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Author interview / Books / Virtual Book Festival / Writing
Virtual Book Festival 2019: Event 10 – an interview with author Alison Morton @alison_morton #VirtBookFest #reading #books
August 2, 2019 August 5, 2019 writeanne5 Comments
Hello everyone and welcome to event number ten in the Put it in Writing Virtual Book Festival. Today I'm thrilled to welcome author Alison Morton who kindly agreed to do an interview. As I've said at other festival events I mainly read contemporary romantic fiction and crime fiction with a bit of non-fiction thrown in from time to time. But a few months ago I stepped out of my reading comfort zone – something I would encourage all readers to do occasionally – and discovered Alison's series of alternative history thrillers. And I LOVE them. But enough about me – let's hear more from Alison herself.
Welcome Alison, and thank you for taking part in the festival. Can I start by asking you why and how you became a writer?
I've always written one way or another – translation, academic theses, commercial copy, government papers, military reports, small business paperwork and marketing materials – but not fiction since I'd left school.
The trigger was a bad film in 2009; although beautifully photographed and co-starring Ewan McGregor, it was full of terrible dialogue, higgledy-piggledy continuity and implausible plotting. I whispered to my husband that even I could do better. He replied, "Why don't you?"
For the next 90 days I bashed out 90,000 words of a story that had been bubbling in my mind for decades. That first draft was rubbish, of course; multiple revisions and strong editing followed along with much reading, courses and classes about the craft of novel writing.
Anne: Well, it's safe to say all your readers owe your husband a debt of gratitude for challenging you 🙂
What genre do you write in and why did that hold a particular appeal for you?
Thrillers, alternative history thrillers (pinching James Bond's intro format).
Why? Firstly, a lifelong fascination with all things Roman from the day I stepped on my first mosaic in Spain when I wondered what a Roman society would be like today if it were run by women; secondly, after reading Robert Harris's Fatherland discovering you could change history; and thirdly, decades of reading multiple genres especially sci-fi , thrillers, Georgette Heyer and any historical fiction I could get my hands on.
Alternative history lets you explore the 'what ifs' of history, small or large, personal or national. And what a fascinating journey it is…!
Anne: It certainly is fascinating. I love the whole premise – the what-if idea – what if the Roman state and society had persisted and survived to the present day. And you set it up and develop it so well.
Your books are written as a series. Tell us more about them and the progression through the series.
Roma Nova is a small (imaginary) country 'somewhere in south central Europe', founded by pagan Romans at the end of the fourth century. It's battled its way through history to survive into the modern age but has one vital difference to the Ancient Roman Empire – although very Roman in character, it's governed by women. (Find out why and how here.)
Each book in the Roma Nova series is a complete story – I dislike intensely stories that end in a cliff-hanger – but they are all interconnected. I began with a trilogy set in the 'present day' then went back to the late 1960s/early 1980s for another three. The second trilogy grew out of my curiosity about one of the main secondary characters in the first, Aurelia. I knew she had secrets in her past and I needed to know about them! Next, I added novellas and a short story collection, so it was getting muddled. Time for restructuring and a new look!
Carina's strand in the series includes INCEPTIO ('the beginning') when Karen Brown is forced to flee from a killer in New York to Roma Nova – her dead mother's homeland. She takes her place in her Roma Novan family and adopts her true name, Carina Mitela. But before she comes into her own as an intelligence operative, she has to deal with an arrogant, but attractive, Praetorian special forces captain… CARINA, a novella, takes her back to North America on her first mission 'abroad'. Of course, it doesn't go smoothly. PERFIDITAS is the story four years later of betrayal – personal, professional and political. Nobody comes out of that completely clean. SUCCESSIO (what happened next/the next generation) nine years later sees a lot of chickens coming home to roost with blackmail, family breakdown and a nemesis from the past.
Aurelia's strand begins with AURELIA, a crime thriller set in the late 1960s where our heroine engages in a bitter rivalry with her lifelong nemesis Caius Tellus, an amoral and privileged opportunist. Twelve years later, the traumatic eruption of Roma Nova's Great Rebellion sears Aurelia's personal and political life in INSURRECTIO. RETALIO is a classic story of resilience and resistance.
However, in all Roma Novan books our tough heroines do find love, although it does run a rocky path for both Carina and Aurelia.
Oh, and those titles? Yes, they are Latin words, each descriptive of the theme in the book, but words that I hope make sense to readers. How I chose them (aka sweated over them until my brain burst) may intrigue you – if so you can find out more here
Anne: Yes, I like how each story is complete in itself – that definitely works for me. And of course I like that there's a romantic thread there too :-).
Tell us about a typical writing day? (Do you have a writing routine, is it planned in advance, is it strictly adhered to).
Hahaha! It depends where I am in the book writing cycle. Running up to a launch and for the few weeks afterwards, I spend almost all my time marketing; social media, guest posts, blog tours, etc. When that ebbs, it's back to the writing. But that time away can be productive as the brain is running in the background developing the next story.
When I get cracking on a new book, I aim for about 1,000 words a day and I work best in the morning and evening. However, if I need to research something, check facts, read some background, the wordcount may not be so impressive that day…
Other activities like writing posts for my own and other blogs, arranging visits, event talks, and formatting books or liaising with suppliers have to be fitted round all this.
Anne: Indeed! Being a writer isn't only about writing a book – it involves a whole lot more.
Do you plot your novels in some detail before you actually start writing? Why or why not?
Early on, in 2012, I evolved a rough and ready system which I called 'How to write a novel in 30 lines': see more about that here. I plot the main events – inciting incident, three turning points, black moment, climax and resolution and the rest is free-flow.
It's a 3D wire frame rather than a skeleton and provides enough structure to hang the story on without constraining it to a formal outline. In figures, I'm a 30% 'plotter' and 70% 'pantser'. (note from Anne, a pantster, in case you don't know comes from the expression 'to fly by the seat of your pants')
Anne: Oh, I love the idea of the 3D wire frame as a story structure!
What comes first for you – characters or plot? Why is that?
Characters! My plots centre on the characters, their conflicts and their challenges, both internal and external. As with any story in a historical or sci-fi genre, there must be a purpose to an alternative history story. It can't simply be "Look at this new world I've invented, aren't I clever?" As a reader of fiction, I want to be entertained by a 'cracking yarn', to learn something and be encouraged to think. The most important thing when writing is to be immersed in the mentality of the characters, their time and their culture. After all, characters, like people, should be products of their time and place.
Anne: I'm not surprised by your answer. Your characters are fascinating and definitely come across as at the heart of the story and engage us readers from the start.
Where do you get your ideas? How/when do they come to you?
I wish I knew! It's a deep pot, stirred well over many years: combine being a 'Roman nut' since I was eleven, ingrained but unstrident feminism, six years' military service, an MA in history and an insatiable curiosity about what motivates people. Chuck in an urge to show a competent, strong, but all-too-human woman leading actions and making decisions as a natural right. Oh, and a provocative sense of irony especially when gender-mirroring.
My best ideas emerge when I'm in the shower, but probably best not to go into that!
Anne: Haha! Yes, ideas don't always happen at the most convenient times.
Have you got a favourite character out of the all the ones you've created?
That's an impossible question to answer! Writing different types of characters is the joy for any writer. I love them all for different reasons. Well, probably not Caius Tellus, Aurelia's nemesis, nor his distant relation, Nicola.
Anne: Yes, it's an unfair question – like being asked to pick a favourite child. But as a reader I'm allowed a favourite and it's Carina for me.
Can you share some of the feedback/reviews you've had from your readers?
Readers have been very kind over the past six years with their comments and reviews – as have those who endorse my books (Conn Iggulden, Kate Quinn, Elizabeth Chadwick, Helen Hollick, Adrian Magson, JJ Marsh, Ruth Downie, Douglas Jackson, Sue Cook to name a few).
The six full-length novels have all been awarded the prestigious B.R.A.G. Medallion for indie literature and AURELIA was one of four finalists in the 2016 Historical Novel Society Indie Award out of a field of 400(!). Writing Magazine placed both INCEPTIO and PERFIDITAS as runners-up in the 2014 Self-published Book of the Year competition and The Bookseller made SUCCESSIO its Editor's Choice in its first indie review.
One the most succinct reader comments is ""Eve Dallas meets Lindsey Davis's Roman detective Falco meets The Hunger Games." (INCEPTIO)
"As always, Ms Morton delivers fast-paced adventure, very much driven by the excellent dialogue." (RETALIO)
"INSURRECTIO – a taut, fast-paced thriller and I enjoyed it enormously. Rome, guns and rebellion. Darkly gripping stuff." – Conn Iggulden
"PERFIDITAS is an alternative history adventure thriller that will delight crime fiction readers, but may also be enjoyed by Roman fans as Ms Morton has very cleverly blended into a modern tale the 'what-might-happen' had the Roman Empire survived to present day." (Historical Novel Society)
"There are two things I love about Ms Morton's 'world': one is that it is all so plausible and the other is that Roma Nova has a lot to teach us about the sheer equality of the sexes in this mythical country. The characters are well rounded and, impressively, are fallible." (Discovering Diamonds Reviews)
Anne: Wow! What a fabulous collection. And well deserved too.
You have a new novella coming out on 12 September and we have an extract from it below. But first – what's it called and please, tell us a bit about it. Where does it fit in the series?
NEXUS, which in Latin means a binding together or interlacing, sometimes an obligation; in English, a connection or series of connections or a central or focal point which is perfect for this story! It fits in between AURELIA and INSURRECTIO and aims to show readers what Aurelia's been up to in the twelve interim years. And also, why Harry Carter feels under an obligation to help Aurelia in RETALIO fourteen years later…
From the Back Cover
Mid 1970s. Ex-Praetorian Aurelia Mitela is serving as Roma Nova's interim ambassador in London. Asked by a British colleague to find his missing son, Aurelia thinks it will only be a case of a young man temporarily rebelling. He's bound to turn up only a little worse for wear.
But a spate of high-level killings pulls Aurelia away into a dangerous pan-European investigation. Badly beaten in Rome as a warning, she discovers the killers have kidnapped her life companion, Miklós, and sent an ultimatum: Back off or he'll die.
But Aurelia is a Roma Novan and they never give up…
Roma Nova London Legation, mid 1970s
'I've lost him, Aurelia.'
Harry Carter's voice was low, toneless, but I could hear the despair in his restrained British voice. Given the time of day, he must have been calling from his panelled office at the United Kingdom foreign ministry.
'Are you absolutely sure?' I said. 'He could just be on one of his walkabouts.'
'His tutor at Cambridge said he hasn't been in college for six weeks.'
Hades. What could I say? I stared at my yellow office wall and tried to compose a tactful answer.
At seventeen, Tom Carter had been a classical surly teenager. Harry had invited me to dinner one evening five years ago when I'd been posted to our London legation as political officer. It was a third level posting in the Roma Novan diplomatic hierarchy, but a restful one for me after a very fraught intelligence operation in Berlin. I'd taken to Harry immediately not only for his connections as a senior spook – that was part of my job – but for his friendliness to a newcomer on the circuit and for his sense of uprightness.
Over an after-dinner brandy Harry had confided that his son Tom had been away for three days with no contact. During the evening, he'd kept looking at the hallway.
'Do you want me to go, Harry?' I'd said eventually.
'No, please don't. I'm probably fussing.' He'd changed the subject, but fidgeted, glancing at his watch when he thought I wouldn't notice.
'He always comes back, usually broke. Young men, eh?' He attempted to laugh.
Just as I stood to go ten minutes later, the sound of the front door opening echoed from the hall and Tom had shuffled in; dirty, dishevelled, eye sockets brown with exhaustion. He shrugged as his father hugged him, grunted and went upstairs with without a word.
That was five years ago. I'd been home and then taken a posting in the Eastern United States since then. Now I was filling in here in London for our UK nuncia, our ambassador, who'd been taken ill.
'Have you informed the civil police?' I winced as I asked such an obvious question.
'You know I can't do that.'
'Harry, it's no shame. For a government functionary like you, they would be discreet. '
'Don't bet on it. One of those bloody tabloids would get hold of it if they paid enough.'
'That's a bit cynical.' But he was right. Their press here in the UK was outrageous. But then so was the Sol Populi at home in Roma Nova.
'Can't you use your people in your security services to get somebody to take a look?'
'Harry?'
'Completely off the record, Aurelia, I had two retired officers nose around, but they found nothing.' He coughed. 'Not a trace, which was odd. I can't use anybody active. Imagine the stink if the parliamentary oversight committee got wind of it.'
I smiled at his schoolboy half-pun. But I knew he was desperately trying to cover his distress. Under that gruff exterior his heart was breaking.
NEXUS ebook available now to pre-order on: Amazon Apple Kobo B&N Nook Paperback from 12 September 2019
Anne: Thank you so much, Alison for being a guest here at the festival today. I've enjoyed finding out more about you and your writing and I feel a pre-order coming on. And thank you too, to everyone who has attended today's event. And you can find out a bit more about Alison and how to connect with her below.
About Alison:
Alison Morton writes the acclaimed Roma Nova series – "intelligent adventure thrillers with heart." She blends her deep love of Roman history with six years' military service, an MA in history and an insatiable curiosity about what motivates people.
Apart from the six full-length novels CARINA, a novella, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories, add to the Roma Nova story. Alison has contributed to 1066 Turned Upside Down – an anthology of nine alternative outcomes to the Norman invasion – and to RUBICON, an Historical Writers' Association collection of Roman short stories.
Now she continues to write thrillers, cultivates a Roman herb garden and drinks wine in France with her husband.
Connect with Alison:
Roma Nova website: here
Facebook author page: here
Twitter: here @alison_morton
Instagram: here
Goodreads: here
Alison's Amazon page: here
Alison Morton, Alternative history, thrillers, Virtual Book Festival
Virtual Book Festival: Spreading the Word and Giving Voice: The Power of a Good Book Festival #VirtBookFest @NayrouzQarmout @valmcdermid @iamkp @edbookfest
Virtual Book Festival: Event 11 – An Interview with Children's Author Darlene Foster @supermegawoman #VirtBookFest #books #childrensbooks
5 thoughts on "Virtual Book Festival 2019: Event 10 – an interview with author Alison Morton @alison_morton #VirtBookFest #reading #books"
Alison Morton says:
Thank you so much for asking me to be part of the Virtual Book Festival, Anne. It's an honour and a pleasure to be one of the contributors.
Happy to answer any questions readers may have!
Thank you for taking part, Alison 🙂
Another super guest. I like that, although it is a series, each book can stand alone. I feel so cheated when a story I am into ends in a cliff hanger. I love Roman stuff too and there is so much of it here in Spain. All the best, Alison.
Yes, I agree about proper endings within a series.
Thank you, Darlene. It was in north east Spain at Ampurias that I experienced my Roman 'epiphany' at age 11.
https://alison-morton.com/2015/03/14/ampurias-one-of-the-inspirations-for-roma-novas-existence/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


since it kinley's birthday party is today and her theme is abc's i decided to make her some abc blocks.
and ashley had a shower last weekend and i made her some for her little boy that is due so soon!
then jeff helped me by staining these boxes i bought at hobby lobby and i used those to store the blocks.
happy bday kinley gay!! so glad we can be there to see you turn one!! and happy baby shower ash!! cant wait to meet your sweet little boy!!
These are amazing and fit the theme fantastically! I love the colors you picked! Thanks to Jeff for staining the box! Thanks so much for you and all your brood celebrating with us!


Bio: Gavin Bierman is a Consulting Member of Technical Staff based at Oracle Labs UK. He is a member of the Programming Language Research Group and is currently a member of the Java team helping design the next versions of Java.
His interests are broadly in the areas of programming language design and formalisation. He has published papers on Java, C#, TypeScript, databases (object-oriented, XML and noSQL), type systems, operational semantics, separation logic, dynamic software updating, relational algebra, lambda calculus, control operators, modal logic, proof theory and category theory.
He joined Oracle in March 2014. Previously he was a senior researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge from March 2004 until March 2014. Before that he was a lecturer at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory and a Fellow, College Lecturer and Director of Studies at St John's College, Cambridge. He has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, and a BSc from Imperial College.


wow, that is good and lots of work. Bravo.
Wow....always disarming to see these awesome and menacing characters with their helmets off and a big smile on the human underneath .
yes!! ARC time!!! Dude looks so awesome. cant wait to ARC it up!!
oh man that looks awesome scott! should pass no problem. excellent work.


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Anthropology Alumnus Lee Gettler to Join Notre Dame Faculty
Author: Aaron Smith
Biological anthropologist Lee Gettler '05 made national news last year with his research on the linkage between fatherhood and testosterone, reporting that the hormone decreases in men once they have children and drops even more in dads who are very active in caring for their children.
Currently completing his Ph.D. at Northwestern University, Gettler will bring his attention-getting work to Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters this fall as an assistant research professor in the Department of Anthropology.
His work "promises to enliven the fields of biological anthropology, human reproductive ecology, and fatherhood," says Susan Blum, professor and chair of the department.
"He is at the forefront of a new way of understanding the connection between human biology and behavior. It is a special treat to have him, and we are honored by his decision to join our department."
Tracing Hormonal Adaptations
Gettler has tracked men's hormone levels over many years as they transition to parenthood and is examining how their hormones respond minute-to-minute as they interact with their children.
"Prolactin is generally seen as a 'pro-nurturing' hormone, and human fathers having higher levels than non-fathers is consistent with what we see in other species," Gettler says. "However, when I looked at fathers' hormones minute-to-minute when they were playing with their children, I found no changes in their testosterone and significant decreases in their prolactin. That was unexpected in the sense that I hypothesized testosterone would decline and prolactin would increase in the short-term.
"Trying to unpack the discrepancies between those sets of studies is something that I consider a provocative and exciting challenge as I begin my career at Notre Dame."
Gettler also plans to begin a new project at Notre Dame that aims to understand how non-parental caregivers respond physiologically to childcare.
"My colleagues and I have made some very interesting discoveries regarding the changes in biological fathers' hormones, but it is still fairly unclear whether these physiological capacities and patterns are specific to men acting as fathers or whether they would apply to other contexts," Gettler says.
"If there is one fundamental fact about humans, it is that we are highly flexible and adaptable—and would have necessarily been so throughout our evolution—so it would not surprise me if these patterns of hormonal change extended to circumstances beyond biological parenthood."
The Evolution of Human Cooperation
Gettler says his research drew inspiration from the studies of Peter Gray and other scholars who conducted groundbreaking work in this area before he became a graduate student.
"As I developed a more thorough understanding of men's presumed roles in the course of human evolution," he says, "I realized there were ways that looking at hormonal changes could make a contribution to expanding our conception of how men and women cooperated with one another in various ways, including raising children, in the course of human evolution."
As for the extensive news coverage that his Ph.D. research attracted, Gettler says he was rather surprised.
"We had anticipated that there would be some media attention for the study, simply because it touches on issues that resonate with the general public," he says. "However, it would be disingenuous of me to suggest that we expected the deluge of media attention from around the world that followed the publication of our study."
The study was featured in a number of major media outlets, including The New York Times, USA Today, MSNBC, and NPR. It also made TIME magazine's "Top 10 New Findings in Parenting for 2011."
"It was such an honor to have so many journalists as well as the general public interested in our work," Gettler says. "Anthropology has so much to offer in terms of insights into everyday life and human diversity, past and present."
Embracing a 'Four-Field' Approach
Gettler first became interested in anthropology as an undergraduate at Notre Dame, and he took multiple courses on biological anthropology, where his readings focused on the cross-species literature related to paternal physiology.
"Professors Meredith Chesson and Agustín Fuentes are largely responsible for me becoming an anthropology major," he says. "I took multiple classes from them, all of which stirred my passion for anthropology. They have continued to offer their advice, support, and friendship, for which I am incredibly grateful."
Gettler says he's also indebted to Professor James McKenna, who gave him a job in his laboratory after graduation. "He has proven a valuable friend and colleague. Without that year I spent at Notre Dame working in Jim's lab and having many, many members of the department provide me encouragement, I likely would not be pursuing my Ph.D. at this time."
After being away the last five years, he says, the high quality of scholarship and remarkable people in Notre Dame's Anthropology department is only affirmed.
"The faculty embrace the 'four-field' approach, placing a heavy emphasis on respecting diverse ways of practicing anthropological scholarship. Theoretically, anthropology is supposed to be a wide-reaching, holistic discipline that draws on many, variable lines of evidence to explore human cultural and biological diversity in a broad scope," Gettler says.
"Notre Dame's department actually practices this approach, and I feel lucky to have an opportunity to join the faculty."
The New York Times story on Gettler's research
TIME story on Gettler's research
Categories: General News, Research, Alumni, and Faculty News


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France has no plans to legalise cannabis for recreational use - minister
FILE PHOTO: A medical cannabis plant is seen at Pharmocann, an Israeli medical cannabis company in Israel January 24, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen -
Amir Cohen(Reuters)
PARIS (Reuters) – France will not legalise the recreational use of cannabis but could consider authorising its medical use, Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Thursday.
"The position of the French state is clear. We are against legalising cannabis for recreational use. There is an ongoing discussion about a medical use," Borne told LCI television.
Borne's comments follow publication of a report on Thursday by French think-tank the Conseil d'Analyse Economique recommending legalising cannabis for recreational use in France.
Several countries, including Germany, Italy and Denmark, already allow the prescription of medical cannabis and last year Canada became the second country in the world to fully legalise marijuana.
In France, GreenLeaf, a French hemp-based and cannabis healthcare company, recently said it had agreed to be bought by rival EMMAC Life Sciences Ltd, as the legal use of cannabis for medicinal purposes grows further.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Jane Merriman)
At least 35 people suffer minor injuries after Air Canada flight hit by severe turbulence
Picture of Quebec education minister with Malala stirs controversy


In 1945, Congress gave the massively powerful insurance industry an astonishing gift. It bestowed on them the freedom to do what would be illegal in every other industry (save, strangely, Major League Baseball) -- fix-prices, collude and practice anti-competitive behavior. Now there's a movement afoot to repeal this extraordinary law, called the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) testified recently, "has been damaging to the American economy."
All this begs an important question, though -- did no one notice before? Was this extraordinary privilege, granted over 60 years ago, buried in an obscure volume of the federal code that we are just now discovering? Well, no. Actually, consumer advocates have been noticing it for a long time. Clearly, it's taken the movement to reform health care to finally put it on people's radar. But the lack of notice until now hasn't been for lack of trying.
Laws to repeal this anti-trust exemption have been introduced in every Congress for many years. The industry has fought back every time and nothing was ever really accomplished -- until now. Now that affordable health insurance has become the driving force behind repeal of this law, it's getting somewhere. Bills exist in both Houses of Congress and are beginning to be reported out of committee faster than you can say "price-fix."
But the McCarran-Ferguson Act covers a few different sectors of the insurance industry, and health is just one of them. Another significant sector is property/casualty. That's the sector that covers all liability insurance -- your auto insurance, homeowners policies, and commercial lines, as well. The insurance that doctors purchase to cover medical malpractice is part of this property/casualty sector.
For years now, doctors have been screaming about their medical malpractice insurance rates. But organized medicine and insurance executives always blame everyone else for charging doctors' exorbitant rates. They especially like to point the finger at judges, juries, and injured patients, blaming them for insurers' decisions to raise rates even though claims and payouts have dropped like a rock over the last several years. That doesn't seem to matter. They still tell lawmakers that the only way to bring rates under control is to strip away patients' rights to go to court.
We are hearing about that now, as the push for so-called "tort reform" has become part of the health care discussion. Sick and injured patients, after all, are the perfect insurance industry scapegoats. Even President Obama is talking about it, directing HHS to set up a panel to explore "tort reform" ideas, which met for the first time on October 26. But consumer advocates have always known that limiting the legal rights of patients is no answer, and that the insurance industry itself is responsible for the price-gouging of doctors. The anti-trust exemption, which leads to skyrocketing rates and profiteering within the property/casualty insurance sector, allows this to happen.
It's fascinating to watch the insurance industry try to justify 60 years of anti-competitive behavior. The medical malpractice insurers are doing their best, that's for sure. They want medical malpractice "removed from the bill," according to insurance lobbyist Larry Smarr, president of the Physician Insurers Association of America, who testified that "market conduct abuses" never happen in the medical liability industry, and that repealing the most anti-competitive law in the nation would, in his words, "undermine competition."
Whatever their tactic and latest form of utterly absurd double speak, it's crucial that when Congress does repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act, the medical malpractice industry is not left out. The Consumer Federation of America predicts that repealing this law for medical malpractice insurers could result in a 20 percent insurance savings for doctors.
Let's finally see what happens once the industry is prevented from colluding and price-fixing, once insurer-supported "rate bureaus" that tell insurers what rates to charge are outlawed, and when the pressure to take away the right of injured patients is diminished. Maybe, finally, people will understand that it's not only unfair, but also ineffective, to try to reform insurance abuses on the backs of malpractice victims. When it comes to real health care reform, that seems like a good place to start.


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Charlotte Hornets Off Court CLTure: Marvin Williams
By Cameron Lee
There haven't been many high school basketball prospects more highly touted than Marvin Williams when he came out of Bremerton High School in Washington. He averaged a mind-boggling 28.7 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 assists per game. As a McDonald's and Parade All-American, he was the prized five-star recruit of Roy Williams and the Carolina Tar Heels in the 2004-05 season. His role as a sixth man on a deep UNC roster, ultimately led to a key go-ahead score in the NCAA National Championship game against Illinois. After winning the National Championship, much to the dismay of many Carolina fans, he decided to enter the 2005 NBA draft. Williams was picked #2 overall by the Atlanta Hawks behind Andrew Bogut and ahead of Carolina teammate, Raymond Felton, who was actually drafted #5 by the Charlotte Bobcats. After a few seasons in Atlanta, Williams was traded to the Utah Jazz for Devin Harris before landing in Buzz City in 2014.
We recently spent time at the arena with some of the players after practice. While Jay-Z's The Blueprint album was blaring from the equipment office, Williams hung out with us outside the locker room in the Spectrum Center to talk about J. Cole, The Cheesecake Factory, Marvin Gaye, Charlotte protests, Dean Smith, and more. The latest in our Charlotte Hornets 'Off Court CLTure' series.
Courtesy of the Charlotte Hornets
CLTure: I know you're named after your dad, Marvin Gaye Williams, and your grandmother was a big fan. Did you have a lot of musical influences growing up?
Marvin Williams: (chuckles) Naaa, I was born in '86 so he (Marvin Gaye) was definitely a little before my time, but that's the story of how I got my name.
CLTure: Did your family try to push any specific genres of music or instruments on you?
MW: I was in the band in the six grade.
CLTure: What did you play?
MW: I played the Baritone.
CLTure: How did that work out?
MW: I was only in there for like a semester. Ha ha, it was a good experience for me but I was never really like a musical instrument guy. I love music but I wasn't as into the instruments.
CLTure: So as a kid what was your musical taste like?
MW: I listened to a ton of hip-hop. I grew up listening to Snoop, Ice Cube, Tupac, Dr. Dre, and stuff I guess kids shouldn't be listening to. (laughs)
CLTure: So you were more of a West Coast rap guy?
MW: No question. It was everything, I mean E-40.. I've always loved hip-hop. I didn't really branch out until I left Washington (state) really. The only people I would listen to outside of West Coast was, like, Outkast.
Photo by Alex Cason
CLTure: Growing up in Washington was there a big rock n' roll influence at all?
MW: Not much for me, the alternative movement out there was obviously huge, but not so much for me. I started listening to Linkin Park in High School. Then I remember Jay-Z and Linkin Park had a mash-up album that my mom bought me for Christmas in 2004 when I was in college.
CLTure: Were you a big Seattle Supersonics fan growing up?
MW: Oh yeah, of course. Home team everything. The Seahawks, Mariners, ya know, The Sounders now, the Sonics obviously when they were there. It was tough to see them leave. I know a lot of guys that want them to come back home, but hopefully we'll get a team back there soon.
CLTure: Did you ever own a pair of Shawn Kemp's?
MW: No, I never had a pair of his shoes. I did like them. I was a big Gary Payton guy. Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett were kinda my guys growing up.
CLTure: Having been drafted in Atlanta as a youngster then going to Utah, then Charlotte, what would you say the biggest differences between Atlanta and Charlotte are?
MW: I could see the comparisons. Two great cities. Two up-and-coming cities. A ton of people are moving to Atlanta and a lot of people are moving to Charlotte. Both very nice cities to grow up in, hangouts, lots to do, great restaurants, ton of events come through both cities, concerts, shows. So there are more things in common.
CLTure: So in Charlotte, have there been any go-to restaurants or food spots you've grown to love?
MW: I'm actually a huge chain eater. I go to The Cheesecake Factory, the P.F Chang's, anything that's nationwide, I'm pretty much there. (laughs)
CLTure: Why is that?
MW: Man, I'm such a creature of habit. I kinda know what I like, and I don't really have to think about it sometimes. I'll branch out a little bit. I love Blackfinn and I go to Enzo a lot.
CLTure: Have you had a chance to catch any shows at the arena and in Charlotte recently?
MW: I took my daughter to Disney on Ice earlier this year which was cool. I saw Sam Smith, I saw Snoop and Wiz at PNC. Fall Out Boy…I actually got to see Beyonce perform, too. Those were probably the two best concerts I have been to.
CLTure: J. Cole came out with an album recently, are you a fan?
MW: Definitely, big fan. Huge fan.
CLTure: Has he ever come through before?
MW: He's come to a game before definitely. Very humble guy, very intelligent guy. He's pretty cool with a buddy of mine, so I actually ended up hanging out with him one night. Very cool dude, very down to earth, and very knowledgeable about things that are going on in the world.
CLTure: So it's been a pretty wild year for Charlotte with HB2, the All-Star game, and recently the Keith Lamont Scott protests. Were you in town during the protests?
MW: We were here when all of that stuff was going on. It was a scary time. There's no other way to describe it. When you see someone gunned down for whatever reason, it's always sad to see someone lose their life. For a community as calm, fun, and safe as Charlotte to show that side, it was difficult. It's definitely not a representation of this city.
CLTure: How do you think race relations are in Charlotte compared to Atlanta? Some people weren't surprised with all of the hidden racial tension in this city.
MW: I would say it surprised me, it was definitely a side of Charlotte I have never seen. It's a side of North Carolina I've never seen. I've been living in North Carolina for the past ten years or so. I know it exists everywhere, sometimes you get lost when you don't see the tension too often. Like I said, it was a scary time, and luckily the right people got together to calm it down and hopefully something like this doesn't happen again.
CLTure: If you weren't playing basketball right now, what do you think you would be doing?
MW: If I had the opportunity to be around basketball and travel, that would be the perfect job for me. The NBA has some great programs like Basketball Without Borders that I've been involved with since I've been in the NBA teaching up-and-comers around the world that really enjoy the game. Hopefully I can continue to do things like that.
CLTure: Last is a UNC question, did you spend a lot of time with Dean Smith in Chapel Hill?
MW: Yeah, absolutely. Coach Smith would watch our practices when I was there. If he saw something, he would point it out. The one thing I remember the most about Coach Smith, is he was always concerned with academics, he always cared about the player that you were, but he cared more about the person you were, and I really appreciated that.
CLTure: I appreciate it, Marvin.
MW: No prob.
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Chrisanne & Henro
We, Henro and Chrisanne, met each other in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa in May 2014 where we both worked and lived at the time. Just after three, short months we realised we had a unique connection and our relationship had a clear purpose, so in November 2014 we officially started dating. After dating for eleven months, Henro received a phone call out of the blue which led to a relocation to Dubai for work in November 2015. We continued dating in a long-distance relationship for six months, which tested us in numerous ways, and after which, we decided to elope in Citrusdal, South Africa in June 2016. This was a mutually beneficial decision as it made it possible for Chrisanne to live with Henro in Dubai from July 2016. However, this move was not well received by the family members since we did not include them in our decision.
Consumed by the Dubai lifestyle and chasing the next good brunch or weekend away, we always felt a void inside which we potentially assumed a baby could fill. At this point in our lives, we both knew that we wanted children and we actively tried to fall pregnant. While at the same time, we longed for a relationship with God, however we always found reasons not to make it happen. This continued for a couple of years until Chrisanne landed a job in Oman in November 2018. This meant that she would work in Oman during the week so we could only spend time with each other over the weekends. The remote working and distanced relationship caused anxiety and pressure on both of us to the point where Henro began to suffer from increased high blood pressure and life-threatening panic attacks. The attacks would happen sporadically and usually unpredictable and the doctors had no medical or psychological explanation. One day, Henro was rushed from his office to the ER due to a potential heart attack, only aged thirty-two. Fortunately, this was not a heart attack, but a serious panic attack yet it was the trigger event that set everything into motion.
One night, in a frantic state of desperation after waking up in a sweat from a dream, Henro decided to reach out to City Lights via email where he joined the service on October 11, 2019. This service allowed Henro to re-commit his life to God. After this service, and by the grace of God, Henro did not experience any further panic attacks, and his blood pressure had also reduced. This was the start of Henro and Chrisanne's journey with joining the church and signing to a community group.
The IVF Journey
We had tried to fall pregnant since the beginning of 2018. We attempted all the tricks in the books, but nothing seemed to work. Under closer investigation, we found out that Chrisanne had PCOS and Endometriosis. These conditions independently cause difficulty in some women to fall pregnant, so the combination of the two will significantly reduce your chances of falling pregnant naturally.
In June 2019, we attended a consultation at a fertility clinic in Dubai. After a few months of prescribed medicine, dietary changes, and cutting out alcohol, we began the process of Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) on November6, 2019. Thisdelivered a negative pregnancy result on December 2, 2019. After receiving the bad news and still heartbroken, we went to City Lights church on December 6, 2019 where Starla delivered a powerful sermon directed at pregnancy and fertility while sharing her own testimony. This message was received as if it was specifically prepared for us.
Still desperately eager to fall pregnant, we consulted and agreed with our fertility specialist that a small surgery to remove the "toxic" Endometriosis could create a biologically stable environment theoretically enhancing our chances of falling pregnant naturally. Excited, with the glimpse of hope, we proceeded with Laparoscopy on January 8, 2020 to surgically remove the Endometriosis. The surgery was a success according to the Gynaecologist; however,this surgery only provided a six-month period in which we could fall pregnant naturally before the Endometriosis would return and potentially create the "toxic" environment again. Not wasting any time, we took additional supplements while taking further health related measures so we could increase the odds of falling pregnant. At this stage, various independent Gynaecologists, Urologists, and the Fertility Specialist all came to the same opinion and conclusion; "that there is no biological reason why we should not fall pregnant."
Month after month, the disappointment and anticipation grew while we were surrounded by numerous friends falling pregnant, our six-month "golden period" had finally run out. At this stage, we had our entire community group, family, and friends all standing behind us in prayer searching for answers. Reflecting on God's promise, (Deuteronomy 7:13), we knew that God wanted to bless us with a baby, and the baby would come from Chrisanne' s womb. Constantly praying, Chrisanne felt that IVF may be our only way; however, this would not only be strenuous on our relationship, but it would also be a financial burden considering that we were in the middle of the global pandemic living on reduced salaries. Unsure of which direction to follow, we waited for confirmation or a clear answer from God. By the grace of God, we had only waited for about one month when Henro's sister-in-law randomly sent a voice note from the middle of the Transkei, South Africa on August 10, 2020 to Chrisanne. At the time, she and Chrisanne predominantly only made contact on special occasions.However, this voice note was extremely specific where she reminded us that God created medicine and using medicine in a response to His promise while taking the journey with Him is okay, and therefore IVF is from God and He would support us if we chose to take this journey with Him. This was the confirmation we were waiting and praying for which made our decision simple, so we proceeded with IVF.
Taking the step in faith, we envisioned an indicative date to start the fertility procedure and enquired about the total cost. This was a nerve-wracking, faith-testing step since our cash flow did not look good due to reduced salaries and we did not want to reduce our savings or take out an additional loan. Shopping around between fertility clinics, we found a few cheaper options which could soften the blow; however, our preferred clinic, which we felt a personal and special connection with were unfortunately the most expensive, (quite frankly because they are brilliant). Again, by God's grace, our preferred clinic agreed to lower their "all inclusive" price to suite our budget, (it was still quite a large sum of money which we did not have in our bank accounts), but we agreed to proceed. Concerned about the additional funds required over and above the payments already made for IUI and the associated supplements, we still questioned whether this was our own desire or if it was God's plan for us. In hindsight, we definitely did not have the cash at hand; however, God provided in means that we could not have predicted.
Returning to the fertility clinic during the second week of October 2020, the preparation for our IVF journey has begun, which involved taking further pills and multiple daily injections. At this point, we still did not have the full amount, but Chrisanne's boss had miraculously agreed to pay out a bonus, (after neglecting this conversation for months), for the increased workload Chrisanne had to endure during the pandemic. This amount was sufficient to cover the first of two payments required, and the second payment fell into place in a similar manner. After a couple of weeks of daily hormonal check-ups and adjustments, the egg retrieval happened on November 7, 2020. They extracted 16 eggs, which were then fertilised and monitored for 5 days resulting in 4 healthy embryos. Due to the large number of eggs retrieved and unstable hormone levels, we were unable to proceed with a fresh embryo transfer as this would have resulted in Chrisanne's body going into shock (hyper-stimulation syndrome). This was disappointing as we were emotionally ready to proceed with IVF.
Without realising it, God knew better. Skipping the fresh transfer on November 12, 2020 allowed us to visit South Africa for the December Holidays, something which would not have been possible if we were in the first trimester of pregnancy. This holiday was extremely important to Henro since his grandfather, with whom he was very close, was at the stage in his life where his days were numbered, and hospital visits were more serious and frequent. By the grace of God, we arrived in Cape Town on December 18, 2020(in the middle of the pandemic where international travel-bans change daily) and had an amazing holiday with the family and Henro's grandfather. On the way back to the airport on January 5, 2021, we received the news that Henro's granddad had passed away peacefully in his sleep, a few hours before our flight departed. Without knowing it at the time, this gave Henro the closure he needed, while allowing the end of one era to make space for the beginning of a new one.
Back at work, barely recovered from the emotional pains of Henro's grandfather's passing, Chrisanne began to feel the pressure of IVF building inside of her with every passing hour. She felt that the "ball was now in her court." Sherealised how much money had already been spent, she became anxious for the physical abuse her body would have to endure with all the injections and the risk of not falling pregnant again. This was a spiritual attack that she had never experienced before, and one which most woman fortunately do not need to experience when trying to fall pregnant naturally. Receiving as much support as one could expect from friends, family, and community, no one could fill the "emotional void" which Chrisanne experienced. Again, God knew Chrisanne's heart. The same day she started her cycle,she received a phone number of another lady in our church who went through IVF numerous times and held the ammunition Chrisanne so desperately needed.
Excited about the prospect of becoming parents, we realised that God had supplied our every need, (and even the needs we did not understand at the time), over the past fifteen months. Some would call many of the events which we hadexperienced as a "coincidence," but we knew that each one was specifically prayed for and answered, therefore a higher power was undeniably at play. We felt the Holy Spirit guiding us to take our faith to the next step. As a commitment to God,and a declaration of our promise to raise our soon-to-be baby as God's child, we arranged with our community group leaders to be baptised on January 22, 2021. We felt that if we did not step out into faith, that this IVF cycle would not be a success.
Ready to continue to the next step of IVF with God on our side, we completed the Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) on January 25, 2021. Based on the "pregnancy due-datecalculator," the estimated date of the birth would be October 13, 2021, which was also the birth date of Henro's brother's biological daughter three years earlier, (she was also a true blessing as they had already adopted six children and did not plan for her arrival).
Patiently waiting in faith, we received a positive pregnancy test result on February 1, 2021. This result had set into motion the following 12 weeks of injections and daily/weekly check-ups with the fertility specialist until we were given the "green light" to proceed to the hospital's Obstetrics department for conventional pregnancy care for the remainder of the pregnancy.
The Birth
Headstrong and motivated, we planned to have a natural birth by any means possible. Setting out the birth plan and having multiple consultations with our Obstetrician and Midwife, we were prepared and ready for a "smooth ride" throughout the delivery.
During our routine visit in week thirty-eight, we received the exciting news that Chrisanne was dilating, which means we had started the early stages of labour. Understanding the stages of labour, we went home anxiously waiting for the intensity and duration of the contractions to increase…ready at the drop of a hat to rush to the hospital to deliver our precious Mila. Nearly two weeks later, two membrane sweeps, two stretches done, multiple kilometres walked to allow our baby to "drop" into position, hours of bouncing on the birth ball, and all other tricks in the books attempted, we still had not progressed. Concerned and eager, we consulted Henro's brother, (who is also a doctor), and his wife and received the confirmation that we needed to move forward with the various stages of medical induction.
Two days after being admitted to the labour ward, two pessaries provided, some more sweeps and stretches, more walking, and numerous hormones injected, we agreed to move forward with the artificial membrane rupture and oxytocin hormonal drip to start the active labour. As brave as always, Chrisanne agreed to push the hormonal contraction stimulation to the maximum recommended level, andcontinued for a total of six hours until the pain became unbearable, (unfortunately the epidural did not take effect), sowe proceeded to the surgery ward for a C-section. This result did not come as planned; however, we both experienced peace with the decision and during the surgery. The surgery was a success, and our Mila was born at 15h28 weighing a healthy 3.24kgs. It became evident that during the surgery, a natural birth would have been improbable due to the size of Mila's head and the density of Chrisanne's tissue. Thankful, relieved, and emotional, we left the theatre with our own little M&M. And can you believe it… as we left the theatre, the power tripped in the hospital.This was the first time since opening the hospital, (three years prior), that the power has gone out in the hospital, (and also the first time for us to experience this in Dubai in six years). Henro's brother is of the opinion that the power tripping may have a spiritual significance over Mila… We will surely pray over this, and we are excited to see what God has planned for her.
The Epilogue
God has taught us valuable lessons throughout our journey:
(1) Our timing is not God's timing (Psalm 31:15), (2) that all good things come to those who wait patiently (James 5:7-11 and Romans 8: 22-25), and (3) God will not put us through anything which is beyond our ability (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We are thankful for the character in which God has developed in us, (Romans 5: 3-5), and are excited to support our community, family, and friends with any of their struggles in the future.


You need to order a minimum of 4 copies. The price will be $7.92 in the shopping cart if you choose that quantity. In Stock. The composer has woven original music with the texts of two familiar carols to form this innovative original for youth or adult choirs at Christmas. l The festive choral lines in a lively 2/4 meter are singable and mainly two-part. Here is a listing of related products.


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Rapport du Conseil des droits de l'homme/la situation des droits de l'homme dans le territoire palestinien occupé - Début de l'AG - Procès-verbal (extraits)
A/67/PV.37
Sixty-seventh session
37th plenary meeting
Wednesday, 14 November 2012, 10 a.m.
President: Mr. Jeremić ........................................... (Serbia)
In the absence of the President, Mr. Charles (Trinidad and Tobago) took the Chair.
The meeting was called to order at 10.10 a.m.
Report of the Human Rights Council
/...
Ms. Lasserre (Uruguay), President of the Human Rights Council (spoke in Spanish): It is a great honour for me to come before the Assembly today for the second time to present the annual report of the Human Rights Council (A/67/53). ...
The Council also discussed the long-standing human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories by, for example, establishing an international fact-finding mission to investigate the impact of the Israeli settlements on the human rights of the Palestinian people. The Council will consider the mission's report at its next session, in March.
Mr. Alhajeri (Kuwait) (spoke in Arabic): ...
As we discuss the issue of human rights and the need to respect the humanity of the individual, we cannot but strongly condemn the oppressive Israeli practices and policies that persist in violating the most basic human rights of the unarmed Palestinian people in the occupied territories. We call on the international community to take up its responsibility to force Israel, the occupying Power, to abide by resolutions of international legitimacy, to cease its aggressive, tyrannical policies, and to respect international humanitarian law and the principles of human rights.
Mr. Hassan (Malaysia): ...
Thirdly, Malaysia welcomes the Council's continued attention to the human rights situation inflicted by Israel on the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. We must never forget that the core issue for the Palestinians is their inalienable right to statehood. Malaysia strongly supports the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to an independent State of Palestine, based on the two-State solution, taking into account the security concerns of both parties. We urge the Council to continue to press the issue and to ensure that the Palestinians are afforded their basic rights as human beings, including their right to an independent State.
Mr. Mahmoud (Egypt): ...
We have an obligation to strengthen and respect the institutional balance between the roles of the principal organs of the United Nations in addressing human rights issues, with a particular emphasis on economic, social and cultural dimensions. In doing so, we must reject the attempts of some to impose their values, concepts and perceptions, as well as the standards of their justice and legal systems, all the while promulgating certain controversial notions that do not take into account the diversity of the social, cultural, religious and legislative values of various nations.
It is therefore incumbent on us to reiterate our commitment not to politicize the Council and to reaffirm its central role in ensuring respect for all human rights and international humanitarian law for all Member States and peoples, without exception or discrimination, in particular in occupied territories, and most importantly, in Palestine. We have to fulfil our responsibility to ensure full compliance by Israel, the occupying Power, with all its international obligations, including its commitment to cooperate fully with the Council's resolutions and with the Special Rapporteur and the fact-finding missions mandated by the Human Rights Council to investigate gross violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. In that regard, Egypt deplores Israel's decision to suspend its relation with the Human Rights Council. We consider that a dangerous precedent, which will, unless firmly dealt with, undermine the effective functioning of the Council and its mandate.
Mr. Ja'afari (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): ...
We have read with deep interest the Council's report (A/67/53), which covers extremely important topics, especially information about violations of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, the Syrian Golan and the Palestinian territories. The Syrian Golan has been under an unjust Israeli occupation for 45 years, and despite the Human Rights Council's demands that Israel, the occupying Power — to use United Nations language — implement the resolutions of all the bodies and agencies of the United Nations, including of course the Human Rights Council, Israel continues to flout said resolutions. The Israelis continue to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity and to openly boast of their crimes, unhindered by any punishment or accountability, while international public opinion continues to ponder seriously why it is that they are exempt from prosecution and accountability.
Mr. Sareer (Maldives): ...
On the issue of Palestine, Maldives will continue to support the creation of an independent State of Palestine, living side by side and at peace with the State of Israel. We remain, however, deeply concerned by the repeated violations of the human rights of the Palestinians living under appalling conditions in the occupied territories.
The meeting rose at 1.30 p.m.
This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-506. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.


Pfc. Henry W. Massey, Jr., son of Henry W. Massey, Sr., graduated from Victory School. Entered Army in Nov., 1940, trained in Ft. Bliss, Ft. Brown and Ft. Clark, Texas; went overseas in July, 1942, served in New Guinea, Bismark Archipelago, the Philippines and Luzon; was discharged in Aug., 1945. Awarded Am. Defense Ribbon, Philippine Lib. Ribbon, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal.


Because week-old leftovers for lunch is better than no lunch at all.
When I found out that I was pregnant with my son, I was in utter denial. We were not expecting to get pregnant, not trying to get pregnant, and in fact, we were trying not to get pregnant. But I have learned that absentmindedness plus carelessness equals baby, and ready or not, baby was on his way.
So to be ready, I became a slave to Google. I joined every parent preparing webscription in addition to tracking the growth and development of my microscopic bambino via baby planning websites. And while I read endlessly about what to expect, eight months into parenthood, I am still far from prepared to be a parent. And I now realize that reading and researching are hardly enough as I failed to learn one important life-changing element about motherhood: cold lunch.
Yes, folks, that is my new reality: cold lunch. And by lunch, I mean any food consumption that occurs between ten in the morning and four in the afternoon, because as parenting will have it, lunch is never a scheduled or guaranteed event. It might consist of Mexican leftovers out of a Styrofoam container, or a frozen TV dinner that has occupied the far back corner of our pathetic freezer, or remnants of finger foods that are sitting on my son's Bumbo tray.
Let me share with you what lunch is like on those rare days that I actually attempt to fix it.
Pull out ingredients for grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich. Baby starts fussing. Sing Hokey Pokey while clamoring around in the kitchen looking for frying pan and spatula (the former is in dishwasher – dirty, the latter is in the sink from my husband's attempt at breakfast – also dirty). Baby now fussing loudly. Sing louder in the hopes that baby will be so shocked at my obnoxiously loud and out-of-pitch vocals that he'll stop fussing. Temporarily abort lunch mission. Tend to fussy baby.
Return to kitchen to prepare and cook sandwich. Phone rings. Answer phone (why did I answer the phone?). Realize sandwich is burning, cuss while speaking to very important person on other end of the phone, drop phone because now I'm flustered, and realize baby is now wailing. Wrap up phone conversation. Tend to fussy baby. Back to kitchen after baby settles. Flip and cook non-burnt side of sandwich. Baby fusses, again. This time turn off burner as to not burn other side of sandwich. Grab baby, and back to kitchen with baby in tow. Realize not good idea to fry sandwich while baby reaches toward hot stove. Decide to abort cooking and eat half-burnt-half-uncooked sandwich as is.
Sit down (if I'm lucky) to eat sandwich. Baby spits up. Back to kitchen for dishcloth to clean baby. Pour self glass of Diet Coke while in kitchen. Back to table to eat sandwich. Baby knocks over drink. Back to kitchen for dishtowel to clean up spill. Back to sandwich. First bite – crispy, smoky, room temperature, and undercooked. Say to-hell-with-it and back to kitchen for no fail meal – potato chips.
And I only have one child.
Let's be honest. I don't need a hot ham-and-cheese sandwich. I've got plenty of meat on my bones to survive two weeks stranded atop a snow-covered mountain (thank you very much). I'm merely adjusting to a slight misconception that I had before the birth of this roly-poly lunch-delayer. See, I thought that I would be enjoying delicious and nutritious lunches that I prepared fresh and promptly at noon while baby is quietly nuzzled in his crib allowing me time to sit in my neat and tidy house while reading one of my devotionals highlighting scriptures relating to peace, serenity, and blissful mommyhood. Somehow lunchtime at my house doesn't look quite like that (assuming a time for lunch presents itself at all). But I am patient, Lord. I don't have to eat promptly at noon. I could easily wait until two or even three, if that is a more optimal time for fresh cooked pasta and grilled asparagus. And until we work out this cold-lunch dilemma, I thank you for preservatives and all things pre-packaged, especially those found in aisle eight (better known as the candy aisle).


Cheng Ma is a full-time student in NYU CUSP in 2017 Fall after graduating from the undergraduate university in China. His background is Resource and Environmental Economics. Experience in an emerging energy-saving tech company makes him interested in urban improvements about air quality and energy usage.
Dealt with series of truck energy-saving technology.
Used data analysis to detect the influences from different techs.


Organic skincare brand Mia & Dom has launched. Founded by herbalist Jennifer Feltham, the brand specialises in producing handmade herbal products for mothers and babies. The products, which feature 100% natural and organic ingredients, feature carefully selected combinations of herbs including calendula combined with lavender and rose hip for their soothing and relaxing properties. The collection comprises Nappy Rash Balm, Baby Shampoo, Morning Sickness Balm, Stretch Mark Oil, Nappy Serum, Calming Baby Massage Oil, Soothing Skin Salve and Lip Balm.


National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya (NIT Meghalaya) has published a recruitment notification (NITMGH/ES/REC/N-F/Vol.II /2018/2824) on 30/11/2018. The notification is for recruitment of Asst Registrar, Superintendent, Jr Assistant & Others. Here you will get the complete information about NIT Meghalaya Asst Registrar, Superintendent, Jr Assistant & Others Recruitment online application form 2019. You will get here complete detail about NIT Meghalaya Asst Registrar, Superintendent, Jr Assistant & Others application procedure, important dates, application fees, age limit, qualification, number of vacancies, pay scale and important links. If you have any doubt regarding NIT Meghalaya Asst Registrar, Superintendent, Jr Assistant & Others recruitment online application form procedure you can ask us via comment form given below.
The application procedure to apply for National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya Asst Registrar, Superintendent, Jr Assistant & Others recruitment 2019 is online. You are required to apply online through NIT Meghalaya Asst Registrar, Superintendent, Jr Assistant & Others online application form 2019. The links to apply online are given below.


yesterday I had a bit of a cooking day, I made lots of yummy food and one of the things I made was this delicious Maltesers Fudge. Since my last baking post was made last July, I thought it was well overdue that I put another recipe up on this blog. I based this recipe off of this one but I changed a few things around to make it more suited to me.
step one // line a cake pan with baking paper.
step two // boil water in a saucepan over a low heat. when the water has boiled, place heat proof bowl over the top and place the condensed milk and baking chocolate into the bowl.
step three // while the chocolate and condensed milk are combining place half of your maltesers into the bottom of your cake pan.
step four // stir the chocolate into the condensed milk until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is well combined. once combined, take off heat.
step five // once the fudge mixture has fully cooled (must be cooled as you don't want to melt the maltesers), pour the fudge over the maltesers on the bottom of the pan.
step six // with the remaining maltesers place on top of the fudge mixture. I pushed some maltesers right into the fudge so they would be in the middle but I found that some maltesers sank into the fudge so that is optional if you want to push them into the middle.
step seven // place your fudge mixture into the freezer overnight.
remove the pan from the freezer and put the baking paper with fudge onto a chopping board to cut up into small pieces.
+ make sure you use more baking paper so you can pull out the fudge when set.
+ must be over low heat so you don't burn chocolate or split the condensed milk.
+ I highly suggest putting the fudge mixture into the freezer for longer than over night as then the fudge will completely set and it won't be a sticky googy mess (unless you love a sticky googy fudge). I think my fudge was in the freezer for almost 24 hours.
+ I am not really sure how you store fudge but for now, I have placed my cut pieces into the fridge.
just look at that delicious fudge. I highly recommend making this amazing recipe, it is so easy and with only three ingredients, why wouldn't you want to make this!?


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You are at:Home»Featured»'American Gods' Season 1 Episode 2 Recap: The Secret of Spoon
'American Gods' Season 1 Episode 2 Recap: The Secret of Spoon
By Rebecca Murray on May 7, 2017 Featured, TV, TV Show Recaps
Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle in 'American Gods' season 1 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz' American Gods episode two titled 'The Secret of Spoon' begins with a flashback to 1697. A closeup of a spider fades into a scene of slaves huddled below deck on a ship. A man cries out to Anansi, pledging gifts and songs of praise if he frees him from these strange Dutch men who've bound his hands. He wonders where his mother is and a man in a wild suit enters the area below deck, informing the pleading slave his mother's been thrown off the boat. The stranger, Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones), also advises them to take swimming lessons and then tells them the story of black people in America. He provides them with a lesson in prejudice and what their future holds.
Mr. Nancy informs these men that even 300 years in the future they'll be discriminated against by white men. Mr. Nancy's happy when the pleading man becomes angry, saying "angry gets sh*t done." When Mr. Nancy suggests they rise up, slay their captures and burn the ship, a man speaks up and says they'll die too if the ship burns. "You're already dead, a**hole. At least die a sacrifice for something worthwhile," replies Mr. Nancy. He rips the pleading man's chains off (the pleading man sees Mr. Nancy in the form of a giant spider talking to them) and he frees the rest of the slaves. They race upstairs as fire spreads below deck, destroying the slave ship and killing all those on board. The spider survives, walking off a piece of wood and onto the beach.
Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) is stitched up after his encounter with Technical Boy's minions. He then makes his way to Mr. Wednesday's motel room where he finds him eating pizza with a naked young woman. Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) claims not to know about the attack on Shadow until Shadow describes Technical Boy and his limo, delivering the message that Technical Boy's reprogrammed reality. Mr. Wednesday tells Shadow to chalk the lynching up to an "occupational hazard," and he'll double his salary. Shadow accepts and heads off to get some sleep. Mr. Wednesday stops Shadow to let him know that despite not reacting angrily, he is insulted by Technical Boy and his attack and has a plan.
Shadow makes a bath and gently lowers himself into the tub. He moans in pain and removes his wedding ring. After the bath, Shadow falls asleep in bed and dreams he's visited by Laura (Emily Browning). He wakes up and cries, overcome with emotion.
Shadow, wearing a Motel America T-shirt with a buffalo, visits his home for one final time. Mail is piled up inside the door and a Welcome Home Shadow banner hangs in the living room. He has a vision of Laura standing by the sink in the kitchen and then one of her lying on their bed. He packs up his personal items, glancing occasionally at the evidence box on the bed. He finally opens it and goes through the possessions taken from Laura after she died. Her cell phone grabs his attention and he checks her text messages which include a picture of Robbie's penis.
He scrubs the house until his knuckles bleed and then finally has the moving company haul everything away. Mr. Wednesday leans against his car outside and Shadow says he won't miss this town, calling it Laura's town. Mr. Wednesday warns Shadow he's going to want to hurt him when he says what needs to be said. He says word on the street says Laura died giving Robbie head, and tells Shadow he only should feel bad about that for so long.
They hit the road and Mr. Wednesday informs his driver they are never supposed to take the highways. Mr. Wednesday explains if you've seen one highway, you've seen them all, asking Shadow to keep it under 70 mph. He also shares that they'll be meeting with people respected in their fields and then they'll rendezvous at one of America's most important places. But first, a stop in Chicago.
They stop at a diner where Mr. Wednesday has a meeting and he gives Shadow $1000 to do some shopping for him. Among the items he needs are maps, clipboards, five romance novels, Vodka, ear muffs, and highlighters. As Shadow passes rows of televisions, Lucille Ball talks to him and calls him by name. She talks about technology and how people worship in front of their screens, big and small, and apologizes for the beating he took from Technical Boy's minions. She offers Shadow a job, saying "we" are now and tomorrow while he's on the side of the road selling oranges that aren't even organic. She also reveals she was impressed with how he dealt with Technical Boy and says she'll give him anything he wants to work for her, even offering him a peek at Lucy's tits. She warns him she's trying to help him and that guys like him wind up committing suicide.
Shadow returns to the diner and Mr. Wednesday says his meeting went as well as could be expected. Shadow confesses he might be losing his mind and Mr. Wednesday believes he's trying to wiggle his way out of the job. He tells Mr. Wednesday Lucille Ball talked to him and Mr. Wednesday says the universe does seem to have singled him out for abuse. He should ask himself if he'd rather be ignored, and Shadow immediately answers yes. "Always better dead than forgotten, and no one is ever going to forget you," says Mr. Wednesday. Shadow has a choice: he didn't see what he saw or he did. Either the world or Shadow are crazy, and Mr. Wednesday tells him to take his time to consider that. "There are bigger sacrifices one might be asked to make than going a little mad," warns Mr. Wednesday.
They hit the road and Mr. Wednesday's impressed with Shadow's shopping skills except for his purchase of a cell phone. He doesn't want one and he also doesn't think Shadow needs one, tossing their phones out the car window.
We pause our Shadow story now to return to Bilquis (Yetide Badaki) in bed engaged in multiple sexual encounters, each ending with her partner pulled into her through her vagina. Later, she walks up to a statue of herself – the Queen of Sheba and goddess of love. In front of the statue is a case containing jewelry laid out full length. She watches as a human form is revealed under the jewelry.
Back to Shadow and Mr. Wednesday. They've made it to Chicago where Zorya Vechemyaya (Cloris Leachman) greets them at her front door and tells them "he" won't happy to see Mr. Wednesday. He assures her he wouldn't be there if it wasn't vital, handing her a bottle of Vodka. She calls her sister in and Mr. Wednesday gives her the romance novels. Zorya offers to read Shadow's fortune but he doesn't believe in it. She sends him off to sit down, instructing him to go down the hall to the second door, warning him not to go in the third door where her sister is sleeping. Once he's gone, she tells Mr. Wednesday Shadow doesn't know their world. Mr. Wednesday claims to be easing him in.
Peter Stormare and Ian McShane in 'American Gods' (Photo Credit: Starz)
Slavic god Czernobog (Peter Stormare) walks out of one of the rooms and throws a lamp at Mr. Wednesday, complaining to Zorya that he should not be in his home. Mr. Wednesday offers him gifts and Czernobog reluctantly allows them to stay for dinner. Shadow offers to help cook, and Zorya schools him on family. She then reads the grounds from his coffee and lies, saying he'll have a long, happy life with many children. Shadow replies, "That bad, huh? Any good news?" She says that although his mother died of cancer, he won't die of cancer.
Czernobog threatens Mr. Wednesday telling him he and Shadow need to leave. Mr. Wednesday wants him to go with them to the rendezvous, but Czernobog doesn't want anything to do with it. Mr. Wednesday says everyone will be there and they all respect him. Mr. Wednesday says without him they'll die, and as they argue the third sister wakes up. They tell her nothing's wrong and to go back to sleep.
Dinner is served and Czernobog discusses his brother and the presumption that his sibling was the good one. He talks about arriving in New York and then making his way to Chicago, and about his work as a meat killer taking sledgehammers to cows. He says it's a craft and you used to need strength to crush the brain inside the skull. That's a good death, and the cow is not angry. That's not how it's done now. He then challenges Shadow to a game of checkers. They both believe it's an honorable game and will play once they finish eating.
They begin to play and Czernobog retrieves his cow-killing hammer from the mantle. He claims it's responsible for 10,000 deaths as Shadow has a vision of blood dripping from the tool. They continue playing and Czernobog suggests they make a wager. If he loses, he'll go with Mr. Wednesday and do what he asks. If he wins, he will knock Shadow's brains out with his hammer. Mr. Wednesday tells Shadow it's his decision, and Shadow agrees. If this is all real, if there's a world under a world, it's all good says Shadow. Game on, they continue playing. Czernobog wins and Shadow will get down on his knees at sunrise and have his brains knocked out.
More on American Gods:
– American Gods Season 1 Episode 1 The Bone Orchard Recap
– American Gods Season 1 Episode 3 Head Full of Snow Recap
american gods cloris leachman emily browning ian mcshane orlando jones peter stormare recap ricky whittle yetide badaki
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text:
greenhouseumbria
Umbrian country house
Umbrian luxury apartment
Umbrian woodland project
Italy info
Our Italian town
Down-town apartment
Woodland site
Local town
We are a British couple, Tiffany Bown and Joe Studwell, who lived with our three children for more than a decade in a beautiful spot in Umbria, near the walled town of Città di Castello, before transferring to the UK in 2011.
A HOUSE IN RURAL UMBRIA
We moved to our haven of peace and tranquillity – with its heart-stopping views over hills of oak forests full of porcini mushrooms, truffles and wild boar – in 2000, after ten wonderful but stressful years of living and working as journalists in China. While in Italy, Joe continued to write, as a journalist and author, while Tiffany moved off in two directions – into the worlds of property restoration and of natural health (as a yoga teacher, naturopath and reflexologist, specializing in fertility).
The 400sqm farm house we had fallen in love with and bought in 1997 was a window-less, door-less stone shell that had been empty for some 35 years (on our first visits, we camped in tents). By the time we moved in in 2000, it had a new roof, stable walls and floors, and even windows, doors and basic utility supplies. But still only one room was habitable. That was our bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen for many months.
By 2002, the main renovation was complete and over the following years the house and its large garden became a well-lived-in and much-loved home. Since moving to the UK, we visit the house regularly, but have now decided to sell.
OLD-TOWN RESTORATIONS
In 2005, we needed some down-town office space, so bought a small apartment within the old-town walls of Città di Castello. We were then among the few foreigners owning town properties in the region. But in recent years, a steadily growing number of individuals — bucking the country-house trend — have been seeking out properties in small historic towns in Umbria and neighbouring Tuscany.
One of the biggest challenges of restoring such apartments is finding a promising unrenovated space, especially if the search is restricted to top-floor properties that offer the full romantic old-town experience, with a characterful interior and a terrace with roof-top views. Much has been spoiled by the misguided 'modernizations' of the 1960-70s. Other properties remain shut up by families that are not yet ready to sell. Many get sold off when elderly owners die, but only once their children have wrangled for a few years. Negotiations with these undecided heirs can be tortuous. But, with patience, care and local knowledge, wonders are to be found.
Since 2005, we have bought and restored four such gems, whose character and potential we spotted behind the small, dark and dingy rooms, the low ceilings and narrow corridors, and, in some cases, the sagging and leaking roofs. Each restoration has been a labour of love, focusing on being sympathetic both to the environment and to each property's character, to create light, modern, energy-efficient apartments that retain oodles of their old-world charm.
We finished our last project in 2010, having knocked down pointless walls and installed a ventilated roof, an internal wrought iron staircase and new electrical, plumbing and energy-saving heating systems, not to mention converting the junk-room attic space into two bedrooms and an extra bathroom. This lovely flat was our family's pied-a-terre in town, but, with our move to the UK, is now for sale.
A LITTLE HOUSE IN THE WOODS
We also have a beautiful woodland site with the stone remains of a small house in a clearing in the valley below our house in the countryside. The land is for sale with planning and other permissions for the construction of a completely new, ecologically state-of-the-art house.
greenhouseumbria ·


text:
AND NOW..... GayC/DC! The All-Gay AC/DC Tribute Band
GayC/DC is the world's first and only all-gay tribute to the music of AC/DC! Founded by Chris Freeman (bass player from iconic queer punk band Pansy Division), the idea for GayC/DC came from bouncing around names for more tribute bands with gay members after he'd been playing with the Gay Gay's (a gay tribute to the Go Go's) for more than a decade. After the Gay Gay's went on hiatus, Freeman, along with two other members of the Gay Gay's, moved forward with forming a band that could put a gay spin on the testosterone-fueled music of AC/DC. Freeman began by recruiting lightning-speed guitarist, Steve McKnight (who had been in the melodic hard rock band Cry Wolf since the late '80s) after meeting him online and sharing similar musical tastes.


text:
Q: Problems caused by android studio 3.0 update or bad code? I try to run the following code, but android studio keeps saying there are problems with saving string objects, but as far as I know the code was written correctly. Can anyone see where the problem is and help me fix it?
I have way more problems with the android studio after the latest update, so I have difficulty figuring out whether the problems are due to my code being wrong somewhere or the update.

Error:(90, 37) error: no suitable constructor found for Intent(CityWeatherData,Class) constructor Intent.Intent(String,Uri) is not applicable (argument mismatch; CityWeatherData cannot be converted to String) constructor Intent.Intent(Context,Class) is not applicable (argument mismatch; CityWeatherData cannot be converted to Context)
Error:(95, 13) error: cannot find symbol method startActivity(Intent)
Error:Execution failed for task ':app:compileDebugJavaWithJavac'. > Compilation failed; see the compiler error output for details.

I have a class that gets data from OpenWeatherMap as JSON objects and displays them in an Activity.
Non-activity class:
public class CityWeatherData extends AsyncTask<String,Void,String> {
    @Override
    protected String doInBackground(String... urls) {

        String result = ""; //JSON data will be kept here when first downloaded
        URL url;
        HttpURLConnection urlConnection = null;

        //API set up in OpenWeatherMap
        //Try and catch used in case user does not have internet connection etc.
        try {
            url = new URL(urls[0]);
            urlConnection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
            InputStream input = urlConnection.getInputStream();

            //Reader to read inputStream for URL
            InputStreamReader inputReader = new InputStreamReader(input);

            int data = inputReader.read(); //Data from stream is put into an int called data

            //When data finishes reading = -1 ; There for while loop need for data not equal to -1
            while (data != -1){

                char current = (char) data;
                result += current;
                data = inputReader.read();
            }

            return result;

        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        return null;
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
        super.onPostExecute(result);

        //Create JSON object from result
        try {
            JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(result);
            JSONObject weatherData = new JSONObject(jsonObject.getString("main"));
            //The data we are interesed in is located after "main"

            //Get temp from main
            double temp = Double.parseDouble(weatherData.getString("temp"));

            //Temp is given i Kelvin so it needs to be converted to Celcius
            int tempInt = (int) (temp -273.15);

            //Get city name
            String placeName = jsonObject.getString("name");

            //Get description
            String weatherDescription = jsonObject.getString("description");

            //Get humidity
            double humidityValue = Double.parseDouble(weatherData.getString("humidity"));

            Intent sendDataIntent = new Intent(CityWeatherData.this, CityDetailsActivity.class);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("tempData", tempInt);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("cityNameData", placeName);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("humidityData", humidityValue);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("descriptionData", weatherDescription);

        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Activity class:
public class CityDetailsActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    String placeName;
    int tempInt;
    double humidityValue;
    String weatherDescription;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_city_details);

        Bundle getData = getIntent().getExtras();
        if (getData !=null){
            int tempInt = getData.getInt("tempData");
            String placeName = getData.getString("cityNameData");
            double humidityValue = getData.getDouble("humidityData");
            String weatherDescription = getData.getString("descriptionData");

        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
        // Update with info from ShowData
        updateFields();
    }

    private void updateFields(){
        // Used to show data
        TextView city_name = findViewById(R.id.city_name);
        city_name.setText(placeName);
        TextView temp = findViewById(R.id.temp);
        temp.setText(String.valueOf(tempInt));
        TextView humidity = findViewById(R.id.humidity);
        humidity.setText(String.valueOf(humidityValue));
        TextView show_description = findViewById(R.id.show_description);
        show_description.setText(weatherDescription);
    }

    //Save current data in activity upon rotation
    @Override
    protected void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle outState) {
        super.onSaveInstanceState(outState);
    }
}

A: Your AsyncTask is taking in parameters without actually launching the activity.
Edit: Using weak reference for activity context.
private static class CityWeatherData extends AsyncTask<String,Void,String> {

        private WeakReference<MainActivity> mainActivity;

        public CityWeatherData(MainActivity context) {
            mainActivity = new WeakReference<>(context);
        }

        @Override
        protected String doInBackground(String... urls) {
          ....
        }

        @Override
        protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
            super.onPostExecute(result);
            MainActivity cxt = mainActivity.get();
            if (cxt != null) {

            //Create JSON object from result
        try {
            JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(result);
            JSONObject weatherData = new JSONObject(jsonObject.getString("main"));
            //The data we are interesed in is located after "main"

            //Get temp from main
            double temp = Double.parseDouble(weatherData.getString("temp"));

            //Temp is given i Kelvin so it needs to be converted to Celcius
            int tempInt = (int) (temp -273.15);

            //Get city name
            String placeName = jsonObject.getString("name");

            //Get description
            String weatherDescription = jsonObject.getString("description");

            //Get humidity
            double humidityValue = Double.parseDouble(weatherData.getString("humidity"));

            Intent sendDataIntent = new Intent(cxt, CityDetailsActivity.class);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("tempData", tempInt);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("cityNameData", placeName);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("humidityData", humidityValue);
            sendDataIntent.putExtra("descriptionData", weatherDescription);
            startActivity(sendDataIntent);

        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
      }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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