Moving can be hectic. With dozens of to-dos, a tight timeline and a growing pile of boxes, it's easy to get frazzled and let things fall through the cracks. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Forward Your Mail: The post office makes it very easy to ensure your mail gets routed to the right place, at least for the first year after your move. Just head to a local branch or go online to update your address with the date you'll be moving, and your mail will automatically forward.
Measure and Decide: Take a measuring tape to your new home and jot down the measurements of each wall and nook. What furniture and decor will fit in your new space? What won't? It's better to make decisions about what to donate or sell before moving day.
Back Up Your Electronics: Back up your computer and phone to the cloud, and make sure you've uploaded all your photos and documents somewhere safe. In the event something happens to your devices during the move, a backup will get you up and running faster.
Are you ready to make a move? Whether you're considering selling your current home or thinking of finding a new one, get in touch today for help and resources to guide you through the process.


Sheffield High School for Girl is the leading independent girls' school in South Yorkshire, educating girls from 4-18.
Based on an eight acre site in the heart of Broomhill, Sheffield, the school campus makes use of the beautiful Victorian buildings that are characteristic of the area to house the Infants, Juniors, Senior school and Sixth Form, as well as an on-site gym, AstroTurf hockey pitch, sports hall, music rooms and cookery room.
Sheffield Girls' focus is to provide an all-round education for girls, developing academic performance as well as life skills to produce confident and resilient young women.
Sheffield Girls' has been subject to increased competitive pressure over recent years, as competitors increase marketing efforts in a bid to secure available education spend.
With low online visibility, alongside a Facebook profile with a limited number of engaged followers, Sheffield Girls' were looking for new ways to reach their target audiences.
A traditional industry, marketing spend has predominantly been focused in local print publications, with little new media investment. In line with an objective of changing perceptions of the school, alongside the swing in media consumption to online media by the school's predominant target audience – parents of school age children – a test bed of social media activity was investigated.
U Social Media were brought on board on a test basis, to assist with Facebook advertising campaigns as a method to achieve increased awareness and engagement, as well as to deliver new enquiries for the upcoming school terms. Additional objectives were to provide the local community with a better understanding of private education, and highlight the differences between private and state school, in a modern way.
Over a six month period, U Social Media managed Facebook advertising campaigns on behalf of Sheffield Girls', with fantastic results.
We began by ensuring a true understanding of Sheffield Girls' objectives, the key benefits of the school, and any key messaging levers.
We then built Facebook advertising audiences based on our understanding of the key demographics, interests and behaviours of our target audiences, which we then optimised with each campaign and updated in line with the target demographic to ensure the best possible return.
Where possible, for campaigns managed by U Social Media, we use multiple messaging and image options to then monitor and analyse results as the campaigns progress. This allows us to focus on the best performing posts and reduce wastage from less well performing elements. Using this method we ensured the optimal return for these campaigns, as evidenced by our results.
"Working with U Social Media to develop our online marketing has been like having an extension to our team.
Their in depth knowledge of all things digital, and their ability to explain it in plain English has made the process of moving our advertising onto this channel very smooth.
We have had a presence on social media for a while but there was a general feeling we weren't using it to its full potential, but we didn't have the knowledge or expertise in house to develop it any further.
U Social Media took the time to develop a clear understanding of our organisation and the sector we operate in to ensure they could make recommendations and design effective campaigns.
To find out more about how Facebook Advertising, or our social media and digital marketing strategy services, can help your business to grow, contact us today on 0800 112 3605, or email info@usocialmedia.co.uk.
We look forward to helping your business to grow.


Garrett Celek. More than anything else, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have been eager to add toughness to a 49ers squad that has lost that quality over the last three seasons. Celek is one of the few holdovers who has the quality. He's a very good in-line blocker who has played through injuries that would have sidelined others on the roster. Shanahan said he studied Celek in Atlanta when he thought Celek might become a free agent. "I've been a fan of him throughout his career," Shanahan said last week, a considerable plus for Celek. The tight end, however, had too many drops last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he dropped six of the 35 catchable passes that went his way last year. That tied receiver Torrey Smith for the team lead in that dubious category. What's worse, his 17.1 percent drop rate was the NFL's highest among qualifying tight ends. Celek had some drops in the spring. He also had a nice down-field catch in traffic in the recent minicamp that caught Shanahan's eye.
Cole Hikutini. The 49ers pursued him more doggedly than any other undrafted rookie, and because of that he has a legitimate chance of making the final roster. In fact, if Hikutini stays healthy and shows progress this summer, it could prompt the 49ers to rekindle trade talks involving another tight end, Vance McDonald. Hikutini had an excellent 2016 season at Louisville, catching 50 passes, eight of them for touchdowns. He fell out of the draft after a knee injury suffered in Louisville's bowl game hampered him in pre-draft workouts. How well he moves in training camp and the preseason will have a big impact on this position group.
George Kittle. Of the 49ers' six tight ends, Kittle, a mere fifth-round pick, is perhaps the biggest lock to make the final roster. Why? Because he personifies Shanahan's offense in that he's equally good as a run blocker and pass catcher. He was a top target during the team's recent minicamp, and while he had a couple of drops, he came away with more receptions. As a rookie last year, Austin Hooper had 19 catches for 271 yards and three touchdowns for the Falcons. Those are solid numbers for a rookie, but Kittle's could be even better in a 49ers offense in which youngsters could see plenty of playing time.
Vance McDonald. He is hands-down the most athletic tight end on the team, one who had not one, but two, touchdown catches of 65 yards or more last season. The catches were the 3rd- and 5th-longest grabs among NFL tight ends in 2016. The fact that McDonald was the team's most explosive receiver last year led to him getting a five-year contract extension in December. That extension, however, does not appear to be a concern for the new regime, which, again, covets ruggedness. McDonald has missed 16 games over his four seasons with an assortment of injuries. Two of McDonald's four seasons ended with him on injured reserve. McDonald had three drops on catchable targets last year, which is actually quite good considering his track record. His 15.8 percent drop rate over the last four years is the worst among NFL tight ends who have at least 75 catchable targets over that span, according to Pro Football Focus. The 49ers seemed quite comfortable acknowledging that they considered trading McDonald during the draft. If it results in better focus and commitment from McDonald, they could wind up with one of the top tight ends in the league. At the very least, it sends a signal that no one on the roster is safe, not even a guy who recently signed a five-year contract extension.
Logan Paulsen. He is distinct among this group for two reasons: At age 30 he's the oldest true tight end on the 49ers (longsnapper Nelson is three months older). He also is the only one who has played for Shanahan. He entered the league as an undrafted rookie with Washington in 2010 when Shanahan was the team's offensive coordinator. Like Celek and Kittle, Paulsen is an in-line blocker who can catch passes. Over a two-year span in Washington (2012-13), he caught 53 balls for 575 yards and four touchdowns. He and Celek may be competing for the same spot.
Hoyer says he's learning a lot from the coach.


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Q: How to change geolocation dynamically for google places api I am working on google places api in which first user selects city and enters address in text field to get locations specific for that city. For this i have used circle bounds.
Now when user changes cities i need to re-initialize google place api to apply new circle bounds. I have used following script.
<select name="cities" id="cities" onchange="initialize()">
        <option value="0">Select City</option>
        <option value="1" lat="40.7128" long="74.0059">Newyork</option>
        <option value="2" lat="34.0522" long="118.2437">Los Angeles</option>
        <option value="3" lat="42.3601" long="71.0589">Boston</option>
    </select>
    <input id="searchTextField" type="text" size="50" placeholder="Enter a location" autocomplete="on">

<script src="http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?sensor=false&libraries=places" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">

    function initialize()
    {
        var input = document.getElementById('searchTextField');
        var lat  = jQuery('#cities option:selected').attr('lat');
        var long = jQuery('#cities option:selected').attr('long');

        //alert(lat+' == '+long);

        var geolocation = {
            lat: lat,
            lng: long
        };
        var circle = new google.maps.Circle({
            center: geolocation,
            radius: 50
        });

        var options = {
            componentRestrictions: {country: "us"}
        };

        var temp = new google.maps.places.Autocomplete(input, options);
        temp.setBounds(circle.getBounds());
    }

    google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', initialize);

</script>

A: You should have mentioned the exact problem you were facing , that would have helped me think in the right direction but anyway your code looked normal so gave it a go and found these issues
1.When construction LatLngLiteral like this
   var geolocation = {
       lat: lat,
       lng: long
   };

when passing this to google function the values are expected to be numbers rather than string.May be you were getting this error "not a LatLng or LatLngLiteral: in property lat: not a number" because typeof lat would give "string"
In order to conform you need to convert them using parseFloat .Now typeof parseFloat(lat) would give "number"
   var geolocation = {
       lat: parseFloat(lat),
       lng: parseFloat(long)
   };

2.Since US lies on west of GMT so all states have a negative longitude but you were using positive it should've been like this
    <option value="1" lat="40.7128" long="-74.0059">Newyork</option>
    <option value="2" lat="34.0522" long="-118.2437">Los Angeles</option>
    <option value="3" lat="42.3601" long="-71.0589">Boston</option>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Norfolk Orbital Railway
Establishing a multi purpose route through Norfolk connecting communities and boosting the economy
Proposed Stations
County School
Great Ryburgh
Melton Constable
King's Lynn Hunstanton Railway Project – Open Day 2nd December 2017
The King's Lynn Hunstanton Railway Project Open Day in Hunstanton on 2nd December 2017 was a resounding success. Over 200 visitors attended the event, both families with young children, young adults, empty nesters and the 'not-so-young'.
Visitors came from all over the country; a few former residents of Hunstanton now living overseas also attended. 138 petitions for a new railway to reconnect King's Lynn with Hunstanton were signed. Signatories hailed from:
King's Lynn Hunstanton Area – 82 petitions (58% of total)
Home Counties – 19 petitions (18% of total)
Further afield, ranging from Derby to Bournemouth – 9 petitions (6% of total)
Overseas; Italy, Germany, Canada – 3 petitions (2% of total)
Petitions signed but without postcode – 25 petitions (16% of total)
Two presentations were made on the day by Bob Edwards, a rail expert on the project team. Railway experts from the team also circulated amongst the visitors throughout the day, explaining technical issues, answering questions about potential rail track routes, car parking for passengers, feasibility studies to be undertaken, funding and the type of railway which will ultimately link properly with the national rail network.
Hunstanton August 1959
Anglia TV were present during the day and conducted 3 on-camera interviews with members of the Project Team. Later in the day, BBC Radio Norfolk attended the event and recorded three more interviews for broadcast. Elaine Bird took photographs for publication in January Town & Around. The event was also attended by Councillors: Andrew Jamieson, Michael de Chenery of Horsburgh and Richard Bird.
Rigil Kent (Chairman) said "I am overwhelmed with the extremely positive response from the public who attended our open day; everybody that I spoke to on the day was in support of our aim to re-establish a line through to Kings Lynn.
The aim of the day was to launch the project to the public officially and to answer any queries that people have to the best of our ability at this stage of the project. The next steps are to raise funds to organise a properly conducted feasibility study to officially ascertain the need, the viability, funding, operation, route and management of the project going forward."
Next Steps: The Railway Project Group has already set up a bank account and the immediate next steps are to raise funding for a full Feasibility Study to examine all aspects of the proposal including route and rail station options, the provision of car parking, overall costs of the tender and consultancy process, build costs of line options, and its long-term financial viability. The economic benefits to local area businesses and to the communities served by the new rail service will also be examined and quantified.
A petition is also running and if you wish to sign it then please click here: Reinstate train line from King's Lynn to Hunstanton
For more information please contact Georgina Turner: le_strange_railway@outlook.com
Useful Weblinks:
King's Lynn Railway
CategoriesLatest News, Uncategorized
Previous PostPrevious The first season of the Swanage to Wareham service
Next PostNext Norfolk Strategic Framework

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We received news that Silent Cinema and the Politics of Space (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014), edited by Jennifer M.Bean, Anupama Kapse, and Laura Horak has been selected as the winner for the Society for Cinema & Media Studies Best Edited Collection Award for 2015. The award recognizes the best edited collection published during the previous year, and is meant to recognize the work of editors and of new scholarship by multiple scholars in a single edited volume in which the assembled essays reflect sustained and varied engagement with the book's core theme. The award will be presented at the Award Ceremony of the 2015 SCMS Conference in Montreal on Friday, March 27th. Congratulations!


text:
Black Swans, Gold, and Anti-Gold
Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex, tells…
A Gold Bull Not a Gold Bug
Hedging Sovereign Debt Default with Gold
Gold ·
Precious Metals Investing: Bullion vs. Miners
Gold and China: Physical vs. Paper
Gold in the Modern Macro Picture
What Extreme Monetary Policy Means for Gold
Why Bitcoin is Not Digital Gold
Investing in Gold Miners Vs. Investing in Gold
Gold in Today's Monetary System
The Difference Between Bitcoin and Gold
Cryptocurrencies and Gold
The Godfather of Gold Analysis
How Gold Actually Works in a Crisis
The Challenges to Gold Exploration and Extraction
Gold and Silver as Insurance
The Evolution of Gold Extraction
History of the Gold Standard
Gold's Role in Venezuela
The Gold Manipulation Question
Gold in History: World War II
Featuring Rick Rule
Published on: September 12th, 2019 • Duration: 11 minutes
Rick Rule, president and CEO of Sprott US Holdings, talks about how gold behaves in a liquidity or solvency crisis. Rule argues that gold and gold stocks do not behave as we might expect when trust suddenly evaporates from a system after a traumatic financial event. This clip is excerpted from a video published on Real Vision on November 27, 2018 entitled "The Golden Portfolio Hedge."
RICK RULE: Although many factors impact the gold price, what has been most important for 40 years has been global investors' perception of the durability of purchasing power of the US dollar, particularly the US dollar as expressed by the US 10-year Treasury rate. Historically, when people were afraid, they went to gold, on a global basis, not just in the US. When people are afraid, they go to US Treasury securities.
The US Treasury securities market-- if you will, the anti-gold-- has been in a bull market for 35 years, a very long bull market, which I suspect is long of tooth. If you believe that the anti-gold bull market-- that is, the US Treasury market-- is at an end or close to an end, then you must believe, conversely, that the gold market is closer to the beginning. Let's examine that.
At the beginning of the bull market in treasuries, the US 10-year rate was at 15.6% annually, if my memory serves me well. Currently, it's at 3%, having fallen as low as 1.78. Could the rate go lower? In other words, could the bond go higher? Perhaps it could, but the truth is aromatically, you're much closer to the end than you are to the beginning of that market. Why is that so? What's behind that number?
People inside and outside the US don't seem to understand the arithmetic of collective indebtedness in the United States. I'm not talking now about numbers that emanate from some old libertarian crank who works for a gold company. Rather, the Congressional Budget Office would say that, on balance sheet liabilities, just federal government liabilities are $21 trillion. For your viewer's edification, that's 21, with 12 zeros.
Add in state and local on balance sheet liabilities, off-balance sheet liabilities, which are entitlements-- you're looking at one-- a 65-year-old-- and beyond that, the net present value of unfunded pension liabilities, and the total collective liability in the United States is $200 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. There, if you will, you have the denominator. The numerator comes from the Fed, who says that total private household net worth to the United States-- assets minus liabilities-- is $100 trillion.
The arithmetic is that we have a $200 trillion obligation with $100 trillion asset base. Yes, you can add back other collective assets too, but the truth is that both the balance sheet and the income statement of the United States don't justify America's standing as having the world's reserve currency, nor do they justify, on a risk basis, the yield on the US 10-year treasury. My friend Doug Casey says that the US dollar is the prettiest mare at the slaughterhouse. The fact is that the United States, despite its challenges, is, at least commercially, and probably technologically, the most innovative society in the world.
While we have problems, our currency is deeper and more liquid, in terms of securities markets, than other currencies around the world, including, as an example, the yen or the euro. The US looks good in a relative sense. I think that's why the US dollar has been so strong. The US economy is relatively strong compared to other economies. US interest rates have risen to the point where they're at least flat, in real terms, relative to other currencies, which would appear to be negative.
To me, a black swan is very much the way Taleb described it. That is, a circumstance that doesn't appear as being probable, or even thought of, an asynchronous event that tends turns out to be a momentous event. I think there are a few of them, with regards to security markets in general and perhaps, the gold and gold equity markets. The thing that gold stock investors, in particular, forget and to some extent, bullion investors forget, is that a liquidity crisis, in the near term, takes down all ships.
The sell decisions in a liquidity crisis are seldom made by the investor. They're made by the margin clerk. And in a context like that, everything gets sold, whether it has a bid or it doesn't have a bid. I remember, back in 1987, that stock market crash, which may be before many of your viewers' experience, but the truth is that the gold stocks held up for 24 hours. Then gold stocks turned out to be stocks, and they got sold off.
Then gold as a commodity got sold off, because people had debts that needed to be extinguished, and gold had a bid. In the very near term, when the gold bugs, who have sort of a proclivity for crisis, believe that their asset will stand them in good stead in a liquidity crisis, the truth is, at least in the near term, it doesn't stand them in good stead. In the intermediate term, of course, in a liquidity crisis, gold might be the ultimate liquidity. One will ultimately be happy that he or she owns gold, but in the face of a liquidity crisis, the performance of gold and gold stocks can be very disappointing.
One wonders about a liquidity crisis at all, given the fact that the world is awash in liquidity and we try and point out to Sprott's clients that there is a difference between liquidity, which the world has lots of-- artificially low interest rates, which adjust, the tax cuts in the United States that haven't been met by spending cuts. People tend to confuse the word liquidity with the word solvency, and those are two very different words.
When the issue of solvency comes into play and people are nervous about parking their cash with other people, when trust evaporates from the system like trust evaporated from the system in 2008, a solvency crisis becomes a liquidity crisis. In circumstances like that, in the very near term, the only thing that works is cash. I think the first thing that gold and gold-related investors have to worry about is the likely response of both gold and gold-related equities in the very short term in the event that we had a liquidity crisis.
A black swan that I think faces resource investors generally is the fact that the world-- particularly the US but the world itself-- has been what I guess you could describe as in recovery for nine years following the global financial collapse of 2008 and the beginning of the reformation, I guess it was, in 2009. In my experience, through four cycles, nine years is a very long economic recovery and there is a possibility that the recovery that we're in-- the recovery in economic markets, in financial markets, in all of those things-- could be long of tooth.
A circumstance where the world begins to run out of growth, and the stock market begins to run out of oomph, and the bond market begins to run out of liquidity could usher in an era where a whole range of assets reprice lower, and certainly, a world where commodity prices trended lower rather than higher. That isn't to say I'm not a commodities bull. The traditional thesis around commodities has been that extended bear markets, which commodities have been in, not the general economy, but commodities have been in-- leads to circumstances where there is underinvestments in productive capacity.
As a consequence of that, you destroy supply. That's very, very bullish for commodities, and that's occurred. The counterpart to that is that, after a nine-year bull market, we begin to fade, in terms of demand. You can afford, in a market, reduced supply if you have reduced demand simultaneously. One of the things that I think that investors in gold and commodities aren't factoring into the equation is the fact that the expansion that we've enjoyed for the last nine years is probably fairly long of tooth.
Two ugly black swans that people need to concern themselves with, I think, are the concept of a 2008-style liquidity squeeze, or simply, a good, old-fashioned recession. The white swan, if you will-- the thing that could go very right, that I don't think is recognized in the market-- is the fact that the bottom of the demographic pyramid worldwide, the 2 billion people in the world who are the poorest of the poor, are gaining ground, and they're gaining ground very rapidly.
This is a wonderful set of circumstances for humanity, but it's also a wonderful set of circumstances for commodities. When you and I-- Western people-- gain greater purchasing power, the goods that we purchase, the things that improve our lives, mostly aren't physical. They're services, or if they're not services, they're some little piece of technology from Apple that doesn't consume very much of anything. When the poorest 2 billion people in the world gain purchasing power-- and they're gaining it very rapidly-- they might increase their calorie count from 1,500 to 2,200. I'm not suggesting that obesity is a benefit, but it's certainly good for commodity prices.
They might change their mode of transportation from walking, to a bicycle, to a 50cc motorcycle, to a Toyota Hilux. They may trade in a thatched roof for a steel roof, or mud for cinder block. The point is, the bottom 2 billion people on Earth, as they gain extra purchasing power, their purchases are deeply commodity-intensive. The driving of the last bull market in resources can be attributed at least, as to 50% of it, simply to the urbanization of China and to the extent that the Chinese story is replicated, albeit in less dramatic fashion, in Malawi, in Myanmar, in Bolivia, that could have enormous impact on commodity prices.


text:
Q: Oracle 19c express manager not loading, listener will not register https port after exec dbms_xdb_config.gethttpsport() We just set up a new oracle 19c install on a VM Windows Server 2020. I have been struggling trying to get the Express Manager working. At the end of the installation Oracle notified me that I can access the Express Manager at https://localhost:5500/em
But upon visiting the website in chrome the connection is refused. I disabled the firewall and receive the same message. I went through the oracle documentation and ensured that
dbms_xdb_config.gethttpsport() outputs 5500.
After running lsnrctl status I noticed that under listeners I am missing port 5500. I searched other users with the same issue they all have an entry for port 5500 like the following.
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcps)(HOST=HOSTNAME.domain)(PORT=5500))(Security=(my_wallet_directory=C:\ORACLE\admin\ecoomdb\xdb_wallet))(Presentation=HTTP)(Session=RAW))
    Services Summary...

According to Oracle documentation when I run the command dbms_xdb_config.gethttpsport(5500) the listener should register the port. But after running the command muliple times this is not happening.


I grew up hearing my mother sing "There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead that can heal the sin-sick soul. " Of course, little ears hear and interpret… Wait? There is a bomb?! In Gilead!? No! We have to warn Gilead! Who and what is Gilead! And how does a bomb heal?
Just to be clear we are talking about the word balm not bomb. But it is a little eerie.
The song "There is a Balm in Gilead" is a traditional United States African American Spiritual. There are parts of the song that have 'wandering verses' that you can sometimes find in other songs. Basically mashups or medleys used in revival services.
No matter what version of the song, the truth of them all is that we have found a balm in Gilead and His name is Jesus! Traditional balm was used for cuts, burns and arthritis but we have a balm that not only heals us on the outside, He has made a way to cleanse and forgive us on the inside. That is what makes us whole!
Joseph's story is often referred to as a messianic one. The comparison of Joseph's story to the story of Jesus is startling. Here are men favored of the Father. Sold for 20 (or 30) pieces of silver. One was thought to be dead, one actually was. But they both came back from the dead and delivered their people from destruction. Joseph's legacy lasted for only a couple of hundred years. Jesus's will last forever.
When Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites, he became another product on their shelves. Imagine their little store front shelf: a container of myrrh, a jar of the balm from Gilead… oh, and this scrawny guy with no clothes sitting there hugging his knees on the shelf. That coat of many colors was torn to shreds. It represented the favor of the Father. It is a tale as old as time that people want to shred the favor of God resting on you. But you know what? Joseph became a balm to the people of Gilead when they had to leave to Gilead and live under Joseph's protection in Egypt. And then Jesus, he laid down his life, and became the balm from Gilead to the whole world.
Are you willing to lay down your life and allow God to use you as a balm?


text:
UT announces search committee, search firm
Posted December 18th, 2013
Texas officials announced Wednesday that men's athletic director Steve Patterson has put together a search committee and hired an executive search firm to assist in hiring the next head football coach.
According to UT, the following eight people will make up the search committee:
Steve Hicks, vice chair of the Board of Regents, one of the board's athletics liaisons, and owner and executive chairman of Capstar Partners LLC, a private investment firm.
Robert Stillwell, member of the Board of Regents, one of the board's athletics liaisons, retired partner at Baker Botts LLP and an original director of Mesa Petroleum Co.
Michael Clement, accounting professor, McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, and faculty representative to the Men's and Women's Athletics Councils.
Ricardo Hinojosa, United States federal judge for the Southern District of Texas, former member of the university's Commission of 125.
Charles Matthews, former vice president and general counsel of Exxon Mobil, current president of the Texas Exes.
Robert Rowling, former member of the Board of Regents and owner and chairman of TRT Holdings Inc.
Charles Tate, chairman of Capital Royalty, former member of the executive committee of the university's Commission of 125.
Pamela Willeford, former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein and former chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Patterson will also utilize Jed Hughes of Korn/Ferry International to help with the search.
Next story: Golden chatting at 11 a.m. Wednesday
Follow Mack Brown's press conference on resignation live via Twitter
Golden chatting at 11 a.m. Wednesday


SUPER Perfect App Webinar All Members!
Every Thursday @ 7:00 PM (E.T.-USA) We will be conducting a Perfect App Webinar to all members. We will learn how INCREDIBLY simple and easy it will be for everyone regardless of ANY prior experience in marketing and without a list or warm market can build the PA business to 10′s or even 100′s of thousands of dollars per month in RECORD TIME.
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The PERFECT APP will bring all the functions of the PERFECT INTERNET on mobile phones, plus much, much more features to find the best local deals and services.
The PERFECT APP is in pre-launch now and will be released Oct 1, 2013. Spread the news and invite others to join this amazing business: whenever you or a person in one of your 5 next generations will use the PERFECT APP, you will earn! No job to do, nothing to buy or nothing to sell. The PERFECT APP is FREE FOREVER!
Have you watched the latest episode of GEE on TV?
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Just click the banner and join in on the fun!
We still have two Wild Draw Winners who need to claim the Prize!
We didn't win the big US Powerball jackpot but our time will come!
You could be the winner of the $ 2,101 PRIZE MANIA Jackpot! You must claim your prize within 1 hour from the time your ID is drawn. You could win Cash, a Camera, a Phone,a Surprise Gift, and now Jewelry or a Shopping Jackpot now at 33750 DP! Use your PRIZE MANIA reflink to add new members to join you in PI and gain DealPOINTs!
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The time to contact the PSM Advisory Board regarding PSM Status has now expired and links were removed as stated in the PSM Advisory Board News Blog. Instructions, posts, and email notices have been sent/made available in ample time for active members to contact the board by the allowed methods which were the contact links/buttons in Your PI PROFILEs. As the PSM Advisory Board Community profile is an "information only" profile, contact requests/messages there are not valid.
All members can still participate in the Perfect App program. See your PI PROFILE > YOUR SETUP, then YOUR CASH COW for info, and SHOW MY REFLINKS for all your reflinks.
COP Owners – If you have not yet taken care of your COP order please do so now. The last day to pay for COP is October 2 US Pacific Time.


text:
Fingers crossed for Tapine
Scott Hazlewood NRL.com Reporter
Sun 14 Apr 2019, 09:54 PM
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart is hoping some good luck finally falls on his star back-rower Joe Tapine after the Kiwi international was again felled by the injury curse that has haunted him for the past three seasons.
Fresh off the return from a dogged thumb injury that ended his 2018 campaign, Tapine's prone form on the GIO Stadium saw the crowd groan when the medicab was called to carry the 24-year-old off the field after he suffered ankle damage.
Stuart is preparing for the worst but hoping for the best as prepares for cover for his potential absence.
"We've got to get scans tomorrow, I've just got my fingers crossed in regards to it not being a break but that it's ligament damage," Stuart said.
"Injuries for any footy player are tough to deal because of all the hard work you do, you want to be out there playing with your mates.
"Taps unfortunately has had a bit a tough start to the season, but he's got a good attitude and he's a mentally tough kid so he'll bounce back.
"But I feel for him because he just can't get going at the moment."
Tapine's potential loss would be a devastating one for the side, however, the depth the club's forwards this season puts them in the best possible position to ride out his absence.
Ryan Sutton was excellent again starting at lock earning 118 metres from 14 runs and pulling off 31 tackles.
While Sia Soliola and Siliva Havili were strong off the bench either side of half-time as the home side looked to pressed its advantage through the middle third of the field.
"We've got a number of blokes in Mounties too, they won well today and they're putting pressure on the guys above them," Stuart said of the club's depth.
"I put Corey [Horsburgh] back today to get more time because he's a young guy and it's hard for a middle to get 15 to 25 [minutes] a game so I had to get some match fitness into him."
Get Caught Up: Round 5
Sam Williams again did nothing to dissuade Stuart from changing his winning halves combination alongside Jack Wighton with his performance against Parramatta.
Stuart said barring unforeseen circumstances, he isn't likely change the duo for their home clash against Brisbane in round six.
"Sam was good and Jack was in doubt (hip) and with a lot of work with the physio he trained OK and got through and I thought he was really strong tonight especially defensively," he said.
"Aidan trained as 18 or 19th man just in case Jack didn't get through to tonight and it's hard and it's one of the more difficult parts of coaching to see somebody like Aidan sit out and not get his spot.
"But it's lovely to see Sam taking his opportunity and playing the way he is."
Stuart said while the team's performance in the 19-0 win over the Eels, was not perfect but he saw enough to build on ahead of a Broncos side he feels will be out to prove their critics wrong after their 1-4 start to the season.
Wighton leaps above the pack
"I am going to assure you they'll be down here and at their best next week," Stuart said of Brisbane.
"I can sense it in the air now they'll be here to play.
"They've been based around, knocked around personally and as a club and they are a strong club and they will bounce back and unfortunately it'll be against us next week."
Season Review: Locks
Season Review: Front-Rowers
Wed 29 Sep, 2021
Sia Soliola to retire from professional rugby league
Tue 28 Sep, 2021


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Stories from Thursday, May 26, 2016
Miners Blank Warriors in Opening Game of Sectional 47 (High School Sports ~ 05/26/16)
Linton-Stockton made quick work of the North Knox Warriors on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Class 2A baseball sectional. With two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the fourth, Kendall Williams launched a ball to right center field for a stand-up double, scoring Trey Passen and Austin Allen to give the Miners a 10-0 lead...
Greene County Sheriff's Department Jail Log (Police Reports ~ 05/26/16)
Mark Emmett Dickinson, 35, Jasonville, was arrested on a warrant for resisting law enforcement and dealing methamphetamine. Bond set at $1,000. Jason Eric Lashley, 35, Terre Haute, was arrested on a warrant for peition to revoke a suspended sentence, criminal trespass and resisting law enforcement. No bond set...
Linton Police Department Activity Log (Police Reports ~ 05/26/16)
The Linton Police Department responded to 33 incidents and calls for service, including one alcohol offense, one EMS, one interview, one local ordinance violation, one suspicious, one welfare check, two property damage accidents, one alarm, three assists to other departments, one assist to the public, one civil dispute, one extra patrol, one noise complaint, four special details, 12 traffic stops and one warrant service...
Large tree cause of power outage in parts of Linton (Local News ~ 05/26/16)
There was a tree that snapped two poles on Main Street near E and G Streets. There was also suspected lightning that struck the Vincennes substation, which is located at Fourth Street N.W. Utilities operations manager Brent Murray said the power from the Vincennes substation should be restored in about an hour...
Phyllis D. Dame (Obituary ~ 05/26/16)
Phyllis D. Dame, 93 of Bloomfield and formerly of Garrett, died Saturday, May 21, 2016. Mrs. Dame worked as a secretary and office manager for several Auburn businesses, retiring in 1987 from the former Messenger Corporation. She was a 1940 graduate of Auburn High School...
Odessa M. Corbin (Obituary ~ 05/26/16)
Odessa M. Corbin, 94, of Solsberry, passed away Wednesday May 25, 2016 at McCormick's Creek Rehab and Skilled Nursing Home in Spencer. Born Feb. 26, 1922 in Solsberry, the daughter of Roy and Mary (Thompson) Cox. Odessa had worked at RCA for nine years and at Bloomington Hospitality House, and she was a member of the Solsberry United Methodist Church...
Errors dash away title hopes of Lady Lakers (High School Sports ~ 05/26/16)
SWITZ CITY -- Sometimes a plan doesn't always pan out as intended. Unfortunately for Shakamak, the plan North Central put together in the last at-bat didn't go as scripted but the end result was all the same. With the tying run 60 feet away in the top of the sixth inning, North Central coach Erica Arnold went out to the mound and wanted hurler Ariel Povlin to intentionally walk the next Lady Laker...
Late runs lift Eels over Wolverines (High School Sports ~ 05/26/16)
SWITZ CITY - In a game of bizarre twists and turns between the two presumptive sectional favorites it was the Clay City Eels who finally prevailed. Clay City tacked on a run in each of the last two innings to break a 2-all deadlock. The Eels hung on for a 4-3 win over White River Valley Thursday to earn their way into the Class A Sectional 57 championship game...
Eastern Greene School Board approves Delta Consulting Group (Local News ~ 05/26/16)
The Eastern Greene School Board held a special meeting Thursday evening, to discuss the approval of the Delta Consulting Group to provide cost estimates and analysis for repair of construction defects in Eastern Greene High School. Delta Consulting Group is an international consulting firm specializing in engineering, accounting, construction, program management and litigation support...
UPDATED: "Unexpected" finish sends Laker runner to state meet (High School Sports ~ 05/26/16)
Shakamak's Clay Reynolds placed third in the 1,600 meter run Thursday night at the Bloomington North Regional. With the top three finish, Reynolds advances to the Track and Field State Finals on June 4 on the campus of Indiana University. Reynolds passed three runners in the final 400 meters of his race to finish in the third qualifying spot...


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Tag Archives: write
Guest Post- 7 Tips to Write, Make Deadlines, and Not Get Lost in the Process
Posted in Guest Post	by Em
Hi everyone! Today I am very excited to bring you a guest post by Max E. Stone, an author who knows the struggle of writing, hitting all the deadlines, and staying focused on the task at hand. He has agreed to share some of his tips and tricks to help you be able to manage the crazy writing life!
If your life tends to be stressful and hectic like mine, keeping deadlines is tough to say the least. Maintaining a cool head in the face of that turmoil is harder still. Add "Writing" into your "already-crazy" schedule and you could downright lose your mind.
Speaking from personal experience, there were times I've worked myself into so much of a ball of stress that I swore up and down it was Tuesday morning on a Friday afternoon. Since that time, exactly a year and a half ago, I've learned a few things about keeping cool and managing my time.
Set workable deadlines
You know you better than anyone else knows you. You know what you can do in a given timeline and you know what is important to you. So dig deep. Ask yourself specific questions. One of the things I ask myself whenever I put together my work for the day, week, or month to come is this: "Of everything on my to-do list, what are the most important things?" From there, set deadlines you can work with and make provisions for changes that may come along the way. Which leads to the next tip…
Life gets in the way. I've been there. You're into the hour you've schedule for writing when suddenly you get a phone call that's going to send you out the door for what you know will be at least another hour or two. I've found that, if I have a task due in two weeks, I'll begin for a half hour two weeks early. Then, I will do a little bit of it each day until it is completed early or on time. This way, I've made room for the changes that might come in the day, I can complete my other tasks, and I haven't driven myself completely nuts in rushing to the end of that one thing to do.
Don't freak if/when you don't make those deadlines
As hard as you or I will try, there are going to be times when you don't make the deadline set. When that happens, don't freak out. Don't worry. It happens. Just keep going and keep pushing. You do that and everything will get done.
Exercise/Get some fresh air
Straight from my mother's mouth.
Both fresh air and exercise have numerous mental and physical health benefits. Sometimes, you have to step away from the computer, desk, etc. in the middle of the day because, frankly, you're sick of looking at it or in my case, your eyes are burning and your bottom's sore from sitting. At that point, I strongly encourage you to go outside, get active, go for a walk, or do some yoga. During the mornings, I run, and during the middle of the day, if I feel the need, I'll go for a walk. So do what you can. Your body and mind will not only thank you but the quality of your day and work will immensely improve.
Books are awesome. No doubt about that. However, the mental advantages are similar to that of exercise and fresh air. I read for about an hour a day, whether its fiction, non-fiction, or education. I just read and let my mind take me away for just that hour. When I come back to my tasks, I'm fresh and all set to finish up what's needed.
I spend a good portion of my day asking questions. No one person has all the answers to every question. Researching and asking questions is so essential. If you know someone who has mastered the art of managing their day, talk with them. Pick their brain and find what works for you.
I learned this one the hard way and ended up not only losing a day but driving myself crazy in the process. So do yourself a favor. If you're tired, go to sleep. Get a nap. If it's late at night, go to sleep. It's not only refreshing to do so, but medically necessary. Not getting enough sleep can't hurt you and, among other things, impair your sense. Your body does a lot for you. Take care of it. Let it relax and reload.
Max doesn't remember ever not creating a story, pen or no pen.
A writer and lover of books since the age of nine, Max first set pen to page as a hobby, constructing stories that were anything but fit for children. Entertaining classmates while simultaneously concerning surrounding adults with blood-ridden tales of gory mysteries and heavy suspense that "just came to mind", Max, with the help of family and the encouraging words of an inspiring fifth grade teacher, continue to develop this gift.
Little was it known at the time, but said gift would become a lifeline.
From horrific trauma in max's teen years, writing played an instrumental part in the difficult recovery and the Warrens, Bennetts, and Johnsons, three interconnected families all with issues, mysteries, and secrets that threaten their livelihood and lives, were born.
Max reads everything and everyone and relishes the journey, learning something new each day.
Find Max Online:
author, book, books, deadline, deadlines, Guest Post, max e. stone, tips, tricks, write, writer, writing	3 Comments
Guest Post- How a Broke Ankle Made a Dream Come True
Hi everyone! Today I have a guest post from author Douglas Geller. He is going to share with you how his dream come true from something as unlikely as a broken ankle.
This night felt different, I was tired from waking up at 4:30 in the morning to go to work and it was the night before Thanksgiving. I really didn't want to go to karate, instead I wanted to be lazy and play video games. But I went as I always did, I'd done it more times than I could remember because its what I always did.
The warm up was light sparring, just tap, tap among the few of us in attendance. We finished the drill before I reminded my dad (the lead teacher) that we forgot someone. So I lined up opposite tiny. Tiny is the nickname we have for the student that is 6'6 and 230 pounds. I duck under his punch and took his back. All 5'5.5, 140 pounds of me holding on to him. He starts dragging me around the mat and I hold on. I decide to hold on for an extra moment to see if he could figure out what to do, a teaching moment. He jerks back and my feet crossed which they aren't supposed to do. I tell myself I should fix this but move slowly. Tiny starts to fall back and I feel a small crack in my left ankle. I say in my head that it felt weird but don't make anything of it. I feel myself falling and think here we go. I land and as if I woke up from a bad dream I start screaming. A few hours later in the hospital I find out I broke my ankle.
I laid in my bed tired and in pain for several nights, restless I started reading anything that seemed slightly intriguing. I read an article about Aging Out, a book that tells stories of kids who aged out of the foster care system and their struggles and overcoming obstacles to achieve their dreams. I'm fascinated and can't stop thinking about it, I think about the fighters I watch and all of their stories and decide that someone should write a story intertwining the two. That night I look at my computer and laughed that I could write the story. For a moment I think I could and I started typing and I found I really enjoyed doing it. So every night I continued to write without telling anyone, it was always the highlight of my day.
I dreamed I could share the story I wrote with the world and for a while I resisted. Who would take me seriously? How many people write books and are laughed at? But then I thought of the poem my dad read at my Bar Mitzvah, The Man In The Glass by Peter "Dale" Wimbrow Sr. and not to cheat the man in the glass. Nine months later I look at the man in the glass and he is smiling at me, because I overcame, pain and insecurity to make my dream come true.
Douglas Geller is 23-years-old and works in public relations. He is a graduate of Ithaca College and grew up and currently resides in White Plains, New York. He has trained in martial arts since he was five-years old and has earned a fourth degree black belt and the title of Sensei.
He has written non-fiction for newspapers including: The Ithacan, The Examiner and Patch. This is his first fiction piece.
Find Douglas Online:
author, book, books, douglas geller, Guest Post, write, writer	1 Comment
Guest Post- Birth of a Collection
Hi guys! Today I have a guest post by Charles Salzberg, one of the three authors behind Triple Shot. His post illustrates how his collaborative writing journey began and evolved to where it is today.
A couple years ago my friend and fellow crime writer, Tim O'Mara, approached me with a proposition. He had just returned from Bouchercon and was excited about a planned website which would offer a download of a different crime novella to subscribers each month.
"I'm going to do it and if you have an idea you might consider doing it, too," he said.
I'd never written a novella before but it was tempting in large part because they're usually at least half as long as a novel and, I figured, half as hard to write. So I said, "I'll give it a shot."
Years earlier I'd collaborated a screenplay from an idea I'd had about an ambitious female journalist who's contacted by a woman in prison who's there for killing her husband and two children. She claims she was framed for the crime and asks the journalist to help prove her innocent. I can't speak for other writers but I'm always looking for the easy way out and so I figured I'd just rewrite the screenplay as a novella.
The screenplay was optioned several times but, like most scripts in Hollywood, was never made. Every production company that optioned it wanted changes, all of which were either pretty silly or downright insulting. They wanted to soften both characters, and one producer actually went so far as to suggest that the main character, Trish, should be changed to a man. My co-writer and I laughed. First of all, it was essential the character be a woman, because we were playing against stereotypes in that we wanted her to be tough, ambitious, and not above cutting corners to achieve an end when necessary. Besides, did they think changing a woman to a man was merely a function of doing a universal search and changing Trish to Joe and she to he? The answer is, they probably did. We passed on the idea and they passed on the script.
Waste not, want not, so now Twist of Fate the screenplay was about to become Twist of Fate the novella.
The truth is, I was never comfortable writing screenplays. I need more than just dialogue and description. Besides, I initially see the world in words not images. So now, writing a novella, I could get deeper into the motivations of all the characters and, if possible, make the story even darker because I didn't have to satisfy a whole bunch of cooks who had not idea what the broth is and what makes it tasty.
Twist of Fate was a bit of a departure for me. The two main characters were women, and the story would be narrated by a woman, something I'd never done before. Not only would the two protagonists be women but they wouldn't be particularly nice women. So much for that old saw about having to like the characters in a book in order to like the book. I've never believed that. As far as I'm concerned you have to be interested in the characters, not like them.
I submitted Twist of Fate and soon after I did I told my friend, Ross Klavan, at our weekly lunch about the project and urged him to write something, too. He accepted the challenge and all three novellas, mine, Ross's and Tim's, were quickly accepted.
Unfortunately, as good an idea as it might have been the website never materialized and, after a year or so, we started getting restless/ If our novellas were never going to see the light of day, we wanted them back. But what would we do with them? There's really no market for stand-alone novellas, so Tim and I came up with an idea. Why not get the rights back and, along with Ross, package the three novellas in one collection?
That's what we did and the result is Triple Shot, a collection of noir crime stories, which is going to be released this month (August).
CHARLES SALZBERG is the author of the Shamus Award-nominated Swann's Last Song, Swann Dives In, Swann's Lake of Despair (re-release Nov. 2016), Devil in the Hole (re-release Nov. 2016), Triple Shot (Aug. 2016), and Swann's Way Out (Feb. 2017). His novels have been recognized by Suspense Magazine, the Silver Falchion Awards, the Beverly Hills Book Award and the Indie Excellence Award. He has written over 25 nonfiction books, including From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, an oral history of the NBA, and Soupy Sez: My Life and Zany Times, with Soupy Sales. He has been a visiting professor of magazine at the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, and he teaches writing at the Writer's Voice and the New York Writers Workshop where he is a founding member.
Find Triple Shot Online:
author, authors, charles salzberg, Guest Post, triple shot, twist of fate, write, writer, writers	1 Comment
Author Q&A- Baylea Hart
Posted in Author Q & A	by Em
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Baylea Hart, an upcoming horror author. She is currently Crowdfunding her book through Unbound, and has shared a little about that and how the process works. To check out her Crowdfunding page click here! Read the interview below!
Q: How long have you been writing?
A: I've been writing since I was really young. I can remember making my first horror book when I was about seven years old – I folded the paper and did all the illustrations myself. The "novel" was called The Birthday Man and was about a monster that killed children on their birthdays. I put it on the class bookshelf but I don't think anyone read it. I can't imagine why!
Q: What inspires your writing? Do you have a muse?
A: People are my inspiration. I spend a lot of time on public transport and I love to people watch. It's fun to imagine stories to go with the people I see. Why is that man running? Why is that woman hesitating to post a letter? I'm also a fan of the "What If"method. The most basic of scenarios can become a story if you add a "What If"! What if that letter, the one the lady doesn't want to post, contains a curse? Everything can be an inspiration if you work it the right way!
Q: Tell me about the book you are working on. What was the original idea behind it?
A: I'm currently working on The Log House, a dystopian horror set in a deadly forest. It originally started life as a fantasy novel. I thought it would be interesting to follow a group of people surviving in an old house, closed off from the world. What would happen if a person was exiled from that house and left to fend for themselves? That gradually became darker as my weird personality became involved, and eventually I was left with a morally ambiguous women, surviving in a forest filled with monsters and desperate for revenge. It's been fun to write a character you know you shouldn't be rooting for, but you kind of do anyway.
Q: You are crowdfunding your book through Unbound. Tell me about that process. What are the benefits?
A: Unbound is a fantastic way of publishing your book because it puts the readers in control. Though Unbound read through and select the manuscripts, only the books people actually want to read will end up funded. As an author, it's also a great way of connecting with and building up your readership. Each author is allocated a "shed", a place to post updates and speak with the people supporting your novel. It's a scary process, but it's exciting. And, it's a fantastic way of publishing novels that may have struggled via the normal publishing process!
Q: If you could drop any character from a chick flick movie in the deadly forest of your book, who would you chose and why?
A: There are plenty of boring characters that I could drop into the forest, but I'd love to see someone tough have a go. It would be fun to see Thelma and Louise take charge and battle through the evil things that lurk in the woods. Though maybe if Romeo and Juliet got caught by a monster, I wouldn't feel too bad.
Q: What is something you want the world to know?
A: I want the world to know that there are so many great books out there that need support. Many people might not give an author a chance if they haven't heard of them, but they are missing out on so much. Take a chance on someone and you may just stumble upon something great!
author, baylea hart, book, books, crowdfunding, deadly, forest, horror, interview, unbound, write, writer	1 Comment
Author Q&A- James W. Ziskin
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing James W. Ziskin, the mystery author of the Ellie Stone novels. He has been nominated for the and Lefty award and has won the coveted Anthony award for the Best Original Paperback in 2015. Read the interview below!
A: I began writing at the age of twelve. After several bad novels and forty years of starting and stopping, I finally succeeded in writing a book good enough to sell to a publisher. Now four books later, I've learned the most important lesson: Never give up.
A: A deadline. The best inspiration there is. That and a deep-rooted love of stories and language. Never be boring. And you've got to care about words.
Q: Tell me about your latest book, Heart of Stone. What was the original idea behind it?
A: Heart of Stone is the fourth book in the Ellie Stone series. It's set in August 1961 on a beautiful Adirondack lake. I felt it was time to give Ellie some support and love in the form of her aunt Lena and elderly cousin, Max. I also wanted to explore music, art, culture, Cold War politics, and the fiery passions of old grudges. The story revolves around the diving deaths of two men in the waning days of an idyllic August vacation. One of the victims is a teenager from a nearby music camp, while the other is an unknown man. A stranger to the lake. Ellie wonders how they happened to be diving from a dangerous cliff together. Surely they didn't know each other. Add to that a reunion with some old friends, a torrid summer romance, and a healthy dose of nude bathing and you've got Heart of Stone.
Q: What is your writing process like? How much 'grunt work' goes in to the finished product?
A: Writing a novel is a marathon. Of course I'm not the first to say that. Some days it's a slog, while others it's a breeze. But you've got to put in the time. I typically take a couple of months to outline my books. There's a lot of time staring off into space, thinking about the plot, the setting, mood, and characters. Then there's the research and the solution to the murder. Once I've done all that, I clear the decks as best I can for three or four months to write the first draft. A thousand words per day should get it done in three or three and a half months. Then comes the revision. I revise many, many times before submitting the finished manuscript to my publisher. And then I revise some more as they edit it. No, writing isn't as glamorous as people think. It's a lot of time alone staring at a screen, searching for the right word, followed by months, even years, of waiting to see if anyone liked it.
Q: If Ellie Stone met Nancy Drew, what do you think would happen? Would they work together or get in each others way?
A: Ellie Stone would love Nancy Drew. Surely she read all the books growing up. But Nancy Drew might be scandalized by Ellie. Nancy Drew was a "nice girl," while Ellie most decidedly is not. She's a nice person, just not a nice girl.
A: That we can do better as a civilization. Much better.
Find James Online:
Barns & Noble
anthony award, author, book, books, ellie stone, ellie stone series, heart of stone, indie, indie author, interview, james w. ziskin, lefty award, mystery, nancy drew, styx and stones, write, writer	1 Comment
Author Q&A- Roger Billings
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Roger Billings; and up and coming historical author. Read all about him in the interview below!
Q: How long have you been writing? Why did you start?
A: I have been working on my current novel for over five years, and I hope to finish in 2016. Yea!
I am a lawyer in my real life and it is often a struggle to find time to write.
I have been an avid reader all of my life. I thought of writing as something I should do, but never did, until a few years ago I was reading the biography of Bernard Cornwell. He moved with his wife to the United States and he did not have a work visa. Since he was not allowed to work at a traditional job, he started writing instead. From that came his first historical novel, Sharpe's Eagle. I thought if he could do it when he had to, maybe I can do it because I want to.
A: I am often inspired by a sense of place. I love to find out-of-the way places that people might not have heard of before but that have a rich history. Then it seems natural to write about what might have happened there back then. One example is the floating islands (hortillonnages in French) in Amiens, France. They are a series of tiny islands that have been cultivated out of marsh land in the Somme River. It is a labyrinth of gardens and water, the history of which extends back to Roman times. I love to write about the kinds of mysteries that might have happened in places like that.
A: On the other hand, I have noticed that I am not "full of ideas" to write about, as some say they are. I feel like my ideas are buried in the subconscious and most of the time I am not aware that they are there, until I start writing. When I write, those buried ideas come to the surface. So I suppose I write to find out what is in my subconscious.
Q: You are a historical novelist. How much research goes into your projects?
A: There is more research than I expected, but I probably do more than I need to. No, I definitely do more than I need to. My idea for my current novel came from general reading in the time period of the French Revolution until several historical facts started to cluster together and I realized I had a book to write. Then the real work began of reading histories, biographies, and letters, and studying maps, lists and court cases, and anything else I could get my hands on. It has been countless hours. How much? I have not keep track, but I enjoy the research, so it has not felt like work.
Q: Why historical novels? Have you always been fascinated by history?
A: I do love history and historical research. In particular, I love literary history. The first thing I think about with respect to a particular time period is who the writers were then. My novel takes place in France and England in 1792, so I think a lot about the writers from that time and immediately prior to that time, such as Rousseau, Dr. Johnson, Fanny Burney, Cowper (I love Cowper!), and of course William Blake, Wordsworth and Coleridge, to name only a few. Both Wordsworth and Burney were in France during the Revolution, and Rousseau made an infamous visit to England some years before, all of which is great food for the imagination.
Q: What is the favorite place you have visited? Why?
A: If you take the time to get to know a place, anywhere is magical.
One example is the ancient walled city of York, in Northern England, that I visited many years ago. Any time there is still a massive wall around a city, going there is like a trip back in time.
CJ Sansom wrote a novel, Sovereign, set in York at the time that Henry VIII and his huge entourage visited the city. When royalty travelled, it was called the Progress, and nobles who hosted royalty on a Progress were sometimes (often?) bankrupted by the expense. I would have liked to have written that book. It is great fun.
In addition, some of my ancestors are from Yorkshire and my great grandfather sang in a choir for boys at the Minster Cathedral in York. I have a drawing of the Cathedral hanging on my wall. So York is special, for sure.
Q: When you travel does your family go with you?
A: Generally I travel with my family, and I enjoy traveling much more when I am with my family. Otherwise, traveling seems much more like just work.
Q: Tell me about your kids. Do they (or do you hope they will) love history as much as you?
A: It is easy for parents to expect their children to be projections of themselves, instead of individuals. My wife and I both love literature and culture. My children have their own unique interests and pursuits. I don't think any of them are as fanatical about literature as I am, but they know what they are interested in and we encourage them to follow their interests.
Q: You are working on your first novel! What can you tell me about it so far?
A: I am in the middle of my second draft. But the second draft feels like a first draft, because as I wrote the first draft, I learned a huge amount about writing fiction. Now I can see much more clearly what I did wrong or what can be improved. The first draft was an apprenticeship, a great learning experience. Now I just need to finish and then celebrate!
The story goes as follows: a British spy dies while rescuing a young seventeen year old aristocrat from the French Revolution. The aristocrat, ungrateful and mortally offended to owe his life to a commoner, determines to discredit the spy's reputation. Searching for hidden scandals, the aristocrat inadvertently uncovers a plot to overthrow the British Monarchy, pulling himself into a perilous underworld of treason and crime. Journeying from the jostling streets of London to the lonely mountains of Wales, the young aristocrat can only survive by finding the man within himself, and by finishing the work the detested spy had started.
Q: What challenges have you faced in your writing?
A: Finding the time to write is hard. I have been doing some dictating, which helps to use the time better.
Learning not to edit myself while I am writing and letting the words flow has been difficult. When I am being too critical and I want to write faster instead, I sometimes challenge myself to purposefully write as badly as I can. That gets me started, which is great.
I have also been challenged in finding the historical sources and information I need. For example, I had a scene in which my characters visited the office of the Foreign Secretary in London in 1792. I wanted the location to be authentic, but I wasn't sure where it was back then. I knew it was somewhere in Whitehall and that the office had been recently created but I didn't want to be vague and I didn't want to guess. Then I found a Twitter address for an official historian for the Office of the Foreign Secretary, and they responded that the office was in Downing Street at that time, next to the Office of the First Lord of the Treasury (now Prime Minister) at 10 Downing Street. It was much easier writing the scene knowing I had the location right, and the actual location turned out to be a very significant part of the scene.
Q: If you could go back and meet any historical figure, who would it be and why?
A: There are so many I would like to meet. Perhaps the 18th century poet Samuel Johnson. He was known as one of the greatest conversationalists of all time. If you are going to go to all of the trouble of meeting someone from the past, it had better be an interesting conversation! I was also thinking of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She was also a great conversationalist, but there is a bonus that she was almost always surrounded by many other luminaries: Richard Sheridan, Charles James Fox, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess de Polignac, many others.
Q: What is something you think the world should know about you?
A: I think people should know that I like to look for the good in people. There is much more good out there than can be easily seen, and so looking for it is necessary.
Find Roger Online:
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Author Q&A- Ian Jackson
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing I. D. Jackson, the author of Deadly Determination and Dead Charming. He is currently working on his next novel, so if you haven't read his books yet, now is the time to catch up!
Q: When did you start writing?
A: I began writing as a child. Whenever we had people around my parents would wheel me out as the 'party trick' and ask their friends to come up with a character and a situation and I would be expected to create a fascinating story on the spot…I was about 6 they tell me! My first books were adventure stories written when I was about 10 and passed among my friends and family – unfortunately none survive, but I can still see and 'feel' them in my mind…. yes, I'm strange!
Q: What inspires you to write? Do you have a muse?
A: You know what I don't, but probably should. Psychology and human nature fires my imagination to write.
Q: Tell me about your books Deadly Determination and Dead Charming. What were the original ideas behind them?
A: My interests lie in psychology and I've always been fascinated how seemingly normal people can be affected by an event or perhaps another person in their lives which then drives them on to commit heinous crimes. A germ of a story began emerging in my mind that eventually went on to become my first novel, Dead Charming which was greeted with critical acclaim. Deadly Determination is the second book (not a sequel) and carries through these themes. Both novels are crime thrillers with a twist that will take the readers breath away.
Q: How much 'grunt work' went on behind the scenes of writing your novel?
A: Many hours of research as well as interviews with detectives, coroners and some criminals – fascinating stuff.
Q: You have written articles for magazines such as Concept and Style Guide. How is this process different than that of writing a book?
A: When I wrote for magazines and newspapers it was a job to be completed, whereas now I get to write about things I'm interested in – thrilling crime!
Q: Did your days as a local magazine and sports program publisher help you in your quest to publish your novels?
A: Surprisingly not – the contacts I have through publishing magazines are completely different to novel writing and literary agents – like chalk and cheese really.
Q: What is some advice that you wish you had received when you began writing?
A: Start pitching your book as soon as you've written the first three chapters and have a tight synopsis ready for the rest – literary agents and publishers only want to see the first three chapters anyway and will base their decision on your writing style and the synopsis of the book.
Q: How has becoming a published author changed your life? Has it always been your goal?
A: My life hasn't particularly changed as such. I love the fact that I have two books in print, but it wasn't one of my ambitions as a young man.
Q: You got married to your wife, Susie, not to long ago. Has she read your books? Does she like them?
A: Yes, she has. She helps me as I go through reading chapters and commenting on characters and plot-lines. I think she enjoys the creative process and she says she likes the books…but then she has to really!
A: Labels are dangerous and anyone can work to improve their psychological imbalances, however severe they are. I believe in redemption for everyone when they are ready and I hope that readers identify with, and even feel sympathy for, some of my darker characters.
Find Ian Online:
author, blog, book, books, characters, crime, debut novel, facebook, i d jackson, ian jackson, interview, novel, novels, percy publishing, publish, read, reading, story, thriller, twitter, website, write, writer, writing	Leave a comment


text:
O-RITE Teacher Training Model Results in Lasting Benefits
Posted On April 4, 2014	 Linda Loomis 0
Three-year funding for the Oswego Residency Initiative for Teacher Education expires in August. But the positive effects of the clinically rich O-RITE model are being felt by the 31 participants, secondary students and mentors in high-need placement schools, and faculty in the department of curriculum and instruction.
Barbara Garii, school of education associate dean, and Anneke McEvoy, O-RITE project manager, say success has exceeded expectations. At program end, two classes of graduate students will have earned dual certification in special education and secondary science, math, or teaching English as a second or other language, and they will teach in high-need schools. They have participated in a 13-month program, including online coursework taken while engaged in two 20-week school placements, and a series of cohort-building campus residencies.
Federal Race to the Top funding provided $10,000 to cover tuition plus stipends of $30,000 for each participant. "The intense demands on their time required the stipend," Garii says. "They were fully engaged for more than 180 days in classroom placements, then they spent evenings in online classes and weekends meeting academic requirements."
McEvoy says O-RITE builds on Oswego's history of training students to "teach where they're needed most."
The challenge now is to find ways to retain the positive aspects of the program. Among them are:
Graduate students received daily support from mentor teachers as they develop meaningful relationships with school communities.
Mentors benefitted from the candidates' current, creative pedagogy.
Faculty who observed O-RITE are now considering expanded clinical components in existing programs.
Oswego School of Education alumni are supporting teacher candidates in clinically rich programs across the state.
Oswego faculty members participated through online teaching.
Dual certification means O-RITE teachers will support learning for all students.
McEvoy says the most important take-away of O-RITE will be felt in the secondary schools where the graduates teach.
"We are confident that each of them is going to have a tremendously positive influence in the classroom," she says.
— Linda Loomis '90 M'97
#Oswego Residency Initiative for Teacher Education


Denver Clinton, from Mattishall, will start the big countdown at 5pm on Sunday, December 2.
The switch-on event is part of a day of family fun, with craft stalls, live music, food and drink.
From 11am, Father Christmas will be in his grotto, granting wishes with the help of his magical donkeys, and outside there will be plenty of stalls offering everything from festive crafts and Christmas gifts to tasty food and drink.
Throughout the day, there will also be live performances from some top local talent, including Soul Traders, Amy and Simon, Chris Pidgeon, Naked Lights and Rockavox, along with Churches Together, the Dereham band and students of Jennifer Grace music academy.
Carols will be sung before the big countdown.
Denver was diagnosed with stage four high-risk neuroblastoma and has been fighting the disease ever since by undergoing high doses of chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirations and blood transfusions.
Unfortunately, the family recently received the devastating news that Denver is no longer responding to treatment.
The family have organised a special festive event for him the following week.
Last year's event in the town drew a crowd of thousands as visitors, both young and old, enjoyed a whole host of festive fun.


Nest defence is a frequent and widespread parental behaviour which enhances brood survival. We have found that in a Spanish Magpie population which is heavily parasitized by the brood parasitic Great Spotted Cuckoo, Magpies d efend (1) unparasitized more frequently than parasitized nests, and (2) at the end of the nestling period more frequently than in other stages of the breeding cycle. Great Spotted Cuckoos are brood parasites, which means that their eggs are incubated and their nestlings are raised by members of a ho st species. Brood parasites are not thought to take care of their own offsp ring. However, we have found that Great Spotted Cuckoos sometimes scolded u s on our regular visits to parasitized magpie nests (but never on those to unparasitized nests). Frequency of nest defence by cuckoos differed signifi cantly among years, being significantly higher at the beginning of the stud y. Although sporadic observations of adult brood parasites feeding juvenile s have been recorded, nest defence has not previously been suggested for an y brood parasite.


This stunning 14 karat Schneblie™ is adorned with genuine diamonds and rich blue topaz for a head-turning combination of sparkle and bling. Like the one Susie wears every day. If you're one of a kind, this is your piece! All large Schneblies™ are 1 ½ inches long x 7/8 of an inch wide and come on an 18″ black rubber cord.


GroundLink surveys business travelers on tipping habits.
With business travel spending on the rise, GroundLink®, a leading tech-enabled black car service, surveyed 489 frequent business travelers on their opinions on tipping and tipping habits while on the road.
Nearly 70 percent (68.2 percent) of those surveyed believe service employees do not earn enough and deserve generous tips. They therefore classify themselves as "generous tippers" and always tip 20 percent or more. This is followed by "fair tippers" (29.6 percent) who tip when they receive good service but never more than 15 percent. Only two percent claim to be "infrequent tippers," stating that tips should be reserved for service that is above and beyond. While men and women equally claim to be "generous" and "fair" tippers (50 percent each), more men (64 percent) are "infrequent tippers" than women (36 percent). Generationally speaking, baby boomers (70 percent) and "Gen X" (67 percent) tend to be more "generous" tippers at 20 percent or more, greater than their younger millennial/"Gen Y" counterparts of which only half (48 percent) classify themselves as "generous" tippers. Forty percent of millennials claim to be "fair" tippers at 15 percent, compared to 28 percent of baby boomers and 30 percent of the" Gen X" population surveyed.
An overwhelming number of travelers (78 percent) say they tip the same amount when traveling as they do at home. Eighteen percent dig deeper into their wallet and tip more away from home. Only four percent of travelers say they tip less than they do at home. When it comes to cities that business travelers feel cost them more in terms of tips, New York significantly outpaces other destinations with 76 percent of those surveyed saying this is the most expensive city for tipping followed by London (six percent) and Las Vegas (five percent).
When it comes to a recent trend where restaurants across the country have instituted a no-tipping policy, travelers are almost evenly split in terms of being in favor (54 percent) and not in favor (47 percent). Most respondents (68 percent) tip 20 percent of the check total in restaurants. Twenty-two percent said they tip 15 percent of the total check, six percent tip more than 20 percent and only four percent tip ten percent or less.
Taxi drivers don't fair quite as well; forty percent of those surveyed said they tip 20 percent of the taxi fare total, while 35 percent said they tip 15 percent of the fare. Twenty-one percent only tip ten percent, and only four percent of travelers tip more than the customary 20 percent. Car and limo drivers are rewarded slightly more by travelers, with 47 percent saying they tip drivers 20 percent, and 30 percent said they tip 15 percent. Millennials (45 percent) tip taxi drivers the least at ten percent of the fair total compared with only 18 percent of baby boomers and 23 percent of "Gen X." Forty-three percent of baby boomers tip 20 percent of the fare total, while 37 percent of "Gen X" and 28 percent of millennials tip 20 percent of the fare. Nineteen percent tip car/limo service drivers just ten percent, while only four percent provide a tip greater than 20 percent. However, a majority (64 percent) is in favor of car services that include the tip in the fare. Only 16 percent prefer to not have the tip included and 20 percent don't have a preference.
When it comes to service providers who travelers believe are most deserving of gratuities, restaurant workers (waiter, bartender) top the list followed by taxi driver, limo/car driver, hotel maid, hotel bellhop/doorman, airline skycap/porter and hotel concierge.
GroundLink is a tech-enabled black car service provider offering point-to-point, hourly and airport transfer service for frequent and business travelers. Operating in every major city worldwide, GroundLink delivers a high quality and safe ride with its network of professional and licensed drivers, all while offering exceptional customer service and the industry's only on-time guarantee. Customers can book GroundLink rides online at https://www.groundlink.com, through the GroundLink Car & Limo Service iPhone and Android app, and its 24/7 call center (855.463.7150). GroundLink has offices in North America and Europe, with its headquarters in New York, NY. Connect with GroundLink on Twitter @GroundLink and on Facebook.com/GroundLink.


Once the leaves begin to fall, it can only mean one thing: autumn is here! As soon as this colorful season begins to creep up on you, it is time to start planning out your holiday party menus. From Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas food, AllFreeSlowCookerRecipes.com is your one-stop guide to easy and delicious holiday recipes.
Upside Down Pumpkin Pie is a delightfully simple pie recipe that is a must-make for this year's Thanksgiving or Christmas. The best part about this homemade pumpkin pie recipe is that it is cooked right in your slow cooker. Making this Thanksgiving dessert in your slow cooker frees up your oven space for side dishes or the all-important turkey that needs cooking. The easy pumpkin pie recipe has a crumble crust on top of it, so you can scratch "making pie crust" off your to-do list. Try serving this Upside Down Pumpkin Pie in triangular slices, or scoop it out of the slow cooker into bowls if you just can't wait to dig in. A dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top adds the perfect finishing touch.
Even the pumpkin pie skeptics in your family are sure to be converted with this homemade slow cooker recipe.
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, rum, brown sugar, one-third of the Bisquick, eggs, vanilla and pimpkin pie spice. Stir until combined.
2. Grease the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Pour the liquid mixture into the slow cooker.
4. Place pats of butter on top of the liquid mixture.
5. Sprinkle remaining Bisquick on top of the butter.
6. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top of the Bisquick.
7. Cook the Upside Down Pumpkin Pie on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 1/2 hours (until mixture has thickened and crust becomes golden brown).
8. Top the pie with a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.
I have never made pumpkin pie or a pumpkin recipe with rum before, so I am definitely ready to make this dish. I want to see what it tastes like with rum in it. I like that you can use this recipe for the holidays too because who does not need a fun and easy recipe to make so that you can visit with your guests and serve them something tasty.


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Explosion At China iPad Factory Shows Supply Risks
BEIJING (AP) — An explosion at one of two factories that make Apple's new iPad 2 highlights the risks of a global manufacturing strategy that has cut costs but concentrates production in a few locations. Foxconn Technology Group, the contractor that manufactures Apple's iPhones and iPads, said Friday's blast in the western city of Chengdu killed three employees and injured 15.
Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer
BEIJING (AP) — An explosion at one of two factories that make Apple's new iPad 2 highlights the risks of a global manufacturing strategy that has cut costs but concentrates production in a few locations.
Foxconn Technology Group, the contractor that manufactures Apple's iPhones and iPads, said Friday's blast in the western city of Chengdu killed three employees and injured 15. The Taiwanese company said production was suspended but did not respond to questions Monday about how supplies of iPads might be affected.
Foxconn said the blast was caused by combustible dust in a workshop that polished products. It said operations in workshops that do similar work at its other factories in China would be suspended pending an investigation.
Estimates by industry analysts of the impact on iPad production ranged from minimal to up to 2.8 million units in lost output. That is equal to just over half the number sold in the first three months of this year but Apple says sales are so strong it already is struggling to keep up with demand.
"There probably is going to be no impact" if production resumes as expected in the next few days, said Citigroup analyst Kevin Chang in Taipei. "If this safety inspection drags on for two or three weeks, then there will be an impact on production."
Coming as global auto and electronics makers struggle with parts shortages caused by Japan's March 11 tsunami, the disaster emphasized the pitfalls for companies whose global sales depend on one or two factories.
"If you are trying to do as much as you can in one place to reduce the risks of an overextended supply chain, then you are very dependent upon the safety of those one or two factories," said David Dayton, owner of Silk Road International Inc., which manages purchasing and manufacturing in China for foreign customers.
Electronics makers such as Foxconn have flocked to China, drawn by a low-cost workforce and good infrastructure, making it the global manufacturing center for computers and consumer electronics.
All of Apple's iPads are produced at Foxconn factories in Chengdu and Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, said Chang. But he said that is not overly concentrated in an industry in which a contractor with a single factory might supply a laptop computer sold worldwide.
Foxconn, a unit of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is a leader in a contract manufacturing industry that helps global electronics brands hold down costs. Chinese factories produce 80 to 90 percent of the world's notebook computers and 50 to 60 percent of mobile phones.
Foxconn illustrates the complex web of trade and investment ties between China and Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its territory.
Taiwanese companies have invested tens of billions of dollars in the mainland, despite their government's lack of formal ties with Beijing. They make clothing, toys and other goods and are moving into higher-value electronics and computer chips.
Foxconn delivers savings for Apple, Hewlett-Packard Inc. and other customers by operating on a vast scale. It employs an estimated 1 million to 1.1 million people on the mainland in a half-dozen sprawling campuses the size of small cities.
The potential pitfalls of such massive concentration were driven home when Japan's tsunami forced thousands of factories to shut down, abruptly cutting off supplies of key auto and electronics components. Auto factories as far away as Louisiana were forced to suspend production.
Industry analysts said the shock was likely to prompt manufacturers to reconsider supply strategies that can depend on a handful of producers in distant locations.
Contract manufacturers find China so appealing that "clients really would have to pay them extra to leave China and set up production elsewhere," said Citigroup's Chang.
In China, potential supply chain problems can be traced in part to companies' decisions over the past decade to use fewer suppliers both to save money and to be able to monitor them more closely.
Customers get lower prices by placing giving more business with one company and want to watch suppliers carefully following a string of scandals over shoddy or toxic Chinese-made toothpaste, tires and other goods.
Dayton said some of his customers that buy millions of dollars worth of Chinese goods each year choose to deal with only one or two suppliers.
"The major problem is quality and consistency," he said. "If we diversify the number of factories we work with, we are just adding headaches and adding that many more opportunities to get lesser-quality products."
Demand for iPads is so strong that Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, said last month the Cupertino, California-based company was working through "the mother of all backlogs" on orders.
Still, Apple's market position is so strong that it can easily ride out potential supply disruptions, said David Wolf, a technology marketing consultant in Beijing.
"A few issues on the supply chain aren't going to hurt it now," said Wolf, CEO of Wolf Group Asia. But he said Apple could face challenges from products such as Google Inc.'s tablet computer.
"They've got competitors who are running very hard to catch up," Wolf said. "So these aren't issues today but that will not always be the case."
Associated Press writer Debby Wu in Taipei contributed.


Human IL-1RI/sCD121a — Aimplex Biosciences, Inc.
45x Ab-conjugated beads (S5P8-human sIL-1RI ab-bead). PN: A113281A. One vial containing 100 µL of anti-human sIL-1RI conjugated to AimPlex Bead S5P8.
25x Biotin-detection (human sIL-1RI Biotin-dAb). PN: A113281B. One vial containing100 µL of biotinylated anti-human sIL-1RI.
Lyophilized Standard Mix-Human Group 9 Panel A, 8-Plex. PN: HG9008A. One vial containing lyophilized recombinant human sFas, sICAM-3, sL-selectin, sP-selectin, sIL-1RI, sVEGFR1, sCD40, and sNCAM-1. Note: If multiple analyte kits on the above target list are ordered as a panel, only one vial of standard mix is supplied for those analyte kits.
APPLICATION: Optimal antibody pair and antigen standard for assaying human Human IL-1RI/sCD121a. Can be multiplexed with other analytes in Human Group 9. To be used in conjunction with the AimPlex NR Basic Kit (PN: P100001) and a diluent kit. Refer to the AimPlex Multiplex Immunoassay User Manual and kit inserts for the assay procedure.
Interleukin 1 receptor, type I (IL1R1) also known as CD121a, is a cytokine receptor that belongs to the interleukin-1 receptor family. This protein is a receptor for interleukin 1 alpha (IL1A), interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA). It is an important mediator involved in many cytokine induced immune and inflammatory responses. This gene along with interleukin 1 receptor, type II (IL1R2), interleukin 1 receptor-like 2 (IL1RL2), and interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (IL1RL1) form a cytokine receptor gene cluster in a region mapped to chromosome 2q12.
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