Recently I was talking to one of my friends about a particular bag I’d choose for an outfit. Based upon what she told me, I nominated my L.A.M.B. Cheetah Mandeville for the outfit. And then gushed at why this was such a good bag for the outfit.

This Cheetah print contains black, brown, and white in the pattern, three neutrals. And since it has all three I’ve always felt fine wearing it with any colour in my wardrobe. I never thought I would use an animal print so often, but it really feels like it could go with almost anything!

And because a picture is worth a thousand words, my Cheetah Mandeville.

Now that the coalition of surly/sarcastic Eastsiders, Germans, and Pittsburghites (who are clearly much smarter than I am) have stopped commenting on my apparently controversial Berlin Wall post, I can dedicate some space on here to relevant events. Yay.

Mayor V. has picked Charlie Beck for Police Chief, thus depriving me of a slew of Michael Moore jokes. LA’s new top cop appears poised to carry on the legacy of Bratton, though he may turn the LAPD into more of a family outfit – all of his immediate relatives are also in the force.

The elections of a week ago went relatively well, nothing terribly remarkable, but you can view the full results here. The next big election: Long Beach’s education-related Measure T, scheduled for December 29. Apparently, education officials decided that it would be better to hold the election before new years since people would be less hung over.

No sentence yet for the Mandeville Menace, Dr. Christopher Thompson, who was found guilty of several counts of felony assault a week ago. The sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3. Ted Rogers, blogger of Biking in LA and my favorite pessimist, worries that the dastardly doctor won’t get his comeuppance.

In other news, guess what’s opening tomorrow? None other than the Edward R. Roybal Linea de Oro Nombre Muy Grande Gold Line! The lesser blogs are too scared to attend actual opening day, opting instead to ride early. But not me! I’ll be there for the actual opening and festivities, which include a farmer’s market at East LA civic center, Mariachis at Mariachi Plaza, Karaoke in Little Tokyo, and possible sightings of Cheech Marin. The gold line extension is free, but the older Pasadena portion is still $1.25. But to celebrate the event, Metro has replaced its normal fare inspectors with Mexican wrestlers.

Renee is graduating with her Masters from Southeastern in December and contacted me to do some fun photos for her. This awesome girl was not only game for anything I conjured up, but even drove to Baton Rouge from Mandeville coz I had two other shoots in Baton Rouge today. Her fun attitude and contagious smile made this on of my favorite sessions, by far. She’s looking to start an event planning company when she’s finished with school, so if you need something, look her up!

Atlanta: A Retrospective

November 4, 2009

The trip to Atlanta was memorable.  Perhaps even balanced, in a way.  There were gigantic farmers’ markets brimming with fresh produce, but there was also bad, take-you-nowhere-helpful, dirty public transportation.  (Bad.)  There were beautiful old homes and tenderly loved yards in neighborhoods of every socioeconomic bracket, but there was also near consensus at our dinner table one evening that President Barack Obama was probably not an American citizen.  In a word, it was the south.

Cabbagetown home - complete with an old tire swing.

Oh, but wait.  I have a deep love for these southern cities like New Orleans and Charlottesville and all the others, really.  It’s born out of my childhood.  Out of the adoration I had for my late southern grandmother’s beautiful pearls, her simple elegance, and her true grace.  Out of my insatiable appetite for my mother’s homemade dressing (what you Yankees call “stuffing”), my respect for her indestructible and infectious optimistic strength (“Oh Katy, this too shall pass,” in her decidedly Texan twang), and in my quiet sense of arrival as a southern woman this summer when she handed me her delicate antique linens.  That were, of course, handed down to her by her mother.

My childhood memories of the south are of the seemingly magical garden my grandmother grew

Old Louisiana Magnolia Tree; Photo: Chateau Nouveau Developers & Builders

around her big old Mandeville home – magnolias spilling down from the trees at just the time of our arrival each Christmas season.  They’re also of my BIG extended family get-togethers, and of the endless warm Christmas afternoons I can recall walking with my dad along the banks of the Pontchartrain.

Needless to say, returning as an adult was different.  As a tourist, I returned to the south without any of the above context in place.  It was a bit jarring.

Sweet Melissa's - brunch WITH live blue grass (Photo: http://sweetmelissas.home.comcast.net)

I will say, though, that the charm and DELICIOUSNESS of Sweet Melissa’s, an Atlantan brunch joint we hit up that had a kick ass bluegrass band (called Donner Party of Four) almost washed the bad taste out of my mouth from the pro-business/anti-environment stories I heard and overheard at the equally Atlantan Halloween party the night before.  And the beauty and bustle of the (now) undisputed World’s Largest Indoor Farmer’s Market – Your DeKalb Market, just about made up for the fact that my “Death Panelist” Halloween costume didn’t get a ton of positive attention.*

Actually, the DeKalb Market even had a community composting site on their lot so that you could drop off your table scraps on your way to the market and pick up some black gold in return.  (I wish they had something like that in our neighborhood!!  My garden would LOVE it.  Yes, yes – we’ll be composting next spring.  Instructional forthcoming.  :-))

In any case, my vacation was well-deserved and much-appreciated.  I was able to enjoy the experience for what it was, savor the yummies I found (like an entire 1/2 QUART of coriander seeds for 66 cents!), and rock out to the sounds of Atlanta.  I met liberals (it IS a big city, guys), I met conservatives, and I met some really, really good people – political persuasion totally irrelevant to my affections.  As always, life is a grab bag:  You never know what ya gonna git.  Especially when you’re in the south.

With love,

Kate

© Copyright 1994 - Paramount Pictures

*Well, I suppose humor is subjective no matter what your values.  There are plenty of progressives that don’t think I’m funny, either.  And thought the costume was just plain nerrrrrrdy.  :-)

This is a beautiful evening in Mandeville Jamaica almost unreal, how little we do take time out to appreciate the true beauty and wonders of this world.

Alonso Pictures

My friend and Louisiana author C.J. Parker’s new book Fugue Macabre: Bone Dance is available to purchase here. I really enjoyed her first novel Fugue Macabre: Ghost Dance (links to a review by ecataromance site) and am looking forward to reading this one. I downloaded it in HTML format to put on my iPhone. It is also available in PDF and MobiPocket formats.

On October the sixteenth, Mandeville Conservatives held an event to officially launch their 2010 election campaign in Mandeville Ward.

I was introduced as one of the Candidates. I am standing for election as a Ward Councillor with Councillor Hazel Ware and Councillor Eileen Harris who both currently represent Mandeville Ward.

Councillor Ian Gibb is the Ealing North Parliamentary Candidate. Ian is the Deputy Leader of the Ealing Conservative Group, and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services. He has worked on a large number of projects in Ealing North, and understands the importance of having good local knowledge through working and living locally, when representing a constituency in Parliament.

The sun was shining and many hundreds of local people took advantage of the chance to see RAF Police Dogs, Metropolitan Police Horses and a Police Helicopter at the Northolt Mandeville Peace Day last Sunday.

The free event, held in Northolt Park was extremely well attended, with representatives from Ealing Council’s Safer Communities Team on hand to give advice on personal safety and a huge Inflatable bouncy castle for the younger guests.

The finale was the arrival of the Police helicopter, with a large crowd waiting to go forward to hear a very interesting talk by the crew on their role in the Police Service.

Northolt Park is a great space that we should all use more often. The event was part of the London Peace Week that was originally intended to encourage co-operation in a way that will bring communities together in a safe and peaceful setting. This event succeeded in every respect, and was a credit to the organisers, the Mandeville Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

I hope that we will be able to ‘Keep the Peace’ again next year.

At a recent community meeting, it was suggested that Ealing Council should be asked to introduce a Controlled Drinking Zone in Mandeville Ward as a way of preventing the consumption of Alcohol in parks and public spaces.

Is this the answer to the problem? What are the unintended consequences?

Conversations with Police Officers have confirmed that these Controlled Drinking Zones do solve the problem of Public Drinking. If Officers repeatedly confiscate Alcohol the Drinkers do tend to move to another area. In effect, we pass our problem to the nearest Ward where there are no restrictions.

What are the consequences for those of us that live in Mandeville?

 Although the Police are able to exercise some discretion, if the control is introduced, they could, for example, insist that there is no alcohol with family picnics in public parks and no Mulled wine for the Christmas carol singers at the Clock Tower. Drinkers outside our two remaining Pubs could be warned not to stray onto public land, or they too may have their drinks confiscated.

Is this the result that we want?

What we are actually trying to do is to resolve a problem with anti-social behaviour that may sometimes become a Public Order issue, or result in an arrest for Drunkenness. Whilst we cannot accept the presence of groups of drinkers acting badly in our parks and open spaces, we should be asking whether or not a controlled drinking zone is the best solution.

Unfortunately, the Police have very limited resources available to deal with the problem, and view this form of control as an easy solution. The long term consequence of this policy is that as more and more areas are designated as Control Zones, the whole of Ealing and eventually most of Greater London could eventually be affected by these restrictions.

For the moment, I am reluctantly obliged to accept that this is probably the only control method that can be introduced without an increase in Police resources. However, I do hope that The Metropolitan Police will consider this area of policing as a priority for action, and look for new solutions.  

Anti-social behaviour of any sort is a serious blight on our community. But residents should not face the possibility of unnecessary restrictions as the result of rules introduced to curb the actions of a disruptive minority.

I’m making diaper cakes for customers in the Mandeville area!

If you are interested in a cake, please email me at jennyronquillo@gmail.com !    I will respond within a few hours!

I offer 3 cake sizes/prices.

$25 Cake

(2 tier cake includes 30 diapers, 1 pacifier, 1 teething ring, 1 rubber duck,

and 1 set of keys)

$30 (includes 30 diapers stacked in 3 tiers, with 1 pacifier, 1 bib, 1 set of keys, 1 rubber duck, and 1 bottle)

$35 (includes 30 diapers stacked in 3 tiers, with 1 pacifier, 1 teething ring, 1 set of keys, 1 carlink, 1 rubber duck, and 1 bottle)

$40 Cake

(3 tier cake includes 55 diapers, 2 pacifiers, 1 teething ring, 1 rubber duck,  1 bottle, 1 receiving blanket,  1 bib, 1 carseat link,  and 1 set of keys)

$50 Cake

(3 tier cake includes 70 diapers, 2 pacifiers, 1 teething ring, 1 rubber duck,

2 receiving blankets, 2 wash cloths, 1 carseat link, 1 bottle, 1 bib and 1 set of keys)

All cakes are ‘freshly’ made to order. They are placed on a cardboard cake tray. The products include brands like Little Tikes, Munchkins, Fisher Price, Parents Choice, and Platex.  The diapers are Pampers Swaddlers Size 1 (unless otherwise specified).

On Sunday the 27^th September, Northolt Mandeville Ward will be the location for a Free Peace Day Event organised by our local Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

They have arranged for RAF Police Dogs, Metropolitan Police Horses, and a number of Youth Uniform Organisations to attend. There will also be a display of Classic Police cars and a Rainforest Roadshow. The Ealing Council Community Safety Unit will be available to offer advice on personal safety. For younger Visitors there will be a Bouncy Castle and a Mobile Animal Farm.

The event is part of the London Week of Peace. A movement that started in North London to encourage co-operation in joint activities that bring communities together, and promote safety and peace. The idea has since spread to many London Boroughs.

 The Peace Day event will be held at Northolt Park in Newmarket Avenue. A great location, where you may also be able to witness a Police helicopter landing.

 The fun starts at 1200 noon and finishes at 4PM.

This is a good opportunity to meet your friends and neighbours in a safe local setting. Why not bring a Picnic?

The local Primary Care Trust (PCT) has plans to replace three of our local GP surgeries with a Health Centre at Peel House in Mandeville Road. Northolt.

I have criticised this scheme, because I believe that those of us that are patients at these practises will lose contact with our own Doctor when the services are re-arranged to provide medical cover seven days a week for up to 12 hours each day.

The PCT plan is to offer a range of treatments and procedures at the Health Centre, some of which are currently only available at local hospitals.  The ground and first floors of Peel House will accommodate twelve consulting rooms, together with a central reception desk and patient’s records area that will serve all three surgeries. The remaining two floors will be used by the PCT.

The scheme is designed to enable the practise to operate during and outside the traditional working hours. It is promoted as a move to provide a ‘Modern’ service that will use additional Doctors, either specially recruited or from one of the other two surgeries, to provide cover.

One of the surgeries that will be affected is very close to the proposed development. The other two are some distance away. The benefits to patients of having extra treatments on offer may be lost on those who currently have a short walk to see the Doctor, if they are instead obliged to take one or two buses to reach the Health Centre.

For those travelling by car, the area around Peel House is already busy with commuter parking for Northolt Station. There is little chance of Patients from three surgeries finding a parking place near the new centre where there is very limited off-road parking, with just fourteen spaces available.  Two of these spaces are currently allocated to the shops on Mandeville Road. Two more will be designated for disabled drivers. Presumably, some or all of the others will be used by the many Doctors, Practitioners and Community Nurses that will be using the Site, and will also wish to travel by car. The new centre will initially have around 10,000 registered patients and will also offer treatments to patients from other surgeries.

I have suggested that the PCT retain the three existing GP Surgery premises and provide a local Clinic that would offer the additional services. The PCT cite the difficulty of modernising the existing GP practises based in local houses, as a reason for pursuing their policy of centralising local services. There are already similar schemes in preparation that will affect other GP’s in our area.

Whilst I welcome the convenience of access to additional treatments, and the extended opening hours, I am not convinced that the PCT’s plan is the best arrangement for patients in Mandeville. The three practises that would be affected by the proposal are; The Church Road Surgery, The Mandeville Medical Centre and Dr Latif’s practise.

The Property Owners and Developers have recently applied for planning permission, which if granted, would enable them to begin conversion work on the interior of Peel House and start building a new rear extension.

I do hope that Fullers Brewery will rebuild The Plough in Northolt, which was almost completely destroyed by fire on the 16th August.
The thatched- roofed building at the Junction of Mandeville Road and Eastcote Lane was a well known local landmark, and it’s prominent main road position and easy car parking would continue to attract passing customers, and be well supported by local residents, if it was restored to it’s original design.

With other forthcoming changes that are expected to bring more people into the area, such as the range of new facilities on the former Swimarama site, demand should increase for local pubs. A building in the original style would also help to preserve the character of the area.
A Campaign to rebuild the Plough, (The Plough Pledge Campaign) led by members of the Northolt Village Residents Association is already underway, and Petitions to the Brewery asking them to rebuild the Plough, are being circulated in the area.
There is a precedent for rebuilding; I have seen a very sad picture of the premises taken during the Second World War after a fire bomb attack, when a very similar level of damage occurred. The decision then was to rebuild, and I do hope that Fullers will take the same view again.
I support the Campaign, and I hope that you will also lend your support by signing the Petition. Copies will be in some local shops, and campaigners will also be calling door-to door around Northolt.
If you would like more information, please email the campaign  at theploughpledge@googlemail.com

On the 12th June I attended a Conservative Party selection panel meeting in Mandeville Ward, and I am delighted to report that I was chosen as a Candidate to stand for election as a Ward Councillor.
This is my opportunity to have a say in local events. To make changes in the area where we live. To help to influence events around Ealing. I am proud to be selected, and I intend to work hard to win a seat in Mandeville.
The three standing Councillors have done an excellent job during the past three years, with many local changes and improvements. I am keen to find out what changes local people would like to see in Mandeville in the future. For example, do you want more facilities for sport or young people? Better facilities for older people? What other changes should we consider?
We are building our local Action Team during the summer, and in the Autumn we plan to ask every resident in Mandeville Ward what developments they would like to see in the area.
However, there is no need for you to wait until the Autumn. Tell me now. Post your ideas here so that other residents can also add their comments.

I would like to know what you think of the local Healthcare provision. Any views on that?

Or what about Commuter Parking near Northolt Station? Do you have a solution?

I would like to know your views on any subject that affects Mandeville residents, so please write soon

I almost forgot my daily blog post! Not that nothing happened today. It was just quieter. I had a late class today, 3:45 pm, so I let myself sleep until ten in the morning–fair, since I had gone to bed at three am after Skyping with people (Matt, and Matt/Kim/Trevor, and Matt/Andrew/Ben who laughed at my freeze-frame video face, and my parents, who I finally just called after a frustrating fight with the video). Several of the girls had their Permesso meetings this morning, so they were all gone when I woke except for Cindy and Genie, both rushing out the door to noon classes. I spent a quiet morning enjoying the relative coolness of the room (mid eighties, much better than the ninety-degree scalding heat outside) instead of my planned trip to the market. Yogurt, crackers, and Saunt-Marie cheese in the apartment beats fresh fruit when it’s separated by a ten minute walk on coals.

Then, exploring time. I left at noon, planning to raid the shoe store near the Vatican for the Birkenstocks I had seen in the window, only to arrive and find the store, like so many other stores in Rome, closed. Perhaps when Rome awakens tomorrow, after all the Italians return from their month-long vacation from the heat, I can get my shoes. For today, I returned to the pizza place by the Vatican, then walked under the cool shade of the trees lining the Tiber, headed for the JCU Tiber campus. A trip to the computer lab took only so much time, so I wandered the silent streets around the campus, finally stumbling into a bar called Friends for a 1,50 euro iced cappuccino and a read-through of the Italian Art and Architecture History section of my mini Italian phrase book (Tami and Susu, it’s wonderful!).

Then, return to campus, a brief conversation with Roberto, Marcello, and Caitlin Kelly, and then class. Today, Evil Philosophers, a class about controversial works in philosophy: Machiavelli (I love him dearly, even if he was a sniveling civil servant sometimes), Hobbes, and Mandeville. I struck up a conversation with Jack of Marquette, one of the approximately seven non-Notre Dame students in our class of about twenty-five. Our professor, Andrea Branchi (could he sound more Italian?), was a nice and sort of nervous man who speaks good but hurried and accented English, pausing and wringing his hands when he’s trying to think of a word. He had us do the usual round of introductions (did it annoy him that half the ND students said they took this class because it was “interesting” or “fulfilled a requirement”?) and then launched into a scattered but interesting overview of our three dear troublemakers.

With that out of the way, I walked home with Vince and Katrina. The three of us reminisced about our lives and questionable navigational capabilities and stopped at the supermarket, where we were lucky to stumble upon free bags of pasta–enough for a few meals at least. Who says nothing is free? Back at the apartment, Katrina, Katie, Thuy, Cyndi, and I had a brief rest before tackling tonight’s dinner: parmesan crusted chicken breast, salad with homemade dressing, and leftover pasta with olive oil. After fiddling with the finicky stove, fighting to thaw and cut the chicken, and a few otherwise muddled ingredients, we finally had our dinner spread out. Nothing has killed us yet and it tasted amazing, so maybe we’re not hopeless after all. Next, we tackle tomato sauce! Roberto and Marcello made off with the leftover pasta (apparently two packs of noodles is way too much for five girls for two nights) and we rushed to clean up and finish our late apartment inventory (Mop? Iron? Hand towels? We’re supposed to have such things?) and roommate contract (Are beds shared automatically or should you ask first?).

And that, for today, was the end. Sorry, no new monuments or exciting adventures for you. A lovely stroll through Rome, a dearly-won home-cooked meal, and Katie adventured on the bus and the Metro, so we can buy monthly passes and avoid burning ourselves (great, since my chest and one of my shoulders, yes only one, is now cherry-colored). Permesso tomorrow (as much as you all miss me, no ill wishes) and three classes (Brit Lit, Italian, and Mystics/Saints/Sinners) and hopefully no more mosquito bites while I sleep. The little buggers are really sneaky here. Wish me luck!

Sir John Mandeville, knight and compiler of a book of travels published in the mid Fourteenth Century, claimed to have traveled from Paris to as far east as HangZhou and as far south as java. Marco Polo may have predated Sir John’s work but the English knight’s writings on the Far East drew upon texts predating the Italian traveler. While true of many of the entries in The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, the few chapters pertaining to the Far East, represent a rather unique first-look. Note the headless men he encountered as he pushed eastward. Sir John even claimed to have observed a tribe whose people bore the genitals of both sexes and survived only off the scent of apples.

Why Sir John Mandeville as a first post? Well, outsiders to any culture or region see things differently than those who are a part of it. Fresh eyes can reveal both beauty unseen and ugliness ignored.

So, the story of John Mandeville is both my invitation for you to enjoy first-looks forthcoming and disclaim any intent to offend, admitting my unworldliness and naïveté in advance.

213. La historia (cultural de los burdeles del día (28 de Julio)

• Historia de Burdeles http://www.sincitychamberofcommerce.com/historia_de_burdeles.htm

• “Historia de los GRANDES BURDELES DEL MUNDO“. Emmett Murphy Ed.Temas de hoy.-Madrid-1989 http://www.paideiaescuelalibre.org/Textos%20publicados%20en%20web/Prostituci%F3n.doc

• El gran burdel de la Edad Media http://quhist.com/valencia-la-mayor-mancebia-espana-medieval/

• Restos de un burdel romano del siglo II http://elbarcoceltibero.mundoforo.com/image-vp3384.html

• Reglamentación de los burdeles en el siglo XVI http://personal.us.es/alporu/histsevilla/burdeles_reglam.htm

• Higiene en los burdeles de Madrid en el Siglo de Oro. De La vida cotidiana en el Siglo de Oro español, por Néstor Luján. Planeta, Barcelona: 1988 http://www.siicsalud.com/dato/dat018/00810020.htm

• La historia de los burdeles en España: de lupanares, puteríos rea les y otras mancebías. BRUQUETAS DE CASTRO, FERNANDO http://www.casadellibro.com/libro-la-historia-de-los-burdeles-en-espana-de-lupanares-puterios-rea-les-y-otras-mancebias/1075699/2900001105446 La historia de los burdeles en España” realiza un recorrido ameno, a la vez que riguroso, por las mancebías hispánicas, desde su origen, cuando recogieron la herencia de los cultos sagrados del Antiguo Oriente, así como de Grecia y Roma.  El autor desgrana una a una las particularidades del «burdel español», y algunos casos paradigmáticos -como el de ciertas cotizadas «estrellas» en la Corte-. Su estudio alcanza el siglo XXI, en el que el número de inmigrantes ha ascendido vertiginosamente como resultado del proceso de cambio experimentado por nuestra sociedad. El lugar que han dejado libre las españolas ha sido ocupado ahora por las extranjeras procedentes de América, África y Europa del Este.  El profundísimo conocimiento de la sociedad y la cultura española que despliega Bruquetas de Castro en este libro nos lleva a la conclusión de que en España nunca dejó de haber burdeles, y que éstos nacieron de manera espontánea y pronto se integraron en la estructura socioeconómica del país. Hubo etapas en las que fueron prohibidos, por intervención política o intolerancia religiosa, bajo la consideración de que eran el origen de vicios y perversiones que ponían en peligro a la patria. Tiempos en los que, sin embargo, pervivieron en la clandestinidad, a la espera de momentos más propicios en los que serían permitidos o incluso legalizados.  El negocio del sexo, nos dice Fernando Bruquetas, ya sea a la luz del día o de nocturnos farolillos, no fue erradicado porque la población española, en general, siempre fue tolerante y complaciente con la compra-venta del amor efímero, desde el remoto pasado hasta el día de hoy.

• Curas, Putas, Burdeles. Apuntes para una historia materialista de la Monogamia Carlos X. Blanco http://asturies-llibre-y-dixebra.nireblog.com/post/2008/02/11/curas-putas-burdeles

• El puterío en la Historia http://hamyguito.com/senputhis.html

• Los burdeles y la vida limeña. La evolución de los burdeles http://zonadelescribidor.blogspot.com/2007/02/los-burdeles-y-la-vida-limea.html

• Una humilde defensa de los burdeles públicos. Un ensayo sobre la prostitución tal como se práctica actualmente en estos reinos AUTOR/ES: Mandeville, bernard de; Pascual lópez, esther AÑO: 2008 http://www.librosaulamagna.com/libro/UNA-HUMILDE-DEFENSA-DE-LOS-BURDELES-PUBLICOS.-Un-ensayo-sobre-la-prostitucion-tal-como-se-practica-actualmente-en-estos-reinos/142027/11070 CONTENIDOS:
  Al calor de los aires de reforma moral auspiciados por la Revolución Gloriosa que tuvo lugar en Inglaterra a finales del siglo XVII surgieron allí las Sociedades para la Reforma de las Costumbres, asociaciones voluntarias de laicos piadosos fundadas con el objetivo de eliminar el vicio y la irreligiosidad de la vida pública. La primera sociedad se fundó en Londres alrededor de 1690, con el propósito de suprimir los burdeles, que eran vistos como semillero de muchas otras clases de delitos, y, en general, «contra la espantosa y general corrupción de las costumbres». Hacia 1699 se habían organizado ocho grupos más, y alrededor de 1701 había en Inglaterra más de veinte sociedades.
  Con este telón de fondo la propuesta de Mandeville en este texto de 1724 se resume con facilidad: la mejor solución para el problema de la prostitución es regularla mediante el establecimiento de burdeles públicos bajo supervisión gubernamental. Y para defender sus tesis escribe un texto cuyo objetivo, anuncia, es probar la siguiente proposición: que la prostitución pública no es tan criminal en sí misma, ni tan perjudicial para la sociedad, como la prostitución privada y que favorecer la prostitución pública con la construcción de burdeles no sólo evitará la mayoría de las consecuencias negativas de este vicio sino que disminuirá el grado de prostitución en general y la reducirá a los límites mínimos en los que pueda contenerse.
• Crónica.21: La hora final de los burdeles de Lima

http://peru21.pe/impresa/noticia/cronica21-hora-final-burdeles-lima/2006-03-20/34714

• De rameras, burdeles y proxenetas Antonio Paredes Candia

http://rocko.blogia.com/2004/121701-de-rameras-burdeles-y-proxenetas.php

• Burdeles para presos: el último tabú del horror nazi http://www.callejondelpau.es/HISTORIA/holocausto/Noticias/Burdeles%20para%20presos.pdf

Pierre Foy Valencia

Round two of the three-part ”Jammin on the Trace” competition will take place this Thursday at the Tammany Trace Trailhead on the Caboose Stage (21490 Koop Drive, Mandeville).  Five local bands will participate in this week’s competition beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Five bands will compete for first, second and third place and receive cash prises.  However, only the top two of this week’s competition will move on to the final battle of the bands.

Round three of the three-part series will be held on July 23.  The winning bands from round one and two will meet and compete for the coveted title of Jammin on the Trace Champ.  For the competing bands, this is what Jammin on the Trace is about: the final battle and the “Jammin on the Trace Champ” title, although they appreciate the cash prizes, as well.

If you miss any of the competition, you will be able to see all three sessions which will be aired on Access St. Tammany (Charter – Channel 10).

“Jammin on the Trace”
Supported by the Ronnie Kole Foundation and the Louisiana Diviosn of the Arts.
Presented by the Tammany Trace Foundation and the Tammany Parish Government

Patsy Lang, The Lang Team, Different by Design

Anmeldelse af Mikkel Thorup (red.): Den skotske oplysning, Slagmarks Skyttegravsserie, 2006

Hvad var ”Oplysningen”? Første indfald er sikkert en lidt gammeldags telefonservice. Samme betegnelse henviser imidlertid til den brogede forestillingsverden, som har givet navn til det 18. århundredes ”oplysningstid”. Tidsskriftet Slagmarks bogserie præsenterer os i Den skotske oplysning for et udpluk af den særlige variant, som florerede blandt skotske intellektuelle. Redaktionen har samlet originaltektster af fire skotske skribenter, hvoraf Adam Smith vil være den mest bekendte. Smith er her løftet ud af de ideologiske skemaer og placeret i sin samtids idehistoriske omvæltninger. Det er spændende. Foruden Smith præsenteres vi for Bernard de Mandeville, David Hume og Adam Ferguson.

”Det kommercielle samfund” var skotternes egen betegnelse for det, de skrev om og vel også agerede fødselshjælpere for. Det gjorde de bl.a. ved at sætte den forkætrede egennytte i stedet for samtidens idealer om kollektivitet og selvfornægtelse.

Mandevilles satiriske Fabel om bierne (1714) indleder tekstsamlingen og perioden. Det er en fortælling om et bistade, der blomstrer i kraft af beboernes amoralske adfærd; advokaterne lever af den splid, de selv sår, dovne læger skæpper i apotekernes pengekasser, de fattige lever af at fremstille ting, der kan tilfredsstille de riges forfængelighed osv. ”Laster besad fattige som rige, / Men helheden fungerede uden lige” (82). Bierne hykler imidlertid over uærligheden, og via guddommelig indgriben er de så uheldige at blive gjort retskafne med et trylleslag. Da ingen nu kan leve af andre, sygner bistadet hen og går til grunde, for ”Svindel, overflod og stolthed må bestå, / Før vi samfundets goder kan få” (91).

Man aner den ”usynlige hånd”, som Smith senere gjorde berømt i Nationernes velstand. Dette hovedværk fra 1776 får vi også uddrag af. Smith påviser her, hvordan arbejdsdelingen, som kan mangedoble produktionen, ikke er udtryk for gensidig hjælp, men alles jagt på egen gevinst. Det er nemlig ikke, skriver Smith, ”af slagterens, bryggerens eller bagerens godgørenhed, vi forventer at få mad på bordet, men fordi det er i deres egen interesse” (107). Den usynlige hånd er den, som får handelsmænd til at investere i hjemlandets produktion. Det er i sagens natur til hjemlandets fordel, selvom handelsmanden kun gør det for egennyttigt at undgå usikre kapitalanbringelser i udlandet (her taler vi før globaliseringen!). Således selvreguleret kan det ifølge Smith kun være politikkens opgave at beskytte samfundet mod invasion, opretholde ro og orden, finansiere infrastruktur og, ikke mindst, religiøs uddannelse af ungdommen, der kan afhjælpe de nederste befolkningslags ”sløvende dumhed”, så de ikke så let ledes I ”oprørskhed eller nogen unødvendig opposition mod regeringens tiltag” (138).

Skotterne levede i lykkelig uvidenhed om eftertidens snævre faggrænser og -terminologier. Derfor er sproget mestendels let at forstå, og skribenterne benytter et fantasifuldt repertoire af analogier til dyreriget med Mandeville som rendyrket eksempel. Denne og Smith vil med fordel kunne læses af gymnasieelever. David Humes og Adam Fergusons refleksioner over ”frihed” og det borgerlige samfund er interessante, men måske for kuriøse til at finde plads indenfor gymnasieundervisningens stramme læreplaner. Alligevel vil alle dele af tekstsamlingen kunne anbefales til projektskrivere, avancerede AT-forløb med historie og filosofi såvel som almindeligt interesserede. Herunder ikke mindst Jens Erik Kristensen og Mads P. Sørensens grundige og velskrevne introduktion.

Bragt i Samfundsfagsnyt nr. 167