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Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo
Tour Date: January 2, 2009. If you are prescheduling this to post, don't forget to change the year from 08 to 09! Happy New Year!
It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his/her book's FIRST chapter!
Robert Liparulo
Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)
Robert Liparulo has received rave reviews for both his adult novels (Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall) and the first two novels in his Dreamhouse Kings series for young adults (House of Dark Shadows, Watcher in the Woods). He is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.
Here are some of his titles:
House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings Book #1)
Watcher in the Woods: (Dreamhouse Kings Book #2)
Comes a Horseman
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)
Tuesday, 6:58 P.M.
Pinedale, California
Xander's words struck David's heart like a musket ball.
He reeled back, then grabbed the collar of his brother's grimy Confederate coat. His eyes stung, whether from the tears squeezing around them or the sand whipping through the room, he didn't know. He pulled his face to within inches of Xander's.
"You . . . you found her?" he said. "Xander, you found Mom?"
He looked over Xander's shoulder to the portal door, which had slammed shut as soon as Xander stumbled through. The two boys knelt in the center of the antechamber. Wind billowed their hair. It whooshed in under the door, pulling back what belonged to the Civil War world from which Xander had just stepped. The smell of smoke and gunpowder was so strong, David could taste it.
He shook Xander. "Where is she? Why didn't you bring her?"
His heart was going crazy, like a ferret racing around inside his chest, more frantic than ever. Twelve-year-olds didn't have heart attacks, did they?
Xander leaned back and sat on his heels. His bottom lip trembled, and his chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. The wind plucked a leaf from his hair, whirled it through the air, then sucked it under the door.
"Xander!" David said. "Where's Mom?"
Xander lowered his head. "I couldn't . . ." he said. "I couldn't get her. You gotta go over, Dae. You gotta bring her back!"
"Me?" A heavy weight pushed on David's chest, smashing the ferret between sternum and spine. He rose, leaped for the door, and tugged on the locked handle.
He wore a gray hat ("It's a kepi," Dad would tell him) and jacket, like Xander's blue ones. They had discovered that it took wearing or holding three items from the antechamber to unlock the portal door. He needed one more.
"Xander, you said found her! "
Xander shook his head. "I think I saw her going into a tent, but it was at the other end of the camp. I couldn't get to her."
David's mouth dropped open. "That's not finding her! I thought I saw her, too, the other day in the World War II world. . ."
"Dae, listen." Xander pushed himself up and gripped David's shoulders. "She saw the message we left. She saw Bob."
Bob was the cartoon face and family mascot since Dad was a kid, drawn on notes and birthday cards. When David and Xander had been in Ulysses S. Grant's Union camp the night before, Xander had drawn it on a tent. It was their way of letting Mom know they were looking for her.
"She wrote back!" Xander said. "David, she's there!"
"But . . ." David didn't know if he wanted to scream or cry or punch his brother. "Why didn't you go get her?"
"Something was happening on the battlefield. They were rounding up all the soldiers and herding us toward the front line. I tried to get to her, but they kept grabbing me, pushing me out of camp. When I broke away—" Xander's face became hard. "They called me a deserter. That quick, I was a deserter. One of them shot at me! I barely got back to the portal." He shook his head. "You gotta go! Now! Before she's gone, or the portal changes, or . . . I don't know."
Yes . . . no! David's stomach hurt. His brain was throbbing against his skull. His broken arm started to ache again, and he rubbed the cast. "Xander, I can't. They almost killed me yesterday."
"That's because you were a gray-coat." Xander began taking off his blue jacket. "Wear this one."
"Why can't you? Just tell them—"
"I'll never make it," Xander said. "They'll throw me in the stockade for deserting—if they don't shoot me first."
"They'll do the same to me." David hated how whiney it came out.
"You're just a kid. They'll see that."
"I'm twelve, Xander. Only three years younger than you."
"That's the difference between fighting and not, Dae." He held the jacket open. "I know it was really scary before, but this time you'll be on the right side."
David looked around the small room. He said, "Where's the rifle you took when you went over? The Harper's Ferry musket?"
His brother gazed at his empty hand. He scanned the floor. "I must have dropped it one of the times I fell. I was just trying to stay alive. I didn't notice." He shook the jacket. "Come on."
David shrugged out of the gray jacket he was wearing. He tossed it onto the bench and reluctantly slipped into the one Xander held. He pulled the left side over his cast.
Xander buttoned it for him. He said, "The tent I saw her go into was near the back of the camp, on the other side from where I drew Bob." He lifted the empty sleeve and let it flop down. He smiled. "Looks like you lost your arm in battle."
"See? They'll think I can fight, that I have fought."
"I was just kidding." He took the gray kepi off David's head and replaced it with the blue one. Then he turned to the bench and hooks, looking for another item.
"Xander, listen," David said. "You don't know what's been happening here. There are two cops downstairs."
Xander froze in his reach for a canteen. "What?" His head pivoted toward the door opposite the portal, as though he could see through it into the hallway beyond, down the stairs, around the corner, and into the foyer. Or like he expected the cops to burst through. "What are they doing here?"
"They're trying to get us out of the house. Taksidian's with them." Just thinking of the creepy guy who was responsible for his broken arm frightened David—but not as much as the thought of getting hauled away when they were so close to rescuing Mom. "Gimme that," he said, waggling his fingers at the canteen.
Xander snatched it off the hook and looped the strap over David's head. "Where's Dad?"
"They put him in handcuffs. He told me to come get you. That's why I was here when you came through."
"Handcuffs!"
"And one more thing," David said. He closed his eyes, feeling like the jacket had just gained twenty pounds. "Clayton, that kid who wanted to pound me at school? He came through the portal in the linen closet." He opened one eye to see his brother's shocked expression.
"How long was I gone?" Xander said. "Where is he now?"
"I pushed him back in. He returned to the school, but he might . . . come back."
"Great." Xander glanced over his shoulder at the hallway door again, then back at David. "Anything else I should know?"
David shook his head. "I guess if I die, I won't have to go to school tomorrow." He smiled weakly.
The school year—seventh grade for David, tenth for Xander—had started just yesterday: two days of classes. Mom had been kidnapped the day before that. David couldn't believe they'd even gone to school under the circumstances, but Dad, who was the new principal, had insisted they keep up normal appearances so they wouldn't attract suspicion.
Lot of good it did, David thought, thinking of the cops downstairs.
"I don't know," Xander said. "Dad would probably figure out a way to get your body there."
David's expression remained grim.
"You'll be fine."
"Don't get taken away," David told his brother. "Don't leave with me over there. Don't leave me alone in this house when I come back. Don't—"
Xander touched his fingers to David's lips. "I won't leave," he said. "I'll go see what's happening downstairs, but I won't leave. No way, no how. Okay? Besides—" He smiled, but David saw how hard it was for him to do it. "You'll have Mom with you when you come back. Right?"
It was David's turn to smile, and he found it wasn't so hard to do. "Yeah." He turned, took a deep breath, and opened the portal door.
Labels: 2009, 2009 January, Author- Robert Liparulo, Genre- Mystery, Genre- Speculative Fiction, Genre- Teen Fiction, Genre- Time Travel, Genre- Young Adult
Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee
Tour Date: January 1st. If you are prescheduling this to post, don't forget to change the year from 08 to 09! Happy New Year!
Tosca Lee
Havah: The Story of Eve
NavPress Publishing Group (October 10, 2008)
Tosca Lee is the author of the critically acclaimed Demon: A Memoir (2007), a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver Award winner, American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year nominee, and Christy award finalist. Her eagerly-awaited second novel, Havah: The Story of Eve, released October 2008 to high praise, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
A sought-after speaker and first runner-up to Mrs. United States 1998, Tosca works as a Senior Consultant for the Gallup Organization. She received her B.A. in English and International Relations from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She also studied at Oxford University.
In her spare time, Tosca enjoys travel, cooking, history and theology. She currently resides in Nebraska.
Visit the author's website and blog.
Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group (October 10, 2008)
I have seen paradise and ruin. I have known bliss and terror.
I have walked with God.
And I know that God made the heart the most fragile and resilient of organs, that a lifetime of joy and pain might be encased in one mortal chamber.
I still recall my first moment of consciousness—an awareness I've never seen in the eyes of any of my own children at birth: the sheer ignorance and genius of consciousness, when we know nothing and accept everything.
Of course, the memory of that waking moment is fainter now, like the smell of the soil of that garden, like the leaves of the fig tree in Eden after dawn—dew and leaf green. It fades with that sense of something once tasted on the tip of the tongue, savored now in memory, replaced by the taste of something similar but never quite the same.
His breath a lost sough, the scent of earth and leaf mold that was his sweaty skin has faded too quickly. So like an Eden dawn—dew on fig leaves.
His eyes were blue, my Adam's.
How I celebrated that color, shrouded now in shriveled eyelids—he who was never intended to have even a wrinkle! But even as I bend to smooth his cheek, my hair has become a white waterfall upon his Eden—flesh and loins that gave life to so many.
I think for a moment that I hear the One and that he is weeping. It is the first time I have heard him in so long, and my heart cries out: He is dead! My father, my brother, my love!
I envy the earth that envelopes him. I envy the dust that comes of him and my children who sow and eat of it.
This language of Adam's—the word that meant merely "man" before it was his name—given him by God himself, is now mine. And this is my love song. I will craft these words into the likeness of the man before I, too, return to the earth of Adam's bosom.
My story has been told in only the barest of terms. It is time you heard it all. It is my testament to the strength of the heart, which has such capacity for joy, such space for sorrow, like a vessel that fills and fills without bursting.
My seasons are nearly as many as a thousand. So now listen, sons, and hear me, daughters. I, Havah, fashioned by God of Adam say this:
In the beginning, there was God . . .
But for me, there was Adam.
A whisper in my ear: Wake!
Blue. A sea awash with nothing but a drifting bit of down, flotsam on an invisible current. I closed my eyes. Light illuminated the thin tissues of my eyelids.
A bird trilled. Near my ear: the percussive buzz of an insect. Overhead, tree boughs stirred in the warming air.
I lay on a soft bed of herbs and grass that tickled my cheek, my shoulders, and the arch of my foot, whispering sibilant secrets up to the trees.
From here, I felt the thrum of the sap in the stem; the pulsing veins of the vine; the beat of my heart in euphony with hundreds more around me; the movement of the earth a thousand miles beneath.
I sighed as one returning to sleep, to retreat to the place I had been before, the realm of silence and bliss—wherever that is.
Wake!
I opened my eyes again upon the milling blue, saw it spliced by the flight of a bird, chevron in the sky.
This time, the voice came not to my ear, but directly to my stirring mind: Wake!
There was amusement in it.
I knew nothing of where or what I was, did not understand the polyphony around me or the wide expanse like a blue eternity before me.
But I woke and knew I was alive.
A rustle, a groan practically in my ear. I twitched at a stirring against my hip. A moment later, a touch drifted across a belly I did not yet know I owned, soft as a leaf skittering along the ground.
A face obscured my vision. I screamed. Not with fear—I was no acquaintance of fear—nor with startlement, because I had been aware of the presence already, but because it was the only statement that came to lips as artless as mine.
The face disappeared and returned, blinking into my own, the blue above captured in twin pools . Then, like a gush of water from a rock, gladness thrilled my heart. But its source was not me.
At last! It came, unspoken—a different source than the voice before—the words thrust jubilantly to the sky: "At last!"
He was up on legs like the trunks of sturdy saplings, beating at the earth with his feet. He thumped his chest and shouted to the sun and clapped his hands. "At last!" he cried, his laughter like warm clay between the toes. He shook his shoulders and stomped the grass, slapping his chest as he shouted again and again. Though I did not understand the utterance, I knew its meaning at once: joy and exultation at something longed for suddenly found.
I tried to mimic his sound; it came out as a squawk and then a panting laugh. Overhead, a lark chattered an extravagant address. I squeaked a shrill reply. The face lowered to mine, and the man's arms wrapped, womb-tight, around me.
"Flesh of my flesh," he whispered, hot against my ear. His fingers drifted from my hair to my body, roaming like the goat on the hills of the Sacred Mount. I sighed, expelling the last remnants of that first air from my lungs—the last of the breath in them not drawn by me alone.
He was high-cheeked, this adam, his lower lip dipping down like a folded leaf that drips sweet water to thirsty mouths. His brow was a hawk, soaring above the high cliffs, his eyes blue lusters beneath the fan of his lashes. But it was his mouth that I always came back to, where my eyes liked best to fasten after taking in the shock of those eyes. Shadow ran along his jaw, obsidian dust clinging to the curve of it, drawing my eye to the plush flesh of his lips, again, again, again.
He touched my face and traced my mouth. I bit his finger. He gathered my hands and studied them, turning them over and back. He smelled my hair and lingered at my breasts and gazed curiously at the rest of me. When he was finished, he began all over again, tasting my cheek and the salt of my neck, tracing the instep of my foot with a fingertip.
Finally, he gathered me up, and my vision tilted to involve an altogether new realm: the earth and my brown legs upon it. I clutched at him. I seemed a giant, towering above the earth—a giant as tall as he. My first steps stuttered across the ground as the deer in the hour of its birth, but then I pushed his hands away. My legs, coltish and lean, found their vigor as he urged me, walking far too fast, to keep up. He made for the orchard, and I bolted after him with a surge of strength and another of my squawking sounds. Then we were running—through grasses and over fledgling sloes, the dark wool of my hair flying behind me.
We raced across the valley floor, and my new world blurred around me: hyssop and poppy, anemone, narcissus, and lily. Roses grew on the foothills amidst the caper and myrtle.
A blur beside me: the long-bodied great cat. I slowed, distracted by her fluidity, the smooth curve of her head as she tilted it to my outstretched hand. I fell to the ground, twining my arms around her, fingers sliding along her pelt. Her tongue was rough—unlike the adam's—and she rumbled as she rolled against me.
Far ahead, the adam called. Overhead, a hawk circled for a closer look. The fallow deer at a nearby stream lifted her head.
The adam called again, wordlessly: longing and exuberance. I got up and began to run, the lioness at my heels. I was fast—nearly as fast as she. Exhilaration rose from my lungs in quick pants—in laughter. Then, with a burst, she was beyond me.
She was gone by the time the adam caught me up in his arms. His hands stroked my back, his lips, my shoulder. I marveled at his skin—how smooth, how very warm it was.
"You are magnificent," he said, burying his face against me. "Ah, Isha—woman, taken from man!"
I said nothing; although I understood his meaning, I did not know his words. I knew with certainty and no notion of conceit, though, that he was right.
At the river he showed me how he cupped his hands to drink, and then cupped them again for me. I lowered my head and drank as a carp peered baldy from the shallows up at me.
We entered the water. I gasped as it tickled the backs of my knees and hot hairs under my arms, swirling about my waist as though around a staunch rock as our toes skimmed a multitude of pebbles. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders.
"All of this: water," he said, grunting a little bit as he swam toward the middle of the river where it widened into a broad swath across the valley floor. "Here—the current."
"Water," I said, understanding in the moment I spoke it the element in all its forms—from the lake fed by the river to the high springs that flow from the abyss of the Mount. I felt the pull of it as though it had a gravity all its own—as though it could sweep me out to the cold depths of the lake and lull me by the tides of the moon.
From the river I could see the high walls of our cradle: the great southern Mount rising to heaven, and to the north, the foothills that became the long spine of a range that arched toward the great lake to the west.
I knew even then that this was a place set apart from the unseen lands to the north, the alluvial plain to the south, the great waters to the east and far to the west.
It was set apart solely because we dwelt in it.
But we were not alone. I could see them, after a time, even as we left the river and lay upon its banks. I saw them in sidelong glances when I looked at something else: a sunspot caught in the eye, a ripple in the air, a shock of light where there should be only shadow. And so I knew there were other beings, too.
The adam, who studied me, said nothing. We did not know their names.
The first voice I heard urging me to wake had not been the man's. Now I felt the presence of it near me, closer than the air, than even the adam's arms around me.
I returned the man's strange amazement, taken by his smooth, dark skin, the narrowness of his hips, his strange sex. He was warmer than I, as though he had absorbed the heat of the sun, and I laid my cheek against his flat breasts and listened to the changeling beat of his heart. My limbs, so fresh to me, grew heavy. As languor overtook me, I retreated from the sight of my lovely, alien world.
Perhaps in closing my eyes, I would return to the place I had been before.
For the first time since waking, I hoped not.
I slept to the familiar thrum of his heart as insects made sounds like sleepy twitches through the waning day.
When I woke, his cheek was resting against the top of my head. Emotion streamed from his heart, though his lips were silent.
I am the treasure mined from the rock, the gem prized from the mount.
He stirred only when I did and released me with great reluctance. By then the sun had moved along the length of our valley. My stomach murmured.
He led me to the orchard and fed me the firm flesh of plums, biting carefully around the pits and feeding the pieces to me until juice ran down our chins and bees came to sample it. He kissed my fingers and hands and laid his cheek against my palms.
That evening we lay in a bower of hyssop and rushes—a bower, I realized, that he must have made it on a day before this one.
A day before I existed.
We observed together the changing sky as it cooled gold and russet and purple, finally anointing the clay earth red.
Taken from me. Flesh of my flesh. At last. I heard the timbre of his voice in my head in my last waking moment. Marvel and wonder were upon his lips as he kissed my closing eyes.
I knew then he would do anything for me.
That night I dreamed of blackness. Black, greater than the depths of the river or the great abyss beneath the lake.
From within that nothingness there came a voice that was not a voice, that was neither sound nor word but volition and command and genesis. And from the voice, a word that was no word but the language of power and genesis and fruition.
There! A mote spark—a light first so small as the tip of a pine needle. It exploded past the periphery of my dreaming vision, obliterating the dark. The heavens were vast in an instant, stretching without cease to the edges of eternity.
I careened past new bodies that tugged me in every direction; even the tiniest particles possessed their own gravity. From each of them came the same concert, that symphony of energy and light.
I came to stand upon the earth. It was a great welter of water, the surface of it ablaze with the refracted light of heavens upon heavens. It shook my every fiber, like a string that is plucked and allowed to resonate forever.
I was galvanized, made anew, thrumming that inaugural sound: the yawning of eternity.
Amidst it all came the unmistakable command:
Labels: 2009, 2009 January, Author- Tosca Lee, Genre- Biblical Fiction, Genre- Historical Fiction, Genre- Speculative Fiction
Technorati Top 10!
Look who have made the Technorati Top 10! The Sword and the Flute (Matterhorn the Brave Series #1) and Before the Season Ends!
The Winter of Candy Canes by Debbie Viguié
Tour Date: Dec. 23rd
Debbie Viguié
The Winter of Candy Canes
Zondervan (October 1, 2008)
Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life. She has experimented with poetry and nonfiction, but her true passion lies in writing novels.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from UC Davis. While at Davis she met her husband, Scott, at auditions for a play. It was love at first sight.
Debbie and Scott now live on the island of Kauai. When Debbie is not writing and Scott has time off they love to indulge their passion for theme parks.
The Sweet Seasons Novels:
The Summer of Cotton Candy
The Fall of Candy Corn
The Spring of Candy Apples
Publisher: Zondervan (October 1, 2008)
Candace Thompson was once again eye-to-eye with Lloyd Peterson, hiring manager for The Zone theme park. This time, though, she felt far more confident. She had already spent her summer working as a cotton candy vendor, and she had worked one of the mazes for the annual Halloween event. She had even saved the park from saboteurs.
Now she was back, and this time she was interviewing for a job working the Christmas events at the park. Surely after everything she had done for the Scare event, she had nothing to worry about. She tucked a strand of red hair back behind her ear as she gazed intently at the man across from her.
"So you want to work Holly Daze?" he asked.
She nodded. Christmas at The Zone was a big deal, and the park began its official celebrations the day after Thanksgiving.
"You keep hiring on for short bursts of time and then leaving. Do you have some sort of problem committing to things?" he asked, staring hard at her.
She was stunned, but answered, "I don't have any problem with commitment. I signed on to do specific things, and the jobs ended. That's not my fault. I didn't quit."
"So, you plan on making a habit of this?" he demanded. "Are you going to show up here again in a -couple of months expecting me to give you some kind of job for spring break?"
"No, I — "
"I know your type," he said, standing up abruptly. "You're just a party girl. No commitments . . . no cares . . . just grab some quick cash and get out. You think you can handle Holly Daze? Well, you can't! You're weak and a quitter. You're going to bail on me as soon as your school vacation starts, and then what? Well, let me tell you, missy. You aren't wanted here. So just pack your bags and get out!"
By the end of his tirade, he was shouting, eyes bulging behind his glasses and tie swinging wildly as he shook his finger under her nose. Candace recoiled, sure that he had finally flipped out. I'm going to end up as a headline: Girl Murdered by Stressed-Out Recruiter, she thought wildly. Well, I'm not going down without a fight! She jumped to her feet and put some distance between her and the wildly wagging finger.
"You need to calm down!" she said, projecting her voice like her drama teacher had taught her. Her voice seemed to boom in the tiny office. "Pull yourself together. You're a representative of this theme park, and there is no call to insult me. Furthermore, I'm not a quitter. I'll work for the entire Christmas season. Then the next time I come in here, I'll expect you to treat me with some respect. Do you even realize what I've done for this park so far? Seriously. Take a chill pill."
She stopped speaking when she realized that he had gone completely quiet. She held her breath, wondering when the next explosion was going to come. Instead, he sat down abruptly and waved her back to her chair.
"Very good. You passed the test," he said, picking up a pen.
"What test?" she asked, edging her way back into the chair.
"The ultimate test. You're going to be one of Santa's elves."
"Doesn't Santa, you know, have his own elves?" she asked, still not sure that he was completely in charge of his senses.
"Of course Santa has his own elves. However, when he's here at The Zone we supply him with courtesy elves so that they can continue making toys at the North Pole," Mr. Peterson told her.
"So, I'm going to be a courtesy elf?" she asked.
He nodded and handed her a single sheet of paper. "Sign this."
She took it. "What? Just one thing to sign?" She had expected another huge stack of forms that would leave her hand cramped for hours afterward.
He nodded curtly. "You're now in our system as a regular seasonal employee. All of your other paperwork transfers."
"Regular seasonal" sounded like some kind of contradiction to her, but she was still not entirely convinced his outburst had been a test. She scanned it, signed her name, and then handed it back to him.
"Good. Report to wardrobe on Saturday for your costume fitting," he said.
"Okay, thank you," she said, standing up and backing toward the door.
"Welcome back, Candy," he said, smiling faintly.
"Thanks," she said, before bolting out the door.
As soon as she was outside the building, she whipped out her cell phone and called her friend Josh, a fellow employee of The Zone.
"Well?" he asked when he picked up.
"I think Mr. Peterson has seriously lost it," she said. "He totally flipped out on me."
Josh laughed. "Let me guess. You're going to be an elf."
"So he was serious? That was some whacked-out test?"
"Yeah. Elves are considered a class-one stress position, and it can get pretty intense."
"How hard can it be to be an elf?" she asked.
She was rewarded by a burst of laughter on the other end.
"Josh, what is it you're not telling me?"
He just kept laughing.
"Okay, seriously. You were the one who convinced me to work Holly Daze. I think it's only fair you tell me whatever it is I need to know."
"Sorry!" he gasped. She wasn't sure if he was apologizing or refusing to tell her.
A girl bounced around the corner and slammed into Candace.
"Josh, I'll call you later," she said, hanging up.
"Sorry," Becca apologized.
Becca was one of Candace's other friends from the park, one who had some sort of bizarre allergy to sugar that made her uncontrollably hyper. Candace looked suspiciously at Becca. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were glistening, and she was hopping from one foot to the other.
"You didn't have sugar, did you?" Candace asked, fear ripping through her.
"No! Promise," Becca said.
"Then what gives?"
"Roger made me laugh really hard," Becca explained.
Roger had a crush on Becca and had wanted to ask her out since Halloween. It hadn't happened yet.
"Oh," was all Candace could think to say.
"So, are you working Holly Daze?" Becca asked.
"Yeah. I'm going to be an elf."
Suddenly, Becca went completely still, and the smile left her face. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Why?" Candace asked.
Becca just shook her head. "I've gotta get back to the Muffin Mansion. I'll catch you later."
She hurried off, and Candace watched her go. Okay, now I know there's something -people aren't telling me.
She debated about following Becca and forcing her to spill, but instead she headed for the parking lot where her best friend Tamara was waiting. She walked through the Exploration Zone, one of the several themed areas in the park.
The Zone theme park was created and owned by John
Hanson, a former professional quarterback who believed in healthy competition at work and play. His theme park had several areas, or zones, where -people could compete with each other and themselves at just about anything. Almost everyone who worked at The Zone was called a referee. The exceptions were the costumed characters called mascots. Most of them, including Candace's boyfriend, Kurt, were to be found in the History Zone. -People visiting the park were called players, and the areas of the park they could reach were called on field. Only refs could go off field.
Candace cut through an off field area to get to the referee parking lot. She waved at a few other -people she recognized from her time spent working there. Finally, she slid into her friend's waiting car.
"So are you going to be the Christmas queen?" Tamara asked.
"What am I, Lucy VanPelt? There's no Christmas queen in Charlie Brown's Christmas play, and there's no Christmas queen in The Zone," Candace said.
Tamara fake pouted. "Are you sure? I think I'd make a beautiful Christmas queen."
Candace laughed. Tamara was gorgeous, rich, and fun. Her whole family practically redefined the word wealthy, and, with her dark hair and olive skin, Tamara was usually the prettiest girl in any room. She didn't let it go to her head, though. Anybody who knew Tamara would vote for her as Christmas queen.
"Although I think you would, they're only hiring elves."
"You're going to be an elf?" Tamara smirked.
"Hey, it beats being a food cart vendor," Candace said.
"But you're so good at it. Cotton candy, candy corn . . . you can sell it all."
"Thanks, I think. So, what are we doing tonight? Kurt's going to swing by at six to pick us up." Just mentioning her boyfriend's name was enough to make Candace smile. She closed her eyes for just a minute and pictured him as she had first seen him — wearing a Lone Ranger costume. With his charm and piercing blue eyes, she had fallen for him right away.
"You told him my house, right?" Tamara said, interrupting her thoughts.
"Yeah. So, who's this guy you're taking?"
Tamara sighed. "Mark."
"Uh-huh. And?"
"Remember my cousin Tina?"
"Well, she broke up with him over the summer, and he's been all shattered since then. He won't date other girls; he just mopes over her."
"Attractive," Candace said sarcastically.
"Tell me about it. Well, Tina asked me if I could help him get his confidence back and get over her or something."
"A pity date? Are you kidding me? You want Kurt and I to double date with you on a pity date?"
"You don't think I'm about to go by myself, do you? No way. That's the best-friend creed. When you're happy, I'm happy. When I'm miserable, you have to be too."
"Great," Candace said, rolling her eyes. "So, where are we going?"
"That's the problem. I was thinking dinner, but then we'd have to talk, and frankly, I don't want to hear him go on about Tina. Then I thought we could see a movie."
"You wouldn't have to talk to him," Candace confirmed.
"Yeah, but what if — "
"He tries to grab a hand or put his arm around you."
"Exactly, and I don't think me giving him a black eye was what Tina had in mind."
"I guess that also rules out any kind of concert possibilities?" Candace asked wistfully.
"Yup. Sorry."
"So, what did you come up with?"
"I was thinking . . . theme park?"
"No way. Kurt doesn't like to spend his downtime there."
"I thought he took you to that romantic dinner there over the summer."
"It was the nicest restaurant he knew, and he got an employee discount."
"Charming," Tamara said.
"Plus, ever since we got trapped in there overnight, he's been even more adamant about avoiding it when he's off work."
"I can't believe you two get to be the stuff of urban legend, and you don't even appreciate it."
Candace sighed. It was true that she and Kurt had spent one of the most miserable nights of their relationship trapped inside the theme park. Urban legend, though, had since transformed the story so that they were supposedly chased through the park by a psycho killer. It was still embarrassing to have -people point at her and say that she was the one. Around Halloween she had given up trying to correct -people. They were going to believe what they wanted.
"Earth to Candace. Helloooo?"
"Sorry. So, what does that leave us with? Shopping?"
"No need to torture both our dates," Tamara said.
"I don't — miniature golf!" Tamara suddenly shrieked, so loudly that Candace jumped and slammed her head into the roof of the car.
"Tam! Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry. Miniature golf. What do you think? Built-in talking points, lots of movement, and zero grabby potential."
"I like it. I'll have to borrow one of your jackets though."
"At least you'll have an actual excuse this time," Tamara teased.
A few minutes later they were at Tamara's house and upstairs raiding her wardrobe. As Tamara considered and discarded a fifth outfit, Candace threw up her hands.
"Maybe if you'd tell me what you're looking for, I could help."
"I'm looking for something, you know, nunlike."
Candace stared at her friend for a moment before she burst out laughing. She fell to the floor, clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her face. Tamara crossed her arms and tapped her foot, and Candace just laughed harder.
"I don't know why you think that's so funny. You know I don't go past kissing."
"Tam, nuns can't even do that. And if you're looking for something that will completely hide your body, then you're going to have to go to the mall instead of the closet. You don't own anything that doesn't say 'look at me.' I'm sorry, but it's true."
"Really? Maybe we should go to your house. Think I could find what I'm looking for in your closet?"
"Not since I started dating and mom made me throw out all my old camp T-shirts," Candace said with a grin.
"Then hello, you've got no call to laugh."
Candace stood up, stomach still aching from laughing so hard. "Tam, I'm not criticizing. I'm just telling you, you're not going to find what you're looking for."
Tam reached into the closet. "Oh, yeah, what about this?" she asked, producing jeans and a black turtleneck.
"If you're going for the secret agent look, it's a good choice."
Tamara threw the jeans at her, and Candace ducked.
"I could wear some black pants with this. Would that be too funereal?
"For a pity date? Go for it."
Candace opted to borrow Tamara's discarded jeans instead of wearing the skirt she had brought with her. They turned out to be slightly tighter on her than they were on Tam, and she had to admit when she paired them with her red scoop-neck top that she looked really good.
When Kurt arrived a few minutes later, he whistled when he saw her.
"Keep the jeans," Tamara whispered to her. "Obviously, they work for you."
Kurt then looked at Tamara and frowned slightly. "Did you just come from a funeral?"
"No, but thank you for thinking so," Tamara said with a smirk.
"I don't — "
Candace put her finger over his lips. "Don't ask," she advised him.
He smiled and kissed her finger, which made her giggle.
The doorbell rang again, and Candace turned, eager to see the infamous Mark.
Tamara opened the door, and Candace sucked in her breath. Mark was gorgeous. He had auburn hair, piercing green eyes, and model-perfect features. He was almost as tall as Kurt, and he was stunning in khaki Dockers and a green Polo shirt.
"Hi," he said, smiling.
Tamara glanced at her and rolled her eyes.
"Hi, Mark."
Kurt drove, and Candace was quick to slide into the front seat with him, leaving Tamara and Mark to the back. She shook her head. Mark was not her idea of a pity date in any sense of the word. Maybe Tamara would come around if she actually talked to him.
They made it to the miniature golf course and were soon on the green. Candace got a hole in one on the first time up to putt, and Kurt gave her a huge reward kiss.
When they moved on to the next hole, Tamara whispered in her ear, "Thanks a lot. This is supposed to be a no grabby zone. Now Mark will be getting ideas."
"Tam, you really need to relax a little."
They made it through the course in record time, and Kurt gave Candace another kiss for winning by one stroke. After turning in their clubs, the guys headed inside to order pizza while Candace and Tamara went to the restroom.
"This date is the worst," Tamara groaned once they were alone.
"What's wrong with you? He's gorgeous."
"Really? I guess I just can't see past the Tina mope."
"What mope? He hasn't even mentioned her, and he's done nothing but smile all night. You should totally take him to Winter Formal."
"No way. This is a one-date-only kind of thing. I'm not taking him to Winter Formal."
"Fine. Suit yourself. I'm just telling you that if it weren't for Kurt, I'd be taking him to Winter Formal."
Tamara laughed.
"As if. There's no way you'd ask a guy out."
"I don't know. You might be surprised."
"It's a moot point anyway. I'll find someone to take."
"You could always take Josh," Candace suggested.
"You're not setting me up with Josh, so just forget it."
"Find out for me, though, if Santa needs a Mrs. Claus," Tamara said.
"You're going to find some way to be the Christmas queen, aren't you?" Candace asked.
"Even if I have to marry old Saint Nick."
They both laughed.
Labels: 2008, 2008 December, Author- Debbie Viguié, Genre- Chick-Lit, Genre- Contemporary Fiction, Genre- Teen Fiction, Genre- Young Adult
Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard
The Sword and the Flute (Matterhorn the Brave Seri...
Marketplace Memos by David Shibley and Jonathan Sh...
Assaulted by Joy by Stephen Simpson
Desire and Deceit by Albert Mohler
Cursebreaker by Nancy Wentz
Hannah Grace by Sharlene MacLaren
It's Your Call by Lawrence Powell
Your Best Life Begins Each Morning by Joel Osteen...
The Christmas Edition by Robin Shope
Handbook on Thriving as an Adoptive Family by Davi...
Apocalypse Unleashed by Mel Odom
Rainforest Strategy by Michael Q. Pink

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A phase II trial with cisplatin-paclitaxel cytotoxic treatment and concurrent external and endocavitary radiation therapy in locally advanced or recurrent cervical cancer.
The IL-18 antagonist IL-18-binding protein is produced in the human ovarian cancer microenvironment.
Incisional hernia on the 5-mm trocar port site and subsequent wall endometriosis on the same site: a case report.
Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule soluble form: a potential biomarker of epithelial ovarian cancer is increased in type II tumors.
Interleukin (IL)-18, a biomarker of human ovarian carcinoma, is predominantly released as biologically inactive precursor.
Peritoneal carcinomatosis from ovarian paraganglioma: Report of a rare case and systematic review of the literature.
The Italian multi-centre project on evaluation of MRI and other imaging modalities in early detection of breast cancer in subjects at high genetic risk.


Researches give us confidence that we made the right choice.
During the period from 2001 till 2008 we conducted research on continuous durability of pipes made of different kinds of cross stitched PE when operated with heat transfer agent at 95°С. Such researches are unrivalled in the world, and the achieved results are helping to assess quality and applicability of new materials.
Main direction of activity of BYR PEX Corporation is production of components for modern inner systems of hot/cold water supply, heating, including "heat insulating flour" and refrigeration supply. That is why polymer materials, which are the most suitable for such systems and Russian conditions, were of major interest.
We also researched products of our own manufacture, and also those produced by other companies both on own basis, on industrial laboratory and on the basis of the famous Russian Institutes. At the moment our last investigation "Comparative analysis of structure and features of PE stitched by different methods", conducted together with Russian Chemical Engineering University n.a. D.I. Mendeleev, is of major interest.
Engineering department of the Corporation conducts tests on equipment for engineering systems that is now appearing on the market, with a view to see the quality and mutual compatibility. For our clients result of such work is expressed in consultations of highly qualified specialists on equipment application, their recommendations on engineering, published in chapter "Engineering".
Results of researches conducted by marketing department our clients and partners can see in our catalogues and information materials. In the soonest time we will operate full version of dynamically updated electronic catalogue with the possibility of online-order for registered clients.
Comparative analysis of physical and chemical parameters showed sufficient advantages silanol-stitched compositions of high density versus compositions with other types of stitch. The reason is smaller intermolecular distance, bigger binding energy, bigger amount of batches and more regular composition. This results in decrease of oxygen transmission rate value of pipe walls without additional layer. All this allows using pipes made of molecular-stitched PE with heat transfer agent temperature 95°С and pressure 10 atm without accumulation of tension, thus increasing durability of pipes, and even the best stress removal allows enduring accidental release up to 120°С, and also pressure surges.


Hunter, William Cannon (2011). Rukai indigenous tourism: Representations, cultural identity and Q method. Tourism Management, 32, 335e348.
Abstract: In tourism, cultural representations of indigenous destinations are problematic. They are essential to the promotion of tourism, making destinations understandable and desirable to visitors. But they are also blamed for upsetting the cultural equilibrium of smaller destinations. However, in practice, the origin, mechanism and effects of touristic representations are not easy to identify. In this study, the problem of representations and resident cultural identity in indigenous tourism is explored. In consideration of the generative nature of representations and the contingency of subjectivities toward them, this study is context-specific, focusing on a small but significant community in southern Taiwan where indigenous tourism is a dominant industry and social issue. Q method, a technique designed for the systematic study of subjectivity in terms of opinions, beliefs, and attitudes is employed, eliciting responses from a P set (sample) of 30 participants. Subjectivities were elicited using photographs of one cultural representation, the indigenous Rukai standing stones. It was found that representations must be learned but can be ignored, and that in this community tourism is not the only socio-economic power that drives the feedback loop between representations and subjectivity. For tourism management, implications are that representations can be highly effective tools for destination promotion when informed by the diverse and highly individualized subjectivities of its residents and the production of quality local products.
William Cannon Hunter <primalamerica@yahoo.com> is in the Department of Convention Management College of Hotel & Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.


Thank You for Helping us Grant this Gold Star Mother's Wish.
Due to the support through prayers and donations from other Marine families, we were able to ease the pain of a grieving mother as she laid her son to rest. We were able to send some of PFC Michael Giannattasio's brothers to his funeral to honor him one last time. You can read more about PFC Michael Giannattasio's fundraiser in our first article.
Also in this newsletter, you can read about our featured volunteer and TMP participant, learn more about amazon smile, Giving Tuesday, and some of the Marine Corps weapon systems.
When tragedy strikes one Marine family it affects us all. Your support, through prayers and donations, has helped us grant a grieving mother's wish as she laid her son to rest.
PFC Michael Giannattasio died during Reconnaissance training aboard Camp Pendleton, California on August 30, 2017. The cause of death is still under investigation, per PFC Giannattasio's mother, but what we know is that he passed one of his swim tests and moved on to land navigation training and suddenly collapsed. The funeral was held on September 15, 2017 near his hometown of Armada, Michigan. At Marine Parents we are always committed to assisting Marines and their family when tragedy strikes. We began formulating a plan to raise money to assist the family.
Adriane is a Facebook volunteer for Mike Company, San Diego. She is an unexpected and extremely proud Marine Mom. Her son decided to become a Marine just a month before high school graduation. She can't believe how being a parent of a Marine has changed her life.
Our featured TMP participant this week is Donalee Johnsen. Donalee's Marine graduated boot camp in September and has wanted to be a Marine since he was 7 years old. Recently, Donalee ran the Rock N Roll Vegas Half Marathon and plans to sign up for more runs in the future.
While attending School of Infantry (SOI), your Marine will become acquainted with a variety of different weapons and weapon systems. This is a crucial component of Marine Corps training. Every Marine is a rifleman and any Marine may find him or herself faced with combat operations, whether he or she is an infantry Marine or not.


text:
Much of what MAG Ireland does goes on behind the scenes. It's never ending struggle with the various local, national, and international bodies who think that they who do not ride motorcycles somehow know what's best for those of us who do.
We in MAG Ireland do whatever we can to engage with them on your behalf – persuading, cajoling, arguing our corner, myth busting, defusing prejudice and generally doing whatever it takes, wherever it takes us, to make sure that you continue to have the freedom to ride your bike your way.
We can't possibly win every battle. What we can do, and have done, (and will continue to do wherever possible) is to curb the worst excesses of legislation which aims to reduce or preclude your ability to ride your motorcycle.
It is a little one sided. In the one corner, you have MAG Ireland – a small group of dedicated volunteers doing what they can when they can in their own spare time (and at their own expense) on behalf of the MAG membership and the wider motorcycling community. In the other, a vast international army of bureaucrats at every level from local busybodies to internationally recognised personalities whose full-time paid day job is to dream up ever more stringent restrictions to impose upon us "for our own good".
You can help in one of three ways:
Clicking on the advertisements. MAG Ireland carries a small amount of advertising on the web site. These ads are supplied by Google. Each time you click on an advert, MAG Ireland gets a few cents. We make a very small amount of money from this, less than €10 per month, but it costs you nothing and to us, every cent counts.
Joining MAG Ireland. With membership rates now down to just €20 per year, and a discount scheme that can save you hundreds of Euro, joining MAG Ireland means that you're adding your voice to make us all stronger.
Donating to MAG Ireland. If you can't afford a membership, we'd really appreciate a donation, however small. €10 will buy 2 reams of paper. €5 will buy 7 postage stamps.
(Currency: EUR)
Donations are made via PayPal to office@magireland.org.
All funds go directly to promoting & protecting motorcycling for motorcyclists in Ireland.


Explore the extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage in NSW. You'll be amazed, from the Sydney Opera House and convict sites to the beautiful wilderness in the Blue Mountains, Gondwana Rainforests, Lord Howe Island and Willandra Lakes, where ancient human history dates back tens of thousands of years.
Just west of Sydney are the Blue Mountains, named after the natural blue hue created by the vast eucalypt forests releasing tiny droplets of oil that mix with water vapour and sunlight. A great place to begin your discovery is at Echo Point lookout in Katoomba, home to the famous Three Sisters.
The world's largest subtropical rainforest sanctuaries are the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. The lineage of conifers and ferns is measured in tens of millions of years. North of Sydney, rainforest is in the Barrington Tops as well as in protected areas in Armidale, Glenn Innes and on the North Coast.
Bushwalking is an exhilarating way to explore the rainforest sanctuaries and other national parks. You'll find a range of trails, such as the Washpool walking track near Glen Innes and the Lyrebird Link track near Dorrigo. Before your adventure, please read these bushwalking safety tips carefully.
The Waterfall walk meanders through rainforest in the Willi Willi National Park, about 90 minutes' drive northwest of Port Macquarie. About 600km east of Port Macquarie is Lord Howe Island, a Pacific island paradise with lovely places to stay and the most southerly coral reefs in the world.
In outback NSW, the landscapes are spectacular. Mungo National Park is part of the Willandra Lakes Region. One of the most significant national parks in the world, UNESCO says 'it is a unique landmark in the study of human evolution'. The world's oldest ritual cremation site was discovered in Mungo.
One of great natural harbours in the world is home to the Sydney Opera House, a masterpiece of creativity. There are daily tours and performances or relax in the Opera Bar and admire the vistas. You can take a ferry from nearby Circular Quay to another World Heritage site on Sydney Harbour.
This World Heritage-listed island paradise is only a two-hour flight from Sydney, and is famous for its breathtaking twin peaks and pristine beaches. The island lies on the worlds southernmost coral reef, home to 500 species of fish and more than 90 species of coral. Enjoy the stunning beauty of this idyllic island that accommodates up to 400 visitors at any time.
Less than two hours drive from Sydney, the Blue Mountains is ideal for a weekend wilderness getaway. Blue Mountains National Park is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Go bushwalking and camping, or simply relax at a luxurious B&B. Take in spectacular views from Evans Lookout in Blackheath and visit Scenic World in Katoomba.
For a trip way back into Australias past, visit the historic Willandra Lakes, home to Mungo National Park. The region consists of a system of ancient lakes formed over 2 million years and Aboriginal people lived here for at least 50,000 years. Explore the unique beauty of the dry lake bed and magnificent sand dunes, and take a tour to learn about the areas rich cultural identity.


text:
Life Without Parole Sentencing in North Carolina
North Carolina Law Review, Forthcoming
Duke Law School Public Law & Legal Theory Series No. 2020-54
See all articles by Brandon L. Garrett
Brandon L. Garrett
Travis Seale-Carlisle
Karima Modjadidi
Kristen Renberg
Duke University School of Law; Duke University - Department of Political Science
Date Written: October 24, 2020
What explains the puzzle of life without parole (LWOP) sentencing in the United States? In the past two decades, LWOP sentences have reached record highs, with over 50,000 prisoners serving LWOP. Yet during this same period, homicide rates have steadily declined. The U.S. Supreme Court has limited the use of juvenile LWOP in Eighth Amendment rulings. Further, death sentences have steeply declined, reaching record lows. Although research has examined drivers of incarceration patterns for certain sentences, there has been little research on LWOP imposition. To shed light on what might explain the sudden rise of LWOP, we examine characteristics of the more than 1,627 cases in which LWOP was imposed from 1995 to 2017, in North Carolina, one of the states that imposes the largest numbers of these sentences. We begin by analyzing defendant race, crime, and sentence patterns by county. We associate LWOP with homicide rates, and examine interactions between homicide, victim race, and prior LWOP sentencing. This first empirical analysis of adult LWOP sentences finds important local variations in its imposition. We find that as the homicide rate increases within a county, we observe fewer LWOP sentences. We find that fewer LWOP sentences are predicted to occur as the number of black victim homicides increase in a county, but no such relationship is found when considering the number of white victim homicides. Finally, we find a strong path dependency and concentration of LWOP sentences in counties, where counties that have imposed LWOP sentences in the past are more likely to continue to do so. These findings have implications for efforts to reconsider the most severe sentences in the U.S., and they suggest that prosecutorial discretion in seeking long sentences will be important subjects for future research and policy.
Keywords: Life without parole, sentencing, Eighth Amendment, prosecutorial discretion, race disparities, LWOP
Garrett, Brandon L. and Seale-Carlisle, Travis and Modjadidi, Karima and Renberg, Kristen, Life Without Parole Sentencing in North Carolina (October 24, 2020). North Carolina Law Review, Forthcoming, Duke Law School Public Law & Legal Theory Series No. 2020-54, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3552636
Brandon L. Garrett (Contact Author)
Duke University School of Law ( email )
210 Science Drive
HOME PAGE: http://www.brandonlgarrett.com/
Duke University - Department of Political Science ( email )
140 Science Drive (Gross Hall), 2nd floor
Duke University Mailcode: 90204
Durham, NC 27708-0204


text:
Q: How to encrypt string in ruby The method below should take an "encrypted" string and return the string "unencrypted", but it is returning the error "undefined method `-' for nil (NoMethodError)"
I've tried everything but I can't get beyond that.
basically the code is this:
ALPHABET = ('a'..'z').to_a
def decode(string, factor)
    string = string.split(//)
    string = string.each_with_index.map do |char, _|
      if char.match(/\w/).nil?
        char
      else
        ALPHABET[ALPHABET.index(char) - factor]
      end
    end
    string.join
  end

*string is 'Zd tytxtrzd cpnflclx op Vlcwdcfsp, xld lelnlclx l ntolop gtktysl!'.

*factor is 11.

*decoded message must be 'Os inimigos recuaram de Karlsruhe, mas atacaram a cidade vizinha!'

*But returns

undefined method `-' for nil:NilClass

How can I solve this?

A: You are setting your ALPHABET only with lower case letters (ALPHABET = ('a'..'z').to_a), but in the string, you are using some upper case letters ('Z', 'V'). As these letters won't be on the ALPHABET, the index related to them does not exist and will be nil (e.g ALPHABET.index('Z') is nil).
In order to solve that, considering that the letters case on the output is not relevant, you can just do a preprocessing on your string converting all the letters to lower case, and you will then get the expected result:
ALPHABET = ('a'..'z').to_a
def decode(string, factor)
  string = string.downcase.split(//) # converting into downcase here
  string = string.each_with_index.map do |char, _|
    if char.match(/\w/).nil?
      char
    else
      ALPHABET[ALPHABET.index(char) - factor]
    end
  end
  string.join
end

string = "'Zd tytxtrzd cpnflclx op Vlcwdcfsp, xld lelnlclx l ntolop gtktysl!'"
factor = 11
puts decode(string, factor)
  # => 'os inimigos recuaram de karlsruhe, mas atacaram a cidade vizinha!'

UPDATE considering that the case is relevant:
In this case, you can then define two alphabets (one for lower case and one for upper case), and then use them accordingly. Like this:
LOWCASE_ALPHABET = ('a'..'z').to_a
UPCASE_ALPHABET = ('A'..'Z').to_a

def decode(string, factor)
  string = string.split(//) # converting into downcase here
  string = string.each_with_index.map do |char, _|
    if char.match(/\w/).nil?
      char
    else
      # if is a lower case letter, uses lowcase alphabet and, otherwise, uses upcase alphabet
      alphabet = /[a-z]/.match(char) ? LOWCASE_ALPHABET : UPCASE_ALPHABET
      alphabet[alphabet.index(char) - factor]
    end
  end
  string.join
end

string = "'Zd tytxtrzd cpnflclx op Vlcwdcfsp, xld lelnlclx l ntolop gtktysl!'"
factor = 11
puts decode(string, factor)
  # => 'Os inimigos recuaram de Karlsruhe, mas atacaram a cidade vizinha!'

A: Another version with one alphabet:
ALPHABET = ('a'..'z').to_a
def decode(string, factor)
  string.each_char.map do |char|
    index = ALPHABET.index(char.downcase)
    decoded = index.nil? ? char : ALPHABET[index - factor]
    char == char.downcase ? decoded : decoded.upcase
  end.join
end

Priority of the code is readability/brevity over speed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Osbaldwick and Derwent Ward Committee
Wednesday, 30th October, 2019 6.30 pm
Venue: Dunnington Methodist Church
Contact: Cindy Benton Community Involvement Officer
Ward Resident Drop In
· An opportunity for residents to chat to your Ward Cllrs and the Police
Local residents were given the opportunity to speak informally with Councillor Rowley and Councillor Warters prior to the main meeting.
Main Meeting 7pm
The meeting was chaired by Councillor Rowley who welcomed everyone and set out the agenda. He introduced Sgt Victoria Lowery, PCSO Jason Brooks and Cindy Benton (and made a point of thanking Cindy for her hard work and positive input). He was also encouraged by the number of residents in attendance.
Police Update
There will be an update from the local Policing team and residents will have the opportunity to raise any issues in the ward
Sgt Lowery confirmed that since June 2019 the Neighbourhood Team had made 800 visits to the area with the main crime being identified as online fraud. Consequently, PCSO Brooks offered to provide fraud prevention advice and support to residents if required. Seven calls relating to anti-social behaviour had also been made and residents were reminded to call 101 in the event of any further (non-emergency) incidents.
One resident asked what constituted a visit. Sgt Lowery and PCSO Brooks confirmed that a house call or a patrol through the area (if the police vehicle stopped for longer than ten minutes) were recorded as one visit. The majority of patrols involved a PCSO either on a bike or on foot.
Concerns were raised with regard to a local traveller site and the fact that several vehicles with no apparent tax or insurance had been seen being driven around the area. Although these sightings had previously been reported approximately two months ago nothing seemed to have been done since then. Councillor Warters commented that the traveller vehicles moved on a daily basis so were likely to have been driven illegally (which was a police matter). There followed a further discussion about identifying whether a vehicle was legally roadworthy by checking the DVLS website. Sgt Lowery said she would discuss the matter with her colleagues in the Traffic Enforcement Team as they had all the relevant information.
One resident raised concerns with regard to incidents of speeding in Dunnington (particularly near the railway bridge). Sgt Lowery confirmed that residents could apply to the Traffic Enforcement Team for an assessment as to whether a speed camera would be an appropriate deterrent. Councillor Rowley said that from previous experience he considered Community Speed Watch (using hand held speed detection devices) to be an effective deterrent. There was also a discussion about the 30mph limit sign (which had been relocated against the wishes of Dunnington Parish Council before being subsequently moved back to its original position on Common Road following an accident). Residents felt that they had been hampered with regard to traffic issues and that the VAS (vehicle activated sign) had been damaged, it has now been agreed by CYC that the VAS is to be replaced using Highways budget.
Sgt Lowery was asked by one resident whether it was appropriate to have vehicle lights on all the time when driving. Sgt Lowery confirmed that it was important to be well lit between dawn and dusk but it was not necessary during daylight hours (except in conditions of poor visibility). She went on to say that cyclists without lights or high visibility clothing were an ongoing problem.
Another resident raised a query as to whether the police would be able to locate properties in more rural areas (i.e. in Holtby) where local police knowledge may be limited. Sgt Lowery gave assurance that their mapping systems were very accurate (even in the absence of numbered properties).
Councillor Rowley commented on a recent (positive) meeting with Inspector Lee ... view the full minutes text for item 3.
Feedback on Ward Grants
Feedback from some local community groups that have received ward grants this year
Councillor Rowley provided an update on local grants and schemes and encouraged residents to apply for funding if they had any projects which they felt would enhance and benefit the local community.
A representative from Holtby Parish Council confirmed that they had received funding for planters to be installed in the village.
A representative from Dunnington Playing Fields Association explained the benefits of having local sports facilities (in terms of both physical as well as mental health), particularly with regard to young people. He went on to say that Dunnington Sports Club was integral in occupying and nurturing young people and that local volunteers had "worked their socks off" to achieve this. He also added that the installation of CCTV had kept anti-social behaviour to a minimum. He thanked Councillor Rowley, Councillor Warters, Cindy Benton and local volunteers for their support with regard to the restoration of Dunnington playing field following an infestation of chafer grubs as well as damage created by crows and rabbits. He showed photographs to residents of the poor state of the playing field prior to the restoration. The representative was, in turn, thanked for his contribution to the community by another resident.
Although a representative from Kexby Parish Council was unable to attend, Councillor Rowley confirmed that funding had been awarded for a new notice board which enhanced the village.
A member of Dunnington Methodist church then referred to their weekly cinema club (attended by approximately fifty residents) as well as children's activities which will be greatly enhanced by a new loop system and projector for which they were very grateful.
A representative from Dunnington Parish Council also mentioned the new crisp packet recycling bin which had recently been installed in the village.
Finally, concerns were raised by a resident with regard to confusing recycling procedures. Councillor Warters compared York's poor recycling target with that of East Riding and Councillor Rowley said he would raise this issue with City of York Council.
Ward Budgets
Cllrs will give an update on the ward budgets available and ask for any ward improvement suggestions from Residents
Councillor Rowley proceeded to discuss current ward budgets. In addition, he confirmed that £6,800 (spread over four years) would be allocated to the Housing Estate Improvement Programme (HEIP), the aim of which was to improve council properties. He also confirmed that Cherry Tree Court had benefitted from some nice planters and thanked Councillor Warters for being proactive in his quest to obtain several planters throughout the ward.
Revenue 2019 - 2020
Dunnington £16,356
Holtby £841
Kexby £1,107
Murton £3,000
Osbaldwick £15,312
Highways 2019 - 2023
Holtby £1,979
1. GRANTS AWARDED 2019 - 2020
· Dunnington Methodist Church - £2,500 to purchase new projector and accessories
· Dunnington Parish Council - £285 to purchase a crisp packet recycling bin at the park on Intake Lane
· Dunnington Parish Council - £300 for flower barrels on Garden Flats Lane
· Dunnington Parish Council - £600 for repairs and securing of the shed at the Undergate Field Allotments
· Dunnington Playing Fields - £1,500 for upkeep of the playing field which needs spraying to stop the damage caused by chafer grubs.
· Holtby Parish Council - £524 for planters
· Kexby Parish Council - £1,980 for replacement notice board
· Murton Parish Council - £1,600 for street light embellishment kits
· Murton Parish Council - £600 for replacement fingerpost sign
· Walking for Health - £100 for continuation of Health walks from Dunnington and Holtby
WARD SCHEMES IN PROGRESS
· Streetlight scheme in Meadlands, Osbaldwick - £1,557
· Metcalfe Lane repairs - £571
· Improve parking area at Farndale Avenue Shops – estimated £10,000
Residents have the opportunity to raise any local issues or concerns with Ward Cllrs
Residents were then invited to raise any other queries or concerns.
Councillor Rowley acknowledged that Hagg Wood was a very emotive and contentious issue and understood the frustrations evident within the community. Nevertheless, he respectfully asked residents to express their views in a measured and considerate manner. He also explained that representatives from the Public Rights of Way Team (PROW) from City of York Council had been requested to attend the meeting but had refused. Consequently, there were two vacant seats next to Councillor Rowley and Councillor Warters (with a copy of the Ombudsman's report strategically placed on one of them).
Councillor Rowley acknowledged that the closure of the gate on a lane leading to Hagg Wood (which had come under new ownership in recent weeks) had inconvenienced and upset many residents. The current owners (who he said had no wish to upset residents) had been advised by their legal representatives to lock the gate (due to liability issues) until a decision was made with regard to public access. Councillor Rowley further stated that he would be more than happy to arrange a meeting with all the relevant parties in an attempt to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
One of the residents was disgusted and appalled that representatives from the Public Rights of Way Team were absent from the meeting. She could not understand why the current owners had made the decision to lock the gate and why they had not explained their decision to the residents. For the purposes of democracy and transparency she believed that they should have attended the meeting to explain their actions. She also expressed her significant distress with regard to the situation which had created a toxic atmosphere and real sense of disenfranchisement within the village which she had not known in over twenty years. Councillor Rowley said that the owners were aware of residents' concerns but felt that it was the responsibility of the Public Rights of Way Team to clarify issues and progress matters.
Another resident was angered by the impact the closure had on people with impaired vision or mobility who were unable to gain access to Hagg Wood.
Confusion over parking on Intake Lane and Hagg Lane was also flagged up as well as the poor state of the road surface. There was a sense of general frustration with City of York Council due to the impasse.
Various ideas were raised by several residents in an attempt to find solutions to the issue of liability. These included: -
· Purchasing the freehold land by the Forestry Commission in order to facilitate a dedicated right of way;
· Setting up a creation agreement by City of York Council;
· Extending Parish Council insurance.
One resident suggested accessing the Natural England website as a potential source of useful information particularly relating to public rights of way.
Another resident asked how long it would take for the legal issues to be resolved. Councillor Rowley said he was unsure at this stage but was keen ... view the full minutes text for item 6.


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Earth Witch and Curveball Interview
Author Carrie Vaughan steps into character as Earth Witch and Curveball for this cool interview at Cat and Muse:
A Super Twofer
JEZEBEL:
Heya, Avid Fans! Welcome once again to Cat and Muse, the only Internet talk-radio show run completely by and about fictional characters. I'm your host, the former demon Jezebel, coming at you live from the sordid depths of Jackie Kessler's website. With me, as always, is the producer of Cat and Muse—the cliché-speaking, pop-culture-referencing Muse of Tragedy…Melpomene!
Hi, Mel!
MELPOMENE:
JEZ:
It's time for something a little different on Cat and Muse: a twofer! Almost as much fun as a threesome.
MEL:
THREE IS COMPANY TOO.
Our next guests, plural, will be the first to tell you that superheroes can mean super ratings on television, especially when it's reality TV. Publishers Weekly declares: "this fast-paced and sardonic story will appeal to comic book aficionados and heroic fantasy fans alike."
Mmm. Men in spandex. I'm all over that. Avid Fans, give a hotter than hot welcome to two of the stars of the new incarnation of George R.R. Martin's shared world of WILD CARDS….from INSIDE STRAIGHT, Carrie Vaughn's characters, Curveball and Earth Witch!
Heya, ladies!
CURVEBALL:
Hi. Thanks for having us.
EARTH WITCH:
We're looking forward to this. We've never had such interesting interviewers before.
And I've never had two women at once. [SMILES INNOCENTLY] So from what I understand, you operate in a world that's had superheroes—legitimate, card-carrying superheroes—since 1946. What could possibly be bad about that?
Oh my God, where to start?
Heh, this is going to be good.
I know a lot of people signed on for American Hero— that's the reality TV show we were on—thinking it was their big break, that they'd get their foot in the door in Hollywood and become big movie stars or something. Never mind that that hardly ever happens.
[NODS] Not without signing certain documents in blood. Usually.
They wanted the all the publicity. [PAUSES MEANINGFULLY] But some of us really wanted to make a difference. We really wanted to learn to use our powers, and find a way to help people.
That sounds, well, you know. Superheroish. Altruistic. All that good stuff. So what went wrong?
[ROLLS EYES] It turned into a big huge soap opera. People seemed to be more interested in who everybody's sleeping with than what we can actually do.
[PERKS UP] Well, ain't nothing wrong with superheroes having sex. A lot. Ideally, on camera.
Maxim magazine ran a pool to see who I'd end up sleeping with by the end of American Hero. [SNORTS] There I am, blowing [BLEEP] up left and right, and the one thing people want to know is who I'm sleeping with.
[NODS] Even after we stopped a genocide in Egypt, the press is still mostly interested in who's sleeping with whom.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.
There was also a pool going to see who Drummer Boy WOULDN'T sleep with.
Bless me, I've GOT to start watching this show.
[SMILES] I'm happy to say that in my case, they all lost. The guy I ended up with wasn't even a contestant on the show.
Hah! Okay, Earth Witch, your turn. Was the show a good experience, or not so warm and fuzzy?
The show turned out to be my big break, even though I wasn't looking for it.
Are we still talking about all the super sex?
[SMILES] Sorry, no. My brother signed me up for the show behind my back. If it weren't for him, I'd still be digging wells in New Mexico. That's my power—I dig holes with my mind.
You must piss off a lot of unionized gravediggers.
[LAUGHS] Actually, I can do a lot more than that, and it was being on the show that taught me that. So I hate to complain.
But?
[SIGHS] But getting shot—that was pretty bad.
Yeah. I hate it when that happens. [GLARES AT COMPUTER SCREEN] Hear me, Kessler? I don't want to get shot again!
ENDED WITH A BANG.
The perils of reality television aside, there had to be something good about doing the show…
[SMILES] I've made a lot of friends. When you have the wild card virus, even if you're an ace, it makes you kind of a freak. You're always going to be different.
"Ace"—that's code for superhero, right?
[NODS] I didn't want to be the kind of ace who just uses my power for party tricks.
[GRINS] I don't know—when you can throw things and make them blow up, that's a pretty good party trick.
But then you're always stuck cleaning up 'cause you made the mess.
[LAUGHS] Yeah, there's always a downside. What about you, Earth Witch? Are you in this for the party tricks, or is there something else?
I'd have to say the best thing for me has been getting out of my hometown, meeting lots of people, and learning how to use my power.
[WINKS] And we have a guy whose superpower is to make people spontaneously orgasm.
[BURSTS OUT LAUGHING]
[FROWNS] THE GIRL'S A SUPER FREAK.
What? It was funny.
[SNIFFS]
Don't mind the Muse, she's just uptight. Okay, ladies. Let's talk superhero fashion. I have to admit, I thought you'd be more about the capes and less about the tee-shirts.
NO CAPES!
I used to play softball, before my wild card turned. Shorts and a tee-shirt's the outfit I'm most comfortable in, and it lets me run and throw.
For me, it's jeans and whatever. [SHRUGS] I haven't really worn much else. But Curveball promised to take me shopping in New York.
START SPREADING THE NEWS.
So what wouldn't you be caught dead in?
[LAUGHS] Hey, I don't want to be caught dead AT ALL.
Gotcha. [SMILES] Time to talk about your love lives!
This one's all Curveball's. I'm not seeing anyone.
[LAUGHS] Yet.
[BLUSHES] After all the work I've done trying to keep this out of the press, you're going to ask me this?
John and I are just trying to have a quiet, normal relationship.
Even though they've had their picture on the cover of Aces! magazine and are the total "it" couple right now.
Heh. Well then, what's your romantic fantasy?
To be together with John on a tropical island. With no paparazzi. [GRINS HUGELY]
Earth Witch? What about you?
To have a romantic fantasy, I'd have to have some romance first. That's the fantasy, right there.
Give it time, chica.
Tell me, in INSIDE STRAIGHT, were there any parts of the story where you were like, Carrie, sweetie, what the Hell are you making me do? Or were you and your Creator in sync the entire time?
Actually, the whole concept of American Hero was kind of a big, huh?
[NODS]
I think it started as a throwaway line in the pre-planning stages of the book, then got totally out of hand. I heard Carrie mutter at one point, "I've created a monster."
Mmm. Monsters.
So yeah, there we are on American Hero, battling fake bank robbers and rescuing people from fake burning buildings. I swear, the writers sat around for hours, thinking up wacky fake challenges for the show.
If you had your way, what would you change about INSIDE STRAIGHT?
I would have Drummer Boy not be a [BLEEP].
Ooh! 'Splain, please!
He was on our team on the show—the Hearts, if that isn't corny enough—and he can be a really nice guy. All seven feet and six arms of him.
Bless me, the possibilities with six arms…
Then you put a few hot chicks in the room, and he turns into an absolute [BLEEP]. No pun intended.
Heh. Am I detecting a wee bit of jealousy?
[LAUGHS] If the two of us HAD hooked up, I wouldn't be with John now.
Fair enough. Earth Witch? What would you change about INSIDE STRAIGHT, if you could?
I would have it so nobody got killed in Egypt.
Oh yeah. That one. That one more than what I said.
Careful here. We don't want to set off the Spoilalert. Damn thing's impossible to turn off.
[MIMES ZIPPING LIPS SHUT]
Tell me one thing in the real world that you wish you could change.
Wait a minute. I thought we WERE in the real world.
Hey, did you ever think about what would have happened if Fidel Castro had gone into politics in the 1950s instead of becoming a pro baseball player?
Right, moving along…what about in the publishing world? What would you change?
CURVEBALL AND EARTH WITCH:
More WILD CARDS books!
[GRINS] Sounds good to me. If INSIDE STRAIGHT goes Hollywood, who should play you in the movie?
Ooh, Salma Hayek. That would be so awesome.
Milla Jovovich. She's the only one I can think of who's tough enough to play me.
What about like Reese Witherspoon? Or Kate Hudson? They're cute.
Can you imagine either of them throwing fastballs that explode on impact?
Last question. If you could be evil for one day, and you were granted spiffy evil powers, what would the powers be and how would you use them?
Is this like saying, "If only she used her powers for GOOD."
Heh. Sort of.
We spent a whole day on American Hero stopping a fake bank robbery. I couldn't help but think how easy it would be for the two of us to rob a couple of banks using our powers.
Oh, wow. You're right. We could go all Thelma and Louise.
Without the driving over a cliff at the end part, right?
Boys and girls, give a standing O for Carrie Vaughn's two characters in George R. R. Martin's shared world of WILD CARDS novel, INSIDE STRAIGHT…Curveball and Earth Witch!
[No, this isn't Curveball. Or Earth Witch. It is, however, an extreme closeup of their Dear Creator's eye. Hi, Carrie!]
You can get the mass market of INSIDE STRAIGHT, the new Wild Cards release, BUSTED FLUSH, and the rest of the Wild Cards books at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Flights of Fantasy, Mysterious Galaxy and other independent bookstores, Amazon, and other bookstores near you.
That's it for this episode of Cat and Muse! Until next time, remember: love your inner demon.
Visit Cat and Muse
By Carrie Vaughn about Wild Cards XVIII: Inside Straight


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Family walking towards Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
We're growing your Brisbane lifestyle in the Mt Coot-tha precinct with more picnic areas and walking trails so you can enjoy Brisbane's beautiful climate and connect with family and friends in this iconic green space.
Explore the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha and Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, ride mountain bike trails, take a walk through the Mt Coot-tha Forest to one of the many picnic areas, or visit the Mt Coot-tha Lookout for the best view of Brisbane. Visit Mt Coot-tha Library (nestled in the grounds of Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha) which is home to a collection of books specialising in botany, horticulture and landscape design. Wander through the heritage-listed Toowong Cemetery, which was formally opened in 1875 and is Queensland's largest cemetery.
Things to see and do highlights
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha
Queensland's premier subtropical gardens, displaying gardens arranged in thematic and geographical displays and the world's largest collection of Australian native rainforest trees.
Visit the Mt Coot-tha Visitor Information Centre to plan your day at the mountain's attractions.
Mt Coot-tha fun for kids
There's a world of fun for kids to explore and experience at Mt Coot-tha precinct. Check out our fantastic events for kids across the precinct.
Mt Coot-tha shuttle
The free Mt Coot-tha shuttle bus service allows you to travel between key destinations in the precinct. The service runs every 20 minutes on a seasonal timetable.
Useful links and more to see and do
Mt Coot-tha precinct attractions
Mt Coot-tha precinct events
Forest reserve and tracks
Mountain bike riding
Plans for Mt Coot-tha precinct
Precinct projects
Botanic Gardens Master Plan
Green leisure precinct
Discover the precinct
Mt Coot-tha Precinct accessible text view
152 Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong
The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium was established in 1978 by Brisbane City Council. Located within Brisbane's Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, the Planetarium is home of the Cosmic Skydome, a 12.5-metre-diameter projection dome.
Enjoy a show in the Cosmic Skydome, take a tour of Brisbane's current night sky with one of our astronomers or visit the Planetarium's Display Zone to taken an astronomical journey from the present day Solar System to the time of the Big Bang.
Mt Coot-tha Forest
Access from Sir Samuel Griffith Drive or Gap Creek Road
Mt Coot-tha Forest is Brisbane's largest natural area, with more than 1600 hectares of open eucalypt forest and rainforest gullies and creek lines. Mt Coot-tha Forest adjoins the south-eastern section of D'Aguilar National Park. These two areas of up to 40,000 hectares of forest feature spectacular views, seasonal creeks and waterfalls.
Mt Coot-tha Forest offers a variety of walking tracks, as well as mountain bike trails (suitable for off-road cycling only) and some designated horse riding trails.
J.C. Slaughter Falls
Sir Samuel Griffith Drive
The J.C. Slaughter Falls is a cascade waterfall on the Ithaca Creek within Mt Coot-tha Forest Reserve. The falls can be reached via the 1.9km (approx 30 minute)Summit Track walk. Facilities at the park include picnic areas, barbeques and toilets.
Council has upgraded the site and installed new shelters with picnic seating, gas barbeques, pathways and accessible facilities.
Toowong Cemetery
304 Birdwood Terrace, Toowong
The Toowong Cemetery is a Brisbane icon and was once the city's main cemetery. It was officially opened in 1875, but some burials took place from 1871, most notably Queensland's second governor, Colonel Samuel Blackall. The cemetery features a number of cultural areas, historical trails and memorials. Community groups work together with Council to maintain and improve the cemetery's condition.
Friends of Toowong Cemetery is a voluntary organisation with a special interest in the history of Queensland and Brisbane and they offer guided walks of the cemetery.
Mt Coot-tha Lookout
1012 Sir Samuel Griffith Drive
Mount Coot-tha Lookout & Kiosk is a heritage-listed lookout at Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, Mount Coot-tha. It has sweeping views of Brisbane city, Moreton Bay, the Stradbroke islands and the southern ranges. It provides a spectactular view of the city in the day or a fairyland of light at night.
As the highest point in Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha Lookout is one of Brisbane's most popular tourist attractions and is a must-see for visitors to Brisbane.
Recognised as Queensland's premier subtropical botanic gardens, a visit here will inspire your green thumb. Experience and learn about our greatest living collection of native and exotic plant species. Take a walk through themed sections including the Japanese garden, tropical greenhouse and Australia's largest collection of native rainforest trees. Enjoy a picnic or a coffee at the Gardens Cafe, and discover the Queensland Herbarium.
Walking trails, children's trail, guided walks, workshops, exhibitions, themed plant collections and information, picnic facilities, wedding lawn, Garden's Cafe, Queensland Herbarium.
Gap Creek Reserve
Gap Creek Road
Best approached from The Gap, the reserve boasts several mountain bike trails, signed tracks of varying difficulty, open parkland, tables and shelters.
170 Mt Coot-tha Road
Anzac Park is a large open park with lots of shady trees, great kids playground with swings, cubby houses and a sandpit. It also has barbeques, picnic area, toilets (Dean Street) and a dog off-leash area for small dogs.
Friends of Toowong Creek Habitat Brisbane Group are working to restore this area.
Mt Coot-tha Visitor Information Centre
152 Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong (within the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha)
The Mt Coot-tha Visitor Information Centre is the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha is the best place to start your precinct adventure.
Here you will find information on the botanic gardens and it's attractions, access to the mountains walking and biking trails and picnic areas, Mt Coot-tha Forest and surrounds.
Brush Box picnic area
445 Sir Samuel Griffith Drive
One of Mt Coot-tha's nine picnic areas, this area includes open spaces, trails and picnic facilities.
Simpson Falls track and picnic area
The Simpson Falls Track (650m to Simpson Falls - track approx 40 mins) begins at the picnic area. It is excellent for wildflower viewing in late winter and spring when the golden wattles and purple hoveas of the open forest understorey burst into bloom. Walkers may catch a glimpse of the city from the Simpson Falls viewing deck.
Council has upgraded the site and installed new shelters with picnic seating, gas barbeques, pathways and two new toilet blocks.
Silky Oak picnic area
One of Mt Coot-tha's nine picnic areas, this picnic area includes open spaces, trails and picnic facilities.
Hoop Pine picnic area
95 Sir Samuel Griffith Drive
Grey Gum picnic area
Range View picnic area
Gold Mine picnic area
Mt Coot-tha Reserve boundary
An area showing the Mt Coot-tha Reserve boundary


These take-out inspired Spinach, Mushroom, and Leek Noodle Bowls are tossed in the most amazing homemade sesame sauce. Pair with your favorite protein, or enjoy all on it's own as a tasty vegan/vegetarian main or side!
8 ounces fresh long life noodles* or use your favorite noodles!
Place sesame seeds in a large pan over medium heat and toast, stirring, until golden brown (3-5 min) Transfer to a medium bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, honey, as much crushed red pepper as desired, as well as half of your of scallions, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir to combine.
Rinse leek and trim and discard dark green tops. Halve lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1- inch pieces. Wash to remove any interior dirt and set aside. If you haven't already, clean and slice your mushrooms and scallions as well.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to your pan at medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add mushrooms, leeks, and most of your remaining scallions (save a spoonful or two as a garnish) and sauté until tender and softened. Taste and add salt and black pepper as desired. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Next season a pot of boiling water generously with salt and cook your noodles per package instructions. I was using fresh, refrigerated noodles so mine only took 2 minutes so. Dried noodles will typically take a bit longer but nothing extreme.
Add noodles to the pan with your veggies and heat to medium-high heat. Push noodles and vegetables to outer edges of pan and add sauce to center of pan and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir to combine, then add spinach and cook until just wilted, about one additional minute.
Taste and add salt and black pepper as desired.
Garnish with extra sesame seeds (optional) and the remaining green onion. Enjoy!
* You can use anything from ramen noodles to lo mein style noodles for this recipe. If using dried pasta instead of fresh, simply cook in the pot first, per package instructions, then set aside to add to your stir fry.
This tasty dish can be served as a meal for 2 with your favorite protein (or all on it's own!) or double as a delicious side dish for 4. The leftovers are also fantastic the next day; we stir fried our leftover noodles with shrimp and green beans for lunch and loved it!
On it's own the dish is perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and t-rex chefs alike! Feel free to add your favorite protein such as shrimp, tofu, chicken, or beef to round out the meal.


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Q: Probability one random variable is less than another random variable but higher than the same other random variable with a factor Consider the two independent random variables $X$ and $Y$. Assume both are uniformly distributed on $[0,1]$. I want to calculate the probability that $X$ lies between some "low" linear transformation of $Y$, say $\delta_1Y$, and some "higher" linear transformation of $Y$, say $\delta_2Y$, where $\delta_1<\delta_2\Leftrightarrow\delta_1Y<\delta_2Y$. Further we know that $\delta_1>0$ and $\delta_2\geq1$. Thus, the probability I want to calculate is $\mathbb{P}(\delta_1Y<X<\delta_2Y)$.
I know that the probability that $X$ is less than $Y$ can be calculated by:
$$\mathbb{P}[X<Y]=\int_{y=0}^{1}\int_{x=0}^{y}P_{X}(x)P_{Y}(y)dxdy$$
where $P_X(x)$ is the PDF of $X$ and $P_Y(y)$ is the PDF of $Y$. A simple solution would be if you simply could calculate the probability as:
$$\mathbb{P}[\delta_{1}Y<X<\delta_{2}Y]=\mathbb{P}[\delta_{1}Y<X]\cdot\mathbb{P}[X<\delta_{2}Y]$$
But since this implicitly would assume that the two probabilities are independent, I'm pretty sure this is not a viable option. Does anyone have an idea how to solve this?

A: You could start with:
$$\begin{aligned}P\left(\delta_{1}Y<X<\delta_{2}Y\right) & =\mathbb{E}\mathbf{1}_{\delta_{1}Y<X<\delta_{2}Y}\\
 & =\int_{0}^{1}\int_{0}^{1}\mathbf{1}_{\delta_{1}y<x<\delta_{2}y}dxdy\\
 & =\int_{0}^{1}\int_{\max\left(0,\delta_{1}y\right)}^{\min\left(1,\delta_{2}y\right)}dxdy\\
 & =\int_{0}^{1}\min\left(1,\delta_{2}y\right)-\max\left(0,\delta_{1}y\right)dy
\end{aligned}
$$
If you already know that $\delta_1\geq0$ then $\max(0,\delta_1y)=\delta_1y$ and things become a bit easyer.
Go on with discerning cases.


The Hoteldekho SMART choice property comes with a promise of 8 assured amenities, money-back guarantee and priority helpline support. You also get free cancellation and standardized prices through the year.Located at Srinagar, Hillscape Inn provides an internet access on the premises. This property is 2 km away from Nishat Bus Stop and 3 km from Dal Lake.This hotel in Srinagar consists of 3 floor with 10 rooms offering amenities such as a bottled drinking water, telephone, air-conditioning, television and an attached bathroom with hot and cold water supply.


text:
Pop-culture reference
I do not want another single pop-culture reference out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark / Iron Man)
#Trivia
#Demands
Didn't have kids
From: Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Episode: Valley of Darkness (2005) (Season 2, Episode 2)
Thank the gods I didn't have kids.
Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh)
Hate to say I told you so
From: Dead Like Me
Episode: Pilot (2003) (Season 1, Episode 1)
Well, I hate to say "I told you so." –You love to say "I told you so."
Cynthia Stevenson (Joy Lass) | Ellen Muth (Georgia 'George' Lass)
#Condescension
#Mother
You're his father
From: Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Look, we can still save him. Me... you... –If Luke couldn't reach him, how could I? –Luke is a Jedi. You're his father.
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) | Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
#Jedi
Not going as a terrorist
From: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Listen, buster, you won't get four blocks in this neighborhood dressed like that! –Please? –No, and that is final. You are not going as a terrorist! –But all the guys are!
Dee Wallace (Mary) | Robert MacNaughton (Michael)
#Terrorists
Mommy's angry
From: The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Mommy's very angry.
Jeff Goldblum (Ian Malcolm)
Get through your fear
From: The Good Dinosaur
Sometimes you gotta get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side.
Jeffrey Wright (Poppa)
What kind of mother?
From: Home Alone
What kind of mother am I?
Catherine O'Hara (Kate McCallister)
Dad's last words
From: Duckman: Private Dick / Family Man
Did I ever tell you my dad's last words to me? –Mm-hmm. "Careful, son. I don't think the safety's on." –Before that!
Jason Alexander (Eric Duckman) | Gregg Berger (Cornfed Pig)
#Guns
Brief discussion
From: Twin Peaks
Episode: Rest In Pain (1990) (Season 1, Episode 4)
This may be a good time for a brief discussion.
Don S. Davis (Major Garland Briggs)
#Underwear
#Talking