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Tag / Literature
September 10, 2019 August 24, 2019 by along
Fiction Points: Amy Long
Amy Long, Fiction Points, Uncategorized
Books, Fiction Points, Literature, opioids, pain management, Writing
Amy Long is the author of Codependence: Essays (Cleveland State University Poetry Center 2019) and a founding member of the Points editorial board. She has worked for drug policy reform and free speech advocacy groups in California, D.C., and New York; as a bookseller at Bookpeople in Austin, TX; and as an English instructor at Virginia Tech and Northwest Florida State College. Her essays have appeared in Best American Experimental Writing 2015, Ninth Letter, Hayden's Ferry Review, and elsewhere, including as a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2018. Codependence is her first book.
Two nuns and a penguin approach you at a bar, and you tell them you're a writer. When they ask what you write about, how do you answer?
"Myself. I find myself inherently interest–sorry, I'm maybe having a Topamax flashback. You're sure that penguin's really here?" And then I'd probably ask the bartender for a cup of water, down a Klonopin, and run like mad out of there.
Points is primarily a blog for drug and alcohol historians. What do you think this audience would find most interesting about your work?
The juxtaposition of medicinal and recreational opioid use would probably most interest drug historians, as would the descriptions of "doctor shopping" in 2003 versus 2012 and 2015. All the events in Codependence take place prior to implementation of the 2016 CDC guideline, and it's harder now to find doctors who are willing to write opioids in doses high enough to actually control serious pain. My ex-boyfriend David, a major figure in the book, was a master doctor shopper back when it was still easy to get opioids from a doctor for any relatively believable pain complaint, and I doubt even he could get them now. I don't give him credit for much, but watching him trick doctors into writing him pain pills taught me how to act in pain management offices and is likely a major reason I'm still able to treat my intractable headaches with opioids in today's restrictive climate. It's not that I'm lying; I wish I were! But he taught me how to present myself and that presentation matters.
I also hope literary historians like reading a drug memoir that doesn't end in recovery or tie up in a neat bow. Feminist historians interested in relationships similar to the one I was in as an older teenager and college student might find something interesting about the emotionally abusive, codependent dynamic David and I share.
Scholars interested in gender disparities in medicine will hopefully appreciate reading about my experience as a pain patient with a "women's problem." I experiment with non-opioid headache medications, too, and depict my use of illicit drugs such as marijuana and LSD, which should interest historians who study medicine and pharmacology. I was also an early Suboxone adopter (at one point in the book, I get off opioids entirely and stay off for a year, but I go back to them after I get dependent on Advil–Advil!), and I write a good bit about how quitting alcohol (it's a migraine trigger) affects my social life, so there's something for everyone!
Mostly, though, I'm writing about opioids and other drugs, pain, addiction, dependence, recovery, and mental health in ways that I've never seen represented in literature, so the essays work as a sort of case studies in what it's been like to rely on opioids during the past 15-plus years.
What led you to write about drugs and alcohol in the first place?
I started Codependence in my MFA program. I always knew that I wanted to put these two kinds of drug-related experiences in conversation with each other, but I thought I'd write it as a novel until I took a creative nonfiction workshop with Matthew Vollmer in my second semester. That class totally changed the way I think about writing and even just being a person. I narrated my drug history in a medicine cabinet as my final project (if you're ever at Virginia Tech, ask Matthew if you can see it; he's its executor!) and used that as an outline for my thesis, which turned into this book. But drugs have been a big part of my life since I was 18, so I was always going to address it in some way. To me, Codependence is the book I had to write in order to ever write anything else. But my writing will probably always involve drugs in some way. I mean, I take three drugs right when I wake up; they're hard to ignore!
How would you describe the way that drugs function in your work, whether in terms of thematic concerns or the choices you make about how to craft a narrative? Do you think there are things that you wouldn't be able to explore as successfully if drugs weren't in your writing arsenal?
Nearly every decision I made had something to do with drugs. I needed a way to wrap a coming-of-age story into one about a druggy relationship and a medical memoir without using chronology to connect the dots. There's no way I could have left drugs out of the book. But I spent a lot of time thinking about how I'd use them. Codependence is an essay collection, but it's also a non-linear memoir or memoir in essays; the essays touch on different parts of or events from my life, but they create a distinct arc when you read all of them together, so I had to decide when it was right to introduce certain elements. For example, the first essay centers on me telling my mom that I'm back on opioids, and the second kind of sums up my relationship with David, but neither refers to the events depicted in the other, and readers have to figure out as they go how those two strands connect. I didn't want to spell it out, and there's a degree to which I don't know what it means that I used to take drugs for fun, and now I take them to treat chronic pain either, so building a sort of puzzle-like, incantatory narrative structure made up of essays that might not always seem related puts the reader in a position similar to mine, which is the other thing I most wanted to do: trap the audience in my body, my head, my pain so that the book mirrors both chronic pain and addiction and hopefully builds in some empathy (I know, I'm really great at selling this: "Let me trap you in my pain!").
About half the essays use received forms (I've seen them called hermit-crab essays, but I call them "formally inventive") such as a map or a series of glossary entries. One of my favorites is a set of six prescription-informatic-like essays that tell the story of my and David's relationship. After I wrote it, a friend said, "You've found your form! You could write the whole book like that," but I thought writing about drugs in a drug-label format would be too on the nose. I included the glossary in part because I wanted to catalog all the migraine and headache medications I've tried, but I also thought readers might need actual definitions of some things, especially since I can't assume that all my readers have had the prodigious drug experiences I've had! So, decisions about how to write about drugs played an important role in shaping the narrative, its structure, and the meanings it can make.
What do you personally find most interesting about how drugs work in your writing, and where do you see that interest leading you in future projects?
Mostly, I like that I blur the boundaries around medicinal and recreational drug use or abuse, and I'm interested in stories that don't really resolve at the book's end. In my next project, I'd like drugs to take something of a back seat to other themes, but I know what I want to write next, and I can't do it without writing about drugs again! And I like writing about drugs. Maybe what most interests me is looking at how to live in a drug-dependent body without letting drugs structure every interaction, every thought, every relationship, even though there is a way in which they have to for me.
BONUS QUESTION: Let's hope [oh, we hope!] Codependence gets made into a major motion picture. What song do you fantasize about hearing as the credits roll?
"Dance, Dance" by Castanets
Raymond Raposa, whose band is Castanets, and I are going on tour together this fall (we launch the book at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn on Sept. 14!), but I started thinking of that song as my "credits song" for a long time, way before I knew Ray and I were doing the tour (I have been thinking about this answer for literal years!). It just really captures the feelings and themes of the last essay and of the book as a whole. It's evocative and paints this kind of bleak but beautiful picture in a way that's similar to what the book does.
September 3, 2019 July 28, 2019 by along
Fiction Points: Eva Hagberg
Features, Fiction Points, Interview, Uncategorized
Addiction, Literature, Popular Culture, Recovery
Eva Hagberg, author of How to be Loved: A Memoir of Life-Saving Friendship (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2019), holds degrees in architecture from UC Berkeley and Princeton and a PhD in Visual and Narrative Culture from Berkeley, from which she received fellowships and awards for her research and teaching. She has written and published two books on architecture, Dark Nostalgia: Faultlessly Stylish Interiors (Thames & Hudson 2009) and Nature Framed: At Home in the Landscape (The Monacelli Press 2011). Her literary work, architectural criticism, and other writings have appeared in Dwell, Guernica, the New York Times, Tin House, and Wired among other venues.
Two nuns and a penguin approach you at a bar, and you tell them you're a writer. When they ask you what you write about, how do you answer?
Buildings and feelings.
Points is a blog primarily for drug and alcohol historians. What do you think this audience would find most interesting about your work?
Ideally its use as a future primary source document! Drugs and alcohol appear in the book both as plot points and also as mechanisms for understanding the particular cultural crisis we're in (have always been in?). While my experience is of course only my own, I can see how a historian might look at how our intense capitalist culture has led to total alienation has led to a desire to connect has led to, for me, the drive to connect through using drugs. There's a scene in the book in which I describe how cocaine gave me a sense of intimacy (false, of course!) that was all I craved. So a historian might wonder – why did I crave that intimacy? What about growing up in the eighties and nineties in the U.S., in the cultural milieu I grew up in, and living in NYC in the early 00's, led to my feeling that cocaine and alcohol were the best ways to relate to people? Then again, I was at a party last night and saw the youth doing drugs, and it seemed almost like nothing had changed. Have things changed in the last twenty years? That's for the historians.
I wanted the protagonist of my narrative to have some sort of cathartic arc – if the conceit of the book is that friendship saved my life, and friendship profoundly saved me (and that IS the conceit of the book), then the question is, well, okay, why did my life need to be saved? Why did friendship impact me so deeply? And one of the reasons was that I'd been so desperate to connect but so afraid to connect that I'd turned to powdered friends and liquid friends. I needed to write about the way in which I relied on drugs and alcohol, and then stopped relying on drugs and alcohol and replaced the reliance with friendship – and so it was important to try, to the best of my ability, to describe that replacement.
In the book, cocaine functions as a kind of alternative to the deep and profound friendship I experienced with Allison and Lauren, and a block to my earlier relationship with Leila. It's the wedge between me and the rest of the world, but of course at the time I thought it was my solution. In terms of crafting a narrative, I wanted to avoid cliches – there are so many amazing alcohol / drug memoirs, and I wanted to bring a precision and a specificity to the way in which I described how drugs and alcohol impacted me – at various points in time / the plot. If I'd had to somehow elide any mention of drugs, I imagine that the narrative wouldn't have worked as well – the reader would have wondered why I was so alienated from others, and what the locus of that alienation was.
People often ask me why I'm a memoirist, and the short answer is that I am just compelled to use my own life experiences as a primary medium. Everything that I intellectually metabolize seems to get metabolized through using my own observations, experiences, stories, etc. So drugs work in my writing in a similar way to how everything else I've experienced works – they're an available archive or series of pieces of evidence that I can use to build an argument. The argument of How to be Loved was that we have an inherently capitalist approach to illness – that with enough work, time, etc, we will get better – and that this capitalist approach towards recovery-as-progress actually leaves out a lot of the real growth / powerful experiences that I and many other extremely sick people experienced in the middle of being sick. So my experiences with drugs were just part of the available archive.
I will always write about myself and I will always have had experiences with drugs, so I imagine I will eventually write about my experiences with drugs again!
BONUS QUESTION: Let's hope that How to be Loved gets made into a major motion picture. If you have your choice, which is it, and what song do you fantasize about hearing as the credits roll?
I would love to see this as a major motion picture! I've been listening to Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" a lot lately – and relating to how afraid I was to change anything in my life that wasn't working for me. So many people told me to Wise Up, of course – but it took what it took. So it might be sort of ironically perfect.
August 20, 2019 August 20, 2019 by along
Fiction Points: Tracy Auerbach
Addiction, Literature, Popular Culture
Tracy Auerbach's YA debut, The Sin Soldiers (Parliament House 2019), is the first novel in her Fragments series. She is the author of one novel for adults, The Human Cure (48Fourteen 2011), and her short stories have been published in venues such as Micro-horror, the Writing Disorder and (Dis)ability anthologies. Auerbach previously wrote and taught STEM curricula for the New York Department of Education, and her academic work has appeared in Language Magazine.
I would tell the nuns that I write about human nature. I use fantasy as a vehicle for describing and exploring the inner workings of our psyches. I would warn them that my new book deals with the seven deadly sins, so maybe they should say a little prayer or something before they open it up. I would tell the penguin that humans are ridiculous creatures and that if he wants to be both amused and horrified he should have someone read The Sin Soldiers to him, or at least have someone with opposable thumbs turn the pages.
The Sin Soldiers is a post-apocalyptic story about a society that has figured out how to control soldiers by capitalizing on their addictions. These are scientists who have studied the role that drugs, alcohol, and other various addictive elements (food, rage, etc.) have played in our society, and they have weaponized it. Colored compounds have different effects on the soldiers in this world, but "blue compound" is the one that makes them literally unable to say no to their basest urges. The soldiers are also genetically engineered to be predisposed to addiction.
In my experience, there are two kinds of people in the world: moderates and 'more, more, more' people. I fall into the second category. I will finish the entire box of cookies or binge the entire Netflix series. Every. Time. Drugs and alcohol, and other addictive things, aren't usually good choices for me. And they aren't good for others who fall into my category. I'm continually fascinated by the way two people can be exposed to the same thing and have such incredibly different reactions. Books that deal with addiction of any kind speak to me, and I always write about what speaks to me.
I think that drugs can easily be substituted with anything that plays upon the pleasure center of the brain. But if human vice wasn't in my writing arsenal, then I'd have a problem. I employ human (or non-human) vice in most of my narratives as a vehicle to drive character motivation.
I think that the most interesting thing about drugs in my writing is how they provide an obstacle to the characters' more altruistic instincts. The intrapersonal conflict they create is definitely something that I'd love to explore more in future projects.
BONUS QUESTION: Let's hope that The Sin Soldiers gets made into a major motion picture. If you have your choice, which is it, and what song do you fantasize about hearing as the credits roll?
Yes, let's hope! I would definitely love for Radioactive by Imagine Dragons to play while the credits roll. That song is totally appropriate for The Sin Soldiers, and I listened to it often while I was writing.
August 13, 2019 July 28, 2019 by along
Fiction Points: Carla Sameth
Books, Literature, motherhood, Popular Culture, Race
Carla Sameth is the author of the memoir-in-essays One Day on the Gold Line (Black Rose Writing 2019). She teaches creative writing at the Los Angeles Writing Project at California State University Los Angeles, with Southern New Hampshire University, and to incarcerated teens through WriteGirl. She has attended and received financial support from the Vermont College of Fine Arts Post-Graduate Writers' Conference (2017-2019) and the Whidby Writers Workshop MFA Program, was selected for a PEN in the Community Teaching Artist Residency (2016), co-founded the Pasadena Writing Project, and has worked extensively to bring educational and career opportunities to underrepresented communities. Sameth earned an MFA in Creative Writing (Latin America) from Queens University of Charlotte. Her work can be found at Brevity, Mutha Magazine, the Nervous Breakdown and Narratively among other publications.
I'd say that I write about contemporary parenthood and "I see you are a blended family like ours."
I'd want to know if they found any of it difficult since I thought it was easy at first then not so much. Our family eventually unblended. I'd tell them that I hope their family stays intact.
I think that writing as a family member of those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction (both my wife and son are in recovery) provides a unique perspective. I write a lot about the process I went through understanding addiction as a disease, and looking at my own shit (including addictive behavior) and how I interacted with my son who struggled with alcohol and drug addiction in his teens.
Finding humor has been vital to my relationship with my son and my own survival. It's not always possible to find funny in the midst of tragic. But I often did see the humor and irony in dealing with addiction, and that is part of my story. My memoir includes a mock chapter of "What to Expect When Your Expecting: The Teenage Years, When Molly is Not a Schoolgirl." I once did a stand up set at a comedy club on dealing with addiction which included making fun of my own crazy, desperate behavior, as a mom. On the way to my son's first rehab, he came up with a whole rehab playlist including "Cocaine, Mary Jane and Dispensary Girl." When he was put on 5150 holds because of being a danger to himself due to drug overdose, he used to joke about rating the adolescent psych hospitals on Yelp.
I write about wanting to create safe sanctuary for our family. I thought my son having a lesbian mom, being African American and Jewish, being part of a blended family or even with a single mom would just make life richer for him but the reality was much harder. My memoir is about how I navigated life's challenges including race, identity, police violence, and my teenage son's struggle with addiction.
My son began to use drugs and alcohol in his teens and became sober at 18. I went through several years in and out of ERs and Adolescent Psych Wards with him, hearing from medical professionals that he might die as a result of his using. Or become incarcerated. Or homeless. None of these were alternatives I could wrap my head around but they were in front of my face. Also my son is biracial, African American and Jewish and so is particularly vulnerable to police violence. I wrote about my experience but my son also encouraged me to write my book (which included some of his story, from my perspective). We felt that other families going through similar struggles would benefit from reading about our experience and feel less alone, even if the story doesn't end tied up neatly in a bow.
I read other addiction memoirs, by addicts, alcoholics and by their family members. I didn't necessarily see my story, including the multi-racial, blended and single parent, queer mom parts. As the parent of a black son, my experience also included not wanting to take the recommended step at some point of calling the police since my son already stood a substantially higher risk of incarceration being African American.
Writing about drug addiction lent a certain urgency and reality to my story. I worried about things like lead when my son was young and we moved into an old house, but I didn't think about the possibility that he might grow up and become addicted to drugs or alcohol. I don't know if that was naïve or what. I might have suspected my son could be an addict since I almost had to take him to a 12-step program, "Nursing Anonymous" when he was young. There seemed to be no end in sight to his desire to nurse. I didn't want to have a four-year-old boy saying, "wanna nurse, wanna nurse" or coming home as a teenager asking, "Hey mom, can I borrow the car and what about a quick suck of the tit."
Seriously, I had multiple miscarriages before he was born and plenty else to write about but something about the drugs and alcohol added a new dimension to my writing and reading. I don't think that I would reach the same audience I'm hoping to reach or be able to tell the same story without this experience. Also the transformative aspects of recovery for my son and I contributed to the narrative. I'm currently writing fiction where addiction to drugs and alcohol also figures into the family dynamic. I also write about addiction in my poetry (I write multi-genre).
I don't think I'm completely done with writing about drugs and drug use. As a mother, you never get over the fear of your child's relapse. I also think that I could use a little self-examination about my tendency to turn to alcohol or a pill to deal with anxiety and "take the edge off." I have written about fantasizing about trying heroin because I've been told that it is like Demerol, which I have had during medical procedures. For someone so prone to anxiety, the relief Demerol offered was amazing, the sense that "everything will be ok." If I didn't think it might kill me and/or impact my son's recovery and really complicate my life, I would want to try heroin. I've been asked to write more about thoughts on treatment, specifically 12-Step programs. I had a lot of issues with the whole emphasis on Christianity and God (though it is said to not be religious but spiritual). Also, as a mom, you don't want to see your son hit bottom. I do go to Al-Anon (I'm outing myself). I agree with one author – it might have been William Cope Moyers (son of Bill Moyers) who wrote Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption and talked about the down side of anonymity. Because when I started talking about drugs and alcohol, more people came out and spoke about their own struggles. Resources and support might not be easily found if we remain silent. Parents of addicts often also feel a sense of shame—as in what might we have done to have caused this?
BONUS QUESTION: Let's hope that One Day on the Gold Line gets made into a major motion picture. If you have your choice, which is it, and what song do you fantasize about hearing as the credits roll?
I actually did a whole play list since music figures big in my life with my son. It's on Spotify and it's hard to decide which song would be the best fit, there are so many. May I name several?
A medley including:
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" – Nina Simone
"La Vida es un Carnaval" – Celia Cruz
"You Want it Darker" – Leonard Cohen
"Ohh Child" – The Five Stairsteps
"All I Really Need" – Raffi
"We Got to Get Out of This Place" – The Animals
"This Little Light of Mine" – Soweto Gospel Choir
"Here Comes the Sun" – Beatles
"Piel Canela" – Eydie Gorme y los Panchos
"Can't Feel My Face" – The Weeknd
"Dear Mama" – Tupac
Dispensary Girl – Wax
To Zion – Ms. Lauryn Hill and Carlos Santana
P.S. My first choice might have been "Hero" by Family of the Year but that's been used in Boyhood. I also had "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon at the top of the list but given the recent movie (and book by this title by David Sheff) I left it off.
August 6, 2019 August 9, 2019 by along
Fiction Points: Sarah Stone
Addiction, Literature, Mental Illness, Popular Culture
Sarah Stone is the author of the novels The True Sources of the Nile (Doubleday 2002) and Hungry Ghost Theater (WTAW Press 2018). She co-edited with Ron Nyren, her spouse and writing partner, two instructional fiction-writing texts. Stone holds an MFA from the University of Michigan and teaches creative writing in the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and Stanford Continuing Studies. She has received fellowships from the Bread Loaf and Sewanee writers' conferences. Her writing has appeared in the Believer, the Millions, Ploughshares, the San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere.
I love that these nuns and this penguin are out on the town. I want to hear all about them and how they got here. Once they tell me their story, if they insist on hearing about my work, I might tell them I write about family, about artists and activists, about people who want to save the world but get in their own and each others' ways, about the construction of identity, about mental illness and addictions of various kinds. My newest novel, Hungry Ghost Theater, has four generations of a half-Jewish family wrestling with these questions. The book has multiple pieces that move around in time and place, from San Francisco to Seoul, from theater spaces to psychiatric hospitals, from Zanzibar to the Santa Cruz Mountains, and into and through a series of Sumerian and Tibetan hells. It's the first book of a trilogy – I'm currently working back and forth between the other two books. I would love to talk to the nuns and the penguin about the ineffable and actual, animals and humans, and how they conceive of reality.
The mixture of self-awareness and self-deception in addicts and alcoholics and in everyone around them. A lot of the psychological mechanisms of alcohol and drug addiction show up in my fiction among characters who know their own vulnerabilities but are also full of denial. They're honest with each other and also deceptive and self-deceiving. They're idealists, artists, activists, scientists – they wrestle with their addictions but aren't defined by their addictions. There's much more to them than their weaknesses. I'm especially interested in the predicaments of those who are self aware but vulnerable to the emergence of self-destructive selves, pleasure-or-oblivion-seeking selves. And therefore vulnerable to relapse, despite all their knowledge.
Family history, as with so many other writers. Addiction, both drug and alcohol, moves down through the generations in predictable and sometimes unpredictable patterns. The mechanisms of addiction and codependence feel so common, but every person, and every family, has their own story, their own particular ways of living this out. One of my characters, a mother, is so tired of being the enabler. In her next life, she thinks, she's going to be the perpetrator.
Although the language in my work tends to be clear and straightforward, the structures are often fragmented: a collage of different versions of the truth. Drugs and alcohol are only one manifestation of addictive living. Probably I wouldn't see the world in this way if I came from a different family background.
Hungry Ghost Theater moves among different kinds of addictive experience – the longing for drugs and resistance to those longings, the deceptive self-talk, the family member reassuring herself that she's not looking at someone in the middle of a relapse. And it looks at the connection between altered experience and mental illness, from the way drug use can be self-medication for mental conditions to the long-term cognitive effects of substances. I especially like having a big range of perspectives. And there's some question about the boundaries of reality and imagination. The book doesn't completely vote on what's real, what's theater, what's hallucination.
BONUS QUESTION: Let's hope that Hungry Ghost Theater gets made into a major motion picture. If you have your choice, which is it, and what song do you fantasize about hearing as the credits roll?
The chapter I could most see as a movie is the one in which an affective neuroscientist and her lawyer/war historian husband go to Seoul to try to rescue their daughter from her newest meth relapse. It's about the triangle between them, about what this episode (and all those that have come before) have done to their relationship, and about the difference between the lives we imagine for ourselves and those we actually live. Credits song: Björk's "Human Behavior."
July 30, 2019 July 27, 2019 by along
Fiction Points: Jamie Beth Cohen
Features, Fiction Points
Alcohol, Alcoholism, Books, Literature, Popular Culture
Jamie Beth Cohen is the author of Wasted Pretty (Black Rose Writing 2019), a YA coming-of-age novel that explores growing up as a girl in a pre-#metoo era. Cohen earned a BFA in English from George Mason University and a master's degree in higher education administration from City University of New York. Her work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post, at Teen Vogue, in the anthology Crossing Limits: African Americans and American Jews, and elsewhere. She lives in Lancaster County, PA.
I'd probably quote my own bio and say, "I write about difficult things, but my friends think I'm funny!" Seems like a punchline to a joke, right? Hopefully they'd laugh, and if they let me expand, I'd explain that because I'm both a fiction writer and a non-fiction writer, I get to write about a wide range of topics I find interesting. My published non-fiction includes essays on parenting, feminism, Judaism, politics, end of life issues, and more. My published fiction generally centers on teens and twenty-somethings going through growing pains. My debut novel, Wasted Pretty, published by Black Rose Writing in April 2019, is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl who is noticed for her appearance for the first time and all the things that are exciting, annoying and, in her case, dangerous about that moment.
Alice, the main character in Wasted Pretty, is not a big drinker, but her best friend Meredith is. Meredith experiments with diet pills and recreational drugs as well. But Chris Thompson, the college guy Alice has a crush on is sober. He crashed and burned during his freshman year, largely due to excessive drinking, so he's working hard to put himself back together. The more time Alice spends with Chris the more her friend's substance use bothers her.
Also, Alice's dad is a gambling addict in the throes of his addiction. There are interesting parallels and counterpoints between what Chris went through as a teenage alcoholic and how he's handling it and what Alice's dad is going through as an adult who does not have a handle on his addiction.
Additionally, in one scene, Alice wants to make a "bad" choice. She knows it's wrong, but she's determined to do it anyway, so she gets drunk, as if to have some plausible deniability after the fact. However, she's not prepared for the reality that her bad decision has unintended and far-reaching consequences. Continue reading →
January 12, 2017 February 7, 2019 by sarahbradysiff
Fish Stories: The Drug Wars' Unreliable Narrator
Sarah Siff
Federal Bureau of Narcotics, federal government, Literature, Popular Culture, War on Drugs
Given the Saturday Evening Post's homogenous readership in 1926, we can forgive novice journalist Harry J. Anslinger for embroidering this lead into his article, "Tiger of the Sea": "A moving picture with a South Sea scene is hardly complete unless the native hero, with a long dagger held between his teeth, balances his weight on the edge of a canoe to prepare for a dive to kill the shark that is between him and the precious pearl which he risks his life for to offer to the daughter of the white missionary whose beauty has captivated him."
The reference to film is unsurprising, given Anslinger's later fascination with Hollywood and his obsession with celebrity drug use. Students of American drug prohibition might also recognize this sort of dangerous interracial romance as an ever-present theme in Anslinger's writing. But I want to discuss something more basic about Anslinger and his work: truthfulness.
The cover of the issue in which "Tiger of the Sea" appeared
The article goes on to describe how sharks have gained a mistaken reputation as killers of humans while actually, the vicious barracuda – a quick-moving fish with razors for teeth – is the real "tiger of the sea." The shark, writes Anslinger, is actually "the scavenger of the sea … usually found hovering near slaughter-house drains. He invariably follows fishing craft homeward bound to gather the fish refuse cast overboard. … He is wary of live bait." Barracudas are the real perpetrators, he writes, of many supposed attacks by "the innocent shark."


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July 23, 2022 Starting Thursday, July 28, as per guidance from the Ontario government, children aged six months to under five years will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Parents and caregivers will be able to book paediatric...
July 8, 2022 - Newsletter
Today's wifi and reception outages with Rogers have thrown everyone for a loop! Thank you all for your patience with one another — I hope that the impacts to your day have been minimal, particularly for our small businesses and...
New Affordable Housing Projects in #BEY
It's no secret - Toronto is facing a housing crisis, and we need an all hands on deck approach to find solutions. Working with our government partners is one piece of the puzzle. Today we announced 7 new affordable housing projects...
Mayor John Bauters Visits Toronto!
Welcome to Toronto, Mayor John Bauters! Great to have the Mayor of Emeryville, California here in Toronto to talk road safety and active commuting, show him how our city has benefited from investments in cycling infrastructure, and pick up some...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Support for building Python eggs ( IZ #150283) from NetBeans IDE is now available in the repository. (Refer this link to see how you can clone the repository and build the Python bits). Please try it and file bugs and suggestions here.
Now, I would like to talk a bit of Python Eggs and how to use the NetBeans IDE to build Eggs for your Python packages.
A Python Egg is to Python as JAR is to Java or a 'gem' is to Ruby. It comprises of your code, resources and all important metadata- version, dependency information, etc. All the gory details are here at http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs.
If you already have a setup.py file (Please refer the 'assumptions' section below) , and a do a 'Build Egg' it uses that. (Do a 'Clean & Build Egg' to create a default setup.py file. If you don't have a setup.py, one is created for you.
It is not viewable from the Projects window as it unnecessarily clutters the view.
The wiki page has some more information.


text:
Gene Simmons: I sang like my grandmother on I Was Made For Loving You
By Scott Munro ( Classic Rock ) published 16 October 18
Gene Simmons reveals that he hates playing 1979 Kiss classic I Was Made For Loving You live… all because of its catchy, signature melody
(Image credit: Sergei Fadeichev\TASS - Getty)
Gene Simmons says he hates playing Kiss classic I Was Made For Loving You… all because of its signature melody.
The Kiss star was a guest of OK Magazine when he was asked to name a Kiss song he didn't like but one that still went on to become a hit.
He says that when Paul Stanley first introduced him to the track, which appeared on their 1979 album Dynasty, he was immediately impressed with Stanley's opening lyrics.
But when Gene asked what his part was, he was told it would be the catchy chorus melody.
Simmons said to Stanley: "'You're killing me. I'm going to sing like my grandmother?'
"I hate playing that song today. Stadiums full of people jumping up and down like biblical locusts. They go nuts jumping up and down and I'm going, 'Do, do, do, do, do, do, kill me now.'
"Still to this day I hate that song."
Watch the video interview below.
Last week, Stanley said he didn't think another Kiss album would happen before they call it quits on their End Of The Road farewell tour.
He said: "No. I don't think so. It's a different time now. I could write Let It Be and people would still say, 'That's great. Now play Detroit Rock City.'"
Further tour details will be revealed in due course.
Scott Munro
Scott looks after Louder's online buyer's guides and also scouts out the best deals for music fans from every corner of the internet. He's spent more than 25 years in newspapers and magazines and in 2014 joined our news desk, where he wrote extensively about rock, metal, prog and more. Scott has previous written for the Daily Record, Sunday Mirror, The Herald and IGN.
Cocaine, Quaaludes and chaos: the Casablanca Records story
Why I ❤ Frank Zappa's Apostrophe ('), by Steve Harley
Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and the 'beautiful contrast' of Raise The Roof
Chicago: Chicago II - Album Of The Week Club review
Red Hot Chili Peppers and Motley Crue among the 10 best paid artists of 2021


text:
How a Financial Panic Helped Launch the New York Stock Exchange
A photo of the restored mural reimagining the signing of the Buttonwood Agreement at 1792, the bar and restaurant at the New York Stock Exchange.
Courtesy of the New York Stock Exchange
By Olivia B. Waxman
Long before One World Trade Center towered over Lower Manhattan, an American sycamore or buttonwood tree on Wall Street was the tallest thing in the area, and the center of commerce. It was 225 years ago, May 17, 1792, under that very tree, that 24 stockbrokers and merchants signed the so-called Buttonwood Agreement, establishing the parameters for trading in the first incarnation of the New York Stock Exchange.
They agreed that they'd only trade with each other and represent the interests of the public, which meant that the confidence that they had in each other was the confidence that they had in the market. In other words, they wouldn't have to be worrying about selling bad stock or competition over commission rates, so the prices charged would reflect the value of the stock, not some other factor.
The exact text reads:
We the Subscribers, Brokers for the Purchase and Sale of Public Stock, do hereby solemnly promise and pledge ourselves to each other, that we will not buy or sell from this day for any person whatsoever, any kind of Public Stock, at a less rate than one quarter per cent Commission on the Specie value and that we will give a preference to each other in our Negotiations. In Testimony whereof we have set our hands this 17th day of May at New York. 1792.
The trades they made at the time were what would be considered commodities trading, according to Peter Asch, the New York Stock Exchange's historian. In the late 1700s, available stock was limited to insurance companies, the Bank of New York, the First Bank of the United States and "Hamilton Bonds" that Alexander Hamilton had decided to issue to deal with America's Revolutionary War debt. (The system was considered risky and criticized for making the wealthy wealthier.)
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The agreement was an attempt to establish some rules after the 1792 financial panic, at which point there had been no rules or safeguards, and a lot of deals were reneged on. The panic had been instigated by the actions of the speculator William Duer, who borrowed to make trades until he found that he couldn't borrow anymore.
"He was betting that the market was going to go down while everyone else was betting that it was going to go up," as economic historian Robert E. Wright puts it, until he ran out of money. "He stops making payments, so everyone is out their money and starts wondering who lent to Duer and if those people would make their payments." The situation was similar, Wright adds, to what happened more recently when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and people started wondering who the firm owed money to. So people panicked, and started selling. The more they sold, the more prices dropped, making people panic even more — until Alexander Hamilton worked with the First Bank of the United States to stop the panic.
Brokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement as a way to reestablish confidence and encourage people to start investing again.
"It's profitable to be in this club, so you're going to follow the rules because you want to remain in the club," as Wright describes the rationale. "They might lose on one deal, but being in the club is so lucrative that they know they'll make it back on another day. When you all know each other, why screw each other?"
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com.
Americans' Feelings About Paying Taxes Have Changed. Here's How


Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, the sequel to the critically acclaimed RPG Pillars of Eternity, will launch on PC next year.
In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, you'll embark on a dangerous voyage of discovery as you hunt down a god to save your soul.
Every aspect of Deadfire has been improved and expanded since the original game, according to the developers. That includes more detailed graphics, deeper game mechanics, increased player choice, a new companion relationship system, streamlined combat, and an entirely new, hand-crafted adventure.
You'll find yourself on the titular "Deadfire" Archipelago region by ship, where you'll discover new races, visit exotic islands, and, most importantly, get to choose your allies.


Many times in application we need to calculate height of UITextView to make it grow and shrink according to the text contained within it.
Now many of you will say calculating height of UITextView is not a big deal.
Yes its true for iOS6 and below version. But not true from iOS7 and higher.
In iOS6 we can get height of a UITextView simply using the contentSize.
In iOS7 may be it's a bug or due to deprecation, contentSize does not provide you the accurate height of the UITextView.
// we have to calculate it.
// available only on ios7.0 sdk.


text:
<?php
class Bootstrap
{
	protected $application;
	protected $appDirectory;
	protected $cmsDirectory;

	public function __construct()
	{
		$this->application  = '@APPLICATION@';
		$this->appDirectory = $this->application == 'site' ? '' : '/' . $this->application;
		$this->cmsDirectory = '@CMS_ROOT@';
	}

	protected function initApp()
	{
		JFactory::getApplication($this->application);
	}

	public function init()
	{
		$this->assertPhpVersion('5.3.10');

		$this->setServerHttpVars();
		$this->getDefines();
		$this->getFramework();
		$this->getLoader();
		$this->getHelpers();

		$this->initApp();
	}

	protected function assertPhpVersion($version)
	{
		if (version_compare(PHP_VERSION, $version, '<'))
		{
			throw new ErrorException("Your host needs to use PHP $version or higher to run this version of Joomla!");
		}
	}

	protected function setServerHttpVars()
	{
		$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']       = 'localhost';
		$_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] = 'none';
	}

	protected function getDefines()
	{
		define('_JEXEC', 1);

		if (file_exists($this->cmsDirectory . "{$this->appDirectory}/defines.php"))
		{
			include_once $this->cmsDirectory . "{$this->appDirectory}/defines.php";
		}

		if (!defined('_JDEFINES'))
		{
			define('JPATH_BASE', $this->cmsDirectory . $this->appDirectory);
			require_once JPATH_BASE . "/includes/defines.php";
		}
	}

	protected function getLoader()
	{
		require_once $this->cmsDirectory . '/libraries/cms.php';
	}

	protected function getFramework()
	{
		require_once JPATH_BASE . "/includes/framework.php";
	}

	protected function getHelpers()
	{
		if ($this->application == 'administrator')
		{
			require_once JPATH_BASE . "/includes/helper.php";
			require_once JPATH_BASE . "/includes/toolbar.php";
		}
		if ($this->application == 'site')
		{
		}
	}
}

$bootstrap = new Bootstrap;
$bootstrap->init();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In continuation of the awareness efforts of the National Anti-Corruption Commission "Nazaha" in cooperation with Nazaha clubs to contribute to the development of self-monitor of students in educational institutions, received the Director of Nazaha branch in the Eastern Province, HE Mr. Abdul Karim bin Saleh al-Maliki, , Members of the students of Nazaha clubs at the University of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal in Dammam, and a number of faculty members, on Sunday, 18/11/2018.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Director of Nazah's branch in the Eastern Region welcomed the delegation of the club members, pointing out the importance of partnership with universities and activating them to spread the culture of protecting integrity and fighting corruption. Two presentations were presented to the students to introduce the work of the Commission, and the national strategy for maintaining integrity and fighting corruption. A presentation on Nazaha clubs in universities, and he received student inquiries and answered them.
The visit comes within the framework of Nazaha's cooperation with government and private entities, especially educational, in the field of protecting integrity and combating corruption, and complement the efforts of awareness and education by governmental and private entities in cooperation with the commission.


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text:
Rabble, Straight Goods, Indymedia
Angela Boyd
A little newspaper turned up on my Toronto doorstep at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue in September 2004. It was only 16 pages long, scarcely bulky enough to contain the colour flyers tucked inside. Big corporate flyers, too, like Canadian Tire, No Frills, and Pharma Plus. The flyers outweighed the newspaper four to one.
The insignificant-looking paper, called The City Centre Moment, is the newest tentacle in a newspaper behemoth that has reached into every neighbourhood of Toronto except Parkdale, and the inside delivery to condominiums. The behemoth in question, Torstar Corp., owns the largest daily newspaper in Canada, The Toronto Star, and an ever-expanding community newspaper division called Metroland. The Moment is a Metroland paper, and its Toronto division is called Toronto Community News. The Moment is one of eight TCN papers in Toronto, most going by the name "Guardian" or "Mirror." Most publish several sub-editions.
Deborah Bodine, the managing editor of TCN, says Metroland is committed to serving all areas of Toronto. Flyers are its largest source of revenue and the company bills itself on its website as providing one-stop shopping for multi-market advertisers. Metroland owns 65 papers and distributes 110 editions across Ontario and is the most profitable division of Torstar. Besides community newspapers, Metroland also distributes specialty publications – Forever Young for seniors, City Parent, Renters, an alternative weekly, eye, andMetro, the commuter daily.
Metroland has a reputation for being a category killer – gobbling up independent papers, scooping up ad revenue, and replacing independent editorial voices with its own bland, feel-good copy. That happened in Port Perry and Oakville.
Toronto, however, is the most competitive newspaper market in North America. Here, local community papers hold their own against the giant. Still, it's hard to say what fresh local editorial points of view are not heard because of Metroland, especially in new neighbourhoods, or those without a strong sense of community. There is a finite amount of reading time and ad revenue in any city.
Despite its size, Metroland does not have a clear shot at overtaking all community voices in Toronto. Looking closely, I find a local paper in every community, whether or not it's a Metroland product. There's the St. Lawrence News Bulletin, the East Toronto Courier, the Annex Gleaner. Toronto is alive with newspaper activity, particularly in the older neighbourhoods. Hundreds of cultural, language, ethnic, and community enthusiasts define their interests with community papers. Even small chains that cater to local interests seem to find a home in Toronto neighbourhoods. It is impossible to tally all their numbers, as many independents do not join an association like the Ontario Community Newspaper Association.
Don Lamont, the executive director of the OCNA, says if there is a need, someone will fill it. "There's a lot of room for good newspapers," he says. On the other hand, it doesn't matter who owns the paper – if it isn't filling some need, it won't last, he adds.
Just the same, Metroland can last a lot longer than any competitor. The Moment is an easy read. Its editorial hole is filled with full-colour, front-page pictures of children or school sports teams, two to four news stories, a sprinkling of features on local people and events, a few community briefs, and lots and lots of columns. I used to write one about general educational topics for the Scarborough Mirror for a short time. The content of the columns in The Moment is mostly local – a restaurant review, a gallery opening, a local house for sale, a review of local shops.
Bodine says effort was made recently to bring all TCN papers under one design format – except, it turns out, for The Moment. Since it serves an upscale demographic, it was given a more elegant treatment.
The diversity of Toronto's population, says Bodine, makes it imperative that each of their papers focuses on the unique character of the neighbourhood it serves. That's true, but only to a small extent. Forty per cent ofThe Moment is family-friendly editorial content, a scant half of which is local. Many stories could run anywhere in Toronto. Reporter Dave Nickle covers Toronto City Hall stories for all TCN papers. Editorials I found in The Moment are written on topics such as the importance of flu shots, the future of the Toronto waterfront, and how Torontonians can help tsunami victims. It's a mini Toronto Star on a big ad day.
This is not true of the other two community papers in my area, both of which are also owned by smaller chains. The Forest Hill Village Crier is one of eight community Crier newspapers that, together, serve central Toronto residential areas. They're owned by Multimedia Nova Corp., whose other community papers are in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Managing-editor Eric McMillan says his papers average a 50/50 advertising/editorial ratio, and all editorial content is local. "We wouldn't do a story about something that's happening in Toronto general," he says. Crier content is "local, local, local."
The Crier papers don't even bother to report from City Hall unless it concerns a local issue, like a recent tree-cutting bylaw that wasn't passed soon enough to save some 150-year-old trees on Stayner Avenue. In a recent edition, the Forest Hill Village Crier's opinion page supported the St. Clair Avenue-transit-lane decision. In another, McMillan commented on how big developers usually get their way over the residents who want to preserve neighbourhoods. A close examination of several issues reveals some stories of Toronto-wide interest, but the large majority are "local, local, local."
My other local paper, the monthly Village Post, one of six in a privately owned chain, calls itself a newspaper/magazine blend. It has a glossy celebrity cover and a sprinkling of local well-known columnists, like David Suzuki and Rebecca Eckler. Its content is local and offbeat. Heavy with columns and features on local residents like "How We Met" and "Post Graduates," it also tells me which streets had break-ins in the past month and gives me thumbnail sketches of new business openings. The Post is currently adding new design features. "We are definitely flourishing," says editor Ron Johnson. The editors of both publications claim a healthy bottom line.
So does Sheila Blinoff at the Beach Metro Community News – but she has the advantage of capitalizing on volunteer spirit. The Beach Metro is a thriving, old-fashioned, small-town paper. Edited by Blinoff since its inception 32 years ago, it's a non-profit paper with seven full-time employees and one part-timer. It is very much tied into the community, with 350 delivery volunteers. The oldest, says Blinoff, is a 95-year-old gentleman who delivers to houses that don't have steps. Blinoff limits the number of ad insertions for each advertiser so the paper can accommodate its waiting list. "We are a bit of an anomaly, a very successful anomaly," she says. "Competition keeps us on our toes – we're not complacent."
The Beach Metro takes on local issues with glee. Blinoff is firmly behind the group of residents backing local heritage designation for a segment of Balmy Beach. Local pro development residents had to go to the Beach Riverdale Town Crier, a sister paper to the Forest Hill Village Crier, to get their views covered. A true community debate was played out in local papers.
So where did the local TCN franchise, the Beach/Riverdale Mirror, land on the discussion? They covered the issue "lightly," says TCN-reporter Nickle. He points out that the paper covers a larger geographical area than the Beach Metro, and tends to stay away from very local disputes. The TCN is being watched very closely by its competitors. Blinoff says the chain tried to buy out the Beach Metro a few years ago. She acknowledges Metroland's clout and says it could wipe her out in a flash if it went head to head with her paper by undercutting her ad rates. When she retires, someone will have to be found who is willing to put her life and heart into the paper. She worries the Beach/Riverdale Mirror will make its move then.
So far, The Moment hasn't made much of a splash in my neighbourhood, averaging two letters to the editor per issue. Often the issues discussed aren't even local. McMillan, editor of the Forest Hill Village Crier told me he'd heard so little from his newest competitor, he thought maybe they'd closed shop. Not likely. How else would I get my flyers?
Angela Boyd was the Columns Editor for the Spring 2005 issue of the Ryerson Review of Journalism.


Here you will find relevant links to authorities, organisations, institutions and associations in the field of medical devices.
The list is not exhaustive in the areas specified.
BMG is responsible for the legal foundations for the protection of human health, provided they do not come under the state's line of duty.
The authorisation of medicinal products, registration of homeopathic drugs, evaluation of the side effects of drugs and medical devices, as well as legal traffic control of narcotics are some of the main tasks of BfArM.
PEI is responsible for the authorisation and regular inspections of vaccines, sera, immune diagnostics, products derived from human blood or plasma, as well as the risk evaluation of in vitro diagnostics.
Since 1975 DIN has been recognized by the German government as the national standards body and represents German interests at international and European level.
The German Medical Technology Association (BVMed), a trade association from the medical device industry domain.
EDMA represents the European in vitro diagnostics/medical laboratory tests industry. You can request information on the EDMS classification.
A non-profit Institute for Scientific Counselling and Advanced Training in Medical Technology.
MedTech Europe represents manufacturers and associations in the field of medical devices troughout Europe.
The FDA is an U.S. American organisation of public health working for consumer protection in the field of foods, cosmetics, drugs, medical devices etc. Medical Device Reporting and Recall Reports are issued on medical devices.
VDGH is a trade association of corporations from the field of laboratory diagnostics.
Open Working Committee of medical technology specialists.
Working group of the medical ethics committees.
Information systems for companies on the subjects medical technology, services and facilities, laboratory and chemical analysis, rehabilitation, nursing and medical devices.


text:
The world's first virtual reality showroom: Fiat Metaverse Store
The Fiat Metaverse Store is the first ever metaverse-powered interactive showroom, making it the undisputed industry leader in providing an innovative and user-friendly brand experience. Fiat's new idea is the first to power a full-fledged transaction in the metaverse. This will change the way the company serves its customers in a big way.
The Fiat Product Genius is a real person who works at the Fiat Metaverse Store and can immediately help you with any product questions.
"At Fiat, we're leading the pack again by providing a refreshingly novel and easy-to-navigate brand experience for our customers." The Fiat Metaverse Store is the first in the automobile industry and does it in classic Fiat fashion. It's like magic: a real-life, guided exploration of the Fiat universe. The technology is "simple and user-friendly, in keeping with the philosophy of "tech it easy," and accessible to everybody," as proclaimed by Olivier Francois, CEO of Fiat and Global CMO of Stellantis.
As the company's CEO put it, "In brief, it is our way of making our customer experience customized, owing to the interaction with a person, and even simpler, in keeping with our social mission to address the present need for simplifying people's lives." Thanks to a new human-assisted, rapid, realistic, and stress-free process, clients can now learn about and buy the new Fiat 500 La Prima by Bocelli without leaving the comfort of their own homes, a first-of-its-kind feature will be available across the full new Fiat 500e lineup by the year's end. In addition, beginning in Italy, Our Revolutionary Customer Journey will be made available in additional markets by the beginning of 2023, and customers will be able to peruse a wide selection of models in the Metaverse Store.
The Fiat Metaverse Store is the result of a joint effort between Touchcast and Microsoft to create a unique shopping environment for the Fiat brand. With Touchcast's Metaverse-as-a-Service platform, users may access the metaverse without needing virtual reality headsets, avatars, or specific hardware, thanks to its foundation on the Microsoft Cloud. The outcome is a unique immersion that combines digital and tactile elements.
Customers can go "inside" Fiat instantly thanks to the Fiat Metaverse Store. Once inside, the Product Genius will "greet" the customer, and the two of them will be able to look around the car from all angles, learn about the car's technology, and discuss topics such as electric mobility, charging methods, and the contents of the new Fiat 500 electric car. In addition, the buyer can check in on the car's infotainment system, its various driving modes, and even its electric charging process. Customers can observe the model's transformation by selecting its body style, exterior color, interior fabric, and other options. On top of that, Fiat's virtual reality tool lets you experience what it's like to drive the new Fiat 500 La Prima by Bocelli on the La Pista 500 right in the palm of your hand.
The Product Genius is accessible around the clock (Monday through Friday, 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) to better serve clients and accommodate their schedules.
The new Fiat Metaverse Store is the latest step in the company's effort to simplify and modernize the customer experience, building on the foundation laid by the new range's configuration a few weeks ago.
In addition to the digital-only experience, the buyer could take a test drive at the nearest car dealership.
Update: A first for the industry, the Fiat Metaverse Store was unveiled to the public at 2023 CES.
Fiat Metaverse Store
Fiat 500e
Electric city cars
By freedofollow.link, 3 December, 2022
The new Fiat 500 electric car participates in the second edition of Rom-E
From the 1st to the 2nd of October, Fiat will participate in the second edition of Rom-E, an eco-sustainability festival supported by the… Continue reading...
The Fiat 500 electric car in "Good morning, Dolce Vita" flash mob
The Fiat 500 electric car has become a global symbol of the Italian Dolce Vita. It was the ideal partner for the flash mob "Buongiorno, Dolce… Continue reading...
The new Fiat 500C Dolcevita Edition and Fiat 500X Dolcevita Edition with hybrid drives
The new unique Fiat 500C Dolcevita Edition and Fiat 500X Dolcevita Edition are the ultimate manifestations of the legendary "dolce vita"… Continue reading...
Clarios' new AGM batteries maximize the performance of electric vehicles
The EU's target is to cut CO2 emissions from automobiles by 40% by 2030 compared to 2021. As a result, car manufacturers must produce cars… Continue reading...
Hyundai IONIQ 6 is named Best in Class by Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP has announced the safest vehicles for 2022. The independent vehicle evaluation organization had its busiest year last year, with 66 new passenger… Continue reading...
Behind the scenes of Peugeot electric cars manufacturing
Due to the growing number of electrified models, Peugeot and the rest of the Stellantis Group are training more specialists to build and repair these… Continue reading...
The Citroen Ami electric vehicle is the prize of a competition organized by Athens Metro Mall
Those who spend over €50 at the Southern Suburbs' favorite shopping center between now and January 20, 2023, will be entered into the season's… Continue reading...
The new Volvo EX90 features superior LiDAR technology
Volvo has been a leader in car safety for nearly 100 years, with a clear objective to eradicate car accidents. Volvo is constantly working to… Continue reading...


text:
chaos section
Cynthia Tarana
A.G. House
Teri Wills Allison
Adam Hinds
Tim Propst
Willie B. Lakey
Justin Nafziger
Rachel Zimmerman
Nick Allison
War Pragmatism
CS / December 2, 2018
This is an article about war. In it, I will not discuss nor urge peace, at least not directly, as I have done tirelessly for many years, and will, I am sure, do again. My perspective will be, therefore, not of a peace advocate, but of a warrior who has seen the futility of war and endured the needless death of close friends and comrades.
US Soldier in Afghanistan. Photograph: Max Whittaker/Corbis
The reason for changing the focus of my writing is not because I have become apathetic, or frustrated with the struggle for peace, or convinced of war's inevitability. On the contrary, I remain totally committed to the task of ending war.
On this occasion, however, my intent is to engage those readers, and there have been many, who have found my previous writing and arguments for peace overly theoretical, unrealistic, even unpatriotic, and were not hesitant to tell me so, many choosing to attack my character and credibility rather than to demonstrate flaws in my argument.
Also, in this era of a Trump inspired renewed nationalism, I will not moralize about the plight of war's victims – Afghans, Iraqis, Syrians, Yeminis, even members of the American military – despite my propensity as a philosopher focusing on ethics, to do so. Rather, I will discuss whether this nation's obsession with militarism and war is a pragmatic response to the very real and serious problems we face in the world today. I am writing, therefore, in behalf of the country I love and of my comrades still in harm's way struggling for survival on some far-off battlefield or at home suffering the aftermath of war.
Promises Unkept
During two George W. Bush Administrations, two Barack Obama Administrations, and now the Administration of Donald Trump, though promised a resolution of the Post 9/11 conflicts, the wars continue with no end in sight. As a former Marine Corps officer with service in Vietnam, I understand how difficult it is to achieve victory in asymmetrical warfare. I understand as well the propensity of governing officials to continue the war and their reluctance to end our involvement, as we were eventually required to do in Vietnam, for fear that "walking away" would be to acknowledge defeat, tarnish our prestige in the world and our reputation as an invincible superpower, embolden the "insurgents," and admit that the expenditure of trillions of dollars was for naught – $5.9 trillion according to a new study released by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Perhaps most demoralizing, is the claim that ending the war would devalue the sacrifices of so many brave American men, women, and their families – according to the same study, of the 480,000 human beings killed, nearly 7,000 were U.S. service members, 8,000 U.S. contractors, and more than 244,000 civilians.
After years of invasion, occupation, bombing, and boots on the ground have failed to achieve a successful resolution to the conflict, most reputable political and military leaders, the latest being General John W. Nicholson, have at long last recognized and admitted that there is no military solution to the quagmire in the Greater Middle East. Yet, each successive administration, both Democrat and Republican, remained irrationally committed to the use of military force, as though continuing these very same tactics, will remarkably, for reasons unknown, yield very different results under their leadership – achieve elusive victory. Tragically, because of their arrogance, stubbornness, and unwillingness to admit defeat on their watch, these leaders would rather "stay the course" and continue to sacrifice American lives and treasure than demonstrate the foresight, integrity, and courage to follow through on their promises to end the hostilities and withdraw our troops. Albert Einstein is alleged to have said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
A Challenge for the "War Pragmatists"
No one questions that the world is a dangerous place and our relationship with other nations and subnational groups can be complex, even difficult at times, often unnecessarily so, often as a consequence of our meddling in the affairs of others, what the CIA refers to as "blowback." After so much death and destruction, it is incumbent upon the warists, the proponents of militarism and war, who have criticized the efforts of those advocating alternative non-violent means of conflict resolution, first to refrain from ad hominem attacks, and then to explain why, in their view, continuing failed strategies and tactics, i.e. military force, is an appropriate, rational, and pragmatic response for meeting the challenge posed by prospective adversaries. Osama bin Laden, the assassinated leader of al Qaeda, noted how America's enthusiasm and rush to war can and has been exploited for an adversary's advantage. He writes,
"All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the farthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses without their achieving anything of note other than some benefits for their private corporations. We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is to great for Allah." – Osama bin Laden
Further, in an asymmetrical war of attrition, in which vast numbers of civilians are killed "accidentally" – collateral damage – thereby creating more adversaries that it eliminates, how is military force an effective means of mitigating the terrorist threat? Why is advocating and supporting war, with little or no likelihood of success, patriotic or in the interest of the nation the warists claim to love? Some six thousand veterans and members of the military die by their own hand each year in this country, nearly as many as has been killed fighting the Global War on Terrorism, many as a consequence of their participation in war. How would reevaluating our response and ending perpetual war – the war in Afghanistan is now in its 18th year with no end in sight – devalue the sacrifices of our veterans and members of the military?
It is time, long past time, that we recognize war's ineffectiveness, and seek alternative solutions to the quagmire in the greater Middle East. We must demand an end to militarism and war in this nation, not because we are idealists, or unpatriotic, or cowardly, or hippie peaceniks, but because war and military action is clearly obsolete and repeatedly proven itself to be strategically and tactically ineffective. It just does not work anymore, if it ever really did, and there is no reason to believe that its next employment will be any different from its last. Not only is doing the same ineffective thing over and over again insane, but it also cost lives and treasure, and is, ultimately, damaging to our democracy, a misuse and abuse of our military, and an affront to all Americans.
Upon analysis it is clear that the true pragmatists and realists are not the warists who thoughtlessly continue to advocate futile war and consequently, the waste of precious lives and treasure, but the peace advocates who seek an end to quagmire, encourage alternative, non violent solutions to conflicts and differences, support the reallocation of scarce resources, and who demand that we bring our troops home now and hold them close when they get here.
Author: Camillo "Mac" Bica, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is a former Marine Corps Officer, Vietnam Veteran, long-time activist for peace and justice, and the Coordinator of the Long Island Chapter of Veterans for Peace.
His philosophical focus is in Social and Political Philosophy and Ethics, particularly the relation between war, morality, and healing. Bica's books include "Beyond PTSD: The Moral Casualties of War," (Gnosis Press, 2015) and "Worthy of Gratitude: Why Veterans May Not Want to be Thanked for Their "Service" in War" (Gnosis Press, 2015). Articles by Dr. Bica have appeared in numerous philosophical journals and online alternative news sites.
Copyright © Camillo Mac Bica • All Rights Reserved
December 2, 2018 in 3) Politics, Philosophy, Reblogged. Tags: Iraq, Middle East, War
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One thought on "War Pragmatism"
Archetype says:
I can certainly appreciate that perspective, but I believe it more than just admitting defeat by walking away. It the trillions collectively made by the military industrial complex, first and foremost. And it is the psychopathology of the globalists who want perpetual war. The Deep State is not concerned with humanity, human lives and those who do their bidding. We live in a sick society, where constant war has/is justified through the false narratives of freedom and democracy. Which many know is a farce. As long we allow these psychopaths to stay in power…war will sadly continue.
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This is it. The historic moment we've all been waiting for. The Bay Lights return in grand style this Saturday night with a major public celebration along the San Francisco waterfront. The celebration includes a live TV broadcast on KPIX TV complete with a major fireworks show.
There are three great ways you can participate. We recommend all three!
1. Come out on Saturday, January 30th, and enjoy all San Francisco has to offer. Super Bowl City will open in Justin Herman Plaza at 11am. Experience all of the free family festivities, which includes interactive demonstrations and live concerts. Then, stay for the Grand Relighting of The Bay Lights at 7:25pm sharp. The Macy's fireworks show will follow. If you can come, we highly encourage public transit. And if you can't make it, tune into KPIX at 7pm for the live broadcast.
2. Watch IMPOSSIBLE LIGHT, the Northern California Emmy Nominated documentary by independent filmmaker Jeremy Ambers. For a limited time, you can view this compelling feature length film FREE on KQED's YouTube channel. It is a great way to understand the behind the scenes struggles required to make the artwork a reality.
3. Download the Track Your Happiness app and directly participate in a social science experiment in partnership with ILLUMINATE, the UC Berkeley Social Interaction Lab and the UC Irvine Social Cohesion Lab.
We are launching a scientific study of how people like you experience The Bay Lights. Signing up is free and completely voluntary. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit https://www.trackyourhappiness.org/ and download the app where you can track your happiness and find out what factors — for you personally — are associated with greater happiness. You'll also contribute to the scientific understanding of public art and happiness.
Thank you for all your love and support. We look forward to celebrating the historic Grand Relighting moment with you.


The medical benefits of the hammam date back to 200 B.C. when the father of medicine, Hippocrates, said, "Give me the power to create a fever and I shall cure any disease." Steam was the answer.
The word hammam is an Arabic word meaning 'spreader of warmth'. This ritual goes back thousands of years to the Romans and Greeks who developed the communal bath as a social institution. Around 630 A.D., Mohammed after observing the Roman inspired baths of Syria, recommended 'sweat' baths, marking the beginning of the Islamic hammam. Believing that the heat of the hammam enhanced fertility and that the followers of faith should multiply, the hammam became an annex to the mosque, complying with Islamic laws of hygiene and purification.Much like the Roman baths before them, hammams became a place of rest as well as an important place to socialize.
The hammam is far from new, but in recent years, its health benefits have gained increasing international attention.


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Poonpipope Kasemsap is the acting Vice President for Kamphaeng Saen Campus at Kasetsart University in Thailand. He is also the director of the Horticulture Innovation Lab Regional Center at Kasetsart University and as such, a member of the Horticulture Innovation Lab's International Advisory Board. Associate Professor of Crop Eco-Physiology, Chair of the Horticulture Department, and Director of the International Studies Center at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. He is the chair of the International Biology Olympiad (2008-12) and has been the National Coordinator of ThaiFlux Network since 2007. His research and teaching focuses on the effects of climate changes and air pollutants on the eco-physiology of horticultural crops and on the physiology of horticultural crop production. He previously served on the Horticulture Innovation Lab's International Advisory Board from 2009 to 2013.


In what is said to be a controversial revelation, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief Julian Hunte has told reporters that India, the financial super power of cricket has dismissed the proposal by ICC to setup a World Test Championship around the four year cycle. Being a full-time ICC member, Hunte's disclosure will wallop the cricketing world that is already rocked by several controversies.
According to Hunte, ICC was considering a Super League – a four year structure resulting in a World Test Championship as a part of changing the structure of the Future Tour Programs (FTP) after 2012. Hunte exposed the decision-making power of 4 commercially valued members headed by India in the ICC meeting. Though Hunte hadn't revealed their names, it is well understood that the other 3 super powers are England, South Africa and Australia.
Hunte also revealed that a few members of the ICC are skeptical about the motives of the IPL team promoters. He told that the ICC should take reasonable steps to take hold of the game as it's in a crucial juncture.
The main reason for BCCI's rejection is the sharing of broadcasting revenue from a central pool, which would not be profitable for them unlike other tournaments. As 70% of the ICC's revenue comes from India, it makes it difficult for the ICC to stand against India.
After some heart-stopping T20 matches and quality test matches, cricket is back to its foremost shorter-version to take the spectators by storm- The Champions Trophy 2009.Following the draggy World Cup at the Caribbean, the cricketing world would be keen to see how this event performs, as there are lot of expert opinion to cut back the no of ODI's and retain test cricket.
Australia, the reigning winners will be keen to resurgent in the world of cricket after some abashing defeats in the form of World T20 and at the Ashes. They have lost the dominance since the retirement of their great players and the infusion of new blood hasn't proved effective yet. Australia is pondering different options like splitting the captaincy to reduce the pressure on Ponting, who is the backbone of the Australian batting order. Brett Lee has missed the bulk of the season due to injury and would be keen to make an impact as the Aussie bowling struggled in his absence in the Ashes.
South Africa and India are the strong contenders who'd be bidding for the title. South Africa's dismal performance in the crunch matches has been a conundrum that they would like to crack this time around. India on the other hand, is more confident and would like to keep aside the grim at the World T20 as an aberration. They have performed consistently since 2008 and would like to get the silverware that slipped from their hands several times.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England are also unavoidable due to their volatile nature and the unpredictable nature of cricket itself. The tournament promises to be a belter, if it lives up to the hype.
When Ricky Ponting outdid Alan Border to become the highest run getter for Australia and the 3rd highest run-getter in the history of cricket, another debate triggered for the best contemporary batsman in the world. Currently it is between the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and the Australian Captain Ricky Ponting. Let's go into the statistics of the two batting maestros to find the best among them.
Overseas matches are the best to judge the mettle of a cricket player. The alien conditions in the away matches are the ultimate test and lets compare the overseas performances of Ponting and Tendulkar.. Sachin Tendulkar piled up 7165 runs in 146 innings out of the 90 overseas test matches with a hefty average of 54.28 and has scored 24 centuries out of the 42 centuries he scored in total. On the other hand, Ponting scored 4575 in 101 innings out of his 58 overseas tests at an average of 49.19, which includes 16 hundreds. As far as overseas test matches are concerned, Tendulkar holds the edge due to his stability in performance against all teams. Tendulkar has an average of more than 40 against all teams; however Ricky Ponting has been struggling terribly against India. He could manage only a century against India in 21 innings and could score only 438 runs at a measly average of 20.85.
A key batsman's performance is pivotal when his team chases a target in the backyard of the opposition. Tendulkar has had dismal performances in the 2nd innings chases in overseas matches. He could manage only a single century in the 34 test matches and scored only 542 runs at an average of 27.10. Ponting has been slightly more successful as he scored 3 centuries in the run chases for Australia with 673 runs at a brilliant average of 56.08. Ponting's success can be attributed to his 'invincible' team which had geniuses like McGrath and Warne and a strong batting order that helped ease the pressure on Ponting. Tendulkar has been quite unlucky with this, as he had to shoulder the complete responsibility of the Indian team before the arrival of Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly. Apparently, that pressure had taken the toll on him and his performances reflect that.
Ricky Ponting has scored 1787 runs in 23 matches against India, thanks to his wonderful performance in the home soil. He averages 70 at home, however in India, his average went down to 20.85, which clearly shows his powerlessness against quality spinners. Harbhajan Singh has been a real menace to Ricky Ponting as the off-spinner dismissed him 10 times in 12 test matches. Tendulkar has had real success in his 29 matches against Australia; he amassed 2748 runs with an average of 56.08 that includes 10 blistering centuries. During his first Australian tour, at the age of just 17, Tendulkar scored a captivating 114 runs at the WACA, which is considered as one of fastest and bounciest wickets in the world, against a quality fast bowling unit with the likes of Merv Hughes and Craig McDermott. This is considered as one of the best batting performances ever and it proclaimed the beginning of a true legend, who eventually got a place in the heart of every Indian.
Above all these statistical analyses, Sachin Tendulkar is couple of steps ahead of Ricky Ponting mainly due to his consistency over 20 years and the kind of discipline and passion he has shown. Ricky Ponting has never been idolized in Australia, mainly due to his wayward character. He has been into several controversies, which questioned the spirit and integrity of his game.
A true legend sets the benchmark and stands as an example for the younger generation. According to MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and several other youngsters, Tendulkar has shown them the way to cricket with his feats and his hunger to play cricket without any boredom. There is no doubt that Sachin Tendulkar is a model for the young and old alike.


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(CNN) — Fifteen months of simmering frustration boiled over Monday as Denver teachers went on strike.
It's the latest in a long line of teachers' strikes that spread across the country last year and keeps gaining momentum this year.
The big sticking point involves teachers' base salaries.
Teachers say they're fed up with uncertain income year to year, since DPS' pay system uses unpredictable bonuses to compensate for low base pay.
The 31-year-old teacher made $56,000 last year, but the rising cost of living in Denver means she has to work extra jobs — as a lacrosse coach, exchange program coordinator and summer camp employee.
The school district said it's listening to teachers' concerns and made a series of offers to the union — all of which have been rejected.
— A total investment of $55 million over the next three years.
— An increased starting salary of $45,800 for new teachers.
DPS illustrated how its concessions to the union — more than $20 million since last June — is significantly more than the union's decrease in demands.
"We are incredibly disappointed that on the last day of bargaining and less than two days before a strike, they doubled down on one-time incentives teachers do not want, and the data shows do not work to keep teachers in their schools," DCTA President and teacher Henry Roman said.
It's not clear how many of DPS' 5,000-plus teachers will be absent indefinitely. So far, the school district had received more than 2,000 requests for substitute teachers this week, DPS spokeswoman Anna Alejo said.
The DCTA union, which represents most of Denver's teachers, said 93% of its members voted to authorize a strike. So many students will have no clue when they'll see their teachers again.
Despite the strike, DPS said students should still go to class this week. All schools except preschools will run on normal schedules, as will bus transportation.
"Qualified DPS staff, including certified guest teachers and administrators with educator licenses, will be in schools providing instruction during the strike," the school district said.
About 300 substitutes have been hired, and about 1,400 central office staffers have been re-assigned to schools, Alejo said.
Since teachers aren't getting paid while on strike, not every teacher who wants to strike can do so.
And as a first-year teacher, Leung said she can't even afford the $70 monthly dues to join the local teachers' union.
But this renewed wave of teachers' strikes shows the sacrifices teachers are willing to make, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.


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Backgammon is probably one of the oldest known games still in existence. Its origins can be traced back over 5,000 years to ancient archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia. In those days, it was a popular game for all the different age groups in society. It's a two-person game in which each player receives fifteen small pieces from which they will travel between twenty-four different squares according to the result of a random roll of two dice. The object of the game is to be the first player to get all of their pieces to their opponent's square and then remove them from the board. Once all of your pieces have been removed, the game is over and you have lost. Don't miss your chance to play on the site hot ultra. You will be satisfied!
It was discovered that backgammon played with a single point count and no double point count. This made the game much easier for the player to calculate their chances of winning. The earliest versions of backgammon were played using a single die. Each player had a fixed amount of money that they could use to buy cards from the point shop. The objective was to become the first player to buy all of the required cards for their opponent, which meant they had to purchase those cards at the point shop, not from the communal pot at the gaming table. When a player purchased a card from the point shop, they had to leave their own peace at home if they wished to play another round.
During the Middle Ages, the development of printing technology allowed the production of a new type of backgammon set. The rules of the game were changed to include one player that was actually left "at home" on the board. Instead of being able to buy cards, this player used the communal pot to buy cards. Thus, there was now only one point to worry about – protecting your own single point goal. This was the reason that the development of checkers became so important in the development of backgammon strategy.
The first changes in the backgammon setup came about when the playing area was moved from the home board to the gaming table. The introduction of a home board changed the dynamics of the game significantly. The player was no longer required to physically travel to the other end of the board in order to make a play. In this way, it became easier for players to concentrate on their own game instead of focusing all their attention on the other players. The change to a playing table also changed the dynamics of the game in another way. With a larger number of players on the board, each one of them now had a clear shot at becoming the sole victor.
The introduction of the multi-board gaming setup also changed the playing environment dramatically. Because there were now more players on the backgammon board, the game became even more fast-paced and dramatic. This was a desired effect for the backgammon players because the game is known to be fast-paced and dramatic.
The first major innovation of the backgammon set-up came with the development of the game pieces. Players could now choose between playing with the traditional backgammon boards or with any of the beautiful chess sets available. This change, though not entirely successful, marked the first step in the evolution of the backgammon setup. Players could now select from a wide range of pieces and designs which gave the players an incredible range of customization options. It was also possible to mix and match pieces from different sets, giving players even more options for customizing their game experience.
The first major evolution of backgammon boards was in the 1960s. A group of mathematicians and computer scientists conducted a study on how the backgammon setup could be modified to improve the game play. One improvement they came up with was to eliminate the center piece. This simple change enabled the player to eliminate the risk of capturing the opponent's king or queen and thus greatly reducing the possibility of a drawn tie. Another improvement they made came with the addition of a second board, which served as a backgammon board with its own distinct playing space. This board had a distinct color pattern and, because it was the only visible backgammon board for some players, became a backgammon tourist attraction.
The introduction of electronic backgammon systems changed the face of the game once again. These systems allowed players to have an immediate play using their computer. These systems allowed players to make backgammon moves on the fly without having to wait for the next rolls of the dice or for a physical push of the joystick. The immediate play provided a significant advantage for new players who could practice the game under these conditions and, consequently, improve their performance.
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