianist
Komponist (Jazz)
Hochschullehrer (Berklee College of Music)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren im 20. Jahrhundert
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Team Gb Curling Skipper Thanks Star Refrigeration
7eb31670-e969-4ad2-b7ba-4d4580d3fbec
Team GB's wheelchair curling team captain paid tribute to the work of Star Refrigeration before flying out to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in South Korea.
Team GB curling captain Aileen Nielsen at Star Refrigeration
The team has been training at the first National Curling Academy in Stirling and Star played a part in constructing the new curling rink as well as the ice rink at Braehead Arena, where bronze medallist Aileen Neilson trained for the Sochi 2014 games.
She said: "For me, the quality of ice at the ice rinks I practise at is crucial to enable me to become the best curler I can be. If you have consistent ice then you are able to more accurately analyse your technique and delivery and if the ice is consistent it is one less variable to take into account. It is good to train and practice on different ice conditions but there is nothing better than training on 'world class' ice every day in preparation for playing at the major competitions.
"I would like to thank Star Refrigeration for their continued support, and all the ice rinks we have used over the years. We appreciate all of the hard work by dedicated staff who are involved in producing top quality ice in order for us to be the best we can be.''
The Scottish Government Minister for Public Health and Sports, Aileen Campbell, said: "As our Paralympic curling team head to PyeongChang, they go with the confidence of having had a high quality preparation in world class facilities, and that they have given themselves the best chance of success. This is thanks to the support and hard work of the National Curling Academy and Star Refrigeration. Scotland is committed to sport being accessible to all, and seeing our para athletes compete on the world stage is powerful inspiration to anybody who wants to participate and achieve their goals."
Alan Walkinshaw of Star Refrigeration, who oversaw the project at the NCA, said: "We are thrilled to be developing top level training facilities to help UK athletes succeed in their chosen sports and reach their full potential. Having followed Aileen's achievements over the years and after meeting her when she visited Star's head office, I know she's a very determined woman and I'm sure she'll lead us to victory so I wish her the best of luck – we're all rooting for the GB curling teams!"
www.star-ref.co.uk


text:
Blessing Akpan
Published in Lessons from History
·Oct 7, 2022
The US Had Nazi Summer Camps
Did you ever go to summer camp? — I grew up in the Methodist Church. My dad was a choirmaster music minister. …
The US Dropped Pianos From Planes During World War II
Boosting wartime morale by dropping pianos at the front lines — During World War Two, the Steinway and Sons piano company created specially built pianos for US military forces and these were called the victory vertical project. Sometimes they were air-dropped into conflicts, just to provide a bit of relaxation and, they were made in Queens, New York. In my mind…
Published in Cogent
That Time Everyone Tried to Outlaw War
When you think of war, you probably think of blood and guns — War drives a lot of medical and scientific innovation. It is a violent, ugly thing but it has become an inherent part of geopolitics and has been since ancient days. …
That Time a Dead Guy Won an Olympic Medal
Have you ever been to the Olympics? I appreciate the history and the long tradition of Olympian athleticism. The old-school O G Olympics in Greece was the real stuff. It was like hand-to-hand combat with javelin throwing and the sorts. Today's article takes us right back to that time in…
People Used Bed Bugs as Medicine for Thousands of Years
When you think of bedbugs, you automatically think of irritating rashes and bites but this wasn't always the case — Growing up, I did not have a ton of personal experiences with bedbugs. I ran into them when I lived in Central America. In a couple of the houses I stayed in, someone would take me to the side, and they would say, 'when you sleep make sure you sleep…
That Time a Baboon Worked for the Railroad
Have you traveled on a train? Did you enjoy the experience? — Some people prefer to travel by train or by rail because it's less stressful than going to the airport. That's something people can agree with. And back in the olden days, you might see what's called a signalman. …
Did a Real-Life Rainmaker Almost Drown San Diego?
When San Diego sought rain from a rainmaker, they got more than what they bargained for — Today's article is about a Quaker-born named Charles Mallory who convinced the San Diego city council to allow him to deploy a machine that he claimed could make it rain because they were experiencing a serious drought. The question arises, did this guy really believe and practice what he was…
Rainmaking
Published in History of Yesterday
Bolivia Fought and Lost a War for Bird Poop
Take a look into the 'white gold' of guano and how it led to a deadly 19th-century war — Guano is a catch-all term for the excrement of avian creatures. It's often the subject of intense debate as to what creatures qualify for guano and bloody wars over the stuff, because it's good for lots of things, including making bombs. The word guano is obviously a South American word…
Day Drinkers (Sort of) Helped Stop Cholera in London
How John Snow figured out the cholera contagion — no relation to the tv show — One of the things that you notice about London and cholera is that you'll run into several stories about it but today we're returning to a period in time in 1854. There was an outbreak of cholera in London, specifically in the Soho district. In the space of just three…
The Windham Frog Fight of 1754
Have you ever been to a weird-themed town? — Pointing out a few before we hop right into today's theme town. There are lots of them. Pella, Iowa for example, is all about the Tulip Time Festival, and Mount Airy, North Carolina is basically a recreation of the Andy Griffith Show with a Mayberry courthouse you can visit. And…
🍃I am a photographer of history. Let my words capture your soul.🍃.
Nour Boustani
Oganga Mangiti
Hugo Bertrand


text:
package util

import (
	"io/ioutil"
	"os"
	"runtime"
	"testing"

	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"

	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
	_ "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core/install"
	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"

	"reflect"
	"strings"

	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/resource"
	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"

	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/slice"
	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/volume"
)

var nodeLabels = map[string]string{
	"test-key1": "test-value1",
	"test-key2": "test-value2",
}

func TestCheckVolumeNodeAffinity(t *testing.T) {
	type affinityTest struct {
		name          string
		expectSuccess bool
		pv            *v1.PersistentVolume
	}

	cases := []affinityTest{
		{
			name:          "valid-nil",
			expectSuccess: true,
			pv:            testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, nil),
		},
		{
			name:          "valid-no-constraints",
			expectSuccess: true,
			pv:            testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{}),
		},
		{
			name:          "select-nothing",
			expectSuccess: false,
			pv:            testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{Required: &v1.NodeSelector{}}),
		},
		{
			name:          "select-nothing-empty-terms",
			expectSuccess: false,
			pv: testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{
				Required: &v1.NodeSelector{
					NodeSelectorTerms: []v1.NodeSelectorTerm{
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{},
						},
					},
				},
			}),
		},
		{
			name:          "valid-multiple-terms",
			expectSuccess: true,
			pv: testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{
				Required: &v1.NodeSelector{
					NodeSelectorTerms: []v1.NodeSelectorTerm{
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key3",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value1", "test-value3"},
								},
							},
						},
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key2",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value0", "test-value2"},
								},
							},
						},
					},
				},
			}),
		},
		{
			name:          "valid-multiple-match-expressions",
			expectSuccess: true,
			pv: testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{
				Required: &v1.NodeSelector{
					NodeSelectorTerms: []v1.NodeSelectorTerm{
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key1",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value1", "test-value3"},
								},
								{
									Key:      "test-key2",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value0", "test-value2"},
								},
							},
						},
					},
				},
			}),
		},
		{
			name:          "invalid-multiple-match-expressions-key",
			expectSuccess: false,
			pv: testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{
				Required: &v1.NodeSelector{
					NodeSelectorTerms: []v1.NodeSelectorTerm{
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key1",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value1", "test-value3"},
								},
								{
									Key:      "test-key3",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value0", "test-value2"},
								},
							},
						},
					},
				},
			}),
		},
		{
			name:          "invalid-multiple-match-expressions-values",
			expectSuccess: false,
			pv: testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{
				Required: &v1.NodeSelector{
					NodeSelectorTerms: []v1.NodeSelectorTerm{
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key1",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value3", "test-value4"},
								},
								{
									Key:      "test-key2",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value0", "test-value2"},
								},
							},
						},
					},
				},
			}),
		},
		{
			name:          "invalid-multiple-terms",
			expectSuccess: false,
			pv: testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t, &v1.VolumeNodeAffinity{
				Required: &v1.NodeSelector{
					NodeSelectorTerms: []v1.NodeSelectorTerm{
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key3",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value1", "test-value3"},
								},
							},
						},
						{
							MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
								{
									Key:      "test-key2",
									Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn,
									Values:   []string{"test-value0", "test-value1"},
								},
							},
						},
					},
				},
			}),
		},
	}

	for _, c := range cases {
		err := CheckNodeAffinity(c.pv, nodeLabels)

		if err != nil && c.expectSuccess {
			t.Errorf("CheckTopology %v returned error: %v", c.name, err)
		}
		if err == nil && !c.expectSuccess {
			t.Errorf("CheckTopology %v returned success, expected error", c.name)
		}
	}
}

func testVolumeWithNodeAffinity(t *testing.T, affinity *v1.VolumeNodeAffinity) *v1.PersistentVolume {
	objMeta := metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "test-constraints"}
	return &v1.PersistentVolume{
		ObjectMeta: objMeta,
		Spec: v1.PersistentVolumeSpec{
			NodeAffinity: affinity,
		},
	}
}

func TestLoadPodFromFile(t *testing.T) {
	tests := []struct {
		name        string
		content     string
		expectError bool
	}{
		{
			"yaml",
			`
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: testpod
spec:
  containers:
    - image: k8s.gcr.io/busybox
`,
			false,
		},

		{
			"json",
			`
{
  "apiVersion": "v1",
  "kind": "Pod",
  "metadata": {
    "name": "testpod"
  },
  "spec": {
    "containers": [
      {
        "image": "k8s.gcr.io/busybox"
      }
    ]
  }
}`,
			false,
		},

		{
			"invalid pod",
			`
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: testpod
spec:
  - image: k8s.gcr.io/busybox
`,
			true,
		},
	}

	for _, test := range tests {
		tempFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "podfile")
		defer os.Remove(tempFile.Name())
		if err != nil {
			t.Fatalf("cannot create temporary file: %v", err)
		}
		if _, err = tempFile.Write([]byte(test.content)); err != nil {
			t.Fatalf("cannot save temporary file: %v", err)
		}
		if err = tempFile.Close(); err != nil {
			t.Fatalf("cannot close temporary file: %v", err)
		}

		pod, err := LoadPodFromFile(tempFile.Name())
		if test.expectError {
			if err == nil {
				t.Errorf("test %q expected error, got nil", test.name)
			}
		} else {
			// no error expected
			if err != nil {
				t.Errorf("error loading pod %q: %v", test.name, err)
			}
			if pod == nil {
				t.Errorf("test %q expected pod, got nil", test.name)
			}
		}
	}
}

func TestCalculateTimeoutForVolume(t *testing.T) {
	pv := &v1.PersistentVolume{
		Spec: v1.PersistentVolumeSpec{
			Capacity: v1.ResourceList{
				v1.ResourceName(v1.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("500M"),
			},
		},
	}

	timeout := CalculateTimeoutForVolume(50, 30, pv)
	if timeout != 50 {
		t.Errorf("Expected 50 for timeout but got %v", timeout)
	}

	pv.Spec.Capacity[v1.ResourceStorage] = resource.MustParse("2Gi")
	timeout = CalculateTimeoutForVolume(50, 30, pv)
	if timeout != 60 {
		t.Errorf("Expected 60 for timeout but got %v", timeout)
	}

	pv.Spec.Capacity[v1.ResourceStorage] = resource.MustParse("150Gi")
	timeout = CalculateTimeoutForVolume(50, 30, pv)
	if timeout != 4500 {
		t.Errorf("Expected 4500 for timeout but got %v", timeout)
	}
}

func TestGenerateVolumeName(t *testing.T) {

	// Normal operation, no truncate
	v1 := GenerateVolumeName("kubernetes", "pv-cinder-abcde", 255)
	if v1 != "kubernetes-dynamic-pv-cinder-abcde" {
		t.Errorf("Expected kubernetes-dynamic-pv-cinder-abcde, got %s", v1)
	}

	// Truncate trailing "6789-dynamic"
	prefix := strings.Repeat("0123456789", 9) // 90 characters prefix + 8 chars. of "-dynamic"
	v2 := GenerateVolumeName(prefix, "pv-cinder-abcde", 100)
	expect := prefix[:84] + "-pv-cinder-abcde"
	if v2 != expect {
		t.Errorf("Expected %s, got %s", expect, v2)
	}

	// Truncate really long cluster name
	prefix = strings.Repeat("0123456789", 1000) // 10000 characters prefix
	v3 := GenerateVolumeName(prefix, "pv-cinder-abcde", 100)
	if v3 != expect {
		t.Errorf("Expected %s, got %s", expect, v3)
	}
}

func TestMountOptionFromSpec(t *testing.T) {
	scenarios := map[string]struct {
		volume            *volume.Spec
		expectedMountList []string
		systemOptions     []string
	}{
		"volume-with-mount-options": {
			volume: createVolumeSpecWithMountOption("good-mount-opts", "ro,nfsvers=3", v1.PersistentVolumeSpec{
				PersistentVolumeSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
					NFS: &v1.NFSVolumeSource{Server: "localhost", Path: "/srv", ReadOnly: false},
				},
			}),
			expectedMountList: []string{"ro", "nfsvers=3"},
			systemOptions:     nil,
		},
		"volume-with-bad-mount-options": {
			volume: createVolumeSpecWithMountOption("good-mount-opts", "", v1.PersistentVolumeSpec{
				PersistentVolumeSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
					NFS: &v1.NFSVolumeSource{Server: "localhost", Path: "/srv", ReadOnly: false},
				},
			}),
			expectedMountList: []string{},
			systemOptions:     nil,
		},
		"vol-with-sys-opts": {
			volume: createVolumeSpecWithMountOption("good-mount-opts", "ro,nfsvers=3", v1.PersistentVolumeSpec{
				PersistentVolumeSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
					NFS: &v1.NFSVolumeSource{Server: "localhost", Path: "/srv", ReadOnly: false},
				},
			}),
			expectedMountList: []string{"ro", "nfsvers=3", "fsid=100", "hard"},
			systemOptions:     []string{"fsid=100", "hard"},
		},
		"vol-with-sys-opts-with-dup": {
			volume: createVolumeSpecWithMountOption("good-mount-opts", "ro,nfsvers=3", v1.PersistentVolumeSpec{
				PersistentVolumeSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
					NFS: &v1.NFSVolumeSource{Server: "localhost", Path: "/srv", ReadOnly: false},
				},
			}),
			expectedMountList: []string{"ro", "nfsvers=3", "fsid=100"},
			systemOptions:     []string{"fsid=100", "ro"},
		},
	}

	for name, scenario := range scenarios {
		mountOptions := MountOptionFromSpec(scenario.volume, scenario.systemOptions...)
		if !reflect.DeepEqual(slice.SortStrings(mountOptions), slice.SortStrings(scenario.expectedMountList)) {
			t.Errorf("for %s expected mount options : %v got %v", name, scenario.expectedMountList, mountOptions)
		}
	}
}

func createVolumeSpecWithMountOption(name string, mountOptions string, spec v1.PersistentVolumeSpec) *volume.Spec {
	annotations := map[string]string{
		v1.MountOptionAnnotation: mountOptions,
	}
	objMeta := metav1.ObjectMeta{
		Name:        name,
		Annotations: annotations,
	}

	pv := &v1.PersistentVolume{
		ObjectMeta: objMeta,
		Spec:       spec,
	}
	return &volume.Spec{PersistentVolume: pv}
}

func TestGetWindowsPath(t *testing.T) {
	tests := []struct {
		path         string
		expectedPath string
	}{
		{
			path:         `/var/lib/kubelet/pods/146f8428-83e7-11e7-8dd4-000d3a31dac4/volumes/kubernetes.io~disk`,
			expectedPath: `c:\var\lib\kubelet\pods\146f8428-83e7-11e7-8dd4-000d3a31dac4\volumes\kubernetes.io~disk`,
		},
		{
			path:         `\var/lib/kubelet/pods/146f8428-83e7-11e7-8dd4-000d3a31dac4\volumes\kubernetes.io~disk`,
			expectedPath: `c:\var\lib\kubelet\pods\146f8428-83e7-11e7-8dd4-000d3a31dac4\volumes\kubernetes.io~disk`,
		},
		{
			path:         `/`,
			expectedPath: `c:\`,
		},
		{
			path:         ``,
			expectedPath: ``,
		},
	}

	for _, test := range tests {
		result := GetWindowsPath(test.path)
		if result != test.expectedPath {
			t.Errorf("GetWindowsPath(%v) returned (%v), want (%v)", test.path, result, test.expectedPath)
		}
	}
}

func TestIsWindowsUNCPath(t *testing.T) {
	tests := []struct {
		goos      string
		path      string
		isUNCPath bool
	}{
		{
			goos:      "linux",
			path:      `/usr/bin`,
			isUNCPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:      "linux",
			path:      `\\.\pipe\foo`,
			isUNCPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:      "windows",
			path:      `C:\foo`,
			isUNCPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:      "windows",
			path:      `\\server\share\foo`,
			isUNCPath: true,
		},
		{
			goos:      "windows",
			path:      `\\?\server\share`,
			isUNCPath: true,
		},
		{
			goos:      "windows",
			path:      `\\?\c:\`,
			isUNCPath: true,
		},
		{
			goos:      "windows",
			path:      `\\.\pipe\valid_pipe`,
			isUNCPath: true,
		},
	}

	for _, test := range tests {
		result := IsWindowsUNCPath(test.goos, test.path)
		if result != test.isUNCPath {
			t.Errorf("IsWindowsUNCPath(%v) returned (%v), expected (%v)", test.path, result, test.isUNCPath)
		}
	}
}

func TestIsWindowsLocalPath(t *testing.T) {
	tests := []struct {
		goos               string
		path               string
		isWindowsLocalPath bool
	}{
		{
			goos:               "linux",
			path:               `/usr/bin`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "linux",
			path:               `\\.\pipe\foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `C:\foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `:\foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `X:\foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `\\server\share\foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `\\?\server\share`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `\\?\c:\`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `\\.\pipe\valid_pipe`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `:foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: false,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `\foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: true,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `\foo\bar`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: true,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `/foo`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: true,
		},
		{
			goos:               "windows",
			path:               `/foo/bar`,
			isWindowsLocalPath: true,
		},
	}

	for _, test := range tests {
		result := IsWindowsLocalPath(test.goos, test.path)
		if result != test.isWindowsLocalPath {
			t.Errorf("isWindowsLocalPath(%v) returned (%v), expected (%v)", test.path, result, test.isWindowsLocalPath)
		}
	}
}

func TestMakeAbsolutePath(t *testing.T) {
	tests := []struct {
		goos         string
		path         string
		expectedPath string
		name         string
	}{
		{
			goos:         "linux",
			path:         "non-absolute/path",
			expectedPath: "/non-absolute/path",
			name:         "linux non-absolute path",
		},
		{
			goos:         "linux",
			path:         "/absolute/path",
			expectedPath: "/absolute/path",
			name:         "linux absolute path",
		},
		{
			goos:         "windows",
			path:         "some\\path",
			expectedPath: "c:\\some\\path",
			name:         "basic windows",
		},
		{
			goos:         "windows",
			path:         "/some/path",
			expectedPath: "c:/some/path",
			name:         "linux path on windows",
		},
		{
			goos:         "windows",
			path:         "\\some\\path",
			expectedPath: "c:\\some\\path",
			name:         "windows path no drive",
		},
		{
			goos:         "windows",
			path:         "\\:\\some\\path",
			expectedPath: "\\:\\some\\path",
			name:         "windows path with colon",
		},
	}
	for _, test := range tests {
		if runtime.GOOS == test.goos {
			path := MakeAbsolutePath(test.goos, test.path)
			if path != test.expectedPath {
				t.Errorf("[%s] Expected %s saw %s", test.name, test.expectedPath, path)
			}
		}
	}
}

func TestGetPodVolumeNames(t *testing.T) {
	defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.EphemeralContainers, true)()
	tests := []struct {
		name            string
		pod             *v1.Pod
		expectedMounts  sets.String
		expectedDevices sets.String
	}{
		{
			name: "empty pod",
			pod: &v1.Pod{
				Spec: v1.PodSpec{},
			},
			expectedMounts:  sets.NewString(),
			expectedDevices: sets.NewString(),
		},
		{
			name: "pod with volumes",
			pod: &v1.Pod{
				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
					Containers: []v1.Container{
						{
							Name: "container",
							VolumeMounts: []v1.VolumeMount{
								{
									Name: "vol1",
								},
								{
									Name: "vol2",
								},
							},
							VolumeDevices: []v1.VolumeDevice{
								{
									Name: "vol3",
								},
								{
									Name: "vol4",
								},
							},
						},
					},
					Volumes: []v1.Volume{
						{
							Name: "vol1",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol2",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol3",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol4",
						},
					},
				},
			},
			expectedMounts:  sets.NewString("vol1", "vol2"),
			expectedDevices: sets.NewString("vol3", "vol4"),
		},
		{
			name: "pod with init containers",
			pod: &v1.Pod{
				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
					InitContainers: []v1.Container{
						{
							Name: "initContainer",
							VolumeMounts: []v1.VolumeMount{
								{
									Name: "vol1",
								},
								{
									Name: "vol2",
								},
							},
							VolumeDevices: []v1.VolumeDevice{
								{
									Name: "vol3",
								},
								{
									Name: "vol4",
								},
							},
						},
					},
					Volumes: []v1.Volume{
						{
							Name: "vol1",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol2",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol3",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol4",
						},
					},
				},
			},
			expectedMounts:  sets.NewString("vol1", "vol2"),
			expectedDevices: sets.NewString("vol3", "vol4"),
		},
		{
			name: "pod with multiple containers",
			pod: &v1.Pod{
				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
					InitContainers: []v1.Container{
						{
							Name: "initContainer1",
							VolumeMounts: []v1.VolumeMount{
								{
									Name: "vol1",
								},
							},
						},
						{
							Name: "initContainer2",
							VolumeDevices: []v1.VolumeDevice{
								{
									Name: "vol2",
								},
							},
						},
					},
					Containers: []v1.Container{
						{
							Name: "container1",
							VolumeMounts: []v1.VolumeMount{
								{
									Name: "vol3",
								},
							},
						},
						{
							Name: "container2",
							VolumeDevices: []v1.VolumeDevice{
								{
									Name: "vol4",
								},
							},
						},
					},
					Volumes: []v1.Volume{
						{
							Name: "vol1",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol2",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol3",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol4",
						},
					},
				},
			},
			expectedMounts:  sets.NewString("vol1", "vol3"),
			expectedDevices: sets.NewString("vol2", "vol4"),
		},
		{
			name: "pod with ephemeral containers",
			pod: &v1.Pod{
				Spec: v1.PodSpec{
					Containers: []v1.Container{
						{
							Name: "container1",
							VolumeMounts: []v1.VolumeMount{
								{
									Name: "vol1",
								},
							},
						},
					},
					EphemeralContainers: []v1.EphemeralContainer{
						{
							EphemeralContainerCommon: v1.EphemeralContainerCommon{
								Name: "debugger",
								VolumeMounts: []v1.VolumeMount{
									{
										Name: "vol1",
									},
									{
										Name: "vol2",
									},
								},
							},
						},
					},
					Volumes: []v1.Volume{
						{
							Name: "vol1",
						},
						{
							Name: "vol2",
						},
					},
				},
			},
			expectedMounts:  sets.NewString("vol1", "vol2"),
			expectedDevices: sets.NewString(),
		},
	}

	for _, test := range tests {
		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
			mounts, devices := GetPodVolumeNames(test.pod)
			if !mounts.Equal(test.expectedMounts) {
				t.Errorf("Expected mounts: %q, got %q", mounts.List(), test.expectedMounts.List())
			}
			if !devices.Equal(test.expectedDevices) {
				t.Errorf("Expected devices: %q, got %q", devices.List(), test.expectedDevices.List())
			}
		})
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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The aim of the workshop is to explore how the imperatives of living within the limits of the planet and sharing its resources more equitably could be implemented.
During the workshop the participants will get to know some already existing examples of "equity within limits" initiatives including top-down (e.g. policies) as well as bottom-up (e.g. communities) examples with the help of posters and interactive methods.


text:
The New Curiosity Shop
Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch."
By James Wood
Tartt has a considerable talent for magical misdirection.Illustration by Stéphane Manel
Like the rest of us, Donna Tartt ages; but her fiction is going the other way. Her new novel, "The Goldfinch" (Little, Brown), is a virtual baby: it clutches and releases the most fantastical toys. Its tone, language, and story belong to children's literature. Consider the following two passages. In the first, a thirteen-year-old boy makes his way to a dusty antique shop in a big city. His mother has died in an awful explosion at a museum, and, because his alcoholic father is long estranged, the boy has become a near-orphan. During the confused aftermath of the explosion, an old man, fatally wounded, hands the boy a heavy gold ring, and entrusts him with a priceless seventeenth-century painting. The dying man tells the boy to go to "Hobart and Blackwell. . . . Ring the green bell." These clues—and the ring!—eventually lead the boy to the premises of Hobart and Blackwell, where the door is answered by a charming man named James Hobart, or Hobie, for short:
I was on a slightly shabby part of the street that was mainly residential. . . . Many of the numbers weren't clearly posted, and just as I was wondering if I'd missed it and ought to double back, I suddenly found myself looking at the words Hobart and Blackwell painted in a neat, old-fashioned arch upon the window of a shop. Through the dusty windows I saw Staffordshire dogs and majolica cats, dusty crystal, tarnished silver, antique chairs and settees upholstered in sallow old brocade, an elaborate faience birdcage, miniature marble obelisks atop a marble-topped pedestal table and a pair of alabaster cockatoos. It was just the kind of shop my mother would have liked—packed tightly, a bit dilapidated, with stacks of old books on the floor. . . . Then—so suddenly I started back—the door opened, and I found myself gazing up at a large and unexpected person.
He was six foot four or six five, at least; haggard, noble-jawed, heavy. . . . Over his clothes, a rich paisley robe with satin lapels fell almost to his ankles and flowed massively around him, like something a leading man might wear in a 1930s movie: worn, but still impressive.
In the second passage, a boy who is roughly the same age as the narrator of the first excerpt arrives at an impressive building, with a brass nameplate, in the middle of London. This boy has five siblings. The children have no mother, and their father is impecunious, so they have embarked on a series of adventurous money-making schemes: they have tried to be detectives, and bandits, and writers, and now have decided that a certain Mr. Rosenbaum, who lends money, will be their "G.B.," or Generous Benefactor:
"Mr Rosenbaum will see you," so we wiped our feet on the mat, which said so, and we went up stairs with soft carpets and into a room. It was a beautiful room. . . . The room had velvet curtains and a soft, soft carpet, and it was full of the most splendid things. Black and gold cabinets, and china, and statues, and pictures. There was a picture of a cabbage and a pheasant and a dead hare that was just like life, and I would have given worlds to have it for my own. . . . Then besides the pictures there were clocks and candlesticks and vases, and gilt looking-glasses, and boxes of cigars and scent and things littered all over the chairs and tables. It was a wonderful place, and in the middle of all the splendour was a little old gentleman with a very long black coat and a very long white beard and a hookey nose—like a falcon.
The first passage is from "The Goldfinch," the second from E. Nesbit's marvellous book for children, "The Story of the Treasure Seekers," published in 1899. Nesbit's writing, with its lumps and ingenuous repetitions, sounds like a child talking to us, whereas Tartt's smoother, more literary voice resembles adult pastiche. But both scenes imply a kind of proscenium arch: the pleasure of theatrical discovery merges with the pleasure of the narrative, and the reader sees with the eyes of the enchanted narrator. Tartt repeatedly stages such gothic encounters. Early in her first novel, "The Secret History" (1992), the narrator makes his way to the door of the glamorous and sinister classicist who holds sway over a twisted little élite at the fictional Hampden College:
Once at the top I found myself in a long, deserted hallway. Enjoying the noise of my shoes on the linoleum, I walked along briskly, looking at the closed doors for numbers or names until I came to one that had a brass card holder and, within it, an engraved card that read JULIAN MORROW. I stood there for a moment and then I knocked, three short raps.
A minute or so passed, and another, and then the white door opened just a crack. A face looked out at me.
The point is not the disclosure of a meaningful reality but the management of continuous artifice, a proffered tray of delicious narrative revelations. Hampden College is less like Bennington (Tartt's alma mater) than like something out of Poe. As the happy ending of "The Treasure Seekers" smiles on us, Nesbit's narrator comments, "Besides, I can't help it if it is like Dickens, because it happens this way. Real life is often something like books." Or, rather, fictional life is often something like fictional life in other books: Nesbit's Victorian London seems little different from Tartt's contemporary Manhattan.
Sure enough, at Hobart and Blackwell (we are told that it is somewhere on West Tenth Street), Hobie, a furniture restorer, turns out to be a reassuring, fatherly character from children's fiction. Though the narrator tells us that "his voice was rough but educated, like Mr. O'Shea my History teacher who'd grown up in a tough Boston neighborhood and ended up going to Harvard," Hobie—who appears to be from New York State—sounds consistently non-American: "Ah sorry . . . I've set up camp in here as you can see, not the best arrangement in the world but I've had to make do since I can't hear properly with all the goings-on." (Michael Gambon's voice should do nicely.) The American setting is not as important as the Anglicized suspension in which the fairy tale floats: throughout this seven-hundred-and-seventy-page yarn, Tartt's American characters move through a world of cozy Britishisms, like "they tucked into their food," "you look knackered," "crikey," "skive off," and "gobsmacked." Indeed, Hobie's house—rather like Tartt's novel—is a place, the narrator thinks, "where without even realizing it you slipped away sometimes into 1850, a world of ticking clocks and creaking floorboards, copper pots and baskets of turnips and onions in the kitchen."
To be fair, Tartt has considerable talents in the field of magical misdirection. Few readers who started "The Secret History" did not feel the need to finish it. Her books can return you to several of the primal and innocent delights of childish reading. But misdirection is practiced evasion, and narrative secrets are tested by the value of their revelations: we will need, as bounty, more than the prestidigitator's ace of spades.
The bounty, literal and figurative, at the center of all the absurd legerdemain of "The Goldfinch" is the painting of the same name, by the great seventeenth-century Dutch artist Carel Fabritius, a student of Rembrandt. It is a serene study of habituated imprisonment: a finch, one of its feet attached by a ring and a short chain to the little box it is perched on. This gemlike masterwork powers Tartt's narrative: it is seen and cherished at the Metropolitan Museum by a boy and his mother, stolen by the boy, hidden, stolen again by someone else, and finally recovered. It occasions some of the deeper writing in the book, as Tartt slows from her adventurous storytelling to the eventless calm of ekphrasis, and describes the mournful splendor of Fabritius's own painterly patience. But, alas, it is surrounded by prolix scrawls of novelistic impatience, and eventually the noisy tension between the two works, Fabritius's and Tartt's, becomes acute. "The Goldfinch" (1654) and "The Goldfinch" (2013) are birds of a very different feather. Tartt's consoling message, blared in the book's final pages, is that what will survive of us is great art, but this seems an anxious compensation, as if Tartt were unconsciously acknowledging that the 2013 "Goldfinch" may not survive the way the 1654 "Goldfinch" has.
Tartt's novel bursts into its busy life when, near the start, a terrorist bomb devastates part of the Metropolitan Museum. The thirteen-year-old Theo Decker (he is supposedly narrating the story fourteen years later) has been examining Fabritius's painting with his mother, a keen if unfulfilled student of the Dutch masters. Theo is more interested in a couple who have come to look at the same painting: an old man and an intriguingly inaccessible girl ("beautiful skin: milky white, arms like carved marble"). Disoriented and traumatized by the blast, he comes across the old man, dying on the floor of the museum. Theo comforts him, takes his hand, while the old man babbles apparent nonsense ("Tell Hobie to get out of the store," and so on). Somehow, the Fabritius painting is lying near the man, and he urges Theo to take it.
Theo escapes from the burning museum with the invaluable object in his possession, and is thus inducted into a life of criminal secrecy that propels the book's writhing narrative. Eventually, Theo moves from New York to Las Vegas, to live with his father, a gambler and small-time swindler, and later moves back to New York, where he starts working for Hobie. Through hundreds of pages, Theo chases his dream of one art work and two people: "The Goldfinch," his dead mother, and the girl he saw at the Met. The old man's clues lead Theo to Hobie's shop, where the girl, Pippa, is recovering from the bomb blast. Hobie becomes a kind of Magwitch for Theo—Magwitch without the criminal record—and Pippa becomes his desired and forbidden Estella. These fantasies have a Nesbittian sweetness, and certainly Tartt's plot is unembarrassed by its loot of Dickensian accident, coincidence, suspense, and reversal. One understands that the painting is important for Theo: it is a stable and rare object in a world of flux, it reminds him of his mother (who loved it), and it was painted by a man who was himself killed in an explosion, in Delft. And the longer Theo holds on to it the more perilous it is to return. But the novel's frantic inability to provide a credible account for the old man's larcenous devotion, and its unwillingness to explain why Theo so easily falls into the same larceny—walking out of the Met with a priceless object stuffed into a bag—seem a species of magical thinking, a setup that merely enables a sentimental nexus (girl, painting, dead mother, Generous Benefactor) and a good deal of melodramatic plotting.This plotting breeds, or is bred by, wildly uneven sentences. The worked sheen and consistent density of "The Secret History" and Tartt's second novel, "The Little Friend" (2002), have here surrendered to patched anarchy. There is too much straightforward genre stuffing: "I had just about convinced myself . . . when a deafening buzz (the doorbell) shattered the silence and my heart leaped up for joy." Or: "My heart was pounding and my head swam." The borrowed emotion of the plot often finds exact form in easy, familiar gestures. There are rhetorical questions: "Would I ever see either of them again?" Or: "How was it possible to miss someone as much as I missed my mother?" And: "Had anyone ever felt so lonely?" Tartt has a tendency—always a telling moment in contemporary fiction—to liken her characters or scenes to cinematic analogues, as if to work off a debt. Theo's father seems "almost as if he was playing a character: some cool guy from a fifties noir or maybe Ocean's Eleven." Scared as he tries to smuggle his stolen painting through an airport, Theo imagines "some cinder-block room like in the movies, slammed doors, angry cops in shirtsleeves, forget about it, you're not going anywhere, kid." More bewilderingly, from a novelist known for her control, there is overwriting and excitable flailing. At one moment, in Las Vegas, Theo is almost drowned in a pool by a thuggish friend, Boris, who is drunk and larking around—a serious event, but surely not one that merits such flailing imprecision on the writer's part:
I thrashed and twisted, as glubs of panicked breath floated before my eyes: underwater bells, darkness. At last—just as I was about to gulp in a lungful of water—I twisted free and broke to the surface.
Choking for breath, I clung to the edge of the pool and gasped. When my vision cleared, I saw Boris—coughing, cursing—plunging towards the steps. Breathless with anger, I half-swam, half hopped up behind him, and hooked a foot around his ankle so that he fell face-forward with a smack.
"Asshole," I sputtered, when he floundered to the surface.Through all this thrashing, twisting, gulping, choking, gasping, coughing, cursing, plunging, sputtering, and floundering, I kept on trying to imagine a different novel, stripped of its unreasonable raison d'être and its childish sweets, a more rigorous fiction entitled, perhaps, not "The Goldfinch" but just "Theo Decker." A novel with no stolen painting, no inexplicable theft and unlikely explosion, no shoot-outs, no sudden deaths and fatal abandonments, and fewer Dickensian or Nesbittian shops. Instead, there might have been the affecting story of, say, a thirteen-year-old boy, the victim of divorce, sent West from New York to the alien aridity of Las Vegas, forced to live with his unsuitable father. It was hard to imagine as the pages went by, but not impossible, because Las Vegas provokes the best sustained writing in this novel. When Theo's father watches football on television, and the afternoon light begins to thin, and Tartt tenderly and evocatively paints this slight desolation of Sunday afternoons in the desert, does she have any idea of the very different writer she might still choose to become?
On game day, until five o'clock or so, the white desert light held off the essential Sunday gloom—autumn sinking into winter, loneliness of October dusk with school the next day—but there was always a long still moment toward the end of those football afternoons where the mood of the crowd turned and everything grew desolate and uncertain, onscreen and off, the sheet-metal glare off the patio glass fading to gold and then gray, long shadows and night falling into desert stillness, a sadness I couldn't shake off, a sense of silent people filing toward the stadium exits and cold rain falling in college towns back east. ♦
Published in the print edition of the October 21, 2013, issue.
James Wood has been a staff writer and book critic at The New Yorker since 2007. In November, he will publish "Serious Noticing," a selection of essays.
More:BombingsBooksMetropolitan Museum of ArtNovelsPaintings


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Holland America Line Cruises
Holland America Eurodam
Eurodam Cruise Review
Cruise Critic Editor Rating
OverviewReviewsDiningActivitiesPhotosCabinsDeck PlansView Cruises
Destinations Great But HAL Service Continues to Sink
Eurodam Cruise Review by Strode Wallace
Sail Date: Aug 2010
Destination: the USA
Cabin Type: Neptune Deluxe Veranda Suite
DESTINATIONS GREAT BUT HAL SERVICE CONTINUES TO SINK ON RECENT EURODAM TRANSLATIC
A recent Transatlantic Cruise on the Eurodam showed the dip in service continues on HAL ships while HAL keeps trying to hold prices down. For the second year in a row it was hard not to notice the reduction in service, but this time it was much worse. When you drop $20,000 on a vacation you notice both the big things and the small stuff. GETTING THERE: The HAL prices for air fare from a large Midwestern city to Amsterdam and then back from New York were hard to beat...but the crazy connections and long layovers killed us! Next time I will book air travel myself. Never again flying from US to Canada for a four hour layover then an Air Canada flight to Frankfort with a 5-hour layover for a 45-minute flight to Amsterdam on a packed Lufthansa flight! It was like HAL was punishing us for spending $20,000 with them. We were in transit for 26-hours. Getting home was almost as bad.
HAL did do a nice job making the airport transfer and getting us to the downtown Amsterdam hotel. The van driver was very funny even if some of his prepared speech was far from accurate. However HAL planning left a lot to be desired. The Eurodam was not docking in Amsterdam. The every five-year "Sail In" had the Amsterdam harbor choked with sailboats and concert barges. There was no room for cruise ships. The Eurodam was docked at an industrial area 15 miles out of town. EMBARKATION: The embarkation started off poorly. Heavy traffic on clogged Amsterdam streets, with people trying to get downtown for the "Sail In", meant a two-hour wait for hundreds of Eurodam passengers at the hotel. The ship sailed at 8pm but we were stuck in the industrial district at 2pm. We passed a chocolate factory near where the ship was docked, causing my wife to ask if they had tours (and hopefully samples) since we were arriving six hours before departure with nothing to do. (They didn't.)
Once at the ship I saw something I have never seen in 10 years of cruising with HAL...LONG LINES! In fact there were huge lines! There were singers doing four-part harmony entertaining the passengers. However it did not make up for the fact that HAL did not serve the complimentary ice tea, lemonade and water for the waiting passengers. If you wanted a beverage you had to buy it.
STATEROOM AND CABIN SERVICE: We had a Deluxe Suite, mid-ship near the Neptune Lounge. When entering the room we noticed the comp bottle of Champaign was not iced. Directly below was the glass cabinet. On the face of one cabinet door was a nasty smudge and dirt that was about four inches long. It remained as part of a fixture to the suite for the next 17 days.
We called and asked for ice for both the bottle of bubbly and the ice bucket. 45-minutes later I went to the Neptune Lounge and got it myself. For the next three days we got ice and laundry bags ourselves. When you are paying for a top level suite, you expect at least average service, we never received it. While almost all passengers got their complimentary NY Times synopsis newsletter in the morning, ours and six other suites were getting the "afternoon" paper.
The truly amazing thing was it was three days before we met our room stewards! The only close attention we got from the head steward was on the next to last day when he appeared to be sticking close to us possibly for the handoff of the extra tip envelope. It wasn't coming. In fact my wife went to our concierge and filled out a form to have two days of tips for the room stewards deducted from our credit card.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: Our room stewards were also marking us down for drinking bottled water on a regular basis. In fact we were moving the bottles to a shelf above the mini bar to get them out of the way. We had collected six large bottles when I went to the concierge and found out that we were getting charged for the water we not drinking. I then brought her to the room and showed her the bottled water collection we were amassing. She said she would take care of it. The next day the "water lady" arrived to give us our seventh and eighth bottle of water.
SPINNING THE FACTS! During an "Ask the Captain" event in the main showroom, the last question had nothing to do seagoing. It was, "Is it true that the room stewards have had the number of rooms they are responsible for increase from 10 to 24?" The captain hemmed and hawed and finally said "Yes." But the Cruise Director immediately jumped in and said there were two room stewards now and this should make things more efficient. It was spinning at its worst, because long term customers know that there used to be a Room Steward and Ast. Room Steward serving 10 cabins. Perhaps a more honest answer would be that to keep prices from rising, HAL made a few non-safety cuts while trying to hold fares down. SPEAKING OF THE CONCIERGE SERVICE: The special Concierge Service for Penthouse and Deluxe Suite customers (HAL calls us guests, but we are in reality "paying customers.") was hit and miss at best and often involved apologies from the HAL staff.
Several times we had the staff reserve tables for dinner. Twice they said they did it when we arrived for dinner there was no record of the reservation. Another good one was the next to last day at about 2pm when I went to exchange $60 Canadian to U.S. I was told money exchanging had closed at noon. I was stuck with extra money because HAL cancelled two of our four Canadian port-of-calls due to the approaching Hurricane Earl.
I asked when the "guests" had been notified of the noon stoppage of money exchange. I was told it was in the daily program. I asked to be shown the notification. She could not find it in the program. She then said it was in the Daily Program four days earlier. I went to my room and got that program and there was no notice of a cut off for money exchange. I asked why it wasn't mentioned several times in different daily programs to remind guests. She then called the pursers office and later said the money could be exchanged the next morning.
The next morning when I tried to exchange the currency, I was told it could not be done.
NEPTUNE LOUNGE: The interior Neptune Lounge on Deck 7 is nice with a large screen television, sofas, a conference table, complimentary beverages and snacks, plus the two staff members running the concierge service from 7am to 8pm. There is also a waiter from the Pinnacle providing the food and beverages. What always amazes me is the number of people who pay top dollar for deluxe suites with large verandas but spend time hanging out in an interior area with no view. Me...I take a couple of plates of food back to my cabin to enjoy the view and the fresh air.
FOOD: MAIN DINING ROOM: The food in the main dining room (The Rembrandt) for 18 days more often than not was very good, compared to past cruises. One exception was the Caesar salads. Nightly the lettuce didn't seem just "tired" but almost asleep. The service was another story! Doing "open dining" ourselves and another couple tried different areas of the dining room and found that the service was very bad or in the one case there was excellent service but the waiters had no personalities. We settled for most of our cruise with two waiters who often got orders mixed but were very entertaining. They actually both got envelopes from us on the last night. On our first night Chef Ruddy (all the way from Seattle) made two different "recommendations" on the printed menus for the same course. Five nights before the end of the cruise they handed out "farewell" menus, making us ask who was leaving and how, since we were at sea until the final day due to Hurricane Earl. The wait staff said the menus were a mistake. You had better odds hitting it big at the roulette table in the casino than getting a soup spoon during dinner. THE PINNACLE was the big disappointment. The dinner food was no better than the food quality in the main dining room and service was unbelievably poor. To start with the old signature starter at the Pinnacle, the Clam Chowder is now missing for a second year, replaced by a Lobster bisque that tastes like it is right out of a can, was served cold and is the same bisque that is served in the main dining room. (Why pay more?) The staff even admitted that customers continue to complain about the missing Chowder, but the folks in Seattle along with Chef Ruddy do not seem to care. My guess would be $$$$$. My steak was over seared making it hard to eat. However my wife's lamb was perfect. Perhaps the biggest disappoint at dinner was the Crème Brule. Over the years this has been my wife and mine favorite. I should have known something was up with the wait staff was pushing the Vanilla SoufflE. The sugar on the Crème Brule was over heated...you had to pound on it to break through. Once you did it was not worth the effort.
THE EXCEPTION...was breakfast ...the food was excellent every day. The problem again was service. You never had a waiter. Instead you had four or five and they never knew what the other was doing. While the food was always great, on a daily basis your order was never right. Items you didn't ask for were included and some days your main dish was missing. It was not unusual to ask for a breakfast tea and to get the tea bag but never get the hot water. The last day of the cruise our breakfast in the Pinnacle never happened. We received water, juice even a muffin...but for over 20 minutes no one ever took our order despite our repeated requests. We finally had to walk out. Our best meal of the trip came during our day in St. John's Newfoundland at a local diner 10 miles south of town we stopped at while touring in a rental car. THE PROBLEM: It was easy to determine one of the main reasons for service problems. It is the continued drop in English Comprehension! Waiters did not know the meaning of "extra" or "hold." One waiter tried to tell us someone was a "Unich" when he meant "unique." It has gotten very hard to hold a conversation with many of the ship's service personnel.
The other problem: Much of the day to day specials are clearly controlled by the "boys in Seattle" leaving the ship staff with little room for creativity. The day after Hurricane Earl passed the ship one might think a Hurricane would be the drink of the day. It wasn't even informally added as a waiter suggested drink. ENTERTAINMENT: The normal "kids doing the song and dance" was atypical. Some of the kids were better than others. The sets were pretty impressive. For the second time I have been on the HAL ship the house band did not have any brass. The leader did play a sax, clarinet and flute...but no one was on board with a trumpet, flugelhorn or trombone.
The Neptunes trio playing in the Ocean Bar was actually better than your average Neptune group. They would get into some nice jazz rifts when no one was on the dance floor.
The piano bar guy, Michael, was way over the top...his style was that of someone that Saturday Night Live used to lampoon. For the first time I have been on a transatlantic cruise where there were not any music contests in the piano bar. Michael was somewhat defiant when he said, "I don't do contests!" The piano bar contests do help draw people to the room and sells more beverages for the cruise ship.
THE HEADLINERS: The entertainers brought on board were the typical magicians, comics producing a few laughs and musicians playing odd instruments. MOVIES: HAL no longer has a contract with Swank, the large movie distribution company and it shows. The Eurodam featured some movies that were over 20-years-old. There were only two movies that could were remotely close to being able to carry the "recent" label. I intentionally did not rent any movies for six weeks prior to this cruise thinking I would see several movies on the ship that were just reaching the video stores or NetFlix. I was wrong...another example of HAL squeezing a nickel.
STAFF: Jason, the CD, is tops! This is the second time in two years I have enjoyed Jason's work on a cruise, he was most recently on the Westerdam (see 10-09 review "What a Difference a Year Makes" by Strode Wallace) before moving to the Eurodam. Jason also is perhaps the best I have seen in taming the type-A personalities involved in the killer trivia contests.
With one exception, his staff was also top notch. Elizabeth and Paul were very passenger friendly, plus fun to talk with. The exception was DJ Matt. This guy acted as if he was being bothered every time he put on an event by himself. He also completely blew off passengers trying to ask him a question. FAILING TO PLAY TO THEIR AUDIENCE! I have seen this before on other cruise ships but it is really noticeable on HAL ships, when the staff fails to recognize and factor in the age of their customers. I have been on HAL ships where the AVERAGE age of passengers was 68. On this cruise it was 60-years-old according to a staff member...meaning there were plenty of people in their upper 70s and 80s. When they hold contests such as "name that tune" they need to include gimme stuff that older people will recognize. Two examples were TV theme songs and Broadway Musicals...each time out of 15 or 20 questions none were from the 60s or 50s. To a young entertainment staff something from 1980 is ancient...but to an 80-year-old passenger...it is something they have never heard of. The staff should throw in a "Perry Mason." "Bonanza" or "Jack Benny Program" theme on TV trivia and perhaps something older than Grease when doing Broadway tunes. I mention this only because when they hold these contests, older passengers pack the venue and leave disappointed.
The same can be said for the shows. During a show featuring the dancers and singers, the audience burst into applause during a poor version of Rodgers and Hart's Bewitched, Bothers and Bewilder." Why? Because it was the first song they recognized and for a number of them it was a favorite from over 50-years ago! HAL needs to remember the older ages of their long time good paying customers while Carnival does not.
LIBRARY: We found that the library on the Eurodam had a good selection of books and was well run, with self check out at night. This was a plus when we picked up extra sea days while avoiding Hurricane Earl. DESITINATIONS: The best part of this cruise and the main reason we booked it was for the destinations.
EDINBURGH: The overnight stop in Edinburgh fell on a Saturday. During the month of August the City of Edinburgh is full of festivals including a book festival, the comedy festival and for one night two performances of the Military Tattoo, an event of marching bands. HAL was selling grossing overpriced packages for the Tattoo that included bus transportation from the dock in Queen's Ferry. Total package per person with HAL $100. We shared a cab into town with another couple for 5-pounds a person. Tickets for the Tattoo outside of Edinburgh Castle were going for as little of $27-pounds, more than half of the price with the HAL package.
We went to 7:00 and 9:00 shows at the Comedy Festival being held at the Edinburgh University., skipping the Tattoo under the belief that over 20 minutes of bagpipes turns an event from entertainment into a punishment. KIRKWALL ORKNEY ISLANDS: We had arranged well in advance for a private tour by the small company, "Wild about Orkney." It was a great move. We got an archeologist who has lived in the Orkney's doing research for over 30 years. The five hour trip was fantastic. He also introduced us to Orkney ice cream, made in Kirkwall with milk from Orkney dairies. The ice cream was so good we made a second stop for more before returning to the ship. The van for three couples was very comfortable.
THE FAROE ISLANDS: This stop was also a treat. We hired a cab with another couple and saw a lot at a reasonable price. Perhaps the best treat was the scenic cruising leaving the port featuring breathtaking seascapes and views.
ICELAND: Iceland is bankrupt and you quickly find out that super inflation has hit Reykjavik. Rent-a-cars and taxi tours are all unbelievably expensive. Even McDonalds closed all of stores and pulled out of Iceland. Food costs were so high they could not maintain a menu with reasonable prices.
We shared a cab for five hours with another couple we were able to tour per person cheaper than the HAL prearranged tours. Renting a car was a losing proposition. You broke even or maybe saved from a ship's tour but the very high price of gasoline made it too expensive, unless you share with another couple. GREENLAND: The day of cruising in and out of fog in southern sounds of Greenland was fantastic. The fog hid the whales, but made some interesting views of mountains and icebergs. The views we saw of the Faroe Islands and Greenland made the choice of an expensive deluxe veranda suite worth it.
We stopped in the small town of Qaqortoq (pop 3,200) for six hours on a Sunday. No town in Greenland is connected to another town by a road. There were taxis in town, but on a Sunday they were busy taking people to and from church. The weather in late August was unseasonally mild with temperatures around 52-degrees instead of 38-degrees. Not much English was spoken in town with the exception of the two grocery stores where the clerks could say, "No liquor on Sunday" to passengers tired of the high price of a drinks on the Eurodam who wanted to sneak some spirits aboard.
The highlight of the day was the ship inviting all the children in town along with one parent aboard for a free lunch of hamburgers, fries, hotdogs and pizza. The day before while cruising in fjords and sounds, the ship sent a rescue boat to a small village of 200 with 10 pizzas and some dry goods. NEWFOUNDLAND: Overall we found Newfoundland a treat.
St. Anthony (3,200 pop) was a the first stop in northern Newfoundland. You need to arrange for a rent a car if you ever dock there. The local Chevrolet dealership is a 10 minute walk for the dock. The city does not have a center, but is stretched out along the main road. A drive to coves and bays and many small villages was fun. We saved the lighthouse, located near the dock for last and it gave us some of the best views of the day.
St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland was a surprise. It was like being in a small San Francisco. The city has many hills and brightly painted Victorian row houses. It was beautiful. We shared a rent a car with some friends and hit all the spots that the HAL tour busses hit, plus much more.
After going north of town in the morning, we headed south along the Irish ring road in the afternoon with our final destination being The Town of Ferryland. We had perhaps our best meal of the entire trip when we stopped at the Riverside Inn, just north of Ferryland in the Town of Cape Broyle. The chowder was better than anything we were served of the Eurodam. The diner's specialty was a plate of French fries hand cut that day, smothered in brown gravy, crispy ground beef and peas. The waitress said that the people at our table who ordered it would not want to share and she was right. Back at the wharf the arrival of the Eurodam was a big enough deal that passengers were interviewed by CBC radio on how they liked St. John's. A large crowd of on lookers lined the street when the ship departed at 9pm.
Everybody liked St. John's.
DODGING A HURRICANE! The ship's captain did such a good job hiding from Hurricane Earl and we missed any of the effects from a hurricane. We also missed two ports of call in Nova Scotia.
While hiding along the US coast near Portland the captain announced that we should experience winds gusting up to 50mph and 9-15feet high seas beginning at 3am and lastly for three or four hours.
The crew did an outstanding job tying things down in preparation of the storm. I stayed up and was disappointed when nothing happened, not even any rain. PLUSES: Ian who hosted travel Q&As before we arrived at different ports of call did something that you don't see very often on a cruise ship. Sure he pitched the ship's tours, but he also told passengers how to use public transit and even mentioned where the taxis and rent-a-car offices were.
Perhaps the best part of the cruise was at the very beginning during embarkation when we unexpectedly ran into a couple who we cruised with two years ago on the Noordam during a transatlantic crossing from Rome to Florida. (see 10-8 review "The Good and the Dead" by John H) It was great fun spending time with them. Unfortunately we all agreed we would not be in a hurry to book another cruise on HAL.
BAD SEND OFF: You would think the one thing HAL would want to do is make our last hours on the ship and getting home as pleasant as possible, hoping for some return business. This did not happen.
We had a HAL arranged 1pm flight that was not home but instead to Philadelphia where there was another long layover before a final flight home, despite many direct flights out of New York. We received a letter in our stateroom the day before telling us we were in a debarkation group for 7am. YIKES! Six hours before for a flight out of an airport 45 minutes away. I was able to get that changed to 9am.
Then the waiting began...3 hours at La Guardia. Then a twin prop commuter plane that bounced around for 45 minutes at 10,000 feet. Then there was another 2 ½ hour wait in Philly for a commuter jet home. Our last day with HAL did not leave a pleasant taste.
Read more Eurodam Reviews
Read Cruise Critic's Eurodam Review
Strode Wallace's Full Rating Summary
Embarkation
Public Rooms
Cabin Review
Neptune Deluxe Veranda Suite
Cabin SA 7056
The room, bath and closets were all nice. The large flat screen TV was very nice. The service provided by the room stewards was another story.
Port & Shore Excursion Reviews
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Strode Wallace
117 Helpful Votes
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Hawaii March 1-18 on the Eurodam
Great Crew; excellent food
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Average cruise


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Shaheen Statement on Senate Passage of 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Reauthorization Bill
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after voting in favor of legislation to extend authorization of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund through 2090. The bill overwhelmingly passed the Senate, and having previously passed the House of Representatives, will now be sent to the President's desk to be signed into law. Shaheen is an original cosponsor of the Senate companion legislation. "I'm relieved this bill will soon become law so we can ensure ev… Continue Reading
Shaheen Statement on Senate Approval of Mark Esper to Serve as Secretary of Defense
(Washington, DC)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after voting to approve Mark Esper to serve as Secretary of Defense. Esper is currently Secretary of the Army. "I am greatly concerned about the lack of stable leadership at the Department of Defense and the message it sends to our adversaries," said Shaheen. "I believe it is imperative that there be a steady hand at the Department to lead our men and women in uni… Continue Reading
Shaheen Leads Senate Bipartisan Push to Rollback Over a Decade of Insulin Price Hikes
**As Insulin Prices Surge, Shaheen-Co-Chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus- Unveils Bipartisan Effort with Collins, Carper and Cramer to Hold Health Care Middlemen and Insulin Manufacturers Accountable for Reducing Insulin Prices** (Washington, DC) - As insulin prices continue to climb and Americans throughout the nation risk their lives by rationing their insulin supplies, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced new legislation to combat these skyrocketing costs and hold health care middl… Continue Reading
Business & Efficiency Leaders Praise Shaheen, Portman Legislation to Reduce Emissions & Spur Economic Growth
(Washington, DC) - Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC), which will improve energy efficiency in three key sectors - buildings, industrial and the federal government. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential and commercial buildings accounted for about 40 percent of total U.S. energy consumption in 2018. In addition, reports from the U.S. Department of Energy have … Continue Reading
Senators Shaheen, Collins Introduce Bill to Help Ensure Small Businesses' Voices are Heard by Federal Agencies
*The bipartisan legislation would allow small businesses to remotely provide feedback to regulators* (Washington, D.C.)-In an effort to ensure that the concerns of small businesses are taken into account during the federal rulemaking process, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Helping Entrepreneurs Affect Regulatory Decisions (HEARD) Act today. Their bill would allow small busi… Continue Reading
Shaheen and Portman Introduce Energy Efficiency Legislation
Shaheen delivers remarks at press conference announcing the introduction of the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act **Bipartisan Legislation Will Save Energy and Protect the Environment While Saving Money and Creating Jobs** (Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC), which will improve energy efficiency in three key sectors - buildings, indu… Continue Reading
Shaheen-Alexander Bill to Promote Innovation, Energy Efficiency & Economic Competitiveness of American Manufacturers Clears Key Committee Hurdle
**Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Also Ushers Through Numerous Legislative Priorities Championed by Shaheen** (Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen's (D-NH) bipartisan legislation with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) - the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act - passed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR). The ENR Senate Committee also passed a number of other Shaheen's bipartisan legislative priorities, including the Federal Energy and Water Mana… Continue Reading
Shaheen Introduces Legislation to Significantly Increase Availability of Substance Use Disorder Treatment in New Hampshire and Across the Country
Shaheen Announces Turn the Tide Act at New Futures, Concord **SHAHEEN: "The Turn the Tide Act is a substantial long-term investment in getting more Granite Staters, and Americans across the country, on the road to recovery"** ** Turn the Tide Act has three pillars: it delivers flexible funding, prioritizes prevention and addresses workforce challenges** **Epidemic is taking over 70,000 lives a year and costing economy $500 billion** **$63 billion proposal follows Shaheen's successful effor… Continue Reading
NH Delegation Responds to Trump's Opposition to Their Efforts to Ban DoD Use of PFAS Firefighting Foam
(Washington, DC)- U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), issued the following statement after the White House announced a potential veto of the House version of the defense authorization bill, which would ban the Department of Defense from using firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals, an effort that has been strongly supported by New Hamps… Continue Reading
Shaheen Leads Invite On Behalf of Bipartisan Women of the Senate to U.S. Women's National Soccer Team to Meet During Visit to Capitol
**Letter is signed by each Democratic and Republican female Senator** **Copy of the signed letter is available here** (Washington) - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) led a letter on behalf of the bipartisan women of the U.S. Senate to the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, extending an invitation to meet with the women of the Senate during the team's upcoming visit to the U.S. Capitol. "We believe on a bipartisan basis that your model of unity, diversity, and passion should be s… Continue Reading
Senators Shaheen, Enzi and Hassan Applaud Senate Passage of Their Legislation that Honors Christa McAuliffe
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) issued the following statements after the Senate passed their Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act last night, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by 81 Senators to create a commemorative coin to honor Christa McAuliffe, the Concord educator who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. The bill further reaffirms American commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STE… Continue Reading
NH Delegation Announces Over $4.5 Million in Federal Funding for Manchester Airport
(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced $4,556,533 in federal funding for renovation projects and equipment purchases at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT). The federal funding for MHT was awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with $2,107,706 going towards two taxiway rehabilitation projects at the airport and $2,448,827 being allocated to help purcha… Continue Reading
NH Delegation Announce More than $13.5 Million in Federal Funding for Portsmouth International Airport
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), announced $13,506,533 in federal funding for a runway reconstruction project at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. The project will be funded through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). "As a joint civil and military use airport, Portsmouth International serves as an important transportation hub for the New Hampshire Seacoast area and is … Continue Reading
Shaheen Statement Following Vote to Require Congressional Approval For Any New Military Action Against Iran
SHAHEEN: "War with Iran is not in America's interest" (Washington, DC)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after voting on legislation that requires the Trump administration to seek congressional approval for military action against Iran: "War with Iran is not in America's interest which is why I voted today to require the Trump administration to come to Congress before taking any new military action," said Shaheen. "The American people should have a say on matter… Continue Reading
Shaheen, Rubio, Cardin Lead Legislation to Permanently Reauthorize Successful Programs to Encourage High-Tech Small Business Growth
**Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee Leadership Spearhead Bipartisan Bill That Invests in Long-term Certainty for Small Business Research Innovation Programs** **SBIR, STTR have proven track record of helping small businesses succeed and grow** (Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBC), SBC Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL) and SBC Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD) yesterday introduced legi… Continue Reading
Shaheen on Stanford Study Showing 40% Increase in Abortions Due to Global Gag Rule: "This Should Compel the Trump Administration to Finally Reexamine This Disastrous Policy for Women"
**Stanford study looks at the impact of this policy on Sub-Saharan countries receiving U.S. aid over two decades** **SHAHEEN: "These statistics should ring alarm bells for policy makers, especially considering that this study doesn't account for the dramatic expansion of the Global Gag Rule under the Trump administration"** (Washington, DC)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the only woman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement responding to a new expansive study… Continue Reading
Shaheen-Portman Bipartisan Bill to Boost EPA Response to PFAS Included in Senate-Passed Defense Bill
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that her bipartisan bill with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) - the Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act - was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate. The annual legislation authorizes national defense objectives for the fiscal year. Once the House of Representatives passes its version of the bill, the two chambers will conference on final l… Continue Reading
Shaheen's Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Fentanyl Coming from China & Mexico Successfully Added to Annual Defense Bill
(Washington, DC)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, successfully added her targeted fentanyl sanctions bill - the Fentanyl Sanctions Act - as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate. The bipartisan sanctions legislation applies pressure on the Chinese government to strictly enforce their commitment to make all fentanyl illegal and provides the United States with more tools and resources to target illic… Continue Reading
Shaheen Continues to Deliver on NH Priorities in Senate-Approved Annual Defense Bill
**Legislation Procures Additional KC-46 Pegasus Refueling Tankers, the Same Aircraft Replacing KC-135s at Pease Air National Guard Base** ** Shaheen-Backed Bill Authorizes Two Virginia-class Submarines-which are Maintained and Repaired at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard - to Help Avert Projected Submarine Shortfall** **Shaheen's Legislation to Crack Down on Fentanyl Coming from China & Mexico Passes as an Amendment** **Bill Includes Bipartisan Shaheen-Portman Legislation to Boost EPA Response t… Continue Reading
Shaheen Demands Congressional Approval before Any New Military Action Against Iran
SHAHEEN: "The American people should have a say on matters of war, and Congress is meant to be their voice" (Washington, DC)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement ahead of a scheduled vote tomorrow in the Senate on requiring congressional approval for military action against Iran: "The American people should have a say on matters of war, and Congress is meant to be their voice," said Shaheen. "That's why Congress' oversight role is enshrined in the constitution and … Continue Reading


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