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Home>Reviews> Travis Scott & Quavo's "Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho" Review
Travis Scott & Quavo's "Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho" Review
By Patrick Lyons
@P_Lyons_
Unanimous
Golden x 1
Broken x 0
Jerrit Clark/ gettyimages
How do you rate this album/mixtape?
142 VERY HOTTTTT
41 HOTTTTT
34 MEH
31 MAKE IT STOP
Quavo and Travis Scott's collab project may be shallow and vapid, but that doesn't stop it from being a good time.
2017 seems to have seen a greater-than-usual number of high-profile stars linking up for collaborative albums. We could sit around and guess why that's been the case (easier to guarantee streams but not sales, fewer beefs than usual, the pure fun of working with friends, etc.) but it's far more interesting analyze what these collab albums have yielded.
Single-producer projects are one thing, such as the series of short albums Metro Boomin has helmed this year, but a team-up between rappers usually seems to be the harder sell. Even if a producer and rapper seem like an odd couple (like Metro and Big Sean may), you still get a singularly-curated atmosphere and a rapper acting with no one in his or her way. Putting multiple vocalists together in the studio for a full project is always more of a gamble. Unless the artists go way back like Starlito and Don Trip, or come from the same world like DJ Quik and Problem, it seems like going for something low-stakes is a safer bet than more ambitious aims. In other words, give me the first Run The Jewels album over the third one any day.
Luckily, low stakes is exactly what Travis Scott and Quavo seem to be going for on their long-rumored joint release, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho. These songs aren't about much more than stunting, hanging out in Dubai, and at least in the last song's case, brotherhood. That's totally fine. Quavo never slips into the Northside come up struggles that Migos' music so often deals with, and Trav never gets too gothic or lost in the sauce, both wisely deciding to save that weightier stuff for their day jobs. They're originally from different worlds, but they've recently found themselves in the same excess and luxury-filled one, and they recognize that. Quavo and Travis Scott's common ground lies in penthouses and private jets, not trap houses or bedroom studios, so that's where Huncho Jack largely takes place.
The only light contrast comes courtesy of the artwork and production, the former of which comes from famed Hunter S. Thompson collaborator Ralph Steadman, and the latter of which is led by Scott's mentor/right hand man Mike Dean, and also features contributions from Southside, Murda Beatz, Buddah Bless, !llmind, Vinylz, and others. Both of these lend a psychedelic desert vibe to the album, as if the thing was conceived in the midst of an acid trip in Joshua Tree National Park. Between the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-referencing cover, an Otis Redding sample, and Mike Dean's spaghetti western-style synths on a handful of tracks, Huncho Jack brushes up against a '60s cowboy or Easy Rider aesthetic, but only just so, like wearing a cowboy hat to the club or abruptly switching to American Spirits. This is more up Travis' alley than Quavo's, but it's so incidental and fleeting that it doesn't disrupt either guy's footing.
Vocally, Quavo and Trav stick to their shared territory as well. Quavo doesn't slip into rapid fire triplet flows that often (to be fair, he's taken to letting Offset and Takeoff handle most of those while he drives the melody) and Travis never splits the earth open and lets tracks fall into DJ Screw-on-peyote witch masses, a la Drake's "Company" or his and Quavo's Rodeo collab "Oh My Dis Side." Instead, we're reminded how much of Culture sounded influenced by Travis Scott, and how much of Scott's career has sounded influenced by every prominent Atlanta rapper. In fact, there are multiple moments when you have to strain your ears to discern whose backing vocals are whose. Neither guy wields their full pop potential— don't expect any of these track to perform well on the charts— but Travis is the least derivative he's been since Days Before Rodeo and Quavo proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's capable of carrying projects as a singer and rapper. That's about the best we could have reasonably hoped for.
Huncho Jack's heavy reliance on ~vibes~ and seamless collaboration does offer some pitfalls though. For one, it's got a preposterous amount of reverb and echo on the vocals, perhaps more than I've ever heard on any other rap album. At a certain point it's like, We get it guys, you do drugs. Slathering effect after effect on the vocals is a good way to convey trippiness, but at a certain point it's beating a dead horse. One benefit of this is that it often distracts from the lyrics, which save for a few exceptions, seem almost like an afterthought on Huncho Jack. That's fine— I'd prefer a bald-faced admittance that this collab album is fun-first, bars-second over hearing these guys repeatedly trading 32-bar verses— but after the millionth sip after sip, pill after pill, or rhyme of "Mo" with "North," you wish they'd at least vary the vocabulary a bit. The lyrical gems all come in the form of unique one-liners like "Wrists like fins on dolphins," or "Save your salt for slugs," or "R.I.P. Ben Franklin that's my best friend," rather than strung-together sentiments or rhyme schemes.
In these regards, Huncho Jack is akin to a childhood Christmas present that's shiny and on-trend, you play with it for one day or week and then it might sit forgotten in your closet for a few years. Both Quavo and Travis have better music ahead of them, but for now, Huncho Jack is a good stocking stuffer.
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REVIEWS Travis Scott & Quavo's "Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho" Review


Fortunately, there are ways to deal with loud cubemates.
were just for cross country plane rides with seemingly possessed children.
Ear plugs are a great way to turn down the volume on the office bustle.
will alter their behavior for the greater good of the workspace.
find some other creative solution.
the distractions and concentrate on what matters most.
Why Are Talented Job Candidates Hard to Find, Even Now?


Last year, the ecommerce market in the UK grew to £137.38 billion, while online purchases evolved to account for 16% of all sales during the same period.
This has also triggered a huge rise in the demand for courier services and independent comparison sites like Parcel2Go, as people look to rely on third-party providers to deliver their goods safely and in a time-effective manner. The issue is that just one-in-three of us received goods as planned last year, with lengthy delays, damaged products and a lack of communication causing huge concerns for customers.
For small deliveries, it's not uncommon for people to have products delivered under their mat.
This only really works for small and thin parcels, however, but one courier in the UK found a unique way around this logistical issue.
In fact, he rested a huge, six-foot tall parcel vertically against the buyer's outside wall, before thoughtfully placing the welcome mat on top of the package!
In one fell swoop, he had managed to fulfil the requirement of placing the parcel under a mat, although as you can imagine he did an awful job of hiding the package from public view!
If you're not in to collect for a delivery or have failed to specify a safe place to the courier, most delivery drivers will probably try to leave this in the capable hands of a neighbour.
Some take a slightly different approach, however, as they instead scramble around in your front yard looking for any location that offers a degree of shade or shelter.
As a result, it's not uncommon to come home and find your parcel wedged in the middle of a bush, with the package placed in a manner that suggests it may have been thrown from the delivery van.
This is hardly ideal, and we just hope for your sake that your parcel is not left in a thorn or rosebush.
Critics of consumerism may say that most of the items that we buy will end up in the bin, but not before we've even unwrapped the parcel!
Still, some couriers have been known to leave parcels in an outside bin on your premises, and in some instances this is fine if you've asked the firm to leave the package with your recycling.
It's a different matter if a parcel is left in the household waste bin, however, as this make extracting it an extremely messy pastime.
You wouldn't want the parcel to be delivered on bin day either, as this could see your package end up on a landfill site way ahead of schedule.


Is Workplace Design Briefing Becoming Too Complex For Property Specialists Alone?
By Graham Lauren, director, Shiro Architects.
Increasingly, the physical workplace itself is becoming a feature in the sophisticated, specialised machinery that runs any nimble internet age business.
As such, these spaces must respond to the emerging needs of workplace strategy.
This is the zone in which building design, modern technology and new ways of working come together to deliver the future of work.
That briefing must change to meet complex and challenging circumstances is confirmed in the countless interviews Shiro Architects has now conducted with experts in workplace strategy.
Suzanne Murray-Prior, who consults to large professional services firms on activity based working, says, "The design and the workplace is only as good as the brief the client gives.
"If you have a client saying I want to reduce costs, I need less space, I don't want to pay for storing files, I want less paper, sure you can achieve that. But that doesn't truly get at all the benefits of this type of working.
"In organisations that truly strive for collaboration or creativity, it's very clear what they want to achieve, and while a designer can't make it happen, they can design a space where it enables the right kind of interactions to occur.
But still, in the rapidly gathering flight to workplace flexibility, property managers' first instinct is to follow what happened in the past and get the briefing process wrong, Marcus Hanlon says.
Hanlon, executive general manager, property operations, at the giant property trust ISPT, has responsibility for $11 billion worth of commercial and industrial property.
In another career, he was also a key initiator in the National Australia Bank's move to flexible ways of working for 4800 staff at its 700 Bourke Street, Melbourne, headquarters.
"I think too many times when people are looking at relocating, it's still driven by technical facets," he says.
"One is lease expiry coming up; two, it's location; three, it's rent and square metres, and, frankly, the property industry really supports that [old-fashioned way of thinking].
"Briefs put out continue to be around those technical elements, rather than stepping back and having the right kind of workshop with the CEO and human resource and chief operations officer around workforce, people, culture.
The transformation of the workplace, Hanlon says, "can't be seen as a property initiative, it's got to be seen as an organisational and cultural initiative, in which property is just the enabler.
Tony Walsh, property manager at motor manufacturer Toyota agrees with Hanlon.
Walsh is charged with the need to consolidate various properties into a single, more flexible Melbourne headquarters location. He too is disdainful of traditional approaches to property challenges.
"Typically, a client who has a business need for real estate, races to the solution, and you almost have to unravel the knot to really get to the true goal they are aiming for.
"At an organisational level, where a CEO is trying to achieve large-scale real estate change, without them being coached and engaged in actually clarifying the brief, it becomes very function-based.
"In that case, the leap will go from the company's vision through to a technical solution, but not necessarily through understanding what the multiple ways of achieving that ultimate vision might be.
"The issue for me is, should there be a way of looking at the emerging ways of working, technologically, and even, do we need to be actually physically in the same space?In his experience, "The assessment is at first undertaken very much in the traditional mindset of, we have x number of people, we have a rate per square metre, we have a box this big, will they fit?"But, are there other things we could explore around that that might give us different outputs?"So, it just demonstrates that maybe some of the strategic thinking around what we are actually determining needed to be a bit wider.
"Can we understand what is important to our people, what is important to our leaders, what is our global vision, what is our cultural vision in terms of our workplace we want to create?Walsh says that, after all, "Workplace strategy is about behavioural psychology of people, it's not about the fitout or technical tools, it's about behavioural psychology and change management.
In the move to what many now label "workplace agility", not only is thinking on outcomes changing, but also ways of getting there.
Methods of briefing and engaging the workforce are themselves in evolution, with web surveys and workplace social technologies now playing an increasingly important role.
The application of social technologies in the workplace is of particular interest to Shiro Architects. It is also something in which we have a view, experience and a methodology to apply to workplace-design briefing.
Tony Walsh says the new networked technologies importance to briefing is, "Massive … You have different personalities in the workplace and we all need quiet time, we all need social time, some people need lots of quiet and little social, and others are the other way round.
"So, providing these spaces that are flexible to the people's diversity, their way of working, what helps them to be as productive as they can be is very important.
"Not to listen is a critical flaw. If you've at least listened, you might get some solid gold insights.
In the transition to the new ways of the workplace, Stuart Munro, Sydney head of workplace strategy at Colliers International, concurs that worker engagement is key to success.
"One of the biggest shifts is the move towards the power of employees [and] the magnitude of change is high for organisations when they are moving to new ways of working.
Rebecca Hosking, a workplace accommodation strategist with long experience of working on financial services workplace transitions says, "I agree that workplace design tends to be as good as the briefing it is based on.
"But I think you can't underestimate the level of ongoing change management required.
"It's not unusual to hear 'we've moved in, we've done our job, we've told you how it works, good luck, see you later,' but that doesn't work.
"People think we've just spent all this money on a brand new building and a big project, so we shouldn't have to spend much more on it going forward.
"But, I definitely think that to make sure the change keeps working for you, you do need to do that.
What sort of workplace are you creating, and why?
Marcus Hanlon says that above all in workplace design briefing the bigger question of purpose matters above all.
And this is a considerably different question against the experience of most property professionals unused to reconciling the hard matters of property acquisition and fitout with the soft and woolly stuff of employee relations.
The upshot is that we are in a new age of briefing in which the creation of a high-performing contemporary work environment is now far too complex to be left to property specialists alone.
But now let's lob in an even more challenging question for all of those involved as buildings become just one of the growing number of moving parts in an ever more challenging workplace-design equation.
Whether business leaders articulate it as such or not, in moving their organisations to new premises and new ways of working, they commonly wish to use those workplaces in the hope of creating new knowledge flows.
But what would happen if they focused the knowledge flows before they started thinking about moving offices, and instead worked around those?How would this change the briefing outcome? Moreover, how would you begin to go about it?This is now a much bigger question many of us with a professional interest in the design of the workplace will be challenged to answer.
How have you considered using your relocation/fitout as a trigger to change the way the organisation operates, and to what degree is workplace change intended to be its outcome?
What will you factor in as non-building goals for the exercise, and how will you measure its success?
How do you intend to run your briefing, and what alternatives have you considered in the way you construct the brief for this project?
How have you considered using your relocation/fitout to change the ways in which your organisation addresses its higher goals, such as in directing its strategy or shaping its culture?
How have you considered using your relocation/fitout to introduce changes in way the organisation uses technology?
How have you considered ways in which to use your briefing to make your workplace a more attractive place through which to compete in securing the best available new staff?
How have you considered using your relocation/fitout as the catalyst for introducing new ways of working, such as in flexible modes of engagement, more working off-site or in attempting to enlist new kinds of worker?
How have you considered using your relocation/fitout and its briefing process to inspire increased innovation and collaboration across the business?
How have you considered using your relocation/fitout to get better use out of the minds you employ, and in what ways have you considered how using those minds could be introduced into the way you brief for it?
How has your briefing process factored in post-occupancy data collection as a means of constructing your organisation's unique body of competitive "data capital"?
Graham Lauren is a director of Shiro Architects and is leading its workplace research for a book themed "beyond activity based working". It addresses among other things the challenges to owners, investors, developers and occupiers of commercial office space in adapting to a rapidly evolving workplace and economy.


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THE LAGUNA BEACH KINDLE WORLD
💟💟💟💟💟💟
Welcome to the Laguna Beach Kindle World!
I'm so glad you are here and diving into this wonderful story. All of the Laguna Beach Kindle World stories are set in the same town of Laguna Beach, where my original series takes place. And if you're familiar with the series, you'll no doubt run across some of your favorite characters. The difference is, this book is entirely the work of the author. I didn't help with plotting, writing or editing, but I was thrilled that when I asked her, she agreed to bring her imagination and storytelling skills to Laguna Beach!
Happy reading. For more about Laguna Beach, stop by my website: www.KairaRouda.com
Enjoy your time at the beach!
Isla wanted nothing more than to return home after a bitter break-up with her fiancé. With her parents disowning her, she has no one to turn to but her best friend in Laguna Beach. A fresh start is all she needs, and time to mend her broken heart. What she didn't expect was to return at the same time as Garrett Thorn.
Not only was he her first love, but she and his family had thought he had died while on active duty in Afghanistan. His return sparks a passion she never thought could be rekindled. They both face inner demons and their own fears. While once lost and without hope—they find themselves…together.
ISLA RAN FROM THE parking area and across the empty beach toward the water, snatching her cover-up off as Garrett chased her.
In a pink bikini, she screamed and laughed when she glanced behind her to see that he was right on her heels. She quickened her speed, the hot sand burning the soles of her feet as Garrett left his flip flops behind and took off his shirt.
She splashed across the shore and dove into the ocean once she could no longer feel the bottom, the rush of cool water swarmed around her.
She pulled her long brown hair from its ponytail and dove into the water. She smiled as Garrett followed her, reaching for her legs as she swam away.
When he grabbed her left leg and tickled her foot, she emerged from the water and gasped. She laughed into the air, closing her eyes against the bright sun that beamed down on them in the still crystal clear ocean. Life was perfect when they were together.
"Okay! Okay," she said in between hysterical laughing as he continued tickling her. She ran her hands through his wavy brown hair and tugged at it. "You win!"
Garrett pulled her closer by her thighs and she wrapped them around his waist as he held her chest to chest in the water.
Breathless, Isla smiled at him, her cheeks reddening at how close they were.
"Say it," he said, pressing his lips to hers.
Isla's eyes closed as he kissed her. There was something about Garrett Thorne that made her forget her thoughts and words. Maybe it was the hint of a Yorkshire accent or the sexy tattoos that intrigued her. He was completely different from all of the other boys in Laguna Beach.
Her heart still raced from running but now melted as he let his hands lace into her hair.
"Say it," he repeated in a whisper, holding her bottom lip between his teeth as his tongue traced her lip.
A shiver ran along her naked flesh and up her spine. She could feel his heart beating against hers as she opened her eyes. His olive green eyes peered into hers giving her butterflies.
Water dripped onto her lashes as she looked at him. "I love you too," she said, her smile fading. The gravity of that statement slammed into her.
Isla didn't say those words often. Her family wasn't one for displays of affection of any sort, in public or in private, and the love word didn't belong in their daily vocabulary.
So, saying it to the handsome young man that she'd been dating exclusively for most of her senior year scared her beyond belief. He scared her, but also made her feel things she'd never thought possible.
Garrett was different from the guys at her private school or the ones her father kept trying to set her up with. The Maxwell image was more important to her parents than Isla's heart, and her heart belonged to a man who's house cost less than her car.
At eighteen, Isla already knew that she'd give all of her wealth away to be with him.
He grinned and kissed her again. "Was that so hard?"
She clung to him, her arms around his neck. "Yes," she said. "It was."
"Why, Isla?" he asked in a whisper.
"Because love it dangerous," she said. Her heart was open, more open than it had been since she was a child. She'd been hurt so much by her parents, boys, and the girls at school that she feared what someone as special as Garrett could do.
"Being in love makes you vulnerable. I don't want to get hurt. Not by you, or anyone else."
Garrett pulled away to face her. "I will never hurt you. You have to believe that."
She tilted her head. "How do you know? You're only nineteen and I'm about to turn eighteen. There are a lot of years ahead of us for you to hurt me."
"True. There are a lot of years ahead for me to love and cherish you."
Isla grinned. "You English boys and your poetic words."
He chuckled. "Every word I say is true, and I'll show you."
"I'll hold you to that." Isla nodded, and pushed away, swimming back to shore.
K.N. Lee is an award-winning author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award for her success as a writer, business owner, and for community service.
AMAZON ✯ WEBSITE ✯ FACEBOOK ✯ WRITE LIKE A WIZARD ✯ TWITTER ✯ WATTPAD
Bexley Rue's gypsy soul has always chased after her heart's next fleeting desire, until her sister Vaughn's terminal illness brings Bex's carefree lifestyle to a screeching halt.
Kai Donovan has only ever craved stability and love over everything else. His trip to Laguna Beach suddenly has him throwing caution to the wind for the one woman who could capture and break his heart—all in one night.
Knowing she's leaving the next day for a cross-country move, Bexley's only looking for fun on her last night in Laguna. Until she meets Kai, who sparks such an intense attraction it has Bexley questioning everything. When Bexley's world is cracked wide open with surprises from the past and complications for her future, are Kai's feelings enough to finally get Bexley to face her fears and allow true love in for the first time? Or will her gypsy heart win out and have her chasing shadows once again?
"I don't know what it is about you, but you seem to see right inside of me like no one else has been able to do since I was a little girl. It both terrifies me and turns me on like nobody's business. But I can't change overnight. We hardly know each other, and I can't help my circumstances. My sister needs me, and I'm getting on a plane in"—she looked down at her Fitbit—"twelve hours."
"There's a lot we could get to know about each other in twelve hours," Kai said, his voice turning raspy as she leaned down and kissed the crook of his neck. She moaned against his skin and it nearly unhinged him. "But I'm not going to be able to think with you nibbling on my neck and sitting in my lap. You're making this awfully hard on me, Bex."
"Who said I'm trying to make it easy?" she purred.
"What's your favorite color?" he asked.
"Burnt orange."
"Burnt? What's wrong with fresh orange? Or raw orange? Or evenly cooked orange?" he asked, laughing.
"Because burnt orange is richer, has more depth, more passion than just regular orange," she answered matter-of-factly.
"Hmm. You've thought a lot about this," he said. "My favorite color is black."
"Black's not a color. It's the absence of color."
"Nothing's simple with you, is it Bex?" he growled. "Maybe I do just need to kiss that sweet mouth of yours so you'll stop being so technical."
"Did you just say 'technical' while I'm sucking on your earlobe? That's kind of hot. Say some other big words to me," she joked, as she lifted his shirt and placed her mouth against his chest.
Author C.M. Albert enjoys living dangerously on the razor's edge as both author and editor. In addition to being an international bestselling author, she's had the privilege of copy-editing under her Grammar Babe business for several international bestselling and award-winning authors. Her own writing infuses a healthy blend of humor and romance, and she's a sucker for a good villain and everlasting love. In her spare time, she and her husband wrangle their two young kids and enjoy spending time outdoors. When not writing, editing, or kid wrangling, C.M. Albert is also a Reiki practitioner, chocolate chip cookie aficionado, kindness ambassador, and seeker of naps.
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William Springs is jobless and single, something that would usually get a guy down, but it seems to be opening doors he didn't expect. Visiting Laguna Beach for his cousin's wedding, William meets a woman, capturing his interest at first sight.
Harper Powell has kept to herself since dating a reality star and getting dumped publicly. When meeting William at the hotel she works at, she is instantly attracted to the visiting stranger. He's only in town temporarily, so this might be her chance to have some fun without getting hurt again.
When it's time for William to leave, he isn't sure he can. After all, there is nothing at home waiting for him, but in Laguna Beach, there is and her name is Harper.
Harper led William toward the water where she slipped her sandals off and walked into the water a little ways. She was surprised when he kicked his shoes and socks off, rolled his pants up and joined her.
"Wow, it's colder than I thought." He rubbed his hands together.
William placed his hand on her lower back and she turned to him. Lust was in his eyes and she didn't know what came over her, but she had to kiss him. He must have been feeling the same because he pulled her up against him, lowering his mouth to hers.
Never had a kiss been this sweet and seductive at the same time. He traced small circles on her lower back with his hand as his tongue met hers. She clung to his shirt, getting lost in his kiss. The sounds of laughter and waves circled around her and she could no longer tell from which direction either came.
He ended the kiss, the most adorable boyish grin on his handsome face as he stared deeply into her eyes.
"I'm sorry if that was too forward," he said.
"It wasn't at all. I enjoyed it and want to do it again."
He laughed, but pulled her back to him, kissing her again. She'd never told a man she wanted him to kiss her. She wasn't sure what came over her, but she just had to feel his lips on her again. It was worth it, the way he made her curl her toes into the squishy sand as the water rolled over their feet.
Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it's getting lost in a book or writing her own. Her goal as an author is to have a romance for everyone, whether it's sweet, sensual, or spicy. She's had several books on the Amazon best seller lists. When she isn't writing, she can be found running, talking to her pets, spending time with her family, or lost in some sort of craft. Oh, and she takes kindly to anyone who feeds her cookies.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their herd of cats and one black lab who rules the house.
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LAGUNA NIGHTS
Madison Alcott was back in her hometown, caring for her sick mom and working long hours at the best resort in Laguna Beach. She never imagined she'd return to the place where she became famous on the hit reality TV show Laguna Nights, and the place where she was humiliated on national television. Fortunately, the past had stayed tucked away until her old high school boyfriend appeared in the lobby.
Josh Welsh was a superstar by age eighteen, the bad boy break-out star of Laguna Nights. Since then, his star had lost its shine and he barely was holding onto his Hollywood status. When he was asked to host a new reality travel show, he jumped at the chance. The only problem was the first episode was shooting in Laguna Beach. Of all the reasons Josh didn't want to return home, he hadn't even imagined the worst scenario: running into Madison "Holly" Alcott. Josh's connection to Madison was still as strong as her anger at his betrayal. When the new reality series forces them together, they must face Laguna Nights past and present, and navigate a journey where nothing is as it seems.
Annie and Hank have created a perfect life in Laguna Beach but when a dark secret is revealed, will their marriage survive?
In high school, Annie Johns was the calm, supportive sidekick to the rest of the tumultuous female stars of the hit reality TV show, Laguna Nights. Today, she's living the happy life as a mom that she predicted on the show long ago. There's only one problem: the secret from her past that haunts her most nights, a secret that if revealed could ruin everything she shares with her husband, Hank, a man who saved her from the heartache.
LAGUNA LIGHTS
Laura Kinkaid's glamorous Hollywood life is falling apart. After years of reality television stardom beginning in high school on Laguna Nights, her career and relationship with her long-term boyfriend Scott are fizzling out. Laura decides to go home to Laguna Beach for the weekend to attend a baby shower for her high school friend. That decision – and a car accident – will lead her to a new future, if she's ready to take a chance at love.
Paul Dorn's former life in New York City is far behind him and he's working in a popular Laguna Beach surf shop when fate brings the most beautiful woman he's ever met into his life. The attraction is instant and he has an overwhelming desire to protect her. While Paul's retail sales career is a short-term job for market research purposes, his focus on Laura is long-term.
Will Laura allow a handsome stranger to help her create a future unlike her past, or will the bright lights of Hollywood pull her back to LA?
LAGUNA SIGHTS
Once you're a star, can you trust other people's intentions?
Scott Cassidy has lived a blessed life. Growing up in Laguna Beach with a loving family, he was discovered in high school when he appeared on the popular reality TV show, Laguna Nights. Now cast as a doctor on the number one soap opera, his star keeps rising. Finally free from his long-term girlfriend, Scott isn't looking for love, but when a popular dating app matches him with Jamie Kane, he can't deny the sparks. But is she really everything she seems?
Jamie Kane isn't lucky in love or life. Her childhood was tumultuous with a single mom who moved to Hollywood for fame but ended up waiting tables in Malibu. Certainly not one of the spoiled kids she went to high school and college with, Jamie has worked hard to achieve her dreams of being an actress, even as she begins to realize it's not her calling. Jamie believes Scott may be the answer to everything unless a past mistake makes him doubt their future together.
Is the price of fame the chance at true love?
Kaira Rouda is a USA Today bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary women's fiction and sexy modern romance novels that sparkle with humor and heart.
Her women's fiction titles include THE GOODBYE YEAR, HERE, HOME, HOPE, ALL THE DIFFERENCE and IN THE MIRROR. Her bestselling short story is titled, A MOTHER'S DAY. Her sexy contemporary romance series include the LAGUNA BEACH Series, the INDIGO ISLAND Series with a new MALIBU Series launching in 2016.
Her nonfiction titles, REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, and REAL YOU FOR AUTHORS: 8 Essentials for Women Writers (available for free download on her website) continue to inspire.
Kaira's work has won numerous awards including the Indie Excellence Award, USA Book Awards, the Reader's Choice Awards and honorable mention in the Writer's Digest International Book Awards. She lives in Southern California with her husband and four almost-grown kids, and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter @KairaRouda, Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books and on her website, http://www.KairaRouda.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Gordon Campbell on the Treaty/TPP overlap, and the Iowa backwash
February 3, 2016 Articles 28
Click for big version.
The people who point out that we already have investor-state dispute settlement provisions in other trade deals and 'so far so good, we haven't had to worry about them' …man, that is such an absurd argument. When it comes to arms reduction and nuclear proliferation, do we say 'Hey, we haven't had World War III yet, so its OK to keep on building the bombs and spreading them around?' No, we aim to restrict the prevalence of the weapons, we don't make them easier to use, and we don't try to claim that they 'protect' us. Meaning: the fears about the ISDS provisions in the Trans Pacific Partnership deal are well-founded. The reality is that there is a sharp uptick in the occurrence of ISDS litigation in developed countries, and even the right wing likes of The Economist have been souring on the process for some time.
If you wanted to convince the public that international trade agreements are a way to let multinational companies get rich at the expense of ordinary people, this is what you would do: give foreign firms a special right to apply to a secretive tribunal of highly paid corporate lawyers for compensation whenever a government passes a law to, say, discourage smoking, protect the environment or prevent a nuclear catastrophe.
Countries with highly developed legal and constitutional systems – such as Canada – are regularly on the receiving end of ISDS litigation, with the Bilcon case being a classic example.
In Canada, cases such as Bilcon go to heart of the ability of governments to govern in the public interest. Why, in fact, do investors need ISDS mechanisms? Given that New Zealand has a well developed and efficient legal system, why can't foreign investors take their chances in our local courts? That's a fair question.
As the Economist also points out, countries around the world are backing off from ISDS and asking foreign corporates to respect the integrity of local courts to deliver them just remedies for compensation – and not rely on some stacked panel of corporate hired guns sitting in a room in Geneva. The ISDS mechanisms have outlived their original purpose – which was to protect firms from illegal expropriation by rogue dictators – and have mutated into a tool by which multinationals seek to limit the freedom of sovereign governments. So much for the TPP being a high quality deal for the 21st century. In reality, the TPP is a deal for the robber barons of the 19th century, and their modern ilk.
The other common TPP canard is that hey, since a (razor slim) majority of parties in Parliament are in favour of this deal, everyone should go home because the process is entirely democratic. Well, no. We do not have an elected dictatorship in this country whereby majoritarian rule can do whatever it likes and retroactively claim a mandate for its actions. Such a Parliament can indeed ram through laws, but it will do so only by debasing the currency of government, which requires transparency and consultation and some prior process of rational debate.
Democracy, in other words, is a two way street. The public will respect laws passed by law-makers who show a basic level of respect for the public. Nothing like such a process has occurred with the TPP. That's why there is so much anger about it. Significant freedoms fought for by previous generations have been signed away, secretively. Even the deal's proponents tend to lament the lack of transparency shown during the TPP process.
Is the TPP worth it? Misleading claims are being made about the extent of the benefits that the TPP will bring to this country – as if the deal was all sunny upside and as if any opposition to the deal can be attributed only to some irrational, atavistic hostility to 'free' trade. Yet even if the MFAT claims of a TPP-fuelled 1 % growth in GDP by 2030 and gains of X hundreds of millions in export volumes were true – and they're highly dubious – such gains would be less than what a few points off the exchange rate would deliver. Meanwhile, as the Tufts University research has shown, the kind of economic models relied on by MFAT officials explicitly ignore – as their starting points – the competitive race to the bottom among members countries that the TPP will generate, and all of the related cuts to wages, job destruction and rise in income inequality that will come in the TPP's wake. Really, the strongest arguments against the TPP are the economic ones.
The final outrage is that the Key government has chosen to sign away sovereign rights – whether it be via ISDS provisions or over IP patents, copyright terms etc etc – on the eve of the Treaty of Waitangi celebrations, and at the SkyCity casino in Auckland, which is the site of another of this government's dubious deals. This piling up of provocations cannot be accidental. Quite cynically, the Key government appears to have chosen to deliberately link opposition to the TPP with Maori radicalism. Instead of an informed debate on the TPP on its merits, Key is calculating that far more political capital can be won in the heartland by inflaming the issue, and playing the race card on the TPP. Divide and rule. Tomorrow, it will be up to the TPP protesters to stand together in opposition to this kind of deal, and this kind of politics.
Finally…for some time now, Sharon Murdoch has been the best and sharpest political cartoonist in the country. On the eve of the Treaty commemoration, her brilliant cartoon on the Treaty/TPP issue say it all.
Iowa, and beyond….
Phew. So we, and Donald Trump, now know that Trump can't shoot someone on the street and still get away with it. In Iowa, Trump shot only himself – in the foot – by taking victory for granted. Fair enough. When Ben Carson had briefly surged ahead of him in the Iowa polls last year, Trump responded: "How stupid are the people of Iowa?" Not a good way of endearing himself, and while attending church last Sunday in a belated attempt to woo evangelicals, Trump still couldn't get it right. Reportedly, he mistook the communion plate for the collection plate, and reached for his wallet. Not smart in a state that (see below) takes its religion seriously.
Easy to be smart afterwards. What's more impressive is being smart before the fact, as Slate magazine staff writer Jim Newell was when he wrote this last week:
If he skips the [Fox News] debate and ends up losing Iowa, he will look like a tactical fool who made the most boneheaded, avoidable error of the cycle. The impression that he has it all figured out, experts be damned, will begin to crack.
Crack it now has. And it is hard NOT to regard the Fox debate boycott – which was motivated by Trump's petty feud with Fox news anchor Megyn Kelly – as the last straw. Marco Rubio picked up most of the late breaking votes (he surged eight points beyond even his last score in the final Des Moines Register poll) after shining on a Thursday night debate stage that was blessedly free of Trump, who had been sucking up all the available political oxygen.
But there's more. According to entrance polling, some 64% of those who voted in the Iowa Republican caucuses (a) identified themselves as evangelicals and also (b) identified "voting for someone who shares my values" as being the main issue guiding their vote. Significantly, only 5% of them thought Trump shared their values, as opposed to the 43% who thought Ted Cruz did, and the 21 % who felt the same about Rubio. To Iowans, The Candidate For Change from New York City clearly wasn't seen to be one of them. To them, "change" itself wasn't an issue. Social conservatism was, and Cruz was seen to be their God fearin' guy.
Trump will be more at home – and more akin – to the secular voters of New Hampshire next Tuesday. However, his aura of invincibility has now gone for good. And after New Hampshire – where Bernie Sanders' likely victory on the Democratic Party side will be written off as regional affection for the senator from nearby Vermont – the campaign then moves southward for an extended period of time. That will benefit Hillary Clinton, and it will benefit Ted Cruz.
And what of Rubio? He is hammering away at the theme that only he can unite the Republican Party – which is code for reminding the Republican Party about why it hates Cruz, given his repeated willingness to attack and exploit his colleagues on every issue since 2012. By his actions and by choice, Cruz is an lone wolf outsider in the party that he aims to lead. Part of his electoral appeal is that he has been willing to run against a Republican mainstream that he is gambling will be left with no alternative. Yet as of yesterday , there is now a viable option : Marco Rubio. And if Rubio can stay within a reasonable 5 point distance of Cruz during these early weeks, it could become a long and lonely run for Cruz all the way to the Republican convention. Hard not to cheer at the prospect of these guys tearing each other apart. Remember when right-wingers knew how to sing from the same songbook ?
Gun Outfit
For the past five years at least, Dylan Sharp, Carrie Keith and their band Gun Outfit have been releasing knotty, semi-depressive songs imbued with a sense of disorientation. (Put it down to what the empty spaces of the Pacific Northwest can do to you.) This track from their late 2015 album Dream All Over has been my single of the summer. It has a pretty, ominous, hell bound glide that's somewhat akin to the quieter moments of the late, lamented Gun Club. In some quarters, there is no higher praise.
World United States
28 Comments on Gordon Campbell on the Treaty/TPP overlap, and the Iowa backwash
Anabel February 3, 2016 at 12:25 pm
Race card in desperation is right, Key and other well placed (well compensated) traitors, ('partners' ) setting up for some radicalized displays of "Maori protest".
What Maori in there right mind would accept the word of a known liar( Key) and then invite him to Waitangi -something here stinks.
No constitution ,no legal or lawful right to govern we have no democracy.
With non disclosure to the people of NZ ( effected party)before negotiations ended there is no consent for the TPPA.
Steve February 3, 2016 at 4:40 pm
There you go again with the allegations that the Government has no right to govern. On what basis do you make your point Anabel? Is it because you personally did not vote for National & therefore because it does not have your divine approval it lacks legitimacy?
You should read an introductory textbook on constitutional and administrative law. There are some extremely simple concepts you need to get your head around before you start trying to engage in debate that's beyond your capabilities.
Ian February 3, 2016 at 5:07 pm
The problem isn't ISDS per se. It is true to say we have always had them in one form or another. The difference this time is we are now allowing foreign corporations to sue the Government for the loss of expected future profits. This is a provision that never featured in agreements before and is the true problem with this agreement.
Anabel February 3, 2016 at 5:35 pm
What proof do you have that this govt has a right to govern in NZ?
Guess you were so busy reading books recommended for system slaves "British Crown's legal system books for infants vol 9-11″ that you never looked up to notice that we do not have a constitution in NZ.
And to you is this (illegal and unlawful)
" governing" of NZ by the British Crown in 2016 with no mandate is defined as: ignoring the will of the people, denying the people of the human right of needed health care by imposing Crown bankster austerity cuts while at the same time providing system stooges with bonuses and unfair pay increases. Is your idea on "governing" confused with bankster oppression and giving out unfair obscene corporate subsidies using the people of NZ as debt slaves .
swordfish February 3, 2016 at 9:28 pm
Recent Polls on the TPP conducted by major pollsters.
http://sub-z-p.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/tppa.html
"For some time now, Sharon Murdoch has been the best and sharpest political cartoonist in the country." Yep, absolutely. Reminds me of her former partner, Trace Hodgson in his 1980s heyday. Razor-sharp.
Dylan February 3, 2016 at 10:27 pm
I don't know why you seem so gleeful about the prospect of Rubio having any chance at the Repub candidacy. I find the prospect terrifying.
He ticks many of the same narrative boxes as Obama (especially if, as may now happen, he sneaks up on the nomination out of nowhere) and is the only candidate with a decent chance of beating Hillary and Bernie. A very good chance, actually, given that no one really seems to like Clinton and Sanders is such a radical option (for the US at least).
Mathew February 4, 2016 at 11:15 am
@ Dylan Its terrifying that people haven't worked out yet that all the political candidates are selected by the corporation. The information/publicity on them is presented to the people by the corporate media.
Clinton has been already been pre selected as the next president of the corporation of the usa by and for the banking cabal that loans your nation money with interest and imposes its policies.
@ Anabel right on! Steve sounds like the typical arrogant govt employee who can only repeat what he is told by the Crown govt.
Bureaucratic mental impotence.
John February 4, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Gordon Campbell scoffed at projections the China FTA would increase exports by as much as $300m a year, and told us it would be of little benefit to New Zealand.
Since the signing, exports to China have grown by $8000 million – 26 times more than that – and equal to 80 years growth at the pre 2008 rate.
Despite being about as wrong as it's possible to be about our last trade agreement, endless fearmongering and doomsaying makes it look like he's determined to be even MORE wrong about our next trade agreement.
Mary M February 5, 2016 at 6:36 am
"Americans are the most out-of-touch, uninformed people anywhere, easy marks to be manipulated, deceived and betrayed."
Maybe America is not the only nation full of gullible ignorant people.
http://sjlendman.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/democracy-in-america-worlds-greatest.html
I must add I didn't mean to link the global corporation's TPPA to America . I don't wish to sound like Peters " The govt's racism brew stirring muppet ".
These foreign global mega corporations drafting and forming the TPPA/global govt to push their agenda and interests ( profits and control of resources)are foreign e.g China buying Syngenta for $43B. The American people didn't get disclosure or get heard on the TPPA either.
John L February 5, 2016 at 1:35 pm
For those criticizing the protesting of the TPPA aka Key signing a corporate partnership(TPPA) that was not and is not fully disclosed when the people of NZ are the effected party is a valid protest.
The non disclosure (then signing) of the TPPA is what is being protested (especially valid protest if as they claim 9/10 of kiwi's admit ignorance that still don't even know what the corporate partnership agreement document contains).
Lucky for us it is this non disclosure in an agreement that invalidates it. Shame the lawyers working the controlled opposition were all corporate sell outs.
Steve February 10, 2016 at 8:38 am
New Zealand does have a constitution, it just does not have a supreme constitution that limits Parliament (save as for some entrenched provisions in the Electoral Act 1993).
The National-led Government was formed consistently with constitutional conventions after gaining mandate through a robust electoral process.
What proof do you have that New Zealand is governed by the British Crown? It's nonsense.
Helen S February 10, 2016 at 11:10 am
New Zealand does not have a written constitution.
The right of foreign interests to govern NZ is not provided anywhere by the electoral act 1993.
There is no right of this govt to govern. Of course you couldn't provide proof what does not exist.
You do not even know that the citizens of NZ are ruled by the Crown "subjects". Wow just wow!
The electoral process is unfair, the unverified votes are counted by the Crown, and the electoral process also creates media bias.
Anabel February 11, 2016 at 6:41 am
There is no proof in existence that the Crown's govt (& Crown entities it has created such as ACC, HDC, msd, privacy commissioner and the Ombudsman) has the lawful OR legal right to govern the people of NZ.
The Crown dictates (Steve's definition of "governs") not by lawful right or constitutional legal document, but by keeping the people of NZ divided, distracted and ignorant.
Steve February 11, 2016 at 11:54 am
I'm not sure how you have formed your views on these matters but they are wrong.
1) New Zealand's constitution is not written in a single source of law (although it is largely brought together in the Constitution Act 1986). It exists as a collection of conventions (such as Parliamentary Supremacy, separation of powers, ministerial responsibility, royal prerogative…), constitutional statutes (such as the Magna Carta, the Electoral Act, the Bill of Rights 1688 etc), and historical evolution and circumstance (the Treaty of Waitangi, the Acts of Devolution, the Statute of Westminster, letters patent 1981 etc).
2) This Government gained legitimacy to govern through the most recent general election and thirough its ability to maintain confidence and supply in Parliament. Elections can be scrutinized in the Courts, and can be proved. Elections are binding because of New Zealand's constitutional system (see point 1).
3) The Crown refers to the Government. The Crown does not mean the Queen personally. Constitutional convention and practice and letters patents dictate that the Queen in Right of New Zealand exercises all power on the advice of the Government, and gives consent to all statutes supported by a majority in Parliament.
4) The electoral process is subject to an enormous amount of scrutiny from all political parties in NZ, by international electoral observers, by the judiciary, and by the Electoral Commission. I suggest you personally become involved in some role or function described above if you are concerned about electoral integrity. I suggest you become a scrutineer for the ALCP or such other party of your choosing.
5) You will find that Crown entities are established by their own statutes or consistently with the Crown Entities Act. They are empowered to make secondary regulation in some cases, and can bring prosecutions etc. All Crown Entities are bound to observe the law (i.e. they cannot override Acts of Parliament for they are not above the law). They are accountable through the judiciary, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Auditor General, their Ministers responsible and so on.
Anabel February 11, 2016 at 2:31 pm
See you can still provide no proof.
You can name no written constitution that provides the govt with the right to govern NZ.
" the Constitution Act 1986″ obviously did not provide the right for the Crown to govern the people of NZ ."Letters patent 1981 etc" no that does not provide the right to govern people of NZ hahaha you are just throwing distractions from the lack of proof of the lawful and legal right of the Crown govt to govern NZ.
The govt is actually illegitimate.
The Crown's " farcical electoral process" is unfair, the media creates bias, the Crown counts the votes and Crown employees oversee it.
Its nothing but a Crown electoral monopoly .
The Ombudsman is a Crown entity, it is clear the ombudsman has never been held accountable.
As for the Crown ministers OMG accountable ? You can't be serious!
The Crown is not the Queen you agreed, yet signatory Governor Hobson allegedly signed an agreement on behalf of the Crown ( whom you say is the govt of NZ) not the Queen.
That is not true as the govt(NZ Crown) was not legally or lawfully formed at the time of the signing of the treaty.
Something else to ponder with all signatories on the "agreement" dead who are the parties in the treaty.
Steve February 11, 2016 at 6:24 pm
You are truly a retard. The type of person who can only see evil wherever you look. Seriously, stop smoking grass & get yourself an education.
The British Government empowered NSW to extend its sovereignty over NZ through negotiating a treaty of cession with Maori. The Treaty (albiet floored) was signed. The British Government from that point gained legitimacy to govern NZ & did so through NSW. Through the establishment of British governance in NZ. NZ was first administered by a colonial Government appointed by the British Government & all subjects in New Zealand at that time were British subjects. In 1852 the British Government consented (after being lobbied) the establishment of a dominion Parliament with an internal electoral process specifically for NZ. NZ's Parliament took up full sovereignty from the British Government through several statutes, the most significant of which was the Statute of Westminster 1947.
The Constitution Act 1986 is simply an affirmation of existing constitutional laws which as a sum contribute to New Zealand's system of governance and sovereignty. It was intended to make our constitutional structure simpler to understand for morons like you.
Accountability. Ministers are held to account frequently for decisions they make that are contrary to law, convention or justice. For example, recently the Minister for Education Hekia Parata was held to account in a judicial review for her failure to undertake proper consultation with the Board of Trustees of Phillipstown School in making her decision to merge the school. If you are willing to look, and if you have the most basic research abilities, you will be able to find further such decisions (you might've even heard of Fitzgerald v Muldoon for example).
Or, you can just carry on your deeply depressing life comforted by your belief that all your problems are external & that you are the victim of some grand conspiracy. You'll even find articles on crappy blogs (not this one however) to support your suspicions. Enjoy :)
Fallen to name calling as you have provided no proof of the Crown's lawful and legal right to govern the people of NZ.
The treaty did not provide legal or lawful right for the Crown to govern the people of NZ.
You don't even seem to know who the parties(they are all dead) to the treaty( invalid contract) are today.
Though invalid the Crown still use the Queen's Governer Hobson's signature on behalf of the Queen for the Crown (not the Queen) to govern NZ.
The British govt did not have the lawful or legal right to "empower NSW Australia" to extend its power to govern NZ through the invalid treaty with the Queen -that is just nuts mate. Its nonsense,saying the British govt "empowered NSW" has nothing to do with NZ and that certainly does not give the Crown govt the lawful right to govern the people of NZ.
There is no written constitution in NZ.
The Crown's legislation does not provide it with a lawful or legal right to govern the people of NZ.
The constitution act 1986 obviously does not grant the lawful right to govern or form a government as the Crown govt was already illegally and unlawfully governing NZ at the time it brought in foreign legislation and started passing its own legislation without the consent of the people of NZ or mandate.
There is no document that you can point to that shows the people of NZ giving consent to the Crown governing them.
We can all see the Crown govt ministers are not held accountable (Minster Parata was not held accountable).
If you want to experience a state like the one you describe, I'd suggest making the move to Somalia. In fact I'd recommend it for you! You'd last a split-second.
Anabel February 12, 2016 at 10:01 am
Feeble.I haven't described any state and I was not discussing NSW or Somalia.
I pointed out that the Crown govt has no legal or lawful right to govern the people of NZ.
As as there is no existing proof of the Crown govts legitimacy you fail to provide anything but more nonsense. This time your "argument" consists of your suggestion that I move to Somalia and your belief I would not last a second.
Steve February 12, 2016 at 12:12 pm
Actually, I have proved my point. The Government does have legitimacy in both theory and in practice. You haven't proved your ignorant point at all. Where's your evidence?
The Crown govt( and you) need to and should provide the people of NZ with legal and lawful evidence of the Crowns right to govern the people of NZ.
The Crown has no legal or lawful mandate to govern the people of NZ , if this was your point I proved it.
Your asying the "British govt empowered NSW to extend its sovereignty over NZ" !!??!! OMG how funny, but seriously it just doesn't cut it (except to reinforce your total lack of proof).
The treaty document does not provide any proof the Crown govt having the lawful or legal right to govern the people of NZ. It is signed by governor Hobson(dead party) on behalf of the (dead) Queen of England NOT the Crown!.
Who are the parties in the contract.
NZ has no written constitution.The Crowns 1986 constitutional act did not provide the Crown with the lawful or legal right to govern.The Crown cannot give itself the mandate to govern the people of NZ it has to come from the people of NZ.
The Crown's NZ govt is illegitimate and unlawful.
Helen S February 12, 2016 at 1:11 pm
That's true Anabel, in law all signatories and parties in the treaty are dead so the Treaty/Contract is void.
Its a bit of a gravy train for some and its the only thing the Crown has to trick people of NZ into believe the Crown ( and not the Queen who "signed" the treaty ) has the right to govern the people of NZ .
I win, you lose, get over it.
@ Helen its no surprise that 'Steve' (the brightest and best spokesperson for the Crown NZ govt with one of the highest levels of maturity ) could provide no proof of its legitimacy.
The Crown's NZ govt has no proof whatsoever of its lawful OR legal right to govern the people of NZ.
The dirty little secret of the illegitimate Crown NZ govt .
Ain't that the truth.
Its a bit mind boggling that there is no proof of lawful or legal right for the Crown's NZ govt to govern the people of NZ.
And shouldn't the Crown have to provide the people with proof?!
Some Maori are seeing the Crown NZ govt signing the TPPA "which will remove the treaty benefits" which only go to the select few. One day soon people of all races will see that the illegitimate Crown NZ govt serves only the interest of the Crown's corporations.
Its a bigger story than the exposed corruption of the Crown's NZ govt.
The TPPA will not 'remove the Treaty benefits".
NZ as administrator of the TPPA will be meeting the undisclosed costs of administering the TPPA trust.
Big foreign corporates drafted what they call a a "partnership" agreement for which even the administration costs have not been disclosed.
An agreement that we did not agree to. Being that we are the effected party we were without disclosure( no contract)and clearly we did not provide the zionist bankster Key tool permission to sign.
Much the same as the people of NZ did not ever give the Crown permission to form a govt in NZ .
The PM of the illegitimate Crown NZ govt unlawfully signs the TPPA document in the name of the people of NZ .This bankster does this without the people of NZ having full disclosure even though they are the effected party.
Bankster Key does this to make citizens of 12 nations finance the increased profits and control of the Crown and its corporations who drafted the TPPA. Keyster does not imagine the people of NZ will benefit from the TPPA from paying more corporate bailouts/subsidies/welfare/lawsuits while under his banking cabal master's "austerity" program.


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Charlene Bearhead
This article is an orphan, as no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; try the Find link tool for suggestions. (December 2019)
Charlene Bearhead is an educator and Indigenous education advocate. She was the first educational lead for the University of Manitoba's National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.[1]
Personal life[edit]
Bearhead grew-up in Drayton valley, Alberta.[2] She is a mother, grandmother, and educator with decades of experience in the educator sector.[3]
She received a degree in education from the University of Alberta in 1985. Bearhead holds teaching certificates for both Alberta and Manitoba. She has taught for Parkland School Division and Calgary School District in Alberta and St. Vital School Division in Manitoba. She was principal of Paul First Nation School and has served as superintendent of education for the Paul First Nation. She founded Mother Earth's Children's Charter School in Wabamun in 2003 and served as its first principal. Bearhead helped establish an Aboriginal Circle program and developed a Youth Cultural Reconciliation Special Project for public schools in Edmonton. She also served as interim education director for the Alexander First Nation.[4]
She led negotiation of the First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative on behalf of Treaty 6, Treaty 7, Treaty 8 Alberta as well as Ontario. She led the establishment of the Early Childhood Services division for the Alberta regional office of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada.
Charlene Bearhead presenting at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada in July 2015
Alongside Sylvia Smith, Bearhead was the national coordinator for Project of Heart, which was tasked with educating Canadians on the history and legacy of residential schools.[5] From 2015 to 2017, Bearhead was the education coordinator for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.[6] She subsequently was named education coordinator for the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls.[7][3]
Bearhead was the education adviser for the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada project.[8]
^ "Conversations about well being". The Learning Exchange.
^ "Acknowledging a dark part of our past". Drayton Valley Western Review. 2014-06-30. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
^ a b "Charlene Bearhead Journey Participant". Canada C3.
^ "List of Presenters" (PDF). Algoma University.
^ "Projects of the heart at PNE give expression to Indian residential school tragedies | Vancouver Observer". www.vancouverobserver.com. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
^ "Charlene Bearhead galvanizes educators to move from 'apology to action'". CBC News. September 11, 2016.
^ "Charlene Bearhead on the role of education in truth and reconciliation". Canadian Geographic. February 16, 2017.
^ "New Indigenous atlas to grace libraries, classrooms across Canada | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlene_Bearhead&oldid=1082854435"
Canadian educators
First Nations activists
University of Alberta alumni
Orphaned articles from December 2019
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Year of birth missing (living people)


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The Black Forest holds a secret to making electric cars greener
15 December 2021 - 09:42 By Stefan Nicola
Germany's Black Forest sits atop a significant amount of raw lithium.
Image: pellinni / 123rf
In the valley alongside Germany's Black Forest lies a potential solution to one of the most vexing issues facing Europe's transition to sustainable transport.
Some 3.2km underground is enough lithium for at least one million electric vehicles a year, and one miner said it can tap those reserves at roughly half the cost of competing sources and without discharging greenhouse gases.
With the critical resource for battery-powered cars usually coming from far-flung regions using methods that scar the landscape, Vulcan Energy Resources's €1.7bn ( roughly R32 1,60,200,000) project could be key for Europe's ambitions to become the world's first climate-neutral continent.
"We will produce a product locally that's not only cheaper but also greener than the alternatives," said Horst Kreuter, Vulcan's managing director in Germany.
The company, backed by Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart, has signed supply agreements with Renault SA, Jeep-owner Stellantis NV and Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem. Last week, it landed its biggest fish: a five-year deal with German auto giant Volkswagen AG.
The Australian miner has contracted most of its lithium production and plans to start deliveries by 2026 at the latest.
But there are doubts. The project is based on technology that hasn't been deployed on a wide scale, and there have been signs of local opposition over risks that pumping lithium-laced brine to the surface could cause tremors.
Short-seller J Capital Research criticised the group as being too optimistic. Vulcan said the October report was "false and misleading" and sued the firm.
Despite the concerns, the project is pushing ahead as it addresses the rising concerns over the environmental impact of building battery-powered cars. From lithium to cobalt, manufacturing a zero-emission vehicle involves even more hard-to-get resources than conventional cars and that comes at a cost to the environment.
Amid intensifying global jostling for dominance of the electric-vehicle sector, the International Energy Agency in May recommended that Western governments consider stockpiling critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium. Automakers are stepping up battery-recycling efforts and pushing for a foothold in mining to gain greater control over the resources needed to make electric cars.
Volkswagen has set up a facility in Germany to eventually reuse 90% of battery components. Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler AG is backing an initiative for more sustainable production of cobalt, which has been linked to human rights abuses. Tesla struck a nickel deal with BHP Group Plc in July and agreed to a cobalt pact with Glencore Plc in June.
But the key resource is lithium. It was rarely needed in the petroleum-based economy, but some 8kg are required for a modern electric car.
The silvery-white metal generally comes from open-pit mines in Australia or from South America, where there are concerns about water waste and toxic materials released from massive evaporation pools. The raw materials are then shipped to Asia for processing. By the time the lithium ends up in European or American electric cars, a lot of carbon dioxide has been emitted.
As the transition gathers pace, BloombergNEF expects demand for the minerals in lithium-ion batteries to grow fivefold by 2030. A global index of lithium prices has more than tripled this year, buoyed by surging electric-car sales in China, the US and Europe.
A new mining process aims to produce battery-grade lithium in Germany without hurting the environment.
Image: Bloomberg
Automakers are under pressure to clean up their supply chains to meet sustainability targets, and Vulcan said Germany's lithium can play a role.
For decades geothermal plants in the Upper Rhine Valley have been pumping up hot fluids from beneath the earth's surface to generate electricity, a form of renewable power. The facilities never bothered about the lithium in the brine, but Vulcan plans to add an extraction step before the fluid is reinjected.
About half the electricity created in the process would power the lithium production, while the other half could be sold. Vulcan has set up a small pilot plant and in late September produced its first batch of battery-grade lithium. It plans to start larger-scale production in 2024, Kreuter said.
There are challenges to Vulcan's method. The brine is a complicated slurry including potassium, iron, manganese and sodium — impurities that need to be filtered out before the lithium can be put into batteries.
Public opposition has derailed new geothermal projects, and locals are on the alert after past incidents. In the Black Forest town of Staufen, dozens of buildings suffered cracks following geothermal drilling in the early 2000s. Just a few kilometres across the Rhine in France, authorities last year shuttered a geothermal plant near Strasbourg after boring sparked minor earthquakes.
Producing commercial quantities of the metal from deep-well brines has never been done, and Vulcan has to prove it can source the money to set up the plants. So far, the company has raised about €200m (roughly R3,625,516,000).
With lithium demand booming, the concept is catching on. BMW AG invested in Lilac Solutions, a US startup backed by Bill Gates that aims to extract lithium via a similar method from California's Salton Sea. German utility EnBW AG is studying the feasibility of producing deep-well lithium in the Rhine valley.
Kreuter said he's confident Vulcan can convince regulators and the public that its project will make lithium production more sustainable. For the company, the economics of the plan are just as attractive.
"We can fund production of the brine via the sale of renewable energy," Kreuter said. On top of that, "we don't have the costs of developing and operating a mine".
For more articles like this please visit Bloomberg.com.
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Injury forces Horne to retire from rugby
Posted on April 21, 2018 in News, Rugby // 0 Comments
In a shock announcement, Northampton Saints confirmed today that Rob Horne's injury has forced him to leave the game for good.
The revelation caused shock and sadness across the rugby family, as the 28-year-old had just received his first captaincy before the injury at Welford Road.
Saints' full statement says: "It is with great sadness that Northampton Saints can today confirm that due to an injury sustained in the Club's fixture against Leicester Tigers, centre Rob Horne has been forced to retire from rugby.
After undergoing tests, leading neurological consultants from The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (Stanmore) confirmed that Horne has suffered career-ending nerve damage to his right arm.
"This is absolutely tragic news, and has been devastating for every member of the squad and staff here," said interim head coach Alan Dickens.
"All our thoughts are of course with Rob and his family at this time.
"Rob is not only a world-class rugby player, but he's an exceptional man. He is a hugely respected and popular member of the dressing room and this will be an enormous loss to Saints – both from a rugby and a personal perspective.
"Even though he had only been here for one season, I am sure he was destined to become a Club legend and, like everyone, I am deeply saddened that his career has been prematurely ended in this way."
Horne arrived at Franklin's Gardens last summer after 10 seasons with the Waratahs, where he played in a Super 14 final at the age of just 18 before claiming the Super Rugby title in 2014.The hard-hitting outside centre won 34 caps for the Wallabies, representing Australia in two Rugby World Cups and against the British & Irish Lions in 2013.
The 28-year-old made 21 appearances in the Black, Green and Gold jersey of Saints, scoring eight tries to make him this season's top-scorer, and led out Northampton against Tigers at Welford Road last weekend for the first time as stand-in skipper.
"Rob has been the ultimate professional in his time at Franklin's Gardens, and shone on the pitch in what has been a difficult season for Saints," commented Saints CEO Mark Darbon.
"This news has shaken everyone at the Club, and I'm sure all of our supporters will join us in sending our best wishes to Rob, his wife Simone and their two young children.
"Rob will always be a part of the Saints family and we will, of course, do everything we can to help him through his rehabilitation and transition in to the next stage of his life.
"On behalf of the Club I would like to thank all the medical staff who have helped Rob so far, in particular the diligence and professionalism shown by the Saints and Tigers medical teams, who reacted quickly and could not have done more for him from the moment his injury was sustained.
"Rob has asked me to pass on his deepest gratitude for all of the messages of support he and his family have received, but would now like everyone to respect his privacy while they deal with this news."
Rob Horne
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New voice in Northampton sports journalism wins national radio award
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Hope you all have had a good day. I have a question regarding timescales. My neuro rang me on the 16th Oct to say my lumbar puncture results came back positive so I have ms and that at the mdt I've been approved for lemtrada. Said ok great and was advised they'd send a letter.
That's nearly a month ago now and I haven't had a letter. Am I being impatient or should I chase this up? I'm at the QE hospital in Birmingham.
@sensalize , a polite telephone call would seem to be in order.
@vixen she diagnosed me at a clinic a few weeks before and talked through treatment, she asked me to do lumbar puncture to confirm everything and rang when the results came in to say it was positive and they had discussed and Approved me for lemtrada. I want this treatment so I'm happy I have been. I've had problems with communication from their before. I originally got diagnosed with MS last December and then not a lot has really happened until recently.
I have a consultation session at the hospital on Thursday to go through lemtrada and the treatment. I'm a 100% positive I want this treatment. It's been a long wait since last year to get to this stage, I was diagnosed a year ago tomorrow only for them to drag their feet in doing something. Has anyone got any recommendations as to things I should ask?


Everyone has heard about the frightening statistics which show how few startup companies actually survive beyond two years. Apart from the fact that it can be more than a little challenging to survive the fierce competition of those first couple years, there are some other things that most startup companies can expect, and which can be used to accomplish growth and success.
There are really four basic possibilities that can be pursued by startups to secure funding for growth, with those for being angel investors, venture capital firms, early-stage investment firms, and friends and family. Assuming that your startup company has a product or service that does provide real value to a specific audience of consumers, the first round of financing generally falls on friends and family, with the other three options intermittently available.
Another pathway for startups to achieve growth is called bootstrapping, and unlike traditional debt equity financing, it does not involve selling off any portion of your company in exchange for funding. Bootstrapping instead involves funding your business through the revenue generated by customer sales. The advantage to this approach is that it allows the startup company owner to retain more control of the company, and does not involve the sale of any portion of it.
However, the drawback to this approach is that it will generally take much longer to achieve success than any other kind of funding source, perhaps as much as five or 10 years if sales proceed at a slow pace. Debt equity on the other hand, will supply a major infusion of cash very quickly, but it involves a significant loss of control and sometimes ownership as well.
Internal challenges may represent one of the biggest hurdles to achieving success for a startup company, but they also provide one of the most significant opportunities for achieving success. If you can develop a strong corporate culture in your company, with a talented team of employees that are committed to achieving company objectives, those internal challenges can be converted into assets which help enable the pathway to success.
Does your startup company need funding?
Most startup companies need funding at some point, in order to maintain daily operations or possibly to fuel new growth. Contact us at Business Capital Providers, so we can consider some possibilities for helping your startup get to the next level.


text:
AC Energy to double investments in power sector to P80 billion
Power Philippines News
on October 20, 2016 at 12:05 pm
AC Energy Holdings Inc. is looking to double their contributions to the power sector to about P80 billion by expanding existing assets, acquisitions or partnerships, and greenfield projects to reach a 2,000 MW portfolio target by 2020.
The company has a three-pillar plan that will deliver an additional 1,000 MW for the next four years. One of those is expanding the capacity of its existing platforms, AC Energy president and CEO Eric Francia said.
"The most natural for us is to expand all our platforms," he said, adding that an abundant number of AC Energy project can be expanded.
The expansions may lead to an additional 500 MW, he added.
The Ayala group has committed around P40 billion in AC Energy. The amount will be doubled to meet the 2,000 MW target, Francia added.
The company is also eyeing on possible acquisitions of and partnerships on renewable energy or coal projects in and out of the country.
"We will continue to look for acquisitions, partnerships. The only difference is we will not only look in our shores, but regionally," Francia said. "We will start looking at Indonesia. We're also interested in looking more broadly in other parts of Southeast Asia, like Vietnam and Myanmar."
The company said that they have their first venture in Indonesia, a 100 MW wind power project.
"We have an international partner, we also have a local partner. So it's a three-way partnership with AC Energy owning 75 percent," Francia said.
AC Energy currently has a total attributable capacity of 1,088 MW with the start of the 668 – MW GN power Dinginin Ltd. Co. coal plant construction in Bataan.
The company also have stakes in the 604 MW GNPower Mariveles, the 2×135 MW coal – fired power plant in Calaca, Batangas through South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp., and the 4×135 MW coal – fired power plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte under GN Power Kauswagan Ltd. Co.
Meanwhile, AC's renewable energy portfolio include the 52 MW Northwind Power Development Corp in Bangui, Ilocos Norte and the 81 MW wind farm in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte through Norht Luzon Renewable Energy Corp. The company also has the 18n MW Monte Solar Energy Inc. in Negros Occidental.
AC Energy
Power Philippines is an independent online news publication that aims to provide the latest stories on the energy sector.
Iran gov't looking to invest in energy projects in the Philippines
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text:
class ItemsController < ApplicationController
  before_action :logged_in_user , except: [:show]
  before_action :set_item, only: [:show]

  def new
    if params[:q]
      response = Amazon::Ecs.item_search(params[:q] ,
                                  :search_index => 'All' ,
                                  :response_group => 'Medium' ,
                                  :country => 'jp')
      @amazon_items = response.items

    end
  end

  def show
  end

  def haverank
    haverankings = Have.group(:item_id).order("count_item_id DESC").limit(10).count(:item_id)
    @item_id = haverankings.keys
    @items = Item.find(@item_id).sort_by{|o| @item_id.index(o.id)}
  end

  def wantrank
    wantrankings = Want.group(:item_id).order("count_item_id DESC").limit(10).count(:item_id)
    @item_id = wantrankings.keys
    @items = Item.find(@item_id).sort_by{|o| @item_id.index(o.id)}
  end

  private
  def set_item
    @item = Item.find(params[:id])
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: React Native send Json.Stringify data to Laravel controller get "Unrecognized token '<'" I am trying to post data from react native app by json.stringify to Laravel controller. But getting "JSON Parse error: Unrecognized token '<'". I need help how to resolve it. My code are given below:
js code
fetch(API_URL+'/signup', {
            method: 'post',
            header:{
                'Accept': 'application/json',
                'Content-type': 'application/json'
            },
            body:JSON.stringify({
                name: userName,
                email: userEmail,
                password: userPassword
            })

        })
        .then((response) => response.json())
            .then((response) =>{
                alert(response);
            })
            .catch((error)=>{
                console.error(error);
            });

Laravel:
public function registerUser()
    {

        $this->validate(request(), [
            'email' => 'required|email',
            'name' => 'required',
            'password' => 'required|min:4|confirmed'
        ]);

        $user = User::create(request(['email', 'name', 'password']));

        return "success";
    }

A: Server return is not a json. You can post the return of the requisition?

A: what the answer above is trying to say is that you are supposed to do
return response()->json("success");
instead of
return "success";
its here
https://laravel.com/docs/5.5/responses#json-responses

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Going to a baseball game usually entails not only watching the game, but also eating the tasty foods at the concession stand and Ballpark gum will help give you a taste of a night out at a game with chewing gum that tastes like peanuts and hotdogs. The obscure gum is created to taste like a true home game experience; you can start off with some peanuts before grabbing a hotdog and finish off with a delicious beer.
Ballpark gum comes in a nostalgic tin that features all three flavors, so you won't have to choose your favorite when grabbing a pack. What's best is that you can choose a piece at random and surprise your tastebuds with one of these strange flavors that will either have you ready for another piece or spitting it out immediately.


Center for Diagnostic Imaging ( Cdi ) serves Mountlake Terrace, WA and is located in the 98043 ZIP code. Visit our website at http://www.mycdi.com/puget_sound/mountlake_terrace/. physicians & surgeons do radiology x ray, physicians & surgeons md radiology diagnostic, physicians - radiology.


text:
Veterinary Medicine Research & Publications
Sensorimotor behaviour following incomplete cervical spinal cord injury in the rat
awebb2005c.PDF (953.0Kb)
Webb, Aubrey A
Muir, Gillian D
Rats are one of the most commonly used species for spinal cord injury research. Since the advent of the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale, the majority of spinal cord injury research relies upon evaluating locomotor behaviour in thoracic spinal cord injury rat models. Slightly more than 50% of all traumatic spinal cord injuries in humans, however, occur at the level of the cervical spinal cord. Further, therapies aimed at thoracic spinal cord injuries may not be directly transferable to cervical spinal cord injuries. This could be due to (1) differences in distance between the cell bodies of injured axons and the injury site and (2) because some behaviours (e.g. stepping movements) used to evaluate the therapeutic potential of a given treatment are governed primarily by intraspinal neuronal circuitry while other behaviours (e.g. skilled reaching) require more sophisticated conscious integration of the sensorimotor system. Consequently, there is a need to develop and use experimental cervical spinal cord injury models and understand the behavioural characteristics of such models. The present review highlights the sensorimotor abilities of cervical spinal cord-injured rats, including both forelimb, hind limb, and whole body behaviours. We also provide insight into the neuroanatomic substrates important for performing a given behaviour, information which may prove essential in the development of site-directed therapeutic strategies.
Behavioural Brain Research 2005 165: 147-159
http://www.sciencedirect.com


Chennai: The DMK has called its arch-rival AIADMK "spineless" for not voting in favour of the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government and alleged that the ruling party in Tamil Nadu supported the NDA as a "quid pro quo" despite several issues.
DMK working president MK Stalin said that the ruling party's opposition to the motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday showed there was a "tacit alliance" between the AIADMK and the BJP.
Stalin, whose party has no representation in the Lower House of Parliament, had urged the AIADMK, which has 37 MPs, to support the no-trust motion.
"Support for Modi Govt in #NoConfidence despite NEET, 15th Finance Commission, GST, Hindi imposition and communal politics is further proof of the quid pro quo arrangement between ADMK and BJP," Stalin said in a tweet late on Friday night.
In a statement on Saturday, he called the AIADMK "spineless" for supporting the NDA, despite issues concerning Tamil Nadu. The Modi-led government had "totally ignored" the state on issues including NEET, devolution of taxes in the GST era and by proposing to replace the UGC and trying to enact a legislation on dam safety, he said.
"The BJP government is going against democracy, social justice and regional autonomy and the chief minister (K Palaniswami) and the AIADMK MPs were spineless" in not opposing these, he said. Though the ruling AIADMK was often claiming that it had only "government to government relations" with the BJP at the Centre, its support to the saffron party on Friday proved that "there is a tacit alliance" between the two, he said.
The AIADMK's support to the BJP came just days after the latter's chief, Amit Shah, had mentioned about corruption in Tamil Nadu, Stalin added. During his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, Shah had said he was "pained" to see the state being "counted among the most corrupt" and asserted, "We will finish corruption here too." Friday's no-confidence motion, moved by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a former BJP ally, against the Modi government was decisively defeated on Friday night.
The government secured 325 votes against 126 of the opposition. Palaniswami had indicated on Thursday that his party might not support the motion as it was moved by the TDP for an issue concerning Andhra Pradesh.
"No party had backed Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue when AIADMK lawmakers had stalled the Lok Sabha for nearly three weeks seeking constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee," Palaniswami had said. The no-trust motion was the first after Modi assumed office in May 2014 and less than a year before the next general elections.