text:
" The following excerpts are 3 stories from the book"
DOING MY BIT TO GET INTO THE WAR
Texas National Guard, 144th Infantry
My first night in the Texas National Guard, I was issued a full field pack and a .30-caliber Enfield rifle, and fell out to march to the downtown railroad station to board a train for Louisiana Maneuvers. It was August 1940, and I was seventeen. We marched to a bagpipe band and changed steps a hundred times per block, trying to keep in step with the band. We marched past the Majestic Theater, which displayed the movie currently showing--All This and Heaven Too.
My buddy Howard White was the one who talked me into it. About a month earlier, he and I had been walking home from a Thursday evening Big Band dance at Kid Springs, where I'd got to dance with beautiful petite Betty Jane Mimms, who would one day beat Babe Zaharias for the Texas Women's Open Golf Event. If you enjoyed dancing, as all of my friends and I did, you could dance for four hours to the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, and others for $3.00 a couple as the Big Bands came through Dallas. This often entailed "borrowing" my sister
Mary's jewelry to be hocked along with my Adamson High School letter sweater at Uncle Sam's Hock Shop in downtown Dallas on "Deep Elum" Street.
Howard and another friend, Pinky Wade, were already in the Guard. As we walked home from the dance, he told me how the Guard would put weight on me and I could play for the Leopards, the Adamson High football team, like he did. This was a point of great interest. I loved all sports, but my size of five feet, six inches and about ninety pounds kept me out of everything but soccer, track and boxing. While I could not run fast, I could run forever it appeared, so I'd become a miler. In time I would run a mile in 4:40 flat and take second place behind Jerry Thompson, an old Fort Worth track team mate. Even now, they still run the "Jerry Thompson Mile" at the Texas Relays every year.
Then there was the fact that I was always trying to prove myself. My brief amateur boxing career was a source of pride amongst my buddies, but I had never received support from home for any personal or team activity. I vividly recall leaving to ride the streetcar downtown to box in the Golden Gloves for the first time. I was almost shaking as I walked out the front door of our apartment. Lou, my step-mom said, "I'll bet they knock your head off." I gulped and thought, "You're probably right." Several fights later, I read a little headline in the Dallas Morning News: "Bearden Fights in Finals." I walked around the house with a chest full of pride, one step closer to becoming a man.
But most of all, the money in the Guard sounded good. Howard had been promoted to sergeant squad leader, and was earning a considerable income. He assured me I would make about a dollar a day if I could get in on the Louisiana Maneuvers, which were coming up the following month.
This proposition meant I could double my current earnings from the A&P grocery store. I'd been working weekends for twelve and a half cents an hour, serving in every department but the butcher's. My lunch at the corner drug store consisted of a steak sandwich for a dime and a chocolate frozen malt for a nickel. Frequently at noon, I would shoot dice and lose my pay for the day. It was a hard lesson in learning to handle defeat.
Another source of income was spending the hours from midnight to four a.m. setting pins at Bodecker's Bowling Alley for five cents per line. Most bowlers at that time of the morning were drinking heavily, and it was not uncommon to see bowler and ball come crashing down the alley. Of course, we were setting the pins by hand. Getting hit by flying pins was just a hazard of the trade.
I was also seldom without a newspaper route in those days, preferably the Dallas Morning News, which we threw every day about 3:00 a.m. One good thing about it was that most of us paperboys helped ourselves to the early morning delivery of delicious fresh-baked doughnuts at the local grocery store. I had been known to offer a warm doughnut to a Dallas police officer in his squad car when he came by checking on us.
In short, the National Guard was a tempting proposition. Soon after my conversation with Howard, eight of us got together and bought a Model T Ford for $12.00–-or maybe 12 of us bought a Model T Ford for $8.00. The details are hazy. All I know was that a dollar a night for every drill meant I could afford my share.
The Battle for Fresville
Upon arriving on the east bank of the river, Captain Taylor and I discussed how to use our 60mm mortars on the German troops in Fresville, in preparation for taking the village. By that time, I had access to two mortars. We decided to fire them both close to the church in the center of the village, trusting that the civilians would stay inside and not be hit.
Taylor took his 30 to 40 men and headed up the two narrow sandy roads leading toward Fresville. Meanwhile, I climbed a tall tree so I could get a good view of the village, which was somewhat uphill from our position down at the edge of the swamp. We set up our mortars in a field below the tree, with Duck and Fred manning them.
We had practiced so many set-up and firing drills in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ireland and England that our first mortar rounds were right on target. I used the church steeple as a reference point and tried to keep our rounds on either side of the church. In this we were successful. Duck and Fred were so well trained that getting six rounds of ammunition in the air before the first one landed was no trouble. The first round had no sooner exploded than ten more rounds burst on target.
All across Normandy, German units were trying to figure out if every band of our troops they encountered actually represented an invasion force. During this initial period, the Allies were able to get established on the beaches, and thus the operation was successful. It is said that if the Germans had properly freed their great reserves to attack us all in the early stages of the landings, we might well have failed. At the least, we would have paid a much greater price for victory than was the painful case. We had been told back in England that causalities would be very high, and we believed it.
As I watched our troops move up the pair of roads leading into Fresville, I determined when we needed to quit firing the mortars to avoid hitting our own men. As soon as that time arrived, I climbed down the tree and our two abbreviated mortar squads raced up the road to get some of the action. I can't believe as I recall this that we would actually hurry to get shot at, but that was the sort of tiger blood that flowed through our veins in those days.
The battle in Fresville involved house to house combat, which is very spooky. The problem with attacking in this type of military operation is that the enemy knows the territory, but you are learning the city as you go along. There is not much "pucker time" as you kick open the doors. Fortunately, we had practiced infantry tactics in every form for over two years, including working from house to house, so our losses were not that bad in view of the potential.
Because we were providing covering fire for Captain Taylor and the rest, Duck, Fred, and I were late in getting into Fresville and the fight. We ran up the left branch into town, and had one minor scrap as we came up the road from the river. When we passed the spot we had been shooting at, we discovered two dead Germans. We assumed that they were the only enemy missed by Taylor's group as they passed in route to Fresville.
Our troopers had run into considerable resistance from German infantry soldiers stationed in the village, but by the time we got to the church, the Krauts had been run out of town. When we arrived, only scattered small arms fire could be heard in the outskirts of the village.
TOURING EUROPE 10TH CLASS:
OR, MY LIFE AS A POW
Whenever we prisoners were being transported by truck, we were very sensitive to the faintest sound of aircraft engines, no matter how far away they might seem. We knew that, at over 300 miles an hour, the planes could be above us in a matter of seconds with eight machine guns belching flames and shells from their wings. The German guards and drivers were even more attuned to the sounds of fighters or bombers than we were. At the slightest indication of American aircraft, day or night, all Germans "abandoned ship," jumping off the truck and heading for any hole in the ground.
Most all of the trucks we rode in had tarpaulins over the truck beds which covered us up completely, prohibiting us to see or be seen. When we heard the planes approaching, we just sat in the truck. If it seemed like the planes were coming after our particular vehicle or convoy, we unloaded post-haste at the last minute, head over heels into the nearest ditch. This procedure happened about ten times on our trip from Normandy to Paris.
We probably walked 30 per cent of the distance, and were trucked for the rest of the way. Most of the truck moves were at night, but on one occasion when we encountered fighter planes, we had to cross from one side of a sandy road to the other in broad daylight. This way, the fighters could only get a shot at us from one side of the road, as opposed to making a strafing run down the length of it. Of course, the pilots had no idea that the trucks they were strafing housed American POWs, and that the bodies racing from one side of the road to the other were GIs.
As we were being moved out of the immediate combat zone, we spent some memorable days in a make-shift prison camp just outside of Alençon. Located to the southeast of La Manche, or the Cotentin Peninsula, Alençon lies just inside the border of the Department of Orne in the southern-most part of Normandy. For some reason, the town had become a stopping place for most Americans captured in the early fighting of the D-Day invasion. At the time, I had no idea that it was also the world's headquarters for fine lace, but my female friends would later assure me this was the case.
The consisted of a few small frame buildings surrounded by barbed wire and guards. There were two barracks-like structures with no windows and one large door, set up on concrete blocks to preclude rain water from running through. The barracks were about 20 feet wide and perhaps 40 feet long. At the time I was there, we had about 50 prisoners in each of the two buildings. Everyone slept on the floor.
There was no plumbing in the buildings, not even running water. Toilet facilities, as was the case in every prison I occupied, were a series of slit trenches dug into the earth, usually in as remote a spot as possible. The classier latrine or toilet facility had small pieces of thin concrete on each side of the slit trench where we could keep our feet out of the mud. Straddling a slit trench, elbow to elbow with fifty other men was not my idea of a "comfort station."


Directors of Whitefield Communication Private Limited are Ravi and Kavinbharathi.
Whitefield Communication is the one of the largest cable tv network which provides cable connection. We are the Das License holder.
Whitefield Communication Private Limited is a Private incorporated on 27 July 2015. It is classified as Non-govt company and is registered at Registrar of Companies, Chennai. It is involved in Digitalization, Production of radio and television programmes and we are the Das License holder. We are covering upto 250 channels with standard and high definition STB's.
Feel DVD video effect on Analog cable televison.
Get the cool aid effect with HD tv. All the programs should look great with 1080p STB's.
Enjoy the high speed Internet with our broadband service.
Whitefield Communication is one of the largest Cable Distribution companies in Chennai with a strong emphasis on quality of service and content. This has enabled us to delight a very demanding subscribers base spread across TamilNadu. With fiber optic backbone across our network and state-of-the-art distribution set ups, we bring in to your home the digital age of cable television and Internet connectivity, transforming the way you receive entertainment and information.
Further ahead, Whitefield Communication is all set to provide to its customer a very cost-effective yet technologically advanced STB (Set Top Box) that would enable its subscribers to access a plethora of value-added services like Video-on-Demand (VoD), Push VoD, Gaming, e.Commerce etc. under a very secured Conditional Access System (CAS) at very competitive prices.


Does your pet have what it takes to be our Pet of The Week?!
For the Pet of the Week Contest, Enter a photo of your pet starting at 6:00am (ET) on March 18th, 2019 and ending at date TBA. Up to one pet will be selected to win an on-air mention of your pet on KISS Country 99.9. Prize Value: priceless. Otherwise, WLYF General Contest Rules apply and can be found HERE.


text:
Women's HealthYour Body
UPDATES:DOCTORS DUMMIES ON BREASTFEEDING
New mothers who turn to doctors for advice on breastfeeding may be in for a bitter disappointment. A survey among more than 3,000 specialist doctors and physicians including pediatricians, gynecologists and those specializing in family medicine has s
Less than half of trainee doctors knew how to cope with a breastfed infant with jaundice, or with a mother with a breast abscess.
Practising physicians were marginally more knowledgeable, but even 30 per cent of these chose the wrong advice to give to a mother with a low milk supply.
The specialists explained that their experience of breastfeeding was confined to the lecture hall, and only half had actually seen a mother breastfeed her child. Fewer than 20 per cent had watched a mother breast feeding more than five times.
While virtually all of them agreed that women should be counselled and encouraged to breastfeed, only half felt themselves capable of doing so, and many of these only because they were already fathers and had gone through the experience with their wives.
In conclusion, the researchers at the University of North Carolina who carried out the survey said there was an urgent need for proper training, which included real life experiences, if doctors were going to properly counsel mothers (JAMA, February 8, 1995).
Breastfeeding campaigners in the UK are angry that the government has backed off from creating new controls on the promotion of infant formulas. Health ministers have decided not to ban advertisements for baby milks, despite earlier promises that they would. Instead, advertisements will still be allowed to appear in magazines, aimed at health care professionals.
Tagged asbreastfeedingWhat Doctors Don't Tell You
Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid
A Few Tips and Shortcuts
Turn off the Tap!
The best alternative treatment for . . . postnatal depression
Readers' alert: drug side-effects:Breast cancer drug can weaken bones
So you think you need . . . A hernia operation
Breast-conserving surgery is best for cancer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe (2015-ongoing)
University of Missouri Extension (MU)
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe, volume 8, issue 6, November/December 2022
University of Missouri. Extension Division.; Kansas State University. Research (University of Missouri--Columbia. Extension Division, 2022)
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe, volume 8, issue 5, September/October 2022
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe, volume 8, issue 4, July/August 2022
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe, volume 8, issue 3, May/June 2022
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe, volume 8, issue 2, March/April 2022
Preserve it fresh, preserve it safe, volume 8, issue 1, January/February 2022
(University of Missouri--Columbia. Extension Division, 2022)
University of Missouri. Extension Division. (University of Missouri--Columbia. Extension Division, 2021)
University of Missouri. Extension Division.; Kansas State University. Research (University of Missouri--Columbia. Extension DivisionKansas State University. Research and Extension., 2019)


text:
Microsoft® Windows® 98SE Driver
M-PF88E
This utility installs the Microsoft Windows 98SE operating system device driver for the MPF88E external USB floppy disk drive.
Windows® 98/98SE
MPF88E-98.ZIP
It is highly recommended to print out these instructions and the README.TXT file that will appear during the installation as a reference during the installation process.
Download the MPF88E-98.ZIP file to a temporary or download directory (please note this directory for reference).
Go to the directory where the file was downloaded and extract the contents of the MPF88E-98.ZIP files to a temporary directory(please note this directory for reference).
Note:You may need to use a third party software to extract the files.
Connect the USB disk drive to the USB connector on your computer.
Note:The "Add New Hardware Wizard" window appears.
At the "This Wizard searches for..." screen, click "Next".
At the "What do you want Windows..." screen, select "Search for the best drivers for your device (Recommended)", and then click "Next".
At the "Windows will search for..." screen, click "Browse" to locate the temporary directory with the specified extracted files, and then click "Next".
At the "Windows driver file search..." screen, click "Next" to install the driver.
When the driver installation completes, click "Finish".
At the "Windows has found..." screen, select "The updated driver (Recommended), and then click "Next".
Follow the instructions on the screen


text:
Theirs to Cherish
Wicked Lovers, Book 8
A woman on the run falls for two enemies who both refuse to let her go…
Accused of a horrific murder she didn't commit, former heiress Callie Ward has been a fugitive since she was sixteen—until she found the perfect hideout, Club Dominion. The only problem is she's fallen for the club's Master, Mitchell Thorpe, who keeps her at arm's length. Little does she know that his reasons for not getting involved have everything to do with his wounded heart…and his consuming desire for her.
Enter Sean Kirkpatrick, a Dom who's recently come to Dominion and taken a pointed interest in Callie. Hoping to make Thorpe jealous, she submits to Sean one shuddering sigh at a time. It isn't long before she realizes she's falling for him too. But the tender lover who's slowly seducing her body and earning her trust isn't who he claims…
When emotions collide and truths are exposed, Sean is willing to risk all to keep Callie from slipping through his fingers. But he's not the only man looking to stake a claim. Now Callie is torn between Sean and Thorpe, and though she's unsure whom she can trust, she'll have to surrender her body and soul to both—if she wants to elude a killer…
Wicked Lovers SERIES
Wicked Ties
She didn't know what she wanted until he made her beg for it.
Morgan O'Malley has seen a lot of kinky things as the hostess of a cable sex talk show. But she's never met a man like Jack Cole before. A self-proclaimed dominant, he's as alpha as a male can get–and good for Morgan to have around when an obsessed stalker ratchets up his attempts to get to her.
Though Jack is a bodyguard, Morgan feels anything but safe in his presence. Because slowly and seductively, Jack is bringing her deepest fantasies to the surface. And when he bends her to his will, what's more shocking than her surrender is how much she enjoys it–and starts to crave his masterful touch. A willing player in Jack's games, Morgan knows that his motives aren't pure, but she has no idea how personal they are…
The boss' innocent daughter. A forbidden favor he can't refuse…
How can a virgin seeking happily-ever-after with a hot pop star who has a penchant for threesomes win her fantasy man? Kimber Edgington desperately needs a plan to convince Jesse McCall, who's been her friend and secret crush since they spent a summer together as teenagers, that they are meant for each other. But all the tabloid stories about his sexual escapades make her feel oh-so inadequate.
Determined to prove she's woman enough for Jesse, Kimber turns to bodyguard Deke Trenton for sexual education. Bold and brash, Deke warns Kimber that playing with him is playing with fire. But he can't bear to imagine the innocent beauty in someone else's arms. So Deke and his super-sexy friend, Luc, take Kimber under their wings and dangerously close to the edge of ecstasy. Though she's saved herself for Jesse, Kimber soon learns, he's not the man adept at stoking her aching, endless need. That's Deke, and he can't resist when Kimber begs for more–and more…
He can't control his desire…and that's just the way she wants it.
Luc Traverson's entire future is planned out—but there is one very sexy obstacle in his path: Alyssa Devereaux . She's a former exotic dancer turned strip club owner and restaurateur. Recently, Alyssa and Luc shared one night of wild abandon that left Luc terrified by his loss of self-control—and Alyssa desperate for more.
Fulfilling a promise, Luc is the guest chef for Alyssa's restaurant debut. The sight of her makes Luc wild, so how can he survive a week without letting loose and ravaging her—especially when she's begging for it? Luc's desire for her explodes when he realizes he isn't the only man desperate to have her. But one of the others is deadly. And that's not the end of Alyssa's secrets…which are as dark and mysterious and enticing as her fantasies.
A secret fantasy. An uncontrollable obsession. A forever love.
Hunter had everything until a bullet put his career as a Navy SEAL on hold. Restless and in need of distraction, he accepts an intriguing proposition. Restless and uncertain about his future, he accepts an intriguing proposition: share an acquaintance's girlfriend and fulfill her fantasy of a ménage. It should have been just a night of sexual adventure between three consenting adults. But Kata is like no other girl Hunter has ever met. By turns audacious and sexy, then vulnerable and aloof, she's a heartbreaker he's determined to master. But he needs more than one night. And he wants to do it alone.
Kata never expected to leave her comfortable relationship and explore something so dangerously forbidden with a stranger. Hard as she tries to resist, the guilty pleasure overwhelms her, and she surrenders herself, inch by inch, to the hardcore man who wants her for himself. Consumed by blazing desire, they're soon threatened by the shadows of the past. And now to keep Kata safe, Hunter makes her a bold proposition of his own. Saying yes will destroy her heart. But saying no could cost Kata her life.
Belong to Me
He's got everything under control until he falls for his first love…again.
When FBI analyst Tara Jacobs' fellow agent and best friend goes missing while investigating a sex ring, Tara goes undercover as a submissive in a Dallas BDSM club called Dominion. But no man can top a woman with Tara's moxie convincingly enough—until an edgy, dangerous Dom takes control of the scene and sets her heart racing with a single, commanding glance. Too bad he's also the man who stole her innocence years ago—and the one to whom she will never submit.
Navy SEAL Logan Edgington once left the woman he loved to save her life. He knows Tara will never forgive him, but he has no doubt that he possesses the knowledge to master her fears and the strength to guide her through an unfamiliar world of pleasure and pain. He alone can protect her on a dangerous mission that reveals both wicked depravities and terrible secrets. Logan relishes the exquisite torture of holding her again, feeling her uninhibited response. No matter how much Tara insists their fling will end after this mission, he's determined that she will be his again—and this time, he'll never let her go.
Wicked to Love
Wicked Lovers, Book 5.5
Could the boss she walked away from finally become the lover of her dreams?
Brandon Ross paid a steep price when he fell for a former friend's wife. Years later, he still holds all women to his old flame's standard. And Emberlin Evans, Brandon's secretary, knows she can't measure up. She would do anything to make her boss notice her. But when a phone call from his ex sends Brandon chasing her, Em knows it's time to stop waiting for him and move on. Funny how her resignation gets Brandon's attention in a way short skirts didn't.
When Brandon confronts Emberlin, he realizes that he's been blind to his feelings for her—and that the way she always calls him Sir and says "please" has his thoughts turning wicked…
(Note: the print version of Wicked to Love appears in a combined volume with Wicked All The Way.)
Mine to Hold
His best friend's ex. A night he can't forget. A secret that could destroy them both.
Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While he supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric's wife, Delaney, to lean on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over Tyler saw his best friend's wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he'd left behind.
After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She's protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a killer determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the stalker, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can't deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney—body and soul—Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that's a mere breath behind her…
Wicked All The Way
Could their second chance be their first real love?
Retired military colonel Caleb Edgington has spent two long years on the most important mission objective of his life: capture an unforgettable beauty and conquer her broken heart. Having lost at love once, he understands being gun shy. The residual fears from her nasty divorce have stood between them, but he's got the perfect strategy to lure her in and show her what he's made of…
Carlotta Buckley never thought she'd fall in love again. Once bitten, she's now more than twice shy. And Caleb is everything she can't handle—fierce, relentless, uncompromising… and sexual. She's managed to avoid him, but now his son and her daughter need their help. Can Caleb and the spirit of the season convince her that she's ready to take a chance on love again?
(Note: the print version of Wicked All The Way appears in a combined volume with Wicked to Love.)
Ours to Love
Two estranged brothers. A virgin with a past. A danger that could destroy them all.
Xander Santiago spent years living it up as a billionaire playboy. Never given a chance to lead his family business in the boardroom, he became a Master in the bedroom instead. His older brother inherited the company and worked tirelessly to make it an empire. But while the cutthroat corporate espionage took its toll on Javier, nothing was as devastating as the seemingly senseless murder of his wife. It propelled him into a year of punishing rage and guilt…until Xander came to his rescue.
Eager to rejuvenate Javier's life, Xander shanghais him to Louisiana where they meet the beautiful London McLane. After surviving a decade of tragedy and struggle, London is determined to make a fresh start—and these sexy billionaire brothers are more than willing to help. In every way. And London is stunned to find herself open to every heated suggestion…and desperately hoping that her love will heal them.
But a killer with a hidden motive is watching, on a single-minded mission to destroy everything the Santiago brothers hold dear, especially London. And as fear and desire collide, every passionate beat of her heart could be her last.
Wicked All Night
A bodyguard protecting a shy beauty proves he's as wicked as he is dangerous.
Rachel Linden is a schoolteacher who changed her town, her job, and her life after her divorce. Now, this wallflower is determined to have a little fun—specifically, with Decker McConnell, a bodyguard whose talents under the sheets make her melt. Until she learns that his motives are just as dangerous as they are wicked…
(Note: Wicked All Night is also a single story in Wicked and Dangerous anthology with Rhyannon Byrd)
Forever Wicked
Wicked Lovers, Book 7.75
When her billionaire husband blackmailed her for a honeymoon, she stole his heart.
Billionaire Jason Denning lived life fast and hard in a world where anything could be bought and sold, even affection. But all that changed when he met "Greta," a beautiful stranger ready to explore her hidden desires. From a blue collar family, Gia Angelotti wore a badge, fought for right—and opened herself utterly to love him. Blindsided and falling hard, Jason does the first impulsive thing of his life and hustles her to the altar.
Then tragedy ripped Jason's new bride from his arms and out of his life. When he finds Gia again, he gives her a choice: spend the three weeks before their first anniversary with him or forfeit the money she receives from their marriage. Reluctantly, she agrees to once again put herself at his mercy and return to his bed. But having her right where he wants her is dangerous for Jason's peace of mind. No matter how hard he tries, he finds himself falling for her again. Will he learn to trust that their love is real before Gia leaves again for good?
His to Take
Giving into him might be the most delicious danger of all…
Racing against time, NSA Agent Joaquin Muñoz is searching for a little girl who vanished twenty years ago with a dangerous secret. Since Bailey Benson fits the profile, Joaquin abducts the beauty and whisks her to the safety of Club Dominion—before anyone can silence her for good.
At first, Bailey is terrified, but when her captor demands information about her past, she's stunned. Are her horrific visions actually distant memories that imperil all she holds dear? Confined with Joaquin in a place that echoes with moans and breathes passion, he proves himself a fierce protector, as well as a sensual Master who's slowly crawling deeper in her head…and heart. But giving in to him might be the most delicious danger of all.
Because Bailey soon learns that her past isn't the only mystery. Joaquin has a secret of his own—a burning vengeance in his soul. The exposed truth leaves her vulnerable and wondering how much about the man she loves is a lie, how much more is at risk than her heart. And if she can trust him to protect her long enough to learn the truth.
Pure Wicked
A pop star making a small-town girl his forever is just a fantasy, right?
During his decade as an international pop star, Jesse McCall has lived every day in the fast lane. A committed hedonist reveling in amazing highs, globetrotting, and nameless encounters, he refuses to think about his loneliness or empty future. Then tragedy strikes.
Shocked and grieving, he sheds his identity and walks away, searching for peace. Instead, he finds Bristol Reese, a no-nonsense beauty scraping to keep her business afloat while struggling with her own demons. He's intent on seducing her, but other than a pleasure-filled night, she's not interested in a player, especially after her boyfriend recently proposed to her sister. In order to claim Bristol, Jesse has to prove he's not the kind of man he's always been. But when she learns his identity and his past comes back to haunt him, how will he convince her that he's a changed man who wants nothing more than to make her his forever?
Wicked For You
Wicked Lovers, Book 10
Her longtime crush protects—and pleasures—her as a past danger closes in.
Ever since he rescued her from a dangerous kidnapper, Mystery Mullins has wanted Axel Dillon. When he returned her to her Hollywood father and tabloid life, she was grateful…and a little in love. Mystery wasn't ready to let Axel go, even after the soldier gently turned her away because, at nineteen, she was too young.
Now, six years later, Mystery is grown, with a flourishing career and a full life—but she's still stuck on Axel. Disguised, she propositions him in a bar, and the night they spend together is beyond her wildest dreams. Mystery steels herself to walk away—except the sheets are barely cold when her past comes back to haunt her.
Once he realizes Mystery isn't the stranger he thought, Axel is incensed and intrigued. But when it's clear she's in danger, he doesn't hesitate to become her protector—and her lover—again. And as the two uncover a secret someone is willing to kill for, Axel is determined to claim Mystery's heart before a murderer silences her for good.
Falling in Deeper
Will her tragic past threaten their passionate future?
After a violent tragedy nearly destroyed her, Lily Taylor ran away, changed her name, and started over. When her deadly nemesis resurfaces to eliminate his loose end, she turns to the last man she should trust—a stranger with a history of violence and an intoxicating sexuality she can't refuse…
Though strong-armed into locating Lily to help put away a drug lord, ex-con Stone Sutter isn't anyone's snitch. When he finds the terrified beauty, he vows to keep her safe—but he isn't sure he has the strength to shield her from his own desires.
As an unquenchable fire sparks between them, Lily's tormentor stalks ever closer and she must overcome her darkest fear to survive. Can she trust the bond she and Stone have formed as they're falling in deeper?
Dirty Wicked
Wicked Lovers, Book 11.5
Will he choose vengeance or a second chance at love?
After being framed for a crime he didn't commit, former private eye Nick Navarro has nothing but revenge on his mind—until a woman from his past returns to beg for his help.
Beautiful widow Sasha Porter has been hunted by his enemies. Desperate, she offers him anything to keep her young daughter safe, even agreeing to become his mistress. The last thing either of them want are emotional entanglements but as they entrap the ruthless politician who arranged Nick's downfall and passion sizzles between them, danger closes in.
Will he choose love over vengeance before it's too late?
A Very Wicked Christmas
Wicked Lovers, Book 11.75
Stop by Jack and Morgan's place for Christmas—Wicked style!
Sometimes the holidays are so busy—work, kids, shopping, baking, partying, wrapping, decorating, planning, and Christmas music—that you don't have time for the one you love most. Can the spirit of the season bring the first two Wicked Lovers closer forever? Join Jack and Morgan for some holiday cheer.
(Best after having read Wicked Ties.)
Not currently available in Print
Holding on Tighter
Mixing business with pleasure can be a dangerous proposition…
Jolie Quinn is a woman in charge. Her no-nonsense attitude has made her a rising star in the fashion world and her brand a household name among the Dallas elite. Nothing will stop her from achieving her goals—not even the gorgeous British security contractor who seems just as interested in seeing her personal assets as he is in protecting her professional ones.
After a tragedy left him broken, Heath Powell made a rule of staying unattached. But Jolie challenges him in a way he can't ignore, and he isn't used to backing down from a confrontation—especially when the reward for winning could feel so good. As passion blazes between them, the stubborn, confident beauty arouses more than his desire. She touches his heart.
When a mysterious enemy threatens Jolie and her company, Heath is the only person Jolie can trust to help. But working with him to save her business might put her dangerously at risk of falling in love…
Callie trembled as she lay back on the padded table and Sean Kirkpatrick's strong fingers wrapped around her cuffed wrist, guiding it back to the bindings above her head.
"I don't know if I can do this," she murmured.
He paused, then drew in a breath as if he sought patience. "Breathe, lovely."
That gentle, deep brogue of his native Scotland brought her peace. His voice both aroused and soothed her, and she tried to let those feelings wash through her.
"Can you do that for me?" he asked.
His fingers uncurled from her wrist, and he grazed the inside of her outstretched arm with his knuckles. As always, his touch was full of quiet strength. He made her ache. She shivered again, this time for an entirely different reason.
Sean shook his head, his deep blue eyes seeming to see everything she tried to hide inside. That penetrating stare scared the hell out of her. What did he see when he looked at her? How much about the real her had he pieced together?
The thought made her panic. No one could know her secret. No one. She'd kept it from everyone, even Thorpe, during her four years at Dominion. She'd finally found a place where she felt safe, comfortable. Of course she'd have to give it up someday, probably soon. She always did. But please, not yet.
Deep breath. Don't panic. He wants your submission, not your secrets.
"You'll need to do better than try. You've been 'trying' for over six months," he reminded her gently. "Do you think I'd truly hurt you?"
No. Sean didn't seem to have a violent bone in his body. He wasn't a sadist. He never gripped her harshly. He never even raised his voice. She'd jokingly thought of him as the sub whisperer because he pushed her boundaries with a gentleness she found both irresistible and insidious. Certainly, he'd dragged far more out of her than any other man had. Tirelessly, he'd worked to earn her trust. Callie felt terrible that she could never give it, not when doing so could be fatal.
Guilt battered her. She should stop wasting his time.
"I know you wouldn't," she assured, blinking up at him, willing him to understand.
"Of course not." He pressed his chest over hers, leaning closer to delve into her eyes.
Callie couldn't resist lowering her lids, shutting out the rest of the world. Even knowing she shouldn't, she sank into the soft reassurance of his kiss. Each brush of his lips over hers soothed and aroused. Every time he touched her, her heart raced. Her skin grew tight. Her nipples hardened. Her pussy moistened and swelled. Her heart ached. Sean Kirkpatrick would be so easy to love.
As his fingers filtered into her hair, cradling her scalp, she exhaled and melted into his kiss—just for a sweet moment. It was the only one she could afford.
A fierce yearning filled her. She longed for him to peel off his clothes, kiss her with that determination she often saw stamped into his eyes, and take her with the single-minded fervor she knew he was capable of. But in the months since he'd collared her, he'd done nothing more than stroke her body, tease her, and grant her orgasms when he thought she'd earned them. She hadn't let him fully restrain her. And he hadn't yet taken her to bed.
Not knowing the feel of him deep inside her, of waiting and wanting until her body throbbed relentlessly, was making her buckets full of crazy.
After another skillful brush of his lips, Sean ended the kiss and lifted his head, breathing hard. She clung, not ready to let him go. How had he gotten under her skin so quickly? His tenderness filled her veins like a drug. The way he had addicted Callie terrified her.
"I want you. Sean, please . . ." She damn near wept.
With a broad hand, he swept the stray hair from her face. Regret softened his blue eyes before he ever said a word. "If you're not ready to trust me as your Dom, do you think you're ready for me as a lover? I want you completely open to me before we take that step. All you have to do is trust me, lovely."
Callie slammed her eyes shut. This was so fucking pointless. She wanted to trust Sean, yearned to give him everything—devotion, honesty, faith. Her past ensured that she'd never give any of those to anyone. But he had feelings for her. About that, she had no doubt. They'd grown just as hers had, unexpectedly, over time, a fledgling limb morphing into a sturdy vine that eventually created a bud just waiting to blossom . . . or die.
She knew which. They could never have more than this faltering Dom/sub relationship, destined to perish in a premature winter.
The responsible choice would be to call her safe word, walk out, quit him. Release them both from this hell. Never look back.
For the first time in nearly a decade, Callie worried that she might not have the strength to say good-bye.
What was wrong with her tonight? She was too emotional. She needed to pull up her big-girl panties and snap on her bratty attitude, pretend that nothing mattered. It was how she'd coped for years. But she couldn't seem to manage that with Sean.
"You're up in your head, instead of here with me," he gently rebuked her.
Another dose of guilt blistered her. "Sorry, Sir."
Sean sighed heavily, stood straight, then held out his hand to her. "Come with me."
Callie winced. If he intended to stop the scene, that could only mean he wanted to talk. These sessions where he tried to dig through her psyche became more painful than the sexless nights she spent in unfulfilled longing under his sensual torture.
Swallowing down her frustration, she dredged up her courage, then put her hand in his.
Holding her in a steady grip, Sean led her to the far side of Dominion's dungeon, to a bench in a shadowed corner. As soon as she could see the rest of the room, Callie felt eyes on her, searing her skin. With a nonchalant glance, she looked at the others sceneing around them, but they seemed lost in their own world of pleasure, pain, groans, sweat, and need. A lingering sweep of the room revealed another sight that had the power to drop her to her knees. Thorpe in the shadows. Staring. At her with Sean. His expression wasn't one of disapproval exactly . . . but he wasn't pleased.
Sean sat, then pulled her onto his lap, supporting her back with a strong grip around her waist. He cupped her chin in his palm and sent her a pointed glance. "Eyes on me, lovely."
She complied, trying not to think about the fact that it was getting harder and harder to meet his stare and not give herself to him for real.
Originally, she'd allowed Sean into her life because he irritated Thorpe, who sometimes looked at her as if she were the brightest star in the sky, then always chose another woman to master. She'd wanted to make him jealous. Hell, she'd wanted to see if he even gave a shit. Sean had walked into the club with his quiet sophistication and dry humor, taken one look at her, and never glanced at anyone else. It had done her ego a world of good—until Thorpe had removed his protection and allowed Sean to collar her. Without so much as blinking, he'd let her go.
So why the hell was Thorpe watching her now?
"You're away with the fairies, Callie. Get out of your head," Sean growled. "Focus on me. Or we'll end tonight now."
That would be better, smarter. And everything inside her rebelled at the thought of Sean leaving. She clung, in fact. After all, she never knew if she'd have a tomorrow with anyone.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be preoccupied."
His face softened a bit. "What's troubling you?"
A million things she could never confess. She plucked at the first excuse off the top of her head. "You don't want me."
He grabbed her face in his hands. "You have no idea how untrue that is, lovely. I fantasize about laying you out under me and sinking so deep inside you that you'll not ever forget the feel of me. Never doubt that I want you."
His words made Callie flush hot all over. "Don't you think sex would bring us closer?"
A wry smile crossed his wide mouth, and she couldn't resist brushing her fingers through the waves of his dark hair. He was so blindingly handsome. He'd been her perfect revenge against Thorpe's indifference. She just hadn't planned on him stealing his way into her heart. And now she had no idea what to do.
4½ Stars! "The pacing of the story keeps the action flowing… handled with finesse and compassion…fascinating."
– RT Book Club
Top Pick! "The story had an intriguing plot, with just the right amount of suspense… the vibrant characters drew me into the story… It had that extra special something… I loved it! I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that has some suspense to go along with the steamy romance."
– The Romance Reviews
4½ Stars! "Damn, but Shayla Black created a phenomenal menage romance tinged with suspense that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time."
-Herding Cats & Burning Soup
Top Pick! "This book had me hooked… I can guarantee you that I absolutely love this… Shayla Black knows how to write erotic romance!"
"Theirs to Cherish is a story of hope and healing. …[It] reached into my chest, grabbed my heart, and squeezed it tightly. Ms. Black has a remarkable gift."
– Sizzling Hot Books
"Another amazing journey filled with suspense, heartache, and scorching hot sex. What more could you want?"
– Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads
5 Stars! "I had such a hard time putting this book down. Shayla Black blended the perfect combination of hotter than hot sex, suspense, romance, and the happily-ever-after you expect… It made me cry, laugh, squirm, sigh, and bite my nails with each turn of the page."
– Marie's Tempting Reads
"Always emotional, definitely erotic, and absolutely a must-read! Shayla Black never fails to leave readers utterly satisfied and anticipating her next release!"
– Reader To Reader
5 Stars! "This book has it all! Danger, suspense, heartbreak, love and sex. Well worth the wait!"
– T and A After Dark
"A delicious thriller! This book was sexy, sensual, and mysterious all rolled into a delectable package. …had me on the edge of my seat until the very end."
– Read-Love-Blog
"Well paced, believable and has just the right amount of angst and heartbreak. …Theirs to Cherish is the perfect read."
– The Reading Café
5 Ribbons! "THEIRS TO CHERISH is absolutely captivating."
– Romance Junkies
"…seriously freaking hot. This is a must read for the fans of Shayla Black."
– Guilty Pleasures
"Ms. Black delivers another fantastic story with laughs, tears, suspense, and most importantly…love. …Very well written."
– Noble Reviews
intl editions


text:
Ti'avea airport works underway – Associate Minister
By Lanuola Tusani Tupufia – Ah Tong • 24 February 2019, 12:00AM
The Associate Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure, Seiuli Ueligitone Seuli, has refuted reports that work at the proposed Ti'avea airport is on halt.
Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, the Associate Minister said he visited the construction site last Wednesday and work is ongoing at the project site.
He said if there is to be any delay to the project it will be the bad weather.
"I was there for inspection and they were continuing with earth work. I assume if there is any delay, it could be caused by the rain and bad weather, but other than that the villagers are not disrupting works there and have already agreed on payment for the use of the land," Seiuli said.
According to the Associate Minister, the agreed price is $30 tala per square meter for the land to build the proposed airport, as opposed to $60 per square meter that the villagers were pushing for.
"The payment has not been made yet. It is being processed and the cheques for each family will be ready soon," he added.
Seiuli said there are about 10 families who will receive payment for the use of the land while adding that the land is covered with coconut plantation and grass.
Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd is the contractor for the Ti'avea airport project. The company was awarded the $3.57 million tala contract for its earthmoving work and clearing of the land. The work started late last year.


text:
senate Bill S7927
De-criminalizes the personal possession of marihuana; relates to certain pleas; specifies requirements with respect to bills affecting the penal law; repealer
Daniel L. Squadron
(D, WF) 0 Senate District
Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee
Get Status Alerts for S7927
Jul 09, 2014 referred to rules
Martin Malavé Dilan
(D) 0 Senate District
Adriano Espaillat
Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Brad Hoylman
(D, WF) 27th Senate District
Liz Krueger
Velmanette Montgomery
(D) 25th Senate District
Kevin S. Parker
(D, WF) 21st Senate District
Gustavo Rivera
(D, WF) 33rd Senate District
José M. Serrano
S7927 (ACTIVE) - Details
See Assembly Version of this Bill:
Penal Law
Amd §§1.05, 221.05, 221.10 & 221.40, rpld §221.35, Pen L; amd §§170.56, 210.46, 440.10 & 160.50, CP L; add §52-a, Leg L; amd §837, Exec L
2015-2016: S137, A6218
2017-2018: S2736, S7013, A622, A667
S7927 (ACTIVE) - Summary
De-criminalizes the personal possession of marijuana; relates to certain pleas; specifies requirements with respect to bills affecting the penal law; expands the duties of the division of criminal justice services.
S7927 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER:S7927
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the penal law, in relation to
de-criminalizing the personal possession of marihuana; to amend the
criminal procedure law, in relation to certain pleas; to amend the
legislative law, in relation to specifying requirements with respect
to bills affecting the penal law; to amend the executive law, in
relation to expanding the duties of division of criminal justice
services; and to repeal section 221.35 of the penal law relating to
criminal sale of marihuana in the fifth degree
PURPOSE: The purpose of this bill is to make New York penal law fairer
and more equitable in the administration of marihuana enforcement, and
avoid the disparate racial and ethnic impact seen in current marihuana
and other enforcement.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 states that this act shall be known as the "Fairness and
Equity Act."
Section 2 amends subdivision 6 of section 1.05 of the penal law to
state that that the law should be enforced equally and fairly and not
result in a disparate impact on people because of their race or
ethnicity.
Section 3 amends section 221.05 of the penal law to eliminate
penalties escalating to jail time for the violation of "unlawful
possession of marihuana."
Section 4 amends subdivision 2 of section 221.10 of the penal law so
that the penalty for possession of small amounts of marihuana that is
"burning" or "open to public view" is a violation, not a misdemeanor.
Sections 5 and 6 define criminal sale of less than 25 grams of
marihuana as selling marihuana for consideration.
Section 7 amends subdivision 1 of section 170.56 of the criminal
procedure law to allow a court to order an adjournment in
contemplation of dismissal based upon a finding of exceptional
Section 8 amends section 210.46 of the criminal procedure law to
reflect the repeal of section 221.35 of the penal law.
Sections 9 and 10 amend section 440.10 of the criminal procedure law
to provide for the vacating of convictions that occurred before the
enactment of this bill.
Section 11 amends paragraph k of subdivision 3 of section 160.50 of
the criminal procedure law to eliminate the three-year wait
requirement for the sealing of marihuana-related records.
Section 12 adds a new section 52-a to the legislative law to create
guidelines for the implementation and use of racial and ethnic impact
statements to accompany certain legislation.
Section 13 amends paragraph f of subdivision 4 of section 837 of the
executive law to require that the Division of Criminal Justice
Services conduct research and analysis necessary to complete racial
and ethnic impact statements and present an annual report containing
statistics and other information relevant to such statements.
Section 14 establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: Since 1977, possession of small amounts of marijuana
(25 grams or less) has been "decriminalized" in New York State. It is
a violation punishable by a fine, not a misdemeanor that leads to
arrest.
In decriminalizing marijuana, the intent was clear: "The legislature
finds that arrests, criminal prosecutions and criminal penalties are
inappropriate for people who possess small quantities of marihuana for
personal use. Every year, this process needlessly scars thousands of
lives and wastes millions of dollars in law enforcement resources,
while detracting from the prosecution of serious crime." (Chapter 360,
Laws of 1977)
But 35 years later, by 2012, more than 44,600 people in New York State
were arrested and charged for a misdemeanor crime for possessing small
amounts of marijuana for personal use, if it was said to be "in public
view" or "burning." Dozens of additional people were charged with
criminal drug sales for the equivalent of sharing a single "joint."
Of the 28,644 people arrested in New York City in 2013 for possessing
small amounts of marijuana, nearly 87 percent were black or Latino,
mostly young men. Of those arrested for sharing, the vast majority
were black or Latino young men between the ages of 16-30. These severe
disparities are alarming and indefensible when considering that data
from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of
the U.S. government consistently shows that young white men are far
more likely to possess and use marijuana than non-whites.
In other words, in New York, possessing small amounts of marijuana is
largely decriminalized for people who are white, and vastly more
likely to be criminalized for people who are black or Latino.
The consequences of New York's inequitable decriminalization are
severe. Today, nearly 600,000 New Yorkers are saddled with an arrest
record for possessing small amounts of marijuana, the overwhelming
majority of whom are black or Latino. According to the National
Employment Law Project, these arrest records can follow a person for
the rest of one's life and impact the ability to access banking
services, schools, jobs, housing, certain licensing, and also have
immigration consequences. In addition, according to research by the
ACLU and Queens College sociologist Harry Levine, the costs associated
with these arrests total hundreds of millions of dollars to taxpayers
This bill addresses the disparate racial and ethnic impact that
existing law has had by more fairly decriminalizing possession of
small amounts of marijuana, including sharing a single marijuana
cigarette. It also creates a process for those who have been arrested
for possessing or sharing small amounts of marijuana to have their
records stricken or sealed.
And, the bill creates a process for the legislature to avoid such a
severe inequitable impact in the future through racial and ethnic
impact statements. These statements would provide information to
determine if certain proposed legislation would disproportionately
impact racial and ethnic minorities and if that legislation, when
enacted, causes a disparate impact. Connecticut, Iowa, and Oregon have
already implemented racial and ethnic impact statements, which are
most analogous to New York's "fiscal notes."
The one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become law.
View More (107 Lines)
S7927 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
Introduced  by Sens. SQUADRON, DILAN, ESPAILLAT, HOYLMAN, KRUEGER, MONT-
GOMERY, PARKER, PERKINS, RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and
when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the penal  law,  in  relation  to  de-criminalizing  the
personal possession of marihuana; to amend the criminal procedure law,
in  relation  to  certain  pleas;  to  amend  the  legislative law, in
relation to specifying requirements with respect  to  bills  affecting
the  penal  law;  to amend the executive law, in relation to expanding
the duties of division of criminal justice  services;  and  to  repeal
section 221.35 of the penal law relating to criminal sale of marihuana
in the fifth degree
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as  the  "fairness
and equity act".
S  2.  Subdivisions 5 and 6 of section 1.05 of the penal law, subdivi-
sion 5 as amended by chapter 612 of the laws of 1982 and  subdivision  6
as  amended  by  chapter  98 of the laws of 2006, are amended to read as
5. To  provide  for  an  appropriate  public  response  to  particular
offenses, including consideration of the consequences of the offense for
the victim, including the victim's family, and the community; [and]
6.  TO  ENSURE  THAT  LAWS  ARE ENFORCED EQUALLY AND FAIRLY AND DO NOT
RESULT IN A DISPARATE IMPACT ON PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE AND ETHNIC-
ITY; AND
7. To insure  the  public  safety  by  preventing  the  commission  of
offenses  through  the  deterrent influence of the sentences authorized,
the rehabilitation of those convicted, the promotion of their successful
and  productive  reentry  and  reintegration  into  society,  and  their
confinement when required in the interests of public protection.
S  3.  Section 221.05 of the penal law, as added by chapter 360 of the
laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
S 221.05 Unlawful possession of marihuana.
S. 7927                             2
A person is guilty of unlawful possession of marihuana when  he  know-
ingly and unlawfully possesses marihuana.
Unlawful  possession  of marihuana is a violation punishable only by a
fine of not more than one hundred dollars. [However, where the defendant
has previously been convicted of an offense defined in this  article  or
article 220 of this chapter, committed within the three years immediate-
ly  preceding  such violation, it shall be punishable (a) only by a fine
of not more than two hundred dollars, if the  defendant  was  previously
convicted of one such offense committed during such period, and (b) by a
fine  of  not more than two hundred fifty dollars or a term of imprison-
ment not in excess of fifteen days or both, if the defendant was  previ-
ously convicted of two such offenses committed during such period.]
S 4. Section 221.10 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 265 of the
laws  of  1979,  subdivision  2  as amended by chapter 75 of the laws of
1995, is amended to read as follows:
S 221.10 Criminal possession of marihuana in the fifth degree.
A person is guilty of criminal possession of marihuana  in  the  fifth
degree when he knowingly and unlawfully possesses[:
1.  marihuana  in a public place, as defined in section 240.00 of this
chapter, and such marihuana is burning or open to public view; or
2.] one  or  more  preparations,  compounds,  mixtures  or  substances
containing  marihuana  and  the  preparations,  compounds,  mixtures  or
substances are of an aggregate weight of more than twenty-five grams.
Criminal possession of marihuana in the fifth  degree  is  a  class  B
misdemeanor.
S 5. Section 221.35 of the penal law is REPEALED.
S 221.40 Criminal sale of marihuana in the fourth degree.
A person is guilty of criminal sale of marihuana in the fourth  degree
when  he knowingly and unlawfully sells marihuana [except as provided in
section 221.35 of this article] FOR CONSIDERATION.
Criminal sale of marihuana in the fourth degree is a class A misdemea-
S 7. Subdivision 1 of section 170.56 of the criminal procedure law, as
amended by chapter 360 of the laws  of  1977,  is  amended  to  read  as
1.  Upon or after arraignment in a local criminal court upon an infor-
mation, a prosecutor's information or a misdemeanor complaint, where the
sole  remaining  count  or  counts  charge  a violation or violations of
section 221.05, 221.10, 221.15[, 221.35] or 221.40 of the penal law  and
before the entry of a plea of guilty thereto or commencement of  a trial
thereof,  the  court,  upon  motion  of  a defendant, may order that all
proceedings be suspended and the action adjourned  in  contemplation  of
dismissal,  or upon a finding that adjournment would not be necessary or
appropriate and the setting forth in the record of the reasons for  such
findings,  may  dismiss in furtherance of justice the accusatory instru-
ment; provided, however, that the court may not order  such  adjournment
in  contemplation  of dismissal or dismiss the accusatory instrument if:
(a) the defendant  has  previously  been  granted  such  adjournment  in
contemplation  of  dismissal,  or  (b) the defendant has previously been
granted a dismissal under this section, or (c) the defendant has  previ-
ously  been convicted of any offense involving controlled substances, or
(d) the defendant has previously been  convicted  of  a  crime  and  the
district  attorney  does not consent or (e) the defendant has previously
been adjudicated a youthful offender on the basis of  any  act  or  acts
involving  controlled  substances  and  the  district  attorney does not
consent. NOTWITHSTANDING THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN THIS  SUBDIVISION,
THE  COURT  MAY  ORDER  THAT ALL PROCEEDINGS BE SUSPENDED AND THE ACTION
ADJOURNED  IN  CONTEMPLATION OF DISMISSAL BASED UPON A FINDING OF EXCEP-
TIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  EXCEPTIONAL
CIRCUMSTANCES  EXIST WHEN, REGARDLESS OF THE ULTIMATE DISPOSITION OF THE
CASE, THE ENTRY OF A PLEA OF GUILTY IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN SEVERE COLLA-
TERAL CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO,  THOSE  THAT  COULD
LEAVE A NONCITIZEN INADMISSIBLE OR DEPORTABLE FROM THE UNITED STATES.
S 8. Section 210.46 of the criminal procedure law, as amended by chap-
ter 360 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
S  210.46   Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal in marihuana cases
in a superior court.
Upon or after arraignment in a superior court upon an indictment where
the sole remaining count or counts charge a violation or  violations  of
before  the entry of a plea of guilty thereto or commencement of a trial
thereof, the court, upon motion of  a  defendant,  may  order  that  all
proceedings  be  suspended  and the action adjourned in contemplation of
dismissal or may dismiss the indictment in furtherance  of  justice,  in
accordance with the provisions of section 170.56 of this chapter.
S  9. Paragraphs (h) and (i) of subdivision 1 of section 440.10 of the
criminal procedure law, paragraph (h) as amended and  paragraph  (i)  as
added  by  chapter  332 of the laws of 2010, are amended and a new para-
graph (j) is added to read as follows:
(h) The judgment was obtained in violation of a right of the defendant
under the constitution of this state or of the United States; [or]
(i) The judgment is a conviction where the arresting charge was  under
section  240.37 (loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution
offense, provided that the defendant was not alleged to be loitering for
the purpose of patronizing a prostitute or  promoting  prostitution)  or
230.00  (prostitution)  of  the  penal  law, and the defendant's partic-
ipation in the offense was a result of having been a victim of sex traf-
ficking under section 230.34 of the penal law or trafficking in  persons
under  the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (United States Code, title
22, chapter 78); provided that
(i) a motion under this paragraph shall be made  with  due  diligence,
after the defendant has ceased to be a victim of such trafficking or has
sought  services  for victims of such trafficking, subject to reasonable
concerns for the safety of the defendant, family members of the  defend-
ant, or other victims of such trafficking that may be jeopardized by the
bringing  of  such  motion,  or  for  other  reasons consistent with the
purpose of this paragraph; and
(ii) official documentation of the defendant's status as a  victim  of
sex  trafficking  or  trafficking  in persons at the time of the offense
from a federal, state or local government agency shall create a presump-
tion that the defendant's participation in the offense was a  result  of
having  been  a victim of sex trafficking or trafficking in persons, but
shall not be required for granting a motion under this paragraph[.]; OR
(J) THE JUDGMENT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE  OF  THIS  PARA-
GRAPH AND IS A CONVICTION FOR:
(I) AN OFFENSE AS DEFINED BY SECTION 221.10 OF THE PENAL LAW (CRIMINAL
POSSESSION  OF MARIHUANA IN THE FIFTH DEGREE), AS IN EFFECT PRIOR TO THE
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PARAGRAPH, PROVIDED THAT THE  ACCUSATORY  INSTRU-
MENT THAT UNDERLIES THE JUDGMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ALLEGATION THAT THE
DEFENDANT POSSESSED MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE GRAMS OF MARIHUANA; OR
(II)  AN  OFFENSE AS DEFINED BY FORMER SECTION 221.35 OF THE PENAL LAW
(CRIMINAL SALE OF MARIHUANA IN THE FIFTH DEGREE).
S  10.  Subdivision 6 of section 440.10 of the criminal procedure law,
as added by chapter 332 of the laws of  2010,  is  amended  to  read  as
6.  If  the court grants a motion under paragraph (i) OR PARAGRAPH (J)
of subdivision one of this section, it  must  vacate  the  judgment  and
dismiss  the  accusatory instrument, and may take such additional action
as is appropriate in the circumstances.
S 11. Paragraphs (i), (j) and (k) of subdivision 3 of  section  160.50
of  the criminal procedure law, paragraphs (i) and (j) as added by chap-
ter 905 of the laws of 1977 and paragraph (k) as added by chapter 835 of
the laws of 1977 and as relettered by chapter 192 of the laws  of  1980,
are amended to read as follows:
(i)  prior to the filing of an accusatory instrument in a local crimi-
nal court against such person, the prosecutor elects  not  to  prosecute
such  person.  In such event, the prosecutor shall serve a certification
of such disposition upon the division of criminal justice  services  and
upon  the appropriate police department or law enforcement agency which,
upon receipt thereof, shall comply with  the  provisions  of  paragraphs
(a),  (b),  (c)  and  (d) of subdivision one of this section in the same
manner as is required thereunder with respect to an  order  of  a  court
entered pursuant to said subdivision one[.]; OR
(j)  following the arrest of such person, the arresting police agency,
prior to the filing of an accusatory  instrument  in  a  local  criminal
court  but subsequent to the forwarding of a copy of the fingerprints of
such person to the division of criminal justice services, elects not  to
proceed  further. In such event, the head of the arresting police agency
shall serve a certification of such disposition  upon  the  division  of
criminal justice services which, upon receipt thereof, shall comply with
the provisions of paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of subdivision one of
this  section  in the same manner as is required thereunder with respect
to an order of a court entered pursuant to said subdivision one[.]; OR
(k) (i) The accusatory instrument alleged a violation of  article  two
hundred  twenty  or section 240.36 of the penal law, prior to the taking
effect of article  two  hundred  twenty-one  of  the  penal  law,  or  a
violation  of  article two hundred twenty-one of the penal law; (ii) the
sole  controlled  substance  involved  is  marijuana;  AND   (iii)   the
conviction  was  only  for a violation or violations[; and (iv) at least
three years have passed since the offense occurred].
S 12. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section  52-a  to
read as follows:
S  52-A.  REQUIREMENT  WITH  RESPECT TO BILLS AFFECTING THE PENAL LAW.
WHENEVER A COMMITTEE REPORTS A BILL FAVORABLY WHICH,  IF  PASSED,  WOULD
INCREASE OR DECREASE THE PRETRIAL OR SENTENCED POPULATION OF CORRECTION-
AL  FACILITIES IN THIS STATE, A MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS VOTING
MAY REQUEST THAT A RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT STATEMENT BE  PREPARED.  THE
LEGISLATURE  SHALL  BY  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
PRESCRIBE RULES REQUIRING RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT STATEMENTS TO  ACCOM-
PANY, ON A SEPARATE FORM, BILLS AND AMENDMENTS TO BILLS AFTER SUCH BILLS
HAVE  BEEN  REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE. RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT STATEMENTS
SHALL BE PREPARED BEFORE THE BILL IS CONSIDERED FOR FINAL PASSAGE.   THE
STATEMENT  SHALL INDICATE WHETHER THE BILL WOULD HAVE A DISPARATE IMPACT
ON THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY  POPU-
LATION  AND  AN EXPLANATION OF THAT IMPACT. ANY RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT
STATEMENT PRINTED WITH OR PREPARED FOR A BILL IS SOLELY FOR THE  PURPOSE
OF  INFORMATION, SUMMARIZATION AND EXPLANATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE LEGIS-
LATURE AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO REPRESENT THE INTENT OF THE  LEGIS-
LATURE OR EITHER CHAMBER THEREOF FOR ANY PURPOSE. EACH RACIAL AND ETHNIC
IMPACT  STATEMENT  SHALL  BEAR  THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER: "THE FOLLOWING
RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT STATEMENT IS PREPARED FOR THE  BENEFIT  OF  THE
MEMBERS  OF  THE LEGISLATURE, SOLELY FOR PURPOSES OF INFORMATION, SUMMA-
RIZATION AND EXPLANATION AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE INTENT OF THE LEGIS-
LATURE OR EITHER CHAMBER THEREOF FOR ANY PURPOSE."
S 13. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 4 of section 837 of  the  executive
law, as amended by chapter 169 of the laws of 1994, is amended and a new
paragraph (g) is added to read as follows:
(f)  [Accomplish]  ACCOMPLISH all of the functions, powers, and duties
set forth in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this  subdivision  with
respect  to  the  processing  and disposition of cases involving violent
felony offenses specified in subdivision one of  section  70.02  of  the
penal law[.]; AND
(G)  ACCOMPLISH  ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES SET FORTH IN
PARAGRAPHS (A), (B), (C) AND (D) OF THIS SUBDIVISION WITH RESPECT TO ALL
CHAPTERS OF LAW RESULTING FROM LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN  SUBJECT
TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  SECTION FIFTY-TWO-A OF THE LEGISLATIVE LAW. THE
DIVISION SHALL PRESENT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT  OF  THE
SENATE,  THE  MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY AN ANNUAL REPORT CONTAINING  THE
STATISTICS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION.
S  14.  This  act  shall  take effect on the one hundred eightieth day
after it shall have become a law.


text:
Jeffrey Marc Zgonina (; born May 24, 1970) is an American football defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders and former defensive tackle who played seventeen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Purdue and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft.

Zgonina was a member of the 1999 St. Louis Rams that won Super Bowl XXXIV and also played for the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Houston Texans. As a coach, he has been a member of the Houston Texans, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers.

High school
Zgonina attended Carmel High School in Mundelein and was a letterman in football, basketball, hockey, and track and field. In football, he won All-East Suburban Catholic Conference honors, All-Area honors, All-County honors, and All-State honors.

College career
Zgonina attended Purdue University from 1989 to 1992, starting his entire career. He twice led the Boilermakers in sacks and tackles for loss, he led the team in total tackles one season. He had a fumble return of 67 yards, a record for Purdue defensive linemen. He currently holds Purdue records for 'tackles for loss' for a single game (7.0), a season (28.0) and a career (72.0). He is currently #6 in total tackles (382) and solo tackles (266); and #3 in sacks (29.0). His senior season was outstanding as he had 28 tackles for loss and 13 sacks; was selected as a 1st Team All-Big Ten and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Following his senior year, he participated in the 1993 East-West Shrine Game, Hula Bowl, and Japan Bowl.

Professional career
Zgonina played 17 seasons in the NFL and spent more time with the St. Louis Rams than with any other team, which included a Super Bowl title in the 2000 season (XXXIV). His best season, however, came with the Miami Dolphins in 2004, when he recorded 63 tackles and five sacks.

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons with the Steelers, recording 27 tackles in 21 game appearances before being waived after the 1994 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers on August 29, 1995, and he recorded two tackles in two game appearance for the Panthers in 1995. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1996, and made one sack, one fumble recovery, and 12 tackles in the eight games he played. Zgonina signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Rams on March 12, 1997. He played in 15 games in 1997, producing two sacks and 21 tackles. He was released by the Rams on August 21, 1998. Zgonina was signed by the Oakland Raiders on October 14, 1998, but was released six days later. before playing in a game for the Raiders. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts later in the season and played in two games.

Zgonina re-signed with the Rams on March 27, 1999. He spent four seasons with the Rams, becoming their starting defensive tackle during the 2000 season. He earned a Super Bowl ring in 2000 after St. Louis beat the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. He was also a member of the 2001 NFC Champion Rams, starting 13 games and playing in Super Bowl XXXVI. He recorded 144 tackles, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries in his second tenure with the Rams.

Zgonina signed a four-year contract with the Miami Dolphins on April 1, 2003. In his four-year career with the Dolphins, he made 178 tackles, 10 sacks, an interception, and two fumble recoveries in 62 games (22 starts). He signed with the Houston Texans on March 14, 2007, He had 64 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries in his three-year tenure, including playing in all 48 games with five starts.

Coaching career
In 2013, Houston Texans hired Zgonina to become an assistant defensive line coach. As an assistant coach for the Texans, he worked closely with defensive line coach/assistant head coach Bill Kollar who was his coach at Purdue University in 1989. In 2016, he became the assistant defensive line coach of the New York Giants. Zgonina was the defensive line coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2019. In 2020, he was hired as the assistant defensive line coach for the Washington Football Team and was promoted to lead defensive line coach following the firing of Sam Mills III in 2022.

Personal life
Zgonina is of Polish descent. He has performed in dog shows since 2014.

References

External links
Washington Commanders bio

1970 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Chicago
Players of American football from Chicago
American football defensive tackles
American people of Polish descent
Purdue Boilermakers football players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Carolina Panthers players
Atlanta Falcons players
St. Louis Rams players
Indianapolis Colts players
Miami Dolphins players
Houston Texans players
Houston Texans coaches
New York Giants coaches
San Francisco 49ers coaches
Washington Commanders coaches
Washington Football Team coaches

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Skender Opens Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Chicago
Skender recently announced that it has begun production at its new advanced manufacturing facility in Chicago. The plant, which will use the company's unique process for modular construction projects, is expected to be at full capacity in approximately 18 months and will employ 150 people.
"Our production launch is an important milestone in our radical new approach to building," said Mark Skender, Skender CEO. "We are proud to open our facility with a premier workforce and a project that demonstrates a new housing delivery model capable of changing how we fight the affordable housing crisis. This is a true gamechanger."
Skender's modular construction approach combines lean manufacturing practices with the latest integrated building information modeling and manufacturing technology to reduce cost and time to market. Skilled union employees assemble 95 percent of the modular components, including fixtures, finishes and most appliances.
To help source, train and prepare the workforce for specialized careers in manufacturing, Skender has partnered with the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, Cara Chicago, Heartland Alliance, Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), Central States SER and the Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC).
"By having our architecture, manufacturing and construction leaders all working together from a single source of truth, we've developed a hyper-efficient process that eliminates waste and dramatically cuts the time it takes to bring a building to market," said Pete Murray, president of Skender Manufacturing. "The learnings from each project inform the next to create even greater time and cost savings."
For more information, visit www.skender.com.


text:
Home News Reports Six firms that supply manpower to Wistron's iPhone plant may be blacklisted for non-payment...
Six firms that supply manpower to Wistron's iPhone plant may be blacklisted for non-payment of wages that led to vandalism by workers
The manpower was supplied by five-six staffing firms, and it was their fault to exploit the workers by not paying or defaulting on salary payments
Images of attack on Wistron (Images via The New Indian Express and Business Today respectively)
In the aftermath of the recent vandalism by employees in the Wistron's Apple iPhone plant near Bengaluru in Karnataka, six staffing firms that supplied labour to the factory may be blacklisted for failing to pay wages to the workers. The protests by workers over non-payment of salaries had taken a violent last week, who had vandalised the factory, damaging factory equipment and vehicles. Now it has emerged that the workers who were not paid salaries are temporary workers hired by Wistron from several manpower companies, and those companies are responsible for payment of salaries to those employees. Wistron is also accused of not having a proper HR system.
According to a preliminary report of the State government's Department of Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety & Health, there were violations of labour laws at the Wistron Factory. As per reports, the preliminary report claims that 10,500 workers were employed at the factory but no adequate HR department was set up with members having sound of knowledge of labour laws. The working hours were reportedly increased from 8 to 12 without assessing the repercussions.
According to a Mint report, government officials have said that the violence at the factory was not pre-planned and it was a sudden outburst. "There are around 8,500 temporary workers at the Karnataka factory. The manpower was supplied by five-six staffing firms, and it was their fault to exploit the workers by not paying or defaulting on salary payments", the reports quoted a government official.
Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) and Senior Labour and Employment Advisor, DPC Negi informed that the Union Labour Ministry is monitoring the situation. "The Union Labour Ministry is in touch with the State government and is monitoring the situation. The manpower suppliers seem to be at fault. We are evaluating the situation, and appropriate action will be taken", said Negi. He expressed equal concern about the investor sentiment and the violation of laws and non-payment of wages and overtime to workers. Condemning violence, Negi said that the government has taken steps so that workers can get their dues on time.
Now, heavy penalty could be imposed on the staffing firms, and they may even be blacklisted. "The manpower suppliers will face action for violating rules and holding back wage dues", the official said, without naming the companies.
The panel inquiring the incident said that the HR personnel did not address the workers' concern regarding their wages and work hours inclusive of overtime. The overtime hours and the wages in respect of 12-hour shift were not explained to the workers. Besides, a fault in the attendance system to mark the attendance of the workers had also not been addressed despite having continued for the past two months. The practices in place regarding the payment of wages and overtime work were reportedly not in compliance with laws.
The Central government has asked the Karnataka government to complete the inquiry into the incident.
K.R. Shyam Sundar, a labour economist and professor at XLRI said that the violence by the aggrieved workers seems to be the result of failings of the staffing firms. He said that there should not be a liquidity issue as the firm is making high end phones. He said that the Wistron case is both an industrial relation and human resource crisis.
Attack by a mob of thousands on the factory
On December 12, hundreds of factory workers wreaked havoc on the factory damaging the facilities' equipment and vehicles at the Narasupara situated factory of Wistron Infocomm India Pvt Ltd. Wistron, which is Taiwanese design manufacturer, has been making iPhones in India since 2017. In an FIR filed by Wistron against 7000 people including its 5000 contract workers, the company claimed that it suffered losses worth Rs 437 crore. However, it later revised the losses to Rs 50 crore. According to reports, thousands of iPhones were also looted from the factory during the vandalism.
The incident happened at a time when India is trying to attract investments from big companies across the world. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that Prime Minister Modi has expressed concern over the incident. Yediyurappa condemned the incident and that it was a very important company.
BS Yediyurappa
Karanataka


text:
New Program at Santa Clara University's Silicon Valley Executive Center Prepares Black Executives for Board Leadership
by savoystaff November 23, 2020
When Gov. Newsom signed AB979 into law on September 30, he opened the door to meaningfully increasing the contribution of leaders from underrepresented professionals of color to the boards of California's 662 publicly traded companies.
Amid this heightened awareness and momentum and as part of its commitment to becoming an anti-racist institution, Santa Clara University is launching a program to prepare senior Black executives for service on the boards of private and public companies in Silicon Valley, across the state, and nationwide.
The Black Corporate Board Readiness (BCBR) program is designed for executives and entrepreneurs with significant senior leadership experience who are interested in public or private corporate board service. Offered through Santa Clara University's Silicon Valley Executive Center, the BCBR program seeks to accelerate diversity in corporate governance with a goal of better business performance and encouraging racial justice.
"The response of venture capital, private equity, and executive search firms to the Black Corporate Board Readiness program concept and launch is incredibly heartening," said Dennis Lanham, executive director of Silicon Valley Executive Center. "Our extraordinary Program Advisory Council has guided us in designing a program that largely includes facilitators, mentors and advisors with lived experience of being seasoned Black corporate directors on many of the largest firms in Silicon Valley and beyond."
The first cohort of up to 25 participants will start online Feb. 4, 2021; a second cohort will start July 22, 2021. The BCBR program content comprises three major categories: the nuts and bolts of corporate governance; value proposition and recruiting process for board membership, and authentic discussions about the experiences and unique responsibilities as a Black board member. In addition to more than a dozen facilitated modules, each participant will engage in four hours of individualized mentoring and will meet a customized panel of senior advisers who will provide further feedback and networking recommendations.
The BCBR program builds on the success and insights from a similar SVEC program that prepares women for board service, the Women Corporate Board Readiness program, launched in 2019 and now recruiting for its fifth cohort, with 54 women in its alumni ranks.
Both programs offer Santa Clara University alumni a tuition discount, and corporations can sponsor their executives in these board readiness programs as a way to demonstrate commitment to diversity while advancing business interests.
"Diversity matters when it comes to results, as numerous studies confirm. This program aims to provide tangible experiences and skills to prepare Black executives for board service," said Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream, a member of several boards including Verizon, and author of Unapologetically Ambitious. "Board membership expands influence, builds or nurtures relationships, and helps leaders keep informed about cutting-edge issues in their industries and related ones. This program will help any leader feel comfortable finding their place in the corporate board ecosystem."
The opportunity is vast. Of the 662 publicly traded companies headquartered in California, 233 have all-white boards. Nationally, about 21.1 percent of new board members at S&P 500 companies in 2019 were people of color, as were only 15 percent at the 3,000 largest U.S. publicly traded companies.
The BCBR Program Advisory Council members, each of whom has extensive board experience, include:
Caretha Coleman, chair, The Leverage Network
Mark Goodman, chairman, MG Capital Holdings
Almaz Negash, founder and executive director, African Diaspora Network
Desirée Stolar, senior director, Management Leadership for Tomorrow
Robin Washington, former EVP and general counsel, Gilead Sciences
Barry Lawson Williams, retired managing general partner of Williams Pacific Ventures
Partners include Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Nasdaq Governance Solutions, The Boardlist, Trewstar Corporate Board Services, Stage 4 Solutions, African Diaspora Network, and Diligent. Sponsors include The Diversified Search Group and law firms Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom; and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
As part of the launch of the BCBR, Santa Clara University is hosting a series of Conversations on Diversity in Silicon Valley. Registration is free and open to the public.
Racial Justice Movement Has Shifted Venture Capital Attitudes to Address Diverse Entrepreneurs' Funding Gap
Artis Stevens Named New President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America


A lovely variety of forested trail loops, to several smaller summits, and rock bluffs, overlooking the Spallumcheen Valley above Armstrong.
Named after Rose Swanson, the daughter of Catherine and Augustus Shubert, famous Overlanders who homesteaded in the area in 1862. Mt. Swanson is accessed from the trail heading south from the right/west entrance of the parking area, and Mt. Rose is accessed from the trail on the left/east side. The two trails join to make a large loop, with two alternate side loops off each creating options for extended trips. More information available in the Vernon Outdoor Club's Hiking Guide available at most bookshops. A trail map is posted at the trailhead and each junction.
Heading south on Hwy 97 at Armstrong, take the Pleasant Valley Blvd entrance into town, then take the first right hand turn across the tracks, the second left turn onto Wood Ave and continue up the hill and across the tracks where the road becomes the Salmon River Road. Continue west on Salmon River Road out of Armstrong for about 4 km, Traveling through three right angle turns in the road, before you come to Hallam Rd. Turn left onto Hallam Rd, continuing for approx. 2 km, through two more right hand turns and winding road. As the road heads into the next corner, look for Chamberlain Road heading south on your left. Watch for traffic as you make the sharp turn back onto Chamberlain, continuing south along the now gravel road around another right angle bend for approx. 2 km, staying left at the fork, and looking for the parking area on your left a few hundred metres further on.
NOTE: Equestrian riders, there is limited parking at the trailhead for trailers.


Iceland-based multimedia artist, Philip Ob Rey, uses discarded VHS tapes to create haunting creatures that wander frozen landscapes.
Night forbade by a sunray. Not a bird to be heard, not a herd of grass to clench, no vengeful sun to pray.
Mysterious, mesmerizing, onilyrical, the V monoliths, somber giants built by Phillip Ob Rey, shaped as monsters of calm flesh limbs, carved into the lumps of the subterranean, revolve around calm crepuscular sceneries, lunar horizons of a frostbitten Iceland , and question the depths of our unconscious on the After, future of the human race. To smoke the jewels out off the sea carcasses, to swallow the vegetal back to the place Man disputes them. Where those giants were born, handsome sky-debris make the valleys, nascent forests grow betwixt their knees, forgotten beasts hallucinates the remains of a planet plundered by a snow chemistry.
Ob Rey summons from the dawn of the ancient world the primeval race of the mating giants, and reminds us that we do not live; we sit against a sky grey and sad and our eyes merely turn to ashes the last remains of the beautiful lands in which our ancestors dwelled. Thus is staged V, vision of a rebirth, of the impure Being according to the ancient Scriptures, creating in the manner of a nihilist prophet a magnified vision of primitive symbols, of holistic elements and exhausted naturalism of the end of a world, and the beginning of another existence.
There are curious shadow of opalines growing in the azure crevasses of our cornfields, a world grey and sadder then the ashes pounds relentlessly under the hard, breakable earth, and silent things float around us, in the sky.
In the form of an outstanding installation skeletonned with VHS film-rolls, he will present V, his new project. V senses, V awakenings, V Beings half-God half-Mortal staged through five medias, from the 80's to our (analogue film, digital 8mm videos, smartphone…) sublimed within a post-modern archeologic research, V visions, V HumantropicSenses, V-HS.
Night is a bird looking at his own head, the bird a mixture of every dreamers' dreams. Dreams so incomplete they incandesce red glares and upon awaking are forgotten.
These incredible images have such strength and tension in them which made me kinda nervous and palpitate. But at the same time, there is a peek of sadness and fragility captured in these moments. Just head over to Ob Rey's "V" HS Project to see more images. Let the images speak to you.


After 17 years of being a victim of unimaginable physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband, Native American actress Irene Bedard is now being victimized by her abuser in the courts.
While there are many agencies that help victims of domestic violence leave the dangerous situation, the judicial system then allows the abuser to continue to batter the victim in the courts. This 'assault by lawyers' must stop. It is a travesty that Ohio courts would return her son to a person who has perpetrated domestic violence.
When Irene was forced to return to Ohio she wanted to keep this matter private, just as she had hidden the bruises, scars and broken bones from friends and family for so many years. Family members, who love her dearly, went public with her story to help draw attention to her ordeal. While Irene did not initially want this information out in the public, now that it is, she realizes that she can no longer hide the secret she has kept for so long and will be speaking out publicly when she is ready. Right now, she is focused on the courts and gaining back custody of her son.
Irene does need your help. First, please write a letter to the politicians listed below asking them to intervene on Irene's behalf. Irene only wants two things from the lawmakers: to have the legal venue moved back to Alaska from Ohio, and to get her son back. A sample letter is provided below. Feel free to use your own words if you prefer.
Second, Irene's legal bills to fight this complicated case are mounting, and she needs the best representation possible to counter the many legal motions that are being filed against her. Irene would be very appreciative if you would donate on the Red Crystal Gala website (www.redcrystalgala.org), via the PayPal link, to help with her legal and living expenses as she fights this uphill battle to regain her son and her freedom.
Also, her abusive husband has not only taken her money and her son, he also has control of her image. Please be aware that the websites, Facebook and MySpace accounts under Irene's name are not being run by her at this time. She has no access to these accounts, only her husband does.
When Irene is ready, she will be launching new sites that are controlled by her. In the meantime, Irene will be using the Native Spirit PR & Entertainment website (http://www.nativespiritpublicrelations.com) as way to provide accurate information and to thank her many fans for the tremendous outpouring of support that she is receiving. She wants you to know that the information on this site will indeed be from Irene.
To send Irene your words of encouragement, write directly to her at irenebedard@roadrunner.com. Irene also would like to publicly thank all the family members and friends who have done so much for her these past few months. In particular, she would like to thank her niece Alia Davis who has work tirelessly on her aunt's behalf sending letters and posting information to get the word out about Irene's situation.
We thank you for your help, and please keep Irene and her son in your prayers.
Note: if an email address is not listed, go to the person's site and email via the website form.
Feel free to write your own letter in your own words.
I am writing to ask your support for Native American actress Irene Bedard, loved by Americans as the voice of Pocahontas in the classic Disney cartoon. After 17 years of being a victim of unimaginable physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband, Irene is now being victimized by her abuser in the courts.
When she mustered the courage to leave the abusive situation only months ago, she fled with her son Quinn to her home state of Alaska where she had family, employment and the support to heal. The failure of her Alaskan lawyer to protect her rights opened the door for her abusive husband to file 49 motions in the Greene County, Ohio courts that forced her and her son back to Ohio where she has no employment, no money or family. Her son was forced to return to her abusive husband, even after he essentially admitted to the abuse. Now she is a virtual prisoner in Ohio without money, as her husband has controlled her income, her career, and her life for 17 years.
While there are many agencies that help victims of domestic violence leave the dangerous situation, the judicial system then allows the abuser to continue to batter the victim in the courts. This "assault by lawyer" must stop. It is a travesty that Ohio courts would return her son to a person who has perpetrated domestic violence.
I am asking that you intervene in this situation to stop the courts from allowing her abuser to continue to assault her and her son. We are seeking justice for Irene and other domestic violence victims who once free of the abusive situation are then battered in the courts.
First, Irene wants her son back and away from her husband who has perpetrated unspeakable violence against her and whose actions are emotionally damaging her son. She fears for her son's future at the hands of her abuser.
Second, she wants the court venue to be changed back to Alaska where she and her son will have the support, both economically and emotionally, to heal from this horrible situation. In Ohio, domestic violence appears to have no bearing on custody, which is dangerous to the children in these situations.
While I know you do not have direct influence in the court system, I ask that you use any means at your disposal to intercede in the Greene County Courts and with Magistrate Cynthia Martin on Irene's behalf.
For more information about the case, contact Irene directly at irenebedard@roadrunner.com or contact Jody Roberts at 216-798-3349, jody@nativespiritpublicrelations.com. Thank you for listening to my concern and I hope that laws can be changed to prevent other victims of domestic violence from having to endure further abuse in the court system.
SAMPLE LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: Please send via the submittal form on the Whitehouse website at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact. Your submittal cannot exceed 2,500 characters.
I applaud you for passing the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 that helps protect Native American women from domestic violence and abuse. Because you are aware of the plight of Native women at the hand of abusers, I am asking for your support for Native American actress Irene Bedard, loved by Americans as the voice of Pocahontas in the classic Disney cartoon. After 17 years of being a victim of unimaginable physical and mental abuse at the hands of her non-Native husband, Irene is now being victimized by her abuser in the courts.
When she mustered the courage to leave the abusive situation only months ago, she fled with her son Quinn to Alaska where she had family, employment and the support to heal. The failure of her Alaskan lawyer to protect her rights opened the door for her abuser to file 49 motions that forced her and her son back to Ohio where she has no employment, no money or family. Her son was forced to return to her abusive husband, even after he essentially admitted to the abuse. Now she is a virtual prisoner in Ohio without money, as her husband has controlled her income, her career, and her life for 17 years.
While there are many agencies that help victims of domestic violence leave the dangerous situation, there are no laws to prevent the abuser from further battering the victim in the courts. This 'assault by lawyers' must stop. It is a travesty that Ohio courts would return her son to a person who has perpetrated domestic violence.
I am asking that you intervene in this situation to stop the courts from allowing her abuser to continue to assault her and her son.
Second, she wants the court venue to be changed back to Alaska where she and her son will have the support, both economically and emotionally, to heal from this horrible situation.
While I know you do not have direct influence in the Ohio court system, I ask that you use any means at your disposal to intercede on Irene's behalf and allow this case to proceed in Alaska or in a Tribal Court.
For more information about the case, contact Irene at irenebedard@roadrunner.com or Jody Roberts at 216-798-3349, jody@nativespiritpublicrelations.com. Thank you for listening.


The sinner's prayer, or the prayer of salvation, whatever you call it, it is a prayer that anyone interested in going to Heaven should pray. It doesn't matter what you think you've done or not done. Romans 10:9(mouse over the verse to see what it says).
If you prayed the prayer above, congratulations. You're name is now recorded in the Book of life.