text:
Summary: Adam wanted to help his brother, not kill him.
Word count: 6200
St. Mary’s Hospital – San Francisco
I’m pacing and can’t stop. There’s nothing else to do but walk off my frustration at not being able to see Adam. I’m sick of platitudes and conciliatory remarks.
He’s resting. He’s under sedation.
Well, I waited, and when I saw him, I asked what any father would ask, “What the hell happened?”
That’s when they escorted me out of the room.
You’re upsetting him. Give him time.
There is no time, don’t they understand? My sons. My sons.
He doesn’t know what he’s done.
I refuse to believe Adam would ever harm his brother, not intentionally. I need to see him to find out why.
He’s mad, that’s why.
Here, read his confession.
I should have known. I’m the smart one. The college-educated Cartwright. Graduate with distinction in two disciplines. Winner of numerous academic awards, including the Alfred Landell Engineering Award and the coveted Beckman Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Architecture. Cool. Logical. A man of decision; a leader of men.
Only I didn’t know.
Certainly not then. Possibly not even now.
Pa asked what happened. What the hell indeed.
It all started the Saturday just after Joe turned twenty. There hadn’t been much celebrating on his birthday because he was still recovering from a bone crushing injury and Pa had him on a short rein. The fact my younger brother was beginning to chafe at the restrictions was a good sign, though none of us would appreciate the ramifications.
Pa will tell you on a ranch the size of the Ponderosa the sixth day of the Lord’s creation is just another work day and remind us there are animals to tend, assignments to complete, and future projects to plan. But to my brothers and me, Saturday means only one thing—a trip to town to pick up the mail.
“Hot diggity!” Hoss exclaimed as he exited his bedroom doing a little jig. However, when we reached the landing and saw that our youngest brother was not yet at the dining table, we paused.
“I’ll go,” I said, turning back.
“Naw, I’ll get him. You know there’s no way Pa will let him go to town, so he might need some cajolin’ to get out of bed.”
“Right. Better you than me.” I gave Hoss a slap on the back and trotted on down the stairs with a smile on my face. After all, it was mail day.
Our tradition is that each of us reads our letters in private and not until the next day do we pass them around or read sections aloud.
After breakfast on Sunday Pa shared the letter from his brother in Ohio. It contained news about people we’ve never met but have come to know because Uncle John, a serious man with no funny bone, shares a lot of gossip that keeps us in stitches for a week.
When my turn came, I said, “I had a letter from Nigel Ainsley. He’s going to represent his family’s interests in San Francisco, and inquired whether I would be interested in constructing a house for him and his bride.”
“Nigel? Ain’t he one of your college chums?” Hoss asked.
“Yes. He transferred from Oxford during my sophomore year. I helped him acclimate to life in the ‘colonies’ as he put it.”
“That’s wonderful, Adam! You’ve been wanting to design a house ever since you graduated.”
“Not design exactly, Pa. It appears Nigel and Mary stayed at a cottage in Scotland on their honeymoon. Built in1654. She fell in love with it, so he bought it, had it disassembled, and shipped to San Francisco. He wants me to oversee its reconstruction.”
Curious, Joe stopped rearranging the food on his plate. “You don’t get to design it?”
“Well, I’d have to see the plat map of the property he intends to build on. There may be some modifications necessary depending on topography. He sent all the particulars to his attorney in San Francisco.”
“It sounds as though he needs an engineer as well as an architect, then,” Pa said. “Right up your alley, don’t you agree?”
“From an engineering standpoint the project does intrigue me, but I don’t know. I’ll have to think on it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have to think twice,” said Joe. “I’d rather spend the winter in California than in the Sierras.”
“The cattle have been moved, son, and the timber camp is shut down until spring. Why don’t you go to San Francisco and inspect the site before you make a decision?”
“There’s other work to be done here before winter sets in.”
“Joe and I can handle it,” Hoss said.
“Sure,” agreed Joe. “I can take care of the line shacks while Hoss puts up the storm windows.”
“I will install the windows, young man,” Pa said. “And Hoss will restock the line shacks.”
“What am I going to do?” Joe’s plea bordered on whining.
“After eating your breakfast, you are going back to bed and rest. The doctor hasn’t cleared you for work yet.”
Pa silenced Joe’s inevitable protest by clamping a hand on his arm. “Adam, while you’re in California, I’d like you to meet with Ed Bingham to discuss our proposed changes to the contract.”
“I didn’t say I was going.”
“Aren’t you?” he said with a smile. “Come to the study. I’ll point out the clauses I’m concerned about.”
Later that morning, I checked on Joe. He was in bed as ordered, but not asleep.
“Mind if I come in?” I inquired after rapping on the partially opened door.
“Not if you are going to rub it in.”
“I came to say good-bye, if that’s what you mean. I’m taking the afternoon stage to Placerville to avoid the storm Hoss’s bunions say is imminent.”
“I’m sick of winter and it’s only November.”
“I thought you liked the cold.”
“I don’t mind the cold as long as it’s sunny. When I’m stuck inside, I’m miserable, and Pa’ll keep me shut up in this house until spring, you know he will.”
“That might not be such a bad thing.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed, but he kept silent.
“All I’m saying is that you could use the time to—”
“—what? Better myself?” Joe turned away and pulled the covers over his head.
Twenty years old, but the kid could still pout with the best of them. I closed the bedroom door for privacy and leaned against it, folding my arms across his chest. “You’ve had a rough go these last few months. Slow recovery from a bad injury. Missing out on the roundup and Founder’s Day race. And . . . you have a long winter ahead of you.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Joe mumbled.
“Don’t know or don’t believe? You will recover. And you will ride again. But first you have to snap out of it.”
“Out of what?”
“This defeatist attitude. A few weeks ago, you could hardly draw a breath without screaming in agony.”
“I didn’t ‘scream.’”
“All right. Groan then. Loudly.”
“Wise ass,” Joe said.
I shook my head, then sat down on the edge of the bed. Joe rolled to his back and stared at me. To his credit, he kept his mouth shut waiting for me to gather my thoughts.
“You came within inches of dying, you know. Do you have any inkling how worried we were?”
Joe scanned my face searching for some hint of hyperbole but finding none, whispered, “I know.”
“Do you? Do you know Pa stayed by your bed for over a week, not eating, not sleeping, to the point he collapsed from exhaustion and worry?”
That got his attention. “What?” he said, sitting up cross-legged. The morning sun made the circles under his watery green eyes appear even deeper.
“For a while, Hoss and I thought for sure we would be digging two graves next to your mother’s.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I’m telling you now. When you don’t eat your meals—like breakfast this morning—or ignore the doctor’s warnings, it’s like shoving a knife in Pa’s heart. It hurts him. Bad. Do you take my meaning?”
“Yes,” Joe’s voice cracked, “you don’t have to say any more. I’ll eat.”
“And follow doctor’s orders?”
“Yeah. No complaints.”
“Well,” I said, standing up. “Don’t go overboard.” Joe’s brows knitted together in confusion. “I said ‘follow orders.’ That doesn’t mean you need to be agreeable about it. You wouldn’t be my kid brother if you were.”
I heard a boot collide with the door as it closed behind me.
Two weeks later
“You accepted the offer then,” Joe said when I stepped off the stage.
“What makes you think so?”
“Any idiot could see it.”
“Oh, come on, Joe. Give yourself more credit.”
I was surprised to see the surrey, a conveyance usually reserved for company, parked across the street from the Overland Stage depot. I raised my chin in greeting to the driver.
“Good to have you back, Adam. Toss me your bag.”
I complied and climbed in next to Hoss to sit across from Pa and Joe.
Conversation during the ride back to the Ponderosa concerned business, both what I accomplished in San Francisco and ranch affairs. Listening with half an ear, I noted Joe had put on a few pounds, but saw that his skin still had a pasty quality. Moreover, Pa still hovered, the lines of worry etched as deeply as before.
On the way home, I formulated a plan.
Over dinner, I confirmed what Joe suspected—I had accepted Nigel’s offer and would be returning to San Francisco in a few days.
“I’m pleased, son,” Pa said. “I know how much your degree means to you. Although this project doesn’t involve original design, it sounds like a challenge—one worthy of your engineering skills.”
“Sure gonna miss you around here, older brother,” said Hoss.
“You’ll just miss my superior intellect.”
“Joseph,” Pa prodded.
“Wha—? Oh, yeah, we’ll miss you, Adam. How ‘bout a game of checkers, Hoss?”
“Sure, Joe. Go set ‘em up.”
“Hop Sing, thank you for an excellent dinner,” Pa said. “I’ll take coffee at my desk if you don’t mind.”
“Make that two, Hop Sing,” I added, retrieving the decanter from the sideboard on my way to the study. I turned the chair in front of the desk around and straddled it, keeping my back to the fireplace and the checker game already in progress. After topping off our coffee with a generous shot of brandy, I said in a low voice, “Winter’s coming.”
Pa’s lip twitched. “Is this an example of your ‘superior’ intellect?”
“Very funny.” I cleared my throat and plunged ahead. “Joe’s health improved while I was away, but if he gets sick, he has no reserves left to draw on.” Pa sat still, stirring his coffee. “The Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a hard winter and the ranch is likely to be snowed in for weeks, if not months. A bout of pneumonia could kill him.” Such bluntness caused a flinch. “You know I’m right,” I said.
“What do you propose?”
“That he come with me to San Francisco while I work on Nigel’s project. It’s warmer there and the food is excellent.”
“Are you intimating Hop Sing’s meals have been less than adequate?”
“Of course not, but you know a change of scenery always stimulates Joe’s appetite, and I am confident Hop Sing’s enumerable cousins will take up the watch and report back to you regularly.”
“And just what would he do all day while you are working?”
“Plenty of things for him to see and do—” I caught the raised eyebrow, “—away from the Barbary Coast. And as soon as the outer walls are assembled, he can help me with the interior woodwork. His carpentry skills are good. And, of course, you’d visit whenever you wanted.”
“You mean assuming Hoss and I can dig our way out of the igloo we’ll be living in?”
I lowered my head and took a deep breath. I’d pushed as far as I dared. “Think about it, Pa. I won’t mention it again, and I won’t say anything to Joe.”
I didn’t have to.
The next day the temperature dropped 30 degrees and gale force winds hit Lake Tahoe. Despite sitting less than two feet from the fireplace, wrapped in a heavy Indian blanket, Joe couldn’t stop shivering.
We wound up staying at a small but well-appointed hotel on Rincon Hill near Nigel’s property. Joe kept odd hours staying up late, sleeping in, and ordering room service any time of day or night which didn’t bother me. Unlike Pa, I saw no reason to regulate my brother’s bodily functions. When hungry, he would eat; when tired he would sleep. And when his stockpile of dime novels lost its allure, I gave him permission to explore Frisco so long as he followed Pa’s rules about areas to avoid.
He had just returned to our rooms from such an outing when a messenger delivered a large leather tube containing blueprints from the English architect who oversaw the deconstruction of Nigel’s purchase. Included were detailed renderings and an inventory of each stone with its corresponding location noted on the drawings.
Joe peeked over my shoulder and whistled. “Some cottage.”
Indeed. The house, while not a mansion per se, did not even closely resemble a cottage. Two and a half stories, 27 windows, gargoyles, balustrades, buttresses, vaults, arches . . . the specs read like a lexicon of architectural terms. As I turned each page of the plans shaking my head, I heard Joe mutter.
“Practice what you preach, brother.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, come on, Adam. It can’t be all that hard for someone with your brains and talent.”
I expected to see a smirk on his face, but his bright eyes and broad smile confirmed he spoke with genuine admiration.
“Well, let’s go see what I’ve gotten myself into, shall we?”
Joe’s excursions to the embarcadero had built up his stamina and improved his color. Looking fit, if still on the thin side, he had no trouble keeping up with me as we climbed the hill to Nigel’s lot. The stones lay along the perimeter of the property in sections marked by numbered stakes. I removed the blueprints from their sheath and unrolled them on a flat stone weighting the edges with small rocks.
In an architect’s perfect world, the site is selected before the house is designed. I chose neither the site nor house, but I had accepted the job and would do my best. Taking a deep breath, I began comparing the blueprints with my notes on the plat plan. After some time, I concluded that only slight modifications would need to be made to the siting. Pleased, I started to share the news with my brother and noticed him wandering amongst the stones, rubbing his neck—something he often did when troubled.
“This isn’t right.” Joe appeared pensive. “This stone doesn’t belong in this group.”
“When did you become a masonry expert?”
“Here,” he said. “See these lines?”
“Striations. Scratches made by glaciers.”
“I don’t think so. They’re not random. They’re carved. And over here.” Joe moved across the property to another grouping. “See, the same lines continue, and look at these curves. You can’t tell me a glacier did that.”
As much as I hated to admit it, Joe had a point. I wouldn’t be able to take the word of the English architect who catalogued these blocks. I would have to examine each piece myself. I stood riveted in the center of the stones, hand over mouth, as a sense of doom enveloped me.
“Adam? Adam! Come on, the fog’s rolled in. Let’s get down this hill before we fall off it.”
I may have been daunted by the prospect of cross checking each item on the inventory, but I had underestimated Joe’s tenacity and fascination with jigsaw puzzles. In short order, he sorted out the misplaced stones. They appeared to have been deliberately scattered among the groupings. As to why, I couldn’t begin to guess since it was obvious they all belonged to the large chimney.
The construction crew I hired worked nonstop. By the latter part of January, the exterior walls were up, and the roof raised. Framing the interior came next and for that I wanted Joe’s help, not only because he knew my standards, but because he had begun to question his reason for being in San Francisco. He wouldn’t admit it, of course, but homesickness had struck hard. The short visit Pa and Hoss made during Christmas only intensified his lack of purpose after they left. I got him to stay by appealing to his vanity.
“I need you, Joe. The stonemasons did an outstanding job, but I’m not as confident in the carpenters. They quarrel over little things and their work is not up to par. Mistakes are made. Tools disappear. Stupid things that cost time and money. Your woodworking skills are top notch and the men like working with you.”
“Because you relate to them better than I do. With your help, I can bring this project in on time and under budget.”
All right, I may have sugar coated it a bit, but it is true that his leadership style is different than mine. I oversee men; Joe works alongside them.
Work proceeded apace, enough so that I felt comfortable leaving my brother in charge while I spent two days in the financial district at Pa’s behest negotiating a second timber contract with Bingham & Sons, followed by more days down at the wharf resolving issues with the agent regarding broken or missing items from Nigel’s last shipment. By the time his household goods were transferred to a warehouse for storage, the sun had begun to set. When the desk clerk at the hotel said my brother had not yet returned from the site, I headed straight there to collect Joe for dinner, my stomach growling in earnest.
The thick stone walls and growing twilight made it difficult to see inside the structure. I made a mental note to order lanterns. At some point, I stumbled near the main fireplace. Crouching down to ascertain what tripped me, I heard a low, feral growl.
“Joe? What is this?”
“None of your business.”
I shivered involuntarily. As warm as the day had been, a cold wind now whistled through the rafters creating a keening that filled the house with a sorrowful one note tune. “Do you hear that?” Voices begging to be heard, whispering, calling, seducing.
Come to me.
“What are you talking about?”
Don’t leave me!
Cold, bewildered, and too tired to argue, I backed away. I didn’t know the game Joe played, but I wanted no part of it. Let him get his own dinner, I thought, and turned to walk down the hill when a thrumming filled the air, like the tenor C note drawn by a bow. I looked back at the house—now shrouded in fog—to see a greenish glow emanating from the paneless windows.
Sleep eluded me.
Despite the heavy drapes in our top floor suite, the sounds of the city penetrated my bedroom. I jumped at every noise thinking Joe had returned to the hotel, only to discover his bed undisturbed. Worry superseded anger and the gnawing in my gut had nothing to do with one skipped meal. How would I tell Pa I had failed to care for my brother? I grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the liquor cabinet in the parlor and settled into a chair in front of the door to wait.
Joe must have come in after I fell asleep for a quick bed check in the morning revealed a room in disarray, covers askew, a leg dangling over the edge of the mattress, my brother’s arm shielding his eyes from any light that might penetrate the closed drapes—in other words, situation normal. I chalked up the previous night’s hallucination to hunger and exhaustion. Leaving him a note as to where I’d gone, I hurried up the hill to check on the progress made in my absence.
As I’d promised Pa, San Francisco basked in golden sunshine under blue skies. Everywhere, that is, except at the house on Rincon hill. There, a preternatural cold lingered even as the sun rose, and the morning fog burned away. Ignoring the chill, I walked through the house, paper and pencil in hand to make notes.
Our ranch house features exposed logs to reflect the Ponderosa’s origins. Similarly, I planned the interior of Nigel’s house to showcase its historic walls. On paper my design was pleasing; the reality was a bitter disappointment. The exposed stone felt cold to my touch and, though dry, seemed slimy. It reminded me of a snake and for a moment I could have sworn the walls slithered. Too much whiskey I decided. I really should have eaten.
Joe arrived later that morning seemingly unaware of my distress. I followed as he strolled leisurely through the house, brushing his fingertips across the walls, caressing them. A cold draft and the scent of roses, cloyingly sweet, lingered wherever he went.
It infuriated me.
Days, maybe weeks passed. I lost track of time. My brother remained as mercurial as ever. His moods ebbed and flowed, but without the same rhythm and regularity of the tides. It exhausted me to keep up with his waves of euphoria while I grew more despondent with each passing day.
I stalked the halls of the Green Lady, as I had begun to think of her, seeking solutions to my design conundrum, rejecting each one as soon as I thought of it. Joe grew frustrated with the change orders and began making decisions on his own which displeased me. I ripped out walls as fast as he and his crew put them up.
On top of that, stalled negotiations with Bingham & Sons had me in a permanently disgruntled frame of mind.
Failure on all fronts—as an architect, businessman, son, brother—haunted me.
The ultimate disillusionment came when I realized we were further behind than ever and all because of my brother. I overheard workers complaining the boss had become morose and belligerent, arguing with everyone, wanting to do things by himself, his way. “El jefe es una loca.” The boss is crazy.
Had Joe started quarrels rather than end them?
The Green Lady was finished at last, but I couldn’t let her go.
I stood on the balcony listening to the fog horns sounding a low C, staring into the darkness, pushing away thoughts I didn’t want to give substance. Images of Joe, the circles under his eyes taking on a greenish cast to match the mist that swirled around us.
And voices; always the voices.
A cold breeze arose laced with scents of salt and rain. The chill of the balustrade permeated my calloused hand. The stones whispered, beckoning, cajoling come to me! Come to me!
All I had to do was lean forward and let the night take me. Impossible to be the perfect son any longer, it would be a perfect end.
Except for the voice. “Adam?”
I turned to see Joe, shirtless and barefoot, shaggy hair falling into his eyes. Sleep walking. He hadn’t done that since childhood after his mother died. He stared into empty space. Whatever he was seeing, it wasn’t me. It was raw anguish.
“It’s okay, Joe. It’s just a dream. Nothing more.”
His skin glowed in the moonlight. The frosty air turned his short breaths into little puffs of white.
“Joseph!” I tried to sound like Pa. “It’s time for bed. Now march young man.”
I made a grab for the lantern but lost my grip and it crashed to the floor. Shattered glass mixed with kerosene. The wind, fiercer now, blew the liquid into rivers of flame that licked at his feet and legs and up the walls until the entire wooden infrastructure of the house burned.
Lunging. Fighting. Blows to the head and shoulders, not well placed but effective nonetheless in his weakened condition.
Rough hands separated us. “El Jeffe, no! Lo estan matando! You will kill him!”
God help me! It’s me. I am el Jeffe!
My brother’s broken body lay limp in my arms. His hot blood already congealing on the cold, cold stone.
“El jeffe es una loco.” The boss is crazy. Perhaps I am.
I have killed my brother.
I couldn’t believe it when Pa walked through the door with Hoss right behind him. I wanted to run right into his arms and hold on until morning. But I couldn’t. I didn’t deserve his love or . . . forgiveness. Ashamed, I turned away. Or tried to, until the pain behind my eyes exploded and I fell into a void.
A door opened. A few garbled words floated into the room obscured by the sound of a gurney’s wheels scraping against a stone floor; the vision of a straitjacketed man writhing.
I heard my brother’s cries and terror engulfed me once again.
I awoke gasping for air. A big hand pressed a cool cloth against my forehead.
“That’s right, shortshanks. It’s ol’ Hoss. Nothing’s gonna hurt you now. I’m here.”
“I know. We’ll get these cuffs off you now that you’re awake. You was fighting some kind of battle with the devil while you were sleeping.”
“You tied me up?” Panic ensued, and I renewed my struggle to be free.
“Shush now. You’re gonna be okay. Doc! We need help here.”
Someone stuck me with a needle.
When I awoke again, the restraints were gone. Hoss gave me some water and rubbed some salve on my cracked lips.
“Feeling better now?”
“Yeah. Where am I?”
“St. Mary’s Hospital.”
“You got beat up pretty bad.”
I closed my eyes and remembered. “Adam.”
“Yeah. Wanna tell me about it?”
Not really. “Used to be able to hold my own. Not this time.”
“Me and Adam have mixed it up once or twice. Thing is, we always knew when to pull our punches. You tellin’ me he forgot?”
“Guess I made him mad.”
Hoss got up from his chair and paced. “Joe, I seen Adam practically cut his arm off rather than smack you even when you deserved it. There ain’t nothing you can say that will convince me he did this on purpose—angry or not. But I know you wouldn’t lie to me. Tell me what happened.”
He expected me to have all the answers and I didn’t even know the questions. What the hell did happen?
“I touched the stones.”
Hoss stared open mouthed and dropped into the chair.
“You wanna say that again?”
“Adam was jealous of anyone who touched the house. Explain to me how you’re supposed to build if you can’t touch anything.”
Hoss shrugged. “What else?”
“Once the walls were up, he wouldn’t leave the site. It’s like the rocks talked to him. Sang is more like it. He kept asking me if I heard it.”
“The music. He kept humming. All the time humming.”
“How did the fight start?”
“We were on the balcony. He . . . he was going to jump. I turned him around to face me, but when he stared, it wasn’t me he saw. And what was in his eyes terrified me, Hoss. Madness. He was out of control and unbelievably strong. Like you and Bearcat . . . and Regan . . . all rolled into one. I’ve never been so scared. I thought he was gonna kill me.”
Someone must have heard that last part because the next time I woke up a policeman in a gray uniform stood next to my bed waiting to take my statement.
“Are you Joseph Cartwright?” He made it sound more like an accusation than a question.
“Yes.” My eyes darted around the room for someone, anyone to help me. Where was Hoss? “Why?” I tried to sit up. Only then did I realize my feet and legs were swaddled in bandages. I grabbed the bedrails and pulled myself up.
The officer flipped open his notepad and read, “‘I thought he was going to kill me.’ Is ‘he’ Adam Cartwright?”
“Y—yes,” I panted.
“Any relation to you?”
“My b—brother. Oldest brother.” Sweat stung my eyes. “He d—d—didn’t do anything.”
“It’s pretty obvious that he did.”
“Then he didn’t know what he was doing.” Waves of nausea rippled through me. “He’s . . . he’s not responsible.”
“He almost killed you.”
“No! He would never do that.”
“Not if he were sane. A madman might.”
“Adam is. Not crazy! He’s not!”
Out of nowhere, strong arms encircled me. I fought back until I recognized Hoss. I surrendered to his embrace but not before I threw up on the policeman’s shoes.
Another week passed before they let me out of bed. The stitches on my head itched, my bruises had bruises, but the burns on my legs and feet were healing. I couldn’t stand yet, much less walk, so Hoss lent me a pair of his socks to wear over the bandages when he wheeled me out to the conservatory for some fresh air.
I hadn’t seen Pa since that first day. I didn’t expect to, all things considered. Still, it hurt that he hadn’t visited. So, when I spied his familiar form at the garden’s edge, I wanted to cry and run away at the same time.
“Joseph. How are you?”
“I’ve been better. You?”
“Same here.” I remembered what Adam had said about Pa’s health and I resolved not to add to his distress.
“He’s not in jail?”
“Why would he be in jail?”
“The policeman. The policeman said he tried to kill me.”
“Is that what you believe?”
How do I answer that? Adam said believing and knowing were two different things. I guess my silence was enough of an indictment to Pa because a grimace passed over his face.
“He’s recovering. Same as you. And, he’s . . . under observation.”
I could read between the lines. “Because they think he’s crazy?”
“Hoss told me your version of what happened.”
“Don’t raise your voice to me. Your brother told much the same story. Different point of view, of course. We all have our own perception of events.”
“But you believe his. I’m not surprised. You always take his part.”
“This is not a contest, son. I want to understand, to make sense of it all. I want the two of you to heal—not only in body, but in soul.”
I turned away. I could never tell Pa about the raw anguish I saw in Adam’s eyes that night. His desperate need to end it all. How I struggled to keep him from jumping off that balcony. Let Pa think the worst of me. Adam needs him more than me, whether he’ll admit it or not.
“I’m tired,” I said, turning the chair around.
“Goodbye, Pa. Take care of Adam.”
When the wheels got stuck in a crack, it was Hoss, not Pa, who came to my rescue.
When we got back to the room, Hoss wouldn’t let go.
“Shortshanks, we gotta talk about this.”
“I don’t want to, Hoss. Pa’s taken his side. It’s all right. I don’t mind.”
“According to Adam, you knew.”
“What do you mean?”
“He said you had a sixth sense about the house. That you tried to warn him.”
I nodded slowly. “I begged him to leave, to go back to the hotel. He wouldn’t listen. We all know Adam has black moods. But the intensity, the sheer force of his will that night overpowered me. I couldn’t fight him. I gave up.”
“That’s probably what saved you. He said the shock of your going limp in his arms, like a rag doll, is what broke the spell.”
“I don’t remember,” I said.
But I did. I closed my eyes against the remembrance of blows that hammered my body against stone, hateful words that burned my soul. And blood. So much blood. The coppery smell of it. The scent of roses, cloyingly sweet—yet rotten.
Eventually, I got discharged. We moved to a hotel closer to the hospital. I could walk a few steps now, but it would be a while longer before I could wear boots. Hoss and I went to the hospital a couple times a week, Hoss to visit Adam, and me to have my bandages changed.
One day when Hoss and I were in the hallway waiting for Pa, the door to Adam’s room opened and I saw him for the first time since that night. Bile rose in my throat and I focused on Pa, afraid to look at my brother—afraid he might look back, afraid I would still see the anguish within.
Pa nodded a few times, spoke some words we couldn’t hear, then shook hands with the doctor. An eternity passed before he stepped into the passageway, hands shoved into his pockets.
“We can take him home.”
“They’re discharging him?” Hoss asked.
“Not exactly, but they won’t stand in our way if we leave.”
I nearly fainted at the news.
“Hoss, take your brother outside before he falls out of that wheelchair. I have some papers to sign and then we’ll be along.”
I dunno what to think exactly. My brothers don’t lie, neither of them. Yet their stories don’t fit. Mebbe it’s like two sides of a coin, both different but the same. It’s hard to know what to believe. Did Adam try to jump, and Joe stopped him? Or was Adam only defending himself from Joe’s attack when they both slipped on stones wet with mist?
Pa seems to be having the hardest time, torn as he is between two sons who need him. It’s difficult for him to believe his stoic, logical first born lost his mind. It’s easier to believe Joe went off half-cocked ‘cause that’s what he usually does. Did. He’s grown up since he was 17 and pulled a gun on Pa.
One thing’s for sure . . . Joe took the worst of it physically. He don’t say nothin’, but I seen him limp when he’s tired, or the way he has to uncock his shoulder when it locks up.
Adam’s wounds were on the inside and who can say whether he’s healed or not.
Neither of my brothers can stand being in the same room with the other, so Pa and I have our work cut out keeping them separate. We eat in shifts, me with Joe, Pa with Adam. Can’t remember the last time we was all together.
Sure do miss it.
It’s early fall now. I still have my dark days, but for the most part life is back to normal, whatever that might be. I dread the coming winter. Too many memories.
A friend in Scotland researched the cottage’s history at my request. When I received his letter, I read a portion out loud at Sunday dinner.
“According to Scottish lore, a pregnant servant girl wearing a green dress was murdered and then stuffed unceremoniously up the chimney. Maighden uaine, the Green Maiden, is a vengeful ghost and has haunted the cottage ever since. Clan folk say no child conceived or born in the house has ever lived. They believe the stones have absorbed centuries of blood and anguish, and that those lost souls, never born or gone too soon, have cursed the occupants forever.”
“No wonder them folk were all too happy to sell the place,” Hoss said.
The Ainsleys didn’t know about the curse then and wouldn’t have believed it if they had. Would the fact that Mary later suffered a violent miscarriage that left her barren change their opinion and lend substance to the curse?
Because of their tragedy and what happened to Joe and me, Nigel neither wanted the house nor wished anyone else to suffer because of it. The Green Lady was dismantled, and the rock loaded onto a ship as ballast. It sank in a storm on the way back to England.
Joe said the stones were thirsty and they didn’t care whose blood they drank.
Pa said that was rubbish.
“There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Pa,” I replied, watching Joe through hooded eyes.
For the first time since we’d been home, Joe looked me in the eye and held my gaze, nodding imperceptibly. As he walked past my blue chair on the way to his room, he whispered, “low C.”
My heart skipped several beats. He’d heard it, too. I swallowed hard.
I am not mad.
* Hamlet, Act 1, scene 5.
Author’s Notes: This story was a challenge to write in the Gothic style ala Edgar Allen Poe.


Is it legal to use more than the 4 Victors and seven spikes we were given? We would like to add addtional spikes and Victors.
You cannot use more than the 4 victors and the seven spikes as per the rules.
You can use less if you want.
Also, keep in mind you would only be able to add one more Spike if you were even allowed to, as the Robot Controller only has eight relay outputs.
My fault. I told our coach to post, but did not give enough information. The case is actually this. We are currently running 4 victors and 5 spikes. We would like to add another to avoid doubling up motors on one spike (keep blowing the fuse…) Now, we tried to do this today and encountered a slight problem. Our fuse block is now full w/ 4 victors + 5 spikes + 1 Robot controller. Soooooooo… The real question now is this: Are we alllowed to install a second fuse block? We have a fuse block left over from FIRST, can we use that? Do you know of any fuse blocks that can accomdate 12 connections? If not, is there one that will just hold 1 connection?
As per the rules you are not allowed to modify or change the control box.
This includes any additions or components other than the additional spikes approved this year.
How would you suggest adding additional spikes, then? We have the same problem as 469 does. When we got our control box, it was wired for four spikes. Between the 4 spikes, 4 victors, compressor relay, and the Robot Controller, there are no more spots left on our posititve fuse block. The negative block is fine (you can screw on multiple ring connectors to a single screw) but we have no more space for fuses for the three Spikes added this year. Is there a way to put all 7 on, or are we limited to 4 because of the “no modification” rule.
I basically have the same question as Jeff… It is impossible to use the seven spikes and 4 victors with the control box given… A new fuse block should not compromise the integrity of the control system if installed correctly.
There will always be constraints on your engineering designs: this just happens to be one of them this year. We will consider adding a larger fuse block for next year but we are not about to make any major rule changes at this late date after people have their machines already designed. I suggest you look at your lowest current drawing motors and consider doubling up a couple of them onto a single fuse.
What about inline fuse holders? That way, you could hook the spike up directly to the fuse, and not the block.
So, does this mean that we are allowed to create our own “Y” pieces to split one fuse into two motors? That is what my team wants to do so that we can add another spike, and let two motors run in tandem off of one controler. I would be very grateful for a official reply, so that we can continue with modifications and repairs. Thanks
For my solution, we ended up putting the two actuator motors (with a stall at 8 amps) together (At max (16 amps), still less then the 30amp fuse). This is working fine, and we used one of the Y splits from the spikes that we did not need.
Some of your current draws are very low and can be combined onto a single fuse block terminal using a Y-splitter (which we gave you in the kit). For example, you may combine the light and the controller onto a single fuse since neither draws very much current. Likewise, the climate-control actuators (as mentioned in an earlier posting) draw very little current, even when stalled, so they can be combined onto a single fuse. The compressor has a fairly low current draw and only runs intermitently, so I would not hesitate to combine it with a small Keyang onto a single fuse (you won’t ever be stalling the compressor, right?)
Some people have asked about replacing the 20A fuses with 20A slow-blow circuitbreakers (like the 30A ones we use with the Victors). It is OK with the Rules Committee since they will still provide the safety we require; their terminals must have the same size and shape as the 20A fuses, so no modification of the fuse blocks is required.
*Originally posted by Mr. Mac *
**The compressor has a fairly low current draw and only runs intermitently, so I would not hesitate to combine it with a small Keyang onto a single fuse (you won’t ever be stalling the compressor, right?)
That compressor can draw quite a bit of current when it starts up. When using the compressor with a spike in FIRST we have blown the 20 amp fuse in the spikes themselves. Some people even go so far as to put the compressor on a speed controller to prevent this. The OCCRA system prevents them from starting at high accumulator pressures (which was the real culprit in FIRST) but I would be pretty hesitant in adding anything else to them under one 20 amp fuse. It it was a 20 amp slow blow relay… No problem.
My 2 cents


Madeleine Albright is blasting GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush over his recent remarks on Iraq while defending former Secretary of State Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonSuper PACs release ad campaign hitting Vance over past comments on Trump I voted for Trump in 2020 — he proved to be the ultimate RINO in 2021 Neera Tanden tapped as White House staff secretary MORE, a Democratic presidential candidate.
Writing in a Politico op-ed posted late Monday, the former secretary of State said “Bush’s brazen attempts to rewrite history in a series of campaign appearances last week cannot go unchallenged.”
“By blaming President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the rise of [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria], Governor Bush is clearly seeking to absolve his brother’s administration of responsibility for today’s problems in Iraq. This argument may serve Governor Bush’s political interests, but it does a disservice to the truth,” Albright wrote.
Albright hit the former Florida governor's “emerging narrative” about the Iraq War, noting that his brother, former President George W. Bush, penned the withdrawal date for U.S. forces at the end of 2011.
Albright also said Bush’s ideas for combating ISIS in the Middle East “look remarkably similar” to what the Obama administration is doing, including emphasizing the role of the local military in Iraq.
Clinton's campaign touted Albright's op-ed on Twitter:
Bush gave a major foreign policy speech last week at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Foundation, in which he said President ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaEx-Saudi official says he was targeted by a hit team after fleeing to Canada Republican spin on Biden is off the mark Yellen expects inflation to return to normal levels next year MORE and Clinton, then secretary of State, “stood by” as U.S.-led victories in Iraq were “thrown away,” allowing ISIS to grow.
He also addressed his brother's Iraq War legacy during a forum in Iowa last week.


text:
— 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) reported third-quarter 2019 earnings of $2.72 per share versus $2.49 per share expected.
— Sales declined by 2% to $7.99 billion versus $8.16 billion expected. Organic local-currency sales declined by 1.3% while acquisitions, net of divestitures, increased sales by 0.6%. Foreign currency translation reduced sales by 1.3%.
— Sales grew by 4.7% in Health Care and 1.7% in Consumer, while it decreased by 4.4% in Transporation and Electronics and 5.7% in Safety and Industrial.
— On a geographic basis, total sales rose 0.8% in the US and 0.6% in Latin America/Canada, while it declined 4.1% in EMEA and 5% in the Asia Pacific.
— Looking ahead into the fourth quarter, the company expects earnings in the range of $2.05 to $2.15 per share and organic local-currency sales will decline between 1% to 3%.
— For 2019, earnings guidance is lowered to the range of $8.20 to $8.30 per share from the previous range of $8.25 to $8.75 per share.
Read: Dow Q3 earnings snapshot
— The adjusted earnings outlook for the full year is reduced to the range of $8.99 to $9.09 per share from the prior range of $9.25 to $9.75 per share.
— For 2019, the company now expects organic local-currency sales to decline between 1% to 1.5% compared to a prior expectation of minus 1% to plus 2%.
— The return on the invested capital forecast is cut to the range of 18.5% to 19.5% from the previous range of 20% to 22% for the full year.
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today reported its fourth quarter financial results for the period ended January 31, 2021. Net income for the fourth quarter was $911.3 million, or $4.10 per
Beyond Meat (NASDAQ: BYND), a specialist in plant-based meat substitutes, Thursday reported a wider loss for the fourth quarter, despite an increase in revenues. The numbers also missed the consensus
Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) reported fourth-quarter 2020 financial results after the regular market hours on Thursday. The space tourism company reported zero revenue in the fourth quarter, compared to $529,000

domain: news


text:
Although Joyce rejected Catholic beliefs, the influence of his early training and education is pervasive in his work. The parallels between Biblical text and The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are abundant. As Cranly says to Stephen, "It is a curious thing, do you know, how your mind is supersaturated with the religion in which you say you disbelieve" (232).
The novel progresses in a way that seems Biblical in nature; thematically it compares with the creation and fall of man and/or Lucifer. In addition, the style is at times similar to Biblical text, using familiar rhythm, repetition, phrasing and imagery.
As with the Bible, Joyce begins his novel with the importance of the word. He then relates sensual impressions, as if a newly formed creature were experiencing the physical world. Then, as the center of his universe, Stephen also learns the meaning of words and the power of words. He is like Adam bringing order to things by giving them names. But Stephen's knowledge comes not only from the material world, he learns through a sudden-knowing, similar to spiritual understanding, a process Joyce calls intuitive or epiphany. His thirst for knowledge both intellectual and sensual brings him in conflict with his father (Jesuit and heavenly). He falls from grace and experiences hell (through the power of word and his very vivid imagination). Because of his terror of hell he responds at first with repentance, but after reflection, with defiance. At the end of the novel he leaves his homeland, his place of origin, and prepares to begin a new life in a new land.
In the beginning was the word. Throu...
... middle of paper ...
...because of what has happened to him, but because of his response to those events. He was not the only young Irish boy to have a self-sacrificing saintly mother and an irresponsible drunkard father. He was one of hundreds if not thousands of boys to be indoctrinated and trained by the Jesuits. What made him different was his response and that response was unique to him, and that uniqueness was born in him. So, the ultimate conclusion of the novel is that the artist is born, not made by human ways, but created by the powers of nature and/or God.
Joyce, James. The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1958.
Joyce, Stanislaus. My Brother's Keeper James Joyce's Early Years. New York: The Viking Press, 1993.
Levin, Harry. James Joyce, A Critical Introduction. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1960.
Need Writing Help?
Get feedback on grammar, clarity, concision and logic instantly.Check your paper »
- Stephen's Journey to Maturation in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the author James Joyce uses the development of Stephen from a sensitive child to a rebellious young man to develop the plot of the novel. In this novel, Joyce suggests that through Stephen's experiences with religion, sexuality and education, Stephen not only becomes more mature but these experiences also inspire him to redefine his world and his understanding of his true feelings about art.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man James Joyce]
1231 words (3.5 pages)
- Each experience and interaction has an effect on the development of the person as an adult and shapes them into the personality and even physical appearance they will take on as they mature. Those with the strongest influence, namely family, religious figures, and others whom one comes in frequent contact with will have the greatest effect on a developing being. It is between the stage of childhood and adulthood that the most change takes place. This position, called adolescence, is the state of a person coming of age yet not completely independent, it is this state that the psychologist Erik Erikson’s adolescent theory becomes prominent.... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]
2139 words (6.1 pages)
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Silence, exile, and cunning."- these are weapons Stephen Dedalus chooses in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. And these, too, were weapons that its author, James Joyce, used against a hostile world. Like his fictional hero, Stephen, the young Joyce felt stifled by the narrow interests, religious pressures, and political squabbles of turn-of-the-century Ireland. In 1904, when he was twenty-two, he left his family, the Roman Catholic Church, and the "dull torpor" of Dublin for the European continent to become a writer.... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]
2430 words (6.9 pages)
- Opposing Ideals in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Stephen Dedalus, of James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, is constantly torn by two opposing ideals. One is that which the institution of the Irish Catholic Church imposes on him, and the other is insisted upon by his independent thoughts and feelings. Stephen chooses between these two ideals, and he rejects the religion offered him by his upbringing and early education in favour of individualistic thought.... [tags: Portrait Artist Young Man Essays]
1561 words (4.5 pages)
- Joyce was born on February 2, 1882 in Dublin, Ireland, and he was raised in a Roman Catholic dominant family with his mother being a successful pianist and his father being a failure at holding a stable household. However, his father was an impressive singer. Joyce was an intelligent and motivated child, so he was able to teach himself Norwegian and other languages. Therefore, he was able to read and analyze many plays that no other monolingual person could. Some books he read as a child greatly influenced his writing later on.... [tags: Biography ]
2049 words (5.9 pages)
- The Theme of Epiphany in Ulysses James Joyce's Ulysses is a novel of epic proportions that has been proclaimed the greatest piece of literature of the twentieth century. Ulysses takes place in Dublin, Ireland on June 16, 1904. The book is full of parallels, metaphors, and experimental literary techniques. However, a dominant theme is that of epiphany. Not necessarily religious in meaning, the Joycean idea of epiphany is a sudden discovery of the essential nature or meaning of something.... [tags: Joyce Ulysses Essays]
1290 words (3.7 pages)
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce explores the place of the individual with respect to his culture and his environment. However, when Edmund Fuller, so carelessly said that the premise of the novel is that man must worship his creativity in place of God or risk denying himself, I was greatly disappointed due to the lack of precision of the view expounded by Fuller. Based on evidence from Joyce himself, one can see that God is still relevant. Edmund gives the impression that God to Joyce is dead.... [tags: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]
883 words (2.5 pages)
- Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets The spirit of Ireland is embodied in young Stephen Dedalus, the central character of James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Like the Dedalus of Greek myth, Stephen must grow wings so that he may fly above the tribulations of his life.... [tags: James Joyce Portrait Artist Young Man Essays]
3181 words (9.1 pages)
- James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce, exemplifies the model of art it proposes as it also offers the reader on how to read that very art. Following the main character, Stephen Dedalus, through life, Joyce uses Stephen’s immediate perception to convey how an artist views the world. The reader witnesses Stephen encountering everyday aspects of life as art—the words of a language lesson as poetry or the colors of a rose as beautiful.... [tags: James joyce portrait Artist Young Man Essays]
2573 words (7.4 pages)
- James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce's novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) is entirely concerned with the development of its main character, Stephen Dedalus. By comparison with Joyce's earlier version, Stephen Hero , we see that he has cut out all extraneous material concerning other characters, and presented a close and detailed account of the development of Stephen's character from infancy to young manhood, the ground previously covered in Stephen Hero being compressed into Chapter 5 of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.... [tags: James Joyce Portrait Artist Young Man Papers]
7241 words (20.7 pages)

domain: library


The CTS Sentinel TracerMate II instrument is our all-in-one gas management and tracer gas leak test system. It provides part evacuation, test pressure, gross leak testing, tracer gas backfill, and exhaust processes. The TracerMate II integrates easily into most tracer gas leak test systems, communicates with most mass spectrometers, and provides test result management for process control.
The TracerMate II can also control basic machine functions of your tracer gas leak test system, such as tool motion control and barcode scanning. If more complex machine sequencing is required, TracerMate II can be integrated with a PLC or PC-based control system to provide greater process control.


text:
Mise à jour du Winter Balance Preview Mod en version 1.2.
Version 1.2 changes
Tiger - All variants
- AOE damage from 1/0.25/0.15 to 0.75/0.25/0.15
- AOE distance from 0.25/1.5/3 to 0/1/3
- Panzer Commander removed from the OKW Tiger
- Veterancy 2 scatter bonus removed
- AOE damage from 1/0.35/0.175 to 0.75/0.35/0.175
- AOE distance from 0/1.35/3 to 0/0.85/3
- CP requirement from 9 to 12
- Reinforce cost from 35 to 30
- Veterancy 3 received accuracy from -23% to -15%
- Elite Sten accuracy from 0.675/0.273/0.115 to 0.675/0.375/0.115
- Self-Healing at veterancy 2 removed
- Population from 9 to 8
- Auto Search Healing toggle now roots the squad to the target position.
Commando and HQ Glider
- Can now be repaired.
- Cost reduced to 200
- No longer deploy Commandos upon landing
- Can now train MGs and ATGs that will spawn at the glider.
- CP requirement from 2 to 3
- Veterancy 3 weapon accuracy from +40% to +30%.
Tank Hunter Tommies
- Can now replace their Boys AT Rifles with PIATs for 70 munitions.
- PIAT upgrade removes the out-of-cover penalty to cooldown and reload.
British Platoon and Company Command
- Now grants half a CP upon completion.
- Tech requirement removed
- Requires 5 CPs to be unlocked from the HQ; still has a build time.
- Fixed an issue where the Airlanding Officer could not enter buildings.

domain: game


text:
For some, cooking can be daunting. As people with physical disabilities can be met with challenges in standing, reaching, or using just one side of their body. LivAbility and Chef Steve have worked to identify a handful of kitchen gadgets that can make cooking in your own home less stressful and more manageable.
In the winter and spring months, Chef Steve is always look forward to making a big pot of healthy and delicious homemade soup, and one of my favorites to make is French onion. He just loves the aroma as the flavors develop while simmering on the stove.
Food has always played a major role in how our bodies function. Consuming healthy, vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables can improve your mood and help reduce anxiety. Eating too many salty, sugary junk foods can lead to increased anxiety, high blood pressure and a number of other health complications.

domain: food


text:
of Easy Company's 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Although Beyond Band of Brothers is his biggest work, he also authored The Jesuits Dance in 2005 and A Horseman's Journey: from the First Ride to Spin and Slide in 2010. He wrote Beyond Band of Brothers in 2006 after receiving Stephen Ambrose's box full of memories of the men who had contributed to Ambrose's book—Band of Brothers. As he read over the stories, he realized there were many good ones that were not included in Ambrose's book. He thought
Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, in my opinion, is a poet who thoroughly challenges her readers through her work. Through her ambiguous perspective, Ní Chuilleanáin creates and upholds secrets for her readers to resolve. There are several aspects of Ní Chuilleanáin’s poetry that appeal to me: the themes she discusses, her use of poetic techniques, her ambiguity, writing about her personal experience and her honesty. As a reader, I found her work very challenging, but ultimately rewarding. What I find most
forms the crux of Life Writing, is a conscious effort. Life Writing involves various forms-Memoirs, Biographies, Diaries, Autobiographies and so forth. Retelling of one’s own story involves the function of memory, which is not always accurate or entirely reliable. Recollection from the memory involves alterations and improvisations of actual life events. In fact, events of the past are viewed from different lens as the individual grows and with him, his perceptions undergo metamorphosis too.
Woman: God’s second mistake? Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, who regarded ‘thirst for power’ as the sole driving force of all human actions, has many a one-liners to his credit. ‘Woman was God’s second mistake’, he declared. Unmindful of the reactionary scathing criticism and shrill abuses he invited for himself, especially from the ever-irritable feminist brigade. The fact and belief that God never ever commits a mistake, brings Nietzsche’s proclamation dashingly down into the dust bin

domain: literature


text:
More news can be found on the main news page.
Final Preparations are done for Sunday's Vitality Women's FA Cup first-round tie. We enter the game as huge underdogs with nothing to lose but all to gain. Which side of the bridge will come out on top?
Team: AFC Stoneham Ladies FC


text:
Mitch Garber, the Montreal businessman who chairs Cirque du Soleil’s board of directors, is backing incumbent Denis Coderre in the upcoming municipal election, he told the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal in an address on Tuesday.
Four years ago, Montreal had a bad reputation, particularly when it came to corruption at city hall, but Coderre has changed that, he told the audience.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
After the address, Garber told reporters: “I support Denis Coderre because I think he’s done a terrific job. I think that his track record over the last four years is better than anyone could have imagined.”
Coderre has “brought international positive attention here. We’ve got 150 cranes in downtown Montreal, 14 new hotels being built,” Garber said. “His list is long, so I think it would be very difficult to make an argument that after that four-year performance, he should be replaced.”
But as a resident of Westmount, Garber won’t have the opportunity to vote for his pick.
“It’s frustrating. I’m a Montrealer,” he said. “I work downtown. I pay half my municipal taxes to Montreal, and it doesn’t make sense to me that I can’t vote for the mayor in my municipality and for the mayor of Montreal.”
In his speech, Garber criticized Bill 62, the so-called “religious neutrality” bill that would bar people from giving or receiving public services with their faces covered, describing it as a watered-down version of the Parti Québécois’ charter of values.
“Call it what it is — a bill to ban Arab women’s face coverings. It’s wrong, and as a Jewish Quebecer, I’m embarrassed. We are not a racist province, but this is a racist bill,” he said.
Garber also spoke about his support for the federal government’s deal with Netflix, which has faced criticism in Quebec.
Getting a company like Netflix, which could make programs anywhere, to make a significant commitment to Canada was worthwhile, he said.
“Is the Netflix deal perfect? No, but large deals rarely are,” he said.
Incentives play an important role in attracting investment to Canada and more specifically to Montreal, he said.
“With anchors like Netflix and Facebook, we will make better deals with the next companies,” he said
While Garber said Montreal and Quebec are in the midst of a period of unprecedented growth, there are still big challenges.
The province still has the lowest median household income in the country as well as one of the highest high-school dropout rates in Canada.
“This must be fixed. Better and higher levels of education equal higher household income and equals a better life. It all starts with the dropout rate,” he said.


text:
In order for medical cannabis to be successful integrated into the culture, public awareness must be a priority.
By investing in an informed public perception of medicinal cannabis, people will be better equipped to make educated decisions regarding their views towards this medicine.
BuddingTech works with communities by hosting information events to educate the public regarding medicinal cannabis.
BuddingTech recognizes community outreach and action as vital components of a successful integration into a legal medical cannabis market. We believe that establishing a professional public image is essential to attracting quality resources, reliable customers, and devoted community support.
We aim to educate various social communities about the beneficial use of medical cannabis. Our goal is to grow awareness so people are able to determine whether medicinal cannabis can help them achieve a better quality of life.
If you are involved with any social communities and are interested in connecting to discuss our program, please leave your details in the form below.
BuddingTech recognises community outreach as a vital component of a successful integration into a legal medical cannabis market. We believe that establishing a professional public image is essential to attracting devoted community support.

domain: sociology


text:
It's a classic argument from ignorance.
In this case it's photosynthesis in flowering plants. He posted this figure from the Kegg database ....
Then he says,
In photosynthesis , 26 protein complexes and enzymes are required to go through the light and light independent reactions, a chemical process that transforms sunlight into chemical energy, to get glucose as end product , a metabolic intermediate for cell respiration. A good part of the protein complexes are uniquely used in photosynthesis. The pathway must go all the way through, and all steps are required, otherwise glucose is not produced. Also, in the oxygen evolving complex, which splits water into electrons, protons, and CO2, if the light-induced electron transfer reactions do not go all the five steps through, no oxygen, no protons and electrons are produced, no advanced life would be possible on earth. So, photosynthesis is a interdependent system, that could not have evolved, since all parts had to be in place right from the beginning. It contains many interdependent systems composed of parts that would be useless without the presence of all the other necessary parts. In these systems, nothing works until all the necessary components are present and working. So how could someone rationally say, the individual parts, proteins and enzymes, co-factors and assembly proteins not present in the final assemblage, all happened by a series of natural events that we can call ad hoc mistake "formed in one particular moment without ability to consider any application." , to then somehow interlink in a meaningful way, to form electron transport chains, proton gradients to " feed " ATP synthase nano motors to produce ATP , and so on ? Such independent structures would have not aided survival. Consider the light harvesting complex, and the electron transport chain, that did not exist at exactly the same moment--would they ever "get together" since they would neither have any correlation to each other nor help survival separately? Repair of PSII via turnover of the damaged protein subunits is a complex process involving highly regulated reversible phosphorylation of several PSII core subunits. If this mechanism would not work starting right from the beginning, various radicals and active oxygen species with harmful effects on photosystem II (PSII) would make it cease to function. So it seems that photosynthesis falsifies the theory of evolution, where all small steps need to provide a survival advantage.I responded on Facebook, pointing out that the cytochrome bc complex and ATP synthase pre-date photosynthesis [Facebook: Photosynthesis]. I also pointed out that there are many living species that use only simpler versions of photsystem I or only photosystem II to carry out photosynthesis [e.g. A Simple Version of Photosynthesis]. Those nasty little facts don't seem to fit with his claim that, "In these systems, nothing works until all the necessary components are present and working."
I probably should have known better. Otangelo Grasso's standard response to such criticism is to avoid dealing directly with his false statements and shift the goalposts on to some other topic. He then posts all kinds of links to websites that seem to back up his claims even if they have nothing to do with the criticisms. You can see him at work on the Facebook thread.
It's pretty frustrating. I probably shouldn't respond to kooks, especially those who think they are experts in biochemistry.

domain: chemistry


text:
Russell Simmons, aptly named the ‘Godfather of Hip Hop’ is collaborating with Tokau to exclusively launch an NFT (non-fungible token) collection, ‘Masterminds of Hip Hop’. The joint venture aims to bring honor, credit and compensation back to the original musicians who helped create the multi-billion dollar industry that it is today.
Following the next few weeks, they will be releasing the names of the original pioneers who have joined the program, with the first group being DJ Hollywood, Grandmaster Caz, MC Lyte, and Busy Bee.
Such names are considered among the most important and influential pioneers of old school rap, with Hollywood being the first rapper in the hip-hop style, Grandmaster Caz being the first simultaneous DJ and MC in hip-hop history, MC Lyte being the first female rapper to ever be nominated for a Grammy Award, and Busy Bee having gained a large following through MC rap battles.
This collection series brings an insight into the history and roots of Hip Hop, giving exclusive behind the scene stories and memories from the early years of hip-hop that helped form the foundation of the culture, in the form of digital art collectibles.
Commenting on joining the program, DJ Hollywood said, “It’s an honor to have our story retold and to be given the opportunity to have the fans old and new to connect with and learn about what we’ve done to get here”.
“Not enough people know that the first records would not have been made without the success and raw talents of these artists. The most amazing part is seeing a piece of history and the future of technology come together; NFTs are truly a game-changer and I can’t wait to pay homage to my fellow pioneers of the movement known as Hip Hop, so stay tuned to Tokau for the announcement of many more names which will be a part of the collection,” added Simmons.
“TOKAU is super excited to be part of this joint venture and create the Masterminds of Hip Hop NFT,” says Miranda Tan, the spokesperson for TOKAU. “These exclusive and limited NFTs are available only on TOKAU and Hip Hop fans globally can access and buy an NFT of these original creators that build Hip Hop to what it is today.”
TOKAU will be launching its NFT Eternal Bond products this month. TOKAU’s Eternal Bond is a very special and cool NFT where fans and Idol can be closely linked to each other through staking TOKAU tokens and sharing the financial benefits. Mastermind’s NFT and eternal bond will be available on TOKAU website where fans can buy the original creators NFT plus have an eternal bond with the Masterminds of Hip Hop by staking TOKAU tokens and sharing financial benefits with the founding fathers.
“The Mastermind of Hip Hop NFT and eternal bond is the first of its kind of financial product where fans can be eternally bond with their favorite stars by staking tokens and sharing the financial benefits the creators,” says Dennis Tok, TOKAU’s Co-CEO. “This is a new instrument to fully utilize the celebrities star power and help stars and fans connect to each other and share the financial benefits.”
The ‘Masterminds of Hip Hop’ NFT collection will be available on Tokau, the world’s leading platform that allows celebrities and influencers to interact with their fans using blockchain NFT technology.


text:
Rapper Bubba reveals his dancing skills on social media and tempts his fans! We will give you more details.
Bubba reveals his talents Dancer on Instagram! MCE TV gives you more details.
Bubba reveals his talents
Rapper Booba fans have discovered a new video of their favorite artist. In fact, it seems that the rapper Very active on social networks lately.
He has also published a new post which has delighted many of his fans. On Instagram, we were able to find outr young artist dancing.
Boba is already there موجود Ambiance on his song Dragon. Then we discovered his talents as a dancer and it must be said about that young man The artist is doing a good job!
“In the face of a lot of dancing, I canceled filming the clip!” The young artist gets stuck in the legend From his Instagram post. Then he added: “#Dragonneverlyparis Dance better than you know and you always know!!! Don’t play fools.”
The rapper’s fans have collectively responded to Post their favorite rappers. In fact, there were more than 91,000 of them to watch his video on the social network.
and comments on His position can be counted in the hundreds! Many criticize that the video is poorly filmed because it moves so much.
“Is the photographer the same as in Orly or what?” “ Laughing at a fan, for example. Others believe that his daughter Luna is being photographed. Finally, many steps fully emphasize the dance steps of their favorite artist. “The dance move is mastered, it’s square!! » One of the subscribers of the social network writes.
His new single
A few days ago, Booba announced the upcoming release of his new song. In fact, the young artist does not seem Not close to returning the microphone!
While he had announced the end of his career after the release of his album Ultra, he seems to have changed his mind! Thus, fans of the French artist were able to do so Discover his new song, Dragon.
He is also on this himself The track was revealed on Friday, July 16th That young rapper feels the ambiance in his Instagram video. Fans were also there to discover the new song of their favorite star.
Therefore, the title became available since yesterday on music platforms. know that This piece was written by Ludavrik.
If Booba’s flow seems too calm, the lyrics Not less severe! In fact, the Duke of Boulogne used his new song to throw spades at his enemies.
Without much surprise, piece of youth The rapper was a huge success. In fact, his video posted on YouTube received more than 500,000 views in just a few hours.
“This guy is incomparable and irreplaceable in the game. Hacking never ended” A fan of the artist comments under his video. “This guy has been at the top of his game for 25 years. Today, he’s insanely mastering tunes” Add Another fan of the artist.
Suffice it to say that we admire the artist Check out his brand new song. And the United States too!
Tags: Booba – duc de boulogne – Instagram – Kopp – Ultra
“Web specialist. Freelance coffee advocate. Reader. Subtly charming pop culture expert.”

domain: celebrity


Pressing the matter
I have the highest praise for the publications of the Centre for Science and Environment. In the introduction of your book Slow Murder, you have sougfit feedback from the readers in the form of suggestions on how an effective campaign can be launched to control vehicular pollution.
To begin with, your work has to be translated into other languages. Media pressure has to be backed with political will for successful pollution control policies. Until such a thing happens, we have to continue our efforts with scientific and intellectual vigour, by taking green issues to the people and by resorting to hectic lobbying....
I would like to bring to your notice the plight of farmers and other agricultural labourers around lake Kolleru, a fresh water lake situated in the West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. Before the '70s, this lake used to be fiA from July to December due to the inflow of several rivulets and drainage from the Krishna and Godavari river irrigation systems. From January to June it used to be partially dry. Paddy in the rabi season used to be cultivated in about 40-48 sq krn of the lake bed taken on lease from the government. Siberian cranes and other birds used to come for breeding and nesting in this season. There are small islands in the lake and the inhabitants of these islands used to eke- out a living by fishing in the lake.
But from the '70s a few people grabbed major portiops of the lake on a lease basis, dug fishing tanks and raised fish by adding fertilisers and feed., By the '90s these fish tanks covered almost 90 per cent of the lake bed. Th 'e lake is criss-crossed by roads and very few migratory bi@ds come to breed in this region now.
My interest is in preserving the lake for its fauna and flora, for the present as well as future'generations....
Down To Earth is a unique science magazine with informative components. Your magazine could provide the impetus for a much more concerted effort towards sustainable development in the world....
I have a suggestion which can help to increase concern for the environment among people. You could start a pen-friends section in your magazine. People interested in environmental issues could interact with each other and increase awareness. This section will help in creating not just a chain but an ever-widening web. ...
In your editor's page (Down To Earth, Vol 5, No 20), you have mentioned that many rich farmers chose to plant trees on good agricultural land under the farm forestry programme. The point is that cultivation of food crops yields very low income. The reasons are many. In urban areas, land has a good sale value. While the cost of all articles and service groups has risen, the price of food articles are artificially kept at a low price. Besides, compulsory procurement of foodgrains by the government at a low floor price puts the farmers in a very disadvantageous position.
Different regions face different problems in the field of agricultural development, social forestry and waste-land development. In fact, more areas are becoming wastelands under the influence of migration from rural to urban areas and absentee landlordism. In your article you have suggested that the highly degraded lands owned by poor farmers should be used to grow trees to enable them to come above the poverty line. This will take care of the twin problems of poaching in forest land and the need for developing the vast stretches of wasteland....
Recently the mayor of Nagpur offered to make all efforts to provide incineration facilities at the city crematorium to dispose off hospital wastes.
In the absence of any regulatory guidelines, all one needs to start a hospital is a board and a few cots. Not many hospitals have incinerators to safely dispose off their hazardous wastes. Usually, hospital waste is dumped in municipal garbage bins. Now, as per the mayor's announcement, it will be incinerated in the crematorium situated in the heart of the city.
As incineration of hospital wastes emits carcinogenic effluents, they need to be burnt at very high temperatures. Non -biodegradable plastic wastes like syringes and gloves should be disposed off miles away from human habitation. Providing a crematorium in the city for incinerating hospital wastes will increase the risk of dangerous infections....
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.


text:
- About Art
- General Article
- Contact Us
A particular emphasis is placed upon adding new and lesser-identified artists and on the protection of international-language literature. As an alternative, our intent is to summarize present knowledge in regards to the connection between art and health, determine essentially the most compelling next steps for investigation, and generate additional curiosity in researching the complexities of art and well being.
Combining greater than 200 tutorial, grey, and well-liked literature titles, Gender Watch provides researchers with greater than one hundred,000 articles on wide-ranging subjects like sexuality, faith, societal roles, feminism, consuming disorders, day care, and the workplace.
Structure is the one art that can’t afford to alienate its public—it merely prices too much to construct something, and so the architect should nonetheless please his sponsor to get his work done—nevertheless it, too, has suffered by losing its sense of historical continuity.
These were the principal arts involved with the making and adorning of palaces and church buildings, and the trends they codified soon labored their approach down by way of the ornamental arts—ceramics, textiles, and the like. Arts and Humanities Quotation Index : Part of the Internet of Science database on Mental Property and Science by Thomson Reuters, this multidisciplinary index consists of arts and humanities journal literature.
Once I mentioned in passing I was writing about Allen, my friend Sara reported that she’d seen a Little Free Library in her neighborhood absolutely crammed to its tiny rafters with books by and about Allen. His passing away has drawn deep emotional ache and anguish for everyone who knew him and his absence might be felt throughout the Irish visible arts world for a very long time to come back.


text:
|The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Professor by Charlotte Bronte:
"There is truth."
"I tell you, Mr. Hunsden, you are a more unpractical man than I
am an unpractical woman, for you don't acknowledge what really
exists; you want to annihilate individual patriotism and national
greatness as an atheist would annihilate God and his own soul, by
denying their existence."
"Where are you flying to? You are off at a tangent--I thought we
were talking about the mercenary nature of the Swiss."
"We were--and if you proved to me that the Swiss are mercenary
to-morrow (which you cannot do) I should love Switzerland still."
"You would be mad, then--mad as a March hare--to indulge in a
|The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Distinguished Provincial at Paris by Honore de Balzac:
way home along the Boulevards, he met Barbet.
"Barbet!" he begged, holding out his hand. "Five hundred francs!"
"No. Two hundred," returned the other.
"Ah! then you have a heart."
"Yes; but I am a man of business as well. I have lost a lot of money
through you," he concluded, after giving the history of the failure of
Fendant and Cavalier, "will you put me in the way of making some?"
"You are a poet. You ought to understand all kinds of poetry,"
continued the little publisher. "I want a few rollicking songs at this
moment to put along with some more by different authors, or they will
|The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Menexenus by Plato:
in the Phaedrus, and this may have suggested the subject, in the same
manner that the Cleitophon appears to be suggested by the slight mention of
Cleitophon and his attachment to Thrasymachus in the Republic; and the
Theages by the mention of Theages in the Apology and Republic; or as the
Second Alcibiades seems to be founded upon the text of Xenophon, Mem. A
similar taste for parody appears not only in the Phaedrus, but in the
Protagoras, in the Symposium, and to a certain extent in the Parmenides.
To these two doubtful writings of Plato I have added the First Alcibiades,
which, of all the disputed dialogues of Plato, has the greatest merit, and
is somewhat longer than any of them, though not verified by the testimony
of Aristotle, and in many respects at variance with the Symposium in the

domain: artistic


text:
Easy Spiced Cherry Croissants
- 0:10 Prep
- 0:15 Cook
- 12 Servings
Cooked this recipe? Upload your photo for
a chance to win. Learn more.
These are so easy and quick to make using Pampas pastry. It's so good and flaky.
- 6 sheets Pampas puff pastry
- 100 g jam
- 2 tbs icing sugar
Thaw, then cut puff pastry sheets into two triangles.
Add a spoonful of jam, or your preferred filling in the centre.
Roll wide side first making sure the end tail is tucked under and shape into a half moon.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool, then dust with icing sugar and serve.
- baking tray


Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite missed the global Mi 11 launch, but it's still coming
- The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite has passed through the Bluetooth SIG website.
- The filing points to Bluetooth 5.2 support and global availability.
- Bluetooth 5.2 suggests it won’t come with a Snapdragon 730-series chip as rumored.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 launched in Europe yesterday (February 8), marking the flagship’s first foray outside China. Rumors from the likes of Gizmochina also pointed to the arrival of the budget-focused Mi 11 Lite model at the event, but this clearly didn’t happen.
Now, Xiaomi’s Lite phone has surfaced on the Bluetooth SIG website, confirming that the device is indeed still in the pipeline. The listing also reiterates the previously spotted M2101K9AG model number, with the “G” at the end pointing to a global/European device rather than a Chinese or Indian model.
Another detail gleaned from the Bluetooth SIG listing is Bluetooth 5.2 support, and this makes us question rumors that the device could pack a chipset based on the Snapdragon SM7150 platform (Snapdragon 730/730G/732G). This is because the aforementioned processors all lack Bluetooth 5.2 support, topping out at Bluetooth 5.1 for the Snapdragon 732G.
This suggests that if the Mi 11 Lite is indeed using a processor based on the SM7150 platform, then it’s likely an unannounced chipset in the family. Another possibility on paper is that the global variant and Indian variant differ in terms of chipset and/or cellular connectivity, with an SM7150 series processor for the Indian model. Last year’s Mi 10 Lite offered 5G and used the Snapdragon 765G chipset, so it stands to reason that any 5G-enabled Mi 11 Lite model would offer an upgraded chipset in this regard.
Either way, it seems like the Mi 11 Lite is close to a launch date. So presumably we’ll see the phone in the coming weeks.


text:
Manchester United played Real Madrid in the United States last summer
The two Premier League clubs will come up against some of Europe's elite teams in a money-spinning trip and could also go head to head with Gerrard's new club LA Galaxy.
Gerrard signed an 18-month contract worth £6million in January and will join up with his Galaxy team-mates in July.
Barcelona, PSG and Fiorentina join United and Chelsea, with Mexican side Club America also entering the International Champions Cup.
It will be the eighth time in 12 years Chelsea have journeyed to the USA and chairman Bruce Buck said he was looking forward to the trip.
"We know the facilities we use will be second to none and Jose and the squad will be able to prepare for what already promises to be an exciting 2015/16 campaign," he said.
Teams competing in the International Champions Cup:
New York Red Bulls
San Jose Earthquakes


Free From INF Treaty, US Plans to Deploy Mid-Range Missiles to Deter China
The United States, now unbound from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, plans to deploy ground-launched missiles to counter China’s growing arsenal and deter potential conflict, according to the heads of the State Department and the Pentagon.
Following more than a decade of violations by Russia, the United States withdrew from the treaty on Aug. 2. While Washington and Moscow remained formally bound by the treaty from flight-testing or possessing intermediate-range, ground-launched missiles, China aggressively developed these weapons, a strategic gap that has long been a concern for the Pentagon.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters that the Pentagon’s position is to deploy non-nuclear INF-range missiles systems “sooner rather than later.” Esper specifically noted these systems’ importance to the Asia-Pacific region. He hoped to have a deployment within “months” but noted that “these things tend to take longer than you expect.”
“So, the best answer is, sooner rather than later, we want to develop this capability and making sure we can have long-range precision fires, not just for that theater, but for the theater that we’re deploying to as well, because of the importance of great distances we need to cover, and how important an intermediate-range conventional weapon would be to the Asia Indo-PACOM theater,” Esper said.
Deploying ground-launched missiles in Asia would require the cooperation of America’s allies. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Aug. 4 that deterrence is the ultimate goal of deployment and that the United States will deploy systems with the consent of allies and “with respect to their sovereignty.”
“Remember why it was created. It was created with a vision of deterrence,” Pompeo said of the treaty. “That’s always been our mission set and it will continue to be so.”
One-third to one-half of China’s ballistic and cruise missile arsenal would violate the treaty if Beijing was bound by the treaty, according to a U.S. assessment. The bulk of the missiles carry conventional, non-nuclear warheads. These missiles are Beijing’s “ace in the hole” when it comes to military capabilities, according to Ian Williams, the associate director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As a result, Beijing “would be very loath to give that up” as part of any future arms pact.
“This is the bulk of their military capabilities. Their navy is still not—it’s getting there—but it’s still not quite up to being able to stand toe-to-toe to the United States. Their air force is large, but also questionable as to their ability to stand up to the U.S. and Japan, for example. So, what is their kind of ace in the hole? It’s all of these intermediate-range missiles they have, that they can fire from mainland China out,” Williams said.
When President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal from the treaty in October last year, he said he would be open to an arms-control pact that included China and other countries. Pompeo, in his official statement on the withdrawal, offered China and Russia to engage in creating a multilateral arms control treaty.
Considering China’s reliance on its conventional intermediate-range missile arsenal, any viable treaty would have to be limited to nuclear-capable missiles.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Aug. 2 that he has spoken to the leaders of Russia and China about a potential nuclear arms deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were both “excited” to discuss the issue, the president said.
“So, Russia—we have been speaking to Russia about that—about a pact for nuclear—so that they get rid of some, we get rid of some. We’d probably have to put China in there,” Trump said.
“Right now, we’re No. 1, Russia is No. 2, and China is No. 3. But China is quite a bit down, in terms of nuclear. China is much lower. But we would certainly want to include China at some point.”
Williams noted that a potential treaty that focused on limiting intermediate-range nuclear weapons would have the greatest chance of getting both Russia and China on board.
“That may be a better way to go if you’re trying to make progress,” Williams said. “You might even get Russia back in, because they don’t want to see new U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe. The Chinese don’t want to see a reintroduction of U.S. nuclear weapons in Asia.”
Trump said that Russia’s violation of the INF led him to exit the treaty to maintain the United States’ global military supremacy.
“The particular pact you’re talking about that expired as of today, they weren’t living up to their commitment,” Trump said.
“And I said, if they’re not going to live up to their commitment, then we always have to be in the lead.
“I’ve redone our nuclear. We have new nuclear coming. I hate to tell that to people. I hate to say it because it’s devastating, but we’ve always got to be in the lead.”
The United States fields a number of sea- and air-launched alternatives to the formerly banned intermediate-range missiles, but ground-launched missiles have a number of strategic advantages in a potential conflict. As a result, China wields a substantial strategic advantage.
“It’s not Russia that we’re concerned about. We’re concerned about China, which has developed a whole class of missiles that we were not permitted to have,” said Gordon Chang, author of “The Coming Collapse of China.”
“It’s given China an enormous advantage now and what we need to do in very short order is to develop and deploy.”
With the gap closed, the United States may have the leverage needed to compel China to enter an arms control pact or at least to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from wielding its missile arsenal as a club over less-powerful nations.
“You have to have leverage with the Chinese always in order to get them to agree to anything,” said Peter Huessy, the director for strategic deterrent studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “And leverage from us is deploying missile defenses in Asia, and missile forces, and a capable aircraft and navy.”
The United States attempted to bring China into the treaty on at least three occasions, failing each time. According to Rick Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, exiting the treaty is only the first step in the process of bringing China to the table for a potential arms pact.
“Leaving the INF treaty is really only part of what is necessary to get China’s attention,” Fisher said. “And yes, we have China’s attention, but in order to really get their attention so that they finally come to the table to consider even minimal steps towards arms control, what we also need—for good or for bad—is a good old arms race.”
Esper, in an official statement upon withdrawal from the treaty, said that the Pentagon has been researching and developing intermediate-range cruise and ballistic missiles since 2017.
“Because the United States scrupulously complied with its obligations to the INF Treaty, these programs are in the early stages,” he said.
“Now that we have withdrawn, the Department of Defense will fully pursue the development of these ground-launched conventional missiles as a prudent response to Russia’s actions and as part of the Joint Force’s broader portfolio of conventional strike options.”
Esper told reporters that the Department of Defense was researching a long-range precision missile, the range of which could be extended upon exit from the treaty. Extending the range would take approximately 18 months, he said.
Speaking to the press in Sydney on Aug. 4, Esper and Pompeo emphasized that deterrence is the ultimate goal of the planned deployment.
Esper noted that the missiles deployed would be armed with conventional, not nuclear, warheads. The weapons will give the United States the strategic posture to “deter conflict in any region in which we deploy them in consultation with our allies and partners,” he said.
While aircraft and Navy combat vessels remain the image of America’s military might, missiles play a major role in deterring U.S. adversaries, due to their unique qualities.
“A missile very much focuses the thinking of our potential adversaries,” said Fisher. “A missile travels very fast. It can be very accurate and it’s very difficult to counter or shoot down a missile. When we bring lots of missiles to a theater, our adversaries usually take notice and become much more serious about moderating their behavior.”
“Today, the United States simply does not have enough missiles to cause our adversaries to reconsider aggressive and threatening behaviors.”
Building up its missile arsenal will allow the United States to erase the imbalance that currently threatens stability in Asia.
“Getting out of the INF treaty has created a legal basis for the United States to now develop and deploy the kind of deterrent capabilities that we require to keep our kids out of war for most of the next decade,” Fisher said.
“Yet, at the same time, the Trump administration is trying to interest China and Russia in new arms control treaties, and I think this is just basic Diplomacy 101. But the most consequential agenda of the Trump administration today is to redress a fundamental missile gap that holds the prospect for destabilizing Asia and drawing Americans into war.”
Chang said the United States should center its missile deployment on China “because China actually poses as a conventional risk.”
“When people think about war, they don’t think about Russia. They think about China. We should be developing our missiles and thinking about our strategies in relation to what the Chinese might do,” Chang said.
The media have focused most of the coverage on criticizing the United States, parroting official Russian and Chinese talking points to criticize Trump for withdrawing from the treaty. Both Russia and China said the United States will be to blame for escalating “tensions.” Huessy said that China is the sole source of tensions in the region.
“The tensions in this part of the world are generated almost solely and entirely by China. We’re interested in trade, we’re interested in getting ships moving in and out. We’re investing, we’re interested in investment. We’re interested in economic growth. We’re interested in the protection of intellectual property,” he said.
“That’s not what China’s interested in. They’re interested in controlling all of that by their own rules and destroying other people’s ability to compete with them.”


Anna Ciborowska is a pianist who likes to stray off the beaten track. Even though her concert repertoire contains many works from the pantheon of fortepiano literature, her recordings are mostly of works that are seldom performed. With Agnieszka Duczmal and the Amadeus Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra she recorded Rafal Stradomski’s Concerto for Piano, Saxophone Quartet and String Orchestra. In Belgium she has cooperated with contemporary composer and respected author Gaston Compère, who has dedicated many of his works to her. His music features on two discs involving Anna Ciborowska- “Polders” and “Lux Mea”. The Polders suite was used in the soundtrack of a film produced by ARTE and RTBF. Her recording of Julius Zarembski’s Quintet is also in the archives of RTBF ( Belgian Radio) . “Piano Works”, her disc with the music of Maria Szymanowska, is the fruit of her passion for seeking new repertoire and contains many works recorded for the first time.
One original project which perfectly reflects this pianist’s personality is “Exprezz”. “Exprezz” is a meeting of jazz and classical musicians searching together for new forms of artistic expression by improvising in various styles. The group has played concerts with great success in Belgium, France and Poland.
As a soloist, Anna Ciborowska has played with several orchestras, including the Dutch orchestra Amadeus in the chamber music hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the chamber orchestra Ricercare in the Concert Noble in Brussels. She has given recitals in many European countries. Besides solo performances she is an active chamber musician. She often gives concerts in duo with saxophonist Cezariusz Gadzina. They played together in Bruno Walter Hall in Lincoln Center in New York , Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Paris.