Meri Biwi Kho Gayi… began with Maan Singh Khurana big business man in the field of Construction hot & dashing bachelor in town till he met his love of his life & got married to Geet Khurana 6 months back. He who rules the whole world is ruled by his Geet. But his worry started when Geet got missing one day… and he got to know that she was kidnapped by some Chindi Don… The don demanded 500 cr and Maan got ready …Maan gets worried for her and her safety while on the other hand Geet, enjoyed being captive.. ordering goons something or the other…Maan searched Geet and finally found her whereabouts … Maaneet met ..and got lost in the jungle… They decide to spend the night there… But in middle of the night Geet found something strange and out of curiosity she followed something.. then got lost in the graveyard… Maan got to know about her being missing yet again and started to search her …After a lot of searching he spotted her near water and takes her back to where they had set their tent… But this time Maan got angry on her …Geet was upset of his behaviour ..his ignorance…But soon got pacified with her manaofying him… And then He decided to get out form that jungle kind a place… Both started to move but just then Geet remembered that She forgot her camera-which she took with herself in the night for clicking picture's, there on the rock. So, she turned and went to get that … leaving Maan again to crib for her being missing…For one more time… Meri Biwi Kho Gayi Phirse.
Maan Singh Khurana, one of the leading businessmen in this present era; had luxury of all happiness in his life except one that was his lady love. He was not someone who would compromise for the anything in life. Everything around him moved according to his wishes but then he should have known that change is the only thing which is constant. This would be the very day things started to change for him. This is the very day he met Geet. His and only lady love.
He wouldn't have been in the plaza mall had it not been the very important meeting regarding the new project. The meeting went way beyond the schedule and now even the mall was up for closing. He skimmed through the doors of the mall to reach the exit. When something unexpected happened, he never expected to witness such a sight here. A girl in jeans and crop top was holding large canvas photo frame and arranging it in a gallery which was set to open next day. Even he had got the invitation for the opening ceremony but wasn't interested at that time to attend but now he was already reconsidering that thought. He remembered the owner's name on it. "Geet Gupta…was she her?" He thought.
The girl was in her own world arranging her articles for the next day. Each photo she hung was analysed thoroughly about its placement. There weren't any helpers around which clearly meant that she was the owner and who wanted things her way. He didn't know when he stood behind her. He didn't know from how long he was observing her. He wasn't the one who would give away to the temptations but today that was irresistible.
Few of her tendrils had come out of her pony tail and were playing on her forehead but she wasn't distracted from her work but someone else was getting disturbed by it. He wanted to push them aside as it was a hindrance for his adoration. A gentle breeze made him look at the sky making him realise even the stars didn't match the brightness which he witnessed in her. The most punctual had forgotten he had passed his dinner time or to say precisely the world around him. Suddenly he was reminded of some lines from an old song which he used to think as rubbish but then it suited him aptly now.
Love, his mind alerted him at that word but then his heart was lost beyond his control. It is true that if you get a small thing you wish for more. He wished to witness more of it too. He wished to be invisible so that she wouldn't find him staring at her. To his luck the lights went off reason he gauged it to be the closure of the mall. The guards might have missed looking at this side of the building as this was supposed to be inaugurated next day only. Whatever may be the reason? Now he stood watching her in low light and he could now clearly hear her complain to God.
He thought the lyrics of this song was apt for him as he was unsure of what will be her reaction when she notice him here and moreover he was also unsure when she would be his. Only then he could be at tranquilty. Nevertheless when his heart was busy analysing the unsurety his sensible mind pitched in to lead through the fogged path. Advantags of being a businessman, he knew how to tackle the hurdles of life instantly. Only facing her would end this uncertainity. What would happen at the most she would reject but he had everything in him that would make her his. Why would there be any hurdle? If she can't be in his home then he would shift into his. His love has led him to this stage; it would only let it lead the way to reach her.
After couple of attempts she was finally able to manage to search them but without the lighter or a match box it was of no use.
"Babaji, you helped me to find them. Now how do I light them up." She cribbed looking at the ceiling.
Maan smiled as he heard her complain and thought to face his future. He took out the lighter from his pocket and slowly started to light the candles which were spread out infront of her. Geet looked at the sole light which was diminishing the darkness in the room. Geet was startled out at first but then she thought some one else was still here and the mall people had not yet locked it. Hence she can always ask them to wait till she arranges the gallery.
The reply from Maan made Geet to observe him keenly. The light was still dim and he was glowing in the golden light. Now that she saw him there wasn't an iota of doubt about him being the new personified handsome man. Then her eyes caught his attire, that wasn't of any mall uniform and finally realisation dawn upon her. He wasn't what she had thought off. And that also they are struck in the closed mall here.
She panicked as she packed her bag, unknowingly brushing her fingers with the fire of candle. She gasped slightly at the touch of hot fire drawing Maan's attention towards the wound and Maan stretched out his hand whilst calling out loudly "Geet…" as if it burned him more than her. In a blink of eye he stood right behind her and took her fingers in his. He closed his eyes to etch these in his soul. Though the gap between them was not even a millimetre and he could see her but he wasn't able to feel her.
Maan opened his eyes only to see a bright light blocking his vision and some guy waving his hands in front of him.
He looked around to realise where he was? His new driver was trying to wake him up but why did he had to. He didn't wish to be alone away from Geet.
"prabhu…here have some water…" driver passed a bottle of water as he woke his master from some deep slumber.
He had to be calm and execute his plan efficiently to get his Geet back in his life forever. Maan wanted to end this hide and seek once it for all. Right now what he had to do was to wait for her return.
"prabhu… Chota maunh aur badi baat … If you don't mind can I ask something" Driver asked whilst Maan just nodded approving him to ask.
"prabhu … you seem quite disturbed, if you want you can share it with your servant." Driver requested.
"I was just worrying about Geet, she hasn't returned yet. Has she gotten into some trouble again is what I am wondering." Maan expressed his worry in front of his driver.
"prabhu… who is Geet??" he asked.
"As you say prabhu…" The driver said obediently. But his face clearly showed his confusion but then he cannot go against his master either so kept them to himself. There were numerous doubts which he wasn't able to comprehend but mainly it was only two questions which were troubling him too much. First why didn't his prabhu accept his true identity and secondly the most important why did he say that his wife is Geet and not Sita?
When Laxam was busy in searching the answers to them Maan happily dived into the memories of past the day he met her.
First Maan didn't hear what she said as he was busy taking her finger in his to sooth it but the touch made affected him and her eyes captivated him to forget the world around him. As slowly those words sank in he smirked widely and was back to corner her more.
"So you get affected with my presence, tell me do you get goose bumps when I touch you." Maan whispered into her ears as he drew a line with his finger on her arm. "Do you feel someone doing a somersault in your stomach when I pull you into my embrace like this?" He asked her cornering to a nearby wall.
"Who are you?" Geet asked gulping her saliva as she batted her eyelashes innocently somehow coming back to sense from the bewitching land of the necromancer. Who stood in full form today to swallow her in a second? She wondered was today some special day like full moon or blue moon where in these necromancer appeared to entrap new slaves.
"Maan Singh Khurana….." Maan said as he kept her captive in against the pillar. He slowly brought out a candle infront of her as he didn't want to miss the golden hue on her.
"You look magnificent in this light" he continued to say. With those words said Geet eyes became big wondering.
"Leave me" She pleaded half with fear of unknown.
"Why should I?" Maan replied still trying to close the distance which was apparently not much. Against his heart wish he gave a little space for her to sigh in relief but that one moment was what Geet needed to break free from the cage and cast away from his sight.
She flees to collect her bag but was stopped by Maan as he caught hold of her shawl making her stop in her tracks. "Where are you running? The mall is closed." Maan said pulling her back in place.
Maan was actually mesmerised with the surroundings. All these candles & its scent were only making the situation against him. As he forgot she doesn't know him and didn't realise he was forcing her on his tunes. A wrong step now would only give the mistress an upper hand in future is what he negated. The more he troubles her in his ignorance; he would have to pay penalty multifold for it ahead. The moment he said the mall is closed, a fear started to dwell in her heart that this man has planned all this to trap her here.
"Tell me where will you run now???" Maan said as his fingers raised her chin to look into her eyes.
She didn't want to show her feared self to him more than that how much he affected her. If only she could react normally; she would have made his life upside down by this time. There was something which held her back & rooted her in this place. Rather than meeting his eyes, she looked a bit below and next second regretted it too as now her eyes wandered in all wrong direction. His features were embedding in her essence and also wanted to preserve them in her camera. But something in her stopped putting them for business purpose; she shied thinking inwardly as she wanted it for herself only.
She thanked babaji as it was still dark and hid her sinful thoughts but again it was short lived as he brought out a candle from the next table to look at her more meticulously.
"Why??" Maan asks but Geet silence only makes him angered as why Geet refuses to reciprocate to his feelings. He who rules the world couldn't get the approval of his own lady love.
"I have to go home." Geet pleads again.
Not able to see the tears which were about to flow he pulled his mobile out and in a jiffy the doors were opened by bunch of mall staff who even apologized for the oversight and everyone were out of the mall. As she walked towards her vehicle the clog in her mind slowly evaded making her realise he wasn't that bad that she got scared. She only had to tell once and then they were out of the locked mall. Geet wanted to thank him and looked behind to know if he was anywhere near her but he was nowhere.
"Maan…" She called out from behind before he vanished this time.
His legs freezes as his name came rolling out through her lips.
Did he needed that invitation Maan thought anyways he had planned to gate crash the opening. But now he was more than happy to get the open invitation. "Meet you tomorrow then." Maan said before he signalled for his car.
"Geet…would you mind if I ask something." Maan asked as politely as possible but only he knew what his mind was already dreaming.
Geet stopped her bike and she stood facing Maan; the open air only made her more confident to face him.
"Marry me?" Maan said without a second thought as if he was offering some project to the other party.
Looking at the hesitance clearly written on her face; Maan's face saddens a bit making her feel terrible. Geet realize that he stood by her and helped her when she was in trouble. But that didn't mean she would agree for his proposal too. However Geet manages to think of a solution so that it doesn't hamper his happinesss "Maan…. I would agree if there is a snowfall in my home." Geet ran away in her vehicle leaving Maan baffled.
Laxman thought to take a round while his prabhu was busy in dyaana. He didn't want to be an object of his prabhu's wrath. Though he knew that his Prabhu is very composed person who wouldn't get angry still he didn't want to get into his bad books. His duty is to serve his master and hence thought to look for some food as in a while the sun would be high in the sky to announce the lunch time. And in this deserted place he had to find food for all the 3 viz his prabhu, matte and their servant himself.
While he was searching around the place his mind was still struck at one place why his prabhu addressed Maate as Geet not as seetha. After looking around for while he finally managed to get some fruits. And by looking at the fruit his mind also could think of one solution.
Fortunately this time also the answer was arrived at with reference to his television. He had watched Seetha aur Geeta the other day. And they looked alike so Seetha is equal to Geeta whom prabhu might be calling as just Geet. His small brain could only think of this best solution.
He collected as much food possible and came back to the car where his prabhu was busy in his dyaan and was probable even enjoying in it as a smile was plastered on his face. Laxman further thought he could ask for a raise in his salary too but the refrained himself as it was not even a week after his joining.
Now his next problem was how to wake his prabhu would he mind or not. Would he get anger for disturbing him? Well he could always try. After having enough battle he woke his prabhu and offered the food he had brought.
"Prabhu, what is unknown to you; Still I would tell you, before joining here as a driver I used to work in Ishwarchand Thakur's (Amitabh Bachan in Waqt movie) bungalow as a helper. Everything was just fine until his son Adi (Akshay Kumar) got married to Pooja (Priyanka Chopra). From that day onwards my life took a u turn." Laxman started to narrate his story.
"Why did Thakur's tortured you?" Maan asked wondering what happened with him.
"No No Thakur's are very good but the problem was Nattu bhai, Pooja's father (Boman Irani). Till today I don't know why he always keeps me away, to an extent that he runs the moment I am infront of him. Prabhu … do you know why? Can you please solve this puzzle for me?" Laxman hoped to get some answers today.
"First tell me you part of the story. I might figure it out for you." Maan replied as he wanted to know what happened in Thakur uncle's house. As Maan's father knew Ishwarchand Thakur quite closely.
"I only know this much…" Laxman said.
"What is the connection between you finding the food here and that Nattu Bhai." Maan asked again.
"One day unexpectedly Nattu bhai came home very happily and called me; I was very happy as today he didn't make me run nor did he ran but was welcoming me in open hands. He said he would take me to the film studio where Master Adi was shooting today. I thought he is happy as Master Adi got his first break but I was unaware of the brutal thinking of Nattu bhai. When we went to the studio he said there is a dress code & pushed me into a room asking me change into a red suit along with a helmet. I followed his instructions but when I came out he was not there. I started to look around the place when suddenly someone in the same dressed pulled me into a plane. I was very confused as the plane took off, I was stunned as to where they are taking me. Before I could think of any thing someone pushed me off the plane but fortunately God was with me as others also jumped behind me to save. After a while someone caught hold of my leg; like that everyone made a chain to save me but the air pressure was too high & hence the chain was broken. What happened next was unknown to until I got the consciousness and was struck in the nearby forest. I roamed around here for few days before finally coming out of it. One day suddenly I saw master Adi in an ad." Laxman said & suddenly started to sing.
La La La La La Laa La….
Surprisingly that was the only day when Maan could scare Geet as later it turned out to be the vice versa of it. She made sure to treat him as a friend, one day she might change her prospective but that was definitely not today was what she believed.
As the days rolled by Maan was getting used to her rule over him or to be loved being ruled by her. There was one such occasion that was on cards which could make help him mellow Geet. Though it was unknown as to how much he would succeed in that plan nevertheless he could always give it a try by arranging a party for her on her birthday.He always preferred privacy so he didn't invite anyone but planned a surprise party at her home itself. It wasn't that difficult to break in as he knew her arrival timings everyday. Everyday in and out time was known to him.
On that day Maan decorated the home and set the dinner table for two. He had been ignoring her calls from morning which he had never done earlier but then he was busy in surprise. It was 20 minutes past 10 in the night and Maan had been waiting from past 1 hour already. Geet usually made it by 8 but today she wasn't here that did trouble him. Then he also knew she forgets to take a look at the watch when she was busy in her work. He further thought just like the day he met her in the mall.
Here in the mall Geet had wound up by 7 itself but she was not in the mood to go home. She didn't wanted to be alone today so she visited every other street to keep herself busy. Whilst she cribbed "Babaji, out of all these days why Maan had to not pick her calls today itself?" She was already away from her parents and tomorrow on her birthday she would be alone too. Tired of walking she thought to finally crash the bed.
She methodically opened the door; however she didn't want to have anything but to directly land in the bed so she didn't bother to even switch on the lights or to change her dress. She was feeling extremely low because on her birthday there would be neither her family nor Maan. She chided herself saying "Why was she even expecting something from him? He didn't know also." Putting aside all the thoughts to rest she drifted into sleep on her bed next to Maan, who had also slept off while waiting for Geet.
It was somewhere in the middle of the night Geet turned and she felt a bit chill so she searched for some warmth and snuggled but in that process she felt a person next to her, she thought it is her Maa and murmur "Miss you a lot Maa…" But suddenly she realized it was not her maa as it was a hard and substantially heavy. "Did someone break into her home?" She wondered.
Geet went on scolding him while in between she didn't forget to spill all the profanities she could think of in the middle of the banging marathon. While at the other end Maan was startled at the sudden hits he was getting that too for planning a surprise for her.
"Geet…Geet… Stop." Maan tried to speak admist of the assault.
Geet's words made him think; he would have killed that person for intervening into his space & here what did he do? Maan would have gone into his deep thoughts but then "Ouch…" Geet's regular hits made him realize he needs to stop her or else he would definitely land in hospital. What will the world say if they come to know that he was beaten up by his lady love?
"Yes…" Maan said and got a reply "That's what you deserve." And Geet continued to ponder on him.
He caught hold of her hand tightly and pushed her on the bed. After a bit struggle he pressed himself more on her to keep her caged and she was below him; his one hand closed her mooth to stop her rattling while the other searched the bed lamp on her side table. Finally which felt like eternity Maan enlightened the room which put a full stop to all her struggle.
The moment Geet saw that it was Maan who was infront of her; there was a sudden delight that she hugged him with full force. All her gloominess of the evening had vanished just in a second.
One the other side Maan was surprised when she hugged him all of a sudden that too just after receiving the hammering. He could feel her shaken self and a bit sob did escape from her mouth. Against his hearts desire he parted a little and looked into her eyes to see what the matter was.
"Geet….what happened??? I am here, you don't have to get scared of me" Maan said wiping off the lone tear which was about to trail down her cheeks.
"I am not thief." Maan argued.
"Yes… that's why you have been ignoring my calls today." She cribbed and turned to move back into the living room so that she can show him the way out.
Geet stood in her track just outside her room and she cribbed to her babaji loudly so that even he could hear her out "Babaji…you could find me only this old track record as my Romeo…" saying so she wanted to bang something on him when he changed his record to something different.
Geet gets embarrassed as she finally could accept it to her self that he is the only one for her too.
"Hey-Ya,-Hey-Ya" Maan called her out of her lost self.
She knew he did think of her everytime and was a bit crazy too. Offcourse no one could beat her.
Geet felt something soft being showered on her. She thought it to be rose petals but when she opened her eyes to confirm it but then it wasn't. As creamy flakes kind of thing was getting showered from above.
"Maan… OMG… my home…owner uncle would blast me but how did this happen. Roof ceiling must have cracked and now the paint was falling apart. See I could feel the sticky material on my arm." Geet exclaimed.
"Geet… this is snow flakes." Maan said stopping her.
"Oh then definitely there is a crack in the roof… Babaji my whole month earnings would go for this repair now." Geet made a face as she was about to rush.
"Geet… Where are you going?" Maan asked.
"To get a shawal… it is very chill already and if this goes on the whole night then I would freeze in this chillness." Geet explained.
"Let me switch off the A/c then you wouldn't" Maan replied as he became concerned.
"Thank God. My roof is safe." Geet said.
"You have more concern for the roof and not mine." Maan cribbed as if it was his turn now.
"Now it is too late. I need to clear this up and sleep. Will you leave now?" Geet asked wanting to escape from his securitizing eyes.
"Not before we celebrate our day. Let me get the cake." Maan said as he walked into the kitchen to get it.
Before Geet could think of understand Maan was back with a cake which read Happy Birthday on it. She was overwhelmed that he did know that it was her day. Indeed he made it a very memorable day.
That was the night of a new beginning.
But today Geet was all alone in an isolated place away from Maan. She searched for her friend for more than half day there. Now after roaming around she had also lost her way out to reach to Maan. Unfortunately even her mobile was in her bag which was with Maan. She tried to look for any familiar clue around which she would have witnessed while reaching this place but then there were none and chances to reach safely back to her husband was diminishing. She had just yesterday told Maan that she wouldn't drift away from him; this time he would definitely not be nice.
She was tired of walking around the same place again and again. She was hungry too now, with the word food she was reminded of the breakfast which she shared with Maan in the morning but at this stage she even wondered whether she would ever get back to that place. Today was the worst day for her as she was unable to see her friend and also was unable to get back to the safe arms of her love.
After roving for few more miles she came across a beautiful lake but alas she neither was in the state to cherish that nature nor did she have any equipment to capture it to cherish later. But then she was too drained so thought to rest for a while in the shade near the lake.
She looked for some stones to hit them so that she could scare it away and save herself. But her patience was running out with the slow and scary self. The faster she escapes from this trap the faster she would be able to breathe peacefully. She swore that she would lock in her home for some time away from all the troubles.
Suddenly the sound became heavy; indicating that the uninvited guest was very near to her. She was ready to throw the stone when someone came running into her scaring her even more. But her scream made the other person even scarier.
"Who are you?" Geet was the first to realise and question at the person who was infront of her in a tribal dress is what she believed.
"I am your future husband." He said.
"What?" Geet exclaimed as she looked at the fat guy infront of her.
"Yes…kudiye…I will marry you." He said.
Geet thought she could take his help and walk out of this place. So she wanted to handle this person nicely and not instigate him and make situation even worse.
"What's your name?" Geet asked.
"oh…What else do you forget??" Geet asked.
"Who said I forget things… I always win in memory test." He said already forgetting what he acknowledged earlier.
"I don't agree with you." Geet argued.
"Then show me the road towards highway." Geet challenged.
"That grey patch road where big big color color boats zooms away. Even people sit those boats." Geet tried to describe in a different way to make him understand.
"Oh that way I know I know…" He agreed very easily but that made Geet wondered will he be able to show the right path or not.
Anyways she didn't have any other option to flow him. She could always give it a try. They both walked together for a long time along with speaking all kind of senseless things to kill there time. Suddenly she came across a place which she identified that to be the place where she and Maan had spent last evening. That lead was enough that she could find a way out of this jizsaw puzzle. But this Mama or Mame was taking into the woods which could lead her into deeper forest. She silently thought to dodge him and reach a way out.
And fortunately she did finally manage to do that and came to the place where she had left Maan. She prayed that he waited for her there itself and not ventured to search her in this place which was though isolated was easy to get lost.
Maan sat relaxed as he saw her coming running towards the car into his arms saying sorry for making him wait here and also for putting him under stress.
Maan was elated as at the end his Sajaniya did come back without his intervention. His plan to keep her friend hidden with him was sucessful. Now she would never run behind that.
"What you were sitting here and looking for girls to date." Geet said with astonishment.
"Arey… I was looking for secretary in naukri.com" Maan said before she went on to beat him again.
"Really…give me your laptop I will check…" Geet asked.
"Take it but now the battery has died you look at it after reaching home." Maan said.
Geet looked bit satisfied and agreed to look into it later whilst Maan looked for his driver Laxman and told him to take them home.
"Ji Prabhu…" He replied obediently.
"Geet… My wife." Maan said.
"But she is not Seeta then how can she be your wife." Laxman asked puzzled. This only resulted in glares from Maan to Laxman and Geet glaring at Maan. This was the first time Ram (Maan) would get slay because of Laxman that to in the hands of Seeta (Geet).


• 1995: Terra Incognita, short film, animation & live action with Michael Lonsdale; music by Susy Birgé. Production Pascavision/Canal+/ExMachina. Public prize at Imola.
2006: • Fukushima 'The Fox' (for the Japon).
• Fukushima 'Kohatayama' (for the Japon).
2005: • Fukushima 'The Mermaid' (for the Japon).
2000: • BillBoard 'Euronext' (for TV).
1998: • Peugeot 'Cartoon' (commercial).
1997: • Diadermine (TV commercial, technical sequence, 3D & 2D).
• Cinémalia (mMain credit for the Beauvais festival).
• Documentary about CGI for the Futuroscope.
• Onirique sequence for L'annonce faite à Marius included in the feature by Armelle Sbraire.
• Main credit for Un grand cri d'amour, feature by Josiane Balasko.
• Duracell (TV commercial for Italy, in CGI).
1990: • Patricia Kass, Commercial for the concert live record.


I am starting a new section of the blog, titled: Decorate.
I am not a professional designer, but in my head, I totally am. In that part of my head, I am also a skilled ballerina, so I don't know if that tarnishes my credibility as a designer somewhat.
I love design books and design blogs, and I am constantly moving things around in my own home, until they are "just right". I figured I would share some of the things that inspire me to not only organize my home, but decorate it.
Every couple of weeks, I will give a new decor suggestion. They will be easy to implement and hopefully will inspire you to continue adding touches to your home, so that your home feels like you. So that your home makes you feel how you want to feel.
This week I will share one of my favorite decorating ideas…using trays to decorate, cradle, and anchor miscellaneous items.
Traditionally, trays are used for serving food items, coffee and tea. I keep my nicer, sturdier trays for this purpose.
But I also use them all over the house.
Starting with the coffee table in our living room.
This is actually a cake platter from Ballard Designs, that I inverted to use as a tray. It is perfect for this small table.
In the dining room, I have a gray, narrow ottoman (Target clearance…yay!) that is nice on its own, but needed some jazzing up.
This gold croco-embossed tray was perfect to anchor the plant that sits on the ottoman.
When you have a soft surface, such as an ottoman, adding a hard element, such as a tray or a stack of books can add structure and interest to an otherwise boring piece of furniture.
I also love the gray and gold contrast.
In the family room I have an enormous tray that I found at ZGallerie (also clearance). It is also croco-embossed.
Trays are great for tables with miscellaneous items that may not go together. Once they are on a tray, they look organized and somehow tied together.
This is a great idea if you collect perfumes or figurines. If they are on a tray, they will look more like a cohesive collection, and more visually appealing.
Lastly, on the kitchen table we have a tray that corrals our vitamins, napkins and ceramic trivets. When I need to clear the table, I simply lift the tray, instead of all the items one-by-one.
Trays can do more than carry a tea service, they can add beauty and function to a space.
So I encourage you to dust off the trays that you have tucked away in the garage, or in the very back of the china cabinet.
If you already use trays, please share with me how. I love to hear from you!
I hope you enjoyed this new section of the blog!
In a few days, we will return to the Kitchen Organizing Series but for now, I hope that you enjoy your weekend, your family, your home.


In February, Dark Reading published, The Myth of Conventional Wisdom. I posted a comment. A rebuttal really. It is no longer on the website. (No comments or discussions are for the article.) I think the discussion—what Tim wrote and my opinions—might be useful to present here. So, read his piece (let me know if the link no longer works; I saved a copy). And then read what I suggest, below.
I believe you've misused the term "conventional wisdom." Conventional wisdom are things that are generally accepted as true by most people, not by experts in the field. I suggest that if you ask experts in the field—and for grins, let's stick with people who have been in the business for more than 2 years—you will find that none of the things you mention came as surprises. In fact, they could have been, and have been, predicted. But, using the correct definition of conventional wisdom, I agree with your assessment of conventional wisdom in the info security realm. You write, "The problem with IT security is that it's not a conventional discipline. It changes with the nature of the business and the nature of the threat." No. Particulars change, but fundamentally there is nothing new in the attack space, and has not been in years. Neither of the examples you give of zero-day attacks (are we really surprised that attackers go for the low-hanging fruit?) and identity fraud surprised experts in the field. The public believes that because loss of 100,000 credit card names and numbers will lead to more people exploiting more cards. The expert knows that you are still more likely to have you card number taken and used by the young waiter who served you last night.
And what network or security expert said that "DNS systems were unassailable"? Steve Bellovin discovered flaws in DNS almost 20 years ago and security extensions to DNS started in the late 90s. But, yes, "conventional wisdom"—which we see is no wisdom at all—would say otherwise.
"IT security 'wisdom'" is far from "fleeting." We just continue to forget the past, and believe that everything is new and needing new solutions. "The security pro" who forgets the basics and neglects what has worked before "will surely be the first one attacked tomorrow."


text:
Home Exclusives Exclusive Interviews Culinary Arts, Cadences and Cumbags: A Conversation with Big Baby Scumbag
Culinary Arts, Cadences and Cumbags: A Conversation with Big Baby Scumbag
fatboybrick
Photo by Jack Angell.
Tampa's own Big Baby Scumbag has solidified himself as one of Florida's rising superstars over the last three years. Since the release of his smash "Jelly" Scumbag has curated numerous cult classics, from "Tropicana", "Jameis Winston", and wide variety of other electric cuts. His exponential growth has proven to not only fans, but the world as well, that he is here to change the game. His strong sense of identity and classic ad-libs make Big Baby stand out on any instrumentation he blesses. We hopped on a call and talked about Ramen noodles, culinary preferences, his new merch, our love for Lil B and a sundry of other topics. Enjoy the gas below.
(This interview has been edited for grammar.)
Brick: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, the merch seems to be doing some solid numbers. What's the top selling item thus far?
BBS: By far the condoms man. Ive been wanting to do that for the longest. Big Pun is one of my favorite rappers and if you google Big Pun condoms, he had his own condoms back in the day. I basically just took inspiration from that. I'm promoting a good cause with protection and contraception and all that. It was a such a good marketing idea, for the longest my fans have been fucking around making a double entendre. Is his name Big Baby Cum Bag or Big Baby Scumbag?
Brick: Well you have a very fun fan-base that builds off of your internet persona, you're very active with your fans on that.
BBS: Yeah I saw that and since y'all wanna make jokes, okay I got something for y'all. I needed time to do it just to see the reception I would get. I didn't want to do it and have it flop. There's a phrase on the bottom corner of the condom that says "fuck them kids" so it added more fuel to the flames for people to love that shit, the most perfect time to do that shit.
Brick: Juvenile Hell has been out for a little while now, tell us about how you and Lex Luger linked up?
BBS: I met Lex Luger through Father. It's so funny, the last Daily Chiefers interview I did was like, late 2017 and it was with Joey. And Joey had asked me, you know who do you want to work with for a dream collab? And I just like, yeah Lex Luger for sure. I remember a couple days after that I made a tweet, Father had told me like yeah he knows Lex and he threw me some beats that Lex had gave him. So Lex didn't know me personally at the time at all, and I ended up dropping a song called "Metal Gear Solid". And of course I tagged Lex Luger in the post and it caught his attention and he personally reached out to me. I thought he was gonna be like where'd you get this beat from?
Brick: Yeah like pay me for this shit!
BBS: Yeah like where'd you get this beat from, I didn't send you this beat. But he was like yo this shit is fire, let's work on some shit. And it was on from there.
Brick: So it was all very cohesive and genuine, and then you guys just built off that. It's a great project with a common theme of vibrant aggression and I feel like you're more unhinged than you had been before. It's very consistent sound, but what separates you from the rest of the pack?
BBS: Versatility, originality, and that's it bro. I don't have some gimmick behind me bro, what you see is what you get. It's like everyday shit. You know the whole NASCAR shit, I'm from Florida and we grew in a NASCAR capital. So I grew up and going to to thrift stores and seeing NASCAR all the time. I posted a meme on my IG yesterday and it said 2006 Tampa and it was a NASCAR jacket, cargo shorts, a Dupont Jeff Gordan hat and some big ass earrings. And literally that was the mid 2000s Tampa outfit. Hood n****** not knowing nothing about NASCAR, but we're wearing it because Tony The Tiger or the Lucky Charms Leprechaun is on it. Like we just thought that shit was cool or whatever and the urban community turned it into a fashion statement. I feel like as an artist I took that shit and brought it to, the music side of shit and showed people this where I'm from. Like this is what we're into a took it to the next level.
Brick: How surreal was it to have the Lil B shout out on the beginning of Juvenile Hell?
BBS: Oh dude, bro Lil B is my favorite rapper dude.
Brick: What's your favorite Lil B project?
BBS – My favorite Lil B project has gotta be Blue Flame, because it's the first project I listened to all the way through. There was this era where Lil B was just dropping videos every other day, video after video. It was from like 09 to 2012. And it was like my favorite era, and he had been solo for a minute, but his shit really started to pick up around 2010.
Brick: So that was right around when "I'm God" dropped, sort of around Everything Based, which is my favorite Lil B project.
BBS: Yeah, Everything Based is fire too, I fucked with Everything Based. Bro he dropped "Wonton Soup", "Ellen Degeneres", "Mel Gibson", all types of shit. Yeah man Lil B is such a role model to me when it comes to music and shit. It was such an honor to have him on the tape, I wanted to make it sound nostalgic. When you heard these old 2008, 2009 mixtapes, you would hear these janky voicemails.
Brick: Kinda like a "Silver Surfer Interlude" type thing.
BBS: Exactly, I thought I wanted him to record it in the studio, but I wanted it to sound authentic, so I just told him to do a voice memo and send that to me. And we put that shit on the tape.
Brick: Is there a collaboration in the vault?
BBS: Oh yeah fasho, we got one in the vault, we recorded it earlier this year and it's gonna drop on the next project.
Brick: Hell yeah, well anyway how spicy do you like your Ramen noodles?
BBS: Spicy as hell, like to the point where not so much you cant enjoy it, but like right before that point.
Brick: So to the point you're clearing out your nasal passages.
BBS: Exactly.
Brick: I feel that, that's kinda where I'm at too.
BBS: Cuz if you got a cold or some shit, you know what I'm saying. You can eat that shit and feel better. There's nothing worse than eating super hot food. So check it out, I was making jerk chicken a couple weeks ago, so me and my girl we go the store and we had never made jerk chicken together before. So I grab the jerk seasoning and go, but what you gotta understand is a Caribbean spicy is way different than American spicy. American spicy isn't shit. If you go to any spanish, Haitian, Jamaican restaurant or wherever, if the shit says it's spicy it's gonna spicy.
Brick: Like you're gonna be sweating when you're eating that shit for sure.
BBS: Bro, I drenched the chicken in jerk seasoning not knowing, how hot it was gonna be. That shit was horrific, but I still ate it because I was hungry as fuck.
Brick: You're committed at that point, you don't want to waste it.
BBS: Yeah we waited two hours for the chicken to bake, like we're both hungry I'm not gonna waste this.
Brick: Well you've showed the world how to make fried bologna sandwiches and some glizzies, is there a cookbook in the works or a show in the near future? Would you be considering that?
BBS: Yeah, I actually want to make a cookbook, I want to do a web-series of cooking and shit. Like I gotta actually write down recipes to make it perfect. I wanna have the top-notch recipes that are proven to be come out good every time. Because sometimes I just be mixing shit up, so if I do come out with a cook book it's gonna be one tablespoon of this, you know precise measurement. Just so it comes out right every time. Yeah that's definitely in the making. I watch Fuck That's Delicious with Action Bronson and RIP Anthony Bourdain.
Brick: Bro I loved No Reservations and Parts Unknown, they let that man make the same show 3 different times because it was so good.
BBS: He had came to Tampa once, there's two restaurants he went to in Tampa, one is called La Teracita and it's like a Cuban spot and he went to Taco Bus. Which is a literal school bus where they pulled out all of the seats and turned it into a fucking taco truck.
Brick: How do you start your day? Regardless of whether you're going to the studio or not, what are the main habits for Big Baby Scumbag?
BBS: I would say… they say this is unhealthy but you know looking at your phone as soon as you wake up is bad for you, but I just can't help it.
Brick: Yeah, it's very difficult.
BBS: Nah foreal dude, I'll wake up and go through all my texts and whatever the fuck and I'm laying there for an hour just on my phone before I get up.
Brick: What time do you actually wake up?
BBS: I'm gonna say like it really depends, man I'm trying to become more of a morning person. It's hard when you're in routine for so long to wake up late. Like once upon a time I was waking up at 2, 3 in the afternoon. It's better now. You feel a lot better when you wake up early in the morning. You feel better about yourself and you're up super early when most people aren't up this early, like yeah I'm getting work done motherfucker.
Brick: From your collaborations with Oliver Francis, Pollàri, Swaghollywood to Black Kray, you're not afraid to expand creatively. Which artist or producer brings out the best Big Baby Scumbag?
BBS: Definitely Chris Surreal man, Chris has literally last night sent me some hard ass shit and honestly bro, Chris Surreal and PoloboyShawty. I got a homie named Fanboi, that produced 3 songs off my new tape. There's some beats that I have to warm up to. Like I have to listen to them a few times to catch something, then there's some shit that as soon as you hear that shit, it's like, that it, you know.
Brick: Right, the feeling is already there.
BBS: Yeah for sure, "Dale Earnhardt", before I started writing to that song, I just had the concept in my head. For some reason I wanted to say "Dale Earnhardt" as the song. Like I went through 10 different beats and kept saying "Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt" on some super repetitive shit. And whatever one sounded or felt the best and I was keeping that one. So Chris Surreal sent me the "Dale Earnhardt" beat and that shit felt so right bro, I wrote that shit in like 10 minutes bro. It was nuts. A lot of producers bring the best out in you, they're so familiar with what sounds best for you. I don't want a Big Baby Scumbag type beat. I want your original beats. A lot of people kept sending me Zaytoven type beats and Gucci Mane type beats and that's cool, but I wanted to make my own lane and my own sound.
Brick: It's different for every artist and it's different for every producer, it's that moment in time that builds off your mood and your energy. You have stayed yourself and have a greats sense of identity, this is who you are and it doesn't seem like you've tried to be someone you're not. It's cool to see an artist stay true to themselves. You've just made hard ass music for three years.
BBS: I feel like any type of music I've made, it's gonna have the Big Baby touch to it no matter what. I could turn around and make an auto-tuned song, and a pop song, but those ad-libs are still gonna be there. Bro I have country songs I done made, I have pop shit, all types of shit that nobodies even heard.
Brick: It's just a matter of time. Are they're any artists and producers not in the rap realm that you want to work with specifically?
BBS: Uhm, yeah I really love, even though I wouldn't call him a rap artist, Theophilus London. I grew up listening to a lot of Theophilus. I wanna work with Dev Hynes, I wanna work with Grimes, uhm yeah I feel like I'm at the point now with experimenting with shit. More so than my mindset a couple years ago, even year ago. I'm comfortable with my artistry and my abilities. I'm so comfortable with myself, anything I put my effort into, I will make it the best I can make it. Nobody can say I switched up, or I miss the old Big Baby.
Brick: Do you have a message for Tampa Bay and your fans all over the world?
BBS: Stay true to yourself man, life gets rough out here but you gotta keep pushing man. We're all in this together and let's help each other out. We only got one life to live, let's live this shit. Take risks, don't be scared of nothing. It's too many people out here living everyday afraid to chase their dreams, thy're just stuck. I've dealt with that for a long time before I started rapping, stay focused on your path. Don't let nobody knock you off of that. You gotta leave behind a legacy for your family. Shouts out the whole world.
Big baby Scumbag
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Jan 20 : With the annual feast of St Lawrence Minor Basilica to be held from January 27 to January 31, 2019, novena prayers as preparation for the feast were inaugurated by Sunil Kumar, chief whip, Karnataka state legislative assembly.
John D'silva, vice President of parish pastoral council welcomed the gathering. Leena D'Silva, secretary of parish pastoral council proposed the vote of thanks. The programme was compered by Richard Pinto, coordinator of 18 Commission.
Former MLA Gopal Bhandary, Zilla Panchayat member Reshma Uday Shetty, Taluk Panchayat member Harishchandra, St Lawrence Minor Basilica rector Fr George D'Souza, assistant parish priest Fr Jencil Alva were present on the occasion.


Apartment in Marina di Casal Velino per 4 persons. Situated on the first floor, Apartment 567, is perfect for those wishing to relax away from confusion and noise, yet a 2 minutes from all the amenities of the village centre. The apartment is about 35mq. On the first floor has a kitchen area with single or double bed, TV, 1 bedroom with 2 single beds, bathroom with shower and washing machine. From the room with 2 beds leads to a large terrace of 16 sqm. Guests can enjoy a large parking auto. Other services: wi-fi, washing machine, bed linen and towels (on request). The Apartment 123 is located in a wonderful position close to the golden beaches of Casal Velino Marina, a seaside resort of Cilento, near Capri and Amalfi Coast. Casal Velino Marina and many other coastal towns of Cilento is awarded since 2009 the Blue Flag by FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education).
Distance from the town centre 300 m.


text:
Q: execution of the interrupt based on condition I have declared an interruption but I want to execute it only when one boolean variable is equal to true.
Other words:

*

*when boolean value is true -> "listen" for interruption,

*when boolean value is false -> "don't listen" for interruption

Is there any way to achieve this?

A: The concept of an interrupt might be confusing sometimes. In general the interrupt will be executed independently of any variables. You can't define the condition in this way. If you want to control the interrupt you need to enable or disable it.
The real interrupt enable flag can be at several locations depending on the hardware platform. The AVR micro-controller (used on most Arduino devices) gives you two possibilities: source interrupt enable at the peripheral rasing the interrupt request and global interrupt enable.
You should not disable the global interrupt flag except for a very short period of time. This could give you side effects that you wouldn't expect, e.g. serial output to PC. You would probably seeing nothing anymore.
The interrupt enable bits (flags) at the peripherals have individual meanings. So you must lookup the flags in the manual for the specific peripheral. The USART has three interrupts enable flags: RXCIE, TXCIE, and UDRIE for "RX complete", "TX complete", and "USART data register empty". Please look in the manual for details.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Archive | Judicial review
Bitterrooters for Planning, Inc. v. Mont. Dept. of Envtl. Quality
in 7-0, Affirmed & reversed, Judicial review, MEPA, Montana Water Quality Act, Right to meaningfully participate, Sandefur, J., Summary judgment
Bitterrooters for Planning, Inc. v. Mont. Dept. of Envtl. Quality, 2017 MT 222 (Sept. 5, 2017) (Sandefur, J.) (7-0, aff'd & rev'd)
Issue: (1) Whether MEPA requires DEQ to consider non-water-quality-related environmental impacts of the construction and operation of a retail store as secondary impacts of a groundwater discharge permit for an onsite wastewater treatment system; and (2) whether MEPA requires DEQ to identify the actual owner or operator of a wastewater treatment facility prior to issuing a groundwater discharge permit.
Short Answer: (1) No, and (2) yes.
Affirmed and reversed
Facts: In April 2014, DEQ received an application for a Montana groundwater pollution control system permit to discharge wastewater into groundwater on the site of a contemplated commercial development near Hamilton.…
Blaine County v. Stricker
in 5-0, Affirmed & reversed, Baker, J., Human Rights Commission, Judicial review, MAPA, Standard of review
Blaine County v. Stricker, 2017 MT 80 (April 11, 2017) (Baker, J.) (5-0, aff'd and rev'd)
Issue: (1) Whether Judge Sherlock correctly concluded that the commission improperly modified the hearing officer's findings; and (2) whether Judge Reynolds correctly concluded that Judge Sherlock erred.
Facts: Allen Longsoldier, Jr., an 18-year-old Native American, died from delirium tremens while in custody at the Hill County Detention Center. Longsoldier's estate brought this case from the Human rights Bureau, alleging discrimination on the basis of race and disability. The hearing officer concluded the counties had not discriminated against Longsoldier. The estate appealed to the Human Rights Commission, which found clear error in the findings and concluded the counties had discriminated and remanded to the hearing officer to determine the appropriate relief.…
Rimrock Chrysler, Inc. v. State
in 5-0, Affirmed & reversed, Baker, J., Federal preemption, Judicial review, Justiciable controversy, Subject matter jurisdiction
Rimrock Chrysler, Inc. v. State, 2016 MT 165 (July 12, 2016) (Baker, J.) (5-0, aff'd & rev'd)
Issue: (1) Whether the district court erred by assuming subject matter jurisdiction to review Lithia Motors' administrative protest; and (2) whether the district court erred by dismissing Rimrock's petition for judicial review on the grounds of mootness.
Affirmed (1), reversed (2), and remanded
Facts: Lithia Motors bought a Dodge franchise in Billings in 2003. At the time, Dodge was a division of Chrysler, LLC (Old Chrysler). Old Chrysler filed for bankruptcy in April 2009. AS part of its restructuring, Old Chrysler rejected 789 existing dealer agreements, including Rimrock's in May 2009. Most of Old Chrysler's assets were sold to Chrysler Group, LLC (New Chrysler.…
Peretti v. State Dept. of Revenue
in 5-0, Judicial review, McGrath, C.J., Reversed, Standard of review, Tax appraisal
Peretti v. State Dept. of Revenue, 2016 MT 105 (May 10, 2016) (McGrath, C.J.) (5-0, rev'd)
Issue: (1) Whether the district court erred in reversing the State Tax Appeal Board's valuation order; (2) whether the district court erred in awarding administrative trial costs to the taxpayers; and (3) whether the district court erred in ordering DOR to return all taxes paid under protest.
Short Answer: (1) Yes; (2) yes; and (3) yes.
Reversed with instructions to reinstate the STAB valuation order
Facts: Perettis own Flathead Lake property with lake frontage. DOR appraised the property in 2012, based on market value in July 2008, and Perettis appealed to the county board. The county board reduced the appraised values from $1,356,201 to $1,192,500 for the land, and $166,980 to $125,000 for the improvements.…
Mashek v. Dept. of Public Health & Human Svcs.
in 5-0, Collective bargaining, Internally equitable pay, Judicial review, Reversed, Rice, J., State employees
Mashek v. Dept. of Public Health & Human Svcs., 2016 MT 86 (April 12, 2016) (Rice, J.) (5-0, rev'd)
Issue: Whether the hearing officer and district court erred in holding that the statutory Broadband Pay Plan factors preempt the collective bargaining process.
Facts: Plaintiffs are compliance specialists for the Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) of DPHHS, pay band 6, employed by the state and belonging to MEA-MFT Local 4573. The collective bargaining agreements to which 4573 and the state are parties have two-year terms beginning on July 1 of odd years and ending on June 30 two years later. In May 2011, while Local 4573 was negotiating for the 2011-2013 contract period, plaintiffs filed a complaint against the department alleging that their pay was not "internally equitable" in comparison with pay band 6 compliance specialists in other state agencies, in violation of § 2-18-301(4), MCA.…
In re Vaughn School Transfer Petition
in 4-1, Affirmed, Judicial review, McKinnon, J. (dissenting), Rice, J., School law
In re Vaughn School Transfer Petition, 2015 MT 313 (Nov 3, 2015) (Rice, J.; McKinnon, J., dissenting) (4-1, aff'd)
Issue: Whether the district court erred by affirming a panel of county school superintendents' decision to dismiss a school territory transfer petition.
Facts: The Hillcrest Hutterite Colony Attendance Center in Cascade County was formed after several colony members petitioned the Vaughn School District's Board of Trustees in February 2013. The school district and the colony entered into a contract under which the school district agreed to provide educational services in exchange for use of a colony facility. The parties agreed that the school would be operated as a public school of the Vaughn School District. The district employs a full-time teacher and a teacher's aide at the center, and provides books, equipment and teaching supplies.…
Cruson v. Missoula Elec. Cooperative, Inc.
in 5-0, Affirmed, Baker, J., Board of Labor Appeals, Judicial review, Unemployment benefits
Cruson v. Missoula Elec. Cooperative, Inc., 2015 MT 309 (Oct. 27, 2015) (Baker, J.) (5-0, aff'd)
Issue: Whether the district court erred in affirming the Board of labor Appeals' conclusion that Cruson was disqualified for unemployment benefits because his voluntary termination did not constitute good cause attributable to his employment.
Facts: Missoula Electric Cooperative employed Cruson as a master electrician from October 2001 until May 2013. In 2009, shortly after Mark Hayden became general manager for MEC, Cruson complained that unqualified employees were doing work that only an electrician could perform, jeopardizing his license. In response, Hayden implemented a computer system that allowed employees like Cruson to review whether work orders were being assigned properly. MEC contacted the state electrical board in 2012 for guidance regarding the scope of practice of a lineman versus an electrician, and received an email from the board's attorney confirming that certain electrical work exceeds the scope of a lineman's practice.…
In re Poplar Elem. v. Froid Elem.
in 4-1, Judicial review, Preserving issue for appeal, Reversed, Rice, J., School law, Shea, J. (dissenting), Summary judgment, Territory transfer, Waiver
In re Poplar Elem. v. Froid Elem., 2015 MT 278 (Sept. 17, 2015) (Rice. J.; Shea, J., dissenting) (4-1, rev'd)
Issue: Whether the district court erred in holding the county superintendent abused his discretion by receiving unsworn statements as evidence in the territory transfer hearing.
Facts: In March 2013, Froid's board of trustees and a group of Roosevelt County electors petitioned the Roosevelt County school superintendent to transfer territory from the Poplar school district to the Froid school district. Poplar opposed the transfer. By statute, the county superintendent was required to hold a hearing on the petition. She appointed Paul Huber to act as deputy superintendent to hold the hearing and decide the petition.…
Whitehall Wind, LLC, v. Montana Public Service Commission
in 5-0, Baker, J., Judicial review, Legally enforceable obligation, Public Service Commission, Reversed
Whitehall Wind, LLC, v. Montana Public Service Commission, 2015 MT 119 (May 5, 2015) (Baker, J.) (5-0, rev'd)
Issue: Whether the district court properly reversed the PSC's determination that Whitehall had not established a legally enforceable obligation to deliver energy to Northwestern.
Reversed and remanded for reinstatement of the PSC's June 2012 order
Facts: Federal law requires large electric utilities to buy available energy from qualifying facilities, which may provide energy, capacity or both pursuant to a contract or a legally enforceable obligation. Montana law requires the PSC to set rates and conditions if a qualifying small power production facility and a utility are unable to mutually agree to a contract for the sale of electricity.
Whitehall Wind is a qualifying facility, and Northwestern is a public utility subject to the PSC's jurisdiction.…
Montanans Against Assisted Suicide v. Board of Medical Examiners
in 5-0, Affirmed, Judicial review, Mootness, Wheat, J.
Montanans Against Assisted Suicide v. Board of Medical Examiners, 2015 MT 112 (April 28, 2015) (Wheat, J.) (5-0, aff'd)
Issue: Whether the district court properly dismissed MAAS's petition as moot.
Facts: The Montana Supreme Court issued its opinion in Baxter v. State, 2009 MT 449, on Dec. 31, 2009, holding that a terminally ill patient's consent to physician aid in dying constitutes a statutory defense to a charge of homicide against the aiding physician when no other consent exceptions apply. At the request of two doctors, the Board of Medical Examiners drafted a position statement explaining the effect of Baxter on its discipline policy for physicians who aid patients in dying. The board notified interested persons of the final draft, and adopted an amended version of that draft in January 2012.…


text:
Not to be confused with Samaritans (charity).
Crisis relief & development
Boone, North Carolina, USA
Direct aid
> US$300,000,000[1]
www.samaritanspurse.org
Samaritan's Purse is an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization that provides aid to people in physical need as a key part of its Christian missionary work. The organization's president is Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham. The name of the organization is derived from the New Testament Parable of the Good Samaritan. Their international headquarters are in Boone, North Carolina.
The organization has been criticized for requiring recipients of aid to participate in religious activities, for Graham's controversial statements, and for his compensation; in 2020 it became an honorary citizen of Cremona.[2]
2 Programs
2.1 Operation Christmas Child
2.2 Emergency aid
3 Financials
5 Response to the COVID-19 outbreak
5.1 Italy
5.2 Alaska
5.3 New York
5.3.1 Criticism
Samaritan's Purse was founded in 1970 by Baptist pastor Robert Pierce (Bob), the founder of World Vision International, in Boone, North Carolina. [3][4]
Franklin Graham met Pierce in 1973, and they made several trips together to visit relief projects and missionary partners in Asia and elsewhere. Graham became president of Samaritan's Purse in 1979 following Pierce's death in 1978.[5]
In 2020, Samaritan's Purse has offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and the organization provides assistance in more than 100 countries.[citation needed]
According to NBC News and Gothamist, volunteers are required to adhere to a statement of faith, agreeing to a definition of marriage as "exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female" and acknowledging that "[God] will banish the unrighteous to everlasting punishment in hell."[6][7][8]
Programs[edit]
Samaritan's Purse includes several ongoing ministries.[9]
Disaster Relief responds to emergency situations.[citation needed]
World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan's Purse, was founded in 1977 by brothers Dr. Richard Furman and Dr. Lowell Furman to enable doctors to serve short-term assignments at overwhelmed missionary hospitals.[citation needed]
Children's Heart Project provides surgery for children born with heart defects in countries where proper care is not available.
Turn on the Tap is a campaign to provide safe drinking water in the developing world.[citation needed]
Operation Christmas Child[edit]
Operation Christmas Child was created in 1990 by Dave Cooke and his wife Gill for children in Romania.[10][11][12]Each November thousands of churches, schools, groups and individual donors prepare and collect shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other small gifts. A booklet of bible stories is often distributed alongside the shoebox gifts which are given to children based on need alone, regardless of their faith. These boxes are then distributed overseas by volunteers. As of April 2015[update], over 124 million boxes have been delivered.[13]
The program uses "follow-up" evangelism[14][15][16] with pamphlets of bible stories that are given to families that receive the boxes,[17] and an organizer for Operation Christmas Child says his goal every day is to "expand [God's] kingdom through Operation Christmas Child."[citation needed]
The follow-up evangelism program of Operation Christmas Child is called "The Greatest Journey". It is a 12-week discipleship program for children who receive shoebox gifts.[18]
Operation Christmas Child in the US has over 9,000 year round volunteers and over 100,000 short term volunteers.[citation needed]
Emergency aid[edit]
One of Samaritan's Purse planes used for the emergency transport of basic necessities and aid workers in Birmingham, England, 2019
The organisation's medical mission in Liberia, West Africa, was one of only two medical NGOs active in Liberia during the beginning of the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Samaritan's Purse and SIM USA both have been actively engaged in treating the recent outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Liberia. On August 1, 2014, the organisation announced that it was evacuating 60 nonessential personnel from Liberia. Dr. Kent Brantly, a Texas-based doctor working for the organisation, was the first U.S. Citizen to contract the Ebola virus in Liberia while treating the disease. He arrived in the United States on Saturday, August 2, and was treated and subsequently released after nearly three weeks in a special isolation unit of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.[19][20][21][22] The organization recorded their mission in Liberia in the documentary Facing Darkness. Samaritan's Purse has a fleet of 21 planes and 2 helicopters for the emergency transport of basic necessities and aid workers. [23]
Financials[edit]
In the fiscal year ending December 2012, Samaritan's Purse generated over $376 million. Of that amount, 89.3 percent goes directly to projects; 4.3 percent is used for administrative support; and 6.2 percent is spent on fundraising. The organization has received a 4 star rating (out of 4 stars) from the monitoring organization Charity Navigator.[24] The "Consolidated Statement of Activities" section of the organization's 2014 accountant's report lists the total revenue as $520.4 million.[citation needed]
Controversy[edit]
In March 2001, The New York Times reported that Samaritan's Purse had "blurred the line between church and state" in the way it had distributed publicly funded aid to victims of the January 2001 and February 2001 El Salvador earthquakes. Residents from several villages stated they first had to sit through a half-hour prayer meeting before receiving assistance.[25] In a statement, USAID said Samaritan's Purse had not violated federal guidelines, but emphasized the need for the organization to "maintain adequate and sufficient separation" between prayer sessions and publicly-funded activities.[26]
In 2003, Islamic leaders criticized Samaritan's Purse within the United Kingdom after its president, Franklin Graham, stated that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion",[27][28] leading to opposition campaigns by the Islamic leaders.[29] Samaritan's Purse responded to accusations of being anti-Islamic by highlighting their long history of non-denominational co-operation and charity work in Baghdad without attempting to preach or proselytize.[30]
The Operation Christmas Child project has been criticized in several countries, most notably in the UK,[31][32] but also in Ireland,[33] India[34] and Canada.[35][by whom?][clarification needed] In the United States, Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has stated that such religion-and-relief groups are "using their position of power to try to persuade people to leave their faith."[36] In 2003, The British supermarket chain Co-op and South Wales Fire Service both suspended their support for the project after numerous complaints about its religious connections.[28][37] Samaritan's Purse responded by stating that Christian literature was only handed out where it was deemed appropriate.[37]
Franklin Graham drew scrutiny in 2009 for drawing a full-time salary from Samaritan's Purse, while at the same time receiving a full-time salary from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). This was called into question after his 2008 compensation from both organizations totaled $1.2 million. (Most of this was the result of a new IRS rule that required him to re-report deferred retirement contributions that had already been reported over the previous three years.[38]) Some experts on non-profits have questioned whether one person can perform two full-time jobs leading organizations that employ hundreds and spend hundreds of millions around the world.[39] In response to the questions about his compensation, Graham decided to give up his salary from BGEA, stating his calling to the ministry "was never based on compensation." He also had contributions to his retirement plans suspended until the economy bounced back.[40] However, Graham was again criticized in 2015 when it was revealed he had again taken up his salary from BGEA, and that his annual compensation was significantly higher than that of the CEO's of similar but much larger non-profit organisations [41]
In 2010, Flavia Wagner and two Sudanese men were kidnapped while working for Samaritan's Purse in Sudan. The two men were released promptly, but Wagner was held for three months. Upon her return to the US, Wagner sued Samaritan's Purse and their security contractor, Clayton Consultants, a hostage negotiation consultancy owned by Triple Canopy, accusing the organization "of failing to train its security personnel adequately and of willfully ignoring warning signs that abductions were a threat to foreigners." The organization settled out of court in March 2012.[42][43]
In August 2013, Thankyou Group announced that it will no longer support Samaritan's Purse because it is not a signatory to the code of conduct run by the Australian Council for International Development, which bans aid as a vehicle for promoting religion or political groups.[44]
In October 2014, Samaritan's Purse threatened legal action in the UK against the posters of online comments on the discussion forum Mumsnet. The resultant letters prompted one of the busiest discussions on the site's "Am I being Unreasonable" forum.[45]
Response to the COVID-19 outbreak[edit]
Italy[edit]
On March 17, 2020, Samaritan's Purse dispatched over 60 disaster response specialists, 20 tons of medical equipment and a field hospital to Cremona, Italy which started operations on March 20, 2020.[46][47][48][49]
Alaska[edit]
Samaritans' Purse airlifted 8 tons of medical supplies to Alaska on April 7, 2020 to help provide supplies to remote communities.[50][51][52]
New York[edit]
In cooperation with New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital, Samaritan's Purse constructed a 14 tent, 68-bed field hospital in Central Park on March 29, 2020 to increase Mount Sinai's surge capacity.[46][53][54][55] Through April, over 190 people were treated there. By early May, all patients had been discharged, and there were plans to dismantle the tents.[56]
Before the field hospital opened, journalists, politicians and LGBTQ activists raised concerns that it was only recruiting Christian medical staff and that it would provide inadequate and discriminatory care.[49][57][58][59][60][61] New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that the presence of Samaritan's Purse was "very troubling," while New York State Senator Brad Hoylman told NBC News that he considered it "a shame that the federal government has left us in the position of having to accept charity from such bigots".[57][62][63][64] Franklin Graham later responded to Hoylman's request for public reassurance by stating: "We do not make distinctions about an individual's religion, race, sexual orientation, or economic status. We certainly do not discriminate, and we have a decades-long track record that confirms just that."[46][61][65] New York City's Commission on Human Rights closed an investigation into the hospital after finding no evidence it had discriminated against patients.[66] The group's departure was hailed as a victory by LGBTQ rights activists.[67] Volunteers are required to adhere to a statement of faith, agreeing to a definition of marriage as "exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female" and acknowledging that "[God] will banish the unrighteous to everlasting punishment in hell."[68][64][69]
Joint plans between Mount Sinai Hospital, Samaritan's Purse and the Episcopal Diocese of New York to convert the Cathedral of St. John the Divine into a 200-bed hospital were shelved on April 9, 2020. Although this decision was attributed at least in part to the assessment that virus-related hospitalizations had already plateaued,[70][71] Bishop Andrew M.L. Dietsche of the Episcopal Diocese of New York later said that Graham's "exclusionary" and "narrow" attitude about Christianity was central to the decision. Specifically, the Samaritan's Purse requires its employees and volunteers to oppose gay marriage, which, in Dietsche's words, was incompatible with the work the New York Diocese had done "around the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people."[56]
^ Charity Navigator Rating – Samaritan's Purse at www.charitynavigator.org
^ Lotta al coronavirus, Cremona dà la cittadinanza a medici e infermieri americani ilgiorno.it
^ Paul Battersby, Ravi Roy, W. George Scarlett, International Development: A Global Perspective on Theory and Practice Couverture, SAGE Publications, USA, 2017, p. 139
^ George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 2015
^ Robert Wuthnow, Boundless Faith: The Global Outreach of American Churches, University of California Press, USA, 2009, p. 136
^ Offenhartz, Jake (2020-03-30). "Group Behind Central Park Coronavirus Tent Hospital Asks Volunteers To Support Anti-Gay Agenda". Gothamist. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
^ "Group behind NYC's COVID-19 field hospital run by antigay evangelist". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
^ staff/jake-offenhartz (2020-03-31). "De Blasio "Very Concerned" About Anti-Gay Evangelical Group Running Central Park Coronavirus Hospital". Gothamist. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
^ Haemin Lee, International Development and Public Religion: Changing Dynamics of Christian Mission in South Korea, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2016, p. 104
^ William D. Crump, The Christmas Encyclopedia, 3d ed., McFarland, USA, 2001, p. 332
^ Christian Buckley, Ryan Dobson, Humanitarian Jesus: Social Justice and the Cross, Moody Publishers, USA, 2010, p. 149
^ David P. King, God's Internationalists: World Vision and the Age of Evangelical Humanitarianism, University of Pennsylvania Press, USA, 2019, p. 254
^ "Can you believe it? Operation Christmas Child celebrates tonight for the 100 million shoeboxes delivered to poor children around the world! Congrats to Reverend Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse everyone who helped and helps". Gretawire. April 6, 2013. Archived from the original on June 12, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
^ "Operation Christmas Child/Children's Evangelistic Rallies" (PDF). Occupying Till He Returns. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. 1998. Thousands of children were touched in 1998 by Operation Christmas Child, a project that ministers to both the physical and spiritual needs of children around the world... In conjunction with the distribution of shoe box gifts, BGEA International Ministries often arranges Children's Evangelistic Rallies, which include a presentation of "The Greatest Gift of All." In this lively program, a young boy learns about God, His creation and His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. At the end of the program, children are invited to become God's friends by accepting the forgiveness He provides through His Son. Trained volunteers meet with each child who responds. Rallies took place in Romania and in hurricane-ravaged Nicaragua and Peru. Total attendance at the rallies was 245,000, with more than 42,000 inquirers.
^ "Sharing Christ's Love Through Operation Christmas Child" (PDF). Samaritan's Purse 2003 Ministry Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2004. Operation Christmas Child is one of the best evangelistic tools because it is a gift," ministry partner Victor Kulbich said. "It opens the door to telling about Jesus.
^ "Discover The Greatest Journey". Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. The journey to faith begins when children are offered Gospel storybooks during Operation Christmas Child gift distributions. The most far-reaching impact comes later, when boys and girls are invited to participate in the voluntary Bible study course produced by Samaritan's Purse... The 12-lesson set guides children through a study of who Jesus Christ is, what it means to follow Him, and how to share this exciting message with others. After children complete the program, they are presented with a personalized certificate. To help these boys and girls continue to grow in their faith, we want to provide them with their very own copies of the Greatest Gift of All New Testament. This special edition also includes selected Old Testament stories, a dictionary, and a section that encourages the children to memorize Scripture. All of the materials used for The Greatest Journey are provided at the request of local churches and ministry partners. Millions of boys and girls have indicated that they have committed their lives to Jesus Christ after receiving shoe box gifts and participating in our follow-up program. By sharing their faith one-on-one, these children in turn lead friends and relatives to Jesus Christ CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ Curtis, Polly. "Education: Parents angry at evangelicals' charity scheme". the Guardian.
^ "Top 10 Reasons to Pack an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox! - Pedro Carrion". Pedro Carrion. 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
^ Blinder, Alan (August 2, 2014). "American Doctor With Ebola Arrives in U.S. for Treatment". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
^ Neal, Dale (August 1, 2014). "Samaritan's Purse evacuating 60 from Ebola outbreak". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
^ McCay, Betsey (July 31, 2014). "Peace Corps, Aid Groups Evacuate Personnel From Ebola-Hit West Africa". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
^ Walker, Jade (August 21, 2014). "Kent Brantly, American Doctor Treated For Ebola, To Be Released From U.S. Hospital". The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
^ David Cenciotti, Rare Samaritan's Purse DC-8 Cargo Aircraft Airlifts An Emergency Field Hospital to Italy For COVID-19 Pandemic, theaviationist.com, USA, March 18, 2020
^ "Charity Navigator Rating - Samaritan's Purse". Charitynavigator.org. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
^ Gonzalez, David (March 8, 2001), "U.S. Aids Conversion-Minded Quake Relief in El Salvador", The New York Times, retrieved February 28, 2010
^ Gonzalez, David (March 5, 2001), "U.S. Cautions Group on Mixing Religion and Salvador Quake Aid", The New York Times, retrieved February 28, 2010
^ Goodstein, Laurie (May 8, 2003), "Top Evangelicals Critical Of Colleagues Over Islam", The New York Times, retrieved February 28, 2010
^ a b Muir, Hugh (November 29, 2003), "Co-op cuts Christmas box link with US charity", The Guardian, London, retrieved February 28, 2010
^ icWales (November 5, 2006), Red-faced MP dumps Islam-bashing charity, retrieved February 28, 2010
^ Vardy, David (November 18, 2003), "Being good Samaritans", Guardian Unlimited, London, retrieved February 28, 2010
^ McCurry, Patrick (December 18, 2002), "Presents imperfect", The Guardian, London, retrieved August 29, 2017
^ McGreal, Chris (December 12, 2010), "Sarah Palin visits crisis-hit Haiti", The Guardian, London
^ Healy, Alison (October 2009), "Christmas aid group rejects criticism", The Irish Times
^ "Uncle Sam may be indirectly funding religious conversion in India". Firstpost.
^ Parents want Christian charity out of public schools, CBC.ca, November 25, 2002, archived from the original on April 16, 2009
^ Grossman, Lynn (March 2006), "Billy Graham's son takes the pulpit, his own way", USA Today, retrieved August 29, 2017
^ a b BBC News (October 23, 2003), Shoe box charity in religious row, BBC News Online, retrieved August 29, 2017
^ "Franklin Graham moves to address concerns about his $1.2 million pay packages". cleveland.com. Associated Press, File. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
^ Funk, Tim; Alexander, Ames (October 2009), "Franklin Graham's CEO pay draws experts' criticism", Charlotte Observer, retrieved March 1, 2010 [dead link]
^ Funk, Tim. "CHARLOTTE: Franklin Graham gives up one of two nonprofit salaries | Religion". NewsObserver.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
^ Tim Funk, Ames Alexander (August 8, 2015). "Franklin Graham takes pay he once gave up". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
^ "Darfur kidnapping victim sues aid group that sent her". Reuters. May 19, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
^ Rix, Matt (January 29, 2013). "Perspectives: Standard of care rising for employees in threat elevated areas". businessinsurance.com. Business Insurance. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
^ Battersby, Lucy (20 August 2013). "Fund-raiser Thankyou Water drops support for evangelical group". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
^ "Legal News". Private Eye. London. October 17, 2014. p. 13.
^ a b c Reyes, Lorenzo. "An emergency field hospital to treat COVID-19 patients is opening in NYC's Central Park". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
^ Rambaran, Vandana (April 1, 2020). "Samaritan's Purse Central Park field hospital takes in first patient in coronavirus fight". Fox News. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
^ Corbella, Licia (March 26, 2020). "Corbella: Canadians helping in the centre of Italy's COVID-19 storm". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
^ a b Vallejo, Justin (April 6, 2020). "Coronavirus: Gay-rights activist arrested protesting at New York field hospital run by controversial Christian group". Independent. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
^ Rulz, Michael (April 7, 2020). "Samaritan's Purse jet lands in Alaska with massive shipment of medical gear for coronavirus response". Fox News. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Leseman, Matt (April 8, 2020). "Samaritan's Purse donates over 17,000 pounds of medical supplies to Alaska". Microsoft News. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ "Governor Dunleavy Thanks Samaritan's Purse for Medical Supplies". April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Fenton, Reuven; Marsh, Julia; Golding, Bruce (March 29, 2020). "Massive field hospital for coronavirus patients going up in Central Park". New York Post. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Miller, Anna (April 9, 2020). "What it's like inside the Central Park field hospital in New York City: 'Our country is in a war'". Business Insider. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ "Samaritan's Purse, in Collaboration with Mount Sinai Health System, Opens Emergency Field Hospital in New York's Central Park in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic". Mount Sinai Hospital. April 1, 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
^ a b Stack, Liam; Fink, Sheri (2020-05-10). "Franklin Graham Is Taking Down His N.Y. Hospital, but Not Going Quietly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
^ a b Riota, Chris (April 1, 2020). "Coronavirus: Radical evangelist who says gays will burn in 'flames of hell' builds Covid-19 hospital in Central Park". Independent. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Merritt, Jonathan (April 2, 2020). "New Yorkers Are Right to Be Skeptical of Evangelical-Run Coronavirus Ward in Central Park". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Greenspan, Rachel (March 31, 2020). "The group building tents for coronavirus treatment in Central Park says its medical staff must adhere to Christian beliefs, sparking condemnation online". Business Insider. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ McGovern, Terry; Battistini, Emily (April 7, 2020). "Bias and health care don't mix: Samaritan's Purse shouldn't be welcome in New York, not even to treat the coronavirus". NY Daily News. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ a b McGovern, Terry; Slattery, Denis (March 30, 2020). "Be a good Samaritan: N.Y. lawmaker calls out minister for anti-LGBTQ remarks". NY Daily News. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Papenfuss, Mary (April 7, 2020). "Protester Arrested At Central Park Tent Hospital Tied To Anti-Gay Evangelical Franklin Graham". Huffpost. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Chakraborty, Barnini (April 3, 2020). "Catholic group slams de Blasio for questioning Christian charity's New York coronavirus field hospital". Fox News. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ a b "Group behind NYC's COVID-19 field hospital run by antigay evangelist". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
^ Sopelsa, Brooke (April 6, 2020). "Protester arrested at NYC COVID-19 field hospital run by anti-gay evangelist". NBC News. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Stack, Liam; Fink, Sheri (May 10, 2020). "Franklin Graham Is Taking Down His N.Y. Hospital, but Not Going Quietly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
^ Yensi, Amy (May 3, 2020). "LGBTQ Advocates Hold Protest as Samaritan's Purse Winds Down Coronavirus Outreach". Spectrum News NY1.
^ Bailey, Sarah (April 7, 2020). "Coronavirus: New York cathedral to become a field hospital". Independent. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
^ Stack, Liam (April 9, 2020). "Plan for Cathedral Hospital Stalls Amid Concern Over Evangelical Role". New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samaritan's Purse.
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text:
 JOHN F. DOBBYN THRILLER WRITER
1ST IN THE KNIGHT/DEVLIN SERIES
Neon Dragon is a beautifully written novel that shows how tight thrillers and elegant writing are not mutually exclusive. Dobbyn's writing is fast, smart, and exotic. With his hero, the aptly named Knight, Dobbyn has proven that the spirit of Perry Mason is alive and well and has developed a deeper conscience.
Readers of early John Grisham and Jeremiah Healy will enjoy Dobbyn's debut for his insider knowledge of the legal system.
If you like full-speed ahead legal thrillers, you will love Neon Dragon. John F. Dobbyn has created an extraordinary hero in former prosecutor Michael Knight, an up-from-the-streets kid with two Harvard degrees behind his shingle. The dialogue exchanges crackle, and the humor is truly funny. Run―don't walk―to buy this terrific first novel.
Jeremiah Healy
author of The Only Good Lawyer
Dobbyn's humor, pacing, and turn of phrase just may knock Grisham out of the front seat of the legal thriller roller coaster.
Allie Bates
Novelspot.net
Frame-Up is an electrifying thriller.
ForeWord Reviews
Knight has a sharp wit and a gift of gab that he uses to exploit the enmity between and within the rival gangs…it's difficult to believe that anything terrible could happen to a clever lad flashing so much good old Irish blarney.
Some writers are notable for their storytelling flair, some for their ability to bring characters to life, some for the lyrical quality of their prose. In John F. Dobbyn, all three talents combine.
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Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine
Boston attorneys Michael Knight and Lex Devlin are back with a case that starts local and goes global. Once again, John F. Dobbyn has crafted a first-rate legal thriller that's both topical and timeless."―Linda Landrigan, Editor, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
Linda Landrigan, Editor-in-Chief
Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
2ND IN THE KNIGHT/DEVLIN SERIES
From its characters who go straight to the heart, to its intriguing settings, to its plot with more jolting twists than a Boston Street, Black Diamond takes you on a non-stop ride that keeps you gripping the wheel.
New York Times Best-Selling Author
...the Boston setting; a self-effacing hero with more nerve than muscle; carefully drawn, three-dimensional secondary characters; and the way the seemingly simple plot mushrooms into full-blown chaos. A very entertaining entry in what one hopes will be a long-running series.
3RD IN THE KNIGHT/DEVLIN SERIES
Deadly Diamonds is an exciting, well-written, colorful, and thoroughly delightful gangster story, one fit to sit on a shelf between the works of Jimmy Breslin and Mario Puzo.
Mark McLaughlin
Dobbyn's Deadly Diamonds is a Beantown beauty of a story, sometimes served with a Guinness and at other times with a Chianti, depending on which of the many warring, sleazebag mobsters Dobbyn's lead character is confronting.
Thriller fans are sure to cheer as captivating characters navigate the swerves and curves at a breathless pace.
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Deadly Reviews
Dobbyn manages to tie the two story lines together in a secure knot in this fiercely violent story that somehow also tugs at the heartstrings. This should appeal to fans of Tess Gerritsen, Jon Land, and Dennis Lehane.
4TH IN THE KNIGHT/DEVLIN SERIES
Fatal Odds does everything right: a nail-biting plot to keep you turning pages, characters that shine brighter with every twist and turn, and a ripped-from-the-headlines authenticity that will leave you shocked. Here is a novel that expertly mixes thrills and smarts and will have you clamoring for more from this author. I know I want more.
What a sting! What a climax! Fatal Odds has it all. It is an exciting read. I loved it!
FATAL ODDS by John F. Dobbyn, which combines the reality of smuggling wild and endangered animals into the United States along with horse races being fixed, is an exciting thriller that will keep you reading far into the night. Don't miss this one.
BookLoons
Boston attorneys Michael Knight and Lex Devlin are back with a case that starts local and goes global. Once again, John F. Dobbyn has crafted a first-rate legal thriller that's both topical and timeless.
Linda Landrigan
Editor-In-Chief, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
"This rapid pace adventure delivers equal quantities of action, history, secrets, and conspiracies. Definitely an entertaining romp."
Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author
"[In High Stakes,] Dobbyn breathes fresh life into hoary thriller conventions, often with a touch of humor."
"John Dobbyn knows how to write a thriller, with intriguing characters, well-timed wit, and suspense that doesn't quit."
— Lisa Scottoline, New York Times Best Selling Author of Someone Knows
"This is for those who like action-packed escapist fiction, spiced with a dash of Dracula lore."


Combine beans, broth, garlic powder and the onions in kettle or large stock pot.
Combine cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and chicken. Mix well and add to beans.
Using a whisk, add the cornstarch mixture to the bean mixture. Simmer the chili until thickened.
Pour into serving pans. Serve immediately or cover and place in the warmer until ready for service.
CCP: Hold and maintain product at a minimum temperature of 135 degrees F. Check temperature every 30 minutes.
Portion 1 cup of soup in bowls topped with ½ ounce of grated cheese per serving. Each portion provides 1½ oz. eq. of meat/meat alternate and ½ cup ofbeans/peas vegetable.
Portion 1 cup of soup.


text:
Shropshire spirit Shrewsbury Labour Party Twitter account's anti-Blair 'likes' were down to former member
General>
Here's a new article from https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/shrewsbury/2022/01/05/labour-party-accounts-anti-blair-likes-were-down-to-former-member/:
A 'former member' was behind Shrewsbury Labour Party's Twitter account 'liking' tweets championing a petition against Tony Blair's knighthood..
The Shrewsbury & Atcham Labour Party Account, which has 2,629 followers, 'liked' a series of tweets decrying the confirmation of former party leader's knighthood – announced in the New Year's Honours list.
Find More Oswestry Treatments
Local interesting Council report continues to predict multi-million pound overspend
Shrewsbury area helpful Three vehicle crash near Shrewsbury's Preston island


This is another photo from Friday evening shooting out at Seattle's Gasworks Park and Aurora Bridge. Gasworks Park was once a facility that converted coal into gas for the city of Seattle and over the years has become a great park oasis in the middle of the city. I've seen a few photographs before and figured that this would be a great place to do a night shoot, particularly under a full (or nearly full) moon as it was this last weekend.
I did a full 360 degree walk around the main facility and settled on this view as one of my favorites, with Lake Union and the Seattle downtown skyline behind me. I shot fairly close to the old plant and didn't worry about the vertical convergence as I thought it helped give it a slihgtly exaggerated sense of scale.
Digitally I've done more manipulation to this photo than I typically do, mostly in the realm of curves and levels. The end result isn't dramatically different than the straight photo but altered in some important ways. First and foremost when shooting at night the white balance is always a bit of a wild card. Shooting as if it was lit by sunlight (what I would consider neutral and most representative of reality) the clouds and everything lit by the tungsten and sodium lights that are still so prominent give the clouds a significant orange cast. When the white balance is set to reduce that orange cast the sky becomes a deep deep blue color. Part of the reason I settled on the black and white conversion is that no matter what I found the color palette unattractive and 'unrealistic' and ultimately distracted from the shot. I settled on a white balance that was quite unnatural but that would provide the most detail and contrast for the black and white conversion, particularly in the upper right cloud which was nearly blown out to full white.
This scene was actually very brightly lit by 3 bright lamps just to the right of the camera, and consequently the foreground was actually the brightest part of the scene. I ended up adding a full black fill layer over the original image and used a gradient mask to apply it only to the bottom of the image, not unlike burning in part of the0 photo in the dark room. I next applied a curves adjustment to the clouds to pull out the bit of contrast that was there (not too much to work with) but not so much as to lose the tallest tower against a black sky. Next, I applied a levels adjustment that was masked to the center of the image to lighten the gasworks plant a little and help it stand out from the surroundings. Finally, I decided to clone out a construction crane (I think that's what it was) poking up above a hill at the bottom left.
If you've bothered to read this far, thanks! I hope you like it. If you'd like to see a more graphic illustration of the editing process you can see it here.


text:
We test and review the latest tools, products, software and services every day so that you don't have to.
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text:
Daniel Farey-Jones
J&J calls £1.7bn global creative review
Johnson & Johnson, the health and skincare company, has triggered a review of its $2.6bn (£1.7bn) global creative business held by a number of rival networks.
Johnson & Johnson: 'mouth v life' for Listerine
The top four holding companies all handle creative duties on J&J brands, including WPP's JWT and AKQA, Omnicom's DDB and BBDO, Publicis Groupe's Razorfish, and Interpublic's Lowe and R/GA.
In a statement, Johnson & Johnson said: "Johnson & Johnson is conducting a global agency review and consolidation to build greater value and deliver innovative and fully integrated solutions for our consumer brands."
According to the company's annual report, advertising expenses worldwide, which comprised television, radio, print media and Internet advertising, were $2.6bn, $2.5bn (£1.6bn) and $2.4bn (£1.5bn) in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
J&J spends £19m on UK media, according to Nielsen figures. Brands supported include Listerine, Nicorette and Neutrogena.
The UK business is currently split between Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, JWT London and Adam & Eve DDB.
AMV handles the bulk of its baby care portfolio, JWT looks after Listerine and Imodium and some health care brands such as Benadryl, while Adam & Eve DDB handles the Benecol range.
The creative review comes a month after J&J launched a contest for its estimated £200m EMEA media planning and buying business, held by Aegis network Carat.
The Aegis board has since welcomed a £3.2bn bid from Japanese holding company Dentsu, which is expected to be approved by shareholders next month.
Follow @DanFareyJones
GroupM and UM land Johnson & Johnson's £200m media business
Luxottica appoints Omnicom Media Group to global media
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Associate Creative Director, Brand Partnerships Negotiable Universal Music Group, London (Greater)
Creative Director - B2B marketing agency £5-60k plus £10k bonus Jefferson Talent Group, Oxfordshire area
Business Director £90k, 12 month maternity cover contract MODA consult, London (Central), London (Greater)
UX Designer To £60k. 3 month FTC with potential extension from there. Agencyland Limited, London but working remotely at the moment.
Deputy Creative Director – Fundraising Agency to £60k + great benefits Fill Recruitment, London (Central), London (Greater)
Creative Strategist / Senior Creative Strategist – Independent Creative Agency to £60k + great benefits Fill Recruitment, London (Central), London (Greater)
Senior Experience Strategist £65k + excellent benefits MODA consult, London (Central), London (Greater)
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