Catcher in the rye

In Chapter 22 of J D Salinger's celebrated (1951) novel The Catcher in the Rye, Phoebe Caulfield asks her sixteen-year-old brother Holden what he wants to   do with  his life. Holden responds with this image:

“Anyway, I keep picturing  all  these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all.

Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. ”

Picture: Jon Hicks

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The life you can save

Peter Singer: The Life You Can Save - Late Night Live - 4 February 2009

“Imagine you are on your way to work when you pass a pond where you see a young child drowning. There is no one else around but you are wearing new shoes which will be ruined if you wade in to save him, and the rescue will make you late for work. What should you do?

We don't hesitate to answer 'save the child!', but Peter Singer argues that when it comes to the plight of millions in the developing world we are all letting the child die. His new book is a call to action for individual responsibility in ending world poverty.”

 

Laguna vice mayor gunned down

Article posted at 08:41 a.m. GMT+8 by GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/63036/Laguna-vice-mayor-gunned-down#

Unidentified gunmen ambushed and shot dead a municipal vice mayor in Pagsanjan town in Laguna province early Thursday morning.

Radio dzRH reported that the ambush on Lumban Vice Mayor Zaldy Raga took place at about 8 a.m., just as his service vehicle reached the bridge in Pagsanjan town.

The victim, wearing a white T-shirt and denim shorts, was clutching his cal-.45 pistol when he fell dead to the ground, indicating he tried to fire back at his assailants.

Initial investigation showed Raga was going to Pagsanjan from Lumban when he was ambushed. Police are still trying to determine the motive for the ambush.

Radio dzMM reported that police recovered 43 empty slugs at the crime scene.

Lumban is a fourth-class town with a population of 25,936 people in 5,456 households. Pagsanjan is a second-class town with a population of 32,622 people in 7,274 households. - with a report from Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV

Drunken man Jovs on violent rampage, wife says

Texts received online at 18:12 GMT+10

Tina (04:56:47): Gud a.m., how are you! If you ask me, we're now in big family problem, I cry in whole nite. I know it's not good to mention it to you, coz it [is] personal but you're part of my life, we have fight here, big scandal, Jov was drunk in Magdapio dat why I and little Bern follow him, to bring him at home, from Pagsanjan we're ride in motor [cycle] single [i.e. without a sidecar].

I thought it's our last moment, coz everyone see us, asking him to fight him, till we got home, when we got home everyone at home asking to fight him, even Lito and Roderic, even in police near da house he did not listen, dat why I call to Nanay Josie [his mother] to be here, but husband of Anagel came to bring him at home in Magdapio coz no one can stop him.

Tina (05:08:04): Jovs [is] now in da house in Magdapio with some bruises coz he hit himself, he handle a piece of iron and hit in different part of d house. We're so scare[d], also little Bern. I'm now suffer so much pain in my operation, I felt it [the incision] will be open again. Bern, please, give me your advice, I really need to continue dis relationship, he hit me in head, even I carry little Bern. He touch my head and push it [against] da wall.

Expenses overwhelm poor, pregnant, bleeding woman and relatives

E-mail from Tina sent at 14:42 GMT+8

Dear Bern,

1. This is the prescription of Dra. D . . . :

Duvadilan 1 tab, once a day, need 7 pcs, 17.20 each, total cost 119, Hemostan 500 mg 10 cap, 2 x a day 22.50 each, total cost 225, Beniforte or Hemarate 1 tab. once a day, only available in Mercury drugs was Hemarate cost 11.00 each, total cost 674.

2. Then I spend Dr. fee cost 1,500 in 2 times each, yesterday and today dra.* Fees.

3. Then after Dra.* D . . . give a request for ultrasound on May 28, to see if there [is] a development and to avoid premature labor, it will cost again 1,500.

4. I Hope you understand, I also scan the result of ultra sound before which [was] requested in doctor in Provincial hospital last April 27, 2007.

5. I almost spend 2,500 for Liza check up and medicine, then my problem was another 1,500 on May 28, for ultrasound and another dra.* fee, need another 2,500 almost.

6. The money I have was my allowance for operation maybe on the first week of June, and I don't know yet what will be the exact expenses, what I can do? I want to save the life of the baby, that why I do that, I [know] that will be my next problem soon, how I can return the money I spend for Liza, and another expenses on May 28?

7. The main problem of mine was the allowance of Liza ‘s 2 child Ken and Kert, which Ken now I need to enroll in kindergarten this coming June, it's also my responsibility, also the situation of Liza, I hope we avoid premature labor, coz we experience it before on her 2nd child Kert, [who] was [in an] incubator for 1 month, it's so hard and so expensive. The allowance for their milk, diaper, and food, that make my life harder, but what I can do, I'm the elder and my responsibility [is] to help them, specially this moment.

8. I try to open a ATM account so I did not bring cash in hospital - it was BPI Express Teller International . . .

9 I hope Bern you can help me regarding my problem about Liza and kids' situation.

[Liza's husband] Roderic was now in Alabang suffering illness in TB.

Tina.

*Dra. is an abbreviation for "Doktora", female doctor.

Venomous snakes and snakebite treatment in Asia

by Y. Sawai

Snakebite is a hazard in Asian areas. The mortality rate and morbidity rate by snakebites in these areas depend on the species and the density of venomous snakes in each area. Thus the mortality rate is higher in the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India, where the bites by cobras, kraits and Russell's viper are frequent. On the other hand, lower rates of bite are recorded in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia, where the bites by pit viper of Agkistrodon and Trimeresurus species are predominant. The bite by the seasnakes of Hydrophiidae is also a problem among fishermen in Malaysia and Indonesia, Environment of human life, where the snakebites occur, is also another important factor. In most of the areas, modernization of the medical treatment is delayed because of shortage of specific antivenom, lack of the experts who are able to inject antivenom intravenously soon after the bite, popularization of herbal remedies, and poor mode of transportation of patients to hospital.

Source: http://rjh.folium.ru/contents/1998/1998-02.htm. Abstract of article in Russian Journal of Herpetology 1988, Vol. 5 No. 2.

One crowded hour

Sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife!
Throughout the sensual world proclaim,
One crowded hour of glorious life
Is worth an age without a name.

Thomas Osbert Mordaunt (1730-1809), The Call.

The twisting lane

Those who pursue me taking a twisting lane
To find themselves immediately alone
With savage water or unfeeling stone,
In labrynths where they must entertain
Confusion, cripples, tigers, thunder, pain.

W.H. Auden: For the Time Being.

Source: Tony Parker, The Twisting Lane: some sex offenders. London: Panther Modern Society edn, 1970 (epigraph).