text:
A trip from Brasov to Bran Castle
By Maria Spyrou December 14, 2018
One of the main reasons we decided to plan a trip to Romania in the first place was the country's castles. The idea of going castle hunting in Transylvania fascinated us. Bran Castle or Castelul Bran, one of the best castles in Romania, was definitely among the ones we wanted to visit. Since picturesque Brasov was the first stop on our Transylvania road trip, a half day trip from Brasov to Bran Castle was one of the very first things we enjoyed in Romania.
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The view towards the interior courtyard from a balcony in Bran Castle.
Read our complete guide to Brasov now!
Is Castelul Bran Dracula's Castle?
You've probably all heard that Bran is Dracula's Castle. But how accurate is that?
Before even going into this, let's set something straight: Which Dracula are we talking about?
Count Dracula is the fictitious main character in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. He was a vampire count living in a remote castle in the Carpathian Mountains. On the other hand, Vlad Dracula is an actual historical figure. Vlad III was a Romanian ruler in the 15th century, infamous for his cruelty. He was the Prince of the Wallachia region. The name Dracula means son of the devil and it comes from his father Vlad Dracu, which means Vlad the Devil. Vlad III is also known as Vlad Tepes which means Impaler in Romanian. Vlad III used to punish his enemies by, that's right, impaling them.
It sure does look scary. But has the Dracula actually lived in Bran Castle or not?
So, the only connection between Count Dracula and Vlad Dracula seems to be that Bram Stoker was inspired by the latter to create the former. But how are either the Count or Vlad III connected to Bran Castle? Sorry to break it to you but they're not. Historians firmly believe that Vlad Dracula never set foot in Bran while Bram Stoker never visited Romania either. Then why all this fuss? Apparently, Bran Castle fits Stoker's description of Count Dracula's castle in the novel more than any other castle in Transylvania. People's imagination took it from there and the rest is history.
Is there a real Dracula castle then?
The answer is yes. Poenari Castle in Romania is the actual residence of Vlad Dracula. It's located near the point where Romanian regions of Transylvania and Wallachia meet. The castle stands above Arges River overlooking the entire area from a completely remote location. It is perched on a steep cliff and ruined at its most part. To visit one needs to climb more than 1450 steps. We didn't. At least not this time. We just got a glimpse of the imposing structure from a distance while driving the scenic Transfagarasan Road.
Poenari, the real Dracula castle, as seen from the Transfagarasan.
How to get from Brasov to Bran Castle
Romania, and especially Transylvania, is one of those destinations that are best enjoyed on a road trip. The countryside is utterly beautiful and there are amazing scenic routes. Furthermore, driving is the only way to visit even the most remote yet gorgeous little villages and towns at one's own pace. Castelul Bran is only 30 km away from Brasov and it takes about 35-40′ to get there. The only problem is traffic which can be unbearably heavy. Therefore, try to set off as early as possible, especially at weekends. Once at Bran, parking is available near the castle's entrance and it costs less than 1€/hour (4 lei).
Driving from Brasov to Bran Castle offers amazing views to the enchanting countryside of Transylvania.
Castelul Bran from Brasov by public transport
If driving is not an option, you can take the bus from Bus Terminal 2 in Brasov to Bran Castle. Buses run every 30′ on weekdays and hourly at weekends. The ride takes about 45′ and it is ridiculously cheap: 7 lei per ride. That is about 3€ for a return trip.
Brasov to Bran Castle by taxi
Taking a taxi from Brasov to Bran Castle is also quite affordable, especially for larger groups. It costs about 80 lei (20€) per ride. If you're staying in Brasov, consider downloading the Bratax app. Bratax offer taxi services in air-conditioned cars with English-speaking drivers. We haven't used them ourselves but we would if we hadn't rented a car.
Join a guided tour
Joining a guided tour is by far the most hassle-free way to visit Bran Castle from Brasov. Although this option costs more than the others, you won't have to worry about things such as transport and entrance tickets. On top of that, you'll enjoy being shown around the castle by an expert tour guide.
Book one of the best all-inclusive guided tours to Bran Castle from Brasov now!
Our very own Bran Castle tour
Bran Castle History
Before we go on to talk to you about our visit to Castelul Bran, let's say a couple of things about the castle's history. Bran Fortress was built in the 14th century so as to protect the border between the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia from Ottoman raids. It belonged to the people of Brasov until 1920 when they decided to donate it to the Romanian royal family. Castelul Bran became Queen Marie's favourite residence. She managed to turn the austere fortress into a genuine royal court. Even nowadays, the Queen's favourite flowers, lilies, decorate the castle's rooms. In 1947, the castle became property of the Romanian state and in 1957 it was turned into a museum. In 2009, Bran Castle was returned to Queen Marie's grandchildren and it operates as a private museum ever since.
Queen Marie's bedroom in Castelul Bran. Next to her bed, a vase of her favourite lilies.
Bran Castle tour
As soon as we parked the car and started walking, the sight of Castelul Bran soaring above the tiny town caught our attention. The castle is built at the top of a rock and it's marvellously imposing. On the way to the castle's entrance there are a lot of souvenir shops and snack bars, so the ambience is rather touristy.
Tourist shops around Bran Castle.
Right after the ticket office starts the uphill path to the castle. It takes about 10′ minutes to go all the way up and it's a bit steep.
The path that leads to the entrance of Bran Castle.
As we ascended, we marvelled at the magnificent park to our right. Formerly the castle's garden, the park was created at the request of Queen Marie herself. It has two lakes and it's a heaven of flowers and trees.
The park at Castelul Bran
The exterior of the castle does not resemble other more fairytale-like castles in Transylvania. It was initially constructed in Gothic style. Later on, Queen Marie of Romania asked architect Karel Liman to give a more Romantic appearance to her favourite castle.
The interior of Bran Castle reflects mainly the taste of Queen Marie as it has been restored to look exactly the way it did in her time. The various rooms are decorated with furniture and objects from the family's personal collection.
The Music Room in Castelul Bran.
Everything is arranged so as to narrate tales from the personal lives of the royals who inhabited Castelul Bran. We particularly liked the typical Romanian tiled stoves we saw in various rooms.
The beautiful tiled stove at King Ferdinand's bedroom in Castelul Bran.
The castle features narrow corridors, winding staircases and a couple of exciting secret passages. We particularly liked the interior courtyard of the castle.
We couldn't get enough of the views to the charming interior courtyard.
Seeing the castle at a leisurely pace shouldn't take more than an hour. There are informational plaques everywhere which are easy to read, useful and fun. There are even sections dedicated to Vlad III, Bram Stoker's Dracula as well as insight into the folklore vampire legends in Romania.
Bran Castle opening hours and ticket prices
From April 1st to September 30th, the castle is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00. Opening time on Mondays is at 12:00. However, from October 1st to March 31st closing time is two hours earlier. Full ticket costs 40 lei (8.5€) with concessions applicable to students and senior citizens. Castelul Bran also hosts various events all year round and it's available for private events as well. For more information on planning your visit to Bran or the upcoming events, visit the castle's official website.
Other Romanian castles from Brasov
Of course Bran is not the only castle near Brasov. Peles Castle as well as Rasnov Fortress are in the same area and you can visit all three on the same day trip from Brasov. That's what we did anyway and it was really interesting seeing three completely different castles in one go. The enchantment of Peles and the raw beauty of Rasnov compliment in the best possible way the unique charm of Bran. And our castle hunting in Romania had only just begun!
Planning a trip to Bucharest?
Check out our tips and make the most of your time in the Romanian capital!
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Disclosure: Bran Castle kindly offered us admission free of charge. However, as always, we express nothing but our very own and honest opinion about the experience we had.
castles in EuropeDay TripsRoad TripsTransylvania


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n.paradoxa est une revue féministe internationale d'analyse et de critique d'art centrée sur les femmes artistes. Elle parait de 1996 à 2017. Elle est publiée par KT Press à Londres. La rédactrice en chef est Katy Deepwell.

Revue d'art féministe
La revue est créé par Katy Deepwell, historienne de l'art en 1996. Les numéros 1 à 21 sont publiés uniquement en ligne. De 1998 à 2010, la revue est publiée à la fois en ligne et sur papier avec des contenus différents. Chaque numéro de n.paradoxa est consacré à un thème particulier et comprend généralement des articles consacrés à la théorie de l'art et à la critique dans une perspective féministe, ainsi que des entretiens avec des artistes. Le site Web contient des ressources en ligne sur le féminisme dans les arts visuels à l'échelle internationale, notamment des critiques d'expositions, des livres et des sites Web. À partir de 2011, la revue en ligne et en papier sont identiques (ISSN 1461-0434).

La revue est publiée deux fois par an en janvier et juillet. La revue n.paradoxa participe au projet Documenta 12 en 2007 à Cassel.

Le dernier numéro paraît en .

n.paradoxa s'inscrit dans la lignée des revues d'art féministes américaines comme  paru à New York de 1977 à 1993 et  paru à Los Angeles de 1977 à 1981 ou encore la revue britannique de cinéma .

Signification du nom de la revue
n.paradoxa est formé de n. = abréviation de nom, para = au-delà et doxa pour opinion acceptée. n.paradoxa est une pièce de théâtre de Donna Haraway sur un parasite vivant dans les entrailles d'un termite en Australie méridionale appelé mixotricha paradoxa. Ce parasite a des habitudes de survie et des méthodes de reproduction paradoxales et inattendues.

Références

Liens externes

Presse consacrée à l'art contemporain en France
Presse féministe au Royaume-Uni
Titre de presse créé en 1996
Titre de presse disparu en 2017
Presse écrite disparue au Royaume-Uni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The endocrine framework is the accumulation of organs of a creature that discharge hormones straightforwardly into the circulatory framework to be conveyed towards far off target organs. The marvel of biochemical procedures serving to control far off tissues by methods for discharges straight forwardly into the circulatory framework is called endocrine flagging. The significant endocrine organs incorporate the pineal organ, pituitary organ, pancreas, ovaries, testicles, thyroid organ, parathyroid organ, and adrenal organs.


A Book About Signs is a whimsical look at the signs that surround us. From road signs to memorial plaques, from traffic lights to placards to semaphores, different signs communicate in different ways. Russell Weekes' sparkling wit and bold graphics play with the ways signs are presented and how we interpret them.


Meidensha Corp prototyped an electric drive system integrating a motor and an inverter and unveiled it at Automotive World 2017.
The new system enables to reduce volume and mass by 30% and 15%, respectively, compared with a case where discrete parts are combined.
The system is targeted at plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). Because of the integration, it becomes possible to eliminate a high-voltage cable connecting a motor and an inverter as well as a cooling water cable. Also, the number of structural components of the metal case can be reduced.
The prototype is equipped with a motor whose maximum output is 60kW.
"We have already finished testing prototypes and are now ready to proceed the development for volume production if asked," Meidensha said.
Competing auto parts manufacturers are also accelerating the development of electric drive systems integrating a motor, inverter, etc. For example, the UK-based GKN Driveline will start volume production of an electric drive system for compact PHEVs in 2019. Germany-based Bosch has also completed a prototype of such a system.


warm part of the room.
Jack e Lorts has published widely the past 50+ years in such places as English Journal, Clackamas Literary Journal, Haggard and Halloo, Elohi Gadugi, Literary Juice, ground, Locust and elsewhere. Author of three chapbooks, a retired educator, he continues living in a small isolated town in eastern Oregon.


If you don't like the result of something — or if others don't — do it again. That seems to be the approach by directing brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne with their most recent feature The Unknown Girl, which rounded Cannes with mixed reviews, including our own. After a slew of successes — including Two Days, One Night, The Promise, The Kid With A Bike, and Rosetta — The Unknown Girl stands out rather glaringly as an anomaly for the pair.
Screen Daily reports that the Palme d'Or-winning duo sat down with their editor to make minor tweaks to The Unknown Girl, only to realize a more extensive revision felt right. Now, 32 cuts have been made to the film about a young doctor who is propelled to uncover the identity of a patient who died after refusing treatment. This new cut will run seven minutes shorter — the original cut ran 1 hour and 53 minutes — and the brothers state they are much happier with this version than the one we saw at Cannes.
In our review, we said, "The plot is entirely predicated on the kind of contrived coincidences that any screenwriting 101 professor would urge against, persistently dispelling the film's realism." We can't imagine a few dozen cuts will fix the issues we had, but we'll have to wait and see.
With regards to what prompted a return to the editing booth, Luc Dardenne stated, "There are several critics who are also friends who liked it a lot but thought there were certain places in the film that didn't work very well. I believe it was that which prompted our concern. We were ready to make changes." Those friendly critics have now apparently given the new cut a thumbs up.
The new cut of The Unknown Girl currently has no release date in the U.S., where it will be distributed by Sundance Selects, but it arrives in France on October 12. Until more news drops, watch a Cannes press conference with the directors below and see a batch of clips here.
Should a director "get it right" the first time or should they be able to revisit one of their works and tweak it? Comment with your thoughts below.


Just ordered my first pair of Kurt Geiger shoes. What do you think? They are amaaaaazing. Aren't they? They are not only my first KG shoes, I guess they are also my first blue colored shoes. Can't wait to get them and show you in an outfit post.


Dennis R Estep was born January 24, 1974. The youngest of five siblings Dennis Estep was raised in El Paso, TX., where his father was real estate broker since 1970. Dennis Estep became a licensed realtor in 1993 as he attended the University of Texas at El Paso at the age of nineteen. Growing up in a real estate family Dennis Estep would go with his father to the model homes as a young kid on appointments. To earn extra money growing up he would work for his father supervising his flips during the late 1990s.
From his relationships in the real estate community, Dennis was offered a position as a Marketing Manager with a New Home Builder in 1998. It was this opportunity he would gain his passion for new constructions. As new doors opened in Denis Estep career he started working with Rocky Mountain Mortgage Company as Loan Processor. For the next ten years, Dennis expanded his career in the Mortgage Industry as from a loan processor to a loan originator, branch manager and senior account executive for Bank of America for the Consumer Real Estate Division in Chicago IL. In 2005 Dennis relocated with his family for the first time in his life outside of El Paso in 31 years.
They moved to Chicago IL so Dennis could cut his teeth in the market to learn the IL law to open up a new startup mortgage company division for new home builder. In 2008 Dennis relocated back to El Paso to as sale manager with the same new home builder later coming the VP of sales. In 2010 Dennis reactivated his real estate license and joined the number on real estate firm in El Paso ERA Sellers Buyers and Associates. With the knowledge he has gained over the years he has helped to many builders grow their business and many homeowners to find their dream home.


"You speak your mind and are annoying."
Braeden Fireheart has posted 0 links and 122 comments to WHEDONesque.
29/08/2010 06:16 CET 24724. Joss Whedon takes the stage at the Sydney Opera House.
19/07/2010 04:20 CET 24364. An Evening with Joss Whedon at the Sydney Opera House confirmed.
05/02/2010 03:12 CET 23062. How Well Do You Know: Dollhouse, Season 2.
23/01/2010 17:53 CET 22957. Firefly keychain available for pre-order.
15/01/2010 01:24 CET 22888. Vid of Nathan Fillion on Regis & Kelly from 1/11/10.
09/01/2010 01:56 CET 22817. Discuss the eleventh episode of Dollhouse season 2.
06/01/2010 22:10 CET 22792. Angel shout-out on last night's episode of NCIS.
03/01/2010 15:34 CET 22777. Darla goes 'Desperate'.
30/12/2009 07:13 CET 22753. "Stage Fright" one of the Worst Sci-Fi TV Moments of '09?
17/11/2009 03:02 CET 22396. Dushku Face-palm.
11/11/2009 17:50 CET 22328. Hollywood Reporter says Dollhouse is cancelled.
03/11/2009 02:36 CET 22240. An Open Letter to the Terminator Owners.
25/10/2009 07:41 CET 22138. What the papers say about last night's Dollhouse.
21/10/2009 20:57 CET 22103. Fox to bench Dollhouse for November sweeps.
16/10/2009 19:51 CET 22051. Another Leak From Within The Dollhouse.
13/10/2009 04:31 CET 21997. David Boreanaz on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ... Tonight.
13/10/2009 04:16 CET 21998. Gina Torres on "FlashForward" Ep. "137 Sekunden".
06/10/2009 19:00 CET 21917. The Joss Whedon quiz.
26/09/2009 03:13 CET 21800. Discuss the Dollhouse season 2 premiere.
12/09/2009 07:28 CET 21618. Dollhouse season 2 wallpapers for your desktop.


Want To Be A Coach For FC Legacy?
FC Legacy - More Than Just A Club, It's A Legacy!
Procedure: Members may set up a payment plan by check if approved by the Club Treasurer and a schedule outlined in an email.
Procedure: Payment plans extending beyond the second game must be set up on a credit card.
Procedure: Any deviation from this policy requires approval of the Club Treasurer.
Policy: Fees for all non-LCS league play (e.g. Heartland league) must be paid in full by the first game.
Policy: Fees for tournaments must be paid in full prior to the first game.
Procedure: Failure to follow this policy will result in the player card being pulled for the next league game and for each subsequent game until payment is received in full.
Policy: If a member has an outstanding balance at season's end, their player(s) will not be allowed to participate in future events until the balance is paid in full.


More fire starting! I don't know if it's the cooler weather or the flu that I'm getting over, but I seem to be all about fire lately. I repurposed some votive candle holders and filled them with pine wood shavings and canning wax to make homemade fire starters. Not only did they work, I didn't start my house on fire, which I consider a valuable bonus. I got a link from a friend yesterday about making firewood from junk mail, so I added that to my to do list as well.


State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said the government is carrying out a feasibility study for generating electricity from sea waves. He disclosed it while responding to a query placed by treasury bench lawmaker Didarul Alam of Chittagong 4 constituency in parliament. Power generation from sea waves is cost-effective and commercially viable, the state minister said.


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Softball, Sports
Empire State road trip: Softball team set to face Hofstra this weekend
On March 28, 2013 • By Akiem Bailum
Freshman Katie Worley winds up during a Fall 2012 game. Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics.
The Georgia State softball team hopes to continue its stellar play with a three-game series against conference rival, the Hofstra Pride, in Hempstead, N.Y. this weekend.
The Panthers have won 13 of their last 15 games and are coming off a 3-1 defeat of Chattanooga.
Hofstra has won 13 consecutive games.
Their last defeat was on March 1 versus Texas.
The teams will play two games on Friday, with the first set to begin at 2 p.m., and a noon showdown on Saturday.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Instead of asking if we need another book on angels, I'll answer that now: yes, we do. We need one that is centered on the biblical text by someone who studies the entire Bible, who knows the biblical languages, and who understands how ideas of spiritual beings have changed from the Old Testament to the New. Michael Heiser is the academic editor for Logos Bible Software, Bible Study Magazine, and Faithlife Study Bible. He is the author The Unseen Realm and Supernatural (reviews here and here).
Why Should We Care About Angels?
In the introduction, Heiser poses a question: why would we need to know this information? Why bother? Heiser answers, saying, "A life well lived extends from wisdom. Biblical wisdom involves not only practical, principled, decision-making skills but eternal perspective. Eternal perspective requires understanding what makes God tick. That's only discoverable with a firm grasp of who God is, what he's done, why he's done it, what else he intends to do, and why he doesn't want to do it alone" (xiv-xv).
He continues, "God's supernatural family is a theological template for understanding God's relationship to his human family of believers—and our greater importance compared to them. Learning what the Bible says about angels ultimately is tied to thinking well about how God thinks about us" (xv).
God's heavenly host (or here, "angels," because it's easier) image him through representation. God's human family also image him by representing him. Heiser says, "We image God by doing what he would do, when he would do it, and with the motivation he would have for doing it" (xvi). God wants to reside with his human family, and so Jesus, in order to save us so that we could be in his presence, "was made lower than the angels" in order to help "the offspring of Abraham" (Hebrews 2:9, 16). Christians are God's children who will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3) and who will rule the nations (Rev 3:21; see also Ps 2:7 and Rev 2:27). "Knowledge of God's heavenly host helps us to think more clearly about our status, our purpose, and our destiny" (xiv).
As the ToC above shows, Heiser moves through the OT (section 1), to the Second Temple period (section 2), and up to the NT period (section 3), as the NT authors quote or allude to the Second Temple literature (the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha). The best part of this book is the section on the Old Testament.
In chapter one Heiser examines terms that describe the nature, status, and function of God's heavenly host. The status of angels is described by terms such as God's "heavenly ones," "stars," "gods" (elohim); their status in hierarchy with terms like "assembly" and "council," and their function with terms like "angel," "host," "cherubim," "seraphim," "minister," and "mediator." Now Heiser spends time explaining ways each of these terms (and any other terms I left out) are used in the Old Testament.
In chapter two he shows how angels function in God's presence. They contribute to discussions in the divine council (see 1 Kings 22:19-23). They bear witness to God's decrees, such as the giving of God's law, when he testifies against his own people, and when one of God's prophets stands in the divine council (Jer 23:16-18, 21-22). They also assist in governing God's world, along with serving people by explaining divine activity (read most of Zechariah), and praising the Most High God. In chapter 3 Heiser covers important angels such as the angel of Yahweh, the commander of the Lord's army, the destroyer angel of the Passover in Exodus, and Gabriel, Michael, and the Prince of the Host.
Section 4 looks at angelology today and covers both questions people have and myths people believe about angels. (Questions such as "Can 'Fallen Angels' Be Redeemed?," "Are Fallen Angels Included in Reconciling 'All Things'?" in Colossians 1:19-20, and more; myths such as "Angels Have Wings… And They're Women Too," "Angels Can No Longer Rebel," "Angels Can Read Minds And Manipulate The Material World," and more).
More could easily be said about this book (and if you want to know more, check out the links to the Logos Blog on the bottom of the page). Certainly, there is some overlap with Heiser's The Unseen Realm (along with the references in the footnotes), but there is much that is new here. There is little to complain about, except that I wish it were longer.
I should warn some of you that this is an academic book. Footnotes and block quotes are numerous throughout the book. Should that be off-putting to anyone wanting to learn more about angels? I sure hope not. We live in an age where guys like Bill Maher associate Christianity with anti-intellectualism. Clearly, he has never picked up a commentary or read a dissertation by Christians. There is much more going on in the Bible with spiritual beings than we realize, and most books will either be too difficult to understand (like dissertations) or they will teach you nothing about the Bible (or they're just a waste of time). While two chapters probably won't interesting to many laypeople (i.e., the two chapters on the intertestamental period—though academics should look there), the rest of the book is great and fills a gap for both the layperson and the academic. This is an important book, and be looking for his upcoming book on demons too.


text:
Nov. 19, 2014: Several-week-old pigs stand in a pen inside a barn at Paustian Enterprises in Walcott, Iowa. (Reuters)
The Federal Bureau of Prisons may have bitten off more than it could chew by banning pork from prison menus earlier this month -- and apparently has reversed course on the decision.
After the bureau drew complaints from the American pork industry and most recently from Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley for the ban, the senator's office tells FoxNews.com that the bureau informed them they're backing off the decision and returning pork to the menu.
Grassley issued a statement later Friday afternoon praising the move while saying he still has concerns: "The decision by the Bureau of Prisons to completely remove pork from its menus was ham-handed at best. I appreciate the quick decision after my letter to the bureau to keep pork products on prison menus. ... But, there are still questions about how the original determination was made and the cost of conducting the surveys."
The bureau has not responded to a request for comment. It's unclear what exactly prompted the reversal, and whether pork will still be served on just a limited basis.
The Washington Post, which first reported on the reversal, said the bureau has only agreed to bring pork roast back to the menu -- reportedly the only pork dish served to prisoners after other pig products were recently phased out.
The Bureau of Prisons, responsible for over 200,000 inmates, has claimed that it was phasing out pork because surveys of prisoners' food preferences showed it wasn't a very popular menu item. Plus they blamed the cost of pork, moving to impose a total ban at the beginning of the month.
But the pork industry had a hard time stomaching the idea that even prisoners don't want their bacon fix.
"We find it hard to believe that a survey would have found a majority of any population saying, 'No thanks, I don't want any bacon,'" a spokesperson for The National Pork Producers Council told FoxNews.com earlier this week.
The baby-back backlash escalated as Grassley, Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fired off a letter to Bureau of Prisons Director Charles Samuels expressing "concerns" about the decision and questioning the survey process that supposedly showed pork was low-rated among prisoners.
"To corroborate the validity of the claim that prisoners indicated a lack of interest in pork products, I am requesting copies of the prisoner surveys and responses that were used to support the determination to no longer serve pork in federal prisons," Grassley wrote.
He went on to illustrate the economic importance of pork in America.
"The United States produces upwards of 92 percent of its own pork. Alternative products may be more likely to be imported. The pork industry is responsible for 547,800 jobs, which creates $22.3 billion in personal incomes and contributes $39 billion to the gross domestic product," he wrote. "... This unprecedented decision to remove pork from all federal prisons will have consequences on the livelihoods of American citizens who work in the pork industry."
The original decision also stirred speculation as to whether Muslim or Jewish dietary restrictions had anything to do with it.
However, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations told FoxNews.com earlier this week that while they welcomed the ban, they did not request it.
FoxNews.com's Judson Berger and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Read more http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/16/swine-and-dine-federal-prisons-reverse-pork-menu-ban-after-outcry/?intcmp=hpbt2


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Packages that use org.apache.commons.lang3.builder

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org.apache.commons.lang3.builder

Assists in creating consistent equals(Object), toString(), hashCode(), and compareTo(Object) methods.

org.apache.commons.lang3.concurrent

Provides support classes for multi-threaded programming.

org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect

Accumulates common high-level uses of the java.lang.reflect APIs.

org.apache.commons.lang3.text

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Classes in org.apache.commons.lang3.builder used by org.apache.commons.lang3.builder

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Builder

 The Builder interface is designed to designate a class as a builder
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CompareToBuilder

Assists in implementing Comparable.compareTo(Object) methods.

Diff

 A Diff contains the differences between two Diffable class
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 Assists in implementing Diffable.diff(Object) methods.

DiffResult

 A DiffResult contains a collection of the differences between two
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EqualsBuilder

Assists in implementing Object.equals(Object) methods.

HashCodeBuilder

 Assists in implementing Object.hashCode() methods.

RecursiveToStringStyle

Works with ToStringBuilder to create a "deep" toString.

ReflectionToStringBuilder

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ToStringBuilder

Assists in implementing Object.toString() methods.

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Controls String formatting for ToStringBuilder.

Classes in org.apache.commons.lang3.builder used by org.apache.commons.lang3.concurrent

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Classes in org.apache.commons.lang3.builder used by org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect

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Builder

 The Builder interface is designed to designate a class as a builder
 object in the Builder design pattern.

Classes in org.apache.commons.lang3.builder used by org.apache.commons.lang3.text

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text:
iPhone apps helps track sex offenders, spot crime
Posted byadmin September 29, 2009
Tracy Rodriguez of Houston, Texas, is not a trained private investigator or police officer. But with a gentle tap on her iPhone screen, the mother of three can access information revealing the sex offenders who live within a 10-mile radius of where her children practice sports or watch movies.
The information, provided by an iPhone app called Offender Locator, helps Rodriguez make more informed choices, she says. When the app pops open on her phone, there is an eerie sketch of a man's face. Then, the app asks for an address. "I am constantly worrying about the well-being of my family," says Rodriguez, who uses the app several times daily. "You can't be too careful." Since the iPhone launched more than two years ago, a handful of crime-fighting tools have emerged among the thousands of innovative apps. They give ordinary citizens the capability to sleuth and guard themselves against crime. Users can conduct a background check during a dinner date or avoid walking through a high-crime area. The Offender Locator app has been downloaded more than a million times, breaking into the top 10 most popular apps list on iTunes when it made its debut in June. Some BlackBerry models and Google's Android also offer crime-fighting apps. And the app industry is bound to grow, which probably means more inventive tools to fight crime. The Yankee Group Research Inc., a company with expertise in global connectivity, estimates U.S. smartphone app downloads will reel in $4.2 billion in revenue by 2013. For the past decade, law enforcement agencies have relied on e-mail and texting to interact with the public. Now, iPhone apps are expanding their reach by allowing people to access information wherever they are, as long as they have cell phone service.
Big cities prove apt for apps
Robbery suspect profiled on billboards arrested
"I think mostly it will be used by users who want to do their own little reporting," says MG Siegler, a writer at TechCrunch.com, a blog about technology start-ups. "These apps are definitely very popular." In February, the FBI worked with NIC Inc., a contractor that develops Web pages for the government, to construct an app that provides updates of the 10 most wanted fugitives and terrorists. So far, there have been more 541,000 downloads in 170 countries since the app was released in February. This month, Intelius Inc., a company that provides public records online, is launching an iPhone app called Date Check, which is "like having a private investigator in your purse," company officials say. During a blind date, the Date Check user can snoop right away by punching in the stranger's name. Within seconds, users can read records showing whether their date is a convicted rapist or owns a million-dollar property. "It gives you peace of mind of who you might be interacting with," said John Arnold, CEO of Intelius. But Lillie Coney, associate director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a public interest research group, warns that the crime-fighting apps can spread inaccurate and misleading information. Public records can have errors, and sometimes, court records may be expunged or sex offenders are removed from registries. Some apps carry disclosures that say the information may not be accurate or up-to-date. "It's turning everyone into a police officer," she says. "Is that the way society's resources should be used" Most of the information available on these iPhone apps is already accessible online. For example, states require sex offenders to register and distribute their personal information on Web sites and in community notifications. App makers say their features protect the public's safety by keeping individuals informed. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children created the AMBER Alert app this year, which provides a real-time feed with details about the victim, abductor and vehicle. The app is programmed to let the user automatically send tips to the center. Crime Spot, an iPhone app made by Excelltech Inc., generates maps of where crimes have occurred. This can help users, particularly travelers unfamiliar with a city, avoid particular routes or neighborhoods. Users can also report a crime. Another app, Citixen Me, created by JasonWeiner LLC, lets users police their communities by reporting drunk drivers and nuisances. "They work for the agencies that are proactive and believe in crime prevention," says Mike Lopilato, head of Crime Watch USA, a nonprofit that provides emergency notifications through texts and e-mails for law enforcement agencies. "For those agencies into crime solving, they can send alerts and notify the public that something has happened." But just how effective can the iPhone be in fighting crime Lopilato says the apps like Crime Spot, designed to guard the public from crime, instead could help criminals. They could use the information to avoid high-crime areas where police may be waiting. Michael McCauley, founder of Iphoneappreviews.net, says people may give false crime reports, which would undermine the goal of the app. "The thing is there needs to be some way to rate the credibility of the reports being submitted," McCauley says. In Montgomery County, Maryland, police are worried about PhantomALERT, an iPhone app expected to be released in the next few months that warns drivers about DUI checkpoints. To use this app, invented by Joe Scott, the user downloads information from the company's Web site that specifies where checkpoints, red-light cameras and speeding traps are. For about $10 a month, the phone will send out an audio alert to the driver to help dodge tickets. "That is a risk to public safety, allowing a potentially impaired driver to avoid detection and possibly harm him or herself or someone else on the roadway," says Lucille Baur, a spokeswoman for the police department. But Baur admits the app's ability to warn drivers about red lights or speeding zones could help drivers slow down. A few weeks ago in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an iPhone helped a robbery victim retaliate. Robbers snatched the victim's wallet, credit cards and iPhone, which was equipped with a global positioning function. Using a computer, the victim was able to trace his phone to a nearby Walmart, and then to a restaurant. It wasn't long before police detained the suspects at a gas station and recovered the stolen items.
iPhone Apps: To Pay or Not to Pay?
Best iPhone Apps for Dad
DIY apps: Now showing on an iPhone near you
New iPhone 3GS heats up smartphone wars
Can Apple keep the iPhone app store clean?
Posted byadmin September 29, 2009 Posted inDaily NewsTags: agencies, billboards, crime, enforcement, Google, group, million, offender, practice, private, research, service
Iran to give IAEA inspection timetable
Obama Olympics trip carries political risks


text:
Reviews: Back to Index
The albums have been graded on the most common grading system used in Finnish schools. Where 4 is the worst, and 10 is the best. The final score for the album is most of the times the average for all of the tracks, though it can also change if the reviewer wishes so. The Super Eurobeat Non-Stop albums will be reviewed as full collections, and the individual songs won't be reviewed, unless they are completely new. Though Euromach and JGTC albums for example will have complete song by song reviews.
The grading system simply goes as ie. 4- (3,75), 4 (4), 4+ (4,25) and 4½ (4,5) and the next one again would be 5-. A simple system we have over here in Finland.
Super Eurobeat 129
1.Matt Land - Overload (A-Beat C)
Again we get a great album opener as we get the best male vocalist on A-Beat C in action. The powerful and energetic vocals Matt providers suit eurobeat perfectly and it's great when the people at A-Beat C have noticed his talent and he has time after time gotten great songs. Overload is yet another great song that provides a lot of Initial D feelings for eurobeat fans, and I'm just wondering how the song wasn't featured on any of the OSTs as it'd be perfect for them. Energetic, perfect driving music. Great work by A-Beat C.
Rating : 9½
2.Sara - One More Time (Delta)
From the energetic and catchy moods we are transferred into a more upbeat area that is pretty much your typical delta girl eurobeat. Cheery backgrounds and happy vocals make this song a great one for those people enjoy the happier music, though the song itself isn't from the better part of that category. The song has nothing particularly special about it, it's just plain okay and you listen to it without even noticing the choruses change to verses and vice versa. Not bad, nor good.
Rating : 7-
3.Lou Grant - Avalon (Time)
After the mediocore performance by Delta we are treated to a slight surprise by Time. Avalon is a song that has rather variable backgrounds and over all sounds more mature than most of the eurobeat productions. The style we've come to expect from Time is present as the song is your typical eurobeat with some excellent moments and most of all vocals that give the song a lot of boost. In the end the song is not one of the most memorable ones, as the melody isn't very spectacular but at least the sounds offer a lot more than a few general eurobeat songs put together.
4.Katchy Core - Crazy For Your Love (A-Beat C)
And back to the A-Beat C territory, this title is one that I never really got into for some reason. I never even remember that is it a female or a male vocalist, well anyways now that I'm doing it I obviously remember we're talking about a female vocalist. The song becomes quickly stuck in your head and I noticed that I was humming the same song when I was listening to some of the latter songs. Nice upbeat song with the eurobeat basics all there.
5.Marko Polo - Tokyo Fever (Delta)
The light moods change into something much more energetic as we're treated to the best style Delta has to offer. I always adored Marko Polo and his cool style, this song carries on his high level and it's definitely one of the best songs he has done during his career. The sounds in the intro and the c-melody are pure gold, too bad that the vocals steal the glory in the other parts of the song, but in a way that's not a problem as Marko's vocals are great as always. Energetic, catchy, over all just the kind of eurobeat that I originally fell in love with. The piano in the c-melody adds a nice spice to the song.
Rating : 9+
6.Mary Ann - Sugar Boy (Time)
The albums mood goes back and forth with the upbeat and more serious style, and it seems that when the girls are singing we get the happy-happy gear on, just like now. Time has presented us with a lot of great songs but as well a ton of bad ones, and generally their problem is that the songs are so similar and don't got any huge kick in them anymore, back in the earlier days of SEB they had more style, but now they just seem to be happy with recycling the old songs over and over, for example this song reminded me a lot of some Alexis song from the past. The best part about this song is the excellent c-melody, but aparty from that the song is not very memorable.
7.Go Go Girls - Your Pussy Cat (A-Beat C)
And then we get the big title that never disappoints, I can almost at this point already quarantee that we're treated to a great song when we see the title Go Go Girls. This is yet another upbeat and energetic track that has a very catchy melody, the occasional cat meows here and there give the song a nice touch. The song itself may not be the most groundbreaking song we've heard but when every element in the song is at the right place I gotta be happy with my pussy cat.
Rating : 10-
8.Mr. M - She's A Devil (Time)
Time seems to have gotten quite a cool range of different styles for this album as they yet again offer a different kind of mood. This time we get a more guitar-based eurobeat song that we learned to love ages ago already, and it's pretty refreshing to hear the guitar as the main element nowa days as well. The song has a decent melody and the vocals are alright, but don't offer anything very special, but where the song really shines is the c-melody and the intro that uses electric guitars awesomely. A nice song in the end, but not one of the better ones on the album.
9.The Spiders From Mars - Fragile (A-Beat C)
Knowing the high level of the releases this duo does I already knew I was in for a great song. And it's always nice to be right and have the right kind of expectations for some songs. This is a very energetic and catchy basic eurobeat song that works pretty much due to the excellent melody and the great symphony of vocals that are Dave & Mickey B.. The chorus in the song works marvellously and leaves you wanting more, a very well done song on every area, a round of applauds for A-Beat C yet again.
Rating : 10
10.Vanessa - Memories And Melodies (Time)
When you see the name Vanessa you can already expect something calm and soothing, yet sometimes even she manages to surprise as this song is even more soothing and calm than what she generally does. The intro with pianos sounds like a piece of classical music, but when the eurobeat beat is added on top it just goes somewhat odd. Actually with this song I felt that it doesn't fit the eurobeat scene at all, if the beat wasn't there and they had used only acoustic elements this would've been a magnificent song on a different genre, now as eurobeat it just doesn't work.
11.Mike West - Take Me (Time)
Time continues with the same style as they combine some violins with the eurobeat elements. The intro sounds really good, and where as the previous song had trouble mixing the sounds together this time around the song works rather well. The violin adds the song a great tone and the vocals work over all a lot better than with Vanessa. The chorus is overall rather calm but it suits the song and the c-melody boots up the mood a bit, and in the end the song starts sounding quite good once it grows on you.
12.Cherry - My Lover Boy (Delta)
And again upbeat, what else can you expect from Cherry? A typical song from Cherry's catalogue that doesn't really have the excellency of for example DJ Baam Baam! Play The Boom! Boom!, and this song doesn't even rise to the level of 95% of the songs she's done. The real problem with the song is that there doesn't even seem to be a chorus included at all, the song just flows pointlessly on without any actual highlights. It's actually very rare that eurobeat offers songs like this, there ain't even a proper c-melody to change the mood for a change. A disappointment really.
13.Mega NRG Man - Ready To Go (A-Beat C)
The keyword for this album has been 'similarity' the familiar artists seem to recycle old ideas again and only a few surprises have arisen on the album. Mega NRG Man always sounds like he does, and it's not necessarily a bad thing but I couldn't tell this song from ie.Get Me Power the songs really just need some kind of a jig to make them stick out from the crowd. On the other hand in comparison to the previous performance by Cherry, this song doesn't sound that bad, it just needs more originality.
14.Kevin Johnson - Little Crush (Delta)
Kevin Johnson seems to have Clara Moroni backing him up all the time, and that is the case now as well. I haven't been a huge fan of Kevin's and I was pretty surprised when this song turned out as really catchy. The upbeat chorus is very fun to sing to, and once the chorus ends and the c-melody begins you'll definitely start liking the song, it's just so irresistible. Nothing new, or nothing we wouldn't have seen a gazillion times again (so why do I not whine about it like I do with Mega NRG Man, the case is that Kevin Johnson for example does a lot of different styles, NRGie does the same thing over and over), yet a nice song.
15.Alexis - Wonderful Night (Time)
Time likes to mess up acoustic elements with eurobeat, and I'm still pretty much against that in the first place, though Mike West displayed that it can also work, but now we're given another example why they won't work. The song starts with a very calm intro that turns into yet another basic eurobeat song that doesn't really give any room for anything but the beat and the vocals. The melody is rather transparent and the vocals are nothing to go yay for, a crappy song, that's it basically.
16.Karen - Untouchable Lover (A-Beat C)
Karen seems to be one of the few female vocalist who doesn't stick to the upbeat and typical girl eurobeat, and that's always refreshing. This song is pretty upbeat in a way, but her rather low voice makes the song seem a lot more mature than many of the other vocalists. The track starts off with a cool intro, and seems very good until the chorus starts... The chorus sounds really boring and I found nothing really catchy about it, but fortunately for the song the c-melody backs up a bit what the chorus blew into pieces. The verses work well and sound good, and it feels odd how the chorus itself is so bad in the end. Anyways a rather normal song, that could've been worse and better.
17.Simon Koh - Come On Come On! (Delta)
Another title that I've been pretty unfamiliar with. And I didn't really know what to expect, and for a change it was nice to be surprised by a rather heavy song (in comparison to general eurobeat that is). The song starts with an excellent intro and when the hyper synth is added in the song gets really awesome, the vocals boost the song perfectly and the chorus is very catchy. This song is a perfect opposite example of the upbeat eurobeat, and as I'm rather open to all of the eurobeat styles I at least loved this a lot, and I guess the people who don't like the upbeat songs will also like this one.
18.Dave Rodgers & Kiko Loureiro - Fevernova (A-Beat C)
And naturally the album finishes off with our dear old Davey. As I've slowly began actually liking him I was actually pretty much interested to hear this, and to my surprise he sounds actually really good in the intro when he sings really quietly. After the calm intro the song blast into action I was totally swept away, I might've disliked him for a longtime, but now I can't really seem why, as this song is pure awesome. The vocals work really well and the song itself is just perfect. This'll rise Dave's stocks a lot, nice to be surprised by somebody I didn't even stand a year ago.
Bonus Disc - Euro Acoustic Essence
1.Dave & Domino - Shake Your Bell (A-Beat C)
The bonus disc offers older eurobeat songs done in the acoustic way, which is something I didn't really think would work, but partly the labels have done a great work, and partly bad. Anyways we start off with a duet by the two big names on A-Beat C. The original Shake Your Bell was rather calm but in an acoustic form it's even calmer, and where as most eurobeat fans probably won't like this, some people who are into classic might enjoy this a lot. But I'll say, boring.
2.Time Acoustic Trio Feat. Helena - Melodies Of Love (Time)
To a no surprise the calm mood continues, and this is yet another boring one that just doesn't fit the theme of the eurobeat albums. I wouldn't listen to these songs freely, and at this point I decided that when I'm giving the final grade for the album I won't incude the bonus disc in it, as my opinion is so based on my own dislike for classical, and calm music in the first place.
3.Kevin Johnson - Little Crush (Delta)
A nice to see the song that already appeared on the actual album to appear on the bonus disc as an acoustic version, so it's easy to do comparison between the songs. From the songs so far, this song suddenly turned out as something really nice. The violins and the piano form a rather simple, yet pretty background and Kevin's vocals sound incredible beautiful, and actually now I can for the first time hear how well he sings, a huge plus for the song due to Kevin's voice. The surprise gem of the bonus disc.
4.Dave Rodgers & Norma Sheffield - Nothing Changed (A-Beat C)
For some reason everytime this song starts playing I think of Twin Peaks the legendary TV-Show, there's just something similar with the intro and the Twin Peaks theme. Anyways this is yet another piano acoustic song that relies mostly on the vocals. I just praised how good Dave sounded in Fevernova and I have to take a bit of that back, on this song as his voice is the main element in the song, it just can't hold itself up anymore that well, he doesn't sound really bad, but his voice just doesn't fit an acoustic song at all. When Norma takes control the song got a huge boost, as a surprise she sounds really good when there's only her voice and some acoustic elements. A rather interesting experiement, but not a song I'd listen to a lot.
Okay, another album that kicks off magnificently, and then we get the typical SEB yo-yo movement as the level of the songs seems to go up and down, and fortunately the good songs are spread around the album, so you don't get the feeling that you wanna change the CD after you're done with the good songs. Anyway the album offers a lot of variety which is a great thing, and the interesting experiement with the bonus disc is a welcome add-on, though I didn't really fancy it that much. A lot of people might like it, but I at least would more gladly take the typical bonus discs we had back on 80-90. Some very memorable moments and a lot of good songs, Matt Land, Dave Rodgers & Kiko Loureiro, The Spiders From Mars and Simon Koh for example present us with killer songs that will earn a lot of airplay for me and also hopefully for other people as well. A good album overall, but alas not the best one we've heard.
Final Score : 8 (7½ with the bonus disc)
Reviewed by Bore


You probably have a preferred side to sleep on which works well until you have an injured shoulder. When that happens putting pressure on the shoulder causes discomfort and you change your sleeping position to the other side or your back. We are such creatures of habit that changing your position can also mean you don't sleep as well.
So what's to be done?
If there is a lot of pressure on the shoulder when you lie on your side its generally because the ribs on that side are lifted and therefore can't provide support to the middle of the torso. If your ribs don't lie comfortably on the bed you can bring the bed up to your ribs by using the following easy and effective procedure. It's cost effective (free) and, according to my clients who have shoulder problems, effective.
To begin you need to fold back the fitted sheet on your bed so that your mattress is exposed.
Then fold a towel or blanket length-wise a few times and place it a shoulder's width away from your pillow. This will help to support the mid and lower ribs and make a "well" for your shoulder to rest in. With the ribs bearing the weight of the torso it alleviates the pressure on the shoulder allowing you to stay there for an extended period of time.
It's all very well to have a blanket under the ribs but with moving around during the night it's going to soon be out of place which is why you put the folded blanket under the bottom sheet.
Once you have made sure the blanket is positioned correctly put the sheet back in place. The fitted sheet will keep the blanket in place and no matter which side you lie on it will still be there to provide a well for the shoulder.
Wake Up Your Body and Brain is not meant as a "cure all". It is a place to start a process for physical and mental improvement and give you a taste of what's possible. It's now your job to pursue this work and embrace it as part of your daily routine. The Feldenkrais lexicon contains thousands of Awareness Through Movement® lessons addressing every conceivable aspect of movement and improvement. Many of these lessons are available via the internet as on-line classes or prerecorded audio and video lessons. I invite you to explore and experience the possibilities. You will be glad you did! Buy your copy of "Wake Up Your Body and Brain" from Amazon, or download it today.
Sandra Bradshaw, Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner Functional Movement Specialist will help you to boost your capacity to move effortlessly. With a background in special education, yoga, functional movement, and music, Sandra integrates this knowledge with the latest brain research to help you find solutions to your personal needs that are effective and long lasting. If you are interested in more information or would like to make an appointment, call Sandra today at 250 862 8489.
The Feldenkrais Method® created by physicist Moshe Feldenkrais, PhD., combines precisely structured movement sequences with the latest advances in brain research; it will help you recover from specific areas of injury such as the neck and shoulders or to improve fluidity and ease in sports, recreational activities or life. Join the ranks of such notables as actress Whoopi Goldberg, cellist YoYo Ma and the members of the Canadian Men's Alpine Ski Team.


Peter and Paul Fortress is located on Hare Island (Finnish Enisaari), about whom Neva is divided into two branches. From that place the construction of St. Petersburg. Day bookmarks "Fortress" - 27 May 1703 - is considered the birthday of the city.
The fortress has never taken part in the hostilities, it is not made of a single combat shot. Almost immediately, she turned into a "Russian Bastille". Citadel, conceived to defend against an external enemy, became a prison and royal cemetery. On the territory of the fortress are the Peter and Paul Cathedral (architect D.Trezini) and The grand tomb.


text:
Read and write binary data in ArrayBuffers.

    Maintained by Zakodium

  [![NPM version][npm-image]][npm-url]
  [![build status][ci-image]][ci-url]
  [![Test coverage][codecov-image]][codecov-url]
  [![npm download][download-image]][download-url]

## Installation

```console
npm i iobuffer
```

## API

Complete [API documentation](http://image-js.github.io/iobuffer/)

## Usage example

```js
const { IOBuffer } = require('iobuffer');

const io = new IOBuffer();
// Pointer offset is 0
io.writeChars('Hello world') // Write 11 chars, pointer offset now 11
  .writeUint32(42) // Write 32-bit int (default is little-endian), pointer offset now 15
  .setBigEndian() // Switch to big-endian mode
  .writeUint32(24) // Write another 32-bit int, but big-endian, pointer offset now 19
  .mark() // Bookmark current pointer offset (19)
  .skip(2) // Pointer offset now 21
  .writeBoolean(true) // Write 0xff, pointer offset now 22
  .reset() // Go to bookmarked pointer offset, pointer offset now 19
  .setLittleEndian() // Go back to little endian mode
  .writeUint16(18) // Write 16-bit unsigned integer in the previously skipped 2 bytes, pointer offset now 21
  .rewind() // Pointer offset back to 0
  .toArray(); // Get a Uint8Array over the written part [0-21] of the internal ArrayBuffer
```

## License

[MIT](./LICENSE)

[npm-image]: https://img.shields.io/npm/v/iobuffer.svg
[npm-url]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/iobuffer
[ci-image]: https://github.com/image-js/iobuffer/workflows/Node.js%20CI/badge.svg?branch=main
[ci-url]: https://github.com/image-js/iobuffer/actions?query=workflow%3A%22Node.js+CI%22
[codecov-image]: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/image-js/iobuffer.svg
[codecov-url]: https://codecov.io/gh/image-js/iobuffer
[download-image]: https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/iobuffer.svg
[download-url]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/iobuffer


text:
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
NLNederlands niet beschikbaar
Contact with ESHCC
Organisation chart 2022
Charging stations e-cars
Fiets & bromfiets
Parking regulations motor vehicles
Arts & Culture Studies Department
Media & Communication Department
Independent bodies
ERMeCC Research Cluster
Music, Industry, Culture & Society
Music is one of the most popular and globalised cultural forms. Together with its associated fan cultures, music is inextricably intertwined with identity formation, community building and attachments to place. The economic importance of the music industries is considerable and these industries have an enormous cultural and global significance and scope. Music is a very powerful means of communication and symbolic identification, and ties together subcultures, communities, nations and regions. For many people, music is an indispensable element of their daily lives. Increasingly, music consumption, distribution and consumption are affected by digitization, which by many has been classified as a disruptive development in this sector, deconstructing traditional value chains and business models.
This research cluster consists of international researchers studying classical and popular music. They explore diverse questions concerned with the production, distribution and consumption of music. These researchers share an interest in the ways in which music processes interact with societal and technological developments.
The Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Culture and Communication hosts individual PhD projects focused on music as well as large-scale projects involving partners from different Dutch and international universities. The researchers in this cluster have published widely in national and international journals. Furthermore, they engage in public outreach through events (e.g. Music Talks), interviews in popular media, and collaborations with public partners such as MOJO concerts and the Dutch association of venues and festivals.
Projects within this cluster:
Listed below are research projects that are currently running within this cluster.
Constructing cultural authority: the online and offline evaluation of popular music and fiction books.
Elvis has finally left the building? Whiteness, boundary work and the reception of rock music in comparative perspective.
European Music Festivals, Public Spaces, and Cultural Diversity
GAMPSISS: Gameful music performances for smart, inclusive, and sustainable societies.
POPLIVE - Staging popular music: sustainable live music ecologies for artists, music venues and cities.
Popular music heritage, cultural memory and cultural identity. (POPID)
Reshaping Authenticity: the production, aesthetics and reception of independent folk music in the Netherlands
Sensory learning: the role of the body in musical learning processes.
The affordances of mainstream popular music from the recent past.
The role and meaning of music tourism in contemporary culture.
Where Music Meets Research
prof.dr. (Pauwke) PPL Berkers
Pauwke Berkers is full professor Sociology of Popular Music, specifically in relation to Inclusion, Well-Being, and Resilience in the Department of Arts and…
Full professor - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
dr. (Amanda) AMC Brandellero
Associate professor - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
dr. (Thomas) TA Calkins III
Lecturer - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
dr. (Simone) SMR Driessen
**Simone Driessen is a senior lecturer in the Media and Communication Department of Erasmus University Rotterdam.** As a lecturer she is involved in several…
Assistant professor - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
(Rick) RA Everts
Rick Everts (1989) is a PhD candidate at the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture. Rick's PhD research focuses on the role of live music…
External PhD candidate - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
prof.dr. (Koen) CJM van Eijck
Koen van Eijck is professor of Cultural Lifestyles and head of the Examination Board of the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication. He also serves…
dr. (Christian) CW Handke
Christian Handke is Associate Professor of Cultural Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam. From 2012 to 2018, he was programme director of the Master in…
dr. (Erik) HJCJ Hitters
**Erik Hitters is Associate Professor of Media and Creative Industries in the Department of Media & Communication of Erasmus University Rotterdam.** He has…
dr. (Arno) AJC van der Hoeven
Visiting fellow - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
prof.dr. (Susanne) MSSE Janssen
Susanne Janssen is Full Professor of Sociology of Media and Culture, Research Director of the Department of Media and Communication, and Academic Director of…
(Martijn) M Mulder
In 2017 Martijn started his PhD research on live music experiences and ecologies at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, under supervision…
(Britt) B Swartjes
PhD candidate - Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
dr. (Julian) JCF Schaap
Julian Schaap (Rotterdam, 1988) is assistant professor sociology of music at the Department of Arts and Culture Studies. His research focuses on stratification…
prof.dr. (Marc) MNM Verboord
Marc Verboord is professor of Media and Society at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC), Erasmus University Rotterdam. His research…
Further team members
Femke Vandenberg, Arts & Culture Studies.
ERMeCC
About ERMeCC
Associations, networks, and collaborations
PhD at ERMeCC
Gaming Matters
Cultural Boundaries & Power
CRESH
STiCS
ROCCS
ERMeCC Digital Research Lab
Open navigation for MICS


text:
NextFair Winds and Following Seas
Calling All Young Professionals
Senior leaders should encourage younger workforce to build a professional network
Melanie D.G. Kaplan	on June 20, 2014
Take risks. Network outside of your field. Spend time doing something that has no connection to your job.
Lindy Bersack, quality management team lead with Blue Canopy, is big on note-taking, so when she attends USGIF events, she jots down these snippets of advice, which aid in her professional and personal growth. Bersack even added a new acronym to her lexicon: PIC. That's Professionalism, Integrity, and Character. She first heard PIC in a talk given by retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael Lee, national security partner at Blue Canopy, who initially encouraged Bersack's involvement with USGIF's Young Professionals Group (YPG).
"I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned," Bersack said. Through various YPG events, she's attended training sessions for Esri and OpenStreetMap, networking happy hours, speed mentoring sessions, and service projects such as the International Spy Museum's SpyFest, where the YPG helped children build model satellites out of household items.
From Lee's perspective, Bersack is gaining confidence, thanks largely to her YPG participation.
"Lindy was almost a little timid," said Lee, a member of the USGIF Board of Directors. "YPG has forced her to the next level. She's poised, professional, and she is a much more valued asset for us."
Lee added that Bersack's increased involvement gives her visibility within the company—and among Intelligence Community seniors—that otherwise might have been unattainable.
Lee, a skilled networker who actively mentors about a half-dozen people at any given time, said he teaches young professionals communication skills and stresses the importance of "knowing how to walk up, look someone in the eye, and make small talk as you get to know them." He's set a personal goal to get at least one junior intelligence professional involved with YPG each year.
However, not enough senior leaders follow Lee's example: YPG has around 400 individuals on its listserv, even though USGIF has more than 240 member companies and organizations, employing hundreds of thousands of highly skilled workers. So, where are all the young GEOINT professionals?
"Companies have to understand the value of having young people involved in an organization [such as YPG]," Lee said. "It's good for professional growth, but personal growth as well."
Often, young professionals aren't sure where to find networking opportunities.
"I wanted to be involved with the Community, but I had no idea where to look," said Mike Campanelli, a senior systems engineer with RadiantBlue Technologies, and a member of the USGIF Board of Directors. "I would have had no idea to Google 'USGIF YPG.'"
Fortunately, Campanelli's supervisor, Todd Ham, told him about USGIF and encouraged him to develop a strong network—recognizing that his own mentors have been tremendous assets throughout his career, and wanting to do the same for the next generation.
Sam Unger is the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency account program performance manager at TASC, and also serves on the YPG Working Group (YPGWG), which plans YPG initiatives and events.
"If I'm giving my time, I want to know what it's going toward," Unger said. He added that the YPGWG is discussing longer-term projects with definitive goals that appeal to the next generation, but getting the word out and helping managers and executives recognize the value of YPG participation is equally important, he said.
"It's a bonus for management, because they are always trying to figure out, 'How do I keep my Millennials engaged?'" Unger said. "YPG is a great channel for opportunity and innovation. It's a feedback mechanism for management, because the young professionals come back to the office talking about new ideas."
Shay Har-Noy, founder of TomNod, which was acquired last year by DigitalGlobe, is active with YPG and says networking needs to be a higher priority for his peers. He likes
to say that people at all career levels should have mentors, and everybody should print their own business cards—without a company logo—and market themselves with an eye on their future.
And that future means the time when today's GEOINT Community leaders will retire. Bersack understands that she and her contemporaries will eventually take charge, relying on the relationships they are forging today.
"The more mentoring and exposure we get now," she said, "the better off we'll be when we have to step into those positions."
Posted in: Young Professionals
Tagged in: 2014 Issue 2, Education, Training & Certification
Going Beyond STEM
USGIF to welcome San Antonio area Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to Symposium
The Power of Progress
Technology powers human progress, and people have a vital role
2016 State of GEOINT Report
Myriad views from more than 50 contributing authors representing almost 40 organizations
Posted by	Melanie D.G. Kaplan
Fair Winds and Following Seas
The World in 3D


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Daruvala set for GP3 debut in Abu Dhabi
The 20-year old India racer will drive for the Dutch team, MP Motorsport, at Yas Marina.
Published On Nov 21, 2018 11:45:00 AM
Jehan Daruvala will compete in the GP3 series season finale at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
The 20-year-old Indian racer will drive for Dutch squad MP Motorsport alongside Richard Verschoor and Devlin DeFrancesco. He tested for the team at last year's post-season test at the Yas Marina track.
"I'm pleased to welcome Jehan to our GP3 team for the final weekend in the series' nine-year history before we move on to the all-new FIA F3 in 2019," said MP Motorsports' team manager Sander Dorsman. "I'm sure Jehan will gel well with Richard and Devlin, and will help us wave goodbye to GP3 by going out on a high."
"After my 2017 test, it will be good to gain some more GP3 experience ahead of the 2019 season. I am thankful to MP for giving me this opportunity", said Daruvala.
Daruvala is making this one-off appearance this weekend as preparation for a planned move up to the category in 2019.
The GP3 series runs as a support category to Formula One but will be replaced by the Formula 3 championship next year. It sits below Formula 2, what was formerly the GP2 series, on the ladder.
Daruvala has raced in the Formula 3 European championship for the last two seasons driving for the Carlin squad, scoring six podiums and two wins.
His GP3 cameo this weekend means there will be two Indians on the F1 support bill at the Yas Marina circuit this weekend, with Arjun Maini driving for Italian team Trident in Formula 2.


The very strong construction gives the Aero Screwgate 25kN major axis and 9kN gate open strengths.
It also has thick walled 7075 gate barrels that resist 5kN inward force for extra safety.
The minimum rope radius is 10mm and rises to 10.3mm on the main rope bearing surfaces.
Aero Screwgate is a well-respected member of DMM's budget minded karabiner family. It is a good value, basic offset D locking carabiner with a keylock nose that is the new standard for entry level lockers.


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Film Comedy
What became of the raucous laughter and inspired slapstick anarchism of the early silent comedies? Our regular film commentator Thomas Wartenberg traces the trajectory of film comedy from laughter to romance.
In a brilliant essay entitled, 'Comedy's Greatest Era', James Agee bemoaned sound comedy's inability to deliver the raucous laughter he found so appealing in silent comedy. I was reminded of this critical judgment as I perused the American Film Institutes list of the 100 greatest American film comedies, for there were very few silent films on it. (The list is available at www.afionline.org/100laughs). Topping the list are two films involving cross-dressing: Some Like It Hot and Tootsie. The first silent film on the list is Buster Keaton's The General (#18), certainly one of the great American film comedies. Charlie Chaplin's first entry on the list is The Gold Rush (#25), certainly a classic but in many ways less funny, more maudlin than many of his earlier shorter features. Harold Lloyd's sole appearance is at #79 with The Freshman. In all, by my count, only 7 of the 100 films are silent and, of those, 2 are actually sound films Chaplin made without speaking (Modern Times [#33] and City Lights [#31]). Of the earlier pioneers of film comedy, including the great female comic Mabel Normand, the list bears no trace.
Clearly, the AFI list of top film comedies is biased in favor of the present But I don't think it is simply a case of historical amnesia. Rather, I think it betrays a fact about the evolution of film comedy that has structured the preferences of the Institute members who voted. Let me explain.
Comedy is as old as film itself. Among the earliest films screened by the Lumière Brothers was a film, L'Arroseur arros (1895), in which a gardener is the victim of a young boy's prank and winds up getting sprayed in the face as he peers into a hose the boy has been holding shut. But in the debates between early film theorists about film's distinctive nature – Realism or Fantasy? – film's potential for comedy was neglected. In part, no doubt, this was because those theorists were concerned to elevate film to the level of an art form from its humble beginnings as a form of popular culture.
Early silent films were distinguished by their ability to elicit laughter through gags such as the one I just mentioned. Over the years, the great film comedians – Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, to name the three masters of the genre – refined these gags. One memorable example occurs in Chaplin's The Idle Class. Chaplin plays two roles in this film: his usual role as the Tramp but also the more unusual role for him of a rich alcoholic. At one point, when the alcoholic's wife has announced that she is leaving him, the camera shows him in a medium shot from behind in which he appears to be crying: his shoulders are hunched, his head is tilted downwards, and his body seems to be shaking with sobs. A reverse shot shows that we are mistaken: What the alcoholic is doing is making a martini, hence his posture and bodily motion. What Chaplin has noticed, and used his camera to reveal, is that the two unrelated actions – crying and mixing a drink – appear identical when seen from the rear. The camera is able to disclose this to us in a way that other artistic media, such as theater, cannot because it can precisely determine our point of view on the action. In a theater – the artform early film theorists saw as most closely allied to film – viewers not in direct line to a character would see the action from the side, so this is an effect that could not be rendered in that artistic medium.
This suggests that film has certain distinctive comic possibilities not available to other arts. Of course, this does not mean that films ought to exploit this potential, a theoretical entailment mistakenly made by many early film theorists who tried to derive artistic imperatives from their understanding of the nature of film. Nonetheless, this capacity helps reveal the genius of silent film, its ability to show us features of the world, and especially our bodies, that are not apparent in the normal course of our lives. The fact that such revelations brought with them laughter accounts for the great pleasure attendant upon viewing silent films.
As film itself developed and the narrative mode dominated at the box office, film comedy was forced to adapt itself in order to compete. During the mid-to late-teens, narrative films became longer, involving more complex plots. In order to survive, comic films had to become longer, too. But they faced a problem in doing so, for audience interest could not be sustained by a series of gags that extended to the length common to feature films of that time. How would film comedy meet this challenge?
The obvious answer was to accommodate comic gags within an overall dramatic narrative. Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd all moved to such forms, as they produced longer films that had stronger and more coherent dramatic narratives. But the problem was that the narrative form often conflicted with the comic gags. This is clearest, I think, in the case of Chaplin, whose sentimentalism has grown more apparent over time. While The Gold Rush is a masterpiece, it certainly is not one because of the depth of the narrative of a Tramp's ascent into wealth and amorous satisfaction, but rather because of the great comic sequences such as the dinner roll dance the Tramp performs in his dreams on New Year's Eve ("The Oceana Shuffle.") Although such gags could not be strung together into a feature-length film without wearying its audience, the films that result when comedy is placed within a broader narrative structure do not always have the same comic intensity that Agee celebrated in the early film shorts.
(Incidentally, we can note a similar trend in the ouvre of Woody Allen. The early films, like Bananas (#69), were mostly a series of gags strung together with a loose narrative line. In his later films, such as Annie Hall (#4), narrative predominates and unifies the film, although humor is still present. Here, too, comic laughter has been subordinated to the demands of narrative coherence.)
The subordination of comedy to narrative could have taken a number of different forms. Any of the standard genres, such as the Western or the melodrama, could have included comic elements, as indeed some did. But for the most part, it was romance to which comedy became subordinate, thus developing the romantic comedy as the supreme genre for film comedy. Now the comic elements could be integrated into the scaffolding of a developing romance, keeping audience attention from flagging by maintaining tension over obstacles placed in the couple's way. The General is a good example of such a film, for Johnny Gray's quest, filled at it is with comic episodes, is ultimately to win the favors of his beloved. While romantic comedy thus came into being during the silent age, it is, of course, the dominant form of comedy today. Not only are well over half of the films on the AFI top-100 list romantic comedies, but romance remains the paradigm for film comedy today.
One claim that is made about the fusing of romance and laughter is that it resulted in the domestication of film comedy. Theorists of comedy, including Freud and Bergson, have argued that comedy is inherently subversive, for it pokes fun at various forms of authority. One need only think of the predominance of the police in early film comedies – the Keystone Cops being paradigmatic here – to see the appeal of the idea that comedy is inherently anarchic, poking fun at those in power. Romance, on the other hand, is often taken to be a conservative genre, demonstrating the value of love and marriage over rebellious desires. Most romances end once the couple has surmounted obstacles, as the lovers face an indeterminate but happy future, free of the cares that had threatened their love.
If we accept these traditional accounts of comedy and romance, then it makes sense to see the development of romantic comedy as taming comedy's subversions. From this point of view, the modern romantic comedy has lost the critical edge inherent in slapstick and other forms of early film comedy. The AFI's celebration of recent comedy over older ones can then be seen as more than an act of historical amnesia: It camouflages the truly revolutionary nature of film comedy by celebrating the more domesticated form in which it currently exists. When the AFI recognizes films like Singing in the Rain (#16) or American Graffiti (#43) as comedies, it is clear that humor and laughter are no longer the primary criteria that make a film a comedy. To yearn for more of the anarchic pleasures provided by early film comedy, as Agee did, is not simply to accept the nostalgia so current in intellectual circles today; it is to ask filmmakers to provide the subversive experiences that made film comedy such a vital, if now overlooked, genre of the silent film.
One does not have to accept this entire argument, however, to see that the AFI list judges silent films from the standpoint of how well they approximate the norms of contemporary romantic comedy. The General, Sherlock, Jr., The Gold Rush, and City Lights all have romantic plots as the scaffolding for their brilliant physical comedy. (The complex plots of these films allow for physical comedy routines that could not be imagined in simple shorts, no matter how much these feature films are indebted to the shorts for their ideas, such as that of the chase in The General.) In addition, the AFI list has a general denigration of physical comedy in favor of verbal wit. There is only one Jerry Lewis film, The Nutty Professor (#99), on the entire lists and nothing by Jim Carrey.
The AFIs list thus betrays a failure of the film industry to adequately recognize the achievements of silent comedy, especially by its pioneers. Instead, it reflects the prejudices of a film public that suffers a peculiar form of historical blindness. Rather than using the list of top comedies to educate the public about the history of film, the AFI list reflects the self-congratulatory nature of the film industry, assured that it has improved upon its past through the addition of such technological improvements as sound and color. In so doing, one of the truly great achievements of the moving picture – silent comedy – is marginalized and the chance to reinvigorate contemporary film is lost.
© Thomas E. Wartenberg 2000
Thomas Wartenberg is the author of Unlikely Couples: Movie Romance as Social Criticism (Westview) and co-editor of Philosophy and Film (Routledge). He teaches philosophy and film studies at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.
Is This Some Kind Of Joke?
Philosophical Twist
Space Exploration: Humanity's Single Most Important Moral Imperative
Why We Can't Agree
Walter Benjamin and the Media by Jaeho Kang
Why We Hate Us by Dick Meyer
Envisioning Society
Hobbes, Stirner & Authority
Where Have All The Intellectuals Gone? by Frank Furedi


While the growing season may come to an abrupt halt in the winter season, the fall season is still bustling with activity as growers tend to gardens full of leafy greens, squashes and onions. But, homeowners aren't the only ones enjoying the bounty. White-tailed deer stay close to homes in the fall season to enjoy their last meal before returning to twigs and leaves.
In the winter, deer will scout for food in gardens during the early morning hours and late evening to avoid harsh winds and frigid temperatures. They tend to be on a time crunch as they have less sunlight during this time period, as well. Because natural resources will be scarce in the winter, white-tailed deer will eat as much as they can in the fall season.
This is why deer fencing is a must in the fall.
For growers, this may be their last gardening session of the year; and for the deer, this could be their last splurge.


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Affordable Housing in Collingswood
Collingswood, New Jersey Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing programs support 95 income based apartments in Collingswood where households pay rent based on how much they earn.
There are 0 affordable apartments in Collingswood that offer reduced rents to low-income households.
Waiting Lists in Collingswood, New Jersey
There is one Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list open in Collingswood.
Go to the New Jersey Section 8 Waiting Lists page for more openings near Collingswood.
Collingswood Arms
Affordable Housing Near Collingswood
View affordable apartments and waiting lists in cities near Collingswood
Public Housing Agencies Serving Collingswood, New Jersey
Go to the New Jersey Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Collingswood.
Collingswood, New Jersey Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood features 95 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Collingswood, New Jersey
There are 0 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Collingswood.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Collingswood, New Jersey
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Collingswood landlords $900 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Collingswood.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Collingswood, New Jersey for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,323 and $1,617.
2023 Collingswood, New Jersey Fair Market Rents and Housing Choice Voucher Payment Standards
Collingswood, New Jersey Fair Market Rent
Collingswood, New Jersey Payment Standard Range
Collingswood, NJ Affordable Housing Snapshot
$60,777 ±$6,913
$1,031 ±$57
48.8% ± 8.71pp
Collingswood is a city in Camden County, New Jersey with a population of 13,925. There are 6,029 households in the city with an average household size of 2.30 persons. 42.96% of households in Collingswood are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Collingswood
The median gross income for households in Collingswood is $60,777 a year, or $5,065 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,031 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Collingswood, a household making less than $3,437 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 48.8% of households who rent are overburdened in Collingswood.
Area Median Income In Collingswood
HUD often uses an area larger than a city to determine the AMI because HUD anticipates those searching for housing will look beyond individual cities during their housing search. For Collingswood, the AMI is calculated from all households within Camden County.
In Collingswood, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $105,400
Rental Assistance in Collingswood
Income Qualifications for HUD Rental Assistance in Collingswood
Renters earning up to 30% of the Collingswood AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.
Renters earning up to 50% of the Collingswood AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.
Renters earning up to 80% of the Collingswood AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.


TBQ'S Book Palace: [Kame's Review]: "Breakaway Hearts"
Sometimes a chance meeting leads to the person you are meant to be with for the rest of your life. What is the thing any hockey player's dreams of, meeting a girl who loves hockey as much as he does. Ben goes against his normal tendency to take things slow and spends and incredible night with Hailey. He knows he wants to see her again and he makes up his mind he will get her contact information in the morning; except the only thing he saw when woke was a note from Hailey.
[…] he crossed the room and picked up one of the skates. The last time he'd worn them was the night he'd been injured. And now he was willing to risk getting hurt again just ti impress a girl.
Well, not just any girl. Hailey.
Ben is not your typical jock character. He is rather quiet and a little reserved for a hockey player (at least considering the ones I have read about in contemporary romance). His fear about his ability to return to hockey after an injury was very well written. I enjoyed how he wasn't instantly "cured". I think it was brilliant to have Hailey be more than just a hockey fan; her love of the game was evident. The hockey theme and mentions were not too much for someone like me who doesn't really watch the game; a true hockey fan might find it too light. The real focus of this story was the relationship Ben and Hailey had and where Book 1 had the couple fall for each other quickly and their relationship progressed fast; this one took its time. Intimate scenes were varied but not overly graphic, I would say more of a simmer than steamy.
I have mixed feelings on the plot of this book. I enjoyed the setting, the small Canadian town was quaint; enough detail was given to envision the town, but not too much to overtake the story between Ben and Hailey. The secondary characters were well thought out and placed well in the story. Any character we got to know well had a direct purpose, no real fluff characters in this book. We also got to see a glimpse at Ben's family with a few phone calls to his Mom and Adam from Book 1. Where I have problems in the plot is the story line that threatens to rip Ben and Hailey apart (I am trying to avoid a huge spoiler) it is one that is common in today's contemporary romance, and one as a woman I have a hard time accepting and wrapping my head around. Yes the threat to their HEA is real and often happens in real life; but I am challenged that it would really happen to these two characters who seem so true to their feelings. The way they behaved seemed so out of character. The solution of this conflict was quick and again unrealistic to me. After a unique setting and way the couple met I had hoped for an equally unique plot twist to cause conflict with the couple.
In the end I did enjoy the book. The characters are warm, and are people I would love to spend more time with. The few mentions of the other Kelly brothers have me still intrigued to read more. The only disappointing part is I now have to wait some time before I can read Book 3 and it is not available for more than a month.
*Note: The quote used belongs to Crista; Kame and TBQ's Book Palace do not claim it.
Thanks for the review, Kame! :) A lovely cover, and a solid review -- I'm putting this series on my list!
Have you read Crista McHugh before?


RSM CZ, the Czech Republic and Slovakia independent member firm of leading global audit tax and advisory network RSM International, is delighted that UK firm Baker Tilly is joining the RSM International network. This admission reinforces RSM's position as the 7th largest global accounting network and will potentially open up significant new cross border client opportunities between Czech Republic, Slovakia and the UK.
Baker Tilly acquired RSM International's previous UK member firm, RSM Tenon, in August last year, creating a firm of around 3,500 partners and staff and a fee income of over £300m. As the 7th largest accountancy firm in the UK, Baker Tilly has over 40 offices across the UK and is one of the foremost providers of professional services to entrepreneurial and growing businesses.
The acquisition of RSM Tenon gave Baker Tilly the opportunity to consider its international network membership options and, after a period of detailed consideration, the Firm felt RSM was better aligned with Baker Tilly's client needs and international growth aspirations. For a short transition period, the UK firm will continue to trade as Baker Tilly, after which it will then formally adopt the global network name and corporate identity.
RSM International is the seventh largest network of independent audit, tax and advisory firms, encompassing over 100 countries, 700 offices and 32,500 people internationally. The network's total fee income is approaching US$4 billion. In 2013, RSM saw an 18% increase in global referrals within the network.
RSM International actively engages in promoting and celebrating the very best in entrepreneurship, championing the role of the entrepreneur in today's world economy. RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards, promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.
RSM International is a member of the Forum of Firms. The objective of the Forum of Firms is to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.
RSM International is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base.
In the UK, Baker Tilly is the trading name of a number of separate legal entities which (in its newly merged form with RSM Tenon Ltd and its trading subsidiaries) will have revenues of £300m a year, around 3,500 partners and staff operating from more than 40 offices throughout the UK and is the 7th largest UK firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers to entrepreneurial and growing businesses.
Key professional services: audit, accountancy, personal and corporate taxation, VAT, management consultancy, corporate finance, IT advisory, restructuring and recovery and forensic services.
Sector expertise: charities and education, agriculture, automotive, media, manufacturing, pensions, professional practices, public sector, property, social housing, retail and leisure.
Baker Tilly was a member of the international network Baker Tilly International.