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February 16, 2021 February 16, 2021 zenlutheran Augustana, church&state, Swedes
Interview about cost of racism with Heather McGhee on Ezra Klein's podcast
Ezra Klein, "What 'Drained-Pool Politics' Costs America," New York Times, Feb. 16, 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/16/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-heather-mcghee.html.
"The American landscape was once graced with resplendent public swimming pools, some big enough to hold thousands of swimmers at a time," writes Heather McGhee in her new book, "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together." These pools were the pride of their communities, monuments to what public investment could do. But they were, in many places, whites-only. Then came the desegregation orders. The pools would need to be open to everyone. But these communities found a loophole. They could close them for everyone. Drain them. Fill them with concrete. Shutter their parks departments entirely. And so they did.
It's a shocking tale. But it's too easily dismissed as yet one more story of America's racist past. McGhee shows otherwise. Drained-pool politics are still with us today and shaping issues of far more consequence than pool access. Drained-pool politics — if "they" can also have it, then no one can — helps explain why America still doesn't have a truly universal health care system, a child care system, a decent social safety net. McGhee, the former president of the think tank Demos, offers a devastating tour of American public policy, and she shows how drained-pool politics have led to less for everyone, not just their intended targets.
I asked McGhee to join me on my podcast, "The Ezra Klein Show," for a discussion about drained-pool politics, the zero-sum stories at the heart of American policymaking, how people define and understand their political interests, and the path forward. This is, in my view, a hopeful book, and a hopeful conversation. There are so many issues where the trade-offs are real, and binding. But in this space, there are vast "solidarity dividends" just waiting for us, if we are willing to stand with, rather than against, each other.
Excerpts from transcript:
HEATHER MCGHEE: So I look at the racialized history of our unique-among-advanced-economies unwillingness to provide universal health care, and it's just overwhelming, the evidence. From the very beginning, Truman tried to have a national health insurance plan. The segregationist Dixiecrats in his party opposed it. And then, of course, to Obamacare and Medicaid expansion. I actually didn't realize until I began researching the book that white Americans are pretty vehemently opposed to Obamacare and have been. Support for it has never reached over 50 percent. It's still an unpopular plan among white Americans, even though if you break down the individual policies, white Americans are supportive of it.
But if you think about Medicaid expansion, which is still a fraught battle — we still have a dozen states that have refused to expand Medicaid. And as soon as, not incidentally, a states' rights theory was used to knock down the Medicaid expansion that should have been universal across 50 states, you had a new Mason-Dixon line of states mostly in the old Confederacy that refused to expand Medicaid.
HEATHER MCGHEE: That's right. But I mean, deep must that zero-sum story be to have white Americans, the majority of whom have voted against the party of the New Deal that largely built the white middle class since that party also expanded to become the party of civil rights too — they're cheering the gutting of public investments that they, in fact, would benefit from. And yet ever since integration, we have had white political majority that has cheered on the cutting of the social safety net, the ratcheting down of welfare to virtual meaninglessness, and the attacks on unions.
HEATHER MCGHEE: The zero-sum story — I go back in the book to the beginning — where did we get the zero-sum story? It's not an obvious thing. It's not an obvious belief system. It's not a natural sense of group competition, and it's more widely held among white people than other people. And so I went back to the founding and the pre-founding of this country and showed how it was used to justify the first economic policies of this country, which were stolen people, stolen land, and stolen labor. That zero-sum racial hierarchy created the scaffolding.
I do believe that since it's so aggressively marketed to white people through the lens of racial hierarchy, it's very clear to me that a white person can feel that way about other white people as well, that resentment and that desire to distinguish among the various small gradations on this ladder of human value. But it's that ladder of human value that was first mapped onto the American psyche as a racialized project.
Though disdain and distrust that particularly white Americans have for people who are poor is a very racialized view — it's the idea that there's something inherently wrong with people who don't have enough money. It's also — of course, the whole thing is very rich. When you say that people are so resentful of people getting things in an unfair way, I mean, that's what the entirety of the white spoils system has been in this country.
HEATHER MCGHEE: It's a book about the economy, but I do include a chapter on democracy, because on the list of nice things that we can't seem to have because of racism, a functioning representative democracy is pretty high up on the list. And so I traced the history of all of the ways that, from our founding, elites attacked the bedrock of what is a pretty bold and beautiful idea, which is self governance and representative democracy, in order to keep room for racism and slavery and racial subjugation.
HEATHER MCGHEE: No, I think that is right. When you create this hierarchy of human value, and you feel that there are only so many rungs on that ladder, and if someone gets on your rung, that means you have nowhere to go but down — that can apply to immigrants, different kinds of immigrants over different time, that can apply to women coming into the workforce, et cetera. But I will say that for me, it was important to note that the zero-sum racial hierarchy is a story that has been relentlessly packaged and marketed and sold by people who benefit the most from the economic status quo. It is not something that is a predominant white working class idea on its own.
Everything we believe comes from a story we've been told. And whether it's Rupert Murdoch and the desire for a billionaire to have a propaganda mechanism where the zero-sum story is really the core narrative that finds a new example every hour to the person with the biggest bull horn in the world for four years, to Donald Trump, and everything in between, the conservative orthodoxy around makers and takers and freeloaders and taxpayers and Reagan's shifting of the narrative of what was wrong with Black people from white oppression to cultures of Black poverty — all of that is a story that political and economic elites have sold for their own profit to a white majority that then continues to vote for their perceived racial interest instead of their class interest with Brown and Black Americans who are often struggling from the same economic challenges.
Interview on mass radicalization, Jan. 6 insurrection at US Capitol
Lex, rex and a failed impeachment: 'for there is no rex (king) where will rules rather than lex (law)' — Henry de Bracton


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text:
Occasional snow showers. High 23F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%..
Some clouds. Low near 10F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
My financial journals are always packed with the most recent tax law changes, innovative financial strategies and, of course, new planning ideas and suggestions.
Church events and services
Beverly J. Kelley
Photo courtesy of Weise Funeral Home
Beverly J. Kelley: Feisty former Allen Park councilwoman was known for speaking her mind
Beverly J. Kelley: Feisty former Allen Park councilwoman was known for speaking her mind, loving city
By Jackie Harrison-Martin jmartin@medianewsgroup.com; @JackieMartin22 on Twitter
@JackieMartin22 on Twitter
She was one tough cookie.
And that's probably an understatement when referring to Beverly J. Kelley, according to her daughter, Kristine Moore.
Kelley never had an opinion she wasn't willing to defend or a debate in which she didn't stand her ground.
But, after 81 years, that voice has been silenced.
Kelley, who was born May 6, 1938, died after an illness Sept. 5, 2019.
Those who knew her appear to agree there wasn't much, if anything, that could keep her from speaking her truth, being involved in her community and loving her family and animals.
Moore said to her family, her mother was everything.
"She was the matriarch," her daughter said. "She was our guide and she became my friend, someone I looked up to."
Moore describes her mother as opinionated, but fair, and said if anyone asked her for her opinion on something, she'd give it to them, even if what she had to say wasn't what they wanted to hear.
Her strong stance in life helped her be an outspoken advocate for Allen Park.
Kelley started out working in the city's Parks and Recreation Department in 1976, and then moved on to work in the Water Department and later, the Finance Department.
In 1995, she became the city clerk and held that responsibility until 2003.
Kelley became one of the leading voices for the city in 2007 when she was elected as a member of the City Council.
She served in that capacity until 2011.
Maureen Armstrong, Allen Park city treasurer, said many people who worked with Kelley have since retired, but she remembers her not only as a dear friend, but also as someone involved in all facets of the city.
Armstrong said people who knew her will remember her for her long commitment to running the Allen Park Street Fair, and her support of the police and fire unions.
"She was very dedicated to the city," Armstrong said. "She was always willing to help in the community and was someone who had her heart and soul in it."
While there are those who say Kelley never backed down from an honest battle, her daughter said she still had a good sense of humor and Armstrong said she managed to touch the hearts of many people.
"If she was your friend, she was your friend for life," her daughter said.
Kelley was close with a group of women who often met for lunch.
She had many friends in the Downriver area, as well as Florida, where she resided a few months out of the year.
Kelley was preceded in death by her husband, Byron Kelley, and her son, Douglas Slaght.
Along with Moore (Dennis), she is survived by sons, Michael Slaght, Kevin Kelley, Timothy Kelley, and Michael (Cheryl Shaw) Kelley; sisters, Sharon Collins, Jackie (Bill) Pruliere; and brother, John (Patty) Forbes.
She also has several grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Weise Funeral Home in Allen Park handled the arrangements.
Entombment was at Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery.
One Downriver community named Michigan's safest, another makes top 10; several cities in top 100
When it comes to the safest city/township in Michigan, residents in one Downriver community can say, "We're No. 1," and law enforcement office…
Summit Academy's D'Anthony Shaw finishes 1st at Warrior Invite w/ PHOTO GALLERY
The News-Herald week in review, September 1-7
Allen Park to get an entirely new City Council after Nov. 5 election
Beverly Kelley
Former Allen Park Councilwoman
Maureen Armstrong
Follow Jackie Martin
Huron Township police seek missing teen; could be in Wyandotte area

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The government has announced that the Africa Union Commission of Inquiry will release its report profiling human rights abuses committed during the ongoing conflict in South Sudan next month.
The Commission, chaired by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, was established by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, in the wake of heightened tensions and violence in South Sudan since December 15, 2013.
Speaking to journalists in Juba shortly after his arrival from Geneva, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Paulino Wanawilla said the AU Commission of Inquiry informed the High Council of Human Rights that findings from the commission's investigations will be announced soon.
"I know that the one formed by the African Union has made a report to the Human Rights Council and they say that maybe after one month their report will be out. I don't know about the national one, when their report is going to be out," said Wanawilla.
He promised that the commission appointed by the government will be independent too and that the government will not interfere with its work.
"Although there was another one (commission) formed by the government, the AU Commission was working independently and we do not want to interfere in their job…And we believe that their job will be impartial," he said.
In the course of its work, the AU Commission met and held discussions with regional and international leaders, government and opposition officials, South Sudan citizens, refugees, IDPs, and members of civil society organizations.
The Commission also visited various sites, including internally displaced people's (IDP) camps, refugee camps in Kenya and alleged scenes of crimes in South Sudan.
The minister said the government and people of South Sudan would want to see justice done, especially to victims. He added that many atrocities have been committed in South Sudan and they must not go unpunished.


Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business have no archiving or expanded data protection features to recover lost data.
Many users are under the false impression that their Office 365 email and files can't be lost because it's in the cloud. But data can be deleted due to user error or malicious deletion, and files can become corrupted. Office 365 alone provides no method for recovery after data is purged from the Recycle Bin. The only way to recover deleted or corrupted Exchange emails, SharePoint, or OneDrive files is through a backup system.
Spanning Backup for Office 365 helps you quickly find the files you need and restore them. Unlimited backup, auto-discovery, and daily snapshots ensure complete and up-to-date protection. Spanning's powerful search makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and one-click restore puts it right back where it was with no overwrites. Files in SharePoint and OneDrive can be rolled back and restored to previous versions, even if the entire file and version history has been deleted.


Lincoln County Hospital has apologised for causing the death of a woman by failing to acknowledge her allergy to penicillin.
Susan Hammond (61) died in 2009 after being administered the antibiotic by a nurse at the city hospital, despite wearing a band stating she could not have the drug.
The hospital also had notes about her allergy from Accident and Emergency, a letter from her North Clifton nursing home, ambulance notes, her Emergency Admissions Unit (EAU) form, her prescription chart and her GP's notes.
She had also previously had a heart attack from being administered penicillin for an illness.
Despite this, when Susan Hammond was admitted due to a chest infection, a doctor approved the use of the Augmentin antibiotic, and a nurse administered it.
An inquest in Lincoln heard the grandmother of 10 then died on July 3 after suffering a anaphylactic reaction and resuscitation attempts failed.
A statement from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised unreservedly for the mistakes made during the care of Mrs Hammond in 2009.
The family has been represented by the Lincoln Clinical Negligence Team at Bridge McFarland solicitors.
Partner Louise Bush, who dealt with the case, said: "Given that a very lengthy police investigation has been necessary, this has delayed the inquest taking place.
"The whole process has been very difficult and distressing for Mrs Hammond's immediate family.
"We hope the family can finally get some closure on this case, which has been extremely distressing for them.
"The fact that full apologies have been made during the inquest by the clinicians concerned, and a formal admission has been made by the Trust, has been greatly appreciated by the family.
"The inquest has been a very lengthy and thorough investigation into the circumstances of Mrs Hammond's death.


Can you believe it is already closer to 2019 than it is to the start of 2018? My brain has been busy planning for 26 to be the best year of my life. I found a draft post from 2017 about my resolutions for the year and thought it would be interesting to see how they relate to what I am hoping to accomplish this year and how I've done since writing them.
2017: Have the healthiest year yet – mentally and physically.
Today: This is still my biggest goal. 2017 was one of the most YOLO years I have experienced so far even though I did make some progress like committing to a weekly yoga practice. There were a ton of ups and downs. The ups were really amazing but the downs were also pretty tough to handle at times. At this point in 2018, I feel pretty solid about where I am, what I am hoping to achieve and I feel ready to really commit to making this year my best one yet in terms of my health.
2017: Improve my French by daily practice.
Today: I really did put some effort into practicing my French last year. I spent a good 6 months logging into Duolingo and practicing. Now that I have been reminded of this goal, I'd like to recommit to this progress. When I last practiced, I was at 59% fluent according to the app so let's aim for at least 80% by Christmas? Side note – if you are looking for a free and fun way to learn a new language I would 10/10 recommend Duolingo.
2017: Spend less by using the things I already have.
Today: My savings are still something I would like to improve on but when it comes to spending, I've made great strides. In terms of makeup and clothing, I've seen huge improvements with using what I already own. I've really been able to narrow down my spending to things I absolutely need and have even cut out unnecessary but fun expenses (like FabFitFun). I also started saving towards my retirement – which makes me feel very adult.
2017: Become a little more sustainable.
Today: Sustainability is the biggest and most unintentional improvement I have made over the last six months. I used to drink about seven plastic water bottles a day in high school and have fully transitioned over to reusable bottle (shout out to my Swells). My boyfriend is to thank for many of the other sustainable habits I have picked up which include turning off the water while brushing my teeth, using reusable bags at the grocery store and decreasing the use of Ziploc/plastic wrap. Next up, I would like to focus on a few more meatless meals. With so many options available, I think it would be good to switch up a couple meals a week for the betterment of the environment and for some excitement in the kitchen.
2017: Make a full year of commitment to my blog.
Today: The last year has been such a whirlwind that this goal definitely fell off the radar. I still love creating content and decided last year that the best way for me to do that was to participate on other blogs (check www.healthyishott.com for some of my work). I feel refreshed after my break from the blog and I'm ready to commit to a less rigid approach.
Today: Last year I visited Ireland. This year, I am hoping to get away in the winter but I am also exploring some parts of Canada. I live in a beautiful country and I have spent some time this summer checking out places that are right in my own backyard which makes me appreciate what we have!
It's amazing what you can achieve without even intending to make changes. Imagine how great I could do if I put in even a little more effort?
In the next year, I'd like to continue on all of these intentions. I am ready to set some SMART goals after reviewing what is important to me. See below for some time-constrained goals that I am planning to work towards.
Dedicate time each day to a workout and/or self-care.
Reach 80% fluency by December on Duolingo by practicing my French at least three times a week.
Focus on finishing debt repayment over the next year and saving money for my own place.
Replace one lunch or dinner a week with a meatless meal.
Use reusable bags every time I visit the grocery store.
Post to the blog three times a month and don't get stressed out about having a schedule.
Plan a trip within the next year and in the meantime keep exploring places around me.
What are you plans for the rest of this year? Leave me a comment below!
Kirsti is baaaccckkk! Hey girl hey! It's been a while and I can 10000% confirm your water bottle obsession I'm high school 😂. Glad your back friend!
I really love your plan to commit to a minimum blog post in a month and I'm taking some inspo from you on that one and hoping to journal 3x a month.


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City Readers > People & Organizations > John Cross
John Cross
Borrowing activity from 9/9/1791 to 5/2/1792.
Metadata for this record is currently incomplete. Click Contribute to submit information for inclusion on this page. See the User Guide to learn more about Contributing.
John Cross Library Average
Caroline of Lichtfield; a novel. Translated from the French. By Thomas Holcroft.
Transcribed: Caroline Thomas Holcroft; Isabelle de Montolieu Volume 1 9/9/1791 9/19/1791
Edwin and Anna. A Northumbrian tale. Founded on facts. Written by Edwin himself. ...
Transcribed: Edwin & Anna Edwin Volume 1 9/19/1791 9/20/1791
Transcribed: " Edwin Volume 2 9/20/1791 9/21/1791
Julia de Roubigné, a tale. In a series of letters. Published by the author of The man of feeling, and The man of the world. In two volumes. ...
Transcribed: Julia de Roubigne Henry Mackenzie Volume 1 9/22/1791 9/23/1791
The narrative of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, K. B. relative to his conduct during part of his command of the King's troops in North America; particularly to that which respects the unfortunate issue of the campaign in 1781. With an appendix, containing copies an extracts of those parts of his correspondence with Lord George Germain, Earl Cornwallis, Rear Admiral Graves, &c. Which are referred to therein.
Transcribed: Clinton & Cornwallis Henry Clinton 9/23/1791 9/28/1791
Honoria Somerville
Transcribed: Hon Som. Jane Purbeck Volume 1 9/28/1791 10/3/1791
Transcribed: " Jane Purbeck Volume 2 10/3/1791 10/9/1791
Transcribed: " Jane Purbeck Volume 3 10/7/1791 10/10/1791
Transcribed: " Jane Purbeck Volume 4 10/10/1791 10/14/1791
The casket; or, double discovery
Transcribed: Casket 10/14/1791 10/15/1791
Zelia, in the desert. From the French. By the lady who translated "Adelaide and Theodore;" and "Anecdotes of Henry IV. of France." In two volumes.
Transcribed: Zelia Marguerite Daubenton Volume 1 10/15/1791 10/18/1791
Transcribed: " Marguerite Daubenton Volume 2 10/18/1791 10/26/1791
Ethelinde, or, The recluse of the lake / by Charlotte Smith.
Transcribed: Ethelinda Charlotte Turner Smith Volume 1 10/26/1791 11/7/1791
Harrison's British classicks.
Transcribed: Harrisons Classics Volume 5 11/7/1791 11/15/1791
Juvenile indiscretions. A novel. In two volumes. By the author of Anna, or the Welch heiress. ...
Transcribed: Juv Indis Anna Maria Bennett Volume 1 11/15/1791 11/18/1791
Transcribed: " Anna Maria Bennett Volume 2 11/18/1791 11/23/1791
Transcribed: Ethelinda Charlotte Turner Smith Volume 2 11/23/1791 11/28/1791
The history of man, or, The wonders of human nature
Transcribed: Hist Man Nathaniel Wanley Volume 1 12/1/1791 12/5/1791
Transcribed: " con Nathaniel Wanley 12/5/1791 12/12/1791
Transcribed: " con Nathaniel Wanley Volume 2 12/12/1791 12/15/1791
The negro equalled by few Europeans. Translated from the French. ...
Transcribed: Negro Volume 1 12/29/1791 1/5/1792
The New-York magazine; or, Literary repository.
Transcribed: NY Mag Volume 1 1/5/1792 1/14/1792
Memoirs of the protectorate-house of Cromwell; deduced from an early period, and continued down to the present time
Transcribed: Life Cromwell Mark Noble 1/14/1792 1/20/1792
The muse in good humour
Transcribed: Muse in humour 1/20/1792 1/26/1792
Eleonora. By M. Goethe, author of the Sorrows of Werter. To which is added A poetic epistle from Werter to Charlotte.
Transcribed: Eleonora Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1/26/1792 2/16/1792
The life of Voltaire; with notes illustrative and explanatory. Translated from the French, By G.P. Monke, lieutenant in the navy.
Transcribed: Life Voltaire Abbé Théophile Imarigeon Duvernet 2/16/1792 2/21/1792
The history and art of printing. In two parts. Part I. containing I. A Concise History of the Art from its Invention to the present Time; with the several Charters granted to the Company of Stationers. II. Specimens of Printing Types of all Sizes, and various Languages, Music Types, Flowers and Ornaments. Part II. treating of I. The necessary Materials made use of in a Printing Office … V. Of Correctors and Correcting, with Directions to Authors how to mark Corrections in their Proof Sheets. VI. Of Casting off Copy. Vii. Alphabets and Characters of various Languages and Sciences. Viii. Of the Business requisite to be done in the Warehouse, and the Duty of the Warehouseman. IX. An Explanation of Technical Terms used in Printing. … containing a great Variety of Instructions and Examples that are not to be found in any other Performance. By P. Luckombe, M. T. A
Transcribed: His Printing Philip Luckombe 2/21/1792 2/22/1792
Letters written by the late Right Honourable Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, to his son, Philip Stanhope, Esq; late envoy extraordinary to the Court of Dresden ...
Transcribed: Chestefields Letters Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield 2/22/1792 3/8/1792
Transcribed: " Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield Volume 2 3/8/1792 3/17/1792
The Universal asylum, and Columbian magazine.
Transcribed: Col Mag Volume 1 3/17/1792 3/31/1792
Transcribed: " Volume 2 3/31/1792 4/20/1792
The marriage act. A novel. In which the ruin of female honour, the contempt of the clergy, the destruction of private and public liberty, with other fatal consequences, are considered; in a series of interesting adventures.
Transcribed: Marriage act John Shebbeare Volume 1 4/20/1792 4/25/1792
Transcribed: " John Shebbeare Volume 2 4/25/1792 5/2/1792


The Function Of Stone Crushing Machine And Stone Jaw Crusher , The stone crusher machine is widely used in mining, metallury, construction material, highway .
Small Stone Jaw Crusher,Stone Crushing Plant, Stone Crushing . Stone crushing machine is used to crush large-sized rocks into fragments by the ways of extruding, splitting, bending, impacting and rolling.
Quarry Stone Crusher MachinesYouTube. &#; stonecrushermanufacturer quarry stone crushers machines are widely used in mining, smelting, building materials, roads, railways, water and ch.
Stone crushing machine. Sand device is based on a series of crusher based, ... The Introduction to the Wearing Parts of Jaw Crusher.//.


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Wood and Steel Structures - Due to our Commercial Renovation Company knowledge, WMS Construction can setup or restore in accordance with just what your structure necessitates.
Moreover, our thirty years of proficiency and recognized know-how makes WMS Construction the best Commercial Renovation Company choice to construct acoustical upper room surfaces, audio boards, floors, and more in Conroe Texas!
Trust WMS Construction For Exceptional Performance Near Conroe Texas!


Midwest Flood Restoration is the premier source in servicing both residential and commercial property owners in Clayton, MO 62324.
You should expect an entirely trained expert at the door who's rigged to begin to work after an all-embracing assessment of the damage. Give us a call day or night. Whether you've got a storm damage, mold repair or water removal project for us, Midwest Flood Restoration is fitted out to handle all your needs. We currently have staff working night and day to make sure your call does not go right to voicemail. We may be able to manage enormous commercial water damage restoration and residential water extraction and anything in-between, for example, sewage removal and decontamination. We presently have top-notch water removal and drying apparatus and can help you to get a home or office standard again.
Our flood damage Restoration team also provides safe Clayton sewage cleanup and sewage removal to keep you and your loved ones safe. We are trained leaders in sewage cleanup and restoration and help relieve owners, managers, coworkers, family, and friends from the severe emotional trauma and physical hazards of cleaning the location of a sewage incident. Clayton sewage damage can be hazardous to both your health and your home and could end up costing you hundreds to thousands of dollars in damage.


Florida's Sunshine Laws are among the strongest in the nation, giving every citizen access to the information necessary for participating in the democratic process. These laws protect a citizen's right to know how government operates, making information such as public events, government meeting minutes and court proceedings available. The Clerk's office fully supports transparency and accountability. With that, the Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts announces a new initiative designed to improve transparency and accountability in County government.


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Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis es una especie de anfibio anuro de la familia Dicroglossidae. Se encuentra desde Irán hasta Indochina.

Subespecies
Se reconocen las 3 siguientes:
 E. c. seistanica Nikolskii, 1899
 E. c. cyanophlyctis (Schneider, 1799)
 E. c. microspinulata Khan, 1997

Referencias

 Schneider, 1799: Historiae amphibiorum naturalis et literariae fasciculus primus, vol. 1 (texto integral).

Enlaces externos

cyanophlyctis
Anfibios de Asia
Animales descritos en 1799

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking
HistoryNet recently spoke with P.G. Morgan on his latest Netflix docuseries, "D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!" on what he thinks happened to Cooper and the wild and wonderful world of "Cooperites."
by Claire Barrett 9/16/2022 9/21/2022
The FBI released this artist's drawing of "D. B. Cooper," the suspected skyjacker, who parachuted from a Northwest Airlines 727 jet after collecting $200,000 ransom in Seattle. (Getty Images_
It is the only unsolved air piracy incident in commercial aviation history, with the legend of the man behind the heist — a man dubbed by the press as D.B. Cooper — reaching mythical proportions some 50 plus years on. Who was D.B. Cooper? Was he a modern Robin Hood, as some claim? Or simply a desperate loner who got lucky? And, finally, is he still out there?
HistoryNet recently spoke with British-born producer P.G. Morgan on his latest Netflix docuseries, "D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!" on what he thinks happened to Cooper and the wild and wonderful world of "Cooperites."
I was a massive fan of your documentary Flint Town, which is certainly in a different genre — if you will. What drew you to this story?
We were drawn to it because of the unsolved mystery aspect and also the exploration of all these people who are obsessed with D.B. Cooper. They often have these facets of themselves, that they have projected onto D.B. Cooper. From a creative point of view, we really loved the idea of making something that would recreate that time period, which was a relatively carefree time in terms of air travel. People had a much more laissez faire attitude, which now seems remarkable.
I also think the chance to tell it on Netflix. DB Cooper is such an all-American story, but it's not really that well-known outside the U.S. This was a chance to tell that story on a global platform.
The hijacking, which took place in 1971, remains the only unsolved air piracy incident in commercial aviation history. How did D.B. Cooper change commercial airline travel?
I don't think he did, immediately. My impression as an outsider is that American airport security was pretty much unchanged until, like, 9/11. I think what is fascinating to us is how Cooper became part of this galaxy of American outlaws. People place him in this constellation of Billy the Kid and great American gangsters. It was interesting to explore a bit of that American mythology, as it were.
I think we wanted to avoid some of the cliches of the D.B. Cooper story, which has always lived under the same umbrella as UFOs, Bigfoot and the unsolved mysteries world. We wanted it to feel much more like, "Ooh, they're taking me back to 1971."
A map spots the area where some several thousand dollars of the D.B. Cooper hijack was found by Brian Ingram while on a family outing. The money was badly decomposed yet an examination revealed that the serial numbers were identical to those given to the hijacker on Nov. 24, 1971. (Getty Images)
Speaking of the '70s — the score to the documentary series was terrific. It really added to the feel of the time.
We were really lucky to work with Blake Neely, the composer. He did "The Flight Attendant" last year, which is an amazing score, so that was one of our inspirations here. He just has this fantastic cinematic touch, adding the right notes of mischief to it.
And then E.J. Kang, who was our graphic designer, came up with those incredible titles and all the split screens and also the reenactment of the event. We wanted to tell that in a new way, because it's always like, "Oh, let's get 30 actors and hire a plane." We wanted to do it in a different way that just feels of the time. She found this fantastic look and feel that we felt worked really well.
In episode one, author Geoffrey Gray describes the hunt for D.B. Cooper as akin to gold fever — that belief takes over logic and that the case no longer becomes about Cooper, but about those investigating. How did this documentary avoid this gold fever?"
I'll have to ask you! We tried to be somewhere in the middle, where we embrace the obsessiveness of it and treat it with respect, but also try and keep a bit of distance from it, stay outside that world. I think looking back on it, D.B. Cooper and the community around him is the forerunner of conspiracy theories that now swirls around everywhere. Now, with the internet, you've got thousands of people trying to reinvestigate this case with a very small number of clues.
Like you've said, Cooper has evolved into this mythological character of sorts, but, after 50-plus years of investigating, is there anything really new to discover? Do you think that it can be solved, or is it that kind of spinning wheel of joy and excitement that comes with being wrapped up in the Cooper world?
I think there's two parts to that. I think there are some people who are making genuinely new discoveries using science to really work with the evidence that's out there. It's great that people are using 21st- century techniques to try and look at clues in a new way. So that's one side that I think is really great.
The other side is people just spinning up bigger theories and connections. That is not fruitful, but I do really appreciate and respect the work that people have done with the hard evidence. That's the really interesting bit.
Larry Carr was the last FBI agent assigned to the case, in March 2009. Agent Carr concluded that the mystery man known as D.B. Cooper was killed in his jump and that his body rotted away, either on land or underwater.  How does your documentary take a look at this angle?
Well, it's a better story to believe, isn't it? That he survived? The other version is literally a dead end, isn't it?
All the speculation, all the excited talk goes into that gray zone, because no one really knows. Everyone who thinks he survived is engaged in an exercise of hope and optimism that this thing can be solved.
One of the people we interviewed, Darren Schieffer, who does this great podcast, "Cooper Vortex," told us, "I've been working on it. I've done all these podcasts. And I know less now than I did at the beginning about who he is." I feel that as well. You get to the point where you don't really know up from down. I think it really became a study of human obsession.
Do you consider D.B. Cooper a dashing and brilliant hero or, as one author put it, a desperate loner "stumbling toward suicide?"
I would say I think the reality is that he was more prosaic than people think. So many layers and ideals have been projected onto this one man, and I think the reality is probably a bit more mundane. With time, he has become this mythical figure. I understand the Robin Hood analogy, because no one was hurt, it was a victimless crime. This isn't Ted Bundy, or some other ghastly serial killer.
That was one reason we liked it, as well. It's true crime, but there isn't any blood in there. I'm just fascinated where the space between the reality and the myth lives. And the reality when you get back to it could have been quite mundane and straightforward. But everyone's brought their fantasies and obsessions and yearnings to the story, and it has become something much bigger. As someone who's not from here, I find it fascinating because it's really kind of a little look at America.
Finally, I often cover macabre subjects, so I always like to end on a lighter note — out of everyone the documentary looks at, who's your favorite suspect?
Oh, my goodness. I have to pass on that one, because I think it changes on depending on the day. I mean, there are several really compelling ones, but I don't have one who I think it is for sure. Secondly, I don't want to say publicly one person and then the Cooperites come after me!
Watch the official trailer below.
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by Claire Barrett
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Claire Barrett (1/28/2023) Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking. HistoryNet Retrieved from https://www.historynet.com/why-were-still-obsessed-with-d-b-cooper-51-years-after-his-hijacking/.
"Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking."Claire Barrett - 1/28/2023, https://www.historynet.com/why-were-still-obsessed-with-d-b-cooper-51-years-after-his-hijacking/
Claire Barrett 9/16/2022 Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking., viewed 1/28/2023,<https://www.historynet.com/why-were-still-obsessed-with-d-b-cooper-51-years-after-his-hijacking/>
Claire Barrett - Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking. [Internet]. [Accessed 1/28/2023]. Available from: https://www.historynet.com/why-were-still-obsessed-with-d-b-cooper-51-years-after-his-hijacking/
Claire Barrett. "Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking." Claire Barrett - Accessed 1/28/2023. https://www.historynet.com/why-were-still-obsessed-with-d-b-cooper-51-years-after-his-hijacking/
"Why We're Still Obsessed With D.B. Cooper, 51 Years After His Hijacking." Claire Barrett [Online]. Available: https://www.historynet.com/why-were-still-obsessed-with-d-b-cooper-51-years-after-his-hijacking/. [Accessed: 1/28/2023]


Vans is kicking off 2019 with the return of the Vans Hi-Standard Series, an international contest series inviting snowboarders to showcase pure style in a thrilling jam format. Touring across the US, Canada, China, Korea and France, the Vans Hi-Standard Series will feature an original big air format where riders are judged by individual style only, with no rotations over 720 allowed.
The Hi-Standard Series will award over $60K in cash prizes and challenge riders to push their imaginations with innovative tricks. The "Van Doren Rail Best Trick" offers cash on the spot for the most inventive maneuvers. Vans will also reward and name an MVP, a Most Improved Rider and a Worst Bail for each stop of the tour. With nothing beyond a 720 allowed, only the most creative competitors will be considered for the billing.
No predetermined order. During a paid session priority is given to the category that is being judged.
Only tricks completed during a judged session will be paid.
If the MC/ JUDGE considers the trick stylish, you will earn $5.
Rotations beyond 720 degrees are not permitted, the same applies to inverted maneuvers - STYLE IS EVERYTHING!
All successful tricks will be paid until the allotted amount per age category is reached.
No maximum amount per participant.


text:
OSPF Version 2
IESG evaluation record
IESG writeups
Email expansions
RFC - Internet Standard (April 1998; Errata)
Updated by RFC 6549, RFC 6845, RFC 8042, RFC 5709, RFC 6860, RFC 7474
Obsoletes RFC 2178
Also known as STD 54
Was draft-ietf-ospf-vers2 (ospf WG)
plain text html pdf htmlized with errata bibtex
WG state
Document shepherd
No shepherd assigned
IESG
IESG state
RFC 2328 (Internet Standard)
Consensus Boilerplate
Telechat date
Responsible AD
Send notices to
Email authors Email WG IPR References Referenced by Nits
IETF Mail Archive
Network Working Group                                             J. Moy
Request for Comments: 2328                   Ascend Communications, Inc.
STD: 54                                                       April 1998
and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is
This memo documents version 2 of the OSPF protocol.  OSPF is a
link-state routing protocol.  It is designed to be run internal to a
single Autonomous System.  Each OSPF router maintains an identical
database describing the Autonomous System's topology.  From this
database, a routing table is calculated by constructing a shortest-
path tree.
OSPF recalculates routes quickly in the face of topological changes,
utilizing a minimum of routing protocol traffic.  OSPF provides
support for equal-cost multipath.  An area routing capability is
provided, enabling an additional level of routing protection and a
reduction in routing protocol traffic.  In addition, all OSPF
routing protocol exchanges are authenticated.
The differences between this memo and RFC 2178 are explained in
Appendix G. All differences are backward-compatible in nature.
Moy                         Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 2328                     OSPF Version 2                   April 1998
Implementations of this memo and of RFCs 2178, 1583, and 1247 will
interoperate.
Please send comments to ospf@gated.cornell.edu.
1        Introduction ........................................... 6
1.1      Protocol Overview ...................................... 6
1.2      Definitions of commonly used terms ..................... 8
1.3      Brief history of link-state routing technology ........ 11
1.4      Organization of this document ......................... 12
1.5      Acknowledgments ....................................... 12
2        The link-state database: organization and calculations  13
2.1      Representation of routers and networks ................ 13
2.1.1    Representation of non-broadcast networks .............. 15
2.1.2    An example link-state database ........................ 18
2.2      The shortest-path tree ................................ 21
2.3      Use of external routing information ................... 23
2.4      Equal-cost multipath .................................. 26
3        Splitting the AS into Areas ........................... 26
3.1      The backbone of the Autonomous System ................. 27
3.2      Inter-area routing .................................... 27
3.3      Classification of routers ............................. 28
3.4      A sample area configuration ........................... 29
3.5      IP subnetting support ................................. 35
3.6      Supporting stub areas ................................. 37
3.7      Partitions of areas ................................... 38
4        Functional Summary .................................... 40
4.2      AS external routes .................................... 41
4.3      Routing protocol packets .............................. 42
4.4      Basic implementation requirements ..................... 43
4.5      Optional OSPF capabilities ............................ 46
5        Protocol data structures .............................. 47
6        The Area Data Structure ............................... 49
7        Bringing Up Adjacencies ............................... 52
7.1      The Hello Protocol .................................... 52
7.2      The Synchronization of Databases ...................... 53
7.3      The Designated Router ................................. 54
7.4      The Backup Designated Router .......................... 56
7.5      The graph of adjacencies .............................. 56
8        Protocol Packet Processing ............................ 58
8.1      Sending protocol packets .............................. 58
8.2      Receiving protocol packets ............................ 61
9        The Interface Data Structure .......................... 63
9.1      Interface states ...................................... 67
Show full document text


text:
Q: How to split a string of author names by comma into a data frame and generate an edgelist to plot a network? I have a long list of publications saved as a single column in a data frame. I'd like to generate a network of a short subset of co-authors that have contributed to these publications (ignoring the remaining authors). I'm wondering how to extract the edge list for the subset of co-authors in order to generate a network using igraph or cytoscape.
I've read in the publication list and saved the authors to a new dataframe in a single column.
head(pubs)
[1] "Darwin C, Mendel G, Guy R. This is the title of the paper. Super high impact Journal. 1866. Oct 19;16(1):229."
[2] "Franklin R, Watson J, Dawkins R, Mendel G, Darwin C. The use of time travel for writing scientific articles. Soc for Time Trav Sc. 2019. Aug 14;1(1):1."

I then removed the unnecessary info from the rows (e.g. pub date, title, journal, etc.) using the following code:
my_colleagues <- c("Darwin C", "Mendel G", "Franklin R", "Dawkins R")
authors <- as.data.frame(gsub("\\..*","",pubs$V1))
colnames(authors) <- "Authors"
authors_split <- data.frame(do.call('rbind', strsplit(as.character(authors$Authors),', ',fixed=FALSE)))

I expect this to return a data frame where all of the author names are separated out into new columns. While I am able to split the names, it repeats the author names, in sequence, to fill all of the columns for the longest string of author names in the publication list (i.e. the longest author list consists of 23 names, so there are 23 columns in all rows, even if a publication has <23 authors). Instead of repeating the names I would like these columns to be blank or contain NA.
Beyond that however, I'm not sure how to go about testing for co-authorship (i.e. connections between nodes) from my short-list of my_colleagues and how to create a undirected edgelist to plot my network. Ultimately I would like an 'undirected edgelist' (essentially a two column dataframe) that looks like the following:
head(edgelist)

[1] "Darwin C" "Mendel F"
[2] "Franklin R" "Watson J"
[3] "Franklin R" "Dawkins R"
[4] "Franklin R" "Mendel G"
[5] "Franklin R" "Darwin C"
[6] "Watson J" "Dawkins R"
[7] "Watson J" "Mendel G"
[8] "Watson J" "Darwin C"
[9] "Dawkins R" "Mendel G"
[10] "Dawkins R" "Darwin C"

A: Here's a solution with lists instead of a dataframe and and a regular character vector as the resulting edgelist. I don't know if you have any other requirements but this seemed to to do the job:
# libraries
library(igraph)

# example data
books <- c("Darwin C, Mendel G, Guy R. This is the title of the paper. Super high impact Journal. 1866. Oct 19;16(1):229.",
            "Franklin R, Watson J, Dawkins R, Mendel G, Darwin C. The use of time travel for writing scientific articles. Soc for Time Trav Sc. 2019. Aug 14;1(1):1.")

# splitting textlines at periods
Split <- strsplit(books, split = ".", fixed = TRUE)

# getting first argument of list (everything before the first peroid are author names)
authors <- unlist(lapply(Split,"[[",1))

# splitting at commas to get the different names
SplitAuthors <- sapply(authors, strsplit, split = ",", fixed = TRUE)

# getting all combinations of authors to get all connections between them
AuthorCombinations <- sapply(SplitAuthors,function(x){combn(unlist(x),m = 2)})

# unlisting the matrices of combinations of authors into an edgelist (+ deleting automatically generated list names)
AuthorEdges <- rapply(AuthorCombinations,unlist)
names(AuthorEdges) <- NULL

# removing trailing whitespace from authornames
AuthorEdges <- trimws(AuthorEdges)

# creating graph
AuthorGraph <- graph(AuthorEdges, directed = FALSE)

# plotting graph
plot(AuthorGraph)

EDIT: I just saw that you only want to look at a subgraph of specific authors. If your data is not extremely big, you can simply use the code above to generate the whole network and then easily look into different subgraphs by specifying authors like this:
Excerpt <- induced_subgraph(AuthorGraph,c("Darwin C", "Mendel G","Franklin R"))
plot(Excerpt)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Meg Sechrest
Author - Dreamer of Big Things
Novels in Progres
The Throne - Preview
Gwendolyn laid on her bed that frosty spring morning, listening to the birds chirping outside her window and watching the sun as it rose through the trees and cast a shadow onto her bed. Gwen had always been one to wake early, preferring to lie in bed and enjoy the quiet of the morning when no one was there to disturb her.
"What a beautiful morning," she said as she laid admiring the view. "Could life be any more perfect than this? What say you, little birds?"
The birds sang sweetly to respond, showing Gwen that life was in fact perfect, almost.
"Gwendolyn!" Her mother, Duchess Rosalind Muirfield, banged on the door of her bedroom chambers.
"Ugh… leave it to my mama to ruin the quiet." After tossing a pillow over her head and taking a deep breath, she replied, "Come in!"
The Duchess took her time walking into Gwendolyn's chambers as she glanced around and criticized everything her eyes took in. From the dress that had been laid out to wear that day, to the art and paintings Gwendolyn had been working on in her spare time, the Duchess had turned on her internal critic.
"You need to prepare yourself for the day. Your uncle has invited us to dine with Lord Bramwall and his son, Lord William."
"Oh, Mama. Please tell me we aren't traveling all that dreadful way just to see that terrible young man and his callous boring parents."
Gwendolyn sat up and wiped her hands with her face, her eyes pleading with her mother not to take the day's travel across the county.
"That is precisely what I am telling you. Their nephew, the Duke of Florence, Lord Peter Doltham, is visiting from the north country and it would be good of the King's nieces to pay him a visit."
Gwendolyn groaned. "Why? Who is he to us?" She flopped her legs over the side of the bed as her mother rang for a chambermaid.
"Who is he to you? You are a princess! It is time you start acting like one! Gwendolyn Violette, you are the immediate throne succession, young lady, and though your uncle has plans to marry and will most likely produce an heir, you still have a reputation to uphold. If your father was still alive…"
"Well, he's not," she replied with an eye roll as she slid her feet into her slippers
"Your reputation is very important and Lord Doltham very well could be a good match for either you or your sister, though he is a tad bit older than…"
"Whatever you say," Gwen replied as she reached for her dressing robe and stood to tie it around herself.
Duchess Rosalind grasped Gwendolyn's hand, helping her stand and looked her in the face, studying everything about her skin, eyes, hair, and lips.
"You are very beautiful, daughter. I don't know of any man who wouldn't appreciate any glance or notice of you." The Duchess stroked her hand across her daughter's face and said, "You are young and there will be many men who seek your hand. Do not let your heart guide you; it will lead you down the wrong road. The heart is foolish and confused. Listen to the settled thoughts of your mind."
Duchess Rosalind left the chambers without another word.
"The settled thoughts of my mind?" Gwen sat at her mirrored dresser and wondered as she brushed out her long, flowy hair. "What on earth does she mean? I never know what my mother goes on and on about. I wish my father were here. He would have sound advice as I choose a husband."
"It is Lily, Your Royal Highness," the chambermaid knocked at the door.
"You may enter."
Gwendolyn studied herself in the looking glass as the chambermaid was fixing her hair. She thought about her mother's words on her appearance as they continued to perplex her. "I've just considered myself an average girl, not ugly, but certainly nothing men would stand in the corner and talk about. Why does my mother go on the way she does?" she said and sighed.
"If I may, Your Royal Highness," the maid said and curtsied, looking at Gwen in the mirror.
Lily started to speak as she wrapped and twisted Gwen's hair to get it off her shoulders and ready for the day. "I watch you every day and fix up your hair, pick out your dresses and such, but I feel you underestimate your true beauty, miss. I see the way the servants and gentlemen who come and go from the manor look at you, miss, but I believe you don't notice their eyes. Perhaps that's what the Duchess means, miss."
Gwen stared at her reflection in the looking glass for a moment, pulling down on her hair, thinking over some of the ways that men smile at her when they danced, or the way the servants were so eager to hold doors for her and have always bowed to her as she walked past. She'd always assumed it was her title, but now she wasn't so sure.
"Thank you for your thoughts, Lily. Please, help yourself to one of my scarves as a token of my appreciation."
Gwen handed Lily a lace scarf.
"Thank you. It is so very generous of you. Your hair is all finished, Your Royal Highness," Lily said. "Shall we get you into a dress? I say you should wear the royal blue one. It brings out your eyes the best, and I heard the Duchess talking about a Duke…"
Gwendolyn gave Lily a friendly but scolding look as the sternness in her eyes changed ever-so-slightly, and Lily held her finger to her lips to quiet herself as she went into the changing room to fetch the dress and a corset.
"Tell me about the Duke, miss," Lily said when she emerged from the changing room as she began working on the laces of Gwen's corset.
Gwen sighed. "I'm very certain he is nothing as you believe him to be. You imagine him to be handsome and charming, but none of the men ever are. If they are, they are cads and scoundrels, nothing any woman would want to call her husband. Most royal men are like that anyhow."
"I would imagine any duke must be better than no duke to you."
"One would think; however, I can assure you I have seen all the dukes and none is a much better choice."
Lily laughed, her hesitance showing through, as she finished the laces and fluffed the gown. "All finished."
"I'd better be on my way then before my mother comes and makes a scene."
Lily giggled and nodded, agreeing to Princess Gwen's statement.
"You look lovely, Your Royal Highness. I'm sure whoever he is will find favor in you."
"No need for that, now. I have no desire for Viscount's nephew."
"Well, then you're dressed the part of making a show of turning him away."
"Hm, that does bring me some satisfaction."
Gwendolyn made one last glance at herself in the looking glass and was pleased that she could certainly make a show of turning away this Viscount's nephew. Gwen headed out the door to meet her mother and sister to go to her uncle's house to dine with the Viscount Bramwall, Lord William, and the Viscount's nephew, Lord Whoever, certainly no one Gwendolyn wanted to meet. She'd had her share of dukes and lords, viscounts and earls, and she felt tired of life already at only 18 years old.
"You wore one of your best dresses, Gwen. Preparing to impress?" asked Princess Sophia—Gwen's younger, sometimes nosy and bratty sister.
"Lily helped me decide. I like the royal blue one. It suits my eyes best. Do you not think?"
Sophia looked down to her pale pink one, feeling outdone in her choice and she said, "Your dress is lovely."
"Come girls," Duchess Muirfield said, hurrying her two daughters along. "Your uncle is expecting us soon."
"I want to change," Sophia said, considering the eye popping color of Gwen's dress. "I didn't know Gwen was wearing blue."
"You haven't the time now. Pink will have to do."
Sophia's lips turned to a pout and they walked out the front doors of their manor.
The ride seemed longer than usual, and Gwen stared out the glass, watching the rain fall for hours. Her mind drifted to the day that her father died and her whole world changed.
"Gwen?" her mother said when she saw her tears. "What's the matter dear?"
"I am perfectly well."
"Keeping secrets?" Sophia asked.
Gwen glanced across the carriage and said, "I just get nervous…" and she pointed to the window and the rain coming down.
Her mother nodded. "I miss him too."
Gwen's gaze returned back to the rain outside and she focused on a few droplets that rolled down the window, leaving long trails of water behind them like maps to be able to find their way to where they'd begun. "Why did you leave us?" she thought as she watched the water make maps on the window. Gwen so much wished she could take a water droplet map and use it to find a way to her father, who'd been gone almost two years now. She blamed herself, but it wasn't her fault. Her father's accident was truly no one's fault, but as much as she missed his heart, hugs, and words, she watched the water and supposed she could blame those droplets of water, but they weren't to blame either. It was an accident. That's all it was. Ever since, she was anxious to travel when it rained, and as her mother and Sophia slept, she watched the rain fall, thinking of her father—His Royal Highness, Prince George III.
After at least 16 more miles, they ascended to the top of a woodsy forest where the trees ceased and Gwen's eyes were caught by Boris House—her uncle's home away from the palace—which rested on the opposite side of a small pond, where the road curved and wound around the pond back to the road. It was a large, beautiful, sandstone building, situated in front of a ridge of woodlands and next to a very vast and lovely gardens without any artificial appearance. Gwen was pleased at the sight for she had thought she was arriving at her uncle's palace, which was a place she detested the mere sight of. Boris House, however, had more natural beauty than any other place she had ever visited and she felt nature had outdone itself and had not been disturbed by too much showy adornment. Her childhood memories of Boris House were etched in the back of her mind and as the carriage continued its ascent to the top of the road; her mind flooded with every good thought and praise or adoration for Boris House and continued until she stepped out of the carriage and into the people awaiting their arrival.
"Duchess! Princesses Muirfield, how good it is to see you!" Sir Jeremy Newell said as he and his wife exited their carriage along with their spoiled daughter, Maggie, whose jealousy of Gwen was always very evident, especially when Count Haverly and his sons were present.
"Here's to a long night of talking to people I despise," Gwen whispered to herself as she stepped out of the carriage and noticed Maggie approaching the Haverly's carriage where it was stopped in front of Boris House just before theirs.
"What are you going on about back there?" Sophia asked as they walked up the long entry staircase of about 25 steps to enter the house's tall double doors.
"Nothing. Just tired of life, really."
"You're only 18."
"There is much to be tired of in the life we live. I think I'm bored of the same mundane things that we royals are always tasked with doing."
"I rather like it," Sophia said and grinned with a curtsey and a tilt of her head before hurrying her feet and catching up to her mother as she walked through the doors.
The large doors opened and they entered the beautiful home and were greeted by the footman, who showed them inside and to the parlor to the other guests.
"Right in here Ma'am," the footman said and opened the door to the busy parlor.
"Welcome!" their Aunt, Princess Camilla, called out as the Duchess and her daughters walked into the parlor.
"How are my favorite girls?" she said, looking at her nieces.
"We are well, Aunt Camilla. Where is Uncle Phillip?" Sophia asked.
Camilla hugged both girls and motioned with her hand to the door on the right. "He is in the ballroom with the guest of honor, the Viscount Bramwall." Princess Camilla looked to Rosalind and whispered as the girls walked away to bigger crowds, "Let us hope Lord Doltham is impressed with one of them. He is an excellent match!"
Rosalind eyed her daughters as they whispered to each other and walked away, "I fear your husband has other hopes for Gwendolyn."
"You mean Prince Von Detton."
Rosalind nodded.
"I'm working on putting a stop to that one. That young man has no interest at all in securing Gwendolyn's hand, and if you ask me, he has no social etiquette."
"Let us hope even more that Gwendolyn doesn't say something to turn Lord Doltham off then!"
The two scheming women continued into the crowds of people where they were approached by King Phillip and Viscount Bramwall.
"Lord Bramwall, let me introduce you to my late brother's wife and my nieces. Ladies, Lord Bramwall and the Duke of Florence, Peter Doltham."
Peter bowed his head to the Duchess extending his hand to her, "It is a pleasure, Duchess."
"Indeed, it is," she replied, noticing his handsome face, certain his green eyes and dark brown hair would surely catch the attention of one of her girls.
"Let me introduce to you my daughters, Her Royal Highness, Princess Sophia Brigette Mayweather Muirfield," she pointed to the younger of her two daughters.
"Nice to make your acquaintance," he said, grasping the 15 year old princess's hand in his. Peter's gaze was not kept there. His eyes were moved by the beauty that was Gwendolyn, and he said, "This is?"
"My oldest daughter, Her Royal Highness, Princess Gwendolyn Violette Kostantopoulos Mayweather Muirfield."
A smirk appeared on Peter's face as he bowed his head to Gwendolyn. "Honored, Princess."
The Duchess noticed his smile and said, "There is no room for an old woman where young people are present. I take my leave."
Gwendolyn watched her mother walk away and said to Peter, "You laugh at me."
"You have quite the name."
"You are the kind of man who finds humor in things a person cannot control?"
"Not at all. Your name is beautiful. I do, however, find humor in everyday pleasantries. You would deny someone the happiness of finding pleasures in an everyday situation?"
Gwen smiled. "No. I admit I cannot deny you that. I also admit that my given name is ridiculous. Royals aren't known for being precise in our introductions."
"Indeed, you are not. Your Royal Highness, may I escort you to get a drink?" He pointed to the wine tables.
Gwen hadn't anticipated finding pleasure in meeting the Viscount's nephew; she wasn't even expecting to want to hold a conversation with him. Yet, she stood across from him at the wine table, staring into his green eyes and felt very entranced by the sight of his green eyes, strong cheekbones, and the way his dark hair fell just across his eyebrow to the corner of his eye, giving her the urge to want to brush it away.
"Peter, tell me about your family," she asked—trying to distract her mind from other thoughts—as they walked from the table, sipping their wine.
"Well, I have an older brother who is married with two children. I never fancied myself one for children, but I enjoy being an uncle. My niece and nephew are delightful. You are welcome to come and meet them sometime if you wish."
Gwen smiled and nodded.
"I also have a sister who is younger than I."
"What are their names?"
"You might know my brother as we both attend the court with your uncle."
"You work closely with my uncle?" she asked and took a sip of wine, hoping the wine would calm her nerves as her uncle held a reputation for being very disagreeable and she didn't want Lord Doltham to have the same image of her.
"Who is your brother?"
"Technically, he is my half-brother. My father was married previously and his first wife died. Then he married my mother and had my sister and I."
Feeling impatient, Gwen widened her eyes and pursed her lips, waiting for a response.
"His name! Of course. He is the Chief Privy Council to His Majesty the King.
"Sir John Croker is your brother?!"
"As he lives and breathes, unfortunately. As I said, it's only by our father."
Knowing that John Croker was with her father the day he died and still having bitter feelings about all the details surrounding his death, Gwen needed to digest the information given, and she began walking away to the refreshments table to take a few of the almond biscuits, which were her favorite.
"Princess Gwen!" he hollered and hurried to catch up, also attracting the notice of a few onlookers, including the Duchess Muirfield.
"Gwen," he said again a little softer now as he approached the table. "I'm sorry if I said or did something to have offended you. Please, give me the opportunity to make amends."
Gwen took a bite from the biscuit, thinking on what to tell him because she certainly couldn't tell him of her suspicions surrounding his brother and how she felt him to be the one responsible for her father's death or at least to be closely linked to it. Surely not. She took her time chewing as Peter stared at her awaiting a response.
"It's not you. I apologize. I was reminded of a terrible tragedy in my life."
"A tragedy?"
"My father's death."
"Prince George's accident. Of course. My brother was there. I am so sorry for your loss. I should've known. I'm sorry for my insensitivity." He reached for Gwen's hand and held it in both of his, hurrying to withdraw his hands from hers.
Looking down to where his hands were now rested across his chest, she reached hers out. "Apology unnecessary."
"I am so very sorry about your father."
A small smile appeared on Gwen's face when she realized that Peter wasn't at all what she perceived he might be—he was turning out to be nothing like the other dukes she'd met on previous occasions—and now that she'd met Peter, she was actually enjoying his company.
"Tell me more about your family, Peter," Gwen said as she reached for another almond biscuit.
"Well, you have the displeasure of knowing my brother."
"I take it you two are not on happy terms?"
Peter nudged her in the slightest way and motioned to continue their conversation in the corner of the room where their words would not be heard by nearby ears.
Once in the far corner of the room, Peter said, "There aren't too many people who are on happy terms with my brother, Your Royal Highness."
"Please, call me Gwen. Calling me 'Your Royal Highness' allows for no cordiality."
"Using your Christian name seems so informal for the niece of His Majesty."
"Please, I insist."
Peter raised his eyebrows. "Very well, if you insist. Then I must insist you call me Peter and not Lord Doltham."
Gwen glanced around Peter's shoulder to notice that the one person she was trying to avoid this evening was headed her way and she needed to act now.
"Ask me to dance," she said and pointed to Lord Haverly, who was almost to them."
"Well, I'm not much of a dancer."
Gwendolyn took his hand in hers and a playful smile appeared on her face. "Well, I happen to be a very good instructor."
"If that is the case, then would Her Royal Highness…"
Gwen looked with squinted eyes and pursed lips to scold Peter.
"Pardon me, would Gwendolyn Violette Kost…"
Gwen giggled. "Lord Doltham!"
"Please, honor me with a dance."
Before answering, she grasped his hand and led him to the row of dancers. As they began a Scottish reel, she said, "It would be my pleasure."
As they danced, his mind and eyes were hypnotized by this beauty that was dancing with enthusiasm across from him and a smile wider than any woman he'd danced with before, and he wanted every reason possible to see her after this night. However, given Gwen's rank in life, Peter was unsure if that would be possible. His desperation for Gwen's beauty—more specifically her lips and the curvature and delicacy of them and how the rosiness gave a burst of color against her pale skin but also her sparkling blue eyes, which gave him hope even in the smallest essence as they followed his every move, that she wanted to see him again too.
"I so very much enjoy that dance," Gwen said as they finished and moved to the side of the room.
"It was very… stimulating."
Gwen giggled at Peter's response.
"I've never heard anyone call a dance stimulating before, Peter."
Sir Bartholomew approached and asked the princess for the next dance and though she did not want to leave Peter, she extended her hand and complied, fulfilling her obligation as the niece of the King.
"You didn't think she'd stay with you all night now, did you?" John Croker said as he approached Peter while the Princess was enjoying a dance.
"Hello, brother," Peter replied.
"I know what you're doing, Peter. It will not work."
"What, John? What am I doing?"
John turned and poked his finger into Peter's sternum, giving a threatening tone to his voice and anger in his eyes.
"My job as His Majesty's Chief Privy Council is to…"
"Counsel," Peter replied.
"To care for the well-being of the King!"
"What's that to do with me?!"
"That princess is his niece, who could potentially be your queen!"
"My business is to be sure…"
"I come nowhere near the throne."
Peter pushed past John and walked away and out of the ballroom to cool off and settle his thoughts. He began walking back and forth in the hallway outside the palace ballroom.
"Lord Doltham?"
"Lady Colette?"
"It's been a long time, Lord Doltham."
"It has. How are you? How is your sister?"
Peter was surprised at seeing the woman he'd loved so long in the past, especially on a night when he was trying to win the heart of another. To have Colette Bellingside show up this night was of the highest inconvenience.
"My sister is well. I am well. Thank you for asking. And you? Are you well?"
"Peter… I apologize for my prolonged absence. I couldn't escape... my mother," Gwen said, approaching where he stood with Lady Colette in the hallway. When Gwen saw Lady Colette standing there with him, her walking slowed and her words faded.
"Princess, let me introduce you to Lady Colette Bellingside," Peter said.
Lady Colette curtsied and said, "Your Royal Highness, it is lovely to make your acquaintance.
"Why don't you get better acquainted and I will get some wine?" Peter offered.
Gwen held up her glass. "None for me, thank you."
"Thank you, Peter. I'll take some," Lady Colette said.
Peter walked away and into the ballroom.
"How long have you known Lord Doltham?"
"Oh, we have only just met this evening."
"But you like him?"
"What isn't there to enjoy about his company? Lord Doltham is very accommodating, and he is certainly polite and charming. He has been stimulating for the mind as well as. I find he is just the right kind of company."
"Do you not enjoy Peter's company?" Gwen asked when she saw the look on Colette's face.
"No, Your Royal Highness. That isn't it in the slightest sense."
Peter returned just then, noticing the look on Lady Colette's face.
"A wine, Lady Colette. Anything you need at all, Princess?"
"No, thank you so much for your attentiveness, Lord Doltham."
Peter held out his arm for only Gwen as they walked down the corridor and the amount of disdain searing out of Colette's eyes was so sharp it could've pierced Gwen's skin.
"Lord Doltham," Lady Colette said as she eyed Princess Gwen and walked side by side with Peter. "How is your sister? It's been so long since I've received a letter from her and I do very much enjoy her correspondence."
"Mary is very well. I thank you for asking. She keeps busy with her drawing and piano playing and of course still loves to take her rides about the countryside on her many horses."
"Yes, I do so enjoy the time I've spent at Gladwell House. I long for the time when I will have the pleasure of doing so again."
"Princess Gwendolyn, you and your mother and sister will have to come to the north country soon and take a tour of Gladwell House and see our vast gardens and if you care for riding, you could visit the stables with my sister. She is always longing for a riding companion."
"Thank you for the invitation. I do enjoy a ride through the country and would very much love to meet your sister."
The three walked side by side down the hallway until Gwen decided she could handle Colette's piercing eyes no longer and took her leave rejoining the ballroom.
"It has been lovely, but I fear I have been absent from the ballroom far too long. I'm certain my mother will wonder where I have gone and shall send a search party very soon."
Peter chuckled. "Yes, no one wants that. I have enjoyed your company immensely, and I hope you will honor me with another dance yet this evening."
"Most certainly if that is your wish."
"I shall await your return then." Gwen walked away and back into the ballroom.
As soon as Gwen was out of earshot, Colette said to Peter, "I know that you have your eye set on that princess, and I myself admit she is very lovely, Peter, but you should know His Majesty wants her wed to His Royal Highness, Daniel Von Detton, the Prince of Saxony."
"Germany?! You are not serious, Colette."
"So I hear," Lady Colette said, hoping her plan to turn Peter's attention away from the Princess was working.
"From whom?"
"My brother says so himself."
"Our would-be queen to be married to a German?! The crime!"
"She isn't going to be queen, Peter. Her uncle will be married in just a few short weeks and he will produce an heir. Gwendolyn will be nothing more than…"
"Nothing more than what?" Peter asked, feeling defensive of Gwen. "Even if she doesn't become queen, she is still a princess, and you will address her as so."
"Why are you so defensive of her?"
"My position and views are in defense of my country and its constitution."
Lady Colette scoffed as Peter opened the door and walked into the ballroom, hoping to escape Lady Colette.
Colette hurried behind as she said, "I've not had a personal invitation to Gladwell House, Peter."
"You live in the north country, Colette."
Peter approached where Gwen was standing at the wine table and he said, "I would like to request my second dance now, Your Royal Highness."
Gwen turned around, a smile on her face as his eyes moved to Colette, giving hint that he was trying to find his way away from her.
Gwen replied, "Certainly," and took his hand in hers, pulling him against her side, widening Colette's eyes.
"Colette, there you are," Sir Bartholomew said. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
Sir Bartholomew snatched her hand and led her away from Gwen and Peter and over to the refreshment tables. Gwen let out a small giggle as she covered her mouth and they walked away.
"That was interesting," she whispered to Peter and they took their place to dance.
"He is."
"What is their relationship?"
"That's her mother's business advisor, who also thinks he controls Colette."
"If she seemed unfriendly with you…"
"You owe me no explanation for your life, Peter."
They finished the waltz and before Colette approached again or anyone else could ask Gwen for a dance, he said, "Come for a walk outside with me."
"A walk outside?"
"Yes. I feel in need of some air."
Gwen nodded and held his hand as he led her to the closest door to the back gardens and away from scrutinizing eyes, continuing the hold on her hand as they walked all the way into the gardens.
"I must say, Gwen, that I never imagined the King's niece could be so…"
"Tolerable?"
Peter smiled. "Yes. I would've said enjoyable, but you understand my point."
"My uncle is certainly not known for his hospitality as King."
"No. Certainly not. You are categorically opposite of what your uncle gives the impression he is." Peter sighed and tightened his grip on Gwen's hand, pulling her closer to his side, staring into her eyes as the blush on her face increased.
"I assure you that he is not as harsh as he lets on to be," she said with a giggle.
"I have to admit to you, Peter, that I was dreading meeting you and wasn't even expecting to even want to talk to you let alone..."
He brushed his finger under her chin, tilting it up for her eyes to look into his. "Let alone?"
"Like you at all."
"Have I made all the difference?"
She nodded. "All the difference."
Her eyes closed and she looked away.
"Gwen, would you be opposed to somewhere a little more private?"
"More private?"
"Follow me," he said and led her down to the edge of the gardens where a few larger trees hid the path.
"Where are we going?" she whispered and looked around to be sure no one was watching as he tugged on her arm, leading her further down the path behind the trees.
He stopped about half way down the back path and pulled her to lean against the tree trunk.
Gwen blushed and giggled, "Peter! What are you doing?"
"Tomorrow, you will be gone from me, and who knows when I will see you again. I'm making the most of today." He reached forward and held her face in his hands, pressing his lips against hers for only a moment before she pulled away. Blush filling her cheeks and showing her innocence, she looked at the floor, trying to compose herself.
"Am I in huge trouble?" he asked.
Gwen shook her head but was still looking away. She recuperated herself and took a deep breath, finally able to look Peter in the eyes, who stood there nervous and anticipating her reaction as he ran his fingers through his hair with his back to her.
Feeling shy and also embarrassed, she admitted, "I've never kissed a man before."
"You've never had a kiss?" he replied and turned to face her.
"Well, no. I mean, I once kissed a boy when I was young as a childish game. But as for a man and experiencing my first real kiss? No. This is it."
Gwen looked Peter in the eyes as she moved his fingers back and forth between each of hers where his arms rested at her sides. "Did you expect any different? I'm a princess who could very well be queen and they keep me locked up as though I'm in a tower, waiting for prince charming to come and rescue me or something of the sort."
"Hm. Should I be your prince and come to your tower?"
Gwen moved closer to him, interlocking her hands fully in his as she wrapped them behind her back. "Or you could just rescue me today."
Peter grinned at the idea and leaned in for another kiss.
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© 2020 Meg Sechrest All Rights Reserved.
This is only an excerpt. This novel may be purchased soon in its entirety in either digital or paperback version.
This article may not be reprinted without the author's written permission.
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Mobile Events News / CES / Sensoria Will Release A New Tracker Alongside Updated App
Sensoria Will Release A New Tracker Alongside Updated App
By Diego Macias
Wearables come in a variety of forms and recently we've seen various types of smart clothes, since they are in direct contact with skin, they are meant to track health-related data in a more accurate way and there's no need for additional bulky equipment to measure these aspects. Sensoria Fitness already has experience with smart clothing, as they introduced smart socks last year. These kind of socks include pressure sensors and magnetic anklets to measure motion. They also have t-shirts and sport bras available that integrate heart-rate monitors that connect to a smartphone using a Bluetooth connection.
As part of the company's CES 2016 announcements, they mentioned that they will update the companion app and now the web and mobile interfaces will match. The fitness dashboard offers cardio-centric training based on the heart rate measurements, plus, users will get to see additional data like cadence, pace, number of steps taken, distance, and speed to help them know if they're doing the right exercises to achieve their goals. The platform will provide more data than ever before, so users will get to see their foot impact score and average stride length for each exercise session and summaries in the long term.
Another announcement was that the company is launching a Sensoria Development Kit, which will allow other fitness wearable manufacturers to use the data collected by the company's smart apparel. With this Development Kit, Sensoria is licensing their algorithms and other components to smaller companies that don't have the resources to create such technology. The Sensoria Core is a module that sports a low-power processor, storage, 9-axis motion sensor and wireless connectivity. This component will end up replacing the anklet as it is twice as compact and it doubles on battery life. Samsung unveiled their Bio-Processor last week, which is also dedicated to track health and fitness-related data and it can be integrated in many wearable devices thanks to its compact size. Intel also unveiled their Curie chip for wearables recently, so Sensoria's kit comes as yet another option to use wearable technology in new and meaningful ways. "Our technology platform is suitable for apparel, sporting goods, wellness, and health just to name a few.", said Sensoria CTO and co-founder Maurizio Macagno.
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Diego Macias
I've loved technology ever since I touched a computer and I got to experience the transition to mobile devices which was amazing! I got into Android with the Samsung Galaxy S2 and I currently own a Sony Xperia Z3 and a Nexus 7 because I really like the look of vanilla Android. My interests include movies, music, art and mathematics.


Operating out of a tiny office on Madison Avenue in the early 1960s, a struggling company called Marvel Comics introduced a series of superhero characters with eye-catching bright costumes, smart banter, and compellingly human flaws that thrilled not just children but also pop artists, public intellectuals, and campus radicals.
All of them interacted in the same epic universe, weaving a tapestry of stories that, taken together, would become the most elaborate fictional narrative in history and serve as a modern American mythology for millions of readers.
Incorporating more than one hundred original interviews with those who worked behind the scenes at Marvel over a seventy-year-span, Marvel Comics packs anecdotes and analysis into a gripping narrative of how a small group of people on the cusp of failure created one of the most dominant pop cultural forces in contemporary America. Buy this book for $1.99 today.


i think that will give us 2 records per month without customs charges if they are going to price them all at $11.
Mather and bshikari like this.
So I had my friend send me screenshots of his orders page - it doesn't even show the records themselves - it just shows two "membership renewal" entries - one for his one-month membership at $29 and one for the side-sub he added for the month for $23.
I think since he hasn't had anything shipped on his VMP account yet as a new member - he probably doesn't have anything on his "/shipments" page, so when he clicks on the "orders" button, it's taking him back to that old orders page. I just sent him the link to the "/shipments" page to see if there's anything there, but I think I'm going to dm Amy Maher and see if she can help.
Still no updates for my friend. Doubt he will sign up for another month with VMP since he still doesn't have a shipping email and no one's responded to his email to customer service. I dmed Amy Maher on Wednesday but no response - maybe she's out of office or something, which is obviously fine, but just not sure what else to do.
We can try tagging @vinylmeplease and see if that does anything. But it's the weekend.
Wicked Dreamer, bfly, serotonein and 3 others like this.
You and your friend are completely in the right here. Just shows how gross lack of communication can even deter new customers. Hope your friend gets their records.
lee newman, Wicked Dreamer, serotonein and 4 others like this.
Burley, lee newman and ByersVinyl like this.
So this is how they are shipping records now??
bshikari, JonnyH, ericj32 and 4 others like this.
ericj32, DeadwaxDude and Mather like this.
Finally received my March shipment today and it is missing 5 out of 8 records that were supposed to be included in the shipment. I sent an email to CS, but this is super frustrating. Did this happen to anyone else this month?
I received Miles Davis/Coltrane, Bad Neighbor and De La Soul is Dead.
Missing from the shipment were Oriental Jazz, 3 Feet High, Cosmogramma (swap), Veedon Fleece (replacement) and Darrell Banks (replacement).
All 8 of these records are listed as part of the same shipment on my orders page.
I am not as deeply ingrained in this community as some, so I am asking this sincerely, what is their justification for the current customer service response time? That is abysmal for any sized company.
ericj32, gwerbnm, bohnjaggs and 1 other person like this.
I think a lot of it stems from the fact that they've only had two support people on staff for the last couple of months, although I understand that they have hired a third person recently. Still, it's a relatively low amount for such a big company.
Yeah...it doesn't seem like they have kept up with company logistics/scaling as the membership has increased. Quality control and customer service as taken a big hit in the last 6 months or so.
The album picks have been great...it's all the rest that we have had issues with.
ericj32, lee newman, gwerbnm and 3 others like this.
Anyone here know what this means?
ericj32 and Mather like this.
It just means it's in a closed shipping bag and is en route.
bshikari, ericj32, gwerbnm and 4 others like this.
JonnyH, lee newman, Wicked Dreamer and 4 others like this.