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How to Pitch an Investigative Story
MANY A FREELANCER HAS CONDEMNED HERSELF TO AN EDITOR'S BLACKLIST FOR NOT FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED PITCH PROTOCOLS.
Published May 15, 2018 | 5 min read
You muckraker, you. You've lined up a prime scoop, a juicy exclusive people will need to read. You're ready to go all Woodward and Bernstein on the journalism world.
Well, before you start writing your Pulitzer acceptance speech, consider a few steps. First and foremost: who will publish your story? Finding the right home for it is every bit as important as the reporting you've done, though the task of weighing options and making an approach is almost like a second job.
Many a freelancer has condemned herself to an editor's blacklist for not following established pitch protocols. They're not difficult to learn. But without them, your blockbuster piece might never find an audience.
With that in mind, here's a quick primer on how to pitch an investigative story.
KNOW THE PUBLICATION
Failing to do enough homework is a common mistake among freelancers — no matter where they hope to place their work. When you're pitching, you need to steep yourself in the preferences of the publication. What issues are they covering? What types of pieces are they putting out? What elements do they include? How are their stories crafted and presented?
A pitch must reflect what the publication has already done.
At the Contently Foundation, for example, each of our investigations includes an opening anecdote that dramatizes the problem at hand, then mixes in data, documents, a big-picture perspective, interviews with experts and an attempt to assess the impact of what's been revealed. We've covered a fair amount of crime but are open to just about any subject.
You need to understand and convey the importance of what you are proposing. So be sure to include in your pitch a description of why this problem or scandal you've been probing needs to be exposed. You're asking the publication to take up your cause. If you don't have a solid, objective sense of why readers will care about your story, no editor is going to either.
CONFIRM ORIGINALITY
A story may be just right for a particular outlet. So right, in fact, that its editors have covered the topic in depth. This is a huge no-no. Asking for an assignment to report on something that's already been covered extensively will undermine an editor's trust instantly.
How do you safeguard yourself against this type of mistake? Check Google and LexisNexis aggressively. Pour over the archives of the publication you're pitching. Ask your sources if your angle is out there. Has any reporter pursued this subject previously? You must be absolutely certain that your story hasn't been told before.
You can't just know your topic. You have to master it. So research your subject thoroughly. Most stories have some history of reporting behind them. So what do you bring to the table? Where are the holes in the reporting?
If, for example, your story involves judicial corruption (like the deep dive we did on this at the foundation), read everything you can get your hands on. What laws exist on the behavior of judges? Which judges have been caught committing crimes? What areas of the judiciary are most prone to bribery, undue influence or hidden conflicts? What do legal scholars say about the problem?
But of course you also must uncover a transgression of your own, a fresh example to highlight what's going on and convey outrage over the impact on victims.
If you have passion for your subject, all the better. The best pitches come from personal experience or observation and tips from sources with high-level insights.
Whatever wrong you seek to reveal, you must offer expertise and exclusive information to the market, or editors will give you a hard pass.
BRING IN THE DATA
Seek to identify primary evidence that bolsters your story. Documents are often the key to breaking ground in an investigative pitch.
Fortunately, we live in an age where access to records has never been easier or more fruitful for reporters. There's hardly a subject worthy of investigative reporting that wouldn't benefit from official information, data or data analysis, private studies, surveys, reports, complaints, etc.
If you've never made a Freedom of Information request or created a spreadsheet for sets of data, not to worry. There are any number of resources to help you with that, including our foundation.
Ideally, your pitch will offer at least some of these elements — exclusive interviews, telling anecdotes, expert insights, official documents and data to back up your angle.
It's not necessarily to have completed all the reporting required for your piece before you approach a publication, but you will need to provide enough compelling components — along with a clear plan of how you will proceed — to spark interest.
Often, the best way to introduce your pitch is with your best anecdote, a dramatic tale to draw in the editor. This is also the lead to the actual story.
Sometimes it's difficult to care about an issue — privacy invasion, human trafficking, to name just two of the stories we've covered at the Contently Foundation — but it's easy to care about a human being who's suffering. Doing that is more than half the job.
If you've also tracked down supporting data, records, expertise and an authoritative overview on the scope of the issue you're tackling, you will put yourself in the best position to place your story.
If you have a general interest in a subject but not a fully developed pitch, ask for help. The Contently Foundation embraces its educational offerings — and that means we can help you craft a good story angle.


DualPortGYN is a state-of-the-art laparoscopic surgical technique that was developed by The Center for Innovative GYN Care® specialists to treat GYN conditions using just two tiny incisions. Patients recover faster with less pain.
Women who suffer from abnormal bleeding or pelvic pain due to complex conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, and others can be treated safely with DualPortGYN®. DualPortGYN is an advanced, groundbreaking technique that improves surgical outcomes and the quality of women's GYN health.
DualPortGYN is among the safest, and most effective minimally invasive gynecological surgery available worldwide. It is faster and more efficient than standard laparoscopic or robotic surgery.
It's time to talk to a CIGC laparoscopic GYN surgical specialist and take back control of your life.
Discover the CIGC breakthrough approach to treating complex GYN conditions. The CIGC minimally invasive surgeons can have you back on your feet in just days. Non-CIGC techniques by comparison often take weeks or months for recovery.
The CIGC laparoscopic GYN specialists perform even the most complex GYN surgeries as same-day outpatient procedures with exceptional outcomes. Incisions are placed in the midsection, away from the abdominal muscles unlike standard or robotic procedures, so patients have less pain during recovery, and recovery itself is about 1 week. Women who have been told that their condition is too complex for minimally invasive surgery are often candidates for the DualPortGYN laparoscopic technique.
The DualPortGYN technique is a remarkable advancement in minimally invasive GYN surgery. It has been applied to thousands of cases for hysterectomy, endometriosis excision, ovarian cystectomy and other procedures. The CIGC minimally invasive techniques make it possible to perform procedures using just two tiny incisions. After a DualPortGYN minimally invasive surgery, most patients can return to normal activity, including work and school, in about 1 week.
1 Danilyants N, MacKoul P, Baxi R, van der Does LQ, Haworth LR. Value-based assessment of hysterectomy approaches. JOGR. 2018.
5 Einarsson, J. I., & Suzuki, Y. (2009). Total laparoscopic hysterectomy: 10 steps toward a successful procedure. Reviews in obstetrics & gynecology, 2(1), 57-64.
6 Paraiso MF, Ridgeway B, Park AJ, et al. A randomized trial comparing conventional and robotically assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy. AJOG. 2013;208(5):368.e361–367.
7 Wright KN, Jonsdottir GM, Jorgensen S, Shah N, Einarsson JI. Costs and outcomes of abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomies. JSLS. 2012;16(4):519-24.
8 Aarts JWM, Nieboer TE, Johnson N, Tavender E, Garry R, Mol BWJ, Kluivers KB. Surgical approach to hysterectomy for benign gynaecological disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 8. Art. No.: CD003677.
9 Schmitt, J. J., Carranza Leon, D. A., Occhino, J. A., Weaver, A. L., Dowdy, S. C., Bakkum-Gamez, J. N., Pasupathy, K. S., Gebhart, J. B. (2017). Determining Optimal Route of Hysterectomy for Benign Indications: Clinical Decision Tree Algorithm. Obstetrics and gynecology, 129(1), 130-138.
11 Paraiso MF, Ridgeway B, Park AJ, et al. A randomized trial comparing conventional and robotically assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy. AJOG. 2013;208(5):368.e361–367.
13 Jones, H. W., III, & Rock, J. A. (2015). Te Linde's operative gynecology (Eleventh edition.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
14 Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, London, UK.
The DualPortGYN technique is a remarkable advancement in minimally invasive GYN surgery. The CIGC practice physicians are fellowship-trained surgeons who developed this approach for laparoscopic GYN surgery based on decades of using advanced techniques for complex GYN conditions. The DualPortGYN technique has been applied to thousands of cases for hysterectomy, endometriosis excision, ovarian cystectomy and other procedures. The CIGC minimally invasive techniques make it possible to perform procedures using just two tiny incisions.
Hysterectomy: A DualPortGYN hysterectomy is an advanced minimally invasive surgery that outperforms other hysterectomy techniques for surgical results and patient satisfaction. Hysterectomy is the procedure that removes the uterus, and in many cases, the cervix and fallopian tubes. (For many woman, it is possible to retain their ovaries, which can prevent them from experiencing surgical menopause).
Ovarian Cystectomy: Ovarian cysts may go away on their own after a cycle, or they can grow and become problematic. If a cyst grows, twists or ruptures it can become very painful and require immediate attention. A laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy at CIGC is performed with DualPortGYN. The procedure takes under an hour and most women are back to themselves in just a few days.
The state-of-the-art techniques used in DualPortGYN create a safer procedure so that women can have surgery and return home the same day. The CIGC minimally invasive specialists are able to perform complex surgeries while ensuring the patient has an exceptional procedure with fast recovery. After a DualPortGYN minimally invasive surgery, most patients can return to normal activity, including work and school, in about 1 week. All patients should follow the recovery recommendations specified by their surgeon.
At CIGC, controlling blood loss and improving visibility makes it possible for our advanced laparoscopic GYN specialists to perform minimally invasive outpatient surgery for complex GYN conditions that may normally be performed as open procedures by non-laparoscopic surgeons.
The advanced techniques that make DualPortGYN surgeries both safer and more efficient are RP Dissection (retroperitoneal dissection) and uterine artery ligation (permanent) or uterine artery occlusion (temporary).
RP Dissection: This technique makes it possible to map the pelvis so that the surgeons have clear visibility of the entire pelvic cavity. RP Dissection allows for complete identification of the delicate structures of the pelvis including the bowel, bladder, ureters, and large blood vessels. This technique prevents injury to these vital structures during surgery, and allows for safe, effective results with fast recovery.
Standard laparoscopic or robotic approaches to surgery do not "map" the pelvis using the RP Dissection approach. If vital structures are not identified during surgery, there is a risk of injury leading to higher complication rates and longer recovery times.
Uterine Artery Ligation/Occlusion: UAL or UAO refers to blocking the blood flow to the uterus. This is an important technique to perform surgery on patients with large fibroids or with extensive scar tissue from endometriosis or prior surgery. Many patients with complex GYN conditions often have uncontrolled bleeding at the neck of the uterus, requiring the surgeon to convert to open surgery. More concerning is the potential for injury to other structures near the uterine artery such as the ureter and bladder, which can lead to complications and additional surgery.
Uterine artery ligation (or bilateral uterine artery ligation) blocks the main source of blood flow to the uterus. When the uterine artery is blocked at its source it eliminates the problems of excessive bleeding and helps prevent injury to the surrounding structures that can occur during surgery. UAL must be performed by a skilled retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgeon.
Tiny Incisions: The incisions used for DualPortGYN surgeries are very small, and placed in the midline, away from the abdominal muscles. One incision is placed at the belly button and the other just above the pubic bone. The size and placement of these incisions allows patients to feel better faster. With these incisions, large fibroids and masses can be removed safely with vaginal access procedures to limit the incisions to only the two 5 mm placements. Vaginal access procedures that do not use DualPortGYN techniques are performed blind, and can lead to complications.
The DualPortGYN technique for hysterectomy outperforms other approaches to surgery. DualPortGYN does not have the limitations of standard laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy procedures while providing excellent patient outcomes.
Open surgical procedures: Open procedures for surgically treating GYN conditions are the most commonly performed despite advances in laparoscopy. Many GYN doctors who perform surgery are not trained in laparoscopic techniques, and must rely on traditional open surgery to help their patients. Some doctors recognize the benefits of partnering with laparoscopic specialists to ensure better patient outcomes.
Standard And Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery Approaches: Other laparoscopic approaches have been tried for various GYN conditions with different levels of success. Most laparoscopic surgery approaches are limited by the complexity of the condition. More complex conditions require the expertise of a well-trained laparoscopic specialist or risk being converted to an open procedure.
The most difficult problem associated with GYN surgery is heavy bleeding. The uterus has an excellent blood supply. Extensive bleeding can occur with standard laparoscopic and robotic approaches, resulting in the need to convert to an open procedure. Conversion to open myomectomy is common with standard laparoscopic or robotic procedures, and is a failure for the patient, who has entered the surgery expecting a minimally invasive approach.
Why Don't All Surgeons Perform The DualPortGYN Technique?
Special training and skill is required to master the techniques used in DualPortGYN. The ability to identify the important anatomical structures, and avoid excessive blood loss with advanced occlusion or ligation techniques play a major role in successfully completing the surgery.
The DualPortGYN technique in the hands of inexperienced surgeon can lead to major complications including nerve damage, injury to the ureters, bladder, bowel or blood vessels.
How Does DualPortGYN Outperform Other Surgical Techniques?
DualPortGYN is one of the safest GYN surgery options available. RP Dissection and uterine artery ligation are techniques that allow the CIGC specialists to clearly see the entire pelvic cavity to ensure the surrounding vital structures (bowel, bladder, ureter, and blood vessels) are protected during a DualPortGYN surgery.
What are the benefits of a dualportgyn procedure?


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Rediff.com » Sports » With varied heritage, Belgians keep African interest alive at World Cup
With varied heritage, Belgians keep African interest alive at World Cup
July 09, 2018 21:11 IST
IMAGE: Belgium's Marouane Fellaini during training . Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters
The World Cup semi-finals may be an all-European affair but Belgium's unlikely heroes Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli have ensured that at least one part of North Africa has retained a strong interest in the tournament.
The midfield duo, who both have dual Moroccan-Belgian nationality, kept Belgium alive with their goals off the bench in the extraordinary round of 16 comeback against Japan and were handed starts in the 2-1 win over Brazil.
In the Kazan quarter-final, Fellaini rewarded coach Roberto Martinez with 90 minutes of hassling, harrying and sometimes hacking that played havoc with the flow of Brazil's vaunted midfield.
Coverage: FIFA World Cup 2018
Born in Etterbeek to Moroccan parents, Fellaini is an established member of Belgium's "golden generation" despite criticism of his performances at Manchester United.
While his call-up to the World Cup squad was to be expected, Chadli would have been a shock inclusion in the squad even if he had not missed most of the season for West Bromwich Albion because of injury.
The versatile 28-year-old, who played a friendly for Morocco in 2010 before committing to Belgium, ran himself into the ground at left wing back against Brazil before making way for the better-known Thomas Vermaelen seven minutes from time.
IMAGE: Belgium's Nacer Chadli during the press conference. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
That Belgium held off a late Brazilian charge to set up Tuesday's last four meeting with France in St Petersburg was another vindication of Martinez's faith in the duo.
"We are extremely proud of Nacer and Marouane," the Spaniard said before the Kazan Arena clash.
"Their performances have been incredible. Not just on the football level, where they've been very interesting technically and tactically.
"They are two players who are winners, they are fighters, they are survivors. I think for me they are an example for any young player who wants to play the game. And any young player who wants to face adversity in life."
Fellaini and Chadli are not the only players in the squad with African heritage, of course, with Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany, Dedryck Boyata and Michy Batshuayi all having at least one Congolese parent, while Mousa Dembele's father is from Mali.
Adnan Januzaj, meanwhile, is the son of Kosovar-Albanian migrants and Axel Witsel's father has roots in the French Caribbean island of Martinique.
"We are very, very proud of the diversity we have in the squad," Martinez added.
"I feel that's probably the biggest strength that we have as a football team."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Alexandre Dumas, Ancient & Medieval History, David Downie, French History, Ghost Writers, Maquet, Milan, Modern History, New York, Paris, passion for paris, Providence, Rome, San Francisco
A Passion for Paris: Alexandre Dumas and the Ghosts of Romantic Fiction
February 28, 2019 Bad Historian
by David Downie
Romantic-era novelist Alexandre Dumas may well have created the world's first fiction factory in Paris in the mid-1800s, a factory populated by ghosts. How many of Dumas' hundreds of millions of readers realize that the plots and treatments for some of his mega-bestselling novels were written by others, one man in particular, a man sometimes known as the "fourth musketeer?"
I had heard vaguely about such allegations before I set out to spend time with Dumas while researching my latest book on Paris, Romanticism and romance. Then a curious thing happened.
While visiting the "Romantic corner" at my favorite graveyard anywhere—Père-Lachaise Cemetery—I stood wondering whether instead of being in the Panthéon across town Alexandre Dumas would not have been happier here. After all here were his friends novelists Honoré de Balzac and Gérard de Nerval, painter Eugène Delacroix and scores of other Great Romantics.
Maquet's tomb at Père Lachaise in Paris. This image is in the public domain via Paris Cemetaries.
When I wandered downhill from Balzac's handsome tomb (it's topped with a bronze sculpture of the perennial, prolific writer) perhaps 50 yards south in Division 52 I stopped to admire another fine tomb I'd never noticed before.
It turned out to be the resting place of fellow Romantic and prolific writer Auguste Maquet. Who was he? Adorned with a low-relief effigy of Maquet the tomb was also carved with the titles of books Maquet had written—or had supposedly written. I read the titles and read them again.
Mustachioed and topped with a head of flowing locks, had Maquet really written or perhaps co-written The Count of Montecristo and The Three Musketeers? Surely those were the masterpieces of Alexandre Dumas?
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870). This image is in the public domain via Wikipaedia.
What I soon learned is Maquet and Dumas actually began writing novels together, but Maquet's name never appeared on these books. Their de facto partnership evolved into a complex ghosting relationship, with Maquet writing plots, treatments and first drafts, and Dumas filling out, polishing and improving their books—though sometimes he only changed a few lines or words. The pair collaborated on nearly 20 books and a number of successful plays.
The more successful the Dumas-Maquet team became, the more ghosts were needed. Maquet was not the only writer flanking Dumas. There were many other ghosts. The difference between the lesser phantoms and Maquet was fundamental: Maquet and Dumas had begun on an equal footing. It was their publisher's decision to use Dumas' and not Maquet's name that determined their fates.
At the time many in the publishing business knew Maquet did much of the writing for Dumas. That is why, after many years of working together, Maquet demanded to be paid a share of royalties and also wanted credit: he demanded his name be put on the cover of their books. Dumas refused. Maquet sued Dumas three times and finally won a lawsuit. The settlement ensured Maquet would be comfortably off: he received royalties and back payments. But his name was kept off the book covers. Why?
The answer is simple: branding. Publishing was a sophisticated business in Paris even in the early and mid-1800s. Once an author's brand had been established it was in everyone's commercial interest to continue with it.
Maquet was no slouch. A thoroughgoing Romantic with a capital "R" he was a poet, playwright and well-known party boy in his day. He published 13 novels and 7 plays in his own name. Handsome, rakish and always well-turned-out in the style of a Paris dandy, Maquet was a regular at the literary salon where Théophile Gautier and Gérard de Nerval hung out among other wild, spirited Romantics. Maquet knew the greatest Romantic of them all, Victor Hugo.
Curiously, Auguste Maquet's many novels written under his own name—all of them very much like those he wrote with or for Alexandre Dumas—were not as successful as those of his flamboyant partner.
Is that why Maquet disappeared from the radar screens? It's difficult to say. Perhaps Dumas' wit, humor and insouciant flair were the essential ingredient in their co-written works. Dumas had a way with people and publicity. He was charismatic and unstoppable.
Even when everyone knew the secret truth about his relationship with Dumas, Maquet never enjoyed the popularity or fame of his rival but he became well-off and lived comfortably. He died unknown and is only now being rediscovered: a street in Paris is named for him, and a movie about him came out in 2010.
Dumas, instead, was famous, beloved and revered but wound up ruined and bankrupt. Dumas died a pauper. Maquet thrived but disappeared. Dumas like Victor Hugo and the nation's great and good is buried in the Panthéon. No other French writer has sold as many books as Dumas—and they continue to sell. He has a cult following but who remembers the roller-coaster of his life?
David Downie, a native San Franciscan, lived in New York, Providence, Rome and Milan before moving to Paris in the mid-1980s. He divides his time between France and Italy. His travel, food and arts features have appeared in print publications worldwide. Downie author of A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light,is co-owner with his wife Alison Harris of Paris, Paris Tours custom walking tours of Paris, Burgundy, Rome & the Italian Riviera. He is the author of other critically acclaimed work such as Paris, Paris, and the bestselling Paris to the Pyrenees.
The post A Passion for Paris: Alexandre Dumas and the Ghosts of Romantic Fiction appeared first on The History Reader.
Articles, Medieval Politics, Ottoman Empire
Dishonorable Ambassadors: Spies and Secret Diplomacy in Ottoman Istanbul
In the sixteenth century, the Habsburgs and the Ottomans clashed for the dominance of Europe and the Mediterranean and engaged in a global rivalry that affected every polity along the shores of the Mediterranean.
Articles, Jewish Life in the Middle Age, Medieval Germany, Medieval Urban Studies
A Fruitful Partnership: Jews and the Canons of St. Kilian in Twelfth-century Würzburg
Over the course of about a century, from around 1120 to around 1220, the canons of St. Kilian, caretakers of the Neumünster church in Würzburg had frequent – one might even say constant – business dealings with the Jews of that same city.
Articles, Early Middle Ages, Lombards, Medieval Historiography
Time, Myth and the Origins of the Lombards
Origins, Identities and ethnicities were all central concerns of Early Medieval writers
The Life of Florence Gould: American Beauty, Noted Philanthropist, Nazi Collaborator
by Susan Ronald
A Dangerous Woman is Susan Ronald's revealing biography of Florence Gould, fabulously wealthy socialite and patron of the arts, who hid a dark past as a Nazi collaborator in 1940's Paris. Keep reading for an excerpt.
Florence, aged sixteen, thought of herself as La Parisienne, that gigantic statue representing modernity, fashion, and glamour at the Exposition Universelle of 1900. The statue, sculpted by Paul Moreau-Vauthier, was the exhibition's focal point. All visitors walked into the Paris fairgrounds through the Porte Monumentale, where they were greeted by this female colossus, La Parisienne, in all her glory. She was modern, like Paris, stunningly beautiful, outfitted in Jeanne Paquin's haute-couture gown. She was quintessentially French. She was no Marianne, the allegorical, martial, patriotic symbol of France. La Parisienne invited all visitors, French and foreign, to enter and see a new, contemporary Paris, released from the shackles of tradition and the scandals of the Third Republic, to revel in the excitement that Paris represented to the world in culture, invention, and science.
Florence Lacaze Gould, wife of millionaire sportsman Frank Jay Gould, for press shot "Popular on the Riviera," September 1930. (courtesy of Library of Congress)
Florence saw herself as a living, breathing La Parisienne, modern, glamorous, sexy, a future Gaby Deslys, star of the Folies Bergère. Unlike Gaby, Florence wanted to find her feet in the rarefied world of opera. While she learned only about La Parisienne in school, Florence could easily relate to both La Parisienne and the designer of her haute couture, Jeanne Paquin. The House of Paquin was the rising star in the fashion world, noted for wooing away clients from the aristocratic, traditional designs of Gaston Worth. Despite Paquin's short ascendency, she eclipsed the established, male House of Worth with her daring and innate feminine understanding of what women wanted to wear. Beautiful in her own right, Paquin had risen from humble origins to become first a model, then a designer, and finally the owner of her own fashion house. It was that kind of upward mobility that Florence admired and yearned to emulate, up to a point. Where Paquin was happy for her fashions to shine in the limelight, Florence needed the oxygen of the limelight shining directly on her.
By 1900, money, or the lack of it, had become a gradually determining factor in social status. While land ownership still mattered, and marked an enviable noble heritage, the landed gentry throughout Europe were finding the new, raw capitalism of the early twentieth century hard to fathom, and harder still to adopt. The titled aristocracy were on the hunt for American heiresses born to wealthy robber barons of the ilk of the Vanderbilts, Morgans, and Goulds; or even, if the need absolutely dictated, daughters born to manufacturing giants like Isaac Merritt Singer, inventor of the first evenly stitching sewing machine.
Florence Lacaze Gould aboard the SS Normandie in 1935 with two of her Pekingese dogs. Both she and Frank were devoted to the breed. (courtesy of the Library of Congress)
In Florence's Paris, it was a commonly known fact that all Americans were equally unacceptable in society, but their money was a necessary evil to be envied and plundered, so European aristocracy could plow on regardless. It was the American search and need for belonging in European society, coupled with the European requirement for new money, that changed many heiresses' and aristocrats' futures. Consuelo Vanderbilt was coerced into her marriage with the Duke of Marlborough by her mother, saving Blenheim Palace and the duke's other assets from oblivion. Marie Alice Heine, born in the French Quarter of New Orleans to a Jewish banking family, converted to Roman Catholicism to become the Duchess of Richelieu. When Alice was widowed as a young woman still of childbearing age, she remarried well, becoming Her Serene Highness of Monaco, Princess Alice. Jennie Jerome, the first American-dollar "princess," and mother of Sir Winston Churchill, also gave her inherited fortune to underpin her husband's political career for the dubious pleasure of becoming Lady Randolph Churchill.
Florence ached to belong to the treasured circle of these elite society women, but despite her private school education, she lacked the money and connections to meet, much less marry into, such illustrious circles. While Charles Loeb toiled to obtain satisfaction through the California courts, Florence was, momentarily, relatively penniless. Dreams were one thing, reality quite another. Still, the sixteen-year-old was already a remarkable beauty, and knew it. Florence had also become a frightful snob—something everyone who met her remarked upon—and could not see herself living forever in obscurity, much less in poverty.
Certainly, Berthe instilled in her daughter an awareness that such beauty should provide Florence—and by extension her family—with an international passport to glamour, wealth, and happiness. As for the protagonist in the story Gigi, written by Florence's near contemporary, the French author Colette, it was Florence's duty to marry well and share her newfound wealth with the family. For Berthe, while it mattered if Florence's future was that of a demimondaine or an opera singer or the wife of a millionaire, she was a practical woman. If Florence could not marry well, then a world-famous opera singer would be her next choice for her daughter. Failing that, Florence would need to consider becoming a successful demimondaine.
As captioned in the New York World-Telegram, "Mrs. Frank Gould, society leader in New York and Paris, arriving in New York aboard the Ile de France", 1934. (courtesy of the Library of Congress)
The searing question was, could Florence marry well? Florence's world was changing rapidly. By 1913, the first self-made millionairess was a Polish Jew, Helena Rubinstein. Rubinstein had become rich from her mail-order business, which sold face cream to sun-ravaged Australian women in the Outback. Now Rubinstein owned beauty salons in Melbourne, London, and Paris and was searching for a salon in New York. "Beauty is power" was an early Rubinstein advertising slogan, and Florence decided that her beauty might provide her big break into the international high-society set of Paris. While Florence thought she had the business sense to run an international company like Rubinstein's, it was not, yet, her passion, and it remained an unproven skill for some years to come.
Society and glamour, on the other hand, consumed her every waking hour. Back then, glamour was not about cosmetics and a slash of red lips for Florence. That was for later, when it became the fashion. It was about power, sexuality, and the unadulterated pleasure it could bring her. It was about luxury and excess. It was about living without the conventions or expectations of classical femininity. Above all, it was about heady sensuality and reveries beyond the ordinary, creating her own boldness, her own world of risk and self-assertion, and tipping the scales of an unequal male society in her favor. If her beauty could give her a leg up into that society so she could create her own world of glamour, so much the better. Certainly, her other great asset—her singing voice—gave another string to her bow, creating an aura of the exotic, the dangerously alluring.
Even at sixteen, Florence was a young woman on a mission. She combed the society columns, soaked in every bit of gossip and news about le Tout-Paris—the city's fashionable elite—and gleaned every crumb she could about the public and private lives of the salonnières (society hostesses) who might be susceptible to her charms. So, when she thought she was ready, Florence cajoled her old music professor into introducing her into the salon society. Alas, it seemed that the professor was found wanting in his connections to the salonnières whom Florence was determined to know. Perhaps, too, Berthe could no longer afford his lessons, and hence his failure to do as he was bid. But Florence would not be defeated. It seemed only natural that she should try to cultivate the American salonnières who had made Paris their home. Aside from her near neighbor Gertrude Stein, who was dowdy, masculine, and perhaps hideous to Florence's beautiful green eyes, there were, fortunately, others.
Born and raised in the United States, SUSAN RONALD has lived in England for more than twenty-five years. She is the author of several books, including A Dangerous Woman, Hitler's Art Thief, Heretic Queen, The Pirate Queen, and Shakespeare's Daughter.
The post The Life of Florence Gould: American Beauty, Noted Philanthropist, Nazi Collaborator appeared first on The History Reader.
George Washington's Heroism at Valley Forge
by Tom Clavin
Some people think there was a Battle of Valley Forge. There could well have been, because 2,000 American soldiers died there. Or what we know about Valley Forge is an illustration we saw in middle-school Social Studies textbooks, one that showed a few guys freezing in the snow and George Washington on a horse looking at a few guys freezing in the snow. The much bigger story of that event, told in my book Valley Forge written with Bob Drury, is that it was the turning point of the American Revolution. At no time before or after was the flame of independence flicker so slightly. If George Washington and his ragged, starving, and freezing Continental Army had not survived that horrific winter encampment, Great Britain would have won the war and the United States would have been stillborn.
For the Americans, the Fall 1777 campaign had been one gut punch after another. That September, British troops paraded triumphantly through the streets of Philadelphia, having taken the young country's capital city and sent into exile the few delegates left in the Continental Congress. Washington's attempts to retake the city and administer the knockout blow, the cause of liberty so desperately needed, met with failure at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown. Most humiliating was the Paoli Massacre, in which dozens of American troops were bayoneted by the British as they slept. When Washington's men staggered into winter quarters at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania on December 19, they were a beaten army that could soon cease to exist.
"As the days dragged on, Washington periodically reined his horses by the road to linger and bear witness as his ghost of an army straggled past. First, the officers on horseback led their stumbling and footsore regiments, then the juddering baggage wagons, and finally the 400 or so 'camp women' with their untold children bringing up the rear. These were primal moments. As the commander in chief beheld so many of his soldiers, 'without Cloathes to cover their makedness—without blankets to lay on—without Shoes,' Washington later wrote. It must have crossed his mind that the preponderance of his hungry and half-clad were present in a great part out of great loyalty to him. Nor could the irony be lost on him that his days as the leader of this army might well be numbered, through either political perfidy or, as seemed more likely at the moment, the complete dissolution of his vagabond force."
Once in the encampment, Washington had his men build cabins to shelter them for when the worst of the winter arrived. This was not easily done because many of the men were too weak for the massive construction effort to house 12,000 men and they had few effective tools, like saws and hammers. Day after day they struggled until finally by Christmas most of the cabins were done. Just in time too, because their present for Christmas was a three-day snowstorm.
This had to be the worst holiday of George Washington's life. In the days leading up to it, he felt abandoned by the Continental Congress, governors of states, and some friends who were beginning to call for his ouster. Most of all, though, he despaired for his men. Though most of his correspondence was dictated to his aides Alexander Hamilton and Tench Tilghman, late one night Washington himself wrote a plea to Henry Laurens, the new president of the undermanned Congress.
Continue reading "George Washington's Heroism at Valley Forge" on the Unknown History channel at Quick and Dirty Tips. Or listen to the full episode below.
The post George Washington's Heroism at Valley Forge appeared first on The History Reader.
Railroads, the Chicago World's Fair, and George Pullman
by Jack Kelly
The year 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental rail line. The explosive growth of railroads had, by the 1890s, created the world's greatest transportation system and made American railroad corporations the biggest businesses in the world.
In the summer of 1894, the employees of those railroads joined in a sympathy strike that virtually shut down the roads, especially in the West. They were supporting workers who made Pullman cars in Chicago, but, according to The New York Times, the real struggle was "between the greatest and most powerful railroad labor organization and the entire railroad capital."
Chicago World's Fair, Excerpt from The Edge of Anarchy
They came by the millions and tens of millions. Almost one in every five Americans made the trek to Chicago that summer for the world's fair. Their reaction to the spectacle was summed up by a diarist who wrote: "My mind was dazzled to a standstill."
Almost all who came, came by train. Those who could afford it rode a Pullman car, the epitome of luxurious travel. A Pullman sleeper offered room to spread out, elegant service, and the delicious pleasure of status. Fairgoers were headed to Chicago to shake hands with the future, and in the Pullman car the future seemed to be reaching out to greet them.
Those who had not had the privilege of riding on one could take in all the latest models at a display mounted by the Pullman's Palace Car Company in the fair's Transportation Building. The carved rosewood, Axminster carpets, polished brass, fringed valances, and cascades of curtains and draperies beloved by Victorians all made Pullman travel an adventure in hedonism. By day, a Pullman was a fantastic parlor room on wheels. When night came, a smiling porter turned a pair of facing seats into a bed and produced a second berth from a compartment along the ceiling. He arranged heavy curtains, pristine damask sheets, and mahogany partitions, transforming the car into a comfortable dormitory.
The lucky few, railroad magnates or politicians, might be given a guided tour of the exhibit by the man himself, George Mortimer Pullman. The sixty-two-year-old progenitor of these marvels was one of Chicago's richest entrepreneurs. Many fair visitors could remember the stagecoach days when no man traveled on land faster than the pace of a team of horses. Long train trips had demanded new technology—and Pullman had provided it. The sleeping car had become so closely associated with one company that it was coming to be called simply a pullman. The understated booklet distributed by the company gushed a bit when it called the inception of the Pullman firm, now valued at $60 million, "one of the century's great civilizing strides."
Pullman's name and face were well known across the country—he had made sure of that. His wide, nearly unlined features were those of a tired baby. His hair had gone white and he wore on his chin a goat-like tuft of beard, which boys of the day called a dauber. His imperious eyes were always sizing up.
George Pullman represented a relatively new type in America, a "businessman." He was a man of affairs, a man on the lookout for the new. A businessman's key skill was organizing an enterprise and raising the money to fund it. Pullman knew how to gather resources, command men, and negotiate deals. Early in his career, he had begun to list his profession simply as "gentleman."
The assertion by his publicity machine that George Pullman had invented the modern sleeping car was less than accurate. Most of the credit went to a man named Theodore T. Woodruff, an upstate New York wagon maker. But the mechanics of the car had evolved over decades, and Pullman had introduced his share of innovations.
What was beyond doubt was that Pullman had devised the most efficient system for making money from the sleeper. He saw each car not as a product but as a revenue stream. He retained ownership and allowed the various railroads to haul the cars under contract. The railroads profited because the luxury cars attracted customers. Pullman profited even more as each passenger paid him a hefty fee for the upgrade.
Pullman also understood that monopoly was the path to profit, and by 1893 he was well on his way to absorbing all other sleeping-car manufacturers into his company. A Pullman brochure boasted that the company employed fifteen thousand and ran its cars over enough track mileage to stretch five times around the circumference of the earth.
Pullman asserted that he was free of "the fever of rapid wealth-getting." He could afford to be. He and his wife, Hattie, floated among the highest tiers of Chicago's social heaven. An observer called him a lordly man. Reserved of speech, he let his possessions speak for him.
In 1831, the year George Pullman was born in a remote hamlet in the western end of New York State, a group of Americans at the other end of the state were taking a ride on America's very first steam-powered passenger railroad. It was the beginning of the most stunning transformation in the nation's history. During Pullman's lifetime, private corporations laid more than 175,000 miles of rail, including five transcontinental lines.
"Americans take to this contrivance, the railroad," Ralph Waldo Emerson had observed, "as if it were the cradle in which they were born." In the three decades since the Civil War, the railroads had proliferated into a great tangle of trunk lines and branch lines through the East and Middle West. When builders pounded the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869, they tied together a continent. The New York Central main line ran from the Atlantic coast to Chicago. The mighty Pennsylvania system extended an arm across the Keystone State and spread its fingers into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and beyond. The Southern Pacific, the Union Pacific, and the Santa Fe had erased the frontier. Enormous combines had gobbled individual rail lines, and the railroad corporations had become the most extensive business enterprises in history.
The needs of the railroads had led to an explosion in the production of iron and steel, of coal, copper, oil, and machine tools. The corporations' thirst for capital had established Wall Street as a national money market. The access to far-flung markets that the railroads made possible fueled the rapid growth of other businesses on a scale previously inconceivable.
Chicago was the "Rome of the railroads." Lines converged on the city from every direction. Fair visitors from New York, Philadelphia, and Washington boarded the Exposition Flyer to skim across the continent at eighty miles an hour, barely pausing in the headlong rush toward what trainmen called the "boss town of America."
Chicago's elite citizens had made a mighty effort to win the Exposition for their town. George Pullman had pledged $100,000 to finance the corporation that would mount the fair. Chicagoans were proud of the town's lusty greatness. "Here of all her cities," wrote author Frank Norris, "throbbed the true life—the true power and spirit of America."
Chicago was in a continual hurry. Rudyard Kipling said that its inhabitants swore by the "Gospel of Rush." The city had not existed when the century opened—now it was the sixth-largest metropolis on earth. Its densely packed commercial center pulsed with activity. "Compared to the bustle of Chicago," a visitor said, "the bustle of New York seems like stagnation."
The Columbian Exposition celebrated the acceleration of progress. Fairgoers could hardly wait to get home and describe the technology of tomorrow. They marveled at light bulbs, electric motors, generators, vacuum tubes, neon signs. They made some of the first long-distance
Telephone calls, listened to a phonograph, rode a moving sidewalk, and gazed in amazement at Thomas Edison's kinetoscope, which displayed pictures that moved.
The fair was an enormous store window on the productivity of American commerce. The nation's output of gold and silver, of telephones and electric lights, lumber and locomotives, sewing machines and pianos, could not be matched.
"The old nations of the earth creep on at a snail's pace," Andrew Carnegie declared, "the Republic thunders past with the rush of the express."
But like the Gilded Age itself, Chicago had a dark side. Urban squalor was spreading there as it was in most American cities. Filth, disease, vice, and abject poverty had become the norm in districts crowded with pestilential tenements. The city, a reporter wrote, was both the "cynosure and cesspool of the world." In 1891, two thousand citizens had died of typhoid.
Entering Chicago by train, travelers saw ugly stretches of smoky factories, slaughterhouses, freight yards, and slag heaps. An English visitor noted the "unrelieved ugliness" of the city. The working-class slums were swept by clouds of coal smoke and intersected by open sewers. The river that ran through the city's heart was caked with "grease so thick on its surface that it seemed a liquid rainbow." A Chicago newspaper complained that the city was permeated by a "solid stink. The river stinks. The air stinks. . . . No other word expresses it so well as stink."
The filth and indigence coexisted alongside the crass opulence of the city's parvenus. George Pullman's home on fashionable Prairie Avenue sat at the center of what a journalist referred to a "the very Mecca of Mammon." Kipling, although impressed by the city's bustle, was put off by the many "terrible people who talked money through their noses."
George Pullman thought he had found an answer to the city's problems. His manufacturing operation was housed in one of the largest factories in the world, which he had built fourteen miles south of Chicago near Lake Calumet. He needed housing to induce skilled workmen to move to the remote location. Rather than leave the matter to the market, Pullman built a planned community that he called Pullman, Illinois.
The all-brick town, a company brochure stated, might be "the culminating product in its enduring benefits to mankind, of the principles on which the entire Pullman fabric is reared." Those principles included the idea that "money could be safely invested in an elaboration of the utilitarian into the artistic and beautiful."
Fairgoers were encouraged to make the fifteen-minute trip to see the unique urban village. They could stroll the grid of streets, take in the neat lines of houses, the town square, the elegant parks, the elaborate Arcade Building, theater, and library. It was a town where order and cleanliness were sovereign.
The model town was one of Chicago's premier tourist attractions. Like the White City of the fair, it stood as a rebuke to Chicago's squalid tenements. In Pullman, garbage was picked up, sewage pumped away, lawns neatly mowed.
The buildings of the White City were temporary, mere sheds dressed in overcoats of plaster and whitewash. Pullman was built of brick and mortar. Experts confirmed that the model town might well represent a hope-filled future for industrial workers. Yet just as the White City's splendor was a false front, the enchanting surface of the model town hid problems that would, in less than a year, bring about a national crisis.
Although to Chicago's boosters the Exposition was an occasion for unqualified optimism, others were skeptical. The explosion of marvels and conveniences that swelled the exhibit spaces marked the victory of rough-edged capitalism. Most industrial workers, making less than $10 for a sixty-hour week, could not afford to visit the fair. Almost three-quarters of the nation's wealth was in the hands of two hundred thousand citizens.
The skeptical historian Henry Adams commented, "Chicago asked in 1893 for the first time the question whether the American people knew where they were driving." Edward Bellamy, author of the popular utopian novel Looking Backward, declared that the motive of the exhibition "under a sham pretense of patriotism is business, advertising with a view to individual money-making." Another observer called the fair a "triumph of materialism."
The coming of the railroads and the instant communication of the telegraph had, in one generation, ruptured the isolation of rural communities. Before the Civil War, America had been a country of small towns with local business owners, local markets, local credit, and local news. Now every village was exposed not only to markets and opportunity but also to the inequality and dissatisfactions of the wider world.
The 1890 census had revealed that the frontier, the line of settlement that had been pushing west since the nation's founding, no longer existed. During the fair, the scholar Frederick Jackson Turner would declare that it was the frontier that had shaped the American character. The availability of free land had allowed pioneers to turn their backs on rapacious landlords or demanding employers and head west. In the process, Turner asserted, they had developed a sense of self-reliance and practicality, along with the confidence, impatience, energy, and egalitarian morality that were distinctly American.
What would shape and inspire citizens now that the West was settled? What would happen to workers who could no longer escape urban slums? Were Americans destined to follow Europeans into a society in which an aristocratic upper class ruled over dependent laborers?
"The free lands are gone," Turner wrote, "the continent is crossed, and all this push and energy is turning into channels of agitation."
Abraham Lincoln had evoked a bygone era when he mused about a "penniless beginner" who at first works for wages, gradually saves a surplus, buys tools or land, and "then labors on his own account awhile, and at length hires another new beginner." This early version of the American Dream was a hollow myth by the waning years of the century.
The labor scarcity of the first half of the century, which had enhanced workers' power and freedom, had been erased by mechanization and mass immigration. The majority of workers were permanent hirelings, not budding entrepreneurs. In the workplace, independence— the defining feature of American society—had given way to the autocracy of bosses.
As industry grew without regulation, the bonds that connected workers to increasingly remote capitalists frayed. Railroad corporations were the first really big businesses in America and have been called "the seedbed of the American labor movement." A series of strikes, beginning with a spontaneous railroad upheaval in 1877, had jolted the country with increasing frequency through the 1880s. During the past seven years, Chicago alone had seen more than five hundred work stoppages. The revolts rattled the moneyed elite. Ordinary citizens found themselves ranked among the "dangerous classes," a common term for workers when they asserted collective rights.
Among those who would later attend and give a speech at the fair was a young union organizer named Eugene V. Debs. Lanky and energetic, the thirty-eight-year-old Debs had spent years promoting the interests of the firemen who stoked the boilers of the nation's locomotives. He had come to see that traditional trade unions were inadequate in the face of consolidated railroad monopolies. Like George Pullman, Debs had a vision of a brighter future for industrial workers, but one that was far more radical than the paternalism of the model town. That summer, he planned to gather all railroad employees into a single, potent union. Once organized, they would demand their rights—he was determined that they would get them.
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A Clue to a Secret Love of George Washington
by Mary Calvi
Those who read Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 550, in March of 1896, would have seen an illustration on page 572 depicting a romantic moment between George Washington and a woman who wasn't Martha. It is paired with an article, Colonel Washington: "In New York, he fell into a new ambush," the publication reads, "from which he did not come off without a wound. His friend Beverly Robinson must needs have Miss Mary Philipse at his house there, a beauty and an heiress, and Washington came away from her with a sharp rigor at his heart." Washington's first visit to New York occurred in February of 1756.
The article was likely a tantalizing read for the day. Its author who later became President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, explored a George Washington in his early 20s on the precipice of greatness. "There was that in his proud eyes and gentleman's bearing that marked him a man to be made friends with and respected," writes Wilson. "A good comrade he proved, without presence or bravado, but an ill man to scorn, as he went his way among them, lithe and alert, full six feet in his boots, with that strong gait as of a backwoodsman, and that haughty carriage as of a man born to have his will."
The woman who caused this sharp rigor at his heart was one of the richest belles in all of the colonies; her family owned miles of waterfront property from Manhattan northward along the Hudson River. She herself owned more than fifty-thousand acres, a rarity for an unmarried woman of the day.
Mary Eliza Philipse is the reason the journalist who is writing this article searched for the original 1896 Harper's publication. When the search turned successful and after purchasing it and after it arrived in its shipping package and after uncovering it and after turning the pages quickly, albeit gently, the image I had always believed existed, left me awestruck for it added a layer of affirmation to what I longed believed— young George Washington had a relationship with the New York heiress.
The actual drawing by Howard Pyle commissioned for Harper's New Monthly Magazine, I later learned, has been sitting in a storage unit at Boston Public Library for the past fifty or so years. It appears to show a date between George and this belle of the North. Of course, in the mid-1700s, this date would have been called an "interview" for polite society sake. Pyle drew the heiress holding a teacup as she is dressed in a fashionably flowing gown with cherries embroidered into it and wearing a small veil upon her upswept hairdo, along with a thin black necklace. Washington is a gallant figure costumed resplendently, complete with ornate coat, breeches, tricorn hat, and gold-buckled shoes. The illustration presents an image of the two sitting in an elegant parlor, facing each other, with the sun's rays coming through a window. If only the reader could have been fly on the wall for this affair, or maybe the two of them wanted their time together kept private. It certainly appears the latter is the case for their relationship has been buried in oblivion with history hiding it from prying eyes.
Count this author in as one of those sets of prying eyes for once I began my research which spanned years and consisted of digging through documents in dusty attics and basements, I couldn't stop until I found what I firmly believe to be the truth about Mary and her relationship with George.
Now years after purchasing this original 1896 publication and after examining mountains of documents comes this author's theory: Long before tea was tossed into Boston Harbor, unrequited love helped to spark a flame that ignited a cause that became the American Revolution.
What I found through primary sources revealed that not only Washington wanted to seize her surrender, so did a group of British men made up of officers, Colonels, even the Commander-in-Chief of the His Majesty's Army in North America. This tight-knit group took great lengths to keep Washington, a Virginian, and the heiress apart.
Washington's bitter resentment toward the British Army may have been cemented the moment she chose a British officer who was part of that group, a resentment that seemed to never sway in the years that led up to the Revolution.
Enter for a chance to win 1 of 5 hardcover copies of DEAR GEORGE, DEAR MARY!
Mary Calvi is a television news anchor in New York City. Her debut novel, DEAR GEORGE, DEAR MARY: A Novel of George Washington's First Love is based on her years of research studying thousands of pages of historical documents. The book will be published on February 19, 2019.
The post A Clue to a Secret Love of George Washington appeared first on The History Reader.
The Life and Death of Wild Bill Hickok
February 6, 2019 Bad Historian
Their names are legends on the American frontier: Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Wild Bill Hickok. We probably know the least about Wild Bill Hickok. Why is that? During his lifetime, no one's fame burned brighter than his, yet today, Wild Bill's life and times are a mystery to many. In Wild Bill, my new book about Wild Bill Hickok, the largely untold story of the greatest gunfighter of them all is finally revealed.
James Butler Hickok was born in May 1837 in Illinois. The Hickok family originally hailed from New England and were fierce abolitionists. On their Illinois farm, Hickok's father not only sheltered runaway slaves but in daring nighttime rides transported them via the Underground Railroad to safety further north. Young James and his brothers went on many of these rides to fool bounty hunters and were sometimes shot at while making a desperate escape. Ironically, when the Civil War began, James would be the only Hickok family member to serve in the Union Army.
Before the war, though, James left the farm for Missouri and Kansas and points west. "I am a pilgrim and a stranger and I am going to wander til I am twenty-one and then I will tarry a little while" the young James Hickok wrote to his mother Polly. He became a wagon driver, a teamster, and occasional scout with the U.S. Army. On one of the wagon trains west Hickok met a boy named Billy Cody. As the trek progressed, Cody met one of the drivers, who identified himself as James B. Hickok, "a tall, handsome, magnificently built and powerful young fellow, who could out-run, out-jump and out-fight any man in the train." One evening, Cody ran afoul of "a surly, overbearing" teamster twice his size, who knocked the boy down with one swat. Cody got up holding a pot of coffee, and he threw the scalding contents in the face of the man, who in turn "sprang at me with the ferocity of a tiger, and undoubtedly would have torn me to pieces."
What prevented this was the appearance of Hickok, who knocked the teamster down. He warned, "If you ever again lay a hand on that boy—little Billy there—I'll give you such a pounding that you won't get over it for a month of Sundays." Hickok may have saved Cody's life—an act that would be reciprocated a decade later.
When the Civil War broke out, the anti-slavery Hickok signed up with the Union Army. His activities included scouting and being a member of a unit of sharpshooters. But his most effective role was as Union spy disguised behind enemy lines. Time and again Hickok risked his neck to glean important information about the Confederate Army. One time, while dressed as a Confederate officer with General Marmaduke's rebel division.
To learn more about The Life and Death of Wild Bill Hickok, check out the article on the Unknown History channel on the Quick and Dirty Tips network. Or, listen to the entire episode below:
The post The Life and Death of Wild Bill Hickok appeared first on The History Reader.
Anniversary of Monumenta Germaniae Historica
January 29, 2019 Bad Historian
MGH, the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, celebrates its 200-year anniversary in 2019
On the 20thof January 1819, Baron Karl vom und zum Stein (1757 – 1831) founded a publishing society in his apartment in Frankfurt, the Monumenta Germaniae Historica. The Baron was a Prussian Statesman, who worked diligently for the unification of Germany, the abolition of serfdom, furthering free trade and the establishment of local administrative systems. As such, he was a true child of the enlightenment. In due course, though, he became gradually more inspired by British political thinking and following this, in the Prussian and Austrian rising against Napoleon. In 1809, Stein fled from Berlin to end up in Bohemia in the Austrian Empire. In 1812 he received an invitation to Russia. From there he campaigned to keep the Russian Tsar form entering a treaty with Napoleon. This ultimately led to the defeat, imprisonment, and exile of the French emperor. During the Vienna Congress, he was sidelined by his nationalist Prussian thinking. This led to his engagement in the furthering of historical research and text edition, and his foundation of the Monumenta.
The first volume was published in 1826 under the editorial auspices of Georg Heinrich Pertz containing an edition of Carolingian Annals. In 1935, the society was taken over by the Nazis and renamed "The Reichsinstitut für ältere Deutsche Geschichtskunde". In 1945, the institution was dissolved. In 1949, the institute was revived, now in Munich. In 1967, the institute together with its invaluable library and collection was incorporated in the Bavarian State Library. In 2004, the numerous editions were digitized; an invaluable service to the scholarly community of medievalists.
Perilous Future?
The celebration of the upcoming anniversary, however, takes place at a time when historical skills are busily deteriorating. Thus, between 1997 and 2011, the teaching of codicology, palaeography, epigraphy, diplomacy, numismatics, heraldry, sigillography, and record-keeping, lost a third of its university chairs in Germany[1]. At the same time, the availability of sources in a digital format calls for a renewal of the competences to handle the diverse texts and variants.
To name one example: When the Salic Law was finally edited and published by Karl August Eckhardt and MGH in 1962, the edition was based on the work of several generations of German historians. As such it was based on the idea, that it was possible to construe one authorised edition of the original text in its three versions (D, E, and S). Now, however, any serious work on the character and use of the Salic Law would have to acknowledge that we have at least 91 manuscripts (not counting fragments), all representing the law in its diversity. Comparative analysis at quite another level is now possible because of the digitisation of these manuscripts, calling for a renewed fostering of the traditional competencies listed above.
[1]Diskussionsforum: Historische Grundwissenschaften und die digitale Herausforderung. This Forum holds 28 contributions concerning the status of these disciplines as well as the shift from analogue to digital editions of sources.
Honouring the many international scholars, who are involved in the on-going editorial programme, MGH celebrates the anniversary with a series of events in Vienna, Berlin-Brandenburg, Munich, and Rome. Also, during the anniversary, a bicentennial publication – 200 Jahre Monumenta Germaniae Historica, will appear in print. Read the programme for the festivities.
The digitized collection of MGH
Also, the later text editions are made available as downloads from openMGH
Monumenta Germaniae Historica 1819-1969.
By Herbert Grundmann
Monumenta Germaniae Historica 1969
The post Anniversary of Monumenta Germaniae Historica appeared first on Medieval Histories.
David Downie
History of Science Fiction
Jewish Life in the Middle Age
Joan of Leeds
Medieval Germany
Medieval Historiography
Medieval Politics
Medieval Urban Studies
Modern(ish)
passion for paris
philip jett
True History
u.s.history
A medieval history news aggregate…
800 medieval illuminated manuscripts digitized March 18, 2019
A useful companion for a scholar: cats in the Middle Ages March 15, 2019
Medieval Irish Avicenna fragment found in English book March 6, 2019
On "the way of carnal lust", Joan of Leeds, and the difficulty of clerical celibacy March 3, 2019
On Sex Toys and Penance March 1, 2019
800 medieval illuminated manuscripts digitized
A useful companion for a scholar: cats in the Middle Ages
Medieval Irish Avicenna fragment found in English book
On "the way of carnal lust", Joan of Leeds, and the difficulty of clerical celibacy
On Sex Toys and Penance


In a stunning rebuke to the Zionist Organization and three of its Board Members, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued a ruling from the bench on February 27, 2019, denying a motion by the ZOA, its National President, Morton Klein, and two other Board Members, to dismiss the Complaint against them. Justice Engoron rejected every one of the Defendants' arguments and stated that the case would go forward. The Defendants' attempt to stall the lawsuit, which is based on allegations by David Drimer that the Defendants retaliated against him for blowing the whistle on secret, off-book compensation payments to Mort Klein, was rejected in its entirety. Notably, during the argument, counsel for some of the Defendants pointed out that during the years Drimer worked for the ZOA, he had received numerous raises — GLLLP managing partner Michael Gordon pointed out to Justice Engoron during the argument that Drimer was fired three business days after he submitted a whistleblower complaint to the New York State Attorney General's Office.
The ruling is particularly important because it is the first time a New York County (Manhattan) judge has ruled that a private right of action exists under the New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law Section 715-b. Until yesterday, only one federal court judge and two outer borough judges had weighed in on the issue. Justice Engoron's is the first New York County Supreme Court case to rule on the issue.
Justice Engoron also granted GLLLP's request to take expedited discovery of three senior ZOA Board members (and related document discovery) on the ground that one of them is of advanced age. Although not an ordinary turn of events, this expedited discovery will be important to secure relevant evidence.
And the Court denied the request by the Defendants to sanitize the Complaint so as to remove Drimer's allegations of misconduct by Klein.


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On October 25, 2016, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Treasury Department issued an advisory that provides financial institutions with guidance on their obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) to report cyber-enabled crimes. The advisory suggests that financial institutions should incorporate cyber-related information into their BSA and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) monitoring systems and include any relevant cyber-related events in their Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR).
Voluntary Sharing of Information by Financial Institutions related to Cyber-Events.
the systems targeted in the cyber-event.
The advisory provides specific examples of instances in which financial institutions have an obligation to report cyber-events in a SAR, even if no actual transaction has occurred.
The Guidance also suggests that institutions voluntarily report certain cyber-events. Those events include "egregious, significant, or damaging cyber-events and cyber-related crime" even if the transaction would not otherwise require the financial institution to file a SAR.
Institutions also should include cyber-related information when filing a voluntary SAR.
Other information the financial institution believes is relevant.
In some instances, the financial institution may file one SAR for multiple events if the events are similar in nature.
In the third area of the advisory, financial institutions are encouraged to share relevant information within the different departments of the institution. The sharing of such information could assist with identifying comprehensive threat assessments; develop stronger risk management strategies; and improve the identification, reporting and mitigation of cyber-events. By sharing information internally, other patterns of activity may be revealed that could result in additional SAR filings which will result in more comprehensive and complete reporting.
Finally, the advisory suggests that financial institutions should collaborate to identify threat, vulnerabilities and criminal activities and help mitigate risk to financial institutions. It should be noted that the Patriot Act provides a safe harbor from liability for financial institutions (after satisfying certain requirements) that voluntarily share cyber-related information in certain instances.


text:
Flying car company Kittyhawk, backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, will shut down
By Ralph S. Dillon Last updated Sep 22, 2022
Kittyhawk, the air taxi company backed by billionaire Google co-founder Larry Page, will close its doors, wreaking havoc on the long-elusive dream of developing flying cars.
"We have made the decision to end Kittyhawk," the company said on Twitter. "We are still working on the details of the sequel."
The company's technology is expected to live on in the form of its Wisk Aero joint venture with Boeing Co. Wisk's operations will not be affected by the Kittyhawk shutdown, Boeing said Wednesday.
We have made the decision to end Kittyhawk. We are still working on the details of the sequel.
— Kittyhawk (@kittyhawkcorp) September 21, 2022
Kittyhawk was founded in 2010 to pioneer the market for so-called eVTOL – electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft – with the lofty goal of democratize the sky. The secret company was led by Sebastian Thrun, a Google veteran who worked on self-driving cars, augmented reality glasses and other projects.
The company was one of many startups working on the concept, which turned out to be a bigger challenge than some had anticipated. Air taxis have had accidents during testing in recent months, raising concerns about their safety.
Initiated Previously reported on Kittyhawk's closure plans.
Kittyhawk formed its Wisk business with Boeing Co. in 2019, and the planemaker later invested $450 million in the partnership. Earlier this week, Boeing and Wisk outlined their vision for a world where eVTOLs can co-exist with larger commercial aircraft.
"Kittyhawk's decision to cease operations does not change Boeing's commitment to Wisk," a spokeswoman for the aircraft maker said in an email. "We are proud to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and excited to see the work they are doing to drive innovation and sustainability through the future of electric air travel."
The aviation titan helped showcase Wisk's rotor-powered Cora plane at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. In addition to funding the venture, Boeing has provided engineering resources for a larger four-seat electric plane that Wisk intends to eventually certify with U.S. regulators.
The air taxi market still has many competitors, including Joby Aviation Inc., Archer Aviation Inc., Germany's Lilium NV and Brazil's Eve, but they face uncertain prospects for these futuristic vehicles. Aviation regulators have yet to certify the next generation of flying machines to transport humans.
Kittyhawk's goal was to create an air taxi that could be remotely piloted, was smaller and lighter than other eVTOLs and could take off from almost anywhere. The company was aiming for a cost of less than $1 per mile, which would have made taxis cheaper than ride-sharing services.
Now, Kittyhawk's shutdown closes a chapter for one of eVTOL's most prominent pioneers – and shows just how tough the market is to crack. On Wednesday, the company still had this message on its homepage: "If anyone can do it, we can."
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Robert Sarver to sell Phoenix Suns and Mercury after harassment report
Global Multicultural Youth Forum "Dreams of Youth, Together for Growth" China-Greece Event


text:
package com.twu.biblioteca;

import java.util.*;

public class BibliotecaApp {

    private Menu libMenu;
    private Scanner scanner;

    public void setBooks(Map<String, String> books) {
        this.books = books;
    }

    private Map<String, String> books;

    public Menu getLibMenu() {
        return libMenu;
    }

    public Map<String, String> getBooks() {
        return books;
    }

    public BibliotecaApp() {
        this.libMenu = new Menu(new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList("List Books", "Other", "Quit")));
        this.scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
        this.books = new LinkedHashMap<String, String>();
        books.put("<book1>", "author: author1, published: 2017");
        books.put("<book2>", "author: author2, published: 2017");
        books.put("<book3>", "author: author3, published: 2017");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        welcome();
        System.out.println();
        BibliotecaApp bibliotecaApp = new BibliotecaApp();
        bibliotecaApp.libMenu.showMenu();
        int option = bibliotecaApp.scanner.nextInt();
        while ( option != 3) {
            bibliotecaApp.chooseMenu(option);
            bibliotecaApp.libMenu.showMenu();
            option = bibliotecaApp.scanner.nextInt();
        }
        bibliotecaApp.chooseMenu(option);
    }

    public static void welcome() {
        System.out.print("Welcome to Biblioteca!");
    }

    public void showBookList() {
        System.out.println("Books: ");
        for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : this.books.entrySet()) {
            System.out.println(entry.getKey() + " ---- " + entry.getValue());
        }
    }

    public void chooseMenu(int orderNumber) {
        if (orderNumber == 1) {
            showBookList();
        } else if (orderNumber == 2) {
            System.out.println("Select a valid option!");
        } else if (orderNumber == 3) {
            System.out.println("Thanks for using!");
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Colorado Rapids - Game Preview
By richardterry85 Jun 16, 2012, 8:00am MDT
Share All sharing options for: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Colorado Rapids - Game Preview
Whitecaps forward Darren Mattocks celebrates with teammate Eric Hassli after a goal. Hassli is one of the many attacking options Vancouver currently have at their disposal, Sebastien Le Toux among the others.
On Saturday, June 16th, the Colorado Rapids will play the Vancouver Whitecaps at the BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Major League Soccer has had a mini break due to recent regional World Cup Qualifiers.
Vancouver (6-3-4) have impressed during the first part of the 2012 campaign. The British Columbia based club has started well in a competitive Western Conference after finishing bottom of the table in 2011, their debut season. Colorado (6-6-1) currently find themselves right behind the Whitecaps in the Western table by three points.
The Rapids could have a boost with Conor Casey and Brian Mullen expected to play in Vancouver after both players traveled with the squad. Unfortunately, Omar Cummings did not travel and is still recovering from a sprained ankle; he reportedly is skipping the match partially because he doesn't want to risk re-injuring himself on the Vancouver turf.
Meanwhile, Vancouver has lost the services of Omar Salgado after the youngster broke his foot while on international duty with the United States U-20 national team. They won't cry for too long about that though, as they have plenty of other attacking options to work with in their 4-3-3 attack. Eric Hassli, Sebastien Le Toux and Darren Mattocks among others form a formidable strike force.
In 2011, the Rapids swept the Whitecaps in both fixtures. Vancouver is unbeaten in their previous three matches while Colorado will be looking for a second straight win over a Canadian club, after defeating Montreal Impact 3-2 on May 26th at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.


text:
namespace diophantienne {
    IterateurEquationLineaire::IterateurEquationLineaire(const GenerateurEquationLineaire &_source) : source(_source),
                                                                                t(0) {
    }

    bool IterateurEquationLineaire::operator!=(const IterateurEquationLineaire &it) const {
        return t != it.t;
    }

    std::pair<long long int, long long int> IterateurEquationLineaire::operator*() const {
        return source.solution(t);
    }

    const IterateurEquationLineaire &IterateurEquationLineaire::operator++() {
        source.suivant(*this);
        return *this;
    }

    GenerateurEquationLineaire::GenerateurEquationLineaire(long long int A, long long int B, long long int C) {
        // Ax + By + C = 0
        long long int g = arithmetique::PGCD(A, B);
        if (C % g != 0) {
            // Pas de solution
            return;
        }

        d = A / g;
        e = B / g;
        long long int f = C / g;

        long long int u;
        long long int v;
        arithmetique::Bezout(d, e, u, v);

        primitives.emplace_back(-f * u, -f * v);

        // x = et ± fu'
        // y = -dt ± fv'
        // t = any integer
    }

    IterateurEquationLineaire GenerateurEquationLineaire::begin() const {
        if (primitives.empty())
            return end();

        return IterateurEquationLineaire(*this);
    }

    IterateurEquationLineaire GenerateurEquationLineaire::end() const {
        IterateurEquationLineaire it(*this);
        it.t = std::string::npos;
        return it;
    }

    void GenerateurEquationLineaire::suivant(IterateurEquationLineaire &it) const {
        ++it.t;
    }

    std::pair<long long int, long long int> GenerateurEquationLineaire::solution(size_t t) const {
        size_t taille = primitives.size();
        auto ordre = static_cast<long long int>(t / taille);

        auto &primitive = primitives[t % taille];

        return std::make_pair(primitive.first + e * ordre, primitive.second - d * ordre);
    }

    GenerateurEquationLineaire equation_lineaire(long long int A, long long int B, long long int C) {
        return GenerateurEquationLineaire(A, B, C);
    }
}


A HISTORIC building has been saved thanks to people power.
Nearly 180 Neston residents signed a petition demanding that the town's 1930s Georgian revival-style police station was not destroyed to make way for housing.
Their objections were heard by the borough council's planning committee, which has rejected the scheme.
Linden Homes had applied for permission to demolish the Hinderton Road station and build 24 apartments in two blocks, plus nine town houses.
Neston Police Station, its court and two police houses were put on the council's List of Local Buildings of Architectural & Historic Interest last year.
A council report said: 'It was very well-built, circa 1939, has stood for 66 years and has no significant deterioration of the walls, roofs, porches or windows.
'There is great community interest in this building. We can't identify any comparable police building in Cheshire of similar quality, date, style or purpose.
A petition with 174 signatures from residents was sent to the council, saying the police station was 'part of Neston's heritage'. It added that erecting the development of three-storey homes wasn't in keeping with nearby two-storey homes and would cause traffic congestion.
Fourteen other letters were received by planners concerned about the high density of the development, security, loss of open green areas, loss of light to neighbours, no need for more housing, construction disturbance and extra noise due to parking.
Some residents even suggested developing around the police stationand turning it into a council office due to 'the poor quality of public facilities' in the town centre.
Neston Civic Society said the station provides 'a degree of interest and elegance' to the area, adding the proposal would completely change the streetscene.


Enjoy a relaxing morning at our Cincinnati lodging. A delicious full breakfast awaits you every morning of your overnight stay at the Weller Haus Bed, Breakfast & Event Center. For your convenience, you can decide to dine in the privacy of your own suite at the in-room breakfast table – or you can enjoy the ambiance of our Great Room and have the opportunity to engage with our staff and other guests. The open and inviting Great Room has vaulted ceilings and beautiful garden views that complement the setting during the spring, summer, and fall; our fireplace ensures a cozy atmosphere during the cooler season. And if you're a pianist, our studio grand piano in the dining room is waiting to be played by any guest while we prepare breakfast.
During check-in, we'll provide you with a menu that offers nine breakfast entrees, including both savory and sweet selections. We will ask you to choose your selection the night before, as well as a time and location to enjoy your meal so we can be ready for you in the morning with a freshly prepared in-house breakfast. We use local farm fresh organic eggs and produce to prepare your dish. Seasonal items such as tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and herbs are from our own garden.
Each entree is served with a selection of juice and a fresh fruit dish. Some of our current entree choices are listed below.
Breakfast is served between 8:45-9:45 am.
Banana pecan stuffed French toast–National B&B Breakfast contest winner, 2016.
Loaded Breakfast Potato–baked potato topped with scrambled eggs, veggies, bacon, chopped scallions & cheese. Add a side of sour cream–Yum!
Please let us know if you have dietary restrictions prior to your arrival whether it be vegetarian, vegan, low-fat, or gluten-free.


"Michael O'Shea's sole, breathtaking album ranks among our favourite of all time - yet hardly anyone seems to have heard of it.? Produced by Wire's Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis at the Dome studio in 1982, it's an utterly singular work of magick, meshing myriad, worldly modes into music that rarely fails to reduce us to tears.? It's one of those albums that basically sounds like nothing else - the only record we can draw some parallels to is Dariush Dolat-Shahi's life-changing Electronic Music, Tar and Sehtar, despite it coming from the other end of the world.
Aside from his two contributions to the Stano album, "Content To Dine In I Dine Weathercraft" (also recently reissued by Dublin's Allchival), O'Shea's first and only album is the main point of reference for this unique artist.? Like some eccentric expression of ancient Indo-European voices channeled thru a Celtic body, Michael O'Shea's improvised acousto-electric music intuitively distills a world of styles into singularly hypnotic works.? Using his self-built instrument; a hybrid of a zelochord and a sitar, made on a wooden door salvaged in Munich, and with the crucial addition of electric pick-ups and the "Black Hole Space Box," O'Shea would absorb sounds from his travels like a sponge, and relay them back thru the instrument with effortlessly freeform and achingly lush results as elaborate as a Celtic knot or elegant as Sanskrit text.
The mercurial flow of syncretised styles in 15 minute opener "No Journey's End" catches your breath and doesn't give it back, leaving us utterly light-headed and feeling something akin to religious experience, before his "Kerry" vignette most beautifully limns the epic coastline he hails from.? The plasmic swirl and phasing of "Guitar No. 1" is perhaps the one piece that time dates the LP to the post-punk era, even if it could have come from ancient Mesopotamia, while the album and artist's underlying metaphysics bleed thru most hauntingly in the timbral shadowplay of "Voices," and the rapidly tremulous, animist voodoo of "Anfa Dásachtach."


oooo oooo ooooh! i LOVE purple! i'd also love to be entered in the drawing!
this is gorgeous! please add me to your drawing, i'd love to win your tote!
it took me FOREVER to get that stupid thing down right. i used planetjune's tutorial most often, and finally one day, it just clicked and i've been using it since. just keep playing with it...you may eventually find a technique all your own that works.
oh nuts, never mind then. our store carries a couple shades of green, a brick red, and grey. no purple at all...i know cuz i bought all the purple (name was "plum" something) the last time they had any. sorry!
what general color is heather mist? our local store still carries it in a few colors. i can check next time i'm there.
that is the most ridiculously cute thing i've ever seen! i love it!
oooh, i'd love to be included! i love caron SS!
oh, please add me to this one! i'm going to start making some cotton yarn kitty toys for a kitty rescue, so small bits and partial skeins are perfect for making little things!
i found my 9mm metal hook at walmart as well. they have a pretty small selection at my store, but just happened to have the size i needed. they had B thru J or so, then skipped up to N.
Turtles TLC will live on! Just a little differently!
those are great! and glad to hear you'll keep making them.


text:
El Príncipe Alexandru Sturdza (Александр Скарлатович Стурдза; Iași, Moldavia, 18 de noviembre de 1791- Odessa, 13 de junio de 1854) era un publicista y diplomático ruso de origen de rumano. En sus escritos, se refiere a sí mismo con el nombre en francés Alexandre Stourdza.

Primeros años
Alexandru Sturdza era un miembro de la familia Sturdza, nacido en Jassy, en Moldavia, hijo de Scarlat Sturdza, Gobernador de Bessarabia y la Princesa Ekaterina Mourousis, hija de Constantine Mourouzis, Príncipe de Moldavia. A través de su madre está relacionado con todas las familias griegas Fanariotas. Alexandru Sturdza era hermano de Roxandra Edling-Sturdza y primo de Mihail Sturdza, Príncipe de Moldavia de 1834 a 1849. Después de que su familia huyera a Bessarabia en 1802 para evitar la represión del Imperio Otomano, fue educado en Alemania y Rusia.

Vida más tardía
Entró en el servicio diplomático ruso en 1809 y actuó como secretario de Ioannis Kapodistrias durante el Congreso de Viena. Bajo este cargo, redactó la primera versión del tratado de la Alianza Santa, de las notas manuscritas del Zar Alejandro I. Debido a sus orígenes griegos y su amistad con Ioannis Kapodistrias, fue un gran soporte del Filhellenismo antes y durante la Guerra griega de Independencia. Junto con su hermana Roxandra  patrocinó actividades filantrópicas para ayudar a los refugiados de guerra griega. Se retiró a Odessa en 1830, donde se dedicó a sus obras literarias.

Vida personal
En 1819 se asentó en Dresden y se casó con Elisabeth, hija del médico Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland. Tuvieron un hijo y una hija:

 Principe Nicolae Sturdza (muerto en 1832) casado con la Princesa Maria Rosetti-Roznovanu y padre de la Princesa Pulcheria Sturdza (1831-1874) (casada con Keșco), abuelo de la Reina Natalie de Serbia (1859-1941) y bisabuelo del Rey Alejandro I de Serbia (1876-1903). Sus dos otras hijas eran la Princesa Ekaterina Muruzi y la Princesa Zoe Cantacuzino.

 Princesa Maria Sturdza (1821-1890) casada con el Príncipe Eugen Gagarin y era progenitora de la Casa Gagarin-Sturdza.

Trabajos
Se esforzó en desarrollar una forma renovada del cristianismo ortodoxo y en promoverlo en Europa Occidental, escribiío Considérations sur la doctrina et l'esprit de l'Église orthodoxe (Stuttgart, 1816).

Su Mémoire sur l'état actuel de l'Allemagne, escrita por la petición del Zar Alejandro I durante el Congreso de Aquisgran, era un ataque a las universidades alemanas, repetido en Golpe d'oeil sur les universites de l'Allemagne (Aachen, 1818). Despertó una gran indignación en Alemania, que ha sido atribuida a la ligereza con qué acusó el carácter nacional alemán y catalogaba las universidades como semilleros del espíritu revolucionario y del ateísmo. Sus otros trabajos importantes son La Grèce en 1821 (Leipzig, 1822) y Oeuvres posthumes religieuses, historiques, philosophiques et litteraires (5 vols., París, 1858-1861).

Notas

Bibliografía

 Stella Ghervas, Alexandre Stourdza (1791@–1854). Un intellectuel orthodoxe Cara à l'Occidente. Genève, Ed. Suzanne Hurter, 1999.  ISBN 2-940031-66-5
 Stella Ghervas, Réinventer la tradición. Alexandre Stourdza et l'Europa de la Sainte-Alianza. París, Honoré Campeón, 2008.  ISBN 978-2-7453-1669-1
 Durchleuchtung eines Verrats. Der Fall des Oberst Alexandru D. Sturdza, von Petre Otu und Maria Georgescu. Taschenbuch. Lektor Verlag. 2022. Hainburg.

Nacidos en Iași
Fallecidos en Odesa
Diplomáticos de Rumania
Rusos del siglo XIX
Rumanos del siglo XIX

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
<?php

namespace Chromabits\Illuminated\Jobs\Tasks;

use Carbon\Carbon;
use Chromabits\Illuminated\Jobs\Interfaces\JobSchedulerInterface;
use Chromabits\Illuminated\Jobs\Job;
use Chromabits\Illuminated\Jobs\JobState;
use Chromabits\Nucleus\Meditation\Boa;
use Chromabits\Nucleus\Meditation\Spec;

/**
 * Class GarbageCollectTask.
 *
 * Performs garbage collection tasks for the jobs table to make sure everything
 * runs smoothly over time:
 *
 * - Remove stale jobs (configurable through the days parameter)
 *
 * @author Eduardo Trujillo <ed@chromabits.com>
 * @package Chromabits\Illuminated\Jobs\Tasks
 */
class GarbageCollectTask extends BaseTask
{
    /**
     * Description of the task.
     *
     * @var string
     */
    protected $description = 'Perform garbage collection tasks to keep the'
    . ' job service working smoothly.';

    /**
     * Process a job.
     *
     * Note: A handler implementation does not need to worry about exception
     * handling and retries. All this is automatically managed by the task
     * runner.
     *
     * @param Job $job
     * @param JobSchedulerInterface $scheduler
     */
    public function fire(Job $job, JobSchedulerInterface $scheduler)
    {
        $jobs = Job::query()
            ->whereIn(
                'state',
                [
                    JobState::FAILED,
                    JobState::COMPLETE,
                    JobState::CANCELLED,
                ]
            );

        $repeatIn = $job->get('repeatIn', -1);

        // How far back to look
        $days = $job->get('days', 30);
        $jobs->where('created_at', '<', Carbon::now()->subDays($days));

        $job->append('Removing jobs from ' . $days . ' days ago');

        $total = $jobs->count();
        $processed = 0;

        $jobs->chunk(25, function ($jobs) use (&$processed, $total, $job) {
            $processed += count($jobs);

            foreach ($jobs as $staleJob) {
                $staleJob->delete();
            }

            $job->append('Progress: ' . $processed . '/' . $total);
        });

        if ($repeatIn > -1) {
            $scheduler->pushCopy(
                $job,
                Carbon::now()->addMinutes(max($repeatIn, 1)),
                Carbon::now()->addMinutes($job->get('expiresAfter', 1440))
            );
        }
    }

    /**
     * Return documentation.
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function getReference()
    {
        return [
            'days' => 'Minimum amount days for a job to be considered stale.',
            'repeatIn' => 'Re-run gc in N minutes (-1 = Do nothing)',
            'expireAfter' => '(When repeatIn > -1) Expire the job if its not'
                . ' ran after N minutes.',
        ];
    }

    /**
     * @inheritDoc
     */
    public function getSpec()
    {
        return Spec::define([
            'days' => Boa::integer(),
            'repeat_in' => Boa::integer(),
            'expire_after' => Boa::integer(),
        ], [
            'days' => 30,
            'repeat_in' => -1,
            'expire_after' => 1440,
        ]);
    }
}