"The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago, and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital."
With this defiant declaration, to a thunderous ovation at AIPAC, Benjamin Netanyahu informed the United States that East Jerusalem, taken from Jordan in the Six Day War, is not occupied land. It is Israeli land and Israel's forever, and no Palestinian state will share Jerusalem. Israel alone decides what is built, and where, in the Holy City.
With his declaration and refusal to walk back the decision to build 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem, which blew up the Biden mission, "Bibi" goes home a winner over Barack Obama.
But it is a temporary triumph and hollow victory—over Israel's indispensable ally. For the clash revealed that the perceived vital interests of Israel now collide with vital U.S. interest in the Middle East.
What are the major points of contention?
To Netanyahu, withdrawal from Gaza was a strategic blunder that led to a Hamas takeover and rockets on Israel. That blunder will not be repeated with the West Bank. Israel had a hellish time forcing 8,000 Jews to leave Gaza and will not force 250,000 Jews to leave ancestral lands on the West Bank to create a Palestinian state where the possibility will always exist that Hamas will win at the ballot box and become the government. As for Jerusalem, its city limits are now Israel's permanent borders. Annexation is irreversible.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is occupied territory. Building there violates international law. Peace requires a sharing of Jerusalem, return of almost all of the West Bank and withdrawal of the Jewish settlers. And any land annexed by Israel must be compensated for with Israeli land ceded to the Palestinians.
That the U.S. position is not anti-Israel is attested to by the fact that Prime Ministers Ehud Barack and Ehud Olmert came close to a peace with the Palestinians based on these principles.
Netanyahu, however, does not accept them. For he won office denouncing them, and in his ruling coalition are parties that not only opposed withdrawal from Gaza, they oppose a Palestinian state.
Given the irreconcilable positions, the deadlock, why will Israel not prevail as she always prevails in such collisions? Why would Bibi's "No" to Obama's demand for a halt to the building of settlements and a cancellation of the 1,600 housing units in Jerusalem not be the final and irrevocable answer that Obama must grudgingly accept?
Answer: There is a new party to the quarrel: the U.S. military, in the person of Gen. David Petraeus.
According to Foreign Policy magazine, in January, a delegation of senior officers from Petraeus' command were sent to brief Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen.
Mullen took this stark message—that America was seen as too weak to stand up to Israel, and the U.S. military posture was eroding in the Arab world as a result—straight to the White House. Hence, when Joe Biden was sandbagged in Israel, he apparently tore into Bibi in private.
"This is starting to get dangerous for us," Biden reportedly told Netanyahu. "What you're doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Yedioth Ahronoth further reported: "The vice president told his Israeli hosts that since many people in the Muslim world perceived a connection between Israel's actions and U.S. policy, any decision about construction that undermines Palestinian rights in East Jerusalem could have an impact on the personal safety of American troops."
Biden was saying Israeli intransigence could cost American lives.
Each new report of settlement expansion, each new seizure of Palestinian property, each new West Bank clash between Palestinians and Israeli troops inflames the Arab street, humiliates our Arab allies, exposes America as a weakling that cannot stand up to Israel, and imperils our troops and their mission in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As this message has now been delivered by Gen. Petraeus to his commander in chief, Obama simply cannot back down again. If he does not stand up now for U.S. interests, which are being imperiled by Israeli actions, he will lose the backing of his soldiers.
U.S.-Israeli relations are approaching a "Whose side are you on?" moment. Either Bibi backs down this time—or Obama loses his soldiers.


China is the largest peer to peer lending market in the world originating over $40 billion in loans for 2014. While estimates vary, there are over 1500 p2p lenders in the country today – a number that is expected to decline once the government releases forthcoming regulations to reign in the rocketing industry.
According to a report in Shanghai Daily, P2P lending jumped 2.7 times the year prior number for the month of April placing originations at an incredible $8.9 billion or 55.1 billion yuan. While the dramatic increase was less than the one in March – if the trend continues China may top $100 billion in loans for P2P in 2015. The big variable remains the new rules which will be announced in June.
Fraudulent operators in the online funding space has remained endemic in China for quite some time. Recently a director at the Economic Investigation Bureau stated that approximately 70 P2P platforms were under investigation involving approximately 6 billion yuan.
This entry was posted in Asia, Global and tagged asia, china, ma jun, marketplace, p2p, peer to peer. Bookmark the permalink.


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← The Faulty Logic Behind the Defense of Divinely Inspired Biblical Massacres
– Emigrants are 'delighted to go' – Perry →
Argentina Takes on Vulture Funds in "Debt Trial of the Century"
For years, "vulture funds" have preyed on struggling nations by purchasing their debt for a pittance. Could an upcoming U.S. court decision put an end to the extortion of poor countries?
Last October, soldiers from the West African nation of Ghana boarded an Argentine naval ship called the Libertad. They overtook the crew and brought the ship to port in the town of Tema. This was not an act of piracy, at least not in the sense we normally understand it. The detaining of the Libertad took place after hedge fund NML Capital convinced a Ghanaian court that the ship, which was sailing in Ghanaian jurisdiction, should be held ransom for a debt the hedge funds claimed Argentina owed them.
The saga began in 2001, when Argentina was thrown into economic crisis and defaulted on its loans. Hedge funds swooped in and bought Argentine debt for almost nothing and circled until the country was in recovery to collect the debt in full.
The case is set to be decided in the coming days in the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court, the jurisdiction in which the original loans were contracted. The decision will impact whether certain hedge funds commonly known as "vulture funds"—funds that buy a struggling country's debt for pennies on the dollar and then sue for the full amount when a country is in recovery—will continue to extort poor countries.
The long 2nd Circuit Court proceedings between Argentina and hedge funds NML Capital and Aurelius has propelled the international debt crisis into the spotlight. It's been called the "debt trial of the century," and the proceedings could have the most far-reaching impacts on global poverty in our lifetime.
The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court is the case's last stop before the U.S. Supreme Court, and if the vulture funds win, it will mean these funds will be allowed to more aggressively target poor countries in financial recovery. Argentina would possibly default. But if Argentina wins, it will be much harder for these types of hedge funds to exploit poor countries in the future, destabilize emerging economies, and target assets that should be improving the lives of the world's most vulnerable people.
Because the U.S. government acknowledges that this behavior hurts legitimate investors and poor people, the Obama Administration filed a friend-of-the-court brief that argued that a ruling against Argentina could make it much harder for poor countries or countries in financial recovery to access credit and restructure debts. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are similarly critical of vulture funds.
Vulture funds create an international version of a situation that often takes place on the individual level: You lose your job and you can't pay your debts. You file for bankruptcy and restructure your debts, but the owners of your hospital debt and credit card debt refuse to negotiate. Instead, these debts are sold for almost nothing to collection agencies when it could have been resolved directly with you. The collection agencies hover while you are trying to get back on your feet. When they find out a relative gave you 200 hundred dollars to take your daughter to the dentist, the collection agencies seize the money.
The equivalent impacts on a poor country just getting on the other side of a financial crisis are devastating. In 1999, a vulture fund called Donegal International bought a debt owed by Zambia for a knock-down price of $3.3 million. Most of Zambia's debt was canceled and the country began saving $40 million a year when they stopped repaying loans to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. After Zambia received this debt relief, Donegal sued the African nation for $55 million and in April 2007, the court ruled that Zambia must pay $15.4 million—roughly 65 percent of the debt relief that was specifically directed for development projects. A huge profit for the vulture fund and a theft from the poorest Zambians.
Typically, vulture funds refuse to negotiate with countries who are indebted to them. They often make 400 percent profits with their legal proceedings, which often take place in New York or London courts where previous contracts on the loans were signed. "These funds are among the very worst actors in our international financial system," notes Dr. Collins Magalasi, executive director of the Zimbabwe-based African Forum and Network on Debt and Development. "They are aggressive, selfish, and greedy. In fact, they are so egregious that most legitimate investors won't stand in the same room with them."
And those running the funds continue to lobby for even greater powers.
Last June, the organization I work for, Jubilee USA Network, along with our partners at American Jewish World Service, put enough pressure on New York legislative bodies to stop proposed legislation that would allow vulture funds to sue a struggling country, even after a court had rejected their claims.
Then in November, Argentina's case was brought to the U.S. District Court, which ruled in favor of the hedge funds. Argentina was ordered to pay $1.3 billion to NML Capital and other creditors it represented. When Argentina appealed, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals froze the payout to hear new arguments from both sides.
In February, the federal appeals court heard the arguments and ultimately asked Argentina to outline a payment plan. The plan the country laid out would essentially give the holdout creditors the same deal as 92 percent of the creditors that had previously restructured after Argentina's default. It still offered a significant profit to the "vulture" funds.
The hedge funds rejected this plan; now we wait for the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court to issue a final ruling.
Last October, the Libertad was returned to Argentine waters by Ghana. We hope to see a similar outcome in the case of NML Capital LTD, v. The Republic of Argentina. The legal outcome will either offer more devastation or greater protections for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.
via Argentina Takes on Vulture Funds in "Debt Trial of the Century".
About Old Boy
Love the past and the future but live in the present
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Posted on April 28, 2013, in activism, Banking, buisiness, Government, IMF/ECB, International affairs, politics, Wealth and tagged Argentina, Ghana, Jubilee USA Network, New York, NML Capital, Vulture fund, World Bank, Zambia. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Illinois primary
For Illinois Presidential Primary, 16 Candidates File To Appear On Ballot
By Brian Mackey • Jan 3, 2020
Friday was the deadline for major party presidential candidates to try to get on the ballot for Illinois' upcoming primary election.
The Attorney General Race: Talk About The Speaker Dominates
By Daisy Contreras • Sep 6, 2018
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CANDIDATES' CAMPAIGNS
Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan's decision to not seek re-election after over 15 years in office drew a plethora of candidates to the ballot. The last three standing, Republican nominee Erika Harold, Democratic candidate Kwame Raoul and Libertarian Bubba Harsy, continue to battle it out with just nine weeks until the general election.
Illinois Sees Increase In Early Voting
By Mary Cullen • May 7, 2018
VOX EFX / FLICKR
Casting a ballot before election day is becoming more popular in Illinois, according to a report by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR). The group found that the percentage of voters opting to vote before election day climbed to 22 percent this primary compared to 18 percent in 2016.
Harold, Raoul Win Illinois Attorney General Primaries
By Mary Hansen • Mar 21, 2018
Erika Harold's and Kwame Raoul's campaigns
Erika Harold won the Republican nomination for Illinois attorney general, while state Sen. Kwame Raoul defeated a crowded race to win the Democratic nod. They'll face off in the general election in November.
Incumbent Attorney General Lisa Madigan set off a scramble last year when she made a surprise announcement she would not seek a fifth term. The race drew ten candidates in all.
With funding from the Republican Party and Governor Bruce Rauner, Harold beat former Burr Ridge mayor Gary Grasso, winning 60 percent of the vote.
JB Pritzker Wins Democratic Primary For Governor
By NPR Illinois Staff • Mar 20, 2018
With 46 percent of the vote, billionaire J.B. Pritzker beat out a crowded field of Democrats for the nomination for governor.


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School Games Bronze Award
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the School Games Bronze Award for the 2017/18 academic year.
The School Games Mark is a Government led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.
Our sporting achievements this year include:
* Healthy School Week incorporating new sporting opportunities.
* Sports Week when each class had the opportunity to try their chosen sport.
* Table tennis competition
* Sports Day
* Pupils experiencing a variety of new sports and exercise environments through our P.E. Grant
* The introduction of three Sports Ambassadors, who represent pupils views in relation to P.E. and sport.
As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.
We look forward to applying once again in 2019!


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Local NewsBridging the Divide
The history of National Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is a period meant for recognizing those who left a positive impact on American culture, educating the youth and celebrating their achievements. It first began in 1968.
By: Alicia Pattillo
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — National Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of a very rich culture and a time to recognize the achievements of Hispanic and Latin American champions.
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the contributions made those rooted in Latin American Countries, including Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
The month also recognizes those with roots in Spain.
The observation of the holiday began in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson.
It was expanded in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan and since then Hispanic Heritage Month has been observed from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
It is first celebrated on Sept. 15 because that is when Costa Rica, EL Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua earned their independence from Spain in 1821.
Mexico, Chile and Belize became independent on the 16th, 18th and 21st.
Throughout the holiday many celebrate with family, food, music and festivals.


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Awards of Mabetex Group
The success story behind Mabetex Group
Nursultan, 28.08.2020
big gratitude from the administration of the impressive opera and ballet house, situated in the Kazak capital Nursultan (formerly Astana), to Mr. Behgjet Pacolli,
for the execution and completion of this exceptional project
State Order "Kurmet" Medal.
Republic of Kazakhstan.
The President of the Republic, H. E. Mr. Bujar Nishani awarded, the President and C.O. of Mabetex Group Mr. Behgjet Pacolli with the Nation's Honor Medal: "For creating the positive image of the Albanian in the world as a successful entrepreneur in many countries of the globe and his humanitarian activity serving peace".
Mr. Behgjet Pacolli has been awarded with the solemn medal of "20 years of Kazakhstan's Constitution" President of Republic of Kazakhstan.
Sary-Arka Velodrome Astana.
Mabetex awarded with the Certificate of Excellence.
to Mr. Behgjet Pacolli, Prishtina Republic of Kosovo
Mr. Afrim Pacolli awarded.
By the decree of 7th, December 2007 has been awarded by "Dostyk" decoration of 2nd degree.
To award Agim Pacolli
by the decoration of "10 years of Astana" for the considerable contribution to the formation and development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its capital. The President of Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Republic of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev
To Mr. Behgjet Pacolli
Behgjet Pacolli Symbol of Human Values
To Mr. Behgjet Pacolli for his merits and for the contribution to the humankind and for the aid given to the children orphaned during the war in Kosovo.
President Ilir Çumani
General Director of the National Institute for Integration of Albanian Orphans
MID Ministry of Foreign Affairs Astana Kazakhstan built by Mabetex Group.
Behgjet Pacolli was born like all great men of history from a poor family...
Dear Mr. Agim Pacolli! I express you my gratitude for your charities in the name of children of our city. With all my heart I wish you health, the well-being, new successes our activity! Thanks for ability to compassionate and create good.
Akim of Astana A. Dzhaksybekov.
Mabetex awarded for the Presidential Palace project with "The Best Foreign Project" during the Second International Forum "Architectural Beau Monde-2001" by the Union of Architects of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kremlin Residence of the President of Russian Federation
The Government of the Russian Federation.
To Mr. B. Pacolli, President of the firm Mabetex Group Project Engineering Moscow, April, 3rd 1998.
Prime Minister of Russian Federation V. S. Chernomyrdin.
Republic of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. To Behgjet Pacolli, I hereby express to you all my gratitude for building and restoring the governmental palaces of our new capital. The people of Kazakhstan have deeply appreciated the modern architectural look of the City of Akmola...
Letter of acknowledgement written by P.P. Borodin, the Head of the Department of Presidential Affairs (Russia) and the medal for Mr. Pacolli's excellent work.
By "Russian Federation President's Decree" dated 23rd of May 1997 Mr. Behgjet Pacolli awarded the state decree of the Russian Federation in "Literature and Arts Moscow".
The Kremlin Nr. of Decree 296
Most excellent, most esteemed Mr. Behgjet Paolli; I am grateful for this occasion which gives me the opportunity to congratulate you sincere friend and supporter of the republic of Sakha (Jakutia)
President of Republic of Sakha Yakutia, Mickail Nikolayev
Honorary Diplom to Mr. Behgjet Pacolli, as VIP guest to the inauguration ceremony of Russian President
Gratitude to Mabetex for the organization of Kosovare Cultural Event in Lugano
Dear Mr. Behgjet Pacolli,
I thank you and firm Mabetex for actively taking part in the reconstruction of the building of the house of the Government of the Federation Council and of the Kremlin.
I wish you health, success and prosperity.
B. Yelsin
Dear Mr. Pacolli,
The Ministry of Sanity of the Republic of Sakha Yakutia... express sincere gratitude to you, and through you to all employees and suppliers of "Mabetex" for the great work done in the construction of the Center for Care of the Maternity and children's in Yakutsk.
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Sakha (Yakuztsk) P. Jakovlev the Director General "Sakhavneshstroj Jakovlev" J. P. Buslaev.


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It's More Fun to Be Jack of All Trades than Master of One
Reviews & recaps of media I've consumed
Tag: baroque
Baroque! – From St Peter's to St Paul's; Guilty Pleasures
Baroque! – From St Peter's to St Paul's was a three part series presented by Waldemar Januszczak about Baroque art and architecture. The three programmes moved in geography (covering Italy, Spain & the Netherlands, and Britain respectively) and forwards in time. He started off with the story of how baroque art has its roots in the Counter Reformation – basically intended to propagate the "right" Christian message via eye-catching art. In particular as a response to the more austere Protestant sensibility, a sort of "you say we have too much art? we'll show you too much art!". As the movement took off in Spain (via Naples – a Spanish colony) the religious subject matter became darker and more visceral. Baroque artists also became the court painters of the era. Januszczak was entertainingly dismissive of the Hapsburg rulers of Spain & the Spanish Netherlands (and to be fair, there's a lot there to to be dismissive of) while extolling the virtues of their taste in art. The Spanish court paintings were one of the vectors that introduced baroque art & architecture to England – Charles I's visit to Spain when he was hoping to marry a Spanish princess brought him into contact with the court culture and painting. This wasn't to be the baroque movement's first jump to a Protestant nation – that was the Netherlands. Once the baroque took a hold in England it was given extra space to grow because of the Great Fire of London – about half of the last episode of this series was about the various churches (including St Paul's) which were rebuilt in a baroque style after that disaster.
I've found it hard to write about what was in the programmes, because a lot of the point was (unsurprisingly) the visuals – Januszczak showed us a lot of paintings and buildings both well known and not. The style of the programme was gloriously over the top, as befits the subject matter. Well worth watching 🙂
This week we also watched both parts of a series that we've had on the PVR for ages – Guilty Pleasures. This series was about how modern attitudes to luxury have been shaped by our cultural roots. It was presented by Michael Scott, who's a classicist, so it's no surprise that the first episode was about the influence of the Ancient Greeks; the second episode was about the influence of medieval Christianity. In Ancient Greece he followed three strands of Greek attitudes to luxury – the first of these was the Athenian democracy that spent time and legislation on trying to prevent ostentatious private luxuries by channeling the urge to consume into public luxuries. And tried to tie society together by having ritual communal luxuries – like sacrificing large numbers of cows which would then give every citizen some meat. The Spartans in some ways had their downfall through unsuccessfully navigating this tension between public & private luxury. As prominent Spartan citizens began to gather wealth to themselves rather than live in the spartan communal fashion their society began to decline. And the last society he touched on in that episode was the Macedonians who embrace luxury (for the ruler) much more than the Athenians or Spartans – they use their wealth as a propaganda tool and to enhance the division between the ruler and the ruled (unlike the more egalitarian principles of Athens or Sparta).
By the middle ages luxury has become a sin. Having contact with luxurious things is supposed to lead you into ever worse sin – fine foods, fine clothing is just a precursor to other indulgences. Scott also talked about how the Black Death actually led to increased luxury for the people who survived. People at the lower reaches of society in particular gained land and better pay because there was a lack of labour available. Which increased the feelings of guilt around luxury. Another factor was that the plague was seen as God's punishment on people, and so at higher levels of society people took a second look at their lives and came to the conclusion that God was not pleased about their sinfulness (including their luxuries).
And Scott tied it together at the end by thinking a little about modern attitudes to luxury, in particular in the wake of the 2008 banking crisis. The Greek influences can been seen in how we generally react to conspicuous consumption as divisive, and the medieval influences are most obvious in the very idea of a "guilty pleasure".
Other TV watched this week:
Episode 2 of The Stuarts – a series about the Stuart Kings of England & Scotland, presented by Clare Jackson, and about how they shaped the United Kingdom and how they were shaped by it. Broadcast on the Scottish version of BBC2 only.
Episode 1 of Bible Hunters – series about the search for early texts of the Bible in Egypt.
Episode 1 of Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England – this was part of the BBC's Tudor Season in 2013. It's a series about life in Elizabethan times from the perspective of the differences between now and then, what you'd need to know if you could travel back there.
New Secrets of the Terracotta Warriors – Channel 4 one-off programme about the terracotta army found buried near the Emperor Qin's grave in China. Partly about the history of Qin era China (the first unification of the country in c.200BC, and partly about the techniques currently being used to learn more about the terracotta soldiers. A little shallow.
Episode 1 of The Great British Year – series about British wildlife and countryside over the whole year. Lots of gorgeous shots of animals, and timelapse sequences of landscapes.
Britain's Most Fragile Treasure – Janina Ramirez programme about the East Window in York Cathedral. How it was made, who made it, how it's being conserved, and what the various scenes and stories are.
Author MargaretPosted on February 21, 2014 Tags architecture, art, art history, baroque, britain, christianity, greece, history, italy, Januszczak, Waldemar, netherlands, Scott, Michael, spain, Television (Non-fiction)
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Horoscope for Jan. 16
St. Augustine Record
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016
(March 21 to April 19)
You might feel emotional today because the moon is still in your sign. This is why you might get testy with someone this afternoon. Patience!
(April 20 to May 20)
With your strong desire to travel now, you might be doing something behind the scenes. Sometimes this is necessary before you announce to everyone what you're really going to do.
(May 21 to June 20)
A female companion will be important to you today. Be patient in order to avoid disagreements. A discussion about your future goals is likely.
(June 21 to July 22)
Details about your private life might be made public today. Avoid a public argument if you can, because you will regret this later.
(July 23 to Aug. 22)
Make travel plans for the future today. Avoid squabbles with co-workers if there is a conflict. Chill out, and don't worry.
(Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)
Today's a good day to think about how to deal with bills, shared property and red-tape details. You can ignore these for only so long, then you're in trouble!
(Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)
Be accommodating to others because the moon is still opposite your sign today. This means you have to go more than halfway with a bit of compromise. No biggie.
(Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)
It will please you to do something to get more organized at work or at home today. Make a list and check off some items one by one. You'll love yourself for this at the end of the day.
(Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)
You feel playful today, which might make work a bit challenging. But you can always make plans to have fun at the end of the day, can't you?
(Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)
It will please you to cocoon at home among familiar surroundings today, because you need a break from all the busyness around you. So much attention with the Sun in your sign right now!
(Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)
Discussions with siblings, relatives and neighbors will be significant today. Keep things civil, because you have to deal with these people in the future.
(Feb. 19 to March 20)
A minor dispute about something you own or perhaps money might arise today. If it's minor, don't make a big deal about things, because later, you might feel uncomfortable.
BORN TODAY - You are gutsy, hardworking, reliable and, above all, thorough. You do your homework. You like the satisfaction of completion. Great news! This is perhaps one of the most powerful years of your life - a time of accumulation. The seeds you have planted in the past will now ripen because it's a time of fruition.
This is also a good year to buy and sell.


On Friday, oil prices dived at approximately 2.5%. Brent crude futures slid for about 2.52% and were traded at $48.06 a barrel ($1.24 lower). The United States West Texas Intermediate crude futures closed at $45.77 a barrel after a drop of $1.15 or 2.45%.
According to Gene McGillian, the head of the market research unit at Tradition Energy, this occurred as investors were expecting a rise in oil exports for July even after OPEC's pledge to limit supply meant initially to generate stability in global energy markets.
The British pound sterling hit a near eight-month low against the euro on Friday. The Sterling lost 0.1% towards 89.76 by 14:39 GMT in spite of having touched a high of 89.91 earlier.
This drop was considered the currency's worst week since October 2016 and its weakest point since early November of 2016. Economists explain that the shift in the pound's value was probably the result of investors' concerns after the ECB's chief, Mario Draghi, hinted there could be possible changes in the central bank's quantitative easing policy. These changes are scheduled to be discussed in the autumn of 2017.


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Thanks for submitting your review of Dos Santos International. We'll email you as soon as it's published, (typically within 48 hours). We really value your contributions, and so does our community of business professionals. They count on honest reviews like yours.
Thanks for submitting your review of Dos Santos International.


Quebec, French Québec, city, port, and capital of Quebec province, Canada. One of the oldest cities in Canada—having celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008—Quebec city has a distinct old-world character and charm. It is the only remaining walled city in North America north of Mexico and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Among its other distinguishing characteristics are its narrow cobblestone streets, stone buildings, fortifications, and rich French Canadian culture grounded in the French language. The city's splendid views of the surrounding landscape and unique character were noted as early as 1842 during a visit by Charles Dickens, who called Quebec the "Gibraltar of North Amerca." In addition to being a major tourist destination, Quebec is an administrative centre and a port city for transatlantic trade. Its location at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Saint-Charles rivers, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Montreal, provided a number of strategic military advantages: because of the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River, Quebec was the farthest upstream oceangoing vessels could navigate, and the city's fortifications on a high ridge had a commanding view of the river. Area 175 square miles (454 square km); metro. area, 1,293 square miles (3,349 square km). Pop. (2011) 516,576; metro. area, 767,310; (2016) 531,902; metro. area, 800,296.
The first European to visit the area was French explorer Jacques Cartier, who was seeking a route to Asia as well as searching for valuable minerals such as gold and diamonds. On his second voyage to North America, he sailed up the St. Lawrence in 1535 and wintered in the Huron Indian village of Stadacona (the site of modern Quebec city). Cartier made a third and final trip to the region in 1541, bringing settlers to establish a French colony at Stadacona, though they abandoned this effort after a couple of years. It was not until furs became an exceptionally valuable commodity by 1600 that the French renewed their interest in maintaining control of New France. In 1608 Samuel de Champlain installed the first permanent base in Canada at Quebec, which grew as a fortified fur-trading post. The St. Lawrence and its tributaries gave the French the best access to the interior of North America and control over the fur trade, an advantage that the British wanted to gain. Quebec, the guardian of New France, was under constant threat. In 1629 it was captured by the British, who held it until 1632, when the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye restored it to France. There were other attempts by the British to capture this stronghold, but all failed until the famous Battle of Quebec on the Plains of Abraham (adjacent to the city) in 1759, in which the French were defeated. Shortly thereafter most of the French-held territory in North America was ceded to Great Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
In 1759, during the French and Indian War, British troops landed upstream from Quebec and defeated the French troops on the Plains of Abraham. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Warfare in the region did not end with the capture of New France, however. Britain reinforced the military defenses of the city in time to repel an attack during the American Revolution in the second Battle of Quebec in 1775. The breakaway of the United States from British North America had important cultural, economic, and political implications for Quebec. Under the Quebec Act of 1774, French Canadians retained their language, religion, and other cultural institutions, which therefore allowed Quebec city to remain a centre of French culture. With the arrival of displaced Loyalists following American independence, settlement (mostly west of Quebec) increased, and so did trade with Britain, much of it through the port of Quebec, thus elevating the city's economic status. The increase in an English-speaking population contributed to the British Parliament's passage of the Constitutional Act (1791), which split the large colony of Quebec into two provinces: Upper Canada (now the province of Ontario) and Lower Canada (now the province of Quebec). Quebec city, formerly the capital of the colony, remained the capital of Lower Canada. It was incorporated in 1832 and was given its actual charter in 1840, the year that Parliament voted to rejoin Upper and Lower Canada as the Province of Canada. In 1864 the city was the site of the conference of British North American colonies convened to plan the confederation of Canada, which was achieved in 1867, following passage of the British North America Act.
Contemporary depiction of the unsuccessful British attack on Quebec city in 1690. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Map of Quebec (c. 1900), from the 10th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The economic base of Quebec city was subject to boom-and-bust conditions. After the British takeover of New France, Montreal gained the dominant economic position in the province, whereas Quebec became a port city exposed to economic cycles of resource demand. Population growth in Quebec city also was relatively slow in comparison with that of Montreal. Still, from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, the British demand for forest products fueled Quebec's economy, and the city became the main site for British imports and exports as well as the port of entry for many immigrants. The lumbering activity also stimulated a significant local shipbuilding industry. This favourable economic position, however, was eroded by the development of steam- and steel-based technologies for ships and rail lines. Wooden vessels were no longer in demand, and the early rail lines connected Lévis (across the river) to Montreal rather than to Quebec. Moreover, the Erie Canal—which linked southern Ontario and rail lines from Montreal to Portland, Maine—diverted timber and other goods away from the St. Lawrence River and Quebec city. Improvements in navigation along the St. Lawrence between Quebec city and Montreal and the growing dependence on steam vessels further contributed to Quebec city's being bypassed in favour of Montreal. The withdrawal of the British military in 1871 was yet another economic blow to the capital city. Nevertheless, some labour-intensive manufacturing (notably tanneries, along with clothing and shoe manufacturers) remained active, and, with the development of inexpensive hydroelectric power, a pulp and paper mill located there in the 1920s; by the 1970s a refinery had been added.
Because Quebec is a capital city, civil servants and administrators make up a large portion of the service sector that dominates employment in the city. Quebec is also a major transatlantic port, handling products (mainly bulk goods) that are conveyed on the St. Lawrence Seaway, which serves the Great Lakes region of North America. The port, rail lines, and freeways also facilitate a manufacturing industry that includes newsprint, beverages and food processing, chemicals, printing, garments, and shipbuilding. The port also supports another major industry—tourism. In 2002 a cruise-ship terminal opened, and Quebec has become an important destination for this industry. Tourism has been a mainstay of the economy for well over 150 years. Quebec city is serviced by the Jean Lesage International Airport, ferry service to Lévis, and a bus system that includes electric Écolobuses.
The city has three principal districts: Upper Town, Lower Town, and St. Roch. Upper Town, as the name suggests, is located high above the river on Cape Diamond (Cap Diamant); the militarily strategic high ground. Sandwiched between the banks of the St. Lawrence and Cape Diamond is the old commercial Lower Town. St. Roch occupies the lowlands east of the Lower Town to the St. Charles River.
Surrounded by a stone wall some 2.9 miles (4.6 km) long that was constructed at the beginning of the 19th century to protect the city against feared invasion by the United States, Old Quebec is the heart of Upper Town. It is dominated by the picturesque Chateau Frontenac hotel. Construction on the copper-turreted castlelike hotel began in 1893, with its prominent central tower added in 1924. Behind the hotel, a long boardwalk overlooks the Lower Town and the St. Lawrence River.
Church, government, and military institutions all were located within the city's fortified walls and left a legacy of historic architecture. The star-shaped Citadelle (begun in 1820 and completed some 30 years later), Artillery Park, and adjacent National Battlefields Park (Plains of Abraham) are impressive features and a reminder of Quebec's military past. Today, the Citadelle remains an active military base, where the Royal 22 Regiment stages an elaborate daily changing of the guard ceremony. Also located within the city's walls is the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral (where many of the bishops of Quebec are buried). This cathedral occupies the site of the original church, which was built in 1647 but was destroyed by fire. The Anglican cathedral of the Holy Trinity (the first Anglican cathedral in Canada) and the nearby Ursuline monastery are also located in Old Quebec. Outside the walls, still in Upper Town, is the home of Quebec's National Assembly, the imposing Parliament Building (the architecture of which was influenced by the Louvre Museum in Paris). Its facade is adorned with more than two dozen bronze statues of men and women who played pivotal roles in the province's history. North and west of the Parliament Building, Upper Town blends into the St.-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood. Though it was once primarily a working-class residential area, the neighbourhood has become increasingly gentrified and the locus of chic shops and restaurants.
The Lower Town is connected to the Upper Town by steep roads and staircases, as well as by the funicular, a cable car that is more than 130 years old. In Place-Royale, Lower Town's historic commercial centre, taverns, cafes, and shops line narrow irregular cobblestone streets that extend nearly to the riverbank. Here too are the modest Church of Notre-Dame des Victoires (started in 1687; completed by 1723) and Jesuit Seminary (1663). Nearby at the old port market on summer evenings, Image Mill, a multimedia presentation on the history of Quebec city, is projected onto a grain elevator that becomes a gigantic screen.
The city's third district, St. Roch, was the industrial, manufacturing, transportation, and warehouse region of Quebec city and home to the working class. It remains the site of manufacturing, but revitalization projects that began in the 1990s transformed old warehouses and industrial sites into a pedestrian-oriented commercial district where artists, crafts, and small cafés abound.
The majority of the residents of Quebec are Roman Catholic and French-speaking; however, English is common especially for tourist venues. With only a small percentage of the population being Anglophone, most schools are French-speaking, but instruction in English also occurs. Quebec is home to Laval University (1852) and its affiliated teaching institutions as well as to the main campus of the University of Quebec (1968). Among the city's other cultural institutions are the concert hall, the Grand Théâtre, and a number of notable museums. The Place-Royale Interpretation Centre (which focuses on the history of Quebec city), the Museum of French America, and Chevalier House are affiliated with the Museum of Civilization. Other museums include the Royal 22nd Regiment Museum (within the Citadelle), the National Fine Arts Museum of Quebec, and the Musée des Ursulines de Québec (the Ursulines Museum).
Quebec city offers many opportunities to participate in sports and recreation. In winter skiing is especially popular on the slopes of the Laurentian Mountains only a few miles from the city. The Mont Sainte-Anne centre has been the scene of World Cup skiing tournaments as well as mountain bike world championships. Local hockey fans support the Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but famously continue to mourn the departure of the National Hockey League's Nordiques, who departed Quebec city in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche. Gridiron football fans celebrate Laval University's Rouge et Or ("Red and Gold"), one of the premier Canadian college teams. After an absence of many decades, minor league baseball returned to Quebec in 2005 when the Capitales joined the independent Can-Am League. Among the principal local events are the summer festival of early to mid-July and the Québec Winter Carnival, which has been held from late January to mid-February annually since 1955. The Québec Winter Carnival is one of the largest events of its kind in the world and is represented by its well-known snowman mascot, Bonhomme.


You can see spectacular views of Everest from Rongbuk Monastery, located a few km from the previous site of Everest Base Camp. If you have the time and energy levels the short walk up behind the Monastery gives some of the best views of the mountain.
There is accommodation available at the Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse. Conditions are very basic, but if the weather is clear you may be lucky enough to catch the unforgettable sunrise over the mountainin the morning. If you prefer not to stay overnight at Rongbuk then there is some slightly more comfortable accommodation available at Shegar, a 2-3 hour drive from Rongbuk.
Please note this area is at very high altitude (5,200m above sea level) and should only be visited by those who are fit and healthy, and fully acclimatised to the thin air.


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You are here: Home Mountain Memories An Early Choice
An Early Choice
Issue: April, 1986
The boys basketball team of Central Academy, 1929; the young man seated on the right is Dorn Spangler.
The trees along the ridges above Lovers Leap were still unfurnished with new leaves. Closer inspection, however, would reveal a general swelling of the buds that promised that Spring was on its way, though late, on this April morning in 1925. Over the brow of the mountains facing South and East, tree buds were larger and a few were beginning to burst into little green squirrel ears that would soon be grown leaves. Just a few hundred feet lower the red-bud bushes were in full bloom, giving a dazzlingly pink effect to the sun-drenched mountain sides.
Two riders, a man and a teenaged boy pressed their horses at a fast clip into the bright morning sunshine. Easter had come and gone and the lad was on his way to returning to the mission school at Central Academy, just 5 miles North of Stuart [Virginia]. His father had promised to take him as far as Lovers Leap and now found it hard to set the boy afoot. He was enjoying their rare conversation and the closeness that the ride had brought them, but knowing all the while that those same horses were scheduled to pull his plow later that morning. He was reluctant to press them too hard and too far down the mountain.
"Guess I'll turn around at Falling Branch", he said. "It's only about four and a half miles further and all down hill. Guess you can cut that can't you son?" The boy agreed. Then they could hear the falling water and the horses could smell it. They quickened their paces in anticipation. While the horses were drinking, the father looked deeply into his son's eyes and said, "Well it's been good having you home son. Try and be a good boy and if it's a growing spring, that corn ought to be high enough to hoe come commencement time."
"Bye Dad and thanks for the lift." Then he was off swinging his worn valise and stepping fast. When he rounded the first bend, he heard the distinct sound of the big school bell echoing up the valley, and his heart quickened. "I'll be late, but I'll be there before class is over," he thought. "My assignment paper is completed and I'll turn it in at the end of class. Bet I'll be about the only one who did his assignment during Easter," he thought. "Anyway I won't be absent." Now he was trotting and somewhat surprised at how fast the rock ledges along the banks went by. "Guess I could be a track star, if I really tried, and trained myself," he quickly thought.
He slipped through the unopened classroom door so quietly that hardly anyone noticed. The teacher, however, gave him a warm smile and said, "Good morning Dorn. Glad you could make it." That same teacher several months earlier had recognized an unusual commitment to learning in the boy, that distinguished him from most of his classmates. This made him about her most favored pupil and she derived a soul-filled pleasure from teaching him. "Going to go places, that long legged boy," she said to another teacher once as they watched him cavort down the long hall following an Algebra examination.
Well, it was along about this same time that I came to really know "that long-legged boy" when his family moved across the ridge from Round Meadow Creek to the home of his deceased grandparents that stood on a natural shelf of land above Mayberry Creek, just a few hundred yards across from my home in Mayberry. I had watched him - mostly from a distance at Mayberry school and I thought that I recognized several things quite special and admirable about the bigger lad. For one thing, everybody seemed to like him. He never fought, but still maintained the respect of boys even larger than he was at the time. One of the penalties for passing notes at the school during that period was that the originator had to stand before the entire student body and read the note if they were caught. I listened carefully one day as a right pretty and blushing maiden stood and read, "Dear little Dorn. I just can't tell you how much I really love you. It won't fit on this slip of paper." The name Little Dorn had been conferred upon him by his doting grandmother, and it somehow followed him to school. He didn't like it. But sometimes other kids would tease him by calling him that. Sometimes he would ignore them and sometimes he would "cut them down to size" with an answer. Little, he was not. Although he was slender as a chestnut sprout, he stood almost a head taller than most of the children his age.
Besides his qualities of leadership, one of the things I found most appealing about my friend Dorn was his sense of humor and quick wit. He could have a bunch of kids laughing before you could spell sassafras, and you could tell that he took pride in doing that. When we were in our teens and sometimes bored with summer Saturday afternoons, we would dress in our worst clothing. Looking a bit like Tom and Huck, and saunter along the road near Mayberry Store waiting for city tourists to engage us in conversation. It was strange how often it happened. Once a large car bearing a city of Danville tag and loaded with young people stopped. The driver said, "Say boys, can you tell us haw far it is to Danville?" Dorn, already having noted the city tag replied, "Well there's some who say 'tis and some who say 'taint but I recken there's more who say 'tis than there are who say 'taint so I just, don't rightful know." The driver, now wearing a puzzled look, engaged the clutch and moved slowly ahead torn between thinking he had discovered the original dolts of the Blue Ridge Mountains, or just maybe that he was not so smart himself as he thought. The girls giggled and the car continued on toward the Pinnacles.
My friend. Dorn once, unknown to his companions, carried a half dozen or more chicken eggs in his slicker pockets all the way to a tent show near Meadows of Dan Post Office, where he surprised, and shocked us as well, by trying to swap them for an admission ticket. When the woman rejected the offer, Dorn proceeded to give her a straight-faced lecture, demanding to know just why their show was any better than the Barter Theatre in Abington which had just established its title by accepting produce for admission tickets. Dorn finally paid the admission price and we saw the show. He says today that he doesn't remember what he finally did with the eggs, but allows that the four of us may have sucked them as we strolled through the pouring rain back to Mayberry. And I can remember that sometimes we really were that hungry. During that depression period when we had to scratch hard and dig deep and make our own simple pleasures, a group of us had already walked more than a mile toward the Dan River Falls on a Saturday all-night fishing expedition when Russell Scott exclaimed, "Boys, this trip just ain't gonna be much fun without Dorn Spangler." So we retraced our steps to find and finally coax Dorn from his cold, grapevine canopied, swimming hole in Mayberry Creek. He finally consented to join us. Dorn didn't like to fish in those days, but he later became one of the most proficient trout fishermen in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As I recall, we didn't catch many fish on that overnight trip, but we had a whale of a lot of laughs.
In just a year or so following this period, I graduated High School, and Dorn, home from college, agreed that it was time for me to see some of the historic places in our state and nation. So off we went. I had gained parental permission only because of their confidence in Dorn. We hitch-hiked, rode box cars and generally covered a fair amount of territory. Among my treasured memories of the "sights" are the nights we slept (or tried to) in railroad stations, abandoned school houses, and straw stacks. When sleep wouldn't come, sometimes we lay gazing at the stars while Dorn told me about the ancient Greeks or Romans. He introduced me to Alexander the Great, Plato, Didymus, Aristotle, and Pliny the Elder. He related some of the philosophy of Schopenhauer and William James. And his knowledge of the Old Testament opened my eyes to many interesting stories and events. Those summer nights awakened in me a curiosity to learn and a determination to see more of the world. Awakening the desire to learn was soon to become his life's calling as a teacher and administrator in Carroll and Patrick Counties.
His formal education didn't come all that easily. There were not the abundance of scholarships available in those days as there are today. He would clerk in country stores, survey land for conservation, and sometimes he would suspend his college pursuits and teach awhile wherever he could find an opening. Sometimes he performed hard, manual labor. He once left Mayberry for Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri with only $6.50 in his jeans. "Looks like I'll have to ride the box cars a little to get there, but I'll make it for opening session," he told a mutual friend. And, of course, he did. Excelling all the way. He would receive his masters degree a few years later at Duke University.
World War II divided our paths and for three or more decades we only saw each other at funerals and some brief visits during Summer vacations. But upon our retirements in the late 70's, our paths were to merge once more and we began to discover that not very much had changed. We still held the same ideals and dreams and appreciated the same qualities in humanity. We began exploring some of our old haunts. We poked among the tombstones of old cemeteries, reading the engravings and recalling events in the lives of our departed friends. And we began to explore the back roads of Patrick County where Dorn had helped to establish school bus routes to get neglected children on their way to school. He told me of some of his trials and tribulations of running a school system without sufficient funds. As County Superintendent, he was determined to make educational opportunities available to every boy and girl in Patrick County. He established programs for those not interested in books to learn trades. They built houses from the ground to the roof with teen apprentice carpenters. And they sold them. During our tours, his greatest pride though, seemed to come when he could point out some glen or hollow where a boy or girl had lived whom he had helped inspire to pursue a formal education. He had helped a few of them obtain appointments to West Point and Annapolis.
Pretty soon during our back roads travels, an answer to a question that had puzzled me for years began to show through. Why had Dorn not pursued the opportunities that had presented themselves to become a college professor or chairman of a collegiate department? Even college president? He'd have made a good one. When the answer finally took shape, it was a simple one. He had sacrificed more glamorous and financially rewarding pursuits to stay home and do a job that needed to be done. Love for a land and its people and respect for his heritage had directed him into becoming exactly what he became: one of the top basketball coaches in the state; one of the finest teachers in Virginia; and one of the better school superintendents in the Commonwealth. To find, to teach, to shape, to awaken, to inspire, and to push if needs be, young people toward greater opportunities. It was an early choice. It was a noble choice. And it was a choice that has made Patrick County a better place in which to live...


Johann Carl Ludwig Prillwitz, the german punch cutter and type founder, cut the first classicistic Didot letters even before Walbaum. The earliest proof of so called Prillwitz letters is dated 12 April 1790.
The famous publisher Goeschen used these letters for many of his publications.


Plato Pet Treats Duck Thinker Stick Singles are FREE from added sugars, artificial preservatives, by-products, artificial colors, protein-meals, soy, wheat, corn, fillers, and freeze-drying. Slow roasted in our own US Facility, these treats can be snapped into pieces for training dogs of all sizes or to share. Plato Thinker Sticks are grain-reduced with gluten free brown rice being the only grain ingredient.
Ingredients: Duck, brown rice, pea fiber, salt, sodium alginate, fish oil (Source of EPA and DHA), vegetable glycerin, citric acid, distilled white vinegar, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-Monophospate (a source of vitamin C), rosemary extract.


This shiny silver foil balloon ball is perfect for a pop of glamour at engagement parties, weddings, birthdays & celebrations. Add them into your balloon garland creation or scatter them on the dance floor!
Select your size large 60cm or small 25cm. Self sealing & is suitable for helium or air fill.
Inflate gently with helium tank, balloon pump or straw until no creases are showing. Please note these balloons are delicate items.


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'World of Dance' recap: The Cut 2 chopped the Upper Team and Junior Divisions in half [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]
Daniel Montgomery	dan_something
"World of Dance" concluded the Cut round on Sunday night, April 21, with performances from the Upper Team Division and Junior Division that chopped those fields in half — from six contestants to three. So who advanced to the Divisional Final, and who was eliminated? Find out below in our live blog with all the minute-by-minute updates as they happen.
The Upper Team Division consists of dance acts aged 18 and over with more than four members. The teams who made it this far include four hip-hop crews: The Kings, The Heima, Exiles and Fuego Dance Crew. The other two are contemporary teams: Unity LA and Radiance. But this division might ultimately turn out to be just a race for second place since The Kings from India received indomitable scores in the Qualifiers and in the Duels, so can anyone hope to catch them? They have set a high bar, not only for their competitors but for themselves, so they could suffer in the scores if the judges feel like they've already seen the best of what the Mumbai dynamos have to offer.
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The Junior Division features dance acts under 18 with up to four members. They included contemporary soloists Lauren Yakima and Kayla Mak, contemporary duo Ellie and Ava and contemporary team Moving 4ward. They're joined by hip-hop duos Julian and Charlize and Funkanometry. In this field everyone was chasing Yakima, whose Qualifiers and Duels performances earned the two highest scores recorded in this division so far (95.7 and 96.0, respectively). But like the Kings, she had the unenviable task of trying to outdo herself again and again. If she doesn't, the judges may start to feel as though they've been there, done that.
So who moved on to the Divisional Final? And who do you think will win the whole season? find out below starting at 8:00pm (times listed are Eastern).
JUNIOR DIVISION
Funkanometry
8:03pm — Jennifer Lopez is mentoring the kids, and first up are a team I thought were over-scored in the Duels. I'm skeptical that these whimsical hip-hop duo can pull off the level of choreography they need at this level of competition. Jennifer likes the routine they're working on, but she thinks it needs to be more dynamic; they need to show us something we haven't seen before. Agreed, J. Lo!
8:06pm — They start their routine by surprising the judges by appearing behind them instead of on stage in front of them. Another charming routine from this super-likable duo, but they still don't really have moves advanced enough for the level of competition I don't think
JUDGES — Derek thinks they always "deliver on entertainment," but the costumes and the idea behind the routine were better than the actual choreography. Jennifer thought it "came together" and was "innovative." And they're becoming a favorite of Ne-Yo's: they "earn the funny" because they dance well in addition to the funny content.
SCORES — Ne-Yo (93), Jennifer (93), Derek (88) — Average: 91.3
8:10pm — Those guys are so charming, but those 93s were strange to me given the level of the choreography. Derek really nailed it on the head with his critique and with his score. Jennifer and Ne-Yo seemed to be grading on a curve.
Lauren Yakima
8:13pm — Lauren coming out to bring the pain to the rest of the division — show 'em how it's done. Jennifer wanted her to bring more emotion to her Duels routine, so Lauren's Cut dance will be inspired by all the love and support she has received from her mother. But Jennifer still thinks she need to dig even deeper to bring her routine to the next level: "She's acting it, she's not really doing it," says Jennifer. She makes Lauren cry, but in a good way … hopefully. Use it, girl!
8:16pm — Lauren's choreography is a lot simpler this time to really emphasize the emotional themes. I don't know, it didn't quite land with me as much as I was hoping for. Solid, but the movements were less dynamic, and the emotions didn't quite come through as strongly as they could have.
JUDGES — Derek admired her "maturity and quality of movement," but there were a couple of wobbly tturns. Jennifer was moved. And Ne-Yo thought the emotions were very real as well. Yeah, I noticed those wobbles too.
8:19pm — That's Lauren's lowest score yet, so she's definitely vulnerable. Thanks to Derek she's ahead of Funkanometry, which is where she belongs. The fact Ne-Yo and Jennifer thought Funkanometry were two points better than Lauren is kind of bonkers.
Moving 4ward
8:24pm — They say this is their last hurrah dancing together, and they're going a little darker for this routine, but Jennifer thinks their routine is a little one-note. And it looks like this is a shorter segment, so they may be goners. An abruptly edited segment is usually damning.
JUDGES — Derek thought it lost steam midway through, and Jennifer was somewhat disappointed too .
8:26pm — Yep, they're in third place after three routines. I'd expect them to be eliminated after the next performance.
Julian and Charlize
8:27pm — Let's see how much screentime these two get. Jennifer thinks they set high expectations after their Duels performance, and the theme for this dance is Julian trying to impress Charlize and her playing hard to get. Jennifer thinks there's a good idea, and the cat-and-mouse game is the "oldest story of time," so they really need to invest in their story arc and make it come through.
8:33pm — The best choreography of the night so far, though that's a low bar to clear. The dancing was stellar too. Not mind-blowing necessarily, but clean, crisp and effective.
JUDGES — Derek thought it was "great," but he felt like he saw the choreography more than he saw the dancing, "if that makes sense" — no, I'm not entirely sure it does, Derek. "I really like this routine … and that's it," says Derek. So underwhelmed. Jennifer disagrees and thinks they "dancing it amazingly" throughout. Ne-Yo thought there was too much beat manipulation, but it was "danced exquisitely."
8:37pm — No surprise there, Julian and Charlize are now guaranteed a spot in the Divisional Final since they're on top of the leaderboard with only two dances to go. And Moving 4ward are officially out. I think their scores were a little generous, but it seems like scores lower than 90s are going to be rare at this point in the competition. I wish the judges would be a little more conservative with their scores in general because those rare high-90s and 100s would mean more.
Kayla Mak
8:43pm — If Kayla delivers tonight, they'd better bring her the scores she deserves. I want the judges to be more conservative in general, but I think they lowballed her during the Duels. Her performance tonight will be more emotional. It's about liberation from her insecurities. Jennifer thinks her lines are gorgeous, but she doesn't have the strength. Jennifer wants to see both the soft beauty and the hard-hitting "animal."
8:45pm — I think Jennifer was right that she needed a little more dramatic intensity. She didn't hit quite as hard as the song she was dancing to ("Take Me to Church"). But it was still the best danced performance of the night so far. Gorgeous lines and positions.
JUDGES — Derek thought it proved that ballet can truly compete on "World of Dance" and her grace takes his breath away. Jennifer thought she had the delicacy of a rose petal but also showed great strength. Ne-Yo appreciated the "edge" that sets her apart.
8:49pm — Kayla moves to the top of the leaderboard, and well deserved. Funkanometry are out, but Ne-Yo's score indicates he thought Funkanometry's performance was just as good as Kayla's. I'm gonna have to disagree with him there. The big surprise, though, is that with one routine left Lauren Yakima is actually on the bubble at risk of elimination.
Ellie and Ava
8:55pm — Last up are the contemporary sisters. They showed off their technical side in the first two rounds of the competition, and this time they want to be more "hard-hitting" with a routine about staking their claim and not giving up. It's inspired by their grandfather, who fought in Vietnam. But Jennifer "didn't get it at all" when watching their work in progress. They're great dancers, but Jennifer thinks they need to learn how to be storytellers, which is a recurring theme tonight. Her critiques prompted them to re-work their entire routine.
8:57pm — They definitely succeeded in going hard. Really convincing intensity that matches the music, and they match each other too. Lauren should be afraid because I think that might knock her out.
JUDGES — Jennifer thought it was "badass" and "the tone of it was perfect," and it was worth it for them to redo their entire routine. Ne-Yo appreciated how they were in character from beginning to end. Sorry, Lauren, might be game over.
9:02pm — Great scores for an excellent routine, and a huge upset as Lauren is eliminated from the show. She had the highest score in the division during the Qualifiers and the Duels, and those are still actually the two highest scoring routines from the Junior Division thus far, but now she's out. However, I can't really fault the judges for their decision. I didn't think Lauren brought it as much in this round as she did in previous rounds.
Moving on to the Divisional Final:
— Ellie and Ava (95.3)
— Kayla Mak (93.7)
— Julian and Charlize (93.0)
Eliminated:
— Lauren Yakima (91.7)
— Funkanometry (91.3)
— Moving 4ward (90.3)
UPPER TEAM DIVISION
9:07pm — Ne-Yo is mentoring this division, and honestly I wonder if anyone is going to be able to keep The Kings, The Heima and Unity LA from going 1-2-3 tonight. They seem so drastically far ahead. But then, so did Lauren Yakima. The routine they show Ne-Yo is a "C+" at the moment, and that literally won't "Cut" it.
9:10pm — I had low expectations, but that was actually a pretty rock-solid routine. Some really great, clever windmill moves, well coordinated and synchronized.
JUDGES — Ne-Yo thinks they definitely found their confidence. Jennifer thought some of the spacing was off, but overall they nailed the routine. Derek felt the dancing in-between the big moves dropped off, but it was otherwise a great performance.
9:13pm — Decent scores, well deserved. But they're going to need to hope other teams drastically under-perform because otherwise that number is unlikely to hold up.
9:18pm — The front-runners are up next. Will they put up another monster score, or will they have an off night like Lauren in the Junior Division? Their performance tonight blends robotics, Bollywood and dubstep. And Ne-Yo is so excited about the routine they're working on that he throws a pillow at them, but they need to streamline it to better focus their big tricks.
9:20pm — Yep, they're going straight to the Divisional Final. That might have actually been subtle compared to their previous routines given how high they usually fly, and it still owned the dance floor. They formed a giant robot, had tons of humor, tons of choreographic variety. Amazing work, and Derek gives a standing ovation from on top of the table.
JUDGES — Derek thought it took too long to get going, but when it did it blew them away. Jennifer thought it was "insane," and it looks and feels different from anything else in the competition.
9:24pm — There's almost no chance three teams will outscore them, so you can pretty much take it to the bank that they're going to advance to the next round. And what keeps them fresh round after round is that they're capable of so much musical and choreographic variety within their style that they never feel like they're repeating themselves.
Unity LA
9:29pm — Another one of the front-runner teams. They've gotten huge scores in their first two rounds. Tonight's performance is inspired by the passage of time and how dancers have a ticking clock on their careers given how much stress they put on their bodies at such a young age. Ne-Yo thinks their prop work with their canes got messy, but the rest of their work is surgically precise.
9:31pm — A strong performance, but I think they've been better. It felt like they were focused too much on their props, and it limited their performance a bit. I think the door might be open for another team to surprise.
JUDGES — Derek thought they did a "phenomenal job." But Jennifer felt it might have been a little too abstract.
Fuego Dance Crew
9:33pm — Ne-Yo thinks they need to play up their Latin sex appeal, and they say they want to direct all of it at Jennifer. I'm not sure how I feel about these guys.
9:34pm — A solid performance with a really gorgeous formation in the middle, but overall I don't think it'll be enough to get them into the top three.
JUDGES — Ne-Yo thought they went back to their Latin roots with the song, "Gasolina" by Pitbull. Derek thinks they're improved, but the routine itself needed extra gasoline and wasn't strong enough for this stage of the competition. Jennifer feels they have improved as well, but it's "a little bit elementary," and she's seen those steps before.
9:37pm — They're out of the competition, and I think that's the right call. This division is going to be the toughest Cut out of any of the four divisions. If you're not out-of-this-world good, it might not be enough.
9:41pm — Their "God is a Woman" performance during the Duels was dynamite. If they can recapture that magic, they could move ahead of Unity LA, and that's where they'll need to be in order to reach the Divisional Final. They're doing an emotional piece this round inspired by America's epidemic of gun violence, but Ne-Yo thinks they need to balance their emotion with physical control.
9:44pm — A lovely performance and emotionally resonant, but I think it's going to be close. It might not be quite enough to overtake Unity LA.
JUDGES — Derek thought they did a "great job" with their narrative and it moved him "tremendously," but from a competitive standpoint it wasn't always up to snuff. Ne-Yo agrees that the emotion at times exceeded the dance quality. Jennifer praises them for their message of addressing gun violence, but the piece itself "could have been stronger" and didn't quite convey the message they intended to convey. Yep, they're probably done.
9:47pm — Those scores were surprisingly high given the judges' criticisms. They're currently in the top three (knocking out Exiles), but I don't think they can survive The Heima, who are closing the show up next. NBC already previewed The Heima's performance online, and I think it's a pretty safe bet for first or second place in the division tonight.
The Heima
9:51pm — The unusual Korean b-boys are up. Ne-Yo admired their unique "contemporary b-boy" style. They focused on their artistry in the first two rounds, but they want tonight's performance to show who they really are. Ne-Yo warns them against getting rid of their masked personas too hastily.
9:54pm — Gorgeous, unique movements, and a standing cheer from Ne-Yo and Derek. Jennifer politely applauds in her seat.
JUDGES — Jennifer praises them for knowing who they are as artists: they create beautiful pictures. Derek thought the speed of their spins were "ridiculous." Ne-Yo felt it was risky, but worth it, and brought a personality to the routine that they hadn't seen yet.
SCORES — Ne-Yo (100), Jennifer (95), Derek (98) — Average: 97.7
9:58pm — Okay, that's actually a little higher than I thought it would be — Ne-Yo and his 100s. What's interesting is that they tied The Kings at the top of the leaderboard, which means the Upper Team Division will probably be the most exciting Divisional Final next week. I think The Kings will take it, but it'll be close between them and The Heima.
— The Heima (97.7)
— The Kings (97.7)
— Unity LA (93.3)
— Radiance (92.7)
— Exiles (90.3)
— Fuego Dance Crew (89.3)
10:00pm — That round went as I thought it would with The Heima, The Kings and Unity LA taking the three slots in the Divisional Final. I hoped someone would put pressure on them, but no one quite did.
PREDICT'World of Dance' now; change them until the Divisional Final
Be sure to make your predictions so that the contestants can see how they're faring in our racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the Divisional Final. You'll compete to win a spot on our leaderboard and eternal bragging rights. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
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text:
package org.apache.hadoop.mapred;

import static org.junit.Assert.*;

import java.net.InetSocketAddress;

import org.apache.hadoop.mapreduce.MRConfig;
import org.apache.hadoop.net.NetUtils;
import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.conf.YarnConfiguration;
import org.junit.Test;

public class TestMaster {

  @Test
  public void testGetMasterAddress() {
    YarnConfiguration conf = new YarnConfiguration();

    // Default is yarn framework
    String masterHostname = Master.getMasterAddress(conf).getHostName();

    // no address set so should default to default rm address
    InetSocketAddress rmAddr = NetUtils.createSocketAddr(YarnConfiguration.DEFAULT_RM_ADDRESS);
    assertEquals(masterHostname, rmAddr.getHostName());

    // Trying invalid master address for classic
    conf.set(MRConfig.FRAMEWORK_NAME, MRConfig.CLASSIC_FRAMEWORK_NAME);
    conf.set(MRConfig.MASTER_ADDRESS, "local:invalid");

    // should throw an exception for invalid value
    try {
      Master.getMasterAddress(conf);
      fail("Should not reach here as there is a bad master address");
    }
    catch (Exception e) {
      // Expected
    }

    // Change master address to a valid value
    conf.set(MRConfig.MASTER_ADDRESS, "bar.com:8042");
    masterHostname = Master.getMasterAddress(conf).getHostName();
    assertEquals(masterHostname, "bar.com");

    // change framework to yarn
    conf.set(MRConfig.FRAMEWORK_NAME, MRConfig.YARN_FRAMEWORK_NAME);
    conf.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_ADDRESS, "foo1.com:8192");
    masterHostname = Master.getMasterAddress(conf).getHostName();
    assertEquals(masterHostname, "foo1.com");

    // change framework to yarn and enable HA
    conf.set(MRConfig.FRAMEWORK_NAME, MRConfig.YARN_FRAMEWORK_NAME);
    conf.setBoolean(YarnConfiguration.RM_HA_ENABLED, true);
    conf.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_HA_IDS, "rm1,rm2");
    conf.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_ADDRESS + ".rm1", "rm1.com:8192");
    conf.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_ADDRESS + ".rm2", "rm2.com:8192");
    masterHostname = Master.getMasterAddress(conf).getHostName();
    // If RM_HA_ID is not configured, the first one in RM_HA_IDS will be used.
    assertEquals(masterHostname, "rm1.com");
    conf.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_HA_ID, "rm2");
    masterHostname = Master.getMasterAddress(conf).getHostName();
    // If RM_HA_ID is configured, use the given RM_HA_ID.
    assertEquals(masterHostname, "rm2.com");
  }

  @Test
  public void testGetMasterUser() {
    YarnConfiguration conf = new YarnConfiguration();
    conf.set(MRConfig.MASTER_USER_NAME, "foo");
    conf.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_PRINCIPAL, "bar");

    // default is yarn framework
    assertEquals(Master.getMasterUserName(conf), "bar");

    // set framework name to classic
    conf.set(MRConfig.FRAMEWORK_NAME, MRConfig.CLASSIC_FRAMEWORK_NAME);
    assertEquals(Master.getMasterUserName(conf), "foo");

    // change framework to yarn
    conf.set(MRConfig.FRAMEWORK_NAME, MRConfig.YARN_FRAMEWORK_NAME);
    assertEquals(Master.getMasterUserName(conf), "bar");

  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


RUSSIA: Some would call it a mega buzz kill.
Eighteen tons of wild cannabis, or about two million plants, have been mowed down and destroyed in southern Russia as part of an ongoing campaign to uproot cannabis in the country, the Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN) said Monday.
The plants were growing on three hectares (7.4 acres) of land belonging to an agriculture college in the Konstantinovsky district of the Rostov Region, the regional FSKN branch said in a statement.
Wild cannabis grows in abundance in southern and central Russia, the heartland of a once-thriving hemp industry. Unlike marijuana from Central Asia or India, Russian cannabis contains very little THC, the main psychoactive compound. However, it is technically possible to get high from the plants by extracting and processing parts of them.
This is just crazy to destroy all of these plants. Russia is just hurting themselves on this . Marijuana has more cures than any thing I have ever seen or heard about.


Marland Golf Course will close from April 2019, as current operator Link4Life has said the running of the course is "no longer viable" for the charity.
Andy King, CEO of Link4Life said: "Marland Golf Course provided a number of key challenges for Link4Life.
"Whilst the course itself is of a good quality, we recognised that significant capital investment would be required to improve the physical assets at the site. For example, the building infrastructure and this, alongside a national trend of decreasing membership numbers in golf, has resulted in a gradual decline in Marland Golf Course members, poor financial performance and a reduction in long term sustainability for a number of years.
"After careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that it is no longer viable for Link4Life, as a charity, to be the sole operator of Marland Golf Course beyond April 2019 and undertook consultation to explore alternative options, including working with other providers, for the operation of Marland Golf Course.
"The consultation resulted in a few proposals which were presented to Rochdale Borough Council, but after evaluation, unfortunately none were sufficiently robust to ensure that the golf course would be sustainable in the short to medium term.
"As a result of the outcomes of this process, Link4Life will no longer operate the golf course and it will close with the management of the golf course being subsequently handed back to Rochdale Borough Council. The council will incorporate a review of the future of the golf course as part of its overall strategic review of all estates and other assets and will be conducting further consultation to invite people to submit their views.
Councillor Janet Emsley, the council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture, said: "Since 2010 we have had to make £178 million of savings as our funding from government has been cut dramatically.
"We still have huge savings to make and there is no sign that cuts to council budgets are going to end, which means we have no choice but to keep making difficult decisions about where our resources should be directed. We realise that the members of the club will be disappointed by this news but as no viable long-term solution could be found, we cannot continue to fund a golf course when interest in the sport is dwindling.


text:
Trump: It's not 'the right point' for US to leave Iraq
By Brett Samuels - 01/07/20 03:19 PM EST
President Trump Donald TrumpClinton, Bush, Obama reflect on peaceful transition of power on Biden's Inauguration Day Arizona Republican's brothers say he is 'at least partially to blame' for Capitol violence Biden reverses Trump's freeze on .4 billion in funds MORE said Tuesday a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq was not imminent amid the fallout of the operation that killed a top Iranian general while he was in Baghdad.
"Eventually we want to be able to let Iraq run its own affairs, and that's very important. So at some point we want to get out. But this isn't the right point," Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with the Greek prime minister.
Trump said an impending U.S. withdrawal would be "the worst thing that could happen to Iraq," reasoning it would give Iran even more influence in the region. But he made clear he hoped the U.S. would not remain there indefinitely.
"Eventually they have to be able to defend themselves and take care of themselves, and it's something ultimately that I want to see," he added. "We don't want to be there forever. We want to be able to get out."
Trump reiterated his previous statement that he would ask the Iraqi government to repay the costs of a joint American and Iraqi air base if the U.S. is forced out of the country. He also repeated his warning that sanctions were possible if the U.S. was not "treated with respect" by Iraqi officials.
The U.S.-Iraqi relationship has been roiled after Trump approved the strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad. The operation followed unrest at the U.S. Embassy and sparked mass demonstrations.
The Iraqi parliament on Sunday passed a nonbinding resolution to terminate the agreement that allows for U.S. troops in the country.
Further adding to the confusion, an unsigned but authentic letter from the Pentagon circulated Monday indicating the U.S. would reposition its troops in preparation for a possible withdrawal.
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters a short time after the letter surfaced that it was a draft that should not have been released.
"That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released," Milley told reporters in an off-camera briefing. "Poorly worded, implies withdrawal. That's not what's happening."
Defense Secretary Mark Esper Mark EsperTrump administration official Norquist sworn in as acting Pentagon chief Watch Out: Progressives are eyeing the last slice of the budget Biden needs to fill the leadership gaps on Day One MORE has adamantly denied that U.S. is withdrawing from Iraq, reiterating Tuesday in an interview with CNN that the letter was a draft and not an official reflection of policy.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he had not seen the letter. He deferred to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Mike PompeoBiden taps career civil servants to acting posts at State, USAID, UN China sanctions Pompeo and more than two dozen US figures China calls Pompeo 'doomsday clown' after its treatment of Uighurs labeled genocide MORE, who said that it was a mistake.
The confusion surrounding U.S. troop presence in the region has led to additional scrutiny of the Trump administration's plans moving forward in the aftermath of the strike that killed Soleimani.
Soleimani, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Quds Force, oversaw Iranian proxy forces in the region and was one of the country's most prominent officials.
His death has reignited tensions between Washington and Tehran and sparked concerns about a prolonged conflict. Iranian officials have vowed a response, while Trump has threatened to forcefully strike Iran if the country targets Americans or American assets over Soleimani's killing.
Tags Iran Iraq Donald Trump Mike Pompeo Mark Esper Qassem Soleimani Iran strike


text:
El Paso Pipeline Partners Agrees to Acquire Cheyenne Plains Pipeline and Additional Interest in Colorado Interstate Gas Company
» El Paso Pipeline Partners Agrees to Acquire Cheyenne Plains Pipeline and Additional Interest in Colorado Interstate Gas Company
abarrelfull wrote on 18 May 2012 12:47
Tags: el-paso n-america pipeline usa
{"module":"feed\/FeedModule","params":{"src":"http:\/\/killajoules.wikidot.com\/feed\/pages\/pagename\/blog%3A_start\/category\/blog\/limit\/10\/t\/My+Blog","limit":"3","module_body":"* %%linked_title%%"}}
El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB) announced today that it has agreed to acquire the remaining 14-percent interest in Colorado Interstate Gas Company, L.L.C. (CIG) and all of Cheyenne Plains Investment Company, L.L.C., which owns Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. from El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) for $635 million and the assumption of approximately $242 million of proportional debt.
The transaction, which is expected to close contemporaneously with Kinder Morgan, Inc.'s acquisition of El Paso Corporation, will be immediately accretive to distributable cash flow and is being funded with approximately $571 million of cash from borrowings under EPB's revolving credit facility and $64 million of equity from the issuance of common units to El Paso Corporation. El Paso Corporation will make an approximate $1 million general partner capital contribution to maintain its 2 percent general partner interest in El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P.
The terms of the transaction were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of the general partner, El Paso Pipeline GP Company, L.L.C., based in part on the unanimous approval and recommendation of the Board's conflicts committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors. The conflicts committee engaged Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. to act as its independent financial advisor and to render a fairness opinion.
El Paso Pipeline Partners Agrees to Acquire Cheyenne Plains Pipeline and Additional Interest in Colorado Interstate Gas Company From El Paso Corporation
el-pason-americapipelineusa


text:
Messy Women in Crime Fiction: A Reading List
"There's just something so compelling about a female character trying to fix her life when it, or she, is in shambles."
September 9, 2022 By Meredith Hambrock
VIA CROOKED LANE BOOKS
I love messy women. I always have. There's just something so compelling about a female character trying to fix her life when it, or she, is in shambles. When I wrote my debut novel Other People's Secrets I had this kind of character in mind, but with a weirdo twist. The hero is a dumpster baby who grows up in a world struggling to understand who she should be. This lack of a family history helps enable her to become a bit of a booze-soaked disaster. A truly chaotic and messy person who is forced to confront herself before she can solve the mysteries that are eating away at her hometown.
I created my character, Baby, because I've always, always wanted to see more female characters like that out in the world. Characters who are a mess, who make bad decisions, who are full of rage and fear and hope and confusion, whose chaos is embodied not just by the aesthetics of their lives but by their deranged choices. And I've found that some of the most memorable, messy female characters exist in the world of crime fiction.
Here are some recent favorites:
Her Dying Day, by Mindy Carlson
Carlson's hero is an unforgettable twenty-something named June who is on what one might call a Rumspringa, having escaped the structured confines of the hippie commune she grew up on to try to make it in New York City as a documentary filmmaker. When we first meet June, she's hiding under the bed while the man she has an affair with sleeps with his wife. June's spunkiness and bold naïveté will be recognizable to many of us who learned some tough lessons about emotional intelligence in our twenties. Anyone who strode out into the world determined to conquer it will enjoy June as she attempts to figure out love and her relationship to family while solving the mystery of the disappearance of Greer Larkin, an Agatha Christie-esque novelist. This book is fun, clever, and so, so, engaging, and contains a particularly unforgettable scene with a caesar salad cart that made me laugh out loud.
Kismet, by Amina Akhtar
When we first meet Roni, in Amina Akhtar's darkly funny novel Kismet, she's struggling through a hike in Sedona. Cheered on by her best friend/life coach, Marley, Roni's questioning everything in her life. How did she end up in this sweaty, sandy hellhole, surrounded by bugs and blondes? As they continue on the hike, Roni and Marly happen upon a head. That's right! A head, detached from a corpse, sitting out in the desert, roasting in the sun right next to a pair of hands and feet. And thus a story of murder and intrigue begins. While Roni isn't as aesthetically messy as some of the other heroes on this list, she's struggling to find a place in a racist world that treats her like trash. There's a particularly memorable scene where she's manhandled into giving blood for facials. (I had to look this treatment up and it's real. Wild!) Of course, Roni's solutions to her problems include sleeping on an air mattress in the back of a crystal shop and befriending the local raven population. Akhtar's novel is the definition of propulsive and with some unforgettable twists, this story (and its lead character) is one I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Florida Woman, by Deb Rogers
If you've ever seen a headline about a Florida Woman doing something unforgivable to a crocodile, you'll understand the idea of a woman Rogers' title is alluding to. The book unpacks the idea of the Florida Woman when we meet Jamie, who, on the heels of a public, viral scandal is sent to Atlas to do community service and atone for a crime so outrageous I won't spoil it here. Atlas is an incredibly mysterious monkey refuge in the wild jungles of Florida where Jamie is determined to put her best foot forward. But of course, she becomes embroiled in a cult-like scandal. The writing of this novel is incredibly lush and beguiling, pulling you into Jamie's fight to redefine herself and her reputation, and perhaps accept some of the messiness of her past in order to figure out what she'll do next. If you love a literary, slow burn you'll love getting to know Jamie.
Never Saw Me Coming, by Vera Kurian
Not only does this book have some excellent twists and turns, but Vera Kurian's Never Saw Me Coming has an unforgettably messy character at the heart of it. I immediately felt for Chloe, then was entertained by her narration and stressed out by some of her choices. You learn, almost immediately that Chloe is a diagnosed psychopath who is apparently a genius. She's part of a study for psychopaths at a University, lured there by a professor for a study where she has to simultaneously wear a smartwatch that tracks her location at all times, and is plotting to murder a fellow student who raped her. While Chloe is extremely confident about a lot of her decisions, she makes some extremely chaotic choices that had me on the edge of my seat. There are some great twists in this read and some scenes that made these psychopaths (there are more in the study that we get to meet) so chaotic and fascinating. They might be self-diagnosed geniuses but they're also dopey college students and following them made for a heck of a ride.
One of Those Faces, by Elle Grawl
Harper Mallen, the protagonist of Elle Grawl's One of Those Faces is another twenty-something hero I was rooting for from the moment I met her. She's a typical twenty-something, trying to figure her life out while she copes with trauma from her past. As Harper struggles to make it as an artist, I really enjoyed the seat-of-her-pants way she lived her life, scrounging for laundry money, ducking her creepy landlord when she's late paying the rent, and playing chicken with her hangovers. Harper's judgement is the kind that I call sensibly poor. It makes sense but is oh-so-frustrating. Who hasn't had a friend you're constantly trying to reign in, only to have them follow their gut to all the wrong places? When a woman who looks disturbingly like Harper is killed, this thrilling, and at times terrifying book takes off like a rocket and doesn't let up.
Crooked Lane BooksMeredith HambrockOther People's Secrets
Meredith Hambrock
Meredith Hambrock is a Canadian fiction and television writer who grew up in Toronto and now lives in Vancouver. Her short fiction has appeared in several magazines including Maisonneuve and Descant. She's been a finalist for the CBC Short Story Prize and most recently wrote for the sitcom "Corner Gas Animated."
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