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xtruss · 10 months

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Can Wind Turbines Make You Sick?

The United States ranks first in the world for electricity generated from wind, according to the Department of Energy. But for some, the shifting winds of the renewable energy revolution isn’t a pleasant one.

— By Kelsey Tsipis | Published: Wednesday June 27, 2018 | NOVA — PBS

Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies have found that living near wind turbines does not pose a risk on human health. Photo Credit: Daniel Brock/Flickr

The amount of wind power generated in America has nearly doubled in recent years. Today, the United States ranks first in the world for electricity generated from wind, according to the Department of Energy . But for some, the shifting winds of the renewable energy revolution isn’t a pleasant one.

In places like Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont where industrial wind turbine projects have recently been introduced, residents have reported symptoms such as nausea, sleep disorders, fatigue, and increased stress that they account to a low-frequency hum—a combination of audible bass sounds and inaudible vibrations—generated by the turbines. In one instance , an air traffic controller attributed a near-fatal mistake on the insomnia and stress he experienced after a wind turbine was installed near his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

As public support for renewable energy technologies like wind gains traction, some local communities are putting their foot down, arguing that these efforts shouldn’t come at the expense of their health. But whether the sound, audible or inaudible, actually impacts human health remains a deeply contested issue.

Scientific consensus suggests it does not. Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies have found that living near wind turbines does not pose a risk on human health. The studies looked at a range of health effects from hearing loss, nausea, and sleep disorders to dizziness, blood pressure, tinnitus, and more. Recently, a new study using retrospective data reported that stress, as measured by hair cortisol levels, was not associated with proximity to wind turbines.

The study, published in the June issue of The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America , found no direct link between residents’ distance from wind turbines in Ontario and Prince Edward Island and sleep disturbances, blood pressure, or stress. The stress levels were both self-reported and measured via hair cortisol levels, a hormone secreted under stress that prepares the body for its fight-or-flight response.

“It’s not that we don’t believe that people aren’t feeling well or aren’t sleeping well,” said Sandra Sulsky, one of the study’s co-authors and an epidemiologist at Ramboll, an international engineering consultancy company. “What we don’t know is how that is related to presence or absence of a wind turbine.”

The study used publically available data from a 2013 public health survey commissioned by the Canadian government, called the Community Noise and Health Survey, which is the only large-scale study on both subjective (self-reported symptoms) and objective (cortisol levels, blood pressure, heart rate, sleep monitoring) health outcomes in relation to living near wind turbines. Both the original 2013 study and new retrospective analysis found that wind turbine noise and proximity, respectively, were not associated with any adverse outcomes except for annoyance.

However, the results of the two studies deviated in one interesting way. The recent analysis found that the closer the respondents lived to wind turbines the lower they ranked the quality of life of their environment. The original study found no link between sound levels and these quality of life ratings. Though because there is no baseline data for the sample, Sulsky said, it’s difficult to distinguish whether respondents were dissatisfied before the wind turbines were installed.

“But it does suggest that there’s something other than sound itself that influences those perceptions,” Sulsky said.

With no proven biological basis for the reported symptoms, some have pointed to the “nocebo effect” as the cause of the complaints. The nocebo effect is akin to the placebo effect, where an individual’s positive perception towards a drug or treatment produces positive results, except in the nocebo effect, it’s negative attitudes and negative results.

The idea that a nocebo effect may be driving people’s reported problems is backed up by a 2014 study that pointed out that health complaints are more common in areas with the most negative publicity about the alleged harmful effects of turbines. A large-scale population survey in the Netherlands found that reports of stress and sleep disturbance were more common in areas where the turbines were visible.

For those living in the shadows of the wind turbines, there is little debate that the turbines have damaged their previously bucolic way of life. Annette Smith, the head of the group Vermonters for a Clean Environment and a long-time critic of industrial wind projects, said the projects have “destroyed the community.”

“If you just talk to people who live around these things, there’s no question that people are getting sick,” Smith said.

Through the grassroots organization she heads, Smith has helped organize public hearings for residents who report serious illnesses as well as lost hobbies such as gardening due to infrasound vibrations. In one case, a resident named Luann Therrien, who lives less than a mile from a 400-foot turbine, said she initially supported the wind projects.

“We were not against the turbines before they went in [but after] we were dizzy, had vertigo like you wouldn’t believe,” she said at one hearing .

One theory from residents as to why these effects don’t show up in the studies is that the Vermont mountains funnel the sound in a way that the flatlands of the Midwest do not. Others say some people may just be more susceptible than others to the inaudible noise, like sea sickness.

In response to these lobbying efforts, Smith said the utility companies have shown no willingness to talk about tangible solutions, such as real-time monitoring of noise, like what happens at airports. “They just deny it happens,” she said.

Apart from noise, Smith has what she calls “a menu” of other issues with industrial wind projects in residential areas. She cites the environmental effects of building roads and blasting ridge lines, changes to the topography of the land, and changes in wildlife populations. Smith, who lives “off the grid” with solar panels and the occasional diesel generator supplying her electricity, questions whether a commitment to this carbon-free source of electricity comes at too large of an expense to the rural communities that house them.

“We’re all expected to solve the energy issues of the world if we don’t want wind,” Smith said. “And I think that there are many other ways of developing and getting energy that people aren’t sacrificed or getting sick or leaving their homes… or being ridiculed.”

As to whether complaints from nearby residents will put a halt to wind power’s expanse in the U.S., recent data suggest they will not. From 2011 to 2016 electricity generated from wind turbines rose from 120 million to 226 million megawatt hours in the United States—a rise that also has not produced an increase in evidence of adverse health outcomes.

“It’s natural to look for causes, and something that seems to be new in the environment is a natural conclusion to draw,” Sulsky said. “But so far the evidence doesn’t support a causal association.”

— July 26th, 2023

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maureen2musings · 7 months

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kjp

#vermont #rhode island #new york #colors of autumn #fall #foliage #halloween #all hallows eve #halloween moodboard #autumn moodboard #curators on tumblr #massachusetts

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wttt-dirus-work · 6 months

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So, i saw a post with NY headcanons and it reminded me that while i included my own disabled headcanons in my fics, i forgot to make my own headcanons post (?) and i've got more than i though lol

So here we go!

NY: Dude got a bad eye, someday it's normal, other days it get blurred. He also has a scar over it, and his shoulders can get funky when its humid outside.

NJ: some of y'all already knows it, but Jersey got Tourette's. Mostly shoulder jerking, neck twitching, blinking hard and grimacing. When it gets bad his back jerks, and his vocals tics get worse (mostly whistles and pop, tho if hes anxious/stressed he does repeat some words)

Delaware: he got arthritis in his hands, and can hardly move them.

Mass: He was injured during the revolution, and walking became harder for him (limping and his legs became stiffer), then another injury during the civil war made him unable to walk for some days, therefore he use a wheelchair most of the time. He is still able to walk, but it is either too painful, or he doesn't have the energy needed to be able to stand all day.

Connie: he got shaky hands, when he's tired, nervous or angry, he cant hold anything with those. Its his nerves, and it doesnt hurt but its annoying.

Vermont: he got diabetes! Type 1; and it's so fucking expensive that it's Québec his "dealer" (it cost around 98$US when here its around 12$CAN sooo). He also got a sweet tooth, and forget to watch his sugar level (Hampshire there's for it; buddy's wayy to protective to let anything happen to Vermont)

PA: he's dyslexic, and it's mostly Mass who helps him with paperwork when he's not badgering Connie.

Florida: That gremling got Adhd, big dyslexia and his first language is spanish (which doesnt help with the reading). He also got so many scars from disturbing wildlife (anyone has seen that "yoink" dude in the everglades? Yeah thats flo). He got chronic pain in his left knee, and his right wrist always cracks when he moves it.

Louie: french lover is a people pleaser, but the chillest person you'll ever meet. He never panics, and is sometime too calm; but hurt any of the southern state (or Cal) and you're done. He's the voodoo capital, so dont mess with him

Georgia: hes an insomniac, but is fucking sleepy during the day (the math aint mathing ya know). He can sleep anywhere except during the night. He's bud with york and nevada, you can find those three driking in silence during a poker game.

Virginia: (uses they/them) they have a limp on the left leg, who always in pain (low but chronic with some real bad days). They're also a sleepwalker (think Celinaspookyboo style) and Georgia (or one of the insomniac state) each switch to watch them at night.

Montana: deer in headlights when spoken to. Will not talk to anyone when he doesnt have something to say or isnt upset (that sketch with the clown thing? Yeah he talked to them cause he was angry). Dont talk to him, dont even aknowledge him and he'll be more than happy to not exist in your mind. (Hes jealous of alaskas ability to not being seen)

Cal: dudes his always in pain. The fire, the drought, to goldrushes, hes always hurting. He got big scars from the fires, and his skin is the dryest thing ever despite all the moisturizer he uses. When he's burning up his eyes gets cloudy grey; they itch and cry all the time, and he cant see shit. He also need an oxygen mask when its too bad, and his eyes are naturaly gold.

Washington: hes a bitch. Dude got poor circulation too, so his hands and feet are always cold. When it's raining for too long his hair is oily, and when it's a drought it's the driest (he uses dryshampoo and got a routine to fight it).

Oregon : hes gay. Thats a known thing, and he's the bridge between Cal and Wash. Hes nicer to cal than wash, but he's not kind. The west coast are nice in interraction, but they ain't your friends.

Nevada: ah, vada. He got scaring from the nuclear testing, can see in the dark like nobody, and is the only state who can chose to change their physical appearance. Has coloured hair (pink or purple mostly) and the greenest eyes you'll ever see (or purple, didnt made my mind yet). Hes careful with his diet and always exercice despite the painful joins.

Texas: that idiot got sleep apnea but refuses to get checked out for it (and get a CPAP). He also has asthma (geez that word is hard to write) and colorblindness (can't see red). He only wears his shirt cause he knows what the colours are and refused to be pranked about that.

If you wanna adds your own, your welcome to do so! ^^

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stawpny · 26 days

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I awaken from hibernation to give you this:

northeastern states with a cat

—

New York: the one who brings the cat into the NE wing despite Gov not wanting pets and the rest of the NE wishes.

New Jersey: the one who buys the food for the cat and treats it like his child.

Massachusetts: the one who is so reluctant to a cat at first but falls in love with it after a few days (fights w/ NY abt the cat)

Pennsylvania: took him a while to warm up to the small animal but lets it sleep on his lap if it wants (he’ll fall asleep too, old man 🤧)

Rhode Island: the one who is happy that there is someone/something else in the house that’s smaller than him, but also secretly hates it

New Hampshire: the one who hides the cat under the table at meals and pets it

Maine: the one who gets the cat toys to play with and sometimes brings it into his room and sleeps with it

Vermont: the one who dresses it up in costumes and makes it look silly

Connecticut: the one who is the most hesitant to the cat, the most law abiding, but eventually gives up after Mass and Penn gave in

Delaware: like Cut, but will hold the cat whenever he can and sometimes brings it to the southern wing

—

-they’ll name it something extremely soft. I was thinking Sprinkles or something like that (idk why 😭) and they’ll introduce it to anyone who comes in like it’s a child.

-They will fight over the cat, even Delaware and Connecticut.

-^ but they always make sure that it’s not in the room with them when they fight (no bad examples here)

-Massachusetts is a sucker when it comes to animals, just like NY, but more domestic animals.

-New York will have to hide his rats and pigeons, but he’s willing to make that sacrifice.

-^ He also gets with NJ and makes fun of all of his fellow states on how they love this animal

#wttt #wttsh #welcome to the statehouse #wttt new york #wttsh new york #wttsh headcanons #wttt headcanons #wttt new jersey #wttt massachusetts #wttt pennsylvania #wttt new hampshire #wttt maine #wttt vermont #wttt delaware #wttt rhode island #wttt connecticut #wttt northeast #kitties!!

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stateofbrock · 6 months

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A brighter Boston

This killed me

#ben brainard #wttt #wttsh #welcome to the statehouse #welcome to the table #wttt new york #wttt massachusetts #wttt maine #wttt new jersey #wttt connecticut #wttt pennsylvania #wttt vermont #wttt new hampshire #wttt rhode island #wttsh new york #wttsh massachusetts #wttsh new jersey #edit

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flarefoxxx · 1 month

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Favorite Northeast states? :3

#wttt #wttt fandom #welcome to the statehouse #welcome to the table #wttt new york #wttt new jersey #wttt vermont #wttt new hampshire #wttt connecticut #wttt pennsylvania #wttt massachusetts #wttt delaware #wttt rhode island #wttt maine

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kyistell · 3 months

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Did I really get bored enough to draw the whole NE...yes, yes I did. I regret nothing though I hate the fact that my hand hurts now, that sucks XD

(Pic with badly written names below :D)

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mittenstroll · 6 months

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25/50 States down

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mx-heinous · 5 months

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Why hello there!!! I see you are asking for asks so…

What do you think about a passive aggressive northeast snowball fight? With Maryland in the middle just trying to build their perfect snowman (it’s just a statue of old bay)

Can you draw it, if you want to?

I love your art style and work a lot!!!

No one knows who threw the first snowball. Regardless, it's no longer a snowball fight. It's a snowball war.

Maryland didn't even notice what was going on at first. He was just building his little old bay sculpture and didn't realize the absolute chaos that was unfolding until his "snowman" was close to becoming collateral damage.

Delaware's technically Southern, but I added him in for funsies. Old man immediately got hit with a snowball.

Gov just heard Massachusetts yelling about a war and went outside to stop him, only for him to get caught in the middle of the crossfire, which led to Pennsylvania taking pity on him and grabbing him for his side.

All that baseball is giving New York an advantage. He's wearing his signature coat but I couldn't show it that well.

Mass is once again planning something. Rhode is standing on Jersey's shoulders, trying to get a look at the enemy.

Finally, Maine left the moment the fight started getting heated, and he's currently chilling with Alaska in the garage, I mean the Alaskan Wilderness.

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unopenablebox · 5 months

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girlfriend got all surprised at me for describing new york as being "part of new england" like any reasonable person wouldn't put it in there

#i don't care even slightly about the formal definition of england #explain to me how new york is somehow supposed to not be culturally and economically contiguous with massachusetts ct ri and vermont #and. more importantly. explain to me why i a chicagoan should possibly care about the distinctions you people draw #in this postage stamp sized region where everything is miniature #how could you possibly tell nyc isn't in new england. where did you get an electron microscope that would let you see the border

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atomicwinnerdreamland · 7 months

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I was watching all of Ben's videos related to the states' haunts because it's Halloween, and here are my favs from "Table Regions: Northeast Haunts":

(my thoughts are in parenthesis)

1.) Mass staring somewhere everytime he appeared, looking like he's about to say, "They fr thought THAT was haunted?"

2.) Jersey: You can try and find the Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens.. before it finds you ☺️

3.) Delaware: You can try to collect all 4 ghosts at the Governor's mansion in Dover. (We're collecting ghosts? Sign me up)

4.) PA: Stay in Hotel Bethlehem, ask for room 932, and say Hi to Francis for me. (I'm awful with directions so I appreciate how direct this was :D)

5.) Connecticut: If you go to Bruce Museum, you can see a couple of ghosts in love. (aww <3)

6.) New Hampshire: You can check out the New Hampshire Asylum for the insane... or the New Hampshire State Hospital. Whatever they're calling it. (are they nursing the dead in this hospital too? that's cool)

7.) New York: I would say you should visit the Amityville House, but I really don't want you to. (aww, is NY caring about us?)

8.) Vermont: The Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford is haunted by a ghost named Mary.. there's a lot of ghosts names Mary, huh?

9.) Rhode Island: You could visit the ghost dog at Forth Wetherhill in Jamestown. (Flo and Loui would attempt to pet it, and so would I)

10.) and lastly:

#this was supposed to be a short post but I ended up including all of the NE #lowkey I wanna visit these places now #wttt #welcome to the table #ben brainard #wttsh #welcome to the statehouse #wttt massachusetts #wttt new jersey #wttt delaware #wttt pennsylvania #wttt connecticut #wttt new hampshire #wttt new york #wttt vermont #wttt rhode island #wttt maine #florida and louisiana are mentioned :)

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goalhofer · 2 months

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U.S. snowfall totals map January 6-8, 1996.

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maureen2musings · 2 years

Photo

...

kjp

#curators on tumblr #new york #vermont #new england #massachusetts

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s-e-v-e-n-24 · 11 months

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I'm gonna preface this by saying this probably won't make sense and I'm just rambling about NE ships

I dunno what it is but NE ships are just so-

Like there's something sbput them. Something about the "I'll never admit I love you in any traditional way. You're the stupidest person I've met. I'd go to the ends of the earth for you if you asked. Just say the word"

Mass and Virginia! It's about the centuries of pining and drama and "Maybe he would love me if I wasn't me" And he already does! Mutual love they think isn't because of how differently they show love. Eventually realizing their different ways, and it dawning on them that yeah that idiots in love with them too. It's all the hardships and heartbreak and coming out the other side changed, but still in love. A quiet kind of love that was friends first.

Mass and York! They're literally so in love all the time. It's loud! Explosive! They'd kill for eachother. They'd rip out their own tongues before admitting it. Mass told him once "Nobody gets to kill you but me" And maybe it was taken as a threat but I can't stop thinking about the underlying "I will protect you. Please don't die". It's about the late night sessions, after one of them (York) has stumbled in drunken and bruised, and the other (Mass) Plays doctor and patches him up, and pretends theor heart doesn't ache that this is the closest they'll let eachother be. It and NY/NY it's about finally giving up being stubborn, and be vulnerable, or to suffer.

Speaking of NY/NY, their rivalry is everything to me. Mass is the enemy, NJ is the rival. They brawl all the time, they patch eachother up. They're so shit and yet they're the sweetest in the world. Jersey calls him "Rosie" infront of everyone, and York has to pretend he hates it. Quietly, when he thinks Jersey is asleep he'll call him his soulmate in every language he knows except Italian. Sometimes they're doomed fron the start, an on/off relationship they wish was more. Sometimes they're sneaking around the house, pretending their relationship is secret as they drag each other off to do the dumbest shit.

NJ/MA/NY?? Perfection. NJ teasing them about being lovey dovey and immediately getting flirted with.

Rhode/Jersey? Honestly I see them as a QPR. They're the best friends that never really said they're life partners officially, but everyone knows. They're shit talking buddies, they gather blackmail together. They'd hide a body for eachother but won't pass the other a charger. Them <3

Vermont and NH are also very <3 Quiet and unnoticeable, vs the chaos man very determined on befriending him. Either no one realizes they're together, or NH carries him in every room loudly announcing they're boyfriends now. Vermont is the reason, but he is very quickly convinced into doing chaos. They go on camping dates. Vermont is still traumatized from NH driving

Maine/Alaska, two very quiet people, very soft in their affection. They're the kind that bond instantly and then panic over any hint of flirting. Maine is too aware of it, Alaska is oblivious to both their attempts. They have my whole heart.

NJ/Connecticut! The lawyer man and his client he has to tell to stop hiding bodies. They're a disaster. Jersey is openly flirting and Connecticut can't take it. They're dancing alone in their rooms at the dead of night to avoid prying eyes. They're lying together under stars whispering "I love yous".

Delaware/Rhode/(Jersey)! They deal with the same shit. They defend eachother fiercely. They're going on boating trips for date night. They're fighting over Delaware's ego one minute and making out the next.

PA/MA. They're literally mom and dad. They're the parents of the NE fight me. I know Mary is parent vibes, but MA is at least the mom of the New England states. They're ranting to eachother about their idiot kids who fight instead of talking, ignoring some time in the past they definitely did the same. They fall in love over movie nights and gently moving the other from a desk to a bed.

I know I probably missed some but I'm running out of word vomit

I have thoughts on other region ships if you want that too

#wttt ne #wttt massachusetts #wttt virginia #wttt new york #wttt new jersey #wttt new hampshire #wttt vermont #wttt pennsylvania #wttt rhode island #wttt delaware #wttt connecticut #welcome to the table #welcome to the statehouse #wttt #wttsh #the statehouse #the table #sev's rambles

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memenewsdotcom · 10 months

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Northeast floods

View On WordPress

#America #climate change #Connecticut #flood #flooding #floods #global warming #maine #Massachusetts #meme #memes #new hampshire #new york #news #united states #vermont #weather

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fullyamess · 1 year

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Texas’s “pre-approved” division

vs

Oregon counties voting to join Idaho

vs

California’s 200+ attempts (big or small) to split into smaller states

vs

Vermont, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Maine actually splitting off their original state

fight!

Texas coming into the union with the idea already in his head that he might split up and what does that mean for him? Eventually the push for it goes away and he lets himself acknowledge that he was maybe scared of what it would mean. And he starts thinking instead about leaving the US entirely. And then Austin shows up and Texas forces him down. Refuses to go back to that place of fear and ignores how part of him feels right when Austin’s around.

Oregon has always been steady. Solid. Until he wasn’t. Until he thought maybe leave the US entirely and the State of Jefferson started rumbling and his people looked to Idaho as an option and he put a good spin on it all. He smiled and said that it wasn’t a big deal, that it was such a small percent of his people and he wanted them to be happy and anyway he was still Oregon it was more like they were moving to Idaho not that he was losing anything. Except that he can feel what would go with his people and it still feels like pieces of himself.

California has always torn at the pieces of himself. Picked at the parts of him that didn’t fit and told himself it would be better. That he was too big, too much, and people would be happier if he could be just a little smaller, a little easier to handle, or not a state at all. He remembers when he was even bigger; a territory that extended far beyond his borders. But it’s vague impressions and not quite real memories and maybe not even really his own. The tearing and scratching and yearning to divide and needing to be whole and hating all the pieces of himself and still somehow loving every last inch? That’s real.

Virginia looks at Kentucky and remembers what it felt like; being whole and then having something vital ripped away. Looks at West Virginia and can't believe he survived it twice. Massachusetts wakes up some mornings and presses at the places where Maine used to be like a lost tooth that never grew back. Vermont was New Hampshire's. But then he was also New York's. And then he was neither of theirs so why does New Hampshire look at him and still see exactly how they used to fit together?

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