text:
16 days in United States Itinerary
Created using Inspirock United States trip planner
Start: San Francisco
San Francisco — Santa Clara Transit Center
Santa Clara Transit Center — San Jose
5 miles / 15min
San Jose — Las Vegas
Las Vegas — Flagstaff
Flagstaff — Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park — Flagstaff
Flagstaff — Los Angeles
Grand Canyon National Park — Las Vegas @ Circus Circus
Las Vegas @ Circus Circus — Paradise @ Elvis Presley
Paradise @ Elvis Presley — Las Vegas
Fly + bus: 4h 45min
San Diego — Reno
Reno — South Lake Tahoe
617 miles / 15h
bus + foot + bus: 3h 30min
South Lake Tahoe — Reno-Tahoe International Airport
Reno-Tahoe International Airport — Reno/Tahoe International Airport
Reno/Tahoe International Airport — Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park — Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes — San Francisco
Yosemite National Park — Reno
Reno — San Francisco
End: San Francisco
Read about United States
Destinations in United States
Things to do in United States
Nicknamed the "Entertainment Capital of the World," Las Vegas sits in the middle of a desert in the southern section of Nevada.
Museum-lovers will appreciate The Mob Museum and The Neon Museum. Visiting Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Adrenaline & Extreme Tours will get you outdoors. And it doesn't end there: get a taste of the local shopping with The Strip, try your luck at Bellagio Hotel and Casino, and make a trip to Bellagio Fountains.
To find reviews, traveler tips, and other tourist information, read our Las Vegas holiday planner.
San Francisco to Las Vegas is an approximately 4-hour flight. You can also do a combination of subway and flight; or drive. Expect somewhat warmer temperatures when traveling from San Francisco in September; daily highs in Las Vegas reach 93°F and lows reach 71°F. Cap off your sightseeing on the 5th (Wed) early enough to travel to Grand Canyon National Park.
Shopping Neighborhoods Nature
1:30pm, Mon Sep 3
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
12:30pm, Tue Sep 4
The Mob Museum
The size, shape, and color of Grand Canyon National Park combine to leave an impression on visitors as deep as the canyon itself.
Visiting Grand Canyon South Rim and Nature & Wildlife Tours will get you outdoors. There's lots more to do: trek along Rim Trail, tour the pleasant surroundings at South Kaibab Trail, and take some stellar pictures from Powell Point.
To see ratings, maps, other places to visit, and tourist information, go to the Grand Canyon National Park online attractions planner .
You can do a combination of car and flight from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park in 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a shuttle. The time zone changes from Pacific Standard Time (PST) to Mountain Standard Time (MST), which is usually a 1 hour difference. When traveling from Las Vegas in September, plan for slightly colder days and much colder nights in Grand Canyon National Park: temperatures range from 75°F by day to 43°F at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 8th (Sat) so you can go by car to Los Angeles.
Things to do in Grand Canyon National Park
Parks Trails Outdoors
Grand Canyon South Rim
1:00pm, Thu Sep 6
Rim Trail
12:00pm, Sat Sep 8
10:00am, Thu Sep 6
Surrounded by mountain ranges, forests, valleys, beaches, and deserts, the metropolitan area of Los Angeles is home to over 17 million people.
Your itinerary includes some good beach time at Venice Beach and Boardwalk and Will Rogers State Beach. Your cultural itinerary includes sights like The Getty Center and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. There's lots more to do: see the sky in a new way at Griffith Observatory, learn more about the world around you at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, don't miss a visit to Hollywood Walk of Fame, and see the interesting displays at La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.
To see reviews, more things to do, where to stay, and more tourist information, refer to the Los Angeles trip planner.
You can drive from Grand Canyon National Park to Los Angeles in 7.5 hours. Other options are to do a combination of bus, taxi, and flight; or do a combination of bus, flight, and train. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 1 hour traveling from Grand Canyon National Park to Los Angeles. When traveling from Grand Canyon National Park in September, plan for a bit warmer days and much warmer nights in Los Angeles: temperatures range from 85°F by day to 66°F at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 11th (Tue) so you can go by car to San Diego.
Museums Outdoors Beaches
Santa Monica State Beach
The Getty Center
10:00am, Sun Sep 9
Venice Beach and Boardwalk
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
1:00pm, Mon Sep 10
Divided into neighborhoods with distinct characters and cultural heritages, San Diego sits just north of the Mexican border and offers visitors a blend of tourist attractions, including a lively nightlife, diverse cuisine, and a thriving musical scene.
You'll get in some beach time at La Jolla Cove and Mission Beach Park. Take a break from the city and head to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and San Diego Zoo. There's still lots to do: see the interesting displays at USS Midway Museum and kick back and relax at Children's Pool.
To see other places to visit, photos, more things to do, and more tourist information, read San Diego trip itinerary planning website .
Drive from Los Angeles to San Diego in 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus; or fly. When traveling from Los Angeles in September, plan for slightly colder days in San Diego, with highs around 79°F, while nights are about the same with lows around 68°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 14th (Fri) so you can travel to South Lake Tahoe.
Things to do in San Diego
USS Midway Museum
10:00am, Wed Sep 12
2:00pm, Wed Sep 12
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
10:30am, Thu Sep 13
High in the Sierra Nevada mountains on the shore of one of America's most scenic lakes, South Lake Tahoe captures the spirit of the outdoors and serves as a hub for tourism activities surrounding the lake.
On the 15th (Sat), stroll through El Dorado Beach and then stroll through Pope Beach.
To see photos, where to stay, traveler tips, and more tourist information, use the South Lake Tahoe online trip itinerary builder .
Traveling by combination of flight and bus from San Diego to South Lake Tahoe takes 5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. Expect little chillier weather when traveling from San Diego in September: highs in South Lake Tahoe hover around 73°F, while lows dip to 39°F. Cap off your sightseeing on the 15th (Sat) early enough to travel to Yosemite National Park.
Things to do in South Lake Tahoe
Outdoors Beaches Parks
Pope Beach
2:30pm, Sat Sep 15
El Dorado Beach
10:00am, Sat Sep 15
Massive granite mountains, towering waterfalls, groves of Giant Sequoia trees, and wilderness as far as the eye can see distinguish the landscape of Yosemite National Park.
Take a break from the city and head to Glacier Point and Nature Center at Happy Isles. There's still lots to do: hike along Tuolumne Meadows, stroll through Lembert Dome, admire the masterpieces at Yosemite Museum Gallery, and explore the striking landscape at El Capitan.
Plan my day in Yosemite National Park using traveler tips and tourist information provided by Inspirock.
Traveling by combination of taxi and bus from South Lake Tahoe to Yosemite National Park takes 3.5 hours. In September, daytime highs in Yosemite National Park are 74°F, while nighttime lows are 38°F. Cap off your sightseeing on the 18th (Tue) early enough to go by car back home.
Things to do in Yosemite National Park
4:30pm, Sun Sep 16
Tuolumne Meadows
Sentinel Dome
1:00pm, Tue Sep 18
17 days in United States BY A USER FROM ROMANIA April, kids, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: April, kids ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 20 days in United States BY A USER FROM NETHERLANDS August, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 18 days in United States BY A USER FROM U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS August, teens, kids, popular sights PREFERENCES: August, teens, kids ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 18 days in Western US BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, teens, outdoors, historic sites, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, teens, outdoors, historic sites, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 20 days in Las Vegas, Washington DC & New York City BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM August, fast-paced, hidden gems PREFERENCES: August ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Fast-paced 19 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES July, teens, kids, popular sights PREFERENCES: July, teens, kids ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 18 days in United States BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA October, slow & easy, popular sights PREFERENCES: October ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Slow & easy 18 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES May, slow & easy, popular sights PREFERENCES: May ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Slow & easy 18 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, outdoors, fast-paced, hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, outdoors ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Fast-paced 19 days in United States BY A USER FROM ARGENTINA August, popular sights PREFERENCES: August ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 17 days in Las Vegas & California BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM October, popular sights PREFERENCES: October ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 24 days in United States BY A USER FROM BRUNEI February, kids, popular sights PREFERENCES: February, kids ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium
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Property estimated at Sh3million was destroyed after fire razed down a dormitory at St Francis Kanja Secondary School in Embu East sub-county on Wednesday night. Police are hunting for three students who had been suspended two days earlier and were found roaming near the school fence shortly before the sudden fire.
The fire started at around 7.30pm when students were in the dining hall for their supper, according to area Administration Police Commandant Charles Machinji. Machinji said there were no injuries from the inferno that reduced to ashes a dorm that housed 80 students.
He said an Embu County Government fire engine was dispatched to put out the fire but arrived when all property had been burnt. He said the three students who are the main suspects had been sent home after being found with alcohol two days earlier but were found near the school fence on Wednesday evening and threatened watchmen who confronted them.
"Investigations are underway to establish the actual cause," he said. Machinji said students had burnt a part of the same dorm last year but which had since been repaired. He called for people of goodwill to assist the affected students who lived in the dorm and who lost all their property.


Vintage soft and cozy knit dress in great condition. Long sleeves with a loose silhouette and a midi dress length. Zips of down the back of the dress. Drop waist. Color may vary slightly from screen to screen. Dress has been well laundered and is ready to wear.
Please check measurements before ordering, we want you to love your purchase! Not pinned on model, fits as shown. Model typically wears a size small and is 5'9". Measure a similar style item and compare.
Armpit To Armpit (Measured Flat / Double For Bust): 18" Stretches To 19.5"
Across Waist (Measured Flat / Double For Waist): 16.5"
Across Hips (Measured Flat / Double For Hips): 20"


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Andres Bonficio was born into a poor family on November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila. His parents, Santiago Bonifacio and Catalian de Castro, died when Andres was only 14, and his two younger brothers and his younger sister were left under his care. He supported them by peddling paper fans, canes, tar and other goods and by working as a storekeeper and later as a messenger. He supplemented his low education through reading and self-study. Among the books that inspired him to pursue lofty ambitions for his country were the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Dr. Jose Rizal, The Lives of the Presidents of the United States and Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.
In 1892, in a house in Azcarraga (now Claro M. Recto) in Manila, he organized the Katipunan, a secret organization aimed at overthrowing Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines. Members signed their names in blood and pledged to fight for their country. Brave men and, later, women joind the association. One of the female members was Gregoria de Jesus, Bonifacio's wife and known as the Lakambini ng Katipunan. The Kartilla, a sort of bible of the Katipunan, contained its teachings, and the Ang Kalayaan, its official newspaper, informed the people of its aims and teachings. However, the Katipunan was discovered by the Spanish authorities on August 19, 1896. Many members were arrested and executed, forcing Andres Bonifacio and some of his followers to gather at Pugad Lawin, where they tore their cedulas (residence certificates) and started an open uprising. That was on August 25, 1896, the beginning of the Philippine Revolution. Bonifacio, the Great Plebeian and Founder of the Katipunan, died on May 10, 1897 when he was shot while recuperating from a wound in Mount Buntis, Maragondon, Cavite.
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) was a Filipino revolutionary leader and one of the main leaders of the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century. He is regarded as the "Father of the Philippine Revolution" and one of the most influential national heroes of his country. A Freemason, Bonifacio was the leading founder of the Katipunan organization which aimed to start an independence movement against Spain.
He founded the secret society, Katipunan, on July 7, 1892, to fight Spain. He was also president of the Tagalog republic from August 24, 1896 to May 10, 1897. Born in Tondo, Manila, on November 30, 1863. He grew up in the slums and never knew the benefits of a prosperous life. He married Gregoria de Jesus in 1892. He was killed on May 10, 1897, near Mount Buntis, Maragondon, Cavite.


text:
Cuomo's former Queens home sells for $2M
The six-bedroom in Douglas Manor hit the market in 2014
Mar.March 31, 2016 01:45 PM
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's former six-bedroom home in the Queens waterfront community of Douglas Manor sold to an unidentified buyer for $2.4 million after more than a year and a half on the market.
The white colonial at 122 Grosvenor Street first hit the market in May 2014, asking around $3.1 million. The price on the 4.5-bathroom home was cut to $2.7 million in February last year.
Douglas Elliman's Michael Stanco and Michael Misiti, who had the listing, told the Associated Press the sale was finalized in January.
Cuomo lived at the home with his then-wife Kerry Kennedy. In 1993, the Cuomos sold the property. Brian and Pascale Hainline were the owners before the sale, according to Curbed.
The colonial property is reportedly the sister home to an Long Island estate that some say is the inspiration for "The Great Gatsby." [AP] — Dusica Sue Malesevic
Owners of some residential properties can't hide behind LLCs anymore
Landlords take another hit: Cuomo signs expanded Loft Law
Cuomo wants to exempt NYC from prevailing wage bill
Cuomo adds housing to $51B Midtown West project
Cuomo announces plan to get workers back to offices
Inside the $1.6B Moynihan Train Hall redevelopment
Cuomo pushes for commercial-to-resi conversions
70 restaurants sue Cuomo over "Kafkaesque nightmare" of regulations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Beren and Lúthien
The work Beren and Lúthien represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Waterloo-Grant Township Public Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.
The Resource Beren and Lúthien
by J.R.R. Tolkien ; edited by Christopher Tolkien ; with illustrations by Alan Lee
trueTolkien, J. R. R., (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973
Tolkien, J. R. R., (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973,
trueTolkien, Christopher
Tolkien, Christopher,
Lee, Alan,
trueEpic fantasy
trueForbidden love
trueQuests
trueImmortalism
Middle Earth (Imaginary place)
trueHeroes and heroines
trueElves
trueGood and evil
trueMortality
trueMiddle Earth (Imaginary place)
Elves -- Fiction
trueLovers
Middle Earth (Imaginary place) -- Fiction
Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien's Middle Earth
Painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien's Middle-earth. The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year. Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril. In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost. - Publisher
trueQuest for magical items
trueWorld-building
trueMelancholy
Context of Beren and Lúthien
Beren and Lúthien, by J.R.R. Tolkien ; edited by Christopher Tolkien ; with illustrations by Alan Lee

 Data from Beren and Lúthien - Waterloo-Grant Township Public Library

Data Citation of the Work Beren and Lúthien
http://link.waterloo.lib.in.us/resource/kxVzXlRX3WI/
http://library.link/resource/kxVzXlRX3WI/


text:
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text:
Q: Slow execution of commands in Rstudio I am experiencing some very annoying problems in Rstudio; simple commands that usually are executed instantaneously are sometimes taking 10-20 seconds to execute. When it happens seems to be random. For example, I can run "5+5" 10 times in a row just fine, but on the 11th try it takes 10-20 seconds to finish. Then it is fine for another 7 tries, and then it takes longer to finish again.
I have tried resetting Rstudios desktop state (https://support.rstudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/200534577-Resetting-RStudio-Desktop-s-State), but it didn`t help.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Torgeir

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The legal bases for our processing of your personal data are described in the table below. If you have questions about the legal basis of how we process your personal data, contact us at legal@totalbrain.com.
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Red Cape Publishing
Supporting Indie Authors
Little Reds Reviews
P.J. Blakey-Novis
Caroline Angel
David F. Gray
Antoinette Corvo
Gemma Paul
Mark Anthony Smith
K. Wicks
Series Bundles
Toneye Eyenot
Boxes of Blood
Red Cape Graphic Design
H is for Hell & A New Audio Release
Red Cape Publishing are proud to announce the release of H is for Hell on January 13th 2021.
Includes stories by Daniel R. Robichaud, Bob Johnston, Holley Cornetto, Sarah Jane Huntington, Simon J. Plant, Monster Smith, Gemma Paul, N.M. Brown, Mo Donovan, John Clewarth, Elliott Capon, Eric Butler, and Todd K. Denick.
Find out more at http://www.redcapepublishing.com
Kindle version available to pre-order here
The previous books in the series are all available for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon, as well as through Red Cape Publishing's website.
A is for Aliens, B is for Beasts, C is for Cannibals, D is for Demons, E is for Exorcism, F is for Fear, and G is for Genies.
Series link US – https://mybook.to/AtoZSeries
Series link UK – https://mybook.to/AtoZSeriesUK
Red Cape Publishing are proud to announce the release of The Vegas Rift by David F. Gray on Audible, narrated by Michael Brusasco. Blending science-fiction, fantasy, and cosmic horror, The Vegas Rift is a story of epic proportions.
From David F. Gray, author of Gamble's Run, comes The Vegas Rift – An epic blend of science fiction, fantasy, and cosmic horror.
When Sam Carr becomes separated from his younger brother Doug during a trip to Las Vegas, he finds himself drawn into a world of unimaginable horrors. Through The Vegas Rift, Sam is taken to The Paradise, a sinister, Vegas-style hotel harboring dark secrets. Who is really running things behind the scenes? Will Sam reach Doug before it's too late? Will they ever return to the world they left behind?
Audible UK – The Vegas Rift Audiobook | David F. Gray | Audible.co.uk
Audible US – The Vegas Rift by David F. Gray | Audiobook | Audible.com
Paperback and digital version, included in Kindle Unlimited, at https://mybook.to/Vegas
redcapepublishing	Uncategorized	Leave a comment January 7, 2021 1 Minute
Goodbye 2020 (at last!)
It's time for our annual roundup of the last twelve months and what a year it's been! From a publishing and writing perspective it's been a busy and exciting year, despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. From a personal perspective it's been very up and down and a year we'll be glad to get past.
January started off well with the Horror-On-Sea film festival where we were selling books. At the time, we thought it was the beginning of an events-filled year. January also saw the birth of our daughter Mathilda and we can hardly believe she's almost a year old already.
February involved a Q&A at the Bloody Flicks Film Awards, selling lots of signed books, and the release of our first signed authors book – Dirges in the Dark by Antoinette Corvo.
Then everything went weird in March. We'd had a weekend away and the following week we were plunged into lockdown. We quickly found ourselves having to home-school the children 5 hours per day alongside work. This went on for almost six months and was honestly exhausting. In March we released Madman Across the Water by Caroline Angel and A is for Aliens.
April brought us The Ivory Tower by Antoinette Corvo and May saw the release of B is for Beasts. April also brought the exciting news that P.J. Blakey-Novis had won the Indipenned Short Story Contest 2020 with the short horror tale Passing Through.
June showed some relief from lockdown rules as businesses began reopening. This increase in people commuting resulted in a large bump in sales of audio books. In June we release the epic cosmic horror tale The Vegas Rift by David F. Gray, as well as C is for Cannibals.
July saw the release of The Place Between Worlds, the fifth collection of short stories from P.J. Blakey-Novis.
August saw us release The Curse Awakens, the long-awaited sequel to Madman Across the Water, as well as D is for Demons. In September we brought you the first children's book from Gemma Paul, The Little Bat That Could, as well as E is for Exorcism.
October came around quickly and things were really busy on the run-up to Halloween. We released four books that month – Keep It Inside by Mark Anthony Smith, F is for Fear, The Mummy Walks At Midnight, and the superb charity anthology It Came From The Darkness in aid of the Max the Brave Fund. October also hit us with a medical emergency and week's hospitalisation for Leanne so it was a difficult time but we're proud of the books we've managed to put out.
November was mostly spent reading through the 114 submissions we received for our next anthology and listening to audio books we had in production. You can find out which audio books are available on our new Audio Page. Despite this, we still brought you three more books – the apocalyptic horror novel Less by Caroline Angel, A Very Zombie Christmas by Gemma Paul, and The Cat That Caught The Canary by Antoinette Corvo.
G is for Genies dropped on December 9th and H is for Hell is currently available to pre-order ahead of release of January 13th. December was a difficult month personally as we lost a close family member unexpectedly so we needed a little time to deal with that.
So what about 2021? What do we have in store? Well, it's a lot. We'll be bringing another 6 or 7 books from the A-Z of Horror Series out. We have a new novel from Caroline Angel coming. There is a trilogy from Antoinette Corvo. A sequel to The Vegas Rift is being written. Mark Anthony Smith has another collection of shorts and a novella in progress. Gemma Paul will be adding to the Kreepy Kids Collection. We have a novella from David Owain Hughes and a collection of short horrors from J.C. Michael. There will be a sixth collection of short stories as well as two novels from P.J. Blakey-Novis by the end of the year. We also have two other projects which we can't discuss just yet but they look like they'll be awesome.
Huge thanks to everyone who has supported us by buying the books, leaving reviews, sharing posts, and submitting to the anthologies. You're all rather wonderful.
Have a great 2021.
Peter & Leanne
redcapepublishing	Uncategorized	2 Comments December 31, 2020 3 Minutes
Genies Release Day & A Special Interview
Today sees the launch of book seven in the A-Z of Horror Series – G is for Genies. You can find the book on Amazon here, in both Kindle and paperback formats. We'll be celebrating the occasion with an online launch at 9.30pm UK time via our Facebook page. More info here. Including stories by Joshua Boliard, Astrid Addams, C. Marry Hultman, David Green, Mark Anthony Smith, Lee Franklin, Craig Crawford, Lynette S. Hoag, Armand Rosamilia, Dale Parnell, Monster Smith, Chisto Healy, and Daniel R. Robichaud.
We have some special guests joining us for today's blog post. Lee Franklin and D.J. Doyle talk to Leanne about their upcoming extreme horror collaboration Xtreme Xmas.
Hello ladies! And thank you both for taking the time to answer a few questions about your NEW book Xtreme Xmas.
Now… I've been lucky enough to read some of your work and have had the pleasure of working with you both on a couple of projects now, but can you tell our readers more about yourselves?
Lee: I am a West Aussie who has been living in North Yorkshire for the past, almost four years. I found D.J Doyle in an FB horror group almost three years ago now, after she posted a review complaining about how sick her novella Red was. Naturally I had to go see for myself and Doyle didn't disappoint. I refer to Doyle as my Writer Wifey. She has been a cheerleader, beta reader, and whip cracker for me from my first short story publication right through to reading bazillions of short story drafts and my novel Berserker – Green Hell published through Hellbound Books. She also nudged me to self-publish my novelette Nang Tani.
D.J.: Born and raised in Dublin, now living in Kildare for 16 years. Lover, well, maybe fanatic, of all things horror. Lee commented on a post, read my book, and she has stalked me ever since. She oozes talent and I'm privileged to be her writer wifey, being critique partners has developed my skills for description. I write a mix of subgenres and have two novels, a novella, three novelettes and multiple short stories – the comedy horrors with Father Jack being my favourite character to write about.
The question I have next for you both is – Who came up with the idea of Xtreme Xmas?
Lee: Doyle did. It was all her idea. I am sweet and innocent. I wanted to write warm fuzzy hallmark Christmas stories. No, seriously, we have talked about working on a project together for years now. We had the idea to do this last Christmas, but life being life it never happened. We got to October and tossed around a few ideas and by the time we got to November it was do or die.
D.J.: I'm not letting that one take the credit. I wanted to join forces to write some extreme together… Lee obliged, as a wifey should, and we aimed for Dec with Xmas Xtreme.
BOTH: We wanted to challenge each other, but most importantly have fun. The original concept was the 12 Days of Christmas song. But then we realised, that time of year is pretty boring and we needed a connection between the stories; the tree farm seemed the right way to go. So, we decided on a countdown to Christmas.
I also noticed you were killing off other indie authors in your stories (as I was also asked to be killed, ha). Which authors will we see dying within your dark and twisted words?
Lee: I read Roo by Alan Baxter and it was soo much fun seeing other writers and those in the horror industry being characters in the story. We were able to formally invite 90% of the characters. The remaining 10% are big name trad published, so we made sure to stick to first names only. Most horror people are a bit weird and were enthusiastic about being slaughtered in our stories. Some even specifically requested the most brutal deaths we could muster. Others, disappointed that they only played a cameo role.. this year.
DJ.: There Lee goes again, taking the credit. We had a habit of writing each other into our stories as a dedicated friend would, so I suggested we added our other friends and try to set the village as our community of horror writers.
BOTH: For Xtreme Xmas we have killed, maimed, and tortured nearly fifty of our fellow horror writers. A few big names appear throughout, but we really wanted to celebrate our fellow indie writers and horror aficionados.
Jennifer Sullivan and Paul Flewitt face off against some Xmas Gremlins.
Matt Shaw suffers a rat infestation.
Mark Cassell has some problems on the school bus run.
Natasha …. Gets to try out her new toys.
Eric Butler signs up for a milking job, just to discover the lengths Myk Pilgrim will go to, to save Xmas..
Eleanor Merry's Xmas party gets a bit heated with some uninvited guests.
Joe X Young and a star-studded cast, including the veritable Blakey-Novis' have an unforgettable family dinner.
Wade H is Shawville's resident drug dealer who is about to change somebody's Xmas
Adam Nevill and Jasper Bark run into some problems whilst breaking into Laymon's Lot
Kyle Scott gets to play mad scientists with Justin Boote and friends.
Duncan Ralston discovers that life is a gift.
And the infamous Mr Campbell brings home the wrong Xmas tree.
Did you have stories and characters in mind before the title or the other way around?
Lee: I had the story and then went shopping for characters. I thought about who would enjoy playing that role. I ran it by my cast so nobody was in for any rude surprises.
D.J.: That would mean I'm a planner. I laugh in the face of planners, hahahaha!. Me: panster. Lee had some ideas written out and then we discussed our countdown and the topics, the stories originated from there. Some changed, but most we agreed to before we started writing.
This is an EXTREME HORROR book. What are we to expect (apart from horny snowmen)?
BOTH: Blood, oh so much blood. Lots of body parts, torture and death. As I mentioned, we have almost fifty characters, and the evisceration are just as varied. Most don't survive, and those that do will probably wish they hadn't. I believe we have hit the right mix of monsters; both human and supernatural. We don't think you will ever look at Xmas the same after this. I definitely can't look at a snowman the same way again.
Do you have a release date in mind for Xtreme Xmas? And where can our readers purchase it from?
Both: We are aiming for a Sunday the 13th December release and will be available from the Amazon / Kindle store.
redcapepublishing	Uncategorized	Leave a comment December 9, 2020 5 Minutes
December Spotlight – Children's Books
This month we bring you our choice of children's books, ideal as stocking fillers. Have a look through the list and find your child's new favourite read!
The Little Bat That Could – Written & Illustrated by Gemma Paul
The Little Bat yearns to explore the world he reads about in his books, but there is one small thing holding him back. Delve into this tale and see if he can make his dreams come true. Buy here.
Bill, The Worm Who Ran Away – Written & Illustrated by Pamela Morris
Bill's brothers and sisters are driving him crazy! They just won't leave him alone. One night, Bill the Worm decides to run away. All too soon he discovers the world can be a dangerous place. Can Bill find a safe, new place to call home? Will he ever see his family again? Buy UK and US
Grace & Bobo: The Trip To The Future – Written by Peter Blakey-Novis, Illustrated by Leese Johnstone
When Grace's teacher asks her to write about the future, it's the perfect opportunity to build her own time machine! Join Grace and her pet monkey Bobo as they set off on a thrilling adventure to a strange land, and learn a valuable lesson from the creatures they meet. Buy here
The Twilight Princess – Written by Joe Duncombe, Illustrated by Cong Nguyen
The Twilight Princess is an enchanting tale of a little girl who cries at the sight of a flower bed, and the little boy who is determined to rescue her from her sorrow.
5 star critical review
I loved the air of mystery and sense of wonder shared by the narrator as he remembers this nightly occurrence from his childhood and can well imagine how young readers will likewise be swept into the mystery of the princess who wept every night. Cong Nguyen's lovely and dramatic illustrations work so well to impart the magic and intrigue of the story and his sketches of the park where the Princess would play are elegant and compelling. The Twilight Princess is a grand selection for storytime, but it's also written for new readers to try on their own. The Twilight Princess is highly recommended.
A beautifully illustrated, magical story with a unique style. The Twilight Princess is the second children's book from author Joe Duncombe and illustrator Cong Nguyen. Buy UK and US
The Mummy Walks At Midnight – Written & Illustrated by Gemma Paul
The Mummy walks at midnight, that's what the stories say. Are you brave enough to follow him and see where he goes? Join him on his adventure in the first of the Kreepy Kids Collection. Buy here
The Pomdig – Written by R.J. Furness, Illustrated by Kathryn Short
Dive into the wilderness with this remarkable rhyming tale about the mysterious creature who plants weeds and wildflowers everywhere.
Perfect for children aged 3-6 to share with their families.
Have you ever wondered where weeds and wildflowers come from? They pop up all over the place. Gardens, driveways, pavements, roads and walls are often littered with them at different times of the year. But nobody plants them there. Weeds somehow appear wherever they like. Or do they? Maybe they have some help.
"But where do weeds come from?" you ask in distress.
"They show up everywhere, and they look a mess."
The answer is a secret you just can't share.
It's the Pomdig who plants your weeds over there.
Buy UK and US
The Snowman's Nose – Written by Adam D. Searle, Illustrated by Emily Searle
AH-CHOO! Oh dear, Snowman has lost his nose. What is he going to do? Buy UK and US
A Very Zombie Christmas – Written & Illustrated by Gemma Paul
This Christmas there is another one coming, one who won't wear red. He has an army of zombies who are on the hunt for bodies. Spooky Christmas reading for ages 4-8. Buy here
Dog Tails: The Swashbuckling Adventure – Written by Joe Duncombe & Illustrated by Cong Nguyen
Pirates, dogs and treasure islands!
Black Eyed Burt and Floppy Molly are searching for the legendary Golden Bone. Many failed expeditions lead them to learning that the real treasure they have, is that of their friendship.
The first book of the Dog Tails series written by Joe Duncombe, a script writer and author who lives with several dogs that may turn up throughout the series. Buy UK and US
redcapepublishing	Uncategorized	Leave a comment December 1, 2020 November 30, 2020 3 Minutes
New releases & free books!
Today sees the release of The Cat That Caught The Canary by Antoinette Corvo, a dark drama set in the world of New York theatre. This is the third book of Antoinette's we have published, following Dirges in the Dark and The Ivory Tower. Available for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon here.
Last Wednesday also saw the third release from Caroline Angel with the dystopian horror novel Less. Available for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon here. Caroline's previous books, Madman Across the Water and The Curse Awakens can now be purchased as a two-book set here.
From Caroline Angel, author of Madman Across The Water and Origin of Evil, comes the dystopian horror novel Less. When Sam and the staff of the Blue Dawn Diner arrive at work one morning, it only takes a moment to see that something is very wrong. The streets of the usually-bustling town are eerily quiet – even the birds are silent. Sam and his friends soon discover that the world has changed beyond all comprehension, throwing them into a battle for survival as they try to create a new life and a new community. Coming up against other survivors and horrifying creatures, the group are forced to adapt quickly. Will the group survive long enough to find answers? Will they do what is needed to protect their community? Will humanity thrive again, even when there are Less?
Our next release will be the seventh book in the A-Z of Horror Series – G is for Genies. Now available to pre order ahead of launch of December 9th here. To mark the occasion, A is for Aliens will be free from tomorrow to Saturday (26th to 28th). There is now a handy link to purchase the full series on Amazon with one click – UK and US.
We've had a few updates on Audible and are able to offer FREE audio books in exchange for an honest review. Last week saw the release of Dirges in the Dark in audio format and we can provide review codes for this book and Madman Across the Water. Just email redcapepublishing@outlook.com to request a free code.
Currently in production are The Cat That Caught The Canary, The Curse Awakens, and Less. Already recorded and pending approval by Audible are The Vegas Rift, A is for Aliens, The Ivory Tower, and Keep It Inside & Other Weird Tales.
We'd like to finish with an update about the charity anthology, It Came From The Darkness. The book has sold really well since its launch on October 30th and has raised more than £250 for the Max the Brave Fund already. If you haven't already got a copy, you can find it here.
redcapepublishing	Uncategorized	Leave a comment November 25, 2020 November 25, 2020 2 Minutes
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What is a Physical Therapist (PT) or Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)?
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), PT's and PTA's are highly educated licensed health care professionals who can help reduce pain and improve mobility while working with you to achieve your goals. This can decrease the need for surgery and prescription medications.
What does a Physical Therapy appointment look like?
On the first visit to therapy, an individual evaluation is completed and the therapist is able to develop a plan of care based on input from you, your doctor, and the findings to decrease pain, improve mobility, restore function, and prevent disability. PT's teach their patients home programs that consist of strengthening exercises, stretching, and proper body mechanics that help patients get better faster and prevent future injuries. PT's and PTA's utilize manual therapy techniques such as hands on joint mobilizations and modalities such as ice and heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, paraffin, and fluidotherapy to manage pain, improve muscle strength and flexibility.
Where would I find a Physical Therapist?
PT's practice in a variety of settings to meet the needs of varying patients. You can find them in outpatient clinics, hospitals, private practices, home health agencies, work settings, skilled nursing facilities, sports and fitness facilities, inpatient rehab, and schools.
Is it true that Physical Therapists have Doctorate Degrees?
96% of Physical Therapy schools in the nation offer a clinical Doctorate of Physical Therapy and the remaining schools are planning to convert by the year 2020.
What does the year 2020 have to do with anything?
The APTA created the Vision 2020 and beyond as PTs become autonomous in their practice. What this means is PT's may have direct access depending on the state. Direct access allows patients to go directly to a PT without a referral from a different healthcare provider, such as physicians, PAs, or Nurse Practitioners. Along with direct access the vision consists of using evidence based practice, professionalism, and being a practitioner of choice. The vision even beyond 2020 discusses how important movement is to the quality of life for all people, which shows how the physical therapy profession serves all of society.
What does it mean when a Physical Therapist is specialized?
PTs have the opportunity to study and sit for board certified specialization exams including cardiovascular and pulmonary, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, sports, and women's health with a possibility for more in the future. This is a way to formally recognize those therapists with advanced clinical knowledge, skills, and experience in their special area. Residencies and Fellowships in specialty areas are other ways therapists can specialize and gain specific knowledge and clinical skills. There are multiple programs therapists can choose to obtain other specialties in research and treatment skills to better their practice.
What does Physical Therapy at Cook Children's look like?
Cook Children's consists of six programs within the system that treat different populations within pediatric physical therapy.
Cook Children's is made up of a unique team of therapists with a variety of specializations that better allows them to utilize family centered care in which the patient, family, and therapist collaboratively work to create a plan of care that meets individual goals for each patient.
One on one time is important in each patient's rehab, which Cook Children's is able to offer during sessions.
Therapists at Cook Children's display passion with patients and their families to provide the best care possible while making sessions enjoyable!


Atlantis Houses is a complex of typical traditional houses of Halki. Guests enjoy easy access to the crystal clear sea.
The totally renovated residence overlooks the breathtaking bay of Halki and the beautiful landscape of the island.
Its apartments have white-washed walls, carefully selected furniture and wooden floors. Each includes a kitchenette with dining area.


Located on the terrace of the Country Inn & Suites, Delhi Saket, Two Floors Up features a large wooden deck, cabana tents, chairs lit up by colourful fluorescent lights, and delicious food and drinks. Watch as our expert chefs prepare your flavourful snack or meal in the Visual Kitchen, and then dine in the open air. The expansive drink menu includes a selection of non-alcoholic beverages as well as a range of spirits and liqueurs that can be deftly mixed into eye-catching, palate-pleasing cocktails.


text:
The border is here: Fear-based immigration policies are wreaking havoc in NC
By Raul Pinto
- in Progressive Voices, Top Story
Migrant families from Central America in Phoenix last fall. Photo by Laura Gómez | Arizona Mirror
As images of the humanitarian crisis unfolding at the U.S. southern border continue to horrify every person with a pulse and Trump administration policies fail to ameliorate the crisis in any way, North Carolina legislators seem intent on bringing the crisis home.
Last week, the state Senate approved House Bill 370, a proposal that would force sheriffs to comply with every "detainer" request that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issues when someone is processed in a local jail. The bill now awaits a final vote of approval in the House. After Gov. Roy Cooper announced his opposition to the bill, House members pushed forward House Bill 135, a measure that would accomplish virtually the same result. While proponents of these bills argue these policies are needed to ensure community safety, the real impact will clearly be to create and promote fear among immigrant communities.
Because ICE issues detainers upon arrest rather than after individuals are convicted of any offense, the detainers are used as a tool to deport our immigrant neighbors who all too often committed no crime at all.
For example, when law enforcement is called to assist during a domestic violence dispute, police will often charge and arrest both parties for violations of the law without much concern for who is the victim and who is the abuser. It is then the court's job to convict the party at fault and dismiss the victim's charges. However, by the time a victim's charges are dismissed, ICE has already issued a detainer request and quite possibly removed the victim from the local jail to a facility in Georgia, away from legal representation, far from resources, and all too often, ripped apart from her children.
Given such a terrifying backdrop, why would immigrants ever report crimes when doing so could put them on the road to a deplorable detention center and on a fast track to deportation? Not surprisingly, data confirm that when local authorities increase cooperation with immigration enforcement in an indiscriminate manner, immigrant communities are less likely to report crimes, making all North Carolinians less safe.
It is especially shortsighted to look at what is happening at the border in isolation from these North Carolina conditions. This administration's chosen tool to address immigration is fear, whether at the border or in our communities. The policy of separating families who come to the U.S. border seeking asylum is predicated on making people afraid that they will lose their children if they exercise their right to ask for asylum.
House Bills 370 and 135 were crafted to spark that same fear: if you drive without a license in order to go buy groceries and you are stopped by police, you may not see your family again; if you report that you have been a victim of a crime to your local police department, your family may be ripped apart.
I, like millions of other Americans, carry the iconic photo of the bodies of Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his little daughter, Valeria, washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande embedded in my mind. That picture should serve as a reminder of what our country has become and what our nation's immigration policies have caused.
But, we should remember that the policies that caused Oscar and Valeria's death did not develop overnight. The proliferation of programs like 287(g) and "Secure Communities," created to maximize cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE go back almost two decades.
Even under President Obama's administration, these programs ripped apart families, deported individuals back to deadly conditions in their countries of origin and fueled anti-immigrant rhetoric. There may not be any viral images from these past deportations seared into our public conscience, but there should be no doubt that thousands upon thousands families suffered and grieved mightily – often in stoic silence.
In his statement of opposition tp the proposed legislation, Gov. Cooper rightfully observed that North Carolina law already provides for the prosecution and conviction of individuals who commit a crime. He might have added that proposals like HB 370 and HB 135 are also undeniably intertwined with the Trump administration's un-American and, ultimately, counter-productive fear campaign.
I don't know what it will take for the separation of families caused by policies like those contained in these bills to outrage North Carolinians and move them to demand a shift in policy. Unless, however, we want another tragic viral photograph on our collective conscience, we can no longer afford to adopt a "see no evil" approach.
Raul Pinto (pictured at left) is a staff attorney in the North Carolina Justice Center's Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project.
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Microsoft windows 8.1 released in August 27, 2013 as an upgraded version of windows 8 with some technical improvements and user friendly features.
The major reason behind the launch of windows 8.1 was to resolve the concerns and complaints Microsoft received by the user of its predecessor windows 8. Windows 8.1 was initially available to general public on October 17, 2013. It came up with a bunch of new features, enhancements, improved navigation in addition to improvements to the overall user interface.
At first windows 8.1 look similar to windows 8 but the major tweaks includes a better start menu, additional built-in apps, inclusion of latest Internet Explorer 11, integration of Microsoft support system and OneDrive as well as enhancement to overall security features thus making it the most advanced and better operating system as compared to windows 8.
Microsoft always requires you to enter a valid windows 8.1 product key or serial key in order to activate your version of windows 8.1 properly. For students only we gonna share windows 8.1 activation keys which are promised to work 100% enabling you to fully activate your copy of windows 8.1 legally.
Note: These product key below are provided only for students if you are an individual, company or organization please purchase Windows 8.1 from Microsoft official site here.


A Whidbey Island resident and Northwest artist since 1981, Mary Henry originally hails from California. Her impressive career now spans eight decades and extends back to her first exposure to modernism at California School of Arts and Crafts in the 1930s and subsequent studies with Hungarian constructivist artist László Moholy-Nagy at the Institute of Design, Chicago, where Henry received her Master of Arts degree.
In the past, Mary Henry has also shown her work in galleries—including a show at PDX Contemporary in Portland in 2003—and now keeps a studio adjacent to her Whidbey Island home. Among other awards and recognitions, Mary Henry received a Flintridge Award for Visual Artists in 2001. Her paintings are included in the collections of Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, the Institute of Design, Chicago, and such corporate art collections as Microsoft, Safeco, and the Hewlett Packard Company. Mary Henry will be honored with a private reception at the Frye Art Museum, May 11th.
Update from the Artist: Mary's work was chosen to be in the King County Public Art Collection for their portable arts collection.


DANG: Police have arrested as many as six bandh enforcers here on Monday on charge of obstructing vehicular movements.
The District Police Office, Dang identified the arrestees as Bhupindra Bhusal (25) and Bam Dev Rijal (25) of Ghorahi-10, Surendra BM (19), Ukesh Sunar (15), Bibek Ghata and Ashok Shrestha (18) of Ghorahi Municipality-11.
They were apprehended while they were obstructing the traffic at Katuwakhola along the Ghorahi-Lamahi road section, police said.
Earlier this morning, police had arrested 34 people in connection their involvements in different incidents of vandalism and arson in the Kathmandu Valley.
The poll opposing 33-party alliance led by CPN-Maoist has imposed a daylong general strike across the country in a bid to sabotage the November 19 CA elections.


text:
Q: "All of" pronunciation I'm from a place where there is no "L" in the language, and it's always been tricky to say.
Well, I did some research and, at least for American-English, there are two types: A "light L" and a "dark L".
Individually, I don't have a problem, but putting the dark L together with another word is sometimes a challenge. For example, I'm uncertain about "all of". Out of habit I use a light L to say it similar to "olive", but from what I read (and correct me if I'm wrong), I think I'm supposed to use a dark L for "all". This is very uncomfortable to say.
What's the proper way to pronounce "all" and "all of"? Is there a difference when put together?
EDIT: I did some more research, and some sources say that the dark L also uses the tip of the tongue as well as raising the back of the tongue. It's possible that "all of" is used in this manner. "All of" and "olive" may be different after all.
The linked post Confusion of the pronunciation of Dark "L" consonant sound? does have some information, but it doesn't fully answer this question.
Tom says in the question that

Dark "L": is "L" at the end of the word or after a vowel sound.
  Example: ball, pull.
Light "L:: is "L" at the beginning or before a vowel sound. Example:
  light, love.

Araucaria says in an answer that

The rule for dark /l/ is that we always use dark /l/ when /l/ isn't
  followed by a vowel. So in the word falafel the first /l/ is clear, the second is dark.

But neither of these posts seem to say if the rule applies when a word ending in "l," such as "all," is followed by a word starting with a vowel sound, such as "of."

A: The "L" sound:
Well, If I am correct the "L" sound itself, isolated from other sounds, is simply pronouncing a consonant while the tip of your tongue is touching the roof of your mouth.
Importance of Consonant:
Therefore, how you pronounce "all" isn't dependent on the "L" sound, but technically how you pronounce the a sound.
(Speech Therapy) How to Physically Pronounce it:
This section will give you a detailed description of its pronunciation
If you need a better visual of what your tongue should be doing imagine the tip of your tongue is your hand and the roof-side of the tip is the palm of your hand. Press the "palm of your hand" to the roof of your mouth, while pronouncing whatever you think the a sound is.
The way I (American City Accent) pronounce the a sound is like "ah"/"awe". If you are struggling, try more practice with just your basic consonant sounds. There are many ways to pronounce the consonant "A"
Another way to practice, is to practice pronouncing the A consonant in all of its pronunciations while pronouncing the "L" sound.
Also, technically due to differing accents (native or not) essentially there is no "proper" way to say a sound, but more a conformative way to do it, so...
Last, but not least, let's account for accent and region:
So, the other question is what native accent or regional accent do you want to conform to? American, British, Australian, etc? City, Country, Extremely-Gangster, in-between?
Oh. One other thing...
The example provided about "olive," as an American who lives in the city, I pronounce "all of" just like "olive"
*To Anyone It May Concern: feel free to edit my response, if you speak differently with a different regional accent
According to tChrist, you must also account for the Cot-Caught merger:
This plays into account of how you pronounce the word "olive"
here is a detailed video on the difference and the merge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtO0s7pXkaE
According to the video, it is perhaps better to compare using the term "hot dog" as opposed to the word "olive"
In the phrase "hot dog" the "o" sound made in "dog" is how I pronounce the "a" in "all"
An easy way to remember to use the hot dog test or how it is used is that "dog" is commonly informally (and I mean highly informally) written more phonetically, "dawg"

A: Usually, when I say 'l' the sound finishes with my tongue still touching the roof of my mouth just behind the top front teeth.  This is the sound I make when l is at the end of a word ('all').
When a word/syllable begins with 'l' the sound starts in the same way but  it finishes with a (more or less obvious) schwa (ə).  This happens because my tongue bounces away from the roof of my mouth and I aspirate as it does.
So, when I say "all" - and it finishes the phrase ("He has it all.") - I say /ɔːl/.
But when I say "all of it", I usually say 'or-lov-it' and the 'l', being at the start of the second syllable, is /ɔː ləɒv ɪt/.


text:
<?php

namespace yiiunit\extensions\mongodb;

use yii\helpers\ArrayHelper;
use yii\mongodb\Connection;
use Yii;
use yii\mongodb\Exception;

abstract class TestCase extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
{
    public static $params;
    /**
     * @var array Mongo connection configuration.
     */
    protected $mongoDbConfig = [
        'dsn' => 'mongodb://localhost:27017',
        'defaultDatabaseName' => 'yii2test',
        'options' => [],
    ];
    /**
     * @var Connection Mongo connection instance.
     */
    protected $mongodb;

    protected function setUp()
    {
        parent::setUp();
        if (!extension_loaded('mongo')) {
            $this->markTestSkipped('mongo extension required.');
        }
        $config = self::getParam('mongodb');
        if (!empty($config)) {
            $this->mongoDbConfig = $config;
        }
        //$this->mockApplication();
    }

    protected function tearDown()
    {
        if ($this->mongodb) {
            $this->mongodb->close();
        }
        $this->destroyApplication();
    }

    /**
     * Returns a test configuration param from /data/config.php
     * @param  string $name params name
     * @param  mixed $default default value to use when param is not set.
     * @return mixed  the value of the configuration param
     */
    public static function getParam($name, $default = null)
    {
        if (static::$params === null) {
            static::$params = require(__DIR__ . '/data/config.php');
        }

        return isset(static::$params[$name]) ? static::$params[$name] : $default;
    }

    /**
     * Populates Yii::$app with a new application
     * The application will be destroyed on tearDown() automatically.
     * @param array $config The application configuration, if needed
     * @param string $appClass name of the application class to create
     */
    protected function mockApplication($config = [], $appClass = '\yii\console\Application')
    {
        new $appClass(ArrayHelper::merge([
            'id' => 'testapp',
            'basePath' => __DIR__,
            'vendorPath' => $this->getVendorPath(),
        ], $config));
    }

    protected function getVendorPath()
    {
        $vendor = dirname(dirname(__DIR__)) . '/vendor';
        if (!is_dir($vendor)) {
            $vendor = dirname(dirname(dirname(dirname(__DIR__))));
        }
        return $vendor;
    }

    /**
     * Destroys application in Yii::$app by setting it to null.
     */
    protected function destroyApplication()
    {
        \Yii::$app = null;
    }

    /**
     * @param  boolean                 $reset whether to clean up the test database
     * @param  boolean                 $open  whether to open test database
     * @return \yii\mongodb\Connection
     */
    public function getConnection($reset = false, $open = true)
    {
        if (!$reset && $this->mongodb) {
            return $this->mongodb;
        }
        $db = new Connection();
        $db->dsn = $this->mongoDbConfig['dsn'];
        $db->defaultDatabaseName = $this->mongoDbConfig['defaultDatabaseName'];
        if (isset($this->mongoDbConfig['options'])) {
            $db->options = $this->mongoDbConfig['options'];
        }
        if ($open) {
            $db->open();
        }
        $this->mongodb = $db;

        return $db;
    }

    /**
     * Drops the specified collection.
     * @param string $name collection name.
     */
    protected function dropCollection($name)
    {
        if ($this->mongodb) {
            try {
                $this->mongodb->getCollection($name)->drop();
            } catch (Exception $e) {
                // shut down exception
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Drops the specified file collection.
     * @param string $name file collection name.
     */
    protected function dropFileCollection($name = 'fs')
    {
        if ($this->mongodb) {
            try {
                $this->mongodb->getFileCollection($name)->drop();
            } catch (Exception $e) {
                // shut down exception
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Finds all records in collection.
     * @param  \yii\mongodb\Collection $collection
     * @param  array                   $condition
     * @param  array                   $fields
     * @return array                   rows
     */
    protected function findAll($collection, $condition = [], $fields = [])
    {
        $cursor = $collection->find($condition, $fields);
        $result = [];
        foreach ($cursor as $data) {
            $result[] = $data;
        }

        return $result;
    }

    /**
     * Returns the Mongo server version.
     * @return string Mongo server version.
     */
    protected function getServerVersion()
    {
        $connection = $this->getConnection();
        $buildInfo = $connection->getDatabase()->executeCommand(['buildinfo' => true]);

        return $buildInfo['version'];
    }
}


text:
San Francisco lets just one person delay eco-friendly projects in the midst of a climate crisis. How is that fair?
Heather Knight Sep. 12, 2020 Updated: Sep. 12, 2020 8:08 a.m.
Jenna Mansy (right) of San Francisco, walks with her bike after it had a flat tire while she was out for a ride while pedestrians walk past along Washington Boulevard in a slow street zone in the Presido on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 in San Francisco, Calif. Mansy said the slow streets feel alot safer to ride. "It's a lot of fun to see the bikers. It feels like you're interacting even though you're alone."
Photo: Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle
The sky turned an apocalyptic orange on Wednesday, and the sun, for the first time in memory, was in quarantine, refusing to come out. Later in the week, the sun was back, sort of, mostly invisible behind a toxic haze of smoke and ash.
Fires raged throughout the Western United States, killing people and flattening neighborhoods. By Friday afternoon, more than 3.5 million acres of California — roughly the size of Connecticut — had burned so far this year, a record-shattering number climbing by the minute.
If ever there was a wake-up call that we're in a climate emergency, this is it. All of us must act. Now.
And yet in supposedly environmentally conscious San Francisco, we're fighting over bike lanes and prohibiting through traffic on a tiny percentage of our streets. Even though making it easier and more appealing for people to leave their cars at home to walk, bike, carpool or take public transit instead is one of the main ways cities can fight climate change.
Two San Franciscans seem to have made it their pandemic hobby to file appeals for just about every emergency action taken by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in the past six months. They're gadfly David Pilpel and attorney Mary Miles, who says she represents the Coalition for Adequate Review. Yes, she's sticking up for CAR. They're both well known at City Hall for trying to thwart various projects over the years, and they're at it again.
Pilpel could not be reached for comment. Miles did not return a call, but did email copies of her appeal letters.
Because of them, the next phase of the Slow Streets program is on hold. That program shuts some streets to through traffic so people can walk and bike safely while social distancing. Temporary emergency changes to streets to make way for coronavirus testing sites and pop-up food pantries are also on hold.
Emergency transit lanes for buses operating at reduced capacity for social distancing to whisk essential workers to their jobs without getting stuck in traffic are on hold. A protected bike lane on Fell Street to alleviate the crush of exercisers in the crowded Panhandle is also being fought over.
The crux of the argument from Pilpel and Miles comes down to whether these measures taken by the transit agency constitute actual emergencies or whether they deserve regular review under the California Environmental Quality Act. Pilpel and Miles argue that the city is trying to make these measures permanent, though the city has said that if it does move to keep them, it will follow the regular review process.
CEQA was signed in 1970 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan to require state and local agencies to disclose the environmental impacts of planned projects and try to mitigate them. It's a great idea in theory, but it's often used to fight transit and housing projects that actually help the environment. It's become a cudgel used by NIMBYs to block any project they don't like — such as housing in cities, even though thwarting urban housing contributes to suburban sprawl and long, emission-spewing commutes.
(State Sen. Scott Wiener has legislation awaiting the governor's signature that would exempt some public transportation projects and bike and pedestrian safety improvements from CEQA review, but it won't go into effect until Jan. 1.)
CEQA allows government agencies to bypass the regular review process in an emergency, and that's how the Municipal Transportation Agency got so much done so quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the problem isn't Pilpel and Miles. It's San Francisco's appeals process, which lets just one person stop a project that might benefit many thousands.
Local governments set their own rules about whether and how people can file appeals to projects that were exempt from CEQA review, including those constructed during an emergency. San Francisco has set the bar very low, giving tremendous weight to anybody who doesn't like something. The programs being appealed must remain frozen until the appeals are settled.
This would be a good time for the Board of Supervisors to set the bar for appealing projects exempt under CEQA much higher, which could save the city tremendous amounts of staff time and money and encourage good projects.
The whole brouhaha has the transit agency's staff fed up. To put it mildly.
According to Jeffrey Tumlin, Muni's new director, each of the five appeals will cost about 100 hours of work by his staff. He said each hearing at the Board of Supervisors, which serves as the judge and jury in these cases, costs a combined $10,000 in city officials' and attorneys' time. In fact, Tumlin said each appeal is taking more time and money than it took to create the emergency programs in the first place.
All to protect popular measures that are clearly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ways San Francisco needs to change to ensure our environment remains habitable.
Tumlin called CEQA "a blunt tool" that's failing to protect the environment.
"We have to pick up the pace of change," he said. "Human-created climate change is exacerbating all of California's underlying problems, whether it's fires or water scarcity or housing scarcity. We need tools to allow government to get ahead of these problems rather than double down on the planning approaches that have been exacerbating our problems for the last 45 years."
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The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 1 to quash Miles' first appeal — that of the first phase of the Slow Streets program. She's also filed an appeal over the third phase, which hasn't been heard yet. The hearing on the first phase took an hour and had people phoning in to rail at the fact that people were walking and biking in, gasp, the middle ... of ... the street!
Supervisor Aaron Peskin acknowledged that "due process is messy and time-consuming," but said it's there for a reason and that he doesn't have a big problem with the way CEQA works. He also said appeals of exempt projects are rare and don't pose a major problem.
"It's been a remarkably helpful law writ large," he said of CEQA, adding that it's helped protect the Sierra Nevada and kept some bad projects from being built in San Francisco.
But the appeals on the table now are clearly a waste of time and are preventing city officials from doing real work as our emergencies seem to increase by the day.
"The projects themselves are delayed, and it has a ripple effect on all of our other work," said Sarah Jones, the transit agency's planning director.
She's in charge of figuring out the fate of the currently closed-to-cars JFK Drive, Twin Peaks Boulevard and Great Highway — but that's all on the back burner now. Her staff also had to push off other important projects such as safety improvements on Powell Street to make it easier for pedestrians to get around and people to safely disembark cable cars.
Each of these projects is essential to making San Francisco a safe, efficient place to walk, bike and ride public transit, thereby making it easier to leave the car in the garage. And that's the future we must pursue if we want to have any kind of future at all.