Madame White Snake: East Asian Femme Fatale of Old The Chinese legend of Madame White Snake, the snake demon that takes human form and becomes the wife of a man, has exerted a lasting influence over East Asian folktales and fiction for centuries. Two quintessential novellas, "The Lust of the White Serpant" from Ugetsu Monogatari by the Japanese author Ueda Akinari and "Eternal Prisoner under Thunder Peak Pagoda" a traditional Chinese story, are both relatively complex and demonstrate not only the evolution of the White Snake figure to become a more believable human, but also what aspects may have given her enduring appeal. While both these stories are ostensibly morality tales about the dangerous beauty of this femme fatale, the true source of pleasure from these narratives is the femme fatale's transgressive behavior, not her eventual punishment for it. Early tales of Madame White Snake appeared in China as early as the Song Dynasty, and initially her portrayal was fairly direct, as a villainous demon who drains the life force out of her human husband. But over time, characterizations of her became more complex, and the persona of Madame White Snake became more sympathetic, and perhaps even a model of the ideal Confucian wife, particularly in "Pagoda". Whalen Lai notes, "She was a loving wife, a caring mother, rescuer of her family from the first flood, and, at that point, a general benefactor of man. She took on the virtues of a traditional Chinese female, particularly forbearance". But if she were really an ideal wife, why could she not live happily with her human mate? Her dangerous sexuality is the key. Femme fatale might seem an unusual term to apply to a character from pre-modern Chinese and Japanese literature who may exemplify the virtues of an ideal Confucian wife, since it is primarily associated with film characters, particularly those of the film noir genre. But this term, which is relatively speaking, a neologism (The earliest uses were around the beginning of the 20th century
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QUESTION: Could Madame White Snake live out a normal life with her mate, why or why not?

Catherine V. "Ginny" Kilgore of Oxford, an attorney with North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, has been recognized for her dedication to serving the indigent. Kilgore - who oversees delivering legal services to the disabled and elderly in 39 north Mississippi counties - is recipient of the University of Mississippi School of Law's 2002 Public Service Award. The award was announced recently at a dinne r, held in Kilgore's honor and hosted by law school Dean Samuel M. Davis, who presented her with an engraved plaque. "Ginny Kilgore is a public servant in the truest sense," said Davis. "Her selection continues the tradition of this award in recognizing those who have labored in the trenches, with little or no compensation but with great professional and personal satisfaction in helping to bring justice and equality to those who need it most." "This award means a great deal to me," Kilgore said, pointing to others so honored. "The work of those who received the award before me has been so important; I feel very honored." After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in education and a few years teaching, Kilgore enrolled at the UM law school. Upon graduation in 1975, she entered private law practice in Oxford, joining NMRLS in 1978. Since then, she has earned promotions from managing attorney, senior attorney, then director of the Council on Aging project. Since 1990, she has worked in the Administrative Law Unit and Resource Development, and directed the Elder Law Project, serving the northern half of the state. She also is an adjunct professor in the UM law school's Civil Law Clinic. She held a similar post a few years ago in the school's Elder Law Clinic. Kilgore says she's found her niche. "I've always thought it was important to do work to help people. I really enjoy it. The issues I've dealt with through the years have been on the side of helping people maintain the basics of life - home, healt h care, jobs and family." She says her desire to serve others was sparked early, growing up in a single-parent home, aware that her widowed mother faced certain challenges as she supported her four children through public school and college.
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QUESTION: Where has Catherine V. "Ginny" Kilgore worked?

The Agencies Confer When they learned a second plane had struck the World Trade Center, nearly everyone in the White House told us, they immediately knew it was not an accident. The Secret Service initiated a number of security enhancements around the White House complex. The officials who issued these orders did not know that there were additional hijacked aircraft, or that one such aircraft was en route to Washington. These measures were precautionary steps taken because of the strikes in New York. The FAA and White House Teleconferences. The FAA, the White House, and the Defense Department each initiated a multiagency teleconference before 9:30. Because none of these teleconferences-at least before 10:00- included the right officials from both the FAA and Defense Department, none succeeded in meaningfully coordinating the military and FAA response to the hijackings. At about 9:20, security personnel at FAA headquarters set up a hijacking teleconference with several agencies, including the Defense Department. The NMCC officer who participated told us that the call was monitored only periodically because the information was sporadic, it was of little value, and there were other important tasks. The FAA manager of the teleconference also remembered that the military participated only briefly before the Pentagon was hit. Both individuals agreed that the teleconference played no role in coordinating a response to the attacks of 9/11. Acting Deputy Administrator Belger was frustrated to learn later in the morning that the military had not been on the call. At the White House, the video teleconference was conducted from the Situation Room by Richard Clarke, a special assistant to the president long involved in counterterrorism. Logs indicate that it began at 9:25 and included the CIA; the FBI; the departments of State, Justice, and Defense; the FAA; and the White House shelter. The FAA and CIA joined at 9:40. The first topic addressed in the White House video teleconference-at about 9:40-was the physical security of the President, the White House, and federal agencies. Immediately thereafter it was reported that a plane had hit the Pentagon. We found no evidence that video teleconference participants had any prior information that American 77 had been hijacked and was heading directly toward Washington.
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QUESTION:
The teleconference in the Situation Room, determined its first topic would be what?