text:
Cahill backs 'important' Rainbow Laces campaign
Gary Cahill says he backs Palace's support of the Rainbow Laces campaign, as football continues to raise awareness of LGBT people in sport.
Steve Parish welcomes supporters back to Selhurst Park for Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur
Speaking to Sky Sports, Cahill said: "That [the campaign] is hugely important.
"For us as players and football clubs, because we have the platform we do, you can influence people in the right way and send good messages. I think it's important that we do because people listen, stand up and take note of what players do or say. If we can impact in a positive way that's fantastic."
Crystal Palace are promoting the campaign with branding on the matchday programme and throughout Selhurst Park stadium.
"The game has changed a lot," Cahill added. "It doesn't have to be in football. In every walk of life everyone's accepted to be who they want to be, and everyone should be accepted for that."
Speaking last year, Chairman Steve Parish and manager Roy Hodgson praised the campaign for promoting inclusivity in football and encouraging support for the LGBT community.
Both sets of players will promote the Rainbow Laces campaign at Selhurst today (Sunday, 13th December) as Palace welcome Tottenham Hotspur to south London.
READ NEXT: Hodgson – The squad is looking very strong


text:
New Zealand, North Island
The Wai-o-tapo Thermal Experience and a big hole in the ground
27 February 2014 John Ewbank
We decided to drive cross-county from our overnight stop at Mangakino to the area just south of Rotorua where many of New Zealand's thermal 'experiences' are to be found. Our route took us through an area shown on the map as the 'Hidden Valley Thermal Area', but whoever was in charge of doing the hiding had done an exceptional job because we saw no signs whatsoever of anything even remotely geothermal until we reached Wai-o-tapu – unless you count the temperature gauge of the campervan as we crawled our way up some pretty steep gravel roads along the way. All very beautiful, but we were pleased to be back on sealed (tarmac) roads if only to end the incessant rattling of our 10 year old VW boneshaker.
Inevitably, most of the more spectacular geo-thermal sites are in private hands and the owners are understandably keen to make a few bucks out of the tens of thousands of slack jawed visitors who flock to gape at geysers and marvel at mud pools.
Denise getting a little steamed up about something …..
That said we thought that the 'Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland' was pretty good value and it would have been better still if we'd managed to arrive in time for the daily spectacle of the Lady Knox Geyser being induced to do her thing when a member of staff pours soap down her vent (no way to treat a lady!). Nevertheless, the 90 minute walk around vents, craters and a succession of multi-coloured, bubbling pools was excellent and gave us a fascinating insight into the world just below our feet.
Perthy's trying to work out just how much of this custard he can manage!
We stayed last night at Waihi Beach and started this morning with an hour and a half's gentle walk up the deserted beach collecting a variety of seashells along the way. Getting back on the road again we stopped for our usual mid-morning coffee and cake at Waihi, which is a pleasant enough spot but seemed pretty unremarkable until we wandered up to look at an unusual and rather ugly monolithic building which sits in the centre of the town.
This turned out to be an 'historic' pumping house built at the beginning of the 20th century to keep the local gold mine dry – in fact it was judged to be so iconic that in 2006, when the 1,860 tonne building was threatened by subsidence, the mine owners moved it (in one piece) by 300m at a cost of $4.2 million just to preserve it for the community. All very worthy no doubt, and symptomatic of New Zealand's yearning for a history of its own, but talk about clutching at historical straws!
Yes, it's gold Perthy, but not as we know it…..
Just behind the building, and almost in the heart of the town, is the gold mine itself. Now operated as an open cast mine they reckon that they have to mine 1 tonne of ore-bearing stone to extract 11 grams of gold – that's a concentration of 11 parts per million. It's already 190m deep at the centre and when they do finish mining they'll have to leave it for 20 years before they can let it fill with water (which will take 5 years) and then the town will have its own lake – just what every self-respecting New Zealand community needs.
gold minemud poolsRotoruathermalventWai-o-tapuWaihi
Previous PostTaupo, Wakapapa and then up to MangakinoNext PostGetting into Hot Water, Tractors and a Deflating Experience

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Picking the ideal garments for the task, it is hard already, as well as the choice of work clothing when you are expectant. Yet do not fret mommy, because Here are suggestions for selecting and also mix and also suit and also job clothing for expecting women.
It is advisable to avoid apparel with patterns and also bright shades. Look for dark-color garments. If you wish to make use of a gown a couple of times, you could select dark colors such as black, blue or brownish. These colors can be combined with mostly all sort of florals.
For skirts, select one that has the active ingredients to reach. Furthermore, it will skirt makes you look a lot more expert. Select black as will certainly include in the perception of a vulnerable and also can be incorporated with any sort of tinted top.
When it come to subordinates and also trousers, choose a thin tight pants with a boot cut or a cut Bray. If the pregnancy is still young, you could utilize regular leggings, however if your belly is beginning to rise, attempt to make use of leggings pregnant ladies with integrated belly control system.
You could remain to make use of the coat, the mother, as well as you could establish the button, as you can. however likewise carry-out, you could remove the jacket, buttoned, eventually, should be enabled to open without a coat buttoned. You can likewise select a jacket without switches.
You could use these gowns with extra devices or related to the jacket. Devices of this kind are quite valuable when you need garments that are straightforward yet stylish.
For footwears, ensure to use the most comfy choice. This choice is best matched for standard footwears. However if you wish to use the fifth, and also keep in mind to specify thick heel brief and to assist sustain your body.
Currently you need the ideal tips work clothes during pregnancy. Nevertheless, your wellness and also the baby is one of the most vital. Thus, health and wellness is kept Yes, Mom! Also visit Dress Korea Terbaru for more information.
When you hang out vacationing, yet consider the budget plan, location and also time you have to prepare the suitable garments. If any kind of plan, your holiday could not be damaged.
You want to spend a day off? You have to prepare very carefully a lot of things. Particularly if you need to invest a little household getaway.
To loosen up on the beach, you could choose clothing in bright shades. Select lighter products, such as cotton or network. It truly aids to make it very nyaman.Sinar plentiful sunshine make you sweat conveniently. Product that soaks up sweat conveniently to be the ideal selection.
Do not neglect to combine headgear coastline. Wear a hat and sunglasses are likewise geared up with a layer of ultraviolet radiation.
When it comes to the shoes, and the use of flat footwears or flip-flops only. Guaranteed to encourage even a contemporary look. Prevent appeared difficult jeans.
If you intend to spend a lengthy holiday with chilly hill environment, select clothing that cover.
Using thicker as well as thick cotton pants is highly suggested. Along with providing a feeling of heat, such as the security of the skin.
Stay clear of denims since they could enhance the cold on the skin. Much better to put on a tee shirt and also sweat pants, as well as bolero or a cozy scarf, constructed from knitting. And also a hat to work on extra network makes you look more sophisticated. Wear light footwears, boots.
Do not leave, do not always appreciate nature, spend time purchasing or enjoying just what is mainly in locations such as shopping centers, but could likewise be an alternative holiday. Sports apparel is currently classy.
You could combine the jacket with jeans tube, mixed with high-heeled or flat shoes. To be a lot more elegant, include a Hobo.
If you prepare well not use it anywhere, your trip is sure to run smoothly. Lord vacations! Also visit Kemeja Wanita 2016 for more detail.


UPDATE: The Dallas Police Department received multiple tips which led to the identification of Roy Gutierrez, a 40-year-old Latin male. Detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of Gutierrez. At approximately 10:15 pm on June 20, Gutierrez was arrested at the DART West End Transfer Station in downtown Dallas and has been charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault. He has been placed in the Dallas County Jail on $100,000 bond.
The Dallas Police Department is seeking the public's help in identifying a person of interest regarding a sexual assault that occurred in Deep Ellum on June 17.
Police have issued a photo of a Latin male, approximately 5'6" tall and 210 pounds, with a mustache and a small goatee. The man has tattoos on both arms and was wearing glasses.
According to the police, officers were called at about 1:15 am in the 400 block of Malcolm X Boulevard along the DART rail line.
Early reports said the woman was attacked by a man in a car and was sexually assaulted; she sought help by asking someone to call 911. She was taken by paramedics to a local hospital.
This offense is documented on case number 137656-2017.
If anyone has any information on the identification or location of the pictured individual, they are asked to contact Detective Alan Holmes of the Dallas Police Department Crimes Against Person Division by phone at 214-671-3637 or email at alan.holmes@dpd.ci.dallas.tx.us.


text:
Q: Use cases of 'signum' for ordered numeric types in Haskell The signum function is the implementation of the usual mathematical definition of sign, which conditionally returns a value in {-1,0,1}. It is a theoretical definition, and as such, it doesn't take into account computational costs of operations, or data type of values, so that multiplying by (-1) is a zero cost theoretical way of changing sign. Because of that, it is not the most useful treatment of sign for programming.
The case signum a == 0 is not really useful, as you can always test directly a == 0, without the extra cost of computing signum a. As for the other two values, I think that they are used in just 3 general ways:

*

*either you test if a value is positive or negative to launch different code conditionally, as in:
f x y | signum x == -1  = h x y
      | otherwise       = g x y

*or you multiply something by 1 or -1 before operate with it, as in:
f x y = g x (y * b) where
      b = signum x

*or you add 1 or -1 to something before operate with it, as in:
f x y = g x (y + b) where
      b = signum x

In all cases, it would be better a Bool value for sign. So, we just need functions to decompose a Num into absolute value and boolean sign, and an inverse function, which changes the sign of a value depending of a boolean condition (which represents a sign). This function is the equivalent of multiplying 1 or -1 by a number, so we define it as an operator similar to (*). :
sgn  a      = a >= 0
(*.) a True = a
(*.) a _    = -a
abs  a      = a *. sgn a
signum1 a   = 1 *. sgn a

I added a dichotomous variant of signum which can only return ´{-1,1}´. Notice that preceding it with signum 0 = 0 we would get the usual signum function, but that third case is what I think that is not generally useful.
We can code similarly an adding operator, because it is a very frequent case to add 1 or -1 depending on the sign of something (you can see that these operators just treat True as 1 and False as -1):
(+.) a b    = a + 1 *. b
(-.) a b    = a - 1 *. b

We could even enclose the declarations in a class called Signed, for easier use, including proper signatures and fixity.
This way, the above general examples would simplify, not just in code, but also in execution time and space, because we avoid multiplication (using (*.) instead), we avoid extra comparison once we have a Bool, we can get the sign from one type of data and use it for another type without needing type conversion, and we use the short type Bool instead of a potentially long type of class Num. But we get more flexibility, while allowing some optimization of code and data types.
My question, then, is if there are cases different than the three general use cases exposed here, that is, cases not easily covered by this approach, cases for which the current signum function is advantageous against a Bool sign approach. More precisely, can I avoid completely the use of the current signum function without losing efficiency or code clarity?

Edit: I modified the first paragraph to a more "neutral" fashion, following Reid Barton comment.

Progress update: the code for this approach was greatly improved for simplicity and clarity, with the great help of the current answers and comments.

A: You are assuming that "positive" and "negative" are the only two possible signs. But for e.g. Complex Double, the signum operation returns a complex number with the same "direction" but magnitude 1:
Data.Complex> signum (3 :+ 4)
0.6 :+ 0.8

A: I've used a function like this to navigate a cursor to a target offset in a square grid by a series of moves to (orthogonally and diagonally) adjacent cells.
move :: (Int, Int) -> [(Int, Int)]
move (0, 0) = []
move (x, y) = (dx, dy) : move (x - dx, y - dy)
  where dx = signum x
        dy = signum y

A: To address the question of time complexity:
Branches are not free and if you have to (in concept) multiply values by the result of signum of the same value in several different spots, it would likely be more efficient to have let s = signum x in ... or have that binding in a where-clause. You no longer have to go through a branch every time. Also keep in mind that in some cases, code can slow down due to branching behavior that goes against what the branch predictor expects.
For example, say you have code like this:
f x y z = (s * y) / (1 + (s * z))
  where
    s = signum x

Analysis of efficiency is often not as clear cut as you might expect and can be highly dependent on very specific aspects of a particular program, as can be seen in the question I linked above, hence the oft quoted advice of "profile before optimizing". In the question I linked  to, the version of the code which executes more instructions actually runs faster than the version that executes fewer instructions (I can verify these results on my machine, even if I include the extra instructions of sorting in the profiling)!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Add a pop of color to your event tables with these Vintage Blue Lanterns. These mini wedding lanterns will look absolutely stunning when illuminated by a candle inside. You can also use them to line walkways or staircases! These are perfect for a shabby chic wedding.
4 - 4 $5.55 ea. 5+ $4.65 ea.


The wait is over! Booking and confirmation of your overseas wedding date and venue are now at your fingertips! You may have heard it from friends and relatives: destination weddings are pure magic, but it may take a while till you receive that precious confirmation, telling you that the date and venue you have chosen are booked. Well, all that has changed now, thanks to BookYourWeddingDay.com.
Yes, go ahead and log in to BookYourWeddingDay.com and you will get that 'Open Sesame!' sensation… You have 'entered' the first and only international online booking platform that allows you to browse and choose amazing overseas wedding venues and check availability of your preferred date and time for the ceremony. Sign-up and once you have paid the fee of £120, you will receive a booking confirmation in your inbox. Any couple that got married overseas prior to the launch of BookYourWeddingDay.com will tell you this sounds almost too good to be true but BookYourWeddingDay.com has developed a system which synchronizes the calendars of the various overseas venues with their respective town halls.
BookYourWeddingDay.com has been warmly welcomed by many tour operators in the UK including the two giants – TUI and Thomas Cook.
Visit www.BookYourWeddingDay.com and see for yourself!


text:
Rostraria é um género botânico pertencente à família Poaceae. Também conhecido como Capim Cabelo.

Referências

Poaceae
Géneros de Poaceae
!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
ENGLISH – DS 9: legitimate heiress?
Is the DS 9 legitimate compared to the 1955 DS that gave its name to the French brand ? 65 years separate them, so to confront them is to imagine the difference between an infant and his grandfather. No comment ! Even though…
Thierry Métroz, the head of DS design has always said, "I formally forbid myself – and the brand with me – from designing and conceiving revival concept cars. We won't be making any, even though I know very well that you're all waiting for a concept car inspired by the 1955 DS, or the 1970 SM. But we've got a lot more stories to tell." Here's one story to tell, the story of the DS9. So let's try to see the common micro-particles between its two French sedans.
The first surprise is that the very large DS 9 isn't that big next to its grandmother : only 13 cm separate them ! Let's mention the wheelbase of the new DS 9 that the brand advertises as "long": 2.90 m. It's surprising to see that in this respect, the 1955 DS beats the newcomer by a wide margin with a wheelbase of 3.12 m !
-1 : the almost horizontal line, which connects the headlamps to the tail lights, is located at the top of the DS9's flanks, while it is on the low level of the flanks of the 1955 DS.
-2 : the roof line is surprisingly quite identical on both sedans. But of course, it leads to a sharper drop on the DS 1955 and a softer drop on the DS9.
-3 : a little wink, totally involuntary, the hollow line of the DS 9's flanks reminds, upside down, of the 1955 DS's hood-profile connection…
-Not to mention the presence of the DS 9's position lights, which have been brought up to the level of the iconic DS's turn signals.
Let's add that the weight ratio is the opposite: on the original DS, the front end is bulky, it shows the powertrain strength (a traction road sedan is not common in 1955) and the wheel is perfectly visible to accentuate this towing force. On the other hand, the rear part is receding and the wheels are streamlined. The force that the 1955 DS expresses, it places it at the front. In terms of aerodynamics, the DS 9 raises its rear end and tries to lower its hood…
There, the micro-particles were hard to find. Normal, the infant and the grandfather have genes in common that can't necessarily be guessed from the physical appearance. So I'm closing the photo album of the 1955 DS, and invite you to open the one of the newcomer, freshly revealed !
ENGLISH – The true story of the birth of DS
DS 9 : héritière légitime ?


text:
Find Your EDGEs finds a third-place prize
Find Your EDGEs combines the expertise areas of both of its founders — engineering for Tojan Rahhal and social science for Miguel Ayllon — in order to provide hands-on training in leadership, diversity and project management skills in a global context.
In MU's TECH-SERIES program, students help entrepreneurs
by Kelsi Anderson
TECH-SERIES is a consulting program put on by the Small Business and Technology Development Office. The program is funded by University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Technology Corporation.
MU hires College's international outreach coordinator to direct campus international STEM, engineering program
Miguel Ayllon, the College of Engineering's international outreach coordinator, was recently named the director of international engineering and STEM programs for MU.
International outreach coordinator lauded for lifting students
Ayllon was one of 10 MU faculty and staff members to receive a 2016 Excellence in Education Award from MU Student Affairs and the Parent Leadership Council in April.
Mizzou '39 makes Sharp selection from engineering
Mizzou '39 honors 39 of the University of Missouri's best, brightest and most active seniors. Receiving that recognition in front of friends and family was quite the thrill for mechanical engineering senior Zach Sharp.
MAE senior selected as one of Mizzou '39
Zach Sharp, a senior mechanical engineering major from Independence, Mo., was one of 39 seniors chosen as Mizzou '39 Award recipients in a ceremony held Feb. 29. The awards are bestowed annually by the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board to honor students "for their academic achievement, leadership and service to Mizzou and the community." The […]
MU Engineering welcomes new advancement executive director
Ann Baker joined the College of Engineering as its executive director of advancement in early November.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers hosts second STEM Panel
by Noah Leiter
MU professors from several different departments offered advice to young Latino and Latina students on October 14, when Mizzou's Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers hosted its second annual Latin@s in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) panel.
The 4th Annual International Field-Reversible Thermal Connector [RevCon] Challenge, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [DARPA], was held Oct. 23 at the Reynolds Journalism Institute and Lafferre Hall on the campus of the University of Missouri.
Engineering team receives accessibility award for renovation efforts
The coordinated effort to ensure Lafferre Hall remains accessible for persons with disabilities during the ongoing renovation process earned several staff members from the University of Missouri College of Engineering a Lee Henson Access Mizzou Award from the Chancellor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities.


I hope you have some fun plans for your weekend.
Perhaps if you don't have plans, one of these ideas may inspire you to get creative.
My kids head back to school on August 9th. AUGUST 9th!!! How is it possible that we are a mere two weeks away from school starting. This year is flying by...which means the summer has flown by as well! I am sure some of you still have a few weeks of summer left so just stash this post where you can find it when you're ready to start!
We are pretty ready...I think! Uniforms are hanging in the closet. School supplies have been purchased, organized and are in the kids backpacks. We have back to school night next week, we'll get to see the teachers, classrooms etc and drop off all the supplies ahead of time. My third child is SO excited to be starting kindergarten and I am so excited for her too because her teacher is AWESOME!
I am feeling a little ahead of the game but I have some more things I feel the need to prepare. Along with the start of the school year also comes the start of my job for the year. I will be working in the afternoons program at the kids school. I am so excited to have this job again after taking a year off when Josiah was born. I am also a little sad to be leaving my two youngest while I go to work. Isn't that a constant struggle...when you're home all the time you want to work but when you're working you want to be home! Well, it is for me at least.
It's the end of July, which is crazy, so it is time for this month's "Craft with Me" post.
I created this to add to my gallery wall in my craft room and it is a super simple project!
You only need a few supplies and this can be done in a short time.
It is the last week for sewing tips for July's Must Have Craft Tips & More.
If it is your first time here, my friends, Michele of The Scrap Shoppe, Bev of Flamingo Toes, Kara of Mine for the Making and I (Allison of A Glimpse Inside), pick a theme for each month and share a special tip to go with that theme every Friday.
And like I stated in the beginning, we are finishing up some great Sewing tips! In case you missed them, check out Tip 1, Tip 2, and Tip 3.
Today, I wanted to share with you a few super simple ways to sharpen those tools of yours!
Most scissors, rotary cutters, pins and needles get dull over time from use.
They can easily be sharpened with a few items you probably already have sitting around the house.
I have a long list of things that I have wanted to work on and well, barely have touched any of it so far. Hopefully that changes in the next few days.
I have some great ideas for you today from last week's Handmade Hangout Party.
It's been a hot summer, and popsicles are a fantastic refreshing treat!
These strawberry watermelon popsicles are easy to make and a great recipe for the kids help create.
Hello readers! It's Molly from Just a Little Creativity, joining you again to share one of my son's favorite popsicle recipes. My youngest is almost 8 and has always loved helping out in the kitchen. He has a few cookbooks for kids, but is actually great at reading and adjusting recipes to his liking. These Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles were inspired by a recipe called Rocket Pops in the kids cookbook The New Junior Cookbook from Better Homes.
He's made these several times (they're his favorite) and has tried a lot of new combinations of flavors. When I told him I wanted to share his best one yet with the readers here, we decided on the strawberry watermelon combo. The flavors are summer inspired and FRESH!
Since we finally got around to painting and redoing our kitchen, I'm now trying to figure out how I want to decorate the space.
I had a few ideas of what I wanted such as farm house touches, perhaps a little vintage, it was now that fact of me finding what would work in our newly revamped space.
I knew I wanted a sign of sorts.
Did I want something that said Kitchen, Bakery, Eat... I wasn't against it but it had to be the right sign.
So while I was browsing around Hobby Lobby for some accessories I saw a sign that said "gather." I thought that would be perfect for the kitchen but the sign was too big for the space so I thought, what if I made one!
This was seriously SOOOOO easy!
I even made it in like 15 mins!
Hello there and welcome to another week of Must Have Craft Tips- hosted by Michele of The Scrap Shoppe, Bev of Flamingo Toes, Allison of A Glimpse Inside, and me (Kara of Mine for the Making).
Every week we share a fun and different tip or trick and this month it's all about sewing!
This week I am sharing Tips for Sewing with Kids... what a great summer activity to get your kids involved in!
Tip #1 Gather and use the correct sewing tools.
Before setting your child down to learn to sew, be sure you have all the necessary sewing tools. It's also a good idea to talk about the names of the tools and what they are used for.
I sure am happy it is almost the weekend since Travis has been working late days with training, weekends included, and with this week coming to a close means that we are that much closer to the end of that.
But anyways.... let me share with you a few ideas that caught my eye at last week's Handmade Hangout Party.
It's pretty hard to find someone who doesn't love a chocolate chip cookie. They're a classic and a staple for a reason—they're delicious! What you will find, however, is a multitude of preferences when it comes to those cookies. Some people love thick, chewy cookies, and some people love thin, crispy cookies. I'm partial to toasted pecans in my cookies while others don't want any nuts near theirs. What we can agree on it this—they're always room for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I've got one of my favorites to share with you today.
These cookies feature an ingredient that isn't used often in baking, but it really brings something to the party. It's malted milk, and it makes all the difference. The addition of this ingredient instantly makes the cookies more toasty and complex tasting, but it definitely retains the chocolate chip deliciousness. The finished cookies are crispy on the edges, softer in the center and so good you'll find it difficult to stop at one.
I actually managed to find some time this weekend to get some crafting done. Nothing major but I crafted!
Here is project one that I got completed.
I wanted to make more of a statement piece for the foyer so I have been trying to figure out what I wanted to do for a while now.
After toying around with a few ideas, I went digging through my supplies.
I brought this hello sign home from SNAP, which is part of Heidi Swapp's line of products, and went digging in our extra wood pile in the basement and created this new sign.
Begin by using the round brush to paint circles on the piece of wood.
While the polka-dots are drying, paint the hello word whatever color you'd like.
I wanted to add a little sparkle to my word since there is a window where a good amount of light comes through in the foyer, so I took some stickles and painted it on. Don't have stickles? You could use normal glitter as well.
Not over the top glittery but enough to add some shine. Perfect!
Once the dots are dry, take some sand paper and sand down the wood so they aren't so stark and this way it will give it a little bit of a worn, vintage feel.
Once everything is dry, use wood glue or a good all purpose glue and attach your word to your main base. Stack something heavy on top and let dry!
It fits perfectly on the shelf by the front door.
I snip a hydrangea bloom from one of our plants outside and stuck it in a little vase next to it.
Makes for a warm greeting when entering the house.
Last week's Handmade Hangout Party was full of amazing ideas as usual.
Here are a few that caught my attention and I hope you find some inspiration to get creative or try a new recipe this weekend!


text:
Home»Showbiz
Jail won't help Lindsay, dad says
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 - 09:28 AM
Michael Lohan doesn't think jail will help estranged daughter Lindsay overcome her problems.
The troubled actress was sentenced to 90 days in prison yesterday for violating her probation for a driving under the influence (DUI) arrest in 2007 but Michael thinks it's the wrong course of action for her.
Michael – who claims Lindsay has an addiction to prescription drugs - told 'Larry King Live': "I feel dismay, but at the same time a little satisfaction that she's going to rehab. But the last thing in the world I wanted was for my daughter to go to jail… Any kind of jail is harsh especially for a young lady like Lindsay that doesn't need jail. I've been there myself and I know that jail didn't do anything for me with my addictions. It was taking drug programmes seriously."
His lawyer Lisa Bloom added: "I don't see the benefit of sending addicts to jail when they haven't hurt anyone. Lindsay's only been hurting herself."
Lindsay, 24, was ordered to surrender to authorities on July 20 to begin serving the term and Judge Marsha Revel also said she would be required to enter an in-patient rehabilitation programme after her release from prison.
Lohan tells Oprah: I'm my own worst enemy
Lohan: I like taking ecstasy better than other drugs
Hilton: Family to blame for Lohan's problems
Lohan 'could face prison sentence'
TOPIC: Lindsay Lohan
Jack Reacher author 'to step aside and let his brother take over'
Johnny Marr to work on James Bond score with Hans Zimmer
Celine Dion pays tribute to her mother following her death aged 92
British PR chief to be honoured in Los Angeles


text:
// <copyright file="AuthException.java" company="RookAndPawn">
// Copyright (c) 2011 All Rights Reserved, http://www.rookandpawn.com/

package org.orgama.shared.auth.except;

import org.orgama.shared.except.ExceptionByErrorCode;

/**
 * exception specific to mvp auth lib
 * @author kguthrie
 */
public class AuthException extends ExceptionByErrorCode {

    /**
     * create an Auth Exception with a message and cause
     * @param message
     * @param cause
     */
    public AuthException(int errorCode, Throwable cause) {
        super(AuthErrorCodes.moduleCode, errorCode, cause);
    }

    /**
     * create an AuthException with just a message
     * @param message
     */
    public AuthException(int errorCode) {
        super(AuthErrorCodes.moduleCode, errorCode);
    }

    /**
     * create a new unknown auth exception with this essage
     * @param message
     */
    public AuthException(String message) {
        super(AuthErrorCodes.moduleCode, AuthErrorCodes.unknownError,
                message);
    }

    /**
     * create a new
     * @param message
     * @param cause
     */
    public AuthException(String message, Throwable cause) {
        super(AuthErrorCodes.moduleCode, AuthErrorCodes.unknownError,
                message, cause);
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Making the bed can be a struggle especially when it's an odd shape or size. So stop making the bed! The Bedspread Superbag is a complete bedding system which lies atop your bed. Your Bedspread Superbag is made in the USA comes in 16 colors and patterns.
A fabric skirt hides a zipper that attaches a summer comforter to a winter comforter. Extra long sheets attach to the comforters with hook and loop fasteners. The designer fabric and skirt give the illusion of a standard bedspread but sheets never need to be tucked!
This simple bedding system is especially convenient for guest bedding since no beds need to be made! Simply hand the Bedspread Superbag to your guests and when they leave, easily launder just their sheets and reassemble.
Available for immediate delivery from stock. For custom non stock orders allow 1 to 4 weeks for delivery.
Those living in a tropical climate may also wish to add a Tropical comforter. The Tropical comforter has no insulation and is used by simply unzipping and removing the summer comforter and zipping in the tropical comforter in its place. Please order the Tropical comforter with your Decorator Bag order so that we can custom fit it to your Superbag. See Tropical Half under Accessories.


text:
Q: Alter exteral table everyday in Hive I have an external table in hive that I want to alter its location everyday.
I want to do somethong like below in hive script directly:
 set current_day = from_unixtime(unix_timestamp(), 'yyyy_mm_dd');
 ALTER TABLE myTable ADD PARTITION (dt=${hiveconf:current_day})
 LOCATION concat('s3://.../',${hiveconf:current_day});

Could you please show me the correct scripts in Hive?
Bests,

A: have a look at this python script
It should create a new partition for the external table each time a new folder is created under the root location of the external table.
If the script doesn't match your needs you can always write a quick bash script that accepts a date in the correct string format and executes :
hive -e "use myDB; alter table myTable add partition ($SOMEDATE);"

Then, you can add this script to crontab and execute it on a daily basis.


A retirement sale of prominent local South Tampa antique dealer & interior decorator, Hazel Hanlon, whose estate includes incredible 18th and 19th century paintings, rugs, furniture, porcelain, silver and contents of storage unit and store will be available for purchase.
Various styles of furniture, rugs, porcelain, picture frames, home decor items, linens, silver, chandeliers, books, decorative art, china, antiques, and much more.
Contact Angie regarding any questions about this sale.


Section 6.3.11.3 states that an EAICallAdapter sends its requests "...to the input terminal of an EAIRequestReplyAdapter." More stringently, the section includes the constraint that "The 'out' terminal of [an] EAICallAdapter must be connected via an EAILink to the 'requestIn' terminal of an EAIRequestReplyAdapter." This means that the requests coming out of an EAICallAdapter cannot be routed through any operators, but must flow DIRECTLY to the input terminal of an EAIRequestReplyAdapter. This seems to seriously limit the usefulness of splitting call and request/reply adapters at all, and it certainly prevents a core capability that we need of being able to route request messages just like any other messages. Obviously, at the end of a message flow, a request message generally needs to flow into a EAIRequestReplyAdapter, but there is no reason the connection has to be DIRECT.


text:
John E. "Sean" Johnson
William P. Cassidy, Jr.
Nicole Deese Newlon
Christopher L. DeCort
James Jeffrey Burns
Katherine C. "Kacy" Donlon
Elaine M. Rice
Bradley F. Kinni
Stephen Tabano
DOWNLOAD MY VCARD
Jeff Burns is a partner at Johnson, Cassidy, Newlon, & DeCort, P.A. His business and commercial litigation practice includes matters involving trade secrets, noncompete and other restrictive covenants, employment agreements, contract disputes, consumer claims, commercial leases, general business disputes, and other civil matters. He has represented clients in federal, bankruptcy, and state court. In addition to his private practice experience, Jeff served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable James D. Whittemore of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Jeff graduated magna cum laude from the Florida State University College of Law in May 2014, where he served as Executive Article Editor of the Law Review and received the Outstanding Editor of the Year award. However, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and still bleeds orange and blue! While in Tallahassee, Jeff worked at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for two years. Jeff was also a Certified Legal Intern at the Tallahassee State Attorney's Office, where he gained valuable trial and litigation experience.
Born and raised in Florida, Jeff lives in South Tampa with his wife, dog, and two cats.
J.D., magna cum laude, 2014
B.A. Criminology, 2011
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Florida
Tampa Connection, Alumni Committee Executive Board
Hillsborough County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
Federal Bar Association, Member
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Judicial Law Clerk (2017-18)
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Law Clerk (2012-14)
Copyright 2021. Johnson, Cassidy, Newlon & DeCort, P.A.
Designed + Maintained by Prymel Elements


text:
"You Survived Where Other Women Died": Masika's Field of Hope by Alex Snider
Wow, wow, *deep breath* wow, I watched an incredible documentary today, Field of Hope, on the English Al Jazeera site about a Congolese rape survivor who has a home for other survivors of rape, their children (often by rape) and children orphaned by rebel fighting. From Al Jazeera:
"In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, every hour in the day some 48 women are raped. That is around 1,100 rapes a day, leaving many thousands of women and children with broken lives and little hope for their futures.
"But one woman, herself a rape survivor, is helping to change some of these lives for the better. Masika has set up a place where rape survivors can get support, counselling and, uniquely, start to make a living.
"With bits and pieces of money she raises, Masika rents a field where the women sow, tend and harvest crops, giving them an income as well as a sense of purpose and direction after their traumas.
"The women, and also their children born of rape, are often hated, abandoned and abused further, but with remarkable compassion Masika takes in yet more abused women and children.
"Despite these impossible circumstances, this Field of Hope helps the women find dignity, purpose, economic independence and some power to rebuild their lives."
The whole doc blew my mind, from the statistics (1,100 WOMEN RAPED EVERY DAY) to the stark and painful tension between a rape survivor and her child conceived through her assault.
From the humour of one women when asked why she didn't fight off the mob of rapists ("There were too many and I hadn't put on this much weight") to the union and solidarity between the women.
From the change that took place between planting the first bean to the first harvest, even on film the sense of pride and hope was palpable, to Masika herself, a woman who survived brutal rapes three times, torture, watching the sexual assault of her daughters, the murder of her husband, the ostracism of her and her children. This woman who despite seeing the worst that life has to offer has given herself, has fought to make the world a better place so that other women and girls who have suffered the same brutalities don't feel hopeless. That is a hero. That is an inspiration.
The whole doc is only twenty-five minutes and I strongly recommend watching it. It will make the world seem a little less horrible (aside from the whole 48 women/raped/hour bit -- more that there are amazing people out there making a difference).
Watch it here.
Alex Snider is a writer by night, student by day, who is currently melting in Toronto. This post originally appeared on her terrific blog, What Fresh Hell Is This?.
posted Thursday, September 01, 2011


text:
Q: Null as an array element in C/C++ I want to have \0 as one of my array (char type) element in my  C/C++ code but not the last one.
I am doing this.
char arr[10]  ; //array declaration
//initializing the array
arr[0] = 'a'  ;
arr[1] = '\0' ;
arr[2] = 's'  ;

When i try printing these array elements, i get some symbolic stuff as output for a[1].
I guess 0 is converted to char. Is that so ?
If yes, can't i have \0 anyhow in my array before the termination ?

A: '/0' is not a null character. Escaping uses a backslash: '\0'.

A: You can have \0 in an array as same as other values and it's OK.
The problem is you can not print it due to two reasons:

*

*It terminates printing in cout and printf because they assume \0 means end of the string.

*\0 is not a printable character.
So, you should write your own function to print the array that prints something as \0 and doesn't terminate the string when reaches to it. (So, you should indicate the end of string by something else)
For example:
void print(const std::string &s)
{
    for (auto x : s)
        std::cout << ((x == '\0')? '.' : x);
}

int main( )
{
    std::string s {'a','\0','s'};
    print(s);
}

Output:

a.s

It prints a dot instead of that non-printable value.
Note: The OP was tagged c++ also.

A: You could write a function like this:
void print(char *arr, int length){
    for(int i = 0; i < length; i++){
        if(arr[i] != '\0')
           printf("%c",arr[i]);
        else
           printf("\\0");
    }
}

A: It's perfectly valid to have a '\0' in your (char) array but all the standard functions assume that it indicates the end of the array. So to print a (non-c-)string like this you need  your own function. For example:
void myPuts(size_t length, char * str){
    size_t i;
    for(i = 0; i < length; i++){
        putchar(str[i]);
    }
}

and call it like this:
myPuts(10, arr);


Here is an interesting observation of human behaviour – we learn more when things are going badly than when they are going well.
Just like when Thomas A. Edison invented the lightbulb, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Each 'failure' was an opportunity to find a new way to make it work.
Sales call reluctance or even phone fear often manifests from a fear of failure to convert that call into a sale or a fear of being rejected, that thought leads to that negative feeling followed by strategies to avoid making that call altogether.
When you were learning to walk you didn't say, I won't bother with that, I'll just crawl around on the floor for the rest of my life. No, you got up and tried again and again and again.
We learn to walk by failing to walk.
We learn to sell by failing to sell.
Seek out MORE opportunities to have those conversations that will give you the chance to FAIL and each time you fail you will learn and grow and create more sales.


The way ewes are managed in mid-pregnancy can have a marked effect on subsequent performance.
Ewes in good body condition can be fed a maintenance diet in mid-pregnancy.
With ewes and lambs at grass, it is easy to forget problems that may have cropped up during lambing or things that worked well and can be built upon for 2019.


text:
Q: Send uploaded file data from PHP script to external Javascript I have a CSV file uploaded to server and handled using PHP file say upload.php.
I want to use data from this CSV file in an external Javascript say "vis.js".
I just need to access the contents of the CSV file, so that I can perform some regex and parse the data.
The PHP script I have is:
<?php
    header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *');

    $fileName = $_FILES["file1"]["name"]; // The file name
    $fileTmpLoc = $_FILES["file1"]["tmp_name"]; // File in the PHP tmp folder
    $fileType = $_FILES["file1"]["type"]; // The type of file it is
    $fileSize = $_FILES["file1"]["size"]; // File size in bytes
    $fileErrorMsg = $_FILES["file1"]["error"]; // 0 for false... and 1 for true
    if (!$fileTmpLoc) { // if file not chosen
        echo "ERROR: Please browse for a file before clicking the upload button.";
    exit();
    }
    if(move_uploaded_file($fileTmpLoc, "uploads/$fileName")){
        echo "$fileName upload is complete";
    } else {
        echo "move_uploaded_file function failed";
    }
?>

And the Javascript "vis.js" is:
function parsetext(data){
    console.log(data);  //where data is the latest file uploaded
}

A: If you just need to access a csv file that you are storing on a server you could do something like this with jQuery.
function parseCSV(){
    $.get('/path/to/csv', function(result) {
        //result has the contents of the csv file.
        console.log(result);
    });
}

If you don't actually need the file on your server, depending on your browser support requirements, you could consider reading the file via the FileReader API instead of bothering to upload it.


You may make a voluntary disclosure in relation to a net amount or net fuel amount by revising your previously lodged activity statement. You may also be able to correct a mistake in relation to goods and services tax (GST) or fuel tax credits on your current or later activity statement.
If you claim your fuel tax credits using a claim form, you may make a voluntary disclosure by asking for an amendment to your claim (see Fuel scheme claims).
You may be able to correct a mistake on your current activity statement (see Correct an activity statement). If you're not eligible to do this, you need to revise the earlier activity statement that you got wrong.
If the revision increases your GST or reduces your fuel tax credits, we treat the revised activity statement as a voluntary disclosure. This is likely to mean a reduction in penalties and interest imposed on you.
You can also make a voluntary disclosure if you've made a false or misleading statement on a previous activity statement.
However, if we've told you that we are going to conduct a review or examination in relation to a particular accounting period or in relation to a specified matter, you can only correct errors for that period or matter by making a voluntary disclosure of any errors directly to the tax officer conducting the review or examination. You can no longer correct those errors through the channels outlined above.
If you're a property owner, developer or are registered for GST and you use your property in a way that is different from the way you planned to, you may have to make a voluntary disclosure to report a GST adjustment.
For example, if you decide to rent out rather than sell new residential premises, you have changed the business use or the 'creditable purpose' of your property. This means you may have an increasing adjustment that you must record in your activity statement.
An adjustment is required even if you intend to sell the premises at a later date or are in the process of marketing the property.
If you later sell the new residential premises, you may then have a decreasing adjustment.
If you did not report a property transaction at the time it occurred, you can still make a 'creditable purpose' adjustment, rather than revise the activity statement for that earlier period.
The benefit of making a voluntary disclosure is that you won't have to pay any shortfall penalties that would otherwise be applicable, and any general interest charge (GIC) will be reduced.
Businesses may make a voluntary disclosure to report incorrect amounts of GST, wine equalisation tax (WET) or fuel tax credits or over-claimed fuel schemes credits. Property owners may have to make a 'creditable purpose' GST adjustment for property transactions not previously reported.


text:
Booknerd Wednesday: Female Sleuths You Need To Know (Other Than Nancy Drew)
Most of us ladies who are obsessed with crime fiction likely got our start reading Nancy Drew when we were young girls in pigtails; young girls who didn't really want to play the games our friends were playing. We liked puzzles and being observant and maybe kids thought we were weird or awkward. We watched Goonies and Ghost Writer and read The Babysitters Club. We wanted to go on a mystery adventure and solve a crime! So we played at being Nancy Drew with our Sailor Moon "casebooks", watching from our windows and writing down the neighbours' activities as if we were going to catch them doing something sinister, like rolling a body into a carpet.
And as we got older, we moved on to more adult crime fiction mysteries, but always gravitated towards Nancy like characters – Veronica Mars, Olivia Benson, Clarice Starling. Because Nancy had taught us it was okay to be into what we were into. We've never forgotten Nancy even though we have grown up. She's frequently cited as an inspiration by writers and readers alike. Her name is mentioned in my "about" page for this blog, and I have been working on a collection of her books for a few years, picking them up from antique markets and used books store. (Only the old yellow paper covers, none of that plastic reprint crap.)
But let's be real for a moment – in hindsight, Nancy was kind of boring, tame. A true basic bitch. She was rich and white and polite, doing her sleuthing in sweet collared dresses and Mary-Jane pumps with a perfectly coiffed flipped bob. Of course, the series started in the 1930s, so what do you expect? There wasn't really any room for Nancy to change societal norms drastically, nor was there a market for it. Really, if you go back to those original books, you'll find them to be shockingly racist and anti-feminist in a lot of their elements. Again, what do you expect from the time?
Besides the elements that are problematic to today's evolved society, you'll find Nancy Drew showing up looking like Nancy Fucking Reagan, and telling young girls it was okay to like themselves, and to use their brains while they get up to a little sneaking around. As long as your heart is in the right place, maybe it's okay to break a rule or two. She told young girls there was room for them too in that world, not just more Hardy Boys.
And that is why Nancy has survived as a character for nearly 90 years.
Okay, so she wasn't super progressive. I get it. But she started something. She's the original female sleuth who has influenced every female sleuth to come after her. They've taken that inspiration and run with it.
Mystery fiction as a giant genre, a hot market. It's filled with an abundance of choices for you to choose from. You like amateur sleuths? Detectives? FBI agents? Journalists? Coroners or doctors or forensic experts? Professors or private eyes? Take your pick! Female characters are doing it all. They are educated, opinionated, badass crime solvers running shit in a "man's world." And Nancy Drew helped get them there.
Here are my picks for favourite smart and fearless, damaged and driven female sleuths in crime fiction today. Thanks Nancy!
🔪Kim Stone
"Tact and diplomacy had been invented by someone with too much time on their hands."
If you aren't reading the D.I. Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, you are definitely missing out on one of the most engaging female detectives to hit the pages in a while.
Emotionally shut down with a traumatic past, she has a drive to catch killers that is unmatched. She's rough around the edges with a laser-like focus on her cases, and unyielding loyalty to justice and her team.
The whole series continues along this thread of posing the question: Will Kim ever chill the fuck out? Is she capable of love? Of happiness? Of not being a cold-ass bitch?
DO WE EVEN WANT HER TO BE? In between learning about Kim as a person, we are enmeshed in dark cases with plenty of twists and procedural elements.
🔪Alice Vega
"Don't stew in your juices, don't let anything sink in. Don't wait, don't bide your time, don't save your breath, don't sleep on it."
Bounty Hunter Alice Vega is the star of one of my favourite reads this year, Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna. Brazen, short-tempered and brilliant, she has to do yoga to keep herself calm and centre, but it rarely works and usually she is still beating the shit out of skips or low-lifes. Her only appearance on the page so far is this cracker of a thriller/whodunnit. It is everything you want a novel like it to be.
Alice is enigmatic, a little shut down, but with something intense bubbling over the edges. She's also very good at what she does, and knows it and doesn't have time for those who want to question how she does her job. Snarky, smart, with a short fuse for bullshit – you will fall in love with her physicality and skills with mental warfare. She's a tough-as-nails Queen.
🔪Caitlin Hendrix
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster."
Look, I get it. I rave about this series so much you are fucking sick of it. I don't care. I won't stop until you've all read the UNSUB series by Meg Gardiner. All of you. Yes, you!
The star of Meg Gardiner's bomb-ass novels, is Caitlin Hendrix. A former cop and newly minted FBI Profiler who has a shitty father and a crazy personal life, all wrapped up in law enforcement and serial killers.
Caitlin is smart, but human. She has a raw, exposed quality to her – emotional, almost to the point of mental health issues that require attention. She doesn't pretend to not be damaged or vulnerable, but does her best to be strong. From book one to book two, we are seeing more of her cracking under the weight of the work she does and the past that haunts her.
Much of herself has been formed around the existence of serial killers, whether that was the one her cop father was hunting during her childhood that drove him to madness, or the ones she hunts now with the Bureau. Caitlin has come face to face, quite literally, with the worst of the worst that humanity has to offer, but she still fights to maintain a human disposition that is not marred by the darkness.
She's a real woman who isn't afraid to feel things while playing with the big boys in her field. If you're a crime fiction fan there is literally no excuse to not be reading this series.
🔪Angie Pallorino
"The difference between heaven and hell was the people."
The Angie Pallorino series by Loreth Anne White is one of my favourite reads this year all because of this character.
Angie Pallorino is a beast. A BEAST. A total rage monster. And I love it. She's got some issues. Dark, twisted issues. And she has a hard time controlling the consequences of her past and present. Her anger, her blackouts, her sexual choices – it all screams "Stay away!" But you don't leave. You stay glued to the pages. Angie is impulsive and reckless, but she lays it all on the line every time. It's either 0 or 100 with her, no in between.
She's giving you angry, damaged, ambitious and intelligent sex-vixen realness, 100% of her page time.
Get in on this!
🔪Zoe Goldman
"Gorillas in the dining room. Dinosaurs in the backyard. That's the least of it. The truth is, we are all a little crazy."
I honestly love this little series by Sandra Block. There's something light to the storytelling; something that makes the reading experience easy and gentle despite the setting and the plot details.
Zoe is a doctor in the psychiatric ward, dealing with troubled patients and heavy medical concepts, but she comes across as an awkward nerd just trying to do her job earnestly and with compassion. There are some personal moments woven into the storytelling, but it works flawlessly and adds an extra dynamic to the reading experience. Reading Zoe is to read someone like you and I. Just a regular girl in an extraordinary situation. And I love that. I feel like I connect to Zoe, like I could be Zoe – except I'm not smart enough to be a doctor.
It's a little mystery, a little psychological, a little real-life drama with the perfect amount of genuine humour bringing everything to life.
🔪Valerie Hart
"The world was a wonderful place. Full of nightmares."
Don't. Even. Get. Me. Started.
Detective Valerie Hart is your new girlfriend, guaranteed. Do you like your detectives to be badasses who get shit done, even if they are half in the bag?
Then you'll love Valerie Hart.
She's damaged and emotionally stupid, but she knows killers and she knows how to solve a case. She puts herself so far into her work that sometimes you worry she'll never find her way back out.
Also….I'm starting to see a theme with the kinds of women I'm attracted to. Cold, mean, tough and violent? I'm sure Freud would have something to say about it. *shrugs* Meh.
The writing itself is just as stark and raw as Valerie is. It's full of gore and disturbing concepts, so I don't necessarily recommend this series to everyone. But if you're a tough little shit like me who enjoys being immersed in a darkness that makes you squirm, pick up this series.
🔪Ren Bryce
"I'm more than surviving. I'm fucking thriving."
I wish I saw more people talking about Alex Barclay's Ren Bryce series. Seriously, it's soooo gooood. Barclay is a phenomenal storyteller, in my opinion.
Her most prolific character, Agent Ren Bryce, is one of my all-time favourite females in crime fiction. She battles bipolar disorder which gives her a little edge, a little recklessness, a little emotional unpredictability. But she's also a damn good cop. She works hard and parties hard.
She's funny, too. The dialogue is laced with witty banter and clever remarks which adds a little bit of reality and human element to the overall dark themes of the books.
But truth be told, this is either a series you will love or hate. Some people don't like Barclay's writing style. Some don't like the humour. Some don't like the mental health issues of the main character. But for me, it all works.
Ren Bryce is brilliant and entertaining, and the cases are twisted and visceral.
🔪Elouise Norton
"I hated men like Von Neeley, the "nice" guys who always want to pray with you, who always offered you blessings and put-on smiles. Men who always told women how to live, what to wear, who to sleep with, all in the name of God."
If you could make a checklist of everything you want out of a female detective lead, Elouise "Lou" Norton would probably tick off a good chunk of them.
She's a PoC. She's smart and tough with a golden sense of humour. She has a rich inner life and best friends who are written in an honest human way. You know how sometimes you read a novel focused on female friends and you can't help but think, "that's not how women behave"?? (*cough James Patterson cough*) There's none of that here. It's true and honest and you feel like one of the girls.
Lou is competent and good at her job, valued by superiors and colleagues in her male-dominated career. But she's not perfect – she has flaws, real ones, that you just inherently understand. Or maybe they'll frustrate you. Either way, it's honest. And Lou is aware of her shortfalls. She's self-observant and self-reflective and she kicks ass when she has to.
This series by Rachel Howzell Hall combines all of those perfect things from Lou, with excellent procedural writing and twisted crimes that make the wheels of your brain turn.
🔪D.D. Warren
"You can be the hunter, or you can be the hunted."
I could not love D.D. Warren anymore than I do.
She is a Boston Police Sergeant. A total BAWSE. And she plays the role perfectly. D.D. loves food, especially buffets. She doesn't have pets, doesn't trust herself to even take care of a plant. She considers her homicide squad to be her family, and doesn't have any desire to look outside of that (until later novels.) She's not an alive-people-person, but she is a dead-people-person. She's so good at her job that it will give you tingles and chills in your happy places.
D.D. is happiest on the job, where she is comfortable with her family and comfortable with her obsession to solve a case at all costs.
Lisa Gardner is a staple author in the crime fiction genre. You can always count on her to deliver an action-packed mystery. And the D.D. Warren series is my favourite. You grow and learn and evolve with D.D. as you follow along with her personal life and her professional one.
🔪Taylor Jackson
"Tell her not to do something, tell her she couldn't do something, & she'd do it just to spite you."
J.T. Ellison has been taking a break from her flagship series, focusing on standalones lately. And while I am a fan who will read whatever she writes, I do love me some Lt. Taylor Jackson the very most.
Taylor is a Nashville cop with an FBI fiance and lots of twisted serial killers to catch. You'll love her personal style, her easy personality, and the relationships she has with those around her.
But mostly you'll love what a dedicated cop she is. Taylor will stop at nothing to keep her city safe, even if it means risking her own life.
This series by Ellison is both thriller and procedural. It's both exciting and real, honest and raw. Dark, twisted but always carrying with it a hope for a happy ending.
Until next time, Booknerds…
Posted on July 18, 2018 February 11, 2019 by Krystin RachelPosted in BooknerdTagged Book Blog, Book Blogger, Book Review, book reviews, Books, Crime Fiction, female detectives, female sleuths, Goodreads, Mystery, Nancy Drew, Review, suspense, Thriller.
Previous Previous post: Review: In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Next Next post: Review: And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich


Description: Today Ben 10 is playing basket ball game; help him to throw rubber balls to the basket. In this game you have to throw balls in several bonus baskets. Throw ball into three ring's basket to get extra 7 balls, throw balls into 3X basket to get triple score, throw ball into pause icon to make move slow all basket balls and throw ball into time basket to get extra time to play game. Score as many points as you can before the time runs out. Use mouse to aim and click to throw balls into baskets.


If you were anywhere near north Tempe around midmorning Friday, you might have noticed a brief uptick in the temperature. I think it was the glow from Jerry Fischer's face.
Jerry, you see, had just heard that he's going back to work, and his smile was enough to warm even the coldest heart at the Arizona Legislature where our leaders this year were forced to make "tough choices."
Unfortunately, one of those tough choices involved Jerry and 700 others who, like him, have mental disabilities. In order to save $3.7 million, the state cut them loose.
Jerry, 51, has Down syndrome and lives with his brother Jack Florez in Glendale. For 11 years, Jerry has gone to VALLEYLIFE, formerly the Valley of the Sun School and Habilitation Center, where he has participated in a vocational program supported by state tax dollars.
Though there is a lot that Jerry can't do, there is a fair amount that he can do, and with VALLEYLIFE's help, he has been able to go to work and earn a paycheck and feel like he has something to offer the world.
But when the state budget went down the drain, it took with it some of those least able to swim against the current: mentally ill people and poor children and people like Jerry.
Suddenly last week, there was no place for him to go each morning, and though the state of Arizona deems him able to go it alone, those who know him or someone like him know better.
People like Aidan and Karie Warrington. Aidan runs Alliance Refuse Trucks, a Tempe company that buys and rebuilds garbage trucks and sells them to cities across the country. Life has been good to the Warringtons, and they count among their greatest treasures their 12-year-old son, Dylan, who has autism.
They understand both the burden and the blessing that come with someone like Jerry. They understand, too, that the state is broke and that they are exceedingly blessed and that with those blessings come obligations.
"It's not just up to government to do something," Aidan said. "It's time for other people to step up and do our share."
And so he and Karie have pledged to underwrite Jerry's participation in the VALLEYLIFE program. Their $900-a-month contribution will allow Jerry to continue working and going to "school," as he calls the accompanying enrichment program.
Jerry went to Aidan's work yard in Tempe on Friday to meet the man responsible for tossing him a lifeline. His smile said it all.
"It's better out working," he told me. "Yeah. I'll get a paycheck."
For his brother Jack, it's less about a paycheck than about the relief of knowing that Jerry will be taken care of during the day and have something to do, which every human being craves.
"You did Jerry a miracle," he tells me.
Of course, what he really meant is that Aidan and Karie did Jerry a miracle, and here's where the rest of us come in.
There are plenty more miracles to be done, both at VALLEYLIFE and at centers that serve the disabled all over this state. In addition to Jerry, 16 others at VALLEYLIFE have lost funding, including a man named Michael.
Unlike Jerry, Michael doesn't have any family. He lives alone and gets by somehow, despite being both mentally disabled and deaf. His only outlet is VALLEYLIFE's sheltered workshop, but the state cut him off on May 31.
Margaret Stephens-Reed, who manages vocational services, doesn't know what'll happen to Michael and the others. VALLEYLIFE is doing what it can, but commitment can only take you so far without cash.
Ron and Kerrie Simpson understand that. They are former Arizonans, now living in the Snoqualmie Valley in Washington, where they run the David and Minnie Meyerson Foundation, which helps people with disabilities. After reading Jerry's story on Wednesday, they pledged nearly $10,000 so that four people will be able to attend VALLEYLIFE's three-hour-a-day enrichment program for the coming year.
"I'm hoping that others will get the message that helping even one person not only shows how important the individual is but lets the families know that they are not alone," Ron told me.
If you'd like to help, too, call Margaret at VALLEYLIFE at 602-331-2414 or e-mail her at mreed@valley lifeaz.org. You may not have $10,000, but it costs just $10 to sponsor an afternoon in the enrichment program.
There are plenty of Jerrys out there, people hit hard by a state budget that for them was once a lifesaver. This state may no longer be able to help them, but I'm guessing this state's residents won't let them down.
"It's just nice," Aidan said, "to go home everyday and feel that you've done something and achieved something and given something."


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace OHal
{
    public interface IOHalDeviceCommandInfo { }
}


text:
With operational headquarters in Glendale, Johnson Controls employs 150,000 people worldwide.[1] As of 2015, Johnson Controls remains the largest public company in Wisconsin, with $42.83 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2013-2014.[2] In three divisions, the company manufactures automotive batteries, automobile seats, and building climate and security control systems.[3] A 2016 merger with Tyco moved the joint company's headquarters to Ireland, while the North American operational headquarters remained in the Greater Milwaukee area.[4] The automobile interiors business is scheduled to be spun off as a separate company in 2017.[5] Growing from its origin as a temperature control company to one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, Johnson Controls has followed the industrial rise and post-industrial evolution of Milwaukee.
Johnson Controls' journey began in 1883 when Warren Johnson patented his "Electric Tele-Thermoscope," the first room-situated thermostat.[6] Two years later, the Johnson Electric Service Company was established as a partnership between Johnson and William Plankinton.[7] After operating in a variety of Milwaukee locations, the partnership established its headquarters and production on East Michigan Street (at a location that remains headquarters for Building Efficiency Operations).[8]
In its early years, the company—rechristened Johnson Service Company in 1902—dabbled in a variety of different businesses.[9] Johnson was an experimenter, and his innovations included a successful steam and gasoline automobile business.[10] In 1912, following Warren Johnson's death, the company eliminated all products not related to temperature regulation.[11]
Despite this early consolidation, Johnson Service Company expanded once again in the second half of the twentieth century. The company instigated a variety of mergers in the 1960s and 1970s. A merger with competitor Penn Controls in 1968 brought Johnson Service Company into the Fortune 500 for the first time.[12] In 1978, the company (by then Johnson Controls, Inc.) merged with Glendale-based Globe-Union Inc., thereby becoming the United States' leading producer of automotive batteries.[13] The corporate headquarters moved to Glendale, while a large portion of the company's production remained in the greater Milwaukee area.[14]
From the 1980s to 2000s, both unionization and outsourcing increased across Johnson Controls. Although Milwaukee's union labor force was more expensive than labor costs in Mexico, Johnson Controls returned a portion of its controls production to the Riverwest area of Milwaukee in 1991.[15] While the company advocated for the training and hiring of Milwaukee workers, it subsequently made an about-face and permanently closed the factory in 1996.[16] Despite a large administrative presence, Johnson Controls no longer has any manufacturing facilities in Milwaukee.[17]
As auto parts production increased, the United Auto Workers unionized many of the company's American workers.[18] In the 1980s, United Auto Workers took Johnson Controls to court in what would become a foundational legal case on sex discrimination.[19] In 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court decided UAW v. Johnson Controls Inc. in favor of the union.[20] Johnson Controls had prohibited female employees capable of bearing children from obtaining jobs that involved high lead exposure.[21] The decision established that companies could not bar female employees from working in jobs that might damage fetal development.[22]
Jenna Jacobs
^ Enterprise Corporate Fact Sheet, Johnson Controls, February 2016, accessed March 15, 2016.
^ Barbara Zaferos, "Largest Wisconsin-Based Public Companies," Milwaukee Business Journal, June 26, 2015.
^ Enterprise Corporate Fact Sheet, Johnson Controls.
^ "Johnson Controls and Tyco to Merge," PRNewswire, January 25, 2016.
^ "Johnson Controls and Tyco to Merge."
^ Johnson Controls, Right for the Times: 100th Anniversary ([Milwaukee]: Johnson Controls, 1985), 4.
^ "History Timeline," Johnson Controls, 1885, accessed March 3, 2016.
^ Johnson Controls, Right for the Times, 16; "Location Finder," Johnson Controls, accessed March 15, 2016.
^ "History Timeline," Johnson Controls, 1901, 1907, accessed March 3, 2016.
^ Johnson Controls, Right for the Times, 12.
^ Johnson Controls, 125 Years: Honoring Our Past. Inspired by Our Future ([Milwaukee]: Johnson Controls, 2010), 27.
^ Mark Ashley, "Johnson Controls Looks to Growing Energy Markets," Milwaukee Journal, November 3, 1980, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TW0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zisEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5360%2C2260703.
^ Erik Gunn, "Adios, Mexico," Milwaukee Journal, December 20, 1993, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yFQ0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=D38EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3550%2C6191168.
^ Brahm Resnik, "Johnson Controls to Close Plant," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 9, 1996, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pJgaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-S0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5985%2C6621954.
^ "Location Finder," Johnson Controls, accessed March 15, 2016; Resnik, "Johnson Controls to Close Plant"; Thomas Content, "Energy Storage Is Growth Opportunity for Johnson Controls," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 10, 2015; "Chicago Developer Buys Former Johnson Controls Industrial Building on Teutonia," BizTimes, August 28, 2013.
^ "UAW Targets Johnson Controls, Big Auto Parts Makers," Milwaukee Business Journal, May 30, 1999.
^ Leslie Friedman Goldstein, Contemporary Cases in Women's Rights (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1994), 231-245.
^ Gina M. Stevens, "Sex-Based Employment Discrimination: UAW v. Johnson Controls, Inc.," CRS Report for Congress ([Washington, DC]: Library of Congress, 1991), 1.
^ Stevens, "Sex-Based Employment Discrimination," 2.
Goldstein, Leslie Friedman. Contemporary Cases in Women's Rights. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1994.
Johnson Controls. 125 Years: Honoring Our Past. Inspired by Our Future. [Milwaukee]: Johnson Controls, 2010.
Johnson Controls, Right for the Times: 100th Anniversary. [Milwaukee]: Johnson Controls, 1985.
City of Glendale
UnderstoryImagesComments
Writing History as It Happens: The Johnson Controls-Tyco Merger
When I am not writing for the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, I spend a good amount of time working on my MA thesis. My thesis research centers on the Singer Sewing Machine Company's Russian subsidiary, a business similar in some ways to the businesses I research for the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. But, owing to the Russian Revolution, Singer's Russian business was relegated to a dimly understood past in the history books. Many of the businesses in the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, however, are continuing to thrive and evolve. This ongoing process of change can make writing about such a subject challenging. Constructing a narrative about Johnson Controls in early 2016 was particularly difficult, because the company was undergoing major changes at the same time I was researching and writing.
In January 2016, Johnson Controls announced plans to merge with Ireland-based Tyco. The merged company would be headquartered in Ireland, rather than in Milwaukee. Moreover, Johnson Controls planned to spin off a large portion of its business—the manufacturing of car interiors—in 2017.[1] In March 2016, I began researching Johnson Controls for the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee.
Needless to say, it was not difficult to find news stories about Johnson Controls. Wading through the outpouring of recent news coverage, however, presented its own challenges. Often for historians a year or two does not make much difference in the publication of sources. With Johnson Controls in 2016, however, I found myself in a similar situation as with Russian companies in 1917. A month or two could make all of the difference. Relatively recent sources quickly became dated. I had to supplement published corporate histories with brand new newspaper stories and press releases. Research is fundamentally a project of learning and discovery, but while researching Johnson Controls I had to keep abreast of daily news more than I have ever had to for the Encyclopedia.
Ever-changing headlines reflecting amendments to Johnson Controls' corporate structure complicated the writing of this entry. How was I to integrate these changes into what I was called to write: a brief but thorough introduction to Johnson Controls' Milwaukee history? Moreover, how could I ensure that the entry would be a useful resource going forward and not instantly dated? In the end, I decided to include references to the recent merger and upcoming divestments in the opening paragraph of the Johnson Controls encyclopedia entry, but to devote the majority of the text to the company's history in Milwaukee. Since these mergers and divestments have yet to be realized, it was impossible to say much about their outcomes. Rather, I spoke of the plans as they sat in March and April 2016. Fundamentally, of course, the Encyclopedia is about Milwaukee. Johnson Controls' origins and expansion in the Greater Milwaukee area seemed like the more important story. In the coming years, this merger and divestment may influence Johnson Controls' future, but the company's origins and past within Southeastern Wisconsin will remain. The effects of these ongoing changes on the company and on Milwaukee will await future scholarship. Perhaps one hundred years from now researchers will still be exploring Johnson Controls' story just as I am still exploring Singer's.[2]
Jenna Himsl
^ "Johnson Controls and Tyco to Merge," PRNewswire, January 25, 2016, last accessed June 2016.
^ Jenna Elizabeth Himsl, "Stitched Together: The Singer Manufacturing Company and Its Employees in Revolutionary Russia, 1914-1930," (MA thesis, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2017).


text:
Edward Snowden speaks at French Amnesty International event
On 10 December 2014 – human rights day – Edward Snowden appeared by video link at an event organised by Amnesty International, le Monde, Mediaparte and Arte in Paris. The event, which was simultaneously translated, marks the first time Edward Snowden has spoken live to an audience in France.
Edward Snowden speaks to the Council of Europe
On 8 April 2014, Edward Snowden gave testimony to the Council of Europe's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights by video link. As with his previous testimony to the European Parliament, Mr Snowden used his statement to elaborate on topics that had been previously outlined by journalists. Topics covered include data mining, XKeyscore fingerprinting and the surveillance of Amnesty and other human rights organisations. Mr Snowden also confirmed that we can expect to see "more, and more specific" reporting on NSA attempts to change legal regimes overseas.
The Council of Europe is preparing reports on mass surveillance and on the protection of whistleblowers, which will be published before the end of this year. This is the first hearing supporting those reports; a second will be held on 24 June. Legal challenges to GCHQ's activities have also been lodged in and fast-tracked by, the European Court of Human Rights.
Audio and video records of the event are available and a full transcript follows below. There are several occasions where the video link was interrupted; these are marked in the transcript.
Snowden hailed as whistleblower as US courts consider legality of NSA data collection
On 2 January 2014 both the New York Times and the Guardian published editorials calling on the US Government to reevaluate its attitude towards Edward Snowden, who currently faces three criminal charges, including two under the 1917 Espionage Act.
Amnesty International: Threats to deny Snowden clemency smack of persecution
Originally posted 4 November 2013 on the Amnesty International website
Any potential trial of whistleblower Edward Snowden would amount to political persecution if it covers his revelations about the US government's human rights violations, Amnesty International said today.
Over the weekend top US officials, including the White House and leading lawmakers, went on the record saying the former intelligence agency contractor – who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia – should not receive clemency for leaking information about the USA's wide-reaching surveillance programmes.
"Edward Snowden is a whistleblower who has disclosed an unlawful global digital surveillance programme that has violated the right to privacy of millions of people. As such, he has grounds to seek asylum abroad out of well-founded fears the USA would persecute him for his actions," said Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Programme Director at Amnesty International.


BCOMM TV – Fashion will bring you styles of apparel ranging from the hottest pieces in urban wear to the most glamorous of designer couture created by various new arising stars to our most fashionable icons.
BCOMM TV – Videos – represents culture diversity merging at its best. Exploring various topics in music, sneakers, style, sports and pop culture through original shows like From the Bottom 2 the Top and BCOMM TV News segments. Featuring your favorite celebrities in addition to well known and respected commentaries.


RORY: Well, if you must know, he's taking me to Andoloro's.
Andoloro's is an Italian bistro in Stars Hollow that we never hear about again. Maybe it closed down, or subsequent events rendered it so painful in Rory's memory that it was a forbidden topic forevermore.
Mind you, whatever happened to Chez Fleur, the French restaurant that Sookie, Jackson, Lorelai and Rune went to for their double date?


text:
Clinton makes history, secures US Democrats' White House nomination
PHILADELPHIA - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton secured the Democratic Party's 2016 nomination for the White House on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to head the ticket of a major party in US history.
In a symbolic show of party unity, Clinton's former rival, US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, told the chairwoman from the convention floor that Clinton should be selected as the party's nominee during a state-by-state roll call at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.
Earlier, delegates from South Dakota had given Clinton 15 votes, ensuring that she had more than the 2,383 votes needed to win the nomination. She emerged with a total of 2,842 votes to Sanders' 1,865 votes.
After a tough battle with Sanders, Clinton is now the party's standard-bearer against Republican nominee Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election.


Sometimes we just do the same things the way we have been doing it for years! It is hard to change habits, learn new ways and to discover and find efficient ways to do things. But when we do, it is like an "aha" moment and we wonder why we didn't think of it before! It is the same with chutneys!
We just make them the same way we are used to and with the same ingredients too! I grow a lot of greens in my garden and just did some mix and match to come up with this chutney that is so delicious and full of vitamins. It is a superfood storehouse! I know you won't probably find these greens at your grocery shop but don't be disheartened. This is an inspiration that a small pot of these herbs and weeds are more nutritious than the expensive few day old greens you bring from your supermarket. So give it a try and plant them. You will wonder why you never did it sooner!
Blitz all in a blender. Your chutney is ready. Goes well with most appetizers. Eat in on sandwiches with cucumber and tomatoes. As a side dish to any savoury item. Make raita with it, just add few tsp of chutney to yogurt and mix. Endless ways to use! Store in fridge in a glass jar for upto a week.


Participants will receive foundational business knowledge and hands-on training as part of the curriculum. Individuals will also have the opportunity to meet with and learn from successful creative entrepreneurs in Akron and the surrounding area. In addition to the class curriculum, participants will enjoy the benefits of a supportive peer group and the exchange of unique perspectives on artists' entrepreneurship.
Registration is open now through Thursday, June 28th. Classes will meet weekly on Thursdays beginning on June 28th from 6:30-9:30pm at Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market St, Akron, OH 44308. The cost is $125 for the 16-week session, and includes all materials and off-site events.
Please email carolyn@summitartspace.org with any questions.


text:
Home Local News Light sentences in Casablanca case
Light sentences in Casablanca case
Source: Today Newspaper
GREAT BAY – The Court in First Instance imposed much lighter sentences in the Casablanca case than the public prosecutor demanded during the trial on March 14. None of the defendants is going back to prison and the court acquitted them of several charges. The prosecutor's office is studying the verdicts and has not taken a decision about an appeal yet.
Augusto Theodore McQuincy Reiph, the managing director of the brothel, was sentenced to 730 days of imprisonment, with 385 days conditional, 2 years of probation and a fine of $15,000. Reiph already served the unconditional part of the sentence in pretrial detention.
The court imposed the same sentence on the defendant's sister Jessica Priscilla.
The prosecution demanded in March 8 years of imprisonment against McQuincy Reiph and 7 years against his sister as well as a 200,000 guilders fine against each.
David Eustace was sentenced to 342 days in prison – equal to the time he already spent in pretrial detention; the prosecution's demand against him was 4 years of imprisonment.
Their mother Calma Josephine Priest, who owns the Casablanca building, was sentenced to 44 days of imprisonment, equal to the time she spent in pretrial detention. The prosecution's demand in this case was 5 years of imprisonment. The court acquitted the 68-year old of robbing prostitutes at Casablanca of their freedom, but sentenced her for benefiting from their exploitation by her co-defendants.
The company Casablanca N.V. faced a 30,000 guilders fine from the prosecution, but the court sentenced the entity to a fine of 15,000 guilders.
The court found McQuincy and Jessica Reiph guilty of trafficking in women and human trafficking and of firearm possession. Furthermore, the siblings are guilty of fiscal fraud by not submitting timely returns for turnover tax and profit tax.
The court acquitted these two main defendants of several charges. There is no evidence that they robbed the prostitutes who worked in Casablanca of their freedom, the court ruled. Furthermore, they were acquitted of intentionally under-reporting turnover tax, and of forgery.
The defendants did under-report their turnover tax, but the court ruled that there is no evidence they did this on purpose. Casablanca is of the opinion that it does not have to pay turnover tax over the income of the prostitutes and that the women should report this income themselves. This opinion is shared by other clubs on the island.
"It is a fact that the tax inspectorate has never before objected to this opinion towards Casablanca," the ruling states. "Casablanca did not report the income of the women for the turnover tax for years while it must have been clear to the tax inspectorate that these revenues existed."
The court ruling refers to the situation in the Netherlands where the tax inspectorate already in 2008 gave brothel-operators the option to regulate the fiscal aspects of their business. "It is unfair to level now a serious criminal reproach against Casablanca, as if this were a case of intentional and secretive tort of the tax inspectorate."
The court ruling also puts the most serious part of the charges – trafficking in women, human trafficking and exploitation – in perspective, even though it arrived at a guilty verdict.
"It is correct that there was a situation of abuse in Casablanca but the responsibility for its continued existence for years cannot be attributed completely to Casablanca," the ruling states. "Where Casablanca should have realized that it should have handled women in a vulnerable position more carefully, the country St. Maarten could have called Casablanca sooner to order by, after controls, pointing out the difficult situation of the women."
For more detailed information about this court case, see related story on page 3: The Casablanca case: Telling that women came back to work more than once).
Previous articleThe Casablanca case: "Telling that many women came back to work more than once"
Next articleSex with willing minor brings man into court
Centrale Bank van Curaçao and Sint Maarten, local banks and Worldline join forces to facilitate Instant Payments
Minister Samuel Recognizes 2021 Most Valuable Player of Dutch Baseball's Hoofdklasse Denzel Richardson


text:
By: Rebecca Kelley July 28th, 2006
The Internet = The Ultimate Focus&nbspGroup
I'm proud to say that as August 18th grows closer, I've had snakes on the brain. Why's that? Well, unless you have been actually living in a cave for the past year, you know that Snakes on a Plane hits theaters nationwide in mid-August. Why the excitement? Is it because I'm excited to see movie camp at its finest? Hell yes! Is it because the movie stars Samuel L. Mutha-Effin' Jackson? Of course! But the real reason I'm excited for the movie (at least for the purpose of this blog) is because it firmly cements what critics have been observing and noting for the past year: Bloggers are one hell of a focus group.
Initially sounding like a movie pitch from hell, Snakes on a Plane is exactly what it sounds like: deadly and venomous snakes are released aboard a flight in order to kill someone who has witnessed a mob whacking, and it's up to Samuel L. Mutha-Effin' Jackson to save the day. Normally a movie of this caliber would experience the success and critical acclaim of, say, some God-awful Rob Schneider flick. During pre-preduction, however, something beautiful happened. Bloggers took note of this soon-to-be camp classic, and they got excited.
Thus, the Snakes on a Plane phenomenon began. Fake posters. Blogs. Snake fever had officially hit the Internet. Producers noticed quite quickly and took advantage of the free publicity, keeping the working title of the movie (it was initially going to be changed to Pacific Air Flight 121), adding cool lines for Samuel L. Mutha-Effin' Jackson, and changing the movie from a PG-13 to a boobs-and-gore-friendly R rating. The movie's official website features a "Fan Site of the Week" and "Snakes on MySpace." It seems as if the whole of the Internet has Snakes on a Plane-ia.
Obviously there are scores of criticism about the movie's evolution. An Esquire feature written by Chuck Klosterman maintains that
"Snakes on a Plane is an unabashed attempt at prefab populism, and (maybe) this gimmick will work once. But it won't keep working, and it will almost certainly make filmmaking worse....[it] is like the Wikipedia version of a movie."
I have issues with this argument. In my opinion, taking advantage of online buzz and adjusting the scope of a movie or television show according to bloggers' opinions are no different than showing test screenings in order to gauge the audience's reaction. Wait, it is different: it's not forced and it's cheaper. Producers are tapping into a reservoir of genuine demographics who don't feel as if they have to criticize the movie simply because they were invited to or expected to do so by some studio bigwig. It's the ultimate form of eavesdropping.
Another great example of the impact of the Internet as a test audience is Television Without Pity. The site offers up exhaustively thorough (yet consistently hilarious) recaps of several TV shows' latest episodes, and the writers feel no qualms about bashing a particular episode, character, or plotline, no matter how beloved or critically acclaimed the show may be. You better believe that the shows' writers paid attention. In an article titled "Revolt With a Remote", it was noted that show creaters Aaron Sorkin, Judd Apatow, and Ryan Murphy all admitted to peeking in on TWoP's message boards to see how their shows' fans are reacting. Another article, "No Pity", points out that:
"It is now standard Hollywood practice for executive producers (known in trade argot as ''show runners'') to scurry into Web groups moments after an episode is shown on the East Coast. Sure, a good review in the print media is important, but the boards, by definition, are populated by a program's core audience — many thousands of viewers who care deeply about what direction their show takes."
Like it or not, it looks like these Internet-born focus groups are here to stay. In the meantime, I'll see you in line for Snakes on a Plane.
About rebecca — Rebecca Kelley is the content marketing manager for Intego, a Mac software company. She also guest-blogs/freelances at various places and runs a couple hobby blogs for shits and giggles.
katfive
Wewt!
Kevin Smith used a big-ol internet marketing for his latest, Clerks 2. The first 10,000 members to friend moobysclerks2 got their names in the credits. Those 10,000 spots filled up in THREE HOURS. Now, Smith, who maintains the blog Silent Bob Speaks says that ANYONE and EVERYONE who adds Mooby to their friends list will have their name added to the DVD credits.
Hurrah MySpace, you putrid cesspool of early-adopter emotards and attention whores. NGRAH.

Wewt!

Kevin Smith used a big-ol internet marketing for his latest, Clerks 2. The first 10,000 members to friend moobysclerks2 got their names in the credits. Those 10,000 spots filled up in THREE HOURS. Now, Smith, who maintains the blog Silent Bob Speaks says that ANYONE and EVERYONE who adds Mooby to their friends list will have their name added to the DVD credits.

Hurrah MySpace, you putrid cesspool of early-adopter emotards and attention whores. NGRAH.

The following words confused me... "wewt!" "Mooby" "moobyclerks2" "emotards" "NGRAH"
I think that means my name won't be in the credits :(

The following words confused me... "wewt!" "Mooby" "moobyclerks2" "emotards" "NGRAH"

I think that means my name won't be in the credits :(

NGRAH 2 U.

NGRAH 2 U.

Rebecca Kelley
I think Kat was hittin' the sauce a little too hard at lunch.

I think Kat was hittin' the sauce a little too hard at lunch.

EmergenceMedia
First off, I too am counting off the days until the epic movie known as "Snakes on a Plane" comes out. It shall herald a new era in film. (Any SEOers in the Bay Area down for a "SoaP"?)
Additionally, Wikipedia has an excellent overview on the buzz and marketing on Soap.
But somewhat related to this post, I wanted mention an interesting story on Miami Vice and Universal Studio, which I also mentioned on my blog. Excerpt from the original article: Recently Universal Studios did something incredibly smart. One of their representatives contacted Chris Thilk. Chris runs the blog Movie Marketing Madness, which, as the name suggests, covers all things movie marketing.... ... After Chris makes his announcement that Universal has contacted him, bloggers run with the story. Within 48 hours, upwards of 15 other blogs had linked to MMM, Universal, and Miami Vice. Effectively, these bloggers had created a spontaneous marketing campaign for not only Miami Vice, but for Universal Studios. All because one rep from one company was smart enough to take 30 minutes out of his day to empower one of his advocates to market for his company.
So 30 min call, generates buzz on Miami Vice and Universal Studio and heck, even link building.
EmergenceMedia edited 2006-07-30T14:27:05-07:00

First off, I too am counting off the days until the epic movie known as "Snakes on a Plane" comes out. It shall herald a new era in film. (Any SEOers in the Bay Area down for a "SoaP"?)

Additionally, Wikipedia has an excellent overview on the buzz and marketing on Soap.

But somewhat related to this post, I wanted mention an interesting story on Miami Vice and Universal Studio, which I also mentioned on my blog. Excerpt from the original article: Recently Universal Studios did something incredibly smart. One of their representatives contacted Chris Thilk. Chris runs the blog Movie Marketing Madness, which, as the name suggests, covers all things movie marketing.... ... After Chris makes his announcement that Universal has contacted him, bloggers run with the story. Within 48 hours, upwards of 15 other blogs had linked to MMM, Universal, and Miami Vice. Effectively, these bloggers had created a spontaneous marketing campaign for not only Miami Vice, but for Universal Studios. All because one rep from one company was smart enough to take 30 minutes out of his day to empower one of his advocates to market for his company.

So 30 min call, generates buzz on Miami Vice and Universal Studio and heck, even link building.

...and Miami Vice was #1 at the box office this past weekend (though I didn't like the movie that much). Good mention!

...and Miami Vice was #1 at the box office this past weekend (though I didn't like the movie that much). Good mention!


"Say it with flowers" words you tend to hear quite a lot around this time of year and who doesn't like to wake up to a beautiful posy.
In a world where we are becoming more aware of where our food and cotton comes from, and where a growing interest lies in how products can be grown sustainably. It's time to give a thought to cut flowers. Like food, of course there are many sourcing challenges. 90 % of the Uk's flowers are imported.
From energy costs, transportation and pesticide use, it is worthy of a thought as to where you buy your bouquet of roses from this Valentines.
Fortunately there are some sustainable options out there. A growing number of florists are making progress, changing the way in which flowers are grown and exported at every step throughout the supply chain. From local schemes being made available to growers in areas such as the Oserian Flower farm in Kenya which lies on the banks of Lake Naivasha, one of the highest lakes in East Africa.
Around 6,000 workers are employed at the farm which also provides them with housing, healthcare and schools for their children. Being Fairtrade certified means the farm complies with Fairtrade standards for hired labour, which provides social and economic benefits for workers.
learning to breed pest killing insects to avoid the use of pesticides.
using thermal energy to heat water. This can then be passed through the greenhouses to stop the growth of mould, which in turn means that less fungicide is needed.
using organic fertilisers to decrease the volume of chemicals that might find their way into the lake.
improving irrigation efficiency so as to use a lower volume of lake water.
Arena flowers offer's a range of Fairtrade flowers along with Serenata Flowers and Interflora.
Of course, not to be forgotten, there are also the beautiful flowers that are grown on our doorstep. By buying British you are buying seasonal flowers, granted you may not be able to find exactly what you are looking for but British flower farms help biodiversity. The flowers you buy from The Great British Florist have already provided food and habitat to a huge variety of butterflies, bugs, and bees its a win win.
Check out The Great British Florist and help support the 10% of flowers that are grown in the UK.