Breakfast comes with a lot of drama. Is there time to eat? If so, what can be grabbed quickly? Is there anything in the pantry that is halfway healthy and can be eaten in 5 minutes or—preferably—in the car? Is there anything at the coffee shop that's reasonably priced and not also a giant carbohydrate bomb?
No wonder some restaurants serve breakfast food 24 hours a day—it may be dinner time before we finally get around to eating breakfast!
You likely take at least a small break for lunch, and hopefully you get to sit down for dinner, but it sometimes seems that the only folks who get to sit down at the table for a decent breakfast are those kids on the Saturday morning cereal commercials.
The important of breakfast is well-established. Consuming a morning meal helps reduce hunger, prevent overeating, and encourages healthier choices throughout the day. It can also help us stay physically active by providing energy to get us going in the morning. Sure, there are excellent breakfast benefits, but the reality is that less than half of Americans eat breakfast every day.
For people with diabetes, skipping morning mealtime may set up a blood sugar rollercoaster for the rest of the day.
Why is breakfast even more important for those with diabetes?
A study out of Tel Aviv University took a look at how eating breakfast helps regulate glucose and insulin levels in both diabetic and non-diabetic test subjects. The study concluded that eating breakfast signals "proper cyclic clock gene expression." Basically, breakfast starts the internal clock that regulates the rest of your day.
Your body is designed to function in a natural, predictable rhythm, and that rhythm is referred to as your internal clock. This internal clock helps you feel sleepy at bedtime and wake up in the morning, and it explains why we feel so out of sorts when we visit different time zones. But our internal clock does more than regulate sleep patterns. It helps regulate glucose absorption, blood pressure, body weight, and other body processes. The human body, much like pets or young children, thrives on routine.
Eating breakfast signals to the body that it's time to start absorbing glucose and start up its metabolism. In the Tel Aviv University study, eating a pre-9:30am meal was associated with improved glucose and insulin levels after lunch. When study participants did not eat breakfast, the body's glucose regulation was downgraded, which meant poorer blood sugar control for the rest of the day.
The genes regulating weight loss were also under-stimulated in the absence of a morning meal, indicating that skipping breakfast may lead to weight gain even if a person does not overeat for the rest of the day.
Of course, it's hard not to overeat when you don't eat breakfast. Without some AM calories to provide much-needed energy after a night of sleeping, your body may release more hunger-inducing hormones, like ghrelin, that tell you to eat more. With these hormones sending signals to your brain that calories are desperately needed, it is even harder to resist fatty and sugary foods and take the time to eat a healthy meal. The fact that sugary, nutrient-poor foods also tend to be the most readily available compounds the problem.
Even if you do make it to lunchtime without snacking on unhealthy foods, the long fast can increase your body's insulin response which will increase fat storage. It's a lose-lose situation.
Our bodies are supposed to produce insulin after we take in calories. For someone with diabetes, proper insulin response is challenging enough. But the body has an even tougher time producing insulin if it has to wait until lunchtime for its first meal.
"NEXT" for tips on building a breakfast to fuel your entire day!


We have always considered the AC30 to be a great amp, if not the most versatile when compared to some other well-known names built during the '60s… like Fender… arguably the most versatile amplifiers ever built.
The ToneQuest Report advisory board member and super player, James Pennebaker, first alerted us to the full potential of the AC30 when, after two decades of loyally playing vintage Fender amps, he switched to the reissue AC30 TBX as his main stage rig. Suddenly, James' tone seemed to become his own, whether he was playing through his vintage Gretsch Country Gentleman, Cunetto-era Relic Tele or Strat, or Custom Shop Gibson ES295. Last year during the winter NAMM show in Los Angeles the considerable potential of the AC30 came to light again, thanks to west coast swing king Kid Ramos…. The Kid played two long, incredible sets in a cool little dump in Anaheim called the Doll Hut with vintage Strats and Teles through a vintage AC30 with an equally vintage Fender reverb unit, proving beyond any doubt that you can absolutely rule playing the blues and swing with an AC30 rig. The Kid's tone was unforgettably smooth and musical in the style of an alto saxophone being expertly blown, and for an electric guitar, that's a mind-blowing experience you won't soon forget. So you'll understand our interest in a mysterious and somewhat troubled AC30 that was traded in at Midtown Music. Sick as this amp first sounded, the Kid's tone was still calling…. The amp seemed to work fine when it first arrived at Midtown, but it soon developed progressively noisy problems that eventually took it down. That's when we volunteered to deliver the AC30 to Jeff Bakos and make it the subject of this review.
Jeff was able to diagnose and fix the AC30 in a couple of hours (merely a few bad caps and resistors in the vibrato circuit and tone stack), but the amp's origins remained a mystery. The cabinet was in excellent, original condition and displayed all the classic marks of vintage British Vox construction, but there was no "Jennings Musical Industries" metal serial number tag on the back panel — only the heads of four brass upholstery nails that had once held a missing plastic ID tag. The gray control panel also lacked the typical Vox "JMI" stenciled logo, yet the amp was clearly built with the correct, hand-wired turret board construction, transformers, and Vox circuit. Our attempts to date the amp by the pot codes were unsuccessful because all of the originals had been replaced with CTS pots dating to the early '90s, so we contacted Mitch Colby at Korg (Vox and Marshall USA) and sent him images of the amp with a request for help in dating it.
Mitch replied that it appeared to be a "Vox Sound Ltd." AC30 built in England by Dallas Arbiter, the company famous for the original FuzzFace and Sound City amps made in England. Mitch also added that the Dallas Arbiter AC30s were "very nice" amps, having been built in the early '70s, immediately following the end of the JMI era. Mystery solved. Contrary to information on the AC30s built at the Dallas Arbiter factory that we found at www.voxamps.co.uk, the cabinet of our amp is built with solid wood throughout — not particle board. And how does it sound? As good as it gets. The Celestion G12 speakers dating to 1979 had been reconed some time ago with the correct Celestion kit, all of the preamp tubes had been updated with JAN GEs, and while not a Jennings, this amp fully earned the vaunted status of vintage AC30 in every regard — punchy, fat, rich in midrange tones where the guitar really lives, with solid bass response and sweet, soaring top end.
Should you decide to explore the full potential of an AC30, you have a number of very good choices. The original vintage amps built by Jennings in England are expensive, so you need to insure originality of the transformers and internal components. A few replaced capacitors or resistors here and there are of no concern, but massive modifications by an overly zealous bench monkey are unacceptable — keep walking. Prices for amps with non-original transformers should be reduced by 30%-50%. Vintage 2×12 combos with original Celestion G12 speakers in excellent condition range from $2,800.00 for a later gray panel to as much as $3,500.00 for a red (candy) panel amp and $5,000.00-$7,000.00 for the earliest tan AC30s. Although increasingly rare, vintage heads alone can sometimes be found for around $1,600.00 and climbing. The limited edition hand-wired AC30 built several years ago by Vox/Korg features reverb and an excellent master volume feature. Outstanding and pricey, expect to pay at least $2,000.00 for this amp in gently used condition. At that price it's a steal. The discontinued "Korg" AC30 reissue TBX amps like James Pennebaker's are very good as is, and they can be made to sound even better by replacing the transformers and a few key, tone-shaping components. Don Butler specializes in optimizing reissue Marshall, Vox and Fender amps using premium components and Mercury Magnetics™ ToneClone™ transformers (www.tone-man.com, 661-259-4544).
Early reports on the Chinese AC30 Custom Classic ($1,600.00 with Celestion Alnico G12 speakers, blendable channels, a true bypass FX loop, spring reverb and master volume) are also very good, and Don tells us that his personal Custom Classic also benefited from the same upgrades he makes on the TBX models.
The AC30 is another great amp for players wishing to acquire a sound that sits clearly apart from typical Fender and Marshall tones. AC30s have a unique, compressed character rich in harmonic content and British chime with a versatile amount of clean headroom. More aggressive solos with heavy sustain and gain will require a boost pedal (especially with weaker single coil pickups), but the results will be stellar if you start with a good amp. And don't buy into the collector hype about Top Boost models being the only desirable version to pursue. Vintage Jennings AC30s stamped "Bass," "normal," or "Treble" are equally desirable — in fact, we prefer them. Older AC30s are often a little tattered and may require a tune up and a stout matched quartet of EL84s, but these old amps will reward you with a thicker, richer tone and an intoxicating effluvia of Bitter and Rothmann's that is lacking in modern AC30 reissues built on printed circuit boards. But oh, how you do pay for the privilege….
The most significant negative regarding all AC30 amps new and old is their considerable weight, which will quickly remind you why they are equipped with not one, but three handles. If you haven't personally experienced the magical sound of a good AC30, perhaps it's time. Heave forth….


text:
black patriots, women soldiers, and other thinkers and heroes who shaped early America
Lowe, Mifflin
"The founding of America was not accomplished by a handful of people; it required the heart, soul, and grit of an entire nation. Today, we rightfully honor the efforts of the Founding Fathers, but what about everyone else who sacrificed for the cause? Introducing 'Forgotten Founders', the inspiring book of stories about the heroic women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and others who played pivotal roles in America's birth. Make no mistake: these were no historical footnotes. These were brave men and women without whom the war simply could never have been won and the new republic never begun"--.
Read more about Forgotten founders
Belonging through a culture of dignity
the keys to successful equity implementation
Cobb, Floyd
"While efforts to achieve equity in education are prominent in school districts across this country, the effective implementation that results in meaningful change remains elusive. Even with access to compelling theories and approaches such as multicultural education, culturally responsive teaching, culturally relevant instruction, culturally sustaining pedagogy, schools still struggle to implement equitable change that reshapes the academic experiences of students marginalized by the prevailing history, culture, and traditions in public education. Instead of getting it right with equity implementation, many schools and districts remain trapped in a cycle of equity dysfunction. [The authors] argue that the cause of these struggles are largely based on the failure of educators to consider the foundational elements upon which educational equity is based, belonging and dignity. Through this work, the authors make these concepts accessible and explain their importance in the implementation of educational equity initiatives"--Provided by publisher.
Read more about Belonging through a culture of dignity
One mighty and irresistible tide
the epic struggle over American immigration, 1924-1965
Yang, Jia Lynn
Confers a history of immigration laws in the United States, discussing how the 1924 Immigration Act was passed, sharply curtailing non-white immigration to the United States. Relates how lawmakers in the 1960s fought to establish greater equality and eventually passed the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act.
Read more about One mighty and irresistible tide
Yomtov, Nelson
"The years from 1955 to 1965 are at the heart of the civil rights movement. Resistance was often met with violence against Black Americans fighting to end discrimination and segregation. Yet the courage of those yearning for equal opportunities under the law continued to persevere. The year 1955 saw a range of events that brought attention to the civil rights movement. Nonviolent protest became a cornerstone of the movement as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired more people to take up the cause. In August, Emmett Till, a Black teenager, was brutally murdered in Mississippi. In December, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man while riding on a bus in Alabama. Parks's segregation challenge resulted in the Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted throughout 1956 and brought transformational change to the city. These events and more sparked a movement that in the following years would bring Black youth to the forefront of much needed reform in the nation. This detailed account explains why 1955 was such a critical year in the civil rights movement"--.
Read more about The movement
S?nchez Vegara, Ma Isabel
Presents an illustrated look at the life of American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut, Mae Jemison.
Read more about Mae Jemison
The presidents
portraits of history
Tinari, Leah
An illustrated collection of random facts about each president of the United States,from George Washington to Donald Trump.
Read more about The presidents
An illustrated biography of the "king of rock and roll", iconic American singer Elvis Presley.
Read more about Elvis Presley
This pretty planet
Chapin, Tom
Provides lyrics and, on the end papers, sheet music to a song about the pretty planet that spins through space, keeping us safe night and day.
Read more about This pretty planet
A brief biography of feminist activist Gloria Steinem.
Read more about Gloria Steinem
Brie Larson is Captain Marvel?
"[Relates the story of] Brie Larson's journey from young actress to Oscar winner to superhero"--Provided by publisher.
Read more about Brie Larson is Captain Marvel?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications
Tome 26 (1992)
On a tree collision resolution algorithm in presence of capture
Schmid, U.
RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications, Tome 26 (1992) no. 2, pp. 163-197.
MR 1166786 | Zbl 0767.94001
@article{ITA_1992__26_2_163_0,
author = {Schmid, U.},
title = {On a tree collision resolution algorithm in presence of capture},
journal = {RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Th\'eorique et Applications},
publisher = {EDP-Sciences},
url = {http://www.numdam.org/item/ITA_1992__26_2_163_0/}
AU  - Schmid, U.
TI  - On a tree collision resolution algorithm in presence of capture
JO  - RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications
PB  - EDP-Sciences
UR  - http://www.numdam.org/item/ITA_1992__26_2_163_0/
ID  - ITA_1992__26_2_163_0
Schmid, U. On a tree collision resolution algorithm in presence of capture. RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications, Tome 26 (1992) no. 2, pp. 163-197. http://www.numdam.org/item/ITA_1992__26_2_163_0/
1. P. Mathys and Ph. Flajolet, Q-ary Collision Resolution Algorithms in Random Access Systems with Free or Blocked Channel Access, IEEE Trans. Inf. Th. 1985, IT-31, No. 2, pp. 217-243. | MR 793093 | Zbl 0566.94001
2. G. Fayolle, Ph. Flajolet, M. Hofri and P. Jacquet, The Evaluation of Packet Transmission Characteristics in a Multi-Access Channel with Stack Resolution Protocol, INRIA Rapports de Recherche, 1983, No. 245.
3. M. Sidi and I. Cidon, Splitting Protocols in presence of Capture, IEEE Trans. Inf. Th., 1985, IT-31, No. 2, pp. 295-301. | MR 793099 | Zbl 0563.94002
4. Ph. Flajolet and R. Sedgewick, Digital Search Trees revisited, SIAM J. Algorithms, August 1986, 15, (3), pp. 748-767. | MR 850421 | Zbl 0611.68041
5. D. E. Knuth, The Art of Computer Programming, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1983. | MR 378456
6. G. Andrews, The Theory of Partitions, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass, 1976. | MR 557013 | Zbl 0371.10001
7. N. E. Nörlund, Vorlesungen über Differenzenrechnung, Chelsea Publishing Company, New York, 1954.
8. J. Riordan, Combinatorial Identities, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1968. | Zbl 0194.00502


text:
Gage Workman Stats & Scouting Report - Baseball America
Find Another Player
Gage Workman
#27 | SS
Name: Gage Tater Workman
Born: Oct 24, 1999 in Chandler, AZ
College: Arizona State
High School: Basha HS, Chandler, Ariz.
Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 195 lbs
Bats: B / Throws: R
Career 927 .235 .301 .424 26
Drafted in the 4th round (102nd overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2020 (signed for $1,000,000)
Workman spent three years as the starting third baseman at Arizona State, teaming with first baseman Spencer Torkelson and shortstop Alika Williams to give the Sun Devils arguably the best infield in college baseball. While Torkelson and Williams are considered better prospects as potential first-round picks, Workman is one of the youngest college players in the draft class at 20 years old and has plenty of upside himself. Workman runs well underway and projects to have an intriguing combination of power and speed. A switch-hitter, Workman has better bat speed and more power from the left side. There's some swing-and-miss to his approach, but he has plus raw power that will show better in games when he gets more experience. Workman is athletic and rangy, with the tools to be a plus defender at third base and has at least a solid-average arm with good carry. He also held his own playing shortstop during his two summers in the Cape Cod League. There's still rawness to Workman's game and he would have benefited significantly from a full junior season, but he has plenty of offensive tools and a chance to be solid at either position on the left side of the infield.
View Draft Report BA
2023 Game Logs
2023 Splits


text:
Q: CascadeType.ALL without CascadeType.REMOVE changes persist behavior In this project I have two Entities A and B that each have a OneToOne relationship to Entity C. There are some C that are referenced by A and B.
@Entity
public class A {
    @NotNull
    @OneToOne(cascade = { CascadeType.ALL })
    @JoinColumn(name = "fk_c", foreignKey = @ForeignKey(name = "fk_a_2_c"))
    private C c;
}

@Entity
public class B {
    @NotNull
    @OneToOne(cascade = { CascadeType.ALL })
    @JoinColumn(name = "fk_c", foreignKey = @ForeignKey(name = "fk_b_2_c"))
    private C c;
}

@Entity
public class C {
    @Nullable
    @OneToOne(mappedBy = "c", fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
    private A a;

    @Nullable
    @OneToOne(mappedBy = "c", fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
    private B b;
}

Until now everything was working fine using CascadeType.ALL on field c in Entity B. We now want to delete Entity B without ever deleting Entity C. Thus, we change the cascading in Entity B to
@OneToOne(cascade = { CascadeType.PERSIST, CascadeType.MERGE })

Now, the delete behavior is as desired, but when persisting Entity B there is no persist cascading for Entity C, instead we get an org.springframework.dao.InvalidDataAccessApiUsageException
Not-null property references a transient value - transient instance must be saved before current operation : xxx.B.c -> xxx.C

I already tried placing all cascade types (PERSIST, MERGE, REMOVE, REFRESH, DETACH) which, according to the javax.persistence documentation should yield the same result as CascadeType.ALL. The error stated above still occurs.
So: How can I keep the cascading behavior of CascadeType.ALL without REMOVE-cascading?

A: In an older question/answer Hibernate: CasecadeType.ALL vs {CascadeType.PERSIST, CascadeType.MERGE, CascadeType.DETACH, CascadeType.REFRESH, CascadeType.REMOVE} I learned that the CascadeType enum of javax.persistence does not work properly when using hibernates save/saveOrUpdate.
Using session.persist instead of session.saveOrUpdate was not desirable in my case, so I needed to change the cascading on my entity from
@OneToOne(cascade = CascadeType.ALL)

to
@Cascade(org.hibernate.annotations.CascadeType.SAVE_UPDATE)
@OneToOne

Now saving and deleting both work just fine.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag: TableTopTakes
This was a game that I was originally introduced to at GenCon, I got to play a quick little bit of a self led two player demo. A few months later it showed up at a local game shop and I was looking at it every time that I came in, thinking that I really need to buy the game, and I finally pulled the trigger. I got to play it again already and it didn't dissappoint.
Draftosaurus is a game that the best way I can describe it is half way between Sushi Go! and a roll and write game. In Draftosaurus, you are building a dino park. To do this, you are grabbing 6 dino meeples (dineeples or deeples) as is everyone else. Then whomever is the first player rolls the die, this determines where you can place the dino meeple. It might be in the forest or the desert or on the restroom side or gift shop side of your dino park or in an empty pen or a pen without a T-Rex. But, if you're the person who rolled the dice, you can place your dino where ever you want. You pass your dinos to the left and repeat the process with a new person being the first player. You do this until all 6 dino meeples have been drafted, and then you do it for another 6 dino meeples. Then you count up your score, which is based off of the pens. Some of the pens want pairs of dinos, you get points in other pens for having more different dinos or more dinos of the same type. And there are more ways to score on the board, plus the board is two sides which has even more ways to score.
Image Source: Board Game Geek
This game is small and a lot of fun. The real star of the game is the dino meeples, they look amazing, and the T-Rex looks different than the Stegosaurus which looks different than any of the others. Just playing around with those is fun, though, this game which is light and easy enough to teach kids, the dino meeples are supposed to be hidden in your hand, so they are somewhat small, but with six of them, it might be harder for a younger kid to be able to hold them all. The game also says it is for 8+ because of the size of the meeples, I think that younger kids could play it, but the dino meeples are a choking hazard, so don't let them use it unsupervised, if they like to stick things in their mouth.
Draftosaurus also plays extremely fast. You'd drafting a total of 12 dino meeples and then adding up a score. And because you're drafting at the same time, it's only twelve times of drafting no matter how many people you have. They say on the box that the game takes 15 minutes, and I think that is on the longer end of how fast the game should go. Maybe if you have a really tough decision it'll make a pick take a little bit longer, but generally you pick, reveal and place, and pass, and you can do that in 30-45 seconds. That means that when you do play Draftosaurus, you can play again, and in fact, the rule book suggests that you play the summer side and then the winter side to get an overall score to determine who can build the best park.
Let's talk a little bit about the scoring. I wish that this game came with score sheets. The scoring isn't complex, but you're having to hold multiple numbers in your head, adding them together, and if you get distracted, like I can, then you have to start over again. Or if someone asks a question about scoring when you're doing your scoring. With a score pad and a pencil, you'd be able to make the scoring go a whole lot faster, and it would make the game a little bit easier. Then, even a younger kid would be able to do the scoring, holding the numbers in your head, keeping track of which pens of yours you've scored, that could be a bit much. I might actually spend time designing a score sheet if there isn't one already on Board Game Geek, that I can print off an laminate in order to make scoring easier and I think scoring a pen at a time makes it more exciting at the end. That's a minor quibble to how the game works and one that I can adjust myself. The actual ways that the pens score is interesting and it doesn't feel like there is really an overpowered method for scoring and you have to adjust depending on what dino meeples you are getting.
Overall, this is a really good game. It's a good fast filler and has a lot of replayability. The choices are good enough for a gamer, but it is definitely for that mind clearing filler that can be played with kids, played with family, or played at a game night. I do think that the game works best over two players, I played at two players the first time, but it isn't bad at two players either, it's just better at more. I haven't played the two sides back to back, but I think that would even be the best, around 20 minutes, get a quick filler in and it mitigates a bit of the luck from scoring, just because it is so random. But you really need to pay some attention to stuff being passed and be ready to pivot when you need to.
Overall Grade: B+
Gamer Grade: C
Casual Grade: A-
When playing cards is too easy, there are games that make it a whole lot harder. The Mind and Hanabi are two of them that make it a bit trickier to play cards in order, and while I find the mind entertaining, I don't think it's that great a game. Hanabi, well, you'll have to find out.
It might be a bad idea to hire a bunch of blind fireworks employees, but that's the theory behind Hanabi, you, and everyone else you're playing with, are trying to create the best fireworks show possible, but you can't see your own hand of cards. In fact, they are facing away from you so that everyone else can see them. On your turn you can do one of three things, you can spend a clue token to give someone a clue about the fireworks that they have, you can either point to all the cards of a certain number of all the cards of a certain color in their hand and let them know what the number or color is. Or you can play down a card onto a firework either start a firework, playing the one card, or to continue a firework, playing the next highest number of that color. Or, finally, you can discard a card to get back a clue token. If there aren't clue tokens, you can't give a clue, so hopefully you know what's safe in your hand to discard or play.
This game has a ton of fun tension to it. Does the person who is coming up know what to do, can you give them a clue that will keep them from discarding the only five of a color and maybe discard a one that has already been played. The mechanics of the game are really simple for the amount of tension that it causes. Sometimes, you think you have the perfect clue, because you want them to know that they have a blue four, but, then you realize that they have more blue cards and they have more fours, so it won't focus them in on a single card. Or maybe you want to let them know that they can discard a card so you can get another clue back, but is that the best use of your clue to get a clue? But sometimes there might not be a better option.
Hanabi is one of those games that the longer you play it, the better you're going to get at it, because you'll know what the better clues are. And, I think that is what really makes Hanabi shine as a game. Mainly because if you can remember where cards are in your hand and previous clues, clues for you can then be built upon. Maybe blue isn't that useful and four isn't that useful, but using both will help you get to the blue four, but hopefully will also let people know about other parts of their hand. For example, if they can see the blue five, and the blue fireworks are at a 3, they know that their other blue card isn't needed. This, however, requires both the clues given to be good and that the person can remember, and while I think that it's possible to do both, it's really hard to know since, you don't know what five cards you have in your own hand perfectly.
For me, this is one of those games that when it gets to the table, because it plays fast, 15-30 minutes depending on number of players and familiarity with the game, it generally gets played a second time, and maybe a third. Now, I can see how this might go over poorly, I've played with different groups and it's gone over well, but especially for a new person into a group of experienced players, they won't understand the full strategy of giving clues, because of inexperience. If this leads to visible frustration in the more experienced players, I can definitely see that souring the experience for the new player. And if you are a player who would get frustrated, I can understand not wanting to teach it, especially if you are going for the elusive 25 point perfect victory. But generally, this is a game that'll get played twice and because I haven't gotten the perfect 25 and no one I've played with has, we always want to try and do better the second time.
Piggy backing off of what I just said, I think that is one of the things that makes this a good cooperative game. And while not all cooperative games do this, I think that this game and Letter Jam which uses a number of similar things to Hanabi, do well is create that score that you always want to better. I assume that you could end up getting perfect scores on both and decide that you're done with them because you can't get better, but I think that isn't that likely to happen or happen often that Hanabi is always going to be a challenge. And the fact that the deck is a random shuffle means that all the games are going to be different, though you'll go through all of the cards.
Overall, you can tell that I really enjoy this game. I really like cooperative games, and I like that this one comes in a small package. Not only that, but it also does something that is different. People understand the idea of playing cards down in ascending order, but Hanabi is a twist upon that they won't have seen. I've had good luck with this in several settings and player counts. I think it's better at a higher count because you have more options of clues to give, but at two players it was fun as well. It's been a while since I've played this one, but, now I want to play it again. And because of the time frame for it, it is one that I can pull out and get to the table easier.
Gamer Grade: B
Casual Grade: B+
TableTopTakes: Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles
Back to back board game reviews, though, this one is for the Gloomhaven expansion, not the whole game. If you have read my top 100 games (found here), you know what my #1 game is, but what you won't know is that we actually wrapped…
Table Top, TableTopics
Let me start out by saying, this game was and wasn't for me all at the same time. What made it for me was that it was very story driven, however, I'm not someone who has played a single Fallout game. So, when you read my review, know that I'm coming at it from how the theme feels, but not how it compares to the video games, and how the game plays, not if it plays like the video games.
In Fallout, you take on one of several roles from the video games, you might be a Ghoul or a Super Mutant or someone from a Vault or someone who explores the wasteland for a living. You, and the fellow players are racing to be the best wanderer of the wasteland, completing objectives, fighting monsters, and exploring new locations and ruins. By completing various objectives and fights, you can gain experience points to become better at surviving the wasteland. On your turn, you can move, explore, interact with quests or fight, but when you interact with a quest or search a location, those are where the game really takes off, because you get story read to you. Fallout as a branching story deck that allows you put in or take out cards from the story and advance quests an the main plotline, and depending on what you do, that determines where the story and scenario go. And that's also how you can get victory points, and the first person to nine points wins.
Let's start out by talking about theme, the people who I played with talked about how it pulled in quests and side quests from the video game, and that thematically it felt right for that. As someone who wasn't familiar with the game, I thought that the theme worked well, and I enjoy a good dystopian/post-apocalyptic theme. I'm sure if I was more familiar with the IP (intellectual property) I'd pick up on more of the specific Fallout theme, the theme didn't differentiate itself a ton from other dystopian/post-apocalyptic settings. That said, it wasn't completely generic either and even without playing the games, just from being familiar with them in concept, things like Nuka-Cola are nods to the video games that I recognized.
The theme isn't where the game suffers a bit for me. The game is pretty stingy in handing out points. So getting to nine victory points, which are on quest or objective cards, is slow. And you basically always get them through completing parts of the story quest. You can fight monsters, but unless they are harassing you, it's not that great a strategy, and while leveling up can be helpful, the randomness of how leveling up works can work out extremely well for some people and very poorly for others. I like the concept of leveling up and how it works, but it felt a bit too random. And leveling up doesn't give you anymore scoring and isn't always that helpful for allowing you to get more of the main quest done.
But, to counter some of what I said here, the story parts are the best part of the game. The combat, challenges, exploring, movement, all of those things are pretty standard fair. The story, on the other hand, how it's created is well done. You can branch out in different directions as to who you help or how you help them. That will then lead you into a new section of the story, depending on which one you did, and it continues to branch and add things to locations that you can explore as well as to the main story. And since that's the best way to get victory points, it really encourages you to find ways to solve the main quest items as they come up. And that means that there is more story that is read. And sometimes the main story is contingent on the locations that you are searching, so separately you all search at similar locations until you find what you need.
There is one notable other downside for me, this is not a short game. Getting to nine victory points, because it mainly comes through quests that you can then get more points because of completing objectives, the game can last a long time. Our three player game lasted probably near 2.5 to 3 hours, and while the story is good, that means that you're taking a lot of turns where you are either getting generic story or no story at all. And, if you don't get lucky on some dice rolls at times, you can find what you need to get more story, but then the story is taken away from you. If this was a fast game with turns taking a few seconds (which they generally don't take long) and you get points for killing tough monsters or other ways, the game would work better. Instead, the game overstayed it's welcome. I think I'd find it more interesting if you could try and move forward the story faster every turn, or that the choices were a bit more choose your own adventure style or, in Dungeons and Dragons terms, failing forward, where even when you don't succeed on the main story, that causes it to move forward somehow, as that would make the game move faster. For what we were doing in the game I think that 1.5 hours would have been a good upper time limit, not nearly twice that long, and the game can be played with four people, which is going to make the game last even longer.
But overall it's not a bad game. I think that fans of the Fallout video games who like board games are going to enjoy this game way more than I did. And, I think, with the expectation of how long the game takes set from the very beginning that might help better set expectations for the game. I knew, generally, how long it was, but the game still seemed a bit long to me. I do think that the theming is pretty strong and especially that case for fans of the video games.
Overall Grade: C-
Casual Grade: D
Fan of Fallout Grade & Board Games: B-


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Palestinians Dismiss Prisoner Release as a "Bribe"
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3917/palestinians-prisoner-release
They regard the prisoner release as something Israel was supposed to have done anyway, many years ago. Many will continue to see it as as part of an Israeli-American scheme to extract concessions, and will continue to attack Abbas for "succumbing" to US pressure.
The argument that the release of Palestinian prisoners boosts the standing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and "moderate" Palestinians and facilitates the resumption of peace talks with Israel is not necessarily true.
Many Palestinians do not see Israel's decision to release more than 100 Palestinians who were imprisoned before the signing of the Oslo Accords two decades ago as a gesture on the part of Israel.
Rather, they regard the Israeli move as something that Israel was supposed to have done anyway, many years ago.
As Saeb Erekat, the chief PLO negotiator, explained: "This Israeli cabinet decision is an overdue step towards the implementation of the Sharm Sheikh agreement of 1999, whereby Israel committed to release all the pre-Oslo prisoners. We welcome this decision 14 years later."
So unlike the US and other Western governments, the Palestinian Authority does not see the release of prisoners as a conciliatory move on the part of the Israeli government.
A demonstration demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prison. (Source: Lisa Nessan)
Moreover, Palestinian Authority representatives do not believe there is a link between the release of prisoners and progress toward achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Many of the prisoners who are scheduled to be released do not even belong to Abbas's Fatah faction.
It is unrealistic to think, for example, that members of Islamic Jihad or the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who killed Israelis are going to come out of prison and declare their support for the Oslo Accords and the two-state solution.
There is also no guarantee that Fatah prisoners who were incarcerated before the signing of the Oslo Accords will endorse the peace process.
Of course Abbas and Fatah will do their utmost to take advantage of the prisoner release to try and score points on the Palestinian street.
Abbas's aides and loyalists are busy these days preparing a big rally in Ramallah to celebrate the release of the prisoners.
They are keen on presenting the prisoner release as a "huge achievement" by Abbas.
But even if a large number of Palestinians turn out to greet the prisoners, this still does not mean that they support Abbas's decision to resume peace talks with Israel.
Some Palestinians, including Abbas loyalists, see the release of a few dozen prisoners as a "bribe" offered by US Secretary of State John Kerry to the Palestinian Authority president to entice him to return to the talks.
These Palestinians point out that in return for this "bribe," Abbas was forced to drop his two other preconditions for resuming the peace talks: a full cessation of settlement construction and Israeli acceptance of the pre-1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution.
There are also Palestinians who see the release of about 100 prisoners as a "minor" achievement for Abbas, especially in comparison to Hamas's success in securing the release of more than 1000 inmates in return for kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Schalit.
"Israel is not doing anyone a favor by releasing 100 prisoners," said a Fatah official in Ramallah. "While we welcome this decision, we do not see how it could help the peace process, particularly in light of the fact that there are more than 5,000 Palestinians who are still in prison."
So while most Palestinians are expected to rejoice over the release of the prisoners, it is naïve to think that they will take to the streets to celebrate the resumption of peace talks with Israel.
The prisoner release could benefit Abbas in the short-term. But in the long-term, many Palestinians will continue to see it as part of an Israeli-American scheme to extract concessions from Abbas and the Palestinian Authority leadership.
After the celebrations over the release of the prisoners end, Palestinians will continue to criticize Abbas for "succumbing" to US pressure and going to the peace talks against the recommendation of the PLO leadership. And of course they will continue to attack Israel for not fulfilling all their demands, including a settlement freeze and the release of the rest of the prisoners.
Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on Twitter
Related Topics: Palestinian Authority
Recent Articles by Khaled Abu Toameh
The 'Crime' of Arabs Singing to Arabs in Israel, 2020-01-21
The Palestinians and Europe's Secret Agenda, 2020-01-16
Why Some Palestinians Love Soleimani, 2020-01-15
Palestinians in Syria: Another Year of Death and Misery, 2020-01-06
Why Palestinian Leaders Fear Opinion Polls, 2019-12-27
5 Reader Comments
Ken Kelso • Aug 9, 2013 at 15:50
The Palestinians will blow up the same hospital that gave them excellent care. The will try to blow up the power plant providing electricity from Israel. Their hate knows no end. Until they love their children more than they hate the Jews, as Golda Meir said.
The Palestinians are always simmering to kill and hurt someone or something. They're always outraged or wronged just because they murder innocent children or old people or bystanders. What is the world coming to, to mistreat such a people as this?
The Palestinians' plight is due to their own fanaticism, hatred, intolerance, and intransigence. The reason the Palestinians do not accept any peace offers, no matter how generous as Barak and Olmert tried to do, is that the Palestinian need to see the Israelis suffering (either through physical annihilation or demographic submission) in order to feel good with themselves. Any win-win solution to the conflict cannot satisfy them, because it would leave the Israelis happy too. The Palestinians are not interested in becoming happy; they want to make the Jews suffer.
Just look how many streets the Palestinian Arabs have named for terrorists who murdered Israeli civilians. The Palestinians have run out of streets and are now naming park benches after terrorists!
Gary Katz • Aug 7, 2013 at 14:48
When Israelis see news reports of Palestinian mass murderers being welcomed home as heroes, the Israelis will not gain confidence in the desire of Palestinians to make peace, not war.
Jerusalem Jew • Aug 5, 2013 at 06:36
What really matters is the fact that Netanyahu, by freeing murderering terrorists, is basically giving carte blanche to any Palestinian who decides to kill Jews, since he/she knows that, sooner or later, they will be released. Netanyahu is making hostages of all Israelis, since, with this horrible decision, he, once again, erodes whatever is left of Israel's deterrence towards terror.
Perry Mason Jerusalem Jew • Aug 11, 2013 at 13:22
With a Prime Minister like Netanyahu, who needs enemies? Once again Netanyahu has demonstrated that he does not understand Arabs and that nothing is sacred; with him everything is available to barter. Have the leaders of Israel lost their minds? How long will it take them to realise that the Arabs have never ever made any concessions, while the Israelis have (a) allowed the so-called Palestinians into the West Bank, (b) withdrawn from Gaza, uprooting Jewish settlers at significant cost, and (c) are prepared to release convicted murderers, regardless of how the families of the murder victims feel and regardless of how many innocent Jews will be killed by the released murderers? And what do the Jews have in return? Nothing. Zip. Nada. Bubkes. What a way to negotiate.
Isn't it time that Israel tells America to butt out, throws the so-called Palestinians out of the West Bank and Gaza, and enjoys the feeling of security that comes from not having terrorists within your own country?
Minnie L. Williams Perry Mason • Aug 20, 2013 at 15:03
Someone please tell me: what is Israel getting in return for releasing the 100 prisoners? If they are not getting anything but weapons, they need some help! Are they supposed to get Israel's prisoners released? What is going on? Please, whatever you do Prime Minister Netanyahu, do not go back to the pre-1967 lines! Or give up the building homes process.
TRAILER: BDS -- Beyond Deception Strategy
A Pierre Rehov Film


On Friday and Saturday, students from across IU will race in the legendary Little 500 bike race – and School of Education student Riley Peppler will be among them.
Peppler is a junior studying Secondary Physics Education. This year's race will be her second with the team from Christian Student Fellowship. After seeing CSF compete during her freshman year, Peppler knew she wanted to be a part of the team.
As any rider can attest, balancing school work and training for Little 5 can be a challenge. As if going to school and preparing for a major race weren't enough, Peppler also stays busy being a Resident Assistant, working in the Housing Assignments office and tutoring students. In order to get everything done, she plans her training workouts, which involve being on her bike 1-3 hours every day, at the beginning of the week around larger school assignments.
"Essentially I am very organized but also very flexible as schoolwork takes more time than I planned or I get asked to stay over at work," she said.
With race day fast approaching, Peppler will be working hard to keep nerves at bay, something she has experience with.
"Last year my nerves were heightened days before the race and actually dropped on race day. Before the race, I chose to listen to music and read in order to divert my focus from the race and the nerves that went along with it. Also spending time with my teammates and joking around with them helped me feel much more confident and excited leading up to the race instead of nervous," Peppler said.


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I'm always eager to try new barbecue rubs. As a competitor I am especially interested in trying products that are winning big time out on the competition circuit. However, this particular rub had me so intrigued that I ordered some shortly after it became available.
Why was I so anxious to try the Slap Yo' Daddy Chicken Rub? Well, I've been a fan of Slap Yo' Daddy pitmaster Harry Soo since I saw him on the first season of the BBQ Pitmasters series in late 2009. He had many of the traits that I admire in any cook; he was humble, friendly, tenacious, highly-skilled, and you could immediately tell that he's a man who passionately enjoys his craft. He's also very open about his techniques and is willing to teach people. He strives to spread what he calls "barbecue happiness".
Then in 2010 I got to meet and compete against Harry here in Boise where he beat me (and most of the rest of the field) like a rented mule. He was on a serious tear that year, as he's been for his entire competitive barbecue career. I distinctly remember him going around to each team and offering to teach people how to build a turn-in box. It's exceedingly rare for a competitor to offer that kind of help to people who are there to beat you, but that's Harry. Since then he's gone on to be named 2012 KCBS Chicken Team of The Year.
Last November Harry and I met again at the Kingsford Invitational where he was a judge. During our time there they held a panel discussion where the judges discussed various aspects of barbecue and competition. It was during that panel that Harry said something that sparked some serious curiosity. He said that the secret to the color of his competition chicken is Tang. Yes, Tang, that NASA-born powdered orange drink mix. It struck me as so odd that I thought that I had misunderstood what he said. "Surely he didn't say Tang!", I thought to myself.
After the panel I found Harry and asked him about his unusual ingredient. He explained that he approaches his competition barbecue like a series of Lego-like components where each piece has to fit to make a perfect whole. His Tang epiphany came to him as he was working on the color block. It's this kind of unconventional thinking that shows what a masterful technician Harry is.
So, when Harry introduced his new rub I knew that I had to try it immediately. I wrote him an e-mail and asked if I still needed to use the coat of Tang under the rub and he replied, "It's designed to be used as the only rub so you don't need to add anything else or other products. It's championship chicken in one easy-to-use rub package." Ascorbic acid and artificial color are listed as ingredients, so clearly he has incorporated his secret ingredient.
To give the rub a true test I used it for a competition test cook using the instructions on the bag. I trimmed the chicken thighs, coated them liberally on all sides with the rub, then let them marinate several hours.
Just before cooking I touched up the rub to ensure that I had a nice uniform coat with no bald spots. Next I arranged them on the (oiled) rack for my Pit Barrel Cooker.
I cooked them over plain Kingsford® Original briquets (no smoke wood) to an internal temperature of 170º.
For sauce Harry recommends, "KC Masterpiece® with honey, hot sauce to your liking, and diluted with apple juice so that the sauce goes on thinly and not goopy." For mine I thinned Sweet Baby Ray's Original with unsweetened pineapple juice and added some honey and Franks® RedHot®.
Using tongs I gently dunked each thigh in warmed sauce twice, letting them cook about 10 minutes between coats. Dunking ensures a perfectly uniform coating with no brush marks. It also helps avoid brushing the rub off of the skin.
I garnished a standard turn-in box, added the chicken, then closed the box for 10-15 minutes.
Here's a closer view. Check out that color!
They were moist, juicy, slightly smoky, with just the right balance of salt, sweet, tang, and spice. The skin was bite-through. The thing that really impressed me is the great first-bite burst of flavor. That's exactly what you want for competition chicken because the judges typically take only one or two bites of each entry. You need a rub that really makes them take notice, and Harry's certainly does.
As you can no doubt tell by now that I recommend this rub very highly. It's not just for competition, so get some and take it for a spin.
Disclaimer: I purchased the rub at full retail price, and I was not compensated in any way for this review.
Thanks for the review John. Very nice writeup. FYI, for competition, I actually put more rub than you did.
Thanks, Harry. More than that?! How do you get it to stick? Mine were completely coated and the extra was just rolling off.
Excellent write up, John! That was one cook that I am planning on trying. The whole "Tang" thing caught my attention in November too. What temp did you cook the chicken to and for how long? lol.
My rub won't fall off if you let it sit first for 30 mins to get tacky on one side; then flip over and apply the other side. Put in fridge overnight. My dry brine process works very well which I found out after countless experiments.
OK, that makes sense. I coated each piece completely, refrigerated for several hours. Then I coated them again on both sides just before they hit the cooker.
@Harry Soo - Thanks for sharing your secret to a thick rub coating. While I do not have access to YOUR rub, I intend to apply your technique to applying my latest dry rub recipe to tonight's smoked chicken thigh meal.
Did you scrape the skins to get them bite through?
I did a test with Harry's rub (based on your and his advice), half skin on, half were skinless, and the exterior turned out tough. The rest was great.
Really liked the review and great tips from you and Harry!
Richard - No, I don't scrape my skin.
Have to say I am very pleased with Harry's Chicken Rub. I managed a 13th place out of 182 teams this 09/27/2014 at the Pasadena Cook Off in Texas. I did do a salt/sugar water brine and glazed with a chipotle raspberry sauce. We have to turn in 1/2 a whole chicken plus pieces so that is why I did a brine.
Just ordered some more of Harry's Chicken Rub..3rd Place in Eastern NC BBQ Throwdown last Oct Great Stuff!


text:
from google.cloud import securitycenter_v1

def sample_bulk_mute_findings():
    # Create a client
    client = securitycenter_v1.SecurityCenterClient()

    # Initialize request argument(s)
    request = securitycenter_v1.BulkMuteFindingsRequest(
        parent="parent_value",
    )

    # Make the request
    operation = client.bulk_mute_findings(request=request)

    print("Waiting for operation to complete...")

    response = operation.result()

    # Handle the response
    print(response)

# [END securitycenter_v1_generated_SecurityCenter_BulkMuteFindings_sync]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
luke Bryan - search results
UPDATED: Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood to Perform at 52nd Annual CMA Awards
Coti Howell - October 22, 2018
The 52nd Annual CMA Awards are just a few weeks away! The 2018 CMA Awards air live from Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 14. With just...
Labor Day: How Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini + More Spent the Weekend
Labor Day weekend was a long holiday for many of us, celebrities included. Here's how celebrities like Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Jennifer Lopez & more...
Luke Bryan is the First Celebrity Picker for College GameDay
The first "College GameDay" of the season is upon us! This weekend, the show will head to Notre Dame Stadium and Luke Bryan will...
This Week in Nashville Ep. 4: Justin Bieber's Engagement, Cardi B's Baby, Eric Church's 'Desperate Man' and Luke Bryan's Venue
For episode four of "This Week in Nashville," we're discussing The Biebs' engagement and Cardi B's momma moves. We'll also chat Luke Bryan's venue...
Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini + More to Perform at 2018 CMT Awards
Coti Howell - May 23, 2018
Now that the 2018 CMT Awards have been announced. Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Little Big Town and Kelsea Ballerini are just a few of...
Luke Bryan Debuts 'Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset' on 'Idol' Finale
On Monday night, America found out who won the 16th season of American Idol. They also got to see Luke Bryan debut his new...
'Light It Up': 6 Reasons You Should Always Answer Luke Bryan's Call
Luke Bryan dropped his new single, "Light It Up," on Wednesday. The electric new song has him yearning for an ex to light up...
How Celebrities Like Luke Bryan Experienced Solar Eclipse 2017 [Photos]
The solar eclipse happened on Monday and celebrities were just as excited as us. From selfies (we see you Luke Bryan) to family photos,...


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Review – The Cad and the Co-Ed by Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway
The Cad and The Co-Ed, a quirky and sexy romantic comedy from Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway is available now!!
THE CAD
Bryan Leech is a cad.
Or, he *was* a cad.
No one is quite certain.
Once the quintessential playboy, Bryan claims he's done with wild parties and weekend benders. No more one night stands leading to mornings he can't remember; no more binges and blackouts; no more exploits plastered all over the tabloids and rag sheets. According to Bryan, he's cleaning up his act.
The only problem is, no one believes him.
THE CO-ED
Eilish Cassidy never thought she'd be a mother at nineteen or still in college at twenty-four. Cut off from every member of her family except her favorite cousin, she's finally managed to put her life back together. Stronger and wiser, Eilish enters her last semester of university determined to stand on her own. Now she just needs to find an internship.
The only problem is, her best option—by far—places her directly in the path of her son's father, and he doesn't remember her at all.
Bryan is determined to prove he's changed. Eager to settle down with the right woman, he's got his sights set on the gorgeous redhead who seems terribly familiar.
Eilish is determined to hide her secret. She'll do anything to keep her child safe, even if that means ignoring her own wishes and desires.
But what happens when Bryan starts to remember? And what will it take for Bryan to convince the girl he forgot that she's unforgettable?
(Free In Kindle Unlimited)
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU
BFF K's Review of The Cad and the Co-Ed
Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway are the dream team of romance writers. They write fun, engaging, smart, swoony, wonderful books. The Rugby Series is one of my most favorites and at the top of my favorite Sports Romances list! You should read every one of these books because they're absolutely fantastic, but each can be read as a standalone if you want to dive right into the Cad and the Co-Ed.
Eilish and Bryan have a history. Sadly, only one of them remembers the history. 😰 This book is the slow-burn of uncovering that shared experience and deciding how to act upon the knowledge. And, it's a wonderful journey. It may seem from the outside like it's a cliched-story or overwrought troupe, but this book is far from cookie-cutter. Both Eilish and Bryan are mature, strong, independent characters with depth and heart. But, they're also still identifying who they are, who they want to be and if they can have a future together.
The Cad and the Co-Ed is well-written, heart-warming, butterfly-inducing, romance at its finest. You don't want to miss this series!
An advance copy of this book was received from the author. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review.
Enter to win the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ee2f7e8629/?
Meet Penny Reid:
Penny Reid is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. When she's not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She's also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
Connect with Penny:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD
Twitter: @ReidRomance
Newsletter: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/
www.pennyreid.ninja
Meet L.H. Cosway:
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.
Connect with L.H. Cosway:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LHCosway/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jVTDk8
Twitter: @LHCosway
Newsletter: https://goo.gl/vkhYHN
Website: www.lhcoswayauthor.com
0 Comments Categories: #SmartGirlsReadRomance, BFF K Favorite Author, Blog Tour, New Release, Reviews Tags: #KindleUnlimited, #KU, #SmartGirlsReadRomance, #SmartGirlsReidRomance, #SmartGirlsWriteRomance, 5 Rated Review, BFF K Favorite Author, BFF K Review, Butterflies, Dual POV, Happily Ever After, Hero, Heroine, L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid, Rugby Series, Sports Romance, Supporting Characters, Sweet, The Cad and the Co-Ed, The Rugby Series
Review – The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid
The Player and the Pixie
by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Humor
Purchase: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble
The Player and the Pixie is a full-length, romantic comedy novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the second book in the Rugby Series.
BFF K's Review of The Player and the Pixie
2015 was my "Year of Penny Reid" where I read and/or listened to all of her books. The Hooker and the Hermit was one of my most favorites. I've been anxious to slip back into the world of professional rugby and these terrific characters ever since! The Player and the Pixie is book 2 in the Rugby Series by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid (though it can be read as a standalone) and it's absolutely fantastic.
Sean is the character that I really really disliked in HatH, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Though Sean starts the book as pretty much the same a$$hat that he was in the first book; there's more to him than meets the eye. This book explains why Sean acts the way he does and reveals that perhaps he's not as evil as we thought. And then he meets sweet Lucy. She's sunshine and color and kindness and everything Sean didn't know he wanted or needed. There are some major issues for both of them. Lucy's overprotective big brother Ronan, who is also Sean's nemesis, is just ONE of those obstacles.
Penny Reid delivers smart, quirky characters better than any other author. And, the partnership with L.H. Cosway only seems to enhance this skill. Lucy and Sean are both a little damaged, but in ways that make them human and vulnerable, and perfect for each other. The Player and the Pixie is an absolutely delightful story full of honesty, redemption and super sweet romance. I will be anxiously awaiting the next story in this series!
An advance copy was received in exchange for an honest review.
*Lucy*
Later that evening, I got ready for the party. My dress was cream lace, sort of floaty, and I wore my hair down with a single daisy clip at the side. I was sitting in a VIP room at the back of the venue with my brother, his fiancée Annie, and a couple of Ronan's teammates. We were enjoying a few bottles of champagne and discussing the success the Irish squad had enjoyed during the year. Mam was elsewhere, socializing with the other team mothers, and I was glad. I just wanted to enjoy my night without her saying something about how unattractive or embarrassing I was.
We were all having a great time until the door swung open and Mr. Tall, Blond and Up Himself walked in. That would be Sean Cassidy to those not in the know, Sleazy Sean, as nicknamed by the rugby club. I tried to always see the good in people, but he and my brother didn't have the best relationship. Not only had Sean slept with Brona, Ronan's ex-girlfriend, but he was also universally acknowledged to be an arsehole.
It went against everything I believed in to say, because I liked to think everyone was redeemable in some way, but Sean just wasn't a nice person. He actually seemed to be proud about the fact, like he wanted people to dislike him.
The conversation died down, everybody casting surreptitious glances at Sean who swaggered his way up to the private bar and loudly ordered a bottle of bubbly. That's actually what he called it, but speaking of bubbly . . .
Almost of their own accord, my eyes wandered over his broad shoulders, muscular back, and down to what must have been the most perfect bubble butt I'd ever seen. You know how sometimes male athletes develop those really defined, rounded but masculine derrieres? Well, Sean Cassidy was most definitely rocking one of those, and I couldn't resist the urge to ogle it. It was pure muscle and simply bite-worthy.
I snickered to myself when I realized I'd almost commented on it out loud. Okay, I'd officially had too many glasses of "bubbly" as Sean so douchebaggedly called it. He must have heard my snicker because his attention landed on me. He stared at me for a second, arched a condescending brow, then dismissed me all in an instant, returning his attention to the bar.
After about thirty seconds everyone went back to their conversations, trying their best to ignore Sean. Ronan had told me once that Sean was the kind of person who thrived on attention, so ignoring his presence was probably the best course of action to take.
It was my own fault I couldn't stop staring. We'd never spoken before. In fact, I'd only ever seen him from afar at parties like this one, or on television when there was a match on. But right now he was close, close enough for me to realize just how devastatingly and legitimately handsome he was: light blue eyes, a strong jaw, nice lips, attractive nose.
Why were the beautiful ones always such pricks, huh?
He leaned back against the bar, having uncorked the champagne bottle and poured some into a glass. He wore a shit-eating grin as he stared right at Ronan, holding the glass to his lips, his pinky popped. I knew he was getting to Ronan when my brother muttered to Annie under his breath, "Is he fucking shitting me?"
L.H. Cosway
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SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don't like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let's get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).
By day I'm a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I'm a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I'm intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.
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1 Comment Categories: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Giveaway, New Release, Reviews Tags: 5 Rated Review, Butterflies, Character Development, Excerpt, Funny, Giveaway, Happily Ever After, L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid, Player and the Pixie, Romance, Rugby, Rugby Series, Sports Romance, Steamy, Supporting Characters, Sweet, Tension


LOCATION.--Lat 44°53'13", long 89°38'08.7", in sec.26, T.28 N., R.7 E., Marathon County, Hydrologic Unit 07070002, on right bank at Rothschild, 0.5 mi downstream from Rothschild Dam, 1.7 mi north of bridge on U.S. Highway 51, 2.0 mi downstream from Eau Claire River, and 5.0 mi upstream from Black Creek.
PERIOD OF RECORD.--October 1944 to present.
GAGE.--Water-stagerecorder with acoustic velocity meter. Datum of gage is 1,125.82 ft (NAVD 1988). Prior to Oct. 1, 1975, at datum 10.00 ft higher.
REMARKS.--Flow regulated by 20 reservoirs and 12 powerplants upstream from station. Gage-height telemeter at station.


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Gastonia, NC is one of two satellite cities—along with Concord—of the larger Charlotte metropolitan area. Offering great scenery in the form of Crowders Mountain State Park and a fantastic night life in close by Uptown Charlotte, as well as Charlotte's recently booming economy, it's no wonder that more and more people every year are choosing to call Gastonia home. Moving to a new area to be tough, and if you're moving to Gastonia and haven't decided on how to transport your piano, then let Piano Moving Services in Gastonia take care of all your piano moving needs.
There are a lot of things to consider when you've decided to move into a new area. Questions about how to transport all your items safely and affordably are just behind where your new house will be. When you're stumped as to how to get your piano to its new home—and maybe worried if it will get there safely—Piano Moving services is here to step in and take care of it for you. From the moment we load your piano into one of our trucks, you can be safe in the knowledge that your prized instrument is in the hand of caring, competent professionals.
At Piano Moving Services, contrary to our name, we offer a lot more than just simple transport for your piano. We hire experts that are familiar with every aspect of your piano, inside and out. Tuning your piano and picking out the perfect spot for it in your new home are all within our areas of expertise. Anything you can think of related to your piano, we can provide!
So, if you're planning on moving to Gastonia or anywhere else in the Charlotte area, then consider trusting Piano Moving Services in Gastonia with carrying your piano to its new home.


Diamond Details: 13 Round brilliant cut white diamonds, of F color, VS2 clarity, of excellent cut and brilliance, weighing 1.01 carats total.
Measurements: Size 6.5 and 4.5mm at widest point. Some sizes may be special ordered and take approx 4-6 weeks to deliver.
This amazing antique style 18k white gold wedding band ring, features 13 round brilliant cut white diamonds of F color, VS2 clarity, weighing 1.01 carats total.


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5 Fall Days of R & R
An Evening With Denise Tichenor
4750 Hwy 17 S, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Presented By: Alabama Theatre
Location: Alabama Theatre
"My Story, My Song"
Denise Tichenor has been a regular cast member of the Alabama Theatre's 'The South's Grandest Christmas Show' for almost 15 years. You would have heard her soulful voice singing the 'Christmas Song' and 'Mary Did You Know' to name a few.
She is now very excited to present her very own solo show.
During Denise's solo show, she will share music from her past influences growing up as pastor's daughter, these songs will include "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "How Great Thou Art", "Nessun Dorma", "I Will Always Love You" & "Tell Me Something Good" plus familiar inspirational hymns, including those of Gospel great, Mahalia Jackson. She will also share music that she has grown to love by some her industry and musical influences such as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Whitney Houston and more. Denise has also written and recorded many of her own original songs and will share some of those during this wonderful evening as she celebrates her musical journey.
Denise has been a performer in the gospel industry for over 35 years and has performed all over the world: Spain, Italy, Africa, Australia and more. She has been a regular lead singer on the Bobby Jones Gospel on BET for over 20 years and has also been featured in the Gospel Music Encyclopedia "Uncloudy Days" among many of the gospel greats. Denise also continues to sing with the legendary group, Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers.
Alabama Theatre


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February Porsche Roundup
February 13, 2018 by mike
Never a brand to disappoint, in today's post we check out some of the interesting stories around the internet this month for porsche fans.
Teslas Are Finally Replacing Porsches on the Autobahn
With a charging network five times more dense than that in America, Germany is poised to become the world's No.3 electric-car market.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 runs naked in the snow
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 is coming soon. These new spy photos show a car that looks like a baby Porsche 911 GT3, big wing and aggressive splitter and all.
Porsche will 3D print spare parts for classic cars
The Stuttgart carmaker has revealed that for rare, low volume spare parts for its older inventory, it is deploying 3D printing.
Watch: Porsche 911 rally car somersaults into canal
Driver Harry Kleinjan and co-driver Bart den Hartog collided with a concrete 'Jersey' barrier and somersaulted into a man-made watercourse during the 2013 Hellendoorn Rally. The accident was blamed on a faulty throttle, which is thought to have stuck open in the moments before the accident.
And remember you can enjoy the thrill of sitting behind the wheel of our Porsche fleet via our Porsche Rental service here on 365 Luxury Car Hire.
Categories Blog Leave a comment
Epic 718s and Panamera Test Drive Through The Spanish Hills
February 2, 2018 February 2, 2018 by mike
We take to the Spanish hills and highways for a blast in the new 718 GTS and the most powerful Panamera ever with The National
Read moreEpic 718s and Panamera Test Drive Through The Spanish Hills
Novitec McLaren 570S Spider offers 637bhp
January 31, 2018 January 31, 2018 by mike
German tuning house Novitec has developed a bespoke upgrade package for the McLaren 570S Spider. The package constitutes numerous engine and chassis modifications, a carbonfibre-based exterior redesign as well as new lightweight wheels. Novitec is yet to disclose a price for the package.
Extra power and torque has been liberated from the 570S's 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 by writing new ignition, injection and boost pressure programmes for the ECU. The end result is 637bhp and 510lb ft of torque – gains of 75bhp and 67lb ft over the standard car respectively. Also, the performance boost can be activated and deactivated via the dash-mounted 'Active Dynamic Panel' giving the driver the option of toning things down when they want.
The engine software revisions, along with a new exhaust system, improve throttle response and widen the respective power and torque curves, according to Novitec. As a result, 0-62mph is down from 3.2sec to 3.0sec and the top speed is up by 4mph to 208mph.
Lightweight forged wheels, an inch bigger at each corner (20-inch up front and 21-inch at the rear), sit more snugly in the arches thanks to Novitec's cut springs, which lower the ride height by 30mm and offer more direct handling, according to Novitec.
Outside, the bigger carbonfibre elements have been designed and honed in a wind tunnel to reduce drag and increase downforce. At high speed, Notivec claims the new chin spoiler reduces front-axle lift, while the rear-wing further aids stability. Smaller items woven from the lightweight material, including the sills, side blades and the rear panels either side of the rear valance, complete the exterior restyle.
Via evo.co.uk
BMW Will Fund Future Technologies By Selling More Luxury Cars Than Ever
December 8, 2017 by mike
by Jay Traugott
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http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2017/12/5/BMW-Will-Fund-Future-Technologies-By-Selling-More-Luxury-Cars-Than-Ever-7742318/
On – 05 Dec, 2017 By Jay Traugott
Lamborghini creates world's first 'self-healing' sports car
Lamborghini has created the world's first self-healing sports car. The Terzo Millennio, which translates as third millennium in Italian, has the ability to detect and repair cracks in its body work.
Using sensors the car can conduct its own health check to detect any damages and self-repair itself by filling the crack with nanotubes to prevent it spreading.
The super car was created in collaboration with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/11/lamborghini-creates-self-healing-sports-car/
On – 11 Nov, 2017 By Nicola Harley
What Men and Women look for in Luxury Car Hire
We all know that men and women don't generally agree on most things and it seems it is no different when it comes to the perfect luxury car hire.
Surprise surprise when it comes to hiring a car, men want to be in the driver's seat more than women do, and they want a luxury sports car that can ferry them to their destination in style.
A survey has found that 80 per cent of men prefer to drive when they hire a car while on holiday, compared to just over a fifth of women (22 per cent).
Not only that but when it comes down to choosing the car to hire ideas of the 'perfect' car hire differ greatly.
In the survey conducted by travel search website Skyscanner, almost a fifth of men said they would prefer to drive a sporty Aston Martin or Jaguar, compared to just 12 per cent of women.
The top choice for women (40 per cent) was larger sport utility vehicles – Range Rovers or Jeeps – in contrast to just 28 per cent of men.
Luxury Range Rovers proved to be popular as they were voted the top car brand with one in four of those surveyed, while the Mini Cooper was one of the least popular with just two per cent of the vote, said Skyscanner.
The survey found out what British holidaymakers are looking for in their 'perfect' car hire.
As for the most important features, air conditioning was a clear winner with 39 per cent of the vote, although cost-savvy Brits ranked fuel efficiency highly with almost a quarter of respondents considering it their 'must have' option.
Four times as many men than women rated a convertible roof as the most important feature, while twice as many women want a coffee maker.
But when it comes to 'dream' features, laid-back Brits appear to want to take it easy, as 27 per cent say they want the option of a hands-free auto pilot.
Three options – in-car wifi, a seat massager and an amphibious car – were in a three-way tie with 13 per cent of the vote.
Rounding out the top five was the option of a fridge (12 per cent) to store drinks and snacks.
Even though long road trips can be stressful for couples and lead to rows, an ejector seat was the least popular option (one per cent).
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2854829/Men-want-sports-car-women-want-large-SUV-Infographic-reveals-British-holidaymakers-looking-perfect-car-hire.html#ixzz3KkQuqIGh
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Categories Blog, Motoring News Leave a comment
Celebrity Cars – Lamborghini gets unusual paint job
November 27, 2014 by mike
When it comes to the world of celebrity and cars then nothing is a big surprise. However the controversial singer
Chris Brown has managed to do that by taking his black Lamborghini and paying an artist, known only as Huero, to paint the lyrics to Tupac's song "Lord Knows" on it. It took the artist 16 hours to paint the white lettering on the car, reports TMZ.
The lyric's to Tupac's "Lord Knows" are painted on the Lamborghini's hood and roof. Brown made sure that Huero left out all of the f-words and n-words to keep it street friendly.
This is not the first time that Brown has customized a Lamborghini. In the past, he had one painted multi-colored to match the Hot Wheels version.
According to Mstars News, when the project was complete Brown posted the final product on Instagram, captioning it with, "@tattoo_huero just hooked my lambo up wit 2pac lyrics! #illsh*t. [sic]"
Back in 2007, Brown said it was his goal to be the R&B Tupac.
"I'm trying to be the R&B Tupac. I'm trying to make as many records as I can so when I'm out of this world, y'all can still have music from me nobody has heard yet," Brown said.
Earlier this year, record producer, song writer and rapper Jermaine Dupree told Missinfo TV that he believed Brown would be bigger than Tupac.
"He's young; he's going to make mistakes. I think people started realizing that … when everybody's young they make mistakes. People were looking at him like he was grown," Dupree said.
Dupree added that he believed Brown would at least meet Tupac in popularity and even possibly surpass him.
"He's a star, though. I told people when he came out of jail; he's going to be Tupac. He's an R&B singer. An R&B singer's music is supposed to go farther than Tupac famous than Tupac. I mean, it is what it is. He's a star, and I can't front on it," Dupree added.
In an interview with Rap-Up, Brown talked about how it felt being compared to Tupac.
"I just identify with a young black male who deal with trials and tribulations and can express his art through his poetry. I'm passionate so I can identify with that. Everything I do, I wear on my sleeve," Brown said.
Words fail me on this one.
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1619088/chris-brown-has-lyrics-to-tupac-song-painted-on-his-500k-lamborghini/#5pbDXS5ermVqqOlO.99
Do you know you can now hire a lamborghini Huracan at HPI? Click the link to find out more
Categories Blog, Stars in their Cars Leave a comment
Take a Look at The New Bentley Mulsanne Speed
This is the new Bentley Mulsanne Speed and has it has been confirmed as the the fastest luxury saloon in the world.
This is the sportier version of the Mulsanne model has been tweaked in all sort of different directions to be a good 15 per cent more responsive for whoever is lucky enough to climb behind the wheel.
Of the 1100 or so Mulsannes that Bentley will make and sell over the next 12 months, approximately 300 will be the more expensive, more sporting, £252,000 Speed model.
Interestingly, Bentley also expects the vast majority of Speed sales to occur in Europe and the USA, not in China. This is despite that fact that the Far East has been the biggest single market for the Mulsanne for the past few years.
So what do your get for your additional £25,000 beyond the price of the regular Mulsanne? The biggest changes occur beneath the bonnet, where the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine lies.
This leviathan of a motor has been thoroughly revised at the top end to produce and extra 25bhp, making 530bhp in total. Which doesn't sound all that significant until you realise what's happened to the torque peak, and to the way the torque is delivered.
Maximum pulling power has risen from 752lb ft to a vaguely terrifying 811lb ft – but of arguably more significance is the fact that this peak figure now registers at just 1750rpm, and it stays pretty much flat between there and 4200rpm. The previous engine's peak figure wasn't attained until 2250rpm, and in that case it really was a peak.
In reality, then, the Speed should feel much torquier and, therefore, be much faster than the Mulsanne, hence the reason why Bentley now quotes some fairly hair-raising acceleration figures for the car. Zero to 60mph takes a mere 4.8sec, zero to 100mph 11.1sec, and the top speed is a deliciously irrelevant 190mph. This has enabled Bentley to claim that the Mulsanne Speed is 'The fastest luxury saloon in the world.'
Quite what owners of a Mercedes S63 AMG would make of such a claim isn't clear but, either way, the Speed is an indecently rapid machine considering it mauls the scales at a fulsome 2685kg.
Not only is the engine more potent but, as is the requirement nowadays from all cars, from all creeds, it's also cleaner and more efficient than before. Emissions and economy have both been improved by around 13 per cent. In the real world Bentley claims the Speed is 2-3mpg less thirsty than a regular Mulsanne.
Elsewhere, the air suspension has been recalibrated to deliver more sporting responses when Sport mode is selected within the new Drive program. The same goes for the steering, the eight-speed ZF gearbox and the throttle mapping: each of these can be set to whatever individual mode a driver might want by selecting the Custom function.
So you can have the dampers set to Comfort, the Steering set to Sport and the powertrain set to standard, or any other combination. Which is nice.
Then there's the most vital area of all in a Bentley; the cabin. For the Speed there are various new sporting touches that have been unleashed inside. The door caps now feature small amounts of tastefully applied carbonfibre trim. The seats feature colour-coded stitching in their leather and diamond quilted hide on their backrests. The door handles have been 'coin' finished and, whisper this, the foot pedals are now made from drilled aluminium alloy.
On the road the Speed is a pretty lovely thing to drive. You notice the extra torque and low down response from the engine from the moment the car starts to move. It feels like there is an infinite well of energy beneath your right foot.
In Sport mode it now feels magnificently potent, surging forwards with a serene, refined but gigantic hit of energy that appears to get stronger, if anything, as you go up through the gears into third, fourth, fifth and beyond. This is because in the lower gears the torque flow is managed to avoid great gobs of unwanted traction control intervention, which wouldn't do at all in a Bentley.
What's also obvious immediately is the extra precision and response from the steering and suspension, again particularly when the Sport button is pressed. Yet in Comfort it is as soothing and luxuriant as ever.
Should I buy one?
The Mulsanne Speed may well be regarded as an anomaly among luxury cars, chiefly because it's a luxury car at heart that's trying to be something it isn't designed to be: sporting. But the amazing thing is, it pretty much pulls it off.
So the best seat in the house is not the one in the rear, as it is in the Mulsanne; instead it's the one up front, just as Bentley claims. And that makes the Mulsanne Speed unique in its appeal, and in its ability. Bottom line; there really is nothing quite like it. So if you can afford to, the answer is great big fat-cat yes.
Price £252,000; 0-62mph 4.8sec; Top speed 190mph; Economy 19.3mpg; CO2 342g/km; Kerb weight 2685kg; Engine V8, 6752cc, twin turbo, petrol; Power 530bhp at 4200rpm; Torque 811lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox Eight-speed auto
Source – http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/bentley/mulsanne/first-drives/2015-bentley-mulsanne-speed-review
The Most Expensive Range Rover Of All Time
If you thought that a normal Range Rover was a little on the expensive side then wait till you see the price of this special edition version.
The Range Rover Holland and Holland costs over $100,000 more than the top-of-the-line long-wheelbase Range Rover Autobiography Black upon which it's based and comes is at eye watering $285,000 (£180,000).
As you can imagine the Range Rover Holland & Holland which is a collaboration between the company's Special Vehicle Operation (SVO) is the most expensive SUV ever produced in the brand's 44-year history.
So what makes this Range worth so much more than any other luxurious SUV?
The Holland & Holland edition is completely decked out in the finest soft-touch leather, and its interior woodwork is cut from a single massive piece of walnut to make sure all of the trim match up perfectly. The walnut is also finished with oil to resemble the stocks of Holland & Holland's signature rifles.
The inside of the Range also features embroidered Holland & Holland logos and engraved metallic accents — an homage to the handcrafted shotguns and hunting rifles synonymous with the brand since 1835.
"The whole SVO team is very proud of this car, a bespoke design, which perfectly meets the very particular needs of Holland & Holland's customers," said Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations managing director John Edwards. "This shows the huge potential of SVO, which encapsulates both off- and on-road performance as well as luxury and craftsmanship."
The backseats are particularly impressive. Rear-seat passengers are treated to a pair of executive jet-style reclining seats, retractable walnut tray tables, and a pair of massive infotainment screens.
The Holland & Holland edition will be available with a variety of engine options — ranging from a humble diesel engine to Jaguar Land Rover's 500 horsepower supercharged V8 shared with Jaguar's XJR supersedan and the F-Type sports car.
Another reason why this Range Rover costs so much is the fact that Holland & Holland guns are expensive — ridiculously expensive. With price tags ranging from $43,000 to $277,000 for the "Royal" double barrel shotgun, the company's guns make the high priced-Range Rover feel like a bit of a bargain.
To store these guns, Range Rover has installed a carbon fiber and aluminum gun case that can slide out through the tailgate. As with the rest of the car, it's finished in fine leather and polished walnut.
Obviously this these extra features this is not a Range Rover you want to be using on the school run.
The Holland & Holland Range Rover will be very rare. Jaguar Land Rover plan to build roughly 40 examples a year over the next three years.
source: http://uk.businessinsider.com/range-rover-holland-and-holland-most-expensive-suv-2014-11#ixzz3K4NiFLpV
Do you want to hire a Ranger Rover for your next trip? Click here Contact us now for our latest deals
Bugatti Launches New Shop Business
Not sure if this is good new or not for Bugatti lovers.
Because one of the worlds most exclusive car makers has just announced it is to launch a chain of shops.
Well I say shops but they are actually high end boutiques devoted to the Bugatti brand. The first one is now open in London opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge, is the first of a planned 30, all of which are operated on a franchise basis.
"Luxury super sports cars will always be our core business," CEO Dr Wolfgang Durheimer said at the opening, "but Bugatti also represents a very special luxury lifestyle. The stores will help grow Bugatti's worldwide visibility."
Outlets in Tokyo, Doha and Dubai will follow next year, which gives you some idea of the brand's centre of gravity, although more Veyrons have been sold in London than anywhere else.
"You can be absolutely sure that we will be sticking to our basic principles," Durheimer added, when TG.com pushed him on the sometimes murky world of the 'brand extension', "which is building the world's finest super sports cars."
Exactly what form the next Bugatti road car will take, following the aborted Galibier super limo, Durheimer wouldn't say. But something's definitely coming, and it isn't just a pair of blue shoes with a central seam like the one on a Type 57 Atlantic.
In the meantime, fill your – very expensive – boots in the Bugatti store. It's split into sections: the marble-floored, Tron-lite area that houses the Performance Luxury Collection, and the more aromatic and woody luxury bit that contains the Ettore Bugatti Collection.
There are clothes, bags, accessories, and Lalique crystal objets d'art. There will also be furniture. (Ettore's dad was a cabinet maker, apparently, so it's authentic.)
Source – http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/Inside-Bugattis-glitzy-London-shop-2014-11-17
Just make sure your credit card is ready for the hammering it will receive should you look to purchase.


High-performance computing systems have special requirements for optimizing backup. Here are some tips to speed up backups on OneFSbased HPC systems.
Many organizations in sectors such as oil exploration, space exploration and medicine deploy high-performance computing (HPC) systems to analyze data at far speedier rates than is possible with traditional computing systems. Jobs that routinely take thousands of CPU hours to complete on traditional computing systems can be done within a matter of hours on HPC systems. These HPC systems require access to the storage system simultaneously and, for this purpose, scale out storage systems best fit the bill. One such example is EMC Isilon Storage Systems that run on OneFS—a single file system that spans the cluster of storage nodes—enabling the data to be read simultaneously by HPC systems from the cluster nodes.
The volume of data generated and analyzed ranges from terabytes to petabytes. As the data volumes increase, so does the challenges to backup the data well within the backup window.
Most backup software solutions support system state backups. System state backup contains the backup of registry files and other system information that is required to rebuild the system in case of a crash. For Windows-based HPC systems, system state backups should be configured for the systems. For Unix-based HPC systems, root backup should be configured to rebuild the system during recovery from a crash.
As the data that is being analyzed resides on OneFS, the backup of OneFS needs to be configured. If the backup is configured at mount points from the HPC systems, then the data will travel from Isilon to the HPC server and then to the backup device. This method utilizes the LAN bandwidth for a longer duration, as data has to travel a longer path. To avoid this, configure network data management protocol (NDMP) backups, so that the data travels directly to the backup device. NDMP backups are supported by most industry-leading backup software.
The direct NDMP method is recommended for the backup of OneFS. With direct NDMP, the backup device is attached to the OneFS cluster through the backup accelerator device. This device backs up the data from the nodes to the backup device directly, circumventing the LAN. This reduces the time required for backup.
If the direct NDMP method is used, remember to create directories on the OneFS, proportional to the backup devices.
If the direct NDMP method is used, remember to create directories on the OneFS, proportional to the backup devices. For example, if there are four backup devices attached to the backup accelerator, then create four directories so that four backup streams can be simultaneously backed up, and each stream backs up to a dedicated backup device . This will improve the backup throughput.
In case the direct NDMP method is not feasible, indirect NDMP backup topology should be used. In this method, the data travels from the cluster nodes directly to the server where the backup device is attached.
If possible, a dedicated backup LAN or a separate VLAN should be configured for indirect NDMP backups in order to isolate production traffic from backup traffic and thus ensure optimum backup throughput. The LAN network should have at least 1 Gbps Ethernet connectivity between the Isilon cluster and the backup device for optimum backup throughput. 10 GbE connectivity is preferred between the Isilon cluster and the backup device for optimum NAS backup throughput.
Even if a backup accelerator is not being used, directories should be created on OneFS. The number of directories created should be proportional to the backup devices so that individual backup policies can be created for each direc tory and backed up to a dedicated backup device. This will improve the backup throughput, consequently reducing the time required for backups.
Instead of backing up the same data repeatedly during full backups, consider implementing an archiving solution that archives the infrequently used data to the backup device. Now when the backup software initiates the full backup, the unchanged backup data that has already been archived will not be backed up again. For example, one can apply a policy on the archiving software to stipulate that data that has not been modified for a period of one year should be archived to the backup device. Thus if, say, a whole petabyte worth of data meets this requirement, the backup window would reduce to that proportionate extent.


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La línea 126 de la EMT de Madrid une la estación de Nuevos Ministerios con el Barrio del Pilar.

Características
Esta línea da servicio a la parte sur del Barrio del Pilar, teniendo la cabecera periférica común con la línea 147. A diferencia de ésta, que pasa por Nuevos Ministerios, la línea 126 no llega al centro de Madrid, y en su recorrido hacia el Barrio del Pilar, pasa por los barrios de Estrecho y Valdezarza en vez de hacerlo por la Plaza de Castilla.

Frecuencias

Recorrido y paradas

Sentido Barrio del Pilar
La línea inicia su recorrido en la dársena situada bajo el puente que une la calle de Raimundo Fernández Villaverde con la calle Joaquín Costa pasando sobre el Paseo de la Castellana, junto a la estación de Nuevos Ministerios. Desde aquí sale por el Paseo de la Castellana en dirección norte, que recorre hasta la intersección con la calle del General Yagüe, que toma girando a la izquierda.

A continuación, la línea recorre entera esta calle, siguiendo de frente al final por la calle Lope de Haro, que recorre igualmente entera siguiendo al final por la calle de Francos Rodríguez. Abandona la calle de Francos Rodríguez girando a la derecha por la Avenida del Santo Ángel de la Guarda, que recorre entera al igual que su continuación, la calle del Alcalde Martín de Alzaga. Al final, gira a la derecha por la calle de Antonio Machado.

Recorre la calle de Antonio Machado hasta la glorieta donde se cruza con la calle de Sinesio Delgado, que toma en dirección este hasta la Glorieta de Piedrafita del Cebrero. Desde esta glorieta toma la Avenida de Betanzos, que recorre hasta girar a la izquierda por la calle de La Bañeza, donde tiene su cabecera cerca de la estación de Peñagrande.

Sentido Nuevos Ministerios
Desde su cabecera en la calle de La Bañeza, la línea gira a la derecha por la Vereda de Ganapanes, que abandona en el siguiente cruce girando de nuevo a la derecha por la Avenida de Monforte de Lemos. Recorre entonces esta avenida hasta girar a la derecha por la Avenida de Betanzos.

A partir de aquí el recorrido de vuelta es igual al de ida pero en sentido contrario exceptuando el paso por Lope de Haro, que lo hace por las calles de Francos Rodríguez y Bravo Murillo.

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