text:
Hale, Shannon
Qty(6-24)
Qty(>25)
Series: Books of Bayern Vol. 1
Annotation: On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.
Genre: Fantasy fiction
Catalog Number: #5903855
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Human-animal communication. Fiction.
Princesses. Fiction.
Fairy tales.
She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother. When she is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride, her scheming entourage mounts a bloody mutiny to replace her with a jealous lady-in-waiting, Selia, and to allow an inner circle of guards more power in the new land. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl and wanders on the royal estate. Does she have the pluck to reclaim her rightful place? Get ready for a fine adventure tale full of danger, suspense, surprising twists, and a satisfying conclusion. The engaging plot can certainly carry the tale, but Hale's likable, introspective heroine makes this also a book about courage and justice in the face of overwhelming odds. The richly rendered, medieval folkloric setting adds to the charm.
Princess Ani--gifted in animal speak--is overtaken by her traitorous lady in waiting Selia as their procession nears the kingdom of Ani's arranged marriage. She escapes with her life but is forced into hiding while Selia assumes Ani's place and identity. The story has a medieval-epic feel, incorporating elements of folklore and fantasy, and Ani's character is well-rounded.
A beautifully textured and deeply re-imagined version of the Grimm Brothers Goose Girl , Hale's first novel is too long by a fair amount, but ensorcelled teen readers, swept up in the romance and the luscious language, probably won't notice.
A beautifully textured and deeply re-imagined version of the Grimm Brothers Goose Girl, Hale's first novel is too long by a fair amount, but ensorcelled teen readers, swept up in the romance and the luscious language, probably won't notice. All the elements are here: a princess called Ani is born with the gift of hearing and understanding the birds, the wind, and her beautiful horse, Falada. But Ani's mother, the queen, who has the gift of people-speaking, is so disappointed that Ani's gifts are in another direction that she sends Ani off to marry a prince of the next kingdom. On the road, Ani's serving maid Selia and her cohorts kill her guard and Selia takes Ani's place. Ani is cared for by a forest woman, becomes a goose herd in the town, and sees Falada's head hung in the town square. When Ani rallies her gaggle of friends to try to stop the war that Selia is instigating to hide her treachery, it leads to a gorgeous, dramatic climax where stories "tell us what they can. The rest is for us to learn." (Fiction. YA)

In this affecting debut novel, Princess Ani, the shy, sensitive, first-born daughter to the king and queen of Kildenree, embarks on an adventure-filled journey to learn the many lessons that will make her a true queen. With the help of her aunt (the queen's sister), Ani discovers that she was born with the "gift of animal speaking." But her gift frightens others. The narrative's leisurely pace plays up Ani's sense of isolation; at a ball hosted by her parents, for instance, the nurses hold Ani's siblings close and whisper of "men and secret things. Every word they spoke seemed to empty Ani more, like buckets dipped into a shallow well." Considering Ani unworthy of the crown, Ani's newly widowed mother sends her off, at age 17, to be married to the prince of a neighboring kingdom—mainly to keep peace. On the way to "the other side of the mountains," her lady-in-waiting steals her identity and wrests control of the guards so she may enter the kingdom of Bayern as the Kildenree princess. Meanwhile, Ani dodges attempts on her life, is looked after by an older woman in the Forest, and finally makes it to Bayern, to be hired in the palace as a goose girl. Only when she develops humility, a sense of justice, a talent for peacekeeping, an ability to command the wind and the gift of "people speaking" can Ani reclaim her place as the future queen of Bayern. In an attempt to weave all of the elements of the original tale, the novel at times bogs down in detail. But those who enjoy getting lost in an enchanted world will discover here a satisfying and richly embellished retelling of a classic that communicates values still pertinent to contemporary readers. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)
Gr 6-9-A full-cast production voiced by over four dozen actors brings this well-known Grimm's fairy tale to life, albeit it with a modern and magical twist. In this delightful dramatization of the book by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2003), 16-year-old Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isillee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, is betrayed by Selia, her jealous and evil lady-in-waiting, and takes refuge as a goose girl while plotting how to reclaim her rightful place as the bride-to-be of the Prince of Bayern. Gifted with the ability to speak to animals and talk to the wind, Princess Anidori-now called "Isi"-falls in love, makes new friends, and collects allies in her quest to claim her title. This tale of courage and perseverance is a listening delight.-Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal Starred Review
Gr 6-9-A magical retelling of the Grimms's fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen. Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, is born with the ability to speak to animals, a gift that is nurtured by her aunt. When the king dies, the queen announces that Ani's younger brother, not the crown princess, will succeed her on the throne. Unbeknownst to anyone, the queen has promised Ani in marriage to the prince of neighboring Bayern. The devastated teen is sent with a retinue over the mountains to Bayem and is betrayed by Selia, her lady-in-waiting, and most of her guards during the journey. Ani escapes, takes the name "Isi," disguises her distinctive blonde hair, and becomes a tender of geese to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim her crown from the imposter, Selia. Ani meets and falls in love with Geric, who is, conveniently, the prince she is to marry. She is able to convince him and the king of her identity, marry, become queen, and stop a war between the kingdoms. This retelling retains many similarities to the original tale, including the gruesome punishment for treason. Hale's retelling is a wonderfully rich one, full of eloquent description and lovely imagery, and with a complex plot, a large cast of characters, and a strong female protagonist. Fans of high fantasy will be delighted with this novel, the first in a planned trilogy, and impatiently await those to follow.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Voice of Youth Advocates
Wilson's High School Catalog
Wilson's Junior High Catalog
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.9 / points: 14.0 / quiz: 73116 / grade: Middle Grades+
Guided Reading Level: X
Fountas & Pinnell: X
Princess Anidori-Kiladra of Kildenree was born with a word on her tongue, and a secret magic. Though she is raised in luxury, she is never quite comfortable with who she is, or what she is to become.Then she is sent on a journey to marry an unknown prince. The trip is difficult, and before it is finished all her expectations are overturned. Alone, friendless, stripped of her crown and her title, Ani must learn to make her own path in the world.Along the way, she just might learn to be a princess.Bold in its concept, stunning in its execution, The Goose Girl is one of the most spectacular debut novels of recent years. Now over four dozen actors bring it to thrilling new life in this unabridged audio edition—a recording that will delight those who already love the book, and enthrall those who have not yet discovered it.
Excerpted from The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
In this beloved first book in the Books of Bayern, from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale , Princess Ani must become a goose girl before she can become queen. Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life listening to her aunt's stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. As she grows up, Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but she never feels quite comfortable speaking with people. So when Ani's mother sends her away to be married in a foreign land, she finds herself at the mercy of her silver-tongued lady in waiting, who leads a mutiny that leaves her alone, destitute, and fleeing for her life. To survive, Ani takes on work as a royal goose girl, hiding in plain sight while she develops her forbidden talents and works to discover her own true, powerful voice. The first book in master storyteller Shannon Hale's beloved Books of Bayern series is equal parts fantastical and romantic, with an unforgettable protagonist to root for at its center.


Over the last couple of years, Ruger has done just about everything right with its LCR family of revolvers, and the level of excellence and practical thinking continues with the company's latest "pocket rocket" chambered in .327 Fed. Mag. This newest hammerless "snubby" sports the standard 1 7⁄8-inch barrel and weighs 17 ounces. The weight gain of 3.5 ounces over the LCR chambered in .38 Spl. results from using a stainless steel frame rather than the aluminum-alloy frame of the .38 Spl, but the fluted cylinder helps keep weight to a minimum. For those who may not know, the .327 Fed. Mag. operates at pressures around 45,000 psi as opposed to 17,000 to 20,000 psi of the .38 Spl. The resulting upgrade in performance is enormous with .327 Fed. Mag. ammo providing 1,400 fps using the lighter bullets and more than 1,100 fps with the heavier weights. The other bonus is the LCR .327 Fed. Mag. holds six rounds rather than the usual five typical of small-frame revolvers.
(l.) The .327 Fed. Mag. chambering affords an extra round in the cylinder. (ctr.) The U-notch rear sight is integral to the stainless steel frame. (r.) A white-stripe front sight fosters quick acquisition.
The front-sight blade is extremely functional. In dim light and close quarters (typical of many hostile encounters), the blade's white stripe immediately draws your attention. No need for precise alignment and judging light intensity; raise the gun in line with your eyes and the threat, center the front sight's white line on your assailant and press the trigger. In brighter conditions, the sights allow for some reasonably precise shooting at longer ranges. Offhand groups at 15 yards in daylight ranged from 2.5 inches to slightly larger than 4 inches with both .327 Fed. Mag. and .32 H&R Mag. ammo. Ruger's friction-reducing cam facilitates good double-action accuracy by making the trigger pull incredibly smooth and consistent throughout the stroke. The trigger design is one of the Ruger LCR family's great attributes.
The .327 Fed. Mag. does not produce objectionable recoil, but if you're not a fan of Isaac Newton's second law about action and reaction, the small revolver shoots .32 S&W and .32 H&R Mag. ammo, too. Still, there's no free lunch; while the .327's recoil is easily managed, this high-pressure round is extremely loud. Fired without hearing protection in an enclosed room, it's likely the .327 will shut down any further audible communications for a while. And although the .32 H&R Mag. ammo offers a good overall compromise between noise and performance, it also will ring your inner-ear bells.
(l.) A generous trigger guard permits easy access, even with gloved hands. (ctr.) Ruger's logo and iconic push-button latch adorn the left side of the frame. (r.) A durable PVD finish lends itself well to carry in even the harshest conditions.
The Hogue Tamer grips with the double finger grooves are also a good feature. The grooves ensure a powerful hold by the two middle fingers of the shooting hand while the grip is long enough to allow some bottom pressure from the pinky finger. The pebbled, tacky-rubber surface provides a no-slip grip for quick recovery between shots. If you wear the gun in a belt holster covered by an outer garment, you might opt for a less "sticky" surface texture to prevent snagging the outer garment during your draw stroke or "printing" the pistol by snagging the coat during normal movements. It's a non-issue in pocket carry mode as the shooting hand covers the grip before you begin to draw the pistol. Interestingly, disassembly of the pistol requires simply removing the Monogrip.
(l.) Hogue's Monogrip dampened recoil while providing ample purchase. (r.) Though similar in size to a .38 Spl., the .327 Fed. Mag. generates substantially higher pressures.
There are a couple features that might concern you. In the "Don't worry" category, the pistol rattles when you shake it. That's the transfer bar, which is intentionally loose. The transfer bar prevents the gun from firing unless the trigger is pulled all the way to the rear of the trigger guard. The second issue does concern anyone using the gun for self-defense. The .327 Fed. Mag. case is rather long for such a small revolver. As a result, the cases do not clear the cylinder when the ejector rod is fully pressed. Reloads must be executed properly. After opening the cylinder, point the muzzle up and tap the ejector rod briskly, allowing gravity to help the cases fall clear of the cylinder. If you want the full power of the .327 Fed. Mag., you need the benefit that comes with its longer cartridge case. So, learn to run the gun proficiently, including the aforementioned reloading technique.
The Ruger manual warns about that dastardly duo, recoil and inertia. In a light-weight pistol using heavier bullets, recoil gives the revolver a sharp push to the rear, while inertia urges the bullet to remain where it was. If the bullet slides far enough out of the cartridge case that it protrudes from the cylinder, it will block the cylinder from rotating into line with the barrel, and you're done shooting. I have experienced this phenomenon in extremely lightweight .38 Spl. loads with aluminum-case ammo and in big-bore pistols with heavy ammo, but not with the .327 Fed. Mag.
This is a well designed pocket pistol that's exceptionally useful, particularly for shooters who are sensitive to recoil.


6. You have successfully installed the certificate when it asks you to set a pin for your device. We suggest a 4 digit numeric pin 0000 (four zeros).
8. (Optional) Enter your PIN and select "None" to disable this security feature.


text:
Posted Apr 27 2018
Avengers Infinity War - This Movie Rocks The Marvel Universe - To Its Core
Dir: All The Russos (Anthony & Joe)
Starring All The Chrisses (Evans, Hemsworth, Pratt), Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, All The Benedicts (Cumberbatch, Wong), Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, All The Toms (Hiddleston, Holland), Karen Gillan, Sebastian Stan, Benicio del Toro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Anthony Mackie, Peter Dinklage, Danai Guria, William Hurt, Sam Jackson, Cobie Smulders
So after 18 previous films and ten years, this is what it has all been leading to. With expectations going through the roof and beyond, Infinity War could so easily get it wrong. Indeed, previous superhero movies have come unstuck when they've tried to throw everything and the kitchen sink into a threequel (or, in the case of DC, just about anything they've tried with more than one protagonist), and given this movie has more heroes than anything EVER!!! well, it's a delicate balance and a difficult trick to pull off.
The question was - Can Marvel and the Russo brothers manage such a feat? The answer is - AND HOW!!
The threat of Thanos that has hovered over the MCU for several years now finally arrives in the daunting form of Josh Brolin, whose powerful albeit psychotic credentials are more than established in the movie's opening scenes, moments designed to let you know that the gloves (bar one infinity gauntlet) are most definitely off here. Thanos is after the six infinity stones (some of which we have encountered before) and plans to use them to put into action his unique solution to over population – destroy exactly half of all living things in the universe. The Avengers, the Guardians and the remaining Asgardians are all that can stop him, and in the Russos' remarkably swift film they are scattered all over the universe in their attempts to do just that. Thus, in various classic Marvel Team-Up combos, we move from New York to "Space", to numerous planets to the recently discovered Wakanda ("Forever!")
Yet, the great success of the Russos' film is how effortlessly all this is managed – for a movie with a cast of so many, each character appears to have plenty of screen time, plus there is room for action, there is space for humour – plenty of it, stand up Thor and the Guardians, Dr Strange and "douchebag" Tony Stark in particular. There is also great clarity to the film – despite all the planet and country hopping, there is never any uncertainty of where you are in the plot and how actions play into one another. It is in reality a remarkable feat of juggling, one that comes across as a fast moving, thoroughly entertaining smooth running engine. An engine with tremendous heart, always essential to the MCU.
And this is a film with consequences – boy, are there consequences. It's not a spoiler to say that people die here. And when they do it is really felt. In all sorts of unexpected ways. And even with that knowledge, and all the foreshadowing that Marvel has laid with this being a game changer for everything that has gone before – you just won't be prepared for what actually happens.
Disappointments? Well, Cap feels a little underused. And Howard the Duck appears to have not survived his time with The Collector.
But, otherwise, this is the modern blockbuster (something that Marvel have almost singlehandedly shaped) writ large as contemporary epic cinema. And. It Rocks!
Excelsior, indeed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Harmonia Bridges Broadway And China With Productions Of 'King Kong,' 'Titanic' And More
John Toll To Receive Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award; Acorn Takes Aussie Drama 'Newton's Law' – Global Briefs
By Diana Lodderhose
Diana Lodderhose
More Stories By Diana
Bruce Forsyth Dies: Brit TV Legend Who "Delighted Millions" Was 89
ITV Plans Build Mini-Theme Park In London
Gemma Chan Joins 'Mary Queen Of Scots' Opposite Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie
Cinematographer John Toll, who has collaborated with filmmakers such as The Wachowskis, Ang Lee, Mel Gibson, Francis Ford Coppola and Terrence Malick, is set to be honored with the Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 25th anniversary edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography. Toll's career spans four decades and as a camera operator he has worked with John A. Alonzo on Martin Ritt's Norma Rae and Brian De Palma's Scarface. He won an Academy Award for his work on Legends Of The Fall and won again the following year for his work on Mel Gibson's Braveheart. He is one of only four cinematographers who won two Oscars back to back. The event will be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland from November 11-18.
ITV Boards 'Van Der Valk' Remake From Company Pictures & All3Media International
ABC Commercial has inked a new agreement with RLJ Entertainment's Acorn brand for rights to Australian TV drama series Newton's Law. As part of the five-year deal, Newton's Law will be available to North American audiences on streaming service Acorn TV from Fall 2017. The 8×60 series centers around a suburban solicitor who attempts to return to her briefly glorious career at the Bar. It stars Claudia Karvan, Toby Schmitz, Brett Tucker and Miranda Tapsell and is produced by Every Cloud Productions, the team behind Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
All3Media International has inked a number of deals in Africa with two of its key formats – Undercover Boss and The Cube – optioned for production in Nigeria. Factual entertainment format Undercover Boss, which follows high-leve corporate execs as they go under cover in their own companies, has been optioned by Nigeria's EWA Media Productions while game show format The Cube has been optioned by FanFaceOff Global Entertainment in the countries. All3Media Int'l has also signed a raft of new deals for its finished programming as North One Television's Guy Martin fronted content is picked up for Africa. A pan-territory deal with BBC Worldwide includes Our Guy In China, Speed With Guy Martin and more. At the same time South Africa's SABC has secured Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Home Cooking and both series of Gordon's Great Escape.
All3Media International
John Toll
Latest International News
ITV & BBC To Spend "Tens Of Millions" Of Pounds On Originals For UK Streaming Service BritBox & Eye "Innovative" Formats
'Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight Teases More Seasons & Bringing Series Home To Birmingham


We quantify the size of a fire-sale externality in the derivatives market in the absence of a macroprudential buffer on top of microprudential initial margin requirements. We show how this varies over the financial cycle with market volatility. We then assess the ability of a macroprudential buffer to reduce this externality. We find this depends critically on the release conditions of the buffer. A buffer could reduce or, if set appropriately, even eliminate the externality, as long as it was released when investors faced any significant collateral calls, regardless of whether these related to variation or initial margins. However, it could be harmful if it was released only with calls for additional initial margin. Predicated on ideal release conditions, we test the performance of macroprudential buffers based on 'anti-procyclicality' mechanisms in current regulations. These mechanisms can reduce the fire-sale externality in some market conditions, but not all. Conceptually, we devise alternative mechanisms that eliminate the externality, although it may be difficult for policymakers to specify these in practice. Finally, as an alternative to quantity-based solutions, we investigate the ability of taxes to reduce the externality. We find that such a price-based solution could also eliminate the externality if set appropriately, but this would require a high tax rate and the redistribution of significant tax revenues.


text:
Team All Executive Legal & Policy Campaigns Development Civic Engagement Field Organizing Operations Communications
Rob Altenburg
Senior Director for Energy and Climate
717-214-7933altenburg@pennfuture.org
Rob brings a career's worth of environmental, climate, and energy expertise to advance clean energy solutions for Pennsylvania. As Senior Director for Energy and Climate, he analyzes and provides expert comments and testimony on legislation and regulations. He works with regulatory agencies and clean energy industry experts on climate and energy issues across the Commonwealth. Rob speaks extensively throughout Pennsylvania to students, community groups, and other organizations on climate and energy issues.
Rob has also provided testimony to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House and co-authored a chapter on federal climate policy in the 2nd edition of the book "Climate Change and US Law".
Rob previously spent nearly 22 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He calculated and predicted emissions from factories, vehicles, and off-road equipment. That led to predicting concentrations of air pollutants for the Bureau of Air Quality using computer models. For several years, Rob was the primary forecaster for southcentral and Lehigh valley regions of Pennsylvania, deciding if days meet the parameters for air quality action days. He served as an executive policy specialist in DEP's policy office advising the governor's office and department executive staff on a variety of environmental and public health issues.
While working for DEP, Rob attended Widener Commonwealth Law School in the evenings. He graduated cum laude, earned certificates in both environmental law and administrative/constitutional law through Widener's Law and Government Institute. He is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania.
Rob worked in software development and systems administration. While serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, he commanded a combat engineer company and earned the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge jumping out of airplanes.
Rob is an avid hiker, serving on the board of directors of the Keystone Trails Association; he volunteers as a pilot with the Civil Air Patrol—the US Air Force auxiliary; and he is also a certified scuba diver who has dived on shipwrecks in the Atlantic. Traveling extensively with his wife, Juliet, they are sure to get a few hikes in during their journeys.
Jay Andrews, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Operations
215-545-2133andrews@pennfuture.org
Jay manages PennFuture's internal operations, implementing and overseeing the administrative, human resources, institutional, and financial functions of the organization. He works closely with the President/CEO and the Vice-President/Chief of Staff as well as the Board of Directors to ensure that PennFuture's operations are efficient and effective.
Jay earned a M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.A. in political science from SUNY Buffalo. Prior to assuming his current role, Jay served for many years as PennFuture's Director of Outreach. He started his career as a professor at Temple University and, before joining PennFuture, worked with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) directing legislative advocacy programs, political mobilization campaigns, and fundraising efforts for its Pennsylvania state affiliate.
As a world traveler, Jay camped in the Sahara, paddled the Ganges, hiked in Europe, trekked in Asia, got lost in the Middle-East, and wandered in South America, taking note of the human impact on the planet throughout his journeys.
Emma Bast
267-838-9154bast@pennfuture.org
Emma is a Staff Attorney in PennFuture's Philadelphia office.
Emma's work in Philadelphia focuses on water and water quality issues in Philadelphia and throughout the Delaware River Basin. Prior to joining PennFuture, Emma was an Associate Attorney at Spiegel & McDiarmid, LLP in Washington, D.C., where she worked on a wide range of energy issues in the public interest, including clean energy policy research and ensuring fairness to ratepayers across the country.
Emma received her B.A. in Geology from Mount Holyoke College, and graduated from Georgetown University. Originally from northern Vermont, Emma spent years visiting family in the Philadelphia region, and enjoys exploring Pennsylvania by cycling, hiking, and kayaking.
Jess Cadorette
Field Director
610-717-6680cadorette@pennfuture.org
In her role as Field Director, Jess leads our Field Organizing team to help build a pro-environment movement across Pennsylvania by educating our communities and mobilizing our members and volunteers to advocate for environmental policies.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Jess organized volunteers with PennEnvironment on their climate and clean energy team to build support for clean, renewable energy across the state of Pennsylvania. She also worked with and continues to stand alongside community activists as they work to prevent a dangerous pipeline from going through her local community in Chester County.
Jess earned her bachelor's degree in Communications from Neumann University, where her research focused on environmental communications.
When she's not working to protect our environment, she's out enjoying it by hiking, kayaking, and walks through local parks with her dog.
M. Travis DiNicola
717-214-7924dinicola@pennfuture.org
M. Travis DiNicola is a champion of mission-based nonprofits. Originally from Pennsylvania, most of his professional career has taken place in Indianapolis, where he served as the executive director of Indy Reads, an adult literacy organization, and the founder of Indy Reads Books, a nonprofit bookstore and community arts center.
He was also the co-host and producer of The Art of the Matter, a weekly arts talk show on WFYI public radio in Indianapolis, where he broadcast more than 2,000 interviews with artists, writers, and performers. Most recently, he served as the director of development for the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
In addition, DiNicola has served on a number of nonprofit boards and committees. He is currently on the board of the Art Association of Harrisburg, Theatre Harrisburg's Arts Awards Committee, the advisory board of WITF, and a member of the Harrisburg Rotary. He graduated from the Leadership Harrisburg's Executive Leadership Series and previously served on the board of the Mount Gretna School of Art.
DiNicola received both his B.A. in Theatre with a dance minor and an M.S. in Art Education from Penn State. While at Penn State, he was recognized in 1996 for the Best Graduate Research in the Arts & Humanities for creating the original website for the Palmer Museum of Art. He and his wife, Michelle, like to kayak on the Susquehanna, where he fishes while she takes photographs. They have seven cats.
Karen Dunn
Campaign Coordinator
dunn@pennfuture.org
Karen has been a community advocate for 30+ years. She has a steady and undeniable reputation for working to improve the quality of life for youth, neighbors and seniors.
Prior to working for PennFuture, Karen was a candidate for State Representative, a Committeeperson and the former District Office Director for retired PA State Representative James Roebuck. It was through these roles that she gained her skill and knowledge of building relationships between political officials and bridging the gap between community organizations and residents of Philadelphia.
Karen is most fond of her work around organization and coordinating student mentorship programs within the public school system of Philadelphia, being a Board Member and volunteer with the senior advocacy group Helping Hands Ministry, Inc., campaign and event coordination with The Friends of Jim Roebuck, being an Infant Mortality Review Team Member for the Philadelphia Morgue, being a Board Member and Volunteer for the former West Philadelphia Childcare Networks and being on the Board of Managers, Executive Producer, and Co-Host and Community News Producer of a community news radio show called The Shed Kitchen.
Karen is a graduate of Temple University and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications.
She enjoys experiencing the creative and performing arts with her family.
Emily Gale
Director of Civic Engagement
717-674-3457gale@pennfuture.org
Emily is PennFuture's Director of Civic Engagement. In this role, Emily is helping to create a new non-partisan voter registration program for PennFuture, which will be active in the counties of Monroe, Northampton, Lehigh, Dauphin, York, Lancaster, and Luzerne.
Before joining PennFuture, Emily worked for STEP Inc. as Program Manager for STEP AmeriCorps, a national service program. During her time there, she helped create new partnerships within the community and managed state and federal policies and procedures regarding the AmeriCorps program.
She's been a candidate for elected office and for a number of years managed field operations for the last U.S. Census in 13 north-central Pennsylvania counties. Emily is an active member of the Williamsport Junior League, a board member at the Community Theatre League, Chair of the Outreach Committee and Co-Organizer for TedX Williamsport.
Emily believes that every person has a voice. Her mission is to help underserved populations take a stand for themselves, their neighborhoods, their communities, and their environment. One voice, one choice begins change. Be that change.
Timothy Hayes
Upper Bucks Field Coordinator
hayes@pennfuture.org
Tim Hayes is the Upper Bucks County Field Coordinator for PennFuture. He earned a bachelor's degree in History with a minor in Criminal Justice from Temple University, and he is currently pursuing his masters degree in Public Administration at West Chester University.
Tim previously served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard for six years as a Fire Control Specialist. He has volunteered and interned for numerous political campaigns on the local, county, state and national level. Tim currently serves on his community's borough council, and he is passionate about advocating for social equity and sustainability opportunities for people across the Commonwealth.
Tim was born and raised in Bucks County, and he likes to visit its various parks and hiking trails, as well as trying new restaurants, exercising, and watching the Eagles.
Miah Hornyak
Lower Bucks Field Coordinator
Hornyak@pennfuture.org
Miah Hornyak is the Lower Bucks County Field Coordinator with PennFuture. She has lived in Pennsylvania her whole life and has long been an advocate for environmental justice and public health.
Prior to joining the PennFuture team, Miah worked on a congressional campaign and for a variety of nonprofits. She received a Master's degree in Environmental Policy from Lehigh University as well as a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
In her free time, Miah enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and playing with her dog.
Abigail M. Jones
Vice President, Legal & Policy
570-216-3313jones@pennfuture.org
Abby is Vice President of Legal and Policy at PennFuture. As Vice President, Abby is responsible for integrating PennFuture's legal, regulatory, and policy activities in furtherance of the organization's mission of protecting Pennsylvania's air, water and land, and empowering citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations.
In her role as an attorney based out of PennFuture's Poconos office, her work focuses on water quality and watershed protection, special protection waters, and stormwater management. Abby also works on the issues related to the petrochemical and fracking industries that are threatening the health of Pennsylvania's people and environment.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Abby was a Staff Attorney at Riverkeeper, where her work focused on civil litigation and administrative enforcement actions targeted at safeguarding the water quality and ecological integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries. Before that, Abby worked as an environmental attorney in New York City and Cheyenne, Wyoming. She has written about and presented on a variety of environmental issues including the regulation and legal challenges of Marcellus Shale development in New York, energy leases for private property owners in Western States, and the Superfund cleanup of the Hudson River.
Abby earned a B.A. from Cornell University, where she was a member of the nationally-ranked Division I Women's Lacrosse team. She received her J.D. and Certificate of Environmental Law from Pace University School of Law, cum laude, being presented with the prestigious Henry M. Feldschuh Environmental Law Award upon graduation for her leadership in and dedication to environmental law.
Abby is on the Editorial Board for the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Natural Resources & Environment publication. She is a Senior Fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program (Eastern Regional Network, 2020) and a 2012 graduate of the New York City Environmental Law Leadership Institute (NYCELLI).
When not working to protect Pennsylvania's natural resources, Abby enjoys being outdoors and exploring them with her family.
Angela Kilbert
412-456-2785kilbert@pennfuture.org
Angela is a Staff Attorney in PennFuture's Pittsburgh office.
As Staff Attorney, Angela works on improving air quality in Western Pennsylvania and challenging the petrochemical and fracking industries. Prior to joining PennFuture, Angela was an Associate Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charleston, South Carolina, where her work focused on litigation and advocacy targeting regional environmental issues such as coastal resilience, protection of wetlands, and offshore drilling. Before that, Angela worked as an environmental attorney in Pittsburgh and clerked in Baltimore for the Honorable William D. Quarles, Jr., U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland.
Angela received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary and graduated magna cum laude from the George Washington University Law School. Originally from Pittsburgh, Angela enjoys hiking and kayaking in Pennsylvania's great outdoors.
Donna Kohut
Campaign Manager, Delaware River Basin
570-216-3344kohut@pennfuture.org
As the Campaign Manager for the Delaware River Basin, Donna oversees the work and coordination of PennFuture's campaigns to advocate for clean water protections within the region. This work includes developing, managing, and leading campaigns that support special protection waters and Pennsylvania's stream redesignation process.
Donna also represents PennFuture as the State Lead for the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed in Pennsylvania by convening partners to work on watershed issues.
Previously, Donna served as the Upper Bucks Field Coordinator for the Field Team, which is part of PennFuture's strategic partnership with Conservation Voters of PA. In that role, she engaged with the community to identify and mobilize around local environmental issues.
Donna holds a B.A. in Political Science and Writing from Moravian College and a M.A. in Women's History from Sarah Lawrence College, where she focused her studies on the history of social movements.
Inspired by her academic studies to become an intentional agent of social and environmental justice, Donna completed two terms of service with the Student Conservation Association in Utah and California, one term with the California Conservation Corps in that backcountry of Yosemite National Park, and served for one year as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Winooski, Vermont, supporting the local refugee resettlement program for New Americans.
She also spent fifteen years in the outdoor recreation and environmental education industries, immersed in the waterways of the Delaware River Watershed.
Donna has been an active volunteer for the Sierra Club and PennFuture in the Lehigh Valley. Her perspective as a volunteer and her love of service deeply informs her advocacy. As a Campaign Manager, she will continue to work towards a more equitable and sustainable Pennsylvania.
In her spare time, Donna gets her kicks whitewater kayaking, backpacking, knitting, and reading dystopian literature.
mcdonnell@pennfuture.org
Patrick brings over 20 years of experience on climate, clean energy and environmental issues to his role as president and CEO of PennFuture. Prior to joining PennFuture, he spent six years as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, leading key initiatives like passage of the state's first carbon trading regulation, acceleration of the Commonwealth's cleanup of waterways, and a new focus on environmental justice issues. He also served as President of the Environmental Council of the States, the voice of state environmental agencies nationally.
Prior to being named Secretary, Patrick served in roles at the DEP and the Public Utility Commission, heading up the state's energy office, managing the agency's budget and human resources, and overseeing the development of regulations and guidance documents. Some of his most notable accomplishments in government include development of the state's first wind farms, the Award-winning Ehrenfeld reclaimed mines project, and entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Deeply committed to environmental justice issues, Patrick has collaborated with partners across the Commonwealth and the nation. These partnerships have resulted in brownfield cleanups, waterway restoration projects, and new opportunities for tourism and leisure in Pennsylvania towns that have been historically underserved. He is a firm believer that environmentally focused policies will result in new jobs and opportunities for all Pennsylvanians.
On weekends, Patrick can be found on an improv stage in Harrisburg, hiking one of Pennsylvania's state parks with his wife and four children, or checking out the latest Star Wars film.
Michael Mehrazar
717-614-1405Mehrazar@pennfuture.org
As a Campaign Manager at PennFuture, Michael oversees the work and coordination of PennFuture's campaigns to advocate for clean water protections within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This work includes developing, managing, and leading the Choose Clean Water Coalition that advocates critical clean water policy and funding.
Previously, Michael served as Field Manager PennFuture, working with citizens to play a more active role in conservation policy. He recruited, trained, and managed volunteers in southcentral Pennsylvania to advocate for environmental issues. He also developed and fostered relationships with watershed and conservation organizations.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Michael was a Field Organizer with For Our Future, where he recruited, trained, and managed a team of canvassers in Dauphin, York, and Cumberland counties.
Michael has a bachelor's degree in political science from Lock Haven University. While at Lock Haven University, he was Vice President of his environmental club, Speaker of his student government's senate, and interned at the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties.
Michael enjoys playing and watching soccer, fiddling with computers, listening to podcasts, biking on trails, and all things Star Wars.
Adam Nagel
215-545-9692nagel@pennfuture.org
Adam is the Campaign Manager for clean water and climate advocacy in the Philadelphia office. In this role he also manages the Keep Philly Green + Water Clean campaign and issues related to the development of a green economy in Philadelphia.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Adam served in various roles for Pennsylvania state Senator Anthony Hardy Williams, most recently as his Chief of Staff. As a consultant, he has supported nonprofit organizations and political campaigns through strategic planning, communications campaigns, and events. Adam has worked to engage communities to better understand their needs and help promote change.
Adam holds a B.A. in Print Journalism and History from Hofstra University. He also holds a M.A. in European History from the University of Rochester.
A native of Ontario, New York, Adam enjoys walking through Philadelphia, Yankees baseball, board games, and spending quality time with his fiancée and stepson.
Maria Ocasio
Lehigh Valley Field Coordinator
610-554-7237ocasio@pennfuture.org
Serving as the Lehigh Valley Field Coordinator, Maria is responsible for identifying, engaging, and mobilizing a strong base within the community to bring about change and awareness on environmental issues. In recruiting, training, and managing volunteers we will bring about a more energy efficient and sustainable Lehigh Valley.
Maria completed her undergraduate degree at DeSales University in Political Science and then went on to complete her Master's Degree in Political Science and Public Policy at Lehigh University. After college, Maria utilized her degree as a Field Organizer for several high-profile local and national campaigns, where Maria gained valuable insight and first-hand experience of the political system, and how to mobilize and inspire a community to help her candidate achieve success. In the last several months, Maria began to transition out of the campaign world into government work and served as a census field manager for the U.S. Federal Census Bureau.
Maria attributes a good deal of her achievements to the educational foundation she received during her time at DeSales. However, it was the support Maria received from her mentors and professors that has inspired her most meaningful work as an adjunct professor at Northampton Community College and a volunteer catechist at Sacred Heart Regional Church. It has become Maria's lifelong mission to improve and better the lives of others and inspire them to pursue their own goals. Whether that be through environmental awareness, education, policy, or politics, Maria truly believe that is her calling.
In her spare time Maria enjoys running, hiking, boxing, reading, and watching documentaries.
Jessica O'Neill
215-545-9694oneill@pennfuture.org
Jessica is a Senior Attorney at PennFuture. Jessica is based out of Philadelphia, and her work focuses on water quality and watershed protection as well as the creation and protection of green space for all. Jessica also works on issues related to the petrochemical and fracking industries that threaten our health and environment across Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Jessica was an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. She also worked as an environmental lawyer in private practice, where she primarily focused on clean water issues, and as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency in its Mid-Atlantic office, bringing administrative enforcement actions under federal hazardous waste and toxic chemical regulations. In 2010, she served as an assistant counsel to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Jessica clerked for the Honorable Louis H. Pollak on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Robert B. Kugler on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Jessica has an undergraduate degree in environmental studies from Brown University and graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center. Jessica enjoys hiking, spending time in her community garden, and exploring Philadelphia's many urban parks with her children.
Annie Regan
412-456-2781regan@pennfuture.org
Annie currently serves as the Campaign Coordinator for the ReImagine Appalachia campaign, a coalition with groups from West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to create a blueprint to reduce greenhouse gases via the creation of good paying union jobs. She also works as the state lead for the Climate Action Campaign, a coalition of national climate, conservation, and progressive groups, state and local partners, and key allies working to protect clean air and promote action to limit climate change.
Annie previously worked as PennFuture's Western PA Outreach Coordinator, working with the Breathe Project to reduce air pollution in the region. Her work involved community and coalition outreach around stormwater management, renewable energy, environmental enforcement, and sound environmental policy.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Annie was a policy intern for American Forests and the environmental legislative intern for the office of Senator Robert Casey, Jr.
She earned an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree from American University (AU), majoring in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government (CLEG) with a minor in Spanish.
Annie, a Pittsburgh native, enjoys hiking, reading, and embroidery in her spare time.
Matt Stepp
Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff
215-545-2013stepp@pennfuture.org
Based in Philadelphia, Matthew oversees all internal operations and programs to ensure that PennFuture is advancing the organization's mission and strategic plan. He is a spokesperson for the organization and assists the president and CEO on all matters, including fundraising, public policy, advocacy, key relationships, external communications, and partnerships. Stepp leads and manages PennFuture's senior staff on issues of strategy, coordination, and execution and previously served as PennFuture's Director of Policy.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Matthew served as the director of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Center for Clean Energy Innovation (CCEI) in Washington, D.C., where he managed and directed high-profile energy and climate policy initiatives at the state, national, and international level. He has testified before Congress and his work has appeared in numerous national and state news and media outlets.
Matthew was also a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Fellow at the National Academies of Science, where he worked with the Transportation Research Board to analyze light duty vehicle energy reduction policy strategies. He also served as fellow at the Breakthrough Institute, where he focused on clean energy innovation policy opportunities, and participated in the inaugural Millennial Trains Project.
Matthew holds a B.Sc. in Meteorology from Millersville University as well as a M.Sc. in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is a professional member of the American Meteorological Society.
Matthew was born and raised in Philadelphia and is an avid home brewer, amateur genealogist, and sports geek. His favorite band of all time is Pearl Jam.
Ezra P. Thrush, MPA
Senior Director of Government Affairs
717-214-7926thrush@pennfuture.org
Based in PennFuture's Harrisburg office, Ezra Thrush leads and develops the organization's policy initiatives and is its liaison with elected officials in both Harrisburg and Washington D.C. In this role, Ezra manages all legislative and executive branch relationships as well as public policy decisions and processes for PennFuture.
As a member of the senior leadership team, Thrush serves as PennFuture's chief lobbyist and external voice on policy positions, strategy, and relationships with decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Ezra also represents PennFuture on the Steering Committee of the Choose Clean Water Coalition.
Prior to serving as Senior Director of Government Affairs, Ezra worked as PennFuture's Campaign Manager for Watershed Advocacy and state lead for the Choose Clean Water Coalition, where he led high-impact outreach and communications campaigns around clean water issues affecting Pennsylvania's environment and communities in the Susquehanna and Potomac River basins., Thrush focused on the Commonwealth's waters, providing oversight and support of Pennsylvania's Chesapeake Bay plan and the state's Watershed Implementation Plan. Ezra has worked extensively on state and federal issues, including stormwater management, clean water funding, agriculture, forest retention, the Farm Bill, climate change, and water infrastructure, among others.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Thrush served as the Advocacy and Coalition Coordinator at South Central Community Action Programs, working on criminal justice reform and human services policy issues. He also has served in previous roles in legislative and policy work on state environmental funding, public lands, and the Clean Power Plan, donor development, research and teaching, and program management at the New Birth of Freedom Council of Boy Scouts of America, Shippensburg University, and Sierra Club – Pennsylvania Chapter.
Ezra holds a Master's degree in Public Administration with concentrations in public policy and nonprofit management in addition to Bachelor's degrees in History and Political Science from Shippensburg University. He continues to write and speak in academic circles and his interests include stakeholder collaboration and public-private partnerships, collective governance, public participation, and solutions-oriented environmental policy.
Thrush enjoys volunteering as an instructor with the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the National Camping School, and local Boy Scouts camps. He is a proud member of the American Society for Public Administration and Pi Alpha Alpha, the global honor society for public affairs and administration. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association.
Ezra takes extra joy in hiking and traveling with friends in the outdoors, visiting family throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Broadway, Baltimore Orioles baseball, and spending quality time with his nephews.
Jenny Tompkins
Campaign Manager, Clean Water Advocacy
(315) 759-3437tompkins@pennfuture.org
As the Campaign Manager for Clean Water Advocacy, Jenny oversees PennFuture's work in the Lake Erie Watershed. She leads the Our Water, Our Future campaign, focused on sound policy solutions to improve water quality and ensure the health of Northwestern PA ecosystems and communities.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Jenny served as the Crawford County Assistant Planning Director of Community Development, where she managed state and federal grant programs, largely focused on the implementation of pandemic relief funds. As an AmeriCorps VISTA, she also built capacity and secured funding to increase supports for rural communities impacted by the opioid epidemic.
Jenny earned a bachelor's degree from Allegheny College, majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in history. A native of the Finger Lakes Region of NY, she enjoys canoeing, hiking, and spending time with her fiancé and two rescue dogs.
Jude Yardsley
yardsley@pennfuture.org
Jude Yardsley (they/them/theirs) is PennFuture's Administrative Manager, based in Harrisburg. In addition to handling administration and facility management within the Central office, Jude provides support to the President/CEO and Executive Vice President/COS. They also support Human Resources and Development efforts, as well as serving as staff liaison to the Board of Directors.
Prior to joining PennFuture, Jude worked in the Harrisburg hospitality and small business industry for 8 years, where they occupied customer-facing administrative roles and management positions. Jude has been focused on creating equitable and worker-focused business environments in the redeveloped Midtown district, putting down roots, and learning how to be a good neighbor.
Ellen Zeph
Deputy Director of Development
zeph@pennfuture.org
Ellen oversees the statewide grant program and works closely with staff to manage our grants process. She also serves as a staff liaison to PennFuture's board of directors.
Ellen has worked for numerous conservation organizations including the National Wildlife Federation, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, and has held a number of positions with the National Audubon Society. She brings a wealth of experience working for nonprofit conservation organizations and has extensive experience in both development and communications work.
A native of Rochester, New York, she attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and holds a bachelor's degree in Art and Art History from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
PennFuture Media Contact:Jared Stonesifer Director of Media Relations
E: stonesifer@pennfuture.org


A comfortable unit in the heart of Madrid.
Madrid Centre Luxury Apartment With Terrace.
What a wonderful place to stay. Clean & close to everything & safe. No street noise, has a lift. Has shut out blinds. Definitely worth staying.
Great apartment with up-to-date furniture in an absolute prime location!
A neat, quiet and comfortable place, with excellent support.
A quiet and safe location, ideal for our large family. Worth a walk to Juan Carlos park near by, take id and hire bikes free for 45 min. to cycle around the park.
We really enjoyed our stay in the apartment. It was clean, functional and cheerful. Both Antonio and Javier were very nice and responsive to our needs. We highly recommend it!
Good stay, Grand Times, Great Apartment!
Great apartment with excellent location.
Duplex en Sol. Centro de Madrid. Plaza Mayor.
The apartment is very well located in central Madrid. It is reasonably sized with two bedrooms. A small kitchen is suitable for holidays.


Burn RSS feeds to keep your visitors informed.
This plugin gets information from your latests posts and writes an xml file in rss format.
This is going to work as is, but you should add some information inside for better user experience, like a feed title and your website url.


In a dark alternate timeline, a weakened United Kingdom falls to the overwhelming might of the Third Reich. In a new trailer for Hearts of Iron IV, you can watch the key events in the fall of Europe's last hope as played out in the game's Clausewitz engine. The trailer shows air strikes on the British homeland, combat around the capital and demonstrates how players can follow the war on the... more.
With Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour having now taken to the skies, Paradox Development Studios and Paradox Interactive want to make sure that all air crews are fully prepared. After a series of communiques via the developers' diaries, your final mission briefing is ready. Today at 7pm CET / 6pm GMT / 1pm EST, you can see a live stream presentation from Dan Lind, project lead for "He... more.
The time has come to test your mettle in the furnace of war again, as Paradox Development Studios and Paradox Interactive bring you "Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour" the latest expansion pack to "Hearts of Iron III", their best-selling World War II grand strategy game. With new units, new tools and new ways to play with the map setup, "Their Finest Hour" dares you to take on ... more.


text:
MANNING CUPDACOSTA CUPOLIVIER SHIELD
WALKER CUPCHAMPIONS CUPBEN FRANCIS CUP
PREMIER DIVISIONINTERCOL
Spieth makes his move at Portrush
Jordan Spieth hit a hot streak on the front nine to move to within one shot of the Open Championship lead.
The 2017 Champion Golfer of the Year, who signed for a modest 70 in Thursday's opening round, found his best form early on Friday to go six under for the tournament.
An eagle three at the seventh courtesy of a mammoth putt from off the green was the highlight of the American's scorecard as he played the first eight holes in 27.
Compatriot J.B. Holmes was the man to catch at the summit on seven under, with Englishman Tyrell Hatton at five under and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka headlining a huge chasing pack on three under.
Erik van Rooyen was another man to take advantage of the favourable conditions, climbing into contention on four under for the tournament alongside Tommy Fleetwood.
Tyrell Hatton made back-to-back birdies at Royal Portrush to join J.B. Holmes at the top of the Open Championship leaderboard.
After a run of four pars to start his second round, Hatton picked up shots at the fifth and sixth to improve to five under for the tournament.
That saw him move into a tie with overnight leader Holmes, who began his round with a par having dropped a shot at the first on Thursday before recovering to fire 66.
Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka was one shot behind his American compatriot after a birdie at the second but he bogeyed the fourth and moved back to three under for the tournament, two strokes adrift of Holmes and Hatton.
Fox revels in historic back nine at The Open
Ryan Fox was unaware he was on the way to making history during his round as he produced the lowest back-nine score recorded at an Open on Thursday.
The New Zealander made an inauspicious start at Royal Portrush and was three over par through the front nine.
But Fox had a much happier time of it on the way home as he made six birdies and three pars, with his back-nine total of 29 setting a new benchmark in the famous tournament.
"It's pretty good considering how I started," said Fox, who is among 13 players two back of leader J. B. Holmes on three under. "I didn't know it at the time but it's nice to know it was a record.
"Sometimes you need something to click. I was getting frustrated over the first nine holes but then I changed my mindset and saw a few starting to go in."
Fox had been struggling for form heading into the final major of the year but was delighted to piece together a round that left him looking up the leaderboard to find his name.
"I'm just trying to get out of my own way at the moment – I've been a little bit down on myself, frustrated and thinking about the technical stuff too much," he added.
"I've been trying to just enjoy myself and that finally worked. It's really hard to do – I've missed seven cuts in a row and been trying to do that for seven weeks.
"To figure it out in a major is certainly nice – there's a long way to go but it's the first round in a while where I had some fun and some control over the golf ball."
Jon Rahm is also well poised after matching Fox's round as he eyes a first major title.
The Spaniard, who finished an otherwise promising day with a bogey at the last, said: "I feel like I played two rounds out there today. Still a great score, my best score in an Open Championship.
"Obviously a really good first 12 holes. The only mistake was 11, it was still a decent shot, it wasn't that bad. It just got tough at the end, honestly.
"I feel really good off the tee. I think some of the shots coming in, there was just a little bit of commitment issue, maybe just lack of commitment on some of the shots.
"But besides that, the day has been pretty good. Good round. And feeling good. I mean it's a good start. You can't win the tournament today but you can lose it and I'm in good position for tomorrow."
The Open Daily Diary: Rory's woes and a pooch on the loose at Portrush
It was an eventful start to proceedings at the 148th Open Championship, with some of the biggest names in the sport enduring a day of toil.
Royal Portrush was a hot ticket as the world's best golfers began their quest for the coveted Claret Jug.
There was sunshine, rain, wind and all sorts of drama out on the course.
As ever, Omnisport's reporters had their eyes peeled for some of things you may have missed, collecting the highlights into this bite-sized diary.
THINGS QUICKLY GO AWRY FOR RORY
It was quite an experience standing on the first hole when Rory McIlroy's name was announced to an expectant crowd, with the fans giving a typically deafening roar.
Sadly for McIlroy, who shot 61 at Portrush in 2005, things quickly went wrong. His opening tee shot veered out of bounds and smashed a fan's phone in the process.
A quadruple-bogey eight followed and it was a subdued crowd who witnessed their homegrown star trundle to the second tee, with the applause turning to little more than a polite smattering.
WONDER IF HE FOUND HIMSELF IN THE WOOF?
Plenty of players are jostling for the lead at The Open, but one good boy perhaps should have been kept more tightly on his...
A happy dog found his way on to a tee box and managed to escape the attentions of fans and officials trying to usher him back under the spectator ropes.
ARE YOU TAKING THE MIC? - DUVAL NOT IMPRESSED
Poor David Duval endured quite the day, kicking it off with back-to-back birdies before a quadruple bogey on the fifth and an eye-watering 14 on the seventh.
He played two provisional shots off the tee and then ended up continuing with the wrong ball, incurring a hefty penalty.
To his credit, the 2001 champion turned up for his mixed zone duties after his round of 91, but he was not keen to speak into the podium microphone.
First, he side-stepped the device altogether, but when it was thrust towards his face, the American swatted it away again.
Fox revels in history-making back nine at The Open
Holmes takes surprise Open lead on a day of misery for McIlroy and Woods
J.B. Holmes surprisingly leads the way at the top of a tantalisingly tight leaderboard at The Open Championship, but it was a day to forget for Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at Royal Portrush.
American Holmes, whose previous best finish at a major was third in the same tournament at Royal Troon three years ago, stands alone after a five-under-par 66 on Thursday.
That puts him one stroke clear of Shane Lowry, while Jon Rahm – in fine form after winning the Irish Open earlier this month – had reached five under before two late bogeys on the Dunluce Links left him in a mammoth clutch of 13 players in a tie for third.
Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka is also lurking just two shots back, as are Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton and Ryan Fox, who came home in 29 strokes to set a new record for the lowest back-nine score in Open history.
But the cause of McIlroy, carrying the weight of home expectation at Portrush, already appears a lost one as the local favourite toiled to an eight-over 79.
Woods' chances of a fourth Claret Jug also seem damaged beyond repair, with the Masters champion badly out of touch en route to a score of 78.
McIlroy arrived at the first hole to a thunderous ovation, but he trudged off the green with a quadruple-bogey eight after an out-of-bounds tee shot – which broke a spectator's phone – and could not regain his composure.
Another bogey followed at the third and, despite a couple of birdies at the seventh and ninth, more misery was to follow on the closing holes. He three-putted on the 16th, fittingly named Calamity Corner, and finished with a triple-bogey seven.
It was left to Lowry to lay down the marker for the early starters on a morning where conditions were favourable for low scoring, the Irishman recording five birdies and just a solitary bogey to set the clubhouse target.
When heavy bursts of showers interspersed clear skies later in the day, Koepka – who has gone 2-1-2 in the majors in 2019 – got to four under by the 14th before a bogey at the penultimate hole slightly dented his progress.
Woods, meanwhile, dropped six shots between the fifth and 10th to tumble down the leaderboard. Another bogey arrived at 14 before a gain at the next offered temporary relief, with a dropped shot at the last compounding his misery.
Rahm, meanwhile, came flying out of the blocks, a huge crunch down the par-five second leading to his first birdie of the day before draining a 12-foot putt at the fourth for another.
Some wonderful approach play yielded three straight birdies to leave him five under by the turn but scoring proved trickier on the back nine, which he played at two over, including a costly bogey at the last after finding himself out of position.
Instead Holmes – who flew under the radar for much of the round – was the one to emerge from the congested pack.
He bogeyed his opening hole but was two under by the turn thanks to a trio of birdies at the second, third and fifth.
The way home proved just as fruitful as he picked up strokes at the 12th and 14th and 18th, the late gain enough to take the outright lead.
He guided me on all 68 shots - Koepka taps into caddie's Portrush knowledge
Brooks Koepka joked that caddie Ricky Elliott guided him on all 68 of his shots to start The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
As a Portrush native, Elliott knows the links course as well as anybody involved in the tournament this week.
And his local knowledge certainly came in handy for four-time major winner Koepka, who began his tournament with a three-under-par 68 to sit two back of leader J.B. Holmes.
Asked how many shots Elliott guided him on during his press conference, Koepka drew laughter from the media by replying: "68 of them."
Koepka said nothing his caddie has mentioned to him this week has come as a surprise.
"It's easy when he's just standing on the tee telling you to hit it in this spot and I just listen to him," he added.
"I don't have to think much. I don't have to do anything. I figure out where the miss is and where I'm trying to put it and then go from there."
Koepka was among the later starters and was treated to heavy showers in between clear skies.
"I probably got poured on 10 times. Sometimes they'd come a minute, minute and a half and then other times - standing on the second tee box, man, I felt like the world was going to end," he said.
"Everybody else has got to deal with it. You just push on and see where I'm at and throw the rain gear on and hide under the umbrella a little bit, and when it's my turn, I'll just go out and hit one."
Woods downbeat after Portrush misery
Tiger Woods was downbeat after a scrappy opening round at Royal Portrush that effectively ended his hopes of winning The Open.
The 15-time major winner conceded his body let him down as he carded a seven-over 78 on Thursday to sit 12 strokes off the summit.
He cited a lack of mobility after a day in which many of his shots went left of their intended target, making it a miserable outing in Northern Ireland for the Masters champion.
"I didn't do much out there," he admitted. "I hit a lot of missed shots, they were all left. Wasn't hitting it solid. Everything was off the heel. Just trying to scrape it around.
"I'm just not moving as well as I'd like and, unfortunately, you've got to be able to move, and especially under these conditions, shape the golf ball. And I didn't do it.
"It's just the way it is. Just Father Time and some procedures I've had over the time. That's just the way it's going to be."
The 43-year-old revealed in the build-up to the event that he was being much more selective with his schedule in order to extend his playing days.
But he said things did not feel right even before he got going at the Dunluce Links.
"One of the reasons why I'm playing less tournaments this year is that I can hopefully prolong my career, and be out here for a little bit longer," he said.
"My warm-up wasn't very good. I had a hard time moving. And [I was] just trying to piece together a swing that will get me around a golf course."
Woods said he would be going immediately for treatment but insisted he would return to play on Friday.
Holmes: I executed Open game plan to perfection
J.B. Holmes was delighted to execute his game plan to perfection to take a first-round lead at The Open.
The American, who finished third at the tournament in 2016, carded a 66 to sit one shot clear of Shane Lowry and a vast chasing pack a further stroke back
A birdie at the last was the icing on the cake for the 37-year-old, who felt all parts of his game were firing at Royal Portrush on Thursday.
"I hit it great. I didn't miss too many shots. When I did I missed them in the right spot," he said after a five-under round in which his only blemish came at the first.
"I putted well. Stuck to our game plan and just executed about as perfectly as I could do it."
There were times when the Dunluce track played like a typical links course, with the winds picking up and the rain lashing down, but Holmes enjoyed the challenge.
"You just have to accept the conditions over here and not get too greedy and go after some pins," he explained.
"Try to hit it to the fat of the green, the middle of the green and hopefully make some putts.
"It's a lot different than we play in the States, you're firing at flags and everything else. Here you're trying to get it in the right spot on the green and make a putt."
His low-scoring exploits stand in stark contrast to a couple of the pre-tournament favourites, with home hope Rory McIlroy signing for a 79, while Tiger Woods only managed one better than the Northern Irishman.
Reality stings for Rory McIlroy on Portrush homecoming
In sport the greatest of dreams can instantly become the stuff of nightmares.
For Rory McIlroy, Thursday's Royal Portrush homecoming for the first round of The Open must have felt like that fabled dream where you're stood naked in front of a room of your peers, as his worst fears were laid bare in front of the world in a torrid round on the Dunluce links.
It simply wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't the narrative so many had expected or hoped for, even.
Addressing the media this week, McIlroy discussed how he did not feel like the centre of attention.
It was an admirable attempt at staying low key, but there was never any chance the focus of everyone's attentions at Portrush would not be on the four-time major winner.
Ever since he made a mockery of Portrush's reputation as one of the game's toughest links course as a 16-year-old with a startling course-record 61, McIlroy has been the man in these parts of the world.
But boy did Portrush have its revenge on Thursday and in the cruellest of fashions.
An almighty roar welcomed McIlroy onto the first tee as an expectant home crowd waited with bated breath to see what one of Northern Ireland's greatest sons would produce.
A spectator's broken phone as a result of McIlroy's opening wayward tee shot was a fitting metaphor for a round that fell to pieces from the off.
By the time he trudged off the opening green, having made an ugly quadruple eight, the smattering of almost apologetic applause told its own story.
It was tough viewing as McIlroy scratched his way through the early holes. There was hope a recovery was on the way with birdies at the seventh and the ninth, and he went 12 holes without a bogey.
Yet, just like the showers that arrived at intermittent intervals, that hope proved brief as McIlroy three-putted inside five feet at the 16th – aptly named 'Calamity Corner' – before triple bogeying the last.
A clearly disappointed McIlroy put on a brave face and struck a determined tone, even allowing himself a little joke when asked if there was a way back to the cut mark from 79.
"Definitely a way back to Florida," he quipped. "I definitely think if I can put the ball in the fairway tomorrow I can shoot a good enough score to be around for the weekend.
"Obviously I'm pretty sure anyone starting with a 79 in this golf tournament doesn't think about winning at this point. But I think I can go out there and shoot something in the mid-60s, be around for the weekend, and then try to play good from there."
Suggestions nerves due to the weight of expectation on his shoulders were a factor were quickly quashed by McIlroy.
"I don't think so. I was nervous on the first tee. But not nervous because of that. Nervous because it's an Open Championship," he added.
"I usually get nervous on the first tee anyway, regardless of where it is. So maybe a little more so today than other places. But I don't think it was that. It was a bit of a tentative golf swing with a hard wind off to the right and the ball just got going left on me."
There is a sadly familiar pattern in golf's four biggest majors with McIlroy. He has 10 top-10 finishes since he won the last of his four majors at the 2014 US PGA Championship.
But there have not been many times he was genuinely in contention and this week – one of the most important McIlroy has had in his career – is surely now another lost cause.
Rahm hits the front as Tiger toils at Portrush
Jon Rahm moved into the outright lead through nine holes of his opening round at The Open as Brooks Koepka shot into contention - but Tiger Woods endured a miserable day at Royal Portrush.
Spaniard Rahm, a man in form having won the Irish Open at the start of the month for the second time in his career, was in fine touch on the Dunluce Links.
Rahm made birdies at the second and fourth holes before picking up three straight gains before the turn to reach five under through nine, lifting him one clear of clubhouse leader Shane Lowry.
Koepka, who has gone 2-1-2 in the first three majors of 2019, was two under par by the turn and picked up further strokes at 12 and 14, which at the time left him in a share of the lead.
The four-time major winner dropped a shot at 17 to fall into a stacked pack at three under, a score Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Ryan Fox all achieved after 18 holes – the latter having recorded the lowest back nine in Open history with 29.
Woods was toiling much further down the leaderboard, though. The Masters champion went bogey, double bogey, bogey between the fifth and seventh holes.
He dropped further shots at the ninth and 10th and the American was six over with eight holes to play.
Earlier on Thursday, home favourite Rory McIlroy toiled to a 79 in front of an expectant crowd. He started with a quadruple-bogey eight and finished with a seven on the par-four 18th.
Think 13 is unlucky? Try 14 - David Duval's Portrush horror show gets worse
David Duval's dreadful day at Royal Portrush was made worse after a score adjustment turned his 13 at the seventh hole to a nine-over-par 14.
The 2001 Open champion began this year's tournament with back-to-back birdies, but that was not at all a sign of things to come as he dropped four shots at the fifth.
Duval then endured a nightmare of scarcely believable proportions at hole seven, with a statement from Open officials detailing the events which led to the double-figure number that eventually adorned his card.
"David lost his first two balls from the tee and then played the wrong ball for the third ball played from the tee," the statement read.
"On discovering the mistake at the green he had to return to where the wrong ball was played, but the correct ball could not be found.
"Therefore he had to play again for the fourth time under penalty of stroke and distance. He played six shots in completing the hole with the fourth ball from the tee.
"He incurred a two-shot penalty for playing the wrong ball but the strokes played with the wrong ball do not count in his score."
The high farce ultimately contributed, quite substantially, to a first-round score of 91 - that is 20 over par.
Speaking when he thought he had scored a mere 90, the 47-year-old - who batted away a podium microphone in the mixed zone - said: "The description was like that tee shot didn't count as a stroke because it was a wrong ball, so there was a two-stroke penalty. It was the wrong ball.
"Everything after that is null. Doesn't matter. The next shots don't count anyways.
"Then up on the front of the green we discovered it was the wrong number two Titleist. So I'm at fault. I didn't take a close enough.
"You know what, there's a lot bigger things than this. And honestly, I stood here starting this week knowing that I'm playing really well.
"I figured if some good things happened I could run top 20. And obviously I'll be in last place."
McIlroy disappointment at nightmare Open start not enhanced by being at Portrush
Rory McIlroy insists the disappointment of his nightmare start to The Open was not enhanced by it occurring at Royal Portrush.
It was an opening round to forget for McIlroy, who started with a quadruple-bogey eight and finished with a seven on the par-four 18th en route to an eight-over-par 79.
That was 12 behind early clubhouse leader Shane Lowry, while world number one Brooks Koepka was also at four under through 14 holes.
McIlroy's round did not follow the script for the local hero and he faces a monumental battle to even make the weekend for Portrush's first Open Championship since 1951.
"I'd be disappointed regardless, whether it was here or St Andrews or Birkdale or any of the other tournaments or majors," he said. "I'm disappointed, but at the end of the day I'm still the same person.
"I'm going to go back and see my family, see my friends, and hopefully they don't think any less of me after a performance like that. I'll dust myself off and come back out tomorrow and try to do better.
"I didn't give a very good account of myself out there and I can definitely play better, as all of you know. It's about doing the simple stuff - getting the ball in the fairway, missing it in the right spots if you do miss it.
"The things I usually do pretty well I didn't do today and it made for a tough start."
McIlroy said his opening hole did not play on his mind and actually focused his game as he felt the situation could not get worse.
"It almost settled me down. It was almost like, well, that's sort of the worst that can happen. Put your head down and keep going," he added. "I'm not saying that it was the ideal start. But at that point what else can go wrong?
"I just put my head down and tried to keep hitting good shots and I did that for the next 13 or 14 holes. I just let it go a little bit at the end."
Lowry reveals pub pep talk with coach sparked storming Open start
Shane Lowry revealed a pep talk with his coach in a pub was behind his flying start to the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
The Irishman was the early clubhouse leader after signing for a four-under-par 67 on the Dunluce Links in round one on Thursday, his lowest score in a major tournament.
Lowry had not been happy with his form in practice prior to the final major of 2019, but a heart-to-heart with Neil Manchip put him in the right frame of mind.
"I don't feel like practice went unbelievably well this week. I felt a little bit uncomfortable," Lowry said.
"I went to get a coffee down at the Bushmills Inn and we found a little quiet room, we had a great chat for about 40 minutes.
"I left that room full of confidence and ready to go. So, we just put everything out in the open, everything out on the table, what could happen, what might happen.
"To be honest, I really was feeling a bit uneasy about this week yesterday, I'm not going to lie.
"It was just a great chat. Obviously it would be great to do well this week and great to contend, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen.
"It's the British Open, it's in Ireland. I'm playing well, I feel like I should come up and do well. Why shouldn't I feel uneasy?
"I'm sure there's plenty of golfers standing on the first tee feeling uneasy. You wouldn't be human if you weren't nervous or uneasy about playing in the biggest tournament in the world."
Sergio Garcia made a fine start to his Open campaign and by mid-afternoon was among a cluster of players one shot back of Lowry's score.
The Spaniard has 10 top-10 finishes at The Open and spoke of his love affair for the tournament.
He said: "I'm European, so you always relate to The Open the most and I love the crowds.
"The crowds are so amazing here, so respectful and so excited to watch us play."
McIlroy's Portrush nightmare - the breakdown of a meltdown
Rory McIlroy was the pre-tournament favourite at Royal Portrush, but his Open Championship hopes went up in smoke after one hole.
Having been the focus of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the tournament on home soil, the Northern Irishman appeared to let the pressure get to him during Thursday's opening round.
As far less storied players made significantly easier work of the course and conditions, McIlroy toiled to an eight-over 79.
It was a study in the damage nerves can do to even the best this sport has to offer.
Here we take a look at the breakdown of a major meltdown.
HOLE 1 - THE NIGHTMARE START
The misery started with an out-of-bounds opening tee shot, which saw the cheers that greeted McIlroy onto the tee turn to gasps. His ball reportedly broke a spectator's phone and he only fared slightly better with his next attempt off the tee, finding the rough. From there McIlroy landed in a bush, took another drop, chipped to within eight feet but two-putted for an eight.
Quadruple-bogey 8
Rory McIlroy goes out of bounds with his opening tee shot.#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/zxo1UWprEu
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 18, 2019
HOLES 3 & 5 - THE STRUGGLES CONTINUE
At the par-three third, McIlroy landed in thick rough over the back of the green. The chip out left him a sizeable putt that failed to reach the hole, leading to another dropped shot. Things threatened to get drastically worse at the fifth when McIlroy's errant tee shot was lost for a while behind a scoreboard screen. Having located his ball, McIlroy deposited it onto the green and almost made birdie, but had to settle for a scrappy par.
HOLES 7 & 9 - THE RECOVERY BEGINS?
At long last, some respite for Rory. He made his first gain of a difficult day at the seventh, a new hole for this championship, and followed it up with another birdie at the ninth to make the turn in 39.
HOLE 12 - THE UP AND DOWN
After achieving something resembling consistency for a good few holes, McIlroy's blemish-free run was under serious threat at the par-five 12th. He was buried in the rough to the left side of the green and could not control his third shot, which scuttled across the putting surface and off the other side. A tidy up and down ensured no damage was done.
Listen to the crowd.@McIlroyRory is starting to fight his way back into this championship.pic.twitter.com/RuaLq8o10m
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 18, 2019
HOLE 16 - THE LATE SETBACK
Despite being three over with three to play, McIlroy still had hopes of climbing back into a respectable position and had not dropped a shot since the third hole. But there was another gut punch to come for the 30-year-old, who three-putted from inside five feet for a double bogey at 16, the hole known as Calamity Corner.
HOLE 18 - THE FINAL HUMILIATION
The 18th hole provided one last dose of humiliation for McIlroy as he closed out with a triple-bogey seven. A miscued drive, a poor approach, a tentative putt - not one part of his game was firing as he carded a 79 to resign himself to a fifth full season without a major win, because surely there would be no way back from this.
Popular Football News
Jul 15, 2019 LaLiga
Sturridge banned for six weeks, fined £75,000 for breaching…
St. Kitts and Nevis bow into Olympic qualifiers a confident …
Regional Football
Solskjaer ready to rotate Rashford and Martial as main strik…
American Football ATP ATP World Tour Barcelona Basketball cricket england Features football Football Golf Juventus La Liga Ligue 1 Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United NBA NFL PGA Tour Premier League Real Madrid Rugby Union Serie A Tennis Test Transfer News UEFA Champions League WTA WTA Tour


text:
Q: Scala: List of Future of Map I have a list which contains Future of Map
val m1 = Future(Map(("A" -> 1), ("B" -> 1)))

val m2 = Future(Map(("A" -> 1), ("C" -> 1)))

val m3 = Future(Map(("C" -> 5), ("D" -> 1)))

val list = List(m1, m2, m3)

I want to merge all the Map and aggregate the value of key. I want the output as below
Future(Map(A -> 2, B -> 1, C -> 6, D -> 1)
How can I perform the same.

A: You can use Future.sequence method to perform transformation from List[Future[Map[_, _]]] to Future[List[Map[_, _]]] and then merge maps using reduce function on the list and passing your custom merge function to it.
The example:
val list = List(m1, m2, m3)

def merge(first: Map[String, Int], second: Map[String, Int]): Map[String, Int] = {
  first ++ second.map { case (k, v) => (k, v + first.getOrElse(k, 0)) }
}

Future.sequence(list).map(_.reduce(merge _)) // will produce Future(Map(A -> 2, B -> 1, C -> 6, D -> 1))

A: I would do something like this:
val m1 = Future(Map(("A" -> 1), ("B" -> 1)))
val m2 = Future(Map(("A" -> 1), ("C" -> 1)))
val m3 = Future(Map(("C" -> 5), ("D" -> 1)))

val futures = List(m1, m2, m3)
val future = Future.sequence(futures) // Converts List of Future to Future of List
val futureMap = future.map(_.flatMap(_.toList).toMap)

Basically this converts, Seq[Map[String, Int]] into first Seq[(String, Int)] and then finally convert it to Map: Map[String, Int].

A:     val m1 = Future(Map('A'->1, 'B'->1))
    val m2 = Future(Map('A'->1, 'B'->1))
    val m3 = Future(Map('A'->1, 'B'->1))
    val m4 = Future(Map('A'->1, 'C'->1))

## here group all Future[Map[Char,Int]]] into a Future[List[(Char, Int)]] ##

    val myData= for {
      x1 <- m1
      x2 <- m2
      x3 <- m3
      x4 <- m4
    } yield (x1.toList++x2.toList++x3.toList++x4.toList)

// Iterate Future[List[(Char, Int)]] and group by key [char], sum it's values
    val groupedData =  myData.map(x =>  x.groupBy(_._1).map{
        case (k,v) => k -> v.map(_._2).sum
      } )

    groupedData.foreach(println)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange