text:
Home Archive Ryan Rhodes v Luca Messi
Ryan Rhodes v Luca Messi
Sheffield´s ever popular Ryan Rhodes returns to the ring this Friday after a seven month layoff when he defends his European light middleweight title against Italian veteran Luca Messi at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield.
The bout is this weeks featured contest on Sky Sport´s 'Live Friday Fight Night' and will be shown live from 10pm.
33 year old Rhodes (43-4, 29 ko´s) believes he is hitting the best form of his fifteen year career, and his most recent fight, last October´s thrilling seventh round knockout of European champion Jamie Moore – a contender for 2009 Domestic Fight of the Year – was testament to that.
That night Rhodes displayed the full spectrum of his abilities, smooth boxing, patience, durability, and when his chance arose, power punching and clinical finishing. Rhodes chin, once considered suspect, looked sound against the vicious punching Moore.
The victory fired Rhodes up the WBC rankings to 4th, yet surprisingly, Ryan has spent the last seven months since the Moore fight out of the ring. Now he´s back, in a bout promoted by Ricky Hatton, with whom Rhodes signed a promotional contract earlier this year.
At a news conference this week Ryan Rhodes spoke about the Moore fight, his layoff, and his hopes for the Messi bout and future fights.
"I really enjoyed the Jamie Moore fight." said Rhodes. "It was such a good fight, I enjoyed it so much despite it being one of the toughest fights of my career, that I wanted get straight back in the ring."
"Due to situations outside the ring that hasn't been the case but there is no point looking back and dwelling on it. We're seven months down the line and Ricky Hatton is promoting the fight. It's fantastic to have Ricky promoting me for this fight. He's been there, seen it and done it. I've got no reason to doubt that Ricky can in the future maybe get me a world title fight."
Rhodes spoke about his frustration during his seven month hiatus from the sport.
"I've been out of the ring too long now. Frustrating things behind the scenes. I want a world title shot. We'll wait to see what weight (WBC champion) Sergio Martinez stays at."
Argentinian Martinez currently holds both the the WBC light middleweight title and the WBC/WBA middleweight belts he won from Kelly Pavlik last month.
Rhodes continued;
"WBC number one Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is now at middleweight. Number two is Antonio Margarito, that astounds me – he should have been banned for life!" (for the alleged Plaster-of-Paris inserts discovered in his hand wraps prior to his loss to Shane Mosley.)
"Then there was the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron farce. I'm right up there. Number four with the WBC and IBF. And three in the Ring Magazine. I've never been in their ratings in my life! I must be one or two fights away from a world title shot."
35 year old Messi (36-7-1, 12 ko´s) is ranked 10th by the EBU and is a heavy 11/1 underdog, with Rhodes a massive 1/50 favorite (bet365), yet Ryan insists he isn't taking the Italian lightly;
"I am treating this as though it's my last contest. I haven't seen much of Messi, but what I have seen – he comes forward and fights like he can really punch. I'm looking at him as dangerous. I must be 100%. I can't look past Messi. I used to look past opponents – everyone said I was just like Naz (former three time world champion Naseem Hamed)."
Rhodes singled out one name in particular when speaking about those who had kept faith in him through the darker times.
"My trainer Dave Coldwell." said Rhodes. "He always knew my potential. Dave and my conditioner Mark Willey were at Brendan's (Brendan Ingle, legendary trainer of Naseem Hamed, Errol Graham, Johnny Nelson, Rhodes and others) all those years ago. I still talk to Johnny Nelson, Naz, Kevin Adamson, Clifton Mitchell, and am good mates with Kell Brook (undefeated British welterweight champion and WBO no.1 contender) – who I watched growing up in Wincobank."
Rhodes turned pro in 1995 aged just 18. Good looking, cocky and confident with an exciting boxer-puncher style that had pundits calling him the "new Naz", Rhodes was nicknamed 'Spice Boy' in reference to the Spice Girls who were dominating the music charts at the time.
After scoring sixteen straight wins, Rhodes was rushed into a title shot against the cagey Jamaican Otis Grant, the WBO middleweight champion. Rhodes lost a close, unanimous decision.
Rhodes thinks the younger version of himself would be surprised at his longevity in the ring.
"Back then I probably didn't think I'd still be fighting and on the verge of a world title at 33," said Rhodes. "I thought I would have already won my world titles by now, without a doubt. It was just the experience. My first world title shot came in my 17th fight, I'd won the British title in my 11th fight. Everything happened early for me; probably a little bit too early."
After the loss to Grant, Rhodes set about rebuilding his career, but suffered a shock two round knockout against Jason Mathews in July 1999. When Rhodes was stopped in three rounds by Lee Blundell in 2002, his career looked over.
But in one of the great comebacks in recent British boxing history, Rhodes has lost just once (a decision loss to Gary Lockett four years ago) in his last 19 fights, and has picked up the British light middleweight crown he first won eleven years earlier, plus the WBC International and European crowns, and is on the verge of a world title shot. Amazingly, Rhodes has still never been beaten at 154 lbs.
Looking back at his career, Rhodes has no regrets. Quite the opposite;
"I am in my prime now. Some are 26, 27 when they are at their prime but at 33 I'm in my prime now."
Standing in Rhodes route to a world title fight is the likable Luca Messi from Bergamo, Italy. A pro since 1998, Messi has won national titles at both welterweight and light middleweight.
In August 2005 he lost a decision to Mexican Alejandro Garcia in a WBA world light middleweight title fight. The following year he was knocked out in eleven rounds by fellow countryman Michele Piccirillo, himself a former IBF welterweight champion, in a European title fight.
Messi is unbeaten in his six fights since that loss, but to describe his opposition as moderate would be an understatement.
One of Messi´s cornermen on Friday will his brother Alessandro. Nothing particularly unusual about that, except Father Alessandro Messi is a priest in the Vatican.
"My brother is a priest and he's in the team, working my corner. For me it is wonderful, to have my brother and Jesus in my corner," said Messi.
"When I stand in the ring and look to my corner, for me it is good because I see my brother's eyes and through them, seek help from God."
He added: "If I win the title I will take it to show the Pope.
"I've given four belts to the Pope before, I stayed with him two years ago with Don King (yes, that Don King) and my brother at the Vatican. I gave a belt to him and a signed glove saying, 'Please, Pope, pray for all of the boxers in the world'."
Unless there is some divine intervention, Messi, with his straight ahead but light punching style, looks tailor-made for a sharpshooter like Rhodes. If Ryan were to come flying out of the blocks on Friday night, he could probably have Messi out by the third. But after a seven month layoff Rhodes might have a little ring rust, or may just wish to get a few rounds under his belt.
By the middle rounds Rhodes will be into his stride, and by the eighth Messi will be taking a beating.
Rhodes by TKO in eight.
Big Fight Odds; Ryan Rhodes 1/50, Luca Messi 11/1 bet365
Luca Messi
Ryan Rhodes
Previous articleKatsidis crushes Mitchell in three!
Next articleRhodes proves he´s world class!


Blogger Class Mates is now called Homeschool Memoirs.
My name is Lesley. I'm Robby's loving wife and proud mommy to 5 year old Gracie and 3week old Matthew. We live in West Virginia, where we were both born and raised. The towns may have changed, but the state has stayed the same. It's definitely Almost Heaven. I'm curious by nature. I'm moody. I love with all my heart, but hurt me and I'll forgive you but never forget. My family means everything to me. I'm a country girl and will never be anything else. Barefoot and pregnant is ok with me. I hate socks anyways. I can be girly girl...but I can also watch NASCAR and WVU football and cheer with the best of 'em. I watch my soaps and am not embarrased to admit it. I love to read and will read just about anything. I like to blog and read others. I can sew a little bit, it's something I enjoy but don't do enough of. Digital scrapbooking is another hobby.
This will be our first year homeschooling. There are a lot of reasons I wanted to...basically, I want to be able to control what she learns and when. Also, I love being with my daughter. She is one of the best things to have ever happened to me. Robby and I have a bit of a difference of opinion on homeschooling. He wants her to start school next year. He was ok with me holding her out but just for this year...he's worried she will miss out on cetain things. I understand his fears, heck, I wonder if what I'm doing is right. But I pray a lot and feel like this is right for us right now. What the futue holds no one knows.
Time with my children is what I love most about homeschooling! Have a great year.
Shane was a bit apprehensive at first too, but now he's right on board with me :) I know you will do great!
Thanks for stopping by! If I were to do kindergarten all over again, I would not buy a curriculum. I would do lots and lots of reading aloud, phonics, numbers and simple math with manipulatives ( things you already have like stuffed animals, dried beans, etc). I might do a nature journal for science too. Most importantly, don't sweat it! She'll learn and you'll love the time you have with her. Looking forward to hearing more about your year.
Nice to meet you. I am looking at the others who joined this meme... checkin' everybody out... lots of interesting people!
Hope you have a great new year( but I know that for many the first year seems like a huge task!) I started my older kids when they were already able to read and write... it's much easier to start homeschooling from day one!


Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor and producer who made his television debut as a child actor in 'Family Passions' (1993), and continued working in shows like ' Forever Knight'(1996), 'Goosebumps'(1997), 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' (1999) etc. until he had a starring role in 2000's TV series, 'Higher Grounds'.
He made his movie debut in the 1995 film 'In the Mouth of Madness' and made appearances in movies like 'The Virgin Suicides' (1999) and 'Free Fall' (1999), until he achieved major recognition in 2001 movie 'Life as a House'. He achieved nominations under Golden Globe Awards (Best Supporting Actor) and Screen Actors Guild Awards (Outstanding Performance) and won Best Breakthrough Performance under National Board of Review.
He achieved worldwide fame for playing Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).
His other successful movies include 'Shattered Glass' (2003), Jumper (2008), Awake (2007), 'New York, I love You' (2008), Takers (2010), Factory Girl (2006) etc.
His worst movies include 'Vanishing on the 7th Street' (2010), 'Outcast' (2014), '90 Minutes in Heaven' (2015) etc. Star Wars: Episode III is considered as his top grossing movie.


text:
17 Multi-Player iOS Games To Kill Boredom
Do you like to play games on your iOS device in your free time, or maybe in your not-so-free time? I'm sure we're all guilty of playing a game or two when we should be doing other things, like paying attention in class or working. I know I am, anyway.
You're probably already aware of the most popular multi-player games, especially the "With Friends" games such as: Words with Friends, Hanging with Friends, Scramble with Friends, Chess with Friends, etc. Because of that, I don't want to focus on the well-known multi-player games that everyone already knows and loves.
Instead, I want to point out some multi-player games that you may not have heard of, but are really fun to play. Whether playing games on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad is a guilty pleasure of yours, or just something you do to pass the time, you're sure to enjoy a few or all of these multi-player games.
Recommended Reading: 20 Retro Video Games You Can Play on iPhone
Pirates Life 2: The Lost Chapters
Create your own pirate and go head-to-head with up to 3 of your friends through Game Center. You'll have to take down ships and cities and play mini-games in order to earn gold pieces. You can then use your gold to repair or buy new ships, upgrade your weapons, buy accessories for your pirates, and more.[Free]
TraceWord
If you are a fan of word search puzzles, you'll love TraceWord. In this multi-player version of the classic word search game, you can play with up to 10 players at once. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from. The goal of the game is to find the words on the board before your opponents do. [Free]
Describe IT
Are you good at describing words? Are you good at guessing words? With Describe IT, you have to be good at both! You must use clues and your wit to describe words to your friends. The fewer clues you use and the faster you guess, the more coins you'll earn. You can then use coins to buy power-ups. You can challenge your friends via Facebook, username, or email, but you must upgrade in order to play multi-player games. [Free]
Skywords
Skywords is like your typical Scrabble or Words with Friends type game, but with a twist: you can stack letters on top of each other. The height of a stack will positively affect your score – the higher the stack, the higher your score. You can play online with your friends or random opponents. You can also play locally via pass and play, with up to 4 players. [Free; Upgrade: $1.99]
InstaMino
What do you get when you mix Instagram photos with Domino? You get InstaMino, a game that lets you play dominoes with popular Instagram photos by yourself, with a friend, or with anyone else (via Game Center). You can see all of your played domino tiles; no zooming or scrolling necessary. You can also swipe out your photo set and get new ones if you don't like the set given to you. [Free or Upgrade for $1.99]
Real Tic Tac Toe
Who doesn't love a good game of Tic Tac Toe? This game dates all the way back to the mid-1800′s and never seems to get old. With this version for the iPhone, you can play in one-player mode, two-player mode (via Bluetooth), or multi-player mode (via Game Center). In the free version you can play 3×3 and 4×4 boards; if you decide to upgrade, you can play 5×5 and 6×6 boards as well. [Free or Upgrade for $0.99]
Hangman Pro
It's a two-player game where you take turns guessing a word. Each time you miss a letter a piece is added to the stickman figure, and the first one to hang their stickman loses. In Hangman Pro, you can play in multi-player mode in real-time via Game Center. There are two difficulty levels to choose from: easy and hard. You can of course unlock achievements and view leaderboards through Game Center as well. [Free; Upgrade for $0.99]
W.E.L.D.E.R. Wars
W.E.L.D.E.R. is one of my personal favorites. It's a unique word game in which you have to weld letters together in order to create words. You will need to use power-ups, multiplier tiles, and clever combos in order to score higher than your opponents. Play against your friends in Game Center or even random opponents; you can even invite your friends from Facebook and Twitter to play. [Free or Upgrade for $2.99]
Reversi 3D
Reversi is a well-known board strategy game, where you must have more pawns on the board than your opponent. In this turn-based game there are 3 difficulty levels, and you can play with friends or random opponents. If you're just learning, there's an in-game tutorial that you can follow; it will help you to improve your skills so that you can eventually master the game. [Free; Upgrade for $0.99]
Road Warrior Racing
Road Warrior is a combat racing game with impressive graphics. You get to race against friends and other online players, while destroying them with your guns. The more victories you achieve, the closer you get to being able to race against bosses. When you race against and beat a boss, you'll earn a new car. So it's a constant cycle of racing and winning, all while unlocking badges and more. [Free]
Slingshot Trials
If you love racing games, you'll love Slingshot Trials. It gives you a taste of the full version, Slingshot Racing, with 8 free action-packed levels. You'll have to use your "grappling hook to slingshot around corners." You can use a jump or speed boost to maneuver many obstacles. You can also play with up to 4 players at once, which makes it great fun for the entire family. [Free; Upgrade for $0.99]
Burn the Ants
Burn the Ants is sure to give you a laugh or two as you play, just look at the poor little ants running as you burn them! Basically, you get to compete in an ant-killing contest with your friends or other players from around the world. You get to use multiple weapons like fire, ice, electricity, lasers and ninja stars. You can also unlock achievements and view leaderboards in the Game Center [Free]
Disc Drivin' Free
Disc Drivin' is a turn-based racing game that uses 3D physics. You can race against your friends and use special powers (like boosts, bombs and oil slicks) to avoid hazards. You will be driving an actual "disc," which you can customize as you'd like. Play with up to 4 players online or locally with up to 8 players, using pass and play. [Free; Upgrade for $1.99]
Dooms Knight Lite
If you can get past the creepy app icon, you'll love Dooms Knight. In this doom-themed game you'll travel to Mars where you'll go through 36 levels of demonic enemies. You must protect yourself using your fists, pistols, shotguns, saws and more. Cooperate with friends in the multi-player mode – two heads are better than one. Dooms Knight may not have the best graphics, but the creativity is definitely there. [Free; Upgrade for $0.99]
Apollo Ape
Apollo Ape is a cute little game about flying monkeys! You launch monkeys into space by swinging on vines. Time your swings to gain momentum or rocket boosts to make your monkey go higher. Battle friends to see who the real monkey flying master is. [Free; Upgrade for $0.99]
Multi 5 Pack
Multi 5 Pack provides you with not 1 but 5 multi-player games: Space shooter, Pong, Tanks with Destructible Terrain, Football, and Arkanoid. They're all simple little games with mediocre graphics, but they're also great for passing time. [$0.99]
Monster Mutt Rescue
In this game you get to "rescue a rare Monster Mutt by raising and training your very own Mutt from a baby to an adult." Make sure to nurture and play with your Mutt; you can even design its room and make it unique. As it grows and reaches multiple age levels, you'll unlock more games to play. You can also play multi-player games online with friends and other players, and help them care for their Mutts. [Free]
What is your favorite multi-player game for iOS?
10 (More) Retro Video Games You Can Play On iPhone
25 Top ipad-Exclusive HD Games
Christmas Themed Games For iOS And Android
Multiplayer Gaming on Smartphone With Chrome Super Sync
via hongkiat.com http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/35261/f/656072/s/2b05d12a/l/0L0Shongkiat0N0Cblog0Cmultiplayer0Eios0Egames0C/story01.htm

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
AACSB Announces Collective Vision for the Future of Business Education
The vision highlights five key opportunities for business schools to add value, create market differentiation, and better serve society globally
TAMPA, Florida, April 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — AACSB International (AACSB), the largest global business education network, announced today an industry-wide vision for the future of business education that identifies five forward-looking opportunities for business schools to serve as key drivers of change. Unveiled at ICAM 2016 on the occasion of AACSB's Centennial Anniversary, the vision serves as a guiding framework for business schools, as they adapt to the significant shifts within the higher education landscape, and reimagine their purpose in society.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160331/350107
"Business education has changed dramatically in the past decade, and schools are facing increasing pressure to drive positive economic and social impact," said Santiago Iniguez de Onzono, chair of AACSB's Committee on Issues in Management Education, chair-elect of the AACSB Board, and dean of IE Business School. "Currently many business schools across the globe are already rising to the challenge. By identifying a clearer path forward, the collective vision helps to accelerate the transformation already underway, while becoming a key resource for business schools as they innovate and contribute to society in a more meaningful way."
Captured in the newly-released report "A Collective Vision for Business Education," the vision identifies five specific roles that business schools are well-positioned to fulfill, including:
Catalysts for Innovation: Entrepreneurship and management innovation will drive new business creation and economic development in the future. With their multi-disciplinary approaches, networks, and the power to convene across sectors, business schools possess significant assets for taking a leading role in fostering innovation in society.
Co-Creators of Knowledge: Today's business, economic, and social landscapes face complex and multidisciplinary questions. New insights will emerge, with business schools firmly positioned at the intersection of industry and practice, as conveners and partners in knowledge creation.
Hubs of Lifelong Learning: Business schools have the potential to contribute to learning opportunities for a wide variety of individuals, at different points in their career life cycles. By connecting expertise and experiences, business schools will broaden the possibilities for learning and knowledge exchange.
Leaders on Leadership: Aspiring leaders of all kinds will benefit from better science behind leadership development. With experience in executive education, domain knowledge, and their industry connections, business schools can discover new insights into effective leadership, and create environments that train and nurture leaders.
Enablers of Global Prosperity: Business is now expected to be an active participant in addressing broad societal goals and social challenges. Business schools must continue to lead in the development of insights about effective, ethical organizations, while encouraging students to use management skills for the greater good.
The announcement is the culmination of a multi-year process which involved the collective ideation of thousands of stakeholders across the business and management education communities, including AACSB's membership of over 1,500 business schools in 91 countries and territories. Rather than describing a single direction or prescribing an ideal model, the vision acknowledges diversity across education institutions and encourages schools to adopt varying approaches in support of each school's unique mission and value proposition.
"The introduction of the new vision at ICAM 2016 signals a renewed focus to enhance the role of business education in society, and empower business schools to move deeply, strategically, and successfully toward new possibilities," said Thomas R. Robinson, president and CEO of AACSB. "We look forward to schools embracing this new framework, evolving with, and learning from one another. This collective vision is not the end, it's only the beginning step for business schools—and ultimately business—to serve as a force for good."
AACSB, in collaboration with the broader business education industry, now shifts its attention to helping to accelerate progress. When acknowledged and embraced, the five opportunities will transcend the many cultural, political, economic, and financial contexts in which business schools serve. They will enable and allow the diversity of mindset needed to push the boundaries of the traditional definition of business schools—resulting in unique strategies that will set a new standard of business education.
For more information, visit www.AACSB.edu/vision.
About AACSB International
As the world's largest business education network connecting academe with business, AACSB provides business education intelligence, quality assurance, and professional development services to more 1,500 member organizations across 91 countries and territories. Founded in 1916, AACSB Accreditation is the highest standard of quality in business education, with over 755 business schools accredited worldwide. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA; its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore; and its Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.aacsb.edu
« مؤسسة أيه أيه سي أس بي تعلن عن رؤياها الجماعية لمستقبل تعليم إدارة الأعمال
Danish Supreme Court sides with delayed passengers »


text:
Le Seyon est une rivière de Suisse, située entièrement dans le canton de Neuchâtel. Ses principales sources ont été captées au  pour alimenter les réseaux d'eau. Ainsi, en période d'étiage, le cours supérieur du Seyon est alimenté uniquement par les eaux rejetées par la station d'épuration. Plusieurs affluents s'ajoutent au débit en aval de la station. La qualité de la vie dans la rivière en est d'ailleurs étroitement liée et totalement dépendante.

Les stations d'épuration des villages de Coffrane, Boudevilliers et Valangin, qui rejetaient leurs eaux traitées dans le Seyon ou ses affluents ont été mises hors service en 2010. Une nouvelle canalisation achemine les eaux usées à la station de Neuchâtel.

Parcours
Il coule sur environ . Il trouve sa source au-dessus de Villiers, avec un débit de 300 à  par minute. Son bassin de  est formé des eaux superficielles du Val-de-Ruz, il est superposé au bassin versant de la Serrière qui couvre la quasi-totalité de la région Val-de-Ruz. À partir de la commune de Valangin, il creuse une vallée étroite et encaissée appelée les gorges du Seyon sur environ quatre kilomètres avant de rejoindre la ville de Neuchâtel. Son débit au sortir des gorges est extrêmement variable (dans un rapport de 1 à 500).

Histoire

Le Seyon coulait originellement dans la ville de Neuchâtel, jusqu'aux travaux de détournement de 1843. Une rue de Neuchâtel porte son nom, là où passait le Seyon, la rivière servant également d'égout à ciel ouvert. En 1579, une crue du Seyon détruit trente maisons dont l'Hôtel de Ville, une vingtaine de personnes sont noyées. Les habitants de Neuchâtel ont pour habitude de citer le Seyon avec l'expression : «  Potent le seyon !  ».

Références

3Seyon
Cours d'eau dans le canton de Neuchâtel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Medieval History Forbidden Fruit: Male-Female Relations in the Medieval Cloister
Forbidden Fruit: Male-Female Relations in the Medieval Cloister
Medieval monks and nuns lived by rules that demanded three vows: chastity, obedience and poverty. Problems arose with all three at times, and oft repeated regulations about careful segregation of the sexes, and even of youth and adults of the same sex within monasteries tell us that curbing physical desire was a challenge for many. Nuns were seen as particularly vulnerable, yet because religious women could not perform the sacraments (like mass and confession) for themselves, at least one ordained priest and often other men were required to serve female communities. The role of such men was to provide spiritual, sometimes intellectual guidance: to touch the souls and minds of their charges, but never their bodies. In many instances, this worked just as monastic superiors would have it, but a union of loftier ideals could lead to more worldly pleasures.
Goscelin of Saint-Bertin (c.1040-1114) and Eve of Wilton (c.1058-1120)
Goscelin, a monk from the French monastery of Saint-Bertin, was among the most learned and gifted writers of his time. Eve was a novice and nun of Wilton, a centre of women's learning where Goscelin served as both chaplain and author. Goscelin also appears to have been Eve's tutor, likely hired by her noble parents when she was still a child, and the affection with which he writes to her in the long autobiographical letter he called the Comforting Book is palpable. He tells of their long connection through books, church ceremonies, reciprocal acts of kindness, and mutual pleasure in each other's company, but he also mourns their separation.
It seems that Eve decided to leave England and become a recluse on the continent–chose, that is, a more rigorous ascetic life that would have delighted many spiritual guides–and departed without consulting or saying farewell to Goscelin. In the early parts of the Book he expresses his shock and grief in terms so heartfelt that they are suggestive even in the context of heightened emotions characteristic of contemporary documents of spiritual friendship. Although there is nothing in what he writes that certainly indicates a sexual dimension to their relationship, many readers have detected hints of such intimacy and its dangers in both his language and Eve's unannounced retreat.
Goscelin does come around as he writes, however, reassuming the role of spiritual guide and advising Eve on the reclusive life, but he also makes absolutely clear that peace of mind for him comes only via a conversion of their love. One of the primary comforts enacted by the allusive style of his Book is the transformation of their physical connection into a deeper and more permanent spiritual union in which their "two souls" will be rebuilt as "one."
James Grenehalgh (c.1465/70-1530 ) and Joanna Sewell (professed 1500; died 1532)
Making one of two is an ideal James Grenehalgh, a monk of the Sheen charterhouse, realized in his own bookish way in his dealings with the Syon nun Joanna Sewell. Grenehalgh was among the Carthusian order's professional bookmakers, specializing in the correction and conformity of Latin and English texts. Through Grenehalgh's more personal annotations we learn of his relationship with Sewell. In his early printed copy of the Scale of Perfection, for instance, we find notes that guide Sewell's reading, suggesting that Grenehalgh acted as her teacher and shared with her this book on the contemplative life.
These notes are often marked by Sewell's monogram "J.S.," as is an inscription in Grenehalgh's hand recording both her ownership of the volume and the date of her monastic profession. It is remarkable that Grenehalgh gave away such a precious tool of his trade–a book in which he recorded more corrections and variant readings than in any other surviving copy of the text. Even more exceptional is the way in which he intertwines his own initials with hers to form a shared "J.G.S." monogram that unifies the two of them in a thoroughly scribal fashion.
Such signs of special affection for Sewell may explain why Grenehalgh was removed from his charterhouse near Syon in 1507 or 1508 and never allowed to return there. Perhaps it was their separation that led him to describe Sewell in one manuscript as a "recluse at Syon," or perhaps it was her new circumstances. Syon nuns were not recluses, but failures of chastity could be punished by imprisonment, and choosing a solitary life within the convent may have sufficed.
Especially poignant is another of Grenehalgh's notes in the same manuscript. "Forsake Sewell" it reads in such faint script that it seems an imperative its author was unwilling to acknowledge. It is a comment for a select audience, like some of the notes in the Scale he gave her that are positioned, sized and abbreviated so that only the most attentive of readers would notice them. One of these reports meeting "in the flesh" and was almost certainly written for Sewell's eyes alone, revealing another role this book of the spiritual life may have played in the more physical existence of its two owners.
The Famous French Lovers, Abelard (1079-1142) and Heloise (c.1090/1100-1163/64)
With Abelard, a promising master at Paris' university, and Heloise, the brilliant and learned young woman he tutored, their sexual relationship and its painful consequences became public knowledge. Chastity was expected of both a schoolmaster and an unmarried woman, but Abelard's History of Calamities records the dangerous freedom they enjoyed under the rubric of education in the house of Heloise's uncle. He also tells of their enthusiasm, confessing that they "left no stage of love untried."
They did try to keep their affair a secret, but Heloise grew pregnant and had to be whisked away to Abelard's family until their son Astrolabe was born. By Abelard's report, Heloise's uncle was enraged by her abduction, yet agreed to their marrying, even in secret as Abelard requested to protect his career. He did not keep the secret, however, and when relations between the three disintegrated, Abelard disguised Heloise in monastic robes and hid her at a convent. Her uncle misinterpreted his intentions and retaliated by hiring men to castrate Abelard in his sleep.
He survived, but as a changed man. He decided to take monastic vows and insisted that Heloise do the same. She complied, but admitted in a later letter that love for him, not religious conviction, led her to the cloister. It is only one of the ways in which her opinions differed from his. She also resisted the secret marriage, knowing that her uncle would not be so easily appeased, and years later she still refused to accept Abelard's understanding of the mutilation as "a stroke of justice" in one body that initiated "the healing of two souls."
Instead she frankly admits both to feelings of resentment toward a divinity who would punish them unjustly once they were married, and continuing desire for the physical pleasures she remembers with delight. Rather than the "crown" of salvation Abelard would win for her, Heloise is aware of her hypocrisy as a successful abbess, and happy to settle for any "corner of heaven." As the only one among these three women whose own voice we hear, Heloise provides us with a medieval perspective on human love and sexuality very different from that of her male partner. Not the fruit she might have imagined perhaps, but sweet upon the tongue all the same.
Hollis, Stephanie, ed. 2004. Writing the Wilton Women: Goscelin's Legend of Edith and Liber confortatorius. Turnhout.
Levitan, William, ed. 2007. Abelard and Heloise: the Letters and Other Writings. Indianapolis.
Olson, Linda. 2011. "'Swete Cordyall' of 'Lytterature': Some Middle English Manuscripts from the Cloister." In Opening Up Middle English Manuscript Studies: Literary and Visual Approaches, ed. Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, Linda Olson and Maidie Hilmo, Ch.6. New York.
The Battle of Fulford, Near York, 20 Sep 1066
Charlemagne: His Empire and Modern Europe
The Peoples of Britain: The Vikings of Scandinavia
The Avignon Papacy: Babylonian Captivity of the Church 1309 – 1377
The Destruction of the Knights Templar: The Guilty French King and the Scapegoat Pope
Food in Medieval Times: What People Ate in the Middle Ages


text:
Paracorallium japonicum är en korallart som först beskrevs av Kishinouyi 1903.  Paracorallium japonicum ingår i släktet Paracorallium och familjen Coralliidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Externa länkar

Koralldjur
japonicum


INTERESTING: And segregation was designed in?
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, once home to 75,000, went up fast and under the radar. But it was built to last, too.
At least for some. While white employees lived in relatively cushy digs, their black counterparts were more likely to be placed in structures known as "hutments," little more than plywood frames without indoor plumbing. "Segregation was actually designed in from the start," Moeller says.
How evil are the politicians and bureaucrats that did this?
I find that it was (a) designed in from the start; and (b) that people accepted it as fait accompli.
Of course, it wouldn't happen today, but what evil was in these men's hearts from the get go.
Is everything that Gooferment does inherently "evil" and "flawed"?
TINFOILHAT: Did the Alcatraz escapees make it?
Alcatraz officials have long stated that the men drowned, maintaining the prison's bragging rights of no escapees. But now, more than 50 years later, new leads are being presented by the Anglin family, who are cooperating with authorities for the first time.
They claim that not only did the brothers survive the escape, they were alive and well up through at least the mid-1970s — and may still be alive today.
The evidence is offered up by the Anglins' nephews David, 48, and Ken Widner, 54, who are featured in "Alcatraz: Search for the Truth," a History Channel special airing Monday. The evidence has pumped life into the cold case, and has investigators lining up new interviews and planning to search South America for signs of America's most notorious escapees.
And, why would we believe the "Alcatraz officials"?
Like with murder cases, it's very hard to convict without a body.
And, from time to time, we hear of folks who have disappeared completely.
Personally, without proof, all we have is assertions and presumptions.
MONEY: What is the value of a fiat currency?
Are Fiat Currencies Headed for a Collapse?
"It's already happening, you're beginning to see that trend with central banks stocking up on gold. The estimate is that at least half of the buying is central bank buying. They are looking to the day when they can say okay, our currency is backed by gold and therefore we're a strong country," Mobius told CNBC Asia.
All one has to do is study a little history and you have to be afraid.
Weimar Republic, Zimbabwe, Iraq — come immediately to mind.
We've been the guinea pigs in a hundred year experiment in a fiat currency. Now the free ride is coming to an end.
The fun question is how does it unwind?
Does the Carter-style inflation return? Or does it just start to accellerate, continue, and never stops until the value is zero?
When the wild ride starts, it's too late to covert to hard assets.


text:
James Garfield Stewart (November 17, 1880 – April 3, 1959) was an American Republican politician from Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as mayor of Cincinnati from 1938 to 1947 and then as justice on the Ohio Supreme Court from 1947 to 1959. Stewart's son Potter (1915 - 1985) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  Another son, Zeph Stewart, was the master of Lowell House and head of the Classics department at Harvard.  His daughter was Irene Potter Stewart Taylor, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Life and career
Stewart was born in Springfield, Ohio, the son of Mary Emily (Durbin) and James Eli Stewart, and graduated from Kenyon College in 1902. He graduated from Cincinnati Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1905. He opened a private practice in Springfield for three years before joining Hugh L. Nichols' firm in Cincinnati in 1908. He was elected to City Council in 1934, and was Mayor 1938-1947.

March 5, 1947, Governor Thomas J. Herbert nominated Stewart to the seat on the Ohio Supreme Court vacated by the resignation of Charles S. Bell. He was re-elected in 1948, 1952 and 1958. He died  April 3, 1959 after giving a speech in Kentucky. His funeral was at Christ Church in Cincinnati, with burial in Springfield.

Stewart and Harriet L. Potter were married in 1911, and later divorced.

References

External links

Mayors of Cincinnati
Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court
1880 births
1959 deaths
Kenyon College alumni
University of Cincinnati College of Law alumni
Politicians from Springfield, Ohio
Ohio Republicans
20th-century American judges


text:
Q: Apache redirect strange behavior I have two websites, an old one and a new one. I have set up redirects in the old site to point to pages on the new site. However, I'm seeing some strange behavior on some of the redirects.
E.g. I have the following redirect in the .htaccess on the old site:
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On

    Redirect 301 /car-finance/car-loan-comparison http://www.newsite.com/car-finance/car-finance-comparison
 </IfModule>

When I go to the old site to /car-finance/car-loan-comparison I'm being redirect to the new site on the path /car-finance/car-loan-comparison resulting in a 404.
For some reason the old path is applied to the domain in the redirect instead of the redirected path.
This is what I have in the .htaccess of my newsite:
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On

    RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^newsite\.com$ [NC]
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.newsite.com/$1 [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

Any ideas much appreciated,

A: Use the rewrite logging option to get some detailed output of what it is doing; you'll be able to see where the problem is, and mostly likely exactly why it is happening:
Add these to your rewrite config:
RewriteLog "/tmp/rewrite.log"
RewriteLogLevel 9

Don't forget to disable it afterwards or you'll chew up your disk space and reduce performance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
US Ambassador visits Pacific Institute of Education in Manukau
author:Best Pacific
Press Release ? BEST Pacific Education
The inaugural visit by US Ambassador, David Huebner to the Best Pacific Institute of Education campus in Manukau is further endorsement of the great work the organisation is doing in tertiary education for Pasifika communities.
Ambassador Huebner met with students from the business school and Youth Academy and the organisation?s staff team. He spoke with several of the employment and career consultants at the campus who have made outstanding strides in placing 70.4% students in to jobs in 2011 at the completion of their studies.
BEST is the number one provider of tertiary education to Pacific people in New Zealand (Tertiary Education Commission) and operates over five campuses around Auckland.
A focus of Ambassador Huebner?s mission in New Zealand is to connect with Pasifika communities. His visit to the Manukau campus was very much aligned with that goal.
?Diplomacy in the 21st century is as much about building connections between people as between governments. One of my priorities is to focus our public diplomacy efforts on links with New Zealand?s Pasifika communities ? and in particular Pasifika youth ? because the youth of today are the problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders of tomorrow.


text:
'People Go Hunting Like They Go Shopping': Russia Sees Poaching Spike During Virus Lockdown
Dmitry Gorshkov, the head of WWF Russia's biodiversity program, linked the increase in poaching with people's desire to "rely on themselves" during the health crisis. Yury Smityuk / TASS
Russia is seeing a surge in illegal hunting as the country has entered coronavirus lockdown, the global conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Russia said Tuesday.
WWF Russia experts said they saw the increase while comparing recent data on poaching activity with the same period last year, particularly in the Far East, the Murmansk region and the Altai region.
Moscow's Air Pollution Drops As Coronavirus Lockdown Sets In
"People are now going hunting like they go shopping, and they shoot almost every animal that they encounter on their way," a spokesperson for WWF Russia told The Moscow Times.
In the Primorye region alone, Russian authorities registered 144 cases of illegal hunting from March 31-April 6, a more than threefold increase from March 16-30, WWF Russia said.
Dmitry Gorshkov, the head of WWF Russia's biodiversity program, linked the increase in poaching with people's desire to "rely on themselves" during the health crisis.
"In times of shock, people prefer to rely on themselves and feel independent, stockpiling salt and matches but also stockpiling meat, fish and wood for emergencies," Gorshkov said in Tuesday's statement.
Gorshkov added that it's challenging for those living in Russia's hinterland to follow the imposed self-isolation rules due to the warming weather as well as the start of the hunting season.
"It is extremely difficult to stay within four walls in the spring," he said. "Many people, especially in remote areas where the self-isolation order is not as strict as it is in large cities, go to rivers, to the mountains or to the forest. In addition, many were already preparing for the start of spring hunting, and the restrictions did not stop them."
The group said that environmental protection authorities have ramped up their activities and increased the number of anti-poaching raids in certain regions.
"Nature does not sit in quarantine, and the people who guard it are working at full capacity to restrain the onslaught," Gorshkov said.
Read more about: Coronavirus , Environment
renewed outbreak
Moscow Mayor: Return to Full Lockdown 'Impossible'
"The optimal strategy is to find a middle way between closing the city and completely abandoning restrictive measures," the mayor said.
Russia's New Coronavirus Cases Cross 14K in New One-Day Record
Wednesday's increase is the first time that Russia has confirmed more than 14,000 infections in a single day.
permission to pollute
Russian Businesses Ask for Environmental Regulation Reprieve Amid Pandemic – Kommersant
Experts warn that relaxing the regulations "risks people's health and lives."
Concentrations of pollutants in the air fell almost instantly after the city's self-isolation order entered into force.


text:
TRANS RESEARCH
What we know and don't know about gender dysphoria
Aspergers/Autism
Children with Aspergers/Autism
Teens with Aspergers/Autism
Adults with Aspergers/Autism
Trans kids and teens
Are the numbers increasing?
Genes and Twins
Phantoms and Body Maps
Study Review
Frequency and Demographics
Quotes and History
Tag Archives: hemispheric asymmetry
Sex Dimorphism of the Brain in Male-to-Female Transsexuals – Review
This study found that trans women (born male) had brains like men's, at least in terms of gray and white matter volumes and hemispheric asymmetry.
In a few areas, trans women's brains were different from both men's and women's brains.
The authors suggest that the differences they found between trans women and cis people's brains are related to body perception.
They conclude:
"The present data do not support the notion that brains of MtF-TR are feminized. The observed changes in MtF-TR bring attention to the networks inferred in processing of body perception."
The study only looked at trans women who were attracted to women. This is both a strength and a limitation of the study.
It is a strength because it avoids confusion between gender identity and sexual orientation. Many recent studies have compared trans women attracted to men to men attracted to women; if you find a difference between the two groups, you can't be sure if it is due to sexual orientation or gender identity.
This study, however, compared trans women attracted to women with men attracted to women and women attracted to men.
This is also a limitation because it is extremely unrepresentative of trans women. About half of trans women are attracted to men, much more than in the general population. If we want to understand how gender dysphoria works, we need to look at both groups of trans women.
A study looking at just trans women attracted to women was necessary, but clearly we need some follow-up research. Is this result true for trans women who are attracted to men? How do these results compare to cis gay men's brains?
You can stop here if you want. You now know the main result of the study.
On to the specifics of the study. What exactly did they find?
Ways trans women's brains were like men's brains
1. Total brain tissue volume was smaller in heterosexual women (HeW) than in heterosexual men (HeM) and gyenephillic male to female transsexuals (MtF-TR).*
(Gyenephillic=attracted to women.)
2. Total intracranial volume was smaller in HeW than in HeM or MtF-TR. There was no difference between the groups in total white matter volume or total gray matter volume when you took into account the total intracranial volume.
3. HeM had a larger gray matter volume than HeW in the lingual gyrus, the cerebellum, right putamen, and left amygdala and perirhinal cortex. HeW had larger gray matter and white matter volumes in the precentral gyrus.
None of these differences were reproduced when comparing HeM to MtF-TR.
4. HeW had larger hippocampi compared to both HeM and MtF-TR, mostly due to the left hippocampus. There was no difference between HeM and MtF-TR.
5. HeM and MtF-TR had rightward assymetries in the brain; HeW did not. Specifically:
a. the volume of the right hemisphere was larger than the left for HeM and MtF-TR, but not for HeW;
b. the volume of the thalamus was significantly larger in the right hemisphere for HeM and MtF-TR, but not for HeW – however, there was no significant differences in the groups' assymetry indices (volume of right side/volume of left side).
c. the volume of the hippocampus was significantly larger in the right hemisphere for HeM, but not for HeW. The volume was also larger for MtF-TR, but this was not statistically significant – although the p-value was 0.065, so it was close. However, the differences in assymetry indices between MtF-TR and HeW and between HeM and HeW were significant.
Ways trans women's brains were different from cis people's brains
1. MtF-TR had larger gray matter volumes than either HeM or HeW in the "right temporo-parietal junction (around the angular gyrus and in the posterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus)**, and right inferior frontal and insular cortex."
2. MtF-TR had a smaller gray matter volume than either HeM or HeW in the thalamus.
3. MtF-TR had smaller thalamuses and putamens than either HeM or HeW; this was a measurement of the regional structural volume. There was no difference between HeM or HeW.
Areas where they found no differences between the groups
1. There were no group differences in the caudate volume.
2. There was no assymtery in the caudate or putamen.
First, it does look like the authors are right; the trans women's brains were more like men's than women's. It is possible that trans women's brains are like women's brains in some other way than the ones the authors looked at. Nevertheless, the similarities to men's brains found in this study are fairly large.
What is perhaps, more interesting, is the ways that the trans women's brains were different from cis people's brains, whether they were male or female.
The authors of the study point out that these are new findings and they need to be confirmed with larger studies. "Any interpretation must, therefore, proceed cautiously and can at this point only be highly speculative."
The authors go on to suggest that their findings might be related to own body perception. As they point out, one of the main symptoms of gender dysphoria is discomfort with your own body. Some studies suggest that the areas of the brain where trans women were different from cis men and women could be part of a network involved in own body perception.
Of course, as in other studies, the parts of the brain involved in this study have multiple functions. For example, the angular gyrus is also involved in language, math, and memory retrieval. So we can't be sure exactly what it means that trans women have a larger volume of gray matter in those areas.
On the other hand, people with gender dysphoria don't have problems with language and math, they have problems with dysphoria about their bodies.
More surprisingly, the authors of this study suggest that people with gender dysphoria may have changed their brains by constantly thinking about their bodies. This is possible, but it seems more likely to me that the problem starts with something in the brain causing people to feel uncomfortable with their bodies.
Here is the author's argument from their conclusion:
"There is no evidence that this feeling [gender dysphoria] is caused by a general sensory deficit in transsexual persons…Several studies propose that own body perception involves networks in the temporo-parietal, inferior parietal cortex, the inferior frontal, and insular cortex, and their connections with the putamen and thalamus. Thus, theoretically, the experience of dissociation of the self from the body may be a result of failure to integrate complex somatosensory and memory processes executed by these networks.
Such disintegration accords with the present findings and could, perhaps, explain recent observation of poorer parietal cortex activation during a spatial orientation task in MtF-TR compared with male controls.
However, it is difficult to explain how such disintergration can be linked to a dysphoria restricted to the own body's sex characteristics.
Moreover, even if a link exists, it is uncertain whether the here observed morphometric features in transsexual patients underpin their gender identity or are a consequence of being transsexual.
One highly speculative thought is that the enlargement of the GM volume in the insular and inferior frontal cortex and the superior temporal-angular gyrus could derive from a constant rumination about the own body. Brain tissue enlargement has been detected in response to training, and GM enlargement of the insular cortex has been reported in response to meditation, which involves mental focusing on the own body."
The authors also point out that it might be that something else is causing both gender dysphoria and changes in neuroanatomy.
They stress that we can't directly connect changes in gray matter volume to effects on the person.
They point out that they did not look at the hypothalamus, so their findings do not contradict earlier studies of it.
Finally, they call for more research, including research which compares trans women attracted to men to trans women attracted to women, and trans women attracted to men to cis gay men. (Yay!)
"Furthermore, they [the results] were generated exclusively from investigations of nonhomosexual, gynephillic MtF-TR. The issue of possible cerebral difference between gynephillic and androphillic (homosexual) MtF-TR and also between androphillic MtF-TR and homosexual healthy men is of special interest and needs to be addressed separately in future studies. Additional studies of the relationship between brain structure and function in transsexual persons and also extending the material to female to male transsexuals are necessary to more precisely interpret the present observations."
The bottom line: we need more studies confirming these results. Is there a link between gender dysphoria and the network involved in own body perception? If so, which is the cause and which is the effect? Do these results hold true for trans women who are attracted to men? What about trans men?
There were two results the study did not discuss. It may not mean anything, but I think it is worth mentioning.
1. The volume of the amygdala was larger in HeM than HeF; this fits with other studies of sex differences in the brain. For MtF-TR, their amygdalas seems to have been neither bigger nor smaller than males or females. (Table 3)
2. The subcallosum (BA 24, 32) was larger in HeF than HeM. This fits with a study the authors cite showing that women have larger anterior cingulate gyri – the anterior cingulate cortex includes Brodmann Areas 24 and 32. This area seems to have been neither larger nor smaller in MtF-TR.
According to the authors: "Although sex differences have been described also in the amygdala and cingulate gyrus, these structures were not included in the analysis because the identification of anatomical landmarks in these regions is less reliable, especially when using a 1.5-T scanner."
In other words, they think there could have been an error in the results. Either there was no sex difference in those areas, or they failed to detect differences between trans and cis women in those areas.
Another possibility is that trans women and cis women were not different in those areas because trans women's volumes were intermediate between cis men's and cis women's.
If this is so, there are many possible explanations. It might have something to do with sex hormones, although it is hard to see why trans women's brains would have developed like cis men's in most parts of the brain if they weren't exposed to sex hormones. You would have to assume that there was something different about how their amygdala and cingulate gyrus responded to sex hormones.
Another possibility is that trans women's amygdalas were as large as men's amygdalas, but something made them shrink.
Studies have linked a smaller amygdala to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, PTSD, sociopathy, and early life stress (abuse, neglect, or poverty). [Click through to see the studies.]
Trans people have higher rates of anxiety than other groups, but this study excluded people with any psychiatric disorders.
Trans people also suffer higher rates of abuse and trauma than most people which might have affected their amygdalas.
A final, hypothetical possibility might be that gender dysphoria is in some way related to OCD.
In the case of the cingulate gyrus, we would have to assume that something happened to trans women's brains to make the volume of their cingulate gyrus increase to be intermediate between cis women and cis men. This is harder to understand, since OCD, anorexia, and body dysmorphic disorder are all correlated with decreases in the size of the anterior cingulate cortex.
However, there is one study suggesting that a large right anterior cingulate "is related to a temperamental disposition to fear and anticipatory worry." No doubt the experience of being transgender in our society causes people to worry and feel fear; perhaps this changes the brain. Alternatively, it might be that a tendency to worry is somehow linked to developing gender dysphoria.
Original Study:
Sex Dimorphism of the Brain in Male-to-Female Transsexuals by Savic I, Arver S. in Cereb Cortex. 2011 Nov;21(11):2525-33.
A few fun facts:
You can induce out-of-body experiences by stimulating either the temporo-parietal junction or the angular gyrus. (Read more here and here).
The right temporo-parietal junction is also involved in thinking about thoughts. It, or an area close to it, is involved in directing your attention. (Read more here and here.)
The superior temporal gyrus is involved in recognizing your own face, identifying emotions in other people's faces, and social cognition.
Information about the self may be processed in the right hemisphere; however, not everyone agrees on this theory. (Read more here.)
Increased volume in the left inferior frontal gyrus and right amygdala are associated with worse symptoms in body dysmorphic disorder. The trans women in this study had increased volumes in the right inferior frontal gyrus only. This does, however, suggest that these areas of the brain are important to perceptions of the body. (Read more here.)
*I am using the language of the study now.
** The original text refers to the superior temporal gurus. A cool idea, but probably a typo.
This entry was posted in Brain Sex, Study Review and tagged amygdala, angular gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, anxiety, body perception, brain sex, brain volume, cerebellum, early life stress, gray matter, gynephillic, hemispheric asymmetry, hippocampus, inferior frontal cortex, insular cortex, intracranial volume, lingual gyrus, OCD, perirhinal cortex, precentral gyrus, PTSD, putamen, study review, superior temporal gyrus, Sweden, temporo-parietal junction, thalamus, trans men, Trans women, white matter on November 23, 2014 by George Davis.
PET and MRI show differences in cerebral asymmetry and functional connectivity between homo- and heterosexual subjects – Brief Review and a cautionary note
This is the abstract of a study which shows that the brains of gay men are similar to the brains of straight women in certain ways while the brains of lesbians are similar to the brains of straight men.
The study looked at hemispheric asymmetry and functional connectivity, two areas where scientists have found differences between men and women.
They scanned the brains of 25 straight men (HeM), 25 straight women (HeW), 20 gay men (HoM), and 20 lesbians (HoW). Fifty of the subjects also participated in a test of blood flow that is used to analyze connections between the right and left amygdalae.
Results (from the abstract):
"HeM and HoW showed a rightward cerebral asymmetry, whereas volumes of the cerebral hemispheres were symmetrical in HoM and HeW. No cerebellar asymmetries were found. Homosexual subjects also showed sex-atypical amygdala connections. In HoM, as in HeW, the connections were more widespread from the left amygdala; in HoW and HeM, on the other hand, from the right amygdala. Furthermore, in HoM and HeW the connections were primarily displayed with the contralateral amygdala and the anterior cingulate, in HeM and HoW with the caudate, putamen, and the prefrontal cortex."
"The present study shows sex-atypical cerebral asymmetry and functional connections in homosexual subjects."
This study shows the critical importance of controlling for sexual orientation when studying the question of gender identity and the brain.
An extremely high proportion of people with gender dysphoria are primarily attracted to people of their birth sex. In the general population, only about 5% of people are primarily gay or lesbian.
Studies of gender identity and the brain should include both gay and straight control groups.
There is also a need for studies comparing the brains of transgender people who are attracted to people of their birth sex to gay men and lesbian women who are cis. This might be the most fruitful avenue of research into what causes gender dysphoria.
Original Abstract:
PET and MRI show differences in cerebral asymmetry and functional connectivity between homo- and heterosexual subjects by Ivanka Savic and Per Lindström in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, July 8, 2008, vol. 105 no. 27.
This entry was posted in Brain Sex, Study Review and tagged amygdala, anterior cingulate, brain connectivity, brain sex, caudate, cerebral asymmetry, cerebral symmetry, gay, hemispheric asymmetry, lesbian, prefontal cortex, putamen, sexual orientation, study review, Sweden on August 13, 2014 by George Davis.
clitoroplasty
cortical thickness
eating disorder and gender dysphoria
gender affirmation surgery
gender dysphoria in children
gender dysphoria in teens
hormone side-effects
medical transition
my kid is transgender
my teen is transgender
pervasive developmental disorders
sex reassignment surgery
transgender children
transgender history
transgender teenagers
trans kids
trans man
trans men
trans teens
Trans women
Links to Studies of Transsexualism
WPATH Standards of Care
Orgasm after Vaginoplasty
Sensate Vagina Pedicled-Spot for Male-to-Female Transsexuals: The Experience in the First 50 Patients – Review
Long-term follow-up of individuals undergoing sex reassignment surgery: Psychiatric morbidity and mortality – Review of Abstract
Where to Call if you Need Help
Suicide is not a Footnote


text:
Q: How to classify images using tensorflow cifar10 model I am trying to use a cifar10 trained model to classify images (that's the purpose of the whole thing, right?!) but untill now I had no success.
In cifar10_eval.py, I made the following adaptions:
1) in evaluate(), I call a custom made function "test_image(saver, summary_writer, logits, summary_op)":
def test_image(saver, summary_writer, logits, summary_op):
  """Run Eval once.

  Args:
    saver: Saver.
    summary_writer: Summary writer.
    top_k_op: Top K op.
    summary_op: Summary op.
  """
  x = tf.placeholder("float", shape=[1, 3072])

  with tf.Session() as sess:
    ckpt = tf.train.get_checkpoint_state(FLAGS.checkpoint_dir)
    if ckpt and ckpt.model_checkpoint_path:
      # Restores from checkpoint
      saver.restore(sess, ckpt.model_checkpoint_path)
      # Assuming model_checkpoint_path looks something like:
      #   /my-favorite-path/cifar10_train/model.ckpt-0,
      # extract global_step from it.
      global_step = ckpt.model_checkpoint_path.split('/')[-1].split('-')[-1]
    else:
      print 'No checkpoint file found'
      return

    width = 32
    height = 32
    images = np.zeros((1, 3072))
    img = cv2.imread("/home/prtricardo/tese_ws/open_cv/acacia_model/acacia_.jpg")
    resized_image = cv2.resize(img, (width, height))
    arr = np.uint8([0 for x in range(width*height*3)])

    arr_cnt = 0
    for y in range(0, width):
      for x in range(0, height):
          arr[arr_cnt] = np.uint8(resized_image[x, y, 2])  # R
          arr[arr_cnt + 1024] = np.uint8(resized_image[x, y, 1])  # G
          arr[arr_cnt + 2048] = np.uint8(resized_image[x, y, 0])  # B

          arr_cnt += 1

    images[0] = arr

    classification = sess.run(tf.argmax(logits, 1), feed_dict={x: [images[0]]})
    print 'Neural Network predicted', classification[0]

Which is a similar approach to the same problem with the mnist model tutorial. In the mnist tutorial I could successfully  classify digits, as explained in my other question:.
Has anyone tried something similar? Thanks for your help!


A luxury and high quality condo on heart of On Nut location. Nearby BTS On Nut station and supermarket. New condo and good facility. Very private and good society. Very convenience and safety. Nice decoration. Fully furnished. Ready to move in.


Colorstrology: A Horoscope, Except With Color!
When I found a little something called Colorstrology, my heart skipped at least three beats. Just as your day of birth lends you an astrological sign, it also lends a specific color that offers insight into your personality. After perusing Colorstrology, I am utterly infatuated.
Click over to Colorstrology and start your obsession. After the scintillation site introduction, click on your birth month and learn a little bit about your personality. Then click on your specific birthday (by clicking on the calendar near the top of the site) and explore the depths of your character.
My color is sunflower (Pantone 16-1054), which I see gracefully lounging on the ceiling in the perfect photograph above (by Michael Eastman). In the interest of (not so subtle) narcissism, here is what Colorstrology had to say about me.
After scrutinizing and evaluating my personal color, I also lingered around long enough to look up the personal colors of just about everyone I know. It is only fair to warn you that this lovely little place of color palettes is somewhat addicting.


text:
Comments (70 comments)
My take: Rioting raises religious concern
Editor's Note: Andrew Watson is the Bishop of Aston in the Diocese of Birmingham, UK. He was formerly a vicar in London, and is a musician, author and father of four.
By Andrew Watson, Special to CNN
Birmingham, England (CNN) - I spent most of yesterday in Winson Green, Birmingham, following the deaths of three young British men in the early hours of the morning. I visited the small mosque where two of the men (brothers aged 32 and 30) had been regular worshippers, and where both their uncle and older brother were in a state of profound shock and grief.
I then attended a gathering hastily convened by the local member of parliament - taking place in a room above a local supermarket – followed by a much larger public meeting with the police later in the day. About 150 people crammed into the community hall for the police meeting, with twice as many gathered outside.
Feelings were understandably running very high, with the grief and anger of the community expressed in equal measure. There were voices calling for retaliation, but these were increasingly drowned out by other voices (both old and younger) urging restraint.
Filed under: Anglican • Belief • Britain • Europe
Comments (1,651 comments)
Study: More educated tend to be more religious, by some measures
By Jim Kavanagh, CNN
People tend to become less religious as they become more educated, right? Not necessarily, according to a new study.
After analyzing data from a large national survey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Philip Schwadel found that people actually tend to become more religious - by some definitions, at least - as they further their education.
"It all falls down to what you consider to be religious," said Schwadel, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "If it's simply attending religious services, then no. Highly educated people are not less religious; in fact, they're more religious."
FULL POST
Filed under: Atheism • Education • Polls


text:
Africa through the lens
The winning work from the third annual POPCAP photography competition celebrates new visions of Africa.
In the photographic series "The Last Generation" Joana Choumali presents portraits of the last generation of scarified people in Abidjan. Image: Joana Choumali.
"'Hââbré' in the Kô language from Burkina Faso means both writing and scarification. Scarification is the practice of performing a superficial incision in the human skin," she explains. Image: Joana Choumali.
According to Choumali the traditional practice is disappearing due to the pressure of religion and state authorities, urbanisation and the introduction of clothing among tribes. Image: Joana Choumali.
"This 'last generation' of people bearing the imprint of the past on their faces went from being the norm and having a high social value to being somewhat excluded," she says. Image: Joana Choumali.
9A, a rapper from the Democratic Republic of Congo, poses for photographer Léonard Pongo after a concert at the French institute. From "The Uncanny", 2013. Image: Léonard Pongo.
"The Uncanny" is a documentary project that has been conducted in the DRC since the political elections held in Autumn 2011. Image: Léonard Pongo.
The project aims to show the collateral impact of the war instead of the direct hits. Image: Léonard Pongo.
For his project, "I am Walé Respect Me", Patrick Willocq chose to illustrate various scenarios taken from the songs sung by the women of the Ekonda pygmies in the DRC. He dove deeply into the customs and traditions around their initiation ritual for the project. Image: Patrick Willocq.
According to Willocq, the Ekondas believe that the most important moment in the life of a woman is the birth of her first child. The young mother, known as "Walé", goes into a period of seclusion and abstains from sex for two to five years. The end of this period is marked by a singing and dancing ritual. Image: Patrick Willocq.
"The ritual of the Walé woman has resisted the pressures of modern life — but for how long? To document this beautiful tribute to motherhood, fertility and femininity, I proposed to some Walés to participate in staged photographs. Each set-up worked as a visual representation of one of the subjects that the Walé would sing about on the day of her release from seclusion. You are, in essence, watching a song," explains Willocq. Image: Patrick Willocq.
Twenty years after the genocide in Rwanda, during which almost one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, photographer Anoek Steketee and journalist and filmmaker Eefje Blankevoort present "Love Radio – Episodes of Love and Hate", a multimedia project about the complex process of reconciliation, based on a popular radio soap. Image: Stekeete and Blankevoort.
In an effort to prevent new outbreaks of violence, radio soap "Musekeweya" (New Dawn) was created by NGO Radio La Benevolencija ten years ago. On the same frequency that in 1994 incited Hutu gangs to kill, Musekeweya today broadcasts a message of reconciliation. Image: Stekeete and Blankevoort.
"The project straddles the boundary between fact and fiction," says Stekeete and Blankevoort. "The camera is used not only to raise social issues, but also as a tool for the imagination." Image: Stekeete and Blankevoort.
The POPCAP exhibition is shown in public spaces across the globe and has already traveled to Dublin, Switzerland and Nigeria.
The exhibition is on show in The Paddocks at the Company's Gardens in Cape Town until 17 October 2014.
In "Legacy of the Mine" South African photographer Ilan Godfrey surfaces countless stories of personal suffering and the legacy of the mine is revealed. Image: Ilan Godfrey.
"The mine, irrespective of the particular minerals extracted, is central in understanding societal change across the country and evidently comparable to mining concerns around the world. This enabled me to channel my conception of 'the mine' into visual representations that gave agency to these forgotten communities," says Godfrey. Image: Ilan Godfrey.
The suburb of Diamanthoogte (Diamond Heights) is home to a predominantly coloured community that lives on the outskirts of the diamond-mining town of Koffiefontein in the Free State province. During the summer months children enjoy swimming in the canals, which they refer to as the 'Long Sea'. Image: Ilan Godfrey.
Posted 11 Oct 14 By Design Indaba African Design • Art & Photography Creative Work / Lookbook Comments
This year's winners of the piclet.org Prize for Contemporary African Photography (POPCAP) come from Ivory Coast, South Africa, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They photograph in diverse ways: to uncover the human suffering of the mining industry in South Africa, explore the complex process of reconciliation 20 years after the Rwandan genocide, document waning cultural traditions in Burkina Faso and even reconstruct them among a group of pygmies in the DRC.
The prize, presented by the online photography directory, aims to raise the profile of African photography in the arts and provide more publicity for artists engaging with the African continent.
"Due to its extensive application in a day-to-day context, we consider photography to be the ideal medium through which to foster an unhindered exchange of ideas about the image of Africa," says piclet.org founder Benjamin Füglister.
Piclet.org represents a curated showcase of photographers' portfolios and facilitates online networking, complementing these with "real world" events such as the POPCAP exhibition.
The traveling exhibition, which has already been in Switzerland, Germany and Ireland, takes photography out of the confines of the gallery and presents it in a public space to encourage broader engagement and conversation.
The exhibition is on show in the Company's Gardens in Cape Town as part of Cape Town Month of Photography and will run until 17 October before moving on to the LagosPhoto Festival in Nigeria.
Flip through our Lookbook above to see some of the winning work.
More on Art & Photography
Nhlanhla Mahlangu
• 13 Jan 20
Chanting biography| Nhlanhla Mahlangu's rich theatricality comes to #DI2020
Festival News • 13 Jan 20


text:
package gitclone

import (
	"bytes"
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"os"
	"strings"

	"github.com/bitrise-io/go-utils/command"
	"github.com/bitrise-io/go-utils/errorutil"
	"github.com/bitrise-io/go-utils/log"
	"github.com/bitrise-io/go-utils/retry"
)

// CommandRunner ...
type CommandRunner interface {
	RunForOutput(c *command.Model) (string, error)
	Run(c *command.Model) error
	RunWithRetry(getCommmand func() *command.Model) error
}

// DefaultRunner ...
type DefaultRunner struct {
}

// RunForOutput ...
func (r DefaultRunner) RunForOutput(c *command.Model) (string, error) {
	log.Infof("$ %s &> out", c.PrintableCommandArgs())

	out, err := c.RunAndReturnTrimmedCombinedOutput()
	if err != nil && errorutil.IsExitStatusError(err) {
		return out, errors.New(out)
	}

	return out, err
}

// Run ...
func (r DefaultRunner) Run(c *command.Model) error {
	fmt.Println()
	log.Infof("$ %s", c.PrintableCommandArgs())
	var buffer bytes.Buffer

	err := c.SetStdout(os.Stdout).SetStderr(io.MultiWriter(os.Stderr, &buffer)).Run()
	if err != nil {
		if errorutil.IsExitStatusError(err) {
			return errors.New(strings.TrimSpace(buffer.String()))
		}
		return err
	}

	return nil
}

// RunWithRetry ...
func (r DefaultRunner) RunWithRetry(getCommand func() *command.Model) error {
	return retry.Times(2).Wait(5).Try(func(attempt uint) error {
		if attempt > 0 {
			log.Warnf("Retrying...")
		}

		err := r.Run(getCommand())
		if err != nil {
			log.Warnf("Attempt %d failed:", attempt+1)
			fmt.Println(err.Error())
		}

		return err
	})
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"It was a real pleasure to come and visit KIXX today, and to see one of their classes for myself. It is a wonderful way for everyone to get active, learn some new skills, and have a great deal of fun.
KIXX Martial Arts at St Lukes Cub Night for a 'martial fitness' session.
Very positive feedback. Children like coming, the activities and certificates are both popular. Parents have commented that it is good for children to do a disciplined activity such as KIXX Martial Arts.


text:
If You Have No Good Intellectual Arguments, Accuse Your Opponents of Being Shills
The stupidest, lamest, and couldn't-be-more-mistaken charge often leveled at those who find great merits in free markets (such as me and my colleagues at GMU Economics and the Mercatus Center, and my dear friends at institutions such as the Cato Institute and the Hoover Institution) is that we're "bought off by" or are "paid shills for" rich business people.
Such a charge or belief reflects an utter misunderstanding of economics and of how economies operate. Currently successful business people have a material interest in stifling at least some market competition and in themselves receiving handouts and special privileges from the state; these business people have no material interest in universally competitive markets or in efforts to keep the state so small and limited that it gives to no one any handouts or special privileges. And yet despite the fact that my colleagues and I are forever pointing out how fine-sounding policies — such as minimum-wage legislation and tariffs — actually harm mostly the poor and unjustly benefit mostly the rich by suppressing competition and channeling to the rich other people's funds, we are lazily supposed by feeble-minded (if often highly schooled) people as being shills for the rich.
Such a charge or belief reflects also an utter misunderstanding of politics and the state. The feeble-minded or intellectually lazy people who suppose that giving greater power to the state is the best means of 'saving' the poor and weak from the predations of 'the rich' and powerful are, well, feeble-minded or intellectually lazy.
The sad irony is that most people who mistakenly believe it to be an instance of cronyism to use economic science to show the benefits of markets and the dangers of state power are themselves the greatest, if most unwitting, supporters of cronyism. Through their economically uninformed support for minimum-wage legislation they buoy the interests of capital-intensive firms and high-skilled workers at the expense of labor-intensive firms and low-skilled workers. Through their economically uninformed support for tariffs they inadvertently champion the interests of politically connected corporations at the expense of consumers, of workers in other industries, and of poor people abroad. Through their support for the state they give aid and comfort to the only institution that can successfully and continually transfer wealth from the poor to the rich.
Here's an essay that I wrote eight years ago entitled "If I were a shill for industry."
This item first ran at CafeHayek.com.


We are currently developing a range of ready-made tools designed to facilitate the analysis and review of clinical data. Beta versions of these tools will be available free of charge over the coming months.
You can keep up-to date with our progress or find out more by reading our blog. Alternatively, if you require a specific piece of SAS ® code to solve a particular problem, please contact us with your requirements and one of our consultants will be in touch to discuss how we can help you.
Statskom specialises in SDTM conversion.


text:
'He gave his life that we might not starve'
Some 100 years ago one of the most heinous war crimes of World War One took place in the Atlantic Ocean.
The SS Belgian Prince was travelling from Liverpool to Newport News in America when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. That night, 38 men drowned; the Captain, Harry Hassan, was taken below deck on the U-boat, never to be seen again.
Only three men, who were cared for by Christian maritime charity Sailors' Society, survived to tell the story.
Chief Engineer Thomas Bowman's account of the night's events tells of the horror that unfolded.
The Tower Hill Memorial
"About 7.50pm on July 31 I was on the after deck of the ship off watch. I was taking a stroll and having a smoke. Suddenly I heard a shout, 'Here's a torpedo coming,' and I looked and saw the wake of what I took to be a torpedo coming towards the ship on the port side. I shouted a warning, but had hardly got the words out of my mouth when the torpedo struck us."
Bowman was thrown on the deck. When he got up, he found his ship was taking on water; they were about 175 miles from Irish soil. Like many of the crew, he took to a lifeboat.
As the men clambered on board the lifeboats, the submarine fired at the Belgian Prince disabling its communication equipment. The Germans ordered the lifeboats over, taking Captain Hassan below deck.
"The rest of us were ordered on board and lined up on her deck," said Bowman. The Belgian Prince's crew was ordered to take their lifebelts and overcoats off and lay them on the submarine's deck.
"Then the sailors came along searching us, and deliberately kicked the majority of the lifebelts overboard" said Bowman.
Under the command of Wilhelm Werner the German crew then destroyed the lifeboats with axes.
"The small boat was left intact, and five German sailors got into her and went towards the ship. When they reached the Belgian Prince, they signaled with a flash lamp to the submarine."
What happened next was the height of brutality.
"The submarine moved ahead about two and a half miles, then stopped, and after a moment or two I heard a rushing sound, like water rushing into the sinking tanks of the submarine, and I shouted 'Look out – she is sinking!'"
The submarine descended into the Atlantic, dragging the Belgian Prince's crew into the cold water. A few of the men had managed to keep their lifejackets from the Germans but the majority stood no chance.
Bowman tried to jump into the sea but was carried down with the submarine.
"When I came to the surface I could only see about a dozen of the crew left, including one boy who was shouting for help. I swam towards him. He had a lifebelt on, but was about paralysed, and I held him up during the night. He became unconscious, and eventually died while I was holding him up.
"When day broke I saw the Belgian Prince still afloat. I began to swim towards her, and when I had gone a short distance I saw her blow up."
After the ship sank, Bowman managed to stay afloat long enough to be saved by a British patrol boat.
Able seaman George Silessi also survived the night, having swum towards his stricken vessel.
He said, "I got on board, and about half an hour afterwards a German submarine came alongside. I got into the water. Two shells were fired at the Belgian Prince, which sank in two or three minutes.
"I saw a small boat, which I swam to and got into – the same boat the Germans took away the previous evening – and about half an hour afterwards I was picked up by a British patrol boat."
In his statement, the third survivor, American Willie Snell, the ship's 2nd cook, said, "I concealed a lifebelt which I had picked up, which the German commander failed to notice when he was kicking the lifebelts overboard."
Snell put his lifejacket on and when the submarine disappeared into the water, swam towards the doomed Belgian Prince.
"When the submarine disappeared I swam towards the Belgian Prince. At about 5am I was about one mile off the vessel when she broke in two. Immediately afterwards I saw a submarine come up. I turned and swam away as quickly as I could." Snell was also rescued by a British patrol boat and taken to Londonderry.
The survivors were supported in Londonderry by maritime charity the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, which had opened a Sailors' Rest in the city in February 1917.
Now called Sailors' Society, its chief executive officer, Stuart Rivers, said, "This horrific event is one of the many examples of merchant seafarers paying the ultimate sacrifice to keep supply chains open during times of conflict.
"A century on, Sailors' Society is still supporting the world's merchant seafarers through crises such as piracy, kidnapping and abandonment."
Wilhelm Werner never faced
justice for his crimes
After the war ended, the Allies demanded Werner's extradition as a war criminal. The German commander had committed similar atrocities and was accused of murdering the crew of the SS Torrington in alarmingly similar circumstances to the ill-fated Belgian Prince crew.
Before reaching trial, Werner fled to Brazil under a false name. He returned to Germany in 1924. Proceedings against him were dropped two years later, enabling him to climb the ranks of the Nazi party where at one point he belonged to Heinrich Himmler's personal staff.
Werner died in May 1945, having never faced justice for his crimes.
Captain Harry Hassan was declared legally dead in a court in June 1919.
The body of the Belgian Prince's chief officer, Neil McDougall Morton, washed ashore at Cuan Ferry on 23 September 1917. His mother erected a gravestone at Kilbrandon Old Churchyard, which reads, "He gave his life that we might not starve.
Main Photo: Two of the rescued survivors of the Belgian Prince, helped by Sailors' Society
Russia: frontline pastors trek through freezing conditions to help suffering families
How empty plastic bottles can help cyclone-prone Bangladeshi neighbours save lives
Malawi: more than 37,000 decide to follow Jesus at Andrew Palau mission


At 12:01 Wednesday, she climbed into a cab for what she's called the "Long Ride." It symbolizes the long days and years lived by the many families touched by the disease.
On a day many call the longest of the year, one woman took the longest cab ride of her life.
Peggy Killian is the Vice President of Communication for Alzheimer's Association, St. Louis Chapter. At 12:01 Wednesday, she climbed into a cab for what she's called the "Long Ride." It symbolizes the long days and years lived by the many families touched by the disease.
Every hour, she invited someone with a connection to the disease to ride with her.
"My goal was to get 24 conversations, 24 different perspectives on the disease, and make it last 24 hours," Killian said.
Her list of guests included family members of Alzheimer's patients, caretakers, elder law attorneys, doctors and researchers, police officers, financial advisers, and even a state lawmaker. Killian even made a trip in the cab to Jefferson City Wednesday to talk to state-level officials.
Killian partnered with St. Louis County & Yellow Cab Company, which provided the drivers. All three cab drivers also have a connection to the disease.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 5 million Americans are currently living with the disease. The organization expects that number to climb to 16 million by 2050.
In the state of Missouri, Alzheimer's was the 6th leading cause of death in 2014 according to the organization's statistics.
The 24-hour ride also symbolizes the 24-hour Alzheimer's Association help line. Their number is 1-800-272-3900.


text:
A Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War
Written By: Thomas Fleming
Narrated By: William Hughes
Duration: 11 hours 45 minutes
By the time his body hung from the gallows for his crimes at Harper's Ferry, abolitionists had made John Brown a "holy martyr" in the fight against Southern slave owners. But Northern hatred for Southerners had been long in the making. Northern rage was born of the conviction that New England, whose spokesmen and militia had begun the American Revolution, should have been the leader of the new nation. Instead, they had been displaced by Southern "slavocrats" like Thomas Jefferson. And Northern envy only exacerbated the South's greatest fear: race war. In the sixty years preceding the outbreak of civil war, Northern and Southern fanatics ramped up the struggle over slavery. By the time they had become intractable enemies, only the tragedy of a bloody civil war could save the Union.
In this riveting and character-driven history, one of America's most respected historians traces the "disease in the public mind"-distortions of reality that seized large numbers of Americans-in the decades-long run-up to the Civil War.
"The prolific Fleming, for decades a fixture among American historians, pinpoints public opinion as the proximate origin of the war...Making a plausible presentation of antebellum attitudes and illusions, Fleming is sure to spark lively discussion about the Civil War."-Booklist
History >
Disease in the Public Mind: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War
by Thomas Fleming
This title is due for release on May 7, 2013.
This title is due for release on May 7, 2013


text:
Impeachment hearings: Ousted ambassador felt…
Impeachment hearings: Ousted ambassador felt 'big threat;' Trump assails her anew
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, during the second public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
PUBLISHED: November 15, 2019 at 8:00 am | UPDATED: November 15, 2019 at 10:34 am
By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON — Former U.S. Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch provided chilling detail Friday in Trump impeachment hearings of being suddenly ousted from her post and feeling threatened upon learning President Donald Trump had denounced her in a July phone call with Ukraine's president. In that call, Trump assailed her as "bad news" and said she was "going to go through some things."
In an extraordinary moment, even in an administration filled with them, Trump himself went after her again as she spoke, tweeting from the White House that everywhere she served had "turned bad." He emphasized that as president he had the "absolute right" to appoint his own ambassadors.
Yovanovitch was testifying on the second day of public impeachment hearings into Trump, just the fourth time in American history that the House of Representatives has launched such proceedings. The investigation centers on whether Trump's push for Ukrainian officials to investigate his political rivals amounted to an abuse of power, a charge he and Republicans vigorously deny.
After Trump's tweet on Friday, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee swiftly intervened, halting the questioning to read the president's comments out loud to the witness — and Americans following the hearing — during a live broadcast across the country.
"Ambassador Yovanovitch, as we sit here testifying, the president is attacking you on Twitter," said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California. "What effect do you think that has on other witnesses' willingness to come forward and expose wrongdoing?"
"Well, it's very intimidating," she said.
Said Schiff, "Well, I want to let you know, Ambassador, that some of us here take witness intimidation very, very seriously."
Rather than distract from the career diplomat's testimony, Trump's interference could provide more evidence against him in the probe. Later, Democrats said an allegation of witness intimidation could become an obstruction of justice charge in the impeachment probe.
In her testimony, Yovanovitch described a "smear campaign" against her by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others, including the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., before her firing.
She told the lawmakers her sudden removal had played into the hands of "shady interests the world over" with dangerous intentions toward the United States.
She recalled that as she had read the White House's rough transcript of Trump's conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, another person had said, "The color drained from my face."
She said quietly, "Even now words fail me."
Her removal from her post is one of several events at the center of the impeachment effort.
"These events should concern everyone in this room," the diplomat testified in opening remarks. "Shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American ambassador who does not give them what they want."
Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the panel, said she was "too tough on corruption for some, and her principled stance made her enemies."
It became clear, he said, "President Trump wanted her gone."
The daughter of immigrants who fled the former Soviet Union and Nazi German, she described a 33-year career, including three tours as an ambassador to some of the world's tougher postings, before arriving in Ukraine in 2016. She was forced out in May 2019.
She denied allegations against her, including that she favored Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump in the 2016 election and that she circulated a "Do Not Prosecute" list to former top prosecutor in Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko, which she called a "fabrication."
The top Republican on the panel, Rep. Devin Nunes of California, bemoaned the hearings as a "daylong TV spectacle."
Nunes complained that Democrats are relying on hearsay testimony from witnesses who only know of Trump's actions second-hand, and Republicans noted during questioning that Yovanovitch had left her position before the July phone call.
Nunes also pressed to hear from the still anonymous government whistleblower who first alerted officials about Trump's phone call with Ukraine that is in question. "These hearings should not be occurring at all," he said.
But one Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, said Trump's live tweeting at the ambassador was wrong. She said, "I don't think the president should have done that."
In his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump asked for a "favor," according to an account provided by the White House. He wanted an investigation of Democrats and 2020 rival Joe Biden. Later it was revealed that the administration was withholding military aid from Ukraine at the time.
Just as the hearing was opening, the White House released its rough transcript of a still-earlier Trump call with Zelenskiy that was largely congratulatory.
Nunes read that transcript aloud. In it, Trump mentioned his experience with the Miss Universe pageant in Ukraine and invited Zelenskiy to the White House. He closed with, "See you very soon."
Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, who has served both Republican and Democratic presidents, relayed her striking story of being told to "watch my back" and then being suddenly recalled by Trump in a swiftly developing series of events that sounded alarms about a White House shadow foreign policy.
In particular, Yovanovitch and others have described Giuliani, Trump's lawyer, as leading an "irregular channel" outside the diplomatic mainstream of U.S.-Ukraine relations. Asked during an earlier, closed-door deposition if anyone at the State Department who was alerted to Giuliani's role tried to stop him, she testified, "I don't think they felt they could."
The White House has instructed officials not to comply with the probe, and most have been issued subpoenas to appear.
Later Friday, the panel in closed-door session was to hear from David Holmes, a political adviser in Kyiv, who overheard Trump asking about the investigations the day after the July conversation with Zelenskiy. Holmes was at dinner with Gordon Sondland, when the Ambassador to the European Union called up Trump. The conversation was apparently loud enough to be heard.
Trump says he knows nothing of such a call. The Associated Press has reported a second U.S. Embassy official also overheard it.
Yovanovitch and other officials now testifying publicly are providing accounts that Democrats are relying on to make the case that the president's behavior was impeachable.
Americans are deeply entrenched in two camps over impeachment, resulting in a mounting political battle that will further test the nation in one of the most polarizing eras of modern times.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Trump's actions toward Ukraine amount to "bribery."
Trump repeatedly assails the proceedings as a "hoax" and a "sham" and says he did nothing wrong.
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Laurie Kellman, Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.
Chief justice swears in Senate for Trump impeachment trial
Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff tapped as lead manager for Senate impeachment trial
It's time to decriminalize sex work and focus on actual crimes
u-s-congress
More in National News
U.S. Center for SafeSport investigator assigned in Anna Li abuse case