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BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing
What are BRCA1 and BRCA2?
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that produce tumor suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged DNA and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of the cell's genetic material. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, such that its protein product is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly.
As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to cancer. Specific inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers, and they have been associated with increased risks of several additional types of cancer. Together, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations account for about 20% to 25% of hereditary breast cancers1 and about 5% to 10% of all breast cancers.2 In addition, mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for around 15% of ovarian cancers overall.3
Breast cancers associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations tend to develop at younger ages than sporadic breast cancers. A harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation can be inherited from a person's mother or father. Each child of a parent who carries a mutation in one of these genes has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation. The effects of mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are seen even when a person's second copy of the gene is normal.
How much does having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation increase a woman's risk of breast and ovarian cancer?
A woman's lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Breast cancer: About 12% of women in the general population will develop breast cancer sometime during their lives.4 By contrast, according to the most recent estimates, 55% to 65% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation and around 45% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70 years.5,6
Ovarian cancer: About 1.4% of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer sometime during their lives.4 By contrast, according to the most recent estimates, 39% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation5,6 and 11% to 17% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 mutation will develop ovarian cancer by age 70 years.5,6
It is important to note that these estimated percentages of lifetime risk are different from those available previously; the estimates have changed as more information has become available, and they may change again with additional research. No long-term general population studies have directly compared cancer risk in women who have and do not have a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
It is also important to note that other characteristics of a particular woman can make her risk higher or lower than the average risks. These characteristics include her family history of breast, ovarian, and, possibly, other cancers; the specific mutation(s) she has inherited; and other risk factors, such as her reproductive history. However, none of these other factors is as strong as the effect of carrying a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
What other cancers have been linked to mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2?
Harmful BRCA1 mutations may increase a woman's risk of developing fallopian tube cancer and peritoneal cancer.7,8 Men with BRCA2 mutations, and to a lesser extent BRCA1 mutations, are also at increased risk of breast cancer.9 Men with harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have a higher risk of prostate cancer.10 Men and women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations may be at increased risk of pancreatic cancer.10
Do inherited mutations in other genes increase the risk of breast and/or ovarian tumors?
Yes. Mutations in a number of other genes have been associated with increased risks of breast and/or ovarian cancers.2,12 These other genes include several that are associated with inherited disorders, such as Lynch syndrome and Li-Fraumeni syndrome, that increase the risk of many cancer types. However, in nearly half of families with multiple cases of breast cancer and in up to 90 percent of families with both breast and ovarian cancer, their disease is caused by harmful mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Are mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 more common in certain racial/ethnic populations than others?
Yes. People of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have a higher prevalence of harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations than people in the general population. Other ethnic and geographic populations around the world, such as the Norwegian, Dutch, and Icelandic peoples, also have higher prevalences of specific harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In addition, limited data indicate that the prevalence of specific harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may vary among individual racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and non-Hispanic whites.13,14
Are genetic tests available to detect BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations?
Yes. Several different tests are available, including tests that look for a known mutation in one of the genes (i.e., a mutation that has already been identified in another family member) and tests that check for all possible mutations in both genes. DNA (from a blood or saliva sample) is needed for mutation testing. The sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis. It usually takes about a month to get the test results.
Who should consider genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations?
Because harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are relatively rare in the general population, most experts agree that mutation testing of individuals who do not have cancer should be performed only when the person's family history suggests the possible presence of a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. The likelihood of a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is increased with certain familial patterns of cancer. These patterns include the following15:
Multiple breast and/or ovarian cancers within a family (often diagnosed at an early age)
Two or more primary cancers in a single family member (more than one breast cancer, or breast and ovarian cancer)
Cases of male breast cancer
In a family with one of these cancer history patterns, it may be most informative to first test a family member who has breast or ovarian cancer if that person is still alive and willing to be tested. If that person is found to have a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, then other family members may want to consider genetic counseling to learn more about their potential risks and whether genetic testing for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 might be appropriate for them.
Even if it is not possible to confirm the presence of a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in a family member who has cancer, women with a family medical history that suggests the presence of such a mutation may also want to consider genetic counseling and possible testing. Several professional organizations and expert groups, such as the United States Preventive Services Task Force, have developed clinical criteria that can be helpful to health care providers in identifying individuals for whom BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation testing may be appropriate.15
Some women—for example, those who were adopted at birth—may not know their family history. If a woman with an unknown family history has an early-onset breast cancer or ovarian cancer, it may be reasonable for her to consider genetic testing for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Women with an unknown family history and who do not have an early-onset cancer, even if they think they have an Ashkenazi Jewish background, are at very low risk of having a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and are unlikely to benefit from genetic testing.
Professional societies do not recommend that children, even those with a family history suggestive of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, undergo genetic testing. This is because no risk-reduction strategies for children exist, and their risk of developing a cancer type associated with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is extremely low. After they become adults, however, they may want to obtain genetic counseling about whether or not to undergoing genetic testing.
Should people considering genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations talk with a genetic counselor?
Genetic counseling is generally recommended before and after any genetic test for an inherited cancer syndrome. This counseling should be performed by a health care professional who is experienced in cancer genetics. Genetic counseling usually covers many aspects of the testing process, including:
A hereditary cancer risk assessment based on an individual's personal and family medical history
Discussion of:
The appropriateness of genetic testing
The medical implications of a positive or a negative test result
The possibility that a test result might not be informative (see Question 12)
The psychological risks and benefits of genetic test results
The risk of passing a mutation to children
Explanation of the specific test(s) that might be used and the technical accuracy of the test(s)
How much does BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing cost?
The cost for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing usually ranges from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Insurance policies vary with regard to whether or not the cost is covered. People considering BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing may want to find out about their insurance coverage for genetic tests before having the test. Some of the genetic testing companies that offer testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may offer testing at no charge to patients who lack insurance and meet specific financial and medical criteria.
What does a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic test result mean?
BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation testing can give several possible results: a positive result, a negative result, or an ambiguous or uncertain result. A positive test result indicates that a person has inherited a known harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 and, therefore, has an increased risk of developing certain cancers. However, a positive test result cannot tell whether an individual will actually develop cancer or when.
Many women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation will never develop breast or ovarian cancer. A positive genetic test result may also have important health and social implications for family members (see Question 15), including future generations. Unlike most other medical tests, genetic tests can reveal information not only about the person being tested but also about that person's relatives:
Both men and women who inherit harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, whether or not they develop cancer themselves, may pass the mutations on to their sons and daughters. Each child has a 50% chance of inheriting a parent's mutation.
If a person learns that he or she has inherited a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, this will mean that each of his or her siblings has a 50 percent chance of having inherited the mutation as well.
What does a negative BRCA1 or BRCA2 test result mean?
A negative test result can be more difficult to understand than a positive result because what the result means depends in part on an individual's family history of cancer. If a close (first- or second-degree) relative of the tested person is known to carry a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, a negative test result is clear: it means that person does not carry the harmful mutation and cannot pass it on to their children. Such a test result is called a "true negative."
A person with such a test result has the same risk of cancer as someone in the general population. If the tested person has a family history that suggests the possibility of having a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 but no such mutation has been identified in the family, a negative result is less clear. The likelihood that genetic testing will miss a known harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is very low, but it could happen.
Moreover, scientists continue to discover new BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and have not yet identified all potentially harmful ones. Therefore, it is possible that a person in this scenario with a negative test result actually has an as-yet unknown harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation that has not been identified. It is also possible for people to have a mutation in a gene other than BRCA1 or BRCA2 that increases their cancer risk but is not detectable by the test used. People considering genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may want to discuss these potential uncertainties with a genetic counselor before undergoing testing (see Question 8).
What does an ambiguous BRCA1 or BRCA2 test result mean?
Sometimes, a genetic test finds a change in BRCA1 or BRCA2 that has not been previously associated with cancer. This type of test result may be described as "ambiguous" (often referred to as "a genetic variant of uncertain significance") because it isn't known whether the gene change affects a person's risk of developing cancer.
One study found that 10% of women who underwent BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing had this type of ambiguous result.16 As more research is conducted and more people are tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, scientists will learn more about these changes and cancer risk. Genetic counseling can help a person understand what an ambiguous change in BRCA1 or BRCA2 may mean in terms of cancer risk.
How can a person who has a positive test result manage their risk of cancer?
Several options are available for managing cancer risk in individuals who have a known harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. These include enhanced screening, prophylactic (risk-reducing) surgery, and chemoprevention.
Enhanced Screening. Some women who test positive for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may choose to start screening at younger ages than the general population or have more frequent screening. For example, some experts recommend that women who carry a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation undergo clinical breast examinations beginning at age 25 to 35 years.17 And some expert groups recommend that women who carry such a mutation have a mammogram every year, beginning at age 25 to 35 years.
Enhanced screening may increase the chance of detecting breast cancer at an early stage, when it may have a better chance of being treated successfully. However, women who carry mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 may be more likely to develop radiation-associated breast cancer than women in the general population because those genes are involved in the repair of DNA breaks, which can be caused by exposure to radiation.
Women who have a positive test result should ask their health care provider about the risks of diagnostic tests that involve radiation (mammograms or x-rays). Recent studies have shown that MRI may be more sensitive than mammography for women at high risk of breast cancer.18,19 However, mammography can identify some breast cancers that are not identified by MRI (20), and MRI may be less specific (i.e., lead to more false-positive results) than mammography. Several organizations, such as the American Cancer Society and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, now recommend annual screening with mammography and MRI for women who have a high risk of breast cancer.
No effective methods of ovarian cancer screening currently exist. Some groups recommend transvaginal ultrasound examinations, blood tests for the antigen CA-125, and clinical examinations for ovarian cancer screening in women with harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, but none of these methods appears to detect ovarian tumors at an early enough stage to reduce the risk of dying from ovarian cancer.21 The benefits of screening for breast and other cancers in men who carry harmful mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is also not known, but some expert groups recommend that men who are known to carry a harmful mutation undergo regular mammography as well as testing for prostate cancer.
Prophylactic (Risk-reducing) Surgery. Prophylactic surgery involves removing as much of the "at-risk" tissue as possible. Women may choose to have both breasts removed (bilateral prophylactic mastectomy) to reduce their risk of breast cancer. Surgery to remove a woman's ovaries and fallopian tubes (bilateral prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy) can help reduce her risk of ovarian cancer.
Removing the ovaries also reduces the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women by eliminating a source of hormones that can fuel the growth of some types of breast cancer. No evidence is available regarding the effectiveness of bilateral prophylactic mastectomy in reducing breast cancer risk in men with a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation or a family history of breast cancer. Therefore, bilateral prophylactic mastectomy for men at high risk of breast cancer is considered an experimental procedure, and insurance companies will not normally cover it.
Prophylactic surgery does not completely guarantee that cancer will not develop because not all at-risk tissue can be removed by these procedures. Some women have developed breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or primary peritoneal carcinomatosis (a type of cancer similar to ovarian cancer) even after prophylactic surgery. Nevertheless, the mortality reduction associated with this surgery is substantial: one study showed that women who underwent bilateral prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy had a nearly 80% reduction in risk of dying from ovarian cancer and a more than 50% reduction in risk of dying from breast cancer.22
Some evidence suggests that the amount of protection that removing the ovaries and fallopian tubes provides against the development of breast and ovarian cancer may differ between carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.23
Chemoprevention. Chemoprevention is the use of drugs, vitamins, or other agents to try to reduce the risk of, or delay the recurrence of, cancer. Although two chemopreventive drugs (tamoxifen and raloxifene) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women at increased risk, the role of these drugs in women with harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations is not yet clear.
Data from three studies suggest that tamoxifen may be able to help lower the risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers24, including the risk of cancer in the opposite breast among women previously diagnosed with breast cancer.25,26 Studies have not examined the effectiveness of raloxifene in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers specifically. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) may lower the risk of ovarian cancer in women with harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.27
What are some of the benefits of genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer risk?
There can be benefits to genetic testing, regardless of whether a person receives a positive or a negative result. The potential benefits of a negative result include a sense of relief and the possibility that special checkups, tests, or preventive surgeries may not be needed. A positive test result can bring relief from uncertainty and allow people to make informed decisions about their future, including taking steps to reduce their cancer risk. In addition, people who have a positive test result may be able to participate in medical research that could, in the long run, help reduce deaths from breast and ovarian cancer (see Question 17).
What are some of the risks of genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer risk?
The direct medical risks, or harms, of genetic testing are minimal, but knowledge of test results may have harmful effects on a person's emotions, social relationships, finances, and medical choices. People who receive a positive test result may feel anxious, depressed, or angry. They may have difficulty making choices about whether to have preventive surgery or about which surgery to have. People who receive a negative test result may experience "survivor guilt," caused by the knowledge that they likely do not have an increased risk of developing a disease that affects one or more loved ones.
Because genetic testing can reveal information about more than one family member, the emotions caused by test results can create tension within families. Test results can also affect personal choices, such as decisions about marriage and childbearing. Violations of privacy and of the confidentiality of genetic test results are additional potential risks. However, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and various state laws protect the privacy of a person's genetic information.
Moreover, the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, along with many state laws, prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in relation to health insurance and employment, although it does not cover life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance. Finally, there is a small chance that test results may not be accurate, leading people to make decisions based on incorrect information. Although inaccurate results are unlikely, people with these concerns should bring them up during genetic counseling.
What are the implications of having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation for breast and ovarian cancer prognosis and treatment?
A number of studies have investigated possible differences between breast and ovarian cancers that are associated with harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and cancers that are not associated with these mutations. There is some evidence that, over the long term, women who carry these mutations are more likely to develop a second cancer in both the same (ipsilateral) breast and the opposite (contralateral) breast than women who do not carry these mutations.
Thus, some women with a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation who develop breast cancer in one breast opt for a bilateral mastectomy, even if they would otherwise be candidates for breast-conserving surgery. In fact, because of the increased risk of a second breast cancer among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, some doctors recommend that women with early-onset breast cancer and those whose family history is consistent with a mutation in one of these genes have genetic testing at diagnosis.
Breast cancers in women with a harmful BRCA1 mutation are also more likely to be triple-negative cancers, and these cancers generally have poorer prognosis than other breast cancers. However, one study found that, among women with ovarian cancer, those with a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were more likely to survive for 5 years than those without such a mutation. The outcomes were best among women with a BRCA2 mutation.28
Because the products of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are involved in DNA repair, some investigators have suggested that cancer cells with a harmful mutation in either of these genes may be more sensitive to anticancer agents that act by damaging DNA, such as cisplatin. In preclinical studies, drugs called PARP inhibitors, which block the repair of DNA damage, have been found to arrest the growth of cancer cells that have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. These drugs have also shown some activity in cancer patients who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, and researchers are continuing to develop and test these drugs.
What research is currently being done to help individuals with harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations?
Research studies are being conducted to find new and better ways of detecting, treating, and preventing cancer in people who carry mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Additional studies are focused on improving genetic counseling methods and outcomes. Our knowledge in these areas is evolving rapidly. Information about active clinical trials (research studies with people) for individuals with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations is available on NCI's website. The following links will retrieve lists of clinical trials open to individuals with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
BRCA1 mutation carriers
NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) can also provide information about clinical trials and help with clinical trial searches.
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What about the use of games in the classroom?
The heart of mathematics education is problem solving. Thinking games pose one problem after another problem – a whole sequence of problems that end with victory or defeat. They fit naturally into a mathematics classroom for that reason alone.
Are there other reasons games belong?
Yes – some games hit the curriculum multiple times. For example, many games require that scores be added or probabilities estimated.
So what type of games do you think a classroom should have?
• Games that blend luck and strategy – like For Sale and Perudo.
• Games of deduction – like Avalon or Werewolf.
For this blog-talk, let's focus on games that hit the elementary mathematics curriculum multiple times. What are your top few recommendations and how do you choose?
1) Easy to learn / Difficult to master.
2) Takes between 5 and 30 minutes.
3) Not critical if a piece is lost.
4) Easy to clean up.
Perudo or Liars Dice is a game that blends luck and strategy and is useful to give students an intuition for probability before they grapple with the mathematics. All that is needed for the game are five dice per team. Finding the best way to play Perudo is an unsolved problem.
If I had to recommend just one site it would be www.littlegolem.net. It automatically saves all of your old games for discussion and the competition play is fantastic. It is also a SLOW experience – players typically make just one or two moves a day per game. Online gaming on littlegolem is also free, illegal moves are impossible, and you can play world champions if you get good enough.
However, game addiction, security and lack of social interaction are real issues with online gaming.
There are many games that are not ideal for classroom usage, but are fantastic to support the elementary mathematics curriculum from either home or a progressive school library.
Lost Cities by Reiner Knizia (PhD mathematics) provides an exciting introduction to basic multiplication (x2, x3, and x4) The game is only for two players and the price is a bit high for a card game so it won't work well in many classrooms, but it is satisfyingly fast and forces players to make tough decisions based on limited information. (Thanks to Manuel Pombeiro for the rightmost image. It is for non-commercial use only and must be attributed to him.
Before we go, where do people go to find out about quality games?


text:
package net.runelite.client.plugins.xptracker;

import com.google.inject.Guice;
import com.google.inject.testing.fieldbinder.Bind;
import com.google.inject.testing.fieldbinder.BoundFieldModule;
import javax.inject.Inject;
import net.runelite.api.Client;
import net.runelite.api.GameState;
import net.runelite.api.Player;
import net.runelite.api.Skill;
import net.runelite.api.events.GameStateChanged;
import net.runelite.api.events.GameTick;
import net.runelite.api.events.StatChanged;
import net.runelite.client.game.NPCManager;
import net.runelite.client.game.SkillIconManager;
import net.runelite.client.ui.ClientToolbar;
import net.runelite.client.ui.overlay.OverlayManager;
import net.runelite.http.api.xp.XpClient;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.mockito.Mock;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
import org.mockito.junit.MockitoJUnitRunner;

@RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
public class XpTrackerPluginTest
{
	@Inject
	private XpTrackerPlugin xpTrackerPlugin;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private ClientToolbar clientToolbar;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private Client client;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private SkillIconManager skillIconManager;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private XpTrackerConfig xpTrackerConfig;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private XpClient xpClient;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private NPCManager npcManager;

	@Mock
	@Bind
	private OverlayManager overlayManager;

	@Before
	public void before()
	{
		Guice.createInjector(BoundFieldModule.of(this)).injectMembers(this);

		when(client.getLocalPlayer()).thenReturn(mock(Player.class));

		xpTrackerPlugin.setXpPanel(mock(XpPanel.class));
	}

	@Test
	public void testOfflineXp()
	{
		GameStateChanged gameStateChanged = new GameStateChanged();
		gameStateChanged.setGameState(GameState.LOGGING_IN);

		// Flag initialization of tracker
		xpTrackerPlugin.onGameStateChanged(gameStateChanged);
		when(client.getSkillExperience(Skill.ATTACK)).thenReturn(42);
		// Initialize tracker
		xpTrackerPlugin.onGameTick(new GameTick());

		// Gain attack xp
		StatChanged statChanged = new StatChanged(
			Skill.ATTACK,
			100,
			2,
			2
		);
		xpTrackerPlugin.onStatChanged(statChanged);

		// Offline gain
		when(client.getSkillExperience(Skill.ATTACK)).thenReturn(42000);
		// Flag initialization of tracker
		xpTrackerPlugin.onGameStateChanged(gameStateChanged);
		// Initialize tracker
		xpTrackerPlugin.onGameTick(new GameTick());

		// Start at 42 xp, gain of 58 xp, offline gain of 41900 xp - offset start XP: 42 + 41900
		XpStateSingle skillState = xpTrackerPlugin.getSkillState(Skill.ATTACK);
		assertEquals(41942, skillState.getStartXp());
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Catholic Charities of Wyoming is a statewide, non-profit, licensed adoption agency created in 1964. The agency has a network of caseworkers providing pregnancy and adoption services to Wyoming residents of all faiths.
--Placement Services - networking nationwide, assistance with subsidies, interstate compact requirements, transitioning, community support services, etc.
--Charges based upon services rendered.
Please contact our office for the specific applications you need. For your convenience, these forms can also be filled out and submitted electronically. Please contact Emily Cole at 307-637-0554.


text:
The Validity of Experimenal Literature
In 2002, there was a big debate over the validity of experimental literature. It was sparked by an article in the New Yorker, September 30 2002, where "Jonathan Franzen writes about the career of William Gaddis, one of the most imposing modern novelists, and considers the question of whether a novel's difficulty is related to its quality as literature". In the online interview that accompanied the article, Franzen raised a few concerns about what he calls "difficult literature".
As a student, you're handed Milton or Shakespeare, you're told that it's great literature, and you find it difficult to read – at least, at first. If you think of a novel as a contract between the reader and the writer, an agreement to entertain and be entertained, difficulty doesn't make much sense. But, as soon as you have "important literature," books with some sort of cultural status, the notion of difficulty sets in.
Once you bring in "Ulysses," […] it's now our leading model of a work of great literature. It's the iconic modern text; it routinely tops lists of the best novels of the twentieth century – which sends this message to the common reader: Literature is horribly hard to read. […] This is fucked up. It's particularly fucked up in an era when the printed word is fighting other media for its very life.
He draws an important distinction here, between a "contract writer", whose contract is to meet the reader in an entertaining middle ground; and on the other hand there is the "difficult" literature with a "great" reputation that he says owes more to its difficulty than to its quality.
You could group athletes similarly – wrestlers for example. On one hand, there's Hulk Hogan, who is under contract to be entertaining, and then there's an Olympic wrestler, whose "greatness" depends largely on the difficulty of his athletic feats. Franzen makes a fair distinction, in other words. He used a similar athletic comparison himself. The interviewer never asked, but many readers got the impression that Franzen would be more entertained by Hulk Hogan, and he probably couldn't be bothered to watch the Olympic variety of wrestling. The athletic analogy is wearing thin.
In Defense of "Difficult" Literature
In response to Franzen, Ben Marcus wrote an article in Harper's , sarcastically titled "Why experimental fiction threatens to destroy publishing, Jonathan Franzen, and life as we know it". In this article, Marcus devotes more than a dozen pages to ripping Franzen a new asshole for suggesting that difficult literature isn't good literature. An article in Slate magazine summarized the argument as "an unnecessary, and disingenuous, attempt to repolarize American literary culture." (Repolarize? Go to a lit class. Now go to a bookstore. Compare. Note the polarity. It is not a new polarity, and the argument here is just another episode in an ongoing epic.) Anyway, Slate's Jess Rowe sums the whole argument up very well.
It would be one thing if the literary world really did comprise omnipotent insiders and destitute outsiders, arrogant avant-gardists and thoughtful Contract novelists. But Marcus and Franzen are both shadowboxing around a more complicated truth: that the modernist credo – "To Make It New" – is part of every contemporary novelist's DNA, as is a certain degree of ambivalence about the gravitational pull of narrative toward certain well-established forms. We need a vocabulary that can explain a novel like Edward P. Jones' The Known World, which at times feels deeply archaic and yet unfamiliar, rewarding the reader's expectations on one level and frustrating them on another. Resorting to terms as all-encompassing and diluted as "realist" and "experimental" isn't furthering the debate.
Rowe must mean by "repolarize" that there's an additional polarity here, not that an existing polarity has been rehashed. First, we have the dichotomy between "difficult" and "digestible"literature. That's the dichotomy that concerns Franzen. Then, we have the dichotomy between "realist" and "experimental" literature. It has been pointed out, fairly so, that this isn't really much of a dichotomy at all. An experimental form of literature can still depict reality, albeit in novel ways. The electronic book review describes the argument in familiar terms, as being between "mainstream" and "alternative".
More importantly, The Electronic Book Review enters the debate with a focus on the experimental literature itself, with an eye toward the merits thereof (finally). Where Ben Marcus' argument is mostly a personal attack, it's refreshing to see a more objective approach to the argument. There is even some discussion of compromise in "Notes from the Middleground".
The pedagogical task, then, is not so much to convert one side to other, which would prove equally frustrating and useless, but […] to transcend the limiting strictures of the debate. There is always a cell of students who become more interested in the functioning of language over character, of structure over story, during the progress of these sessions; yet, as Franzen observes, Gertrude Stein is simply not accessible for many readers - no matter how engaged with her composition-as-process they might become. […] How to argue away the distinction between a faux-elite/populist constriction - as an aesthetic issue - when the reader who desperately wants to be sympathetic knows, with post-ironic savvy, that these distinctions are primarily economic…
At the end of the day, perhaps the debate does come down to economics: some people try to sell books that everybody likes, while other try to get everybody to like the books that they sell. On the other hand, there really is an aesthetic difference between these two types of literature, just as there is between abstract expressionism and neoclassicism.
It is unfortunate that there doesn't seem to be an appropriate vocabulary for discussing or comparing the differences in the literature, the way there is for discussing the art. In the visual arts, the various styles seem to enjoy a more peaceful cohabitation. With the literary arts, there's a lot of bickering.
Posted: September 04, 2008 | Revised: October 09, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Everybody will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite artwork at the opening night, and for the duration of the show, October 13th-19th.
There will be a box to place your voting slips, so please don't forget to vote.
The viewers vote winner will be announced at the artist talks on Wednesday together with the winner of the judges vote. The results will also be posted on our social media pages.
Judges award – The winner will receive £250 from sponsors Elemental Design.
Also a solo show with Bad Behaviour in 2017.
Viewers award – The winner will receive £100 wine voucher from sponsors Vino Beano (to spend on any VB wine or event).
Beadyman first performed at the Queens Head, Brixton in November 2011 and since then has regularly performed on the open mic circuit. In this time he has been part of many and varied fundraisers such as for mental health charity MIND, The teenage cancer trust and The South London People's Assembly.
He has become recognised as a protest poet yet there is far more to his repertoire, performing as far afield as Broomhall Castle in Stirling, Scotland and The Whiteladies Art Centre on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin. His powerful words and faultless delivery have seen him perform at the Greenfields Forum at the Glastonbury festival and opening for the band Alabama 3 on the last leg of their UK -wide tour at the Forum in Kentish Town in 2013.
Syron (Daisy Tallulah) now making music under her middle name, and new stage name Tallulah, has come a long way in the past four years since working in the music industry. Her career began at 19 in the dance world, writing and lending her vocals to the likes of Tensnake, Redlight and Rudimental. Tallulah's career quickly began to evolve as a pop writer after a track she had written came out on Korean girl band fx's latest album 'Four Walls'.
The album topped the American billboard world charts. While she is still writing for other people she is now focusing on her latest solo project. Tallulah is telling her stories by mixing the soul sounds she grew up listening to, with the pop hooks she's become known for writing.
Once again we are inviting our visitors to come to our very successful and entertaining event to meet our exhibiting artists. This an informal talk between visitors and artists around some of the works. There will be no bar so please feel free to bring your own drinks. Always fun and quite often enlightening for all who attend, well worth a visit.
Hosted by Matt Roberts (Matt Roberts Arts).
For one night only at Bad Behaviour.
New York's Animamus Art Salon was created by Ventiko in 2011 with the mission to create a safe, supportive and inspiring environment for artists of all mediums to debut and discuss their current work.


text:
Q: How to split unicode strings character by character in python? My website supports a number of Indian languages. The user can change the language dynamically. When user inputs some string value, I have to split the string value into its individual characters. So, I'm looking for a way to write a common function that will work for English and a select set of Indian languages. I have searched across sites, however, there appears to be no common way to handle this requirement. There are language-specific implementations (for example Open-Tamil package for Tamil implements get_letters) but I could not find a common way to split or iterate through the characters in a unicode string taking the graphemes into consideration.
One of the many methods that I've tried:
name = u'தமிழ்'
print name
for i in list(name):
  print i

#expected output
தமிழ்
த
மி
ழ்

#actual output
தமிழ்
த
ம
ி
ழ
்

#Here is another an example using another Indian language
name = u'हिंदी'
print name
for i in list(name):
  print i

#expected output
हिंदी
हिं
दी

#actual output
हिंदी
ह
ि
ं
द
ी

A: To get "user-perceived" characters whatever the language, use \X (eXtended grapheme cluster) regular expression:
#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
import regex # $ pip install regex

for text in [u'தமிழ்', u'हिंदी']:
    print("\n".join(regex.findall(r'\X', text, regex.U)))

Output
த
மி
ழ்
हिं
दी

A: The way to solve this is to group all "L" category characters with their subsequent "M" category characters:
>>> regex.findall(ur'\p{L}\p{M}*', name)
[u'\u0ba4', u'\u0bae\u0bbf', u'\u0bb4\u0bcd']
>>> for c in regex.findall(ur'\p{L}\p{M}*', name):
...   print c
...
த
மி
ழ்

regex

A: uniseg works really well for this, and the docs are OK. The other answer to this question works for international Unicode characters, but falls flat if users enter Emoji. The solution below will work:
>>> emoji = u''
>>> from uniseg.graphemecluster import grapheme_clusters
>>> for c in list(grapheme_clusters(emoji)):
...     print c
...

This is from pip install uniseg==0.7.1.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Yes. Built with Readium's rendering engine, the Open eBooks App takes advantage of the accessibility features that are native to the EPUB3 format in which the books are rendered. Open eBooks is compatible with Apple and Android's Text to Speech (TTS). In the future we plan to improve the implementation of Readium to make this even more robust.
We're working on improving the experience and accessibility in future updates and versions of the app and its content. Again, making this content accessible is a top priority and we are working with all our industry partners to make progress in this area.
We also encourage families, teachers and librarians of readers with print disabilities to try applications like BARD, BookShare, and Learning Ally. These great resources can help students build an even bigger collection of eBooks.


Happy 1st Birthday Gracie in Prep!
I can't believe it has been a year since I started Gracie in Prep! It's so crazy to me how much the blog and I have grown in just 1 year! It all started a year ago today with my very first post where I talked about my Vineyard Vines super sale purchases. I am so blessed and so thankful for everything I've been able to achieve in just my 1st year! I'm still shocked that I reached 100,000 views on Gracie in Prep last week! I have truly enjoyed being able to share with y'all my style, travels, and Disney obsession!
I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me this year! I'm so excited to see where this next year will take Gracie in Prep!
I thought it would be fun to have a celebration in honor of my Blogging Birthday so of course it had to be a Lilly themed Tea Party! My adorable younger sister, Lillie, also joined the party and we celebrated with some delicious jumbo cupcakes. I definitely lucked out during Lilly for Target and was able to score some super cute things which I used for the celebration!
I also wanted to share with y'all some of my favorite posts from this wonderful 1st year of blogging!
Happy first birthday! I have loved your blog for a long time and you inspired me to start one of my own. I always look forward to your posts and your blog is so well done. Thank you so much for starting Gracie In Prep and inspiring me.
Happy blog birthday! I haven't been around as long as you, but ever since I first found your blog I have loved it! Your posts are great and I always look forward to seeing what you come up to. So here's to many more posts and more blog birthdays to come! Congrats!
Happy blog birthday! That is so exciting! Can't wait to see what's in store for the years to come!
Ah happy blogging birthday! That's so exciting! I'm super new to your blog, but I love reading your posts. Such a cute idea to have a tea party, it's such a great way to celebrate!


The ECO86A is a microprocessor controlled electronic sensing dryer which works to reduce the possibility of tangled clothes and features a user selectable drying function where the machine stops the cycle when it detects your clothes are sufficiently dry at the dryness level you have chosen..
The White Knight C8317 integrated tumble dryer has the added benefit of automatically switching off when the selected dryness is reached. In this way it can save up to 15% on energy costs over timer controlled models..
Select features help make this White Knight C43AW large air-vented tumble dryer more than just a functional addition to your home..
Gas Vented Tumble Dryer Energy Rating A+.


BMI composer Anthony Marinelli scored the music for the documentary "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," based on Los Angeles DJ/rock persona Rodney Bingenheimer, a.k.a. "Rodney on the ROQ." Bingenheimer has reigned over the Los Angeles music scene for over two decades. A constantly evolving fixture as a rock fan, journalist, promoter, club owner and radio DJ on KROQ, Bingenheimer has helped advance every adventurous rock mutation -- California pop, glam, punk, goth, new wave, alternative -- since he first hit the Sunset Strip during its psychedelic 1960s heyday.
The sheer number of artists featured in director George Hickenlooper's documentary about Bingenheimer attests to his astounding influence: David Bowie, Cher, Courtney Love, Brian Wilson, Blondie, Gwen Stefani, Johnny Marr and Oasis, to name a few. Hickenlooper, however, goes beyond celebrity interviews to explore celebrity itself and its powerful allure for Bingenheimer, a lonely kid from suburban California who reinvented himself as the "Mayor of the Sunset Strip."


Caltech International Telecom Corp. v. Pacific Bell, Case No. 97-CV-2105 (N. D. Cal.) | Blecher Collins & Pepperman P.C.
In 2000, Blecher Collins & Pepperman successfully represented Caltech International Telecom in the only case against an incumbent local exchange carrier, Pacific Bell, for the maintenance of its monopoly by excluding potential competitors from entering the local telephone service market.


text:
Polyglycan Vs. Adequan
By Jane Meggitt | Updated October 19, 2017
If your horse is suffering the aches and pains of arthritis, you want to make him comfortable. If you compete your horse, many over-the-counter arthritis supplements or prescription medications are not permitted for use. Adequan or Polyglycan, both available only by prescription, are allowed, because they are natural substances found in the body. A study -- funded by Adequan -- finds that Adequan is more effective than Polyglycan.
Adequan for Horses
Adequan for horses consists of polysulfated glycosaminoglycan, available as an intramuscular injection. Polysulfated glycosaminoglycan chemically resembles natural glycosaminoglycans found in cartilage. It improves joint function in horses diagnosed with degenerative joint disease by increasing the amount of synovial fluid -- which reduces friction during movement --in the equine hock and knee.
Polyglycan for Horses
Polyglycan for horses contains forms of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. It was expressly designed to replace the synovial fluid a horse may lose during surgery.
Adequan is administered via intramuscular injection every four days -- roughly twice a week -- for 28 days, for a total of seven treatments. After the initial regimen, your vet will discuss a schedule for your horse. Depending on your individual situation, your horse may require a treatment regimen once or twice a year.
Your vet will determine the treatment regimen of Polyglycan based on your horse's needs. While Polyglycan is approved for equine use, it is not approved for intravenous administration. However, it is often administered by that route rather than intramuscularly.
Product Efficacy
In a controlled study involving 16 horses, Adequan was found more effective than Polyglycan in several categories, including:
Lameness improvement, 88 percent to 50 percent.
Stride length improvement, 100 percent to 61 percent.
Knee flexion, 95 percent to 61 percent.
In the study, the horses were divided into two groups of eight equines each. These animals had material injected into their knees to induce inflammation, the equivalent of a condition known as carpitis. The comparisons were made after a 28-day treatment period.
Product Contraindications
Neither Adequan or Polyglycan produces side effects. Adequan's use is contraindicated in pregnant and nursing mares.
While Polyglycan is often referred to as "generic Adequan," that is not the case. It does not contain the same ingredients. It is less expensive than Adequan.
Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in "Horse News," "Suburban Classic," "Hoof Beats," "Equine Journal" and other publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University and an Associate of Arts from the American Academy of Dramatics Arts, New York City.
The History & Facts of Shoeing Horses
How to Convert From Vetsulin to NPH
Is Newspaper Ink Bad for Hamsters?
What Tack Do You Absolutely Need to Ride a Horse?
Difference Between Canine & Equine Adequan
Contents of Trace Mineral & Salt Blocks for Horses
Can Parvovirus Be Contracted by Horses?
Hind-Leg Shakes in Horses
Is EMLA Safe for Dogs?
What Are the Causes of a Horse Tripping With Its Front Legs?
Adequan for Cats
Joint Pain Relief for Goats
How to Give Kava to Dogs
Earliest Horses Used in Agriculture
What Is M-T-G for a Horse's Mane?
What Can I Use to Get Rid of My Horse's Mane Dandruff?
Equine Reflux
What Is Foundering in Cattle?
Horseshoe Types
Farm Animals »


text:
Evelyn T. Blue
RICHWOOD GAZETTE DEATH REPORT Name Evelyn T. Blue Age 70 Address 2269 Prospect-Mt. Vernon Rd. W., Prospect Place Marion General Hospitaln^ of Death Nov 2 , 1985 Sat 2:30 p.m.- uftmrn"ffni usual health Hour of Death Occupation of Deceased How Long 111 domestic Church, Lodges, Societies United attended Central Methodist Church, Richwood; member of Prospect American Legion Auxiliary Date of Birth____Feb. 21, 1915________ Place of Birth----Union-Co_- more...
G. Nelson Blue
G. Nelson Blue, 83, of Richwood died Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001, at Grant Medical Center in Columbus. He was a former mayor of Richwood where he served three terms. He was also former executive secretary of the former Richwood Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member and past president of the former Rich-wood Lions Club. He was a graduate of Richwood High School and the IBM College in Endicott, N.Y. He was a real estate broker and certified appras more...
Jesse Russell Blue
Jesse Russell Blue 4308 S. Grady Ave., Tampa, Fla. 33611 Address Place of Death AMI Memorial Hospital Tampa, Fla. Hour of Death__1:57 p-m-_ Date Of Death July 26, 1991 Fri. How Long 111_ Occupation of Deceased- Church Lodges Societies former member of Central United Meth. Church, Richwood Ciaibourne Twp., Union County, Ohio March 9, 1906 Place of Birth Date of Birth Living ( ) Deceased (x) Living ( ) Deceased (x) Jesse R. Blue Father's Name Li more...
Jonah Blue
Jonah Blue, age 91 of Marion died early Monday morning, December 6, 2010 at Marion General Hospital. He was born October 28, 1919 in Richwood, the youngest of ten children to the late Jesse and Lida (Tracy) Blue. On October 28, 1951 he married the former Anna Mae Johnston and she survives in Marion. He worked at Marion Power Shovel on the test stand for 30 years. A World War II Army veteran, he served with the Armored Infantry Division known more...
Katherine Louise Blue
Katherine Louise Blue, 79, Richwood, died Saturday morning November 13, 1993 at Maplewood Nursing Home in Marion She was born Sept. 7,1914, in Washington Township, a daughter of the late David and Minnie (Scheinert) Fisher. She was a homemaker and a member of the Essex United Methodist Church, Richwood Civic Center, Prospect Senior Citizens, Solftares Club and had been a 4-H adviser in the area for many years. On Aug. 12, 1935 in Greenup, Ky., s more...
Lana Nannette "Nan" Blue
Lana Nannette "Nan" Blue, 69, of Pharisburg, died Sunday September 29, 2019 at the Kobacker House in Columbus. She was born July 31, 1950 in Kenton to G. Nelson and Mary Florence (Shuman) Blue, her mom survives in Marysville. Nan had formerly lived in Columbus and had worked as a medical assistant/lab tech. She was a "Free Spirit", she loved her rides on her FLH Harley Davidson. Nan was known to do things on her terms, she was not afraid to t more...
Mary Florence Blue
Mary Florence Blue, 98, formerly of Richwood, died Monday morning March 23, 2020 at Brookdale of Marysville. She was born July 15, 1921 in Marion to the late Adam E. and Lelah A (Harriman) Shuman, she was also preceded in death by her husband, G. Nelson Blue, they were married August 3, 1939 in Greenup, Ky. and he died October 25, 2001. Also preceding her in death was a daughter: Nannette Blue, brothers: Col. Edwin, Max, Mike and Adam Shuman. M more...
Maxine A. Blue
Maxine A. Blue, 91 of Prospect, went home to be with the Lord Friday evening, November 18, 2016 at the Marion Manor. She was born August 10, 1925 in Marion County to the late Fred "Pete" and Edith (Chapman) Seebach. She was also predeceased by her husband, Ernest R. Blue, whom she married August 3, 1947 in Prospect, and he died May 14, 1987. Maxine was a registered nurse, having received her nursing degree from the Christ Hospital Nursing Scho more...
Nell Blue
Nell Bernadine Blue, 74, of Richwood died Monday, January 16, 2017 following a brief illness, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born to the late Carl W. and Mary (Doyle) Strebar on April 7, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan. She was a 1960 graduate of Marion Catholic High School. Nell married the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, Dennis Blue, on January 30, 1961 in Sparta, NC. Nell was a life long member of St. Mary Cat more...
Olidel Blue
Olidel Blue, 88, died Friday, Oct. 24, 1997, at Memorial Hospital of Union County. Although she had been in failing health for a number of years, her death was unexpected. She was a graduate of the Essex schools and Richwood High School and became an active business woman. The day after her high school graduation, she began an apprenticeship at Schnee's Beauty Shop in Marion and after her marriage, she owned an operated the Glendell Beauty Shop more...
Patricia Blue
Patricia Blue, 74 of Broadway, died Sunday morning, May 4, 2008 in Marysville. She was born August 28, 1933 in Springfield to the late August J. and Marie McCarthy Decker. On June 19, 1953 she married Robert C. Blue and he died December 28, 1999. She retired from the Scotts Company in 1993 and was a member of the Scotts twenty-year club. She is survived by two sons, Robert H. Blue, Marysville; Randel L. (Angela) Blue of Cheboygan, Michigan; a more...
Robert C. Blue
Robert C. Blue, 68, of Broadway died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at Riverside Methodist Hospital after an extended illness. He was a retired meat cutter and a horse trainer in the Richwood area for a number of years. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He was born Jan. 21, 1931, in Richwood and was predeceased by his mother, Pauline Ridgeway and his stepfather, Harold Grandstaff. He is survived by his wife, Patricia L. Decker Blue who more...
Sterl C. Blue
Blue-Dec 14, 1974 Sterl C, 90 Winnemac Pike, 2676 LaRue Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Stofcheck Funeral Home in'LaRue by the Rev. James Mason, with burial in Price Cemetery. Friends may call after 2 p.m. Sunday. He died at 12:40 a.m. today at Eastlawn Manor in Marion. He was born March 1,1884, in Union County to Levi and Sarah (Carter) Blue. He was married to Maggie L Rosette May 8, 1907, in Marysville. She died Nov. 19, 1967. He more...
Wanda Arlene Blue
Wanda Arlene Blue, 76 of Richwood, died early Wednesday morning, April 13, 2016 at the Riverside Methodist Hospital. She was born June 2, 1939 in Port Washington, Ohio to the late Waldo and Minnie Coral (Ward) Hostetter. She was also preceded in death by three brothers and three sisters and a grandson, Robert Levi Matthew Arms. A long-time resident and active member of the Richwood community, Arlene served as a village council member for over more...
Robert Lee "Bobby" Blumenschein
Bobby Blumenschein, 45 of Richwood died unexpectedly Wednesday, May 5, 2021. He was born December 5, 1975 in Marysville to Robert Lee Blumenschein and Arlene (Griffith) Gerfen. His father preceded him in death and his mother survives in Richwood. Bobby was handy with tools and helped out the residents of Richwood Greene with repairs, and he enjoyed helping plant flowers and plants in the garden. He is also survived by a sister, Kim Jerew, Rich more...
Anna Gertrude Blundell
RICHWOOD GAZETTE DEATH REPORT Name Anna Gertrude Blundell Age 81 formerly of Richwood; Frostproof, Fla; and Fountain, Mich. Address - - - - ....... - .. ---- ■ ■ ■■■ ...... - - Date of Death July 12,__198 5 Fri.__ HnwT,nngTil failing health several years Place of Death Marion Health Care Center Hour of Death 5; Q Q . £ _______ Occupation of Deceased ------domestic Church, Lodges, Societies Grace Chapel United Meth. C more...
Martha G. Boaz
RICHWOOD -Martha G. Boaz, 94, Richwood, died Saturday morning, 1995 at Union Manor Nursing Home. Born Jan. 22, 1902, in Ashland, Ky., she was the daughter of the late William and Emma (Large) __Gibbon.s. SEe~married John D. Boaz, and he preceded her in death, j She moved to rural. Richwood from the Ashland, Ky., area about 15 years ago. She was a homemak-er and a member of Park United Methodist Church in Lexington, Ky., and Red Bird Mission Cir more...
Martha Boblenz
Martha Boblenz, 91, of the New Bloomington area, died peacefully Wednesday evening December 16, 2020 at the Marion Pointe. She was born March 1, 1929 in Marion to the late Lester and Annabelle (Dietsch) Moury, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Robert Eugene Boblenz, they were married March 6, 1940 and he died February 3, 1988. She was also predeceased by an infant son David Lynn Boblenz, siblings: Jim Moury, Joyce Garverick and Dorc more...
Thelma Boblenz
Services for Thelma Boblenz will be Monday at 10 a.m. at Stofcheck Funeral Home, LaRue, by the Rev. Mark W. Rowland. Burial will be in Agosta Cemetery. Friends may call after 2 p.m. Sunday and Sunday evening. She died at 11:48 p.m. Thursday, May 1, 1986, at Marion General Hospital. She was born Jan. 31, 1903, in DeCliff to William and Martha (Parker) Wood. She married Frederick William Boblenz on Oct. 20, 1923, and he died May 30,1964. &n more...
Alice I. Boda
Sept 23, 1991 RICHWOOD - The service for Alice I. Boda, 68, Community Apartments, will be 1:30p.m. Friday at St-ofcheck Funeral Home with Charles Fye, minister, officiating. Burial will follow in Hopewell Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Memorial contributions may be made to the Richwood Civic Center. Miss Boda died Monday evening at Mount Carmel West Hospital, Columbus. She was bom- April 3, 1923, in Mount Victo more...
Zelma N. Boehm
Former Richwood and Radnor area resident, Zelma N. Boehm, 92, died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1996 at Sunny Vee Nursing Home in Delaware. She had been in failing health for one year. The daughter of Arthur and Janetta Miller Beery was born December 4, 1903 in Wyandot County. Her husband Fred C. Boehm, whom she married March 11, 1925, died October 28,1969. Surviving are a daughter Helen (Paul) Barnes of Prospect; a son Harold of Radnor; seven grandchildren; more...
Margaret Lake Boggs
Margaret Lake Boggs, 102, formerly of Sutton, W.Va., died Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003, at Memorial Hospital of Union County. She had been living since 1995 with her daughter and son-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Charles W. Holcomb of Richwood. In December 2001 she moved to The Gables at Green Pastures. She was a graduate of Virginia College in Roanoke, Va., and attended West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. She was a member of Davis Memorial Presbyter more...
Ossie Nelson Boggs
Ossie Nelson Boggs, 75, of Magnetic Springs died Sunday, Aug. 2, 1998 at the Arbors in Delaware after suffering a stroke July 20. He retired in 1985 as a master mechanic at Miller Implement John Deere in Delaware. He was an avid antique and junk collector. He enjoyed fishing and telling stories and his special pets, Jack, his dog, and Mickey, his cat. He was born May 16,1923, in Lawrence County, Ky., to the late Eccleston and Belva Ross Boggs and more...
Bradley Wayne Boles
Bradley Wayne Boles, 28, 6605 Marion-Agosta Road, Lot 25, was dead on arrival at MedCenter Hospital Thursday morning Feb 14, 1991. The Kenton native was bom June 28,1962, ason of Ronald W. and Gloria Prettyman Boles, who survive near LaRue. Mr. Boles was employed as a drum assembler with Whirlpool Corporation. He was a member of Kenton Eagles Lodge and honorary member of Amvets Post 62 Marion. On Aug. 25, 1986,'he married the former Angel Ga more...
David Wayne Boles
David Wayne Boles, 64 of Marion, formerly of LaRue, died Friday evening, October 9, 2015 at the Presidential Center in Marion. He had been a resident there for 20 years due to his battle with Multiple Sclerosis, which had been diagnosed in 1976. He was born April 1, 1951 in Kenton to Henry Francis and Norma Joan (LaRue) Boles. A 1969 graduate of Elgin High School, he had worked at the Whirlpool Corporation, retiring in 1987 after almost 20 yea more...


text:
ARK. RIVALS BATTLE OVER BID
Lisa Scott
An Arkansas hospital has charged its local competitor with predatory pricing in a battle over a state Medicaid contract to provide obstetric services.
AMI National Park Medical Center, a 145-bed hospital in Hot Springs, argued that its rival intended to hurt AMI National's ability to compete when it bid below cost for the Medicaid contract. In February, AMI National asked the Garland County Chancery Court to block the contract, contending the bid violates Arkansas' Unfair Practices Act.
This month, the competitor, 274-bed St. Joseph's Regional Health Center in Hot Springs National Park, filed a countersuit, arguing that hospitals throughout the state, including AMI National, also bid below cost for the Medicaid contracts.
Hearings on the suit haven't been scheduled.
Arkansas sought bids for the first time this year for its Medicaid obstetrics business in six counties where hospitals have competing programs. On Feb. 1, it told the lowest bidders in four counties they would provide all inpatient obstetrics care and routine newborn services to Medicaid patients in their areas. No bids were submitted in two counties.
The state estimates that the new contracts will cut about $8 million from the $20 million it now spends each year for deliveries and routine nursery services.
However, it has yet to win permission from HCFA to implement the program. HCFA has until May 2 to respond to Arkansas' request for a waiver from standard Medicaid regulations.
St. Joseph's and AMI National are fighting over the obstetrics contract in Garland County, where Medicaid pays for about half of the area's 1,200 annual births. St. Joseph's bid-$192 per diem-is the lowest in the state by $96. AMI National's bid, the only other offer for the Garland County contract, was the third-lowest at $318 per diem. The average bid submitted by nine hospitals in the four counties was $390.
"The key here is that their bid was so far out of range," said Jerry Mabry, AMI National's chief executive officer. "We felt that the $318 bid was a solid business bid, and we felt that below that point it would jeopardize other services."
Currently, AMI National and St. Joseph' each provide services for about 600 births annually. In each hospital, Medicaid patients account for half the births.
If St. Joseph's didn't win the Medicaid contract, its obstetrics business would fall to about 300 births annually, which wouldn't pay for its new 15-bed family-centered obstetrics unit, said Randall Fale, St. Joseph's president and CEO. The hospital will lose money on the contract, but it would lose more without it, Mr. Fale said. He declined to estimate losses.
The bid was not intended to be anti-competitive, Mr. Fale said. "Given the hospitals faced the same circumstances in the Hot Springs area, we are surprised that AMI didn't submit a competitive bid," he said.
Mr. Fale contended that AMI National bid below cost. Mr. Mabry said the business brought in by the contract would cover AMI National's cost. It now must recruit more privately insured patients, but it will keep its obstetrics unit open, he said.
The two hospitals have fought over obstetrics before. St. Joseph's opened a new $55 million hospital in December 1991. It delayed the opening of its obstetrics unit, then a new service, for a year so AMI would drop its opposition to St. Joseph's certificate-of-need application.


text:
For the New Evangelization: New Altar Rails!
I have written of Fr. Richard Heilman and the adjustments he is making to the sacred liturgical worship in his parish of St. Mary in Pine Bluff.
Remember how he hauled the table altar out of church and switched entirely to ad orientem worship?
He has installed an altar rail.
¡Vaya lío!
Check out the ad for rosaries on the sidebar.
This entry was posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, Be The Maquis, Brick by Brick, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity and tagged ¡Hagan lío!, altar rail, Fr. Heilman. Bookmark the permalink.
A deacon's blog suppressed
teomatteo says:
I wonder why the communion rail goes all the way to both walls? Would one side or both have a side gap be better?
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf says:
teomatteo: When you build your church, you can put in the altar rails just as you like them. In the meantime, don't rain on this parade.
APX says:
It's been my observation in the churches I've seen that have never lost their altar rails that they span from wall to wall.
teomatteo: there are two gates in the very centre, as is usual with this sort of arrangement. They just happen to be closed in the photograph, as they would be during an actual Mass, but if you look closely, or zoom in, you can see where the hinges are. When you think about it, having access at the sides would be completely impractical for many reasons, not least processions, asperges etc.
ASPM Sem says:
I need to visit my brother in Madison again…
OrthodoxChick says:
So beautiful! I love walking into a church and knowing that I'm in a house where the Lord dwells – vs. a "worship space" that looks remarkably similar to a living room in anyone's house.
john_6_fan says:
Very beautiful. Thanks be to God.
By the way, my wife purchased one of the silver combat Rosaries as a Christmas gift last year. I love it. It is large and has a bit of heft to it, which I like, and also very strong. I can let my twin infants handle with it with no fear of it coming apart. IMHO, I think it is difficult to find a Rosary with a masculine feel to it, but this is a Rosary every man could carry with them and use (and every man should carry a Rosary with them at all times and pray it daily).
Netmilsmom says:
I bought my husband one of the Silver Combat rosaries for his birthday.
My younger daughter decided she was going to "borrow" it. She'll be getting one for Christmas!
Every time Father Rick posts pictures, I wonder why I don't live in Wisconsin. The pictures of his parish Rosary garden made me tear up. Seriously.
Henry Edwards says:
APX: "It's been my observation in the churches I've seen that have never lost their altar rails that they span from wall to wall."
True, I don't recall ever having seen a traditional older parish church without a wall-to-wall altar rail. Though some (like my present parish) also have gates in front of the two side altars, which can be convenient when they're used for celebration of special Masses attended by just a handful of people–like a private Mass requested for a special family occasion, etc–or for more convenient and inconspicuous access to the side sacristies than transiting the sanctuary in front of the high altar and tabernacle.
Jaykay, thank you for responding. I am wondering how the altar boy who holds the paten would work over on the far left when he assists the priest at holy communion if someone is kneeling against the wall. I was simply wondering if a 'slot' over there would be practical that is all. I am looking into re establishing a communion rail in the small original church at my parish. I just wondered about a side entry/exit and whether the left side would make any sense. Please forgive my esoteric question.
mschu528 says:
Teomatteo, generally common sense prevails. In my experience holding the communion paten at hundreds of Masses, no one has ever been – for lack of a better word – stupid enough to kneel over so far that Father and I couldn't comfortably reach them.
teomatteo: it's not esoteric at all, very practical, and may I say how lovely that you are looking into re-establishing the rail. We still have ours but they are never used now :(
As regards your question, if the server is on the priest's right then he will be preceeding the priest if the priest is going from left to right, as they always did in my memory, and so at the left wall the priest would be directly in front of the communicant, the server can still hold the paten without impeding, and it all works in a dignified manner. When they reach the right wall he could just stand back very slightly and extend his arm (patens in my experience always had handles anyway), and there's no problem.
Our church in fact has two small gates at the extreme right and left ends of the rail, at the side altars, in addition to the main ones in the middle before the high altar, and my memory is that people would kneel in front of these gates, right up against the walls, but there was never any awkwardness. And as Henry Edwards said, these side gates also serve other useful access purposes.
Giuseppe says:
Gorgeous. Such beautiful wood.
As much as I love marble, there is something special about churches with wooden altars and rails.
And this is in Pine Bluff, after all.
wmeyer says:
It was beautiful without the rail. Now it's quite wonderful.
I will add that I bought one of Fr. Heilman's silver combat rosaries a few months ago, and so far, it has held up better as a pocket rosary than any other I have had.
Priam1184 says:
A beautiful altar. I am jealous and I hope that the parishioners St. Mary's realize what a gem they have here.
Wow, a beautiful church. It's a shame so few look like this anymore.
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iPadre says:
Bravo Fr. Heilman – brick by brick, back to the future!
Outstanding! Thank you for this heartening post.
Sulo says:
New Evangelization? Come on…we had evangelization before VII. They were called "missionaries". How many people believe we even ought to evangelize, especially non-Catholics? Practically, "new evangelization" seems to mean "social work". This term ("New Evangelization") is bothersome in that the description of it seems like sophistry.
As for altar rails being a part of the new evangelization…that gave me a pretty good chuckle. How about this being a step in "restoring order"?
wolfeken says:
Wow, this is a rare, beautiful sight.
Very, very nice work, Fr. Heilman. I can only imagine how many meetings, committees, and red tape had to be cut through to achieve this.
May it serve as a model for other pastors — proving that there is no need to go halfway, or 3/4 of the way or even 90% of the way when it comes to restoring tradition.
Magpie says:
Beautiful. 'Let the people kneel, do not stop them, for they wish to adore me.' (Ok, so JESUS didn't say that, but I am sure He would agree.)
@Sulo It is sophistry, of the worst kind: the 'New' Evangelization.
Charles E Flynn says:
I think the altar rail is spectacularly well-coordinated with the rest of the design.
Fr. Heilman's next upgrade should be the pendant lamps in this design:
"Whoa!" Brick by brick in the Diocese of Madison.
acardnal says:
You folks should hear the schola at St. Mary's of Pine Bluff! Beautiful. Here's a sample of their artistry at the recent men's retreat held at the Bishop O'Connor Center in Madison where Bp Morlino celebrated an TLM/EF Low Mass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9p-cEMBIYM
Acanthaster says:
This altar rail wouldn't happen to have electricity running through it, would it Father Z? ;)
Echoing everyone else's statements…very beautiful! I'm hoping to make it to one of their retreats or meetings over in WI someday…
Absit invidia says:
Now THERE is something Catholics can acclaim "Bravo!" for.
RJHighland says:
Happy to see he finished the renovation by removing the table and finishing the altar rail, most excellent, well done sir!!!!!
Ben Kenobi says:
@acanthaster
I'm sure Father Z is well grounded. ;)
Sulo, "new evangelization" generally refers to evangelizing the fallen away Catholics, rather than what happened pre-VII when we had missionaries evangelizing non-Catholics. Given that at least here in the US fallen away Catholics represent the largest "denomination", it makes sense that the Church put here efforts there. Seems to me one way to bring them back is to offer the meat of authentic Catholic worship rather than the pablum that passes for it in many parishes.
The Masked Chicken says:
"Sulo, "new evangelization" generally refers to evangelizing the fallen away Catholics, rather than what happened pre-VII when we had missionaries evangelizing non-Catholics."
Well, they are fallen away for a reason: the Church didn't do a good job of the Old Evangelization for these people. Seriously, if nothing has changed on the ground regarding misinterpretations of Vatican II, how is the New Evangelism supposed to succeed? Since the Church has had 2000 years of Evangelization to draw from and VII makes up a minuscule portion of that, in theory, one could evangelize using the teachings of the Old Evangelization and still make converts, since, in theory, VII added nothing dogmatic. Sin is still sin. What has changed? Has God changed? One might be tempted to think so, the way He is presented, these days. Does the Church present the Living God better than St. Teresa of Avila or St. Francis? When they spoke, you KNEW that they had a relationship with a real, one-and-only, God. I have no idea of the difference between the Old Evangelization and the New a Evangelization. Truth is truth. The Church has never been in the business of changing the truth to fit society. The Church may re-present the truth in different setting so that the society might understand it better, but even though one might have to say |sqrt(4)| in order for the people of Square-Root Land to understand the concept of 2, 2 is still 2. Tell young kids to stop fornicating or they will go to hell. There, what's so hard about that? Tell people to stop using the Lord's name in vain or they will go to hell. Tell women and men that they sin when they dress immodestly. What is so hard about that? Tell women to stop contracepting or they risk going to hell. See, it's just not that hard. Speak the truth, boldly, argue persuasively, logically and doggedly, fast and pray for them, and if people don't want to come back, then you've done your part. Superabundant grace will have to see them home after that, for you have done all you could with the graces you have at your disposal, but God is greater than your grace. The New Evangelization? I don't really see it. Those altar rails look pretty Old Evangelization to me. Perhaps I need to go back and read the Papal documents on it. Would anyone happen to know what those are?
I have a question for all you Church architecture wonks: are the arrangements of crosses atop the altar standard? Does it have a name? I have seen this arrangement before in a few places with old altars.
Chicken: yes, I've often seen that as well. The crosses atop the three gothic "spires" are really more in the nature of the decorative finials which you can often see on actual tower spires in the gothic style. They could equally well be in a floral motif, which is often seen as well e.g.
http://www.swstonecarving.co.uk/architectural-carving/
They don't have the significance of the real altar cross, of course, which is in any event a crucifix.
JacobWall says:
From what I understand, the only reason Blessed Pope John Paul II called it "New" was because it addresses an entirely new group of people – the vast numbers of fallen away Catholics. It doesn't mean that we are teaching something new, but only that we are teaching something old (all those points you stated so nicely and clearly) to a special group. Fallen away Catholics have, for the most part, heard "that stuff" before.
You tell a craddle Evangelical whose had no little contact with Catholicism about what we believe on birth control, they'll probably be intrigued, and perhaps even excited by the idea, even if they don't go sign up for the next RCIA class. But you tell a lapsed Catholic, they'll say, "Been there, done that."
So, all those things you said so easily are certainly true and we have to start evangelization as you implied; straight-up, this is the way it is. Yet, it's unlikely to stick with this group, precisely because of the been-there-done-that attitude.
Now, as you correctly identified, the main problem is that these people have never heard these things being taught properly. While the problem existed before, it was multiplied a thousand-fold after VatII when our teachers decided that it was better to be "pastoral" (which is an abuse of the word pastoral, as we know) and tone down these teachings, couch them in soft language to make them sound not-so-bad, optional – "Maybe it's a sin, but let's not focus on sin; it's OK if you contracept, let's just focus on loving Jesus."
I'm sure there are cases where people never learned. But from my experience the biggest problem is those who heard kind of a rumour of Church moral teachings, presented in such a way so it looked like something bad. (Yes, it was our teachers who actively did this; this wasn't just people walking away from hearing solid teaching and rejecting it.)
So, the reason it's a New Evangelization is because we need to say those same easy things you said, but we now have a new task; finding a way to convince these people that these things are true. The "Old" Evangelization was in many easier, since those who had never heard the truth are far more easily convinced than those who have heard a distorted/poisoned version of it.
In fact, the New Evangelization requires that we are even more clear and direct about these things than in the Old Evangelization. In the Old Evangelization it was enough to tell a fresh convert that contraception was wrong. Chances are she didn't even know what contraception was. Now, we are dealing with people who have been taught by Catholic leaders first of all what contraception is, and secondly that it's OK to use it. "Contraception is wrong." "Oh sure, that's what they believed in the middle ages. Catholics don't even believe that any more. It was my Catholic high school where they gave me my first condom." (Of course, contraception is only one example, but it's an easy one.)
They have to beaten over the head with it (lovingly and pastorally, of course, but nevertheless, beaten over the head.) That's why it's a New Evangelization because we've never had to do this before.
The problem with the phrase is that it makes it all too easy for dissenters to say that "New" means that we are teaching something new, that we have to avoid talking about morals because that will offend people, etc.
For that reason, I also don't like the phrase, but it's the one JPII gave us. New Evangelization is essentially Old Evangelization but harder, with a HUGE new challenge and even a greater requirement to be true to the teachings of the Church.
Michael Voris has a good video explaining it: http://www.churchmilitant.tv/platform/index.php?vidID=vort-2014-03-06
At 2:03, he mentions the document and cites the passage (Redemptoris Missio #33.)
It's also worth noting that JPII parallels "New" Evangelization to Re-Evangelization. So, "New" also means that they are being evangelized anew – a second time (which as I said, is considerably harder than doing it the first time.)
As for the communion rails in the picture, seen from this light, they are definitely "New Evangelization" in addition to "Old Evangelization." If lapsed Catholics are to be reached, they have to see that the Church is unchanging in its teachings and beliefs. Architecture that communicates the sanctity of the Eucharist is one of the best ways to do that.
(As a side note, in my experience non-Catholics and lapsed Catholics are far more impressed by classic liturgy and church architecture than by the new modernish stuff.)
Hans says:
Just as a point of interest, the altar rail at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica only spans the presbytery and doesn't go wall to wall across the whole church. However, the side altars (at least the two in the transepts) also have altar rails.
That said, I suspect many here wouldn't care for the odd stage that now sits in front of the altar rails. It has the perverse effect of pushing the people even farther away from the altar.
oldaltarboy says:
For years our parish in Nashville offered the altar rails to the faithful who wanted to use them as an option. Within the last two years, the option went away and the faithful only receive Holy Communion at the rails. Our parish has almost tripled in size over the last two years.
Since we are downtown and close to Titan's stadium, the Predator's rink, the Ryman and a number of other attractions we have a lot of visitors. You should see the reaction as the visitors absorb the beauty of the church and figure out how to join us at the rails. Their demeanor becomes very prayerful, and they stick around to the end of Mass. After observing our period of silent prayerful thanksgiving, out come the cameras as they take pictures of the religious art on the ceiling, statuary and the sanctuary. Our parishioners love to tell them the history of the church.
There is another beautiful old parish in the city that is also over one hundred fifty years old that has an altar rail that survived through the years, and they have started receiving Holy Communion at the rail. They even have the original altar gates in pristine condition! Ours suffered in storage over the last half century and are being rehabilitated.
Oh yeah, our priest wears a cassock, and prays the Mass ad Dominum (Orientum if you prefer), and we chant a lot-in Latin and English.
St. Epaphras says:
Please, oldaltarboy, will you give the name of your parish? And is the other parish you mentioned Assumption?
Our parish is St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows and the other is the Church of the Assumption.
oldaltarboy: Thank you very much.
jlduskey says:
Not trying to rain on anybody's parade, but I was comparing the Pine Bluff church with the church in Fennimore, Wisconsin—both photos were presented in the last few days.
The church in Fennimore has an entrance/exit door along the wall on the gospel side, just in front of the communion rail. I do not see this kind of entrance/exit door in the photo of the church in Pine Bluff. It is wonderful that these churches have such beautiful altars and such beautiful communion rails, but I wonder about the public safety question. If there were a fire at the main door of the building, where would people be able to exit? If they would be expected to exit through the sanctuary and through an external door in the sacristy, then there should be an exit sign somewhere in the sanctuary to indicate this. Obviously, this is not desirable, even if there is an exit sign posted. I am afraid that many older churches would not meet today's fire codes, but the main point is, how would people exit if there were a fire? How should an older church be modified to provide fire safety?
tealady24 says:
Instead of all these Bishop's Appeals (where money is doled out to sometimes suspicious ministries) why not delegate some of the money to returning parishes to their pre-Vatican II beauty!
Many parishioners will be surprised by what they see, having never seen it before.
Aristotle A. Esguerra says:
@jlduskey, the church has four exits: two front/narthex, one Gospel side (wheelchair-accessible), and one through the sacristy.
Dear John Patrick, Masked Chicken et al.
I can accept that "New Evangelization" refers to first, fallen away Catholic and second, those who have never known the Church.
My problem with the so-called "new" evangelization is the tools with which people will be evangelized. Pre-Vatican II books were generally on the same page, at least from the literature I possess. Moral ambiguity was uncommon (at least, in my estimation). There was a sense of unity and basic theological homogeny.
Would you say that about our current situation? What have people been taught over the last 40 or so years? Let's not pretend things are going very well in this respect.
We have a very wide range of acceptable theology in the Church, from the SSPX (who to my knowledge have made no theological error–this is another debate) and other traditional groups, to the common lot with the altar girls and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, to the charismatics, Neocatechumenals, etc. I reckon the teaching of the Faith would be different among these groups, yet all are accepted by the Church (or so we are told). I assume you would accept this statement, at least intuitively.
So, this is my concern: pre-Vatican II, I believe converts worldwide were getting essentially the same teaching (I can only account for Europe and the U.S., but I don't know of counter-examples elsewhere in the world, especially Asia). This is most definitely no longer the case, especially considering the paragraph above. I'm sure many paragraphs could be written with anecdotal evidence do disprove my thesis. I doubt that demographics–or anything quantitative–would disprove me.
Not really. One has to separate essential objective truths of the Faith from subjective prudentially modifiable aspects, in other words, dogmas and doctrines from disciplines. Clearly, altar girls and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are permissible in extraordinary circumstances – let's not quibble, even the SSPX would have to agree that there can be exceptional cases – so there is a difference in degree, not type, between the SSPX and the ordinary NO apologetics. What has not been done, by any means enough, is to clearly spell out the difference between dogmas and disciplines to the laity and some poorly catechized clergy. Unfortunately, many laity have misclassified some pretty essential things, such as marriage, making it a discipline instead of a dogma. In this sense they are unknowingly Protestant. They will not learn any different because their bishop swill not insist on it.
There is a famous series of experiment in psychology known as the Asch Conformity Experiments which help explain how deviant thinking can become generalized as a norm within a society. After Vatican II, a series of influential prelates (not the laity!) caused the upheaval within the, until then, more-or-less homogeneous beliefs, of the Church membership. Had there been a counter-resistance at the time, theory suggests that this would not have happened. Sadly, the theory predicts that in order for the rapid destabilization of the Church to have occurred, prior planning had to have been involved. That a bunch of disparate liberals could have coordinated their efforts that quickly after Vatican II is hard to imagine, given how poor the lines of communication within the Church of the era were. One must conclude, on theoretical grounds, that an underground movement existed many years before Vatican II. The results are what we see, today. The Asch paradigm of conformity can be interrupted only in its initial stages, by people who challenge the call to the new conformity. This did not happen at the time immediately after Vatican II and social inertia will make it almost impossible to change without severe top-down management changes. Still, one must not look on the doctrinal distortion to be a part of authentic Catholic teaching. Sex among the civilly divorced (after a valid marriage) and re-married is still enough to send them to hell. No matter how much some prelates and laity would want to soften it (and even allow people to condemn themselves further by receiving the Eucharist!!), they cannot change the nature of mortal sin. To do so would mean changing the nature of a God and goodness knows, some prelates and laity have tried.
As for the Charismatics (I cannot speak about the NeoCatechuminate Way movement), they are, not to be indelicate, wrong, but there has not yet been a developed theology of the phenomenon to show them how. I have been wanting to write something, but it has been hard because of health and finances to find the energy and time. It will be corrected at some point in history, but not until a lot of suffering has occurred. Their corpus of teachings can be ignored without any loss of salvation. Their teachings can be refuted fairly easily, if you know how to do it. Again, this was allowed to happen because essential gatekeeping prelates were asleep-at-the-wheel in 1967. As I mention above about the underground movements, what you might have read in the official Catholic Charismatic history about the Dusquesne Weekend when Storey and Keefer were baptized in the Holy Spirit starting the Charismatic Movement is wrong. We have eyewitness testimony that at least one prelate in the Vatican, prior to Vatican II, had 300 books on Pentecostalism in his apartment. This movement did not catch the Church unawares. Unfortunately, instead of doing the hard work they should have to understand the phenomenon, they accepted the Protestant explanation with no argument. Had they been scientific, they would have been able to fit the pieces together in 1985, when Robert Tuttle's dissertation of Wesleyian mysticism came out, but not before. So, the Charismatic Movement is not acceptable as an apologetic. It is merely tolerated. It is a part of the faux restorationist mentality that permeated the Church in the 1960's among certain liberals that had them grasping at straws for anything resembling early Church practices, including Pneumatic practices.
There is only one Faith. Differences in discipline are prudential matters from time to time and place to place, but where imprudent changes in discipline have either been mistaken for or contaminated dogma, it must be rejected, forcefully. This may be the legacy of future generations, for it will not be ours. There is too much weakness of belief in our age. Well, the coming age will purge that and it will be done at the cost of much suffering.


text:
Visualizing Venice
Mapping and Modeling Time and Change in a City
Kristin L. Huffman
Andrea Giordano
Caroline Bruzelius
Visualizing Venice: Mapping and Modeling Time and Change in a City
Visualizing Venice presents the ways in which the use of innovative technology can provide new and fascinating stories about places and times within history. Written by those behind the Visualizing Venice project, this book explores the variety of disciplines and analytical methods generated by technologies such as 3D images and interoperable models, GIS mapping and historical cartography, databases, video animations, and applications for mobile devices and the web.
The volume is one of the first collections of essays to integrate the theory and practice of visualization technologies with art, architectural, and urban history. The chapters demonstrate how new methodologies generated by technology can change and inform the way historians think and work, and the potential that such methods have to revolutionize research, teaching, and public-facing communication.
With over 30 images to support and illustrate the project's work, Visualizing Venice is ideal for academics, and postgraduates of digital history, digital humanities, and early modern Italy.
Overview: The Visualizing Venice Enterprise
Part 1: Introductory Essays
1 The Role of Digital Visualization for the History of the City
2 Visualizing Venice: Teaching, Training, and Imagining a New Kind of Urban and Architectural History
3 Visualizing Venice: Developing a Methodology for Historical Visualization
Part 2: Historical Case Studies
4 Buildings that Never Were: The Unbuilt Projects for the Civic Hospital of Venice
5 Architectural and Urban Change Over Time: The School, Church, and Monastery of Santa Maria della Carità
6 Mapping Change and Motion in the Lagoon: The Island of San Secondo
7 Visualizing the Treves Botanical Garden in Padua: From Documentary Research to Laser Survey and 3D Modeling
8 Research on Lost Buildings in Venice: The Cathedral of San Pietro di Castello
Part 3: Tools, Technologies, and Training
9 Visualizing Venice: An Historical Overview of the Role and Application of Architectural and Urban Modeling
10 The History of Cities and HGIS
11 Digital Technologies and Exhibition Culture: Reactivating Art Installations through Virtual Reconstructions
12 Interactive Exhibitions: New Interfaces for Engaging Visualizations
13 Guidebooks and Mobile Applications: A New Mode of Communication
14 Digital Art History: Building a "Model" for Student Engagement
15 Visualizing Venice Summer Workshops for Graduate Students and Beginning Scholars
Visualizing Venice to Visualizing Cities: Future Horizons
Kristin L. Huffman is an Instructor in the Department of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University.
Andrea Giordano is Professor at the University of Padua and coordinator of the Visualizing Venice's 3D modeling team.
Caroline Bruzelius is the A.M. Cogan Professor of Art and Art History and a founder the Wired! Lab at Duke University and of Visualizing Venice.
Routledge Research in Digital Humanities
Early Modern History 1500-1750
Early Modern Europe
Social & Cultural History