Message/warning for today--Stefan Zweig's work The World Of Yesterday, i.e., pre Nazi Europe

Zweig was a world famous author of Jewish-Austrian background.

The book is about the international, European world of literature, of the intellect before it was all destroyed by the Nazis.

Zweig and his 2nd wife fled the Nazis 1st to England, then to the US, and finally to Brazil. There they committed suicide, believing that what the Nazis had destroyed and were destroying was permanently gone and could never be replaced.

Zweig was not the only internationaly famous German or Austrian intellectual who committed suicide in despair at the Nazi destruction of a civilization it had taken centuries to create.

Did a Bahlsen heiress really say family firm's use of Nazi slave labor no big deal?

Bahlsen is a major German firm that makes cookies, etc

Students used to buy their cookies for over-night train trips. Maybe they still do

Saw mention of D B Cooper in a novel. Had to look up. Anyone remember the theft?

Symphysiotomy--cruel Irish operation to avoid caesarean section.

Article in Guardian 12-12-2014.

As I understand it, it was thought more than 3 ceasareans was dangerous. Therefore they should be avoided.

The procedure involved cutting through the catilage of pelvic joint or through pelvic bone itself. This was done to widen the birth canal so that the baby could be born vaginally.

The procedure often led to inontinence and lifelong pain.

The women were not asked for consent.

There is the belief that doctors doing this believed ceasarens would limit the number of babies a woman could have, a definite no-no in classic Catholic theology.

The article discusses the history of the practice, reasons why it was done, the long-term consequences for the women, fight for reparations.

A horrible story of mistreatment of women.

I first heard about this from a post yrs ago at DU.

Good old days before legal abortion. 1800s, earlier--unwed pregnant girls committed suicide

Common theme in German novels.

I've forgotten--in opera Faust, doesn't Gretchen commit suicide?

Girls commited suicide or killed baby.

Girls pregnant and unwed were totally outcast from society, often kicked out of home.

Patriarchy simply cannot deal with female sexuality. Patriarchy only sees one option--totally control women at every moment of their lives.

Do county farms still exist? What were/are they exacty?

Conservative retelling of 'loaves and fishes' story. Saw yrs ago

When boy brings up his lunch to jesus, Jesus holds it up and loudly praises the boy to the crowd--

'See, he prepared and planned ahead!'

Turning to boy, Jesus says 'Bless you my son, for preparing for the future and not just expecting other people to take care of you. And now go and enjoy your meal!'

And to the congregation 'Heed my words. Each of you take care of yourselves. Let your neighbors prepare take care of themselves.'

IIRC this interpretation was at blog called something like Liberals love Jesus.

It was told much better!

For some fun--look up origin of phrase 'tell someone how the cow ate the cabbage'

Had never heard it before.

Found it in a Dorothy Garlock novel.

Are claims Barron's IQ is very high valid? Why the hype.

I know this is super trivial, but claims keep showing up on ads at various blogs.

Just learned that Rachel Held Evan's died today at 37

She was a well-known progressive Christian blogger who left the Evangelical tribe

She wrote a book about her experieces growing up in the town that was the center of the Scopes trial.

A later book was about 12 months of trying to follow the Religious Right rules about how a woman is supposed to act and believe.

She is a is voice that will be sorely missed.

Google has links to news of her death, discussion of her life and work at NYT and CNN.

I learned of her death at the blog theinternetmonk, that relayed a message from her husband.