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News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine
Physicians React: Tax Burdens, Audit Experiences, and Sensible Reforms
Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW
Few if any Americans relish the coming of April 15. Many people in the United States are unshakably convinced that the federal and state tax systems are unfair at their core, that they pay too much, and that the filing process is baffling and cumbersome. Physicians, it seems, are no different.
In Medscape's Physicians and Taxes Report 2022: Do Doctors Pay Too Much in Taxes?, about 3 in 4 survey respondents said the answer is yes. Some doctors said the tax system works fine, but many more argued it is deeply flawed and begging for a major overhaul. "The entire income tax system needs to be revised, but it will never happen because too many bureaucrats make a lot of money off this system," one respondent complained.
Survey responses and comments to the report offer insights on what doctors think of how our federal and state governments impose and collect taxes..
Tales of Audits
Nearly one fifth of respondents have been audited. How do they describe that experience? At the mild end of the spectrum, physicians used adjectives like "benign," "smooth," and "fair." But "awful" was used a lot, along with "inconvenient," "major nuisance," "time-consuming," and "ridiculous."
"A few years ago, I needed my original documents to justify expenses," one neurologist recalled. "They had been lost in the mail when my accountant sent them to me. I attempted to use scanned copies of the documents. What a nightmare! I had to pay around $4000."
An otolaryngologist respondent called an audit "absolutely the most horrifying experience ever." And a family medicine physician said "there is no easy recourse in dealing with these horrible people [IRS auditors]. War would be more pleasant."
Not every respondent used such hyperbole. One pathologist said his audit created no problems: "The key is keeping open communication and old records." And a physiatrist said that she got a bigger refund after the audit
Tax System Is Simple Enough — Until It Isn't
Around two thirds of respondents agreed that the US system makes sense to a taxpayer. But some physicians were emphatic that it doesn't.
One cardiologist urged simplification, stating that there are "too many rules to know, too many deductions to find out, which isn't workable for people who work hard and have long hours and have to figure things out."
And a family medicine physician similarly recommended "simplifying the system and doing a set-percentage tax with very limited and specific deductions that the public can understand and do themselves."
Change That Doctors Can Get Behind
How else might physicians seek to change the tax system? A number of them strongly endorsed a uniform income tax rate. "There should be a flat tax (4%-5%) for all individuals and corporations, no complications, no deductions, no exceptions. If you made $1, then you pay 5 cents. If you made $1 million, then you pay $50,000," a psychiatrist suggested. And a critical care doctor suggested a flat tax on every dollar of income beyond 200% of the federal poverty level (which is $27,750 for a family of four in 2022).
A common refrain was that the "super wealthy, which does not include physicians," as one internist put it, "need to pay their fair share" by having unfair tax shelters and loopholes eliminated.
"My doctor income is pennies compared to the wealth of billionaires, and wealth inequality will lead to destabilization of society if it continues to grow," an allergist warned.
A radiologist called for "reducing taxes for everyone except the ultra-rich. "If you make $30 million a year, you can easily pay 50% and won't feel it. But if you make $400,000, then 50% is a huge amount lost."
Apart from their discomfort with the prospect that doctors are considered "wealthy," respondents took issue with the idea they leverage tax loopholes. "I hate the term 'loophole,' because these are laws enacted by Congress and are legal," one physician complained.
More Creative Suggestions
Certain other taxation topics were triggers for physicians, too. One was student loan debt, especially given the prospect that the Biden administration's proposed forgiveness could be considered taxable income. "Only in America is debt magically considered income, and forcing someone to pay taxes on forgiven debt is highway robbery," wrote an indignant family medicine physician.
Many doctors accumulate huge sums of student loan debt for undergrad and med school, and an emergency physician suggested giving them tax credits for loan payments.
Other physicians emphasized the impact of income lost to unreimbursed care. "If my practice looks after indigent, non-paying patients, it should get a tax break," one respondent argued. Added an ER doctor: "Physicians who worked during the pandemic and suffered a loss of income should be given a tax credit."
Some physicians called for more deductions in their profession, like the orthopedic surgeon who wants required expenses (eg, medical textbooks, journal subscriptions, and CME courses) deductible, even if the physician is not self-employed.
Others focused on retirement issues, like the emergency medicine physician who wants to remove the limit on Social Security contributions and several respondents who feel taxing Social Security benefits is unfair.
Other physicians wanted to get rid of the federal alternative minimum tax or to replace income tax with a consumption tax like the European VAT.
Regardless of how taxes are imposed, one family medicine physician wants the dollars spent more wisely. "Having them squandered is infuriating but paying taxes and seeing clear benefits is encouraging."
Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW is a freelance writer with a counseling practice in Teaneck, New Jersey. She is a regular contributor to numerous medical publications, including Medscape and WebMD, and is the author of several consumer-oriented health books as well as Behind the Burqa: Our Lives in Afghanistan and How We Escaped to Freedom (the memoir of two brave Afghan sisters who told her their story).
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Cite this: Physicians React: Tax Burdens, Audit Experiences, and Sensible Reforms - Medscape - Nov 07, 2022.
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Home / Clarity of purpose can surmount Afghan problems
Clarity of purpose can surmount Afghan problems
Zia Sarhadi
Jumada' al-Akhirah 12, 14362015-04-01
There may be a faint light at the end of Afghanistan's long dark tunnel. Two neighbours—China and Pakistan—have indicated they would like to help bring about peace in the war-torn country.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's first official visit to Washington, DC coincided with renewed efforts to engage the Taliban leadership in negotiations and bring them onboard in a future political setup. His visit last month came after Ghani's well publicized sojourns to such other capitals as Riyadh, Beijing and Islamabad. There is clearly a reset in Afghan relations with its eastern neighbour Pakistan even if some power wielders and brokers in Afghanistan are unhappy about it. Ghani's deputy, Abdullah Abdullah, the obstreperous "chief executive" — this strange animal was the handiwork of US Secretary of State John Kerry to smooth the Tajik warlord's ruffled feathers for not becoming president — and former president Hamid Karzai are livid.
While Abdullah has been blowing hot and cold in Kabul where the Panj-shiris occupy most of the important posts despite being a minority with an even smaller political base, Karzai chose to blow his top in an interview with the British daily, the Guardian. He looked ludicrous hitting a tantrum in a foreign newspaper and sounded like a wife whose husband had just brought a second bride home. Karzai can be forgiven: after all, he has lost power and is trying to pretend he is still relevant. He knows but does not want to admit that it was the Americans, not his charisma or appeal, that brought him to power in the first place as revealed by Robert Grenier, a former CIA official, in his book, 88 days to Kandahar.
Grenier has made other revelations. A number of Taliban leaders were working with the Americans prior to the October 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. These included Mullah Akhtar Osmani, a commander, and Mullah Jalil, a former Taliban deputy foreign minister. Such contacts with Taliban leaders and other senior commanders continued even after the US invasion but they floundered on American hubris providing enough time for the vanquished Taliban to regroup and reorganize.
While America has officially "ended" its combat mission, most observers see this as merely a perception reset to deflect growing opposition to US military involvement in Afghanistan. Less than half of respondents in a BBC News poll last October found America was safer as a result of the Afghan invasion. The gung-ho Republicans that launched the crusades — in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen — and the destabilization of Pakistan as well as the US-Saudi-Zionist-instigated mayhem in Syria, still think the Afghan imbroglio was worth it. Among Republicans, there was 54% support for the war while only 43% of Democrats supported it.
One of Ghani's principal requests was for the slowing of US drawdown of troops. The Republicans were more receptive to the idea but President Barack Obama was no less enthusiastic. Last February, the new American Defence Secretary Ashton Carter during a visit to Kabul had already indicated that the US would keep a larger force in the country than previously announced. Now the talk revolves around maintaining current troop levels of around 10,000 beyond 2016.
The reason advanced for the continued US military presence is that Afghan security forces are not ready to take on the Taliban. Only a few months earlier, American military and political leaders were making confident statements about the combat readiness of Afghan forces, particularly the Afghan National Army. So what happened in a few months?
With American and other foreign forces drawing down, Afghan security forces started to take on a larger role in fighting. They suffered massive casualties. Some reports suggest figures as high as 17,000 in one year. True, not all losses were the result of fighting; desertions have played an equally significant part. The problem is that Afghanistan's centuries-old tribal traditions have gotten in the way. Most of the military as well as political leadership comes from the Tajik minority while the rank-and-file is made up of the majority Pashtuns. There is no love lost between the two and the Tajiks have a particularly condescending attitude toward the Pashtuns, treating them with disdain. Under such circumstances, the Pashtun rank-and-file get the training but then disappear with their weapons. The primary reason for their joining the force is to earn a living because they are so poor.
Foreign military involvement in Afghanistan has done little to improve the lot of ordinary Afghans despite spending an estimated one trillion dollars in the country since 2001. Much of this money went into the pockets of thieving warlords, Karzai's cronies and the hundreds of foreign NGOs. Karzai's outburst against Ghani was also meant to deflect attention from the scandal that has engulfed the now failed Kabul Bank in which billions were pilfered, much of the money ending up in Dubai to buy choice properties. Ghani has vowed to open the investigation into this scandal, one of many. It has touched Karzai's raw nerve, hence his shrill reaction.
Ghani wants to talk to the Taliban. During his Washington visit, he surprised his hosts by announcing he wanted to find a way to say "sorry" to the Taliban for the terrible wrong inflicted on them. He boldly declared on March 25 that many of them were innocent but brutally tortured by the Americans. He drew attention to the Senate report chaired by Diane Feinstein in which it admitted that the CIA had brutally tortured many detainees. He also urged his American hosts to continue to provide funding for the 360,000-strong Afghan army and police force that would cost $4 billion annually. Ghani said he can only raise $750,000 a year, a paltry sum compared to what is required.
Both Pakistan and China — two crucial neighbours — have indicated they would help with Afghan reconciliation. Pakistan army chief, General Raheel Sharif has made several well publicized trips to Kabul and held detailed meetings with Ghani. He has vowed to use his good offices to convince the Afghan Taliban to agree to the talks. China, too, has been forthcoming. Last October, Beijing hosted Ghani as well as a Taliban delegation. Chinese officials have announced on several occasions that they are willing to help Afghan talks. On a visit to Islamabad on February 12, 2015, for instance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced Beijing was ready to support the Afghan government in its efforts for reconciliation with the Taliban. He said that Afghanistan's long-term stability depended on a "broad-based and inclusive national reconciliation."
"We will support the Afghan government in realizing reconciliation with various political factions including the Taliban," Wang told a press briefing in Islamabad. He emphasized that "the international community needs to give support and encouragement. China is ready to play a constructive role and will provide necessary facilitation any time if it is required by various parties in Afghanistan," he announced.
The real problem in Afghanistan resides not with the Taliban, although they are the ones projected as obstructing peace and reconciliation; the real hurdle is America's reluctance to come clean. Does Uncle Sam want to leave Afghanistan or not? There is a huge gap between his statements and actions. There is naturally a huge trust deficit between the Taliban and the Americans. The Taliban have made clear they will not negotiate with any government as long as foreign troops remain on Afghan soil. They cannot go back on this principled stand; they would lose all standing with their support base, the majority Pashtuns, if they were to accept anything less at this late stage.
The Taliban have no need to talk to anybody; they know they are winning. The Americans have lost the war despite bringing in an army of tens of thousands and pouring a trillion dollars into the country. Apart from leaving the country in ruins, there is nothing else to show for it. The Taliban could be persuaded to talk if the Americans were to announce a firm timeline for full withdrawal from Afghanistan. This has not been forthcoming so far.
Continued foreign military presence in Afghanistan is also acting as a magnet for drawing the Da'ish terrorists into the country. In an ironic twist, the American military presence, Abdullah, Karzai, and two former intelligence chiefs Amrullah Saleh and Dadfar Spanta, are acting as recruiting sergeants for the takfiri terrorists. While they (Da'ish) had little or no support in the country before — and the Taliban certainly do not want them in Afghanistan having tasted the bitter fruit of al-Qaeda presence — many rank-and-file Taliban are drawn to the terrorist outfit. This has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with money. The takfiri terrorists are flushed with cash, courtesy the "Saudi" regime and the takfiris' thieving ways of selling precious historical artifacts from Iraqi and Syrian museums.
The organ-chewing, head-chopping barbarians' theft is facilitated by countries like Turkey, Jordan, Zionist Israel and many European middlemen salivating at the prospect of putting their grubby hands on these priceless objects. This brings in tens of millions of dollars into the takfiris' coffers each month. They can easily buy an Afghan Talib for $500/month. This is advantageous for both sides: the takfiris get battle-hardened fighters — and who can be better than the Afghans? — while the Taliban fighters get money to feed their starving families.
Despite getting the hiding of their lives in Afghanistan, the Americans, it seems, have not had enough. They refuse to make a clean break with Afghanistan. It is now up to Pakistan and especially its military, to impress upon the Americans to leave gracefully. Pakistan has paid a heavy price for General Pervez Musharraf's follies; it can ill-afford to suffer any additional setbacks.
This much has become clear: there will be no peace in Pakistan unless there is peace in Afghanistan. And peace in Afghanistan will come about only when all foreign troops leave the country. If not for the sake of the Afghans, Pakistan needs to worry about its own survival and well being to tell the Americans to go home. Enough is enough!
AfghanistanAshraf GhaniPakistanAbdullah Abdullah
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Congregation of Holy Cross Ave Crux Spes Unica
Pope Francis Appoints Fr. Arthur Colgan, C.S.C., Auxiliary Bishop in Peru
Author: General Administration
Today, at noon in Rome, Italy, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Arthur J. Colgan, C.S.C., as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Chosica in Peru. Since 2010, Fr. Colgan has been serving as the Vicar General of the Diocese. He will continue serving with the Most Rev. Norbert Klemens Strotmann Hoppe, M.S.C., who has been Bishop of the Diocese of Chosica since its establishment as a separate diocese in 1997.
Chosica is the diocese in which the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Peru is currently centered. Among other apostolates, Holy Cross administers the sprawling Lord of Hope Parish in Canto Grande, which is divided into 19 churches and chapels, serves more than 200,000 people.
Learn more about Holy Cross in Peru
"Bishop-Elect Colgan has served the Church and the Congregation well," said Fr. Richard V. Warner, C.S.C., Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross. "He has been an inspiration for the people to whom and with whom he has served for many years. We are honored that our Holy Father has called him to this new ministry."
Since his Final Profession on August 11, 1971, and his Ordination to the Presbyterate on October 27, 1973, Bishop-Elect Colgan has spent most of his religious life in Holy Cross serving in Peru. In addition to working as pastor at both Holy Cross Parish in Chimbote and Lord of Hope Parish in Canto Grande, he has served in various leadership and administrative capacities in the Church in Peru, including Vicar General of the Diocese of Chimbote, Episcopal Vicar of the Archdiocese of Lima, Theological Advisor to the Bishop's Commission on Social Action, and two stints as Vicar General in Chosica.
Bishop-Elect Colgan has also been elected by his brothers in Holy Cross to leadership positions in the Congregation. He served nine years as the Superior of the District of Peru and then nine years as the Superior of the Eastern Province of Priests and Brothers (which merged with the Indiana Province to form the current United States Province).
"As I pray about my appointment, I know that my experience in the past is that the Lord provides the grace and the wisdom we need to respond to his calls in the course of our life, so I trust that that will be the case this time too," said Bishop-Elect Colgan.
Bishop-Elect Colgan is the second Holy Cross priest appointed bishop by Pope Francis. The other appointment came earlier this same year and was also in Peru. On May 11, 2015, Bishop Jorge Izaguirre, C.S.C., was appointed Bishop Prelate of the Chuquibamba, Peru. He was ordained on July 10, 2015, outside San Miguel Cathedral in Camaná, Peru.
Bishop-Elect Colgan's Episcopal Ordination will take place on December 12, 2015. It will be held at San Andrés de Huaycán Cathedral in Chosica.
Posted In: Peru and Universal Church
Holy Ones
Copyright © 2020 Congregation of Holy Cross
Via Framura 85; Rome, ITALY holycrossgeneralate@gmail.com


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Medieval Studies Research Blog: Meet us at the Crossroads of Everything
Hosted by the University of Notre Dame's Medieval Institute
A Scientific Analysis of the Pearl-Gawain Manuscript
Medieval Poetry Project
Tag: Medieval Literature
Could Medieval Women Read?
As a specialist in the study of women's education and literacy in England in the Middle Ages, I'm asked this question a lot. I'll cut to the chase: YES.
How do we know this?
Medieval England (on which I'll focus this blog) was a multilingual nation.1 English had been its primary vernacular from the time of the Anglo-Saxons (about 450) until the Norman Conquest of 1066, when French became the language of the nobility, government, and diplomacy.2 By the mid-fifteenth century, though, English had reasserted dominance as the primary vernacular language, while the Church, clerics, and higher education continued to use Latin.3 Because medieval English people would have heard and used all three languages in daily life, children were taught to read and speak all of them.4 Whether children's reading knowledge became advanced depended on the importance of reading in their lives and what socioeconomic station they attained. In fact, most of the evidence for literacy survives from the upper classes; uncovering the history of less privileged groups remains difficult.
In infantia
Medieval scholars commonly thought of childhood in three divisions: infantia (birth to about 7 years), pueritia (about 7 to 14 years), and adolescentia (about 14 to 21 years).5 The teaching of reading began in infantia with parents and nurses, if the family could afford such help.
Girls and boys began by learning the letters of the Latin alphabet and the sounds they made. In this way they acquired the basic skills of early reading, called contemporaneously sillibicare (sounding out syllables) and legere (sounding out words), even if they didn't understand what those sounds or words meant.6 Singing might have been used as well to teach pronunciation, as sung Latin was used in church services. Because reading was important to promote spiritual instruction, and had indeed been cited at least as far back as Jerome in the fourth century as a reason girls should be taught to read, some of the earliest texts learned were the Pater Noster, the Ave, and the Creed. Alphabets and these simple prayers could be written out on a variety of surfaces: boards, painted walls, wooden trays covered in ash or sand, ceramic or metal vessels, or hand-held tablets made of materials such as slate, horn, or board covered in parchment (more on this below).
Beginning around 1300 in England, medieval parents had a model of teaching in St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. Depictions of her teaching Mary to read appeared in stained-glass windows, manuscript illuminations, wall paintings, and other artistic representations.7 One such survives today in the Church of St. Nicholas in Stanford-on-Avon, Northamptonshire, England.
"Saint Anne teaching the Virgin to Read," about 1330–50, the Church of St. Nicholas, Stanford-on-Avon, Northamptonshire, England; south aisle, east window, farthest left panel. Image from Painton Cowen's The Online Stained Glass Photographic Archive.
In this window, Mary is shown sitting in Anne's lap and holding a bound book with letters written on its pages. She holds the book open so the text is visible to the reader. Her mother Anne points upward, in a gesture both teacherly and pointing heavenward, perhaps emphasizing the importance of reading for spiritual development.8
This beautifully-painted miniature from a Book of Hours shows Anne and a young Mary holding a book together. With her right hand, Anne isolates text for Mary to examine.
Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read, a miniature painted by Master of Sir John Fastolf (French, active before about 1420–about 1450), in a Book of Hours created in France or England about 1430–1440. Tempera colors and gold ink on parchment. Los Angeles, Getty Museum, MS 5 (84.ML.732), fol. 45v.
Other surviving representations show Anne using a hornbook (mentioned above) to teach Mary to read. This illustration comes from a Book of Hours that originated in England around 1325–1300.
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Douce 231, fol. 3
This detail shows the hornbook more closely.
Though the hornbook was at least a medieval invention (discussed recently by Erik Kwakkel and Trinity College, Cambridge, librarians), it survives only from early modern centuries, as in this example, created in London around 1625. The text is printed on sheepskin parchment and fixed to an oak paddle with a brass frame and iron nails; the handle is used for holding the hornbook. The parchment is laminated over with a processed animal horn (hence the name) to protect the text.
"Aabc (English hornbook)," Washington, Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 13813.6 (dated 1625).
A text from the 1230s, written by a layman, Walter of Bibbesworth, also reveals much about how boys and girls learned, especially languages, in a gentry household. Bibbesworth was a wealthy English landowner and a knight who wrote this book for his neighbor and fellow member of the gentry, Dionisie de Munchensi. Dionisie had three young children to educate, and as part of the expectations of their class, they would have needed to learn a French more advanced than what they would have picked up through everyday living. The image below shows the opening leaf of Walter of Bibbesworth's Tretiz.
The opening leaf of Walter of Bibbesworth's Tretiz. The manuscript dates from 1325. London, British Library, Additional MS 46919, fol. 2r.
Walter addresses Dionisie in column 1, lines 10-20, identifying the purpose of his text: "Chere soer, pur ceo ke vous me / pryastes ke jeo meyse en ecsryst [sic] / pur vos enfaunz acune apryse / de fraunceys en breve paroles" (Dear sister, because you have asked that I put in writing something for your children to learn French in brief phrases). What follows is a narrative poem, beginning in column 1, line 21, that describes childhood, starting with birth and ending in young adulthood with a large household feast. In each scene, Walter presents French vocabulary for Dionisie's children to learn.
Many clues in the text demonstrate that the physical book was shown to children so they could learn the reading of words on a page, not just the sounds of them. Walter gives many homophones, for example, that would only make sense in writing, rather than in pronunciation. Some of the vocabulary also has English translations written in between the lines of the main text. You can see this in the image above in the poem, which starts at column 1, line 21, and goes into column two. All the smaller words written between the lines give the English translation of the main text, which is written in French.
In pueritia and adolescentia
Once they moved into pueritia (about 7-14 years of age), girls of the upper classes would often transition into the care of a mistress (called at that time magistra, magistrix, or maitresse). The mistress provided education in such things as deportment, embroidery, dancing, music, and reading.9 For any skills the mistress did not herself have, she could bring in other household members, such as the minstrel for musical training, the chaplain for more advanced reading and spiritual instruction, and the huntsman for hunting. Specialized academic tutors could teach girls more advanced academic subjects. Sometimes these well-to-do girls were sent to other households to be fostered, serving as ladies-in-waiting to upper-class women. Girls, especially those of the upper classes, could be sent to nunneries as well (sometimes beginning in infantia) for education. Not all girls sent to nunneries were meant for the vocation of nun.10
As their reading abilities progressed, girls and boys moved on to reading comprehension (intelligere) and began to read more sophisticated spiritual texts, such as prayer-books, books of hours, psalters, antiphonals, and saints' lives. They also would continue on, as personal libraries grew in the thirteenth century, in reading romances, histories, poetry, classical authors, theology, philosophy, and more. It is most likely, given that women were not admitted to the university (unlike boys, who could progress from this stage to Latin grammar school and then on at a university level to the study of business, liberal arts, medicine, canon or civil law, or theology), that the reading of these last few would have been limited to girls whose families could afford private tutors.
Miscellany of religious, medical, and secular verse and prose in French, Latin and English. Oxford, Bodleian Libraries, MS Digby 86, fol. 68r. Produced in Worcestershire, England, c.1271–83, this "common-place book" contains French, Latin and eighteen English texts of various genres including fabliau, romances, devotional and didactic texts, prognostications, charms and prayers, among others written between 1271 and 1283. The manuscript was written by its owner and has amateurish scribal drawings and decoration. This image shows three sections of French text: the end of the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus (Come, Creator Spirit) (top 11 lines); a list of the unlucky days in the year (middle section of the text); and at the bottom a list of Arabic numerals 1 through 46. Three shields decorate the bottom.
In adulthood
By the time they reached adulthood, women who were privileged enough to have obtained a sophisticated education and their own libraries could be avid readers.
Gospel lectionary written in Latin, made in England c.1025–50, later owned by St. Margaret of Scotland. Oxford, Bodleian Libraries, MS. Lat. liturg. f. 5, fols. 21v–22r. This opening shows St. Luke with the start of his gospel reading. The Bodleian Libraries digital Treasures exhibition notes: "A compact selection of passages from the Gospels, this finely illustrated book was Margaret's favourite, and one she read and studied closely, even when she travelled. A poem added at the front describes how this very book was dropped into a river but remained almost unharmed: this miracle contributed to her growing reputation for holiness."
The historical and literary records provide examples of such sophisticated learning, primarily among the nobility. For example, the Norman monk and chronicler Robert of Torigni (c.1110–1186), praised the education of St. Margaret of Scotland (d. 1093) and her daughter Matilda (1080–1118), wife of Henry I, writing, "Quantae autem sanctitatis et scientiae tam saecularis quam spiritualis utraque regina, Margareta scilicet et Mathildis, fuerint" (Of how great holiness and learning, as well secular as spiritual, were these two queens, Margaret and Matilda).11
In a different Latin life, commissioned by Matilda about her mother Margaret, the biographer describes how Margaret from her childhood would "in Divinarum lectionum studio sese occupare, et in his animum delectabiliter exercere" (occupy herself with the study of the Holy Scriptures, and delightfully exercise her mind) and notes that her husband, King Malcom III, cherished the "libros, in quibus ipsa vel orare consueverat, vel legere" (books, which she herself used either for prayer or reading), even though Malcom himself could not read Latin.12
London, British Library, Harley MS 2952, fol. 19v. Book of Hours, made in France c.1400–1425.
This image above shows the unidentified female patron of this Book of Hours kneeling on a prie-dieu, her prayer book open to the text "Maria mater gratiae" (Mary, mother of grace). This open book with its discernable text has several functions: it leads the reader into the prayer; it demonstrates the piety of the patron, kneeling in prayer before both her spiritual book and the Blessed Virgin and Christ (illustrated on the facing leaf); and it shows one of the primary purposes of teaching children to read: being able to use spiritual texts in personal devotion.
Even women who were not noble and who were not able to read much Latin possessed and used books such as the one pictured above. In the mid-fifteenth century Englishwoman Margery Kempe wrote through her scribe of a memorable time in her church of St. Margaret in King's Lynn when a chunk of masonry fell from the ceiling down onto her as she was praying with her prayer book in hand.
The image below comes from her Book of Margery Kempe as preserved in London, British Library, Additional MS 61823. Lines 24-28 narrate, "Sche knelyd upon hir / kneys heldyng down hir hed. and hir boke in hir hand. / prayng owyr lord crist ihesu for grace and for mercy. Sodeynly fel / down fro þe heyest party of þe cherche vowte fro undyr / þe fote of þe sparre on hir hed and on hir bakke a ston / whech weyd .iii. pownd" (She knelt on her knees, bowing down her head and holding her book in her hand, praying to our Lord Christ Jesus for grace and mercy. Suddenly fell down from the highest party of the church out from under the foot of the rafter onto her head and her book a stone which weighed three pounds). She survived, for which she credited the mercy of Christ.
The Book of Margery Kempe, online facsimile and documentary edition hosted by Southeastern Louisiana University, project director Joel Fredell. London, British Library, Additional MS 61823, fol. 11r.
Finally, a note on those of the working classes. I have not discussed them in detail as it is unfortunately difficult, in fact nearly impossible, to say much about the reading skills of those who left few or no records behind: the great majority of women (and men) of the medieval population were laborers who left little trace in the written record. Yet as we see from the image here below, even for working women, especially in the last few centuries of the Middle Ages, possession and use of books was within the norm, provided those books could be afforded.
A woman attendant reading a book, from La Bible historiale of Guyart des Moulins, c. 1470s. London, British Library, Royal MS 15 D I, fol. 18.
My focus here has been tightly on the teaching of reading to medieval English girls. Girls and boys alike were taught to read, and began their reading education in the same ways. Boys alone could attend the medieval university and reach the highest (and best educated) ranks of clerics, but if girls had access to the right resources, they too could be highly educated. The evidence demonstrates that the teaching of reading was not linked specifically to gender; rather, it was a function of both socioeconomic station and the usefulness of such skills for one's life.
If you're interested in this topic, I cover the subject in much greater detail, with many other examples and suggested readings, in my article, "Women's Education and Literacy in England, 1066–1540," in the "Medieval and Early Modern Education" special issue of History of Education Quarterly, and the accompanying HEQ&A podcast.
Megan J. Hall, Ph.D.
Twitter @meganjhallphd
[1] On languages in medieval England, see Amanda Hopkins, Judith Anne Jefferson, and Ad Putter, Multilingualism in Medieval Britain (c. 1066–1520): Sources and Analysis (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2012).
[2] W. M. Ormrod, "The Use of English: Language, Law, and Political Culture in Fourteenth-Century England," Speculum 78, no. 3 (July 2003), 750–87, at 755; and William Rothwell, "Language and Government in Medieval England," Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Literatur 93, no. 3 (1983), 258–70.
[3] David Bell, What Nuns Read: Books and Libraries in Medieval English Nunneries (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1995), 57.
[4] On the complexities of a trilingual England, with a number of helpful citations therein for further reading, see Christopher Cannon, "Vernacular Latin," Speculum 90, no. 3 (July 2015), 641–53.
[5] A variety of frameworks were imposed upon the ages of humankind, though these major divisions for the stages of childhood were fairly commonly accepted. For a discussion, see Nicholas Orme, From Childhood to Chivalry: the Education of the English Kings and Aristocracy, 1066-1530 (London: Methuen, 1984), 5–7; and Daniel T. Kline, "Female Childhoods," in The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Women's Writing, ed. Carolyn Dinshaw and David Wallace (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 13–20, at 13.
[6] Jocelyn Wogan-Browne, "'Invisible Archives?' Later Medieval French in England," Speculum 90, no. 3 (July 2015), 653–73. For more on levels of reading Latin, see Bell, What Nuns Read, 59–60; and Malcolm B. Parkes, "The Literacy of the Laity," in Scribes, Scripts, and Readers: Studies in the Communication, Presentation, and Dissemination of Medieval Texts, 1976 (London: Hambledon Press, 1991), 275–97, at 275.
[7] On the cult of St. Anne and the teaching of reading, see Nicholas Orme, Medieval Children (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001), 244–45; and Clanchy, "Did Mothers Teach their Children to Read?," in Motherhood, Religion, and Society in Medieval Europe, 400–1400: Essays Presented to Henrietta Leyser, ed. Conrad Leyser and Lesley Smith (Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2011), 129–53. For further examples and a detailed analysis of the Education of the Virgin motif, see Wendy Scase, "St. Anne and the Education of the Virgin," in England in the Fourteenth Century: Proceedings of the 1991 Harlaxton Symposium, ed. Nicholas Rogers (Stamford, UK: Paul Watkins, 1993), 81–98.
[8] For a discussion of this window, see Orme, Medieval Children, 244–45.
[9] Boys (especially royal princes) typically followed the same path of moving from the nursery into the care of an educator-caretaker: pedagogus (a term used into the eleventh century) or magister or me[i]stre (terms in use from the twelfth century forward) (Orme, From Childhood to Chivalry, 19).
[10] Excellent reading on the education of girls in nunneries is found in Eileen Power, Medieval English Nunneries, c. 1275 to 1535 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1922); Alexandra Barratt, "Small Latin? The Post-Conquest Learning of English Religious Women," in Anglo-Latin and Its Heritage, Essays in Honour of A. G. Rigg on His 64th Birthday, ed. Siân Echard and Gernot R. Wieland (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2001), 51–65; and J. G. Clark, "Monastic Education in Late Medieval England," in The Church and Learning in Late Medieval Society: Essays in Honour of R. B. Dobson; Proceedings of the 1999 Harlaxton Symposium, ed. Caroline Barron and Jenny Stratford (Donington, UK: Shaun Tyas/Paul Watkins, 2002), 25–40; and Dorothy Gardiner, English Girlhood at School: A Study of Women's Education Through Twelve Centuries (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1929).
[11] Robert of Torigni [Robertus de Monte], Historia nortmannorum liber octavus de Henrico I rege anglorum et duce northmannorum, ed. J.-P. Migne, Patrologia cursus completus, series latina 149 (Paris, 1853), col. 886; translated in "History of King Henry the First, by Robert de Monte," ed. Joseph Stevenson, The Church Historians of England vol. 2, part 1 (London, 1858), 10.
[12] Transcribed in Symeonis Dunelmensis Opera et Collectanea, ed. J. Hodgson Hinde, vol. 1 (London, 1868), at 238, 241, from the version preserved in London, British Library, Cotton MS Tiberius D iii, fols. 179v–186r (late twelfth century).
Thinking Sex, Teaching Violence, and The Book of Margery Kempe
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Margery Kempe. In fact, I've thought about little else the last few months, since her Book was the focus of my most recent chapter in a dissertation that examines women's desire in Medieval English texts – and The Book of Margery Kempe has a lot to say on the subject. Mostly, I've been thinking about how Margery thinks about sex and why she thinks about sex the way she does.[1]
I've also been thinking a lot about teaching – lately, about teaching The Book of Margery Kempe. I love teaching, and I love thinking about literature courses I'd love to teach. As a scholar whose research focuses on representations of women, I look forward to teaching a course devoted to medieval women one day. The reading list would obviously include works written by women during the Middle Ages, and we have few examples, especially in English. I will be teaching The Book of Margery Kempe, and when I do, I want to do it well, so I was wary of the weariness I've experienced while reading it.
The opening page of the manuscript containing The Book of Margery Kempe where the work is described as "a short treatise and a comfortable for sinful wretches" in the first line (London, British Library MS Add. 61823, f. 1r).
Much like Margery, I have a confession to make: I have never been especially fond of her Book. But I have also never failed to recognize its value. As one of the only known Medieval English works written by a woman and often considered the first autobiography written in English, her Book is extremely precious, in part, because it provides us insight into a medieval woman's life that is dictated in her own voice if not written by her own hand. It survives in a single manuscript, discovered in 1934 and dated to approximately 1440. When I had the opportunity to see the manuscript on display at the British Library, I revered the object behind the glass because I understand the worth of its words. When I re-read the narrative recently, I felt exhausted, often frustrated that so many pages remained until its end.
The Book is long; it is neither chronological nor linear. Sometimes it seems repetitive to the point of redundancy. But it is salacious, tender, even occasionally funny. It is also profoundly sad.
Excerpt in which Margery describes how "she went out of her mind and was wonderfully vexed and labored with spirits" for the better part of a year following the birth of her first child, during which time she was tormented by visions of "devils" (London, British Library MS Add. 61823, f. 4r).
Best known for her spectacular physio-emotional displays that so often occurred in public and provoked concern, Margery Kempe has always been a controversial figure as a woman mystic. Her Book is, in many ways, a memoir that recounts her spiritual journey, tracing the origin of her mystical experiences to the birth of her first child at age twenty and the self-described madness that ensued. It is only when Christ appears to her, seated next to her on her bed, that Margery's sanity returns. In many of her visions, Margery's interactions with Christ exhibit sexual undertones; indeed, some visions are overtly sexual. While erotic language and metaphors were not uncommon in medieval mystical writing, especially those involving women mystics, Margery's visions are unusual in that they imply sexual activity with Christ himself.
A characteristic episode of Margery Kempe describing a visit to "the church yard of Saint Stephen" where "she cried, she roared, she wept, she fell down to the ground, so fervently the fire of love burnt in her heart" (London, British Library MS Add. 61823, f. 71v).
Margery describes herself as illiterate in her preface, but this does not mean that she was unlearned. It does, however, mean that she required a scribe. Her narrative was mediated by two male scribes, which complicates her status as an author, an already fraught term in the Middle Ages on par with autobiography, since the genre did not yet technically exist. She was a wife, the mother of fourteen children, and inordinately mobile, traveling for extended periods of time on pilgrimage to holy sites, which took her away from her husband and children. Unlike other religious women, Margery was neither virginal nor cloistered. She preferred to be on the move, and traveling was one of the ways she was able to avoid unwanted sex.
Bishop blessing an anchoress, a woman who lived a life of enclosure dedicated to prayer and contemplation (Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 079: Pontifical, dated 1400-10).
Here, I pause to provide a content warning and meditate for a few moments on what that means. The discussion that follows involves sexual violence, a topic tied to gender and power, which are, in turn, topics pertinent to any discussion of literature. Because I am constantly working at the intersections of gender, sex, and violence, I think a lot about how to prepare my students to successfully navigate discussions of sexual violence, knowing very well that it may be personally relevant for them. After all, sexual assault is rampant in the United States, with one in three women experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. One in five women experiences sexual assault while in college, and they are most vulnerable during their first year. While men experience sexual violence at a significantly lower rate than women, those who do are likely to have those experiences prior to or during college. Sexual violence remains an omnipresent part of our cultural conversation, even when we're not talking about it explicitly and we should be.
A content warning is a standard feature of my syllabus. I believe that my students should be aware that they are likely to encounter sexual violence in our reading. It does not encourage them to opt out of reading assignments or evade challenging discussions; instead, the contextualization enables them to wrestle meaningfully with the material in the way that best fits their needs and fulfills our learning goals. If they are prepared for the content, they may be able to avoid unnecessary triggering, a term that gets tossed around far too frequently by folks who are far too flippant about rape culture and has been distorted through stigmatization. A "trigger" warning suggests an inevitable, uncontrollable reaction, whereas a "content" warning cues students to prepare accordingly. Semantics aside, we need to be proactive when teaching The Book of Margery Kempe.
Following the spiritual revelation that sparks her mysticism, Margery renounces sexual activity. She commits herself to chastity and begs her husband to live chastely with her – that is, to allow her to abstain from sex, to not force her to have sex with him. He refuses. For years, Margery endures marital rape.
I realized recently that my ability to properly empathize with her situation had been impaired by my own biases about the narrative's style.
I was reading Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me, which unravels the relationship between speech and gendered violence. There is a point at which Solnit refers to the 1940s and 1950s, which I always think of as the decades from which Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique emerged and exposed the tragic irony of America's failure to understand how women could possibly be so miserable as housewives when they couldn't get a credit card without a husband and couldn't get birth control, period. While contraception was legalized in 1965, women could be legally raped by their husbands in the United States until 1993.
Publicity Director of Planned Parenthood Marcia Goldstein with signage prepared for display on New York buses in 1967 (photo by H. William Tetlow, Getty Images).
Solnit simply refers to the dates for the purposes of prefacing an anecdote about a man she knew who, during that time, "took a job on the other side of the country without informing his wife that she was moving or inviting her to participate in the decision." She writes, "Her life was not hers to determine. It was his."[2] Margery immediately came to mind.
During the medieval period and well beyond, women ceased to occupy a separate existence from their husbands when they married. A wife did not retain a will of her own; her will was legally subsumed by her husband's. On this subject, I am well versed. But for some reason, Solnit's exemplar resonated with me more acutely than Margery's experience previously had. Certainly, the rather arduous experience of reading her Book had engendered more impatience than sympathy, but I had failed to really feel the extent of her suffering, and for that I felt deeply guilty.
I returned to the passage where Margery describes her sexual loathing and her subjection to repeated rape:
"And aftyr this tyme sche had nevyr desyr to komown fleschly wyth hyre husbonde, for the dette of matrimony was so abhominabyl to hir that sche had levar, hir thowt, etyn or drynkyn the wose, the mukke in the chanel, than to consentyn to any fleschly comownyng saf only for obedyens. And so sche seyd to hir husbond, 'I may not deny yow my body, but the lofe of myn hert and myn affeccyon is drawyn fro alle erdly creaturys and sett only in God.' He wold have hys wylle, and sche obeyd wyth greet wepyng and sorwyng for that sche mygth not levyn chast."[3]
"And after this time, she never had the desire to have sex with her husband, for the debt of matrimony was so abominable to her that she would rather, she thought, eat or drink the ooze, the muck in the channel, than to consent to any fleshly commoning, except in obedience. And so she said to her husband, 'I may not deny you my body, but the love of my heart and my affection is drawn from all earthly creatures and set only in God.' He would have his will, and she obeyed with great weeping and sorrowing because she could not live chastely."
I haven't stopped thinking about those particular tears. Or my misgivings about her memoir.
Carving of a medieval woman on the end of a pew in King's Lynn Minster, formerly known as St. Margaret's Church, the parish church of Margery Kempe (photo courtesy of Laura Kalas, author of Margery Kempe's Spiritual Medicine: Suffering, Transformation, and the Life-Course, published by D. S. Brewer, 2000).
With more than 500 years between us, it can be challenging at times to make tangible how extraordinarily different and difficult medieval women's lives must have been – and yet, sexual violence remains so prominent a presence in our daily lives that content warnings appear in my syllabi.
I see Margery Kempe so much more clearly now, the medieval woman writer who is a singular survivor just like her Book. And I want my students to be prepared to see her as I do: individual and immortal.
Emily McLemore
PhD Candidate in English
[1] While it is obviously standard practice to refer to an individual by their surname, this practice also presumes that one's surname represents the individual to whom it refers. Perhaps less obvious are the problems with identifying medieval women by their surnames when those very names are indicative of the subsuming of their identities by their husbands in conjunction with coverture, the legal doctrine that removed a woman's rights and separate existence in marriage. Margery Kempe's surname, for all intents and purposes, is tied to her erasure as a woman. I have chosen to refer to her as Margery to center her as an individual and retroactively counteract the masculine authority that governed her existence.
[2] Rebecca Solnit, Men Explain Things to Me (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2015), 59-60.
[3] The Book of Margery Kempe, ed. Lynn Staley (Kalamazoo: The Medieval Institute, 1996), 26.
Posted on October 4, 2019 December 1, 2020
Margaret Ebner on Twitter: Medieval Sanctity and Twenty-First Century Social Media
Catherine of Siena, a model for Elisabeth Achler, receives the stigmata; Domenico Beccafumi, c. 1515
Even Elisabeth Achler's hagiography admits she was faking it.
Franciscan tertiary Achler (1386-1420) fulfills all the stereotypical demands of late medieval women's sanctity, although sometimes just barely. It is an extreme that gets her into trouble. During her three-year fast and her even more extreme twelve-year fast, she ate nothing but the Eucharist. Well, the Eucharist, and the food she stole from the kitchen and hid under her bed. [1]
The wobbly nature of Achler's portrayed sanctity suggests her hagiographer is being somewhat honest, and in this case, honest to a conscious attempt to achieve living sainthood. Achler tried to live up to an ideal.
That is nothing unusual in any time or place, of course. But this case is particularly interesting as scholars question more and more the extent to which late medieval ascetic sanctity was historical versus rhetorical.
Nicholas von Flue was a wildly famous living saint whose cell became a pilgrimage site for peasants all the way up to scholars and bishops. Nicholas' public reputation (and eventual hagiographic portrayal) represented him as a Desert Father come again. He was the most severe ascetic possible (not even eating the Eucharist!) and a hermit. His face was gaunt, his skin yellow or colorless, his hands ice cold; he lived in isolation to the point where he was known as the "Forest Brother." [2]
Nicholas von Flüe, parish church in Sachseln, Obwalden, Switzerland, c. 1492
And no matter how many people saw him in person, it didn't matter that his hands were warm, he looked healthy, and his cell was on a corner of the property where his wife and children lived.
Whether Nicholas did or didn't eat and whether he did or didn't see his family are both beside the point. His sanctity was built on the rhetoric of imitating, or besting, the Desert Fathers.
But nothing better embodies the debate over historicity versus literary construction, or the ideal of women's ascetic sanctity to which Achler aspired, than a group of books from Dominican women's convents in fourteenth-century southern Germany. Here I want to focus on the first-person "autohagiography" of one nun, the so-called Revelations of Margaret Ebner. [3]
From external evidence, we know that Ebner was a historical person with a reputation for sanctity already in her own lifetime. There seemed no reason to doubt that the Revelations filled in the details from Ebner's (necessarily biased and subjective) point of view. [4] The text recounts her spiritual life over the course of several decades: repetitive prayer, devotion to the Passion and the Christ-child, heavily somatic piety, sensations of sweetness, severe sickness. It is repetitive and simplistically written.
If you're thinking this is the spirituality that was once accounted "hysterical," you are absolutely correct. If you're thinking this is the spirituality that scholars now recognize as distinctively feminine with very real social-theological significance, you are also correct.
But what if the Ebner of the Revelations is a hagiographic Nicholas von Flue? What if the literary portrayal of living sainthood is unconnected from the reality of a woman nevertheless renowned as holy?
So runs Susanna Bürkle's argument for Revelations. Bürkle argues that a nun or nuns at Ebner's convent constructed the I-narrator of the autohagiography as an exemplar of so-called women's sanctity. [5]
Or, to speak in the idiom of the twenty-first century: the nuns curated a public version of Ebner that adhered to the demands of women's sanctity.
It's easy to draw parallels between blog posts with comments and manuscripts with glosses, between Tumblr and commonplace books. So how about late medieval women's autohagiography and hagiography as Instagram and Facebook?
We've all seen the "I take 1000 selfies for every one I can post" Instagram admissions, and the smartphone videos where the gorgeous YouTube star turns this way and that to display how she can go from (ridiculously thin and good-looking) normal to supermodel quality with angles and makeup. These social media accounts have a rhetoric of their own. The "Feet in the foreground, beautiful scenery in the background" photo means ultimate relaxation. Twitter has its own grammar, often departing from "proper" English, that mashes up different vernaculars and changes from meme to meme.
And, as article after article reminds us, social media is brutal for self-esteem because we are convinced these accounts portray something of reality. No matter how much we are aware of constructing our own Facebook feeds and dividing up our Reddit alts, the ideal of others' lives looks real. The occasional admission of failure or falseness is the modern humility topos, yes. It is also a guarantee of reality—a sign we can trust these people, who, after all, are honest about their dishonesty.
Whether or not an Instagram account is an accurate summary of the life behind it is irrelevant to us in these cases. All we can see, and all that the users mean to convey, is the ideal.
But as Elisabeth Achler's desperate hoarding and bingeing reminds us, the construction of exemplarity in the Life of Catherine of Siena and the Vitae patrum, in Revelations and the Sister-books—on twenty-first century social media—has its costs.
Nicholas von Flue died at age 70. Margaret Ebner died at age 60.
Elisabeth Achler died at 34.
Cait Stevenson, PhD
[1] The oldest recension of Achler's hagiography, probably from an autograph by its author, was published by Karl Bihlmeyer, "Die schwäbische Mystikerin Elsbeth Achler von Reute († 1420) und die Überlieferung ihrer Vita," in Festgabe Philipp Strauch zum 80. Geburtstag, ed. Ferdinand Joseph Schneider and George Basecke (Halle: Niemeyer, 1932), 88-109.
[2] Gabriela Signori examines the role of appearance in Nicholas von Flue's hagiographies and reputation: "Nikolaus of Flüe (d. 1487): Physiognomies of a Late Medieval Ascetic," Church History and Religious Culture 86, no. 1-4 (2006): 229-255.
[3] The standard edition is Philipp Strauch, Margaretha Ebner und Heinrich von Nördlingen: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der deutschen Mystik (Amsterdam: P. Schippers, 1966). Ebner's text is the best-known among the Sister-books and related Dominican women's texts because of its accessible English translation: Margaret Ebner: Major Works, trans. Leonard Patrick Hindsley, Classics of Western Spirituality (New York: Paulist Press, 1993).
[4] On the question of whether medieval visionary texts reveal something of the visionaries' actual experiences: Peter Dinzelbacher, "Zur Interpretation erlebnismystischer Texte des Mittelalters," Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum und deutsche Literature 117 (1988): 1-23.
[5] Bürkle's argument for Ebner is part of a long line of work by primarily German scholars on the Sister-books. Piece by piece, they (including Bürkle herself, working on Engelthal) have built an argument for the 14th-century Dominican women's texts as deliberate literary works, though they differ as to the purpose of these constructions and what information the Sister-books can still tell scholars. "Die 'Offenbarungen' der Margareta Ebner: Rhetorik der Weiblichkeit und der autobiographische Pakt," in Weibliche Rede – Rhetorik der Weiblichkeit. Studien zum Verhältnis von Rhetorik und Geschlechterdifferenz, ed. Doerte Bischoff and Martina Wagner (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2003), 79-102.
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"This was a Fundraising Magic event in support of the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association, a group that I've been helping raise money on behalf of annually for over a decade" said Kaplan.
The show featured comedy, magic, illusions, escapes, mind reading, music and plenty of audience participation. A full house of kids, moms, dads and grandparents absolutely loved the show, and the fact that funds raised go towards the CVFSA efforts towards training and providing support services to over 80,000 volunteer firefighters across Canada is the icing on the cake.


text:
Q: Need help with a integral I was evaluating
$$
\int_{0}^{^\pi/_2}x\ln\left(\vphantom{\large A}\cos\left(x\right)\right)\,{\rm d}x
$$
I like to try with the fourier series
$$
\int_{0}^{^\pi/_2}
\left[\,\,\sum_{k = 1}^{\infty}
{\left(-1\right)^{k - 1}\cos\left(2kx\right) \over k}\,x - x\ln\left(2\right)\right]
\,{\rm d}x
$$
But I dont know how to do the series part.

A: Note that
$$I_k = \int_0^{\pi/2} x \cos(2kx) dx = \dfrac{\cos(\pi k) -1}{4k^2} = \begin{cases} 0 & \text{if }k \text{ is even}\\ - \dfrac1{2k^2} & \text{if }k \text{ is odd}\end{cases}$$
Hence,
$$\int_{0}^{\pi/2} \left(\sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{(-1)^{k-1}}k x \cos(2kx) - x \ln 2\right) dx = \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{(-1)^{k-1}}k I_k - \dfrac{\pi^2/4}2 \ln2$$
$$\sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{(-1)^{k-1}}k I_k = - \dfrac12\sum_{k \text{ is odd}} \dfrac1{k^3} = -\dfrac{7}{16} \zeta(3)$$
Hence, the answer is
$$-\dfrac{7}{16} \zeta(3) - \dfrac{\pi^2}8 \ln2$$

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I've seen this post about three times today from other bloggers I follow and it seemed like fun. So I'm going to try it out.
This survey was created by The Perpetual Page Turner, so check out her responses!
According to goodreads, it's Rachel Caine because of the Morgainville Vampires series. But Stephen King is in second place with 12 books.
Umm…I don't think I can remember all the sequels I've read. The first that comes to mind is Scarlet by Marissa Meyer because I was so/so on Cinder but Scarlet was much better and it kept me wanting for more in the series.
A large Mocha with a vanilla shot from Tim Hortons.
Physical book but lately I've been reading most of my books on my kindle. =/ I really miss physical books but review copies are usually e-books and I can't beat kindle prices on some books.
I don't think I've seen a character I would have actually dated. A few characters I should have dated, maybe.
Angelfall by Susan Ee. I'm not really into the whole angel thing, and I really thought it was going to be another sappy YA lovey human/angel story and I was VERY pleasantly surprised that it was not that at all.
The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe. seriously, READ IT.
I have no idea. Maybe learning to read? That was pretty important.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I stayed up until 1am reading this book on release day and I had so many emotions and not all of them were good and I had to skim again the next day to make sure I wasn't dreaming about certain things.
3 and if I hadn't broken down and purchased a kindle there would probably be 4 or 5.
White Oleander by Janet Fitch. I love this book!
I don't reading regrets. Except maybe how long my To-Read List is. I feel bad that I can't get to all these books!
I don't think I have one. I've done a fairly good job of keeping up with most new releases in series I already follow. or I just avoid the series until all the books are out. I do need to read A Dance with Dragons still but I'm waiting for the paperback.
I've read each of these books at least 5 times.
Jennifer Weiner. I have read most of her books and I'm still kicking myself that I haven't read the last two that came out.
I dog ear my books. I know, I know! I can't help it. I just do it. =/ Also I sometimes read too fast and I forget minor things and usually have to google the book to remind myself of what happened with a sequel comes out.
Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover. Even though I knew how it ended I stayed up way too late finishing it.
There ya have it! I encourage you to answer the survey as well!


If you say that something appears to be the case or appears to have a certain quality, you mean that you have the impression that it is the case or that it has that quality.
He appeared to be depressed. The aircraft appears to have crashed. There appeared to be a problem with the baby's breathing. He is anxious to appear a gentleman.
seemIn academic writing, try not to present something as 100% fact unless you have clear evidence. You can use a linking verb like appear, seem or tend to show that you believe that something is true or that it is often true.
When something or someone appears, it becomes possible to see them or obtain them.
A woman appeared at the far end of the street. It has white flowers, which appear in early summer. New diet books appear every week.
When someone appears in a play, a show, or a television programme, they take part in it.
When someone appears before a court of law, they go there to answer charges or to give information.
She set up her own advisory firm last year and appears to be enjoying life a little more now.
The first major test of the new devolved system appeared within three months.
The move appears to confirm the suspicions of industry insiders that the job was too big.
We are also rather anxious not to appear to be approaching individuals of one party rather than another.
The diva appeared on stage lying on a heart-shaped bed with satin sheets.
The first catkins could appear in early December.
And he appears to have given up on the notion that anyone might be interested in what he has to say.
They seem very good at not appearing anxious.
At this stage it would appear all the packages have been sent by the same person.
But last September she appeared to be struggling with online bullying.
But the sense of being part of a shared social project appeared to come easily.
Four men suspected of the murder appeared in court yesterday.
He was interested in others generally and anxious not to appear detached from the rest of society.
He will appear in court this morning.
Her last column will appear this month although she will continue to contribute to a podcast.
Last month he appeared to dismiss the possibility of its return.
Much of his surgical apparatus appeared to come from Homebase.
On the face of it, the move appeared to be a disaster for May.
The first tanks appeared at the beginning of June.
The hackers sent emails to bank employees that appeared to come from a colleague.
They were bailed to appear next month at crown court.
They were remanded in custody to appear before crown court judges next week.
An invitation to appear before the committee again looks likely.
The airport consultative committee equally appears little interested in noise.
In the beginning it appears that he really wanted to win her affection, her trust, her love.
The barren stems appear in early summer after the fertile ones.


The first two decades of the 21st century have introduced both strategic opportunities and significant challenges for the energy sector. Energy players across the world are faced with high levels of uncertainty, notably stemming from energy price volatility and changing geopolitical dynamics.
Lower oil prices are causing challenges for producers and resource holding governments but providing opportunities for investments in new downstream markets, including emerging economies. An increased awareness of social responsibility has led to an increase in government funding for renewable projects and finding ways to access financing through green bonds. Continued need and demand for power generation, and corresponding transmission, generally continues to drive new growth in the power sector in many markets throughout the world.
We partner with our clients to provide cutting-edge advice across the globe and the energy spectrum — nuclear and sustainable energies, oil & gas, petrochemicals and power. What sets us apart is our commercial, solution-driven approach. From our long and deep experience of many markets and jurisdictions, we understand what our clients need, and we deploy the right people irrespective of where they are located to ensure their needs are met.
Yukos Oil Company, Russia | Represented the majority shareholders in the former Yukos Oil Company in three arbitrations against the Russian Federation. Secured a US$50 billion arbitral award, the largest arbitral award ever rendered, plus 75% legal fees and 100% arbitration costs.
Gas Price Review, Europe | Representation of a European energy company, seller in a long-term gas supply agreement, as Respondent in a gas price review arbitrationof brought by a European energy company (as buyer). ICC Rules. Algerian law. USD 1.3 billion at stake.
ERC Mostorod Refinery, Egypt | Represented project sponsors and the project company on the US$3.7 billion development and financing of its refinery at Mostorod in Egypt, the largest-ever project financing in Africa.
Sadara Petrochemicals Project, Saudi Arabia | Represented Dow Chemical Company in its joint venture with Saudi Aramco for the development of the $20 billion Sadara petrochemicals project. We also advised as co-counsel on the financing of the project.
Shah Gas Field, UAE | Represented Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in its joint venture with Occidental to develop the Shah gas field in the south of the United Arab Emirates, together with a natural gas processing plant, new natural gas and liquid pipelines, and a railway.
Dolphin Energy Limited, UAE | Represented Dolphin Energy Limited on its bond offerings in a combined amount of $1.3 billion.
Sadara Integrated Chemicals Project, Saudi Arabia | The Dow Chemical Company as co-sponsor of this vast and complex project in a transaction which was awarded 'Project Finance Deal of the Year' 2013 at the IFLR Middle East Awards.
World-First Petrochemicals-Supported Sukuk, Saudi Arabia | The Dow Chemical Company on Sadara's SAR7.5 billion (approx. US$2 billion) sukuk in Saudi Arabia as part of a uniquely complex US$20 billion project financing.
Sadara – SAAC Saudi Kayan Butanol JV, Saudi Arabia | The Dow Chemical Company on Sadara's joint venture with SAAC and Saudi Kayan to construct the largest butanol plant in the world.
SABIC's Acquisition of GE Plastics | Advised Saudi Basic Industries Corporation on its US$11.6 billion acquisition of GE Plastics from General Electric Company.
ABB Ltd | Advised ABB Ltd. in the sale of its upstream oil, gas and petrochemicals business to a consortium comprised of Candover Investments plc, JP Morgan Partners LLC and 3i Group plc.
World's Largest Publicly Announced Arbitral Award | Secured a US$2.1 billion award for Dow Chemical in the ICC arbitration brought against a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Company, stemming from its withdrawal from a planned joint venture with Dow.
MENA Nuclear Project | Advising a state authority in the MENA region on the development and financing of a first-in-kind and first-in-country US$25 billion nuclear new build project and negotiating the EPC, Fuel Supply, O&M, and Radioactive Waste Treatment Contracts.
European Nuclear Fuel Company Investment | Advised a nuclear industry company in an investment into a European fuel cycle company.
First Wind Palouse and Route 66 Wind Projects | Advised First Wind Holdings Inc., the renewable-energy developer, in the sale of its majority stake in the Palouse project, a 105 MW wind farm located in Washington, and the Route 66 project, a 150 MW wind farm located in Texas, to J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Broken Bow II Wind Farm | Advised Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as placement agent and acted as counsel to the note purchasers, in connection with a private placement to finance Broken Bow II, a 75 MW wind power plant in Nebraska, indirectly owned by Sempra Energy.
Sempra Copper Mountain Solar 2 and 3 | Advised the lead arrangers in the financing for the Sempra Copper Mountain Solar 2 project, which is an expansion of the Copper Mountain Solar 1 facility, one of the largest photovoltaic solar plants in the US. Subsequently advised the lead arrangers and collateral agent with the $435 million financing for the third phase of the Copper Mountain Solar complex.
Sky Solar Holdings | Advised Sky Solar Holdings, Ltd. in connection with a registered public offering of American Depositary Shares on NASDAQ.
Greenko Dutch | Advised Greenko Dutch B.V. in connection with a Rule 144A/Reg. S international offering of fixed rate high yield senior notes, guaranteed by Greenko Group plc.
Public Power Corporation Finance | Advised Public Power Corporation Finance plc in connection with a Rule 144A/Reg. S. offering of fixed rate high yield senior notes guaranteed by Public Power Corporation S.A.
Advised Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Natixis, New York Branch, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Publicos, S.N.C., BBVA Bancomer, S.A., Institucion de Banca Multiple, Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer, Nacional Financiera, S.N.C., Institucion de Banca de Desarrollo and Mizuho Bank, Ltd., as lenders, in connection with the approximately $890 million senior secured financing related to the development, construction, operation and maintenance of the Los Ramones Sur gas transportation system, sponsored by Pemex and GDF Suez.
Advised Dow Chemical on its joint venture with Saudi Aramco for the construction and operation of the US$20 billion Sadara Petrochemicals Plant that will produce a full range of basic chemicals and plastic derivatives, and advised as co-counsel on the financing of the project.
Advised Citadel Capital as project sponsor and Egyptian Refining Company (Takrir) as project company in the $3.7 billion financing for the redevelopment of its refinery at Mostorod, Cairo, the largest project financing to date in Africa. The complex, multi-source, limited-recourse financing involved senior debt tranches from JBIC, NEXI, K-EXIM, EIB, AfDB and a syndicate of commercial banks, as well as mezzanine loans from Mitsui & Co and AfDB.
Advised Barclays Capital and HSBC Bank Plc as lenders in the $430 million bridge loan to Israeli companies Delek Drilling, Avner Oil Exploration and Dor Gas to help the companies finance their share of exploration and development costs for the Tamar natural gas field off Israel's northern coast.
The oil and gas industry continues to consolidate and find new ways to operate in today's challenging oil price environment. Located in key markets worldwide, we apply our broad industry knowledge to assist in all aspects of the oil and gas value chain (upstream, midstream and downstream). We advise and represent governments, national and international oil companies, trading houses, financiers and institutional investors on some of the world's largest oil and gas matters.
Our cross-disciplinary team offers bespoke skills that are critical for all oil and gas industry players. Our transactional lawyers advise clients on projects and transactions through all stages of the oil and gas value chain. Our international arbitration and litigation lawyers advise and appear as counsel in international arbitrations and litigation matters on a broad range of disputes, including on stabilization clauses, taxation, price review, contract cancellation, production-sharing agreements, concession agreements, force majeure, or anti-trust.
As a consequence of the growth in world population, increased standards of living and wealth, as well as related surge in consumption, global demand for power has been rising at a spectacular pace.
Our clients turn to us as we have advised on some of the most complex and ground-breaking power projects, transactions and disputes. We are a trusted advisor to our power industry clients, including developers, public utilities (investor-owned and government-run), contractors, equipment suppliers, private equity and other funds, institutional investors, commercial lenders, export credit agencies, development financial institutions and other financial institutions.
What sets us apart is our commercial, solution-driven approach. From our long and deep experience of many markets and jurisdictions, we understand what our clients need, and we deploy the right people irrespective of where they are located to ensure their needs are met.
Clients in the nuclear energy sector demand the support that our Global Nuclear Group is uniquely placed to provide – genuine knowledge of the nuclear industry and nuclear law, deep understanding of the associated political, technical and legal challenges of nuclear technology, and the vision that only nuclear lawyers who are leaders of this sector can bring.
Shearman & Sterling's full service nuclear practice advises clients on the most significant, complicated and first-of-a-kind projects, transactions and international arbitrations in the global nuclear sector. We bring innovative, practical, bankable and deal-making solutions to the construction and financing of new nuclear projects and fuel contracts.
Our dedicated nuclear lawyers, who are recognized industry experts by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Association, are located across the world, providing the geographic reach reflective of the nuclear energy sector and our client base.
Governments and energy companies are increasingly looking to renewable energy technologies (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass) to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve their carbon footprint.
We work with a range of clients such as governments, developers, private equity and other funds, financiers, operators and institutional investors on their investments and disputes in this sector. We are also thought leaders on key developments in the industry — such as green bonds, feed-in tariffs, environmental regulation and investment treaty arbitration.
Our dedicated Renewable Energy Group brings together market-leading resources from across the firm — Project Development & Finance, Real Estate, Environmental, Investment Funds, Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax, Litigation and International Arbitration — leveraging knowledge and experience from across a wide breadth of renewable resource sectors.


Cats can be mysterious creatures at times. This is evident in the myriad ways that they are able hide disease from us. Being prey animals, cats are often able to compensate for significant internal disease, only showing signs once things reach a critical point. This characteristic makes routine physical examination and discussion of how your kitty has been doing at home an imperative. Further, screening for systemic disease is also a must.
Hyperthyroidism is a common disease of middle aged to older cats, and can look like just about anything. Common signs include weight and muscle loss despite an excellent appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, skin and coat changes, increased thirst, and a number of other non-specific and vague signs.
Blood panel surveys hepatic, renal, hematologic, and other body systems. Although there are multiple changes that fit hyperthyroidism, mild increases in liver enzymes are most commonly observed, the elevated T4 level forms the basis for diagnosis. Although there are several treatment modalities, most cats do well on anti-thyroid medication. If your pet is experiencing any of these signs or has already been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, please contact our staff today to arrange an appointment.


Premium Quality Interlocking Anti-Fatigue High Density EVA Foam Fleece Textured Jigsaw Floor Mats – Provides a Cushion Effect to All Hard Floor Surfaces.
Foam mat will cover an area of approx. 3 ft x 3 ft when using all tiles included in pack. Each tile measures 12 x 12 inches (1 square foot) and is 10MM foam thickness.
Lightweight, portable, easy to assemble and store.
Velveteen makes it very comfortable for the baby to crawl on.
Premium quality high density EVA foam, thick and durable mats.
They are waterproof and stain resistant.
We do strict laboratory testing for each production batch to ensure they conform to consumer product safety commission regulations.
PLEASE NOTE – Our listing is based on a 10 PIECE SET, if you need to cover a larger area, please consider buying additional sets.


text:
Яго Боусон Амоедо (исп. Iago Bouzón Amoedo; род. 16 марта 1983, Редондела) — испанский футболист, защитник.

Клубная карьера
Родился в Редонделе, провинция Понтеведра. Дебютировал в профессиональном футболе за «Сельту» за четыре дня до своего 17-летия, но за первые пять лет своей карьеры сыграл только в четырех матчах основной команды, играя в основном за резерв.

Боусон подписал контракт с «Рекреативо» в 2005 году, первоначально находясь в аренде. Он был ключевым защитником команды, добившейся повышения в классе в сезоне 2005/06.

В конце июня 2010 года, проведя один из своих лучших сезонов в карьере (сыграл 30 матчей и забил 2 гола), Боусон подписал 2-х летний контракт с «Омонией» в качестве свободного агента. В ноябре он получил серьезную травму и он выбыл на восемь месяцев.

Через 2 года Боусон вернулся в Испанию, в течение 5 лет представляя «Херес», «Кордову» и «Химнастик». Со второй командой он вышел в высший дивизион в сезоне 2013/14, в котором установил новый личный рекорд, сыграв 32 матча и забив один гол.

Достижения

Клубные
«Омония»

  Обладатель кубка Кипра: 2010/11, 2011/12.
  Обладатель суперкубка Кипра: 2010.

Международные
Испания (до 20)

  Серебряный призёр юношеского Чемпионата Мира: 2003.

Примечания

Футболисты Испании
Игроки сборной Испании по футболу (до 21 года)
Игроки ФК «Сельта»
Игроки ФК «Рекреативо»
Игроки ФК «Омония» Никосия
Игроки ФК «Херес»
Игроки ФК «Кордова»

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
El riu Isuela és un riu de la província d'Osca, amb uns 40 km de longitud, afluent del riu Flumen pel seu marge dret. És el riu de la capital, Osca, i el seu curs serveix d'accés des de Foia d'Osca al Serrablo i l'Alt Gállego, paral·lel a les seves ribes passa la carretera Nacional N-330.

Curs
El riu neix en els vessants sud-orientals del Coll de Labarza, que separa la Vall d'Arguis de la Vall de Rasal, i discorre cap a l'est, paral·lel a les serres exteriors pirinenques que el tanquen: la Serra de Bonés al nord, que el separa del Riu Flumen, i la Serra de Gratal al sud, en contacte amb el Somontano de Barbastre. Tancat per la Serra de l'Àguila a l'est, el riu abandona la Vall d'Arguis obrint un congost, la Foz de San Clemente, cap al sud. Passa per Nueno, discorre entre Banastás i Yéqueda i torça al sud-est i travessa la capital, Osca. Passada la capital, el curs de l'Isuela es manté els últims quilòmetres del seu curs dirigit cap al sud, gairebé paral·lel al curs del riu Flumen, on finalment desemboca a l'altura de Bunyals, nucli de població del municipi d'Osca.

En el seu curs alt, l'Isuela està regulat gràcies a l'embassament d'Arguis, estratègicament situat abans de la congost de Sant Climent. Les seves aigües serveixen, sobretot, per al reg de la Foia d'Osca, gràcies a les diferents séquies (com per exemple, la séquia d'Osca en el marge dret o la séquia de Coliñenique per l'esquerra) que distribueixen l'aigua de l'Isuela i alimenten basses de reg, com l'Alberca de Cortés o l'Alberca de Loreto.

Municipis, pobles i ciutats pels quals passa
 Arguis
 Arguis
 Nueno
 Nueno
 Igriés
 Igriés
 Yéqueda
 Banastás
 Banastás
 Chimillas
 Chimillas
 Osca
 Osca
 Tavernes d'Isuela
 Nals
 Monflorite-Lascasas
 Pompenillo
 Castell Pompién

Afluents
Els principals afluents del riu Isuela són:
 Pel marge dret rep primer les aigües dels barrancs que baixen del vessant nord de la Serra de Gratal:
 Barranc de Focegabarda
 Barranc de Sant Antoni
 Després el riu perfora aquesta serra torçant cap al Sud, travessant Foz de Sant Climent només sortir de l'Embassament d'Arguis, a partir del qual, comença a recollir els seus afluents que baixen pel vessant sud del Gratal :
 Barranc de a Batalla
 Barranc de Fonturbia
 Barranc CICAL
 Desguàs del Safareig de Cortés

 Pel marge esquerre rep l'aigua recollida en el vessant sud de la Serra de Bonés, i també part de les del vessant nord mitjançant el transvasament, a través de la séquia de Bonés i del barranc del Fulco, l'aigua que correspondria al riu Flumen:
 Barranc el Pozanco
 Barranc del Fulco

Referències

Rius de la conca del Cinca
Foia d'Osca


2018 has been an incredible year for IT For Starters – we've continued to grow, added a new face to our support team and settled into our new offices. The icing on the cake, and confirmation of our continued growth and expansion, was our qualification to become a Microsoft Silver Partner.
There's plenty of administrative reasons for us to take up this offer but, more importantly for us and our clients (and potential clients), is that this certifies our competency in both selling and supporting Microsoft products. For a small team, such as ours, this is a huge endorsement of all our hard work and efforts.
From our point of view, this year has seen the adoption of Microsoft Office 365 as the default tool for start-ups and SME's. It allows companies to have more than just professional and secure infrastructure for email, contacts and calendars, but advanced technologies such as Sharepoint, for document management and sharing, and professional communication features like Skype for Business, to make small, and sometimes spread-out personnel, all feel part of one unified team.
To further build increase our Microsoft credentials, we've been deploying their Azure technologies to clients. From simple Azure Backup solutions, which have become incredibly cost effective, to extending Windows Active Directory Domains to Azure to provide resource access to new branch offices across the globe without the need for deploying physical equipment.
And there we have it – we can finish 2018 knowing we're officially competent – which is always nice!
Have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
We offer tailored IT support in Cambridge, Swavesey, St Ives, Ely and Newmarket. To find out more about how we can help you, call us on 08450 702 226 or send us an enquiry.
Next: Holiday cover for IT managers – the impossible dream?
IT for Starters are a great team to work with – they've supported Horizon's internal team seamlessly.


text:
import { JhiHttpInterceptor, JhiEventManager } from 'ng-jhipster';
import { RequestOptionsArgs, Response } from '@angular/http';
import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';

export class ErrorHandlerInterceptor extends JhiHttpInterceptor {

    constructor(private eventManager: JhiEventManager) {
        super();
    }

    requestIntercept(options?: RequestOptionsArgs): RequestOptionsArgs {
        return options;
    }

    responseIntercept(observable: Observable<Response>): Observable<Response> {
        return <Observable<Response>> observable.catch((error) => {
            if (!(error.status === 401 && (error.text() === '' ||
                (error.json().path && error.json().path.indexOf('/api/account') === 0 )))) {
                this.eventManager.broadcast( {name: 'jhipsApp.httpError', content: error});
            }
            return Observable.throw(error);
        });
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: ASP.NET MVC 5- Getting Roles for specfic user In my ASP.NET project I am trying to get a user's current roles by their Id. Here is my code for the controller:
 public ActionResult ChangeRole(string id)
    {
        var user = _context.Users.Single(u => u.Id == id);
        var roles = new RoleManagerViewModel()
        {
            RoleNames = Roles.GetRolesForUser(user.Id)
        };
         return View(roles);
    }

When I try to run it I get this error however:

The Role Manager feature has not been enabled.

I read that I can fix that by adding roleManager enabled="true".
After I added that to my web.config file, though I get this error:

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)

A: This error usually occurs if the proper authentication is not given through the web.config to the SQL Server being accessed, a typo, or a SQL Server does not exist defined in the connection string to that specific server. If the role manager database is being access, information about doing so might be helpful in the link provided below.
Per example,
<add name="SqlConnection" connectionString="Data Source=MSSQLSERVER; Initial Catalog=DatabaseName; Integrated Security=True;">
</add>

More information here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff647401.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396
If Windows Authentication is being used then when Integrated Security is set to true it will use Windows Active Directory logon credentials to connect to the database server. Try verifying that logon credentials match was needed to the database server.


Meeting Susan Chadima and Michael Steitzer on the coast of Maine this fall gave me the added bonus of getting a crash course in Lobster Eating 101. It turns out that there's a lot of ripping and draining and cracking and probing and dipping and scraping and poking and dunking required before you can actually eat the lobster. This involves tools, a bucket, a little dish of melted butter, and a very large, plastic bib.
Clearly Susan and Michael have done this a time or two. They've lived in Topsham, Maine, for 33 years.
Susan ('76 zoology; '79 DVM) and Michael ('75 architecture; '83 master of architecture) met at Iowa State the first week of Susan's freshman year. (Michael says he saw Susan wearing a pretty dress.) Originally from Cedar Rapids, they moved to Maine looking for a change from the Midwest. ("We thought we'd stay out here for a few years," they say.) Susan started a veterinary practice and then expanded to a full-fledged clinic: the Androscoggin Animal Hospital.
Michael, an architect with a small firm, designed the clinic. Though he has designed schools, hospitals, and homes, he says 95 percent of his current business is focused on veterinary hospitals, which he has designed all over the country.
Susan is a traditional small-animal veterinarian. She has also traveled to Afghanistan nine times to train veterinarians and perform hands-on medical procedures. The couple recently adopted a street dog from Kabul.
They love living in Maine and say the people are friendly and welcoming.
But back to the lobsters. Lobster fishing, Michael says, is very tricky and territorial. He explains that there's a complex code of ethics involved among lobster fishermen. Failure to comply with these unwritten lobster laws can resist in swift penalties, such as finding a big hole in the bottom of your boat.