text:
A Dictionary of Sexual Language and Imagery in Shakespearean and Stuart Literature
Author: Gordon Williams
Publisher: A&C Black
Providing an alphabetical listing of sexual language and locution in 16th and 17th-century English, this book draws especially on the more immediate literary modes: the theatre, broadside ballads, newsbooks and pamphlets. The aim is to assist the reader of Shakespearean and Stuart literature to identify metaphors and elucidate meanings; and more broadly, to chart, through illustrative quotation, shifting and recurrent linguistic patterns. Linguistic habit is closely bound up with the ideas and assumptions of a period, and the figurative language of sexuality across this period is highly illuminating of socio-cultural change as well as linguistic development. Thus the entries offer as much to those concerned with social history and the history of ideas as to the reader of Shakespeare or Dryden.
The Fall of the House of Bush
Author: Craig Unger
A sobering expos of the secret relationship between neo-conservative policy makers and the Christian right argues that Middle East instability reflects an ongoing battle between fundamentalist groups, in a behind-the-scenes account that cites Bush's role in promoting the war in Iraq and ultimately bringing about his own downfall. By the author of House of Bush, House of Saud. 200,000 first printing.
Water Won't Quench the Fire
Author: William G. Carter
Publisher: CSS Publishing
"There is an air of unpredictability about William G. Carter's sermons... Improbable characters... turn up all over the place: a nursing home resident abandoning her walker to dance the polka... cows listlessly chewing their cuds beneath a Jesus-is-coming sign along the highway. This volume is an attic full of eccentric treasures ready for a rainy day's exploring... Enjoy their humor, their joyful interplay of the biblical and the contemporary, their delightful poetic cadences. "Thomas G. Long Princeton Theological Seminary This book contains twelve sermons, mostly based on the gospel of Mark. They include these titles: - Learning to Live Without Jesus - Can Christians Dance? - Looking a Little Bit Crazy - How to Plant an English Garden William G. Carter serves as pastor and head of staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. degree from the State University of New York and his M.Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. An accomplished jazz pianist, Carter has extensive experience as a composer and arranger, having studied and performed with noted jazz artists such as Phil Woods and Bob Brookmeyer. His sermons and articles have appeared in "Journal for Preachers," "Presbyterian Survey," "Preaching," "Lectionary Homiletics," "The Christian Ministry," and "Best Sermons" (Harper-Collins, 1994).
Author: Richard J. Mcqueen
Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V
Author: Charles J. Ellicott
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ELLICOTT'S COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE is a practical and ideal commentary for Sunday school teachers, Christian workers, Bible students, libraries, and ministers. Each of the durably bound volumes in this handsome set is designed with an eye to the convenience of the user. The large, double-column pages are distinctive and easy-to-read. The helpful running commentary is always on the same page with the actual Bible text, making it simple for the user to locate the information he or she seeks. The comments in every case are crisply written and wonderfully practical and up-to-date. You, the user, will not have to read pages of extraneous material to get the important information. If you ever need help for: Sunday sermons Prayer Meeting talks Messages for Young People's Groups, etc. Sunday school lessons Personal Bible study Messages for special occasions you will find it in ELLICOTT'S COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE.
The Second Horror
Author: R.L. Stine
The second volume in an all-new Fear Street trilogy. Brandt thinks moving to Shadyside is great, but he hasn't heard the terrifying stories about his new home—99 Fear Street. He doesn't know about the headless bodies or bleeding walls. And he doesn't know that Cally Frasier still haunts the house and plans gruesome deaths for him and everyone close to him.
Sexual Misbehavior in the Civil War
Author: Thomas P. Lowry
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Over three million young men left home, shouldered rifles, and set about killing one another in the 1860s. Behind, they left wives and sweethearts. The 50,000 books about the war have told us in meticulous detail about the strategy, tactics, weapons, uniforms, canteens, famous generals, religious beliefs, personality quirks, fortifications, battles, sieges, gunboats, medical care, and recruiting policies. The causes of the war have been endlessly analyzed. The surviving veterans wrote hundreds of memoirs, sometimes inflating their own heroism and importance. What rarely appears in this literature is any mention of sex, in spite of most soldiers being in their early twenties, a time of manly vigor. The late 19th century brought the ascendancy of Victorian prudishness and hypocrisy. The Comstock laws sent men to prison for mailing contraceptive advice. Just advice! Whatever willingness there might have been to reveal wartime hanky-panky evaporated in the tenor of the time and the admiring gaze of the veteran's growing grandchildren. The following scene would be unimaginable: the old veteran sits by the stove in the country store. His long white beard covers his tattered vest. A faded medal graces his chest. On the floor are the shavings from his most recent whittling. A tiny child pipes up: "Tell us about the war, grandpa." "Well, Jimmy, there was this pretty little whore in Memphis..." Never happen. Material collected twenty years ago resulted in the author's 1994 book, The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell – Sex in the Civil War, which presented everything that was then known on the subject. There had been no previous book on Civil War sex. Since then, the author and his wife, Beverly, have read over 90,000 court-martials and countless letters and diary entries. What emerges is that sexual activity was far more common and public than our previous research or any memoir had ever revealed. The records come from literally every corner of the country: Key West, Washington Territory, Los Angeles, and Maine. The malfeasants are both officers and enlisted men. The victims range from six-year girls to sixty-year old grandmothers. The soldiers carried with them lewd books and obscene photos. Even more striking is the universality of houses of prostitution. Every village and every city neighborhood has at least one such—and everybody knew it. They knew the addresses of the houses. They knew the names of the madams and the names of many of the "girls." Most of the witnesses for the trials had visited the houses, for the usual reasons. The military police tramped through the houses, looking for deserters. Rape, thought to be rare during the war, was not that rare. An unexpected finding was that Union soldiers, who were supposedly freeing the slaves, were quick to rape black women. An even more surprising finding was that the Confederate army had a policy of not prosecuting rapists, whether the victim was black or white. The inventor of the Graham cracker had, in 1834, written a book claiming that masturbation caused severe illness, even death. This idea had taken root in the medical profession and many army doctors testified that a defendant was not guilty because of "insanity from self-abuse." The Union army's largest hospital listed dozens men, dead from "masturbation." The famous ship Monitor had a thick iron turret. In other such ships, the sound-proof turret proved a convenient place for old sailors to rape young boys. A Union cavalry colonel was tried for sexually assaulted both men and women. Evidence for Civil War homosexuality was unknown until now. Even more astonishing stories appear in the records: sex with horses, sheep, even with chickens and turkeys. There are records of obscene tattoos, foul cursing by Winfield Scott Hancock, black and white mistresses of Confederate generals, even many records of "fornication and bastardy" in the little village of Gettysburg. Ads fo
Ashemaogha Becoming Ahriman Volume 1
Author: Dastur Adam Daniels
The contents of this tome have been denied by every publishing company. This book is for people who are looking to gain self-knowledge and a better understanding of how to function in society in any culture.
Author: Jean Calvin
CliffsNotes on Buck's The Good Earth
Author: Stephen V Huntley
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The original CliffsNotes study guides offer a look into key elements and ideas within classic works of literature. CliffsNotes on The Good Earth explores author Pearl S. Buck's insight into the lives of the Chinese people, particularly the peasant population. Following the story of a Chinese farmer who represents the universal cultivator – one who knows that his riches and security come from the good earth itself, this study guide provides summaries and critical commentaries for each chapter within the novel. Other features that help you figure out this important work include Personal background on the author Introduction to and synopsis of the book In-depth character analyses for the two principal figures, Wang Lung and wife O-Lan Critical essays on the Chinese practices of foot binding and concubinage Review section that features interactive questions and suggested essay topics Classic literature or modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.
As Kingfishers Catch Fire
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed
The Art of Learning
Death Row: The Final Minutes
Darcey Bussell: Evolved
This Will Be My Undoing
Our Revolution
De Que Hablo Cuando Hablo De Correr
The Tender Bar
My Dear Bessie
The Joke's Over
Whoever You Are
Civilisation: Twenty Places At The Edge Of The World
Hope, Never Fear
Letters to a Young Poet
The Rain Tree
Japanese Destroyer Captain
Sweat Your Prayers
The Mistress's Daughter
Epistulae Morales: Letters I-LXV v. 1
A Voyage For Madmen
Is It Really Too Much To Ask?
Dan and Phil Go Outside
Women, Equality, Power
I'm Not with the Band
Kerry O'Brien, a Memoir
May Morris
The Ride of a Lifetime
Churchill And Orwell
The Guns of August
Trapped in a Closed World
Cassavetes on Cassavetes
SAS Ghost Patrol
The Diary of a Young Girl
Brave Girl Eating
The Adversary


SquigglyTwigs Designs: Birthday Sale Ending Soon!
We hope you've enjoyed the birthday sale at SquigglyTwigs Designs. But, like all things, it is coming to an end. The sale Celebration code will end at midnight ET Monday 8/12/2012.
If you haven't shopped yet, get in there to get your 90 patterns with lifetime free updates and coaching.


text:
Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay
J. López-Saucedo, J. Santiago-Moreno, R. Fierro, D. Izquierdo, M. A. Coloma, M. G. Catalá, I. Jiménez, M. T. Paramio
Department of Animal and Food Science
© 2013 Cambridge University Press. In vitro fertilization (IVF) can be used to assess the fertilization capacity of sperm. Heterologous IVF may be useful when assessing that of wild animals as it is often difficult to obtain adequate numbers of naturally corresponding oocytes. The aim of the present study was to assess the fertilization capacity of frozen-thawed ibex epididymal spermatozoa via heterologous IVF involving the oocytes of prepubertal domestic goats. The effect on fertilization and embryo development of adding oestrous sheep serum (ESS) to the fertilization medium was also examined. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in TCM-199 for 24-27 h at 38.5°C in a 5% CO2 in air atmosphere. Frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa were selected by density gradient centrifugation. After maturation, the oocytes were co-incubated with spermatozoa in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) with different concentrations of ESS: SOF-C (0%), SOF-2 (2%) and SOF-20 (20%). At 17 h post-insemination (hpi), zygotes with one female and one male pronucleus (2PN) were categorised as normal; zygotes with 3PN were recorded as polyspermic, and oocytes with 1PN as asynchronous. Cleavage and blastocyst development were assessed at 48 and 168 hpi respectively. The percentage of zygotes with 2PN was higher in the SOF-2 than in the SOF-20 treatment group (27.7% versus 2.9% P < 0.05). The percentage of blastocysts formed with the SOF-C, SOF-2 and SOF-20 treatments were 1.1%, 7.5% and 0% respectively. These results show that the presence of 2% ESS achieves better results than the use of no serum or the standard 20% concentration. Heterologous IVF may be an effective method for predicting the fertilization capacity of ibex spermatozoa, and therefore perhaps that of other wild mountain ungulates.
Domestic goat
Epididymal sperm
Heterologous in vitro fertilization
Dive into the research topics of 'Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Fertilization Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Fertilization in Vitro Medicine & Life Sciences 99%
Oocytes Medicine & Life Sciences 86%
Spermatozoa Medicine & Life Sciences 86%
Zygote Medicine & Life Sciences 69%
Insemination Medicine & Life Sciences 47%
Density Gradient Centrifugation Medicine & Life Sciences 23%
López-Saucedo, J., Santiago-Moreno, J., Fierro, R., Izquierdo, D., Coloma, M. A., Catalá, M. G., Jiménez, I., & Paramio, M. T. (2014). Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay. Zygote, 23, 136-144. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0967199413000518
López-Saucedo, J. ; Santiago-Moreno, J. ; Fierro, R. ; Izquierdo, D. ; Coloma, M. A. ; Catalá, M. G. ; Jiménez, I. ; Paramio, M. T. / Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay. In: Zygote. 2014 ; Vol. 23. pp. 136-144.
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title = "Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay",
abstract = "{\textcopyright} 2013 Cambridge University Press. In vitro fertilization (IVF) can be used to assess the fertilization capacity of sperm. Heterologous IVF may be useful when assessing that of wild animals as it is often difficult to obtain adequate numbers of naturally corresponding oocytes. The aim of the present study was to assess the fertilization capacity of frozen-thawed ibex epididymal spermatozoa via heterologous IVF involving the oocytes of prepubertal domestic goats. The effect on fertilization and embryo development of adding oestrous sheep serum (ESS) to the fertilization medium was also examined. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in TCM-199 for 24-27 h at 38.5°C in a 5% CO2 in air atmosphere. Frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa were selected by density gradient centrifugation. After maturation, the oocytes were co-incubated with spermatozoa in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) with different concentrations of ESS: SOF-C (0%), SOF-2 (2%) and SOF-20 (20%). At 17 h post-insemination (hpi), zygotes with one female and one male pronucleus (2PN) were categorised as normal; zygotes with 3PN were recorded as polyspermic, and oocytes with 1PN as asynchronous. Cleavage and blastocyst development were assessed at 48 and 168 hpi respectively. The percentage of zygotes with 2PN was higher in the SOF-2 than in the SOF-20 treatment group (27.7% versus 2.9% P < 0.05). The percentage of blastocysts formed with the SOF-C, SOF-2 and SOF-20 treatments were 1.1%, 7.5% and 0% respectively. These results show that the presence of 2% ESS achieves better results than the use of no serum or the standard 20% concentration. Heterologous IVF may be an effective method for predicting the fertilization capacity of ibex spermatozoa, and therefore perhaps that of other wild mountain ungulates.",
keywords = "Domestic goat, Embryo development, Epididymal sperm, Heterologous in vitro fertilization, Ibex",
author = "J. L{\'o}pez-Saucedo and J. Santiago-Moreno and R. Fierro and D. Izquierdo and Coloma, {M. A.} and Catal{\'a}, {M. G.} and I. Jim{\'e}nez and Paramio, {M. T.}",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1017/S0967199413000518",
journal = "Zygote",
López-Saucedo, J, Santiago-Moreno, J, Fierro, R, Izquierdo, D, Coloma, MA, Catalá, MG, Jiménez, I & Paramio, MT 2014, 'Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay', Zygote, vol. 23, pp. 136-144. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0967199413000518
Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay. / López-Saucedo, J.; Santiago-Moreno, J.; Fierro, R.; Izquierdo, D.; Coloma, M. A.; Catalá, M. G.; Jiménez, I.; Paramio, M. T.
In: Zygote, Vol. 23, 01.01.2014, p. 136-144.
T1 - Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay
AU - López-Saucedo, J.
AU - Santiago-Moreno, J.
AU - Fierro, R.
AU - Izquierdo, D.
AU - Coloma, M. A.
AU - Catalá, M. G.
AU - Jiménez, I.
AU - Paramio, M. T.
N2 - © 2013 Cambridge University Press. In vitro fertilization (IVF) can be used to assess the fertilization capacity of sperm. Heterologous IVF may be useful when assessing that of wild animals as it is often difficult to obtain adequate numbers of naturally corresponding oocytes. The aim of the present study was to assess the fertilization capacity of frozen-thawed ibex epididymal spermatozoa via heterologous IVF involving the oocytes of prepubertal domestic goats. The effect on fertilization and embryo development of adding oestrous sheep serum (ESS) to the fertilization medium was also examined. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in TCM-199 for 24-27 h at 38.5°C in a 5% CO2 in air atmosphere. Frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa were selected by density gradient centrifugation. After maturation, the oocytes were co-incubated with spermatozoa in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) with different concentrations of ESS: SOF-C (0%), SOF-2 (2%) and SOF-20 (20%). At 17 h post-insemination (hpi), zygotes with one female and one male pronucleus (2PN) were categorised as normal; zygotes with 3PN were recorded as polyspermic, and oocytes with 1PN as asynchronous. Cleavage and blastocyst development were assessed at 48 and 168 hpi respectively. The percentage of zygotes with 2PN was higher in the SOF-2 than in the SOF-20 treatment group (27.7% versus 2.9% P < 0.05). The percentage of blastocysts formed with the SOF-C, SOF-2 and SOF-20 treatments were 1.1%, 7.5% and 0% respectively. These results show that the presence of 2% ESS achieves better results than the use of no serum or the standard 20% concentration. Heterologous IVF may be an effective method for predicting the fertilization capacity of ibex spermatozoa, and therefore perhaps that of other wild mountain ungulates.
AB - © 2013 Cambridge University Press. In vitro fertilization (IVF) can be used to assess the fertilization capacity of sperm. Heterologous IVF may be useful when assessing that of wild animals as it is often difficult to obtain adequate numbers of naturally corresponding oocytes. The aim of the present study was to assess the fertilization capacity of frozen-thawed ibex epididymal spermatozoa via heterologous IVF involving the oocytes of prepubertal domestic goats. The effect on fertilization and embryo development of adding oestrous sheep serum (ESS) to the fertilization medium was also examined. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in TCM-199 for 24-27 h at 38.5°C in a 5% CO2 in air atmosphere. Frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa were selected by density gradient centrifugation. After maturation, the oocytes were co-incubated with spermatozoa in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) with different concentrations of ESS: SOF-C (0%), SOF-2 (2%) and SOF-20 (20%). At 17 h post-insemination (hpi), zygotes with one female and one male pronucleus (2PN) were categorised as normal; zygotes with 3PN were recorded as polyspermic, and oocytes with 1PN as asynchronous. Cleavage and blastocyst development were assessed at 48 and 168 hpi respectively. The percentage of zygotes with 2PN was higher in the SOF-2 than in the SOF-20 treatment group (27.7% versus 2.9% P < 0.05). The percentage of blastocysts formed with the SOF-C, SOF-2 and SOF-20 treatments were 1.1%, 7.5% and 0% respectively. These results show that the presence of 2% ESS achieves better results than the use of no serum or the standard 20% concentration. Heterologous IVF may be an effective method for predicting the fertilization capacity of ibex spermatozoa, and therefore perhaps that of other wild mountain ungulates.
KW - Domestic goat
KW - Embryo development
KW - Epididymal sperm
KW - Heterologous in vitro fertilization
KW - Ibex
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0967199413000518
DO - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0967199413000518
JO - Zygote
JF - Zygote
López-Saucedo J, Santiago-Moreno J, Fierro R, Izquierdo D, Coloma MA, Catalá MG et al. Fertilization capacity of cryopreserved Iberian ibex epididymal sperm in a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay. Zygote. 2014 Jan 1;23:136-144. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0967199413000518

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: cannot understand the following code in android? Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_EDIT);
intent.setType("vnd.android.cursor.item/event");
intent.putExtra("beginTime", cal.getTimeInMillis());
intent.putExtra("allDay", false);
intent.putExtra("rrule", "FREQ=DAILY");
intent.putExtra("endTime", cal.getTimeInMillis()+60*60*1000);
intent.putExtra("title", "A Test Event from android app");

The above is the code i am reffering to for the following questions:

*

*where to get the values for setType method? Like here they have used "vnd.android.cursor.item/event".

*For values that go into the putExtra field...like they have used over here rrule,endtime etc. How to know which strings can be used over here?

*In the above code , what does the field rrule stand for?

thank you in advance.

A: As i can see, this code is related to calendar event creation.
rrule is a repetition rule, see http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2445.txt
EDIT It seems like there are no documentation on that and a only one way is to inspect platform code.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I snapped at my family because I was stressed. And I missed the most important moments of the holidays: celebrating the birth of Jesus and spending time and making memories with my family.
So, maybe these 7 holiday stress-hacks I've learned will help you avoid the Christmas-has-gotta-be-perfect bandwagon.
First, ask your family what traditions, foods or decorations are important to them. Keep those things and don't worry about everything else.
Instead of trying to do all the tasks by yourself, let your family help you. Sure, the garland might be a little lopsided, but they'll have memories of doing it with you.
Invite them to make cookies with you. (Storebought dough is fine!) Those will be priceless memories someday.
Gather as a family and put together a Christmas puzzle.
Drink hot chocolate and sing carols together.
Cozy up together in front of the tree and enjoy the beautiful ambiance.
Let one of the older children tell the Christmas story to the younger ones using the pieces of the Nativity set.
Flapjacks in England are a popular treat served with tea and very easy and quick to make for even that impromptu holiday party. Don't confuse them with our flapjacks here in the U.S., which are pancakes. They have been around for hundreds of years and even Shakespeare mentions them in his play, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, so they are definitely British! The original flapjacks are pretty simple, only four ingredients, but I love to add raisins to mine. Depending on how long they bake, they can be chewy or crunchy.
Line an eight- inch square pan with parchment paper and cut into the corners for a better fit.
Melt the butter in a pan with the brown sugar, syrup, and a pinch of salt until mixture is smooth.
Stir in the oats until evenly covered and raisins if desired.
Press the oat mixture into the parchment lined pan and spread evenly in pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and lightly golden on top.
Cut into squares a few minutes after taking out of the oven, before they harden, then allow to cool completely in the pan.
Store what you don't eat in an airtight container.
Get more of Penelope's recipes in every issue of Leading Hearts Magazine and on her website penelopecarlevato.com.


text:
And so I've come to the end of another year of writing reviews of the books I've read for pleasure. This month's books have a very festive feel, so this is definitely a very December-y post!
In case you're interested, here are the posts from the rest of the year: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
And here are my reviews of the novels I read in December...
Devil's Day by Andrew Michael Hurley (2017)
I should probably start this with a confession… I haven't read The Loney (Hurley's acclaimed debut novel), which makes me one of the only people I know who hasn't. I included Devil's Day on a list of books about autumn traditions last year, but didn't actually get chance to read it until this winter. It's a strange book – not because of the subject matter (I really don't mind strange subject matter!) – but in terms of its inconsistency. It has moments of absolute brilliance, but also some sections that don't really seem that well-written. The story unfolds in a non-linear fashion (great) with an unreliable first-person narration disguised at times as third-person (even better). John and his wife Kat have returned to his family's farm at the Endlands for his grandfather's funeral, intending to stay on for Devil's Day and the Gathering (traditions on the farm that presage the start of winter). As the story of that year's Devil's Day unfolds, older stories are woven in – the Arncliffes who built the mill, the Dennings who once owned the land, events from John's childhood, the presence of the Owd Feller himself. There is an incredible sense of place evoked in the book, and I particularly enjoyed the episodes involving the Far Lodge (a building one of the Dennings had constructed on the land). However, there is less clear sense of character created, and I struggled to engage much with any of them. Ultimately, perhaps the Endlands itself is the best-drawn character here.
A Midwinter Promise by Lulu Taylor (2019)
So… bit of a misstep, this one. In December, we went away for our annual holiday to Cornwall. The weather was wild, but we were cosy and warm in our cottage. All year, I'd been saving Christmas-themed books to read while we were there. However, on our first night away, I spotted A Midwinter Promise in the supermarket and decided that it would make perfect holiday reading. The blurb promised (a) winter, (b) secrets, and (c) Cornwall. I bumped it to the top of my list, casting aside all the festive books I'd been saving. And, sadly, I was very disappointed. Taylor's book begins with a woman called Alex reminiscing about her childhood at Tawray, a rambling old house in Cornwall. When Alex's dad has a stroke, she starts to wonder about her mother's early death, and about the secrets that may have been kept by her family. The book then alternates this storyline with chapters set in the 70s, 80s and 90s, which tell the story of Julia (Alex's mother) and her life at Tawray. The problem with the book is that (a) it's only partly set in the winter, (b) although characters keep secrets from one another, Taylor doesn't keep any secrets from the reader and so Julia's story is crystal clear from the off, and (c) Tawray may nominally be located in Cornwall, but there's very little sense of place, save a few mentions of how nice the sea looks. Really not impressed with my decision here.
The Darkest Place by Jo Spain (2018)
Back to the books I'd been saving for my holiday… as I've mentioned in previous months, my mum and I really like Jo Spain's DCI Tom Reynolds novels. In fact, it was last December when I read the first in the series and passed it on to my mum. The Darkest Place is the fourth book in the series – though I've actually already read the fifth one (I read them out of order so that I could save this one for going away). The Darkest Place is set at Christmas (like With Our Blessing) and sees Reynolds called away from his family celebrations (as in With Our Blessing) to investigate a crime in a remote – and very creepy – location (as in…). The setting for The Darkest Place is a disused asylum on an island, which is accessible only by boat. A mass grave has been discovered, but there's a body in it that shouldn't be there. Psychiatrist Dr Conrad Howe disappeared at Christmas forty years earlier, and it now appears he was brutally murdered and left in the hospital grave pit. Reynolds is faced with opening up a cold case, which leads him into the dark heart of the asylum and its 'treatments'. The Darkest Place treads familiar ground – Spain often returns to darker aspects of Ireland's history in her books – and its lighter on the personal lives of the detectives than some of the others. Nevertheless, this is a satisfyingly creepy story with a clever puzzle at its centre.
Murder in Advent by David Williams (1985)
I'm not having the best luck with my festive reading this year. This next one was another book I was saving till Christmas, as I thought it would be a good seasonal read. I actually bought it in a charity shop in Truro last Christmas, but I didn't chance to read it then. I've saved it all year, only to discover… it's not actually a Christmas book at all (despite the title). Murder in Advent is set in the small (fictional) cathedral city of Litchester. The cathedral owns a thirteenth-century exemplification of the Magna Carta, which they are considering selling to raise much-needed funds for the cathedral. Banker Mark Treasure (apparently Williams's series character) arrives, as he has a deciding vote in the matter, but before anything else can happen, there's a disturbance in the Old Library. The Dean's verger is killed, and a fire destroys the valuable artefact. The problem I had with the book (aside from the fact that Advent and Christmas aren't actually part of the story) is that I simply couldn't follow who was who. The key characters are introduced in a dazzling chapter early on, and there are a lot of them. If you're unfamiliar with church roles and titles – if you don't know what a Dean's verger is, for instance – it's a bit of a tricky read. And it's made harder by the fact that all the characters seem to speak in a similar voice. Sadly, this one just didn't do it for me.
Mistletoe by Alison Littlewood (2019)
Now this is festive reading. Just what I wanted! Littlewood's book has all the elements you want from a Christmas book… snow, an isolated farmhouse and ghosts. The book is the story of Leah, who is recently bereaved (she's lost her husband and young son), and so decides – impulsively – to leave Manchester and buy an abandoned farmhouse in Yorkshire. At Christmas. Buying the farmhouse was Leah's late husband Josh's idea, and so she believes this is a way of honouring his memory by trying to bring his dream to reality. The farm – Maitland Farm – once belonged to Leah's family, so it seems like fate might be playing a hand as well. But when Leah arrives at Maitland Farm, in the darkest depths of winter and heavy snowfall, she discovers that it may be harbouring some grief of its own. Mistletoe is a classic Christmas ghost story, and Littlewood is adept at conjuring an atmosphere that is equal parts tragedy and horror. Leah's experience of the ghosts of Maitland Farm comes through visions, which take on a life of their own. The past and the present begin to blur, with the eponymous parasitic plant weaving its way through the stories. I'd be wary of calling this a 'cosy' story, as there are some disturbing elements, but it certainly belongs to a good old tradition. The ghost story (or the story of the ghosts), perhaps, holds few surprises. But the way that it's told is just wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Secret Santa by Trish Harnetiaux (2019)
I picked this one up in the supermarket on a whim (despite having collected more than enough festive books over the year). There were a couple of reasons why it caught my attention. A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece of flash fiction called 'Secret Santa', and since then I seem to keep getting drawn to writing weird versions justice-dispensing Father Christmases. Secondly – and more importantly – the blurb looked like it'd be a good old-fashioned 'everyone's locked in the house getting picked off one-by-one' tale. Claudine and Henry Calhoun are high-flying real estate types in Aspen. Every year, they throw a fancy Christmas party, which involves a competitive Secret Santa game that's the talk of the town. This year, Claudine's been contacted by pop star Zara (who bears some slight similarity to a real-life pop star who shall remain nameless). Zara is interested in buying Montague House, the first property Claudine and Henry ever built, and so Claudine decides to move the party to the somewhat remote building. The snow starts to fall, the guests assemble, and there's an additional gift on the Secret Santa pile… This book was a lot of fun – it's a quick read, and not necessarily the story you might be expecting, but I really enjoyed it. The tension is well-paced, and Zara emerges as a rather engaging character. Plus, there's a bit of intrigue, secrecy and rivalry as well. I'm glad I picked this one up – it was a very enjoyable festive read.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (2018)
Managed to time my festive reading so I could end the year with a New Year-themed book! The Hunting Party takes place during a New Year's Eve party, so it was the perfect way to end December. A group of old university friends meet up for their annual New Year's Eve celebrations – this year, they've booked an exclusive (but isolated) hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands. Over the course of the booze-fuelled party, old secrets and resentments surface… and someone's not going to survive the party. The book is much marketed as an 'Agatha Christie with menace' (hmmm… I think Christie's books had enough menace of their own!), but it's also been compared to Tartt's The Secret History (which I didn't enjoy). However, the book actually does its own thing, and it's not really fair to compare it to Christie or Tartt's work. There was a lot that I really enjoyed about The Hunting Party. I loved the multiple narrators, and I was impressed with how easy it was to keep track of a large group of characters. Most of the characters are a bit unlikeable (as you'd expect), but they were very believable and Foley snuck in just the right amount of sympathy. I also enjoyed the way the landscape is used to create an additional sense of seasonal threat. Only downside… Foley's not quite at Christie's level when it comes to hiding clues, and so I did work it out very early on. Nevertheless, definitely enjoyed this one.
Labels: 2019, Alison Littlewood, Andrew Michael Hurley, David Williams, Jo Spain, Lucy Foley, Lulu Taylor, reviews, Trish Harnetiaux


text:
I bombardamenti di Zara durante la seconda guerra mondiale ad opera delle forze aeree Alleate causarono la quasi totale distruzione della città, exclave italiana in Dalmazia dai tempi del trattato di Rapallo del novembre del 1920 e in seguito assegnata alla Repubblica Socialista Federale di Jugoslavia dal trattato di pace del 1947. Il numero ingente dei bombardamenti e delle vittime non è stato finora quantificato in modo univoco, e le ragioni strategiche delle ripetute azioni aeree alleate contro la città, a cui seguì l'esodo pressoché totale della popolazione autoctona italiana, sono state oggetto di interpretazioni storiografiche spesso divergenti.

Contesto storico

Al tempo dell'attacco delle forze dell'Asse alla Jugoslavia (6 aprile 1941), Zara era la novantaquattresima provincia italiana, la più piccola per territorio (52 km² Zara e il suo circondario, 58 km² l'isola di Lagosta, nel sud della Dalmazia) e per numero di abitanti (22.000 più 1.700).

Circondata completamente dai territori jugoslavi, l'antica capitale del Regno di Dalmazia all'interno dell'Impero austro-ungarico aveva assunto una fortissima valenza simbolica: da un lato, era divenuta un preteso «faro della latinità nel mare slavo» (come si diceva in Italia a quel tempo), perenne monito per il resto della Dalmazia considerata "irredenta"; dall'altro una spina nel fianco per il neonato Regno dei Serbi, Croati e Sloveni (in seguito divenuto Regno di Jugoslavia), che nelle sue componenti nazionaliste, e segnatamente tra i croati, la considerava un territorio slavo sottratto con la forza, unitamente all'Istria, a Fiume e ai territori considerati sloveni, compresa la città di Trieste. Zara fu quindi uno dei cardini della contesa adriatica.

La campagna di Jugoslavia

Il 6 aprile 1941 le forze armate tedesche, assieme a quelle italiane e ungheresi, scatenarono l'attacco alla Jugoslavia, che, lacerata da profondi e precedenti conflitti interni, con la conseguente defezione di gran parte dei militari croati, crollò in nove giorni: la richiesta di pace venne avanzata il 15 aprile e la resa venne firmata il 17. Durante questi nove giorni Zara subì tre bombardamenti, con effetti limitati. Le incursioni ebbero luogo il 9 aprile: poco dopo l'alba tre apparecchi jugoslavi bombardarono la città sganciando una ventina di bombe e causando lievi danni e sei feriti fra la popolazione; alle 11:00 tre biplani jugoslavi lanciarono bombe in varie zone della città, colpendo fra l'altro il deposito di munizioni allestito nel Bosco dei Pini, all'aperto; alle 14:30 la più violenta incursione: tre apparecchi jugoslavi bombardarono la città, causando gravi danni a una decina di edifici. Si contarono «alcuni morti fra la popolazione».

La successiva spartizione della Jugoslavia previde per Zara un rango di rilievo all'interno di quella parte della Dalmazia annessa al Regno d'Italia: fu infatti il capoluogo amministrativo del Governatorato della Dalmazia, costituito dalle tre province di Zara stessa (con territorio di oltre 3.000 km² e 211.900 abitanti), Spalato e Cattaro.

Zara dopo l'armistizio

L'8 settembre 1943 si diffuse per la Dalmazia la notizia dell'armistizio italiano. Questa colse la popolazione e le forze armate dislocate nella regione completamente di sorpresa, tanto che si registrarono perfino casi di arresto di persone che semplicemente avevano reso pubblica la notizia, con l'accusa di disfattismo.

La sera stessa il dittatore dello Stato Indipendente di Croazia, Ante Pavelić, proclamò l'annessione di tutte le conquiste territoriali italiane del 1941, nonché di Zara, di Fiume e dell'Istria. La difesa della Piazza di Zara era costituita all'epoca da due compagnie presidiarie di alpini (152ma e 343ma), una compagnia fucilieri del 292º fanteria, una batteria da 75/13, il gruppo contraereo della difesa territoriale, ma l'8 settembre arrivò in città da Spalato una parte del comando del XVIII Corpo d'armata (il comandante del Corpo - generale Umberto Spigo - era a Zara già del 3 settembre): assieme agli organici del comando divisione, fra Esercito, Marina, Aeronautica, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Milizia portuale, Forestale, servizi di commissariato, sussistenza e intendenza erano presenti in città e nelle immediate vicinanze circa seimila uomini, che andavano aumentando di ora in ora a causa dell'afflusso continuo di truppe dai presidi circostanti. Il comandante della Piazza di Zara era il comandante della 158ª Divisione fanteria "Zara", generale Carlo Viale, che cercò da un lato di rafforzare le difese cittadine per prevenire un atto di forza tedesco, dall'altro di entrare in contatto con i partigiani jugoslavi della zona, probabilmente su incarico di Spigo. Nella notte fra l'8 e il 9 settembre venne organizzato un incontro: i partigiani richiesero la cessione di armi e munizioni da parte italiana, ma Viale pretese che i partigiani così riarmati passassero agli ordini degli italiani. Questi rifiutarono e così nessun accordo venne raggiunto. Nelle stesse ore il comando tedesco diramò l'Ordine n. 1 - Per orientamento dell'Esercito durante l'occupazione della costa Adriatica, e così alle 15:00 del 10 settembre - mentre a Zara si assisteva a scene di ammutinamento e fuga di interi gruppi di militari italiani - senza che fosse opposta alcuna forma di resistenza entrarono in città i primi reparti tedeschi al comando del tenente colonnello Laumann e del maggiore Hans Teissl, appartenenti alla 114. Jäger-Division. Dopo un rude contatto fra ufficiali, i comandi italiani si arresero ai tedeschi, forti di circa 3000 uomini. Le truppe germaniche occuparono rapidamente la città, prevenendo i funzionari inviati da Zagabria che intendevano prendere il potere destituendo il locale prefetto italiano, il conte Alberto degli Alberti, per procedere poi ad insediare a nuovo prefetto di Zara l'avvocato Viktor Ramov (originario dell'Isola Lunga) e a sindaco il dr. Andrija Relja. La città fu quindi per quattordici mesi sotto occupazione militare tedesca, ma l'amministrazione civile rimase sempre quella italiana: il 2 novembre 1943 Vincenzo Serrentino - che il giorno stesso dell'occupazione tedesca aveva riaperto la federazione fascista di Zara, assieme a Mario Petronio - venne nominato Capo della Provincia (prefetto) dal prefetto di Trieste Bruno Coceani, a nome del governo della Repubblica Sociale Italiana.

Cronologia dei bombardamenti

2 novembre 1943
La città alla fine del 1943 era sulla direttrice dei bombardieri Alleati che partivano dall'Italia per colpire i Balcani e la Romania. Generalmente queste imponenti formazioni aeree passavano ad alta quota e non sempre l'allarme veniva suonato. La mattina del 2 novembre 1943, commemorazione dei Morti, decine di bombardieri sorvolarono la città; la cosa si ripeté alle 12:05, alle 13:30 e ancora una volta un'ora dopo.

Alle 20:07 una formazione di sei o otto aerei Boston A-20 del No. 18 Squadron RAF lanciò un carico di 24 bombe per un totale di 5,4 tonnellate su Zara, con obiettivo il porto (uno specchio d'acqua di circa 1.300 metri di lunghezza per 200 di larghezza), mancandolo per qualche decina di metri: le bombe colpirono il rione di Ceraria e la città, abbattendo fra l'altro lo storico Teatro Vecchio. Si contarono centosessantatré morti - fra i quali trentotto bambini, riparatisi in un rifugio antiaereo colpito da una bomba - e duecentosessanta feriti, oltre a decine di case distrutte o danneggiate.

L'effetto psicologico fu fortissimo: i zaratini erano completamente impreparati, convinti di non costituire un obiettivo militarmente rilevante.

Il bombardamento del 28 novembre
La stampa locale pubblicò decine di articoli di ricostruzione degli eventi del 2 novembre: in prevalenza si riteneva che il bombardamento fosse stato un errore, un caso disgraziato non più ripetibile. Il giornale di Dalmazia (il principale quotidiano di Zara) stigmatizzò nel contempo gli allarmismi «con cui sono stati annunciati nuovi attacchi».

Alle 11:08 di domenica 28 novembre dodici B-25 Mitchell planarono non preceduti dall'allarme su Zara, seguiti in sequenza da un'altra ondata di dodici: sganciarono complessivamente 35 tonnellate di bombe su una superficie di poco più di un chilometro quadrato: l'abitato di Zara, il porto e i rioni di Barcagno e Ceraria.

Le distruzioni furono devastanti: il piroscafo Sebenico venne affondato, così come il traghetto Filippo Corridoni con una trentina di passeggeri a bordo; venne colpita la Colonia agricola industriale per orfani di guerra, con circa venti ragazzi schiacciati dalle macerie; altri morti nel Giardino Pubblico, alla Casa della ex-Gioventù Italiana del Littorio (GIL), al Palazzo del Tribunale, in viale Tommaseo e in Riva Nuova. Le fabbriche di maraschino Vlahov e Luxardo bruciarono per ore, così come la centrale elettrica che serviva la città.

I morti furono circa 150 ed oltre 200 i feriti. La città iniziò a svuotarsi: chi poteva si trasferì nell'entroterra o nelle isole, mentre a Zara la mancanza di corrente elettrica si accompagnò a difficoltà di approvvigionamento alimentare.

I bombardamenti di dicembre

Secondo le notizie tratte dal Summary dell'Air Staff Operational del comando americano si registrò una serie di attacchi nel mese di dicembre, alle date del 15, 16, 21, 22, 24, 27 e 30, alle volte ripetuti più di una volta nella stessa giornata. Nel diario di guerra del 340th Bombardment Group, facente parte del 57th Bomb Wing (USAF) di stanza in Puglia, si fa riferimento ad un'azione del 16 dicembre, durante la quale ventotto aerei americani attaccarono la città alle 14:00, scaricandovi più di sessanta tonnellate di bombe e colpendo navi, installazioni portuali, rive e magazzini.

Vengono gettate bombe di vario tipo, dalle dirompenti alle incendiarie, alternate a spezzonamenti e mitragliamenti a bassa quota: il contrasto della contraerea è limitato, e le incursioni si verificano sia di notte che di giorno.

In un rapporto del 20 dicembre, il prefetto Serrentino segnalò che il 40 per cento delle costruzioni era ridotto in macerie, e il 90 per cento delle restanti non era più abitabile. Erano stati colpiti la Banca Dalmata di Sconto, la canonica della chiesa ortodossa di Sant'Elia, il Seminario diocesano, l'edificio dell'Amministrazione provinciale, l'asilo delle Orfanelle, il Palazzo delle Poste, il Ginnasio-Liceo, quasi tutte le case del viale Tommaseo, della piazza delle Erbe, della calle dei Papuzzeri, della calle Larga, della calle Gabriele d'Annunzio, della calle San Rocco, della zona di Porta Catena. Risultarono distrutti, oltre a centinaia di abitazioni civili, il Cinema Nazionale, l'Istituto Magistrale, le case lungo calle Canova, il monastero e la chiesa di Santa Maria, il santuario della Madonna della Salute, il battistero del Duomo. Fu anche colpito il Teatro Verdi: il principale teatro di Zara.

Un caso particolare fu quello legato al piroscafo Mar Bianco, requisito dai tedeschi per utilizzarlo come nave da trasporto e rifugiatosi dal 7 dicembre a Zara. Secondo Abdulah Seferović, il tentativo di affondamento di questa nave impegnò gli aerei alleati in ben tre bombardamenti (16 e 30 dicembre 1943, 16 gennaio 1944) con 99 aerei utilizzati e oltre 200 tonnellate di bombe scaricate sul porto e sulla città.

Il 31 dicembre Serrentino scrisse al prefetto di Trieste Bruno Coceani: «Ti dico solamente che la città è distrutta (...). Cerco di far sgomberare i ricoveri (...) dai pochi rimasti e poi inibirò l'accesso alle rovine a chiunque».

I bombardamenti da gennaio a marzo 1944
Il primo bombardamento del nuovo anno ebbe luogo il 16 gennaio e colpì una città stremata e in buona parte abbandonata dalla sua popolazione: molti zaratini si erano rifugiati in ricoveri di fortuna nella campagna circostante. Gli incendi causati dalle bombe divamparono incontrastati, in assenza oramai di un corpo cittadino di vigili del fuoco. Il 22 gennaio venne ripetutamente colpita e distrutta dagli americani la nave laboratorio di Guglielmo Marconi Elettra, requisita dai tedeschi e alla fonda presso la località di Diclo.

Nei primi tre mesi del 1944, Zara subì un'altra serie di bombardamenti, che colpirono alle volte obiettivi già completamente distrutti. Si registrarono anche casi in cui la città venne prescelta come "obiettivo alternativo", come nel caso del bombardamento del 3 marzo: una trentina di Wellington diretti da Foggia verso l'interno della Croazia furono costretti ad invertire la rotta a causa delle avverse condizioni del tempo. Durante il volo di ritorno cinque aerei, appesantiti dal ghiaccio sulle ali, si liberarono del carico di bombe scaricandole a casaccio su Zara.

Un soldato tedesco scrivendo a casa segnalò: «Zara (...) era una bella città, ma ora i Tommies l'hanno rasa al suolo», mentre Pietro Luxardo, della famiglia proprietaria dell'omonima distilleria, affermò: «Non vi dico i saccheggi e le ruberie! Pazienza. Zara è oramai veramente distrutta».

I bombardamenti da maggio ad ottobre 1944

Dopo il bombardamento del 3 marzo, per oltre due mesi la città conobbe un periodo di relativa calma, interrotta da alcune incursioni di lieve entità.

Il 26 maggio venne colpito al largo di Lussinpiccolo il piroscafo Sansego, unico collegamento civile fra Zara e Trieste dal settembre del 1943. Il Sansego aveva sbarcato a Trieste in meno di un anno circa cinquemila zaratini che fuggivano dalla città: un lento ma costante stillicidio che prefigurava quello che sarebbe stato l'esodo quasi totale della popolazione italiana di Zara nel dopoguerra. A partire da questa data, Zara fu quasi completamente isolata: unici anelli di collegamento con l'Italia restarono l'aereo postale tedesco e le maone militari, di norma vietate ai civili, più qualche rara motozattera o veliero a motore che di tanto in tanto si azzardavano a toccare il porto zaratino.

Il 14 giugno nuovo bombardamento, poi un'altra pausa fino al 19 agosto, ma questi bombardamenti non avevano più la violenza dei precedenti, sembrando concentrati su singoli obiettivi e non colpendo più a tappeto. Secondo una testimonianza di Serrentino, vi era comunque un «continuo, quasi giornaliero, passaggio (...) di molte e grossissime formazioni di bombardieri, a centinaia (...), ma qui non disturbano».

I primi due bombardamenti di settembre colpirono nuovamente quanto non era ancora crollato del centro: calle Larga, calle Santa Maria, calle dei Papuzzeri, calle Gabriele d'Annunzio, piazzetta San Rocco, Bastione Moro. Gli incendi divamparono per due giorni.

Il 1º ottobre i partigiani jugoslavi informarono il Comando della Balkan Air Force sulla presenza di due velieri tedeschi, che avrebbero sbarcato 700 militari a Zara: il giorno dopo, dodici Baltimore erano sopra la città, per colpire le località di Val Maistro, Barcagno, Val di Bora e nuovamente il porto. Il 4 tornarono in ventuno (undici Baltimore e dieci Ventura), scaricando oltre 20 tonnellate di bombe.

L'ultimo grande bombardamento di Zara ebbe luogo il 9 ottobre, con sei o sette incursioni successive dalle prime ore del mattino fino alle 16:00. L'obiettivo era ancora una volta il porto, ma vennero colpiti Barcagno, Cereria, Val de' Ghisi, la zona dello stadio con la casa della GIL, il parco Regina Elena.

La fine di ottobre registrò nuovamente incursioni, in data 25 e 28 e 30. Proprio il 28, il prefetto Coceani da Trieste ritrasmise a Zara il telegramma con cui il ministero dell'Interno di Salò ordinava al capo della Provincia Serrentino di abbandonare la città: questi s'imbarcò il giorno successivo per Fiume su una torpediniera tedesca, giungendo infine a Trieste il 2 novembre. Nella notte fra il 30 e il 31, con quattordici mezzi scortati da due natanti armati, partì per Sebenico anche la guarnigione tedesca.

A rappresentare le autorità cittadine rimanevano a Zara il viceprefetto Giacomo Vuxani, il capo di gabinetto della prefettura Vincenzo Fiengo, il maggiore dei carabinieri Raffaele Trafficante col tenente Ignazio Terranova, più una novantina di carabinieri, una trentina di Agenti di Pubblica Sicurezza e sessanta militari del battaglione dei lavoratori.

L'arrivo dei partigiani e gli ultimi bombardamenti
Alle 09:00 del 31 ottobre, i primi partigiani iniziarono ad avvicinarsi alla città, ma alle 09:30 inaspettatamente iniziò un bombardamento: sei Baltimore e sei Ventura bombardarono indiscriminatamente, causando anche quattro morti fra i partigiani.

Alle 11:00 ebbe luogo un altro bombardamento, seguito alle 13:00 dall'ultimo che la città dovette subire. Secondo la testimonianza di don Giovanni Eleuterio Lovrovich, l'ultimo morto potrebbe essere stato il soldato Vincenzo Filloni di Roma, «trovato semisepolto accanto ad una fossa scavata dalle bombe».

La resa della città e i processi

Una delegazione cittadina, composta da Pellegrino Trafficante (maggiore dei carabinieri), Ignazio Terranova (tenente dei carabinieri), Giacomo Vuxani (viceprefetto), Vincenzo Fiengo (capo di gabinetto della prefettura di Zara), Pietro Luxardo (industriale), Pietro Relja, Tullio Kiswarday (funzionario della prefettura), Giuseppe Voltolini e don Mario Novak (parroco della chiesa di San Simeone), ricevette i comandanti partigiani nel tentativo di raggiungere un accordo sul trapasso dei poteri. Per gli jugoslavi questo fu l'ultimo tentativo della vecchia classe dirigente cittadina di mantenere una parziale influenza politica in città. Di Trafficante, Terranova, Fiengo, Luxardo, Kiswarday e Voltolini non si seppe più nulla. Secondo Oddone Talpo, Giovanni Eleuterio Lovrovich e Guido Rumici, essi sarebbero stati arrestati e liquidati nei giorni immediatamente successivi. Zlatko Begonja sostiene invece l'assenza di argomenti sufficientemente solidi per avvalorare in toto questa tesi. Sempre secondo Begonja, solo nel caso di Luxardo è possibile affermare con certezza che fu sottoposto a un'esecuzione sommaria perché al riguardo esistono documenti di fonte jugoslava contraddittori, «prove indubbie della [sua] liquidazione». Vuxani - appartenente alla minoranza albanese di Borgo Erizzo (un sobborgo di Zara) - venne sottoposto a «durissimi interrogatori e inumani trattamenti», ma grazie a diverse testimonianze a suo favore dopo cinquantacinque giorni di prigione venne liberato dagli jugoslavi. Nel 1948 si trasferì in Italia. Con l'eccezione di Luxardo e della sua famiglia, i componenti della delegazione non risultano essere tra gli imputati dei processi che furono celebrati a cavallo tra il 1944 e il 1945 dai tribunali militari costituiti dagli jugoslavi. Durante questi processi furono irrogate 219 condanne, di cui 96 alla pena capitale e 123 a pene detentive. In tutti i casi, le accuse contestate consistevano nella collaborazione attiva o passiva con le forze occupanti italiane e successivamente tedesche, con le formazioni militari ustascia o più raramente con i cetnici. Si stima che 180 zaratini siano stati giustiziati dai partigiani e dai nuovi poteri popolari.

Bilancio dei bombardamenti

Il numero dei bombardamenti subiti da Zara è stato oggetto di molte discussioni: in generale, nel mondo della diaspora zaratina è invalso considerare che Zara venne distrutta da "54 bombardamenti", variamente classificabili, mentre la maggioranza degli studiosi croati si mantiene più strettamente a quanto è tecnicamente definibile come "bombardamento", limitando la zona al centro storico di Zara e ai due quartieri di Barcagno e Cereria, col risultato di ridurne il numero in modo diverso a seconda dello studioso: da un minimo di 26 a 32 bombardamenti, anche se secondo uno studio più recente i bombardamenti sarebbero stati 47. Il libro italiano più approfondito sul tema rappresenta uno schema riassuntivo secondo il quale i registri anglo-americani riportano 26 bombardamenti, ma «Zara ha subito 37 "azioni aeree" con sgancio di bombe secondo le testimonianze scritte nei diari di zaratini presenti in città. (...) Inoltre le stesse testimonianze segnalano altre 16 azioni aeree sul territorio immediatamente adiacente alla città».

Ricapitolando, sempre secondo questo studio italiano Zara e il circondario avrebbero subito 53 "azioni aeree" complessive, delle quali 26 sarebbero stati "bombardamenti" che colpirono la città, 11 furono invece azioni minori che comunque comportarono anche lo sganciamento di bombe, 16 furono i bombardamenti delle zone circostanti. In totale, il quantitativo di bombe che colpì la città fu di 521,5 tonnellate (456,5 registrato + 65,0 stimato). Il numero di 47 attacchi è invece sostenuto dallo storico croato Jurica Vučetić, con una quantità di bombe stimate fra le 460 e le 500 tonnellate. I 47 attacchi - secondo questo autore - sono stati eseguiti per 14 volte dagli americani (USAAF), per tre volte dai britannici (RAF), per tre volte dall'aviazione australiana (RAAF) e per dieci volte ciascuna dalle forze aeree sudafricane (SAAF) e greche (RHAF), mentre sette attacchi non sono attribuibili, allo stato attuale delle conoscenze. Oltre alle azioni aeree riuscite, nei registri dei vari comandi sono indicate anche delle missioni fallite: il 9 gennaio 1944 diciassette B-24 del 450° Bomb Group facente parte del 47º Stormo del 15° USAAF furono costretti a rinunciare a bombardare Zara quando - a 20 miglia dalla costa - si imbatterono in avverse condizioni atmosferiche.

Il numero dei morti è tuttora oggetto di discussione: le stime degli esuli vanno da 2.000 a 4.000, mentre sembra più ragionevole una stima che non supera le 2.000 vittime. Anche accettando la stima proposta da alcuni studiosi croati - un massimo di 1.000 vittime - è da rilevare che Zara fu una delle città italiane che soffrì il maggior numero di morti in percentuale sul totale della popolazione: circa il 10% dei residenti nella città storica e nelle frazioni immediatamente circostanti di Barcagno e Ceraria, secondo i dati del censimento del 1936.

Tabelle riassuntive

Dallo studio di Oddone Talpo e Sergio Brcic
Il testo di Oddone e Talpo e Sergio Brcic riporta la seguente tabella riassuntiva, che enumera il numero dei bombardamenti indicati dai registri di volo anglo-americani:

(*) = Quantità non indicata nei registri, e quindi stimata in percentuale
(**) = Totale dato dalla quantità indicata dai registri più quella stimata

Dagli articoli di Abdulah Seferović
La seguente tabella è tratta dai vari articoli di Abdulah Seferović, secondo il quale Zara fu distrutta da tre bombardamenti maggiori, subendo «numerosi altri attacchi, non importa quanti fossero, non degni di nota». Di conseguenza, questi ultimi non sono descritti dall'autore, che si limita a riportare i seguenti:

Immagini prima e dopo

Ipotesi sulle cause dei bombardamenti
La completa distruzione di Zara da parte degli Alleati ha indotto diverse interpretazioni sulle reali cause degli insistenti attacchi aerei. Come in altri casi di bombardamenti strategici durante la seconda guerra mondiale, il numero di vittime civili fu ingente, e i bombardamenti continuarono anche in assenza di obiettivi di interesse militare, o in seguito alla distruzione degli stessi.

Secondo l'ipotesi per la quale Zara sarebbe stata un rilevante obiettivo militare, i bombardamenti furono motivati dalle esigenze belliche alleate; d'altro canto, negli ambienti delle minoranze italiane e degli esuli dalmati, è radicata la tesi per cui la distruzione facesse parte di un piano preordinato da Tito per eliminare non solo la presenza italiana in città, ma anche il ricordo di tale presenza.

La radicalizzazione etnico-politica della tematica e la difficoltà di accesso alle fonti non hanno contribuito a una disamina dei fatti univoca, e permangono tuttora ipotesi differenti e marcate divergenze nella analisi storiografica dei fatti.

Le pretese ragioni strategico-militari
Le ipotesi storiografiche sull'interessamento militare alleato nell'Adriatico orientale citano un pianificato sbarco fortemente voluto da Churchill (nel quadro dei piani per l'invasione dell'Europa continentale), in seguito abortito per la contrarietà dei comandi militari americani e di Tito. Un primo piano inerente alla creazione di una testa di ponte inglese in Dalmazia risale fin all'autunno del '43. L'individuazione di Zara quale obiettivo strategico risale all'Operazione Freestone, poi evolutasi nell'operazione Baffle con la creazione della Balkan Air Force. Secondo i piani a Zara doveva essere stabilito un campo di atterraggio alleato in grado di garantire un movimento di 200 cacciabombardieri per settimana, con sbarco di personale in due tranche prima di 2500 elementi addetti alla costruzione e al mantenimento del campo di atterraggio, a cui si sarebbero sommati altri 4500 in un secondo momento da impiegarsi in azioni militare per tagliare le linee di ritirata tedesche.

Un'ulteriore ipotesi sulla natura dei bombardamenti può essere ricondotta nel quadro della operazione alleata Bodyguard, un piano di depistaggio strategico ideato allo scopo di distogliere l'attenzione dalle operazioni Overlord e Anvil creando fittizie minacce di invasione in varie parti d'Europa. La sotto-operazione Zeppelin prevedeva di esercitare simili minacce specificatamente a Creta e nella Dalmazia settentrionale, come illustrato dallo studioso britannico Michael Howard (Raoul Pupo accredita tale ipotesi come la più probabile causa dei bombardamenti su Zara, pur rilevando l'assenza di un riferimento esplicito alla distruzione di Zara nel testo di Howard).

Per altri studi, l'attacco a Zara fu dovuto a ragioni militari più contingenti, quali la distruzione delle infrastrutture e degli impianti produttivi ubicati in prossimità del centro abitato.
Il quotidiano spalatino Slobodna Dalmacija pubblicò fra il 19 e il 25 ottobre 1984 una serie di articoli dello studioso zaratino Abdulah Seferović, dedicati alla storia dei bombardamenti di Zara, nei quali si sostiene che Zara, «attanagliata da una parte dalla lotta per l'Adriatico in collegamento col fronte italiano e con la Jugoslavia, e dall'altra con l'allargamento dell'offensiva aerea sull'Europa, diventò importante obiettivo [...] delle aviazioni militari inglesi ed americane». Successivamente, lo stesso autore approfondirà i suoi studi, giungendo alla conclusione che un vero lavoro puntuale e completo sulle fonti degli Alleati non è ancora stato completato.
Nel 2006 è stato pubblicato in Croazia il più ampio studio sulla questione: un'opera di circa 800 pagine a cura della sezione zaratina della Matica Hrvatska (una sorta di "Lega Nazionale" croata), basata sull'analisi di oltre 50.000 documenti di vari archivi, riprendente il tema trattato in una mostra organizzata presso il Museo Storico di Zara nel 2004. Secondo questo saggio, presentato espressamente come risposta alle insinuazioni sul diretto interesse jugoslavo alla distruzione della città, l'ipotesi principale sulle cause dei bombardamenti risiede nel fatto che il porto di Zara sarebbe potuto essere uno dei terminali di imbarco delle truppe tedesche in ritirata dai Balcani. Il motivo principale della distruzione quasi completa della città e delle morti dei civili sarebbe quindi da ascrivere a due fattori: da un lato alla scarsa precisione dei bombardieri dell'epoca, dall'altro alla vicinanza delle strutture portuali zaratine alla città. È da notare che i documenti alleati descrivono in maniera specifica gli obiettivi e i risultati di parte dei bombardamenti, dai quali risulta un chiaro interesse per l'eliminazione degli impianti industriali, ma soprattutto del traffico portuale zaratino, considerato un evidente pericolo per le operazioni che si svolgevano alle spalle della città.

La teoria del bombardamento anti-italiano
.

. .

La tesi più fortemente accusatoria proviene tuttavia da parte italiana, ed è da molti storici considerata aprioristica e legata alla propaganda antislava,  arrivando ad attribuire allo stesso Tito un piano premeditato di distruzione della città di Zara in quanto unico centro a maggioranza italiana della costa orientale adriatica. Secondo questa tesi i partigiani jugoslavi avrebbero indirizzato con l'inganno i bombardieri angloamericani sulla città, al fine deliberato di causarne lo sfollamento. Essa è stata sviluppata soprattutto nel mondo degli esuli, venendo spesso presentata in modo declamatorio e apodittico.

, venendo ripresa anche dopo la fine del conflitto. I sostenitori di questa teoria citano la relazione su Zara dello Stato Maggiore del Regio Esercito di data 16 giugno 1945 in cui si affermava che i bombardamenti erano stati «provocati da Tito, più per cancellare le orme secolari d'italianità che per veri e propri scopi bellici» altre relazioni coeve di parte italiana, come ad esempio una relazione dei carabinieri su Zara di data 12 agosto 1946, non menzionano questa tesi riconducibile perlopiù ad «un'applicazione schematica di una categoria interpretativa che vede comunque lo "slavo" come minaccia costante per la "superiore" civiltà italiana».

Lo sforzo maggiore per ricostruire la tematica è stato comunque fatto in anni più recenti, anche se i contributi principali rimangono quasi sempre legati agli studiosi provenienti dal mondo della diaspora istriano/dalmata.

Secondo questa analisi, l'importanza bellica di Zara era completamente inesistente o comunque tale da non giustificare assolutamente i bombardamenti a tappeto. Si ritiene quindi che questi bombardamenti vennero richiesti direttamente dai partigiani. Sul punto, si cita a supporto un'intervista al generale Carlo Ravnich, già comandante del Gruppo Aosta in Montenegro, il quale dopo l'8 settembre 1943 combatté con i partigiani di Tito, comandando la divisione Garibaldi. Questi ricordò che il comando partigiano aveva domandato alla Garibaldi di inviare a Bari un messaggio, nel quale si chiedeva di bombardare Zara poiché «vi si stavano concentrando notevoli forze tedesche». Secondo il Ravnich, il radiomessaggio venne inviato in modo tale da non essere recepito «perché inserimmo un "codice" di quattro vocali che, predisposte in un certo modo, significavano: "Non date retta a questo fonogramma"».

Oddone Talpo e Sergio Brcic hanno pubblicato inoltre una riproduzione fotografica di un radiomessaggio alleato, privo di data di trasmissione e di ricezione (ma, secondo i due autori, databile a giugno 1944), nel quale si afferma che Tito avrebbe richiesto il bombardamento di Zara per colpire truppe in transito.

Lo storico Raoul Pupo, affermando l'esistenza di sollecitazioni jugoslave in tal senso, ha tuttavia espresso dubbi sulla reale influenza di queste richieste nella decisione alleata di bombardare la città.

Le ricostruzioni del dopoguerra

Fra gli edifici distrutti, le nuove autorità jugoslave si premurarono di ricostruire quasi esclusivamente le antiche e storiche chiese zaratine, mentre le macerie degli antichi palazzi vennero sgombrate e al loro posto furono innalzate delle nuove costruzioni. Gli esuli zaratini ritennero che tale criterio ricostruttivo fosse dovuto alla volontà di eliminare la memoria storica del carattere italiano della città; gli storici croati sostennero invece che a guidare le scelte urbanistiche e architettoniche dei nuovi amministratori jugoslavi di Zara fu la volontà di costruire degli edifici più moderni e saldi dei precedenti, unitamente ad una scelta stilistica influenzata dalle correnti architettoniche dell'epoca, che privilegiavano l'ex novo piuttosto che la copia dell'originale.

D'altro canto, la stampa jugoslava dell'epoca affermò che ogni traccia di un passato italiano egemonico a Zara doveva scomparire e piuttosto si sarebbero create testimonianze della cultura nazionale jugoslava. Le parole del poeta Vladimir Nazor, pronunciate nella Zara distrutta in un comizio del 27 marzo 1945, sottolinearono questa intenzione. Dopo aver denunciato il carattere borghese, conservatore e autonomista della popolazione di Zara, inneggiò alla rifondazione di una «nuova Zara, completamente croata», concludendo in questi termini:
«Spazzeremo dal nostro territorio le pietre della torre nemica distrutta e le getteremo nel mare profondo dell'oblio. Al posto di Zara distrutta sorgerà una nuova Zara, che sarà la nostra vedetta sull'Adriatico».

In tempi più recenti, si è sviluppata a Zara una riflessione sulla città di un tempo, sulla memoria e sulla sua tradizione storico/culturale; il giornalista Enzo Bettiza, nato a Spalato e già studente a Zara, ha scritto:
«Zara dopo aver subito fin dal 1944, in riservata anteprima storica, l'onta di una distruzione non molto dissimile per ferocia e totalità da quella di Dresda, è stata poi definitivamente mutata dalla travolgente balcanizzazione etnica abbattutasi come un ultimo bombardamento aereo sulle sue macerie ancora fumanti».

Note

Bibliografia

Voci correlate
 Dalmati italiani
 Esodo istriano-dalmata

Collegamenti esterni

Questione adriatica
Storia di Zara
Zara

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's getting exciting around here!! LOL. I know it's not world peace or anything, but I do have my very first cover to show off. Fulfilling a lifelong dream is an occasion to celebrate, so here I sit at my laptop with a glass of champagne and a self-satisfied grin.
Before we get to the actual cover, I want to say a few quick thank yous. To the countless teachers and librarians who encouraged my love of words and never gave me any reason to believe I couldn't tell a story of my own, thank you. To the late, great Dr. John Cummins, English professor extraordinaire, who pushed me to be better, to give more, and to never be satisfied with good enough, I hope you knew how grateful I was for your advice and attention. And to Sunshine Smartypants, you have been my everything for my entire adult life, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for putting us together in that awful calculus class.


This covers the last two nights away from home, and our big push south. From Dallachulish we pushed south to Lochmaben, near Lockerbie. Then from there down to near Coventry, visiting some family on the way through.
We continued on to Luss, beside Loch Lomond. Some scouting ahead on google maps had told us there was a good sized car park, along with a filling station, both of which were going to be useful for continuing our journey. There was plenty of space in the car park, and we copied a motorhome and parked across parking spaces, rather than length ways. We weren't sure how happy bus and coach drivers would be if we used one of the bays marked for them. However, we are sure that this would be a different matter had we been there at the height of summer on a nice day.
The weather over night appeared to have supplied them with a good amount of water.
It feels a bit hard to believe that it is real, and not just an artists epic landscape!
A quiet day today, starting off with a visit with our friends to their church, which was out in Culloden. We headed back to their house for lunch, and while we waited for things to finish cooking, I got taken bird hunting watching. I was lent some camo gear, and got my biggest lens out, a 170-500mm and stalked up to the unsuspecting birds with much success. Even to the point that I was closer than the minimum focus distance!
Yes, the sheep and lambs around this area truly have no road sense, and with them free ranging, real care needed to be taken.
But with a bit of sadness to leave such a beautiful site behind, we packed up, and by 10 am we were on our way.
We hoped to fill up ready for our drive down to Inverness in Thurso, or another petrol station or 2 between us and our camp site in East Mey, but one was getting its fuel delivery, and the other appeared to be waiting for the tanker to make it there too, so we carried on to the camp site. This was another Certificated Location, called The Crofters Snug.
They also have some glamping pods, which the owner was staying in, rather than the house, and came over to direct us to a pitch. He also recommended using the mover to face nose down the inclined pitch to face the front windows across the 1 field between us, the sea and then Orkney. We didn't bother with the awning, as it was rather a stiff breeze, and we were only staying one night.
With the dogs settled, we then popped out for a hearty bowl of soup (and lots of grandparents complimenting us on our daughter) at Castle of Mey.


DO apartment is a project designed in 2015 by YCL, covers an area of 64 sq.m. and is located in Užupio str., Vilnius, Lithuania.
This entry was posted in apartments, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living and tagged apartment, attic, bathroom, bedroom, DO apartment, house idea, houseidea, kitchen, Lithuania, living, Vilnius, YCL on December 12, 2015 by admin.


text:
America, Heal Thyself
Nov 20, 2020 Ana Palacio
President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the US election has raised hopes that the US is ready to re-engage with the world and the multilateral system. But if the US is to resume its role as the beating heart of the liberal international order, it needs to overcome the domestic divisions that the election confirmed and reinforced.
MADRID – In 1998, then-US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright famously defined the United States as "the indispensable nation," declaring that, "We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future." Two decades later, the US remains the indispensable nation. And yet, rather than seeing into the future, it has lately seemed to have its eyes closed. Does Joe Biden's victory in this month's presidential election mean the US is re-opening them?
One thing is apparent: had Donald Trump won a second term, the fate of the US Albright described would have been sealed. The America that has long undergirded the liberal international order – shaped by the universal principles defined in the 1941 Atlantic Charter – would have been destroyed, once and for all.
And yet the impending Biden presidency by no means guarantees a return to the US leadership and vision of the past. Yes, it was a definitive victory. Biden won over 79 million votes, more than any other US president. And he won the same number of Electoral College votes as Trump did in 2016, when Trump claimed to have a "massive landslide victory," despite his having lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton.
Ana Palacio
116 Commentaries
Ana Palacio, a former minister of foreign affairs of Spain and former senior vice president and general counsel of the World Bank Group, is a visiting lecturer at Georgetown University.
0 Comments on this paragraph, 13 in all 13 Comments on this article
Andrés Arellano Baez Dec 6, 2020
Show paragraph
What about a multipolar world?
Madurai Padmanabhan Nov 23, 2020
30% of the planet just signed up to a new multilateral deal; not lead by either the US or EU.
Just because the so called values of this region are differently interpreted, and not molded with the western sense of righteousness, it should not be ignored.
A great new start based on pragmatism would lead the world to look, see, listen and adapt.
To ruminate on history and philosophies lthat are not transferable beyond their origins, and continue to call out for global leadership is ludicrous. Indeed that is the cause of the current quandary
Mark St. Angelo Nov 23, 2020
I agree with the author that the US needs to "heal itself." However, I think anyone watching what is happening in the US today should question whether the US will be able to "heal itself" in any period of time less than a decade.
As an aside, I also will note that history has shown again and again that, while Secretary Albright may have been correct in describing the US as the "indispensable nation" for many purposes, she clearly was incorrect when she said that "we see further than other countries into the future." From the interventions in Central America beginning in the 1800s until now, I think the vast majority of US foreign policy has been the result of decisions made based on short-term goals rather than a long-term vision. Moreover, to the extent any of those decisions were taken in accordance with a long-term vision, I think that vision in almost all instances was based more on fantasy than on reality, and ignored the importance of cultural and historical differences.
P. Kamath Nov 22, 2020
Once when Rome burned, Emperor Nero was playing fiddle. Now it POTUS Trump who is playing golf when thousands are dying due to Covid -19 virus. It is callousness and criminal.
Emanuel Müller Nov 21, 2020
Influence tends to derive from utility. So the EU might want to first focus to build utility for its own citizens. Today the EU utility is as impressive in its unity of purpose and effectiveness to tackle global challenges as is Belgium in tackling the COVID19 epidemic.
Edwin Hoffman Nov 21, 2020
I think more than one contributor here knows that the stage is set for "Trump" (you gotta love the irony in that name) to retain power, triggering a "secession event". World War III could be another play for continuity - ala The Economist predictive program "campaign on other battlefields" - although that's always a guarantee with either party. "Dark Winter" Biden, what remaining faculties could he possibly deploy though the duration of his term? How long will the misery of this globalist charade go? America has many potential leaders, but the globalists prefer perverted old men for some reason. Is it tradition?
Paul Martin Nov 20, 2020
This comment was removed by a moderator. Replies to this comment may also be deleted. Please note that we moderate comments to ensure the conversation remains topically relevant. We appreciate well-informed comments and welcome your criticism and insight. Please be civil and avoid name-calling and ad hominem remarks.
Paul Akhurst Nov 21, 2020
Obviously a second Trump term would have no moral authority whereas President Biden elected by a significant majority of Americans will have considerable moral authority. The worry is that a GOP leadership without any morality will obstruct Biden and seek to divide rather than heal the USA.
POTUS Trump has shown himself corrupt, morally bankrupt , liar, racist and a sociopath. He has bullied the. Republican Party members of Senate to fall line along his image. It is disgusting and sad! A great country like USA deserves better leaders than Trump. 😐.
Michael Public Nov 20, 2020
Word order remind me of Yoda it does.
Mirek Fatyga Nov 20, 2020
Bernhard Kopp Nov 20, 2020
Mrs. Albright stood so tall that she did not see that bombing Serbia in 1999 was, emotionally, tantamount to bombing Russia. Russia never forgave. Furthermore, the US-elite, including Mr. Biden, did not see that a military action into Afghanistan in order to chase and kill Osama bin Laden would have been one thing, commencing an all-out war against the Taliban was another. Iraq was then the next war of choice which secured the shiite takeover in Bagdad, the IS and the wars in and around Syria as a consequence. Obviously, Iran was made stronger in the region than it could have dreamed of, due to the visionary tallness of the indispensable nation. Libya followed, even if the political leadership started with France and Britain, President Obama and the indispensables could have stopped it.
We need to start on a new page, and, both the US-administration needs to ask itself the question much harder : what is really in our interest, and in the interest of our allies in Europe. Europe does not need a sugar-coated bully.
new solutions for the XXI-st Century are needed, and they cannot be centered on the US as an indispensable country. This is XXth Century solution that is not sustainable any more.
The translation of "contentious" US election for the common man: US has been an ungovernable country at the federal level for most of this century, and we are 20% into it. There were two significant pieces of legislation that were accomplished in this century: (1) ever more tax cuts for the rich which aggravated social polarization to the breaking point, (2) health care legislation that was so constrained by political reality that it accomplished almost nothing, except perhaps fixing preexisting conditions problem but with no way to pay for them because of Republican hysterics.
The only thing that the US was able to do coherently was to start wars, mostly in the Middle East.
This is not to beat up on the US. US is becoming yet another country with intractable internal problems, like Italy, or Argentina, or UK. With one very important difference: truly intractable military-industrial complex which seems to form something like a state within the state. This is potentially a grave problem for the world, should the US spin out of control completely and turn into some kind of a monster. Remember, this country fought a devastating civil war once already. As a foreign born person living in the US, I was struck by the depth of divisions that seem to remain here and be related to this old conflict. Coexisting with the image of a democratic beacon is every kind of evil you can imagine, lurking under the surface, waiting for an opportunity to break out. Perhaps no different than elsewhere, but this is not a very reassuring statement, given the history of the world.
What is left out of the Democratic West needs to look for practical solutions which are not centered on a fantasy that the US will miraculously revive and return like a white knight. The only way forward that I see is to reaffirm western values, defend them in every country of the West as they are now vulnerable everywhere. We also need to return our attention to the out of control arms race. The US says that NATO members should spend at least 2% of their GDP on the military. How about nobody spends more than 2%? Including the US, Russia and China. And we, the people, come together to enforce this rule through economic pressures? The Middle East shows quite conclusively that all these marching armies do not accomplish much in this Century?
Spot on. Today the US is a quarter of World GDP. In the 20th century the US was half. Not that they have shrunk, only that virtually everyone else has become first World countries. Perhaps the the US and the EU could form a really strong bloc if they stood shoulder to shoulder, but that does not seem to be the dynamic at the moment as everyone seems to be struggling with internal political storms.
https://prosyn.org/JASA8Tc


text:
Bald Headed Bistro
World-class events, gourmet food and great people
At the Bald Headed Bistro in Cleveland, Tennessee, we pride ourselves on our 100% Angus Beef Steaks, Springer Mountain Chicken and amazing monthly events. Our social Supper Club is a great place to meet new people, try our South Eastern Chef Series if you want to try cuisines from Chef's across the South East or go behind the scenes with our Chef's Kitchen Dining Table.
Nestled in the heart of Cleveland, Tennessee, The Bald Headed Bistro is a fine dining establishment famous for unique decor, excellent outdoor patio and monthly events.
The Bald Headed Bistro is located in Cleveland, Tennessee, and is considered the premier fine dining destination in southeast Tennessee. Serving hard to find beef, wild game, and seafood selection, the restaurant carries specialties like elk, bison, quail, fresh prawns, prime steaks, and rare international steak selections. The Bistro is proud of its heritage. Earning nine Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence, carrying the city's largest scotch and bourbon list, and hosting top chefs from across the region, the restaurant values every person that makes such fantastic experiences possible.
The Bistro's lighting and signage were designed by Jackson Hole artist John Mortensen. Warm amber and wrought iron was chosen for both the fixtures and the Bistro logo and brand. John began his career as a sculptor in 1973. He has received numerous awards and created works of art for several lodges and hotels in the Wyoming area. Visitors often remark that they feel like they are in a lodge in Colorado or Wyoming when entering the restaurant.
AUTHENTIC WESTERN DECOR
The Bald Headed Bistro's logs are from the Crescent H Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The tree trunk segments were salvaged from downed trees damaged during the Green Knolls Forest Fire in 2000. It was during the clearing process that the timber was salvaged to utilize in the construction of the restaurant. The Bald Headed Bistro is comprised of 283 logs, located both inside and outside the restaurant.
ANCIENT ACCESSORIES
The fossils used at the Bistro are of a species believed to be from the Eocene Period. They are thought to be over 55 million years old. These rare and beautiful stones, which show the skeletal remains of fish and other ocean life, are inlaid in the floors and walls of the Bistro. They can also be found at the warm, rustic bar. Reclaimed wood is used throughout the Bald Headed Bistro.
Artisans from the Rocky Mountains crafted the Bistro's furniture. The rustic, western design is reflected in these unique pieces. Natural woods, hides, and leather were used in keeping with that theme.
ANIMAL MOUNTS
The mounts scattered throughout the restaurant represent the plentiful western wildlife native to the region. Yellowstone National Park, 60 miles from Jackson Hole, is home to the largest buffalo herd in North America. Jackson Hole has a National Elk Reserve just outside of town. Over 6,000 elk migrate during winter and find some refuge from the harsh winter conditions in the mountains.
THE SNOW ELK
Snow Elk adorn the large glass panels in the main dining room and private dining room. The massive panes of glass were created using electro-chemical etching, a process designed by Energy Consultants. The lightest single pane of etched glass weighs 75 pounds and the heaviest over 200 pounds. Each pane is mounted inside of reclaimed timber from the Green Knolls Forest Fire.
Business Fax: (423) 472-0500
Business Address: 201 Keith St SW


text:
package firebirdsql

type firebirdsqlTx struct {
	wp          *wireProtocol
	transHandle int32
}

func (tx *firebirdsqlTx) Commit() (err error) {
	tx.wp.opCommit(tx.transHandle)
	_, _, _, err = tx.wp.opResponse()
	tx.wp.opTransaction([]byte{
		byte(isc_tpb_version3),
		byte(isc_tpb_write),
		byte(isc_tpb_wait),
		byte(isc_tpb_read_committed),
		byte(isc_tpb_no_rec_version),
	})
	tx.transHandle, _, _, err = tx.wp.opResponse()
	return
}

func (tx *firebirdsqlTx) Rollback() (err error) {
	tx.wp.opRollback(tx.transHandle)
	_, _, _, err = tx.wp.opResponse()
	tx.wp.opTransaction([]byte{
		byte(isc_tpb_version3),
		byte(isc_tpb_write),
		byte(isc_tpb_wait),
		byte(isc_tpb_read_committed),
		byte(isc_tpb_no_rec_version),
	})
	tx.transHandle, _, _, err = tx.wp.opResponse()
	return
}

func newFirebirdsqlTx(wp *wireProtocol) (tx *firebirdsqlTx, err error) {
	tx = new(firebirdsqlTx)
	tx.wp = wp
	wp.opTransaction([]byte{
		byte(isc_tpb_version3),
		byte(isc_tpb_write),
		byte(isc_tpb_wait),
		byte(isc_tpb_read_committed),
		byte(isc_tpb_no_rec_version),
	})
	tx.transHandle, _, _, err = wp.opResponse()
	return
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
namespace swift {

class Decl;
class ExportContext;
class SourceFile;

/// Performs access-related checks for \p D.
///
/// At a high level, this checks the given declaration's signature does not
/// reference any other declarations that are less visible than the declaration
/// itself. Related checks may also be performed.
void checkAccessControl(Decl *D);

/// Problematic origin of an exported type.
///
/// This enum must be kept in sync with a number of diagnostics:
///   diag::inlinable_decl_ref_from_hidden_module
///   diag::decl_from_hidden_module
///   diag::conformance_from_implementation_only_module
///   diag::typealias_desugars_to_type_from_hidden_module
///   daig::inlinable_typealias_desugars_to_type_from_hidden_module
enum class DisallowedOriginKind : uint8_t {
  ImplementationOnly,
  SPIImported,
  SPILocal,
  SPIOnly,
  MissingImport,
  None
};

/// A uniquely-typed boolean to reduce the chances of accidentally inverting
/// a check.
///
/// \see checkTypeAccess
enum class DowngradeToWarning: bool {
  No,
  Yes
};

/// Returns the kind of origin, implementation-only import or SPI declaration,
/// that restricts exporting \p decl from the given file and context.
DisallowedOriginKind getDisallowedOriginKind(const Decl *decl,
                                             const ExportContext &where);

DisallowedOriginKind getDisallowedOriginKind(const Decl *decl,
                                             const ExportContext &where,
                                             DowngradeToWarning &downgradeToWarning);

} // end namespace swift

#endif


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