1. Put the sugar, rice and tea leaves into a bowl and mix together.
2. Line a deep roasting tin with kitchen foil and pour in the mixture. Cover with another layer of foil and then place on to the hob to heat up.
3. Quarter one of the lemons and insert two pieces into the body cavity of each fish.
4. When the tea mixture starts to smoke, place the trout on top of the kitchen foil. Drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, making sure the fish sits on the foil and the oil doesn't leak out underneath.
5. Season with salt and pepper, and cover with more kitchen foil. Leave to smoke on the hob, over a moderate heat, for 15-20 minutes.
6. While the trout is cooking, make the pesto. Roughly chop the wild garlic leaves. Add the gherkins, capers and Parmesan cheese and chop together finely.
7. Stir in the juice from the remaining lemon, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Serve the trout with the pesto and some buttered new potatoes.


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Alibaba.com offers 432 generator starter kit products. About 22% of these are auto starter, 2% are other camping & hiking products, and 1% are other electronic components.
A wide variety of generator starter kit options are available to you, such as free samples, paid samples.
There are 435 generator starter kit suppliers, mainly located in Asia. The top supplying countries are China (Mainland), India, and Turkey, which supply 99%, 1%, and 1% of generator starter kit respectively.
Generator starter kit products are most popular in North America, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.
You can ensure product safety by selecting from certified suppliers, including 122 with ISO9001, 51 with Other, and 5 with ISO14001 certification.


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Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/minneapolis-public-schools-use-creative-math-public-relations/)
Minneapolis Public Schools use creative math in public relations
By Scott Russell (TC Daily Planet) | October 21, 2008
The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) sent out a media advisory September 22 under the headline: "More families choosing to send students to Minneapolis Public Schools."
MPS used some creative math. MPS has been losing students since 2000. Based on preliminary enrollment numbers from the first two weeks of school, enrollment will decline by approximately two percent.
Earlier, MPS had estimated a five percent drop, consistent with historic trends. The two percent decline was good news, showing better-than-expected enrollments. But if the numbers hold, they would still show a drop.
The official enrollment figures have not been released.
Emily Lowther, MPS communications associate, said the district had initially projected a drop of 225 elementary school students, 450 middle school students and 900 high school students. Based on the preliminary count, it appears elementary school enrollment will hold steady, and that middle schools and high schools will drop approximately 300 students each.
The Daily Planet asked for the school-by-school breakdown of preliminary enrollment counts. MPS provided the high schools numbers, reprinted in the chart.
According to MPS preliminary numbers:
• North High has 549 students, down 86 students, or more than 13 percent from last year. If the numbers hold, it will have fewer than half of the 1,143 students enrolled as recently as the fall of 2004. For comparison, Anthony Middle School had 530 students in 2007-08, according to the Minnesota Department of Education web site.
• Five of the seven traditional high schools showed enrollment increases from last year. All high schools beat the projections.
• Alternative high schools saw their enrollments drop by 374 students, or nearly one-third, driven in large part by the closing of Uptown Academy, which had 270 students last year.
Scott Russell is a journalist. He wrote for the Southwest Journal and Skyway News (now the Downtown Journal) in Minneapolis from 1999-2005. He also wrote for The Capital Times, a Madison Wisconsin daily, from 1993-1999.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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momenton
Native? Hybrid? Web App?
Sam Dickinson
Jun 27, 2018 · 5 min read
Photo by Alexandre Godreau on Unsplash
Where have we come from?
In the last ten years, since the iPhone was released, the nature of the web has shifted. Once we designed and coded with HTML for large screens, now it's all about what's in the palm of your hand.
When the iPhone first came out, there was no app store, all we had were web pages pinned to your home screen. Twelve months later, the app store opened. This gave us two big things. A new language to code in, and in many ways, more importantly, visibility. Around this time, Android also came on to the scene, so all of a sudden, if you were to develop something for a phone, you had to write it twice or just do your app as a website and deal with the limitations.
Early PhoneGap apps just didn't look right. Copyright Kai Hendry — via Flickr
Along came the saviour. Being able to write your apps as web pages, then host them within a framework to get on to the app store. Unfortunately, none of these apps felt "right". It was pretty obvious that they weren't native. They were slow, didn't look quite right, and some functionality didn't operate the same way (for example, having to scroll iframes with two fingers, not continuing scrolling with friction when you released your finger, etc). They did give the benefit of device specific features however. Things like GPS, accelerometer, and later, push notifications.
Around this time, I was all in on iOS development. Teaching myself ObjectiveC and watching the amazing Stanford lectures that had been released. In my mind, there was no comparison. My superiors often brought up the hybrid notion (using PhoneGap — now known as Cordova), but I managed to convince them, that most users have a single device and expect their apps to work a certain way. You couldn't just shoehorn iPhone ideas into an Android application.
On the desktop side of things, over the MANY years they have been around, things have jumped from being mainframe based with lightweight frontends, to heavy desktop apps, and then back (this time it's called "The Cloud"). Phones on the other hand have gone through the same transition, but in a much shorter space of time.
Where are we at now?
The closest thing we've had, in the last few years, to a unified language for both platforms, which is fairly performant, would be React Native. It's model of rendering with native components, but running JavaScript for logic has been a game changer.
The big change that made this possible was Apple opening up their more performant JavaScript interpreter to all applications, not just Safari. Something that Android has always had, but given that apps are typically developed for both platforms, the lowest common denominator had to be observed (much like way too many years of having to support IE6).
In iOS 11.3 we've had a similar transition (Android on the other hand has had this for a while). Service Workers are now open to all by default, this is the key component to a PWA (Progressive Web App). I can see things from here transitioning back to the web.
Progressive Web Apps in general feel a lot slicker than hybrid apps of the past. Copyright Jeremy Keith — via Flickr
PWA's have all the advantages of apps (such as offline access) with the exception of being on the App Store. Unified look and feel seems much less important these days now that people have jumped back and forth between iOS and Android. Apps tend to have their own look and feel now even when developed natively.
In the last ten years, web browsers on phones have gone from bearable to actually quite performant. Just In Time compilation for JavaScript is a big part of that, but rendering engines have improved, plus just having faster CPU's and GPU's on our devices.
So where are we headed? I'm seeing PWA's as the next big stage of apps, becoming more important than React Native. One of the big React Native supporters, Airbnb (check out their amazing and in-depth write-up here), have decided to drop support and go purely native. For a complex application like theirs, with lots of moving parts, this makes sense from a performance point of view. Most of us aren't Airbnb, and our apps are much more humble.
So where do I sit on this? Native is where you go when you need to squeeze absolutely everything out of your device and PWA's are for rapid development and release (think CI/CD pipelines to customers). PWA's also have the advantage of using many more languages. Want to write in React, go for it. Want to use Angular, yep. Vue, sure. How about something more obscure, Elm for instance? No issues whatsoever.
So where does this leave React Native? Yes, you get the advantage of being on the App Store, but that's about it. We're swinging back to Web Technologies, so why not just do a web page wrapped inside an app with a web view? If security is a concern, you can always ship your pages with your app and inject them in to the view, not allowing any external web access. The downside to this is that you're back waiting for approvals.
Now I don't see React Native disappearing, but I do see less and less being developed with it. If you currently are developing for React Native, stick with it, unless it's giving you grief, there's no need to change. If you develop on React and feel the need to move to React Native (possibly for the same security reasons listed above), it shouldn't be too much work to change, as long as you're sticking with flexbox for your layout, they are developed to work very similarly. Going the other way, not too hard either for similar reasons.
If you would like to learn more head on over to momenton and hit us up for a chat.
I'm a Senior Software Developer that has seen sweeping changes over more years than I care to mention. I love keeping up to date with all the new shiny tech.


Workwearhouse are pleased to offer a great range of Healthcare items for across the industry. Your staff should look their best and have the most suitable items for their healthcare role and we are here to help.
We have a variety of items available from footwear to tunics. Most products can be embroidered with your company logo or we can embroider their name to add that personal touch at work or out in the community.
Our healthcare range includes coats, tunics, footwear, tabards and aprons. Most of these can be embroidered with your company details. Within the healthcare industry requirements can vary, we are always happy to help source items that are not on the website.
With all healthcare uniform purchased from Workwear House you can take advantage of our one position FREE embroidery (Logos may be subject to an artwork setup and maximum of 10,000 stitch count) where we will apply your logo or text at NO extra cost.
All embroidery and printing is carried out in house by our great personalisation team this enables us to ensure and achieve a very high standard of personalisation and we can accommodate orders of all sizes. We also have a great customer services team who are here to help with any enquires or queries you may have.
Our aim at Workwear House is to make the order process for all our customers with or without embroidery or print as straightforward as possible, you will be kept up to date with the progress of your order from start to finish.


The City of Loveland, with the help of the Thompson School District, will celebrate the annual Colorado Children's Day on Friday, March 1 at various locations throughout the City of Loveland campus.
The event, now in its 17th year, was founded by long-time resident Annie Hall who believed that children deserved a day totally dedicated to celebration and enjoyment.
Last year, more than 2,500 children and their parents enjoyed this fun-filled annual event that combines fun with hands-on learning and experiential education.
Parking will be available in City of Loveland lots and along city streets. View a map of downtown parking.
Children's Day will be held rain, snow or shine. Some activities may be impacted by weather but the touch-a-truck, puppet shows, storytime in the Library, and Chilson Recreation Center crafts or class demos will run, regardless of the weather. Please dress for the weather.
Representatives from City departments including Cultural Services, Facilities Management, Fire Rescue Authority, Library, Parks and Recreation, Police, Streets and Traffic, Stormwater and Water & Power work with the Thompson School District to plan and hold Colorado Children's Day every year.
Children's Day is the result of the long-time dream of Loveland resident Annie Hall, who lived for 100 years as the biggest fan of children and celebrating them and their spirit. With Annie's request, Colorado Senator Stan Matsunaka sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 01-015 in March 2001, which created a Colorado Children's Day to be celebrated each year on the first Wednesday in March. The resolution was unanimously passed by the Colorado legislature. The City of Loveland in cooperation with Thompson School District has been celebrating Colorado Children's Day since 2002. The day that the event is celebrated has been adjusted over time to better accommodate school schedules, but is still celebrated in Loveland in Annie's memory.
For more information about Children's Day, please call 970.962.2562.


ISIS Innovation, the technology transfer arm of Oxford University, is looking for licensees for: GenoSNP, software for conducting genotyping studies without the need for a without a reference population.
Current genotyping algorithms typically require a large number of control samples that have been sampled on the same array and platform. Scientists at Oxford have now developed GenoSNP, an algorithm which is entirely independent of such control samples. The researchers say this will enable the study of individual samples.
Existing genotype calling methods typically assume that the user has generated data for a large number (100-1000s) of samples, or that a reference database is available, against which to compare specific samples.
GenoSNP differs from this standard paradigm by working on one sample at a time. Originally designed to operate with Illumina Infinium single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array systems, GenoSNP takes advantage of microarray technologies where the probe-specific variation is small, relative to the overall signal separation between genotype classes.
GenoSNP is able to achieve genotyping accuracies of greater than 99 per cent on the Illumina SNP genotyping platform. It is also immune to many potential biases that are commonly observed in genome-wide association studies and introduced by factors such as DNA batch effects and laboratory or machine-specific calibration effects.
Investigation of rare variants are a further important part of modern genome-wide association studies and the researchers claim GenoSNP can analyse rare variants with high accuracy.
GenoSNP per-sample functionally is also beneficial for users of customisable genotyping arrays where suitable reference panels may not exist, or may have to be produced at considerable additional cost to the user.
Further Information, contact Isis Innovation, quoting: Project Number 7376 - Genome-Wide Association Study Software.


Professor Christine Borgman was interviewed by Dr. Dan Turello at the Library of Congress for the "Insights" blog which discusses Scholarly Work at John W. Kluge Center. Within this interview Dr. Turello and Professor Borgman discuss her experience as a woman in mathematics in the 1970s, the definition of data, digital preservation, and more. Professor Borgman is a current member of the Library of Congress Scholars Council which advises on matters related to scholarship at the Library, with special attention to the Kluge Center and the Kluge Prize.
Borgman on KCBS Radio – Are Data Dividends The Solution?


Looking to be more accessible and closer to the customer, we have developed a project for our new showroom on Avenida Brasil, in Porto. Here you can see close up all our products with specialized monitoring. It's a showroom devoted to serve the architect and architectural design, while presenting as "Shop Safety" for everyone, while offering the most advanced solutions for safety and security. Visit us!
You can schedule a visit accompanied by a commercial specialist, allowing direct and optimize the service according to your needs.


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Q: What ROR plugins or projects offer account creation with built-in admin account access levels and pre-built views? I'm working on a project that will involve creating a subdomain for each client's projects.  Admin-level users will be able to create project-area subdomains. Admins will also be able to create and delete standard users.
I'm trying to figure out what tools, or projects I can utilise to get as much of this out of the box as possible. Suggestions?

A: Sounds like you need subdomain_fu to handle the subdomains and devise for authentication.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Born to play, Cindy Sizer performs in the middle of the audience, among the amazed crowd. With their hoppy drum machine pop and their trashy circuit bending sound the duo from eastern Germany makes you step to the music like an aerobic class on sugar.
They are also known for recording the audio of their live show and selling CDs of it right afterwards– don't miss the amazing video of their performance at Fusion Fetsival!


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achy talks friendly animals, gets serious about superheroes
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 11, 2018 | 5 to 7 | 0 comments
Johnson City, Tennessee-based self-proclaimed "giggle-pop" trio Achy – comprised of Achy (Samuel B.) (songwriter, composer) and his cohorts Mahto Bowder (bass), and Sam Love (drums) – just unleashed their seven track stunner Friendly Animals unto the world. Laced with a psychedelic, garage rock feel, the trio somehow pulls off a brit-pop soundscape above it all. Each track is refreshing, and honestly something we would enjoy at an outdoor barbecue. (You know… IF the heat ever dies down anywhere close by!)
Feel free to check out Friendly Animals below, and then check out our quick interview with the trio, where we get deep into their production process and – of course – superheroes.
What was your first musical memory, or the first album or song you heard? Do you think that has any bearing on who you are as an artist now?
Samuel: My absolute first musical memory is sitting in the living room of my folks old apartment, and my dad had this little record player set up and was playing Money by Pink Floyd on it. And that memory has always stuck with me super strong. My dad and my mom showing me their music growing up definitely impacted the way I make music though.
Sam Love: My first musical memory that really really made me love music was Pink Floyd. Particularly the Syd Barrett era, which was a more spastic and creative-sounding time for Pink Floyd in my opinion. However Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse was the most influential album on my drum playing.
Mahto: There was always stuff like the Grateful Dead, Augustus Pablo, Bad Brains, Neil Young playing at the house. My folks had a fairly wide taste. My first cd was Help by the Beatles. I feel like the set me up pretty well. I do remember going to see a stage production of beauty and the beast and suddenly being much more interested in the piano at the the house. All that said I'm sure it must be why I act in the way I do now.
What is this self-proclaimed "giggle-pop" genre you've come up with on Facebook? Where did that term come from? Don't necessarily disagree — just SUPER curious.
Samuel: It's to describe that lil giggle you let out when a pop hook sounds real good. And we found it just online I can't remember where or who but some beautiful stranger described us with the perfect genre! We also crack a lot of jokes at the live gigs.
Sam Love: Our term "giggle pop" comes from how much fun we having playing and learning music together; I think Samuel and Mahto have great senses of humor and we always make each other laugh in between songs! Although we take the music we make seriously I think it's important to also have fun with it and they are great fellas to have around for that!
Mahto: I think someone else called us that in a Facebook event. It's pretty accurate though. We get pretty giggly pretty often.
Friendly Animals is so refreshing and upbeat. We hear it all happened in 2 days. (AMAZING!) Any fun anecdotes?
Samuel: Thank you! It was the most exhausting two days I've ever had, we as a group literally rehearsed the songs one day before recording them and a lot of the parts were actually written as we recorded. By the end of recording I couldn't even redo guitar takes cause my fingers hurt so bad!
Sam Love: The recording process for our EP Friendly Animals was a blast! It's was a lot of work, but working with Henry of Taped Records in Knoxville was absolutely amazing. He has done a great job setting up an environment where work and productivity explode like a volcano, but in a way that doesn't stifle the creative process. I feel like it was refreshing for all of us.
Mahto: It was very hot. And very hard on the hands. I thought the improv jam was the most fun though. After spending all day trying to get the songs right, after learning them the day before, it was really nice to be able to turn the brain off and slip into the rhythm off this new thing.
Do any of you have a favorite track from the album, or perhaps a song you prefer to perform live? Why? What makes it something to look forward to for you?
Samuel: Mine would have to be "Breakfast w/ You", seeing people smile and get excited that we're playing it just makes me so happy. That or "Telephone P'lease"!
Sam Love: My personal favorite song from Friendly Animals is "Summer Sweater" because I really like how the grooves kind of take on a funkier sound. I always look forward to playing it live!
Mahto: I rather like playing "Telephone P'lease". It makes me feel like a rockstar.
How do you want fans to feel after listening to the album in its entirety?
Samuel: That they feel like they know us! By the end of the record I'd love it if people felt a little closer to what we're doing and like they could come up after a show and talk like old friends.
Sam Love: Ideally, after listening to Friendly Animals for the first time, I would like the listeners to feel like they just heard something different in an interesting "fresh" way.
Mahto: I want listeners to feel like Samuel for a minute.
On a broader spectrum, what drives your passion to create music?
Samuel: The people and connections I make everyday doing it, the strongest and funnest connections you can make are when you become besties with another band or artist, that's true love right there.
Sam Love: I always find myself in and around musical environments, and being able to play music with good friends and musicians like Samuel Bowman and Mahto Browder really helps drive my passion to create music. I also love how music can bring so many different people together, and even serve as a sort-of medicine.
Mahto: It just something I have to do. I think there is something primal that makes people want music.
If you could be any superhero – "existing" or made up – who would you be and why?
Samuel: Definitely Hellboy, coolest hero ever! Also the best graphic novel hands down.
Sam Love: If I could be any superhero, pre-existing or otherwise, I firmly believe I would be Father Captain Doctor Love. The man who, of course, had humble roots in a church eventually becoming a Priest. After seeing the ugly underbelly of religion and understanding religion's sinister and corrupt nature in his town he quit the church to join the army. He quickly became a Captain, but after seeing the unjust conflicts and unspeakable horrors of war he left to further his academic career and reflect on his experiences. He decided to become a heart surgeon, and graduated at the top of his class successfully becoming a doctor. It was then he learned he could just also read minds and become temporarily invisible for 10-15 minute intervals on Thursdays.
Mahto: Batman. He just does what he wants. No powers or anything.
Keep up with Achy here.
Meredith Schneider
Editor in Chief at Imperfect Fifth
Meredith is often referred to as an entrepreneur, photographer, writer, and multi-media maven. She is currently the Editor in Chief at Imperfect Fifth, Co-Owner/Co-Producer at DoubleTake Productions, a ticket seller at a concert venue in KC, and a freelance writer/photographer. In her free time, she likes to make baked goods and complete DIY projects alongside her trusty – OK, not so trusty – cat Schmidt. She loves Batman so much she named her car Bruce Wayne. You can find her random musings on Twitter and Instagram.
Latest posts by Meredith Schneider (see all)
cool off from the summer heat with our fav new music videos of july 2019 - July 19, 2019
lulise, "taken" - July 18, 2019
a conversation with drunken prayer - July 18, 2019


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SFF Romance
Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
About VBC
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Alpha Showdown 2018
Group Read
Review: The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Origin #1)
Posted by Amy on Nov 12, 2018 in Reviews, Young Adult | 0 comments
The Darkest Star (Origin #1)
Published: Oct. 30, 2018 (Tor Teen)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed by: Amy
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it may unintentionally contain spoilers for two series set in the same world. If you haven't stepped into this world yet, check out VBC's reviews of Obsidian and Obsession.
About four years ago an alien race called the Luxen invaded Earth with the intention of taking control. Not all Luxen, however, were in favor of total domination. Some just wanted to live in peace and start a new life, cohabitating with humans. Those Luxen fought on the side of the humans and shifted the tide of the war. Now, as Earth tries to rebuild what was lost, there are still tensions between humans and the Luxen that remained. The government has put a lot of restrictions upon the Luxen, but there are always those that break the rules.
So when Evie Dasher sneaks out of her house to go to a club where mingling between Luxen and humans is the standard, she's a little apprehensive. Then she meets Luc, a mysteriously attractive guy whom Evie immediately assumes is a Luxen. But then the club gets raided and their time together cut short. However, she just can't seem to get him out of her head. There's a strong connection between them that Evie is hesitant to explore further because she doesn't really trust him. Everything Evie thought she knew and understood about a world so changed by war will be called into question as the connection between her and Luc grows deeper.
I haven't read the previous series/books that The Darkest Star is spun off from, but I didn't find any issues in picking up the story. Although, upon research, I believe there are a few cameos which should delight longtime fans of the series, plus the fact that Luc himself was once a secondary character.
Pretty much from the start, you know there's something going on that is eluding Evie. Something that she's been unaware of within the human/Luxen dynamic around her. I had it pretty much pegged from the start, so wading through all the starts and stops and teases that it takes to get to the moment when Evie is finally made aware was a little trying. But, in the interest of remaining vague, I liked that Jennifer Armentrout didn't put all her eggs in one basket, so to speak. There was a depth to what was happening around Evie that I didn't see all the pieces coming or how they all fit together.
The story is told entirely from Evie's point of view, and I cannot help but wish we got a little from Luc's as well, if anything I think some of the monotony of Evie just missing the mark on putting things together would have been avoided, but I understood because this is the beginning of the series. If nothing else it's almost easier for the reader to identify with Evie and her new eyes-wide-open perspective at this point before delving into the over-arching conflict in the next book(s).
In this way, I loved that the attraction between Luc and Evie is so tentative. It's an important part of the story, but it doesn't take precedence over other, possibly direr circumstances. By the end of The Darkest Star they're still learning about one another. I appreciated the slow burn aspect to their relationship and I look forward to seeing them explore it more in future books.
By the end of The Darkest Star Evie's world has opened up exponentially, I'm looking forward to seeing her navigate it and seeing how she and Luc fit together.
Sexual content: kissing
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Bonus Offer: Download our How to Hire a HVAC Company Checklist as a PDF for free. Easily save it or print for reference anytime.
As a heating and cooling provider, I get some of these questions over and over again. The questions have been compiled for you to find a HVAC service provider that can do the job correctly. There is plenty of competition in the HVAC business but it is not difficult to find a qualified technician as long as you know what to search for.
To narrow down your decision you can search a few companies online and comparison shop. Depending on the work you need done, look at the differences and similarities the businesses display. Not all HVAC companies or HVAC technicians are created equal.
For obvious reasons, technicians should have completed a few jobs. It's in your best interest to work with up to date and experienced contractors. Less qualified companies may not keep their employees or technicians current with the latest technology. This may cause you from having a newer or more current design.
You should also consider what the required licenses are for your state and if there are contractors that meet them. Liability insurance should also be used to compare technicians. Insurance will protect your property and workers if anyone gets hurt.
Getting the best price is always good, but make sure you are getting the best service with that price. Ask for estimates from candidates and compare what each offers for their price.
You should only consider price after finding the most qualified. In the end it will save you money.
Before a person gets hired at a new job, the employer asks for references. You should do the same with hiring a HVAC technician. It's often a great place to start with recommendations from friends and family in the area.
There are also online directories that list companies that are verified as good options.
You should consider reading some reviews from past customers of technicians. You can usually find these on their website. Online directories may also post reviews. Good and not so good reviews can be the determining factor for which HVAC technician you choose.
How Do You Know a HVAC Company is Right for You?
2. Can I have your street address?
3. Are you licensed to do this type of work?
4. Do you have an office staff?
6. Will you guarantee my satisfaction?
7. Is your company a drug-free workplace?
8. Do you do a pre-employment back ground screening?
9. Are your technicians employees of your company or are they sub-contractors?
10. Will you clean up at the conclusion of each day's work?
11. Will you remove any old equipment and all debris from the premises?
12. Is there an extended warranty available?
13. Do you place a high priority on warranty calls?
14. Will your technicians be in a company uniform?
15. Can you show me copies of your Worker's Compensation Insurance?
16. Are permits and inspection included?
17. Do you provide a 33 point post installation inspection checklist?
18. Do you offer a no lemon pledge and guarantee?
19. Do you offer a lifetime guarantee on ductwork?
20. Do you offer the option to with-hold payment until the job passes final inspection?
21. Are there any rebates that I qualify for?
22. Do you have an "A" rating with the Better Business Bureau?
23. Does your company offer and on-going service contract and free maintenance reminders?
24. Is your company a member of ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) and the AHRI (Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institue)?
A HVAC contractor will play a crucial role in your home's comfort, air quality and safety. Consider these steps when making your hiring decision.
You want to find an experienced provider trained in your product/brand.
1. How old is your central air conditioning system?
2. Did you consider your indoor air quality?
3. Do you want a high-efficiency unit?
Check company's reputation before hiring.
Use our checklist to help you choose a HVAC techician in your area. Do not forget to ask about warranties and satisfaction guarantees.
With so many resources available, you should be able to use these tips to find the best HVAC technician to service your home. It's important to get advice from an experienced professional who can evaluate your home and make proper recommendations for your unique situation.
What things do you consider when hiring a HVAC contractor?


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Aehr to Announce Second Quarter Fiscal 2018 Financial Results on January 4, 2018
Aehr today announced that it will report financial results for its second quarter of fiscal 2018 ended November 30, 2017 on Thursday, January 4, 2018 following the close of the market. The Company will host a conference call and webcast at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time to discuss the results FREMONT, Calif., (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –…
Aehr Receives Follow-on Order for FOX-XP™ Test and Burn-in System for Silicon Photonics Devices
FREMONT, Calif., (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR), a worldwide supplier of semiconductor test and burn-in equipment, today announced that it has received a follow-on order from one of its lead FOX-XP Test and Burn-in System customers to provide additional test capacity to meet the customer's increasing…
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The King of Elfland's Second Cousin
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The Convergence of Utopia and Science Fiction
A couple of weeks ago – amidst all of the craziness involved with packing, moving, and unpacking – I managed to take a weekend and go up to Readercon in Burlington, MA. I'd been to Readercon two (more accurately, one and a half) times before, and every time, I find the panels thought-provoking (and the conversations between panels, at the bar, and at the parties hilarious and often thought-provoking, but that's a whole 'nother blog post).
This year's Readercon featured a theme that's been on my mind of late: utopia. There were three or four program items dedicated to the subject, and I managed to get to almost all of them. While the discussions were all very interesting, I felt that they had danced around two ancillary questions which form the heart of my interest in the subject: What are the drivers of utopian thought? And what makes utopian fiction effective?
Where Does Utopia Come From?
Utopian fiction has a long history, but it's become increasingly thin-on-the-ground (or the bookshelves) of late. Why? This is the kind of question we can come at from many angles, but to really do an effective job answering it, I think we need to understand how utopian fiction comes about. And here, I'm going to speculate widely, generally, and with any luck reasonably.
Utopian thought (and the fiction which explores it) is a consequence of humanity's tendency towards systemic thought.
Our minds are pattern-matching machines: From the moment of birth (and possibly even before) our brains are assembling a complex collection of cause/effect responses. If I drop my Cheerios on the floor, mommy gets upset. If I pull the dog's tail, the dog runs away. When we assemble a bunch of those cause/effect responses – and when we chain them together and interrelate them – an incredibly complex system emerges.
We interact with the world around us – with physical objects, with individuals, with organizations, with groups, and even with ourselves – based upon expectations borne of that complicated system. While the individual action might be simple (turn up the thermostat so that the room becomes warmer), it is predicated upon a complex set of imputed underlying (and inter-related) systems. So what does this have to do with utopia?
Utopian thought comes from an awareness (however flawed) of the systems shaping society. It stems from a philosophical tradition in which one can comfortably place Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Engels, Marx, Rand, and just about any individual who has ever had a political opinion. Utopian thought is a systemic "what if game: If we adjust the systems that shape our society, how will our society change?
This may seem like a simplistic characterization of utopian thought, and to some extent, that's a fair criticism. But despite its simplicity, it remains precise. And that precision is what makes it helpful for exploring utopian thought's evolution through the centuries, its relationship to science fiction, and its structural portrayal within fiction.
Our Changing Understanding of Societal Systems
Utopian thought is always grounded in the philosophical zeitgeist of its time. As our understanding of the systems underlying our society changes, so too do the structures and systems depicted in our utopias.
Utopias – like science fiction – are as much commentaries on their present as they are prescriptions for the future.
When Plato described his Republic, or when More's traveler came upon his island, they were writing in their time and for their time. Their "ideal" societies were built upon their understanding of the systems underlying their contemporary society. Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward and William Morris' News from Nowhere are both rooted in the social, economic, and cultural debates of the rapidly-industrializing 19th century. Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Ivan Yefremov's Andromeda, and Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed cannot easily be divorced from the political and economic debates of the mid-20th. Joanna Russ' The Female Man and Samuel Delany's Trouble on Triton are products of the culturally tumultuous 1960-70's.
Utopian works rely on a philosophical context shared between reader and author. To remove a utopian work from the philosophical context of its time is to reduce it to quaint over-simplicity (an easy critique to offer when looking backwards) or abstruse incomprehensibility (a hypothesized critique when looking forwards – I suspect Plato might have had difficulty grokking Trouble on Triton, for example).
This relationship between utopian thought and the philosophy of its day is, I think, the reason why we have seen relatively little utopian fiction since the 1980s. Before the '80s, political philosophy, economics, and even psychology were often founded on reductionist principles (i.e. if we can break each system down into its elemental components, we can understand how those systems function). The past thirty years, however, have witnessed the burgeoning popularity of anti-reductionist "systems thought", "complexity theory", and "holistic approaches".
To over-simplify: before the 1980s, it was reasonable for any one philosopher to articulate a "complete" political, social, or economic philosophy. Yes, that articulated philosophy would be flawed and overly simplistic (see Plato, Rand, Heinlein, Yefremov, etc.). But the practical applications (and limitations) of such articulations could be observed in the wild: Soviet Communism in the Eastern bloc, Maoist Communism in China, American Capitalist Democracy in the United States, and mildly-Socialist democracy of varying strains across much of Europe. But then the world changed in the 1980s: Soviet Communism unraveled, and Western society realized that our reductionist models had missed something (or many things).
Since the '80s, in every field of social science (including economics, history, sociology, psychology, etc.) we have come to embrace the idea of complex and irreducible systems. This has progressed in line with the increasing specialization of our education systems. For example, the average (educated!) person on the street is unlikely to be able to explain how money supply or the quantity theory of money works. And even amongst economists there is much debate about how various systems affect and shape the money supply, and how that money supply in turn affects and shapes society at large.
I've heard time and again folks say that the world has gotten more complex. That's not true: The world has always been this complicated. But our awareness of the world's complexity has increased substantially in the last century. As a result, we have shifted from a society which believed it could explain the world to a society which now recognizes its own inability to do so. As a result, our what-if scenarios (reliant as they are upon a shared understanding between reader and author) have grown more tentative.
That makes the creative challenge of producing effective utopian fiction harder. The audience comes to the text already predisposed to reject our utopia.
The Relationship between Utopia and Science Fiction
Several paragraphs ago, I offered a reasonably concise description of utopian thought, characterizing it as a systemic "what-if" scenario. If such a what-if game sounds suspiciously like a working definition of science fiction, well, there's a good reason for that: Every work of utopian writing can be considered a work of science fiction. And the obverse likewise holds: Every work of science fiction can be considered a work of utopian thought.
I can imagine the complaints now: How can works like E.E. "Doc Smith's Lensmen series, Isaac Asimov's I, Robot stories, William Gibson's Neuromancer, Paulo Baciagalupi's The Windup Girl, Madeleine Ashby's vN, Cormac McCarthy's The Road, or Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games be credibly called utopian? They have very little in common, it might seem, to works like H.G. Wells' A Modern Utopia, or Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward.
But those differences are superficial at best: beneath the stories' plot, underneath their characterization, and independent of their narrative structure lies an underlying question (what if) which is central to the vast majority (though not all) of science fiction. The differences? Those are differences in expression, differences in technique, differences in the method by which the author's conjectures are explored. From a philosophical perspective, those are differences in aesthetic.
The Changing Aesthetics of Utopia
When I look at the evolution of utopian fiction, I see a path of convergence. By today's aesthetic standards, the "classics" of utopian fiction can be considered dull at best, and didactic at worst. A "perfect society devoid of conflict makes plotting difficult. A society which assumes the uniformity of the human condition either a priori or as a consequence of society's perfection makes characterization tough. By the aesthetic standards of the 19th century, the philosophical question of "what if" alone may have been enough to support a novel-length work.
By our aesthetic standards today? We demand more: tension; conflict; drama. We want pathos in addition to our logos. Utopian fiction's gradual evolution throughout the twentieth century has marked the gradual shift to more emotive expressions: compare the conflict in H.G. Wells' A Modern Utopia to that of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and then that to the conflict in Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. One could plot a timeline of explicitly utopian fiction based upon the reader's emotional proximity to the characters, and those character's explicit articulation of philosophical conjecture.
The commercial and aesthetic requirement that fiction must feature conflict and drama stands in tension with that fiction's ability to examine social, economic, or political philosophy. The closer our gaze is focused on the characters, the more oblique becomes the presentation of philosophical conjecture.
Where the philosophical conjecture is viewed head-on, as in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed, or Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, we are left with a dystopian work (or in Le Guin's case, a heavily ambiguous one). The conflict stems from the philosophy, and the "perfect" world is shown to the reader to be so flawed as to fail in its stated goal. This is, of course, a valid and powerful technique in both utopian thought and in science fiction. "It will fail" is a reasonable response to the question of "what if".
However, in works where the utopian philosophy is presented obliquely – implied through what goes unstated or otherwise baked into the world-building – we can still identify fascinating utopian themes. Whether that's in Isaac Asimov's I, Robot stories, Madeleine Ashby's vN, Iain M. Banks' Culture novels, M. John Harrison's Nova Swing, or Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy we can identify strains of utopian conjecture and examination. They are explored – typically – between the lines, sometimes closer to the story's surface and other times buried a little more deeply. It works, however, because it is baked into the story's underlying world-building using the techniques of the science fiction genre.
Utopian Fiction Looking Forward
Contemporary utopian fiction has fully converged with science fiction, to the point where separating the two has become all but impossible. One can make the argument that this discussion is tautological navel-gazing, or as relevant to contemporary writing as asking how many angels can dance on the period at the end of this sentence. I disagree.
Like any branch of either philosophy or writing, utopian fiction is subject to the pressures of its society. In this case, under aesthetic pressure, utopian fiction has had to embrace narrative conflict. This has happened in parallel with society's rejection of reductionist socioeconomic philosophies, and this societal acknowledgment of nuance has forced a further narrowing of the narrative's focus to individuals within a hypothetical society. The surrounding society may be idealized, or have utopian elements, yet the lives of the individuals living within it may still be conflicted. Today's science fiction and utopian thought have both rejected narratives of simplicity.
The mechanism that enables utopian thought (what-if style conjecture) is the same that enables science fiction's world-building. If it looks like a duck, and acts like a duck, it stands to reason that it is – in fact – a duck. Can we have science fiction that isn't utopian? Or can we have a utopia which isn't science fictional? Given the above, I am hard-pressed to think of examples.
Philosophical travelogues with thin characterization and prescriptive didacticism are passé by today's standards. But the deep and philosophically relevant questions that utopian fiction has traditionally explored can still be examined. But this creates a two-fold challenge: On the one hand, we must consider the complex systems underlying our fictional societies and the relationships therein, while at the same time considering how those systems will affect individuals within those societies on emotional, functional, and even spiritual levels.
Where those systems fail, it is far easier to shift the story into dystopia, to derive narrative tension from those failures.
A far more difficult trick is to show those systems as functional, while still featuring emotionally resonant narrative tension.
Post-scarcity and Realistic Utopia: Where's the fight?
One of the WIPs I'm working on right now is a far future SF novel inspired largely by Le Guin's classic The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia . As I've observed before, utopian novels are hard to pull off because an ostensibly perfect society removes – in most major ways – meaningful (read: existential) conflict. But I think I might have been wrong about that.
Fictional utopia and dystopia are tools through which we negotiate our society's ethics. They are, in a very real sense, a debate about the values our society holds. Le Guin's short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, or James Morrow's City of Truth all ask us what price we are willing to pay for a perfect/harmonious society. In all utopian/dystopian stories, conflict occurs at the levels of logos and pathos, and traditionally, there are two structures through which that conflict gets expressed: the Outsider, and the Dissident.
The Outsider: Conflict in Utopia
A utopia is ostensibly a perfect environment, and that perfection tends to make society somewhat static. Lacking conflict, debate, the society becomes relatively unchanging. In some utopian environments, like Iain M. Banks' Culture or John C. Wright's Golden Oecumene, "constant change" may be the most static characteristic. But lacking internal debate, most authors positing a utopia turn to the borders of that perfect state to find conflict.
Older utopias, like Perkins Gilman's Herland , Wells' A Modern Utopia , or Skinner's Walden Two , tend to adopt the structure of a travelogue/fish-out-of-water story, and they typically prioritize logos over pathos in their conflicts. What little conflict they generate is produced by putting the utopian society's values into conflict with an Outsider: typically a guest who comes to visit the perfect society, and thus disturbs – to some extent – that society's equilibrium. More modern utopias, like Banks' Culture novels, also rely on the Outsider to produce conflict. However, these stories focus on where the utopia's remit ends, and where it comes into contact with different value systems. As such, it presents the utopia as being in constant conflict, to a greater or lesser extent, with the world outside its borders.
The Dissident: Conflict in Dystopias
Dystopias are generally characterized by their lack of defined borders. Look at any of the great dystopian novels, like Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four , Zamyatin's We , Huxley's Brave New World , Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 , Morrow's City of Truth or even Collins' The Hunger Games . The ostensibly perfect society is all-encompassing. Borders in Orwell are political and expedient, as opposed to ideological. Elsewhere, the totalitarian state controls the entire planet save for some few wild places that lack any structure through which the One State can be opposed. The classic dystopian narrative arc takes a character inside the dystopia, and translates them into an Outsider. These stories derive their tension from the fact that there is no Outside. Which is why their conflict stems from the creation of a Dissident.
The Dissident plays a more violent version of the Outsider's role. His or her purpose is to oppose the dystopia's value system, to express the nature of that opposition and to either withstand or fall beneath the system's crushing totalitarian jackboot. And it is precisely that totalitarian, militaristic dimension which sets a dystopia apart from a utopia.
Characteristics of Dystopian and Utopian Environments
A utopia is generally a society which operates harmoniously, effectively, and perhaps most important, equitably. Historically, utopian fiction has been heavily influenced by the 18th and 19th century anarchist and socialist movements. But the basic premise underpinning all utopias is that within their borders, they function effectively and smoothly. Because utopian fiction tends to put value on its utopian precepts, it is typically a given that the society is internally cohesive. There is no dissidence, and nobody falls through the society's cracks. Utopias are defined by the fact that, in their fictional universes, they work.
Dystopias, however, do not. They present the superficial appearance of effective operation. But that veneer hides the stick that the regime uses to enforce its values. Without the totalitarian police/military force, it would be impossible to concretely express the Dissident's conflict with their society. When faced with internal opposition to its values, a dystopian regime cracks down, and does so violently, and it is from this conflict that we get a fun, action-packed narrative.
And yet, in thinking about it in light of the United States' current economic troubles, I think we're at a point in our societal development where a new type of utopian fiction can be proposed, and one which opens a third source of potential conflict: the Post-scarcity/Realistic Utopia, which can derive its conflict from the Marginalized.
The Realistic Utopia
Post-scarcity science fiction has been around for awhile, and lots of people have talked and written about it before. Much of the philosophical debates around post-scarcity society stem from anarcho-capitalist philosophy, which I'm going to leave to one side. Instead, I'd like to make the case that in essence, the developed world is today already a post-scarcity society. We produce more food than our population could ever consume. Consumer goods are available at a lower economic cost than ever before in the history of our species. We have access to healthcare that would boggle the finest minds of our great-grandparents' generation. If there is a problem with our post-scarcity society, it is that the benefits of that post-scarcity are not evenly distributed.
Unlike the anarcho-communist utopias dreamed of yesterday, our society today still retains a division between the haves and have nots. And as a species, we have never been able to scale an equal distribution of societal benefit (whether we're talking economic wealth, military power, healthcare, standard of living, etc.). As a result, the debates of today – as exemplified by the Occupy Movement – are less about ensuring economic equality, and more about negotiating how our society interacts with individuals or groups who otherwise fall through the current system's cracks. The folks protesting in the Occupy movement are, to a great extent, either the Marginalized or the voice of the Marginalized in what by most measures can be considered a near-Utopian society.
If the past hundred years have taught us anything, it is that it is naive to believe that society will ever eliminate crime, or completely eliminate poverty, etc. These are ills that will always plague human society, and any utopia that tries to dream them away fails my plausibility test. Yet the mere existence of these societal ills is less important than how we as a society respond to them. And this, I believe, is fertile ground for utopian SF to explore. By focusing less on the economics of the utopian society, and by turning a lens on the values of that society through its marginalized constituents, we can gain greater insight into the human condition, and at the same time develop conflicts through which to tell compelling stories.
While it isn't a perfect example, I believe that Samuel Delany's Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia , his response to Le Guin's The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia , presages this future. His Bron Helstrom is ostensibly an Outsider, coming to the heterotopia of Triton from much more conservative Martian culture. In his new home, he is marginalized through his own value system, which is inimical to that of his new home. Yes, Delany also uses an Outsider structure in this novel, pitting his Triton against Earth in a devastating interplanetary war. And yet, it is Bron Helstrom's narrative and personal experience of trying to adjust to his new – ostensibly Utopian – home that takes focus. Triton is not a perfect example of the kind of realistic utopia that I'm talking about here, but the focus on a marginalized individual who falls through the cracks of a supposedly perfect society is exactly what I believe utopian science fiction needs.
And I think it is exactly the kind of philosophical discussion that our society needs as well.
REVIEW: Second Sight by Cheryl Klein
Chris' Rating (5 possible):
An Attempt at Categorization
If You Like… / You Might Like…
Aspects of the Novel
The Art of Fiction (by John Gardner)
The Art of Fiction (by Ayn Rand)
The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction
On Writing Horror
Characters & Viewpoint
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint
Rhetorics of Fantasy
Evaporating Genres: Essays on Fantastic Literature
Strategies of Fantasy
Morphology of the Folktale
Several years ago, The Professor (my fiancée) introduced me to children's book editor Cheryl Klein's blog, where I discovered several years' worth of thoughtful, analytical, and insightful talks she has given on the craft of writing and its intersection with the craft of editing. Having found her thoughts interesting, I was excited to learn that Klein is now releasing a self-published, crowd-funded (via Kickstarter) book on writing entitled Second Sight. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a review copy not too long ago, and found it be challenging, insightful, and professional in all the right ways. This is a book for people seriously interested in writing as both a craft and a career: people looking for touchy-feely encouragement or platitudes on the "writing life" need not apply.
From my perspective, this is high praise. What I look for in books on writing is a serious discussion of the techniques used to construct effective, powerful, and publishable fiction. Whenever I read a new book on writing, I am always comparing it to the books on my "Writing on Writing Shelf," which is primarily stocked with classics like E.M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel , John Gardner's The Art of Fiction , Ayn Rand's (very different) The Art of Fiction , or Ursula K. Le Guin's The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction . Klein's Second Sight is like these excellent books in many ways.
Second Sight demands a modicum of pre-existing knowledge. Someone still struggling to grasp the basics of writing (figuring out what a plot is, understanding the difference between point of view and voice, etc.) will likely find this book intimidating. An intermediate writer (as I like to consider myself) – who has been working at the craft for several years, who has a finished (though not yet published) novel or two under their belt, and who is looking for helpful ways to think about technique – will derive a lot of value from this book.
Like Forster, Gardner, and Rand, Klein flits effortlessly between the high-concept philosophy of writing (the nature of fiction, the nature of art) and the gritty reality of constructing a working novel (building point, character, plot, and voice). It is clear in reading this book that Klein has thought long and hard about what constitutes good writing, and what criteria to apply when judging the written word. However, unlike E.M. Forster, or John Gardner, (and certainly unlike Ayn Rand) Second Sight is far less didactic.
Reading Le Guin's, Forster's, or Gardner's works on writing, I am often reminded of looking at a skyscraper. In Forster's Aspects of the Novel , he takes 192 pages to walk us through the six pillars on which all novels rest. Each chapter builds on those that precede it to concisely outline the author's vision of The Novel, like one floor resting atop another. This kind of writing on writing provides immense value, but it is by its very nature broad: it speaks in generalities from a hundred stories above the ground, glossing over many challenging aspects of writing. But if reading Forster is like looking at a finished skyscraper, reading Klein is like looking over an architect's shoulder.
When I finish classic books on writing, I am often left with a feeling of "Whoa," as my perception of The Novel has changed. Reading Klein cover to cover doesn't produce that response. Instead, each chapter of Klein's book leaves me with a smaller sense of "Neat!" that shifts my thinking on a particular facet of the craft. I wouldn't be able to swallow a book like this in one or two sittings. In the two or three months that I've had my review copy, I've found that I would read a chapter or two, put it aside, and then return to it repeatedly when running into tough spots in my own writing. And that is its primary value: as a helpful tool for the dedicated writer struggling with the minutia of craft.
The primary meat of this book is framed by practicalities. It opens with a series of brief philosophical musings on the nature of good writing, and then dives right into the process of finding a publisher. That fact alone should tell you that this isn't a book for someone who has never written anything. However, those early chapters are beautiful for their simple, straightforward discussion of the publishing process. The annotated query letters (one "from hell" and one which "gets it right") are excellent, providing real-world lessons that can be applied by anyone intending to pitch editors or agents.
The middle of the book consists of independent chapters on various aspects of writing. The subjects range from a working definition of young adult literature, to techniques for constructing picture books, to the relationship between plot and emotion. There are commonalities across all of these sections, but they are not structured – and should not be read – as laying out a dialectical argument. Instead, they are insightful musings on varied aspects of writing, which may be relevant to some readers some of the time…but not to everyone, and not always.
It is only as she approaches the end of the "meaty" section that Klein veers into a Forster-esque mode of outlining a "theory of the novel." Captured in a sixty-four page quartet of chapters (with their own introduction), Klein discusses what she considers the pillars on which a novel rests: point, character, plot, and voice. While these chapters are insightful and valuable, they represent the book's one structural weakness: up to this point, the chapters all provided valuable insight without relying on the other chapters. Diving into the quartet on page 186, with its concomitant shift in structure and tone, struck me as inconsistent with the rest of the book's structure. Without a doubt, the quartet deserves a place in this book, and I understand the difficulty Klein likely had in figuring out how to get it to fit. However, I suspect it could have benefited from either an alternative placement (perhaps earlier in the book, amidst the more "philosophical" chapters), or a better lead-in. But despite the inconsistency in structure and approach, the quartet – and the other independent chapters – still provide great value.
The last third of the book returns us to the brutal reality of revising a finished work. Her chapter on twenty-five revision techniques is immensely practical, the type of bare bones heavy lifting that every author should do, but that nobody likes to think or talk about. This section is immediately applicable to anyone who has finished a written work (of any length), and is now embarking on the revision process. The concrete advice given here clearly stems from years of editing books as a career. No shortcuts are given, no platitudes are offered: writing is hard work, and Klein lays out a series of techniques to produce higher quality work.
Second Sight is unlike most of my writing library. In general, that library consists of books that either try to lay out an all-encompassing theoretical framework (Forster, Gardner, Rand), analyze critical genre theory (Mendelsohn, Clute, Suvin), or exhaustively detail a particular facet of writing (Card, Kress, Propp). Some of the books in my library are well worn: the books I return to frequently as I think about my own writing. Since getting my review copy of Second Sight, it has never left my desk. It doesn't answer the question of "What is The Novel?" but it does answer the question "What goes into an effective novel?" And for someone working on writing new works while revising what they have already written, I suspect this is the most important question.
NOTE: As I mention above, Second Sight is a self-published book, and can be ordered from Cheryl Klein's web site at: http://cherylklein.com/buying-second-sight. Also, be sure to check out her great blog.
Disclosure: I am a member of Amazon.com's Associate program.


Business owners across Long Island gathered at the P.C. Richard & Son in Plainview on Amazon Prime Day to push for legislation mandating online state sales taxes in New York and to urge online retailers to begin collecting sales taxes.
Because of a recent Supreme Court ruling, states will now be able to charge sales taxes on purchases from online retailers like Amazon, even if the companies don't have a physical presence in those states.
In the Supreme Court case, which ended in a 5-4 ruling on June 21, South Dakota argued that billions of dollars were lost annually from the lack of an online sales tax by some out-of-state retailers.
This effectively reaffirmed the constitutionality of state laws that would mandate the collection of a sales tax for online purchases.
Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Bellmore and Merrick business owners are calling for state legislation that they say would level the playing field be-tween in-state and out-of-state online retailers.
The high court's June 21 South Dakota v. Wayfair decisio will allow states to mandate a sales tax for items purchased on-line from out-of-state retailers — and local retailers want New York to ensure that a sales tax is charged regardless of the sites that online shoppers buy from. First, though, state lawmakers must pass a measure requiring online sales taxes.
Ginny McClean, owner of Have You Heard, a wedding and party invitation store in Bellmore, said she has fought for a universal online sales tax for 18 years.
She explained that if all online purchases in New York carried a sales tax, retailers like her would be better positioned to compete with out-of-state retailers like Etsy and Zazzle, which can undercut local competitors' prices.
On Monday — which was Amazon Prime Day — dozens of Long Island business owners gathered in Plainview to rally for a state law mandating online sales taxes. They also pushed for websites like Amazon, Overstock and Wayfair to implement the tax before legislation forcing them to do so is passed.
While local business owners said they are confident that such legislation will be approved, because of strong support from a number of state and local legislators, they are hoping for a special session to address the issue before state lawmakers reconvene in January.
Michael Harrison, president and CEO of Axcelsior Strategic Solutions and a Chamber of Commerce consultant, said that the current state of affairs "creates an un-level playing field." "We need legislation to be able to begin, and the South Dakota law should be a model," he said.
The law passed in South Dakota after the high court ruling has stipulations: Out-of-state online retailers charge the tax only if they clear $100,000 in sales in South Dakota, or have 200 separate transactions with South Dakota customers. New York's law should be as simple to follow, Harrison said.
"As a brick-and-mortar store, it [would] level the playing field," said Gary Sirota, owner of Brands Cycle and Fitness in Wantagh.
Julie Marchesella, owner of Merrick's Queen of Hearts and past president of both the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce and the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, agreed. Nassau County could see revenues of $50 million to $100 million, she said, if the state were to pass similar legislation.
Nassau County Legislator Arnold Drucker, who attended Monday's rally, explained that a mandated online sales tax could help Nassau and Suffolk counties to fill their budget deficits.
James Gazzale, a representative for the state Department of Taxation and Finance, said last week that state officials are reviewing the Supreme Court decision.


text:
Q: Create multidimentional JSon array from multiple tables I am trying to create a json array with a structure like this:
var cars = [
    {name: 'Honda', models: [
        {name: 'Accord', features: ['2dr', '4dr']},
        {name: 'CRV', features: ['2dr', 'Hatchback']},
        {name: 'Pilot', features: ['base', 'superDuper']}
    ]},
    {name: 'Toyota', models: [
        {name: 'Prius', features: ['green', 'superGreen']},
        {name: 'Camry', features: ['sporty', 'square']},
        {name: 'Corolla', features: ['cheap', 'superFly']}
    ]}
];

From 3 tables (carmakes, carmake_models and carmake_options) in my MySQL database.
What is the best way to go about it?
The tables are structured as follows:

carmakes: ID, CarName
carmake_models: ModelParent, ModelName
carmake_options: OptionParent, OptionName

A: I don't have enough information to answer your question. However, you might do better to create JSON more like this:
var cars = {
    'Honda': {
        'Accord':  ['2dr', '4dr'],
        'CRV':     ['2dr', 'Hatchback'],
        'Pilot':   ['base', 'superDuper']
    },
    'Toyota': {
        'Prius':   ['green', 'superGreen'],
        'Camry':   ['sporty', 'square'],
        'Corolla': ['cheap', 'superFly']
    }
};


text:
The Return of Downside24, the Rapper Who Literally Lost his Voice
Birmingham-based rapper, Downside24 has released his latest track, Been a Minute, to the delight of music fans, garnering a video premiere from LinkUp TV and plaudits from GrmDaily. The track also features Mox and Aktual and sees Downside24 picking up where he left off after a life event almost left him facing the rest of his life unable to speak and even facing a battle for life itself. Combining elements of UK and US hiphop, it sees Downside24 teaming up with Mox for the first time in seven years and creating a sound which is as fresh and cutting-edge as ever.
Listen to Been a Minute here: https://soundcloud.com/user-410641560/aktual-x-mox-x-downside24-been-a-minute-radio-edit
Downside24 was riding the crest of a musical wave in the UK when he received devastating news. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer, the rapper and entrepreneur knew that even if he survived his battle, he potentially faced the rest of his life unable to speak, let alone rap. After surgery to remove both thyroids and radiotherapy, Downside24 felt like his life was over, his life changed forever and a lifetime of medication ahead. Motivated by his love of music and the support of his friends around him, Downside24 is back sounding better than ever!
Watch the Video for Been a Minute here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dQRjFKr1x4&feature=youtu.be
Been a Minute is written by Downside24 and Mox and, as the title suggests, centres around them still being in the game despite what life has thrown at them "You know I ain't never going out sad"
As well as winning over audiences with his music, Downside24's clothing brand is also taking off – check out the pic below!


text:
cerebro-spinal nervous system, it is certain that the cells and fibres of the sympathetic system possess a vital activity apart from their connexion with the central nervous system. In the development of the sympathetic it is at least highly probable that a mesoblastic rudiment or precursor forms the basis of the sympathetic system, which is secondarily joined by nervefibres from the roots of the spinal nerves.
Morphologically this part of the nervous system is essentially a longitudinal cord or column, associated with involuntary muscles and glandular tissues, and particularly related to the organs in the splanchnic area. Like other longitudinal structures in the body, and especially like the organs of the splanchnic area, the sympathetic system is not truly segmental. The sympathetic trunk is only quasi-segmental, the segmentation being attributable to its junction with the visceral branches of the spinal nerves. The peripheral branches from the sympathetic trunk are by no means segmental; even the gray rami are not properly metameric, but, like the ganglia, assume a segmental character in consequence of their connexions with the spinal nerves.
The phylogenetic relation of the sympathetic and the cerebro-spinal elements in the system it is impossible to determine. It may be that the sympathetic system is the representative of an ancient architecture independent of the cerebro-spinal nervous system, the materials of which are utilised for a more modern nervous system; or it may be that the correlation of spinal nerves and sympathetic are both the consequences of the formation of new organs and structures in the splanchnic area. Examined in every light, it possesses features which effectually differentiate it from the cerebro-spinal system, although it has become inextricably united with it and subservient to it.
THE CEREBRAL NERVES.
Motor to most of the muscles of
eyeball and orbit
Motor to superior oblique muscle of
Superficial Attachment to Brain.
Olfactory bulb.
Optic chiasma.
Cerebral peduncle.
velum.
Pons.
medullary
Sensory to face, tongue, and teeth;
motor to muscles of mastication
Motor to lateral rectus muscle of Junction of
pons and
medulla oblongata.
Motor to muscles of scalp and face, Medulla oblongata.
sensory to tongue
Hearing and equilibrium
Sensory to tongue and pharynx;
motor to stylo-pharyngeus
Sensory to pharynx, oesophagus and
stomach, and respiratory organs
(a) Accessory to vagus.--Motor to
muscles of palate, pharynx, oso-
phagus, stomach and intestines,
and respiratory organs; inhibitory
for the heart
(b) Spinal part.-Motor to trapezius
and sterno-mastoid
Motor to muscles of the tongue
Spinal medulla.
See note, p. 798.
The deep connexions of the cerebral nerves are dealt with in the section which treats of the Brain (pp. 592 to 607). Certain general points in connexion with these nerves are also touched upon in the chapter introductory to the Nervous System (p. 500). Their development is given on p. 501 et seq.
NERVI OLFACTORII.
In the older accounts, the first or olfactory nerve is described as consisting of several parts: (1) a series of fine nerves, which arise from (2) the olfactory bulb. This again is connected by (3) the olfactory tract with the brain, to which it is attached by (4) two striæ or roots (Fig. 643).
The anatomy of the olfactory bulb, the olfactory tract and its roots is described elsewhere (pp. 623 to 628).
The olfactory nerve consists of about twenty separate filaments which arise in
the olfactory mucous membrane and terminate in the olfactory bulb. The fibres are non-medullated. After their origins from the olfactory cells of the olfactory region on the upper part of the nasal septum and the corresponding part of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity, the nerve fibres form fine plexuses from which the terminal filaments pass through the cribriform plates of the ethmoid on their way to the olfactory bulb. Each filament has a sheath of dura mater.
Olfactory tubercle
Optic nerveOptic chiasma
Oculo-motor nerve
Abducens nerve-
Facial nerve-
N. intermedius-
Acoustic nerve
NERVUS OPTICUS.
The second or optic nerve consists of nerve fibres which spring from the ganglion cells of the retina, and converge to the optic papilla, where they are grouped together to form the optic nerve. The nerve pierces the outer layers of the retina, the chorioid, and the sclera. It pierces the sclera 3 mm. (one-eighth of an inch), to the medial side of the posterior pole of the eyeball, and enters the orbital fat, through which it runs backwards and medially surrounded by the ocular muscles. At the posterior part of the orbit it enters the optic foramen of the sphenoid bone, through which it passes to the middle fossa of the skull, where it ends in the optic chiasma, which lies at the base of the brain, anterior to the interpeduncular area and between the right and the left anterior perforated substance.
From each of the two postero-lateral angles of the optic chiasma an optic tract sweeps round to the back of the thalamus and to the mid-brain, between the pedunculus cerebri and the hippocampal gyrus of the corresponding side, and each tract
terminates in connection with the pulvinar, the lateral geniculate body the superior brachium, and the medial geniculate body-all of the same side.
When the optic nerve reaches the optic chiasma some of its fibres pass to the optic tract of the same side and some to the optic tract of the opposite side. Therefore, each optic nerve is connected with both sides of the brain. But each optic tract, in addition to some fibres of both optic nerves, contains also fibres passing from the medial geniculate body of one side to the medial geniculate body of the opposite side.
CALCARINE
FISSURE
OPTIC NERVE
CE NICULATUM
FIG. 644.-CENTRAL CONNEXIONS OF THE OPTIC NERVE AND OPTIC TRACTS.
In the orbital portion of its course the optic nerve is surrounded by sheaths of the membranes of the brain, and by a sheath of fascia bulbi, as well as by the fat and muscles; and it is crossed by the ophthalmic artery and the naso-ciliary nerve. is pierced on its inferior surface by the central artery of the retina, and as it approaches the eyeball it is surrounded by the ciliary vessels and nerves.
NERVUS OCULOMOTORIUS.
The third or oculo-motor nerve arises from the brain, in the region of the posterior perforated substance, by several fila radicularia (radicles) emerging from the oculo-motor sulcus, on the medial side of the cerebral peduncle, just in front of the pons (Fig. 643). Passing forwards between the posterior cerebral and
superior cerebellar arteries, the nerve pierces the dura mater beside the posterior clinoid process, in a small triangular space between the free and attached borders of the tentorium cerebelli. Beneath the dura mater the nerve courses through the
Fossa hypophyseos
superior branch of the nerve supplies two muscles of the orbit-the superior rectus and the levator palpebræ superioris.
The inferior branch passes forwards, and after giving branches to the medial and inferior recti, ends in the inferior oblique muscle. The short root of the ciliary ganglion arises from the terminal branch which goes to the inferior oblique muscle.
Posterior commissure of the brain
Pineal body
Corpora quadrigemina
Ophthalmic nerve
Maxillary nerve
Mandibular nerve
FIG. 645.-RELATIONS OF STRUCTURES IN THE CAVERNOUS SINUS AND SUPERIOR ORBITAL FISSURE.
lateral wall of the cavernous sinus, and enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and between the two heads of the lateral rectus muscle. As it enters the orbit it divides into upper and lower branches, separated by the nasociliary nerve.
Branches. The
Oculo-motor nerve (superior division)
Frenulum veli
Anterior medullary velum
- Naso-ciliary nerve
Brachium quadrigeminum Trochlear nerve
Lateral lemniscus
Brachium
conjunctivum Pedunculus cerebri
Lingula
FIG. 646.-DORSAL SURFACE OF THE MID-BRAIN, to show the origin of the trochlear (fourth) nerve.
Communications.-1. In the cavernous sinus the oculo-motor nerve communicates with the cavernous plexus on the internal carotid artery. 2. In the cavernous sinus it also receives a slender communication from the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. 3. The short root of the ciliary ganglion passes upwards from the branch of the nerve which supplies the inferior oblique muscle.
NERVUS TROCHLEARIS.
The fourth or trochlear nerve emerges from the dorsal surface of the midbrain. It arises at the side of the frenulum veli from the anterior end of the anterior medullary velum, just behind the corpora quadrigemina. It is extremely slender, and of considerable length. Passing round the cerebral peduncle, the nerve appears at the base of the brain behind the optic tract, in the interval between the cerebral peduncle and the temporal lobe of the brain. Continued forwards to the base of the skull, it pierces the free border of the tentorium cerebelli, postero-lateral to the oculo-motor nerve, and proceeds forwards in the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus, to the superior orbital fissure, lying between the oculo
motor nerve and the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. It enters the orbit above the muscles of the eyeball, and terminates in the orbital (superior) surface of the superior oblique muscle.
Communications. In the cavernous sinus the nerve receives (1) a communicating
Optic chiasma
nterior cerebral
artery Middle cerebral
artery.
Posterior communiting artery Iculo-motor.
nerve terior cere-. bral artery
perior cere-. ellar artery Trochlear
bducens
geminal
Superior petrosal.
Facial nerve
N. intermedius coustic nerve
lossopharyngeal nerve
Accessory nerve
Hypoglossal nerve
Superior sagittal sinus
Falx cerebri (cut)
FIG. 647. THE BASE OF THE SKULL, to show the dura mater, sinuses, arteries, and nerves.
branch from the cavernous or carotid plexus on the internal carotid artery, and (2) a slender filament from the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve.
NERVUS TRIGEMINUS.
The fifth or trigeminal nerve arises from the inferior surface of the pons in its lateral part by two roots, a large sensory root and a small motor root (Fig. 643, p. 768). The two roots proceed forwards in the posterior fossa of the skull, and piercing the dura mater beneath the attachment of the tentorium cerebelli to the superior angle of the petrous part of the temporal bone, enter a cavity in the dura mater (cavum Meckelii) over the apex of the petrous bone.


text:
// <copyright company="eXtensoft, LLC" file="IMessage_1.cs">
// Copyright © 2016 All Right Reserved
// </copyright>

namespace XF.Common
{
    using System.Collections.Generic;

    public interface IMessage<T> where T : class, new()
    {
        IEnumerable<TypedItem> Context { get; set; }

        string ModelTypename { get; }

        string Verb { get; }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
3 Recent Cannabis Trends That Are Here To Stay
By: Jordan Smith
CannabisCannabusiness
Photo via Pixabay
Even though there have been trends that have taken hold within the world of cannabis in the past, it's hard to imagine them having a bigger impact than ones that have taken hold in the early 2020s.
To say that the world of cannabis is much different than it was just a decade ago would be a drastic understatement. In years past there haven't been as many developments around cannabis due to tight restrictions. Now, as those restrictions fade away in many locations, developments in the world of cannabis are coming constantly.
The developments that have transpired within the recreational cannabis space during the 2020s have taken off in very little time, and it's hard to tell which are here to stay. These trends from the current decade will have a lasting impact on the realm of cannabis.
Association With Health & Wellness Sector
Cannabis brands aligning themselves with the health and wellness verticals is smart business for numerous reasons. The health and wellness vertical is worth a total of $4.2 trillion globally. Additionally, by aligning with brands focused on self-improvement it's easier for unfamiliar shoppers to get an understanding of cannabis products outside of the guise of just "getting stoned".
Photo by Ivan-balvan/Getty Images
Given how robust the health and wellness sector is, and the sales potential it has, it's no wonder so many cannabis brands are approaching sales with pitches based on self-improvement. By boasting the positive effects CBD oils, tinctures and topicals can have, it's easier to make inroads with shoppers who are curious about trying cannabis but have reservations. Because of this, cannabis consumers can expect to see cannabis brands align themselves with the health and wellness industry for years to come.
Synthetic Cannabinoids Gaining Traction
People that have been into a vape store or headshop lately have likely come across products that look like regular marijuana products under the category of THC-O, or Delta-8 THC. Synthetic cannabinoids like these are becoming increasingly common in states where hemp-derived CBD products are legal.
RELATED: Identifying The 3 Biggest Challenges Facing The Cannabis Industry Heading Into 2022
The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the production of hemp-derived products not limited to CBD, but synthetic types of THC, too. This has led to the development of new businesses based on sales of these synthetic cannabinoids both in-person and over the web. While shipping CBD and hemp-based synthetic cannabinoids isn't legal in every state, it is widespread enough for cannabis consumers to have enough variety to choose from, as far as product and manufacturers go.
Cannabis Businesses Adopting The Latest Technology
Given the many challenges that the cannabis industry has faced in the early goings, many businesses have been forced to adapt. No asset has been more helpful in helping businesses in the marijuana industry overcome their challenges than rapidly-developing modern technology. From advanced DNA-based product personalization, to app-based retail businesses are able legally to cater to the needs of their customers in ways that were previously unimaginable.
Photo by JohnDWilliams/Getty Images
Given the ways technology has helped businesses within the cannabis industry thus far, it's hard to imagine that the industry will navigate away from it anytime in the near future.
RELATED: Here's How Technology Is Reshaping Cannabis
Even though there have been trends that have taken hold within the world of cannabis in the past, it's hard to imagine them having a bigger impact than ones that have taken hold in the early 2020s. As the decade develops, it will be interesting to see what other trends within the cannabis world will take hold.
synthetic cannabinoids
Previous articleWATCH: US Senate Candidate Smokes Blunt In Campaign Ad
Next articleWhat Is Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) And Is It Legal?
4 Groundbreaking Cannabis Pioneers To Recognize This Black History Month
Jordan Smith - February 7, 2022
There are numerous Black pioneers within the world of cannabis that have made an immeasurable impact.
What To Know About Weed In The Workplace In 2022
Cannabis February 2, 2022
DC, Maryland, Virginia: Where And How Congress Can Buy Marijuana
Marijuana Legislation January 31, 2022
Getting High On The Job And Other Ways The Tech Community Is Embracing Weed
Technology January 28, 2022


In this episode we hear from Kate Erickson, chief implementer at Entrepreneurs on Fire.
I met Kate about a year ago and hear her speak on systems, efficiency and automations and she honestly stopped me in my tracks. The energy and focus was mesmerising.
Kate is an absolute GURU in personal effectiveness. Everything is personally tested on a daily basis and while they focus on entrepreneurs the lessons are just as applicable for the corporate world – which by the way is where she started.
To connect with Kate you can email her direct on [email protected] or visit www.eofire.com and Kate's own podcast is called "Kate's Take" and you can listen to season one on Goal Setting here.
You can also connect with Kate on Instagram here.
Kate recommends you read, Essentialism by Greg McKeown.