text:
Top Indie Favorites
Take Me Down
by Carly PhillipsCarly Phillips
Parker Knight was going through the motions... and then he met her. .
Parker Knight lived and lost his dream. Now he works for his family's business, wearing a suit and pretending to be happy. A weekend away to plan a corporate retreat turns into a revelation when he lays eyes on Emily Stevens, the sexy owner of a small inn that's seen better days. One look at Emily and the run down bed and breakfast and suddenly Parker has a purpose. He turns his short stay into a longer one, intending to act on the intense chemistry and desire that runs hot between them. While there, he plans to give Emily and her father's inn a much needed infusion of cash and manpower.
Coming off an emotionally abusive marriage, Emily has an immediate bias against suave, city guys ... But despite the slick exterior, Emily discovers Parker is sweet, charming and eager to help. And when she caves to their incredible passion, she discovers he makes her feel just as good in bed as out. Yet no matter how hot they burn or how well they mesh, Parker's time with her has an expiration date. And Emily has an ex who refuses to accept that their relationship is over.
Parker isn't a man who gives up. Sweet, sexy Emily Stevens is his chance to reclaim his life. He wants to take care of this woman who makes him feel ... everything. If only he could figure out how to merge his two lives, everything would be perfect. But when her ex makes his move, Parker realizes what's important. He only hopes he isn't too late.
CP Publishing LLC
The Knight Brothers , #2
Carly married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs and has raised two incredible daughters. Carly is the author of over 50 romances and is a Wall Street Journal, NY Times and USA Today Bestseller. Visit www.carlyphillips.com and subscribe to her newsletter for 2 FREE BOOKS and find out where to find Carly on social media. She loves interacting with her readers!
Take Me Down 4.7 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 35 reviews.
MaimeosAngelsEL 28 days ago
I am really loving this latest series from Carly Phillips. There is something about her style of writing that I love. The Knight Brothers series ticks all the boxes for me, from Alpha males, to feisty heroines and family love and support. This is Parker Knight and Emily Stevens story and though not a particularly long read, Ms.Phillips certainly packed a whole lot of emotions into this book. Parker has never really felt at home in the family business, an ex Olympic skier who was side lined due to injury, he knows that there is something missing and yet he just coasts along, not making waves, doing the jobs he is asked to do. Sent to Colorado to scout a resort for a company retreat, Parker winds up at a run down B & B being run by Emily and her father. Despite the obvious attraction that smoulders between them Emily is initially loath to let Parker in and trust him. I loved how Parker embraced his feelings and focused on what he wanted. Emily had no chance once Parker set his mind on her. Although the 3rd book in the series, this can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend you one click then all. I believe you may get more enjoyment if you read the previous books first. Take Me Down was an emotional, totally hot and altogether great read. It was also fabulous to catch up with Parker's siblings and their partners. Will Parker be able to help Emily with her controlling ex? Will Emily accept the financial assistance that he offers to her and her father? Will Parker and Emily finally get the happiness that they so richly deserve? One click and find out.....
Gin 26 days ago
Another terrific Knight brother to swoon over! And swoon I did over the hottie Parker with his handsomeness, his athleticism and his heroism. And when he comes to Emily's rescue he's dynamite. Emily might be leery of the hunky middle Knight brother but the chemistry is too hot to deny even if she's been hurt in the past. Parker has a few demons of his own and Emily is the perfect fit to help him overcome his disappointment. As these two work to forge a new reality and a romantic connection it's wonderful. Love this author's storytelling and fabulous characters. Sexy romance and wonderful family. Just exceptional! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
LynnB888 30 days ago
A fast-paced tale of grabbing life's second chances! He thought he had his chance years ago at love and living the dream ... she thought she was marrying forever. Life happened. He was left without a dream to pursue anymore ... she was left disillusioned and bitter. Meeting each other opens their eyes to what life still has to offer ... they just need to reach out and grab it with both hands! Fun characters, a fulfilling story line and an ideal happily ever after. Parker Knight lost his dream years ago, then dusted himself off and got to work with his siblings at the swanky family business. He has an okay life, but it's mostly going through the motions of what's expected of him ... until circumstances bring feisty Emily into his life! Emily Stevens came home to lick her wounds after an emotional abusive marriage to the wrong guy. She knows the Bed and Breakfast that her Dad has his heart set on keeping is just a money pit waiting to crumble, but she's not sure how to make him see the truth. Until Parker sets out to help!
EileenAW 3 months ago
WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Parker and Emily's story in Take Me Down, book two in The Knight Brothers series by Carly Phillips is definitely a winner. Since a career ending injury forced him out of Olympic competition Parker Knight is barely living his life. He might work for with his siblings but he is restless and unhappy; his heart is just not into it. Parker agrees to go to Colorado to find a location for the company's retreat. When his car breaks down outside a small town and won't be fixed for a few days, Parker checks into a bed and breakfast. This B&B is a bit rundown and operated by baker Emily Stevens and her father James. Maybe it's something in the air, or maybe it's the fatigue Parker has been living with, but Emily makes Parker feel emotions he hasn't felt in a long time. Helping out this father and daughter suddenly gives Parker a purpose to his life. Emily is recovering from an abusive and controlling ex-husband. She believes that Parker is made of the same cloth, despite being attracted to him. Emily gives in to her attraction for Parker because she believes it will be temporary. Life just doesn't always work that way. Parker has finally figured out what he was missing in life and what he now wanted to do with his life. First, he becomes he helps her father by loaning the money to repair and fix up the B&B. Parker also agrees to help Emily and her best friend expand the coffee shop so they can offer Emily's baked goods. As Parker and Emily begin to finally believe that all is right with their world, the stars are lined up in perfect order, reality strikes. First there's the visit from Parker's big brother Ethan questioning Parker's intentions and these new directions in his life. After Parker leaves Emily's ex-husband returns and tries to shake things up thinking that with nothing left for her in that small town, Emily would have to return to him. That is definitely not going to happen!! But it is going to take the magic of love and life changes before Parker and Emily do get that chance for happiness, together. Ms. Phillips wrote a wonderfully emotional and moving story filled with sexual chemistry, fun dialogue, some introspection and endearing characters that is definitely not to be missed. I highly recommend Take Me Down to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
BookAngel_Emma 3 months ago
For such a quick read there is a heck of a lot going on within the pages of Take Me Down. We already know Parker has been struggling due to his role in Take Me Again, losing his hopes and dreams in one tragic accident has left him robotically going through the motions of his life. However, when he is sent to scout out a corporate retreat for the company he shares with his siblings, Parker finds himself finding the pieces of himself he thought were long gone. Emily is the catalyst for not only Parker regaining control of his life but also as the foundation for her friends and family to achieve their dreams. Emily has her own baggage which unfortunately she initially projects onto Parker. Having returned to her hometown to care for her parents while escaping an emotionally abusive marriage, it is understandable for Emily to have a lot of barriers in place especially with the parallels of wealth and privilege between Parker and her ex. Parker and Emily balance each other and provide the support and encouragement they subconsciously require in order to gain control of their future and achieve the happiness they both deserve. It is a partnership on all levels. There is a thriller element within the narrative adding to the tension and dynamics of the relationships within Take Me Down. It was wonderful to catch up with Parker's siblings, with only the oldest left without his HEA, I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for Ethan in Dare Me Tonight.
Shweetsandi 3 months ago
This is the second book in the Knight brothers series. I would highly recommend reading the first book and also the novella, Take the Bride, which is their sister Sierra Knight. That being said our author will give you enough bits and bobs so you understand the goings on without reading the other books but reading them it makes this book so much more "alive" I would say. Okay on with my thoughts on Take Me Down. This is Parker Knight and Emily Stevens story to be told and what a story it is. Parker is the Knightly brother that is somewhat hidden from view after his Olympic career ended not once but twice due to injuries. I wished we knew more about the second injury. Horrible as it appears to be...what little the author told us left me wanting to know more. There are places I as a reader wanted and needed to know more and that is the only reason i could not give this book 5 stars. I needed more from the ex boyfriend angle as well. I know , I know I am not the writer but as a reader that was simply something that I needed to close out the book in a neat little bow. Parker and Emily are great as a couple and do work and this book has all the feel goods that a good book needs. This Knight brother walks into the night and steals Emily's heart without her even knowing it LOL... no car it was with the mechanic her date later that week. I am so looking forward to Ethan's book. Let's hope our author takes him on the ride of his life. He deserves it after Mandy.
hyjean 3 months ago
I absolutely love anything Carly writes, but this series is exceptionally good. Parker is still a little lost after losing his ski career and fiance all in one horific car accident. He's been sent back to Colorado to find someplace where his families company can hold a retreat. Through some unexpected car issues he meets Emily who is trying to run an inn with her dad. I loved watching these characters feeling for each other, even though they both fought it. Another MUST READ by Carly I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cali-Jewel 3 months ago
Sexy, fun, witty and emotionally thrilling romantic adventure filled with interesting charters, drama and undeniable passion.... a exciting read that had me devouring it in a few highly entertaining hours. This is a excellent read from beginning to end, love this series!
Cheryl-S 3 months ago
This is book 2 in the Knight Brothers series and it features Parker and Emily. Parker has had a rough time at life. He's been through so much, repeatedly. It may have been intrusive of Ethan but I'm glad he brought in the private investigator. This is a story about learning to live again after so much tragedy. Both Parker and Emily have been through a lot. It was perfect between them until life got in the way. I didn't see any way it could work out. This is a scorching HOT romance with a fantastic story line and awesome characters. I can't wait for the next book!
charlligirl 3 months ago
I love seeing a strong woman, especially when she shows some weakness and vulnerability. That is what this book is all about. Emily was "weak" with her ex-husband, but it was unknowingly. When she finally realized it she got out. Good for her. But she was never going to find herself in the same position. Until now. Enter Parker Knight. Another city slicker, alpha, in charge man. Well no thank you. No matter how much she wanted him gone, he stayed. And as each day passed, she became more open and vulnerable with him. They were meant to be, but neither was quite ready for it. Love hit them like an out of control boulder down the side of a mountain. Watching their interactions was entertaining. But also heartwrenching when they decided to be open with each other and bare their worst. Add in Harper to the mix and laughs were all around. But the best part was watching Parker stand up to Ethan and put him in his place. I think Ethan has alot of work ahead of him to get on Emily's good side, but if anyone can do it, he can.
JennieF 3 months ago
ARC for honest review with no compensation 4.5 stars Received from BookSprout. Take Me Down is book 3 in the Knight Brothers series by Carly Phillips. Such an awesome new series.. whatever Carly Phillips writes I will read!!!!! Parker Knight, sexy alpha, former Olympic skier and works in the family business which doesn't feel right but after being injured, suffered a devastating loss and knowing he can never compete again the family business is all he has left...until he is sent to look at a new place in Colorado for a company retreat...a run down B&B and all the potential to help him heal his heart... Emily Stevens, feisty, culinary trained baker and emotionally abused by her ex, she moves back home to help her dad with the B&B and do the repairs to get it up to full potential and maybe get her dad to sell and move away to a place better suited to his health...according to her. When she meets Parker, he reminds her of a city slicker just like her ex and wants no parts of him... Can Parker prove he's the man for her, show her the B&B's full potential, show her not all men are like her ex and find their HEA together or will Emily close her heart to what's in front of her???
Paula-H 3 months ago
I found this story wonderful . The characters are outstanding . Emily and her father struggle to keep their business going . Emily doesn't trust easily due to her soon to be ex-husbands Controlling and abusive ways . Along comes Parker a city slicker . Stranded her father gives him a room . Emily struggles with their attraction and the different lives They lead . Feelings develop but life is full of stumbling blocks and struggles . This is a very enjoyable story . I highly recommend taking the time to read . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
VirginiaVanSaders 3 months ago
This is the story of Parker and Emily. This story was great. To fall in love miles away from your home and eventually make it work out is a feat in itself. Parker finds a way. Emily doesn't want a repeat of her past, which didn't work out at all. There are a lot of secrets in this story, which are heartbreaking, to say the least. The author's writing brings all things within the story together beautifully, and in the end all is well. I'm looking forward to the next Knight Brothers story.
MelissaB 3 months ago
This is the second book in the Knight Brothers series and definitely one of my favorites! Parker Knight is just hands down swoon-worthy..... he's sex on a stick hot, compassionate, thoughtful but what happens when he meets a woman that lights a fire in him? Emily has sworn off men, especially after the hell she's been through.... that is until she meets Parker Knight! Parker and Emily know their time is limited with his business in New York York and hers in Colorado but they plan to make the most of it and enjoy each other. Their story is sweet, sexy and one that will have you cheering for them to find love again in each other!
moonfox1234 3 months ago
This wonderful read quickly captivated me and had me rooting for Parker and Emily every step of the way. The well written storyline is rich with emotion and easily keeps you entertained and also fully engaged. I thought that Parker was a simply amazing character. An enticing combination of wounded hero and alpha male made him heart melting and swoon worthy. Emily had her own heavy baggage. She was independent, strong and had a big heart. Loads of sparks, witty barbs, a fierce attraction, tons of emotional turmoil, drama, sweet love and steamy passion all combine to create a delightful read.
beausmommy 3 months ago
Parker Knight doesn't know what he's missing until he comes upon the little inn in the middle of Colorado. It doesn't take him long to figure out that Emily Stevens has stolen his heart. But how will they make a long distance relationship work? His life is in New York. She is tied to the Inn and her family. This is the third in a series and it is classic Carly Phillips. I always love reading her series, especially the family based stories like the Dare's and now the Knights. Parker and Emily share a sweet story about overcoming demons of the past and moving on together.
tracykids4 3 months ago
Carly Phillips did it again. Another Amazing story. Fun, sweet, heartbreaking & overall Fantastic. Parker Knight is a ex professional skier. After getting hurt while skiing, then again in a car accident that killed his fiancé and left his leg in worse shape, he was forced to retired. Unfortunately, since losing everything that he loved, he hasn't been really "living" his life. He has just been going day by day working at his family business behind a desk which is the last place he ever seen himself being. Emily is a small-town girl that came back home after she left her marriage to a controlling man. She is now helping her father at the Bed & Breakfast her mother and father opened, which at the moment is in need of a lot of repairs. Emily also bakes muffins and takes them to her best friend's coffee shop to sell every morning. While Parker is on his way back home from a trip his brother Ethan sent him on, his rental car breaks down, forcing him to find a place to stay for the night. Luckily for both himself and Emily (even though she doesn't know it yet) he comes to the Inn seeking a room. Emily is real stand offish at first as Parker reminds her of everything her ex-husband was, a "city boy" dressed to the nines. Parker is instantly attracted to Emily even with her bad attitude. But Parker can't resist Emily for long. Can Emily let down her defenses long enough to get to know Parker or will she forever dislike city boys? Can Parker ever let the guilt he feels for his fiancé's death go so he can have a real life, one where he can fall in love again and live life to the fullest?
Parker and Emily are neither one looking for a relationship. These amazing characters draw you into the book and you won't want to put it down!
AREEDAR 3 months ago
Parker Knight is trying to get his life back on track. His brother Ethan sends him to check out their next corporate retreat site and little does he know this will change his life for the better. Meeting Emily Stevens was just what Parker needed in his life. Theses two are so perfect together and they both heal the other so much. I loved this book!
Sandy-thereadingcafe 3 months ago
TAKE ME DOWN is the second full-length instalment in Carly Phillips contemporary, adult THE KNIGHT BROTHERS erotic, romance series focusing on the Knight siblings, owners of Knight Time Technology. This is former world champion skier Parker Knight, and pastry chef Emily Stevens' story line. TAKE ME DOWN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Told from dual third person perspectives (Emily and Parker) TAKE ME DOWN follows Parker Knight as he is tasked with locating a suitable venue for Knight Time Technology's corporate retreat. Having rerouted himself toward Denver Colorado, Parker found himself stranded with car trouble in the small town of Montlake. Needing a place to stay our hero landed at the local B&B run by father and daughter James and Emily Stevens. What ensues is the tempestuous but building relationship between Emily and Parker, and the potential fall-out as Parker's time in Colorado comes to a close. Emily Stevens doesn't do relationships, and under the circumstances, has refused all outside attempts at seduction and dating. A previous relationship has left her emotionally unavailable, that is until, Parker Knight arrives on the scenes. Parker Knight also struggles with a former relationship in that he is still paying for sins of the past. Meeting Emily Stevens gives Parker hopes for a future, that will quickly be dampened when his time in Colorado comes with an expiry date. The relationship between Parker and Emily is one of immediate attraction but Emily's feisty and off-putting attitude leaves something to be desire. Believing Parker is nothing but a spoiled, rich city boy, Emily battles between head and heart as it pertains to her growing attraction to our story line hero. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. All of Parker's siblings play secondary and supporting characters including the long suffering eldest brother Ethan Knight. We are introduced to Emily's father James, as well as her best friend and café owner Harper Sanders. Ethan's story is next in the author's Dare/Knight crossover novel DARE ME TONIGHT. TAKE ME DOWN is a story of family, friendship, struggle and betrayal. There are moments romance and love; betrayal and vengeance; realization and forgiveness. The premise is engaging ; the romance is seductive; the character are spunky, sassy and energetic.
Kindle_Loving_Mom 3 months ago
I enjoyed this story of 2 unique people learning to fit together, and make their own place in the world. Parker Knight lost his mother as a kid, and then his father was absent, always making time for one wife after another, but never his own children. Then, later, he was living his dream as an elite Olympic champion skier, when he lost his fiancee, and his dream career, all in one fatal car accident. His siblings have always called him Switzerland, first for his chosen career, and then for his penchant of never choosing sides during their many disagreements. Once his skiing dreams were dead, he went to grad school, and went to work for the family business, but it's never been his passion. When his eldest brother sends him to scout a resort for a corporate retreat in Colorado, he's less than thrilled. Especially when his car breaks down in a small town with one B&B, and the woman who runs it doesn't want to give him a room. Emily Stevens went to culinary school, and she loves everything about baking. After finally leaving the big city, and her emotionally abusive husband, she's back home helping her dad run her parents' B&B. Her mom passed away not long after Emily returned home, and now she's terrified of losing her dad too. She wants him to sell the place and retire to Florida to be closer to her sister and her family. But he won't hear it. The inn needs so many repairs, and they can't afford to make any of them. Plus, her soon-to-be-ex-husband keeps popping up in town unexpectedly, and it's making her crazy. When she sees Parker's city boy look and attitude, and is attracted to him at first sight, she panics and denies him a room. She has no room in her life for another controlling rich guy. Parker and Emily have a strong attraction from the start, but Emily is fighting it with everything she has. She especially gets angry with Parker when he decides to lend her father, James, the money to make the renovations to the inn. He's barging into her life and she does not appreciate his high-handedness. Parker hasn't been attracted to anyone in so long and Emily is everything he didn't know he was looking for. He's falling for her town, her inn, her dad, and even her best friend, Harper, and Parker are big fans of each other. Emily feels cornered, and is trying to remember to guard her heart, because Parker's life and family are in NYC, and she has no way of uprooting herself now, even if she were to want to. The side plot with her ex had me interested, until it took a bit of a strange turn, and then I felt like we didn't really get any closure on it. We never even got to see Parker's reaction to everything that happened, and I felt like that was a missed opportunity. To be honest, that was my only real problem with this whole story, but it made me feel like the rest of the ending was a bit off, and I was waiting for the final part of this subplot, which didn't really happen. But I really enjoyed Emily's relationship with her best friend Harper, and with her dad, James. I'm also really hoping we'll be getting some sort of novella about Harper and the local mechanic she's been crushing on, Matt. I loved Parker and Emily. They were honest with each other, and I enjoyed their strong connection. Emily didn't let Parker get away with bulldozing her, and he had to learn to temper his impulses in that regard. He took her fears from her prior relationship seriously, and I liked that he always did his best to put her needs first.
Tanja Kezmic 3 months ago
There is a lot of emotional baggage that these two are carrying around. Parker is still looking for peace and is just living without any real purpose. Emily is trying to discover who she really is after having been mentally abused by her ex. Their beginning was a bit rocky but with Parker's persistence she slowly started to let her walls down. The story is beautifully paced and it has me in happy tears by the end of it. The Knight family has grown on me and I can't wait to find out what happens next. ***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
kahea46 3 months ago
***5 Stars*** Such a fun read! It was quick and filled with all the goodness of two people getting to know each other and finding that the pull they have towards each other is more than either had ever thought to find. I adored Parker. This man has been through a lot more than most realize, even his own family who he is very close to, but he keeps on going and is simply surviving. But his easy going nature and charisma were just as lethal as when he decided to step in and take charge in the best of ways. I really liked Emily, but man did I want to reach out and shake some sense into her in the beginning. I understood why she felt and acted the way she did, but she went a little further than was necessary. But once she took a step back, her heart and sassy nature came through and I ended up loving her. Their journey to their HEA started off on a very rocky foot, but I loved how Parker took it all in stride and showed Emily the kind of man he really was. Their bantering, even when a little biting, was fun and I loved watching them become closer and found that they were exactly what they never knew they needed and wanted. It was really easy to get lost in Parker and Emily's story. It was engaging and I loved getting to know them and watch as they worked through the issues that had been chasing them. I loved James and Harper, and hope that we'll see more of them down the road, and getting to catch up with Sebastian, Ashley and Sierra was a lot of fun. And then there is Ethan. This man...all I can say is that I cannot wait to get my hands on his book and watch him fall! ~ Copy provided by the author via Booksprout & voluntarily reviewed ~
TarynLee 3 months ago
Emily's life hasn't exactly gone to plan, she has been helping her father keep the Inn that he opened going but it seems like a lost cause. She would love to sell it and get her father settled comfortably somewhere else so she can move forward with her own dream of opening a bakery. Parker's dream of being a professional skier is no longer a viable one, after being in a series of accidents he can no longer preform like he could at one time. He is now stuck working in the family business and hates every minute of it. He would love to find another passion and get out of the rut the he has found himself in, it doesn't help that his brother has gone through a bad break up and is always on the war path. Two people both dreaming of a different life and better times. When Parker is tasked with finding a resort that would suit the needs for a company retreat he gets a little bit edgy. He hasn't been anywhere near a ski resort since his last accident. On the drive to look at a spot that might fit their needs he ends up with some car trouble and learns that it will be several days before the mechanic can fix the problem. Enter Emily, she has the only place that he can stay at in town. Follow along as these two dreamers dance around each other, both wanting things that they think they can't have. They both try for a casual fling but soon learn that there is nothing casual in the feelings that they are each having. Can they come together and make both of their dreams a reality or is it to late for both of them? This was a great romance that brought its characters to life. You so want both of them to be able to realize that life doesn't stop putting chances in front of you, all you have to do is take one.
KindleKat64 3 months ago
Okay Parker Knight is hands down my favorite Knight!! This book got me through my 6 hour plane ride home yesterday and what a great couple to spend that time with. Parker is sweet, caring, generous (sometimes too much), charming (but in a good way) and so very sexy. He has many more redeeming qualities but you see what I mean. Since his skiing career and engagement ended Parker has just been going through the motions and has thrown himself into being successful working with his brothers. But something has been missing for a while now and he finds out what that is when his car breaks down in a Colorado town and he meets Emily at the B&B she runs with her father. He has definitely found his reason in Emily! Only she does not like him much at first because she thinks he is like her ex, but that is before she gets to know him and sees that it is actually the furthest thing from the truth. I love watching this relationship unfold and was rooting for them so hard!! I love how Parker acts with Emily and her Dad and how he truly cares about what is happening to their Inn and their town and will help them and fight for them. He is as protective as he is sweet and I simply adore him. I love Emily and felt she and Parker were perfect for each other. I love that she is so thoughtful, driven and caring but thankfully she had her friend Harper to help her see the light. This is another winner in this wonderful series!! I can't wait to see what's in store next!
book by carly phillips
hot property by carly phillips paperback
rock me by carly phillips paperback
tempt me by carly phillips paperback
Carly Classics: The Complete Series
A Set of 5 Contemporary NovelsThis Box Set includes 3 standalone novels and 2 standalone ...
A Set of 5 Contemporary NovelsThis Box Set includes 3 standalone novels and 2 standalone novellas:THE RIGHT CHOICEMarry for friendship? Or wait for love?Advice columnist Carly Wexler has mapped out her entire life, and she's convinced by marrying her best ...
An all new STANDALONE second chance romance from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips.Best ...
An all new STANDALONE second chance romance from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips.Best friends.First loves.Can they find a second chance?Andi wanted nothing more to marry prince charming and her best friend Kyle Davenport believed that would be him.But ...
Fearless (Rosewood Bay Series #1)
She spent years building walls around her heart ... but he plans to tear them ...
She spent years building walls around her heart ... but he plans to tear them down.Gorgeous women pass through Kane Harmon's beach town as reliably as the tides. He knows the type; shallow, slumming for the summer, enjoying the sun ...
Get Lucky: The Complete Series
3 hot cousins battles their family past to win the women they love.3 complete books ...
3 hot cousins battles their family past to win the women they love.3 complete books in one box set.Lucky CharmDerek Corwin is well aware of the family curse - every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to ...
Going all the Way
Enjoy this sexy fan-favorite novella from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips, available as ...
Enjoy this sexy fan-favorite novella from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips, available as an ebook for the first time!An endless seduction…Proper Southern belle Regan Davis was groomed to be a blushing bride, not a jilted one. But after ...
He'll push all her boundaries and make her realize rules are made to be broken.Cool, ...
He'll push all her boundaries and make her realize rules are made to be broken.Cool, collected Sophie Jordan loves her daily routine running her family's top sports management agency, as long as she gets to stay behind the scenes. But ...
Just one short season ago, major league center fielder John Roper had it all: the ...
Just one short season ago, major league center fielder John Roper had it all: the looks—and personal life—of a sports hero and the public's adoration. But this hot property's lucky streak has run out. After a World Series disaster, fans ...
Love Me If You Dare
When hostage negotiator Rafe Mancuso takes a bullet to save Sara Rios, his former partner, ...
When hostage negotiator Rafe Mancuso takes a bullet to save Sara Rios, his former partner, his actions make him a bona fide hero — and New York City's newest most eligible bachelor. Then Rafe admits that Sara is much more ...


text:
Q: Linking error: libQt5Network.so: undefined reference to `EC_curve_nist2nid' I'm building my qt application and on a linking stage I'm getting the following problem:
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/5.3.0/../../../../lib/libQt5Network.so: undefined reference to `EC_curve_nist2nid'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

I was not getting this problem before and I have a feeling that it is in some way related to system update (though nor qt nor openssl packages were updated).
My system is Arch Linux
Qt 5.5.1
openssl 1.0.2.f-1
And btw the symbol is present in libcrypto:
nm /usr/lib/libcrypto.so -C |grep EC_curve_nist2nid
00000000000e6bb0 T EC_curve_nist2nid

In case it would be helpful:
stvad@stvadpc apps %ldd /usr/lib/libQt5Network.so
...
        libssl.so.1.0.0 => /usr/lib/libssl.so.1.0.0 (0x00007fcb68e0c000)
        libcrypto.so.1.0.0 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.1.0.0 (0x00007fcb68994000)
...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A dispute between Puntland and Somaliland over the contested areas of Sool and Sanaag risks escalating into open war. The UN, supported by states with influence on the two sides, should renew diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire and press both to enter negotiations.
What's new? The self-declared republic of Somaliland and Puntland, an autonomous Somali region, are engaged in a perilous standoff over long-contested areas Sool and Sanaag. After repeated deadly clashes since the start of 2018, both sides are using incendiary rhetoric, are massing forces in the contested areas and have shunned UN diplomacy.
Why does it matter? An escalation would likely herald a protracted conflict with devastating consequences for northern Somalia and the potential to fuel further instability across the country. It could provoke enormous displacement and create space for the Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgency and a small local Islamic State branch.
What should be done? The UN should renew its mediation, with the Somali government and Ethiopia, which enjoys ties to Puntland and Somaliland, backing those efforts. Priorities are brokering a ceasefire and ensuring both sides commit to withdraw troops, allow in humanitarian aid, quieten inflammatory rhetoric and conduct future talks to resolve the dispute.
A longstanding military standoff between Somaliland and Puntland over the disputed Sool and Sanaag regions is in grave danger of escalating. Both sides are reportedly massing large numbers of troops close to Tukaraq, a strategically located town that has become a front line in the battle for control. The tempo of artillery and mortar shelling around the town appears to have increased since 22 June 2018. Leaders on both sides have stepped up inflammatory rhetoric. Efforts to mediate have petered out.
Both Somaliland and Puntland have enjoyed relative peace and stability for nearly three decades as war plagued the rest of the country. Somaliland declared itself independent from Somalia in 1991 though no country formally recognises it as such. Puntland is a semi-autonomous federal state of Somalia, with its capital in Garowe. A confrontation between them would have disastrous consequences for much of northern Somalia but also risks contributing to instability across the country. It also could play into the hands of the Al-Shabaab insurgency or even the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Puntland.
African and Western leaders, seemingly caught off guard by the looming confrontation, should take urgent steps to head it off. The United Nations mission in Somalia, which had been mediating between the two sides, should renew those efforts. Ethiopia, which enjoys close ties to both Somaliland and Puntland and has helped calm previous disputes, should throw its weight behind UN efforts; others with influence, including potentially the United Arab Emirates and Western donors, should do the same. Mediation should focus on quickly brokering a ceasefire and seeking an agreement that would entail both sides pulling forces out of contested areas, guaranteeing access for humanitarian assistance to populations in those areas and submitting to a longer-term process, including third-party mediation, to find a durable solution to the dispute. In tandem with the mediation, the UN mission also should support local peacebuilding initiatives in both disputed areas, involving clerics and local clan leaders to initiate bottom-up reconciliation efforts, which have proven successful elsewhere in Somalia.
The loss of Tukaraq in January and the heavy casualties incurred since have gone down badly in Puntland. Politicians and the public have directed recriminations not only at the Somaliland government in Hargeisa but against the administration of Puntland President Abdiweli Gas. The president is under increasing pressure to act, especially given elections later this year that he hopes to win. The recapture of Tukaraq appears to be a priority. During the first weeks of June, Gas has chaired a series of meetings to mobilise support for an offensive; during the latest, he delivered an address to the state parliament in which he vowed to "liberate" all areas "occupied" by Somaliland.[fn]Voice of America (Somali), 23 June 2018.Hide Footnote By ratcheting up such expectations, the president is taking a huge gamble. In the short term, he gains political capital, especially as the public mood hardens against Hargeisa. But a failed offensive would risk a serious backlash that could doom his re-election prospects.
The two sides' public statements suggest both are confident in a quick military win. They are likely miscalculating.
Indeed, the two sides' public statements suggest both are confident in a quick military win. They are likely miscalculating. Their militaries are almost equally matched in combat strength, equipment and experience so risk getting bogged down in a protracted conflict with enormous costs (perhaps Somaliland has a slight edge but unlikely enough of one for a decisive victory).[fn]Crisis Group interviews, Western diplomat and security experts, Nairobi, June 2018. Hide Footnote Prolonged fighting would likely trigger mass displacement, compounding what has long been a humanitarian emergency in Somalia. Such a war would sow new instability in the region, exacerbate inter- and intra-clan frictions and perhaps allow jihadists active in remote coastal and mountain enclaves the opportunity to recruit and extend their reach.
Puntland is particularly vulnerable to upheaval in the event of a lengthy war with Somaliland. Its forces are overstretched, fighting low-level but costly local insurgencies in the Galgala mountains along the northern coast; securing restive frontiers around Galkayo, south of Puntland in Somalia's north-central region; and policing towns periodically targeted by a local ISIS branch and Al-Shabaab.[fn]Crisis Group Commentary, "Galkayco and Somalia's Dangerous Faultlines", 10 December 2015; Crisis Group Commentary, "The Islamic State Threat in Somalia's Puntland State", 17 November 2016.Hide Footnote War with Somaliland would force it to fight on multiple fronts, particularly because its rival potentially could stoke existing conflicts in an attempt to further sap Puntland's military resources.
For its part, Somaliland also has struggled to contain pockets of discontent in recent years. President Bihi's administration has faced a recurrent inter-clan conflict in Ceel Afweyn, in Sanaag region, that pits two major branches of the Isaq clan – Bicido/Habar Jeclo and Saad Yonis/Habar Yonis – against each other. The conflict's roots lie in a long-running Habar Jeclo versus Habar Yonis feud that intensified during the 2017 election, which Bihi, backed by a Habar Jeclo-led alliance, won. That election increased regional and sub-clan rivalries, with much of the opposition to the Bihi administration now concentrated in the east, especially in Burco, Somaliland's second largest city.[fn]"One killed, two injured in Burao protests against Tukaraq fighting", Goobjoog News (www.goobjoog.com), 15 May 2018.Hide Footnote Such local opposition to Hargeisa could expand into more serious political instability were the conflict with Puntland to escalate.
Presidents Gas and Bihi continue to invoke history and self-defined principles of territorial integrity to press their claims to Sool and Sanaag.
Both Somaliland and Puntland staked claims to these areas – with Somaliland's bid based on boundaries drawn when it was a British protectorate, and Puntland's on kinship ties between its largest clan, the Majerten, and the two main clans living in Sool and Sanaag, the Dhulbahante and Warsangeli. All three of these clans are part of the larger Darood/Harti clan family. This gave Garowe an advantage as it struggled against Hargeisa to win the loyalty of the Dhulbahante and Warsangeli.
For many years Puntland and Somaliland saw their competition as political. Both invested in better relations with the two clans, including paying two sets of "civil servants" to run parallel administrations, though allowing them a large degree of autonomy in running their affairs. Both Puntland and Somaliland co-opted senior Dhulbahante and Warsangeli clan leaders by offering them high-level positions in the governments in Garowe and Hargeisa. But as the contests over the disputed territories intensified, pressure mounted on the two clans to pick sides. Political co-optation thus had a dangerous side effect, splintering the Dhulbahante and Warsangeli clans and complicating the task of managing discontent in Sool and Sanaag. That failure both catalysed the militarisation of intra-clan conflict in the region and made it easier for local spats to escalate into fighting between Somaliland and Puntland forces.
Beginning in 2007, Somaliland launched a series of military offensives to expand its authority eastward, seizing a string of towns and villages in Sool. The captured locales include Las Canod, Sool's provincial capital.
Presidents Gas and Bihi continue to invoke history and self-defined principles of territorial integrity to press their claims to Sool and Sanaag. In addition to clan ties, Puntland projects itself as a champion of a unified Somalia. In a 23 June speech in Puntland's parliament, Gas rejected the validity of colonial cartography as an arbiter of the conflict, adding it was Puntland's "sacred duty" to "liberate" the contested regions through force.[fn]Voice of America (Somali), 23 June 2018.Hide Footnote For their part, Somaliland leaders defend the British-drawn boundaries and assert their "right" to administer what they regard as sovereign territory. Sool and Sanaag, they argue, have long been part of Somaliland.[fn]M.A. Egge, "'The Somaliland army is 60-plus kilometers this side of our border': President Muse Bihi", Horn Diplomat, 21 January 2018.Hide Footnote Both sides thus characterise the dispute in stark terms, seeming to leave little room for compromise.
Somalia's foreign partners appear to underestimate the risk of conflict in the north. They tend to assess the north's stability in reference to the south – a low bar that may have meant warning signs slipped under the radar. That the crisis has deteriorated almost to the point of open war speaks to a number of realities. Outside powers have mostly preferred "positive" narratives that oversell the north's recovery – and that of Somalia more broadly – and downplay risks. Leaders in both Puntland and Somaliland appear wedded to brinksmanship and believe they have little incentive to make peace. Local and international mediation systems are disjointed and mostly reactive.
A marked exception was the early warning role played by the special representative of the UN secretary-general for Somalia, Michael Keating. This, combined with Keating's shuttle diplomacy between Garowe and Hargeisa, temporarily helped de-escalate tensions. Both sides subsequently rejected his overtures.[fn]Crisis Group interviews with diplomats, Nairobi, May 2018.Hide Footnote But renewed efforts by the UN envoy, with clear statements of support by the Somali government and behind-the-scenes diplomacy by influential outside powers, likely offer the best means to de-escalate the looming confrontation.
Ethiopia, arguably, is the one country with longstanding ties to and real leverage over both Puntland and Somaliland. Addis Ababa's past interventions were instrumental in brokering temporary truces.[fn]Weeks after the Tukaraq fighting, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn invited both Bihi and Abdiweli to Addis Ababa and brokered a ceasefire. See "An Explosive Ceasefire!", Africa Intelligence, 2 February 2018.Hide Footnote This time, however, Ethiopia has appeared reluctant to get involved, possibly due in part to the complexity of the crisis – its inter- and intra-clan conflicts, colonial borders and secession issues – and in part to wariness that an intervention could be perceived by Somalis as meddling and inflame anti-Ethiopian sentiment.
That said, Ethiopia's new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has stepped up the country's diplomatic engagement in Africa and beyond. Somali leaders and foreign diplomats largely welcomed his visit to Mogadishu in June as an ambitious but promising attempt to recalibrate Ethiopia's traditionally troubled relations with its eastern neighbour. Prime Minister Abiy has his hands full with his reform agenda, security concerns and a still unsettled transition at home, efforts to make peace with Eritrea and calls for his intervention in other regional crises, notably by bolstering Ethiopia's role in mediating South Sudan's civil war. Tasking him with resolving a conflict in northern Somalia that may appear less strategically significant might be a tough ask. But the implications of an escalation around Tukaraq for the stability of Somalia as a whole should be of concern to Addis Ababa. Prime Minister Abiy should lend his country's heft to efforts by the UN, pressing Garowe and Hargeisa to allow for a renewal of UN efforts.
Parties should tone down provocative rhetoric, pull combat forces out of contested areas ... and submit to a process of third-party mediation, without precondition.
The UAE, which after Prime Minister Abiy's June 2018 visit to Abu Dhabi appears to have reinvigorated its cooperation and relations with Ethiopia, and maintains close ties with both Puntland and Somaliland, could also help defuse tensions. An escalation would clearly be detrimental to Emirati interests, likely upsetting Abu Dhabi's significant investments in both Somaliland and Puntland. For now, a visible Emirati role might not make sense, given friction between Abu Dhabi and Mogadishu (though relations may improve, as some reports suggest Abiy is mediating between the Emirati and Somali governments).[fn]For details of the tension between Abu Dhabi and the Farmajo government, see Crisis Group Report, Somalia and the Gulf Crisis, op. cit.Hide Footnote Even now, though, the UAE and other states could discretely encourage Puntland and Somaliland leaders to accept UN mediation.
Puntland and Somaliland are sliding toward a protracted conflict with enormously destabilising consequences for not only northern Somalia but the country as a whole. War is still avoidable, but to forestall it both sides need to take a step back, dial down their rhetoric and allow for mediation led by the UN. Their long-running dispute over Soog and Sanaag regions will inevitably take time to resolve. But the priority today is for the two sides to de-escalate, arrive at some modus vivendi and accept a mechanism for determining that status. The alternative is a war in northern Somalia that would be extremely costly to both sides, tarnish their international reputations, worsen an already grave humanitarian predicament and undercut efforts to counter Al-Shabaab and the small, but deadly ISIS branch in Puntland.


Type locality: Spitsbergen (Athanasiadis 1996: 209). Type: LD?
Kraan, S., Rueness, J. & Guiry, M.D. (2001). Are North Atlantic Alaria esculenta and A. grandifolia (Alariaceae, Phaeophyceae) conspecific?. European Journal of Phycology 39: 35-42.
Accesses: This record has been accessed by users 1738 times since it was created.
Edelstein, T., Craigie, J.S. & McLachlan, J. (1967). Alaria grandifolia J. Agardh from Nova Scotia. Journal of Phycology 3: 3-6.


text:
Q: Cassandra backup restore does not display data I have taken Cassandra backup from one cluster and going to restore to another(new) cluster with same configuration.
1) I have copied backup to each node in cluster (different node with different server backup )
2) Copied data into correct location in data path
But when I log into CQLSH, data does not display. Restarting the nodes also did not work.

A: For restoring clone cluster, you will have to export tokens from all Cassandra nodes and put them into new cassandra.yaml on each node. copy all the sstable per node after schema creation and start Cassandra services.


text:
Run Filming Locations | Canada | Hulu 2020
American Horror Story 1984 Filming Locations
By Jenna SimsSeptember 25, 2019
Runaways: Season 1 (2017) Filming Locations – HULU – Marvel Original Series
Where is the Academy seen in Runaways? The Academy is actually Mayfield Senior School located in Pasadena,...
Difficult People: Season 3 (2017) Filming Locations – HULU Original Series
Where is Difficult People filmed? The hit series is filmed on location in New York unknown location...
Future Man Season 2 Now Filming in Santa Clarita
Season 2 Update 8/20/2018 Future Man starring Josh Hutcherson is now filming on Vasquez Canyon Road...
SHUT EYE: HULU SERIES (2016 – ) FILMING LOCATIONS
Shut Eye Hulu Original Series (2016 – ) Filming Locations Shut Eye is filmed on location...
The Path: Season 2 (2016 – ) Filming Locations – HULU Original Series
By Jenna SimsOctober 4, 2016
NEW YORK – June, 2016: Aaron Paul was spotted filming at Rockland Lake State Park, Valley...
CASUAL: TV SERIES (2015 – ) FILMING LOCATIONS
Casual HULU Original Series (2015 – ) Filming Locations 05/09/2016 – Casual was spotted filming this...
TV Series A – Z (1900 – 2020) A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K |...
11.22.63 (2016) Filming Locations – HULU Original Series
By Jenna SimsFebruary 12, 2016
Updated Feb, 2016: Actor James Franco was spotted on the set of 11.22.63 on Huron St and Ontario St, Guelph, ON,...
East Los High (2013 – 2017) TV Series Filming Locations
East Los High HULU Original Series (2013 -) Location #1 04/13/2016 – East Los High was...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Clinging on the hillside since 1985 , cradled in his park, this welcoming home scenery. A bright diner-room and a flowered terrace open on to the heated pool and manifique view of the valley of the Dordogne .
D-3: - 10% on our "gourmet evening" stays, for online bookings exclusively!


CubDomain.com is not promoting, linking to, or is affiliated with loreleyblick.biz in any way. We are just providing estimated data for analysis purposes.
How socially engaged is loreleyblick.biz?
What is Moz Rank of loreleyblick.biz?
What is DNS Records of loreleyblick.biz?


text:
Home > Post of the Week > How to make a film with no money
How to make a film with no money
Making a film is exciting. Seeing your name as the director, producer, writer, or all of the above on a film is amazing. One of the things that most people worry about is money.
The first thing to remember… is that a lot of money doesn't mean that you are going to make a great film. Waterworld, John Carter, Star Wars Episodes 1,2, & 3! Even a multi-billion dollar budget can create a suck-fest.
Great movies are based on great stories, not a lot of money.
The king of the low budget blockbuster, John Carpenter, is the guy to watch. His horror movies are still among the most terrifying films ever made, but the budgets were always low.
For inspiration, here's a list of films that were made with low budgets and became blockbusters:
We're going to look at two of these films and see what made them great:
Rocky – Story, story, story. Stallone wrote a story that is as timeless as a Greek myth. In so doing, he created a legend that is so real that many people are surprised to learn that there wasn't a real Rocky Balboa. Stallone claimed to have sold his dog to keep from getting evicted. With today's technology, the same film could probably be made for even less money. A decent quality camera and video editing software on a computer – these things make creating movies simple.
Paranormal Activity – A handheld camera and $15,000. This is a movie that is all about surprises and plot twists. The story is interesting, the acting is sincere and natural, and the imagery is terrifying enough to create a legendary film. The first film grossed $193 million at the box office. The franchise has made nearly $1 billion. Not a bad return on investment.
So… how do I make a movie without any money?
Stop thinking like George Lucas. Or, more precisely, think like George Lucas before the first Star Wars movie was made. The first film was made for $13 million. That's it. That was a large budget, but the film involved a lot of making magic.
The Godfather was $6 million! The original budget was $1 million! Coppola is the king of going over budget, but the film made $8 million in its first weekend.
In the shower scene in Psycho, the blood is chocolate sauce. Hitchcock could have afforded nearly anything; he was already a legend. Why do more than you need to make a great film?
Write a great story / screenplay. Then enter it at free screenplay competitions around the world as you might get noticed.
Plan a movie that doesn't rely on the CGI and expensive crap that Hollywood has you convinced is what makes a movie great.
Keep the quality high. Don't let a low budget mean bad acting or poor directing. It will pay off. Stallone is a legend now; he was nobody before Rocky.
Edit it well. Movie-goers don't want you to slack on making the film look bad at the 11th hour.
Promote it like your life depends on it. Your career in film might. It's that simple. Promote it everywhere all the time. Make an official website, Facebook and Twitter page and enter it at free international film festivals around the world.
One last point: There are no shortcuts. A great film starts with a great script and an insane amount of passion. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
Article written by Bob Peryea for The Monthly Film Festival
Movies to watch for the dialogue
Stephen King's Dollar Babies
6 Highest Grossing Films of All Time
9 Upcoming Star Wars Series
Getting Your Film Ready for Festivals
Building Your Audience on a Budget
Post of the Week


English has long been the lingua franca of the web. It's long been sufficient to provide English-only content in order to communicate with a high proportion of Internet users. Nonetheless, the online community is changing and becoming more and more diverse imposing requirements on global businesses. This blog post dives into the online language world and shows why English-only content just won't cut anymore.
The vast majority of content published on the Internet is still written in English. Roughly 54% of Internet content is English. By now the bulk of Internet users are native English speakers as the following figure indicates.
Moreover, English is by far the world's most commonly studied language and claims the top rank followed by French and Chinese in the study conducted by the University of Düsseldorf.
These stats might be tempting to think that English-only content is enough in today's world. However, the online community is becoming more and more diverse and users demand information in their native language in order purchase from a website or web shop.
While English is the most commonly used language on the Internet it is just ranked third among the most popular languages by native speakers. In terms of native speakers Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language worldwide with almost 1 billion natives. Spanish with roughly 405 million speakers and English with around 360 million native speakers follow.
While companies are likely to think that the majority of the world's population speaks English as a second language or least understands English content, statistics show a difference. Less than 50% of the population in most countries speak English as the following graphic shows.
Languages other than English gain more attention in academic study programs. Between 1990 and 2013 the number of U.S. colleges that teach Chinese has increased by 110%. Nowadays other languages are more and more accessible.
Statistics show that speaking a foreign language fluently boosts a career. A study shows that Americans with good German language skills can earn up to $ 128,000 more throughout their business careers. Other language skills like French and Spanish are rewarded in business life too.
74% of online shoppers are more likely to buy a second time if a website or online shop is translated into their native language.
While translation into 25 languages was required in 2015 to reach 90% of the entire Internet population, Common Sense Advisory states that 48 languages will be required by 2020 to reach the same proportion of online users.
Mobile Internet access led to a rise in the number of Internet users and higher diversity. According to Seedstars Latin America is now ranked third in terms of mobile penetrations. Following Eastern and Central Europe (154% mobile penetration) and Western Europe (129%) Latin America claims the third rank with 104% mobile penetration.
The same trend is apparent from Asian statistics. The Chinese primary access the Internet from mobile devices. More than 87% off all Chinese Internet users browse the Internet mobile. They are also likely to purchase using mobile devices. Nearly 50% of all retail e-commerce sales in China are attributed to m-commerce.
It's quite obvious, today's customers and users demand more than English-only content. The online language world evolves and imposes requirements on global businesses. Be sure to be among those using the advantages of translated content and start your free LingoHub trial today!


First, make a copy of the image. Place the images one above the other. Ensure that the images are perfectly aligned one on top of the other.
You can find the 'Crop' tool in the 'Format' tab of PowerPoint ribbon. You have to click on the image to activate the 'Format' tab.
I have added a red border along the left and right edges of slides 1 and 2 respectively, to make it easy for you to follow the effect.
Select the second slide. Go to the 'Transitions tab' in PowerPoint ribbon. Browse the options under 'Dynamic Content' and select 'Pan' transition effect.
Select the option called 'From Right'. The pan effect is now ready.
You can apply pan transition effect to move from left, right, up or down. But, make sure that you arrange the edges of the images in such a way that the consecutive slides flow into each other seamlessly. That way, you can show fairly large images, maps or spread sheets in clear detail.
Learn to create a Stunning Dynamic Transition Effect in PowerPoint. You can use this transition to move across your slides in your presentation in a seamless way.
Using the regular Push transition does not work well in certain cases. In such cases, you can use the power of Dynamic transition.
That is why we came up with our '630+ Advanced Custom Animation templates pack for PowerPoint'. The animated templates not only serve as inspiration, but also help you create professional looking animated slides in minutes.
Why waste time animating your slides from scratch, when you have such useful solutions available off the shelf? Please browse through our animated templates collection to see how the pack can change the way you create your business presentations forever.


text:
Q: Getting command line arguements passed to NSIS compiled exe How to get all the 3 command line arguements passed to my NSIS compiled exe in variables so that I can use those parameters to Exec(ute) another exe.
For example -  start abc.exe "test.txt" "-1" is the command passed to my NSIS compiled exe where "abc" is exe name and "test.txt" and "-1" are the two arguements.
How to get both of them as different variables ?

A: Take a look at the GetOptions macro, which allows you getting the parameters when passed in a certain way. Unless you want to adapt your current commandline parameters, GetParameters might suit you better, but you'll have to parse the parameters yourself.


Hey is the irc server still down or just me?
Thanks so much TCH. Totally forgot that I had entered a caption for the contest. Congrat's to the other winners.
Become part of the fast growning medical field today!! The Marine Mammal Shiatsu Therapy Center will teach you the "fins" and outs of massage therapy! Call today 1-800-SLIPPERY for a consultation!
I tried to call you, but they said the lion's were busy!!! (haha get it lions/lines) I stink.
Thanks, I have been lurking for about 3 years already. Time flies.


Dream Day by Diamonds Direct will feature reader-submitted wedding photos online and in the next issue of Columbus Weddings. To submit your photo for consideration, fill out the form and upload your file below.
Submission using this form does not guarantee inclusion online or in print. For questions, please contact Emma Frankart Henterly at ehenterly@columbusweddingsmag.com.


Drafted on the lines of a similar law in Maharashtra, the bill has left out astrology, numerology and Vaastu, apparently under pressure from legislators and some within the cabinet.
The bill was first suggested in 2013 and has been reworked twice since.
Bengaluru: Black magic will be illegal and if it leads to death, the offender will face murder charges, proposes a draft anti-superstition law in Karnataka. The bill also outlaws the controversial practice of "Made Snana" in temples, in which devotees roll over banana leaves with leftover food.
The bill was first suggested in 2013 and has been reworked twice since. It was earlier proposed as The Evil, Inhuman and Superstitious Practices Prevention Bill. After omitting the word superstitious, it is now titled The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017. The state cabinet today approved it for introduction in the next state assembly session.
An injury to a person subjected to black magic and hoodoo will be deemed as an attempted murder. The bill includes strong measures against practices such as human sacrifice, witchcraft, exorcism, parading women naked and sexual exploitation in the name of supernatural powers.
The bill was pushed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah - a known rationalist with no patience even for suggestions like an auspicious hour.
Karnataka has its share of superstitious practices, like the Made Snana ritual in which people roll over food left over by Brahmins, especially at the Kukke Subramanya temple in Dakshina Kannada district. A ban on Made Snana, a practice put on hold by the Supreme Court, had been opposed strongly by some sections.
Other rituals include walking on burning coals and throwing babies from the roof of a temple onto a cloth.
Maharashtra introduced its anti-superstition bill soon after the murder of rationalist Narendra Dhabolkar by unknown bikers.


text:
Study finds melanoma biomarkers predicting checkpoint blocker response
by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Credit: Wikimedia Commons/National Cancer Institute
Scientists at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) have identified biomarkers in melanoma that could help tailor immunotherapy treatments to maximize the benefits for patients while reducing the likelihood of severe side effects.
While the utility of these biomarkers needs to be validated in future clinical trials, the findings reported in Science Translational Medicine suggest that the current practice of combining two different types of immune checkpoint blocker drugs in advanced melanoma patients may be the best course in some instances, but not in others, because the immune makeup of some melanoma tumors may cause them to be resistant to one class of checkpoint inhibitors.
"By looking at how melanoma is avoiding immune detection, we may be able to identify patients who may do just as well with a single agent, with no loss of efficacy, but improved tolerability," said Scott Rodig, MD, Ph.D., an oncologic pathologist at DF/BWCC and first author on the report. The study revealed that some patients, whose tumors are deficient in a protein needed for the immune system to recognize cancer cells, are unlikely to benefit from ipilimumab, an immunotherapy drug that blocks the CTLA-4 checkpoint, but which has potentially severe side effects. Therefore, identifying such patients with a biomarker test prior to treatment could spare them the adverse effects.
The outlook for patients with advanced melanoma has dramatically improved in recent years because of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which mobilize the immune system to attack cancer. These drugs block checkpoint molecules that act as brakes on the immune system; by removing these brakes, checkpoint inhibitors unleash immune defenders such as T cells to recognize and attack cancer.
Typically, patients with advanced melanoma receive a combination of two different checkpoint inhibitor types: one, such as ipilimumab, targets the CTLA-4 checkpoint, while the other, including nivolumab and pembrolizumab, targets the PD-1 checkpoint.
In general, patients with advanced melanoma have better outcomes when they receive drugs that block both the CTLA-4 checkpoint and the PD-1 or PD-L1 checkpoints, said F. Stephen Hodi, MD, director of the Melanoma Disease Center at Dana-Farber and senior author of the report. Treated with the combination, more than 50 percent of patients will have tumor shrinkage and some of the responses will be quite prolonged, he said. But this benefit can come at a steep cost—around 50 percent of patients will have severe side effects, such as inflammation of the gut causing diarrhea; rash, or inflammation of the liver and pancreas.
The new study was inspired by recent research by Margaret Shipp, MD, at Dana-Farber showing that Hodgkin lymphomas frequently avoid immune detection by eliminating their MHC class I proteins. MHC class I proteins are found on the surface of most cells in the body. Their function is to bind fragments of foreign proteins, including those stemming from cancer cells, and present them to T cells, which then mount a mass attack on the invader. But if cancer manages to somehow dial down the abundance of MHC class I proteins, the immune system won't recognize the cancer as foreign and respond against it. In Hodgkin lymphoma, the tumor cells accomplish this feat by deleting a key gene required for expression of the MHC class I proteins.
Speculating that something similar might occur in melanoma, the authors of the new study used data from two clinical trials of immunotherapy for advanced melanoma that included measurements of MHC class I proteins and other immune cells and immune regulators. The investigators found that partial or complete loss of MHC class I proteins was common in untreated melanoma patients, and those patients had poor responses to treatment with ipilimumab—the drug that blocks the CTLA-4 checkpoint. "CTLA-4 is exquisitely sensitive to even partial loss of these MHC class I proteins," said Rodig. The result was the melanoma was highly resistant to ipilimumab treatment and the cancer continued to grow, because even though the immunotherapy drug was releasing the CTLA-4 brake on the immune system, the melanoma cells weren't recognized due to the lack of MHC class I proteins to "present" the cancer fragments to the T cells. These findings may explain why most melanoma patients don't respond to single-agent ipilimumab.
However, the researchers also observed that the deficiency of MHC class 1 proteins did not make melanoma tumors resistant to the other type of checkpoint inhibitor, drugs like nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor. That is because responses to those drugs activate an immune substance known as interferon-gamma, which in turn activates both MHC class I-dependent and MHC class I-independent immune pathways and thereby promotes anti-tumor activity when MHC class I levels are reduced by the tumor. Indeed, the data from the clinical trials showed that patients whose tumors had higher pre-treatment levels of interferon-gamma had better outcomes when treated with nivolumab or a combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab but not ipilimumab alone.
These results, the authors conclude, reveal that the clinical efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 drugs like ipilimumab is "dependent on robust, pre-existing expression of MHC class I proteins by tumor cells." By contrast, efficacy of anti-PD1 checkpoint blockers like nivolumab depends on "pre-existing interferon-gamma-mediated inflammation within the tumor microenvironment." Combining the two types of checkpoint blockers "provides a further immune stimulus over individual therapies alone and, in addition, overcomes the limitations of each," they said.
Going forward, the researchers said, it would be ideal to have clinical trials in which treatment options are determined in accordance with the results of tissue-based biomarker studies."
Researchers find combination can enhance ipilimumab immunotherapy
More information: S.J. Rodig el al., "MHC proteins confer differential sensitivity to CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade in untreated metastatic melanoma," Science Translational Medicine (2018). stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/ … scitranslmed.aar3342
Journal information: Science Translational Medicine
Provided by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Citation: Study finds melanoma biomarkers predicting checkpoint blocker response (2018, July 18) retrieved 17 January 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-07-melanoma-biomarkers-checkpoint-blocker-response.html
Immune-cell numbers predict response to combination immunotherapy in melanoma
New immunotherapy combination shows promise for patients with advanced melanoma
Novel compound restores immune response in patients with melanoma
Checkpoint inhibitors fire up different types of T cells to attack tumors
A serum biomarker may predict response to immunotherapy drugs that target immune checkpoints
An unexpected, and novel, target for prostate cancer—our biological clock
Study sheds light on the longstanding question of why cancer cells get their energy from fermentation
New computational method detects disrupted pathways in cancer
Artificial intelligence tool for reading MRI scans could transform prostate cancer surgery and treatment
Scientists develop approach for exploiting cancer's dietary demands
Study demonstrates efficacy of new treatment for neurofibromatosis type 1-related tumors


text:
Campaign #FSBsalutes
A Force for Business: Service leavers and small business
Setting up and running your own business requires courage, determination and a strong work ethic. These are attributes which service leavers have in spades, and why self-employment is a route well worth considering.
Introduction Statistics Read the report Small Business Stories
There are almost a million Armed Forces veterans of working age living in households In Great Britain.
For those seeking employment, small businesses can often be better than bigger ones at spotting and nurturing talent, rather than discarding a service leaver's job application because some of their skills and qualifications aren't necessarily from a traditional academic route.
But there is room for greater support and advice to service leavers on the options of self-employment or finding work within an existing smaller business, and there should be more of a focus on the key skills needed to succeed in enterprise.
At the same time, employers would benefit from a simplified way of understanding and recognising the equivalence between military skills and civilian qualifications. For those service leavers in need of further training and qualifications to achieve their post-military ambitions, there should be more financial support available. And for smaller employers there should be a financial incentive to recruit service leavers, in the form of a one-year holiday from Employer National Insurance Contributions.
These, plus a host of other recommendations, along with some fascinating insights, can be read in the report A Force for Business: Service Leavers and Small Business.
Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman
Ren Kapur, FSB's Armed Forces Champion
"Setting up and running your own business requires courage, determination and a strong work ethic"
FSB Chairman, Mike Cherry
"Military service; the education, the knowledge and the experiences this provides individuals, is a wonderful foundation on which they can build their own career in self-employment or business ownership"
Ren Kapur, CEO of X-Forces Enterprise and FSB's Armed Forces Champion
#FSBSALUTES
Veterans of working age
Veterans are estimated to make up five per cent of household residents aged 16+ in England and Scotland, and six percent of household residents aged 16+ in Wales.
This suggests there are currently approximately 340,000 small enterprises across Great Britain run by veterans
Sector distribution
More than one in 10 (12%) smaller firms have employed a service leaver in the last three years. This equates to almost 166,000 small firms across Great Britain.
Veteran employment
Micro-businesses are the category of business which most often employ veterans. Among smaller businesses the proportion taking on service leavers in the last three years is noticeably lower. In medium-sized firms in particular, the proportion is less than a quarter of those in the '10 or less employees' category.
Veteran run
Nearly 80 per cent of service leaver-led businesses have employees. The proportion of veteran-run businesses with at least one employee is much higher than among the business owning population as-a-whole.
Benefits to your business
'I employ three ex-service personnel and they have a tremendous work ethic. They have a resilient attitude which rubs off on other people in the team... they're quite exceptional'.
Business owner, management consultancy business, South Wales
Upon leaving the armed forces, service leavers need new opportunities in the civilian economy that will bring them fulfillment and enable them to make a living for themselves and their families. Our latest report highlights a number of significant barriers that stand in the way of these desirable ends, and presents a clear set of recommendations for Government and others to help service leavers overcome these obstacles and succeed in the ways they find best suited to them.
Small Business Stories
Read the fascinating stories from some of FSB's members who have previously served in the Armed Forces.
From Flight Lieutenant to Highland Campervans
Co-ordinating search and rescue missions at RAF Kinloss stood former flight Lieutenant Catherine Bunn in good stead, when she decided to set up her own business.
"I think the skills I developed in the military have certainly helped Highland Campervans," she says.
"Being resilient, self-motivated, organised and disciplined have all been important skills, not only to help me set up Highland Campervans but also to see it grow and develop."
Catherine loved her time in the RAF, which included a spell in the Falklands scheduling helicopters that moved the military and freight around the islands and organising search and rescue cover.
But her plans changed when she met her husband Stephen and it was while sitting in a cold tent on the Isle of Skye, having missed out on an ice climb with him because she suspected she was pregnant, that her future business idea began to form.
"I decided that there was no way I was sheltering in a tent with a baby in tow but I wasn't being left at home and missing adventures, so a campervan was the solution," says Catherine.
"Then Steve had the idea that I could rent them out as there were no small campervans available for hire locally at that time and it was a business I could run from home with a baby in tow. The business grew from there."
Highland Campervans, based in Inverness, was established in 2007, shortly after Catherine left the RAF.
"I think the biggest change was feeling that you were out there running a business alone," she says.
"In the military, you really are part of the forces family and there is a great camaraderie between people, with advice and support available for almost anything. Running a business, you have to be really self-motivated and organised to balance out time and resources.
"I joined FSB early on in my business and it was one of the best business decisions I've made."
Highland Campervans began with a small hire fleet which has grown into the Highlands' specialist centre for motorhomes and campervans. Directors Catherine and Stephen have 16 staff, several of whom are ex-forces.
"I've always been quite confident and was often given leadership roles in the military and I think my team would certainly say I lead by example," says Catherine.
"I try to spend time out and about in the different business areas, seeing what support I can give to the staff, to help everyone be the best they can be.
"I have very high standards for the business and we've won lots of awards over the years which I'm very proud of."
She advises others in a similar position to work through a business plan first, to offer something unique and to consider whether they have the skills to run a business alone or whether partnering up with someone might be a better option.
"Finally, be careful of using TLA's (Three Letter Acronyms) – the military world is full of them but in the civilian world they tend to be spelt out!," she adds.
FSB member Catherine Bunn, Director, Highland Campervans
From Captain to beekeeper
Former Army Captain John Geden turned to beekeeping to help him relax after he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - and has since grown it into a successful business.
John spent nearly 10 years in the Army, including serving as a captain with the Royal Military Police. He then spent 22 years as a detective, investigating serious crimes like homicide and child abuse.
In 2014 he retired from the police with a diagnosis of complex PTSD - something he traces back to the horrific scenes and dangers he was exposed to in both his military and police careers.
Beekeeping, which had long been a hobby, became his "mindfulness" activity and his daughter suggested he turn it into a business.
"I was struggling to motivate myself and my depression was not letting me see clearly. I knew I didn't want to work for another large organisation again and I also set myself some personal 'red lines', including not to have to wear a suit and tie to work!," says John.
"I began to slowly work out how to grow the business, what level of capital expenditure I would need and broadly how I could make an income from this."
His business, Sinah Common Honey, sells honey and equipment, supplies wedding favours, trains amateur beekeepers and breeds bees and queen bees.
"I grew the company quite slowly and now in the fifth year we are beginning to show a profit. I will never make my millions from bees and honey but it has never been about that for me," says John.
"I did find that common sense and sound judgement, the skills that were injected into me over my 32-year joint army and police career, would stand me in good stead."
"If I can prepare a case file for court, I can write a fully evidenced business plan. If I can write an operation order for a major military event, I can likewise come up with a structured way ahead for the business."
He sought support from X-Forces Enterprise, a social enterprise which helps veterans set up their own businesses, taking part in their business masterclass programme, seeking guidance when needed and making use of their networking opportunities.
"My military career taught me the benefits and necessity of team working, but as a sole trader you have to look wider to find that team," he says.
"Without XFE I would not have become a member of FSB and I would not have had the ability or knowledge to upscale my business, nor to be able to recognise when I may be going wrong."
"The process reminded me of a phrase that was drummed into me at Sandhurst by my Colour Sergeant: 'Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted'."
While talking yourself up may not come naturally, John advises other ex-military entrepreneurs: "Don't be afraid to champion your past service and include it in your literature and marketing material.
"I have found that the public find it slightly humorous that a trained soldier and detective is now managing several million insects and sells honey at their local farmers market."
FSB member John Geden, Sinah Common Honey, Hayling Island, Hampshire
From Afghanistan to Afghan rug business
Flight Lieutenant Wilthew was serving with the UK's Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan's Northern Provinces in 2003/4 when the seeds of his business idea were sown.
Mazar-e-Sharif is part of the old Silk Road that is renowned for its handmade Afghan rugs. James and his colleagues would gather, drinking tea and chatting in the rug shops close to their main base, during the few hours of downtime they got each week.
Rafi, the owner, sold him some rugs which he posted back to the UK, some to keep, some to sell to help pay for his wedding.
After eight years and five operational tours with the RAF, James Wilthew left the services in 2007 and, after a short spell in London working as a civil servant, he and his wife relocated to Hebden Bridge, in the Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire.
In 2014, a friend spotted one of James's Afghan rugs and asked if he could get him one from the same seller.
James adds: "Having done a full-time military career I didn't think about starting a business then. But having worked part time, it gave me time to think and start some research."
He managed to track down Rafi via Facebook and an interpreter in Afghanistan.
"We ended up Facetiming at a specific time and date and he said: 'Let's do business.'"
Several months were spent figuring out import tax, how to get payment to Rafi and other issues.
"But before I knew it, I was looking for premises and the shop was open," says James.
The Afghan Rug Shop, which prides itself on being a Living Wage employer and fair trade approved, celebrates its fourth birthday in Hebden Bridge this year. (2019)
There have been challenges. Months after it opened in August 2015, the Calder Valley was hit by the Boxing Day floods and Hebden Bridge was left waist-deep in water.
"We just had to dust ourselves off and get on with it and get the shop open again. Being ex-military, you learn to have a plan and you are always prepared for the worst-case scenario," says James.
"I see a lot of people blinded to potential threats to their business. As long as you are prepared, you can deal with most things."
The business has also had to cope with the all-time low in the dollar exchange rate as Brexit uncertainty continues [at the time of publication] - which means profits are down. But thanks to some careful planning, there is still money in the business to pay staff and keep the shop running.
James says his military training has also reinforced the importance of stepping back. He says it's important to delegate to others, so you can watch from afar and think more strategically, to better steer the business.
"I think we have planned for a lot more things than other businesses might have done. That's the military mindset," says James.
"It is great to know that there is support out there, from organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses and X-Forces Enterprise."
And while The Afghan Rug Shop is proving popular with tourists and locals alike, he has not abandoned the military entirely - he's recently rejoined as a Reservist.
FSB member James Wilthrew, The Afghan Rug Shop, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
From soldier to telecoms start-up
It was a selfie with a penguin, snapped while on service in the Falklands with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, that kick-started former soldier PJ Farr's telecoms business.
During some down time on a remote island in the South Atlantic, PJ started taking some photographs of the local wildlife to send home.
"I got some photos of some penguins and I got one of myself with a penguin and decided to email that photo back to my father in law in the UK," he says.
His father-in-law, a housing developer, was immediately impressed by the Army's ability to reliably communicate, even from remote areas.
"Being a developer, he would struggle to get effective, secure communications into a construction site," says PJ.
"And that was where the idea was born really, we realised there was a solution available and a clear commercial opportunity for us to sell to."
PJ left the Army and set up his business, initially named Countrywide Telecoms, in January 2013, with the aim of becoming the leading provider of communication services to the UK construction industry.
"When I first left the army to start my own business, obviously I had to convince my wife it was a good idea," says PJ.
The couple had just over £1,000 saved up and PJ had to quickly get to grips with the nitty gritty of setting up his own business such as learning about VAT returns, corporation tax and corporate structure.
"I only had military experience to lean back on to. A lot of ex-forces guys are very entrepreneurial anyway, they maybe don't realise it," says PJ.
"There's a term used often which is: Improvise, adapt and overcome. We use that daily in the forces to try to overcome adversity. And actually, running a business is very similar to working in the Army. You need a clear set of goals, you need to be clear on your plan. You need to rehearse your plan, practise it, and then go out and do it."
Countrywide Telecoms grew to become a leading supplier of communications solutions and works with some of the largest UK house-builders, providing more than 1,000 construction sites across the UK with a super-fast broadband service. It was rebranded as UK Connect in 2018, to recognise its growth and won the Business of the Year - Scale Up category at this year's (2019) Soldiering On Awards.
PJ has some advice for other service men and women thinking of setting up their own business when they leave the forces.
He says: "Firstly go and reach out to the network, reach out for help and look who's out there already, actively supporting ex-military and military people.
"Some of those companies are people like the Federation of Small Businesses and X-Forces Enterprise, and there are other social enterprises out there as well whose job it is to try and help you succeed in business."
FSB member PJ Farr, managing director, UK Connect, Surrey
From Flight Lieutenant to craft gin distiller
Former RAF Flight Lieutenant Debbie Strang put the "can do" military attitude to good use after leaving the forces, transforming a former RAF base into the UK's most northerly resort and running an award-winning distillery. The company won the Scale-Up Business of the Year award at the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2019
Joining the RAF as a supply and logistics officer in 1986, she was posted to RAF Henlow and RAF Lossiemouth during her time in the forces, leaving when she became pregnant.
She and her husband Frank settled in the Highland town of Grantown-on-Spey. Twelve years ago they set up a company with the aim of reusing redundant Ministry of Defence properties.
They transformed the former RAF Saxa Vord site on Unst, the most northernly inhabited island in Britain, into self-catering accommodation, a hostel and seasonal restaurant - which is popular both with Shetland Islands locals and visitors from across the world.
"The visitors came, and still do, around 6,000 bed nights per year in a very short season," says Debbie.
To drum up more year-round business, they transformed the former RAF supplies depot into Shetland's first gin distillery, with the help of business partners Stuart and Wilma Nickerson, and are raising investment to install Shetland's first malt whisky distillery.
Their award-winning gin, Shetland Reel, has already found favour as far afield as Japan and South Africa and Debbie says her time in the RAF has served her well in business.
"The military gives you a 'can do' attitude, it teaches you to find a way through a problem and see a project through to completion in a timely manner, regardless of how important or tedious the task is," she says.
Her military experience taught her the value of networking, of caring for and valuing her team, of working together and of taking pride in whatever you do: "I have attempted to bring all these aspects to the business."
The company often employs ex-service people, including Shetland Reel's distillery manager who Debbie says is "just the person for the job" of taking on the logistical challenges of making gin on the UK's most northerly inhabited island.
Debbie's advice to former military personnel thinking about setting up their own business is to plan well and to try to gain some business experience first - paid or voluntary.
She gained valuable experience after leaving the RAF, as a support manager for a new organisation in Grantown, setting up administrative and management systems.
"Listen to people. I have found business people will quite often talk openly and are willing to help new businesses as they get off the ground. Looking back there are occasions when I didn't listen and I regret it," she adds.
"Ex-service people have the ability, focus and determination to be a great success as their own boss, and of course are not frightened of hard work.
"Doing sufficient research and taking advice from the right people will set the foundations for a successful and growing business."
FSB member Debbie Strang, director at Shetland Distillery Co, Shetland Facilities management and Saxa Vord.
From Royal Engineer to training provider
For training company boss Gary Tucker, the "leadership skills, drive and passion" he needed to start a business had been well honed after a 23 year career in the military.
The former Recovery Mechanic served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers over two decades, a role that not only took him on numerous operational tours to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Northern Ireland, but also set the scene for his two successful businesses.
"I'd been in the Army for 23 years and had a young daughter who's now four," Gary said. "I wanted to make that break as I really wanted to give setting up my own business a go."
As part of a learning opportunity while in the Army, Gary gained vital experience by starting up his own training and recruitment business, so it seemed a logical step to build upon when he left the Engineers in 2016.
"I learnt a lot of hard lessons during military time, which were invaluable," he said. "You wear many hats in the military and my last job was being in charge of a high profile training and development programme, so this was a natural thing to go into when I formed my own business."
After leaving the Army, Gary had a brief stint of employment in the commercial sector to get some experience, but felt he had "unfinished business". His "burning desire and drive" to run his own company took over and after being awarded the training contract with the AA, he decided to dive straight in and set up on his own.
With his new found business skills, he started Network Training Partnership Ltd, which now has contracts with big businesses in the automotive and insurance sectors. The business has four full time employees plus a consortium of 21 individuals and companies that provide the training.
Gary is also the chief executive of PATAM, a business that provides digital identity cards for the automotive, logistics and transportation sector.
Talking about the challenges he faces as a business owner, Gary says "expectation management" is a key lesson for veterans setting up their own businesses.
"In the military, you say what you are going to do and you get stuff done," he added. "You have to get used to how other people conduct their business. We've achieved so much in such a short space of time because of drive and getting stuff done. It's about relying on my military network, surrounding yourself with good people. The majority of my ex-military contacts possess the same drive.
"Reliability, professionalism and drive, are the three things they all possess it in abundance. If I ask them to do something, it will be done professionally."
In fact, around 80 per cent of his company's trainers are ex-military and specialise certain fields, from mental health through to automotive skills.
With such a reliance on former service personnel, investing time and energy into them is important to Gary. He provides free training courses for service leavers and ex-forces as part of the business corporate responsibility programme, as well as sponsorship, plus general support and advice.
"If they are going to start up their own business after they leave the military then they should do it as soon as possible and just go for it," he advised. "If you're a success in the military, you'll do exceptionally well when you form your own business because of the qualities you leave with."
"I would also recommend taking a look at organisations like X-Forces Enterprise and FSB for advice, mentoring and access to funding."
FSB member Gary Tucker, Managing Director of Network Training Partnership and Chief Executive of PATAM.
#fairpayfairplay
Fair Pay Fair Play
It doesn't matter if you are an employee, a small business owner or self-employed, everyone deserves to be paid on time.
#FSBbacktobusiness
FSB outlines our recommendations for the Government in our General Election manifesto
Brexit guidance for small businesses
Our Brexit hub is designed to support small businesses and the self-employed to prepare for a possible no deal scenario.
#GoingGlobal
Going Global: The UK's real exporting stories
Exporting isn't just about big businesses exporting services and goods. Small businesses that export successfully can expect to increase their revenue and profitability by expanding into new markets. Hear from small businesses who are Going Global.
In April 2019 HMRC implemented digital tax returns for small businesses. Find out if your business is affected and what steps you need to take.


text:
Q: CAN communication with the SM470R1B1M-HT microcontroller I bought the IAR Kickstarter kit to work with the SM470R1B1M-HT (Texas Instruments) microcontroller. I would like to implement CAN communication between the microcontroller and a PC. I need to send commands from the PC and get some response from the controller.
I haven't seen any examples with CAN communication. How do I implement CAN communication in this microcontroller? Are there any tools which generate automatic code for CAN communication?
CAN document for SM470R1B1M-HT.

A: As far as tools go, no you are not likely to find anything. Luckily the CAN protocol is relatively simple and you can gather a lot of information through your good friends at google.
ex: First 3 links when googling CAN Protocol:
http://www.ni.com/white-paper/2732/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN_bus
http://www.ti.com/lit/an/sloa101a/sloa101a.pdf
One thing that you will need if you are trying to implement CAN comms is what is called a CAN transceiver. Check out the MCP2551 IC, I have had luck with it in the past (provided that your MCU has 5V IO levels).
3.3V CAN Transciever
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/sn65hvd233-ht.pdf
MCP 2551
http://www.microchip.com/MCP2551
In order to communicate with the PC you will need some kind of interface that will connect to your PC anc interpret the CAN messages. There are multiple ways that this can be done. There are USB transcievers as you see here: http://www.amazon.com/USB-CAN-Converter-Adapter-Support-64-bit/dp/B009SG6OL6
There are also CAN cards that will attach to your PCI-X slots on your motherboard.
In regards to existing examples, look for examples that are not specific to your platform. While the implementation may be slightly different, the concept and protocols are the same.
Also...it looks like most of the information that you would need is provided in the links that you posted. Take your time, read through the datasheets and try to write some simple CAN communications that you can debug with a scope or better yet, logic probe!
If there is anything else that needs to be added to make his as an accepted answer, please let me know!