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The Falcon of Sparta
By Conn Iggulden
Published by Pegasus Books
Based on one of history's most epic stories of adventure, The Falcon of Sparta masterfully depicts the ferocity, heroism, and savage bloodshed of the ancient world.
Conn Iggulden, the New York Times bestselling author of the Emperor, Conqueror, and Wars of the Roses series, returns to the ancient world with a ferociously violent epic.
401 BC. In the ancient world, one army was feared above all others. The Persian king Artaxerxes rules an empire stretching from the Aegean to northern India. As many as fifty million people are his subjects. His rule is absolute. Though the sons of Sparta are eager to play the game of thrones . . .
Yet battles can be won—or lost—with a single blow. Princes fall. And when the dust of civil war settles, the Spartans are left stranded in the heart of an enemy's empire, without support, without food, and without water.
Far from home, surrounded by foes, it falls to the young soldier Xenophon to lead the survivors against Artaxerxes's legendary Persian warriors.
Conn Iggulden is one of the most successful authors of historical fiction writing today. Among many other bestselling novels, he is the author of The Abbot's Tale, The Falcon of Sparta, The Gates of Athens, and Protector, all available from Pegasus Books. Conn lives in London.
Publisher: Pegasus Books (February 5, 2019)
Fiction > General
"A well-researched tale of heroism and hardship, honor and betrayal in which anyone's life can disappear with a filth-tipped arrow or the slash of a kopis. Exciting fare, a yarn well-spun."
"A rousing retelling of a singular event, as seen through the eyes of three leaders on a momentous trek, this latest historical novel by Iggulden will be of interest to both young and old readers of military and ancient history."
– Historical Novels Review
"Having already taken on Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, and the War of the Roses, Iggulden successfully dramatizes the life of Dunstan, Abbot of Glastonbury and confidant of King Aethelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great. Immerses the reader in tenth-century England."
– Publishers Weekly [praise for 'The Abbot's Tale']
"Superbly plotted and paced. An absolutely cracking story. The pace is nail-biting and the set dressing magnificent. Iggulden has created an intriguingly complex saint—flawed, spiteful, and unreliable as the teller of his own tale. Through his eyes we watch the story of the making of England."
– The Times (London) [praise for 'The Abbot's Tale']
Book Cover Image (jpg): The Falcon of Sparta
More books from this author: Conn Iggulden


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Home News Congress ghost haunts MDC Byo province
Congress ghost haunts MDC Byo province
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
THE MDC Bulawayo province is still haunted by ghosts of its provincial congress, with some party members now raising fears that the chaos that accompanied it will cost the party in future by-elections or the 2023 general elections in the city.
The party's national leadership has failed to douse factional flames in Bulawayo, where a section of disgruntled party members are demanding a re-run of the provincial congress, citing voter fraud.
Just last week, the national leadership was in Bulawayo to try and address the divisions, but without success.
A member of the MDC's Magwegwe district executive committee Nicholas Moyo Godlwayo last week petitioned the party leadership to address the simmering tensions in the city to avert electoral drubbing in 2023 or in by-elections.
"What happened during the Bulawayo congress does not reflect the MDC as a party that so religiously believes in devolution of power as the best governance system that unites a nation.
The leadership that was purportedly elected does not, in any way, bring happiness to the people of Bulawayo," Godlwayo wrote in his petition.
"Instead, it is exclusive than inclusive and the MDC can never win the 2023 elections in Bulawayo or any by-election which can happen before then. It is a certainty that anything otherwise will cost us dearly as a party come the 2023 plebiscite or any by-election which may happen before then."
Infighting was blamed for the party's loss of the Cowdray Park council seat to Zanu PF in a recent by-election.
MDC Bulawayo chairperson James Sithole yesterday told Southern Eye that the provincial executive "was doing everything within its powers to unite" warring factions.
"We have heard those concerns, but as a leadership we have started a process to address those issues that have been raised. We have also gone further to include members who lost elections into the provincial executive structures," Sithole said.
"We want inclusivity; we are stronger together. We realise the importance of coming together to make a big change. We are a rainbow party and the only relationship that binds us together is to be members of the MDC. We all have a common agenda to remove Zanu PF from power through peaceful means."

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The main purpose of this book is to describe and analyse supporters' reactions to the commercialisation of football in Europe. The book uses the word "commodification" to describe how football clubs have become a commodity. Fans are seen as the one constant in a world of changes of ownership, manager and stadium at clubs. The theme is analysed in 8 chapters from the perspective of different clubs and countries. Richard Giulianotti's four categories of fan: supporter, follower, fan, flaneur is used to understand fans.
A case study of a plan to relocate the Everton FC stadium highlights the tension between traditionalists and fans defined by a market led altitude as between the concept of a community club and a business model.
Another chapter explores the issue of foreign ownership with reference to Liverpool FC and the "clueless yanks" in particular the challenge of maintaining "authentic forms of local cultural practice and identity formation around football in the face of sometimes grim realities of globalization and foreign ownership".
With some irony the chapter notes that when Liverpool FC was at the very height of its football powers in the late 1970s - double European champions and also Football League Champions - they were in the words of chairman, John Smith "very successful in football terms but in economic terms we are broke". In contrast the American owners are accused of pushing a business model with a lack of understanding of local sensibilities.
A chapter on Spain, based on interviews with 19 fans, six sports journalists and three professional managers, concludes with the paradox that fans' fascination with football coexists with the feeling that the clubs are poorly managed and economically unsustainable.
The chapter which chronicles the process of football's commodification in Israel, concludes that it has had a critical impact on the fans. There is also an assessment of Supporters Direct, an initiative of the British government in 2000.
A book on the commercialisation of football through the eyes and experiences of fans is a welcome addition to the literature. One cautionary note: while the book was published in 2017, it is a re-publication of a 2013 book. The reference to Franz Beckenbauer as "football's ultimate moral authority in Germany" is rather ironic in view of recent developments.


Seamless Stretch Fabric that offers both soft comfort & gentle support. Subtle detailing and ventilation make these leggings both cool & stylish. Our maternity and post-maternity leggings can be paired with our Adore Bra for an easy & supportive base layer.
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Note: Seamless leggings are opaque & pill-free but do not offer a full black out with squats. We recommend a longer tee to tank for this style of legging.


Here visitors can enjoy pears and grapes grown in nature-friendly farming methods (no reservations required). They are especially proud of their seedless, Kyoho and beniFuji grapes, as well as their kosui and hosui pears. One of their most popular courses is the limited time grape and pear picking course, which is only available when their harvesting seasons overlap. You can bring your own lunch, but everything else needed for fruit picking is provided. There are 300 tables and chairs available here. Kyoho grape picking courses are 1700 yen for adults (elementary school students 1300 yen, infants 900 yen), while pear picking is 1300 yen for adults (elementary school students 1000 yen, infants 700 yen). When pear picking at the end of September, it is also possible for visitors to pick apples and mikan oranges too.
Open from August 1st-end of October, open every day during season.
From Kintetsu Railways Hisai Station east exit -- Mie Kotsu bus for Karasu, bus stop: Takachayadanchi-mae, 5 minute walk.
Ise Expressway Hisai Interchange via National Route 165 4km/10 minutes.


Repsol and the French Institute of Petroleum, IFP Energies Nouvelles, signed a framework collaboration agreement to develop cutting-edge exploration and production technology. These projects will help to make hydrocarbon discoveries, identify new reserves, as well as evaluating their potential and increasing production.
One of the main objectives of the agreement is to jointly develop technology that improves understanding of the subsoil based on data from fields operated by Repsol. These data will allow further development of the software developed by IFPEN for basin modelling and the description of hydrocarbons reservoirs. Carbonate reservoir characterisation is among the first projects that the scientists at the Repsol Technology Centre and IFPEN will investigate. These reservoirs account for 60% of global oil reserves and 40% of gas reserves.
This joint project will provide new insights into some of the most challenging aspects of characterisation and reservoir modelling, with a significant impact on future exploration and production projects. In addition, it will encourage the development of innovative solutions to optimise hydrocarbon reservoir production.


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For more information and prices please use the Contact Form, describing the parts that you want to produce.


The Country Life Picture Library is home to beautiful and extraordinary images chronicling the last century, from country house architecture to the changing streets of our villages and nature. Keep up to date with What's New including seasonal highlights, as well houses, gardens and all aspects of country life.
Many National Trust properties and other country houses open to the public have snowdrop walks at this time of year.
However, in some places the delicate flowers are appearing later than usual, because of the cold weather at the beginning of the year.


…and now… .. I am tired.
Yes, I have taken breaks. Sometimes I have gone a week without running. Sometimes I have gone a month without any serious training. The breaks were scheduled for my health and for my long-term success. I have planned so carefully, done the calculations countless times, and my breaks were very much designed to lower my cortisol levels and give my body a chance to recover so I could go hard again safely.
…even so… ..I am tired.
The worst part of the taunting is that it has my own voice. I hear these things and I hear myself saying them.
I am not physically tired. I am healthy and strong. I am just washed out emotionally as it relates to my athletic pursuits.
I have heard it said that the best way to handle your kids in sports is to say, "I just love to watch you play/run/throw because I see how much you enjoy it. It makes you happy." The same experts say that the worst thing you can do is make your kids practice and/or compete as if it were a chore. A lifelong love for a sport is fueled by the love of doing it.
The same is true for running, triathlon, and any other sport you do as an adult. Whether you are training to finish a 5K or training to qualify for Boston or Kona, it still remains true. You can keep a strict running schedule, but always keep your love for the sport primed.
In my first book, I had a little section about rekindling the love by going back to your happy place. For me, that means cross country. Run in the grass. I love going to parks where there the local high schools have cross country courses set up. These runs are nearly never compatible with my current training for various reasons. When I run cross country, I run for the love of it. I am happy. I have only run one trail race in the entire span since starting to train in 2009. That was last week. I let my goals take me away from my happy place… until now.
My other happy place is the long run. I have always enjoyed the longer distances, especially the marathon. I get into a zone where I am relaxed and the world is a great place to be regardless of any present circumstances. The thought of it brings a smile to my face. I let my knowledge of the sport of running and triathlon take me away from more frequent long runs, rides, and swims. I carefully balanced my training for minimal wear and tear along with maximal performance.
In my planning for minimal wear and tear, I took myself away from my happy places. I stole the me-time that fuels my passion for running and triathlon.
…and that has worn me out… … and I am oh so tired..
Some people reach this point and just give up. This is not a solution. Giving up running is a way to stay permanently away from the things that bring you joy. Not good. The solution for being tired of your sport comes from rearranging priorities, not from giving up.
Remember the things about your sport that made you love it. Go there early and often. Prioritize it above performance, above the logical things that lead to being great. Plan your training, but always keep in mind what keeps you in love with the sport.
Put "love of the sport" days on your weekly calendar.
Allow yourself flexibility on distance, pace, and time.
The goal of those training days is to smile.


Your opinion matters. Leave A Review Or Edit This Listing for Share Food Share Love Food Pantry.
To donate go to our website. We also accept food donations at any time the Pantry is open. The Share Food Share Love Food Pantry is an agency of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
We always need more information on our pantries. If you know of any details, volunteer information, website, hours or more description information about Share Food Share Love Food Pantry please add a comment (below the map on this page), with information. We will then display this for all visitors on this page.


Substance Use (SU) services are available to MNPrairie county residents who have problems with drug and/or alcohol abuse and meet the income guidelines, or have been referred by the court for services.
Assessment services can be found within MNPrairie offices and also from a variety of healthcare and substance use provider agencies.
Substance Use assessments, commonly referred to as Rule 25 assessments.
Referral for Rule 31 substance use treatment programs for high, medium, and low intensity inpatient and outpatient treatment services, supportive housing, intensive case management (CD Navigator), and drug courts.
Private insurance may not cover all or some chemical health services. Services may be paid for with public funding if the recipient is financially eligible. Charges related to detoxification services will be charged to the recipient based on the information provided through the income verification material submitted. This includes minors, who almost always are eligible if they have private or no insurance.
Substance Use (Rule 25) Assessment are completed for people who need help to pay for chemical health treatment. Eligible individuals also meet income guidelines or are on Medicaid fee-for-service programs. If an individual does not meet the requirements for MNPrairie SU assessment, they will be referred to the appropriate service. The assessment process is governed by state law.
There are a number of providers within the MNPrairie region that can provide Rule 25 assessments for individuals.


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The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the third novel and movie of the late Swedish Communist Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. The trilogy has sold 65 million copies as of December 2011, and in 2010, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest was the best-selling novel in the US.
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is less a sequel to the second film, The Girl who Played with Fire, than a continuation. It has the same director and cast, and it picks up immediately where the previous film left off. It feels like they merely changed reels.
At the end of The Girl who Played with Fire, the "girl," lesbian autistic hacker Lisbeth Salander, was shot three times, once in the head, and buried alive by her father Alexander Zalachenko and her half-brother Ronald Niedermann. Zalachenko is a Soviet defector living under the protection of the Swedish government. He is a criminal kingpin involved in trafficking sex slaves, drugs, and arms from the former USSR. Niedermann, a giant blonde thug, is his father's chief enforcer.
Zalachenko routinely raped and abused Lisbeth's mother, finally leaving her crippled. To avenge her mother, the 12-year-old Lisbeth doused her father in gasoline and set him on fire, leaving him crippled and hideously disfigured. Zalachenko's handlers had Lisbeth committed to a mental hospital under the care of a child molester, Dr. Peter Teleborian. Later, when she came of age, she was declared legally incompetent and placed under the supervision of a creepy lawyer named Bjurman, who also raped her.
Naturally, when Lisbeth dug herself out of her grave (with a cigarette case), she took an axe and buried it Zalachenko's head and leg. Yet both survived, and at the beginning of the new film, they are being flown off for emergency medical treatment. We are treated to Lisbeth's brain surgery in gag-inducing detail. Then both father and daughter are wheeled off to separate rooms to recover. Both are looking at charges of attempted murder, among other things.
It turns out the Zalachenko's handlers work for a secret body within the Swedish government that is unknown even to the cabinet and Prime Minister. The group was created during a brief conservative government in the 1970s, and when the Social Democrats returned to power, nobody in the new cabinet was informed of their existence. This "deep state" apparatus is apparently the hornet's nest of the title, and Lisbeth Salander has them all abuzz.
Such "deep states" do exist, of course, but I have no doubt that its Swedish version does not take the form of a secret cabal of rapists and child-molesters assembled by a conservative government. That is about as unlikely as the menacing Nazi serial killers of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo—or every single event of The Girl who Played with Fire, for that matter. Indeed, Larsson's leftist fantasies about Sweden's deep state are refuted by his own story, which reveals the real Swedish deep state, which has a familiar blueprint.
The Millennium magazine from which the trilogy takes its name is clearly modeled on Larsson's own Expo magazine, which he founded in 1995 and edited until his death in 2004. Expo is an anti-racist, anti-fascist publication modeled on the UK's Searchlight. Like Searchlight, Expo has close connections with Jewish and Communist groups, as well as criminal elements (anti-fascist hackers, vandals, and thugs). Expo seeks to harass patriotic Swedes who resist the Jewish agenda of white race replacement.
In The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Millennium journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Larsson's fantasy alter ego) works to clear Lisbeth of the charges of attempted murder by exposing Zalachenko and his handlers and their conspiracy to imprison, silence, discredit, and ultimately kill Lisbeth. (When Zalachenko tries to blackmail his handlers, who are sick old men like himself, they dispatch a 78-year-old geezer to kill him in this hospital. He also tries to kill Lisbeth, but fails and kills himself to avoid capture. There are no guards on the rooms of either prisoner, by the way.)
When Blomkvist begins to uncover the hornet's nest, he is contacted by the Swedish secret police, who make him a consultant, using his research to take down the Right-wing cabal. The same pattern of Jewish-connected anti-racist, anti-fascist organizations working hand-in-hand with both secret police and criminal elements can be observed in the repression of white resistance to race replacement in the United States and the whole white world. It is a glimpse of the real "deep state": the Jewish-dominated anti-white power structure that has steered all white countries onto the path of demographic decline, miscegenation, and non-white immigration, which, if allowed to continue, will drive our race to extinction.
This revelation of the truth is, of course, rather shocking given Larsson's otherwise note-perfect politically correct inversions of reality. But even Homer nods from time to time. Surely if Larsson had lived to publish this book, he would have corrected this lapse.
Yes, the previous two novels/films that set the background story are ludicrous. Yes, Niedermann's relentless brutality is cartoonish. Yes, Lisbeth's acquittal makes no sense: she discredits the attempts to declare her insane, but this should not be sufficient for an acquittal on attempted murder charges. (Our plucky heroine's courtroom attire certainly does not help her case.) But as a story, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is by far the least implausible and most interesting chapter of The Millennium Trilogy. But that's not saying much. Moreover, the movie clocks in at 2-and-a-half hours, and you feel every minute of it. Even if it weren't evil, I couldn't recommend this movie. Life's just too short.
Published: February 7, 2012 | This entry was posted in North American New Right and tagged deep state, Expo, movie reviews, North American New Right, originals, Stieg Larsson, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Millennium Trilogy. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
White Republican
Posted February 13, 2012 at 12:52 am | Permalink
I had intended to comment that at least there won't be a fourth film in this vile series, for there is no fourth book. Unfortunately, according to Wikipedia's entry on Stieg Larsson, which refers to an article in the New York Times, "Larsson left about three quarters of a fourth novel on a notebook computer, now possessed by his partner, Eva Gabrielsson; synopses or manuscripts of the fifth and sixth in the series, which he intended to contain an eventual total of ten books, may also exist. Gabrielsson has stated in her book, 'There Are Things I Want You to Know' About Stieg Larsson and Me (2011) that finishing the book is a task that she is capable of doing."
Posted February 13, 2012 at 1:06 am | Permalink
Don't get between a Marxist and some money. She is angry because under Swedish law, she and the Communist party got none of the millions made by Larsson's books, since his will was invalid. Thus his fortune went to his father and brother.
James O'Meara
When Buckley was starting his Blackford Oakes spy novel series, he went to John "Room at the Top" Braine for advice. He was told to include one, but only one, implausibility, since that would help move the plot and give it an air of 'make believe" without straining credulity.


Trussardi is the last big fashion house to close this Milan Fashion Week.Trussardi is the last big fashion house to close this Milan Fashion Week. Gaia Trussardi created a collection inspired by an athletic universe. For summer 2015, she worked around the body that was slender and flexible, together with a strong commitment to timeless elegance. Leather was seen throughout the collection and its importance confirmed it as the identity of the brand. The trousers are tight fitting and high waisted, and the suits featured masculine shapes. The knitwear is also very present throughout the collection in all-in-one pieces as well as polo necks, also in lurex presented in stripes. There is a timeless luxury at Trussardi, where the accessories included the new versions of the Bugatti and Cacciatora bags. Interview:Gaia Trussardi: This season I imagine a woman, an athlete for passion, or even for profession why not? And someone who is in love with leather goods and travels, and maybe goes round the vintage shops of leather goods therefore she wears sporty looks, that are timeless, like tank tops, bomber jackets, miniskirts with a tennis inspiration, polo shirts, all made out of the most luxurious leathers, in copper, in Bordeaux, in pistachio green, in white all the mix of the most traditional leather goods, (the tradition of trussardi of course) the final result is this extremely luxurious, linear elegance, that is timeless, worn in a very fresh way. There are no prints this season, but textures, there is almost no fabric, except a touch of lurex that I always like to put in my evening wear, but it's all leather and knitwear. Knitwear is very important for Trussardi, so all the tops, even some dresses and the polo shirts are all in knitwear in different kind of (points) and textures.


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The Little Rebels Children's Book Award
Radical fiction award given by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers
Submitting a Book (2020 Guidelines)
Previous Shortlists & Winners
The Little Rebels Children's Book Award is a prize for radical fiction aimed at children aged 0-12. The 2019 winner was announced at a special ceremony on July 10th.
You can buy all of this year's shortlisted titles, as well as previous Little Rebels Award shortlistees and winners, from Letterbox Library.
FREEDOM by Catherine Johnson (Scholastic)
There's no escape – even when you escape. Where can a slave like Nat to run to? Forced to leave his family and move to England with his master, Nat can see only one silver lining. He's heard that once a slave sets foot on English soil, they're free. So Nat travels across half the world, from Jamaica to England. But when he arrives, he finds the rumour is false. He's still a caged bird. Unless he runs… A short, powerful and richly imagined historical novel exposing the UK's often overlooked participation in the slave trade.
THE GHOSTS & JAMAL by Bridget Blankley (HopeRoad Publishing)
Waking up in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, 13-year-old Jamal tries to piece together what has happened whilst simultaneously trying to evade capture by the attackers. It soon becomes clear that he has been living in a separate outhouse from his family on account of the "bad-spirits" – his epilepsy. In search of the 'ghosts' who brought death and destruction to his home, Jamal encounters exploitative adults and misguided attempts at charitable intervention. A powerful book which explores the impact of war on children, and holds up a mirror to violence-driven societies everywhere.
ACROSS THE DIVIDE by Anne Booth (Catnip Publishing)
When a new Army cadets unit opens near her school, Olivia wants to join, causing turmoil both at home and at school. Her ex-army grandfather supports her, but her pacifist mother is ardently opposed. And the students at her school are arguing over the issue too. When her mum is imprisoned for leading a pacifist protest, Olivia is forced to spend time with her dad who lives on Lindisfarne. The island feels far away and detached from the mainland, almost magical. And even William, a young boy she meets there seems different… A nuanced exploration of the legacy and impact of warfare, which shows the importance of independent thought amidst bitter social divisions.
RUNNING ON EMPTY by S.E. Durrant (Nosy Crow)
AJ's grandfather has always been the one to keep his unusual family together, so when he dies things start to unravel at the edges. AJ is worried about his parents but they don't really seem to notice. In order to deal with his grief and to keep his anxiety at bay, AJ does what he and his grandfather did best: running. Round and round the Olympic Park, aiming for the cross country trials, running to escape, AJ only seems to be heading ever closer to disaster. A sensitive and powerful story which explores the impact of financial hardship and a poorly functioning welfare system on young people.
THE KING WHO BANNED THE DARK by Emily Haworth-Booth (Pavilion Books)
There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark. There's nothing unusual about that. But this little boy was a Prince, and he decided that when he became King, he would do something about the dark. He would ban it.But what happens when nobody can sleep, and the citizens revolt? Will the King face his fears and turn the lights off? A witty picture-book with a lot of contemporary relevance, which skewers government propaganda and the misuse of power.
TOMORROW by Nadine Kaadan (Lantana Publishing)
Yazan no longer goes to the park to play, and he no longer sees his friend who lives next door. Everything around him is changing. His parents sit in front of the television with the news turned up LOUD and Yazan's little red bike leans forgotten against the wall. Will he ever be able to go outside and play? A beautiful picture-book full of heart, and not without hope, set against the backdrop of the Syrian war.
THE NEW NEIGHBOURS by Sarah McIntyre (David Fickling Books)
When new neighbours move in to the tower block, what will the other residents of Pickle Rye think? They hop, trot and totter down the stairs to share the news throughout the building, and on the way learn just how important it is to leave judgements and prejudices far behind. An irresistibly smart and funny picture-book which satirizes contemporary fears and preconceptions about 'newcomers'.
The Little Rebels Award recognises children's fiction (for readers aged 0-12) which promotes social justice or social equality, challenges stereotypes or is informed by anti-discriminatory concerns.
Submissions for the 2020 Little Rebels Award are open until January 30th.
Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing
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Nominations are open for the 2020 Little Rebels Award!
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Catherine Johnson is the 2019 Little Rebels Award Winner
The 2019 Little Rebels Award shortlist is here!
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Q: Design L1 and L2 distance functions to assess the similarity of bank customers. Each customer is characterized by the following attribute I am having a hard time with the question below. I am not sure if I got it correct, but either way, I need some help futher understanding it if anyone has time to explain, please do.
Design L1 and L2 distance functions to assess the similarity of bank customers. Each customer is characterized by the following attributes:
−   Age (customer's age, which is a real number with the maximum age is 90 years and minimum age 15 years)
−   Cr ("credit rating") which is ordinal attribute with values 'very good', 'good, 'medium', 'poor', and 'very poor'.
−   Av_bal  (avg account balance, which is a real number with mean 7000, standard deviation is 4000)

*

*Using the L1 distance function computes the distance between the following 2 customers: c1 = (55, good, 7000) and c2 = (25, poor, 1000). [15 points]

Using the L2 distance function computes the distance between the above mentioned 2 customers
Using the L2 distance function computes the distance between the above mentioned 2 customers.
Answer with L1
d(c1,c2) = (c1.cr-c2.cr)/4 +(c1.avg.bal –c2.avg.bal/4000)* (c1.age-mean.age/std.age)-( c2.age-mean.age/std.age)

A: The question as is, leaves some room for interpretation. Mainly because similarity is not specified exactly. I will try to explain what the standard approach would be.
Usually, before you start, you want to normalize values such that they are rougly in the same range. Otherwise, your similarity will be dominated by the feature with the largest variance.
If you have no information about the distribution but just the range of the values you want to try to nomalize them to [0,1]. For your example this means

norm_age = (age-15)/(90-15)

For nominal values you want to find a mapping to ordinal values if you want to use Lp-Norms. Note: this is not always possible (e.g., colors cannot intuitively be mapped to ordinal values). In you case you can transform the credit rating like this
cr = {0 if 'very good', 1 if 'good, 2 if 'medium', 3 if 'poor', 4 if 'very poor'}
afterwards you can do the same normalization as for age

norm_cr = cr/4

Lastly, for normally distributed values you usually perform standardization by subtracting the mean and dividing by the standard deviation.

norm_av_bal = (av_bal-7000)/4000

Now that you have normalized your values, you can go ahead and define the distance functions:

L1(c1, c2) = |c1.norm_age - c2.norm_age| + |c1.norm_cr - c2.norm_cr |
  +             |c1.norm_av_bal - c2.norm_av_bal|

and

L2(c1, c2) = sqrt((c1.norm_age - c2.norm_age)2 + (c1.norm_cr -
  c2.norm_cr)2 + (c1.norm_av_bal -
  c2.norm_av_bal)2)

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Particle Kid, feat. Micah Nelson (son of Willie Nelson, member of Neil Young's band) + HEKLA – Berlin doom pop (swelling synth sounds, dramatic rythms and wavy guitar washes) LIVE!
Particle Kid is the experimental musical identity of Los Angeles-based musician and visual artist J. Micah Nelson. As Particle Kid, Micah Nelson has created a multi-dimensional musical universe all his own, crafted with immense ambition, inventive production techniques, and strikingly emotive song craft. Nelson achieves the near impossible by sounding both familiar and oddly modern, with the spirits of future folk, low rider funk, riff rock, power pop, lysergic Americana, flower punk, and progressive jazz fusion all somehow woven together with deep-rooted melodies, unique improvisational elements, and remarkably intricate arrangements.
HEKLA released their self-titled debut album in 2017. Their new EP, Boulevards, is out in June 2018.
With their sophomore album Celestial Cemetary out on Church Within Records , Norwegian Purple Hill Witch hits a sweet spot in the metal triangle between Angel Witch, Black Sabbath and Hawkwind. It's that alchemistic moment where psych, doom, NWOBH, proto metal and rock is molded and sculpted into a perfect entity. Whereas their debut album had more of a stoner rock vibe to it, the new album takes the listener on a sheer proto doom journey past vast galaxies of swirling, Iommic riffs, blistering soli, driving drums and a steady surge of pulsating bass. What really strikes through on Celestial Cemetary is how much atmosphere and true feeling the band manages to cramp into the furrows of their sonic landscape – this album oozes with hallucinogenic visions of occult rituals and barren medieval country sides haunted by wicked witches. As such it leaves an even darker, more sinister imprint, and if there ever was an immaculate soundtrack for when going witch hunting across celestial cemeteries this would have to be it.


text:
The Mahindra Group, over the years, through its products and services, a deep sense of corporate responsibility and programs in cultural outreach, has enabled positive change in individuals and communities globally. Mahindra "Rise" is holding a mirror to our organization and articulating what we stand for.
Cultural outreach is about connecting with the communities we serve through specially created programs in the space of Art and Culture. Cultural Outreach is also about sparking conversations across different cultures through the vantage of a large global federation of companies.
Our cultural outreach programs are not mere sponsorships. Each initiative has a strategic purpose and creates a positive impact both for our brand as also for the art form we support. Each of these initiatives brings us closer to our stakeholders and helps strengthen our shared values.
Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META)
Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) has been momentous for several reasons. We are proud to have presented over 100 theatrical masterpieces from all over India in the national capital. Unknown theatre companies have presented on the same stage as well known ones. Learning and appreciation has been unilateral. A nomination for META is an honour, proudly flaunted by participants at subsequent enactments in their hometowns or elsewhere. Actors, directors, script writers and others in the theatre world feel a sense of having "made it" on being nominated for META. In a span of a week the audiences get a panoramic glimpse of the best of theatre from across the country. The META Awards are the only national level recognition in the field of Theatre. This is what we had set out to achieve. www.metawards.com
The Mahindra Blues Festival
The Mahindra Blues Festival held at the iconic Mehboob Studios is the biggest Blues Festival in India. Over the years it has hosted legends like Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Walter Trout, Robert Randolf, Jonny Lang, Matt Scohfield, Popa Chubby, Shemekia Copeland, Ana Popovich, Dana Fuchs, John Lee Hooker Jr. and Jimmy Thackery. This festival celebrates the culture and tradition of the Blues which originated in the Mississippi Delta and gives the Mahindra brand a unique connect with the tractor customers of that region.
The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival
The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival is aimed to bring back Lucknowi Tehzeeb. Organised around a fair involving master craftsmen from the regions, the festival, has transformed into a celebration of craft, music, dance, cuisine and heritage. Spanning over 5 days, the festival enjoys the patronage of Lucknow families and families from surrounding towns and cities as well. Notable performances have included the likes of Shanti Hiranand, Shubha Mudgal, Indian Ocean, Dastan Goi, Parvathy Baul and Shruti Sadolikar. Held at the beautiful Baradari, a building specially created for culture by the last Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah, the intimate ambience lends itself wonderfully to relearn and appreciate the nuances of old world Nawaabi culture.
The Mahindra Kabira Festival
The newest addition this year is the Mahindra Kabira Festival to be held in Varanasi in November. Aimed to celebrate the secular teachings of the Poet Saint Kabir, the festival aims to be a beacon of love and hope in the Poet's place of birth while reflecting the deeply rooted values of Equality and Dignity for all espoused by our Founders. www.mahindrakabira.com


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Aragon MotoGP: Rossi: Engine freeze not hurting Yamaha
'It's not a problem of the rules. The engine is part of our problem but not the total'- Valentino Rossi, Aragon MotoGP.
Valentino Rossi doesn't believe changing the MotoGP engine-freeze regulations would solve Yamaha's current acceleration woes.
Unless a Yamaha rider wins at Aragon this weekend, the factory's losing streak will reach 23 races, its longest barren run in MotoGP.
"On paper, this track is quite difficult and we arrive in a difficult moment from the technical point of view. So it will be not easy, but we will try the maximum," Rossi said at Aragon on Thursday.
"Usually it's tracks where the grip is not fantastic where with the Yamaha we suffer a bit. Also there is a big stress on the rear tyres here because you have a lot of long corners and under this point of view we suffer also."
CrashTV:
While Rossi has long highlighted electronics as the M1's biggest weakness relative to Honda and Ducati, which he believes "understand something we don't" with the single ECU, he later conceded that the solution will be "a combination between engine and electronics".
That prompted speculation over what kind of Yamaha engine modifications could be needed, from a change in crankshaft mass to a switch from an Inline to V4 cylinder layout.
But none of those things can be done during the season due to the development freeze, which forces all non-concession manufacturers - Honda, Ducati and Yamaha - to use the same engine design from the first to last race.
Given that other manufacturers have come to regret their start-of-year engine choice, most notably Suzuki in 2017, there have been suggestions that the freeze should be loosened to allow, for example, engine design to be changed once per season.
"I read this somewhere, about the engine. For me, the engine is a part of our problem but unfortunately it's not only the engine," Rossi said.
"It's true that with this [engine freeze] regulation you cannot modify during the season. But for me, a lot of things are also from the electronics and with the electronics you can work during the season.
"So it's not a problem of the rules.
"For me, we have to improve the engine and it's a part of our problem, but not the total."
Backing up Rossi's theory is that he previously stated Yamaha has been suffering relative to Honda and Ducati "since August 2017."
In other words, the acceleration problems - "we spin too much and are not able to put enough power on the ground. At the same time, we use the rear tyre too much" - were spotted after the halfway stage of last season.
Given that timing, and the development freeze, whatever Ducati and Honda found is unlikely to be purely engine related or it would have been apparent from the very start of 2017.
That's not to say Yamaha doesn't need to modify its engine as part of the solution to its low grip/acceleration issues, but does underline that - as Rossi believes - the biggest step could well come from electronics.
Given that electronic developments - which in the unified software era usually means changing 'calibration' numbers used by the ECU when performing its calculations - are unlimited, the breakthrough Rossi is waiting for could potentially emerge at any moment.
"The good thing with the electronics is that it is not like fixing an engine, chassis or swingarm. You can fix it with a number, so you can fix it in a short time," Rossi had said at February's Thailand test, when he also warned: "But I'm quite worried because if we don't fix it now, I'm not optimistic to fix it by the first races..."
While the nine-time world champion is still waiting for an effective solution, team-mate Maverick Vinales felt some progress was made with the electronics during recent private tests in Misano and Aragon.
"Yamaha modified something [with the electronics] that is a little bit better, but unfortunately for me it is not a big step," Rossi said on Thursday evening. "But I hope that I'm wrong and Maverick is right!"
Dovizioso says desire to beat team-mate Lorenzo is 'normal'
Vinales not giving up hope of ending Yamaha win drought
Click Here for Comments (11) >
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Pasini in, Corsi out at Tasca Racing


Broadview's cloud phone system allows clients to create a seamless transition between the office, the home, and on-the-go. Two Broadview mobile apps – the OfficeSuite Mobile Softphone and the OfficeSuite Voicemail App– are available for both Apple and Android, and they're making sure you never miss a beat. Since we're available on mobile devices, we wanted to look deeper into the current state of mobile in America. Using RootMetrics' RootScore Mobile Network Performance Report, we sought to visualize the state of the modern mobile environment. RootMetrics reviewed 5 different statistics: Reliability, Speed, Call Performance, Data Performance, and Text Performance, to find the Overall Best Performing Mobile Provider in Each State. Take a look at the maps below and find out which provider is best in your state!
We also created a singular graphic looking at just the overall performance winners!
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Broadview Networks and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.


I'm very happy to let you know that our friends who have created Google Maps have released an API so that you can post interactive, draggable, zoomable, maps (with satellite imagery) on your personal websites.
For more information, check out the Google Maps API page and be sure to join the Google-Maps-API Google Group. A huge congratulations to the maps team for doing this.
. We've sent out letters of congratulations to those people, and we hope everyone will join us in congratulating them.
It's unfortunate we weren't able to include more of the almost 9,000 applications -- there were so many students that the mentoring organizations would have liked to work with. We hope to continue Summer of Code in upcoming years, and if we're able to do so, we hope to hear from all of you again. Thanks for all your hard work!
As mentioned earlier, we're able to involve 410 students in this year's Summer of Code. We've sent out letters of congratulations to those people, and we hope everyone will join us in congratulating them.
Please see our projects page.
The Java client library for the AdWords API makes it easier to write Java clients to programmatically access AdWords accounts. The client library is provided in a single jar file that contains all the Apache Axis jars and pre-compiled stub classes needed to write Java clients.
After spot reviewing the applications we've received for the Summer of Code, we were struck with their high quality. As a result, we were able to increase the funds available to support 400 students, double our original number of 200. While this doesn't allow us to take all applicants, we thought that this would be a terrific thing to do for the mentoring organizations, the students, open source software and computer science.
, a new service designed for webmasters that enables them to automatically submit their web pages to Google. It is meant to provide Google with more information about web content so we can improve search results for users worldwide. As part of this launch, we're releasing Sitemap Generator, an open source tool that generates an XML sitemap for a few simple use cases and thus shows developers how to create these files programmatically.
sure is something. The response from the open source community and, more importantly, future open source developer community has been very positive. I wanted to thank everyone involved so far. So...Thanks! We've added a few more FAQ questions and things are humming along nicely. If you are 18 or older, and a student, and you haven't checked it out, you should!
As a side note, our friends at O'Reilly Media have put up a very cool article on how the Kongulo desktop plugin works. Check it out!
The Summer of Code sure is something. The response from the open source community and, more importantly, future open source developer community has been very positive. I wanted to thank everyone involved so far. So...Thanks! We've added a few more FAQ questions and things are humming along nicely. If you are 18 or older, and a student, and you haven't checked it out, you should!
has received. We've added over 20 mentoring organizations and a bunch of faq entries. Check it out! Serious stuff.... GAIM, OpenOffice, NMAp, FreeBSD, Drupal, Fedora Core...Something for everyone!
We are -extremely- pleased with the number of applications and interest the Summer of Code has received. We've added over 20 mentoring organizations and a bunch of faq entries. Check it out! Serious stuff.... GAIM, OpenOffice, NMAp, FreeBSD, Drupal, Fedora Core...Something for everyone!


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Shi Wei (born 3 February 1970) is a Chinese handball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

References

1970 births
Living people
Chinese female handball players
Olympic handball players of China
Handball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Place of birth missing (living people)
Asian Games medalists in handball
Handball players at the 1990 Asian Games
Handball players at the 1994 Asian Games
Handball players at the 2002 Asian Games
Asian Games silver medalists for China
Asian Games bronze medalists for China
Medalists at the 1990 Asian Games
Medalists at the 1994 Asian Games
Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


For almost 40 years, Legacy Community Health has led the charge in providing high-quality, affordable health care in Houston.
From a small one-story clinic serving gay men in the 1980s, Legacy has grown into what Mayor Sylvester Turner calls a "powerhouse medical institution" serving anyone who walks through our doors. With more than 30 clinics, our health centers provide adult primary care, OB/GYN, pediatrics, behavioral health, HIV specialty care, dental and vision, to over 150,000 community members across Southeast Texas.
As the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in the region, our services and programs are open to all, regardless of the ability to pay. Like the other 4,000 FQHCs in the U.S., Legacy helps keep patients out of costly emergency rooms for non-emergencies. That saves the U.S. health care system $24 billion per year. Such fiscal stewardship and quality of care has earned FQHCs bipartisan support in Texas and in the nation's capital.
Join Legacy Community Health for our first ever, Legacy Day at the Capitol, in Austin. Legacy Day will cover Legacy's entire health policy agenda, including health care funding, mental health in schools, women's health care, telemedicine, and more.
Join HIV Advocacy Day at the Texas Capitol, sponsored by Legacy Community Health. We're bringing together advocates from across the state to bring a focus on HIV health policy.


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Q: How would you go about implementing this in react? I have something like this. I assume it's an accordion.
Everything works great, but that damn black line is confusing the hell out of me. How is it that it still remains there, even when the accordion is closed.

This needs to be implemented in React, with MaterialUI.
How could I go about this?
What I have tried so far is this:

      <Accordion elevation={0} disableGutters={true} >
        <AccordionSummary
          expandIcon={<ExpandMoreIcon />}
          aria-controls="panel1a-content"
          id="panel1a-header"
        >

          <Typography>Accordion 1</Typography>
        </AccordionSummary>

        <AccordionDetails>
          <Typography>
            Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse
            malesuada lacus ex, sit amet blandit leo lobortis eget.
          </Typography>
        </AccordionDetails>
      </Accordion>

The above code works almost great, but when I close the accordion the black line closes with it

A: You can add the bottom border using sx prop inside Accordion. Then you dont need to create separate Div for border.
...
<Accordion
 elevation={0}
 disableGutters={true}
  sx={{
    '.MuiAccordionSummary-root':{
      borderBottom:'1px solid black',
    },
  }}
>
...


In the Seattle area three kids have been shot by handguns in the past three weeks. According to The Seattle Times the third happened at a gas station near the Tacoma Mall. A man with a license for carrying a concealed weapon placed the gun underneath the driver's seat as he exited the car to fill the gas tank. A three-year old in the car got the gun and fatally shot himself in the head.
This kind of tragedy is avoidable if only people exercise a little more common sense when it comes to the ownership of handguns. Don't. Don't own them. Far more people are shot with guns they or their family members own than by the strangers with guns. If you want to dramatically increase the likelihood that you or a member of your family is shot, own a handgun.
. So some regulation of firearms can and should be exercised. To say there should be none is to argue that anybody can own, build, and possess a nuclear weapon; for what is that if not a more extreme form of "arms".
Still I oppose government banning or severely restricting handguns. But there are lots of things we as people have a right to do that common sense dictates we avoid. I always tell my kids to look both ways and make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street, even at a cross walk. Entering an unregulated cross walk in heavy traffic may be your right. But you'll be dead.
I'm a gun owner. Rifles and shotguns, for hunting. I have been since I was twelve years old and my Grandpa gave me a .22 rifle as a Christmas present. He had made an annual gesture of giving guns to the boys in my family for a couple of years. So in a very real sense guns are a tradition in my family.
But for reasons I've already explained I have never and would never own a handgun. The only time I would ever own a handgun is if I lived on my own. Then I can be sure to never angrily use it or accidentally use it against a person in my family; and I would be sure to not have it used against me either angrily or accidentally. It's all well and good to claim I would never use my gun in anger. But I'm sure there are many, many murders behind bars who said or thought the same thing.
Three children shot and severely injured, or killed in only three weeks in the Seattle area is too much. It's too painful. How much do you really need your gun. Does it really protect you? Or does it just excite you? Perhaps the more important question should be, does having it increase your chance of being shot or of someone you care about being shot, or does it increase your chance of you or someone else you love ending up dead? I'll answer the obvious question: own a handgun and dramatically increase your chances of a quick, tragic death.
If you like this blog or find it interesting please do the author the honor of sharing it. TY.


We've only had a couple of discussions with them on The Facebook. They seem like bloody great dudes.
I'm really digging the Sonic Youth vibes within this track. I love how repetitive it is. I heard this song is about glandular fever. Sometimes I call it the devil's fever.
Love the song, love the production. Double thumbs up. If you could see me, I'm currently doing that.
They're a deli meats rock band. Very Weezer, very Built To Spill.


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Ryan Harding
All posts tagged Ryan Harding
DOA III: Extreme Horror Anthology
Published October 26, 2018 by Shadow Girl
After six years and more than fifty authors, the Unholy Trinity is complete. This third installment in the DOA series offers thirty stories from the originators of splatterpunk as well as the newest voices in extreme horror.
You'll laugh…you'll cry…you'll vomit
Don't say we didn't warn you.
Stories from Bentley Little -Jack Ketchum & Edward Lee – Shane Mckenzie – Wrath James White – Richard Christian Matheson – Kristopher Triana – T.M. McLean – Sean Eads & Joshua Viola – T. Fox Dunham – John Skipp – Luciano Marano – Ryan Harding – Kristopher Rufty – Daniel I. Russell – LLoyd Kaufman & Lily Hayes Kaufman – David Sandner – Betty Rocksteady – C.M. Saunders – K. Trap Jones – Hal Bodner – Adrian Ludens – C. Cameron Rossi – Alistair Rennie – Airika Sneve – Christoph Weber – Garrett Cook – Eric J. Guignard – Jeff Strand – Jaap Boekestein – John McNee
NOTCHES by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola
How do you keep track of things? A notch on your bedpost? A notch on your arm?
How do you keep track of things you have lost?
BROKEN HEARTED by T. Fox Dunham
💔 💻 The Perfect Couple. It's not just a saying, or a wish, thanks to No More Broken Hearts, Inc. 100% perfectly compatible couples world wide – no fighting, no bullshit. What could possibly go wrong?
N WORD by Shane McKenzie
⚰ 🛀 🤢 Calvin was a regular, horny kid. But he should have thought about that fantasy for a little while longer. No patience these days.
SKIPP'S SPLATTERPUNK ALPHABET SOUFFLE by John Skipp
I don't normally pick anthology favorites, I try to just hit on each story.
But…SKIPP'S SPLATTERPUNK ALPHABET SOUFFLE is one that should be on everyone's 'Must Read' list.
TAKEAWAY NIGHT by T.M. McLean
💩 I can barely read about emetophilia and/or coprophilia without gagging, and this was tough for a minute. But, I got a chuckle, too. 🤢
BURNT by Luciano Marano
🔥 Vicki is driven by the burn. By the beauty of it. And she just wants her world to be a beautiful place to live. "Burn wards are Satan's art gallery".
JUNK by Ryan Harding
🤢 🔪 ☢ A Viral Virus ss – jam packed with cringe inducing imagery, hilariously grotesque metaphors, and hyperbole for days 😝
My Ryan Harding books look like rainbows; full of highlighted words & phrases that I never want to forget, but sadly cannot seem to slip into every day conversations.
THE PACKAGE by Kristopher Rufty
📦 We all want to do the right thing, love the neighbor and all that. But when your inner freak-tard detector starts binking red, listen to your inner voice. Call me a cunt, but I'll still be alive!
RED by Richard Christian Matheson
I need to thank this brilliant mind that gave me "Three O'clock High", (as well as many stories that I've loved, but didn't realize who the author was 😕)
8 OUT OF 10 by Daniel I. Russell
😼 A battle of wills between a mother and her son. 😾
THE MACHINE by Bentley Little
If you think hard enough, you can use anything to jerk off with. But finding out that your dirty little thingamajig was made to be exactly that… it kinda takes some of the romance out of it.
POSTHUMOUS by Lloyd Kaufman & Lily Hays Kaufman
It's all about your social media followers – don't pretend like it's not.
BURY THEM DEEPER by David Sandner
👹 Learning that monsters are human can break your psyche as a kid.
THESE BEAUTIFUL BONES by Betty Rocksteady
💔 🔨 When your girl is coming at you with a hammer in her hand… Do not call her by the wrong name. JS
SUBJECT #270374 by C.M. SAUNDERS
🏥 🚬 🗞 Deep thoughts & dry humor 💉 🔪
I need to pay more attention to this author.
BEER BATTERED by K. Trap Jones
Deliverence meets Bigfoot – with buddies & beer! 🍺
L'AMUSE BOUCHE by Hal Bodner
Joel considers himself a 9.5/10 on the hotness scale, Why settle for just one guy when there are so many to amuse the mouth? Besides, his dates don't always walk away as pretty as they were going in…
PROUD PAPA by Adrian Ludens
🍼 As a parent, I can attest to watching my spawn grow up over night. There's never enough time. The proud papa in this ss doesn't miss a second.
CRY THE BANSHEE by C. Cameron Rossi
Add another #MichiganMadman to our list! This madman lives in the urban wilds of Detroit, Michigan – maybe we've already crossed paths.
TERRORSLUTS FOR ETERNITY VERSUS THE UNGODHEADS OF THE INTERDIMENSIONALS by Alistair Rennie
👾 This is a little more sci-fi than I'd normally read, but I got into the story. If you know me, that says a lot.
WE BELIEVE IN 5B by Airika Sneve
🥒 🍆 🍌 🌋 An in-house seminar in 'Unconventional Leadership'. Why do guys go batshit overboard when they are with other 'bros'?
TAKING ROOT by Christoph Weber
🌿🌱 It may be the end of times, but thank Christ there weren't any zombies! The couple in this is know how to survive – by any means necessary.
THE BLISS POINT by Wrath James White
⛪ 🍆 OMFG. There's something wrong with me. 🌋
WOEFUL CITY by Garrett Cook
"Leave your hope behind if you'd enter here".
RITCHIE by Eric J. Guignard
A duel that lasts more than a lifetime will surely bring some crazy with it at some point in time. But, who's to say WHAT is crazy?
I'D GIVE ANYTHING FOR YOU by Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee.
How To Lose A Guy In Three Weeks. Sorta.
💍 💔 'IGAFY' has been published prior to this anthology, but I enjoyed reading again.⛓ 🔒
HOSTILE by Jeff Strand
💸 🔪 I always look forward to Jeff's sense of humor – in all it's flavors.
"…that's a mentally ill thing to do. That's for somebody who drools and wears necklaces made out of body parts. I don't wear necklaces made out of body parts, I will never wear necklaces made out of body parts, and I don't appreciate you trying to make me feel guilty about not wearing necklaces made out of body parts."
METAL HEAT by Jaap Boekestein
A fetish can consume your time, but when it becomes YOU… that's trouble.
REPULSIVE GLAMOUR by John McNee
A drug. A transformation, if you're one of the lucky ones. A very painful death if your not.
Pssst… Hey, John… 'Degredatia' is the best character name ever!
THE BITCH by Kristopher Triana
🔗 This is a tale of terror and revenge, (with some new and interesting forms of brutality!). It also had a couple of twisty turns that took me by surprise! I'll definately be looking into more work from this author, The Detained is on my Must Read list now (I remember getting BODY ART, and I need to get it in que!) I had to giggle a bit when I read the author bio and learned what Kristopher Triana does for a living, when he's not writing that is. I have two more books on my Must Read list now, too! 🗜
* A PERSONAL NOTE TO KRISTOPHER TRIANA:
I'd be very excited to see the New & Improved Emma taken further. Her recently acquired 'treasure' is a story begging to be told as well!
BizarroCentral
BloodBoundBooks
Posted in: Anthologies, Book Reviews, Horror
Tagged: Adrian Ludens, Airika Sneve, Alistair Rennie, Bentley Little, Betty Rocksteady, C. Cameron Rossi, C.M. Saunders, Christoph Weber, Daniel I. Russell, David Sandner, DOA III, Edward Lee, Eric J. Guignard, extreme horror, Garrett Cook, Hal Bodner, horror, Jaap Boekestein, Jack Ketchum, Jeff Strand, John McNee, John Skipp, Joshua Viola, K. Trap Jones, Kristopher Rufty, Kristopher Triana, Lily Hayes Kaufman, LLoyd Kaufman, Luciano Marano, Richard Christian Matheson, Ryan Harding, Sean Eads, Shane McKenzie, T. Fox Dunham, T.M. McLean, Wrath James White
Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road
Near the end of September 2012, Tom Piccirilli went under the knife to have a tennis ball sized tumor removed from his brain (!), and SIXTY FIVE STIRRUP IRON ROAD is what happens when your friends include the Kings of Extreme!
All proceeds from 65SIR go to Tom Piccirilli and his family.
Tom has also been given a nod within the book, lending his name to a rather unhappy loan shark!
I read that Tom had a setback last month, suffering a stroke and another hospital stay. But, I'm happy to say that he is home now, and on the road to recovery!
I'm not entirely sure what happened to my review from the first time I read this. When I realized that it wasn't on my blog, I pulled it out and started to skim for details – I looked up to see that two hours had passed – I had become another victim of the house! I reread it cover to cover, and I think I enjoyed it even more this time.
The house at Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road has a history stained by the blood and bodily fluids of every person who ever inhabited it. The house was built in the 1930s by Harold & Lucy Pearson. We'll find out more about them later in the book. THIS story starts ten years ago… with siblings Nicci & Sam Forrestal.
Sam works as a guard at the county detention center, and Nicci… well, Nicci was just released from said detention center. She had spent 30 days inside for doing the same thing that got her fired from her job at Corn Dog Dee-Lites, (let's just say that she was about to win the gold in the oral Olympics, but that last 'judge' whipped out his badge. The cuffs were NOT fun that time!) Her brother has graciously taken her in until she can get back on her feet.
She accuses him of having ulterior motives when she wakes up sticky, crusty, and has a bad, yet very familiar, taste in her mouth.
This leads to the most disgusting, and gag inducing (no pun intended) prologue ever written.
*Coprophilia, emetophilia, urolagnia, mysophilia, zoophilia, and mucophilia, are some of the highlights included, and these are just a prelude to the violent & bloody end of these appx. 30 pages.
If you made it through this, I think you'll be ok.
But – don't wuss out on me!
Now, after ten years, Chuck & Arrianne are moving in.
Almost immediately – it begins again. Slowly, at first. But when Arrianne crosses Chuck's line in the sand, from what's acceptable kink, to 'that's just disgusting', his thoughts go to denial and blame, and hers go to realizing that it's the house, and trying to make some sense of it all.
The Diary of Lucy Pearson makes an appearance, and I wish there was more of it. If one of these guys were to publish the entire diary… they'd make a lot of money! (HINT HINT, GUYS!!)
I have to tell you here – I've been slowly working on my Library Thing account, so I was paying close attention to places of interest. I made this note, and I'm adding it to show you how brilliant I think I get after not sleeping for extended periods –
Arrianne goes to the Cellar Door pub for a drink and two things stand out:
1 – The pub's name – Cellar Door.
It may be a nod to Karen Pomeroy / Donnie Darko, it could be used because of it's phonaesthetics, OR – it's just a name and I'm looking WAAAAY to deep into things… whatever. I noticed & made a note of it. And, number
2 – The drink she orders is… a WHISKY SOUR 🙂 That has to be on purpose!
The other characters in the story all have their roll to play, and there is a damn good story here. You can feel that the authors had a good time writing this, and their friendship shows – mostly in an annoying sibling kind of way! They name characters and places after each other, and poke fun at each other. By the end, the novelty of lending their fellow author's names to characters had turned into the names BEING their fellow authors.
By this point, I was about to pee my pants from the absurdities of the deaths, childish bickering between the surviving authors, and a comment to WJW about being the only black man in a horror story – 'you might have super-powers!' If that wasn't hysterical enough, his reply brought tears to my eyes – "There ain't any magical negroes in an Ed Lee novel"!!
I had to laugh at myself, too. During a particularly disgusting scene I had thrown my left hand up to cover my eyes, but kept reading by peeking through my fingers. Who covers their eyes while reading? I don't think I've ever done that before, but if I had – I'm sure it was while reading the other book I've read from Ryan Harding. (I won't say where in the story that this happened, but, I'll tell you this – I learned that Ryan is an Eli Roth fan!)
The first time I read this, I had recently finished THE KILLING KIND. I was all warm & fuzzy thinking that Bryan Smith rode off into the bloody sunset with the crazy chick of his dreams. But then, by way of rotation, he wasn't in the group that wrote the last chapter.
So, the Sixty-Five Million Dollar Question… Will you like it?
I can't make that call! I did. More so the second time.
I gagged. I was grossed out. But, I also laughed, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.
Even seasoned fans may find certain scenes too disturbing, but will still want to own it for their collection.
But – there's not one page, not one review, that doesn't warn the reader about what's inside Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road. Please, don't read it, then leave a shitty review just because of the content. By all means – be honest about the story! Just remember, it's all in good fun, and for a good cause. ❤
*While trying to find 'proper names' for the acts described, (so I didn't offend anyone too bad), I was stuck under an umbrella term that I found while trying to review THE HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, (which was also written by Ed Lee). 'Paraphilia: sexual interests in objects, situations, or individuals that are highly atypical.'
That just doesn't cut it for this story.
I was able to find an expanded list! 547 listed forms of paraphilia! Go, me!
Tom Piccirilli is the author of more than twenty-five novels including A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN, SHADOW SEASON, THE COLD SPOT, and THE LAST KIND WORDS. He's a four-time winner of the Stoker Award, two-time winner of the International Thriller Award, and has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, and twice for the Edgar Award. Marilyn Stasio of The New York Tims Book Review called THE LAST KIND WORDS, "A caustic thriller…the characters have strong voices and bristle with funny quirks." New York Times bestselling thriller writer Lee Child said of Tom's work, "Perfect crime fiction…a convincing world, a cast of compelling characters, and above all a great story" And Publishers Weekly extols, "Piccirilli's mastery of the hard-boiled idiom is pitch perfect, particularly in the repartee between his characters, while the picture he paints of the criminal corruption conjoining the innocent and guilty in a small Long Island community is as persuasive as it is seamy. Readers who like a bleak streak in their crime fiction will enjoy this well-wrought novel." Keir Graff of Booklist wrote, "There's more life in Piccirilli's THE LAST KIND WORDS (and more heartache, action, and deliverance) than any other novel I've read in the past couple of years." And Kirkus states, "Consigning most of the violence to the past allows Piccirilli (The Fever Kill, 2007, etc.) to dial down the gore while imparting a soulful, shivery edge to this tale of an unhappy family that's assuredly unhappy in its own special way."
Update: 7/15/14 6:55am –
(I just bought a few of Tom Piccirilli's titles, and have gotten a couple recommendations, so watch for future reviews & discussions!)
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Piccirilli/e/B001ILM8YQ/ref=sr_tc_img_2_0?qid=1280862700&sr=1-2-ent
https://www.facebook.com/tompiccirilli?fref=nf
http://www.thecoldspot.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sinister-Grin-Press/192775404110112
J.F. Gonzalez
Wrath James White
Nate Southard
Shane McKenzie
Tagged: Brian Keene, Bryan Smith, Cellar Door, collaboration, content warning, disturbing, Ed Lee, Edward Lee, Eli Roth, extreme horror, extreme sexual activity, fun with functions & fluids, fundraising, haunted house, Jack Ketchum, JF Gonzalez, Nate Southard, Ryan Harding, Shane McKenzie, sinister grin, Tom Piccirilli, Wrath James White


Holiday Havoc festival features Pennywise, Skinhead Rob, etc.
The upcoming Holiday Havoc festival will be held the weekend of the 13th and 14th of November this year in Anaheim! The line-up features artists like The Offspring, Pennywise, The Buzzcocks, The Distillers, Finch and Skinhead Rob (of the Transplants). A great lineup plus some awesome snow and skate demos.
Tickets go on sale through href='http://www.ticketmaster.com/' target='_blank'>Ticketmaster TOMORROW at noon!


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Microsoft Says Nothing Bad Happened Due to the Azure Container Instances Blunder
By Bill Toulas
Microsoft states its internal investigation reveals no troubling evidence as no instances were maliciously accessed.
The only compromised databases appear to be those accessed by Wiz researchers, who discovered the flaw.
The Azure vulnerability has been fixed now and clients who haven't received a notification don't need to do anything.
About two weeks ago, researchers at Wiz disclosed finding a critical flaw in Azure Container databases that made it possible for users to gain complete unrestricted access to the accounts and instances of other users. Since the entities that use Microsoft Azure are typically large corporations, the implications of this lapse could be dire. However, as Microsoft states now, the vulnerability hasn't caused any actual damage to anyone, and the firm's investigators haven't found any signs of malicious access on any of the vulnerable customers.
Those who have received a notification on how to secure their ACI (Azure Container Instances) should revoke any privileged credentials deployed prior to August 31, 2021, and apply the best security practices that are laid out on the platform's website. Note that revoking privileged credentials frequently is a standard security practice that should be followed anyway. Those who haven't received a notification don't need to do anything at all and should be totally safe from unauthorized access. The vulnerability has been fixed now. If you're unsure about something or if you may have missed the alert, you are advised to contact Azure Support from here.
The issue with the bug discovered by Wiz is that it's the second-worst possible scenario for cloud computing, only after leaving a database online without setting a password to protect it. The second worrying element is that the flaw has existed since 2019, as it was introduced through the 'Jupyter Notebook' feature. However, Microsoft only made this active by default in February 2021, so not all ACI were vulnerable to unauthorized access. Still, the period of exposure is alarmingly lengthy.
Microsoft disabled the feature 48 hours after they were alerted by Wiz, and at that time, it was active in 30% of its Azure userbase. The notifications were distributed only to those affected by Wiz's research and had their databases accessed by the white-hat hackers. As such, not the entire 30% has been advised to rotate and regenerate their access keys, even if they should.
The tech giant is now assuring everyone that nothing bad has happened and everything has been fixed already, so they're playing down the incident in the boldest possible way. Of course, we would never dispute Microsoft's internal investigation findings, but you should follow the recommended security practices out of an abundance of caution.
TechNadu Staff - January 28, 2023 0


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Saskatoon police say rise in arson cases linked to COVID-19
Nicole Di Donato Weekend Anchor/Video Journalist
@ndidonatoCTV Contact
Published Friday, December 4, 2020 5:49PM CST Last Updated Friday, December 4, 2020 6:58PM CST
SASKATOON -- The Saskatoon Police Service says it has seen an uptick in arson and minor property crime this year.
Police Chief Troy Cooper said he believes it's due to the pandemic and people having more time on their hands.
He said there were 125 cases this year - up from 65 last year.
He calls it a visible and unusual trend in the city and seems to be linked to COVID-19.
He said arson tends to spike in the summer, which he said isn't surprising as it is often a crime of opportunity.
According to Cooper, arson also tends to occur in places like sheds, fences and garages. It is often committed by young people.
Cooper said COVID-19 seems to be the main explanation for this spike in arson as the pandemic is the one thing that has changed from previous years.
"When there's less structure, when there's more mental health pressures on young people, they're more likely to offend and so we saw that, we've laid a number of charges in Saskatoon already so we can see what it is, if there's a pattern to the offender."
Cooper said there hasn't been enough information to indicate whether this is a trend across the province. However there has been some discussion globally on arson being linked to the experience of COVID-19, he said.
Cooper also said several categories of violent crime have increased including aggravated assaults and assaults on police officers.
Saskatoon Fire Department responds to a boarded-up garage on fire in the 100 block of Avenue K South on May 22, 2020.
A June, 2020 map of suspicious fires in Saskatoon's Pleasant Hill neighbourhood (Submitted: Saskatoon Police Service)
After 29 suspicious fires in under a month, Saskatoon police to devote more resources to area where they happened
Saskatoon Fire Department sees 30% spike in fires over last year
'You could hear sirens all around the neighbourhood'; Suspicious fires in Saskatoon under investigation


Greg Hayward and his family have been part of the Special Olympics family for 35 years. His wife, Lisa, introduced him to the organization while they were dating, and later his daughter Heidi, a local coach with Special Opportunities Available in Recreation, got him involved in Unified Tennis. Greg's first Summer Games experience was in 1983 in Illinois and he's attended every year since. He has helped caddy for Special Olympics golf outings and volunteers at numerous other events. He credits Special Olympics with having a big impact on his life. It has been a wonderful thing for his family to be a part of and he has made many friendships with athletes, coaches, staff, and volunteers. Greg loves the game of tennis and he loves Special Olympics, so becoming a Unified partner in tennis was a great fit for him. Greg is so proud to be the tennis partner of Josh McClellan and represent the USA in Abu Dhabi. He's the most proud of Josh, his tennis partner. Watching him overcome adversity (including the loss of his father) to become the man he is today has been a remarkable experience for Greg. He says it will be an emotionally incredible honor and privilege to march into World Games as a part of Special Olympics USA!


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Pump 'n Go
This particular station was located in Maine on Route 4. It was briefly mentioned by Deputy Framingham.
5.03 Free to Be You and Me
When Raphael left Heaven to deal with a demon-related conflict that took place near this station, he manifested in his chosen vessel Donnie Finnerman and caused an explosion that leveled the gas station and killed the demons. Afterwards, he immediately abandoned his vessel and ascended back to Heaven. Raphael's immense power damaged his vessel's brain and nerves, leaving him in a catatonic state. Donnie was escorted to St. Pete's Hospital shortly after the incident for immediate medical attention. Everyone assumed that the explosion was caused by an underground gas tank, but the deputy witnessed the event, which affected his hearing in one ear, and he described the explosion as pure white instead of the usual fireball.
Retrieved from "http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Pump_%27n_Go&oldid=181345"


Have you ever arrived home tensed/stressed and crunched through an entire row of crackers/cookies or munched to the bottom of a bag of chips?
Have you ever been in a blue mood and the only thing that lifted your spirits was a large bowl of creamy Dulce de Leche or Homemade Vanilla ice cream?
We all have been there and we all have done that!
In a session I had with an "eating management consultant" – (yes, they do exist), I was informed that anger was the driving force for munching/crunching through those crackers/cookies/chips and loneliness/affairs of the heart was the driving emotion to scooping up that luscious bowl of ice cream. Sometimes we feel much better after these episodes even though we may be confused at our sudden compulsive behavior. This behavior is termed "emotional eating" as we are using food to alter our mood.
Some of us eat to feel safe and secure. Some of us consider food as our friend. Some of us eat to reward ourselves. Some of us even feel out-of-control just being around food. Some reasons for emotional eating can be negative and some can be positive but if you are eating for any reason other than satisfying a natural hunger, you are an emotional eater.
Emotional eating differs from our normal hunger feelings in that it is usually a specific craving response to a trigger and is only satisfied by a "comfort" food. These "comfort" foods can vary from fatty/sugar-laden foods that give a quick lift to the spirit OR foods with specific textures, taste, and smells. Sometimes indulging in these foods become a mesmerizing experience and we overeat until we are uncomfortable… Afterwards, we may have feelings of guilt about the overeating/bingeing and the unhealthy cycle starts over again.
1. Call a supportive family member/friend.
STEP 3 – One of the most important things you can do when reaching for that bowl of your favorite ice cream or tearing open that bag of chips is just to WAIT. Take a moment, grab a sheet of paper and just write down what you are feeling. Read it, consider it, and just wait. You may find that the craving will past and you will be able to resist.
STEP 4 – The step I consider the most crucial is to just let the feelings flow. Cry if you need to, shout if you need to, rest if you need to – but don't try to stop what you are feeling. Let your soul be your guide in these moments.
Emotional eating is an easy response to adopt because we all have to feel emotions. It is a part of the human experience. But, if we realize that we can't control everything and are cognizant of what we are feeling / why we are feeling it then we can avoid falling into this behavior.
1. Have you ever indulged in emotional eating?
2. If so, what are your triggers?
3. Have you tried to battle emotional eating?
4. If so, were you successful? Please share your experience.


Sebastian Vettel has played down claims Ferrari will confirm he is staying put for 2018 next week at Monza.
The Italian team said this week that the German's friend and teammate Kimi Raikkonen is staying at Ferrari next year.
"I have no idea what will happen in his (Vettel's) case," Raikkonen said at Spa, "but hopefully it all stays how it is now."
There are rumours all will become clear at Ferrari's home race next weekend, but Vettel denied that.
"The main focus now is not news, it's the race and that will be the same next week. So I don't expect news within the next two weeks," said the quadruple world champion.
Another rumour is that Raikkonen's new contract was a 'condition' of Vettel also deciding to stay.
"The team asked me if I'm happy with it (Raikkonen staying) and I'm happy," Vettel said. "There is no doubt about Kimi's speed but the decision is of course Ferrari's."


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Concerned Australians are in a dilemma before touring Sri Lanka
By Real11 - May 25 2022 197 Views
Team Australia is concerned about touring Sri Lanka amidst civil unrest!
According to several reports, Team Australia has raised an issue before travelling to Sri Lanka. The situation in Lanka is pretty intense and a significant amount of people are hitting the streets with the rise of poverty in the country. Thus, hosting a high-profile nation at such a crucial junction might not be ideal for the nation. The Australian players are worried as well as the situation is far from getting any better.
The country is in the middle of an economic crisis and thus hosting Australia can bring them loads of money but what about the safety? In spite of such a serious situation, the CEO of Australian board, Todd Greenberg gave the green light a week back that the team will travel and play a full series in the island. Things changed now as Todd went up to say, "It's fair to say there is a level of discomfort around touring in conditions that contrast those faced by the people of Sri Lanka, such as rising food prices, power cuts and fuel rationing".
He further added, "Ultimately our players want to continue to play cricket and will take direction, guidance and advice from CA about tour arrangements and planning".
The Australian team is supposed to play a T20 series, five One Day Internationals and a couple of test matches in the months of June and July.


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Various Artists 'Quarter Life Crisis' (Mint Records compilation)
By Calum Slingerland
Vancouver's Mint Records are gearing up to celebrate Christmas a little earlier than most with their annual Ridiculously Early Xmas Party. In the spirit of gift-giving, the first 50 attendees at their party will get their hands on limited cassette compilation Quarter Life Crisis, but if you can't make it to the left coast for the celebrations, Exclaim! has your first listen to the celebratory comp right here.
Quarter Life Crisis celebrates 25 years of music-making by the long-running indie label and features 25 tracks from label artists and friends, as well as some deep cuts from the vault. In the lengthy tracklist, one can find contributions from Jay Arner, Faith Healer, Fake Tears, Monomyth, Duotang, Tough Age and more. The humorous artwork, which you can see above, was created by Michael Mateyko.
Mint's Ridiculously Early Xmas Party is set for November 26 at the Astoria in Vancouver, and will feature performances from Arner, Supermoon, Fake Tears and Faith Healer, along with Woolworm and Aaron Read. Proceeds from the party will support Girls Rock Camp Vancouver. Advance tickets are $10 each and will soon be available at Red Cat Records, Neptoon Records and Zulu Records.
Keep up to date on any forthcoming party information on Facebook. Stream Quarter Life Crisis in the player below.
More Various
Various Artists Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Box Set
Listening to this new box set of 50 years of performances from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (by Smithsonian Folkways), three rea...
Various Artists Parallel Minds Vol. 1
Following in the footsteps of Forth, the trio of Ciel, Daniel 58 and Yohei S. have founded their own label, Parallel Minds, that sets out t...
Various Artists New Tape
It's no secret that Sonor Music Editions has a thing for '70s Italian library label New Tape. After all, the reissue hub has not only recent...
Various Artists Forth Vol. 2
In the year since DIY Toronto DJ/promoter collective Forth debuted a label appendage to document and elevate the city's underground dance mu...
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DJ Sasha's Last Night On Earth enterprise has been a solid purveyor of beats since its launch in 2011. The label, podcast and regular party...


The Sinclair is a triple bunk sleeper, constructed from Rubberwood, available in an Oak Effect or White finish with optional under-bed drawers.
The frame has Single (3FT) and Double (4FT6) Sleeping areas. The Sinclair features an angled, easy climb ladder to access the single sleeping area at the top.
Solid slats are supplied with the Sinclair for added support along with central support to the bottom bunk for added durability.
Under-bed drawers can be purchased as an optional extra.
Please Note: The price displayed is for the Sinclair frame. We have a variety of mattresses to choose from should you wish to purchase a new mattress with the Sinclair frame.


Sizes - Prints & Aluminum -- Prints 5x7 matted to 8x10" Prints 8x10 matted to 11x14" Prints 11x14 matted to 16x20" Aluminum Panoramic 10x20" Aluminum Panoramic 16x30" Aluminum Panoramic 20x40" Aluminum Panoramic 30x60"
Shipwrecks Beach on Kauai's south shore.
Sunrise photographed by Scuba Tom. Check out Tom's Galleries for more Kauai fine art nature photography. Featuring waves, landscapes, wildlife, and the underwater world.


The Sako 85 Kodiak's metal parts are made out of stainless steel or are specially coated in order bring a high level of wear and corrosion resistance. The rifle's safety has a mechanism that allows the hunter to load or unload the gun with the safety engaged. The single-stage trigger pull can be adjusted from 2 to 4 lbs. It also has a detachable magazine that can also be loaded through the ejection port. There is also a controlled feed in order to ensure reliable cartridge feed to the chamber, regardless of the situation.


Extended period of light inhibits the secretion of melatonin which promotes fertility through an increase in the levels of reproductive hormones.
You have probably heard many people claim that using electronic devices like e-readers at night is not very good for your sleep health. But unlike many of the claims out there, science is able to validate it. Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep; the circadian system controls its production. During the day, our melatonin levels decrease to keep us active and awake, while close to sleep time, melatonin naturally increases to promote sleep and rest. High frequency rays from the visible light spectrum, such as the blue light emitted from our electronics, inhibits the production of melatonin, causing restless sleep. However, this might have important applications for the equine breeding industry.
This idea has been applied to improve breeding techniques of race horses. For centuries, breeders have exposed female horses (mares) to extended periods of light during the winter months to improve fertility. Naturally, mares seasonally reproduce, with their peak fertility occurring during the summer months. This is because, the extended period of light inhibits the secretion of melatonin which promotes fertility through an increase in the levels of reproductive hormones. However, to the racing industry, it is important to hasten the onset of the next reproductive cycle to the winter months which allows them to produce foals earlier in the year. It is also important that the horses have optimal coat conditions year round to be eligible for competitions. This calls for artificial interventions such as the light therapy previously mentioned.
However, with this technique comes several considerations. For one, the mares which are usually kept outside are moved into the barns to artificially extend their light period to 16 hours. This has benefits for their fertility, but it removes them from their natural environment which can be very stressful for the animals. Also, horses are grazers, so moving them inside decreases their pasture time, which has consequences for their overall health. With all of this in mind, a research group in Dublin, led by Dr. Barbara Murphy, developed a mobile version of the barn lights which will allow the horses to receive their artificial light while remaining in their natural environment: the Equilume mask.
Before the creation of this mask, the Murphy research team investigated the minimum intensity of light that will inhibit the melatonin release system to ensure that the light was not harmful to the animals. They found that low intensity light was even more efficient at both activating the reproductive system, and decreasing the length of pregnancy in mares than high intensity light. Thus, they decided on using blue light. So, after many investigations, the Equilume mask was created to feature an automatic light that comes on at the first onset of dark and shuts off at dawn. It shines a constant intensity of light into one eye, leaving the other eye free to be used for sight. This promises to keep broodmares mobile during the winter months, increase pasture time, and as a result create the optimal conditions for pregnancy.
These practices of breeding, both old and new, feature a crucial element: the circadian system. It has become increasingly obvious that the experimenting with this system has many consequences for both human and veterinary fields as well as their applicable industries.


Today, Glenfiddich – the world's most awarded single malt Scotch whisky – launches the fourth and newest concept in its Experimental Series with Glenfiddich Fire & Cane, a smoky whisky finished in sweet rum casks.
The fire aspect comes from the peat used in the malting process gathered in Speyside, which yields an explosion of campfire smokiness with oak and peaty notes, finished with lingering woodiness. The cane aspect provides long-lasting sweetness by merging rich, sweet toffee with green fruit character, baked apple, and toasted marshmallow with soft spice.Rum casks also help balance the dryness of the liquid and drive sweetness. Furthermore, by exclusively using naturally sweet American oak – sourced from the Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky – Fire & Cane is certified kosher.
Bottled at 43% ABV, Glenfiddich Fire & Cane is now available with a suggested retail price of $49.99/750ml at premium bars and liquor stores nationally. Fire & Cane comes in a colored glass that seamlessly transitions from a black/brown base to clear glass, displaying the world's best-selling single malt Scotch whisky. The bottle was designed to showcase the juxtaposing flavors physically with the shift in color.
Yogurtland in Washington Introduces Ice Cream, "IceCreamland"!


Senior-level seminar in which students conduct substantial anthropological research in the local community. Enables students to reflect on their entire undergraduate experience.
Prerequisites: (AN-109 or AN-110) and SO-101 and (AN-209 or AN-393).


(HealthDay News) -- Frostbite is a serious injury caused by extreme cold, which results in skin discoloration and loss of feeling. The nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes are most often affected.
To avoid permanent damage, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges the public to seek immediate medical care.
Get into a warm room.
Immerse the affected area in warm water, or with body heat.
Do not use a heating pad, lamp or stove for warming.


JOSE LUIS FRAIRE-AGE 52, of Dalton, Georgia, passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Service will be held Friday, March 9, 2018 at St. Joesph's Catholic Church at12 noon with Father DeVon officiating. Family will receive friends Wednesday and Thursday from 4 til 8 P.M. each day. Please share your thoughts and memories of Jose Luis Fraire at www.willisfuneralhomedalton.com. Arrangements by Willis Funeral Home, Inc,. Dalton, Georgia.


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Ranking the five best trades in the NFL draft: Why the Vikings were winners
3ySeth Walder
4hJeff Borzello
Debating big questions on the Bruins: Team MVP, toughest challenger, trades to make
'He's a natural heat-getter': Inside Austin Theory's transformation into a WWE headliner
19hMike Coppinger
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2dSean Allen
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Ranking the five best in-draft trades of the 2020 NFL draft: Why the Vikings were winners
Seth WalderESPN Analytics
The NFL has modernized in many ways, but its draft-day trades are not among the innovations. In 2020, some teams took advantage, particularly the Minnesota Vikings.
Decades after its creation, it seems that the famous Jimmy Johnson draft value chart is still the benchmark for most teams. Of all the pick-for-pick trades in the 2020 NFL draft, only one deviated from the chart by more than 50 points.
The issue is that the Johnson chart does not reflect the reality of expected production from draft picks. As others have done before, we created our own chart using Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value (AV). ESPN's sports analytics specialist, Brian Burke, ran a regression on the actual per-year AV for each draft slot over the first four years of a player's career to get an expected AV for each slot. The conclusion is the same as from similar analyses: Early picks are overvalued by the Johnson chart, and later picks are undervalued.
2020 NFL draft coverage
• All 255 picks » | Biggest takeaways »
• Bowen's favorites » | Pick analysis »
• Experts on Round 1 » | Home setups »
• Full class rankings from Scouts Inc. »
More NFL draft coverage »
This is how teams such as the Vikings gain capital through trades generally along the lines of the Johnson chart. By recognizing the uncertainty in the draft, teams maximize their chances of success by trading early picks for more bites at the apple. The Johnson chart isn't always off the mark -- the Patriots and Ravens made a trade that was even by both the old chart and ours -- but it often is.
One small change for our chart since last year: We've added a replacement level worth the value of the last pick of the draft. In other words, instead of comparing the value of the expected production of each pick, we're measuring the marginal expected production of each pick over the last pick in the draft. After thinking about it, we realized that the former overvalued an accumulation of many late-round picks, which are barely worth more than undrafted free agents. The change didn't flip the direction of the surplus value in any trades in this draft, but it did lessen the degree of the surplus value in some instances.
Let's break down the five best pick-for-pick trades from draft weekend, along with a bonus deal that was offered but not completed. We'll rank them by how much extra value the winning team gained, compared to how much it gave up. For the sake of this exercise, we have assumed that 2021 picks will be in the middle of the round and, somewhat arbitrarily, deemed them worth 90% of the value of a 2020 selection.
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Paris is an unincorporated community in northwestern Paris Township, Stark County, Ohio. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44669. It lies along State Route 172 between East Canton and Lisbon. The community is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Paris was laid out in 1813 on a stagecoach turnpike. A share of the early settlers being natives of France most likely caused the name Paris to be selected. A post office called Paris has been in operation since 1822.
^ Perrin, William Henry (1881). History of Stark County: With an Outline Sketch of Ohio. Baskin & Battey. p. 508.
^ Overman, William Daniel (1958). Ohio Town Names. Akron, OH: Atlantic Press. p. 107.
^ "Stark County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (pronounced [ˈɡaderi deɡaˈɡwita] in Mohawk), given the name Tekakwitha, baptized as Catherine and informally known as Lily of the Mohawks (1656 – April 17, 1680), is a Roman Catholic saint who was an Algonquin–Mohawk laywoman. Born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon, on the south side of the Mohawk River, she contracted smallpox in an epidemic; her family died and her face was scarred. She converted to Roman Catholicism at age nineteen, when she was renamed Kateri, baptized in honor of Saint Catherine of Siena. Refusing to marry, she left her village and moved for the remaining 5 years of her life to the Jesuit mission village of Kahnawake, south of Montreal in New France, now Canada.
Tekakwitha took a vow of perpetual virginity. Upon her death at the age of 24, witnesses said that minutes later her scars vanished and her face appeared radiant and beautiful. Known for her virtue of chastity and mortification of the flesh, as well as being shunned by some of her tribe for her religious conversion to Catholicism, she is the fourth Native American to be venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and the first to be canonized.Under the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, she was beatified in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Basilica on 21 October 2012. Various miracles and supernatural events are attributed to her intercession.