In Joy In My Life | This is a place to share my ideas on life.
This is a place to share my ideas on life.
I can't believe that it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted. Where does the time go?
It certainly hasn't been because I've been busy. In fact, just the opposite. The heat here in Arizona makes it difficult to be what you'd call active. Hubby and I have been spending our early mornings out back watching the birds. Yes, that's about as active as I can be in the heat. We have been having the very best time! The weather is perfect early in the morning.
Sugar Plum insisted on waking me up at 5:15 almost every morning. She just wants to play fetch and tug o'war. After a few rounds of that Meeka is up and we go for a little walk. I recently read about someone's beloved dog dying and he said if he could do anything any different, he'd let his dog sniff more, that his dog always wanted to stop on their walks and sniff everything. That really hit me so I've been letting them stop and sniff a lot more.
Speaking of the girls, here is a couple of before and after pictures, yesterday before the groomer and today after the groomer. Since it's so hot here, I asked them to trim them down quite a bit, but not so much that they could get sunburn.
You can tell they feel so good because they are running around in circles and having a great time.
Yesterday we sat and watched a bird build a nest in the tree. I can't believe how patient these birds are. She or he, whoever builds the nest, would fly down on our block wall, look around then go off to get one little scrap or twig. She would then come back to the wall and sit for a few seconds and then go into the tree to place the scrap. A moment later, she would come out to the wall again, sit for a second then fly off for another little tiny scrap, then back to the wall, as if to show us what she had this time.
I took pictures, but since I am NOT a photographer, they are not the best.
Here she is on the wall before she gets her scrap.
She is building the nest in the tree right there, with each little tiny piece at a time.
We watched her for a good hour and a half. I believe she must have been busy all day.
What fun we had. Nature is a wonderful thing.
Memorial Day is coming! It is the start of summer as far as many are concerned. It means a day for picnics too.
BUT….. Most importantly it is a day to remember our great armed forces and the men and women who have given their blood, sweat, tears and their lives for our freedom and our wonderful country. I am very fortunate to never have lost a loved one to war. Still and all, I'm so terribly grateful to these wonderful people.
This is my tablescape in their memory.
I wanted to make a Red, White and Blue table, but since I've just begun tablescaping, I really didn't have much in these colors. I picked up some blue and red dishes at the local Goodwill for a song. I used a full size white tablecloth on the bottom, with a smaller blue one on top. I didn't have a table runner so I folded a red table cloth and used it for one. I had the white placemats and the red vase so I just needed some colorful flowers and some cute little decorations, flags and whatnot.
Of course no summer BBQ is complete without fresh lemonade. It tastes so good.
Oh yes, my napkins came from the Goodwill store too. I picked up my star napkin rings at either Kohl's or Steinmart, I forget. I think they go great on this table.
I was even fortunate enough to find this cute apron at the Goodwill (my new home away from home).
Last night I learned the basketweave at my cake decorating class. I had missed last week because I my face surgery. Consequently, I don't have any flowers made for the top of my cake. I think I did a pretty good job for my first basketweave. What do you think?
Tonight I'm going to slice strawberries over the top of the cake. I think it will be so yummy.
I hope you all have a wonderful day on Memorial Day.
Sort of off kilter this week. I had a little skin cancer surgery. The doctor told me that I was having a mini face lift in order to pull it all back to together. Of course that would only be on one side!! Not to worry, it will be down to its usually droopy self in a month or two. All bandaged up in the meantime.
It has actually hurt quite a bit more that I thought it would, but now it's just itching, itching, itching!!! I'm bummed though because I had to miss a cake decorating class AND a sewing lesson. I am just about finished with my spring table runner.
Last week we discovered that an old friend we knew from California, and hadn't seen for at least ten years, has been living in the next town over from ours. We were talking to a mutual friend and found out this delightful news. We got in touch and she came over for dinner and some Mexican Train dominoes. What fun we had. She brought me these beautiful flowers.
Well, since I'm supposed to relax and not do anything strenuous (no lifting, bending, exercising, sweating, etc.) for the next two weeks. Yes, she actually said two weeks. This is what I'm doing.
Sitting by the pool with LOTS of sunscreen on and under an umbrella. No more skin cancer for me.
Sugar is enjoying it too.
Sorry this next picture is so dark. but this is out front looking down our street. It was a lovely sunset.
So that's what is going on around here. Not much at all.
Just wanted to share a few more things that add joy to my life.
Backyard in summer time. Ready for BBQing and swimming.
Roses in front yard of my son's house.
Next cake which is much much better than the last one.
Flowers we learned in cake decorating class last week.
And my favorite. This is my great-grandson, 2 year old Deegan and his Daddy, Ryan.
Deegan was misbehaving and is getting a serious talking to! I love the look on his face, so serious, but listening to every word.
Hubby always tells me that it doesn't take much to make me happy. I think it's because I've spent time in both "unhappiness" and "happiness" and I must say,. happiness gets my vote. It's a choice I make each and every day. Like I always say – Life is ALWAYS Good no matter what might be showing up at the moment.
I'm very happy to make my Mother's Day tablescape in honor of my mother. She has been gone now 25 years, but I can still hear her voice and see her smile. My mother was extraordinary. Her life was devoted to her family. She always tried to make things special for each of her children and grandchildren. I remember her at the sewing machine for hours on end when I was a little girl, making all my school clothes and clothes for all my dolls. She also loved the horses, racing that is. She asked her minister if she could tithe her winnings. He said yes, absolutely! My mother was very lucky too, hm… interesting.
I am fortunate to have received her china. I don't know how old it is, but I remember it all my life and I'm 62. It is plain, white with 24 carat gold rim. Mother like to use color with her white china. Today I'm using gold. I picked it because gold is a treasure, just like my mom.
I chose a linen while table cloth to cover the table and then a delightful gold smaller table cloth that is so very beautiful.
It is one of my treasure I got from the Goodwill store along with the vase, the napkins,the gold chargers and the stemware.
Of course I got both sets of my napkins at the Goodwill too. The napkin rings are from Steinmart.
These gold napkins are simply gorgeous. I couldn't wait to use them.
Here is my Mother's Day cake. Not perfect by any means, it's only my third cake since I've started cake decorating classes.
I enjoyed making it just the same.
I have been scouring the Goodwills for a beautiful cake plate and haven't had any luck yet.
of course I used this lovely plate for the cake.
I love fresh flowers on my table, but this time it's just JoAnn's fakery!
They still are very beautiful.
I'm very proud of my 5th tablescape. I think I caught the bug! I'm hooked on tablescapes! I hope you enjoyed my very simple, but I think elegant table.
Look Who's 9 Years Old!
Someone came into our lives nine years ago and has stolen our hearts forever.
Just a tiny ball of fur.
Lying right in the middle of the toys and loving tug-0-war.
She loves riding in the car too, as long as she is on something so she can see out the window.
Hey look! Now we have a home where we can run and run and run!
Look at the fun places I can get into! I think I saw a mousie in here.
Got lots and lots of mud on me trying to find the mousie.
Keeping an eye out for daddy to come home.
I'm trying to sleep Mom and you keep taking my picture!
Just give me a window to look out of and I'm a happy girl.
Meeka is one of the best reasons I have joy in my life. A true meaning of unconditional love.
First of all, I want to say that I'm what you would call a very happy person. It hasn't always been this way. As a matter of fact, I spent most of my life feeling very unhappy. Oh I had many reasons why, which don't need any explanation as I choose to put them in the past. I no longer have a need to keep retelling my story and hanging on to all the reasons why life was not good.
If you know me now, you know that I have much joy in my life, hence the name of my blog. I have a fantastic husband, wonderful children, step children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and two of the best pups in the world. I'm rich in friendship, and enjoy an abundance of all good things. Little things bring me joy.
Having said all that…. I was wandering around the house today and looking at some of the things that make my heart smile.
I love my tea pot collection.
I got my teacart at a little antique shop in Missouri. I love the picture of the tea cups and teapots above.
This is in my office/craft room.
My mother made this cute little dress for me when I was 2 years old. That's 60 years ago! On the side is a picture of me wearing it. Don't you just love the rickrack? I think it's so darn cute.
Love my family pictures. I have so many more I need to get up there.
This is the guest bedroom.
I love the little shelf with the plate and little girls that match. So adorable.
No blog post would be complete without….
So these are just some of the things in my house that make me smile. I saved a lot for another time.
Come join me for lunch!
I got these cute little luncheon plates at the Goodwill awhile ago. I loved the purple in them so they were my inspiration.
Many years ago, so many it might have been in a different life, I was a Princess House consultant. I still have all my Princess House crystal and wanted to use it with my purple dishes.
Goodwill is my new favorite place to shop. Just on this table alone I got the tablecloth, the purple placemats, napkins, napkin rings, tea pot, and the stemware piece in the center.
I think it makes a very lovely sweet table.
For dessert, I served cupcakes which I decorated in cake decorating class. They are not gorgeous by any means, but they were cute and I'm already getting so much better than this, but I'll post them anyway.
Remember: ALWAYS EAT DESSERT FIRST to make sure you have enough room.
I told you I would show you, so here goes….
My first cake of this class. It certainly isn't perfect, but I had a good time.
Ha ha, cute huh! We decorated cupcakes this past week. Didn't do too well on those, but I took them as a treat to our book group last night and everyone loved them. I kept a few to put on my tablescape.
This coming week we are going to decorate another cake with the flowers that we will be making at home.
Well, enough of that. However, I must say that it tasted good. I had a couple of slivers (just to see what it tasted like) then I tossed it out. I just can't see eating a whole cake by myself.
On to my next hobby, sewing. I finally got my spring table runner all together.
I had to lay it on my sofa as I just finished tablescaping my table (which will be in a future post).
I love the way it all went together. I can't wait to do a tablescape using it.
If you remember my Christmas wall hanging (which it too large to hang so will go over the back of my sofa at Christmas time), I am actually going to put these together at the same time. I have all my materials to back them and quilt them so that will be at my next sewing lesson. I think I might be a little better at quilting than I am at cake decorating.
Thanks to all of you who commented on my son's cellulitis of his leg. He was able to make it back to California from our house but ended up in the hospital for the next three days – which included his birthday! Apparently it got much worse. I have seen a picture of it and my oh my, it looked horrible. So deep deep red and swollen. I won't share it because you really don't want to see it, trust me. He is home now and back to work. He is a teacher and can sit at the front of the class with his leg propped up.
Last but certainly not least, the latest pictures of my girls.
Sugar Plum, she always sits so nice when I want her to pose, although she wouldn't smile!
Ha ha, here is little Meeka who decided her picture would be best taken lying down and ignoring me. Silly girl.
Just a quick note to say that it's all back to normal now.
Son Brian, daughter-in-law Linda (along with one of their dogs, Pancho), and son David (along with this three dogs, Luke, Goldie, and Biscuit) came last week and left today. I was so sad to see them go.
We were so busy having fun, sightseeing, playing games outside on the back patio, playing with the dogs, Goodwill shopping, church on Easter, movies, eating out, eating in, going to the movies, BBQing and working around the house. It's so good when my kids come and help me do things I can't do by myself. I got new shelves in the TV room closet! Now I can stack all my new treasures on them. I got a book shelf put together for my office, we hung pictures, decorated hubby's TV room, fixed the sprinklers, hung the rope lights around the patio, and so much more. What a productive week.
It didn't end well though because David woke up yesterday morning with a very bad infection in his leg, cellulitis. He had a very high fever, a pounding headache and a throbbing leg. He spent the morning in the ER for IV antibiotics and other meds. He felt good enough to drive home today, but he's still not well and his leg is still very swollen and red. Even when our kids are full blown adults with kids of their own, we still worry about them. I guess that's what a mother's job it, right?
So I'll be back to blogging soon but first, I have to catch up with all the bloggers I follow. I have missed everyone so much and can't wait to see what's new in everyone's life. See you soon!
Hi, I'm Ellen. So happy you came to visit. I'm enjoying life more than ever these days. I was born and raised in southern California, moved to the beautiful Ozarks where Hubby and I lived from 2004 to January of 2011. Early in 2011, we moved to our current residence in sunny Arizona. What a change! Hubby and I have 7 children, 10 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, (soon to be 5 with our newest great-grandson on the way) 13 granddogs. 5 great-granddogs and four grandcats between us. We have two adorable little Shih-Tzus, Sugar Plum and Meeka that are our "children" together. We have traveled the country in our RV for 5 years prior to our move to the Ozarks, spending time in 47 states and 5 Canadian Provinces. I do my very best to be tolerant of the intolerant, to forgive the unforgivable, and to love the unlovable. Spreading joy is my goal.


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text:
The Smiths Stirred "Panic" with Two Compilations in 1987
In 1986, The Smiths' third album The Queen is Dead gave the band some of their best critical notes ever, becoming the British group's fourth release to hit the U.K. Top 10. But the year was anything but smooth for the group: tensions with bassist Andy Rourke led to his brief replacement by musician Craig Gannon (and, later, a period in which the group performed as a quintet), frontman Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr were chafing with label Rough Trade, and the moody frontman felt they deserved greater acclaim, particularly outside of the United Kingdom.
While 1987 would prove to be the year that undid The Smiths for good, they started strong with a pair of compilations that stand tall as some of the group's best work: the British-only The World Won't Listen and its American equivalent, Louder Than Bombs.
Much like stopgap release Hatful of Hollow, issued between their first two albums at the end of 1984, The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs attempted to bring together a high volume of material that hadn't made it to an album. Key tracks included singles the group recorded with Gannon in the mix, the jangly classics "Panic" and "Ask"; a host of newer single material like "Shoplifters of the World Unite," "Sheila Take a Bow" and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby," and even a handful of earlier non-album tracks that had been compiled elsewhere, like "William, It Was Really Nothing," "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want." (Both albums spread across two LPs and shared nearly two dozen tracks together; The World Won't Listen additionally featured key tracks from The Queen is Dead.)
READ MORE: Is 'The Queen is Dead' The Smiths' Best Album?
As always, both albums came with esoteric photos adorning the covers. For The World Won't Listen, a photo taken at a fairground in the '60s and printed in a book of early Beatles fans was chosen; to Morrissey's annoyance, subsequent reissues cropped the image to focus on the young man in the center, whom the singer deemed "the boy with the puffy cheeks." Bombs, meanwhile, showed the British playwright Shelagh Delaney in a reddish-orange hue.
The World Won't Listen was another predictable chart success for The Smiths in England, reaching No. 2 on the charts. What surprised most observers was the great performance of Louder Than Bombs, which became the group's highest-charting album in America (a modest but still respectable No. 62), and after much fan demand, the album was released in England as well, hitting the Top 40 once more.
While it features no material from what would become The Smiths' final album, 1987's Strangeways Here We Come, these sets stand tall as two of the better intros to the group in album form. Marr concurred in a 1990 chat with Guitar Player. "A huge facet of what we were about was missed out on, because singles culture is so ineffectual in America," he said. "But I thought Louder Than Bombs, the singles compilation, was great."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Banking Nature
"Buying landscapes, protecting landscapes, accumulating new landscapes--it's a phenomenal opportunity." --Steve Morgan, CEO, Wildlands Inc.
After years of working to undermine environmental regulations, governments...
After years of working to undermine environmental regulations, governments and corporations are starting to think about the value of nature--and how they can profit from it. BANKING NATURE is a provocative documentary that looks at the growing movement to monetize the natural world--and to turn endangered species and threatened areas into instruments of profit. It's a worldview that sees capital and markets not as a threat to the planet, but as its salvation--turning nature into "natural capital" and fundamental processes such as pollination and oxygen generation into "ecosystem services."
In the film, we meet economist and former banker Pavan Sukhdev, a leading authority on the valuation of nature (one square kilometre of Hawaiian coral reef: $600,000). In his view, the best way to protect endangered species and ecosystems is to assign them a value--because if we can't measure the services nature provides, we can't recognize them within our current models.In Uganda, the film introduces meet men who measure trees to determine how much carbon they store--and a banker from the German firm that sells the resulting carbon credits. Meanwhile, in Brazil, steel giant Vale destroys rainforest, replaces it with tree plantations, and reaps the benefits of environmental credits.
Once we start measuring the value of nature, we can start turning it into securitized financial products. BANKING NATURE asks whether can we trust the very same people whose management of the mortgage market nearly led to a global economic collapse to safeguard nature by turning it into financial instruments for speculators?
-Best Documentary and Best Environmental Film Nominee, Byron Bay Film Festival, Australia
-Terre and Lettres Festival, France
-Newport Beach Environmental Film Festival, USA
-Frontline Club London, UK
Denis Delestrac, Sandrine Feydel
Green Planet Films


We INTEGRATE hydroLOGY, ecologY, and ENGINEERING TO STUDY watersheds around the globe. To that end, we combine hydro-ecological observations with mathematical models, Geographical Information Systems, and remote sensing technology.
Growing up in the Colombian Andes, Mauricio thought he was going to be an anthropologist. Moving to Florida as a teenager opened his eyes to the world of ecology and engineering, and he has been navigating through those disciplines in his research in (sub-) tropical watersheds. After completing a BS and a ME in Environmental Engineering from Univ. of Florida, Mauricio moved to New Zealand to do his PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury. He returned to the US in 2014 for a postdoc in Sustainability Science at Harvard, before arriving to USF in Fall of 2016.
Joshua is interested in water, energy, and policy. He grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, before moving to Ocala, Florida at the age of 10. From there, he gained an understanding of the importance of energy and water security, having lived in both arid and humid environments. He pursued a BS in Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida, where he focused on developing watershed sensor technology in the Watershed Ecology Lab. From there, he did a short stint at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Energy-Water Resource Systems group before starting his PhD at USF. He hopes to focus on designing sustainable development methods for ocean power systems. Josh is a recipient of USF's Presidential Fellowship.
Charlotte studied and worked on different topics of Engineering and Social Sciences in Europe, Central America, and the United States. During that time, she developed her passion for Water Resources Engineering, where both people's and environment's needs can be addressed. Charlotte completed a BA in Latin American Studies at the University of Cologne, a BS in Environmental Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, and a MS in Civil Engineering from USF. Her current research addresses the sources, transport, and fate of plastic debris in river systems, conducting field work in Florida and Cambodia.
As a participant in the Professional Practice Program at the University of Cincinnati, Michelle explored applications of the engineering profession, from facility engineering to hydrologic modeling and ecological research on methane emissions. Throughout her undergraduate education, Michelle discovered a love of research and a deep passion for marine ecosystems. Michelle completed a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in the spring of 2017. Michelle seeks to pursue research investigating ecological engineering methods to restore coral reefs and protect the ecosystem services they provide. Michelle is a recipient of a NSF Graduate Fellowship. Please check here for more info on her research.
Cody's current work is on stormwater infrastructure, more specifically baffle box efficacy, within the city of Tampa. He earned his M.S. in environmental horticulture with a minor in soil and water science from the University of Florida in 2018. His research at UF focused on the impact of nursery production practices on herbicide efficacy. Cody earned his B.S. in biology with a focus in ecology, conservation, and environmental biology with a minor in regional planning from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2016. As a McNair Scholar, Cody conducted undergraduate research on green roofs, where he evaluated the germination and survival of native Pennsylvania plants in a green roof setting. Upon graduating with his Ph.D. in environmental engineering, Cody hopes to pursue a career in academia.
Osama is a Ph.D. student at USF where he is interested in hydrology, hydropower, ecology, and the ecological responses of altered hydrology. Prior to joining USF in Spring of 2018, Osama was a Lecturer Assistant at the Department of Irrigation and Hydraulics, Engineering College, Cairo University. Osama has a BS in civil engineering at Cairo University where he worked as a T.A. until he obtained his Master Degree there in hydrology and water resources engineering at the same institution.
Mohit Kaura (MS in Environmental Engineering, December 2018). Thesis: The Role of Forests in Securing Hydropower Needs in Cambodia.
Katie B. Castor (MS in Engineering Science/Concentration in Env. Eng., August 2018, now with FL DEP). Thesis: Regulatory Methodology and Unmitigated Wetland Loss in Southwest Florida.
Awet E.Tsegay (MS in Civil Engineering-Water Resources, August 2018, now with SWFWMD). Thesis: Underground Stormwater Treatment Performance in Urban Coastal Catchments: Case Study of Baffle Boxes in the City of Tampa.


Lithotripsy, also known as extracorporeal shock wave treatment or ESWL, is a procedure that sends sound waves through your body to break up stones in your kidney or other organs, such as the gallbladder or bladder. It's a noninvasive treatment, meaning there's no surgery involved and the recovery is faster.
ESWL works best with small stones, usually between 3/16 and 3/4 of an inch, or about the length of a grape.
You'll lie on a water-filled cushion while your doctor uses X-rays or ultrasound tests to find the stone. Then high-energy sound waves pass through your body, targeting the stone and breaking it into smaller pieces. The goal is to make those pieces small enough to pass through your urinary tract and out of your body.
You'll likely get sedatives or local anesthesia to help you stay still and comfortable during the procedure, which lasts about an hour.
You'll likely go home. There's usually no need to stay in the hospital overnight.
During the days (or weeks) following ESWL, stone fragments will make their way out of your body as you urinate and may cause some pain.
Unfortunately, if you have had kidney stones once, there is chance they will form again in your system. Talk to your doctor about what you can do to prevent future problems, such making changes to your diet and drinking plenty of water each day.


text:
__all__ = ['lll', 'cvp', 'voronoi']

import numpy as np
from itertools import product

def gs_coefficient(a, b):
    """Gram-Schmidt coefficient."""
    return np.dot(a, b) / np.linalg.norm(b)**2

def gs(mat):
    """Compute Gram-Schmidt decomposition on a matrix."""
    mat = np.copy(mat)
    for i in range(len(mat)):
        for j in range(i):
            mat[i] -= gs_coefficient(mat[i], mat[j]) * mat[j]
    return mat

def is_c_reduced(vecs, c):
    """Check if a basis is c-reduced."""
    vecs = gs(vecs)
    r = np.apply_along_axis(lambda x: np.linalg.norm(x)**2, 1, vecs)
    return np.all((r[: -1] / r[1:]) < c)

def lll(basis, c=1.34):
    """
    Calculate a reduced lattice basis using LLL algorithm.

    Reduce a basis of a lattice to an almost orthonormal form. For details see
    e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLL-algorithm.

    Parameters
    ----------
    basis : 2d array-like of floats
        The lattice basis vectors to be reduced.
    c : float
        Reduction parameter for the algorithm. Must be larger than 1 1/3,
        since otherwise a solution is not guaranteed to exist.

    Returns
    -------
    reduced_basis : numpy array
        The basis vectors of the LLL-reduced basis.
    transformation : numpy integer array
        Coefficient matrix for tranforming from the reduced basis to the
        original one.
    """
    vecs = np.copy(basis)
    if vecs.ndim != 2:
        raise ValueError('`vecs` must be a 2d array-like object.')
    if vecs.shape[0] > vecs.shape[1]:
        raise ValueError('The number of basis vectors exceeds the '
                         'space dimensionality.')
    vecs_orig = np.copy(vecs)
    vecsstar = np.copy(vecs)
    m = vecs.shape[0]
    u = np.identity(m)
    def ll_reduce(i):
        for j in reversed(range(i)):
            vecs[i] -= np.round(u[i, j]) * vecs[j]
            u[i] -= np.round(u[i, j]) * u[j]

    # Initialize values.
    for i in range(m):
        for j in range(i):
            u[i, j] = gs_coefficient(vecs[i], vecsstar[j])
            vecsstar[i] -= u[i, j] * vecsstar[j]
        ll_reduce(i)

    # Main part of LLL algorithm.
    i = 0
    while i < m-1:
        if (np.linalg.norm(vecsstar[i]) ** 2 <
           c * np.linalg.norm(vecsstar[i+1]) ** 2):
            i += 1
        else:
            vecsstar[i+1] += u[i+1, i] * vecsstar[i]

            u[i, i] = gs_coefficient(vecs[i], vecsstar[i+1])
            u[i, i+1] = u[i+1, i] = 1
            u[i+1, i+1] = 0
            vecsstar[i] -= u[i, i] * vecsstar[i+1]
            vecs[[i, i+1]] = vecs[[i+1, i]]
            vecsstar[[i, i+1]] = vecsstar[[i+1, i]]
            u[[i, i+1]] = u[[i+1, i]]
            for j in range(i+2, m):
                u[j, i] = gs_coefficient(vecs[j], vecsstar[i])
                u[j, i+1] = gs_coefficient(vecs[j], vecsstar[i+1])
            if abs(u[i+1, i]) > 0.5:
                ll_reduce(i+1)
            i = max(i-1, 0)
    coefs = np.linalg.lstsq(vecs_orig.T, vecs.T)[0]
    if not np.allclose(np.round(coefs), coefs, atol=1e-6):
        raise RuntimeError('LLL algorithm instability.')
    if not is_c_reduced(vecs, c):
        raise RuntimeError('LLL algorithm instability.')
    return vecs, np.array(np.round(coefs), int)

def cvp(vec, basis, n=1):
    """
    Solve the n-closest vector problem for a vector, given a basis.

    This algorithm performs poorly in general, so it should be supplied
    with LLL-reduced bases.

    Parameters
    ----------
    vec : 1d array-like of floats
        The lattice vectors closest to this vector are to be found.
    basis : 2d array-like of floats
        Sequence of basis vectors
    n : int
        Number of lattice vectors closest to the point that need to be found.

    Returns
    -------
    coords : numpy array
        An array with the coefficients of the lattice vectors closest to the
        requested point.

    Notes
    -----
    This function can also be used to solve the `n` shortest lattice vector
    problem if the `vec` is zero, and `n+1` points are requested
    (and the first output is ignored).
    """
    # Calculate coordinates of the starting point in this basis.
    basis = np.asarray(basis)
    if basis.ndim != 2:
        raise ValueError('`basis` must be a 2d array-like object.')
    vec = np.asarray(vec)
    center_coords = np.array(np.round(np.linalg.lstsq(basis.T, vec)[0]), int)
    # Cutoff radius for n-th nearest neighbor.
    rad = 1
    nth_dist = np.inf
    while True:
        r = np.round(rad * np.linalg.cond(basis)) + 1
        points = np.mgrid[tuple(slice(i - r, i + r) for i in center_coords)]
        points = points.reshape(basis.shape[0], -1).T
        if len(points) < n:
            rad += 1
            continue
        point_coords = np.dot(points, basis)
        point_coords -= vec.T
        distances = np.sqrt(np.sum(point_coords**2, 1))
        order = np.argsort(distances)
        distances = distances[order]
        if distances[n - 1] < nth_dist:
            nth_dist = distances[n - 1]
            rad += 1
        else:
            return np.array(points[order][:n], int)

def voronoi(basis):
    """
    Return an array of lattice vectors forming its voronoi cell.

    Parameters
    ----------
    basis : 2d array-like of floats
        Basis vectors for which the Voronoi neighbors have to be found.

    Returns
    -------
    voronoi_neighbors : numpy array of ints
        All the lattice vectors that may potentially neighbor the origin.

    Notes
    -----
    This algorithm does not calculate the minimal Voronoi cell of the lattice
    and can be optimized. Its main aim is flood-fill, however, and better
    safe than sorry.
    """
    basis = np.asarray(basis)
    if basis.ndim != 2:
        raise ValueError('`basis` must be a 2d array-like object.')
    displacements = list(product(*(len(basis) * [[0, .5]])))[1:]
    vertices = np.array([cvp(np.dot(vec, basis), basis)[0] for vec in
                         displacements])
    vertices = np.array(np.round((vertices - displacements) * 2), int)
    for i in range(len(vertices)):
        if not np.any(vertices[i]):
            vertices[i] += 2 * np.array(displacements[i])
    vertices = np.concatenate([vertices, -vertices])
    return vertices

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Would you like to get a device that will help you to teach your dog to consume food in a more healthy way? Would you like to make a process of feeding your dog a fun game? This is a new "grassy plate" Boxer feeder. It will prevent you dog from overeating, gulping or bloating. Your pet will, in fact, have to work to have his meal and eat it. If you had a problem with your dog begging for food, it will remain in future, because now he will eat slower. Enjoy a few minutes of rest while your pet is eating his meal. This bright green grass shaped device will attract every dog's attention and will certainly take its place in your pet's stuff collection.
This is an innovative Pet Feeder which is made of safe hard plastic. The design of this device creates a feeling that a dog is on the green field. He is searching for the food and this pet feeder is suitable for both wet and dry food. You may wash it in the dishwasher, so this gets it another great advantage. It should be cleaned daily and will look like new.
You can make feeding your dog a fun game. Your pet will have to take extra efforts to get his food, which is distributed through out the feeder. When he will push his food through the grass blades, he will get it. Usage of this device will eliminate the chances for gulping and bloat, because eating will be slower. The grassy blades are smoothed and made of hard safe plastic which doesn't contain dangerous chemical substances. It is already recommended by many dog owners and trainers.


Experience a train journey from Delhi to the Taj Mahal in Agra. A private guided tour of Agra in a chauffeur driven car.
Reach Agra from Delhi by an express train.
See two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Agra.
Travel around Agra in an air-conditioned private vehicle.
Taj Mahal is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites is on the banks of river Yamuna. The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture. The most impressive in the Taj Mahal complex next to the tomb is the main gate which stands majestically in the centre of the southern wall of the forecourt. Agra Fort is another UNESCO world heritage monument which was built by Emperor Akbar. In this tour, you will enjoy the sightseeing tour of these unique heritage monuments.
Starting with the hotel pick-up at 7:00 in Delhi, the driver will drop to the Nizamuddin Railway station in Delhi.
You will be guided to board the Gatimann Express train, the superfast train journey to Agra also enjoy complimentary breakfast (parathas and tea) on the train.
The driver would be waiting at the Agra railway station to take you to the Taj Mahal.
You will meet your guide at the entrance of the Taj Mahal.
The guide will arrange for the entrance tickets for you.
The complete Taj Mahal tour along with the guide may take up to 2 hours.
Post the Taj Mahal tour, your guide will take you to a restaurant for lunch before the tour begins.
We proceed to the tour and visit the Agra Fort.
We will board Gatimann Express rain that leaves Agra by 5:45 pm.
We are expected to reach Delhi by 7:30 pm.
From Delhi railway station the driver would pick up and drop you at your hotel or airport.


The lion represents that particular challenge that seems to weigh you down. For you to kill that lion you need faith.
1. that must be an all inclusive one.
2. that renames the challenge.
3. that never says "I have never seen this before".
4. that pursues and turneth not away.
5. that pursues the enemies unto death.
6. that takes the spoil before the battle is ever fought.
7. that boasts in what God can do.
NOTE: Faith is sweet like sugar but Operates like Fire. Spiritual victories are won by the power of the tongue and Faith.


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Desperate Housewives News
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Heeelloo! I think it's high time to make a toast. Ehm, Tom, wher...
Heeelloo! I think it's high time to make a toast. Ehm, Tom, where are you? (looks around) You did it. There are a lot of people in this room that didn't think you could pull it off. Okey, well, maybe just me (everybody laughs). Anyway, congratulations. The pizza is excellent, and the service is sublime (Edie nods to Austin). Cheers!
Edie Britt
Desperate Housewives Season 3 Episode 15: "The Little Things You Do Together"
Edie Britt Quotes, Desperate Housewives Season 3 Episode 15 Quotes, Desperate Housewives Quotes
Eric Hochberger
Desperate Housewives Season 3 Episode 15 Quotes
Bree: So we're back to being friends?
Susan: We never really stopped.
Permalink: So we're back to being friends? We never really stopped.
(to Andrew) I liked you better when you were a psychopath!
Permalink: I liked you better when you were a psychopath!
Desperate Housewives Season 3 Episode 15
The Little Things You Do Together
Watch Desperate Housewives Season 3 Episode 15 Online


Cloth diapers provide a sustainable option for families with diaper need. If your family is interested in cloth diapering and qualifies for the program (currently receiving assistance such as WIC, TANF or another program including disaster relief), apply to receive a set of cloth diapers to loan for a set period of time. If your family is already using cloth diapers and you are now experiencing diaper need, you may still qualify for this program. Every application is carefully considered, and diaper packs are distributed on a case-by-case basis to eligible families.
All personally identifiable information submitted to Babies Need Bottoms will be kept confidential within our organization and between any partner agency as needed to verify client referrals.
Applicants who are approved to receive cloth diapers through our program will need to pick -up any loaned items from a volunteer or partner agency location. Due to excessive shipping costs, diapers are not shipped to clients.
Recipients assume all responsibility for any cloth diaper accessory – such as detergent, wipes, fasteners, etc. – that is not distributed through our program. When available, we may provide some of these accessory items to clients.
By accepting diapers from Babies Need Bottoms, recipients are accountable for each product loaned. All diapers must be properly cared for and returned to us by the date specified in the lending agreement.
Recipients will be subject to a $50 penalty for not returning loaned product to Babies Need Bottoms by the date specified in the lending agreement.
Diapers loaned through our program cannot be sold or distributed by the recipient. Selling or exchanging diapers from our program will result in financial penalties and/or criminal prosecution for theft.
Diapers as provided "as is." Diapers provided may be previously worn; they will be prewashed and fully prepared for use of this program.
Failure to comply with our program's Terms of Service could lead to ineligibility for future assistance through any of our progams.


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Palestinian life restrictions In Areas C & B
Violation of basic Human Rights
Accords and Reality
The Taba Agreement of 1995 stipulated that the West Bank would be divided into three areas of control: A, B, and C. Their size and civil and security status were defined as a merely temporary phase, but they were fixed as the political negotiations ground to a halt. On the other hand, security coordination with the Palestinian Authority has continued, and became a factor of lessened and even prevented acts of terrorism:
Area A spreads over about 18% of the West Bank and includes all the main Palestinian cities. Most of the region's population lives inside this area, and it is subject to both civil and security control of the Palestinian Authority. Still, the Israeli army is entitled to enter Area A when security requires this, and the State of Israel has absolute control over the water supply to Area A (and the entire West Bank).
Area B comprises about 22% of the West Bank and includes larger and smaller rural areas. In the Palestinian communities of Area B, which constitute enclaves in Area C, the PA has civil control and may issue construction permits.
Area C is spread over about 60% of the West Bank and contains the enclaves of Areas A and B. Area C is under full civil and military Israeli control.
According to the Oslo Accords, control of large parts of Area C was supposed to pass over incrementally and in agreement within 5 years to the Palestinians. This area contains Palestinian communities and their lands, next to which more and more settler-colonies and outposts have been founded, for the most part on Palestinian lands.
Over the years Area C has become the settlers' rulership.
The control areas A, B, C and the
Seam Zone behind the separation fence
The lives of most Palestinians in Areas B and C depend on Israel and the settlements
There are about 240,000 Palestinians ("Bimkom"'s estimate, 2020) living in Area C, and it is controlled by the State of Israel through the army and its Civil Administration. The Palestinian inhabitants of this area are subject to prohibitions and restrictions that are not valid for its Jewish settler inhabitants:
Movement Restrictions: 169 areas of Palestinian villages and small communities are surrounded by Area C. Thus, Palestinian villages have been separated from their region towns in area A, as well as from other regions in the West Bank. Movement from place to place involves passing through Area C - parts of which are out of bounds for residents of areas A, B, and even C itself. . Since 1995, about 500 checkpoints and various barriers have been placed inside the West Bank – army posts, metal-arm barriers, concrete blocks, dirt dykes, and ditches. All of these are internal barriers within the West Bank that contribute nothing to the prevention of terrorists from entering the State of Israel. On the contrary: these internal barriers disrupt the lives of all Palestinians in the West Bank and arouse anger and resistance. The Israeli settlers, on the other hand, enjoy total freedom of movement in almost all of the West Bank (also open to both Israelis and foreign tourists).
Read about the different areas of control in the West Bank and their problems
We focus our attention especially on Area C and the area B enclaves, where triple friction arises between the Palestinians, the Israeli army, and the settlers. We visit checkpoints and Palestinian villages in the central West Bank, the shepherd communities of the Palestinian Jordan Valley, barriers and villages in the South Hebron Hills, and in divided cities such as Hebron and greater Jerusalem.
Byond the Fence
Annexation, isolation
Northen checkpoints
Vandalism, demolitions
Jordan Valley
Deportation, water
A city Turned Jail
Abuse, de-facto annexation
Restrictions of construction and development Construction permits are issued to Palestinians in Area C by the Israeli Civil Administration. Only about 1% of their applications are met affirmatively! Any application for a permit to build a private house or expand it, to put up a storehouse, a pergola, a porch, toilets, a classroom, install a water pipe, a road sign and so forth is not answered at all. Anything put up without permission is immediately demolished by the State of Israel, or is threatened by a pending demolition order. This means young couples cannot build their own home, not even add a story to the existing family home; one cannot open a business, be it small or large; one cannot create a plant, nor promote civil initiatives for the welfare of the inhabitants.
Although Area C contains most of the West Bank's natural resources, 99% of them are out-of-bounds if Palestinian initiatives are at hand. This affects all Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and naturally, the Palestinian economy. The boundaries of the villages, even those defined as Area B, but always surrounded by Area C, are limited in the regional plans, and the Palestinians have no representation in the planning institutions. Area C actually creates enclaves of dense Palestinian localities, whose agricultural lands and building land reserves have been annexed to Area C, and therefore cannot develop.
Area C suffocates virtually all the development of Palestinian habitats in the West Bank and this adversely affects all residents and the Palestinian economy.
Unlike Palestinians, the Israeli settlers receive large budgets from the State of Israel and from organizations whose declared purpose is to appropriate the entire area without considering any Palestinian rights. They have the nearly unlimited ability to found industry and farming in Area C.
Limitation of work and livelihood without construction permits, no industrial and civil development, strict movement restrictions, and after having lost or been practically disconnected from the farmlands that served as their source of livelihood in the past – what is left for Palestinians? Work permits in Israel are hard to come by because of the strict bureaucracy of the permit regime and prevention of entry. Many Palestinians remain without any source of livelihood, no property, no civil development and no horizon.
What is left open? Work in the settler-colonies. Indeed, of all the Palestinians living in Area C., about 30,000 (according to Civil Administration data) are employed by the settler-colonies in construction and maintenance. Note that work permits in the settler-colonies are not valid for working inside Israel.
Demolished water reservoir, Jordan Valley , 26.8.2019
Daphna Banai
An internal checkpoint in Azun, area C/B, 17/4/2019
Rachel Afek
Relations between Palestinians and Israeli settlers over the years of occupation - the more settlements and outposts were built around Palestinian communities, the new neighbors' harassment of Palestinians has become more severe. Such harassment means closing off access, wounding people, cutting down olive trees and burning them, preventing olive harvesting, stealing crops, threatening and chasing away shepherds from their grazing fields, running havoc inside Palestinian villages, stopping up water wells and so on.
Landgrab – the settlers and ('legal' and illegal) outposts have been built contrary to international law upon lands occupied by Israel in 1967. The main means to take over land was to declare it as 'state land'. Other indirect means have been, and still are: confiscation for military purposes; declaring land as absentee property; confiscating land for public (settlements) use.
Landgrab is also ongoing by declaring Palestinian lands as firing zones or nature reserves, where Palestinians may not reside, spend time or graze their livestock. The settlers hold on to such prohibitions as justification for chasing Palestinians out of their lands, their grazing grounds, their homes, and practically legitimize annexation.
Water shortage is a severe and destructive issue, experienced solely by the Palestinian residents of the West Bank. It is a direct result of the State of Israel's intended policy: deny Palestinians of the Occupied Territories their water.
Mekorot, Israel's state water company is the official owner of all the water reserves in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 1982. Mekorot provides the Israeli settlers 80% of the water allocated along the West Bank Hill Range and central region, and only 20% goes to the Palestinian population, at rates higher by 1.4. In the Palestinian Jordan Valley, the provision of water allotted its Palestinian inhabitants is close to 0, although here too they are by far the majority of the human population.
But the story does not end here. Numerous villages throughout Area C of the West Bank are not connected, or only partially connected to the water supply grid.
Every pipe that is installed, every rainwater reservoir are demolished by the Civil Administration and the Israeli army time and again. Thus, the Palestinian inhabitants, mainly in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hillsare, are forced to purchase water at an exorbitant price – and deliver it over winding, potholed roads, to bypass barriers and areas that are out-of-bounds. Consequently, they live in constant deprivation of drinking water as well as water for cooking and washing, for irrigation, and watering their livestock. Thus, their ability to meet livelihood needs, their poverty and suffering grow enormously.
All this in sight of evergreen settlements, resplendent with watering systems working even in the scathing noon hours, magnificent swimming pools, lawns, and flowering gardens.
Life restrictions for the palestinians in areas A & B


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Interview: Eli Craig on 'Tucker & Dale vs Evil'
Eli Craig will not be a name familiar to many of you reading this – yet. His first feature, Film4 FrightFest favourite Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010), stars Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk in a comical, inverted take on the Hillbilly slasher movie sub-genre. I recently spoke with the director to discuss the project and the hardships he faced with getting his first feature off the ground.
Joe Walsh: Could you could give a brief synopsis for those who haven't seen the film?
Eli Craig: Basically, Tucker & Dale is a horror/comedy taken from the 'evil' Hillbilly point of view, where they turn out not to be so evil. It basically flips the classic story of college kids trapped in the woods and getting attacked by backwards, evil hillbillies – who in this case aren't so bad and end up getting stalked by college kids.
JW: Being a horror/comedy, it has already been compared to Shaun of the Dead (2004) and the Scary Movie franchise. Do you think this is fair?
EC: I'll let other people decide. For me, Shaun of the Dead was the film that paved the way for me to make this. I was such a big fan of the film so I really studied it, but I wanted to do something very different to it. I wanted to poke fun at the genre whilst embracing it. I very clearly did not want to make a Scary Movie-type film, spoofing various moments from various [horror] movies and making lots of puns, or poking fun at modern day stereotypes. I wanted it very much to be its own film, but I suppose, in that way, it is similar to Shaun of the Dead.
JW: There are a lot of horror/comedies out there. What do you think makes Tucker & Dale different?
EC: I think ultimately, it's the comedy – and the comedy is the heart. I call this film a comedy/horror film because we decided really early on in the process that the goriest moments in the film also had to be the funniest; it had to have this charm and the humour had to stay with the film the entire time. The other thing is that you really fall in love with Tucker & Dale – they're genuine actors and characters who are not there winking at the camera, they are playing real emotions. We treated this as a 'real' movie inside of a horror movie – it had to have real heart and not just be goofy.
JW: This being your debut film, how did you find getting it off the ground?
EC: I wrote the script and it took three years to get the financing together. It kept failing apart and looking like it would never happen. I started to work a lot as a producer on music videos and then in 2008 the bottom fell out of the commercial industry. I started to realise I couldn't pay for anything anymore so I realised I really had to get Tucker & Dale made at all costs. We started shooting a little trailer for it and all of a sudden these producers called me saying "we have the money for it". That was Deepak Nayar (producer, Bend It Like Beckham [2002]) and Thomas Augsberger (producer, Waiting [2005]). Both of these guys were pretty keen on the film and they are pretty big independent film producers. They wrangled up a couple of million dollars and flew me off to Canada, and about three weeks after we were green-lit we were shooting, so it was really quite unbelievable. We had three weeks of prep and a 28-day shoot, so it was a pretty quick turn around.
JW: You decided to use practical effects over CGI. Was this a financial decision or a personal choice?
EC: I thought this was a good first film to make because with a limited budget I could do what I wanted to do. I actually thought in some ways a limited budget would add to the film, since what I am satirising are generally low budget films…To get a location that is filled with woods and build a log cabin like The Evil Dead's (1981) is not that expensive, and within that world the only way to go is with practical effects.
JW: What was it like working with Labine and Tudyk?
EC: There were gold together, like long-lost lovers or something. It was amazing because these guys met one day before shooting their first scene at the 'Last Chance' store, where Tyler is eating eggs and Alan is telling him how to pick up the girl of his dreams. That was the first scene where they look like they have been friends their whole life, they really had this magic and chemistry that I was just blessed with.
JW: The film's fans and the cast have already started talking about a sequel. Have you got any plans in mind?
EC: I will have to wait to see how it does in the marketplace, because it has been at film festivals but to get the money for a sequel we will have to pay off our investors. I have been a little preemptive with it, and have got some flack online about promoting my sequel already, but it would be great to work with those guys again. We do have a treatment for a Tucker & Dale vs Evil 2 film. I just think they are unique characters that I would love to work on again.
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FrightFest, Interviews, Joseph Walsh
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Sierra Club Endorses Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
October 8, 2018 /in News & Updates, Press Releases /by Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Miami, FL – The Sierra Club, the nation's largest grassroots environmental organization, has endorsed Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in her race to unseat Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo, citing Mucarsel-Powell's work at the Coral Restoration Foundation and her commitment to taking real steps to fight climate change.
"We are pleased to announce today that the Sierra Club officially endorses Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for election," said David Harbeitner, Sierra Club Florida's political chairman. "We are confident that she will work to protect Florida families' health, air and water, and build a clean energy economy that works for Floridians."
"We are deeply grateful to Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for her years of work restoring coral reefs in South Florida waters, and supporting novel efforts to grow corals in nurseries and replanting them in coral reefs. This has made her a witness to the adverse effects of climate change on our ocean environment. The current crisis in our Florida waters is an issue that Debbie will be ready to work on as soon as she is sworn in," said Sierra Club's Kent Harrison Robbins. "She is a true environmental champion who will fight to protect Florida's clean air, clean water, our climate and natural treasures."
Last week, Mucarsel-Powell also earned the support of Climate Hawks Vote, a national grassroots organization that advocates for environmental champions. In its endorsement announcement, the group slammed Congressman Curbelo for voting in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and for taking $10,000 each in campaign contributions from Exxon and Chevron; $5,000 each from Valero and Marathon Petroleum; and $1,000 each from American Petroleum Institute and American Gas Association.
A spokesperson for Climate Hawks Vote also labeled Curbelo "the leader of the Climate Peacocks," a group that she described as "Republicans who strut and squawk and say they want to do something on climate change, but end up voting just like all the rest of the fossil-fueled Republicans whenever climate bills come up."
Climate change is one of the most important issues facing South Florida.
Mucarsel-Powell released an underwater digital ad this month that draws attention to Republicans' environmental inaction on issues like red tide, the blue-green algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee, and the continued threat of sea-level rise.
Last Thursday, on the same day that Miami-Dade County announced that its shores are being impacted by red tide, Mucarsel-Powell criticized Curbelo for taking nearly $80,000 in campaign contributions from Big Sugar, an industry that has exacerbated Florida's urgent water problems.
https://i0.wp.com/www.debbiemucarselpowell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/kuKlctaX_400x400.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1 400 400 Debbie Mucarsel-Powell https://debbiemucarselpowell.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/MucarselPowell_Web_Logo.png Debbie Mucarsel-Powell2018-10-08 13:58:502018-10-08 14:00:16Sierra Club Endorses Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
ICYMI: Fourth Poll Shows Mucarsel-Powell Gaining Ground In Florida's 26th... Mucarsel-Powell Campaign Sets The Record Straight On Debates


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> Consumer Goods
> Luxury Goods Market Trends
Jewelry Manufacturing in China - Industry Market Research Report
Jewelry Manufacturing in China
Industry firms manufacture a range of jewelry products, including necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, brooches, diamond jewelry, cultured pearl jewelry, precious or semi-precious stone jewelry, and jewelry parts and components. The industry's products are made from precious metals (gold, silver and platinum), precious metal alloys, diamonds, emeralds, pearls, jade and other precious and semi-precious stones.
This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.
$1020 - 1 User License - PDF	$1530 - Department License - PDF	$2040 - Site License - PDF	$2550 - Corporate License - PDF
Jewelry Market Trends in China
This study focuses on China's Jewelry market trends. In the two past decades, the market has been growing at a fast pace. The dramatic expansions of the manufacturing capabilities and rising consume ...
Labour Force
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The US Jewellery Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts with Impact Analysis of COVID-19 (2021-2025 Edition) $ 850 July 2021
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Luxury Goods in the World
Luxury Goods in Asia
Luxury Goods in Europe
Luxury Goods in North America
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Luxury Goods in the United States
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Quinner to prioritise school, capital funding to the most needy.
Govt to review grants for fee-paying schools
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said Government decisions to grant capital funding to fee-paying schools will have to be reviewed.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Mr Quinn said money was scarce and would have to be prioritised for schools who most need it and are least able to raise it themselves.
His comments came after figures emerged that over €8m in building grants have been given to the country's wealthiest schools by the Department of Education & Science over the last three-and-a-half years.
Fee-paying schools also receive around €100m per year in teachers' wages.
Figures given to RTÉ by the Department show that, as Ireland entered the recent economic crisis in 2008, these schools were in receipt of generous State grants for improvements on buildings and sports facilities.
Of the €8m, in excess of €2m went to Catholic fee-paying schools, many of them in the same geographic area where other free Catholic schools are in operation.
Over €6m went to schools of a Protestant or minority religious ethos. Boarding is subsidised or paid for in full for rural Protestants with lower incomes who do not have a protestant school in their area.
Some of the biggest grants in the years 2008-2011 went to:
Blackrock College in Dublin (€269,438)
Loreto Abbey in Dalkey in Dublin (€199,427)
Holy Child, in Killiney, in Dublin (€180,004)
St Joseph's of Cluny in Killiney
Loreto SS, Foxrock in Dublin (€140,721)
Notre Dame Des Missions, Churchtown in Dublin (€125,816)
However, the largest grant of €446,819 was given to Dominican College, Newbridge, Co Kildare.
The alma mater of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Cistercian College Roscrea, also received €126,655 between 2008 and 2011, when the previous government left office.
Figures for the last five years supplied to Maureen O'Sullivan TD, seen by the Irish Times, also show a further €38m in current expenditure (as opposed to capital or building grants) given to fee-paying schools over the last five years.
The building grant figures for the years 2000-2011 given to RTÉ show that a number of fee paying schools received millions of euros in grants from the Department of Education.
Loreto High School in Rathfarnham in Dublin (€1,717,120.70)
St Killian's German School, Clonskeagh in Dublin (€1,497,012.91)
St Joseph's of Cluny, in Killiney in Dublin (€1,461,269.76)
Dominican College in Newbridge, Co Kildare €3,488,077.98
In total, fee-paying schools got nearly €30m from the Department of Education. This represents nearly 1.5% of the money spent on buildings in secondary schools in the period 2000 – 2011.
Over €16m was given to Protestant or other minority faith schools, while Catholic and non-denominational fee paying schools were given €13m.
When asked by RTÉ for a response, the Joint Managerial Body – which represents the mostly religious-run voluntary schools, both free and fee paying – said that the issue of capital funding for school buildings was a matter for the trustees of schools.
The JMB's spokesman added: '.the JMB notes that all young people, including the 26,000 pupils in fee paying schools, are entitled to be provided with an education in recognised schools with appropriate accommodation.
'The capital grants given by the State to fee paying schools are, as with all schools, used to provide essential learning facilities for the pupils in these schools. It must also be recognised that parents and trustees have made a significant contribution to the development of the schools in question.
'Trustees and management of all schools are entitled to apply for capital grants and all such applications are assessed and decided upon according to a set of criteria established by the Building and Planning Unit in the Department of Education and Skills.'


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Eastern Nevada was home to Native Americans for thousands of years before European exploration. The early Basketmakers and later Fremont people lived in the well-watered valleys, where they grew crops of corn, beans and squash, and built permanent "pueblos." The more nomadic Southern Paiute started appearing in the area around 900 A.D., building no permanent dwellings, but – instead – moving with the seasons to hunt and gather the ripe nuts, berries, seeds and roots. The Fremont people disappeared from the archeologic record by
1200 A.D., reducing the competition with the Paiutes for the same game species which at one time included bison. The next documented exploration of the area occured in 1849, when several groups of California-bound families and prospectors split away from the "Old Spanish Trail" near present-day Enterprise, Utah. The various parties, with 27 wagons and untold numbers of pack mules, wove their way over nearly all the mountain ranges and valleys in Lincoln County, and eventually wound up crossing and naming Death Valley. One of these parties, Asahel Bennett, converted to the Mormon faith several years after the journey, and he brought a group of Mormon pioneers to Meadow Valley in 1858 to establish a place of refuge for the Mormon Church leaders, should it prove necessary as a result of animosities between the United States Government and the Mormon Church. These few men, the "White Mountain Missionaries," stayed only long enough to break ground, plant a few acres of grain, and build irrigation ditches to water the crops. The invasion by "Johnson's Army" was forestalled, and the missionaries were re-called to Utah.
In 1863, Missionary William Hamblin was again scouting new areas for settlement, and while he was in Meadow Valley, a Paiute Indian showed him some rocks which he called "panagari" or "panacker". In March, 1864, Hamblin brought some men with him and established claims on the "panacker ledge," which was located eight or ten miles north of the valley itself. A specimen of the silver ore was sent to Salt Lake City, and it was deemed worthy of more exploration. J.N. Vandermark and Stephen Sherwood undertook the first expedition and along with Hamblin they organized the meadow Valley Mining District in April, 1864. A group of soliders under the command of Gen. Patrick Connor's California Volunteers visited the discovery site in the summer of 1864. They staked a number of claims which later led to litigation. Trouble with the Indians along with the lack of means to process the silver ore restricted the amount of work that could be done on the claim in 1865 and 1866, although some prospectors apparently remained in the vicinity to prevent other persons from jumping their claims.
In May, 1864, Francis Lee and six other families moved from Santa Clara, Utah, to Meadow Valley, where they established an agricultural settlement that they called Panaca. The town struggled for the first several years, building a fort for protection against Indian raiding and theft. In 1865, Clover Valley (to the southeast) and Eagle Valley & Spring Valley (to the northeast) were also settled by L.D.S. pioneers. These small communities found ready outlets for their produce and dairy products in the growing number of prospectors heading through the valleys.
Approximately 60 miles west of Meadow Valley, the Pahranagat mining District was formed in 1865, and William H. Raymond moved a mill from Los Angeles to process the ores. Success was not to be his, despite considerable investment in processing equipment As the ores dwindled, Raymond went into partnership with another Pahranagat Valley miner, John H. Ely, and they moved their mill to Meadow Valley. They established a millsite near Panaca, which processed ores from the panacker ledge, and this became known as Bullionville.
Also in 1869, a new owner bought out some of the claims of the Meadow Valley Mining Company. Francois L.A. Pioche was a San Francisco businessman who invested a substantial amount of money in equipment and hired a metallurgist who was experienced in the chemical extraction of silver from its ore. A town sprang up around the claims on the 'panacker ledge,' which became known as Pioche's City, or – simply – Pioche. Because the County Seat was still located at Hiko, problems erupted. With more prospectors drifting into the area and staking claims, sometimes these overlapped prior claims. Mine owners resorted to hiring guards, and gunfighters to protect their mining claims. Guns were the only law, and Pioche made Bodie, Tombstone, and other better known towns pale in comparison with its violence. It has been claimed that seventy-five men died "with boots on" before anyone in Pioche died of natural causes.
When first settled in 1864, the area was still a part of Utah Territory. Nevada officially became a state in October, 1864. Upon a request by the Nevada State Legislature in 1866, the boundary was revised, and Congress allowed an additional degree of longitude to be added to the eastern border of Nevada. This became Lincoln County, and its boundaries changed three more times over the course of the next 43 years. In 1867, all the land north of the Colorado River was transferred from Arizona Territory to Nevada, and a strip ten miles wide on the western boundary was ceded to Nye County. In 1865, some territory was received from Nye County along the northern border. In 1908, an act of the State Legislature split Lincoln County into two: Clark County was created out of the southern half, with the growing population of the railroad town, Las Vegas. The County Seat likewise made several moves: initially it was decreed as Crystal Springs, but in 1867 was changed to Hiko. In 1871, with the abandonment of the mines in Pahranagat Valley, the County Seat was moved to Pioche, where it remains today.
The population has varied over the past century, with the surges and downturns in mining, railroad activity, and tourism. Today, the County population is over 5,000 people, with primary occupations in agriculture and cattle ranching, railroad, small-scale mining, and government services (Federal, State, and County). We welcome you to come and experience the small-town atmosphere and enjoy the many scenic and historic attractions of the area.


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CPNN
Culture of Peace News Network
Spanish/Portuguese
South America: A 'sweeping' win for the oceans that you didn't hear about
. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .
A blog by Scott Henderson on the Conservation Blog
Today [September 15] is the first day of the Our Ocean conference, an annual event hosted by the United States to seek commitments for protecting the ocean. The conference comes on the heels of historic commitments made last week from the presidents of Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador, who declared their intention to expand their countries' pledges to ocean protection. Human Nature sat down with Scott Henderson, vice president of Conservation International (CI)'s Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape program, to discuss the significance of these commitments, which have largely avoided widespread attention so far.
The presidents of Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica make their historic announcement. (© Conservation International/photo by Scott Henderson)
Question: What did the presidents of Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica announce?
Answer: Ecuador reiterated its commitment to rezoning the Galápagos Marine Reserve, beginning with the creation of a 36,000-square-kilometer (13,900-square-mile) fully protected sanctuary in the northwest of the reserve. Colombia stated their intention to quadruple the size (to more than 27,000 square kilometers, or 10,425 square miles) of the fully protected Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Costa Rica announced their intention to create a 10,000-square-kilometer (3,861-square-mile) fully protected area around Cocos National Park.
Here's why it matters: These three presidents made sweeping commitments that could transform the way their ocean resources are managed, generating incredible benefits for their people. These commitments were made during a ceremony to celebrate the culmination of nearly 30 years of negotiations to agree on the definitive maritime borders between the three countries. Sitting behind these commitments is the growing recognition that creating marine reserves is not a wasted economic opportunity, but just the opposite: President Rafael Correa of Ecuador emphasized that industrial fishermen have told him they are one of the main beneficiaries of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. Effectively, the reserve has served as a massive fish "bank" that pays out "interest" to those that scoop up the abundant spillover on the reserve boundaries.
Q: What do these announcements mean for ocean conservation and ocean health?
A: President Correa was quick to note the strong ecological connections — uncovered over the past decade through the work of CI and partners — between Galápagos, Malpelo and Cocos Island. Together they make up the world's densest cluster of UNESCO Marine World Heritage Sites along with Panama's Coiba National Park. He emphasized three critical factors that national leaders have often failed to heed and act on. First, small areas provide protection for highly mobile species, especially large pelagic species such as sharks, turtles, rays, whales, seabirds, tuna and billfish. Second, strong protection in just one big area is not enough because these species spend different parts of their life cycles in different places. Third, big reserves in the middle of the ocean don't do enough — these species often breed, feed or rest in coastal areas that are being lost to development or degraded by pollution.
(Article continued in the right side of the page)
Question for this article:
If we can connect up the planet through Internet, can't we agree to preserve the planet?
(Article continued from the left side of the page)
To give you a sense of the import of this announcement: President Luis Solís of Costa Rica called it "transcendental," and President Correa emphasized that it is one of the best moments in history for these three nations to cooperate to achieve shared goals. This historic announcement is nothing less than the declaration of a new sustainable development model that puts ocean management at the forefront of national strategies to improve the livelihoods of millions of people. These Latin American leaders have risen to the front of the global pack to act on their belief that marine conservation is a wise investment, not an economic drain.
Q: Describe the biodiversity of this region.
A: The Galápagos Marine Reserve, Malpelo Sanctuary, Cocos Island National Park and Coiba National Park are the crown jewels of the ETPS — the marine version of Africa's Serengeti. As in the case of the Serengeti where vast herds of large migratory mammals and dependent predators follow seasonal changes, in the ETPS vast populations of iconic migratory marine species — sharks, turtles, rays, whales, seabirds, tuna and billfish — surge back and forth in response to seasonal changes in water temperature and food availability. In fact, these protected areas have registered the highest density of sharks recorded anywhere on Earth and some of the highest fish biomass (total weight per unit area) ever recorded. Cocos is world-renowned for its massive groups of hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks. Coiba is home to the region's largest coral formations and numerous turtle nesting beaches. Malpelo's large schools of silky sharks are a major attraction for divers and underwater photographers. Galápagos is home to rare and endemic marine species such as Galápagos penguins and sea lions, as well as more than a third of the world's whales and dolphin species.
The marine "highways" that connect these sites are some of the world's great tuna fishing grounds. The coasts that border the ETPS are covered with mangroves, which serve as nurseries for many of these iconic species, and the beaches are nesting grounds for sea turtles.
Q: What are the challenges to making these new protections happen?
A: To make the most of this opportunity three key things must happen. First, the three leaders need to garner support from key constituencies in their countries, especially industrial fishermen and related businesses. Second, these leaders and the full range of ministries that create and implement marine policy in these countries — Environment, Fisheries, Defense, Foreign Relations, Finance and Tourism — will have to all pull in the same direction towards a shared vision of building prosperity around marine conservation and management. Third, the international community will have to be prepared to respond with funding to help overcome the barriers that currently stand in the way of the ETPS becoming an outstanding example of ocean-based development.
There has never been a more promising moment in this region's marine history.
(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)
October 2, 2016 Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTLatin AmericaCPNN Coordinator
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GAO opens up about secret reports
Most of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's reports are freely available to the public via GAO.gov. For decades, however, the agency has kept a minority of these reports secret.
These so-called "restricted reports" are withheld from the public, according to the GAO, because they contain "either classified information or controlled unclassified information by the audited agencies and cannot be publicly released." Some of these reports eventually do get released publicly in redacted form, such as this 2011 GAO study on the Internal Revenue Service and whistleblowers.
Keeping the reports under lock and key for a time is understandable. Slapping a PDF of GAO's "Library of Congress: Information Security Review" online shortly after its publication may well be counterproductive to the objective of securing the agency's network.
Remarkably, GAO did not publicize the existence of these reports until last week. As reported by Secrecy News, anyone now can go to GAO.gov and click the "restricted products" link to see a list of the restricted reports' titles, but not the reports themselves.
The list currently includes only reports published since 2014. Those who wish to see the titles of earlier GAO restricted reports can consult GovernmentAttic.org's list, which covers the period 1971 to 2011.
The GAO's list of restricted products is useful, not least in that it allows Congress, the media and the public to see what sort of issues are being examined by the government's watchdog. Few outside the congressional committees of jurisdiction, for example, knew the "Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Needs to Address Program and Privacy Weaknesses." Now, any of the millions of federal employees and retirees with federal Thrift Savings Plan accounts will know there is at least a potential issue and contact their congressman for more information.
Releasing the titles also permits us to see which restricted reports have been released and which have not. A 2011 GAO report on IRS whistleblowers has been published online. Oddly, a 1979 report titled "Need for a Reassessment of DOD's Laser Guided Weapons Programs" still is not available on GAO.gov.
GAO does good work, and one hopes the agency's next step will be to release a report detailing exactly how many of its restricted products remain hidden, why and when they will be released.
Kevin Kosar
Vice President, Policy
House modernization leaders seek consensus despite hurdles Kevin Kosar
Letter to the New Director of the CBO on Transparency Kevin Kosar


Made in the UK, this is the perfect accessory for a Flower Girl for the big day! Ideal for carrying wedding essentials and a lovely keepsake when the celebrations end.
Using sturdy natural canvas this clutch is made in the UK by Alphabet Bags; the floral illustration is printed in cool pastel tones and is hand-lettered with the words 'Flower Girl' in bold pink. The pouch comes complete with a heavy-duty gold zip, natural cotton lining and a cotton wrist strap.


text:
Q: Goals in Google Analytics. A new user registration goal I need to create a goal A user has been registered in Google Analytics. What I did:
1) I went to Admin -> Goals
2) Created a new goal with the following details:

But. This goal is successfull even if a user visited only /?from=adwords. But I also need the second URL - /account/registrated/. A user must firstly visit /?from=adwords, then he can visit any other pages, and then he must visit /account/registrated/ as a required URL.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Ingredients - Soft Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Coconut, Palm), Whey Powder, Emulsifying Agent: Soya Lecithin, Salt, Raising Agents: Sodium Bicarbonate, Vanilla Extract (Bourbon), Contains: Wheat, Milk and Soya.
Allergy Advice: Produced in a factory that converts eggs. May contain traces of peanuts and nuts.


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class AddTagForReviewToPublications < ActiveRecord::Migration[4.2]
  def change
    add_column :publications, :tagged_for_pp_review, :boolean, default: false, null: false
    add_column :publications, :tagged_for_sc_review, :boolean, default: false, null: false
  end
end


I am J and welcome to my world – as my camera sees it.
The main focus of this blog is to document, through the lens of my camera, my search for the beautiful and unique in the mundane and ordinary world around me.
I invite you to (respectfully) comment, critique, advise, laugh, and share with me my journey as I attempt to "find myself" now on the far side of youth!
I'm very glad our paths have crossed here today. I see some similarities between your blogging "mission" and mine. I look forward to future encounters here.
I'm so glad to "meet" you, Ann. I visited your blog and you are correct when you say we have similar blogging goals. Here's to the journey ahead and to many fruitful blogging encounters! I especially like your post about Fear and Anxiety. It got me thinking – a lot!
I'm so glad! Thanks for this great reply.
Thank you, sweet Patty. It's enough for me to be appreciated. I truly enjoy your blog and my comments on your blog and other blogs is just my way of reciprocating hopefully value for value! I appreciate you and this award! Thank you!
I want to thank you for coming to my blog and also adding Book Heaven to your sidebar…I am so impressed with your About page…the new camera does justice for the glasses of wine and the tree lights glistening through.
Omigoodness, Patty. Thank you for this award. I'm not sure I understand awards (being so new at this blogging gig,) so please know that I'm honored that you thought of me and thank you so much.
Hi J. Thank you for visiting and following HoB. Much appreciated!
Your camera has fantastic zoom and what is the best, is that it is optical. Also the max ISO setting 3200 is great. It helps to shoot photos inside buildings without flash. Very useful!
BTW, my first digital camera from 2004 had only 5.0 megapixels. Next from 2006 had 8.3 MP. The camera from 2008 which I use nowadays has 12.3 MP. It is only camera, no video.
I can relate! I'm working with tools and materials that are new to me, soaking up whatever's available to learn and do more! Blessings on your journey.


When you purchase any vehicle here at Island, either New or Used, you are automatically enrolled as a member of "The Island Club"!
Your Island Club benefits include membership to our Cougar Fitness Center, access to our Wall St. Business center, Gus' Barber Shop, the Mercury Arcade and much more.
Members also receive Full Service Gasoline fill ups at Island Gas. If your body is running low on fuel, you can fill it up at the Island Tiki grill. There are daily specials from Breakfast to Lunch to satisfy and delight your appetite!
We have a state of the art facility.
Island Club Customer Lounge area that is second to none!


Discussion in 'Multimedia' started by meccelli, Jan 22, 2006.
when i connect my ipod to my pc a message pops up saying-unable to read currupt file please run chk dsk utility. i dony know what this chk dsk utility is. can you help?
Click on start>run>type cmd click ok..


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Tag Archive for 'Jake Gyllenhal'
Prisoners (Blu-ray Review)
December 8th, 2013 by Brian White
You ever have those moments in life where you first see a film's theatrical trailer, having never known anything about it beforehand, and instantly "know" that it's a film you want to see upon its release with no hesitations or second guessing? Well, that's exactly how I felt about the film we are all gathered […]
Tags: Aaron Guzikowski, Denis Villenevue, Erin Gerasimovich, Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhal, Maria Bello, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis. Amazon Pre-Orders,Blu-ray Reviews Closed
Prisoners Escapes Onto Blu-ray This December
November 7th, 2013 by Blu-ray Brian
I'm sorry, but Wolverine has nothing on Hugh Jackman's character here in Prisoners. Whether or not you believe in his twisted form of justice or not is your problem. I just know that this guy is an animal in this film and I'm looking forward to re-visiting this one on Blu-ray when it arrives December […]
Tags: Aaron Guzikowski, Denis Villenevue, Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhal, Maria Bello, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis. Amazon Pre-Orders,News Closed
'Prisoners' Captures Your Attention & Compromises Your Morality (Movie Review)
September 20th, 2013 by Brian White
Tags: Aaron Guzikowski, Denis Villenevue, Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhal, Maria Bello, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis. Movie Reviews Closed
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Tuesday marks Rotary International's fifth annual World Polio Day, co-hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and there is much cause for celebration: It is very possible that 2017 may see the end of the wild poliovirus — nearly two years earlier than Bill Gates predicted.
"What we're looking at now is sort of the endgame of polio eradication," says Dr. Jay Wenger, who leads the Gates Foundation's polio eradication efforts. "We are closer than ever, and we're optimistic that we can see the end of wild poliovirus disease by as early as this year," he said.
Photo courtesy of PolioPlus Pakistan.


Outdoor Design & Living is Australia's leading magazine aimed at middle to top-end market readers who are actively working on outdoor projects and have a genuine interest in sourcing products locally.
Outdoor Design & Living showcases recent landscape projects along with the latest innovative designs, trends, products and construction for outdoor living spaces, bringing the best quality products and professional services in the landscaping industry to gardens all around Australia.
This stunning publication has become the success it is today through the continued support of the Australian Landscape Industry Association members, including NSW, VIC, TAS, QLD, SA and WA.


Who are the "brains behind AOC"?
Hoax review – Keeping a mental scorecard, which did you fall for?
The post Episode 443 Scott Adams: Checking Your Gullibility Scorecard appeared first on Dilbert Blog.
The former NHL journeyman discusses winning a goal-scoring title, his legacy in San Jose and being from a place called Moose Factory.
It's important to check on your neighbors regularly, especially if they're elderly. Just knock on their doors and ask if they're OK.
The post Episode 289 Scott Adams: Checking in With You on the Vote Count appeared first on Dilbert Blog.
Jim's beautiful, blonde wife was having trouble mastering the fine points of balancing the checking account.
"The bank returned the check you wrote to the department store," he said.
The Carolina coach dishes on coaching millennials, his influences, the team wearing Hartford Whalers jerseys and more.
Checking My Six Month Prediction – Did it Age Well?
As you might expect, anti-Trumper are saying the tweet didn't age well. They are saying this on the same week that their side protested a free speech rally by throwing urine on cops.
Okay, okay, I know what you are going to say. Those protestors do not represent all anti-Trump people. But I learned this past week that if you are marching with urine-hurlers, and making common cause with urine-hurlers, you're just as bad as urine-hurlers. And if that logic doesn't hold up, it would feel super-awkward for me to be on the team that says it does. But that's just me.
Meanwhile, Senator Schiff, a prominent anti-Trumper, spoke out today against violence. But he failed to name Antifa or White Supremacists by name, despite being prompted to do so by Jake Tapper in this interview, thus drawing a moral equivalence between Antifa and White Supremacists. And if he later mentions any hate groups by name, we still have to wonder why it took so long. We learned last week from anti-Trumpers that this sort of moral equivalence, and the peculiar pause before a full disavowal, are deeply meaningful. If this logic doesn't make sense to you, it might feel super-awkward to be on the team that insists it does.
And what about the racist dog whistle that anti-Trumpers tell us only they and racists can hear? Is it not super-awkward that your best criticism involves hearing a secret message that only racists can detect?
Or what if your view is that President Trump accomplished nothing in his first six months? Would this extensive list of his accomplishments make you feel super-awkward?
Did you think that no progress in building the "wall" would be embarrassing for Trump supporters? Or did you see the New York Times confirm that progress is being made?
Perhaps you rejoiced this week about President Trump's tweet on General Pershing's handling of Islamic terrorists because he was so factually wrong about the pig blood thing. But maybe you didn't know how accurate he was according to Pershing's own words. That feels super-awkward to me, but maybe it sounds different to people who hear the secret racist beacon at the same time.
I will take anti-Trumpers at their word that they don't feel awkward about any of this. I got that prediction totally wrong. I recently wrote a blog post explaining why anti-Trumpers don't feel awkward. It involves something I call the Mass Hysteria Bubble.
If the only thing you haven't lost to the GOP already is free speech, you might want to hold onto that one.
Unless it feels super-awkward to do so.
To be fair, it was indeed a super-awkward week to be a Trump supporter of any kind. No debate on that. But that's not what I tweeted about. I tweeted that the other side would feel super-awkward. I got that wrong.
You might enjoy my books because you read this blog post.
Welcome to the Hotel Cortez, where everything is totally f–ked.
I've been blogging about my Master Wizard Hypothesis while focusing on Donald Trump and a number of other men. For the sake of balance, I will "out" for you two of the greatest living female Master Wizards of persuasion. Before I tell you their names, see if you can guess who they are based on my list of known tells for a Master Wizard.
1. Unusual success in a field, as if coming from out of nowhere.
2. A gifted communicator with a simple, visual, story-telling style.
3. A big influence on hundreds of millions of people.
4. A tie to a known wizard.
6. Success in a variety of business ventures.
Okay. What famous women, still living, fit all of the tells for a Master Wizard of persuasion? If you are coming up blank, you might be a sexist.
1. You should have guessed this one.
But here comes the funnier one. Remember: They hide in plain sight. That's part of the skill set.
2. I'll bet you didn't guess this Master Wizard.
See? Hiding in plain sight.
Reminder to new readers: The Master Wizard Hypothesis is just for entertainment. There are many ways to view the world. This one just happens to fit the data. Your way of viewing the world might work great too.
I wrote this book. If you don't read it, someday you will be the only one in the room who doesn't understand why systems are better than goals. And I will feel bad for you. But you will have it coming for not reading my book. Karma. Just saying. Play it safe.
Denis O'Hare Is Checking Into American Horror Story: Hotel—Get More Details on the New Season!
American Horror Story: Hotel's rooms are filling up quickly!
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seven young actors became part of cinematic history when they were cast as the von Trapp children in Rogers & Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" — and they also became lifelong friends. Known as "The SoM 7," they formed their own sort of family over the months of making the musical. Their parents befriended one another as the young performers traveled to Austria for filming, and the actors themselves have remained close for decades.
Good news and bad news, American Horror Story fans.