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About Lily
Heartbreak Cove
A Sanctuary Island Novel, #3 in the series
Welcome to a place where love is in the air, fate is in the stars, and home is just a heartbeat away…
Sheriff Andie Shepard may be new to Sanctuary Island but, like everyone else who comes here, she's already fallen under its healing spell. Andie is determined to leave her mistakes behind her and make this scenic haven her home. But she just might have to change her plans—as well as open her heart—when an unexpected visitor shows up on her doorstep…
Caitlin is the ten-year-old niece Andie never knew she had. Silent, wary, and shy as can be, Caitlin only responds to the horses that run wild across the island. Andie has no idea how to deal with Caitlin—until Sam Brennan enters the picture. A tall, handsome loner who rehabilitates abused horses, Sam is able to help Caitlin break out of her shell. But that's not all: He finds a way to touch something deep in Andie's heart, opening her up to the healing power of love. Together, these three lost souls must face the darkness in their past to build a brighter future. Because here, on Sanctuary Island, anything is possible…
PrologueSheriff Andie Shepard leaned into the smooth bark of a tulip poplar and let the tree trunk do the work of propping up her tired body.All around her, couples danced on the patch of cleared grass surrounded by long picnic tables laden with potluck dishes, pitchers of lemonade and sweet tea, and bowls of punch. Andie smiled at the exuberant happiness buzzing through the crisp evening air, making the town square glow as bright as the white twinkle lights strung from the gazebo and the tall oak trees.Standing on the edges of the crowd, Andie got a wistful sense of what it must feel like to truly belong here on Sanctuary Island. It made her all the more determined to find her place in this town, amongst these people.A whirling couple narrowly missed tripping over a folding chair at the end of Andie's table, their laughter loud enough to scare away the fireflies.
Some people were having just a little bit too much fun, courtesy of one particular bowl of punch. The groom had doctored that bowl with a generous pour from a silver flask, making sure everyone knew which punch was now adults-only. Andie had been standing guard ever since.
Which she likely would be for another few hours yet. She smothered a yawn. Her shift started before dawn today, and it wouldn't be over until the last wedding guest stumbled home and tumbled into bed, safe and sound.
She blinked to clear the exhaustion from her vision, and when she forced her eyes open, her heart slammed into her throat.
It was him.
Sam Brennan loomed across the picnic table, his tall, muscular form haloed in the golden glow of the twinkle lights. His face was cast in shadow, but even when she'd had him under the direct glare of the sheriff's office fluorescent lights, Andie hadn't been able to get a good read on him.
Because of the beard, she told herself, straightening automatically as she studied the close-cropped brown bristles darkening his jaw—but deep inside, Andie knew it was something more.
"You should go home, Sheriff," he said abruptly, the low rumble of his voice vibrating through her like the roll of distant thunder. "You look like hell."
Better than a zap of lightning to the seat of the pants. Andie braced her feet and pulled herself upright, gritting her teeth against the urge to snap back at him. She schooled her features to cool, composed professionalism and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not here in a decorative capacity, Mr. Brennan."
Sam lifted one of the folding chairs as if it were a made of construction paper, and turned it so he could straddle it backwards and prop his folded arms on the backrest. He smoldered up at her through unfairly long lashes. When he tilted his head, Andie caught glints of copper in his arched brows. The flickering light of the votive candles clustered on the picnic tables somehow accentuated his rough, masculine charm.
"Don't tell me," he rumbled, "you came to make sure Ben and Merry had a wedding license, signed in triplicate. Or no—I bet Jo needed a permit to host a party like this in a public park."
"Good thing Jo got her permit in a week ago." Andie stared him down, unwilling to apologize for the fact that she cared about her job.
Trust the rules, her father used to say. They'll keep you on the right path when your emotions try to send you off in the wrong direction. Hearts can be misled, but the law is constant.
Sam Brennan shook his shaggy head and squinted into the distance as if he couldn't imagine following such a silly, pointless regulation—and there it was. The reason Andie had a hard time getting a read on Sam.
He met her gaze squarely, an odd light glinting in the depths of eyes the color of bittersweet chocolate. "Waste of paper, if you ask me. If people want to get together to celebrate a wedding, they ought to be able to. No regulations, no restrictions."
Sam Brennan was a throwback to another time, when the rule of law held no sway and a man had to come up with his own personal moral code to guide his actions.
The thrill that ran across her nerves the moment she met him, the jumpy, unsettled, twitchiness she battled every time their stares clashed, was because she recognized the essential danger of Sam Brennan.
He had the heart of an outlaw.
"I don't make the regulations," Andie said, her voice sharper than she wished. "I just enforce them."
She was used to the way most people kept her at arms' length—the khaki Sheriff's uniform tended to make civilians nervous, even the ones who'd never committed a crime. Andie accepted that distance, even though it was lonely at times, and she had real hopes of one day being accepted by this crazy little town as one of their own.
But when Sam's mouth flattened into a tight line, nearly hidden by the beard, Andie caught her breath at the intensity of his expression.
I'm more than the badge, she thought with an ache, but even the idea of saying it aloud flipped her stomach and singed the tips of her ears with embarrassed heat. Would such a sentiment ever even have occurred to her father, or his father, or any of the long line of law-enforcement officers she'd sprung from? No way.
Pulling herself together, Andie kept her voice calm and firm. "In this case, what I'm enforcing is the law about not driving while intoxicated. Some of these folks are going to need a ride home, and I don't know if you've noticed, but Sanctuary Island is a little too small to support a cab company."
Sam's brows winged up, as if she's surprised him again. Blowing out a breath and shaking his head, he plastered on what looked like a very determined smile. "Believe it or not, I didn't come over here to pick a fight with you."
No, you came over here to tell me I look like hell, Andie's wounded vanity grumbled, but out loud, all she said was, "What can I do for you, Mr. Brennan?"
A muscle ticked in his rough jaw. "You can accept my apology, and my thanks," he gritted out, the words grinding over each other like gravel under truck tires. "My cousin told me the judge decided to sentence the kids to community service, nothing on their permanent record."
"That was the judge's decision," Andie pointed out cautiously. "You should thank him."
Sam grimaced, palming the back of his neck. "I did. He told me you called him up and argued for Matt and Taylor, since it was a first offense for Matt and both of them are minors…I mean, it's ridiculous they were charged with trespassing at all, but you didn't have to speak up for them. So thank you."
"Don't strain yourself," Andie said sharply, causing Sam's gaze to fly to hers, surprised. "I didn't do it as a favor to you."
His eyes narrowed. "I never thought you did."
"I only put in a good word," Andie insisted, leaning in to make her point. And it was true. After Sam's nephew had been caught trespassing and drinking underage with the bank manager's daughter, Andie felt for the kids. The boy wasn't a troublemaker, and the girl had worked hard to turn over a new leaf. There was nothing to be gained by saddling either of them with a criminal record.
"You've actually got a heart underneath that uniform, don't you?" Sam said slowly, his deep brown eyes studying her face with disconcerting sharpness.
"Of course I do," Andie said over the thud of her heart in her ears. "I'm a firm believer that people need other people. That's one reason I take this job so seriously—we all need each other's help sometimes."
"Unless you're used to going it alone." The darkness in his gaze expanded like a black hole, sucking in all the light and air around them. Andie's heart rate jumped as adrenaline sluiced through her veins on a tidal wave of need. The need to know more, to find out what turned Sam Brennan into a loner who believed in nothing and no one, the need to make him leave Sanctuary Island before she did something really crazy…like kiss him to see if that would make him smile.
Sam blinked and shook his head like a big, shaggy dog. The tension between them splintered, changed, as he met her eyes once more. Only this time, his gaze was shuttered, the black fire there banked and smoldering.
"The look on your face," he said, sardonic amusement quirking his lips. "Don't worry, Sheriff Shepard, remember I'm not a permanent member of your flock. Just passing through, looking after Matt while his mom bangs around Europe on her honeymoon. She'll be back in a couple of days, so I won't be here long enough to cause any trouble on Sanctuary Island, I promise."
Thank God for that, was all Andie could think. She wasn't sure she could deal with the disruption and chaos Sam Brennan caused in her psyche for longer than a few weeks.
"While you're here, I'd appreciate it if you'd at least pretend to respect the laws of the island," she said stiffly.
Slapping both big hands on his denim-clad thighs, Sam swung up from the chair and replaced it neatly under the table. "Sure thing, Sheriff. As a special favor to you."
"Not breaking the law is not a favor."
He held up his hands in surrender. "No, of course. You're right. Just a little joke. Or is it against the rules to even joke about breaking the law?"
Now that he was standing, Andie was uncomfortably aware that she had to lift her chin to meet his gaze. At just shy of six feet in her beloved cowboy boots, Andie was used to towering over people but Sam Brennan still had at least five inches on her.
A warm breeze stirred the flames of the votive candles and made the twinkle lights dance in the branches. Staring up into Sam's watchful brown eyes, Andie became abruptly aware that their table had been abandoned as the other guests crowded around the impromptu dance floor. No one was nearby or even looking their way, everyone apparently having too much fun to glance back toward the edge of the party.
Adrenaline poured through her, slowing time to a crawl even as her own movements got sharper, stronger, more deliberate. Andie stepped around the table, going toe to toe with Sam Brennan without ever dropping her stare.
"It's not against the law to joke," she answered. "But that doesn't make it funny."
His low laugh was a husky growl on the breeze. "Haven't you ever heard of doing the wrong thing for the right reason?"
Andie firmed her jaw and shook her head at the infuriating man, and Sam shocked her by reaching out one of his huge hands to glance along her cheek. For such a giant guy, his touch was surprisingly gentle, almost tender.
"Never mind," he said softly, his melting chocolate gaze holding her spellbound in this oddly private, silent moment. "I hope you never have to make a choice like that, Sheriff."
Andie blinked, momentarily spellbound by the wistful twist to Sam's lips as he continued, "That's part of what I love about visiting this place. Everything seems simpler here, clearer. People say what they mean and mean what they say. Out there in the real world…well."
"You could stay," Andie heard herself saying. She blinked again, the twinkle lights dazzling at the edges of her vision.
For a moment, Andie glimpsed the unguarded truth of Sam's reaction, the raw regret that crossed his handsome face in a spasm. "I wish I could. But I can't."
Andie ducked her head, appalled at the disappointment shafting through her. It was for the best, she lectured herself severely. Sam Brennan got to her in a way she'd never experienced. In a way that felt dangerous.
That shiver of danger squeezed her chest again as Sam dropped his hand, curling it into a big fist at his side.
"Small towns and me? We just don't mix. Besides, I have responsibilities of my own," he said, as if he were reminding himself. "I can't afford to get distracted."
Andie jerked her head up, tilting her chin. "Who's distracting you? I'm only trying to be hospitable."
"Sheriff Andrea Shepard," Sam breathed, his gravelly voice thick with an emotion she was afraid to examine. "You have no idea how distracting you are, do you?"
The feeling is mutual, mister. "My friends call me Andie."
Sam smiled, brief and almost tender. "Andie."
Tension filled the space between them again, but this time it felt warm and enveloping, like stepping out of the air conditioning and into the humid heat of a summer afternoon. The moment spun out for the length of a breath, a heartbeat, and then the song that had been playing ended and the couples on the dance floor applauded, sending up a loud cheer.
Stepping back, Sam tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. His green flannel shirtsleeves were rolled to the elbow, exposing the corded strength of his tanned forearms. "Sounds like the party's over," he said. "If I take a load in my truck and you take the rest in your SUV, I bet we can get all these partygoers home in one trip."
Andie nodded. "Good idea. I'll start rounding people up."
She was proud of how steady her voice was, considering she had no idea what the hell just happened.
"Send your overflow to me—I'm parked in front of Hackley's Hardware." Sam jerked a thumb over his shoulder and gave her a half smile. "See you around, Sheriff."
Sheriff again, not Andie, she noted with a pang. She didn't let it show, though. Instead, she nodded and held out her hand, saying, "Thanks for the help. I appreciate it."
"I owed you."
Before she could shake her head in denial, he said, "Oh, don't worry. We're not even yet. But it's a start."
He clasped her hand for a single heartbeat before dropping it and striding away, leaving Andie's palm burning with the brief contact. She closed her fingers around the tingle, keeping it safe, and watched Sam Brennan walk out of her life. The image of his mile-wide shoulders and muscular back tapering to his trim waist and endless legs carved itself onto her brain, and Andie didn't even try to stop it.
"It's for the best," Andie murmured to herself. Sam Brennan was too much of a threat to her hard-won peace and serenity.
Thank goodness he was leaving Sanctuary Island. She could only hope he wouldn't be back anytime soon…
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Head of Security for the Americas at Ericsson Presents "Alien Covenant: The Infrastructure Lives!"
Andy Ulrich, Head of Security for the Americas at Ericsson, described how IT has evolved into biology and what that means for security.
Ulrich kicked off his keynote presentation at the 2017 Chief Information Security Officer Leadership Forum held in Dallas on September 26 by asking the audience, "Where are you? Even if we don't know where we are, our devices do," he pointed out. "It wasn't always like that. Figuring out where we are and how to get to where we want to go was a problem that people had to figure out centuries ago. The seafaring people were the first to do it. Latitude is relatively easy to figure out, but longitude is hard, because the earth rotates. It wasn't until the 1700s that we had accurate navigation. Before it was possible to determine longitude, ships sailed due north or due south to the latitude they wanted and then sailed east or west," he explained.
"What's changed over the history of navigation?" Ulrich asked. He mentioned a few key things:
• "The required skill has dropped to practically zero. All you need is your GPS device or your phone."
• "Accuracy has gone through the roof. Regarding GPS, we're now down to a probability area that's smaller than the vessel you're on."
• "The tools have gotten much more complex—satellites, rockets, ground control, etc.—but this complexity is abstracted away from us, so we don't need to do any of the work."
Ulrich asked, "So, why am I talking to IT people about this? Our computers and processors have become almost inconceivably complex, and, if we zoom out and look at the infrastructure, it's done the same thing. We're stuck with a lot of old things we don't fully understand. We don't start over, because it's too expensive, so we add on to what we have. And, we have to provide security for all this stuff that we don't fully understand," he said.
"Our computers and processors have become almost inconceivably complex, and, if we zoom out and look at the infrastructure, it's done the same thing. We're stuck with a lot of old things we don't fully understand."
"We tend to think of computers and IT as deterministic. Deterministic systems are systems that, with a given set of inputs, will always produce the same output. Are they really deterministic?" he asked. "Maybe, but there are so many variables now that to create the same thing twice is nearly impossible. For all practical purposes, what we're operating with looks like biology, not technology. It's that complex. There's so much unpredictability. It's like an organism. If we unplug this one box that we don't think we're using anymore, we don't know what will happen. This is a problem. In a lot of ways, what we've built is more complex than biological life. It's not documented well, it's not predictable, and yours is unique. Whatever you have, it's the only one like it," he observed.
"For all practical purposes, what we're operating with looks like biology, not technology. It's that complex. There's so much unpredictability. It's like an organism. If we unplug this one box that we don't think we're using anymore, we don't know what will happen."
"We do what are essentially health diagnostics on our systems. We do as much testing as we can, but, like our own health screening, not every problem shows up. It's also expensive, invasive, and disruptive to do this. We essentially do clinical trials using a test environment, which is often not like the real thing. People not in IT don't understand this complexity. Also, we in IT treat this like a machine, like we know what we're doing, but I'm not sure that's right. Doing so brings its own risks," he stated.
"We do what are essentially health diagnostics on our systems. We do as much testing as we can, but, like our own health screening, not every problem shows up. It's also expensive, invasive, and disruptive to do this."
Here are the takeaways Ulrich described that IT, as a community, could do:
• "We have to get used to talking to the board and executive community about 'unknowables.' We've been painting the picture that we know what we're doing, and we don't."
• "Getting to this point [of talking about unknowables] is evolutionary. We can't just do this tomorrow, and we have to do it together."
• "We need to change the expectations. We need to understand our infrastructure as if it were a 70-year-old person who's led kind of a rough life. But the good news is, we've got the whole team managing this patient's health."
• "Be suspicious of the claims of anyone trying to sell you a tool. Your infrastructure is unique, so general claims about a tool may not work for you. Always expect it to be harder than you're told it will be."
In summary, Ulrich stated, "I think we need to change our thinking. I don't know how to get there, but I want to start the conversation."
ABOUT ANDY ULRICH:
As a young child, Andy Ulrich discovered and was delighted by the fact that, by simply pushing buttons on a telephone keypad, he could nearly instantly cause a random person half a world away to stand up and walk to their telephone. (His parents were not amused.) Thus began a lifelong interest in telecommunications and IT. His nearly 30 years of experience includes a career in the US Army, culminating in a role as the operations chief of NATO's information security organization, and his most recent previous job as the CISO for MoneyGram. He currently heads the security program for Ericsson in the Americas from Plano, TX.
Tagged With: Andy Ulrich • Argyle Executive Forum • Argyle Journal • Biology • CISO membership • Dallas • deterministic • Ericsson • evolutionary • health diagnostics • unknowables
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American Sign Language Camp Offered for Children
MAY 7, 2013 By Ofer Tirosh
A Texas home school provider is now stepping into another role. Shining Stars Homeschooling has unveiled an American Sign Language camp for children, which is being offered is San Antonio and Houston.
The camp is a day camp and it's goal is to teach children American Sign Language.
Becky Sexton, the owner of the new camp said, "If you're looking for a fun, educational camp for your children to enjoy this summer, look no further. Our sign language camps are filled with activities to keep your children entertained while learning a new language. Your elementary and middle school children will learn the basics of American Sign Language through songs, games, skits, crafts, and fun, interactive lessons. At the end of the last day of camp, they will show off their new skills to parents with a performance of songs and skits in sign language. Each child will also be awarded a camp T-shirt."
The camp currently only has availability for 30 elementary school and 30 middle school children at each location, due to classroom availability.
"We have found that most children have a natural curiosity and interest in sign language," Sexton explains about the camp.
Parents of children interested in the American Sign Language camp can find out more and register online at http://www.shiningstarshomeschooling.com/Summer-Sign-Camp.html
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Tahlmus, Winky, and the Vampire Mermaids: The Sequel, Pt. 7
Tahlmus	Uncategorized	 May 25, 2020 May 31, 2020 9 Minutes
Celestial had been in the cave watching Winky study. The female elf had avoided most of her questions, saying she was running short on time and had a lot to read. So Celestial sat there, watching Winky turn page after page, worrying about Tahlmus and the others. A couple hours had gone by when she heard it; Fleur and Laguna calling out to her. Their voices didn't sound right though. They sounded forced, unnatural, and she wondered why Coral's voice wasn't among them. None of that mattered though, she had to go.
"Wait," Winky said. "Don't leave quite yet," she stated as Celestial stood and started walking to the cave entrance. Turning to look at Winky she saw that the female elf was quickly running her finger across the page, her eyes moving rapidly.
"I have to answer the call," was all Celestial said.
"I know," Winky said, "and I'm coming with you. I have information that Tahlmus is going to need," Winky finished as she closed the book and stood.
"But…" Celestial wasn't sure what to say.
"Don't worry the bad guys won't see me. Tahlmus' magic makes me basically invisible to them."
Celestial said nothing as she followed Winky to the shoreline. The female elf seemed sure that it was a trap. The more Celestial thought about it, the more it made sense. What she couldn't figure out is why Tahlmus had not just defeated the Dark Lord. He had already done it once before. He had also destroyed four of the horcruxes, and the Dark Lord had used one to regenerate into Abi, so as far as she knew the Dark Lord could only regenerate one more time. One more defeat.
"Are you sure about coming along?" Celestial asked Winky once they reached the shoreline. Winky just nodded. "Take my hand then." Winky did as she was told, and took hold of Celestial's hand as they started walking out into the water. Next thing Winky knew they were on the shoreline in Tevinter.
As Winky had thought, it had been a trap. The henchmen put cuffs on Celestial, and led her, Laguna and Fleur back to the Dark Lord's estate. Also as Winky believed, the henchmen never even noticed her, so she was able to follow them into the estate.
Abi started laughing as the henchmen came back with Celestial in tow. Fleur and Laguna were taken over by Coral, while Celestial was led over to stand between Abi and Tahlmus. Tahlmus hung his head when he saw Celestial. Abi took it as a sign of defeat, but it was really the only way he could hide the tears that tried to creep down his face. He didn't love Celestial as he did Winky, but he cared for her. He did not want any harm to fall upon her, and now he had to kill her. He hadn't wanted it to come to that.
Once Abi stopped laughing, she addressed Celestial. "You were my greatest failure and achievement," she said. "You have destroyed my ships and tried to thwart my plans at every turn, but no more. Tonight Celestial, you will meet your maker, and the one to send you there will be none other than the one you've come to love." At those words Celestial looked over at Tahlmus, sadness, anger, betrayal, and grief all flashing through her eyes.
"I'm… I'm sorry," he whispered. "There's nothing I can do," he finished lifting his head to look at Celestial. When he looked up, he saw Winky standing in the background. Thanks to his magic, no one else had even noticed her presence. "Winky what are you doing here?" he asked through thought.
"Saving you and the Sirens," she said in her head. "If you use the sword that the master craftsman made you and pierce Celestial's heart, you will destroy her as a horcrux, but she, herself will still live."
Tahlmus tried not to let his expression change at all. The news Winky had given him made him feel a bit better. "Do it," Abi said holding Tahlmus' sword out to him. "Kill Celestial and rid me of the Sirens. Do this and I will keep you as my slave; the others shall not be harmed." Tahlmus swallowed the lump of panic that had developed in his throat. He could only trust that Winky's words had been true. He accepted the sword with a shaking hand. He could see Coral, Fleur, and Laguna in the background shedding silent tears. Finally he focused on Celestial. There were tears in her eyes, but she would not let them fall.
"How can you do this?" Celestial asked. "After all we've done for you… How can you turn on us? Turn on me? I thought you were different, but in reality you are like all other men, just giving yourself to the most beautiful woman who can promise you a good time. I should have kept your precious Winky and killed you."
Tahlmus flinched at Celestial's words. His hands continued to shake, but he held the sword steady as he approached her. Through thought he gave instructions to Winky. He needed her to use her magic to get the journal that was in the inside breast pocket of Abi's clothes.
"Celestial," he started as he saw Winky start moving. "There is something I haven't told you. A suspicion I've had since the day Coral brought me the crown." Celestial growled at him. "That crown should have petrified her when she touched it, just as it did Davey, but it didn't. It didn't because the magic you gain when you become a Siren is dark magic. Dark magic that was given to you through experimentation. Dark magic that unbeknownst to the Dark Lord made you a seventh horcrux." He watched Celestial's eyes go wide with fear. "I tried to find a way to break the spell in hopes that you would no longer be a vessel for the Dark Lord's soul, but I hadn't found it yet. So when I had a chance this evening to kill her, I didn't because I knew the remanents would find you. The horcrux in you would regenerate her, more powerful than before, and you would be a slave because the body would not survive without you." He was near Celestial now, the sword tip touching her chest. "I'm sorry," he said before he plunged the sword through her heart.
Tahlmus heard Celestial scream, and saw Abi grab her chest, no doubt feeling the last bit of her soul destroyed. There was nothing to save her from death this time, except the journal. As she clutched her chest, she couldn't feel the journal. "No," she whispered in panic. "Where is it?" Tahlmus removed the sword, watching Celestial's body slump to the ground. The body was unconscious but he could sense that she still had a pulse. Coral, Fleur and Laguna were screaming, they couldn't believe what they were watching. Winky was then by his side with the journal. "Here," she said, "destroy it."
"Gladly," he said taking the journal from her. He let it fall to the ground and in one swift movement sliced through it with the sword. As he did Abi's body started to turn to dust. Little by little she disappeared. The henchmen afraid of what might happen to them, ran away as fast as they could. The spell that held Davey and the Sirens captive was released. Davey's moose also appeared by his side. Elated to have his moose back, Davey climbed on its back, nodded his thanks to Tahlmus, and then the two disappeared. Tahlmus hadn't seen the nod, his eyes had been on Celestial. If what Winky said held true, then Celestial would be coming around. He had barely noticed that Coral, Fleur, and Laguna were making their way towards him baring their teeth at him. They had not yet noticed that they no longer had fangs.
Before reaching him, Tahlmus moved to Celestial's side. She had started groaning softly. "Celestial, it's ok," he whispered. "I'm here and the Dark Lord can never harm you again." Celestial looked up into his eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck quietly shedding tears into his shoulder. Having seen this, Coral, Fleur, and Laguna were soon huddled around the two in a group hug.
"I'm sorry I doubted you," Celestial finally whispered in his ear. Tahlmus just responded by tightening his embrace. Winky had also joined in the group. She was about to ask what would happen next when Dobey came in.
"Winky," he squeaked, running up to her in his own awkward way. After Winky had disappeared, Dobey had realized just how much he had actually loved her. She had never made him feel different despite his deformities.
"Dobey, I…" Winky started as Dobey wrapped her in a hug.
"The Dark One is gone," he said. "I felt the spirit leave. I am free now. Free to do as I wish and Winky… I wish to be with you."
Winky stared at Dobey with an open mouth. She had no idea what to say. She couldn't remember ever feeling that way about Dobey. "I don't remember much about my time with the Dark Lord," she thought. She had done her best to suppress all the memories from that unpleasant time. Having watched the interaction, Tahlmus felt a part of his heart break. He still loved and longed to be with Winky, but he could tell she felt something for Dobey too, and those feelings were stronger than her feelings for him.
"Dobey, I… I still love Tahlmus," she started.
"It's ok Winky," Tahlmus spoke softly. "Go be with Dobey."
"But," Winky started.
"Follow your feelings Winky. You deserve to be happy, and right now I cannot provide that for you," he replied. A small part of him became hollow as he told the lie. He had already noticed that the tattoo had disappeared. The curse was broken. Winky wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Besides," he whispered as he embraced her as if he would float away if he let go, "if it doesn't work out, I'll still be here." Winky smiled at him as the embrace ended, and she went back over to Dobey. They conversed a little bit, before walking out, hand in hand.
"You lied," Coral stated as he felt four different hands on his shoulders. Tahlmus just nodded. "Why?"
Tahlmus shrugged. "Whether she understood them or not, her feelings were stronger for him," he said. "And curse or no curse, I still belong to the Sirens. That was the arrangement. I became your slave, in exchange for Winky's freedom."
"Wait," Celestial said. "Did you say no curse?" Tahlmus nodded showing her his forearm where the tattoo had been. It was now clean skin. "So…" Celestial started as she carefully felt her teeth. There weren't any fangs. "No more turning from mermaid to vampire?" she asked.
"No more turning into anything," Tahlmus replied with a gentle smile. "You are all normal human women," he said, "though you all still have some magic."
The women were all real excited for a few moments, then Fleur frowned. "If we are no longer mermaids, where will we go?" she asked.
"I doubt the Dark Lord will be using his estate," Tahlmus said nonchalantly. "You all would be able to stay here and help others," he finished.
"What about you?" Coral asked.
"I'll still be here," he replied. "I still belong to the Sirens."
Celestial made Tahlmus turn so she could look him directly in the eyes. "You know since you broke the curse, I would have let you do what you wanted… including leaving us to go be with Winky."
Tahlmus nodded. "I know," he sighed, "and I would have, had Dobey not come in. I think Winky would have relearned to love me the way she had before I gave her to the Dark Lord, but…," his voice faltered slightly, "She may not have realized it, but her feelings were stronger for Dobey than for me. I'm not going to force her to love me, and I won't force you to keep me. If you relieve me of my responsibility to you, I will take my leave."
Celestial opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment the rest of the Sirens came walking into the room. They had shown up at the estate when the curse had been broken. "Celestial. Coral. Fleur. Laguna," they all cried in unison. "You're alright," they said as they rushed to the others. They crowded around all speaking at once, pushing Tahlmus out of the way. He looked at the group with a sad smile, before slowly turning to walk away.
As he started walking, he felt something take his hand. Looking down he saw a dancing milk carton, holding his hand, gently pulling him back towards the group of Sirens. Laguna, Coral, and Fleur all stood apart from the group smiling and motioning for him to come back. So, he let the dancing milk carton lead him back to them. Celestial appeared by his side, looping her arm in his.
"We all agree," she started, "that you're staying with us. We still want your time and attention," she said. "So I am not relieving you of your obligation to us."
Tahlmus let a small smile play across his face. "As you wish," he replied with a bow of his head. They all squealed with delight and started leading him around the estate. There were a lot of changes they wanted made and his magic was going to make them so much easier. So Tahlmus stayed with them, using his magic to help make changes to the estate, and giving them the attention they requested.
The adventures continue…. Tahlmus and the Sirens: The Next Adventure, Pt. 1
#CreativityinQuarantine
#Sirensunion
#VampireMermaids
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19th Century Australian Cedar Open Bookcase or Kitchen Dresser, the open upper section with two fixed shelves, below a dentil moulded pediment and the lower section featuring two inset double panel doors, flanked by carved corbels. The left hand door is hinged and the right side door slides (see pictures). Would also make a lovely and unusual kitchen dresser (very hard to find in cedar).


text:
GEI Data
With its combination large populations, economic growth and high educational outcomes Asia dominates the top ranks with China,Korea, Malaysia, India, Thailand and Indonesia scoring in the top ten slots across the 49 countries included in the GEI.This year Thailand and Indonesia moved higher in the pecking order, surpassing Vietnam. The balance is represented by leaders in Emerging Europe—Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary—and Qatar and UAE, each with strong fundamentals and higher developed investment environments for transnational education. Estonia and Russia follow in top 15 countries.Countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Columbia placed close to the bottom of the scoring scale.
The Americas were led by Mexico (18) and Chile (20), and further down the list, Brazil (29) and Argentina(25). The contrast between Mexico and Brazil is instructive: each with large populations but a different set of education profiles and increasingly divergent economic paths in light of Brazil's deepening recession. Separately, Chile has emergedas a relatively strong investment case within the Americas, surpassing Argentina and gaining ground this year.Peru (35) and Colombia (44) rank in the middle of the GEI. On a global basis, nearly all countries from the Americas fell in relative ranking from 2016 levels, the most dramatic of which being Colombia.
Asia led the GEI rankings from China (1), Korea (2), Malaysia(3), India(5), Thailand (8)and and Indonesia (10)—with Vietnam (13) losing some ground—while other regional participants further down the pecking order such as the Philippines (21), Sri Lanka (33), Pakistan (38) and Bangladesh (43) all rose within the GEI. It should be noted that these four countries have one thing in common: youthful populations and increasing pressure on employment, but also an opportunity to move ahead if productivity and education intensity rises.
Africa, Europe and Middle East (EMEAF)
Africa. With the exception of South Africa (30), which gained 5 places in the GEI ranking this year, African countries scored at the lowest levels across economic inclusion and education attainment measures and thus were largely at the bottom of the rankings. This includes leading regional countries such as Nigeria (45), Ghana (47) and Kenya (48), a fact that becomes urgent considering that Nigeria and Kenya have among the highest percentage of youthsunder-14 years of age in their populations. Experienced observers of Africa should not be surprised by these results: a combination of poor performance in productivity, insufficient education access, and operating environments plagued by governance issues has marred sustainable,value-added growth opportunities across the continent, despite some success with private education and training investment. Northern Africa, represented by Egypt (37), scored higher than most of African counterparts but still remained in the bottom quartile of the rankings. However both countries have more developed educational systems and the potential for gains in the years ahead.
Emerging Europe. In many respects Emerging Europe is a different comparative class to other countries in the GEI despite their inclusion as Emerging Market representatives. Several countries have small populations, strong educational achievement, an advanced EU-formulated operating environment, and highly productive economies. Yet rankings differ widely. Notably:Turkey(17) ranks lower this year next to Czech Republic (7) and Estonia(11), while Russia (14)gained slightly.Southern European countries such as Greece (19)remained flat while Romania(22) and Bulgaria (16), in particularly, gained in the rankings.
Middle East. Apart from the unique profile of Gulf countries UAE (4) and Qatar (12) mentioned previously,and to a lesser extent Bahrain (28),Middle East countries such as Jordan (36) and Oman (43) continue to face more acute economic challenges and generally lagged in terms of educational outcomes and productivity. Figure 4provides a summary of rankings and scoring for the clustered regions of Asia, the Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEAF).
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After having travelled more than 400 kilometers from the Netherlands to a location at the Baltic sea in Germany, I gathered with a group of eight other amateur-astronomers to witness the Venus transit. From europe, we could only see the last two hours. But because of that we saw the most spectacular sunrise ever.
The sketch is made a few minutes after the start of the egress and it shows the aureole phenomene, which was hard to see due to some high cirrus clouds.
But at moments of better seeing, the thin line of the atmosphere of Venus was clearly seen.
The instrument was a 20 cm Newtonian @ 135x. Exact time of the sketch was 5h43' UT.
A very impressive sketch between 3rd and 4th contact.


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National's Pitcher Cites Wife's Two Moms as Reason for Declining White House Invite
"I think that's an important part of allyship," Doolittle said of his wife's two moms.
David Dodge, Editor
Sean Doolittle, pitcher for the Washington Nationals, declined an invitation to the White House after his team won the World Series this year. In an interview with the Washington Post, he listed his numerous reasons for staying home — and a main consideration, he revealed, was his wife's two moms.
"I want to show support for them. I think that's an important part of allyship, and I don't want to turn my back on them," Doolittle said during the interview.
Trump's treatment of a minority groups, generally, factored into his decision as well. "I have a brother-in-law who has autism, and [Trump] is a guy that mocked a disabled reporter. How would I explain that to him that I hung out with somebody who mocked the way that he talked or the way that he moves his hands? I can't get past that stuff."
Doolitttle clarified that his decision had little to do with policy disagreements with the White House. "There's a lot of things, policies that I disagree with, but at the end of the day, it has more to do with the divisive rhetoric and the enabling of conspiracy theories and widening the divide in this country. My wife and I stand for inclusion and acceptance, and we've done work with refugees, people that come from, you know, the 'shithole countries.'"
He concluded by saying he respected his teammates decision to attend the White house ceremony. "I want people to know that I put thought into this, and at the end of the day, I just can't go."
Read more of the Washington Post interview here.
How Fatherhood Has Impacted Tom Daley's Diving Career for the Better
British diver Tom Daley, and new-ish gay dad, is looking to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in South Korea.
British diver Tom Daley is currently in the running to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in South Korea, his fourth if he competes, at the young age of just 26.
But he also has another concern that most young gay men his age couldn't fathom—fatherhood. He and his husband, filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, recently welcomed Robbie Ray via surrogacy in June 2018.
In an interview with the Independent, Daley explained how fatherhood has changed his routine and training, which he says is often for the better.
"It has changed my life completely in all of the best ways possible," Daley said. "It has changed my perspective, the way I think about things. [My son] is the most important thing in my life, everything I do is for him, everything I think about he is at the forefront of everything."
With respect to his diving career, Daley continued, "if you have a bad day at training, or a good day, you are grounded immediately when you get home through the door because you are having cuddles or you are having to change a dirty nappy. It is the first time that I have been able to leave diving at the diving board and not think about what I need to the next day in the pool."
Whatever the challenges he faces while training, he said, "I can leave it there because you don't have time to think about diving when you are looking after a kid under one."
The strategy seems to be working in Daley's favor. He recently enjoyed his most successful FINA Diving World Series ever this past Spring in Canada, winning 12 medals across five events. And barring any major catastrophe, he is overwhelmingly expected to qualify for South Korea 2020.
And we can't wait to cheer the young dad on!
This Gay Dad's Life Changed "Unexpectedly" Thanks to His Son's Love of Sports
Bradley Jacobs Sigesmund writes how trading "Broadway for baseball" helped him form straight male friendships in an essay for Shondaland
Bradley Jacobs Sigesmund, a gay dad of a 7-year-old son with his husband Jack, recently contributed a thoughtful essay for Shondaland that explores the unintended, but positive, consequence of his son's love of sports: straight male friends.
He writes, "One night in late May, seven dads stood in a bar singing "Happy Birthday" to me. Each of them were straight. How did this happen?"
As gay dads, many of us who have spent a lifetime avoiding anything that even remotely looked like an athletic league thanks to our experiences with homophobia in the world of team sports growing up. As dads, though, we're often forced back into these spaces to be supportive of our kids. (We've brought you similar essays in the past, most notably John Hart's funny piece about his sudden turn into a hockey dad).
But while many of us find the world of children's sports much more tolerable today, given the (reasonably) secure adult men that we've grown into, Bradley seems to have done the unthinkable: make friends with other (straight) dads involved in his son's athletic leagues.
"With Lucas regularly playing soccer, basketball, and baseball, sports now make up a large part of my weekly routine," Bradley writes. "And as it's turned out, a host of heterosexual dad comrades have been with me every goal, basket, and home run of the way." One dad educates Bradley on the existence of something called "turf shoes." Another on whether his son was better suited to be a midfielder or defender.
"If I ever worried I'd be alienated in the world of sideline-dads," Bradley concludes, "those feelings have long lapsed."
Read the great essay in full here.
Retired NFL Player Reveals He, His Husband and Ex-Wife Live and Raise Kids Together
Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jeff Rohrer says "we get in fights" thanks to the unique co-parenting arrangement, but that they're "doing the best we can."
Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jeff Rohrer, who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1982 to 1989, came out as gay not long ago and became the first NFL player to marry another man, Joshua Ross. Jeff is a father of two teenage boys, who he had with his ex-wife, Heather Rohrer. In a recent interview with People, Jeff, Joshua and Heather discussed their unique co-parenting situation.
"It wasn't that Jeffrey came out to me, but once I figured it out, it was obvious he was gay," Heather said. "He thought it was wrong; he was so angry. He thought his children wouldn't love him, that he'd lose his job. I tried to help him. I kept trying to tell him it was okay, that it was no big deal. But it was to him."
Today, all three adults live together, along with their two children, Isabella, 16, and Dondillon, 15.
"We get in our fights, but we find a way to make up. We're just trying to do the best that we can," Joshua said.
"Jeff and Josh are my family, and we're a better team together than apart," Heather said for her part. "Being together for the kids is the important thing for us. It's been difficult to get to this place, but it's worth it."
Read the entire piece on People.
Tennessee Drops Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Bill Amid Growing Opposition
Amazon, the Tennessee Titans, and Taylor Swift were among those calling on the state to drop an anti-LGBTQ adoption bill
This past week the sponsor of a so-called "religious freedom" bill in the Republican-dominated Tennessee State Senate, which would have permitted state welfare agencies to discriminate against prospective LGBTQ adoptive parents, requested the piece of legislation be pulled, effectively killing it for at least this year.
The bill, which had already been approved the the House, was widely expected to be passed and signed into law, so the sponsor's request surprised many. No explanation was given for the move, thought the Washington Post hints that increasing corporate pressure may have helped play a role. Both Amazon and the Tennessee Titans joined a growing list of companies speaking out against the discriminatory bill.
Taylor Swift, a native of the state who is increasingly wading into the political realm, also joined the fray by donating $113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project, an advocacy group fighting the bills. In a handwritten note to the group's Executive Director, Swift wrote: "I'm so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organizing the recent petition of Tennessee faith leaders against the 'slate of hate' in our state legislature. I'm so grateful that they're giving all people a place to worship."
This good news follows Michigan's recent decision to rescind its own "religious freedom" law last month, though eight states currently still permit discrimination against prospective LGBTQ adoptive parents, and a bill is pending in Arkansas that would do the same.
This British Olympian Is Retiring to Fight for the Rights of His Gay Dad
British gold medalist Callum Skinner says his "heart sunk" when his father offered to hide his sexuality from the media during the 2016 Rio Olympics
In a recent article, OutSports reported that British cyclist Callum Skinner is retiring from the sport in order to focus on fighting for the rights of his gay dad and the broader LGBTQ community.
Skinner, who is an Olympic gold medalist, had already been taking a break from racing due to some health complications, but said in a recent post on his website that he's excited to use this time to to be an ally to the LGBTQ community.
He wrote in part: "As some of you will know, I'm particularly passionate about giving back to sport, using my profile for good, whether that's in supporting the long overdue reform of sports governance, LGBT rights and encouraging people to get on their bikes. My focus and effort now lies in working in partnership with British Cycling to continue to make the athlete experience more human whilst still maintaining that performance mindset."
As OutSports reported, Skinner began talking more openly about his gay father in the lead up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, when his father offered to hide his sexuality to avoid any potential negative media attention.
"It was only around about the Games when my dad was signing up to the scheme with the [British Olympic Association], that he said to me, 'you know, I don't mind hiding the gay thing'" Skinner said. "It was at that point that my heart sunk. And then I thought, 'I've truly been hiding this'. So I decided that win, lose or draw, after the Games, this is something that I'm going to be more open about, because my dad shouldn't have to hide who he is."
Is Australian Olympic Swimmer Ian Thorpe Soon to Be a Dad?
Ian Thorpe recently announced he and his long-term partner Ryan Channing hope to become dads via surrogacy soon.
Ian Thorpe, a former Olympic swimmer for Australia, recently announced that he and his long-term partner Ryan Channing are planning to become dads via surrogacy sometime soon. Thorpe, a gold medalist who came out as gay after he retired from swimming, says he and his partner are looking for a surrogate in Los Angeles because the laws in Australia remain too restrictive.
"Becoming parents is something that Ian and myself would love to make happen,' Channing said in an interview. "Unfortunately the laws in Australia are difficult for same sex males in regards to surrogacy — California state law has really progressed in this space which makes it the best option legally."
Since retiring, Thorpe has been a vocal advocate for anti-bullying and gay marriage in Australia, and now looks to use his platform to advocate for less restrictive surrogacy laws for gay couples in the country.
Former NFL Player Jeff Rohrer, and Father of Two, Comes Out as Gay and Marries Longterm Partner
Jeff Rohrer, a father of two teenage boys via a previous relationship with a woman, is the first NFL player to marry another man.
Allen Zatki
Retired NFL linebacker Jeff Rohrer, who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1982 to 1989, recently came out as gay and married his longterm boyfriend last month. In an interview with the New York Times, Rohrer discussed his sexuality publicly for the first time.
"If I had told the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s that I was gay, I would have been cut immediately," Mr. Rohrer said. "It was a different world back then, people didn't want to hear that."
Rohrer was previously married to a woman, with whom he had two teenager children, 15-year-old Isabella Rohrer and 14-year-old Dondillon Rohrer. His son is currently following in his dad's footsteps by playing on his high school football team.
"I'm sure there's going to be some people out there who have a negative reaction to this," Rohrer told the outlet, adding, "and I'm fine with it."
Mostly, though, he says the reaction to his coming out as been positive. In an interview with CNN, he said, "I have two teenage kids, everybody is extremely supportive."
Rohrer met his now husband, Joshua Ross, back in 2015 while he was still in the closet. "And if not for Josh," he said in his Times interview, "I'd still be in there."
In his interview with the Times, Ross said that several friends had questioned him on how he felt taking on the "extra baggage" of being a stepfather to Rohrer's two children.
"Baggage? What baggage?" Ross said, adding "We are adding two beautiful children to our wonderful modern family.
Congrats to the newlywed dads! Read the entire New York Times interview with Rohrer here.


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Paulo Henrique Martins Eugenio (born 23 April 1992 in São Paulo), known as Paulinho is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a midfielder.

Career
Paulinho started to play football in his hometown at São Paulo FC. In 2013, he also played for the lower league Brazilian teams Esporte Clube Noroeste and Mirassol Futebol Clube. On 18 June 2014 the Romanian first league team Universitatea Cluj announced the transfer of Paulinho.

References

External links

1992 births
Living people
Association football midfielders
Liga I players
FC Universitatea Cluj players
Expatriate footballers in Romania
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Romania
Brazilian footballers
Brazilian expatriate footballers
Footballers from São Paulo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Our monitors come with various preset modes to help you quickly change screen settings to suit your application. Change to Web/sRGB mode to surf the internet and see colors accurately represented. Change to Paper Mode to view documents to save your eyes from the tiring effects of blue light. And if our full range of modes isn't satisfying, you can make your own personal user settings to suit your personal preferences, applications or needs. No more spending time fiddling with settings, simply change the mode and all the settings are changed automatically.
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text:
Q: AKS Container Insights Adjust Agent Run Interval I enabled Container Insights for Azure Kubernetes Services
I want to change the run interval for the OMS agent defined in the omsagent-rs-config file. I got the template from here : https://github.com/helm/charts/blob/master/incubator/azuremonitor-containers/templates/omsagent-rs-configmap.yaml
What have I tried :

*

*I created a ConfigMap file

*used kubectl -f apply configMap.yml where I essentially changed the log_level to info and run_interval to 10 min

     <source>
      type kubepodinventory
      tag oms.containerinsights.KubePodInventory
      run_interval 600
      log_level info
     </source>

*I deleted the omsagent pods and which caused them to be recreated.

*However my changes to the config map get overridden

How should I go about so that my changed stick.

update : why the manual changes don't stick

*

*I noticed that the config-map is annotated with addonmanager.kubernetes.io/mode=Reconcile which as defined here https://fossies.org/linux/kubernetes/cluster/addons/addon-manager/README.md provides an explanation why it gets overridden. However I still need to understand the official way to update this

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Evaluating Public Parks as Walkable Places towards Achieving Livable Cities.
In ancient times, walking was the first mode of transportation that human used, where humans walked on the earth in search of food, water, and shelter. Nowadays following many decades of development, the nature of mankind has changed due to a change in their needs and lifestyle, which includes the emergence and development of transportation modes, such as cars, buses, and trains. Modes of travel from place to place have changed, whereas reliance on using cars in travel is increasing. The problem of the study is increasing the use of cars and depending on them as a major mean of transportation instead of walking on foot. Hence, the concept of walkability is manifested, and is defined as the extent to which walking is readily available to the pedestrian as a safe, connected, accessible, and pleasant activity. Through this definition, this research examines or evaluates factors of walkability in National Park in Kuala-Lumpur through studying and analyzing dependent travel mode and behavior of its users. The Kuala Lumpur City was chosen as the case study based on being the capital of Malaysia and the only city being included in the Annual World Ranking of the Most Livable Cities in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to diagnose factors that have an impact on walkability, thus supporting travel by foot, using public transportation and bicycle, and reducing the usage of cars. All of these issues are to make Kuala-Lumpur as a more livable city and within top 20 livable cities in the world in 2020. The methodology of research depends on two types of techniques: quantitative as the main technique by applying 240 questionnaire surveys; and the qualitative technique in support of the first technique by applying 20 interviews, as well as direct observation of the location. This study concludes that it is difficult to reduce dependency on cars as mode of moving from place to other, since there is a lack in providing comfort and safety, which affects other factors of walkability. Thus, listing Kuala-Lumpur within the best 20 livable cities in the world as 2020 plan will be more difficult.
KEYWORDS : Walkability; Livable Cities, Public Parks.
1. Abbaszadeh, F. A. (2011). Characterization of Physical Elements of Street Design. Unpublished PhD thesis. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai.
2. Abdul Karim, H., and Azmi, D. I. (2013). Convenience and Safety of Walking Experience in Putrajaya Neighbourhood Area. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Science 101 (2013), 318-327.
3. Abdul Manan, M. M., and Varhelyi, A. (2012). Motorcycle fatalities in Malaysia. IATSS Research. 36 (2012) 30–39.
4. Abley, S. (2005). "Walkability Scoping Paper". Retrieved March 04, 2011.
5. Alfonzo, M. A. (2005). 'To walk or not to walk? The hierarchy of walking needs.' Environment and Behaviour 37: 808-836.
6. Ariffin, R. N. R., and Zahari, R. K. (2013). Perceptions of the Urban Walking Environments. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 105 ( 2013 . 589 – 597.
7. Bauman, A., F. Wallner, A. Miners, and V. Westley-Wise (1996). No ifs no buts Illawarra physical activity project: Baseline research report. Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, Warrong, New South Wales.
8. Brown, B. Werner, C. M., Werner, J. M., and Szalay, C. (2007). Walkable Route Perception and Physical Features: Converging Evidence for En Route Walking Experience. Environment and Behaviour, 39, 34-61.
9. Choi, E. (2012). Walkability as an Urban Design Problem: Understanding the Activity of Walking in the Urban Environment. Unpublished thesis. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Architecture and the Built Environment, Stockholm.
10. Creswell, J. W. And Clark V. L. P. (2011). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. (2nd ed). SAGE publication.
11. De Vaus, D. (2014). Surveys in Social Research. (6th edition). Routledge.
13. Esfahani S. K. (2012). Evaluation of Walkability and Satisfaction in Sustainable Urban Neighborhood, Precinct 9 in Putrajaya.
14. Fard, S. J. (2012). Walkability in Campus, Case Study University Technology Malaysia. Unpublished Master Thesis. University Technology Malaysia.
16. Gray, D. E. (2014). Doing Research in the Real World. (4th ed). British, SAGE publication.
17. Grignaffini, S., Cappellanti, S. & Cefalo, A. (2008). Visualizing sustainability in urban conditions. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 1, 253-262.
18. Haji Bilyamin, S. F. I. (2014). Factors Influencing the Walkability of Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Unpublished Master's Thesis. University Technology Malaysia.
20. Hawthorne, W. (1989). Why Ontarians walk, why Ontarians don't walk more: A study of the walking habits of Ontarians. Energy Probe Research Foundation, Ontario.
21. Ja'afar, N. H. and Usman, I. M. S. (2009). Physical and Transportation Elements of Traditional Street in Malaysia. European Journal of Social Sciences. Volume 9 (4), p.669- 676.
24. Mayor of London (2004), Making London a walkable city: The Walking Plan for London. Transport for London .
25. Oxford Advance Learner Dictionary. (2010). (10th ed.). UK: Oxford University Press.
26. Parks, J. R. and Schofer J.L. (2006). Characterizing Neighborhood Pedestrian Environments with Secondary Data. Transportation Research Part D, 11, 250 263.
28. Punch, K. F. (2014). Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Sulaimani Journal for Engineering Sciences / Volume 4 - Number 5 – 2017 Approaches. (3th edition). Great Britain. Sage Publications.
29. Sarkar, S. (2002). Qualitative Evaluation of Comfort Needs in Urban Walkways in Major Activity Centers. Committee on Major Activity Center Circulation Systems. Transportation Research Board, 2003.
30. Sean, O. H. (2010). Malaysia: Road Fatalities at Alarming Level. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.alertdriving.com/home/fleet-alert-magazine/international/malaysia-road-fatalities-alarming-level.
31. Shamsuddin, S., Abu Hassan, N. R., and Bilyamin, S. F. I. (2012). Walkable environment in increasing the liveability of a city. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences 50 (2012), 167-178.
33. Southworth, M. (2005). Designing the Walkable City. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 131, 246-257.
35. Stantec (2010). Walkability: Proposed Walkability Strategy for Edmonton. Stantec Consulting Ltd.
38. Zakaria, J. and Ujang, N. (2015). Comfort of Walking in the City Center of Kuala Lumpur. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences 170 (2015), 642-652.


Josephine County Emergency Management is partnering with Friends of SAR to offer pre-made 1-person 3-day survival packs available to residents for cost! The kit is ideal for your vehicle and it is designed to help sustain you until help arrives.
For $70 you get the following items, all contained in a 2.5 gallon Ziplock bag.
This is a Level 1 kit. It is to help you not die, so in order to be comfortable while waiting for help consider adding a sleeping bag or warm blanket, socks, a warm hat, gloves, your favorite kind of protein bars or non-perishable snacks, and sports drinks or electrolyte packs. Remember to add additional items based on the number of people you generally travel with, as well as specific items for children or pets in your care.
*This kit will help you survive for three days but you MUST ADD WATER. The kit contains a collapsible water storage container that will need to be filled and periodically refilled with clean, fresh water.


We encourage you to spend the weekend enjoying what our beautiful community has to offer!
Below you will find our recommendations for lodging and other weekend activities.
August is a busy time on the lake and trails!
Search for Stockton Lake, Missouri.
Choose campground on US Corp of Engineers site or Orleans Trail.
Stockton Lake is a beautiful lake to swim, kayak, or boat. ENJOY!


text:
JOHN E. MORAN
June 24, 1931 - June 1, 2020
John E. Moran passed peacefully away June 1, 2020 at The Oaks in Denville, NJ, following a brief illness. He was 88. Born in Jersey City, NJ, he was raised in Woodridge, NJ and had lived in Passaic, NJ, before coming to the Pine Brook section of Montville Township, NJ in 1956. Mr. Moran served honorably in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He worked as an inspector for the Township of Montville Engineering Department for 16 years, retiring in 1996. Previously, he was a milkman with O'Dowd's Dairy of Pine Brook for 25 years. Mr. Moran was a past member of the North Jersey Beagle Club and the Lakeland Flyers Pigeon Club. Preceded in death by his loving wife of 63 years, Gladys C. Moran (nee Meeker); a son, Stephen Moran; and two brothers, Edward and William Moran, John is survived by his four children, Michael Moran of New York, Sharon Andes (and husband Tom) of Denville, Coleen Caulfield (and husband Jim) of Lake Hiawatha, and John Moran of Hawaii; three siblings, Patricia LeVrier of Texas, Thomas Moran of Mantoloking, NJ, and Kevin of East Brunswick, NJ; nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. In the interest of public health funeral services and Interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover will be private. A Memorial Mass and celebration of John's life will be scheduled in the future. Please keep the family in your prayers at this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations to the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarrior.com).
John E. Moran passed peacefully away June 1, 2020 at The Oaks in Denville, NJ, following a brief illness. He was 88. Born in Jersey City, NJ, he was raised in Woodridge, NJ and had lived in Passaic, NJ, before coming to the Pine Brook section... View Obituary & Service Information
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