One can travel in different ways: observe the surroundings comfortably through a car window, or blend into the local people's lives, experiencing and going through their pain and joy, troubles and concerns, just as the author of 'The Chronicles of Cambodia" did. Vlad Linder describes in detail his journey to the land of The Khmer Rouge, which took place in April 2012 . . ..
A week after my arrival in Sihanoukville, I was rather tired of the predictable life of a settled tourist. Staying at a snug little house right on the shore of the Gulf of Siam, I kept feeling I was looking at the world through a well-polished, barely visible glass. I set off to a place, where you could hardly hear a foreign tongue and where you wouldn't have pancakes with strawberry jam for breakfast.
After roaming several miles away from popular tourist places, I found myself on a plain narrow cobblestone street packed with small hair salons, bars and various street food stalls. I turned from the main street onto one of the numerous side streets, walked several yards along a high brick wall and was happy to discover a cozy courtyard surrounded by three houses. On one of the porches several middle-aged women were sitting absorbed in a cash card game. At the same time they were giving instructions to the pedicurists almost lying on the ground at the women's feet. I addressed one of the players with a question, if she had a room for rent in this wonderful and peaceful nook. Her card partner gave an affirmative answer at once and invited me to see the place.
Having negotiated the price for a while, I paid several tens of dollars and became a rightful tenant of a tiny room located on the ground floor of one of the three houses, overlooking a piece of a brick wall and a narrow strip of the sky as a perk. The delighted landlady handed me a heavy padlock and a small key, hurried back to the game and placed all the rental income on a bet then and there. At any time of the day or evening she could be seen at the same place with the same people and engaged in the same fascinating pastime. However, it was rather convenient, especially when I needed her to solve some household issues.
The next day I was walking back from a nearby market in a cheerful mood, when I saw the usual company, but the atmosphere was completely different. Instead of lively amusement usually accompanying the thrill of the game, I saw everybody with cards put aside, their heads shaking from time to time. They were all ears, listening to a woman from the neighborhood, who was telling something and sobbed violently. Her red tearful eyes searching for support said it all. I offered the girl some water and asked what had happened and how I could help. Weeping and trembling in emotions, she answered in a rather good English, as far as I could judge, that she needed badly to get to her family house situated 236 miles away from here as soon as possible. The locals couldn't help – they mentioned lack of time or 'important' gambling affairs. I decided not to go deep into the story, but asked her to stay there a few minutes. I took the stuff I'd bought out of my backpack and filled it with the essentials we would need for a trip. A few minutes later our tuk-tuk rattled down the cobblestone road to the nearest bus station, bouncing and swinging, bumping every pebble and pothole.
It turned out the bus tickets had been sold out, so we had to make the first 155 miles to the Cambodian capital in a small old Toyota together with several more passengers. Mile by mile my neighbor kept us immersed in her sad story. An hour before our first meeting she found out that one of the three brothers of hers had had a motorbike accident. A paramedic, who had arrived in an ambulance to the accident scene, was the first to let her know about the tragedy. The three young boys were taken to the closest district hospital. There were several phone calls from the doctor while we were on our way. Each call made the gleam of hope in her eyes get dimmer and dimmer. She fainted twice in my arms: the first time – when she heard one of the injured had deceased without regaining consciousness, and the second time – when she was told her 19-year-old brother had passed away. None survived.
''I will never pray to Buddha again,'' she whispered weakly in her mother tongue, slowly regaining consciousness, her eyes still closed. I will never forget what I felt, when I heard those words slipped out of her heart in despair. Emptiness filled all the inner and outer space, like ink spreading over a blank piece of paper. The bright day gave way to a black night. The only sound I could hear in the darkness was the thud of my own temples; the pain in my chest meant my heart was still alive. The sky, usually distant, airy and light, now came crashing down on me. It is always unbearable to see the hope and faith die, but if love dies, the heart turns to stone forever. Her love was strong.
At last we covered the most part of the distance. In the capital we dropped by one of the numerous bike rentals and, following my companion's advice, I took a Honda sportbike with studded tires. It reminded a racing greyhound – slim, high and slightly arched. When I straddled the bike, my feet could barely touch the ground. Sixty odd miles at 95 degrees Fahrenheit was a tough challenge, I must say! Furthermore we had to maintain a high speed to arrive before dark. When the asphalt road ended, we made a stop before the last and the most challenging part of our trip. My hands trembled as if electricity had passed through them. My T-shirt and shorts were drenched in sweat. The ride was immortalized in an exhaust pipe burn on my leg. The girl coped with the situation quite well in spite of what she had been through.
It had rained in the province the night before, so a once normal country road had turned into squelching mud, however a little sun-dried. The bike, bored with the asphalt road, now shuddered in anticipation of impassability and started getting its studs into the ground so furiously, that huge lumps of mud splashed yards away in all directions and onto us.
For the first time since the beginning of our trip I looked around to see a real Cambodian village. Dozens of kids playing outdoors, peasants tired after the work day, and jolly drunks – as soon as they noticed us, they all greeted us cheerfully and waved. We had to move slowly and carefully, trying to avoid huge puddles and boggy places, where indifferent tall herons were standing still, domestic ducks were scampering around with their ducklings, dogs were barking, and white cows were walking solemnly with their calves. Smoldering fires were seen on both sides of the road. The smoke formed white vaguely-outlined arches. When, amidst an endless field of tobacco, a young stallion galloped out of one of the arches all of a sudden, its bell on the neck ringing, crossed the road in three long jumps and disappeared in heavy smoke in a blink of an eye, I thought it was hallucination, as the picture was quite surrealistic.
Having overcome all the obstacles we reached the ferry. My companion's home village was right across the river. We got down to the water along a stony but easy trail in complete darkness. Without cutting the engine I directed the headlight at the opposite bank and honked several times. The opposite bank answered with a starting engine, and after some time a big floating structure took us onboard. The ferryman was a very young boy sitting on the edge of the boat and hugging an old diesel motor fastened to one of the crossbeams with wire. On my way back after several days, I noticed how serious and responsible the boy looked. His daily important mission of taking people across the river made him a grown-up beyond his years. We paid half a dollar and crossed the river.
A local brindle dog was the first to greet us near the house. It barked crazy and ran around us in circles until I got off the bike and let the dog sniff me. Nuzzling its wet nose into my legs, it found the fresh burn on my left calf and started licking it enthusiastically. That was how we made friends.
The rustic courtyard was lit by the only fluorescent lamp. Its cold light covered only the central part of the courtyard, not reaching the remote corners. They had electricity for several hours a day starting from 6 p.m. – it was rather expensive, so one bulb per house was a matter of course. People from the neighborhood gradually filled the courtyard and encircled us. When I realized I was still wearing the helmet, I got rid of its stuffy and tight embrace, and appeared at my best before the spectators. All over in mud, my bristle almost as long as my hair, and soaked in sweat, I was standing there, in the middle of nowhere, lit by an electric moon, looked at by dozens of attentive eyes. When it turned out that I was the first foreigner ever visiting this village, I felt ashamed for my appearance. I looked around smiling guiltily, which caused excitement, and everybody present – from kids to old people – smiled back. The people gave way to us, I made several steps and sank to the stairs leading into the house. My companion brought a pot and a bar of soap, and pointed at a row of big jars with water seen here and there in the courtyard. ''Grab any and wash yourself,'' she said. I turned round the corner of the house, where nobody could see me, and poured half a big jar of warm rainwater over myself. While I was tampering with the pot, cleaning one spot and soiling another at the same time, they made a dinner and bed for me. So many things had happened during that hard day! I went up the stairs into the house, expressed my gratitude for the dinner and fell asleep immediately, enveloped in the delicate smell of tobacco leaves cured downstairs. The population of this and many other neighboring villages made their living by growing and curing tobacco, and preparing it for further export to Vietnam.
When I woke up the next morning, I realized I had fallen ill. The planned return trip was postponed. I was down with fever the following days, coughing and sneezing vigorously. At the same time I saw the family making arrangements for a funeral. The girl's relatives lavished care and attention on me, as if I were part of the family. One after the other they gave me ginger tea and lime drink, rice and mango, telling me about their hard life in the village.
Soon I got well, and we started back after several days. I left the house with a heavy heart. I got used to the people who gave me shelter, and got a taste of the joy and grief of real life. Life goes on!
Vlad Linder writes, "Several years ago, I undertook a long journey through an amazing country that touched my heart from the first day I set foot on its soil. And that was Cambodia." Having visited more than 30 countries, he says he is "a fervent traveler and an aspiring writer." He has published this, his first book, as as as an ebook on Amazon, eBay, Google Play and iTunes.


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HIGHLIGHTS: Veribest remains unbeaten in 11-1A with win over Blackwell
HIGHLIGHTS: #25 Veribest takes down #14 Blackwell in 11-1A action
Sonora picks up district win over Grape Creek, Harris notches 300th win
HIGHLIGHTS: Central falls to No. 13 L.D. Bell for first loss in District 3-6A
Eurozone economy grows at modest pact in third quarter
Cars pass by near the skyline with the buildings of the banking district in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The 19-country eurozone economy grew at a subdued pace in the third quarter, continuing a shaky upswing amid trade disputes and uncertainty over Brexit.
At the same time, weaker inflation figures cast a shadow over the outlook and presented a challenge for the new president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, as she takes office.
Statistics agency Eurostat said Thursday that the economy grew 0.2% in the quarter from the previous three-month period.
The countries that share the euro are growing at a slower pace amid uncertainty over when and how Britain will leave the EU and the U.S.-China trade dispute, which have weighed on business confidence. The ECB responded in September by launching a stimulus package of bond purchases and an interest rate cut.
Unemployment remained unchanged in September at 7.5%, the lowest since July 2008, as the labor market continues its slow recovery from the 2010-2012 eurozone debt crisis.
But inflation dropped to an annual rate of just 0.7% from 0.8% the month before, underlining the ECB's struggle to lift it toward its target of just under 2%.
"The slightly better-than-expected third-quarter GDP figure for the eurozone does not alter the fact that the region is expanding at only a very modest pace," said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics. "And forward-looking indicators suggest that it is likely to slow further in the fourth quarter."
The weak outlook is one of the challenges facing Lagarde as she takes office Friday. She inherits a package of stimulus measures including 20 billion euros ($22 billion) a month in purchases of government and corporate bonds by the central bank, a step which pumps newly printed money into the financial system to stimulate more lending, growth and inflation.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration halted all flights in and out of Chicago's O'Hare Airport for hours Friday night due to a sprawling winter storm, which forced the closure of schools, universities and government offices as it moved across large sections of the Midwest.
The FAA lifted the stop at 9:45 p.m., but by then hundreds of flights already were canceled Friday at at one of the nation's busiest airports.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Day of the Accident by Nuala Ellwood @NualaWrites @PenguinUKBooks #TheDayOfTheAccident
They say you killed...But What If They're Wrong?
Sixty seconds after she wakes from a coma, Maggie's world is torn apart
The police tell her that her daughter Elspeth is dead. That she drowned when the car Maggie had been driving plunged into the river. Maggie remembers nothing.
When Maggie begs to see her husband Sean, the police tell her that he has disappeared. He was last seen on the day of her daughter's funeral.
What really happened that day at the river?
Where is Maggie's husband?
And why can't she shake the suspicion that somewhere, somehow, her daughter is still alive?
The Day of the Accident by Nuala Ellwood was published in paperback by Penguin Books on 21 February 2019, and is the author's second novel. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
I read and loved Nuala Ellwood's first novel; My Sister's Bones back in 2016, and have been looking forward to her next novel for a long time.
I do love a book that has me scratching my head in wonderment. A book that teases and twists around until you begin to feel a little bit dizzy. That's what happened when I was reading The Day Of The Accident. I found myself thinking about the story; trying to figure out just what was about to happen and sneaking in another chapter or two when I really should have been doing other things.
The book opens with a real banger of a prologue; set in Lewes Crown Court in August 2017. It's just a couple of pages long but those pages will grip the reader immediately, especially as the narrator pleads for forgiveness.
Part one of the story takes the reader back five weeks, to Lewes Victoria Hospital as Maggie is regaining consciousness after an accident. Her world then shatters as everything she was, and everything she loved is snatched away when she's told that her young daughter Elspeth is dead, and her husband Sean has disappeared.
I really enjoyed how the author has structured this story. The reader gradually gets to know Maggie, but do we know everything? Her memory is patchy and as she slowly remembers vital things, we can't help but begin to pass judgement on her, and her actions.
Woven in between Maggie's story are letters. The reader may be led to believe that these letter are written by one character, but who knows. The content of the letters is heartbreaking to read; the words of a desperate child, begging her mother to love her, and to save her. As the story progresses, the tone of the letter change; becoming angrier and darker as time moves on.
The Day of the Accident is a compelling story with an intriguing premise. It's a clever, chilling tale of suspicion, with surprises and twists that will knock the reader for six. It is tense, extremely well written and memorable. I couldn't put it down.
Nuala Ellwood was chosen as one of the Observer's 'New Faces of Fiction 2017' for her first thriller, the bestselling My Sister's Bones.
Nuala teaches Creative Writing at York St John University and lives in the city with her young son.
Day of the Accident is her latest novel.
Twitter : @NualaWrites
Get In Character -Ebay Auction from @CLIC_Sargent #BookAuction #GetInCharacter #YoungLivesvCancer
Popular authors and famous faces are offering bookworms signed books and an exclusive opportunity to have a character named after them in their next book, to raise money for children and young people with cancer.
A wide selection of the UK's most well-known authors are getting behind the Get in Character campaign from CLIC Sargent, the UK's leading cancer charity for children and young people.
Get in Character is a unique 7-day eBay auction from Monday 4 March to Sunday 10 March which gives readers the chance to become immortalised in their favourite authors' next book, win signed books or even a signed illustration.
Over 50 authors are taking part this year in the campaign which has raised over £35,000 for the charity since it began in 2014. Character names up for grabs include from hugely popular TV personality and fan-favourite Alesha Dixon, internationally acclaimed thriller writer Stephen Leather, best-selling author Lisa Jewell and British comedy novelist Nick Spalding.
Alesha Dixon, said: "Get in Character is a fantastic way to help a vital charity to support young lives in their fight against cancer. I'm thrilled to be able to offer the name of a character in my next book Superpower Showdown to help CLIC Sargent in its mission to stop cancer destroying young lives."'
Other items that will be auctioned during the event include signed books from internationally acclaimed thriller writer Lee Child and Horrid-Henry author Francesca Simon.
There is also a signed illustration to be won, by award-winning designer Coralie Bickford-Smith.
For the chance to have your name in one of your favourite books visit: www.ebaystores.co.uk/clic-sargent on Monday 4 March to place your bid.
The Suspect by Fiona Barton @figbarton @TransworldBooks @ThomasssHill #TheSuspect
'The police belonged to another world – the world they saw on the television or in the papers. Not theirs.'
When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on their gap year in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft and frantic with worry.
Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth – and this time is no exception. But she can't help but think of her own son, who she hasn't seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling. This time it's personal.
And as the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think . . .
The Suspect by Fiona Barton was published by Bantam Press / Transworld on 24 January 2019, and is the author's third novel.
I enjoyed both of this author's previous novels, but really think she's raised her own bar very high with The Suspect. It reads like a dream; the ultimate in twisting, engrossing, compelling story telling with characters who are realistically flawed and incredibly realistic.
Journalist Kate Waters takes a special interest in the case of missing teenage girls Alex O'Connor and Rosie Shaw. They travelled together to Thailand for a gap year that was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime, but seems to have turned into something sinister and heart breaking for their families. Whilst Kate wants to look at what's happened from a journalist's point of view, she also has a personal interest. Her own son Jake has been in Thailand for a couple of years now and she constantly worries about him as he rarely calls home or lets her know what he's up to.
DI Bob Sparks is the investigating officer on the case, and he and Kate know and respect each other as they've both been around for a while. One of Fiona Barton's greatest skills is her creation of character and relationships and for me; Bob is the star of The Suspect. His own personal life affects him, and the reader and the author shows an incredible insight and perception when creating him and his family.
Recently there's been lots of talk and debate about how Social Media can affect the mental health of young people; especially girls, and the author touches on this within her story. Whilst young Alex continues to post 'awesome' and 'amazing' photos on her Facebook profile, depicting the holiday of a lifetime; the reader is aware that things really are not so great. Through email correspondence with her best friend Alex tells the truth; she's increasingly unhappy; Rosie is running wild and Alex just wants to see the sights of Thailand.
The Suspect is a fascinating and well thought out story. The structure of the novel is refreshing; told in the voices of 'The Reporter', 'The Detective', 'The Mother', which adds a depth to the story through different points of view.
Wonderfully engaging characters populating a tangled, twisty story that kept me on tenterhooks throughout. Excellent, and highly recommended
Fiona Barton's debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and has been published in 36 countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives in Sussex and south-west France.
Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards.
While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and she developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. Fiona interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most . . .
Website : www.fionabartonauthor.com
Twitter: @figbarton
Author Page on Facebook
A Guardian Of Slaves by Naomi Finley @FinleyAuthor BLOG TOUR @hfvbt #AGuardianofSlaves #Giveaway #Win
Willow Hendricks is now the Lady of Livingston. She manages this plantation with her father and best friend Whitney Barry. The two women continue her parents' secret abolitionist mission. They use the family's ships and estates to transport escaped slaves along the channels to freedom. Willow's love for Bowden Armstrong is as strong as ever, but she is not ready to marry and have a family because of her attention to these noble pursuits. Torn by her love for him, can their bond survive his reluctance to support her efforts with the Underground Railroad?
Meanwhile, whispers among the quarters sing praises of a mysterious man in the swamps helping slaves escape. He is called the Guardian. They believe he will save them from brutal slave catchers and deliver them to the promised land. Masked bandits roam the countryside, but the Guardian and the criminals evade capture. A series of accidents and mysterious disappearances raise alarm throughout the region. Who can Willow and Whitney trust? One false move or slip could endanger the lives of everyone they love and bring ruin to the Livingston Plantation.
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | ITUNES
A Guardian of Slaves by Naomi Finlay was published by Huntson Press Inc. on 30 January 2019.
As part of the Blog Tour, organised by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I'm delighted to share an extract from the novel with you here today on Random Things.
There's also a chance to win a paperback copy. Entry is simple; just fill out the competition widget at the end of this post.
Livingston Plantation, 1851
On schedule, Charles Hendricks's private carriage rolled down the lane and through the gates of Livingston Plantation a few hours after sunset.
The man on the ridge leaned forward, arms resting on the neck of his mount, awaiting the outcome of his earlier sabotage of the carriage. If all played out as planned, Hendricks would take his last breath tonight.
He'd cleanse the earth of the Hendricks and Shaw bloodlines once and for all, breaking the curse Olivia Shaw had placed on his family all those years ago. Even the hangman's noose hadn't snuffed out her witchery.
He inhaled deeply of the cigar clutched between his teeth, the hot, sweet smoke slithering down his throat to circle in his lungs. Removing the cigar with a gloved hand, he puffed out billowy gray rings of smoke. The rings floated into the starless darkness above, shifting form before vanishing into the autumn night.
Below, the carriage began to sway violently from side to side. A warmth radiated through his chest as he watched Hendricks fight to regain control. Before his hungry eyes, the moment he'd waited for played out. The watcher lurched forward as the carriage rolled over, eager to see its demise.
The piercing squeals of the horse shattered the quiet of the night as it went down thrashing. In the wreckage, the carriage lantern set fire to the surrounding grass and brushwood. The man sat mesmerized by the beauty of the flames as the fire took life, the drumming in his chest elevating to a roar in his ears. Squinting past the glow of the blaze, he located the form of Hendricks, pinned beneath the carriage.
The watcher released a long, slow breath of satisfaction. He'd put his plan in motion; he would become master of everything the Hendrickses owned, and he'd incinerate anything or anyone standing in the way.
His brother would delight in his achievement. Revenge would be theirs.
With a jerk of the reins and a kick of his heels, he dug his spurs into the sides of the horse, and it leaped forward, bound for home.
Sometime later, the man veered his mount off the main road and bent low under the hanging vines of the cypress trees. He guided the horse onto the serpentine path on the other side.
The trail ended at an untamed, moon-drenched meadow. The gray, weather-beaten barn's shadow devoured the smaller building next to it—a windowless, one-room cabin suffocating in the entanglement of evergreen vines. Dismounting at the barn, he lifted the board barring the doors. Groaning in protest, the doors swung open. He lit the lantern hanging on a beam near the entrance, the jagged yellow glow the lantern cast elongating his dark silhouette across the barn floor.
Whimpering to the right made him spin on his worn heels to face the handful of slaves he'd taken from the freed Negro's plantation a few miles over. A sinister smile crept over his unshaven face. The man reveled in the sight of the slaves' bulging eyes as they sat huddled together with their hands chained above their heads.
Filthy animals! Damn Negroes, going around thinking they can sow the same ground as the white men. The rich Negro got what he deserved.
The drunken singing of his father floated in from outside.
Grumbling to himself, the man urged the horse into a stall. He shoved at the horse's hindquarters to get by the animal and removed the saddle. The horse nudged him from behind as he slung the saddle over the side of the stall. Cursing, he drove a fist against the side of the creature's head, then kicked the gate to the stall closed and left the barn, barring the doors shut behind him.
He found his half-naked father riding his horse up to the cabin. A bottle of whiskey swung in his hand as he continued to belt out a tune. "Useless bastard," the man said, storming toward him.
He pulled his father off the horse and slung him over his shoulder, grimacing at the overpowering stench of body odor, whiskey, and jasmine. Women and gambling were his religion. Kicking the cabin door open, he carried the unconscious man to the far corner of the room and deposited him in a heap on the bed there. Straightening, he peered down at his pathetic excuse of a father.
One quick slash of his throat and the burden of him would be gone, the constant gibbering in his head slowed to say. End his life. Make him pay for what they did to you.
"Silence!" He cuffed his own ears with his hands as he moved away. He slammed the door, and it shook on its rusted hinges. His father's weakness for women sickened him. Had his mother taught him nothing? Women were the demise of all men.
He lowered himself into a chair in front of the fireplace. Pulling off his boots, he stretched his legs out in front of him. The throbbing in his right foot grew worse with each passing year. Damn Virginia and that blizzard! It had claimed three of his toes.
Turning to the warmth of the crackling fire, he slid his hat down over his eyes and tried to shut out the grating of his father's drunken snores.
Naomi lives in Northern Alberta. Her love for travel means her suitcase is always on standby while she awaits her next plane ticket and adventure. Her love for history and the Deep South is driven by the several years she spent as a child living in a Tennessee plantation house. She comes from a family of six sisters. She married her high school sweetheart and has two teenage children and two dogs named Ginger and Snaps.
Creativity and passion are the focus of her life. Apart from writing fiction, her interests include interior design, cooking new recipes, throwing lavish dinner parties, movies, health, and fitness.
For more information, please visit Naomi Finley's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
Feature at Maiden of the Pages
Feature at Christine's Book Corner
Feature at Just One More Chapter
Excerpt at Random Things Through My Letterbox
Review at Macsbooks
Excerpt at Among the Reads
Feature at Cover To Cover Cafe
During the Blog Tour we will be giving a paperback copy of A Guardian of Slaves! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 8th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
A Guardian of Slaves
If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman BLOG TOUR @hannahbeckerman #IfOnly @orionbooks
If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman is published by Orion Books today; 21 February 2019
I read and reviewed this book at the end of last year and have been shouting about it ever since. As part of the Blog Tour, I'm delighted to share my review again today.
A twist that will break your heart . . . An ending that will put it back together Audrey's family has fallen apart. Her two grown-up daughters, Jess and Lily, are estranged, and her two teenage granddaughters have never been allowed to meet. A secret that echoes back thirty years has splintered the family in two, but is also the one thing keeping them connected. As tensions reach breaking point, the irrevocable choice that one of them made all those years ago is about to surface. After years of secrets and silence, how can one broken family find their way back to each other? Moving, thoughtful and surprising, If Only I Could Tell You is impossible to put down - and impossible to forget
To be honest, I'm struggling to find the words to describe just how much this book has affected me. With themes that have felt very personal to me at the moment, at times I found it quite difficult. However, the writing and the story line are just so very very beautiful that I found myself becoming comforted by it, despite the absolute tragedy within the story. it is incredibly powerful and so very moving.
This is the story of a family, and how long-held beliefs can affect relationships and feelings. The author takes two sisters; Lily and Jess and allows her readers to gain such an insight into their lives, yet there is one tragic event that both binds these women together, but also has broken them. Not only are they broken, but their whole family are shattered by it. The rippling effects of the waves made by what happened with Jess was ten-years-old and Lily was sixteen have informed every decision that they've made since.
Hannah Beckerman has structured this novel impeccably; the reader gets to know Jess and Lily as adults, along with their own two daughters, and their mother Audrey. We are also taken back to the events of June 1988, the time that this once close-knit, loving family was torn apart, never to recover.
Jess and Lily couldn't be more different. Lily is successful, wealthy and driven. Jess is a single-mother, always watching the pennies and appears to be increasingly unhappy. It's difficult to warm to Jess, especially as the reader is unaware of her reasons for cutting her sister from her life, it's only as we learn the truth that we can empathise with her and understand that it was sorrow and the misunderstanding of a child that led her to take the steps that she did.
If Only I Could Tell You deals with some serious and life-affecting issues, and Audrey, Lily and Jess certainly have more than their fair share of dark times. However, the absolute perfection of this author's writing and plotting does not make the reader feel overwhelmed by this issues and each event fits perfectly into the plot.
I have no doubt that when this is published in February next year, it will be praised highly. There is absolutely nothing to criticise at all. It is tender and intelligent, with a perception of family issues that is startling at times.
Utterly wonderfully heartbreaking, yet precise and searingly honest too. The perfect read.
Hannah Beckerman studied English at King's College, London and for a Master's degree at Queen Mary and Westfield, London. She spent twelve years working in television, first as a Producer for the BBC and subsequently as a Commissioning Editor for Arts and Documentaries at Channel 4 and the Discovery Channel USA. She lived in Bangladesh for two years, working for the BBC World Service Trust.
Hannah is now a full-time author and journalist. She is a book critic and features writer for the Observer, the FT Weekend Magazine and the Sunday Express and a regular chair at literary festivals and events. She has been a judge for numerous book prizes including the Costa Book Awards.
If Only I Could Tell You is Hannah's second novel. She lives in London with her husband and daughter.
Find out more at www.hannahbeckerman.com
Twitter @hannahbeckerman
*** COVER REVEAL *** #WhoIsIt @PaulBurston #TheCloserIGet @OrendaBooks *** COVER REVEAL ***
Nobody does book covers quite like Orenda Books, and it's always really exciting to see what they will come up with next!
Today I'm honoured and delighted to share with you here on Random Things, the startling and utterly stunning cover for:
The Closer I Get by Paul Burston
A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological, social-media thriller from the bestselling author of The Black Path
Tom is a successful author, but he's struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won't leave him alone.
Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has.
When she's hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing.
But things aren't really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he's letting on.
A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one 'like' away…
Paul Burston is the author of five novels and the editor of two short story collections.
His most recent novel 'The Black Path', was longlisted for the Guardian's Not The Booker Prize 2016 and was a bestseller at WHSmith.
His first novel 'Shameless', was shortlisted for the State of Britain Award.
His third novel, Lovers & Losers, was shortlisted for a Stonewall Award.
His fourth, The Gay Divorcee, was optioned for television.
He was a founding editor of Attitude magazine and has written for many publications including Guardian, Independent, Time Out, The Times and Sunday Times.
In March 2016, he was featured in the British Council's #FiveFilms4Freedom Global List 2016, celebrating "33 visionary people who are promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world".
He is the founder and host of London's award-winning LGBT & Literary salon Polari and founder and chair of The Polari First Book Prize for New Writing.
Website : www.paulburston.com
Twitter : @PaulBurston
www.orendabooks.co.uk
East Of England by Eamonn Griffin @eamonngriffin BLOG TOUR @Unbound_Digital #EastOfEngland #RandomThingsTours
Dan Matlock is out of jail. He's got a choice. Stay or leave. Go back to where it all went wrong, or just get out of the county. Disappear. Start again as someone else. But it's not as simple as that.
There's the matter of the man he killed. It wasn't murder, but even so. You tell that to the family. Especially when that family is the Mintons, who own half of what's profitable and two-thirds of what's crooked between the Wolds and the coast. Who could have got to Matlock as easy as you like in prison, but who haven't touched him. Not yet.
Like Matlock found out in prison, there's no getting away from yourself. So what's the point in not facing up to other people?
It's time to go home.
East of England by Eamonn Griffin was published by Unbound Digital on 24 January 2019
As part of the #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I'm delighted to share an extract from the book with you today.
In this short excerpt from East of England, the just-released Dan Matlock reflects on the two years in jail, and on having time to come up with a plan – if needed – for when he gets out:
Having two years to think about something was more of a curse than a boon. Two years of lying on the bottom bunk, staring up at the slats supporting the upper bed's mattress. Two years of counting the bricks in the exercise yard walls. Two years of weak tea, indifferent carbohydrates three times a day and no visitors. Two years of not rising to the baiting of the screws, facing down thugs, not getting involved.
No visitors. That had been his choice. He'd been adamant.
That wasn't to say it didn't hurt.
The first week was important. Matlock let a big kid pick a fight just so he could beast him in public.
It wasn't the kid's fault. He didn't know any better. A head full of lies about what it was to be a man inside. Set up to prove himself, so he could attach himself to some clique or other.
Pale skin, cropped hair on the ginger side of blond. Sunken cheeks. Six inches taller but three stone lighter than Matlock. He had reach but no power. And as it turned out, no heart.
Matlock took the first punch so the kid would have something to show. Maybe it would be enough for his lieutenant to take him on anyway. A hard blow, but nothing special. Deep under the ribs, intended to make him buckle.
A jab into the face broke the kid's nose. A fast left, round onto the ear, took his knees away. Before he could buckle over, a right. Piledriver into the eye socket. There was no way that the bone didn't break.
The kid went to his knees. Some idiot shouted something about finishing him off. Later, someone else tried to start a meal queue conversation about how he'd have grasped the kid by his ears and kneed him in the face until his jaw broke.
Two years. Prison was all talk. Big plans and schemes, lies about innocence.
Matlock was left alone after that.
Two years and one idea. Over time, that idea took form. Grit in an oyster slowly becoming a pearl.
Eamonn Griffin was born and raised in Lincolnshire, though these days he lives in north-east Wales.
He's worked as a stonemason, a strawberry picker, in plastics factories (everything from packing those little bags for loose change you get from banks to production planning via transport manager via fork-lift driving), in agricultural and industrial laboratories, in a computer games shop, and latterly in further and higher education.
He doesn't do any of that any more. Instead, he writes fulltime, either as a freelancer, or else on fiction.
Eamonn has collected a PhD, an MA, an assortment of teaching qualifications, and a BSc along the way. He really likes biltong, and has recently returned to learning to play piano, something he abandoned when he was about seven and has regretted since.
Find out more at the website
Twitter @eamonngriffin
www.unbound.com
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text:
Села:
 Князівка — Рівненська область, Рівненський район
 Князівка — Сумська область, Путивльський район
 Князівка — Херсонська область, Бериславський район (до 2020 року — Високопільський район)

Князівка () — село, Леовський район

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Iron_deficiency_anemia
This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2007)
Red blood cells
D50.
For a discussion of iron deficiency more broadly, see the Wikipedia article iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, and is also known as sideropenic anemia. It is the most common cause of microcytic anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia occurs when the dietary intake or absorption of iron is insufficient, and hemoglobin, which contains iron, cannot be formed.[1] In the United States, 20% of all women of childbearing age have iron deficiency anemia, compared with only 2% of adult men. The principal cause of iron deficiency anemia in premenopausal women is blood lost during menses.
Iron deficiency anemia is the final stage of iron deficiency. When the body has sufficient iron to meet its needs (functional iron), the remainder is stored for later use in the bone marrow, liver, and spleen. Iron deficiency ranges from iron depletion, which yields little physiological damage, to iron deficiency anemia, which can affect the function of numerous organ systems. Iron depletion causes the amount of stored iron to be reduced, but has no effect on the functional iron. However, a person with no stored iron has no reserves to use if the body requires more iron. In essence, the amount of iron absorbed by the body is not adequate for growth and development or to replace the amount lost.
2 Symptoms
2.1 Other symptoms
3.1 Gold standard
3.2 Determination of etiology
A disease believed to be iron deficiency anemia is described in about 1500 B.C. in the Egyptian Ebers papyrus. It was termed chlorosis or green sickness in Medieval Europe, and iron salts were used for treatment in France by the mid-17th century. Thomas Sydenham recommended iron salts as treatment for chlorosis, but treatment with iron was controversial until the 20th century, when its mechanism of action was more fully elucidated.
Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by pallor, fatigue and weakness. Because it tends to develop slowly, adaptation occurs and the disease often goes unrecognized for some time. In severe cases, dyspnea (trouble breathing) can occur. Unusual obsessive food cravings, known as pica, may develop. Hair loss and lightheadedness can also be associated with iron deficiency anemia.
Other symptoms patients with iron deficiency anemia have reported are:
Seeing Bright Colors
Fainting, Feeling faint
Twitching Nerves, Tingling, Numbness
Burning sensations
Sleep apnea (rare)
Missed menstrual cycle
heavy menstrual cycle
weak/ brittle nails
slow social development
lethargia
sore/ swollen tongue
poor skin color
loss of desire for food
Anemia will be diagnosed on the basis of suggestive symptoms, or found on the basis of routine testing, which includes a complete blood count (CBC). A sufficiently low hemoglobin or hematocrit value is diagnostic of anemia, and further studies will be undertaken to determine its cause. One of the first abnormal values to be noted on a CBC will be a high red blood cell distribution width (RDW), reflecting a varied size distribution of red blood cells. A low MCV, MCH or MCHC, and the appearance of the RBCs on visual examination of a peripheral blood smear will narrow the diagnosis to a microcytic anaemia. Microcytic anemia can also be the result of malabsorption phenomena associated with gluten-sensitive enteropathy/coeliac disease.
The diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia will be suggested by appropriate history (e.g., anemia in a menstruating woman), and by such diagnostic tests as a low serum ferritin, a low serum iron level, an elevated serum transferrin and a high total iron binding capacity (TIBC). Serum ferritin is the most sensitive lab test for iron deficiency anemia.[2]
Change in lab values in iron deficiency anemia
Decrease ferritin, hemoglobin, MCV
Increase TIBC, transferrin, RDW
Iron deficient anemia and Thalassemia Minor present with many of the same lab results. It is very important not to treat a patient with Thalassemia with an iron supplement as this can lead to hemachromatosis (accumulation of iron in the liver) A hemoglobin electrophoresis would provide useful evidence in distinguishing these two conditions, along with iron studies.
A definitive diagnosis requires a demonstration of depleted body iron stores by performing a bone marrow aspiration, with the marrow stained for iron. Because this is invasive and painful, while a clinical trial of iron supplementation is inexpensive and non-traumatic, patients are often treated without a definitive diagnosis.
Determination of etiology
The diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia requires further investigation as to its cause. It can be a sign of other disease, such as colon cancer, which will cause the loss of blood in the stool. In adults, 60% of patients with iron deficiency anemia may have underlying gastrointestinal disorders leading to chronic blood loss.[3]. In addition to dietary insufficiency, malabsorption, chronic blood loss, diversion of iron to fetal erythropoiesis during pregnancy, intravascular haemolysis and haemoglobinuria or other forms of chronic blood loss should all be considered.
If the cause is dietary iron deficiency, iron supplements, usually with iron (II) sulfate, ferrous gluconate, or iron amino acid chelate NaFeEDTA, will usually correct the anemia.
Recent research suggests the replacement dose of iron, at least in the elderly with iron deficiency, may be as little as 15 mg per day of elemental iron [4]. An experiment done in a group of 130 anemia patients showed a 98% increase in iron count when using an iron supplement with an average of 100mg of Iron.[5].
There can be a great difference between iron intake and iron absorption, also known as bioavailability. Scientific studies indicate iron absorption problems when iron is taken in conjunction with milk, tea, coffee and other substances. There are already a number of proven solutions for this problem, including:
Fortification with ascorbic acid, which increases bioavailability in both presence and absence of inhibiting substances, but which is subject to deterioration from moisture or heat. Ascorbic acid fortification is usually limited to sealed dried foods, but individuals can easily take ascorbic acid with basic iron supplement for the same benefits.
Microencapsulation with lecithin, which binds and protects the iron particles from the action of inhibiting substances. The primary benefit over ascorbic acid is durability and shelf life, particularly for products like milk which undergo heat treatment.
Using an iron amino acid chelate, such as NaFeEDTA, which similarly binds and protects the iron particles. A study performed by the Hematology Unit of the University of Chile indicates that chelated iron (ferrous bis-glycine chelate) can work with ascorbic acid to achieve even higher absorption levels [6].
Separating intake of iron and inhibiting substances by a couple of hours.
Using goats milk instead of cows milk.
Gluten-free diet resolves some instances of iron-deficiency anemia.
Some people believe that "heme iron", found only in animal foods such as meat, fish and poultry, is more easily absorbed than "non-heme" iron, found in plant foods and supplements [7].
Iron bioavailability comparisons require stringent controls, because the largest factor affecting bioavailability is the subject's existing iron levels. Informal studies on bioavailability usually do not take this factor into account, so exaggerated claims from health supplement companies based on this sort of evidence should be ignored. Scientific studies are still in progress to determine which approaches yield the best results and the lowest costs.
If anemia does not respond to oral treatments, it may be necessary to administer iron parenterally (e.g., as iron dextran) using a drip or haemodialysis. Parenteral iron involves risks of fever, chills, backache, myalgia, dizziness, syncope, rash, anaphylactic shock[8] and secondary iron overload. Epinephrine is used to counter anaphylactic shock, and Chelation therapy is used to manage secondary iron overload [9].
A follow up blood test is essential to demonstrate whether the treatment has been effective.
Note that iron supplements must be kept out of the reach of children, as iron-containing supplements are a frequent cause of poisoning in the pediatric age group.
Human iron metabolism
^ Brady, P. (2007). Iron deficiency anemia: a call for aggressive diagnostic evaluation. Southern Medical Journal, 10(100), 967. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from EbscoHost Research Databases.
^ Guyatt G, Patterson C, Ali M, Singer J, Levine M, Turpie I, Meyer R (1990). "Diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia in the elderly.". Am J Med 88 (3): 205-9. PMID 2178409.
^ Rockey D, Cello J (1993). "Evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with iron-deficiency anemia". N Engl J Med 329 (23): 1691-5. PMID 8179652.
^ Rimon E, Kagansky N, Kagansky M, Mechnick L, Mashiah T, Namir M, Levy S (2005). "Are we giving too much iron? Low-dose iron therapy is effective in octogenarians". Am J Med 118 (10): 1142-7. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.01.065. PMID 16194646.
^ Kiesewetter, H., Radtke, H., Rocker, L., Mayer, B., & Salama, A. (2004). Iron supplementation and two-unit red blood cell apheresis. Hemapheresis, (44), 1463. Retrieved December 8, 2007, from EbscoHost Research Databases.
^ Olivares M, Pizarro F, Pineda O, Name JJ, Hertrampf E, Walter T. (Jul 1997). "Milk inhibits and ascorbic acid favors ferrous bis-glycine chelate bioavailability in humans". J Nutr 127 (7): 1407-11. PMID 9202099.
^ Fischer, R., Hediger, M., Scholl, T., & Scearer, J. (1992). Anemia vs. iron deficiency. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 8(55). Retrieved December 5, 2007, from EbscoHost Research Databases.
^ http://www.globalrph.com/irondextran.htm
^ James P. Kushner, John P. Porter and Nancy F. Olivieri (2001). "Secondary Iron Overload". Hematology. PMID 11722978. http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/full/2001/1/47
Pathology: hematology (primarily C81-C96/200-208, D45-D47, D50-D77/280-289)
hematological malignancy (lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma), myeloproliferative disease, myelodysplastic syndrome
-cytosis (Agranulocytosis, Leukocytosis, Lymphocytosis, Monocytosis) • -penia (Lymphopenia, Neutropenia)
RBCs/anemia/
nutritional anemia: Iron deficiency anemia, Plummer-Vinson syndrome, Megaloblastic anemia (Pernicious anemia)
hereditary hemolytic anemia: G6PD Deficiency, Thalassemia, Sickle-cell disease/trait, Hereditary spherocytosis, Hereditary elliptocytosis, Hereditary stomatocytosis
acquired hemolytic anemia: Autoimmune (Warm), HUS, MAHA, PNH, PCH
aplastic anemia: Acquired PRCA, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, Fanconi anemia • Sideroblastic anemia • Hemochromatosis
Coagulation/platelets
coagulopathy: DIC • Hemophilia (A/VII, B/IX, C/XI, XIII) • Von Willebrand disease
Purpura: Henoch-Schönlein, ITP (Evans syndrome), TTP
primary hypercoagulable state: Protein C deficiency - Protein S deficiency - Antithrombin III deficiency - Antiphospholipid syndrome - Factor V Leiden
other hemorrhagic conditions: Bernard-Soulier syndrome - Glanzmann's thrombasthenia - Grey platelet syndrome
Histiocytosis
WHO-I Langerhans cell histiocytosis - non-Langerhans-cell histiocytosis/WHO-II (Juvenile xanthogranuloma, Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis) - malignant histiocytic disorders/WHO-III (Acute monocytic leukemia, Malignant histiocytosis, Erdheim-Chester disease)
Asplenia/hyposplenism - Methemoglobinemia
Categories: Hematology | Malnutrition
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Iron_deficiency_anemia". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
https://www.bionity.com/en/encyclopedia/Iron_deficiency_anemia.html


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Q: É possível integrar um windows builder no Xamarin para o Mac? Atualmente estou a usar um Mac, mas gostaria de continuar a usar o C# e criar novas GUIs, visto que não criei lá muita coisa. Então andei a procura duma solução para usar o C# para o Mac, e descobri o Mono framework, que é compatível com o famoso .NET framework da Microsoft.
Gostaria de criar GUIs usando um windows designer ou builder, como aquele no Visual Studio para o C#, ou aquele plug-in para o Eclipse Window Builder para Java.
Já ouvi falar que não existe integrado um Window Builder no Xamarin (MonoDevelop) para o Mac, mas existe uma possibilidade talvez  de instalar um?

A: Descobri finalmente como usar o designer integrado no MonoDevelop (Xamarin é a versão que eu tenho para o OSX) para a criação de aplicações Gtk#(graças também a este post no SO: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3224571/monodevelop-gtk-designer-just-shows-a-blank-square).
Para começar é preciso claro criar uma nova solution.

No meu caso eu uso C#, portanto eu faço click em C#, e aparece-me ao lado direito a opção Gtk# 2.0 Project, e é mesmo essa que escolho:

Depois aparece a tipica janela dum IDE, neste caso com o browser (da solução) a esquerda. Vai na pasta User Interface, e faça 2 clicks em MainWindow, em modo que se abra:

Agora vai te aparecer uma Window cinzenta (sem nada). Repara em baixo dela tem 2 "tabs": Source e Designer, se Designer não é selecionado, seleciona-lo:

Neste momento, não deves ter, a direita, nenhuma toolbox que se chama ToolBox. No menu, vai em View > Pads > Toolbox:

Agora a direita deveria aparecer-te a Toolbox:

Agora estamos prontos para prosseguir com a parte mais fácil ;)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag Archives: Snooki
People Of Size Demand To Be Represented In Diabetes Commercials
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture, Entertainment
Commercials, death by obesity, Diabetes, fat people, obesity, people of size, Smaktakula's hypocrisy can sometimes be astounding, Snooki, United States of America, Why am I so fat?
Seriously, They're Upset.
Anywhere you travel across this great land, you're very nearly guaranteed to see obese people. Whether they're wolfing down a score of Whoppers at Burger King or zipping through the mall on their scooters, with cell phones to their ears and an extra-large bucket of soda in the drink tray, their gelatinous buttocks spilling over the seat–blubbery humanoids are becoming an everyday facet of American life.
In our society, obesity is ubiquitous and inescapable: in the supermarket and at public events, at the mall or even the gym. However, there is one arena where America's blubbery class is all but invisible: television. Corpulent faces are rare on television, and this is even truer in regard to commercials.
This Is No More Fanciful Than The Representations Made In Actual Diabetes Commercials.
Some activists want to change this paradigm, and show America a swollen, spotty face like the one it sees in the mirror every morning. Monty Robinson of Let America Respect Diversity (LARD), an advocacy group for people of size, believes the best avenue for this accurate depiction is diabetes commercials.
Currently, most diabetes commercials look like this:
Does the man in this clip look like anyone you know who has diabetes? No, the man is an actor, who doesn't have diabetes. His middle-age paunch is his only nod toward obesity; he is only pretending to have this largely-preventable, first-world malady.
Advocates Feel That Reality-TV Star, Snooki (Seen Here), Would Make An Excellent Diabetes Spokesperson.
Obesity activists point out that African-American characters are portrayed by African-American actors, and that Asian actors portray Asian characters. Why then aren't diabetes sufferers portrayed by gelatinous fatsos? "It's not fair," says corpulent actor Randy Bumfield, "How is anyone supposed to believe that I just had my gangrenous leg amputated if I'm handsome, slim and trim?"
In Reality, Diabetes Isn't So Pretty.
The reality is that the producers of these commercials will never see fit to accurately represent their target audience. Diabetes spots will continue to feature paunchy-but-healthy middle-aged actors, who think nothing of trampling underfoot the surprisingly-sensitive emotions of the doughy monstrosities they purport to represent. This doesn't, however, mean that Americans of size need go entirely without recognition–not if the average citizen does his or her part.
So the next time you're in McDonalds for a late-night McFlurry run, and you're greeted by the barnyard sound of rank humanity inhaling its feed, don't wrinkle your nose in disgust or take a photo to show your friends on Facebook. Instead, make a conscious choice for change, and approach one of these 'people.' Imagine how good he (or she) will feel when you tell him, 'That should be you in the diabetes commercial!'
These Dedicated Young Actors Are Working Diligently To Perfect Their Diabetes Skills.
An Ode To Snooki
Posted by Smaktakula in Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Stupidity
famous for nothing, herpes, Jersey Shore, Nicole Polizzi, Oompa-Loompas, skanks, Snooki, unlike your 15 minutes of fame herpes lasts forever, untalented stars, Valtrex, what IS the singular of Cheetos?, white trash
Snooki's Not Wearing Leather; That's Her Skin.
Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi's time in the spotlight must soon come to an end. Her fifteen minutes of infamy draws inevitably to a close, as the public's short attention span casts an obscuring shadow over the stars of yesteryear, even those–among whom Snooki cannot count herself–with actual talent. However unlikely it may seem now, this braying product of a messy one-night-stand between a Cheeto and an Oompa-Loompa will one day go away.
This is our simple tribute to her.
This Is What It Looks Like When A Beach Ball Dresses Up Like Slash For Halloween.
If You Like Mixed Drinks, Why Not Try A Whining Orgasm Or Herpes On The Beach?
Sure, It Comes With A Price, But Sucking Off Every Jon Bon Jovi Impersonator In The Tri-State Area Is A Labor Of Love.
Plus, She Can't Take A Punch.
"HURRRRRRRR!"
Oompa Loompa doompadee doo
We've got a funny question for you
Oompa Loompa doompadah duss
If you are wise you'll listen to us
What do you get from being on TV?
A miserly check and a credit or three
Why don't you try simply curtailing the sex?
Or do you just adore Valtrex?
You'll get no
You'll get no breakouts
Oompa Loompa Doompadee Dah
Since you are greedy you will go far
You will never find happiness
Like the Oompa Loompa give a rat's ass
Bon Jovi Scare Raises Question: Who From Jersey NEEDS To Die?
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture
Asbury Park, Bayonne, Bruce Springsteen, Camden, Celebrity Death Watch, false predictions, famous for nothing, Garden State, Jason Alexander, Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Jon Bon Jovi, New Jersey, places that suck, Richie Sambora, Smaktakula's distrust of short people, Snooki, unlike your 15 minutes of fame herpes lasts forever, Woodrow Wilson
Glad To See You Made It, Jon. But If It Looks Like Jersey, It's At Best Purgatory.
Residents of the Garden State are resting a little easier with the knowledge that beloved New Jersey music icon Jon Bon Jovi is not dead, as was earlier reported. The erroneous reports of the singer's death were greeted by the gnashing of teeth and tearing of garments from Bayonne to Camden. After Asbury Park native Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi is New Jersey's most universally popular figure.
"He's Not Dead!" Says Shannon Fitzgerald, Longtime Bon Jovi Stalker, "And I'll Kill Anyone Who Says He Is!"
While Promethean Times shares the public's relief at the news of Bon Jovi's continued existence, the false rumors of his demise invite interesting speculation. Given that the majority of celebrities associated with New Jersey are cartoonish parodies of the state's lowest and most venal stereotypes (the accuracy of these depictions notwithstanding), is there anyone else from New Jersey who might deserve death in Bon Jovi's stead?
We proudly present the following options:
Jason Alexander: Irritating, Bald And Short, But Apparently Going Away On His Own.
Snooki: Oversexed Orange Wishnik Troll And Herpes' Answer To Typhoid Mary.
Joe Piscopo: WHO?
Woodrow Wilson: Snooty Academic. League Of Nations Enthusiast. Reneged On Promise To Keep US Out Of WWI, And Failed To Make The World Safe For Democracy. Already Dead.
Joe Pesci: Like Alexander, Pesci Is Short And Irritating, But Has Better Hair And Has Appeared In A Funny Movie As Recently As The Clinton Administration.
However, after hundreds of hours sorting through viable candidates, contrasting their various crimes against humanity as well as mitigating factors, we've determined the New Jersey celebrity most in need of death:
Richie Sambora: There Can Be Only One.
Headlines 06.27.11
Posted by Smaktakula in Celebrity, Crime, Culture, History, Music, News, Politics, Science, Sport, Stupidity
Americans of Singularity Descent, Amy Winehouse, Ayman al-Zawahiri, bad parents, bilingual, black holes, Chicago, corruption, death by drunk driving, dictators, flash mob, Frank McCourt, gender issues, headlines, human feces, Jackass, Julia Sweeney, Keith Richards, Libya, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mexican drug cartel, Minot, NATO, New Jersey, Newt Gingrich, North Dakota, playground beatings, Ryan Dunn, San Francisco Giants, Snooki, Spelling Bee, thanks a lot mom, untouchables, Yoko Ono
Because who has time to read the articles, right?
One Of The Few Periodicals To Meet Our Exacting Journalistic Standards.
Parents keep child's gender secret ~ Regardless of the creature's gender, it's destined to grow up to be a smug, self-righteous fucknugget like Mom & Dad.
"Thanks A Lot, Mom And Dad!"
The Bilingual Advantage ~ The big advantage is knowing when the help is talking about you.
'I shot the cruellest dictator in the Americas ~ "But I did not shoot the deputy cruellest dictator in the Americas."
Sukanya Roy, 14, wins Scripps National Spelling Bee with 'cymotrichous' ~ If only Sukanya's special power could prevent the inevitable playground beatings.
Is Frank McCourt really the worst owner in baseball? ~ Does Ayman al-Zawahiri still own a controlling interest in the San Francisco Giants? Otherwise it's Frank, hands down.
His Palatial Home Is Built Entirely From The Bones Of Kittens.
Death of 91-year-old spotlights line between care and killing ~ And, at 91, plain old bad luck.
Gingrich campaign hit by defections ~ We would like this a lot better if Newt were hit with 'defecation.'
Ancient sea turtle discovered in N.J. ~ Sorry to get the scientists so hot & bothered for a false alarm, but you knew all that fake tanning would catch up to Snooki eventually.
If You've Never Gotten Really Drunk And Then Humped A Bright Orange Beach Ball, You Aren't In A Position To Judge.
Love thy neighbor: Son's killer moves next door ~ Find out what happens when people stop being polite…and start getting real. Thursdays at 10 PM on MTV.
Mexican cartels now using tanks ~ The world must act now before cartel scientists manage to create or steal enough fissionable material to create la bomba de gran tamaño.
Chicago Police Brace for 'Flash Mob' Attack ~Not to worry–the mob owns Chicago PD.
With A Combined Weight Of 678 Pounds And Only One Mustache Between Them, It Takes Four Untouchables To Equal One Modern-Day Chicago Cop.
Murdered woman recorded fight with husband before death ~ When you marry a woman who's smarter than you are, you're just asking for trouble.
Japan scientist synthesizes meat from human feces ~ Known popularly as 'The Yoko Ono Story.'
NATO strike kills 15 Libyan civilians ~Considering Lockerbie, the Libyan people still owe the free world about 245 souls, give or take.
Black holes abound in early universe ~ We thought the world had moved past all this racist nonsense.
Amy Winehouse added to the list of biggest boos ~ Because, heaven knows, she's not gonna make the list for 'biggest boobs.'
It's A Given That You Won't Go Back To Rehab, No, No, No. But If We Paid For A Boob Job, Would You Go, Go, Go?
Rolling Stones' Keith Richards 'put his teeth back in with superglue' ~ Then what happened?
4000 Minot homes to be swamped by day's end ~ Dear God! Our sense of what is normal and right has been turned on its head. We had no clue that more than 150 people lived in Minot, North Dakota.
Friend remembers Ryan Dunn's last moments ~ Really? Because it seems like those last moments were the worst.
"Someday The Mountain Might Get Me," Dunn Told Perplexed Friends In The Days Before The 'Accident,' Swearing, "But The Law Never Will."
Want more of this foolishness?
Promethean Times Responds To The Headlines
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Skanks In The Crosshairs, Part II: The War To End All Whores
Posted by Smaktakula in Constitutional Issues, Crime, Culture, General Foolishness, Hollywood, Human Rights, Justice, National Events, North America, People, Relationships, Satire, Social Networking
Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, celebriskanks, childish sexual innuendo, David Gregory, did you see that thing about herpes--she really is a slut, Hobegon, Horn Dog Deomocrats, Joe Biden, John McCain, Meet The Press, Nicole Polizzi, Obama Administration, Obama's war on skanks, PPD 24601, President Obama, Presidential Policy Directive, pro-skank Democrats, Robert Gibbs, Sir Let Us Tan!, skankery, skankism, skanks, skin cancer, skonks, Snooki, Snooki's arrest, tanning, the beach ball problem at Chavez Ravine, United States of America, untalented stars, Vice President Biden, what IS the singular of Cheetos?
After issuing a string of denials over the past several weeks, the White House abruptly reversed itself yesterday, admitting the existence of Presidential Policy Directive 24601. This admission ends the mounting speculation regarding the anti-skank directive, dubbed 'Hobegon' by some in the press. The White House claims that Hobegon codifies America's foreign and domestic policy with regard to skanks. It does that, and more: PPD 24601 is nothing less than a declaration of war on hos.
"Let Me Be Clear: I See An America--One That Can Only Be Achieved By Rising Above Partisan Rhetoric And Red-State/Blue-State Name Calling--An America Once Again Setting An Example For Other Nations By Helping To Create--Not Only For Our Children And The World's Children, But Also The Many Children Yet Unborn--A World That Is Free Of Skanks."
"This is something about which the President feels very strongly," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a press conference this morning. "He has two daughters of his own, and like so many American parents right now, he's concerned about the type of world that little Sasha and Malia will find waiting for them when they grow up."
This sudden admission surprised most political observers, and apparently some within the Executive Circle. Last Sunday on Meet The Press, the Vice-President said, "If there is {the secret Hobegon document}, they sure haven't shown it to Joe Biden." He went on to add, "I mean, who doesn't like tramps, am I right?" at which point the Vice-President attempted to high-five David Gregory. Biden apologized for the comments just a few hours later after meeting privately with the President. What the Vice-President was denying less than a week ago is now official US policy.
The impetus for the Administration's abrupt about-face appears to be a series of events which drove the media into such a speculative frenzy that it became necessary to make some details of the secret directive public. One of the events which set this chain in motion were widely publicized comments made by reality tv grotesquery Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. The celebriskank fired a volley across the Administration's bow when she said, "I don't go tanning anymore, because Obama put a 10 percent tax on tanning, and I feel he did that intentionally for us."
Largely derided at the time, the enigmatic Snooki now appears to be something of a Cassandra. Even her foes are beginning to wonder if the talking party ball is shrewder than she appears, given that anti-tanning initiatives are part of Obama's War on Skanks. Snooki went on to note that Obama's 2008 Rival John McCain would not have applied the tax, "Because he's pale and would probably want to be tan."
Unlike Virtually Every Other Political Position Which He Has Taken Over The Years, Senator McCain's Staunch Support Of Skanks Has Never Wavered.
McCain's unfortunate history of skin cancer aside, this insight is trenchant. The Arizona Republican has long been staunchly, if quietly, pro-skank. Throughout the 20th Century, support for ladies of easy virtue blurred party lines, but since the 2000 presidential election has become increasingly divided among partisan lines, with Republicans generally opposing anti-skank legislation. Bill Clinton was the last pro-skank Democrat to hold a statewide office or higher. The promising young cadre of pro-skank Democrats ("Horn Dog Democrats") who swept into office with Clinton in 1992 are long gone.
Initially the White House attempted to shrug off Snooki's charges, labelling them, "Laughable" and "Not worth dignifying." However, as with so many Washington scandals, the further the administration tried to distance themselves from it, the more tenaciously the rumors clung.
The situation reached critical mass when Snooki was arrested on July 30th. Wearing a T-Shirt which read SLUT (Sir, Let Us Tan!) in protest of the effort to tax tanning beyond the means of the average tramp, which she calls skankist, Snooki was seen being led away by police. The official account claims that the plump strumpet was drunk and out of control.
Dodger Stadium Security Removes Another Beach Ball From The Field.
Not so, counters Snooki:
"Oh. My. God. Oh my God, I can't believe they said that. That's–I'ma fucking sue them, I swear to God I will–That's such a lie! Can I tell you? Can I tell you how much of a fucking lie that is? That is not true. Anybody who knows me–my good friends who know me, not the haters–knows that is just not true."
"I'm a political prisoner. They're trying to shut me up."
The Political Cost Of Looking Like A Soggy Cheeto.
Since then, Skanks have been notable for their absence. "Laying low," was how one observer termed it. Because of summer reruns and the ubiquity of archived material on the internet, the American public has so far not been greatly affected by the self-imposed Skankout. It has been pointed out that had this Skankout occurred during the school year, its presence might have been felt more profoundly in a reduction in the number of hot female teachers sleeping with their seventh-grade students.
But because those people passionate about skank rights would not be silenced, the ensuing e-storm would force the beleaguered administration to admit the existence of PPD 24601. President Obama promised the nation that "further details will be will be made available in the coming days."
Coming Soon: GO HO GO!
Genitals Of Jersey Shore Cast Declared 'Herpes Nest'
Posted by Smaktakula in Culture, General Foolishness, Health, National Events, People, Places, Reality Television, Scandal, Social Networking, Television
fake n' bake, famous for nothing, Flintstones Chewable Vitamins, Goombah, Guidettes, Guidos, herpes, Herpes Nest, Italian Stereotypes, J-Woww, Jersey Shore, promiscuity, reality television, skankery, skanks, Snooki, STDs, The Clap, The Shore, The Situation, unfortunately-named celebrities, unlike your 15 minutes of fame herpes lasts forever, Valtrex, well-known whores, your mother must be very proud
Who knew there could be consequences from living a life without consequences?
Who knew the thought of the Jersey Shore cast gobbling Valtrex like they were Flintstones Chewable Vitamins would be so disturbing?
Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here
What's The Difference Between J-Woww And A Midget Con Man? Well, One's A Cunning Runt . . .Jersey Shore creator hands out herpes medicine to cast 'like M&Ms,' says report.
People Actually Believe That? Ramtha And The Lizard-Beasts Of Mt. Rainier
Nancy Grace's Exposed Nipple Continues To Horrify
Wonder Twins: Deactivated


Therapist and yoga instructor Kristen Acciari answers common questions about yoga for anxiety and stress.
Yes! Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of yoga in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. In one study, women who participated in a three-month yoga program experienced significant improvements in perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. In another study, ten weeks of yoga helped reduce stress and anxiety for participants.
How does yoga help ease anxiety?
Which type of yoga is best for anxiety?
Classes titled "yoga for anxiety" or "yoga for stress" or restorative classes are especially recommended for reducing anxiety because they are intentionally designed to release tension, increase relaxation, and focus on the present. These classes have the specific needs of individuals experiencing these feelings in mind, and the practice is curated accordingly. For example, the class may include breathing techniques and self-compassion exercises.
If you do not have access to a class with an explicitly-stated focus on helping ease stress and anxiety, classes described as gentle, restorative, or mindful can also be a good fit. When in doubt, reach out to the yoga studio and ask! If you share what you are looking for, studio staff should be able to direct you to the class that best meets your needs.
Yoga is an extremely diverse practice; classes can vary from gentle to challenging, with intentions ranging from relaxation to strength-building. Due to the depth and diversity within yoga, it's important to choose a class that fits your goals of reducing anxiety and stress.
What yoga poses help anxiety?
Bring your mat over to a wall and lie on your back.
With your bottom up against the wall, stretch your legs upward toward the sky and rest them against the wall.
Arms can be out to your sides or hands can rest on your belly.
(2) Cat-cow pose: This pose works with the spine to calm the nervous system and induce a relaxation response.
Come to your hands and knees, with wrists beneath the shoulders and knees beneath the hips.
As you inhale, drop the belly toward the floor, raise the tailbone, and bring your shoulders back.
As you exhale, reverse the movement, sending tailbone toward the earth, rounding the lower then upper back, and releasing the back of the neck so the crown of the head is pointing toward the earth.
Repeat for 5-8 breaths, linking breath with movement.
(3) Restorative child's pose: This pose supports the heart and opens up the back body creating a sense of comfort and release.
Sit back on your heels with knees outstretched to about the width of your mat.
Bring a bolster, pillow, or folded blanket to touch the inside of both knees, positioned vertically out in front of you.
Stretch your arms overhead and fold forward over your bolster, allowing your torso to rest on your prop. If using pillows or blankets, you may need 2 or more for a comfortable height. Your head can be turned to one side. Rest your hands on either side of your bolster or prop, with elbows pointing outward to relax the shoulder blades.
Breathe into the back body.
Where can I find yoga classes for anxiety?
Most yoga studios offer restorative yoga classes, and an increasing number of mental health centers are offering yoga for anxiety and stress as well. The immense benefits of yoga for mental and emotional wellness are well-documented, and centers that offer traditional talk therapy are starting to incorporate body-based services like yoga into their service offerings. Finding a class in a setting like this can be a great way to ensure the environment of the class is sensitive to your needs and experiences.
Kristen is a therapist, yoga teacher, and and founder of The Holistic Heart, an integrative mental health center in Warwick, Rhode Island.


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This saying comes up at Matthew 10:29-31 and Luke 12:7.
I seek to examine each of these sayings in context, and the context of this one presents problems.
Confessing or rejecting Christ: Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9.
"Q" seems to have assembled some of these together based on the recurring phrase, "Do not fear," which appears in Matthew 10:28 and Matthew 10:31, and Luke 12:4 and Luke 12:7, respectively.
The problem: I want the saying about God's radical presence to be authentic, but not the one before or after. Does Jesus really want us to fear God? Can it be that authentic and inauthentic sayings occur in such proximity in the source document? In the end, it's simplest, if not easiest, for me to conclude it can, and here they do.
Even the hairs of your head are all counted.
Our God is infinite and intimate.
Our God's presence and awareness extend from the vast farthest galaxies, to the inner workings of each atom. Between those two extremes, God knows every hair on every person's head, and every feather on every bird that flies — or falls. As to each one that falls, this occurs consistent with God's will — that is, the orderly operation of natural law, by which the universe exists.
God has not left the bird that falls. God cannot.
Nor can God ever, under any circumstance, leave or cease to care for you. God is always with you and for you, no matter what happens.
This phrase occurs at Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50, Matthew 24:51, Matthew 25:30, and Luke 13:28.
Related: Life in the outer darkness.
I believe Jesus sometimes used hyperbole or said things for shock value, never meaning to be taken literally. "Blessed are you poor" was certainly a shock. He may have used hyperbole in speaking of plucking out one's eye, and in the passages about moving mountains (Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 11:22-24) and plucking up trees (Luke 17:5-6).
Now, "faith" and "believe" are the same word in Greek. One is simply the noun form, and the other the verb.
"Your faith has made you well" comes up three times in the story of the bleeding woman (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:32, Luke 8:48), and twice in the stories of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52, Luke 18:42). There are two more occurrences that I don't think count. The problem with these words: many people think and teach that if one's prayers aren't answered the way one wants, or if one's healing isn't instantaneous, one is somehow lacking in "faith" — whatever that means.
Most healing isn't instantaneous. Jesus accomplished instantaneous healings because he was, after all, Jesus. For normal people today, healing by the laying on of hands is more likely to require that the patient receive that sacrament again and again over the course of several weeks or months — along with care from licensed medical professionals.
I suspect that "faith," as Jesus used the term — Jesus, not Paul or James or necessarily anyone else — basically meant "integrity," walking one's talk, coherence among one's desires, thoughts and actions. The chapter "Heart and Soul" goes into this in some detail. The bleeding woman, for example, wanted to be healed, thought that touching Jesus' cloak could do it, and acted consistent with that desire and belief. It's not hard for me to believe that this is what Jesus meant when he said these words to the no-longer-bleeding woman and the no-longer-blind Bartimaeus.
These words come up in the stories of the stilling of the storm, or storms, Matthew 8:23-27, Matthew 14:22-33, and Mark 4:35-41. It is not clear to me how many storms were stilled: Matthew 14 may be a different version of the same story as Matthew 8. These words do not occur in Luke's version of the story, Luke 8:22-25.
The key for me, here as in the Sermon on the Mount, is that from the point of view of the world as Jesus saw it, anyone can choose his or her feelings completely freely at any point in time. The Twelve did not have to fear: they had a choice. Peter did not have to doubt (that is, waver): he had a choice. Presence is the principal tool by which free will can become completely free.
This saying occurs at Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, Matthew 13:43, Mark 4:9, Mark 4:23, Mark 7:16, Luke 8:8, and Luke 14:35. Albeit I regard some of those occurrences as inauthentic, there can be little doubt that Jesus said it. Often.
History records that, as the Parable of the Sower predicts, different people responded to Jesus' message differently. Not everybody "got it." And, in short, Jesus was OK with that.
This stands in contrast with, say, John 3:18.
Jesus tells us how the cosmos works: not what should be, but what is; not what should happen, but what does happen.
Albeit the Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Pounds are inauthentic, (1) there is no doubt that Jesus said this, and (2) my posts on this subject set forth what I would say here.
See The Parable of the Talents and About the Parable of the Talents.
This saying occurs at Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8 and 17:20, and Luke 12:28. It is notable that it occurs five times in Matthew, only once in Luke, and not at all in Mark. This suggests it was a favorite of Matthew's.
Significantly, I suspect Jesus' tone and manner in saying this was teasing, almost joking, rather than scolding.
The material corresponding to Matthew 18:8-9 and Mark 9:43-48 does not appear in Luke.
This text troubles me in that there is one phrase here I want to be authentic, among many that I don't.
The little ones. Matthew places his passage immediately following the one about children discussed in "Greatness;" which see. The "little ones" are properly those who are "less" in society: those we look down on, those of no account, the poor, the "sinners," the riff-raff. Jesus warns us to beware of offending them.
Comeuppance. I don't know what this Jesus means about the offender having "a great millstone around his neck," etc.; as I have never seen any such thing happen in real life. Never have I seen an offender get his or her comeuppance; not personally, not in this life. He may be referring to the negative karma an offender incurs in causing injury to the poor; many difficulties many people face in this life come from things they got away with in the past. Related: About organized religion.
Inevitability. This Jesus says, "Stumbling blocks are sure to come," or "must come." The Way of Peace is all about becoming able to face, with peace of mind, life's inevitable difficulties — including the offensive conduct of other sentient, that is, free-willed creatures, including people. In contrast to others' messianic vision of an eternal world free of tears and trouble, this Jesus says they're sure to come, and does not forecast any time when it will ever be any different.
This saying occurs at Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14. I have no understanding of this, unless it is an effort by Matthew to exalt some members of the community — perhaps specifically the Twelve — over others. It is inconsistent with anything else Jesus ever said.
The same saying comes up at Mark 6:4 and Luke 4:24. All three are in the story of Jesus' rejection at Nazareth. Luke provides a fuller story, wherein Jesus challenges his hearers' ethnocentrism; but Matthew and Mark leave us clueless as to how Jesus offended them.
Ambrose Worrall, Olga Worrall, Robert Leichtman, Sigrid Dreyfuss, Gharith Pendragon — all names you've probably not heard of, all bona fide clairvoyants. I have reason to believe there are several hundred more in metropolitan Baltimore alone, and you've probably never heard any of their names, either.
Such people tend to live in intentional obscurity, for reason that they live in a radical embrace of What Is, and when they speak from that perspective, they meet hostility from those who are emotionally dependent on ideology and dogma — emotionally dependent, that is, on radical rejection, denial or disapproval of What Is.
Any such person who becomes well-known is likely to meet the same end as did Jesus, Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.