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ARRIVING IN NEW YORK HARBOUR. 1824. Manners of Young American Women; Their Interaction with Bachelors.
And now a little incident occurred, which, as it manifests a marked difference in the manners, and perhaps in the characters of those who inhabit this republic, and the possessors of our own Europe, I shall take the liberty to introduce.
I have already mentioned a fair creature as being among our passengers. She is of that age when, in our eyes, the sex is most alluring, because we know it to be the most innocent. I do not think her years can much exceed seventeen. Happily, your Belgic temperament is too mercurial to require a tincture of romance to give interest to a simple picture, in which delicacy, feminine beauty, and the most commendable ingenuousness, were admirably mingled. Neither am I, albeit, past the time of day-dreams, and wakeful nights, so utterly insensible to the attractions of such a being, as to have passed three weeks in her society, without experiencing some portion of that manly interest in her welfare, which, I fear, it has been my evil fortune to have felt for too many of the syrens in general, to permit a sufficient concentration of the sentiment, in favour of any one in particular. I had certainly not forgotten, during the passage, to manifest a proper spirit of homage to the loveliness of the sex, in the person of this young American ; nor do I think that my manner failed to express a prudent and saving degree of the admiration that was excited by her gentle, natural, and nymph-ike deportment, no less than by her spirited and intelligent discourse. In short--but you were not born in Rotterdam, nor reared upon the Zuy der Zee, to need a madrigal on such a topic. The whole affair passed on the ocean, and, as a nautical man, you will not fail to comprehend it. Notwithstanding I had made every effort to appeal, what you know I really am, sufficiently amiable, during the voyage, and, notwithstanding Cadwallader had not given himself any particular trouble on the subject at all, it was not to be denied that there was a marked distinction in the reception of our respective civilities, and that always in his favour. I confess that, for a long time, I was disposed (in the entire absence of all better reasons) to ascribe this preference to an illiberal national prejudice. Still it was only by comparison that I had the smallest ra tional grounds of complaint. But a peculiarly odious quality attaches itself to comparisons of this nature. There is a good deal of the Caesar in my composition, as respects the sex; unless I could be first with the Houries, I believe I should be willing to abandon Paradise itself, in order to seek pro-eminence in some humbler sphere. I fear this ambitious temperament has been our bane, and has condemned us to the heartless and unsocial life we lead! Our fair fellow passenger was under the care of an aged and invalid grandfather, who had been passing, a few years in ltaly, in pursuit of health. Now, it is not easy to imagine a more cuttingly polite communication, than that which this vigilant old guardian permitted between me and his youthful charge. If I approached, her joyous, natural, and enticing (I will not, because a little piqued, dally the truth, Baron,) merriment was instantly changed into the cold and regulated smiles of artificial breeding. Nature seemed banished at my footstep: and yet it was the artlessness and irresistible attractions of those fascinations, which so peculiarly denote the influence of the mighty dame, that were constantly tempting me to obtrude my withering presence on her enjoyments. With Cadwallader, every thing was reversed. In his society, she laughed without ceasing; chatted, disputed, was natural and happy. To all this intercourse, the Iynx- eyed grandfather paid not the smallest attention. He merely seemed pleased that his child had found an agreeable, and an instructive companion; while, on the contrary, there existed so much of attractiveness in our respective systems, that it was impossible for me to approach the person of the daughter, without producing a corresponding proximity on the part of the parent.
Something nettled by a circumstance that, to one who is sensible he is not as interesting as formerly, really began to grow a little personal, I took occasion to joke Cadwallader on his superior happiness, and to felicitate myself on the probability, that I might yet enjoy the honour of officiating, in my character of a confirmed celibate, at his nuptials. He heard me without surprlse, and answered me witllout emotion. "I thought the circumstance could not long escape one so quick-sighted," he said. "You think I am better received than yourself? The fact is indisputable and, as the motive exists in customs that distinguish us, in a greater or less degree, from every other people, I will endeavour to account for it. In no other country, is the same freedom of intercourse between the unmarried of the two sexes, permitted, as in America. In no other Christian country, is there more restraint imposed on the communications between the married: in this particular, we reverse the usages of all other civilized nations. The why, and the wherefore, shall be pointed out to you, in proper time; but the present case requires its own explanation. Surprising, and possibly suspicious, as may seem to you the easy intercourse I hold with my young countrywoman, there is nothing in it beyond what you will see every day in our society. The father permits it, because I am his countryman, and he is watchful of you, because you are not! Men of my time of life, are not considered particularly dangerous to the affections of young ladies of seventeen, for unequal matches are of exceedingly rare occurrence among us. And, if I were what I have been," he added, smiling, " I do not know that the case would be materially altered. In every thing but year, the grandfather of the fair Isabel, knows that I am the equal of his charge. It would be quite in the ordinary course of things, that a marriage should grow out of this communication. Ninety-nine, in one hundred of our family connections, are formed very much in this manner. Taste and inclination, rather guided, than controlled, by the prudence of older heads, form most of our matches; and just as much freedom as comports with that prudence, and a vast deal more than you probably deem safe, is allowed between the young of the two sexes. We, who ought to, and who do know best, think otherwise. Women are, literally, our better halves. Their frailty is to be ascribed to the seductions of man. In a community like ours, where almost every man has some healthful and absorbing occupation, there is neithcr leisure, nor inclination, to devote much time to unworthy pursuits. I need not tell you that vice must be familiar, before it ceases to be odious. In Europe, a successful intrigue often gives eclat, even to an otherwise contemptible individual; in America, he must be a peculiarly fortunate man, who can withstand its odium. But the abuse of youth and innocence witll us, is comparatively rare indeed. In consequence, suspicion slumbers: voila tout."
"But why this difference, then, between you and me ?" I demanded. "Why does this Cerberus sleep only while you are nigh? I confess I looked for higher courtesy in a man who has travelled."
"It is precisely because be has travelled,' my friend interrupted, a little dryly. "But you can Console yourself with the expectation, that those of his countrymen, who have never quitted home, will be less vigilant, because less practised in foreign manners."
This introduction brings me to my incident. It was no sooner known that we were about to quit the ship, than a dozen longing faces gathered about us. Our example was followed by others, and one or two more boats from the land were engaged to transport the passengers into the bay, in order that they might witness the reception of La Fayette. I had observed a cloud of disappointment on the fair brow of the little Isabel, from the moment our intentions were known. The circumstance was mentioned to Cadwallader, who was not slow to detect its errand. After a little thought, he approached the grandfather, and made an offer of as many seats, in our own boat, as might be necessary for the accommodation of his party. It seems the health of the old man would not permit the risk. The offer was, therefore, politely declined. The cloud thickened on the brow of Isabel; but it vanished entirely when her aged grandfather proposed that she should accompany us, attended by a maid, and under the especial protection of my companion. In all this arrangement, singular as it appeared to my eastern vision, there was the utmost simplicity and confidence. It was evident, by the tremulous and hesitating assent of the young lady, that even the customs of the country were slightly invaded; but, then, the occasion was deemed sufficiently extraordinary to justify the innovation. "So much for the privileges of two score and five," whispered Cadwallader, after he had handed his charge into the boat. For myself, I admit I rejoiced in an omen that was so flattering to those personal pretensions which, in my own case, are getting to be a little weakened by time. Before closing this relation, of what I consider a distinctive custom, it is proper to add, that had not the parties been of the very highest class of society, even far less hesitation would have been manifested; and that the little reluctance exhibited by Isabel, was rather a tribute paid to that retiring delicacy which is thought to be so proper to her sex, than to the most remote suspicion of any positive impropriety. Had she been a young married woman, there would, probably, have been the same little struggle with timidity, and the same triumph of the curiosity of the sex. But the interest which our fair companion took in the approaching ceremony, deserves a better name. It was plain, by her sparkling eyes and flushed features, that a more worthy sentiment was at the bottom of her impulse--it was almost patriotism.
UPSTATE NEW YORK. 1824. Literary Knowledge of American Women.
I found an intelligence that surprised me at every turn, and which, in itself, gave the true character to the humanity of which I was the subject. I repeatedly found copies of your standard English authors, in retired dwellings where one would not expect to meet any production of a cast higher than an almanac, or a horn-book; nor were they read with that acquiescent criticism which gives a fashion to taste, and which makes a joke of Moliere better than a joke of any other man. Young women (with whom my situation, no less than my tastes, oftenest brought me into literary discussions) frequently surprised me with the extent of their acquaintance with, and the soundness of their opinions concerning the merits and morality of Pope and Addison, of Young and Tillotson, and even of Milton and Shakspeare. This may sound to you ridiculous, and certainly, if taken without a saving clause for the other acquirements of my female critics, it is liable to some exception; but I repeat I have often known professed blues acquit themselves with less credit than did several of my passing acquaintances at the tea-tables of different New-England inns.
NEW-ENGLAND. 1824. On the Proper Occupations of Women in America.
By the hand of fair Isabel, Waller, there is something noble and touching, in the universal and yet simple and unpretending homage with which these people treat the weaker sex. I am sure a woman here has only to respect herself in order to meet with universal deference. I now understand what Cadwallader meant when he said that America was the real Paradise of woman. The attention aud manliness which he exhibited for the Abigail of the little Isabel, is common to the meanest man, at least in New-England. I traversed the country in harvest time, and scarcely recollect to have seen six females in the fields, and even they appeared there only on the emergency of some passing shower. When one considers the price which labour bears, this solitary fact is in itself pregnant with meaning. A little boy whom I conveyed with his father in my wagon a dozen miles, (for I neglected no opportunity to mix with the people,) laughed aloud as he pointed with his father and cried, `' There is a woman at work among the men!" Had he seen her riding a warhorseen militaire, he could scarcely have been more amused. After all, what nobler or more convincing proof of high civilization can be given than this habitual respect of the strong for the weak? The condition of women in this country is solely owing to the elevation of its moral feeling. As she is never misplaced in society, her influence is only felt in the channels of ordinary and domestic life.
I have heard young and silly Europeans, whose vanity has probably been wounded in finding them selves objects of secondary interest, affect to ridicule the absorbed attention which the youthful American matron bestows on her family; and some have gone so far in my presence, as to assert that a lady of this country was no more than an upper servant in the house of her husband. They pay us of the eastern hemisphere but an indifferent compliment, when they assume that this beautiful devotion to the first, the highest, and most lovely oftice of the sex, is peculiar to the women of station in America only. I have ever repelled the insinuation as becomes a man but, alas! what is the testimony of one who can point to no fireside, or household of his own, but the dreaming reverie of a heated brain ? Imaginary or not, I think one might repose his affections on hundreds of the fair, artless creatures he meets with here, with an entire confidence that the world has not the first place in her thoughts. To me, woman appears to fill in America the very station for which she was designed by nature. In the lowest conditions of life she is treated with the tenderness and respect that is due to beings whom we believe to be the repositories of the better principles of our nature. Retired within the sacred precincts of her own abode, she is preserved from the destroying taint of excessive intercourse with the world. She makes no bargains beyond those which supply her own little personal wants, and her heart is not early corrupted by the harmful and unfeminine vice of selfishness; she is often the friend and adviser of her husband, but never his chapman. She must be sought in the haunts of her domestic privacy, and not amid the wranglings, deceptions, and heart-burnings of keen and sordid traffic. So true and general is this fact, that I have remarked a vast proportion of that class who frequent the markets, or vend trifles in the streets of this city, occupations that are not unsuited to the feebleness of the sex, are either foreigners, or females descended from certain insulated colonies of the Dutch, which still retain many of the habits of thier ancestors amidst the improvements that are throwing them among the forgotten usages of another century.
The effect of this natural and inestimable division of employment, is in itself enough to produce an impression on the characters of a whole people. It leaves the heart and principles of woman untainted by the dire temptations of strife with her fellows. The husband can retire from his own sordid struggles with the world to seek consolation and correction from one who is placed beyond their influence. The first impressions of the child are drawn from the purest sources known to our nature; and the son, even long after he has been compelled to enter on the thorny track of the father, preserves the memorial of the pure and unalloyed lessons that he has received from the lips, and, what is far better, from the example of the mother. Though in every picture of life in which these bright colours are made, the strongest must be deadened by deep and painful shadows, I do firmly believe that the undeniable truth I have just written may be applied with as much, if not with more justice, to the condition and influence of the sex in New-England as in any portion of the globe. I saw every where the utmost possible care to preserve the females from undue or unwomanly employments. If there was a burthen, it was in the arms or on the shoulders of the man. Even labours that seem properly to belong to the household, were often performed by the latter; and I never heard the voice of the wife calling on the husband for assistance, that it was not answered by a ready, manly, an cheerful compliance. The neatness of the cottage, the farm-house, and the inn; thc clean, tidy, healthful, and vigorous look of the children, united to attest the use fulness of this system. What renders all this more striking and more touching, is the circumstance that not only is labour in so great demand, but, contrary to the fact in all the rest of christendom, the women materially exceed the men in numbers. This seeming depature from what is almost an established law of nature is owing to the emigration westward. By the census of 1820, it appears, that in the six States of New-England there were rather more than thirteen females to every twelve males over the age of sixteen.
CASTLE GARDEN, NEW YORK. 1824. Ball honoring La Fayette; Dowries; Fashion of American Women; Deportment of Married Women; Manners of Young American Girls; Courtship.
In this manner we passed through the crowd, until we had gained the terrace. Here we paused, to take a more deliberate view of what I will not term an assemblage, for its adjuncts and peculiar features strictly entitle it to be called a prospect. The vast extent of the salle lent an air of magic to the whole scene. Slight, delicate beings, seemed to be floating beneath us at a distance that reduced their forms to the imaginary size of fairies; while the low, softened music aided in the deception. I never witnessed a similar effect at any other fete. Even the glimpses that were here and there caught of the gloomy recesses, in which artillery had formerly frowned, assisted in lending the spectacle a character of its own. The side curtains of the canopy were raised for the admission of air, and one had only to turn his eyes from the dazzling fairy scene within, to look out upon the broad, placid, star-lit bay, which washed the foot of the fortress. I lingered on this spot near an hour, experiencing, an unsocial delight that may seem to savour of the humour of our fraternity, especially when one remembers the numberless temptations to descend which were flitting like beings of the air before my eyes. But a crowd of sensations and reflections oppressed me.
Again and again I asked myself the question, if I what I saw were true, and if I really were standing on the continent of Columbus. Could those fair, graceful creatures be the daughters and wives of the mechanics and tradesmen of a provincial town in North America? Perhaps, dear Bethizy, it was assailing me in my weakest par t; but I do not remember, before or since, ever to have been so alive to the injustice of our superficial and vague notions of this country, as while I stood gazing down on some two or three thousand of its daughters, who were not only attending but actually adorning such a scene as this. Most of them certainly would have been abashed, perhaps gauche, if transported into one of our highly artificial coteries; but, believe me, the lost laboured refinement of Europe might have learned, in this identical, motley, republican assemblage, that there is a secret charm in nature, which it may be sometimes dangerous to attempt to supersede. It has always appeared to me, that manner in a woman bears a strict analogy to dress. A degree of simple, appropriate embellishment serves alike to adorn the graces of person and of demeanour; but the moment a certain line is passed in either, the individual becomes auxiliary to the addition, instead of the addition lending, as it should, a grace to the individual. It is very possible, that, if one woman wears diamonds, another must do the same thing, until a saloon shall be filled with the contents of a jeweller's shop; but, after all, this is rather a contest between bright stones than bright eyes. What man has not looked a thousand times, even at beauty, with indifference, when it has been smothered by such an unnatural alliance; but what man has ever met beauty in its native attractions, without feeling her power influencing his inmost soul? I speak with no dissembled experience when I answer--None!
I think the females of the secondary classes in this country dress more, and those of the upper, less, than the corresponding castes in Europe. The Americans are not an economical people, in one sense, though instances of dissolute prodigality are exceedingly rare among them. A young woman of the middling classes, for instance, seldom gives much of her thoughts towards the accumulation of a Iittle dowry; for the question of what a wife will bring to the common stock is agitated much less frequently here than in countries more sophisticated. My companion asssures me it is almost unprecedented for a lover to venture on any inquiries concerning the fortune of his fair one, even in any class. Those equivocal admirers, who find Cupid none the Iess attractive for having his dart gilded, are obliged to make their demonstrations with singular art and caution, for an American lady would be very apt to distrust the affection that saw her charms through the medium of an estate. Indeed he mentioned one or two instances in which the gentleman had endeavoured to stipulate in advance for the dowries of their brides, and which had not only created a great deal of scandal in the coteries, but which had invariably been the means of defeating the matches, the father, or the daughter, finding, in each case, something particularly offensive in the proposition. A lady of reputed fortune is a little more certain of matrimony than her less lucky rival, though popular opinion must be the gage of her possessions until the lover can claim a husband�s rights ; unless indeed the amorous swain should possess, as sometimes happens, secret and more authentic sources of information. From all that I can learn, nothing is more common, however, than for young men of great expectations to connect themselves with females, commonly of their own condition in life, who are pennyless; or, on the other hand, for ladies to give their persons with one or two hundred thousand dollars, to men, who have nothing better to recommend them than education and morals. But this is digressing from my immediate subject.
'The facility with which the fabrics of every country in the world are obtained, the absence of care on the subject of the future, and the inherent elevation of the character which is a natural consequence of education, and a consciousness of equal rights, cause all the secondary classes of this country to assume more of the exterior of the higher, than it is common to see with us. The exceptions must be sought among the very poorest and most depressed members of the community. The men, who are nowhere so apt at imitation as the other sex, are commonly content with garments that shall denote the comfort and ease of their several conditions in life, but the females are remarkable for a more aspiring ambition. Even in the country, though rusticity and a more awkward exterior were as usual to be seen, I looked in vain for those marked and peculiar characteristics of dress and air, that we meet in every part of Europe. In one instance do I remember to have seen any number either of men or women, whose habiliments conveyed my idea of provincial costume. The exception was among the inhabitants of a little Dutch village, in plain view of this city, who are said to retain no small portion of the prejudices and ignorance of the seventeenth century, and whom the merry author of the burlesque history of New-York [Washington Irving] accuses of believing they are still subject to the power of the United Provinces. As respects the whole of New-England, I saw some attempt at imitating the fashion of the day, in even the humblest individual, though the essay was frequently made on a material no more promising than the homely product of a household manufacture. In the towns, the efforts were, of course, far more successful, and I should cite the union of individuality of air with conformance to custom as a distinguishing feature of the women of the lower classes here. You will understand me better if I venture on that dangerous experiement, a comparison. A grisette of Paris, for instance, has a particularly smart and conventional air, though her attire is as different as possible from that of an elegante. But the carriage, the demeanour, and the expressions of one Parisian grisette, is as much like those of another as well can be. Now the fashion of the attire, and not unfrequently the material of the dress of an American girl of a similar class, differs from that of the lady only in quality, and perhaps a little in the air in which it is worn. As you ascend in the scale of society, the distinctions, always excepting those delicate shades which can only be acquired by constant association in the best company, become less obvious, until it requires the tact of breeding to trace them at all. As I stood regarding the mixed assembly before me, I had the best possible illustration of the truth of what I will not call the levelling, for elevating is a far better word, effects of the state of society, which has been engendered by thc institutions and the great abundance of this country. Of some three thousand females present, not a sixth of the whole number, perhaps, belonged to those classes that, in Europe, are thought to have any claims to compose the elite of society. And yet so far as air, attire, grace, or even deportment, were concerned, it must have been a sickly and narrow taste indeed that could have taken exceptions. Although so far removed from what we are accustomed to consider the world, the Americans, in general, have far less of what is called, in English, the manner of the shop about them, than their kinsmen of England These peculiar features are becoming every day less striking every where; but Cadwallader tells me they never existed in America at all. Few men are so completely limited to one profession, or trade, as not to possess a great many just and accurate ideas on other subjects; and though it may be a consequence that excellence is more rare in particular pursuits, it is certain that, in manner and in general intelligence, the nation is greatly a gainer. The effect of this elevation of character (I persist in the term) was abundantly conspicuous at the castle garden fete. Both men and women deported themselves, and to all appearances looked quite as well as a far more select reunion in Europe. The distinguishing feature of American female manners is nature. The fair creatures are extremely graceful if left to exhibit their blandishments in their own way; but it is very evident, that a highly artificial manner in those with whom they associate, produces a blighting influence on the ease of even the most polished among them. They appear to me to shrink sensitively from professions and an exaggeration that form no part of their own politeness; and between ourselves, if they are wise, they will retain the unequalled advantage they now possess in carrying refinement no further than it can be supported by simplicity and truth. They are decidedly handsome: a union of beauty in feature and form, being, I think, more common than in any part of Europe north of the Adriatic. In general they are delicate; a certain feminine air, tone of voice, size and grace being remarkably frequent. In the northern, eastern and middle states, which contain much more than half the whole population of the country, the women are fair; though brunettes are not unfrequent, and just as blondes are admired in France, they are much esteemed here, especially, as is often the case, if the hair and eyes happen to correspond. Indeed it is ditlicult to imagine any creature more attractive than an American beauty between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. There is something in the bloom, delicacy, and innocence of one of these young things, that reminds you of the conceptions which poets and painters have taken of the angels. I think delicacy of air and appearance at that age, though perhaps scarcely more enchanting than what one sees in England, is even more common here than in the mother country, especially when it is recollected how many more faces necessarily pass before the eye in a given time in the latter nation than in this. It is often said that the women of this climate fade earlier than in the northern countries of Europe, and I confess I was, at first, inclined to believe the opinion true. That it is not true to the extent that is commonly supposed, I am, however, convinced by the reasoning of Cadwallader, if indeed it be true at all. Perhaps a great majority of the females marry before the age of twenty, and it is not an uncommon thing to see them mothers at sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. Almost every American mother nurses her own infant. It is far more common to find them mothers of eight, or of ten children, at fifty, than mothers of two or three. Now the human form is not completely developed in the northern moiety of this Union, earlier than in France, or in England. These early marriages, which are the fruits of abundance, have an obvious tendency to impair the powers of the female, and to produce a premature decay. In addition to this cause, which is far more general than you may be disposed to believe, there is something in the customs of the country which may have a tendency, not only to assist the ravages of time, but to prevent the desire to conceal them. There is no doubt that the animal, as well as the moral man, is far less artificial here than in Europe. There is thought to be some. thing deceptive in the use of the ordinary means of aiding nature, which offends the simple manners of the nation. Even so common an ornament as rouge is denied, and no woman dares confess that she uses it. There is something so particularly soft and delicate in the colour of the young females one sees in the streets here, that at first I was inclined to give them credit for the art with which they applied the tints; but Cadwallader gravely assured me I was wrong; He had no doubt that certain individuals did, in secret, adopt the use of rouge; but within the whole circuit of his acquaintailce he could not name one whom he suspected of the practice. Indeed, several gentlemen have gone so far as to assure me that when a woman rouged, it is considered in this country, as prima facie testimony that her character is frail. It should also be remembered, that when an American girl marries, she no longer entertains the desire to interest any but her husband. There is perhaps something in the security of matrimony that is not very propitious to female blandishments, and one ought to express no surprise that the wife who is content with the affections of her husband, should grow a little indifferent to the admiration of the rest of the world. One rarely sees married women foremost in the gay scenes. They attend, as observant and influencing members of society, but not as the principal actors. It is thought that the amusements of the world are more appropriate to the young, who are neither burthened nor sobered with matrimonial duties, and who possess an inherent right to look about them in the morning of life in quest of the partner who is to be their companion to its close. And yet I could name, among my acquaintances here, a dozen of the youngest-looking mothers of large and grown-up families that I remember ever to have seen
The freedom of intercourse which is admitted between the young of the two sexes in America, and which undeniably is admitted with impunity, is to me, who have so long been kept sighing in the distance, perfectly amazing. I have met with self-sufficient critics from our side of the Atlantic, who believe, or affect to believe,that this intercourse cannot always be so innocent as is pretended. When questioned as to the grounds of their doubts, they have uniformly been founded on the impression that what could not exist with impunity with us, cannot exist with impunity here. They might just as well pretend, in opposition to the known fact, that a republican form of government cannot exist in America because it could not well exist in Turkey as the Ottoman empire is now constituted. That the confidence of parents is sometimes abused in America, is probably just as true as it is that their watchfulness is sometimes deceived in Europe; but the intelligence, the high spirit, and the sensitiveness of the American (who must necessarily be a party to any transgressions of the sort) on the subject of female reputation, is in itself sufficient proof that the custom is attended with no general inconvenience. The readiness of the American gentleman to appeal to arms in defence of his wounded pride is too well known to be disputed. The duels of this country are not only more frequent, but they are infinitely more fatal than those of any other nation. We will hereafter consider the cause, and discuss their manner. But no reasonable man can suppose that a sagacious nation, which is so sensitive on the point of honour, would stupidly allow their sisters and daughters to be debauched, when their own personal experience must apprise them of the danger to which they are exposed. The evil would necessarily correct itself. The chief reason why the present customs can exist without abuse, is no doubt owing to the fact that there is no army, nor any class of idlers, to waste their time in dissolute amusements. Something is also due to the deep moral feeling which pervades the community, and which influences the exhibition of vice in a thousand different ways. But having said so much on the subject, you may expect me to name the extent to which this freedom of intercourse extends. Under the direction of my friend Cadwallader, I shall endeavour to acquit myself of the obligation.
You will readily understand that the usages of society must always be more or less tempered bythe circles in which they are exhibited. Among these families which can claim to belong to the elite, the liberty allowed to unmarried females, I am inclined lo think, is much the same as is practised among the upper classes in England, with this difference, that, as there is less danger of innovation on rank through fortunehunters and fashionable aspirants, so is there less jealousy of their approaches. A young American dances, chats, laughs, and is just as happy in the saloon, as she was a few years before in the nursery. It is expected that the young men would seek her out, sit next her, endeavour to amuse her, and, in short, to make themselves as agreeable as possible. By the memory of the repentant Benedict, Compte Jules, but this is a constant and sore temptation to one who has never before been placed in the jeopardy of such a contagious atmosphere ! But it is necessary to understand the tone of conversation that is allowed, in order to estimate the dangers of this propinquity.
The language of gallantry is never tolerated. A married woman would conceive it an insult, and a girl would be exceedingly apt to laugh in her adorer's face. In order that it should be favourably received, It is necessary that the former should bc prepared to forget her virtue, and to the latter, whether sincere or not, it is an absolute requisite that all adulation should at least wear the semblance of sincerity. But he who addresses an unmarried female in this language, whether it be of passion or only feigned, must expect to be exposed, and probably disgraced, unless he should be prepared to support his sincerity by an offer of his hand. I think I see you tremble at the magnitude of the penalty ! I do not mean to say that idle pleasantries, such as are mutually understood to be no more than pleasantries, are not sometimes tolerated; but an American female is exceedingly apt to assume a chilling gravity at the slightest trespass on what she believes, and between ourselves, rightly believes to be the dignity of her sex. Here, you will perceive, is a saving custom, and one, too, that it is exceedingly hazardous to infringe, which diminishes one half of the ordinary dangers of the free communication between the young of the two sexes. Without doubt, when the youth has once made his choice, he endeavours to secure an interest in the affections of the chosen fair, by all those nameless assiduities and secret sympathies, which, though they appear to have produced no visible fruits, cannot be unknown to one of your established susceptibility. These attractions lead to love; and love, in this country, nineteen times in twenty, leads to matrimony. But pure, heartfelt affection, rarely exhibits itself in the language of gallantry. The latter is no more than a mask, which pretenders assume and lay aside at pleasure; but when the heart is really touched, the tongue is at best but a miserable interpreter of its emotion; I have always ascribed our own forlorn condition to the inability of that mediating member to do justice to the strength of emotions that are seemingly as deep, as they are frequent.
There is another peculiarity in American manners that should be mentioned. You probably know that in England far more reserve is used, in conversation with a female, than in most, if not all of the nations of the continent. As, in all peculiar customs, each nation prefers its own usage; and while the English lady is shocked with the freedom with which the French lady converses of her personal feelings, ailings, &c., the latter turns the nicety of the former into ridicule. It would be an invidious office to pretend to decide between the tastes of such delicate disputants; but one manner of considering the subject is manifestly wrong. The great reserve of the English ladies has been termed a mauvaise honte, which is ascribed to their insular situation, and to their circumscribed intercourse with the rest of the world. And yet it may be well questions if the paysanne cannot successfully compete with the elegante in this species of refinement, or whether a dame des halles cannot rather more freely discuss her animal functions than a dame de la cour. This is a manner of disposing the question that will not abide the test of investigation, since it is clear that refinement makes us reserved, and not communicative, on all such topics. Fashion, it is true, may cause even coarseness to be sometimes tolerated, and, after all, it is no easy matter to decide where true refinement ends, or sickness of taste commences. Let all this be as it may, it is certain that the women of America, of all classes, are much more reserved and guarded in their discourse, at least in presence of our sex, than even the women of the country whence they derive their origin. Various opinions are entertained on the subject amongst themselves. The vast majority of the men like it, because they are used to no other custom. Many, who have got a taste of European usages, condemn it as over-fastidious; but my friend Cadwallader,who is not ignorant of life in both hemispheres, worships it, as constituting one of the distinctive and appropriate charms of the sex. He stoutly maintains, that the influence of woman is more felt and revered in American society than in any other; and he argues, with no little plausibility, that it is so because, while she rarely or never exceeds the natural duties of her station, she forgets none of those distinctive features of her sex and character, which, by constantly appealing to the generosity of man by admitting he physical weakness, give strength and durability to her moral ascendancy. I think, at all events, no intelligent traveler can journey through this country without being struck by the singular air of decency and self-respect which belongs to all its women, and no honest foreigner can deny the kindness and respect they receive from the men.
With these restrictions, which cannot be infringed without violating the rules of received decorum, you will readily perceive tihat the free intercourse between the unmarried is at once deprived of half its danger. But the upper classes in this country are far from neglecting many necessary forms. As they have more to lose by matrimonial connexions than others, common prudence teaches them the value of a proper caution. Thus a young lady never goes in public without the eye of some experienced matron to watch her movements. She cannot appear at a play, ball, &c. &c. without a father, or a brother, at least it is thought far more delicate and proper that shc should have a female guardian. She never rides nor walks --unless in the most public place, and then commonly with great reserve-- attended by a single man, unless indeed under circustances of a peculiar nature. In short, she pursues that course which rigid delicacy would prescribe, without however betraying any marked distrust of the intentions of the other sex. These customs are relaxed a little as you descend in the scale of society; but it is evidently more because the friends of a girl with ten or twenty thousand dollars, or of a family in middle life, have less jealousy of motive than those of one who is, rich, or otherwise of a particularly desirable connexion.
I shall close this long and discursive epistle with one more distinctive custom, that may serve to give you an idea of the tone and simplicity of this society. There is something repugnant to the delicacy of American ideas in permitting a lady to come, in any manner in contact with the world. A woman of almost any rank above the labouring classes, is averse to expose herself to the usual collisions, bargainings &c. &c., of ordinary travelling. Thus, the first thing an American woman requires to commence a journey, is a suitable male escort; the very thing that with us would be exceptionable. Nothing is more common, for instance, when a husband or a brother hears that a respectable acquaintance is about to go in the same steam-boat, stage, or on the same route, as that in which his wife or sister intends to journey, than to request the former to become her protector. The request is rarely refused, and the trust is always considered flattering, and commonly sacred. Here you see that the very custom which in Europe would create scandal, is here resorted to, under favour of good morals and directness of thought, to avert it. Cadwallader assures me that he was pained, and even shocked, at meeting well-bred women running about Europe attended only by a footman and a maid, and that for a long time he could not divest himself of the idea, that they were unfortunate in having lost all those male friends, whose natural duty it was to stand between their helplessness and the cold calculating selfishness of the world.
WASHINGTON. 1824. Legal rights of the widow to the estate of her husband; Marriage and Divorce laws.
The law of real property, in the United States, is a good deal the same as that of England. Entails are, however, destroyed every where, and the doctrine of descent has, in many of the States, been roughly handled. In New-York (I quote this State oftenest, as the most populous and the most important, though you are to understand that the laws of New-York are strictly applicable only to itself, while they are commonly founded on principles that are general) in New-York, the father is the next heir of a child who leaves no issue. This is a wise, a humane, and a natural departure from the dictum of the common law, and it does much good in a country like this. The next of kin inherit, after the father, in equal portions, without distinction of age or sex. The widow is entitled to one-third of the personal estate of the husband, and to the use of one-third of the real estate during life. The husband is owner of all the personals of the wife, and he is the tenant by the courtesy of her real estate, according to the provisions of the English common law. There is, however, a good deal of difference in the rights of husbands and wives in the different States. In some, the property of the woman is much more respected than in others.
The party in possession of property in fee, can devise it, without restriction, to whom he pleases. This is, I think, a wiser provision than the law of France, which renders natural descent, to a certain extent, unavoidable; but the law of France I take to be an enactment that is intended to do away with the custom of entails, which had gotten such deep root in Europe. Rich men, here, often give more to their sons than to their daughters; though it is very common for men of small fortunes to make the daughters independent at the expense of the sons. Of course, any irregularity or alienation of property from the descent (or ascent) prescribed by the law must be made by will.
Marriage is, of course, altogether a civil contract. Its forms are, however, more or less artificial, according to the policy of particular States. In some, bans are necessary; in others, evidence that would establish any other contract would establish that of marriage. As a breach of the marriage contract is always criminal, the law requires, in cases of indictments for bigamy, rather more positive testimony than would be required in those of inheritance and legitimacy. Thus, a child would be considered born in wedlock, in many States, under the reputation of matrimony, though a man would scarcely be punished for bigamy, without direct evidence of the two contracts. The policy of the different States, however, varies so much, to suit the particular conditions of society, that no general rule can be laid down. In portions of the country recently settled, it is the practice to make the contract before a justice of the peace, as in many parts of New-York; but then, a justice of peace has no more power to celebrate a marriage than any other man. It is thought that his testimony, as a public officer, is more imposing than that of a private individual, and these people always attach high importance to legal rank. People of any condition are always (unless in extraordinary exceptions) married by clergymen.


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The game is a fast-paced comedy of errors and one of the most unusual love stories in gaming history. The twist-filled story takes its off-beat characters all over trash planet Deponia, a unique game world in the style of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Matt Groening. From Kuvaq, an improvised village built inside a giant trash heap, to the swimming black market and the dark corners of the elevated planetary railways.
Rufus, one of the playable main characters, is not a pleasant guy. Ill-tempered and entirely too convinced of his own greatness, he lives at the edge of a small settlement somewhere in the most remote sector of the garbage-covered planet Deponia. He dreams of a better life in the floating cities of wealth and beauty high above the planet surface. When the angelic Goal falls from these privileged spheres down into a neighbouring trash heap, Rufus sees his chance. He decides to bring the unconscious beauty back to her home. Only a vague hope of making it off Deponia at first, he soon formulates an unscrupulous plan, as he learns that he is a dead ringer for Goals upper-class husband. The planned handover is only the beginning of a wild chase across Deponia full of twists, turns and mystifying mix-ups

subset: commoncrawl


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As I see it, the bigger problem with Mia Freedman's "leggings are not pants" column is not what she said in the column, but what she didn't say afterwards. She was using what she believed to be a light-hearted point about clothing to introduce bigger issues around political attitudes, and I get that. And for many in her audience (judging by the comments on her blog), they get that too. But when it was pointed out by some readers that there are classism, ableism and sizeism judgements in the leggings as pants conversation, any good points that Freedman's column made were immediately erased by her response: that they were wrong. Instead of admitting that she'd never thought about those issues before, she told people their views were not legitimate. Readers on her blog responded the same way, telling people to "get over it" and that they were "getting upset about nothing". Critics were silenced.
I highly recommend reading Fat Heffalump's post on the isms around leggings: Cut the snarky fashion judgement crap.
The leggings as pants conversation is one we had here last year. I made a joke about it, but it wasn't a very funny joke and I offended my readers. I relied on people knowing that I don't believe anyone has the right to tell others what to wear so it must be a joke, which is not good enough when you have a public blog. So I apologised and updated my post. I had never considered the issues around leggings, but now I know better.
I also offended people with a remark about bullying in my Kyle Sandilands post, and updated that one too. I guess it's about what kind of person you want to be: someone who can't see their privilege, or someone who is willing to acknowledge how their privilege shapes the way they see the world. (My privilege: white, middle-class, able-bodied, in a heterosexual relationship. It's almost the Western privilege jackpot, right there.)
And since I'm sharing the times I've offended people through my ignorance, I used to say things were "lame" until it was pointed out that I was using ableist language. From FWD:
"Lame" is an ableist word. It's an ableist word because it assumes that having difficulty walking is objectively bad, and that therefore, a word which is used to describe difficulty walking can be safely used as a pejorative to mean "this is bad." Using "lame" reinforces ableism in our culture by reminding people that disability is bad, and that it's so bad that it can be used as a shorthand code to talk about bad things in general.
(And before you say "oh, it's political correctness gone mad", I'd like to point out that in my experience, people who complain about political correctness are just annoyed that when they use someone's race/religion/ability/gender as an insult, someone will call them on it.)
Freedman is, of course, free to hold any view she likes. And she's free to write about her views, just as people are free to disagree with them. But it's disappointing that when informed of the world outside Freedman's privilege, and about how her comments have offended others, she put her fingers in her ears and shouted "LALALALALALALALALALA".


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STOCKTON - Two prominent Stockton churches will be looking for new pastors this year.
STOCKTON - Two prominent Stockton churches will be looking for new pastors this year.
Pastor Jim Dunn is resigning from First Baptist Church, 3645 N. El Dorado St., effective Oct. 31.
Pastor Dave Bennett is retiring from Central United Methodist Church, 3700 Pacific Ave., effective July 1.
The two churches, in central Stockton, are four blocks apart. The two pastors are 64, and both are staying in Stockton.
They represent different Christian perspectives: Dunn is conservative, Bennett is liberal.
"I love Stockton. We're staying here," Dunn said. "I will continue to work with the Police Department chaplaincy program and with the United Way.
"I have an unbelievable desire to spend more time with Pam. I've never had coffee with her on a Sunday morning."
Pam Dunn, 64 on Monday, is a third-grade teacher at San Joaquin Elementary on Fresno Avenue. She will retire at the end of the 2013-14 school year. The two have been married for more than four decades.
"She's made all the sacrifices," Dunn said. "I am thrilled and excited about the future and the things we get to do together, getting involved in the community together."
Dunn said the two would likely go on mission trips as a couple. He has helped build churches and schools in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica and Alaska. His wife has been unable to go along.
Bennett said he was proud of the ways Central United Methodist has changed in the 10 years since he arrived as pastor.
"I would absolutely describe myself as progressive or liberal," he said. "We're a community where LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) folks are welcome and the gay men's chorus from Sacramento performs twice a year. Frankly, I'm proud of that."
Bennett said he and his wife, Jackie, who is a Stockton optician, would like to spend time vacationing, enjoying grandchildren and "seeing what God has in store for us."
The church, known for its dramatic roof line, sits across the street from University of the Pacific. It had 800 members (300 worshippers Sunday mornings) when Bennett arrived and it has about the same attendance today. There are four full-time staff members and six part-time employees.
The church also is home to Central United Nursery School, with more than four dozen children and another full-time employee. The preschool will celebrate its 50th year in Stockton later this year.
When Dunn arrived 26 years ago, First Baptist had three staff members and 250 members. The budget in 1987 was $250,000.
Today, the church has about 3,000 members and Sunday attendance averages 1,200 in five services. A sixth service is held in Spanish. The annual budget now tops $2.5 million and there are 30 full-time staff members.
The church also is home to Blessed Beginnings Preschool and First Baptist Christian School; 260 students are enrolled and 20 additional full-time staff members are employed.
Both Dunn and Bennett, per denominational protocol, will find other places to worship after they leave.
Dunn said his decision to leave has been two years in the making. Last year, he took a sabbatical and, as part of it, he spent a week along the Carson River in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
"It was a soul-searching time," said Dunn, an avid hunter and outdoorsman. "I knew at the time it would be a short window before I left."
Contact reporter Kevin Parrish at (209) 546-8264 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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We have an entitlement problem in this nation.
Continue Reading Below
We have a lot of retirees, and we're quickly running out of money to pay them. This issue is close to many of our viewers hearts: you e-mail us all the time pointing out this is your money and you want it back when the time comes.
But until we reform the process that may not happen, especially if this story becomes the norm! The Social Security administration made $6.5 billion in overpayments in 2009, meaning some people received payments they were not entitled to while others received more than they should have!
And Social Security also made nearly $1.5 billion in underpayments-- raising the total amount of improper payments to $8 billion! Dont forget, that's taxpayer dollars!
It's not just the Social Security trust fund you and I pay into every month-- half of this is from the supplemental income program--for the very poor and it's where most of the errors are found.
To qualify for this program, beneficiaries must be 65 or older, blind or disabled and have very limited resources. Not counting their homes or vehicles, couples can own a maximum of three thousand dollars in assets - including cash, stock, and secondary property or vehicles.
In 2009 - of the $48 billion the supplemental security income program doled out , $4.8 billion were improper payments! That's 10%!
The rest of Social Security paid out $600 billion in retirement, survivor and disability payments in 2009 and more than $3 billion were not right!
I wish I could say this is the only aspect of the federal government with these kinds of mistakes, but more than $125 billion of your money was improperly spent last year.
And the problem is getting worse: that number was $110 billion in 2009.
Taxpayers are fed up with people trying to change Social Security, but this is a perfect example of why something needs to be done. Waste and fraud are just some of the reasons the program is going bust in 2036; we just have too many retirees and soon fewer payroll taxes to fund the program.
We need to have entitlement reform now, before there's nothing left to fix.
Be sure to catch the Willis Report on the FOX Business Network every weekday from 5-6pm ET.


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2. Code of Conduct for Processing Personal Data
1.Tindak Malaysia (TM) has a Privacy and Personal Data Protection Policy (refer to thread above and Privacy Policy in www.tindakmalaysia.org) (Policy). The Policy explains to visitors of the website, volunteers and members of the public about how TM handles personal data.
2.This Code of Conduct (Code) is prepared in conjunction with the Policy and is intended to provide guidelines for all TM volunteers to follow when they process personal data.
3.As a TM volunteer, this Code will be applicable to you if you are carrying out any of the following activities:
(a) planning, coordination and implementation of our citizen initiatives and various civil society engagements (e.g, registration campaign for volunteers, polling agent training, counting agent training, barung agent training, public awareness campaigns, delimitation scrutineers);
(b) preparation and execution of documents in connection with our citizen initiatives and various civil society engagements;
(c) maintenance and upkeep of internal records, administration, management, internal operations and other secretariat functions, social activities and research;
(d) operating our website and information technology software (including the collection of internet protocol address and cookies) including all internet related activities;
(e) communicate or interact with members of the public or other volunteers in person or by e-mail, regular postal mail, or other means of telecommunication (including but not limited to telephone calls, text messages, social chat applications);
(f) any other tasks or activities incidental or ancillary or in furtherance of our citizen initiatives and various civil society engagements.
The reason why this Code will be applicable to you as a TM volunteer is that when you carry out any of the above activities, your tasks will include collecting, recording or storing personal data, organization, adaptation or alteration of personal data, retrieval, consultation or use of personal data, disclosure of personal data by transmission, transfer, dissemination or otherwise making available. These actions are called processing personal data under the Data Protection Act 2010 (Act). The Act applies to commercial transactions only, Although TM does not carry out commercial transactions within the meaning of the Act, TM regards proper handling of personal data as a being of significant importance.
4.For the purposes of this Code, personal data means personal information and data that specifically identifies an individual (or in the case of our activities, a volunteer or member of the public).
Examples of personal data would be, name, identity card number, contact number or other contact details, polling district.
5.When processing personal data please take note and observe the following guidelines:
(a) you must remember to obtain consent before you take down the name, contact details or other personal data of a person.
(b) you must ensure that personal data is correctly or accurately recorded.
(c) personal data can only be collected for specific and legitimate purpose and only to be used for that specific and legitimate purpose.
(d) any other use of personal data must be in accordance with the law.
(e) you must take measures to ensure the confidentiality and security of the personal data collected to prevent unauthorised or unlawful processing of the data, misuse, accidental loss or disclosure.
(f) you must notify your project leader, team leader or coordinator or members of the [Communications Team or the members of the Secretariat] of any request made by an individual requesting access to personal data processed by you or by another volunteer.
(g) you must promptly notify the [Communications Team or the members of the Secretariat] of any actual, suspected, accidental or unauthorised access, modification or alteration, destruction, disclosure, loss or use of personal data;
(h) you must treat all and any personal data shared with you in connection with TM activities as confidential information
(i) personal data may not be retained or kept for longer than is necessary.
As a TM volunteer, any personal data collected is intended strictly for TM activities and must be handled in accordance with the Code and the Policy.
Please hand over all personal data recorded in attendance lists, registration forms, register books to your project leader, team leader or coordinator at the end of your shift or on conclusion of any TM activities (if you have not been given further instructions)
As the purpose of this Code is to implement the Policy, please read the Policy as it will be helpful to your understanding of this matter.
6.Thank you for your co-operation. If you have any queries or require any clarification, you may direct them to your project leader, team leader or coordinator or members of the [Communications Team or the members of the Secretariat] who will be able to assist you with your query or obtain clarification on your behalf.


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Smart companies have realized that they need to manage this wide-ranging use of social through a formal social policy. Really smart organizations are realizing that they need to update those policies and soon.
Social is no longer a business upstart. In fact, it's less and less a "thing" and more and more a capability that's just expected in any new enterprise tool or business strategy. But it's the wide-ranging applications of social, along with the fact that many activities are conducted on public -- and ever-changing -- networks that demands a careful examination of existing policy to determine if updates need to be made.
[ Want more on how to help employees become socially adept? Read 10 Ways To Foster Effective Social Employees. ]
"Social media is evolving at such a rapid pace that companies simply have to make time to review their social media policies on a recurring basis," said Jeremy Goldman, author of the book, Going Social: Excite Customers, Generate Buzz and Energize Your Brand with the Power of Social Media. "I recommend that companies do so on a quarterly basis, and that they block out time ahead of time in order to ensure this happens."
Goldman recommends that policy administrators have the following information in hand before reviewing and updating social media policy:
-- Usage habits. Are employees starting to use social platforms more from mobile devices than from desktop browsers? If mobile devices are too difficult to monitor, the policy can encourage social media usage in browsers instead of via mobile.
-- New platforms. Is your company using new social networks? For example, Vine probably didn't exist when your policy was originally developed. Policy will need to take newer platforms into account.
-- Changes in social networks' policies or features. Have any of the public social networks your company frequents changed privacy or security policies in a way that should be reflected in your company policy? Have any public or internally used social tools added new features you should address?
-- Work applications. What are the reasons your employees should be using some or all of these social platforms? Do certain job functions require using Facebook during the day? Are there users in your organization who don't need access at all, or perhaps only during certain periods of time?


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TORONTO (AP) — Toronto's combative mayor claimed Friday that he wouldn't know Kevin Spacey "if I ran over him," a week after the "House of Cards" star poked fun at Rob Ford when both appeared on a late night talk show. Ford's brother called the actor "an arrogant SOB."
The reason for their displeasure?
Spacey cracked several jokes at the mayor's expense when he appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Mar. 2 shortly after a brief cameo by Ford.
"That's the first time I've had to follow a Ford," Spacey quipped. "And one that was so banged up."
When Kimmel thanked Spacey for sharing a dressing room with the mayor, Spacey responded, "Well, he threw up all over it, but those are the chances you take."
Ford has been under great pressure to resign since he admitted smoking crack last year, and several videos have emerged that showed him seemingly drunk or high. His antics have made him the target of late-night television comedians and embarrassed Canadians. City Council stripped him of many of his powers but does not have the authority to remove him.
Undaunted, Ford has vowed to run for re-election this fall.
The Ford brothers took on Spacey during their show on YouTube named after the mayor's supporters, who he refers to as "Ford Nation."
Rob and Doug Ford complained that they were told they could not talk to, or have their picture taken with Spacey.
"In my opinion, he's an arrogant SOB," said Doug Ford, who however prefaced his comments by acknowledging that Spacey is an "incredible actor."
He then added: "Kevin, why don't you get off your high horse and be real and take pictures with people?"
Calls and emails to Spacey's publicist seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Rob Ford then softened the criticism, and cautioned that maybe Spacey "does take pictures and we're not aware of it."


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A big hello from a security newbie in the UK!
I have a question about which hardware firewall to buy - I would appreciate any expert opinions that might help me out.
The scenario:
I have a customer in the travel industry who is looking to implement on-line booking to their in-house tour reservations system.
They have installed a 2MB SDSL line (with Lucent Cellpipe 20H router) to carry traffic in and out.
Their web site will pass User requests (hotel availability, prices, etc) through to a dedicated Linux system on the internal network, which will then query the Reservations system and pass the results back to the user.
Now this is a full-time Internet connection that I want to secure from all those people who might try to break in to the on-site systems, so I want to screw access down as tight as possible - only letting recognised traffic through.
I've been advised that Watchguard's Firebox products are good value (did I mention we're on a very tight budget?)
I would appreciate any help from anyone who can advise.
Thanks, and have a nice day!


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Student Honors
Pi Alpha Alpha
UIS established a chapter of the national public administration honor society—Pi Alpha Alpha. Please see the honor society home page for more information.
Student Marshals
Each year the department selects a student who has high academic achievement and represents the spirit of the department to represent us at commencement. Recent selectees include:
Alison Storm, MPA, Class of 2018
Terri Miller, MPA, Class of 2017
Jasmine Jetton-Gonzales, MPA, Class of 2016
Sarah Mackey, DPA, Class of 2016
Manuel Talavera, MPA, Class of 2015
Mike Woods, DPA, Class of 2015
Lauren Gibson, MPA, Class of 2014
Betsy Goulet, DPA, Class of 2014
Amy Uden, MPA, Class of 2013
Matthew Montgomery, DPA, Class of 2013
Anupama Surendran, MPA, Class of 2012
Nancy Leann Huyck, DPA, Class of 2012
Judy Guenseth, MPA, Class of 2011
Barbara Ferrara, DPA, Class of 2011
Nick Conklin, MPA, Class of 2010
John Phillips, DPA, Class of 2010
Katie Miller, MPA, Class of 2009
Tosha Cantrel-Bruce, DPA, Class of 2009
Capstone Paper Award
Aby Lee Hood, Class of 2014 – Marijuana: A Policy Analysis of Legalization Alternatives in Missouri
Benjamin T. Jackson, Class of 2012 – Correction Illinois' Natural Resources Funding Deficit
Feyza Tokaç, Class of 2011 – eGovernment in Turkey


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October EXHIBITIONS
Autumn tree walk at Dulwich Wood
11 November, 2pm
Dulwich Wood, London
For photographers, autumn is arguably the most insp iring of the four seasons, so soak up the full colour palett e, lush scenes and dramatic light during this 90-minute walk across one of the largest remaining fragments of the Great North Wood – an ancient oak forest that once st retched from Croydon to Camberwell. Free to att end; book your place by calling 07734 599286 or email email@example.com. wildlondon.org.uk
(26 September, 2017)
27 Oct ober to 8 November
Various locations across the UK
With seven new short fi lms to insp ire you, sit back and enjoy 120 minutes of high-oct ane, adrenaline-fuelled adventure. Highlights include La Congenialitа, following Italian alpinist Simone Moro and ski mountaineer Tamara Lunger; Into Twin Galaxies, an expedition across Greenland's gigantic ice sheets with snow kites; and Dug Out, Benjamin Sadd and James Trundle's journey down the Amazon in a hollowed out tree trunk. Check eoft .eu for the latest fi lms; see the trailer at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk.
(26 September, 2017)
26 Oct ober to 7 December
Litt le Black Gallery, London
Aft er receiving critical acclaim when it was fi rst shown at Photo London earlier this year, Rob Munday's hologram series Naturalium returns to the capital for the winter season. These enlarged images of exotic fl owers are a mixture of holographic light boxes and 3D lenticular photography, resulting in 'photographic light sculptures'. Set against a black background with vivid colours and a graphic st yle, the pict ures convey the sensuous quality of the subject . Munday fi rst became interest ed in holography in the early 1980s. He is now the leading technical innovator in the fi eld and has created hologram portraits of Karl Lagerfeld, Angelina Jolie and Queen Elizabeth II. He designed the world's fi rst 3D digital hologram printer and is the recipient of the Royal Photographic Society's Saxby Medal – one of the most prest igious and international awards for creative and technical achievements in the fi eld of 3D imaging and holography. thelitt leblackgallery.com
(26 September, 2017)
Dawn Flight
8 Oct ober, 6.45am
WWT Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway
Welcome the st art of the day with the sp ect acular sight and sound of thousands of wild barnacle geese fl ying against the dawn sky during this early morning session at Caerlaverock nature reserve. Booking is essential, normal admission charges apply; to book a place call 01387 770200. wwt.org.uk
(26 September, 2017)
Scott ish Nature Photography Awards
5 to 31 Oct ober
Logan Botanic Garden, Dumfries and Galloway
From the dramatic scenery of Buachaille Etive Mтr to the wondrous wildlife of the Cairngorms, Scotland has long been an insp iration to outdoor photographers who hope to encapsulate the beauty and diversity of the natural world through st unning imagery. See some of the most successful pict ures of Scotland's wilderness at Logan Botanic Garden this autumn, where 30 pict ures from the 2016 Scott ish Nature Photography Awards will be on show. Now in its seventh year, the competition has ten categories – including land, sea and coast , natural abst ract and wildlife. The judges were Scott ish landscape photographer Andy Hall, underwater photographer and ecologist Richard Shucksmith and co-organiser of the competition Niall Irvine. rbge.org.uk
(26 September, 2017)


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By MIKE SCHNEIDER and KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) - Jurors in the George Zimmerman murder trial on Monday heard testimony and recordings of the neighborhood watch volunteer describing his fight with 17-year-old Trayvon Martin to police and how he feared for his life before he shot the teen.
Zimmerman said in his first interview at the police station that he saw Martin walking through his neighborhood on a dark, rainy night while Zimmerman was driving to the grocery store. He told Officer Doris Singleton that he didn't recognize Martin and that there had been recent break-ins at his townhome complex.
"These guys always get away," Zimmerman told Singleton, a statement similar to one that prosecutors have used previously to try to show that Zimmerman was increasingly frustrated with the burglaries and his encounter with Martin was a breaking point.
Zimmerman told the police officer that he lost track of Martin and got out of his truck to look for a street name he could relay to police dispatcher. When the dispatcher suggested Zimmerman didn't need to follow Martin, Zimmerman started to head back to his vehicle. At that point, Zimmerman said Martin jumped out of some bushes, punched him and he fell to the ground.
Zimmerman said that Martin began hitting his head against the sidewalk as Zimmerman yelled for help and that Martin told him, "You're going to die tonight."
With Zimmerman's shirt and jacket pushed up during the struggle and his holstered gun now visible, he thought Martin was reaching for his firearm holstered around his waist. Zimmerman told the officer that he shot Martin and the teen said, "You got me."
In a written statement, Singleton read in court, Zimmerman refers to Martin as "the suspect." Singleton said it didn't appear that Zimmerman showed any anger when talking about the teen. Prosecutors must show that Zimmerman acted with ill will or a depraved mind in order to get a second-degree murder conviction.
Singleton recounted that Zimmerman noticed a cross she was wearing and said: "In Catholic religion, it's always wrong to kill someone."
The officer responded, "If what you're telling me is true, I don't think that what God meant was that you couldn't save your own life."
Zimmerman also acted surprised when Singleton told him Martin was dead.
"He's dead?!" Singleton recalled Zimmerman saying, before he lowered his head toward the table in the interrogation room.
Jurors also heard from the lead detective in the case, Officer Chris Serino, who asked him several pointed questions about whether the teenager could have felt threatened because Zimmerman was following him.
Earlier Monday, prosecutors called FBI audio expert Hirotaka Nakasone to focus on the issue of who was screaming for help on 911 calls during the confrontation. Jurors were played the 911 calls several times last week.
The recordings are crucial pieces of evidence because they could determine who the aggressor was in the confrontation. Martin's family contends it was the teen screaming, while Zimmerman's father has said it was his son.
Even though he was a pre-trial witness for the defense, prosecutors called Nakasone to set up later testimony from either the teen's mother or father that they believe it was their son yelling for help.
During his pre-trial testimony, Nakasone testified that there wasn't enough clear sound to determine whether Zimmerman or Martin was screaming on the best 911 sample, an assertion he repeated Monday.
The FBI expert said that it's easier for a person with a familiarity of a voice to identify it than someone who has never heard it previously. That is especially true if the recording is of a subject screaming and the person trying to identify the voice has heard the subject under similarly stressful circumstances previously, Nakasone said.
But under cross-examination by defense attorney Don West, Nakasone said there was a risk of increased listener bias if people trying to identify a voice are listening to a sample in a group, as Martin's parents did, rather than individually.
"There might be a risk of bias included in the end results," Nakasone said.
Nakasone's pretrial testimony, along with other defense experts, helped keep two prosecution audio experts from testifying. One prosecution expert ruled out that it was Zimmerman screaming on the 911 call and the other thought it was the teen.
Zimmerman has said he fatally shot the teen in February 2012 in self-defense as the Miami-area black teenager was banging his head into the concrete sidewalk behind the townhomes in a gated community.
Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. The state argued during its opening statement that Zimmerman profiled and followed Martin in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.
Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and their supporters have claimed.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text: Visitors to St Gabriel's quickly recognise that this is no ordinary school. Parents are always impressed by the sense of purpose and enthusiasm of the talented, committed staff and the confidence of the extremely happy pupils. We offer girls the opportunity for a seamless journey from Nursery through to Sixth Form, with our boys leaving us at the age of 11 for their senior schools.


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Females on UK boards is on the increase
Posted on May 22, 2012 by allmumkind | Comments (1724)
There has been a rise in women on boards, however a report by Deloitte has found that the positions are non-executive positions rather than the more sought after executive roles.
It is still proven that men take the more important nine out of ten positions on boards and this activity still happened even though the government put gender diversity at the top of their agenda.
This agenda point has arisen from Lord Davies who has put pressure on UK businesses to have 25% of female representation on their boards by 2015.
A target of 30% has been indicated as a target by David Cameron, which so far has had the backing of many of the UK's biggest companies.
According to Cranfield School of Management eleven FTSE 100 companies still do not have any female representation at all on their board.
One company employing almost 50% of female representation on their board is Diageo and in second place is Burberry with over a third of females sitting on their board.
There has been some improvement since the late 90's where around only 8% of females sat on FTSE 100 boards. Since then, this figure has doubled.
Posted in News | Tags: Women, board, Diversity, quotas, Gender


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UNH surges to winBy ALLEN LESSELS
New Hampshire Union Leader
January 03. 2014 11:35PM
DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire hockey team got a long string of in-state games off to a good start with a 6-3 win over No. 19 Nebraska-Omaha in front of 2,987 at the Whittemore Center on Friday night.
Senior defenseman Eric Knodel jump-started things with a pair of power-play goals in the first period, the Wildcats scored three times late in the second period to break it open and a couple of freshmen — including forward Collin Bourque of Goffstown — contributed their first collegiate points.
UNH improved to 11-10-1 for the season and the Mavericks fell to 8-8-1.
The teams meet again tonight at 7 at the Whittemore Center in the series finale.
The Wildcats leave the state only once for a game — at Maine on Jan.
25 — between now and Valentine's Day.
UNH plays Dartmouth College next Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Arena at 5 p.m. in the Battle for the RiverStone Cup.
No. 6-ranked Union comes to Durham for games on Jan. 17 and 18.
Casey DeSmith, a junior from Rochester, made 21 saves for the win. He upped his record for the season to 9-8-0.
Junior Ryan Massa had 20 saves for the Mavericks. Freshman Kirk Thompson came on after UNH scored its fifth goal and had nine saves.
The Wildcats blew open a 2-2 game with three goals in a span of less than six minutes in the second half of the middle period. Matt Willows deflected in a pass from Kevin Goumas for 3-2 with 7:42 left in the period. Bourque made a nice pass to Goumas to get the play going. Bourque was playing in his fourth game.
Dan Correale scored on a pretty backhander in close with 4:04 to go and Casey Thrush scored on a similar shot with 2:06 left to run it to 5-2.
Freshman defenseman Dylan Maller, who played in his first game last weekend, had an assist on the Correale goal.
The Mavericks opened the scoring just 3:34 into the game when junior forward Josh Archibald knocked a rebound back past DeSmith.
The Wildcats, and Knodel in particular, responded with the two power-play goals.
UNH had three power plays in the period and Knodel scored on two of them both from a little above the left faceoff circle.
Junior defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk slid the puck across to Knodel for an assist on the first goal at 9:20 of the period and senior forwards Goumas and Nick Sorkin had assists on the second with 31.7 seconds left.
Nebraska-Omaha freshman forward Austin Ortega tied it again 4:15 into the second period on a blast over DeSmith's right shoulder.
The Wildcats went to work after that.
Goumas scored an empty net goal with 1:42 left to go with his two assists. He has eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points to lead the Wildcats ... van Riemsdyk had three assists in the game and is at 4-18-22 for the season ... Knodel had two goals in a game for the first time in his career. He has five for the season.


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BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — The upbeat Belfast of today looks and feels nothing like the high-security city that once captured world headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The Northern Ireland capital does remain scarred by scores of high walls of brick, corrugated iron and barbed wire that separate the most militant Irish Catholic and British Protestant districts — barriers called "peace lines" because they deter street fighting.
Artful house-side murals commemorate past grievances and paramilitary loyalties. Memorials dot the landscape honoring many of the 3,700 people slain during decades of conflict that have abated, but not quite ended, since the U.S.-brokered Good Friday peace accord of 1998.
But visitors to Belfast can be pleasantly surprised to find gleaming glass-fronted shopping malls, trendy cafes, clusters of high-tech industries — and lots of fellow tourists.
Long gone are the British Army helicopters that once maintained a round-the-clock surveillance watch over the city. So, too, are the soldiers, who once patrolled the city in force in support of Northern Ireland's police force. Some security barracks still look ready to action because of the unrelenting threat posed by Irish Republican Army splinter groups. But most paramilitary groups have maintained cease-fires since the 1990s, allowing normal life to gain a foothold.
The peace is precarious and depends, in part, on sustaining a joint Catholic-Protestant government. That dream of cross-community cooperation has achieved many goals, and overcome many crises, since taking root nearly two decades ago — but today faces an uncertain fight for revival.
The Catholic-Protestant partnership has been on ice since January amid increasing political polarization, and negotiations this month have failed to reach a new deal by Monday's official deadline. Britain's senior official in Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, says the British government soon may have no choice but to resume direct control of the government from London, the system that the Good Friday deal hoped to leave behind.
But on a bright sunny Friday, these worries seemed far away, as locals got on with their daily lives: shopping, getting haircuts, busking in the city center or having a drink in a bustling pub.


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They dressed mostly in silence, shoving their belongings into duffle bags and slipping out to the waiting buses, en route to Penn Station, and then Philadelphia, and then wherever their offseason homes lie.
The end of the Phillies' reign as world champions came just before midnight in the Bronx, in the form of a convincing 7-3 loss at the hands of the Yankees. Most of them will be back. Several will not. Righthander Brett Myers is a free agent, as are Matt Stairs, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, Paul Bako, Pedro Martinez, Tyler Walker and Miguel Cairo.
Pedro Feliz has a $5.5 million club option that might be exercised. Cliff Lee has a $9 million club option that will definitely be exercised.
In many ways, the Phillies final game of the 2009 season offered a case study on how they can improve before their next attempted title run. They will need to address the bullpen, where two of the most reliable arms in an inconsistent unit -- Eyre and righthander Chan Ho Park -- are headed toward retirement or free agency. They will need to find a right-handed bat or two who can provide balance on the bench (reserve outfielder Ben Francisco went 0-for-3 last night and finished the postseason 0-for-11, while Eric Bruntlett and Miguel Cairo combined to go 0-for-6).
They will need to decide whether Feliz, who went 0-for-4 last night and 3-for-26 in the postseason, has earned a $5.5 million club option with his defense, or if the free agent market holds a compelling-enough right-handed-hitting offensive upgrade at third base that might better balance the line-up without sacrificing too much in the field.
And they must find a reliable fifth starter, provided: A) They decide to offer righthander Joe Blanton arbitration and keep him in the fold with lefties Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and J.A. Happ, B) They are not married to veteran lefty Jamie Moyer, who lost his spot in the rotation in August and is currently recovering from lower ab/groin surgery, but who is due to make an estimated $8 million next season thanks to escalators he reached based on starts and innings pitched, and C) That they have seen enough out of Martinez, who will be a free agent, to know that he is not that guy.
There will be other sub-plots, other developments, that will shape this team in the next few months. Might Myers, who after eight seasons with the Phillies will become a free agent, be the guy who completes the rotation? Is Ibanez, who went 13-for-52 with 13 RBI this postseason, headed for surgery on his injured groin and lower abdomen?
One thing is for sure: the 25 players who walked off the field amidst the mayhem at Yankee Stadium last night will never play together again.
Even in defeat, they made history, becoming the first team in franchise history to reach back-to-back World Series. They won 93 games during the regular season, nine games during the postseason, and came two wins away from becoming the first National League team to repeat as World Champions since the 1975-76 Reds.
This weekend, however, Broad Street will be silent, save for the people and cars bustling through the onset of winter.
There will still be Thanksgiving, and there will still be Christmas, but there will be no parade, no title, no World Bleepin' Champs.
"When two teams are playing like that, one of them is going home," manager Charlie Manuel said, his eyes red and his voice at times shaky. "Last year it was Tampa. This year it's us. But we're going to be back."
I'd like to thank all of you readers out there for following along throughout this season. I appreciate the feedback, both positive and negative, and I hope you all will continue to check in to the blog throughout the offseason, when we'll attempt to keep things running on all cylinders.
On Sunday, I'm off to Chicago, where the general manager's will be holding their annual meeting. Free agency begins 15 days after the last game of the World Series, which by my calculation is Nov. 20.
In other words, there will be plenty of moving and shaking going on -- probably not as much as last year, when the Phillies hired a new general manager, said goodbye to Pat Burrell, signed Raul Ibanez, and hired an entire new front office, as well as a new bench coach and third base coach. But there will be plenty to delve into once the World Series hangover wears off.
Again, thanks for checking in.
And as Fonzie would say: Ayyyyyyyyyyyyy


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A good deal isn't hard to find these days, but the deeply discounted duds on offer at Super Saturday 12 — Donna Karan's annual designer garage sale — still drew a crowd of determined bargain hunters to Nova's Ark Project in Water Mill, N.Y., this past weekend.
WWD VIDEO: Celebs Kerry Washington, Blake Lively and Kelly Ripa turn out for a worthy cause >>
Guests including co-host Blake Lively, Lorraine Bracco, Barbara Walters, Rudy Giuliani, Mariska Hargitay and Kerry Washington picked through racks from labels like Yigal Azrouël, Charlotte Ronson and Brian Reyes at the In Style-sponsored event, which raised $3.4 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
Some arrived rarin' to go. "I'm a very decisive shopper — I always know exactly what I want," declared Lively, who first had to get through the frenzied pack of reporters and fans who greeted her at the entrance.
Others had different priorities. "I'm wearing too many hats today to shop," said Karan, who worked her own booth and later read books in the children's tent with granddaughter Stefania. "I'm not here to look for bargains. I already created the ultimate bargain," explained the designer.
No kidding. Plaid Steven Alan shirts that retail for $158 went for $65; J Brand jeans, normally $158, were $100; and an $8,000 Donna Karan collection gown went for $500. The Row, which slashed the $250 dollar price tag of its T-shirts to $75, sold out after an hour and a half.
Still, all the major markdowns didn't leave much of an impression on some.
"I'm a horrible bargain hunter," said Christy Turlington, who nonetheless spent the day browsing the children's section with her mother, Maria. "I'll pretty much pay whatever anyone's asking."


text: Ok my friend has a site called www.videogameladder.com and Im pretty sure it was hacked. There were some files that were in the ftp that we didnt put in. One being called robots.txt that disallowed everything. Anyways go to the site and you will see it says session initialization failed. If anyone knows wat to do to fix this please aim me at Fleet812. I would greatly appreciate it.


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Lebanon floods: 'Major damage'By NANCY BEAN FOSTER
Union Leader Correspondent
July 02. 2013 7:11PM
LEBANON — A heavy band of rain hit the already-waterlogged city Tuesday afternoon, causing "major damage to major roads," Fire Chief Chris Christopoulos said.
"It's crazy out here right now," said Christopoulos, who was manning the state's Emergency Operations Center, set up in response to the flash flooding that swept through.
According to a statement from Gov. Maggie Hassan's office, 2.11 inches of rain fell in the Lebanon area between 3 and 4 p.m. Tuesday. The unexpected massive rainfall wreaked havoc on infrastructure already weakened by heavy rains on Monday night.
"We didn't know this cell was coming through," said Christopoulos. "We've had fire, police and DPW crews out all day assessing damage from last night. This one caught us off-guard. We've got major water damage to major roads."
An employee at the Department of Public Works said there is massive flooding all over the city, sinkholes in roads, dislodged manhole covers. There appears to be a significant water main break as well.
"It's bad," the employee said. "Real bad."
Christopoulos said that one apartment complex was evacuated and up to 20 residents from Slayton Hill Road sent to a shelter opened to the public at Lebanon High School.
"We're trying to get ahead of this by evacuating anyone in danger before the next round of rains come," the chief said.
Mike Barwell, media relations manager for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, said the hospital suffered no damage, but the storm cell was "a real gully washer."
"We got an urgent message on our cell phones from the National Weather Service warning us it was coming," he said.
Driving home on Interstate 89, Barwell said that the Mascoma River was flowing well outside its banks between exits 17 and 18.
Christopoulos said he is working on a comprehensive list of road closures; crews are still out assessing the latest damage.


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PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Nearly 80,000 people have fled a tribal region in northwest Pakistan over the last two days, an official said, as the military continues its offensive in the rugged area near the Afghan border.
The military launched the operation in North Waziristan Sunday night, saying it was going after militants who have long used the region as a base from which to launch terrorist attacks.
A curfew already in place Saturday prevented residents from leaving until it was lifted Wednesday morning. The offensive has so far consisted of airstrikes, but the lifting of the curfew to allow residents to flee could signal a wider ground offensive to come.
Arshad Khan, the head of the region's disaster management authority, said 79,000 people left North Waziristan Wednesday and Thursday. Even before the operation was announced about 63,000 people had left because of previous airstrikes and fears of a larger offensive.
Residents have been streaming out of the region in trucks, cars and tractors loaded down with possessions such as mattresses, fans and television sets. Some have even brought their livestock.
Almost all have opted to stay with family or in rented houses instead of at a camp established for them.
Pakistan has long been criticized for failing to target militants in the North Waziristan region. The U.S. says that militants such as the Haqqani network use the region as a base from which to attack Afghan and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.


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Kelly Rowland's Hottest Looks
Kelly Rowland pulled some skeletons from her closet on her new track, "Dirty Laundry," but thankfully the songstress has been keeping her threads on the fresher side of her wardrobe. Check out Kelly's 11 best dressed looks and watch as Ms. Dirty Laundry keeps it funky…in a good way.
[Photo Cred: ForeverUnique]