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Little Bookish Inkblots
babbling books since twentyseventeen
2018 New Releases
Bookish Babblings
April 2018 Inkblots
Curious to know which of your favorite books will be available in the months ahead so you can pre-order or reserve them?
I have put together a list of new releases for your reading pleasure. The titles included here are from favorite genres, authors on auto-buy and series I've yet to finish or plan to start.
Please note that while I did not include every book that is coming out, I did include those whose titles have caught my eye, and which I am hoping will catch your fancy as well.
If there are titles or a series you like that I was not able to include, do let me know so that I could add it to the list.
• April 3 •
Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray - #2 Constellation
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Young Adult, SciFi
An outcast from her home -- Shunned after a trip through the galaxy with Abel, the most advanced cybernetic man ever created, Noemi Vidal dreams of traveling through the stars one more time. And when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people...if only she wasn't flying straight into a trap. A fugitive from his fate -- On the run to avoid his depraved creator's clutches, Abel believes he's said good-bye to Noemi for the last time. After all, the entire universe stands between them...or so he thinks. When word reaches him of Noemi's capture by the very person he's trying to escape, Abel knows he must go to her, no matter the cost. But capturing Noemi was only part of Burton Mansfield's master plan. In a race against time, Abel and Noemi will come together once more to discover a secret that could save the known worlds, or destroy them all.
Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima - #3 Shattered Realms
HarperCollins | Young Adult, Fantasy
Vagabond seafarer Evan Strangward can move wind, waves, and weather, but his magical abilities can't protect him forever from the brutal Empress Celestine. As Celestine's relentless bloodsworn armies grow, Evan travels to the Fells to warn the queendom that an invasion is imminent. If he can't convince the Gray Wolf queen to take a stand, he knows that the Seven Realms will fall, and his last sanctuary will be destroyed. Among the dead will be the one person Evan can't stand to lose. Meanwhile, the queen's formidable daughter, Princess Alyssa ana'Raisa, is already a prisoner aboard the empress's ship, sailing east. Lyss may be the last remaining hope of bringing down the empress from within her own tightly controlled stronghold.
Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake - #2.5 Three Dark Crowns
HarperTeen | Young Adult, Fantasy
Together in print for the first time in this paperback bind-up, the dazzling prequels to the Three Dark Crowns series are finally available for fans to have and to (literally) hold. Uncover the sisters' origins, dive deep into the catastrophic reign of the Oracle Queen, and reveal layers of Fennbirn's past, hidden until now. The Young Queens - Get a glimpse of triplet queens Mirabella, Arsinoe, and Katharine during a short period of time when they protected and loved one another. From birth until their claiming ceremonies, this is the story of the three sisters' lives…before they were at stake. The Oracle Queen - Everyone knows the legend of Elsabet, the Oracle Queen. The one who went mad. The one who orchestrated a senseless, horrific slaying of three entire houses. But what really happened? Discover the true story behind the queen who could foresee the future…just not her own downfall.
Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson - #1 Chef to Go Mysteries
Sourcebooks Landmark | Cozy Mystery
Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives. But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.
Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton - #3 Scottish Bookshop Mystery
Minotaur Books | Cozy Mystery
Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at the Cracked Spine in the heart of town. The shop is a place filled with curiosities and surprises tucked into every shelf, and it's Delaney's job to research the rare tomes and obscure artifacts that people come to buy and sell. When her new friends, also students at the medical school, come to the shop to sell a collection of antique medical books, Delaney knows she's stumbled across a rare and important find indeed. Her boss, Edwin MacAlister, agrees to buy the multivolume set, perhaps even to keep for his own collection. But not long after the sale, one of Delaney's new friends is found murdered in the alley behind the Cracked Spine, and she wonders if there is some nefarious connection between the origin of these books and the people whose hands they fell into. Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice. During her investigation, Delaney she finds some old scalpels in the bookshop's warehouse―she and discovers that they belonged to a long-dead doctor whose story and ties to the past crimes of Burke and Hare might be connected to the present-day murder. It's all Delaney can do to race to solve this crime before time runs out and she ends up in a victim on the slab herself.
A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell - #10 Witchcraft Mystery
Berkley | Cozy Mystery
Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women's shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily's fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he's innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name...only she's not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him. When she sees Sailor in the neighborhood despite knowing he's in jail, Lily starts to wonder if there could be a doppelganger in San Francisco. When she's not busy helping customers find matching outfits for the upcoming event, searching for a vintage wedding dress for her own nuptials, and dealing with an ill-timed magical cold, Lily begins to suspect one of her magical foes is targeting her loved ones in an attempt to weaken her.
• April 10 •
Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer - #2 Spindle Fire
Aurora, torn from the dream world and Heath, plots to assassinate the faerie queen Malfleur, only to confront temptations she never expected. Isabelle, meanwhile, opens her heart to Prince William as they attempt to unite their kingdoms and wage a winning war against Malfleur's army of Vultures. But when the appearance of an unbreakable glass slipper prompts Isabelle to discover more about her lineage, her true identity begins to take shape and her legacy becomes as clear as ice. Devoted half sisters Isabelle and Aurora will grapple with their understanding of love and loyalty as they face a threat even greater than that of the evil queen—the threat of losing each other forever.
The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth - #2 Carve the Mark
Katherine Tegen Books | Young Adult, Fantasy
The lives of Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are ruled by their fates, spoken by the oracles at their births. The fates, once determined, are inescapable. Akos is in love with Cyra, in spite of his fate: He will die in service to Cyra's family. And when Cyra's father, Lazmet Noavek—a soulless tyrant, thought to be dead—reclaims the Shotet throne, Akos believes his end is closer than ever. As Lazmet ignites a barbaric war, Cyra and Akos are desperate to stop him at any cost. For Cyra, that could mean taking the life of the man who may—or may not—be her father. For Akos, it could mean giving his own. In a stunning twist, the two will discover how fate defines their lives in ways most unexpected.
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody - #1 The Shadow Game
Harlequin Teen | Young Adult, Fantasy
Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother's trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted. Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he's a street lord and con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city… And she'll need to play.
Son of the Dawn by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Reese Brennan - #1 Ghosts of the Shadow Market
Shadow Market Enterprises, Inc. | Young Adult, Paranormal
The Lightwoods, the Shadowhunters who run the New York Institute, are expecting a new addition to their family: the orphaned son of their father's friend, Jace Wayland. Alec and Isabelle aren't too sure they want a new brother, and their parents are not assuaging their fears, too occupied with the dark news that Raphael Santiago, second-in-command of the New York vampire clan, has brought from the Shadow Market.
The Thief by JR Ward - #16 Black Dagger Brotherhood
Ballantine Books | Romance, Paranormal
Sola Morte, former cat burglar and safecracker, has given up her old life on the wrong side of the law. On the run from a drug lord's family, she is lying low far from Caldwell, keeping her nose clean and her beloved grandmother safe. Her heart, though, is back up north, with the only man who has ever gotten through her defenses: Assail, son of Assail, who never meant to fall in love—and certainly not with a human woman. But they have no future, and not just because she doesn't know he is a vampire, but because he is not about to stop dealing arms to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Fate, however, has other plans for them. When Assail falls into a coma and lingers on the verge of death, his cousins seek out Sola and beg her to give him a reason to live. The last thing she wants is a return to her past, but how can she leave him to die? As a lethal new enemy of the vampires shows its face, and the Brotherhood needs Assail back on his feet, Sola finds herself not only a target, but a mission-critical force in a war she doesn't understand. And when Assail's truth comes out, will she run from the horror . . . or follow her heart into the arms of the male who loves her more than life itself?
The Sixth Day by Catherine Coulter - #5 Brit in the FBI
Gallery Books | Fiction, Thriller
Special agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine take on a ruthless mastermind in the fifth highly anticipated thriller in the New York Times bestselling A Brit in the FBI series. When several major political figures die mysteriously, officials declare the deaths are from natural causes. Then the German Vice-Chancellor dies on the steps of 10 Downing Street, and a drone is spotted hovering over the scene. The truth becomes clear—these high-profile deaths are well-constructed assassinations, and the Covert Eyes team is tasked to investigate. With the help of Dr. Isabella Marin, a young expert in the enigmatic Voynich Manuscript and cryptophasia (twin language), Nicholas and Michaela home in on Roman Ardelean, a wealthy cybersecurity genius and a descendant of fifteenth century Romanian Vlad the Impaler—often romanticized as Dracula. Ardelean believes the Voynich Manuscript will unlock the secret to curing his severely ill twin brother's blood disorder and is willing to murder anyone who gets in his way, including Nicholas and Michaela. Along with MI5, the Covert Eyes team must race against the clock to find Ardelean before he unleashes a devastating attack on London intended to destroy those he believes betrayed him.
Love and War by Melissa de la Cruz - #2 Alex and Eliza
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers | Young Adult, Historical
1781. Albany, New York. As the war for American independence rages on, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler begin their new life as a married couple. Still, Alex is as determined as ever to prove his mettle and secure his legacy . . . even if that means leaving his beloved Eliza behind to join the front lines at the Battle of Yorktown. But when the war unexpectedly arrives on Eliza's doorstep, she must fight for a better future--for their fledgling country and for her marriage. Yet even after the Revolution comes to its historic close, Alex and Eliza's happily-ever-after is threatened. Eliza struggles to build a home in the hustle and bustle of New York City just as Alex's burgeoning law practice brings him up against his greatest rival--the ambitious young lawyer Aaron Burr. And with Alex's star on the rise, Eliza can't help but feel neglected by a husband who seems to have time for everyone but her. Torn apart by new trials and temptations, can Alex and Eliza's epic love survive life in the big city?
Traitor Born by Amy A. Bartol - #2 Secondborn
47North | Young Adult, Dystopian
In the Fates Republic… Firstborns reign supreme. Secondborns kneel in servitude. Thirdborns face death. And Census shadows them all. Secondborn Roselle St. Sismode was pressed into military service to battle the rebel uprising threatening the society that enslaves her. Now, powerful factions conspire to subvert the lines of succession, positioning Roselle to replace her mother as leader of the Republic's armed forces. But the woman who bore her would sooner see Roselle dead than let her usurp her firstborn brother's command. The deadly war of intrigue between her new masters and her ruthless family is but one conflict challenging Roselle. A soldier for the rebellion has drawn her into a rogue army's plot to overthrow the Republic and shatter its brutal caste system. Targeted by assassins and torn between allies, Roselle will have her loyalty, love, and honor tested in the greatest battle of—and for—her life.
The Elizas by Sara Shepard
Atria Books | Mystery
When debut novelist Eliza Fontaine is found at the bottom of a hotel pool, her family at first assumes that it's just another failed suicide attempt. But Eliza swears she was pushed, and her rescuer is the only witness. Desperate to find out who attacked her, Eliza takes it upon herself to investigate. But as the publication date for her novel draws closer, Eliza finds more questions than answers. Like why are her editor, agent, and family mixing up events from her novel with events from her life? Her novel is completely fictional, isn't it? The deeper Eliza goes into her investigation while struggling with memory loss, the closer her life starts to resemble her novel, until the line between reality and fiction starts to blur and she can no longer tell where her protagonist's life ends and hers begins. Fans of Pretty Little Liars, S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep, and Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 will be drawn to the drama of feeling like no one is on your side, the high tension of not knowing who you can trust, the hair-raising truths hidden among lies, and a faceless, nameless presence controlling Eliza's life from the shadows.
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian - #1 Ash Princess Trilogy
Delacorte Press | Young Adult, Fantasy
Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess--a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner. For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield. For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.
Inferno by Julie Kagawa - #5 Talon
Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the Order of St. George destroyed, Ember, Riley and Garret journey to the Amazon jungle in search of one who might hold the key to take down the Elder Wyrm and Talon. If they can survive the encounter. Meanwhile, Ember's brother, Dante, will travel to China with a message for the last Eastern dragons: join Talon or die. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon. The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.
From the Earth to the Shadows by Amanda Hocking - #2 Valkyrie
Wednesday Books | Young Adult, Fantasy
The epic conclusion to the thrilling Valkyrie duology by New York Times bestselling YA author Amanda Hocking, From the Earth to the Shadows. While dealing with dark revelations about her life and her world, Malin finds herself with new allies--and new enemies. Her quest for the truth leads her to places she never thought possible, and she's never been one to shy away from a fight. But for all her strength and determination, will it be enough to save the world before it's too late?
After the Wedding by Courtney Milan - #2 The Worth Saga
Courtney Milan | Romance, Historical
The only thing more inconvenient than Camilla's marriage at gunpoint is falling in love with her unwilling groom… Adrian Hunter, the son of a duke's daughter and a black abolitionist, is determined to do whatever his family needs-even posing as a valet to gather information. But his mission spirals out of control when he's accused of dastardly intentions and is forced to marry a woman he's barely had time to flirt with. Camilla Worth has always dreamed of getting married, but a marriage where a pistol substitutes for "I do" is not the relationship she hoped for. Her unwilling groom insists they need to seek an annulment, and she's not cruel enough to ruin a man's life just because she yearns for one person to care about her. As Camilla and Adrian work to prove their marriage wasn't consensual, they become first allies, then friends. But the closer they grow, the more Camilla's heart aches. If they consummate the marriage, he'll be stuck with her forever. The only way to show that she cares is to make sure he can walk away for good.
Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams - #4 Book Retreat Mysteries
Kensington | Cozy Mystery
Welcome to Storyton Hall, Virginia, where book lovers travel from near and far to enjoy the singular comforts of the Agatha Christie Tea Room, where they can discuss the merits of their favorite authors no matter how deadly the topic . . . With her twins, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, back in school, Jane Steward can finally focus on her work again—managing Storyton Hall, and breaking ground on the resort's latest attraction: a luxurious, relaxing spa named in honor of Walt Whitman. But when the earth is dug up to start laying the spa's foundation, something else comes to the surface—a collection of unusual bones and the ragged remnants of a very old book. The attendees of the Rare Book Conference are eager to assist Jane with this unexpected historical mystery—until a visitor meets an untimely end in the Henry James Library. As the questions—and suspects—start stacking up, Jane will have to uncover a killer before more unhappy endings ensue.
Antiques Wanted by Barbara Allan - #12 Trash n Treasures Mystery
Spring lassos small-town Serenity, as Brandy Borne's crime-bustin' mama Vivian hatches a harebrained scheme to run for county sheriff—ropin' in her daughter to join the rodeo as campaign manager. As the two-woman posse tracks down voters at a local assisted-living home, Brandy's attempts at corralling Mother's impractical whims make her feel like a tinhorn on a bucking bronco. But sure as shootin', unhappy trails lie ahead. . . . Shortly after the Borne gals receive a valuable signed photo of an old-timey cowboy actor from the elderly aunt of Vivian's political opponent, a massive explosion sends Brandy to the ER and auntie to the grave.
Bleeding Tarts by Kirsten Weiss - #2 Pie Town Mystery
Val's new pies are foolproof—but not bulletproof. Old West ghost towns are as American as apple pie. So what better place to sponsor a pie-eating contest than the Bar X, a fake ghost town available for exclusive private events on the edge of Silicon Valley. Valentine Harris is providing the pies, hoping to boost business for her struggling Pie Town shop and become a regular supplier for the Bar X. But no sooner does she arrive in town than a stray bullet explodes the cherry pie in her hands. And the delicious dessert is not the only victim. Val finds the Bar X bartender shot dead in an alley. Egged on by her flaky friend and pie crust specialist, Charlene, Val aims to draw out the shooter. But solving a real murder in a fake ghost town won't be easy as pie. And if Val doesn't watch her back, her pies won't be the only thing filled full of lead.
The 17th Suspect by James Patterson - #17 Women's Mystery Club
Little, Brown and Company | Mystery
A series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a methodical yet unpredictable killer, and a reluctant woman decides to put her trust in Sergeant Lindsay Boxer. The confidential informant's tip leads Lindsay to disturbing conclusions, including that something has gone horribly wrong inside the police department itself. The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction, and gets inside Lindsay in dangerous ways. She suffers unsettling medical symptoms, and her friends and confidantes in the Women's Murder Club warn Lindsay against taking the crimes too much to heart. With lives at stake, the detective can't help but follow the case into ever more terrifying terrain. A decorated officer, loving wife, devoted mother, and loyal friend, Lindsay's unwavering integrity has never failed her. But now she is confronting a killer who is determined to undermine it all.
📚 Happy Book Birthday to all these wonderful reads!!!
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Labels: 2018, april, coming soon, inkblots, new release
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The Squee System:
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This book was AWESOME! I loved it and would recommend this one to anyone looking for a new discovery! Grab a copy now!
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I enjoyed reading this book A LOT. You will probably find this title in one of the shelves in my library.
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This was a nice read. I appreciate some aspects of the book and had a good time reading this one. Not a Must-Buy but definitely a Should-Borrow kind of book.
This book was okay. There were some parts of it I was not thrilled about but at least, I finished it. I probably won't recommend it though.
Gaaah! Hours of my life, wasted. Don't even bother with this one.
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My name is ANGELICA. I love Coffee, Fluffy Puppies and all things Books. All my life, I have always had my nose stuck in a book or two. I am on a mission to help others find their next best read!
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May 15, 2008 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. For other up-to-the-minute news, check out ITI's Twitter account: @ITINewsBreaks.
Microsoft Launches WorldWide Telescope
Microsoft Corp. (www.microsoft.com) officially launched the public beta of its WorldWide Telescope, which is now available at www.worldwidetelescope.org. WorldWide Telescope is a web application that brings together imagery from the best ground- and space-based observatories across the world to allow people to easily explore the night sky through their computers.
WorldWide Telescope, created with Microsoft's high-performance Visual Experience Engine, enables seamless panning and zooming across the night sky, blending terabytes of images, data, and stories from multiple sources over the internet into a media-rich, immersive experience. Microsoft Research formed close ties with members of the academic, education, and scientific communities to make WorldWide Telescope a reality. NASA, along with other organizations, coordinated with Microsoft Research to provide the imagery, provide feedback on the application from a scientific point of view, and help turn WorldWide Telescope into a rich learning application.
WorldWide Telescope includes a rich set of collections of the deep sky objects including constellations, the solar system, images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, the Spitzer Space Telescope, Sky Surveys, the Messier Catalog, named stars, and more. A number of expert-created guided tours of the sky, objects in space, and collections of celestial objects are built into WorldWide Telescope. Users can create their own tours and share them with others.
Source: Microsoft Corp.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


said Dr. Hannah Gay, associate professor of pediatrics.
And the highlight of the excerpt is?
There has to be a better article on this some where.
Can we post a link to the C-L?
If not, feel free to have this removed.
Nah. It's only the biggest medical breakthrough in the last 30 years..............why bother?
Heh... that one raised my eyebrows too.
Links to the CL are allowed. You can only "see" a few articles a month without paying $10\month. Obits are still visible for free.Which is about all I read there anyway.
I believe there is only one other person who's cured of AIDS, so this makes 2.
I'd like to confirm this report with someone that's straight. Hannah, obviously, has her own agenda.


text:
What is a diamond
Natural history - How diamond is formed
History of diamonds
The diamond industry
Geology Glossary
Other Topics: GEOLOGY GLOSSARY | COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD | ANATOMY | DRUGS | USA STATS | CHINA STATS |
DIAMONDS A TO Z - Table of Contents
>>Your link/ad here
- Diamond Job Descriptions
Articles about diamonds
David, Joshua (September 2003). "The New Diamond Age". Wired, issue 11.09.
De Beers Group. "De Beers Group". Retrieved March 14, 2005.
Epstein, Edward Jay (February 1982). "Have You Ever Tried To Sell a Diamond?" (subscription required). The Atlantic Monthly.
Epstein, Edward Jay (1982). "THE DIAMOND INVENTION" (Complete book, includes "Chapter 20: Have you ever tried to sell a diamond?")
Chaim Evevn-Zohar (2007). "From Mine to Mistress - Corporate Strategies and Government Policies in the International Diamond Industry" (Second edition of the book on the world diamond industry) Mining Journal Press.
Eppler, W.F. Praktische Gemmologie. Ruhle-Diebner-Verlag, 1989
Government of Gujarat (2004). "Vibrant Gujarat: Sector Profiles". Retrieved March 14, 2005.
Kjarsgaard, B.A. and Levinson, A. A. (2002). Diamonds in Canada. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 208–238.
Kunz, George Frederick, Curious Lore of Precious Stones, Lippincott Co., 1913
Pagel - Theisen, Verena. Diamond Grading ABC: the Manual Rubin & Son, Antwerp, Belgium, 2001. ISBN 3-9800434-6-0
Streeter - The Great Diamonds of the World , London, George Bell & Sons, 1882
Taylor, W.R., Lynton A.J. & Ridd, M., (1990) Nitrogen defect aggregation of some Australasian diamonds: Time-temperature constraints on the source regions of pipe and alluvial diamonds. American Mineralogist, 75, pp. 1290–1310.
Tolkowsky, Marcel (1919). Diamond Design: A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in a Diamond. London: E. & F.N. Spon, Ltd. (Web edition as edited by Jasper Paulsen, Seattle, 2001)
Tyson, Peter (November 2000). "Diamonds in the Sky". Retrieved March 10, 2005.
United Nations Department of Public Information (March 21, 2001). "Conflict Diamonds". Retrieved March 10, 2005.
Weiner, K.L., Hochleitner, R., Weiss, S., Voelstadt H. Diamant, Lapis, Munchen, 1994.
Yarnell, Amanda (February 2, 2004). "The Many Facets of Man-Made Diamonds". Chemical & Engineering News, vol. 82, no. 5, pp 26–31.
American Museum of Natural History. "The Nature of Diamonds". Retrieved October 21, 2005.
Carnegie Institution."Very Large Diamonds Produced Very Fast". Retrieved November 1, 2005.
Williams, Gardner, The Diamond Mines of South Africa, New York, B.F. Buck & Co., 1905
World Diamond Council. "About The WDC". Retrieved November 19, 2006.
Wise, Richard W. "Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious Gemstones". (2003) Brunswick House Press. Website of book: Secrets of the Gem Trade GIA "A Contribution to the Understanding of Blue Fluorescence on the Appearance of Diamonds". (2007) GIA
https://photius.com/diamonds/
Copyright © 1995-2020 Photius Coutsoukis (All Rights Reserved).


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text:
FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS 11/27/2020 - "THE WEST WING'
For the final week of every month this year, we've been inducting the televersions of real TV shows which also exist in Toobworld as that last Friday Hall of Famer.
With November having a heavy political aura, a political series seemed to be the O'Bvious choice. So we're walking and talking the perfect candidate into the TVXOHOF:
Within the main Toobworld, Earth Prime-Time, there is no problem of a Zonk because 'The West Wing' takes place in an alternate Toobworld (which is also the home for 'Smallville', 'Mr. Sterling', 'Minority Report', 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip', and the miniseries 'Pine Gap'.) This is because Earth Prime-Time must always have the same President of the United States as in the Trueniverse. (You never know when a TV series might reference the POTUS.)
This list is of shows which refer to 'The West Wing' as a TV series within the main Toobworld. We're excluding shows from other Toobworlds and from Skitlandia and the Tooniverse.
And since this week's Hall of Famer is also "Black Friday", kicking off the holiday season, we've "decorated" the list with a few Christmassy pictures of 'The West Wing' on TV which I found on IMGUR.
3rd Rock from the Sun:
Dick'll Take Manhattan: Parts 1 & 2
Seen on the NBC lineup calendar
Are You There God? It's Me Ann-Margret
Nicole mentions the show.
Primetime Glick:
Rob Lowe/Billy Crystal
Referenced during Rob Lowe's interview.
Gilmore Girls:
Haunted Leg
Francie says, "I'll make her so ineffectual, she'll make Jimmy Carter look like Martin Sheen."
Everwood:
When Andy and Brenda start running lines at a fast pace, Brenda complains that people don't talk that fast on "The West Wing"
Joan of Arcadia:
Father Ken has been watching reruns of the series.
The Dame Edna Treatment:
The Thick of It:
Ollie mentions the show.
Fringe:
Over There: Part 1
In the alternate universe, Olivia sees a billboard promoting Season 11 of the show
The Office:
The scene following the cold open mimics The West Wing's trademark "walk-and-talk" format and rapid-fire dialogue, while Michael imitates the gruff mannerisms of John Spencer's Leo McGarry.
30 Rock:
Aaron Sorkin mentions that he wrote the show
Season 12 ad seen on taxi
Alan Partridge
Mentioned when two characters are 'walking and talking'
The Almighty Johnsons:
And Then on to Norsewood
mentioned in dialogue
The Good Wife:
Dark Money
Alicia instructs her campaign staff to use the West Wing tweets to stop the robocalls
Please Like Me:
Ella mentions the show by name.
Mom:
Pure Evil and a Free Piece of Cheesecake
In Bonnie's dream sequence, Allison Janney is joined by her 'The West Wing' co-star, Richard Schiff, a nod to the series.
Popstar:
Never Stop Never Stopping
CMZ reporter says "The guy from The West Wing?" when Martin Sheen is seen fighting Conner.
Please welcome the televersion of 'The West Wing' to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame!
Labels: Alternateevee, As Seen On TV, Hat Squad, O'Bservations, TV On TV, Wikipediaphile
TVXOHOF MEMOR0I0AL TRIB0UTE - MAYOR DAVID DINKINS
From CNN:
David Norman Dinkins, the genteel first and, to date, only Black mayor of New York City who dedicated much of his public life trying to improve race relations in the nation's largest city, has died at age 93.
Dinkins died Monday evening at his residence on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the New York City Police Department told CNN.
David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th Mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first and, to date, only African American to hold that office.
As a matter of course with the death of some public officials, I checked tp see if Mayor Dinkins qualified to be into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame. Not all public officials do, but since Ed Koch was mayor, the New York City mayors have been candidates.
David Dinkins does qualify, with just over the bare minimum, but three appearances in separate TV productions is all that it takes. And he enters as a multidimensional, with each of his appearances located in alternate Toobworlds.
EARTH PRIME-TIME
- Episode #22.95
O'Bservation - Gordon gets an award from the Mayor.
TOOBWORLD'S TOOBWORLD
(possibly)
Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story
(archival footage)
O'Bservation - Rudy Giuliani IS Rudy Giuliani in Earth Prime-Time October 2001, so this TV movie has to go somewhere....
THE WEST WING DIMENSION
AKA "Toobworld Jed"
- Risk Management
O'Bservation – The placement of 'Blue Bloods' in 'The West Wing' dimension depends on who the POTUS is in the series. But it can't be in the main Toobworld because it deviated from that timeline at some point after Dinkins' administration.
SKITLANDIA
'Saturday Night Live'
O'Bservation - Tim Meadows played Dinkins in several shows, as well as referencing the Mayor while playing his biggest supporter, Lionel Dauber.
Good night and may God bless, Mister Mayor. I hope this small tribute meets with approval. I admire your sense of timing, right up until the end. If you had to pick any month in which to die, November was probably the most appropriate when we induct politicians. (February would have been a very close second....)
Labels: Alternateevee, As Seen On TV, Hall of Fame, Hat Squad, League of Themselves, Life During Prime-Time, O'Bservations, Recastaways, Skitlandia, TV Movies, Twipped from the Headlines, Wikipediaphile


I`m new in here as i`m a happy owner of a XR `15, bought 10 days ago. Writing from Montenegro, riding almost everywhere, been in biking for about 20 years by now..
The only "mistake" was the GS since i`m a bit aggressive rider so i haven`t had fun with it, although it`s a great bike.
Hope i`ll find some interesting stuff in here and good riding reports.
Congratulations - IMO the XR is one of the best/ if not the best upright GS/ KTM type ergonomics "do-it-all sportbike", that can be ridden all day in comfort. Also, its performance, wonderful suspension/ handling can make a good rider better.
If you like to ride aggressively, the XR is the right choice.
Thank you all for your warm welcome messages.
Already love the XR, hope to share some lovely moments with you all.


How can I prevent injuries if I am a runner?
If you're a runner, prevent injuries by gradually building endurance, says Tom Klein, MD, from Reston Hospital Center. Watch this video to find out what else you can do to avoid being hurt.


text:
Home / Entertainment / MoorUs vs. Crispy's Biscuits: Why I Am Done with Tariq Nasheed
MoorUs vs. Crispy's Biscuits: Why I Am Done with Tariq Nasheed
By Onyx Contributors on July 6, 2017
By: Asher Primus
For those who do not know, Tariq Nasheed's Crispy puppet is a direct, yet indirect slander to YouTube shock jock Tommy Sotomayor.
Crispy chronicles his sad and pathetic life of self-hatred along with Looney Tunes-like antics. I will be honest that I enjoy the skits and even shared it with my best friend. Overtime, I grew out of it even though it was a guilty pleasure. Unfortunately, the comedy gets dry and ends up becoming awkward when the audience is constantly reminded that Crispy is hinted as bisexual or moist as he searches the world and even galaxy for white women.
This is not defending Sotomayor, as I am not a fan of his work and I am aware of his alliance with 'suspected white supremacists' and Red Pill followers. My article is constructive criticism that pro-black leaders/moguls are not beyond approach. I support Tariq Nasheed, but I am not afraid to call out his flaws.
Let us not beat around the bush about the name Crispy. I do recall Tariq Nasheed clarifying that Crispy does not mean black, it means ashy and he compared the meaning to fried chicken. To me that seems like a PR clean-up move, whether he notices or not, but the representation of dark-skinned people in media is already damaging. People can put two-and-two together to notice the inferiority complex of our skin tone becomes comical. Unlike Uncle Ruckus of the Boondocks, Crispy is an immature comic relief that teaches no life lessons. Tariq's puppets are unrealistic characters of the people he makes fun of, now I could care less about Alex Jones and I can acknowledge that he expresses racist undertones on his YouTube channel, but I am disturbed by the Rollie the Boule Bird puppet that is supposedly calling out Roland Martin for being a boogie negro, meanwhile Tariq Nasheed lives in a gated community, yet he ask his followers, "Where are the black people in LA?"
Secondly, Tariq is obsessed with Tommy, despite his egoistical claims that he is above him. Crispy's Biscuits was the final straw for me as I see a grown man expecting people to pay for a juvenile game of no substance. White people have already zeroed on the same and names it a 'race-baiting' game teaching kids to be racist. Again, I do not agree with their views that the Crispy's Biscuits is turning kids to racist.
Tariq Nasheed should stick to documentaries and learning for himself on how to be a developer. It bothered me that I donated to the MoorUs Kickstarter and the development of it was slow, due to outsourcing & despite having an iPhone to download MoorUs. It seems that I am late to the party as it has not even taken off even among other pro-black moguls like Dr. Boyce Watkins and Jason Black whom complain that Facebook censors their conversations.
We did not support Tariq hard enough, but it kills the momentum that an app for black people was made by Indians who wanted to see it fail. The project was executed too early with only MoorUs living off hype that it will rival Facebook. I fear that Tariq's obsession with Crsipy/Tommy is holding him from gaining a larger platform beyond YouTube and Ustream. Christelyn Karazin suffered the same fate as her focus on trolls exposed her views on how mixed women are taking all the black men from black women and therefore she was not welcomed at the Mixed Remixed Festival.
I am hesitant to donate to anymore of Tariq's protects. Reason being is that he does not seem to take criticism well and the annoyance of his hive-minded followers who give him 5-star ratings on a game simply out of "keeping it black" or "being on code."
Tariq has a bad habit of jumping from project to project. Hopefully after the post-production of 1804, he can put more time into MoorUs at least for a couple of years as a reminder that he is competing with major social media platforms that have been around for years and a decade plus.
Articles submitted by freelance writers. If you would like to submit an article to the Onyx Truth, please click on the SUBMISSIONS link at the very top of the site for more info.
← Previous Story Rob Kardashian Proves the True Dangers of Simping
Next Story → Spider-Man: Poorly Handles Diversity with Tokenism
My New Year's Resolutions for 2022
Black Women Too Loyal to Their Party by Onyx Contributors
What "Getting On Code" Really Means by Gee Dizzle
White Woman Joins Delta Sigma Theta Sorority by Gee Dizzle


text:
package org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.repl.commands;

import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.cli.CliSessionState;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.conf.HiveConf;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.metastore.api.MetaException;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.DriverFactory;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.IDriver;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.processors.CommandProcessorException;
import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.session.SessionState;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.HcatTestUtils;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatAddPartitionDesc;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatClient;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatCreateDBDesc;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatCreateTableDesc;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatDatabase;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatPartition;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.HCatTable;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.ObjectNotFoundException;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.TestHCatClient;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.repl.Command;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.repl.CommandTestUtils;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.api.repl.ReplicationUtils;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.common.HCatException;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.data.schema.HCatFieldSchema;
import org.apache.hive.hcatalog.data.schema.HCatSchemaUtils;
import org.junit.AfterClass;
import org.junit.BeforeClass;
import org.junit.Test;

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;

public class TestCommands {

  private static Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(CommandTestUtils.class.getName());

  private static HiveConf hconf;
  private static IDriver driver;
  private static HCatClient client;
  private static String TEST_PATH;

  @BeforeClass
  public static void setUpBeforeClass() throws Exception {

    TestHCatClient.startMetaStoreServer();
    hconf = TestHCatClient.getConf();
    hconf.set(HiveConf.ConfVars.SEMANTIC_ANALYZER_HOOK.varname,"");
    hconf
    .setVar(HiveConf.ConfVars.HIVE_AUTHORIZATION_MANAGER,
        "org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.security.authorization.plugin.sqlstd.SQLStdHiveAuthorizerFactory");
    TEST_PATH = System.getProperty("test.warehouse.dir","/tmp") + Path.SEPARATOR +
        TestCommands.class.getCanonicalName() + "-" + System.currentTimeMillis();
    Path testPath = new Path(TEST_PATH);
    FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(testPath.toUri(),hconf);
    fs.mkdirs(testPath);

    driver = DriverFactory.newDriver(hconf);
    SessionState.start(new CliSessionState(hconf));
    client = HCatClient.create(hconf);
  }

  @AfterClass
  public static void tearDownAfterClass() throws Exception {
    TestHCatClient.tearDown();
  }

  @Test
  public void testDropDatabaseCommand() throws HCatException, CommandProcessorException {
    String dbName = "cmd_testdb";
    int evid = 999;
    Command testCmd = new DropDatabaseCommand(dbName, evid);

    assertEquals(evid,testCmd.getEventId());
    assertEquals(1, testCmd.get().size());
    assertEquals(true,testCmd.isRetriable());
    assertEquals(false,testCmd.isUndoable());

    CommandTestUtils.testCommandSerialization(testCmd);

    client.dropDatabase(dbName, true, HCatClient.DropDBMode.CASCADE);
    client.createDatabase(HCatCreateDBDesc.create(dbName).ifNotExists(false).build());
    HCatDatabase db = client.getDatabase(dbName);
    assertNotNull(db);

    LOG.info("About to run :"+testCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testCmd.get().get(0));

    Exception onfe = null;
    try {
      HCatDatabase db_del = client.getDatabase(dbName);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe);
    assertTrue(onfe instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);
  }

  @Test
  public void testDropTableCommand() throws HCatException, CommandProcessorException {
    String dbName = "cmd_testdb";
    String tableName = "cmd_testtable";
    int evid = 789;
    List<HCatFieldSchema> cols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("a:int,b:string").getFields();

    Command testReplicatedDropCmd = new DropTableCommand(dbName,tableName,true,evid);

    assertEquals(evid,testReplicatedDropCmd.getEventId());
    assertEquals(1, testReplicatedDropCmd.get().size());
    assertEquals(true, testReplicatedDropCmd.isRetriable());
    assertEquals(false, testReplicatedDropCmd.isUndoable());

    CommandTestUtils.testCommandSerialization(testReplicatedDropCmd);

    Command testNormalDropCmd = new DropTableCommand(dbName,tableName,false,evid);

    assertEquals(evid,testNormalDropCmd.getEventId());
    assertEquals(1, testNormalDropCmd.get().size());
    assertEquals(true,testNormalDropCmd.isRetriable());
    assertEquals(false,testNormalDropCmd.isUndoable());

    CommandTestUtils.testCommandSerialization(testNormalDropCmd);

    client.dropDatabase(dbName, true, HCatClient.DropDBMode.CASCADE);
    client.createDatabase(HCatCreateDBDesc.create(dbName).ifNotExists(false).build());

    Map<String, String> tprops = new HashMap<String,String>();
    tprops.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID,String.valueOf(evid + 5));
    HCatTable tableToCreate = (new HCatTable(dbName, tableName)).tblProps(tprops).cols(cols);

    client.createTable(HCatCreateTableDesc.create(tableToCreate).build());
    HCatTable t1 = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    assertNotNull(t1);

    // Test replicated drop, should not drop, because evid < repl.state.id
    LOG.info("About to run :"+testReplicatedDropCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testReplicatedDropCmd.get().get(0));
    HCatTable t2 = client.getTable(dbName,tableName);
    assertNotNull(t2);

    // Test normal drop, should drop unconditionally.
    LOG.info("About to run :"+testNormalDropCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testNormalDropCmd.get().get(0));

    Exception onfe = null;
    try {
      HCatTable t_del = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe);
    assertTrue(onfe instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);

    Map<String, String> tprops2 = new HashMap<String,String>();
    tprops2.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID,String.valueOf(evid - 5));
    HCatTable tableToCreate2 = (new HCatTable(dbName, tableName)).tblProps(tprops2).cols(cols);

    client.createTable(HCatCreateTableDesc.create(tableToCreate2).build());
    HCatTable t3 = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    assertNotNull(t3);

    // Test replicated drop, should drop this time, since repl.state.id < evid.
    LOG.info("About to run :"+testReplicatedDropCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testReplicatedDropCmd.get().get(0));

    Exception onfe2 = null;
    try {
      HCatTable t_del = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe2 = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe2);
    assertTrue(onfe2 instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);

  }

  @Test
  public void testDropPartitionCommand() throws HCatException, MetaException, CommandProcessorException {
    String dbName = "cmd_testdb";
    String tableName = "cmd_testtable";
    int evid = 789;

    List<HCatFieldSchema> pcols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("b:string").getFields();
    List<HCatFieldSchema> cols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("a:int").getFields();
    Map<String, String> ptnDesc = new HashMap<String,String>();
    ptnDesc.put("b","test");

    Command testReplicatedDropPtnCmd = new DropPartitionCommand(dbName, tableName, ptnDesc, true, evid);

    assertEquals(evid,testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.getEventId());
    assertEquals(1, testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.get().size());
    assertEquals(true, testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.isRetriable());
    assertEquals(false, testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.isUndoable());

    CommandTestUtils.testCommandSerialization(testReplicatedDropPtnCmd);

    Command testNormalDropPtnCmd = new DropPartitionCommand(dbName,tableName, ptnDesc, false, evid);

    assertEquals(evid,testNormalDropPtnCmd.getEventId());
    assertEquals(1, testNormalDropPtnCmd.get().size());
    assertEquals(true,testNormalDropPtnCmd.isRetriable());
    assertEquals(false,testNormalDropPtnCmd.isUndoable());

    CommandTestUtils.testCommandSerialization(testNormalDropPtnCmd);

    client.dropDatabase(dbName, true, HCatClient.DropDBMode.CASCADE);
    client.createDatabase(HCatCreateDBDesc.create(dbName).ifNotExists(false).build());

    Map<String, String> props = new HashMap<String,String>();
    props.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID,String.valueOf(evid + 5));
    HCatTable table = (new HCatTable(dbName, tableName)).tblProps(props).cols(cols).partCols(pcols);

    client.createTable(HCatCreateTableDesc.create(table).build());
    HCatTable tableCreated = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    assertNotNull(tableCreated);

    HCatPartition ptnToAdd = (new HCatPartition(tableCreated, ptnDesc,
        TestHCatClient.makePartLocation(tableCreated,ptnDesc))).parameters(props);
    client.addPartition(HCatAddPartitionDesc.create(ptnToAdd).build());

    HCatPartition p1 = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc);
    assertNotNull(p1);

    // Test replicated drop, should not drop, because evid < repl.state.id
    LOG.info("About to run :"+testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.get().get(0));
    HCatPartition p2 = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc);
    assertNotNull(p2);

    // Test normal drop, should drop unconditionally.
    LOG.info("About to run :"+testNormalDropPtnCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testNormalDropPtnCmd.get().get(0));

    Exception onfe = null;
    try {
      HCatPartition p_del = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe);
    assertTrue(onfe instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);

    Map<String, String> props2 = new HashMap<String,String>();
    props2.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID,String.valueOf(evid - 5));

    HCatPartition ptnToAdd2 = (new HCatPartition(tableCreated, ptnDesc,
        TestHCatClient.makePartLocation(tableCreated,ptnDesc))).parameters(props2);
    client.addPartition(HCatAddPartitionDesc.create(ptnToAdd2).build());

    HCatPartition p3 = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc);
    assertNotNull(p3);

    // Test replicated drop, should drop this time, since repl.state.id < evid.
    LOG.info("About to run :"+testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testReplicatedDropPtnCmd.get().get(0));

    Exception onfe2 = null;
    try {
      HCatPartition p_del = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe2 = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe2);
    assertTrue(onfe2 instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);
  }

  @Test
  public void testDropTableCommand2() throws HCatException, MetaException, CommandProcessorException {
    // Secondary DropTableCommand test for testing repl-drop-tables' effect on partitions inside a partitioned table
    // when there exist partitions inside the table which are older than the drop event.
    // Our goal is this : Create a table t, with repl.last.id=157, say.
    // Create 2 partitions inside it, with repl.last.id=150 and 160, say.
    // Now, process a drop table command with eventid=155.
    // It should result in the table and the partition with repl.last.id=160 continuing to exist,
    // but dropping the partition with repl.last.id=150.

    String dbName = "cmd_testdb";
    String tableName = "cmd_testtable";
    int evid = 157;

    List<HCatFieldSchema> pcols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("b:string").getFields();
    List<HCatFieldSchema> cols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("a:int").getFields();

    Command testReplicatedDropCmd = new DropTableCommand(dbName,tableName,true,evid);

    client.dropDatabase(dbName, true, HCatClient.DropDBMode.CASCADE);
    client.createDatabase(HCatCreateDBDesc.create(dbName).ifNotExists(false).build());

    Map<String, String> tprops = new HashMap<String,String>();
    tprops.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID,String.valueOf(evid + 2));
    HCatTable table = (new HCatTable(dbName, tableName)).tblProps(tprops).cols(cols).partCols(pcols);

    client.createTable(HCatCreateTableDesc.create(table).build());
    HCatTable tableCreated = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    assertNotNull(tableCreated);

    Map<String, String> ptnDesc1 = new HashMap<String,String>();
    ptnDesc1.put("b","test-older");
    Map<String, String> props1 = new HashMap<String,String>();
    props1.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID,String.valueOf(evid - 5));
    HCatPartition ptnToAdd1 = (new HCatPartition(tableCreated, ptnDesc1,
        TestHCatClient.makePartLocation(tableCreated,ptnDesc1))).parameters(props1);
    client.addPartition(HCatAddPartitionDesc.create(ptnToAdd1).build());

    Map<String, String> ptnDesc2 = new HashMap<String,String>();
    ptnDesc2.put("b","test-newer");
    Map<String, String> props2 = new HashMap<String,String>();
    props2.put(ReplicationUtils.REPL_STATE_ID, String.valueOf(evid + 5));
    HCatPartition ptnToAdd2 = (new HCatPartition(tableCreated, ptnDesc2,
        TestHCatClient.makePartLocation(tableCreated,ptnDesc2))).parameters(props2);
    client.addPartition(HCatAddPartitionDesc.create(ptnToAdd2).build());

    HCatPartition p1 = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc1);
    assertNotNull(p1);
    HCatPartition p2 = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc2);
    assertNotNull(p2);

    LOG.info("About to run :"+testReplicatedDropCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(testReplicatedDropCmd.get().get(0));

    HCatTable t_stillExists = client.getTable(dbName,tableName);
    assertNotNull(t_stillExists);

    HCatPartition p2_stillExists = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc2);

    Exception onfe = null;
    try {
      HCatPartition p1_del = client.getPartition(dbName,tableName,ptnDesc1);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe);
    assertTrue(onfe instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);
  }

  @Test
  public void testBasicReplEximCommands() throws IOException, CommandProcessorException {
    // repl export, has repl.last.id and repl.scope=all in it
    // import repl dump, table has repl.last.id on it (will likely be 0)
    int evid = 111;
    String exportLocation = TEST_PATH + File.separator + "testBasicReplExim";
    Path tempPath = new Path(TEST_PATH ,"testBasicReplEximTmp");
    String tempLocation = tempPath.toUri().getPath();

    String dbName = "exim";
    String tableName = "basicSrc";
    String importedTableName = "basicDst";
    List<HCatFieldSchema> cols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("b:string").getFields();

    client.dropDatabase(dbName, true, HCatClient.DropDBMode.CASCADE);
    client.createDatabase(HCatCreateDBDesc.create(dbName).ifNotExists(false).build());

    HCatTable table = (new HCatTable(dbName, tableName)).cols(cols).fileFormat("textfile");

    client.createTable(HCatCreateTableDesc.create(table).build());
    HCatTable t = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    assertNotNull(t);

    String[] data = new String[]{ "eleven" , "twelve" };

    HcatTestUtils.createTestDataFile(tempLocation,data);

    driver.run("LOAD DATA LOCAL INPATH '"+tempLocation+"' OVERWRITE INTO TABLE "+ dbName+ "." + tableName);

    driver.run("SELECT * from " + dbName + "." + tableName);

    List<String> values = new ArrayList<String>();
    driver.getResults(values);

    assertEquals(2, values.size());
    assertEquals(data[0],values.get(0));
    assertEquals(data[1],values.get(1));

    ExportCommand exportCmd = new ExportCommand(dbName,tableName,null,
        exportLocation, false, evid);

    LOG.info("About to run :" + exportCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(exportCmd.get().get(0));

    List<String> exportPaths = exportCmd.cleanupLocationsAfterEvent();
    assertEquals(1,exportPaths.size());
    String metadata = getMetadataContents(exportPaths.get(0));
    LOG.info("Export returned the following _metadata contents:");
    LOG.info(metadata);
    assertTrue(metadata + "did not match \"repl.scope\"=\"all\"", metadata.matches(".*\"repl.scope\":\"all\".*"));
    assertTrue(metadata + "has \"repl.last.id\"",metadata.matches(".*\"repl.last.id\":.*"));

    ImportCommand importCmd = new ImportCommand(dbName, importedTableName, null, exportLocation, false, evid);

    LOG.info("About to run :" + importCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(importCmd.get().get(0));

    driver.run("SELECT * from " + dbName + "." + importedTableName);

    List<String> values2 = new ArrayList<String>();
    driver.getResults(values2);

    assertEquals(2, values2.size());
    assertEquals(data[0],values2.get(0));
    assertEquals(data[1],values2.get(1));

    HCatTable importedTable = client.getTable(dbName,importedTableName);
    assertNotNull(importedTable);

    assertTrue(importedTable.getTblProps().containsKey("repl.last.id"));
  }

  @Test
  public void testMetadataReplEximCommands() throws IOException, CommandProcessorException {
    // repl metadata export, has repl.last.id and repl.scope=metadata
    // import repl metadata dump, table metadata changed, allows override, has repl.last.id
    int evid = 222;
    String exportLocation = TEST_PATH + File.separator + "testMetadataReplExim";
    Path tempPath = new Path(TEST_PATH ,"testMetadataReplEximTmp");
    String tempLocation = tempPath.toUri().getPath();

    String dbName = "exim";
    String tableName = "basicSrc";
    String importedTableName = "basicDst";
    List<HCatFieldSchema> cols = HCatSchemaUtils.getHCatSchema("b:string").getFields();

    client.dropDatabase(dbName, true, HCatClient.DropDBMode.CASCADE);
    client.createDatabase(HCatCreateDBDesc.create(dbName).ifNotExists(false).build());

    HCatTable table = (new HCatTable(dbName, tableName)).cols(cols).fileFormat("textfile");

    client.createTable(HCatCreateTableDesc.create(table).build());
    HCatTable t = client.getTable(dbName, tableName);
    assertNotNull(t);

    String[] data = new String[]{ "eleven" , "twelve" };

    HcatTestUtils.createTestDataFile(tempLocation,data);

    driver.run("LOAD DATA LOCAL INPATH '"+tempLocation+"' OVERWRITE INTO TABLE "+ dbName+ "." + tableName);

    driver.run("SELECT * from " + dbName + "." + tableName);

    List<String> values = new ArrayList<String>();
    driver.getResults(values);

    assertEquals(2, values.size());
    assertEquals(data[0],values.get(0));
    assertEquals(data[1],values.get(1));

    ExportCommand exportMdCmd = new ExportCommand(dbName,tableName,null,
        exportLocation, true, evid);

    LOG.info("About to run :" + exportMdCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(exportMdCmd.get().get(0));

    List<String> exportPaths = exportMdCmd.cleanupLocationsAfterEvent();
    assertEquals(1,exportPaths.size());
    String metadata = getMetadataContents(exportPaths.get(0));
    LOG.info("Export returned the following _metadata contents:");
    LOG.info(metadata);
    assertTrue(metadata + "did not match \"repl.scope\"=\"metadata\"",metadata.matches(".*\"repl.scope\":\"metadata\".*"));
    assertTrue(metadata + "has \"repl.last.id\"",metadata.matches(".*\"repl.last.id\":.*"));

    ImportCommand importMdCmd = new ImportCommand(dbName, importedTableName, null, exportLocation, true, evid);

    LOG.info("About to run :" + importMdCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(importMdCmd.get().get(0));

    driver.run("SELECT * from " + dbName + "." + importedTableName);

    List<String> values2 = new ArrayList<String>();
    driver.getResults(values2);

    assertEquals(0, values2.size());

    HCatTable importedTable = client.getTable(dbName,importedTableName);
    assertNotNull(importedTable);

    assertTrue(importedTable.getTblProps().containsKey("repl.last.id"));
  }

  @Test
  public void testNoopReplEximCommands() throws Exception {
    // repl noop export on non-existant table, has repl.noop, does not error
    // import repl noop dump, no error

    int evid = 333;
    String exportLocation = TEST_PATH + File.separator + "testNoopReplExim";
    String dbName = "doesNotExist" + System.currentTimeMillis();
    String tableName = "nope" + System.currentTimeMillis();

    ExportCommand noopExportCmd = new ExportCommand(dbName,tableName,null,
        exportLocation, false, evid);

    LOG.info("About to run :" + noopExportCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(noopExportCmd.get().get(0));

    List<String> exportPaths = noopExportCmd.cleanupLocationsAfterEvent();
    assertEquals(1,exportPaths.size());
    String metadata = getMetadataContents(exportPaths.get(0));
    LOG.info("Export returned the following _metadata contents:");
    LOG.info(metadata);
    assertTrue(metadata + "did not match \"repl.noop\"=\"true\"",metadata.matches(".*\"repl.noop\":\"true\".*"));

    ImportCommand noopImportCmd = new ImportCommand(dbName, tableName, null, exportLocation, false, evid);

    LOG.info("About to run :" + noopImportCmd.get().get(0));
    driver.run(noopImportCmd.get().get(0));

    Exception onfe = null;
    try {
      HCatDatabase d_doesNotExist = client.getDatabase(dbName);
    } catch (Exception e) {
      onfe = e;
    }

    assertNotNull(onfe);
    assertTrue(onfe instanceof ObjectNotFoundException);
  }

  private static String getMetadataContents(String exportPath) throws IOException {
    Path mdFilePath = new Path(exportPath,"_metadata");

    FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(mdFilePath.toUri(), hconf);
    assertTrue(mdFilePath.toUri().toString() + "does not exist",fs.exists(mdFilePath));

    BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(fs.open(mdFilePath)));
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
    String line;
    while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
      sb.append(line);
    }
    reader.close();
    return sb.toString();
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
What can this tiny island show Texas about finding great teachers? A lot, actually
Becoming a teacher in Singapore is hard by design to ensure that students get the best. Texas leaders recently visited the island learning how it trains and supports educators.
Singapore often tops international lists for having the best education system. (Eva-Marie Ayala/Staff)
12:45 PM on Dec 6, 2016
SINGAPORE — This Asian island roughly the size of Austin has dominated international rankings in education, with students regularly outperforming their peers in math, science and literacy.
Singapore officials say the key to that success was simple: Hire only the best teachers.
"Teaching is akin to nation building. It's about survival," said Ee Ling Low, a professor to aspiring teachers at the country's National Institute of Education.
Singapore's success in becoming one of the most economically prosperous countries in Asia is largely credited to intentional policy-making decisions. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the country's education system.
As Texas faces inconsistent academic achievement and looming teacher shortages in high-need areas, a delegation of superintendents, college leaders, business representatives and philanthropic organizations recently traveled to Singapore to see what the Lone Star State could learn from that system.
The main lesson for the Texas delegation was how deliberate the country is in making teaching a competitive career with a sharp focus on recruitment, training and development.
"Everything they do is intentional," said Ivan Duran, deputy superintendent of Dallas ISD. "They leave nothing to chance."
The trip was organized and funded by the grocery magnate Charles E. Butt, who has various philanthropic efforts aimed at improving public schools, and Educate Texas, a public-private partnership. The Dallas Morning News paid its own way for the trip.
The H-E-B chief executive officer had traveled to Singapore recently and was impressed by the emphasis on education. The island routinely ranks among the best education systems in the world. Just today, Singapore topped global rankings out of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development once again.
George Tang, a managing director for Educate Texas who was part of the Texas delegation, brought back a renewed sense of urgency to ensure the state's students get high-quality teachers, especially as the legislative session is about to start in January.
"It was inspiring to see what was possible," Tang said. "They see teaching as a very prestigious profession. If they are on one end of the continuum on that, our society is at the other end of the spectrum."
Cedar Hill ISD Superintendent Orlando Riddick (left) and Todd Williams, executive director of the Dallas-area nonprofit organization Commit, examine a mural at Singapore's National Institute of Education titled "Journey of Teacher Education." (Eva-Marie Ayala/Staff)
A key question for the Dallas-area representatives was how can Texas recruit its brightest students to become future teachers?
John Gasko, dean of the School of Education at the University of North Texas at Dallas, said colleges and school districts must work together to be deliberate in making teaching an attractive career.
"That means we have to do a rebranding of the teaching profession," Gasko said. "In Singapore, teaching is a profession that's highly respected and considered elite."
One reason for that is because, in Singapore, becoming a teacher is difficult by design.
Students need to be in the top third of their high school class to even apply for consideration. Only 70 are accepted each year for teacher training out of nearly a thousand applications to the National Institute of Education.
The selection process is rigorous to ensure only the most talented and dedicated enter the field, said Belinda Charles, longtime educator and dean at Singapore's Academy of Principals, which supports school leaders.
"We can't afford a teacher who doesn't want to be there," said Charles, who was a longtime principal.
Once accepted into training, prospective teachers receive a stipend from the government. Teacher salaries are comparable to that of an engineer. Quality is strictly monitored as teachers enter the classroom with rigorous measures to determine potential.
The best teachers get the biggest bonuses, while those struggling receive additional support to help get them back on track. The nation's Ministry of Education doesn't keep those who don't improve.
And to keep the best teachers in the classroom, the system has various career levels where they can coach other educators and earn more money without opting for administration jobs.
While Singapore has a reputation for being a strict nation focused on test scores, officials say they are moving toward a more holistic approach. Teacher evaluations now don't factor in test scores significantly, they say, but more on how well educators reach a child.
To help build that mind-set early, the NIE brings together failing students and teachers-in-training. It can be a brutal dose of reality as the students tell the future educators about their struggles and how teachers helped or hurt them, said Liu Woon Chia, dean of teachers at NIE.
"The transporting of knowledge is not the most important thing. If not, Google would be the best teacher," Chia said. "We see teaching as a profession where they have a moral and ethical obligation to the nation, to the parents and to the child."
Dallas third-grade teacher Carol Shelton agreed that focusing on quality is vital. But it's not always obvious which candidates will be the best.
Shelton, who did not go to Singapore, was recently named Jerry Junkins Elementary's teacher of the year and often works alongside teachers-in-training at her school.
It's not unusual for her to see some burn out before they even enter the profession. They get overwhelmed by the responsibilities of working with children and the demands from state and federal authorities.
"A true quality teacher loves the students coming to you every year to where you build a relationship with them and their families," Shelton said. "That care and concern for the kids makes you work harder to get better every year."
Joseph Lim, manager of global education innovation at the National Institute of Education, shares how Singapore trains future teachers with a group of Texas superintendents, college deans, business representatives and other leaders from the state. (Eva-Marie Ayala/Staff)
Texas' challenges
Singapore doesn't face the same struggles Texas does — such as intense concentrations of poverty, many students who struggle with the language or special needs, and detailed public accountability.
Still, the former British colony has come a long way since starting from scratch only 51 years ago. Financially strapped and faced with no natural resources, the government focused on its people.
That meant creating a top-notch education system where quality is strictly tracked, something much easier to manage when one entity — the Ministry of Education — controls all aspects of teacher selection, training and curriculum.
In contrast, quality can vary widely in Texas.
The state has some 200 programs that prepare future educators. At about 60, Texas has far more alternative certification programs not associated with a university than any other state. Many of them have earned low marks from groups such as the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Kate Walsh, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said Texas faces a big hurdle in marketing education to high-achieving students unless the state raises standards for teaching programs.
Surveys show that while pay can be an issue, the greater challenge is that many see teaching as the career for "average" students with little prestige.
Walsh pointed to Teach for America, an alternative certification program aimed at training top teachers for low-income schools. As the program grew more competitive, the pool of more qualified candidates grew as well, Walsh said.
Singapore has been known for its strict approach to education with a focus on quality. The nation's government oversees all aspects of teacher training and selection. (Eva-Marie Ayala/Staff)
"We've made getting into our ed schools and programs so easy that we deter people from getting into it," Walsh said. "You can't make it look like it's intended for everyone. I know a lot of people don't want to hear that and will say it's elitist. But that's what it takes to get the brightest."
Educate Texas is working with leaders across the state to address quality.
Just last legislative session, Texas set a 2.5 grade average as the minimum for entrance into an educator prep program, based on efforts from Educate Texas and others. And now the state is required to re-evaluate requirements and standards for such programs every five years.
But many challenges remain.
For example, some prep programs let teachers earn certification without requiring them to have set foot in the classroom first.
Tang said that needs to change. It will be one of Educate Texas' top priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
"Our students are going through these life experiences — where they don't have enough to eat, where they don't even have a home — and it impacts how they learn and act in the classroom," Tang said. "Yet these candidates don't know anything about what the students are grappling with? How can we expect them to be successful?"
Dallas education reform group Commit estimates that Dallas County alone will need to hire about 35,000 teachers over the next five years.
A report the group funded surveyed 2,200 teachers from across the county and found that only 40 percent of them decided on teaching as a career before college.
And in Texas, fewer college students in the state are seeking education as their primary degree path. More are finding their paths to the classroom through nontraditional routes, many times as a second career.
So Commit is preparing to launch a site called Teach DFW, which will help guide prospective educators to local jobs as well as to information on which teacher prep programs have the best retention and satisfaction rates. The data will be compiled from school districts across the area.
"Superintendents have never used their collective buying power, so to speak, to really drive quality in preparation programs to ensure they are getting the best to help our children," said Todd Williams, executive director of Commit. "We hope to change that."


Just one hint for Sharepoint beginners.
When creating a Sharepoint Site as Blank Site (via Web Part Page Layout), you will miss some standard web parts such as Announcements, etc.
Recommendation: Create the site as Team Site, which gives you access also to the standard doc libs and features.
Questions to the experts: Is this customizable?
Social Media: Not only IT, not only Business!
Just a quick observation on discussions about social media!
For some month I am observing that each and every one's talking about Social Media, right?
In bigger organizations, which have multiple business units and divisions, multiple departments for IT, marketing, communication and product management do exist, right?
What I miss is the alignment between the business and IT world prior to any decision and implementation.
Most of us would agree that information exchange and foster collaboration bring things forward much faster than inventing processes and solutions twice.
Furthermore, too much money is thrown out for concepts, strategies, principles, recommendations, etc., which we need only once – aligned!
Collaborate and just do it!
Check again that you have the right people on board!


text:
package org.pcj.internal.message.gather;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.WriteAbortedException;
import java.nio.channels.SocketChannel;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Queue;
import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import org.pcj.internal.InternalCommonGroup;
import org.pcj.internal.InternalPCJ;
import org.pcj.internal.NodeData;
import org.pcj.internal.message.Message;
import org.pcj.internal.message.MessageType;
import org.pcj.internal.network.MessageDataInputStream;
import org.pcj.internal.network.MessageDataOutputStream;

/**
 * @author Marek Nowicki (faramir@mat.umk.pl)
 */
public final class GatherValueMessage<T> extends Message {

    private int groupId;
    private int requestNum;
    private int requesterThreadId;
    private Map<Integer, T> valueMap;
    private Queue<Exception> exceptions;

    public GatherValueMessage() {
        super(MessageType.GATHER_VALUE);
    }

    GatherValueMessage(int groupId, int requestNum, int requesterThreadId, Map<Integer, T> valueMap, Queue<Exception> exceptions) {
        this();
        this.groupId = groupId;
        this.requestNum = requestNum;
        this.requesterThreadId = requesterThreadId;
        this.valueMap = valueMap;
        this.exceptions = exceptions;
    }

    @Override
    public void write(MessageDataOutputStream out) throws IOException {
        out.writeInt(groupId);
        out.writeInt(requestNum);
        out.writeInt(requesterThreadId);
        boolean exception = ((exceptions != null) && (!exceptions.isEmpty()));
        out.writeBoolean(exception);
        if (exception) {
            out.writeObject(exceptions);
        } else {
            out.writeObject(valueMap);
        }
    }

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    @Override
    public void onReceive(SocketChannel sender, MessageDataInputStream in) throws IOException {
        groupId = in.readInt();
        requestNum = in.readInt();
        requesterThreadId = in.readInt();

        boolean exceptionOccurred = in.readBoolean();
        try {
            if (!exceptionOccurred) {
                valueMap = (Map<Integer, T>) in.readObject();
            } else {
                exceptions = (Queue<Exception>) in.readObject();
            }
        } catch (WriteAbortedException ex) {
            LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "WriteAbortedException occurred: {0}", ex.getMessage());
            return;
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            exceptions = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
            exceptions.add(ex);
        }

        NodeData nodeData = InternalPCJ.getNodeData();
        InternalCommonGroup commonGroup = nodeData.getCommonGroupById(groupId);

        GatherStates states = commonGroup.getGatherStates();
        GatherStates.State<T> state = (GatherStates.State<T>) states.remove(requestNum, requesterThreadId);

        state.signal(valueMap, exceptions);
    }
}


text:
Drinks distribution giant moves into cannabis
18 May 2018 By Amy Hopkins
Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits will become the first drinks distribution company to move into the cannabis industry in Canada.
Recreational cannabis use is set to be legalised in Canada this summer
Southern Glazer's, the largest wine and spirits distribution group in North America, has created a subsidiary exclusively for the representation of cannabis products in Canada.
The unit, called Great North Distributors, has entered into a partnership with cannabis producer Aphria to distribute its products throughout Canada once recreational cannabis use is legalised in the country later this year.
The "first-of-its-kind deal" will see Great North Distributors create a dedicated cannabis sales team that will act as the selling agent for Aphria's portfolio.
Under the terms of the agreement, Aphria will receive access to all cannabis retailers in Canada from the first day the drug is legalised.
Doug Wieland, executive vice president and general manager, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Canada, said: "Our decision to become the first beverage alcohol distributor to facilitate the legal distribution of cannabis in Canada reinforces our innovative, first-mover position in the industry.
"We are thrilled to partner with cannabis industry leader Aphria, and to leverage our experience and expertise to ensure the efficient, legal and safe distribution of cannabis in Canada."
Southern Glazer's has stated its intention to apply its "industry-leading data analytics capabilities to the new cannabis industry".
Jakob Ripshtein, chief commercial officer of Aphria, added: "With this agreement, Aphria has established an unparalleled sales network, and will hit the ground running from the very first day of legal adult-use sales.
"Great North Distributors provides us with an experienced, dedicated team with a proven track record of driving sales and exceptional performance across all provinces. This deal will ensure that Aphria's brands and products are proudly represented by cannabis retailers throughout the country."
Recreational use of marijuana is expected to become legal in Canada in August 2018.
According to analysts at Euromonitor International, the legalisation of cannabis in Canada sets the industry up for rapid growth, and poses the risk of cannibalising drinks sales.
However, analysts also noted that premium cannabis strains have the same appeal as 'artisanal' spirits. As such, premium suppliers could bridge the gap between the two industries through hybrid products and collaborations.
US drinks giant Constellation Brands last year acquired a minority stake in cannabis producer Canopy Growth Corporation for CA$245 million (US$191m) and outlined its plans to move into cannabis-based beverages.
A few weeks later, US company Puration announced its intention to take cannabis drinks to the Canadian market following legalisation this year.


We're running campaigns to defend and promote more open spaces, wild places and wildlife by reducing plastic pollution, banning bee-killing pesticides, defending public lands, blocking offshore drilling and protecting tropical forests.
For centuries, we sacrificed nature in our lives for the sake of economic progress. But that's not a world we have to live in anymore. Nor is it the future our children deserve—especially when we're being told to accept less nature in our lives just so we can produce and consume more stuff we don't need.
There are so many—too many to name—iconic animals native to America that are now endangered or threatened. There's the right whale, sperm whale, humpback whale and fin whale. The sea otter, ringed seal, Steller sea lion, manatee and loggerhead turtle. On land there's the polar bear and grizzly bear, the gray wolf, the Florida panther, the ocelot, and the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep.
We've sacrificed enough nature in our lives.
Fortunately, we live in the country that created the world's first national parks. At our best, we as a people have acted out of a deep desire to protect the places we love, both those that are close to home as well as those that define our country and our people, from the Grand Canyon to the Great Lakes, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters.
No Bees, No Food: We're fighting to save bees and other pollinators by urging our state and others to ban bee-killing pesticides.
Tropical Forest Protection: To protect endangered species, we must protect the world's tropical forests. We're doing our part by urging companies to commit to stop cutting them down—a commitment known as zero-deforestation. We are currently focusing on the beef and soybean supply chain.
Environmental Defense: Our Public Lands: We're standing up for our national monuments and other public lands by blocking attempts to remove their protections.
Environmental Defense: Our Oceans: We're defending our oceans, marine wildlife and beaches by opposing plans for new oil and gas drilling along nearly the entire coastline of the country.
None of this will be easy. Some opponents will push in the opposite direction because they hold different values. Some will oppose us out of self-interest. But it's up to us to stand up for Maine and our country's special places and all the life they support.
Put the environment first. The value of nature is immeasurable, derived not only from the resources it provides but from its inherent beauty. "In wildness," as Thoreau put it, "is the preservation of the world." Through our research and public education, we're working to shift more hearts and minds over to this point of view.
Build on what works. Our national network has won policies that have resulted in more protections for open spaces, wild places and wildlife at every level. From winning bans on disposable plastic bags to reaching 670,000 people with our call to ban bee-killing pesticides, from putting nearly 60 million acres of national forest off-limits to logging and new roads to a 20-year moratorium on new mining around the Grand Canyon.
Work together. Our national network works to unite people from all across the political spectrum around protecting and preserving nature, whether it's hikers and campers in Oregon who want wild places to explore, or religious leaders in Pennsylvania who want all of us to be good stewards of the Earth. Our advocates in Washington, D.C., lobby members of Congress from both parties. Our advocates in the states build coalitions that include hunters and whitewater rafters, serious climbers and casual hikers, business owners and educators, and people from all walks of life. Our organizers and canvassers engage literally hundreds of thousands of people.
Moving beyond plastic foam is something we can do right now, right here. If we win, we'll see a difference in cleaner beaches and parks, and we'll know it's making a difference to the wildlife in our rivers, lakes and oceans.
Let's choose wildlife over waste. Tell our governor and lawmakers to ban plastic foam take-out cups and containers.


text:
Cyanide Spill in Argentina Highlights Canadian Mining Crimes
madarakaonline September 28, 2015 Uncategorized
'They cannot continue to handle affairs that are so delicate, that affect the environment and people this way.'
Published on Friday, September 25, 2015
By Common Dreams
Deirdre Fulton, staff writer
The Argentine government announced it was launching a legal investigation of the Canadian firm to see if there had been any criminal wrongdoing. If so, the company will allegedly face sanctions. The firm is already being sued in civil court over the leak, with plaintiffs demanding that it pay compensation for harm done to people, goods, and the environment.
Highlighting how corporate extractivism and lack of accountability is driving the destruction of Latin American communities, a Canadian mining company has now confirmed that more than one million liters of cyanide solution spilled from the Barrick Gold Veladero mine in San Juan, Argentina this month—making the spill more than four times larger than originally estimated.
The Toronto-headquartered mining company initially said it had spilled just 224,000 liters of the toxic liquid, used to leach gold from processed rocks, into the Potrerillos River. On Wednesday, the corporation amended its statement (pdf) and said that in fact 1.072 million liters of a cyanide and water solution were spilled due to a failure in one of the valves in the mine's pipes.
The spill occurred on September 12, "and news quickly spread among local residents through social media, causing them to stockpile bottled water in fear," the Argentina Independent reported Thursday. Last week, thousands rallied together in the city of Jáchal to protest the mining company.
Barrick—dubbed one of "The 12 Least Ethical Companies in the World" by the Swiss research firm Covalence in 2010—claims that "no risks to human health were identified."
But a joint statement from the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN), Greenpeace Argentina, and the Argentine Association of Environmental Lawyers, made it clear that environmental protection groups remain unconvinced about the long-term impact of the spill.
"Even if the judge is understood to have put into place a series of conditions, we are concerned by the secrecy with which the incident was handled, the scarce information about the circumstances of the event provided by the authorities and the risk management measures and contingencies," said (Spanish) Pía Marchegiani of FARN. "They cannot continue to handle affairs that are so delicate, that affect the environment and people this way."
The groups are criticizing a judge's decision on Thursday to lift orders suspending operations of the mine, suggesting that the local government conspired with Barrick to cover-up the magnitude of the leak and its potential consequences.
Just this week, MiningWatch Canada and the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group released a damning report linking Canadian mining interests throughout the Americas with intensifying repression and violence against mining-affected communities.
The new report — entitled In the National Interest? Criminalization of Land and Environment Defenders in the Americas — argues that "the model of industrial mineral extraction that Canada promotes abroad is informed by deregulation of the extractive sector at home and a colonialist past and present that — with renewed fervor in recent years — views those who speak out as a threat to the national interest and hence a target for spy agencies, tax audits, funding cuts, and gratuitous policing."
"Far from ensuring that mining-affected communities enjoy the full range of protection under the law, governments — including the Canadian government — have twisted the law to protect and promote mining interests by targeting community activists and defenders," said Jen Moore, Latin America program coordinator for MiningWatch Canada. "It has become a low-intensity war against communities and organizations who are fighting for environmental justice in Latin America."
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/09/25/million-liter-cyanide-spill-argentina-highlights-canadian-mining-crimes
Previous South Africa: Strike at West Coast sand mine turns nasty
Next Tanzania: Dar Finds Massive Graphite Deposits


text:
Rochdale: Katie Hopkins reported to police over 'inciting racial hatred' against Pakistani community
By Samantha Payne
March 30, 2015 15:11 BST
Katie Hopkins has been reported to police after being accused of inciting racial hatred against the Pakistani community in Rochdale.
Simon Danczuk MP hit back against the Sun columnist for her tweet, linking the child abuse scandal that engulfed the town in 2012 to the raising of the Pakistani flag.
Danczuk who represents the town, attended the flag raising event at the town hall to celebrate National Pakistan Day on 23 March.
She tweeted: "Raising a Pakistani flag in Rochdale is not helping community cohesion. It is inflammatory."
Raising a Pakistani flag in Rochdale is not helping community cohesion. it is inflammatory. @SimonDanczuk you & your party disgust me.
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) March 23, 2015
He told the BBC he complained to Greater Manchester's Police Commissioner, Tony Lloyd to investigate if a crime had been committed, which has now been forwarded on to Greater Manchester Police.
"It is not right that somebody who has little to do with Rochdale incited hatred of this kind," he said.
"Rochdale is a very cohesive community - people work well together.
"Of course there are tensions, like there are in other communities, but people rub together really well and we don't need outsiders like Katie Hopkins to come in and cause trouble just for the sake of causing trouble and creating Sun headlines."
Hopkins has still not made a comment concerning the police complaint – but has thanked people on Twitter for their support.
Nine members of a paedophile gang were jailed after being found guilty of sexual abusing more than 40 girls as young as 13 across Rochdale and Heywood in 2012.
The Rochdale paedophile gang jailed in 2012 for sexually exploiting young girls GMP
Following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police, which was supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), the force has decided no one will face misconduct proceedings after examining the actions of 13 officers.
Assistant chief constable, Dawn Copley, apologised on behalf of the force, after acknowledging mistakes were made.
He said: "For our part in that we apologise to the victims and we give them our assurance that lessons have been learned, changes have been made and we are determined to use this to continue making improvements.


HB 1015 was approved by the Louisiana state legislature on June 2, 2014 and signed into law by the Governor on June 23, 2014 as Act 833. It became effective Aug. 1, 2014.
Our analysis of the final version of HB 1015 is available here (PDF).
EdWeek "On Special Education" blog post is available here.
A bill working its way through the Louisiana state legislature (H.B. 1015) proposes significant changes to the manner in which the state's 70,000 + students with disabilities will be educated.
Designed to address the exceedingly low rate that students with disabilities earn a regular high school diploma (see table below), H.B. 1015 will allow IEP teams to substitute IEP goals for any and all of the state's graduation requirements that apply to all other students. The same applies to grade promotion.
The proposal has lots of support – from parents, from legislators, and from the state's Developmental Disabilities Council, which is working hard for its passage. There is alot of misinformation associated with the rationale for this bill – primarily the inaccurate claim that 28 states leave graduation requirements for students with disabilities up to the IEP team. While many states allow IEP teams some level of involvement in matters related to how a student will exit school, most are restricted by state and local policies. Few are as sweeping as the policy proposed by H.B. 1015.
students, parents, institutions of higher education and employers will be confronted with a regular diploma that means little if anything to life beyond school – and means something different for every student.
The poor academic performance of students with disabilities in Louisiana shouldn't be used as a rationale for moving away from state standards, assessment results, and graduation requirements. While H.B. 1015, if implemented, might produce a bump in graduation rates, it will do little to improve academic performance. In fact, states with the highest graduation rates for students with disabilities have very tough and tight policies – states like Massachusetts and Maryland.
As articulated by Jeff Spitzer-Resnick in his recent blog post, its time to Stop Paternalizing Children with Disabilities.
As first appeared in Education Week January 28, 2014. Reprinted with permission from Editorial Projects in Education.
The writer is director of The Advocacy Institute and author of Diplomas at Risk: A Critical Look at the Graduation Rate of Students with Learning Disabilities, a 2013 report published by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. The sponsor of H.B. 1015 misrepresented the purpose and recommendations of this report in his opening statement to the House Education Committee on April 29, 2014. The National Center for Learning Disabilities has sent this letter to the members of the Louisiana House and Senate.
Letter in opposition signed by 8 national organization.
The Huffington Post article published on May 15, 2014.
The "On Special Education" blog published on May 21, 2014.
Analysis of final version of HB 1015 by The Advocacy Institute and the Center for Law and Education.


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