text:
\section{Introduction}
Researchers are exploring the millimeter (mmW) and terahertz domain to meet the ever increasing demand of wider bandwidth and higher data rates \cite{ref_01}. The propagation environment at such higher frequencies is suffered by severe path loss, scattering and penetration losses. Massive MIMO architecture with precoding/beamforming gain is utilized to compensate for the propagation losses \cite{ref_02}. Researchers are tilted towards the hybrid (analog coupled with digital) beamforming architecture since it provides the gains of digital processing with lower power consumption \cite{ref_03}\cite{ref_04}. Existing literature proposes many techniques for both fully connected (where each RF chain is connected to every antenna) and partially connected (where each RF chain is connected to a subset of antennas) hybrid architectures \cite{ref_03}-\cite{ref_07}. Authors in \cite{ref_05} have utilized the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP), a greedy algorithm, for the computation of analog and digital precoders for a fully connected hybrid architecture by utilizing the array responses of the transmitter and the receiver. \cite{ref_06} proposes the iterative successive interference cancellation (SIC) algorithm for computation of hybrid precoder for an energy efficient partially connected hybrid architecture. Authors in \cite{ref_07} have proposed the manifold optimization (MO) and the phase extraction (PE) based alternating minimization (alt-min) techniques to compute the hybrid precoder for a fully connected architecture and the semi definite relaxation (SDR) based technique for a partially connected architecture. Alt-min approaches explores the linkage between optimal and hybrid precoders to estimate the digital and analog precoder. The application of evolutionary algorithms for evaluation of hybrid precoders is demonstrated in \cite{ref_08}\cite{ref_09}. For Massive MIMO systems, the resource allocation in terms of active antennas selection is critical to ensure high energy efficiency. The spectral efficiency gain becomes constant beyond a certain number of antennas, hence to optimize the hardware, antennas experiencing good channel conditions should be selected. For antenna selection problem, authors in \cite{ref_10} and \cite{ref_11} have applied an iterative evolutionary and estimation of distribution based algorithm. The above mentioned iterative, greedy and alt-min techniques regarding antenna selection and precoding have drawbacks in terms of computational time and achieving optimal solution in terms of spectral efficiency.

All above works on antenna selection and precoding gives the sub optimal solution with considerable computational complexity despite applying various optimization strategies and selection criteria. Recently, the machine learning based convolutional neural network (CNN) methods have gained interest of researchers to solve the optimization problems related to wireless communication. Well trained CNNs have ability to deduce features from a given set of observations with high efficiency and at a very low complexity as compared to conventional techniques. CNNs find its applications for solving problems such as channel estimation \cite{ref_12}, interference coordination, beam management \cite{ref_13} and analog beam selection \cite{ref_14}. Very recently precoder design problem is also formulated and solved using CNN \cite{ref_15}-\cite{ref_19}. However, all the research for precoder and combiner design is limited to a fully connected hybrid architecture and do not consider the partially connected hybrid architecture which has proven ability of being energy efficient and bears reduced complexity \cite{ref_06}.

Keeping in view the low latency, low power consumption and high energy efficiency requirements of future 5G and B5G communication networks, in this letter, we propose a CNN based joint antenna selection and precoder design for a partially connected hybrid structure. Two separate CNNs i.e., classification and regression are trained for an antenna selection and a precoding problem, respectively. Channel realizations added with noise are used to train the networks and estimate the optimum antenna subset and precoder weights. The input of the channel matrix is fed to the first stage CNN deployed for an antenna selection. The reduced subset is further fed to second stage CNN which outputs the optimum analog precoder. The training of both CNNs is performed offline, hence, all the computational overhead for the data generation and training is not present during online prediction, where the hybrid precoders prediction and antennas classification is done by only feeding the channel matrix to the network.
\section{Hybrid Massive MIMO System Model}
For joint estimation of precoder weights and antenna selection, in this letter, we have considered a hybrid architecture in a partially connected configuration i.e, each RF chain energizes only a subset of antennas $M$ = $N_{T}$/$N^{RF}_{T}$. We have considered the base station (BS) equipped with $N_{T}$ transmit antennas and $N^{RF}_{T}$ RF chains to transmit $N_{S}$ data streams. The user is considered to be equipped with $N_{R}$ receive antennas where the selection is performed to determine $N_{r}$ best antennas. The analog and baseband precoder at the transmiter are represented as $\mathbf{F}_{RF} \in C^{N_{T} \times N^{RF}_{T}}$ and $\mathbf{F}_{BB} \in C^{N^{RF}_{T} \times N_{S}}$ respectively. Therefore, the signal transmitted through BS is represented as $\mathbf{x} = \mathbf{F}_{RF} \mathbf{F}_{BB} \mathbf{s}$, where $\mathbf{s}$ is the $N_{S} \times 1$ transmitted symbol vector. The analog precoder $\mathbf{F}_{RF}$ is a block diagonal matrix realized by phase shifters having equal magnitude with variable phases and satisfying the power constraint $\left\| \mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB} \right\|_{F} \leq N^{RF}_{T}$. The received signal $\mathbf{y}$ at the user having $N_{R}$ antennas is expressed as

\begin{equation}\label{eq:op}
\mathbf{y} = \sqrt{P_{av}} \mathbf{H}\mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB}\mathbf{s} + \mathbf{n}
\end{equation}

The average received power is $P_{av}$, $\mathbf{n}$ ($\mathcal{CN}(0,\sigma^2)$) is i.i.d complex Gaussian noise. $\mathbf{H}$ denotes the $N_{R}$ $\times$ $N_{T}$ full array channel between the transmitter and receiver. The clustered geometric Saleh-Valenzuela model \cite{ref_03} representing the low rank mmW channel is used in this letter.

\begin{equation}\label{eq:chan}
\mathbf{H} = \sqrt{\left(\dfrac{N_{T} N_{R}}{\epsilon K}\right)} \sum_{k=0}^{K}\eta_{l}\textbf{a}_{R}(\mu_{k})\textbf{a}^{H}_{T}(\theta_{k})
\end{equation}

where $K$ is the number of paths, $\epsilon$ is the pathloss, the path gain linked with the $k^{\text{th}}$ path is $\eta_{k}$, the corresponding spatial signatures of the receiver and the transmitter are $\textbf{a}_{R}$ and $\textbf{a}_{T}$, respectively, and $\mu_{k}$ and $\theta_{k}$ are the angle of arrival (AoA) and the angle of departure (AoD) of the $k^{\text{th}}$ path, respectively. Finally, the full array (without any antenna selection) spectral efficiency is defined as

\begin{equation}
	R = \log (\mathbf{I}_{N_{R}} + \frac{\rho}{N_{s}} \mathbf{H}\mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{RF}\mathbf{H}^{H})
\end{equation}

\section{Joint Antenna Selection and Hybrid Precoder}
Our first goal is to determine a subset of $N_{r}$ best antennas out of total available $N_{R}$ receive antennas. After the antenna selection, the RF and baseband precoders are determined using reduced dimensions. The joint solution of antenna selection and precoding have to satisfy following condition

\begin{equation}
	\underset{\mathbf{Q},\mathbf{F}_{RF},\mathbf{F}_{BB}}{\max}\ \log (\mathbf{I}_{N_{r}} + \frac{\rho}{N_{s}} \mathbf{H}_{sel}\mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{RF}\mathbf{H}^{H}_{sel})
\end{equation}

Here $\mathbf{H}_{sel}$ = $\mathbf{Q}\mathbf{H}$ is a reduced dimension ($N_{r}$ $\times$ $N_{T}$) channel matrix obtained by performing antenna selection. $\mathbf{Q}$ is a ($N_{r}$ $\times$ $N_{R}$) selection matrix with entries either $0$ or $1$ representing the antenna index.

\begin{figure*}[tbph]
\centering
\includegraphics[height=1.4in,width=7.2in]{network1.jpg}
\caption{Joint CNN Architecture for Antenna Selection and Precoding}
\label{fig:FC}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Antenna Selection}
For antenna selection, picking $N_{r}$ antennas out of $N_{R}$ yields $\mathbf{Q}_{A}$ = $N_{R} \choose N_{r}$ possible combinations. Hence, selecting a subset of antennas becomes a CNN classification problem with $\mathbf{Q}_{A}$ classes. Let $q_{A}$th antenna subset configuration with $q_{A}$ $\in$ $\mathcal{Q}_{A} = \{1,....,Q_{A}\}$ is selected, than the received signal vector with $q_{A}$th selected subset with $\mathbf{H}_{q_{A}}$ ($N_{r}$ $\times$ $N_{T}$) being corresponding channel matrix is expressed as

\begin{equation}\label{eq:op}
\mathbf{y}_{q_{A}} = \sqrt{P_{av}} \mathbf{H}_{q_{A}}\mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB}\mathbf{s} + \mathbf{n}_{q_{A}}
\end{equation}

Similarly, the spectral efficiency with $q_{A}$th selected subset is expressed as

\begin{equation}
	R = \log (\mathbf{I}_{N_{r}} + \frac{\rho}{N_{s}} \mathbf{H}_{q_{A}}\mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{RF}\mathbf{H}^{H}_{q_{A}})
\end{equation}

Note that $R$ is dependent on $q_{A}$ through $\mathbf{H}_{q_{A}}$. By maximizing $R$ for all combinations of antenna selection configurations, the best antenna subset is expressed as

\begin{equation}
	 q_{A} = \underset{q_{A} \in \mathcal{Q}_{A}}{\arg\max}\ R(q_{A})
\end{equation}

\subsection{Partially Connected Hybrid Precoder Design}
Let $\mathbf{H}_{q_{A}}$ is the reduced dimensions channel matrix obtained after performing antenna selection than the hybrid precoder problem is defined as

\begin{equation}
	\underset{\mathbf{F}_{RF},\mathbf{F}_{BB}}{\max}\ \log (\mathbf{I}_{N_{R}} + \frac{\rho}{N_{s}} \mathbf{H}_{q_{A}}\mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{BB}\mathbf{F}^{H}_{RF}\mathbf{H}^{H}_{q_{A}})
\end{equation}

We have considered a partially connected hybrid structure where each RF chain is connected to $M$ = $N_{T}$/$N^{RF}_{T}$ number of antennas. This implies that the structure of the RF precoder $\mathbf{F}_{RF}$ must be a block diagonal with $\mathbf{f}_{RF_{i}}$ being the precoding vector for the \textit{i}th RF chain only having M non zero elements and is expressed as

		\begin{equation}
		\mathbf{F}_{RF} =
		\begin{pmatrix}
		\mathbf{f}_{RF_{1}} & \mathbf{0} & \cdots & \mathbf{0} \\
		\mathbf{0} & \mathbf{f}_{RF_{2}} & \cdots & \mathbf{0} \\
		\vdots  & \vdots  & \ddots & \vdots  \\
		\mathbf{0} & \mathbf{0} & \cdots & \mathbf{f}_{RF_{N_{rf}}}
		\end{pmatrix}
		\end{equation}

Hybrid precoder has to meet two constraints; C1: All non-zero elements of $\mathbf{F}_{RF}$ must have the same amplitude and, C2: Meet the total power constraint $\left\| \mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB} \right\|_{F} \leq N^{RF}_{T}$.
For the case of hybrid precoder, based on the proof \cite{ref_05}, the Euclidean distance between the optimal unconstrained precoder and the hybrid precoder should be minimized. In other words, the hybrid precoder design problem is rewritten as

\begin{equation}
	\underset{\mathbf{F}_{RF},\mathbf{F}_{BB}}{\arg \min}\ \left\| \mathbf{F}_{opt} - \mathbf{F}_{RF}\mathbf{F}_{BB} \right\|^{2}_{F}
\end{equation}

The optimal solution for the above mentioned optimization problem can be obtained using the singular value decomposition performed on the channel matrix, which can be used to generate the labels for output layer of regression CNN network. Even with the memory-friendly approaches, it is computationally complex to enumerate over all possible antenna selection subsets in real time. Also the optimal design of hybrid precoders requires iterations and extensive computations. In order to address this issue, we have formulated a deep CNN based solution where the networks are trained offline and perform computations for antenna subset configuration and optimal precoder. Afterwards, the trained network can simply be deployed as a classification and regression network to select antennas and estimate hybrid precoders.

\section{CNN Training and Dataset Generation}
Our proposed deep neural network consists of two separate CNNs (Fig. \ref{fig:FC}) to perform antenna selection and precoding. The input to the first CNN$_{AS}$ is the full dimension channel matrix which selects the best antenna subset $q_{A}$. The second CNN$_{RF}$ accepts the reduced dimensions channel matrix with only selected rows corresponding to the selected antennas and estimates the RF precoder at its output. For both architectures, the training data is generated using channel realizations which are further assigned with corresponding output class/label for antenna selection and hyrid precoding.

Let the input data $\mathbf{X}$ be a $N_{R}$$\times$$N_{T}$$\times$3 with \textit{c} = 3 channels. The first channel of input is the absolute value of imperfect channel matrix $\tilde{\mathbf{H}}$ whereas the real and imaginary part of channel matrix are stored in second and third channels, respectively. For data generation, $N$ different channel matrix realizations are generated. Afterwards for each realization, $L$ noisy channel matrices are created with synthetic noise which is added element wise. Hence, the total size of training input data becomes $N_{R}$$\times$$N_{T}$$\times$3$\times$$NL$. In order to obtain the output labels, for antenna selection CNN$_{RF}$ the best antenna subset is selected and afterwards for second CNN$_{RF}$, $\mathbf{F}_{RF}$ is obtained by performing SVD operation on reduced dimension channel realizations. Hence, the input/output pairs are established. The training process of both CNNs is identical but with different input dimensions.

The input sizes of CNN$_{AS}$ and CNN$_{RF}$ is $N_{R}$$\times$$N_{T}$$\times$3 and $N_{r}$$\times$$N_{T}$$\times$3, respectively. Each CNN is composed of 14 layers. Input layer being the first layer of corresponding input data size. The convolutional layers are second, fourth and sixth with 64 filters of dimensions 2$\times$2. Eighth and eleventh layers are fully connected layers with 512 nodes. The tenth and thirteenth layers are dropout layers with 50\% probability. The RELU activation function is utilized. Finally, the output layer of CNN$_{AS}$ is a classification layer with softmax function to output the antenna subset class which gives maximum spectral efficiency and output layer of CNN$_{RF}$ is a regression layer of dimensions $N_{T}$ $\times$ 1 representing the non zero elements of $\mathbf{F}_{RF}$. After estimating the non zeros elements of $F_{RF}$, the block diagonal structure is obtained by appending zeros at appropriate locations. CNN$_{RF}$ is used to predict the $F_{RF}$ and the $F_{BB}$ is obtained using equivalent channel approach.

\section{Numerical Simulations and Results}
In this section, we evaluate the performance of our proposed approach. The performance of CNN based hybrid precoder is evaluated against state of the art SDR alt-min and SIC algorithms. Uniform planner array with $N_{T}$ = 36 or 144 and $N_{R}$ = 16 for the transmitter and receiver respectively, are generated. For antenna selection, the $N_{r}$ is kept as 8. The RF chains at the transmitter $N^{RF}_{T}$ and at the receiver $N^{RF}_{R}$ are kept as 4. For CNNs, the training data is generated for \textit{N} = \textit{L} = 100 realizations. The proposed network is trained using MATLAB as a simulation environment. SGD algorithm is used for network parameters with learning rate of 0.005 and mini-batch size 500 with 200 epochs. The cross entropy function is used as the loss function. During the training phase, 30\% and 70\% of all data is divided into validation and training datasets, respectively. Finally the validation data is used to verify the performance of the proposed architecture in the simulations for 100 Monte Carlo trials.

\begin{figure}[tbph]
\centering
\includegraphics[height=3.2in,width=3.6in]{a.eps}
\caption{Spectral Efficiency with $N_{T}$=36, $N_{R}$=16, $N_{r}$=8, $N^{T}_{RF}$=4}
\label{fig:res1}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[tbph]
\centering
\includegraphics[height=3.2in,width=3.6in]{b.eps}
\caption{Spectral Efficiency with $N_{T}$=144, $N_{R}$=16, $N_{r}$=8, $N^{T}_{RF}$=4}
\label{fig:res2}
\end{figure}

Fig. \ref{fig:res1} and Fig. \ref{fig:res2} with $N_{T}$ as 36 and 144 respectively, shows the spectral efficiency for different algorithms with deep antenna selection (DAS). The $N^{T}_{RF}$ and $N_{S}$ are considered equal and set to 4, the $N_{R}$ is set as 16 and DAS CNN network selects $N_{r}$ = 8 antennas. After performing DAS, the hybrid precoders are determined. CNN$_{RF}$ is used to determine the $F_{RF}$ whereas the $F_{BB}$ is obtained using equivalent channel approach. The CNN based hybrid precoder is outperforming the SDR alt-min and SIC algorithms. The CNN based hybrid precoder is efficiently predicting the RF precoder which contributes towards maximization of spectral efficiency. To evaluate the antenna selection technique, the performance of CNN based antenna selection is compared with random antenna selection (RAS) applied with precoding. It is evident that spectral efficiency using RAS algorithm is trailing behind DAS algorithm irrespective of precoding technique.

The computation time of CNN based precoder, SDR alt-min and SIC algorithms are also computed for $N_{T}$ = 144. The CNN based precoder only required 0.01s, SDR alt-min requires 1.6s and SIC based precoder requires 0.02s for computations. The CNN based hybrid precoder is outperforming all algorithms in terms of spectral efficiency. Hence, both the computational efficiency and spectral efficiency of the proposed CNN based hybrid precoder is established.
\section{Conclusions}
This letter presents the CNN based solution for joint hybrid precoder design of a partially connected mmW massive MIMO system with antenna selection. The proposed novel technique outperforms the existing algorithms for a partially connected hybrid precoder design both in terms of spectral efficiency and computational complexity. Moreover the antenna selection enables efficient resource allocation for systems with large antenna arrays.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


This Leather Statement Cuff sure makes a statement. That's the whole point. You wouldn't want to wear something that didn't make a statement.
These cuffs measure 8 3/4″ long, 1 5/8″ wide and have dark chestnut leather bands. It will fit up to a 7 1/4″ wrist.
Lewis Carroll (attributed to Alice in Wonderland): Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
Those are four great statements and each is only $39.99 from ThinkGeek.com.
Can you make them w/ANY inscription at all…..perhaps one of my own choosing?


Explore the most decadent city in a world of decadence. 100,000 words by Robin D Laws describe 100,000 inhabitants in this innovative and highly play-tested source book.
PCs are assumed to be knowledgeable veterans of the White-Walled City, not ignorant mooncalves. No longer will the GM be the sole arbiter of adventures; players are encouraged to choose from hundreds of plot hooks and contacts to create sublime gaming sessions.
From the self-indulgent aristocrats of Odkin Prospect to Prince Khandive's pleasure barge, the whole city is mapped out using fine words, pictures and… maps. The ideal supplement for long-term adventuring in the Dying Earth.
To avoid the ridicule of my peers, I must regretfully ask: how exactly does one pronounce kaiin?
I say Kane. Robin says Kai-in. Sound authoritative and look stern, and make your choice. It's the Pelgrane way.
Such is the state of decrepitude into which our world has descended that self-purported experts disagree on how to mispronounce the name of such a popular and populous metropolis. Such ignorance is best pointed out and then left uncorrected to avoid besmirching one's own reputation by the association with or the misinterpretation of cretins.
I note that you have taken the course of discretion in that you avoid proferring a suggestion of your own in this regard.


TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — Still recovering from Hurricane Michael, Tyndall Air Force Base was dealt another blow on Saturday.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., an apparent tornado damaged buildings on the base, according to a Facebook post.
"The tornado caused no injuries to any personnel, but did damage some structures and vehicles on base," the post said. "Emergency responders have conducted initial inspections of the affected buildings."
The assessments of the damage will continue through the weekend.


Farsi the language of Iran (formerly Persia) and is also widely spoken in Afghanistan and, in an archaic form, in Tajikistan and the Pamir Mountain region.
Get more from your tripwith easy-to-find phrases for every travel situation. Over 70 million people speak Farsi in Iran - why not make it 70 million and one? This evocative 3000-year-old language (called Farsi in Iran and Persian elsewhere) is yours for the talking when you grab this handy, comprehensive phrasebook.


The apartment in l'Estartit has 2 bedrooms and has capacity for 5 people.The apartment 50 m².It is located 250 m from the sand beach, 150 m from the supermarket, 9 km from Empordà Golf Club golf course, 35 km from Flaçà train station and 55 km from the airport Girona – Costa Brava. The apartment is situated in a suburb. The accommodation is equipped with the following items: terrace with furniture, fireplace, TV, Internet access according to availability (10€/day).In the kitchen, refrigerator, oven, freezer, washing machine, dishes/cutlery, kitchen utensils, coffee maker and toaster are provided.


text:
Q: Biometrics sometimes doesn't work in swift usually works fine
But very infrequently, biometrics appear and disappear immediately.
doesn't show up at all
I left a log because it is an occasional phenomenon, but the error log is nil
I wonder why the error is getting nil and why this is happening
The code is below
let context = LAContext()
let reason = localizedStringFor(key: "", comment: "reason")

context.localizedFallbackTitle = localizedStringFor(key: "", comment: "")

context.evaluatePolicy(.deviceOwnerAuthenticationWithBiometrics, localizedReason: reason) {
    success, error in

    var textLog = TextLog()
    let log = Util.getCurrentDate() + " : " + (error?.localizedDescription ?? "nil")"\n"
    textLog.write(log)

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Franklin Templeton Limited Duration Income Trust Reports Asset Allocation
Franklin Advisers, Inc.
Franklin Templeton Fund Information
San Mateo, CA, April 30, 2010 -- Franklin Templeton Limited Duration Income Trust [NYSE Amex:FTF], a closed-end investment company managed by Franklin Advisers, Inc., today reported its portfolio composition, certain portfolio characteristics and NYSE Amex closing price as of March 31, 2010
Franklin Advisers, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN], a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management solutions managed by its Franklin, Templeton, Mutual Series, Fiduciary Trust, Darby and Bissett investment teams. The San Mateo, CA-based company has more than 60 years of investment experience and over $586 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2010. For more information, please call 1-800/DIAL BEN® or visit franklintempleton.com.
View the entire press release

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This past Friday while listening to Science Friday with Ira Flatow on NPR I heard his interview with Sherry Turkle, the author of Alone Together: Why we expect more from technology but less from each other – love me some good talk radio. Ms. Turkle shared her favourite quote from her book, and the phrase I remembered was about "designing around our vulnerabilities". If we know something is going to put a hitch in our giddy-up, how do we plan around it? And that's what we'll be sharing this week – our vulnerabilities that get in the way of our workouts.
I thought I would have to ponder a bit about what my biggest vulnerability might be, but nope, the answer was right there, thanks helpful brain. A vulnerability is a part of ourselves that is 'open to assault and difficult to defend' or maybe we are more susceptible to criticism and fault-finding. My stone-in-my-shoe vulnerability is that I am easily discouraged. It doesn't take much for me to start doubting myself. And if my running progress isn't holding steady or heaven forbid, is declining, my motivation goes swooshing out the window.
I've yet to learn any foolproof ways to design my running program around discouragement and depression; simply saying exercise helps dissipate the blues doesn't necessarily mean I do what's best for myself. What helps is to mentally celebrate every single run, to say thanks at the end of every run – and to build up a memory reservoir of every finished run to have something to access on particularly bad days. And writing these words helps to acknowledge the difficulties of designing around my vulnerabilities while trying to sustain a running regimen over the long haul, so thanks, Ms. Turkle for the inspiration.


text:
Book Review: Books of Nudes
Submitted by Robin Benson on December 7, 2012 - 2:52am
Art or Erotica?
The index lists 172 photographers in Bertolotti's fascinating book and maybe you can say he forgot so and so (not Stanley Tunick I hope) but it's his personal collection of books that are featured here and not a definitive study of the nude photo book. He's collected over 160 and surely this must included almost every significant title up to the early years of this century.
The twelve chapters cover various themes historically starting with Academies, the name given to nude studies that circulated in France in the 1910s, essentially for creative folk to look at the female form but of course used as erotica by everyone else. The European naturalist movement was the perfect market to allow publishers to print books of nude photos and as chapter seven reveals, in Nazi Germany, titles like the 1939 'Spirit and Beauty' showed the perfect Aryan female body.
Chapter nine features twenty-five Japanese books from the sixties onwards. Quite intriguing because the photography and the book layouts are unlike anything seen in the West, they seem almost non-erotic. Chapter eleven: 'Gay pride' has sixteen titles and the last chapter looks at twenty-six books in the Narrative format. From the sixties nude photo books evolved into telling stories, illustrated with the work of Araki, Les Krims, Helmut Newton, Bettina Rheims, Joel-Peter Witkin among others.
I like the format of the book, just like Parr and Badger's two Photo Books or a recent Taschen title: Photographers A-Z. The featured books have their covers and two or three spreads with some text about the photographer and nicely some social background regarding the years when the books were published. Though the majority of images are in mono they have been printed in four colors (with a 175 screen) on a good matt art. A tip of the hat to Shawn Dahl who did a great design job and also to Liz Nash who translated the original French book into easy to read conversational English.
Photographers and publication designers will love the book and as it seems to an over-stock title now it's a bargain at the prices I've seen on the net.
Books of Nudes is available at Amazon (US | CA | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | JP | CN) and Book Depository
Each of the twelve chapters opens on a spread like this.
Right: typical example of naturalist book published in Germany during the Nazi years.
Bill Brandt's fascinating book of sculptural nude shots.
Right: a box of prints put out by a Dutch printer in 1970. Each print had a letter of the alphabet made up of intertwining nude women. Must be rather rare now as it was a printer's promotion rather than a published item.
If you buy from the links, I get a little commission that helps me get more books to feature.
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de | Amazon.fr | Amazon.it | Amazon.es | Amazon.co.jp | Amazon.cn | Bookdepository.com
alessandro bertolotti
photography book reviews


text:
A Frame Apart Podcasts Past & Present
Episode 30 – ASTEROIDS VS VOLCANOES!
By	Ariel Fisher
Today, A Frame Apart celebrates its 30th episode! To do so, we wanted to go big, bold, and bodacious. "Yes, but what does that mean?" you might ask. It means we're going cataclysmic, facing off not two, not three, but four films! And not just any four films, but two sets of Twin Films, no less! This week, it's Asteroids versus Volcanoes with 1997's Volcano and Dante's Peak versus 1998's Armageddon and Deep Impact!
Amidst our discussion of these four fabulous flicks, we give a little love to Dawson McManus's podcast, 646, and the Modern Superior gents at See You Next Wednesday. On New Years Eve, we sat down with Dawson to talk about our favourite movie musicals on 646. The episode is now live, and you can find it on YouTube, SoundCloud, and iTunes! And this week, Ariel was a guest host on See You Next Wednesday in Casey's absence for episode 257, wherein she and Dan had the pleasure of seeing Jordan Peele's excellent Get Out, and Greg had the great misfortune of learning what Ben Wa balls are from Fifty Shades Darker. Check it out here.
Last, but most certainly not least, we pay a little tribute to Bill Paxton. Gone far too soon at the age of 61 due to complications during heart surgery, Paxton will be greatly missed by those he worked with, those he inspired, and fans all around the world. RIP Bill.
#RIP Bill Paxton. 61 is too young to go. We'll miss you, Bill. https://t.co/c6sbfm3X21 pic.twitter.com/CzMxlqeCti
— A Frame Apart (@AFrameApartCast) February 26, 2017
Be sure to check us out on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, Stitcher, or the Pocket Casts app, and leave us a review and a rating wherever possible! Like what we're doing? Want us to change something? Let us know at aframeapartcast@gmail.com.
Episode 257 - Get Out & Fifty Shades Darker
Why?'s Moh Lhean LP is Our Surface Noise Vinyl Release of the Week
© 2017 All Rights Reserved. .


text:
Raven Tree is flying high on their musical journey
"[We] have a lot of work to do....The industry is not a Rock 'n Roll fairy godmother upon which we should be dependent on it for our success. "
Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, is the birth-place of the U.S. National Anthem, home to John Hopkins Hospital, some guy named Babe Ruth, writer, Edgar Allen Poe, the Baltimore Orioles and some wannabe singer/songwriter named Tori Amos. For you foodies, Baltimore is also known for its Crab Cakes.
Someone you may not have heard of, yet, and I say that with pause, is also a Baltimore native. His name is Mike McCann, a military vet and hard rocking guitarist/founder and lead singer of Raven Tree, a hard rock band on the cusp of the mainstream. After speaking with Mike and learning about the band, their history and music, you'll see why Raven Tree may soon be mentioned in the same sentence as some of the top national bands on the festival circuit.
by: Kreig Marks May 2, 2019
TRR: Hi Mike. Welcome to Tru Rock Revival Magazine. I've been a big fan of your music since I first heard Raven Tree on Spotify a few months back.
Mike: Thanks, Kreig.
TRR: What's going on in the Baltimore music scene these days?
Mike: I wouldn't classify Baltimore as having any one "scene," per se, more a diverse number of groups which seem to align along genres. There is Emo, Metal, Rap/Hip-Hop, Neo-Punk, etc. Of those, the Metal and Hip-Hop scenes are the strongest. Of course, w\Raven Tree, we aren't really aligned with any of those, so we're pretty much out here on our own. There are a couple of other bands of which I am a huge fan, Lazlo Lee and Bombenkinder are my two absolute favorite Baltimore bands. There is another band, out of the Towson area, called Dreamcatcher, which is pretty rockin.' They tour a lot and I really dig them too.
TRR: What is the origin of your band's name? Is this the original name or have you changed it before?
Mike: Raven Tree is our original name, I wanted to tie us to the creative history of Baltimore, with Edgar Allen Poe being our most prominent as the original Goth and Roller. I also wanted a name that could be amorphous musically, which, given our range of music, has worked out just right. I also felt like trendy band names always become dated rather quickly, and we are a band that plans to have a long life span. Raven Tree originally started out as a solo song writing/recording project, and I spent about a year and half working the arrangements before hitting the studio in early 2014. Around that time, I did a few shows with my session lineup, then began a series of lineups based upon musician availability, etc.
TRR: Who are the players?
Mike: We have myself on guitar and vocals, Phoenix Johnson on bass/vocals, and Tony Lotierzo on drums/vocals. The original debut album featured Dave DeMarco (bands: Crack The Sky, Several Species) on bass and melotron, with Greg Giannetti on drums. In 2015 I brought in Dan Logan (The Itals, The English Beat) on bass and Jeff Gardner (Split Five) on drums. In 2016 Dan departed back on tour with The Itals, and in 2017 Jeff recorded "Devil's Red Mistress" with Phoenix and myself before leaving for personal needs. It's been pretty much just me and Phoenix for the last few years until Tony joined us in late 2018.
TRR: How did all of you meet?
Mike: I first saw Phoenix perform with his Progressive Metal group in 2014, at '98 Rock's weekly showcase Noise In The Basement here in Baltimore. What struck me about him was his professionalism and musicianship, qualities that are becoming increasingly rare in music. About a year later, in 2015, '98 Rock DJ and impresario Matt Davis, paired Raven Tree and Phoenix' band for a performance at The Hard Rock in Baltimore, and we struck up a friendship. So, I took them on the road with us for a couple of shows.
In 2016, during the recording of The Devil's Red Mistress LP, my session bassist quit after one session and Phoenix was my first call. After we completed the album, Phoenix pretty much told me how he felt he was now a member of the band, which I embraced like a hobo on a ham sandwich!
TRR: A hobo with a ham sandwich? Honestly, that's a first. I've never heard that expression.
Mike: (laughing) Yeah, I think I heard that back in my early military days. We had this one guy nicknamed "Elvis" who was from Tennessee, and he had a million phrases like that one…
Tony and I met when we were both in the military stationed in Wash DC, we had a kick ass cover band trio that performed in Southern MD. As with most military based partnerships, we drifted apart as our respective military careers wound down, but a couple of years ago, Tony returned to MD and we began trying to figure out how we could "put something together.", I Fall 2018, I finally just said, "It's time, brother!" and he came on board with Raven Tree. I can't imagine this band going forward with anyone else.
TRR: How would you classify your music?
Mike: You know that's a funny thing, I have heard as many opinions about us as there are people who have voiced them lol! As a genre, I would say we are Post-Grunge/ Hard Rock, sitting solidly in mainstream AOR rock…which is at the EXACT BOTTOM of commercial appeal. (laughing)
TRR: So, what are your plans to get the band in the mainstream if you feel you're at the bottom of "commercial appeal" right now?
Mike: The first step is to not give in to cynicism. To paraphrase Ed Harris in the movie, "The Right Stuff": "No Fans, No Band". Bottom line is that without REAL fans, no amount of promo, marketing, social media blitzing, etc. will result in mainstream support or success. Friends and fans connect with those bands that they believe are "real" to them, and this authenticity cannot be conveyed solely online. Audiences MUST have an opportunity to experience and connect with a band through their live show.
Of course, the paradox of our "globally connected digital environment" is that we have a large, geographically diverse audience who have expressed an initial interest in our music. However, given the geographic challenges, it is financially impossible for us to physically take the show to all (or any) of them.
So we've decided to take the show to them virtually. On May 11 we will be filming and producing a live Raven Tree concert album and video performance - made available to all of our friends worldwide; giving our friends living in the Australian outback an opportunity to experience our show simultaneaously with our friends in Stuttgart. We believe our live show will convince the doubters and those sitting on the fence, that we really are who we say we are, an unapologetic rock and roll power trio. At the same time, virtual concerts simply don't take the place of the live show, and can't replace the impact of a live performance. So, we are also in the process of developing a partnership with a multi-national booking agent to enable us to get out and be in front of Rock 'n Roll fans.
TRR: Where did you record Devil's Red Mistress? Who engineered that?
Mike: The basic tracks for the DRM album (drums, bass, rhythm guitar) were recorded live at Sheffield Studios in Phoenix, Maryland. We were assigned two of their in-house engineers; Jake Caples and Jesse Klaput. Jake has since become a touring engineer with Bob Seger, but sadly Jesse passed away this past Fall. Those two were outstanding engineers and pivotal to the sound of the rhythm tracks. The second guitar tracks, solos and vocals were recorded by Phoenix (RT bassist) and myself. The album was mixed and mastered by Chris Suter down in Charlotte, NC.
TRR: How did you promote the album?
Mike: I wish I had a better answer than the truth, which is to say that we distributed the album via DistroKid but didn't really promote it beyond a few social media posts, and a few shows around the time of its release. We also filmed two videos, one for the title track, "DRM," and for "Superstition," which were released on Youtube prior to the album release. That's about it. Since the album's release we've engaged in robust social media marketing of the band via video promotions, but the album has been slow to catch on. We are much more savvy now, and our next release will be accompanied by a solid marketing campaign, both organic and via industry media.
TRR: You had a great career and great salary, and just decided to walk away and pursue your dream of being a rock star? That takes a lot of guts, a lot of balls. That must have been a difficult thing to do.
Mike: Hmmmmm…you know, life is too short not to live it, and there are far too many people who say that but don't mean it. Bodey from Point Break (Swayze, not that other guy) is my spirit animal, and I will never be one of those folks driving to work in my "metal coffin". We have far too many people who have chosen to live angry, unfulfilled lives, lashing out at each other in their misery. I don't need to add more to that cultural dysfunction than I already have.
TRR: If you weren't in a band, what do you think you'd be doing instead?
Mike: That's funny, because this IS my second career, same for Tony. After the military I was a security director for a 15 billion dollar commercial bank, six figures, etc. In 2014 I walked away from that because life is too short not to do what you want to do. So, I stepped up to the plate for myself and this is what I do. So, I guess this IS my "instead" :)
Rock 'n Roll is not an easy industry, and there is almost zero financial support for what we do. It's made it tough to hang on to musicians, who need to eat and can't work for free. Over the last 5 years, all my savings has gone into Raven Tree.
TRR: Who are some of your musical influences?
Mike: As a songwriter/composer I've been heavily influenced by Dylan, Chris Cornell and Jimmy Page, and mid-seventies "beta bands" like The Carpenters and Bread.
My guitar influences are pretty clear, I think, which are solidly set in Hendrix, Clapton and Page. That said, I don't think I really sound like any of them. Lately I've really been getting away from listening to rock, and listen more to jazz legends, like Coltrane, Miles Davis, etc. I have no idea what Phoenix listens to, I know he started as a teenager listening to lots of Emo, then moved into niche prog metal bands. Tony is solidly influenced by hair bands like Motley Crue, Queensryche, etc. and it shows in his style…he is simply the best rock drummer I have ever played with.
Here is some additional background info: My takeaway from Dylan is his ability to speak volumes without verbosity, which is something I aim for when writing my lyrics: short, sweet and to the point.
Cornell certainly was a master of using colorful and emotional metaphors which I have tried to get back to. When I started writing for Raven Tree, I was a bit shackled by a bandmate who insisted I write in a style of "realism without metaphor." That, for me, was a bit like a lefty being forced to write with their right hand. For the last couple of years, I've been striving to recover my more abstract style. As for writing melody, etc. those 70's soft rock acts were the BEST!
TRR: Who do you not like hearing?
Mike: (laughing) I can say I do not own any post-80's-metal or nu-metal records. While I appreciate the riffs and the intense emotion in post-80's-metal, it doesn't find its way into my writing style.
TRR: What do you think makes your band stand out from others?
Mike: We are unapologetically ourselves. We're not trying to be the "next" anything, and we are definitely not trying to sound like anyone else. Even when Tony and I had our cover band, folks were always saying "We like your covers because you put your own spin on them," which was a nice way of saying we didn't sound like the record lol!
The biggest thing we have going is how we are REAL. What is on our records is what we really sound like. Aside from the debut LP, all our studio work has been recorded live in some form or fashion, and the only editing or processing we've ever done was limited to an old-school, analog- only approach. We have a documentary on our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/raventree) where the director for Sheffield Studios (where we recorded the DRM LP) said our approach to recording is unique and somewhat unorthodox in this day and age, ESPECIALLY for an independent band, and it's something we're very proud of.
TRR: You mentioned earlier the you feel the industry hasn't accepted your style of music. Why do you feel that way?
Mike: Yeah, let me clarify on that one, since I don't think the industry is really a challenge one way or the other. The industry typically follows trends and capitalizes on them, but the industry is NOT there to lead the way. Also, the industry is not there to do our work for us. In fact, most artists misunderstand exactly what the industry is; a loose partnership or network of commercial capabilities and services for use by those artists who have developed and grown themselves to commercial relevance. So I don't believe they have not accepted us, we simply haven't built ourselves up to the point where, the industry will find us commercially relevant.
Bottom line is, [we] have a lot of work to do.... the industry is not a rock and roll fairy godmother upon which we should be dependent on it for our success.
TRR: What other bands would you like to tour with?
Mike: I feel we would go well with just about any rock lineup, from a contemporary music standpoint I think we'd fit well with bands like Greta Van Fleet, Dorothy, Joyous Wolf, or older bands such as Alter Bridge, Foo Fighters, etc. But we're not starry eyed about sharing a stage with anyone in particular, as long as the audience is large and appreciative. We will play anytime, with anyone!
TRR: Anyone? Calling Justin Beiber, we've got a band for you to meet!
Mike: (Big Smile) I believe our music will appeal to any demographic across the board, and so far our marketing data reflects that. We appeal to all ages, etc. So, tell Justin to bring his A Game…lol!
TRR: How do you write your songs? Is it collaborative?
Mike: Historically I've always written all the songs, and the band brought their instrumental talents to pre-production and recording. Generally, songs may begin with a riff, or I hear a bass or drum lick which inspires a melody or guitar riff. From there I will build out a song. There are times where I think I have two different songs but will realize that I need to combine the parts into one song. Other times I will be fortunate to have a song just drop out of the sky fully formed; "Worn to the Bone" (from the DRM LP) was one of those.
TRR: What is your most memorable show?
MM: I think for both Phoenix and I, the highlight of the last couple of years was our performance at The Lincoln Memorial in June 2018. We were booked by a DC promoter to perform for 90 minutes, so we had an opportunity to bring nearly our entire catalog to the stage which, along with the setting itself, made for our first truly professional headlining opportunity.
On the other hand, we had a Baltimore area show on New Years' Day 2018 which was an absolute wreck. I had committed to the show having been promised a follow-up performance in Philadelphia. Clearly, this was the ONLY incentive given.
So, we showed up at the "venue" which as some sort of whacky collective, the heating system was a woodstove in the farthest corner of the performance area. The vocal PA had a blown speaker, etc. There were hunting trophy's lying around in the corners, boxes of donated clothes were spilling out everywhere, and it was filthier than you could possibly imagine. Needless to say, no one showed up, and the promised show in Philadelphia never materialized either.
TRR: What has been your craziest fan interaction?
Mike: Most of the strange stuff actually happens online. We had one person respond to our cover of "Superstition," by telling me Stevie Wonder was going to show up on my doorstep and punch me in the throat for wrecking his song, but Phoenix gets even stranger stuff. One person sent us a message and asked if he was a "midget" (their words not mine!) based on what he looked like in our videos, and another said he uses too much conditioner in his hair.
TRR: (laughing) Have you had a "Murphy's Law" show?
Mike: Yep, our very last show. My amp fried out 10 seconds into our set, and since both my backup amps were in the shop, I was screwed. Had to borrow an amp from another band on the bill, and then that amp blew the fuse in the joint. We finally got the show going, but It was totally humiliating.
Yet, the worst gig was probably in 2015: It was an outdoor festival and it was raining, everything was soggy as hell. The band in front of us broke the stage lighting rig and ran overtime, so they made us use another band's backline, the only gear we were allowed to use was our own instruments. They also refused to allow our sound guy to work the board, and when he asked to provide guidance for our sound, they kicked him out of the venue and didn't tell us. Then, they cut our set to 15 minutes. A totally miserable time. Actually, I can think of a number of super crappy shows in 2015.
TRR: What's on the table for the rest of the year?
Mike: We have a lot of music being released this year. Our big event for the first half of this year will be the filming of our Raven Tree LIVE DVD and album, which will take place on Saturday, May 11 for release later in the year. This will be a 90-minute show featuring nearly our entire back catalog along with some of our new songs. In addition, we are re-releasing our debut album as a better representation of our original songwriting project. That will be released in two parts, with the album being split released as two EP's. We also have an EP of new music coming out in the Fall, as well as an EP of Christmas covers, so, we expect to be pretty busy all year.
TRR: Anyone you'd like to give a shout out to or thank you to?
Mike: For myself I have to throw a huge shout out to my wife, yah! I know it sounds corny, but when I left corporate America that was a huge shift in our lives, and the fact that she didn't walk out the door still amazes me. If it wasn't for her, I never could have achieved what we have so far. Secondly, I'd like to recognize the role of Baltimore's Matt Davis. I don't think I will ever be able to express my appreciation strongly enough for his encouragement, inclusiveness, and support from day one. If it wasn't for him, I am not sure how I ever could have launched this band. I am absolutely humbled by the friends and fans who have connected with us through our music. Their support is everything to us, without which there could be no Raven Tree.
TRR: Mike, I want to wish you and the band nothing but the best success and lets keep in touch.
Mike: Thanks, Kreig, and will do!
For further information about Raven Tree, check them
out at https://www.raventreeband.com


You should totally do a site on Geology. I saw your post about all the used up domain names, but people are so comfortable with any domain now, so don't feel constrained if you can't get the .com.
I like to use domai.nr to find domains.
For example, geol.gy is available. Pretty cool domain IMO.
If only I had been so creative! LOL. That's a super cool name though. I ended up with two options and I haven't settled on one yet but I'm already working on the bones of the site. Thanks for the comment and the place to find domain names. Really cool. I had to do some research because I had no idea what the .gy tld stood for. Found it on Wikipedia.
Guyana (Listeni/ɡaɪˈænə/ gy-AN-ə), officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean.
Previous Previous post: Dude Has a Point But What's the Point?


Nov 21, 2018 Thank you for your review, we are happy to have been able to speak with you on November 16th 2018. We strive to deliver excellent customer service. As advised in our conversation we have applied your 90 Day Money Back Guarantee and issued refunds to your qualifying orders. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-607-0419 should you have any further concerns and one of our agents will be more than happy to assist you.
I had previously cancelled any shipments of your product but back in Oct 10 2018 I had received an automatic shipment of your product and had been charged obviously through my card. I'm working on a job that is 100% Commission and told the Cust Service Rep and her supervisor that I did not want to receive or purchase any future shipments.
Well, now its 15 Nov 2018 and I've been shipped and charged again. I AM LIVID!!! I just called your customer service and explained my situation calmly and rationally. I'm asking for the same resolution as I had the first time around.
I'm hoping that given my name, address, and email address, the situation can be resolved and that my charges will be reversed within the 3 business days as explained. I'm writing this as a digital backup which I will document as a screen shot in the event that I will need to prove to the Arizona Attorney General or Lawyer that the proper steps were taken to address my complaint through the proper channels.
You really to address this as any legitimately run business would not treat their customers as a cash cow just there for the milking. I will update or post as required.
Product or Service Mentioned: Great Healthworks Subscription.
Preferred solution: A refund has already been proposed, I recommend that you review your auto-renewal policy and practices as this is probably the number one issue that is plaguing your company. .
Review #1401903 is a subjective opinion of OffbeatNeapolitanMastiff996.
Great Health Works, etal, is a huge rip off.


text:
Home Movies New Trailer Debuts Today For Disney And Pixar's Upcoming New Film SOUL
New Trailer Debuts Today For Disney And Pixar's Upcoming New Film SOUL
Available exclusively on Disney+ beginning Dec. 25, 2020, Disney and Pixar's feature film "Soul" introduces Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher with a serious passion for jazz music. The story is particularly relatable to the artists behind it. For Jamie Foxx, who lends his voice to Joe, it begins with jazz. "Like Joe, I hear music in everything," said Foxx. "When you're a jazz artist, man, you talk a little different: 'Hey, cat!' I got a chance to go to a few jazz fests and meet Herbie Hancock, Chick Correa—hang out with those guys. They have a way of talking, a way of dressing—everything funnels toward their music, toward the jazz."
But director Pete Docter, who shares Foxx's love of music, conceived of the character before jazz entered the picture. "I've been so lucky to work with some incredible people and make movies that have been seen around the world," he said. "But I realized that as wonderful as these projects are, there's more to living than a singular passion—as expressive and fulfilling as that may be. Sometimes the small insignificant things are what it's really about. This film is about broadening the idea of a singular focus to thinking more widely about what life has to offer and what we have to offer life."
Likewise, co-director Kemp Powers, who initially joined the project as a writer, didn't have to look far to find inspiration for Joe Gardner. "We've been working on 'Soul' for years, but the film feels timelier now than we ever could have imagined back when we began," said Powers. "In a year where everything we know has been turned upside down, we've all been forced to find new meaning both in the relationships we have and the small moments that truly make life worth living."
In the film, Joe is on the brink of getting his big break playing for a jazz quartet. But he finds himself on an unexpected detour from the streets of New York City to The Great Before, tasked with helping new soul 22, voiced by Tina Fey, find her spark to earn her way to Earth. "He's sure if he can share his life story with her—his passion for jazz—she'll be inspired and they'll both get to go to Earth," said producer Dana Murray. "They do make it back to Earth, but that's really the beginning of their adventure. It's a funny and touching story of friendship and self-discovery, and we can't wait to show it to the world."
Five-time BAFTA winner Graham Norton ("The Graham Norton Show") revealed last weekend that he lends his voice to spiritual sign twirler Moonwind. The voice cast also includes Rachel House ("Hunt for the Wilderpeople," "Thor: Ragnaraok") as the count-obsessed Terry, and Alice Braga ("Elysium"), Richard Ayoade ("The Mandalorian"), Wes Studi ("Woke," "The Last of the Mohicans"), Fortune Feimster ("Bless the Harts") and Zenobia Shroff ("The Affair") as the voices of the Counselors. Comedian Donnell Rawlings voices Joe's barber Dez, and June Squibb ("Nebraska") provides the voice of Gerel. They join Foxx, Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Angela Bassett and Daveed Diggs.
Rated PG, "Soul" features jazz compositions & arrangements by globally renowned musician and GRAMMY® nominee Jon Batiste, and an original score by Oscar®-winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross ("The Social Network").
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney's Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content. Alongside unprecedented access to Disney's incredible library of film and television entertainment, the service is also the exclusive streaming home for the latest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+. Visit DisneyPlus.com to subscribe and/or learn more about the service.
Thomas Miller
FOUNDER & CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER | Founder and COO of Seat42F, a leading source of entertainment news, information, television and movie resources.
Ava DuVernay To Write, Direct And Produce Film Adaption Of New York Times Best Seller CASTE For Netflix
FOR LIFE Season 2 Trailer And Poster Key Art
CHERRY Official Trailer And Poster
"Cherry" follows the wild journey of a disenfranchised young man from Ohio who meets the love of his…
The Criterion Collection April 2021 New Releases
This spring, brace yourself for an eclectic batch of genre-twisting pleasures: Bong Joon Ho's black-comic mystery based on…
CNN FILMS Announces New Documentary Feature THE LOST SONS
CNN Films and RAW announced today their creative collaboration for the documentary feature, THE LOST SONS. Directed by…
Shudder Announces Killer Lineup Of Eleven Movie Premieres In Eleven Weeks
Shudder, AMC Networks' premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced its unbeatable lineup of…


As a pet owner you are truly lucky that there are so many options available for boarding your dog in the greater Vancouver area. Let's have a look at the three main options – the dog hotel, the dog kennel and the dog sitter, and then let's look at the Jet Pet Resort difference.
Dog Kennels – A dog kennel is a type of dog boarding service where dogs are housed temporarily in closer confines A dog kennel can be a huge operation with multiple dog runs, grooming rooms and training hall or it can be at an individual's house in a spare bedroom. Many dog kennels offer one-on-one play times in order to get the dog out of the kennel environment. Familiar objects, such as blankets and toys from home, are also permitted at many dog kennels. Similarly, many dog kennels in Vancouver nowadays also offer grooming and training services in addition to boarding, with the idea being that the dog kennel can be the owner's one-stop shop for all three services.
Jet Pet Resort – When looking for a dog boarding facility, Jet Pet Resort towers above the other dog boarding options in the greater Vancouver area while keeping well below their costs. Jet Pet Resort offers all of the amenities of a dog hotel and a kennel while bringing the intimacy of a pet sitter with personalized one-to-one stress free care and attention to routine to any guest.


Nurses £30,604 - £43,361; Allied Health up to £53,659; Psychiatrists neg. + relocation payment.
Job Opportunities for Mental Health Professionals in Australia's most beautiful state!
Tasmania is a boutique state of Australia and offers opportunities for nurses and psychiatrists wanting to work in mental health, across a range of services.
Tasmania has one public health service and there are opportunities for health professionals across our teams in Mental Health, Correctional Primary Health, Forensic Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Services.
Exciting new initiatives such as the Mental Health Hospital in the Home service form part of plans to expand the capacity of specialist mental health services in Southern Tasmania.
The dynamic multi-disciplinary teams deliver care in a diverse range of settings throughout Tasmania. These include community, acute inpatient and rehabilitation services across the lifespan and in both urban and rural environments.
There are opportunities to work in Nursing, Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Allied Health across our services. Our services are provided across Tasmania through the Tasmanian Health Service – Northern, North West and Southern regions.
We are visiting the UK in late January/early February 2019 to interview prospective employees. Although we welcome expressions of interest anytime, we encourage you to express interest before the 25 January so we can arrange to meet you then!


By now you've probably heard the saying "sitting is the new smoking." The message that our sedentary lifestyles are causing all sorts of health issues is out there loud and clear. But have you also heard the message that exercise isn't necessarily the answer?
Think about a typical day in your life and the life of your family. How often are you moving? Do you and your kids sit to eat breakfast, sit in the car on the way to school, sit at a desk all day, sit to watch television? The simple truth is that many of us, including our kids, spend significant portions of our day on our backsides.
Katy Bowman is a biomechanist by training and founder of the "whole body movement program," Nutritious Movement. Her message is that movement should be a part of our everyday lives – all day, every day – rather than just a thing we do in between all of the sitting.
Nutritious movement, she says, is a human need just like a healthy diet. A repetitive exercise regime only moves your body in one specific way for one specific period of time, Bowman explains, but integrating movement throughout the day is a lifestyle change that moves your body in all sorts of ways, helping you to be more balanced.
As an added bonus, nutritious movement can make you a happier person because movement is no longer something you have to check off your to-do list. "I'm not stressed about NOT exercising, feeling like I've failed to meet the needs of my body," Bowman says of her own transition to this lifestyle.
Bowman is also raising her kids in a movement-based lifestyle. They have monkey bars in their house and do not have chairs or couches; instead, they eat and hang out in all different positions on the floor. They walk everywhere they can, including frequent trips to the playground, and they hike barefoot through national parks. Bowman says her kids realize that their family is a little different from others, but they see difference as a normal part of life and don't resist the lifestyle.
I became interested in Bowman's work after giving birth to my second child and ended up diving into everything I could get my hands on. I'm a convert to Bowman's philosophy and I'm already starting to feel better.
I move more during my day at work by alternating between sitting, standing, and reading on the floor. I'm also trying to make movement, especially in nature, more frequent in my family's life. I've begun to prioritize our long walk to the bus stop each morning, getting myself outside to play soccer, and spending time on the swing set (I'm working up to my own monkey bar repertoire).
I was thrilled to talk with Bowman about what it means for her whole family to live this way and what the rest of us might learn from her. Lucky for us, Bowman believes it's never too late to start introducing kids, or adults, to a movement-based lifestyle.
View: a day in the life of a movement based lifestyle.
What strategies would you recommend to get kids excited about, or at least not protesting, more movement in their lives?
I think the key is to not make a big deal out of it. The whole "guess what everyone, we're going to embark on our movement-based lifestyle" probably sounds like "you're going to have to start doing things you don't want to do." Instead, just start taking walks and say "good bye everyone, I'm going to spend some time out in nature alone" and just watch them line up to come with.
Are your kids involved in organized sports? Do you approach sports decisions any differently because of your own research and lifestyle?
My kids are little—three and just five. Organized sports are a fairly new thing. But there is more and more evidence pointing to early specialization (that is, having kids play the same sport for many years, as opposed to them playing lots of different movement games and sports before finding what they're good at as older teenagers) can lead to injuries that can effect them as adults.
I think of sports in the same way I think of dessert—a great way to supplement a well-balanced whole-food diet. My kids climb trees, walk long distances, and hike a lot through nature. We walk to the store and jump off high things, and sprint, and wrestle, and swing through monkey bars—barefoot the bulk of the time. I'm all for sports, I just don't see sports as fully meeting their movement nutrition guidelines.
I've read that you chose a Forest School for your kids. What recommendations do you have for families who don't have this type of option for school?
If there's no official program, start an after school or weekend meet-up in nature. Here's my biggest "get your kid moving" tip: Kids want to move with other kids. Going for a walk "because it's healthy" is an adult construct developed out of an almost sedentary experience. They can't relate. What they can relate to is other kids moving through nature, because it's fun. Humans are pack animals. Get kids a little older and more skilled than yours and it's like some natural instinct to keep up kicks in and away they go, COMPLAINT FREE (which means your outdoor time becomes a break from The Constant Whining – or, is that just my kids?).
Do you have any recommendations for parents who want to bring these ideas to their kids' schools?
Suggest ways to add movement to your child's teacher or the school's PTA. This can be a bit tricky, but the research on sitting and learning and health are in your favor. I haven't seen any research pointing to sitting as the best option for kids and education, it's just how schooling has been done (for research to the contrary, check out this article on the benefits of standing).
Instead of only suggesting, offer to be of service in terms of funding, looking for grants, or volunteering your time in the class to help support this endeavor. I've inspired at least a few class rooms to go furniture free (check out this example of a chair free classroom ), and volunteering to shop thrift stores to stock classrooms with tables and cushions of various heights has been helpful, as is volunteering to chaperone class walks and weekly hikes.
For more ideas on how to incorporate Nutritious Movement into your life, and the lives of your kids, I highly encourage you to check out Katy's Facebook page. I guarantee you will be inspired and occasionally laugh. When you're ready to dive a bit deeper, you might start with her book Move your DNA which provides all of the basic science behind the concept.
PS – If you've been sitting the whole time you read this article, get up and take a movement break; your body will thank you!
Carrie Williams Howe is the Executive Director of an educational non-profit by day, and parent and aspiring homesteader by night and weekend. She lives in Williston, VT, with her husband, two young children, and a rambunctious border collie. Carrie writes about family, food, and homesteading on her website, "The Happy Hive." Find her on Facebook or Instagram.


text:
U.K. PENSION REFORM MAY CAUSE STOCK SALES
By Joel Chernoff
LONDON - The U.K. government signaled it will ease its minimum solvency test for pension funds in legislation to be proposed later this year, allowing funds to use average market values instead of a single day's valuation.
Still, many pension experts believe the test and the increasing maturity of British pension funds will cause a sharp move into bonds and out of stocks - particularly non-U.K. stocks. Alternatively, companies may choose to buoy their pension contributions.
A new survey of top corporate executives found 34% expect to change pension investment strategies to minimize risk, while 31% plan to boost contributions. Another 17% said they will switch to money purchase plans, according to the survey by the Confederation of British Industry and William M. Mercer Ltd., London.
William Hague, minister of state for social security, said the government favors smoothing pension asset values instead of using market values on one particular day. "This should limit the risk of schemes becoming insolvent because of unusual short-term movements in the markets," he told the Confederation of British Industry's annual pension conference.
The announcement marks the second significant shift by the government from the solvency standard proposed by the Goode Committee a year ago. That committee, set up in the wake of the Maxwell scandal to review pension rules, had said the test should be based on the price of purchasing annuities to cover all accrued pension liabilities. Employers complained using annuity prices would cause many plans to be considered underfunded.
In its white paper on pension reform issued last June, the government loosened that standard. Based on recommendations from actuarial groups, the Department of Social Security said liabilities for younger workers could be based on equities, while those for workers approaching retirement age will be valued based on a blend of equities and bonds. The cash equivalent for retiree liabilities would be based on bond yields.
The minimum solvency test would require employers to make immediate cash injections if their pension plans fell below 90% funding. It would provide three years for bringing plans up to full funding if funding declined to below 100% but above 90%. The standard is slated to go into effect in 1997, but will have a five-year transition period.
To protect against sudden dips below solvency levels, and thus cause an immediate cash call on the corporation, experts say pension officials should move away from stocks and into lower-risk bond investments. Some pension experts warn the requirements will cause a major shift from equities to bonds by British pension funds.
Financial firms and pension consultants especially are urging officials of mature plans, with high retiree-to-active employee ratios, to re-examine their investment policy. Also, plans with guaranteed indexed benefits are more vulnerable to shifts. The pension reform proposal would mandate indexing benefits up to 5% a year.
Roger Urwin, head of Watsons Investment Consultancy, Reigate, England, told a recent Goldman, Sachs & Co. conference there is a growing convergence of asset allocation but a growing divergence of liability among U.K. pension funds.
The average allocation to stocks in the United Kingdom is 84%, the highest in the world for pension funds, and is about the same regardless of a fund's maturity, according to a sample survey conducted by Watsons.
At the least, said Mark Griffin, an executive director at Goldman Sachs International, London, pension funds should use the minimum solvency standard as the benchmark for risk-control strategies.
A risk-neutral strategy for a typical U.K. pension fund would have a much higher element of bonds and index-linked gilts - at 50% - than the average 15% bond component now.
More striking is that the benchmark would contain no foreign equities, which currently comprise 26% of the average U.K. pension fund portfolio, according to the Combined Actuarial Performance Services Ltd., Leeds, England.
The minimum solvency benchmark supports the government's contention that overseas equities would be most affected by adoption of the minimum solvency rules.
Mr. Urwin said, however, he thinks investments in overseas equities will be sustained and U.K. equities may shrink slightly, perhaps five percentage points over five years. Tim Gardener, head of asset planning at William M. Mercer, predicts an overall drop to 75% in stocks from 85% now during the next three years.
Other investment options exist to reduce the risk of market volatility. U.K. pension funds could adopt dedicated or immunized bond strategies, suggested Sandy Rattray, a Goldman, Sachs analyst.
Dedicated bond portfolios permit matching expected cash flows against liability flows and have been used widely in the United States. Immunized bond portfolios, which are less costly, maintain the original surplus of assets over liabilities. They do not match cash flows precisely but can be used to match long-term defined liabilities.
Other options include the use of derivative strategies. In a recent paper, Salomon Brothers officials suggest varying strategies for hedging underperformance of the U.K. stock market. "Using derivatives to control solvency risk is much more efficient than selling stocks directly," the paper said.
An alternative to shifting the asset mix could be to boost funding of the plan. Analysts suggest a cushion of 10% could sustain many funds from volatile market swings.
Anthony Simpson, an executive director at Goldman Sachs, added the firm officials are not saying all U.K. pension funds will adopt a minimum solvency benchmark. But he said each pension fund must develop its own benchmark and not rely on the industry median.
In a related matter, Mr. Hague suggested the government will not require every company to poll employees as to whether they want to appoint one-third of pension trustees. The proposed legislation would give employees the right to select at least one-third of the trustees.
Employers had complained that mandating a vote would be expensive and cumbersome. Instead, they urged a referendum be held only when a certain proportion of plan participants are unhappy with the present arrangement.


MMA is often touted as the fastest growing sport in the world, is currently the biggest pay-per-view sport around and is about to make it's network debut on FOX on Saturday night, but how well known is the sport to the average man on the street?
MMAfighting's Ariel Helwani took to the streets of Hollywood armed with a microphone and a camera to find out.
The results may disappoint some who are under the misguided notion that MMA is already a mainstream sport with many of those interviewed appearing not to know what MMA even stands for, while others who had heard of it before struggled to name even one fighter.
It's also concerning that Kimbo Slice is still the man most people associate with MMA even though he was essentially a sideshow that couldn't hack it in the sport. It shows the impact that Kimbo's mainstream exposure on CBS a few years ago during his time with Elite XC has had on people however, and the UFC will no doubt be hoping that Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos can also resonate when they step into the Octagon on FOX in just two days time.
Check out Helwani doing a typically excellent job of being a roving reporter below.


text:
Q: How to take a varchar field and compare as date in C# using RowFilter I have a field in my SQL table
`OurDate (varchar(250), null)`
//sample dates
//  01/18/2018
//  05/12/2016
//  03/05/2012

I am trying to compare the table data between two dates in that field column using RowFilter:
string fromDate = "{OurDate Sql column value from dropdown list}"; //01/18/2018
string toDate =  "{OurDate Sql column value from dropdown list}"; //01/18/2018 (could be different, if someone doesn't want same day)
dataTable.DefaultView.RowFilter = string.Format("(CONVERT({0}, 'System.DateTime') >= #" + Convert.ToDateTime(fromDate) + "# And {0} <= #" + Convert.ToDateTime(toDate) + "# )", "OurDate");

I get this error:
String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.

Can someone please assist me in resolving this issue.

A: First you should identify what causes the Conversion issue.
Is it the CONVERT expression or the values used for filtering.
You can do this by splitting up your code and adding an expression column just for the conversion like this:
dataTable.Columns.Add("TEST", typeof(DateTime), "CONVERT(OurDate, 'System.DateTime')");

If this line causes the error - it means that the problem is converting the data. DataExpression's CONVERT function should be based on the dataTable.Locale (which defaults to CultureInfo.CurrentCulture) property.
If your data is indeed always in "MM/dd/yyyy" format setting this to
dataTable.Locale = new CultureInfo("en-US");

Should solve the problem - If the data in the table is in an inconsistent format - you will not be able to solve this using RowFilter/DataExpressions
At this point you will notice that your second filter condition is missing the CONVERT entirely.
In fact this entire convert step is superficial if all of your data is in the correct format - if RowFilter detects its correct format for datetime - it will apply this conversion automatically to your column.
That being said .RowFilter only accepts dates in the following formats
American "MM/dd/yyyy" and "yyyy/MM/dd" (which I guess is considered Invariant here?)
If your local format is not one of these calling Convert.ToDateTime(fromDate) will cause a failure to convert.
Since your strings are already in one of the accepted formats - calling this should just be a pointless round trip anyway.
TL;DR: assuming all your formats are correct  this should work:
dataTable.DefaultView.RowFilter = $"OurDate >= #{fromDate}# And OurDate <= #{toDate}#";

If your rows have different formats you'll need something with more control - I'd recommend LINQ to DataSet as the easiest way out since you'll be able to return DataViews/DataTables with it.

A: Try this instead of ConvertTo:
DateTime.ParseExact(myStr, "MM/dd/yyyy", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);

I found it here How convert string to Datetime by a format? and changed the syntax a little to fit your db values' format.

A: Also you can use like that;
i think this way more readable more than rowfilter;
      static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        string givenDateString = "01/26/2018";

        DateTime convertedDateFromString = new DateTime();
        DateTime.TryParse(givenDateString, out convertedDateFromString);

        DataTable dt = new DataTable();
        dt.Columns.Add("OurDate", typeof(System.DateTime));

        DataRow dR = dt.NewRow();
        dR["OurDate"] = DateTime.Now;

        dt.Rows.Add(dR);

        //way 1
        var result = from d in dt.AsEnumerable().ToList()
                     where d.Field<DateTime>("OurDate").Date == convertedDateFromString.Date
                     select d;

        Console.WriteLine(result.FirstOrDefault()["OurDate"].ToString());

        //way 2
        var result2 = from d in dt.AsEnumerable()
                      where d.Field<DateTime>("OurDate").Date == convertedDateFromString.Date
                      select d;
        //result.FirstOrDefault<DataRow>[""];
        Console.WriteLine(result2.FirstOrDefault<DataRow>()["OurDate"].ToString());

    }


text:
This Month In Books: February 2015
Jenna Johnson February 3, 2015 0 0
I have been simulataneously awaiting and dreading February 2015 for months now (specifically since July 29, 2014) because the last and final Bloodlines novel is finally going to be released! Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy/Bloodlines novels have been what I've been looking forward to since I began reading them a few years ago and it will all be coming to an end this month. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself now that Adrian and Sydney's story is wrapping up, but at least there are always other new books to be excited about! This month we've got another Corpus novel by Jessica Khoury coming out (If you haven't read Origin , I personally recommend you do so right now!) and the second in last years popular Alienated series. There's also the first in a new fantasy series that I've been hearing about for months and the first in a new series about magic. Finally, we have three new contemporary novels: one that looks like its gonna be a tearjerker, one about a girl who strikes up a friendship (and more) with an injured Marine, and one that deals with teenage depression. What do you guys think about this months new releases? Honestly, I'm just so happy that there are some really great books coming out this month and that we aren't bombarded by sappy romance books thanks to Valentines Day. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Invaded (Alienated #2) by Melissa Landers
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe…until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.
Cara always knew life on planet L'eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L'eihr boyfriend, back on Earth working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.
Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L'eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L'eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L'eihr relations. Humans don't know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx's people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet, despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists' multiple attempts on Aelyx's life.
The Way clearly needs humans' help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?
I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she's ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California's dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.
The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead
The epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series is finally here…
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.
There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
The last time Lex was happy, was before: when she had a family that was whole, a boyfriend she loved, and friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.
Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.
As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.
Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.
There's only one problem: she's not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who's haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.
Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.
Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own–one that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?
Kalahari (Corpus #3) by Jessica Khoury
Deep in the Kalahari Desert, a Corpus lab protects a dangerous secret…
But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own?
When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide. It's up to Sarah, the daughter of zoologists, to keep them alive and lead them to safety, calling on survival know-how from years of growing up in remote and exotic locales. Battling dehydration, starvation and the pangs of first love, she does her best to hold it together, even as their circumstances grow increasingly desperate.
But soon a terrifying encounter makes Sarah question everything she's ever known about the natural world. A silver lion, as though made of mercury, makes a vicious, unprovoked attack on the group. After a narrow escape, they uncover the chilling truth behind the lion's silver sheen: a highly contagious and deadly virus that threatens to ravage the entire area—and eliminate life as they know it.
In this breathtaking new novel by the acclaimed author of Origin and Vitro, Sarah and the others must not only outrun the virus, but its creators, who will stop at nothing to wipe every trace of it.
A Darker Shade of Magic (A Darker Shade of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab
Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.
Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London – but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they'll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.
Tags a darker shade of magic alchemists alienated Aliens Bloodlines contemporary Cynthia Hand death Dystopian Fantasy Featured february 2015 heather demtrios I'll meet you there invaded jasmine warga jessica khoury Kalahari magic melissa landers mental illness my heard and other black holes mystery new releases paranormal romance realistic fiction red queen Richelle Mead Romance science fiction the last time we say goodbye The Ruby Circle time travel v. e. schwab vampires victoria aveyard YA Young Adult
Jenna is a 20 something Southern California native. She has her Bachelor's degree in Literature and writing studies and is a huge book nerd. Most of her time is spent reading. When she isn't reading she can usually be found on tumblr, watching TV, or online shopping, usually all three at once and all of which she is addicted to. She also enjoys eating any Italian food and watching sports (she is a diehard Yankees fan). You can find her on tumblr at http://readfearless.tumblr.com or email her at jenna@theyoungfolks.com.
Previous ArticleTV Review: 'Jane the Virgin' Chapter 12
Next ArticleTV Review: The Flash (1x12) "Crazy For You"
Book Review: "You Are the Everything" by Karen Rivers
Deborah Krieger January 7, 2020


Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The obligation to our clients is to provide optimum tax services in Bel Air, MD through the least amount of taxes allowable under the law. I am among the top four (4) percent registered tax return preparers in the United States and I am an authorized IRS e-file provider. We are currently listed in the National Directory of Registered Tax Return Preparers and Tax Professionals. This Directory has issued us a five (5) star rating from satisfied clients.
MOVING EXPENSES - Are they deductible?
HOME IMPROVEMENTS - How do they affect my taxes?
CAPITAL GAIN/LOSS - How will this affect the sale of previous home?
EXEMPTIONS - How will new homeownership affect the number of exemptions to take?
Our fees for professional services are reasonable and are determined by the complexity of your tax return. Our fees are comparable to H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. You can take advantage of our years of experience! Welcome to our community. We look forward to meeting you. For more information about our services contact us today.
North on Business Rte. 1. Turn right on Kenmore Road at the TD Bank. As you pass Bel Air High School, stay in center lane until street curves. Make an immediate right into the parking lot just past the stone building with green awnings.


Strong Enough to Support a Truck!
CLICK BELOW FOR SALES OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.
The answer is priceless, but it won't cost you nearly that much with the Buddybar Door Jammer.
Of course you can buy door jammers that are less than half the price of ours. But before you do, we encourage you to compare the products. We think you'll agree that the Buddybar is engineered with far superior quality and addresses common points of failure in cheaper door jammers. Now isn't that peace of mind worth it?
SOMETIMES YOU REALLY DO GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
The BuddyBar Door Jammer and BuddyBar Kick Bar are innovative portable devices designed to protect your personal, professional, and travel security needs. It fits easily in your luggage and, the BuddyBar Door Jammer weighs only 8.2 pounds. Perfection for your home, dorm and travel. The BuddyBar Door Jammer is the strongest home security bar on the market.
Designed by NetBest Internet Services.


At dusk, riding home on Big Red, the alluring scent of the purple wisteria, mingling with the aroma of the wood fires almost made me dizzy. The skyline wore a peach-apricot glow with cloudless brilliant blue above. The sun chased alongside me through the trees. A train passed under the evening rising mist. It was cold but I didn't care. The sunlight was retreating and cool shadows and fog had started to claim the road. The cars had their lights on as they hurried toward the future. I was fine riding through the present.
I'd left home this morning not quite realizing how cold it was. It was 41 degrees (5 Celsius). I'd forgotten to charge the batteries on my heated gloves so my hands were freezing. I had to hunker down at the Hardees in Adairsville and warm my hands and soul with some coffee. My heart was already warmed from the friction of gratitude rushing through me. Away from the music and news reports, enveloped by nature and especially the newly blooming dogwoods, it's really hard for a boy not to feel grateful on a motorcycle. Even if it's cold.