text:
Saturn, by Goya. 1820-ish.
There's a painting by the Spanish artist Goya. It lives in the Prado Museum in Madrid, but you've probably seen somewhere. It's a very famous painting. You can buy it on t-shirts and mouse pads and things. The Prado website just calls it "Saturn," though I've also seen it called "Saturn Devouring His Son." On a dark background, the Titan Saturn (the Roman version of the Greek Cronus), an old man, wild and desperate, is shoving a bloody, helpless body into his mouth.
I was listening to a podcast about the myth of Cronus eating his children this past week, and (perhaps using the Goya painting as an inspiration) it was very detailed in its description of how Cronus' body changed and failed him after he started eating his children, who could not die, but who he also could not digest. How swollen and distended his belly became. How he became bedridden, trying to hide from the other Titans how uncomfortable he was, how weak. Cronus, who castrated his own father with a sickle, and was afraid of a prophecy that said that he would be deposed by his son in return.
There's a lot of myths about power and how to use it, and some of them are about how power corrupts (hello, King Midas), but very few myths about it turning somebody grotesque, misshapen, monstrous. It makes me think a little bit of No Face in Spirited Away, eating customers in the bathhouse, or even of Chihiro's parents, eating enchanted food until they turn into pigs. Jacob Marley, maybe, weighted down in the afterlife with chains and locks. It also made me think of the episode of The Simpsons when Springfield legalizes gambling and Mr. Burns gets even more filthy rich, and starts taking on qualities of Howard Hughes (oddly, it doesn't make me think of Howard Hughes, who clearly had some mental illness stuff going on in addition to his enormous fuck-off levels of wealth and power, but Mr Burns has the privilege of just being cartoonishly evil).
Being corrupted has consequences, eventually.
What if the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth was a metaphor for power, and not just greed?
There's a song that's been running through my head basically since DJT was elected, but especially since George Floyd was murdered and America started going to protests instead of our jobs (because so many people had lost their jobs). It's called "Timebomb Generation" by the hardcore band Strike Anywhere, and it was released in 2001. "What does it mean to take their power and push it away?/To overcome this culture and the lies they tell them everyday?/Find a voice for a better future and a place for you and I to face our fears/Fall down to rise back up."
America is sick. For awhile we could call it polarization, division, culture wars, whatever. It started with racism, and it started with white people having power and wanting to keep it, and with every cultural revolution, white people scrambling to keep their power. Even if it harmed us economically, even if it harmed us spiritually. I suppose if we couldn't be bothered about the physical and emotional trauma that we were inflicting on millions of African-Americans and Native Americans and Chinese people building railroads and Latino migrants in hieleras, it is particularly white-girl-naive of me to think that we would give a shit about our own spiritual, mental, and economic wholeness. We put billions of dollars into colonialism and imperialism and imprisoning and disenfranchising a huge part of our population, instead of building a system of empowerment and liberation that would surely benefit everyone. Right now in multiple police departments across the nation, officers are turning on the citizens they ostensibly protect with weapons of war because the citizens had the audacity to say that they don't want to be policed any more, not this way, not at this cost. We cannot build a system of justice because we are too invested in our system of power, and too afraid to try anything else.
America is a wild-eyed, broken, bow-legged old man, terrified and eating his children in a futile hope to keep the world from changing.
Cronus created his own demise by eating his children (Greek myths are full of people who try to escape from fate and end up creating it). Next to him was his sister/wife/victim Rhea, losing child after child to his endless fear and appetite. Her desperation grew, and out of it came anger, and then vengeance, and a plan. Out of it came Zeus, and swaddled stones, and eventually, a warrior who could depose his old, sick, corrupt father.
What if Cronus had made different choices? Interestingly, in Greek myths, characters are often both ruled by fate and yet entirely in control of their own destiny. What if Cronus had accepted his deposition from power as inevitable, even beneficial, for the continued health of the universe he ruled over? What if he nurtured his sons and daughters, raised them to be a family, and work together?
What if he took the power and pushed it away?
How do we both acknowledge the power that we have, and use it to the benefit of those who have none…and then push that power away? Not in the silly context of saying "I renounce my white privilege!" as if that's all it takes, but if we as a culture truly reckoned with what it would take to dismantle that system that gave us all this power, and corrupted us deep into our souls?
And what would the world be like if we did?
Posted in Allyship, Black Lives Matter, Capitalism is Dumb, Fiction, Idealism, Optimism, Politics, Racism, Rambling, Uncategorized, White Privilege
Reading Comics: X-Men X-Tinction Agenda TPB (Part Two)
July 3, 2018 July 3, 2018 spandrellaLeave a comment
In this entry: Uncanny X-Men 237 & 238, the second two issues in the X-Tinction Agenda crossover event. Prepare to board the Mutant Train! Written by Chris Claremont, pencilled by Rick Leonardi (237) and Marc Silvestri (238), inked by Terry Austin (237) and Dan Green (238), lettered by Tom Orzechowski, edited by Bob Harris.
When we left off (in issue 236), Rogue (who is being "steered" by Carol Danvers, who has apparently been lying dormant in Rogue's mind ever since Rogue touched her one time) and Wolverine, who have had their mutant powers stripped from them, are trying to escape from Genosha. To this end, they have stolen a military jet magistrate aircar and are flying away. We open issue 237 over international waters.
Also, I don't think I said this last time, the Genegineer's name is Phillip Moreau. His last name is Moreau. Because that's not symbolic at all. Just kidding it totally is.
Anyway, it transpires (after the Genoshan military boards the stolen aircar) that Wolverine and Rogue/Carol Danvers aren't on the jet after all. The whole thing was (presumably) a distraction to give Wolvie and Rogue/CD a chance to rescue Madelyne Pryor and Jenny Ransom, who are still prisoners of the magistrates and in danger of having their brains mutilated by our resident wielder of banal evil, Dr. Moreau. We switch scenes to Wolverine, who is lurking on the street watching a documentary propaganda broadcast about the history and goals of Genosha. "Sounds wonderful, sweetheart," says Wolverine to the television, after listening to a perky red-headed lady wax poetic about Genosha's iron ore deposits, its low levels of poverty, its status as a contender for the "breadbasket of the world" title, "pity it's a crock." He and Rogue/CD observe some magistrate patrolmen pulling petty power trips on a mutate garbageman, and Rogue/CD convinces him to not murder the magistrates with his claws as it would blow their "keep quiet and wait for reinforcements" plan.
While they're in a bar causing a diversion and stealing magistrates' badges and credentials, Wolvie and Rogue/CD happen upon a drunken Phillip Moreau, washing down his sorrows in a cop bar on the wrong side of town, and getting knocked cold by the off-duty magistrates, who don't take kindly to him causing a ruckus in their bar. In retaliation, they dump his drunkenly unconscious body on the "mute train," the commuter train on which mutates ride to their barracks at the end of the day. The magistrates dump Phillip on the train, and Wolverine and Rogue board as well, curious to see what the "mute train" might be.
Meanwhile, out of some kind of…I don't even know what, the Genegineer has called Mutant 9817—that is, Jenny, his son's fiancee—to his office. He explains to her that her father falsified the results of her genetic exam, and that she's a mutant, and as such she much has "a responsibility to the community that bore and nurtured" her to give herself over for "processing" and a lifetime of servitude. "It's slavery!" cries Jenny, utterly distraught. In fact, Jenny's lines throughout the whole two-page scene consist of statements like "Why am I here?" "But I tested normal on my genetic exam!" "oh no oh no oh no," "Why me? It isn't fair!" "It's slavery!" "Does Phillip know?" She is in shock, nothing but tears and questions. The bulk of the word balloons (and it's Chris Claremont, so there are a lot of word balloons) are of the Genegineer, lecture/pleading with Jenny to clear his own conscience, explaining to her why her life is over. At one point, he says, "Believe me, this is as hard for me, as for you." Somehow I doubt that, Genejerkface. She's giving up her whole existence because you deem it necessary, and after you buzz on your intercom to have her taken away, you'll never think about her again. It is objectively, demonstrably, not harder for you. But, in a glorious demonstration of blindness to the consequences of one's actions, he says it anyway, and he really believes it. He believes that this really is as hard for him as it is for her. He calls it "our sacrifice," even though he is sacrificing precisely nothing. He believes that slavery is necessary. He believes that the benefits of taking children away from their families and brainwashing them and putting them to labor outweighs whatever momentary discomfort he might feel from his dull, crippled conscience. He does not think that Genosha would survive as the paradise that it is without the brutality and coercion that laces underneath every single inch of the island.
The whole scene is gross. Versions of it happen all the time in the real world, and it's gross then, too.
The issue ends with Wolverine vowing to "bring this flamin' country down," and at this point I can't say I'm opposed.
something something male gaze something something
Issue 238 opens with a "transcript" of a telepathic interview done on Mutant 9818—aka Madelyne Pryor—immediately before she somehow destroyed the examining team ("torn to bits," is how it's described). Exactly what Madelyne did or how is vaguely unclear, but evidently in her own mind she garbs herself in what can only be described as Skimpy Hellfire Goth, and this is totally about female empowerment and not about the 1980s being a boobs guy at all. (There's probably a whole essay of my mixed feelings in here somewhere, about how I love that Madelyne is smart and brave and fighting back even though she has no conscious access to mutant powers, but also I could never cosplay as her because come on, and also I don't want to police or judge what another woman decides to put on her body, butakshually Marc Silvestri decided what she would be wearing, and also come on) (being a female with SJW tendencies who also loves comics can be complicated sometimes, and Hellfire Madelyne Pryor and Emma Frost are two of the ones who make it seem complicated).
Furious and/or frightened, the Genegineer storms down to the cells to yell at Madelyne for murdering his interrogation team. In the process, he has the same conversation with Madelyne that he had with Jenny in the last issue, but Madelyne is mature enough and experienced enough to fight back. "What I think and feel and want don't really matter, do they? I was condemned the moment I arrived here," she tells Moreau. He tries to feed her the line about how the Genoshan way of life must be protected, and how the mutants on Genosha "want and care for nothing." "Except freedom," she says, from where she sits, in her cell, behind bars. "What are you so scared of?" she asks. "If you system's such a marvel, why not share it with everyone?" He feeds her something about secrecy being Genosha's strength, a bullshit line that he probably actually believes, but Madelyne's not having it.
"What is necessary, is done," says the guard who has escorted Moreau down to the cells.
"Seig heil to you too, sweetie," Madelyne cuts back.
We switch to Wolverine and Rogue/Carol Danvers, who have ended up in the mutant barracks (the end of the line of the mutant train that they boarded the previous night), which—though none of them have seen it before—is a rude awakening to Phillip Moreau, and nothing new to Wolvie and R/CD. Phillip is having the realization that my dad had when he was a kid in the 1950s in Louisiana: that the people that he saw cleaning houses and doing menial labor went somewhere at the end of the day, and that sometimes the places they went weren't very fancy, or very nice.
"Tell me something, boy," Wolverine asks him, "Where'd you think the mutants went at night, after they quit work?"
"Home, I guess. Same as anyone." (But for Phillip, who has a very narrow field of experience, "home" has a very narrow definition.)
"Live and learn, kiddo," Rogue/Carol tells him. "Welcome to the Mutant Settlement Zone. A prison, by any other name."
"Like keeps to like, that's what I was always taught," says Phillip, really thinking about what he'd been taught for maybe the first time in his life. "The mutes–sorry, mutants, no offense–they naturally preferred the company of their own kind. Their own way of life, their own place. Is that so wrong?"
"You tell us," Wolverine replies.
Rogue/Carol says (and I'm truncating this a bit), "You never wondered about the uniforms mutants wear?…[It] makes the slaves easily identifiable, then guarantees a social environment wherein they're almost totally isolated. If no one befriends them, no one can feel sorry for them. Effectively, they become extensions of their jobs–perceived not as people any longer but organic machines. And who cares what happens to machines?"
When I first read this, it made me think (as it was probably supposed to make me think) of slavery, and segregation, and Jim Crow. But as I was reading it again and writing this essay, it made me think of retail workers and cashiers. And sure, that comparison is a little shallow, a little low stakes. But who thinks about where a cashier goes at the end of the day, and what kind of life she can buy with her $10/hr? Who thinks about the folks in the agriculture supply chain who pick our food and work in our slaughterhouses? How isolated is a community of transient farmworkers from your daily life? (If it's anything like my daily life, they might as well live across an ocean.) What's the separation that's happening today—and not organic separation, either, not like "Oh I live far away from Irish people in Irelend" separation, remember that the Genoshan power structure keeps the lives of the mutates a secret on purpose—that keeps you from seeing the people around you as people?
I do know this, though—in my experience, increasing my knowledge of an issue or a country or a culture or a person, when I hear from those people themselves, has already brought me closer to human empathy. Never further away. If the knowledge you gain hardens your heart, then you might be doing something wrong. There's a Ta-Nahesi Coates quote that I can't find right now, about how slavery was only ever "acceptable" if you didn't ask black people what they thought. Phillip, basically, has finally opened his ears to the idea that the mutants might have different ideas about this whole system than the magistrates do. His father, even though multiple mutants and his own son try to tell him what it's like out there, refuses to hear.
Back to the story…
Wolverine, Rogue/Carol, and Phillip are found at the mutant barracks and arrested and brought back to Hammer Bay, the capital city, and to Phillip's father (and the guard captain, whose name I don't think has been mentioned). Phillip immediately confronts his father about what he's seen and how horrifying he found it. "I've seen the camp, Dad, it's a prison! Why hasn't the country been told?! Why won't you level with the people about the regime you force the mutants to live under?! Those mutants are Genoshans, too, just like us—They deserve the same benefits, the same chance for happiness and success the rest of us accept as a right!" Phillip is basically a baby ally, truth and justice bright in his mind, sure that if only everyone else could see what he's seen, they would all be just as horrified as him. I appreciate that Phillip has basically had one hell of a 24 hours (at this time yesterday, remember, he was out for a run and happened upon his girlfriend's family being arrested), so I really shouldn't judge what kind of ally he might turn out to be, but he's also doing the annoying this of jumping on a social issue only after it's affected him personally. I guess any reason is a good enough reason as long as it gets the kid in the fight, but if other humans could do this a little less, I think we would aggravate each other a lot less.
The Genegineer repeats his argument about how it's for the good of all Genosha that mutants are enslaved, and about preserving the Genoshans' peculiar way of life, and then asks—as his son asked at the barracks, though he doesn't know that—"Is that so wrong?"
Wolverine, tellingly, answers the question differently this time: "If you haveta ask, bub…there's no point in answerin'."
Phillip Moreau chooses a side
Side point: "I've been a slave," Wolverine tells the captain of the guard, who is basically telling Phillip to shut the hell up until he knows better than her what's what, "Didn't much care for it."
"That will change," the captain tells Wolverine. "When Wipeout's erased all memory of your old life–oh yes, he does that too–and the Genegineer's established a new one, I guarantee you'll love it."
"Not hardly," says Wolverine, "I'll die first." When I first read this, I thought Wolvie was just making a Wolvie threat (and the captain and the magistrates present certainly hear it that way), but it also occurs to me that Wolverine is seriously injured, and if Wipeout fails to restore his healing factor, Wolverine really will die. I felt really cool about reading the dialogue this way until I got to the next page and Wolverine made explicit text out of the subtext.
Just as Wolverine is basically making a suicide bid for freedom, the rest of the X-Men arrive, literally blowing the doors off the place, and in short order rescue Madelyne Pryor, a mutant baby who was also in the prison (oh hey, look who else throws babies into prisons!), and Jenny Ransome, who is looking much more muscular but who hasn't had her mind wiped yet. Rogue/Carol takes Wipeout hostage, and Psylocke uses him to restore Wolverine's healing factor. Wolverine and Phillip briefly disagree over whether they should burn Genosha to the ground or give the Genoshans a chance to mend their ways. Storm goes with Phillip's way, though with the added threat to the Genegineer and the magistrates that if they don't listen to Phillip, she's not opposed to taking the Wolverine Option at a future date. They explode the Hammer Bay Citadel to emphasize the point.
"My son, I beg you—consider what you're doing!" says the Genegineer. "You'll destroy everything we've worked lifetimes here in Genosha to build!"
"But, Dad, if the mutants aren't free, then maybe what you've built isn't worth saving," says Phillip, looking a little sad. He goes through the portal off Genosha with the X-Men, seeking asylum for himself and Jenny in America.
And they all lived happily ever after.
The trade paperback continues, though it skips ahead to issue 270 for Further Genoshan Adventures. I'm not sure if I'll continue forward; the latter adventures are decidedly more boom-pow-bam and less Claremontian Discourse On Justice, and my own analysis consists more of being annoyed by Wolfsbane and how Rob Liefeld can't draw feet. So it might be funny but probably wouldn't be that interesting. I dunno. Maybe I'll write something else and post it in less than two months!
Posted in Allyship, Badass Females, Comics, Other Authors, Politics, Rambling, Reviews, Uncategorized, X-Men
This is going to be one of those times when I type and post without a whole lot of "simmering time" in between to let my thoughts settle.
I realized this morning that my election hangover is looking a whole lot like how I remember my last major depressive episodes in New York (and that hangover from those is still ongoing). I keep having to remind myself what day it is, what my life expects me to get done. I'm easily frustrated, especially when I'm in transit. I don't want to hear the news. I don't want to talk to people. I want to eat sugar instead of actual nutrition. I fall asleep at 8:00 and wake up at 6:30 and don't feel like I've slept (that might be partly the time change). I have Amazon open in another tab on my browser right now, but I don't remember why I opened it or what I intended to buy (I totally intended to buy something.) I'm getting caught in little obsessive tasks that I have to get done or everything will suck but it won't get done and I can't think clearly enough to problem solve or take perspective so I keep doing and doing and doing while my train of thought unravels further.
So. I guess I'm still a little early in this processing game. I did not think that Trump would win. I didn't even entertain the possibility. I woke up on Wednesday feeling wrung out and couldn't remember why for a few seconds; then I remembered that I'd spent a lot of Tuesday night crying. And then I remembered why I was crying, and, well.
I just want to watch Chopped and re-read Harry Potter and cuddle my dog and not a whole lot else. But I'm not sure where the line is between self-care and wallowing. A lot of my friends (on social media and in real life) are gearing up to fight, to protect each other. And I love that. And I want to be that. But I fear that I'm just not a fighter, and never have been. I've never been a get-out-and-protest sort. So I'm struggling to find what I can do, without feeling like a cop-out, but I haven't gotten there. I don't want to be the lame unhelpful weepy white woman. I don't want to be the person who agrees in spirit but then doesn't step up when I'm needed. I want to be there for my friends. The line between self-care and privileged opting-out is a thin one. I'm also walking the line between chaotic over-exposure to news and hurtedness and hiding under my covers. I keep waiting for clarity, for impetus, but my sneaking suspicion is that I'm going to have to find it on my own and I've never been good at that.
So I don't know if I can hit the streets. I can write, and I can talk online, but that feels so small and petty and useless. I don't want to get used to this new world. I don't want to keep fighting these fights. I don't want to keep having the same discussions and arguments about privilege that I was having a month ago. (This is part of my perspective from my own privilege, I guess: I was having these conversations a month ago, and I'm still having them today, even though the world feels different, the world is the same. Nobody is surprised by the racism of white people except white people.)
I kinda like the fighter who's telling himself to get up off the mat even though his head's spinning and his vision is black at the edges and he can't feel his limbs. But I have to get up because behind me are people who are hurting so so so much worse.
Okay. Onward. Might be back with something more coherent and less pathetic later.
Posted in Bah, Politics, Rambling, Stuff, Uncategorized, Zombies are Attacking
The Inadequacy of Perception
One of the things that is both bad and good about working at a library is that you get to see these little chunks of people's lives. A piece of the whole. Since I mostly re-shelve books, for me that often looks like going through the bookdrop and finding a little pile of books on "parenting through divorce," or "how to file for bankrupty," or "understanding your autistic child." When stuff like that happens, I typically say a little prayer for that person, hope that they're finding the support that they need, and move on.
But sometimes, it's more complicated. Sometimes, it's a homeless guy trying to tell you about all of his problems getting housing assistance, and he's asking about help applying for jobs and he has a resume and you look at his resume and you have this sinking feeling that nobody's going to hire this guy, but you don't say that, because you're really not qualified to edit people's resumes. Sometimes, it's a guy who doesn't even know how to use a mouse trying to figure out the internet enough to apply for jobs online, jobs that don't require any computer skills, and you think, This. This is what the digital divide looks like it is a huge fucking problem and I don't know any way around it except to teach what it is to double-click, one person at a time. And also indefinitely extend their computer time because they've never used a keyboard before and it takes them ten minutes to type a single sentence. Sometimes it's that.
I heard most of this second hand, but we had a group of teenagers (like 13- and 14-year-olds) playing games on our public computers. They were a little loud, as teenagers tend to be. Our security guard talked to them, but they apparently didn't get as whisper-quiet as another patron on the computers would have liked, because he went outside and called the police and told them that a kid was "talking about buying ammunition." (The kid may have been talking about ammunition, but if so it was computer game ammunition, and I'm pretty confident that the surly customer knew exactly what the kids were actually talking about.) The customer didn't tell anybody that he'd called the cops, so the first we knew of the whole situation was when four cops came in to the library, made a beeline for one of the kids (one of the only black kids, as it happens), hauled him out of his chair, and started searching him.
The kid looked fucking terrified. The cops hadn't explained themselves to us, but more importantly didn't explain what the hell was going on to the kid, just hauled him up and started putting their hands on him. He's fourteen, and he's got this look on his face like he's sure he's about to get shot.
They didn't find weapons, obviously. The kid was playing a game. They didn't really apologize either, just shook his hand like, "Haha, still friends, right?!" and left.
I assume that the cops were responding to the description that the customer gave them. Why the customer picked out the black kid, I don't know (the disgruntled customer was also black). But to the kid, and to everyone watching, a bunch of cops just marched into a public building and beelined straight for the black kid.
To the cops, they were being prudent and cautious, and maybe trying to catch a suspect in the act of looking at ammunition online (which is a crime since when?), to the rest of us, they were grabbing and terrifying a kid who might be obnoxious but who is not (to the best of my knowledge) a criminal of any sort. I want everyone to feel safe in the library, and when cops march in and haul people out of their chairs at the public computers, that undermines that goal.
And as an employee of the library, I can't really go up to the kid and say, "Dude, that totally sucked and was racist and I'm sorry," because then I'm speaking for the library. And what black kid wants a random white woman to label his experience, library employee or not? What commiseration can a total stranger of any race offer? "Oh, so you saw this racist shit go down, recognized it as racist shit, and did nothing, but now you want cookies from me for recognizing it? I think not."
I know a lot of white people with this problem. We've gotten better about seeing racism, maybe; we've gotten better at listening to our friends of color and at reading blogs about the experiences of people of color. We want to be compassionate and woke while also being cognizant of when we're overstepping, when we're taking up too much space, when we need to shut up and listen instead of taking over a situation. We want to help create safe spaces but are painfully conscious that sometimes our mere presence feels unsafe. The fear of doing the wrong thing leads to doing nothing–but that is also the wrong thing.
First world problems? Oh god, yes. I swear this is not some poor-me-white-girl sadness rant. I'm just trying to articulate the rock-and-hard place spot that some liberal progressive whites (or at least, this liberal progressive white person) can find themselves in. And trying to meditate on how to move past it (this is where the entry ends on a disappointing cliffhanger, because I don't have the answer to that question). I'm not so bad on the internet, where we so often talk about things that happened instead of being asked to react in the moment. But reacting in the moment–not just to racist shit, but to all violent shit and not-okay shit and people-who-need-our-help shit–is part of what all of us humans need to get better at. I work in a library, I work in customer service, I work with the public, and part of being good at that is being able to recognize and talk to people about their own experience when they want me to.
Postscript: The incident I described above happened about a week ago, and I've seen the boys in the library since then, playing their game and talking to each other. So thankfully, they were at least not so badly scared/unwelcomed that they stopped coming to the library.
Posted in Allyship, Bah, Idealism, Library, Politics, Rambling, Uncategorized, Whatever, White Privilege
Book Review: March (Book One)
May 1, 2015 February 27, 2016 spandrellaLeave a comment
This review was first posted on my Goodreads account over here.
It can be hard to tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement. I think that, because we've all seen pictures and heard Dr. King's Dream Speech, been told the broad strokes like, "The Freedom Riders did ______" and "The Montgomery Bus Boycott was _____," it's easy to think that it's a story that you know. It's kind of like the Holocaust–it's a story that's so huge, and been told so many times, that we forget that it took place on a small human scale, not not just a big social upheaval scale.
Congressman John Lewis' memoir, written in the form of a graphic novel (also written by staffer Andrew Aydin, and drawn by artist Nate Powell), has been a pretty good antidote to that skittering, shallow version of history for me.
Book One starts with Congressman Lewis' childhood in Pike County, Alabama; his early experiences on his family's farm, his early call to ministry and social justice, his college years in Nashville, TN and the first sit ins and protests he participated in. The framing device of the story is Barack Obama's presidential inauguration, so we sort of switch back and forth between 1960-62 and 2009. Book One ends in the middle of the Nashville lunch counter sit in protests. (Book Two covers the remainder of the sit ins, Congressman Lewis' experiences as a Freedom Rider, his elevation to SNCC chairman, and his speech at the 1962 March on Washington.)
Gone are the days when a couple hundred African-Americans can bring downtown Nashville to a standstill simply by taking up space at lunch counters, when just 80 people could fill a county jail and max out the criminal justice system for that day. We've expanded the criminal justice system exponentially, and become accustomed to criminalizing an enormous percentage of our populace in the process. How many people are arrested and processed every single day in mid-sized American cities?
What shocked me (it shouldn't have shocked me, but kind of did) was not the behavior of the white people in the story, but the way that the police and white civilians worked together to attack, undermine, and refuse to work with the black people. The perpetuation of segregation in the South was truly the job of every white citizen, policeman, lawmaker, or shopowner. White businessmen closed their stores and left black customers sitting at lunch counters in the dark, undermining their own ability to earn money rather than give in to the demands for desegregated lunch counters. White police departments delayed responding to black protestors' calls reporting violence and asking for protection, and let white vigilantes attack black people with impunity. White police officers, of course, arrested black protestors, and Bull Connor turned dogs and firehouses onto them. White people destroyed property rather than share space. I wonder how far they would have gone to protect their racist interests and power, if the federal government hadn't stepped in. The mayor of Nashville crumbled when challenged; but Bull Connor and the mayor of Birmingham, it seems, would have happily burned down the entire South rather than give in.
The other thing that this book made me think of is that systems–whether racist or not–exist because the populace tacitly allow them to exist. We give systems power by complying with them. When you take away that compliance–when you refuse to ride the bus, when you sit at the lunch counter, when you register to vote, when you try to buy a ticket to the movies–you are upending the system's ability to continue operating as it has. And that is the real power of nonviolence.
That's a lot of rambling for a short book, I suppose. Mr. Lewis and Mr. Aydin, who wrote the text, have done something powerful, in spite of the relatively few words they used to do it; helped in no small part by Mr. Powell's drawings that accompany. It's a quick read–I got through it in about a day–but is not shallow. Quite the opposite. This is a massively important book that should be read. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I think, and I hope, that it will be read by people who might not normally pick up a memoir or a biography. If I was a middle or a high school teacher, I would be handing out copies to all of my students.
So good. So so so good. So glad this book exists.
Posted in Books, Idealism, Politics, Reviews, Uncategorized
November 19, 2013 November 19, 2013 spandrellaLeave a comment
"As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it – whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash." –Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird
Sometimes, I procrastinate posting something for so long that it becomes relevant again, or my thoughts on the matter actually change or mature. Today's one of those days, so, huzzah, I suppose?
I sometimes have trouble getting worked up about things I should probably care about (positively or negatively). One that comes most immediately to mind is "inspiration porn" stories of people doing something nice for a kid with disabilities (This story of a boy with autism getting put in his school's basketball game and scoring many points is a really good example; or any story of a high school senior with Down syndrome being made Homecoming Queen/King). Doing nice things for kids with challenges is just as much (if not more) about making us feel like we're good people as it is for the benefit of the person. And, if you don't interact with disabled people in your day-to-day and the only time they cross your path is when they're bagging your groceries or when one of your friends posts a story like this on your Facebook wall, you may be led to the logical but perfectly erroneous impression that the best thing you can do for a person with special needs is give them one overwhelmingly awesome experience of awesomeness and make their day. I don't have the patience for people who indulge in that kindhearted but misled attitude. I love the effort, I'm glad you want people with disabilities to have good experiences, and if you want to share them on Facebook that's fine, but they just don't generally touch the happy space in my heart.
On the other end, I had a really hard time getting worked up back in mid-August when a family was sent a shockingly horrendous letter about their son, a 13-year-old boy with autism.* Again, this should be right up my alley, right? Defending people with disabilities is right in my wheelhouse. If I was a superhero, I would haunt the places where adults with disabilities hang out and just wait for neurotypical teenagers to show up and start taunting them, and then I would go all Batman on their asses. But the letter really didn't horrify me, for two contradictory reasons: one is that I think a lot of people are dismissive or hostile or annoyed by people with disabilities, though they're obviously less caustic about it than whoever wrote this letter. To all the people who were shocked and appalled by the letter, the dark and cynical corner of my heart wonders, where have you been? Where were you in middle school when kids were calling each other retarded? Where were you when Ricky Gervais was pulling "mong faces" on Twitter, and then dismissing the opinions of everyone who was insulted by telling them they were oversensitive? Where were you when Ann Coulter called the President of the United States a retard? Where were you when Margaret Cho said that all the remaining eggs in her ovaries were "retard babies"? (And to all my queer, liberal, feminist, fat-positive friends: Do you understand why I cannot, will not, indulge in your Margaret Cho love?) Do you see how not caring about the language used to describe disabled people leads directly to bullshit like this? But on the other hand, and contradictorily, I also know that the letter writer's feelings are atypical of the general population. I know that pretty much everyone, once they meet my sister, loves her and wants her in their lives. They want what's best for her. They want to protect her. They want to keep her around. My sister is extraordinarily well-loved, and that love provides a buffer for me (and for her) when it comes to hostility from misinformed and maladapted strangers who don't deserve to know her anyway. Haters gonna hate, as they say.
So yeah. Don't really care about your hate, don't really care about your feel-good human interest story. I'm tired of it, I've heard it before, I want us to have a new discussion. I have bigger worries on my plate than people thinking my sister is a one-dimensional happiness angel, or even people who think she's a one-dimensional waste of oxygen.
All you people who post the above stories on Facebook, who want to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities: Where were you when voters in my county defeated a ballot measure that would have eliminated the county wait list for services available for adults with disabilities, and improved their quality of life? Where were you while the rate of sexual assault of disabled adults got frighteningly, absurdly high? Where were you when my parents tried to figure out how to financially support my sister when they die, so she doesn't end up homeless or in a state-run group home or dead? Where were you while Goodwill was paying prison wages or less to their disabled employees thanks to a law that apparently hasn't been updated since 1939? When disabled adults started living in poverty and homelessness at several times the national average for neurotypical adults?
My sister needs people who love her and care for her, yes. She needs people who respect her and treat her like a person. And she has that. But that's not all she needs. She doesn't need people cooing and coddling over her. She needs people who will make sure that her safety and her financial stability are high on the list of priorities. Who know that her quality of life on a day-to-day basis matters. Who won't let her fall through the cracks. And on that score, somehow, I don't think I have a hope of getting a million Facebook likes. I don't have a prayer of convincing anyone in Washington that any raise in the minimum wage should also close the loophole that allows disabled adults to get paid so little. I feel like there's nobody in the world in between my sister and a life of poverty and danger except for me and my family. And that's not a confidence-inspiring feeling. That feeling that Samwise Gamgee had, looking down into the pits of Mordor, knowing that all that stood between Sauron and the destruction of Middle Earth was two small hobbits? And moreover, knowing that the responsibility of keeping Frodo safe fell on him, and him alone, in that whole big bad world? Yeah. That's the feeling.
*The response of the boy's mother is worthwhile reading, more worthwhile than the original letter, anyway.
Posted in Allyship, Bah, Disabilities, Politics, Rant, Uncategorized
Lebensunwertes Leben
September 28, 2011 June 27, 2012 spandrellaLeave a comment
Trigger warning: This post contains references to sexual assault, degrading comments about people with disabilities, and my own personal desire to hit certain people with blunt objects. (Disclaimer to the authorities: I will not actually hit people with blunt objects, but just write about it in a cathartic way.)
I'm sitting in a coffee shop on 75th and Broadway in New York, watching the foot traffic outside on the street. I'm sipping my coffee. I am supposed to be doing homework. Instead, I am imagining setting the whole street on fire. All of them. The little old lady with her groceries in a trolley, the man tying his pit bull mix to a railing so he can come in the shop and get coffee, the nannies and their little kids, the cabbies, the FedEx delivery man. All of them. Because for the first time in my sheltered, sheltered life, I could see the straight line of connection between people who don't give a thought one way or the other to people with disabilities, people who mock people with disabilities, and people who purposefully harm people with disabilities. Somebody hurt my sister. Somebody hurt my sister, and I blame the whole world, everybody, for not recognizing how evil people are on the one hand and how vulnerable she is on the other. People who think that now that we have integrated public schools, everything's fine.
Everything's not fine. I'm not fine. My sister's not fine. My parents aren't fine. And if I had my way, none of the people strolling up and down Broadway would be fine, either. I know that setting a city on fire is not productive, but I don't know where to go. When I Google "special needs and sexual assault," most of what I get in return is news articles citing instances in which disabled adults were assaulted, a few discussion forums mocking said assaults (choice quote: "Sexual contact is a beautiful thing, and this will be her first and last encounter, since she's a downer."). If 85% of women with cognitive disabilities are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, why can I find NO RESOURCES specifically geared towards people who occupy the middle of the Venn diagram made of "Sexual Assault Victims" and "Cognitively Disabled"? Do people who specialize in counseling sexual assault victims know how to talk to somebody with Down's? Do people who know how to talk to people with Down's know how to talk to sexual assault victims?
Does the rest of the world know, or care, that my sister was hurt in this way?
It's hard for me to not be polemical. It's hard to not be extreme. It's hard, because I can't destroy the man who did this to my sister, to not want to destroy everyone else too, everyone who contributes to this society in which my sister doesn't matter.
When the Allies liberated the death camps in 1944, hundreds of thousands of Jews and Gypsies and political prisoners were freed. Thousands of imprisoned men who had been imprisoned as homosexuals remained in the camps, because being gay was illegal to the Allies, just as it was to the Nazis. Jews weren't criminals (so they were freed), but fags were (so they weren't).
Nobody freed the physically and/or mentally disabled from the camps. Why not? They were already all dead. The Nazis had killed them, 200,000+ between 1939-1945. They had photographed them and imprisoned them and experimented on them and sterilized them, and then they euthenized them. Hitler practiced his Final Solution on the retards before he did it to anybody else. They called it a "mercy death."
Does 200,000 deaths compare to 6,000,000? No. I'm not saying it does. It's less than the number of people who died in the Battle of the Somme in World War II. But there's a general silence on the brutality with which people with developmental disabilities have long been treated by Western civilization, and it probably started in 5000 BC when babies with Down syndrome being left exposed on hillsides in ancient Greece. If people don't know how people with Down's were treated in the 1940s (and not just in Germany, but all over Europe and America), why should they care how they're treated now? How do we get to see that when we talk about caring for people with special needs, we need to include adults in that discussion, and not just children? The amount of structure and socialization in my sister's life has decreased dramatically since she graduated high school, but her need for such services hasn't, and as a result, she's more vulnerable–in all kinds of ways–than she was ten years ago. Who suffers the most when the economy takes a downturn? We could argue about it all day, but my money's on the people who already can't defend themselves, who have few resources, who are vulnerable–people already below the poverty line, people with debilitating mental illness, people with cognitive disabilities who rely on SSI and social nets to maintain their quality of life.
Tell me why I shouldn't be enraged. Really, tell me why.
This whole string of events has gotten me to swear off the word retarded just as much as anything else, to be honest. Indifference leads to harm. It led to harm. My sister was at work when this happened, at a place that is experienced at employing people with cognitive disabilities. If they couldn't keep her safe, who can?
The most important things, says Stephen King, are the hardest things to say. I still don't know how to talk about this. I don't even know what I want, really. I don't know if I'm violating my sister's privacy in writing this. I don't have any answers for anybody. I don't have any resources.
But 85% is far too large of a percentage for any society who calls itself ethical to tolerate.
Posted in Disabilities, Politics, Rant
September 28, 2011 September 28, 2011 spandrellaLeave a comment
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Over a year ago, I made this post about the word retarded and why I used it. In all but one way, I stand by everything I said in that post. I hate that "retarded" is used as an insult, and wish it could be used in a neutral (or even downright positive) way. I still think that if we get people to stop using the word "retarded," if we cede it as an unacceptable insult, people will just move along to something even more offensive and unacceptable ("Downsy," anyone?). The problem isn't that people call other people retarded, the problem is that people think that retarded people are worthless.
I still think all that.
I'm going to stop using the word anyway.
I committed one fantastic, fatal, and essential error, and for that I apologize to everyone (neurotypical or not) who has ever been offended by anything I've written on the internet stemming from my use of the word (unfortunately, there's no way for me to retrace my steps and delete all my offensiveness).
The error was that in this instance, it doesn't matter how I feel about the word retarded. The fact that I have a sister with Down syndrome doesn't make my feelings on this matter important or even material. I have been told–repeatedly, and by many people with cognitive disabilities (as well as by people who don't have cognitive disabilities but have been labeled retarded anyway) that the word is offensive and they don't like it. I might feel that the word is offensive not just because it's offensive, but because people have decided it's offensive (which I think are two different things), but it doesn't matter. It's not my right to offend legions people with disabilities in the name of educating people without them. People with disabilities have enough to worry about without me piling on. I can find other ways to educate. An essential part of advocacy, of allyship, is listening to what the group I'm allied with wants from me, and in this particular area, I failed spectacularly. I'm sorry. I will stop using the word.
Ironically (and in the interest of full disclosure), this whole revelation transpired from an internet discussion in which I unapologetically (and still unapologetically, at least so far) defended my use of the word "handicapped" when describing a restroom stall (maybe I would have been less impatient if I had used the word to characterize a person, and not a bathroom). In the course of the discussion, I mentioned I had a sister with special needs (not to justify myself, but just to clarify that I'm not a total newbie when it came to disability issues), and was subsequently called out for using the term special needs. I pointed out that the term (which I consider to be an entirely different term and with different connotation than "special," which I agree is condescending and defensive) is widely used both in professional circles and by parent groups, and was told that just because a term is in wide use, that doesn't make it not offensive to the people being described (point being that the group in question should be able to choose the words they want to be called).
My defense of myself (other than my repeated insistence that I do not speak of people in the same way that I speak of toilets) is that handicapped doesn't have the same consensus of offense that retarded has. I know people (both on the internet and off) who don't care about the word handicapped one way or the other, and some who use it positively. Similarly, I know of very few people–no, strike that, I know NO people–outside of this particular person that the term "special needs" is offensive. If the disabled community demonstrated the same cohesiveness about "handicapped" as about "retarded," then I would be more inclined to stop using it. Same with "special needs." I want to listen to people about how they want to be labeled, but I admit to having trouble being able to tell (and, honestly, I think sometimes the people themselves have trouble telling) when I am listening to one person speak for themselves, and when I'm hearing one person articulate a position that represents a fair majority of a population. So, this person called me out for using a handicapped stall, and ended up swearing me off the use of the word retarded, even though that word never came up in conversation. Funny, that.
I try to be flexible. My default adjectives for minorities tend to be queer, black, hispanic, etc. I have gay friends who describe themselves as fags or dykes. But if I'm with a gay person who doesn't like the word fag? I don't use it. All they have to do is tell me. If I'm with a person of color who identifies as African-American? I will say African-American around them, not black. If I'm with a person of color who identifies as black, I'll call them black. It's easy. It's not hard. I should be able to do the same when describing non-neurotypical folk. It gets hairy on the internet, though, because I may be speaking about or to a person without having any idea what sort of adjectives they prefer. But still, I'll try to improve in the future.
Also, I'm aware this post has a self-apologetic and defensive tone; I will simply admit I'm a self-apologetic and defensive person.
Posted in Allyship, Disabilities, Politics


As we all know, our British automobiles have a reputation for occasional tempermental behavior which sometimes results in the car's unwillingness to propel itself down the road. In other words, it stops running! This can occur any time, and with the density of traffic on the roads today, safety is very important.
A hzard warning switch is a good safety accessory which should be considered for any British car owner who drives his or her car regularly. A Lucas hazard warning switch (4-way flasher) is available from Victoria British. The installation of a hazard warning switch into an early MGA 1500 does not conform to the directions provided with the unit when used on early MGAs with a direction indicator relay unit. The intallation is a bit more involved, but can be performed by an owner with a little understanding of electrical circuits.
The Lucas hazard warning switch is a self contained switch/flasher unit mounted on a bracket with an in-line fuse and cover. The switch and flasher can be removed from the bracket if you want to mount the switch into the dash. For this application, we will use the unit as-is on the bracket and mount the assembly under the dash on existing dash support brackets. As purchased, the hazard warning switch is pre-wired but has two empty terminals. In this early MGA applicatoin, you must add a wire to each of these empty terminals. If you have access to an old wire harness, you can get the colored wires listed above. If not, get two 16 AWG wires and attach on to each of the terminals. It does not matter which wire goes to which terminal.
Check your flasher: if it's original, it will have screw terminals, so use the ring terminal on the wire. If it's a later version, it will have push-on terminals.
The flasher unit can be mounted under and behind the dash on the brackets that support the dash and mount the speaker enclosure. If your car has no speaker enclosure, the instructions are the same, but you will have to supply the screws and nuts called for which hold the speaker enclosure. If the brackets pictured below are missing, you can obtain them from Clarke Spares and Restorations (90 West Swamp Rd., Doylestown, PA 18901, 215-348-0595) and refer to "stiffener" part number M18 LH and RH.
A mounting bracket is needed in order to fit the 4-way flasher on the dash support brackets. To make a sturdy mounting with no holes to drill in the car, make a mounting bracket from 1/16 inch steel or aluminum as follows.
Mount the right side of the flasher to the center hole of the bracket. Don't forget to put the cover on. Remove the two screws holding the speaker enclosure. Offer up the flasher/bracket and mount the left side screw through the flasher/bracket. Mount the right side bracket to the support and also connect the black wire under the screw before tightening. The flasher should now be in place under the dash.
Locate the grommet where the main harness passes through the firewall. Feed the remaining wires through the hole into the engine compartment. The wires should be long enough to reach the flasher, direction indicator relay, and the fuse box. Wire connections are as listed in the table and are explained below.
Locate the wire from the fuse box to the existing flasher unit. If you have an ohmmeter, remove the green wires on the A4 terminal of the fuse box and disconnect the green wire from the flasher terminal B. Find the wire by checking for continuity.
If you do not have a multimeter, you can find the wire by removing one green wire at a time from the fuse box (leave all the wires connected to the flasher) and then trying the turn signals. When the signals don't work, that is the wire. You will not use this wire, so you can lay it back into the harness out of the way.
Connect the rest of the green wires back to the fuse box terminal A4 along with the (stripped) green / brown wire from the 4-way flasher.
Connect the purple wire from the 4-way flasher to the A1 terminal of the fuse box.
Connect the green / brown wire with the lug on it to the flasher terminal B.
Run the rest of the wires over to the direction indicator relay. The terminal numbers are stamped into the cover of the relay unit.
Connect the green / white wire to terminal 2.
Connect the white / brown wire to terminal 3.
Connect the green / red wire to terminal 6.
Connect the white / purple wire to terminal 7.
Tuck in the wires, pull excess wire back under the dash, use tie wraps to hold them in place, and the installation is complete.
Reconnect the battery. Check the 4-way flasher by pulling out the switch. The turn signal lamps should all flash, along with the indicator in the switch. The hazard signals should flash with the ignition key off or on. With the key on and the 4-way off, check that the turn signals still work normally. Pull out the 4-way switch: all lamps will flash and the turn signals will stop.
Congratulations! You now have a hazard warning flasher for those rare occasions where you may have to stop on the side of the road. We know you won't need to use it (much), but you can feel a little more secure knowing the 4-way flasher is available if ever you should need it.


text:
The history behind the making of Berber Carpets
The Berber carpet is a distinctive work of art that has become a mainstay of modern and historical furnishings. It is timeless, robust, warm, and comfy. The art of hand knotting rugs has been a vital component of the Berber culture, which has its roots in ancient times, and has been passed down from generation to generation.
The commonality of the knotting method and certain of their motifs point to an origin in Asia Minor's Neolithic period.
The usage of signs and forms is consistent between the motifs found in Berber rugs and the oldest human expressions found in artifacts. Due to their startling resemblances to the Upper Paleolithic of Europe, the Neolithic of the East, and the Mediterranean basin, Berber rugs may be the final remaining artifact from the archaic period.
Berber carpets have retained their individuality since they were not influenced by ancient civilizations due to their isolation in the Atlas Mountains and distance from the silk path.
A key component of Berber carpets are mosaics made of geometric designs that are not randomly put together; rather, they form an abstract language with a very specific meaning. Each carpet is much more than just an item; it tells a story that the weaver chooses to convey through her artistry. These stories may be about the weaver's culture, family, stages of womanhood, environment, etc. The body and nature are mostly used as symbols in their interpretation. Diamonds, broken lines, crosses, and other symbols are frequently used among the diverse range of designs.
According to tradition, mothers pass on their craft knowledge to their daughters in the creation of rugs. Its manufacturing follows a very specific process of a religious nature, from shearing to weaving and dyeing.
In some regions of Morocco, wool is revered as a divine gift that wards off evil. Therefore, wool must be treated with the utmost respect and care as a precious material.
As of right now, the Berber rug serves as a mattress, blanket, bag of grains, ornament, and is essential to the Berber tribe's economy and way of life. His selling enables a family to survive, and he still appears on the bride's keychain.
In Europe from the Middle Ages, it had a place of preference among the many precious things offered to ambassadors or princes as a guarantee of political or familial affiliation. Its sanctity, lengthy production process, and refinement also make it a luxury gift.
The Moroccan carpet was one of the most popular exports to Europe in the 19th century, and even today, it is widely praised for its exoticism and aestheticism.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Office N Illinois
Colliers leases 116,000+ SF at Parkway North Center in Deerfield
November 19, 2019 | Staff Writer
Colliers International I Chicago principals Darryl Silverman and Steve Kling recently signed four leases totaling more than 116,000 square feet at Six and Nine Parkway North, located at the 85-acre Parkway North Center in Deerfield, Illinois. The recent activity brings the two properties to 95 and 88 percent leased, respectively.
"Suburban office tenants continue to focus on well-located, Class A properties with modern amenities," said Silverman.
At Six Parkway North, Lundbeck signed a long-term expansion and extension, leasing an additional 24,500 square feet to bring its square footage at the building to 73,000 square feet. Savills' John Goodman negotiated on behalf of Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company. Additionally, Advanced Clinical signed a new lease for 16,521 square feet and will move from Ten Parkway North; the company was represented by Transwestern's Larry Serota and John Marquardt.
At Nine Parkway North, Michael Silver & Co. signed a long-term lease for 19,253 square feet with plans to move from 5750 Old Orchard Road in Skokie in 2020. Goodman, along with Isabel Preskill, represented the firm in the transaction. Finally, global executive search and leadership consulting firm, Spencer Stuart, has taken 7,890 square feet. Bill Rogers and Isabelle Montagne with JLL negotiated the deal on behalf of Spencer Stuart.
"When space became available at Six and Nine Parkway, ownership was able to quickly identify high-quality tenants to fill the vacancies. We're always thrilled to retain our existing tenants, and excited to welcome our new tenants to the building," said Silverman.
A desirable campus in the North Suburban office market, Parkway North Center is comprised of six Class A office buildings with state-of-the-art conferencing and training facilities, several upscale food options, an athletic club, daycare center and a Marriott Hotel. Three, Six and Nine Parkway North are owned by Fulcrum Asset Advisors and True North Management. Colliers operates and manages all three buildings.
IllinoisJLLofficeColliers InternationalTranswesternDeerfieldfulcrum asset advisorssavillsLundbeckAdvanced ClinicalMichael Silver & Co.Spencer StuartTrue North Management


FULTON, Miss.—Fulton Medical Clinic recently welcomed Farris Burns, NP-C, board-certified nurse practitioner.
Burns recently completed the advanced practice clinician fellowship at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. He previously worked as a registered nurse at NMMC.
He received his associate degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. He completed his master's degree in nursing and family nurse practitioner training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
He is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the Mississippi Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Nurses Association, the Mississippi Nurses Association and several nursing honor societies.
He joins Drs. Ray Arriola, Charles Kelly and Ben Kilman, and nurse practitioners Leita Stark and Matt Taylor at the clinic.
Fulton Medical Clinic is located at 1 Medical Park Drive in Fulton. The hours are 8 a.m-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information or to make an appointment, call (662) 862-5200 or 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375).


Today, as President Trump pushes his campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico, there are at least 77 walls or fences around the world — many erected after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon.
Its good to highlight one quote from trumps primetime address "This is a choice between right and wrong, justice and injustice. This is about whether we fulfill our sacred duty to the American citizens we serve," the president declared.
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called President Donald Trump's proposed wall on the southern border "an immorality," a position that has drawn criticism from Republicans who say she should be demanding the hundreds of miles of barriers already in place be removed if she truly feels that way.
Border walls and fences have been used throughout history to separate warring nations, protect trade routes and repel migrants and refugees and these photos show how hypocritical the democrats fighting a U.S-MEXICO border wall to keep illegal immigrants out.
The purpose of a border wall is same as getting a fence for your house,as trump implied "its not because you hate the people on the outside but because you love those on the inside.


Solar photovoltaic or PV is the term used for the technology that convert the energy from the sun (directly or indirectly) into usable electrical energy. From the Greek word phos meaning light and volt from the Italian physicist, the renowned inventor of the electrical battery, Alessandro Volta. Interesting isn't it?
How does solar PV convert this free energy?
The solar panels which are made up of smaller modules called cells are made from a special material, a semiconductor that moves electrons (electricity) with a small encouragement from the light energy from the sun. This electricity is direct current (DC) and must be converted to alternating current (AC) to be used in appliances in your house.
Once properly installed, the solar PV panels on your roof can last up to 25 to 30 years. With no moving parts, there is very little maintenance on your part other than the occasional wiping of dust which can be mostly taken care of by the rain. Handy.
I'm generating electricity but I'm not at home?
Your solar PV system will keep converting away any energy it gets from the sun – even when it's not shining directly on it. We call that daylight energy. The excess energy that are not used immediately are exported to the national grid where you get your conventional electricity from for about €0.19 per kWh. Currently in Ireland, unlike other countries, you're not getting any money in exchange. This is called Feed-in tariff (FIT).
So unless you stay at home during the day, to use your kettle multiple times a day, the energy is only being used by your 'always on' appliances such as your fridge, etc.
The energy consumption case in buildings such as offices is even stronger simply due to the fact that we leave our homes to work in these buildings and we make our tea & coffee there. This is where a sizeable solar PV system can really be taken advantage of. Most commercial buildings can use all if not most of its energy generated on demand instead of paying an electricity supplier for it.
Back to homes, how can I further use energy my solar panels generate?
Since the electricity from the sun through the solar panels must be used as it's generated, an electrical load (an appliance) must consume the electricity or it goes back to the grid. But you can keep more power for yourself if you have a battery. No, not the double A kind, a much larger battery to store the energy so that you can use that later on when you come home. Less export to the grid.
In today's prices, not as much as they used to be. In fact, the cost is reduced to the point that it makes economic sense to get one with your solar PV system. You can learn more about battery storage here.
I'm not getting battery storage yet; can I still make use of my generated power?
As a matter of fact, yes you can. It is another form of energy storage but not electricity. How about heating your immersion tank and keeping it hot during the day? Most houses have immersion heaters, why not use renewable energy to keep it topped up?
Well, to heat an immersion tank (120 litres) will take 2.5 hours from a cold start. Wouldn't you want a hot shower when you come home without having to wait? Up to which point, you probably won't bother then.
Isn't that what timers are for, so it keeps it topped up?
Ok, true but it'll cost you €1.30 a day. Ah sure but that's nothing. Really? That's €475.00 per year. After 5 years, when your system has paid itself back, that can be a handy holiday pocket money or pay for your kids' books!
Ok, so how do I heat my immersion using my solar panels?
My excess export energy varies, my immersion is rated at 3kW, I doubt I have that much surplus. So how can a solar diverter heat up my immersion?
A very good question to which there is a good answer. Your appliances in your home do indeed have electrical power ratings in order to work as per their design. Too much or too little power and they simply will not work, it might even break them. Your immersion heater however, is a heating element meaning it's a resistive load. Whether your excess is 70W or 1kW, the electricity is there to convert it to heat energy. Some diverters are even smart enough not to call on grid power to supplement the electricity required to meet the 3kW immersion heater rating. Clever isn't it? For more info about diverters, it's here.
We can install these solar diverters with your new or existing solar PV system.
What your asking is the payback period of the solar PV system. The economics is simple enough, the electricity you don't buy from a supplier goes toward paying off your solar panels. Typically, this is 5 to 6 years, if you're smart about your usage, even less.
But come here, rumour has it that by the end of this summer, the Government will be offering grants to homeowners for installing solar PV panels on their roofs. However, SEAI registered installers must be the ones to put the panels up for you. Lucky for you, we're registered and qualified! So, at the end of the day, that's even less capital from you, quicker payback period and after that, profit! Happy days!


Today, professional cyclists, competitive road racers, triathletes, and overall fitness enthusiasts are utilising tools to measure metrics such as heart rate, cadence, speed, and distance. For the serious cyclist, a tool for measuring and analysing power is considered to be the most important element for increasing fitness Pioneer offers a unique and complete power meter system, providing the most comprehensive picture of strength and stamina available allowing riders to have access to in depth information for understanding and achieving new benchmarks in fitness and performance on the bike.
SGY-PM910H: A revolutionary Power Meter featuring independent left & right pedalling sensors that accurately measures force direction and power every 30° of crank rotation.
SGX-CA500: A Next Generation lightweight GPS cycle computer with support for ANT+ & WiFi. Use as a standalone unit or pair with the SGY-910H to display results for every 30° of pedal rotation and more than 100 data types.
please complete this form to ensure compatibility and the correct calibration of the system.
Please note: All cranks must be cleaned and degreased when returned to Pioneer.


Statista reported, that in the second quarter of this year, there were an unbelievable 313 million active users on Twitter! So if you're using Twitter, alongside some other social channels, perhaps Facebook and LinkedIn, just sit back and imagine the possibilities for your law firm, if you managed to perfect your social media marketing and reel in a torrent of new leads!
So, how can we help? We're sharing our top social media profile tips to help your firm stand out!
P.S. Download our social media guide for law firms, and learn about utilising social media for your firm, in your own time! Download now.
Seem basic? We've witnessed a lot of companies with different logos on different social channels! You might think it won't really have an impact, so you've used a black logo on Twitter and a red one on Facebook? Your audience might not really care about the specifics, but when you're trying to build a strong brand presence across social media, you'll want to be consistent with your branding and any details you highlight on these profiles. You want your social audience to see your logo and think instantly 'I know who they are!' - You'll never achieve this awareness if you're inconsistent.
Don't simply jump on top of any news you see trending; your followers probably don't care about Justin Bieber. Any trending hashtag that is remotely relevant to your firm's niche, get a tweet out there using the hashtag. This not only highlights your firm as relevant, but you never know who's searching the network for that hashtag – with any luck it'll be someone on the lookout for legal representation! To check the volume of searches for a particular hashtag, and to get more hashtag suggestions, head over to Hashtagify – it's free!
There's already a cap on the character length of a Twitter post, but regardless of this cap, tweets can still come across vague and just generally unappealing. You need to use those 140 characters to make an impact, provoke an opinion, or intrigue the user to click the link you've provided. You also need to make sure that the link you're sending them to, is relevant to what you've just said in your post! There's no point tricking them into clicking the link – they'll just bounce right back off the page anyway!
We're not suggesting you pay a professional designer just for this service, but if you're currently working with an agency, or you've got the resource and skill in-house, get one designed! One for each profile you're active on. Something that's bright, engaging and, of course, relevant to your business and in-keeping with the tone of the rest of your firm's marketing. Not sure about the sizes required for each channel photo? Check out these cover photo dimensions, from HubSpot.
How can Hit Search help your firm? Get in touch and find out!


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Q: Install package composer require yajra/laravel-oci8 but got some error I want to install a package with composer require yajra/laravel-oci8:^8. I'm using Laravel 8.10.0, it seems that the package supports that version but the following error appears:
How to solve this?
composer require yajra/laravel-oci8:^8
./composer.json has been updated
Loading composer repositories with package information
Updating dependencies (including require-dev)
Your requirements could not be resolved to an installable set of packages.

  Problem 1
    - Installation request for yajra/laravel-oci8 8 -> satisfiable by yajra/laravel-oci8[v8.0.0].
    - yajra/laravel-oci8 v8.0.0 requires ext-oci8 >=2.0.0 -> the requested PHP extension oci8 is missing from your system.

  To enable extensions, verify that they are enabled in your .ini files:
    - C:\xampp\php\php.ini
  You can also run `php --ini` inside terminal to see which files are used by PHP in CLI mode.

Installation failed, reverting ./composer.json to its original content.

A: Go to check with this PR and follow the instruction:
https://github.com/yajra/laravel-oci8/issues/429

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: PowerShell or CMD - Find and Increment alphabet letter of files (revision management) I need some help to automate rename files in a current directory.
The following files that can exits in the directory is for example:
AAA111A.txt
AAA111A.pdf
AAA111A.jpg
BBB222B.jpg
BBB222B.pdf
Where the bold letter stand for the revision of the file.
What I want is a PowerShell or batch file where it automatically looks what revision letter it is and then increment that revision letter with the next in the alphabet for all files.
Example:
AAA111A.txt -> AAA111B.txt
BBB222B.pdf -> BBB222C.pdf
etc
The letters and numbers before the revision letter and the extension of the file can vary, so used as a wildcard? It is also possible that the file is named like: AAA111A-01.pdf or AAA111A-blabla.pdf
Hopefully someone can make my life easier for this noobie :).
Thank you in advance!

A: If you're not on PowerShell core (like me), you can use the Replace() static method on the [regex] class for a more advanced replacement. This gives us some flexibility to change the matched character to it's corresponding integer where we could add 1 to it, then change it back to its equivalent letter:
Get-ChildItem -Path '.\MyPath' |
    Rename-Item -NewName {
        [regex]::Replace($_.BaseName,
            '[A-Z]$', {
                Param($match)
                $letter_int = [int][char]$match.Value + 1
                [char]$letter_int
            }
        ) + $_.Extension
    } -WhatIf

This doesn't account for other issues that you may encounter such as duplicate file names, or as Santiago mentioned in the comments, the logic that would be needed if the letter reaches the end of the alphabet.

Remove the -WhatIf safety common parameter when you've dictated that is the result you're after.

A: Building off of Abraham's answer, because the use of a scriptblock with parameter to evaluate the replacement is great and not something I knew about before today. I'd just setup a hashtable ahead of time for the replacement letter(s). I'd replace z with aa to avoid conflicts, assuming that doesn't break the naming convention.
$Letters=[hashtable]::new() #unconventional hashtable creation to create a hashtable with case sensitive keys
65..122|?{$_ -lt 90 -or $_ -gt 96}| #this gets up A through Z and a through z, skipping the other characters between the sets
    ForEach-Object{$Letters.add([string][char]$_, [string][char]($_+1))}
$Letters.'Z'='AA' #manually set rollover case
$Letters.'z'='aa' #manually set rollover case

Once you get that setup you can basically do what Abraham suggested, just referencing the hashtable to get the replacement string.
Get-ChildItem C:\Path\To\Files*.txt|
    Rename-item -NewName {
        [regex]::replace($_.Name, '(?<=^[a-zA-Z0-9]+)([a-zA-Z])(?=\W)',{param($old)$Letters[$old.value]})
        }

This has the same failing that Abraham's answer does in that it does not check for file name availability before trying to rename a file. It does solve the case where a file's revision is at Z though. My regex is also a little more flexible for cases where a file is named something like 'AAAA111C-glarb.txt' and will correctly increment it to 'AAAA111D-glarb.txt'.


Benefit from the rebirth of this iconic New Orleans restaurant that includes traditional New Orleans French and Spanish influenced delicacies infused with newfound Vietnamese cultural contributions for a novel and distinctly lighter model. Yes, you may see that many of the restaurants featured are from our three most important cities – however that's as a result of news crews have yet to delve ACTUAL deep and hit our small cities. Bone's, a basic Buckhead Atlanta restaurant since 1979, is known for its legendary steak, seafood and repair.


benko introduces explosion proof drum crusher/compactor. online exclusives; comment; share; benko products, inc., a leading innovator in material handling and safety products, announces that its sahara explosion proof drum crusher/in drum compactor is suitable for use in class i, div i areas.
explosion proof certification services from sgs opens the door to the global market for equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres. learn more.
benko products, inc. introduced its sahara explosion proof drum crusher / in drum compactor that is suitable for use in class i, div i areas.
explosion proof and hazardous area equipment and parts home > explosion proof and hazardous area equipment and parts please email us the equipment, parts, or accessories you are looking for, preferably with the part number.


The sun is shining, it`s stopped raining and it`s a lovely day for ride out. Which bike shall I take out ?
Heading over to the Haynes Motor Museum in a couple of hours for their monthly bikers ride-in, on a Triumph!
Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 24th but will be in the car as I have a load of HESKETH parts to deliver and collect.


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Hundreds of Ukrainian troops evacuated from Azovstal Steelworks after 82 days of attack | Ukraine
More than 260 Ukrainian soldiers, many of them wounded, have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol. Russia 82 days after the bombing.
Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hannah Maliar said on Monday that 53 seriously wounded soldiers had been evacuated to a hospital in the Russian-controlled city of Novosibirsk, and more than 200 had been taken to Olenivka via a sidewalk.
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. "
"I would like to underline: Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive. This is our policy," he said in a video statement.
The expulsion marks the end of the long and bloody war in Ukraine and a significant defeat for Ukraine. Mariupol is now in ruins after the Russian siege, which Ukraine claims killed tens of thousands of people in the city.
As for the Ukrainians, the Azovstel plant has become a symbol of resistance, with hundreds of troops continuing to fight there even after falling to Russian forces.
About 600 troops are believed to have been inside the steel plant.
Generals of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that the soldiers guarding the steel plant had completed their combat mission.
"The Supreme Military Command has ordered the commanders of the units stationed in Assoc, to save the lives of the personnel," the civil servant said in a statement on his Facebook account. "Efforts are on to rescue the guards in the Azovstal area."
In a statement, the Azov Brigade said it was carrying out orders to save the lives of its troops.
Buses carrying Ukrainian Azovstal service depart from Mariupol. Photo: Alexander Ermoshenko / Reuters
The Azov Regiment, which in the past had nationalist far-right affiliations, was a militant group formed to fight the Russians after the invasion of Ukraine in 2014, but it became part of the Ukrainian National Guard.
"In order to save lives, the entire Mariupol Garrison is implementing the approved decision of the Supreme Military Command and trusts the support of the Ukrainian people," the Azov Regiment said in a social media post.
It said its troops in Mariupol, in the southeastern Sea of Azov, lasted 82 days and took time to fight the rest of Ukraine with Russian forces and defend Western weapons against Russian aggression.
Since Russia launched its invasion in February, the Mariupol disaster has become a symbol of Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian invasion and Russia's desire to destroy Ukrainian cities.
The evacuation came hours after Russia said it had agreed to evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers to a medical facility in Novoshovsk.
Russia's Defense Ministry says an agreement has been reached to remove the wounded. "A humanitarian corridor has been opened, through which wounded Ukrainian soldiers are being taken to a medical facility in Novosibirsk."
Azovstalin's last guards were trapped for weeks in bunkers and tunnels built underground to withstand the nuclear war. The public was evacuated from inside the plant, one of the largest metallurgical facilities EuropeEarlier this month.
The wife of a member of the Azov Regiment described the conditions at the plant on Monday: "They are in hell.
See also Russia says Nord Stream could suffer from state-sponsored 'terrorism'
Shooting at Orange County Church: Suspect identified
Shares are recovering despite fears of inflation persisting
Western allies differ over jets to Ukraine, Russia claims gains


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Media Coverage Of Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd.
OSCL enters into API segment with the acquisition of LASA Lab Pharmabiz (11/04/2012)
Omkar Speciality Chemicals Limited (OSCL) manufacturers of speciality chemicals like derivatives of selenium, iodine, molybdenum, cobalt, bismuth and pharma intermediates for life-saving drugs recently entered into the API segment with the acquisition of LASA Laboratory. The acquired company is located at Mahad in Raigad district and is an established player in the anthelmintic or de-worming agents for veterinary API segment with API manufacturing facility.
The deal was sealed by the company at an attractive rate of approximately Rs.6 crore. OSCL informed that the acquired API division is already in operation, and will be focusing on continuing the existing API business of LASA Laboratory. With this acquisition the company has not only forayed into the API's but has also expressed their intention in strengthening their hold in the niche veterinary segment which is a growing market in the country.
Pravin Herlekar, chairman and managing director, OSCL informed, "We are very happy with the investment that we have made in LASA as the company already has an established presence in the market which we can further explore for our benefit. Most importantly, this acquisition also gives us direct access to the veterinary segment which is fast catching up in the country due to various reasons. It was a strategically thoughtout decision which clearly shows our long time objective of strengthening our position in the market."
OSCL is at present reported to be growing at a rate of 40 to 50 per cent, however the company reported that with this acquisition the company is expected to grow almost 50 to 60 per cent.
The company also informed about its investment of Rs.100 crore to set up a new facility for speciality chemicals at its Chiplun plant. Herlekar informed that they are in the end stage of commissioning the capacity increase to meet the hight demand from their customers. The upcoming unit for speciality chemicals is reported to be in the last stage of development and is expected to be ready for production by September this year.
The company also expressed its intention to manufacture APIs with foreword integration of some of the key intermediates which are currently being manufactured by OSCL. The Companies product portfolio comprises of 10 products in the veterinary anthelmentic segment, mainly benzimidazoles and other active pharma ingredients.


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Free Shipping | 1000+ *5* Star Dad Reviews
6 Things Every Parent Working from Home with Babies and Toddlers Needs to Hear
by Taylor Llewellyn
Being a parent is hard. Being a working parent is harder. But being a work-from-home parent? Now that's the kind of thing only crazy people would try!
Yet somehow, it's the reality for a lot of us right now. Whether you've been thrust into working and parenting from home due to the pandemic, or you're a long-time remote worker welcoming your first-born, it's an adjustment, to say the least. Babies and toddlers don't understand why you can't pay attention to them when you're literally right there, and they certainly don't understand the nuances of Zoom etiquette.
But while your kids may be pros at interrupting at the most inopportune times, working from home with babies and toddlers doesn't have to be total chaos. Here's what I've learned over my time as a work-at-home parent.
You Need a Real Desk...
Yes, with a chair and everything! An official "office" — even if it's a desk crammed in the corner of the living room — gets you in the headspace for work and creates a clear boundary that even toddlers can understand. It takes practice and patience to teach a two-year-old to ask politely instead of shrieking for snacks when you're at the computer, but I promise, eventually it does work.
Little one not walking yet? Ditch the traditional desk for a standing desk and get in the habit of babywearing while you work. Your baby will snooze peacefully and you'll keep your hands free for whatever's on your to-do list.
...and Defenses Against Distractions
Toddlers and babies are distracting enough. Add the entirety of the internet at your fingertips, and staying focused while working from home becomes a Herculean task. That's doubly true when you're sleep deprived from staying up all night with a fussy baby.
Getting anything done at work requires blocking out as many potential distractions as possible:
Snooze your notifications.
Turn your phone on silent.
Block distracting websites.
Employ a productivity app.
Childproof everything.
Automation is a Lifesaver
We haven't quite reached the point of handing the baby off to a robot, Jetsons-style, but automation and delegation can save parents a lot of time and stress while working from home.
Order groceries online.
Get diapers delivered.
Learn to love meal planning.
Set bills to autopay.
Optimize your email inbox.
Pay someone to walk the dog.
Buy a Roomba.
Hire a cleaner.
Exercise Keeps You Sane
Do you have time to change into athletic wear, toss your hair in a ponytail, and sweat it out to a workout video? No. Do you need to do it anyway? Absolutely! In fact, this is exactly when you need exercise's stress-busting and mood-boosting benefits the most. However, motivation won't come easy when you have a million other things on your plate, so keep workouts short and sweet.
Find ways to stay accountable, such as donning a fitness tracker that nags you to move. I'm a big fan of the Apple Watch's activity rings, plus it syncs with Nike Training Club, the best fitness app when you want to exercise but don't have time to think about it.
Find Time to Boost Your Career
Just because you're working at home with a baby or toddler doesn't mean you can't enhance your career prospects. For example, an online degree in teaching, business, or nursing can set you on a path to a new rewarding career. Many online programs allow you to work at a pace that suits your lifestyle as you earn your degree.
Screen Time Isn't the Enemy
Now for the tip every work-at-home parent needs to hear: When your attempts at independent play have failed, there's a deadline breathing down your neck, and your toddler just won't stop, it's okay to turn on a screen and relish a few minutes of peace and quiet. While screen time shouldn't be your go-to, there's nothing wrong with setting up your tot with an interactive app or virtual storytime so you can get through a meeting.
I'm going to be honest: Working from home with kids is far from easy. There are days everything goes smoothly and I'm convinced I'm crushing it, and there are days when nothing gets done and everyone's crying (myself included). If there's one tip we all need right now, it's be kind to yourself. You might not master this work-at-home parent thing right away, but with practice, patience, and lots of flexibility, you'll learn how to make it work.
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6 Things Every Parent Working from Home with Babies and Toddlers Needs


We've made it our mandate to train Malaysia's next generation of champions in one of our nation's foremost sports.
We're proud to have about 300 players training under Han Jian, a former World Champion and the coach of the 1992 Malaysia Thomas Cup winning team. Our players are trained to master basic skills necessary to be a world-class player in our centres in Subang Jaya, Klang and Setia Alam. We also provide coaching clinics, individual or group training plus other badminton skills courses.
To equip grassroot players with excellent basis badminton skills.
To promote and develop badminton as a healthy sports for all ages.
You are welcome to enjoy the facilities provided.
You can find out more about rental, trainings and events here.


Silver Spray II also ventured out for the Poole Bay Cod Comp with ten keen anglers aboard, Skipper Sam being one of them. I decided to push out into some tide and sit it out for a bigger fish for the day. What followed was quite the opposite with 7 cod coming to the net throughout the day!!This is the most winter cod i've aboard in one day as a Skipper. Unfortunatley despite catching so many cod we were lacking in size with the biggest being 11lb 4oz for Mark palmer.None the less a cracking day had by all involved.
The 2011 Poole Open Cod comp, organsied by Andy Robbins from Poole Sea Angling Centre, looked in doubt from the weather but luckily there was a window of light westerlies and we enjoyed a good day afloat. What looked like a big cod was dropped in the first hour and we had mixed luck when the next fish up was a 21lber for Shaun Miller who unfortunatley had declined to sign up for the comp. Two more cod of 10 and 8lb which were in the comp but not weighed in were topped up with the best run of whiting of 2011 including a personal best of 4lb 4oz for skipper Andy.
Wind over tide coditions didnt put the fish off today with 2 nice cod and a bonus 10lb 4oz bass for Ian Webb. One more trip[ left and then its a couple days break for Christmas.
With the wind in the northwest we have been able to get back on track and take Silver Spray II to sea for the first time.All the anglers and skipper are very pleased with her performance. The first fish to grace her landing net was Alex Miles 20lb cod, one of two he had that day. Looking fotrward to many more successful trips aboard our new boat!!
Finally we are able to get out two days on the trot again but the winds don't quite let up with a stiff northwesterly both days.Sunday seemed to fish the better of the two with congers, plenty of whiting, 2 cod, a 12lb spurdog and a bonus 8.5lb bass for the skipper. A good day had by all, can't wait to get out there and try again.
Our new boat Silver Spray ll was launched last week. She has completed sea trials and will be moved to Poole on Tuesday. Showing an impressive turn of speed and featuring a walk round wheelhouse for more fishing space we feel she will be a great boat for angling.
Our existing boat Silver Spray is still around and will be used for two boat trips over the Christmas period. We are planning to use her for a mixture of survey work and angling trips in 2012. If you need a 2 baot charter please give us a call.


Collection includes letters and correspondence with family members, Latter-day Saint Church First Presidency, National Association of Railroad and Utility Commissioners and friends; four diaries, biographical sketches of family members; articles written by McKay; patriarchal and missionary blessings; funeral register, miscellaneous newspaper clippings, programs and announcements.
Initial citation: MSS 1442; Thomas E. McKay papers; 19th Century Western & Mormon Manuscripts; L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University. Following citations: MSS 1442, LTPSC.
Donated; Barbara McKay Smith; 1975 April 22.
Teacher, political and religious leader, Latter-day Saint Church mission president and Latter-day Saint Church Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve.


It's the end of October, and time for the hotly anticipated MAME 0.191 release. This release includes an experimental Hitachi SH3 recompiler from frequent contributor David "Haze" Haywood that shows promising performance improvements for Cave CV-1000 emulation, and holds the tantalising possibility of bringing similar gains to systems based on the SH4 in the future (including Sega NAOMI). Bug fixes to the Saturn/ST-V emulation will enhance your enjoyment of numerous Sega titles from the '90s. There have also been some optimisations and improvements to MIPS3 and Voodoo emulation, as used in a number of 3D arcade systems.
For fans of systems more often experienced at home, David Haywood also rewrote most of the Gamate emulation, taking it from mostly broken to (hopefully) best-in-class. We've also got some important bug fixes for the Tatung Einstein, the NEC PC-Engine console, and the M6809 CPU used by the Tandy CoCo family (among other things). Three more Tiger handhelds have been added for this release, namely Batman, Judge Dredd, and Swamp Thing. The hard limit of four emulated screens has been lifted, allowing you to plug in more video cards, more serial terminals, or just emulate systems that just have lots of screens.
We've got some big updates to the software lists this month, with plenty of Apple II cassettes, RM Nimbus software, and over seventy new PlayStation dumps. BBC Torch floppies and Gamate cartridges are now considered working, and Kiki Inland for Gamate has been added. A number of titles that don't require a PC/AT have been moved from the IBM 5170 list to the IBM 5150 list. There are also some nice additions to the IBM PC and Fujitsu FM Towns software.
Of course, there are lots more bug fixes and newly dumped versions of emulated games. You can get the source/Windows binaries from the download page and start emulating.
• Implemented power-on jump in a hardware-accurate manner, including full configuration options.
• Hooked up INS8250 device for RS-232 serial communication (requires ROM wait states simulation for baud rate to be recognized).
• Made serial port address configurable as well (although monitor expects it to be at the default setting).
• Made slots subdevices, eliminating the need to hardcode the bus tag.
• Clock the bus and its slots.
• Use correct XTAL for nshrz and added 2MHz variant.
• Fixed page select boundaries for tilemap drawing (fixes Namco Classics Vol. 2 garbage GFX in attract mode).
• Reset pattern name table states on mode changes (fixes Mappy Arrange corrupt tiles).
• Enabled sprite wraparound when both sx and sy pass clipping boundaries (fixes disappearing char on NCV2 game select screen).
• Rewrote SMPC as a device, merging ST-V and Saturn implementations.
• All Sega Saturn ROM sets now calls the BIOS setup if NVRAM is uninitialized, setting up proper defaults.
• Game now loops into attract mode with mostly missing graphics (MPEG video logic not yet added).
• Fixes split screen in Sasissu, backgrounds in Elandore, and Guy stage in Final Fight Revenge.
• Added input labels for most games in the driver, and removed unused buttons.
• Updated positional rotary for Heavy Barrel/Midnight Resistance to use remap table.
• Made Boulder Dash use 4-way stick as per manual.
• Corrected Turbo Kontroller name to UNI DISK and identified CPU type.
• Added skeleton for Databoard 4112-23 floppy disk controller.
• Fixed Luxor 55-10828 "slow" floppy controller board logic.
• Sound is 100% AY8910 compatible according to kevtris and Peter Wilhelmsen – use the AY8910 core.
• Rewrote the video implementation from scratch using kevtris' document and Peter Wilhelmsen's notes this fixes many games.
• Added some mirroring to memory map.
• Converted cartridges to slot devices that handle protection themselves.
• Rewrote protection emulation from scratch based on notes from kevtris and Peter Wilhelmsen.
• Recompiler is currently enabled for Cave CV-1000 but disabled for Sega NAOMI.
• Recompiler can more than double the benchmark speed of CV-1000 games.
• Removed duplicate code, used screen raw parameters and XTAL values, added DIP switch locations to all games.
• Also fixed DDCPM format to handle correct image of Double Density CP/M.


The Oil Can Cafe is a fantastic place to eat. It is home to one of the top car restoration specialist in the UK. It is based in Hepworth near Holmfirth and will make a great place to visit.
If anyone is interested please let me know and I will check availability etc.