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The Best Home Cold Brew Maker is on Sale for Amazon Prime Day
Daniel Varghese
One of the Best Cold War Spy Movies Is Streaming on Netflix
Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Colin Firth all shared a screen in 2011 with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Although everyone knows James Bond's drink preferences, diehard spy fiction fans know there's no greater character than George Smiley. The star of John Le Carré's genre-defining spy novels, Smiley is almost the exact opposite of James Bond. Instead of snazzy suits and high-tech gadgets, he sports a potbelly. Instead of fighting villains in hand-to-hand combat, he toils in dreary bureaucratic offices. And instead of staring in morally simplistic, fluffy action stories, Smiley appears in some of the most complex and intelligent espionage fiction ever created. George Smiley just made his triumphant literary return with the publication of John Le Carré's A Legacy of Spies last month, which means it is a great time to watch the best Le Carré film adaptation, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
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Looking to freshen up your Netflix queue? Add these out-of-this-world science fiction classics.
The plot of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is dense and complex, but revolves around George Smiley (Gary Oldman in excellently frumpy form) being brought out of retirement to figure out who is the Soviet "mole" at the upper levels of "the Circus," aka the British intelligence agency. John Le Carré—who worked as a spy for the British Government before writing novels—loosely based the story on the real life KBG double agent Kim Philby. Smiley finds himself in a tangled web of paranoid schemers and bureaucratic infighting as he tries to figure out which spy is the double agent.
The 2011 film features one of the best ensemble casts of British actors including Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, and Toby Jones. This isn't, as noted, a James Bond action film. Their characters aren't having fistfights on skis before making out with bikini-clad women. Instead, they wander about in the halls of power, plotting plots and arguing in committee meetings. (They do wear some pretty swanky suits, though.) Indeed, the plot is so complex and the number of characters so varied that most of the time it's hard to tell what the hell is even going on. But that's also the point. Tinker Tailor leads the viewer into the same murky and confusing waters that Smiley himself is in. While Smiley gathers facts, subplots about other double agents mingle with multiple timelines. It's like wandering through a labyrinth cloaked in fog.
These days, when global diplomacy seems to be run by loudmouthed carnival barkers who frame the world in simplistic terms and childish insults, it's refreshing to watch a film that reminds us that diplomacy is complex, motivations can be confusing, and the work needed to improve the world is often slow, hard, and dreary.
Two Worlds, One Style: American & British
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We're Not Asking Straight Actors Who Play Queer Characters the Right Question
Chris Mandle


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You are here:Home>Media Centre>News>President leaves for State Visit to Eritrea
President leaves for State Visit to Eritrea
President Yoweri Museveni has left for Asmara on a 2-day State Visit to the State of Eritrea at the invitation of President Issaias Afewerki.
The President was seen off this morning at Entebbe International Airport by the Vice-President, Mr. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.
Others at the airport to see him off included the Minister for Security, Mr. Muruli Mukasa, the Head of Public Service, Mr. John Mitala, Chief of the Defence Forces, General Aronda Nyakairima, the Inspector General of Police, Lt. General Kale Kayihura and the Commissioner General of Prisons, Dr. Johnson Byabashaija.
Photo Gallery President in Eritrea for a two-day State Visit 29th May 2012

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African sleepouts provide a stargazing experience for everyone. There are few sights in the world that can rival the night sky of Africa. Low population densities in the bush and desert means little light pollution to interfere with sky-watching and only the sounds of the animals in the night to lull you to sleep. With luxury tree houses, elevated sleep out decks, and star beds attached to your suite, there's a stargazing experience for everyone. We've gathered up our top 12 favorite African sleepouts for stargazers.
You'd be hard pressed to find a more impressive set of tree houses than those at Lion Sands. For starters, each of the three is equipped with full bathroom facilities, boasts some of the best views of the bush Africa has to offer, and doesn't compromise on creature comforts. All of the treehouses are constructed above ground and include a radio to communicate with the Field Guide.
The chic wood and glass Kingston Tree House at Ivory Lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve is the perfect marriage of secluded safari getaway and modern luxury where a champagne and tapas dinner as the sun sets is the norm. It can sleep two people and is decorated with a four-poster bed and understated hues of greys, white, black, and purple for truly luxurious African sleepouts under the stars.
The Chalkley Treehouse is built in a leadwood tree on the original site Guy Aubrey Chalkley once set up his camp to escape roaming predators. You'll arrive to the treehouse at sunset for a picnic dinner and drinks with incredible views of the plains and the animals roaming below.
The Tinyeleti Treehouse is located on the banks of the Sabie River and can accommodate four people, including children with an adventurous spirit. The open-air tree house comes to life at night with the sounds of animals stopping for a drink at the river below. There's no electricity, but we think you'd prefer lights out to better see the millions of stars above you.
Two star beds are available at Loisaba: the Kiboko (20 minutes from the lodge) and the Koija (30 minutes from the lodge). Both are constructed with a raised handcrafted wooden platform with a partially thatched roof to provide protection from the elements should you need it. But we think you'll prefer rolling your bed out to sleep under the blanket of stars at night. The Kiboko Star Bed is set among a kopje of rocks and overlooks a waterhole, while the Koija Star Bed is located on the banks of the Ewaso N'giro River and is cantilevered over the flowing waters below. A team of Samburu and Laikipia Maasai warriors host you during your stay, preparing meals on site in a traditional camp kitchen. Both star beds include en suite bathroom and shower facilities and can sleep up to four people, making these African sleepouts ideal for families.
In September 2014, Tswalu relaunched their owner's house Tarkuni, previously the private residence of the Oppenheimer family, to include five luxurious suites. The best part? Each suite has its own remote star bed set in a garden off of you private terrace so you can sleep out under the stars any night you like. And since it is part of your accommodations at Tswalu Tarkuni, you won't sacrifice any of the modern conveniences of the lodge.
With 100,000 hectares surrounding you and the immense Kalahari night sky above you, there's nothing more spectacular than spending a night at Tswalu's Malori Sleepout Deck. You'll be sleeping in the lap of luxury with a king size bed dressed in Aldona linen on a raised platform. There's a thatched overhang with weather-proof blinds for protection from rain should you need it and full bathroom facilities just a short distance from the deck along a lighted walkway. Enjoy the panoramic views of the vast plains and incredible Kalahari sunset while sipping on sundowners, followed by a delicious bush meal prepared by your guide. If you've got your children along for the night, Tswalu can also provide camping beds, making your night under the stars a family affair.
The sleep out deck at Ruckomechi Camp in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe offers some of the most exciting game viewing on this list. The raised deck looks out over Parachute Pan, where a large variety of wildlife have been know to hang about, including elephant, buffalo, zebra, waterbuck, and kudu. Lion, leopard, and wild dog have also been seen at the pan, making what could be one thrilling night under the stars! You'll drift off to sleep with a symphony of animal sounds and wake to the beautiful sunrise over the pan. And should you need any assistance during your night out, a highly qualified guide will be in a tent nearby.
For a fully immersive elephant experience, head to Abu Camp, famous for its herd of habituated elephants that accompany you through the bush. Their star bed is raised high above ground and overlooks the elephant boma giving you the opportunity to "sleep with the elephants," letting their low rumblings and snores lull you to sleep. The sleeping deck is also equipped with a bathroom and open shower for complete comfort away from the lodge.
For those with a truly adventurous spirit, Norman Carr's Return to the Wild overnight safari will be a night under the stars you'll never forget. Armed with a bedroll and a mosquito net, you'll venture out from camp on foot mid afternoon with a guide and scout team to find a spot to make camp for the night in the remote Luwi dry river bed. After a game rangers dinner and sharing stories around the fire, you'll retreat to your bedroll under your mosquito net and drift to sleep while the millions of stars shine brightly overhead.
Exploring the Okavango Delta on horseback provides an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with the wildlife in one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in Africa. After a day exploring the African bush on horseback, continue your adventure with a night in the African Horseback Safaris Sleep Out deck. It's perched high in the tree for long unobstructed views of the area below and completely open to the magical African night sky. You won't have to worry about tying your horses up for the night either. Because it's close to camp, the grooms will take your horses back to stay the night in the barn.
After undergoing a complete refurbishment, Kalahari Plains Camp now offers private star beds on the roof of each of the 10 suites. The five million hectare desert and plains reserve is teeming with wildlife so you never know what you'll see from your rooftop. And when you've have enough game viewing and star gazing for the night, you can always retreat down below to comfort of your room.
Kulala Desert Lodge is set amidst stunning landscape with the famous red dunes of Sossusvlei and the nearby mountain ranges as its backdrop. Experience one of the clearest night skies in the world atop your "kulala" in the Sossusvlei Desert. Each suite has it's own private rooftop star bed with a luxury bedroll for a truly unforgettable night in the desert.
The best way to experience the vastness of the night sky and multitude of stars is in the wilderness of the African bush. Kanana's sleep out deck is located in the remote reaches of the Okavango Delta, not far from camp. It's completely open to the night sky so a stay under the stars is weather dependent, but if you do stay, you'll be rewarded with unobstructed views of the sky and the sounds of hippos grunting in the distance. In the morning you'll be met with a beautiful African sunrise and a nice, warm cup of tea or coffee to round out your African sleepouts experience.
While the Private Tented Camp near Merzouga isn't a treehouse or sleep out deck, it is worth mentioning as one of the best African sleepouts. There's no better place to view the vastness of the starry night sky without any obstruction or light pollution than in the Sahara Desert. Each night you'll enjoy a traditional Berber dinner and live entertainment and music under the neverending night sky of twinkling lights and in the morning wake to a crimson sun rising over the dunes – a truly unforgettable sight.
Are you ready to see the stars on your next Ker & Downey journey with one of these African sleepouts? Contact your travel professional or visit us online at www.kerdowney.com to start planning today. To stay up to date on all of our online contact, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.


Winter pretty much skipped us here in NW Arkansas this year so I'm packing away the winter time decorations and pulling out the spring stuff! I'm definitely a cold weather girl but the one consolation about nice weather is there are more flea markets and thrift sales to visit. The past couple weeks, I've picked up two pitchers at two of my favorite thrift shops. I found this pretty pink one today.
I love things that show a little (or a lot!) wear---chippy pottery, worn leather---I like to imagine that they've been well-used and well-loved.
I was thinking about these pitchers today as I worked on redecorating my living room for spring---thinking about how they represent me as a homemaker and my desire to offer hospitality to those God would bring to my home. I've always been nervous about hospitality as I worry my home isn't big enough, or my couches are uncomfortable, or that I won't know what to talk about with my guests. These chipped pitchers, the pink one that is barely pink anymore, they're vessels that aren't perfect but are still beautiful---and still very much able to fulfill the purpose for which they were made.
Like these pitchers, I can be filled so that I can pour out. When I'm running low, I can be refilled so I can continue fulfilling my purpose. It's ok if me and my home are not perfect. My willingness to be hospitable is beautiful to the Lord and He will honor my efforts.
Very true words and I love the pitchers!
They're cute, aren't they? I think it's gonna be a theme for awhile!
Love the pitchers, but love your thoughts even more!
Hi! I miss talking to you...I've been off the grid for a while, so I just popped in to say hello and Happy Valentine's Day!
I love your little pitchers, especially the not-so-pink one. Your words are very inspiring and so true. God can fill us up again when we're running on low and through Him we are able to bless those who enter our door. Thanks so much for sharing with me at No Place Like Home and enjoy your day.
I love your pitchers , especially the one with yellow flowers! I love your thoughts on hospitality also!
I love this post and the way you worded it! It's so inspiring! Love you!
I have felt the same way about hospitality.
Unfortunately, I think there are few who practice hospitality these days.
We've only been invited to someone's home twice in the six years we've been at our church... both were the same couple and in the last 3 months or so. It's sad, but I know I need to practice a lot more than I do. Thank you for the reminder. And yes, we have invited people to our home while going to this church. We just need to be more intentional about it.


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The Law Society has established a new Diversity and Inclusion Committee, comprising members of the Law Society who represent a wide cross section of the profession.
The role of the Committee is to promote diversity, equality and inclusion in the legal profession, in particular by progressing initiatives to ensure the equality of opportunity for all members of the profession, regardless of race, ethnicity, heritage, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession: The Business Case
The Law Society has developed the first comprehensive business case for diversity and inclusion for law firms and organisations that employ legal practitioners in NSW.
The business case provides a rationale for why diversity and inclusion are important and identifies specific areas in which having a diverse and inclusive culture can improve the performance of a law firm or organisation. It also provides practical tips for law firms and organisations to consider when adopting a strategy for enhancing diversity and inclusion.
Click here for a copy of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession: The Business Case.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equality, Respect and Inclusion
The Law Society of NSW has adopted the Law Council's Diversity and Equality Charter.
The Australian legal profession is committed to promoting diversity, equality, respect and inclusion consistent with the principles of justice, integrity, equity and the pursuit of excellence upon which the profession is founded.
We recognise that diversity benefits the legal profession and the community as a whole.
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BEWARE THE WILD…in the wild!
There's something about the swamp in Sticks, Louisiana. Something different, something haunting . . . something alive. Everyone knows this, and everyone avoids going near it. And even the Mardi Gras–bead-decorated fence that surrounds it keeps people away.
Until one morning when Sterling Saucier's older brother, Phineas, runs into the swamp . . .
Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out in his place, and all of a sudden, no one in Sticks remembers Phin at all. They treat Lenora May as if she's been Sterling's sister forever.
Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance—but first she's got to find someone who believes her.
Heath Durham might be that someone. A loner shrouded behind rumors of drug addiction, Heath has had his own strange experience with the swamp. He and Sterling will have to piece together enough bits of memory and ancient swamp lore to get to the truth. But as the wild swamp encroaches on their town, Sterling and Heath may find a lot more than they expected . . . and Phin may be lost to them forever.
If you're in Kansas, you're invited! Heck, even if you're not in Kansas, you're invited.
More details can be found here: http://www.mysteryscape.com/event/beware-wild-launch-party.
So, you're not in Kansas. Don't fret! I'll be traveling to nine other locations in seven other states with four other authors over the next two weeks. Details are below and on my handy dandy appearances page.
I'll also be visiting the Chicago area for an event at Anderson's in Naperville on November 14th with Lindsay Currie, Trisha Leaver, and Rachel Wilson, so make that eight states.
Not in any of these states? You can order BEWARE THE WILD in all the fabulously traditional ways listed below OR you can order via Fountain Bookstore and your copy will arrive with one of two smashing bookplates!
Other ordering options include but aren't limited to: IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository (free shipping worldwide!).
This day has been a long time coming and I'm thrilled, thrilled, a thousand times thrilled to be able to share this project with you. Happy reading!
Natalie C Parker is a writer, professional project coordinator, and future zombie slayer. When not saving the world, she can be found on Twitter (@nataliecparker). Though once determined to never live in a land-locked state, she resides in Kansas with her partner in a house of monsters. Her southern gothic YA debut, BEWARE THE WILD, is due from HarperCollins Children's Books in 2014.
Don't Touch is out in the wild, and I couldn't be more grateful to the bloggers, reviewers, authors, librarians, and booksellers who have already supported this book. I'm also so grateful for my fellow OneFours–the wisdom they've shared has made everything from ordering bookmarks (thanks, Kristin Rae!) to scheduling events so much pleasanter. And thanks to my fantastic family and friends who have shared so much excitement for this book's release!
Touch another person's skin, and Dad's gone for good . . .
When her parents split up, Don't touch becomes Caddie's mantra. Maybe if she keeps from touching another person's skin, Dad will come home. She knows it doesn't make sense, but her games have never been logical. Soon, despite Alabama's humidity, she's covering every inch of her skin and wearing evening gloves to school.
And that's where things get tricky. Even though Caddie's the new girl, it's hard to pass off her compulsions as artistic quirks. Friends notice things. Her drama class is all about interacting with her scene partners, especially Peter, who's auditioning for the role of Hamlet. Caddie desperately wants to play Ophelia, but if she does, she'll have to touch Peter . . . and kiss him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn't sure she's brave enough to let herself fall.
If you happen to be in Birmingham, AL, or Chicago, IL, I encourage you to come out for a reading and signing to celebrate the launch!
And be sure to visit the Fantastic Flying Book Club Tour, running all week!
You can purchase a copy of Don't Touch from the following places, or request it at your local library! You can also request a signed copy when ordering from The Book Cellar in Chicago!
Rachel M. Wilson's DON'T TOUCH stems from a personal vendetta against anxiety and a love of all things theater. After studying acting at Northwestern, Rachel earned her MFA in Writing for Children & YA at VCFA. Originally from Birmingham, AL, she now lives in Chicago, IL, where she writes, acts, teaches, and spoils a dog named Remy Frankenstein. DON'T TOUCH releases September 2, 2014 from HarperTeen.
Hi all, I can't believe this day is here. What happened to time? Just yesterday I had long, uneventful months ahead of me with publication something just barely glimpsed on the far horizon.
Short blurb: When 12-year-old Lucy's scientist father goes missing, she embarks on a supernatural ecological adventure through a fantastical version of the Pacific Northwest.
I hope you'll check DREAMWOOD out. And if you do, let me know—can a tree be scary?
Heather Mackey is the author of DREAMWOOD, a middle-grade fantasy adventure coming in June 2014 from Penguin-Putnam. She lives in Northern California, and thinks the woods are spooky. That's why she wrote about a homicidal forest!
I tried to learn to juggle in high school because I heard it improved concentration skills. While I could keep two objects moving at once, it was that third one that got me. After beaning myself in the head for the umpteenth time, I gave it up. I just couldn't master the technique.
So how does one master juggling several points of view in a manuscript? These are the methods I used in writing By the Grace of Todd, which has four POV characters: Todd, Lewis, Persephone, and Herman.
Then I had to establish each character's distinct voice. This became complicated with the Toddlian's Lewis and Herman, who both spoke rather formerly. To distinguish them from each other, I had Lewis refer to Todd's mom as "The Mother," while Herman, a scientific fellow, called her "The Maternal Person." Lewis also quotes TV, which is how he learned English, while Herman quotes poetry and facts he gleaned from encyclopedias.
Todd: Life was a lot different on the other side of puberty. The Zoo Crew guys were loud and crude and didn't care what anybody thought, and being with them was kinda awesome.
Lewis: On QVC, the shipping alone on the hottest pair of this season's suede pumps with bows on the toes is only $9.97! I am not sure what shipping means, but are we not worth more than ten dollars to you, Great One? Will you not do something to right these wrongs, or must we appeal to Judge Judy?
Herman: Alas, neither the climb nor the paper could warm me. I would perish betwixt the pages, alone and unsung. Goodbye, Herman. You must be brave.
Another way I included an additional viewpoint was to have Lewis recount what Todd's baby sister, Daisy mutters (she speaks fluent Toddlian). This makes it seem like the reader hears her inner thoughts.
Now for the juggling: Whenever possible, I write one storyline at a time, keeping the characters separate when they narrate a chapter. If I need to write two character POVs in a session, I break it up and go back and reread previous chapters for voice. But it's definitely easier for me to only write one character at a time. I also have individual playlists for the characters, to help me focus and set the mood.
What about you? What books have you read that do more than one POV successfully? Are you a writer with any words of wisdom?
Louise Galveston is the author of BY THE GRACE OF TODD (Penguin/Razorbill Feb. 27, 2014). She and her husband live in the Midwest with their eleven kids and a parrot. When Louise isn't writing or folding laundry, she directs her local children's theater, where she's playwright in residence.
"How on Earth do you find time to write with all those kids?" is the question I get asked constantly when people discover I have a large family.
The very wise and kind Eileen Spinelli (mother of six) once told me to "write in the cracks." At that point, I was at Chautauqua for a Highlights Retreat and expecting my ninth child. (I was able to go on that retreat because my husband, who is the fueler of all my dreams, had taken a week of vacation to watch our kids.) At that point the cracks in my life were only big enough to cram in a short story, or snippets of poetry, so that's what I focused on writing.
During that time I wrote during ballet practices and for a couple of hours in the evening when I would shut myself in my bedroom while my husband cared for the kids. But I really wanted to work on novels, so I decided to carve out more writing time. After the kids went to bed, I would hit the keyboard, writing until the words swam on the screen. I'd snag a nap in the afternoon (on good days) while the little ones napped and repeat the process at night.
Tight deadlines have forced me to find more productive writing times, so I'm currently trying to condition myself to getting up at five in the morning and writing until the kids wake up. I've found that my head is much clearer and drafting flows far better than when I'm tired at the end of the day. The problem I'm having is that I want to spend time with my teenagers and husband at night, so I don't get to bed early enough to function without a nap next day, and the three-year-old has decided to boycott naps.
So, I'm still trying to figure out how to make more productive "cracks," but if I can do it, anyone can! What about you? When do you do your most productive writing?


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What is behind the resurgence of Muskegon? Look to its growing support for entrepreneurs.
If you're looking to start a business, be sure to check out our compilation of resources in the right-hand sidebar (or, if you're on your phone, at the bottom of the article).
Whether you're talking about a more equitable and inclusive downtown or the city's ever-growing number of shops and restaurants, entrepreneurs are the major players inspiring change in an evolving Muskegon.
When Kevin Ricco, the director of Grand Valley State University's Muskegon Innovation Hub, returned to his home city in 2000 after about a decade and a half of living elsewhere, this West Michigan metropolis was on the precipice of sweeping change.
The industrial landscape that once dominated the city was shifting; the factory jobs people had relied upon for decades to feed their families were no longer a given. A year after Ricco returned, the Muskegon Mall shuttered for good, leaving in its wake a downtown almost entirely devoid of retail and a nonexistent street system in the 23 acres that, once upon a time, spelled economic revitalization for a struggling city. Not long after that, unemployment rates soared.
But then? Jobs began to return to the city. Businesses started to open. Unemployment fell. The downtown became, well, a downtown. Streets were paved. Shops and restaurants lined the space that was once empty. People started moving downtown. For the first time in years, new construction, both commercial and residential, was (and is) happening. More than $200 million has been invested in the downtown over the past decade and a half.
How did all of this happen? How does a city make the kind of turnaround that Muskegon is currently undergoing? It is, of course, a multi-layered story, filled with endlessly hard work from residents who refuse to give up on the city they love. And while the answer is a complex one, and one that's being watched by post-industrial cities across the country, there is something that stands out as playing a starring role in the rebuilding of a city: entrepreneurship.
"The resurgence in the city of Muskegon has been incredible," Ricco says. "If you look at what's happening, it's really all about entrepreneurship. If you look at downtown proper and new ventures and the initiatives that have taken off in the last couple of years, and are about to take off, it's all about those talented and hungry entrepreneurs who are willing to take that leap of faith. Those steps lead to bigger steps and bigger investment and bigger growth.
This world of startups, of big dreams and scary beginnings, is one that Ricco is intimately familiar with: the organization he helms, Grand Valley State University's (GVSU) Muskegon Innovation Hub, works to support entrepreneurs and grow entrepreneurship throughout the city. Through his work at the hub, he's gotten to know the city's growing economy well, and it's a landscape that is flourishing with the support of the hub and other groups, both new and longstanding, throughout the area.
"Muskegon has seen a lot of entrepreneurship for a long time now, with the economy having shifted out of manufacturing 20 years ago or so," says Tom Hopper, the associate director for business development at the Muskegon Innovation Hub. "Muskegon is still trying to find its pace. They're rebuilding economically and culturally, and entrepreneurship is a big part of that.
Now, organizations throughout Muskegon are doing everything from offering mentoring and co-working space to providing funding for business owners who aren't able to access traditional bank loans—and they're busting that all too pervasive myth that great entrepreneurship exists mainly in Silicon Valley, that it's the coasts that are the country's drivers of innovation.
And, sure, there's plenty of impressive work happening in California and New York, but, increasingly, startups and entrepreneurs are looking to the middle of the country, including Muskegon, to launch or grow their businesses. After all, office space is affordable here; you're surrounded by creativity that's being born in places like Muskegon Community College and Baker College, both located in the city's downtown; and, increasingly, there's a very intentional focus on the part of many of these groups to support entrepreneurs, or would-be entrepreneurs, who have long been disenfranchised, including people of color and women.
"I think people don't always think of Muskegon as being an innovation center, but there are a lot of amazing entrepreneurs here. It's inspiring," says Julie Burrell, who worked with the Muskegon Innovation Hub to launch her startup, Pumpndo, a company that offers a clip-on that converts a bra into a hands-free pumping bra.
Additionally, people of color face unemployment at rates significantly higher than their white counterparts. According to 2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the unemployment rate in the city of Muskegon was 12.9 percent for white residents, 24.1 percent for black residents, 35.9 percent for American Indians, 20 percent for Asian Americans, and 12.7 percent for individuals who are Hispanic.
People of color too face daunting barriers to starting businesses, including a lack of access to capital. Chef Damon Covington, who grew up in Muskegon Heights and recently returned to Muskegon this year to teach at Baker College's Culinary Institute of Michigan in downtown, says expanding support for business owners of color is crucial for the future of the region and will translate to a healthier, more equitable downtown, and city, in general.
To address these disparities, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County is working to expand access to capital, business coaching, and mentoring for entrepreneurs throughout Muskegon, particularly among people of color and women.
Additionally, the foundation provided a $30,000 grant to Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW), a nonprofit that works to support entrepreneurs who are women and people of color in West Michigan through micro-loans, mentoring, and more. GROW will use this money to hire a full-time business development specialist in the Muskegon area. That individual will "be making connections with entrepreneurs, bringing entrepreneurial training, networking opportunities, one-on-one coaching and counseling, and access to capital" in Muskegon and the surrounding area, GROW CEO Bonnie Nawara says.
All of this work, Community Foundation for Muskegon County President Chris McGuigan says, should translate to a stronger, more equitable city, including by building a more diverse downtown that is currently pretty homogeneous (individuals who are white make up much of the business ownership and the clientele for restaurants and shops).
Northern Initiatives President Dennis West emphasizes the important role non-traditional loans can play in building an inclusive economy, noting that his nonprofit can focus more on an individual's specific story, rather than, say, a credit score, as a bank typically does, when providing funding.
"Muskegon I think is looking really exciting," West says. "In the downtown, you're seeing a lot more activity of small businesses and a real resurgence of a downtown and private investment.
Similarly, GROW, which has operated in Muskegon for the past couple of years, began 29 years ago in order to serve "the economically disadvantaged community," Nawara says, noting that 42 percent of the population served by the nonprofit is people of color. GROW's average loan size is about $22,000, which businesses use for everything from purchasing equipment to operation expenses. In Muskegon, the nonprofit has given out 12 microloans totaling $374,000 to date. The organization has worked with 54 businesses in the city, a number that Nawara emphasizes is growing daily.
"We know Muskegon is exploding; we see great things happening on the lakeshore and we feel it's really time to be out there and see if we can help with some of the growth," says Nawara, whose organization worked with the city to set up the Western Market chalets and provided short-term loans to a couple of those businesses so the owners could pay rent or purchase inventory. One such business that GROW supported is Morat's Bakery, which is opening a downtown brick-and-mortar store after a successful run at the Western Market.
Like Northern Initiatives, GROW has a strong relationship with the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, as well as with GVSU's Muskegon Innovation Hub. The hub has provided the nonprofit space to hold part-time office hours, and GROW's business development specialist, for whom the group will begin its search in January, will likely be working at the Innovation Hub, Nawara says.
"We were really excited to make these grants to Northern Initiatives and GROW in the same grant round because there's no limit to the need, and we definitely want to encourage loans to people who are just starting their businesses," McGuigan says.
After all, McGuigan stresses, Muskegon will not thrive without an inclusive business landscape that supports those who have, for far too long, faced daunting barriers to launching their own companies.
Area schools, including Muskegon Community College (MCC) and GVSU, too are stressing the need for greater racial equity and inclusion in the city's commercial world, and both institutions are working to better connect and support entrepreneurs of color.
Last year, MCC launched its "Community E" pilot program, an entrepreneurial training initiative for 40 disadvantaged high school students. Many of the students are members of Community enCompass's Youth Empowerment Project, which promotes leadership development among high school students; Fresh Start, a group that works with teens who have been arrested; and My Brother's Keeper, a collective of organizations dedicated to empowering boys and men of color. The 12-week program required participants to to start a business, and the project culminated in a mini trade show at which students sold their products and services to the community. This winter, MCC is again offering the program, this time to a larger group of students.
MCC also recently began to offer an entrepreneurial training program to elementary school students.
At GVSU's Innovation Hub, Ricco, the director, says his organization is also working to better connect with, and support, entrepreneurs of color.
To do so, the Innovation Hub is currently partnering with the city of Muskegon Heights to launch an entrepreneurship program in about a year.
"We want to provide access to resources people have never heard of or considered," Ricco says.
Muskegon Community College's new Sturrus Technology Center in downtown Muskegon. Photo courtesy of Muskegon Community College.
A three-time entrepreneur himself, Stradal founded MCC's entrepreneurship program five years ago in an effort to support students looking to find a place for themselves in a rapidly growing Muskegon.
Now, after years of working with students and connecting them to the vast array of business resources in the community, from the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce to SCORE Muskegon, the entrepreneurial program and the college at large is setting the stage for major change. Come Jan. 11, MCC will officially celebrate the opening of its $14.81 million downtown center, which in September was named the Carolyn I. and Peter Sturrus Technology Center after the couple donated a record $1.5 million gift to the college.
The new 85,000-square-foot center represents major opportunity for those studying business and entrepreneurship, with the space housing programs centered around electronics and automation, welding, machining, materials testing, foundry, engineering, and alternative energy. Additionally, it contains the Rooks | Sarnicola Entrepreneur Institute, which will feature the Lakeshore Fab Lab. Beginning in January 2018, the lab will offer entrepreneurs of all ages the chance to work with 3D printers, robotics, laser etching, production machining, and more.
Targeting individuals from a wide range of ages, from Kindergarten through adulthood, the lab aims to support those looking to do everything from make prototypes (a first model of the product a business ultimately wants to market) to be of service to a growing medical community by providing machinery that can, for example, make prosthetics.
Culinary Institute of Michigan students. Photo courtesy of Baker College.
Like many of those leading the entrepreneurial charge in the city, Jamie LeRoux, the program director and manager of Sweet Spot and COURSES Restaurant at Baker College's Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM) in downtown Muskegon, grew up here and has been thrilled to see the city's growth—particularly when it comes to the food and nutrition landscape.
"The downtown has gone through tremendous change. It used to be a ghost town, and when [the CIM] moved in, we saw so much growth happen around us," LeRoux says of Baker College's arrival in downtown Muskegon in 2009.
The institute has been an instrumental player in growing the city's economy, doing everything from preparing graduates for their coming culinary lives as stars in the region's food world (such as Chef Char Morse and Chef Damon Covington, both of whom work and teach out of Kitchen 242, the culinary incubator downtown) to supporting the Muskegon Farmers Market and partnering with food- and nutrition-related groups across the city. To prepare students for running their own businesses, as well as to succeed in the food industry in general, the CIM has individuals work in COURSES, the student-run restaurant that's open to the public, and the Sweet Spot, a student-run cafe.
The Culinary Institute of Michigan in downtown Muskegon. Photo courtesy of Baker College.
Perched on the edge of Muskegon Lake, about a third of a mile from the downtown Shoreline Inn, the Muskegon Innovation Hub supports the region's entrepreneurs in three main ways: through business incubation (essentially working with owners to transform their business from the idea stage to a successful company), coworking space, and funding assistance.
Formerly GVSU's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC), which too supported entrepreneurship in the area, the facility underwent a rebranding and became the Muskegon Innovation Hub last year. Almost immediately after the name change, the leaders at the hub began to see a change in the number of people turning to them for support, and the hub's growth has also been boosted by close partnerships with a number of other organizations focused on growing entrepreneurship.
Among the organizations the hub works with include: SCORE Muskegon, which offers free mentoring, business workshops, and more; the Michigan Small Business Development Center; GROW, the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, the Muskegon Angels, which provides funding of up to about $200,000 for startups and businesses in the city, and the Muskegon Inventors Network, a regional nonprofit support group where inventors can connect and network. Both the Muskegon Angels and the Muskegon Inventors Network use the hub as their home base.
Hub leaders are thrilled with the growth happening at their center, noting that just in the past year the center has seen 109 new products commercialized, eight new patents issued, nine companies launched, 29 jobs created, 60 companies served, and $7 million provided in "follow-on funding," or funding made by an investor who has previously invested in a company.
All of this data points to the fact that the Muskegon Innovation Hub is connecting with entrepreneurs, who are being drawn to the space in large part to connect with a wide variety of people, from their own peers to those who can mentor them.
"Entrepreneurs think they have to do it alone, and that's not true," says Allison Wisneski, the business incubator manager at the Innovation Hub. "It makes it less scary when you're working with others who are going through the same thing as you."
Jeff Malec, the chairman of the Muskegon Inventors Network and one of the members of CoLaunch, the hub's coworking space, says the partnership with the hub has been instrumental for both him as an entrepreneur (he recently started Link2Launch Product Development, which is based at the Innovation Hub and which works with startups and entrepreneurs to springboard ideas into products), as well as for the growth of the inventors group.
Created in 2008, the Muskegon Inventors Network is the second such group to launch in Michigan. It provides resources for startups and inventors who are looking to move an idea along, and the group offers meetings every fourth Wednesday of the month at the hub in order to connect inventors with various resources, from speakers addressing pitching ideas to product reviews. The next meeting will be Jan. 24 at 6pm; you can see all of the details here.
"I'm excited to think about how I can bring people to Muskegon," Malec says. "I'm impressed by the level of entrepreneurship and support here in Muskegon.
Upon first connecting with the hub not long after it underwent its name change, Burrell was able to have her product (which converts a nursing bra into a hands-free pumping bra) manufactured, receive free mentoring from Hopper, and land a few grants.
Photography by Jenna Swartz, unless otherwise noted. To connect with Jenna, visit her website and Facebook page.
Looking to start a business? There are numerous resources available to help you get your entrepreneurial ball rolling.
What they offer: Business incubator, co-working space, funding assistance.
Contact: Call 616-331-6900 or fill out this online form.
What they offer: Loans, trainings, business counseling.
Contact: Call Melissa Evans, Northern Initiative's lender in Muskegon, at 231-375-9867 or email mevans@northerninitiatives.org.
What they offer: Micro lending, business counseling, entrepreneurial training, networking, workshops.
Contact: Call 616-458-3404, email info2@growbusiness.org, or fill out this online form.
What they offer: Entrepreneurial training, mentorship.
Contact: Call Dave Stradal, head of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program, at 231-777-0304 or email david.stradal@muskegoncc.edu.
What they offer: Business advocacy, training, business information, meeting space, networking, and more.
Contact: Call 231-722-3751 or email mlcc@muskegon.org.
What they offer: Business mentoring, business training, and other resources.
Contact: Call 231-722-3751 or email score@muskegon.org.
What they offer: Assistance with business expansion, site location, financing, brownfield redevelopment, infrastructure development, and more.
Contact: Call 231-722-3751 or email info@muskegonareafirst.org.
What they offer: Business funding of up to $200,000, mentoring.
Contact: Fill out the online form here.
What they offer: Networking, business advice, inventor workshops, and more. Meetings are held at 6pm every fourth Wednesday of the month at the Muskegon Innovation Hub. See more information here.
Contact: Fill out this online form.
Where: Grand Valley State University, William Seidman Center, 50 Front Ave. SW, Grand Rapids (they also hold events in Muskegon).
What they offer: Business plan development, market research, raising capital, business workshops, financial management, strategic planning.
Contact: Call 616-331-7480 or email SBDCMichigan@gvsu.edu.


"The game is not over yet. The August primary was the biggest hurdle to face, but my election is not over until after the November 4, 2014!"
That alarming, urgent call to contribute to an election campaign came from Broward Mayor Barbara Sharief.
She held a fundraiser last week.
Yet the opponent she faces is a write-in candidate, Andrew Samuels of Miramar. You haven't seen his name because he's not campaigning and has raised zero dollars; you won't even see his name on the ballot because write-in candidates are represented by blank lines on the ballot. No write-in candidate has ever won an election in Florida, and as candidates in Broward District 2 race are so painfully aware of, they are often put in races as political tools and aren't serious about winning.
Sharief won her real race in August, against Miramar Commissioner Alexandra Davis.
So far, Sharief hasn't responded to a couple calls for comment about it. If she does, I'll let you know what she plans to use the money for.
There are plenty of legal uses for campaign funds, besides actual campaigning. A candidate could repay loans he or she made to the campaign, contribute to a charity or even give the money to the county general fund.
As in Ryan's case, the post-primary fundraiser also gives lobbyists and vendors the opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the elected official whose votes they depend on.
We'll see where Sharief's money goes. As of Sept. 19, she had spent $253,000 of her $260,000 intake for the primary.


There are many great resources available for families and kids to grow closer to God. Here is just a sampling on the ones that we currently recommend.
You can purchase these books at many local bookstores, as well as online. For your convenience, we have linked these resources to the online company, Christian Book Distributors. If you follow the link and purchase these resources (or others while you are there), Essex Alliance gets a small portion of the sale returned to us which we use to purchase program resources.
Some great music to purchase online from our friends at AmberSky Records. Includes the SKW Song, "Stand My Ground". Music for the kids, the teens, and mom & dad, too.
The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. From Noah to Moses to the great King David--every story points to Jesus. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle--the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle. A Bible like no other, this book invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation--and at the center of their story too. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
For years, young and old have delighted in the full-color illustrated presentation of timeless Bible stories. Laid out in a kid-friendly, comic book-style format, The Picture Bible is a perfect first Bible for young readers. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Our responses to "sticky situations" can get us into trouble or glorify God. What should I do when my best friend cheats on a test? How about when Sarah asks me to lie to her parents? Together, parents and kids can discuss a year's worth of realistic Sticky Situations!
Does God ever sleep? Did Jesus live before or after the dinosaurs? Kids ask the darndest things about God---and Slattery tackles some of the "toughies"! Using simple language and bright illustrations, she offers fresh answers to questions about faith, prayer, Christianity, and more to help children articulate what they believe and why. Ages 6 to 10. 224 pages, softcover from Nelson.
Anybody who believes child-rearing is easy probably doesn't have any. In this newly revised and updated bestseller, Dr. Leman offers seven Scripture-based principles of "Reality Discipline" that make parenting easier. Discover a loving no-nonsense approach that really works. Includes study guide.
Using the ACTS formula (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication), this updated edition offers Hybels's time-tested advice and insights, plus a new introduction and a chapter on prayer and justice.
Stormie Omartian looks back at 20 years of parenting and seeing the power in praying for her children. In these easy-to-read chapters, she shares from personal experience as to how parents can pray for their kids' safety, character development, relationship with God, and so much more.
A prayer saturated kid is one who is prayed for, prayed with, and taught to pray. Prayer saturated kids change the world and the people around them. No matter what your role is with kids and teens, you can intercede to God for the next generation. Each chapter in Prayer Saturated Kids offers inspiration, instruction, and insight on a different aspect of how prayer can impact the children in your life. At the end of the book are study questions that make this book adaptable as a study course for individuals, couples, small groups, and homeschooling families.
Marriages may be made in heaven, but they must be nurtured here on earth. In this new paperback edition of Dr. Gary Chapman's bestselling book, The Five Love Languages, he explains how people communicate love in different ways, and shares the wonderful things that happen when men and women learn to speak each other's language. Chapters are categorized by love language and each one ends with simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction.
The title expresses a radical thought for today's marriages! Chapter by chapter, discover how marriage works to develop Christlike character - forgiveness, love, respect, perseverance - in each of you. This book will enrich your marriage in unexpected ways.
Dr. Emerson Eggerichs' book, Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs, is based on the biblical passage from Ephesians 5:33. His premise is that communication between a husband and wife is often frustrated because of the vastly different ways in which men and women perceive love. Women are wired to need unconditional love and men need to feel unconditionally respected.
Do contemporary believers live the radically committed life Jesus calls his followers to live? In this revised and updated edition of his best-selling wake-up call, Chan challenges church members to take responsibility for their apathy, engage in honest self-examination, and totally surrender to God's purpose.
"One day I simply sat down behind my desk and began to write down thoughts and feelings that emerged from my mind and heart. Except for the Bible, I had no other books to quote from ... It became a long examination of of conscience, an extended personal statement of faith, and a series of glimpses into the kingdom of God. I found I was writing about myself, my friends and family, and my God, all connected in many intricate ways ... I didn't try to say things I had never said before, but things that really matter to me."
If Jesus were to sit down with you right now and have a DTR (Define the Relationship) conversation, how would you respond? Are you truly his follower or just a fan-or perhaps someone who doesn't even care about the difference? Not a Fan invites you to make Jesus not merely the object of your admiration, but the very center of your life.
Wasted years and untold tears---God wrote the book on avoiding "if onlys"! Discover how a disciplined, systematic digesting of Scripture gives you the benefit of countless experiences and invaluable life lessons. From routine reading to fresh encounters, you'll learn to listen to the Holy Spirit's eternal counsel as you spend time in his living Word.
As a Christian man, how do you prioritize between what you are driven to do at work and church with what you are responsible for at home? Rich Wagner debunks the myth of a "balanced life" and shares a biblical model of becoming a hands-on leader of his family.


Unfortunately the owner of Route 66 informed us that he wanted to cut our fee by 40%. We feel that after filling his bar for the last 14 years we deserve better treatment and have therefore reluctantly decided to cease performing at Route 66 for the time being with immediate effect. Our apologies to those of you who are arriving in the next week or so who were looking forward to seeing us perform.
Please feel free to visit Route 66 and let them know your feelings. Should the owner come back with an improved offer we will consider returning. We will keep you informed if there are any changes.
We will be at The Green Corner every Saturday and we look forward to seeing you there.


text:
Q: How to use set line number in file along with vim command I know the typical method to set line number in file using set number, however i want to use this as while opening the file. something like this
vim filename ******

A: You can pass arbitrary commands to vim with +.
$ vim somefile.txt '+set number'

See the vim man page.
However, customizations like this usually go in your ~/.vimrc file:
set number

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How can I calculate probability for all each numpy value at once? I have a function for calculating probability like below:
def multinormpdf(x, mu, var): # calculate probability of multi Gaussian distribution
    k = len(x)
    det = np.linalg.det(var)
    inv = np.linalg.inv(var)
    denominator = math.sqrt(((2*math.pi)**k)*det)
    numerator = np.dot((x - mean).transpose(), inv)
    numerator = np.dot(numerator, (x - mean))
    numerator = math.exp(-0.5 * numerator)
    return numerator/denominator

and I have mean vector, covariance matrix and 2D numpy array for test
mu = np.array([100, 105, 42]) # mean vector
var = np.array([[100, 124, 11], # covariance matrix
               [124, 150, 44],
               [11, 44, 130]])

arr = np.array([[42, 234, 124],  # arr is 43923794 x 3 matrix
                [123, 222, 112],
                [42, 213, 11],
                ...(so many values about 40,000,000 rows),
                [23, 55, 251]])

I have to calculate for probability for each value, so I used this code
for i in arr:
    print(multinormpdf(i, mu, var)) # I already know mean_vector and variance_matrix

But it is so slow...
Is there any faster way to calculate probability?
Or is there any way to calculate probability for test arr at once like 'batch'?

A: You can vectorize your function easily:
import numpy as np

def fast_multinormpdf(x, mu, var):
    mu = np.asarray(mu)
    var = np.asarray(var)
    k = x.shape[-1]
    det = np.linalg.det(var)
    inv = np.linalg.inv(var)
    denominator = np.sqrt(((2*np.pi)**k)*det)
    numerator = np.dot((x - mu), inv)
    numerator = np.sum((x - mu) * numerator, axis=-1)
    numerator = np.exp(-0.5 * numerator)
    return numerator/denominator

arr = np.array([[42, 234, 124],
                [123, 222, 112],
                [42, 213, 11],
                [42, 213, 11]])

mu = [0, 0, 1]
var = [[1, 100, 100],
       [100, 1, 100],
       [100, 100, 1]]

slow_out = np.array([multinormpdf(i, mu, var) for i in arr])
fast_out = fast_multinormpdf(arr, mu, var)

np.allclose(slow_out, fast_out) # True

With fast_multinormpdf being about 1000 times faster than your unvectorized function:
long_arr = np.tile(arr, (10000, 1))

%timeit np.array([multinormpdf(i, mu, var) for i in long_arr])
# 2.12 s ± 93.4 ms per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1 loop each)
%timeit fast_multinormpdf(long_arr, mu, var)
# 2.56 ms ± 76.9 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 100 loops each)

A: You can try numba. Just decorate your function with @numba.vectorize.
@numba.vectorize
def multinormpdf(x, mu, var):
    # ...
    return caculated_probability

new_arr = multinormpdf(arr)

If your multinormpdf doesn't contains any unsupported functions, it can be accelerated. See here: https://numba.pydata.org/numba-doc/dev/reference/numpysupported.html
Moreover, you can use the experimental feature target='parallel' like this.
@numba.vectorize(target='parallel')


text:
Primephonic launches its classical music streaming service
If you have ever tried to find a particular classical music recording on one of the standard streaming services, you will know how frustrating the process is because search facilities designed for popular songs are rarely suitable for classical music. This has now been remedied, and Primephonic has launched a streaming service specifically dedicated to classical music.
Primephonic has an existing download platform, and to this the company has now added a streaming service. The streaming service is starting with over 100,000 classical music tracks with many being added every day, and lots of labels including Sony Classical and Warner Classics. All the tracks will be available as CD quality (16-bit FLAC file format). Perhaps as important, the search facility will allow you to search by composer, work, artist, ensemble, historical period and genre thus making it easier to find that specific recording. Unlike other streaming services, Primephonic offers the possibility of coping with the fact that in classical music, there are often hundreds of recordings of the same piece of music.
Primephonic is a Dutch company, which has the record label Pentatone as a sister company. They feel that so far, classical music has not really found a place in the streaming world, and hope that Primephonic's platform is the answer. Certainly the classical music world is relatively small, so let us hope that the classical music streaming consumers (around 3% of the total streaming market) get on board. The company is offering a different royalty payment model to standard streaming services, with Primephonic offering payment based on the time spent listening (rather than the number of tracks).
The service had a launch event in London on Wednesday (14 June 2017) when we got a chance to hear about the new service, meet the people responsible for it and try listening, there was also live music too with a harpist, Melissa Parmar, and a trio of brass players from the London Philharmonic Orchestra who played Poulenc's trio for trumpet, horn and trombone. Another visitor was a violin maker, Ballard Violins, and it was fascinating chatting to him about his methods, and seeing his tools (see above) and the half-built instruments.
The site offers a 30 day free trial, and subscriptions then cost £14.99 per month in the UK ($14.99 in the USA). Full details from the Primephonic website.
Mitridate, Re di Ponto at Covent Garden
ABO 'Sirens' Fund - Walpurgis, Smyth, Tailleferre,...
Looking ahead: The Two Moors Festival
Unfinished Business - London Sinfonietta at 50
An enchanting beginning: Louise Alder in songs by ...
Rebecca Dale is London Oriana Choir's second compo...
Inspiring young musicians: Opera North's youth cho...
Nights not spent alone: Kitty Whately in Jonathan ...
Two or Three Angels
O Quam Gloriosum - music in one of the City's hidd...
Off the beaten track near Dresden: an innovative m...
Oculi Ensemble at LSO St Luke's
Musical comedy: Rossini's Il turco in Italia retur...
French Baroque in Surrey: Rameau's Hippolyte et Ar...
Comedy of character: Britten's Albert Herring at t...
Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria at the ...
A remarkable ensemble: Janacek's Jenufa at Grange ...
Someone once suggested she take a choral contracep...
A very complete Giovanni: Mozart's Don from Ashley...
PRS New Music Biennial in Hull, city of culture
Bach - The Four Orchestra Suites
Multi-Story on the move
From Border ballads to Carlyle's Centenary: Ronald...
St John's Smith Square 2017/18 season
The Fallen Soldier
Bach Reimagines Bach: William Carter in Bach's lut...
End of an era: the final Rosenblatt Recital at Wig...
Beethoven's 'Leonore' brings the 40th Dresden Musi...
Magic Butterfly: WNO launches virtual reality expe...
V is for… VOOTS!
A satisfying evening: Verdi's Nabucco from Chelsea...
The Edge of Time: exploring historic bone flutes
From Brexit, the opera, to an albatross task force...
Recorders and vibraphone: Martin Luther - Prediger...
Rossini's best comedy: I talk to conductor David ...
Karol Szymanowski: Stabat Mater & more from Warsaw...
Primephonic launches its classical music streaming...
Top 50 Classical Music Blogs award
Slow burn opera: Saint-Saens Proserpine revived by...
Unseen Diasporas: Yiddish Summer Weimar
Looking Ahead: Cambridge Summer Music
Exploring early Mozart: Classical Opera in Grabmus...
Together to the Workhouse Door
The guy who serves the music: I chat to film maker...
Autumn Songs
Listening with new ears: Haydn's 'The Seasons' fro...
Looking ahead: New season at Saffron Hall
Recorder Revolution! comes to St John's
Respecting the drama: Annabel Arden's production o...
A re-invention too far? Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegi...
Powerful Murnau-inspired re-invention: Gounod's 'F...
The singer, the song: My encounter with baritone B...
An eloquent evening's entertainment: Les Talens Ly...
Jean Rondeau in Bach's Goldberg variations
Not just a museum piece: Radamisto at the Guildhal...
The Excellency of Hand: English viola da gamba duo...
Steven Osborne and CBSO conclude their year togeth...
Roadshow: chamber music by American composer Carl ...
'The Leeds' expands
Warner Music's Wild Stride
Reviving rarities: Palazzetto Bru Zane's festival ...
Re-thinking the concerto: Steven Osborne in Ravel ...
Mind Music: Northern Chamber Orchestra raising mon...
The sands of time: Olivia Fuchs' new production of...
Looking ahead: Autumn season at the Howard Assembl...
Immersive and thought-provoking: Silent Opera's Vi...
How to do immersive opera in found space with an o...
Full of sunshine & wit: Il Matrimonio Segreto pops...
Looking ahead: St Albans Organ Festival
Ex Cathedra & Birmingham Conservatoire create chor...
Histoire naturelles: Christopher Maltman, Malcolm ...
Puccini's little swallow makes a welcome return: L...
Not just G&S: Solomon and Burnand's Pickwick
We are concerned
London Mozart Players on the move


Agile vs. Waterfall; the debate continues.
As many of you know, our son Trevor was diagnosed at age 5 with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS); the clinical term for his type of autism.
If you've been around the block a few times you know that sometimes as the PM you need to tell a stakeholder something they don't want to hear. My friends at Projectmanager.com put together some handy tips to consider when (not if) you have to deliver bad news. Good reminders in a short, concise video.
As leaders, being perceived as authentic and real is an absolute prerequisite to getting others to want to follow you.
Here's a fun little slideshow which articulates some stats from Psychology Today on Work/Life Balance. Get some tips here to achieve better Work/Life Balance.


There could be a number of reasons why you are struggling to lose weight and there are so many things that affect it. Women tend to find it harder and I don't think it helps that when we do 'fall off the wagon' we carry on falling rather than taking it as a glitch and carrying on with our healthy day. When we fall, we fall hard and say that we will start again tomorrow. Ever done this?
Now to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. If the standard calorie guidelines for a women is 2000 and you want to lose weight then you need to reduce your calorie intake by 300-500 per day. Lets say you are now on 1500 calories. I am not taking into consideration your exercise/ daily movement here.
Height, menstruation, stress levels, age, gender, activity levels are all factors to take into consideration when it comes to losing weight but I wanted to share with you some of my experiences from clients and research. I have broken down three of the biggest reasons I have seen people face.
Water is not just the latest fad thing to do; we are made up of mainly water and it's vital for our bodies to perform and function at their best. Many people also think that they can replace water with any other drink, which is not true.
From my experience, people avoid drinking water or drink very little as they say they don't like the taste. The amount of water you should consume depends on your body weight. See below guide.
Not only is water good for weight loss and is calories free, but the other benefits include better skin, improved energy levels, sustain hunger and improve your metabolism to name but a few, I could go on.
If you struggle with consume at least eight glasses of water every day, why not try downloading a water app to your phone to make sure you're getting enough in and it can also remind you.
Now exercise is great for your overall health and wellbeing but it wont necessarily help you lose weight.
"Yes, exercise would work if you did enough of it — it's just so much easier to eat less," says James Hill, professor of paediatrics and medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical . It takes a minute to eat a 200-calorie chocolate bar, but 40 minutes on the treadmill to burn that off. And with weight loss, you're not just trying to break even; you're aiming for a calorie deficit as mentioned earlier.
Some people may even find that exercise makes them hungrier, which then counter acts, the weight loss goals.
Does your diet tend to look similar to the below food diary example?
I have analysed a lot of food diaries in my time and the common issues are that people are not consuming enough fruit and veg, not enough protein and not enough water. If you enjoy eating, you should be eating wholefoods – by this I mean 1 ingredient foods like – chicken breast, salmon, tuna, steak, eggs, apple, banana, sweet potato, broccoli etc etc etc. You can eat a hell of a lot more of these types of foods than you can with the processed foods.
Highly processed foods contain sugar, salt, artificial chemicals that the body finds hard to breakdown or it just stores as fat due to over consumption. You can also overeat processed foods because of the additives in them causing you to crave more.
Yes, the example food diary above is processed and I will tell you why with this broken down version below.
Milk – Cows milk has hormones in whether it's, skimmed or full fat. Plus skimmed milk is even more processed than full fat because it needs more work to remove all the fat that is naturally in milk.
Coffee – If it's black on an empty stomach then people with digestive problems will struggle. Instant coffee contains a potentially harmful chemical called Acrylamide, which is commonly found in a wide range of foods, smoke, household items and personal care products .
OJ – All artificial – it's not healthy. Please just remove it.
Sandwich/salad – Homemade is best as you can put it what you want. Bought sandwiches or salads have added dressings and spreads to make it taste nice. The shops are not there to make you healthy – they are there to make your food taste nice – remember that. Look on the back of your next bought sandwich and see what's in it.
Fizzy drink – full of chemicals and is factually evidenced to make you fat .
Yoghurt – Full of sugar and most people go for low fat, which has more sugar. Good fats are actually great at helping us lose fat.
Office cake/biscuit, chocolate bar. This doesn't actually help with the lull and ends up getting you back into a deeper energy low. Try eating protein and good fats to pick you up like nut butter on celery or rice cakes or my favourite nut butter with a tin of tuna – trust me it works.
Pasta or sausage and mash. Generally pasta is either premade for ease or you have bought a jar of sauce (highly processed) to add to the dish. Sausages are a good source of protein if they are organic, gluten free and are actually made from the meat they state – check the ingredients. Add some veg with this dish and you can get a good varied meal.
To conclude, these are the three MAIN issues I see that my clients, colleagues and friends face. (Not too much in my family as I tend to drill it into them so much that they have no excuse, plus I have been bought up in quite a healthy family, anyway….) There are definitely other areas that can also be looked at like your stress levels, moods, sleep patterns, breathing, mindset issues, types of exercise you are doing, your gut health, whether you're eating enough, whether you're taking rest days that sort of thing. This is what a health coach can do for you, look into your lifestyle and work with you to educate and motivate to make lifestyle improvements that will benefit you forever.
Try making these three adjustments and see how you get on but you need to give your body time. It's no use jumping on the scale daily and getting annoyed when the weight doesn't move or you have gone up a few lbs. By the way, your weight will fluctuate depending on your sleep the night before, whether its your period or any number of other reasons. Weigh yourself weekly at the same day and time, on the same scales and preferably first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. If you want a better way to measure because I don't find scales to be very effective, take photos of yourself, feel how your clothes fit, get a tape measure and measure your thighs, waist, arms and bum. These can offer better guides to your weight loss if that is your main health goal.
What are your tips for weight loss?
Have you found success losing weight? How did you do it? Please share your hints, tips and experiences in the comment box below!
Can you trust your gut? Your free gut health webinar invitation. Sign up now!


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Tony Dungy 4 Short Leadership Devos For All Teams - Tony Dungy reveals four keys to successful teamwork that are based on biblical teaching and his forty years of experience in the pro-football. Simply put, Dungy says that winning teams must have SOUL. In this four-day devotional, learn about the characteristics each of these letters represents and discover how to build an outstanding team—whether on the job, in your community, or at home.
Tony Dungy reveals four keys to successful teamwork that are based on biblical teaching and his forty years of experience in the pro-football. Simply put, Dungy says that winning teams must have SOUL. In this four-day devotional, learn about the characteristics each of these letters represents and discover how to build an outstanding team—whether on the job, in your community, or at home.


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Stonehenge built by descendants of early immigrants, study finds
DNA shows migrants who arrived in Britain around 6,000 years ago constructed the world's most famous prehistoric monument.
Image: Stonehenge's unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC
It is as British as fish and chips and one of the country's most famous sites, but new evidence suggests the roots of Stonehenge lie in the Mediterranean.
Scientists studying DNA from ancestors of those who built the world's most famous prehistoric monument found they journeyed to Britain from what is now Greece and Turkey.
Arriving in Britain around 6,000 years ago, the newcomers virtually replaced the existing hunter-gatherer population, a study published in the journal Nature said.
Built in several stages, Stonehenge's first monument was put up about 5,000 years ago and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC.
Stonehenge stones moved by land not sea, study says
Researchers have pinpointed the exact location of two of the quarries where they originated and how they were removed
The migration was just one part of a large-scale expansion of people out of Anatolia in 6,000BC that introduced farming to Europe.
Researchers from Britain and the US found similarities between the DNA of Britain's early farmers and those discovered in what is now Spain and Portugal, indicating this population arrived in the UK after journeying east to west through the Mediterranean.
But some groups appear to have landed on the western coast first before spreading to other parts of Britain, suggesting they didn't cross the English Channel using the shortest possible course but instead sailed the Atlantic.
More from Stonehenge
Stonehenge stones moved by land not sea, new study suggests
Some stonehenge rocks were at Salisbury Plain 'long before humans'
Stonehenge could lose World Heritage status over tunnel plans, historians warn
Controversial Stonehenge tunnel gets green light from Grayling
Stonehenge 'could lose World Heritage status' if tunnel gets green light
Stonehenge A303 tunnel plans are given the go-ahead
Image: Stonehenge is around eight miles away from Salisbury
Carles Lalueza-Fox, of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona, said the findings match what is known about the spread of megalithic structures along Europe's Atlantic coast.
DNA reveals that neolithic Britons were largely descended from groups who took the Mediterranean route, either hugging the coast or hopping from island to island on boats.
"This route is a continuation of the Mediterranean coastal dispersal route but of course in much more complicated maritime circumstances," Dr Carles Lalueza-Fox, who was not involved in the study, said.
Some Stonehenge rocks were here 'before humans'
An archaeologist who has excavated within the site says there is evidence people were drawn there because of the stones
In contrast with other countries they settled in, these ancient Aegeans do not appear to have mixed well with British locals, as evidenced by their failure to leave much impact on farming relics.
Mark G Thomas, a professor of evolutionary genetics at University College London, who co-wrote the study, also found "considerable variation in pigmentation levels in Europe" during the Stone Age as shown from the genetic samples they examined.
Whereas Britain's outgoing hunter-gatherers - including the oldest-known Briton "Cheddar Man" - likely had blue or green eyes and dark or even black skin, the farming populations migrating across Europe are believed to have had brown eyes and dark to intermediate skin.


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package gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.web.admin;

import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.AbstractTestCase;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.CaaersContextLoader;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.dao.security.passwordpolicy.PasswordPolicyDao;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.domain.security.passwordpolicy.LoginPolicy;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.domain.security.passwordpolicy.PasswordPolicy;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.tools.Messages;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.caaers.web.WebTestCase;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.ctms.suite.authorization.ProvisioningSessionFactory;
import gov.nih.nci.cabig.ctms.suite.authorization.SuiteRole;
import org.springframework.context.MessageSource;
import org.springframework.context.MessageSourceResolvable;
import org.springframework.context.NoSuchMessageException;

import java.sql.Timestamp;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

/**
 *
 * @author Monish
 *
 */
public class UserCommandTest extends WebTestCase {

	private UserCommand command;

    @Override
    protected void setUp() throws Exception {
        super.setUp();
        switchToSuperUser();
        command = new UserCommand();

    }

    public void testGetAllGlobalRoles(){

		List<SuiteRole> globalRoles = command.getAllGlobalRoles();

		assertEquals(4,globalRoles.size());
		for(SuiteRole role : globalRoles){
			assertFalse(role.isScoped());
		}
	}

	public void testGetAllSiteScopedRoles(){

		List<SuiteRole> siteScopedRoles = command.getAllSiteScopedRoles();

		assertEquals(19,siteScopedRoles.size());
		for(SuiteRole role : siteScopedRoles){
			assertTrue(role.isSiteScoped());
		}
	}

	public void testGetAllSiteAndStudyScopedRoles(){

		List<SuiteRole> siteAndStudyScopedRoles = command.getAllStudyScopedRoles();

		assertEquals(10,siteAndStudyScopedRoles.size());
		for(SuiteRole role : siteAndStudyScopedRoles){
			assertTrue(role.isStudyScoped());
		}
	}

	public void testAddOneSuiteRoleMembership(){
		ProvisioningSessionFactory factory = new ProvisioningSessionFactory();
		command.addRoleMembership(factory.createSuiteRoleMembership(SuiteRole.AE_REPORTER));
		assertNotNull(command.getRoleMemberships());
		assertEquals(1, command.getRoleMemberships().size());
		assertTrue(command.getRoleMemberships().get(0).getRole().equals(SuiteRole.AE_REPORTER));
	}

	public void testAddManySuiteRoleMembership(){
		ProvisioningSessionFactory factory = new ProvisioningSessionFactory();
		command.addRoleMembership(factory.createSuiteRoleMembership(SuiteRole.AE_REPORTER));
		command.addRoleMembership(factory.createSuiteRoleMembership(SuiteRole.BUSINESS_ADMINISTRATOR));
		command.addRoleMembership(factory.createSuiteRoleMembership(SuiteRole.REGISTRAR));

		assertNotNull(command.getRoleMemberships());
		assertEquals(3, command.getRoleMemberships().size());
	}

    public void testPasswordExpiryDate() {
        Timestamp today = new Timestamp(new Date().getTime());
        PasswordPolicy passwordPolicy = new PasswordPolicy();
        LoginPolicy loginPolicy = new LoginPolicy();
        loginPolicy.setMaxPasswordAge(7776000);
        passwordPolicy.setLoginPolicy(loginPolicy);
        command.setPasswordLastSet(today);
        command.setPasswordExpiryDate(passwordPolicy);
        Timestamp expiryDate = command.getPasswordExpiryDate();
        //Actual expirty date
        int days = (int) TimeUnit.SECONDS.toDays(passwordPolicy.getLoginPolicy().getMaxPasswordAge());
        Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance();
        cal.setTime(today);
        cal.add(Calendar.DAY_OF_WEEK, days);
        Timestamp actualExpiryDate = new Timestamp(cal.getTime().getTime());
        assertEquals(expiryDate.toString(), actualExpiryDate.toString());

    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The 2016 Atlanta Eurobasket Summer League Combine opened up Saturday December 10th with our Skills and Athleticism portions of the combine. All players are available immediately. Videos are broken up by Group and Station Work.
The 2016 Eurobasket Summer League Atlanta Winter Combine concluded Sunday with a total of 6 games with each player playing 2 games. Below you can find the box scores for each game and the full video for each.


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Our Parishes & School
Find / contact us
Masses resuming
Our Eventbright link had a slight 'wobble' but should now be working properly and showing our Mass times correctly.
Please use this link (Eventbright link) to book a place at Mass when they resume from Thursday 3rd Dec. The Sunday obligation is still suspended so please attend any Mass during the week to suit your situation. Masses on weekdays are attended by fewer people should you wish to have a quieter / less busy experience - although we have all COVID regulation measures in place to keep everyone safe.
Our regular Mass times are as follows:
Tuesday evening at 7.30pm
Thursday morning at 10am
Friday evening at 7.30pm
Saturday evening at 6.00pm
Sunday morning at 9.30am
Please bring a mask, observe the one way system, social distancing and new way of receiving Holy Communion and check in using he QR code on arrival.
Please only attend Mass if you are well and free of COVID symptoms.
Thank you - looking forward to seeing you back.
The Liturgical Diary and Diocesan Directories are now available to buy. This year, as we are unable to open our Church shop, we can offer you the online information so you can still make your purchase.
However, if it isn't possible for you to buy them online, please contact us at the parish office and we will help.
Our resident Quiz Master, Mike Ryan, has furnished us with another round to keep the grey cells working...
See how many world cities you can name...
BUT NO GOOGLING!😁
Mike has been emailing out a quiz round every week for so many months now to the members of the Not So Young Club and a few other parishioners. Thanks Mike! It is another great way to keep our parish community in touch with each other.
If you would like to go on the Quiz list, please contact us at the parish office and we can pass your email address to Mike for this purpose.
Happy Quizzing!
Statement from Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Work has already begun to implement the recommendations of the IICSA Report and the Independent Review of Safeguarding Structures and Arrangements in the Catholic Church in England and Wales (sometimes referred to as the Elliott Review).
Hear the statement by clicking here
Cardinal Vincent Nichols: "I say again: I am so sorry. I say this for many bishops who have gone before me over these 50 years. Many hearing this will feel that we let you down. Yes, we did let you down in many ways, in different times, in different places, for different reasons. I apologise again. I am so sorry for all that has happened over these years."
On Carer's Rights Day, we ask for prayers for those who look after loved ones on a regular or even 24/7 basis.
You may not know but our parish hall (in normal times) hosts a weekly group called "Singing for the Brain", run by the Alzheimer's Society, giving support to those living with Alzheimer's and to their carers. It is always a delight to hear their enthusiastic singing coming through the walls - we regularly have 'Roll out the barrel' or 'Daisy, Daisy' in our heads on a Thursday!
Alzheimer's Society, like most other charities, is in need of our help. You can donate to them via their website.
Welcome to the website of the parishes of St Augustine of Canterbury, Downend and St John Fisher, Frenchay.
Sunday Mass times at St Augustine's are at 6pm for the Saturday Vigil and 9:30 am for the Sunday morning Mass, which has a children liturgy. See all Mass times below...
** All public worship is now suspended during the 2nd lockdown**
There is no Mass at either of our Churches but private prayer times at St Augustine's will take place on Sunday 15th, 22nd & 29th from 10am until 12noon.
Masses at St Augustine's should resume after the lockdown but please keep in touch on this website or on our Facebook page to see regular updates on the situation. Masses will not resume at St John Fisher for the foreseeable future.
If you would like to donate to St Augustine's Church in this testing time and while our churches are closed, please do so below: Thank you for all your support at this time.
** All Parish rotas removed **
EMERGENCY HOSPITAL ADMISSION
If you or a family member are in hospital and require an urgent visit from a Priest, please ask the Ward Manager to contact the Priest on call using the hospital 'pager' system. There is a rota in place to cover all the Bristol hospitals 24 hours a day. They will not automatically do this for you... only on request.
Clifton Diocese (a company limited by guarantee) registered in England and Wales under number 10462076. Registered Charity No. 1170168. Registered Office: St Ambrose, North Road, Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 3PW
Scouts and Guides Supporters (20) CWL (17) St Augustine's School (15) Parish Projects (14) Units (14) Not-so-Young (10) BBT's (9) Bazaar (9) Pre-school (8) Summer Event (8) Sacraments (6) Youth Club (6) Justice and Peace (5) Altar Servers (4) Flower Group (4) HCPT (4) CLOW (3) Gift Aid (3) Musicians (3) RCIA (3) Soup Run (3) Extraodinary Ministers (2) Finance Committee (2) Readers (2) SVP (2) Welcomers (2) Counselling (1) Development Committee (1) Glastonbury (1) Legion of Mary (1) Mission (1) Pope (1) Skittles Team (1)


text:
Blood Curse Series
Tessa Dawn Mar 2021
Ghost Pines Publishing LLC
$7.99 Pre-order
This book will become available on March 9, 2021. You will not be charged until it is released.
Beneath the dusky glow of a millennium moon, an ancient mystery is unfolding. Two very different vampires have each consumed a vial of blood containing the life force of two primordial princes, both presumed to be dead: "Drink this blood and welcome life; drink this blood and welcome death." And the contents are stirring, quickening…awakening.
Braden Bratianu was only five years old when he was sired into the Vampyr race. The only fledgling to be made—not born—he struggled with his new identity, his past human frailties, and how to forge a new place in an ancient, lethal society. Yet over time, he also displayed several uncanny abilities: divine intuition, precognition, and an inherent understanding of cryptic texts and archaic spells. His very soul seems to be linked to the heartbeat of the house of Jadon.
Kristina Riley Silivasi came from a troubled home and a tragic past. Rescued from a Dark One by an Ancient Master Healer, then mistaken for an ancient vampire's destiny, she was swiftly ushered into a terrifying universe, enduring everything from conversion to betrayal. Though she survived—even thrived—her wounds, her insecurities…and her deep-seated fears have never left her.
When a beloved son of Jadon and a beleaguered daughter of chance are caught in a web of illusion, they must each summon bravery, learn to discern truth from a lie, and dare to risk love…or forfeit the future. The celestial gods cannot save them. They will live or die by the strength of their choices and reap what they sow…reward or ruin.
Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal
Fiction / Fantasy / Urban
Fiction / Gothic
Fiction / Romance / Paranormal / Vampires
Blood Echo: A Blood Curse Novel
Don't stir up the past.
Especially when that past is an ancient, feral vampire sleeping at the bottom of an aged cobblestone well, one who is famished for blood, determined to claim you, and haunted by mystical shadows…remnants from the past.
Long ago, in a Romanian castle, the last females of a dying race called him Nanaşule. Godfather. One who wields the powers of the gods, yet behaves as Father, one who is both respected and beloved…at least before the Blood Curse.
One who hails from a long line of powerful mages who served the monarchy faithfully.
But something is different about Fabian Antonescu. He is haunted by visions of a golden hawk and a copper-eyed raven—cryptic vials of blood—and he will do anything to remain one step ahead of his memories. For the secrets shrouded in the fog could change everything.
Gwendolyn Hamilton, as strong as she is, has already survived the unthinkable. She didn't ask to be thrust into a predatory world of vampires, warriors, and ancient mages. She didn't ask to be taken by Fabian.
Yet one touch of a stone, one electrical current, one fateful moment when a vampire's eyes met hers were more than enough to set off an explosion — and cause a thunderous BLOOD ECHO.
If she hopes to survive, she must answer back…
To the call of the wild ~ to a savage vampire.
To the demands of antiquity in a modern world.
To the threat and promise of a looming Blood Moon ~ and the destiny that awaits her.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "It's Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird."—The Guardian
IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New Yorker • Vanity Fair • NPR • The Washington Post • Tordotcom • Marie Claire • Vox • Mashable • Men's Health • Library Journal • Book Riot • LibraryReads
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes "a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror" (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She's not sure what she will find—her cousin's husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She's a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she's also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
"It's as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic."—The Washington Post
"Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre's most exciting talents."—Nerdist
"A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush '50s atmosphere."—Entertainment Weekly
Dragons Reign
"It is time to speak of that which we never mention: the prophecy, the omen, the fact that I have come of age…"
In the decades since an innocent human slave was taken to Castle Dragon, against her will, for the sole purpose of bearing a son for the monarchy, much has changed in the Realm: Alliances made in secret have flourished; sons born of veiled paternity have grown to adulthood; and dangerous warlocks, seasoned witches, and cunning shades have risen to powerful positions.
Yet all is not as it seems.
Beneath the shadow of an eerie double moon, a dark, tormented evil is rising…
Stirring.
Awakening.
A prophecy is beckoning: "It is time. It is time." And a lethal dragon prince is growing restless to seize the throne of his bestial ancestors.
King Demitri will never step aside.
Mina Louvet—indeed, all the Sklavos Ahavi are caught between worlds.
And the web of lies spun by the eldest dragon prince—the treachery, deception, and perversion—may very well spark a war of fire and fury unlike anything the Realm has ever seen—or hoped to survive.
Great reward requires greater risk, and every beating heart will be wagered in this high-stakes game of blood and reckoning.
Celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the enduring gothic masterpiece Flowers in the Attic—the unforgettable forbidden love story that earned V.C. Andrews a fiercely devoted fan base and became an international cult classic.
At the top of the stairs there are four secrets hidden—blond, innocent, and fighting for their lives…
They were a perfect and beautiful family—until a heartbreaking tragedy shattered their happiness. Now, for the sake of an inheritance that will ensure their future, the children must be hidden away out of sight, as if they never existed. They are kept in the attic of their grandmother's labyrinthine mansion, isolated and alone. As the visits from their seemingly unconcerned mother slowly dwindle, the four children grow ever closer and depend upon one another to survive both this cramped world and their cruel grandmother. A suspenseful and thrilling tale of family, greed, murder, and forbidden love, Flowers in the Attic is the unputdownable first novel of the epic Dollanganger family saga.
The Dollanganger series includes: Flowers in the Attic, Petals in the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, Garden of Shadows, Beneath the Attic, and Out of the Attic.
Do You Have Any Advice for Aspiring Authors?
Do you want to make a living writing fiction?
Never give up on your dream!
Do You Have Any Advice for Aspiring Authors is a short, no-nonsense booklet containing five practical tips plus inspiration for aspiring writers.
Chapter One: WRITE! (No, really…)
If you truly want to be a writer…and then a published author (traditional, hybrid, or indie)…you have to write and write and write! The exact same thing could be said about reading, devouring everything you can in the genre you wish to write in, studying the prose of numerous authors, and getting a feel for the bestselling stories (common themes, world-building, and contemporary writing), but for the purpose of this booklet, we'll stick to writing: There's simply no substitute for putting words on a page…
Chapter Two: You need a professional editor! (And no, it cannot be your sister-in-law.)
A lawyer needs a paralegal; a professional football coach needs an offensive and defensive coordinator; and a professional author needs a professional editor.
Chapter Three: You really should advertise! (Or at least think about it.)
The real question is: Is it okay to just bury that treasure where no one can find it?
Chapter Four: You must possess a very stiff spine! (Your opinion is none of my business.)
My point is this: If you are going to keep changing, editing, alternating your style and your storytelling based on personal preferences, then prepare for an endless game of whack-a-mole. That extra romance you just added to appease Sally has ticked off Susan. That character who was a little too gruff for Joe was not brutish enough for Daniel. Now you're caught in an endless vortex of switching something to appease a reader, only to have to change it back…in order to appease another.
Chapter Five: Never give up! (The Law of Attraction)
At the end of the day, this is your gift, your diamond; what do you want to do with it?
"Wow!!! I absolutely loved this booklet. It actually encouraged me to keep going. It validated some of my thoughts and answered questions I hadn't thought to ask yet. Thank you!!!" - Julie (Aspiring author: 5 novels started; 1 finished & requested by editor; hoping to publish novel #7!)
"{This booklet} is an engaging, entertaining and curiously profound read. No matter where one is in their career, Dawn offers gentle reminders of how we can stay true to our source and produce the best work(s) we possibly can." ~ Cara (Corporate communications writer, ghostwriter, and scriptwriter with her own novel in progress.)
"I sat, I read, I laughed, I loved it." ~ Dennis (MFA graduate, seeking agent & querying first novel.)