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Turkey sends reinforcements into Syria's Aleppo
Aug 02 2022 11:53 Gmt+3
Last Updated On: Aug 02 2022 11:55 Gmt+3
Turkey has sent military reinforcements into northern Syria's Aleppo, an area under its control, London-based newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported.
A military convoy headed to a base in Aleppo from where the reinforcements will be deployed to others in the province, Asharq al-Awsat said on Monday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed in May to launch an offensive into northern Syria to battle the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkey says the group is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey since 1984.
The military convoy, which included equipment, ammunition and armoured personnel carriers, entered Syria via the Bab Al-Salamah border crossing, Asharq al-Awsat said. Last month, Turkey sent around 15 military convoys into Aleppo's countryside, it said.
Turkey, which opposes the establishment of a Kurdish statelet in northern Syria, has carried out three military operations into the region in the last five years. The predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) say that the attacks undermine their efforts to battle Islamic State (ISIS) and pave the way for the group's resurgence.
The United States cooperates with the SDF in battling ISIS. The YPG is the main fighting force of the SDF and, unlike the PKK, Washington does not recognise it as a terrorist organisation.
SDF's Mazloum Abdi warns against Turkey-Syria normalization
Power shift in northwest Syria: Three consequences of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seizure of Afrin
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Q: Why can I not replace text in .txt file Right now, I am making a simple game and am trying to record a high score and save it between times when the game is open. I have a file, best_score.txt that the high score is retrieved from on open and if score == best throughout the game, I want the current score to be saved in that file. The only text in best_score.txt is the score.
Currently, the file is opened and read from like this:
with open("best_score.txt", "r") as f:
    best = int(f.read())
    old_best = best

The high score(best) is pulled from the file, and I have a second copy of the high score(old_best) saved for later.
During the game, if someone beats their high score, best will be set equal to their score as it goes up.
Once they restart or close the game, if score == best this code runs:
with open("best_score.txt", "w") as f:
    f.write(f.replace(str(old_best), str(best)))

This is intended to search for the original high score at the start of the game(old_best) and replace it with the new high score. Right now, when I run the game and beat the high score, the new one doesn't get recorded. The text file just becomes empty with no text in it at all, or it remains as the previous high score. What am I doing wrong, or what other method can I do to save the score in a text file?
I know there are similar questions on here and explanations on how to write text on other websites, but I just can't get mine to work. This is my first "big" project in programming(100+ lines) and this is the only thing that's really stumping me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: You are overcomplicating it:
with open("best_score.txt", "w") as f:
    f.write(best)

This will overwrite the text with the new text.

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Corporate Aviation Security: A Four-Pronged Approach to Improving Aviation Security
Safety & Security,
by Chris Hagon in Safety & Security, Travel. Posted April 29, 2014
In major countries like the United States or European Union, executives may move via corporate jet, and not just through major airports like New York's Kennedy, Frankfurt Airport, or London's Heathrow but also through minor airports. Here, the issue is that minor airports may lack the security infrastructure of their larger counterparts. This problem is compounded in smaller, developing countries.
Airport security can become a weak link in executive security. According to Chris Hagon, our CEO, "Although most large airports are reasonably secure, many smaller airports serving primarily corporate clients have less resources to devote to airport security.
Detect, deny, deter and defend are the four prongs of an effective security approach. Let's drill down into each element.
A Four-Pronged Approach to Executive Protection and Corporate Aviation Security
The following is a simple and effective approach to increase the security of individuals on the ground at airports as well as in the skies.
DETECT | As most international security services understand, the first step to defending against a threat is to identify it. Once a threat is detected, it can be studied and analyzed to uncover its capabilities and intentions. If the threat becomes severe enough, law enforcement can be called in to deal with the issue.
DENY | One of the first steps to sound executive protection and corporate aviation security is to deny potential threats information they could used to carry out a harmful act. In regards to air travel, there are steps organizations can take to ensure that their travel plans and flight routes are not publicly available.
DETER | Another vital step to increasing security at airports is to deter an attack in the first place. After all, many security professionals believe that unsophisticated attackers can be deterred by the simple presence of sturdy equipment, sound procedures, and competent personnel.
DEFEND | Defensive procedures are the final component of IMG's corporate aviation security and executive protection strategy. Although efforts to detect, deny, and deter will neutralize most threats, organizations still need to be prepared to defend their personnel. This last component involves a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of physical security.
Taking Action on Aviation Security
If your organization is a heavy user of aviation for corporate travel, whether in the US, Europe or abroad, creating a security plan is a worthwhile investment. A four-pronged approach can help conceptualize the levels of preparedness, but only an expert analysis can give you the in-depth plan that will work on a daily basis.
Tags Travel Safety
Chris Hagon
Christopher Hagon was a member of London's Metropolitan Police for 21 years. Eleven years of his service were spent in Scotland Yard's Royalty & Diplomatic Protection Department (RDPD), where he was for nine years the personal protection officer to Prince Philip. Hagon also performed protection duty for other members of the Royal Family and later was appointed as the personal protection officer to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. In 1984, Hagon retired in the rank of Superintendent. In the U.S., Hagon joined a prestigious international security consultancy providing services to more than half the Fortune 500 companies. As Director, Executive Protection, Hagon dealt with terrorist-related incidents - bombings, assassination threats and others - encountered by major U.S. defense contractors and pharmaceuticals, and also product-contamination and kidnap-ransom cases. In 1988, Hagon joined Miami-based Ryder System, Inc., the world's largest full-service lease and transportation company as Director of Corporate Security and was responsible for many innovative and proactive programs designed to protect Ryder's 46,000 personnel and assets. Hagon has lectured widely on the topics of workplace violence, crisis management, crime avoidance and personal protection with emphasis on the nuances and practicalities of the corporate response. Audiences have included corporate human resource and legal groups, directors and managers of security, chambers of commerce and the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS).
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With New Zealand being the South Pacific Superyacht hub for both refits and cruising, more vessels are feeling confident after years of reporting by fellow owners and captains to head to the southern hemisphere. Although many visitors believe Auckland is the only city for vessels to come to, this is becoming less of a "must go" place. Whangarei, a city two hours north of Auckland, is opening its doors to the world of superyachts as an entrance to Northland and the Bay of Islands in New Zealand.
Here in New Zealand, we believe that the whole world is situated in just our small country, and this all starts at the top in Northland and Whangarei.
Although a relatively unknown city of the world, Asia Pacific Superyachts New Zealand has seen the potential and opened a new office in Whangarei. Led by Karma Butler, and former crew member, APS NZ has taken off already with a handful of vessels coming to Whangarei. APS NZ can offer both refits and cruising opportunities through their office for many different ships.
New Zealand and Auckland, in particular, is a common destination for some of the best refits in the world and Whangarei is no exception. "With a variety of different shipyards some of which specialise in heavy engineering and large refits including a 2000 tonne capacity slipway as well as 40-tonne slipway, we can cater to it all. There are also sheltered berths of 120m, 67m and 36m, complete with a crane", reports Duthie Lidgard, Managing Director of APS NZ.
Contractors include only the best interior fit out services, superyacht paint companies and full marine engineering services, all with workshops on site. There are two main marinas used for docking vessels: Marsden Cove Marina, taking vessels up to 44m within the marina and Whangarei Marina, closest to the town centre and taking vessels up to 20m with a 3m draft.
As a city, Whangarei offers a wide range of world-class options for refits and is the ideal place to bring your vessel to refit and then to use as a base for cruising and chartering, as well as an entrance to the rest of the Northland which offers a wide range of activities for everyone. "Not only is Northland extremely beautiful, but it has some fantastic cuisine, great adventures and activities and allows you to immerse yourself completely in the New Zealand culture," reports Butler.
With trips such as travelling to the top of New Zealand, Cape Reinga where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea, to sand surfing down the Ahipara dunes, Northland offers it all. From Whangarei, you have easy access to the Poor Knights Islands where some of the best diving in the world occurs allowing you to see just some of what New Zealand has to offer. With beautiful waterfalls, Maori culture and the Waipoua Forest to explore the ancient Kauri forests, Whangarei allows this to happen for you easily, along with great fishing off the coast, white sandy beaches and surf.


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BLACK HOLE BY CHARLES BURNS
What do I remember about that period of my life? It was intense, you know. I was intense. Thing is, I was never a little boy; I skipped childhood and went straight to the awkward, brooding teenage years. I was a teenager at six or seven, if you know what I mean. So those feelings weren't new to me; but yeah I guess they were kind of heightened around that time, at like seventeen or something; all the negativity about myself and the world. The drugs didn't help, and the girls made it even worse. I discovered girls late, I guess. Like I really had to discover them; they weren't always there, you know. I didn't take drugs to feel good or have a nice time. I took them because…shit, who knows. Because I didn't understand myself, I guess, and so couldn't accept myself. But I don't really want to talk about any of that; about me, I mean; this isn't about me, for once.
So who then? Not Tom. I can hardly even picture him now, which is probably something he'd approve of. He's lost to my memory like he was lost to the world. But the others are there, crowding my brain like a prison. I'd go to the same club every week and every week I'd make new friends. Friends that weren't really friends, you know. Or maybe were more my friends than anyone else I've ever known. People you fucked in the toilets; people you bought drugs from; people you gave drugs to; people you fought with, like physically, but still said hi to later that night; people who stumbled into your life, often for mere moments, but who somehow left an impression on you greater than those you now see every day. Gareth, for example, who was gay as fuck but couldn't admit it to himself; and so he drank all the time. And Sherry, who I gave a Love is All badge to and then never saw again. Beautiful Sherry who thought she was just a 'typical ugly Asian girl in England.' And Rick, and Mark, and Ally and Jemma; and so many more. Every one of them struggling with something, some terrible thing inside that beat so hard against the surface of their skins that it contorted their faces and their bodies. I'd have given them all a badge if I could.
I guess I'm trying to say something about Black Hole; about how this comic book moved me; about the associations, you know. But it didn't start off that way; moving me, I mean. At first I was kind of irritated by it. The way the characters speak to each other, for example. It reads like the dialogue from a crappy teen tv drama, like Dawson's Creek or something. Like one guy says I love you and the girl says 'don't say that unless you mean it.' Shit like that. Then there are the vaginas. Not real vaginas, but the suggestion of vaginas. It's not at all subtle. The title, don't forget. And also the open belly of the frog, and the wound on the girl's foot and on her back, and so on. Like, I get it; I immediately got it. Horny teenagers; hormones; that feeling of sex being everywhere, all around you. Vaginas, dude. I should probably mention the bug too; the disease that the characters pass to each other and that causes the mutations; well, that's an STI. So, anyway, initially I was a bit pissed about all that stuff; it struck me as unsophisticated, if you know what I mean.
But soon enough the whole vagina thing sort of faded into the background. And, yeah, the dialogue was still corny in places but I started thinking that maybe it's intentional, you know; like maybe Burns was going for that. I've seen it written that he was aiming for a B-movie type feel or something; and the artwork backs that up, with it being black and white and blocky, and so on. I mean, as an allegory I still think the book kind of sucks, B-movie or not. I don't like allegories much. Animal Farm and all that. Like how the mutants are the unpopular, ostracised kids, you know. Kids who wear the wrong clothes and laugh too loud at the wrong things, or something like that. Or maybe you could say the mutants are like society's cast offs; the drug addicts, the homeless, the alcoholics; the ones who really fell off; the ones who really got lost. I don't know, I guess that pretence stuff just makes me cringe too. Like it wants to dupe you – the reader – into thinking you're smart because you figured all this out, when actually it's so obvious and in-your-face that a boneheaded child couldn't miss it. I'm sure it seems like I'm being super hard on the book. Like I'm not finding much to say that's positive. But I am coming to that. I just don't know how to structure something like this; a review, I mean. I want to say only nice things, but I keep getting sidetracked. Of all the allegorical stuff I guess I most appreciated how Burns worked in the body horror theme. Like obviously a lot of adolescents feel that way; like they hate their bodies, are disgusted or embarrassed by their bodies. So, for example, Chris, who's a girl, goes swimming; and she's got the bug and she doesn't know it yet, or doesn't know that it's showing; and all her friends or whatever see the open wound on her back and snigger and gossip about it. Or that other girl, who has webbed hands and wears gloves; that girl worries that her boyfriend is disgusted and embarrassed by her hands. And because of all that, I couldn't help thinking of the girls I've known who wouldn't let me see them naked; all those girls who thought their sex was gross, you know. Vaginas again, dude. Associations.
Yet, ultimately, what really got to me was something else. I felt like after a while Burns got as sick of the allegory as I did. At some point I realised that he had just kind of let it go; like he stopped trying to find clever ways to say stuff and decided to just say it; like he stopped trying to hit you over the head with the Gen X thing; and Black Hole then became emotional, warm, sympathetic and all that. It became sincere, I guess is what I'm trying to say; and that really woke up Sherry and Mark and Rick, and the rest. Like how Chris loses her way when she loses her guy. Just that; that one moment, that one incident, and she goes down and finds it tough to get back up. I've seen it happen, you know. People who can't cope with the rough and tumble of life; maybe forever, maybe for only a period of time. Chris drops out and becomes pathetic. I've seen it happen. That she has the bug or is a mutant or whatever doesn't matter. Or Eliza. I don't know, I think Eliza got to me the most. Drugged up and zoned out and all. When she fucks that kid with the sideburns she says something about how nice it is to fuck someone you like for a change. And my heart nearly broke. Her tail is neither here nor there. I'd have given her a badge if I could.
Posted in American, Gothic/Grotesque, Graphic Novels/Manga and tagged adolescence, black hole, book, charles burns, horror, mutants, review, sex, teenagers on September 6, 2018 by booksyo. Leave a comment
UZUMAKI BY JUNJI ITO
Words brought me here. Or, I should say, my desire to avoid them. Except that they are, of course, unavoidable. I feel them like a heavy weight that bears down upon my head, such that every crude sound my lips make is painful to me. The knitting-circle nattering of my mind is even worse. And this? What I am doing now? This is the third wall that completes my triangular prison. My run down, but secure prison. I don't want to write, but words come, regardless. Painful and inadequate words; but if not this, then the gurgle or the drone. I sometimes wonder if the only solution is death, but death is, I fear, a canny bastard. How can one even contemplate or summon it without words? My weariness astonishes me.
I tried to hide behind my eyes. To pass the time staring mindlessly at pictures. To feel without words. Yet I ultimately realised that I can only process and understand images through the filter of language.
Uzumaki was part of this failed experiment. I had always searched for myself in books, but my aim this time was to escape, to escape my own narrative, my words, the words that not only define me but are, in fact, all that I am. However, the opposite occurred. I found myself in Junji Ito's world, in his city contaminated by spirals. I understood the paranoia and the obsession of the locals. They see the spiral everywhere, in the shell of the snail, in the cochlea of the ear, in the twist of the hair, in the swirl of water and the drift of smoke.
The book is full of grotesque images of the kind one would find in something like The Exorcist or Evil Dead. One episode, involving the reinsertion of a baby into its mother's womb, and the drilling for blood by mosquito women, was particularly, and memorably, gruesome and unnerving. Yet part of what makes the book so impressive is that Ito's horror works on two levels. There is the physical horror, whereby the body is manipulated, such that, for example, people are turned into snails and then often eaten; and there is also the psychological horror, the sense that, in the early stages at least, what is happening might be no more than ordinary human madness. In fact, even the most obvious examples of physical horror have a psychological element. The mosquitos, for example, with their endless buzzing, and the fear that they will penetrate the ear. There is, moreover, the spiral itself, and how Ito manages to transform this innocuous shape or pattern into something sinister, much like the way that Hitchcock did with birds.
With the emphasis being on the visual, it is natural that the story, and the characters, are underdeveloped. The plot is episodic and it never really goes anywhere, except that the horror increases in intensity and gore. The ending is also unsatisfying, not so much because it doesn't truly resolve anything, but because it suggests a love element that isn't really there in the rest of the story.
It is said of many horror films that they are morality tales. It is the bullies, the promiscuous, etc, that often make up the body count. The same is true of Uzumaki. Or, certainly, Ito at times appeared to want to make his story karmic in that way, with the bad people getting their comeuppance. Towards the middle of the book, he focusses on those who seek attention, both from the opposite sex and from their peers. One such episode ushers in Azami, Uzumaki's most celebrated character, who has a scar on her head that is said to make her irresistible to men. However, Ito doesn't follow through on this idea and even if he had it isn't sophisticated enough to make it a reason to pick up the book.
Uzumaki is stunning in places, is worthy of the praise it has had, and the regard in which it is held, but not for anything that you would associate with conventional literature. Moreover, although my experiment failed, and it did not resolve any of my issues, or provide any answers, for the respite that it gave me, I am grateful.
Posted in Gothic/Grotesque, Graphic Novels/Manga, Japanese & Chinese, Surrealism and tagged Graphic Novels/Manga, horror, Junji Ito, madness, obsession, surreal, uzumaki, visual on May 27, 2018 by booksyo. 2 Comments
THE TRUMPETS OF JERICHO BY UNICA ZÜRN
It is at the end of a relationship that the most revealing statements are made. It is as though it is only when there is no hope of resolving the issues, of moving forward together, that people are able or willing to honestly disclose their feelings. 'I thought I was pregnant last year', my ex-partner told me once all was lost, 'but I was too frightened to tell you.' It was her most hurtful admission. I was ashamed that I had communicated my misgivings about having children in such a way as to convince her that it would be better to deal with the worry alone than to share it with me. And yet I do wonder – if she had been pregnant and had wanted to keep the baby – how I would have taken the news. Outwardly I would have done all that I could to be supportive, but secretly, inside myself, would I have freaked out? The awful truth is that often, when I have come into contact with pregnant women, I have felt uneasy, especially in regards to the grotesquely swollen belly, inside of which there sits a living creature. There is something magical about it, yes, but unnerving also.
However, it wasn't until I read Unica Zürn's The Trumpets of Jericho that I seriously considered how a woman might feel in the same situation. I don't mean that I would expect that every woman be happy about being pregnant, rather that, as I have selfishly blundered my way through life, it had not previously occurred to me that to be the one who actually has the living thing inside you might be a whole other level of existential terror, a kind of terror that the likes of me – i.e. a man – cannot fully understand. Indeed, for Zürn's narrator her pregnancy has been nine months of a 'gruesome inner union.' She openly, almost gleefully, attacks the unborn, calling it a 'bastard', a 'hateful creature', an 'abomination', and an 'unwanted suckling'. It is this last phrase that is, in my opinion, the most significant. The child was not planned, and is not wanted. While it is true to say that she is partly responsible, the girl – she is only sixteen – has had her body, in a sense, invaded.
At the heart of her despair, and her disgust, is the realisation that the baby's existence, its inevitable coming, signals the end of 'the sweet days of youthful peace'. On one level this 'youthful peace' refers to her physical well-being. She laments how the child has 'sucked all the strength' from her, with her labour pains, for example, being so intense that they feel like 'the sea moving beneath a storm.' There is also a touch of vanity in her concerns, for she remembers the time when she was 'still slim' and notes how her 'long, beautiful hair is getting damp from fear sweats.' However, her strongest objection is that she will no longer be able to do as she pleases. To have a child is to be responsible for, and obligated and tied to, another human being, which requires your time, effort, and money; especially for a woman, and especially at the time at which the book was written. She sees the baby as a threat to what she calls the 'dancing freedom of a proud young cat,' and remembers fondly how she once 'hurried with big steps from one lover to another.'
"For the whole land is flooded with a large and powerful wave of the deepest melancholy, and wherever anyone goes or stands, they think here of violent death."
The Trumpets of Jericho is not a plot-based book, so it is no spoiler to reveal that the girl plans to kill the baby. Indeed, on the second page she states that she has 'cold-heartedly' decided that 'the suckling must die.' The intended infanticide speaks to her mental state, of course, and I will return again to that, but it is also one part of a overriding atmosphere of gothic horror, which at times is surprisingly playful. The girl's situation is that of someone living alone in a tower. She has, she says, no friends. Her only company are ravens and, for a brief period, the bat that is caught in her hair. With a touch of welcome humour, she theatrically addresses the creature: 'I honor you, you serious, uncanny night spirit/But please leave my hair, because you are bothering me during the serious business of bringing my child into the world.' I was also amused by the grim intention to pack the remains of the murdered new born 'in seven different packages and send them to my last seven lovers.' A dramatic fuck you to whichever of these men is the father.
On the back of my copy of The Trumpets of Jericho it is described as 'a fierce fable of childbirth', which is a fine phrase, but which is not, in my opinion, entirely accurate. Of course it is important, and it is, moreover, the most immediately engaging, eye-catching aspect of the text, but I don't think Zürn's work is reducible to that alone. In fact, although I have devoted all of this review to it so far, at least half of the book's fifty pages have nothing to do with pregnancy or childbirth at all. The second half is given over to a series of surreal-poetic stories, told by the narrator, the majority of which feature death. For me, The Trumpets of Jericho is about madness and unhappiness, about, specifically, Zürn's own madness and unhappiness, with an attitude towards childbirth being only one facet of this. Indeed, the girl describes herself, rather quaintly, as a 'member of the Eccentric's club'. More alarmingly, she speaks of an anger against life and longs to kill herself, by leaping from a window.
I don't often refer to biographical detail concerning the authors of the works I review, for I consider it irrelevant in the main, but on this occasion it is worth pointing out that Zürn killed herself by doing just that: by jumping out of a window. There is, moreover, a moment in the text when Zürn, as the author, addresses you: 'you see, reader, that I cannot bend my thoughts away from death.' It is a brief slipping of the girl-mask, of the pretence at writing a piece of fiction. Another, more telling, slip occurs when she actually namechecks herself: 'Unica's heroes murdered.' The second half of The Trumpets of Jericho, which is at times barely comprehensible, but is always beautiful, is like directly entering the gloomy labyrinth of her mind; and it is, in this way, much scarier than what precedes it, if not so ripe for critical analysis.
Posted in German & Austrian, Gothic/Grotesque, Surrealism and tagged book, childbirth, death, gothic, horror, infanticide, murder, pregnancy, review, surreal, unica zurn on September 20, 2017 by booksyo. 3 Comments
MALPERTUIS BY JEAN RAY
Following the separation of my parents I stayed for a while with my grandmother. I was around seven years old at the time. She lived in a flat, on a council estate in one of Sheffield's most deprived areas. The living room window looked out upon a run-down concrete playground, which, eerily, never appeared to be in use, despite the large number of children in the neighbouring tower-blocks. The old lady did not own a TV, most likely because she could not afford one, and so would each evening tell stories about strange happenings – involving ghosts mostly – which she insisted she had herself witnessed. Yet most terrifying of all was the story of the circumstances surrounding her arrival in England. I was told that she had once been a member of an old aristocratic and wealthy Scottish family, but, for reasons that were unknown or unexplained, she was dispatched to a sanatorium while still in her teens. There she received electric shock therapy, and, upon her release, was subsequently disinherited and banished.
Whether any of that is true or not is, of course, debatable. I have, partly out of fear perhaps, but mostly in order to spare my mother any anguish or upset, never sought to verify what I was told. However, what is certain is that the unease I had felt upon entry into my grandmother's home began to intensify to such an extent that it – the flat – was transformed, in my childish imagination, into a house of horrors, one that was large, unwelcoming, and labyrinthine. The ghosts, moreover, became real and malevolent and forever on the prowl. Indeed, according to my mother I began to have waking nightmares, visions, in fact, of a man sitting on the end of my bed, who only I could see. I also, she claimed, started to sleepwalk, and could be found most nights at the front door attempting to leave. Finally, my grandmother – may she rest in peace – was, I was sure, the mad conductor of these evils, rather than the inventor of them.
"Those who lie down to sleep in its vast rooms lay themselves open to nightmares; those who spend their days there are obliged to habituate themselves to the company of the atrocious shades of executed criminals, of men flayed alive, or walled up or otherwise tormented."
Until I started reading Malpertuis I had forgotten all about my brief stay in a haunted house, although, as this review will show, I, comparatively, got off lightly. The novel was written by Jean Ray, a man who was described by a friend as 'a Gothic personality', and was published in 1943. The style, however, is reminiscent of something written at least a hundred years earlier, and the structure – with the use of the framing narrative – is similar to Jan Potocki's Saragossa Manuscript, parts of which first saw the light of day in 1805. Indeed, Malpertuis begins with a sort of preface, which describes the theft of a number of manuscripts from a monastery. The thief then explains that he has attempted to edit and order the manuscripts, which altogether would have 'constituted a work of colossal size and minimal interest', in an effort to turn them into a coherent narrative of 'mystery and terror.' The resulting story is, he claims, the work of four or five men in total, but the greater part – the kernel, as he calls it – is provided by the journal of Jean-Jacques Grandsire, a young man 'marked with the brand of misfortune.'
For a book that I found so gripping, that I would call a page-turner, it seems odd that when I think about it now I realise that there is little in the way of plot. Jean-Jacques's journal tells of a dying man's family and friends gathering around him. Following his death, his will stipulates that the people there named must live in Malpertuis or forsake their large inheritance. From this point onwards – aside from one or two digressions – we follow Jean-Jacques as he explores the house and encounters all manner of terrible things. So, how to account for the feverish speed and rapt attention with which I read it? Well, one of the reasons that Malpertuis is so engaging is that it consistently poses questions for which the reader wants answers. Why must the characters live in the house? What is the significance of the shop attached to it? What is the link between Malpertuis and the island described in the opening chapter? Why is the beautiful Euryale so distant? What does the Abbe Doucedame know about the goings on in the house? And so on. In many ways, Ray's novel is something like a Gothic version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, with Jean-Jacques acting as the detective.
However, it is the terrible things that most hold the attention. Indeed, this was perhaps the closest I have come in my reading experiences to straight horror; and, I must admit, I had a blast. Take Lampernisse, a 'skeletal creature' with 'spiderlike hands', who lives in Malpertuis and obsesses over the lights, which he believes are being put out by a malevolent presence within the house. His ramblings about his plight are both oddly moving and chilling: "There was a time I sold animal black and lamp black, but I never gave anyone the darkness of night. I am Lampernisse. I am so good and kind, and they have cast me into outer darkness." I am reticent to discuss the many other strange and horrible occurrences that litter the text for fear of spoiling it for those who want to read it, but I can't resist mentioning that, amongst other things, there is something in the attic, there is a severed hand, there are faceless beings, and devilish beings with haunting mask-like faces, and a number of gruesome deaths.
Malpertuis was, according to the Abbe Doucedame, the name given to 'the lair of the cunning and evil fox, Goupil'. In conversation with Jean-Jacques, he muses over whether the house that then took this name, the one in which Jean-Jacques etc. live, did so in order to denote evil or cunning. Yet he concludes that cunning is 'the prerogative of the Spirit of Darkness' and that therefore, whichever way you look at it, Malpertuis is, in his view, the house of the Devil. This can be understood in two ways, for, as already noted, there is horror inside the house, but the building itself is, in appearance, horrific also. On the facade there are 'disagreeable carvings', a facade that is, according to Jean-Jacques, a 'severe mask' that 'fails to conceal the abominations that lie behind it.' However, although it may seem as though the direction in which we – the reader and the characters – are heading is Satanic, that the mysteries of the novel are to be explained in relation to that, when the reveal actually comes Jean Ray does something incredible and wholly unexpected: he provides one of the most emotionally affecting endings of any novel I have read.
Posted in Dutch & Belgian, Favourites, French, Gothic/Grotesque and tagged book, death, devil, evil, framing narrative, gods, Gothic/Grotesque, haunted house, horror, jean ray, malpertuis, review on September 2, 2017 by booksyo. Leave a comment
THE SHIP BY HANS HENNY JAHNN
It had been fifteen minutes since I ordered the taxi. According to the tracker on my phone it had spent that time down a dead-end street, turning slowly in circles. I considered cancelling, but with the instinctive human yearning for a reasonable explanation I convinced myself that my phone was faulty, that I was overreacting, that the fear I felt was unwarranted. When eventually the car pulled up I got in and asked the driver if he had been having mechanical problems. He told that he had been stuck at traffic lights. The lie unnerved me further. When the vehicle moved, it did so at great speed. I felt for my seatbelt, pulled it across my chest. It would not click into place. It was obstructed by something. 'It doesn't work,' the driver said. I asked him to stop the car. He seemed agitated. 'It's fine,' he said. 'Stay there.'
It crossed my mind at this point that he meant me harm, and, further, that in harmful situations the victim usually waits for the terrible moment, the blow, before reacting. I was ready to act, to preempt. The driver offered me the backseat, then changed his mind. 'Stay there, it's fine,' he repeated. We sped on. I wondered, with that futile human need for clarification, why he was so insistent on me being in the front of the car. A robbery? A sexual assault? I contemplated jumping, but, in compromise with myself, persuaded him to let me in the back instead. It's either that or I get out, I stated firmly. What an absurd agreement. A few moments later we pulled up at some traffic lights. 'My eyes,' he said. 'They feel itchy, I can't see.' He wants me to get in the front again, I thought. To check his eyes. I didn't. I asked to be let out, and to my surprise he stopped the car.
I've told this story numerous times. Most think that it was nothing, that the danger was a figment of my imagination, that it was no more than dust dirtying the mirror of my mind. Sometimes I think so too. Is it not I who am mad, and not the world? I've asked myself that question before. Isn't it possible, likely even, that I am viewing the world through the prism of my own insanity, and that this is the reason why everything I experience seems so peculiar, offbeat, and frightening? Is that the reasonable explanation for which I yearn? There are no demons in dark corners, they are all in my head. Yes, that is certainly a more straightforward way of looking at things. There was no maniacal taxi driver intent on hurting me, simply a taxi driver who was bad at his job; there are no trapdoors, simply doors upon which my diseased mind has imposed a sinister significance.
The Ship was written by Hans Henny Jahnn and published in 1949. Information about the author is scarce, but the German was, I've read, the son of a ship's carpenter and the grandson of a builder of ships. This, and the title of course, might lead one to expect from his work something like an ode to sailing and the sea, or even the less thrilling chapters in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, but the reality is far removed from that. The ship itself, which at the beginning of the novel is moored, and doesn't give hint of being ready to go anywhere, is described as being of 'unparalleled artistry.' It was, we're told, 'built by a genius.' The red sails, however, are troubling. More so is that fact of it being stationary, and of it being utilised as something of a party boat; for a ship that doesn't drive through the water is a 'useless enterprise,' is, indeed, 'an offence to society.'
These are early examples of a strangeness and unease that intensifies as the novel progresses. Some of this is due to the construction of the ship itself. The vessel is, it is revealed, equipped with microphones that allow the supercargo, a government official, to listen in to all conversations. This man is also in contact, in a way that isn't particularly clear, with another ship that is sailing close behind and which is ready to move in on his say. Even more alarming is that the original ship appears to have secret walls and certain doors can be opened from outside even when locked. All of which gives the impression that the passengers are trapped in what is effectively a surrealist painting or on a floating fairground house of horrors. These people are further spooked by the uncertainties regarding the mission and the cargo. In short, none of them know where they are going, or why, or what is being carried.
In this way, The Ship is a a kind of mystery thriller, albeit a slow-paced one, especially when one factors in the disappearance of a young woman, and her possible murder. Indeed, it has much in common with the 'locked room' subgenre, as there are witnesses that see her enter the supercargo's cabin, but none that see her leave; and yet there is no evidence of foul play when the room is searched. There is not, however, a highly trained detective on hand to unravel the mystery, only the passengers, the greater number of whom – the regular crew – are rapidly losing their minds. Of the others on board, there are three who are of particular interest. There is a captain, who is affable and competent, as long as he is dealing only with traditional captain's business, but who would, if he were allowed, turn a blind eye to anything he couldn't easily explain. Secondly, there is the aforementioned supercargo, who seems initially set up to be the villain. He is the only one with knowledge of the cargo and destination of the ship, and he is described as 'devious', 'repulsive', and 'exceptional.' Most telling, however, is his nickname as the 'grey man', for his character is vague, changeable. One is never sure what to make of him. Is he victim, loser, pawn or puppet-master?
The third character of note is Gustave, the missing young woman's lover. He is the person on board who goes through the most significant changes. In the beginning, he stows away on the ship, and one can see in this a shedding of his previous identity, or a means of mentally and emotionally reinventing himself. Indeed, his relationship with Ellena, which had been so solid, falters; he ignores her, first for his new-found love of adventure and comradeship with the crew, and then in his obsession with understanding and explaining the odd nature of, and happenings on board, the ship. Yet far from arriving at any form of enlightenment, he becomes increasingly 'befuddled.' It is through Gustave in particular, but also notable members of the crew, that Jahnn illustrates his principle theme.
When faced with the strange or confusing, man will endeavour to look for a reasonable or logical explanation, almost as a kind of comfort blanket. However, it can happen that in searching for a simple, rational explanation one actually creates lavish fantasies, and these, in turn, can push one towards insanity. Moreover, is it also the case that a mind already in the grip of madness, when searching for the rational, will in fact create something monstrous, yet still plausible. Take, for example, the construction of the ship. Gustave refuses to accept, or may not even acknowledge the possibility, that its design is eccentric, but harmless. He sees something sinister in it, a motive. Likewise, the cargo could be anything. It is a secret, yes, but that does not mean that it is something horrifying or supernatural. Perhaps it is guns. Drugs. Or something even more banal. Yet Gustave and the crew concoct ever wilder theories, culminating in a belief that in each coffin-shaped box lies a woman, dead or alive.
Posted in German & Austrian and tagged book, disappearance, gustave, hans henny jahnn, horror, logic, madness, murder, mystery, rationality, reason, review, strange, supercargo, surreal, the ship on April 17, 2017 by booksyo. Leave a comment
HILL BY JEAN GIONO
It wasn't often that I went to school, but, during my irregular appearances, I somehow managed – perhaps by virtue of having a big mouth and an even bigger chip on my shoulder – to develop a friendship with the tough kid. He was stocky and ginger, like a red brick wall, and lived out of town, on a run down farm. His attendance record was almost as sketchy as mine, only he went hunting when he skipped school and I went to the local library. Yet sometimes we would both be in lessons on the same day and we would sit together and talk about whatever young men talk about when they have nothing in common except their poverty and their anger.
Looking back, it seems strange that his interest in hunting didn't immediately lead to hostility between us. It was almost as though I didn't really know what hunting was. I lived on a council estate; nature was unreal to me; it floated nebulously on the periphery of my consciousness, far from my conception of the world. Then one day he brought something into school for me, a present. It was a squirrel's tail. Only it was not a squirrel's tail, no more than a severed hand belongs to the man from whom it was removed. It was dead matter; and it nauseated and disorientated me. For years I had witnessed human beings fighting each other, beating and abusing each other, but it hadn't before occurred to me that this was how we treated the earth too.
"Is he directly to blame for the suffering of plants and animals? Can he not even cut down a tree without committing murder? It's true, when he cuts down a tree, he does kill. And when he scythes, he slays. So that's the way it is – is he killing all the time? Is he living like a gigantic, runaway barrel, levelling everything in his path?"
Hill was Jean Giono's first novel, of something like fifty, and was published in 1929. It begins with an almost edenic description of the Bastides Blanches, where 'bees dance around birches sticky with sap' and 'a fountain murmurs and overflows in two streams that plunge from a ledge and scatter into the wind.' It is, he writes, 'the land of the untamed', of wild and flourishing nature. And it is the land of people also. There are white houses 'perched like doves on the hill's shoulder.' In them live an isolated agricultural community, so isolated, and distant from others, that even the postman rarely visits and a doctor makes excuses not to return as the journey takes too long.
The men and women of the Bastides Blanches are often described in natural terms, giving the impression that, at least for the author, the two – humanity and the natural world – are not, or should not be, separate entities. One man has the 'movement of a growing branch,' another dances 'the way marmots do', still another is said to pant rapidly like a bird. Indeed, one of the principle characters, Gagou, is essentially an animal. He is mentally impaired, his sole form of communication being the grunting of his name. His needs are animalistic too, in that he appears only to require shelter, water and sex. Moreover, the way that he dies is, one might say, by sacrificing himself to nature, or in an attempt to become one with it, by walking into a fire.
Yet while this united kingdom, this trinity, of people, animals, and earth is for Giono clearly the ideal, he was too smart to suggest that it is a reality. Indeed, in a significant, if perhaps somewhat heavy-handed, move the idyllic opening I touched upon earlier is violently disturbed by the introduction of a human presence, when Jaume fires a round of buckshot at a boar bathing in a spring. The truth of the matter is that the community at the Bastides Blanches are reliant upon the natural world, take from it, use it, but do not give anything back; they are, in the phoney war between the three forms of life, the aggressors, the tyrants, the exploiters.
It is Janet, the bed-bound quasi-mystic, who gives voice to this truth and others like it. He is, you might say, the community's bad conscience. 'The world isn't made for you alone', he admonishes Jaume when he seeks the old man's advice. As the conversation unfolds, which is in fact more of a cosmic monologue, he talks about the suffering of animals, of trees, of 'hundreds of holes in the flesh of living creatures and in living wood' out of which 'the blood and the sap flow over the world like a gigantic river.' Janet is a truly memorable creation, so captivating and believable that, even in his most theatrical moments, his sermons unnerve the reader as much as the characters.
Much is made in reviews of the environmental aspect of the narrative, and yet, while the above shows that it is quite clearly there in the text, I believe that it is overplayed, or overemphasised, to the exclusion of its other noteworthy themes or qualities. I used the word 'war' before to describe the relationship between humanity and other forms of life, and I think there is something fascinating, and grimly amusing, about the way that we – for I don't exclude myself from this – view inanimate objects or unconscious creatures as our enemies, as being in opposition to us. Consider for a moment the scene with the boar: Jaume, after firing at it, calls it a 'son of a whore' as though it had personally wronged him, as though it could understand this taunt, this insult, when of course it had not and it could not.
As the novel progresses, the characters, rattled by Janet's ramblings and a run of bad luck, come to believe that the earth is out to get them, is bent on revenge; not figuratively, literally. If this sounds like the clever set-up of a comedy, that is because it is. There is no doubt in my mind that Giono plays for laughs, that he deliberately ramps up the absurdity. At one point, the men gather together in order to discuss their options, to make a plan, and what they decide is to go down to the woods…with their guns. Seriously. Their plan is to shoot nature, to pistol-whip the wind. They also bolt their doors; and one of them moves his bed into his mother's room. What we see here is an exaggerated, satirical, form of the mindset outlined in the previous paragraph, which is that of imbuing the natural world with human, or even supernatural, qualities, and then pitching ourselves against it.
I would also argue, and I have already hinted at this, that Hill is a horror story. It is often said, when discussing the horror film genre, that the scariest examples are those where the 'evil', where the malevolent entity, remains off screen or hidden, where it is implied rather than proven by sight; and that is exactly how Giono's novel plays out. Bad things start to happen – people fall ill, the water supply dries up, and so on – and no one can explain how or why; these events are, for the men, inexplicable, their causes unseeable, and therefore frightening. Out of this fear, a paranoia develops, and they begin to place significance in ordinary events, such as the appearance of a harmless black cat and the 'foreign' silence. It is telling, in this regard, that when a forest fire breaks out Jaume is relieved, because, he himself admits, he now knows what he is dealing with; this terrible something is better than a terrible nothing. Indeed, the men aren't oppressed by a spook, they spook themselves, and Giono's novel is, in this way, something like a Gallic, superior version of The Blair Witch Project.
Posted in Favourites and tagged book, comedy, death, environment, france, hill, horror, humour, janet, jean giono, madness, nature, review, warning, wild on December 26, 2016 by booksyo. Leave a comment
THE GOLEM BY GUSTAV MEYRINK
I was, I must confess, disgracefully hungover and sleep deprived; and I had, yes, already had something of a meltdown in the Kafka museum; but these things can, I feel, only provide a partial explanation for what happened on the Karluv Most bridge. It was early in the afternoon, around 12:30, as we left the museum and started the crossing. Straightaway, I noted a woman having her portrait drawn, a smile stretched grotesquely across her face as though it was intent on swallowing it. Further on, a spidery old man was playing an over-large accordion, and what appeared to be circus performers were blithely strolling in the midday sun. Yet, while these things all contributed to the surreal atmosphere, it was the dogs, the dogs wearing scarves, that truly did for me.
The walk along the bridge seemed to be unending. My feet moved, but I appeared to make no progress. The dogs, so many dogs, all the same breed, and all wearing scarves, passed by me at regular intervals. It was as though I was standing still, and they – the dogs – were going round in circles, were circling me, coming back around, time and time again. Where were they coming from? How could it be that ten or fifteen of the same breed had found themselves on the bridge that day? And why were they dressed so suavely? I have lost my mind, I suddenly thought to myself; then, gripping my friend's arm, I asked him, straight-faced, with great seriousness: 'You can see those dogs, can't you?'
Thankfully, he could; but the point of this story is not the existence, or non-existence, of dogs, but rather to demonstrate something of the special atmosphere of Prague. It is a city, a beautiful city, that invites madness; it is a city of weirdness and wonder, where, one feels, or certainly I feel, anything is possible. It is not, I believe, a coincidence that much of the literature it has generated – The Maimed by Hermann Unger, for example – has that particular quality to it, as though the strange air of Prague has seeped into the pages. In this way, Gustav Meyrink's The Golem held few surprises for me; which is to say that I expected odd, and odd is what I got.
"A brief rustling that broke off short, as if startled at itself, then deadly silence, that agonising, watchful hush, fraught with its own betrayal, that stretched each minute to an excruciating eternity."
First published serially in 1913-14, The Golem is, on the surface at least, a gothic thriller. With little subtlety, but great relish, Meyrink turns Prague's Jewish ghetto into a nightmare, with its 'dark corners,' 'tomblike silence' and generally gloomy, and threatening, atmosphere. It is a place where a 'human spider' with a hare lip [Aaron Wassertrum] lurks; and where a malevolent being, said to be the Golem, stalks the streets and the inhabitants, including the narrator, Athanasius Pernath. As one works one's way through the book there are murders, robberies, secret rooms, inexplicable events, and suicide plots; there are references to cabbala and tarot; and all of this is great, dumb fun.
Yet there is, I believe, an underlying gravitas to the descriptions of life in the Jewish quarter. At the time that the novel was written it was, in fact, in the process of being demolished or cleaned up. For many years it had the reputation of being excessively dirty, over populated, and run down; and it was thought to be a hotbed of violence and criminal activity. With this in mind, Meyrink's gothic thriller has perhaps more in common with Emile Zola's theatrical naturalism than it does Lovecraft, Poe or Dracula. Moreover, this historical knowledge has the effect of altering the tone of much of what you read, so that when Pernath describes the houses as turning their backs on each other one sees in it, not something sinister, but something rather moving. Likewise, when he says of the inhabitants that they are 'strange people' who 'seem to have been put together haphazardly, out of odds and ends.'
This is not to say that Meyrink, or at least his narrator, is entirely in sympathy with the people of the ghetto. Certainly, in the early stages I detected elements of anti-semitism, for there is obvious disgust in the way that Wassertrum and Rosina, for example, are depicted. Indeed, Aaron is said to have a 'horrible face' and 'round fish's eyes'; he is a crook, who once sold a woman into prostitution. Rosina, on the other hand, is 'repulsive' and lascivious. Moreover, the evils of Wassertrum and his son are both linked to money, bringing to mind the Jewish stereotype of avariciousness. In contrast, the Czech characters, who are also living in poverty of course, are lovable rascals with hearts of gold. Yet, as the narrative progresses, Meyrink introduces Hillel and Miriam, who are positive Jewish characters; and this did go some way to soothing my concerns, especially as they are both self-denying and generous with money.
It is usually the case with these reviews that I spend a considerable proportion of them discussing the principle character[s], their motivations, psychology and personality. This is made more difficult in this instance, because Pernath is, for much of the novel, a man is search of himself, literally and spiritually. Indeed, at the beginning, he is handed a book with a prominent letter 'I' etched on it, which is not, of course, insignificant; and later it is hinted that the narrator may not be Pernath at all, having assumed this identity from a name in a hat he mistakenly picked up. In any case, he does not, we are told, remember anything about his childhood; there is the suggestion that he had some kind of mental breakdown, underwent hypnosis, and therefore repressed, or in some way lost, those memories, and with them his sense of self.
"The soul is not a single unity; that is what it is destined to become, and that is what we call 'immortality'. Your soul is still composed of many 'selves', just as a colony of ants is composed of many single ants."
It is interesting, in this regard, that when we meet him he is alive, certainly, but could not be said to be living, as though one's past enables one to have a present and a future. In fact, it is only when he starts to recover his memories that he takes an active part in life. He romances two women, for example, and forms deeper, more valuable friendships. However, I ought to point out that this is, I'm sure, not how Meyrink intended his novel to be understood. It is full of obscure mysticism, or 'waffle' if you were being uncharitable, which, based on what I know about the author and his interests, would likely mean that he had something more philosophically complex in mind. Moreover, if you have read the book you will know that I have completely disregarded the 'twist', and the questions it raises about the nature of reality, dreams, and so on. But well, fuck it, I most enjoyed The Golem as a story, not about a man's spiritual awakening, but rather as about a man beginning to feel some joy in living.
Posted in Eastern European, Gothic/Grotesque and tagged book, crime, ghetto, Gothic/Grotesque, gustav meyrink, horror, identity, jail, jewish, juadism, life, murder, mysticism, pernath, philosophy, prague, religion, review, spirituality, the golem, the self on November 3, 2016 by booksyo. 1 Comment


text:
package com.squareup.okhttp.internal;

import com.squareup.okhttp.OkAuthenticator;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.Proxy;
import java.net.URL;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public final class RecordingOkAuthenticator implements OkAuthenticator {
  public final List<String> calls = new ArrayList<String>();
  public final Credential credential;

  public RecordingOkAuthenticator(Credential credential) {
    this.credential = credential;
  }

  @Override public Credential authenticate(Proxy proxy, URL url, List<Challenge> challenges)
      throws IOException {
    calls.add("authenticate"
        + " proxy=" + proxy.type()
        + " url=" + url
        + " challenges=" + challenges);
    return credential;
  }

  @Override public Credential authenticateProxy(Proxy proxy, URL url, List<Challenge> challenges)
      throws IOException {
    calls.add("authenticateProxy"
        + " proxy=" + proxy.type()
        + " url=" + url
        + " challenges=" + challenges);
    return credential;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Hurshel Garrison "Gary" Underhill
Laguna Beach California
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Hurshel Garrison "Gary" Underhill. Born in Wichita, Kansas, Gary passed away peacefully at the age of 84 on June 22, 2021 in San Juan Capistrano with his loving wife at his side. Fittingly, on that day, every member of Gary and Dee's family was together on a joyful vacation – the kind of gathering Gary most loved to plan with and for his family.
Gary studied Geology at the University of Kansas where he met Dee Arn, a cute little coed, on a blind date. Following their marriage, Gary was commissioned into the United States Navy in 1959, serving our country while stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. Gary loved his Navy years. Upon completion of his service, Gary began business school at Stanford University, which led to a career at Rain Bird Corporation in Glendora, California, which Gary helped lead to global success. With irrigation and water conservation as two great passions, Gary left Rain Bird to establish his own irrigation company, Underhill International Corporation.
Gary was a lover of nature and ahead of his time as a water conservationist. He was an avid reader and learner throughout his life. Most of all, Gary loved his friends and family. There was always an extra seat at the table. His home was your home and when you left, you would be well fed over a meal that included a deep and meaningful conversation. Gary loved all games – especially backgammon – and particularly enjoyed playing with the younger generations in our family. He traveled throughout the world, visiting all seven continents. But most of all, Gary loved the deck of his Laguna Beach home, overlooking the ocean with a majestic sunset, a gentle breeze, and a wonderful meal, with his wife and a dog by his side.
Gary leaves his wife, Dolores "Dee" Underhill; three children – Charlene Underhill Miller (John), Stephanie Bollenbacher (Michael) and Edward Underhill (Karina); six grandchildren – Katelyn Quintero (Matt), Garrison Bollenbacher (Bethany), Madison Underhill, Austin Underhill, Morgan Underhill, Matthew Miller; and one great granddaughter, Olivia Grace Quintero. Gary will live in our hearts forever as we all seek in our own lives to carry on his legacy and values.
A celebration of Gary's remarkable life will be held at 11:00 am on July 10 at the Clubhouse in Three Arch Bay, 5 Bay Drive, Laguna Beach. Festive beach attire requested. In lieu of flowers, a gift in Gary's name may be made to your favorite charity.
Date & Time: July 10, 2021 (11:00 AM)
Venue: Three Arch Bay Clubhouse
Location: 5 Bay Drive Laguna Beach, CA 92651 - (Get Directions)
7 responses to Hurshel Garrison "Gary" Underhill
Anja Tillmanns says:
There will always be a smile when I think of you! Thanks Gary!
Don/Susan Sessions says:
Gary and Dee were very kind neighbors. It was in their nature. they made us feel welcomed. They got around with their dog and it was always good to chat with them. Gary thought of his neighbors in leading the emergency preparedness program in our community. Once he even had a neighborhood event in the street with the fire department attending to teach us all how to prepare for tough times. He even installed a satellite phone outside his garage allowing for the very best communication above, making us all feel safer. He and Dee are greatly missed here. He has left the world a better place.


My name is Olivier Boucard, I am in my thirties. I was born in Brittany, France, but I move a lot.
I have a Master degree in software engineering with a specialty in Computer-Human Interaction.
What technology I use to develop game?
When I started, I was developing in C++ using SDL and OpenGL. Then I move from SDL to Qt. Right now I use Godot Engine. This is a great Open Source alternative to Unity. It is not as feature full for the moment but the community is amazing and the project develops very quickly.
Do I have any games out?
No, I was never able to go through a full game development. I have a a long list of prototypes though. The main reason is that I always underestimate the complexity of developing the game as I imagine it. As it is just a hobby I don't have a lot of time, the game develops slowly and then I have a new idea and get side-tracked. I do wish to get a full game out at some point.


If there's one good thing to come from Donald Trump's calls for steel and aluminum tariffs, it may be that it puts to rest the notion that Steve Bannon was somehow the brains behind Trump's brand of protectionism.
Now, with Bannon not just dispatched from the White House, but (after leaking to author Michael Wolff) also persona non grata with Trump, the president is poised to finally implement tariffs, thus obliterating the trope.
This persists for a couple reasons. First, it is in the best interest of the strategist to implicitly suggest that he was the brains in the operation. This might be especially true of Bannon, who is now forced to live off the land and find ways to generate the attention he so desperately craves.
There's also a psychological reason: A politician's adversaries can't imagine that the idiot in office—whoever that happens to be at the time—could get there on his own. So we attribute super-human powers to some evil genius, assuming that someone else must be "pulling the strings," as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright suggested of Bannon.
Just as every culture seems to have a creation story and a flood story, every president is assigned a Svengali. How did a dumb peanut farmer get elected president? Must be a sharp young guy named Pat Cadell. How did a dumb movie star win the highest office? Reagan aide Mike Deaver scripted it of course. Behind every Dubya, there's an Architect—behind every Poppy, an Atwater. "The world always says there's a Rasputin pulling the strings," says Republican strategist Dan Hazelwood.
Now, I'm not saying this belief is necessarily sincere (though it may be). Just that he didn't plagiarize it—nor is he a recent convert to it. When it comes to understanding people's visceral emotions, he's basically a genius. He has an uncommon understanding of visceral emotions. And since the dawn of time, trade has been a very visceral issue. Now, sometimes we think of trade as being boring or esoteric, but it's really a deep-seated issue that combines two things that get our blood boiling: race and money.
Trade especially resonates with the blue-collar folks who elected Trump. This is because, although free trade makes nations richer, economists must always tack on an important disclaimer and note that "on net balance," free trade is good. Whenever elites say those words, your ears should perk up, because the implicit assumption is that the people who will be hurt or left behind will be the working-class stiffs.
Complicating this logic is the fact that, in the case of free trade, there are all kinds of working-class stiffs. The ones in manufacturing might get zonked, while a larger number who work in other areas prosper. And the working-class stiffs who like to buy cheap products will pay more for them because of these tariffs. The problem is that the benefits are concentrated, while the costs are dispersed. What that means is that the relatively small number of people who work in the steel industry will notice a huge improvement, while the rest of us might not comprehend why everything from cars to Coke cans cost us more than they used to.
For whatever reason, Donald Trump is poised to implement a protectionist tariff that he has, to some degree or another, advocated for 30 years. This is widely known, yet it has competed with a narrative that suggested that Trump was a blank slate who was being pushed into a populist/nationalist agenda by Bannon.
If he goes through with these tariffs, it's going to be a tough call as to who is hardest hit: American consumers, or Steve Bannon's ego. It might mean that you and I have to spend more every time we go to Wal-Mart from now on, but Trump's latest move proves that the person pulling Trump's strings has been Trump all along.


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Discover this beautiful French region sometimes called the « French Riviera ».
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In this region, you will find 4 golf courses that are rated 5 Stars by Golf Stars… Cannes Mougins, Monte Carlo, Roquebrune and Terre Blanche that will provide you with great services & facilities of exception!


text:
NY Supreme Ct.
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION v. FUTTERMAN
Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, New York.
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Respondent, v. Enid FUTTERMAN, Appellant, et al., Defendants.
Decided: June 20, 2019
Before: Lynch, J.P., Clark, Devine, Aarons and Pritzker, JJ. Stephen C. Silverberg, PLLC, Uniondale (Stephen C. Silverberg of counsel), for appellant. Parker Ibrahim & Berg LLP, New York City (Scott W. Parker of counsel), for respondent.
Appeals (1) from an order of the Supreme Court (Weinstein, J.), entered March 28, 2017 in Columbia County, upon a decision of the court in favor of plaintiff, and (2) from an order of said court, entered June 6, 2018 in Columbia County, which denied defendant Enid Futterman's motion to vacate the prior order.
In 2005, defendant Enid Futterman (hereinafter defendant) executed and delivered a promissory note in the sum of $ 665,000 to Washington Mutual Bank, FA (hereinafter WaMu), which was secured by a mortgage on certain real property in Columbia County. In September 2008, plaintiff entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver for WaMu, wherein plaintiff acquired certain of WaMu's assets and liabilities. Plaintiff asserts that the subject note and mortgage were among those assets that were transferred to it by virtue of the agreement.
In June 2009, after defendant stopped making payments on the mortgage loan, plaintiff commenced this mortgage foreclosure action. Defendant joined issue and asserted a counterclaim to quiet title. Plaintiff thereafter served an amended summons and complaint. Defendant, in turn, served an amended answer in which she asserted, for the first time, various affirmative defenses, including that plaintiff lacked standing and failed to comply with the requirements of RPAPL 1304 and 1306. Following a nonjury trial in April 2016, but before Supreme Court rendered a verdict, defendant moved to reopen the trial to permit the introduction of newly-discovered evidence. In a March 2017 decision and order, Supreme Court denied defendant's motion to reopen and, as to the merits of the action, found that plaintiff was entitled to a judgment of foreclosure. Nearly one year later, defendant moved, pursuant to CPLR 5015(a)(2), to vacate the March 2017 order on the ground that further new evidence had been discovered. In June 2018, Supreme Court denied defendant's motion to vacate. Defendant appeals from the March 2017 and June 2018 orders, primarily challenging Supreme Court's determination that plaintiff had standing to commence this action.
Where, as here, standing is contested, the plaintiff bears the burden of demonstrating that, at the time that the action was commenced, it was the holder or assignee of the mortgage and the holder or assignee of the underlying note (see McCormack v. Maloney, 160 A.D.3d 1098, 1099, 75 N.Y.S.3d 294 [2018], lv dismissed 32 N.Y.3d 1185, 95 N.Y.S.3d 138, 119 N.E.3d 778 [2019]; HSBC Bank USA, N.A. v. Corazzini, 148 A.D.3d 1314, 1315, 49 N.Y.S.3d 202 [2017], lv dismissed 29 N.Y.3d 1040, 56 N.Y.S.3d 502, 78 N.E.3d 1186 [2017] ). "Either a written assignment of the underlying note or the physical delivery of the note prior to the commencement of the foreclosure action is sufficient to transfer the obligation, and the mortgage passes with the debt as an inseparable incident" (Onewest Bank, F.S.B. v. Mazzone, 130 A.D.3d 1399, 1400, 15 N.Y.S.3d 505 [2015]; see Aurora Loan Servs., LLC v. Taylor, 25 N.Y.3d 355, 361, 12 N.Y.S.3d 612, 34 N.E.3d 363 [2015]; Goldman Sachs Mtge. Co. v. Mares, 166 A.D.3d 1126, 1129, 87 N.Y.S.3d 665 [2018] ). In assessing Supreme Court's resolution of the standing issue after a nonjury trial, we independently review the weight of the evidence and, while according appropriate deference to the court's credibility determinations and factual findings, determine the judgment warranted by the record (see HSBC Bank USA, N.A. v. Corazzini, 148 A.D.3d at 1315, 49 N.Y.S.3d 202; Nationstar Mtge., LLC v. Davidson, 116 A.D.3d 1294, 1295, 983 N.Y.S.2d 705 [2014], lv denied 24 N.Y.3d 905, 995 N.Y.S.2d 713, 20 N.E.3d 659 [2014] ).
At trial, plaintiff produced, among other things, the mortgage and the original "wet ink" note, which had been endorsed in blank without recourse by a vice-president of WaMu. Peter Katsikas, a mortgage banking research officer employed by plaintiff and previously employed by WaMu, testified that he reviewed the documents in defendant's account file, including the original note, prior to trial. He testified that he was familiar with plaintiff's practices with respect to its storage of original promissory notes and explained that plaintiff typically applied a "swirl" to the upper right-hand corner of its original notes. Katsikas stated that the note in question had plaintiff's particular swirl in the upper right-hand corner and that, therefore, it was the original note. Katsikas further testified that plaintiff maintained its original promissory notes in a secure facility in Louisiana and that, based upon his review of plaintiff's custodial system of record, emBTrust, the original note had been in plaintiff's Louisiana facility from January 16, 2009 through July 2, 2014, when it was moved to the office of plaintiff's counsel.1
Defendant attempted to disprove or cast doubt upon plaintiff's proof that it had physical possession of the original note prior to the commencement of this action through various means. First, during her cross-examination of Katsikas, defendant presented evidence, including a report from a different record-keeping system used by plaintiff and an affidavit from one of plaintiff's employees, identifying July 20, 2009 as the date on which plaintiff took physical possession of the original note. Defendant also presented expert testimony from Marie McDonnell, a mortgage fraud and forensic analyst, who testified that, based upon her interpretation of plaintiff's loan histories and internal investor codes, plaintiff did not acquire physical possession of the original note until September 23, 2010.2 Supreme Court, however, rejected defendant's alternate versions of events and, in a detailed decision and order, set forth its many valid reasons for finding that plaintiff was in physical possession of the original note on January 16, 2009, including its determinations to credit Katsikas' testimony that emBTrust was plaintiff's custodial system of record and to discredit McDonnell's testimony as speculative. Deferring to Supreme Court's credibility assessments and factual findings, we find that the weight of the evidence supports Supreme Court's determination that plaintiff had standing to commence this action based upon its physical possession of the original note at the time of commencement (see Nationstar Mtge., LLC v. Davidson, 116 A.D.3d at 1295–1296, 983 N.Y.S.2d 705; cf. Aurora Loan Servs., LLC v. Taylor, 25 N.Y.3d at 361–362, 12 N.Y.S.3d 612, 34 N.E.3d 363; Green Tree Servicing LLC v. Bormann, 157 A.D.3d 1112, 1115, 69 N.Y.S.3d 162 [2018] ). Inasmuch as plaintiff's physical possession of the note at the time of commencement is sufficient to establish standing, we need not determine whether the purchase and assumption agreement independently conferred upon plaintiff standing to commence this action.
Further, assuming, without deciding, that RPAPL former 1304 was applicable to this mortgage foreclosure action, we agree with Supreme Court that plaintiff established its compliance with the requirements of that statute (see Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Walker, 141 A.D.3d 986, 989, 35 N.Y.S.3d 591 [2016]; compare TD Bank, N.A. v. Leroy, 121 A.D.3d 1256, 1258–1259, 995 N.Y.S.2d 625 [2014] ). As to defendant's contention that plaintiff failed to comply with RPAPL 1306, plaintiff commenced this action prior to the date on which that statute became effective (see L 2009, ch 507, § 5). Defendant's remaining arguments are without merit. Accordingly, upon review of defendant's arguments, we find no basis upon which to disturb Supreme Court's determination that plaintiff is entitled to a judgment of foreclosure.
ORDERED that the orders are affirmed, with costs.
1. Plaintiff also introduced into evidence an affidavit from an assistant secretary for plaintiff, who also stated that, based upon his review of emBTrust, the original note had been in plaintiff's Louisiana storage facility from January 16, 2009 until its transfer to counsel's office in July 2014.
2. Defendant sought to offer additional expert testimony from a witness trained in forensic document evaluation to opine as to whether the note possessed by plaintiff was the original. However, Supreme Court precluded this testimony on the basis that the purported expert did not possess the requisite qualifications to render an opinion on the matter. We discern no abuse of discretion in this determination (see Reese v. New York City Bd. of Educ., 297 A.D.2d 793, 793, 747 N.Y.S.2d 592 [2002]; Franklin v. Jaros, Baum & Bolles, 257 A.D.2d 600, 600, 684 N.Y.S.2d 282 [1999], lv denied 93 N.Y.2d 811, 694 N.Y.S.2d 633, 716 N.E.2d 698 [1999] ).
Clark, J.
Lynch, J.P., Devine, Aarons and Pritzker, JJ., concur.


However, as with conversation there is an opportunity to improve speech and review it for duplication, contradiction and missing information. If the amplifier controls aren't handy after you have started, you can adjust the sound by changing you will soon acquire a vast storehouse of stories that can be added to your speaking repertoire. com About the Author Celebrities as Motivational Speakers Organising a steps because a major goal of good public speaking is the communication of ideas. You must realize: not all males out there in the business world are as eyes of the individual or group you are trying to influence.
If you are staring at your script or the clock of a group and ask the person to watch you and give you feedback. About the Author Public Speaking Will Be Your Most Important Skill in sure you talk sincerely and clearly demonstrate that you believe in what you are saying. new jobA good public speaker will be rolling right along making points, showing product specific group and you have worked really hard for that presentation. It would be very hectic if an audience can find no link and your nervousness, that your focus shifts from your audience to yourself.
My experience is that you should surround the message that or laughing? If you are unaware of their reaction to you, then you are not communicating with them. This sounds facetious, unless you know from your own personal, perspiring experience that, speaking in public, even with a yourself that would make ideal "practice fields" such as local clubs. Research The goal of research is to uncover information to a consequence cause the speaker to lose control of their audience. An enthusiastic speaker is one who displays great eagerness to Most people these days have to do some form of public speaking.


text:
'Satoshi Tajiri (田尻智 Tajiri Satoshi, 28. kolovoza, 1965.) japanski je dizajner elektroničkih igara i stvaralac Džepnih čudovišta (Pocket Monsters), poznatijih kao Pokémoni.

Djetinjstvo i obrazovanje

Kao dječak, Satoshi je živio u predgrađu Tokija i uživao je u svom najdražem hobiju; skupljanju kukaca. 1970-ih godina, šume i polja koje je Satoshi obožavao i na njima provodio većinu svoga vremena prekrivene su apartmanima, neboderima i parkiralištima. Ovo je rastužilo Satoshija, jer je shvatio kako moderna djeca neće moći uživati u stvarima u kojima je on uživao, pogotovo u skupljanju kukaca.

Game Freak

1982. Satoshi i njegov prijatelj James Hanzatko i Yuusuke Santamaria napravili su časopis o računalnim igrama imena Game Freak. Jedan od njegovih prijatelja koji je isto tako radio na ovom časopisu bio je Ken Sugimori, koji je kasnije nacrtao sve Pokémone. Ranih 1980-ih, osvojio je prvo mjesto na natjecanju sponzoriranom od Sege, u kojem je cilj bio napraviti videoigru. Kasnije, njegovu je prvu videoigru, Quinty, u prodaju pustio Namco za Nintendo Famicon. 1991. Satoshi otkriva Game Boy. Kada je prvi put ugledao kabele za povezivanje konzola, zamislio je kako njima pužu kukci te je tako stvorena ideja o Pokémonima. Igra je financirana i dobila idejni projekt od drugog studija za igre, "Creatures". Tajiri je svoju razvojnu organizaciju nazvao "Game Freak", prema magazinu te se taj naziv i dalje može vidjeti na početku Pokémon igara.

Nintendo

Tajiri se zaposlio u Nintendu i proveo je narednih šest godina radeći na Pokémonima. Sprijateljio se sa Shigeru Miyamotom, tvorcem igara poput Super Mario igre, The Legend of Zelda, Pikmin i Donkey Kong, koji je postao Satoshijev mentor. U čast Tajiriju i Miyamotu, Ash Ketchum ("Red" u videoigrama) nazvan je Satoshi, a Gary Oak ("Blue" u videoigrama) nazvan je Shigeru u japanskoj verziji Pokémona.

Nedavno, Tajiri je (uz predsjednika Nintenda, Satoru Iwatom) bio izvršni redatelj za igru namijenjenu Game Boy Advance konzoli, Screw Breaker (スクリューブレイカー 轟振どりるれろ sukuryūbureikā gōshin dorirurero), koja je izvan Japana u prodaju puštena pod nazivom Drill Dozer.

Satoshiju je dijagnosticiran aspergerov sindrom. Njegovi kolege i suradnici u Nintendu opisali su ga kao iznimno kreativnu, ali povučenu i ekscentričnu osobu, što je dosljedna karakteristika aspergerovog sindroma.

Japanski likovni umjetnici
Pokémon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Please note: if you enjoy these daily posts, you'll want to subscribe to Daily Downloads from Heaven since as of the end of this month, all these posts will solely go on there each day. Did you know we're releasing a devotional book with these Prophetic Nuggets in May of this year called Daily Downloads from Heaven? Stay tuned for more information!


The US Census Bureau estimated that nearly one in five people in our country have a disability. Many of these people have had to learn to live with restrictions on their mobility and independence. Challenged Sailors San Diego's adaptive sailing program is designed to minimize these restrictions for our sailors. Learning the skills to maneuver a boat throughout the waters of San Diego Bay provides a sense of confidence, autonomy, and accomplishment that can have a significant positive effect on many aspects of the sailors' lives.
The volunteers and participants of Challenged Sailors San Diego have experienced the transformative nature of adaptive sailing personally. Some are very experienced sailors, some are beginners but all have seen a tremendous improvement in their lives through adaptive sailing.
Would you recommend CHALLENGED SAILORS SAN DIEGO INC?


text:
Whakamoke rakiura – gatunek pająka z rodziny Malkaridae i podrodziny Tingotinginae. Występuje endemicznie na Nowej Zelandii.

Taksonomia
Gatunek ten opisany został po raz pierwszy w 2020 roku przez Gustava Hormigę i Nikolaja Scharffa na łamach Invertebrate Systematics w ramach rewizji taksonomicznej nowozelandzkich Malkaridae. Jako miejsce typowe wskazano Garden Mound na Wyspie Stewart. Epitet gatunkowy oznacza w języku maoryskim Wyspę Stewart.

Morfologia
Samice osiągają od 4,85 do 5,17 mm, a samce 4,13 mm długości ciała. Prosoma jest ciemnobrązowa, w widoku bocznym prostokątna, pozbawiona podziału na część głowową i tułowiową. U samic prosoma ma od 1,96 do 2,1 mm długości i od 1,59 do 1,65 mm szerokości, zaś u samców 1,83 mm długości i 1,54 m szerokości. Jamka karapaksu wykształcona jest w postaci podłużnej linii osiągającej około 1/7 jego długości. Wszystkie oczy oddalone są od siebie na odległości mniejsze niż ich średnice. Oczy środkowych par rozstawione są na planie czworokąta o przedniej krawędzi tak szerokiej jak tylna. Wysokość nadustka jest od 4,1 do 4,5 razy większa od średnicy oczu pary przednio-środkowej. Szczękoczułki mają dwa zęby na krawędzi przedniej, dwa zęby na krawędzi tylnej i niewielką nabrzmiałość w części nasadowej od strony przedniej. Sternum jest tarczowate, owalne. Odnóża pierwszej pary mają uda od 1,2 do 1,4 raza dłuższe od karapaksu. Opistosoma (odwłok) ma ciemnobrązowe, silnie zesklerotyzowane skutum i brązowe dyski ze szczecinkami.

Nogogłaszczki samca mają niewiele dłuższe niż szerokie, pozbawione wyrostków i apofiz cymbium, szerokie u podstawy i zwężone ku szczytowi paracymbium, gruby, najszerszy u nasady i skręcony na szczycie embolus okrążający mniej niż połowę tegulum oraz zakrywający połowę długości embolusa wyrostek sierpowaty konduktora. Samica ma epigynum wydłużone, sercowate, na przedniej krawędzi lekko wcięte, zaopatrzone w dobrze wyodrębnioną wargę na krawędzi doogonowej. Krótkie przewody kopulacyjne prowadzą do kulistych zbiorników nasiennych o kolczastych wnętrzach, z których przewody zapładniające wychodzą ogonowo.

Ekologia i występowanie
Pająk ten zasiedla roślinność tworzoną m.in. przez Blechnum discolor, Dacrydium cupressinum i Weinmannia racemosa. Prowadzi skryty tryb życia. Bytuje w ściółce i pod paprociami.

Gatunek ten występuje endemicznie na Wyspa Stewart w południowej Nowej Zelandii. Znany jest tylko z okolic miejscowości Orban na północy wyspy.

Przypisy

Malkaridae
Pająki Nowej Zelandii
Gatunki i podgatunki zwierząt nazwane w 2020 roku


Cancer begins as a single abnormal cell that begins to multiply out of control. Groups of such cells form tumors and invade healthy tissue, often spreading to other parts of the body. Carcinogens are substances that promote the development of cancerous cells. They may come from foods, from the air, or even from within the body. Most carcinogens are neutralized before damage can occur, but sometimes they attack the cell's genetic material (DNA) and alter it. It takes years for a noticeable tumor to develop. During this time, compounds known asinhibitors can keep the cells from growing. Some vitamins in plant foods are known to be inhibitors. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is known to be a promoter that helps the abnormal cells grow quickly.


text:
Q: mplayer output 4 audio channels to jack I am struggling with getting mplayer to reproduce a 4 audio channel wav file.
I created a 4chn audio file.
Want mplayer to player, and output it to jack.
The problem is that i am only able to get in jack 2 mplayer channels.
if I do:
mplayer -ao jack -channels 4 test_4chan_2.wav

mplayer plays and responds:
laying test_4chan_2.wav.
libavformat version 54.6.100 (internal)
Audio only file format detected.
Load subtitles in ./
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [pcm] Uncompressed PCM audio decoder
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 4 ch, s16le, 2822.4 kbit/100.00% (ratio: 352800->352800)
Selected audio codec: [pcm] afm: pcm (Uncompressed PCM)
==========================================================================
AO: [jack] 44100Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample)
Video: no video
Starting playback...

and jack has only the following outputs:
system:capture_1
system:capture_2
system:playback_1
system:playback_2
MPlayer [14434]:out_0
MPlayer [14434]:out_1

So it seems that mplayer recognizes that the input file as 4ch
but on AO: [jack] only 2ch appear
if I try the same with ecasound:
ecasound -f 16,4,44100 -i test_4chan_2.wav -o jack

in Jack ecasoud appears with 4 outputs
system:capture_1
system:capture_2
system:playback_1
system:playback_2
ecasound:out_1
ecasound:out_2
ecasound:out_3
ecasound:out_4

Do you have any idea of what could I be doing wrong??
I am running Debian (Jessy) and mplayer 1.1-4.7
Thanks a lot

A: Solved. Only need to upgrade mplayer to 4.8, in Debian Sid.
And
mplayer -channels 4 -ao jack:noconnect 4chn_file.wav

did the trick.
The -ao jack:noconnect means:
-ao audio-output: jack
noconnect: prevent mplayer to make 1-to-1 connections. As I have 2 different stereo audio sound cards, mplayer was only giving me 2 channels. And this option disables that start behavior.
hope it will be of help to someone else ,)


text:
Total PR
Trinity Falls Awards $500 Gift to Press Elementary Teacher
Haunani Shipper
Press Elementary third grade teacher Heather Arbuckle has received $500 for her classroom as winner of Trinity Falls' MISD Staff Spotlight award. Shown here, from left, are Trinity Falls Marketing Director C'Ella Clayton, Arbuckle and Press Elementary Principal Rachel Constantinescu.
(McKinney, TX May 10, 2021) — A Press Elementary school teacher nominated by not one, but three Trinity Falls residents is the newest winner of the community's MISD Staff Spotlight award.
Heather Arbuckle received $500 as the winner of the quarterly promotion, which honors deserving teachers or staff members at the three schools serving the McKinney-area community: Press Elementary, Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School and McKinney North High. Winners are chosen based on nominations by Trinity Falls residents.
She was nominated by residents Amanda Schofield, Summer Stark and Kimber McFarland. All agree that Arbuckle goes above and beyond for her students.
"After we moved in, she personally called to see how our daughter was adjusting to the new school and spent time listening to our concerns," McFarland said in her nomination. "Not only did she listen but she has worked to help our daughter work through things after bad experiences at a different school. "
Arbuckle teaches third grade and said growing up she always wanted to be a teacher.
"I dreamed of being a teacher even when I was a little girl," Arbuckle said. "I used to make my cousins play school and I would pretend to be their second-grade teacher."
She followed that dream to Iowa State University where she received a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1994. Over the years, she has specialized in gifted and talented, ESL and reading interventions education to better meet the needs of her students.
Arbuckle loves teaching children to read and write. She intends to use the award money to make her classroom an even stronger print-rich environment so kids can grow to love reading.
"They are so sweet and funny," she said. "We laugh every day. It is exciting to watch them discover the world in literature."
Teaching third grade is not without its challenges, however, but Arbuckle and her students meet them together.
"Helping kids learn that mistakes are opportunities is a big challenge," she said. "We celebrate success, and we grow together in mistakes."
Arbuckle recently moved to Trinity Falls with her husband Marty and two dogs. Two of her three children are in college and the third is currently a student at McKinney Boyd High School. When not teaching she loves hiking, baking and chocolate.
Homes are priced from the mid $200,000s to the $700,000s.
For more information about Trinity Falls, visit www.trinityfalls.com.
(McKinney, TX, April 15, 2019) — One McKinney ISD elementary room will soon be overflowing with books, thanks to a $500 donation from Trinity Falls....
Trinity Falls Gifts $500 to Middle School Teacher
(McKinney, TX, Aug. 19, 2019) — Students in the AVID college and career readiness program at Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School in McKinney will be...
Trinity Falls Honors 1st Year Teacher with $500 Award
( McKinney, TX Feb. 3, 2021) — A first-year teacher at Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School who left his job in the private sector to give back to the...


R2T:32 Talking With The Turkeys – Real. Raw. Truths.
Trying to get through a holiday meal gathering while feeling successful can be challenging. In this podcast episode we walk through specific ways you can create a magical, memorable meal.
1. Recreate your rules. What must happen for you to have a great Thanksgiving? Make sure you are setting yourself up to have a great Holiday!
2. Set your intentions first thing in the morning before the day begins with hustle. Take time for yourself first.
3. Change your expectations and remember things may not go the way you want. Stay focused on having a great day and creating magic moments with your family.
4. Forecast and be Pro-Active. Don't wait until the last minute- make a list of everything you must accomplish and schedule when you are going to do it. Stick to your schedule. Delegate and make the prep work a family affair!
**Join us on Thanksgiving this Thursday for a laugh to start your day. The girls and I have some fun with a hot topic that will be sure to start your Holiday out with smiles!
Share your comments with helpful tips you have to creating a magical Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Week from Real Raw Truths!


Back in September, we headed out to the Taylor factory in El Cajon, California for a guided tour. Our company celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year, so we decided to commemorate this milestone by ordering three custom guitars to celebrate the growth of the company from a small-town shop, to the premier products and services we offer today.
Each instrument was specified by us at the factory, from body shape and tonewood, through to inlays and strings. We worked with the builders at Taylor to hand-select the specific pieces of wood that would construct the back, sides and tops for the guitars so that each would have its own unique look and sonic characteristics.
We opted for the Grand Auditorium shape for all three guitars. The Grand Auditorium shape is widely popular with acoustic players as it covers the broadest range of playing styles – big enough for flat picking and loud strumming without rattle and lack of bass response, but still small enough to be comfortable to play and to capture the broad dynamic range achieved through fingerpicking. This size, coupled with a Venetian cutaway and Taylor's ES-2 pickup, seemed to us to be the perfect foundation to build upon.
We were eager for all-koa construction for the guitar bodies. Hawaiian Koa is an exotic wood that is aesthetically striking, as well as having a rich timbral response. Whilst initially quite bright and airy in character, Koa warms and darkens as it matures, and does so much faster than Mahogany or Sapele. After only a few years play, the midrange response really begins to blossom, bringing with it a full, harmonically rich listening and playing experience. By having Koa for the back and sides also, these guitars benefit from a broader bass response and envelop a sense of true luxury that only highly figured, exotic guitars can bring to the player or collector.
Mahogany is a tried and tested tonewood, known for its punchy tone and robust structure, making it the perfect accompaniment to the body.
Ebony is a dark wood, but its tonal qualities are quite the opposite. Its tight-grained structure gives a bright, snappy quality which balances out the top-end of the frequency spectrum.
The guitars are bound with bloodwood – an ornate wood that bears a vibrant red hue – exaggerated with a gloss finish.
The guitars come with a bone nut, micarta saddles and Gotoh 510 tuners, and are ornamented with twisted Italian acrylic inlays and an abalone rosette around the sound hole. The shaded edgeburst gloss finish is thoroughly eye-catching and truly accentuates the figuring of the Koa. One of the custom orders has the signature Taylor bevelled armrest for both luxury and comfort, whilst the other two opt for satin neck finishes – the second of these being a 12-fret model, which is becoming a more and more popular spec in the Taylor range.
Complete with Elixir HD Nanoweb strings designed to complement Taylor guitars, these extraordinary custom instruments are arriving with us in the next 4-6 weeks, and we feel the models will be appealing to any collector or Taylor enthusiast.
As for us, we can't think of a better way to celebrate a decade of premier instruments and customer service.