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HomePosts tagged 'Robin Hobb'
September 1, 2015 August 9, 2015 shanaqui General Arthurian, books, Garth Nix, Guy Gavriel Kay, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jo Walton, Robin Hobb, Sarah J. Maas, Tad Williams, Top Ten Tuesday
This week's theme is "Ten Characters You Just Didn't Click With" and actually, I'm having a bit of trouble thinking of it. Okay, here goes…
Jill Pole and Prince Rillian from The Silver Chair. Actually, most of the characters in the last two books. They just didn't have the magic, somehow.
Prince Sameth, Lirael & Abhorsen. Compared to their mother, both him and Ellimere are just weak tea. He spends so much time denying his responsibilities, where his mother just took it all on and never dreamed of saying no. In a way, it's a more realistic characterisation, but gah, so much whining.
Elvira, from Half a Crown. I love most of Jo Walton's characters, but Elvira's concerns seemed so far away from the concerns of the more mature characters we've already spent time with.
Boromir, from The Lord of the Rings. I know he's actually a good guy at heart, and we see the evil power of the Ring twisting him, but there was something so glory-seeking and self-centered about the guy, especially when compared to Faramir.
Malta Vestrit, from The Liveship Traders trilogy. Ohh my god, so spoilt. And it doesn't really get better even as she begins to grow up; I never liked her. Mind you, a lot of the characters in this trilogy were very dislikeable, to me.
Miriamele, from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Speaking of spoilt characters…
Jaelle, from The Summer Tree. I never felt like I really understood the character, and I wanted more out of her.
Katsa, from Graceling. I know! She's pretty kickass, but I never really connected with the character. It's why I didn't like it that much the first time I tried it.
Lancelot, in anything. Almost the sole exception is Heather Dale's music and parts of Steinbeck's retelling of Malory.
Dorian Havilliard, Throne of Glass. Actually, I didn't really 'get' either love interest in the first book, but Chaol is growing on me. Dorian… there are some aspects I'm liking, but in the first book, he really didn't win me over.
I tried to pick books I liked, in general, and characters who are not meant to be villains. I'll be interested to see what other takes people have on this theme!
May 12, 2015 April 6, 2015 shanaqui General books, Cherie Priest, Guy Gavriel Kay, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jacqueline Carey, N.K. Jemisin, Patricia McKillip, Robin Hobb, Susan Cooper, Top Ten Tuesday, Ursula Le Guin
This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is "ten authors I really want to meet". Now, I've actually been lucky and met a fair few authors I love — Jo Walton, Robin Hobb, Alastair Reynolds… But I'm sure I can come up with ten more.
Ursula Le Guin. And nobody is at all surprised. Not even a little.
Patricia McKillip. I know very little about her as a person, but her writing is awesome.
J.R.R. Tolkien. I mean, not as a zombie or anything, but if I could go back in time. Attend one of his lectures maybe?
Hazel Edwards. She wrote There's a Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake. Obvious.
Cherie Priest. She seems cool, I want to pet her dog, and I like her on Twitter.
N.K. Jemisin. Granted, I'd probably just babble quietly, but that's the same with anyone I admire.
Robin Hobb. Again. I was fourteen at the time, after all.
Jacqueline Carey. Sign all my books. All of them.
Guy Gavriel Kay. Ditto.
Susan Cooper. The first thing I move into a new house is my copy of The Dark is Rising sequence, and I'm not even kidding about that. It goes in the first box or bag to enter the new place, and gets put on the shelf symbolically before anything else.
So, uh, yeah. I could probably think of more, but I'd better stop daydreaming now…
March 10, 2015 February 22, 2015 shanaqui General books, David Eddings, Guy Gavriel Kay, Jacqueline Carey, N.K. Jemisin, Poul Anderson, Raymond E. Feist, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Steven Erikson, Tad Williams, Top Ten Tuesday
This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is "ten books for readers who like _____". I'm gonna go with epic fantasy, since I do love a good epic fantasy and it can be difficult to find ones that are to your taste. I'm going to assume that Tolkien's work is a given, in this category…
Poul Anderson. He did a lot of sci-fi stuff, but also some fantasies. I love The Broken Sword (I posted my old review as one of my Flashback Friday posts here) and Three Hearts and Three Lions. This is fantasy that isn't directly affected by Tolkien, so it doesn't have all the same aesthetics — but The Broken Sword in particular draws on some of the same sources, and has some of the same interests. The poetry, for example, in The Broken Sword — there's definitely comparisons there with the way Tolkien used verse.
David Eddings. No, okay, I know all his series are basically the same stories and characters recycled, so I'd only recommend reading one. But for brain candy, I do like a bit of Eddings. Personally, I would go with The Diamond Throne et al. I think Sparhawk was my introduction to Eddings, and I still have affection for those books.
Jacqueline Carey. Specifically Banewreaker and Godslayer for a flipped around version of The Lord of the Rings, something that goes into a lot of shades of grey and finds that few people are irredeemable, and that there's more than one side to any story. If you like court politics more, then Kushiel's Dart is more likely to be your speed. (And she's even written some urban fantasy more recently, too.)
N.K. Jemisin. I liked her more recent duology, but it was the Inheritance Trilogy that really hooked me. Court politics, gods and men. And women. Interesting mythology, various different perspectives, and it's not a multi-volume epic. Each book doesn't stand completely alone, but one level of the plot is certainly accessible without reading the other books. Lots of interesting narrative voices, too.
Raymond E. Feist. This is a case of a multi-volume epic. I've never read them all, but I do love his Riftwar Saga. It's something I want to come back to. I fell for so many of the characters and ideas, and this is a case where there is a ferocious amount of world-building. You're never gonna go off the edge of Feist's maps and find the writer's forgotten to account for the world outside his tightly controlled setting.
Robin Hobb. So many characters to love and to hate. I'm not at all sure what I think of the Soldier Son trilogy — there were some persistent themes in them that I just didn't like — but the Farseer books are great. Assassins, quests, dragons, magic, animals, politics… It has a little bit of so many things that I love, with a convincing narrative voice too.
Steven Erikson. Willful Child was really disappointing to me, but I loved Gardens of the Moon, and I can't wait to dig into the rest of the books. And this is another of those wide worlds with lots to dig your teeth into.
Tad Williams. The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn books are awesome. I started reading them and thought it all fairly typical — you know, kitchen boy is probably going to turn out to be a hero, etc, etc. I was probably reminded of David Eddings, actually. But there's a lot of world building, a lot of other characters to love, and I found it all so compelling that I read all four massive volumes in less than a week.
Scott Lynch. I hardly need to say this, do I? The Lies of Locke Lamora is great; the world the books take place in is rich and full of wonder (things the characters wonder at, and things that the readers wonder at while the characters take them for granted). "High" fantasy? Maybe not; we're not dealing in princes and kings, nor even kitchen boys who turn out to be knights, just a bunch of orphans from the streets who turn out to be real good at scamming people. But there's epic background.
Guy Gavriel Kay. Particularly the Fionavar Tapestry books, which seem like a synthesis of so much else from the genre. There's hints of Stephen Donaldson, Tolkien, Anderson, so on. These were his first books, but he was already very powerful with the details of character and relationship. Tigana is also highly recommended, and stands completely alone, with all the politics and magic you could wish for.
I thought I'd find this week's hard, but actually, I quite enjoyed doing this. Let me know what you think — and let me know what you've posted about!
February 24, 2015 January 27, 2015 shanaqui General books, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ellen Kushner, Jacqueline Carey, Jo Walton, Juliet Marillier, N.K. Jemisin, Robin Hobb, Robin McKinley, Top Ten Tuesday, Ursula Le Guin
This week's topic from The Broke and the Bookish is a great one: top ten heroines. Let's see…
Yeine, from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin. Seriously, seriously kickass lady who navigates politics, would prefer a fair fight, and becomes a goddess. Why not?
Tenar, from The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin. That was always my favourite book of the bunch. I can't quite put my finger on why, but Tenar is strong in a way that has nothing to do with physical strength.
Mori, from Among Others by Jo Walton. Because she's quite a lot like me, only she really can see fairies and she has a streak of pragmatism I could really use.
Harriet Vane, from the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers. Bit of a change of pace from the first three, being a different genre. But she's a woman in a man's world, pursuing both writing and academia, a strong woman who knows her own mind and sticks to her principles. But at the same time, she's not perfect: she snarls at Peter, she's unfair, etc, etc.
Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève, from Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. If there's anything that can hold her back, I don't know what it is. She's gorgeous, she's a spy, she manipulates politics and gets involved in all kinds of stuff on behalf of her country.
Katherine Talbert, from The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner. Even if she doesn't want to learn to fight at first.
Ki, from Harpy's Flight by Megan Lindholm. Practical, determined, fierce, and good to her animals, to her friends.
Caitrin, from Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier. She doesn't seem like she's going to be a strong person at first, yet she learns to face her fears — without it ever seeming too easy.
Mirasol, from Chalice by Robin McKinley. She's thrown in at the deep end, with very little gratefulness or support from those around her, and she pushes through it to do whatever she has to do.
Csethiro Celedin, from The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. She basically says that if anyone hurts Maia she'll duel them and gut them. Like!
I'm gonna have to look at loads of posts on this one, because stories with good heroines are definitely of interest to me!
February 15, 2015 February 13, 2015 shanaqui General books, comics, Jacqueline Carey, Marvel, Robin Hobb, Rosemary Sutcliff, Scott Lynch, Tad Williams
I think this would be a nice one to go viral: a post in which we celebrate the tropes we love instead of griping about the ones we don't (which are, no doubt, someone else's favourites). So thanks to Kaja from Of Dragons and Hearts, here is a post about tropes which are, so to speak, my cup of tea.*
The loveable rogue. Locke Lamora, I am looking at you right now, but also looking further back into my reading past: Jimmy the Hand, Crowley from Good Omens, Gaiman's Marquis de Carabas… And perhaps best of all, though not from books: Captain Malcolm Reynolds.
The paladin. Joscelin Verreuil. Captain America.
The second son. Faramir. Arutha. Verity Farseer. Josua from The Dragonbone Chair. I don't know what it is, but I tend to prefer the younger brother.
Heists. You have a really clever plan, you say? Morally dubious, you say? As long as it's fiction, I'm along for the ride.
Superheroes. Uh. I'm not sure this even needed to be said. But not just guys like Steve Rogers, who have been altered for it, but the people who make themselves into heroes, too, like Hawkeye.
Moral ambiguity. Nobody's perfect, and while a character who is a total bastard just isn't fun for me, it's nice when a character isn't a total angel.
Guilty conscience. Perhaps especially when it's not really that person's fault. Like, say Steve Rogers blames himself for Bucky's death — it's not really his fault, he's in no way a bad guy, but the fact that he can believe this makes him that bit more human and believable.
Dragons/elves/aliens are nothing like humans. Capricious, commanding, nothing like the regal/wise/enlightened creatures we expect? Interesting!
Friends like brothers. "I'm with you till the end of the line." Gaaah. Gaaaaaah. Or Marcus and Esca, Locke and Jean, Fitz and Nighteyes, Dean and Castiel…
Secretly in love. Shut up, I am not a ginormous softie. I'm not!
*I may be British, but I don't actually like tea. Chamomile tea or fruit teas, maybe. Mostly not.
Tough Travels – Pets
January 22, 2015 shanaqui General books, Garth Nix, Robin Hobb, Tough Travels, Ursula Le Guin
Here's a new, but very appropriate, meme for this blog! From here.
Each Thursday, our copy of The Tough Guide to Fantasyland in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.
The topic this week is PETS:
Everybody needs somebody to love. And the best companionship doesn't always come from the same sentient group, does it? Be it furry or scaled, large or small, sometimes an animal companion is the best thing a person can have.
The otak, from A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin: We don't see much of the little creature, but without him and his fierce shy loyalty, Ged wouldn't survive past half the book. And we know how special he is because most otaks are shy.
Nighteyes, from the Farseer trilogy, by Robin Hobb: Okay, not quite a pet, but an animal companion nonetheless. You've got to love this guy.
The Disreputable Dog, from Lirael, by Garth Nix: Another sentient one, really. I'm doing bad at this, aren't I? But you gotta love her.
You can probably think of some obvious ones I forgot…
November 11, 2014 November 11, 2014 shanaqui General books, C.S. Lewis, Diana Wynne Jones, Guy Gavriel Kay, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jacqueline Carey, Robin Hobb, Susan Cooper, Top Ten Tuesday, Ursula Le Guin
This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt from The Broke and the Bookish is "top ten characters you wish would get their own book".
Verity Farseer (Realm of the Elderlings, Robin Hobb). Or maybe his wife, Kettricken. Either way, they're both great characters, I love the idea of "Sacrifice", and I wish we'd seen more of Verity being awesome. I don't think there's really space for a Verity book in the series, and arguably his crowning achievements are in the Fitz books anyway, but for dreaming about, there's all the time before Fitz is born, or the time Verity spends alone in the mountains before Fitz and company catch up.
Faramir (Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien). I had the biggest literary crush on Faramir; I think he's one of the strongest characters we see in Middle-earth. He's as worthy as Aragorn in his way — both consciously resist the Ring — and he had pretty short shift from his father. He deserves more!
Jane Drew (The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper). Arguably Greenwitch is her book, but it's so short! She's the only girl in the Six, and it'd be great to see more of her.
Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis). She deserved more than being dismissed as too interested in "lipsticks and nylons". As of The Last Battle, she's still alive and there's room for redemption or reinterpretation of what's going on with her. I don't think Lewis could ever have really handled her with subtlety, but you can dream…
Ysanne (The Fionavar Tapestry, Guy Gavriel Kay). We only briefly see what Ysanne is like and get hints of her history. A story set entirely within Fionavar that ties up some of that would be lovely.
Mel (Sunshine, Robin McKinley). There's so much mystery around that character that was never resolved. It adds an interesting background to Sunshine, but I think everyone wants to know more about him.
Jasper (A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin). He's just a plot element, really, to set Ged on his path. He vanishes out of the story and we never really know why he leaves Roke, whether he ever gains some redemption. He's presented a little too simplistically — I want to know more, even though he's not a pleasant character.
Calcifer (Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones). Because Calcifer.
Anafiel Delaunay de Montrève (Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey). We know a little about his past, and enough about him to sketch in what we need to know, but I'd like to get to know the character close-up, rather than through Phèdre's eyes.
Prim (The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins). We see her through Katniss' eyes, but it'd be fun to know what Prim's thinking, what drives her — what little rebellions are in her, against Katniss and for her, as they're growing up and Katniss is doing all this self-sacrificing. She's presented as pretty much totally cute, but there's gotta be more complex things going on.
What about you guys?
November 4, 2014 October 23, 2014 shanaqui General Arthuriana, Bernard Cornwell, books, Guy Gavriel Kay, Jacqueline Carey, Megan Whalen Turner, Robin Hobb, Robin McKinley, Sarah Zettel, Susan Cooper, Tanya Huff, Top Ten Tuesday, Ursula Le Guin
This week's theme is "Top Ten Books I'd Like to Reread", which is a topic just made for me — the first one in a while I think I could talk for ages about — because I love rereading. Honourable mentions in advance to Chalice and The Hobbit, both of which I already reread recently! And I'm just going to leave it unsaid that I want to reread The Dark is Rising books, since I do that every year.
Seaward, Susan Cooper. I've been meaning to reread this for a while. Heck, by the time this post goes live, I might've got round to it already. It's beautifully written, a bit more mature than The Dark is Rising, and I love the characters a lot. I read it right through the day I got it, I think, at Christmas a couple of years ago. And then I made my partner read it, and my mother, and… everyone else I could get my hands on, really.
The Lions of Al-Rassan, Guy Gavriel Kay. I think this might be the next book in my chronological-by-publishing-date reread of GGK's work. I think it's my mother's favourite of GGK's books, and my partner loves it too; I remember liking it, though it wasn't my favourite, but it's one of the few I've only read once so far (along with Under Heaven, which is too new for me to have reread yet).
Sunshine, Robin McKinley. This is another I might've got round to already by the time this post goes live, because I'm tearing a streak through Robin McKinley's work lately. Sunshine is one of my favourites; the world-building, the characters and their relationships, all the talk about food… And also, vampires done right, so that they're genuinely fucking freaky, even Our Hero.
Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey. And pretty much everything by Carey, actually. I love the richness of her writing, and the intrigues of the court in Terre D'Ange. Honestly, if it wasn't for all the sex and BDSM in the book, I'd recommend it to everyone, because the actual world-building is really cool. But I'm aware it's not something everyone can be comfortable with.
The Fire's Stone, Tanya Huff. I could swear I've already talked about wanting to reread this somewhere on the blog, but I can't find it. I did start a reread recently, but then got interrupted. I'm particularly curious because just before I first read this, my partner and I were working on an original world/plot that was very, very similar in many ways. And I'm looking forward to the relationship between the three main characters, and the way the situation turns out for them all. It's sweet, feel-good stuff.
The Winter King, Bernard Cornwell. I've always loved the way Cornwell handles the legends. Okay, some of his characters really don't fit with the legends, and I do like the legends, but at the same time he has one of the most likeable versions of Galahad, and a really interesting take on the magic/reality stuff where the narrator can view it as magic and we can dismiss it as trickery, or maybe not quite.
The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner. And the rest of the series. It's easy to read, fun, and does interesting things with the character, the world, etc. I'm less a fan of the most recent book, but I'm still going to try rereading it.
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula Le Guin. The whole series, really, but this one is my favourite. It marks a separation from the world of the first book, which is fairly conventional fantasy, and begins to shape a place for women and a different view of the world that's more in line with Le Guin's own beliefs. And she's so good at writing the small clear moments of quiet that really shine (Ged's hand and the thistle).
Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb. It's been a long time, and I miss Fitz, Nighteyes and Verity. (My mother never liked Verity nearly as much as I do, but I find him one of the most genuine characters of the lot — not subtle, not perfect for his job, but doing what he can and making good despite the difficulty.) And there's a new Fool trilogy now, which I even got an ARC for originally, so I want to reread everything to get back up to speed for it.
Sorcerer's Treason, Sarah Zettel. I remember these being good books, using a less typically Western fantasy setting, with a lot of Russian influence and I think later Asian? I remember finding it very different, at any rate, and I do like Zettel's work. So, soooon. I hope.
Any of these your own special favourite? Let me know! I comment back to everyone who comments here, both on my post and on your own if you've done one.
October 7, 2014 September 24, 2014 shanaqui General books, Dorothy L. Sayers, Erin Morgenstern, Guy Gavriel Kay, Jo Walton, Juliet Marillier, N.K. Jemisin, Robin Hobb, Robin McKinley, Susan Cooper, Top Ten Tuesday
This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday is "Ten Books For Readers Who Like Character Driven Novels". I thought this one would be easy, initially, since characters are really important to me when I read, but it's actually tougher than I thought.
Pretty much anything by Guy Gavriel Kay. Even where his writing was less polished, more derivative, I fell completely in love with the characters. He's one of the few authors who can reliably make me cry.
The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. Sure, there's a lot of plot too, but Fitz's voice is the most important aspect of the story, and you just want to reach in and bang his head against something to force the sense in, sometimes.
Sunshine, Robin McKinley. Not only is it vampires-done-right, but it's first person narration, and everything Sunshine is as a character shapes the way the plot turns out.
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern. If you count the circus as a character almost on its own (I do), then yeah, this one definitely counts.
Seaward, Susan Cooper. I need to reread this soon. I loved it so much, and despite the shortness of the book, Cooper built up a relationship between the two main characters that I genuinely loved and wanted to follow.
The Nine Tailors, Dorothy L. Sayers. Actually, as far as being character-driven goes, you're best reading the whole series chronologically, to get a feel for the way everything fits together, for the way the characters develop. I don't even think I'd necessarily say I'd start with this one. But it's the one that really made me understand Lord Peter.
Chime, Franny Billingsley. To say much about this would be to spoil it. A brief excerpt from my review: "Briony isn't an easy narrator, and she isn't reliable either, as she constantly tells us. The narrative isn't a straightforward quest, it's a maze, it's full of funhouse mirrors."
Heart's Blood, Juliet Marillier. This is the book where me and Marillier really clicked — I tried some before this one, and wasn't impressed. But I got really involved with this, with the characters and their problems.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin. The narration is brilliant, the way it all slowly comes together, and I love what Jemisin does with her main character, and with the characters of the gods around her. Particularly when it comes to the child-god, Sieh, who has to act in accord with his nature, or he suffers.
Among Others, Jo Walton. I strongly connected with this because I connected with Mori. Watching her grow up and begin to understand her world better over the course of the novel is a delight.
Wow, that actually took a lot of thought. Veeeery keen to see other people's picks for this one!
September 30, 2014 September 24, 2014 shanaqui General books, Gene Wolfe, Robin Hobb, Top Ten Tuesday, Ursula Le Guin
This week's Top Ten Tuesday is "Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Me To Read". Which… it should be an easy one for me, because I get embarrassment squick really easily, and there are various topics that don't do my brain any good. My mind's gone blank as I type this, but let's see what I can do.
Assassin's Quest, Robin Hobb. Stop hurting Fitz! That's pretty much a universal in Hobb's books, but still. The books are great but oh my god, stop hurting Fitz.
Hold On, Alan Gibbons. I read this way back because my sister asked me to. Both of us were bullied pretty badly in school, so it was difficult to read both because it'd happened to me, and because I knew it was still happening to my sister.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling. Yeah, I doubt this one is going to show up on many other people's lists. But it's true. I've studied it 2-3 times in English Lit, and between that and the massive hype, I have difficulty picturing myself enjoying it now. Or I did: I think I'm starting to feel like giving the series another go now.
Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Solely because I read it too much.
The Mermaids Singing, Val McDermid. Rape, torture, gore, violence, suicide, all kinds of triggers. It upset me very much back when it was a set text for a Crime Fiction module, to the point where I actually requested in the end of term feedback that the lecturer put a warning about it on the syllabus, particularly for the benefit of people who have been raped or have the kind of gender issues described. (The lecturer said no and called me a fragile flower in front of the entire lecture hall, but that's another story.)
The Farthest Shore, Ursula Le Guin. I never used to like going past the first two books of the Earthsea series. I didn't like how Le Guin developed the world, and the way her concerns within the world changed from fairly typical fantasy tropes to something much more examined. I'd like them better now, I think, particularly now I've read the final book and seen how it all comes together.
The Double Helix, James Watson. I have actually enjoyed more recent work by Watson, but this memoir of the discovery of the structure of DNA drove me nuts. He's so dismissive and awful about Rosalind Franklin and her achievements, with numerous comments on her appearance and how a bit of makeup would improve her. Ugh.
The Innocent Mage, Karen Miller. I loved what Miller did with building up characters, even with world-building. But it was so slow, and her villain was practically a cartoon. I expected him to say "mwahahahaahaaa!" any moment.
An Evil Guest, Gene Wolfe. Gene Wolfe is a really clever writer, but this book seemed like a mess. I can't even really remember much about it; I certainly didn't enjoy it. Sadly!
Revealing Eden, Victoria Foyt. It may be possible to do justice to this idea, in the hands of a very good writer. Flipping racism around so that white people are the ones without privilege… it could make for a really interesting story, I guess. But oh man, did Foyt not think it through.
Looking forward to seeing what other people pick!


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Texas Tech fall commencement ceremonies feature CASNR students
By: Norman Martin
More than 2,700 Texas Tech students, including 150 from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, received diplomas at the university's commencement ceremonies on Saturday (Dec. 16) at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.
During the event outstanding students carried banners representing their respective colleges. William Dodge, a plant and soil science major from Lubbock, represented CASNR. Administrators selected the banner bearers based on all-around achievement. The highest-ranking fall graduates from CASNR were Dodge and Brooklyn Pettigrew, an animal science major from Columbia City, Indiana.
Graduation recipients from the individual departments and majors included:
• Agribusiness, 3
• Agricultural & Applied Economics, 24
• Agricultural & Applied Economics/General Business, 1
• Agricultural Communications, 18
• Animal Science, 43
• Conservation Law Enforcement, 2
• Interdisciplinary Agriculture, 15
• Natural Resources Management, 26
• Plant and Soil Science, 18
Texas Tech alumnus Abner Euresti served as speaker for the December commencement exercises. "To say I am honored to be the speaker at Texas Tech's commencement is an understatement," Euresti said. "I think I accepted before Dr. Schovanec was even through asking me."
Euresti, who servers as Lubbock's KCBD News Channel 11 anchor and managing editor, earned his bachelor's degree in telecommunications in 1974, at a time when the enrollment number of Hispanic students hovered around two percent. Texas Tech met the enrollment criteria to be a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2017, because 27.8 percent of the university's undergraduate student body is Hispanic.
In his 43 years on Lubbock's airwaves, Euresti received numerous awards for excellence in reporting. He also is an advocate for education, spending a great deal of time speaking to area youth, particularly for programs that target at-risk students.
CONTACT: Steven Fraze, Interim Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or steven.fraze@ttu.edu
0108NM18
© 2019 Texas Tech UniversityFeb 13, 2018 9:48 AM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In 2045, a boy escapes dull reality by playing a virtual reality game called OASIS. Ready Player One is directed by Steven Spielberg and was released on Mar 29th, 2018.
Director Steven Spielberg's Adventure & Science Fiction movie Ready Player One is produced by Amblin Entertainment & De Line Pictures & was released 2018-03-28.


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6 Cyclists Hit On Fiesta Island
Found on NBC news San Diego and written by Omari Fleming, Christina London and Monica Garske
One of the cyclists struck called Fiesta Island one of the safest places to ride in San Diego
A car plowed into a group of bicyclists on Fiesta Island Tuesday evening, sending at least six people to the hospital.
Brandon Ewers' riding buddy was one of two cyclists who went flying into the car's windshield.
"He said he couldn't feel his legs," Ewers said. "That's scary."
Police said a woman was driving the wrong way along Fiesta Island Road around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when her car drove into a group of about 30 bicyclists .
"I heard them screeching on wheels and then everybody hit," said cyclist Joel Price. "I went over the handle bars and landed on top of the other guys."
Two cyclists hit the windshield and were pinned in the glass, officers said.
The driver may have been under the influence, according to police.
Cyclist Juan Barrintos told NBC 7 that he looked the driver right in the eye before the collision.
"She was just acting really crazy," Barrintos said.
The bandaged and bruised cyclist was at the head of the pack of riders who were out training as part of weekly gathering of cyclists on Fiesta Island.
Most are members of the San Diego Bicycle Club and they meet every Tuesday to ride about 30-miles. The group was just finishing their final laps when the collision happened.
Price called Fiesta Island one of the safest places to ride in San Diego.
"People need to be careful," he said. "Someone making a poor judgment, driving on the wrong side of the road and this is what happens."
Several of the cyclists said they won't let the wreck discourage them.
"It's the sport that we want and what we like. I'm going to keep pushing. I'm training for a triathlon that is coming in two weeks," Barrintos said.
Investigators won't say if the woman behind the wheel will face charges for DUI.


I never thought I would be blogging at 3am but here I am! I couldn't sleep and my tremors kept waking John up so I'm downstairs on the laptop. So far I have mopped thatI b showitchen floor and watched an episode of Blind Date. Does that show even come on during normal hours anymore?? Quality TV comes on at 3am let me tell you! Before attempting to fall asleep I read a chapter in Captivating that really touched my heart. It really went along with the post I wrote yesterday on the song "Fall." The part that got me the most was knowing that God is there waiting to help me through these hard times but I've got to open the door to let Him. God is not pushy (how many times do you see Jesus chasing people down?) so He continues to knock until we let Him in. Many times we use this verse only in reference to salvation, which is true, but a believer must carry this verse with them throughout his or her Christian life. I have just felt God talking so much through reading, music, and even Dr H. Its time just to let go! I am looking forward to freedom in 2008!
I just think that so many times when I am struggling to keep it together, God is there saying "Fall into my arms and I will catch you everytime." In Him we are able to lose every doubt and fear as He has everything in control and He has prepared the way for us. I am so bad at giving up control. Even as a minister, I find it difficult to let go in certain areas. As far as jobs, money, house, etc I know He's got that all in His plans but I really struggle with giving up my struggles with IF & Illness. I don't know if its that I feel like I've caused it or what. But this song has reminded me that whenever I'm in over my head I need to fall.


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The blues hops a freight to Hyannis
Edward F. Maroney
Donald Patchin and Michael Aupperlee hope the blues spirit of the former Harry's in downtown Hyannis will survive the short trip by rail to their Harry's at the Depot on Yarmouth Road.
EDWARD F. MARONEY PHOTO
ON A NEW TRACK – Donald Patchin, left, and Michael Aupperlee tell the licensing authority April 11 about their plan to reopen the former Mallory Dock on Yarmouth Road in Hyannis as Harry's at the Depot.
License board OKs new operation at old depot
On April 11, the licensing board granted new food, alcohol and entertainment licenses to Mad Hat DP, which plans to fix up the vacant venue that once housed Mallory Dock. The new operators promise lunch and dinner service seven days a week, and entertainment – mostly blues bands – from four to seven nights.
"It's a great location, away from everything else," Aupperlee told the board. He said he'll be overseeing the renovation of the place to restore its former identity as a train station, and indicated there may even be rail-themed items on the menu.
Plans are in the works to bring more light into the establishment by changes in windows on the first floor.
The police department's liaison to the board, Officer Steve Maher, asked whether the apartment's second floor will continue to be rented, and how residents would cope with the sound from a six-piece band downstairs. Aupperlee said the stage area is in a separate section of the building, not under the apartments, but added that sound insulation would be considered during renovations.
"We seem to be developing a proliferation of nightclubs," licensing authority member Gene Burman observed. "We're pushing the envelope pretty hard."
Aupperlee said the operators are "after a blues crowd, an older crowd, not youngsters by any means. We want it as a blues bar for the enjoyment of all ages."
The license was approved unanimously with seating for 95. Patchin and Aupperlee hope to open their doors by the middle of June.
Junk Dealer License Revoked
The Goldfinger jewelry business in Hyannis had its junk dealer's license revoked by the authority, acting on a police complaint that the business did not follow proper procedure in recording and reporting purchases of precious metals.
BPD Officer Steve Maher made the department's case, in concert with the Sandwich police, who said they had tracked stolen jewelry to the business on Enterprise Road in Hyannis. They alleged that a transaction involving more than $2,000 had not been properly recorded, and that when they had told the proprietors what they were looking for, they were presented with a bag of other jewelry.
Owner-manager Julie Fagin, and her attorney, William Gens of Barnstable, argued that Fagin's husband Steve had been distracted when the sale was being recorded and that the seller or his accomplice had snatched back the jewelry without her husband realizing it. She said the apparent theft was not reported because the Fagins wanted to search their premises thoroughly first, and added that her husband had been taking medications to recover from surgery. She said the second bag of jewelry was put together in an attempt to "make it right" to the original owner of the stolen property.
Julie Fagin told the authority that Goldfinger "produces 95 percent of the jewelry we sell," but had obtained a junk dealer's license last year to help make ends meet in a down market. Out of 500 transactions, she said, only this one was handled inappropriately.
Although they set out to sell their own work and have done so for 22 years in Barnstable, Fagin said, "At this point [due to the economy], the only reason we're in business is buying gold. If our buying license is taken away, we're out of business by Christmas."
That's just what the board did, however, voting unanimously to follow the police department's recommendation for revocation.


Beware of airborne germs from toilet flushing!
Most people equate public toilet hazards with either the toilet seat or the door handle. Relatively few know of a greater hazard: the plume of airborne particles (containing germs) produced by toilet flushing.


Here's a five-point guide for businesses looking to boost their search engine results page (SERP) ranking.
Most people would say that they want their business to be number one on Google search. The question remains: how exactly do you go about that? It isn't easy and, unfortunately, there are no simple answers. However, here are some tips to help you achieve your favourite position.
Here are five ways to build your online presence; master SEO; and in turn dominate the results pages.
It's all about broadening your reach so if you haven't considered some of the below, you should.
Content you pull from your customers is especially great for SEO (reviews, comments, forums etc). If you're constantly collecting it, the search engines get a lovely fresh stream of content, written in the same kind of language as the people searching for you.
2. Get real friendly with Google Plus: they'll like you if you like them.
• A priority is given to links from Google Plus by google, so that helps.
• Lots of linking out of your 'About' section.
• Give a shout out to G+ on your site, the little icon goes a long way.
• This may mean being added to the Knowledge Graph in the longer term.
3. Maximise the usage of your meta-tags: help people see what your content is before viewing it.
• They don't directly influence organic search rankings, they do influence potential customers.
• Use them to the fullest on high priority pages.
• Treat them as free advertising to everyone viewing the SERPs.
4. The trick with the tags is that the title tag is of great importance. This is the first thing to influence click through rates.
• The title should maintain the same voice as the rest of the brand or site.
• It should be informative, concise and hopefully spark curiosity.
5. Make and maintain social media profiles.
• Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus have high rankings in search engines.
• Calls to action are a strong way to keep the traffic coming your way.
• Utilise the cover photos – it's one of the best ways to be found.
There is always much more to be done in terms of boosting your SERP ranking. But, hopefully, these tips have inspired you to be a little more confident in your approach and consolidated in your mission to the top.


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Home > > What's Your New Year's Resolution?
What's Your New Year's Resolution?
Calling 2022 eventful would be an understatement. The pandemic lingered, Russia invaded Ukraine, interest rates and inflation spiked, and financial markets slumped. And that was just the first couple months of the year.
Later, the Department of Labor acted, putting into question the independent contractor status of our members, while the midterms shifted the balance of power in the House of Representatives.
As we look forward to 2023, we asked some of our members to reflect on the year gone by and share their professional priorities for the one ahead. Here's a sampling.
Dale Brown, President & CEO, FSI
"I have two overarching resolutions for 2023 – one for my role as FSI's leader and the other a personal goal.
"First, I want to continue being an effective and supportive leader for my team and organization as we move into what I hope is a post-COVID-19 environment. My resolution is to ensure that our team has the resources and assistance to achieve the organization's goal of being tireless advocates for independent financial advisors.
"Second, as someone who values diversity and inclusivity, I want to continue learning about and valuing the perspectives of people with different backgrounds and views."
Scott Spiker, Chairman, First Command Financial Services Inc.; 2022 Vice Chair and 2023 Chair of the FSI Board
"I want to work with FSI leadership to ensure they are supporting all firm and advisor members by anticipating the most important industry trends and providing them with forums to discuss and debate those trends. I also want to provide FSI's membership with the opportunity to anticipate and respond to important regulatory issues that will shape their business. Finally, I hope to help expand FSI's business model to include those who have interests aligned with the financial services industry."
Gwen B. Garrison, President, LifePlan Financial Advisors; 2022 Excellence in Advocacy Award recipient
"I want to do whatever I can to recruit, train, promote and advance women and minorities within our industry so people can work with advisors who reflect their own experiences and backgrounds. I believe this will help to expand the number of investors our industry can help because more would-be clients will feel accepted, valued and heard, which is a win-win for everyone.
"I also want to be the best person I can be, working hard to advocate for my loved ones, colleagues and clients. In addition, I will strive to support those in my community by listening and interacting with grace, compassion, wisdom, affection and kindness."
David Burg, Managing Principal, First Harbor Financial Services; 2022 Excellence in Advocacy Award recipient
"I want to continue to support FSI, as well as Raymond James Financial Services, in engaging the Department of Labor. Its recent rule filing may not target our industry, but it will surely impact it. The Department needs to recognize and clarify once and for all that independent financial advisors want to independent contractors. Advisors in this space deliberately chose independence, and they should be able to remain that way.
"I also want to increase client contact in 2023. The first two years of the pandemic significantly impaired in-person meetings. It's been nice to see clients again and continue fostering those important personal relationships."
Teri Bockting, Vice President of Human Resources, Cambridge Investment Research Inc.; 2023 Chair of FSI's Human Resources Council
"I want to continue creating new opportunities for members of our Cambridge family to stay informed and engaged. When associates are happy, clients tend to be happy as well. So, firms like ours must be deliberate in efforts to ensure employee satisfaction and loyalty.
"We also want to streamline processes and provide simple — but effective — technology solutions to help our financial professionals and associates reclaim time, which is the most valuable resource of all.
"I also want to ensure that we give more by working with the many organizations in our business, like FSI, and within our communities to drive change and make a difference in the industry."
Josh Borkin, CFO, Farmers Financial Solutions LLC; 2023 Chair of FSI's Accounting & Finance Council
"I would like to create new professional networking connections and being on the FSI Accounting and Finance Council will be a great opportunity to achieve this goal. I would also like to increase my industry knowledge by attending two or more conferences so I can remain apprised of current trends. Finally, I hope to read books on professional development. This deviates from my inclination to read leadership books."
Kristy Haley, Chief Compliance Officer, Cetera Financial Group; 2023 Chair of FSI's Investment Advisory Services Council
"My goals for 2023 are to continue to navigate and interpret new regulations, such as the SEC Marketing Rule and the new proposed outsourcing rule — 206(4)-11 — with a focus on helping advisors understand their day-to-day business needs.
"I also want to continue helping Cetera advisors by helping them meet their goals and providing support so their clients can reach theirs."
What's Your New Year's Resolution? Advocacy Update: DOL Independent Contractor Rule State of Play Direct Indexing
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Blog · Books · Culture · Current Affairs · Literature · Writing
August 20, 2017 August 20, 2017 evie gaughan
Missy Elliot may have been the first woman to rap about flipping and reversing, but in her book, The Power, Naomi Alderman takes this to a whole new level, writing a story of gender role reversal for a new generation, that has won her The Baileys Women's Prize For Fiction.
This is such a thought-provoking, insightful, clever, satirical book, (akin to 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale) and The Power has left its mark. This novel has brought up so much for me, with all roads leading back to gender inequality. A work of speculative fiction, this story seeks to redress the balance of power between men and women, and it is fitting that it harks back to biblical references for the founding of this new world order. In Alderman's book, young girls have developed a unique physical power, an electrical current, that can harm and even kill. It has drastic consequences for our historically patriarchal society and asks the question –
What if the balance of power shifted from men to women?
This book has come at a very important time and feels like the culmination of a ground swell, that has found an international, border-free voice on the Internet. I have learned more about gender equality and feminism from the last couple of years on Twitter than I ever did at school or in society. Women are sharing their stories with hashtags like #EverydaySexism, they are uniting in their shared experiences and turning the tables. If you don't follow @manwhohasitall start now. This twitter account expertly flips and reverses the entire gender issue with maximum effect.
Wife online? Kids in bed? Time to relax with the weekend papers to find out what not to do, say or wear over the age of 40. 'Me-time'.
— manwhohasitall (@manwhohasitall) July 30, 2017
A whole new language of 'mansplaining' has sprung up, as women find a new vocabulary to express their experience of this man's world. But not everyone is a fan.
As the gender pay gap was yet again highlighted by a recent report into the BBC payroll, 'journo' Kevin Myers took it upon himself to blame women for the fact that they are paid less for doing the same work as men. According to Myers, men are paid more than women because they "work harder, get sick less frequently and seldom get pregnant". As columnist Fintan O'Toole pointed out, a woman can't win with this kind of misogynistic mindset. Myers claimed women weren't as eager as men, but when they are, they are called cold-hearted bitches. Putting career before family. Power hungry ice queens. It's heartening to see sexist drivel like this being called out, but let's not kid ourselves. Myers lost his job because of his anti-Semitic remarks, not because of his misogyny.
When women protest for equal rights and equal pay, we are too often dismissed as 'whining women', 'feminazis', 'men-haters', when really, we just want to be treated equally. Yet, for some reason, we just aren't being listened to, or taken seriously. Incredulously, we are being blamed for that too. This is a recent tweet by correspondent Will Saletan, in which he referred to a video of a female politician, who was repeatedly ignored/talked over/disregarded by a male colleague .
Advice to parents: Teach your daughter to say "No" firmly and mean it. Men sense women's willingness to yield. Make clear you mean business. https://t.co/bp48ziEjYw
— Will Saletan (@saletan) July 29, 2017
It's this kind of 'advice' and twisted logic that, yet again, puts the blame on women for men's behaviour. Unsurprisingly, women responded to his tweet in their hundreds and thousands, pointing this out.
advice to parents: Teach your sons that "no" means "no", whatever the tone of voice
— MyNameIsStillWithHer (@FakeEmily65) July 29, 2017
You are promoting a toxic normative belief that perpetuates the tolerance of rape. It's literally an item on the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale.
— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) July 29, 2017
Ironically, he proved their point by completely disregarding their opinion, because after all, what would women know about it?! He wanted women to be more assertive, only, not against him. He could not see that using language like 'women's willingness to yield' is dangerous and just plain wrong. Putting the onus on the woman for a man's inability to listen and accept that, no means no. Classic. But he was completely blind to the flaw in his argument, despite the fact that hundreds of women were 'firmly' pointing it out to him. Instead, he referred to their response as 'twitter rage'. I guess it was easier for him to label their opinion as hysterical, rather than review his position, learn through listening to women or admit he was wrong. So you see, sometimes you just can't win for losing.
Like everyone else, I have been raised in a patriarchal society and have learned that this is just the way things are. But that is the genius of The Power; by simply reversing roles, we can see that just because this is the way things are, doesn't mean that's the way they should be. Tradition, culture and religion have played their part in forming our roles as men and women, the burden of which has been heavier to carry for one half of the population.
I believed them in catholic school when they said we were all equal in God's eyes. I believed them in university when they said we were all entitled to equal opportunities. They were wrong. In Christianity, God only speaks to the men. God is seen as a man (say otherwise and wait for the sniggers). Jesus was a man. I grew up believing Mary Magdalene was the worst thing a woman can be; a whore and a prostitute. More baseless lies. Before her, there was Eve, that sinful woman who corrupted Adam and tempted him away from Eden. The only other woman who features, Mary, got to be a virgin AND a mother. Who could ever live up to that? I have grown up in the aftermath of Magdalene laundries (a fitting name for 'fallen women'), where unmarried mothers were banished to bear the fruit of their sin. Not the fathers mind you, they didn't get punished. As we speak, there is still an investigation into the bodies of babies who were found buried in a septic tank on a site that was once a mother and baby home, run by the church and funded by the state. In my city. And this unforgiving, patriarchal union of church and state is also responsible for the 8th amendment, a part of the Irish constitution that takes a woman's bodily autonomy away the moment she becomes pregnant.
My first summer job after college was in an office as a receptionist. After a few weeks, a new guy began working there and thought that as well as a company car, he had also acquired a teas-maid in me. It was minor really, I introduced him to the kitchen, the kettle and a thing called gender stereotype. I say it was minor, because a couple of weeks before I was due to finish my contract, the boss phoned me and asked me to meet him in a hotel. He'd booked a room. I was nineteen years old, he was in his forties and married with children. I was shocked, probably apologised for the fact that no, I wouldn't be meeting him and wondered if I would get the sack. He never spoke of it again. I told a female colleague (who didn't seem surprised) and we made sure that I was never left on my own in the office with him.
While living in Canada, I was walking down the street one afternoon to meet my boyfriend after work. A guy on a bike came from behind and grabbed my breasts. I tried to fight him off (my heart is beating fast now, just thinking about it), kept shouting 'No, no, STOP' and after what seemed like a long time, he cycled off, leaving me stunned and powerless. He did turn around though and laughed at me. I'll never forget that grin on his face. It said, I'll take what I want, when I want.
There have been other incidents. Every girl has had her fair share of it. I feel like I've gotten off quite lightly, to be honest, but even that way of thinking doesn't seem right. It changes your behaviour. You become acutely aware of your vulnerability, so you always act with that fear in the back of your mind. Threatened. But like I said, I feel lucky. Just a quick glance at the statistics for sex trafficking, rape and domestic violence on the Womens Aid website makes for sobering viewing.
1 in 5 women in Ireland who have been in a relationship have been abused by a current or former partner.
In Britain, one incidence of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute.
There were 695 disclosures of sexual abuse made to the Women's Aid services in 2016, including 316 disclosures of rape.
1 in 7 women in Ireland compared to 1 in 17 men experience severe domestic violence. Women are over twice as likely as men to have experienced severe physical abuse, seven times more likely to have experienced sexual abuse, and are more likely to experience serious injuries than men.
90% of domestic abuse offenders in 2003 were male, whilst 93% of complainants were female. Of the 1,418 arrests made in relation to domestic abuse, 1,203 were charged and 650 were convicted.
Approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders. Approximately 80% of these people are women and girls and up to 50% are minors. The majority of these women and girls are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation.
And these figures are from the developed world.
Obviously, it is not just women who suffer from inequality and gender stereotyping. I feel a lot of men are restricted by the idea of what it means to be a man. People the world over are constantly discriminated against for their race, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. How liberating it would be to be free from these limiting stereotypes and learn to see each other as people, first and foremost. We all have different strengths and vulnerabilities, but these are not necessarily dictated by our gender.
So, this is why The Power is so powerful. It makes you think, what if things were different? What if men were made to feel how we feel? What if women held the balance of power? Would the world change for the better, or as the British politician Lord Acton once said,
Would absolute power corrupt absolutely?
A recurring thought that I had whilst reading it was how women, with this new power, wouldn't have to be 'nice' anymore. Implicitly, I think young girls are brought up to be 'nice' as some kind of defense mechanism, so on the rare and wonderful occasions when a woman isn't nice, especially in the public eye, it almost challenges the status quo. We may not develop an electrifying touch at the tips of our fingers, but books like this can impart a different kind of power… the power to see things differently. Imagine, for a moment, a world where God is a woman, church and state are governed by women and men are the 'weaker sex'. Is it a little bit frightening? A little bit exhilarating? However it makes you feel, it's simply a reversal (albeit a science fiction one with super powers) of what is reality today for 50% of the population.
I don't think women want to take over the world (who's got time for that?!). But I do think we want to share it. And what's more, I think there are men who want to share it with us. More and more I see men calling other men out on issues ranging from sexist comments to gender balance and through campaigns like White Ribbon, a male-led initiative to end violence against women. This is the future that our sons and daughters deserve, a world that they can shape and enjoy, equally.
Thank you Naomi for writing such an 'electrifying' book that has sparked my imagination and asked some very interesting questions. And to the Bailey's Prize, for championing female authors. One woman who definitely doesn't try to be nice and always seeks to challenge society's view of what is acceptable behaviour for a woman, is Madonna (a coincidence or a sign?!) and I couldn't help but be reminded of this song and video while reading this book.
Baileys Prize books Equality Feminism Madonna Naomi Alderman Reading Religion Speculative Fiction The Power Women's rights
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4 thoughts on "The Power"
Swirl and Thread says:
Powerful review Evie x
Thanks Mairead 🙂 This book just tapped into so much of what I have been feeling lately. It's an absolute masterpiece really, would highly recommend if you haven't already read it x
Evie your review is unreal. The thought gone into it…wow!! I haven't read it Evie so tx for the recommendation x
That's really kind, thank you 🙂 Like the power in the book, it has been building for some time!


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Born in West Yorkshire in 1970, Clare developed an appreciation for the stunningly beautiful Yorkshire landscape and its dramatic weather from an early age. After completing a foundation course in Art and Design, Clare embarked on a career in graphic design in Northern Ireland whilst still continuing to paint in her spare time, and interest in her work by a local Irish gallery soon led to her first exhibition. After moving back to Yorkshire in 1996, Clare worked in the greetings design industry until she finally embarked on a career as a painter in 2010 after she was offered a solo exhibition.
Clare paints in oils on board and her inspiration comes from being immersed in such an area of outstanding raw beauty. Her preparation includes location photography and also researching weather and cloud patterns. Images and ideas can pop into her head at any time necessitating a quick sketch or note. For Clare it is the sky that holds the key to the drama of the painting controlling light bursts, muted illuminations, deep shadow, angry threats of heavy rain, banks of suffocating mist or delicate moisture. Occasionally depicting Yorkshire landmarks but more often somewhere more imaginary and alluring, Clare draws the elements together into a timeless landscape. Her paintings are full of drama and capture the essence of the beautiful, wild nature of the British countryside in all its weathers.
Clare is inspired by some of the great Old Masters, an admirer of the groundbreaking, contemporary style of Turner, she is also inspired by the darkness and drama of John Martin's work, the skies, colour and resulting 'glow' of Sydney Richard Percy's landscapes and also lesser known German born American artist Albert Bierstadt whose dramatic use of light adds an ethereal, romantic feel to his landscapes.
Clare has achieved great success in the relatively short time that she has been established as a landscape artist. Her works are increasingly sought after and she has a growing number of collectors both in the UK and overseas.
All storms leave a trail
Media Oil on board
Far over the fell


Beauty products are a big investment, and when they don't live up to their hype, you'll find yourself seriously let down — especially if you're stocking up to look your best on your wedding day. To help you create a flawless look on your big day (and beyond!), the editors at BRIDES tested hundreds of products to bring you the best for all things beauty in 2015.
This week we're bringing you our editor-approved picks for makeup.
It curls, it lengthens, it separates — is there anything this can't do? Not according to one editor. "It made my lashes so dramatic, without clumping," she says.
These won points for looking light and fluttery. "Think more Olivia Palermo, less Kim Kardashian," says our tester, who took a few selfies with them on. "So pretty in pictures!"
"Not only is the powder formula very finger-application friendly, but the (super gorgeous, super bridal) shades also stay true and crease-proof all day," says one tester.
The fine-tipped brush lets you draw on a thin or thick cat eye. "It was so easy, it made me feel like a professional," says one editor.
"It's moisturizing but packed with color, doesn't cling to imperfections on your lips, and stays put for hours!" says one obsessed editor.
This curler comes in two models — one for round eyes and one for almond — to ensure everyone gets Disney-princess lashes.
Our tester professes that this glides on lightly and evenly, for brows that look "naturally full, not obviously fake."
The goopy tendencies that give gloss a bad rap are nowhere to be found here. Says one tester, "The applicator latches on to the perfect amount of product so you don't glob on too much."
We're impressed with the versatility of this budge-proof pencil, which is great for creating both sharp lines and smoky eyes.
This cult classic comes in more than 30 colors, so you're sure to find the right shade for your bridal flush. Says one editor, "It added dimension and lasted all day, and I needed only one swipe for each cheek."
A fading face is a no-go when you're being shadowed by a photographer all day. Enter this primer: "My makeup looked fresh for hours, even in sweltering heat," says our tester.
Plenty of BBs soften imperfections and protect with SPF 30, but this drugstore wonder beat out expensive brands because it looks and feels as light as air.
A perennial favorite, this jumbo compact comes with four shades to give anyone pretty, sun-kissed color.
These are the next best thing to having a professional makeup artist. "They're incredibly soft and make applying any product a breeze," says our tester.
The champagney side adds warmth, the pink side brightens, and together the powders create an IRL Instagram filter.
Pricey but lasting (our tester reports that months later, her stick shows no danger of running out), this creamy, blendable, stay-put formula won among tough competition.
This stops shine and evens out skin without making it look chalky. "My complexion looked airbrushed," says one editor.
For full coverage without the "mask effect" (in person or in photos), this was the big winner, making one new fan look "like myself, only better!"


Agile Orthopedics believes in creating community.
We bring together patients, the rehabilitation team, family members and the greater community.
Agile Orthopedics works with The Range of Motion Project. ROMP is a non-profit, for-impact healthcare organization dedicated to providing prosthetic and orthotic care to those without access to these services.
Eric Neufeld is a founding member and active Chairman of the Board, overseeing ROMP activities in Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico and The United States.
If you would like to get involved with ROMP as a stateside volunteer, funding partner or by participating in an international clinic, please visit rompglobal.org to learn more.
Agile Orthopedics is a ROMP clinic partner and provides prosthetic and orthotic services to those without resources in Colorado. Through collaboration with Denver Health Medical Center, patients without resources are given the technology and support needed to improve their mobility.
If you or someone you know are in need of these services, please contact info@rompglobal.org.


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Passions est un soap opera américain en  épisodes de 40 minutes créé par James E. Reilly et diffusé du  au  sur le réseau NBC puis du  au  sur  (chaîne exclusive de DirecTV).

En France, le feuilleton a été diffusé du  au  sur TF1. Il reste inédit dans les autres pays francophones.

Synopsis
Harmony est une ville pittoresque de la Nouvelle Angleterre, qui cache ses secrets et ses mystères. Cependant, au-delà de la façade de cette charmante ville portuaire, les vies et amours de quatre familles, d'origines diverses et très typées, éclatent constamment avec toutes sortes de passions.

Il s'agit du  opéra américain à avoir utilisé des intrigues fantastiques au premier plan.

Distribution
 Jorge Alberti : Roberto (2004-2006)
  : Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald #1 (2004-2007)
 Adrian Bellani : Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald #2 (2006-2007)
 Michael Bergin : Nick Bozman (2002)
 Eric Bizot : Jean-Luc Moulin (1999)
  : Siren (2006)
 Erin Cardillo : Esme Vanderheusen (2005-2006, 2007-2008)
 Lena Cardwell : Simone Russell #1 (1999-2001)
 Justin Carroll : David Hastings (2001-2004)
 Amy Castle : Viki (2007-2008)
 Daniel Chalfa : Marty Lopez-Fitzgerald (2007-2008)
 Nicole Cox : Endora Lenox (2003-2008)
  : Chad Harris-Crane #2 (2002-2007)
  : Simone Russell #3 (2004-2007)
  : Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald (2001-2004)
  : Crystal Harris (2000)
  : Rebecca Hotchkiss Crane (2000-2008)
 Josh Ryan Evans : Timmy Lenox (1999-2002)
 Dylan Fergus : Noah Bennett (2005-2008)
 Bruce French : Père Lonigan (1999-2007)
  : Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald (1999-2008)
 Alice Ghostley : Matilda Matthews (2000)
 Marla Gibbs : Irma Johnson (2004, 2005)
  : Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald Bennett #2 (2007-2008)
 Bruce Michael Hall : Reese Durkee #1 (1999-2003)
 Seth Hall : Reese Durkee #2 (2003-2004)
 Emily Harper : Fancy Crane Lopez-Fitzgerald (2005-2008)
 Justin Hartley : Fox Crane #1 (2002-2006)
 Lindsay Hartley : Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Winthrop (1999-2008)
 Cynthia Holloway : Maureen Preston (2005)
  : Gwen Hotchkiss Winthrop #1 (1999-2000, 2002-2008)
  : Sam Bennett (1999-2008)
 Philip Jeanmarie : Vincent Clarkson (2006-2008)
 Jossara Jinaro : Rae Thomas (2005-2007)
 Brook Kerr : Whitney Russell Harris-Crane (1999-2007)
  : John Hastings (2001-2004)
 Kyrie Maezumi : Maya Chinn (2006)
  : Spike Lester (2005-2008)
  : Liz Sanbourne (2001-2006)
  : Ethan Winthrop #2 (2002-2008)
  : Julian Crane (1999-2008)
 Kelli McCarty : Beth Wallace (1999-2005, 2006)
 Maureen McCormick : Rebecca Hotchkiss Crane (2000)
 Ryan McPartlin : Hank Bennett (2001-2004)
 Jesse Metcalfe : Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald #1 (1999-2004)
 Juliet Mills : Tabitha Lenox (1999-2008)
 Heidi Mueller : Kay Bennett Lopez-Fitzgerald (2003-2008)
 Marianne Muellerleile : Norma Bates (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007)
 Kathleen Noone : Edna Wallace (2002-2005, 2005-2006, 2006, 2007, 2008)
  : Frank Lomax (1999)
 Chrystee Pharris-Larkins : Simone Russell #2 (2001-2004)
 Blair Redford : Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald #3 (2007-2008)
  : Alistair Crane (2005-2006, 2007-2008)
  : Juanita Vasquez (2007-2008)
  : Syd Valentine (2002, 2003)
  : Eve Johnson Russell (1999-2008)
  : J.T. Cornell (2006)
 Daphnee Duplaix Samuel : Valerie Davis (2004-2008)
 Travis Schuldt : Ethan Winthrop #1 (1999-2002)
  : Charity Standish (2006-2007)
  : Grace Bennett (1999-2004, 2006-2007), Faith Standish (1999)
  : Charity Standish (1999-2004)
  : Martin Fitzgerald (2004-2006)
 James Stevenson : Jared Casey (2006-2007)
 Danica Stewart : Jessica Bennett (2003-2008)
  : Chad Harris-Crane #1 (1999-2002)
  : Pretty Crane (2007-2008)
  : Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald (1999-2008)
  : Ivy Winthrop (1999-2008)
  : T.C. Russell (1999-2007)
  : Sheridan Crane Lopez-Fitzgerald (1999-2008)
 Adrian Wilson : Chris Boothe (2005-2007)
 Danny Woodburn : Demon Elf (2007, 2008)
  : Rachel Barrett (2005-2006)
  : Fox Crane #2 (2006-2007)
 Leigh Taylor-Young : Katherine Barrett Crane (2004-2006)
 Natalie Zea : Gwen Hotchkiss Winthrop #2 (2000-2002)

Commentaires
 Le feuilleton a succédé à  lorsque TF1 cessa de le diffuser.
 Le feuilleton ayant peu de succès en France, TF1 en a arrêté la diffusion le .
 La série est mentionnée dans certains épisodes de la saison 4 et de la saison 5 de Buffy contre les vampires.

Voir aussi

Liens externes

  Passions - NBC.com
  Passions - DirecTV.com
  Passions - Rotten.com
  Passions - SoapCentral.com
  Passions - SoapOperaFan.com
  Passions News/Updates - Soaps.com

Série télévisée créée en 1999
Série télévisée disparue en 2008
Série télévisée américaine des années 1990
Série télévisée américaine des années 2000
Série télévisée de NBC
Série télévisée de Audience Network
Soap opera
Série télévisée se déroulant dans le Maine
Série télévisée traitant du viol

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
overnights Oct. 16, 2013
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Recap: 'You Seek Zloda'
By Scott Meslow
Eye-Spy
Editor's Rating 3 stars ***
Photo: Ron Tom/ABC
With four episodes down, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has begun to settle into a groove — and on the surface, it's hard to find much fault with this week's "Eye-Spy." The story sees our heroes travel to Zloda, Belarus, to track down Akela Amodor (Pascale Armand), a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who originally trained under Coulson before she went rogue. As it turns out, Amador is going around the world committing crimes under the orders of a mysterious agency that implanted a strange device in her eye — a device that gives her X-ray vision, but can also be triggered to kill her if she fails to follow her savior/captor's orders. By the end of "Eye-Spy," the agents rescue her from her predicament, but not before the unseen villains have gained access to a mysterious (possibly alien?) equation and faded back into the shadows.
There's a lot to like here: Cool gadgets, quippy dialogue, intriguing hints about a greater villain that looms on the horizon. I'll admit: My dream version of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is much weirder and darker than the version we're currently watching — a chance for Marvel to tell the risky, adult-oriented stories that don't fit into its far more expensive mainstream blockbusters. It would probably have to be on cable. But in principle, I'm still more than content with the ABC-friendly Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we're actually getting; as a longtime Marvel comics fan, it's still sort of surreal to me that this show exists at all.
But I still think there's a way Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can rise above the par-for-the-course that "Eye-Spy" represents. Over the past few weeks, I've tried very, very hard to avoid drawing any direct comparisons between Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and executive producer Joss Whedon's other TV shows. For starters, I think it's important to judge a new series on its own merits; besides that, it's not even clear how much Whedon has worked on each of the show's individual episodes (and I suspect the answer is generally "not very much").
But if you'll allow me to address the spaceship in the room, we know that a show like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can be better — even on a network — because we've seen it before. Firefly, Joss Whedon's cultishly beloved space Western, continues to have a legacy far greater than its three-month run on Fox in 2002 would imply — and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. should be following its blueprint if it wants to succeed.
The similarities between the two shows begin with their creator, but they certainly don't end there. Like Firefly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. follows a team tackling missions together as they travel from location to location, with their jet serving as their only consistent refuge. Like Firefly, each Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode offers both a self-contained story and a few hints about a larger, overarching governmental conspiracy.
But those elements, which worked so well in Firefly, are failing to take off here. For one thing, the threats in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. feel far more scattershot. In Firefly, the goal was simple: Make enough money to keep flying. In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., our heroes face a different, potentially earth-shattering threat every week — but as it turns out, four consecutive threats of that magnitude diminish the impact of "earth-shattering" pretty quickly.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. also lacks a clear villain. In Firefly's pilot, the Alliance was established as the show's primary threat, and their looming presence united each of the show's episodes. In just four episodes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has introduced several potential "big bads": Project Centipede, which hasn't reared its head since the pilot; Rising Tide, the hacker group to which Skye still presumably belongs; the mysterious organization that captured Akela Amodor in tonight's "Eye-Spy," which might end up having ties to either Project Centipede or Rising Tide; and Graviton, a supervillain who represents an existential threat all by himself.
That's more than enough villains for an entire season of television — let alone four episodes of a 22-episode run. And while Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s commitment to its own internal mythology is impressive, it's beginning to come at the expense of the part of the show that really needs work: its main characters. Of all the lessons I'd like to see Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. learn from Firefly, this is the one that worries me the most, because it's the one I'm least convinced the series is equipped to fix. Firefly thrived on the chemistry of its ensemble cast, which was apparent from the very beginning; every character was interesting, and every actor brought their A-game.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is nowhere near that level, and it's going to take some major course corrections if it's ever going to get there. The best TV shows have growing pains, but the cast just isn't quite gelling; the sexually charged banter between Skye and Agent Ward feels incredibly forced, and Fitz and Simmons are stuck babbling at each other in a lab. Even Coulson, the most interesting character, is too much of a cipher; if he's going work as the (presumptive) lead of this TV series, we're going to need to know a lot more about him. Short of a semi-reboot of the status quo — a new cast member, a good guy turning bad, an unexpected romance between Skye and Fitz or whoever — I'm not sure what Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can do, but it needs to find a way to break the already tired archetypes it's set for itself.
Don't get me wrong. Some critics and fans have already jumped ship, but I still think Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is worth hanging in there with. Right now, it's a generally fun show that doesn't know how to be more than generally fun yet — but it's obvious that the show's creative team is aiming higher. I'm still hoping they'll get there.
Let's hit this week's S.H.I.E.L.D. points:
Squandered opportunity: Brushing Melinda May's decision to defy Coulson's orders under the rug so quickly. If the show is searching for a genuine conflict, there's no reason not to pit its two most interesting characters against one another in a leadership struggle.
Her fellow agents are quick to dismiss the possibility of E.S.P., but I'm with Skye. The show is set in a world with a demigod and a Hulk. Why wouldn't there be somebody with E.S.P. out there?
In a cast that's full of unrealized potential, Fitz and Simmons remain the most frustrating. How long before they drop the shtick and get an actual story line?
"Eye-Spy" ends by revealing that Amador's handler was relatively innocent — a former MI6 agent who was as trapped as she was. Until tonight's episode, I hadn't really considered the idea that other spy agencies existed in the Marvel universe. I wonder how James Bond would fare against Loki.
Long-shot theory I've been developing since last week's episode: Is there any chance Skye and Ward were lying about the painfully clichéd backstories they mentioned in last week's episode? I suspect it's just bad writing, but I'd like to believe "unloved orphan" and "abused child" are just the latest movies in the lying game that S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to delight in playing.
Don't forget to check back for next week's recap, when a mysterious man with superpowers shows up to light the agents' fire.
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com.
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6 If you seek Adonai, you will live.
with no one to quench the flames.
and throw righteousness to the ground!
so that ruin overcomes the fortress.
they detest anyone who speaks the truth.
pushing the poor aside at the gate.
14 Seek good and not evil, so that you will survive.
as you say he is.
15 Hate evil, love good, and uphold justice at the gate.
will take pity on the survivors of Yosef.
and professional mourners to wail.
for I will pass through among you," says Adonai.
18 Woe to you who want the Day of Adonai!
Why do you want it, this Day of Adonai?
just to be bitten by a snake.
completely dark, with no brightness at all?
23 Spare me the noise of your songs!
and rightness like an ever-flowing stream.
in the desert forty years, house of Isra'el?
The voice of God modulates into a savage lament – for what will happen to Israel in the future! The editor who lived centuries after the historical Amos knew the terrible story of Isra'el's defeat by Assyrians and Babylonians and the deportation of the working population to Babylon. He also knew that in spite of the lament, Israel had risen again, but must be sure to avoid the errors that Amos pointed out, if she wanted to avoid a similar disaster. God continues unsparingly to chart the depletion of Israel's forces, then cuts to the quick of his concern: seek me and live. The verb translated "seek" comes from a Hebrew root meaning "tread, beat a path to" indicating sustained attention to God, frequent application of God's wisdom rather than occasional worship or sacrifice. God's jealousy breaks out again, naming Isra'el's other suitors, the shrines at Gilgal, Beithel and Beershevah. The angry jealousy is made evident in the play Amos creates on the names Gilgal and Beithel, linking the names of Israel's favourites to exile and death. To live is not merely to survive, but to live well. The alternative will be to face the fury of a God whose love has been rejected. The modern reader needs to appreciate the extraordinary skill with which this voice of God is created by the prophet, or as Amos himself would have insisted, heard by the prophet.
The voice is so humanly bitter that the editor inserts a pious description of the God who is beyond humanity, before allowing God to continue with his charge of injustice against the rich and powerful of Isra'el: they hate anyone who dispenses justice ( the root of the verb means to "make clear) at the city gate (the public area for cases); and they execrate anyone who speaks the truth or sound sense. The words used here belong to the vocabulary of what is fundamentally good or bad. God is in favour of plain facts, truth, and the practice of open justice. The common translation "trampling on the poor" is considered imprecise by the latest scholarship which gives it a legal sense of levying taxes. The injustice to the poor of which God complains is not occasional but woven into the economic system of the country: the wheat which should feed poor families is legally taken away by the rich.
But God's justice is at hand. The rich will not dwell in their dressed stone houses nor drink the produce of their vineyards. This will be the result of their corrupt, venal rule which refuses to listen to complaints. The prophet who publicly announces all this notes wryly that any sensible person would shut up rather than ask for trouble.
The remedy is simple: seek (as before,"beat a path to") good, and not evil; hate evil and love good. Amos is not bringing a new morality. . Everybody knows good and evil; but beating a path to the good, loving the good, is not at all common. It would however be rewarded with God's goodness and blessing. As it is, God will visit his people with disaster. People have spoken about the "day of Adonai" meaning the time of God's favour to his people. God promises that he will still come to his people, but in anger rather than kindness. The day of Adonai will be a time of comprehensive and inescapable punishment for a people who have rejected their God.
God imagines that some protest this judgement, pointing to their solemn religious assemblies and the richness of their worship, so he savagely rejects their worship detail by detail, seeing them as an impertinent substitute for obedience to his law. God is not interested in all that but rather demands that justice should well up/roll down like waters and rightness like an ever-flowing stream. The verb usually translated "roll down" can also mean "well up." Both are possible: either justice rolls down from God to rulers to people; or it wells up from the poor to the rich to the ruler and is offered to God. Crucially, God through Amos asks the people if in the springtime of their love for him, they had expressed it with sacrifices. This indicates a radical interpretation of the roots of Jewish faith: at its best, it's not to do with ritual at all.
The passage ends with God promising to reward fheir devotion to foreign Gods by sending them in exile to a foreign land.
"Religionless Christianity" is one of my own favorite dreams and one of many reasons why I admire Bonhoeffer ever since I first read his Letters and Papers from Prison in the old translation. By the way, I find it fascinating that Amos speaks of Pleiades and Orion, which of course are the names coined by the ancient Greeks for these celestial configurations. The Hebrew text actually say kimah and kesil, so I'm struck that the "Complete Jewish Bible" you are quoting resorts to the usual English use of the Greek names of these celestial bodies.
I return to Bonhoeffer at the end of my blogs on Amos. My theology prof, Ronald Gregor Smith was an early exponent of religionless faith. I guess the Jewish translator thought he would use words for these groupsnof stars that most people would understand. He ought to have done the same with most place names also!


ComponentOne DataSource™ for Entity Framework simplifies data binding by improving design-time support as well as by solving common problems related to loading, paging, filtering, and saving data. It also provides performance enhancements like data caching and asynchronous data virtualization for navigating infinitely large data sets.
For WinForms, DataSource supports the latest version of Entity Framework along with its new, simpler DbContext API. You can use any development workflow — like Database First, Model First and Code First — to generate data models that are compatible with DataSource.
The DataSource component makes Entity Framework data sources look like the traditional WinForms data sources you are familiar with. It allows you to data bind your views directly on the designer surface with easy-to-use property dialogs and very little code to write. Apply server-side filter, sort, and group descriptors quickly at design time. If you prefer to do everything in code, you can still do so using the rich data class libraries.
ComponentOne DataSource™ includes LiveLinq, an extension library which augments the functionality of LINQ to speed up queries and provide live views. With LiveLinq, you can shape your view however you want using LINQ operators without losing full updatability and bindability. "Bindability" means that your views are "live" and automatically reflect changes in the data. Your query results are kept up-to-date without re-populating every time changes in your data occur.
Simplify programming with the widely-adopted Model-View-ViewModel pattern known as MVVM. DataSource is the easiest way to build a WinForms application following MVVM. While developing MVVM applications typically requires much more code because of the additional code layer, the ViewModel, and the synchronization between the Model and ViewModel data members, you can minimize your needed coding with DataSource. Use live views as your ViewModel and without needing to worry about writing any synchronization code. Live views are synchronized automatically with their sources and are much easier to create.
Virtual Mode technology allows you to navigate through infinitely large data sets asynchronously. It works like paging on the data layer, but the user can scroll through the data as if all rows were on the client. As the user scrolls, chunks of data are retrieved from the source page by page and disposed of as necessary. You can use Virtual Mode with various UI controls like the standard DataGrid or FlexGrid. This feature is transparent to the developer; you can turn on Virtual Mode with one simple property setting.
The key to most of these features is the built-in client-side data cache. DataSource maintains a cache of entities on the client. When new queries are executed, it checks the client-side cache first and will not go to the server if it can find the result in the cache. By minimizing the number of trips to and from the server, client-side caching significantly improves performance and speed.


Chase Daniel's four year journey through the NFL has returned him back to the state of Missouri. The former Saints backup quarterback has signed a three-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, ostensibly to back up Alex Smith.
A highly productive but undersized quarterback out of the University of Missouri in 2009, Daniel went to camp with the Redskins but was cut after preseason. He was with the Saints practice squad in 2009 and was the backup to Brees midway into 2009 through 2012, playing sparsely but learning from the best, and starring in preseason games.
Daniel was one of many 2012 Saints to become a free agent at 3pm today, and was signed by the Chiefs an hour into the new league year.
Drew Brees is the only quarterback currently on the Saints' roster. Sean Canfield went to camp with the Saints in 2012, but played poorly in preseason and was cut at the end of August. Canfield remains a free agent. The Saints will likely to go into training camp with at least three, likely four quarterbacks.
UPDATE: Daniel reportedly received a three year, $10 million contract with up to $5 million in guarantees. He played for $1 million as Brees' backup in 2012.


If our standard sizes aren't quite right for you, or if you're concerned about choosing a size, send us an email! We love to help, and will happily work with custom measurements. Contact us at info@tracywatts.com.
1) Take a tape measure and place it around your head, as in the illustration to the left.
2) Place the tape measure just above your brow and along the top of your ears, and wrap it all the way around until the tape meets together.
3) You just measured your head size! Make note of the inches, and compare it to our standard sizes, below.
If our standard sizes aren't quite right for you, or if you're concerned about choosing a size, send us an email (info@tracywatts.com)! We love to help, and will happily create hats to custom measurements.
tracywatts hats are handmade, so small size variations may occur from one hat to the next. Many of our styles come with an elastic or ribbon drawstring sewn into the head size ribbon.
If your hat feels too tight, try loosening the drawstring or taking it out all together. If your hat feels loose, try tightening the drawstring. We also recommend slightly wetting the inner ribbon of your new hat and then putting it on. The ribbon will shrink a little bit and feel tighter. Repeat the process until you reach the perfect fit.


text:
Knowing Your Rights During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
As pastors in some areas face discipline for hosting even small gatherings, there is growing concern politicians and law enforcement officers could use the coronavirus as a way to thwart constitutional rights and religious liberties.
Rick Green, a Texas-based lawyer and former state legislator, is helping people better understand their rights as coronavirus-induced restrictions continue around the country. During an interview with Faithwire, Green, founder of the Constitution Coach, said it's important for Americans to understand the Constitution, because it's critical to "know our rights," particularly now, when so many governors and lawmakers are making unilateral decisions in their respective states.
If the restrictions continue longterm, Green said, it could pose "a danger to the church." He's not alone in his concern; theologian and scholar N.T. Wright has argued it's critical for the church to have a physical presence in society.
"We're not saying the government should do nothing," Green clarified. "We're not saying just ignore this. Government is a God-created institution. It's got a proper role, and when it's within its proper boundaries, it's a blessing to us, the people."
Leading Bible Scholar Warns Churches About the 'Danger with E-Worship'
"But when it gets outside of those boundaries," he added, "it becomes a curse, it becomes a real problem. And now, when you're asking people to go months and months without gathering together … this is a bad situation."
For those who might feel compelled to thwart restrictions for valid reasons, the Texas attorney said "this is a time to model MLK," whom he said "changed the world" in the 1960s with "peaceful protests."
Green referenced Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther to make his point, noting she was subjected to fines and a brief period of jail time for re-opening her business before she was allowed to do so. Luther, who practiced proper social distancing and hygiene guidelines in her salon, told the judge she chose to open the doors of her shop because she and her stylists needed the money to put food on the table.
Pastors Might Need to Make Changes to Sermon Lengths After Lockdowns End
Even still, Green discouraged against protesting in vain.
"It's not a time for violence," he explained, noting those demonstrating should do so "for the right reasons" and "not just trying to be angry at people" or "looking for a reason to be against the government."
Constitution Coach — a partnership between the conservative legal groups Alliance Defending Freedom, First Liberty, Pacific Justice Institute, and Liberty Counsel — provides visitors with content explaining constitutional rights, gives people access to informational courses, and offers a free "hotline" for those concerned their liberties may have been violated.


text:
"""Shake-shake and ShakeDrop utility functions."""
import flax.deprecated.nn
import jax
import jax.numpy as jnp

def shake_shake_train(xa, xb, rng=None):
  """Shake-shake regularization: training.

  Shake-shake regularization interpolates between inputs A and B
  with *different* random uniform (per-sample) interpolation factors
  for the forward and backward/gradient passes

  Args:
    xa: input, branch A
    xb: input, branch B
    rng: PRNG key

  Returns:
    Mix of input branches
  """
  if rng is None:
    rng = flax.deprecated.nn.make_rng()
  gate_forward_key, gate_backward_key = jax.random.split(rng, num=2)
  gate_shape = (len(xa), 1, 1, 1)

  # Draw different interpolation factors (gate) for forward and backward pass
  gate_forward = jax.random.uniform(
      gate_forward_key, gate_shape, dtype=jnp.float32, minval=0.0, maxval=1.0)
  gate_backward = jax.random.uniform(
      gate_backward_key, gate_shape, dtype=jnp.float32, minval=0.0, maxval=1.0)
  # Compute interpolated x for forward and backward
  x_forward = xa * gate_forward + xb * (1.0 - gate_forward)
  x_backward = xa * gate_backward + xb * (1.0 - gate_backward)
  # Combine using stop_gradient
  x = x_backward + jax.lax.stop_gradient(x_forward - x_backward)
  return x

def shake_shake_eval(xa, xb):
  """Shake-shake regularization: evaluation.

  Args:
    xa: input, branch A
    xb: input, branch B

  Returns:
    Mix of input branches
  """
  # Blend between inputs A and B 50%-50%.
  return (xa + xb) * 0.5

def shake_drop_train(x, mask_prob, alpha_min, alpha_max, beta_min, beta_max,
                     rng=None):
  """ShakeDrop training pass.

  See https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.02375

  Args:
    x: input to apply ShakeDrop to
    mask_prob: mask probability
    alpha_min: alpha range lower
    alpha_max: alpha range upper
    beta_min: beta range lower
    beta_max: beta range upper
    rng: PRNG key (if `None`, uses `flax.deprecated.nn.make_rng`)

  Returns:
  """
  if rng is None:
    rng = flax.deprecated.nn.make_rng()
  bern_key, alpha_key, beta_key = jax.random.split(rng, num=3)
  rnd_shape = (len(x), 1, 1, 1)
  # Bernoulli variable b_l in Eqn 6, https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.02375
  mask = jax.random.bernoulli(bern_key, mask_prob, rnd_shape)
  mask = mask.astype(jnp.float32)

  alpha_values = jax.random.uniform(
      alpha_key,
      rnd_shape,
      dtype=jnp.float32,
      minval=alpha_min,
      maxval=alpha_max)
  beta_values = jax.random.uniform(
      beta_key, rnd_shape, dtype=jnp.float32, minval=beta_min, maxval=beta_max)
  # See Eqn 6 in https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.02375
  rand_forward = mask + alpha_values - mask * alpha_values
  rand_backward = mask + beta_values - mask * beta_values
  x = x * rand_backward + jax.lax.stop_gradient(x * rand_forward -
                                                x * rand_backward)
  return x

def shake_drop_eval(x, mask_prob, alpha_min, alpha_max):
  """ShakeDrop eval pass.

  See https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.02375

  Args:
    x: input to apply ShakeDrop to
    mask_prob: mask probability
    alpha_min: alpha range lower
    alpha_max: alpha range upper

  Returns:
  """
  expected_alpha = (alpha_max + alpha_min) / 2
  # See Eqn 6 in https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.02375
  x = (mask_prob + expected_alpha - mask_prob * expected_alpha) * x
  return x

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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When you're customizing your bicycle, it's the little thing that can add up to make a big difference. One of the small modifications you can do is aftermarket the bike accessories –bar end light that will help riding relax, safety and fashion.
When you're customizing your bicycle, it's the little thing that can add up to make a big difference. One of the small modifications you can do is aftermarket the bike accessories –bar end light, arc that will help riding relax, safety and fashion.