I admit that 2012 was an extremely slow blogging year. With only 40 posts in the year, it was by far the least I've written since I started the blog back in 2006. But I have some fairly decent excuses.
For starters, back in January I took on a new job turning a government policy into a practical plan and have been leading a global team to make it happen. It's been challenging and amazingly rewarding. It's also meant I've spent a fair bit of time on the road, domestically across Australia and also in Singapore and China. While I've experienced some amazing new foods, I just haven't had the time to write about it.
And then later this year I had some health hiccups which left me quite lethargic. The good news is that I've overcome my fear of needles. I was so terrified of needles I've managed to avoid all blood tests and injections since 1994. That's 18 years without a needle folks!
Well, since I've had about a zillion tests and injections in the past few months, I'm completely cured of this phobia and can now get all the vaccines I should have gotten before I headed off to Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam . . . . you get the picture.
And I'm feeling much, much better. The moral of the story being, get the damn blood test rather than spending four years getting sicker and sicker. Not clever.
On the positive side, I was pleased to discover my rapid weight gain over the last few years wasn't 100% due to my gluttonous disposition, and once the meds kicked in I managed to lose some weight. That's always a nice outcome, right?
• Alcohol – at first it was the big winner (lots of travel and networking) but with the health issues I ended up refraining to conserve some strength. I predict I will be happily reunited with my old friends bourbon, gin and tequila in 2013!
• Chilli – with a huge range of digestive issues at play, my best buddy chilli was no longer welcome at our dinner table. Jonas went through litres of sriracha, but my bottles of Louisiana hot sauce looked forlornly at me as I tried to ignore them.
• Thai food – I am a huge Thai fan, my favourite dishes being larb (spicy minced meat salad), khao mok gai (chicken poached in turmeric), som tum (green papaya salad) and the mysteriously named "boat soup" (a rich dark broth of chicken blood and spices). Thai food is super spicy, so for the same reasons I refrained from chilli, Thai was off the menu.
• Salsa verde – despite the chilli ban, I managed to sneak in some salsa verde loving. Being able to make it ourselves meant I could control the amount of chilli I used.
• Pickles – sour things have made a comeback for me this year. Boquerones, pickled octopus, pickled herring, gherkins, pickled cherries . . . you name it, I want it.
• Bread – we got a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and Jonas started making his own bread. I've never been a bread lover, but damn if his olive oil loaves aren't delicious.
Some previous year's winners also managed to stay high on the winners list, with caramel, pecans, capsicum and maple syrup being the most triumphant.
Tomorrow I will post my 2013 food challenges, in the meantime enjoy your New Year's Eve celebrations!
My only contribution was these mince pies.
I know have slowed down my blogging lately, but I promise I have a really good excuse.
I'm not quite ready to share the reason just yet but suffice to say, if all goes according to plan, I will let you in on the secret in March. Until then, please be patient and I promise I won't disappear completely.
I saw Jamie make these pies on a Christmas TV special and thought they looked a lot simpler and easier to make than traditional mince pies. I fancied mine up quite a bit with dried sour cherries, blueberries and dates, but you could use any dried fruits you have on hand.
They are quite sweet and intensely flavoured, so I recommend serving with sweetened crème fraîche, ice cream, custard or cream to balance it out a little.
My adaptation of Jamie Oliver's recipe. Makes 12.
1. The day before, combine the dried cranberries, sour cherries, dates, blueberries and brandy in a plastic container. Mix and seal overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Butter a muffin tray (for 12 muffins).
3. Spread the mincemeat over the two puff pastry sheets. Sprinkle over dried fruit mixture, glace rind and then crumble over chestnuts.
4. Tightly roll up the pastry, lengthways, like a Swiss roll, place it on a floured tray, and pop in the fridge to firm up.
5. Combine the melted butter and cinnamon.
6. On a flat surface, butter one layer of filo pastry. Top with another sheet and butter. Fold them in half to create a long thin strip then place over four holes of the muffin tray. Repeat two more times, covering all the muffin holes. Brush all with butter.
7. Take the puff pastry rolls out of the fridge and, with a sharp knife, cut each into 6 slices. Place each slice into a filo-lined hole, flat-side down so the spiral of fruit is displayed.
8. Brush with the egg and sprinkle a few flaked almonds on top of each little pie, then pop both trays in the oven for about 25 minutes, until cooked and golden brown.
9. Leave to cool, then crack the individual pies out of the trays. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.
Note: You can freeze the cooked, cooled mince pies in their trays (just wrap the lot in cling film). Just reheat them in a hot oven straight from the freezer.


What's Going on with Lake Wingra's Aquatic Plants?
Beach and boat season are almost in full swing! These activities are relaxing, playful, adventurous, and downright unpredictable. To borrow from Forest Gump's mama, having an experience with aquatic vegetation (aka macrophytes) "is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." When you paddle, luck might allow you to observe a beautiful blooming white water lily or you might spend time frustrated at the fact that your boat or paddle keeps clogging up with weeds. When you swim, you might feel the panic set in as a tickly plant wraps around your leg or you might be mesmerized watching the aquatic life darting and dashing between plants. It happens to all of us. Throughout all these experiences, do you wonder how much vegetation is too much, is Eurasian water-milfoil taking over Lake Wingra, or what strategy do mechanical harvesters on the lake follow, if any? Well, here are some answers! The Wisconsin DNR conducts aquatic plant surveys on all the Dane County lakes at a minimum of every few years. Some of the findings from their 2017 survey are in the info graphic below.
All in all, it looks like we have a lot to be proud of in terms of Lake Wingra's aquatic plant diversity. These changes don't always seem so obvious to the naked eye; however, they show Lake Wingra's aquatic plant life is making progress.
What is the main goal of cutting on the lake?
Cutting is to preserve the health and lake ecosystem while harvesting Eurasian-water milfoil (EWM) and other nuisance vegetation so lake users can reasonably boat, fish, and swim.
Will the County cut in areas where there is diverse vegetation close to the shoreline?
No, with some exceptions. The county plans to avoid harvesting (cutting) nearshore specifically to protect the diverse plant community. The only places where nearshore cutting will occur are close to the Wingra Park boat launch, fishing access points along Vilas Park Road, and the Vilas Beach area. All of these nearshore cuts are to provide shoreline recreation and lake access.
When does the County decide to cut on the lake?
Dane County has a plant scout that visits the lake to evaluate the conditions and provides recommendations on when harvesting should occur.
How does the County prevent the transfer of invasive species from one lake to another?
Dane County cleans and disinfects the harvesting equipment before moving it to other water bodies. This includes removing visible plants, mud, debris, water, fish or animals from the machinery.
Does the County plan to use chemical treatment on the lake?
No. The County believes that could undermine the ecological diversity of the plant community.


text:
Q: Android Status Bar covering Navigation Drawer I'm having a problem with Status Bar covering Navigation Drawer - I want to hide the Status Bar under the Navigation Drawer, when it's opened. I've seen many posts and other topics with this problem suggesting using:
<item name="android:windowTranslucentStatus">true</item>
in values\styles.xml, but it doesn't work for me. Would you suggest any solution?
My code:
v21\styles.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

    <style name="AppTheme.NoActionBar">
        <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
        <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>

        <item name="android:windowDrawsSystemBarBackgrounds" tools:targetApi="lollipop">true</item>
        <item name="android:windowTranslucentStatus">true</item>

    </style>

</resources>

values\styles.xml
<resources xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

    <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>

        <item name="android:windowDrawsSystemBarBackgrounds" tools:targetApi="lollipop">true</item>
        <item name="android:windowTranslucentStatus">true</item>

        <item name="android:navigationBarColor" tools:targetApi="lollipop">@color/colorPrimary</item>
    </style>

    <style name="AppTheme.NoActionBar">
        <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
        <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>

        <item name="android:windowDrawsSystemBarBackgrounds" tools:targetApi="lollipop">true</item>
        <item name="android:windowTranslucentStatus">true</item>
    </style>

</resources>

activity_main.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.drawerlayout.widget.DrawerLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:id="@+id/drawer_layout"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
    tools:context=".MainActivity"
    tools:openDrawer="start">

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical">

        <androidx.appcompat.widget.Toolbar
            android:id="@+id/toolbar"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
            android:background="@color/colorPrimary"
            android:elevation="4dp"
            android:theme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Dark.ActionBar"
            app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light"></androidx.appcompat.widget.Toolbar>

        <FrameLayout
            android:id="@+id/fragment_container"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"></FrameLayout>

    </LinearLayout>

    <com.google.android.material.navigation.NavigationView
        android:id="@+id/nav_view"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_gravity="start"
        app:headerLayout="@layout/nav_header"
        app:menu="@menu/drawer_menu"></com.google.android.material.navigation.NavigationView>

</androidx.drawerlayout.widget.DrawerLayout>

and fragment of code from MainActivity.java, from onCreate method:
Window window = getWindow();

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) {
    // clear FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS flag:
    window.clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_TRANSLUCENT_STATUS);

    // add FLAG_DRAWS_SYSTEM_BAR_BACKGROUNDS flag to the window
    window.addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_DRAWS_SYSTEM_BAR_BACKGROUNDS);

    // finally change the color

    window.setStatusBarColor(ContextCompat.getColor(this, R.color.colorPrimary));
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Allan S. Deutsch, DMD, describes the effects of the handpiece motion on the properties of the endodontic instruments during root canal procedures. This CE activity was not developed in accordance with AGD PACE or ADA CERP Standards. CEUs for this activity will not be accepted by the AGD for MAGD/FAGD credit.


text:
Reggie Wayne hoping to get on field against Saints
Michael Marot
INDIANAPOLIS – Reggie Wayne and Drew Brees spent most of August following the same script.
They tried to get healthy, stay on the practice field and convince their coaches they should play in the most significant week of the preseason.
Brees appears to have won his case and will direct the New Orleans Saints prolific offense against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night.
Wayne's public and private lobbying efforts have so far been unsuccessful — even though he's made it clear he's ready to get started.
"I haven't played since October. I've missed numerous practices in there. I just want to go in there and just (have some) fellowship with the guys a little bit," said Wayne, who is a game-time decision for this winless Colts (0-2). "Preseason, the game itself is fun. Preseason, a lot of people think it's nothing, but it's very meaningful.
"I just want to go out there, and I want to experience it. I want to be out there with my teammates."
While Colts coaches and players insist they don't need to see the six-time Pro Bowl receiver prove anything, Wayne wants to show that the long, painful journey back from a torn ACL is complete.
Before the mid-October injury cost him the rest of the 2013 season, Wayne had played in 189 straight games — a stretch in which he emerged as Peyton Manning's favorite target and became the steadying influence for young quarterback Andrew Luck, Manning's successor.
After the injury, Wayne accepted his new role as a temporary receivers coach with a caveat: He would defy the odds and return to his old form at age 35.
So far, Wayne has been every bit as good as he's promised.
In practice, he's run precise routes, made acrobatic catches and drawn growing crowds with his eye-popping, post-practice workouts on the JUGS machine.
But coach Chuck Pagano still opted to play it safe by limiting Wayne to two practices every three days and not allowing him to take a snap in either of Indy's first two preseason games, despite Wayne's pleas.
"I feel like the Reggie of old. I really do," said Wayne, who believes he's stronger than when he reported to camp last month. "Nothing has stopped me from doing what I wanted to do. There's no routes I can't run. I feel fine. It's more Coach Pagano and the Colts organization just wanting to see me healthy for Week 1."
Wayne joked that he brought boxing gloves to training camp so he could "fight" his way onto the practice field if Pagano tried to hold him back. Later, he traded playful verbal jabs with Pagano about who would win if the two old pals ever stepped inside of a ring. On Thursday, Wayne suggested that Pagano was ignoring his text messages because he's weary of the sales pitch.
But Pagano hasn't strayed from the plan and will listen to the team doctors.
"Sometimes you've got to protect them from themselves, right? Guys that love the game, are passionate about the game like Reggie," Pagano said. "He wants to be out there in the worst way. He wants to be out on that football field again. He wants to go compete."
New Orleans coach Sean Payton faced a similar predicament early in camp.
Brees, who hasn't missed a regular season start since 2006, was forced out by a strained left oblique muscle. With no meaningful games looming, Payton held the former Purdue star out for more than two weeks and didn't let him return until Sunday. That's allowing him to make his Lucas Oil Stadium debut about an hour southeast of where he played college ball.
He can't wait.
"I want to get out there and feel comfortable," Brees said. "I feel like this week has been great just to get back out and feel like I'm throwing the ball like I should. Now it's just time to take it to the game field and go through this final dress rehearsal before the season."
Payton hasn't said how long Brees will play for the unbeaten Saints (2-0).
But Wayne would settle for anything right now, even just a series or two.
"I feel like I'm where I need to be, if not better. I'm in shape. I'm better in this offense," he said. "Hopefully, we can see that transpire onto the field and, hopefully, we can see it soon."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
	xmlns:context="http://www.springframework.org/schema/context"
	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:task="http://www.springframework.org/schema/task"
	xmlns:mvc="http://www.springframework.org/schema/mvc"
	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
        http://www.springframework.org/schema/task http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task-3.0.xsd  http://www.springframework.org/schema/context http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.0.xsd">

	<context:component-scan base-package="com.extr.scheduler" />
	<!-- <context:component-scan base-package="com.edehow.service.scheduler" /> -->
	<task:annotation-driven executor="Executor"
		scheduler="Scheduler" />

	<task:executor id="Executor" pool-size="5" />
	<task:scheduler id="Scheduler" pool-size="10" />

<!-- 	<bean id="userMapper" class="org.mybatis.spring.mapper.MapperFactoryBean">
		<property name="mapperInterface" value="com.edehow.persistence.StatisticMapper" />
		<property name="sqlSessionFactory" ref="sqlSessionFactory" />
	</bean> -->

</beans>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Showing results by narrator "Jeff Gurner" in All Categories
Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers
By: Gary Brozek, Nicholas Irving
Narrated by: Jeff Gurner
In the best-selling tradition of American Sniper and Shooter, Irving shares the true story of his extraordinary career, including his deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009, when he set another record, this time for enemy kills on a single deployment. His teammates and chain of command labeled him "The Reaper," and his actions on the battlefield became the stuff of legend, culminating in an extraordinary face-off against an enemy sniper known simply as The Chechnian.
Way of the Reaper
My Greatest Untold Missions and the Art of Being a Sniper
By: Nicholas Irving, Gary Brozek
Way of the Reaper is a step-by-step accounting of how a sniper works, through the lens of Irving's 10 most significant kills - none of which have been told before. Each mission is an in-depth look at a new element of eliminating the enemy, from intel to luck, recon to weaponry. Told in a thrilling narrative, this is also a heart-pounding true story of some of the Reaper's boldest missions, including the longest shot of his military career on a human target of over half a mile.
By: Daniel Suarez
When the obituary of legendary computer game architect Matthew Sobol appears online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events that begins to unravel our interconnected world. This daemon reads news headlines, recruits human followers, and orders assassinations. With Sobol's secrets buried with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed, it's up to Detective Peter Sebeck to stop a self-replicating virtual killer before it achieves its ultimate purpose - one that goes far beyond anything Sebeck could have imagined.
end if the book slightly unexpected
By Jasper Hoffmann on 18-08-2020
Series: Daemon, Book 1
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space
By: Karen Miller
Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
The Clone Wars have exploded across the galaxy as Republic forces and Separatists struggle to gain the upper hand. But while the Jedi generals work tirelessly to defeat Count Dooku and his rebels, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is hatching his own dark plans. The Separatists have launched a sneak attack on Coruscant. Obi-Wan Kenobi, wounded in battle, insists that Anakin Skywalker and his rookie Padawan, Ahsoka, leave on a risky mission against General Grievous.
Good insight into Kenobi
By Marivic Tongson on 27-10-2020
Series: Star Wars: Legends, Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Legends (abridged), Book 2
Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Siege
On the Outer Rim, the planet Lanteeb has no strategic value, no political power, and one enormous problem: It has been invaded by an emboldened Separatist Alliance. To find out why, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have snuck onto Lanteebe and now look oblivion in the eye.
One of the best Star Wars stories
By Jayden faraday on 21-10-2020
Series: Star Wars: Legends, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Gambit - Legends, Book 2
Trident K9 Warriors
My Tale From the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines
By: Michael Ritland, Gary Brozek
As a SEAL on combat deployment in Iraq, Mike Ritland saw a military working dog in action and instantly knew he found his true calling. While the SEAL teams had used dogs in the past, they never had dogs trained specifically by SEALs, for SEALs. To fill this void, Ritland started his own company after he retired, training and supplying dogs for the West Coast SEAL teams. He knew that less than 1% of all working dogs had what it takes to contribute to the success of our nation's elite combat units. He searched the globe for animals who fit this specific profile.
Very good boys
By Alan Groves on 10-01-2020
New York Times best-selling author Daniel Suarez delivers an exhilarating sci-fi thriller exploring a potential future where CRISPR genetic editing allows the human species to control evolution itself. On a crowded train platform, Interpol agent Kenneth Durand feels the sting of a needle - and his transformation begins....
By Orca on 27-06-2017
Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth
The Separatist Alliance, with ruthlessness and treachery, is beating the Republic to every strategic target. But after a costly clash with General Grievous for the planet Kothlis, Anakin has a mission that will focus his anxious mind. Alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi, he is posing as a long-lost native of Lanteeb, an impoverished world on the Outer Rim. This seemingly unimportant planet has drawn the interest of the Seps and Anakin, and Obi-Wan soon discover the disturbing reason.
This needs to be canon
When itinerant cave diver James Tighe receives an invitation to billionaire Nathan Joyce's private island, he thinks it must be a mistake. But Tighe's unique skill set makes him a prime candidate for Joyce's high-risk venture to mine a near-Earth asteroid - with the goal of kick-starting an entire off-world economy. The potential rewards and personal risks are staggering, but the competition is fierce, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Isolated and pushed beyond their breaking points, Tighe and his fellow 21st-century adventurers must rely on each other to survive....
Love a science based thriller!
By: Karen Traviss
Across the galaxy, the Clone Wars are raging. The Separatists, led by Count Dooku, the onetime Jedi and now secret Sith Lord, continue to press forward, and more and more worlds are either falling, or seceding and joining the cause. Under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the Republic heroically battles on, championed by its huge army of cloned soldiers and their Jedi generals.
Series: Star Wars (abridged), Book 3
By: Michael Sloan
Robert McCall is a former covert operations officer for the CIA who tries to atone for past sins by offering, free of charge, his services as a troubleshooter (often literally), a protector, and an investigator. People in need find him through a newspaper ad: "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer." Aided by a group of sometimes-mysterious contacts (some of whom date back to his spying days), McCall traverses the streets of New York City, visiting justice upon those who prey upon the weak.
Entertaining but simplistic
Series: The Equalizer, Book 1
Civilian Warriors
The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror
By: Erik Prince
Blackwater is one of the most misunderstood companies of our time. As Erik Prince, its founder and former CEO, writes: "Hundreds of American citizens employed by private military contractors, or PMCs, would lose their lives helping our government wage wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, only to have their memory tarnished by the unfair and/or ignorant depiction of PMCs as profiteers, jackbooted thugs, or worse."
By Michael on 17-08-2015
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners
Torrent Company's Captain Rex agrees to temporarily relieve Anakin Skywalker of Ahsoka, his ubiquitous and insatiably curious Padawan, by bringing her along on a routine three-day shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon's newly refitted assault ship. But the training run becomes an active and dangerous rescue mission when Republic undercover Agent Hallena Devis goes missing in the middle of a Separatist invasion.
Series: Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Legends (abridged), Book 1, Star Wars: Legends, Book 1
Gray Work
Confessions of an American Paramilitary Spy
By: Jamie Smith
In this unprecedented audiobook, a paramilitary contractor with more than two decades of experience gives us a firsthand look into the secret lives of America's private warriors and their highly covert work around the world. Author Jamie Smith has planned and executed hundreds of missions on behalf of government agencies and private industry in some of the world's most dangerous hot spots - and lived to tell the tale.
Not worth it even if free.
By Rowan on 14-05-2016
William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back
By: Ian Doescher
Narrated by: Daniel Davis, Jonathan Davis, Ian Doescher, and others
Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestseller William Shakespeare's Star Wars comes the next two installments of the original trilogy: William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back and William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return. Return to the star-crossed galaxy far, far away as the brooding young hero, a power-mad emperor, and their jesting droids match wits, struggle for power, and soliloquize in elegant and impeccable iambic pentameter. These two plays offer essential listening for all ages.
There is a great tragedy within thy force
Narrated by: Daniel Davis, Jonathan Davis, Ian Doescher, Jeff Gurner, January LaVoy, Marc Thompson
Series: Shakespeare's Star Wars Trilogy, Book 5
An Equalizer Novel
Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer. McCall's first client is a distraught mother who is desperate to locate her young daughter, drawn into the shadowy world of white slavery. But this client may not be all she appears to be.
To much
By dal on 17-05-2018
Men in Green Faces
A Novel of U.S. Navy SEALs
By: Gene Wentz, B. Abell Jurus
Gene Wentz's Men in Green Faces is the classic novel of Vietnam that inspired a generation of SEALs. Here is the story of a good soldier trained to be part of an elite team of warriors - and of the killing grounds where he was forever changed. Gene Michaels carries an M-60, 800 rounds, and a Bible. The ultimate SEAL, he also carries a murderous grudge against a bloodthirsty colonel who was once one of their own.
Great job Gene
By Gene W on 02-11-2017
By: Patrick Lee
Thirty years ago, in a facility buried beneath a vast Wyoming emptiness, an experiment gone awry accidentally opened a door. It is the world's best-kept secret—and its most terrifying. Trying to regain his life in the Alaskan wilds, ex-con/ex-cop Travis Chase stumbles upon an impossible scene: a crashed 747 passenger jet filled with the murdered dead, including the wife of the President of the United States.
Series: The Breach, Book 1
Kill Decision
Linda McKinney is a myrmecologist, a scientist who studies the social structure of ants. Her academic career has left her entirely unprepared for the day her sophisticated research is conscripted by unknown forces to help run an unmanned - and thanks to her research, automated - drone army. Odin is the secretive Special Ops soldier with a unique insight into the faceless enemy who has begun to attack the American homeland with drones programmed to seek, identify, and execute targets.
great book, has a bit of everything.
By C SIMONSEN on 27-04-2017
The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi
By: Fred Burton, Samuel M. Katz
The explosive inside account of the attack against the U.S. diplomatic and intelligence outposts in Benghazi, Libya.... On the night of September 11, 2012, the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, Libya, came under ferocious attack by a heavily armed group of Islamic terrorists. The prolonged firefight, and the attack hours later on a nearby CIA outpost, resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including the American ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, the Information Officer, Sean Smith, and two former Navy SEALs.


text:
Eubranchus rubeolus es una especie de molusco gasterópodo de la familia Eubranchidae.

Distribución geográfica
Se encuentra en el sureste de Australia e Isla Sur de Nueva Zelanda.

Referencias

 Arthur William Baden Powell, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1.

Eubranchidae
Gastrópodos de Nueva Zelanda

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Dave's Woodstock Music: Larrivee, Eastman, Ibanez Schertler, Gold Tone Schertler, KoAloha, and more.
Gold Tone is an instrument manufacturing company owned and operated by Wayne and Robyn Rogers based in Titusville, Florida. They make many types of fine stringed instruments although we carry mainly a number of their fine banjos. Basic construction of most Gold Tone banjos is done in China but final assembly and all final setup of each instrument is done in Florida.
Gold Tone is dedicated to getting the greatest amount of quality features into their instruments at the most affordable prices. Many of the components of much more expensive American made banjos are found on Gold Tone banjos: adjustable truss rods, cast tailpieces, and planetary tuners. As a result Gold Tone is "the" name in affordable, high quality banjos.


Were now taking Winter registrations for Jump Start basketball, soccer and baseball. Check out how you can receive 60% savings on sign ups! Jump Start begins the weekend of January 18th-19th! Don't wait, sign-up Today!
Join us for an introduction to the Russian language with a volunteer instructor every Friday at its new time of 3:00 pm.
The Carnegie Library of Homestead will be closed Monday, September 4 in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen as usual on Tuesday, September 5.
The Carnegie Library of Homestead will be closed Friday, June 9 while we have new computers installed. We will reopen as usual on Saturday, June 10.
The Carnegie Library of Homestead will be closed Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen as usual on Tuesday, May 30.
The Carnegie Library of Homestead and the Athletic Club will be closed on Monday, May 22. Services will resume as usual on Tuesday, May 23.


On 3rd of January 2018 an amending law was published in the Official Government Gazette which extends the deadline for the submission of applications to enter the scheme for specific tax liabilities.
The amendment relates to the deadline for the submission of applications regarding taxes that were overdue for all tax years up to and including 2015, which have been assessed by the Tax Department and appear as payable as at 3 July 2017. The deadline for submission is extended from the 3rd of January 2018 to the 3rd of July 2018.
For tax liabilities which are assessed after 3 July 2017 and relate to obligations of tax years up to and including 2015, the application for regulation must be made within 6 months from the date on which the tax becomes overdue.
(b) Settlement of all tax liabilities for the years 2016 onwards.
In addition, throughout the period of the regulation, taxpayers must be consistent with all their future obligations to the Tax Department.


Touring western Ireland was a dream my wife and I shared when we married 14 years ago. Seasoned travelers, now in our 60s, we finally started planning last summer for a four-day jaunt to be tacked onto a business trip ending in Dublin.
That's when we discovered that — like many vacationing couples — we had different agendas. We both wanted to see the countryside and wander through villages, but Eileen was also eager to visit newfound Irish relatives, while I had castles on my mind. And not just any castles: I envisioned tracking down the mysterious ruins pictured in "Irish Castle," a serigraph by contemporary American artist Thomas McKnight that's been a fixture on my living room wall since 1982.
How to satisfy both of our cravings? The answer turned out to be a private guide, one skilled in finding both castles and cousins.
Having your own chauffeur take you around may sound like a luxury. The person we lined up through Toursbylocals.com cost us about twice what we would have spent for bus tours taking us through the same towns and sites that we had wanted to include on our trip. (We rejected the idea of renting a car as too onerous.) But for us, the personalized approach added a huge amount of value to the trip. Indeed, we would happily recommend it as well worth the extra money.
In our e-mail exchanges, James said he also was intrigued by our quest for the mysterious castle. We signed up with him in August and sent in a deposit, based on his $420-a-day rate. He agreed to plan a route that included towns that interested us — Galway, Killarney and Limerick — along with exploration of the Connemara region and the Dingle Peninsula.
Having a personal guide online brings early benefits to travelers: inspiring curiosity about what you'll be seeing and where you'll be staying, for starters. James knew of several hotels at our "midrange" price target of $100 a night, and our preferred location near the center of town; when we mentioned bed-and-breakfasts, he warned us that many of the best ones are closed for the season in late November. For our part, the online process of researching and reserving rooms got us busy familiarizing ourselves with the trip ahead.
That familiarity paid off on Day 1 of our tour. Arriving at the Galway rail station from Dublin, we had only a short walk with our bags to the Park House Hotel, which also was a mere two blocks from the town's Eyre Square. It turned out to be the day Galway's Christmas festival was opening in the square.
We made connections for dinner that evening with two cousins Eileen had contacted in advance: Kitty Costelloe, a dairy farmer, and her daughter Amanda, a local teacher. Over pub food, they helped us choose a special seafood restaurant where the two of us would celebrate our anniversary the next night. They also arranged a meeting with another of Kitty's children: policeman Paddy Costelloe, who lived closer to Shannon Airport, where our travels would end a few days later.
James, driving the 30 miles from his home town of Ennis early the next morning, had a full itinerary in Connemara ready for us. We started with a look at the area's offering of distinctive green marble and then drove to the magnificent Kylemore Abbey, a relatively new castle (built in 1867) that also has seen duty as a Benedictine nunnery and a prestigious boarding school.
We passed several other castles, too, but none had the look — or the lakeside setting — of the one hanging in our living room back home in New England. Not to worry, our guide advised as he studied a photographic likeness of the McKnight "Irish Castle." James had in mind a ruin that was just outside Killarney that might qualify on the third day of our tour.
The morning after our anniversary, James drove us south from the green expanses of County Galway into the starkly lunar landscape of the Burren, a stretch of exposed limestone where it has been said that "there is not water enough to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury them." Then it was on to the Cliffs of Moher, where our guide gave us ample time to explore this most spectacular conjoining of Irish shore and sea.
The next day, passing through the town of Tralee, we wound our way around Dingle's charming coast and were treated to a mix of breathtaking ocean and pastoral panoramas. The off-and-on rain showers that greeted us proved fortunate when they brought vivid rainbows — and a set of remarkable photos.
After our third night, in Killarney, James took us first thing to Ross Castle, a 15th-century ruin on Lough Leane — a lake we had seen from a distance, among rolling hills that strikingly resembled the landscape in our "Irish Castle" serigraph. James smiled, seeing the look of recognition that he'd hoped Ross Castle would spark.
Mission accomplished, Eileen and I thought.
Then it was off toward the lovely thatched-roof houses of Adare, where James introduced us to a heraldry shop where we ordered some family-crest plaques to be shipped back home. In nearby Limerick we toured the enormous King John's Castle, which for all its wonders bore no resemblance to "our castle." Our final night was spent in Ennis, where we made our last family connection, with Paddy Costelloe. With Ennis being James's town, we took seriously his recommendation of a pub with Irish music. The evening was a hit. And when it came time the next day for James to take us on the short ride to Shannon Airport, we flew home feeling we'd learned much about Ireland, its castles, our cousins — and our guide.
Eileen and I assured him that he had captured the landscape perfectly, and suggested he make the trip to Killarney some day.
We may just know a tour guide to show him around.
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Columbus Day Sale - Shop for Best Deals! Sale ends October 14th!
Our Columbus Day Sale is the biggest ever! Check out the Silkscreen Prints we have available. Hurry, sale ends October 14th!
Sale items include: Atlas, Fallen Knight, Nubian Fisher, Ophelia, Chora Room, Chora Streets, Chora Tavern, Chora Terrace, Chora View, Concord, Chicago Morning, Chicago Evening, Cape Ann, Cape Cod, Bridgetown, Manhattan Nocturne, Nevis, Sunset Key, Sunset Hill, New England Fantasy and many more!!!
All silkscreen print, giclée and painting orders come with a personal dedication from Thomas McKnight. Please make sure and add that in the note section of your order.
Take advantage of our great prices on select silkscreen prints. Sale items include Chicago Lakeside, Columbus Circle, Jaipur Lake Pavilion, Green Porch, Kobe Golf Mt Rokko, Kobe Living Room, Mykonos Antonini, Mykonos Platy Gialos, Ravello Balcony, St. John and Sunset Hill. Hurry, sales ends Monday, August 4, 2014!
Check out our BIG discounts on Silkscreen Prints by artist Thomas McKnight. Discounted prints include: Cape Ann, Cape Cod, Chicago Evening, Chicago Morning, Classical Bridge, Classical City Gate, Columbus Circle, Connecticut Valley and Dimaston. Hurry, sale ends Monday, May 26th. All silkscreen prints include a dedication of your choice from Thomas McKnight!


Colorful butterflies flutter across these baby shower favor tags, adding to the colorful atmosphere and theme of your baby shower. A soft wood grain pattern serves as the ideal background. The colors (other than the text colors) cannot be changed, and the text is editable. The adhesive back and square shape make these baby shower favor tags perfect for color adding to your baby shower decor, wherever you'd like to stick them!