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You are here: Home › post › Announcing kites: a new journal of communist theory & strategy
Announcing kites: a new journal of communist theory & strategy
Filed under: post	and tagged with: communism, maoism, marxism	January 9, 2020
As the editorial to this new journal explains:
In the American and Canadian prison systems, kites are "contraband" correspondence shared among inmates, and between inmates and those on the outside. Tiny, folded-up pieces of paper, kites are slipped past the watchful eyes of our tormentors, passed through commissary or along with items moving in and out of prison. Their contents range from everyday survival shit to the fragments of plans to strike an enemy. In all cases, the kite is a clandestine form of exchange and dialogue invented by our class in the most brutal conditions known to the North American proletariat.
As a symbol of proletarian resilience and a cultural form from which we have much to learn, we can find no better name for a journal whose mandate is the exchange of a very different kind of contraband created by our class and even more necessary to survive present and future conditions: revolutionary theory.
We also found in our title another symbol: the resistance of the occupied Palestinian nation, wherein kites painted with the Palestinian flag have been flown in defiance above the Israeli military occupation and invading settler garrisons far below them. So like the kites of Gaza, we communists must reach for the sky while remaining grounded.
The journal kites comes into existence at a time when growing numbers of people in North America are coming into motion against the horrors of the present and the bleakness of the future. Resurgent fascism, artificial intelligence in the hands of our oppressors, escalating inter-imperialist rivalries, and climate catastrophe all pose existential threats to much of humanity and certainly to the proletariat.
The extent of the crisis of capitalism-imperialism can be gleaned from the extent to which social decay and misery has spread from the periphery to the very heart of the imperialist countries. Stable jobs and the prospect of home ownership are impossibilities for a swelling majority. Bourgeois politicians in every jurisdiction from "left" to right enact one neoliberal policy after another that transfers wealth from the popular classes to capital. Personal debt is crushing most people. More children in the US die to gun violence than do US soldiers in imperialist wars. The US and Canada are in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis manufactured by pharmaceutical capital carving out profitable new markets by any means necessary. In some regions, archaic Christian (and other) fundamentalist moralities are resurgent as they are succeeding in restoring oppressive gender and sexuality norms and in making abortion and reproductive health increasingly inaccessible; while in other regions bourgeois feminisms co-exist and sanction new forms of patriarchy that objectify women's bodies and turn romantic and sexual relations into a market exchange of commodities. Both forms of patriarchy reinforce a widespread culture of rape. The children of Mexican and Central American migrants are living in cages by the thousands. The state-sanctioned and extrajudicial killing and mass incarceration of proletarians, especially of the US's and Canada's oppressed nations and nationalities, continue unabated, but with the cover and legitimacy provided by state-sanctioned celebrations of diversity, anti-oppression optics, and the inclusion (though not without conflict and struggle) of substantial petty-bourgeois segments of oppressed nationalities and nations into media, culture, academia, and bourgeois politics. And against the backdrop of all the violence perpetrated by the bourgeois state apparatus, we can add a generation of downwardly mobile white men steeped in fascist ideas and culture who are deputizing themselves in greater numbers to further terrorize against North America's oppressed nationalities and nations, Muslims, women, and LGBTQ people.
We are entering (if not already finding ourselves well within) a period of protracted crisis from which the bourgeoisie has no exit strategy that the popular classes will find bearable. Against the backdrop of the social decay and fascist resurgence gripping the imperialist countries, popular rebellion is punctuating business-as-usual both inside and outside the imperialist countries: the mass rebellions against police terror in Ferguson (2014) and Baltimore (2015); anti-fascist mobilization dogging fascists wherever they mobilize since 2016; and popular disruptions to the ICE body snatchers across the US throughout 2019. More recently, we have seen mass rebellions in Puerto Rico that toppled a governor, in Ecuador that halted brutal IMF austerity, and in Haiti that persists against the corrupt lackeys of North American imperialism who destroyed and stole from the PetroCaribe program with Venezuela, and which reflects two centuries of unabated revolutionary struggle by the Haitian masses. And yet, despite these courageous and sometimes successful acts of resistance, in most places – especially in North America – there has yet to emerge a consolidated subjective force that can lead this rising rebelliousness in an escalating and successful direction.
The reason for this is simple: the lack of consolidated revolutionary organization, leadership, and strategy to effectively confront the imperialist ruling classes that make up the North American imperialist powers of the United States and Canada. In recent years, a growing mass of young people have become thoroughly disillusioned with capitalism. This disillusionment has resulted in growing attraction to "socialism" (though, unfortunately, a socialism thoroughly imbued with a bourgeois anti-communist sentiment that denies the need for revolution, proletarian dictatorship, and the complete dismantling of capitalism-imperialism). The spontaneous tendency for resistance and discontent to be brought under the wing of one section of the ruling class or another is no surprise considering that the bourgeoisie has constructed what the (new) Communist Party of Italy calls a regime of preventive counterrevolution over the last century adept at deflating opposition to its rule. A revolutionary movement will not spontaneously emerge out of the growing mass discontent. A communist organization with a scientific strategy capable of diverting resistance and discontent towards revolution does not arise simply from economic, political, and social crises, but must be consciously forged through the hard work of theory and practice.
Were a revolutionary force to emerge, an oppressive system that now seems unassailable and existential crises that appear inevitable could anchor our convictions that a socialist world that serves the people and rehabilitates a dying biosphere is not only necessary but also possible. Without a revolutionary force, we are left pleading at the feet of the perpetrators of history's greatest mass murders to find it in their hearts to change their ways.
As we see it, the subjective situation – the dispersal of revolutionary forces and their lack of strategic unity, and the insufficiently contested dominance of postmodernism, social democracy, identity politics activism, and liberalism – is what can and must be transformed to open the door to seizing on future opportunities for revolutionary advances.
To that end, kites aims to constitute a theoretical exchange among revolutionary-minded people looking for a way forward across the territories held by the decaying imperialist powers of the US and Canada. To all revolutionaries who understand that we need to find a common strategy to defeat capitalism-imperialism and establish an ecological and socialist society moving towards communism, we appeal to your support and assistance in this project. Please share, comment on, and engage with our materials. Write us. Propose contributions. And if you are part of a revolutionary organization, consider establishing a relationship with our Editorial Committee.
The Editorial Committee of kites is composed of a handful of communist revolutionaries from across North America, and at its founding emerges from the initiative of two organizations: Revolutionary Initiative (RI) in Canada and the Organization of Communist Revolutionaries (OCR) in the US. Although we three entities constitute independent collectives, we are firmly united on the need for communist revolutionaries across North America to struggle and work towards the constitution of a new communist party.
RI is a party-building formation formed out of mass work in proletarian neighbourhoods in Toronto tracing back to the mid-2000s. OCR was formed in 2017 as a handful of revolutionaries with experience in previous communist organizations came together to sum up past experiences, initiate mass work among the proletariat, and revitalize revolutionary strategy. And the Editorial Committee of kites brings together a handful of communist revolutionaries into a distinct collective that is in conversation with RI, OCR, and other communist forces across the continent who we hope will become future contributors to this particular project as well as the broader work of proletarian revolution against this dying capitalist-imperialist order.
What binds us is a common love, hate, and humility: love for the people, hate for the present order and those who preside over it, and the humility to subject ourselves to the long process of figuring out how to make revolution. Spiritual bonds aside, we share the perspective that revolutionary civil war is necessary to overthrow the rule of capitalism-imperialism; a dictatorship of the proletariat must be established thereafter to prevent the restoration of capitalism; socialist society must be a transition, driven by class struggle, towards the ultimate goal of communism on a world scale; and a vanguard party is necessary to lead the revolution and the socialist transition period and unite all who can be united at each step of the process.
We would be remiss if we were not clear that we ground and guide ourselves with the revolutionary theory that the history of proletarian revolution has to offer. Principally, this means assimilating the major advances in communist theory developed by Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Mao, but also studying the contributions (as well as shortcomings or errors!) of many other proletarian revolutionary leaders over the past century and a half, such as Rosa Luxemburg, Antonio Gramsci, Che Guevera, Amilcar Cabral, Huey P. Newton, Thomas Sankara, George Jackson, and yes, Stalin too. Beyond these leaders and the theories they developed, we are grounded in studying the historical experiences and roles of the masses in revolutionary struggle and transformation. We do not, however, treat these experiences dogmatically, but rather as vital experiments from which we can and must learn.
That said, these cannot be our only sources of guidance. We would know nothing of contemporary developments in global politics and economics, scientific discovery, technological developments, philosophical debates, ideological trends, and popular culture if we restricted our reading and theoretical engagement to thinkers whose times are many, many decades behind us. Sound revolutionary strategy can only arise from measuring our guiding theories up against the ongoing study of and engagement with the changing realities around us, and we wholeheartedly plan for kites to be a space for the study, debate, and reporting on the ground that continues to shift under our feet.
There is no red textbook we can turn to for clear cut answers to the crises we face today. We uphold and study revolutionary theory and experience so years and decades are not wasted leading our organizations and movements into dead-ends that past revolutionary experiences have long ago exposed to be bankrupt. But the dogmatic drivel and politics of proclamation that flood the internet should not be confused with the painstaking, critical intellectual work of living, breathing revolutionary theory. And revolutionary theory needs to be grounded in the practical work of communists leading mass struggle, undertaking empirical research, and engaging deeply with many different schools of thought. Instead of circling around within closed and insular ideological systems, kites aims to be in dialogue with revolutionary political currents immersed in the people and with comrades, thinkers, artists, and organizers undertaking the hard work of analyzing and confronting the challenges before us.
Though kites will be focused on questions facing revolutionaries from within the North American imperialist powers, we are internationalists, and we are obliged to play our part in contributing to advancing the entire international proletarian revolution and supporting revolutionary struggles worldwide. From our standpoint as proletarian internationalists, we welcome and will enter all necessary exchanges and debates with the international communist movement (ICM) as a whole, and kites will in time also become a place for exchanging views and analyses with comrades internationally.
The opening issue of kites takes on some crucial questions facing revolutionary-minded people today: what exactly is the proletariat today, what are some mass struggles in recent history that we can learn something from, and just what the fuck is up with this debate among Maoists in 2019 on the question of protracted people's war (PPW)?
We open kites #1 with an essay that's been studied within RI and OCR for a few years now and the importance of which has only grown with time. Part I of Kenny Lake's The Specter That Still Haunts: Locating a Revolutionary Class within Contemporary Capitalism-Imperialism provides a conception of the proletariat and its potential to lead the revolutionary transformation of society that is in sharp contrast to outdated interpretations that emphasize factory work and exploitation in the labor process and fetishize struggles between the exploited and their immediate exploiters. Expect to find the remaining parts of the Specter series in the back pages of kites alongside contemporary pieces on the urgent questions before us.
The second piece, Kilmore and John Albert's From the Masses, To the Masses: A Summation of the October 22 Coalition's Resistance to Police Brutality in the Late 1990s, offers a people's history of a significant resistance movement to the epidemic of police murders of Black men and other oppressed people that was building prior to the events of 9/11. As seductive as it is to turn to the '60s and '70s as the main repository for inspiration and guidance for revolutionaries in North America, Kilmore and John Albert draw out some important lessons from a major wave of mass struggle from a time and place not so distant from our own.
Closing with a hot take from Kenny Lake, kites enters the fray of the PPW debate. However, Lake cuts away from the existing universality: yes / no shape of the debate by drawing our attention to the actual historical experience of the people's war in Peru and addressing some of the strategic innovations of Chairman Gonzalo and the Communist Party of Peru that go ignored or unstudied by what Lake trenchantly refers to as the "church of PPW universalism." Lake's intervention also addresses the overall legacy of dogmatism within the Maoist movement, the disarray caused by the loss of socialism in China in 1976, the relationship between the subjective forces for revolution and the "objective situation," and other questions of revolutionary strategy being confronted practically today.
We're making kites as accessible as possible by posting each article online along with downloadable PDFs, but we both welcome and encourage you to order one or many copies of the bounded edition available from our distributor Kersplebedeb at LeftWingBooks.net (where bulk-pricing options will be made available to encourage group study and local distribution). For purchases of 10 or more, please contact us directly at kites-journal@protonmail.com. Any proceeds from the sale of kites will be ploughed directly back into efforts to expand its circulation, organizational capacity, and political endeavours being undertaken by those revolutionaries engaging with its contents.
We offer kites in these various formats to project revolutionary communist politics far and wide, but we also want to allow for engagement with this material in a way that minimizes attracting the attention of the repressive-surveillance apparatuses. We definitely encourage those with active social media presences to critically engage with and discuss our materials on their platforms and raise the level of debate above the personal attacks and arrogant posturing that often suffocate revolutionary politics on the Internet. Indeed, we are looking forward to hearing your feedback directly and beginning a conversation around any questions that may arise. That said, let's be clear that all Internet communication can potentially be viewed by our enemies. So if you are seeking to develop a connection with us, especially if you are writing on behalf of an organization, we encourage the use of end-to-end encryption methods (you can find instructions for this in the Contact Us section of our website).
We mandate kites to develop a form through which the theory, strategy, historical and practical summation, and concrete analysis of contemporary conditions – all crucial necessities for building a revolutionary movement aimed at overthrowing capitalism-imperialism North America and throughout the world – is developed, disseminated, and debated. We take this responsibility seriously and with humility, and will do our utmost to rise to the tasks in front of us. We hope others will join us on this endeavour to fly high while staying grounded in the people and with all the challenges ahead.
The contents of issue #1 can be read on the https://kites-journal.org/ website:
The contraband of revolutionary theory (editorial)
The Proletariat: What It Is, What It Ain't
From the Masses, To the Masses: A Summation of the October 22 Coalition's Resistance to Police Brutality in the Late 1990s
On Infantile Internet Disorders and Real Questions of Revolutionary Strategy: A Response to the "Debate" over the Universality of Protracted People's War
kites #1 will be 136 pp. and will be available to ship later in January, but for now it can be pre-ordered from leftwingbooks.net; bulk orders of more than 3+ can be more discounted, email kites-journal@protonmail.com.
K. KersplebedebK. KersplebedebK. Kersplebedeb
Further Thoughts on Repression, by Don Hamerquist
On Reading Petronella Lee's Anti-Fascism Against Machismo: gender politics and the struggle against fascism (Review by Butch Lee)
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Convention for Democracy in Iran, Paris, June 22, 2013 - My name is Sheila Jackson Lee. I am your sister. You are my family. And we are standing together in the struggle and we will never, never give up.
I am privileged to stand here with Republicans and Democrats. My dear friends, Congressman Ted Poe, Congressman William Lacy, former Congressman and mayor Bob Filner, a freedom rider, and we stand here as united Americans, Republicans and Democrats, fighting for freedom with you and we are never giving up.
Convention for Democracy in Iran, Paris, June 22, 2013 - It's an honour for me to share this moment today with the Iranian Community outside Iran. I am here to share your aspirations, your dreams and your goals. The Persian people deserve no less.
The future of democracy in Iran is in the hands of the Iranian people. And that means, of course, that it's in your hands. Your strength and conviction are the key to hope.
Convention for Democracy in Iran, Paris, June 22, 2013 - In the name of God, In the name of Iran, and in the name of freedom. In the name of the heroes of the Iranian people's freedom, from the martyrs of June 20, 1981 and Ashraf Rajavi and Moussa Khiabani, to those massacred and executed in 1988, to Sedigheh Mojaveri and Neda Hassani; from Neda Aqa-Soltan and Sattar Beheshti to the 10 Mojaheds who became immortal on February 9 and June 15 in Liberty.
Convention for Democracy in Iran, Paris, June 22, 2013 - Hello, thank you. We've come a long way together. We haven't reached the top of the mountain. We have to keep climbing. Are you ready to climb?
Convention for Democracy in Iran, Paris, June 22, 2013 - Thank you. Thank you very much. To the sons of liberty and the daughters of democracy of Iran, I bring you greetings from the Congress of the United States of America.


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Pam Muñoz Ryan Talks with Roger
by Roger Sutton
Mar 26, 2015 | Filed in Authors & Illustrators
Talks with Roger is a sponsored supplement to our free monthly e-newsletter, Notes from the Horn Book.
Talks with Roger is a sponsored supplement to our free monthly e-newsletter, Notes from the Horn Book. To receive Notes, sign up here.
Photo: Sean B. Masterson
Where to start? Echo begins in fairy-tale Germany but swiftly moves to the twentieth century, hopping from the German countryside to Philadelphia to Southern California, all settings tied together by…a harmonica? I called Pam Muñoz Ryan to find out the origin of this unlikely story.
Roger Sutton: Echo is such an ambitious book. What was your point of entry? Where did you start?
Pam Muñoz Ryan: Like with many of my books, I set out to start one book, and along the way I get diverted. I was doing research on the nation's first successful desegregation case, in 1931. It's a little-known case, Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District; people don't know much about it because he won in a lower court, so precedent wasn't set. I was at the historical society in Lemon Grove, which is east of San Diego, with this wonderful docent who was helping me go through all these yearbooks. I came across a picture of a country school from the early 1930s. On the steps are integrated classes of children, and each one of them is holding a harmonica. The docent tried to kind of flip past it, saying, "No, no, that was before the segregation issues," and I said, "Wait, wait, wait, what is that, exactly?" And she said, "Oh, you know, that was our elementary school harmonica band. Everybody had one in the twenties and thirties. You know, during the big harmonica band movement."
RS: Absolutely.
PMR: Of course. Why not? Well, that was just dangling a carrot. I asked her more about it, and she said, "Oh, yeah, if we flip forward, you'll find my brother." I went home and couldn't stop thinking about it. I started doing research and found out that there were over 2500 elementary school harmonica bands in the United States during that time, including Albert N. Hoxie's then-famous Philadelphia Harmonica Band of Wizards. They played for Charles Lindbergh's parade, and for three presidents, and at FDR's inauguration.
I love historical fiction. I don't always write it, but I have a huge affection for it, and when I find some little nugget that's a different angle, or something people don't really know about — especially something as endearing and quirky as a harmonica — I'm really taken with it. Two characters started coming to the fore: a girl in this little country school band, maybe in a school that was integrated and then segregated; and a boy in Hoxie's band — through my research I had discovered that the band was full of orphans. So these two characters, Mike and Ivy, started taking shape, and then I started wondering if the same harmonica could have traveled from one character to the other. And then I wondered who had it before them. In the meantime, I was doing all this research on a particular model of harmonica, the Hohner Marine Band, because it was in both photographs — the picture of Hoxie's band that I found and the one of all the kids in the country school (they're all holding that same model). So then I contacted Hohner in the U.S., and they put me in touch with people in Trossingen, Germany, who run a harmonica museum, and they were just wonderful and gracious. I flew to Germany, and the museum was remarkable. Hohner was a master of marketing, and for every world event, there's a commemorative harmonica.
RS: After reading your book I went to the Hohner website to look at the history of some of their models, and there are some really beautiful pieces.
PMR: It's amazing. The museum was very complete. They have models of what the factory looked like at the time of my book. That's where I learned about the young apprentices who worked there, and about the demise of the six-pointed star engraving. And so the character of Friedrich started taking shape. Now I had these three characters, but I didn't want the book to just be episodic, having a harmonica that just travels from person to person to person. I wanted a richer thread to hold it all together, so that's how I started imagining the harmonica's backstory. These three characters are living through some of the darkest and most challenging times in history. Friedrich is in Nazi Germany, for Mike it's the Great Depression, and Ivy is living through the era of segregation. There was something in me that wanted to give them some beauty and light that would give them the impetus to carry on. Something that lifted their self-esteem, or gave them some sort of strength and confidence.
RS: And then how did you get those three sisters in, in the fairy tale that opens the novel?
PMR: I have always been intrigued by fairy tales. I was one of those obsessive readers as a young girl, very much able to suspend disbelief in whatever I was reading, so I really loved fairy tales. I'd always wanted to write one, but I didn't want to write one just for the sake of it. I wanted it to be organic to whatever it was that I was doing, so I set out to write an original fairy tale where magic became imbued into the harmonica. I studied the genre, and I reread a lot of fairy tales. I also reread Philip Pullman's Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm. I love all of his analysis. I think what I love most about fairy tales is that the genre is very different from a novel. In a fairy tale, you tell instead of show. In a novel, you show instead of tell. I had to really adjust my way of thinking, but it was also freeing on some level. I created the fairy tale element so that the harmonica could have the magic it needed, so that each character could feel this euphoric sense of well-being.
RS: Did you write from page one to page six hundred, or were you concentrating on different parts at different times?
PMR: I had started working on it, on some level, before I even went to Trossingen, before I had that third character, so I didn't work on it chronologically. But I did understand the chronology that I wanted in the end.
RS: So you knew you were going to bring two characters together, you just didn't know about the third?
PMR: I knew I needed a third story arc, and I found it when I went to Germany. Once I knew the framework, that it would be three stories framed by a fairy tale, then I was able to begin each story. You have to remember this is six years in the making, so it's hard for me to remember precisely the order. I did work on it in chunks, and of course went back and forth with my editor, but there was so much weaving and reweaving that it's hard to distinguish, especially in the last few years. I am sort of a recursive writer anyway, always going back to the beginning and pulling that thread. I bought a huge seven-foot-long, four-foot-high whiteboard and put it in my office. I wrote the months for each year in which the characters' stories took place, and I had all the leitmotifs—the recurring themes, people, places, and things—in long lists of words and phrases that echoed in each story. Some of them I think the reader will be able to pick out, but many of them I just wanted more on a subconscious level. And then there are these threads of warehousing: in the fairy tale the warehousing of women, in Friedrich's story the warehousing of the Jews, and the warehousing of children in Mike's story, the warehousing of the Japanese and the Mexican Americans in Ivy's story. There were these odd little threads that were woven through the whole book, so it helped me to have this big diagram on the whiteboard, and it helped me to have this visual.
RS: Did I make up the shout-out to Holes?
PMR: You know, you are not the first person to see that. But if I did, it was completely — you mean Louis Sachar's Holes?
RS: Yup. There are peaches.
PMR: What?
RS: You have a jar of peaches in there.
PMR: Oh my god. That is really interesting. I guess as a writer there are so many things you do subconsciously.
RS: Well, I thought of it because you have the same kind of mythic base, and then these braiding stories coming together.
PMR: And I do have that jar of peaches. I didn't do it consciously, though, to be honest.
RS: I think of a book of yours I love, The Dreamer, which is really beautifully contained, kind of gemlike. And now with Echo we have this huge canvas. How was it different to work on?
PMR: Number one, it takes a lot longer. The Dreamer was about one person's life, Pablo Neruda, and it was more linear. This one was just bigger. It's three stories and they needed to have some threads that held them together. Also, because The Dreamer is illustrated, I knew in the back of my mind that Peter Sís was going to say things in his art that I didn't need to say in the book.
RS: It's funny, you keep saying three stories, and I'm thinking about the three stories in the book, but I'm also thinking about the three stories of a house, because they're really built on top of each other.
PMR: Oh, interesting!
RS: The three stories aren't working at the same time. Each one depends upon the one before.
PMR: Right. That's very true. I love that. Whether I ever accomplish it or not, as a writer I want all of that to happen, but I want it to feel organic and integrated. At the end, more than anything, I think my most ardent goal is I want the reader to turn the page.
RS: I remember when Lizette Serrano [from Scholastic] handed the book to me at ALA, and I thought, "Oh, it looks so long." And I started on my diatribe about long books, and Lizette said, "Don't worry. It goes really quickly."
PMR: Did you find that it went quickly?
RS: I did.
PMR: Oh, good. I was happy when I saw the book, because the leading is easy on the eyes, too. There's enough space. It doesn't feel really burdensome.
RS: We old folks bless you.
PMR: Do you want to ask me if I play the harmonica?
RS: Do you play the harmonica?
PMR: I kind of learned how to play some of the songs in the book. It's very easy to do, but I'm not really a musician. I will tell you something interesting that has happened after writing this book. Everywhere I go, I am almost always asked if I still play the cello. It took a long time to figure out why people were asking me that. I think they thought because of how I wrote about the cello music in Friedrich's story that I play the cello.
RS: You're a very accomplished woman. Harmonica, cello, writing.
PMR: Maybe I should say, "Oh, no, I gave that up years ago."
RS: "I gave it up for the harmonica."
PMR: Yes. But I will say this: the wonderful thing about music is you don't have to be a musician to love music, and you don't have to be a writer to love and appreciate books, and you don't have to be an artist to love and dedicate your life to art. That's what I wanted for the story. I wanted that beauty to illuminate my characters' tasks.
Roger Sutton
Roger Sutton has been the editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc, since 1996. He was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and a children's and young adult librarian. He received his M.A. in library science from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a B.A. from Pitzer College in 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @RogerReads.
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text:
Q: C# WPF DataGrid bind IEnumerable I want to do some DataGrid in WPF MVVM. I'm new to this.
Why my simple solution is not working?
I want to Bind this:
public IEnumerable<ZenonClasses.RGMRecipeValue> Values
        {
            get => SelectedPhase?.ValueItems;
        }

to this:
        <DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding Values.VarName}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="171" Margin="10,0,0,0" Grid.Row="4" Grid.RowSpan="5" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="380" Grid.ColumnSpan="2"/>

But my DataGrid is empty.
I guess I need some configuration and I'm looking for simple solution, unfortunately didn't find anything that would enough good explained for me.

A: First of all I will assume your window (xaml) has a datacontext which is the Model View class that implements the property you're mentioning (Values).
If not, then you have to make sure this happens. What I usally do is assign it on the window code behind:
    public MainWindow()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        vm = new YOURVIEWMODELCLASS();
        DataContext = vm;
    }

Then, your DataGrid control needs to have a definition of colums, I don't see this in your code sample, but you need to provide them, so the control knows how many columns to "paint", this is explained here in detail:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.windows.controls.datagrid?view=netframework-4.7.2
Then the "Values" property itself. Your current type is IEnumerable, you may need to change this type to ObservableCollection as this suits better the Databinding in WPF.
Finally, make sure your ModelView class implements the INotifyPopertyChanged interface as it's the mechanism WPF provides to make databinding work effectively. Here's a sample code from one of my apps:
public class MainWindowViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
 private ObservableCollection<Results> searchResults;

 public ObservableCollection<Results> SearchResults { get => searchResults; set { searchResults = value; NotifyPropertyChanged(); } }

#region INotifyPropertyChanged

public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

protected void NotifyPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = "")
{
    if (PropertyChanged != null)
    {
        PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
    }
}

#endregion

//Other code here....

}

In this particular case, my propery SearchResults is displayed in the window using a DataGrid like this:
<DataGrid Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" Grid.ColumnSpan="3" Grid.RowSpan="3" Margin="10" ItemsSource="{Binding SearchResults}" AutoGenerateColumns="False">
        <DataGrid.Columns>
            <DataGridTextColumn Header="Term" Binding="{Binding SearchedTopic}"/>
            <DataGridTextColumn Header="Match Count" Binding="{Binding FoundPaths.Count}" />
        </DataGrid.Columns>
        <DataGrid.RowDetailsTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <DataGrid Margin="5" ItemsSource="{Binding FoundPaths}" AutoGenerateColumns="False">
                    <DataGrid.Columns>
                        <DataGridTextColumn Header="Found" Binding="{Binding}"/>
                    </DataGrid.Columns>
                </DataGrid>
            </DataTemplate>
        </DataGrid.RowDetailsTemplate>
    </DataGrid>

Hope this helps.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Huawei Nova 4e launched with Triple Rear cameras and 32MP selfie camera.
Huawei Nova 4e : Specifications, Price and everything you need to know.
Huawei has launched the Nova 4e in China. The smartphone is the toned version of the Huawei Nova 4 which was launched in December 2018. The Nova 4 was one of the former smartphones to have punch-hole display in the market. Though the Huawei Nova 4e does not feature a punch-hole display but comes with a waterdrop notch display. Most of the Huawei devices nowadays comes with a glass body, so the Nova 4e, and this device has a triple rear camera and 32MP selfie camera, among other features. The main attraction of this budget device is its camera.
Huawei Nova 4e has a 6.15 inches huge FHD+ water-drop notch display. The triple rear camera of this device is totally capable of wide angle photography with brilliant colour production in the pictures. The 32MP selfie camera of this device is one of the prior attraction. Nova 4e packs in the powerful HUAWEI Kirin 710 processor and the latest EMUI 9.0.1 makes it more smooth to use. This device comes in two variant of RAM i.e. 4GB and 6GB, where as both the variant has a 128GB of internal storage.
The latest Huawei mid-range phone houses a 3,340mAh battery with support for up to 18W fast charging over USB Type-C. It also comes with features like HiVision, GPU Turbo 2.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a fingerprint sensor on the back. As of now, the Huawei Nova 4e has been launched in China and there is no word whether the company will launch the phone in India.
The Huawei Nova 4e has been priced at CNY 1,999 (approx Rs 21,000) in China for the base variant that comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The 6GB/128GB version will cost CNY 2,299 (approx Rs 24,000). The Nova 4e is available for pre-orders in China and will go on sale from March 21. The smartphone will likely be announced as the P30 Lite on March 26 when Huawei launches the P30 series in Paris.
Tell us how much you liked the all-new Huawei Nova 4e in the comments section below. For latest Tech & Sports Updates hit the bell icon and Subscribe to our website TechnoSports. For more information visit our website, TechnoSports. And download our app from the Google Play Store for more real-time updates. To download our TechnoSports app click here.


Oh we found the most wondrous place — it's a few miles off 20/59 going west, not too far inside Mississippi, in Kewanee. It's the Simmons-Wright Company, and it's been open since 1884.
Besides all this goodness, it's something of a small grocery store. We loaded up on juice (should have gotten hoop cheese!) and some crackers, and it was back on the road.


Man I had fun on that show, Leah Remini was cool. #EFFENVODKA #FRIGO #SMSAUDIO A photo posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on Dec 1, 2016 at 8:56pm PST 50 Cent Claims Vivica Fox Performed Sexual Favor, Actress Responds: It's a lie!
The Real Housewives of Atlanta is almost back!
Nene Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann are back!!! The rumors are true. 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' stars NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak will team up for a brand new reality show on Bravo!
Will you be tuned in? Check out the trailer below!
Cynthia Bailey claps back after NeNe Leakes interview on Bravo's 'Watch What Happens Live' earlier this week, where she didn't have the nicest things to say about her former best friend.
"BLOOD, Sweat & Heels" took on a new meaning! Bravo star Genena Thomas, 30, was arrested Tuesday night for a violent altercation with co-star Melyssa Ford. See below.
Season two of Married to Medicine premieres Sunday, April 6. Check out the recent previews of what's to come this season.
Former "video vixen" turned realtor Melyssa Ford and New York's leading ladies of BRAVO's, "Blood, Sweat & Heels" Celebrate the launch of the new reality series in New York City. See pics from the event below. Will you be tuning in?
NeNe Leakes tweeted that she's 'blessed to be alive' after she was admitted to the hospital for an "undisclosed" illness.


text:
Home The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of t
The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order (Hardcover)
Scott Hahn | Hardcover
Everyone seems to agree that Western Civilization is in trouble. The problem is that no one agrees on what has gone wrong or what to do about it. Some think we have too much government, some not enough; some think we have too much capitalism, some not enough; some think we have too much sexual freedom, some not enough.
But what if the problem is much more fundamental? What if the problem goes to the very foundations of who we are as human beings in relationship with God?
In The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order, Scott Hahn makes the startling claim that our society's ills and its cures are rooted in whether we reject or accept the divine graces made available through the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
Man, he argues, is social in his very nature. We were created for community. As it was in the beginning, so it remains today. The family, formed through the Sacrament of Matrimony, is the most basic building block of every society—whether we like it or not. We've corrupted marriage, and so we have a corrupt society. If we get marriage right, our society, through God's grace, will flourish.
This is so because Matrimony, like all the sacraments, heals and elevates human nature. Without marriage, our ambitions toward a just social order will remain forever foolhardy. With it, the seemingly impossible, a truly peaceful and humane civilization, becomes possible.
SKU/ISBN: 9781947792548 Author: Scott Hahn Publisher: Emmaus Road Publishing


text:
A look back at Octopath Traveler now that Triangle Strategy is here
By Samuel Tolbert
Octopath Traveler Art 1080p (Image credit: Square Enix)
With Triangle Strategy now available (at the time of this being written, our review is currently underway) we wanted to look back at the game single-handedly responsible for ensuring Triangle Strategy came to be. That bullet point belongs the 2017 JRPG Octopath Traveler.
Co-developed between Square Enix and Acquire Corp, Octopath Traveler would become the first in what is referred to as a spiritual series of "HD-2D" games, with the design mixing 2D sprites and HD artwork, resulting in some truly gorgeous games. In doing so, it's laid the foundation for a JRPG renaissance at Square Enix.
Understanding the history
Octopath Traveler Snake (Image credit: Square Enix)
While Triangle Strategy was developed by a different team called Artdink, there's no denying where it gets its DNA. Octopath Traveler was built using Unreal Engine 4 in a particular style, emulating the top-down perspective of older JRPG titles, while still embracing more modern graphical designs.
Initially launching exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler's graphics and gameplay were praised, with innovations in both even as they were kept faithful to the nature of past titles like the original Final Fantasy games.
I'm not personally as well-versed in JRPGs as many other people are, but the striking graphics immediately caught my eye. Watching the trailer for Octopath Traveler for the first time is, I believe, the closest thing anyone in more recent generations can get to seeing Final Fantasy 6 on the SNES for the first time.
The narrative focused on eight different characters: Ophilia the Cleric, Cyrus the Scholar, Tressa the Merchant, Olberic the Warrior, Primrose the Dancer, Alfyn the Apothecary, Therion the Thief, and H'aanit the Hunter (note the first letter of every character's name).
Players picked a starting point with one particular character but eventually unlocked all of them, with the plot growing from interpersonal struggles to unraveling ancient mysteries. Many people have joked that a game isn't really a JRPG unless you start out with simple errands and up fighting god, a throughline that Octopath Traveler delivers through its gargantuan scope.
Octopath Traveler was generally well-received, being ported to PC in 2020 and Xbox One in 2021. As of February 2021, the game has gone on to sell over 2.5 million copies before arriving on Xbox, a success that Square Enix wouldn't ignore looking ahead, as the company would go on to plan out spiritual sequels and remakes alike using this exact format.
Octopath Traveler Deal (Image credit: Square Enix)
In many ways, the technology, presentation, and style of Octopath Traveler can almost be said to be more important than the game itself. The fragmented story of Octopath Traveler, told mostly across eight different characters, was widely seen by players and critics as the weakest part. It's this particular aspect that producer Tomoya Asano — who worked on both Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy — seems to have focused on improving, with the central plot and decision-making receiving a huge focus in Triangle Strategy.
Instead of choosing between characters to start the game, Triangle Strategy focuses on a central protagonist, with more characters added to the supporting roster as time goes on. Straight away, the story is one of political intrigue and conflict, with tension between the three kingdoms of Glenbrook, Hyzante, and Aesfrost. It's garnered praise so far, and we'll be sure to share our thoughts in our review when it's live.
What could the future hold?
Octopath Traveler Snow (Image credit: Square Enix)
Triangle Strategy is the second game build with the now codified 2D-HD style, but it won't be the last. Square Enix has confirmed that remakes of Dragon Quest 3 and Live A Live are both being made using this exact presentation, so it's something the company clearly has future plans for. Final Fantasy fans everywhere are constantly begging for a remake of Final Fantasy 6 as a 2D-HD game and while the existence of the mobile-focused Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters make that somewhat unlikely, nothing is impossible, especially if these games continue to be received well critically and commercially.
Some of these games will go on to be in the roster of the best Nintendo Switch games available. Others likely won't, and that's okay. There's potential here that both pays homage to the roots of JRPGs as a genre, while also moving these types of games forward technologically in a much-needed way.
Stunning adventure
$70 at Amazon (Nintendo Switch) (opens in new tab)
If you're looking for a massive, gorgeous JRPG to sink time into, this is one to try. Just make sure you've got plenty of free time.
Samuel Tolbert
Samuel Tolbert is a freelance gaming writer who started working for iMore and its sister sites Windows Central and Android Central in July 2019. He handles news, previews, reviews, and exclusive original reporting, and has also been featured on TechRadar.
With a background studying engineering before he shifted his focus to gaming journalism, he's skilled at identifying technical advantages and disadvantages provided by different hardware. If he's not writing something, he's off playing video games, spending time with his pets, exercising, or reading. He's also fond of trying to draw things with his iPad.
Great article! The music in Octopath Traveler is some of the best video game music I've heard in a long time. Though I'm not really into exhaustingly long JRPGs, I had a great time with what I did play.
Thanks! "Exhaustingly long" is unfortunately a JRPG staple, but Octopath Traveler caught my eyes and ears for a few reasons. I'm glad Square Enix seems to have recognized why it attracted this attention.


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text:
Covid, soaring inflation threaten second winter of woe for world economy
by AIP Online Bureau | Nov 21, 2021 | Eco/Invest/Demography, International News, Pandemic, Policy | 0 comments
With parts of Europe confronting renewed restrictions to contain another wave of the virus, China's rebound fading and rising infections taking hold in America too, much of the global economy is now staring at the threat of a second northern winter of woe, compounded by a cost-of-living squeeze amid surging gas prices and supply bottlenecks
The world economy is approaching the northern hemisphere winter in disarray, unable to shake off the coronavirus crisis amid persisting supply disruptions, soaring prices and resurgent outbreaks. .
Global surveys of purchasing managers this week are likely to point that way. Among the outcomes anticipated by economists are slowing manufacturing and services activity throughout the euro zone and the U. K., and only modest improvement in the U. S.
With parts of Europe confronting renewed restrictions to contain another wave of the virus, China's rebound fading and rising infections taking hold in America too, much of the global economy is now staring at the threat of a second northern winter of woe, compounded by a cost-of-living squeeze amid surging gas prices and supply bottlenecks.
Europe is at the sharper end of the advanced-world wedge. Record infections in Germany might push authorities to announce new lockdowns, and Austria has already done just that. The continent as a whole is enduring a painful peak in consumer prices.
In the U. S., meanwhile, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said he sees no more than a 15% chance that "it's all going to work out well," with the probabilities much greater for either stubbornly high inflation or a slump in growth.
The extent to which such outcomes play out will inform monetary policy deliberations on the speed of stimulus withdrawal across the Group of Seven, culminating in a grand finale of decisions in mid-December. That's when central banks, including the U. S. Federal Reserve, hold their final meetings of the year.
"Much of Europe is retreating again in the face of a fourth wave of Covid-19, and survey data next week should give some early clues about the economic impact of rising infection rates."
Elsewhere this week, monetary officials in New Zealand and South Korea may raise interest rates, and minutes of the most recent meetings of the Fed and the European Central Bank will be released.A pre-holiday feast of economic data and a possible announcement on President Joe Biden's choice to lead the Federal Reserve will be laid out for investors over the coming week.
The government's report on personal income and spending, which includes an inflation measure tracked by the Fed, will be the main course on data-heavy Wednesday before markets close the following day for Thanksgiving.
Other releases on Wednesday include durable goods orders, revised third-quarter economic growth, new-home sales, merchandise trade, and a final read on consumer sentiment.
Existing home purchase data and surveys on November manufacturing and services will surface earlier in the week.
Also on Wednesday, the Fed will release minutes of its early-November policy meeting in which the U. S. central bank announced it would start reducing asset purchases.
Meantime, the White House says Biden will announce whether he'll renominate Jerome Powell to a second term as chair of the central bank, or opt for Fed Governor Lael Brainard instead.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Bank of Korea are both expected to raise interest rates for the second time since the pandemic as they lead the pack in Asia taking action to step back from full-throttle stimulus and get ahead of the curve in stemming any inflation risks.
Preliminary South Korean trade figures should back up the case for a hike even if they show signs of stabilizing from stellar year-on-year gains.
Reserve Bank of Australia officials will be speaking on panels and may shed some light on how strongly the central bank will stick with its back-of-the-rate-hike-pack stance.
Tokyo inflation figures at the end of the week will show if Japan is seeing more signs of a pickup in prices as energy costs soar. China sets its loan prime rate on Monday and Sri Lanka sets rates on Thursday.
With more than two weeks left before ECB officials enter the quiet period before their all-important decision on the future of stimulus, comments from several of them may rivet investors. President Christine Lagarde will be among the policy makers speaking.
The ECB will also release an account of its previous meeting in October, when Lagarde and colleagues struggled to convince financial markets that bets on an interest-rate hike in 2022 to tame inflation were probably misplaced.
Aside from the monthly purchasing manager survey results due across the continent, Germany's Ifo index on Wednesday will provide another snapshot of Europe's biggest economy — just as it reels from ongoing supply interruptions, new infections, and a political system in flux amid continued coalition negotiations.
The Bank of England's decision in December looks laden with suspense on whether policy makers will raise interest rates. Public remarks in the coming week by Governor Andrew Bailey and a couple of colleagues might therefore attract attention.
Sweden's central bank will make its final monetary decision of the year on Thursday. With the Riksbank expected to keep its interest rate unchanged at zero for some time, the focus is likely to be on whether it will signal a hike by the end of 2024.
Further afield, Israel is expected to keep borrowing costs on hold on Monday due to strong growth and slowing inflation, driven in large part by the shekel.
In Russia, weekly inflation on Wednesday will be watched closely for any clues on whether price pressures are beginning to ease, as many economists have forecast.
Policy makers in Ghana are expected to leave interest rates on hold on Monday, after inflation accelerated to a 15-month high in October. Nigeria's central bank is also expected to stand pat on Tuesday, as inflation moderates and after economic growth slowed in the third quarter.
Argentina's budget balance data due Monday should underscore the challenge of putting its debt back on a path to sustainability. Falling case numbers in Mexico have seen same-store sales rebound, a likely harbinger of stronger September retail sales readings out Tuesday.
Economic activity in Argentina has been surprising analysts to the upside since mid-year, and has returned to its pre-pandemic level. Analysts see additional growth in the September figures.
Look for Brazil's mid-month consumer price data out Thursday to push higher from mid-October's 10.34% print. Yet after a sustained rise since May 2020, some deceleration is seen ahead: Economists surveyed by the central bank see year-end inflation at 9.77%, while the central bank puts it at 9.5%.Mexico, final third-quarter output data is expected, with all indications still pointing to a solid 2021 rebound.
Economists see mid-month inflation rising sharply, consistent with Banxico Deputy Governor Jonathan Heath's view that it may hit 7.3% by year-end.Lastly, Banxico posts the minutes of its Nov. 11 meeting where it hiked the key rate a quarter-point for a fourth straight time to 5%.


text:
Before performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and said solemnly, "Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?"
"I think so," the man replied. "My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our guests."
"I don't mean that," the priest responded. "I mean, are you prepared spiritually?"
"Oh, sure," came the reply. "I've got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey."
#joke #beer
Joke of the day - Baptism
is the best Joke for Friday, 13 October 2017 from site Jokes - Baptism.


How do you feel about control? Do you like to decide what you do with your own time? Or do you prefer sticking to someone else's timetable? I know which I prefer.
If you're reading this you've (hopefully…) realised that you and/or your staff need to undergo some serious food hygiene training. But what you might be wondering is whether or not you should do the hygiene training course online, or get a nice lady or gent to come and provide training to you and/or your team in the workplace.
First things first: it's absolutely your choice.
Some people prefer the hands on approach they get with an onsite training provider or college course and that's fine.
However, working within the catering industry for years, we have found that our trainees have never regretted completing their course online, whether it was a health & safety training course, food hygiene or another course.
With most online training courses you'll find that there's a handy 'stop and start' function so you can pause your training whenever you want a break, or even spread it over your working weeknights. Online food hygiene training is a much more flexible way to enhance your knowledge and get qualified quicker.
Using an online training provider is generally cheaper than taking a college course or hosting an onsite training day. Plus, with online training, the cost of the actual qualification and certificate is actually included in the price – you won't always find that with onsite training.
When you're looking for training courses online, it's easy to see whether or not they have been City and Guilds accredited. Some companies offer training and certificates that aren't rigorous enough and which EHOs don't always accept.
NCASS Training courses have actually been accredited by City and Guilds and NCASS's Primary Authority partners, Cherwell District Council.
As such they're the most highly accredited and reputed online food hygiene training courses available in the catering industry.
With digital capabilities at the level they are now, online training providers have the opportunity to create training that's incredibly accessible, simple to use and even attractive to look at (who'd have thought it?).
If you've got staff to train, the online training options available to you mean that you don't need to take a day out of their schedule to get them qualified. You can ask your staff to complete food hygiene training online in their own time (and could always recap on what they've learnt during a day shift).
If you are now convinced of the benefits of completing your course online, but are still unsure of which online food hygiene training course you should do, have a look at our online course finder!
You can also find out more about training online with NCASS and get in touch with a member of our team to further discuss your needs or requirements.


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We take you to the next level. We push the creative button and get moving with hot marketing concepts, strategic planning, and a get-it-done attitude.
We do: Marketing concepts and development for industrial, manufacturing, commercial, consumer, and business-to-business.
You hired us for our creativity, so let us do it. Don't worry, you'll have your chance to kick it around.
Our skills include: Communications and design, brand development, production, project management, and dimensional design for exhibits and interiors.
You guessed it, the people that do this work are not the old guys in the front office. They know where your ISP is.
We're better than anyone at: Website marketing and SEO strategies, website development, hosting, maintenance, site management, social media, app development, and mobile marketing.
Most people these days are reading books via e-readers, DVR-ing their favorite TV shows, and listening to satellite radio. Media is constantly changing, and we're always keeping up with the latest technology.
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We like mixing with the customers. They are like us, so we understand what drives them.
Just for fun we do: Corporate events, marketing tours, staged programs, and grassroot marketing campaigns.
Thinking is where it all starts. Sometimes we just sit around and think, hmm, wouldn't it be cool to have a…nope that will never fly. Okay, rewind, keep on thinking. Never stop.
Once we do have our thoughts together, we present what we know you will like. Then it's on to preparing budgets (because everything has a budget), schedules, and meeting your timeline.
After we have received your feedback, input and…okay, budget changes, we are ready to wrap it up. But one thing must take place, and that is to proof, proof, and proof again. Doing the job right means on time and on budget.


text:
Springtime for Shakespeare
By Theodore Dalrymple 2010-04-19T03:05:46
Some people find the world so various and so interesting that they can never fix their attention on anything long enough to become truly expert. They therefore never amount to anything much intellectually -- alas, I am of their company. It is too late to change now.
Among my many desultory interests is the Baconian theory of Shakespearean authorship. It is interesting mainly from the psychological point of view. Many erudite men and women, and even brilliant ones, have wasted their substance or ruined themselves on trying to prove that Bacon was Shakespeare. They have constructed elaborate cipher machines, they have dredged the River Wye for manuscripts, they have consulted spirit mediums to contact Shakespeare and Bacon directly, all to prove their darling theory. Next to Man's love of dog, it is perhaps Mankind's most endearing quality, that he should be prepared to devote himself utterly to a futile but harmless quest.
It was only to be expected, therefore, that I should buy Professor James Shapiro's book, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?, the moment I saw it in the bookshops. His erudition gave me intense pleasure, despite a vague guilt that I had that I was wasting my time and energy on so trifling a matter in a world of catastrophes and disasters, past, present and to come.
Professor Shapiro too, is interested in the psychology (and the sociology) of those who oppose the Stratfordians, as those who continue stubbornly to believe that William Shakespeare was the author of the plays commonly attributed to him are known by assorted company, or monstrous regiment, of Baconians, Oxfordians, Marlovians, Rutlandians etc.
There is one thing, however, that I think Professor Shapiro gets wrong, as many people do, though this in no way detracts from the overall value of his book. He describes the social ideas of the man, J.T. Looney, who first put forward the hypothesis that Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, was the author of the plays. Looney believed that the author of the plays (and this would be so whoever he was) subscribed to a medieval rather than a modern view of society, preferring monarchy, strict social hierarchy, and the role of guilds to anomic democracy, social mobility, and capitalism.
Sigmund Freud, a lover of the plays, became an ardent Oxfordian, having been converted by reading Looney's book. But, says Shapiro:
Looney's retrograde vision comes too close for comfort to Freud's account of the Nazi rise to power when he described "the ideal of Hitlerism" as "purely medieval and reactionary."
That year Freud had also written to Ernest Jones that "We are in transition toward a rightist dictatorship…"
This seems to me to be confusion. On the evidence that Shapiro himself supplies, Looney was not a democrat, but he was not a Nazi either. He did not want the Nazis to win the war; he preferred that the Allies did so. He thought the Nazis were barbarians, and his criticism of modern democratic society appears to have been made on civilizational grounds, not racial or economic ones. This criticism might have its dangers, but is not wholly preposterous or malicious, especially if you judge a civilization by its highest artistic products (which might not be a correct view, but is not an utterly contemptible one either). Medieval Siena, for example, probably had a tenth of the population of Akron, Ohio, but it is difficult to believe that in 600 years' time people will find the remnants of modern-day Akron as beautiful, inspiring, or worth preserving as those of medieval Siena today. Of course, I might be wrong: it will rather depend on the general state of Mankind in 600 years.
The worst thing about the passage that I have quoted is its apparent endorsement, or uncritical acceptance, of Freud's characterization of the Nazis as "right-wing." This seems to me simplistic to the point of dishonesty, or at least symptomatic of a desire that complex social and political realities should be located on an analogue scale from right to left or left to right. If such a scale must be used, it seems to me that there is as much, if not more, reason to place Nazism on the left of it rather than on the right.
Not that this would be satisfactory, far from it. As Bishop Butler said, every thing is what it is and not another thing; Nazism was what it was and not another thing. If it could not, and cannot, be fitted neatly on to a political analogue scale, so much the worse for the scale. To change the figure of speech, we must not construct Procrustean conceptual beds.
Does it matter, however, if Nazism -- being what it was and not another thing -- is routinely characterized as being right-wing? I think that it does matter, for the following reason. There is a false syllogism that has a profound psychological effect:
Nazism was right-wing.
Conservatism is right-wing.
Therefore Nazism was conservative and conservatism is Nazi.
But Nazism was not conservative; when the Nazis called their advent revolutionary, they were right. There was nothing conservative about their movement at all. But the "syllogism" above has insinuated deeply into the minds of our intelligentsia, which is why so many of them are afraid of the supposed taint of conservatism.
Let me just repeat, however: this, in the context of Professor Shapiro's book is all en passant: if you are in any way interested in pedantic eccentricity and mad erudition, this is the book for you.
https://pjmedia.com/blog/springtime-for-shakespeare/


The perfect tableside condiment for any beef dish you cook up!
Creme Fraiche is what chefs call sour cream. Buying sour cream is too easy, and making it at home is only slightly harder.
You can use this spice mixture to season crispy items that come out of your oven, or you can use it as a rub for meat you'll grill or roast later in the day.
Orecchiette are small hand made pasta shells. The term is Italian for "little ear". Each orecchiette should be the size of a thumb nail and should the be shape of a dome. This little pasta is easy to make with kids and makes for a fun family activity. Serve the pasta with a traditional Italian sugo, or stew or alongside freshly grilled garden vegetables, especially bitter greens like rapini or broccoli.
This is the perfect condiment for freshly cooked trout. The bright acidity from the lemons combined with the fragrance of rosemary and the warmth of black pepper. Make a batch and keep this in the fridge for a few weeks.
Korean BBQ is a great set of cuisine to explore for your Share of Beef.
Once you've got the rub made, apply it to some of your Share of Chicken.
It's the perfect condiment for your Share of Chicken.
While traditional versions of this dish are made with ground beef, we recommend that you hand chop one of the steaks in your Share of Beef.


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When reviewing controversial new books of social science or humanities, the New York Times Book Review's method resembles fraternity hazing more than literary criticism. Invariably, a new title that presents an original thesis in a field like psychology, sociology, philosophy or biology will be assigned to an academic who has devoted his or her life and career to a completely incompatible thesis, who will then proceed to annihiliate the book. It's like watching a guy with a sledgehammer review a work of sculpture. One can only assume the Book Review approves of this long-running sadistic practice.
Please note that I am not against viciously nasty book reviews in this or any publication. I love a good slash-up. But when the Book Review is introducing me to a new original idea, it defeats the purpose to present the idea to me via the dulcet tones of a sneering academic. If the idea was worth a NYTBR article in the first place, then the NYTBR should at least give the idea a minute to breathe before butchering it.
I'm thinking of last week's one-sided battle between Daniel Dennett and Leon Wieseltier, which occupies the entire Letters section in today's publication, and I'm thinking of today's review of a book called This Changes Everything: The Relational Revolution in Psychology by Christina Robb, who is apparently a student and admirer of three psychological theorists, Carol Gilligan, Jean Baker Miller and Judith Lewis Herman, who have become identified with a new approach known as Relational Psychology.
I know a lot about relational databases but nothing about relational psychology, which seems to locate the core of human motivation not in the will for individual success and happiness but in the carrying out of goals shared between people, and in the problems and issues people have in connecting to each other. As explained by reviewer Annie Murphy Paul, this approach seems quite fascinating and thought-provoking, and so I was disappointed when Paul's review turned into a heckling session. I'm not even going to quote her dull rebuttals and conventional snarky one-liners, because I've read this kind of thing a thousand times before. The fact that Paul chooses to dismiss this book as "windy nonsense" and comes up with a couple of good jokes at its expense does not in any way persuade me that the book deserves such treatment; it only shows that this review is Paul's moment in the spotlight and she's sure as hell not going to let Christina Robb get the applause. Robb, I am sure, is now composing her letter to the editor, which will be published in two weeks along with a snarky "Annie Murphy Paul replies:" follow-up, and the game continues.
So much for the social sciences. The best thing today's Book Review gives me is a sparkling half-page by Atlantic Monthly editor David Barber on The Sights Along The Harbor by the notable poet Harvey Shapiro. The critic's language is exquisite and his enthusiasm is refreshing. Nicholas Christopher's engaging analysis of Louise Gluck's new Averno is also a rewarding read.
I'm glad to see the increasingly iconic Erica Jong show up to review Sarah Dunant's In The Company of the Courtesan, and Lucinda Resenfeld does fine in covering Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes by T Cooper. Pankaj Mishra's take on David Foster Wallace's Consider the Lobster is limp and also late on arrival (damn, I already covered this book, and if I beat the Book Review by a month that's pretty sad).
Lee Siegel's endpaper, yet another yet another yet another attempt at James Frey inspired humor, is also pretty sad. It has one good line, in which a fact-checker complains to St. Luke, "We're going to get a lot of epistles". But really, it's time for the Book Review to find a better use for each week's endpaper and give up on this attempt to present original satire in this space. Humor is just not the Book Review's forte, and it's starting to make me feel sorry for them.
This article is part of the series Reviewing the New York Times Book Review. The next post in the series is Reviewing the Review: March 19 2006. The previous post in the series is Reviewing the Review: March 5 2006.
3 Responses to "Reviewing the Review: March 12 2006"
Levi, I disagreeI finally got the chance to read Annie Murphy Paul's review of This Changes Everything by Christina Robb. It seems to me that you characterized the review as shriller than what it really is. The book is, after all, non-fiction, so the reviewer is within her rights to point out flaws in the author's research. Paul does say, "And yet the idea that relationships are critical to our mental health is an important one - so important that the movement that produced it deserves the tribute of a trenchant examination." At least two of the book's shortcomings pointed out by the reviewer, failure to substantially address the skeptics or to demonstrate real-world applications of the theories therein, seem sound enough to me.
Well, Bill, I may have been overly cranky in my response. That wouldn't be the first time this has happened.


There have been as many books and articles written about time management as almost any other subject in the personal and professional development eld. Time management is not a time management issue. Almost everyone knows that you should complete your most urgent, important, critical tasks every day. Almost everyone knows that planning your day makes more sense than letting others do your planning for you. Everyone knows, but very few do … Why?
In our rapidly changing, time-conscious world, we are forced to get more done … with fewer people … in less time. The quantity of time will not change. There are always 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in a hour, and 24 hours in a day. Therefore, what needs to change is our perception of time and how we manage our time, both professionally and personally.
As a result of this Time Strategies process you will be able to determine that each remaining day in your life will be invested in those activities which will return the personal and professional rewards that you desire. This process will help you overcome procrastination, help you effectively prioritize, and help you invest your time wisely.


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Tag: peta michael vick
PETA Blasts New Michael Vick Documentary Series
Animal rights group PETA is pissed off after hearing the news convicted dog abuser Michael Vick will be starring in a new documentary series about his life on BET. Just two weeks after his first NFL game after being released from prison, Vick has landed a deal to star in an eight-part series on BET he hopes will improve his image with the public.
"I just want people to really get to know me as an individual," Vick told the L.A. Times. "What I want to do is change the perception of me. I am a human being. I've made some mistakes in the past, and I wish it had never happened. But it's not about how you fall, but about how you pick yourself up."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) disagrees. The organization thinks Michael Vick should be shunned after his conviction and prison sentence for running a dog-fighting ring.
"People who abuse animals don't deserve to be rewarded," a PETA spokesman said. "They shouldn't be given multimillion-dollar contracts or given the privilege of being a role model."
Posted on October 7, 2009 Author Cameron BrodyCategories UncategorizedTags Michael Vick, michael vick documentary, michael vick nfl, michael vick peta, michael vick reality series, michael vick tv show, peta michael vick6 Comments on PETA Blasts New Michael Vick Documentary Series


On the evening of March 1st, 2016 there was a devastating severe weather event that affected a lot of communities in Illinois. The towns of Naplate Illinois and Ottawa Illinois were hit hard by an EF 3 tornado. Many residents were affected. You can help by donating your time or money to the local office of the American Red Cross or regional Salvation Army office. Also, check with the city of Ottawa before donating material goods. Often times material donations sent with good intentions can inundate the community with too many of the same items. We were on the ground and saw firsthand how important these organizations are in helping residents immediately after natural disasters. Below is the contact information for the regional and local offices for these organizations as well as local donation funds. Please consider donating to local funds as they will go directly to the residents.


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How much rain will Ida dump on Lehigh Valley?…
How much rain will Ida dump on Lehigh Valley? When? Here's what to expect
By Andrew Scott and Molly Bilinski | mbilinski@mcall.com |
PUBLISHED: September 1, 2021 at 1:53 a.m. | UPDATED: September 1, 2021 at 1:55 a.m.
Tropical Storm Ida will pass through the Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, dumping at least 3 inches of rain.
Some spots across the region, however, are forecast to see even more — up to 6 inches in some places.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch, which is in effect from 8 a.m. Wednesday through 11 a.m. Thursday for Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Montgomery, Carbon, Monroe, Delaware, Chester and Philadelphia counties.
Between 1 and 2 inches of rain will fall during the day Wednesday, with a 90% chance of rain for the region, according to the NWS.
During the evening and overnight hours, the bulk of the storm will be over the region.
The chance of rain will hold steady at 90%, with 2-3 inches of rain possible.
Thursday Morning
Before the storm clears our area, there's a chance of rain, with around half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Areas in pink will see the greatest flash flooding risk from the remnants of Ida.
Where to expect flooding
With the amount of rain Ida is predicted to bring to the region, flooding is likely.
Creeks, streams, urban areas, and poor drainage areas are likely to flood, according to the weather service. Water is also likely to cover the roads, especially in low lying areas. And with the ground already saturated from recent heavy rainfalls, the potential for life-threatening flash floods is more likely.
Forecasters are keeping an eye on the Lehigh River, which they believe will reach flood stage, but are less worried about the Delaware.
Minor flooding is expected to occur along the Lehigh at Walnutport, which is forecast to crest just above 9 feet Thursday morning. Minor flooding occurs there at 8 feet. In Bethlehem, the Lehigh is forecast to crest around 15 feet, just below minor flood stage of 16 feet, on Thursday afternoon.
Morning Call reporter Molly Bilinski can be reached at mbilinski@mcall.com.
A map of the severe weather risk to the region from Ida.
lehigh river
lehigh valley
Molly Bilinski | Reporter
Molly Bilinski is a reporter for The Morning Call.
mbilinski@mcall.com
Follow Molly Bilinski @MollyBilinski
Making travel plans? Southwest's holiday meltdown may be a sign of air travel drama to come
How much snow fell Wednesday in the Lehigh Valley? Totals from around the region


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What's In Rachel Zoe's Summer 2020 Box of Style?
By Julia O'Donnell
As sunny days grow longer, stylish women everywhere are updating their wardrobes in anticipation of warm weather. One of their smartest tricks you can steal? Pick up the latest box of seasonally inspired goodies from Rachel Zoe's fashion and beauty subscription, Box of Style. Inspired by the laid-back glamour of tropical getaways and dinners al fresco, this season's box features five curated must-haves to help you get a jumpstart on your summer style. Intrigued? To discover exactly what's in Rachel Zoe's Summer 2020 Box of Style, just keep reading.
Hand-selected by Rachel Zoe herself, the fashion pieces in this season's Box of Style were chosen for their effortless versatility. These are three impossibly glamorous staples — a one-of-a-kind sarong, which was created as a collaboration between designer Peter Kom and Rachel Zoe; a go-anywhere weekender bag from a chic sustainable brand; and a gorgeous pair of hand-crafted earrings — that you'll love using all season long, for this summer and many more to come. But that's not all: In this summer's Box of Style, you'll also receive two full-sized beauty products from Kosas and Grown Alchemist, both of which can be incorporated seamlessly into any summer beauty routine. And, while the retail prices for all five luxe finds add up to a total of over $500, you'll get the entire box for just $99.
Or, better still, get an annual subscription for $350, and you'll receive a new Box of Style to refresh your wardrobe each season. Unlike many similar subscription services, Box of Style gives you full-sized beauty products and fashion pieces from brands that you'll actually recognize and love. And, because each box is carefully curated to include only the most timeless, versatile pieces, you'll never need to worry about receiving products you won't use.
Scroll on to take a deeper peek into Rachel Zoe's Summer 2020 Box of Style.
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
Subscribe To Box Of Style:
See On Box Of Style
Keep scrolling to learn more about the products featured in this season's box.
A One-Of-A-Kind Sarong That Can Be Worn So Many Different Ways
Peter Som Dream Floral Print Sarong, Meteorite or Rose Quartz
Retails at $195
Absolutely dripping in effortless glamour, the gorgeous print on this one-of-a-kind sarong came straight from the runway archives of designer Peter Som, and was re-colored as part of a collaboration with Rachel Zoe herself. Endlessly versatile, it can be worn dozens of different ways, including as a dress. Take your pick between two gorgeous colors: meteorite or rose quartz.
A Bronzing Blush & Highlighter Duo To Enhance Your Summer Glow
Kosas Color & Light Palette- Tropic Equinox
Retails at $34
By now, we all know that daily sunscreen is absolutely non-negotiable — but thanks to this bronzing cream blush and highlighter duo from Kosas, you can still achieve the perfect sun-kissed glow all summer long. The palette includes a brightening cream blush and a prismatic highlighter in a complementary shade. Both creamy, buildable formulas are cruelty-free, easy to blend, and packed with nourishing natural ingredients like rosehip and jojoba seed oils.
An Elegant Weekender Bag From A Chic Sustainable Brand
Henny + Lev Weekender
Henny+Lev has earned a stellar reputation for making the most luxurious bags and accessories using sustainable materials — and this sturdy weekender is certainly no exception. Consider it your trusty travel companion for weekend getaways, afternoons at the beach, and quick trips to the gym. It's roomy enough for all the essentials and more, and because it's made of durable canvas and trimmed with the highest grade waterborne PU leather, it'll literally hold up as long as you love it.
A Hydrating Moisturizer That Won't Leave Your Skin Greasy Or Shiny
Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream
During the summer, when sweat and heat often make skin more prone to shine, Grown Alchemist's hydrating facial moisturizer will truly be a lifesaver. The nourishing, non-greasy formula instantly — and quite significantly — improves the hydration levels of thirsty skin, without leaving behind a greasy residue. Formulated with naturally derived ingredients like aloe vera, glycerin, and several different botanical oils, its velvety texture leaves skin feeling smooth, supple, and perfectly prepped for makeup application. In fact, you may even end up using it in place of a traditional primer.
An Intricate Pair Of Earrings That Are Hand-Crafted By Women
Panacea Beaded Tassel Earrings
To finish off the box, there's these gorgeous earrings from Panacea, a small, woman-owned business whose hand-crafted designs have been beloved by the fashion set for more than a decade. Somehow trendy and timeless all at once, the earrings are made of delicate seed beads and have a dangling tassel design that's lightweight and comfortable to wear. They'll look gorgeous with all your breezy dresses and skirts (that sarong!) and are also an effortless way to elevate a simple top and jeans.
How Fashion Brands Are Using Alternative Delivery Methods To Fulfill Your Orders
The Limited-Edition Biden-Harris Merch To Shop Before Inauguration Day
By Marina Liao
The Emerging Bag Trends Of The 2021 Runways & How To Decide Which One Is Right For You


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Federal student loan interest rates about to get first cut in 3 years
Beginning July 1, the new rate will be 4.529% on the Federal Stafford loan for undergraduates. The rate will be 7.079% for Federal Parent PLUS loans.
Federal student loan interest rates about to get first cut in 3 years Beginning July 1, the new rate will be 4.529% on the Federal Stafford loan for undergraduates. The rate will be 7.079% for Federal Parent PLUS loans. Check out this story on Freep.com: https://www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2019/05/09/federal-student-loan-rates/1142742001/
Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 a.m. ET May 9, 2019
Getting into college is a big milestone, but do you have a plan to pay for it? GET Creative, for College Ave Student Loans
High school grads on their way to college — as well as returning college students — just got a bit of a financial gift.
Interest rates on new federal student loans made on or after July 1 will be lower than they are now. It's the first rate cut in three years.
Rates will decrease by 0.516 percentage points for new federal student loans made on or after July 1 through June 30, 2020.
The new fixed interest rates will be 4.529% on the Federal Stafford loan for undergraduate students.
The rate is 6.079% for the Federal Stafford loan for graduate students and 7.079% for the Federal Grad PLUS and Federal Parent PLUS loans.
It's not a huge savings but it's real money.
The lower rates would drive the monthly loan payments down by about 2.4%, assuming a 10-year repayment term, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher and vice president of research for Savingforcollege.com.
"For most borrowers," he said, "that yields a decrease of just a few dollars a month."
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"The typical borrower will save $2 to $3 a month or about $300 in total, assuming a 10-year repayment plan," Kantrowitz said.
The new rates do not apply to existing loans. The new rates do not apply to private student loans; the interest rates on private student loans typically change monthly, even for fixed interest rates, Kantrowitz said.
Kantrowitz noted that the interest rates on federal education loans are fixed, which means they remain the same over the life of the loan.
Each year's new federal students loans have a new interest rate, which is based on the high yield of the last 10-year Treasury Note auction in May.
Over time, of course, students can save a good deal of money with lower rates. The average savings on federal student loans taken out during the 2019-20 academic year will range from $199 for undergraduates to $805 for graduate students taking out PLUS loans, according to Credible.com.
The $199 estimate is based on loans taken out in 2019-20, based on average annual borrowing of $6,570 for undergraduate students. The estimated $805 in savings for graduate students is based on average annual borrowing of $24,810.
To save more money, of course, students need to continue to watch how much money they're borrowing.
Kantrowitz offers these tips:
Remember, every dollar you borrow will cost about $2 by the time you repay the debt, given the typical mix of repayment plans and capitalization of interest that accrues during the in-school period.
"Every dollar you save is a dollar less you'll have to borrow," he said. He noted that the new rate is 4.529% — so it should remind families about the benefits of putting money in college-related, tax-advantaged 529 savings plans.
Some private student loans will reduce the interest rate on your private student loans if you agree to make interest-only or fixed payments, say $25 a month, during the in-school and grace periods.
Paying on federal and private student loans while in college can reduce the interest that is capitalized. But, there's a trade-off between paying the interest during the in-school period and borrowing less in subsequent years. Would you be able to save more to take on less debt next year in school?
You can save money on both federal and private student loans by agreeing to repay your student loans by auto-debit, where the monthly payment is automatically transferred from your bank account to the lender. Most lenders will reduce your interest rate by 0.25% or 0.50%.
Contact Susan Tomporat 313-222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter.
Best decorated graduation caps for 2019
Florida A&M University celebrated spring commencement Friday, May 3, 2019. Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat
Florida A&M University celebrated spring commencement Saturday, May 4, 2019. Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat
Students graduate from Florida Southwestern State College on Friday morning, May 3, 2019, in Fort Myers. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA
Students graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University on Saturday morning, May 4, 2019, at Alico Arena. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA
Florida Tech held three spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 4, in the Charles and Ruth Clemente Center. In total, the University bestowed 1,276 degrees. TIM SHORTT/ FLORIDA TODAY
Indian River State College held the first of four spring commencements on Thursday, May 2, 2019, conferring associate of arts degrees. Nearly 3,700 students will graduate from IRSC this spring, making this the seventh consecutive year that the graduating class has exceeded 3,000. PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM
Caitlin McGlynn her graduation from Florida Southwestern State College on Friday, May 3, 2019, in Fort Myers. Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA
Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2019/05/09/federal-student-loan-rates/1142742001/
Lenders hit Westland woman with 350% interest rate
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Ford knowingly sold Focus, Fiesta models with defective transmission
Colorado woman drives 2017 Focus. She has message for other owners
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