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Leaky Interview with GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)
Oct 24, 2007
Since Friday evening's revelation that Prof. Dumbledore is gay, we've seen a lot of confused and oftentimes hurtful response and commentary on the topic. So, we called up GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, an organization that works specifically with the representation of gay characters and people in media, to help clarify some of the issues and talk about what this fact about Dumbledore means for our culture. A transcript of our interview with Sean Lund, the organization's director of Messaging and Communication Srategy, follows.
(Please again be reminded that debate is welcome but disrespectful, name-calling, hateful comments are being routinely deleted.)
The Leaky Cauldron: Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Can you tell us more about GLAAD and what you do?
Sean Lund: GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an organization that has at its core the fundamental understanding that words and images matter, that what people see in the media has a really important impact on how they view the people in the world around them and how they treat the people in the world around them.
I think we have a really great opportunity here to have a longer discussion about Prof. Dumbledore, about the characteristics and the qualiites that he embodies and to talk about the fact that one of the most beloved people in the Harry Potter series is gay.
TLC: What's the reaction been like for you?
SL: Most of the reaction that we've been hearing from folks as we've been talking about it with various media outlets has been very positive. We've seen, as I'm sure a number of your readers have, some of the message boards at The Leaky Cauldron and elsewhere that have been largely very supportive of J.K. Rowling's decision. There have been some of those who have seized on the opporutnity that the conversation provides to engage in some stereotypes and some slightly unkind behavior, but overall I think the conversation has been positive.
TLC: What do you think is the most important thing to urge people to remember as they are dealing with this revelation?
SL: I think it's important to remember that Prof. Dumbledore is exactly the same wise, loyal, kind character that those of us who have been reading the books have always known. He still embodies generosity and integrity and courage and the importance of protecting others. Just because he happens to be gay doesn't make him better and doesn't make him worse. It's just one of the parts of who that character is, which his exactly what being gay is in the real world: it's just a part of what makes each of us unique and each of us different.
TLC: One of the things we're noticing is that there are some real misconceptions out there about what it means when you say that somebody is gay. There is a bias toward, an unfortunate assumption that gay means other things, such as child molestation and pedophile. Is this common?
SL: I think any time you're dealing with the misconceptions and myths and stereotypes about gay people you tend to be coming from a place of ignorance or more commonly fear about what it is like to be gay. I think one of the most important messages of the Harry Potter books is how fear, whether it's fear of what's different, whether it's fear of losing power, whether it's fear of change, can lead people to do and say things that are at best unkind and at worst sometimes even dangerous.
Some of the comments that we've seen about Prof. Dumbledore and some of the other comments that we've seen over the past several days relating to this story have kind of crept into those areas of stereotypes and misconceptions, and I think that the really valuable thing that folks like you and other folks that are really Harry Potter fans and other folks in the media are doing, is really raising the level of conversation so that those stereotypes and myths aren't allowed to go unchallenged.
TLC: Can you remember a recent time when another fictional character has been revealed as gay that has had this kind of impact?
SL: I think that probably the one that springs to mind most readily is the character of Willow on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," back, I think it was probably about six years or so ago now when [the show's creator,] Joss Whedon, who revealed in a very gradual way and in a way incredibly authentic for that character that she was gay and introduced her girlfriend Tara, and the two of them became a really wonderful couple on that show. That was a really perfect exmaple of how to do this sort of storytelling and how to create these characters right. When you take a look at how the audience reacted to that, there was such an investment in those characters and in that relationship. The Willow and Tara relationship became in some ways the moral center of that show.
I think very much with how J.K. Rowling has brought Dumbledore out, I think that sort of quality of maintaining the authenticity and maintaining the truth of the character really goes a long way in terms of making sure people stay invested in those characters, and in fact that people could keep even more invested and feel like they have additional points of identification with those characters.
TLC: The Willow comparison also touches on something else – we've been getting a little backlash from gay people as well, who complain that it's yet another gay character killed or was lonely (Tara, Willow's girlfriend is shot in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"). Is this a common theme in gay culture as represented in the media?
SL: I think that we have definitely seen some of that criticism and I tend to think about the fact that for many people who have read these books since the very beginning – I happened to come in around the time book three was published – for many readers who are coming into these stories now, they are coming into a series of books where the character of Dumbledore will always have been known to be gay. There are other people who just finished the series with the release of Deathly Hallows who are now able to go back as readers have been doing since the books came out, and go back into the stories and view the characters through this new revelations that have been in the new book or in J.K. Rowling's recent interviews and really come to a deeper and richer understanding of these characters.
J.K. Rowling's revelations, could they possibly have happened in the books? I'm not sure, you'd have to ask her. What you'll see is that she set the stage for all readers of these books, be they those who have already finished them and those who have yet to pick up even the first book, to have a deeper and richer interaction with these characters.
TLC: This is the largest, most popular fantasy series of all time, this is a huge and respected character. To make not just any character but Dumbledore, the kind brilliant professor, Dumbledore, gay – is there any way to quantify what this means to the way that gay people have been portrayed in the media or accepted in culture?
SL: At the heart of GLAAD's initiative is a very simple idea, that words and images matter, and I think the idea that J.K. Rowling would reveal that Prof. Dumbledore is gay sends a tremendously important message. It sends a message that heroes and people who we respect, and people that we look up to, come in all different shapes and sizes. And I think for the readers of the books, for the people who will see the movies in the future, I think that's a tremendously important message for them to carry forward.
TLC: Some parents are dealing now with children who are confused about what it is to be gay, and there are children confused because they are taught that it's bad, and they don't want to believe their parents who say that it's bad. What do you suggest parents do, and what do you suggest children whose parents aren't willing to talk to them, do to understand what this means?
SL: I think a lot of that ties back to what we were talking about earlier, which is that a lot of these stereotypes and myths and misconceptions about gay people really are borne out of a lack of knowledge and more specifically a fear of things that are different and people that are different. I think that when you look back at the Harry Potter books, one of J.K. Rowlng's most important themes is about treating people with dignity and respect.
I think one of the most important themes of the Harry Potter books is J.K. Rowling's message about making sure that we treat all people, whether they are the same as us, or whether they are different than us, with dignity and respect. If you think about it, one of the central conceits of the books is that there are purebloods, and muggles and half-bloods, and there is constantly some conflict among those, particularly among those who fear and hate those who are different, and in one very vivid example of that, would call them mudbloods. That's the sort of unkind language, the sort of stereotypes and sort of misconceptions that really do lead people to mistreat and dehumanize others.
You think about Prof. Dumbledore. Even before any of us knew that Prof. Dumbledore was gay, I think that we can agree that his character would never have approved of mistreating or abusing others or thinking ill of others. Now that we know that he's gay I think it's a very important reminder that whether you're straight or gay or are in the process of figuring that out, being the kind of person who treats others with love and dignity and respect, who looks out for other people, who stands up for them, and who protects them, is really what being a good person and good friend is all about.
TLC: What do you think the overarching impact of this revelation will be on the culture going forward?
SL: When a character like Prof. Dumbledore is revealed to be gay I think it has a tremendously influential impact of readers of all ages. J.K. Rowling's decision to allow readers to see Dumbledore for all of who he is, and I think also as importantly, her determination to preserve the authenticity of his character both in the films and the books, is going to enrich the power of these stories for generations to come.
I think that this provides a really great opportunity to remind ourselves and for readers of the books to remind themselves about one of the key themes of the Harry Potter series, and that is how fear of what is different can really lead people to do things that are unkind or dangerous and also at the same time elevate the sort of person that people really want to be in terms of the way they treat others. When you hear someone on the playground say "You're so gay," or, "That's so gay," that's a word that they're using as an insult. They're trying to hurt another person and make themselves feel bigger by making other people feel smaller.
Even before Ms. Rowling revealed that Prof. Dumbledore was gay I can't imagine that his character would ever have approved of mistreating or abusing others. And now that we know he's gay it really is an especially important reminder that whether you're gay or straight, treating other people with dignity and respect really is one of the most important values that we all can share.


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All About Glass
All About Glass
This is your resource for exploring various topics in glass: delve deeper with this collection of articles, multimedia, and virtual books all about glass. Content is frequently added to the area, so check back for new items. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, send us your suggestion. If you have a specific question, Ask a Glass Question at our Rakow Research Library.
This clip is from an interview with Harry Phillips, former gaffer for Steuben, interviewed May 2011. Phillips started his career in glass at Corning Glass Works while still in high school. After leaving high school he went to Steuben where he continued for 46 years, working his way up to becoming a
This clip is from an interview with Gordon Casterline, retired from Corning, Inc., interviewed May 2010. Gordon Casterline talks about his career with Corning Glass Works/Corning Incorporated.
This clip is from an interview with Dan Keyes, former gaffer for Steuben, interviewed October 2010. Daniel Keyes reminisces about his career in glass at Corning Glass Works, starting as a teenager with working papers. He was hired as a section tender and steadily moved through different areas of
This clip is from an interview with Bill Anderson, former Corning Glass Works employee, interviewed May 2011. Bill Anderson was born and raised in Corning, N.Y. He reminisces about growing up in the area, his father's employment as a gaffer at Corning Glass Works, his own employment, and the
These blinds led to the arrival of glassmaking in Corning. Elias Hungerford, who patented the blinds in 1866, looked for a glass factory that would make them. He persuaded the owner of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Works to move to Corning, where both land and labor were less expensive. The original
This clip is from an interview with Jerry Kersting, retired engineer for Corning, Inc., interviewed May 2010. Jerry Kersting was born in Jersey City, N.J., in 1939. He attended Rutgers University where he obtained a degree in civil engineering for the Facilities Group. In 1960, after spending a

subset: commoncrawl


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Billy Budd -- Good Book, Bad Cover
"Check me out, ladies. I've got a mullet, a pornstache*, and a rakishly-tilted kerchief round my neck...I'm ready for action!"
"No, no! Look at me, baby! I've got a tattoo! My kerchief is bigger, too! Of course, I've got this creepy guy staring over my shoulder..."
The Natural -- Good Book, Bad Cover
- Creepy Clown
- Mysterious Ghostly Gypsy
- Basketball Players from a Different Book
- Ollie North
- Vampy Transvestite
And a host of others, all surrounding Dick Tracy at bat with a HUGE...peni...ummm...right thigh.
Anything by Anthony Trollope -- Good Book, Bad Cover
Drawn in ink and dipped in urine for your reading pleasure.
And finally, Good Book about Jesus -- Bad Cover
Jesus' disembodied head is staring at you!
Okay, confession time. I thought long and hard about this book 'cause it's written by my advisor from grad school, and she's super scary. But nowhere in the book does it say "Thanks to Maughta, without whom my life would have no meaning," so I feel justified in this scurrilous attack. Hell hath no fury like a graduate student scorned. A-J, if you're reading this, please don't hunt me down and kill me, but seriously, couldn't you have picked a better picture of Jesus?! Maybe one that looked Jewish? (Yeah, you'd maybe have to draw that yourself, but surely it'd be better!) Jesus's aquiline nose is frightening the bejeebus out of me. Amazingly good book, though.
In other news, just got a link in my e-mail from Pistil Books that you've got the check out: The Museum of Weird Books. I think you'll enjoy it!
*MaughtaMom and other easily confused people: pornstache means a mustache that looks like it should be on a porn star


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Now, if you've been paying attention and haven't already figured out where I'm going with everything to the point where you are now horribly bored, you should now be intellectually poised above a Pit of Existential Despair (PED). This is deliberate.
However, there is a distinct possibility that you are instead going ``huh'' and scratching your head, when you are supposed to be dangling out there screaming at the glimpse of Philosophical Nothingness that underlies All Things. This won't do. So permit me to get out the block and tackle and tie this rope around your feet - there, comfy now? Now - mmmph - we'll just crank you up and swing you out over the PED, hold on to your loose change and try not to lose your eyeglasses, if any. There. Now look up - errr - down.
In the previous sections all the questions that you hold most dear (no matter what they are) have just had their legs kicked out from under them - if all the fundamental questions are really pseudoquestions, is it not the case that we can build little chains of sensible-sounding questions leading from any question at all to one of the biggies? It is8.1.
Ah, you begin to see the pit? Stop that whimpering! I'm not going to drop you in. In fact, the purpose of this whole work is to fill in this pit so that it is no longer lurking as a trap beneath your every step in life. But first we have to face the pit and even embrace the pit. Consider:
How can we ask whether we should have a reuben or a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch when we can't answer the pseudoquestion at the base of the whole question chain of why eat lunch in the first place (to stay alive), why stay alive (because God wants me to, because the Bible says I must, because I'm evolved to want to so that I can reproduce and pass on my genes), why did I evolve, why are there laws of physics, why is there a God? Psuedoquestions. There is basically no reason to choose between reuben, grilled cheese, or a hot shit on marble sandwich for lunch until we find a pragmatic way of dealing with this issue.
Note that a variety of smart-ass solipsictic answers work, but only if you are already living on the bottom of the PED. After all, the solipsists get to choose whether or not to continue imagining that they're reading all of these words that they were clever enough to think up in third person. They regularly manage to imagine that they are masochistic enough to cause themselves to endure the pain and suffering an uncaring (and in my humble opinion real and external) Universe inflicts upon them on the movie-screen of their senses, unless they are so incredibly fortunate that their lives are totally free from toil, moil, and angst. Surely they can imagine some way to make hot shit tasty.
The rest of us have no Good Reason for Doing Anything without first having a good reason for being, and right about there we run into trouble as reason and being in a single proposition is totally pseudo. Yet we generally do choose a sandwich, and that choice sometimes even works out well for us. We only get in trouble if we think too deeply about it and the waiter starts to fidget and look around longingly at his other tables. And of course there are days that you (metaphorically) try to choose grilled cheese but the ``cook'', so to speak, prepares grilled shit...
This is more than a bit of a shame; so much so that sensitive souls literally go mad over it. What is the suicide's standard apology? I have no reason for living. Surrounded by choice, a mentally ill person often has little to no free will8.2. Confronted by an endless parade of choices big and small we make them, badly and well, for better or worse, yet most humans never work out why they do what they do from the beginning, the nature of the answers they necessarily embrace to the most fundamental of questions that underlie all decisions, to the end - the choice of what to have for lunch today. At best their choices work if not examined too closely or deeply, lest they fall into the Pit.
We as a thinking species should be able to do better.
This is why it is important for you to clearly recognize the True Nature of the most fundamental factors that you do use as the deepest basis of all of the casual decisions you make throughout the course of the day. Ultimately, these factors are your axioms, both philosophical and socio-memetic. They cannot be proven, but that is not as we shall see, a problem, it is a blessing! Indeed, this choice is the fundamental exercise of free will!
If your philosophical axioms include a belief in God, and your cultural (memetic) axioms include the particular interpretation of Leviticus that prohibits pastrami and provolone or bread made with milk in the same bite, well, the reuben is out. If your personal axioms also include the laws of temporal continuity and causality (and hence, physics, biology, and all the rest), you might well conclude that hot shit on marble isn't likely to be either tasty or nutritious, leaving you with grilled cheese. This decision would be even more soundly based (given these same axioms) if you both have memories of enjoying toasted cheese sandwiches past and are silly enough to believe, without any possibility of rational proof, that something as ephemeral as a memory has any bearing whatsoever on the Now or an expectation of future satisfaction.
We leave it as an exercise for the reader to work out how to resolve a set of axioms that includes God, Leviticus, temporal continuity and causality into a system of reasoning and decision making that doesn't have too many internal contradictions8.3.
You may not agree, of course, but according to my axioms, the Truth Shall Make You Free. Somewhat paradoxically, this axiom is also in the published axiom set of many religions - in the Catholic Catechism, for example8.4. In particular, simply having the epiphinaic insight that axioms are ultimately both a matter of totally free choice (as in they are neither true nor self-evident in any sense of the word, and cannot even be judged for consistency or esthetics without more axioms to tell you how to do so) and that most of the axioms you do have are very probably geneto-memetic social imprinting and not something you ``chose'' at all (providing that we agree on enough axioms for us to be able to continue a discussion at that point, which will not happen if you are slamming this book shut and crying out ``Get thee behind me Satan'') might just empower you to, perhaps for the first time in your axiomatically surpressed and conditioned existence, to choose your axioms as a matter of absolute, conscious free will.
It will then be time for you to go axiom-shopping. I will, of course, offer up a set that I find particularly lovely and useful, and even moderately consistent and adequately complete (although Gödel teaches us not to take that particular combination horribly seriously as we can't get both and well may end up with neither). These axioms come with a free shave and haircut from a very sharp razor, metaphorically speaking, as we sloppily adopt as an esthetic standard (not really an axiom) a wee bit of the William of Ockham's single contribution to Western Thought. Once accepted these axioms can form the irrational basis for a reasonably rational view of the Universe, and can even provide at least some poetic meta-answers to some of the unanswerable pseudoquestions, which is the best one can ever hope for.
In the meantime, I'll have the reuben on rye, chips on the side, with a frosty cold beer. Mmmmm. Don't worry, my axioms permit it. As long as I get enough exercise, so does my wife...


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Anthony Riches
Anthony Riches began his lifelong interest in war and soldiers when he first heard his father's stories about World War II. This led to a degree in Military Studies at Manchester University. He began writing the story that would become Wounds of Honour after a visit to Housesteads in 1996. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and three children.
Betrayal (2017)
(The first book in the Centurions series)
Rome, AD 68. Nero has committed suicide. One hundred years of imperial rule by the descendants of Julius Caesar has ended, and chaos rules. His successor, Galba, dismisses the incorruptible Germans of the Imperial Bodyguard for the crime of loyalty to the dead emperor. Ordering them back to their homeland, he releases a Batavi officer from a Roman prison to be their prefect. But Julius Civilis is not the loyal servant of empire that he seems.
Four centurions, two Batavi and two Roman, will be caught up in the intrigues and the battles that follow – as friends, as victims, as leaders and as enemies. Hramn is First Spear of the Bodyguard. Fiercely proud of his men's honour and furious at their disgrace, he leads them back to the Batavi homeland to face an uncertain future. Alcaeus is a centurion with the tribe's cohorts serving Rome on the northern frontier – men whose fighting skills prove crucial as Roman vies with Roman for the throne. A wolf-priest of Hercules, he wields the authority of his god and his own fighting prowess. Marius is a Roman, first spear of the Fifth Legion: a self-made man who hates politics but cannot avoid them in a year of murderous intrigue. Aquillius, former first spear of the Eighth Augustan, like Hramn, is in disgrace for refusing to dishonour his oath of loyalty. But their paths will lead them to opposite sides of an unforgiving war.
And Civilis, Kivilaz to his countrymen, heroic leader, Roman citizen and patriotic Batavi, will change both the course of the empire's destiny and that of the centurions.
Anthony Riches Books are one of those rare treats i look forward to every year, his writing stands out from the crowd with a style that engages you as part of the story not a voyeur. His, unlike the majority of Historical Fiction is told from the common view, the everyday grunt and how he is impacted by the decisions and machinations of power.
Betrayal is different, in that by its nature it has to have some level of focus on those pulling the strings of political power, but also while the arc of this story must keep us close to those movers and shakers the author keeps us close to what matters, the men of the legion, the Centurions and most of all the action.
In this book and new series Anthony Riches takes on not only one of the most action packed and climactic years in Roman history, but also focuses on a people who gain many mentions in historical books, and also in films when they need to pull out a person of exceptional fighting ability. The Batavi, a people who were for many years Romes shock troops used to break the line, or operate behind the line. This first book in the series starts with the expulsion of the Batavi Imperial bodyguard, an honour they had held for a century, Galba has taken power and changes are afoot, not all is right and happy with the empire. before long Vitellius has been acclaimed Emperor by the Legions of the Rhine and Otho has deposed Galba. Among all of this are the seething animosities of the legions and the distrust and they hold for the Batavi and sins of the past, and the Centurions are determined to right what they deem to be the wrongs of Rome, while the Batavi will look to ensure the future of their people and align themselves with another potential Emperor rising in Judea… all this leading eventually to the Batavian Revolt.
Anthony Riches while adopting a slightly different style in this series manages to make this book a deeper plot whilst retaining the true soul of his style, that action packed true storyteller, in with the muck, spears and swords. Always writing where the action is thickest and the intrigue is dirtiest, coupled with impeccable research and attention to detail.
I loved this book, I loved the brilliant graphic novel snippet that the author produced pre release and know that this series has so much more to give, for those who have not read anything by this author start now, he is one of the best in the genre and you will find it very hard to get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
1. Wounds of Honour (2009)
2. Arrows of Fury (2010)
3. Fortress of Spears (2011)
4. The Leopard Sword (2012)
5. The Wolf's Gold (2012)
6. The Eagle's Vengeance (2013)
7. The Emperor's Knives (2014)
8. Thunder of the Gods (2015)
9. Altar of Blood (2016)
The Empire Collection Books I-3 (omnibus) (2017)
The Empire Collection Books 4-6 (omnibus) (2017)
1. Betrayal (2017)
2. Onslaught (2017)


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Since it's Valentine's Day, it seemed appropriate to read and review a romance. I like a good romance, and, no, it's not because there's something lacking in my life. I have my prince, thank you very much. I just like the idea of everyone finding a soulmate who will always be there for them, respect and love them and make them laugh. Which also means I like romances with a "happily ever after", or HEA, as they say in the trade. No tragic, star-crossed lovers for me.
I had an ulterior motive when I picked this week's book. I swore off Facebook for a week because I was tired of pigeon poop, so I needed an alternate, more pleasant time waster, er, I mean activity.
Let me tell you what I mean by pigeon poop. Since I'm bedridden and housebound, I've come to look at Facebook as a virtual cocktail party, one that let's me stay abreast of friends' personal lives, or at least the parts they share publicly on Facebook. For purposes of this analogy, let's say this is an outdoor cocktail party on a warm spring night.
I see and hear about one friend's new grandchild, a beautiful baby boy. I turn to my next friend to hear about his trip to the Grand Canyon, but before he can talk a pigeon swoops in and spreads angry, snarky poop everywhere and then flies away. I warily watch the sky as I view pictures of another friend's family reunion and then hear about someone else's favorite restaurant. Just as I'm starting to relax, another pigeon shows up with a couple of friends. They spread even more angry, snarky poop around and then fly off, looking VERY pleased with themselves.
The cocktail party was no longer enjoyable, so I left. I'll be back periodically, at the very least to post links to my blog. In the meantime, I'm hoping some of the pigeons get the angry poop out of their systems because I sure would like to see those pictures of their son's baseball game.
So how about talking about books for awhile?
I thought a romantic comedy would be just the thing to help wash away the pigeon poop and a quick Google search led me to Julie Crusie's "Bet Me". It appeared on several "top 25 romantic comedy" lists, and with good reason. It's hilarious. But it's not just funny – the romance part is satisfyingly healthy and sweet. It was just the thing to commemorate Valentine's Day and also clear away the stench of pigeon poop.
"Bet Me" tells the story of Min and Cal. Min is an actuary with a slightly caustic personality, a sharp wit and a loyal posse of friends. Cal is a serial heartbreaker with the patience of a saint and needy ex who desperately wants him back. When the two get together there's unexpected chemistry and a lot of funny dialogue. Friends, family and exes also contribute to the humor and help the book have even more heart.
Bottom line – if you need a temporary escapist diversion, check out "Bet Me" and shoo those pigeons away.
Read any good brain candy lately? Share, please!


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Regional budget for 9/25/07
GateHouse News Service Regional Budget (9/25/07)
Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://ghns.ghnewsroom.com
*Please check this Web site in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.
Regional Editor Jonie Larson, (217) 816-3343, email@example.com
National Editor Jean Hodges, (630) 348-3350, firstname.lastname@example.com
DALEY-CASINO. CHICAGO – Mayor Richard Daley crossed off three potential locations for a Chicago casino Monday as he tempered his criticism of residents who oppose a new children's museum in Grant Park. The mayor said he would keep a casino from attractions where children visit; he ruled out Navy Pier and Northerly Island and the city's convention hub, McCormick Place. RAMSEY/CHICAGO BUREAU/Category: Illinois
MADIGAN PREGNANT: Attorney General Lisa Madigan announces that she and her husband, Pat Byrnes, are expecting their second child in March. She'll take a brief leave of absence after the child is born. COLINDRES/CAPITOL BUREAU/Illinois
NORQUIST IN TOWN: Luncheon speech at noon, Inn at 835. SCHOENBURG/SPRINGFIELD/with photo/Illinois News
MENAGERIE SUIT DUE TO 50 ANIMALS: From Margaret Avenue in the Frey subdivision on Springfield's far west side - chickens, ducks, geese and other animals can be seen scurrying around the backyard of Sheri McLean and Stan Westphal in the 900 block of McKibbin Lane. They also have two goats, rabbits and guineas, according to neighbors, who say the total number of animals tops 50. For that, 18 of them are suing McLean and Westphal in Sangamon County Circuit Court, saying that the presence of so many animals violates the subdivision's covenants and could drive down their property values. WETTERICH/SPRINGFIELD/photo checking/Illinois News
RICKEY WEIR back in court at 2 p.m., supposedly some more interesting stuff about his fraud case and/or Nigerian escape attempt. ANTONACCI/SPRINGFIELD/Illinois News
FIRE VOLUNTEERS PACKAGE: Most fire departments across the Rock River Valley are experiencing what their brethren nationwide are; A shortage of volunteers to staff departments. Volunteers have to meet an increasing set of standards and regulations which has resulted in an 8 percent decrease nationwide in the number of volunteer firefighters. What does it mean in terms of service in the local area? Who are these people that do volunteeer and why do they do it? ROBERT BAXTER/ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR, words 750 ready now
HOW TO: Interested in becoming a volunteer or finding out more; here's who to call and Web sites with more info.
WHAT'S IT TAKE? What does it take to be a volunteer firefighter in Illinois.
ROCKFORD/Illinois News
HALO OPENS: (Info to help papers localize) Sales of the hottest new video game, HALO 3, begins at midnight. Talk to retailers, game enthusiasts, etc. REPORTER/ROCKFORD/Illinois News
RELYING ON GM: A strike at General Motors doesn't just affect the company and its workers, it trickles down to the companies that supply the U.S.'s No. 1 automaker as well as the dealers that sell its cars and trucks. ROCKFORD/Illinois
TRAIN TRIP: (w/pic, w/video?) Construction is forcing the Wheels of
Time museum to move its 131-ton locomotive, which it never intended to
do. As a result the museum is having to fix the track today, in hopes of
moving the big train. Will head out there, see what is going on and
update nearby construction. (merits; by 5 p.m.) SZOKE/PEORIA/Illinois News
SMELL THAT SMELL: (w/locator map?) Roanoke residents likely not
pleased when they learn not one but two hog confinement facilities are
being proposed outside of town to the northeast and northwest. Efforting
details of the facilities. This same issue caused huge stink several
years ago. (merits; by 9 p.m.) HANEY/PEORIA/Illinois News
MACKINAW MAILBOX BAN: The ban on mailboxes in Mackinaw will most likely be
lifted during a meeting tonight. Residents have complained about being
forced to buy a P.O. box and having to drive into town each day because
of the 1998 ban on boxes at homes. (merits; by 9:30 p.m.) SAMPIER/PEORIA/Illinois News
COP CARS: (good one to localize) Blagojevich announced almost $800,000 for in-car police
equipment. Many of our local departments got money (in city and
stateland) including Bartonville and Chillicothe, which each got about
$18,000, among the higher amounts. (merits; by 8 p.m.) RADOSEVICH/PEORIA/Illinois News
TOLUCA PLANT CLOSES: Follow on closing of Toluca Garment Co., which closed
its doors Friday, putting 100 employees out of work. The plant has been
operating in one form or another since at least 1925. We'll effort
something from the owner, who didn't return calls Friday night, follow
up with union to see if they've heard whether employees will be getting
last two weeks of pay and talk to other businesses in the town to see
what impact they fear the closing will have. (Merits) by 8:30 p.m.
SMITH/PEORIA/Illinois News
NADEL COLUMN - Nadel column, TBA late afternoon. Categories: Illinois Sports and Mike Nadel.
WITH THE ILLINI: Illinois sports notebook column. Led with football. SUPINIE/CHAMPAIGN BUREAU/Illinois sports and Big Ten.
CUBS: Will hit on a point Zambrano recently made about money players coming through during this stretch. Vorva hopes to have a creative look at the top five salaried players on the team and how they've done in this 12-game stretch. W/MAGIC NUMBER/STANDINGS ˜ VORVA
ARVIA COLUMN - On offense-defense schism on Bears.
LADEWSKI COLUMN: Rex is our quarterback.
SOX ˜ Off day. WHALEN
EDITORIAL: NOT A KIND YEAR FOR BLAGO: The never-ending legislative session of 2007 has not been a kind one to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. This was the session where Blagojevich decided universal health care would be his top priority, ... With healthy Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, could it be the year that such a massive program might actually pass? No. SPRINGFIELD/Illinois Opinions
BRITT CARTOON: GOP office of smear and sleaze. SPRINGFIELD/Illinois Opinions
BAILOUT SEMATICS: A day after the Federal Reserve chopped its most important interest rate by half a percentage point, a newspaper headline proclaimed, 'Experts: Rate cut not a 'bailout.''Really? What do we call, then, a decision that immediately sent the Dow Jones industrial average surging by more than 330 points, and had pit traders on Wall Street grinning from ear to ear? PEORIA/Illinois Opinions
WE LIKE TO WATCH: There are many angles from which to ponder Monday's
tasering of a University of Florida student. Ultimately, we think the
most interesting angle is that there are literally so many angles of
this incident available for viewing. PEORIA/Illinois Opinions
THE NOTORIOUS 'OBL': Does Osama bin Laden fancy himself a rock star? PEORIA/Illinois Opinions


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Archive for July, 2014
The atheist who printed a splended Bible
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Issues with Christianity in England today, new atheism, The Bible on July 7, 2014
In 1763, Cambridge University printer and atheist John Baskerville produced a fine Bible. This Bible is known as 'The Baskerville Bible'. Tis a fine piece of work and not merely because of its contents, but due to the fine clarity of the fonts.
The story goes that Baskerville wanted to produce a Bible which people could read with absolute clarity and not those old Gothic type prints that can be found throughout many early English Bibles.
The Baskerville Bible was first printed in Folio (Cambridge edition) in 1763. He also printed at Birmingham. His work, although criticized by some, became an inspiration to many, including Benjamin Franklin.
John Baskerville died in 1775 and according to his wishes, his body was buried in unconsecrated grounds but his memory lived on. It is believed by many that his name was borrowed by Arthur Conan Doyle for the title of the Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Today, many prints of these original Bibles still exist. Having looked at a good number of these prints in research and devotion, I am thankful to Baskerville for this work and these prints, they are indeed a sight for sore eyes. And inspiring too! Since these days, at least on the surface, atheists appear to be against the Bible and Christianity, but such is not the case with established history. For this version furthered the printing of Bibles for centuries, even to this day.
Just goes to show, that God can even use atheists to accomplish His will on earth.


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Story highlights
NEW: Britain sends an official to the region to discuss an end to the crisis
Reports say M23 is taking children and women, destroying property, and intimidating journalists
The U.N. alleges 'grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law'
Shells fired over the border kill two people in Rwanda, the foreign minister says
Congolese rebels took control of the eastern city of Goma and part of the border with Rwanda on Tuesday after days of heavy clashes, a Congolese reporter there said.
The rebels took control of the government radio station in Goma and were seen walking through town, entering government and police buildings, said the reporter, who could not be named for security reasons.
The rebels are part of the M23 rebel group, which has been engaged in heavy fighting with Congolese army forces in the region since last Thursday.
Though 1,500 United Nations peacekeeping troops are in Goma and have control of the airport there, a U.N. spokesman said the situation is at a "critical stage."
"Reports indicate that the M23 has wounded civilians, is continuing abductions of children and women, is destroying property and is intimidating journalists and those who have attempted to resist their control," said Eduardo del Buey, the deputy spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general.
A total of 6,000 troops from the U.N. mission in Congo, MONUSCO, are in the wider region of North and South Kivu, patrolling areas of particular insecurity, del Buey said.
The United Nations, the African Union and countries in the region are demanding that M23 immediately stop its attacks, Buey said.
France and Britain expressed their concerns Tuesday. The British Foreign Office said its minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, was traveling to Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda to support efforts to end the crisis.
"I am deeply concerned by the current crisis and I urge the M23 to stop their offensive and for all external support to the M23 to cease," Simmonds said in a statement ahead of the visit.
Read more: Rebel group advances in eastern Congo, nearing regional capital
The conflict spread over the border Tuesday when several shells hit Rwanda, killing two people and wounding several others, Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo told CNN.
An M23 rebel spokesman, calling his group the Revolutionary Army of Congo, went on the radio Tuesday afternoon to address the people of Goma. Lt. Col. Vianey Kazarama said the group was there to protect the population and that people should return to work Wednesday.
Any remaining pockets of the army should join the rebels or the M23 will fight against them, Kazarama said. He called on members of the police and army still in Goma to meet with the rebel leadership Wednesday morning to hand over their weapons and uniforms and join the rebels' cause.
The group has already started recruiting new members at the police headquarters in Goma, according to the Congolese reporter on the scene.
Several high-ranking government officials have fled Goma for nearby Bukavu, in South Kivu, U.N. officials and a senior NGO official said earlier Tuesday.
The local Goma government could not be reached for comment. Nor could MONUSCO, which is mandated to protect civilians in Goma.
Read more: Fighting worsens 'deteriorating' situation in eastern Congo
The eastern part of Congo, which includes Goma, has been embroiled in violence since 1994, when Hutu forces crossed the border from Rwanda fearing reprisals following the genocide.
Soldiers from the M23 group were part of the national army as part of peace negotiations brokered in 2009. They broke away from the Congolese army in April, however, complaining of a lack of pay and poor conditions.
One of its commanders, Bosco Ntaganda, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, including recruiting child soldiers.
Security analysts say the rebellion in eastern Congo has dangerous regional implications, and the international community has expressed alarm at the M23 advances.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned M23's advance into Goma and said anyone responsible for rights abuses would be held to account.
"The M23 must withdraw their forces immediately and allow legitimate government control to be restored. The cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians is paramount," he said in a statement.
The International Crisis Group, an independent anti-conflict non-profit group, warned that the fall of Goma could lead to serious human rights abuses against civilians. The settling of scores or even extrajudicial killing of members of the authorities and civil society activists who have opposed M23 could fuel further violence, it said.
The unrest could also spread to neighboring communities and "relaunch open warfare between the DRC and Rwanda," the group said on its website.
The United Nations and some donor countries have accused neighboring Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group by providing it with arms, support and even soldiers.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has repeatedly denied the allegation, and Mushikiwabo said Tuesday Rwanda has moved "way past" the accusations.
Rwanda will not engage in any talks with M23, Mushikiwabo said. "Our interlocutor is the government of the DRC," she said.
Mushikiwabo said Rwanda would close the border crossing if asked to by the Congolese government, but that such a move could have humanitarian consequences.
Tens of thousands of Congolese, already displaced by previous rounds of fighting in the volatile region, have fled camps around the edges of Goma, according to UNICEF and the medical charity Doctors Without Borders.
CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.


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"Great people have great values and great ethics." ~ Jeffrey Gitomer
I recently revisited a National Historic site that I remember from my childhood. It's just a couple of miles from where I grew up in Towson, Maryland.
Hampton Mansion, tagged as a "Palace in the Wilderness," at one time equaled half the area of present day Baltimore. The site tells a story of early settlers, the Ridgely family, prominent Marylander's who were colonial merchants in iron production, shipping and commerce. Ridgely's iron was said to be "the most profitable exports in the mid-Atlantic colonies." Read more about this tale of an industrious family who helped fuel a new nation.
The artifacts, beautiful gardens, parterres and vistas, the Georgian mansion, stables and workers quarters for the indentured servants are all evidence of a powerful businessman, who was said to be "genteel" kept "the best table in America" and was "very kind to his servants". Written entries in journals evidence the care that was taken make Christmas gift lists for all the domestic help of the estate.


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Last week's release of BioShock Remastered was a bit of a mess, as evidenced by the game's current "42 percent positive" rating on Steam. No surround sound, no FOV options, barely any options at all really, plus some horrible mouse acceleration and a tendency to crash and then either delete your saves or reset all your settings (including difficulty) to the defaults.
Yeah, not great.
But lo, a silver ray of hope cuts through the darkness. 2K announced this morning that fixes are coming "soon," at least in the case of the game's most pressing issues. On the agenda:
- General Mouse Fixes, including better Mouse Smoothing, Sensitivity and Acceleration Options in BioShock;
- Additional Speaker Mode Options in Audio Settings in BioShock;
- Improved FoV Slider Options in BioShock, BioShock 2 and Minerva's Den;
- Support for 21:9 display ratios in BioShock, BioShock 2 and Minerva's Den;
- General stability improvement to reduce instances of game crashes.
Now, we could whine all day about this. "Why did they launch the game in this state to begin with?" And those are valid complaints, but at least 2K's addressed the problem and looking to make things sort-of right.
Conspicuous in its absence, though: There's no mention of more granular graphics options. 21:9 support and FOV fixes are a good start, but it's still a bit baffling BioShock Remastered has fewer tweaks than the original 2007 PC port—especially when the options are readily tweakable inside an ini file.
We'll keep you updated as 2K hammers BioShock Remastered into an acceptable state. And look, we made it through this whole article without a "Would you kindly?" joke. Amazing.


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Dear Professor Hoplophobe (pseudonym):
First I would like to thank you for your willingness to discuss Second Amendment issues despite our deep disagreement about the scope and applicability of this important constitutional right. The first time we broached the issue, the tenor of our discussion was less than civil. Since then, you have agreed to continue our dialogue and I believe we would both agree that it has been constructive. I enjoy the opportunity to speak with professors from other departments, especially those with different educational and employment backgrounds. I also enjoy the opportunity to challenge political science professors because, in my view, the field focuses too much on the "political" and too little on the "science."
I would like to start by sharing my concerns about a remark you made in our last conversation. You indicated that in one of your classes there was a vigorous discussion of concealed weapons permits. You summarized the discussion as follows: "We didn't really get anywhere. I will never change my mind on the issue and I will never change theirs either."
This statement of yours is problematic for at least three reasons. I dissect each one below:
1. You refuse to consider the evidence of the side you seek to influence. During our first discussion of this issue you asked what evidence I had to support my contention that concealed weapons permits reduce violent crime. I told you there were fifteen refereed scholarly publications supporting my position. I offered to share them with you but you declined. A couple of years later we discussed the issue again. By then, a sixteenth refereed scholarly publication came out supporting my position. I brought this to your attention but to no avail. You expressed no interest in examining the evidence. Today you continue to ignore it while clinging to the position that concealed weapons permits increase violence. This position of yours is not supported by a single refereed publication. I believe it is time for you to either a) review the evidence or b) stop referring to yourself as a "social scientist." The terms "advocate" or "visionary" are more appropriate for those who deem all contrary evidence to be irrelevant.
2. You base your own opinions entirely on ideology. On more than one occasion you have said "I just don't like guns." On another occasion, you added that a world with guns was "just not the kind of world you want to live in." Well, that is the kind of world you live in. There are guns. And when law-abiding people are allowed to carry them crime goes down. But you do not like the fact that we live in a world where guns are required to maintain civility. You think we should be able to "talk out" our differences. This is because you think people are good and that conflict is a function of misunderstanding or miscommunication. You so cling to this vision that you admit that you "will never change (your) mind on the issue."
What you fail to understand is that by bitterly clinging to your gun-less religion – and it is a religion - you actually confirm my worldview. You prove that people are so selfish that they will jeopardize the public good just to avoid admitting they are wrong. You can call it arrogance. You can call it pride. You can call it hypocrisy. But I just prefer to call it selfishness. It is confirmation that people are not fundamentally more concerned with others than with themselves. That is precisely why we must have guns. It all goes back to the fallen nature of man.
3. You continue to teach the ideas that are contradicted by the evidence you ignore for ideological reasons. You are entitled to your views. But you also have an obligation to your students. They pay a lot of money to sit in your classes. They are also living out the most vulnerable period of their lives. The data consistently show that people between the ages of 12 and 25 are far more likely to experience violent crime than those below 12 or those over 25. So they need accurate information to make it in this "society," which you concede is a dangerous place. They need more than your vision of what the world could be or should be. They need to navigate the world as it is. So, please, hear my plea: when a female student of yours asks whether getting her concealed weapons permit will decrease her chances of being raped just tell her what the published evidence says. But telling her the truth implies that at some point you will take an interest in learning what the published evidence says.
Mike S. Adams


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Why Did I Watch Fourteen Hours Of The Weather Channel? I'm Not Sure.
If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I spent all day Saturday watching The Weather Channel. It started very early in the morning when I woke up nervous and headed out to the living room. The hurricane hadn't even made landfall yet, but they already had a guy on the beach who had been assigned to watch over a wooden pier to see if it would collapse. "I appreciate The Weather Channel's nonstop coverage of America's Pier," I said to practically nobody, since practically nobody was awake.
Many, many hours later — fourteen or so, I gave up: "Bored with storm. Taking break from storm." I went to sleep with the power on. I would wake up with the power off, but blessedly with no water in my apartment.
What on earth happened in between? How did the entire day float by and I watched The Weather Channel? I told a friend Sunday night that I had done this, and the answer I got was the obvious one. It's the question you're asking, it's the question I'm asking, it's the question anyone would ask. "Why would you do that?"
Anxiety. I'm convinced that wall-to-wall weather coverage soothes anxiety by making you feel (quite incorrectly) like you now have an encyclopedic knowledge of how, exactly, you might wind up with a basement full of raw sewage. TWC (I call it TWC, because we're now so close) is always careful to address its hurricane expert as "Dr. Knabb." Mike is Mike, Jeff is Jeff, but Dr. Knabb is always Dr. Knabb. Mike can be on the beach, having his outer layers of skin sanded off by grit that is pelting him at 75 miles an hour, and he will still address the bespectacled dude back in the studio whose biggest issue is keeping his Starbucks warm as "Dr. Knabb."
This kind of authority allows Dr. Knabb to explain storm surges, rain bands, and exactly how wind might — according to his explanation — essentially try to push the entire Atlantic Ocean into the Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Knabb is a tangle of facts, which he repeats over and over in case you just got there — which you probably did, because why would you be watching him give these explanation for FOURTEEN HOURS?
The element of surprise. One thing that became clear to me was that you watch a weather reporter out on the beach walking against gusts of wind for one of the same reasons you watch figure skating: the darkest and guiltiest part of your soul is waiting to see a wipeout. Not a dangerous wipeout; you don't want the weather guy to get hurt. But blown over harmlessly so that his windbreaker comes partially unsnapped? Well, yes.
But there's more to the surprise than that. These weather guys report live from wherever they think they can get a good shot, so there are always various odd things going on in the background. People walk by, cars drive by, and it all happens while the reporters are stressing that people absolutely should not be outside. It's basically like watching a wildlife expert talk about how you should never taunt an angry bear while somebody in the background runs across the screen being chased by a grizzly and yelling, "You want the sandwich? You want the sandwich? Come and get it, ha ha ha!"
This background action took a particularly unexpected turn midday Saturday when poor Eric Fisher, reporting from Virginia Beach, was right in the middle of a report when a guy ran across the shot behind him through the driving rain, pulled down his shorts (the guy's shorts, not Eric's), and then turned around to full-frontally flash the national audience. You can see a censored still, or watch the uncensored video if you choose, here. "To be honest, I'm pretty much speechless," said Eric, who then apologized in a general way for what the audience had just witnessed.
So little on television is actually surprising that the possibility of unexpected merriment going on at any moment is a little bit tantalizing.
Sympathy. It wasn't just Eric and his streaker who ran into difficulties. Whenever a reporter is asked to do live television under the conditions these people deal with, there are likely to be moments when things don't go precisely as one might wish. Among other things, they're asked at times to vamp quite a bit, filling time because there's not actually a lot of new information to report.
At one point, the Wooden Pier Watch noted that about 30 yards of the pier had vanished in the surf and wind. The reporter said something along the lines of, "The end of the pier blew off, so they'll either have to rebuild it or, uh, make it a little bit shorter." That they will, fella. That they will.
You can't help rooting for poor Mike Seidel, who was standing on the beach in Nags Head, N.C., for hours and hours, looking at times like he was doing a mime routine called "Walking Against The Wind." Only it wasn't mime. I believe it was Mike who experienced a large wave that inspired the anchor back in the studio to say, "Get out of there, dude." Any time an anchor warns a reporter to retreat and calls him "dude," that's good TV.
Nerds. Finally, nothing makes a broadcast quite like a giant nerd. It takes a while watching TWC before you realize that they are such weather nerds that they sometimes tend to see things from the storm's point of view. They talk about the shape of the storm as beautiful, or "great," or "improving," and what they mean is that the storm is thriving. It's along the lines of, "This storm is looking great. Your lawn furniture? Not so much." At first, when they say the storm is getting better, you the viewer assume it means "less fierce." But they actually mean "more efficient, in terms of destruction." This is how you know that they are true nerds, and not just poseurs. CNN anchors would never accidentally say a storm is great because it's so beautifully shaped that it will look great on the radar as it tears a few shingles off the Hot Dog Hut in Atlantic City.


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- Documents and publications
School recovery: lessons from Asia
This publication provides a compilation of 25 case studies of schools from 12 countries affected by 6 different hazards in an effort to understand the recovery processes of schools from natural disasters. It links the recovery lessons to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in the education sector (E-HFA) through sixteen tasks that constitute a framework for the integrated approach of disaster risk reduction in schools. It goes beyond the school building or education, and looks at the comprehensive way of disaster risk reduction in the education sector.
Although the case examples come from different countries and different socio-economic backgrounds, few common elements are identified, which can be applied to future cases of school recovery, including those from Tohoku Region in Japan, which was significantly affected by the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster.
Please note: Content is displayed as last posted by a PreventionWeb community member or editor. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of UNDRR, PreventionWeb, or its sponsors. See our terms of use


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During a recent visit to the archives by Professor Ellie Gebarowski-Shafer's Religion 130 class, The Christian Tradition, students plowed through 214 years of Middlebury College missionary history with College Archivist Danielle Rougeau. Amid the pages of 19th century cursive was this diary entry by Mary Martin, wife of a missionary to China and grandmother of Mabel Martin (later Mary Buttolph), Class of 1911. (Mary Martin is pictured below, circa 1865.)
After the death of her husband and a young son in China, Mary returned to Vermont by way of San Francisco. After 69 days at sea, she writes her last diary entry on May 21, 1865:
We were greatly shocked with the news we heard on our arrival this morning of the assassination of president Lincoln but very glad to learn that the war is over and that slavery is abolished.
Postscript: Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865. News traveled slowly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Her mention of this news falls smack in the middle of the page below. To learn more about Middlebury missionaries, Mary Martin, or to cut your teeth on some 19th century cursive, visit Special Collections.


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21 July 2016
On 21 July 2016, the Interregional Conference on fostering collaboration between UNESCO in the field and networks towards the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, began its work in Bali, Indonesia. During the event, the 3rd meeting of the Network of Biosphere Reserves of the Asia-Pacific region will take place.The event was organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in Asia and Pacific (Jakarta, Indonesia). Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta, Mr Shahbaz Khan, and the Secretary-General of the National Commission of Malaysia for UNESCO, Mr Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman, spoke at the opening ceremony of the event.
UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office was represented by Mr Andrei Сhevelev, Officer-in-Charge, and Ms Natalia Kim, Natural Sciences Assistant.
Kazakhstan was represented by Professor Roman Jaschenko, Chairman of the Kazakhstan National Committee of UNESCO "Man and the Biosphere" Programme (MAB), Head of the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Development at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
During four-day meeting the participants will discuss collaboration between UNESCO in the field and networks towards the UN 2030 Agenda.
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/biosphere-reserves-of-the-asia-pacific-region-in-the-center-of-discussion


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Long before a single load is booked or any wheels turn, someone - usually a fleet manager - needs to determine exactly what is going to separate the road and the load.
There's a lot riding on this decision because, as much as some would like to think otherwise, a trailer is never just a trailer. It can be manufactured to many different specifications, with multiple raw material options, dozens of load and geographical considerations, various top speed requirements and hundreds of possible axle configurations coming into play. And it all comes down to one objective - the ideal trailer for an operation's specific loads.
To select the right trailer, the one that will require the least amount of maintenance, provide the greatest lifespan and deliver the highest possible return on investment, it is vital to understand the most important factor of all - capacity.
50 Tons in the Making
There are five contributors to capacity ratings. They apply to any kind of open trailer, from flat and step decks to lowbeds, and each can be varied to meet a carrier's specifications.
It begins, of course, with the materials used to build the trailer, specifically their sizes and weights. From there, capacity encompasses the overall weight that a trailer can carry, the area of the deck in which it can carry that weight, the speed at which the trailer will generally travel and the safety factor.
To make an apples-to-apples comparison, consider one 50-ton lowbed alongside another 50-ton lowbed. Because, just as a trailer is never just a trailer, not all 50-ton lowbeds are created equal.
Load Concentration: Half Deck, Full Utilization
There are more than 50 manufacturers of lowbed heavy-haul trailers in North America, and they apply several methods of rating the capacity of their trailers. Since there is no industry-set or government-mandated system, it's up to every buyer to be in tune with the method each manufacturer uses before making a purchase decision.
A key difference between manufacturers' ratings comes in load concentration, or the length of the deck that can handle the rated weight. Obviously, a 26-foot, 50-ton lowbed can haul 50 tons. But how much of the deck those 50 tons occupy is just as important as the weight itself. Whereas one trailer might need the entire length of the deck to be rated at 50 tons, another can be rated for 50 tons in a 16-foot span, and another can handle that same weight in half the deck length.
For example, a 26-foot, 50-ton lowbed might be rated for the trailer's entire span with equal weight distribution. In that case, the trailer would need to be hauling materials that run the entire length of the trailer, such as long steel poles, lumber or concrete culvert sections.
However, if the payload is a 100,000-pound excavator that's only 13 feet long, a trailer rated for the entire deck length, or even for 16 feet, won't be right for the load. Even though the load is only 50 tons, that trailer will be overloaded because the weight will not span the entire length of the deck; making it too concentrated for the area the excavator covers. For a trailer that's rated at full deck length or 16 feet to safely handle the excavator, it would likely need to be rated at 55 or 60 tons.
So again, using the 13-foot, 100,000-pound excavator as the payload, the ideal trailer will be one rated at half the deck length. Trailers rated for half the deck length can carry a specified load in just that, half the length of the deck. These ratings give a more realistic indication of the concentrated loads the trailer will be able to handle safely and without structural failure.
In addition, manufacturers who build trailers with half-deck ratings often do so with a two-point rigid load base specifically for the tire spacing, or hot spots, of large equipment and heavy machinery.
This is the first article in a series about trailer capacity. Click here for Part 2.
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XEMC's letter to Rhode Island's Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in support of the power purchase agreement (PPA) between Block Island developer Deepwater Wind and utility National Grid, reveals that the manufacturer is vying to supply the 20MW wind farm, as well as other Deepwater projects.
Areva has also written a letter of support, as have JD Cable Systems and Mitsubishi International Corporation, two companies bidding to supply cables to the project.
But TransCanada has filed a motion with the PUC claiming it could supply the state with renewable energy at a cheaper rate than that proposed by Block Island developer Deepwater Wind and its power purchaser National Grid.
The Canadian company specifically cited its 132MW Kibby Wind Farm in Maine, half of which is online.
Deepwater has objected to TransCanada's motion.
In a memorandum, Rhode Island attorney general Patrick Lynch found fault with many of the legal arguments in Deepwater's objection.
Deepwater's PPA with National Grid subsidiary Narragansett Electric agrees a rate of 24.4 cents per kWh.
It is the second PPA between the two parties, and was enabled by a bill signed by governor Donald Carcieri last month.


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Group Discounts: 3 or more members from the same lab/institute/university (or) anyone who wish to attend multiple Meetings International Pte Ltd Conferences is eligible to get special benefits from Meetings International Pte Ltd Please contact us.
Only Registration Includes:
- Access to all sessions
- Handbook & conference kit
- Certificate Accreditation from the Organizing Committee
- Abstracts will be published in the conference souvenir and respective international journal
- Each registrant will get 50% abatement on manuscript publication fees
- Ask the Expert Forums (One to One Pre-Scheduled meeting on interest and availability)
- Access to the attendees email list (post conference)
- 10% abatement on the registration fees for the next annual conference
- 10% abatement on the Meetings International conferences membership
- 2 Coffee breaks (Refreshments and snacks) during the conference
- Lunch during the conference
- Wi-Fi
Package A:
- Above 12 features including the following:
- Breakfast
- Registration & 2 Nights' accommodation (i.e. May 20 & 21, 2020). Check-out on May 22, 2020
Package B:
- Above 14 features including the following:
- Extra one Night's accommodation (i.e. May 20, 21 & 22, 2020). Check-out on May 23, 2019.
Student Delegates:
- Access to All Sessions
- Coffee break during the conference
- Conference Kit
- Lunch during the conference
Student Visitor:
- Access to All Sessions
- Coffee break during the conference
Video Presentation:
- Video Presentation is being taken up by the speakers who are unable to attend due to schedule conflicts/VISA Decline etc.
- Talk Duration: 20-25 minutes
- Certification by the International Organizing Committee
- Publication of Abstract in relevant International Journals
- The speakers need to send their abstract with complete biography
- Power point of the presentation should be submitted before 1 month of the conference
- The recorded video presentation should be submitted through: https://www.wetransfer.com/
- The amount charged for E-Posters is to display the E-Posters only on website
- The abstract will be published in conference proceeding too
- The presenter is not required to be present in person at the conference
- One exhibit booth (Size-3X3 sqm)
- 1 page publication of the exhibitor profile in conference proceeding
- Promotion through the conference website
- Promotional video on company products during the conference (Post session and Breaks)
- Logo recognition in the scientific program, conference banner and flyer
- One A4 flyer insert in the conference kit
- An opportunity to sponsor 1 Poster Presentation Award
- Post conference -submission of the mailing list
** Prices are subjected to change according to the demand and availability of slots.


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The Every-day Book and Table Book: Or, Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs, and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in Past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Months, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac; Including Accounts of the Weather, Rules for Health and Conduct, Remarkable and Important Anecdotes, Facts, and Notices, in Chronology, Antiquities, Topography, Biography, Natural History, Art, Science, and General Literature; Derived from the Most Authentic Sources, and Valuable Original Communications, with Poetical Elucidations, for Daily Use and Diversion, المجلد 1
Pub. for T. Tegg, 1830
ما يقوله الناس - كتابة مراجعة
لم نعثر على أي مراجعات في الأماكن المعتادة.
الصفحات المحددة
عبارات ومصطلحات مألوفة
according ancient appeared arms attended beautiful bishop body Book boys brought called carried cause church coming common continued court cross custom death Dedicated to St desired died dogs door England eyes fair fall feeling feet fire FLORAL DIRECTORY flowers four gave give hand head holy honour hour Italy John kind king lady late leave letter light lion lived London look lord manner March master means month morning nature never night observed passed performed persons play poor present printed received relates remain remarkable round saint says season seems seen side stand street Sunday taken thing thou till tion took town trees turned walk whole young
مقاطع مشهورة
الصفحة 801 - Ah ! then and there was hurrying to and fro, And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress, And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago Blushed at the praise of their own loveliness: And there were sudden partings, such as press The life from out young hearts; and choking sighs. Which ne'er might be repeated...
الصفحة 649 - To hear the lark begin his flight, And singing startle the dull Night, From his watch-tower in the skies, Till the dappled Dawn doth rise...
الصفحة 801 - And Ardennes waves above them her green leaves, Dewy with nature's tear-drops as they pass, Grieving, if aught inanimate e'er grieves, Over the unreturning brave, — alas! Ere evening to be trodden like the grass...
الصفحة 535 - Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her The flowery May, who from her green lap throws The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose. Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire Mirth and youth and warm desire ; Woods and groves are of thy dressing, Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
الصفحة 715 - THE glories of our blood and state Are shadows, not substantial things; There is no armour against fate; Death lays his icy hand on Kings: Sceptre and Crown Must tumble down, And in the dust be equal made With the poor crooked scythe and spade.
الصفحة 1215 - Thus this custom of firing houses continued, till in process of time, says my manuscript, a sage arose, like our Locke, who made a discovery, that the flesh of swine, or indeed of any other animal, might be cooked (burnt, as they called it) without the necessity of consuming a whole house to dress it.
الصفحة 715 - They tame but one another still: Early or late They stoop to fate, And must give up their murmuring breath, When they, pale captives, creep to death. The garlands wither on your brow, Then boast no more your mighty deeds; Upon Death's purple altar now See, where the victor-victim bleeds: Your heads must come To the cold tomb; Only the actions of the just Smell sweet, and blossom in their dust.
الصفحة 385 - Sweet bird ! thy bower is ever green, Thy sky is ever clear ; Thou hast no sorrow in thy song, No winter in thy year...
الصفحة 735 - It ceased ; yet still the sails made on A pleasant noise till noon, — A noise like of a hidden brook In the leafy month of June, That to the sleeping woods all night Singeth a quiet tune.
الصفحة 801 - And there was mounting in hot haste: the steed, The mustering squadron, and the clattering car, Went pouring forward with impetuous speed And swiftly forming in the ranks of war; And the deep thunder peal on peal afar; And near, the beat of the alarming drum Roused up the soldier ere the morning star; While thronged the citizens with terror dumb, Or whispering with white lips — "The foe ! They come ! They come !" And wild and high the "Cameron's gathering...


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Holy Week
Holy Week, week before Easter. Its chief days are named Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. In Christian life it is a week of devout observance, commemorating the Passion and Jesus' death on the cross. The liturgies have special features and services, e.g., Tenebrae. In the Roman Catholic Church these rise to a climax with the vigil of the Resurrection on the evening of Holy Saturday. At this time the paschal candle is blessed with the hymn Exsultet, and Lent, with its fast, ends at midnight.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Christianity: General


text: You can cruise with personalised style! Scania, Volvo, Daf, Iveco, Mercedes, Renault, Man [but not xxl cab]. 2 x half windscreen and door window curtains. Curtain trim (sun visor) for.Special order items delivered within 10-14 days. To see what other items we have for sale for you. DAF XF super space cab. DAF XF 106 Euro 6. Velour carpet floor mats set. This item is in the category "Home, Furniture & DIY\Curtains, Blinds & Accessories\Curtains & Drapes". The seller is "pattruck" and is located in this country: GB. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Republic of Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, United States, Bahrain, Canada, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Grenada, French Guiana, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Macau, Monaco, Maldives, Montserrat, Martinique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, Reunion, Turks and Caicos Islands, Aruba, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam.


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(Soldotna) — Responding to a report of an animal den with living occupants found in the smoldering debris of the Funny River Horse Trail Wildfire on Tuesday, May 27, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist Jeff Selinger didn't know what to expect.
Firefighters who happened upon the scene had detected movement within, but the den was dark and the animal—or animals—inside could not be identified. Once he arrived at the fire-line site some seven miles up Funny River Road, the 6-foot-tall Selinger was unable to squeeze into the narrow, root-rimmed den. A much smaller firefighter was recruited to crawl in and five live wolf pups—four males and a female, all black in color—were handed up from the shadows, their eyes squinting in the afternoon light. A sixth pup was found deceased.
Selinger determined that ongoing firefighting activity made the return of adult wolves unlikely, so with the pups' immediate health and long-term future in mind, he contacted department staffers in Anchorage who regularly handle the care and placement of orphaned wildlife. By the time the pups arrived in Anchorage, a temporary home and veterinary care were waiting at the Alaska Zoo.
The pups are currently in quarantine and their health is being monitored. Initial examination indicated the pups are about five weeks old and have sustained injuries from porcupine quills. Meanwhile, arrangements for permanent placement in authorized zoo or wildlife facilities are being made; ideally, the pups would stay together.


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CW: mentions of torture, violence, assault
For a few years now so-called leftists have been acting as cheerleaders for Syria's President Assad. The apparent logic seems to go something like this: "American imperialism is abhorrent, so naturally we will embrace America's enemy – Russia – and by extension, Assad as our friends." Let me be clear: in this case, the enemy of your enemy is not your friend. It is perfectly feasible to recognise that Russia is an imperialist power and serial abuser of human rights without legitimizing America's terrible track record of imperialism, occupation and human rights abuses.Continue Reading


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Plug-in Hybrid/Twin Engine
A charging cable makes your daily life more flexible. The cable is available in two lengths with different connectors to suit your needs.
Charging of the car is monitored by two-way communication between the car and the control box. When the cable is connected to the car, self-test diagnostics are performed to ensure that the cable is properly connected and that the car is ready to receive power before charging starts. Charging is done either via a Mode 2 or Mode 3 type charging cable. The control and safety functions are the same for both, but the location of the control box and the cable's design differs.
Charging with Mode 2. The control box is integrated in the charging cable and plugged into an ordinary power socket.
Charging with Mode 3. The control box is secured in a charging station connected to the mains supply. The charging cable does not require any logic to control charging, but has a special connector (Type 2) for connection to the control box.
Schuko connector (Mode 2), Image: 2
|Part. No.
|8 metres, Max. 10 A, Excl. DE, DK, FI, FR, GB
|4.5 metres, Max. 10 A, Excl. DE, DK, FI, FR, GB
CEE connector (Mode 2), Image: 3
|Part. No.
|8 metres, Max 16 A
|4.5 metres, Max 16 A
Type 2 connector (Mode 3), Image: 4
|Part. No.
|8 metres, Max 16 A, 1 phase
|4.5 metres, Max 16 A, 1 phase
Recommended accessories:
Facts and advantages
The cable must not be repaired or spliced as this can affect its safety and function.
IP 67 protection rated
The cable can withstand a load of 500 kg in the event of being driven over.
The control box does not power the cable until it is correctly connected and the car is ready to receive current.
The cable's control box has an integrated earth fault circuit breaker. In the event of an earth fault, the current is switched off.
Technical data


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Hot news is that the project formerly called Portalized (featured a long time ago on FreeGamer) is now really open-source and renamed Pseudoform! It's still more of a tech-demo, but check this video out:
Or even more videos on the Pseudoform website!
More bloody family entertainmentIf you are a fan of real quality entertainment and not afraid of a retro look and this might excite you:
It is an upcoming remake of Monolith Software's 1997 hit Blood! Personally I think it was by far the greatest FPS of it's time, with a wicked sense of humor... but many people were put off by its bad successor Blood2.
So what's cool about Hypertension? It's based on the updated GPL Doom engine EDGE and is coming to Win/Linus/Mac/Dreamcast and GP2X probably as a FOSS indy title. Here is a nice interview, explaining what it is all about and which features are added (f.e. live action video sequences). So if you have not played Blood, this is definitely worth the wait if you aren't afraid of the retro look. (Remark: The Blood game media was released by Monolith for use but not under an FOSS license).
EDIT: It has come to our attention that Hypertension is illegally using the Blood art assets, which were only granted for use to the Transfusion project by the original Developer.
But I need a blood transfusion NOW!Ok ok! calm down, help is already there:
Transfusion is a great FOSS remake of Blood, too. It is based on the Dark Places engine, a much updated Quake 1 engine also used by the Nexuiz game (Which released a new version lately too). It is fully 3D and much of the media has been replaced with real models, but after finishing a more or less playable multiplayer version, development sadly stopped.
Hint: Updating it to a newer Dark Places version or turning it into a Nexuiz mod is probably not a lot of work, and the game is already a lot of fun! Personally I would love to see someone reactivate this project!


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© (2009) by Vicki Polin
The Awareness Center's Daily Newsletter - September 30, 2009
So many incest survivors are faced with so many dilemmas when it comes to speaking out against their perpetrators. One of the biggest reasons is because their offender(s) are members of their own families. They carry titles such as: mommy, daddy, sister, brother, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle and or cousin.
One of the things most people forget is that every incest survivor has a relative who is a sex offender. Going public means they will be "outing" someone they may love and care for.
Children who are being abused in the home have to live with the fear of repeated abuse every day of their lives. The reality is that the majority of cases of childhood sexual abuse occur in the home by relatives, and the offenders are not teachers, rabbis, coaches, scout leaders, babysitters, etc.
Just like any other group of those who were sexually violated, incest survivors deserve to have their day in court and to have the same protections as survivors of any other form of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, in todays society if your offender is a relative you have less civil rights and or protections then those who's offenders are not relatives.
As many of you know, I am an incest survivor. There were many times during my childhood I went looking for help, yet it felt as if doors were slammed in my face every time I asked to be removed from my home. The problem was that no one wanted to believe that Jews would do such things to their own children. The only exception to that rule seemed to be if the offending family member(s) were holocaust survivors. I am not saying that all holocaust survivors abuse their children, yet there appeared to be a higher percentage of holocaust survivors who were abusive towards their children, then those who did not. The reasoning appears to be that one is more inclined to the behaviors of their parents or other adult figures who had influenced their own lives. Unfortunately, there have been too many cases in which holocaust survivors identified with their aggressors and repeat some of the abuse they endured while being kept as prisoners by the Nazi's.
An issue that is hardly ever addressed is the fact that many incest survivors turn to drugs and alcohol to escape for their thoughts, feelings and memories of the torture they endured in childhood. An example of someone doing this is actress, Mackenzie Phillips. Below is a link of her sharing some of her history and the backlash she experienced.
Though I never had issues with addictions I could relate to much of what Ms. Phillips shared in her interview. As many of you are aware over twenty years ago I was on Oprah. I totally understand the backlash a survivor may experience for sharing childhood experiences.
I personally believe that Incest survivors really needs to be grounded and have a great support system in place before attempting to speak out. It's not only due to the backlash that can come from family and friends -- it's because often once you speak out you will be inundated by other survivors contacting you wanting to share their experiences with you. Naturally, there are times the survivors will want to share every detail of what happened to them in details -- which is healthy for them, but can become extremely overwhelming to another survivor.
Survivors heal a great deal by speaking out and sharing their experiences with others. It's a wonderful feeling to learn that you are not alone, that you are not bad and that you do NOT have to keep secrets. For me going on Oprah many years ago was both an extremely empowering experience, yet the backlash at times felt devastating. The losses were great, yet the ability to speak the truth was freeing.
It's important for incest survivors to understand that once you speak out you can never take your words back. What you say can and most often be used against you by those who are protecting other sex offenders.
It's a wonderful feeling to know other survivors will see you as a role model, yet inside you may still feel very fragile and vulnerable. You want to be helpful, yet also NEED to be protective of your own personal needs and space. You have a right to say no to any future interviews and you also have a right not to answer questions people may ask you. Remember this is about you and your own life. You have a right to do what you find as healing and empowering and to say NO to things that are not.
Please watch the following Youtube clip of Mackenzie Phillips's experience of speaking out.


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The online Merriam-Webster dictionary offers two definitions for "rule of thumb":
In other words, although rules of thumb can be useful guidelines, they're not gospel on any particular issue. This is especially important to remember when you're trying to set aside enough money to last comfortably through your retirement years. And while some traditional rules of thumb that have been followed faithfully for decades may serve as starting points, they're not infallible. Consider these four examples:
1. Save one million dollars for retirement. How much will you and your spouse need to live on in retirement? That's the age-old question. In recent years, some people have seized on a million dollars as the magic number to strive for. It's a nice round figure and, after all, can't a millionaire afford an upscale lifestyle in retirement?
But a million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to. Suppose you take an income of 4% of your savings annually—another rule of thumb for using retirement savings (see below). That's just $40,000 a year, and there will be even less if you dig into your nest egg to buy a winter "snowbird" home, for example, or take a few exotic vacations. And people are living longer these days, so you may need money to sustain you for 25 or 30 years, not 20 or less.
Another option that can be used is to set aside an amount roughly equal to eight times your ending salary (or even higher). So, if you're pulling down $200,000 just before retirement, you should have $1.6 million (8 x $200,000) in your coffers. That may be a preferable goal—but even then, a 4% withdrawal will give you only $64,000 a year.
2. Replace 80% of your pre-retirement income. This rule of thumb has been amended to make some concessions for a higher cost of living. Previous estimates often were predicated on replacing 70% or 75% of your salary with savings from retirement plans at work and IRAs, investment earnings, Social Security benefits, and other sources. Again, this rule of thumb may work for some people, but not for everyone, and replacing 80% of a high salary could require very substantial savings. You want to have 80% of that $200,000 in income? That's $160,000 a year, and could require savings of $4 million or more.
Moreover, the 80% rule ignores certain variables, such as health-care needs, lifestyle choices, and family obligations. It may be more helpful to go beyond rules of thumb to estimate what your expenses really may be in retirement and work backward to figure out how much you will have to accumulate and earn annually to meet your objectives.
3. Save at least 10% of your income for retirement. The old belief is that you should pay yourself first before you pay anyone else. This rule of thumb mandates that you set aside at least 10% of your salary each year no matter what is happening in your life. For a simplified example, if you earn $150,000 a year and thus set aside $15,000 a year in a tax-deferred vehicle such as a 401(k) plan, you will have $1,470,081 after 30 years if you earn an annual 7% return. (This example is hypothetical and not indicative of any particular investments.)
There are two problems here. First, there's no guarantee that saving 10% a year will give you what you need in retirement. The second is that it may be difficult to maintain that discipline, especially if you're raising a family during your peak earning years. If your saving lags during those years or if you can't start saving until later in life, the 10% rule is very likely to give you less than you need.
4. Withdraw no more than 4% annually from your nest egg. At first blush, this principle makes perfect sense for anyone planning on a long lifetime in retirement. In theory, if you withdraw 4% a year and earn more—say, 7% or 8%, as a hypothetical example—you should be able to sustain your nest egg throughout retirement as long as inflation remains relatively low.
But there are no guarantees of what interest rate you will earn, and you might have to use more than 4% some years. Furthermore, during a sharp market downturn, taking out even the minimum 4% could put you in a deeper hole that could be hard to dig out of.
Where do you stand? Although these four guidelines can be helpful, a better idea is to work out a comprehensive plan for your future. We would be glad to provide the retirement planning assistance you need.
© 2023 Advisor Products Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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"My shadow's the only one that walks beside me. My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating. Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me. Til then I walk alone."
– I Walk Alone by Green Day
I felt so lonely as a new mother. Isolated, ashamed, angry, and ungrateful. None of which was appropriate since I had gotten exactly what I wanted – a healthy baby girl.
Looking back, it was shame that silenced me. How dare I be miserable when I was holding what I wanted in my arms? So I swallowed it all, and it ate me up.
I loved my baby. Deeply. During moments of peace, when she was sleeping and I wasn't crying with exhaustion or despair, I'd stare at her beautiful face and trace her features with my eyes, wanting to memorize every curve, every angle. I relished the shape of her sweet bow lips, the delicate slope of her nose, the way her chin met her throat, the way that throat would undulate with milk, even in her dreams.
I loved my daughter. But I didn't love myself. Many days I was full of self-loathing for failing at motherhood. For not loving it enough. For not feeling grateful enough. For not excelling at it, acing it, as I had many things in life.
All around me, other women seemed to have it together in ways I did not. As the months went by, and years, this grew more apparent and deepened my shame.
I never sought help and I was never diagnosed with postpartum depression. I answered the questions the midwife asked at my check-up and came out "clear." But my perceptions of PPD were wrong. Just because I didn't feel compelled to injure my daughter or myself didn't mean I wasn't hurting deeply.
What I needed was the voices and compassion of other women, other mothers, reassuring me I wasn't alone. I needed the kind of help my father and husband couldn't offer me, though they tried.
That is why this anthology, Mothering Through the Darkness, edited by Jessica Smock and Stephanie Sprenger of The HerStories Project is such an important book. It would've been a lifeline for me.
In a marketplace where there is a glut of books about prenatal and infant care, where are the books about mothers? Where are the books about PPD in all its nuances and variations?
Now there are thirty-five stories, including my own, "Afterbirth." Writing it helped release years of pent up pain and shame. I cried as I typed, the words pouring forth, as if they had been waiting for a way out.
When the beautiful book finally arrived, I was thrilled, but a little hesitant to read it. Would I be triggered by my co-contributors' painful stories?
To my surprise, the answer is no. If anything, I am buoyed by our similarities, by the facets of my story that I recognize in theirs. The commiseration that I longed for seven years ago has been gifted to me now.
If you know of a woman in the maelstrom of new motherhood, or recovering from it, please consider letting her know about this book. Or perhaps, pick it up yourself.
No one should walk alone.