1- Baroque Writing.
In the literature of the Spanish Golden Age there were two fundamental ways of being baroque. One of them was lucky enough to inspire an adjective, and it is thus the first one to come to mind when we speak of anything baroque: anything profuse, prolif-ic, exuberant and excessive, decorative more than architectural, in love with surfaces and gaudy display. In literature, this baroque style it fundamentally manifested on the level of the sentence and the phrase. The baroque sentence struts like a peacock on a stage, decks itself with neologisms and exotic words, twists and turns upon itself, is capable of spawning a seemingly endless procession of subordinate clauses; would as-pire, apparently, to exist as pure signifier, to feed wholly upon itself. The content, on the other hand, what is being said, once – and if - it is deciphered, often turns out to be dis-appointingly simple, or even banal, particularly when pitted against the verbal splendour of the phrase. Baroque excess is, above all, one of means over ends; of the language and the stylistic devices over what they designate. The beginning of Góngora’s Second Soli-tude will do as an example:
- The sea through a brief streamlet seeks to pass
- Which with a thirsty pace to meet it flows
- As from the natal rock itself it throws;
- Much salt not only in a little glass
- It drinks, but ruin too,
- A crystal butterfly
- - not winged, but wavy – who
- Begs that it may in Thetis’ lantern die .
After this verbal glory the reader might be justified in feeling himself cheated when he learns that these verses ‘merely’ describe a little stream running into the sea. Góngora is also capable of writing more direct verse, verse whose intellectual and emo-tional power register on a first reading; but what the Spanish adjective ‘gongorino’ usu-ally designates are these verbal tapestries in which the figure is concealed in the foliage of motives, a figure whose beauty often lies less in its intrinsic form than in the process of discovering it, of seeing through its verbal camouflage.
What Deleuze has to say about the baroque vestments can be readily applied to this literary style: “the fabrics, or the clothes, must free their folds from their usual sub-ordination to the finite body. If there is such a thing as a properly baroque garment, this garment will be ample, a billowing, tumultuous, bubbling wave that, rather than translate the folds of the body, will envelop it with autonomous folds of its own.”
Góngora’s rival, Quevedo, typically follows a different procedure. Instead of hiding the referent from the outset, he will present it clearly at first and then gradually dissolve it, disintegrating it in a centripetal fireworks display of elaborate conceits, puns and sallies of wit, until the object disappears and only language is left. Borges, in his essay “Quevedo”, suggests that: “Quevedo’s greatness is verbal. To consider him a phi-losopher, a theologician or a statesman is a mistake that might be excused by the title, but not by the content, of his works. His best pieces are pure and independent verbal objects.” This last sentence, of course, would apply to Góngora just as well.
This first way of being baroque, then, we will term, rather unoriginally, baroque writing or baroque style.
2- Baroque fictions.
The second manner of being baroque, as baroque as the first but not blessed in the same way by the same adjective, is typified by Cervantes’ Don Quixote. The typical Cervantean sentence, the usual Cervantean rhetorical strategy, is not baroque, not in the manner previously described at least. Unlike Góngora, Cervantes names his object form the outset; unlike Quevedo, he constructs it word by word, with morose delectation. This we can see, for example, in his description of the maid Maritornes, in chapter 16 of Don Quixote part 1:
“There likewise served in the inn an Asturian wench, who was broad-faced, flat-pated, saddle-nosed, blind of one eye, and the other almost out; true it is, that the come-liness of her body supplied all the other defects. She was not seven palms long from her feet unto her head, and her shoulders, which did somewhat burden her, made her look oftener to the ground than she would willingly.” (Thomas Shelton, 1612)
Here, every sentence adds a feature, a stroke, until the figure is, at the end, fully visible and complete. It little matters whether Cervantes is engaged in the realistic de-scription of a swineherd or in the artificial rhetoric of the locus amoenus: the referential devotion of his language does not depend upon the reality of the object described. Cer-vantes’ ideal is the sentence that will fit its object like a glove a hand, and his writing always ends up by fostering the illusion that it is in the world, rather than in the words, that life and meaning reside. All of his Don Quixote, after all, is a prolonged warning against the dangers of considering words, particularly the words in books, to be more real than the world itself.
So if Cervantes’ baroque affiliations are not evident in his sentences, or in his use of language, then where are they to be located? To find them we must climb a few structural levels: to those of the characters, of narrative structures, of the construction of a referential world. In these levels, what is characteristic of the baroque is its tendency – some might even call it, its addiction – to interchange, fold or shuffle – in the sense in which we shuffle the cards in a pack – the different planes into which reality is divided. These planes are, in the Spanish baroque, basically the following:
PICTURE / MODEL
REFLECTION / OBJECT
THEATRE / WORLD
WORK / AUTHOR
IMAGINATION / PERCEPTION
DREAMS / WAKING LIFE
MADNESS / SANITY
FICTION / TRUTH
ART / LIFE
SIGN / REFERENT
As you have surely noticed, the items of the second column are more material than those of the first; in most cases they correspond, roughly, to the realm of things, whereas those in the first column correspond to the plane of the signs, or the images, that represent them. One might be tempted to apply the term ‘reality’ to the items in the second column, but one should be cautious about indulging in this temptation. Baroque reality is never the ‘reality’ of the object pitted against the ‘unreality’ of its reflection in the mirror, but the hiperreality of the multiple combinations into which both can enter.
Because the Baroque is not so much about the opposition between two planes of reality, as about the continuities and exchanges between them, Deleuze offers the gen-eral image, or trope, of the fold. The baroque fold is not an opposition pure and simple, as in the two sides of a coin, but a reversal-in-continuity. Another obvious image for this – one of the many ways of folding the deleuzian fold – is the figure of the Moebius strip.
And it is in this sense that Cervantes’ Don Quixote is as baroque as they come. His hero is a man who will not resign himself to the fact that life does not conform to what his books dictate, and sallies forth into the world to correct its faulty text, to force the referents to bow down to the signs. He is a madman of course, but a madman who alternates moments of insanity with those of sanity and even wisdom; one who is often conscious of his madness, and is well able to reason the need thereof; and to the natural difficulty of telling real madness form feigned madness – a crucial crux in Hamlet, an-other model baroque text – is here added another dimension: who is the craziest, he who would bring back the ideals of chivalry to a fallen world, or those who have forgotten them? Medieval fantasies give us knights that dive into lakes of bubbling tar to find submerged castles with topaz towers and walls of gold, inhabited by maidens dressed in silver and silk. The baroque fantasy turns these inside out: the enchanters turn the giants into windmills, the armies into bleating folds of sheep, they trick us with the everyday at its most prosaic. A similar degree of topsy-turviness affects the fictional levels. In part 1, the author enters his fictional world: one of the characters talks about Cervantes, while he holds in his hands his Galatea, judging it not too bad a book. In later chapters this ‘Cervantes’ appears in person, finds the complete manuscript of Don Quixote in Arabic, and has it translated into Spanish: now both the author and the translator have entered the work, and soon the readers will join them: Part two is peopled with characters who have read part I, and don Quixote and Sancho find themselves to be characters in a published book (part 1) and in a book in the process of being written (part 2). And these readers will now devise, in ‘reality’, adventures they have modeled on those of part 1: Sansón Carrasco dresses up as a knight; the dukes stage, with the stuff of don Quixote’s fantasies, pageants and masques. Now don Quixote’s eye does not need to translate a carrier or a merchant into a knight: the knight in armor is really before him, only this ‘reality’ he sees has been copied from his own fantasies, and these fantasies from art. Notice, by the way, that this juggling with different worlds does not require a fantastical explanation: as Borges put it in his essay “Magias parciales del Quijote”: “the plan of his [Cervantes’] work proscribed the fantastic.”
The baroque shuffling machine, once set in motion, is hard to stop: its gradually expanding circles will eventually escape the interplay between fiction and life within the book, and affect the real world without quotes, the world of Cervantes the author: while he is hard at work on part 2, a mysterious author concealed under the pen name of Avellaneda publishes his own part 2 of Don Quixote. As in a Philip Dick fantasy, the copy precedes the original and, what’s more, influences it: Cervantes makes his charac-ters change their course from Zaragoza to Barcelona in order to give Avellaneda the lie; and in a later, magnificent chapter, Cervantes’ don Quixote and Sancho meet one of Avellaneda’s characters, don Álvaro Tarfe, and ask him to declare, before a notary, that Avellaneda’s don Quixote and Sancho are fakes.
When a work of fiction presents at least two distinct planes of reality, when the-se two planes are of equivalent entity and can thus be interchanged, twisted, folded, pleated or braided; when the habitual causal relationships between these two planes are subverted or even inverted; and particularly when one of them corresponds to the world of objects and the other one to the plane of images or signs, we can speak of a baroque fiction.
These two ways of being baroque (playing with words, playing with worlds) are also present in the visual arts: the language of Góngora and Quevedo has its visual counterpart in Rubens or Churriguera; the creation of a hiperspace that projects both backwards through the wall, and forwards to include the model and the viewers, the construction of a hiperreality that can include the artist within the work, and the viewer as well (who knows if Velázquez, instead of painting the kings, is not painting us?) is to be fully realized in Las Meninas, which can be considered as a translation of the of the literary devices of Cervantes’ don Quixote into the visual medium.
These two different modes of being baroque are manifestations of a terminal crisis that dissolves the episteme of the Renaissance. As Michel Foucault points out in the opening chapters of The Order of Things (to which most of the opening section of this talk is indebted) Renaissance knowledge was optimistic inasmuch as it relied on the certainty that not only words but also things were signs, carefully inscribed by God on the pages of His world, so that one of his creatures – us – would decipher them. Until the end of the Renaissance, the world is a text in fundamentally the same ways in which a book is a text. Today, in order to establish the medical properties of a plant, we pro-ceed through trial and error, or analyze it chemically; the Renaissance healer would be able to look at a nut and discover, through its analogy with the human skull and brain, that it was good for headaches (the example is Foucault’s). Renaissance knowledge fol-lows that similarity that makes every part of the universe into a symbol of some other part, and is therefore magical in its functioning. In the Renaissance, the representational power of signs, whether linguistic, pictoric, or natural, was not so much questioned, or rendered problematic, but effected. When this confidence starts fraying, or cracking, we begin to enter the Baroque. Now, words belong to men, and things to the world, and the world does not belong to men. When men try to relate words to things, they often err: there no longer is any divine guarantee. Similarity, the basis of Renaissance knowledge, is now an illusion, a potential pitfall. The unified world of the Renaissance has split into two. This discovery, this consciousness of the gap between the sign and the referent, between the world and our representations of the world, made Baroque art wary and ultimately pessimistic, and led it to search out and even to exaggerate the distance and differences between the different planes of reality, particularly the planes of the repre-sented and its representations. Góngora’s words, which envelop their objects in folds solely of their own making, Quevedo’s phrases, which make it vanish before our eyes in a metaphorical disappearing act; Cervantes’ characters, exchanging the signs of madness for those of sanity and viceversa, believing in what they read and disbelieving in what their eyes see, are different manifestations of the crisis in which Western man becomes fully conscious of the arbitrariness of the sign, comes to suspect the certainty of all knowledge and begins the scientific exploration of a world no longer a text written for him.
3- The neobaroque.
The baroque style of Góngora, mainly, was a model and inspiration for a number of Cuban writers such as José Lezama Lima, Severo Sarduy and Reynaldo Arenas, which would be grouped under the general label of the neobaroque. Before them, the baroque had inspired the Latin American Modernism of Rubén Dario and Leopoldo Lugones, whom Borges repeatedly calls “our (i.e. the Argentinean”) Quevedo”. The idea of a Baroque style has also been closely linked with the magic realism of Alejo Carpen-tier and Gabriel García Márquez. Indeed, a long standing critical argument, or critical myth, has consistently regarded the baroque style as connatural to the exuberance of tropical nature, both vegetable, animal and human. This assumption, apart from its obvious stereotyping, is historically inaccurate. The baroque frondosities of style were not born in the tropics but in the bare Castilian plains, if they had any relationship with nature, it was one not of imitation but of compensation. Severo Sarduy always insisted on the artificiality of the baroque style, his dominant metaphor being not the plumage of the jungle birds but the plumage of the female impersonator. But the temptation of a direct analogy is difficult to forego, and Borges himself falls prey to it: when commenting Lugones’ El imperio jesuítico, a study of the baroque Jesuit missions in the tropical region of Misiones, he says: “In his other books, his baroque style is not suited to his subject; in this one there is a natural affinity between the exuberance of the land-scape and that of his prose.”
Borges’ stylistic evolution decidedly took him away from the baroque style which he practiced in his early essays and in his first tales of A Universal History of Iniquity, towards a measured, economical style which can be aptly termed classical. As he says in his Conversations with Osvaldo Ferrari: “I have gradually drawn myself apart from Quevedo, and also, in the same manner, from Lugones. In both of them you can perceive their effort, it is as if they never flowed.” More often than not, his attitude to-wards baroque writing verges on animosity: “I have never found a sonnet by Quevedo or by Lugones without some ugliness in it; without at least one line in which the author had not incurred in the sin of vanity; because the baroque can be condemned on ethical grounds, it corresponds to the sin of vanity.” His famous definition of baroque style in his prologue to A Universal History of Iniquity: “I would define the baroque as that style that deliberately exhausts (or tries to exhaust) its own possibilities and borders on self-caricature… I would venture to say that the baroque is the final stage in all art, when art flaunts and squanders its resources.” has been taken by the Argentine neobaroque writers (notably the poet Néstor Perlongher) almost as a personal attack, as if Borges were using his portentous influence to disavow them.
But while Borges disaffiliates himself from baroque writing in so radical a way, he deepens and multiplies his baroque credentials in the level of what I have called ba-roque fictions. Many of Borges’ stories, and what’s more important, most of his best stories, make themselves at home in the multiple folds of the baroque, recreating Cer-vantes’ games and adding a few of his own to the list.
“Pierre Menard, author of Don Quixote” is the most explicit of Borges’ homages to his master, and the first of his stories that can be termed a baroque fiction. The notion of a French writer of the XXth Century attempting to write an original work which is at the same time a verbatim replica of Cervantes’ text adds another fold to those envelop-ing both Cervantes’ and Avellanedas’ Don Quixotes, and adds another twist to the no-tion of a replica that might be more vivid than the original.
But Borges’ use of Cervantes’ baroque narrative dynamics is, as I hope to show, more widespread. “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius”, for example, winds it way along the fiction/truth and reflection/object folds. Successive generations of scholars put together an encyclopedia of a parallel, imaginary world; eventually objects from this world start entering our own, eventually the fictional world will replace our own. The mere presence of motifs such as mirrors or pictures, by the way, is not enough to speak of baroque fictions: these motifs must also be structural plot devices, shifters between one world and the next. Dreams have of course been featured in literature from antiquity onwards, but what is properly baroque is the idea of dreams and waking life as narrative levels of equal entity, and thus interchangeable; the situation of a character who thinks he is wak-ing and is really dreaming, or vice-versa; a confusion in which the reader or spectator might also participate. It is unnecessary to emphasize the importance of dreams in Bor-ges’ work, so what I’d like to point out is the variety of figures he weaves with the twin strands of dreams and waking life, going from the chain of dreamers who are them-selves being dreamed by somebody else, as in “The Circular Ruins” and “The Golem”, to the Moebius strip of the two dreamers who dream each other into being, as in “The Other” and “August 25, 1983”.
The triple analogy between dreams, the theatre, and life, was a baroque topic ex-posed by Góngora, and Shakespeare, and presented on the stage by the latter, and also by the last of the great baroque Spanish playwrights, Calderón de la Barca. Borges as we all know wrote no plays, but at least two of his stories include dream plays, plays in which two successive acts present two successive levels of illusion (the action of the first act being revealed as a dream in the second act) and this within the encompassing illusion of the stage (these are “A Survey of the Works of Herbert Quain” and “The Se-cret Miracle”). Baroque fictions have a weakness for dreams because these, together with a few other states (certain hallucinations, drug induced or not; extreme forms of psychosis) are one of the few forms of complete immersion in another plane of reality: while we dream we cannot become conscious of our waking life, if we do, we wake up; whereas when we participate in the illusion of the theatre, of the book, of the picture, of the reflection or of the daydream, we are simultaneously conscious of both planes.
Another form of total immersion is the fever-induced delirium, as in the poem “Isidoro Acevedo” in which Borges’ grandfather, dying in bed, gives himself a death more in accordance with what ought to have been, and imagines he is leading his men in a last cavalry charge. In “The Other Death”, Pedro Damián, who behaved like a coward in battle, asks God to send him back and give him a hero’s death. God cannot change the past, but he can change our memory of the past: those who remember Damián’s cowardice either die, or forget, or make up stories; and God’s fiction becomes our truth. Akin to both is the famous “The South”, in which the bookish Juan Dahlmann is, per-haps, spared a hospital death, to be, perhaps, awarded a death in duel: in this case the reader is also caught in the fold of delirium and waking consciousness, because in this reversible story, modeled on Henry James’ A Turn of the Screw, we can’t be sure if his heroic death takes place in the outside world or in his feverish brain.
The paradox of a memory so powerful that it can vie with the actuality of per-ception informs “Funes, His Memory”; and “The Immortal” explores the relationship between memory and personal identity in a man living for so long that he forgets who he was and remembers another man’s stories (and thus, the other man’s self) as his own.
A related paradox, that of a representation so complete that it either vies with the object or replaces it, is present in the map that covers the empire in “On Exactitude in Science”, and in the poem The Earth which Carlos Argentino Daneri tries to write in “The Aleph”. This story also includes that darling of baroque representation, the mise en abîme: “I saw the earth in the Aleph, and the Aleph once more in the earth and the earth in the Aleph.”
The “Theme of the Traitor and the Hero” plays three baroque games on one board. The Irish conspirators discover their leader is a traitor, and with his consent de-cide to turn him into a martyr. Consequently a play is written and performed, a play rich in elements lifted from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Macbeth, a play in which the city becomes a stage, life a play and its inhabitants, knowingly or unknowingly, become its actors, and the incidents of this representation go down as history. In this story at least three baroque folds interact: Life copies art, the world becomes a stage and fiction becomes history.
Life also copies art in “The Gospel According to Mark”, in which a family of gauchos decide to bring the Passion of Christ to life by crucifying the young man who read passages of the New Testament to them.
Another baroque figure that is presented but not systematically exploited by Cervantes involves the folding of different planes of time, or space, or time-space conti-nuities, the dream sequence of the Montesinos Cave being perhaps the best example. Borges, on the other hand, offers a great variety of figures: time bifurcates in “The Gar-den of Forking Paths”, creating a number of parallel, convergent and divergent times, i.e. worlds; in “Truco”, in “Feeling in Death” and in “A New Refutation of Time” the opposite happens: two different moments in time, being undistinguishable, become one. “The Secret Miracle” explores the divergence between personal or subjective time and chronological time; in “The Other” and “August 25, 1983” time folds on itself, allowing two Borgeses of different ages to meet face to face.
These two latter stories center on a motive that Borges took not from the Ba-roque directly, but from its derivations in the Romantic movement: the motive of the double. In “The Other” an older Borges and his younger self sit on two ends of a bench which is at the same time in 1918 and 1969, in Geneva and in Cambridge, Massachu-setts; to add another fold to this time-space warp, one of them is dreaming and the other one is awake. It might be noted that the interest in the figure of the double is in the XIXth Century mainly moral or ethical: what fires the imagination of Stevenson, Poe, Dostoyevsky, Wilde and Conrad is the discrepancy between our private or instinctive self and our public, civilized or domesticated persona. In Borges, on the other hand, the interest is mainly metaphysical, and concerned with personal identity: Are the different selves we don over time one person or many? Can the ‘I’ hold over time? (“The Immor-tal” offers a taxative answer: given a period of time longer than the usual human lifespan, it can’t). Baroque fictions typically subordinate the ethical to the metaphysical: before determining whether my behavior is correct or incorrect, I have to decide in what plane of reality I stand. The ethics of action are not the same as the ethics of representa-tion; sins committed in dreams do not merit the same hell as those committed in waking life.
The mere presence of a double, by the way, does not automatically turn the work into what I here call a baroque fiction. Jekyll and Hyde are two aspects of one person, but they inhabit the same plane of reality: waking life, London, the XIXth C. But if the double appears in a mirror world, as in “William Wilson”; in a picture, as in the story of Dorian Grey; if the meeting of doubles involves the braiding of two times, two spaces and two mutually exclusive planes of consciousness, as in Borges’ “The Other”, the stories are typical baroque fictions.
Notice, by the way, that not all the stories I have mentioned can be classified as fantastic: neither “The South”, “Theme of the Traitor and the Hero”, “The Gospel Ac-cording to Mark”, “Feeling in Death” or “The Garden of Forking Paths” can be consid-ered fantastic according to any of the criteria current in their or our day. The model is once again Cervantes, who wrote the most complex, multy-layered and elaborate ba-roque fiction, the model for all the baroque fictions to come, without once resorting to the fantastic or the supernatural. This is not an unimportant distinction. Because at the core of my thesis lies the suspicion that what characterizes the work not only of Borges, but also of his friends, collaborators and followers Adolfo Bioy Casares, Silvina Ocam-po and Julio Cortázar is not the practice of fantastic literature, but the writing of ba-roque fictions.
Of these three other writers, the first two collaborated with Borges in developing this matrix, all three in expanding it into other fields. Bioy Casares, for example, would decidedly cross the line into science fiction, exploiting the paradoxes inherent in me-chanical reproduction in Morel’s Invention, in which the replica replaces the model; and, less successfully in A Plan for Escape. The story of his “The Celestial Plot” follows Leibniz and Blanqui in postulating the existence of multiple worlds, of parallel times and spaces, and explores the possibility of jumping between them. In stories such as this, the folds are so precise that the image that comes to mind is not that of the folds of cloth but that of the folding of paper in origami. Bioy Casares’ novel The Dream of Heroes explores the paradoxes inherent in divination, adding new twists to those al-ready offered by that most baroque of fictions the Ancient World bequeathed us: Oedi-pus Rex. In Bioy Casares’ novel, the time fold interacts with the dream/waking fold: the avoided future haunts the character’s dreams, and drives him to seek the fate he had initially and inadvertently escaped.
Bioy Casares took the opposition between baroque writing and baroque fiction further than Borges. In his case, the rule seems to apply that the more baroque the fic-tion, the less baroque the style and the more devoutly referential the language. Bioy Casares’ formula typically includes a mystery that grows more and more complex, and lengthy explanations at the end, often by a second narrator, in which every question is painstakingly explained, in the manner of the detective fiction of Poe, Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. The Bioy Casares formula can be summed up as the conjunction of the world and laws of fantasy and science fiction, and the narrative devices of classical de-tective fiction.
Silvina Ocampo did not include a single fiction we could classify as baroque in her first book, Forgotten Voyage; her second book, The Autobiography of Irene, sug-gests a deliberate apprenticeship in the formulas developed by her husband Bioy Casares and in the fictions of their mutual friend Borges; one of them in particular, “The Impostor” is painstakingly written in the manner of Bioy. From The Fury, her third book, onwards, she develops her own type of baroque fiction: Ocampo’s folds are soft-er, more flexible; the borders between her worlds less clearly defined: fadeouts and fog predominate over pleats and dotted lines. Consistent with this is another difference: Ocampo does not explain at the end, and when she feels compelled to, does so in a few words. More often than not, neither the character nor the reader are able to decide whether their experience took place in a dream or in waking life, in a book or in life, in an imaginary or in a real world. Of these unreal worlds, the one she explored above all the rest was one shunned by both Borges and Bioy Casares, that of children’s fantasies and imagination: her fictions lodge themselves in the fold connecting the imaginary, magical, animated universe of the child – particularly within the sphere of games and play – and the objectified world of the adult. If in Borges’ writing the model for all ba-roque fictionalizations seems to be the dream, and the underlying logic of Bioy’s explo-rations is to be found in the logic of mechanical reproduction, in Ocampo the child’s imagination is the ultimate ratio of all her shufflings of the world of objects with the world of representations and signs.
Julio Cortázar shares Bioy Casares’ penchant for passages, galleries and bridges which allow us to pass from one world to the next, and also in the possibilities which mechanical reproduction opens up (as in “Blow Up” which inspired Antonioni’s very baroque fiction of the same title); he also shares Ocampo’s interest in the imaginary worlds of children, and her reluctance to provide lengthy explanations at the end: typi-cally Cortázar’s stories will include an ending at one time surprising and self explanato-ry, in the manner of Poe. Cortázar’s main interest is not so much in the nature of the two worlds in contrast, but in pinpointing the point where the fold folds, in the passages, or portals, between two worlds, and in the manner of bridging them. His transitions are often the most fluid, as exemplified in the masterly “Continuity of Parks” in which one of the unspoken and probably unconscious possibilities of the detective novel is finally realized: in truly Cervantean sense, Cortázar includes the man who holds the book in his hands into the text, and manages to write a crime story in which the reader is murdered.
Enough examples for the moment. Time for conclusions.
1. The first one has already been stated. What characterizes Borges and the three other Argentine writers I have centered my talk on is not so much the presence of the fantastic element, but the use of one or many baroque folds in the structuring of the plot. But it must be granted that baroque fictions, by putting two worlds in contact, and inverting our assumptions about the hierarchies and the causalities governing them, al-ways generates the sensation, the feeling, the flavor of the fantastic.
2. Baroque fiction tends to be in opposition to baroque writing. The ideal of the writers I have called ‘the fantastic four’ but now should start calling ‘the baroque four’ is a referential, economical, functional use of language. There is little or no room for language for its own sake, word play, or verbal excess. Exceptions, of course, exist. Calderón combines baroque writing with baroque fictional plots; in the neobaroque this combination can be found in the novels of Severo Sarduy.
If the influence of the Spanish Baroque on the Latin American literature of the XXth Century were to be measured solely in terms of baroque writing, the animosity or indifference shown towards it by Borges and his group would put this influence in ques-tion. But if we take baroque fictions into consideration, the close relationship between the two most important moments of literature in the Spanish language, the Spanish Golden Age and the Latin American XXth century, becomes even more evident.
3. Studies of the Argentine fantastic genre usually begin with the nineteenth century precursors, such as Juana Manuela Gorriti, the turn of the century practitioners such as Leopoldo Lugones and Horacio Quiroga, and try to move from these into Borges, Bioy Casares and the rest. In my opinion there is no such continuity or evolution, if I am right in supposing the defining factor in the literature of Borges and his followers is not the fantastic but the baroque element. It makes much better sense to pursue a discontinuity that jumps from Cervantes to Borges that a continuity that segues from Lugones and Quiroga into Borges and the rest. The matrix of the XXth Century Argentine fantastic is not the XIXth C. Argentine fantastic, but Borges’ reading of Cervantes. This net or ma-trix of baroque fictions drags in protobaroque fragments of more ancient literatures, such as the Chinese, or the Arabic; or postbaroque motifs from the German, English and North American romantic traditions, Orientalism included. The compilation of The An-thology of Fantastic Literature by Borges, Bioy Casares and Ocampo, in 1940, probably helped to put this matrix together, so that they could put it to work in creating original fictions.
4. The concept of baroque fiction might also help to clarify the difference between the Argentine fantastic and magic realism, two wholly different genres which sometimes are conflated or confused. The world of magic realism is not a divided world. It is always one: the ordinary and the fantastic do not exist as two separate, albeit interconnected planes of reality: they form a unified continuum: the cloth of magic realism is taut, it has no folds. That is why the fantastic appears without surprise: it is not an irruption but habit. It is not uncanny or strange, but familiar and pleasing. The world in which magic carpets are possible, girls float off into the sky and men with wings can land in your backyard is the same one in which we live our everyday lives. In a baroque fiction there are always two worlds at least. Furthermore, magic realism typically bypasses the question of the difference between the world and its representations: as a matter of fact, in most of the justifications offered, from Alejo Carpentier onwards, it is suggested that it is Latin American reality that is magical, and that these novels are a direct and unprob-lematic representation of it (thus the use of the word ‘realism’ or ‘real’ in the formula). Also, magic realism typically goes down with strong doses of baroque style.


Those of you who know me well know that I enjoy learning things by studying poop, and one of the great things in poop that we can exploit is the remnants of gut bacteria. A healthy bouquet of bacteria is necessary for proper digestion and intestinal function. The bouquets vary from person to person, and the causes and consequences of interpersonal variation in gut bacteria communities aren't very well understood. However, there are some correlations. Studies in mice and humans show that individuals with less diversity in their gut bacteria tend to be obese, and that certain types of bacteria seem to be present more often in obese individuals. This effect could be stimulated in mice by feeding them antibiotics, which kill off portions of the gut bacteria, and the mice treated with antibiotics had more body fat than non-treated mice. In addition to obesity, people with less diversity in their gut bacteria (measured by quantifying the bacterial DNA in stool samples) also were more likely to be resistant to insulin, a symptom of type II diabetes which is also often correlated with obesity.
It has always been assumed that the gut bacteria will "bounce back" or spontaneously re-colonize the gut after an antibiotic regimen or a brief infection, but some people are starting to question this assumption. Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome is believed to be caused by a disruption of the gut flora following a bout of gastroenteritis. The idea is that the infectious bacteria flush out the good bacteria by competition or flushing with diarrhea. A popular treatment for this imbalance in gut bacteria is to take probiotics, either in pill form or in the form of active culture yogurt and dairy products. However, most of these products only contain one or two species of known gut bacteria. It seems that a healthy digestive system is associated on a diverse bouquet, which could potentially be problematic if we're overloading our guts with only a few species of bacteria, but is unknown as to whether gut bacteria is a factor in causing obesity or if it is somehow a result of obesity.
Pennisi, E. (2011). Girth and the Gut (Bacteria) Science, 332 (6025), 32-33 DOI: 10.1126/science.332.6025.32
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar: A study in fortitude and rigor
1 day ago in The Curious Wavefunction


|Location||western Dominican Republic|
|Lake type||salt water lake|
|Basin countries||Dominican Republic|
|Surface area||265 km²|
|Surface elevation||-44 m|
Lake Enriquillo is a lake in western Dominican Republic, near the border with Haiti. Its Taíno name was Hagueygagon but, in colonial times, it had the name Jaragua Lake. It is in the Hoya de Enriquillo valley, a long valley between the "Sierra de Neiba", to the north, and the "Sierra de Bahoruco", to the south.
The lake has an area of 265 km², and its surface is around 44 meters below sea level, the lowest point in the Caribbean. There are three small islands in the lake: Isla Cabritos, Barbarita, and La Islita.
Only small rivers flow into the lake. The rivers that flow from the Sierra de Neiba always have water. Those rivers that flow from the Sierra de Bahoruco sometimes do not have water.
Many water birds visit the lake to feed, including flamingos. There are also American crocodiles and some fishes as tilapia. Because it is an arid region, the vegetation around the lake is poor with cacti and small shrubs.
The lake is part of the "Lago Enriquillo e Isla Cabritos National Park" and of the "Jaragua - Bahoruco - Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve".
Cities on the lake[change | change source]
The main cities on the coast (or very near) of the lake are:
References[change | change source]
- Las Casas, Bartolomé de (1965) (in Spanish). Historia de las Indias. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica.


EPA Announces New Rules To Protect Farmworkers From Pesticides
The Environmental Protection Agency has released a final version of updated rules intended to keep farmworkers from being poisoned by pesticides. The previous "worker protection standard" for farms has been in effect since 1992.
The new rules require farms to make a host of changes. Employers will have to train workers on the risks of pesticides every year, rather than every five years. Workers will have to stay farther away from contaminated fields. Farmers will have to keep more records on exactly when and where they used specific pesticides. And no children under the age of 18 will be allowed to handle the chemicals.
There's very little solid data on exactly how many workers are exposed to hazardous levels of pesticides, though the EPA estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 workers may be poisoned by pesticides each year. Many others are exposed to hazardous chemicals but experience less severe symptoms.
Farmworker advocates praised the new rules. "We've been fighting for more than 20 years from some of these improvements," says Virginia Ruiz, director of occupational and environmental health at .
But the new rules do not go as far as some had hoped. They do not, for instance, require routine medical monitoring of workers who specialize in applying the most dangerous pesticides. Both California and Washington require such monitoring, and these programs have identified workers who had been been exposed to pesticides and were at risk for developing more serious health problems. The EPA, however, decided that requiring such monitoring across the nation would cost too much.
The agency also decided not to demand that employers and pesticide manufacturers translate their safety documents into Spanish or other languages that workers may understand better than English. According to the EPA, there's little convincing evidence that such a requirement would improve safety, although the agency still "encourages ... employers to display this information in such a way that workers and handlers can understand, including translation."
California and Washington already have adopted, through state regulation, many of the rules that the EPA now wants to put in place nationwide. The EPA rules will take effect about 14 months from now.
The rules will not apply, however, to farm owners and their immediate families. This was intended to reduce the regulatory burden on small, family-operated farms.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


What Causes Ear Infections?
Researchers continue to look for help for children and parents of children who suffer from the most common type of ear infection, called middle ear infection or otitis media (OM).
About 62 percent of children in developed countries will have their first episode of OM by the age of one, more than 80 percent by their third birthday, and nearly 100 percent will have at least one episode by age five. In the U.S. alone, this illness accounts for 25 million office visits annually with direct costs for treatment estimated at $3 billion. Health economists add that when lost wages for parents are included, the total cost of estimated treatments mount to $6 billion.
This is a big problem.
The usual treatment options for children with middle ear infections include 1) antibiotics; and 2) surgical insertion of pressure equalizing tubes in the ears. While studies have shown that antibiotics can be helpful in certain cases, excessive use can lead to bacterial resistance, making infections more difficult to treat. Tubes sometimes do not equalize pressure enough or may need reinsertion over time.
What about vaccines?
A vaccine is a preparation administered to stimulate the body's own defense system to combat specific bacteria or viruses. The first vaccine was introduced in the 18th century for the prevention of smallpox. Today, each vaccine is designed to resemble a particular virus or bacteria (or group of viruses and bacteria). When administered, the vaccine triggers the defense system without actually causing illness. This helps the body to develop a defense (antibodies) against the virus or bacteria so that if they enter the body, you will not get sick. Today, vaccines exist to combat a wide range of viruses and some bacteria.
One of the most common and potentially serious bacteria to cause ear and sinus infections and pneumonia and meningitis is the pneumococcus. Recently a vaccine was developed that is effective against several common strains of pneumococcus.
Your child's physician will advise you on appropriate vaccines for your child. If the pneumococcal vaccine is offered to your child, you may want to know:
The conjugate pneumococcal vaccine: This latest advance in pediatric healthcare prevents diseases caused by seven of the most common types of pneumococcal bacteria. It is safe and effective. It protects against serious forms of the disease up to 97 percent of the time, depending on the person. The vaccine is given by a needle. The side effects, which are usually minor and temporary, include some redness, swelling or tenderness from the injection, and a mild fever. Serious side effects, including allergic reactions, are quite rare. It can be given to infants, and there is no other vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease in children less than two years of age. In 2002 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the vaccine for infants and toddlers under the age of five. See http://www.cdc.gov/nip for more information.
Conjugate vaccines are effective against otitis media in children under the age of five because they have a polysaccharide component linked to a protein component that an infant's immature defense system can recognize. Children older than five, whose defense systems have matured, may receive a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine without the protein component.
How does this relate to otitis media? Here are issues to consider.
Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria (commonly known as pneumococcus) are thought to cause 50 to 60 percent of cases of otitis media. Before this vaccine was available, each pneumococcal infection caused:
- about five million ear infections;
- more than 700 cases of meningitis;
- 13,000 blood infections (septicemia); and
- other health problems including pneumonia, deafness, and brain damage.
Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and Moraxella catarrhalis vaccine
Two other common bacteria that cause ear and sinus infections are nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and Moraxella catarrhalis. Recently, the National Institutes of Health has issued a license for the first clinical trials for a nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) vaccine. Vaccines to prevent viral infections like the flu that can eventually lead to ear infections should be considered for children with recurring ear infections. These vaccines are usually administered in the fall.


MORPHING CLIMATE DATA TO SIMULATE BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION
This research investigates projecting and ‘morphing’
weather files for building energy simulations in order to
calculate lifetime energy consumption. Multiple
weather-file modification tools and morphing
methodologies have been developed over the last
couple of decades to account for variable climate
patterns. Two tools were used in this work to evaluate
potential climate projections and explore differences in
uncertainty and assumptions when applied to the same
set of prototype buildings. The research uses Boston,
Miami and San Francisco as diverse cities representing
different climate challenges and to study regional
effects on complete long-term energy use in future
scenarios. The most recent climate projections from the
IPCC and UKCP09 are compared with historic
projections to understand how variances in algorithms
alter building energy use over time. The comparison of
energy simulations using ‘morphed’ weather files under
different methodologies, current climate forecasts and
adjusted emissions scenarios are visualized and
discussed to demonstrate the impact of climate change
on building energy consumption. Some results are to
be expected, but Boston’s decreasing future energy use
intensity (EUI) and variations in rates of change exhibit
the importance of considering future climate projections
in building energy simulations.
Belcher, S. E., J. N. Hacker, and D. S. Powell. 2005. “Constructing Design Weather Data for Future Climates.” Building Services Engineering Research and Technology 26 (1): 49–61. doi:10.1191/0143624405bt112oa.
“CCWeatherGen: Climate Change Weather File Generator for the UK | Sustainable Energy Research Group.” 2016. Accessed January 22. http://www.energy.soton.ac.uk/ccweathergen/.
CIBSE Guide J. 2001. Weather, Solar and Illuminance Data. London: Charted Institution of Building Services Engineers.
“Climate Change World Weather File Generator for World-Wide Weather Data – CCWorldWeatherGen | Sustainable Energy Research Group.” 2015. Accessed November 30. http://www.energy.soton.ac.uk/ccworldweathe rgen/.
“Commercial Prototype Building Models | Building Energy Codes Program.” 2016. Accessed April 23. https://www.energycodes.gov/development/co mmercial/prototype_models.
Hulme, M, GJ Jenkins, X Lu, JR Turnpenny, TD Mitchell, RG Jones, J Lowe, et al. 2002. Climate Change Scenarios for the United Kingdom: The UKCIP02 Scientific Report. Norwich, UK: Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia.
IBPSA Chicago. n.d. Chicago Chapter of IBPSA-USA: Weather Data for Energy Modeling. Chicago.
IPCC. 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (Eds.)]. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC.
Jenkins, G. J., J. M. Murphy, D. M. H. Sexton, J. A. Lowe, P. Jones, and C. G. Kilsby. 2009. “UK Climate Projections: Breifing Report.” Exeter, UK: Met Office Hadley Centre.
Jentsch, Mark F., AbuBakr S. Bahaj, and Patrick A. B. James. 2008. “Climate Change Future Proofing of buildings—Generation and Assessment of Building Simulation Weather Files.” Energy and Buildings 40 (12): 2148– 68. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2008.06.005.
“NSRDB: 1991- 2005 Update: TMY3.” 2016. Accessed January 22. http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991 -2005/tmy3/.
“Personal Weather Station Network | Weather Underground.” 2016. Accessed January 22. http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation /overview.asp.
“Sources of Uncertainty in CMIP5 Projections | Climate Lab Book.” 2016. Accessed January 21. http://www.climate-labbook.ac.uk/2013/sources-of-uncertainty/.
“Washington State of Knowledge Report.” 2016. Climate Impacts Group. Accessed January 23. https://cig.uw.edu/resources/specialreports/wa-sok/.
“WeatherShift.” 2016. Accessed January 22. http://www.weather-shift.com/.
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Recognition of Oliver Vincent Shields for Integrating U.S. Infantry during World War II
WHEREAS, over one million African-Americans of the United States served in the Armed Forces during World War II, of which over 80% served in the Army's segregated military units; and
WHEREAS, most African-Americans served in noncombat segregated service units and 708 were killed in combat related battles; and
WHEREAS, in 1944, General Eisenhower gave the okay to integrate some of the combat units during the Battle of the Bulge with over 5000 black soldiers volunteering to fight and only 2500 being selected for the infantry; and
WHEREAS, Oliver Vincent Shields landed at Normandy Beach during D-Day and was selected as one of the 2500 Black volunteers to serve in the 14th Armored Division (known as the ―Liberators‖); and fought in the 19th Armored Infantry Battalion C alongside White soldiers in Europe and was discharged from Camp Polk, LA with the 14th Armored Division in October, 1945; and
WHEREAS, Oliver Vincent Shields was selected by the American Battle Monuments Commission (a federal agency of the Executive Branch) in 2007 to be included in the ―Voices of Soldiers‖, an interactive database of the Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France, above Omaha Beach, which receives over one million visitors a year; and where many American soldiers died; and
WHEREAS, Oliver Vincent Shields, age 85, is part of a very small group of 2500 Black men who integrated the infantry that are still living today; and
WHEREAS, while in 1945 in Germany during World War II, Oliver Vincent Shields and another soldier joined the NAACP for 50 cents, at the request of a member of the NAACP who had come to Europe with Black newspaper journalists to check on the conditions and treatment of Black soldiers; and
WHEREAS, when Oliver Vincent Shields returned from the war, he faced segregation, dismal employment opportunities, and other barriers, but soon began his fight for civil rights in his hometown of Chillicothe, Missouri and the State of Missouri; and
WHEREAS, Oliver Vincent Shields is a Diamond Life Member of the NAACP of the Kansas City, Missouri Branch, former Missouri State Conference President, has been actively involved in the NAACP for over 60 years, and served his country honorably during World War II in quartermaster and combat infantry capacities.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People shall recognize Oliver Vincent Shields for his dedicated service to his country in being one of the first 2500 Black men who volunteered, was chosen to integrate the infantry of the Army during World War II, and who fought with White soldiers to secure democracy.


The scroll and the Holy Spirit symbolise that St Jude wrote one of the Epistles found in the New Testament. The club and axe are the implements of his death symbolising his martyrdom. The motto “Growth in Truth and Love” is a realistic goal for all at St Jude’s to strive towards – growth in truth, the epitome of all learning and growth in love as the ultimate Christian ideal.
Numeracy development at St Jude’s
- Everyone can learn
There is an expectation that all students can and will be numerate. Catholic Education strongly supports student centred learning that requires students to have genuine access to a wide variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic-support strategies that are intended to address the distinct numeracy / mathematical learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individuals and groups of students.
- A deep understanding of curriculum provides content and context for learning
Students are provided with access to highly effective mathematical learning experiences.
- Assessment informs teaching and learning
Ongoing student assessment is vital to inform the teaching and learning cycle. This cycle is optimised when it is continual, relevant, dynamic, and inextricably linked to instruction.
- Positive relationships are at the heart of effective teaching
Positive relationships truly have the ability and the power to unleash untapped potential in our students. Relationships are based on mutual respect and the premise that everyone will do the best they can at all times. The role of the teacher is to facilitate the next level of learning. The value of positive day-to-day interactions across the whole school cannot be underestimated – including school staff with students, staff with staff, students with students and staff with families.
- Holding high expectations of all learners is a commitment to justice
Capitalising on individual student strengths supports learning and student development as accomplished learners of mathematics.
- Positive educational environments empower learning
“A classroom that is functioning successfully as a third teacher will be responsive to the children’s interests, provide opportunities for children to make their thinking visible and then foster further learning and engagement.” (Fraser 2012)
- Learning is inspired and celebrated in community
When students have a sense of belonging and safety within a community of learners, they are empowered to take risks and explore new ideas. Where the community provides an environment in which individual mathematical ideas can be expressed and tested against others’ ideas, learning is articulated and learners are more confident about what they know and understand.
Athletics Carnival South Weston
The weather was very kind to our athletes yesterday as they competed at the South Weston Athletics Carnival in lovely conditions. The sun actually had some warmth in it. Thanks to Mrs Thomas for her organisation of our students. It was a busy day with children coming and going throughout the day from school to the track and back again. I congratulate the children on their strong effort and fine achievements. It is so rewarding to see young people having a go and doing their best. Well done to everyone involved.
Future of ACT Catholic School Soccer and Netball Carnivals
Regretfully, this year is the final year for the ACT Catholic School Soccer and Netball Carnivals.
This decision was carefully considered and was made unanimously at the recent ACT Catholic Primary Principal’s Meeting.
Although these are great community days and have been going for many years, the huge workload on staff, increasing costs, complexity of indemnity and insurance and a lack of volunteers to assist has necessitated the decision to no longer host these events.
Schools are rostered on to coordinate, run and volunteer these events and are run, entirely, by the host school, irrespective of the school size. Parents volunteer on the day and staff work all weekend on these events. In the past few years, some executive staff have worked nearly fulltime in the lead-up to pull off these carnivals, along with many staff who commit their time to support the planning and preparation, all of which is impacting on the teaching and learning agenda of the host school.
ACT Principals acknowledge that there may be some parents and students disappointed by this decision, however, we have agreed that the future of hosting and leading an event such as this is untenable.
This year, Holy Rosary Watson will host the final ACT Catholic School’s Netball Carnival.
ACT Catholic Primary Principals
A reminder for parents: if your child will be absent from BSC or ASC, please contact Camp Australia via their portal or text / call: 0411 554 854.
Family Fee Statements - Due Friday 23 August
Family school fee statements were sent home recently. If you did not receive your fee statement for term 3, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org
Thank you to those families who are up to date with their fees.
Dance Concert Video
If you would like a copy of the Dance Concert video, please send in a USB stick with your child's name and class clearly labelled on an envelope. The USB will be returned to your child during term 3. To protect the privacy of all students, please do not upload any part of this video on to the internet.
Sacrament of Confirmation
On Tuesday evening, Confirmation candidates from our parish came together for a family formation session. It was an opportunity for the candidates to discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit with their parent/s and to engage with other students in the parish. The next big day will be the Retreat Day for the candidates where they will have the chance to reflect on the importance of the sacrament going forward.
This Sunday’s Gospel
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us' but he will answer, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then you will find yourself saying, 'We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets' but he will reply, 'I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!'
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’
Life’s problems can be seen as challenges that help you to grow well and to learn important skills. As God’s creatures are imperfect, so we need to help one another toward a final perfection that is a gift from God.
What difficulty or crisis in your life has taught you a lot? Do you think you have grown from dealing with it? How?
Discipline from parents and teachers and coaches is often not desired, yet it is usually given because of love.
What do you think motivates parents and teachers and coaches? Why do they do the things they do for you? What is their purpose as they attempt to give you discipline?
How have you benefited from the discipline and influence of parents, teachers or coaches? Have other adults in your life helped you become a more mature individual? Who are they and what influence have they had?
Dates to remember:
- Primary (Years 3-6) Mass: Thursday 5 September, 9.30am.
- Confirmation Retreat Day: Friday 6 September.
- Sacrament of Confirmation: Weekend of 14/15 September.
Susan Chant - St Jude's Primary School
The Stingray class pranced around the corridors of the primary school on Wednesday for their Book Week parade. This year’s Book Week theme is ‘Reading is my secret power’ so the children enjoyed dressing up as super heroes or characters from books. Amongst the teachers were Three Little-ish Pigs and a Big Bad Wolf. This has built lots of excitement for the big Book Week parade in the primary school hall tomorrow, Friday 23 August at 9.15am. Turtle and Lobster children are invited to dress up and parents are welcome to come along to watch.
Fathers Day Stall
The Fathers Day stall will be held next Friday 30 August (Tuesday 27 August for the Stingrays). The children are invited to bring along a few dollars in a labelled envelope to purchase a gift for Dad.
When UV reaches 3, the Preschool children are required to wear hats outside. Please ensure your child brings a hat to school with their name clearly labelled on it.
Many children are bringing home toys to school and we strongly discourage this. We have many toys and activities at the ELC to engage the children, so there is no need to bring in personal items. Home toys are causing many disruptions to class time and we are asking for your help to ensure your child respects this rule.
Plastic bottle tops and bread bag tags
The ELC are collecting plastic bottle lids and bread bag tags to support a non-for-profit community initiative. Envision Hands uses 3D printing to turn plastic waste into mechanical hands and arms for kids. You can find a collection bucket at the front desk if you would like to contribute.
Dance Concert Video
If you would like a copy of the Dance Concert video, please send in a USB with your child’s name and class clearly labelled on the envelope. To protect the privacy of all students, please do not upload any part of this video on to the internet.
St John Vianney’s hosts a play group for children aged 0-5 on Wednesdays from 9.30am to 11am. There is a fortnightly program and on the alternate weeks the room is made available for playgroup parents to organise their own social catch up. The term 3 program dates and activity focus are:
- 4 September: Cooking
- 18 September: Gross motor
For more information a flyer is available in our ELC office or at SJV.
Karen Leighton - St Jude's Early Learning Centre
South Weston Athletics Carnival and Trial
Our St Jude’s team represented us proudly at the South Weston Athletics Carnival yesterday. Records were broken, PBs were smashed and the best thing of all, students competed to the best of their ability which was awesome to witness! A huge congratulations to all students who made the team and competed in the highly successful carnival.
Year 5 and Year 6 Netball Carnival
We had two teams compete in the ACT Southside Netball Competition last Friday. The St Judians came third out of eight in their pool, meaning they missed out on qualifying for the next level by one spot! After the finals, they came 6th overall out of 16 teams. The Green Devils came a respectable 5th in their pool out of eight and ended up 10th out of 16!Both teams played really well and represented the school with gusto. Thank you to all those parents who assisted on the day which is always greatly appreciated!
Catholic Schools Netball Competition
Students in Year 2 to Year 6 are encouraged to participate in the Catholic Schools Netball Competition which will be held on Saturday 19 October. Please put the date in your calendar. Notes are due back to the school this Friday, 23 August.
Students wishing to trial for the ACT Cricket School Sports team will need to register online. For further information, please see the Sports noticeboard.
Ski and Snowboard
Students in Year 1 will be completing their final session with the AIS Winter Sports Team this Friday. Students have really enjoyed this opportunity.
Students in Year 6, Year 3, and Kindergarten have completed their final session this week with Ivan from Capital Football. Students gained valuable skills and knowledge in the world game.
All students at St Jude’s have been participating in weekly lessons in Gymnastics which have allowed students to develop their skills in balance and movement.
Students in Year 5 have started their weekly lessons with Basketball ACT. They will be learning some valuable ball skills during their sessions.
Chief Minister's Reading Challenge (CMRC)
Congratulations to Salma S, Amelia B, Isaac L for completing their CMRC. Not much time left to finish!
Our celebration of Book Week finishes tomorrow with our Dress up Parade in the hall, commencing at 9.15am. Children participating will have their names entered into a ballot with a winner being drawn for each class at lunchtime. Book prizes will then be selected by the lucky winners!
Thank you to all families who supported the Book Fair last week! We had some very happy customers and managed to raise approximately $700 for the Library and classroom resources. This was an outstanding effort – the best in a few years – with all credit to the community here at St Jude’s! Thank you!
Students in Year 1 and Year 2 have been invited to participate in the ACT Catholic Schools BIG Sing. They will be rehearing and performing at St John Vianney’s with seven other Catholic schools within our Archdiocese. Students will be performing at 1.25pm and will be gaining experience throughout the day which will go towards their learning journeys. Please ensure all notes are returned shortly.
Junior Choir rehearsals are with Sharon Hart and Leanne Thomas on Thursday afternoons, 2.00pm to 2.30pm.
The Senior Choir has been successful in obtaining a spot in the busy Floriade Performance Schedule. Students will be performing on Stage 88 at 11.45am to 12.30pm on 18 September. Students will be learning about the layout of Floriade from Andrew Forster, Head Gardner and representing St Jude’s in performance. Please come and enjoy some wonderful music on 18 September. Notes for this fabulous opportunity went home with students yesterday, during the Senior Choir Rehearsal.
The Senior Choir rehearsals are with Sharon Hart and Leanne Thomas on Wednesday afternoons, 2.00pm to 2.30pm.
Specialist Music Teacher
Mulleyduds will be open:
Friday 23 August, 3.00pm to 3.30pm
Just a reminder that Uniform Shop orders can be placed electronically via Qkr! and items will then be delivered directly to your child, for them to take home. Pending the availability of our volunteers, Qkr! orders are usually filled on Wednesday mornings, as well as Friday afternoons when the shop is open.
If you need to exchange any item that you have ordered (e.g. for a different size), just send the item and a note back into school with your child to go in the daily message bag to the front office. The volunteers at the Uniform Shop will then swap the item over for you and provide it to your child to take home. If any of the items you have ordered happen to be out of stock at the time, a slip will be provided to your child advising of this. If required, refunds can be arranged via the front office.
All profits from the Uniform Shop go to the St Jude’s Community Council and help fund school projects, such as the new playground equipment built in 2018.
If you have any questions, please direct them to: email@example.com
Finally, if anyone is able to assist at the Uniform Shop on a Friday afternoon from 3.00-3.30pm, your help would be greatly appreciated.
Susana Lloyd, Skye Maguire and Alison Egan
Lids for Limbs
If you have milk bottle, soft drink or water bottle lids at home, you can help make a difference. We are collecting them for the charity called Envision Hands who create colourful prosthetic limbs for children. You can drop your lids off in the canteen.
Fresh for Kids
Competition time again and it starts from Wednesday 7 August. This year, we have been given coloured stamper pens. Children will be given one with each healthy option they purchase, as well as a sticker on a ticket that they need to fill to go into the competition to win various prizes for themselves or for our school. This is an initiative run by the Sydney Markets and a nationwide competition.
Our Masterchef family this week is the 'Celebratory Cimbora Family' and they are making 'Marshmallow Bubble Bars'. The ingredients are: rice bubbles, marshmallows, butter, white chocolate and M&M’s. We will be selling them for 50 cents.
Consistent Qkr! Problems
Please ensure online lunch orders are for the correct day and that you get a receipt number. Too many children are turning up at lunch upset that their lunch orders are missing. Some parents also haven’t updated their children’s classes. This delays the tallying process in the morning, especially on Fridays when we are very busy. Please don’t hesitate to pop into the canteen if you need a run through on how to order.
$1.00 lolly limit per day
Our local Bakers Delight in Cooleman Court rewards our school when we purchase bread from them. When making purchases at Bakers Delight, could you please ask for the points to be added to St Jude’s Primary? Over time, the points add up and we benefit from this by receiving free or discounted bread for our carnivals. Let your friends and family know! The more people who support this, the more points we receive.
Mulleygrubs Café can only function with your help. Any amount of time is wonderful. Thursdays and Fridays are especially busy so if you can, please come in and have a go. I’ll even make you a cuppa! Remember to apply for a Working with Vulnerable People card (WWVP). It’s free for volunteers!
Hot Coffee is available at the Canteen!
...and is now on Qkr! Only available to be picked up from 8.15am (the coffee machine needs to warm up). You can create your own profile on Qkr! or use your child’s profile.
Coffee, hot chocolate, tea and chai lattes are available Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.15am through to 1.45pm. Pop in for a chat and purchase a roady!
Small $3.00 Large $4.00
Friday 23 August
Help Needed x 2
Wednesday 28 August
Help needed x 1
Thursday 29 August
Help Needed x 2
Focus on social media: TikTok
A recent addition to the vast array of social media websites is one called TikTok. This site allows for the uploading and sharing of short videos. Viewers of videos can leave comments, like or dislike videos. The site is restricted to 13 years and older however there is no age verification process meaning anyone with an internet connection can create accounts including children under this age. Viewers can invite other viewers to ‘be friends’ and participate in ‘duets’. All videos uploaded are automatically available for everyone to see unless specific action is taken to mark the video as private.
It is vitally important to check the privacy settings of social media apps and websites. As a general rule make everything private! Over time, enable settings one at a time and check the visibility of profiles and of videos.
It is quite OK for parents to know the usernames and passwords of the social media websites and apps that your children access. Parents should be able to login using your child’s login details to check the privacy settings and to monitor any comments. This has everything to do with keeping your young person safe whilst online.
If you have a child in year 4 and above, ask your child if they know of or have heard about TikTok. If the answer is ‘yes’, ask your child to show you how your child uses it and together with your child inspect and have a discussion about the privacy settings and about the appropriateness of the content being uploaded and shared.
The Community Council Trivia Night was held last weekend and was an outstanding success. Profits are still being calculated, but we are well on our way to funding the bike cage requested by our students. An enormous thank you to all of those involved in the organisation and running of the night, including Kylie and Simon Ochsenbein, Alastair and Angela Scherer, Cassandra and Erik Askerlund, Carolyn and Ben Keily, Deb Page, Bronwyn Adams, Nicole Robertson, Jennifer Furze, Joe Hulm, Belinda Charles and Nicky Bourke.
We would also like to thank the sponsors for the night: IGA Hawker Liquorland, Costco, Schmooks, Big W, Ford and Ford Associates, Styledge Image Consulting, Flames Fitness, Off London Hair Salon, Bunnings, Woodface, Tom Gibson.
A very special thanks to Kylie Oschenbein for overseeing the organisation and running of the whole event. If you are interested in organising our Trivia Night next year, I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email or hunt me down at drop off or pick up.
Father’s Day Stall – Friday 30 August 2019
Volunteers are still needed for the Father’s Day stall on Friday 30 August. If you can help out from 11.30 am until 1pm, please contact Rebecca Hunter on firstname.lastname@example.org
Father’s Day gifts range is from $1 through to $5.
Dad’s Beer and Pie Night – SAVE THE DATE - Friday 13 September from 6.30pm
Footy finals time is around the corner which means its Beer and Pie night for the men of St Jude’s. A flyer will go home with your children next week with all the details.
Fete 14 March 2020 – Fete Committee Members required
The fete committee still require two fabulous parents to join the committee. If you have some spare time and want to get involved with the schools biggest fundraiser of the year, please contact Rebecca Hunter via email@example.com.
Community Council Chair
~ Awards Week 4, Term 3 ~
1T—Alex S and John C
2D—Brody C and Addison R
2BF —Benjamin L
4KR—Emerson N and Noah B
4L—Alex L, Allegra J and Grace O


Fleas live in a variety of environments, but they thrive in humid, warm locations at temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees F. They feed on the blood of dogs, cats, humans, and other hosts every day or two, remaining on their host between feedings. Over time, fleas can cause significant blood loss in animals, which in turn can lead to anemia and other health problems. These risks are especially serious in young puppies and kittens and in already debilitated animals.
"Use flea treatments and preventives only under veterinary supervision; some combinations of products are toxic and may cause serious harm to your animal."
Because flea bites can cause potentially serious complications in animals and humans and trigger flea bite dermatitis, lead to anemia, or transmit disease, it is essential to the health of your pet and family to deal with fleas at the first sign of a problem. Preventing flea infestations from occurring is easier than treating your animal and home once an infestation occurs. Unfortunately, this is not as simple as placing a simple flea collar on your pet. Keeping fleas away involves treating your animals, home, and yard year-round.
Protecting Your Animal from Fleas
Protect your pet from fleas by using a topical flea control product, such as Frontline Plus or Advantage II, or give your dog Comfortis, which is a daily oral medication. Shampoos and sprays are also available to keep fleas off your pet. Use flea treatments and preventives only under veterinary supervision; some combinations of products are toxic and may cause serious harm to your animal. Also, use extreme caution when applying flea control products. Do not ever use products on cats that are intended for dogs, and vice versa.
Keeping Fleas Out of Your Home
Set up an area inside your home to inspect animals for fleas and other pests when they come indoors. Ideally, you want a location with good lighting and without carpet. Vacuum your home frequently and pay special attention to areas where your animal spends a lot of time. Wash pet bedding and toys regularly and check for flea eggs and dropping when doing so. If you discover fleas, use a carpet powder to take care of minor problems. Severe infestations may require using a room spray or fogger.
Keeping Fleas Out of Your Yard
If you want to keep fleas from moving into your home, you have to treat outside of your home. Treat your yard as recommended and focus on shady areas and places where your pet spends time, such as under trees and inside dog houses. Clear away organic debris, such as grass clippings and wood, to make your yard less attractive to fleas. Use an insecticide or nematodes and put up a fence if you have problems with stray animals spending time in your yard.
The above is provided for information purposes only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any condition.
This information does not cover all possible variables, conditions, reactions, or risks relating to any topic, medication, or product and should not
be considered complete. Certain products or medications may have risks and you should always consult your local veterinarian concerning the treatment of
your pet. Any trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Health Tip: Clogged Ears On a Plane?
-- Changes in altitude, such as those you experience when flying, can cause an uncomfortable "clogged" feeling in your ears.
If you try to relieve the pressure by blowing your nose too hard, you could perforate the eardrum or force bacteria into the deeper parts of the ear.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help you safely relieve pressure in the ears when flying:
- About an hour before your flight is scheduled to leave, take a decongestant.
- Try yawning to gently relieve pressure as altitude changes.
- Keep swallowing to help unclog ears.
- Chew a piece of gum while the plane ascends and descends.
- If your ears still feel clogged, inhale, hold your nose, and very gently exhale with your mouth closed until you feel relief. Be very careful not to do this with too much force.
Posted: January 2009


Processes are essential for effective management. They keep people in sync, making it possible for team members to come together and achieve a shared goal. But they’re also dangerous. Processes can create the illusion that things are running smoothly because they’re moving along according to the shared understanding of how they’re “supposed to” run.
This is the Fallacy of Process — the idea that by adding consistency and predictability to a shared workflow, a given process is inherently valuable.
Too often, process becomes canon. A team develops an effective way of doing something, then returns to that framework indefinitely, long past its expiration date. As processes grow stale, they become red tape, increasing friction rather than removing it. That friction is more than just a hassle; it can be incredibly expensive — inefficiencies result in lost productivity, and frustrated developers are more likely to seek new roles elsewhere. Just as a good process can multiply your team’s productivity, a bad, broken, or outdated process can have a compounding effect, costing your department more than any line item on its budget.
On their podcast, Rands and co-host Lyle Troxell, Senior Software Engineer at Netflix, propose the idea that every process lives somewhere on a spectrum between total entropy and complete control. For a process to be valuable, it needs to live somewhere between the two extremes.
They suggest that the problem with process starts with attitude, and they recommend that managers:
- Treat each process like a living, breathing thing. Recognize that just because something works well now doesn’t mean it will in the future.
- Work to understand the “why” of each process — and include it in documentation. If it’s difficult to articulate why something is done a certain way, it may be time for a change.
- Evaluate processes frequently, and improve them when necessary.
Managers at all levels would do well to heed this advice. But it can be difficult to identify sources of friction and honestly evaluate processes when you’re not the one tasked with implementing them. Still, it’s essential — the farther a broken process strays towards one end of the spectrum, the more it’s likely to cost you.
So, as a leader looking to evaluate and optimize your team’s processes, where should you start?
- Create a Mental Model. A mental model can help you get your bearings. Start big — map out how work should flow through your software development pipeline, for instance — and then share that model with your team. Solicit their feedback, and pay careful attention to any points of confusion or disagreement. If your mental model doesn’t align with your team’s assumptions, it may indicate that a process is broken or that your documentation needs to be improved.
- Use Data to Check Your Expectations. Once your mental model reflects your team’s understanding of how things work, you’ll need to confirm that those expectations are in line with reality. Engineering metrics are a powerful way to get that gut-check; objective measurements allow you to test your hypotheses about how things are going. When a metric doesn’t align with your expectations, it’s a sign that you should dig deeper and get more context from your team — you may find a process that’s ready for a refresh.
- Maximize Your Impact. Take your list of ineffective processes, and identify the most problematic ones. Which are the biggest sources of frustration for your team? Which cause the biggest holdups? Which have a cascading effect, causing more blockages down the line? These are your most expensive points of friction and the ones you should focus on fixing first.
- Draw Up A New Plan, And Get Feedback. Talk to your team about your broken processes, and ask how they’d fix them. Even if you think you’ve found an obvious solution, be sure to get feedback — if your team isn’t on board with a new process from its inception, it’s more likely to become a source of friction.
- Repeat. Processes are not static. They need to evolve as the circumstances around them change. Keep looking for ways to optimize your processes, and prevent them from becoming blockers.
Continually evaluating and revamping your processes is the only way to keep them fresh and effective, and to ensure you’re not paying for processes that exist for process’s sake. Of course, there’s a certain paradox inherent in proposing a new process for fixing old, broken processes. Adapt it, change it, and make it work for you. Anything less would just be falling prey to the Fallacy of Process.
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Researchers plan to maintain one house exactly the same over time as a baseline [reference house], while testing advanced technologies by making changes on its twin [test house]. The technique will allow scientists to record precise measures of the cost and energy savings contributed by a wide range of new technologies.
Twin Research Houses
CCHT facilities have been developed in consultation with industry to take the guesswork out of new housing technology. The identical life-sized houses at the site are designed to offer rigorous real world testing of new energy-related products and systems. The houses are extensively wired with computerized monitoring equipment designed to track every aspect of performance.
The houses were built in 1998 to a design submitted by a local builder and are typical in construction, appearance and layout of tract-built houses available on the local housing market. They are identical, and are built to the R-2000 standard - Canada's benchmark for energy efficient house design. They have approximately 210 m2 of livable area, and feature a full basement and a two-car garage.
Monitoring the energy performance of actual houses for a full year has often been considered the most credible way of assessing the energy efficiency of a house design and its energy efficient components. In reality, the results of such experiments were always difficult to interpret, especially if the house had been occupied. From many such attempts, it was found that the occupant lifestyle had as much or more influence on the energy consumption of the house than any individual energy efficient component - thus reducing the credibility of the information provided by the monitoring. If the house were left unoccupied, the mode of operation of the house and its resulting energy budget would not be realistic. The interaction of internal heat gains from energy using appliances and occupant heat gain would be missing from the energy balance.
Monitoring results from occupied houses have also been compared to computer simulations to try to detect whether the energy efficient devices had an impact on the overall energy consumption of the house. Yet predicting the exact performance of a house in a given year in a given climate is probably the most difficult challenge that a computer model can have. For example, models cannot simulate people behaviour realistically. Thus, comparisons of measured and modeled results usually end up informing us more about shortcomings in the model rather than actual performance differences due to energy efficient measures.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Technology has solved these problems in assessing energy efficient equipment and components. The two identical test and reference houses are 'occupied' by electronic controllers that turn on and off appliances, lighting and equipment the way people do. This system of device control is referred to a 'simulated occupancy'.
As originally built and with the simulated occupancy system operating, the test and reference houses have been benchmarked and shown to consume the same amount of energy on any given day. The test house can be modified to assess the impact of an innovative technology on the overall energy and comfort performance of the house. This is assessed by comparing the performance of test house to that of the reference house. By eliminating all other differences in energy performance, including those related to occupancy, the difference resulting from the use of an energy efficient device or control system is observable with considerable accuracy, on a daily basis. After each project, the test house is returned to its original condition and benchmarked against the reference house.
The research houses feature standard sets of major appliances typically found in North American homes.
Kitchen Sink and Kitchen "Humans"
A system based on home automation technology simulates human activity by operating major appliances (stove, dishwashers, washer and dryer), lights, water valves, fans, and a host of other sources simulating typical heat gains. The schedule is typical of activities that would take place in a home with a family of two adults and two children. Electrical consumption is typical for a family of four and hot water draws are set in accordance with ASHRAE standards for sizing hot water heaters.
The heat given off by humans is simulated by two 60 W (2 adults) and two 40 W (2 children) incandescent bulbs at various locations in the house. The schedule can be easily modified to accommodate particular assessment requirements.
Data acquisition system
The computer that controls the simulated occupancy also monitors energy performance and thermal comfort. In all, 23 meters (water, gas and electricity) and over 250 sensors (thermocouples &relative humidity) provide 12,000 readings every 24 hours.
Data is overlaid on plans, elevations and sections for viewing. Sensors can be added as needed to expand our monitoring for individual research projects. To view a sample of typical CCHT data see the House Data Virtual Tour.
Weather is monitored by the Institute for Research in Construction at a nearby weather tower on the NRC campus. Collected data includes: solar radiation, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, and precipitation.
The Test house at the CCHT has been upgraded for testing residential combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The upgrades include a balance of plant (BOP) that stores heat from the CHP and delivers it to space heat and domestic hot water on demand, and a grid connection that meets local utility codes and supplies excess electricity to the grid.
Electrical Modifications in Preparation for CHP systems
The Test house at the CCHT has been upgraded for testing residential combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The upgrades include a balance of plant (BOP) that stores heat from the CHP and delivers it to space heat and domestic hot water on demand, and a grid connection that meets local utility codes and supplies excess electricity to the grid. The BOP is fully instrumented and includes programmable controls. Electrical power to and from the CHP is monitored, and power quality is measured between the CHP, the house and the grid. The facility has been used to test a natural gas fired Stirling engine CHP, and is capable of testing fuel cells.
For more information on the testing of CHP systems at CCHT, please see the following document:
ARCHIVED - Development of Micro Combined Heat and Power Technology Assessment Capability at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (PDF format, 1.7 MB)
Bell, M. Swinton, M.C. Entchev, E. Gusdorf, J. Kalbfleisch, W. Marchand, R.G. Szadkowski, F.
pp. 48. 2003-12-08
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How to Read Today’s Big Climate-Change Headline
This week brought news from the Arctic. “Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal, flooded by extremely mild air on all sides,” the Washington Post declared, in a headline. The article below that headline detailed how, on Monday and Tuesday, at the northern tip of Greenland, temperatures rose above freezing for a full twenty-four-hour period—extremely unusual for this time of year—while temperatures across “the entire Arctic north of 80 degrees latitude have averaged about 10 degrees (6 Celsius) above normal since the beginning of the calendar year.”
All sorts of media outlets now regularly cover instances of extreme weather in remote corners of the world. And yet how should readers understand these reports? Are the ups and downs of climate change something to follow in the newspaper, like the Mets or the Yankees? Carolyn Kormann, who writes about climate change for The New Yorker, told me, “It’s not necessarily going to affect you immediately or directly, but the reason that the Washington Post, or anybody, is writing about it is because this is what scientists have been warning is going to happen, and it’s happening.” Other examples of extreme weather, such as increased rainfall, or powerful hurricanes, have more indirect connections with the planet’s over-all changing climate, but scientists have a lot more confidence about cause and effect when it comes to Arctic temperatures. “In this instance, no one is reluctant to tie it to climate change,” Kormann said. “This is climate change.” And then, too, Kormann said, these high Arctic temperatures are significantly affecting conditions on the rest of the planet in ways that scientists still don’t fully anticipate or understand. “I’m looking at this paper that just came out, about how the loss of sea ice is affecting climate elsewhere,” she said.


In the morning we woke up with the sunrise and I climbed out of the tent to play around taking pictures of the flowers as they opened their petals and pollinators flocked to them. The geometry on the immature thistle (I think) buds struck me as some of the land’s most wonderful radial tessellations, a pattern which emanated from the stem center and repeated conically from the wide base up to the pointed tip.
The opened flower was just as stunning with its purple fringe waving in the wind enticingly for insects, like this out of focus green bee or fly, mimicking a bee with its stripes. The contrasting colors of this symbiotic pairing reminded me that nature likes to play strange jokes. But I’m certain that strangeness is only generated by our own minds. The bee and the flower can have no concept that on our human color wheel they are opposite colors. No color theory is applied here, only the laws of natural selection operated to carve the contours and colors of these slowly sculpted beings.
Many of the wildflowers here are unfamiliar to me. I recognized a dandelion (which I consider a wildflower in my yard, not a weed), but the fluffy ball of seeds must have been ten times the size of those at home with fluffy white parachute tops specially shaped for travelling long distances over the plains. (For whatever reason, I didn’t take a picture) Clearly, this must be a different species or subspecies. Many of the other wildflowers I didn’t recognize at all, and I wished I had a wildflower field guide to sort through the biology behind each shade of yellow.
Oddly enough, the prairie plant I did recognize was a species of grass that also spread across the valley at the ranch, called grama grass. I’m not exactly sure on which species, but the seed density suggested it was hairy grama grass (Bouteloua hirsuta). This is one of the Texas natives that fed the migrating buffalo and was reseeded on the ranch to help renew the prairie and ensure biodiversity even after cattle munched the tastiest and most nutritious grasses. Native grasses are critical to healthy prairie ecosystems and they have the added bonus of also adding beautiful colors to the plains when you look across them. The geometric shapes of the seeds are just as intriguing as wildflowers if you stop to look closely. In fact, many grasses have their own minuscule flowers when they’re in bloom.
We took off to the north, continuing the path of our own migration, heading for Denver, where we met up with friends before they dispersed to Washington, to work on a farm, and to Hawaii, to study bees. On our long drive up to Denver, we saw several hilarious business names out in the boonies: Back Door Cafe, Toot n’ Totum, High Plains Escort Service (for over-sized loads), and The Sugar Shack. We also saw our first snow-capped mountains. I couldn’t wait to get out into the majestic landscapes of the wilderness after we explored the mile high city. After just one night of sleeping on thin inflatable mattress pads, we were treated to the hospitality of our friend’s uncle who had wonderful bed to spare. Nothing will make you appreciate a good mattress more than a night or two on the ground. But, to me, sleeping on the ground is worth it when you’re surrounded by stunning scenery like Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison, our next two stops.


“I determined never to stop until I had come to the end and achieved my purpose.” David Livingstone
May 24, 1883 – Brooklyn Bridge, New York City: After 14 years, the Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic suspension bridge, opened connecting the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. At nearly 1,600 feet, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge. The structure’s twin towers were taller than any building in the world.
On this beautiful late May morning, thousands attended the dedication ceremony which was presided over by U.S. President Chester A. Arthur. In recognition of her contributions to the bridge project, New York City honored Emily Roebling by allowing her to be the first person to cross the bridge. She rode in a carriage and on her lap was a rooster, a symbol of victory. With tears in his eyes, Washington Roebling watched through his telescope from their home near the bridge as his wife made the inaugural trip.
Emily Warren was raised in Cold Springs, New York. She was educated at the Georgetown Visitation Convent in Washington, D.C., the nation’s second oldest girl’s school. In January 1865, she married Washington Roebling, a civil engineer and bridge builder. Washington’s father, John Roebling, was the most famous bridge builder in the country, having built suspension bridges in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Niagara Falls.
In 1869, New York City officials approved John Roebling’s long-time dream of building a suspension bridge across the East River. However, two weeks later John died of tetanus leaving 32-year-old Washington to replace his father as chief engineer on one of the most significant civil engineering projects of the 19th century.
Washington’s first challenge was to construct two massive towers, one on each side of the river, to string the hundreds of steel cables that would support the bridge. He built pneumatic caissons – large, air-locked, enclosed wooden chambers that allowed men to work underwater – to pour the tower foundations on the river bottom. Washington spent so much time down in the caissons that he developed compression sickness and by 1872, he was partially paralyzed and would remain bed-ridden for the rest of his life.
For Washington to continue his role as chief engineer, the Roeblings bought a house in Brooklyn Heights within walking distance of the bridge. With the aid of a telescope, Washington could watch bridge construction from his bedroom window.
Because of Washington’s confinement to the house, each night he wrote the next day’s construction plan, then each morning, and often several times a day, Emily walked to the bridge to cover the instructions with the crews. Washington began to tutor Emily in the fundamentals of suspension bridge engineering and construction. He taught her calculus, strength of materials, stress analysis, steel cable construction and all facets of project management.
Emily assumed most of Washington’s chief engineering duties. She kept detailed records and handled everything from the daily supervision of bridge activities to project management. In an era when many considered a woman’s brain incapable of understanding complex engineering principles, the thought of a woman being responsible for building the biggest bridge in the world was too ridiculous for some New Yorkers to contemplate. Newspapers frequently questioned Emily’s ability to manage such a massive undertaking.
Late in the project when bridge construction faced delays and cost overruns, there was a growing sentiment among New York public officials and city engineers to replace Washington Roebling as the chief engineer. Emily met with elected officials, passionately presented Washington’s case, and convinced them to allow him to finish the job.
The Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed in May 1883, a decade after its projected completion date and 14 years after the project started. An estimated 50,000 people attended the bridge dedication. Later that day, President Arthur attended a reception at the Roebling home to thank them for their tenacity and teamwork in completing John Roebling’s dream.
Today there is a small plaque at the base of the majestic bridge. It reads, “Dedicated to the memory of Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903) whose faith and courage helped her stricken husband, Washington Roebling, complete the construction of this bridge…back of every great work we can find the self-sacrificing devotion of a woman.”