text:
Money, Not Marriage, Makes Parents Better
By Stephanie Pappas 28 January 2015
(Image: © Goodluz/Shutterstock.com)
When it comes to good parenting, having money matters more than being married, a new study concludes.
Whether single, married or divorced, American parents strive to meet common recommendations for good parenting behavior, from eating meals with their kids to setting rules about television time to encouraging extracurricular activities, researchers found. In fact, newly released U.S. Census Bureau statistics reveal that only small variations in parenting depend on family structure, according to the study.
Much more important is whether a family lives in poverty, said Sandra Hofferth, a professor of family science at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
"The major issues were that some families are really resource-poor," Hofferth told Live Science. "The resources led to bigger differences in parenting than family structure." [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids]
Good parenting practices
Hofferth was not involved in the collection of the original census data, which was released in a report on Dec. 9, 2014. However, she released her own analysis of the numbers today (Jan. 28) in a report for the Council on Contemporary Families, a nonprofit academic organization devoted to research about American family life.
The census report found that 63 percent of American kids live with two married parents, while 27.5 percent live with a single parent, 5 percent with two unmarried but cohabiting parents and 4.5 percent with a nonparent guardian or guardians.
Family structure had only a limited effect on how parents raise their children, the researchers said. For example, 93 percent of married parents of 6- to 11-year-olds had at least one rule limiting television viewing, as did 90 percent of single parents of kids the same age. Among married parents, 54 percent read to their 3- to 5-year-olds daily; among cohabiting parents, the rate was 50 percent.
In comparison, 41 percent of single parents reported reading to their preschool-age child every day. But a closer look at the data revealed that those single parents are no slackers, either, Hofferth said. They read to their 3- to 5-year-olds an average of six days a week, compared with an average of 6.8 days a week for married parents.
For family meals, the kids of single parents were actually slightly more likely to eat dinner with a parent than the kids of married parents — 35 percent versus 32 percent among 12- to 17-year-olds, according to the census data. This may be due to the fact that kids of married parents are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, many of which interfere with the dinner hour, Hofferth said.
Overall, the census numbers point to the idea that in the U.S., money matters more than a marriage certificate, the researchers said. For example, 42.5 percent of children in families whose incomes were at 200 percent of the poverty line or higher participated in sports, compared with only 22.5 percent of kids in families living in poverty. Kids' participation in clubs and lessons showed a similar pattern: About 35 percent of kids with family incomes at 200 percent or more of the poverty line participated, compared with about 20 percent for those living in poverty.
Children living in poor families were also more likely to experience disruptions in their family lives than children in families above the poverty line. About 22 percent of kids in poverty experienced a change in their family structure, compared with 17 percent of kids living at or above the poverty line.
"Poverty can affect families economically, socially and emotionally and can lead to family instability," the census report concluded.
Income does appear to influence family structure, Hofferth said. Only about 14 percent of two-parent married households are in poverty, compared with 37 percent of cohabiting unmarried-parent households.
"These families tend to be low-income, they tend to be low-education, and young," Hofferth said. Research on low-income parents has found that they tend to seek economic stability before committing to marriage, a challenge now that there are few job opportunities for workers with only a high school diploma.
Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
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Respironics Inc. announced the FDA clearance of the I-neb Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD) System for the aerosolization of liquid medication approved for use with the I-neb AAD System.
The device is cleared for use by the patient in the home care, nursing home, sub-acute institution or hospital environment.
The system continually monitors and automatically adapts to an individual patient's breathing pattern to deliver a precise medication dose during the patient's inhalation phase. It is Respironics' third generation AAD system and is smaller, quieter and more portable than earlier product generations. The I-neb device also provides audible and visual feedback to patients informing them that the treatment is complete.
The first application of I-neb in the U.S. will be at the end of the year through CoTherix, Inc., a South San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company.


text:
BackSydney results
Grand Hotel Rockdale
482-484 Princes Highway, Rockdale, NSW, 2216, Australia
1/30 Guestroom
With a stay at Grand Hotel Rockdale in Sydney, you'll be 10.4 mi (16.7 km) from Sydney Tower and 10.4 mi (16.7 km) from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. This casino hotel is 10.4 mi (16.8 km) from Sydney Opera House and 10.5 mi (16.8 km) from Circular Quay.
Make yourself at home in one of the 13 guestrooms. Your Tempur-Pedic bed comes with down comforters. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms have showers and hair dryers.
Enjoy the recreation opportunities such as a casino or make use of other amenities including complimentary wireless Internet access.
Enjoy a meal at the restaurant or snacks in the hotel's coffee shop/café. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available daily from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM for a fee.
Free self parking is available onsite.
Sydney Park - 6.2 km / 3.8 mi
Enmore Theatre - 7.9 km / 4.9 mi
University of Sydney - 8.9 km / 5.5 mi
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital - 8.9 km / 5.5 mi
University of Technology Sydney - 10.6 km / 6.6 mi
Crown Street - 10.8 km / 6.7 mi
Paddy's Market - 10.9 km / 6.8 mi
Capitol Theatre - 11 km / 6.8 mi
World Square Shopping Centre - 11 km / 6.9 mi
Castlereagh Street - 11 km / 6.9 mi
Powerhouse Museum - 11.2 km / 7 mi
Chinese Garden of Friendship - 11.6 km / 7.2 mi
Entertainment Quarter - 11.6 km / 7.2 mi
Hordern Pavilion - 11.8 km / 7.3 mi
Australian Museum - 11.9 km / 7.4 mi
The preferred airport for Grand Hotel Rockdale is Kingsford Smith Intl. Airport (SYD) - 4.1 km / 2.5 mi
The front desk is open during the following times:
Monday - Saturday: 10 AM - midnight
Sunday - Sunday: 10 AM - 9 PM
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival.
Deposit: AUD 100 per stay
Breakfast fee: between AUD 10 and AUD 25 per person (approximately)
-Free parking nearby
-Billiards or pool table
-Casino

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you haven't been following along with us, a few months ago, Paul got the opportunity to hook up with his mentor and chocolate guru, Amy Levin. She graciously offered to partner with us and present a series of recipes using Elevated Cacao.
We are pleased to announce the second installment in this recipe series from Amy Levin. This tart uses Elevated Cacao's Maca + Hazelnut and looks like the decadent holiday dessert we have been waiting for. Have a look and a try and please, let us know how it turns out!
With Christmas right around the corner, it seemed a great time for a mincemeat ganache tart. Making your own mincemeat is, in my opinion, the way to go. You get full control over the dried fruits you use, based on what you like, instead of getting a mince full of currants and raisins…. Use your favourite holiday spices and your chosen brandy to make it unique to you. In this recipe I am using Elevated Cacao's Hazelnut and Maca chocolate which lends itself particularly well to fruit and nuts due to its deep, rich chocolatey tones and smokey finish.
Wrap the whole spices up in a piece of cheesecloth and tie a knot in the top. This will save you fishing them out later when you want to use the mix.
Combine first set of ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer 5 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to come to room temp. The point of this is to cook out the alcohol and allow the spices to open up in the liquid.
Add all other remaining ingredients to the brandy and stir to combine.
Marinate the fruit for at least 24 hours in the fridge and up to 3 days. Remove the spice parcel before using in the recipe below.
It's important that the water is warm / hot and the chocolate is shaved before you start this recipe.
The liquid being hot and the chocolate being shaved will mean that the mixture melts very quickly and can properly emulsify in the blender.
Combine all ingredients except mincemeat in a high speed blender and process, starting on low-medium and then increase to full power until all ingredients are smooth and creamy.
Pulse the mincemeat through at the end to combine, but keep the texture of the fruits.
Once the pie crust is ready and at room temp, sprinkle in the extra 75g of mincemeat into the crust. You can also add in some candied hazelnuts for crunch.
Pour the ganache over the fruits and fill the crust. Pop in the fridge to set, about 3 hours, or in the freezer, about 1 hour.
Slice and serve. Or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for several months.
Blend the first set of ingredients until smooth.
Add the psyllium and pulse to incorporate.
Mix the last set of ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Add the contents of the blender and mix well with your hands until it comes together.
Form the mix into a ball and allow to rest 5 minutes to firm up.
Roll the dough out between two pieces of teflex or greaseproof paper, dust the dough with some oat flour if it sticks, to ¼ inch thickness. Try to roll into a rectangle if using the same tin that I did. Otherwise, if using a round tin, roll into a round.
Place the tin over the dough to be sure it's large enough in diameter with approx. a 1 inch overhang all the way around.
Line the tart tin with one long strip of greaseproof paper if using a rectangle mould or two strips of greaseproof paper in an X if using a round tin.
Place the dough inside the tin, press down gently and remove the excess around the rim.
Place on a mesh dehydrator tray and dry for 6-8 hours at 115f, release from the tin and carefully remove the paper from the base and the ring mould from the middle. You may need to gently twist it out of the ring.
Place back in the dehydrator for 5 hours or until firm.
Allow to cool before adding the ganache layer.


text:
Q: OpenCL : UNREACHABLE executed I have  the generic kernel that calculates part sums of array elements in temporary buffer.
#if FUNC_SUM
#define FUNC(a, b) b += a;
#elif FUNC_ABS_SUM
#define FUNC(a, b) b += a >= (dstT)(0) ? a : -a;
#elif FUNC_SQR_SUM
#define FUNC(a, b) b += a * a;
#else
#error No sum function
#endif

__kernel void sum(int cols,int invalid_cols,int offset,int elemnum,int groupnum,
                                __global srcT *src, __global dstT *dst)
{
    int lid = get_local_id(0);
    int gid = get_group_id(0);
    int id = get_global_id(0);
    int idx = offset + id + (id / cols) * invalid_cols;

    __local dstT localmem_sum[128];
    dstT sum = (dstT)(0), temp;

    for (int grainSize = groupnum << 8; id < elemnum; id += grainSize)
    {
        idx = offset + id + (id / cols) * invalid_cols;
        temp = convertToDstT(src[idx]);
        FUNC(temp, sum);
    }

    if (lid > 127)
        localmem_sum[lid - 128] = sum; // ??
    barrier(CLK_LOCAL_MEM_FENCE);

    if (lid < 128)
        localmem_sum[lid] = sum + localmem_sum[lid];
    barrier(CLK_LOCAL_MEM_FENCE);

    for (int lsize = 64; lsize > 0; lsize >>= 1)
    {
        if (lid < lsize)
        {
            int lid2 = lsize + lid;
            localmem_sum[lid] = localmem_sum[lid] + localmem_sum[lid2];
        }
        barrier(CLK_LOCAL_MEM_FENCE);
    }

    if (lid == 0)
        dst[gid] = localmem_sum[0];
}

And this code fails with the message "UNREACHABLE executed!" on the line marked as // ??
Any wrong in this code? does some workaround exist to avoid this error?
Target platform: AMD GPU

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package play.modules.rabbitmq.util;

import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
import java.io.PrintStream;

// TODO: Auto-generated Javadoc
/**
 * The Class ExceptionUtil.
 */
public abstract class ExceptionUtil {

	/**
	 * Gets the stack trace.
	 *
	 * @param exception
	 *            the exception
	 * @return the stack trace
	 */
	public static String getStackTrace(Exception exception) {
		return getStackTrace((Throwable) exception);
	}

	/**
	 * Gets the stack trace.
	 *
	 * @param exception
	 *            the exception
	 * @return the stack trace
	 */
	public static String getStackTrace(Throwable exception) {
		return getStackTrace(null, exception);
	}

	/**
	 * Gets the stack trace.
	 *
	 * @param title
	 *            the title
	 * @param exception
	 *            the exception
	 * @return the stack trace
	 */
	public static String getStackTrace(String title, Exception exception) {
		return getStackTrace(title, (Throwable) exception);
	}

	/**
	 * Gets the stack trace.
	 *
	 * @param title
	 *            the title
	 * @param exception
	 *            the exception
	 * @return the stack trace
	 */
	public static String getStackTrace(String title, Throwable exception) {
		StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
		sb.append("\n");
		if (title != null) {
			sb.append(title);
			sb.append("\n\n");
		}
		if (exception != null) {
			ByteArrayOutputStream ostr = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
			exception.printStackTrace(new PrintStream(ostr));
			sb.append(ostr);
		}
		return sb.toString();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Pikeman Forge - Wrought Iron Gates & Staircases!
Pikeman Engineering specializes in all areas of forge work, in the design and fabrication of all requirements for work treatment plants, new house schemes, wrought iron, stainless steel, welding, site and service maintenance plus general engineering.
We also specialise in the design and fabrication of beer gardens and canopys. As a small firm we can offer a great attention to detail. The customer can sit with our designer and watch as their ideas develop.
Pikeman Engineering and Forge is an Irish, Wexford based company, who specialise in the design, fabrication and fitting of all elements of steel work, both in mild and stainless steel.
Clients can request any product to be galvanised, primed, painted or powder coated.


Anyone know if any of the supermarkets sell coconut milk (currently we use the brand 'Kara' in UK)?
Have two young kids with intolerance so need to either bring it with us or hopefully buy somewhere there.
Right part of the world for coconuts so happy to go with local brands if available.
Yes I have bought it in the major supermarkets. You have to search for it though, not a high profile item it seems. Known as either jugo de coco or leche de coco depending on the brand.
Thank you very much for that emmi, that's one less bag to carry!
Can you let me know any particular supermarket that stocks it (staying in caleta de fuste but have car so can travel).


Unique and sophsticated styling are evident in Bead, a classic and striking dot. It's simplicity and minimalist inspriation perpetuate the hallmark of timeless design. Bead coordinates beautifully with the Suite Collection, an eclectic mix of 18 styles in 13 colorways.


Local manufacturers were trained to make both the outside metal shells, and the inner ceramic liners. Once production was underway, they were linked to local retail outlets, who were given a variety of incentives to help them overcome initial obstacles like stocking costs, transportation, and marketing costs. As consumer demand for the stoves increased, then the incentives were gradually decreased, and the program still runs today without outside support.


text:
In this section: Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA)
Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA)
Generic Drug Development
Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) Forms and Submission Requirements
Patent Certifications and Suitability Petitions
How Drugs are Developed and Approved
Types of Applications
Generic Drugs Program Activities Report - Monthly Performance
GDUFA YEAR/
Actions This Month
22-Jun
22-Jul
FY-2022
Refuse to Receive (RTR) - Originals
Standard - GDUFA II
Priority - GDUFA II
GDUFA I
Acknowledgement - Original
61 63 45 83 91 62 70 94 77 48 56 69 819
Refuse to Receive (RTR) - PAS
Withdrawals (all original ANDAs)
201 5 31 17 10 25 30 25 20 6 61 6 437
Approved ANDA
193 0 18 12 2 15 4 16 16 0 38 2 316
Unapproved ANDA
8 5 13 5 8 10 26 9 4 6 23 4 121
Withdrawals (PAS)
8 7 24 5 18 8 10 7 5 4 2 8 106
First Time Generics
6 8 5 7 7 14 11 30 6 6 6 9 115
Not First Time Generics
First Cycle Approvals
12 13 4 17 8 10 8 11 13 17 9 8 130
Not First Cycle Approvals
Tentative Approvals
14 8 22 19 12 18 17 10 19 13 22 9 183
First Cycle Tentative Approvals (included above)
Complete Responses (CR)
152 168 108 195 141 141 168 125 159 171 142 141 1811
Information Requests (IR)
Discipline Review Letters (DRL)
Drug Master File Completeness Assessment (DMF CA)
GDUFA YEAR (Receipts)
Submissions This Month
Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA) +
24 51 135 61 50 125 64 74 58 60 57 98 857
95 77 101 68 76 95 84 95 91 67 83 76 1008
Unsolicited Amendments ++
Pre-Submission Facility Correspondence
14 2 2 11 2 6 4 2 10 6 0 3 62
CBE Supplements
PAS Supplements +++
120 105 114 95 85 138 108 95 131 98 110 97 1296
DMFs - Type II
Controls ++++
Requests for Clarfication
Post CR Meeting Requests This Month
NOTE: Numbers reflect current data at the time of posting and may change based on refreshed counts in our tracking systems, including application status updates.
These numbers are not intended for Congressional reporting purposes.
* = This data requires additional verification and will be posted when available.
+ = Original Receipts are reported as raw receipts (versus filed receipts).
++ = Due to system capabilities, counts for unsolicited amendments were previously based on amendments submitted after a tentative approval was issued. Starting in Oct. 2019 (FY 2020) the monthly metric report now captures all unsolicited amendments submitted to the agency.
+++ = PAS Supplements do not include REMS PAS supplements.
++++ = Controls count only those requests deemed appropriate for a control. FY 2022 controls were updated at FY 2022 closeout to accurately reflect monthly requests after migration to a new tracking system.
Previous Activities Reports
Activities Report of the Generic Drug Program (FY 2021)


text:
La Fédération autonome de l'Éducation nationale (FAEN) est une fédération de syndicats liés à l'Éducation nationale, créée en 1990 autour du Syndical national des collèges (fondé en 1960), et affiliée initialement (jusqu'en 1993) à la Fédération générale autonome des fonctionnaires.

Valeurs
La FAEN se prévaut d'une totale indépendance vis-à-vis des partis politiques.

Elle réclame la mise en place d'une véritable refondation de l'école de la République qui permette à chaque élève d'aller au maximum de ses possibilités entrainant ainsi une élévation du niveau global de formation. Cela passe notamment par l'amélioration des conditions de travail des personnels comme des élèves, une amélioration de la formation des personnels et une revalorisation financière des métiers de l'éducation.

La FAEN rappelle son attachement au principe constitutionnel de laïcité de l'État sous deux aspects : séparation des religions et de l'État et attribution des fonds publics au seul service public laïque d'éducation.

La FAEN demande au gouvernement de mener une lutte systématique et résolue contre les incivilités et les différentes formes de violence. Le rétablissement de l'autorité des personnels, la lutte contre les incivilités et la violence constituent des préalables à toute amélioration significative du système éducatif.

La FAEN reste d'une façon générale opposée au principe de décentralisation de nouveaux services et de nouvelles missions (orientation, formation professionnelle sous statut scolaire) ou de nouvelles catégories de personnels.

Refusant le syndicalisme d'opposition systématique comme le syndicalisme d'accompagnement, la FAEN revendique un syndicalisme de proposition, de négociation (toutes  les fois que possible) mais aussi d'action chaque fois que cela est nécessaire.

Constitution
La FAEN est une fédération ultra-minoritaire (1,1 % des voix aux élections professionnelles de 2018). Le Syndicat indépendant des personnels de direction de l'Éducation nationale « Indépendance et Direction » a quitté la FAEN en 2012 pour rejoindre la Fédération nationale de l'enseignement, de la culture et de la formation professionnelle - FO.

Dans les années 2010, elle agrège autour du SNCL (son syndicat historique) des structures à l'implantation régionale (Aix-Marseille pour le SIAES, Nancy-Metz pour le SPIEN) ou sectorielle (les PRAG pour le SAGES, PEGC pour le SNCL).

La FAEN regroupe les syndicats suivants :
 Syndicat national des collèges et des lycées (SNCL-FAEN), qui réunissait historiquement les PEGC et s'est depuis les années 70 élargi à l'ensemble des enseignants du second degré.
 Syndicat indépendant de l'enseignement du second degré (SIES-FAEN), qui s'adresse aux enseignants du second degré et du supérieur (PRAG et PRCE).
 Syndicat indépendant académique de l'enseignement secondaire (SIAES-SIES-FAEN), qui s'adresse aux enseignants du second degré et du supérieur (PRAG, PRCE) dans l'académie d'Aix-Marseille où il est le deuxième syndicat représentatif tous corps confondus depuis les élections de 2008. Il est en progression régulière au fil des élections. En 2014, il double son nombre de commissaires paritaires (12) et obtient, pour la première fois depuis sa création, un siège en CAPA EPS en plus des sièges qu'il détenait déjà en CAPA des professeurs agrégés et en CAPA des professeurs certifiés. Il siège également au Conseil Académique de l'Education Nationale. Il constitue une section académique du SIES-FAEN.
 Syndicat des Agrégés de l'Enseignement supérieur (SAGES-FAEN), s'adresse aux professeurs agrégés du supérieur et a siégé jusqu'en 2015 au CNESER (liste "PRAG et PRCE" SAGES-SIES).
 Syndicat pluraliste et indépendant de l'Éducation nationale (SPIEN-FAEN), syndicat national, particulièrement implanté dans l'académie de Nancy-Metz chez les PLP (où il siège en CAPA) et les certifiés.
 Syndicat autonome des enseignants de Mayotte (SAEM-FAEN), qui rassemble les enseignants du premier degré à Mayotte.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Article connexe
 Syndicat national des collèges et des lycées

Liens externes
 Site officiel de la FAEN
 Site du SNCL-FAEN
 Site du SIES-FAEN - Site du SIAES-SIES-FAEN Aix-Marseille
 Site du SAGES-FAEN
 Site du SPIEN-FAEN

Organisme fondé en 1990

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home/Nintendo 3DS/Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes demo impressions
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes demo impressions
Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have teamed up once again to turn one of Nintendo's IPs into a Musou (Warriors) style game. Announced during a Nintendo Direct back in February this year, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes gave Fire Emblem: Three Houses fans a new game to look forward to and explore the world of Fódlan once again. Three Houses, which Koei had a hand in developing, is a solid game, but unfortunately left some loose plot threads in the game's four routes (even with the addition of DLC). With the announcement of Three Hopes, fans were definitely hoping that lore gaps would be filled and other details found in interviews and datamines would be addressed. Thanks to the release of a demo weeks before its release, it appears that's the case for the world of Fódlan, even if this is shaping up to be from a "What if?" perspective due to the introduction of a few new characters.
Before I get too ahead of myself with discussing the demo, I must address the following. It is highly recommended that you play Fire Emblem: Three Houses first. Ideally, it would be best to complete Three Houses' four routes (including DLC), but you're looking at a time sink of at least a few hundred hours. For reference, I'm at 345+ hours and only completed three of the four routes when you take into account the "new" characters that were added in via its Expansion Pass seven months after launch. You can, technically, skip Three Houses altogether and go into Three Hopes blind, but you'll be spoiling yourself of plot points/the twists and turns of Three Houses and you'll miss the importance of certain scenes/character interactions. Heck, the opening cutscene includes a few big spoilers!
If you don't care about that at all, feel free to give the demo a go… but I wouldn't recommend it.
The demo released by Nintendo contains almost the first "five" chapters of the game, gives you eight save slots, and promises to transfer your progress to the complete game. Chapters 0 – 3 are considered the game's Prologue with Chapter 4 acting as the first chapter in Part 1. Side missions/levels are repeatable only in Chapter 4 (which has three side missions). Sadly, the main mission for Chapter 4 is unavailable.
There are also three difficulty settings (Easy, Normal, and Hard), plus the option of Casual or Classic modes. Casual Mode will see playable units who have fallen (reached 0 HP in battle) revived after missions whereas they'll be gone for good in Classic Mode (starting with Chapter 4). You can always change the game's difficulty via the Settings menu, and can do the same for game modes but with a restriction. You cannot change Casual to Classic Mode, ever. So if you decide to start out on Classic Mode and want to switch, that's fine, but you can't return to Classic Mode again (on that save file, at least).
As for the replayability of this demo, it triples thanks to the route split that happens in Chapter 2. There, you'll be prompted to go into one of the game's three routes – Scarlet Blaze (Black Eagle House), Azure Gleam (Blue Lions House), and Golden Wildfire (Golden Deer House). Each route has its own cast of playable characters, and no matter which route you pick, you'll have access to "Shez" (male or female playable main unit/character that you can rename).
Similar to The Legend of Zelda series, Fire Emblem has been given the Warriors treatment before. Akin to Hyrule Warriors (Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo Switch), Fire Emblem Warriors (3DS and Nintendo Switch) featured characters from different Fire Emblem games, but was set in a new land. This time, Three Hopes is solely focused on the world of Fódlan and utilizes Warriors' controls and combat with some changes. If you played Fire Emblem Warriors, it'll feel very familiar to you, but luckily with more Three Houses' mechanics and flair.
Just like the original Fire Emblem Warriors, you can level up your cast of characters in two different ways. Characters can earn experience by partaking in the hack and slash free-for-all missions or you can skip the battles and pay with gold instead. The caveat to paying with gold is you can only level characters up to the highest leveled character on your team (i.e.: Shez is level 10, therefore you can only max out other characters at level 10). Grinding missions for enemy gear/items to level up a character's moveset and more is thankfully gone. This is instead replaced by the class system that Three Houses utilized. You can change characters' classes with seals, advancing to the next class in a particular group when a specific class is mastered. While we're limited with seals during the demo, there's enough to use to test out different classes for different characters. Already mastered an intermediate class? Cool. You can go back to a completely different beginner class (via the Convoy menu), master that, and proceed to its branching-off intermediate classes.
It doesn't hurt that different classes will give characters different abilities too, some even staying in their learned pool when classes are swapped. Throw in the fact that characters have their own exclusive unique abilities, it's fun to see how they can fair in battle in an entirely different class and other learned abilities.
Combat Arts/Magic also returns in Three Hopes. These moves are locked behind certain classes and weapons, but once learned they're available to your units forever. You're limited to assigning two per character at a time, but can swap them out in between battles. Leveling up these moves do require a bit of grinding thanks to them using up a weapon's durability. So you'll have to maximize your usage of these moves during battles to level them efficiently. There are also cooldown times involved to minimize spamming attacks, so read up on these attacks before charging into battle.
The demo, thankfully, eases players into all of these features and slaps on a level cap of 15 so that we're not breezing through each mission. Unfortunately, due to how everything progresses (missions from Chapters 0 – 3 aren't replayable in the same save file), you'll find yourself with multiple characters at Level 1 or 2 at the start of Chapter 4. Thankfully, the AI is not completely dumb and will heal units you aren't controlling once they hit a certain threshold. Thus, you'll avoid permadeath if that's enabled. Also, you'll have time to try out every character thanks to Chapter 4's three different side-missions being replayable. Here, players can learn to master the basics and even venture into experimenting with different builds.
Thanks to the addition of Shez and Arval, plus a new starting time, the political landscape of Fódlan will unravel faster than it did in Three Houses. This "What if?" scenario is keeping character goals/motivations the same (on the surface at least), but will take root in different ways due to Byleth (the main unit/avatar character from Three Houses) not being a professor and building close friendships within a school year.
This time around, Byleth is viewed as Shez's rival thanks to a clash between their mercenary groups (Chapter 0). Following their defeat, Shez is hell-bent on surviving thanks to help from Arval (a rather strange and mystical being that only Shez can see/hear), and hyper-focused on becoming strong enough to take down the Ashen Demon.
Before Shez can accomplish their goal, they get tangled in the scenario where Edlegard, Dimitri, and Claude are fleeing bandits (Chapter 1). What was the turning point in Three Houses with Byleth, Shez slips into their place instead. After defeating the bandits and testing out different characters (Chapter 1 manually has you switching to Edlegard, Dimitri, and Claude during the fight), we're whisked away to the Garreg Mach Monastery. Here, Shez is given the opportunity to become a student at the monastery's Officers Academy, an offer they can't refuse (Chapter 2).
Those who enjoyed the monastery/school grounds hub portion of Three Houses may be disappointed that it doesn't return (at least at this part in the demo). Instead, we're given the trade-off of a very short Prologue arc (Chapters 0 – 3). After flushing out the remaining bandits in Chapter 2's mission, we're only a student for one more chapter. Chapter 3's focus is dependent on which house you pick. To be as spoiler-free as possible, here's a short summary of each:
Black Eagles: Thanks to Chapter 2's closing cutscene, Edlegard decides to return to Adrestia's capital for a mission of her own. Before leaving, she asks for assistance from the Knights of Seiros and select members of the Black Eagle house.
Blue Lions: Due to a dispute with the succession in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Dimitri must return home to quell the issue. After sending a portion of their troops with Edlegard to Enbarr, the Church of Seiros sends nearly the rest of their forces to join Dimitri and select classmates of the Blue Lion House.
Golden Deer: Claude, the future leader of the Alliance, receives a missive from Duke Goneril (Hilda's older brother). Due to the events happening elsewhere in Fódlan, an Almyran army is seen approaching Fódlan's Throat. The Golden Deer house is preparing to intercept the army, but will have to secure additional troops on their own due to the Knights of Seiros already being spread thin across the kingdom and empire.
Once Chapter 3's mission is over, we're treated to some exposition of what's happened with the other two houses and enter a two-year time skip. Depending on which route you're on, Chapter 4 will open with you preparing to start a war or defending your region and hoping to not be betrayed in the process.
Other than some slight date and height hiccups in character bios and a particular wording choice in the English localization (Leonie's C-Support with Shez), Three Hopes' story seems really promising. While, yes, we're going on a different adventure here, right from the start we can see Three Hopes is closing gaps present in Three Houses. Plus, given how some routes ended in Three Houses (with major battles happening off-screen), there's hope that won't happen this time around… even, if in typically Warriors' fashion, that gets added in via DLC.
Chapter 4 is also where you're able to explore a bit more thanks to the introduction of the base camp hub. Smaller than Garreg Mach Monastery's hub, the camp is easier to move around in, especially with fast travel unlocked. Over the course of this chapter, we're introduced to different features – merchants that sell different goods, training grounds with an instructor, chores, cooking, and more. The amount of training and social activities (chores and cooking) we can partake in are limited in each chapter thanks to an activity point system. Participating in these activities can increase a character's class mastery (training), increase their Support with other characters (all), or even increase their mood, which means better battling with them during missions (chores and cooking if done well).
This camp is also filling in as Warriors' "collect all these items to upgrade x" staple. Currently, three areas of the camp can be upgraded thanks to goods found after completing side missions. So far we can upgrade the following areas: the merchant stalls to offer more items, the training grounds to allow for another slot (pair of characters) to train during a session, and the kitchens to cook more dishes. At this early in the game, this leveling-up feature feels fairly easy and I can't wait to complete more side missions to trick out the entire camp. Hopefully, we'll be able to earn more activity and training points along the way.
Concerning the large cast of characters in Three Houses, it looks like everyone is returning and more! The demo doesn't feature the entire cast (we're missing a few characters affiliated with the Knights and Church of Seiros plus the Ashen Wolves who are only namedropped), but we're treated to some new additions. A number of characters that were mentioned in passing in Three Houses (or only vaguely referred to in interviews) appear onscreen this time around and some show up in battle as supportive units (or enemies).
The social-sim Character Supports are here too. They're available starting in Chapter 4, but compared to Three Houses, there are some changes here. Not every level (C, B, and A) guarantees a cutscene, and characters that may have had a Support chain that ended in A in Three Houses might only go up to B or less here. Plus, some C-Supports are also plot locked, which means you can grind enough points for that level in the demo, but you're not seeing it until the full game is out (R.I.P. Marianne and Hilda fans).
Thankfully, these interactions are fully voiced. I mention this because, unlike Three Houses, not all of Three Hopes' character dialogue is voiced. Talking with characters at your base camp (and other camps featured earlier in the demo) will give you a text box and a voiced line if you're lucky. More often than not, it's a word or two or something like a sigh. Typically, Warriors games are not fully voiced, but this was such a fantastic feature in Three Houses that it's sorely missed here. I really wish Koei Tecmo and Nintendo were able to invest in a larger budget in this department. The entire voice cast for this universe of Fire Emblem has helped make these characters shine.
The release of the Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes demo is a smart move from Nintendo. Three Houses fans who aren't familiar with Warriors-style gameplay can try out the game for themselves and see if it is the right fit for them. Fans who are familiar can dive right in and start exploring which route they want to move forward with first and can grind for gold, items, and Support points if they wish to do so. Regardless, everyone is devouring the new lore that's been dropped in (confirming some fan theories) and making fan art and memes. And for those Nintendo fans who aren't familiar with Three Houses and just want to try out the demo (and snag the 100 My Nintendo Platinum Point bonus), maybe you'll be persuaded to give Three Houses a go or pick up Three Hopes on release day.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes launches worldwide on Friday, June 24th, 2022, and only on Nintendo Switch.
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The TPF5 Logo: Samsung will provide digital electronics devices developed under its 'Built For Africa' conditions to all season five Tusker Project Fame (TPF) contestants, faculty and judges.
As part of its efforts to support environmental conservation and celebrations to mark this year's World Environment Day, Samsung and East African Breweries have entered into a multimillion sponsorship deal that will propel this year's Tusker Project Fame 5 to a digital space.
As part of the deal, Samsung will provide digital electronics devices developed under its 'Built For Africa' conditions to all season five Tusker Project Fame (TPF) contestants, faculty and judges.
Globally, the World Environment Day is an annual event celebrated on June 5 and aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action.
In the strategic partnership, Samsung Electronics will transform TPF 5 to a paperless reality TV production complete with a custom made software application for both the production teams and the viewers.
Tusker Project Fame, East Africa's first ever locally produced reality show, has been described as a hybrid of voyeuristic Big Brother and musical phenomenon idols, with a thrilling dose of survivor-style voting.
On his part, EABL Group managing director Seni Adetu noted that the deal would deliver a unique experience to this year's show. "We are constantly on the look-out for ways to bring much more than just world class entertainment to the millions of viewers tuning into Tusker Project Fame. With Samsung coming on board, we are particularly pleased to deliver leading edge technology to the entire pool of contestants and faculty at the Tusker Project Fame Academy," said Adetu.
As part of the show's interactivity feature, TPF 5 Faculty, Students and Judges will all receive Galaxy Tabs, Galaxy Pocket phones allowing them to communicate, receive instructions and share responses real time effectively minimising the use of paper scripts. All the contestants will also receive Samsung Digital Still and Video Camcorders to record developments in the TPF house.
During this year's TPF 5, the faculty team led by Hellen Mtawali will innovatively share and deliver their class assignments and related instructions via Galaxy Tablets. The judges led by Ian Mbugua will also deliver their verdicts through Galaxy tablets providing an easy to audit framework.
Production wise, Digital Still Cameras, Production TV will also interactively communicate and update the presenter scripts real time through the presenters Galaxy Tabs and an Interactive, Touch Screen Smart LED TV on stage. Air Con solutions we also be installed for live shows.
Tusker Project Fame is a reality Music television show in which 15 selected contestants compete by performing on stage to live audiences through an 8 week period. The regional show is broadcast across East Africa with against a talent tapping objective to find aspiring young adults with musical aptitude to sing as well as further develop their musical performance skills.


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Study Led By NASA Finds That Sea Levels Could Rise 15 Inches By 2100 Due To Greenhouse Gas Emissions
0 0 N Stilianopoulos Tuesday, September 29, 2020 Edit this post
A huge international scientific study involving 60 scientists and 36 respected international institutions has revealed that the Earth's sea-levels could rise by 15 inches (38cm) by 2100 if the Greenland and Antarctica ice-sheets were to melt. Something that is deemed probable if current CO2 emissions are continued.
These results were published in The Cryosphere academic journal.
Heiko Goelzer, a scientist who played a part in the project, said:
"The strength of ISMIP6 was to bring together most of the ice sheet modelling groups around the world, and then connect with other communities of ocean and atmospheric modelers as well, to better understand what could happen to the ice sheets."
Much of the evidence gathered for this report was obtained with the help of NASA and their Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (ISMIP6) which maps ice-sheet melt across the globe. According to the evidence they found, the melting of Greenland would contribute 3 to 10 inches to water levels, and the melting of Antarctica would contribute 1 to 11 inches.
Such a sea rise would place much of the Earth's coastal regions entirely underwater, including many of the world's major cities. It would also result in millions of refugees fleeing areas that are no longer habitable.
Sophie Nowicki, one of the leaders of the project, stated that it was of key importance to learn how much ice-sheet melt would contribute to sea-level rise. She stated:
"One of the biggest uncertainties when it comes to how much sea level will rise in the future is how much the ice sheets will contribute. And how much the ice sheets contribute is really dependent on what the climate will do."
"It took over six years of workshops and teleconferences with scientists from around the world working on ice sheet, atmosphere, and ocean modelling to build a community that was able to ultimately improve our sea level rise projections. The reason it worked is because the polar community is small, and we're all very keen on getting this problem of future sea level right. We need to know these numbers."
One curious factor that could emerge from the melting of the Greenland ice-sheet, as a result of global warming, is to actually plummet the North of Europe into freezing cold temperatures.
At present, the Gulf-stream, which runs from the Mexican Gulf, takes hot air across the Atlantic and makes the North of Europe far hotter than what it would otherwise be, relative to its latitude. Therefore, places such as Ireland, Scotland, England, lower Scandinavia and Northern France and Germany experience relatively mild weather compared to places on the same latitude, such as Russia and Canada. If the Greenland ice melts, the cold water could disrupt the Gulf-stream and lead to sub-Arctic conditions in Europe.
Environment News Science
Thinking Humanity: Study Led By NASA Finds That Sea Levels Could Rise 15 Inches By 2100 Due To Greenhouse Gas Emissions
International scientific study involving 60 scientists and 36 respected international institutions has revealed that the Earth's sea-levels could rise
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https://www.thinkinghumanity.com/2020/09/study-led-by-nasa-finds-that-sea-levels-could-rise-15-inches-by-2100-due-to-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html


On sale (not a lightning deal), you can get the new condition Gotideal 8 in 1 Groovy Protective camera Case set for the Fujifilm Instax Mini (8, 8+, 9) Instant Cameras. This bndle is headlined by a PU leather camera case with Removable Strap, along with a DIY photo album, a close-up selfie lens, stickers, lens color effects, photo frames and other assorted instant photography items. They come with a 1-year warranty and average 4.5 out of 5 based on 66 customer reviews.
As of the time of writing, the price is $9.33 minus a 5% off clip-on coupon, putting it just under $9. Free 2-day shipping for PRime members or with a $25+ order.


Freelancers often hear how lucky they are to work from home and be their own boss. They can work when they want to, and not have to worry about the daily commute to the office.
But the life of the freelancer isn't as glamorous as you'd think. In fact, freelancing can be quite stressful.
And while freelancers may perform outsourced tasks, hiring a freelancer isn't the same as hiring outsourced professional support from an outsourcing business.
So, if you're a freelancer and looking for a change, or a business who's looking to hire freelancers, consider how outsourcing helps freelancers and the businesses they work for.
While it's common for the terms "freelancer" and "contractor" to be used interchangeably, more often than not, they are not the same type of worker. The closest nomenclature for these two job positions is the term "independent contractor" for a freelancer since freelancers work independently without an employer or employees. Here at Supportibles, we also use the term "telecommuter" for contracted workers working remotely.
Contractors, on the other hand, may have an employer for a short or long period of time—depending on the contract. And they may also hire employees—sub-contractors—who help them complete projects on time.
Must perform all the tasks of a typical workplace—worker, marketer, secretary, cleaner, and accountant.
Enjoy a set job and hours, and a better work-life balance.
In the freelancing world, when it rains, it pours. And then, when there are droughts, freelancers start to panic.
In other words, work for freelancers is precarious. Sometimes they will be drowning in work, and other times they will be desperately looking for work to survive. Either way, they can become very stressed out.
This is where outsourcing comes in very handy. Say, during a work dry spell, you (as a freelancer) applied to work for several clients, thinking the more the better since not everyone will get back to you. But then, miraculously, every client old and new has work for you, and it's all due within the next couple of weeks.
What do you do? Do you take on all the work, and work 15-hour days, skipping meals and stressing out for the next two weeks? Do you refuse some work and potentially lose a valuable client or two? Or, do you ask for help and outsource some of your work, keeping both your clients and your sanity?
Another way outsourcing can help freelancers is by working for an outsourcing company. Outsourced workers often get the same perks as being a freelancer, but with all the other benefits of being a contractor. And after some time freelancing, a stable job with a regular paycheque and opportunities for career growth sounds like heaven.
What are the Advantages of Outsourcing For Your Business?
Businesses large and small benefit from outsourcing simply because there isn't enough time in a day to complete all required tasks efficiently. Whether you outsource for customer support, answering the never-ending calls and e-mails, or you need a project manager to take on that project you can never get around to, outsourcing lends the expert helping hand to help your business succeed and grow.
Outsourcing companies often perform diligent screening and training of all their workers, so you can be rest assured knowing your clients and business will be dealing with professional, courteous people.
Outsourcing is also a scalable service. So you only hire on professional support for specific jobs when you need it. This helps cut back on the costs of hiring and training in-house staff that you may only need for a short period of time.
For businesses, contract work offers greater consistency because the outsourced support is already trained. When outsourced support contractors are hired to work for a business, they come prepared, already trained to perform specific, sought-after tasks. Their employer will provide extensive training that is in line with the business client's needs.
For freelancers, contract work means more consistent hours working and job security for the foreseeable future. This consistency means freelancers don't have to stress as much about how much money they will earn in the next month. And many outsourcing companies have positions for a variety of expertise, whether its customer support, tech support, or content production.
The well-known secret to finding a job is, "It's all about who you know." And this couldn't be truer for freelancers. Freelancers often rely on networking to find and keep clients. These working relationships can pay off in the long run when an excellent job opportunity comes knocking. And, at the very least, it means someone will have your back when you need a reference for a new job.
For businesses, having a working relationship with contractors is also very beneficial. It helps boost communication, efficiency, and ensures your vision and needs are being met.
Overworking, losing clients, and crumbling under stress is never fun. So if your business needs an extra hand or two, consider business outsourcing.
And if you're sick of the 9-to-5 job and you're looking at freelancing as an option, or you're burnt out as a freelancer, eyeing that stable office job, why not choose the best of both worlds and consider a career in outsourcing professional support?
Since 1999, Supportibles has been offering office and customer support outsourcing services to businesses and websites that wish to outsource their customer service, project management, and marketing and sales assistance tasks. Whether you wish to outsource customer care or simply need assistance with your online marketing, Supportibles can help! Ask for your free quote today.


Fair Work releases a new app to fight underpayment: "Record my Hours"
To assist employers and employees in Australia, the government has just launched a new application « Record My Hours ». Indeed, sometimes employers fail to keep employee's records of hours. This lack of records makes it difficult for an employee to address concerns about underpayments. Therefore the Fair Work has developed an application to makes it quick and easy for employees to record their worked hours, plus other details about their job.
The Australian government, has always recommend employees to manually record their hours. With this application, it get easier to do so for all workers around Australia.
Because of businesses breaking the law to try and get a competitive advantage, workers and especially foreign ones are sometimes underpaid or disadvantaged. To prevent such situations, the government, through the FairWork, has developed this application to assist workers and companies to keep track of their rights and duties.
The application already raised criticisms from the National Farmers Federation who has called for it to be immediately withdrawn. National Farmers' Federation chief executive, Tony Mahar, said he was concerned the app was "pitting workers again their bosses" and complained the industry had not been consulted during the development of the app.
First of all, you will need to download it from the Apple Store or Google Play depending on your mobile phone.
Once downloaded, you can enter the details of your job, such as the name of your employer, address, ABN, your contract type (full time / casual) etc.
« Record My Hours » uses your phone's location and 'geofencing' technology and automatically record when you start and finish work, based on your location.
The information recorded are stored on the application but can also be retrieved instantly if an issue about pay arises. Workers can export the data via email, share it with their employer or even with the Fair Work for any question about their rights.
Unfortunately, for the automatic recording of hours, you will need to have mobile or Wi-Fi coverage. So this functionality won't work when there is no coverage or for people who travel a lot for work. The app allows you to manually record your hours to cater for this.
record information about piecework arrangements.
This application aims to assist small companies which cannot invest in electronic systems recording their employees hours.
For employees, the application aims particularly to help foreign workers who are unsure about their entitlements and are not confortable with english. It aims to deal with the exploitation of young and migrant workers.
For working holiday makers, this application can help you prouve your regional work requirement in order to apply for a second year. Indeed, this application can also assit you to show you have completed 88 days or 3 months of specified work in regional Australia.
You can download this application for free on Itunes or Google Play stores. The application is available in 12 languages.


Trading currencies have become extremely popular since the turn of the century. Technological advances have increased the size of the foreign exchange market which has now exceeded $4 trillion of average turnovers per day. Currency prices are constantly influenced by the actions of governments and central banks of the world's prominent countries.
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We offer a professional and transparent Forex Trading Environment with a wide range of tradable instruments. With years of experience and a vast knowledge of the Forex market at GCC Investing we know that the most popular currency pairs include EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY, and we make sure to get you the most accurate quotes. You'll also benefit from cost-efficient, low-latency FX rates. GCC Investing does not charge commissions or other fees beyond the minimum spreads for each currency pair. Our trading platform makes FX trading more accessible and gives you more control and support.
The Trading Conditions at GCC Investing are carefully designed to provide a fair, transparent and reliable trading environment. We offer you the best available forex spreads to help improve your trading experience.
If you are ready to step into the Forex trading arena, GCC Investing will provide you with all the necessary tools to trade effectively including an intuitive trading platform that combines high liquidity, low rates and high profits. The end result is your trading success.
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Home/Social Media/How to Make Your Brand an Instagram Sensation
How to Make Your Brand an Instagram Sensation
Victor Green March 9, 2016	Social Media Leave a comment
Best Digital Marketing Trends in 2020
If there's one thing that the regular readers of this blog know about Elite Email, it's that we can't emphasize enough how important social media is to the email and SMS marketing processes. A quick look at our coverage of Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ should be more than enough to confirm the truth held within this statement.
However, the social world is continuing to shift and evolve at a rapid rate, so merely maintaining a strong brand presence on the "Big Three" networks isn't enough to keep your brand in the limelight anymore. With this in mind, here's a look at how to tap into the power of Instagram and make your brand a sensation on one of the fastest growing social portals in the digital world.
Claim a Niche with Your Visual Content
The first way to start building your reputation on Instagram, according to Elite Daily's Dani Watson, is by claiming a niche with your visual content. With over 400 million monthly active users, members of this social network have no shortage of quality content, so it's beyond vital that your brand finds a way to differentiate itself.
Whether this comes from adopting a unique way to present these offerings, or establishing a recurring theme or content motif, is entirely up to your brand. The big key here is that your image feed needs to be eye-catching and capable of standing out on the increasingly crowded Instagram platform.
Generate Some Conversation via Trending Hashtags
Outside of finding your content niche, Watson also suggests that it's a good idea to get acclimated with the power of hashtags on this rising social network. Specifically, it's important to understand how trending hashtags can put your branded content on the map and generate a significant amount of viewer feedback and discussion.
By spending some time researching the hottest conversations and relevant hashtags on Instagram, you can craft content and offerings that tap into the excitement of theses social movements. From here, your content has a significantly higher chance of "going viral" within previously untouched segments of the Instagram audience and driving new viewers to your branded profile.
Funnel Instagram Viewers into Your Contact Lists
Speaking of new viewers, Cindy King of Social Media Examiner points out that growing a strong following on Instagram also gives your brand a chance to funnel these viewers into your other marketing channels. In this case, we're talking about your email and SMS marketing campaigns.
As you post new content to your Instagram account, try to incorporate calls-to-action (CTAs) regarding your sign-up forms whenever possible. The caption of your Instagram posts, your account bio, and even via visual storytelling within the content itself are all powerful locations to drop in these CTAs and help drum up interest for your various contact lists as you continue to build a lasting relationship between these intertwined channels.
Be Willing to Explore Video Alternatives
King also notes that Instagram itself is evolving to include alternative media – like video content – within its social platform, so your brand needs to be willing to explore these areas as potential growth opportunities. Yes, traditional image offerings should still be the "backbone" of your Instagram presence, but being an early adopter of these new advancements shows that your brand is willing and able to truly maximize its standing on this network.
The best part about creating a stop motion video or some other non-traditional content for your branded Instagram feed is that these offerings translate well to the inbox and other related marketing channels. It might not seem like much now, but the ability to "double-dip" with your content and repurpose it for different platforms helps increase efficiency and generate even more value from these selections.
Leverage the Power of Popular Instagram Users
Finally, as your brand continues to grow its sphere of influence on this network, don't be afraid to reach out and connect with established members of the Instagram community. These thought leaders lay claim to substantial active followings, so building connections on behalf of your organization can pave the way for shared postings and other marketing opportunities that serve to spread your message and bring in new viewers to your official profile.
Forging these bonds and enacting the other strategies laid out within this post require a significant amount of work on your end; there's no way around this fact. However, when paired with the realization that having a strong presence on Instagram is vital to growth and overarching health of your various marketing operations, it's easy to see that taking on this challenge is well worth the effort.
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Out of the Blue Productions takes an in-depth look at the history of the Great Storm of 1913. In all of the Great Lakes, 12 ships were lost with all hands, while at least 58 others were stranded and damaged. This DVD includes underwater of footage of wrecks including the Regina, Price and Wexford.


For 400 years, it took days on foot to reach the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Then, about a century ago, travelers were offered the option of taking a four-hour train ride instead. Now there's yet another way.
Inkaterra, a Peruvian ecotourism company, started a helicopter service from Cuzco to Machu Picchu in May. The 30-minute flight whisks passengers to the helipad at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, about a 20-minute drive from the ruins. Rates begin at $895 a person for a one-day excursion, based on the number of passengers, and include a guided tour of the ruins and lunch at the hotel. Overnight trips are also available.
Another company had offered helicopter flights, but the government wouldn't renew its contract because of complaints by environmentalists and local residents about noise and pollution.
Inkaterra said it uses five-passenger low-noise Alouette helicopters on its flights. To make reservations, call (800) 442-5042 or visit www.inkaterra.com.


(1)(a) For the week in which he or she has voluntarily left work without good cause attributable to his or her employing unit or has been discharged by the employing unit for misconduct connected with his or her work, based on a finding by the Department of Economic Opportunity. As used in this paragraph, the term "work" means any work, whether full-time, part-time, or temporary.
1. Disqualification for voluntarily quitting continues for the full period of unemployment next ensuing after the individual has left his or her full-time, part-time, or temporary work voluntarily without good cause and until the individual has earned income equal to or greater than 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount. As used in this subsection, the term "good cause" includes only that cause attributable to the employing unit which would compel a reasonable employee to cease working or attributable to the individual's illness or disability requiring separation from his or her work. Any other disqualification may not be imposed. An individual is not disqualified under this subsection for voluntarily leaving temporary work to return immediately when called to work by the permanent employing unit that temporarily terminated his or her work within the previous 6 calendar months, or for voluntarily leaving work to relocate as a result of his or her military-connected spouse's permanent change of station orders, activation orders, or unit deployment orders.
2. Disqualification for being discharged for misconduct connected with his or her work continues for the full period of unemployment next ensuing after having been discharged and until the individual is reemployed and has earned income of at least 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount and for not more than 52 weeks immediately following that week, as determined by the department in each case according to the circumstances or the seriousness of the misconduct, under the department's rules adopted for determinations of disqualification for benefits for misconduct.
3. If an individual has provided notification to the employing unit of his or her intent to voluntarily leave work and the employing unit discharges the individual for reasons other than misconduct before the date the voluntary quit was to take effect, the individual, if otherwise entitled, shall receive benefits from the date of the employer's discharge until the effective date of his or her voluntary quit.
4. If an individual is notified by the employing unit of the employer's intent to discharge the individual for reasons other than misconduct and the individual quits without good cause before the date the discharge was to take effect, the claimant is ineligible for benefits pursuant to s. 443.091(1)(d) for failing to be available for work for the week or weeks of unemployment occurring before the effective date of the discharge.
(b) For any week with respect to which the department finds that his or her unemployment is due to a suspension for misconduct connected with the individual's work.
(c) For any week with respect to which the department finds that his or her unemployment is due to a leave of absence, if the leave was voluntarily initiated by the individual.
(d) For any week with respect to which the department finds that his or her unemployment is due to a discharge for misconduct connected with the individual's work, consisting of drug use, as evidenced by a positive, confirmed drug test.
(2) If the Department of Economic Opportunity finds that the individual has failed without good cause to apply for available suitable work, accept suitable work when offered to him or her, or return to the individual's customary self-employment when directed by the department, the disqualification continues for the full period of unemployment next ensuing after he or she failed without good cause to apply for available suitable work, accept suitable work, or return to his or her customary self-employment, and until the individual has earned income of at least 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount. The department shall by rule adopt criteria for determining the "suitability of work," as used in this section. In developing these rules, the department shall consider the duration of a claimant's unemployment in determining the suitability of work and the suitability of proposed rates of compensation for available work. Further, after an individual has received 25 weeks of benefits in a single year, suitable work is a job that pays the minimum wage and is 120 percent or more of the weekly benefit amount the individual is drawing.
(a) In determining whether or not any work is suitable for an individual, the department shall consider the degree of risk to the individual's health, safety, and morals; the individual's physical fitness, prior training, experience, prior earnings, length of unemployment, and prospects for securing local work in his or her customary occupation; and the distance of the available work from his or her residence.
1. The position offered is vacant due directly to a strike, lockout, or other labor dispute.
2. The wages, hours, or other conditions of the work offered are substantially less favorable to the individual than those prevailing for similar work in the locality.
3. As a condition of being employed, the individual is required to join a company union or to resign from or refrain from joining any bona fide labor organization.
(c) If the department finds that an individual was rejected for offered employment as the direct result of a positive, confirmed drug test required as a condition of employment, the individual is disqualified for refusing to accept an offer of suitable work.
(a) Wages in lieu of notice.
(b) Severance pay. The number of weeks that an individual's severance pay disqualifies the individual is equal to the amount of the severance pay divided by that individual's average weekly wage received from the employer that paid the severance pay, rounded down to the nearest whole number, beginning with the week the individual is separated from employment.
(c) Compensation for temporary total disability or permanent total disability under the workers' compensation law of any state or under a similar law of the United States.
If the remuneration referred to in this subsection is less than the benefits that would otherwise be due under this chapter, an individual who is otherwise eligible is entitled to receive for that week benefits reduced by the amount of the remuneration.
2. He or she does not belong to a grade or class of workers of which immediately before the commencement of the labor dispute there were members employed at the premises at which the labor dispute occurs any of whom are participating in, financing, or directly interested in the dispute; if in any case separate branches of work are commonly conducted as separate businesses in separate premises, or are conducted in separate departments of the same premises, each department, for the purpose of this subsection, is deemed to be a separate factory, establishment, or other premise.
(b) His or her total or partial unemployment results from a lockout by his or her employer. As used in this section, the term "lockout" means a situation in which employees have not gone on strike, nor have employees notified the employer of a date certain for a strike, but in which employees have been denied entry to the factory, establishment, or other premises of employment by the employer. However, benefits are not payable under this paragraph if the lockout action was taken in response to threats, actions, or other indications of impending damage to property and equipment or possible physical violence by employees or in response to actual damage or violence or a substantial reduction in production instigated or perpetrated by employees.
(5) For any week with respect to which or a part of which he or she has received or is seeking reemployment assistance or unemployment benefits under a reemployment assistance or unemployment compensation law of another state or of the United States. For the purposes of this subsection, a reemployment assistance or unemployment compensation law of the United States is any law of the United States which provides for payment of any type and in any amounts for periods of unemployment due to lack of work. However, if the appropriate agency of the other state or of the United States finally determines that he or she is not entitled to reemployment assistance or unemployment benefits, this disqualification does not apply.
(6) For making any false or fraudulent representation for the purpose of obtaining benefits contrary to this chapter, constituting a violation under s. 443.071. The disqualification imposed under this subsection shall begin with the week in which the false or fraudulent representation is made and shall continue for a period not to exceed 1 year after the date the Department of Economic Opportunity discovers the false or fraudulent representation and until any overpayment of benefits resulting from such representation has been repaid in full. This disqualification may be appealed in the same manner as any other disqualification imposed under this section. A conviction by any court of competent jurisdiction in this state of the offense prohibited or punished by s. 443.071 is conclusive upon the appeals referee and the commission of the making of the false or fraudulent representation for which disqualification is imposed under this section.
(b) In the case of an individual whose application for benefits would otherwise be approved, a determination that benefits to such individual are not payable because of his or her alien status may not be made except by a preponderance of the evidence.
If the department finds that the individual has refused without good cause an offer of resettlement or relocation, which offer provides for suitable employment for the individual notwithstanding the distance of relocation, resettlement, or employment from the current location of the individual in this state, this disqualification continues for the week in which the failure occurred and for not more than 17 weeks immediately after that week, or a reduction by not more than 5 weeks from the duration of benefits, as determined by the department in each case.
(c) For any week in which he or she has received benefits from a retirement, pension, or annuity program under the United States Social Security Act, for which program he or she has paid any contribution, benefits may not be reduced because of the contribution.
For the purpose of this subsection, benefits from the United States Social Security Act, a disability benefit program, or any other similar periodic payment based on the previous work of the individual are considered retirement income, except as provided in paragraph (c).
(a) If the Department of Economic Opportunity or the Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission finds that the individual was terminated from work for violation of any criminal law, under any jurisdiction, which was in connection with his or her work, and the individual was convicted, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, the individual is not entitled to reemployment assistance benefits for up to 52 weeks, pursuant to rules adopted by the department, and until he or she has earned income of at least 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount. If, before an adjudication of guilt, an admission of guilt, or a plea of nolo contendere, the employer proves by competent substantial evidence to the department that the arrest was due to a crime against the employer or the employer's business, customers, or invitees, the individual is not entitled to reemployment assistance benefits.
(b) If the department or the Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission finds that the individual was terminated from work for any dishonest act in connection with his or her work, the individual is not entitled to reemployment assistance benefits for up to 52 weeks, pursuant to rules adopted by the department, and until he or she has earned income of at least 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount. If the employer terminates an individual as a result of a dishonest act in connection with his or her work and the department finds misconduct in connection with his or her work, the individual is not entitled to reemployment assistance benefits.
If an individual is disqualified for benefits, the account of the terminating employer, if the employer is in the base period, is noncharged at the time the disqualification is imposed.
(10) Subject to the requirements of this subsection, if the claim is made based on the loss of employment as a leased employee for an employee leasing company or as a temporary employee for a temporary help firm.
1. "Temporary help firm" means a firm that hires its own employees and assigns them to clients to support or supplement the client's workforce in work situations such as employee absences, temporary skill shortages, seasonal workloads, and special assignments and projects, and includes a labor pool as defined in s. 448.22. The term also includes a firm created by an entity licensed under s. 125.012(6), which hires employees assigned by a union for the purpose of supplementing or supporting the workforce of the temporary help firm's clients. The term does not include employee leasing companies regulated under part XI of chapter 468.
2. "Temporary employee" means an employee assigned to work for the clients of a temporary help firm. The term also includes a day laborer performing day labor, as defined in s. 448.22, who is employed by a labor pool as defined in s. 448.22.
3. "Leased employee" means an employee assigned to work for the clients of an employee leasing company regulated under part XI of chapter 468.
(b) A temporary or leased employee is deemed to have voluntarily quit employment and is disqualified for benefits under subparagraph (1)(a)1. if, upon conclusion of his or her latest assignment, the temporary or leased employee, without good cause, failed to contact the temporary help or employee-leasing firm for reassignment, if the employer advised the temporary or leased employee at the time of hire and that the leased employee is notified also at the time of separation that he or she must report for reassignment upon conclusion of each assignment, regardless of the duration of the assignment, and that reemployment assistance benefits may be denied for failure to report. For purposes of this section, the time of hire for a day laborer is upon his or her acceptance of the first assignment following completion of an employment application with the labor pool. The labor pool as defined in s. 448.22(1) must provide notice to the temporary employee upon conclusion of the latest assignment that work is available the next business day and that the temporary employee must report for reassignment the next business day. The notice must be given by means of a notice printed on the paycheck, written notice included in the pay envelope, or other written notification at the conclusion of the current assignment.
(a) To qualify for the presumption described in this subsection, an employer must have implemented a drug-free workplace program under ss. 440.101 and 440.102, and must submit proof that the employer has qualified for the insurance discounts provided under s. 627.0915, as certified by the insurance carrier or self-insurance unit. In lieu of these requirements, an employer who does not fit the definition of "employer" in s. 440.102 may qualify for the presumption if the employer is in compliance with equivalent or more stringent drug-testing standards established by federal law or regulation.
(b) Only laboratories licensed and approved as provided in s. 440.102(9), or as provided by equivalent or more stringent licensing requirements established by federal law or regulation may perform the drug tests.
(c) Disclosure of drug test results and other information pertaining to drug testing of individuals who claim or receive compensation under this chapter shall be governed by s. 443.1715.
(12) For any week in which the individual is unavailable for work due to incarceration or imprisonment.
(13) For any week with respect to which the department finds that his or her unemployment is due to a discharge from employment for failure without good cause to maintain a license, registration, or certification required by applicable law necessary for the employee to perform her or his assigned job duties. For purposes of this subsection, the term "good cause" includes, but is not limited to, failure of the employer to submit information required for a license, registration, or certification; short-term physical injury which prevents the employee from completing or taking a required test; and inability to take or complete a required test that is outside the employee's control.
History.—s. 6, ch. 18402, 1937; s. 4, ch. 19637, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 4151(493); s. 6, ch. 20685, 1941; s. 4, ch. 21983, 1943; s. 1, ch. 24083, 1947; s. 3, ch. 28242, 1953; s. 1, ch. 63-327; s. 1, ch. 63-157; s. 1, ch. 65-45; s. 1, ch. 65-114; s. 1, ch. 65-115; s. 1, ch. 65-244; s. 1, ch. 65-411; ss. 17, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 72-190; s. 4, ch. 77-262; s. 4, ch. 77-399; s. 1, ch. 77-424; s. 1, ch. 78-386; s. 22, ch. 79-7; s. 74, ch. 79-40; s. 2, ch. 79-293; s. 2, ch. 79-308; s. 183, ch. 79-400; ss. 3, 8, 9, ch. 80-95; s. 3, ch. 80-345; s. 1, ch. 81-42; s. 1, ch. 81-137; s. 4, ch. 88-289; s. 1, ch. 92-38; s. 1, ch. 92-84; s. 1, ch. 92-283; s. 2, ch. 93-153; s. 1, ch. 94-158; s. 4, ch. 94-347; s. 4, ch. 96-378; s. 2, ch. 96-411; s. 1060, ch. 97-103; s. 2, ch. 99-131; s. 24, ch. 2003-36; s. 7, ch. 2004-230; s. 1, ch. 2004-237; s. 1, ch. 2008-165; s. 6, ch. 2009-99; s. 15, ch. 2010-90; s. 357, ch. 2011-142; s. 5, ch. 2011-235; s. 7, ch. 2012-30; s. 43, ch. 2013-39.


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Home China World Business Opinion Lifestyle China Focus ChinAfrica Video Multimedia Columnists Documents Special Reports
Journey of Discovery
Why an ancient civilization has not only survived but is thriving
By William N. Brown · 2019-11-25 · Source: NO.48 NOVEMBER 28, 2019
William N. Brown, a professor at Xiamen University, poses at the Jiayu Pass of the Great Wall in Gansu Province in northwest China (COURTESY PHOTO)
When my family and I came to Xiamen in southeast China for the first time in 1988, I quickly fell in love with China and became a foreign teacher at Xiamen University. At that time, the living conditions were harsh. Every day, the running water was out once or more, power outages were frequent, and transportation wasn't convenient. But the people were warm, friendly and hospitable.
In order to get acquainted with the real China, I decided to travel around China in my own way. So in 1994, I drove with my wife and sons all around China. We drove up the coast to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Qingdao, over to Beijing, down to Xi'an, to Qinghai, Tibet, through Yunnan and south China, and back to Xiamen, so pretty much most of the country. It took us three months and we traveled 40,000 km in total.
Teaching to fish
I drove around China to see if the reforms had truly benefited all parts of the country. To my surprise, new roads, schools and medical centers had already begun to be built even in remote villages.
From a humanitarian standpoint, it was impressive, but as a business professor, I wondered how the government would ever recoup such massive investments in remote, sparsely populated areas. I finally realized that China's leadership had a very farsighted perspective on poverty alleviation. The ancients said, "Give a hungry person a fish and they eat one day; teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime." Simply doling out money to such a large population would not address the root of poverty and might make it even worse if people became dependent upon aid. Improved infrastructure and living conditions, however, gave people hope of lifting themselves out of poverty.
China's great changes over three decades have also given me great faith in the leadership of the Chinese Government. In 1994, for example, it took me three months to drive 40,000 km, but today China has the world's most extensive highway system and high-speed train network. Three decades ago, power and water were out weekly, sometimes daily, even in coastal cities like Xiamen. This time, farmers in remote mountain villages laughed when I asked if they ever had power outages. In 1991, I spent $450 and waited three years to get a home telephone. Today, even farmers in remote Tibetan and Inner Mongolian villages have cellphones and access to the Internet, and they buy and sell goods online. The changes are nothing short of miraculous.
But even with China's track record, President Xi Jinping's vow to eradicate extreme poverty by 2020 was so surprising that in 2019 I decided to drive around China again to see just how much progress had been made over the past 25 years. Although everyone knows China's miraculous economic statistics, I wanted to put real faces to the numbers—to interview people in every corner of the country to see if their lives had changed. What I discovered astonished not only me but the Chinese who made the trip with me.
I planned to drive around China alone but leaders of Xiamen University's School of Management were concerned about my safety and health and provided a car and driver. "You're not 38 this time; you're 63!" they reminded me. We ended up with several cars and a dozen people, including a Fujian Television video production crew, Zhu Qingfu, an award-winning Fujian photographer, and tunnel expert Lin Zhengjia, both of whom I interviewed when I discovered they are the kinds of people who have made China's success possible. But as I quickly learned, China has exceptional people in every corner of the country.
Every member of our team was astonished at the sheer scope of changes in every province and county. From the boat people of Fu'an in Fujian, whom Xi helped get homes on land, to herders in Inner Mongolia, farmers in Ningxia and Gansu, and villagers in remote Tibet, Yunnan and Guangxi, lives had changed because of concrete and consistent plans implemented by local leaders who took their task of fulfilling the Chinese dream seriously.
Greening while growing
But eradicating poverty is easier said than done, especially when one must juggle economic, cultural and environmental issues. In Inner Mongolia, for example, where over-grazing by sheep has led to desertification, both the government and people have proven to be creative in improving lives while retaining traditional practices. One mother I interviewed cut back on her livestock's grazing but earned enough from selling traditional Inner Mongolian snacks so that she could send her daughter to Xiamen University!
In addition to making economic achievements, China has made great progress in environmental protection.
I was especially impressed that China has become greener even as it has grown. In 1994, rural China seemed to have only one color: mud. By day two, my white van was mud-colored; by day three, I too was dusty and the color of mud. But today, every province has modern highways with gleaming bridges and endless tunnels cutting across valleys and mountains. In 1994, the valleys and mountains were barren but today they are green and fertile. In Inner Mongolia, we looked in vain for the sand dunes that had trapped my van in 1994. Today, that area is covered in grass and trees.
Every city I went to was so clean, and the countryside too. Districts and cities like Nanjing, Qingdao, Beijing's Dongcheng District, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Songjiang District of Shanghai had not only modernized, but at the same time had made the environment even better. Today, China not only has garden cities but also garden countrysides.
In a village in Ningxia in northwest China that in 1994 was extremely impoverished, concrete roads lead to the doorsteps of farmers' new brick homes, which have reliable electricity, water and Internet. I interviewed a local leader who had grown up in a traditional mud home that collapsed in a heavy rain and almost crushed him. He was delighted by the government's campaign to help all villagers in China build safer homes. He visited an elderly lady whose home had been rebuilt, to ask if she needed further help. "I have a new home," she replied. "That's enough!"
My 20,000-km trip in 2019 showed me that China is indeed on track to eradicate poverty but what is the secret to achieving a dream that has eluded all other nations?
In 1731, English politician Eustace Budgell said China was famous for great inventions but it most excelled, above all nations, in "the art of government." History shows that China has survived the ages because it has always had farsighted leadership. But that's only one part of China's secret. Great leaders also need capable followers. There's little point in teaching how to fish if the pupil can't or won't fish. As one farmer told me, "The government understands our needs and has good policies, but good policies can't help if we don't do our own part!"
China's secret
After dozens of interviews around China, I'm convinced that China is great because it has both farsighted top-down leadership and bottom-up innovation by the people. For example, Lin, the boy from Pingtan County in Fujian who had no shoes until he was a teen and studied martial arts to give himself self-confidence, worked as a fisherman. As a common laborer, he saw ways to improve tunnel construction, pulled together a team, and is today a billionaire and global leader in tunneling. He participated in building the country's first undersea tunnel and the world's highest tunnel in Tibet. And though he has often told me he is uncultured because he studied only four years, he is a philanthropist, facilitating education for disadvantaged youth in many provinces.
China also owes its success to people like the teacher who for over 30 years has been teaching in remote Gansu in the northwest and gives much of her small salary to needy students, many of whom have gone on to college and helped build their country. And I was moved by the story of Xiamen University's first Tibetan alumnus Yeshe Tenzin, who studied in Beijing, Singapore and the U.S. but turned down many opportunities abroad, determined to return to his homeland to teach at Tibet University.
I was also very moved by the story of Hu Min, CEO of the New Channel International Education Group, a teacher who in 14 years has opened over 300 schools in over 40 cities, with over 100,000 students each year.
Hu's personal motto is "I will persist until I succeed" but this must be China's motto as well. There is no other explanation why China is the only ancient great nation that has not only survived but thrived to this day.
In 1919, exactly a century ago, a Western missionary, Mary Gamewell, wrote in her book New Life Currents in China, "China is not like ancient Egypt, whose greatness has departed though she still lives on. China is a vital force whose largest possibilities of development lie before and not behind her. A new fresh life is beginning to course through the nation's veins."
Today, China's possibilities are greater than ever, and her success at eradicating poverty offers the hope of a fresh new life, not only for Chinese but for other peoples. All people, after all, are dreamers—dreaming of a better, safer world for our descendants.
This article was originally published in China Today
Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar
Comments to yanwei@bjreview.com
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Angela Mann organizes the youth events at Kepler's Books, a 56-year-old independent bookstore in Menlo Park, California. She is passionate about books, an enthusiastic champion of new authors, and the person I turn to when I need a recommendation for recent fantasy YA literature. The following seven books are her picks for the best fantasy books for the young adult set this year. And while the first two are not technically aimed at young adults, Angela thinks they fit perfectly into the category of "crossover" titles, meaning books that chameleon nicely between the world of adults and the world of almost-adults.
If you have a chance to visit Kepler's, make sure to pick Angela's brain for more titles you may have missed. You can also read more of her thoughts and get in touch with her by way of the BookBind, the blog she runs for Kepler's about teen literature.
Jacob grew up with his grandfather's stories of monsters and an orphanage that saved him. And when his grandfather dies, Jacob thinks he sees a monster in the woods. With his dying breath, his grandfather tells Jacob to find the bird, in the loop, get to the island, tell them what happened, and there he will be safe. But it turns out that a bomb hit the orphanage in 1940 and all that remains is a shell. So how did his grandfather have a letter from them sent just 15 years ago? This is a haunting, thoroughly disturbing read that is also achingly beautiful. And the unforgettable vintage photos work with the text, making this book stand out in a sea of look-alikes.
Quentin, Julia, Elliot, and Janet are now the kings and queens of Fillory. But Quentin is listless--he wants more than a perfect, but dull, royal life. He wants an adventure, the chance to be a hero, a quest. A search for a hare leads to him sailing to an island at the edge of the world with Julia, and ultimately trying to stop magic from disappearing. I loved Julia's story the most. It's a dark, twisted account, and she takes center stage in this sequel: angry, brilliant, bitter. The Magician King is smart, funny, dark, terrifying, and provocative--a tale of the making of a hero and of magic itself that should not be missed.
Cassio Lowood hunts and kills the dead, as his father did before him. Anna should have been no different. She has viciously killed anyone who has tried to step inside her house--except Cas. Why did she spare him? Will he be able to kill her? I could not put this book down. At times downright scary, this is a tale full of haunting images, witches, curses, and voodoo (oh my!). This is a story to savor… but with the lights on!
Karou is a blue-haired art student in Prague who fills notebooks with drawings of fantastical creatures. She can pass through hidden doorways to an office where these creatures not only exist, but also brought her up. But after Karou sneaks through a door she shouldn't have touched and meets a seraph in Marrakesh, handprints appear etched in all the doorways. The doors burn down and Karou no longer has a way through.
Once in a while, you read a book that stands out, that is different, and that you can't stop thinking about. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It is dark and edgy, powerful and imaginative, unsettling and different. Full of mystery and sizzle, this vivid, beautiful book should not be missed.
When Luka's father falls into a sleep so deep no one can wake him, an insubstantial version of his father, Nobodaddy, tells Luka he must steal the Fire of Life, something that has never been done before, to save him. With his dog named Bear and his bear named Dog, Luka doesn't hesitate, making allies along the way and ultimately living through his father's stories.
Hard to compare to anything, this is an adventure, an ode to inter-generational love, a place where the magical and the real worlds collide. It includes mythological creatures from almost every culture. It touches on truth and freedom, talks about the power of storytelling, the importance of the imagination and family, the nature of time, and, as you'd expect, it is beautifully written.
Birth Marked was one of my favorite reads of last year. The harsh environment of the Enclave stayed with me for a long time, as did Gaia, the girl who stood against the authorities. In Prized, she flees into the wasteland with her sister, looking for the village her grandmother was rumored to have found. But she is captured and taken to Sylum, a matriarchal community with a strict set of rules where fewer and fewer girls are being born and no one knows why or what to do about it. Gaia is such a wonderful heroine, strong and stubborn with a profound sense of justice. You know she will do the right thing, whatever the consequences. I liked Prized every bit much as Birth Marked. The world building is just as complex and the storyline just as intense. And O'Brien, like Gaia, never takes the easy path. In this year of dystopian novels, this one stands out for me.
It starts with a birthday, an Ouija board, and a risky night spent in an abandoned asylum. Then Mara wakes up from a coma, her friends are dead, and she has no memory of anything that happened that night. She has flashbacks, hallucinations, and nightmares, and ultimately her family moves to Miami to help her move on. But she's falling apart. How do you move on when you keep seeing your dead best friend in the mirror? What is wrong with Mara? She has no explanation, no one to turn to, and disaster seems to follow her. This is a thrilling, keep you on the edge of your seat kind of book, more horror story than anything else. It twists and turns and although you can guess at much of it, it still takes you by surprise. This is by turns edgy, scary, and curl your toes romantic. And oh, the ending. I can't tell you more but you need to read this.