What better way that showing your partner how much you love them than whisking them off on a surprise break? In my view there are none, and this is a great way to get some quality time together, and to give them a beautiful surprise. There are so many options when it comes to travel experiences and destinations which you could choose from, and there are options for just about every budget. Remember that a trip like this doesn't have to cost the Earth, it is about the element of surprise, and the time which you have spent thinking about creating a great trip that are important. We have put together a few ideas for you on what kind of trip you could embark upon.
Whilst you can of course take a long cruise through the Mediterranean, this is going to be a bit more heavy duty than you are looking for. There are however, a great number of mini cruises which you could look at, that don't even require you to fly somewhere first. If you decide to go on a no fly cruise from the UK, you could go to places like Amsterdam and Belgium, or even Scandinavia in just a few days. A cruise is luxurious, different and takes you to plenty of places, the perfect break.
Camping is a great way to reconnect with nature and take some time out of your lives for a while. For many however, the idea of spending days in the mud, sleeping in the cold and not being able to cook properly are not too endearing. This is exactly why glamping makes for the perfect surprise package. Glamping is essentially camping, but in a glamorous way, meaning that you will have fresh running water, electricity, a shower and some cooking facilities, inside a specially designed pod. Camping in such a way may go against what traditional campers enjoy, but that won't matter when you are warm and cosy in your camping pod, looking up at the stars above, this form of camping really offers the best of both worlds.
Europe has so many outstanding city break options which make for the perfect way to spend a surprise weekend with your partner. Flying from the UK, you can find many great deals and low prices on flights to beautiful cities like Paris, Rome, Brugge, Prague and Barcelona, to name just a few. Many of these European cities are romantic by nature, they offer classical art, new and interesting food, chilled out ways of life plus lots of exciting attractions which you can enjoy during your time there. I would recommend either staying in a boutique hotel whilst you are away, or an AirBnb. Boutique hotels are hotels which have a certain charm and character which a chain hotel does not, and with AirBnb you can find some truly wonderful homes which you can rent, to give you and your partner a beautiful space to spend some time together.
What are you waiting for? Get booked up and whilst your partner away today!


Union minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale, who was slapped by youth wing worker of his own party on Saturday, has alleged that someone "furious and jealous of his growing popularity" might have conspired against him. Athawale was slapped by Pravin Gosavi during an event in the Ambarnath. Following the incident, Gosavi was thrashed by the public and later detained by the police.
Athawale has said that he will meet with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday and seek an investigation into the matter. "I'm a popular leader, this might have been done at the behest of someone who is angry over something. Security arrangement there wasn't adequate. I'll meet chief minister (Fadnavis) over this incident. It should be investigated," he told the media. "I have no enmity with anyone. I am a popular leader and probably someone angry with me might have connived to get this done," Athawale said.
"This incident must be enquired from every possible angle. I request my party workers to maintain peace and should not indulge in any such activity that would create law and order problem," he said. Meanwhile, members of the Athawale's party called for a statewide bandh today on Sunday to protest against the incident.
Citing eyewitnesses, NDTV reported that the incident occurred after Athawale finished addressing a meeting when the accused suddenly lunged at him, pushed and slapped him on the face. ANI reported that Gosavi had approached Athawale to first get a photograph clicked and later slapped the Union Minister.
The public thrashed Gosavi at the spot after he slapped the minister. The police detained the accused on Saturday night and also registered a case against him for "obstructing a government servant".


Roasted potatoes are so good. Have you every noticed that almost any vegetable can be improved with roasting? Well, I have! And not being the biggest veggie lover that is great news for me.
If you are not roasting your vegetables you are missing out.
I think roasted red potatoes always feel just a bit fancy, even though they are quite rustic. I remember shooting weddings and roasted red potatoes where often served at those meals.
The recipe is just too easy, so get to it and make some roasted taters!
Halfway through you will want to flip the potatoes for even browning.


We first approached Ray and Matt with the purpose of creating a device which could transfer data from industrial machines onto our software. The problem was that we could not find any 'off the shelf' devices which could perform what we wanted and as a young Startup we did not have large amounts of funds to invest into R&D. Luckily, they knew exactly what we were after. We were surprised as to how much experience and knowledge they had when it came to the Internet of Things (IoT). They quickly offered to help us out so that we may get off the ground.
In working with Successful Endeavours we have noticed that they also share our philosophy of looking after clients. When they handle a project they look after their client's interest first. The solutions they deliver allow their clients to financially succeed. The result is loyalty to Successful Endeavours and a long term relationship. Successful Endeavours success is driven from their client's success.
We have been very fortunate to have Successful Endeavours design our latest Corrosion Protection Data Logger, the Borgtech CPL2. Their expertise in analogue electronics design has delivered an amazing product that goes beyond our original expectation and was so good it won 2 National Innovation Awards in 2009. Coupled with their general electronics design ability including PCB design and layout, embedded software development skills and Windows based data visualisation software they we able to provide us with the whole package of development services we needed and we have an outstanding product that will ensure our success in the market.
We can't recommend them highly enough and look forward to working with them again on our next development project.
We have worked with Ray Keefe and Successful Endeavours on a wide range of product development projects for more than 10 years. Maries Production Services provides mechanical design and Successful Endeavours provides the Electronics Design and the Embedded Software for the internal Printed Circuit Boards.


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text:
Q: PHP Transfer File on server to Rackspace Cloud Files I am trying to script some code that will search a specified folder on the server for the latest file with a specific file extension (in my case .zip) and transfer that file to Rackspace's Cloud Files. The code below is as far i got and i keep getting the error:
Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'IOException' with message 'Could not open file for reading: Resource id #8' in /home/test/public_html/cloudapi/cloudfiles.php:1952 Stack trace: #0 /home/test/public_html/final.php(60): CF_Object->load_from_filename(Resource id #8) #1 {main} thrown in /home/test/public_html/cloudapi/cloudfiles.php on line 1952
The code that i'm using below was originally done for uploading content via an html upload form & i'm trying to adapt the same code to use a local server file instead of an uploaded file. You will see commented code with was previously for an upload script to show you how the upload script had worked.
<?php

// include the Cloud API.
require('cloudapi/cloudfiles.php');

// START - Script to find recent file with the extension .zip in current folder
$show = 2; // Leave as 0 for all
$dir = ''; // Leave as blank for current

if($dir) chdir($dir);
$files = glob( '*.zip');
usort( $files, 'filemtime_compare' );

function filemtime_compare( $a, $b )
{
return filemtime( $b ) - filemtime( $a );
}

$i = 0;
foreach ( $files as $file )
{
++$i;
if ( $i == $show ) break;
$value = $file;  //Variable $value contains the filename of the recent file to be used in Cloud Files API
}
// END - Script to find recent file with the extension .zip in current folder

// START - Rackspace API code to upload content to cloud files container
// Rackspace Connection Details;
$username = "randomusername"; // put username here
$key = "234887347r93289f28h3ru283h2fuh23093402398"; // api key

// Connect to Rackspace
$auth = new CF_Authentication($username, $key);

$auth->authenticate();
$conn = new CF_Connection($auth);

//Set the Container you want to use
$container = $conn->get_container('Backups');

//Temp store the file
//$localfile = $_FILES['uploadfile']['tmp_name'];
//$filename = $_FILES['uploadfile']['name'];
$localfile = fopen($value, "r");
$filename = $value;

//Uploading to Rackspace Cloud
$object = $container->create_object($filename);
$object->load_from_filename($localfile);

echo "Your file has been uploaded";

// END - Rackspace API code to upload content to cloud files container
?>

A: I know this is an old thread. But for the benefit of people who may land at this page while searching for a solution...
The problem with your code is:
The following statement opens the file for reading
$localfile = fopen($value, "r");

However when you place the load_from_filename call, the routine again tries to open the same file and fails because you already have it open in $localfile.
So comment out the previous command and you should be able to run the script successfully.

A: Error's being thrown in because content type not defined from read file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
62: A model Kit by Julio Cortazar
by winstonsdad in 1968 club, argentina Tags: 2017, argentina, Gregory Rabassa, latin american fiction, New directions, Oulipo
Argentinean fiction
Original title – 62/Modelo para armar
Translator – Gregory Rabassa
I said when I reviewed The boat in the evening, I had another book from 1968 to review. This is it the second book for this blog by Julio Cortazar. The novel was a spin-off from his earlier book Hopscotch. He states that this book like his earlier book. Could be read in any order as each passage could link in any way to any other passages. Julio Cortazar own life was rather like the book itself he spent time in France Paris is one of the man place mentioned in the book and also a number of the characters are from Argentina.
Then I'll walk through my city and I'll enter the hotel
Or from the hotel I'll go out to the zone of toilets redolent with urine and excrement,
Or I'll be with you, my love, because with you I've gone down to my city on occasion
and in the streetcar thick with alien, shapeless pssengers I understood
That the abomination was coming, that the Dog was going to happen and I tried
to hold you against me, protect you from fright, but so many bodies separeted us, and when forced you off in a confused movement
The barebones of story no names and no places at times but wonderfully written.
Now this book is probably one of the most difficult I have read but also compelling. The action surrounds a number of characters Juan an Argentinean is the main character, he is maybe a shadow version of Julio himself. Then two fellow Argentinean's Polanco and Cala add a piece of comic relief Masarrat a sculptor and Nicole an illustrator add the artistic nature and student and an older woman mix it in this novel in the city now this is a city that may be Oslo, Paris or London. The characters meet in places but they describe the cities but it also could just be another unnamed city that reminds this rag tag bunch of characters as they meet and drink. Then we also have a Vampire subplot.
Of course, the argument have absolutely nothing to do with swallows, as anyone who understands the language of the two Tartars can testify.
"Of all the people I know, you're the biggest Cronk," Calac says.
"And you're the biggest pettifor," Polanco says."you call me a cronk, sir, but it 's obvious that you've never boneyed your face in a mirror."
"What you're trying to do is start a fight with me, mister," Calac says.
The two argetineans are also reffered to as Tartars at times they fall oout in a slapstick manor at times.
How do you describe the avant-garde fiction this is a muddled book at times but with the real beauty in his writing. Like his fellow Argentinean Borges this is a book of Mirrors on the prose sometimes you feel you've read something before but it is slightly different.Then the book is also lime the famous Mazes the Borges also liked. Julio Cortazar he stated the book could be read in a jumbled up order.Like BS Johnson's masterpiece The unfortunates which went a step further than this book and had all the prose piece in separate small pamphlets for the reader to order as we wanted. So what we never know fully is where when and how the characters are connected just that they are this is, of course, an Oulipo novel so like the other books by writers from that group I have read it is the prose that matter, not a narrative timeline or order. Calvino with his playing card inspired piece the castle of crossed destinies. Then we also have two other books Dear reader and The flight of Icarus both that play with narrative style. Icarus using two interlocking storylines and Dear reader looks at what is the future of the book itself. This was a challenge and thanks for the 968 club for getting me to buy it for the challenge.
The boat in the evening by Tarjei Vesaas
by winstonsdad in 1968 club, Norway Tags: 2017, Peter owen books, TRANSLATIONS
Norwegian fiction
Original title – Båten om Kvelden
Translator – Elizabeth Rokkan
Well when Karen and Simon announce the last year club this time around it is 1968 , I decide I would get at least one book for it so I set to the internet and find a book published in 1968. I found two books published in their original language in 1968. This is the first and is by Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas, he has long been on a list of writers I have been wanting to feature on the blog. He grew up in the remote Telemark region of Norway. Where he had the chance to take over the family farm but didn't do it. This one event influenced his later life and writing he is considered the best Norwegian writer since the second world war.
There he stands in sifting snow. In my thoughts in sifting snow. A father – and his winter-shaggy, brown horse, in snow
His brown horse and his face. Sharp words. His blue eyes and his beard. The beard with reddish tinge against the white. Sifting snow. Blind, boundless snow.
Far away, deep in the forest. Sunken roads in the drift, gullies dug out of the drifts, logging roads walled in by snow
The opening lines give a sense of the wintery nature of the world Vesaas lived in
This book is a series of pieces that are all set in the wild north of Norway. They all draw on the nature of the land around that region. From watching the cranes arrive from the south and later glimpse the magical dance they do as a child.A man is drifting done a flooded river with just a log clinging to his life.This is a man looking at his homeland in an abstract nature the land and weather and creatures of the land drift off the page in his faint sketches. This is a world of tough nature and land.From the family caught in their home by a snowstorm view the white world around them. The stories are hard to capture as they are more meditations on the world and draw you emotionally into the world, rather than narratively.
The cranes intensify this feeling. One can always find out more. As long as the mirrored head or the upsight head is above the surface. As long as one manages to travel accross floating, shivering tussocks one can find out more.
From these bewitched birds one can find out more.
If only one could give them a message about this, telling them to dance ore and to dance differently, very differently. They look as if they can do it
The cranes mating being watch by father and son
This is a complex book that is more like a skeleton leaf caught in the ice the very fragile nature of what it once was is there and this is the same here in Vesass prose have a sense of what might have been. The fragile nature of the world he lived in, there is no names to his character. But people living on the edge of nature. A man gripping a log, a family in the white out of a snowstorm. A father and son glimpsing the cranes the child's wonder at the dance. But at the heart of this is the world he grew up in this is a novella that will make you want to wear a jumper as you read it. As you view human life as just a flake in a snowstorm of nature its self and how powerful nature is and what memories it can lay on a man's mind. I see why he was actually nominated eight times for the Nobel prize this is a work of a thoughtful and deep writer more the sort of writer we want winning the Nobel. Also a testament to the catalogue of Peter Owen books

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington's Mount Vernon
Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington's Mount Vernon explores the personal stories of the people enslaved at Mount Vernon while providing insight into George Washington's evolving opposition to slavery.
Lives Bound Together is included with general admission.
Ticketing terms and cancellation policy
Special Exhibit Showing From
October 1, 2016 - July 11, 2021 — All Day
Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center
Through household furnishings, art works, archaeological discoveries, documents, and interactive displays, the exhibition, which spans 4,400 square feet throughout all seven galleries of the Donald W. Reynolds Museum, demonstrates how closely intertwined the lives of the Washingtons were with those of the enslaved. Nineteen enslaved individuals are featured throughout the exhibit, represented with life-size silhouettes and interactive touchscreens providing biographical details.
More than 350 items are on view—seeds and animal bones, ceramic fragments and metal buttons unearthed from archaeological excavations around the estate, as well as fine tablewares and furniture from the Washington household, providing insights into the enslaved community's daily lives and work.
Guests gain a better understanding of Washington's changing views towards slavery, culminating in his landmark decision to include in his will a provision freeing the slaves that he owned. Visitors will have an opportunity to view original manuscript pages from George Washington's will, written in July 1799, showing his decision to free the slaves he owned.
The Washington Family / La Famille de Washington by Edward Savage in 1798. [W-5298]
Slavery at Mount Vernon
Learn about the experiences and struggles of those honored in the new Lives Bound Together exhibition…
Lives Bound Together Physical Exhibit Space
See the new exhibition in the The Donald W. Reynolds Museum at George Washington's Mount Vernon
"The unfortunate condition of the persons whose labour in part I employed, has been the only unavoidable subject of regret."
- George Washington, ca. 1787–1788
Personal Lives of Enslaved People
The exhibition profiles 19 individuals enslaved at Mount Vernon, using George Washington's extensive records to piece together what is known of their lives in interactive displays.
Sambo Anderson
Sambo Anderson was a carpenter who kept bees and sold honey to Washington.
William Lee traveled with Washington throughout the Revolutionary War and became a well-known figure in his own right.
Ona Judge
Ona Judge served as a personal servant to Martha Washington until she escaped from the President's Mansion in Philadelphia in 1796.
"Life is a burden to a slave person, indeed it is—left without education and the mind terrified all the time."
- Edmund Parker, enslaved at Mount Vernon under John Augustine Washington III (1841–1861), free employee of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association (1874–1879, 1882–1898), 1898
Mount Vernon was George Washington's home. It was also home to hundreds of enslaved people who lived and worked under Washington's control. In 1799, there were 317 men, women, and children enslaved at Mount Vernon's five farms, which covered 8,000 acres. They made up more than 90% of the population of the estate.
Highlights from the Exhibit
List of Enslaved People at Mount Vernon
Written by George Washington, June 1799
Shortly before drafting his will, George Washington compiled a list of all the enslaved people on Mount Vernon's five farms that was organized in two columns: "G.W.," referring to those he owned directly, and "Dower," indicating those owned by the Custis estate.
This distinction was important. In his will, Washington ordered that his slaves be freed at his wife's death. This emancipation provision was a powerful public statement of Washington's antislavery views. Unfortunately, it applied to fewer than half of the people in bondage at Mount Vernon. Those owned by the Custis estate were inherited by Martha Washington's grandchildren after her death. Many Washington and Custis slaves had married and formed families together. For them, separation from loved ones tainted celebrations of newfound freedom.
House Bell from the System in the Mansion
Copper alloy, iron, ca. 1784 - 1788
This metal bell belonged to Mount Vernon's original house bell system, installed in the 1780s. A series of wires, cranks, and pins connected pulls in the dining room and bedrooms to bells affixed to an outside wall. The bell's "ding" alerted enslaved laborers in the Mansion area that they were wanted. Those who worked in the house were always on call.
Transferred to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association through the generosity of John Augustine Washington III, 1860. Conservation courtesy of Harry and Erika Lister.
Ceramics Excavated from the House for Families
Ceramic, ca. 1760s - 1792
Archaeological excavation of the cellar trash pit of the House for Families slave quarter (used at Mansion House Farm from the 1760s to 1792) revealed many artifacts that its enslaved residents owned and used. Some items, like a white salt-glazed stoneware slop bowl, were cast-offs from the Washington household.
Others, like this unglazed colonoware bowl, may have been made or purchased by enslaved people themselves.
"Upon the decease of my wife, it is my Will and desire that all the Slaves which I hold in my own right, shall receive their freedom."
- George Washington's Last Will and Testament, July 9, 1799
George Washington's Evolving Views on Slavery
George Washington was born into a world where slavery was common. At age 11, he inherited 10 enslaved people from his father. He would go on to inherit, purchase, rent, and gain control of more than 500 enslaved people at Mount Vernon and his other properties by the end of his life.
Washington's views on slavery changed over time. Economic and moral concerns led him to question slavery after the Revolutionary War, though he never lobbied publicly for abolition. Unable to extricate himself from slavery during his lifetime, Washington chose to free the 123 enslaved people he owned outright in his will. He was the only founding father to do so.
An aide to George Washington and ardent abolitionist, the Marquis de Lafayette likely influenced the general's views on slavery during the American Revolution. Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, possibly painted by Joseph Boze, ca. 1780-1790.
The Documentary Record
Most enslaved people never had an opportunity to learn reading or writing, so they left few written records of their own. By contrast, George Washington wrote a vast number of letters and kept meticulous records of his plantation.
These documents illuminate his own changing views on slavery. They also contain valuable details about the lives of those in bondage on his estate—information that might otherwise be lost forever.
Learn More about Researching Slavery
George Washington composed this list in July 1799, noting the names, ages, and skills of the people he rented from his neighbor, Mrs. Penelope French.
In addition to many of Washington's letters and lists, the exhibition also includes documents like the Inspection Roll of Negroes, a ledger documenting enslaved people who ran away to freedom with the British during the Revolutionary War. The roll includes an entry for Harry Washington, "[formerly the property] of General Washington," who escaped from Mount Vernon in 1781.
Explore the full Inspection Roll of Negroes in the National Archives Catalog online: Volume 1 and Volume 2.
The exhibition also features Senate bill version of the Fugitive Slave Act, which Washington signed into law in 1793, one of two pieces of legislation relating to slavery that he signed while in office.
The Fugitive Slave Act and the Inspection Roll of Negroes appear courtesy of the National Archives, Washington, DC.
"…I am free, and have, I trust been made a child of God by the means."
- Ona Judge Staines, Martha Washington's enslaved lady's maid, 1845
Descendants of the Enslaved Community
Loretta Carter Hanes, 1926-2016.
Family heirlooms and oral histories from descendants of those enslaved at Mount Vernon are valuable resources in piecing together the lives those enslaved at Mount Vernon in the 18th century.
These bowls were passed down in the family of Loretta Carter Hanes, a descendant of Suckey Bay and her daughter Rose Carter—both enslaved field workers at Mount Vernon's River Farm who were emancipated by George Washington's will. Family members have long used blue-and-white tableware, a tradition they trace to their ancestors at Mount Vernon. Although these bowls date to the 19th century, many fragments of blue-and-white ceramics have been unearthed in an archaeological excavation of an 18th-century Mount Vernon slave quarter.
Courtesy of Loretta Carter Hanes and Peter Hanes
Oral Histories with Descendants
Washington and Slavery
Learn more about George Washington and the enslaved population at Mount Vernon.
Edited by Susan P. Schoelwer, Senior Curator at George Washington's Mount Vernon, with introduction by Annette Gordon-Reed of Harvard University.
Lives Bound Together provides fresh research on this important topic, with brief biographies of 19 enslaved individuals, 10 essays, and 130 illustrations (including paintings, prints, and household furnishings from the Mansion, artifacts excavated by archaeologists from the slave quarters, documents, maps, and conjectural silhouettes that suggest the presence of the enslaved).
The text illuminates the lives, families, and experiences of the enslaved people of Mount Vernon as well as Washington's own evolving views on slavery, culminating in his pioneering action to free his slaves per the terms of his will. A Mount Vernon bookplate, signed by the author, is included with your purchase.
Copyright 2016. Softcover with 172 pages. Printed in USA.
Exhibit Details
The Lives Bound Together exhibition could not have been made possible without the contributions from individuals and foundations in addition to four special donors: Ambassador and Mrs. Nicholas F. Taubman, Nimick Forbesway Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation, and an anonymous donor.
October 1, 2016 - Extended July 11, 2021
Educational Events Library Events and Programs Upcoming Special Events Past & Present Exhibitions


text:
Indonesia: Batam Bintan Bridge Project (AIIB-000551)
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Loan Amount (USD)
Bank Documents
Project Summary (December 23, 2021) [Original Source]
Original disclosure @ AIIB website
Updated in EWS Jan 14, 2022
According to the bank's website, "the project consists of the construction of a fixed road crossing between the Batam and Tanjung Sauh Islands. This crossing is a segment of the proposed Batam-Bintan inter-island road crossing". This aims to "improve regional connectivity in the west of Indonesia by constructing a segment of the Batam-Bintan inter-island bridge". Moreover, "the Batam-Bintan inter-island crossing comprise: (i) a road access to a fixed bridge crossing between Batam Island and Tanjung Sauh Island; (ii) a road connecting the Batam-Tanjung Sauh Bridge on Tanjung Sauh Island to a bridge connecting Tanjung Sauh Island to Bintan Island; (iii) a fixed bridge crossing between Batam Island to Tanjung Sauh Island; (iv) a fixed bridge crossing between Tanjung Sauh Island to Bintan Island; and (v) a road access on Bintan Island to the fixed bridge crossing between Tanjung Sauh Island and Bintan Island. This crossing will be the only fixed permanent crossing between Batam and Tanjung Sauh Islands".
Andres Pizarro
Senior Investment Operations Specialist
andres.pizzaro@aiib.org
Luky Alfirman
Director General of Budgment Financing and Risk Management
luky.alfirman@kemenkeu.go.id
Hedy Rahadian
Director General of Highways, Ministry of Public Works and Housing
dirjenbm@pu.go.id
You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.aiib.org/en/contact/information-request/index.html
ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AIIB
The AIIB has established the Accountability Mechanism for Project-Affected People (PPM). The PPM provides Òan opportunity for an independent and impartial review of submissions from Project-affected people who believe they have been or are likely to be adversely affected by AIIBÕs failure to implement the ESP in situations when their concerns cannot be addressed satisfactorily through Project level GRMs or AIIB Management processes.Ó Two or more project-affected people can file a complaint. Under the current AIIB policy, when the bank co-finances a project with another development bank, it may apply the other bank's standards. You can refer to the Project Summary Information document to find out which standards apply. You can learn more about the PPM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/who-we-are/project-affected-peoples-mechanism/how-we-assist-you/index.html
The complaint submission form can be accessed in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Chinese, English, Tagalog, Hindi, Nepali, Russian, Turkish, or Urdu. The submission form can be found at: https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/who-we-are/project-affected-peoples-mechanism/submission/index.html


text:
Paula Whyman
by Dhaaruni Sreenivas
Washington D.C. is a hotbed of political interest and intrigue. Paula Whyman's You May See a Stranger embodies the tumult of the nation's capital. I read the collection of short stories in one sitting and jumped at the chance to interview the author.
You May See a Stranger collects stories about family, love, loathing and survival. Is the protagonist, Miranda, still whole by the end of the book? Or has a part of her been cut out never to be reinstated? These are the questions I thought over while reading Whyman's debut book.
Whyman and I corresponded via email in the early summer. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Editor's note: Read Dhaaruni Sreenivas's review of You May See a Stranger here.
Dhaaruni Sreenivas: What made me saddest about this book was the relationship between Miranda and her sister Donna. What was the inspiration for that relationship? I thought it was delicately and empathetically portrayed.
Paula Whyman: Thank you; I'm glad the relationship between Miranda and Donna was affecting, and effective. I'm curious about all kinds of relationships, and I think all sibling relationships are fraught and complicated and interesting to examine. There's no specific basis I can point to for most any of my stories. That's the great thing about writing fiction—I can make it all up! I did have a brother who had Williams Syndrome. We got along well. Williams Syndrome people are often social butterflies, so quite the reverse of Miranda's sister. (Oliver Sacks wrote about Williams people in Musicophilia.) I spent a lot of time around my brother's friends, who had many different types of disabilities, and when I was a teenager I babysat for children with severe disabilities. I gained something of an inside view of what that was like, in particular also the stress it can place on a marriage.
There's this song by Brandy Clark, a country artist, called "Girl Next Door" which I was really reminded of when reading You May See a Stranger. It has the lyrics "My heart and my head and my bed can get real twisted/And you wouldn't be the first to think you could go and fix it." Miranda recalls that sentiment. Do you think the men in Miranda's life see her for who she is? Or do they see what they want to see?
I'll have to listen to that song! Doesn't everyone see what they want to see, at least until time passes and they get to know someone? Then reality sets in, for better or worse. I do think Miranda sometimes confuses sexual attention with true affection. Only a few of these men seem to take the time to know her. But it goes both ways. I'm not sure she's asking or expecting a whole lot from some of those relationships. I also sometimes think girls and women are expected to seek deeper attachments all the time, whereas men are "permitted" the occasional shallow fling. This is a throwback attitude, of course, an undercurrent of bias, but I think that in some cases, it still operates.
Paula Whyman photographed by Curt Richter
Likability is something you've probably thought about a lot; it's practically a buzzword in modern literature. As somebody that's not white but who embodies a lot of qualities we associate with "poor little rich (white) girls," I wonder what Miranda would be like if she wasn't white? Or, is she actually not white and I'm just reading into her coding as "troubled" and "a hot mess?" As a society, we demand perfection in women of color yet we're beginning to distance ourselves from that notion in white women. I'm pondering the buzzword, likability, and how it is applied to women. Basically, could Miranda exist as she is if she wasn't white? And how does race affect likability?
I think we demand perfection from women in general—perhaps from people—but not in fiction. In fiction, only a flat character can be "perfect," and I'd rather not read about a flat character. That would be terribly boring. I'm interested in reading about female and male characters who push the limits of acceptable behavior. That's far more interesting to me. And that's an advantage in writing fiction—you can push your characters to the edge and see what happens. But if you mean Miranda seems privileged in some ways because she's white, it's true that her eyes are opened in some of the stories when she's forced to confront issues of race.
I've said elsewhere that I think "unlikable" is different from "unsympathetic." Miranda's behavior may not be likable, but it's relatable. I don't think her behavior is accepted by the reader because she's white, but because she's human.
Where do you think the line is drawn regarding likability? Does it differ for women and men? There's this deep-seated humanity in everything Miranda does and thinks, even though it's occasionally despicable on a surface level. I, for one, couldn't read a book from the perspective of a rapist or a serial killer because it would fundamentally disturb me too much. That's partially why I could never read The Kid, Sapphire's sequel to Push. I couldn't stomach it, which is perhaps a flaw of mine, but I'm interested to see what you think about this.
I'm glad you see Miranda's humanity! I wouldn't describe her behavior as "despicable," though; I see her as a flawed human, and one I enjoyed trying to understand. I'm not bothered by questions of likability. I don't think about that when I'm reading or writing. I like my characters complicated. People are complicated. When I think of my favorite male and female protagonists, all of them are deeply flawed—that's what makes them seem most human. I'm thinking of Isabel Archer in The Portrait of a Lady; Portnoy in Portnoy's Complaint; Mickey Sabbath in Sabbath's Theater; Lily Bart in The House of Mirth; and the title character in a much more recent book, Rainey Royal by Dylan Landis. On the other hand, the kind of character who makes me angry, who makes me want to shut the book and not return to it, is one who is unconvincing in context, whose behavior is inconsistent, who seems like a pawn for the author's goals. Or, a flat character—see my comments above about being "perfect." Regarding where you draw the line in what you're willing to read, we all have our limits. I don't like it when ghastly things happen to small children in stories, especially if it seems gratuitous.
Miranda takes responsibility for her actions even though she isn't apologetic in the least. She always comes across as an adult to me, even when she's much younger. Was that intentional? There are people who might claim it's unrealistic that a fifteen-year-old could be as contemplative as Miranda, but I think it makes a lot of sense based on her upbringing and her relationship with her sister.
Oh, I do think there are kids like that, introspective, smart kids. I've met some. I wanted to write about an intelligent, thoughtful person, for the same reason I wanted to write about someone who pushes the limits—it's more interesting for me, and I hope, as a result, for the reader. One thing about that story in which she's fifteen—it's told retrospectively, by an adult Miranda many years later. So, does she clearly remember her way of thinking at age fifteen? How reliable is any retrospective narrator? How much is remembered, and how much is filled in, assumed, embellished? That's unknowable.
I want to talk about your character Pogo for a minute. He brought to mind Horace Slughorn from Harry Potter; jovial but perhaps deeply sinister. He's harmful in ways that he can't foresee. What was your intention for including such a character?
I think of Pogo as a Narcissist at best, a sociopath at worst. He's affable, though, as some have pointed out. He's a jerk who knows how to endear himself when he wants to. I wrote another Pogo story, before writing the two that are in this book. That was when I first discovered his character. I had in mind the kind of person who's good at getting people to do things they might not otherwise do, and for whom that serves as a form of entertainment. (Full disclosure—I don't know that character, Slughorn.) I didn't think the age difference was as much of a problem, relationship-wise, as Pogo's basic character. (My parents are eleven years apart in age, and they've been married more than fifty years . . . this can sometimes work!) I had no particular intentions except to explore where a clever girl might allow herself to be led. I never have any intentions when I start writing a story except to find out where a situation might go. There's a line in one of my favorite novels, Richard Ford's Independence Day, that might apply here: "His intentions were good, if few."
I read online that if "You May See a Stranger were a cup of coffee, it would be sitting on your desk getting cold, and you'd drink it anyway, all of it." I really love that metaphor. It perfectly captured what I felt about the book. It didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside but I don't think it was supposed to. It made me feel resigned to life, but also determined to endure the way Miranda does despite everything she has to go through. I compare You May See a Stranger to Wild by Cheryl Strayed. They're both stories of survival. Would you agree? And what would you classify it as?
Wow, first of all I'm incredibly flattered to be compared with Cheryl Strayed. And though Strayed's Wild is a memoir, I will gladly agree that You May See a Stranger is a kind of survival story. Miranda survives herself. I'm glad you liked that coffee analogy, too. That column was a fun challenge—Monkeybicycle's "If My Book." The instruction was to write what my book would be if it were not a book, and to do so without explaining the plot. I also see the book as a story of a woman trying to figure out who she is—in a sense a prolonged coming-of-age—it takes her almost forty years . . . I believe that we pass through many transitions in life, and each transition is a kind of coming-of-age. Surviving each of those transitions can be a struggle. And you have to do it alone.
You write sex and sexuality really well. What is your process like for writing such scenes? And why do you think it's crucial to express those aspects of human behavior?
I think sexuality is inseparable from one's identity, first of all, so if I'm exploring character, it seems logical that I'd try to learn more about Miranda by examining how she navigates sexual relationships. Also, I think the curtain falls away from a person during sex. It's a good way to learn about a character. My process for writing those scenes is the same as when I write about anything: I have to imagine what it feels like in the moment, and I have to see it in my mind in order to describe it. I've said elsewhere that it's not much different than describing a character going bowling. You need to leave out anything that isn't absolutely tied to the character and anything that doesn't advance the story. You need to strip it down . . . pun intended . . . to the essentials. We all know what a bowling ball looks like. How is this one different? (I hope you know I'm laughing as I say that!) How is Miranda's approach unique to her character? What does it tell us about this particular time in her life? If anything in the scene is hackneyed, if it's unnecessary, if it's boring, I cut it. This is true for any kind of scene, not only sexual situations.
You May See a Stranger takes place in and around Washington D.C. It isn't a political book but it's nonetheless imbued with politics. How did the location and time period influence your writing?
I see these stories as inseparable from their setting. The D.C. area is my hometown. Both of my parents were born here and grew up here, too. I was intent on telling a story about regular people who live in a place that attracts so many ambitious and politically engaged people from all over that it's easy for outsiders to think no one else lives here. I specifically set out to write a story set in Washington where politics are an undercurrent but not the main story. I had to reimagine what it was like at different times, different decades, because the first story is set in 1980 and the book moves forward chronologically to the present—even as there are many time jumps within each story. When I first started writing stories, I had no desire to set any fiction here. When you live in a place you can notice less than someone who's seeing it fresh, so when I finally decided I was going to do it, I had to step back and try to see Washington as if it was new to me. At the same time, I was writing stories about a woman for whom the setting would not be new, but would be taken for granted in many ways. That's a challenge.
Lastly, I want to know what your next steps are. Would you consider returning to Miranda? Or to the short story format? And since I always love to hear what authors recommend, what are you reading right now?
I'm immersed in working on a new novel right now. The only similarity is that it's set in the D.C. area. I don't have any plans at this point to write more about Miranda, but back when I wrote the first story, "Driver's Education," I didn't know I was going to write a book about Miranda at all, and then years later, I did. So, I won't say never. Who knows what I'll be working on a few years from now?
As for what I'm reading, right now, I'm halfway through The Children Act by Ian McEwan, and finishing up Crash Course, a book of essays by Robin Black. I read several books at once, usually. A few that are coming up next include Rachel Cantor's Good on Paper; Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens; and Some Hope, the third book in Edward St. Aubyn's Patrick Melrose series. I'm also very much looking forward to read Harmony, Carolyn Parkhurst's next novel, which came out in early August.
Dhaaruni Sreenivas is a student at Cornell University. She can be followed on Twitter @Dhaaruni or at her personal blog at dhaarunispeaks.tumblr.com.
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Sandesh is a classic Bengali dessert composed of milk and sugar. Some sandesh recipes use chenna or paneer as a substitute for milk. It is a sweet confectionary treat that is perfect for parties and popular at festivals. This dish can seem challenging at first, but this simple-to-follow recipe will guide you through it like a pro. So don't be afraid to get started today; your friends and family will thank you!
This dish being a dessert, it's natural that you find its health benefits doubtful. But this Bengali dessert has the amazing spice, saffron. It is a popular spice that is harvested from the saffron crocus flower. It has some amazing health benefits: improve respiratory functionality, reduce pain, help with blood clotting, improve cardiovascular health, improve blood flow, regulate insulin levels, and improve body resistances. Saffron also contains high levels of manganese which helps regulate blood sugar levels and helping you manage the symptoms of diabetes.
combine water and lemon juice.
Peel and crush cardamom seeds to make a fine powder.
Turn off the flame and let the milk cool down a little after it begins to boil.
Add lemon water to the slightly warm milk in small portions. Keep stirring constantly.
Note: Stop adding lemon water when the milk starts to coagulate.
Strain the curdled milk through a muslin cloth. Hold the cloth tight and squeeze out every drop of water.
Note: Pour some cold water over it to remove the tartness of lemon.
Transfer milk solids to another plate knead smooth.
Add saffron and powdered sugar into the kneaded milk solids and knead again for 2-3 minutes.
Heat a nonstick pan and add the sweetened milk solid mixture to it. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat. Transfer to a plate into another plate and let cool and then, mix cardamom powder.
Pinch small lump from the mixture and roll into an oval shaped peda and place on a plate.
Repeat step 8 until the entire mixture is utilized.
Garnish with some chopped pistachios and enjoy!
A sweet dish called sandesh is mentioned in medieval Bengali literature, including Krittibas' Ramayana and lyrics of Chaitanya.


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Vitality rating names for TVs.
How would we read the names? Stars The more stars, the better The more prominent the quantity of stars, the more proficient the TV is contrasted with other focused models of the same screen size. kWh every year (kilowatt hours every year) Less is best The littler the number, the more productive the TV is contrasted with other focused models of the same screen size.


Live Bela prices from all markets and BELA coin market Capitalization. Buy Bela at the lowest Price. More on Bitcoin Price, Ethereum Price, Ripple Price, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin.
Belacoin is a Scrypt cryptocurrency, based on Litecoin. It was created to increase funding and awareness for chartity organizations that are dedicated to helping children.


I was asked last week (again) for guidance I could give (being involved in time in one way or another, in addition to my day job) on how Microsoft products may be impacted by the 2038 issue.
"The year 2038 problem (also known as "Unix Millennium bug", "Y2K38," "Y2K+38," or "Y2.038K" by analogy to the Y2K problem) may cause some computer software to fail before or in the year 2038. The problem affects Unix-like operating systems, which represent system time as the number of seconds (ignoring leap seconds) since 00:00:00 January 1, 1970. This representation also affects software written for most other operating systems because of the broad deployment of C. On most 32-bit systems, the time_t data type used to store this second count is a signed 32-bit integer. The latest time that can be represented in this format, following the POSIX standard, is 03:14:07 UTC on Tuesday, January 19, 2038. Times beyond this moment will "wrap around" and be represented internally as a negative number, and cause programs to fail, since they will see these times not as being in 2038 but rather in 1901. Erroneous calculations and decisions may therefore result.
Some people believed that the bulk of issues would surface on January 19, 2008, the date when new 30-year mortgages and bonds could be impacted. In fact, much of the impact would have been seen years ago given that there are many financial instruments with a greater than 30 year life span: some mortgages and bonds extend out 40 years, and there are Japanese and English mortgages that can span close to a century.
From what I understand (thanks to the education from Geoff, Shay and several folks in DevDiv), information on how to mitigate the year 2038 bug was included in our Y2K response in the late 1990's. And Microsoft has provided guidance and statements on our various web sites, as impacts have generally been product specific for older products no longer in support (unless otherwise indicated in a supporting KB article).
currently supported core OS and mainstream support products operate as designed and with no known negative impact with regards to the 2038 unless otherwise noted.
SYSTEMTIME has no problems and can go until the year 30,827.
FILETIME, a 64-bit integer (two DWORDs representing LOW and HIGH values) since January 1, 1601 (Julian). It too can represent a 30,000 (or 60,000 unsigned) year interval.
Difficulties will be found were developers use C/C++ time_t, which will run out in 2038.
we expanded time_t to 64 bits by default in VC8 (Visual Studio 2005). See http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235429(VS.80).aspx. Also see http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/w4ddyt9h(VS.80).aspx, which explains that _USE_32BIT_TIME_T is provided for backwards compatibility.
This link for MSDN and TechNet. Also, please see this article on MSDN from 1998 on the issue.
Tags: Microsoft, Vista, Windows, Time, 2038.
Thanks for posting this info. I'm sure it will be useful to those before 2038.


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House Floor. The House will convene at noon on Tuesday and will consider various bills under suspension of the rules, but the focus this week will be on passing FY 2019 appropriations bills to re-open those parts of the government that are shut down. Last week the House passed two spending bills -- a continuing resolution through Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security and a package of six appropriations bills to provide funding through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) says he will not take up those measures until there is a deal with the President on spending for the border wall, so House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) plans to begin taking separate votes on the remaining appropriations bills.
The voting will begin on Wednesday when the House will consider the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. The bill provides funding for the Treasury Department and the IRS, which would ensure, as Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) put it, "that hardworking Americans can receive their tax refunds on schedule." Perhaps in light of the upcoming vote, the Office of Management and Budget said Monday afternoon that the IRS will issue tax refunds even if the agency is still subject to a shut down. This is a change in policy, and some are questioning the legal justification for the announcement.
In addition to the Treasury/IRS funding bill, the House plans to vote this week on three other bills – Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
As with the first set of House-passed bills, McConnell has no plans to take up these measures in the Senate, but Pelosi sees the votes as messaging points that benefit Democrats and put pressure on Republicans to vote for individual measures funding the National Parks and paying the salaries of TSA officers at airports, among other things. All of the measures are virtually identical to legislation that the Senate approved in December on a 92-6 vote. The only substantive change is that language has been added to ensure that furloughed federal workers receive back pay.
In other action, the House plans to vote Wednesday on the third and last title of the rules package for the 116th Congress. This part of the rules will allow the House to intervene in court cases, including those involving the Affordable Care Act.
Senate Floor. The Senate will convene on Tuesday at 3 p.m. At 5:30 there will be a vote to end debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 1, which would impose new sanctions on the Syrian government and enhance security cooperation with Israel and Jordan. There is some speculation, however, that even non-controversial and bipartisan bills like the Syrian sanctions bill may not move during the government shutdown. Some Senators may object to cloture with the goal of keeping the focus on the shutdown and the bills the Democratic House has passed to reopen the government.
State of the Union. President Trump will give his State of the Union address on Jan. 29.
Trade Panel Leadership. It looks like Democrats may have to choose between Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) over who will chair the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. Blumenauer and Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) both have seniority over Pascrell, but neither opted to serve as ranking member of the trade panel when Democrats were in the minority so the post went to Pascrell.
With Democrats now in the majority, Blumenauer had been advocating for the creation of a new Ways and Means subcommittee, which presumably he would chair, that would focus on funding to improve the nation's infrastructure. Democratic leadership decided not to create the new panel, and Blumenauer is now said to be eyeing the chairmanship of the Trade Subcommittee. Kind will not challenge Blumenauer, but Pascrell said after the November elections that he would like to continue to lead Democrats on the panel.
A decision on subcommittee chairs can't be made until the membership of the committee is finalized. First, the leadership has to announce how many Democrats and Republicans will serve on Ways and Means and all other House committees. Once the ratios are determined, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee will recommend which Democrats will serve on the various panels. Usually, membership of the "A" committees – Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, and Ways and Means – is announced first. Those announcements could come this week or next.


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Alan Jackson Brings Country Music Ghosts Out at the Ryman Auditorium in New 'Where Have You Gone' Video [Watch]
Angela Stefano Published: September 23, 2021
Courtesy of UMG Nashville
Alan Jackson finds himself onstage at the Mother Church of Country Music with some of the genre's legendary names in his newest music video, for his song "Where Have You Gone." The black-and-white clip honors, as Jackson describes it, "real country music": songs with steel guitar, banjo, fiddle and other traditionally country instruments.
Peter Zavadil directed Jackson's new video. At first, Jackson is onstage at the Ryman Auditorium alone, surrounded by those instruments and others. However, by the end of the first chorus, Jackson is joined onstage by the memories of several prominent artists: Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Tammy Wynette and more.
"This is Alan's idea … capturing all of this incredible history that's happened here," Zavadil shares in a press release. ""The goal was to make the Ryman as much of a character in this as Alan is the artist onstage. This is a magical place."
"Where Have You Gone" is the title track of Jackson's newest studio album, released in May. He wrote the song solo.
"The song kind of starts out like it's a lost love," Jackson says of the song. "I love what I call 'real country music,' and I just see it fading away more than I ever have. I just wanted to say that."
Throughout Where Have You Gone, Jackson leans heavily into his timeless country roots, calling on traditional country instruments to help tell his stories through song. The singer describes the project as "harder country" than he's done in the past, and a project he has "always dreamed" of making.
"Real country songs are life and love and heartache. They're drinking, singing about Mama and having a good time, sad things, fun things," Jackson analyzes, adding of the album, "It reflects the sounds of the instruments I grew up on, steel and acoustic guitar, the fiddle and the way they all came together. It gave you a sound, but also a real feeling or emotions no other music really had."
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Source: Alan Jackson Brings Country Music Ghosts Out at the Ryman Auditorium in New 'Where Have You Gone' Video [Watch]
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Ever had a sociopath for a student
Discussion in 'General Education' started by akconnel, Dec 11, 2018.
akconnel Rookie
I have a student that does whatever he wants if there is even the slightest thought that he might get away with it. In fact even when it's obvious he won't get away with it he still does what he wants. He is also smart and manipulative. Furthermore he seems to have no sense of empathy or morals whatsoever. I am not the only one who notices this. Today my aide even said "He's like a shell of a person."
I have spoken to his parents about his behavior and they are no help. But that's not why I'm posting. I know he will not change.
I was just wondering if anyone else has ever had a student that struck you as a possible sociopath. Someone who just doesn't seem to have any sense of right and wrong, or knows but simply does not care.
akconnel, Dec 11, 2018
Leaborb192 likes this.
Guitart Comrade
I did a long-term sub for 7th grade in the most urban school in the district. It was not fun. I had at least one "sociopath" in every class. These types would stroll into class on a cell phone, refuse to stop texting, sing out loud (on headphones) while I'm giving instructions, ask to get a drink, use the restroom, ANYTHING to create problems.
One such boy walked into my room, falcon punched a girl.. A GIRL, and began walking away while I was directing him to stop. He treated me like I was Bruce Willis in "Sixth Sense". In other words, I did not exist. I beat him to the door only to have him look me up and down and say, "Get outta my face." "You ain't my teacher fool."
He then informed me the girl was his sister. Like it was his right to bring family style justice into my classroom.
Speaking of rights.. these few students all had the same sense of right and wrong. It was simply: it's a free country and I can do anything I want - it's my RIGHTS! Can't tell you how many times I heard that. But I think every 7th grader's fav phrase when they are getting in trouble was, "I don't care."
They really didn't care. And why should they?
My guess is there was no accountability at home. How was a little inconvenience of a referral and in school suspension going to ruin Xbox, internet, and basketball time once they got home?
Guitart, Dec 11, 2018
I've had a few who had some tendencies, but only one I think truly was one. As a student, he was uninterested in work. He was sneaky, and he was often in trouble for things. He was mean to people and animals. He tried to set fire to one of my desks once. He held a lighter under the desk. He never showed remorse, or really any emotional response to anything.
He's currently in prison. His mother's body was found dumped in a shed in another county. When they went to the house to question him about his mother's death, they found the brother's body in the freezer. He and his wife were convicted of murder and tampering with evidence. His mug shot has that same blankness he always had.
Ima Teacher, Dec 11, 2018
2ndTimeAround Phenom
Yes, I've had one diagnosed and a couple of others that probably will be. Then I've had a lot that sound like the second poster's kids - students that are so self-centered that they actually enjoy causing problems for others. I don't think they were actual sociopaths. Just jerks that were being raised by jerks. They'll probably produce multiple jerk children themselves.
2ndTimeAround, Dec 11, 2018
waterfall Virtuoso
Not sure if he's a sociopath, but I have a Kindergartner who is downright scary. The kid isn't the biggest behavior problem in the room, but he says the most awful things. On one of the first days of school I read a book called "Storm" to the students with animals on the cover. I asked them to make a prediction and this boy said with absolute delight, "Maybe there will be a storm and all of the animals will die! I hope the horse dies first!" He also regularly says things like, "I love nightmares" and "I love monsters, especially the kind that hurt people." One day he told another teacher he was going to blow up the school because we wouldn't let him bring toys and "we'd be sorry." His mom just brushes it off and says, "Oh yeah, he likes scary stuff" as if it's a perfectly normal interest. I'm truly afraid this kid is going to grow up and become a school shooter.
waterfall, Dec 11, 2018
teacherintexas Maven
Yes. He's in prison.
teacherintexas, Dec 11, 2018
otterpop Phenom
Yes. He sounds very similar to the child below, but didn't ever try to start a fire (thank goodness).
Ima Teacher said: ↑
otterpop, Dec 12, 2018
swansong1 Virtuoso
Many years ago I had a young student who had already killed animals and set fires before he came to my 1st grade class. I kept a tight watch on him until the family moved out of state.
swansong1, Dec 12, 2018
Preschool0929 Cohort
I had one last year that I felt like deserved the label. They frequently held scissors or other objects to my neck, eyes, etc.. saying they would kill me, or would wrap their hands around their throat when given a direction they didn't like and say "I'll just kill myself". They would randomly attack staff, other students, etc. and just say the most awful things I've ever heard. The mother got hurt in an accident and when we talked about it during a session they said "I was hoping she would just die, but she only got hurt".
The student is now "homeschooled" after a violent incident at the school they went to after mine.
Preschool0929, Dec 12, 2018
tchr4vr Comrade
I had one. He was in a drama class of mine. On the first day of class, we do a getting to know you exercise where everyone has to say their name, their grade and something interesting about themselves. His interesting fact was he likes to kill people. I reported it immediately, and the admin got statements from the entire class. He didn't stay long, he was kicked out of school for hacking the computer system, but the kids were always afraid of him. I met his mother once, and she said that her darling child was super gifted and bright, and that he was smarter than most of the teachers in the school, but I would be alright, because he thought I was more intelligent than the rest. We all were relieved when he left. I looked him up on Facebook a few years ago and saw a lot of Neo-nazi pictures and posts. Pretty sure he went the wrong direction.
tchr4vr, Dec 12, 2018
I'd recommend the book,"the psychopath test" you anyone interested in the area or who may have sociopath kids in their class.
There's a possibility that some kids are just acting out for attention, but I imagine most teachers are able to recognize when that's the case.still the book is interesting for the variety it presents, including some sociopaths who become successful. Though I'm not sure that a successful sociopath is the best outcome.
3Sons, Dec 18, 2018
futuremathsprof Phenom
Guitart said: ↑
If that happened at my school the attacker would be physically detained by one or up to twelve of security staff (who are armed) and brought straight to the principal. Depending on the severity of the attack, said student would be suspended indefinitely and receive zeros in the gradebook for each day missed and/or expelled and/or criminally prosecuted. For those suspended, they would also be prohibited from attending all school-related functions and activities for the remainder of the school year and put on heavy restrictions — students at my school hate being put on restrictions and never reoffend because it's not something you want to do more than once, I assure you. We don't mess around and send a strong message about fighting.
At my school, we believe if you do the crime, you do the time. Just because you're a minor does not exempt you from being responsible for your actions. Minors are prosecuted in the criminal justice system all the time and we have no qualms about seeing fit that criminal activity is punished severely.
futuremathsprof, Dec 18, 2018
I wouldn't consider those kinds of kids sociopaths. Sometimes kids are just @ssholes.
Linguist92021, live, a2z and 4 others like this.
Leaborb192 Enthusiast
Leaborb192, Dec 21, 2018
futuremathsprof likes this.
Bibliophile Companion
I am sad to say that I have. When he was 6-7 he would describe how he wanted to eviscerate people and watch their blood and guts spill out onto the floor. He would often cry and say that someone hurt him and point to a kids who would look horrified and shocked and say that they swore that they hadnt done anything to him. When we told him we were going to call his parents about his behavior he would accuse them of abusing him and say that they beat him and lock him a closet if we call home - all of this was a lie and had been investigated by the police and CPS more than once. He just didnt care if he hurt his own parents if it kept them from taking away him TV and computer game privileges.
I have one this year that I was a little worried about, and continue to be, but have hope that things can improve for her. In second grade they called the police on her for assaulting her teacher and other students. She would hit kids with metal objects while making racists slurs at them. She destroys property and is a pathological liar and feels entitled to hurt people that tell her to do things she doesnt want to do or try to discipline her.
Thanks goodness we have come a long way and we are seeing a lot of progress this year. I think for her their is hope, for other I have seen go through and make zero improvement and I do think I will see them on the news in the future.
Bibliophile, Dec 22, 2018
Leaborb192 said: ↑
Exactly. The question is "Do you have any potential Jeffrey Dahmer (or the like) in your classroom?"
I think we've all met a Buffalo Bill or two in our day.
https://psychologia.co/psychopath-vs-sociopath/
Your post makes me so sad. I have not met any 'Buffalo Bill' students. I have met students who have needed a variety of support-academically, socially, behaviorally, psychologically. These memes are horrifying in any situation. Used to define kids? Disturbing at best and one would expect more from dedicated professional educators. Just my $.02.
czacza, Dec 22, 2018
Bibliophile said: ↑
That kid is going to probably end up in prison one day. Sad. Just sad.
Teacher234 Cohort
Fortunately, I have not.
Teacher234, Dec 22, 2018
Super duper for you. I don't know where you teach, and perhaps you teach in a nice little bubble (doubtful) or perhaps you have met the students and just see them with rose colored glasses. Or maybe you're just super lucky?
Unfortunately, I have very much worked with students I could foresee holding people captive because of their affect and demeanor in the classroom. Warning signs! Without too much details, a student I knew killed his mother a few years ago.
Some teachers only want to see the "best" in kids (and while that's noble) I see kids for how they are. If a student has serious psychological issues (such as psychopathy) you can't really "fix'' that. And, I never said kids DON'T need a variety of supports and if they do get them, who knows what can happen? But the truth is, Jeffrey Dahmer was always going to be Jeffrey Dahmer. The John Wayne Gacys, Jeffrey Dahmers, & Ted Bundy's of the world were at one point somebody's elementary students. All of these "evil" people in the world were students at one point.
And many show signs very early on, which is really disturbing, because in many cases, things will just get worse as the kids get older.
And if a kid is showing signs such as lack of guilt or remorse and is hurting others (psychologically and/or physically) in the classroom... I'm sorry, but I don't believe that child belongs in the classroom. Flog me all you want, but I've seen the consequences of that.
Wow. Clapping. How inappropriate
There are students who have extreme psychological problems and many belong in specialized programs- not the gen ed classroom. I do believe early intervention can help but I am not qualified to provide that kind of support. Your memes, however, are offensive and show no compassion for what is essentially a mental illness.
christie and a2z like this.
It is technically called Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Have you ever actually watched "The Silence of the Lambs"?
It's not a comedy and surely doesn't make light of people with mental illness. It's more of a psychological case study or profile of the dangers of the very disturbed (Buffalo Bill.) Like the movie, nothing about my post was meant in jest or to offer anything other than a profile or reference. The OP asked, "Have you ever had a sociopath for a student?" Many teachers, who are not trained in Psychology, probably wouldn't know the answer to the question. They may say "Well I've met some mean kids" or "I may have met some disturbed children,'' but they may not honestly know.
Buffalo Bill is a mere reference point. In the novel, the author dives deeper into Bill's background and Lecter notes, ""Billy was not born a criminal, but made one by years of systematic abuse."
Psychopaths are born, sociopaths are made.
If you're wondering "How do I know?" By providing references, it may help you realize "Oh yeah, I do have that kid in my class.''
And other than the Buffalo Bill meme, what else was offensive about my post? And how doesn't it show compassion? I followed up with a video and graphic highlighting the differences between psychopaths and sociopaths.
There's nothing in my post that is meant to elicit any dark/twisted humor about the situation. It's a reference.
Tell me exactly how "THEY" are "offensive'' or "show no compassion for those with mental illness.'' Did you see any jokes being made in poor taste? Because I sure didn't.
I have nothing but compassion for those who suffer (because it's not their fault) AND their victims.
But we all have a right to know the signs so that we can be aware and take any action that is needed to protect ourselves and our students.
Don't ever underestimate my knowledge or experience, or that of any member here. Not sure why you feel the need to educate us. And yes, I've seen the movie. The meme is in poor taste and was unnecessary in what could be a productive conversation about a serious problem.
christie, 3Sons and a2z like this.
Did you read the other posts? One claimed "Not sure if he's a sociopath, but...'' and another responded saying "I wouldn't consider those kinds of kids sociopaths. Sometimes kids are just @ssholes.''
It's not my intention to be condescending. There's just a difference and I wanted to post links to the information. I don't see it as derailing or being necessary in the conversation? In fact I think it's quite relevant. The post is ABOUT sociopaths. It's not really a "warm and fuzzy'' topic. I merely linked it with psychopathy (related) and as another pointed out, per DSM, the diagnosis is Antisocial Personality Disorder. (By the way, I wasn't upset because s/he pointed that out as it's 100% accurate.) If you're going to talk about these issues, you might as well have something to reference even if YOU don't need it. Others may.
You may NOT like the Buffalo Bill meme, as is your right, but it wasn't meant to do anything other than reference the fact that you may/ can / have had or will have that student in your class and you should recognize the signs.
When you watched the movie, were you offended by it too?
I apologize if you were offended by my post (I don't understand why, but I'll take ownership,) but you can't really call it "unnecessary.''
The OP asked a question and I offered my two cents.
Doubtful your meme came from a reputable psychological health source- its existence is meant as a joke. It's a gif- not
educationally illuminating.
Your clapping and 'super duper' comment were unnecessary and comes off as condescending. Just my 2 cents .
Kind of done with this and you continuing to ask what I know, have read or seen I'm sure the OP had the best of Intentions when posting. Hope s/he finds the support needed for the students in question.
catnfiddle Moderator
Can we stop arguing about memes and get back to the actual discussion?
catnfiddle, Dec 23, 2018
Guitart, futuremathsprof and otterpop like this.
I wish teachers were heard when we ask for help for students. I've had several I suspected had some type of mental illness. For one student, I reported issues to CPS, requested out of school counseling, requested testing in the system, and asked for help from anyone higher in position. All for naught.
I have over fifty pieces of documentation where I asked for help for this student.
I kept scissors locked up that year as this boy was fascinated with stabbing people and animals. He is now in prison for stabbing an elderly man in the face when the boy broke in to his home late one night.
It haunts me that, perhaps if someone would have listened to me, maybe that man would not have been injured.
One point that I keep coming back to is that none of the Gacey's, or Ridgways have a history of long term tiered supports. No one says, "yeah his parents had him in one-on-one and group therapy and the school had him in weekly counseling and social skills group and we tried everything out there and he still turned out the way he did".
I think that there has been an improvement on that score so that I am less likely to see a former student on a wanted poster one day but the funding still isnt there even as abuse and trauma becomes more and more pervasive. We ask for help and say that they need it but that still doesnt mean they will get it and that is a lot to take having to watch year after year.
I would also like to thank czacza for reminding us that this not a joke. I think many people, myself included, tend to make light of things as a way of dealing with something that is very dark and heavy. This can be a coping mechanism to help us shake off some of the "dark place" thoughts we get when we have to go back in classroom with these kids day after day and year after year. I think also that there is a place for this coping mechanism since the real bad thing would be not to use any coping mechanisms and be embroiled in this day after day and burn out and be unavailable to the students who need us.
I also think that this is a very touchy subject that can really strike a nerve, particularly when it hits close to home. I work with a teacher whose son is ED and when we talked about ED the other day in the lunch room and someone said that they felt it should disqualify you from military service as an adult. The teacher was very upset and felt like we were passing judgment on her kid and his future. I also have a kid with an ED diagnosis and I would hate for anyone to call him a "Buffalo Bill" (thought thats doubtful since he isnt violent but still) . But I also want to allow people to do what they must to cope and deal with all of this heavy crap.
well there's my 2 cents
teacherintexas said: ↑
Imagine if... A teacher could document violent or troubling statements and actions and then those students could actually receive counseling or support with what they had going on. I feel that is something that's severely missing from our schools and/or communities. There are probably systems in place at some schools to help kids but certainly not at any I've ever worked in. Counselors are generally equipped to help students make friends or deal with homelife issues but they're not psychiatrists, and some students need actual help. One could argue that's a parent's responsibility at that point, but there are too many tragic events that happen with previous teachers or classmates saying there were warning signs from a very young age.
Backroads, Leaborb192 and teacherintexas like this.
czacza said: ↑
I think you are overreacting here. Let's not make an issue out of a non-issue.
^ My comment on Buffalo Bill wasn't using dark humor or an attempt to make light of a situation. Some may consider it crass, which is their right, but it wasn't a joke.
In my Psych classes (and I took many) we used to discuss these topics in relation to film and literature ALL the time. Sometimes the professor would ask us "Hey have you ever seen...?" or a student in the class would make some connection, "Oh is this like in that movie/book...?" And we would have a genuine discussion both acknowledging and critiquing representations. Nobody in the class got outwardly offended because we all understood that references help us make connections. If somebody didn't like the reference, we would put it up to debate and say "Do we really think this is a good example?" "Does this accurately reflect the diagnosis?"
Some media representations, as we know, may be stereotypical or extreme exaggerations... perhaps even Buffalo Bill could be an example of that? I suppose I could have selected a more mundane example. But I just thought if you were really on the fence about knowing whether or not a student has sociopathic tendencies, Buffalo Bill could spark some conversation. (And it's certainly not the conversation I anticipated.)
That's the difference between claiming a student is an "a$$hole" and a sociopath (or related-- a psychopath).
https://www.healthyplace.com/person...most-famous-sociopaths-to-ever-walk-the-earth
My posts were merely an extension of the conversation: if we want to talk sociopaths, let's talk! This is a topic that truly fascinates me from a psychological perspective. And it has ever since I took my first Psych class. Who are these people? What do they do? How do they live? What makes them tick? What happened to make them the way that they are? I remember our Psych professor ( a retired practitioner) telling us all kinds of stories about his former clients with personality disorders. He openly admitted that they were tough to deal with because they cannot change. There is no cure for a personality disorder. And he said that he was most afraid of those clients over any others.
I'll concede that maybe the Buffalo Bill comment was crass and not very "sensitive", but it WASN'T an attempt at dark humor or making light of the situation.
I worked with a former ED student as a sub... I remember having a conversation where one TA commented "he's the type of student who will bring a gun to school.'' That was a heavy conversation, I was a little shocked by her comment as it seemed out of left field, but I wasn't offended. Flash forward to 6th grade, I find out the kid was suspended for bringing a weapon to school.
Like I said, I feel for these kids, but I also feel for the others (their potential victims) as well.
I just found out another former student of mine just got brutally assaulted by his classmate. He got his head bashed in off the bathroom stall and the assailant held him down to stop him from getting help while he bled out on the bathroom floor. And this was all premeditated; the kid knew exactly what he was doing. I mean who does that? This is some scary stuff!
I'll be the first to admit that I have made jokes at inappropriate times, but I'm proud to say that this wasn't one of them.
Intention and motive matter!
I know you meant nothing by it and did not intend to come of as being rude. Hang in there.
vickilyn Multitudinous
A teacher, especially, should be very careful about using the term sociopath to describe a child. Find the correct classification within the terms that a social worker or counselor would use and stick to them. The connotation of sociopath is purely negative, the correct term prevents people from jumping to conclusions that may or may not be warranted. It also makes you look professional.
vickilyn, Dec 30, 2018
MrsC, czacza and a2z like this.
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...c5f8/1510340513393/TARA4BPD-Brochure-2017.pdf
We should all know what is going on with borderline personality disorder. I saw this thread, but have been quite ill, so didn't get around to posting until now. Feeling a little better, and awake enough to spend some time on the computer. I would hope that we should educate ourselves on some of these less typical presentations of conduct and personality disorders.
https://www.slideshare.net/fitango/antisocial-personality-disorder-18556893
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Familie..._Families/FFF-Guide/Conduct-Disorder-033.aspx
Backroads likes this.
vickilyn said: ↑
I don't know, kid seems like a sociopath to me.
What is a sociopath?
A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can't understand others' feelings. They'll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause.
so·ci·o·path
/ˈsōsēōˌpaTH/
a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.
futuremathsprof said: ↑
Do you teach SPED? While the kid may or may not be a sociopath as an adult, as a child, they are identified with personality disorders that may improve with therapy and the right treatment, therefore preventing the sociopath adult. In SPED, we don't write them off. We treat, we work with, we document, and we pour a lot of effort into preventing "sociopath" from being the final outcome.
Because, as teachers, we set the mood for how we treat and respond to these troubled students, it helps to be educated in the mental disorders displayed now, knowing that we may not be able to change the final outcome for that child, due to factors that neither they or we can control. They may have been exposed to drugs and alcohol in utero, come from broken families riddled with violence, given over to child protective services at a young age because parents were incarcerated or in the throes of drug addiction. Many are in the foster system, being moved from one home to another. Many suffer abuse at an early age from the people who should be protecting them. Since neither you or I can predict the future for this child, I choose to work and hope for change. I have seen true miracles, and I have experienced dismal failures, but I have faith that what we do matters. That includes branding and calling a child with a mental illness the worst possible outcome, and then wondering why it was a self fulfilling prophecy.
You work in a private school that I am sure has the luxury of turning away these types of students. After all, children in the foster system probably can't pay the tuition where you work. That said, you have not experienced either the exhilaration of success or the heartache of failure that can come from working with these students. You are, however, an educated teacher who should be using accepted terminology for these disabilities. I would think that you would want to be at least that professional in your demeanor. Why be hurtful if you don't have to be???
"Students learn best in a psychologically safe, mistake-friendly environment. We all make mistakes. How teachers respond has everything to do with whether or not their students feel valued as human beings. We are responsible for creating a psychologically safe classroom. In all possible situations, we should seek to uphold the dignity of the student. Even when disciplinary action is necessary, it should be handled in a dignified way."
Thank you, Pi-R-Squared
FMP, does it hurt to refrain from calling the child a sociopath? The classifications used in IEP's do not support the term sociopath, especially at the younger ages. Why would you be so determined to go against SPED laws and regulations? Is it for the sensationalism of calling a child a sociopath? If so, that is very sad.
MrsC, Backroads, czacza and 1 other person like this.
I never said that students with mental illnesses don't have a right to learn or to not receive services to cope with their mental condition(s). In fact, I fully support SPED teachers and admire them for the work they do. They have immensely important jobs that are irreplaceable, imo.
With that said, I don't believe that I'm branding anyone here. The aforementioned student clearly meets all of the criteria for being a sociopath and so if the shoe fits, then wear it. Now, I would never call them that to their face, but that doesn't mean they are not a sociopath because you don't like the word being used.
In my BTSA classes, we were shown how certain students are more likely to drop out of high school and stay poor their entire lives. This was all based on their family demographics and malperformance in school from an early age. Speaking about this, I learned how you can determine, with a high degree of certainty, which students are bound to fail, based solely on their elementary reading levels. Is this method demonstrable? Of course not, because there are multiple factors at work here, but is this method more than fairly accurate? Absolutely.
Take the divorce rate in the United States, which is 52% the last I checked. This means if I were to select 100 couples at random, and provided that I had a true representative sample, I would find that about 52 out of those 100 marriages would end in divorce. It's not a guarantee, but there is a 52% probability of that event occurring.
I'm a mathematician. I use explicit definitions, good empirical data, statistical significance, and probabilistic models to formulate my arguments. And I know numbers don't always give the full story, which is why context is so important, but they are still incredibly reliable as they are consistently deterministic.
Lastly, I will end with this: Steward/stewardess has become flight attendant. Janitor has become custodian has become custodial engineer. Obesity/morbid obesity has been replaced with curvy. Call it what you want, but a sociopath is still a sociopath.
If we can call it what you want, why not use the clinical term? I know you think highly of your station and your job. Your reasoning simply sounds like you want the shock factor. Will I fight with you over this? No, because your mind is made up, logic seems lost on you, and although I am feeling better, I don't need the aggravation of someone who simply wants the last word. I am still on the mend, and I see no way that getting into a battle over correct terminology, for those in education, can be good for my health. Call them anything you want - I would have thought that understanding how these terms are used in IEP's and therapy would be beneficial for any teacher. Obviously I was wrong. Consider me out of your discussion. However, if you wouldn't say it to their face, why not be just as charitable among colleagues? Over and out.
czacza likes this.
I am very logical, thank you. And you were the one who took issue with the use of the word sociopath, so who is the one arguing over terminology?
Secondly, according to Psychology Today, Mayo Clinic, and other research bodies, the terms "antisocial personality disorder" and "sociopathy" are used interchangeably and both are recognized in the medical literature. Personally, I'd rather use one word versus three or four in your case, but to each their own.
I'm not saying that your suggested terminology is invalid, just that mine is valid, too.


text:
← (PHOTOS) MLK Holiday Peace and Freedom Walk 2013 — Washington, D.C.
18 Cities to Converge in Washington, D.C. to Fight Public School Closures Across U.S. →
By the Time I Get to Arizona: Public Enemy and MLK Day
By Nick Westbrooks
As an admirer of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a fan of Hip-Hop music, I reflect on the classic 1991 Public Enemy song "By the Time I Get to Arizona." The song and video is a response, and to me a diss track, to former Arizona governor Evan Mecham's opposition to observing Dr. King's holiday.
Music website Song Facts provides the background:
"The song deals with former Arizona governor Evan Mecham, who faced harsh criticism during his time in office after he refused to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday as a national holiday. John McCain was an Arizona senator at the time, and in 1983 he opposed creation of a federal holiday to honor King. He later admitted that this was a mistake, and in 1990 supported the holiday. The music video stirred some controversy, as it depicts the group assassinating the governor with a car bomb. The song and the video are Public Enemy at their most militant, implying that they will use force to advance their agenda."
In addition to the assassination, the video depicts the racism common in the Jim Crow south along with the acts of resistance executed by African Americans in response. It's a polarizing song/video. On one side, Gov. Mecham's refusal to observe the holiday can be seen as racist, and Public Enemy may be applauded for speaking out. On the other hand, Dr. King's philosophy emphasized nonviolence, and the depictions of PE's militia, the S1W's, performing target practice and placing an explosive under the governor's limo may be perceived as hypocritical.
Chuck D raps:
"Wait I'm waitin' for the date
For the man who demands respect
'Cause he was great c'mon
I'm on the one mission
To get a politician
To honor or he's a gonner
By the time I get to Arizona"
I also notice genealogical undertones in Chuck's threats to the governor. The renderings of violence in the video are reminiscent of the 1968 riots in reaction to King's assassination. Since, Arizona was merely one of two states refusing to observe King's birthday as a holiday (New Hampshire was the other), I doubt that Public Enemy would incite national riots on a similar scale.
One may consider assassinating Gov. Mecham to be extreme, but as appreciators of Hip-Hop, we should commend PE for applying its musical genius and aesthetics to this social and political cause. The group should also be recognized for its conscious lyrics and its attention on matters important to Black people while appealing to the youth. Just like any issue affecting Blacks, we may agree that we're there's injustice, but we usually disagree about how to go about implementing solutions. Watch the video below.
Filed under Commentary Tagged with arizona, evan mecham, hip hop, john mccain, martin luther king, new hampshire, public enemy
One Response to By the Time I Get to Arizona: Public Enemy and MLK Day
Nick Westbrooks says:
Reblogged this on The Manuscript and commented:
I wrote this last year on MLK Day. It's another angle in which we can reflect on an observe the "holiday" and Dr. King's life. It's a message that potentially appeals to the Hip-Hop generation.