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Letters to the Editor for March 20
Burlington County Times
Patient safety should be a priority
I'm not a nurse, but I care about nurse staffing because I have been a patient in a hospital. And, no doubt, I will be a patient again someday.
Nurses play a critical role in patient outcomes. They keep track of medications; they keep track of vital signs; and they are the liaison between the patient and their doctor. When you're in the hospital, who do you talk to the most? Your nurse!
If hospitals understaffed their nursing departments, nurses can't give the best care to every patient. Their attention is divided in too many ways. They can't respond as quickly. There is an increased risk for errors with medication, falls, spread of infection and death.
So why do hospitals under staff? One reason is saving money. But at what cost? Overworked nurses and underperforming patient outcomes, it borders on corporate negligence.
The staffing regulations have not been updated for over 40 years, and patient needs have changed greatly in that time. A bill has already been introduced in the state senate (S-989), but the assembly is dragging its feet with a bill in committee. Gov. Phil Murphy has said he will sign "safe ratios" legislation if it ever reaches his desk. We need to push our assemblymen and women to get A1470 to the floor of the assembly. Patient safety must be our highest priority because we all will most likely be a patient someday.
Kelly Clark
MacArthur must be removed from office
I am writing in response to a recent guest editorial written by Tom MacArthur in your paper. Congressman MacArthur tried to appear as a reasonable legislator concerned about the cost of gun violence.
However, just this past December, NRA-backed Tom MacArthur voted to approve HR 38, the "Concealed Carry Reciprocity" bill. This bill allows people from states with lax gun laws to carry concealed weapons into our state without consequence. Such a bill overrides our state's strict weapons laws. Now we see him frantically trying to cover his tracks with meandering statements about "making our communities safer." But has he withdrawn his support for the Concealed Carry Reciprocity bill? No, he hasn't. And his history tells us that he won't.
MacArthur is an extreme NRA loyalist, with an A rating from that organization. He votes against even the most common-sense regulation. Not only has he sponsored Concealed Carry Reciprocity, he voted to make it easier for those with severe mental illness to get guns. Easier!
Tom MacArthur makes our children less safe. Tom MacArthur makes our communities less safe. He must be removed from office in November.
Deborah Ethington


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Navigating the A&R Jungle
What record label execs want in a demo. By the mid-'90s, rap-rocker Kid Rock had been dropped by two record labels, yet he still regularly packed 1,200
Michael Kohn
What record label execs want in a demo.By the mid-'90s, rap-rocker Kid Rock had been dropped by two record labels, yet he still regularly packed 1,200 fans into hometown bars, sold a lot of creatively designed merchandise, and tirelessly worked a network of interns to promote his music throughout the country.
Temple of the Dog, Kid Rock's rudimentary basement studio in Detroit, featured two ADATs, a 16-channel Mackie mixing board, cheesy guitar stompboxes, a couple of turntables, and a massive collection of vinyl records. That basic gear spawned a cheap cassette demo, which led to another recording contract and the release of Devil Without a Cause, which has since sold more than 9 million copies.
Andy Karp, Atlantic/Lava Records' A&R director, has seen a lot of fledgling groups in his ten years with the company. He calls Kid Rock's budding empire "a pretty impressive operation for a local musician." Kid Rock's tape and promotional efforts intrigued Karp so much that in December 1996 he flew to a Kid Rock show in Cleveland, where the performer crawled out of a coffin to perform for only 50 people. They inked a deal in October 1997, and Karp's nervous answering-machine message about the deal was later immortalized by Kid Rock on the track "Where You at Rock."
One of the mysteries of the music industry is how some bands get signed while others languish in obscurity. Most musicians know that they have to be talented and ambitious to make it big, but what exactly is it that grabs the attention of that crucial audience - the A&R executive? What do they want to hear when they pop a demo into their stereo system and press Play? As Kid Rock's road to success demonstrates, a combination of factors makes A&R execs sit up and take notice, but the crucial element in getting signed is a good demo.
WHAT THEY LISTEN FORSince the dawn of the record industry, the rule has been the same: a demo must first work on the most primitive level. It must grab the listener like a caveman and sock him or her over the head with a club of song, singer, and personality.
"Here is the secret rule: a melody, a lyric, and a performance, all with a rhythm track that makes you want to dance or have sex," says Dave Novik, RCA Records' senior vice president of international A&R. An A&R veteran with 26 years in the field, Novik has been with RCA for the past eight years. He is surrounded in his office by memorabilia of the artists he brought to the label, including gold and platinum discs of 'N Sync, Natalie Imbruglia, and Republica.
"A band needs to have a vision. They need to have an idea of who they are, where they're going, and what they want, because that's what we're buying into," Novik says. "We're buying into their whole package, who they are musically, intellectually, and visually."
Karp says energy, chemistry, attitude, and good songs are the key requirements for a successful demo. "If someone has star quality, it sticks out like a sore thumb," Karp says. (For an overview of A&R and its role in the music industry, see "Working Musician: A&R Primer" in the June 2000 issue of EM.)
THE PRODUCTION QUESTIONThe importance of production in a demo, however, is in the ear of the beholder, as opinions vary among top professionals. Although most profess to be able to hear through any type of production to the underlying artistry, a song produced to sound like a hit record is certainly a big plus for those seeking the Holy Grail of the music business - a big-time record deal.
The well-dressed demo."I'm a producer myself, and I would be the first to admit there's no way to not be influenced in part by recording," says Bradley Kaplan, director of A&R for Warner Brothers Records. "When you hear a great singer who is recorded in a really cool way - which doesn't have to be high-tech or expensive - it definitely is more seductive. It makes our job easier."
Renowned guitarist, songwriter, and producer Nile Rodgers believes he owes the start of his recording career to a master-quality demo of his first number-one hit, Chic's 1977 disco classic, "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)." "The only reason I got a record deal was because I walked in with a record," Rodgers says. His career highlights include working with David Bowie, Madonna, and Duran Duran. Rodgers currently runs his own production company, Nile Rodgers Productions, and distribution company, Sumthing Distribution.
According to Rodgers, an artist with a stripped-down, bare-bones demo doesn't have a chance in today's market. A polished track is "the most effective leveraging tool," he says. When he started in the business, most artists were limited by the cost of professional-studio time and could present only thumbnail examples of the music they envisioned. Now, tools once available only in world-class studios are just a mouse click away in a desktop studio, and Rodgers hasn't heard a stripped-down demo in a long time. "Have your vision as complete as possible. Try to make your record," Rodgers says. "Why should A&R people accept less when they can have more, when they routinely get finished products?"
The stripped-down demo.However, the days of the bare-bones, no-frills demo are not over. Singers with a less-is-more approach to production can still shine on a demo featuring only vocals with piano or acoustic-guitar accompaniment.
Sony/Epic/550 Music's Michael Caplan, senior vice president and A&R department head, signed artists such as Ginuwine, Living Colour, and G. Love and Special Sauce. "I've signed a lot of deals off live board tapes or people playing acoustically for me in the room," Caplan says. "I don't really require that people spend a lot of money."
Pete Ganbarg, senior director of A&R for Arista Records, also places less importance on production. "Production for a demo isn't really important as long as the strength of the artistry and music and songwriting comes across," Ganbarg says. "I'm much more interested in the substance than the style." Ganbarg knows his substance: he served as musical quarterback for Carlos Santana's Supernatural, which sold 13 million copies.
The overproduced demo.The experts agree that the quality of demos has dramatically improved as a result of the personal-studio boom. The dark side of that boom is that a producer can create a Frankenstein's monster of a demo, in which overuse or inappropriate use of the technology overpowers the songwriter's vision.
"People tend to pad recordings with all kinds of effects just because they can, or think they should. You should work very hard to figure out the essence of the song first," says Karp. "If you can't fit everything in, then there's probably stuff that doesn't need to be there and is just getting in the way. Any reggae band will tell you that it's all about the space."
Glossy slickness is not even desirable in many forms of music, such as hip-hop, according to Public Enemy's Chuck D. "Cleaner doesn't necessarily mean better in all music," he says. "You still knew what a good song was when listening to AM radio. No matter what process you make it with, a bad song is just a bad song, based on how it's arranged and the vocals."
Sometimes bad material is treated to excellent production, but A&R people can see through it. Sean Roberts, TVT Records' director of A&R, who signed hard-rocking Sevendust, says that many of the demos that land on his desk received better production than they deserved. "You can't really polish a turd," he says. "I've heard some really horrible bands with really horrible material who sounded awesome."
DO'S AND DON'TSWhen you're creating your demo, plan for maximum immediate impact, because listening time is precious among A&R people. They probably won't give your demo their full attention unless it grabs them and sucks them right in. Because A&R reps spend so much time on the phone, your CD may wind up as background music, aural wallpaper competing for attention with computers, MTV, and various other business interruptions.
"There's far less time to listen to music in A&R than you might think," Karp says. A&R people receive an average of 50 demos per week, and some of them get more than twice that. Of all those acts, each executive signs only one to four acts a year.
A horrible demo that hits way off the mark may get as few as 15 seconds of listening time, but most A&R execs say they that try to get through at least the verse and chorus of a few tunes. Many listen to everything they receive, usually taking at least a few weeks to do so, but they say they rarely find anything worthwhile in unsolicited material. (See the sidebar "Getting Noticed" for tips on getting the attention of A&R people.)
The songs.Ideally, a demo contains between three to four songs, none of which pass the four-minute mark. Carefully choose which material to include by gauging audience reaction at your live shows. Also, have more songs recorded for a follow-up in case you do pique a label's interest. If you send a full-length album instead of a short demo, identify the best tracks by highlighting their titles or listing them on a sticker on the cover.
Always put your best song first, as that may be your only chance to grab the listener's ear. Get to the chorus quickly, and keep the lead vocal up front in the mix, instead of burying it in reverb or other effects. Check your tapes and CDs before you send them to make sure your music was actually duplicated. Be certain to send your demo to a company that fits your musical style.
A successful demo must show focus and direction and not jump stylistically from one song to the next. "One of the biggest problems," Ganbarg says, "is trying to do too much and be too many things at once, stylistically and production-wise."
Caplan adds, "Unfortunately, diversity is now viewed as schizophrenia in the business. I love the Beatles' White Album because it's diverse, but now it would be viewed as being all over the place."
Packaging.Keep the demo package simple. Desktop publishing lets artists come up with more-elaborate packaging, which frequently results in excess garbage. Elaborate, expensive press kits are generally a waste of time and money; many A&R people never get to see them because their assistants separate them from the demo. Besides, A&R executives cannot be seduced by packaging. They're searching for good music, no matter how it's wrapped.
Do, however, be thorough when putting your package together. Make sure every item - especially the CD or tape - includes a current contact number, and an e-mail address and fax number if you have them. Label the spine of the CD with the band's name so it will be easier to find in the plastic mountain of jewel cases on an A&R person's desk. While a photo is not always necessary, it can be helpful, particularly if the band or its front person looks cool. A compact biography and some technical information about how the demo was recorded, are good additions. A compelling and simple live video can also be a big plus if your act is visually interesting.
Many musicians go way overboard with their demos in the mistaken belief that any attention is good attention. See the sidebar "Extreme Musicians" for a few hilarious examples of promotional attempts that went too far.
YES, MASTERThanks to the dramatic improvement in project-studio recording, more demos than ever before are being released as the final albums, usually after being remastered and tweaked with some re-recording or remixing. Although most pop records still require the slickness of the top professional studios, hip-hop and dance music are primarily the products of the personal studio.
"Demos are really a thing of the past with dance music," Roberts says. "When you're dealing with dance music, what's done in the home studio is generally just as good as anything done in a formal studio, depending on the artist's gear and talent and skills as a producer."
With big commercial studio rates running about $1,000 to $2,000 a day, "it's cheaper to buy studio stuff for your home and take your time with your record to make sure it sounds exactly how you want it to," Roberts says. For instance, TVT's Expansion Union and Supa DJ Dmitry (of Dee-lite fame) recorded their recent releases at home.
The majors have also released demos - after additional sweetening, mixing, and mastering. Albums that were recorded by Sony's Ginuwine, G. Love, and Arista's 14-year-old blues guitarist/vocalist Shannon Curfman are notable examples.
"THE CREAM RISES . . ."The music business continues to redefine itself, and technology helps lead the way. But according to Rodgers, one thing has not changed in his two decades in the music business. "The cream rises to the top," Rodgers says. "It's never been more terrifying, and it's never been more exciting."
Although the dizzying array of recording gear can give a rock star wanna-be a competitive edge, the road to the top can still be paved cheaply with good old-fashioned talent and creativity. Kaplan sums it up best. "Writing is still free," he says. "The most valuable commodity in the entire business is the writing."
The tried-and-true way to get A&R folks to listen to your demo is to create a buzz on a regional level. "The best thing that any band can do is to give us a reason to want to find them," Atlantic's Andy Karp says. "Bands are best served by having as much as possible going on around them when they sign their deal. It also helps them get a better one."
The Dave Matthews Band built its career for years, locking in solid touring, a manager, and promoters before sitting down at RCA Records' conference tables. "They did it all themselves, and that is probably the best time for a record company to be involved in a band, when much of the initial legwork has been done," RCA's Dave Novik says. "I don't want to hear a demo from you unless you have your stuff together." That means having a potential manager, attorney, and music publisher ready to go.
The discs that rise to the top of an A&R rep's demo pile are usually the ones submitted by respected industry contacts, which include agents, concert promoters, club bookers, and radio-station programmers. Novik prefers to hear from one of these professionals instead of the band members. He suggests building a career to the point at which the demand is so high that retailers must stock the record and radio stations have no choice but to play it.
"Kick butt locally and you have a better chance of kicking butt nationally, or even internationally," Arista's Pete Ganbarg says. "If you can prove in your own backyard that you have what it takes to succeed, then all the major label has to do is come in and do some polishing." This strategy might be easier in a smaller town than in an industry hotbed such as Manhattan or Los Angeles, because an artist can be the proverbial big fish in a small pond.
Ganbarg recently signed Shannon Curfman, a 14-year-old whose bluesy style has been compared to that of Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge. Curfman's self-released recording, Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions, was selling about 500 copies a week in her hometown of Minneapolis when she was signed. "If it's blowing up, we'll find out," Ganbarg says. "I would rather artists go out and start a buzz and I call them, instead of them calling me."
Live performance is still a crucial component in getting signed in rock or alternative music, but not necessarily in the urban or pop genres. In fact, most A&R people admit that they see bands in the clubs only when necessary, usually when they're already interested in an act.
The Internet has blossomed into another tool for A&R people, so developing a Web site can serve as an important step toward getting signed, as is getting your music on other music-related sites. Most industry insiders surf the Net in search of new talent. Michael Caplan of Sony/Epic/550 regularly searches cyberspace for MP3 files, and he actually signed moe. after seeing 500 kids in a chat room discussing the band.
Musicians will sometimes go to extreme and occasionally frightening lengths to get their music heard. Demos arrive at record companies with huge packages of bows, balloons, flowers, candy, T-shirts, and even women's panties. Some A&R men admit that they listen to the packages that include photos of naked women, particularly if the women are part of the group.
One manager went one step further, sending strippers to Andy Karp's Lava/Atlantic office as a special bonus incentive. "I sort of felt guilty not listening to it, and I was really uncomfortable with the fact that the strippers were here. The guy went to the expense of sending them, so the least I could do was listen to his tape. It definitely got my attention," he says. But the ploy failed. The music received a big thumbs-down.
An unusual promotional video recently arrived at Maverick Records. It featured a husband and wife singing a song while having sex. "They were both, unfortunately, kind of scary, so that didn't work for me," says Michael Taylor, Maverick's New York A&R rep.
Sometimes the delusional even get violent. Nile Rodgers once had a gun pulled on him at a music-industry seminar. "I've had to call private detectives and the FBI more than a few times," Rodgers says.
The bottom of the barrel, the place an artist least wants to wind up, is the dreaded Wall of Shame. Some of the photos that arrive at record companies immediately sink to the bottom of the heap. Bulletin boards and walls behind doors display the worst of the worst, which range from inappropriate and freakish to the downright bizarre and surreal. What could the devil worshiper possibly have been thinking when he sent his naked picture to a major record label?
Because their jobs force them to listen to some pretty horrible music, some A&R people gleefully share their amusing - and sometimes horrifying - finds with their peers and visitors.
So before you act on your bright idea for grabbing the attention of that A&R person, remember the Wall of Shame - lest you join the legion of rejects.
By Matt Gallagher
Asphalt Jungle
By Matt Harper
OBERHEIM OB-12
By Geary Yelton
Hal Leonard Ships "Welcome to the Jungle"
On His Own Terms
By Lorne Hammond
The Making of the Moon
By Rick Weldon
OUT ON A WHIM
By Lily Moayeri
Taking Your Music Abroad
By Ken Stockwell

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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What price freedom? An Afghan Hazara refugee reflects on the sacrifices needed to feel safe
By Edith Bevin
Posted Sun 13 Sep 2020 at 12:47am Sunday 13 Sep 2020 at 12:47am Sun 13 Sep 2020 at 12:47am
Feyzieh Ghorbani Habiba Mohammad Mohsin and Najibeh Jafari prepare food to share with stories of their culture. (ABC News: Edith Bevin)
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abc.net.au/news/tasmania-racism-hazara-refugee-stereotypes/12659124
Najibeh Jafari fled Afghanistan as a refugee, but it was in Tasmania that she was forced to abandon an important part of her religion and culture to protect herself from persecution.
Who are the Hazara?
Hazara people are predominantly Shiite Muslims, speaking dialects of Persian
Their presence in Afghanistan has been known since the beginning of the Mughal dynasty in the 16th century
Since the 1890s they have faced significant marginalisation, persecution and displacement by the Afghan state
Ms Jafari was brought to Hobart by the United Nations as a refugee about 14 years ago.
Her people — the Hazara community — were the subject of persecution in Afghanistan.
When she arrived as a young Muslim woman she wore a headscarf in keeping with her religion. She remembers not seeing other Muslims in the streets of Hobart.
But Ms Jafari said after a decade of racial slurs and attacks she made the difficult decision to take it off, for good.
"We came here we went to [the Hobart suburb of] Chigwell … so a new country, a new place, and people looking at us weirdly," she said.
"I knew a little English but the words they were saying, shouting at us from their car, from their neighbours, from their home … we just couldn't understand.
"We knew that they were angry with us and we didn't know why. We were just too scared to go out.
"So after all of these years I decide not to wear a headscarf because it was just too much and I lost lots of jobs because of that and it was hard to get a job. I would get a job and then I lost them for no reason and I went through a lot with that.
"It was about three years I was thinking about it and when I told to people that I want to do it they said 'no you're crazy, you won't do that'. I really want to have my headscarf on because of my own beliefs — it was really hard."
"I decided I won't have the headscarf because life was getting really tough for me over the years here."
Food and stories bridging cultures
Ms Jafari now works as a multicultural officer with the Afghan restaurant Zafira Foods in the Hobart suburb of Moonah.
The Afghan meals are served with stories of culture and experiences. (ABC News: Felicity Ogilvie)
The restaurant has just opened a cultural experience area where small groups will be able to learn interactively about Afghan and Hazara culture and history, from Hazara people.
Ms Jafari said it was about educating people about the new communities they were seeing in the streets.
"I think we are a little bit in a better place, but there's still lots to do," she said.
"It is hard because outside our community in the wider community people think Afghanistan is only war and people are terrorists because we're all Muslims.
"As well, they think 'they just want to kill us and they have bombs inside their Hijab' or whatever, and it is really hard to explain that we are not those people.
"The food is the most important one just to bring some of our culture.
"Now we've got this [area] and this is so beautiful and so we will be able to help them with our culture, we will talk about the history of ourselves — the Hazara people in Afghanistan — and anything else they want to know about religion or my experience as a refugee.
"There's still a little bit of racism but much calmer — people don't look at me that same way before, but there's still a bit of racism about."
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WGC-Dell Championships Match Play Preview
March 20, 2018 March 20, 2018 / mikeglasscott
The rest is in here.
For those of you who can't wait, search mikeglasscott at PGATOUR.COM/Fantasy and you'll find my bracket.
WGC wins:
Tiger Woods: 18
Dustin Johnson: 5
WGC Grand Slam?
Tiger Woods: ❌
Dustin Johnson: ✅ pic.twitter.com/xMliHesxuq
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 21, 2018
World Golf Championships
Dell Match Play
Austin Country Club
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass; small, undulating on average.
Course Architect(s): Pete Dye (1984)
Purse: $10 million; $1.7 million (winner); 550 FedExCup Points;
Defending Champion: Dustin Johnson NEVER TRAILED in winning seven matches in five days to become the first player ever to win the WGC Grand Slam. His five WGC trophies trail only one man, Tiger Woods (18).
64 players; match play.
16 groups of four with the group winner advancing to the round of 16.
Groups were blindly drawn with the top 16 seeds. One player ranked from 17-32, 33-48 and 49-64 blindly drawn make up the groups.
Group winner determined by who wins the most points in round-robin format (1 point for winning, 1/2 point for a halve, 0 points for losing).
If there is a tie after the three group matches, a playoff will determine who advances.
The championship match and consolation match will both be 18 holes and then sudden death.
CIMB: Pat Perez
WGC-HSBC: Justin Rose
Sanderson Farms: Ryan Armour*
Shriners: Patrick Cantlay*
OHL Mayakoba: Patton Kizzire*
RSM Classic: #- Austin Cook*
Sentry TOC: Dustin Johnson
Sony Open: Patton Kizzire
CB Challenge: Jon Rahm
Farmers: Jason Day
WMPO: Gary Woodland
AT&T Pebble Beach: Ted Potter, Jr.
Genesis Open: Bubba Watson
Honda: Justin Thomas
WGC-MC: Phil Mickelson
Valspar: Paul Casey
API: Rory McIlroy
*- First-time winner
#- Rookie
2017: Dustin Johnson
2016: Jason Day
2015: Rory McIlroy
2014: Jason Day*
2013: Matt Kuchar
2012: Hunter Mahan
2011: Luke Donald
2010: Ian Poulter
Who's qualified but NOT competing this week
I wrote these last year:
Henrik Stenson (No. 5): He's publically said that he's not playing this event again as long as they use this format.
Adam Scott (No. 8): Masters prep
Rickie Fowler (No. 9): Masters prep
Justin Rose (No. 13): Doesn't believe match play is the proper prep for the Masters.
Adam Hadwin (No. 51): Nuptials. Smart man.
In 2017, Stenson (No. 14), Scott (No. 59), Fowler (No. 8) and Rose (No. 5) are still not here. Neither is Brooks Koepka (injured and will miss the Masters) or Joost Luiten.
Jason Day, Tiger Woods (3) and Geoff Ogilvy are the only multiple winners in this format.
Woods is the only player to successfully defend his title and that was in the knockout format. #Boss.
The last three winners have been major champions.
Youngest: Rory McIlroy (25).
Oldest: David Tomas was 38 when he won in 2005.
Woods, McIlroy and Johnson are the only winners who entered the week as the No. 1 seed. Woods is the only winner in the knockout format from that position. #Boss.
Lowest Seed to win: Kevin Sutherland was seeded No. 62 in 2002.
There are 11 players with multiple WGC victories.
Only Sutherland, Stenson and Ian Poulter have made the Match Play their maiden victory on Tour.
There are 16 Match Play newcomers this week.
The Particulars
The Austin Country Club (ACC) returns as host and will do so through next year. Pete Dye constructed one of his classic risk-reward tracks that will test the space between the ears as much as the 14 clubs in the bag. The risk-reward is for all kinds as this track barely stretches over 7,100 yards and plays to par 71. All 14 clubs in the bag, as usual, will be put to the test. As always, his design features will mess with the brain and eye balls so a bit of experience around here won't hurt this week.
Most weeks on TOUR there's wind so that shouldn't be a major issue. The severity of the wind will be. The best news is it's going to blow from the same direction all four days. The pros hate when it swirls or changes direction as they have to adjust more and more often.
Plenty of folks are peddling Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup stats this week. I think even the most novice of gamers can tell you, without looking, who the best players are, historically, in this format. This is NOT the Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup. There are no teammates. There is no pressure to become immortal. It's completely apples and oranges so don't get caught up in that jetwash.
Dustin Johnson sashayed into town last year with two wins under his belt in his previous two events. I couldn't tell you what his match play record is/was/will be. In 2016, Jason Day won the week before at Arnold Palmer. In 2015 Rory McIlroy finished fourth at the Masters in his event before claiming his title. #GetHotStayHot.
OWGR rank in parentheses
Dustin Johnson (1): With four top-10 finishes in five starts in 2018, I don't think I'm going to fade him defending his title. Although, if you're going to win one of these, I'd start here. He's already "disappointed" at Riviera and WGC-Mexico in his other two defenses this year. I'm not sure there's enough ammo in this group to slow him down.
Kevin Kisner (32): Man, I'm at a crossroads here as nothing in 2018 has worked for Kisner. Maybe this will be exactly what the doctor ordered as nothing else has jump-started his season. I'd be more optimistic if Johnson wasn't in his group.
Adam Hadwin (38): He skipped this event last year to take his honeymoon so we'll see if the GOLF GODS have any sense of humour. My guess is sticking him with Dustin Johnson isn't "Canadian Bacon" funny but his form entering the week (four top 12's in his last six starts) is also no laughing matter. He'll be the one if it's not DJ.
Bernd Wiesberger (52): This is his fifth consecutive Match Play. He's never finished inside the top 16.
Group Winner: Dustin Johnson
Cheeky Upset: Adam Hadwin
Justin Thomas (2): He won The Honda Classic in a playoff over Luke List and his reward is having him complete the group. He lost in a playoff to Phil Mickelson the following week in Mexico City so I'm not concerned about his form. His history in this event suggests a crack in the door. I don't this group has enough juice to kick it open.
Francesco Molinari (21): He's a wonderful ball-striker but it's usually the guy who holes the most putts that mops up in this format. With nothing better than T25 in 2018, it's an easy fade. After checking his record in this event, it's a no-brainer.
Patton Kizzire (48): With two trophies on the mantle already, it's all house money in these events for the rest of the year. The last two times on Bermuda he's MC which is strange.
Luke List (60): Man, I was all about him until the draw came out. He's playing the best golf of his life and has been for six weeks. He was a late entry and didn't get any rub of the green on this draw with Thomas. He's the obvious "anti-Thomas" for me.
Group Winner: Justin Thomas
Cheeky Upset: Luke List
Jon Rahm (3): Beaten finalist to DJ a year ago, the Spaniard comes back locked and loaded. Similarly to last year, he already has a win under his belt and he's not going to be bothered by anyone in this group, friends or not.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (28): With a nice match play win at the ISPS Handa Perth Super Six and another payday at something called the Richard Mille Brunei Championship, he looks a right bother. After taking a look at who he beat in those events, I'll take a pass. If you believe hot golf is hot golf and were burned by your NCAA bracket selections, by all means jump in with both feet.
Chez Reavie (43): The second of two ASU alums in this group, Reavie's blistering last eight months has finally burned out. After back-to-back runner-up finishes he's rattled off T73, T52 and MC in his last three. First timer for both event and course makes an impossible selection.
Keegan Bradley (63): He sticks out as the best of the other three but that's as far as it goes for me. The last time I remember him in Match Play his caddy, Pepsi, was getting into it with Miguel Angel Jimenez. Woof.
Group Winner: Jon Rahm
Cheeky Upset: Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Jordan Spieth (4): I've said above that the most important club in this event is probably the putter. His = icicles right now and not even the "Austin" angle is going to save him this week. He hasn't made it past the round of eight the last three years. I've learned over his short time that there are a few courses he just doesn't enjoy playing. This seems to qualify.
Patrick Reed (19): I wrote him down as my favorite before the draw and I'm not changing it now. He's been in the top 10 the last two week on TOUR and in the top two in birdies in both of those events. His short game will save his blushes from the tee and his ruthless attitude flourishes in this event.
Haotong Li (34): He's the first player in this event from China but the draw has done him no favors. He'll need (what's A+ in Chinese) his best stuff this week to finish second. His formed has dipped as he's jaunted across the globe this winter.
Charl Schwartzel (49): Gamers thought he was going to break out after solo third at the Masters and T2 at FEESJC last spring. Nope. If this was at Leopard Creek, I'd take him to win the group. It's not. So I'm not.
Group Winner: Patrick Reed
Cheeky Upset: Charl Schwartzel > Haotong Li for me
Hideki Matsuyama (5): Was last week the rust buster or the present state of affairs with a gimpy wrist? Are you going to be the one who guesses wrong? I'm a big believer if I don't know, I run away. He'll knock the dimples off the ball but I'm not sure if he can hole enough putts. His injury knocks him down a peg.
Patrick Cantlay (30): Almost every week is a brand-new venue and every week he takes home a check. His ball-striking isn't in the same category as Matsuyama's but it's awfully close. He was a beaten finalist at the 2011 U.S. Amateur (Kelly Kraft) at Erin Hills.
Cameron Smith (37): He'll give it a knock and scramble eggs around the greens but his best results this year have been on Bent/Poa. The Bermuda tracks haven't been kind. He won't be bothered by the field or this group as he's played in six major championships.
Yusaku Miyazato (54): Plenty of newbies will point out his record overseas. I'll point out his tournaments over here, you know, where they're playing THIS course and THIS field. This is not Hideto Tanihara from last year, folks.
Group Winner: Patrick Cantlay
Cheeky Upset: Cameron Smith
Rory McIlroy (6): Any and all questions about his play were answered with aplomb last week as he mowed down the field at Bay Hill with 64 on Sunday. His putter came to life and that spells trouble for any and all comers. He's had no problem winning consecutive events or this format before. Clear favorite.
Brian Harman (18): Unlucky draw for the player who leads the TOUR in top-10 finishes! The lefty is a gritty grinder and won't be afraid of the three bombers in this group. He's the best putter by a mile and will cause a bother regardless if it's his first event here or not.
Jhonattan Vegas (46): Group runner up last year after beating Scott Piercy and Thomas Pieters suggests the former UT Longhorn isn't bothered with such names. He'll look to keep his momentum from T20 at Mexico City rolling and has the power to do so.
Peter Uihlein (57): One top 25 in eight starts in 2018 doesn't shout PICK ME, DAWG! The three guys listed above him doesn't add any optimism either.
Group Winner: Rory McIlroy
Cheeky Upset: Jhonattan Vegas
Sergio Garcia (7): I wrote this last year when he was the No. 7 seed: He's in love with a girl from Austin so he's been hanging around these parts recently. Love works in mysterious ways as the Spaniard has won and added three other top 15's in five events in 2017. He won twice here last year and lost his match 1-dn. He was steamrolled (who wasn't?) by Rahm 6 & 4 and finished second last year. Then he won the Masters and got married. Now he's a dad. The end.
Xander Schauffele (20): He's collected checks for T17, T9 and T18 in his last three and will be a force to reckon with this week. The downside it's his first one of these. The upside is he doesn't care. Take a look at his record from last year as a rookie on all of those new courses!
Dylan Frittelli (41): Another UT alum coming "home" this week! He flashed signs at The Honda Classic with T11 but wasn't inspired at altitude in Mexico City against a WGC field as he finished T55 of 64.
Shubankar Sharma (62): Where Frittelli was limping around in Mexico City, Sharma was holding the 54-hole lead before finishing T9. The following week he flew halfway across the world to New Delhi, set the course record and finished T7. Since then he's been exempted into the Masters and a couple of other events. Count him out at your peril.
Group Winner: Shubankar Sharma
Cheeky Upset: See above
Jason Day (8): He's won this event in the even years (2014 and 2016) so numerologists are rejoicing. He couldn't bend over or pick the ball out of the hole while winning here in 2016. Something was wrong with him last week in Orlando as he was messing with his left shoulder and finished T22. PERFECT!
Louis Oosthuizen (25): He was beaten by Day in the finals in 2016 so he'll be relishing the chance for sweet, sweet revenge. He lost in a playoff last year and finished second to Ross Fisher after smoking No. 4 Matsuyama 6 & 4. If Day's not healthy…
Jason Dufner (42): He's not a very good putter and that doesn't fly in this format. Once into the Round of 16 in six tries is hard to defend.
James Hahn (58): I don't mind a first-timer with nothing to lose AND he's made 12 cuts in a row. I don't think the draw helps with three major champs though.
Group Winner: Jason Day (Oosthuizen if Day WD)
Cheeky Upset: James Hahn
Tommy Fleetwood (9): He's in the form of his life regardless of where he's teeing it up. He's not satisfied with winning the Race to Dubai and his ambitious schedule reinforces that. He'll hit the most GIR this week or be very close.
Daniel Berger (20): I hope he's recovered from beating the shit out of that rock last year in his match against Mickelson. He ended up WD with a wrist injury if you recall. His only hiccup in 2018 was MC at Riviera. He has the total game to bother anyone. He's the best putter in the group by a mile.
Kevin Chappell (34): Chappell has three top-10 finishes from his last six on TOUR so he's in the mood. If the angle is playing in the wind, don't forget Fleetwood is from the English coast by Royal Birkdale.
Ian Poulter (59): This Englishman sets up as the perfect foil this week after laying a complete egg at Bay Hill. With the Ryder Cup potential candidates overflowing for Team Europe, he's going to need to catch Thomas Bjorn's eye in big event like this. He's even using an old Ryder Cup putter this week! He'll be picked for the team but it might be as a Captain's assistant.
Group Winner: Tommy Fleetwood
Cheeky Upset: Daniel Berger
Paul Casey (10): He's walking on water after his win at Valspar. He beat Tiger Woods and took home his first TOUR win since 2009. He'll be free as a bird and should cruise. He was runner up here in 2009 and 2010.
Matthew Fitzpatrick (31): Last week at Bay Hill he found the water five times. In the first round. His 71 in Round 2 just adds to the mystery.
Kyle Stanley (41): I don't like the course or the putting numbers this week.
Russell Henley (51): If the two Englishmen get tied up with each other, this dude call roll in birdies for fun. I don't see any form to suggest he's knocking out Casey though.
Group Winner: Paul Casey
Cheeky Upset: Russell Henley
Marc Leishman (11): He made a very nice run to the top 10 on Sunday in defense of his title at Bay Hill. He won his group last year before getting thumped by Mickelson in the Round of 16. He was fresh off a victory at Bay Hill last year. Momentum.
Branden Grace (23): Don't forget he hit the top 10 at Valspar his last time out! I'm not sure he makes enough putts to bother.
Bubba Watson (35): He's a fantastic lag putter and that won't hurt in this group. He won't be bothered being overlooked either.
Julian Suri (64): He was last into the field. The experience and the check will be nice but this is the wrong group for the inexperienced.
Group Winner: Bubba Watson
Cheek Upset: Same
Tyrrell Hatton (12): Roller coaster rolls on! 3rd, MC, T3 and T69 last week at Bay Hill. He was my OAD so don't mind if I'm a bit SALTY here.
Charley Hoffman (24): The solid veteran ball-striker should be right at home in this group where putting isn't an asset.
Brendan Steele (45): It wouldn't surprise me to see the two Californians battle it out for the top spot, especially with their respective records in Texas and in wind.
Alexander Levy (60): He would have loved this at Marana at Dove Mountain in the Arizona Desert. His last three top-10 finishes are in the Middle East.
Group Winner: Charley Hoffman
Cheeky Upset: Brendan Steele
Alex Noren (13): The tortoise in this group of hares. Well, not in terms of pace but he's the steady Eddie.
Tony Finau (29): He'll need to be on point off the tee and into the fairways as his putter doesn't always cooperate. I'd prefer him on 7,800 over 7,100.
Thomas Pieters (39): He'll hit it a mile. Will he find it? Struggled last year with Vegas and Watson. Noren and Finau rate higher in the form department this year.
Kevin Na (61): He's the best putter in the group by a mile and that should count for something this week. His recent form has involved a T2, a WD and T36. He'll battle Noren for the top spot.
Group Winner: Alex Noren
Cheeky Upset: Kevin Na
Phil Mickelson (14): He defeated Justin Thomas in a Playoff the last time we saw him at WGC-Mexico Championship. He gave it a run here last year before losing to Bill Haas in the Quarterfinals. His game is in better shape this year.
Rafael Cabrera-Bello (17): He finished third here in 2016 and should be the best putter in the group. He also has no problem hitting fairways and greens and will be completely overlooked by the Mickelson tidal wave. Bad idea.
Satoshi Kodaira (40): In events with major TOUR players he's afterthought. This qualifies.
Charles Howell III (59): Last year he won a playoff with Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Tyrrell Hatton to win and advance as No. 61. He won't care who he's playing again this year.
Group Winner: Rafael Cabrera-Bello
Cheeky Upset: Charles Howell III
Pat Perez (15): We learned last night #NappyFactor. That's all I need to know.
Gary Woodland (24): He should contend every week with his game. He has disappeared after his win at TPC Scottsdale.
Webb Simpson (37): It will be one thing to knock off #NappyFactor but he has the putter to do so.
Si Woo Kim (50): Look up his SG: putting numbers and get back to me.
Group Winner: Webb Simpson
Matt Kuchar (16): The former champ has four other top 10's plus 21 wins to go along with the trophy in eight starts. He won't be pleased to see Johnson again! He'll need to kick it up a gear or two like we saw in Scottsdale. It's been a while.
Ross Fisher (27): I love his power and his ball-striking but I'm not a fan on Bermuda. A hot week with the putter will go a long way.
Yuta Ikeda (47): Sorry, I don't buy any of the guys from the Japan Tour. Look up his recent events and tell me why I should.
Zach Johnson (54): Steady as he goes and a course that isn't going to knock him out standing on the tee box. He won his group last year ranked No. 44 with Matt Kuchar as the No. 16 seed so why not again?
Group Winner: Zach Johnson
Final 8:
Patrick Reed
Patrick Cantlay
Rory McIlroy:
Championship Match:
Fantasy Golf, Previews
← Emergency 9: Arnold Palmer Invitational
OAD — Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship →


text:
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You are at:Home»Sports & Rec»Cassedi Simon is "bittersweet" about graduating from BSU
Cassedi Simon is "bittersweet" about graduating from BSU
By Zach Krufka	 November 20, 2019 No Comments
Photo by Mackenzie Hudson.
In her last year as a Bronco, senior setter Cassedi Simon hit a notable statistic which will have a permanent place in the Boise State volleyball record books: she reached 1,000 assists with the team.
"To get 1,000 assists is exciting, even to be close to it would be exciting," Simon said. "I have worked really hard for what I have now and what I have developed as a setter, teammate [and]leader. My parents kept informing [me]that I was close to it all the time."
Simon is leaving a valuable imprint on her teammates and coaches as she finishes her final year at Boise State. At the beginning of her collegiate career, she had a friendly face on the team, her identical twin, Maddie.
Throughout their childhood, the twins played several sports together. But come junior year of college, the Simon sisters did not play volleyball together for the first time in their lives. Her sister chose to focus on school, while Simon wanted to remain on the team.
This new change in Simon's life and sporting career created an obstacle for her that she did not see coming.
"The first year without playing with my sister was really tough and I didn't really know how to really be a player without my own mindset," Simon said. "I always had someone there to support me and even though my teammates do a great job at that, but I always had that person on the court with and go home with. We were always communicating about practice and stuff and now that she isn't here playing with me I have developed as a player. But she is the manager this year, so I get to have her see my senior year."
Even though Simon had her sister on the court with her for her first two years on the team, she bonded with senior outside hitter Janell Walley, who has been right by Simon's side throughout all four years of their college careers.
Having a friendship both on and off the court has been a strong advantage for both of them. Simon, a setter, and Walley, an outside hitter, rely on each other greatly; for these two positions especially, teammate chemistry is crucial
"In volleyball, [Simon] is a really hard worker and I think she is always putting in her best effort by trying her best," Walley said. "She also is good at having fun on the court, bringing a smile and energy. Off the court, too, we have a good time together and we're always laughing and making jokes."
Simon and Walley's relationship began as freshmen roommates in the dorms and has continued as they have been housemates their sophomore and junior years. Building on that relationship, they plan on staying in touch after school.
Simon stated she has strived to improve upon her time management of school work, sports and social life. Simon has taken advantage of all of the tutoring opportunities that the school has offered. Staying on top of her schoolwork has helped her to stay focused and ready to work hard come practice time.
"I think my freshman and sophomore year I had a tutor for almost every class I was taking just in case," Simon said. "I just had to put in the extra effort just like I had to do for volleyball."
Simon's attitude on-and-off the court exemplifies who she is as a person: Someone who loves life and tries to see the best in every situation. Head coach Shawn Garus has experienced first-hand how Simon's personality has grown over the course of her Boise State career.
"She is quick to laugh, like really quick to laugh. We play a lot of matches and you could say it is a high stress environment, but Cas is always ready to smile and laugh and have a good time with her teammates," Garus said. "I think that's probably what she enjoys most about being part of a team, that circle of friends that you have."
This week will conclude Boise State volleyball's regular season. The Broncos are currently sitting in fourth place in the conference, so their participation in the NCAA Tournament is not likely. Seniors Simon, Walley and Celine Christensen will be honored at their last home game on Saturday, Nov. 23 to celebrate their accomplishments.
"[Being a senior] is a bittersweet moment. I have played volleyball for a long time and it's exciting," Simon said. "I look at it as a chapter ending, but another chapter opening. I am excited to move forward in my degree and see where I go in the business world. It is going to be really hard to leave this group of girls. They have made my senior year one of the best years here. It is going to be emotional, but an exciting moment for me."
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Q: Optimizing a where statement MYSQL Im writing this complex query to return a large dataset, which is about 100,000 records. The query runs fine until i add in this OR statement to the WHERE clause:

AND (responses.StrategyFk = strategies.Id Or responses.StrategyFk IS
  Null)

Now i understand that by putting the or statement in there it adds a lot of overhead.
Without that statement and just:

AND responses.StrategyFk = strategies.Id

The query runs within 15 seconds, but doesn't return any records that didn't have a fk linking a strategie.
Although i would like these records as well. Is there an easier way to find both records with a simple where statement? I can't just add another AND statement for null records because that will break the previous statement. Kind of unsure of where to go from here.
Heres the lower half of my query.
FROM
responses, subtestinstances, students, schools, items,
strategies, subtests

WHERE
subtestinstances.Id = responses.SubtestInstanceFk
AND subtestinstances.StudentFk = students.Id
AND students.SchoolFk = schools.Id
AND responses.ItemFk = items.Id
AND (responses.StrategyFk = strategies.Id Or responses.StrategyFk IS Null)
AND subtests.Id = subtestinstances.SubtestFk

A: Try using explicit JOINs:
...
FROM   responses a
       INNER JOIN subtestinstances b
               ON b.id = a.subtestinstancefk
       INNER JOIN students c
               ON c.id = b.studentfk
       INNER JOIN schools d
               ON d.id = c.schoolfk
       INNER JOIN items e
               ON e.id = a.itemfk
       INNER JOIN subtests f
               ON f.id = b.subtestfk
       LEFT JOIN strategies g
              ON g.id = a.strategyfk

A: try:
SELECT ... FROM
responses
JOIN subtestinstances ON subtestinstances.Id = responses.SubtestInstanceFk
JOIN students ON subtestinstances.StudentFk = students.Id
JOIN schools ON students.SchoolFk = schools.Id
JOIN items ON responses.ItemFk = items.Id
JOIN subtests ON subtests.Id = subtestinstances.SubtestFk
LEFT JOIN strategies ON responses.StrategyFk = strategies.Id

That's it.  No OR condition is really needed, because that's what a LEFT JOIN does in this case.  Anywhere responses.StrategyFk IS NULL will result in no match to the strategies table, and it wil return a row for that.
See this link for a simple explanation of joins: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/10/a-visual-explanation-of-sql-joins.html
After that, if you're still having performance issues then you can start looking at the EXPLAIN SELECT ... ; output and looking for indexes that may need to be added. Optimizing Queries With Explain -- MySQL Manual

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Prayer is an important part of the life of our church. We believe that God answers prayer! We are faithful to pray through our prayer list every Wednesday night as a church family and many of our members login to this page every day.
Posted below is a suggestion for starting your prayer time and also many of the felt needs of our church members and their loved ones. If you would like your prayer request listed below, please contact the church office at (901) 853-4253, fill out the form by clicking the button below, or email office@fisherville.org. Information is updated only as we receive it.
I open my heart to You, and I give thanks for Your life that fills me with compassion, understanding, and peace.
Billy Ray will be having chemo and radiation to treat cancer.
Lynn has a tumor on one of her kidneys and have surgery May 9th to remove not only the tumor, but possibly her kidney.
Please continue to remember Sandra in prayer.
Please Continue to remember Asher in prayer.
Leigh is having rehab at home. She was able to stand for a short time this week.
Pat is showing some improvement since doctors have changed his medicines.
Please pray for Glenn as he struggles with severe health issues each day.
Pray for our Country & Leaders.


The Jamaican government is reportedly moving forward with plans to make online gambling legal in the Caribbean island nation.
Citing various sources, business-to-business magazine, iGaming Business, reports that Jamaica's Minister of Finance and Public Service, Audley Shaw, the process of regulating such activities has already been initiated by the nation's government.
Shaw also reportedly said that talks have already taken place between the country and various major investors interested in supporting the legalization effort.
Preempting potential regulation, Shaw reportedly said that a Memorandum of Understanding has been formed by the Jamaican Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission with law-enforcement authorities in order to share intelligence. Shaw said the advanced move "is a major step in the fight against illicit gaming; we must have eyes and ears on the ground providing information on which the authorities can act speedily," according to the news agency.


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Amazon's Q3 sales rise modestly but profits plunge amid rising costs
Paul Conley | Oct 28, 2021
North American sales were up 10% compared to Q3 of 2020, when the pandemic was raging, but profits fell by almost half as labor and other costs rose. Amazon warns of trouble ahead for holiday season and says its operating income in Q4 could be zero.
Amazon.com Inc., said today net income decreased to $3.2 billion in the third quarter, compared with $6.3 billion in the comparable period last year, as labor and other costs rose. The decline in net income for the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2021, follows six consecutive quarterly increases dating back to the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
2021 Amazon Report
Analysis of the most dominant business in North American ecommerce. Includes over 80 charts, Amazon's worldwide online sales and market share in apparel, home goods and grocery, and the potential impacts of U.S. regulatory action.
Amazon said the number of its full- and part-time employees increased 30.5% to 1.46 million from 1.125 million a year earlier. Fulfillment expenses in Q3 were up 25.8% from the comparable period.
Amazon's U.S. GMV, including both first-party and third-party sales, hit $92.39 billion in Q3 2021, Digital Commerce 360 estimates, a rise of 9.8% year over year. Given that total U.S. ecommerce reached $210.35 billion, Amazon accounted for 43.9% of the U.S. ecommerce market during the period, up from 41.0% in Q3 2020.
North American sales, which excludes revenue from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing unit but includes advertising and seller commissions and fees, increased 10.3% over the third quarter of 2020, a period when the pandemic was raging and online shopping surged. Marketplace sellers accounted for 56% of units sold on Amazon's worldwide sites in the third quarter of this year, up from 54% a year earlier.
The ecommerce giant also warned of coming difficulties in the holiday period as its costs continue to rise. "In the fourth quarter, we expect to incur several billion dollars of additional costs in our consumer business as we manage through labor supply shortages, increased wage costs, global supply chain issues, and increased freight and shipping costs—all while doing whatever it takes to minimize the impact on customers and selling partners this holiday season," Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, said in a written statement. "It'll be expensive for us in the short term, but it's the right prioritization for our customers and partners."
In an call with investment analysts, chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said Amazon incurred $2 billion in added costs from wage increases, sign-on bonuses and higher prices for trucking services and material like steel used to build Amazon's growing network of fulfilment centers. He said those costs would add $4 billion to Amazon's expenses in the fourth quarter.
Amazon said it expects net sales in the fourth quarter of between $130.0 billion and $140.0 billion, a rise of between 4% and 12% compared with the fourth quarter of 2020. But with rising costs, operating income in the fourth quarter could be as low as zero, Amazon warned.
Amazon's concerns about the holiday season surprised Wall Street, which had expected the ecommerce powerhouse to have sufficient inventory and logistics expertise to weather the supply chain crisis.
But there was plenty of positive news in Amazon's earnings report as well. "Despite recent supply chain and labor challenges having caused the retail giant to fall short of Q3 expectations, Amazon still managed to post their fourth consecutive quarter exceeding the $100 billion mark for revenue earnings," said Kristina Goldberg, senior vice president, media services at Adswerve, a marketing consulting company. "To compensate for the slowing demand in online shopping, Amazon is fortifying its search, CTV and other strategies and capabilities to capture consumers' attention and create personalized ads." CTV refers to "connected TV," or video that streams over the internet.
Colin Sebastian, senior research analyst with Baird Equity Research, was similarly nonplussed. "Headline revenue and earnings miss will overshadow a more positive structural shift in the business. Services revenues exceeded product sales for the first time," he says.
Online store sales rose only 3.3% to $49.94 billion compared with a year earlier when the pandemic kept many physical stores closed. Third-party seller service revenue, which includes commissions on sales by marketplace merchants and the fees they pay Fulfillment by Amazon, increased 18.7%.
Among the major initiatives Amazon launched in Q3 was its Local Seller program, which allows marketplace sellers with brick-and-mortar operations to offer BOPIS and local delivery services. The move helps Amazon solve the last-mile problem and suggests the ecommerce company is increasingly committed to an omnichannel strategy.
"Amazon's recent announcement to roll out 'Local Selling' confirms the need and business opportunity for retailers to meet consumers where they are, particularly as consumer preferences continue to be redirected in an omnichannel environment," said Harvey Ma, senior vice president of omni, consumer and retail performance of North America at NielsenIQ. "NielsenIQ data indicates that currently, 21% of consumers need to look for new retail options given stores they previously shopped in have closed."
One bright spot for Amazon was its market-leading Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit, which saw Q3 revenue rise 39% to $16.11 billion from $11.60 billion. AWS is responsible for the majority of Amazon's profit.
Amazon is the leading online retailer in the world's largest markets other than China and No. 1 in the 2021 Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000.
In the third quarter ended Sept. 30, Amazon reported:
Net sales increased 15% to $110.8 billion in the third quarter, compared with $96.1 billion in third quarter 2020.
For the 12 months ended Sept. 30, Amazon reported:
Operating cash flow decreased 1% to $54.7 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $55.3 billion for the trailing twelve months ended Sept. 30, 2020.
Free cash flow decreased to $2.6 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $29.5 billion for the trailing twelve months ended Sept. 30, 2020.
Retail & Online Retail
What Amazon Business has learned about procurement and the bottom line
Todd Heimes | Oct 25, 2021
Amazon Staten Island warehouse workers push to unionize
Bloomberg News | Oct 21, 2021
Amazon's Local Selling plan offers BOPIS and delivery from local businesses
Amazon faces unprecedented perils even as its profits hit new heights
Don Davis | Oct 21, 2021
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Voodoo Child Prostitution Ring Busted, 20 Arrested in Netherlands, NY and Europe
A sex trade trafficking, child prostitution ring is busted in the Netherlands … Human trafficking is nothing more than modern day slavery.
For a year, Dutch authorities had been investigating the disappearance of young Nigerians from asylum seeker centers. Since January 2006, about 140 underage Nigerians have disappeared from the centers, which are not tightly guarded. Several girls have been found working as prostitutes in France, Italy and Spain, prosecutors said.
A child prostitution ring was busted and 20 individuals arrested in the Netherlands, New York and across Europe. The suspects smuggled young girls out of Nigeria an into the Netherlands as part of a prostitution ring. The young girls were pressures under the intimidation of voodoo and were forced to swear an oath to a voodoo priest to pay back a so-called debt. Can anyone imagine just how long this was going on before it was investigated?
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Police across Europe and in New York arrested 20 people suspected of smuggling young girls out of Nigeria and forcing them to work as prostitutes after intimidating them in voodoo rituals, Dutch prosecutors said Wednesday.
Thirteen of the suspects were arrested in a series of coordinated raids in cities across the Netherlands, the national prosecutor's office said in a statement. Police also found 10 illegal immigrants, who were turned over to the immigration service.
Acting on requests from Dutch authorities, police in New York; Madrid, Spain; Antwerp, Belgium; and the central British city of Coventry also arrested five Nigerian suspects. A sixth Nigerian was arrested last week in Dublin, Ireland. (FOX News)
'Voodoo' child trade ring busted
Posted October 25, 2007 by Scared Monkeys
Child Welfare, Crime, World | 17 comments
South Carolina Prostitution Ring Busted Involved Illegal Aliens
112 People Arrested in Child Porn Ring in 22 Countries … Good Riddance to Vile Rubbish
Craigslist in Trouble Again … 7 Arrested in Craiglist Prostitution Ring in NYC
Scared Monkeys Radio Daily Commentary – Tuesday August 7, 2007 – Identity Theft Ring Busted in Philadelphia
Spitzers Political Downfall Due to Money Transfers and Potential Bribes … Not Sex and Prostitution
17 Responses to "Voodoo Child Prostitution Ring Busted, 20 Arrested in Netherlands, NY and Europe"
richard on October 25th, 2007 1:22 pm
Can't happen to an American girl kidnapped overseas, though, in a 'friendly' nation like Aruba. Can it?
msvada on October 25th, 2007 1:43 pm
I was thinking the same thing Richard. I know human trafficing is a huge worldwide problem. I sometimes think people don't believe it because they don't want to face the terrible truth about it.
I change my opinion often about what could have happened to Natalee, I've always held out hope that she is alive somewhere just waiting for the opportunity to come back home.
As I've said before, I don't know of any evidence to suggest that she is held captive somewhere (unlike Amy Bradley … photos were shown on the Dr. Phil show that are almost certainly of her).
As far as I know, there was never any 'evidence' to suggest that Elizabeth Smart was still alive, either. Or Adam Hornbeck (right name?).
But I still don't think that the Aruban cover-up would have been carried out at such length merely to protect (as I've been saying) three punk kids, two of whom were neither Dutch nor Aruban, and a failed wannabe judge.
PvdS was so important on the island that he didn't get the judgeship he wanted. I'm obviously being sarcastic: had he had such high-level connections, and been the repository of such secret info, as some think, then surely his appointment would have been a shoo-in.
But instead, he never made it. A secret power on Aruba? I don't think so.
And I still think that Aruba realized early on that if the US knew, for sure, that Natalee had been taken off the island alive … then the tourism industry on that island would be dead forevermore.
Not to mention the casinos and money-laundering.
Proof? Nope, don't have any. I just think something has gone on, and is going on, that is darker than has been intimated.
Whereas, if 'only' a few people are implicated, our supine government can turn its face away and whine 'We can't do anything to interfere with the laws of other countries.'
If trafficking were confirmed, a tourist advisory on Aruba would be a certainty within 24 hours … or so I think … and all the blowhards in Congress would be lining up to demand action.
Whereas now … whatever happened at that Governors' Conference where the three governors who dared stand up for a missing American and her family were going to press their appeal for a voluntary boycott?
brie on October 25th, 2007 5:25 pm
I don't think Aruba would of had a great interest in protecting 3 punks and a wannabe judge either. But I do think Paulus and his association with Posner, the known criminal on the island, who doesn't even belong there legally, let alone own a hotel and casino, plays a big part in all of this. It was his ownership that allowed Joran to drink, gamble, roam around the pool stalking young girls. And I'm sure he had a room there. Why would Posner give Joran a line of credit? Because of his connections with Paulus. And just what would those connections be? Dirty paper work and a friend in the Netherlands!
Just maybe Aruba, with the help of the Dutch can get their island cleaned up and find justice for Natalee. I hope so! If the gov't is corrupt and the ALE is corrupt where do these people, as well as tourists, go for help! Answer, there isn't any!
Joran played with fire, along with Paulus and the Kalpoes. Covered-up by Straaten, afraid of Posner maybe?
We can't find a body, no body no case, well just maybe that body might be found or remains thereof. If the water search finds Natalee's remains, then we have a case. If not, then we hit hard and hammer on human trafficing. JUSTICE FOR NATALEE!
Amy disappeared, and where is she today. Natalee disappeared, and where is she today. Joran says he knows and will tell us someday. That day may come sooner than you think! Natalee was kidnapped, Joran got her into Deepak's car, posing as a taxi. In the back of C&C's….we haven't seen her since…that is kidnapping…..Joran has no witnesses on his behalf….and he never will! No one ever said Natalee got into the car willingly. Except for Anita!
This entire family has caused a great deal of damage to the island of Aruba. Permissive parents that allowed their child to be the destructive person that he is. Don't blame America, blame the Sloot's! Joran brought on everything!!!!!!
If I were the Aruban's I would have alot of tricks up my sleeve for Halloween. It is them that have caused all your tourism problems. Joran and Paulus are criminals, and could care less about the survival of your island.
They didn't care about tourism, survival of the island, the decent people, the true Aruban's, that once declared Aruba a safe and happy island. Those that made all of this happen in the past. Go apprehend your criminals….it's your island, not there's. They only came to screw things up!! And did a really good job of it!!!!
I really think the Aruban's should ask for removal of this family from the island. And don't come back!
And if the Dutch were smart, don't come here either!
Your identified psychopath, Joran did it!!!!
I surely wouldn't want Anita teaching my children….The mother of a declared Psychopath..and calls him a delicious sporter….I think the children of Aruba deserve something better!!!
Allan K on October 25th, 2007 7:56 pm
Was Anita teaching the class where the girl got raped and the perverted kids took pictures?
Patti on October 26th, 2007 12:06 am
I find it rather interesting that the use of one's belief in VooDoo is used to maintain control over the girls being trafficked. What will they come up with next?
But, then again, it wasn't that long ago that the administrator of the archaelogical museum in Aruba mentioned Voodoo when trying to explain away the loss of limbs on the headless corpse that I believe was a victim of cannibalism.
We must consider that the trafficking of human beings doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be prostitutes. They are mail-order brides, sexual slaves to only one owner, as well as kitchen help, butlers and maids.
Trafficking is the act of taking a person from one country to another, illegally. In most cases, the victim is a willing participant seeking out freedom of an oppressive society or from the grips of poverty.
While I believe in Trafficking and am aware of the hundreds of thousands of people that come up missing each year… I don't believe that Natalee was trafficked… I think she was kidnapped and later murdered.
I thought it was interesting that Brie brought up Posner, as he, along with Guido disappeared shorthly after Natalee's disappearance. I think there were two meetings, back to back. One, where Paulus viewed the merchandise at the Casino and then Monday morning when he called a meeting with the Kalpoes.
Posner… Guido… Maybe they are the REAL Pimps.
Justice for Natalee
Incidently, I didn't mean to play down the outcome of those that I described as being trafficked into different kinds of lives. The figures of those that are actually trafficked is unknown… the number that go "missing" and are never heard from again is approximately 800,000 per year.
One wouldn't think that a whole small nation of people could disappear into thin air, but they do. And whether they are from Africa, The Middle East, South America, Europe or the United States, it is a problem that needs to be addressed and one that most humane people are concerned about… especially when you consider most of them are young women and children.
The father of Aruba is, of itself, an offender against the children of the world. As most of us know, for years, there were thousands of children that were being kidnapped from the U.S. to be forced into child pornography and child prostitution. There is no doubt in my mind that many of the missing are victims to the same sort of thing, only on a world wide scale… as the cancer that started in Amsterdam and Belguim has spread to all corners of the globe.
It is these dangers that the State Department has tried to make us aware of, but we need to take the time to educate ourselves.
Boycott Aruba!
super dave on October 26th, 2007 8:35 am
the idiots can solve this case and bust drug dealers, but can't even find one single clue about Natalee. this is unacceptable and also unbelieveable ! they are hiding the truth to protect the suspects .
if you are hiding a murderer, then you are a murderer as well. this is why we feel the way we do about aruba and the dutch.
It's worth pointing out, though, that the Nigerian girls (apparently) grew up in a culture where voodoo is believed to have powers. We associate Voodoo with Haiti most prominently, but it was a merging of Caribbean and African influences, I believe.
My point: to those girls, who were reared in the belief of the efficacy of Voodoo, it would be more of a threat than to you or me.
Of course, the slavers also had other tools at hand, such as druggings, beatings, starvation….
Ray on October 27th, 2007 2:20 am
Aruba,The fastest way to remove the Natalee Holloway case from the news is to solve it,and give Natalee some justice.
Richard on October 27th, 2007 10:46 am
Problem is, I think, Aruba doesn't dare 'solve' it, because of the total and permanent boycott that would ensue once people learned that Natalee was sold into sex slavery to remove her as an 'inconvenient person,' and perhaps as part of repayment of a favor, and perhaps also as an act of sheer, conscious sadism.
This is a hypothesis, to be sure, but I think that it is a very possible one.
Remember, Aruba tried to 'solve' the case … by arresting the two black security guards who had never been seen with Natalee. And the only 'evidence' against them was the word of the three culprits who WERE last seen with Natalee.
Had Natalee's parents not been so strong, and so determined, then the guards probably would have been convicted and 'no body, no crime' would never have been an issue.
So at this point, Aruba knows that it will be under scrutiny for anything it does. Hence the continuing cover-up, which I believe is aimed at protecting more people than the van der Scums and Kalpoes.
Of course, I could be wrong. Let's hope we learn the truth.
Hank Jordan on May 18th, 2014 3:33 pm
We are going to take you all into the Deep Web, to a place that would of never been found, if it was not for Internet Gamers tracking a Anonymous Hacker.
Here is another one and I bet this network is so large, it will make this finding look like a drop in the bucket…
Well we found one of the largest child pron rings, over
1000 photos and hundreds of hidden links, where you must be a member to
see the children.
International Child Porn Ring- Just Busted
This video was band by youtube for copyright infringements. We did not know there was a copyright on child porn images.
Internet Child Porn Ring- Just Busted by the Internet Warlords
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1vhm5f_internetional-child-porn-ring-just-busted_news


Although it had a humble beginning as a game for iOS, Angry Birds has become a huge product now. It is now available for Android, Windows and recently Mac OS X. It is also coming to consoles like PS3, XBox360 and Wii.
It seems like Ubuntu users may also have reason to cheer as well as the popular game may be heading to the Ubuntu Software Center after the consoles.
The Ubuntu Software Center is actually a GUI front end to apt-get which allows users, who are uncomfortable command line, to browser, install or remove applications through simple mouse clicks. While most applications available in the Ubuntu Software Center are free, support for paid applications has also been added in the recent release of Ubuntu.
When asked if they have plans of bringing Angry Birds to Ubuntu, the Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds, responded that they are looking into bringing it to the Ubuntu Software Center. Although this is not an outright confirmation that Ubuntu users will get Angry Birds, it is neither an outright denial which makes me hopeful.
Ubuntu already supports multi-touch on appropriate hardware and we may see Ubuntu tablets in the near future. So, maybe Ubuntu will be Rovio's next target after the consoles.


On the 4th of April 2019, Mrs Florence Onyewuchi, a widow sleeping peacefully with her children in her home in Amaocha Afara Autonomous community, in Mbaitoli, LGA Imo State woke up to find she no longer had a roof over her head.The thunderstorm that had raged all through the night had blown away this security from over her and her childrens' heads. Thankfully, this mother and her children survived. Every day we hear news of building collapses in Nigeria from natural disasters and unfortunately, a lot of lives are lost in some of these disasters. Fortunately, this is not the situation with Mrs Florence and her children.
While we may rave and rant at the government, the building contractors, and the system as a whole, unfortunately, there is nothing we can do bring back the lives that are lost when these incidents occur .We can only pray that their gentle souls rest in the bossom of their maker and that their families find solace – words fail me to see what can adequately compensate for the loss of a loved one. We may not be able to help in every case, but this is one case where we can be of immeasurable help.
Mrs Florence Onyewuchi, a widow of over 30 years needs our help to rebuild her home. As I write this, she is sitting outside the ruins of her wind-destroyed house. At night, she and her children seek shelter with the neighbours, and during the day they sit outside, hoping against hope for help from where? – they do not know. Mrs Florence Onyewuchi has been a widow for close to thirty years and for a more significant part of this time, has toiled to raise her children by herself. Her three children had to drop out of school for lack of funds and are currently without jobs.
This widow is one of our mothers in Nigeria and she needs our help to rebuild a home for her to live in. I genuinely want to believe that we are not immune to the plight of an unfortunate widow. I want to believe that the spirit that moves us to offer alms to a stranger, to donate to orphanages, to raise funds for the sick and the less privileged in our society, will once more move us to provide for this widow.
No amount is too small; no contribution negligible. Kindly Send your widows' mite.


Producing an issue of Klipsun is not an easy task. Playing phone tag with sources, revising stories 20 times, working in the office until 2 in the morning, balancing a load of upper-level classes and eating Doritos as a substitute for two major meals of the day takes a toll on one's body and mind.
Only the strong survive the production process, and you have to possess a deep passion and love for journalism to make it that far.
Consequently, each story in this issue has an underlying theme of passion that mirrors the hard work we put into our magazine. You'll be introduced to a guy who collects pigeons and treats them as family, a surfer who braves winter weather for his sport, brothers who have persevered through personal tragedy to become rising stars and many more who shared their stories.
I'd like to thank my editorial board, designers, adviser and staff writers for their hard work and dedication. Without them I would be face down on the floor screaming, and the Klipsun office floor is not a place anyone should be. Also, special thanks to Matt for taking care of me like always.
Sola, Kiko, "Klipsun Magazine 2003, Volume 34, Issue 02 - December" (2003). Klipsun Magazine. 223.


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Home › News › Ringling Brothers Circus Dropping Elephants From Act
Ringling Brothers Circus Dropping Elephants From Act
A rehearsal before a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus last year in Brooklyn.
Credit Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times
In the 133 years since P.T. Barnum bought his first one, no animal has been so closely identified with the circus as the elephant, starring under the big tents, adorning posters and ritually announcing the circus' arrival with a gawk-worthy parade into town — in the case of New York, through the Midtown Tunnel.
But after decades of pressure by animal rights activists who say that the giant creatures are treated cruelly, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey announced Thursday that its three circus companies that still tour the country, performing 1,000 shows a year, would phase out elephant acts, retiring all of the animals by 2018.
"It's pretty remarkable, since they've been fighting this fight for so long, and for over a century the icon of the American circus was the elephant," said Matthew Wittmann, a historian of circuses who has advocated ending the use of elephants. "The view Ringling always propagated was that you can't have the circus without the elephants, but the global success of Cirque du Soleil shows that you don't need to have animals of any kind to have a circus."
The debate over circus elephants has been framed in moral terms, but both sides described Ringling's move as fundamentally economic.
"The biggest issue is, there's been a lot of legislation in different cities and different municipalities," regulating the use and treatment of animals, said Kenneth Feld, president of Feld Entertainment, Ringling's parent company. Each elephant costs $65,000 a year to maintain, he said.
Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said people have turned against animal acts as they learn more about the animals and how they are treated. "These are complex, intelligent animals, and this is a lousy, lousy, dirty, cruel business, and people see that," she said. "This was purely a business decision."
Ringling owns 43 elephants, ranging in age from under 2 to 69; it has not acquired any new elephants from other sources in decades, but it has a breeding program at its conservation center in Florida. The elephants on tour will join other elephants at the Florida center.


Sulabh is an experienced Principal Consultant at Antares with almost a decade of experience in Microsoft solutions such as SharePoint, Office 365 and also Bots, advanced forms and workflows. He has played a critical leadership role on projects including greenfield implementations, upgrades and migration, development and implementation of intranets, enterprise collaboration systems, custom solutions and business process automation.
He has worked for clients in government, education, engineering, finance, insurance, not-for-profit and environmental waste management.
Sulabh's technical and consulting expertise is complemented by his strong business acumen. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Sydney. This allows Sulabh to provide well-rounded advice and recommendations to clients.


C.J. Hart (Also known as RenÉe Swann and Renée Shearer.) Renée Shearer writes young adult fiction under the name of C.J. Hart. Renée is a full-time writer who lives in Sydney, Australia, with a crazy pooch named Abbey and a boisterous, somersaulting rescue budgie named Kaleb. Her days are spent living in her fictional worlds and consuming way too much caffeine. She has an (unhealthy?) obsession with all things cupcake- and coffee-related plus Kerouac and YA dystopia/fantasy books. Renée can often be found surrounded by books, marathoning crime shows and munching on vegan goodies, on Twitter, Pinterest, or dancing in a rainstorm. Renée hopes to one day visit Rio and is currently learning Brazilian Portuguese.


What is Double Nose Piercing?
Double Nose Piercing forms most updated look especially in the fashion industry equally liked by both male and female irrespective of their sexes. It is a bolder, daring and a good option for those who want to seek attention, as it brings symmetry to nose piercings if it is on either side.
Double Nose piercing on opposite sides (Double Nostril Piercing): Symmetric piercing on either side of the nostrils.
Double Nose piercing on the same side (Double Nostril Piercing): Both the piercings are on one side of the nostril.
Septum piercing: Piercing is on the middle part of the nostrils on the wall separating them.
Double septum piercing: Double septum is similar to the septum piercing where the only difference is that the septum is punched twice.
Professional will clean the nose with an antiseptic liquid.
He/she will mark two spots where the future holes are to be made.
A special cork will be placed to make space for the piercing and avoiding any wrong perforation.
Piercer will puncture a hole or two using a hollow needle.
Removal of cork and insertion of jewelry will take place.
The piercing should take place only at an authentic parlor having a license for piercing. The equipment should be sterilized before use.
Nose is a sensitive part of the body, and it can probably hurt while piercing. Twinge depends on individual sensitivity as well as to the extent of the piercing. The nerve endings on the nose directly connect with the eyes, and it can make the eyes watery. A needle used for this kind is quite thin as compared to cartilage piercings so some people can experience just a pinch on this part of the nose.
A nostril piercing can take between 4 to 6 months to recover fully. It majorly depends on the aftercare that is a must after piercing. A septum piercing, however, takes about 6 to 8 weeks if correctly performed. The vertical nose piercing or rhino piercing takes more time for healing which is estimated to be around 6 to 9 months.
Clean the perforation using a warm saline solution using a cotton swab.
H2O ocean spray is also useful to prevent infections.
While cleaning the piercing area, be gentle.
Use clean handkerchiefs to wipe the area.
Take a few tea bags of Matricaria, distil them and then keep the hot pack on the nostril.
Take Vitamin B12, C and Zinc to quicken up the healing process.
Do not touch the piercing with unclean hands.
Do not fiddle or play with the jewelry.
Avoid using cosmetics near the piercing area.
Do not go swimming in public pools.
Nose projects from the face and is more likely to come in contact with clothes while wearing them. Stretching of the skin is a common risk factor. When a person is suffering from a common cold, the irritation can stimulate the sensation for itching causing injuries.
The most significant risk in any piercing is that of contagion. Here are some signs that indicate that germs have hit the piercing.
As there are two perforations on the nose, there are twofold chances for them to get an infection. Nose is the part through which respiration takes place. There are microbes present in dust and air in the surroundings. While inhaling, the air microbes come in contact with the nostrils. Therefore, it is prone to infection more than any other piercing.
Do not panic in this situation. All you need is to consult your physician if these symptoms occur. Follow his prescription and instructions.
During the healing process, the best jewelry is the small labrets flat at either side. The reason to choose them over others is that they do not entangle in the nostril. Captive Bead Rings are good options for initial days. After healing, the jewelry can be of your choice.
Studs: Are incredibly versatile both small, big and available in shapes of hearts or cross signs. They can be more noticeable or less visible. They are perfect for piercings on both sides.
Hoops & rings: Vary in sizes and designs that look appealing. Double hoops look apt with side piercing.
In case you are looking for expensive pieces, gold jewelry embedded with diamonds can be vibrant choice.
How much does it cost to get a nose piercing?
The prices vary for different salons and depend on the jewelry you opt. A single nose piercing costs $48-$55, while double piercing can cost $70-$100.


This is the fifth screamingly funny novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country. From the bestselling author of Gangsta Granny and Demon Dentist comes another hilarious, action-packed and touching novel - the story of a little girl called Zoe. Things are not looking good for Zoe. Her stepmother Sheila is so lazy she gets Zoe to pick her nose for her. The school bully Tina Trotts makes her life a misery - mainly by flobbing on her head. And now the evil Burt from Burt's Burgers is after her pet rat! And guess what he wants to do with it? The clue is in the title... From the author that is being called 'a new Roald Dahl', Ratburger is not to be missed!
A hilarious, touching and extraordinary new fable from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country. Joe has a lot of reasons to be happy. About a billion of them, in fact. You see, Joe's rich. Really, really rich. Joe's got his own bowling alley, his own cinema, even his own butler who is also an orangutan. He's the wealthiest twelve-year-old in the..
Another hilarious and moving novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country. A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David's previous bestsellers. Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma's house. She's the boringest grandma ever: all she want..
The latest jaw-achingly funny, number-one bestselling novel from David Walliams - now out in paperback. Make your appointment if you dare...Darkness had come to the town. Strange things were happening in the dead of night. Children would put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they would wake up to find...a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping ..
The sparkling debut children's novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country, with sparkling new cover look to tie in with later books. Dennis was different. Why was he different, you ask? Well, a small clue might be in the title of this book… Charming, surprising and hilarious – The Boy in the Dress is everything you would expe..
The second original, touching, twisted, and most of all hilarious novel for children from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country – beautifully illustrated by Quentin Blake. "Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well…" It all starts when Chloe makes friends with Mr Stink, the lo..