text:
Alina Adams' Behind The Rewrite: Back And Forth With HarperCollins @IamAlinaAdams
by Stacy | Sep 25, 2020 | 0 comments
I remember hearing New York Times bestselling author Alina Adams speak at a conference about her figure skating mystery series many years ago. Over the years, I've gotten to know Alina through social media, and when I heard about her new release, The Nesting Dolls, I knew that if she wrote a Behind the Rewrite post, it would be packed with information. Alina touched on five important areas to consider during the editing process: structure, narrative voice, title, prologue, and the importance of sympathetic characters. I think readers will be fascinated to learn how she struggled with choosing a title for her book. It also struck me that she included a prologue in her novel. I usually advise clients to be careful with prologues as many don't work, however, Alina's prologue is an example of one that was successfully executed. Below, you can learn more about the editing stages of The Nesting Dolls and how she went back and forth with her editor at HarperCollins, a big 5 publisher.
My historical fiction novel, The Nesting Dolls came out on July 14, 2020 from HarperCollins. It tells the stories of five generations of Russian Jewish women, taking place in Odessa, USSR during the 1930s and Stalin's Great Terror, Odessa, USSR in the 1970s during The Great Stagnation and the Free Soviet Jewry movement, and present day Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
My editor bought the book in June of 2018, but it took over a year of back and forth edits for the manuscript to be finalized. Here are the top 5 changes that were made:
Change #1: Structure
The Nesting Dolls is told in three different sections, the 1930s, the 1970s, and 2019. In the original manuscript that I submitted, the story flowed in intertwined chapters. I.e. Chapter One: Daria 1934, Chapter Two: Natasha 1973, Chapter Three: Zoe 2019. The first change my editor made was for me to restructure so that we got all of Daria's story, then all of Natasha's, then all of Zoe's. (Even though, for one rewrite, I convinced her to let me try it backwards, first Zoe, then Natasha, then Daria. I thought it might make it more intriguing, but, in the end, we went back to the chronological version.) My father is happy that we did. He says he gets too confused reading stories told out of sequence. (And speaking of my father, watch him explain how to make vodka from potatoes – a key part of The Nesting Dolls plot – here!)
Change #2: Narrative Voice
In the original draft, Daria and Natasha's sections were in the third person, past tense, while Zoe's was in first person, present tense. Since she was the modern character, I thought it would give more immediacy to her story. My editor felt it didn't allow us to get to know Zoe as well as we did Natasha and Daria, since she was not the best judge of what she was actually thinking and feeling and, more importantly, what effect her behavior was having on others. In this case, she felt we could understand Zoe better if we observed her, rather than letting her tell us about herself.
Change #3: Title
The book went through multiple titles. I'd initially called it, Love Is Not a Potato. Because that's the first line of the book and refers to the Russian expression, "Love is not a potato. If it goes bad, you can't throw it out the window.' (It rhymes in Russian and, as we learned from The Lego Movie, everything is true because it rhymes.) My agent thought it sounded like a children's book. So I changed it to Mother Tongue, because a big theme in every woman's story is communication, both the political – in the USSR, saying the wrong thing or even speaking the wrong language could get you deported to Siberia – and the personal, parents and children not saying what they mean, or misunderstanding what is said. My editor thought Mother Tongue sounded like a nonfiction title. We wanted a title that suggested Russia, as well as love, family, and relationships. Unable to think of anything, I turned to Facebook, where one of my friends offered The Nesting Dolls. Nesting dolls are dolls where one is inside the other, inside the other, inside the other. It was perfect, since, inside everyone, are all the family members who came before, and what they lived through. They're what make you, you!
Change #4: Prologue
The Nesting Dolls always had a prologue. I love to read them, so I write them – when it fits the story. But, in the original draft, the prologue merely set the scene and introduced some of the characters we'll get to know later, in the present day. My agent suggested making the prologue more compelling by incorporating the story's climactic dramatic event – the potential exposure of a deeply held family secret – as a tease, to whet the appetite for the drama to come!
Change #5: Likeability Factor
Some of my characters are more likable than others. One, I was told, came off as particularly abrasive and unsympathetic. She mostly complained about her life, blamed other people for it not working out the way she would have liked, and dismissed those who wanted to help her. My editor's notes were very specific about making her more of a character to root for. I did it by making her more proactive, more heroic in the actions she took, and more aware of other people around her. I added more difficult challenges for her to overcome to show that she was a good person at heart… she just had a tougher time being vulnerable than most. She's still not the most loveable person in the world, but trust me – she's much improved!
Want To Read The Book?
The Nesting Dolls is a historical family saga set in the USSR is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. A Book Club Reading Guide is also available.
Spanning nearly a century, from 1930s Siberia to contemporary Brighton Beach, a page turning, epic family saga centering on three generations of women in one Russian Jewish family―each striving to break free of fate and history, each yearning for love and personal fulfillment―and how the consequences of their choices ripple through time.
Odessa, 1931. Marrying the handsome, wealthy Edward Gordon, Daria―born Dvora Kaganovitch―has fulfilled her mother's dreams. But a woman's plans are no match for the crushing power of Stalin's repressive Soviet state. To survive, Daria is forced to rely on the kindness of a man who takes pride in his own coarseness.
Odessa, 1970. Brilliant young Natasha Crystal is determined to study mathematics. But the Soviets do not allow Jewish students―even those as brilliant as Natasha―to attend an institute as prestigious as Odessa University. With her hopes for the future dashed, Natasha must find a new purpose―one that leads her into the path of a dangerous young man.
Brighton Beach, 2019. Zoe Venakovsky, known to her family as Zoya, has worked hard to leave the suffocating streets and small minds of Brighton Beach behind her―only to find that what she's tried to outrun might just hold her true happiness.
Moving from a Siberian gulag to the underground world of Soviet refuseniks to oceanside Brooklyn, The Nesting Dolls is a heartbreaking yet ultimately redemptive story of circumstance, choice, and consequence―and three dynamic unforgettable women, all who will face hardships that force them to compromise their dreams as they fight to fulfill their destinies.
Buy it on:
More About Alina
Alina Adams is the NYT best-selling author of soap-opera tie-ins, romance novels, and figure skating mysteries. She was born in Odessa, USSR and immigrated with her family to the US in the 1970s. Visit her website at: www.AlinaAdams.com, on Facebook at: AlinaAdamsMedia, on Twitter at: @IamAlinaAdams, and on Instagram at: IamAlinaAdams.
Opportunities For Writers
Are you an author interested in writing a Behind the Rewrite guest blog post? Get the guidelines here.
Are you a writer who could use some editing tips? Check out Stacy's free resources:
Line Editing Made Simple–5 Days to More Polished Pages – Free e-mail class packed with line editing tips
Shortcuts for Writers: Editing Made Simple Facebook group – Download the guide, 7 Simple Steps to Nailing Your Book Blurb in Unit 1.
How To Name Your Characters: Tips Every Fiction Writer Should Know – Check out this extensive post on naming your characters, an informative video tour of 7 character-naming sites, and a free PDF guide that summarizes all the information.
Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable – Learn how to streamline the editing process in this affordable, self-paced online course that will empower beginner and intermediate writers to think like an editor so they can save time and money. A steppingstone to hiring an editor.


Who knew hell was a couple of tables outside a tiny hole-in-the-wall opposite the HSBC Centre? If you're incapable of making a decision when you dine out, this is the place for you. The restaurant's quirky concept is it serves only the chef's secret menu. Changing seasonally and described as 'Korean Japan fusion', the only thing you can choose is how premium to go, with a range of prices that go from level one ($120) to level five ($340).


text:
#region Using

using System.Numerics;
using Emotion.Common;
using Emotion.IO;
using Emotion.Primitives;

#endregion

namespace Emotion.Game.Animation
{
    /// <summary>
    /// A description file which can be serialized/deserialized and from which an animated texture can be created.
    /// </summary>
    public sealed class AnimatedTextureDescription
    {
        public string SpriteSheetName { get; set; }
        public int StartingFrame { get; set; }
        public int EndingFrame { get; set; }
        public int TimeBetweenFrames { get; set; }
        public AnimationLoopType LoopType { get; set; }
        public Rectangle[] Frames { get; set; }
        public Vector2[] Anchors { get; set; }

        public AnimatedTexture CreateFrom()
        {
            var t = Engine.AssetLoader.Get<TextureAsset>(SpriteSheetName);
            return t == null ? null : new AnimatedTexture(t.Texture, Frames, LoopType, TimeBetweenFrames, StartingFrame, EndingFrame) {Anchors = Anchors};
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
/*
 * Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993
 *	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 *    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 * 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
 *    must display the following acknowledgement:
 *	This product includes software developed by the University of
 *	California, Berkeley and its contributors.
 * 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
 *    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
 *    without specific prior written permission.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
 * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
 * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
 * ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
 * FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
 * DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
 * OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
 * HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
 * LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
 * OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 * SUCH DAMAGE.
 *
 *	@(#)in.h	8.3 (Berkeley) 1/3/94
 */

/*
 * Compatability shims with the rfc2553 API to simplify ntp.
 */
#ifndef _NTP_RFC2553_H_
#define _NTP_RFC2553_H_

/*
 * Ensure that we include the configuration file before we check
 * for IPV6
 */
#include <config.h>

#include <netdb.h>

#include "ntp_types.h"

/*
 * Don't include any additional IPv6 definitions
 * We are defining our own here.
 */
#define ISC_IPV6_H 1

 /*
 * If various macros are not defined we need to define them
 */

#ifndef AF_INET6
#define AF_INET6	AF_MAX
#define PF_INET6	AF_INET6
#endif

#if !defined(_SS_MAXSIZE) && !defined(_SS_ALIGNSIZE)

#define	_SS_MAXSIZE	128
#define	_SS_ALIGNSIZE	(sizeof(ntp_uint64_t))
#ifdef HAVE_SA_LEN_IN_STRUCT_SOCKADDR
#define	_SS_PAD1SIZE	(_SS_ALIGNSIZE - sizeof(u_char) - sizeof(ntp_u_int8_t))
#define	_SS_PAD2SIZE	(_SS_MAXSIZE - sizeof(u_char) - sizeof(ntp_u_int8_t) - \
				_SS_PAD1SIZE - _SS_ALIGNSIZE)
#else
#define	_SS_PAD1SIZE	(_SS_ALIGNSIZE - sizeof(short))
#define	_SS_PAD2SIZE	(_SS_MAXSIZE - sizeof(short) - \
				_SS_PAD1SIZE - _SS_ALIGNSIZE)
#endif /* HAVE_SA_LEN_IN_STRUCT_SOCKADDR */
#endif

/*
 * If we don't have the sockaddr_storage structure
 * we need to define it
 */

#ifndef HAVE_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_STORAGE
struct sockaddr_storage {
#ifdef HAVE_SA_LEN_IN_STRUCT_SOCKADDR
	ntp_u_int8_t	ss_len;		/* address length */
	ntp_u_int8_t	ss_family;	/* address family */
#else
	short		ss_family;	/* address family */
#endif
	char		__ss_pad1[_SS_PAD1SIZE];
	ntp_uint64_t	__ss_align;	/* force desired structure storage alignment */
	char		__ss_pad2[_SS_PAD2SIZE];
};
#endif

/*
 * Finally if the platform doesn't support IPv6 we need some
 * additional definitions
 */

/*
 * Flag values for getaddrinfo()
 */
#ifndef AI_NUMERICHOST
#define	AI_PASSIVE	0x00000001 /* get address to use bind() */
#define	AI_CANONNAME	0x00000002 /* fill ai_canonname */
#define	AI_NUMERICHOST	0x00000004 /* prevent name resolution */
/* valid flags for addrinfo */
#define AI_MASK \
    (AI_PASSIVE | AI_CANONNAME | AI_NUMERICHOST | AI_ADDRCONFIG)

#define	AI_ADDRCONFIG	0x00000400 /* only if any address is assigned */
#endif

#ifndef ISC_PLATFORM_HAVEIPV6
/*
 * Definition of some useful macros to handle IP6 addresses
 */
#ifdef ISC_PLATFORM_NEEDIN6ADDRANY
#ifdef SYS_WINNT
#define IN6ADDR_ANY_INIT 	{{ 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 }}
#else
#define IN6ADDR_ANY_INIT \
	{{{ 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, \
	    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }}}
#endif
#endif

/*
 * IPv6 address
 */
#ifdef SYS_WINNT
#define in6_addr in_addr6
#else

struct in6_addr {
	union {
		ntp_u_int8_t   __u6_addr8[16];
		ntp_u_int16_t  __u6_addr16[8];
		ntp_u_int32_t  __u6_addr32[4];
	} __u6_addr;			/* 128-bit IP6 address */
};

#define s6_addr   __u6_addr.__u6_addr8
#endif

#if defined(ISC_PLATFORM_HAVEIPV6) && defined(ISC_PLATFORM_NEEDIN6ADDRANY)
extern const struct in6_addr in6addr_any;
#endif

#define SIN6_LEN
#ifndef HAVE_SOCKADDR_IN6
struct sockaddr_in6 {
#ifdef HAVE_SA_LEN_IN_STRUCT_SOCKADDR
	ntp_u_int8_t	sin6_len;	/* length of this struct(sa_family_t)*/
	ntp_u_int8_t	sin6_family;	/* AF_INET6 (sa_family_t) */
#else
	short		sin6_family;	/* AF_INET6 (sa_family_t) */
#endif
	ntp_u_int16_t	sin6_port;	/* Transport layer port # (in_port_t)*/
	ntp_u_int32_t	sin6_flowinfo;	/* IP6 flow information */
	struct in6_addr	sin6_addr;	/* IP6 address */
	ntp_u_int32_t	sin6_scope_id;	/* scope zone index */
};
#endif

/*
 * Unspecified
 */
#ifndef IN6_IS_ADDR_UNSPECIFIED
#define IN6_IS_ADDR_UNSPECIFIED(a)	\
	((*(const ntp_u_int32_t *)(const void *)(&(a)->s6_addr[0]) == 0) &&	\
	 (*(const ntp_u_int32_t *)(const void *)(&(a)->s6_addr[4]) == 0) &&	\
	 (*(const ntp_u_int32_t *)(const void *)(&(a)->s6_addr[8]) == 0) &&	\
	 (*(const ntp_u_int32_t *)(const void *)(&(a)->s6_addr[12]) == 0))
#endif
/*
 * Multicast
 */
#ifndef IN6_IS_ADDR_MULTICAST
#define IN6_IS_ADDR_MULTICAST(a)	((a)->s6_addr[0] == 0xff)
#endif
/*
 * Unicast link / site local.
 */
#ifndef IN6_IS_ADDR_LINKLOCAL
#define IN6_IS_ADDR_LINKLOCAL(a)	(\
(*((u_long *)((a)->s6_addr)    ) == 0xfe) && \
((*((u_long *)((a)->s6_addr) + 1) & 0xc0) == 0x80))
#endif

#ifndef IN6_IS_ADDR_SITELOCAL
#define IN6_IS_ADDR_SITELOCAL(a)	(\
(*((u_long *)((a)->s6_addr)    ) == 0xfe) && \
((*((u_long *)((a)->s6_addr) + 1) & 0xc0) == 0xc0))
#endif

struct addrinfo {
	int	ai_flags;	/* AI_PASSIVE, AI_CANONNAME, AI_NUMERICHOST */
	int	ai_family;	/* PF_xxx */
	int	ai_socktype;	/* SOCK_xxx */
	int	ai_protocol;	/* 0 or IPPROTO_xxx for IPv4 and IPv6 */
	size_t	ai_addrlen;	/* length of ai_addr */
	char	*ai_canonname;	/* canonical name for hostname */
	struct	sockaddr *ai_addr;	/* binary address */
	struct	addrinfo *ai_next;	/* next structure in linked list */
};

/*
 * Error return codes from getaddrinfo()
 */
#define	EAI_ADDRFAMILY	 1	/* address family for hostname not supported */
#define	EAI_AGAIN	 2	/* temporary failure in name resolution */
#define	EAI_BADFLAGS	 3	/* invalid value for ai_flags */
#define	EAI_FAIL	 4	/* non-recoverable failure in name resolution */
#define	EAI_FAMILY	 5	/* ai_family not supported */
#define	EAI_MEMORY	 6	/* memory allocation failure */
#define	EAI_NODATA	 7	/* no address associated with hostname */
#define	EAI_NONAME	 8	/* hostname nor servname provided, or not known */
#define	EAI_SERVICE	 9	/* servname not supported for ai_socktype */
#define	EAI_SOCKTYPE	10	/* ai_socktype not supported */
#define	EAI_SYSTEM	11	/* system error returned in errno */
#define	EAI_BADHINTS	12
#define	EAI_PROTOCOL	13
#define	EAI_MAX		14

int	getaddrinfo P((const char *, const char *,
			 const struct addrinfo *, struct addrinfo **));
int	getnameinfo P((const struct sockaddr *, u_int, char *,
			 size_t, char *, size_t, int));
void	freeaddrinfo P((struct addrinfo *));
char	*gai_strerror P((int));

/*
 * Constants for getnameinfo()
 */
#ifndef NI_MAXHOST
#define	NI_MAXHOST	1025
#define	NI_MAXSERV	32
#endif

/*
 * Flag values for getnameinfo()
 */
#ifndef NI_NUMERICHOST
#define	NI_NOFQDN	0x00000001
#define	NI_NUMERICHOST	0x00000002
#define	NI_NAMEREQD	0x00000004
#define	NI_NUMERICSERV	0x00000008
#define	NI_DGRAM	0x00000010
#define NI_WITHSCOPEID	0x00000020
#endif

#endif /* ISC_PLATFORM_HAVEIPV6 */

#endif /* !_NTP_RFC2553_H_ */


text:
Intel's cultural anthropologist
By Michael V. Copeland, senior writer @FortuneMagazine September 30, 2011: 5:08 PM ET
FORTUNE -- About 40 Ph.D. studentsin computer science, potential recruits for chip-giant Intel, have just finished listening to a lecture on the intricacies of circuit design and processor architecture at one of the company's R&D centers just outside Portland, Ore. The conversation is complex, detailed, and very technical.
And then Genevieve Bell saunters in.
In parts of Asia, families burn photos of phones so dead relatives can talk in the afterlife.
Dressed head to toe in black, fingers festooned with mammoth rings, she is hoarse from a cold she caught jetting from Australia to Costa Rica to her home base of Portland. She fires up her laptop (black, of course) and warms up the perplexed crowd (what is this wild-haired woman doing here?) with a story about her childhood growing up in an aboriginal community deep within central Australia. "As a very small girl, I was a bit feral. I learned how to kill things," Bell says with an Aussie drawl, her smile broad. The crowd chuckles. "As it turns out, it's a very useful skill to have." Yes, there have been killers before at Intel (INTC, Fortune 500), longtime CEO and chairman Andy Grove chief among them, but none quite like Bell.
Bell's official title at Intel is director of interaction and experience research. Simply put, she's the "right brain" in a sea of scientists and engineers. Her mission: to help the chipmaker power new devices, make new software, and enter new markets by providing its technologists with a better understanding of how people all over the world use computers, phones, and other gadgets.
Other tech companies have social scientists on staff. Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500), IBM (IBM, Fortune 500), and Hewlett-Packard (HP) are some of the corporations that have anthropologists and ethnologists working alongside systems engineers and software developers. Xerox (XRX, Fortune 500) may have pioneered the practice when its Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 1979 hired an anthropology grad student to help engineers build copiers with an easy-to-grasp user interface. Intel is different, though, because it doesn't sell its products directly to consumers. So Bell, 43, has to work a little bit harder to justify her research efforts to her bosses, many of whom grew up in Intel's engineering-driven culture. That's where her killer instinct comes in handy.
Indeed, Bell, who has a doctorate in cultural anthropology, fought hard to get chip designers to rethink their impulse to build ever-faster processors and market them outside the U.S. For great swaths of the world the Internet is, and will continue to be, mostly text on a phone, she says. And so Intel is pursuing that market with its Atom chips, which are cheaper and consume less power than, say, Intel Core i3 or Celeron processors. Bell has also been key in helping Intel move into the smart-TV market, studying how people behave when they are entertained by television in a living room, and how that experience is distinct from sitting in front of a computer.
Bell gathers her insights far from R&D centers like the one in Portland. She recounts meeting a Muslim boy in Kuala Lumpur who used his phone to orient him toward Mecca for prayer. She relates the story of coming across a ceremonial store in a city in Malaysia that had paper facsimiles of the latest cellphones. The paper models were burned so that dead relatives could talk to each other in the afterlife. "Technology is starting to manifest itself in every part of our lives," Bell says. "Not just at work and home but in religious practices, our love lives, and how we keep our secrets."
She spends most of her time in homes and other social centers all over the world, just hanging out with people living their daily lives. Bell has emerged as one of the world's foremost thinkers on the intersection of technology and humanity. "As an anthropologist, I couldn't have picked anything more fertile," she declares. "But let me be clear: I don't believe that technology changes us; we choose to be changed by it. My BlackBerry doesn't wake up in the morning and say, 'What will I do today?'"
"Genevieve and her team cause us engineers to think differently," says Stephen Pawlowski, who heads up research at Intel focused on chip architecture. "We intend to use Bell's expertise heavily as we focus on emerging growth markets."
Intel's ultimate task is to enable technologies that are intimately connected to our lives. It is that "stickiness" that makes Apple products so adored, or explains why BlackBerry devices are addictive. But for all her talk of connectedness and serving the emerging world, Bell remains very much a killer: "If you do it right, if you make the thing in such a way that people love it, it will be part of everything," Bell says. "It sounds macabre, but it has to be so important that you bury people with it."
First Published: September 21, 2010: 4:12 AM ET
A CEO always ahead of his time
Do Kiwis go crazy for iPads?
Intel CEO: Stimulus didn't work

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Admin account triggering multiple transactions for P2E game I just watched Build a Play2Earn game tutorial on youtube.
So whenever the game is done and player won, playerWon() from smart contract is called by moralis cloud which uses admin private key.
Question here is, what if 1k or 10k people played the game and won simultaneously or between the similar time? I know it'd be hectic for one admin account to process tons of transactions at the same time because of the nonce issue.
What's the production level solution to this?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Huzzah! Today is Fifi's (@damselnails) birthday and her Instagram friends decided to recreate some of her beautiful designs to celebrate. Fifi has so many beautiful manis on her account. Lately she's really been knocking my socks off with her vintage designs, but I've been on a rainbow kick lately so I picked this gorgeous design that she posted clear back in August 26, 2017. I did not have exactly matching stamping plates or polishes, but I've come to realize that's the fun of trying to recreate someone else's work. Instead of her noble heron, I went with the craziest little crane I had in my stamping plate collection. We're celebrating a birthday here, people!
This design was also done on false nails that had first been painted white. I think that's why my version feels so much louder than hers. Either way, I hope she likes it! Happy birthday, Fifi!


Teams Peterborough Coventry played so far 17 matches.
Peterborough won 3 direct matches. Coventry won 10 matches. 4 matches ended in a draw. On average in direct matches both teams scored a 2.94 goals per Match.
Peterborough in actual season average scored 1.55 goals per match. In 20 (80.00%) matches played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 1.5 goals. In 13 (52.00%) matches in season 2019 played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 2.5 goals.
We invite you to check Peterborough and Coventry match statistict (Tab Stats->Match statistics), where you will find out who is the best scorer. Also you can check the statistics of possession, shots, corners, offsides, and many other applications.
In tab Goals stats (tab Stats->Goals stats) check how many loses and scored goals per game, how many games won and lost to zero. You will find what results teams Peterborough and Coventry usually end matches with divided into first and second half.
In tab Form(Stats->form) you find graph teams form and a list of all matches of Peterborough and Coventry in season.


text:
Port Royal var en stad på Kingstonhalvön i södra Jamaica som grundades 1663. Staden genomgick en serie katastrofer innan den blev marinbas och slutligen förstördes 1907. Under 1600-talet hade den rykte om sig att vara "Wickedest City on Earth" enligt chefsforskaren vid utgrävningarna i Jamaica. Port Royal växte dessutom till att bli den största staden i engelska Amerika, tillsammans med Boston i Massachusetts.

Port Royals historia
Staden grundades efter Oliver Cromwells misslyckande med att erövra Hispañola i december 1654. Cromwells strategi gick ut på att överraska staden Santo Domingo, men spanjorerna hade blivit varnade och kunde avvärja attacken. För republiken England var det ett stort nederlag och Cromwell reste hem tomhänt. Britterna återvände dock till Karibien i maj 1655 för att anfalla Jamaica, utan att ha kommit med en krigsförklaring; detta stred mot den gällande folkrätten. De engelska amiralerna William Penn och Robert Venables erövrade lätt ön från spanjorerna, som saknade ett ordentligt försvar. De spanska nybyggarna på Jamaica flydde till Kuba eller samlade sig på öns obebyggda områden för att starta ett gerillakrig mot britterna med hjälp av frigivna slavar. Penn och Venables grundlade Fort Cromwell på Kingstonlandtungan, vilket underlättade kontrollen av hamnen i Kingston. Runt fortet växte senare ett litet samhälle fram, The Point eller Point Cagway, som bestod av handelsmän, prostituerade, sjömän och fiskare. Efter monarkins och Karl II:s restauration 1660 döptes The Point om till Port Royal och fortet till Fort Charles.

Port Royal hade ursprungligen byggts för att vara en defensiv försvarsanläggning med uppgift att skydda hamnens inlopp, men kom snart att växa i betydelse. Stadens geografiska läge gjorde den utmärkt för lastning av stora skepp och den blev en attraktiv bostadsort för fartygskaptener, köpmän och hantverkare, som drog fördel av handelsmöjligheterna. I takt med att Jamaicas ekonomi blev bättre mellan 1655 och 1692 växte även Port Royal till att bli den (ur ekonomisk synpunkt) viktigaste engelska hamnen i Amerika. Staden hade växt snabbare än någon annan stad engelsmännen hade grundat i den Nya världen.

Kaparliv
När den engelska flottan lämnade Port Royal för att resa tillbaka till England oroade sig stadsbefolkningen för att den spanska armadan skulle försöka återta ön. Den brittiska guvernören Edward d'Oyley påbörjade därför underhandlingar med Tortugas buckanjärer; detta resulterade i att kaparkommissioner med tveksam legalitet fanns i staden från 1657. 1689 hade staden 4 000 invånare, varav cirka hälften deltog i den inkomstbringande kaparverksamheten. För buckanjärerna var Port Royal perfekt; det låg nära handelsrutterna och de kommersiella centrumen Porto Bello och Cartagena. När spanska kriget avslutades 1660 försökte d'Oyley att få dem att avbryta fientligheterna, vilket de vägrade. d'Oyleys efterträdare Lord Thomas Windsor kom till Jamaica 1662 med stränga order, men skulle komma att tänja gränserna för kaparnäringen. Detta berodde på den oklara juridiken och argumenten om hamnens osäkra läge. För att utföra kapningarna korrekt behövdes fortfarande tillstånd från London, men då Windsor trodde att spanjorerna planerade ett överfall mot Port Royal lät han piraterna hållas.

Sjörövarstaden
1663 innefattade stadens flotta 22 skepp, med en besättning på 1 200 man. Sir Christoffer Myngs skulle med hjälp av dessa leda flera, ekonomiskt mycket framgångsrika, räder mot Kuba och Honduras.

Port Royal nådde sin höjdpunkt som sjörövarstad under sir Thomas Modyford. Modyford ignorerade helt order från London om att sätta stopp för räderna, och tillät försäljning av spanskt byte i land. Under kriget mot Republiken Förenade Nederländerna stödde han räder mot både spanska och holländska kolonier. Det var under Modyford som den legendariska buckanjärkaptenen Henry Morgan använde Port Royal som bas för sina stora landräder mot Portobelo, Venezuela och Panama.

Officiellt stängdes Port Royal som sjörövarbas efter Morgans Panamaäventyr 1671, men trots detta fortsatte verksamheten antagligen några år till. Nästa generation pirater kom att kallas ärkepiraterna, de så kallade klassiska piraterna, vilka skulle att sätta skräck i sjöfararna på de sju haven under 1700-talet.

Stadsliv
De flesta av Europas städer var under 1600-talet ohälsosamma platser, med gator som bestod av jord med hästavföring och fylldes av lera vid regn. De saknade helt sophämtning, avlopp och vattenledningssystem, och var därmed smittohärdar där tyfus, pest, smittkoppor och andra sjukdomar härjade.

Människor i städerna utan yrke var rättslösa; om de hade ett yrke ingick de i ett skrå som skyddade deras rättigheter. En buckanjär hade ständigt uppgifter i tjänst eller på Tortuga; han bedömdes inte efter nationalitet eller religion eftersom detta förbjöds i reglementena. En buckanjär hade inte heller något eget namn, men hans kunnande var efterfrågat. De var utmärkta illustrationer till sociologen Émile Durkheims beskrivning av den mekaniska solidaritet som rådde i det agrara samhället. På haven var de oersättliga, då de var en viktig del i arbetslagens struktur till sjöss. De hade däremot inte lika högt värde på land, där de var avvikande och ansågs vara kriminella. Durkheim menar att denna situation i regel ledde till stränga straff i samhällen vars arbetsdelning bygger på mekanisk sammanhållning. Pirater hängdes, ofta efter spektakulära rättegångar, medan deras städer blev nerbrända och spanjorerna mördade dem godtyckligt. Sjörövarbesättningar hade aldrig problem att hitta nytt manskap, då gästerna på Port Royals krogar till stor del bestod av arbetslösa buckanjärer. Där drack de alkohol dygnet runt när de inte besökte bordeller.

Fördelarna med den jamaicanska hamnen var att öns guvernörer var positivt inställda till fribytare. Det var därför relativt enkelt att utverka så kallade kaparbrev från myndigheterna för lagliga räder. Myndigheterna såg även mellan fingrarna när det gällde rena piratdåd, så länge de fick höga mutor av buckanjärerna. Guvernörens välvilja till dem berodde helt och hållet på hur stor hans andel av piraternas byte var. I Port Royal tolererades verksamma pirater länge, då de gav staden en ständig inkomst. Med hjälp av deras byten byggdes en av Amerikas mest välmående städer, samtidigt som deras beteende var moraliskt förkastligt.

Filosofen och idéhistorikern Michel Foucault förklarar i boken Övervakning och straff att straffen som tilldelades vissa utvalda enbart var maktuppvisningar för att visa vem som kontrollerade samhället. Detta var särskilt sant i faller med kungamördaren Damien, som tillsammans med andra straffade lika gärna kunde ha adlats i samma syfte (i likhet med Morgan). Statsmakterna ville dock i själva verket inte bli av med piraterna och buckanjärerna, eftersom deras verksamhet gagnade staten och staden.

Guldåldern
När Port Royal var som störst (1692) bodde uppskattningsvis mellan 6 500 och 7 000 fasta invånare där; utöver dessa fanns dessutom muckande besättningar, resande handelsmän och andra besökare i staden. Många av Port Royals invånare lämnade efter sig inventarier som visar på ett mycket stort välstånd i staden, och Jamaica var en av få engelska kolonier som hade ett myntsystem istället för varubyte som betalningsmetod. 1688 besöktes staden av 213 fartyg, samtidigt som hela New England tog emot 226 skepp. Enligt Port Royal Projects hemsida var atmosfären i Port Royal tolerant och tillät olika religioner och livvstilar. Kväkare, papister, puritaner, presbyterianer, judar och anglikaner utövade sina religioner öppet bredvid sjömän och pirater som besökte hamnen. Det var i denna atmosfär Henry Morgan och den mest demoniska av alla buckanjärer, l'Olonais, värvade sina besättningar för de stora landräderna.

Slutet
Port Royals öde beseglades strax före middagstid onsdagen den 7 juni 1692, när 33 tunnland (66 procent) av "Västindiens handelshus och skatter sjönk till botten av Kingstons hamn" i en lindrig men omfattande jordbävning följd av en gigantisk svallvåg, en så kallad tsunami. Uppskattningsvis 2 000 personer dog omedelbart, medan ytterligare 3000 människor avled av skador och sjukdomar de följande dagarna. I ett brev till myndigheterna i Withhall beskrev presidenten i Jamaicas råd katastrofen den 20 juni 1692:

Presidenten oroade sig för att staden nu saknade försvar, men borgarnas brev till Withhall berättade om omfattande panik, misär och oro i den härjade staden. Handeln slogs i spillror, folk fruktade slavuppror och franska attacker från örlogsskepp stationerade i närheten av ön. Samtidigt var de oroade för att England inte skulle tycka att det var lönt att bygga upp staden efter katastrofen.

Vid tiden för katastrofen fanns en utbredd föreställning om att geologiska fenomen som jordbävningar var Guds straff åt människorna på jorden. Ingen visste vid den här tiden att Port Royal var byggd på en smal instabil ås, och att jordbävningar förr eller senare skulle drabba staden. Jordbävningen som blev Port Royals undergång var inte särskilt kraftig, men staden var byggd på en lutande landtunga av grus, jord och flodavlagringar. Skakningarna i berggrunden skakade ner de lätta jord- och sandlagren, som gled ut i vattnet och gav intrycket av att staden bokstavligen sjönk ned i havet. Några minuter senare låg nära två tredjedelar av staden 15 meter under vatten. Den vanligaste uppfattningen om händelsen var att katastrofen var den Nya världens Sodom.

Den del av staden som klarat sig undan jordbävningen hämtade sig trots allt ganska snart, innan den härjades av en stor eldsvåda 1703 och en rad nya jordbävningar efter det. Den nya kustlinjen bröt huvudgatorna Lime street, Queens street och High street. Drygt 300 år senare har delar av gatorna återigen kommit upp på land, medan delar av staden som sjönk vid den stora katastrofen fortfarande vilar på havets botten. Den delen av staden är påfallande intakt och arkeologerna har genom fynden kunnat rekonstruera mycket av stadens civila liv.

Efter ett nytt jordskalv den 14 januari 1907 försvann en stor del av staden i havet, och den är i dag bara en skugga av det den en gång var. Staden har färre än 2 000 invånare, och har ingen ekonomisk eller politisk betydelse. Ekonomin är turistbaserad, men trots att den jamaicanska regeringen har beslutat att restaurera staden är den i stort sett förfallen.

Världsarvsstatus
Den 3 februari 2009 sattes "undervattensstaden" Port Royal upp på Jamaicas tentativa världsarvslista.

Referenser

Externa länkar
Sida om pirater
The Port Royal Project (historisk och arkeologisk forskning, liksom följande på engelska)
 Port Royal Development Project
 Port Royal and the Pyrates
 1692: Earthquake of Port Royal
Map: Old Port Royal (artistisk karta över staden - av fotografen Shawn Brown)

Kingston
Tentativa världsarv i Jamaica

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Joshua Bell at Las Vegas' new Smith Center in March.
So much classical music happens in the summer here, it's easy to miss the good stuff. And for people who like their music contemporary and star-studded, the joint appearance of string giants Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer at the Aspen Music Fest Saturday night is one of the more exciting events of the season.
The violinist (Bell) and the bassist (Meyer) will perform Meyer's own Concerto for Violin and Double Bass with the Aspen Chamber Symphony. This duo premiered the work earlier this month and the mountain gig will be their second time at it.
Meyer wrote the work expressly for himself and Bell, so it's customized, so to speak, for their unique talents. In a musical world where much of the material is at least a century-old, that's a rare occurrence.
The rest of the night sounds promising; too, highlighted by titles you just don't hear that often. Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" opens the night and Schumann's Symphony No. 4″ closes it out.
Robert Spano, the fest's new music director, conducts; soprano Susanna Phillips sings. The concert starts early, at 6 p.m., so plan for that if you head out.
Tickets remain at $74 and you can get them at aspenmusicfestival.com or by calling 970-925-9042.


What's in your professional jewelry box?
This is a popular topic when I have spoken to business women. What jewelry is appropriate for the workplace. This is geared for more of the women who have to do that more formal type of dressing.
What's is your jewelry box?
Long Chain: Something that you can double to make a collar piece too. Also a necklace with a pendant is good to have.


text:
Adventures in Nirvana
Chapter 4: Shock and Straw
Elisa stayed in her room for nearly thirty minutes, still exhausted from last nights party. She passed the time mostly by reading through a few of her favourite books, and taking a small nap. She ate a few granola bars shed hidden in her room to make up for not finishing her breakfast. The Rogers open their doors to visitors at about 8:30 am. Since Elisa had woken up at 7:30, thirty minutes later than usual, she had over an hour before her mother called her down to deliver the dishes back to the Rogers (half an hour after taking the time to relax). That gave her some time to calm down and think.
First there was Harry. Even if he doesn tell her her, he would still pester her to keep the promise she made last night. And the more pestering he did, the more of a pest he becomes. It also meant that mother would get involved, and since Harry is a terrible liar, she could easily get the truth out of him. And then Elisa would really be in trouble, the kind that her grandparents can save her from.
She got up from her bed and walked to the middle of the room to do some stretches, and to think more clearly. Her mother is already suspicious of her because of her behaviour at breakfast. She even threatened to call grandma and grandpa, although Elisa knew they would never tell her about the party. Still, she could very easily pick up on any hints or clues that they would accidentally drop. Assuming shes already called them, which is unlikely due to how quick she reacted to her argument with Harry, as well as the fact that she has to clear the breakfast things and clean the house. She would then take a break from all the work she completed during the morning. Although, this wouldn be necessary if she just got a maid to do all the work for her, as Elisa and her grandparents continuously pointed out. But nooo, everytime the subject gets brought up, her mother quickly shuts it down, saying they didn need a maid, that it would be a waste of money, that they could do it better themselves, blah blah blah!
Elisa shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She began to walk around the room, looking at her things, her left arm crossing her chest and supporting her right arm, which held her chin. She discovered a few years ago that she could think more clearly while she was moving around. Holding her chin with her index finger and thumb was a habit she picked up while mimicking cartoon characters, however, it was also helpful to her thinking.
After nearly ten minutes of nonstop walking, she sat down on her bad, a mischievous smile forming on her face. Reaching over to her bedside table, she grabbed her smartphone. Elisa had just formed a plan, but in order for it to work, she had to take care of a few things first. Activating her phone, she started texting her grandpa, asking her questions about the party and whether or not her mother called. She also sent a set of instructions, advising her grandpa how to act depending on what scenarios play out.
After that, she laid her phone back on the table and went to her dresser to collect a few things. After a minute of searching through the drawers, she finally found what she was looking for. Taking a step back, she laid the four items she found on top of the dresser and looked over them, assessing how they could help her with her plan.
The first item was a bracelet made out of thin fabric, paper and drinking straws, a present from a member of the Rogers family. She had to hide it ever since she got it, since her grandparents didn really approve of the Rogers family. Her mother knew, however, but never said anything, as she didn share their views.
The second item was what looked like a whipped cream dispensing can, although what it actually dispensed was an unidentifiable thick substance that was deep brown in colour.
The third item is what people called a "stink spray ". An aerosol can that, as the name suggests, sprays a smelly mist. Anything sprayed on by this will smell like sewage and rotten eggs.
The final item she needed for her plan is a small voice recorder shaped like a pen. Elisa got this item from the party, along with items two and three. She had only recorded three sounds in it; explosions, a dog barking, and something her grandpa said. This item is the key component in her plan to cover up the truth from her mother. If it works, shell never find out about last nights party.
Suddenly her phone vibrates, alerting her to a notification. Walking back to her bedside table, Elisa picks up her phone and checks out what notifications she received.
A text from grandpa! she thought. It said that her mother hadn called yet, but was likely to soon. Another text arrives, saying that they couldn follow through with her instructions.
Elisa had expected this, so she had kept something up her sleeve, something she got last night.
She texted back saying she was coming over in about an hours time and to be ready for her. With that, she started getting ready, setting the pieces in place.
At 8:51 am, Elisa came downstairs from her room and went to her mothers bedroom on the ground floor. She went straight to the door and knocked on it twice. "Just a moment. " her mother called through the door. After a few seconds, she opened the door and walked out, holding a neat stack of small dishes. "Here you go, Elisa. Take these straight to the Rogers, no distractions. I have a few things to clear up before I go clean up the garden. " Mrs OSullivan said all of this in a rush. She was clearly in a hurry.
Elisa took the dishes from her mother, moving one eyebrow up questioningly, a skill she practiced for months when she was nine. "Clean up the garden? " She asked innocently. Her mother grimaced. "Yes ", she said grumpily, "some dog managed to get into the garden and made a big mess. Its going to take a while to clean it all up. " As Mrs OSullivan walked away to get her cleaning supplies, Elisa smiled to herself. The mongrel scheme as she called it was working. Everything was going according to plan.
Elisa took the dishes and went out of the house, wearing the bracelet and her purse (violet and square-shaped with a black cord strap). She was still a bit grumpy that she had to do this, going all the way to the Rogers house, but it was all going to be worth it in the end. She called back to her mother, who was at the back of the house, saying she wouldn be back for another fifteen minutes. Mrs OSullivan called back a reply, saying it was okay. Elisa grinned, then set off to the Rogers house, which was just next door. Despite being almost right next to her house, she always found it a hassle to walk there. However, despite that, she did look forward to it because of one particular member of the Rogers family, who she was NOT allowed to associate with or even think about, by the order of her grandparents.
She strolled right up to her neighbours door and rang the bell. She waited patiently, knowing they would take a while. Sure enough, ten seconds after she rang the bell, a voice called out from inside the house, before another voice shouted, "Just a second! Ill be right there! ". Hearing that second voice, Elisa slowly started to smile, unable to contain herself. She was starting to get a little jumpy, but her self control held her excitement down.
A few seconds later, the door opened. Before her stood Joseph Rogers, youngest member of the Rogers family, being only twelve years old. He has two older brothers and one older sister. They lived with their father and uncle, ever since their mother passed away.
Joseph Rogers is just a bit short for his age, but he more than made up for that with his artistic personality, can-do attitude and freaky chocolate-brown hair. His skin is fair, his eyes are like blue marbles, and he has the most gentle, delicate hands. He was like a dream boy, if dream boys could look wild and full of energy, with a bit of glue stuck to their fingers.
He is Elisas (unofficial) best friend and (secret) crush. Of course, the feelings of friendship were mutual (but not love). Still, he looked just as excited to see her as she was to see him. "Elisa! Hi, welcome! Its good to see you! You
e just in time, please come in, come in! ", he said enthusiastically, opening the door wider and gesturing her to come inside, a big smile on his face.
Elisa smiled back, almost shyly, before saying, "Its good to see you too, Joseph. " With that, she entered the house, talking to the boy she wasn even supposed to think about (because of her grandparents).


Who Will Obama, Kerry, and Hillary BLAME?
Will they utter those dreaded words: "Radical Islamic Terrorists"?
Another terrorist attack in a GUN FREE ZONE….(shocking)!
After all, by doing so he might be regarded as a Muslim apostate by the Islamofascists, and we all know what the Islamofascists do to Muslim apostates.
Churchill must be smiling in the Great Beyond. He would have been Brexit's biggest booster were he alive, and relished stuffing the Kenyan-Muslim-Commie-Pansy White House occupier who had the unmitigated gall to argue against Brexit, this April, when he traveled to Britain. Yes, Sir Winston, there is a GOD, and most assuredly His name AIN'T Allah!
Stupid republicans, they are so hateful. They will never learn.
Mark if you haven't noticed, we are the armed ones. It is you and your idiot liberals who keep getting blown up and shot in "safe" places like airports and gay night clubs. Think before you speak…..if you are capable.
Mark is on our side. He was being facetious….


text:
Q: Taylor series of $\ln\frac{1+x}{1-x}$
Let $f(x)=\ln\frac{1+x}{1-x}$ for $x$ in $(-1,1)$. Calculate the Taylor series of $f$ at $x_0=0$

I determined some derivatives:
$f'(x)=\frac{2}{1-x^2}$;  $f''(x)=\frac{4x}{(1-x^2)^2}$;    $f^{(3)}(x)=\frac{4(3x^2+1)}{(1-x^2)^3}$;  $f^{(4)}(x)=\frac{48x(x^2+1)}{(1-x^2)^4}$; $f^{(5)}(x)=\frac{48(5x^2+10x^2+1)}{(1-x^2)^5}$
and their values at $x_0=0$:
$f(0)=0$; $f'(0)=2$; $f''(0)=0$; $f^{(3)}(0)=4=2^2$
$f^{(4)}(0)=0$; $f^{(5)}(0)=48=2^4.3$; $f^{(7)}(0)=1440=2^5.3^2.5$
I can just see that for $n$ even, $f^{(n)}(0)=0$, but how can I generalize the entire series?

A: \begin{align}
\ln \frac{1+x}{1-x} &= \ln (1+x) - \ln (1-x) \\
&= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n}{n+1}x^{n+1} - \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n}{n+1}(-x)^{n+1}\\
&= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n}{n+1}x^{n+1} + \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{1}{n+1}x^{n+1}\\
&= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n+1}{n+1}x^{n+1}\\
&=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{(-1)^{n-1}+1}{n}x^n\\
&=\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{2}{2n-1}x^{2n-1}\\
\end{align}
Remark: Your observation that all the even terms vanishes is due to this is an odd function.

A: The derivative is
$$\biggl(\ln\frac{1+x}{1-x}\biggr)'=\frac{1-x}{1+x}\,\frac 2{(1-x)^2}=\frac 2{1-x^2}$$
Now
$$\frac 2{1-x^2}=2\sum_{n=0}^\infty x^{2n},\enspace\text{so}\quad\ln\frac{1+x}{1-x}=2\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^{2n+1}}{2n+1}, $$
taking into account that both sides are $0$ for $x=0$.

A: Beginning with
$$\frac{1}{1 - x} = \sum_{k = 0}^{\infty} x^{k}, $$
we can integrate to get $$\log(1 - x) = -\sum_{k = 1}^{\infty} \frac{x^{k}}{k}.$$
Also, if we plug in $(-x)$ for $x$ into the equation for $\frac{1}{1 - x}$, we get
$$\frac{1}{1 + x} = \sum_{k = 0}^{\infty}(-x)^{k}.$$
Integrating, we get
$$\log(1 + x) = \sum_{k = 1}^{\infty} \frac{(-x)^{k}}{k}.$$
Now, by properties of $\log$, $\frac{\log(1 + x)}{\log(1 - x)} = \log(1 + x) - \log(1 - x)$. So,
$$\frac{\log(1 + x)}{\log(1 - x)} = \sum_{k = 1}^{\infty} \frac{(-x)^{k}}{k} + \sum_{k = 1}^{\infty} \frac{x^{k}}{k}$$
$$= \sum_{k = 1}^{\infty} \frac{(-x)^{k} + x^{k}}{k}.$$
Note that when $k$ is odd, the terms vanish.


text:
How Queen and David Bowie Put Themselves 'Under Pressure'
Fox Photos / Hulton Archive, Getty Images
Brian May recalled the challenges Queen faced while they worked with David Bowie on 1981 collaborative track "Under Pressure," saying that there had been a struggle for overall control which Bowie eventually won.
All five musicians had gathered with no preconceived ideas as to what the result of their efforts might be – but each of them also had strong feelings on where the piece they were creating should go, as May told Uncle Joe Benson on the Ultimate Classic Rock Nights radio show.
"We went in there with a clear canvas, David and the four of us, and kicked around a few riffs and things, and that was one of the the things we came up with," May said, confirming that the song had been titled "People on the Streets" for "a day and a half, probably." He recalled a moment soon after John Deacon had come up with the signature bass riff: "I remember David Bowie reaching over to John and saying, 'No, don't do it like that,' and John going, 'Excuse me? I'm the bass player, right? This is how I do it!'"
Freddie Mercury and the rest of Queen followed Bowie's lead when it came to the words and melody. "[T]he vocal was constructed in a very novel way, which came through David, because he had experience of this avant-garde method of constructing the vocals," May reported. "He said, 'Everybody just goes in there with no ideas, no notes, and sings the first thing that comes into their head over the backing track.' So we all did, and then we compiled all the bits and pieces – and that's what 'Under Pressure' was based on; all those random thoughts.
"But somebody has to take the helm," the guitarist continued. "Somebody has to decide what you actually use. And really, to be honest, that person was David, because he just went, 'I'm doing it, I'm doing it,' being David Bowie. And we went, 'Ooh, okay…'"
May eventually bowed out of discussions over the mixing of the song, because "we all had different ideas." Bowie and Mercury did a rough mix between them in a New York studio, and more or less did it alone because, May said: "I'm giving away secrets here – the guy we were working with didn't really understand the [mixing] desk!" He continued: "I would have mixed it very differently, but I think what's going on in 'Under Pressure' is great. It's David who nailed the title and ultimately what the song was about."
Queen and David Bowie - 'Under Pressure'
Be sure to listen to Ultimate Classic Rock Nights on more than 50 stations across the U.S. from 7PM until midnight, Monday through Friday. You can see the list of radio stations where it airs here.
The Best Song From Every Queen Album
Next: The History of Rock Biopics
Source: How Queen and David Bowie Put Themselves 'Under Pressure'
Filed Under: David Bowie, Queen


text:
Who Can I Vote For? – The Agony of Democracy in 21st Century Britain.
by theweeflea May 30, 2017 May 30, 2017
30 Comments on Who Can I Vote For? – The Agony of Democracy in 21st Century Britain.
I'm sitting here with my postal vote – still undecided about who to vote for. In fact much to my surprise I find myself agreeing with 'Brenda' whose horror at yet another election campaign resonated with so many.
Like many I laughed and thought 'we understand, but don't be silly but that's the price of democracy'. But this campaign leaves me as a Christian and a human being just feeling profoundly depressed – its been so dumbed down, nasty and shallow. Later on I'm going to write a more 'balanced' article on the issues, parties and personalities involved, but this is just a personal way of trying to work through the issues – before I tick that box.
Summary of the Campaign so far:
This is what I dub the Twitter election – with Twitter the dumbed down repetitious sloganizing is multiplied…so here are the parties messages to the electorate so far.
Conservatives – " Strong and stable…blah, blah….strong and stable….blah, blah…strong and stable"
Labour – "…For the many, not the few….blah, blah….for the many, not the few…..blah, blah…for the many, not the few"
SNP – "Tory (this word must be spat out with vehemence)…blah, blah….Tory, Tory….blah, blah…Tory, Tory, Tory…followed by people of Scotland, people of Scotland, people of Scotland"
Liberal – "Stop Brexit….blah, blah….stop Brexit….blah, blah…..stop Brexit…"
Greens – "Stop Brexit, Tory Tory…but we're not standing in most constituencies anyway"
UKIP – 'Ban the Burka…and we're too busy fighting each other to have time for you…"
Abusive and Immature
As well as the dumbed down nature of the parties, I am disgusted at the abusive nature of the campaigns (there are of course exceptions), which sadly is facilitated by social media. The personal attacks on Sturgeon, May, Corbyn and Farron are not helpful. You except that from 'the mob' but when senior politicians and journalists encourage, join in and stir up that mob, it's quite frightening. Let me give a couple of examples of how to do it…find the ugliest and weirdest photo of the Prime Minister that you can, pick out a dumbed down shock slogan 'May- Lunch Snatcher' and then launch it as a meme. Or you find a picture of Nicola Sturgeon looking like a hobbit and start naming her as 'Wee Krankie' before calling her desire for Scottish Independence an 'obsession' – which seems rather strange to me given that that is the purpose of the party she leads! I'm sure you can think of many other examples.
I search almost in vain for unbiased or even slightly biased coverage – if it wasn't for Private Eye and the Spectator, the Dundee Courier and occasionally the Scotsman, I would be really stuck for any balanced reporting. A classic example was the 'debate' last night on Channel 4 – when Corbyn was being interviewed my twitter feed was filled with the great and the good going on about how past it and dreadful Paxman was; when May was being interviewed suddenly Paxman had morphed into a great interviewer and May was terrible. It's basically '1984' where people have made up their minds what and who to hate – and everything in their narrative fits that hate.
Who Can I Vote For?
So here I sit with my ballot paper in front of me. Who can I vote for? For me the main concerns are Brexit, the economy, justice, defence, poverty, the NHS, the right to life and liberty, education, religious freedom and the family. As I only have the choice of four I will have a look at the policies and the personalities of those four. Firstly the policies.
The Conservatives – I like their policies on Brexit and they are probably the best on religious freedom, education, the economy and the family. I am not convinced at all that they know what to do with the NHS and the deeper issues of poverty. But I am impressed at some of the 'hard choices' made in the manifesto. There is a realism that is often lacking in those who present a manifesto as a wishlist – because they know they are never going to have to put it into practice. But there are major reasons why I would struggle to vote Conservative. I hate their policies on immigration for example and of course I have a prejudice against voting Conservative (I was brought up in an era when voting Tory was considered unpatriotic for a Scot and traitorous), but that is not a reason not to vote for them. Reason and facts should overcome prejudice. I know a lot of people who would normally like me, never think of voting Tory, but are contemplating it this time. Here for example is the Marxist Brendan O'Neill –
"I have never voted Tory in my life, but this time I'm tempted. For two reasons. First, the Tories are the only party promising a full Brexit — "we will leave the Single Market and the Customs Union", their manifesto says. This is the right, democratic thing to do. And secondly, the Tory manifesto makes a commitment to scrap Leveson II and Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, which would have outrageously compelled the press to sign up to state-approved regulation. Democracy and press freedom — these are two very big deals, as far as I'm concerned. Possibly the biggest deals in politics. What are the other parties offering that competes with real Brexit democracy and a guarantee of no state regulation of the press?"
Labour – The Labour manifesto reads well. Its full of things that many people would want. I like the idea of public services being nationalized and also greater resources put in to the NHS. But…and it's a big but….it all seems completely unrealistic. As I've looked at the economics of it, insofar as I understand them, they seem completely fanciful. As an example of this take Jeremy Corbyn's interview this morning on Women's Hour where he announced a new policy of free child care and was not able to say what it would cost.
Later on we were told it would cost almost £4.8 billion – adding to the billions the other announced polices are going to cost.
This is a manifesto of a party that doesn't expect to get elected but what if they do? In a world where Donald Trump gets elected as President it's not impossible that Jeremy Corbyn could be elected Prime Minister of the UK. My fear is that they would destroy the economy and do great harm to the security of the nation. The notion of Dianne Abbott as Home Secretary is a big enough reason not to vote Labour. Another massive problem for me is a little noted part of their manifesto – they would impose abortion on Northern Ireland. And on the big issue of the election – Brexit – Labour are useless. Given that they have already said they would accept any deal then they would be completely handicapped going into any Brexit negotiation – because they have already said they would accept any deal.
Labour as a protest vote would be fine. Labour as the party of government is another prospect altogether.
The Lib- Dems – This is a party I used to belong to. They have some good policies and some wacko ones – raise £1 billion by legalizing and taxing cannabis being one example. But they are in trouble because they have based their whole policy on opposing Brexit. In reality they have become the party of University academics and students. I won't vote for any party that seeks to keep us in the EU. Which brings us on to the governing party in Scotland.
The SNP – This is the party I usually vote for. I voted Yes in Indy Ref, SNP in 2015 and 2016. But this time I can't, despite the fact that I agree with a lot of their policies and have admiration for some of their politicians. Why? Firstly there is Brexit. For the SNP to campaign for independence from the UK in order for us to then become dependent on the EU is illogical and absurd. I will not vote for any party that seeks to take Scotland into the undemocratic, bureaucratic and corrupt EU. When Yes means No – A Tale of Three Referendums – Part 1 – The Fantasy
But I also have other concerns – not least the increasing authoritarianism and stridency of the Party. The SNP does not allow any of its politicians to disagree with any party policy. As a result it means that SNP MP's in Westminster have just become Stepford politicians – voting en masse for whatever party HQ decides and then retweeting whatever is put out. What is even more disturbing is the way that this conformist mentality has filtered down to the rank and file. Even today, because I dared question Nicola Sturgeon over one aspect I received a storm of abuse accusing me of being a 'Yoon' liar and even received anti-religious abuse. It's aggressive, irrational and hate-filled as in this tweet, liked and retweeted by several.
Floater my ar$€. a London Tory apologist.
Now in every party, because of social media you will get this (and it is, as I already noted a depressing feature of the campaign), but what is disturbing is how some of the SNP hierarchy encourage it. For example last night I was astonished to see the following tweet:
"It has become painfully clear in last half hour why the PM is dodging leaders' debates in this election. #GE2017 " .
It's the kind of immature, petty personal comment that one expects online, but not from the First Minister of Scotland. In fact I thought it might have been a spoof…but it turns out that it was not. The trouble is that this kind of comments fires up the troops and gives them tacit permission to go out and continue the personal abuse. If you look at Sturgeon's recent tweets about policy you will see that they are retweeted and liked in double figures, but this particular one was retweeted and liked thousands of times. Why? Is the policy not important? Indeed it is, but the troops like personal abuse and attack – and then they indulge in it…as I found out to my own cost. This is further demonstrated at the launch of the SNP manifesto in Perth where some activists chanted 'If you hate the Tory traitors, clap your hands'. Sick.
The Dementia Tax
Let me say one other thing about policy and how the discussion gets so dumbed down. Take the example of the so-called 'dementia tax'. At sound bite level it sounds horrible – the hated Tories taking poor pensioners homes from them. Little wonder that, when that became the narrative, there was a hasty back-peddling. Which is a shame. Because actually, as Polly Toynbee (the Guardian journalist who can hardly be called a right-wing Tory) pointed out – this is a policy which is 'progressive'.
Here's why her original policy was on the right track: 80% of the retired own their own homes, compared with only 35% of the under-35s. In the course of their lifetime, almost wherever they live, the old have seen the value of their property multiply in a bonanza bubble that has squeezed out the young.
Perversely, and almost uniquely, the UK doesn't tax the property people live in, so this unearned windfall escapes capital gains tax. Thanks to former chancellor George Osborne's super-generosity to the well-off, most of that wealth will never be taxed after death either, except for the richest, with assets over £1m.
Why did Jeremy Corbyn welcome her U-turn? His campaign has been marked by unexpectedly cynical opportunism. However rich, Labour lets the old keep everything, with triple-locked pensions and property untouched by care costs. Abolishing tuition fees for all immediately gifts large sums to mainly middle-class families at huge cost. That money could instead have stopped benefit cuts due to send child poverty soaring. (Polly Toynbee in the Guardian)
The bottom line is that social care is expensive and is going to cost billions. The proposal is that those who have to receive social care should have it paid for, until such time as they die, and then after £100,000 has been left for their estate, the sale of their house (if they own one) will pay retrospectively for their care. This was a radical proposal which would affect the relatively wealthy (I would love to be able to leave my children £100,000) but could be argued to be unfair because it is a bit of a lottery. But it was most certainly not an attack on poor pensioners, especially when you realize that the current threshold for such care is not £100,000 but rather £23,000 (although this does not include property). But now we have the ridiculous farce of socialists like Corbyn boasting that they would protect the rights of millionaires to have their social care paid for them by the taxpayer, so that they can pass on their wealth to their children!
And Nicola Sturgeon just boasted that every one in Scotland who needs social care gets paid £13,000 per year (incidentally not nearly enough). What this means is that if you are living in a million pound house in Edinburgh you will get the money paid for you and your inheritance will be kept safe. That may be fair enough but it looks to me like this is the State doing its best to ensure that the wealthy are protected. The subject may be more complex than that, indeed it is more complicated than that – but the cheap dumbed down party politicking over this key issue is a depressing example of what this campaign has been like….and it is so depressing to liberals, socialists and nationalists run to the defence of wealthy pensioners just so that they can hit the Tories.
Who can I vote for? I've written enough today…the smart ones amongst you will have realised that sevearl parties have ruled themselves out by not standing in my constituncy, and two have almost certainly ruled themselves out by their Brexit stance tomorrow I'll turn from the policies to the personalities and see if I can get some help that way….before I make up my mind (and yes – I am still struggling to decide…)
Tags: GE2017 Jeremy Corbyn Nicola Sturgeon Teresa May
Dominic Stockford says:
Surely the pro-abortion policies of all the 'major' parties (apart, oddly, given the number of their MPs who voted for euthanasia, the Tories) should take centre stage in ANY Christian discussion of elections? Which should then segue naturally into a realisation that if there is a Christian Party or Christian Peoples Alliance candidate to vote for, sincere Christians should do so regardless of how 'pointless' it may seem from a secular viewpoint. For we vote not to 'do the right thing' (or the rightest thing), but to give glory to God.
John Thomson says:
Depends Dominic on how pragmatically we use our vote. Should we vote on sheer principle for a party irrespective of how 'pointless' that vote is or should we vote for lesser evils in areas we can have a real influence and our vote may count? I'm not sure the answer is clear cut.
We are taught, in the Bible, God's Word, to do "everything to the glory of God". Everything.
"Dear God, I'm acting pragmatically, and mot in a way that is to your glory, but you don't really mind do you?"
"Dear x, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear me."
Dominic… every vote is to some extent pragmatic, or, if you like, a compromise. No party, at least no major party, is likely to satisfy al our demands. There will be good and bad in any manifesto. It seems to me the only option that does not involve lesser evil options is to abstain from voting completely. And it could be argued this is simply sidestepping responsibility. Voting pragmatically, is not voting without principle. I should not have juxtaposed principle and pragmatism. I use my vote to promote what I think is the greatest good or the least evil. All human interaction and cooperation involves this kind of decision making. I may wish for ideals, and work to that end but I must live with less than my ideal if I am to be part of society, any society. This is true in the church as well as the world.
in the church of course, I will expect and insist on higher standards than I expect of the world. As a general rule, my principle would be to use a vote in a way that may effect some good rather than in a way that will achieve none. This is I think wise.
Having said this, I recognise how serious an issue abortion is and I also recognise that so far has our culture turned away from its Christian roots that I am not at all starry-eyed about any political action. The only real hope for our culture is the gospel, preached and practised by God's people in the power of the Spirit… accompanied by God determining to act once more in revivalistic blessing.
I intend to follow God full-on in this matter, rather than compromise for the sake of what I might happen to think is the best worldly outcome.
Imagine two hospitals one does abortions and one does not. The hospital that does abortions has a first class renal unit the other has a renal unit that has a bit of a dodgy reputation. You have renal disease. Which hospital do you choose and why?
Your comment has nothing to do with the election. However, only one of the putative hospitals demonstrates that it really cares about life.
It demonstrates that we live in a morally mixed world where it is difficult to know when one evil one should preclude our participation in another good. Margaret Court rightly condemns same-sex marriage but should she refuse to fly with an airline that supports it? Is the person who flies with the airline acting merely pragmatically and being unprincipled? Examples of this question can be multiplied. Is a maths teacher being unprincipled and not seeking the glory of God who chooses to teach in a school where gender fluidity is taught by others as part of the PSD curriculum? Is an obstetrician who refuses to practise abortion failing to follow God full-on by working in a unit where his colleagues do carry out abortions? Are all such choices worldly pragmatism? Is it unconscionable where all realistically electable parties support various evils to vote for one that you believe has other policies that offer the greatest civil good?
My point is not that it is wrong to abstain from voting, or to vote for a party with less compromised policies that has no hope of election, but that we should think twice about labelling other voting decisions as not pleasing to God. Is not this an issue of Christian liberty?
Voting for someone who has power over the issue of abortion and intends to use that power for the continuation of that evil, or even the extension of it, is nothing at all like flying with an airline (that has no power) that claims to support same-sex marriage.
Of course the airline has power. Not the same power as a political party, but power nevertheless. However, probably time to draw this discussion to an end. I clearly am not able to convince you of the legitimacy of voting for lesser evils. I just don't see how we can participate in the world unless we have some such principle. If we can support/have involvement in only that which is morally blameless then we must remove ourselves from society. Having said this, I acknowledge there are degrees of moral culpability and we must decide where we draw lines. I suspect if any of the main parties had a no abortion policy that would cause me to reconsider. However, that is not going to happen at the moment. To adopt such a policy would mean no longer being electable. Parties, after all have limited power; they must reflect the will of the people.
Not voting , for reasons of conscience, is not withdrawing from society. Knowing that every 'spoilt ballot' is read by the candidates and their agents I intend to leave them a clear message. As I may also do at the hustings tomorrow evening. Neither is in any possible way withdrawing, they are actions which are more involved than most voters.
Helpful. Much of it marries with my own perceptions… so you must be on the right track.
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Alison Orr says:
Might this help? https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/05/scottish-love-jeremy-corbyn-vote-snp/amp/
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Mike17 says:
Suppose you lived somewhere like France where they have a play-off for President and there are only two candidates left in the race at the final stage. One candidate says he will murder every Jew and start a world war. The other says he will murder every Jew but not start a world war. An extreme situation, admittedly but is the Christian thing to do in that situation to vote for the lesser evil or to abstain? By voting you could vote to prevent a world war.(lesser evil) but whoever you vote for you are voting for the murder of every Jew. You could argue that you should vote to prevent the lesser evil but you could argue that a Christian should never vote for something that is evil. To support a principle you have to test it in any situation. Fortunately we are not presented with the situation above but is a Christian ever justified in voting for a candidate who supports abortion? (That is a question, not an answer.)
Karen Watson says:
I have no liking for a State-regulated Press, but even less for a Press-regulated State, especially when all the Press barons are foreign non- taxpayers who bear no consequences for their actions.
And the "dementia tax" is abhorrent, as punishing only those whom God has already permitted to be terribly afflicted, and only (so far) with one specific disease. Either you do the same for *all* long-term care (and that's where I think these modern not-very-conservatives are going, together with "right to die" for those left to suffer who have no resources) or you continue with the insurance/pooling of risk principle and make your raid on the "rich" by way of inheritance tax for all – the lucky should be grateful enough for being spared not to begrudge it.
Anyway my vote is a mere proforma, in a place that would vote for Ian Brady if he wore a blue tie and otherwise would roar for UKIP…
I think you do not understand what has been termed the 'dementia tax' by the mainstream media. It is going to be levied on everyone who requires care, not simply those who have dementia. If people need care there will be a greater expectation that they pay for it, whoever they are, and the current cap is £100,000 of all wealth – only payable from the sale of a property after someone's death, or the death of their partner living in the property. Interestingly this will mean that the more well-off will be supporting the less well-off – rather socialist for the Tory party. Also, utterly and completely not what is being put about, nor what you have put in your comment.
Then it is still a penalty charged only on those already suffering one of the worst of life's misfortunes, in an era where needing help from others is already viewed as moral turpitude. And a real incentive, when such is legalised, for suicide.
I'm sorry, but what you say is simply erroneous. The payment for the care of the individual will not be made until AFTER they have died. An incentive, in fact, for people to live longer in order to spend more of their assets on themselves.
Further, it is impossible for the state to continue to pay long term care costs for the ever increasing number of elderly, whose families are choosing, in ever greater numbers, to delegate such care to anyone but themselves.
There is no bottomless pit of money to pay for this. I am staggered at the way in which so much of our population has decided that the state is responsible for paying for their care, in all circumstances, regardless of their own ability to do so. People have simply handed over responsibility for paying out to the state, whilst demanding the right to keep all they have acquired. As a result the state is faced with an impossible situation which it simply cannot, no matter which party runs it, actually pay for.
If all my parents money is useful on their care, so be it. That's what it's for.
Alan McArthur says:
Thanks for sharing, David. My postal ballot is already entrusted to the Royal Mail so too late to assist me, but I look forward to your thoughts on the personalities involved. (I never thought I would agree with Polly Toynbee).
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Dominic: (Apologies in advance for long post!)
You sound like a typical member of my generation, with a home of their own and for whom an inheritance is "nice to have", rather than the means for both parents and children to survive. Think how many adults are still living at home – this legislation is based on a rapidly outdating 80s home-ownership model.
But here are some scenarios to consider:
Scenario 1. It is already easy for those with financial skills or good advice to exempt themselves from this by use of the trust laws: the "rich", who are supposed to be the targets, can simply use one law to frustrate another, and gain the State subsidy others less well-off are denied. There is little conservative or moral about that.
Scenario 2. Parents are incentivised to spend everything they have early, borrow up to the hilt and help their children as far as they can in advance of the "axe" – the conservative virtue of saving and self-provision is actively discouraged and the "burden" again reverts to the State. Yes there is provision for recovery of deliberately moved funds, but it is not long if the parent moves early enough.
Scenario 3. Failing that, the family are perversely incentivised to simply dump Mother on the State (which you already complained about!) and make no contribution themselves, since they can argue quite correctly that their inheritance has already been earmarked for seizure in order to pay for it. Another blow at conservative "family" values.
Scenario 4. A devoted child (usually, but not always, a daughter) gives up her job and moves in to "look after Mum". Eventually she WILL have to call upon the State for help – believe me, caring is not a one-person job – and it's quite possible (especially when the child herself is in her fifties or later) both parties will require outside help. When Mother dies, the now elderly child (who may have no siblings never mind willing ones) has no prospect of providing herself with a home and little chance of a job that might enable it. The scheme will reward filial devotion (that classic conservative value – remember?) with homelessness – and who will pay for her housing and healthcare then? This, as much as the alternative, is "pushing the problem on to the next generation". (A proper "carer's wage" might mitigate this but I'm not holding my breath.)
Scenario 5. The quiet, unreported return of "do not resuscitate", if not active neglect, for the over-60s. I've already noticed a difference in attitude and much more "leave it and see" NHS treatment for those not needed to be quickly "got back into service".
Scenario 6. Pensions get cut below survival level; NHS care is shut down for all who cannot pay; the old and sick are relentlessly held out as "burdens" and "scroungers" and left to suffer long-term avoidable pain and ill health, which will wear down anyone's resistance. There is already a loud and growing campaign from those unwilling to suffer the indignities of sickness and dementia and demanding "a dignified death" – with added support from a generation that has learned to abort its children "on demand", the calls will come louder and louder until (following the same path) it is first provided by the State, and then made "on demand" – perhaps with cremation thrown in as a sales incentive?
Only the last reliably enables the government to escape the "insoluble financial problem" – and I firmly believe it is the long-term objective for the Right, whose utilitarian philosophy has long since left my childhood's old-fashioned conservatism behind.
As for "State parenting" – that may well be the outcome of our two preceding generations having lost far too many fathers in war: a debt of care to the widows and orphans was owed. Family Allowance was then withheld from only children precisely in order to incentivise our parents to "breed" replacement workers; for the State to now move towards hurrying up our demise to remove the "burden" and replace us with the young and healthy, is no more than I suppose I should expect.
I have already voted in any case, so the discussion is purely of academic interest at this stage. I wish you every health and contentment.
You're about as wrong as it is possible to be. I have no home of my own, next to no savings, and a very low income – I am a church minister. I find this idea that people expect the state to care for them when they want it, but are not prepared to use their savings, whatever form they are in and even though they have plenty of them, to help themselves to be a complete abrogation of personal responsibility. Using the money my parents have, in property or other forms, for their care is something so blatantly obvious that I cannot believe people argue against it.
'Do not resuscitate' is perfectly reasonable if it is something that the individual concerned has made the choice over. Whilst I was recently in hospital I ended up, even as a patient, speaking and praying with a family whose father made precisely this decision. It was a good decision. Several others on that ward had also made that decision for themselves.
Dominic: As a church minister, you and any widow you leave can expect (if your church is like mine) not to be left homeless in your old age, even if you do not own a property of your own. It's easier to be generous from that position than one of impending residence on the street.
And I have also made That Decision, in consultation and in the light of prior discussion with the parent concerned. But the notorious "Liverpool Pathway" was withdrawn for a reason, and the attitudes behind it have not changed – indeed, I see them hardening as young people are encouraged to believe the Oldies "have gold plated pensions" and "voted for Brexit", and are "spending all the money" and "living too long".
You may well be right in much of this. Economically, my concern, is how we pay for all that others promise. The country is in deep debt. Is it not right to pay off our debts before spending more on ourselves? Is it wise or right to go deeper and deeper into debt and refuse to pull in our belt and learn some frugality? We could of course raise Texas but when push comes to shove, despite all altruistic noises, people don't vote for raised taxes.
Let me reveal my ignorance, and ask a wider question: are the present benefits really not enough to live on? What standard of living should the welfare state provide?
It might help to more efficiently collect the taxes already imposed by law: that we do not do so (and I saw it from inside) brings the law and the very idea of Government into disrepute. And when respect for the law, and confidence in its equal application to all citizens, falls beneath a certain point the social glue comes unstuck and God's justice itself is questioned.
Ideally there should be no need for "working tax credits" – they are a subsidy to businesses who want work done for below what would be the going rate, while not infrequently rewarding the management well in excess of their risk or input. If the Tory doctrines of my youth that closed the mines and steelworks (with my then ardent support) had been applied, new and vital businesses should have arisen in the place of the inefficient ones that fair trading "forced" to close.
The "standard of living" question is essentially distorted not because benefits are too great (if they are), but because wages have been held artificially low and are being squeezed further work doesn't pay because it isn't being paid for. Migration is convenient to blame but "workfare" has also replaced paid labour with State-provided work cadres – a Communist solution from a Tory government, and not the only one.
I have to go out shortly and may not have a proper keyboard for a few days, so I've got to leave it here. Thanks for your courteous response.
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Bright Spot: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Billable Hours
In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization's bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction.
BRIGHT SPOT – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Billable Hours
Recent Bright Spots in the legal community are new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Hours Policies implemented by several law firms in which employees can accrue billable hours towards their annual target by participating in efforts that advance DE&I.
Some examples of projects that may qualify for DE&I billable hours include:
Serving in leadership positions on committees or subcommittees related to diversity;
Managing diversity projects;
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Attending internal or external diversity trainings;
Participating in affinity group activities; and
Representing the firm at diversity-based job fairs and recruiting events.
We are happy to report that we've seen a very positive Ripple Effect to these new policies and many firms are now jumping on the DE&I billable hours bandwagon. Examples of firms that have instituted a DE&I billable hours policy include (but are not limited to): Ogletree Deakins, Davis Wright Tremaine, Cooley and Hogan Lovells, as well as one of the early pioneers of this trend Dorsey & Whitney who implemented their policy in 2019.
It's important to note that Reed Smith seems to be one of the first firms to extend their policy to its business professionals.
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Bright Spot: Ogletree, Deakins' Family Leave Policy and Supporting Initiatives
Ogletree Deakins' gender-neutral Family Leave policy is an impressive Bright Spot. Comprehensively developed, this policy provides a wide range of support mechanisms for attorneys during and following their family leave.
Ogletree's family leave initiative includes the following benefits:
A gender-neutral Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit of up to 16 weeks salary is provided to any attorney on an approved leave after the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child.
To further help ease an attorney's transition back to work after the leave, the firm provides an additional on-ramping program which allows for reduced billable hours for a limited period of time. Attorneys are not required to formally request on-ramping and the program does not affect compensation.
Attorneys who are parents also have access to an on-demand back-up childcare service in the event of last minute childcare needs. (This service is also available for the care of an aging parent or other adult dependents.)
A "Milk Stork" program supports nursing mothers by coordinating the shipment of milk when the mother is traveling on firm business.
A business resource group, ODFamily, serves as a resource to assist parents transitioning back to work.
Each new parent has access to an e-course that helps new parents prepare for the transition back to work and offers web community support for questions and resources.
https://dfalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DFA-Bright-Spots.jpg 596 800 dfalliance https://dfalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Diversity-and-Flexibility-Alliance-Logo-260.png dfalliance2020-06-29 16:03:142020-06-29 16:25:46Bright Spot: Ogletree, Deakins' Family Leave Policy and Supporting Initiatives
Bright Spot: Dickinson Wright's Staff Parental Leave Policy
Dickinson Wright's Staff Parental Leave Policy
Detroit-based law firm, Dickinson Wright has implemented a paid parental leave policy for its staff. The new policy, implemented January 1, 2020, allows staff to take up to 12 weeks of full-paid leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. The policy is gender neutral and outlines new processes for off-ramping and on-ramping employees.
The Office Administrator and supervisors provide staff members with off-ramping support such as alternative schedule options, re-allocation of work and remote work opportunities. When the staff member returns from parental leave, the firm provides on-ramping benefits including a gradual return schedule, workload planning support, guidance on dealing with any implicit bias, and options for alternative schedules. The Office Administrator continues to check in with employees following a leave for up to one year to make sure that there are no concerns.
The firm has also designated a Parental Leave Coordinator who helps to manage communications between the employee, his or her supervisors, the Office Administrator, the Director of Human Resources and the firm's Staff Parental Leave Sub-Committee of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. The firm also offers a complimentary Employee Assistance Plan for additional resources before, during and after parental leave.
The new staff paid parental leave policy was a core initiative for the firm's Diversity & Inclusion Committee for 2019 and reflects the firm's desire to continuously improve the work environment for all employees.
https://dfalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DFA-Bright-Spots.jpg 596 800 dfalliance https://dfalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Diversity-and-Flexibility-Alliance-Logo-260.png dfalliance2020-05-14 10:02:552020-09-30 19:48:20Bright Spot: Dickinson Wright's Staff Parental Leave Policy
Bright Spot: Ogletree Deakins' Women's Initiative
Ogletree Deakins' Women's Initiative
The women's initiative at Ogletree Deakins is a Bright Spot as it has enhanced the firm's ability to retain and advance female attorneys at a remarkable rate. Stemming from the desire to increase the number of women in leadership, the process began with the creation of a Women's Task Force. This force helped to identify the issues women were facing and made recommendations on potential solutions.
With this information, Ogletree implemented the following strategies and programs:
Ombudsman: A former board member was made available to assist firm lawyers in resolving work-related concerns and conflicts in an informal, confidential, and impartial manner.
Credit Guidelines: A review of origination credit guidelines paired with the realization that it is often difficult for women to have conversations with senior men regarding credit, gave way to change. Ogletree's credit origination guidelines were refreshed to enhance clarity, promote collaboration, and help all attorneys address and handle difficult situations and advocate on their own behalf.
Compensation Process: Ogletree has an open compensation system. A new compensation appeals process was created to enhance transparency and reduce concerns about peers' compensation, and an independent pay equity audit was conducted. Throughout the process, the firm made sure there was significant representation from women.
Sponsorship Program: Ogletree took a very deliberate and intentional look at the pipeline and decided to create a sponsorship program to increase opportunities for women to move from non-equity to equity positions within the firm.
https://dfalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DFA-Bright-Spots.jpg 596 800 dfalliance https://dfalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Diversity-and-Flexibility-Alliance-Logo-260.png dfalliance2019-11-20 15:43:472019-11-20 15:43:47Bright Spot: Ogletree Deakins' Women's Initiative
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One of the exciting things about planning your wedding is that every step is a big event in itself. This especially pertains to the sending of the save the dates, invitations – and even the post-wedding thank you notes! We've got 10 exciting ideas to make your mail as unique and interesting as your wedding.
When you think of ways to decorate your invites for the shower or wedding, stamps don't usually come to mind until you've sealed the envelopes and realize that you need postage. But stamps are more than utilitarian; they can be an important part of the design and theme of your wedding stationery. Want proof? Check out these vintage California wedding stamps from EdelweissPost!
Looking for postage that highlights the state in which you are getting married? UnicornPost has you covered!
In the last few years, Washi tape has become a popular go-to element for decorating, well, everything! The decorative tape offers up a million different designs and is a super easy and quick way to add a little extra 'wow' to your projects. This metallic gold, copper and black set of Washi tape from Hobbyhoppers would fit myriad themes and look amazing on your invites.
This feather decorated, removable adhesive, Washi tape from HappyMemory is ideal for boho-themed wedding invites.
This leaf printed Washi tape from PokemonGarden is another Washi tape idea that is fun, colorful, and would work well with an fall themed or rustic wedding.
Stickers are an easy way to add finesse to your wedding stationery. These kraft, heart-shaped "Save The Date" stickers from StickEmUpLabels will make your mail look extra fancy and personal.
If you are planning a modern, sophisticated wedding, this customized, calligraphy font, address stamp from GulfRoadTwo would work perfectly for any of your invitations.
If you're looking for an easy (and beautiful!) way to add your return address to your stationery, we suggest this mixed font return address stamp from AngeliqueInk.
For a unique and memorable stationery idea, we recommend this circle, monogram, address stamp from WhenitRainsPaper.
This custom, rubber stamp from WhenitRainsPaper will make your envelopes look beautiful!


The Cross-Save panel lists all save games on your tablet and on the Steam Cloud you are logged into. A date in the 'Device' column indicates the date and time the save was last modified on the tablet. A date in the 'Cloud' column indicates the date and time the save was last modified on the cloud. A hyphen indicates that the save does not exist there.
Open the 'Cross-Save' panel from the Start Screen. Tap the save game you want to upload, then tap "Upload Save Game". Once this has finished, start Football Manager 2016/Football Manager Touch 2016 on your computer. If it was already running, quit and restart. Click "Load Game" and then click the "Cloud" button. Your save game from tablet should be listed here and can be loaded as normal.


Prestige Universal Mining Pumps is proud to offer the Force 37 pump for sale or hire. This pump is at the top of the Force range, with a great 37kw capacity for quick and efficient dewatering. Australian designed and built for maximum quality control, it features a tough outer casing of spun composite materials and long wearing polyurethane parts. We also stock a complete range of replacement parts, so you can get the most out of your Force 37 pump.
Read the specifications below for more on how a Force 37 pump could meet your operational needs.