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How To Transfer Sonic Internet Phone Line To Comcast?
Internet / By The UtilitySmarts Team
Is Sonic better than Comcast in terms of speed?
In California, Xfinity provides speeds up to 251,000 Mbps. Sonic also provides gigabit speeds, albeit their network varies a lot depending on where you are. Sonic frequently leases lines from AT&T, but Xfinity owns all of its infrastructure.
Is there cable with Sonic Internet?
Sonic.Net (owned by Sonic Telecom) is one of California's largest Internet service providers. This is the area where they have the most coverage. They can supply services over an old-fashioned phone line like a DSL provider. The internet services enter the home through a standard phone outlet. It is transmitted by a DSL modem. Customers can then use the Ethernet Cable to connect it to their WI-FI router.
Internet service providers may be found almost anywhere, making this a highly competitive sector. It can be challenging to make the best decision. You want the quickest and cheapest connection possible. You have a lot of options, thankfully.
Facts about Sonic.Net:
Sonic.net is a good choice for those who value speed above everything else. Sonic, like many other internet service providers, offers cable television, phone, and internet packages. As a result, their incredible internet service and costs set them apart from the competition.
Their basic bundle is comparable to what you'd get from other ISPs. Sonic Fusion uses a DSL/LAN to give high-speed internet to your home or company. Fusion FTTN is the best option if you choose Fiber-to-the-Node technology. Most internet services allow you to set up as many as 15 e-mail accounts for your family. Sonic's most recent offering is gigabit fiber internet. This service is accessible in a number of California communities. Don't worry if these services aren't available in your local neighborhood. They are constantly developing and adding new cities/areas to their network. This package's appeal stems from the fact that it offers download speeds of over 1,000 Mbps per second. This puts them ahead of the majority of other internet plans on the market.
The fact that there are no data quotas or usage limits appeals to many users. Sonic is well-known for their internet and other services, and they are a major player in the industry. Customers love their phone plans because they include services like call blocking and unlimited long-distance calls across the country. Customers can choose from hundreds of channels with their television subscription. Those who purchase two or three services can take advantage of bundle pricing to save even more money.
Customers who purchase special Sonic Bundles must sign a 12-month contract. Residential customers aren't the only ones who can benefit from the offers. Customers in the business world can take advantage of their high-speed internet access. In a business, having dependable, high-speed internet is critical. Gigabit fiber internet is becoming more widely available in California. It may soon be in your neighborhood or state as well.
Is Sonic connected to the ATT network?
AT&T is one of California's largest internet service providers, whereas Sonic is a smaller company focused on the Bay Area.
Because of their local customer service and ultra-high fiber speeds throughout San Francisco, Sonic is often regarded as the preferable option.
Both, however, have widespread fiber service in the Bay Area, and I recommend that you choose the one that offers fiber at your address (you can tell because the top speed offered will be around 1,000 Mbps instead of only 525 Mbps).
You can verify both carriers' fiber internet availability for your address online:
Check AT&T's fiber availability
Check the availability of sonic fiber
In terms of television alternatives, AT&T has revamped its TV services as of 2022, moving practically everything to a streaming service called DirecTV Stream. The key selling point is that it includes regional sports networks like Fox, which are currently unavailable on other streaming services unless you subscribe to a regular cable TV package.
Sonic doesn't have a TV service, but if you want to watch regional sports and live TV, you can acquire AT&T TV on its own and stream it through Sonic fiber.
If you're in other parts of California, such as Los Angeles, AT&T is likely to be faster. While Sonic is "accessible in Los Angeles and other places outside the Bay Area," those areas are served by leased AT&T lines. This is sometimes referred to as "Fusion IPBB" or "IPBB Sonic Internet."
Is Sonic Internet a quick connection?
These cables can transport data at up to 10 Gigabits per second for Sonic's Fiber service, which is 1,000 times faster than the average Internet connection speed in the United States.
Sonic fiber uses which router?
Sonic Gigabit Fiber's ONT solution is an Adtran 411, which has a modem as well as a POTS (plain old telephone service) phone connector.
Who is the owner of Sonic Internet?
In 1994, Jasper co-founded Sonic, an Internet and telecommunications firm, at a period when few people had heard of the Internet, email, or the World Wide Web. Sonic is now Northern California's largest independent Internet service provider. "As a 20-year veteran of the sector, I've seen a lot of change, but I still believe in the concept of alternative competitive broadband access options." Sonic is breaking new ground in internet access with its Fusion phone and data service, as well as its recent rollout of Gigabit fiber Internet.
Sonic implemented privacy standards that have become the industry's gold standard under Jasper's supervision, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation has given Sonic a perfect 6-point privacy score since the EFF's establishment. Sonic is praised for providing great customer service, which is uncommon in the market. Jasper is a well-known important figure in the business, with a devoted following who expresses his views on issues such as Net Neutrality, security, and regulatory policy.
Dane Jasper has always been a natural networker. "I've worked in the corporate world since I was a child." When I was 12, I got my first business cards. "Who can say no to a kid who says, 'Good morning sir, here is my card, may I mow your lawn?'"
Dane Jasper lives in Healdsburg, California, with his wife and three children.
Is a modem required for Sonic?
Sonic will install an optical network terminal, or ONT, in place of a modem for your fiber connection. The fiber line from the external transition box will be converted to an RJ-45 cable (a basic Ethernet cable such as you currently use to connect wired devices to your router).
Is it DSL or cable with Sonic?
Sonic internet service is exclusively available to California residents and companies via DSL, IP broadband, and fiber. A landline phone is included in all Sonic plans. Sonic fiber internet is also one of the most cost-effective plans accessible.
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Marketing To Generation Z (It's time to forget about Millennials)
Jenna Taylor, Sales Development Associate
Generation Z versus Millennials
Have you ever watched a toddler playing on an iPad? I have. And I was in awe. Here I am—a Millennial—struggling to figure out why my app won't update, while this two-year-old is putting me to shame. By the age of five he'll probably be far more tech-savvy than I'll ever be.
Generation Z and Technology
Generation Z is synonymous with technology. While Millennials were digital, Generation Z is the first generation to grow up with technology from the start. That's why audience segmentation is so important when marketing to Generation Z; they shouldn't be lumped in with Millennials. Marketers need to understand who they are, and use audience segmentation to customize their generation Z marketing strategies accordingly.
Who is Generation Z?
As Millennials are getting older, the Generation Z population is growing, and growing fast. Gen Zers—ages 19 and under—currently make up more than a quarter of America's population, and are projected to account for 40% of all consumers by 2020. The generation is growing fast, and marketers need to understand them.
Generation Z Characteristics:
Diverse, and are the most multicultural generation yet.
Open-minded in many ways, such as acceptance of all sexual orientations.
Gender-neutral when it comes to traditional job roles and transgender issues.
Changemakers, interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Dreamers, who want to follow their passions.
Independent learners, who have the desire and know-how to self-educate.
Do-gooders, who want to make a difference.
Generation Z's Buying Power
Gen Zers represent a buying power of $44 billion, and influence an additional $600 billion of family spending. They influence the way their parents spend more than Millennials did, including over 70% of family food choices and 80% to 90% of items purchased for them. They're willing to challenge their parents, questioning things like how much they're going to pay for something, trying to evoke their own price-sensitivity. Gen Zers have high expectations. With that said, if marketers focus on Gen Zers over Millennials, using them as the barometer, they're likely to please other generations as well.
10 Tips for Marketing to Generation Z
1. They're digital natives, so marketers must act that way, too.
While Millennials use three screens on average, Generation Z uses five. Gen Zers expect brands to move as seamlessly around digital devices as they do, and to create a unified experience across in-store, digital, and mobile.
2. Make the message quick, to the point, and in their language.
The average Gen Zer has an attention span of about eight seconds. They've grown up constantly being served enormous amounts information, and are accustomed to quickly filtering through it. In this emoji-era, brands must communicate with snackable content that captures their attention.
3. Social media is important, but differs from Millennials' usage.
While Millennials pioneered Facebook, Generation Z prefers privacy and anonymous social networks like Snapchat, Secret, and Whisper. They have seen the social mishaps of Millennials and don't want an ever-lasting social footprint.
4. Authentic experiences and two-way conversations are a must.
Initiate two-way conversations online, and create a social presence that Gen Zers can engage with. They value the opinions of their peers, making influencer marketing a very powerful tool, but it must appear genuine in order to be effective.
5. Humanize your brand.
Gen Zers don't want a faceless company. Marketers need to showcase the personality of their brand. Consider a YouTube star or Vine personality.
6. They want realistic and relatable.
They look for products that embody their beliefs, and prefer brands that reflect independence (like Free People), rather than unrealistic messaging that projects perfection (like Abercrombie & Fitch).
7. Let them make it their own.
Market to Gen Zers with an understanding that they'll want to personalize products and fashions; help them express their individuality.
8. Quality matters.
With a world of information at their fingertips, Gen Zers conduct extensive research before buying, and are selective in their purchase decisions.
9. Show you care, too.
Generation Z wants to make the world a better place, and they want to see that you're truly committed to that cause.
10. Video content and cord-cutting is big.
In a recent study, nine-out-of-ten respondents watch YouTube daily, 70% prefer streaming over broadcast or cable TV, and more than a quarter post their own original video content on social sites weekly.
Further reading: 7 Tips to Engage Generation Z Consumers
http://www.cmo.com/articles/2015/6/11/15-mind-blowing-stats-about-generation-z.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-vs-gen-z-2016-2
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/move-millennials-gen-z/296577/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252923
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/fashion/move-over-millennials-here-comes-generation-z.html
http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/how-should-you-be-marketing-to-generation-z-through-social-infographic/627988
http://www.forbes.com/sites/thehartmangroup/2016/03/31/new-kids-on-the-block-a-first-look-at-gen-z/#2eb425521588
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/275079/targeting-digital-teens-generation-z.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/jobs/make-way-for-generation-z.html?_r=2
http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/forget-millennials-is-your-workplace-ready-for-generation-z-infographic.html
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Committee Success Story: Thirsty for Justice
Our Area Councils and Regional Committees (Women's, Human Rights and Young Workers) were faced with quite the challenge these past few months. How do you operate in the midst of a pandemic? Well, they certainly adapted and continued their important work! The Committee Success Stories is designed to highlight the successful work accomplished by our various committees in the Atlantic Region.
The three Area Councils in Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John's, Western and Central) met virtually to discuss plans to commemorate June 21st, National Indigenous Peoples Day. They recalled the successful Thirsty for Justice campaign and how it was still a current topic. That led to Sister Bonnie Lou coming up with the idea of creating a video that would demonstrate the relevance of the campaign's message. She explains it in her own words: 'This campaign has a powerful and extremely important message. Indigenous Peoples need access to clean drinking water. It's nonsense that we still need to talk about this issue, but we will not rest until clean drinking water is accessible to every Canadian of this land.'
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>> future) parser to use it.
> parser to use it.
> Let me know if they look ok, with no performance impact.
The difference is *just barely* measurable in my -Eonly worst case.
It is close enough and good enough to go in, thanks!
invalid the location is set to invalid.
This can return the token by const&.
+      // We don't have a peeked token that hasn't been consumed yet.
+      // Peek it now.
+      // Cache the current Lexer, TokenLexer and set them both to null.
+      // When Lex() is called, PeekedToken will be "consumed".
Please move the body of this 'if' out of line.
+  /// and have it "consumed".
+    // Restore CurLexer, TokenLexer.
Please move this out of line also.
+  // Optimized LookAhead(0) case.
Is this correct for the LookAhead(1) case?
Should also return via const&.
Otherwise, the parser change looks great, a major simplification!


It's easy for financial brands to get stuck in their ways. But look at what the best brands are doing and you may realize your organization's is long overdue for its latest overhaul.
Of all the components of your brand — your position/promise, your products, your service experience, etc. — none is more visible than your logo. While it doesn't represent the entirety of your brand, it is the visual shorthand you use to identify your organization publicly. All the associations consumers have with your brand get summarized and categorized under this one single symbol.
Some organizations — financial institutions in particular — feel that they send a positive message by preserving their logo unchanged for decades; it projects an image of stability and security, their argument goes. But if you look at what all the big, successful, breakthrough brands have done over the years — inside and outside the financial industry — you'll likely draw a different conclusion. Almost all of the most admired brands on earth tend to refresh their logo (or entire brand identity) about every ten years or so.
Why do they do this? Simple: to stay relevant.
Unless your brand position is one built around themes like heritage and nostalgia, you need to update your logo from time to time to project an image that connects with each new generation of consumers. Certainly there are some successful financial institutions that have wrapped their brands in the heritage of days gone by (e.g., Wells Fargo and their iconic stagecoach logo), but most banks and credit unions these days are trying to project the image that they are technologically savvy. Besides, most historical brands in the banking world were merged away long ago, so the "heritage" card isn't one that most banks could play if they wanted to.
Apple has been using the same basic shape for over 35 years now, but they've not been afraid to render it differently. The designer of the modern Apple icon added the "bite" to help distinguish the shape from a cherry. Steve Jobs added the rainbow palette to reflect the varied range of personalities working at the scrappy startup. But when Apple was founded in 1976, their logo looked like it was more suited to a fruit company than a computer company. There is no chance Apple would be the ultra-slick tech brand they are today if their logo was still the same hand-engraved vintage etching they used back in 1976 — an esoteric image of Sir Issac Newton sitting under an apple tree.
Reality Check: It's hard to convince consumers that you have a mobile-friendly brand in a world dominated by Apple, Google and Facebook when you have a dated, aged logo that screams Atari, Pan Am or Tab.
Consider this analogy. If you were still wearing the same outfits today that you did in high school, how would people perceive you? A bit behind the times, don't you think? Stuck in your ways. Clinging to the past. Uncool, unstylish and unpopular. And that's 180° from the brand image most financial institutions want to project.
Reality Check: The younger the audience you are targeting, the more often you need to refresh your brand's identity.
Kids (of all generations) don't like to adopt their parents brands. That's why brands like Cadillac, Abercrombie & Fitch and Schwab have used their identity as a tool to reinvent themselves, making an old brand new again.
Reality Check: The bigger an organization is, the less often the logo can/will change.
It's much easier for a credit union with one branch to rebrand its corporate identity than for a massive multinational bank to make even the slightest tweak to its logo. Smaller institutions have the edge over big banks when it comes to rebranding their identity; it's easier and less expensive. For large institutions, it's a logistical nightmare, not to mention the cost.
NBC has gone through some sweeping changes since their first design. NBC began as a radio station broadcast network as early as the 1920s, and used a microphone logo from the 20s until 1942. Their timeless rainbow peacock design emerged in 1956 to celebrate and encourage the ubiquity of color televisions. This peacock logo experienced many permutations throughout the decades, and today some people don't even realize that the NBC logo is supposed to be evocative of a bird.
The original Starbucks logo is a bare-breasted, two-tailed Melusine (a type of mermaid), which is hardly appropriate for the mass market brand the company enjoys today. "Most corporate logos go through rather natural evolutions that adapt with changes in consumer tastes," notes Jason Nazar with DocStoc. "Companies design new logos in order to embrace new cultural design aesthetics, but still make a point to maintain recognizable elements of their brand." Starbucks provides a good example of a logo progression that eases customers into a new style while preserving the essence of their old logo.
Walmart has experimented with various colors and variations in its logo over the years. In 1962, when Sam Walton started, the company, the logo had simply the word spelled in a very basic design. The logo was changed in 1964, when a hyphen was added and the color was also changed from blue to black, known as the "Frontier Font Logo." The 1968 logo was mainly used for uniforms, in-store signing etc, but was not used in ments. The 1981 logo changed the curly font to a more solid font, giving the company a more stable, established and professional look. The hyphen was replaced by the star in 1992, and the original blue color of the logo returned.
Pepsi, one of the biggest soft drinks companies on earth, was first initially called "Brad's," but the name was quickly changed to Pepsi-Cola, which is visible in the first 1898 logo. The founder, Caleb Bradham, designed the first few logos, but once he sold the company in 1933, the brand's new owner gave it a new look and kept updating the logo with some regularity.
This article was originally published on June 9, 2014 . All content © 2019 by 36kr and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.


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Vance By Kathi S Barton Release Day & GiveAway
Vance had always felt like an outsider to the family, disconnected, a part of them, but not. He had been content to see his brothers mated and happy but knew in his heart that happiness wasn't meant for him. He was cut out to be a soldier and made the Army his life. He was good at it, a little too good. Until recently the government had been good to him, now the powers that be were targeting him.
Micky, a fae warrior, was a secret weapon of sorts for the government, that was until recently. Now, those in the White House were corrupt and wanted to see her dead.
They found each other out of necessity, but together Vance and Micky were a force to be reckoned with—unstoppable and lethal.
Now that Vance had found his mate and the final piece of jewelry was in place, the prophecy and the final battle with Butler was at hand. When Vance placed the final piece of jewelry, the necklace, around Micky's neck as a wedding gift, the entire family felt the magic, but Vance's dragon was nowhere to be found. For the first time in his life, Vance was worried that he wouldn't be good enough to defeat his opponent. Were they all domed to die and start the McCade life cycle over again? Find out in the final installment of The McCade Dragon—Vance
Amazon USA http://amzn.to/2Fn4L3m
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2oJgcsz
B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vance-kathi-s-barton/1128105926?ean=2940159080677
KOBO Coming Soon
Emma Gentry felt like she was losing her mind. From the time she had picked up the pretty ring to examine it, she'd been hearing a voice in her head. When she ran from the demolished building, she'd slipped the ring on her finger so that she wouldn't drop it, now she couldn't get it off. She was in dire need of medical attention, but the voice wouldn't let her stop to get help. There were others looking for the ring and would kill her for it. Emma was on the run.
Kenton McCade was the doctor in the family. When found Emma in his office treating a badly infected wound on her leg, he had to help her. The infection had spread and she was near death.
Kenton and his brothers were dragon shifters born without the ability to shift into their other half. The magic, it seemed, lay dormant in a sleeping dragon that was tied to six pieces of jewelry. When the ring found its way to Emma, her touch had woken the sleeping beast. When Emma touched Kenton's sigil on his chest, he shifted to his beast for the first time. But the beast from the ring would not be complete until all the jewelry found its way to their rightful dragons….
Emma was still on the run…they need her to survive…but Emma trusted no one…
Jasmine Tyler was wishing she had never found those earrings in that box of junk she bought at auction. They were so pretty, and the dragons had so much detail, that she simply had to try them on. That was the biggest mistake she'd ever made. Once they were on they weren't coming off. And those men in the black SUVs meant business. She'd hand the earrings over or they'd kill her. They'd more than likely kill her anyway even if she could get the damn things off. Now she was on the run with her young son, Gavin, and her ailing granny. A voice in her head that started when she put the earrings on was directing her to find the McCades.
The dragon had told Kenton and Jorden McCade that another piece of jewelry had been activated, and the boy that had just come into Jorden's studio was her son. The dragon didn't know which brother she was mated to, but she had sent the boy and her granny ahead to keep them safe. Now, another attempt had been made on her life and she was in a hospital an hour away.
The cop at the scene had been in on it, and Jasmine found herself in a pickle. She'd been drugged and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Her body hit the floor by her hospital bed and she was looking into the lifeless eyes of her nurse.
As soon as Jorden scooped Jasmine up off the floor and her earring touched his skin, he knew that this woman was his. The earring left a brand, marking them both. He couldn't be happier about finding her, now to convince her to stay was going to be the problem….
Harper Bailey was in way over her head, and the trouble just seemed to keep coming. Her brother-in-law had frozen her personal accounts, and now she was on the run because she wouldn't do as she was "told." She had been told to abort the baby. Harper hadn't wanted the baby she had been forced to carry in the first place, but now that she'd felt life, she would protect the child with hers.
Grady McCade knew that his mate had been found when she touched the piece of jewelry. The dragon had told him that if he didn't hurry to her side, she would be found by the dragon slayers and her life could be ended as well as the life of the babe that she carried.
With Grady and Harper together, the dragon grows stronger, and the slayers pick up the pace in their quest for all the pieces of jewelry. Can the McCades stop them before they strike again? Are any of them safe? Find out in The McCade Dragon—Grady
Dr. Gabriela Nola, Gabe to everyone, hadn't been in town long. Kenton McCade was looking for a partner in his practice, and she was hoping to fill the spot. A nice small town beat the last hospital job she'd just recently quit—90 hours a week with a shorthanded staff. She just wanted normal, and the voice in her head to stop already about opening the box and wearing the item inside.
Dalton McCade knew when he heard the dragon's voice that he was next on the list, and ready or not his mate was coming. According to the dragon, she was already here and had refused to put the combs in her hair.
But as always, danger followed the jewelry, and Gabe was no exception. The mysterious stranger would have all the pieces for his own collection, and didn't care who he had to kill to get them….
Raven Wood, an ancient and powerful witch, had been forced to help King Butler gain immortality. Butler had killed Raven's mother anyway and for her part, even though it was unwilling, she paid the price for the deed with her sight. For centuries she has lived in darkness with only the earth and her pet raven to help guide her way.
Lewis McCade would be opening his restaurant, The Dragon's Lair, soon. Between the pressure of the opening and a wedding he was catering for his brother, his nerves are shot. And the news that his new mate is probably nearby and blind to boot couldn't come at a worse time.
Butler may have forced Raven to extend his life, but she cheated him and put a time limit on his magic and immortality. Now his time and magic are running out. He has to bring all the pieces of jewelry together and call forth the dragon before it's too late. He will do whatever is necessary to see all the McCades dead….
Kenton http://amzn.to/2FSeUTy
Jorden http://amzn.to/2DMibC8
Grady http://amzn.to/2FxzPtU
Dalton http://amzn.to/2rTQx4n
Lewis http://amzn.to/2mZzvx7
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"Where is he?" Morton Elliot, his vice president and right-hand man, said he didn't know, but he'd been at home until an hour ago. "And you saw him? I mean, this isn't a case of him just getting the things out of his body, is it?" "No. I don't even think he's aware of them, to be honest with you. Yeah, we saw him. I have pictures of him with his brothers. And the markers that are on him were with him every step of the way. I made sure of that myself." Abe was handed a sheet of paper that meant as much to him as anything else that was scattered on his desk. It was window dressing. Every note, every file, even the fucking pens that had his name on them, were things that people expected him to have on this desk. But it was the desk that he had in his upstairs office, the one that he had the only key to, that was his alone. The desk that had all his businesses, information on them, as well as everything in the world that he owned and that people owed him. The room that no one, not even his wife, could enter. There were files and charts in there that would get him put before a firing squad. Things that no president, not even a citizen, should be going over. The country was going to be in for a huge surprise, and he could not wait until they figured it out. President Abe Melton, "Honest Abe," was anything but honest or working to help them. When Morton's watch made a noise, Abe waited for the news. He knew that sound as well as he did the ring tones on his own phone. It was indicating that there was movement. And when Morton sat down hard in the chair, Abe stood up. "What is it? He showed up, right? Where is he, Morton?" Morton said something, but he didn't understand him. It wasn't mumbled, as it usually was, but a whisper. "What are you saying, you moron? Tell me." "I said that he's here. In the building." Abe sat down and stared at the door in front of him, expecting it to be slammed back. Him being shot was all he could think about. "I'm going down to check on it. You stay put." "Fuck that shit. I'm going with you." They made their way to the lowest levels in the White House. Few knew about this area, and those that did had more than likely forgotten about it. "When we get there, I want you to show me how to use that machine. I'm sick of not having any idea where he is when I want to." "Sure, sure. But if he is indeed in the building, then it'll matter little. We're both dead if we can't get to him first." There was that. "Christ, of all people to be still hanging around." That was true. Vance McCade had been a pain in their asses since Abe had taken office. Before that, really. He was good, too damned good at his job, and it had cost them a lot of sleepless nights as well as a great deal of money. He was just danger. And he was a killer. The idea to track him with small devices had been Morton's. But he had suggested that they put them on him in all kinds of places. In the event that he lost a leg or an arm,
they still wanted to know where he was. Abe didn't think that the loss of a limb would slow him down, so he didn't want to take any chances. There were only two men that worked this computer. They each worked a fourhour shift, never left the area, and were pretty much chained to the desk at all times. Food was brought to them. Their laundry was cleaned. And twice a week, someone would take away anything that was considered trash. Even that was gone over so they'd not be sending out any messages. Three times since he'd been in office they'd had to deal with one or both the men that had worked in there. Abe thought that with the example they'd made of the previous ones, these would work out the best. At least for their sake, he hoped that they did. "He's all over the fucking place." The blinking lights did seem to be all over the map—in the building they were in, outside the grounds, as well as back in his home state of Ohio. Fucking asshole knew. "McCade is aware of us." Morton said no shit. "Well, Mr. Know-It-All, what the fuck are we going to do about it? It's not like any of your ideas to kill him have worked. He's like a fucking ghost." "I still have people out looking for that woman. The one that was working for us a long time ago. Seems she's made herself known again." He asked him how. "She killed four of our men in a restaurant a couple of days ago. Actually, two different restaurants. She's as bad as he is when it comes to getting information that we have out there." "We have to get rid of him. Now." Morton said he was working on it. "Well, work harder. Have you any idea what it's costing us to have him out there?" They left the little room and made their way up to his offices. Morton was still talking about how they were going to get this woman, but Abe didn't see that working. If she was as good as McCade, then there wasn't going to be any getting her to do anything. She'd more than likely turn against them too. "What makes her so special?" Wording, he knew, had to be worked around. While he knew there were recording devices everywhere, there wasn't any kind of audio in this room. But that didn't mean that they didn't have them on themselves. "I mean, is she all that special that you want to bring her onboard to work for us?" "She's said to have a bit of a magical touch that we like to use." So, she was magical, so what? So were most of the men who protected him. "And she has no qualms about using her magic however she sees fit. As I said, she took out four of our men in seconds." Morton got up and handed him a thumb drive. Putting it in his personal laptop, Abe watched a video of an old woman having a meal. When she stood up two of his men were down, then she and one of them disappeared. He asked where they'd been found, and he got his answer when there were pictures of his man dead. "Christ. How long was this? I mean, between point A and point B?" Morton told him a matter of less than an hour. "He was tracked too?" "Yes. And she took out another one in a restaurant about six hours before. A nice little place that served sandwiches and had free wi-fi. We think that's why he approached her, the idiot. To tell her he knew what she was about. She shot him three
times in the gut and just walked out. It's a fucking mess there we had to work hard to contain." Every day something else was put in his way. All he wanted to do was make a shit load of money, keep his head on his shoulders, and not end up in prison. Abe didn't think that was a lot to ask for. He was president of the free world. Yet every time he turned around, someone was trying their best to take his freedom away from him. Well, it was time for that shit to end. And it was going to start by ending that fucking McCade once and for all. "I want you to find me someone that can bring him to heel. I don't care if you have to go to his mother's house and hog tie her to make him see reason. Also, see if you can get anything on that family. There has to be something somewhere that will make them see reason. Mother fuck, this is the dumbest damned thing that I've run across." Morton reminded him of the cameras in here. "I'd not have to worry about them had you done your job at the house that day. Did we ever figure out what happened to that video? Or even if the pictures we got from them can be cleaned up at all?" "No. All we know for sure is that one of the women took the drive from our man, but she handed it right back to him. There wouldn't have been any time for her to make any kind of adjustments on it. But all it has on it is fuzz, as well as some audio. Nothing that we can use." Of course not. Why should that be anything different? "Also, the pictures. We did manage to figure out some of that. The camera that was being used by the department there, it was just some old camera. But ours, as you know, are all messed up as well. It's like they— Mother fuck, Abe. Do you think she is magical too?" "You think?" Christ, he was beginning to hate the world today. "Get her here. I want to talk to the bitch that had a hand in this. In fact, invite the entire clan here. We'll have a nice little get together, and I'll see what I can find out from them. And if I can't find out what I want to know, then we'll have a case of food poisoning that will kill them off and make me deathly ill. Perhaps we can say they brought it, and place the blame squarely in the McCade's laps." When Morton left him, Abe sat at his desk and thought about all the plans he'd had and how many of them were now shit because of one man. McCade. The things that he'd done and people he'd killed should have had him in jail, but they'd all be counted as justified, and he'd saved the American people with each one. There just wasn't any stopping the guy. Not legally, anyway. Twice he'd had him in his sights. Well, not his own personal sights, but close enough. And both times he'd gotten away without a scratch. Abe had been told numerous times that McCade had been shot or killed, and come to find out, the fucker was going home and being repaired there. Repaired was a strange word, he knew, but they should have been making funeral arrangements instead of patching him up. Abe couldn't even get him for being AWOL, absent without leave. Because every time he brought it up to someone, they told him that he was an American treasure and that for as much time as he spent working for the government, a little R&R, rest and relaxation, would go a long way in making him a better man.
"Better man, my ass. He's more of a pain in the ass then even my own kids are most of the time." Abe looked at the picture on his desk, the one of his family taken out in front of this very building. There wasn't any denying that they were a good looking bunch, but Abe hated every single one of them. Working on his game of solitaire, he thought of all the things he had on his plate at the moment. There was an arms deal that was just a few days away that would net him and Morton about ten million apiece. He had a shipment of drugs coming into the country next week that would get them even more cash. Money that he had planned to retire on. As it stood right now, he'd be lucky if he'd be able to run with it. He and Morton both stood to lose a lot if they couldn't get this one man to die. When his day started, his secretary getting him going to some meetings and shit, he closed up his computer and made sure that the password was in place. There were few that came in here when he was out, but he didn't want anyone to see the shit that he had on it. He'd never make it to the upstairs if they did that. Laughing, Abe went about his morning, but never lost sight of what was really bothering him. ~~~ Vance watched Micky as she worked through the computer. He didn't speak much, but then she didn't either. Just watching her work was a pleasure that he thought he'd not enjoy. Nor had he ever dreamed that they'd be in a house within walking distance of the beach. Looking at the view again, he thought that he could get used to this. "They're sending out two men to your family home. Your mom's in particular." He asked her why they were doing that. "I'd guess to take them as hostage or some shit. But they're supposedly there to escort them to the White House for a dinner. I've already contacted your brother, Kenton, and he said thanks. He thinks you're the one that warned him, just a heads up." That was another thing that she did that made him like being around her. She didn't ask him for permission when she did things, not that he thought she would. But she got the job done and did it as well as—a couple of times better than—he might have. Like today. They'd split up with the trackers. She was much better at getting places quickly. So, while she was flittering around the country with hers, he was moving around the grounds of the White House. They really needed better security there, he thought with a laugh. But he did feel better now that Raven had destroyed the trackers that she'd had. They had shown up on the computer too, the ones that he'd only just found out about. But Micky not only found it, but had hacked into the system, and now they knew as much as the men there did. "Hey, I was wondering if you had figured it out yet." Vance leaned back on the couch again and asked her what. "That we're mates, or whatever you guys call them. I was a little slow about it, to be honest. It never occurred to me until I was in the shower this morning. When did you figure it out?" "When I saw you the first time." She nodded as if she'd figured he had. "Do you have a problem with it?"
"No. I mean, you bathe regularly. You don't seem to have any kind of nasty habits that would infuriate me enough to have to kill you, and you're semi smart." He laughed; he'd been doing that a lot since she'd come around. "You don't do that much, do you? Have a good time, I mean?" "Are you making an offer?" Her face turned red and he laughed again. "No, I don't usually have any fun. I'm not a fun-loving sort of person." She nodded. "I didn't think so. And so you know, when you changed your shirt yesterday after coming in from the ocean, I saw the scars. You've had a rough life for someone that is as young as you are." He nodded. Vance had had some close calls since he'd been in the service. "You also have the sword of Caelin. It's meant, I think, to kill his father. You've been chosen to do that. But with all of this, I was wondering what we do now. I mean, a lot is hinging on us being at your family home, isn't it?" "I don't know how any of this works, to be honest with you. But until this other shit is taken care of, I'd rather not bring it down on them. They—the men that I'm after, with your help—are getting desperate, I think." She said that they were. "I would like to see this through. Not just the thing with Melton, but all his crew too. Then bringing forth the dragon will be a piece of cake, I think." "Nothing is ever a piece of cake." He just smiled at her. "You want to have sex? I mean, sometime?" "Yes. All the time." She nodded and leaned back in her own chair. "I'm not forcing you into anything. You want to have sex with me, then I'd suggest you let me know. But I've wanted you since I first saw you, more so when I realized what you are to me. And me to you." "I'm not sure what I want to do right now. You're kind of scary, aren't you?" He told her that he'd never hurt her. "No, because if you ever tried, you'd be in a world of hurt. Not that I could kill you, but you'd surely wish it." "I don't want to hurt or kill you. You're kind of scary too." When she grinned at him, Vance felt years of his bad feelings about life in general roll off his shoulders. "I've not told my family that you're here or that you're my mate. I'm worried that if I did they'd want to come here and meet you. Then they'd be in the line of fire too. But soon, we'll have to make an appearance before them. And I want you to know, you think I'm scary? Wait until you meet my sisters-in-law." "I know Raven. Well, I know of her. I've talked to her before, on a couple of things that I had going on, but nothing face to face. And through working with Jeff, I heard about Emma. She's had it rough too. I knew her brother, Bart. There was a monster if there ever was one." Vance agreed with her. "The others I don't know but have heard about. Your mom, she's a nice person, from the things you've told me about her. Nice, but stern." "My mom raised us when our dad wasn't around. Pretty much all the time. Then once, when he was pissed off at my mom, he held Lewis down with his boot to his neck and was going to cut his head off. Dad was pissed off because when he'd shown up, again unannounced, there wasn't enough food for him to have a steak. I'd never even had a steak, and he wanted one." Vance thought of that day. "Mom pulled a gun out of
her pocket and shot him right between the eyes, like she'd been practicing every day. For all we knew, she might have been. But he was dead, and she had enough proof in the form of hospital visits, as well as police calls, that she got off. I don't think I've ever respected anyone as much as I do my mom because of that." "I would imagine that she was terrified out of her mind. I mean, killing him, even to save Lewis, she had to wonder what would happen to her sons had she died or ended up in prison for it." Vance told her that she called them her boys. "Boys? I wonder if your mom has had a look at you guys lately. None of you are just boys." "No. And I'm the only one not married, at least not yet." She didn't say anything, but he felt like he needed to explain. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. We'll come together, or we won't. But right now we're working together, getting comfortable with each other, and I think that's as good a start as any. Don't you?" "Yes. But I'm not a pushover. Nor do I want to wait on the man of the house. I don't cook unless I want to. I don't do windows, not even on threat of death, and there isn't any way that I'm going to be the cute little housewife that waits for you with your slippers every night when you come home." He laughed. "I'm not trying to be funny." "Oh, I know that. I was just trying to picture you with a little white apron on, standing there with my slippers—which I don't own, by the way—waiting for me to tell you to get me a beer. Which I don't drink." He stood up and stretched, and she did as well. "What I would like to see you doing, and this might just be me, I'd love to see you standing in the hallway of our home, naked and ready for me. Where I would take you against the wall, hard and fast, and have you keeping up with me. That's the way I picture you. But for now, I'm going to go take a swim. If you'd like to join me, I'm going to be naked. I don't have a swimsuit either." He moved out the open doors to the sandy beach beyond. Vance knew that she wouldn't join him. The few times that he'd been in the water since they'd gotten here, she'd stayed on the deck. And when she was in the water, if he joined her, she'd leave the water. Vance wasn't sure why, but he thought perhaps she was as shy about her body as he was his. The water was warm and calm today. Swimming out as far as he could and still see the house, he decided to float around for a little while, just to try and not think of the woman in the house. She was a conundrum. Beautiful and deadly didn't bother him. It was her shyness that he was puzzled about. Also, she seemed to have other things about her, magical things, like the porcupine move that he'd not seen as yet. Vance wanted to find out all he could about her, but little of it had to do with her magic, and more to do with the woman beneath it all. When something touched his skin he thought it was a fish, but turning toward it, he nearly fell back on his ass when Micky was standing not a foot from him, with her breasts bared for him. "I have a lot of scars. A lot of them are old, but they still are there." He nodded, trying his best to look at her face and not her nakedness. "When I was in the war between the trolls and faeries, I was nearly cut in half. You can still see that scar where I
was put back together badly. The magic that was to be mine for helping never came. Not because we lost—we won—but because the troll decided not to share it." "I've never seen a troll." She nodded. "Are you telling me this because you think I'll think less of you because of them? Or do you want me to know so I can believe how bad assed you are?" "Both. Neither. I want you to know that I don't show people, men mostly, my body, because I'm not pretty and smooth like most they'd know." He looked at her then, what he could see of her above the water. "Some of the wounds on my body are like yours. Knife wounds. Bullet holes. I have a few that are also from chains around me. Iron has been wrapped around my legs, too, to keep me from being able to run." "This person who trapped you like that, is he dead?" She said not yet, but she hoped that he'd help her take care of him. "Butler." "Yes. Because of what I am, what I can do, he thought I was a witch. A person who could help him with his magic. That's one of the reasons that I've been shunned by my kind. My parents, he told them that I did help him and that I had his child. A boy child." Vance told her that Butler could have no male children. "Yes, I found that out as well. But the damage had been done. I had no child by him. Nor did he have sex with me to even create one. Once I was freed of him, I was…. It took me a great many years to train myself so that no man would ever touch me again. Not unless I allowed it." "Are you now? Allowing me to touch you?" Micky didn't so much as blink at him. "I'd never hurt you. Not even it we weren't mates, I'm not a man who harms someone that is smaller or weaker than me unless it's necessary for what I do. You're not either of those, but I have just as much respect for you as a woman as I do my own family." "I want you, Vance. I do. But don't you feel that we've been manipulated into this?" He started to tell her that he was all right with that when she spoke first. "I like you. I enjoy your company, and you're smart and good to work with. I guess relationships are based on a lot less. So, in answer to your question, yes, I want you to touch me. Make love to me."
This entry was posted on March 5, 2018, in Amazon, amazon &BN Itunes, book, Chapter One, Giveaway, Promo Stop, Release Day Blitz.	Leave a comment
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Pelican Bay, Book 2
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Coming home should be the easiest thing in the world, but I've never felt more lost…
When his stellar military career comes to an abrupt and terrible end, thirty-two-year-old Maddox Kent returns to the town he never planned to step foot into again, hoping to mend the rift he himself caused with the brother he left behind. But coming home means facing some hard truths about himself and his actions. When he has the chance to start making amends by helping his brother with the wildlife sanctuary he runs, Maddox is thrown another curveball when a stranger appears…
As long as we keep moving, everything will be okay. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway…
For twenty-one-year-old Isaac, Pelican Bay is only supposed to be a stopping point on the trek from San Francisco to New York. With his little brother, Newt, in tow, Isaac is just looking to make things right by returning something of value to a person he wronged. But "getting lost" in the next big city proves to be a problem when the brutal Minnesota winter claims Isaac's car and strands him and Newt at the animal sanctuary. When the owners of the place offer him a job, a desperate Isaac agrees, despite the presence of a man Isaac instinctively knows could be his downfall…
It should be so easy to let him go, but I can't. And not just because I want to protect him…
Nothing about Isaac makes sense to Maddox. Not his piercings or makeup or flashy clothes. And most certainly not the snarky mouth that doesn't match the vulnerability Maddox sees in the younger man's eyes. But one thing does make sense to the hardened former soldier. Isaac is running from something, and Maddox's gut is telling him not to let Isaac and little Newt go until he can ferret out the truth.
But having Isaac around means trying to make sense of something else Maddox isn't expecting… his own body's response to the beautiful younger man. Aside from their explosive chemistry, nothing about the straitlaced soldier and the secretive misfit works.
But maybe that's exactly why it does…
NOTE: Can be read as a standalone (no cliffhangers) but more enjoyment may be had by reading book 1, Locked in Silence, first.
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"Can you ask Isaac to stick around for a bit?" Nolan asked. I turned to look at him. He was focused on Dallas but kept shooting me glances. "Tell him to make himself at home."
I nodded. I wasn't at all surprised he wasn't extending the same offer to me. I certainly didn't deserve it. I spared my brother another glance, then left the room, pulling the door closed behind me.
I returned downstairs and found Isaac and Newt sitting at the small kitchen table, their coats still on. Newt was swinging his legs back and forth beneath the table as he and his brother played some kind of game with their hands. I almost smiled when I realized what it was.
"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war," Isaac said. As soon as he said the last word, the pair began dueling it out with their thumbs. Neither of them noticed me, so I was free to watch their interaction. A smile split Isaac's mouth as Newt managed to pin his thumb down.
"Oh no!" Isaac cried in mock fear.
"I've got you," Newt declared. I nearly laughed because Newt was holding onto Isaac's thumb with both his hands, a clear violation of the rules.
Both of them dissolved into a fit of giggles after Isaac declared Newt the winner. They were about to start another round when Isaac looked up and spotted me. The amusement slipped from his expression and was replaced with one of wariness and uncertainty.
I tried to tell myself that was a good thing, but I didn't like the little twinge of guilt that landed in my belly.
Isaac climbed to his feet and subtly placed himself between me and Newt. I wanted to laugh at that. One, because what exactly did he think I was going to do? And two, if I had wanted to do something, a scrawny teenager wasn't going to be able to stop me.
"Is he all right?" Isaac asked.
"He's fine," I said as I stalked towards them.
The kid paled a little and stepped back but didn't move away from the little boy. If anything, he moved closer.
I practically towered over him. I guessed I had at least five inches on him and outweighed him by a good fifty pounds. "Nolan wants you to stay."
Isaac swallowed hard and nodded but didn't say anything. Up close, I could see his eyes were a startling shade of dark blue with what looked like flecks of gold and green in them.
Makeup aside, they were… pretty. And actually, the heavy liner surrounding his eyes kind of made them even more intense.
It occurred to me that in order to see his eyes that close up, I had to be standing really close to him.
Really, really close.
I was.
When had that happened?
I took a step back and let my gaze travel over his face. His skin was pale and I didn't even see a hint of facial hair.
It was another reminder of how young he was.
His hair was thick and so dark it looked blue under the light. And then I realized it looked blue because there actually was some blue it. It was subtle, but it was there.
"You're one of those Goth kids, aren't you?" I asked.
Isaac looked startled. "What?"
I let my eyes sweep his body and felt an unpleasant sensation stroke through my system.
Okay, not entirely unpleasant.
"You're into all that heavy metal death shit," I said.
"Oooh, he said a bad word," Newt whispered. "You gotta do what Isaac says now."
"What?" I asked.
"No, he doesn't," Isaac said at the same time.
"I gotta give up Lightning when I do it." The little boy whipped out a red toy car from his pocket. "And I can't get him back for fifteen whole minutes," Newt declared, his eyes going big.
"Is that right?" I asked as I turned my attention to Isaac. A shiver of awareness went through me when Isaac's tongue darted out to wet his lips and I found myself once again stepping closer to him. "You gonna punish me now, Isaac?" I asked, dropping my voice just a bit.
I expected him to cower, or at least look away. But he held my gaze and I saw a subtle shift in his expression. Suddenly, he was the one pressing forward, and I found myself practically nose to nose with him.
He smelled like lemons.
Why the fuck was I noticing that about him?
"I don't particularly like wasting my time trying to teach lessons to guys like you."
"Guys like me?"
His eyes slid up and down my body.
"You're one of those dumb jocks, right?"
"What?" I asked, completely caught off guard.
"The muscles, the intimidation, the inability to speak more than a few syllables at a time…" he practically purred. "I mean, that's what we're doing here, right? I'm the weird, freaky Goth guy because I wear black and like to use a bit of eyeliner now and again, and you're the brainless jock who can't string more than a few words together and expects everyone to fall at your feet because you're big and built and gorgeous."
His hand actually came up to stroke over my chest and I felt his touch everywhere.
Yeah, everywhere.
"Newt, what's our rule about letting people hurt us with words?" Isaac asked as he held my gaze.
"It don't count if they don't know our middle names," Newt declared.
"Doesn't count, and you're exactly right, Newt." Isaac dropped his hand and stepped back. "People like that just aren't worth our time, are they?"
"'Cause if they don't care enough to know our middle names…" Isaac began.
"—they don't care enough to be nice," Newt finished.
I couldn't help but feel a weird sense of pride. Not many people had the balls to stand up to me. This kid had done it with very little hesitation and made a teaching moment out of it.
I forced myself to move back and give both of them a little more breathing room. "Nolan said to make yourself at home," I said, then turned to head for the door. I didn't like all the shit going through my head at the moment and there was only one thing that would help ward it off.
I needed to move.
And just keep moving.
"Is there anything I can do?" Isaac called. "For Nolan, I mean?"
"Yeah," I said without looking at him. "Don't steal anything."
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I've spent years hoping someone would finally hear me. It's easier not to try anymore…
Ten years after leaving his small Minnesota hometown in his rearview mirror for what Nolan Grainger was sure would be the last time, life has decided to throw the talented musician a curveball and send him back to the town he lived in but was never really home.
At twenty-eight, Nolan has traveled the world as a successful concert violinist with some of the best symphonies in the country. But success breeds envy, and when Nolan's benefactor and lover decides Nolan has flown high enough, he cruelly clips Nolan's wings. The betrayal and ensuing scandal leaves the violinist's career in shambles and with barely enough money to start fresh somewhere beyond his vindictive ex's powerful reach. But just as he's ready to get his life back on track, Nolan gets the call he's been dreading.
After a stroke leaves his father a partial invalid, duty-bound Nolan returns to Pelican Bay and a life he's spent years trying to forget. When he's forced to use the last of his own money to keep from losing the family home, desperation has him turning to the one man he'd hoped never to see again…
Even if I could speak, there wouldn't be anyone there to listen…
Pelican Bay's golden boy, Dallas Kent, had the quintessential perfect life. Smart, gorgeous, and popular, the baseball phenom was well on his way to a life filled with fame and fortune. But more importantly, he had a one-way ticket out of Pelican Bay and far away from the family who used love as currency and whose high expectations were the law of the land. But a stormy night, sharp highway curve and one bad decision changed everything, leaving Dallas with nothing.
Because the accident that took his parents, his future and his crown as the boy who could do no wrong, also stole his voice.
Despised for the horrific wreck that ended the lives of two of Pelican Bay's most respected residents, Dallas has retreated to a secluded stretch of land where he's found refuge in a menagerie of unwanted animals that don't care that he once had the world at his feet or that he'll never speak again.
But when the quiet, bookish boy he wasn't allowed to notice in school suddenly reappears ten years later at Dallas's wildlife rehab center in desperate need of a job, Dallas is thrust back into a world he's worked hard to escape.
Dallas's silence was supposed to send Nolan scurrying, but what if Nolan ends up being the one person who finally hears him?
Will two men who've been fleeing from the past finally come home to Pelican Bay for good or will the silence drive them apart forever?
Although Sloane Kennedy always dreamed of being a writer as a teenager, she didn't take the plunge until March of 2015 when she released her first novel as an independent author. Since then, she has released more than a dozen books including the Amazon best-selling "Barretti Security" series, "Finding" series and "Protectors" series. While she initially began writing M/F romance, she found her true passion writing gay romance and all four of her most recent releases reached the #1 spot on Amazon's Gay Romance bestseller list and Freeing Zane, her final book in the Barretti Security series, made it to Amazon's overall bestseller list. Sloane was born in Germany and grew up in Virginia and Wisconsin. Although she currently lives in Wisconsin, the place where she has always felt most at home is Seattle and many of her books take place in the Emerald city. Although she is unmarried, a menagerie of 2 dogs and 3 cats keeps her busy enough and 3 young nieces take care of the rest of her free time. Sloane loves being able to share her passion for romance with readers and she is truly humbled by all the support she's received from fans and fellow authors alike.
CONNECT WITH SLOANE ⇩
WEBSITE AUTHOR FACEBOOK PAGE TWITTER AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
Join Sloane's FB Fan Group !!
To my new FB friends, feel free to check out my fan group,
Sloane's Secret Sinners. We do lots of giveaways and it's the only place you can sign up
for a chance to get an ARC.
YOU MUST BE FRIENDS WITH ME OR FOLLOWING ME TO JOIN
Sloane's Secret Sinners
This entry was posted on March 5, 2018, in Amazon, book, Promo Stop, Release Day Blitz.	1 Comment


text:
Le championnat du monde junior féminin de handball 2001 est la  du tournoi. Il se déroule en Hongrie du 29 juillet au .

Résultats

Tour préliminaire

Tour final

Le vainqueur

Classement final

Statistiques et récompenses

Effectif du champion du monde junior :
L'effectif de la Russie au championnat du monde junior 2001 est :

Références

Liens externes

2001
handball junior
HBF junior
Monde féminin junior
Sport en juillet 2001
Sport en août 2001

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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05885299 is referenced by 376 patents and cites 139 patents.
Apparatus for and methods of inserting implants are disclosed wherein the apparatus includes a handle portion and a body portion attached to the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis. The body portion includes an outer tubular member fixed relative to the handle portion for rotation therewith about the longitudinal axis. The outer tube member has first implant engaging structure adjacent a distal end. An inner tubular member is disposed at least partially within the outer tubular member and is mounted for longitudinal motion relative to the outer tubular member. Second implant engaging structure is positioned adjacent a distal end of the inner tubular member. The body portion further includes an inner shaft, coaxially mounted at least partially within the inner tubular member for independent rotation relative to the inner and outer tubular members, the inner shaft having third implant engaging structure adjacent a distal end. In a method for inserting an implant having a hollow portion with a closed distal end and a removable cap, the first, second and third implant engaging structures are attached to the implant with at least one of the engaging structure attached to the removable cap and another of the engaging structure attached to the hollow portion. The implant is preferably preloaded with bone chips and/or bone growth inducing substances prior to attachment. Thereafter, the preloaded implant is inserted into the desired surgical location.


The Treaty Alliance at the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights.
Click here to see the full gallery on Flickr.
Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Treaty Alliance actions during the first and second days of the 2016 IGWG.


Trapping can be one of the most exciting aspects of falconry. It's an exciting time to trap and train your new hawk for the new falconry season, but the excitement and adrenaline rush as you race to rescue that hawk from the trap after waiting ten minutes (or longer in some cases) for that Immy to come down to the trap off that pole is highly energizing.
So, after carefully watching a bird on a post for 20 minutes look down on the trap, but not come down to it, I gave up. I drove over to another area, and then came back to the first bird I saw, she had moved over to a taller tower. By this time, she was hungrier than earlier that morning, and when I threw out the trap the second time, turned the car around, she was coming down to the trap and got herself stuck. Here is the picture of the hawk wrapped up for first wieght.
My third trapping adventure started out on Sunday morning a little late, but I joined my sponsor for an early morning outing anyway. We decided to drive East again, as it's much easier to see birds out there. We checked out a few local east-facing woods before hitting the freeway. We served once close to a ramp, but were unsuccessful at trapping that bird. A few minutes later, we were back driving eastbound on M-59. Trapping Hawks, much like hunting is mostly dependent upon being in the right place at the right time. There is some skill in choosing weather, time of day, and location, but still the most deciding factor is luck. I drove many back roads on Friday afternoon / evening, saw 12 Red-Tails and successfully trapped two of them. Upon weigh-in, they didn't quite meet the weight requirement, so I enjoyed setting them free once again after careful inspection and a light dusting of poultry dust.
Our next serve turned out to be a great trapping location off M-59. We did a quick turn out to verify an Immature Bird, and after 2 seconds with the field glasses on her, I said "Immy – GO!" There she was, sitting in the sun on a snag, facing east with a meadow/field under her to watch for tasty mice frolicking in the tall grass. She was a big beautiful immy, and might have appeared so with the sun on her, puffing feathers out for maximum warmth. We did a quick turn-around and looked for a good way to serve the trap. Luckily there was a dirt driveway that we turned into off the main road and we were able to serve out the window quickly and quietly as we bumped along the potholes. Amazingly enough, the immy didn't bump and seemed quite tolerant of cars. By the time we turned around, the bird was gone. Where did she go? She had bolted from her perch and hit the trap hard. I raced up with a towel and noticed a large bird with tremendous feet; I covered her up quickly as she scurried to the best of her ability but failed to get away. I started shaking, getting hopeful for a big bird; her size was bigger than what I had trapped earlier in the weekend and the feet were noticeably bigger. We quickly re-located her to the car to get the nooses off her talons as she was quite tangled up. After taping her feet up, hooding and socking, she weighed in at 40 oz. Perfect!
We drove around for another hour looking for more immys and found one on a back road and served the trap. After ten minutes of no sign of movement, we picked up the trap and headed home for jessing and dressing. After trapping my second bird on a Sunday morning, I'm absolutely *convinced* 😉 that mornings are better trapping times. You can find birds sitting comfy in the sun somewhere, still warming up and waking up, much like I have observed my previous birds in the mews. There is a window that faces east and they regularly would sit in that window and catch the early morning sun.
I named her Sable for no particular reason, I just liked the name.
** Please leave a comment! I'm interested in hearing other trapping stories either successful or 'educational'.
Trap: Hit quickly; by the time we had the car turned around, she was down off her perch.
So I'm combining a little internet humor* (meme) with some falconry adventures today in order to warn all the hawks out there that I'm looking for YOU. Specifically, I'm looking for a large immature female Red-Tailed Hawk. I've been out for three trapping adventures so far with little success. 4 adults sighted and no immys for the first adventure; 12 hawks sighted on the second attempt with two birds trapped. The night was looking like a success until the weigh-in occurred. There is a special hawk out there, the one that will be my partner for the next 6 months at least.
Trapping is quite simply the process of capturing a wild hawk for use in falconry. It involves a special trap**, a live bait animal, and some additional equipment for caring for the freshly trapped raptor. It also involves lots of driving. You drive around until you see a hawk that you can trap, and then you try to figure out the best way to present the trap to the raptor so she can see it, and then you are potentially waiting (long periods) for them to hit the trap. Just as long as you don't 'bump' them off of their perch.
Once you trap the hawk there are a few things to take care of; mainly, immobilize the bird so it doesn't hurt you or itself. Grab the feet with gloves on, throw a towel over the bird so that she can't see what's going on. Then hood the bird as soon as possible. Unhook the nooses off the hawk feet carefully, this is where an injury can occur so sometimes it's a good idea to simply cut the nooses off the feet. You'll then have to re-noose your trap at the end of the day. It's also a good idea to apply some 'poultry-dust' to a bird to get rid of parasites and insects. Tape up the feet with stretchy co-flex tape and then slide a sock over the bird to keep its wings under control. Once you've done these things you have a bird that looks like the picture below. You are now ready to get weight. Carefully place your bird on a scale and get some weight. Now it's important to examine the bird for any other injuries, diseases, condition of the feet, or issues that would prevent this bird from making a good falconry hawk. So, you've got a decision to make; will you keep the bird or let it go and look for a bigger one? It's a tough call for sure; you've been driving around for hours and this is the first Immy you've seen, let alone been able to trap one. My favorite part is letting the bird go after undoing all the dressings and the hood. You've given the bird a little help with the poultry dust and it's great to watch them fly back to their home. Very satisfying to me.
Drop a comment on this article if you think I missed some important details or would like to share your hawk trapping adventures!
*Ackbar trap graphic borrowed randomly from the 'net.
** Detailed hawk trap pictures or construction plans are not found here due to trade secret reasons.
It took a week for Tahoe to respond to food reward, but she ate a chipmunk on the 6th night after trapping. With a trap weight of 1147g, and a response weight of 1030g, we are on to the next step of training: Step to the glove. This is one of the most critical times in the training, getting your hawk to respond to you and your glove. More importantly, it's necessary for the raptor to know what to do when you enter the Mews, to take her up for training, or out for Hunting!
On to the next training lesson!


text:
Zhang, S., Zhu, J., Wang, G., Reng, S., and Yan, H. (2022). "Furniture online consumer experience: A literature review," BioResources 17(1), 1627-1642.Budakçı, M., Şenol, S., and Korkmaz, M. (2022). "Thermo-Vibro-Mechanic® (TVM) wood densification method: Mechanical properties," BioResources 17(1), 1606-1626.
Editorialpp 1-2Lavoine, N. (2022). "Fostering entrepreneurial thinking in biomaterials education," BioResources 17(1), 1-2.AbstractArticlePDF
The concept of entrepreneurial thinking is gaining attention in higher education. Originally attributed to entrepreneurs, this concept embraces a set of attitudes, skills, and behaviors that can also help students, engineers, and researchers to succeed academically, professionally, and personally. This editorial discusses the benefits of developing and adopting an entrepreneurial thinking in biomaterials science and engineering. Our society is constantly evolving, and the next generations of engineers and researchers will have to adapt fast to the needs and propose innovative solutions to the demands. A strong entrepreneurial mindset may thus be key for boosting our efforts towards innovation and sustainability.
Editorialpp 3-6Hubbe, M. A. (2022). "What to do with toxic, contaminated cellulose-based adsorbents," BioResources 17(1), 3-6.AbstractArticlePDF
This editorial considers the end fates of toxic materials, such as heavy metals, dyes, and synthetic organic compounds, which can be recovered from polluted water by using bio-based adsorbents. The point of the editorial is that insufficient research attention has been paid to the final fate of such contaminants. By contrast, much is known regarding factors affecting the adsorption capacities and rates of adsorption onto cellulose-based materials. Highly contaminated solutions are produced during the regeneration of biosorbent materials. Eutectic freeze crystallization potentially could be used to isolate relative pure compounds of heavy metals from such solutions. Alternatively, biochar can be prepared from cellulosic material in such a way as to achieve strong attachment to certain pollutants. Such biochar, after its use as an adsorbent, could be placed in the ground, where it can be expected to remain stable as sequestered carbon. A high ion exchange capacity of such biochar has potential to reduce the rates of leaching, which could otherwise lead to contamination of groundwater near to landfill sites. As shown by these examples, some promising answers to the final fate of contaminants may conform to a "circular economy" model, whereas other promising answers may conform to a "cradle-to-grave" viewpoint.
Researchpp 7-20Majka, J., Sydor, M., Pędzik, M., Antov, P., Krišťák, Ľ., Kminiak, R., Kučerka, M., and Rogoziński, T. (2022). "Quantifying the finest particles in dust fractions created during the sanding of untreated and thermally modified beech wood," BioResources 17(1), 7-20.AbstractArticlePDF
This article deals with the fractionation of wood dust by sieve after sanding. Dust from untreated beechwood was compared to dust from thermally modified beechwood (at 200 °C for 3 h). The authors hypothesized that the thermal modification changes the particle size distributions of the dust sieve fractions and that all the dust sieve fractions contain the finest particles, which are suspendable in the air and are potentially respirable. To obtain dust for testing, both wood materials were sanded with P120 paper at a belt speed of 14.5 m/s and a pressure of 0.65 N/cm2. A set of sieves with aperture sizes of 25, 80, and 250 µm were used to separate the dust into sieve fractions with grain sizes less than 25 µm, 25 to 80 µm, 80 to 250 µm, and greater than 250 µm. The content of the finest particles in the fractions was measured via a laser particle sizer. Both dusts had similar particle size distributions. In addition, each investigated fraction of both dusts contained the finest particles, i.e., less than 10 µm. It follows that the laser analysis method may be necessary to correctly assess the occupational risk at a sanding.
Researchpp 21-36Tokdemir, V., and Altun, S. (2022). "A case study of wood thermoplastic composite filament for 3D printing," BioResources 17(1), 21-36.AbstractArticlePDF
The 3D printing technology is a method of converting proposed complex geometric shapes into solid models. One of these methods is the FDM (fused deposition modeling) printing technology as a considerably affordable and the most commonly used method in the world. The purpose of this study is to obtain FDM 3D printer filaments that are as natural as possible, resembling wood and evoking the sensation of wood upon touching through deployment of bio-based plastics and additives. Polylactic acid (PLA) and bio thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were used as matrices, and lignin and Arboform, a lignin-based biomaterial, were used as additives. The characteristics of composites achieved through addition of 10% lignin and Arboform to matrices were identified by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the tensile test. The effects of some printing parameters on the mechanical characteristics were also determined. Lignin induced a decrease in mechanical characteristics for both PLA and TPU. Arboform, on the other hand, demonstrated good bonding with TPU and increased tensile strength. Production of flexible and sufficiently durable parts by means of 10% Arboform-containing TPU filaments was demonstrated.
Researchpp 37-51Saengwong-ngam, R., Matan, N., and Matan, N. (2022). "Effects of a plant-cushioning material containing tangerine oil on bruising and mould growth of banana (Kluai Hom Thong) and its potential reuse," BioResources 17(1), 37-51.AbstractArticlePDF
The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of a plant-cushioning material containing tangerine oil in conserving the quality of a Kluai Hom Thong banana during transportation and storage. In addition, the reuse of the plant-cushioning material with and without tangerine oil for two, three, or four transportation and storage cycles was investigated. The results demonstrated that the plant-cushioning material with tangerine oil protected the Kluai Hom Thong banana from mould growth by 100% and it reduced the bruised areas on the banana peel by 80%. The tangerine oil vapour released from the plant-cushioning material might also affect the ripening of the banana, since the colour changed from green to yellow more quickly in the fruit that had been treated with tangerine oil compared to the control fruit. In addition, this intelligent cushioning material containing tangerine oil has great potential in reducing bruised areas, inhibiting mould and extending the quality of the banana during transportation and storage (14 days) for at least one time compared to the control (5 to 7 days). The reuse of the plant-cushioning material, at least up to four times with and without tangerine oil for the protection of the banana, showed great potential.
Researchpp 52-63Wang, X., Le, X., Peng, W., Ye, P., An, J., Zhang, G., Wang, P., and Xie, Y. (2022). "Effect of pH on the formation of benzyl ester bonds between glucuronic acid and dehydrogenation polymer," BioResources 17(1), 52-63.AbstractArticlePDF
The effect of pH on the addition reaction of glucuronic acid to quinone methides generated in the synthesis of dehydrogenation polymer (DHP or artificial lignin) was investigated. The DHP-glucuronic acid complexes were formed during DHP polymerization catalyzed by a mixture of laccase, β-glucosidase, and O2 within the pH range 7 to 4 in the presence of coniferin as a precursor. The structure of the product and the content of benzyl ester bonds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state cross-polarization magic angle spinning carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, ion chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and elemental analysis. The results showed that the pH of the reaction system had an important role in the formation of the benzyl ester bonds. Acidic conditions favored the reaction of quinone methide intermediates with carboxyl groups of glucuronic acid in the biosynthesis of DHP. However, weakly acidic conditions (pH 6) enhanced the reaction of quinone methide intermediates with glucose. In neutral conditions, the DHP-protein complex can be efficiently synthesized by the addition reaction of quinone methide intermediates with amino acids in protein.
Researchpp 64-74Alvarez-Vera, M., Vázquez, J., Fernández, D., and Reinoso, R. (2022). "Poultry feathers and offal treatment by using beneficial microorganisms," BioResources 17(1), 64-74.AbstractArticlePDF
Poultry waste can be hydrolyzed using microorganisms to obtain useful amino acids for agriculture processes. This research treated poultry waste by applying beneficial microbial consortia. Microorganisms were obtained from Brassica oleracea (commonly known as cabbage) and Jungia rugosa (widely known as matico de puna) plants. Each sample was sent to the laboratory for gender, species, and concentration identification. Poultry waste (feathers, offal, blood) and a liquid solution made up of water, molasses, and microorganisms were placed inside plastic tanks. Four treatments were established (T1, T2, T3, and T4). T1 and T3 were composed of 80% water, 10% molasses, and 10% microorganisms; T2 and T4 were composed of 70% water, 20% molasses, and 10% microorganisms. The contents in each tank were periodically stirred for one month. Sixteen microorganisms were identified in each sample. In each treatment, nine essential and nine non-essential amino acids were found in different concentration levels. It is assumed that indigenous microbial consortia benefit the hydrolysis of poultry waste. Furthermore, the type and content of amino acids are related to the microbial activity of each consortium.
Researchpp 75-93Chen, F., Liu, Y., Ni, X., and Xia, X. (2022). "Eulerian-Lagrangian simulation of wood flour and wind distribution during the impulse-cyclone airflow drying process," BioResources 17(1), 75-93.AbstractArticlePDF
To improve the particle transport computational fluid dynamics models of impulse-cyclone airflow drying systems, a Eulerian-Lagrangian discrete particle model (commercial code ANSYS Fluent 2019 R1) was extended to describe the temperature field, airflow velocity field, and particle distribution in the impulse and cyclone dryers. The results showed that the velocity of the airflow considerably changed after wood flour was added into the system, with an approximate velocity difference between the particles and airflow of 2 m/s. An increased feed rate led to a backflow area at the bottom of the cyclone dryer, which caused reflux and a long residence time of the wood flour in and near the cyclone dryer. By comparing the calculated temperature, velocity, and time curves with the measured temperature and velocity sensor values, the error between the simulated value and the experimental value was only approximately 15%. The current work verifies that the Eulerian-Lagrangian discrete particle model of the impulse-cyclone airflow drying process established via the computational fluid dynamics simulation method was effective. The conclusion provides a reliable theoretical basis for the technological design of impulse-cyclone airflow drying systems, thus providing a way to optimize the structure of impulse-cyclone airflow drying systems in the future.
Researchpp 94-108Wang, B., Yang, C., and Ding, Y. (2022). "Non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm-II algorithm-based multi-objective layout optimization of solid wood panels," BioResources 17(1), 94-108.AbstractArticlePDF
Common solid wood panel defects affect the appearance of timber products and reduce their value for use. It is necessary to remove defects from solid wood panels to achieve a panel layout. A whole wooden beam column is cut into solid wood panels of different sizes, according to the requirements. Aiming to overcome problems of weak convergence ability, single-objective optimization, and the poor optimization effect of solid wood panel layout optimization based on a traditional genetic algorithm, an improved multi-objective solid wood panel layout optimization based on NSGA-II (Non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm-II) algorithm was proposed. Reverse learning was used to generate a reverse population to increase the search capability of the algorithm and to solve the problem of insufficient population diversity in the genetic algorithms. A combination of directional variation and uniform variation was used to improve the optimization effect and solve the problem of small individual differences in the evolution of the algorithm. The improved multi-objective optimization algorithm showed better optimization and stability than the NSGA-II algorithm. The number of convergence iterations was reduced and simultaneous optimization of multiple objectives can be realized.
Researchpp 109-131Maidin, N. A., Mohd Sapuan, S., Mohammad Taha, M., and Mohamed Yusoff, M. Z. (2022). "Material selection of natural fibre using a grey relational analysis (GRA) approach," BioResources 17(1), 109-131.AbstractArticlePDF
Numerous situations in daily life necessitate a decision. Several of them entail selecting the best option from a number of available options. In many such cases, no single solution is optimal for all of the performance characteristics. This study proposes using grey relational analysis (GRA), a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method, to solve this problem. Material selection is vital in designing and developing products, especially for composites materials requiring special attention. The substitution of conventional materials with natural fibres as base material is commonly practised due to high material consumption in mass-producing plastic components that could harm the environment. Therefore, in this work, natural fibres were chosen as composite reinforcement in the design of cyclist helmets. This approach was used to evaluate the right natural fibre and is able to fulfill the needs of consumers and the environment. From the results, the GRA method was utilised and revealed that pineapple was the best top ranking natural fibre with a grade of 0.5687, followed closely by bamboo with a grade of 0.5678, and abaca with a grade of 0.4966. Error analysis was performed to increase the confidence level of the results obtained.
@BioResJournal
#Research by @mkaramanoglu & @akaymakci52 on the effect of treatment temperature on the initial performance of layers of #water-based #paints in #heat-treated pine and beech #wood. ow.ly/FvCY50Hxg2X #BioResJournal #surfaceroughness #hardness #coatings