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The Circus Master: The Book the Vampires: Part 8: New Beginnings
As Marcozia lifted his stake into the air to strike the killing blow, Denika tried to fire another magical blast at the Vampire, but it deflected it as easily as it had done before, though at least this time Denika was able to evade it.
Denika fired different kinds of spells at the Vampire, but Marcozia either dodged them or managed to deflect the magic back at Denika. The magic that Denika used from her adopted world was new to Marcozia, and he could sense it was, so he knew not to try and deflect those attacks.
"Pathetic. You call yourself a Witch?" The Vampire sneered at her. "You'd be the type to get burned at the stake and be too stupid to realise you could just fly away on a broom!"
Whilst the Vampire was taunting her however, the Circus Master grabbed the rug that Marcozia was standing on and pulled it from under him, knocking the Vampire flat on his face.
Using the magic from her world, which Marcozia had no way of deflecting him, Denika engulfed the Vampire in an energy beam. It would be strong enough to vaporise a human in a matter of seconds, but Marcozia's Vampiric constitution allowed him to survive longer. He fought hard against the beam, but its power was too strong and he collapsed to the floor, apparently beaten. Suddenly the front two doors of the church came smashing down.
Four different breeds of Vampire stood there. A female Vampire with red hair, and green slimy tentacles emerging from various parts of her body (in truth Kelly.) A small Vampire with green skin, horns on its head, 4 eyes, and six arms. A Vampire with blue skin, black eyes like a shark, yellow fangs, and long arms that ended with three clawed fingers. Finally the last Vampire was a large, skinny, deathly pale, blonde creature with spindly arms and completely black eyes. Its mouth was twisted into a hideous grin.
Kelly shot one of her tentacles at Denika, who was forced to place a magical shield around herself for protection. Unfortunately as a result she had to abandon her spell around Marcozia. Marcozia's flesh was badly burned from her spell and in rage he jumped at Denika tearing through her magical barrier with his strength and knocking her to the ground below. The Circus Master ran to help her, but as he did, Kelly reached out and grabbed him by the leg, pulling the Vandal towards the other three Vampires, who started to scratch, punch and kick the Circus Master furiously.
Marcozia slowly choked the life out of Denika. He wanted to savour her death after what she had put him through. It had been a long time since anyone, apart from his maker, had been able to hurt him.
With her last ounce of strength Denika managed to summon up a small blast using magic created from her adopted universe that threw Marcozia across the room.
Marcozia however quickly jumped back up and ran at Denika. Too weak to summon up powerful magics, and knowing that Marcozia would most likely dodge her attacks, Denika fired a magical blast into the ceiling causing rubble to fall between her and the Vampire.
Getting her strength back, Denika quickly flew into the air and fired another blast at the ceiling above the Vampire, burying him under a mass of rubble.
Denika then flew towards the Vampires attacking the Circus Master. She fired an energy blast at the blue clawed Vampire. It was clearly not as strong as Marcozia as it was vaporized relatively quickly.
The other monsters quickly turned their attention to the Witch and started attacking her, though Denika was able to evade their attacks.
Whilst they were distracted, the Circus Master headed for his his hat containing the weapons.
Kelly was soon able to get a lucky hit at Denika and send her flying towards the upper balcony, before scaling the side of the building with her tentacles in pursuit.
The Circus Master pulled a copper knife from his hat and plunged it into the blonde Vampire's heart. (He had encountered this breed in the future and knew their weaknesses.)
The smaller green Vampire shoved its hand through the Vandal's stomach, but the Circus Master finished him by putting his hat over its head and pulling it down. The hat's magical security system fired various anti Vampire and Demon repellents into the monsters head causing the green Vampire to slump to the floor in agony. Of all the weapons that had been fired into the monsters head, the Circus Master could see that the iron knife had hurt him the most, and so he pulled it out and shoved it straight through the beasts heart.
Kelly meanwhile had managed to ensnare Denika. Clinging to the roof by two of her tentacles, she wrapped one tentacle around Denika's waist, one around her neck and four around her arms and legs. The only reasons Denika was still alive was because the monster couldn't decide whether it wanted to crush the life out of her, or tear her into five pieces.
The Circus Master jumped up to the ceiling to attack the Vampire, but Kelly quickly batted him away with another tentacle.
Whilst the Circus Master was on the floor, Kelly reached one tentacle down and wrapped it around his legs and started to bash Vandal against the roof and walls of the Church. The Circus Master however held onto his hat and threw two knives into the tentacles the monster used to hold onto the roof, severing them.
Kelly fell to the ground, dropping Denika who then flew out of reach. The Circus Master threw several more knives into the tentacled monster from his hat, distracting her long enough for Denika to catch Kelly in an energy blast, similar to the one she had used on Marcozia. Whilst caught in the blast, the Vampire reached one tentacle out and managed wrap it around Denika's throat. The Circus Master however again severed the tentacle, this time using his own claws! Within a matter of seconds Kelly was vaporised into nothing.
The two had not known Kelly in life, but they had ultimately done her a bigger favour than anyone who had. They had spared her from an eternity as that monster and put her down before she got a chance to harm her loved ones.
"Quick get them out of her now" the Circus Master said about Marcozia's prisoners to Denika, whilst he went for the book of the Vampires which he then placed in his hat.
Denika wrapped an energy bubble around herself and the three people Marcozia had held prisoner who she quickly flew out of the church, with the Circus Master following her.
Marcozia meanwhile pulled himself out of the rubble, roaring and hissing. He ran towards the doors of the church, only to see Denika conjuring up a massive energy blast in front. In panic he ran back through the church. Denika's blast however brought the entire church down though Marcozia was still able to escape just in time by jumping out the back window. The blast still scorched the Vampire and threw him several feet through the air.
"Cursed Witch!" he screamed in pain and anger.
It had been twenty minutes since Brian had made last tried to attack Ashlei. She had now become lost in the factory.
Occasionally she heard her monstrous brother cackle. "Why are you hiding." Ashlei shouted whilst holding her crowbar up. "Then your pain would be over" Brian taunted
Ashlei backed into a wall. She could barely see anything in the pitch black, but she could at least make sure that he couldn't jump her from behind this way.
Suddenly Ashlei saw a figure dart by at a lightening speed. It looked smaller than Brian. Had he turned another? She couldn't take this torment for another second.
"You fucking coward. Fight me!" she screamed in panic, only to be greeted by the sound of her Demonic brother screaming. "What kind of trick is this." She thought.
The screaming didn't stop. Still holding her crowbar, Ashlei moved forward slightly, getting a glimpse of something in the distance. It was her brother fighting with a smaller Vampire. The Strange Boy!
"Thank God" Ashlei said to herself whilst dropping her crowbar in relief.
The Strange Boy had been left to guard the tent by the Circus Master. Though nothing could enter the tent, the Circus Master was still worried that Brian could lure Ashlei outside.
The Strange Boy however had almost instantly abandoned his post. Whether this was because of his increasingly unpredictable nature, or even just because a Vandal had asked him, Ashlei had no idea, but he had tracked Ashlei through the factory.
Brian had no chance against the Strange Boy. His breed of Vampire were far more powerful than Brian's. The fight was over in just a few minutes, with Brian only managing to land a few hits on the Boy, who in turn broke the larger Vampires legs and tore his guts out!
As Brian lay beaten on the floor, the Strange Boy pulled out a copper knife and prepared to strike it into the Vampires heart.
"STOP" Ashlei shouted to both Vampires surprise.
"Let me do it" she said.
Carlene, Florence and Keptis had managed to make their way to what looked like an old prison where the Vampires kept most of the humans for food, or to be turned into new Alpha's. (Though they also kept people in cages underneath other old buildings when the prison was full.)
The three had evaded the horde of pursuing Vampires by jumping from the tops of buildings (with Florence carrying Keptis.) They had managed to lose the monsters by jumping down a back alley and then sneaking in through a nearby house, after which they then slipped out through a nearby window.
The Vampires were running through the streets tearing up buildings to try and find their enemies. The three time travellers, keeping out of sight crept in through a back window of the prison.
Inside there were very few people. Most had either been turned into monsters or dragged off to be tortured and killed by the Vampires. The prison was dark and dank and limbs and entrails were scattered around the place.
Whilst Carlene and Keptis searched the nearby area for any Vampires, Florence approached the first prisoner they could see, a young man cowering in a near by cell, covered in blood.
Suddenly he ground beneath Florence's feet began to shake and she was knocked over as something big began to emerge out of the floor.
It was a giant snail's shell. Carlene quickly shouted at Florence to get out of there. She knew this breed of Vampire from her time only too well.
Before Florence could even get up however, the upper body of a hideous, green, slimy bald, fanged man came out of the shell and grabbed Florence. The monster didn't even speak. It was completely animalistic.
Carlene tried to attack the Snail Vampire but it smacked her across the room and through the doors of a nearby cell.
Keptis tried to attack the Vampire next with his flaming saw, but the monster deflected the saw onto its shell which it bounced off of!
Florence however grabbed one of the poles from the cell door that Carlene had been thrown through and stabbed it into the Vampires eye. Whilst the Vampire screamed, Keptis saw its hand off with his saw. Carlene then jumped on the Vampires held it down, whilst Keptis sawed the monsters head clean off.
"Snail Vampires were always my least favourite." Carlene said with revulsion as she wiped the stinging slime from its back off her hands.
The two Vampires and the Martian were able to free all of the captives with Keptis easily slicing its way through the metal bars.
When they reached the bottom floor however, dozens of Vampires came bursting in through the walls from different corners. The three time travellers were completely surrounded, but they made sure to put the prisoners in middle. Fortunately help soon arrived in the form of Denika, who came crashing through from above in a magical bubble along with The Circus Master and Marcozia's prisoners.
She quickly scooped the other three time travellers up from the ground and flew back through the sky.
Several winged Vampires started to attack the bubble, though most of them simply bounced off of it. Still each time they struck the bubble, Denika was clearly hurt.
One Vampire managed to jump its way through the bubble just like Marcozia had done, but Keptis quickly disposed of it with his flaming saw.
"There are other prisoners, we need to find them" Carlene said.
The Strange Boy handed Ashlei the copper knife whilst he held the Vampire down. The Strange Boy's behaviour was hard to predict, but he seemed to understand on some small level why Ashlei felt she should do this herself.
Ashlei still hesitated for a few minutes. The Strange Boy didn't react one way or the other. It just stood there as always with no expression.
"Please Ashlei. Don't fail me again like you always did." Brian whimpered. Even when begging for its life a Vampire couldn't help but be cruel.
After waiting for a few minutes Ashlei finally plunged the knife straight through the Vampires heart. Just before Brian crumbled into nothing, Ashlei said. "I'm doing this for Brian. The real Brian."
After killing the twisted Demonic caricature of her brother Ashlei simply sat in silence. The danger was over, for her now anyway, but she started to wonder why she had even fought so hard for life. Where could she possibly go from here. The Special Boy as always didn't speak or acknowledge anything had happened, but he still didn't leave her side.
The Circus Folk had managed to find a few more survivors scattered about the village, which they were able to trace using Carlene, Florence and the Circus Masters' advanced sense of smell. Unfortunately the stress of carrying so many people, now up to 20 was weighing heavily on Denika. She almost couldn't bare it.
"Down there" Carlene shouted, pointing at what looked like a small park.
In the centre of the park were a few people hung upside down from trees, all women, and they all looked as though they had been beaten and scratched.
Denika lowered them to an area just outside the trees. She was forced to temporarily release the bubble when she landed, she was so exhausted. It was a struggle to stay awake.
8 Vampires instantly came jumping down from the trees as the Circus Folk approached the hostages. They were of the same breed as each other and looked relatively human, albeit with reddish skin. They were incredibly fast and agile. Carlene, Keptis, the Circus Master and Florence battled the Vampires. Physically they were very weak, and quite easy for the experience hunters to overpower, but their speed made them a pain.
Whilst the Circus folk were distracted however, the horde caught up with the time travellers and started to attack their prisoners. One of the winged Vampires grabbed a prisoner, a young girl, and threw her to the horde who then tore her apart.
Denika was too weak to even fight back. Seeing what was happened, Carlene quickly grabbed the Circus Masters hat and jumped in front of Denika and the prisoners who all huddled together. She started to throw various knives at the Vampires. As there were so many different breeds, some Vampires were not affected, though she did manage to slay over a dozen or so of the monsters. There were far too many of them however and they soon cornered Carlene and the prisoners.
Denika managed to muster up her strength just in time and send a wave to blast the Vampires back, before placing the bubble around herself, her team mates and the prisoners, who Keptis, Florence and the Circus Master had managed to bring down from the trees.
"We, we have to get out of here." Denika said weakly as they hovered to sky. "I can't hold on much longer. We've scoured the entire village, there are no more survivors."
"Yes." Said the Circus Master. "If only we'd arrived earlier. We'll need to fly round the village one more time however." He continued.
"Why!" Denika said barely able to speak she was in so much pain from the struggle.
"We need to burn it down that's why." The Circus Master replied as he reached into his hat for several of Denika's flame bottles. There were 8 in total which he threw all over the village. He couldn't make the bottles target each individual Vampire. There wouldn't be enough for that. Instead he directed the magical flames to take the entire village down. The Vampires started to flee, but the flames cut them off as the spread around the entire village. Among the Vampires Carlene caught sight of in the panic was the young urchin boy.
In a matter of minutes the entire village went up in flames and Denika only just made it out before finally fainting in mid flight. She and all of the others she was carrying fell from about 20 feet in the air.
One of the prisoners even broke their leg in the fall. Carlene managed to catch Denika before she hit the ground however, but she couldn't rouse her.
"Denika, Denika please say something". She had been pushed too far, not just in carrying the prisoners, but also in levelling the building and conjuring the magics from her world, which took considerably more power.
The sound of the Vampires screaming in the flames was deafening, but not all of the bloodsuckers were consumed in the fire.
4 large grey Vampires came marching out of the fire and Marcozia stood on the largest grey Vampires shoulders above the flames.
Marcozia instantly jumped at the Circus Master, whilst the grey Vampires went for the others. Carlene tried to punch one of the monsters but it simply grabbed her arm which it then broke before throwing her back towards the flames, though Florence managed to divert her in time.
Keptis' flaming saw was no use. It simply bounced off of the Vampires and when he tried to fight them in hand to hand combat they easily dominated the Martian. Still he didn't give up.
Marcozia meanwhile after overpowering the Circus Master had stolen the Vandals hat from him. Whenever the Circus Master tried to get it back, Marcoza would easily dodge his attacks and strike him to the floor.
"Without this box of tricks you're nothing! Tell you what, get on your knees and beg and I'll give them back and you can try and save your friends." Marcozia taunted
The Circus Master looked around at Florence and Carlene being hopelessly overpowered by one of the grey Vampires, whilst the other three toyed with Keptis.
"Well do we have a deal."
The Circus Master got down on his knees much to Marcozia's delight.
"I honestly thought you'd have more dignity than that, then again you are a Vandal."
Whilst he was gloating however, the Circus Master dug his long talons into the earth and threw mud in the Vampires eyes. Whilst Marcozia was blinded for just a few seconds, the Circus Master attacked the Vampire and slashed him repeatedly, tearing his guts out, slashing one of his hands off and clawing out one of his eyes, before grabbing the hat.
The Circus Master threw two gold knives to Carlene and Florence. Carlene slashed the Grey Vampire in the throat before burying her knife into its chest, killing it instantly.
Florence meanwhile jumped onto the back of one of the Grey Vampires attacking Keptis' back and stabbed it through the heart, before flipping over to face the other two. She managed to stab another of the monsters before it could even react, whilst with the final monster she quickly dodged its attack, slashed at its kneecaps, then its chest, and its throat, before finally stabbing it through the heart.
Marcozia quickly grabbed Keptis whilst Florence was busy with the Vampires and held him by the throat.
"Give me the book" he snarled at the Circus Master. "Or I'll tear this freak's head off."
The Circus Master reached into his hat, but rather than the book, he threw a stake to Keptis who caught it and stabbed Marcozia in the shin, before punching him in the face.
Whilst the Vampire was dazed and weakened from the pain, the Circus Master jumped him and lifted Marcozia above his head before throwing him into the flames of the village.
Marcozia's screams were quickly drowned out those of the other Vampires in the burning village.
"It's over" the Circus Master said to himself. The Vampires base of operations was destroyed and the book was in their possession. Sadly not all of the Vampires would perish in the flames. The Circus Master and Carlene had encountered many of the 'new' breeds in the village in the far future. Clearly some of them would escape the flames and infect others, or at the very least they had infected others around London already.
There was nothing the Circus Folk could do to stop that, but they had succeeded in their mission in preserving the time line.
It would be another 2 months before they could leave Victorian England however. They had to make sure that the 28 people they rescued from the Vampires did not share anything they had learned about the supernatural to preserve the timeline. They also had to make sure that the families of those who didn't make it, such as Kelly were informed which was always the hardest part of the mission.
The Circus folk also had to make sure than of the surviving Vampires didn't regroup and to bury the book. The Circus Master couldn't destroy it, even if he wanted to. It would be discovered again at a later date according to the timeline, so he made sure to bury it in the place it would be found.
At the very least it would be several decades before its horrors would be unleashed upon mankind again.
During this time Carlene looked after the children. Carlene had been the one who found Ashlei in the factory after they returned to the Circus from the village. Carlene was furious that the Strange Boy had abandoned his post, and scolded him. Not that the little Vampire even noticed. Ashlei didn't even have to tell Carlene what had happened. She couldn't bring herself to say it. As soon as Carlene arrived Ashlei collapsed into her arms sobbing.
Ashlei always felt she could be herself around Carlene more than anyone. Even with her brothers she had to be the strong one, but with Carlene she could be honest with how she really felt. Even then however Ashlei still found it hard to talk about what happened with Tom and Brian. She didn't want to admit it happened.
Carlene would wait on the two children every day for 2 months. Fortunately for Daniel they had managed to catch the infection in time, though he still went through hell for a few days until he was sure he wasn't infected. It was only due to Carlene's support that both children were able to make it through the darkest periods in their lives.
Sadly however after 2 months. The Circus Folk were ready to go and Carlene wanted to go with them.
Carlene for the first time in a long while felt that she had really belonged among others when she was with the Circus Folk. Fortunately for Carlene they were not only happy for her to come along after she had proven herself in battle, but they needed her to come along to preserve the timeline.
The reason the Circus Master had known who Carlene was in the first place, was because he had learned about his own future where Carlene would be part of the team on one of his many travels.
Ironically had Carlene not wanted to travel with the Circus Folk then that could have posed a serious problem for the timeline!
Telling Ashlei and Daniel that she would be leaving them would be no easy task. Carlene didn't want to leave either, but she wanted to move on from Victorian London, and the Vampire also felt that if she stayed with the children; she would just make Ashlei and Daniel targets for both the supernatural and the easily frightened citizens of London.
Carlene intended to leave her house and wealth to the two children, but it sadly it wasn't enough. For Ashlei anyway. Daniel was upset but he understood Carlene's reasons. Ashlei simply couldn't bare to lose someone again.
"I'm sorry darling". Carlene said softly. "I have to go to preserve the timeline . Call it fate or destiny or whatever, but I have to go."
"In my entire life Carlene, you've been the closest thing I've ever had to a mother. Now I'm going to lose you too. I don't think I can."
Carlene hugged Ashlei. "I wish it could be different Ashlei."
"Take me with you." Ashlei said through the tears.
"I'm afraid I can't."
"You just want to abandon me like everyone else."
"You wouldn't be safe Ashlei."
"You can protect me. Please, just ask them."
Carlene thought about it for a second. Deep down she wanted Ashlei to come with her too. She had grown extremely fond of the young girl. Still she'd never forgive herself if anything happened to her. Carlene decided to let Ashlei ask the Circus Master, believing that he would tell her that she couldn't come to preserve the timeline.
It was cowardly Carlene admitted to herself, to put the task on the Circus Master, but she felt Ashlei would accept it more if it was to preserve the timeline.
Daniel was adamant about not going with them. Whilst he was sad to see both Ashlei and Carlene go, he had had his fill of adventure and monsters for one lifetime. Somehow Ashlei and Daniel both knew this would be the last time they would see one another and wished each other luck.
"Goodbye Ashlei. I hope you can find peace wherever you go."
"You too Daniel. I'm sorry I said I'd always be there for you."
"Its okay I understand. Thank you both for everything."
When Carlene and Ashlei arrived at the Circus, the others except for the Circus Master were surprised to see Ashlei.
"You're not thinking of bringing her along too?" Keptis said in disbelief.
"Please let me come with you. I've got nothing back here. I want" she said as she clutched onto Carlene. "To be with you."
The Circus Master was silent for a few seconds before letting out a big smile.
"Of course you can come with us."
The rest of the Circus Folk were shocked.
"Are you taking the piss?" Keptis said
"I don't make the rules up. You should know that by now. Do you remember in the year 1949 when we took care of that skirmish between the Goblins and the Monsters, the old man who made sure I took his diary with me? Take a look" The Circus Master said as he took the diary out of the book case and tossed it to Keptis.
Keptis flicked through the book for a few seconds before handing it round the others.
"Well that settles that then." Keptis said somewhat embarrassed.
"I can't say that a young child with no fighting skills is an ideal choice of companion, but like I said I don't make the rules up. Miss McKay I hope you do us proud"
Ashlei hugged Carlene who was still unsure about the whole situation. At the very least she didn't have to break Ashlei's heart, but she wasn't sure what kind of a life they could give the young girl. The Circus Master tossed a coin into the fountain which then turned green, before the Circus vanished in a puff of purple smoke, to another time and place.
Whilst Daniel had had his fill of the supernatural, he would go on to use his wealth to fund research into the occult. He lived a long and very happy life thanks to Carlene's wealth and he never forgot who was responsible for it. Many years later he would repay the favour to Carlene and Ashlei in 1949 when he met a younger version of the Circus Master and gave him his diary, which he assured the Vandal would come in handy one day for both of them.
Tagged The Book of the Vampires, The Circus Master


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If you were to break into an office building not occupied since the mid-70s, there's a good chance you'd see tacked to the wall a pine-based receptacle labeled Suggestion Box. This padlocked box would have a slot on top that allowed for the insertion of small slips of paper—each one containing a hastily scribbled note complaining about Fred in Accounting.
The physical suggestion box has largely disappeared, but there's no reason for its functionality to, particularly if you're willing to spend a little time with Automator. In the following few paragraphs I'll show you how to construct and automate a virtual suggestion box so you can get employee feedback. These instructions work in both OS X 10.7 (Lion) and OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).
When they have a suggestion to share, they can fire up TextEdit, make as many disparaging remarks about Fred as they like, and drop the saved TextEdit file into the Suggestion Box folder. It will be copied to the host folder on your Mac.
Now that their work is done, you can get to yours. Launch Automator and in the workflow template that appears, choose Calendar Alarm (iCal Alarm, if you're using Lion), and click Choose. In the library pane to the far left of the workflow, select Files & Folders and drag the Get Specified Finder Items action into the workflow area. Then add these actions below—Get Folder Contents (Files & Folders library), Combine Text Files (Text library), New TextEdit Document (Text library), Get Specified Finder Items (Files & Folders), Get Folder Contents (Files & Folders), and Move Finder Items (Files & Folders).
Into the first action (Get Specified Finder Items) drag your Suggestion Box folder. Do the same thing with the next instance of Get Specified Finder Items. To accomodate the last action—Move Finder Items—create a folder on the desktop and call it Archived Suggestions. Drag this folder on top of the To menu in the Move Finder Items action.
Save your workflow and, when prompted, enter a name such as Suggestion Box for it and click on the Save button. Calendar (or iCal, if you're running Lion) will open and a new Automator calendar will be created (if one doesn't already exist). If you run into the bug where the calendar alarm workflow turns into a regular workflow, choose File -> Convert To, and save a copy as a calendar alarm.
Your Suggestion Box workflow will appear as a calendar event. Select it, press Command-E to edit it, and change its start time to 5 PM. Click on Repeat, in the Frequency window that appears, choose Every Week, and move the event to a convenient day—Friday, for example. (If you'd like to see suggestions each work day select Custom, click on the Monday through Friday buttons, and click OK.
So, what have we done? At 5 PM on each Friday our workflow looks in the Suggestion Box folder for any text files it finds. It then launches TextEdit and combines those text files into a single document that you can then peruse at your leisure. Having created the file with the combined suggestions, it moves the original text files into the Archived Suggestions folder.
Of course you needn't use this workflow strictly for a suggestion box. It's an easy way to effortlessly combine any text files and bring them to your attention, whether or not they beef about Fred.


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Cystic fibrosis can bring its own financial burden, so we provide a range of grants for people with cystic fibrosis and their families that struggle to meet these costs.
Through our welfare and rights advice service, we can offer expert and personalised information and advice on benefits issues, including benefits checks and support through the benefits process.
Small grants of up to £150 to help in times of immediate financial need.
Grants of £250 to help with the costs associated with attending a transplant assessment and having a transplant.
Grants of up to £350 to fund goods or services that will improve the health and wellbeing of someone with cystic fibrosis (e.g., white goods, gym membership, exercise equipment).
Grants of up to £300 to fund holidays, breaks, trips or days out for adults with cystic fibrosis who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a break.
One-off emergency grants of up to £500 for times of acute illness or personal crisis, designed to support people with cystic fibrosis to be cared for comfortably at home.
One-off grants to fund the cost of a pre-payment certificate for prescriptions.
What is the Transplant Grant and what can I use it for?
Transplant are grants of up to £250 to cover the costs of travel or accommodation that people with cystic fibrosis and their families can incur when being assessed for a transplant or when having a transplant.
The grants are for a maximum of £250. You can apply up to two months after your assessment/transplant.
Every person with cystic fibrosis can apply for two transplant grants - one to cover costs associated with transplant assessment and one to cover costs associated with a transplant.
Please complete the application form and send it in to us by email or post to the address on the form. The application will need to be endorsed by a member of your cystic fibrosis/transplant team.
If you need any help applying for this grant, please contact our helpline.
For more information please read our grant guidelines.
When someone with cystic fibrosis dies, we can provide a grant of £750 to help with funeral costs. Grants are usually processed within 14 days of us receiving a completed application, and we can pay the grant to funeral directors directly if it is more convenient.
We aim to make it as easy as possible for bereaved families to apply for this grant at such a difficult time.
Please complete the application form and send it in to us by email or post to the address on the form. The application will need to be supported by a professional who was involved in the medical care of the person who has died – if this is difficult for you to arrange please contact us and we will help.
We provide information to support those coping with a bereavement.
These grants are administered on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust by the Joseph Levy Foundation.
The Joseph Levy Education Fund helps adults with cystic fibrosis over the age of 18 with the costs of higher education or other professional qualifications including vocational training. The Fund also accepts applications from people with cystic fibrosis aged 16 or 17 who are not moving into formal further education and who wish instead to undertake vocational training.
For further information please contact Maria Zava by email or on 020 7616 1207.


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How could your organisation partner with well-aligned brands in such a way that creates much greater awareness of your mission and the outcomes you are seeking, as well as creating new and untapped revenue streams?
In this webinar Abby will explore the practical implications for your organisation of offering well aligned brands Endorsement status and 'Proud Supporter' status – two areas that have the potential to transform your performance, maximise your impact and increase your income.


Our Surface Cool Grey Lapatto 30x60 Porcelain Tile is the ultimate choice for any bathroom, ensuite or cloakroom. This stunning tile features a cool grey natural effect for a luxurious feel in your home. Its porcelain design creates a highly durable composition that's ideally suited to high traffic environments.


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The Mills College Chapel marks 50 years of making meaning and bridging communities
As the Chapel marks its 50th birthday, the campus chaplain reflects on the state
of faith at Mills today and the importance of cultivating interfaith awareness in order
to address today's polarizing political and social issues.
By Mills Quarterly in Summer 2017 on June 15, 2017 June 14, 2019
By Dara Olandt
In fall 1965, longtime Mills chaplain George Hedley bent with a shovel to "turn the earth" at the groundbreaking of the Mills College Chapel. Not unlike today, the country at that time was embroiled in passionate debates sparked by social movements advancing racial and economic justice, women's rights, environmental protection, and the cessation of war. On the national stage, religious leaders were a powerful force in these efforts. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.linked arms with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and other diverse religious leaders on the pivotal civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama—an image that encapsulates interfaith cooperation aimed at a greater good.
Within this context, the Chapel's founders aspired to create a physical site for open, pluralistic spiritual reflection and awareness. At the building's dedication on June 11, 1967, the circular sanctuary filled with the voices of the choir along with students, faculty, staff, and counselors to Jewish, Catholic, and Episcopal campus groups. Coming together to celebrate, these multitudes began to fulfill the building's promise to be a center for people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds—including those with no religious affiliation at all.
In 2017, the Chapel remains both a sanctuary and a symbol: a place for rest and renewal, an opportunity to absorb beauty and music, a space to experience solace, contemplation, celebration, and ceremony.
Today, the religious landscape at Mills—and across our country—has changed dramatically from what it was only decades ago. Increasingly, when presented with a survey on religious or spiritual identity, students prefer to check the box labeled "none of the above." Yet nearly half of Mills students this year consider themselves "spiritual or religious," and the campus hosts a broad spectrum of student-led religious and spiritual groups: the Muslim Student Alliance, Jewish Student Collective, two Pagan groups, and Workers of Faith, a Christian-identified group focused on service and social justice.
Yet, religious identity doesn't necessarily fit into neat categories. Students may or may not claim affiliation with any specific religion, but wide-ranging research offers evidence that the search for purpose and meaning in life continues to be a primary concern of collegeage students here and elsewhere. At Mills, we offer a broad and inclusive definition of "spirituality" as "meaningmaking." We encourage people to claim their own spiritual development and to examine their various strands of identity and how these connect to their life experiences, values, ethics, and sense of self within community. We also aim to create opportunities to understand the diverse identities of others; this year at Mills we saw a reconstituted Interfaith Alliance to foster dialog and understanding across religious boundaries.
And while many of today's political and social conflicts are framed as religious struggles, supporting inter-religious dialog, dismantling assumptions and stereotypes, and cultivating interfaith literacy remain critically important.
Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Core and a member of former President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships, suggests: "The question of how people orient around religion differently, or interact with one another, whether that be based on conflict or cooperation, will be one of the most engaging questions of the 21st century." Patel identifies college campuses as uniquely situated to be labs of learning in which students practice engaging one another across lines of differences and can work together in mutual support and common cause.
Such questions and challenges have been deeply apparent at Mills this year. The heated rhetoric of the presidential race, the uptick in Islamophobic hate crimes, the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, concerns about safety for undocumented families and individuals, and a wave of bomb threats at Jewish community centers across the country generated pain and anxiety for many.
Students were keenly interested in showing care for each other, but were uncertain about how best to do so. Interfaith Alliance offered a platform to help spiritual groups to reach out and show support for each other, beginning with dialog on two key questions: "What can make crossing boundaries of religious and spiritual difference seem risky? What are some barriers to sharing with and learning from others in a multi-religious setting?" This conversation exposed both differences and similarities, but allowed connection and positive action. Over the course of the year, the Muslim Student Alliance (MSA) hosted a healing circle for Muslim students and a vigil honoring Syria. Students in the Workers of Faith offered to cook a meal for the MSA, and members of the Jewish Student Collective crafted a statement of solidarity.
These instances of students figuring out how to demonstrate their compassion reaffirms that times of great challenge can also bring forward the best in people. These groups embraced the hard work that goes into building bridges of respect and creating a stronger, more resilient community. Not only can mutual relationships be healing in themselves but, practically speaking, such alliances provide a network that can be more successfully utilized to face challenges from hate crimes to natural disasters. This is a core concept in community organizing and holds true for interfaith organizing as well.
What students do in the microcosm of Mills is, in fact, a vital practice in making stronger, safer, and more supportive networks in the many communities they inhabit beyond campus. Navigating the messy terrain of asking uncomfortable questions, learning about one another's worldviews, and exploring what solidarity looks like in practice is a necessary skill for citizens today. Developing honest, connected relationships that appreciate differences creates essential human linkages upon which any collective future is possible. ◆
Tags: campus, chapel
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Keep your eyes open for some changes to Kill Eat Exploit the Weak's online presence in the near future. CFMU has some major digital media updates in the works, and along with the rest of the shows airing on 93.3 FM, we'll be sharing in the benefits.
In the meantime, here's a rundown of the last couple of months on KEEW. If you tuned in over the holidays you will have noted a few reruns... We decided to take some time off so we could come back re-energized and excited for the new year. So far, seems like it was a good call.


This conditioner with Ocean Silk Technology and Natural Vegetable Proteins creates volume, structure and strength. It moisturizes, protects, and detangles to make hair look and feel fuller without weighing the hair down. Massage into washed hair, comb through gently. Allow 12 minutes to work in. Rinse well.


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ForefrontMayo Clinic Cancer Center's Online Magazine
StoriesArchivesAbout Forefront
Protein may predict response to immunotherapy for melanoma
Volume 5, Issue 1, 2016
The discovery of biomarkers of sensitivity to treatment is vital for informing clinical decisions.
Roxana S. Dronca, M.D.
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have identified a protein marker whose frequency may predict how patients respond to PD-1 blockade immunotherapy for melanoma.
Their findings were presented at the Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival in New York City in September 2015.
"The discovery of biomarkers of sensitivity to treatment is vital not only for informing clinical decisions, but also for identifying which patients with melanoma, and possibly other malignancies, may be most likely to benefit from PD-1 blockade," said Roxana S. Dronca, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Cancer Center hematologist. "This will allow us to expose fewer patients to inadequate treatment and the associated toxicities and costs."
The protein marker called Bim helps coordinate programmed cell death, a natural process that occurs in many cells, including T cells, and a subset of immune cells that can recognize and kill tumor cells. Interaction of a molecule called PD-1 on T cells with a molecule called PD-L1 activates Bim and can induce T cell death.
Tumors can exploit the process of cell death by overexpressing PD-L1 and killing T cells that could recognize and eliminate them.
In an effort to overcome the problem of tumors evading the immune system, Dr. Dronca and her colleagues generated biological molecules that block PD-1 from interacting with PD-L1. These PD-1 blockers have shown promising results in some patients with cancer, but not others — prompting a search for markers that could predict how patients will respond to the molecules before treatment.
"If I know that a patient has a very high likelihood of responding to anti-PD-1 therapy, I'm going to be more inclined to recommend that treatment and feel better about the choice," Dr. Dronca said.
Researchers also found that patients with metastatic melanoma who responded to PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab had more tumor-targeting T cells expressing Bim and PD-1 in their blood prior to therapy than did patients who did not respond. They also observed that this trend reversed after weeks of treatment, suggesting that proportions of these cells can be measured to help clinicians decide which patients should and should not be treated with PD-1 blockade.
"Responders also had higher levels of soluble PD-L1 in their blood prior to treatment," Dr. Dronca said. "This suggests that PD-1 blockade is most effective when the PD-1-PD-L1 interaction plays a major role in disease."
Race may be a factor in colon cancer recurrence
Meet the Investigator: Minetta C. Liu, M.D.
PBA-20191406


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Pro bike: Alexander Kristoff's new Canyon Aeroad CF SLX
Tech story behind Milan-San Remo winner's new aero steed
by Timothy John
Canyon has unveiled its new flagship, aero-profiled race bike, the Aeroad CF SLX, just days before the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France.
RoadCyclingUK first encountered the new bike in Megève, on a recent visit to the French Alps for the Critérium du Dauphiné, but the official unveiling took place earlier this week in a Leeds hotel, attended by Movistar's Alex Dowsett and world number one, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Canyon supply bikes to the teams of both men. RCUK was among the invited guests.
It is billed as "made for the WorldTour" and is an uncompromised race bike, designed to complement a range to which a machine with concessions to comfort – the Endurace CF – has recently been added. "If you have a wider range, you can focus more on each platform," chief designer, Wolfgang Kohl, told RCUK.
The Aeroad CF SLX is billed by Canyon as combining the aerodynamic benefits of the Speedmax CF time trial bike with the lower weight and greater comfort of the Ultimate CF SLX road bike, and is the German brand's attempt to create a machine able to top the UCI WorldTour rankings for a fourth consecutive year, having done so in 2011 with Philippe Gilbert, and in the last two years with Rodriguez.
Three engineering teams worked to create the Aeroad CF SLX, including industrial design agency, Artefakt, who worked with Canyon on the IF award-winning Speedmax CF and Ultimate CF SLX and were tasked with creating the new bike's striking silhouette. It is a concern with the aerodynamics of this wind tunnel-tested machine, however, and the integration of frame and components that lies at the heart of the Koblenz firm's latest offering.
We'll bring you the full story behind the Aeroad CF SLX – including interviews with designers Kohl and Michael Adomeit – in a subsequent longform feature. For now, we'll focus on the new steed of Katusha's Alexander Kristoff – winner of the 2014 Milan-San Remo, and a rider ready to roll out in Leeds on Saturday for the Yorkshire Grand Départ.
Website: Canyon Bikes
Commonwealth Games 2014: Alex Dowsett wins men's time trial gold in Glasgow
Englishman storms to Commonwealth title ahead of Australia's Rohan Dennis and Welshman Geraint Thomas
Commonwealth Games 2014: England's Emma Pooley wins women's time trial silver
Former world champion second behind New Zealand's Linda Villumsen in final time trial as a professional cyclist
Commonwealth Games 2014: England's Emma Pooley wins silver behind New Zealand's Linda Villumsen
VIDEO: Mike Cotty to tackle 'the road to Mont Blanc'
RCUK columnist and Mavic ambassador to ride 1,000km over 21 mountains with 23,000m of elevation
Fulcrum Wheels 2015: Racing Zero Carbon breaks cover
Fulcrum Racing Zero Nite with improved braking performance also introduced, plus Racing 5 gets wider rim
Commonwealth Games 2014: individual time trial - the contenders
Who will be crowned as the Commonwealth Games time trial champion in Glasgow?
Commonwealth Games 2014: men's and women's individual time trials - the contenders


Techno Wrapper provides various Blogging Tips, SEO Tips, Various Tutorials, Information about Technology Updates, Online Money Making Opportunities, Top Apps, Top Gadgets etc.
Hi, I am Biswajit Nath, the guy behind this blog. I am an Engineering graduate and a passionate blogger from India.I am a freelance Graphic and Web designer.
Back in 2008, while searching something on Google, I had an interaction with the term 'blogging'. I found it interesting and immediately started my blogging journey as a newbie. At that time, I didn't have any idea about a niche. So, I started a personal blog on Blogspot platform and started sharing some of my daily experiences with life. Blogging wasn't my aim to make money at that time. I just started it as a hobby. In late 2010 I have joined a government department as a database administrator. While doing my tedious job, I have realized that I should take blogging seriously and try to get some extra bucks from it. I have started an Android apps review blog. Everything was as per plan. The blog was receiving a decent traffic and I was enjoying some extra bucks from it. But, in late 2012, I have lost control over the blog due to the busy schedule of my brain sucking job. In early 2013, I have sold it for around $1000. But, I was already addicted to blogging and couldn't quit blogging. In early 2013, I have started TechnoWrapper. I have been updating the contents whenever I got some free time.
Finally, the year 2016 comes and as a new year resolution, I have decided to quit my brain sucking government job and dedicate my future to blogging and freelance services like Graphic designing, Web designing etc.


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Q: Kusto number of overlapping intervals in a time range I'm trying to write a Kusto query that needs to count how many intervals overlap for a certain date range. This is how my table looks like:
userID |  interval1         | interval2
24     |  21.1.2012 10:40   | 21.1.2012 11:00
25     |  21.1.2012 9:55    | 21.1.2012 10:50

I would like to to consider the time range given by [min(interval1), max(interval2)] with 1s step and for each instance of this interval I would like to know how many intervals from the previous table overlap. For example, for 21.1.2012 10:00 there is only one interval but for 10:45 there are two intervals overlapping.
Thank you

A: Every interval1 indicates additional user's session start (+1).
Every interval2 indicates additional user's session end (-1).
The accumulated sum indicates the number of active sessions.
Solution 1 (Rendering level)
with (accumulate=True)
let t = (datatable (userID:int,interval1:datetime,interval2:datetime)
[
     24 ,datetime(2012-01-21 10:40) ,datetime(2012-01-21 11:00)
    ,25 ,datetime(2012-01-21 09:55) ,datetime(2012-01-21 10:50)
]);
let from_dttm = datetime(2012-01-21 09:30);
let to_dttm   = datetime(2012-01-21 11:30);
let sessions_starts = (t | project delta =  1, dttm = interval1);
let sessions_ends =   (t | project delta = -1, dttm = interval2);
union sessions_starts, sessions_ends
| make-series delta = sum(delta) on dttm from from_dttm to to_dttm step 1s
| render timechart with (accumulate=True)

Fiddle
Solution 2 (Data level)
mv-apply + row_cumsum
let t = (datatable (userID:int,interval1:datetime,interval2:datetime)
[
     24 ,datetime(2012-01-21 10:40) ,datetime(2012-01-21 11:00)
    ,25 ,datetime(2012-01-21 09:55) ,datetime(2012-01-21 10:50)
]);
let from_dttm = datetime(2012-01-21 09:30);
let to_dttm   = datetime(2012-01-21 11:30);
let sessions_starts = (t | project delta =  1, dttm = interval1);
let sessions_ends =   (t | project delta = -1, dttm = interval2);
union sessions_starts, sessions_ends
| make-series delta = sum(delta) on dttm from from_dttm to to_dttm step 1s
| mv-apply  delta to typeof(long), dttm to typeof(datetime) on (project active_users = row_cumsum(delta), dttm)
| render timechart with (xcolumn=dttm, ycolumns=active_users)

Fiddle

A: Take a look at this sample from the Kusto docs:

*

*https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-explorer/kusto/query/samples?pivots=azuredataexplorer#chart-concurrent-sessions-over-time
X
| mv-expand samples = range(bin(interval1, 1m), interval2, 1m)
| summarize count_userID = count() by bin(todatetime(samples), 1m)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
CapoVelo.com - - Chris Froome Welcomes Tougher 4 Year Ban for Doping
Chris Froome Welcomes Tougher 4 Year Ban for Doping
This year's Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, welcomes the introduction of tougher penalties for doping.
Speaking from his birthplace in Kenya, Froome said cycling was now a much cleaner sport than it was during the notorious Lance Armstrong era.
"It is great that Wada plans to extend the ban from two to four years, and that cycling is being taken as leading the way in the fight in anti-doping," he told reporters.
Last week a the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) conference concluded with the adoption of a tougher code featuring longer bans for those who intentionally use performance-enhancing drugs.
"When first-time offenders are given a four-year ban, that's quite serious for a sport when the window is very short. You can only be a professional for 15 years. It is a harsh penalty and that's what we need to see in cycling," Froome said.
Froome said the fall-out from the Armstrong era, when doping in the peloton was rife, meant that cycling was now probably "the cleanest endurance sport there is" because of the sheer amount of out-of-competition tests being carried out.
He admitted he had been "hit hard" when faced with accusations that he was doping, even though he understood such questions were inevitable.
"It was a very difficult time in the Tour De France. Everybody was asking me… and people were saying to me you could be doping," he recounted. "It definitely added stress during the tour."
"That hit me quite hard, but it was something I expected, because post-Lance Armstrong everyone was asking questions about it and I came to accept it, because I knew it came from the past and everyone putting on the yellow jersey could be asked about doping."


text:
overnights Nov. 28, 2018
Riverdale Recap: Escape From the Tabletop-Gaming Sex Bunker
By Joshua Rivera
Chapter Forty-One: Manhunter
Editor's Rating 3 stars ***
Photo: Dean Buscher/THE CW
There are, on my estimation, about 32 plotlines spinning on wildly different orbits in Riverdale's third season, and "Manhunter" is determined to move at least half of them forward. This is a show that only knows two speeds: breathless because it's doing things no TV show in its right mind should be trying, and breathless because it's suddenly realized that it has to start tying some of this stuff together and just pulled an all-nighter trying to do so. "Manhunter" is the latter kind, a head-spinning hour of Riverdale that's almost impossible to keep up with—there's just too much to do. But it's not like that's stopped Riverdale before, right?
(Hi, I'm not your usual Riverdale recapper, but I assure you, house rules are the same when it comes to this show: if it sounds like I'm making something up, I swear to you that I am not.)
"Manhunter" doesn't really bring a whole lot to the table in the way of new developments or wild revelations — it's a table-setting hour, and as such, it sends our four heroes in four different directions, each working to try and bring the mystery of Gryphons and Gargoyles into something far more tangible than it's been so far. There's a lot of cutting back and forth, so lets just run at this one character at a time.
First, Veronica, because she has the least to do, unfortunately. With Archie hiding in the Gryphons and Gargoyles sex bunker (who else will hook up here before the season is over?), Veronica is determined to exonerate her boyfriend, as there are "wanted posters with your strong jawline all over town."
To that end, Veronica decides to engage in some light hacking, getting her hands on Archie's case files, and the interview footage of the witnesses that helped convict Archie. It doesn't take long for her to discover that the police footage has been doctored, and that it seems the testimony was coerced. Her journey to leak this footage to the Innocence Project leads her to her mother's office in City Hall — only security has been warned to look out for her, so while she's able to get the evidence out there, it still lands her in jail.
Betty, meanwhile, does the most when it comes to working out the mystery of the Gargoyle King and … it still doesn't make much sense. Using a ruse to get all the adults of Riverdale to come to Le Bonne Nuit for a shakedown, she accuses them of knowing who the killer is after discovering that Warden Norton — her previous pick for the Gargoyle King's secret identity before he died — was an ROTC instructor at Riverdale High, and likely involved in their game of Gryphons and Gargoyles all those years ago. The adults don't take kindly to this teenager accusing them of conspiracy, but also take the opportunity to dig at each other when they can — and eventually, Penelope Blossom accuses Dilton's father Daryl Doiley, her fellow game master, of accidentally killing their principal because he loved her, and killing himself after she turned him down a second time closer to the present.
This is, I realize, a huge bit of information to pin on a character that has, so far, only existed in flashbacks. But there are more wrinkles. Betty learns, after bribing the coroner, that Daryl didn't die of carbon monoxide poisoning in his car, but of oleander poisoning. And Penelope is the only one who grows oleander. (She denies having anything to do with this, of course.)
Betty's next stop is home, to ask why her mother reported Daryl's death as a suicide, helping to the contribute to the cover-up that seems to be at play here. Alice is evasive, at least until the Gargoyle King shows up in the Coopers' dang living room, and they run to Betty's room for safety — where Daryl Doiley's headstone is set up, his name crossed out and Alice and Betty's spray-painted in its place. F.P., who arrives at the same time, is unable to get in the front door and instead meets them in Betty's room via the window, where they huddle until the King disappears. (I really don't know why, the King is just one guy and looks quite easy to tip over, but we have to put our commercial breaks somewhere I guess.)
Jughead, meanwhile, is still nursing his G&G obsession after his encounter with the Gargoyle King, and he didn't just see the King, he saw a whole Gargoyle Gang. In the bunker, Archie tells Jughead about someone who had mentioned joining a new gang: Joaquin.
When Jug and the Serpents find Joaquin, he doesn't have much he can tell them — he was the Warden's pawn, doing everything, even stabbing Archie, because he had no choice. But neither, he claims, did the Warden, taking his instructions from someone else who conveyed them via game cards. He also tells Jughead what the symbol branded onto Archie means: Sacrifice. He's marked for death. Someone's gonna come for him. For his trouble, Joaquin is killed the moment he's left alone, the same symbol branded into his forehead.
Okay, now Archie. Not content to hide out in the Tabletop-Gaming Sex Bunker, Archie wants to clear his name himself, despite Veronica's efforts to find actual evidence to get him off, and, you know, his wanted status. His way of doing this is to ask Kevin Kellar to accompany him to the Shadow Lake mines, where the witnesses whose testimony put him away are hiding out. Trouble is, when they get there — thanks to a call from Hiram Lodge — the witnesses are all dead, except for one, whom Kevin and Archie rush to the hospital.
This last witness doesn't make it, and Archie takes it hard. Hiram Lodge wants Archie ruined, and is leveling Riverdale to get to him. So he calls Veronica to say good-bye — he's leaving town, and won't say where. Ronnie, of course, doesn't get it. In her mind, her gambit worked, and Sheriff Minetta, Hiram's stooge on the police force, is going to get put away for helping to frame Archie — not that we know that for sure.
Archie isn't buying it, though, and believes the Road is where he belongs. He takes a bag Jughead packed for him, as Johnny Western's "The Ballad of Paladin" plays and our Red Paladin walks along the tracks into exile. I also think this means that he broke up with Veronica.
Looking at it like this, "Manhunter" almost makes sense. But there's more adding to the chaos, like the fact that Josie is the next one to be afflicted with a seizure, connecting her to this weird curse plaguing Riverdale. And the fact that Jughead believes Hiram is the Gargoyle King and tells him this to his face — an easy claim to deny when your accusation is "you dress up like a goat demon and poison people with blue Kool-aid," but Jug might be onto something. And why and how did Daryl Doiley really die, and why is he so important even though we barely know him?
Of course, the biggest bombshell goes to Betty, whose story I didn't quite finish. After being attacked by the Gargoyle King, Alice decides she's going to the Farm for safety. She knows, however, that Betty would never join her, so she's made other arrangements: Betty is being taken, against her will, to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, who will keep her safe in their weird-as-hell asylum.
Only when Betty is brought in and reluctantly begins her first scheduled activity, an art class, she makes a horrifying discovery: Everyone is painting the Gargoyle King.


Rebel's Guild Restaurant & Bar in Boston is a playful conspiracy of witty pub fare and rebellious spirits, highlighting the city's revolutionary history with a hint of subterfuge. Encouraging guests to join the underground and expand their minds with fellow contrarians, it's a safe haven for diverse points of view — an intellectual salon with a wink. Their brand is an invitation to conspire, quench, and consume.
Interiors pay homage to the revolutionary spirit in a contemporary setting, where provocative masonic influences play alongside colonial details. Brand strategy — from naming, positioning, and messaging, through to identity, collateral, and menus — evokes a secret society vibe with a sleek, yet somehow gritty edge. It's an unexpected story, with an undertone of dissent, topped with a sense of humor.
The brand identity adopts a historic, counter-culture style, with diverse versions looking both torn from a newspaper headline and stamped as a seal of loyalty. The core mark is rooted in history, but re-fashioned with a contemporary feel. In short form, it's delivered as a secret code, a monogram that, to the initiated, is a mark of solidarity.
Collateral and custom copy take a stand, ignite a sense of secrecy, and encourage camaraderie. The voice hints at membership exclusivity by tempting others to explore its depths, perhaps requiring decryption. Imagery of famous freethinkers from Boston's history, who challenged the status quo and landed themselves right below newspaper mastheads, ensure the brand never takes itself too seriously.
The brand's gestural type makes co-conspirators out of everyone. Staff uniforms incorporate unique leather accents and arm bands to demonstrate an allegiance to the cause. Color is minimally distributed among collateral and menus to create contrast, picking up on substrate grain and unfinished mediums.
Layering saturated tones with muted finishes balances modern with classic, and signs of slight deterioration enhance the notion of Rebel's Guild as a well-beloved destination. The brand begins and ends with an unexpected story — the details of a playful conspiracy unfold, "insider information" is revealed, and all delivers on brand intention: to rouse your spirits.


everyones written and done their part in it.
I want to say that the pages of my journal are so good. Thank you to all that particpated in working on my journal. I only hope that everyone else is as delightfully satisfied.
Yet another delay, I know. There's been a lot of personal stuff going on and I've been dealing with a death in the family so you'll have to forgive me. Give me a bit to get back on my feet and I'll get the next (and possibly last) send-out date.
When is our next sendout? It has been forever.
So I'm at my parent's house and with internet again. So besides Sarah's and Jamiella's journals, can I get a description of everyone else's journals? I want to figure who has whose and where they need to go. Many thanks.
My computer adapter is broken and my battery is dead so I haven't internet access for quite a while. I'm using a friend's computer right now for a few minutes but I should have my own computer running again soon. Sorry about the delay, but once I get my new adapter, I'll have the final info set and posted.
Just curious as to when the next send out will be? Thanks.
I received a journal today. It is aqua, has travel tickets on the cover, black pages and is tied with a black ribbon. I will get to work on it.
So, besides Jamiella and I, who has now received a journal and whose do you have?
For starters, can we all just be patient? Unfortunately, mail is slow. That's just the way it's going to be. It'll all work out, I swear. Anyway, it adds an element of spontaniety and surprise. This is not a military assignment where everything must be on time. It's just a fun little thing we're doing because hey, it's sort of cool to get these strange little journals in the mail. And eventually, yes, you get your own back. And I will make sure we all get those journals back.
Onto other matters. Who has received journals? And PLEASE, if you've received one, let me know whose you have (if you can figure it out). Because I have Levana's and I swear, I thought there was one more round before we got our own. Maybe just this one is out of order due to last round's confusion, but I'd like to figure it out.
I still have not received a journal. I am getting really irritated by all of this. There was no problem for three rounds and now I have nothing.
Hey all, so if you haven't sent out your journals in accordance with the last post, then please send them out tomorrow. Also, Sara, did you send the journal yet? I've just realized I never gave you my new address. If you did, no worries, it'll get forwarded.
So, journals out by tomorrow at the latest.
JOURNALS MUST BE SENT OUT BY FRIDAY, THE 21ST.
If you cannot remember who you should be sending to, please let me know.
Sorry for all the confusion as of late, I'm trying to straighten it out now. Sara, do you have any idea who sent you the second journal you got? And whose journal has jungle leaves on the cover? Please let me know so we can get this thing going again and finish the last few send-offs.
So I'm a bit confused by the current situation. Sallie, you told me at some point you *had* gotten a journal and now you don't have one at all and I am a bit befuddled by this. Does anyone have two journals by chance? Please let me know.
So, Sallie, you should have Levana's journal at this point. Any word on that matter?


text:
Romeo & Juliet: Characters KS3
In these lessons, students will examine the key characters in Romeo and Juliet and their dramatic functions. Tasks include: examining these two households 'both alike in dignity' and their social standings; exploring an audience's first impressions of Romeo; and how actresses have approached playing the role of Juliet.
If students are new to the play, we suggest you start with these introductory KS3 Lesson Plans. If you would like to teach the play in greater detail, use the advanced KS4/5 Lesson Plans.
Can I explain how status is shown on stage?
Can I infer from the first scene of the play insights about life and society in Verona?
Can I establish the status of the characters in Romeo and Juliet in relation to each other?
Key words: body language, characters, conflict, costume, motivation, music, relationships, power, rank, society, status, voice
Begin by asking students what status means to them and derive from students a working definition of the word 'status'. Surround the word with some synonyms and other connected words, e.g. power, rank, position, hierarchy, chain of command. The template for this task can be found in the Student Booklet. Allocate different contexts to students, and ask them to draw a diagram to show the different roles people play within that context and their status in relation to each other. Contexts could include: a school; a hospital; a family; a chain of shops; an army; a football team; a state; a film studio; a fashion house. What matters is to choose contexts that will be interesting and meaningful to the class.
1) Status
Fiona Banks describes a selection of status games in Creative Shakespeare. This game, involving a pack of playing cards, will support students' understanding of rank and status in the play. It is also effective way of leading into discussions about status within the state of Verona and within individual families.
Explain that high numbers from the pack of cards denote high status, whereas a low number such as an ace denotes low status. Students will be given a playing card and should hold it to their head without looking at it. They will walk around the room for a few minutes and see how other students react to them. Finally, students should line up according to what they think their status is and then altogether check to see the number on their card. Draw out in the ensuing discussion how status can be shown on stage and say that as well as being about someone's title, appearance, how they speak, behave, etc. it is also shown by how others react to and behave around them.
2) Verona society
Students should turn to their Dramatis Personae page in the Student Booklet. Ask students to create a diagram to illustrate the status/social class of the various characters. Show how the two feuding families have equal status, being 'both alike in dignity'. Referring back to the previous learning sequence, draw students' attention to the numerous servants and other characters of lower rank in the play. Look together at how in Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare shows us that the conflict between the two households goes on between every social class.
3) Text detectives: characters of lower rank
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare depicts characters from different social classes including many servants. Several of these servants have names and/or developed characters. Assign to different groups of students the following characters, and ask them to prepare brief presentations about them:
The servingmen at the Capulet party
Sampson and Gregory
three musicians
what they do for a living
anything else we know about them
their dramatic function in the play
Students can make notes on the relevant page in the Student Booklet, and then present their findings to the class.
What different kinds of power do characters have over each other in Romeo and Juliet?
How could this be shown on stage?
What are the effects of presenting such a wide range of characters from across the social spectrum?
Students fill in a simple grid with four boxes: movement and body language; music; voice; costume. This can be found in the Student Booklet.
Students choose a character at a particular point in the play and think about how a character's status could be shown using these elements of stagecraft, making notes in the boxes. Choose a few students to feedback.
There are more activities about Juliet's servant the Nurse in the Key Stage 4 Characters resource.
The presentation task for Activity 3 could be assessed for speaking and listening/reading.
Can I comment on the audience's first impressions of Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady Montague in Act 1 Scene 1?
Can I investigate what we learn about Capulet and Montague, and about the feud between their families as the play moves on?
Can I comment on how Prince Escalus deals with the feud between the two families?
Key words: archetypes, audience, character, feud, scene, speech
Share with students the following four character archetypes, taken from Fiona Banks' book Creative Shakespeare: sovereign, warrior, carer, trickster.
Sovereign: Key characteristics: upright and responsible
The sovereign wears a crown, which is formed by placing your hands either side of your head, palms touching the top of your ears and fingers pointing upright. The sovereign wears a cape on which rest all the responsibilities of the kingdom.
Warrior: Key characteristics: alert and ready for action
The warrior carries a shield which s/he holds in his/her left hand, protecting the heart. The warrior's hand is raised straight up, vertically at his/her side with fingers pointed upwards, representing a sword.
Carer: Key characteristics: selfless and open
The carer walks around the room and when s/he meets another person flings open his/her arms in a wide gesture. Arms should be stretched as wide as possible, resembling the upper part of a cross.
Trickster: Key characteristics: naughty, a joker, likes to divert attention
The trickster walks around the room, and when they see another person they turn or spin round to the left, look at the other person and click their fingers.
The poses which represent each archetype can be found in the downloable Lesson Plans at the bottom of this page. Devise a mime to accompany each archetype. Encourage students to remember and use these archetypes as they analyse the characters in the play.
1) First impressions
Students should read the following short passage from Act 1 Scene 1 lines 73-78 in groups of four. The extract can be found in the Student Booklet.
Enter old Capulet in his gown, and his Wife.
CAPULET: What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
CAPULET'S WIFE: A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
[Enter old Montague and his Wife.]
CAPULET: My sword, I say. Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
MONTAGUE: Thou villain, Capulet! Hold me not, let me go.
MONTAGUE'S WIFE: Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
Students can experiment with different ways to perform these lines, perhaps using the archetypes as described in the Prologue to this learning sequence. How would the different ways of performing these lines affect the audience's first impressions of these four characters, of the nature of the longstanding feud between them, and of the overall mood at the start of the play?
2) Text detectives: Capulet
Explain to students that they are going to be discussing how Capulet might be played in a production of Romeo and Juliet. Students should work in groups and choose two scenes to focus on which show different aspects of Capulet's character. They should compare and contrast Capulet's character in the two scenes. Scenes to select from include:
Act 1 Scene 5
Students might also like to consult sources on the Globe website, including the Adopt An Actor archive of actor interviews, production images, etc.
3) Prince Escalus
How effective is Prince Escalus in putting a stop to the hatred and violence that exists between the Montagues and Capulets? Read Escalus' speech in Act 1 Scene 1 (available in the Student Booklet), and examine the prince's language and intentions, making annotations on the text. Ask students to repeat this activity for his speeches in Act 3 Scene 1 and Act 5 Scene 3. Students could form an inquiry to see whether there is anything more he could or should have done to keep the peace.
To what extent are the Capulets and Montagues victims of the feud?
To what extent do their actions perpetuate and worsen a hostile state of affairs?
Is Prince Escalus strong or weak in the way he deals with the feud?
How would I portray these characters if I were staging the play?
Students should choose one of the following characters, all of whom give instructions and advice during the play: Lord Montague, Lady Montague, Lord Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Prince Escalus. What advice would students give them in their role as head of a principality/head of household/leader/parent? Share ideas among the class.
There is an interesting text about the differences between the older and younger generations in the play on the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank Romeo and Juliet microsite: 2013.playingshakespeare.org/language.html.
The plenary activity could be developed into a creative writing task, perhaps in the form of an agony aunt letter and reply. There are more activities about Romeo and Juliet's parents within the Key Stage 4 materials under Themes.
Can I describe Romeo's character and explain what motivates him?
Can I analyse some of the language he uses to support my views?
Key words: analyse, archetype, banishment, character, calligram, context, courtly love, motivation, romantic love
As an introduction to this lesson, you could play 'Lovefool' by The Cardigans, one of several songs used in the Baz Luhrmann film Romeo + Juliet. Show students the following information about the Elizabethan view of romantic love:
In this scene, Benvolio and Romeo discuss how love can make a man act like a madman. Elizabethans had complicated ideas about romantic love. People were encouraged to love their husband or wife. However, loving someone too much was seen as an illness. Elizabethan doctors saw unrequited love or desire as a disease, a type of melancholy sometimes called lovesickness. It was caught through the eye. Symptoms of lovesickness were: fever, mood swings and even shrinking of the heart. Medical writings treated lovesickness as a common disease. Doctors tried various cures. They changed the patient's diet, and gave them herbal medicines. They sometimes sent patients to church, to confess to a priest. They believed that, if lovesickness was left untreated, it could lead to madness.
The lovesick man was a popular character in early modern literature. Shakespeare makes the connection between love and madness again in Hamlet, when Polonius believes Hamlet to be mad because of his love for Ophelia.
Ask students to bear this contextual information in mind as they read Act 1 Scene 1 and learn about Romeo's feelings for Rosaline.
Act 1 Scene 1 ends with the appearance of Romeo. Students could work in small groups, each focusing on a section of the scene. Some students should read it and while others listen, repeating any word or phrase which tells us something about Romeo:
lines 97-139
lines 140-177
Students should listen actively to the feedback from all the groups. and draw up an evidence sheet showing (from throughout the scene):
what Romeo's parents say about him
what Romeo's friends say about him
what Romeo says about himself
Conclude this activity by discussing what the audience's first impressions of Romeo's personality and character might be and why, recording students' findings in the Student Booklet.
2) Archetypes
Look again at Fiona Banks' four character archetypes, mentioned in the previous learning sequence. Ask students to read Act 3 Scene 1 closely in groups of four. They should find quotations which demonstrate each of the four archetypes in Romeo's character, with each student reading the text through the particular 'lens' of one archetype. Example quotations:
'Gentle Mercutio put thy rapier up' (sovereign) (line 83)
'…fire-eyed fury be my conduct now' (warrior) (line 126)
'I…love thee better than thou canst devise' (carer) (line 68)
'Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much.' (trickster) (line 97)
As Banks says, this is 'a really useful way of looking at character change/progression within one scene'. N.B. Ways of differentiating this task to make it more accessible include: creating quotation cards and asking students to sort them under the archetype headings; or highlighting within the script some key quotations for students to pause and consider.
3) Romeo as lover, Romeo as killer
According to Fiona Banks, this activity is 'a quick method of charting a character's journey through the play'. Students should begin by making two lists about Romeo the lover and Romeo the killer (in the form of direct quotations from the play). The students should arrange themselves into two lines facing each other. Give each student a quotation from the 'Romeo the lover' list to repeat and remember. Then pairs of students take it in turns to walk down between the two lines, as the other students repeatedly say their quotations. At the end of their walk, another pair begins their walk and the original pair joins the two lines again. Once everyone has had a turn, students can reflect together on the language they have heard and how it affected them. Repeat with the 'Romeo the killer' words and phrases.
What do we learn about Romeo as the play progresses?
How would I describe his character?
What motivates him?
What evidence might I use to support these ideas?
Students design calligrams based on some key words taken from quotations by Romeo. Students explain why they chose that particular quotation and word.
Romeo's first love Rosaline is one of the play's absent characters in that she is mentioned but doesn't appear. Why do students think Shakespeare doesn't include her as a character?
Romeo's unrequited love for the idealised Rosaline can be described as the medieval tradition of 'courtly love'.
More activities about Romeo can be found within the Key Stage 4 materials under Text in Performance and Language.
Can I describe Juliet's character and explain what motivates her?
Can I analyse some of the language she uses to support my views?
Key words: analyse, character, calligram, context, love, motivation, rebellion
Students could read the following three extracts from the Adopt An Actor archive (shakespearesglobe.com/adopt-an-actor), which can be found in the Student Booklet. They are from interviews with three actors who have played Juliet: Kananu Kirimi,Cassie Layton, and Ellie Piercy. Ask each student to pick out one insight into Juliet's character they have gleaned from reading these comments:
"You start off thinking of Juliet as a little girl who's very sweet and unknowing. I suppose I'm remembering that at that age you're quite into boys and that it's not such a big surprise for someone to like you because you're a woman. Juliet might have imagined what a husband would be like; that's a fairly new thought for her. She's sweet but she also might be aware of desire. When her mother asks 'How stands your disposition to be married?' and Juliet responds 'It is an honour that I dream not of' [I.3.67-7], she might be holding back. When we're confronted with a question and we're not sure where it's going to lead, we're often quite reserved. We fit our answer to suit the person who asked the question." – Kananu Kirimi (2004)
"her darker side is much more prominent than I thought it would be. Because I think as the youngest of Shakespeare's heroines she's often given a – maybe wrongly I think, sometimes portrayed as quite innocent and naïve. And she does have that side to her but she's also very brave and she grows up a he amount during the play as well. But she's got this gothic dark side that she loves to bask in." – Cassie Layton, 2015
"My Juliet had become a very determined fighter. She was passionate, emotional, fragile and strong. Had we not taken this show on tour I don't think she would have become so ingrained and real. The process of fighting against our outdoor environments, having to create and sustain our worlds using ourselves alone had taken our characters to quite different heights." – Ellie Piercy, 2007
The audience sees Juliet for the first time in Act 1 Scene 3. Read lines 64-100 and discuss the following questions:
What reasons does Juliet's mother give Juliet for marrying Paris?
How does Juliet respond to the advice?
What is an audience's first impression of Juliet's relationship with both her mother and with her nurse?
2) The rebellious daughter
Before analysing Juliet's language in Act 3 Scene 5 in detail, students could read the following contextual information in the Student Booklet:
Shakespeare's audience lived in a world where the father or husband was the head of the household, and in charge of the family. The Church taught that children should obey their parents, and wives should submit to their husbands. Both Lady Capulet and Juliet were expected to obey Capulet in everything. Many parents were strict with their children to teach them discipline and respect. People thought spoiling children was wrong, because the children would become rude and selfish. Parents expected their children to be obedient and show their high social status to their neighbours.
Now read Act 3 Scene 5 as a class. Consider and then discuss:
the boldness of Juliet's behaviour and language in this scene
the techniques Shakespeare uses to encourage the audience to sympathise with Juliet in this scene
3) Text detectives: 'Rather than marry Paris'
Examine closely Juliet's speech in Act 4 Scene 1 lines 77-88, where she lists all the things she would rather do than marry Paris. On the relevant page in the Student Booklet, students can explore the language Juliet uses here and her motivation at this point in the scene.
Students could also watch footage of this scene.
What do we learn about Juliet as the play progresses?
How would I describe her character?
What motivates her?
Students design calligrams based on some key words taken from quotations by Juliet. Students explain why they chose that particular quotation and word.
Which word is missing from each of these Juliet quotations? This quiz can be found in the Student Booklet, and the answers are available in the downloadable Lesson Plan at the bottom of this page.
'Good _______, you do wrong your hand too much'
'Tis but thy name that is my ______.'
'________ is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.'
'But my true _____ is grown to such excess,
I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.'
'I'll to my wedding bed
And _____, not Romeo, take my maidenhead.'
'It is the _____ that sings so out of tune.'
'Good ______, I beseech you on my knees,
Hear me with patience but to speak a word.'
'O bid me _____, rather than marry Paris.'
'Love give me ________, and _________ shall help afford.'
'Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy ________!'
Notice how Shakespeare creates an impression of Juliet as headstrong and determined from her very first (delayed) appearance. It takes both Lady Capulet and the Nurse several calls off stage to make Juliet stop whatever she is doing and appear on stage!
Epilogue: Teacher's Notes
More activities about Juliet can be found in the Key Stage 4 materials under Text in Performance, Language and Themes. The earlier part of Act 3 Scene 5 is the focus of an activity in these Key Stage 3 materials under Themes.
Can I write about a character of my choice and examine different aspects of their personality?
Can I comment on the extent to which Shakespeare has created a complex character?
Can I support my points with textual evidence?
Key words: audience, character, characterisation, complex, credible, interpretation, quotation, realistic, textual evidence, vice, virtue
Students could draw a line about 20cm long and put at one end 'Character I like most' and at the other end 'Character I like least'. Students should arrange as many characters from Romeo and Juliet along the line as possible, and be ready to justify their choices in a discussion. Students could then repeat this exercise with 'Character I'd most like to play' at one end of the line and 'Character I'd least like to play' at the other end. Take feedback, encouraging students to consider the differences between their two diagrams. Ask students to decide which character they would each like to study in depth.
1) Vices and virtues
Students should explore the different - and perhaps conflicting - traits of their chosen characters. Using a character outline to record points that emphasise their characters' good and bad points, they should include quotations to back up their points in the space provided in the Student Booklet.
2) Adopt An Actor
Now students have a chance to learn from the perspectives of other actors who have played that part at the Globe Theatre. Using the Adopt An Actor archive (shakespearesglobe.com/adoptanactor), students can search for their chosen character and find information, podcasts, transcripts, blog entries and production images. These resources will help them become more familiar with their character, and inform them on how best to interpret that part on stage.
3) Challenging roles
In the Student Booklet, there is a page called Challenging Roles. This can be used as a note-taking and planning page for a piece of writing about taking on a challenging Shakespearean role. Students can choose any character from the play and the aim is:
to write from the point of view of an actor preparing to play that part
to write a short introduction describing this character and their role in the play
to draw attention to different aspects of the character
to include some quotations to support main points
What are the good and bad points about my chosen character?
Has Shakespeare created a believable character?
Can I identify or empathise with my chosen character in any way?
What advice would I give to an actor playing the part I have chosen to write about?
Self or peer assess work in progress for 'Challenging roles'.
The 'Challenging roles' activity in the Student Booklet could be assessed for reading and writing.


One of the most important first steps before subdividing your land or land you wish to buy is to make sure there are no restrictions that will block your plans. Everything from ordinances, neighborhood covenants to deed restrictions may prohibit – or fatally complicate – your plans. Review these items carefully, plus order a professional title review (typically through a real estate attorney) so that you can understand whether there are any deal killing issues that apply to the property and prevent subdividing.
In most cases, rural land owners should enlist the help of a professional land agent in selling their properties. Unless they have a lot of experience or it is a slam-dunk deal, the seller will benefit from having an agent on their team. In fact, most serious land investors have at least one agent that they go to for finding deals or making sales. Take a cue from sophisticated land investors and enlist the help of a true land sales professional to market and sell your rural land. You will be glad you did.
Today I had a land owner tell me to keep her property in mind, and that she would pay my fee if I sold her land. She said she did not want to list her land with an agent because the previous agent she used did not even bring her one offer during the time of their listing contract. That is understandable from her side, but the odds of me making that sell are pretty slim.
As you are aware, we have worked worked with Land Century since its start back in 2006. I wanted to thank you for all your professionalism, the quick follow up, the integrity with how you operate and for helping us buy and sell hundreds of properties across the USA. As you know, about two years ago we directed all our lots sales and purchases exclusively through your office. You continue to be a great partner and I look forward to many more years working together.
Great information.. l just acquired a parcel of land on the coast with a beautiful ocean view. The city says it can be broken into three or maybe four lots. It has all at street , water sewer, electricity, etc. for one lot., lm to old to fool with it and needed some ideas of how to market it , pre Estate sale. Your list gives me lots of ideas, where l had none. Thank you so much….
This question is out of my realm...but I'm curious why you decided that the current developer is not interested in your property? If his equipment is close... it might not be that hard to deal with your property. Since you already have a house on it, I can assume there's sewage, water, electricity, etc... So your land doesn't need to really be developed, but they could build something nice on it.
I should have asked about the other improvements as a different, side question. The property, just under 2 hours from where we live, is close to a large lake, that I wouldn't mind going to more often for fishing and boating. The thoughts were to, until the property is sold, provide a spot for our rv on long weekends, so having a access, water, electric, and even some type of a septic field would be ideal. A better question would be which of these improvements could we reasonably expect to recover when sold, keeping in mind the exact placement might not be where a new owner would want them.
Hi Cassie, sounds like an exciting opportunity! I might suggest that you call your local planning and zoning department. Tell them about the property and what you're interested in doing with it. Ask them if they know of any particular issues you should be aware of. They should be able to help you check at least a few of these things off your list from the get go.
On those notes, pay attention to who you're likely buyer will be, and seek out those people. If the land is zoned for commercial businesses, make entrepreneurs and existing business owners your target audience. A real estate agent who is selling a flat property that gets a lot of sunshine may want to reach out to energy companies who are looking to build solar arrays.
i am very confused on what to do. i have 2 lots in the 100yr floodplain with up todate septics and electrical poles. i have rented 2 spaces in the pass for 250 each. However i am allowed to put 2 mobile homes per the permit office. i can rent each home for appox 800 a month. the land is paid for and very low taxes. or i can sell the propery on owner finance for 55,ooo, the property does have a creek behind it and the creek is a floodway. the total land is approx 1.63 acreas. should i sale the property since. its in a floodzone or put the mobile homes and have a good rental income. what would u do. would u even rent in a flood zone. thank you, please respone for 2 months i have been undecided on what o do.
It was a very simple process. Even though everything was done remotely, it was just as good as if I was standing in front of the person doing the deal. Paperwork was received really shortly after I spoke with Jake. We got it all signed, sent it back, and shortly thereafter we received the money. Everything was done very simply and it was very easy to do.
An open listing generally brings the same result to a landowner. If you engage several agents to help you sell your property, then no one is responsible for marketing and selling your property. By making it open to everyone, you essentially make it for no one. Why would an agent spend money advertising a property that they have no reasonable guarantee that will produce a return on their investment? When they do, sellers often get the impression that the agent has nothing to offer and is not effective. Good agents will not do that as a standard practice.
First impressions are lasting in real estate. When selling a home you would never leave out your dirty laundry for potential buyers to see, and you should also clean up your lot before it is shown and marketed. Cut the grass (or weeds), remove trash and take marketing photos of your property when it is looking its best. Some sellers even plant wildflowers to make their vacant land look beautiful. It's like staging a home, but you're just working with raw land instead.


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Q: How to understand load_resource and authorize_resource methods of cancancan gem? I am using the cancancan gem in my rails application. But I am not much clear for the meaning of load_and_authorize_resource method. I know this is the same as calling load_resource and authorize_resource.
load_resource will create a new instance of a model, or get a instance by params[:id], or a collection of instances, then authorize_resource method will use these instances to authorize. But if I already have a Model.find(params[:id]) or Model.new in each controller action, dose I need to add load_resource method?
For some action(Non RESTful actions) , they don't have relationship with model, so I don't need to get a instance, for this situation, authorize_resource how to work normally?
Any idea is appreciate! Thanks in advance!

A: The load_and_authorize_resource sets a before_filter for each action to load the resource into an instance variable and authorize it automatically. So this is useful for RESTful actions. Now if you have Non RESTful actions in the same controller which can't load the resource you can do:
load_and_authorize_resource only: [:index, :show]

OR
skip_load_resource only: :new

This will skip the before_filter for those actions.
And if you have Model.find(params[:id]) in controller either you can remove that or just use:
authorize_resource

You will not need the load_resource for these actions. The load_resource also does the same thing which you have done manually. It just adds a before_action to all the actions and finds the object according to id.
And the load_resource will always provide you the instance variable with the same name of Model, so if you are using something different in your views for you object then it won't help too. So choosing an option will depend on you and your code.
Cancancan Wiki:

As of CanCan 1.5 you can use the skip_load_and_authorize_resource, skip_load_resource or skip_authorize_resource methods to skip any of the applied behaviour and specify specific actions like in a before filter.

Hope this helps.