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Not too long ago I was asked to lead a workshop with a daunting title: "What You Need to Know to Write Nonfiction." I've written 11 narrative nonfiction books, with number 12 (Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash) off to the copyeditor and set for publication in 2012, and I must be honest here: I'm still trying to figure out just what I need to know to write nonfiction.
The Big Question: For me, the starting place for any narrative long or short is not what I should know, but what I don't know. That's what drives the story forward: that tantalizing question about a murder trial, or that biographical subject, or that disaster, or that burning public policy dilemma. Why do writers write about a certain topic, why are we passionate about a particular idea -- so passionate we'll invest weeks or months or years in it? Why does an idea, event, or character give us goose bumps, or become that mental piece of gum we just can't scrape off our shoes? Is it because we know the subject inside and out? No, just the opposite. It's because we want to get to the bottom of something, we want to enter and explore a strange world, culture, place, or community -- and then bring readers along for the ride. That's what the narrative nonfiction writer must bring into focus before writing the first word, then keep it in focus throughout the journey.
Each of my books, all character-driven narratives, has started with and revolved around a big question. How did a former nurse take on the Dixie Mafia and solve her own parents' murder when the police could not or would not do either? Why does juvenile court so often fail to protect kids in danger while also failing to protect the rest of us from dangerous kids? Why does the science of evolution arouse so much fear and loathing in America 80-plus years after the Scopes Monkey Trial ended? Why would a notoriously bottom-line, red-state company like Wal-Mart suddenly attempt to tackle some of our worst environmental problems?
What's your big question? That's what you need to figure out. There will be important subsidiary questions, of course, but this first step is simply about identifying that big-picture question, the one that animates your narrative and becomes its theme and backbone. It's Tracy Kidder asking, What drives Paul Farmer to such heights of selflessness in Mountains Beyond Mountains, or Walter Isaacson asking, Who is the real Steve Jobs? Then the real work begins -- finding the new and original answers to that big question to engage a reader's (or an editor's or a publisher's) imagination, to make them feel your goose bumps, too.
Getting started: This is an exercise I use with my students (and myself): In 50 words or less, lay out your big question -- the one at the heart of the story you want to reveal. Try it.
Next Monday, Part II: How great research trumps great writing (and also enables it).


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No.57 Three in Clee
June 25, 2014 May 15, 2018 ~ Serena ~ Leave a comment
Three Wrecks in Humberston/Cleethorpes
In a new departure for Wreck of the Week, I hand over the stage to Hugh Winfield, archaeologist at North East Lincolnshire Regeneration Partnership, who writes this week's guest blog on the rich wreck archaeology of Cleethorpes.
Over the years Hugh and I have collaborated on an ad-hoc basis on wreck recording in the inter-tidal zone in this area, to mutual enrichment of our records, the North-East Lincolnshire Historic Environment Record and the National Record for the Historic Environment database. Hugh's work has resulted in the local listing of a specific assemblage of wrecks in the Humberston/Cleethorpes area. Four wrecks are included, three of which are described here, the fourth being buried:
In a small cluster on the south bank of the Humber lie the shipwrecks of three wooden sailing vessels. The remains appeared at the end of the 20th century, along with a fourth wreck that has since disappeared again, and are readily accessible across the firm sands and peaty clays of the Humberston and Cleethorpes foreshore.
When standing at the wrecks, one of which is over a kilometre from dry land, one can't help but wonder why they appeared and why there aren't more along a coast that has hundreds of documented losses.
One explanation is that at the end of the 20th century, for unknown reasons, the channel which comes from Tetney Haven swung north, cutting across the sands in front of the Humberston Fitties, reducing sand levels and exposing these three wrecks.
But how did these wrecks end up here in the first place? Were they wrecked on their way to one of the ports, like Grimsby Docks further west, perhaps driven onto the shore during a storm where they stuck in mud, or were they deliberately abandoned and left to decay?
The furthest wreck, number 1000/20/0, is probably the youngest and is only exposed at very low tides. It is recognisable for L-shaped steel reinforcing brackets, part of a larger latticework frame, which stand proud on one side of the wreck.
1000/20/0 in 2012: Taken by Hugh Winfield, © North East Lincolnshire Council
At first glance this seems almost certainly to be a wreck, as it still carries a cargo of chalk boulders, but a nearby collection of similar boulders which appear to be associated with a long demolished sewage outfall puts this in question. Is it possible that the vessel was already at the end of its life, the rickety wooden hull held together by a steel frame? Was it perhaps used as a lighter to carry an excess number of stones for the construction of the outfall, being abandoned once its job was done with the leftover boulders sinking with it? Or was it a heavy cargo vessel, its hull reinforced by a steel frame for safely carrying heavy loads, which was merely a victim of fate?
The most prominent wreck, number 1000/33/0, stands almost completely clear of the sand and mud apart from the keel: in fact it is surprising it doesn't just float away! With closely spaced and robust ribs, thick keelson and wide belly, it is clearly designed to carry a significant load across the sea. Two mast steps identify it as a brig of some kind, and at a length of 22m it is of considerable size. The wreck shows no obvious sign of damage that would have caused it to be lost, but the fact that its keel is so firmly wedged into the mud that even with the rest of the vessel clear of the sand it does not move, suggests that it may have run aground.
1000/33/0 in 2012 Taken by Hugh Winfield, © North East Lincolnshire Council
The third wreck, number 1000/33/1, is the smallest and is usually only visible as short sections of ribs sticking out of the sand. However, when storms scour the sand off the beach another well-constructed vessel appears, entirely devoid of any metal fittings. This is almost certainly the oldest of the three vessels, and has the strongest indication of accidental loss. Following storms in 2012 a large gap could be seen in the planks and ribs on the port side of the vessel close to the stem post suggesting that it was damage through collision with another object such as a pier or another vessel – of course the origin for the "gap" cannot be known for certain given the decayed nature of the wreck, but it is an interesting possibility.
Another possible origin for the gap in the hull of 1000/33/1 is relevant to all three wrecks. Although it appears to have involved steam trawlers rather than wooden hulls, the principle is the same. Recorded in the history of the 19th century steam trawler Magnolia, also lost locally in 1923, is the subsequent scrapping of another vessel called Cedar after it struck the wreck of the Magnolia just a few weeks afterwards. Following the collision the Cedar was moved to Clee Ness, just up the coast from the three wrecks discussed above, in order to be scrapped at low tide. Scrapping of a vessel in this way involved deliberate beaching at high tide, followed by cutting open its side at low tide once the waters had receded from the foreshore in order to easily empty its cargo and salvage any fittings. This would obviously leave a hole in the wreck's hull similar to that seen on 1000/33/1.
The three wrecks will undoubtedly continue to pose the questions of their construction, use and loss, conjuring thoughts of panicked mariners thrown off their feet, hearing the groan of timbers as their ship shuddered to a halt, driven onto the mud and sand by a sudden storm so close to their destination, or of local enterprise, salvage, and recycling in clearing wreck obstacles.
Many thanks to Hugh for his contribution, which well illustrates the heritage of recent wreck archaeology in the Humber region. Other guest bloggers are also lined up to make an occasional appearance in future editions, but for now Wreck of the Week will be taking a short summer break for a couple of weeks.
No.56: Victualling the North
Berwick Castle and Royal Border Bridge (c) English Heritage Photo Library. With the town cut off and occupied by the Scots, the only viable means of replenishing supplies for the English garrison at the castle was by sea.
For want of a nail . . .
Every so often one comes across a wreck that had a direct hand in how history played out (rather than being a participant in, a witness to, or a victim of, a historic event, or even a historic event in itself).
Here, then, is another of our occasional forays into wrecks associated with the locations of English Heritage sites. Following their victory at Bannockburn in 1314, the Scots took the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed on 8 April 1318. Berwick Castle held out a little longer, finally surrendering after an 11-week siege in late June 1318.
Inevitably, the castle surrendered because there was no wherewithal to keep going. In the meantime, on 4 June 1318, La Trinite, laden at London on Edward III's orders for the castle at Berwick "then in his hands" with wheat, 42 "bacon-pigs" and barrel goods of provisions, miscarried on the Gunfleet Sands, off the coast of Essex. She was also laden with iron, for the "munition" of the castle.
Perhaps the outcome would have been the same regardless, but surely the loss of the Trinite contributed to the surrender of the garrison. Perhaps we shall never know, but we can imagine the men at Berwick looking out forlornly every tide for a ship which would never come in, as their resources dwindled to nothing.
As I have written before, most medieval wrecks are preserved in the historic record because the events after the wreck were usually contentious, showing human nature at its worst, scrapping over the remains. In this case, an account of the Trinite survives because the event was a national calamity. Her significance is all the greater because this is the first known Gunfleet Sands wreck in our records: it is over 300 years before another wreck in our records specifically mentions the Gunfleet.
From the dry annals of the Calendar of Close Rolls and the Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous, we see that a wreck influenced the course of English history, and guess at the hidden despair behind historic events. To adapt the rhyme traditionally associated with Bosworth in 1485, for want of 42 "bacon-pigs" a castle was lost . . .
No.55: Sambut
June 6, 2014 June 6, 2019 ~ Serena ~ 9 Comments
Old and new: Two sections of Mulberry Harbour used for the D-Day landings of 1944 and relocated to Portland Harbour in 1946, as seen from Portland Castle. Listed Grade II. (Image courtesy of Andrew Wyngard)
[This blog entry was originally written to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, 6 June 2014, and has been updated for the 75th anniversary, 6 June 2019.]
Today, on 6 June, I would like to turn my attention to a wreck which took place shortly after noon on 6 June 1944.
Although the south coast was the prime departure location for D-Day, it's important to remember that other ports also contributed to the huge invasion effort with ships, men and materials crossing the Channel from other ports. Air cover and support operations for Normandy also took place from airfields that were not necessarily the closest to the invasion sites, such as RAF Rivenhall/USAAF Station AAF-168.
The Thames was another focal point of activity in the run-up to the Normandy landings and beyond. For example, in the run-up to D-Day aircraft struck at the Pas-de-Calais, drawing enemy attention away from the actual invasion site, as part of Operation Fortitude, a co-ordinated deception operation. The Thames also played its part on D-Day itself.
On D-Day -3, 3 June 1944, troops had embarked on SS Sambut in London, including members of the 92nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery. (1) It was common during wartime for embarkation to take place several days beforehand and there were cases later in 1944 when troops 'swung at anchor at Glasgow in the murk for five days before we finally set sail.' (2) On 6 June 1944 convoy ETM-1 left Southend under the command of Captain Willis, bound for Normandy, composed principally of escorts and American Liberty ships loaned to Britain under the Lend-Lease programme, Sambut sailing with her sisters Samark, Samarovsk, Sambut, Samdel, Saminver, Sammont, Samneva, Samos, Sampep, Samphill, Samvern, and Samzona, (3) carrying troops, vehicles, and ammunition. Cargo was stowed inside other cargo to maximise space: lorries were filled with motorbikes in some cases, gelignite in others.
Unfortunately, shells fired at random from German gun batteries on the Calais side struck the Sambut off Dover at 1215. Lorries and petrol cans on deck caught fire, followed by a gelignite explosion in the hold. The troops tried to jettison some of the munitions but it was quickly realised that it was a futile effort. Within 15 minutes the order was given to abandon ship, and by 1245 the ship had been completely abandoned, although not without the loss of 136 crew and military personnel out of 625 (562 military/63 crew) on board. (4)
She was the first Liberty ship to be lost in Operation Overlord, half way through D-Day itself: other Liberty ships would follow as the Normandy campaign wore on over the ensuing weeks and months, such as the well-known Richard Montgomery, also off Southend, in August 1944.
The Sambut shares several features in common with other 20th century wartime wrecks. Primarily, of course, her combustible cargoes contributed to her loss, but blazing wrecks in navigational channels were also a danger to other shipping, and this hazard was compounded under wartime conditions by their potential to direct enemy attention towards operations.
Her master had been ordered to lower the ship's barrage balloon to make the vessel less conspicuous against the white cliffs of Dover, but it was already too late: either the ship had already been spotted or the barrage from the shore had managed to score a lucky hit.
As with the War Knight off the Isle of Wight in 1918, so with the Sambut in the Straits of Dover in 1944: the burning ship was scuttled by her own side, as the Royal Navy fired a torpedo to finally sink her. (5)
One other feature of 20th century wrecks, as we have often recorded in this blog (for example, the Ballarat, 1917) is that they tend to be well-documented by 'real-time' evidence in a way that was not possible before the advent of photography, and of course it then became critical to document operations as they unfolded, for both record and propaganda purposes. This moving film in the IWM Collections records a church service aboard Samarovsk followed by a view of the Sambut on fire, with explosions visible at intervals.
At one and the same time the vessel is characteristic of the archaeological remains of 20th century conflict around the English coastline, and a unique reminder of a specific day which turned the tide of the war. Today she lies intact and upright on the seabed, a tangible reminder of 6 June 1944.
(1) William Wills, "92 LAA Regt. Loss of the Sambut on D-Day", BBC People's War archive, 10 July 2005
(2) Oral history reminiscence, Corporal Cant RAF, Convoy KMF 36, November 6, 1944
(3) Convoy ETM-1, Arnold Hague Convoy Database
(4) Tom McCarthy, True Loyals: A History of 7th Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire/92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 1940-1946, 2nd ed., Countyvise Editions Ltd., Birkenhead, 2012, republished online
(6) UKHO 13665

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Many people are moving investments from stocks and bonds to precious metals for a dependable investment while the dollar continues to decline. Gold tends to be the most sought-after precious metal. Use this article's tips the next time you want to buy gold.
The high price of gold may give you off. You can still buy gold jewelry from a fortune at a store. You are able to get gold cheaply in pawn shops or online.
Sell only to gold to buyers who are state licensed by the state. There are various people and stores that can buy gold, but some are out to rip you off.
You can't beat bullion bars for a solid gold investment. Bullion bars come in a variety of weight. There is a choice of half-ounce and then up to 400 ounce bars. However, the really big bars are very hard to come by.
Don't discount the value of looking for gold in vintage or antique shops. You can find bargains if you understand what to look for. You can gain from the seller's loss if you research a bit.
Be aware of the gold in your possession.Not all pieces that looks like gold is worth its weight in gold. Other metals are frequently put together with gold in order to provide strength. This can lower the price a lot lower. This is also true of items that are plated with gold.
Stay with reputable buyers when you sell your gold. Verify their good standing by checking with the BBB and reviews online. A good buyer will treat you well and offer a fair price on your jewelry. Protect your invest and look into these companies.
Use a magnet to test inexpensive jewelry to determine if it consists of gold. Precious metals do not going to be attracted to a magnet. Sometimes only the clasp is solid gold clasp. This is a smart idea to test that.
Earring backings are often solid gold, no matter if the earring is or not. Necklace clasps and ring bands often are frequently real gold too. You can sell these smaller pieces together. This is various gold pieces in one quantity and can help you to get more money for them.
One thing you can do to sell gold is to send it away in the mail. A lot of sellers prefer this because it's not hard.
If you are going to buy a particular gold piece from any seller, be certain that you know exactly when to expect the delivery. Always get a timeline in writing of when your gold pieces will be delivered if immediately delivery is not provided by the seller. The date on which you can expect to receive the items should be provided. Proceed with the order only if you get this confirmation.
When you are selling gold, first thing to do is separate each piece into their different values of karats. The karat value determines the gold's value, and weighing your gold together can cheat you out of money. Gold with higher karat values is more money.
A good way to get a good value out of gold is to ask your relatives for their broken items that they no longer want. If you can buy it from them at below melt value, you can offer friends and family a higher price than what they would receive at a pawnshop.
Anything that is gold can be sold. For example, you might sell home accent pieces, dinnerware, and old or broken rings and necklaces. In fact, a gold piece doesn't have to be 100-percent gold to be worth something. It could be gold plated or a bit of gold and still be sold. You can still get a good return on the sale.
There are a number of strategies to consider when you invest in gold. You can purchase gold stock or the actual gold bullion. This article should have given you what you need to know about gold and investing in it.
Use a polishing cloth to keep your jewelry as often as you want. This will allow your jewelry bright and shiny without the use of harsh solvents and chemicals. Use the two-sided cloth on your jewelry as if you were cleaning glass. Use one side for polishing and the other to polish it.
Take care when you are storing your valuable jewelry safely. It is better to use boxes, compartments, boxes, and hooks so that everything is kept separate. Resist the urge to jumble all your pieces into a community box. This can damage fragile jewelry, and items like necklaces can entangle with each other and other pieces into a big mess.
Know the distinctions between kinds of gems before you are buying with your jewelry. The types of gems available are synthetic, imitation and synthetic. Natural stones and synthetic gems are both real, whereas imitation is just an item of plastic with gemstone colors. Natural stones are found underground and synthetic ones are created in a lab.
Jewelry is an investment that should last a life-time. When choosing jewelry, focus on buying a quality, ensuring that the piece you choose is of high-quality. A high-quality piece of jewelry will be well-made and feature superior craftsmanship. A good jeweler can provide you with some background on the piece, including the person that made it, the origin of precious stones or other materials and other history, and where any stones in it came from. It is important that your pieces are high-quality jewelry if you want them to last a treasured heirloom passed down for generations.
Always ask the jeweler about insurance policy before buying anything. If your jewelry becomes damaged, you can take it back and see if they will fix it! Some jewelers even offer insurance for jewelry that have been stolen or stolen.
Wear the jewelry around for a day so to be sure that it fits right and is comfortable. This can also help you to determine if the piece is durable enough to last.
Before purchasing a gemstone, find out if it has been treated, if any, how. The way to care for a stone differs greatly depending on what it was treated with.
Gold is arguably the best investment you can make with your money. Perhaps you are thinking about joining in but have not had enough information to get started. The article that follows can use to invest wisely in gold.
Do you are familiar with pricing of precious metals. The values of precious metals fluctuate daily, so it's best to know the price of the day.You must to pay a higher percentage for fractional pieces like half ounces and quarter ounces over the melt prices.
Think about using the web. You don't need to have a storefront to buy and sell gold. There are dozens of websites where you can buy and sell all your gold. The site sends you a special kit in which you'll return the gold pieces in.
Comparison shop when it comes to selecting a buyer. Read online reviews, check with the BBB, and see how the dealers resolve complaints. By getting bids from several different gold buyers, you will be more likely to get top dollar for your gold.
GoldMoney can be a good resource when buying efforts. It's akin to opening a "gold bank account but with gold instead. You simply establish your account, and they assign you a certain amount of gold equivalent to the value of your initial deposit. The gold physically sits in a bank vault where you're able to portion it, cash it, or in some circumstances, you can redeem it for gold bullion bars that weigh a kilo.
While buying gold is extremely exciting, don't tell everyone about it. You never know who to trust or who is listening. Make sure that your investment is kept private and protect them by storing them in a local bank safe deposit box. This is the best way to protect yourself and your gold and that it is safe regardless of the circumstances.
Shop around before making any decisions about a gold buyer you will use. You might just be shocked at the variety of offers you wind up getting! Going with the very first buyer who comes along might prove a good idea. Take a little bit more time at first so you've got the maximum return on your pieces.
Always read any fine print in sales contracts. You need to know what you're getting into if selling through a mail-in purchasing service to sell gold. This lets you keep better track of how much you have to pay for fees and commissions.
If you are buying gold jewelry as a gift, make sure you have a money back guarantee. You can't be sure of another person's preferences; they may not care for it. If the gold turns out to be fake, make sure you get your money back.
Separate your gold into groups based on karat weight.Some buyers will weigh all of your items at once and pay you what the smallest karat weight is worth. This is a scam that will cost you receiving less money.
You can sell your gold through the mail! A lot of sellers prefer this simple option.
It's always a good idea to verify the spot price before making a purchase the same day. This information is readily available online. Be aware that it is updated every day. Paying for gold that is any higher than an 8% markup is not a wise investment. Paying that price would simply be unfair to you.
Read each form thoroughly when you are going through a gold dealer. This is a big business with large amounts of money. You need to know what you are committing to. If you do not agree with the term, get ready to move on. You absolutely must protect your finances at all costs.
You do not have to be an experienced investor to make money by buying and selling gold. Having read the tips presented here, you can sally forth into the gold market with confidence. Remember the tips from this article the next time you invest in gold.
Here are some suggestions for getting the right piece for the woman in your life.
Take care when you are storing your valuable jewelry is stored and sorted. It is best to use holders, compartments, boxes, and hooks for keeping pieces separate. Resist the urge to jumble all your pieces into a community box. This can damage the finer and more fragile pieces, along with severely tangling necklaces with other pieces.
Keep jewelry stored somewhere that is free from humidity or air. Certain metals will be tarnished when exposed to humidity. Precious metal jewelry can be polished to fix tarnish, but non-precious metal needs a special polish.
For a gift that is as unique as its recipient, have a jewelry piece custom made for your recipient. A unique piece like this that matches their personality appears creative and thoughtful, which is exactly what you want to express to a person you care enough about to buy jewelry for.
Before purchasing a gemstone, determine what, if any, how.The way to care your stone differs greatly depending on how it was treated with.
Tip Help! A piece of jewelry should be long lasting. When purchasing your next jewelry item, focus on buying a quality, well-made piece.
You could save big money with the right sale. Check for great sales online, on the Internet, and in store windows. If you purchase something on clearance, you can save a lot of money.
Untangle your knotted necklaces with delicate loops. It's easy to get frustrated with tangled necklaces, but try using some plastic wrap before you call it quits. Put the necklace on the plastic wrap and add a little baby oil.Use small needles to untangle the necklace. Wash it gently with a bit of dish soap and then pat dry.
Tip Help! Have shopping companions when you shop for diamonds. Look at what you want very closely, and keep that in mind so you can compare it with other diamonds you look at.
Have definite plans for a piece of jewelry you buy. You don't need a lot of unused jewelry. Think about the outfits you can wear the jewelry with when choosing jewelry.
If you are selling your jewelry online, ensure that the photos you use make the piece look attractive. This is very important to remember because the jewelry when purchasing it online.
Tip Help! Keep your jewelry free of tarnish to make it look its best. Do not wear jewelery around water.
A matched jewelry set is a no-fail gift for that special someone. You will find great deals on jewelry sets. You can divide the pieces and give them out one at a time. This is a fabulous way to always have a gift that someone will forget.
A good clasp is essential to any necklace or necklace. If a clasp is not solid, you may lose them. You should add a safety clasp added to any expensive jewelry pieces. Some people may even choose to put a second or three clasps on their priceless pieces to keep them safe during wear.
The chlorine in pool water is very harsh and may cause your jewelry to appear dull. Salt water can be equally damaging over time too. Taking these off before swimming will protect your jewelry and extend their life.
If you are shopping unmarked sterling silver jewelry, you'll need a magnet and an eye for the real thing. You can detect fake sterling silver with the magnet, as non-precious metals are attracted by the magnet. You will always find a hallmark stamp such as ".925″ or "STER." on genuine sterling, or alternately, it might simply say," or ".925." If the item has no markings indicating its authenticity, it may not be sterling silver.
Jewelry is something that should last forever. When selecting jewelry, make sure you find a reputable dealer that will make sure that you find a high-quality piece. A valuable piece of jewelry will be well-made and show superior craftsmanship. A reputable jeweler will be able to provide you with a full background of the piece, including information about the creator and the source of the gemstones. It is essential to purchase high-quality if you want it to become a long time.
If you are trying to sell jewelry online, you should present these pieces as attractively as possible. This is very important since customers cannot handle the jewelery if they are buying it online.
Every diamond is unique in both its beauty and has its own flaws.Some flaws may be less important to you when you see it in person.
A good clasp is important to any form of bracelet or necklace. Without something that is solid, your pendant, pendants and costly stones could be lost. You can have a safety clasp on any expensive jewelry pieces. Some opt for two or three clasps on their extremely valuable pieces to keep them safe while wearing them.
Brand name should not be the only consideration when buying jewelry. It is not difficult to find quality pieces from a variety of brands.
If you plan on buying a piece of jewelry which is very expensive, then make sure to buy a piece that will last a very long time. Quality pieces are often accompanied by a hefty price tag, but style and fashion also come into play.A modern cut may look wonderful with your style now but clash terribly with your timeless investment pieces several years down the future. Look into buying something that will stand the test of time and trends.
Gold is probably the more conservative investments you can make with your money. Perhaps you have considered the gold market but aren't sure where to begin. The paragraphs that follow are full of ideas you can use to invest wisely in today's gold market.
If you want to send jewelry to a gold company via mail, you need to be sure you do your research first. Find out when you will receive your payment, and make sure you insure your package.
Before you get into investing or selling gold, it's best to understand how it works. The prices of precious metals fluctuates daily, so it's best to know the price of the day. Watching the market can help you to buy or sell your gold at a great price.
You may even be able to find valuable gold; places like thrift stores are often great places to discover good deals. You can find great bargains in these places. You can benefit from the seller's loss if you do your homework first.
Research all that you can before you invest in it. Some people will make false claims to try and get you to invest with them.
Read and understand the fine print of your sales contract. You should carefully read the whole contract especially if you're using a mail-in purchasing service to sell gold. This lets you keep better track of how much you need to pay for fees and commissions.
If you are going to buy a particular gold piece from any seller, be certain that you know exactly when to expect the delivery. To ensure timely delivery request a confirmation on the shipping date. There should be a date listed for when you can expect them. If you cannot get this document, do not complete your order.
This is especially important when using a mail-away service for a buyer who is out of state.
A good way to get a good price on gold is to see if any relatives for their broken jewelry. If you can buy it from them at below melt value, you can offer friends and family a higher price than what they would receive at a pawnshop.
You may get great deals from individuals. You also need to know the risk associated with this method of purchasing.If a person wants to sell a cheap coin and you are confident it's genuine, you could buy them and then hope they're real.
If you're unsure what your gold might be worth, then have an appraisal done. This will cost a little money up front, but it's important to know what you have. If you want to obtain an unbiased value, retain the services of a certified appraiser. Remember, though, that you won't get the appraiser's price for your gold.
If gold pieces have tiny gems in them, tell the dealer you would like to keep the gems once the gold has been melted. If the gems are tiny, though, this might not work.
You should understand you will not get full melt value of your gold when selling. Gold dealers are in business like most other business owners. Expect to see offers from 50 percent below the gold's total value.
Sell your gold coins whenever gold prices are high. The stock market is changing daily.Sell your gold when the market starts to creep back up.
Know that anything that has gold in it is sellable to a gold dealer. This could be tableware, broken jewelry, and other stuff you have around your house. In fact, a gold piece doesn't have to be 100-percent gold to be worth something. Items with partial gold content, gold plating, or gold mixtures may still be valuable. You will still stand to make a bit of profit.
Gold isn't an investment that you try and time perfectly. You should instead think of it more along the lines of wealth insurance. If you are going to time it, buy when the gold market is quiet. Gold shortages are common when the economy.
Monthly and weekly charts should be looked at when coming up with your technical analysis. Using both timelines will help you get a full understanding of the market.
Sell to licensed buyers only. Licensed buyers are generally more reputable than unlicensed buyers. There are many stores and individual buyers looking to purchase gold, so always know you have multiple options, and never just the first deal that comes up.
Think about how the gold was made when purchasing it. Gold jewelry made by a machine is not worth as much. This won't affect its melt value per se, but it is a significant consideration if you plan to keep a piece of gold jewelry intact.
Gold investments can be for any type of investor, from a seasoned pro, to a rookie. Having read the tips presented here, you can sally forth into the gold market with confidence. Refer to this article whenever you have a question.
This article will help you are interested in gold but have yet to figure out how to get started. You need not be intimidated by the knowledge you require.There are many perks to investing and dealing with gold if you should be aware.
Before you purchase a gold piece, make sure you have a firm delivery commitment from the seller. If a seller gives you anything other than immediate delivery, you must get some kind of writing from them confirming when you can expect to get your pieces. The expected date of arrival should be something you can see listed. Don't proceed with the order without this document.
If you're selling gold through a mail-in service, make sure to do your research first. Find out when you will receive your money, and get insurance for your package.
You'll want to know just how much your gold will be worth when selling it. If you choose to sell any gold, keep in mind that pieces that have different karat values need to be valued and weighed separately. Do not sell your designer jewelry for its weight in gold because you will lose money.
Check the day your are buying or selling gold. This information can be found on a number of websites. Never pay more than ten percent of the spot price. Some dealers are going to try and charge you more, but that isn't ethical.
Investigate the reputation of any firm you are considering doing business with. Look at the Better Business Bureau to gather information about the company to see if their legitimate or not. A buyer with a good reputation will normally pay the going rate for gold, and offer superb customer service than a company than is not legitimate. You have to protect your investment as well as yourself.
If you plan to mail your jewelry, make sure you investigate how much it will cost you to have the pieces sent back to you if you don't like the offer. Be sure you figure out what things will cost you start mailing off your jewelry.
Sell only to gold to buyers that are state licensed by the state. There are various people and stores that can buy gold, so you can sell to someone else if you're not happy with the first offer.
GoldMoney can be a popular resource when buying gold. This is the equivalent of establishing a gold bank account that holds deposits in bullion rather than currency. You will simply establish and account, fund it and then determine what price you wish to pay for gold allocation. The gold physically sits in a bank vault where you're able to portion it, portion it, or in some circumstances, redeem it for one kilo gold bullion bars.
Prior to doing anything with gold, be it buying or selling, you must become knowledgeable about how pricing operates. Metal prices fluctuate constantly, so you need to know the price on any given day for a transaction. Understand that you will likely pay a higher price for fractional pieces. A half an ounce, for instance, will not exactly cost one half the price of an ounce, it will be slightly higher.
Use a magnet to quickly determine if an item is made of gold. Precious metals like gold are not respond to magnets.Sometimes a jewelry piece is only the clasp is solid but the rest is plated. This is a good way to test it this way.
You now have the right information for you to move in a good direction. It's time to get into some gold investing, and you need to use the strategies that have been discussed here to get you started. You are going to realize the many benefits attributed to investing in gold.


Book. Stay. Feel at home!
* Amenities – DVD's, Suites, Kitchens,Microwaves, Telephones, TV's,Washing machines.
* Offering – Smoking & Non-Smoking rooms.
* Payment – Daily Rates.
bedrooms-bedsitter & 1 bedroom suites.
facilities:ADSL dial-up internet,secured car pack,laundry.


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Guest Blogger Harold Michael Harvey Shares Essay and Prayer for New Year...
http://haroldmichaelharvey.com/
No, I have never met my guest blogger, Harold Michael Harvey, but since I first got to know him on line, I've come to trust, admire and respect him. Especially after reading both of his books. I was so pleased therefore, when he agreed to visit Book Readers Heaven... I chose today, as we look both backward and forward, because many of us are concerned about what may be happening in the new year... First, let me share a recent published essay by our guest...
Skeptical 70,000 black voters abstained from presidential vote
BY HAROLD MICHAEL HARVEY, CONTRIBUTOR - 12/19/16 06:20 PM EST
Previously Published on The Hill,
Should 70,000 uncounted black votes cast in Detroit during last month's general election matter? Are black voters like black lives in that they matter in American politics? Should black votes have the same chance of being counted as other American votes?
Detroit is not a 100 percent black city, but an overwhelming majority of her residents are black Americans.
Former presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein's challenge to election results in Michigan and Pennsylvania ended in a crushing defeat. Federal court decisions halted recount efforts in both states. Although her recount challenge in Wisconsin played out to conclusion. She did not get a win there either. It resulted in President-Elect Trump increasing his victory total over Secretary Hillary Clinton by more than 1,000 votes.
Thanks to Stein's call for a recount in Michigan, it was revealed that over 70,000 ballots cast in Detroit, Michigan were not counted in the presidential contest.
According to Michigan election officials, the 70,000 ballots were counted in down-ballot voting, but it could not be determined whom those 70,000 voters had selected for president. So the votes were tossed out. Had Clinton received those 70,000 votes, she would have won the state of Michigan hands down.
When the recount was ordered shut-down, those (probably largely black) votes were, metaphorically speaking, flushed down the toilet and there is no longer a legal means to have them reviewed by human eyes and counted by hand. Without recounts in other states, we have no way of knowing if other large urban areas, where black people tend to reside, had a big pool of votes discarded because the voting machine allegedly could not determine who the voter intended to select.
This blatant disenfranchisement of Black voters in Detroit follows a recent erosion of protections under the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court. In Shelby County, Alabama v. Eric Holder (2013), the Supreme Court destroyed section 5 of the Voters Rights Act by disallowing key provisions of the Act as being unconstitutional. Before Shelby, certain states and local governments had to obtain federal preclearance before implementing any changes to their voting laws or practices. While section 4(b) established a formula that determined which jurisdictions are subjected to pre-clearance based on their histories of discrimination in voting.
Two Michigan political sub-divisions came within the ambit of section 5 and 4(b), historically, Detroit did not fall within the purview of the act. Yet it is clear, given the callous response from Michigan election official.s, that "70,000 Detroit voters were so distraught with both major party candidates that they declined to vote for any candidate," that the Supreme Court was wrong in its 5-4 decision in 2013, which weakened federal protections for black voters in state and federal elections.
Considering the fact that many black Americans believed the 2016 presidential election was their most important vote in the last 140 years, it is ludicrous to think that 70,000 of them in Detroit alone would elect not to vote for president. Many black Americans feared a Trump win would bring back the days of segregation and a resurgence of Klu Klux Klan activity. They were motivated to vote against his candidacy on this belief.
Personally, based upon 2016 campaign rhetoric, I find it hard to believe that nationwide, 70,000 black Americans voted for Stein, Trump and Gary Johnson combined.
Michigan election officials know that in 2013, the Supreme Court in the Shelby County case did essentially what President Hayes did in 1877, when Hayes removed the federal troops from the South in order to be selected president by the U. S. House of Representatives.
State officials no longer fear federal oversight over election laws. It is now possible for large demographics to be disenfranchised without recourse in the courts. And given the make-up of the Supreme Court, the fact that Trump will have at least four years to fill vacancies on the federal bench and Supreme Court – not to mention the prospect that Alabama Senator Jeff Session will be the next Attorney General - it is likely that other states will resort to the Michigan model for disenfranchising Black voters in federal, state and local political contests.
Suddenly, America feels a lot like it felt growing up black in the south in the 1950s. During that period, it was painfully clear that black lives did not matter and black voters were not welcomed at the polls.
Unquestionably, black lives should matter as much as all others in America. Black voters should have their votes counted too, along with the votes of other Americans. As a future best practice, when the electronic voting machines cannot determine how to apply a citizen's vote, laws must require each such ballot to be processed by human eyes and counted by hand. If after human inspection, it cannot be deciphered, the voters should be given a chance to come back to the polls and cast that vote over again.
To me, Harvey's essay is symptomatic...It is not totally in the details presented that we must be concerned--it is about what this, plus so many other questionable actions, represents to us, our nation, the world... That's why I asked our guest to lead us in prayer for the new year... Will it be a happy one?
Gracious Creator of all that is and all that will ever be. Look kindly upon the earth in 2017. After all we are mere humans. We love, we hate, we make mistakes. We forgive and we are unforgivable. Some of us know you and some of us do not care to know you. Your life force is in all, yet a mystery to us. We see you move on the earth, but we can not decipher what you are doing or where you are going. We are at your mercy. Protect us from ourselves and from world leaders, some of whom we elected and others who have imposed their will upon us. Direct our path through the time-space continuum humankind call 2017. And when we pause in 365 days hence to reflect on the meaning of 2,017, we will pay homage to you for bringing us safely to that day. Amen.
I pray for those men and women, who like Harold Michael Harvey, speak out and against those things that negatively affect America...We are, indeed, a nation under God, we pray You will hear thoughts of fear from those of us seeing, possibly, a different world of tomorrow... Guide the path of each American, hearing your words of Wisdom and Love. For in that way, we can work to strengthen and hold on to what is right and good and just... We pray for those across the world that senses a different America and are also afraid... God Bless us one and all...
Harold Michael Harvey is an American award winning journalist, former lawyer, political pundit, novelist, essayist and publisher. He earned a degree in Political Science from Tuskegee Institute and a Juris Doctorate degree from Atlanta Law School. Harvey was honored for "Outstanding Work in Newspaper Journalism," in 1976 by the National Newspaper Publishers Association. The Gate City Bar Association bestowed upon him their prestigious R. E. Thomas Civil Rights Award in 1996 after Harvey represented over 180 college students arrested in the City of Atlanta during a black college spring break ritual known as "Freaknic."
Harvey is the author of the critically acclaimed legal thriller, Paper Puzzle. It was originally published in 2009 and republished in 2011 after Harvey formed the Cascade Publishing House to publish his works and the works of other authors who feel more comfortable in a small publishing house.
Cascade Publishing House released their second book on April 4, 2015. The book is a collection of essays by Harold Michael Harvey and is titled, Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System.
In 2016, Cascade Publishing House obtained the rights to publish Charles Steele, Jr.'s book titled, Easier to Obtain Than to Maintain: the Globalization of the Civil Rights Movement. Charles Steele, Jr. is President and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership conference.
Allvoices.Com assigned Harvey to cover the 2012 Democratic National Convention which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also, they honored him with two semi-monthly American Pundit Awards, once in February 2012 and again in April 2013.
Harvey lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Cynthia, who has doubled as Senior Editor for the past 35 years. Their son Coley is a Sports Reporter for a national broadcast company. When Harvey can convince Cynthia he needs some quiet writing time, he writes in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Labels: 2017, complementary music, Harold Michael Harvey, prayer, Skeptical 70000 Black Voters Abstained from Presidential Vote
The Heart to Kill...by Dorothy M. Place...Say What?!?
"Hey Clayton, what are you doing in the office on Saturday?"
"Just trying to get away from my wife's honey-do list." He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a cigar and lit it. "You got here just in time for my afternoon break."
"I think you like me to come down here just so you can smoke," Sarah teased. She eased herself into one of the Queen Anne's chairs. "Al and I went to the lake today to look around."
"Heard you were at his place Friday night."
Sarah flushed. How did he know? She searched for some sassy reply but none came."
"Discover anything at the lake? About the murder I mean." Clayton looked at her over his cigar and gave her a sly wink. He was teasing but he touched a soft nerve. Her hand swept over her arm where Al's fingers had tightened when he wiped away the blood from the mosquito bite.
"Al took notes, I supplied the ride. It was sad being at the place where it happened. I thought JoBeth loved those kids."
"People kill for love, don't they?"
Clayton inhaled and blew smoke at the ceiling. He was playing Socrates, and she liked it. She wanted to examine all the possible reasons, tear them apart, and piece them together into something that, if not exonerating JoBeth, at least made sense so that everyone would understand why it happened. It was a game Al had refused to play.
"I don't know," she replied. "JoBeth killed those she loved, but killing for love? I'm not so sure. Perhaps it is the pain of love that drove her into irrational behavior."
"Is there a difference?" Clayton asked.
"Intuitively, I'd have to say it doesn't seem to be the same thing. I guess if you kill someone you love, the act could be an accident."
"yes, I suppose so."
"But if you kill for love or for the pain of loving, it might involve vengeance, even premeditation. The first could be unintentional. Not the second."
"You might have something there," Clayton rolled the cigar in the ash tray. "Maybe we'll find out by the end of the trial."
"I'd like to think so...
The Heart to Kill
By Dorothy M. Place
And then it ended...right in the midst of a trial...right in the midst of family drama...of small-town drama...and...reading error after error of uncorrected mistakes. After reading a thank you page at the end where the author thanked everybody and his brother...all of whom having the opportunity and apparently not the skill to ensure a flawless, error-free book... Even the bio on the back cover said, "The author lives and writes in Davis, California. A research director and statistician by training, she began a creative writing??? ah, career??? or should the "a" have been deleted, as I suspect? It seems even the Stephen F. Austin State University Press does not provide a properly edited/proofread final printed book...
I'm beginning to want to give extra points to those who diligently ensure their books are perfect...rather than just make a statement for those who do not take final responsibility for their own product. Believe me, the majority of the books I get do not have a significant number of errors, such as this one had...
The thing is...I was thoroughly enjoying the story, even up to the point where the surprise everybody knew about was revealed in court to the main character...
Why oh why would the author choose not to finish the trial... On her site, she writes:
In the end, Sarah discovers the underlying issues that precipitated her friend's murderous act. Through interviews with JoBeth, her mother, her former lover, and her work associates, her ex-husband's mistress as well as the testimony given during the trial, the horrifying events that shaped JoBeth's life are revealed, helping Sarah understand how a person can be driven to extremes that defy ordinary reasoning. Sarah and her friend, it is the betrayal by those they love and believe in that changes their lives forever. Ultimately, it means disgrace and imprisonment for JoBeth. But for Sarah, who decides against returning to law school, it is the beginning of a life in which she, not her father, manages her future.
Ahhhh, Excuse me, I did enjoy the character Sarah and the issues that affected her. In fact, it reminded me of the book I had just read where individuals, Sarah, had stopped listening to her own voice, but totally allowed her father to dominate her life, even to the point that she was afraid and lied to prevent having to tell him that she didn't get an internship which he had arranged...
But... putting the result of a trial within a blurb is, in my opinion, totally unacceptable... Here's JoBeth, on trial for killing her two children... But she clearly stated earlier in the book that she wanted to live in order to allow people to know why she killed them...Not only did the trial not continue, we never get the chance to have JoBeth tell the court, the jury and the world how years of sexual abuse, betrayal by her parents and lovers, and her boss (an important man in her early life as Sarah's best friend) had affected her mentally and resulted in what happened to the children. A fact that we never fully have explained...
I don't know about you, but having women in jail for killing their children, is a "today" issue that many have seen on television and become totally involved with as they learned what happened. Excuse me for thinking that readers will become more involved with the trial than with whether "poor" Sarah finally grew up and took over her own life... Come on, there is no comparison between the lives of the two women and the resulting conclusion for "both" of them as the only way to end this book...
Or am I totally misreading this? The Heart to Kill has been done many times, especially by spouses who help their partners die without pain... Surely, readers need to know that the town, the jury...and readers...were able to move through the trial and hopefully see that what had happened to JoBeth resulted in the elimination of 1st degree murder as the final option... If not? Well, if all the men who used and abused her are never brought to trial for what they did to her...I'm thinking we need a vigilante out there in Eight Mile Junction, starting the justice with JoBeth's stepfather who started raping her when she was 7... then her mother who refused to acknowledge it because she didn't want to lose her rich husband... all the way down to those busybodies in town who were supposedly friends to JoBeth...until they had juicy gossip to chew on and regurgitate.
So, if none of what bothered me, doesn't bother you...hey, go for it...it's a nice little story about a girl two years through college, who finally breaks away to stand on her own two feet... Just for the record, I started working right out of high school and used my salary toward eating and keeping our family together... So if I sound a little cynical, it's my personal opinion showing😒. I was totally involved with JoBeth, the character, as many readers would be because of what she'd been accused of doing...We had a right to know exactly what happened to her in order to have this book satisfactorily concluded.
Labels: child abuse, Dorothy M. Place, mental breakdown, mother murders children, sexual abuse, The Heart to Kill
The Little Voice by Joss Sheldon - A Rare...Real Look at Humanity
Yeah, I really liked Becky. I really liked all those activists. They all had hearts of gold.
So I still went on those protests. I went on those protests in order to spend time with those great people.
I went on those protests until one gnarly autumn day, when the trees were all full of rusty leaves and the sky was filled with a hazy rainbow. Ominous shades of blue, indigo and violet provided a grisly backdrop for our angst-filled chants. And lines of orange, yellow and green, brought forth little flickers of hope; hope that we'd actually be able to make a difference, and improve our broken society. I ignored that rainbow. I was indifferent to it. For me, it was just a prosaic part of the background. I was totally focused on our protest.
Our group of activists walked down the high street and then tried to enter a job centre, to stage a sit-in. But a line of burly policemen, blocked the front door. They stopped us from exercising our legal right to stage a peaceful protest.
Political rap boomed out of a ghetto blaster:
"Forget what they told you in school. Get educated!"
"It's Akala. Swampy told me. "It's good, eh?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Conscious lyrics man!"
Swampy tapped his sandal-clad foot in time with the music.
"That guy is a Pied Piper for revolutionary rats." I smiled.
"His songs are rebel anthems for the disenfranchised youth."
I winked. Baffled locals pretended not to stare.
And a protestor threw a handful of confetti over the policemen...
"The most rebellious thing you can do is get educated.
Forget what they told you in school. Get educated!
I ain't saying play by the rules. Get educated!
Get educated! Get educated!
Break the chains of their enslavement. Get educated!
Even if you're on the pavement. Get educated!
What a weapon that your brain is. Get educated!
Get educated! Get educated!"
--AKALA, Knowledge is Power
"Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?"
--Danielle LaPorte
The little red guy hanging from Yew's leg is Egot!
Yew, the main character, provides readers the synopsis
My character has been shaped by two opposing forces; the pressure to conform to social norms, and the pressure to be true to myself. To be honest with you, these forces have really torn me apart. They've pulled me one way and then the other. At times, they've left me questioning my whole entire existence.
But please don't think that I'm angry or morose. I'm not. Because through adversity comes knowledge. I've suffered, it's true. But I've learnt from my pain. I've become a better person.
Now, for the first time, I'm ready to tell my story. Perhaps it will inspire you. Perhaps it will encourage you to think in a whole new way. Perhaps it won't. There's only one way to find out…
Enjoy the book,
Yew Shodkin
It was my sixth birthday when the little voice first spoke to me.
Please do understand, dear reader, that it wasn't an abstract little voice. Oh no! It belonged to a little creature who lived inside my brain. But that creature had not, up until that point, ever said a word.
That creature wasn't human. Far from it! Although its eyes were identical to my own.
If I'm to be totally honest, I must admit that I'm not exactly sure what it was. I've always just called it 'The Egot'.
The egot's skin was as red as hellfire, its hair was as bright as the midday sun, and its belly was as round as a pearl. It had webbed feet, elfish ears and lithe claws. I assumed it was male, but it could've been female; it was impossible to tell.
Yet, despite its peculiar appearance, I felt comfortable whenever I saw the egot. It possessed a powerful sort charisma which always put me at ease. It'd lift its flat cap, bend one of its spiky knees, and wink in a way which made its eye sparkle. Just seeing the egot made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
The egot was familiar. It was a part of the scenery of my mind. My companion. My friend.
But it had never spoken. Not until the day I turned six.
was at school when it happened, sitting at the set of desks which I shared with five other pupils. The waxy floor was illuminated by white light. The smell of pencil shavings wafted through the air.
Our teacher, Ms Brown, was standing at the front of that prefabricated space. She was scratching a tiny nub of chalk along an indifferent blackboard.
"As soon as those brave explorers stepped foot on that distant land, they were attacked by a group of wild savages," she told the class through a cloud of chalk dust.
"Ooh! Ooh!" screamed Snotty McGill.
I liked Snotty McGill. I liked all the children in my class. Back then, I think we all just tacitly assumed that we were equal. That we were all in the same boat. We didn't really think about our different genders, races or classes. We just co-existed, like one big family.
I think Snotty McGill was actually called Sarah, but we called her 'Snotty' because she always had a cold. An hour seldom passed in which she didn't either sneeze, pick her nose, or wipe a bogie onto her snot-encrusted sleeve. But she had such a lovely colour. That pink glow which comes with the flu used to engulf her like an aura. It suited her. She always looked so damn effervescent.
Anyway, as I was saying, Snotty McGill was waving her hand above her head.
"Ms! Ms!" she called. "What's a 'savage'?"
Ms Brown turned to face us. She looked chalky. Everything around her looked chalky. The floor was covered in chalk-dust and the skirting-boards were covered in chalky-ashes. Chalk residue glistened in Ms Brown's bushy hair. It coated the points of her fingers.
"Well," she said. "A savage has the body of a man, but not his civility. A savage is like an animal. He doesn't wear clothes, live in a house, study or work. He follows his base urges; to eat, drink and reproduce. But he doesn't have an intellect. He doesn't have any ambition. He's smelly, hairy and uncouth. He does the least he can to survive. And he spends most of his time sleeping or playing."
Snotty McGill looked horrified. As did Stacey Fairclough, Sleepy Sampson and Gavin Gillis. Chubby Smith looked like he was about to start a fight. Most of the class looked dumbfounded. But I felt inspired.
'They don't have to go to school!' I thought with envy and intrigue. 'They spend all their time playing! They sleep for as long as they like!'
It was as if I'd stumbled across a species of super-humans. To me, the savages sounded like gods. I knew at once that I wanted to be one. I'd never been so sure of anything in my life.
The egot smiled mischievously. It rolled a whisker between its skeletal claws and tapped one of its webbed feet.
Ms Brown continued:
"Well, when the explorers stepped ashore, a pack of savages came hurtling towards them; swinging through the trees like monkeys, beating their breasts like apes, and howling like donkeys. They flocked like birds and stampeded through the dust like a herd of untamed wildebeests."
That was when the egot spoke for the first time.
It leaned up against the inside of my skull, just behind my nose, and crossed its spindly legs. Then it began to talk:
"If you want to be a savage, you should probably act like a savage. You know, you should probably stampede like a wildebeest. Maybe beat your breast like an ape. Perhaps you'd like to howl like a donkey? Yes, yes."
The egot's voice was so… so… so… So far beyond description. So subtle. So calm. So quirky. So eccentric. And so, so quiet!
The egot accentuated random letters, as if it was shocked to discover their existence. It swilled its words, like a Frenchman mulling over a glass of confused wine. And it stretched random syllables, as if it was saddened to see them go.
There was a certain melody to the egot's voice. It didn't so much speak as rhyme, like a Shakespearean actor on a crisp autumn night.
But the egot was quiet. Its voice was such a little voice. A little voice inside my head.
That little voice struck me dumb.
The egot strummed its lip, like a pensive philosopher, and waited for me to reply. But I was in a state of paralytic shock. I couldn't have replied if I'd wanted to. So the egot folded its arms, in a gesture of mock offence, and then continued on:
"I'm only telling you what you want to hear," it purred. It swirled the word 'telling' so much that the 'ell' sound reverberated five times; 'Tell-ell-ell-ell-ell-ell-ing'.
"You don't really want to succumb to civility. No, no. You want to be a savage. I think you want to jump between tables, like a monkey swinging between trees. If you thought you could get away with it, and no-one was judging you, you wouldn't think twice."
It was a moment of clarity. Bright white, unadulterated clarity. Silent. Outside of time and space.
Please do allow me to explain…
I'm a big fan of the founder of Taoism, the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. He was a wizened old gent. His hair was as white as virgin snow and his eyes were deeper than any ocean on earth.
Well, Lao Tzu once said that 'Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing yourself is enlightenment'.
Dear reader, that's exactly how I felt! In that moment, I felt that I 'knew' myself. In that moment, I felt 'enlightened'.
Everything was clear. It was clear that I'd been living in a cage. It was clear that freedom was mine to take. It was clear what I had to do. The egot was my clarity. Everything was clear.
I remember a sense of otherworldliness, as if I'd stepped outside of the physical realm. My legs lifted my torso, my frame stood tall, and my spirit stood still. My body melted away from my control.
I watched on as it broke free. As it leapt up onto our shared desk. As it pounded its breast like a valiant ape. And as it puffed its chest like a swashbuckling superhero.
The faint sound of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony started to fill my ears. Delicate violin strings provided a melodic backdrop for the ballet which was unravelling onstage.
My body performed a pirouette.
White paper rose up beneath my feet and span around my shins like froth on a choppy ocean.
I felt an all-encompassing surge of bliss.
One leg rose up in front of my body, forming a sharp arrow which pointed out towards an adjacent desk. I held that position perfectly still, whilst lifting my chin with a pompous sort of grace. Then I leapt like a spring deer, in slow motion, with one leg pointing forward and the other one darting back.
Beethoven's Ninth sounded glorious as it purred through the gears. Violas joined violins and cellos joined those violas. Double basses began to hum and flutes began to whistle.
I landed with my feet together; an angel of the air, a demon of the sea.
My mind floated atop an infinite ocean.
My legs leapt on through the infinite air. They bounded from table to table with ever-increasing speed; gaining momentum, gaining height. I could see my monkey soul. I could hear the monkey calls which were emanating from my open mouth.
I could hear Beethoven's Ninth reach its first crescendo, as the brass section began its battle cry. Flutes became one with clarinets. Bassoons boomed. Trumpets and horns squealed with uncontrollable delight.
I howled like a donkey at the moment of sexual climax.
My lungs filled with pure spirit.
I landed on all fours, looking like a bison. My shoulders were bulging out of my back and my temples were as erect as horns.
I leapt like a giant frog. And I stampeded between desks like a herd of untamed wildebeests; leaving a trail of overturned chairs, twisted students and miscellaneous debris in my wake.
Beethoven's Ninth called out for redemption, glory and release. It was an impassioned cry. It was a fury-filled yell.
"Yew! Yew! Yew!" Ms Brown yelled. "Yew! Yew! Yew!"
Ms Brown had been yelling since the moment I stood up. But I'd been on a different plane. I hadn't heard a thing.
My teacher's voice pierced my ether, burst my euphoria, and threw me down amongst the shards of my shattered pride. To my left; a small calculator bled black ink, a wonky table rocked back and forth like a sober addict, and a potted plant spewed crumbs of soil all across the vinyl flooring. To my right; Aisha Ali was crying into her collar, Tina Thompson was rubbing her shin, and Chubby Smith was holding his belly.
"Yew! Yew! Yew!" Ms Brown yelled.
(I'm called Yew by the way. I think I forgot to mention that).
"Yew! What on earth do you think you're doing? What's come over you? I, I, I…"
Ms Brown choked on her words, lifted a hand to her throat, coughed up some chalk-dust, and then gulped down a stodgy chunk of passive air.
"You're usually such a good boy!..."
The Little Voice
By Joss Sheldon
On my birthday, I wrote the first article in my blog, Just My Personal Opinion, Of course, which started... Today is my Birthday... I was wondering if I was now old enough to be myself...Me, I, Moi... You know? I was 70 at the time. Are you like me? Are you also like Yew, the main character in a new book out by Joss Sheldon, The Little Voice. Do you remember starting out your life as a child, happy and content and loving? But then things began to change, a parent or an older sibling might have started bossing you around; i.e., discipline started...big-time... The first time you went to church, you realized that was the beginning of being involved with lots of different people, all supporting and teaching about one religion that you were to follow. Then, in school, it became even more stifling as you were set into a schedule of activities that was totally controlled by someone outside of your home...
Then, if you're like me, you immediately moved into a job (or went on to college) where you were not only on a set schedule, but each and every day, you had a supervisor who controlled your life from morning to night, minus two 10-minute breaks and a lunch time...
It had happened long before I reached 70; I was tired of being controlled by other people. I was tired of being somebody that was in response to what other people wanted and expected...
Yew began to rebel a lot earlier than I did, however...The first time was when he was six... But, let's stop there a minute, because this book grabbed my attention right away... Then I began to think about the main character, Yew...You...Yew... Then I started to think about what was inside of him, Egot...Ego...Egot... Hey, Joss Sheldon is writing about each of us! He's writing about me...and you and you and you... And he's sharing about how his ego was first, alive, and then died...
At first I thought this was a biography and perhaps, in part, it is. Then I thought it was a self-help story and, perhaps, in part, it is... What I do know is that Joss Sheldon is writing about those of us in today's world...he's dramatically writing about how we are slowly changed from children, secure in being loved, secure in being happy...playing...enjoying the freedom of dreams, fantasies, and living in the world of sunshine and nature, seeing the flowers growing, blooming...only to be followed by a fall...
Yew (You) would have gone to school when you're around six. Thrown into a group of people you didn't know, with one who proclaimed quickly that he/she was in charge of your day and what she would be required to teach you... You may have begun to like some of the children, but others might have been mean, with you wondering why...
Yew was the child who had just started school, but he had a little friend who lived inside of him, named Egot. He was real to him and when he started to talk to him when he was alone, there in the midst of other children and teacher, Egot started to guide him...But he did it through persuasion. What did Yew want to do, really? Of course, Yew didn't know that everybody didn't have a friend inside, rather that we have an inner life and our own small voice, so when he got in trouble and people started to ask him personal questions, Yew willingly
shared about Egot...immediately he was questioned, do you mean like having an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other? Interestingly, Yew didn't even understand the question...there was only Egot, that kept Yew company... Yew was sent to see Dr. Saeed every week and put through tests, questioned, and more...Soon he realized that the only thing he could do was lie and say that he had made Egot up...That he didn't really exist...
Perhaps that was the true beginning. Because Yew didn't understand the difference between right and wrong. What he learned quickly though was that if he did something that somebody didn't like, then he soon began to be disciplined. Yew wanted to be liked so he started doing anything and everything he was asked to do. Yew figured out that he was doing the right thing because everybody started calling him a good boy again... He liked being liked; but he was not happy...
Tell me, do you see a little of yourself in Yew's story? If so, I highly recommend this book! Readers are going to learn about Yew's life from first grade on through college, into the work environment...and then into loss and a resulting choice to use drugs...
And then he met a beautiful nurse while he was in the hospital...beautiful in a spirit that comforted him, made him feel comfortable with her...made him begin to care again. He asked her how she got to be such a beautiful person and she gave him a book. It happened to be a philosophy book by Lao Tzu. He began to read and apply what he was reading to what had been happening in his life!
You know, this particular book is what made Yew start thinking... Well, what you might want to consider is that The Little Voice could be exactly the book you should read... Or at least the first. I'd read many comparable books throughout my life and knew that what I was reading related to my own life. Like I said, it was 70 when I started to not only accept myself... but to ACT and SAY what I wanted and needed to say.
We are so wound up in social norms that are being established by people who we do not even know. We all need to find our inner self once again... Find that inner voice inside us that will guide us. Much of what guides me is from God; but, to do that, I had to find my way through much religious dogma that I had never been able to accept... and find my own Helper to guide me through today's world... I'm glad to have read The Little Voice. If for no other reason than receiving a confirmation of decisions I've made myself... Make reading this book a priority so you don't get to my age before you act to once again find your inner little voice! 😇
Joss Sheldon is a scruffy nomad, unshaven layabout, and good for nothing hobo. Born in 1982, he was brought up in one of the anonymous suburbs which wrap themselves around London's beating heart. And then he escaped!
With a degree from the London School of Economics to his name, Sheldon had spells selling falafel at music festivals, being a ski-bum, and failing to turn the English Midlands into a haven of rugby league.
Then, in 2013, he went to McLeod Ganj in India; a village which plays home to thousands of angry monkeys, hundreds of Tibetan refugees, and the Dalai Lama himself. It was there that Sheldon wrote his first novel, 'Involution & Evolution'.
With several positive reviews to his name, Sheldon had caught the writing bug. So he travelled around Palestine and Kurdistan before writing his second novel, 'Occupied'; a dystopian 'masterpiece' unlike any other story you've ever read!
Now Joss has returned with his third, and most radical novel yet. 'The Little Voice' takes a swipe at the external forces which come to shape our personalities. It's psychological. And it will make you think about the world in a whole new way. As the Huffington Post put it, The Little Voice is probably "The most thought-provoking novel of 2016"...
Labels: fictional teaching story, Joss Sheldon, pressure to be true to yourself. Self-help. inspirational, pressure to conform to social norms, The Little Voice, two opposing forces
Delightful Coloring and Activity Book Complements BEEMORE BREAKTHRU
I was delighted to learn that Oneeka Williams had created a complementary coloring and activity book to go with her outstanding Children's Book, BEEMORE BREAKTHRU!
You would never guess what I was most excited about... Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo and two of her friends, Marky Medicine Bad and Kyle, have been made into paper dolls! Such a gift of flashback memories when paper dolls were a very important part of play life for little girls... Inside are additional outfits to be worn. And I was pleased to see that all of Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo's medical friends were included as well...
But let's go on to the pages concerning Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo's BEEMORE BREAKTHRU...
Hopefully you already have the main book...so you can match the coloring pages with individual pages...you may even want to color the pages just like they are in the main book, or experiment with different colors...
But first, readers get to meet all of the family first...
Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, Girl Super Surgeon, was born with super powers from electrical energy. She fixes any problem with her gifted hands and has a team that goes with her on her missions. Her home is the Island of Positivity, where she lives with her parents and extended.
You'll meet Grandma B, Granddad Willy, Aunty Vandra, Uncle Huebs, Mommy and Daddy Dynamo, Lukas, and Jakey
(and get to color them too!)
The life cycle of the bees has been repeated and as you color, you will be able to study the steps of the life of each bee...We all know, now, how the phrase "busy as bees" was started!
Then we get to work a crossword puzzle...but it's all based upon what has been taught in the book...another test, fun, but still a test...😡 But, not to worry because the answers are provided and you'll be able to still keep on learning about those busy bees...
A bit of science coloring is provided when the various parts of a bee are provided...the antenna, wing, stinger...and, did you remember that bees have two stomachs? No matter what page, there is always something more to be learned...For instance, do you know how many Queen Bees there are in each hive?
There are word search puzzles, searching through a maze to find nectar, and all other sorts of games to help readers learn about the world of bees. Why, you even get to color the Bee Cake that appeared in the main book...together with all the people who attended the neighborhood party!
Governor Andy Charles, Governor of the Island of Positivity, even presented Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo and the Team with the Highest Medal of Service and a big Thank You... The Beemore Breakthru had been a success on the Island...All of the Bees had become BEEROES! Do you know what that could mean?
You'd better be practicing up your coloring while you wait to get this book, because the pages are very detailed and you'll want to be sure to color within the lines, right? But, most of all, have fun and enjoy this additional book, provided by Oneeka Williams, M.D. just so you'll have an opportunity to make learning about bees something that you'll spend time working on day after day...
Highly recommended as a complementary book to the BEEMORE BREAKTHRU book , or even as a standalone... Best, in my opinion, having both...one for your long-term library and one to play and learn the material...
Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo is truly the embodiment of everything I hold dear. She is caring, dynamic, energetic, positive powerful, spunky and believes that she can do anything. She heals with her hands and brings surgery and science together...and she loves her family.
--Dr. Oneeka Williams, Top Harvard Educated
Urologic Surgeon and Author
Out January 3rd!
See my review of Hardback Copy
Labels: BEEMORE BREAKTHRU, Complementary Coloring and Activity Book, Life of Bees, M.D., Oneeka Williams
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November - What's Happening at Book Readers Heaven!


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Children & Teens » Children's Fiction »Wimpy Kids
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1 : A Novel In Cartoons
Author: Jeff Kinney
Publisher: Puffin Books
The hilarious and original global bestseller "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" - perfect for readers of 8+ and also reluctant readers, everyone loves the adventures of Greg Heffley. You can also discover "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" on the big screen in the major motion blockbusting "Wimpy Kid Movie" franchise. Let me get something straight: this is a JOURNAL, not a diary. This was Mom's idea, not mine. But if she thinks I'm going to write down my "feelings" in here or whatever, she's crazy. The only reason I agreed to do this at all is because I figure later on when I'm rich and famous, this book is gonna come in handy. But for now I'm stuck with a bunch of morons. Today is the first day of school, so I figured I might as well write in this book to pass the time. Just don't expect me to be all "Dear Diary" this and "Dear Diary" that. Praise for Jeff Kinney: "The world has gone crazy for Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"". ("Sun"). "Kinney is right up there with J K Rowling as one of the bestselling children's authors on the planet". ("Independent"). "The most hotly anticipated children's book of the year is here - "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"". ("Big Issue"). "Hilarious". ("Telegraph"). Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and designer, and a numbered 1 "New York Times" bestselling author. Jeff has been named one of "Time" magazine's 100 Most Powerful People in the World. Jeff is also creator of Poptropica.com, which was names one of "Time" magazine's 50 Best Websites. He spent his childhood in Washington, D.C., and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives in Southern Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons.
Stories For 6 Year O
Birds, Beasts, and R
Boy Tales Of Childho
Heroes of Olympus,Bo
Dirty Beasts
The Wimpy Kid Movie
Harry Potter And The
Secret Seven: 01; i
Monster Mission
Mr Pink- Whistle's P
Not Just A Witch
Hurrah for Little No
Diary of an Awesome
A Bend In The Road
A Fine Night For Dyi
A Pocket Full Of Rye
A Winter's Night And
Absolute Power
Adventures of Feluda
The Fables Of Aesop
Afternoon On The Ama
Aim For The Stars Re


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Big Endorsements Turn Iowa's Senate Race Upside Down
Senate hopeful Sam Clovis received two major endorsements this week that have the potential to shake up Iowa's GOP primary.
Jerry Mennenga/Zuma
Endorsements, like late Pink Floyd albums or early-season Duke basketball teams, are invariably overrated in American politics.
But the twin endorsements this week of Iowa Republican Senate hopeful Sam Clovis by prominent social conservative Bob Vander Plaats and former (and perhaps future) presidential candidate Rick Santorum have the potential to turn the state's June 3 GOP primary upside down.
Clovis, who is perhaps as much a Tea Partier as a social conservative in the dichtomy of the right, seemed mired in third place in the battle between businessman Mark Jacobs and first-term state senator Joni Ernst to take on Congressman Bruce Braley in November. But, the twin endorsements of Vander Plaats and Santorum, leave Clovis well positioned to become the candidate of social conservatives in a state where the religious right plays an outsize role in Republican primaries and gives the economics professor and Air Force veteran a clear path to victory.
Vander Plaats, who narrowly lost the 2010 primary to Governor Terry Branstad by a margin of 50%-41%, is considered a kingmaker in Iowa politics, and endorsed both Mike Huckabee and Santorum prior to their Iowa caucus wins. Santorum, who is a potential 2016 candidate, built a strong organization in the Hawkeye State during his 2012 campaign and has kept up ties with the grassroots.
This doesn't mean Clovis is the favorite. The mustached, rumpled candidate has a physique that is more Chris Christie than Chris Hemsworth and had only $54,845 cash on hand in his most recent FEC report. In contrast, Ernst, who drew national attention with her first television ad, has racked up major endorsements from groups like the NRA and Chamber of Commerce and Jacobs, the former CEO of Reliant Energy, has been relying on his personal wealth to fund his campaign. It does give the social conservative an opportunity to consolidate the support of the evangelical grassroots and a chance to force the race into a convention, which happens if no candidate receives 35% of the vote on primary day, if not an upset victory.


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H1 2022: UAC of Nigeria Plc posts over N700mn loss despite N52bn revenue
Friday, 29 July 2022, 5:02 pm
in Business, Companies
UAC of Nigeria Plc (NGX: UACN) grew its revenue 11.9% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.
Despite the rise in revenue, UACN reported a loss of N715.99 million for the period ended 30 June 22 against a profit N762.62 million recorded in H1 2021.
Revenue in H1 2022 increased 11.9% YoY to ₦52 billion supported by sales growth across all operating segments.
Animal Feeds and Other Edibles segment (+7.6% YoY) driven by price increases to offset rising raw material costs. Paints segment(+28.8% YoY) on account of price increases and retail footprint expansion. Packaged Food and Beverages segment (+6.3% YoY) driven by price increase in the snack category, improvement in production efficiency in the water category and improved distribution in the dairies category; and the Quick Service Restaurants segment (+28.2% YoY) driven by additions to company-owned restaurants (corporate stores) and growth in logistics sales.
Gross profit in H1 2022 increased by 7.4% YoY to ₦8.9 billion, however gross profit margin contracted by 73 basis points to 17.2%. Margin contraction was largely on account of input cost escalation across all businesses.
Operating profit was ₦1.6 billion in H1 2022, 9.4% lower than the ₦1.8 billion recorded in H1 2021.
The company said the decrease is attributable to the poor performance in our Animal Feeds and Other Edibles businesses. Operating profit margin also contracted 73 bps to 3.1%. Operating expenses as a percentage of sales increased 50 bps YoY to 15.3%.
The Group recorded higher finance costs which rose to N2.0 billion from N753.45 million in H1 2021. The company the rise is due to increased short-term borrowings in the Animal Feeds and Other Edibles segment to support efforts to build inventory,
In addition, ₦338 million of finance cost represents impact of net foreign exchange loss on cash and financial securities held in foreign currencies. Also, Finance income decreased 29% YoY due to a lower interest yield on investments.
Loss per share was 18 kobo, compared to an earnings per share of 5 kobo per share in H1 2021.
Free Cash Flow for the period was negative ₦4.5 billion in H1 2022, compared with negative ₦18.9 billion in 2021, due to lower cash outflow from operating expenses and capital expenditure in H1 2022.
Group Performance and Financial Review: Q2 2022
Revenue in Q2 2022 was flat at ₦24.4 billion. The Packaged Food and Beverages segment grew marginally (+3%) and the Quick Service Restaurant segment (+27%) recorded strong growth.
Revenue growth in the Packaged Food and Beverages segment was driven by growth in the dairies and water categories, and revenue growth in the Quick Service Restaurant segment was driven by the addition of company owned stores.
Gross profit in Q2 2022 decreased by 10.5% QoQ to ₦3.9 billion on account of input cost escalation across all businesses. Gross profit margin also contracted by 178 bps.
Operating loss was ₦257 million in Q2 2022, compared to an operating profit of ₦626 million in Q2 2021, driven by gross profit under performance, particularly in the Animal Feeds and Other Edibles segment, and increase in selling and distribution expenses. Operating loss margin was –1.1%, compared to an operating profit margin of 2.6% in Q2 2021.
Operating expenses as a percentage of sales increased 147 bps QoQ to 17.6%.
The Group recorded higher finance costs on account of increased short-term borrowings in the Animal Feeds and Other Edibles segment to support efforts to build inventory. Finance income decreased 17% QoQ due to lower yield on treasury investments.
Share of loss from associate companies was improved QoQ at ₦79 million, compared to the share of loss from associate companies of ₦162 million in Q2 2021.
Loss before tax was ₦966 million, compared to a profit before tax of ₦267 million in Q2 2021. Loss after tax from continuing operations was ₦1.3 billion compared to a profit after tax of ₦96 million in Q2 2021.
Total loss for the period was ₦1.4 billion. In Q2 2022, the Group incurred an expense of ₦35 million as part of
the voluntary winding up process of UNICO CPFA Limited, a discontinued operation.
Loss per share was 36 kobo compared to the loss per share of 7 kobo in Q2 2021.
Ifunanya Ikueze
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
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Q: how to double count a product on wordpress woocommerce? I need to make double count the product at a time.
For example, when I open a product, it needs to show 0 item chosen. And when I click plus (+), it needs to add 2 at a time. How can I do that on wordpress woocommerce?

A: Good day, Timur.
As I understand you want to add the Product twice to the cart and show number "2"?
You can use this WC hook:
add_action('woocommerce_add_to_cart', 'custome_add_to_cart');
function custome_add_to_cart() {
global $woocommerce;

$product_id = $_POST['assessories'];

$found = false;

//check if product already in cart
if ( sizeof( WC()->cart->get_cart() ) > 0 ) {
    foreach ( WC()->cart->get_cart() as $cart_item_key => $values ) {
        $_product = $values['data'];
        if ( $_product->id == $product_id )
            $found = true;
    }
    // if product not found, add it
    if ( ! $found )
        WC()->cart->add_to_cart( $product_id );
} else {
    // if no products in cart, add it
    WC()->cart->add_to_cart( $product_id );
}
}

And when it return the result, update with JS the number of ordered products.
Tell please if it can help you?


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Q: Picking Bluebonnets is Against the Law?
Nope. It's not illegal.
By Greg Janda	• Published April 3, 2012 • Updated on April 3, 2012 at 5:07 pm
It's an old Spring myth that blooms when the wildflowers do -- is it illegal to pick bluebonnets in Texas?
"The answer is no," the Texas Department of Public Safety writes on their website. "There is no law against picking our state flower."
However, even though the practice of swiping a few bluebonnets isn't against the law, it might be against everyone's best interest.
Bluebonnets, as wildflowers, need to have their seeds spread along the sides of the road, in fields, and in other areas to grow. When you pick a bunch of flowers, those seeds go with you instead of going back into next year's blossoms.
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There are, however, a few ways your visit with the bluebonnets could get you in trouble in the eyes of the law. Some beautiful fields of flowers are on private property, meaning you could be trespassing while taking photos of the flowers. If your flower spot is on the side of the road, take traffic laws into consideration -- which the Texas DPS details here -- in order to stay safe and ticket free.


www.ujs.org.uk : Website for the Union of Jewish Students, including information on Jewish Societies around the country, and a Campus Guide laying out the Jewish credentials of British universities.
www.chabad.org : Information, articles, advice, and blogs on topics from this week's parshah to social issues to recipes.
www.aish.com : Aish.com's goal is to give every Jew the opportunity to discover his or her heritage in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.
www.hebcal.com : An interactive calendar including what time Shabbat comes in wherever you are in the world, the dates of festivals, a Gregorian-Hebrew date converter, and Torah readings.