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\ Overview of the Benetton Group
Overview of the Benetton Group
Today, the Benetton Group is present in 120 countries around the world. Its core business is clothing: a group with a strong Italian character whose style, design
expertise and passion are clearly seen in the United Colors of Benetton and the more fashion-orientated Sisley brands, and in sportswear brands Playlife and Killer Loop. The Group produces over 110 million garments every year, over 90% in Europe. Its retail network of 5,000 stores around the world is increasingly focused on large floor-space points of sale offering high quality customer services and now generates a total turnover of 1.9 billion euros, net of retail sales.
2. The company's history
In 1945, Luciano Benetton lost his father when he was only ten years old. In difficult post-war times in Italy, the little Venetian boy had to sell newspapers to help his family make ends meet. In the sixties, Guiliana, Luciano's sister, was so good at knitting they decided to set up a small pull-over company. One would design the woollen models (when the current trend was for acrylic pullovers) and be in charge of fabrication, while the other would handle the marketing side, acting as commercial representative. Luciano went to England to study a technique whereby one knitted in off-white yarn, only dying the wool at the last minute, thus keeping up with ever changing fashion trends.
The Benettons opened their own shops, one after another, as soon as the receipts started rolling in. Unlike most small producers, who invariably opt for the widest possible distribution, they decided to create a network of exclusive distributors, and use sub-contractors.
The French designer Lison Bonfils came to advise them, and worked with them for ten years. Success was so extensive that Luciano Benetton bought and restored the Villa Minelli, which became the company's head office, and he opened his first factory.
The style, the colors and the targeted clientele (young and not particularly well-off) were three factors working in their favour when they set up shop in Paris. Their first boutique opened on the rue Bonaparte, with a selection of 8 to 12 Fair Isle pullovers, with 48 to 58 colours per season.
Benetton left their small Italian publicity agency to sign with Eldorado in Paris.
After sponsoring the Trevisse rugby team (in 1978), Benetton now put the local basketball team in their colours.
A production factory opened in Troyes, and Benetton launched another label : Tip-Top shoes. The company sponsored Tyrell's Formula 1 team.
The company was a true family business, composed of four brothers and a sister, each with a specific role to play in the business. Luciano (born in 1935), who started the company, was in marketing, Guiliana (b. in 1937) directed the design department, Gilberto (b. in 1941) handled administration and finance and Carlo (b. in 1943) managed production. Benetton International Holding had its' headquarters in Luxembourg, and its' strategy could be summed up in two words : internationalisation and diversification. The company had nine factories operating in Italy, France and Scotland. Benetton had several different labels available, according to the targeted clientele : "0-12" with pullovers, trousers and shirts for children; "Merceria" with pullovers, and shirts (mainly for women; "My Market" with pullovers and shirts, "Benetton" with pullovers, trousers and shirts, "Tomato" with pullovers, trousers and shirts for juniors. Benetton's purchase of Toleman's Formula 1 team contributed to the brands diversity.
The Trevisse volleyball team was now sponsored by Benetton.
Benetton watches were commercialised. After conferring the cosmetics branch of the company to Leslie Grunberg in 1986, Benetton launched the perfume "Colors" this year. Designer Francesca Matte� worked exclusively for Benetton, along with the photographer Toscani. Every one of the Benetton shops was conceived by Italian architect Tobia Scarpa along the same lines of clarity, simplicity and order, so that clients can grasp the collection's trends at a single glance.
The men's version of "Colors" was launched in Europe.
Benetton brought out a fortnightly international magazine called "Colors", jointly published in French and English, general interest magazine with emphasis on images, available in Benetton shops.
A new Women's perfume came out : "Tribu" (to be pronounced Italian style : tribou), commercialised in the US, in Europe and in the Middle east, and then in Asia. The Benetton group reaffirmed its' position with regard to its' more conservative clientele, with the "Sisley" label. A model shop was opened in the centre of Paris, and a new line of shirts was created� "And". the agency Inedito "pool of production for Fashion images" was founded by Toscani, entirely financed by Benetton. the purpose of this agency was to sell fashion coverage to French and foreign magazines, with a minimum 10 to 30% of Benetton clothes.
The school project "Fabrica" was launched. Benetton F1, with Renault engines, came in second place in the race drivers' Championships, with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel, and won first prize in the manufacturer's event.
Benetton operates in 120 different countries, with the United Colors of Benetton label, O12 and Sisley in textiles. It has widened sphere of activity to three main areas ; "Benetton Sport system", which – since 1989 – manages the ensemble of labels in the Sports field (Asolo, Ektelonn, Grafalloy, K�stle, Killer Loop, Langert, Nordica, Nitro, Prince and Rollerblade), "Major distribution and Fast Food industries" since 1995 (Eurmercato, and in the catering field Finanzaria Autogrill) and "21 Investimenti", the financial company investing in small companies and industries in fields as diverse as the farm-produce industry, health foods, hydra-massage showers and tubs, televisual services, multimedia firms…
3. United Colors of Benetton
A global brand, and one of the most well known in the world, United Colors of Benetton has an international style that combines color, energy and practicality. The womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and underwear collections offer a total look for everyday, for work and for leisure, in the city and outdoors.
The brand is broadening its horizons, expanding into new areas of merchandise from Home Collection, kitchen accessories, terrycloth line, to baby products, new toiletries line, perfumes and exclusive watches. The above products are available in numerous Benetton stores and in selected specialized shops worldwide.
is an extension of the Benetton brand, featuring underwear, beachwear and sleepwear collections, as well as accessories for women, men and children. A wide selection of recurring basic colors is enriched every season with the latest trends. Undercolors is available in its own chain of stores which now has more than 500 locations in thirty countries and in selected Benetton Shops.
This is the Group's most trend-setting brand, at the forefront of fashion. Season after season, its bold, forceful collections full of fashion ideas set the trends for young, dynamic women and men. Its creative artists and sales team concentrate their efforts on its image and on strong-impact advertising campaigns.
is Benetton's sportswear label. Collections for men and women offer a casual yet sporty look designed to provide maximum comfort, freedom of use, unrestricted by any single sporting discipline. Footwear and accessories complete the collection reflecting the latest trends.
A brand dedicated to young people, Killer Loop has become an icon for dynamic lifestyles thanks to its assertive clothing and footwear ranges, and to Killer Loop equipment for the Triple S sports of snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing.
4. Financial Highlights
*Normalized net income before non-recurring items
5. A creative think tank
Fabrica is Benetton's communication research centre, created in 1994 from Benetton's cultural heritage. Fabrica is housed in a stunning building by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and is situated outside Treviso in Northern Italy.
Guided by an international team, which also supervises its strategic, cultural and communication policies, Fabrica supports the creative development of young artists/researchers from all over the world. Following a careful selection process, they are invited to develop concrete communication projects in sectors ranging from cinema to graphics, from industrial design to music, from publishing to new media and photography, under the direction of some of the main players in these areas.
In its role as an applied creative laboratory (its name comes from the Latin word meaning workshop), Fabrica experiments new forms of communication, following two parallel guidelines: a hands-on approach to training and interactivity. In terms of both the projects and cultural identity, whose plurality is guaranteed by the mix of young people from countries with different languages, cultures and attitudes.
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What is strategy and does it matter for a large organisation Marketing Assignment


On Saturday, April 11th, 2016, the HDS Foundation participated in the Night of Stars, a 20th anniversary celebration for the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center. This Recovery Center assists a defined group of people who generally need assistance; that is, women who are pregnant and/or mothering and who struggle with trauma, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. Susan B. Anthony, as an organization, strives to take women possessing the aforementioned traits in and lead them to the path of recovery, all while caring for their children. The Recovery Center cares immensely about that specific aspect (caring for children) of this large problem – they aim to help these troubled women get better without breaking families apart. They realize that foster care systems, and the difficulties and intricacies that come with finding lone children foster families, can be emotionally taxing on the child. So, in taking in entire families, the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center is doing a service for mothers and children: the family is overjoyed to stay together, and the mother is additionally happy to be on the road to recuperation.
Realizing the positive impact the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center has on the community at large, and having a tendency to be philanthropic, Cristina, founder of the HDS Foundation, decided to take part in the Night of Stars event. She bought out an entire table for the night, and HDS staff filled it in support. The Gala, as some referred to it, was a huge success, with much food eaten and many laughs shared. Between the silent and live auctions and ticket sales, as well as a number of donations, a large amount of funds was raised for the Broward County branch of the Recovery Center. As a result, more children in Broward can stay with their mothers, and more mothers in Broward can be taken in. The Susan B. Anthony organization, and all who played a part in this event, contributed to creating safer, happier, and healthier lives for many distraught women and children. HDS is glad to have been a part of it.


Looking for a healthier potato salad? No mayo required here. Spice up your back yard BBQ, with this smokey chipotle mix of sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, roasted red peppers and cilantro. Can be served chilled, room temperature, or even hot. A perfect complement to so many of your summertime BBQ favorites.
Coat the sweet potatoes with olive oil and spices and cook over medium heat until just turning brown. Add brown sugar for the final few minutes of cooking to give the potatoes their sweet, smokey, spicy flavor.
Add the black beans, corn, roasted red peppers and chopped cilantro.
This salad can be served chilled, room temperature, or even hot.
The chipotle flavor of this salad make it a great compliment to any of your BBQ favorites. It's also a great stand alone light meal option. Get creative…I've even had it on top of a piece of toasted artisan bread as an open face sandwich (yum yum!).
Heat a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add potato mixture and cook stirring frequently. When potatoes just start to brown,(approx. 15 min.) add brown sugar (adding earlier will cause the potatoes to burn quickly) . Cook until golden brown and tender . Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl combine corn, black beans, cilantro and cooled sweet potatoes. Mix thoroughly, you may wish to add a drizzle of olive oil if necessary.
Salad can be served room temperature, chilled or hot. Garnish with additional cilantro or a little dollop of sour cream.
I made this today and it was awesome! I love a kick so I added some diced pickled jalapeño as well. 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
great idea Danielle!…yum! I bet pickled jalapeno was a nice addition.
Your recipes look fantastic and fairly easy to make! Thank you so much for sharing!
I will try a few of these this weekend!
Hi Benda…thanks! Hope you enjoy!
Susan, Love this dish. Making healthy sweet potatoes into a "potato salad" how clever is that! Giving it a southwest kick really gives a new meaning to south by southwest.


Testing and evaluating advanced battery cells, modules, battery packs, battery management systems and various types of chargers.
Testing battery-electric, hybrid-electric, and plug-in hybrid propulsion systems for on- and off-road and motorsports applications.
Supporting thee development of more energy-efficient batteries and battery charging systems.
Evaluating advanced propulsion batteries and other energy storage technologies for stationary applications, such as home energy storage, telecommunications and emergency backup power.
Providing advanced engineering and consulting services for the vehicle electrification and stationary energy storage industries.
Advanced batteries lie at the heart of EVERY vehicle electrification design and CAR Technologies is a perfect collaboration partner to help industry address critical needs with next generation calibration and control strategies.
With over 25 years of advanced powertrain architectures and controls experience, CAR Technologies' automotive and energy storage expertise makes us a valuable testing and engineering partner across the full spectrum of OEM battery validation and engineering processes, whether you are validating the basic battery and battery pack configuration BEFORE designs are finalized, developing essential data to FINE-TUNE the BMS and battery control strategies, or ENABLING a foundation for providing in-vehicle battery life/health prognostics.


This book is largely a tale of survival from the viewpoint of a ten-year-old boy – the author – during World War II in the Philippines. It relates the painful ordeal and suffering of his family in their struggle for survival against hunger and disease; the atrocities and brutalities inflicted against the Filipinos; and how they managed to rise from the ashes of financial defeat to dramatic recovery. From then on, the author recalls his post-war experiences, such as an acquaintance with a benevolent GI during liberation; the author's faith in the power of prayer and God; and his gratitude for being given the rare privilege and opportunity, as a successful surgeon and medical practitioner in the Philippines and the United States, to help alleviate suffering, correct deformities, and make a difference in the lives of his poor patients.
Witness a segment of history through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy who has seen it all.


Ctrip is betting on 6,000 franchise shops to take aim at cities where most travel shopping happens offline. At the same time, it hopes to increase its operating margins to Priceline-like levels. The two initiatives don't necessarily collide since Ctrip doesn't own the real estate or pay labor costs for the offline shops.
Shop owners bear the labor and rent costs and pay Ctrip a franchise fee. Sun said Ctrip provides the technology, branding, and product, while the shop owners apply their knowledge of a local market to reach new customers with the right products.
After only a few months, these stores are averaging revenue of about $300,000 a month, Sun said. It's "possible" the stores will be at a break-even stage for the parent company within a year, she added.
Ctrip isn't alone in seeing that offline shops can be a route to amplifying an online travel group's goals. TUI Group's chief marketing officer noted when he was speaking at Skift Forum Europe that bricks-and-mortar retail still matters to tour brands.
Offline moves won't be enough to help in the short-term to enable the parent company to attain Priceline-level operating margins — a key expectation of investors over the next year.
Ctrip is already making progress, having boosted its operating margin from the single digits in 2015. It reported a 15 percent operating margin for the first quarter of the year. On Thursday, it reported an operating margin of 18 percent for the second quarter of 2017.
But there is still room to grow. Those figures are still only about half of the operating margin of approximately the mid-30s for the Priceline Group, the U.S. and European-based travel giant.
Revenue growth remains relatively strong. In the second quarter, Ctrip reported net revenue of $945 million, representing a 45 percent rise from the same period a year earlier. The company attributed the gains to growth in particular to "organic businesses" and air ticketing.
Ctrip executives did not mention possible acquisitions during the call. But, in May they told the Wall Street Journal that they are "actively looking" for opportunities in China and abroad. The travel giant is sitting on an approximately $5 billion cash pile.
In sum, Ctrip dominates online travel in China and is pushing more into the lucrative offline and outbound markets. For context, earlier this month, Skift published its in-person Q&A at the Beijing headquarters with CEO Jane Jie Sun about these trends.
For more insight on the company, Skift Research released provided a new research report this summer: A Deep Dive Into Ctrip and the China Online Travel Market 2017.


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#2551: Hera Syndulla
Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with All Time Toys, Hasbro, Hera Syndulla, Rebels, Star Wars, The Black Series October 9, 2020
HERA SYNDULLA
STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)
"The captain and heart of the Ghost crew, Hera Syndulla was a gifted pilot and leader. The Twi'lek could bring out the best in her team, making them believe in themselves."
Star Wars: Rebels hit at a rough spot for merchandising on Star Wars. The 3D re-release of Phantom Menace and its ensuing tie-ins practically killed Star Wars at retail in its entirety, necessitating a major re-work and as major scaling back. Rebels was treated to a line of basic figures at the smaller scale, just as The Black Series was launching at the 6-inch scale. Black Series was very OT focused at itself, so the Ghost crew had to make due with slowly being added to the line one-by-one. Of course, having them mixed in with a bunch of other product launches didn't exactly make them the easiest figures to get ahold of. I myself missed my first shot at Hera, who originally dropped during the Last Jedi launch. Fortunately for me (and the many other fans who missed out on her initial release), Hasbro's decided to just go ahead and reissue the whole crew in one shot.
Hera Syndulla is part of Hasbro's latest relaunch of Star Wars: The Black Series figures. Gone is the red packaging and the line-wide numbering, replaced by mural-building subgroups of figures. The seven figure Rebels subgroup's packaging can be lined up for a full cast shot. Hera's fifth in that line-up, but there seems to not be any correlation between placement and release, as she and Kanan are in the second "batch" to show up at retail, at least around here. The figure stands 6 inches tall and she has 27 points of articulation. Hera was fortunate to hit right as Hasbro was really getting a handle on articulating these figures, so she winds up with a pretty solid range of motion. The elbows get more than 90 degrees, and I dig the ball jointed waist. The only part I'm not super crazy about is the neck, but even that's not terrible. Hera's sculpt is by far my favorite of the humanoid Rebels characters in this line (Chopper still takes the top overall, though), as they really found their footing on that line between cartoon and reality, and made a sculpt that really captures the main essence of her show design, while also managing to look properly at home with the figures from the live-action films. I also really love how much detail work they've managed to inject into her costume. The paint work on the figure is mostly pretty basic, but seems to stick pretty close to how Hera's supposed to look. It's worth noting that this figure adds the face-printing, which the initial release just narrowly missed. It's not quite as essential for her, but it still adds a nice touch to the overall look of the figure, and certainly looks more lifelike. Hera's only accessory is a rather small, but also rather well-detailed blaster pistol, which can be held, or stashed in her ankle holster.
I saw Hera's original release one time, and just didn't have the money for it at the time. Given how scarce she wound up being, I definitely regretted that, especially as the rest of the crew started to show up. As soon as this re-issue was confirmed, I was totally on board. She's a really solid figure in-hand, and honestly my favorite of this little subset. I'm very glad to finally have one.
Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this guy for review. If you're looking for Black Series, or other toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.
← #2550: DJ R3X
Flashback Friday Figure Addendum #0015: Kanan Jarrus →

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On side two, Tia's continuation of her discussion leads to a discussion of how Ashtar Command lets us learn on our own without interfering which leads to the theoretical scenario where the earth becomes uninhabitable. That brought up the question of what Ashtar Command would do prior to that happening. The topic of "Dune" came back to the process that brought Tia from the third dimension to her arrival in the sixth. It's a fascinating tale that merges destiny and determination which brought together the fates of the three triple souls, Mark, Tia and Kiri. Karra comes on next with one of her most detailed examples of how she can draw upon her past lives to assist her with healing or any problems she faces. She also answers on how we could do the same on the third dimension. Because the tape ran out there, the remainder of a shorter session has been spliced in to make up the required length. In it, Kiri has come on and confirms due to a question that she and the other residents of the sixth dimension are flesh and blood as we are and in a related matter, informs us Mark needs a break due to his need to rest his flesh and bones. A discourse on the discipline of an individual on the third dimension transitions to an eye-opening revelation of how criminals are dealt with in the sixth dimension, a place lacking in lawyers, judges or even a legal system.
1.)(0:00)- Tia touches on what Ashtar Command would do prior to the destruction of humanity as well as the circumstances of her arrival on the sixth dimension.
2.)(8:31)- Karra gives us an insider's view of how someone with total recall of their past lives can use those to assist with the healing of others.
3.)(22:33)- Kiri let's us know Mark needs a week off prior to going into how without any legal system, criminals on the sixth dimension are reeducated back into society.
This session recorded back in 1997 is just one of two sessions which make up this podcast. The original tape was missing over twenty minutes of play time which was made up from a tape of a partial session to fill in the rest to our great benefit as it involves how the population of sixth dimensional Sirius deal with those who break the law. To get the night going though, a phone call with our good friend Carrie back East takes up the bulk of side one.
Tia begins things as the call with Carrie has just connected but the session time had slipped her mind. Not a problem for Tia of course who jumps right in asking about how her pregnancy was coming along and about some dreams that Carrie had been having. Karra, nurse and many times a mother, goes over the pregnancy with Carrie and recalls back to the hard time Tia went through when the Cubs were born. She ends her conversation by getting Carrie to pose for a holo to remember the occasion. Kiri maintains the theme of discussing Carrie's pregnancy before kicking me out of the room to ask her for help in their efforts to expand the gene pool of Hades Base. All the girls get into n expanded channeling field so that they can say goodbye to Carrie before she hangs up. Tia at that point reveals the name Carrie has picked out for a daughter and the honor she feels from that choice. Things turn to all things "Dune" at that point with the correlations found between the world's religions and those of other worlds. The tape ends with a discussion that veers off topic momentarily onto management styles.
1.)(0:00)- Tia touches base with her sister mind Carrie to go over the state of her pregnancy and some dreams she had been having lately.
2.)(5.53)- Karra has Carrie pose for a holo for the girls on the base and gives her a warning about the possibility of postpartum depression.
3.)(16:21)- Kiri and Carrie go over a laundry list of challenges that face women in pregnancy before they discuss getting Karra pregnant.
4.)(23:39)- Karra, Kiri and Tia wrap up the phone call while I correctly guess that Carrie will be having a girl afterwards.
5.)(31:00)- Tia finishes up side two with a fascinating conversation regarding the religions of "Dune", Earth, Sirius and Durondedunn.


i debated naming this post "30 second holiday garland LOL" but decided against it. but you guys, this garland takes 30 seconds. i'm all about minimal decorating for the holidays, so the simpler, the better — and this one takes the cake. a perfect way to dress up a bare wall before your holiday party.
all you need is some tree trimmings, string and a piece of tape (or a nail). i grabbed a couple of these branches when we picked up our christmas tree (for free) and tied a piece of string to each side, and taped them to the wall. donezo! no floral wire, no nothing.
this is so easy, it's kind of like an april fools post, but it's not. i'm serious.
Love it! Saving it for ideas for next years decor!
Is this a serious post? I look at this branch tied with string and taped to the wall and think to myself, "This can't be serious." I'm thinking this was April fools in December. I can't imagine taping that to the wall.
So simple but it looks very nice!


Come down to Downtown Toronto's Spa Excess and celebrate Chubs at the Tubs on September 30th.
We will also be planning some fun activities, so stay tuned for more information.
Chubs at the Tubs is a celebration of big gay men and their admirers!!! We are proud to be one of the few chub events in Canada. It is a fun event where people can enjoy the spa, meet friends or make new ones, socialize. We normally have anywhere from 150-200 guys attending over events from all over.
At our event, you have a chance to win some fabulous door prizes from businesses, as well as products you'll love. Sometimes, you can even win passes to major gay events in Canada and the US!
We also have contests and amazing prizes giveaway.
Spa Excess is a great place where you can enjoy yourself in the jacuzzi, relax in either the wet or dry sauna, grab a drink at the licensed bar, or even play a game of pool. Spa Excess is one of the few remaining havens from a period of bathhouse culture that has been forgotten. The play spaces have everything a man could want.
This entry was posted in Chubs at the Tubs, Events and tagged admirers, Bear Sauna, Bear spa, Bears in Excess, bears in toronto, bears sauna, Bears spa Toronto, Bears spa Toronto. Tagged: Bear Sauna, bears toronto, bearsinexcess, chasers, chub4chub, Chubs, Chubs at the tubs, Midwest Bearfest, Spa, Spa Excess. Bookmark the permalink.


On our way back to New York, we made a small pit stop in Washington DC.
The plan was to walk up and down the National Mall, see all the important buildings and maybe pop into a museum or two on the way.
But the weather had decided otherwise and when we arrived downtown, it was raining cats and dogs.
So we did the only sensible thing there is to do in such situations and treated ourselves to one of those fast food feasts America is famous for. Luckily enough, we stumbbled on Shake Shack, which we had been told was a must-visit when in the US. We ducked inside and got our hands on some of the most epic-looking burgers I had seen in quite a while. After reading about it for MONTH, I finally got my hands on Shake Shack's Shroom burger… While my Mr settled for the Smoke Stack and its layers of cheese and chopped chilies. With cheese fries all round, obviously. Isn't that what rainy days are for?
Fuelled up and with the storm seeming to have stopped, we came back to our initial exploration plans… …only to see them defeated a few minutes after by the return of the rain, so we took shelter in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Holding the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world, it's a must-visit for any plane aficionado.
…Which might explain why somebody was a very happy bunny! We strolled through the museum, marvelling at weird flying machines and war planes' perfect designs alike. The Wright Flyer (which is the ancestor of all planes) is also on display at the museum and well worth taking a look at. I still can't quite get my head around the fact that this enormous assembly of wood and cloth can actually fly. The same obviously goes for the Mongolfier first hot air balloon, but I might have been to busy admiring the delicate prints to think about it at the time… Having seen pretty much everything the Air & Space museum had to offer, we headed next door to the Natural History museum… where every single tourist in Washington seemed to have decided to meet that day. … which is why we decided to shorten our visit to the diplodocus and jump in a cab to pay one to Albert instead.
We raced in the rain to take a quick look at the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial before we decided to call it a day and head to dinner at one of the city's institutions.
… but more on that tomorrow! Come hungry!
Oh my gosh, Shake Shake looks amazing! Now I'm so hungry! Looks like you had a great time!
I know right? I'm making myself hungry with those pictures to be honest! Editing food pictures is a tough job! Craving those cheese fries so badly now!
I think I'm yet to hear anyone say something bad about them… but then they do the crispiest of fries, and cheese-filled burgers, so I'm not sure that's actually possible!


How the government shutdown is financially affecting Workers.
Today marks the 24th day the government shutdown, which started on December 22nd 2018. A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass, or the President fails to sign appropriations. The entire government doesn't shutdown, agencies like the military, and medicare are mandatory. Usually government shutdowns are result of a stalemate in congress but this time it's all Trump. The reason is because trump wants $5 billion to build a wall at the southern border! But the democrats and some republicans refuse.
Nine out of fifteen federal departments are affected by this shutdown.including the EPA, the IRS, and the departments of State, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Justice, and Homeland Security. Congress has fully funded the military (aside from the US Coast Guard) and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. Over 800,000 federal workers are affected by this and did not receive their first paycheck of the year.
Shutdowns can last until the Congress passes a spending bill to fund the government and Trump signs it into law. It can go on indefinitely, trump stated he will make it last years, or months, but that isn't possible because it will mess up the government.


Discover a new dimension to luxury and hospitality with Lexus. In a series of inspiring adventures around the world, see the artistry and passion that go into crafting amazing gastronomical experiences.
Dedication, passion, and skills built over a lifetime of experience. Find out what goes into crafting every unforgettable driving experience.
Embark on a new adventure beyond the road with the 65-foot Lexus yacht, the LY 650.
Anticipate the needs of tomorrow's society, develop innovative designs, and captivate others with imaginative solutions.
Two energy sources mean more horsepower, torque, and efficiency. See how we're pushing the limits of performance with breakthroughs like the world's first Multi-stage Hybrid System.
Built with state-of-the-art Japanese engineering and precision, the new Lexus turbo engine is a study in contrasts. Powerful, fast and stirring - yet quiet, cool and smooth.
Inspired by the legendary LFA supercar, Lexus F marque vehicles bring driving passion to life.


This four bedroom family home has a lot squeezed into the limited space available. On entering the home there is a formal lounge room to your right which then leads into the open plan kitchen, dining and living rooms. The kitchen is modern with a large walk in pantry and large bench. The living and dining rooms flow out to an outdoor alfresco and the wall to wall glass sliding doors allow views and natural light in. To your left of this area, there is a separate dedicated study, perfect for a home office or children's homework. Going down a hallway now to the rear of the home, there are three bedrooms with built in wardrobes, a main bathroom, laundry and master bedroom featuring a walk in wardrobe and private ensuite.


the J family definitely came into my life for a reason, season AND a lifetime!!
after kiele was born, i had to go back to work (as an air force nurse) when kiele was six weeks old. i started her at a facility day care and after many days of tears, frustration and heartache, a friend had recommended me to the J family, an in-home daycare -- more specifically momma carmen (as kiele came to call her).
kiele was a difficult sleeper and eater. but that was no challenge to momma carmen, who made a Philippine-style hammock in one of her bedrooms, rocked her to sleep and chased kiele around with food.
momma carmen was such a gift in my life!! i'm not sure i can ever fully explain or thank her enough.
that was 14 years ago. and now momma carmen's daughter (who i met when she was 12) is married with two kids and just happens to live in san diego. so when i was on my trip last month, i was able to photograph momma carmen's daughter and her family.
i can't even begin to share how much i love the J family. they are such a gift in my life and i feel so blessed to call them my family!! love and miss you so!!


text:
struct ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage : RTTIBase<ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage>
{
	// in
	const Map::StorageConfig *config;
	Vec3i location;
	// tmp
	Vector<uint8_t> contents;
	// out
	Error err;
	Map::StorageChunk chunk = Map::StorageChunk(Vec3i(0));
};

struct ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage : RTTIBase<ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage>
{
	// in
	const Map::StorageConfig *config;
	Map::StorageChunk *storage_chunk;
};

static void save_storage_chunk(RTTIObject *data)
{
	ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage *msg = ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage::cast(data);
	msg->storage_chunk->save(*msg->config);
	printf("Saved chunk %d %d %d\n", VEC3(msg->storage_chunk->location));
}

static void load_storage_chunk(RTTIObject *data)
{
	ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage *msg = ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage::cast(data);
	String filename = String::format("%d_%d_%d.ngc", VEC3(msg->location));
	String fullpath = msg->config->directory + "/" + filename;
	msg->err = Error(EV_QUIET);
	msg->contents = IO::read_file(fullpath.c_str(), &msg->err);
}

static void generate_chunk_lods(RTTIObject *data)
{
	ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage *msg = ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage::cast(data);
	msg->chunk = Map::StorageChunk::new_from_buffer(
		msg->location, msg->contents, &msg->err);
	if (msg->err)
		return;

	for (Map::Chunk &c : msg->chunk.chunks) {
		c.generate_lod_fields();
	}
}

EMapStorageRequest::EMapStorageRequest(RTTIObject *sender,
	const Vec3i &location, const Vec3i &size, int lods[8],
	MapStorageRequestType type):
		type(type), location(location), size(size),
		chunks(volume(size), nullptr), sender(sender)
{
	copy_memory(this->lods, lods, 8);
}

EMapStorageRequest::~EMapStorageRequest()
{
	switch (type) {
	case MSRT_READ:
		for (Map::Chunk *mc : chunks)
			if (mc) mc->readers--;
		break;
	case MSRT_WRITE:
		for (Map::Chunk *mc : chunks)
			if (mc) mc->writer = false;
		break;
	}
	map_storage->release_storage_chunks(*this);
	map_storage->dirty = true;
}

namespace Map {

constexpr int64_t SAVE_INTERVAL = 30; // seconds

Vec3i Storage::storage_chunk_location(const Vec3i &location) const
{
	return floor_div(location, STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE);
}

StorageChunk *Storage::storage_chunk_at(const Vec3i &location)
{
	const Vec3i loc = storage_chunk_location(location);
	return storage_chunks.get(loc);
}

Vec3i Storage::chunk_internal_offset(const Vec3i &location) const
{
	const Vec3i loc = storage_chunk_location(location);
	return location - loc * STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE;
}

void Storage::update_storage_chunks()
{
	for (auto kv : storage_chunks)
	{
		StorageChunk &msc = kv.value;
		const bool can_save = msc.write_reqs == 0;
		const bool needs_save = msc.dirty &&
			((local_time_seconds - msc.last_sync > SAVE_INTERVAL) || force_save);
		if (needs_save && can_save) {
			dirty_storage_chunks--;
			msc.dirty = false;
			msc.last_sync = local_time_seconds;

			auto msg = new (OrDie) ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage;
			msg->config = config;
			msg->storage_chunk = &msc;

			EWorkerTask wt;
			wt.data = msg;
			wt.execute = save_storage_chunk;
			wt.finalize = fire_and_delete_finalizer<EID_MAP_STORAGE_CHUNK_SAVED>;
			NG_EventManager->fire(EID_QUEUE_IO_TASK, &wt);
			msc.flags |= MSCF_SAVING;
			pending_saves++;
		}
	}
}

void Storage::update(double delta)
{
	local_time += delta;
	if (local_time >= 1.0) {
		local_time_seconds++;
		local_time -= 1.0;
		update_storage_chunks();
	}

	if (!dirty)
		return;

	for (int i = 0; i < requests.length();) {
		EMapStorageRequest *req = requests[i];
		const Vec3i origin = req->location;
		bool complete = true;

		for (int z = 0; z < req->size.z; z++) {
		for (int y = 0; y < req->size.y; y++) {
		for (int x = 0; x < req->size.x; x++) {
			const Vec3i pos(x, y, z);
			const Vec3i location = origin + pos;
			Chunk *&req_mc = req->chunks[offset_3d(pos, req->size)];
			if (req_mc) {
				continue;
			}

			if (location.y < 0 || location.y >= 16) {
				continue;
			}

			const Vec3i offset = chunk_internal_offset(location);
			const Vec3i storage_loc = storage_chunk_location(location);
			StorageChunk *msc = storage_chunks.get(storage_loc);
			if (!msc) {
				msc = storage_chunks.insert(storage_loc, StorageChunk(storage_loc));
				queue_load_storage_chunk(storage_loc);
				complete = false;
				continue;
			}

			if (msc->flags & MSCF_LOADING) {
				complete = false;
				continue;
			}

			// cannot satisfy write requests while saving
			if (req->type == MSRT_WRITE && (msc->flags & MSCF_SAVING)) {
				complete = false;
				continue;
			}

			Chunk &mc = msc->chunks[offset_3d(offset, STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE)];
			if (mc.flags & MCF_GENERATING) {
				complete = false;
				continue;
			}

			switch (req->type) {
			case MSRT_READ:
				if (mc.writer) {
					complete = false;
					continue;
				}

				req_mc = &mc;
				break;
			case MSRT_WRITE:
				if (mc.readers > 0) {
					complete = false;
					continue;
				}

				req_mc = &mc;
				break;
			}
		}}}
		if (complete) {
			for (Chunk *mc : req->chunks) {
				if (!mc)
					continue;
				switch (req->type) {
				case MSRT_READ:
					mc->readers++;
					break;
				case MSRT_WRITE:
					mc->writer = true;
					break;
				}
			}
			grab_storage_chunks(*req);
			NG_EventManager->fire(EID_MAP_STORAGE_RESPONSE, req, req->sender);
			requests.quick_remove(i);
		} else {
			i++;
		}
	}

	dirty = false;
}

Storage::Storage(const StorageConfig *config): config(config)
{
	NG_EventManager->register_handler(EID_MAP_STORAGE_CHUNK_SAVED,
		PASS_TO_METHOD(Storage, handle_map_storage_chunk_saved),
		this, false);
	NG_EventManager->register_handler(EID_MAP_STORAGE_CHUNK_PRELOADED,
		PASS_TO_METHOD(Storage, handle_map_storage_chunk_preloaded),
		this, false);
	NG_EventManager->register_handler(EID_MAP_STORAGE_CHUNK_LOADED,
		PASS_TO_METHOD(Storage, handle_map_storage_chunk_loaded),
		this, false);
	NG_EventManager->register_handler(EID_MAP_CHUNK_GENERATED,
		PASS_TO_METHOD(Storage, handle_map_chunk_generated),
		this, false);
	NG_EventManager->register_handler(EID_MAP_STORAGE_REQUEST,
		PASS_TO_METHOD(Storage, handle_map_storage_request),
		this, false);
}

Storage::~Storage()
{
	NG_EventManager->unregister_handlers(this);
}

static void grab_release_storage_chunks(Storage &storage,
	const EMapStorageRequest &req, bool grab)
{
	const int diff = grab ? 1 : -1;
	const Vec3i min = req.location;
	const Vec3i max = req.location + req.size - Vec3i(1);
	const Vec3i min_storage = storage.storage_chunk_location(min);
	const Vec3i max_storage = storage.storage_chunk_location(max);
	for (int z = min_storage.z; z <= max_storage.z; z++) {
	for (int y = min_storage.y; y <= max_storage.y; y++) {
	for (int x = min_storage.x; x <= max_storage.x; x++) {
		const Vec3i addr(x, y, z);
		StorageChunk *sc = storage.storage_chunks.get(addr);
		if (!sc)
			continue;

		switch (req.type) {
		case MSRT_WRITE:
			sc->write_reqs += diff;
			if (!grab) {
				if (!sc->dirty)
					storage.dirty_storage_chunks++;
				sc->dirty = true;
			}
			break;
		case MSRT_READ:
			sc->read_reqs += diff;
			break;
		}
	}}}
}

void Storage::grab_storage_chunks(const EMapStorageRequest &req)
{
	grab_release_storage_chunks(*this, req, true);
	requests_alive++;
}

void Storage::release_storage_chunks(const EMapStorageRequest &req)
{
	grab_release_storage_chunks(*this, req, false);
	requests_alive--;
}

bool Storage::can_quit()
{
	return (requests.length() == 0) &&
		(pending_saves == 0) &&
		(requests_alive == 0) &&
		(dirty_storage_chunks == 0);
}

void Storage::handle_map_storage_request(RTTIObject *event)
{
	EMapStorageRequest *msg = EMapStorageRequest::cast(event);
	msg->map_storage = this;
	requests.append(msg);
	dirty = true;
}

void Storage::handle_map_chunk_generated(RTTIObject *event)
{
	EMapChunkGenerated *msg = EMapChunkGenerated::cast(event);
	StorageChunk *msc = storage_chunk_at(msg->location);

	const Vec3i lpos = chunk_internal_offset(msg->location);
	Chunk &mc = msc->chunks[offset_3d(lpos, STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE)];
	for (int i = 0; i < LODS_N; i++)
		mc.lods[i] = std::move(msg->fields[i]);
	mc.flags &= ~MCF_GENERATING;

	msc->dirty = true;
	dirty = true;
}

void Storage::handle_map_storage_chunk_saved(RTTIObject *data)
{
	ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage *msg = ESaveMapStorageChunkMessage::cast(data);
	msg->storage_chunk->flags &= ~MSCF_SAVING;
	pending_saves--;
	dirty = true;
}

void Storage::handle_map_storage_chunk_loaded(RTTIObject *event)
{
	ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage *msg = ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage::cast(event);
	StorageChunk &msc = storage_chunks[msg->location];
	if (!msg->err) {
		msc = std::move(msg->chunk);
	} else {
		for (int x = 0; x < STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE.x; x++) {
		for (int y = 0; y < STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE.y; y++) {
		for (int z = 0; z < STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE.z; z++) {
			const Vec3i p(x, y, z);
			const Vec3i loc = msg->location * STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE + p;
			Chunk &mc = msc.chunks[offset_3d(p, STORAGE_CHUNK_SIZE)];
			mc.flags |= MCF_GENERATING;
			EGenerateMapChunkRequest req;
			req.location = loc;
			NG_EventManager->fire(EID_GENERATE_MAP_CHUNK_REQUEST, &req);
		}}}
	}
	msc.flags &= ~MSCF_LOADING;
	dirty = true;
}

void Storage::handle_map_storage_chunk_preloaded(RTTIObject *event)
{
	ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage *msg = ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage::cast(event);
	if (msg->err) {
		handle_map_storage_chunk_loaded(event);
		return;
	} else {
		printf("Loaded chunk %d %d %d\n", VEC3(msg->location));
	}

	EWorkerTask task;
	task.data = event;
	task.execute = generate_chunk_lods;
	task.finalize = fire_and_delete_finalizer<EID_MAP_STORAGE_CHUNK_LOADED>;
	NG_EventManager->fire(EID_QUEUE_CPU_TASK, &task);
}

void Storage::queue_load_storage_chunk(const Vec3i &location)
{
	auto data = new (OrDie) ELoadMapStorageChunkMessage;
	data->config = config;
	data->location = location;

	EWorkerTask task;
	task.data = data;
	task.execute = load_storage_chunk;
	task.finalize = fire_finalizer<EID_MAP_STORAGE_CHUNK_PRELOADED>;
	NG_EventManager->fire(EID_QUEUE_IO_TASK, &task);
}

} // namespace Map

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Story of A Country Town is a novel by E. W. Howe, published in 1883. It was an immediate success, going through many printings, and reviewed favorably by Mark Twain and William Dean Howells. The action of the novel was placed in Twin Mounds, a fictional city in the American Midwest.

1883 American novels
Novels set in the Midwestern United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Just switched into my Mercer gallery medium tote in ultra pink.
cdtracing, jcnc, catex22 and 9 others like this.
cdtracing, Dintjes, Shelby33 and 6 others like this.
My EW Hamilton in Kelly green, I received so many compliments on it today! Definitely going back into rotation.
cdtracing and MKB0925 like this.
Just switched into my small Mercer gallery tote in lt quartz.
cdtracing, catex22, DP PURSE FAN and 3 others like this.
Just switched into my Mercer tote, and trying it with my floral strap.
cdtracing, catex22, MKB0925 and 4 others like this.
cdtracing, catex22, MKB0925 and 1 other person like this.
Just switched into my jet set large floral embellished crossbody.
Its soo pretty. Is it lightweight? I always found the Hamilton to be on the heavier side.
Hi, I would not consider it lightweight after I add all my stuff. It would be more on the heavy side filled up like the Hamilton.


These first images of the GTC may show it in a virtual landscape, but as it races down an imaginary road, real test cars are now running final validation drives – that's right, the Astra GTC is officially a production reality.
And on June 7 – in just six weeks' time – Vauxhall will reveal full details about the GTC to coincide with its order books opening. Pricing, technology, equipment and powertrains will be laid bare, giving customers the chance to specify their ideal model and place an order early.
The first production version of the Astra GTC will then receive its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show, on September 15, with first cars appearing in UK showrooms late autumn this year.
Based on last year's GTC Paris concept car, the production GTC will feature a 3-door body with dramatic proportions, yet will be capable of carrying five adults. It will feature the very best of Vauxhall's latest technology, as well as unique chassis features.


text:
Copyright Links
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act - Link to PDF File about this legislative act.
T.E.A.C.H. Act Highlights - Brief summary and links offered through the NEA by Janis H. Bruwelheide, Ed.D.
U.S. Government Copyright Information - U.S. Copyright Office is an office of public record for copyright registration and deposit of copyright material.
Electronic Frontier Foundation - "EFF is a nonprofit group of passionate people — lawyers, technologists, volunteers, and visionaries — working to protect your digital rights." (EFF.org accessed 2/18/15)
baxtergraphics.com by Loren D. J. Baxter is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at baxtergraphics.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://baxtergraphics.com/copyright.html.
Design • Resources • Copyright • About


About 650 children from 27 primary schools in Banburyshire will take part in this years Children Singing for Children Concerts organised by the Rotary Club of Banbury.
Now in its 14th year, the concerts will be from November 9-12 at St Mary's Church, Banbury.
They have raised more than £54,000 for children's charities and this year will raise funds for Frank Wise School, Hope and Homes for Children and a schools project in Sierra Leone.
A fourth evening has again been added to this year's event due to their popularity.
The children will experience performing with professional musicians and each school's choir will sing two songs of their own choice based on a 'One World Theme" and three songs including, "World in Union", with the massed choir in the finale.
The concerts will also feature performances by young soloists.
Performances last for 90 minutes and admission is by ticket only. Tickets are priced at £5 and available from Fashion Fabrics in Parsons Street or by calling 01295 262764 or 01295 266728.


text:
Birth, Marriage & Death Information
Birth Certificate: For people born in Massachusetts, the Birth Certificate is on file in the town or city in which you were born; the town or city in which your parents lived at the time of your birth and the Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records.
Death Certificate: Death Certificates are on file with our office for people who died in Mansfield and for those with Mansfield listed as the place of residence at the time of death.
Marriage Certificate: Marriage Certificates are on file with our office for only those couples who applied for the license in Mansfield.
Certified copies of Vital Records (birth, death, marriage) are $10.00 each and can be payable by cash, check or credit card (there is an additional fee for credit cards).
If you call ahead to the Town Clerk's Office (508-261-7345), your records will be waiting for you when you arrive.
Getting Married in Massachusetts
Marriage License: If you are getting married in Massachusetts, you may apply for a marriage license at any Town or City Clerk's Office in the state within 60 days of the ceremony. The rules and procedures for getting married are defined by Chapter 207 of the Massachusetts General laws (MGL). Specific questions should be directed to the town or city Clerk where you plan to file your marriage intentions.
Both partners in a marriage must go together, in person to any Town or city Clerk's office to fill out a marriage license application (Marriage Intention) no more than 60 days before the wedding ceremony. The cost in Mansfield is $25.00 payable at the time you apply.
Once the application is applied for, there is a three-day waiting period before you can pick up your marriage license. In certain circumstances, the couple can have the three-day waiting period waived by filing a request for a "Marriage Without Delay" with the probate or district court. See the form below.
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/ny/cjd430.pdf
If you are not married within the 60 days after your license was applied for, the license is null and void and you must apply for a new license.
You can be married by one of three primary groups of people that can legally solemnize a marriage in Massachusetts:
1.) A resident clergy member as defined in MGL Ch 207, §.38 provided they are registered with the Secretary of State.
2.) A Justice of the Peace, by appointment of the Governor of Massachusetts. A list of local JP's are on file at the Town Clerk's Office.
3.) A friend, family member or out of state member of clergy may apply to the State of Massachusetts for a One-Day Designation.
https://www.mass.gov/one-day-marriage-designation
You do not have to be a state resident to get married in Massachusetts, but you must obtain a valid marriage license by a Massachusetts to Town or City Clerk. An out of state marriage license cannot be used.
After the marriage ceremony is complete, whomever you chose to perform the ceremony must sign and return you marriage license to the Town or City Clerk where the license was applied for within 10 days for recording. Once the marriage is recorded, you may request certified copies. Fee for certified copies is $10.00 each.
Mansfield Town Clerk, Six Park Row, Mansfield, MA 02048
Email Town Clerk's Office
Hours: M-T-TH 8-4 W 8-8 F 8-12
-Request Birth Certificate
-Request Marriage Certificate
-Request Death Certificate


ASPEN – The idea of charging for parking on Sundays surfaced during Monday's Aspen City Council work session on the 2012 budget.
Currently, the city takes in money for parking at meters and pay stations Mondays through Saturdays. The Parking Department also generates revenue on those days by writing tickets for parking violations and, occasionally, towing vehicles for multiple unpaid tickets and other infractions.
The city of Aspen's assistant finance director, Ashley Ernemann, estimated that charging for parking on Sundays could generate an extra $105,000 annually. "There's $35,000 from people who choose to pay and another $70,000 from people who get tickets because they don't pay, because that's the way it works on Saturdays," she said.
The extra 10 percent in parking revenue could go toward subsidizing much-needed projects and programs, such as the Rio Grande Parking Garage roof replacement and support for in-town bus service, city officials said.
Councilman Adam Frisch asked whether charging for parking on Sundays is becoming standard practice in resort cities like Aspen. Ernemann said Snowmass Village charges for Sunday parking; Aspen parking director Tim Ware said Breckenridge and Vail also charge on Sundays.
But Councilman Derek Johnson said destination resorts like Aspen usually have a lot of tourist turnover on weekends: "I think most people coming up on Sunday are locals" who live just outside of Aspen or downvalley, he said.
Frisch said the idea "doesn't sit well with me right now" and that he needed to see more information.
Mayor Mick Ireland recommended handling the discussion in a separate work session to include the parking garage roof replacement and bus transportation.
The discussion also led to the topic of three years of overcharges by the paid-parking system. Because of a software error, pay stations were accepting cash and credit-card transactions after 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The meters are only supposed to work between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on those days.
The software worked correctly on Sundays and holidays, refusing payments. Officials say they don't know how much the city collected during the weekday and Saturday off-hours. Ware told council members and Ireland that the problem was corrected recently.
The next council work session on the 2012 budget is set for Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. The 2012 municipal budget features a projected 5.6 percent increase in operating costs, but plans are subject to change before the council moves to adopt the budget later this fall.
Operating costs represent the basic tab for conducting business in each department. In operations, the budget totals $50.1 million, or $2.6 million more than the $47.5 million used to run the city last year.
Last week's version of the budget proposed an increase of four employees, three of whom would hold full-time jobs, including administrative assistants in the Human Resources and Community Development departments, a project manager for the Engineering Department and an administrative sergeant for the police.
On Monday, Police Chief Richard Pryor withdrew his request for the full-time administrative sergeant, saying that a federal grant that would have helped fund the position has not been approved.


Previous research reported that Subclinical Narcissism (SN) may increase Mental Toughness (MT) resulting in positive outcomes such as lower psychopathy, higher school grades and lower symptoms of depression. We conducted three studies (N = 364, 240 and 144 for studies 1, 2 and 3, respectively) to test a mediation model, which suggests that SN may increase MT predicting lower Perceived Stress (PS). The participants were drawn from the general population in studies 1 and 2; and were undergraduate students in study 3. SN exerted a negative indirect effect on PS, through MT across all three studies: β = -.26, SE = .039, 95% CI [-.338, -.187]); β = -.25, SE = .050, 95% CI [-.358, -.160]); β = -.31, SE = .078, 95% CI [-.473, -.168]). The results were replicated in the combined dataset. In study 3, we extended the sensitivity of the model showing that, it is the Grandiose SN that decreases PS, through MT; Vulnerable SN exhibited the reverse pattern. The findings indicate that the model, from SN to MT, may predict positive outcomes in various domains (e.g. in education and psychopathology) suggesting that inclusion of SN in the dark triad of personality may need to be reconsidered.


text:
FDA plans major IT refresh
By Chase Gunter
The Food and Drug Administration's last technology overhaul took place in 2007 after a review by an FDA subcommittee criticized the agency's IT systems. To prevent itself from falling behind again, the FDA has devised a strategic IT plan through 2018, with tactical milestones, deadlines and a roadmap for increased mobility.
FDA Deputy CIO Brad Wintermute detailed the plan at the Appian World 2016 conference and said the agency receives 90 percent of its information electronically, has to communicate efficiently across many intra-agency divisions and faces a constantly increasing workload.
To optimize communication and stay on top of its wide-ranging responsibilities, the agency must keep up with digital trends, even if that means fighting cultural resistance head-on.
"Our IT systems now, compared to 2007, are night and day," Wintermute said. "We're really in pretty good shape...but the technology we're using is maybe five years old, and because of the rapid pace and change of technology, that's ancient."
The IT plan's priorities are familiar: quality measured by consumer satisfaction, security and efficiency. But the solutions -- increased mobility, agility, technology refreshes and a move to the cloud -- will require new technology capabilities and skills on the part of agency personnel, Wintermute said.
He called consumer satisfaction "an ever-increasing bar" and said the FDA can demonstrate its commitment and digital competence by delivering on the milestones specified in the plan.
Because the FDA caters to the public and manages sensitive pre- and post-market product data for industry, security must be a top priority, Wintermute said. "We're a target of a lot of organizations...around the world. They want in to get that data -- not just for a trophy, but to actually be able to use it for a competitive advantage."
The mobility roadmap focuses on increasing efficiency by empowering a mobile workforce through a transition from a paper-based information system and a focus on mobile apps.
Increased mobility would allow FDA inspectors to check in and relay pictures, findings and geocoding data and would improve coordination across agency divisions for quicker information sharing.
"We have very few mobile apps in the environment today, but we really want to get to where we're using them across the board," Wintermute said.
However, the FDA first must overcome cultural and financial barriers.
"What we're trying to do through the strategic plan is get building blocks put in place and a change in governance and philosophy," he said.
Overcoming traditional modes of thinking will allow the agency to turn to cloud-based solutions and software as a service first, rather than rely on outdated legacy IT, he added.
Wintermute said FDA officials were initially excited by the prospect of increased digitization but became hesitant once the plans were "actually in writing.... I can see the resistance. It's like, 'Uh-oh, he's serious.'"
He also said that because FDA does not have a separate line item for technology purchases, the agency has established a "pay as you go, pay for your amount of use" model to fund upgrades.
Chase Gunter is a former FCW staff writer.


text:
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Special Guest: Darien Cox on Safe in Your Fire
April 2, 2016 By Asha King Leave a Comment
One of my dearest writer friends is m/m author Darien Cox. We started at the same publisher years ago, and I was hooked as a fangirl when I read his first book. He just came out with a sexy, intriguing new sci-fi romance novel, which I devoured in record time and couldn't help asking some questions. And I've got answers for readers dying for more!
Q: You usually write contemporary romance. What made you go with sci-fi this time?
A: I've always been a closet nerd, read a lot of books about various conspiracies etc. just for fun. So after I put out Victim of Love last year I got a little blocked, and ultimately a friend asked me…well, what do you love? I was like…um, cheeseburgers? Oh, and creepy otherworldly stuff, yeah, that's it! I was hesitant to go there at first, but my editor, Skyla Dawn Cameron, reminded me that art is risk, and that I could still use my own voice and a contemporary setting while adding the weird. So I said screw it, let's have some fun. I think it still very much feels like a Darien Cox book, it's still a pretty modern romance, just with some oogedy boogedy weaved into the plot. The best part is it worked – I'm unblocked and already partway into a MM non- creepy contemp novel I'm gonna put out before the next Village book, so it's a good mix for me, alternating between the two.
Q: All the side-characters have rich, detailed lives even though they're not the focus–do you already know who will get their own book?
A: Ultimately I want them all to get their own books, but I have decided on a certain character for the next one. It's going to be fun to get deeper into all their backstories while rocking their little worlds and getting them naked.
Q: Without giving any spoilers, do you have more mysteries to explore with the scifi angle after explaining some of it in this book?
A: And it's so hard not to talk about spoilers! But yes, definitely. The great part about what's lurking around the village is that it's still such an unknown despite what's been revealed. Even though I've used some existing concepts, I really wanted to get across that when it comes to this stuff, bottom line is NOBODY FUCKING KNOWS, so my goal is to keep it surprising. While writing this book, I tried to really open myself up and let the story tell itself, so to speak, and was happy the details that emerged managed to surprise even me, so there's gonna be some crazy stuff coming down the pipe for our village crew.
Q: How did you go about constructing the village itself to be its own character?
A: Well first, I'm happy you see it that way! The village, while ultimately becoming a very real and unique place to me, started out as a combination of places I've spent time, places that are colorful, a little off-beat, and give you a sense of self-containment, like their own little world. There's a bit of Provincetown in there, a little Hull, Massachusetts, and a dash of Burlington, Vermont. Places that have that kind of island feel where if you go on the off-season you'll see the real locals and feel the pulse of the place and what's brimming beneath the surface. So I basically put all that in a blender and then used the characters and the story to mutate it into its own animal. As far as the New York State setting, I've had some awesome experiences in the mountains up there, and it's definitely a place that pops up a lot in the non-fiction realm, in terms of 'I had a weird experience in this place', so I took that and used a speculative eye to expand upon it.
Q: What made you decide to add cameos of Ben and Peter from Seducing Professor Coyle? It was nice to see them again.
A: It was a combination of circumstance and laziness! At the start, Rudy needed help with his computer, and I thought, 'If only Ben LeClair was here'. Then I thought…oh wait, he can be. BECAUSE I AM GOD HERE!
Q: Can you tell us what the non-creepy contemporary romance you're working on is about?
A: It's a forbidden fruit story, which is pretty much my favorite theme, and it's going to be very, very, nasty. In a good way.
Q: When can we expect The Village Book Two?
A: Shouldn't be too long! The ball-ache of writing the first one was setting the scene and creating the village and the characters. Now that they're in place, I'll bang the second one out fast, already got most of it outlined. So get ready to whip out that #smutordie hashtag!
Thank you for visiting, Darien!
Welcome to The Village – A new gay romance series with a sci-fi twist from best selling author Darien Cox.
When asked to locate and interview an off-the-grid former child star for a magazine feature, novice journalist Rudy Sansone thinks he's getting yet another demeaning assignment from his boss. But finding 'Baby James' Waterman proves to be a personal and professional challenge, as the elusive, hostile, and surprisingly sexy James is nothing that Rudy expected. But Rudy's scrappy motivation to get the story at all costs plunges him into the mountain community of Singing Bear Village, where he senses strange and frightening secrets simmering beneath the surface. But what's simmering between Rudy and his reluctant interview subject is something more carnal and heated, and his desire to be consumed by it clouds his judgement when warning bells urge him to flee the village and never look back.
Buy on Amazon, ARe, and Nook.
Filed Under: blog Tagged With: darien cox, guest author, interview
New Release: ALLEY CAT
March 4, 2016 By Asha King Leave a Comment
The fourth Cats & Conjure book is here!
Adelaide Deveraux has at last come into her powers, but her gifts have come with a price: she has lost the love of her life. Now surrounded by allies but still utterly alone, she's seeking to build a new Sanctuary and provide shelter for those who need it, even though none of it will heal her broken heart.
Tiger-shifter Erik Wells was willing to sacrifice everything to save Addie from the psychopathic sorcerer after her, including his life. But despite paying the ultimate price and annihilating their enemy once and for all, he still isn't at peace. Some greater power is seeking to resurrect Erik, willing to move heaven and hell to see him breathe again. Whether that power is good or evil, he doesn't know, and he's running out of time as something's hunting him in the underworld, seeking to destroy his very soul.
Genre: IR (bwwm) paranormal romance
Length: 30 000 words (or 100 pages)
Series: Cats & Conjure #4
Kindle – ARe – Nook – Kobo – iBookstore – Smashwords
This book hints a little more at the overall mythology coming into play (the next book reveals what Addie really is and what's with all the cats) and introduces a new villain that will carry through the end of the series, so I'm quite excited about it.
To celebrate the release, the first novella Cats in Heat is now being serialized on Wattpad for free. If you're a fan of the series and want to encourage others to give it a shot, I'll be updating Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting today right here.
For those looking for more Midsummer books, Gold is out May 27 and will be up for pre-order soon (more about that next week).
I don't have a release date yet for Cat's in the Cradle, the fifth C&C book as explained in my 2016 release forecast. News when I have it!
Finally, my erotica writing buddy Aylia Ryvelt is promoting her new hate-to-love romance serial, Reunion. The first book, called Love & Hate, is currently free for a few days, and the second part, Hate So Sweet, is now available. (The third is coming soon.) Aylia is amazing–she was the force behind me finally publishing my work–so I encourage everyone to check her out.
*A note about this title being free…
It's common with series to make the first free by the time there are four or so out, which is why I've chosen to do it with Cats in Heat. This title, however, is still under copyright.
Please only download the book from legal channels. The more downloads a book gets on legit sites, the higher the rankings in the the store, and the greater the visibility the book gets (and therefore new people hear about it).
All rights are reserved. The book may not be copied or distributed elsewhere without my permission. Thank you for respecting my rights.
Filed Under: blog Tagged With: alley cat, books, buy links, cats and conjure, cats in heat, free, new release, purchase links, update
ALLEY CAT Excerpt
February 25, 2016 By Asha King Leave a Comment
Addie & Erik's fourth outing is a week away!
Here's a quick taste under the cut…
Filed Under: blog Tagged With: alley cat, cats and conjure, excerpt
2016 Book Forecast…
February 5, 2016 By Asha King 2 Comments
So I've been reflecting on last year's releases, trying to figure out what worked in terms of sales, what didn't, and where I need to go from here. Last year's plans for 2016 will have to shift a little, as I expected.
Here's how it's looking so far:
Series Works
Readers still like series! I still get regular interest in Stirling Falls books with periodic sales on Wild Horses and Sympathy for the Devil, so I am seriously looking at trying to get Gimmer Shelter written later this year. It's going to require some research, so I'll be looking into that later this month, and whether or not I can get that hands-on research in–and when–will decide when that book will be written. Maybe a fall release? I hope?
I also really want to do a second book about Tash and Devin from Sympathy Called the Devil. The premise involves Tash investigating the murder of someone close to her while Devin tries to reintegrate with a town who believed for years he was a serial killer. Also, there will be ropes and whips and nipple clamps, because of course there will. It'll be called Paint it Black to go with my Rolling Stones theme, but that's all I know for now and likely won't get around to it until 2017 if I write it at all.
Guaranteed this year: Gimme Shelter is likely in the fall.
Midsummer Suspense
Also, the future of the Midsummer Suspense Tales series… I never know what to expect with these books; Cinders did well, but there was a gap that year with illnesses and family emergencies, and I only had one book out. With that momentum destroyed, it was a climb last year back up again. Beauty and Snow did okay, so I went ahead and released Beast…and to my immense surprise, readers seem to have dug it and sales, while not huge, have been steady the past couple of months.
Also, in talking with a writer friend about the series, I ended up deciding to extend it from six books to nine. Admittedly, I love doing fairy tales, and if readers continue buying them, I'll keep writing them. I'll be shuffling things around a little, and hope to continue writing them for the rest of this year and next, although because they're standalone, if it seems like interest is petering out I can comfortably stop writing them.
Guaranteed this year: Gold, which I'm halfway through and will come out May 27, and likely Lost toward the end of the year.
These books…continue to not do well. Stray Cat Strut was my poorest selling release of last year. Alley Cat is up for pre-order. Right now pre-order numbers sit at…eleven copies. Yeah, ouch.
Addie and Erik's story spans six novellas total. Three are out, one is coming soon, and there are two more planned that will be written, but I'll have to see when I can squeeze it in. I promise I won't leave regular readers hanging but appreciate understanding about the financial perils of writing and releasing these stories.
Guaranteed this year: Alley Cat on March 4. Hopefully Cat's in the Cradle toward the fall but no promises.
I was a little disappointed with The Book of Love's performance last year, both because it was super fun to write and because I genuinely thought it would be a book people would like with the humor and burned out romance writer premise. It keeps trucking along, though, and I'm looking at my list of other standalones I wanted to write.
One was I Who Have Nothing, which was originally supposed to be out with a publisher in 2013. It was delayed because it wasn't done and then because I left my publisher. I still regularly get interest in it but the news is the same: the book has undergone extensive rewrites and still isn't ready.
Guaranteed this year: If I release a non-series book this year, it'll be this one, as I'm halfway through it, but I thought that last year so it's by no means definite.
For a couple of years now, I've had a new romantic suspense series on my mind following the same couple for 3-4 books called Fox and Manning. The first is still in development and something I'm debating, but the thing I come back to is starting another series only to decide to retire from publishing.
Sales are never steady–anyone in publishing knows to never expect otherwise–but it's a lot of time and money invested and I'm not sure if I can keep doing it. This tweet from last week?
If sales don't pick up, I'm retiring at the end of the year, so waking up to that is disheartening to say the least.
— Asha King (@AshaKing78) January 26, 2016
Not an exaggeration. I've got a note to look over sales numbers vs expenses in the fall to see.
It's reality and it's not fun, but here we are; if it happens, I don't want anyone to be surprised, which is why I've mentioned it. I won't start a new series (especially not with a HFN ending on the first book) unless I'm sure I'm going to finish it because I love my supporters and wouldn't leave them hanging. Fox and Manning will debut next year at the earliest if I decide to continue publishing as Asha King.
I'm also toying with some m/m ideas at the encouragement of a friend; if I pursue it, those works will be romantic suspense and written as Ashe Kingston. And will likely involve hot cowboys–I think Stirling Falls could use some m/m lovin'. This will be something I revisit toward the end of 2016 to see if I think it'll be actually viable or not–investing in a new genre and new pen name is risky to say the least.
Guaranteed this year: Nada.
So…that's what this year is looking like. I have a handy page devoted to 2016 releases that I'll keep updated throughout the year. I hope this answers any reader questions that might be coming up about what-book-is-coming-when and, if not, just leave a comment here and I'll try to answer.
XO Asha
Filed Under: blog, news Tagged With: cats and conjure, gimme shelter, I who have nothing, midsummer, stirling falls, what I'm working on
New Pre-order: ALLEY CAT
January 25, 2016 By Asha King Leave a Comment
The cats are back!
The fourth Cats & Conjure story is on its way in March.
To those who kindly didn't send me hatemail for the ending of Stray Cat Strut: THANK YOU. I was tremendously proud of the ending of that story, as sad as it was, and I didn't want anyone to wait another year for the next one. As I've said before, sales are always low with these ones, so I have to squeeze them in between other releases. There are two final books coming, hopefully by the end of the year, and then there'll be a print collection of the final volume.
Here are the details!
I'm also halfway through the next Midsummer Suspense Tale, Gold, so stay tuned for that in the spring (and news about the future of the Midsummer Suspense series)!
Filed Under: blog Tagged With: alley cat, buy links, cats and conjure, pre-order, preorder, publishing news, purchase links, update
About Asha
Likes good-looking men and hot books, and often strives to combine the two. Drinks mojitos.
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Cat's in the Cradle
35000 / 35000 words. 100% done!
Year of the Cat
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New Release: Cat's the Cradle
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