#wellesley '10

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork at a Renaissance fair, 1969; photo by Henry Diltz.

“Right now I’m working with my friend Bobby Hammer on a film. I’m going to deliver a lecture on the generation gap in Aspen, Colorado, and I’m going to show a film just to keep them interested.” - Peter Tork, NME, January 25, 1969

“Early in February, [Ruth M. Adams, Wellesley student] served on the resource staff of a five-day Humanities Seminar for the Young Presidents’ Organization, Inc. in Aspen, Colorado. […] In Aspen, ‘Generation gap or civilization gap — can we cope with it?’ was the question at hand. The delegates included both members of the sponsoring organization, (which consists of men who became president of the businesses before they reached the age of forty,) and resource consultants in widely varied fields. Among these consultants were Miss Adams, author Max Schulman, Peter Tork of The Monkees, SDS leader David Littman, and Edgar Friedenberg of the State University of New York. Vast differences in backgrounds and occupations served to split the conference delegation into two ideologically distinct groups. ‘It must be remembered,’ observed Miss Adams, during a News interview last Friday, ‘that many of the delegates were men in their forties, often parents of children of high school or college age… As parents and as men carrying corporate responsibility, they found it difficult to comprehend, to understand, the views of the radical left.’ At Aspen, this radical view was voiced primarily by Littman, Tork, and Friedenberg.” - The Wellesley News, February 20, 1969

“Tork, now 36, is an avowed socialist and lives in Venice, California." - New West, January 1979 (x)

“‘We’ve all got to stick together or we’re all going to come unglued.’ [Peter] noted a drive for only one’s own fortune is at the expense of others. 'Without community, the individual is dead.’” - The Life, May 3, 1996 (x)

“Now, the business of wresting power away from those who make a specialty of wielding it will be a long and protracted struggle, with a lot of setbacks along the way. The outlines of the new style of governance are only dimly perceivable, and won’t become clear for a long time to come. In the meantime, our job is to practice the principles of fairness and service to the extent possible. One thing is clear: there is a much higher joy in service than there is in acquisition of wealth. (Remember that it isn’t money that’s the root of all evil, it’s the love of money.) Hanging together in brother - and sisterhood is so happy-making you want to sing right out loud. Yeah, I feel the same about those ideas as I did then…in case you couldn’t tell. heheheh, Peter” - Ask Peter Tork (x)

“I believe very much in all that I believed in back in the 60’s. I hope I’m more aware of the practicalities than I was then, but I am positive that the values and principles I held then are critical to the well-being of the planet, or at the very least, critical to growth and contentment in the population. As to the practicalities: the chance of no more war in our lifetimes is so close to zero that I don’t imagine it possible, tho’ there well may be progress along these lines. May be. Sometimes I see the world as an eternal horse race between salvation and dissolution, now one, and now the other gaining the lead. But to the extent that we can learn, each and all of us, that the cooperative good is good for the greatest individual good (with safeguards, to be sure), that forgiveness is the route to true inner peace, and that not everything we deem wrong or bad may be so, to that extent hassles of all shapes, sizes and colors will diminish. I am so sure of all this that I would, I hope, be willing to bet my life on these principles.” - Peter Tork, Ask Peter Tork (x)

[feminist-space]

"Long COVID has destroyed my life

I would love nothing more than to “finally ignore COVID,” as the headline to Dr. Ashish Jha’s July 31 op-ed reads (“With a few basic steps, most of us can finally ignore COVID”). As a healthy, vaccinated, and recently boosted 35-year-old, I did what he said: I ignored COVID-19 on a weekend trip with friends in September 2022. But the infection I got as a result has all but destroyed my life.

A week after my infection, I began to experience intense fatigue, overwhelming headaches, and cognitive challenges that continue to this day. These symptoms are debilitating: I can no longer work, socialize, or travel. My finances are dire. And if I am unable to avoid another infection, my condition may deteriorate even further.

Jha wrote of long COVID “treatments” being promising. Perhaps he could clarify what treatments he is referring to, because my doctors say that there are no approved treatments for long COVID.

A recent study funded by the NIH’s RECOVER initiative showed that 10 percent of adults infected with COVID still have symptoms six months later, even with vaccination. By downplaying the prevalence and debilitating outcomes of even moderate long COVID, Jha is signing thousands of people up to the misery and despair with which I live every day.

Ezra J. Spier

Oakland, Calif.

Another view from infectious disease doctors

As infectious disease doctors, we disagree with Dr. Jha’s contention that it is time to ignore COVID-19.

Yes, being vaccinated and taking Paxlovid thankfully decrease the risk of severe disease. But only 43 percent of people age 65 and over and only 17 percent of all Americans had received an updated COVID vaccination by May 2023, and access to Paxlovid treatment is inequitable by race and insurance status.

Long-term complications of COVID can be devastating, including after second infections.

More than half a million Americans have died since the summer of 2021, when sufficient vaccine doses were available: COVID death rates in the United States continue to be double those of Canada. Termination of free tests and “commercialization” of medications as implemented by the federal government will only widen our country’s grisly COVID-related health disparities.

Inevitably, ignoring COVID leads to ignoring the slow-motion epidemic of long COVID. Standing up against such neglect, leaders like Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey can promote meaningful measures to protect our communities: air purification in all schools and public spaces; free COVID-preventive masks (KN95 or N95, not surgical masks); tests, vaccines, and Paxlovid for all who cannot afford to buy them; and concern for and support of long COVID victims.

Dr. Julia Koehler

Boston

Dr. Regina LaRocque

Wellesley

We remain vulnerable to long COVID

Ashish Jha’s position as former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator is a conflict of interest masquerading as a qualification for his op-ed. Researchers who study long COVID stated in a recent paper in Nature Reviews Immunology that “the oncoming burden of long COVID faced by patients, health-care providers, governments and economies is so large as to be unfathomable.” Rapid tests, which are less accurate with recent strains while PCR tests are less available, and low death rates give a false sense of security.

I agree that despite progress, more buildings need the air filtration and ventilation that would make public life safer. But Jha omits our vulnerability to long COVID after even mild infections, its devastating effects, and higher death rates for hospital-acquired COVID-19, combined with a lack of collective protection in health care settings with unmasked, untested people who prefer to ignore COVID-19.

Aside from advocating vaccines, he describes an everyone-for-themselves approach, not mentioning responsibility to protect others or access to essentials.

Jha dines in a restaurant with his friends while patients even in leading cancer hospitals are forced into Russian roulette, thanks to this approach.

Kathryn Nichols

Cambridge

Vigilance is necessary to prevent long COVID

While I understand the desire to promote optimism amid the ongoing pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences of downplaying the importance of COVID precautions and the significant risk of long COVID. As a person living with long COVID for the last 16 months despite being vaccinated and boosted, I have experienced post-exertional malaise, fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, cognitive dysfunction, and more symptoms that have continued to today. I have tried numerous medicines, supplements, and even participated in a clinical trial, only to find limited relief from the persistent effects of this virus.

Such a stance overlooks the reality that millions more people could end up with long COVID if we fail to remain vigilant in our efforts to combat the virus. Long COVID is a devastating consequence of this virus, and we cannot rely solely on vaccinations to end the pandemic. Even with widespread vaccination, the risk of contracting long COVID remains high. A recent study funded by the NIH’s RECOVER initiative showed that 10 percent of adults infected with COVID still have symptoms six months later. Minimizing the significance of long COVID not only neglects the suffering of long-haulers but also risks undermining public health efforts to control the spread of the virus.

By raising awareness about the risk of long COVID, media outlets can play a pivotal role in educating the public and promoting continued vigilance. Responsible reporting on the enduring impact of long COVID can serve as a reminder that the pandemic is far from over and that we must remain committed to taking necessary precautions to protect ourselves and others. Highlighting the struggles of long COVID survivors and the lack of proven treatments can spur further research and medical advancements in addressing this condition. Empathy and support for those living with long COVID are essential in paving the way for better understanding, compassionate care, and better health outcomes for everyone as COVID rates increase again this summer.

Travis Hardy

Norwalk, Conn.

Link https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/05/opinion/cant-ignore-long-covid-jha/

[inthedarktrees]

Wellesley College, Life, Oct 10, 1949 | Nina Leen

[tlouxx]

Electromagnetism - p. 3

~ ellie williams x reader

——————————————————————————

part two | part four <3

synopsis: you and ellie williams have been long time rivals. you're a physics majors at wellesley college, and you’re competing for the same spot in the prestigious dr. ramsey’s lab as ellie. suddenly neither of you can escape the other as you’re both trying to navigate your final year of college

content: college!ellie, mean!ellie, modern au, academic rivals to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, eventual smut, swearing, banter, alcohol use, drug use, dina and reader being bffs, college party, ellie flirting with another girl

taglist: @gold-dustwomxn @skylerwhitwyo @blueberryhalfblood @elliebobellysosmelly @444na0m1

——————————————————————————

I shut my curtains before changing into some pj bottoms. After staying up all night last night, I deserve a treat and to go to bed immediately. I think of the ice cream at the back of my freezer. Before I leave the confines of my bed, my phone buzzes against the blanket. I had just texted my mom about getting the top score in class. She has always been so supportive of me. I’m just glad it’s finally coming to fruition. I turn my phone over expecting to see my mom’s name on the screen. 

9:48 P.M. 

Ellie: Maybe so.. Congrats. 

My jaw nearly hits the floor. I wasn’t expecting her to say anything back. I thought she’d ignore it or say something snide to me in person. Should I respond?

I take a sip of water to soothe my dry throat and look around my room. My lamp is the only light that’s radiating throughout.  

My plan to best Ellie is starting to materialize. I just didn’t imagine we’d be texting one another. Or that I’d start getting used to spending so much time with her. Or getting nervous when her name appears on my phone. 

Should I say something witty? I type and delete multiple texts before settling on something simple. 

9:59 P.M. 

Thanks. I’ll see you at class on monday. 

E: I’m throwing a party tomorrow if you and Dina want to come. 

E: No pressure tho. 

I’m skeptical. This isn’t the Ellie Williams I know. I’ve known taunts, bragging, shoving, but never an open invitation to her house. Maybe I should consult Dina first? On the other hand.. I haven’t been to a party in awhile, and I don’t have to talk to Ellie while I'm there either. I could just stand in the corner talking to Dina or I could take a peek into her room. See what weird shit she’s hiding. 

Too much time is passing. The longer I take to respond the weirder it is. 

10:33 P.M. 

Sure. 

Send me the address? 

My curiosity got the best of me. I have to go. 

…

Day 27 

8:30 A.M. 

Would you indulge me if I proposed going to a party tonight? 

D: I’m down! 

D: Who’s party is it? 

Ellie’s..

D: and you want to go? 

Well she invited us. I haven’t gone out in a while. Could be fun if we ignore her all night :) 

D: Okay. Let’s do it. 

D: Come to my place to get ready later? 

…

“Dina, do you think this outfit looks good?” Her clothes are scattered throughout the room. Her desk doesn’t look any better with makeup brushes and our makeup bags spread out. She turns around in her desk chair to look at me. Her eyes wander up and down. I’ve tried on multiple different outfits, but nothing seems to look right. 

“You look absolutely stunning.” Dina looks back at her reflection to apply another coat of mascara. Looking in the mirror, I begin to scrutinize the outfit I have on. Her denim jeans fit snug around my waist. I take off my tank top and replace it with a black one. 

“You said that about the last outfit too!” I sit down on Dina’s bed defeated.

She pushes herself out of her chair and plops down on the bed with me. “You’ve looked good in everything! You’re overthinking it.” 

I sigh. “You’re right, I am.” Her hand grasps mine and pulls me up. “How about we take a shot and continue getting ready?”

…

I’m sitting down at Dina’s desk looking over the mess we’ve created in the last hour. I check the time on my phone. The party starts in 10 minutes, but we definitely cannot be the first to arrive. I decided on wearing the jeans I borrowed from Dina, my black tank, and a green flannel. It’s my typical wardrobe, but it makes me feel confident. I’ll need that once I walk into the beast that is Ellie Williams. 

The vibration of my phone allows the haze of my thoughts to disappear. It’s Ellie. 

9:45 P.M. 

E: You and Dina still coming tn? 

Yeah. why do you ask?

E: Just thought it was unlike you to be late to something.

Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.. 

E: I think I know you just the right amount ;)

Sureee Ellie.. 

… 

The door opens and two shots appear in front of me. 

“Cheers!” We clink our glasses together and down the shot of rum. My face distorts as it burns through my chest. I laugh when I see Dina’s face twist in disgust too.

“While you were gone, guess who texted me” 

“Oh no, not your ex?” Dina gives me a look that resembles pity. 

“Ew, not her. Ellie.” 

“Shut up!” She lunges over to see my phone. “Show me!!” 

After reading our back and forth, Dina looks back up at me. “Ooh, it sounds like she really wants you to be there.” I shove her away from me playfully. 

“Shut uppp.” 

… 

Before we leave, Dina and I take one last shot together. She looks gorgeous with her hair in soft waves. Her eyelashes are long and gracefully frame her eyes. No wonder her and Ellie were a thing. I feel a spring of jealousy erupt out of nowhere. I push the feeling aside and smile at Dina. “I’m ready when you are.” I grab my phone and keys and we head out the door. 

Ellie’s apartment is surprisingly close. I’m lingering behind as Dina leads the way. A wave of regret comes over me. I’m not sure I made the right decision. What if this goes horribly wrong. Ellie and I don’t exactly have a track record of getting along. 

“Hey.” I say catching Dina’s attention in front of me. 

“Everything alright?” Her eyebrows furrow as she looks at me concerned. 

“Do you think Ellie is pissed I got the top grade and not her?” The alcohol is coursing through my veins now. 

“I mean, maybe. If she was that pissed off I doubt she’d invite you to her party.” 

I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe. I’m intimidated by her. I feel like she’ll pull some stunt.” She hugs me tightly, and looks at me, “We don’t have to go if you’re worried.” 

I’m letting Ellie and our rivalry get to my head. Maybe this was her way of extending an olive branch. I look back at Dina, “I should be worried about you! You’re the one that used to kiss her.” She gives me a knowing smile and laughs. “She grabs ahold of my hand pulling me toward her as we continue on our way to Ellie’s house. 

…

Walking up to her door I feel myself getting more and more nervous. I think I need another drink. Music is emanating through the halls of the apartment complex. Must have thin walls. Dina knocks on the door. Only seconds later Ellie appears in front of us. Her hair falls delicately in front of her face. She’s wearing black jeans with converse and a brown jacket. 

Ellie looks at both of us “So you guys finally decided to make it.” She gestures for us to come in. 

Her apartment is lit up by LED lights. It's a typical college apartment. Thin walls, gray laminate floors, fake granite countertop. The living room is full of people already. I recognize a couple of them. I’ve seen around the physics department. I think they might be juniors. Dina grabs my arm pulling me out of my daze. “Let’s get another drink.”

…

I’m currently sipping on a seltzer in the corner with Dina as planned. Ellie is off flirting with one of the girls I saw earlier in the living room. I think her name is Cat. Ellie has her hand above Cat’s head as they talk in the door frame. I feel a bit embarrassed that I assumed she only invited me here as a joke or to humiliate me publicly. She has barely spoken to me the entire time. My eyes wander over to Ellie again. She’s definitely winning Cat over. 

Ellie’s hand lightly caresses her clothed lower back slowly lifting up her shirt. She leans down to whisper in Cat’s ear. Her eyes widen. She meets Ellie’s gaze and whispers back to her. Ellie’s fingers then dip down to her hips. She strokes the waistband of her jeans before moving her hand down lower. Her head nuzzles into her shoulder as she pulls her in closer. She begins to work her way up delicately kissing her neck.I look away as the moment begins to feel too intimate. I lift my cool hands up to my cheeks to relieve the heat burning off them. 

… 

A couple of Dina’s coworkers pulled her away to play a drinking game. I decided not to play. I don’t want to get too drunk. I still need to work on an assignment tomorrow. I get up off the couch and try to find a bathroom. I walk through the hallway, and pull on the first door handle, but it doesn’t budge. I continue down the hall, and spot a sliding glass door to the left. As I walk down the hall further, I can tell it’s Ellie. She sees me looking at her and gestures for me to come outside too. I open the door with caution.

… 

“Hey.” 

“Hi.” Ellie sits down in the chair. I sit down across from her. I’m confused why she wanted me to come out here. I had assumed she’d be with Cat still. 

She readjusts herself in the chair and reaches into her back pocket pulling out a joint. 

“Want any?” She extends it in my direction. 

“I’ll take a hit.” Ellie brings the lighter to it and inhales. She passes it to me. The thick smoke lingers in the air around us. 

After we pass the joint back and forth a few more times, Ellie moves to sit on the couch next to me. Her eyes are glossy and tinted pink. I can’t imagine mine look much different. I giggle. 

“What’re you laughing at?” Ellie shoves my arm. I shove her back harder. We are competitive after all. 

“You look kinda funny when you’re high.” The atmosphere around us seems to change. The tension is replaced by something new.  A warmth spreads through my body despite the goosebumps rising on my arms. I contemplate what Ellie is thinking. She puts her head in between her hands and shakes her head. She scoots over closer to me. 

“You look kinda cute when you’re high. At least for you.” 

 “I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered.” 

Ellie pulls back unexpectedly. 

“Can I ask you a question?” 

The twinge of anxiety in my chest returns. I hesitantly meet her eye contact “Uh. Sure.” 

Ellie starts biting her nails. “How did you get the highest grade for exam one?” 

“Why wouldn’t I? I knew the material inside and out.” 

“Bullshit.” Ellie’s tone changes, and I know this is no longer playful banter. She stands up towering over me. 

I want to retreat into the couch. I thought for a second she was going to put this shit aside. I guess I was wrong. 

“How Ellie? You took the test right next to me. It’s not like I cheated. Maybe it’s time for you to accept that I’m just as good if not better than you.” 

She scoffs. Ellie bites her thumbnail and is pacing around the small balcony.

“Why did you even invite me here? To interrogate me?” 

“Oh fuck you. You’re the one who has the incessant need to compete with me. I just play along.” I stand up to even the playing field. The rage is bubbling up inside of me begging to be let out. 

“No fuck you Ellie. You just told me you’re glad I’m finally playing the game. Now I’m the only one who is trying to compete with you? I’m leaving. I don’t know why I came here in the first place.” 

I rush to the door. Eager to find Dina and leave. Ellie grabs my arm bringing me back outside. I pull away. 

“Wait.” 

“What more do you have to say?” I try to pull myself out of her grasp again. 

“That’s not the only thing I wanted to ask. Please.” I stop trying to escape and Ellie let’s go. 

“Okay, then what do you want to say to me? It better be good or I’m leaving and telling the tutoring center to drug test you Monday.” 

“Then I’ll tell them to drug test you too.” Despite wanting to shove Ellie into the brick wall behind us I don’t. 

“Spit it out.” 

“I need you to not apply for the position in Dr. Ramsey’s lab.” 

Out of the corner of my eye I see Dina walking toward us. 

“Not a chance Ellie.”

[lazybug16]

Books I've read in the last few months and recommend (and yes, all of them are queer)

Book recs 1 / Book recs 2

Info and ratings of each book underneath!

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve

Dean thought he was a lesbian for a long time, but he then learns what transgender is and starts to think about his own gender and how he feels like a boy, he's just scared of how he will tell his friends and his girlfriend, who is also a lesbian

Really good book and explained it all super well, really good rep tbh and even though everyone is messy in some way you feel for (almost) every character 8/10 (trans men, trans women, non binary, lesbian, gay and bisexual characters)

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

We follow Jo and Sophie during their first year at Wellesley College, who meet in a class and become friends, but what they don't know is that they also know each other online, as Wendy and Wanda and they don't exactly get along swimmingly. Oh, they are both also aroace, and become closer after telling each other that

If you're aspec or questioning it or just want to know more about it and what we go through in this world as aroace people? This is the book for you, it's so good and so relatable 10/10 (Asexual, aromantic, bisexual, lesbian, pansexual, demisexual and non binary characters)

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Dever

Ben comes out to their parents and gets kicked out, making them call their sister who they hadn't seen in 10 years to pick them up, and even if their life is shitty in that moment, happier days are to come

I loved this story so so much but I wanted to kill the parents. Really well written and the sibling and friends are so loveable! 9/10 (non binary, queer, pansexual and bisexual characters)

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Mason Deaver

Takes place 4 months after iwyatb at christmas time, Ben wants to surprise Nathan but a snowstorm gets in the way... Or does it?

Loved this short story so much! You just fall in love with Ben and Nathans love! And wow in both books I could relate to Ben's anxiety so much it was scary 10/10 (non binary, queer, pansexual and bisexual characters)

Like real people do by E. L. Massey

Eli, a disabled 18 year old who loves to skate runs into Alex, a 19 year old famous hockey player, and they quickly become friends, but soon develop feelings for each other and must figure out if an out guy and a closeted guy can be together

Adorable, just fucking adorable I love this book so much and the two main characters and their friends are absolute sweethearts, was thinking this book wasn't going to be for me cause hockey isn't something I like but wow was I wrong, so glad I gave this book a chance 10/10 (gay and bisexual characters)

Like you've nothing left to prove by E. L. Massey

Second book of "Like real people do" and follows Eli and Alex navigate their relationship as well as their passions, hockey and figure skating

If you loved the first book this is just a continuation of it and again, so adorable and loveable, just a delight to read 10/10 (gay and bisexual characters)

Milo and Marcos at the end of the world by Kevin Christopher Snipes

His last year of high school and a familiar face appears after three years. Milo remembers Marcos from camp and hasn't stopped thinking about him, and maybe the same can be said about Marcos?

This was a rollercoaster to say the least lol but very interesting read, and Milo and Marcos are very lovable characters (even though stubborn sometimes but who isn't?) And Vanessa is the best friend anyone can have. Although the religious themes was sometimes too much, but understandable why it was put there 8/10 (gay characters)

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

Spencer changes schools since the previous one wasn't accepting of his transgender identity, and the new one is more open to queer people, and they also have a football/soccer team which he would love to join

Such a sweet story and I just loved all the kids, Spencer and Justice are so cute together, all the teammates are super nice and Theo (Spencer's autistic younger brother) is absolutely adorable, really nice read 10/10 (Transgender, queer, gay and bisexual characters)

They hate each other by Amanda Woody

Dylan and Jonah don't get along, they hate each other, but after deciding to fake date to get everyone in school off their backs by saying they would make the perfect couple, over time they might realize that they were right

Loved this book so much!!! Wanted to adopt Jonah and hug Dylan, protect these boys at all costs, and Jonahs sisters were too adorable, even though it had heavy topics it was really well done (yeah a lot of scenes almost made me cry, both in a bad way ans good way lol) 10/10 (bisexual, transgender and asexual characters)

Upside Down by N. R. Walker

Jordan might be asexual but he isn't sure, so Merry his best friend takes him to an aro/ace meeting to learn and get some answers, and he might just get them and more...

There are no fucking words for this book, but I will say that you will not stop smiling and laughing and crying throughout, all the characters are so genuine and lovable and I want to know them irl, could not recommend enough 10/10 (gay, lesbian, asexual, aromantic, bisexual, poly)

[oneterabyteofkilobyteage]

original url http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/6979/ last modified 2007-10-21 23:35:12

[scarlettsabetlondongirl]

Where does Scarlett get her dresses from?

"I love dresses"

Poet Scarlett quote from Nasty Nostalgia interview-August 10, 2020

Your style is something out of another era. How would you describe your personal style and aesthetic? Do you have favorite places to shop in London? Who are some of your favorite designers?

"Well, most of my clothes are second hand, either charity shops or vintage clothes fairs. I like second hand clothes because it's like they find you. I would rather wear something I have and love and have worn constantly than something new for the sake of it. I really like Paul Smith, he is still an independent fashion house 50 years after starting his business. He has such a fast moving and creative mind. I did a few readings last year and wore a blue suit he had given me. I really loved wearing the suit, it's strong and structured, you feel powerful and you sit differently. I also really like a new young designer called Nicole Eymard, her label is called Nichloris, it's an independent Demi-couture womenswear label. She was raised in California and studied in Paris, and is now based in London. Her clothes are sustainable and made here in the U.K using local manufactures and artisans fusing traditional craftsmanship with modern artistry. She creates very feminine dresses and shirts. I adore her silk slip dresses. Nature and ancient mythology are woven into her garments and that gives them a strength as well as being flattering and feminine. I love dresses. Jimmy's best friend of over 50 years is an antique dealer called Paul Reeves, he's the most wonderful man and I feel blessed to now have him in my life too. We were visiting Paul one weekend and I saw this incredible long red Victorian coat, it was made in 1870, I really didn't think it would fit but it was a perfect fit. That’s an incredible thing to have, and I've worn it for some poetry readings, I wore it when I read at Wellesley College."

If you could raid anyone’s wardrobe who would It be? 

"No one. I like what I've got. But I enjoy seeing another woman being true to herself, looking beautiful and confident. I think beauty and elegance has so much to do with a person's spirit and character, there is strength and beauty in a woman that has overcome adversity."

Here she is at a vintage clothing fair here.

Her Zoreh cover has a very 1970's Gunne Sax style to it.

Lately she has been favoring new slip dresses. One she has is here (Link to dress is broken but from that maker.)

She always looks lovely.

I wonder if she owns a pair of jeans?

[muirneach]

subway is fucked today. naive of me to assume it would be better today after it was barely in service last week between like wednesday to sunday. line 2 is having power outages and signal problems and my train got stopped at two separate stations for like 10 mins each. every single line 1 stations appears to be flooding except for wellesley station which is out of service for security reasons. absolute shitshow on all levels. unmatched public transit system

[irismfrost]

July 16 - National Palace Museum and Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence

The National Palace Museum contains China’s most precious artifacts. During the 20th century, China was involved in many wars, including civil wars, sino-japanese wars, and world wars. The government wanted to keep these artifacts safe, so they were boxed up and moved around to different locations throughout the first half of the 20th century. Eventually, these artifacts were shipped to Taiwan during war times. The National Palace Museum was founded and opened to the public in 1965. There are so many artifacts that the museum rotates the items every 3 months. The museum has 3 floors of artifacts. They are organized a little bit by time period and you can tell by the type of material and designs of the artifacts. All of these artifacts are priceless. We took a look at this one blue-ish ceramic bowl. It was pretty basic looking and if it didn’t have any history attached to it, I would pay 10 USD for it at Goodwill. It is worth 36 million USD. It was interesting to see the influences of each dynasty on these pieces. It’s crazy how hundreds of years of history can be squished into an hour or two walking around a museum. 

We also visited the Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence. Yesterday, we visited his memorial. He was the first president of Taiwan, fleeing to Taiwan after losing the Civil War in China. He positioned himself as a savior and a powerful leader. The people around him respected him and were a necessary proponent of his success. His residence had a beautiful garden and a large house, I assume it was especially large for the time period. This house welcomed many famous people and many important political conversations took place within those walls. I particularly want to draw attention to his wife, Soong Mei-ling. She knew how to play politics and would join Chiang in important conversations with guests. She grew up in the US and went to Wellesley College majoring in literature. She was a fan of the fine arts, an avid painter, writer, reader, and also enjoyed movies and music. Chiang also appreciated these and was known to always have a book on hand. Chiang died in 1975 in this house, surrounded by family and friends. Soong Mei-ling passed away in 2003 in New York City. 

Reflection

There seems to be a divide within the people living in Taiwan. Part of this divide stems from Chiang Kai-shek. Some people love him and associate him with freedom and democracy. They see him as a savior because of his efforts against communism in China. Others see him as an invader and authoritarian leader that highly encourages others to adopt his ways. I think that even though everyone lives in Taiwan, some also associate themselves with their Chinese heritage, while others do not. The National Palace Museum, for example, is more like a museum for Chinese culture instead of Taiwanese culture, despite the fact that all of the artifacts belong to Taiwan.

[austin-in-taiwan]

July 16 - Taipei - National Palace Museum, Mongolian BBQ, Chiang Kai-Shek residence

Today we had chartered a bus to take us around the city where we were going today! If you're reading this and don't know, it's consistently over 95 degrees here in Taipei. So, having to walk less around this city and being able to take a break in a nice air-conditioned bus is exceptionally nice.

Our first visit was to the National Palace Museum here in Taipei. There were so many super old artifacts throughout Chinese and Taiwanese history from the Qing dynasty. Throughout my travels here in Taiwan, I have appreciated how old Chinese history is, especially compared to the United States (our history is 248 years old, while Chinese history is over 5000 years old). See more about what I learned in the academic reflection below!

Afterward, we had a group lunch at an all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ restaurant. When I go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, I always have the same tactic: eat enough to the point where the restaurant loses money. I asked Peter how much it usually costs to eat there since this lunch was already paid for by the program, and he said it was only 15 USD for lunch! I thought this was wild for such a good restaurant. I have attached a video of the BBQ station, but in summary, you can fill your plate with vegetables and a selection of beef, chicken, pork, and/or lamb and give it to the chefs to cook for about 2 minutes or so. It was so delicious I had 3 bowls. There also was a selection of dumplings and other hot foods. Overall, I ate enough for several people, which was excellent!

Finally, we went to Chiang Kai-Shek and Madame Chiang's residence in Taiwan, where they lived for over 20 years, according to Peter (their longest home together). There was an audio guide, and I enjoyed walking through their residence and learning more about Madame Chiang, her home design, and what they did in the various rooms there.

Academic Reflection

I learned a lot about various Chinese and Taiwanese history today. Peter taught me several things throughout the museum tour. One of the most interesting things was looking at the porcelain teacups and bowls worth 10's of millions of dollars. For an example read the article below this paragraph. I was shocked not only about how expensive and valuable this china was but also how pristine its condition was for being roughly a  thousand years old. Another idea that stuck with me was when Peter explained what he learned about Buddhism while at Buddhist temples with some of his previous clients. He told us that to be enlightened, you have to get rid of all attachments, desires, and personal property, and to do that, you have to realize and accept that everything before us is an illusion. This rough explanation still doesn't entirely make sense to me. Still, I imagine that's what Buddhist monks and people who commit their lives to Buddhism are committed to deciphering and figuring out. Overall, in the future, I will definitely be more interested in learning about Buddhism when I visit temples and other religious sites.

Furthermore, I found Chiang Kai-Shek and Madame Chiang's residence particularly interesting. I spent lots of time listening to the audio logs provided by the museum, as I was even one of the last people to leave. Mainly, I was intrigued by how Madame Chiang had lived and studied in the USA and influenced Chiang Kai-Shek to be involved and friendly with the United States. I found that she had learned at Wellesley and found that very cool, as I have a friend who studies there today! The intricacy of the design of the house and the artwork that Madame Chiang implemented was stunning and impressive. The tour also explained how Madame Chiang was always there with Chaing Kai-Shek when important guests were over (like President Eisenhower) and helped him in meaningful political conversations. Overall, I learned about the influence Madame Chiang had as Chiang Kai-Shek's wife.

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapters 52: There Is Neither Beginning Nor End & 53: The Wheel Turns

Spoiler alert: This is the end of the book, so if you haven't finished reading it yet, there's certainly spoilers ahead. I also went ahead and spoiled the rest of the series as a treat.

Chapter 52 has the trefoil leaves chapter icon, a symbol of how winter is over and spring has come at last, here on... May 9th. Yeah that's gonna cause some problems later.

Light. That should mean something. Thought was a new thing. I can think. I means me.

René Descartes doesn't really seem like a potential candidate for a past life of Rand in the same way that Yeshua of Nazareth (the subtext is screamingly obvious), Arthur Wellesley (no seriously, this one is canon, wait for it), or Volodymyr Zelenskyy (improbable leader with a blonde wife named Olena) are, but it's not impossible either and kind of funny! What better reason for headcanons?

With an effort he fumbled his sword from its scabbard. Only a few ashes remained from the red cloth.

This bodes poorly for Morgase - Rand might like a few members of the current world order and respect leaders who ascended lawfully and rule justly, but even they have to be replaced as a part of his embracing his destiny.

Egwene. He broke into a shambling run. Leaves and flower petals showered around him as he blundered through the undergrowth. Have to find her. Who is she?

If I was skilled enough, I could absolutely extract an essay about how these five sentences cover so much of the endgame of the series, but alas I am very rusty. Nonetheless, it's very significant that she is the first name that comes to mind as Rand recovers from his head trauma.

A pretty girl looked up with big eyes from where she knelt beneath the spreading branches, flowers in her hair, and brown oak leaves. She was slender and young, and frightened.

I can't tell if it's the head trauma or the denial he already had, but either way it's very impressive that Rand continuously acknowledges that all three of the women are deeply uncomfortable being around a man who just channeled at a scale unseen in millennia without ever processing why that might be.

In the Age of Legends, Aginor was close behind the Kinslayer and Ishamael in power.

In one of the deepest tragedies of the Breaking, while all the libraries were put to the torch, Buzzfeed's archives survived long enough for Aes Sedai to be able to study articles about Top 10 Channelers Who Might Kill Us All Without Noticing During This New and Horrifying War.

“The Dark One,” the Aes Sedai cut him off. Ill or not, her voice was firm, and her dark eyes commanding. “Best we still call him the Dark One. Or Ba’alzamon, at least.” He shrugged. “As you wish. But he’s dead. The Dark One’s dead. I killed him. I burned him with. . . .” The rest of memory flooded back then, leaving his mouth hanging open. The One Power. I wielded the One Power. No man can. . . .

Lews's fatal flaw of pride comes out most strongly when Rand is channeling or in its afterglow. Shepherd Rand would never have thought, if you'd asked, that anyone could channel enough power to kill the Dark One, even if it looked like it.

“I had suspicions from the first,” Moiraine said.

I dunno Moiraine, I really feel like you're choosing your words carefully to hide the fact that you were pretty up in the air about it the whole damn time.

He shivered. He felt so cold his fingers hurt. “If I never do it again, if I never touch it again, I won’t. . . .” He could not say it. Go mad. Turn the land and people around him to madness. Die, rotting while he still lived. “Perhaps,” Moiraine said.

I mean, she's choosing her words carefully everywhere else. In this case, "perhaps" means, "I can't literally say it's impossible because maybe somewhere in all of human history one person managed to resist channeling, but I so strongly believe it's impossible that I really want to say it anyway."

His throat constricted until he could hardly breathe. Will they turn their faces the way Egwene did? Will they scream and run away like I’m a Fade? Moiraine spoke as if she did not notice the blood draining from his face.

It says a lot about the friendships Rand has that absolutely none of this crew does abandon him. They're a bit distant, but it's Rand who really pushes the others away in the immediate future.

Moiraine continues to be a bad mentor here, ignoring Rand's obvious emotional distress to try and push him along the path of prophecy. For all that she really is one of the best Aes Sedai, the fact that in just a little bit she's going to be describing him as a tool to be used (and not explicitly denying Rand's metaphor of being thrown in the trash afterward) shows a lot of where her headspace is at. Rand needs to fulfill the prophecies, seal the Dark One, break as little of the world as possible along the way, and then bleed out so that the adults can take back over once the Last Battle is done. She isn't malicious in this perspective; she just has spent so long dedicating her whole self to the cause that she's forgotten that once upon a time she herself was just a young woman who didn't know what destiny had in store for her and what she'd be giving up to save the world.

“A tool made for a purpose is not demeaned by being used for that purpose,” Moiraine’s voice was as harsh as his own, “but a man who believes the Father of Lies demeans himself. You say you will not be used, and then you let the Dark One set your path like a hound sent after a rabbit by his master.”

And like, I don't blame her for being harsh here - like Rand, she's just had a hella traumatic experience after two straight months of misery and anyway her argument itself is quite sound - but she is the adult in the room and Rand's being given the worst news imaginable. Her refusal or inability to be kinder in this moment and try to deescalate is really the moment that Rand shifts from seeing Moiraine as a potentially untrustworthy individual who is nonetheless worth putting faith in to being the dangerous trickster figure who only wants to parade him around as her puppet.

“So you’re alive after all.” Mat laughed. His face darkened, and he jerked his head at Moiraine. “She wouldn’t let us look for you. Said we had to find out what the Eye was hiding. I’d have gone anyway, but Nynaeve and Egwene sided with her and almost threw me through the arch.”

Hell, let's look at these three paragraphs in a bit of detail: here's where Mat's testimony shows that Moiraine is manipulating the situation and separating him from his best friends (and that she's won over Nynaeve and Egwene in the process).

“You’re here, now,” Perrin said, “and not too badly beaten about, by the look of you.” His eyes did not glow, but the irises were all yellow, now. “That’s the important thing. You’re here, and we’re done with what we came for, Whatever it was. Moiraine Sedai says we’re done, and we can go. Home, Rand. The Light burn me, but I want to go home.”

Here's where Perrin confirms that Moiraine intends this separation to be permanent: the other two boys aren't channelers so she's willing to let them go if they want - and Rand has no reason to think they won't be leaving soon enough anyway.

“Good to see you alive, sheepherder,” Lan said gruffly. “I see you hung onto your sword. Maybe you’ll learn to use it, now.” Rand felt a sudden burst of affection for the Warder; Lan knew, but on the surface at least, nothing had changed. He thought that perhaps, for Lan, nothing had changed inside either.

Rand's out of allies. The girls are Aes Sedai to be, Mat and Perrin are seemingly out the door. So he imprints on the last human left to him, the dude who is allied with Moiraine but hasn't been relentlessly sketch about it and shown Rand some kindness along the way. Hell, he's even proven his relative humanity in the love Rand knows he has for Nynaeve but can't act upon.

(I'd include Loial's paragraph that comes next but it basically boils down to "If things get scarier, I'm out," which is of no comfort to Rand.)

“Cuendillar,” Moiraine said. “Heartstone. No one has been able to make it since the Age of Legends, and even then it was made only for the greatest purpose. Once made, nothing can break it. Not the One Power itself wielded by the greatest Aes Sedai who ever lived aided by the most powerful sa’angreal ever made. Any power directed against heartstone only makes it stronger.”

I really do wonder what it is that the Dark One managed to do to corrupt these things - and what mechanism will eventually be discovered to turn heartstone back into regular stuff for the next turning of the Wheel. Maybe they just always trade it all to the Finns and magical chemistry is different in such sideways places.

The flattened cube of gold and silver appeared to be solid, but the Aes Sedai’s fingers felt across the intricate work, pressing, and with a sudden click a top flung back as if on springs.

I suspect (as do others!) that the Horn of Valere had been kept in a stasis box. The Tower likely recovered a few over the millennia, letting Moiraine recognize this one and understand how to work out how to open it.

“I begin to wonder,” Moiraine said. “The Eye of the World was made against the greatest need the world would ever face, but was it made for the use to which . . . we . . . put it, or to guard these things? Quickly, the last, show it to me.”

It's both Moiraine. They knew Rand would need to use a lot of untainted saidin (even if they didn't know what for) and they knew that once he showed up he'd need the rest of the crap, so they put it all in the same place. Imagine if Rand had needed to go running around the world to find them all.

The whole thing seemed of a piece, neither woven, nor dyed, nor painted. A figure like a serpent, scaled in scarlet and gold, ran the entire length, but it had scaled legs, and feet with five long, golden claws on each, and a great head with a golden mane and eyes like the sun. The stirring of the banner made it seem to move, scales glittering like precious metals and gems, alive, and he almost thought he could hear it roar defiance.

I wonder if dragons were still remembered in LTT's era or if he just really liked weird biology.

Dead, brown leaves falling from the great oak. Dead leaves rustling thick on the ground in the breeze, brown mixed with petals dropped from thousands of flowers. The Green Man had held back the Blight, but already the Blight was killing what he had made.

But only because no one is taking action, but more on that next chapter.

Rand climbed into the bay’s saddle with a sense of loss. It shouldn’t be this way. Blood and ashes, we won!

We've moved into chapter 53. It has the wheel-and-serpent icon that I don't think we've seen since the Prologue, showing how we're moving into an especially epic part of history. And now we have Rand reflecting on a running theme of Jordan's, that absolutely none of the epic battles end in anything like happiness and that yes dammit losing could be even worse.

Before the oak, Loial knelt, closing his eyes and stretching out his arms. The tufts on his ears stood straight as he lifted his face to the sky. And he sang.

It's not battle that holds back the Blight, as necessary as it might be, but love.

He half expected they would have to fight their way out as they fought their way in, but the Blight was as quiet and still as death. Not a single branch trembled as if to lash at them, nothing screamed or howled, neither nearby nor in the distance. The Blight seemed to crouch, not to pounce, but as if it had been struck a great blow and waited for the next to fall. Even the sun was less red.

The Shadow's been dealt an absolutely humiliating defeat against a bunch of country bumpkins, it's frankly surprising that the entire kingdom of Malkier wasn't freed from the Blight after this - and even as is the ruins seem less forlorn. There's not much to quote for the next little bit because it's all the same: everything is better and everyone is happier for it.

Ingtar’s was the first face Rand saw that was not smiling.

Aww, is the Darkfriend who betrayed everyone he ever loved by giving into despair still sad? Poor baby.

Agelmar was in his study, with his swords and armor back on their racks, and his was the second face that did not smile.

Aww, is the Dar-- wait no that's not it. Agelmar is of course unable to smile because he knows what's coming: a powerful male channeler.

“A miracle,” Agelmar said, shaking his head, “but. . . . Moiraine Sedai, men say many things about what happened in the Gap. That the Light took on flesh and fought for us. That the Creator walked in the Gap to strike at the Shadow. But I saw a man, Moiraine Sedai. I saw a man, and what he did, cannot be, must not be.”

No miracles in this world; to quote Futurama:

(He told Bender so himself.)

Sadly for Agelmar, Rand can and he will and yes, he very much must.

“We won, Lord Agelmar. We won, and the land freed from winter is the proof, but I fear the last battle has not yet been fought.” Rand stirred, but the Aes Sedai gave him a sharp look and he stood still again.

Rand's interior Lews pride is so strong he'd be perfectly happy to out himself as the Dragon Reborn at the worst possible moment if it meant he could shout, "I killed Shai'tan!" at someone.

I did not show it to you to taunt you, but so that you will know that in whatever battles yet come, our might will be as great as that of the Shadow. Its place is not here. The Horn must be carried to Illian. It is there, if fresh battles threaten, that it must rally the forces of the Light.

In many ways, it feels like Illian only got so strongly associated with the Horn so that Moiraine could have a hyperfixation to be hilariously wrong about that wouldn't hinder Rand's actual development too much. The Wheel's a real jerk, you know?

“Good, sheepherder.” Leaning against the railing with his arms folded across his chest, the Warder watched him critically. “You are doing well, but don’t push so hard. You can’t become a blademaster in a few weeks.”

He'll do it in six months, three days - and four months, one week, and three days of that will be completely wasted. Unless maybe his Blademaster skills from those lives rubbed off on him in some sort of Everything Everywhere All at Once style training session.

“Somewhere. I don’t know.” He did not want to meet her eyes, but he could not stop looking at her. She wore fed wild-roses twined in her hair, flowing about her shoulders. She held her cloak close, dark blue and embroidered along the edge with a thin line of white flowers in the Shienaran fashion, and the blossoms made a line straight up to her face. They were no paler than her cheeks; her eyes seemed so large and dark. “Away.”

Egwene is showing her first real signs of one of her ultimate skills: being able to adapt to whatever culture she's visiting so long as they're not treating her worse than a slave. She did this a bit when they were leaving with Moiraine but that was clearly more youthful rebellion and now it's becoming something more.

Rand meanwhile thinks he's getting out of this town and he's just so wrong because he doesn't even want to leave his friends.

“Moiraine does not know I am alive. I have done what she wanted, and that’s an end to it. She doesn’t even speak to me when I go to her. Not that I’ve tried to stay close to her, but she’s avoided me. She won’t care if I go, and I don’t care if she does.”

Yeah, Moiraine's done a great job of torpedoing the relationship she could have had with Rand.

“And wait for some Aes Sedai besides Moiraine to find out what I am and gentle me?” His voice was rough, almost a sneer; he could not change it. “Is that what you want?” “No.” He knew he would never be able to tell her how grateful he was that she had not hesitated before answering.

Something the Egwene haters are blind to is that while she can be remarkably uncharitable towards Rand, she's still fiercely loyal in her own fashion. Rand being gentled is unspeakable in her eyes and the revelation her tests seem to show her that she will inevitably be forced to turn against Rand horrifies her to a degree beyond even Mat's own disgust at his own visions of betrayal. All the alt!Egwenes fail Rand but this one true Egwene only ends up opposing him in a way that saves the world and isn't an abandonment.

The faint blue glow faded from the stone, and a smile touched her lips. It had no power in itself, the stone, but the first use she had ever learned of the One Power, as a girl, in the Royal Palace in Cairhien, was using the stone to listen to people when they thought they were too far off to be overheard.

Moiraine, honey, please stop scheming. It's only making things worse for everyone including you.

“The Prophecies will be fulfilled,” the Aes Sedai whispered. “The Dragon is Reborn.”

This right here is for us the reader: Moiraine might be petty and underhanded in a lot of ways, but she isn't using Rand the way other Aes Sedai seem to have used the false Dragons. She genuinely believes that she's fulfilling the prophecies. We needed this reassurance - frankly Rand does too but he can't have nice things - so that when she gets increasingly sketch in this next book we still know to root for her.

And that's the end of book one! I say it still holds up and is one of the stronger fantasy novels out there - its ending is bizarrely esoteric but honestly it's just the final escalation of the dream sequences that run throughout the novel. Its focus on Rand is a little odd in light of the huge ensemble we end up getting, but honestly in the later novels we cross over to a point where I feel like there's way too many POV characters running around so having too tight a focus is better than the alternative in my book.

I'm gonna take a little break again, maybe do another novel in between, but rest assured I'll be hopping over to The Great Hunt and getting into that madness soon enough.

EDIT: Crap, I know I was forgetting something. @butterflydm Absolutely no references to channeling slowing aging exist in this text, so yes, that probably explains the oddities of Lews' family situation.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Never write a letter to your mistress and never join the Carlton Club.

- Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Despite its having Wellington’s characteristic terseness and, as regards the first bit, good sense, it feels an odd thing to say. Wellington was after all the Carlton’s founding father and, although he played no large part in its affairs, he must have observed its political success with considerable satisfaction. Perhaps, like many phrases supposedly uttered by famous people, it was attributed to him, but actually coined by someone else.

It would be hard to overestimate the importance of the establishment of the Carlton Club in the history of British party politics. At the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, there were in existence two great clubs, Brooks’s and White’s, linked to the historic Whig  and Tory Parties respectively. But by the 1830s, the two political parties needed far more than their long-standing London bastions could supply. They simply were not large enough. Some MPs had begun to resort to non-political clubs, like Boodle’s in St James’s Street, giving rise to the following merry ditty: ‘In Parliament I fill my seat/With many other noodles/And lay my head in Jermyn Street/And sip my hock at Boodle’s’.

Such exile from the political mainstream soon became unnecessary. Politics entered a new era, in which the two parties, which evolved in the 1830s and the two subsequent decades - acquiring new names, Conservative and Liberal- expanded their political activities greatly. They needed London accommodation on a generous scale in premises which provided a variety of rooms, large and small.

That is what the Carlton Club supplied. In 1837, the year of Queen Victoria’s accession, it opened its first club house in Pall Mall on the corner of Carlton Gardens, yet another reminder of the gross, bloated monarch, George IV (114 years later a slim Miss Margaret Roberts would depart from the next door house in Carlton Gardens en route to her marriage to Mr Denis Thatcher).

The Carlton club remained on its Pall Mall corner site until a Nazi bomb fell on it in October 1940. The original club house underestimated the party’s need for space. It was enlarged in the 1840s as Sir Robert Peel brought the party first to election triumph in 1841, and then to political disaster and division as a result of the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. To assist the Conservative party’s recovery from the split that the Corn Laws’ repeal brought about, the enlarged building was demolished and replaced by an even bigger one in 1856.

Members stared from the Carlton club’s windows across Carlton Gardens at the Reform club, founded in 1836, four years after the Carlton, to equip the Tories’ opponents with the same range of services, social and political, that the Carlton pioneered. It should be noted in passing that in the new nineteenth-century political world the Conservatives put themselves at the forefront of organisational change, where they were to remain until Tony Blair’s day.

The close proximity of the two rival clubs meant that they kept each other under close observation. In the early days, the Reform took a great interest in the volume of mail posted by servants of the Carlton, who retaliated by waiting until darkness fell before venturing forth. During a political crisis in 1884, blinds were pulled down at every window of the Carlton club’s library after a member noticed two figures across the road in the Reform club spying with the aid of opera glasses. Members of the Carlton noted with satisfaction that their club eclipsed the Reform in size and grandeur.

But that’s a matter of griping. Or is that groping?

In 2022, the disgraced Conservative MP Christopher Pincher was alleged to have sexually groped two men, in an area known as Cads’ Corner within the Carlton. Former No 10 strategist Dominic Cummings once claimed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson referred to the now disgraced MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” before making him deputy chief whip, which he subsequently had taken away from him.

The club boasts about this ‘inviting corner’ that features a small cluster of chairs underneath a grand staircase - but talk to my father’s peers and friends who are members about how Cads’ Corner gained its name and they get all coy and look at their watches. Indeed it’s well known that it’s the spot where male members could stand to stare up the skirts of female guests walking up and down the stairs.

As a member of the Reform club naturally I think they’ve got their head up their arse or at the very least looking up at some unlucky lady’s skirt.

[oneterabyteofkilobyteage]

original url http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/3416/ last modified 2007-08-10 09:23:25

[wellesleyunderground]

Alex Joseph ’10 (@AlexJosephATL): Why Atlanta Should #StopCopCity

Written by Alex Joseph ‘10

I never imagined my first foray into local politics would start like it did: I got into a fight on Twitter with a local elected official. My city council member had just tweeted a strongly-worded statement denouncing a controversial $90 million police and fire department training center being planned in Atlanta, Georgia known as “Cop City.” In that same statement, however, they also said that despite their opposition to the project, the city council did not have the power to cancel the city’s lease agreement and to stop the construction of Cop City. As a lawyer who represents cities and counties and a person who has rented several apartments (and broken several leases), I just didn’t believe their statement that nothing could be done.

I then spent the weekend digging into the publicly available lease and what I found surprised me. In short, the lease has a provision (Sec. 4.3) that allows the mayor to terminate the lease at any time with or without cause with the requirement of giving the lessee (in this case, the Atlanta Police Foundation) 180 days written notice. And after further research, I uncovered that the city council can also adopt a resolution at any time to cancel the lease! To summarize these findings, I wrote this legal memorandum and shared it with the public, via Twitter of course. My hope is that members of the public will use the information and legal arguments contained in my memorandum to have constructive, fact-based conversations with our elected officials and ultimately persuade them to cancel the lease between the city and the Atlanta Police Foundation.

The lease should be canceled for many reasons. First, the proposed site location is within the Weelaunee Forest, which is Atlanta’s largest remaining green space and one of the city’s greatest defenses against worsening climate change. The forest was originally inhabited by the Muscogee (Creek) Tribe before their forced removal in the early 19th century. The area then became part of a complex of farms that included a slave plantation and was purchased by the City of Atlanta in 1911. The city would operate the land as a prison farm until the mid-1990s.

The $90 million conceptualized Cop City facility will include a mock city, a “burn building” for firefighters to practice, a firing range, a driving course, stables and pastureland for police horses and kennels for K-9 units, along with training classrooms. The design designates 85 acres of the proposed site location to be turned into the training facility while the other 265 are slated to be preserved as greenspace. The scale of the project is truly unprecedented. For comparison, the NYPD’s training academy is a roughly 32-acre campus and the LAPD training campus is about 20 acres. The proposed site location is also in an area largely made up of Black residents — one of the groups most at risk of over-policing.

But perhaps the most important reason the lease should be canceled is because Atlantans are, for the most part, vehemently against the construction of Cop City. When the proposal first emerged on the city council meeting docket for consideration, there were 1,166 comments from the public, totalling 17 hours, the majority of which were in opposition to the project. This has been the driving force behind my research and involvement because no matter where one stands on the issues surrounding Cop City, I think we all agree our elected officials should listen to the voices of their constituents. Today, protests continue against the project and while construction is slated to begin in August, there is energy in the community around holding councilmembers accountable for acknowledging the feasibility of canceling the lease. I’m glad that in a small way, my legal research has helped amplify these voices loud enough for decision makers to listen.

_________

Alex Joseph graduated from Wellesley with a degree in history and later obtained a JD from the University of Georgia School of Law. Her previous experience includes serving as an Assistant District Attorney in South Carolina and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia.

[goalhofer]

2023-24 Colorado Eagles Roster

Wingers

#10 Riley Tufte (Coon Rapids, Minnesota)*

#11 Ryan Sandelin (Hermantown, Minnesota)**

#14 Chris Wagner (Wellesley, Massachusetts)*

#24 Oskar Olausson (Stockholm, Sweden)

#28 D.J. Busdeker (Dexter, Michigan)*

#36 Matt Steinberg (Halifax, Nova Scotia)**

#38 Spencer Smallman (Summerside, Prince Edward Island)

#73 Dalton Smith (Oshawa, Ontario)

#74 Alex Beaucage (Trois-Rivières, Quebec)

Centers

#20 Tanner Kero (Hancock, Michigan)*

#26 Ondřej Pavel (Prague, Czech Republic)**

#59 Ben Meyers (Delano, Minnesota)

#65 Cédric Paré (Lévis, Quebec)

#68 Cal Burke (Boxborough, Massachusetts) A

#71 Peter Holland (Caledon, Ontario)*

#82 Ivan Ivan (Ostrava, Czech Republic)**

#93 Jean-Luc Foudy (Toronto, Ontario)

Defensemen

#5 Wyatt Aamodt (Hermantown, Minnesota)

#7 Brad Hunt (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) C

#15 Gianni Fairbrother (North Vancouver, British Columbia)*

#18 Jack Ahcan (Burnsville, Minnesota)*

#22 Josh Wesley (Raleigh, North Carolina)*

#44 Corey Scheuneman (Milford Township, Michigan)*

#67 Keaton Middleton (Stratford, Ontario) A

#84 Nate Clurman (Boulder, Colorado)

Goalies

#31 Arvid Holm (Ljungby Stad, Sweden)*

#50 Trent Miner (Souris-Glenwood Municipality, Manitoba)**

#60 Justus Annunen (Kempele, Finland)

[atotaltaitaitale]

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The local hero.

The equestrian statue of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington located outside the Royal Exchange, now known as the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Scotland, is one of Glasgow's most iconic landmarks, especially since being capped with a traffic cone.

Adorning the statue with a cone had continued over many years: the act was claimed to represent the humour of the local population and was believed to date back to at least the 1980s. In 2005, Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Police took a stance of asking the public not to replace the cone, citing minor damage to the statue and the potential for injury when attempting to place a cone. In 2011 the Lonely Planet guide included the statue in its list of the "top 10 most bizarre monuments on Earth". In 2013 Glasgow City Council put forward plans for a £65,000 restoration project, that included a proposal to double the height of its plinth and raise it to more than six feet (1.8 metres) in height to "deter all but the most determined of vandals". Their planning application contained an estimate that the cost of removing traffic cones from the statue was £100 per callout, and that this could amount to £10,000 a year. The plans were withdrawn after widespread public opposition, including an online petition that received over 10,000 signatures. As the council indicated that action against the practice could still be considered, the art-political organization National Collective organised a rally in defence of the cone.