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(-) Biblical Word Studies
(-) Marriage
(-) Trinity
Who is the Trinity?
By William David Spencer | July 08, 2014
Who is the Trinity? Totem Pole or Circle?
What Makes a Marriage Work
By William David Spencer, Aída Besançon Spencer | July 26, 2009
The goal of this workshop is to explore ideas to strengthen marriages by examining together biblical, attitudinal, and practical suggestions. All are welcomed to attend, whether married, engaged, or single.
Wading the Waters of Marriage with Hope Amidst Socio-economic Challenges
By Jenipha Wasonga | July 22, 2012
This recording examines the attitudes that negate God's purpose for marriage often in the form of religious restriction on women in the home, church, and society. It then outlines the purpose, place, and sanctity of marriage, and shows how marriage relationships can be improved through mutual submission despite storms worsened by socio-economic situations.
Trinitarian Concept of Mutuality
By Richard Howell | July 22, 2012
The Bible teaches equality and essential dignity of men and women of all ethnicities, ages, and classes, as all are created in the image and likeness of God. Since the church is called to be salt and light in the context in which we live, it is essential that the church recognizes and promotes the biblical understanding that leadership and service is based on the gifting of the Holy Spirit. The revelation of Triune God is the foundation of mutuality.
The God Beyond Time Who Presently Makes All Things New
By Adelita Garza | July 31, 2015
The Trinitarian dynamics of honor and co-regency illustrate to us the new creation order, its ethos, and its purpose in displaying God's glory now, as we live in kingdom culture in a rogue, decaying world.
Biblical Word Studies
Looking Forward: Living in Redeemed Relationships
By Ken Fong | July 31, 2015
If the way things are will never change until Christ returns, those experiencing oppression and marginality today struggle to believe that the gospel is truly Good News for all. Christ calls us to live today as a preview of what will be true for all eternity.
Gender Equality in Marriage
By Christina Landman | October 20, 2016
Lecture from 2016 international conference "Truth Be Told" in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Created for Partnership ... Especially through Mutual Intimacy (Finnish, English)
By Patti Ricotta | October 23, 2018
When rightly understood, Gen. 2:24-25 and Eph. 5: 21-33 provide an almost formula-like description for a pleasurable, loving, faithful marriage of oneness built on equality and mutuality. Modern science teaches what the writers of Genesis and Ephesians could not have known.
Biblical Foundation for Mutual Submission
By Philip B. Payne | July 31, 2011
This recording surveys the exegetical, theological, and practical foundations for mutuality between men and women in Scripture. It also surveys and responds to the primary objections to biblical mutuality.


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Calif. Minimum Wage to Increase to $10 Within 3 Years
Published Sep 25, 2013 at 10:27 AM | Updated at 1:34 PM PDT on Sep 25, 2013
When you think of minimum wage jobs, you probably come up with fast food servers, retail clerks or cashiers or waiters.
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will increase California's minimum wage to $10 an hour within three years.
The legislation signed Wednesday will raise the current minimum of $8 an hour to $9 on July 1, 2014, and then to $10 on Jan. 1, 2016.
It's the first increase in California's minimum wage in six years.
Brown has called the bill an overdue piece of legislation that will help working-class families.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Editorial Roundup: Texas
By The Associated Press Apr. 12, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
Houston Chronicle. April 5, 2021. Editorial: A tawdry attack on voting rights, Senate Bill 7 should be rejected by the House ...
By The Associated Press Feb. 08, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Houston Chronicle. Feb. 4, 2021. Editorial: Cancel the in-person STAAR test. Schools get a pass. Kids should too After...
Texas county gets trucks to hold bodies amid COVID-19 surge
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A North Texas medical examiner's office has brought in two refrigerated trucks to store dead bodies in response to low capacity amid a...
Teachers group raps state guidelines on opening schools
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The state's top teachers group criticized state guidelines for starting the school year Friday, saying they would unfairly punish...
Editorial Roundup:
By The Associated Press Jul. 13, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
The Dallas Morning News. July 8, 2020. Coronavirus exposes the weak underbelly of the child care system When Gov. Greg...
By The Associated Press Jun. 29, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Houston Chronicle. June 25, 2020. Hospitals are at capacity. It's time to act, Gov. Abbott Update 11:44 a.m.: Gov....


Home » Tree Tips » Pest Management » As the Snows Melt, Time to Think Spring Planting!
As the Snows Melt, Time to Think Spring Planting!
Here in New York, when the spring breezes hit and warm sunshine calls you outside, many people's thoughts turn to the garden. Have you been waiting to plant trees on your New York property? This fresh time of year presents an ideal opportunity to plant, provided the soil conditions cooperate.
Apple, cherry, pear, and peach trees display a gorgeous show in spring, and provide delicious fruit later on. It's best to plant fruit trees in groups in order to ensure cross pollination. Fruit trees need to be planted in the spring in order to ensure established roots, too. But you'll need to wait until the ground dries out a little in the springtime.
If your soil is too wet, planting can result in root rot and fungus. Plant your new tree in direct sunlight and wait until the soil is moist, but not waterlogged.
You won't likely see a decent crop of actual fruits the first season since most potted trees will be adjusting to the new soil conditions in the ground. Watch for a stunning display next spring, and make plans for fresh, homegrown fruit next summer.
Spring and fall are ideal times to plant new deciduous and coniferous trees. You'll need to gauge the moisture content of the soil as well, and consider the condition of your yard before hiring a tree planting service. Heavy equipment can damage soggy yards, and in extreme cases it may be better to wait a few weeks for the ground to dry out. That being said, the earlier the better when it comes to the plants concern.
Deer can wreak havoc on saplings and new trees during the early months of spring. Young trees are a juicy treat for local deer and low growing shrubs can become a feast for rabbits and other pests that are active in the springtime. Consider installing temporary fences around your new trees, in order to discourage the deer, and use screens and low barriers to keep the rabbits away.
A relatively mild winter, early warmth and sunny days has everyone thinking spring already and forget about Winter. Well, this year, 2012, it sure does look like an early warm Spring. Give thoughts to planning planting at this time!
Spring presents a perfect opportunity to plant trees on your New York property. Contact us, Hill Treekeepers, and get planning and planting today.


According to knowledgeable users of MedicScan® software, these audit and accuracy issues drive the recent entrance of a major retailer into specialized medical scanning equipment. For example, MedicScan® technology highlights just one of the great advantages of moving from hard copy to electronic data. Many scanner sales (mistakenly) presume that only a single document needs to be stored at a time. MedicScan® advances the advantages of scanners that accommodate collation of data from several sources: most patient data is now actually contained not only on a single card, but on several cards. One disadvantage of this 'multi-layered' paper document filing has been the potential for miscoding, misfiling, and thus losing track of related documents.
By paying attention to these 'multiple document' issues, MedicScan® software has also necessarily been built to be "TWAIN" (or ISIS–another common technology standard) compliant. TWAIN is an industry wide standard that allows a computer to communicate with a graphic device, such as a scanner or digital camera. Nearly all scanners, digital cameras, and web cams are TWAIN compliant.
Scanners other than MedicScan® , if not TWAIN compliant, can work only with more limited, specific software. The manufacturer of these non-TWAIN devices may provide any necessary equipment for the device. TWAIN compliance saves money, increases efficiency, irretrievability, and eases the time spent waiting for replacement parts. For example, Microsoft Word supports acquiring an image from a 'twain' compliant camera or scanner ( Word Perfect, Adobe Photoshop, OmniPage Pro). The cables also must be TWAIN compliant. For example, most standard printer cables are not TWAIN compliant, and won't work correctly with a scanner (even if the connections fit).
For all these reasons, it's more important than ever to not only find the best price, but also the most wide-ranging scanner support services possible. In this regard, one of the most popular aspects of MedicScan® software is that it is easy to use. There's no need for expensive or complicated IT specialists to install or upgrade components or devices.


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APPEARS IN News Legal & Legislation
Woman Who Illegally Bought Gun Used to Shoot Cop Sentenced to One Year of Probation
A federal judge in Omaha on Monday sentenced a woman to one year of probation for illegally buying a gun on her boyfriend's behalf from an FFL at a pawnshop. The woman could have been sentenced to a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The boyfriend was a prohibited felon and gang member at the time of the purchase. He later the used the firearm to kill a police officer, Kerrie Orozco, who was trying to arrest him in connection with another shooting. At the time of the shooting, Officer Orozco had recently given birth to a baby and was working her last shift before taking deferred medical leave to care for her child. The baby had been born premature and was finally set to be released from the hospital.
The boyfriend himself was also killed in the altercation with police. The purchaser additionally admitted to investigators that her boyfriend lived out of state. Had the government chose to pursue it, that could have been the basis for yet another federal felony, transferring a firearm to a person who one knows or has reasonable cause to believe does not live in one's own state of residence.
So to recap, a woman commits an act that implicates at least four separate federal felonies and that leads to the death of two people (including a mother and police officer acting in the line of duty). As a result, she is convicted on one count and does not serve any prison time whatsoever.
It's little wonder that gun owners oppose further expansion of federal gun control. Gun control advocates insist that the government needs more tools to put gun owners in jail for things like carrying the wrong size magazine, having the wrong or too many features on a firearm, or failing to obtain permission from the government to transfer a firearm to a law-abiding friend or relative. Yet with all the tools at its disposal already, the system lacks the will to imprison those whose behavior actually gets people killed.
Skewed priorities and lack of common sense are problems no law can fix. Indeed, more laws would just make those problems worse.
Nebraska Crime & Criminal Justice Legal straw purchasers
Wasserman Schultz Orders Democrats to Embrace Gun Control
New Jersey: Assembly and Senate to Vote on Smart Guns on Thursday
The Worst Advice Column Ever Written?
New Jersey: Assembly Committee Passes Gun Control Package
New Jersey: Assembly Judiciary Committee Begins Next Wave of Gun Control
Nebraska: Legislature Adjourns from its 2019 Legislative Session


According to several recent studies, the overall market size in the United States for hazardous materials contaminated site remediation falls between $7-to-8 billion annually. Demand for these services is mainly driven by government entities such as the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Defense, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), related state agencies under the auspices of the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Superfund site projects, and underground storage tank regulations. Although there are several innovative technologies available to alleviate these environmental problems, one of the fastest growing areas is bioremediation.
Bioremediation is a versatile treatment process that accelerates the biological cleanup process undertaken by naturally occurring microorganisms (yeast, fungi or bacteria) to break down hazardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic substances. Microorganisms eat and digest organic substances for nutrients and energy. Certain microorganisms can digest organic substances such as fuels or solvents that are hazardous to humans. The microorganisms break down the organic contaminants into harmless products—mainly carbon dioxide and water.
Biological remediation tends to be a relatively inexpensive option because it's employed as an in situ method and doesn't require significant labor costs or energy inputs. According to the USEPA, biodegradation is useful for many types of organic wastes and is a cost-effective, natural process. Many techniques can be conducted onsite, eliminating the need to transport hazardous materials. The applications for biodegradation heavily depend on the toxicity and initial concentrations of the contaminants, their biodegradability, properties of the contaminated soil, and the particular treatment system selected.
Contaminants targeted for biodegradation treatment are non-halogenated volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), semi-volatile organics (SVs) and fuels. The effectiveness of bioremediation is limited at sites with high concentrations of metals, highly chlorinated organics or inorganic salts because these compounds are toxic to the microorganisms. A standard application for bioremediation is the cleanup of petroleum hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX), and other contaminants such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), ammonium perchlorate, trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloro-ethene (PCE), and many pesticides and herbicides. Biological remediaton is also useful in the treatment of mineral oil and aromatics.
The biological treatment market is made up of several smaller firms that employ less than 50 people. Although there has been significant consolidation in the remediation services industry overall, manufacturers of bioremediation technology tend to be somewhat fragmented having entered the market with specific biological expertise. Since it has become essential for larger engineering and consulting firms to provide a diversified product line, bioremediation has become a part of their offerings as well.
With the significant growth of the U.S. bioremediation market, and the European bioremediation market projected at $119 million in 2003, it's clear that there has been a greater acceptance by end-users and regulators for these technologies as their advantages become better understood. As biological treatment is one of the less expensive technologies (because, again, it's generally in situ and involves little or no energy input), it's expected to become more popular as time progresses. Prices are subsequently expected to become even more competitive with other technologies, thus making the cost of bioremedi-ation one of the largest drivers for the technology's growth.
Additionally, there are several organizations and government entities advancing the research of this technology while trying to make it more appealing to end-users. For example, the Energy Department (DOE) does a great deal of bioremediation research with the natural and accelerated bioremediation program (NABIR)—see http://www.lbl. gov/NABIR/. In 2000, the budget for this well-coordinated, comprehensive research program was $25 million. Along with the DOE's efforts in furthering quality research, bioremediation scientists are searching for cost-effective technologies to improve current remedi-ation methods to clean up DOE's contaminated sites.
This research was conducted in 2001 and will continue into the future, leading to new discoveries for reliable methods of bioremediation of metals and radionuclides as well as organic pollutants in soils and groundwater. The NABIR program is unique in that it supports the basic research that's needed to understand this technology and to more reliably develop the practical applications for cost-effective cleanup of pollutants at DOE sites. With this initiative by the DOE and increasing acceptance of these technologies, bioremediation is likely to have a promising future in the United States and around the world.


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Merkel says no need to make national anthem gender-neutral
in News, News Update, Uncategorized
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, says she does not see the need to change the lyrics of the country's national anthem amid reports of a proposal to make the song more gender-inclusive.
"Merkel is very happy with the traditional form of the anthem,'' Government Spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on Monday.
Seibert was responding to a move by the government's Equality Commissioner, Kristin Rose-Moehring, reported in the German press.
The Sunday edition of the Bild tabloid had reported that a letter circulating in the Family Ministry, for which the commissioner works, said that words such as "fatherland" in the anthem should be changed to "homeland."
Read Also: Merkel to launch coalition talks on Wednesday
Also the phrase "brotherly with heart and hand" should be changed to "pluckily with heart and hand."
Canada recently voted to make its national anthem "O Canada" gender-neutral. The second line of the anthem has been changed from "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command."
Austria also added the word "daughters" to its national anthem where previously there had only been "sons."
A spokesman for the Family Ministry said that the letter had been a "personal contribution" from the equality commissioner.


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New course to allow students to tune into diversity, entrepreneurship
Jim Carlson
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — If a little rap music can add diversity to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, then Betsy Campbell is in tune with that.
Campbell, assistant professor of education in the College of Education with a research focus on entrepreneurship as practice and the democratization of innovative entrepreneurship, is co-teaching a course with Scott McDonald, associate professor of science education, in the fall 2019 semester, titled Accelerator Rap. The course is cross-listed as 497 in education, art, music and English. The course also is pre-approved in the New Media Cluster of the entrepreneurship and innovation (ENTI) minor and may be the first step toward creating an ENTI minor in the College of Education.
In the course, interdisciplinary teams of students will learn about entrepreneurial fundamentals and express what they are learning through their primary interests, according to Campbell.
"The course doesn't expect people to study entrepreneurship on the side of their main interests. Instead we're empowering students to use the skills that they are honing in their majors to bring an entrepreneurial concept and case to life," Campbell said. "Students will create short, multimedia pieces that remind some of us of 'Schoolhouse Rock'. However, these animated musical pieces will be digital and will teach entrepreneurial fundamentals to kids over the web."
While the course may attract students who already are interested in entrepreneurship, others may take it simply because of its creative edge.
"People who are already performing or otherwise creating beats and contemporary music, people who are interested in animation and drawing, and anyone who's interested in learning to work within an interdisciplinary team," should consider taking Accelerator Rap, Campbell said.
"No matter what your major is, when you graduate, you're going to have to work with people from different backgrounds and with different skillsets. This is a good chance for students to collaborate with peers from across campus; to discover how people from other disciplines approach their work and how we can work together on a shared project," she added.
Campbell will teach case studies and key concepts of entrepreneurship. Professors who teach poetry, visual arts, curriculum development, and music will collaborate by relaying their specialties in class-based workshops.
The students will render the animations, write the lyrics, and compose the beats, before performing, recording and integrating the works. The end result will be informal educational materials in the form of multimedia pieces that teach entrepreneurial basics to children who might not otherwise imagine themselves as a future entrepreneur.
"The students will work in interdisciplinary teams and each team will produce one multimedia piece," Campbell said. "The semester will finish with a design critique that will be semi-public and open to everybody who's been part of the workshops along the way."
The class itself, Campbell said, is one part of a larger interdisciplinary movement related to issues of diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship. Campbell is working toward the creation of a new center that does scholarly research, offers courses and creates a community of practice focused on changing the demographics of entrepreneurship.
"A curriculum that works in Silicon Valley doesn't necessarily work in other contexts. Learning opportunities imported from other contexts often attract people who already see themselves as entrepreneurs," she said.
"I'm interested in finding out how we can make entrepreneurship relevant to people who traditionally have been outside of entrepreneurial careers; to more women, people of color and people from working-class communities, for example," added Campbell. "Part of my research investigates how entrepreneurship is taught and whether changes in the context and curriculum can influence who is interested in entrepreneurship and who becomes a successful entrepreneur."
Campbell said the case studies used in the class will feature entrepreneurs who come from underrepresented backgrounds. She started Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, a 501(c)3 which she grew to about 6,000 people around the world before leaving to attend to her terminally ill father. (The organization's current membership is nearly 10,000).
She also founded for-profit ventures, and has had the experience of being the only woman involved in a team or in a fund-raising meeting.
"I know something about what it means to be 'other' in the entrepreneurial ecosystem," she said.
Campbell, who this year will have two books published with Routledge — "Practice theory in action: Empirical Studies of Interaction in Innovation and Entrepreneurship" and "The innovator's discussion: The conversational skills of entrepreneurial teams" — said students in the Accelerator Rap class will tell the story of a particular case study and emphasize a particular entrepreneurial concept.
"But the sonic and rhythmic way they do that is up to them," she said. "We're not orthodox about a particular kind of beat. We've selected the word 'rap' to signal a contemporary kind of sound more than a particular genre," Campbell said.
Through the course, its output and other efforts, Campbell is attempting to change the meanings people associate with entrepreneurship.
"Helping people recognize that regardless of your background, you can create high-impact innovative ventures is important," she said. "The class is an experiment and an exciting chance to explore how entrepreneurship can be reinterpreted and made relevant to more people."
jrc31@psu.edu
Education students offer opinions about diversity, equity, inclusion
Prospective science teachers making most of remote learning methods
New graduate class stems from Schussler's 'Project RESPECT' research
Academics, Featured Courses
CoE Bridges
Arts and Architecture, Education, Liberal Arts
Office of Undergraduate Education


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'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'
'  File:           Payment_success.aspx.vb
'
'  Facility:       The unit contains the Payment_success class
'
'  Abstract:       This class is intended for processing of requests that come
'                  from the PayPal server during testing. Besides, this class
'                  creates payment reports and records the process of interaction
'                  with the PayPal server.
'
'  Environment:    VC 8.0
'
'  Author:         KB_Soft Group Ltd.
'
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Imports System.Net
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Globalization
Imports System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Xml

Partial Class Payment_success
    Inherits System.Web.UI.Page

    ' the parameters to be checked
    Private business As String = AppSettings("BusinessEmail")
    Private currency_code As String = AppSettings("CurrencyCode")
    Shared requests As DataSet = New DataSet()
    Shared responses As DataSet = New DataSet()

    Private Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        ' The code of this procedure should be used only to test requests processing,
        ' since this code is needed only when the request sent to PayPal has rm <> 1;
        ' otherwise the code can be deleted.
        Dim ci As CultureInfo = New CultureInfo("en-us")
        Dim requestsFile As String = Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/PaymentRequests.xml")
        requests.Clear()

#If Comment Then

        If File.Exists(requestsFile) Then
            requests.ReadXml(requestsFile)
        Else
            KBSoft.Carts.CreateXml(requestsFile, "Requests")
            requests.ReadXml(requestsFile)
        End If

        Dim responseFile As String = Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/PaymentResponses.xml")
        responses.Clear()

        If File.Exists(responseFile) Then
            responses.ReadXml(responseFile)
        Else
            KBSoft.Carts.CreateXml(responseFile, "Responses")
            responses.ReadXml(responseFile)
        End If
#End If

        Dim strFormValues As String = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(Request.BinaryRead(Request.ContentLength))
        Dim strNewValue = ""

        ' getting the URL to work with
        Dim URL As String
        If AppSettings("UseSandbox").ToString = "true" Then
            URL = "https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"
        Else
            URL = "https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"
        End If

        ' Create the request back
        Dim req As HttpWebRequest = CType(WebRequest.Create(URL), HttpWebRequest)

        ' Set values for the request back
        req.Method = "POST"
        req.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
        strNewValue = strFormValues + "&cmd=_notify-validate"
        req.ContentLength = strNewValue.Length

        ' Write the request back IPN strings
        Dim stOut As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(req.GetRequestStream(), _
        Encoding.ASCII)
        stOut.Write(strNewValue)
        stOut.Close()

        'send the request, read the response
        Dim strResponse As HttpWebResponse = CType(req.GetResponse(), HttpWebResponse)
        Dim IPNResponseStream As Stream = strResponse.GetResponseStream
        Dim encode As Encoding = System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding("utf-8")
        Dim readStream As New StreamReader(IPNResponseStream, encode)

        Dim read(256) As [Char]
        ' Reads 256 characters at a time.
        Dim count As Integer = readStream.Read(read, 0, 256)

        While count > 0
            ' Dumps the 256 characters to a string
            Dim IPNResponse As New [String](read, 0, count)
            count = readStream.Read(read, 0, 256)
            Dim amount As String
            Try
                ' getting the total cost of goods in the cart for a request identified stored in the "custom" variable
                amount = GetRequestPrice(Request("custom").ToString)
                If amount = "" Then
                    KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: amount = """)
                    readStream.Close()
                    strResponse.Close()
                    Return
                End If

            Catch ex As Exception
                KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: " + ex.Message)
                readStream.Close()
                strResponse.Close()
                Return
            End Try

            Dim provider As NumberFormatInfo = New NumberFormatInfo()
            provider.NumberDecimalSeparator = "."
            provider.NumberGroupSeparator = ","
            provider.NumberGroupSizes = New Integer() {3}

            ' if the request is verified
            If IPNResponse = "VERIFIED" Then
                ' check the receiver's e-mail (login is user's identifier in PayPal) and the transaction type
                If Request("receiver_email") <> business Or Request("txn_type") <> "web_accept" Then
                    Try
                        ' parameters are not correct. Write a response from PayPal and create a record in the Log file.
                        CreatePaymentResponses(Request("txn_id"), Convert.ToDecimal(Request("mc_gross"), provider), Request("payer_email"), Request("first_name"), Request("last_name"), Request("address_street"), Request("address_city"), Request("address_state"), Request("address_zip"), Request("address_country"), Convert.ToInt32(Request("custom")), False, "INVALID paymetn's parameters (receiver_email or txn_type)")
                        KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: INVALID paymetn's parameters (receiver_email or txn_type)")
                    Catch ex As Exception
                        KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: " + ex.Message)
                        readStream.Close()
                        strResponse.Close()
                    End Try
                    Return
                End If
                ' check whether this request was received earlier for its identifier
                If IsDuplicateID(Request("txn_id")) Then
                    ' the current request has been already processed. Write a response from PayPal and create a record in the Log file.
                    CreatePaymentResponses(Request("txn_id"), Convert.ToDecimal(Request("mc_gross"), provider), Request("payer_email"), Request("first_name"), Request("last_name"), Request("address_street"), Request("address_city"), Request("address_state"), Request("address_zip"), Request("address_country"), Convert.ToInt32(Request("custom")), False, "Duplicate txn_id found")
                    KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: Duplicate txn_id found")
                    readStream.Close()
                    strResponse.Close()
                    Return
                End If
                ' the amount of payment, the status of the payment, amd a possible reason of delay
                ' The fact that Getting txn_type=web_accept or txn_type=subscr_payment are got odes not mean that seller will receive the payment.
                ' That's why we check payment_status=completed. The single exception is when the seller's account in not American and pending_reason=intl
                If Request("mc_gross").ToString(ci) <> amount Or Request("mc_currency") <> currency_code Or (Request("payment_status") <> "Completed" And Request("pending_reason") <> "intl") Then
                    ' parameters are incorrect or the payment was delayed. A response from PayPal should not be written to DB of an XML file
                    ' because it may lead to a failure of uniqueness check of the request identifier.
                    ' Create a record in the Log file with information about the request.
                    KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: INVALID paymetn's parameters. Request: " + strFormValues)
                    readStream.Close()
                    strResponse.Close()
                    Return
                End If

                Try
                    ' write a response from PayPal
                    CreatePaymentResponses(Request("txn_id"), Convert.ToDecimal(Request("mc_gross"), provider), Request("payer_email"), Request("first_name"), Request("last_name"), Request("address_street"), Request("address_city"), Request("address_state"), Request("address_zip"), Request("address_country"), Convert.ToInt32(Request("custom")), True, "")
                    KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Success in payment_success: PaymentResponses created")
                    '''''''''''''
                    ' Here we notify the person responsible for goods delivery that
                    ' the payment was performed and providing him with all needed information about
                    ' the payment. Some flags informing that user paid for a services can be also set here.
                    ' For example, if user paid for registartion on the site, then the flag should be set
                    ' allowing the user who paid to access the site
                    '''''''''''''
                Catch ex As Exception
                    KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success: " + ex.Message)
                End Try

            Else
                KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success. IPNResponse = 'INVALID'")

            End If
        End While

        readStream.Close()
        strResponse.Close()
    End Sub

    ''' <summary>
    ''' creating a record about the response to the payment request
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <param name="txn_id">A unique transaction number</param>
    ''' <param name="payment_price">The total cost of the cart</param>
    ''' <param name="email">buyer's email</param>
    ''' <param name="first_name">buyer's name</param>
    ''' <param name="last_name">buyer's last name</param>
    ''' <param name="street">buyer's street</param>
    ''' <param name="city">buyer's city</param>
    ''' <param name="state">buyer's state</param>
    ''' <param name="zip">buyer's ZIP</param>
    ''' <param name="country">buyer's country</param>
    ''' <param name="request_id">an identifier of the payment request</param>
    ''' <param name="is_success">a flag indicating whether the payment was successfully performed</param>
    ''' <param name="reason_fault">a possible reason of the payment failure</param>
    Public Sub CreatePaymentResponses(ByVal txn_id As String, ByVal payment_price As Decimal, ByVal email As String, ByVal first_name As String, ByVal last_name As String, ByVal street As String, ByVal city As String, ByVal state As String, ByVal zip As String, ByVal country As String, ByVal request_id As Integer, ByVal is_success As Boolean, ByVal reason_fault As String)

        Try
            Dim ci As CultureInfo = New CultureInfo("en-us")
            Dim xmlFile As String = Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/PaymentResponses.xml")
            Dim doc As New XmlDocument()
            Dim payment_id As Integer
            Dim reader As XmlTextReader

            If File.Exists(xmlFile) Then
                reader = New XmlTextReader(xmlFile)
                reader.Read()
            Else
                KBSoft.Carts.CreateXml(xmlFile, "Responses")
                reader = New XmlTextReader(xmlFile)
                reader.Read()
            End If

            doc.Load(reader)
            reader.Close()

            ' getting a unique identifier of the payment_id payment
            Dim nodes As XmlNodeList = doc.GetElementsByTagName("Responses")
            If nodes.Count <> 0 Then
                payment_id = KBSoft.Carts.GetIdentity(nodes, "payment_id")
            Else
                payment_id = 0
            End If

            ' creating a new element containing information about the payment
            Dim myresponse As XmlElement = doc.CreateElement("Responses")
            myresponse.SetAttribute("payment_id", payment_id)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("txn_id", txn_id)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("payment_date", DateTime.Now.ToString(ci))
            myresponse.SetAttribute("payment_price", payment_price.ToString(ci))
            myresponse.SetAttribute("email", email)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("first_name", first_name)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("last_name", last_name)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("street", street)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("city", city)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("state", state)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("zip", zip)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("country", country)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("request_id", request_id)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("is_success", is_success)
            myresponse.SetAttribute("reason_fault", reason_fault)

            doc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(myresponse)

            doc.Save(xmlFile)
        Catch ex As Exception
            KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success.CreatePaymentResponses(): " + ex.Message)
        End Try

    End Sub

    ''' <summary>
    ''' getting a cart identifier for the identifier of the current request_id request
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <param name="request_id">the request identifier</param>
    ''' <returns>the identifier of the cart for the current request</returns>
    Public Shared Function GetIDCart(ByVal request_id As String) As String
        Try
            Dim expression As String
            expression = "request_id = '" + request_id + "'"
            Dim tempRow As DataRow() = requests.Tables(0).Select(expression)
            If tempRow.Length = 1 Then
                Return tempRow(0).Item("cart_id").ToString
            End If
        Catch ex As Exception
            KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success.GetIDCart(): " + ex.Message)
        End Try

        Return ""
    End Function

    ''' <summary>
    ''' getting the total cost for an identifier of the current request_id request
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <param name="request_id">the request identifier</param>
    ''' <returns>the total cost of the identifier</returns>
    Public Shared Function GetRequestPrice(ByVal request_id As String) As String
        Try
            Dim expression As String
            expression = "request_id = '" + request_id + "'"
            Dim tempRow As DataRow() = requests.Tables(0).Select(expression)
            If tempRow.Length = 1 Then
                Return tempRow(0).Item("price").ToString
            End If

        Catch ex As Exception
            KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success.GetRequestPrice(): " + ex.Message)
        End Try

        Return ""
    End Function

    ''' <summary>
    ''' checking whether the current request is duplicated for the unique number of the txn_id transaction
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <param name="txn_id">the unique transaction number</param>
    ''' <returns>true if the current request has already been processed</returns>
    Public Function IsDuplicateID(ByVal txn_id As String) As Boolean
        Try
            Dim expression As String
            expression = "txn_id = '" + txn_id + "'"
            Dim tempRow As DataRow() = responses.Tables(0).Select(expression)
            If tempRow.Length = 0 Then
                Return False
            End If
            Return True
        Catch ex As Exception
            KBSoft.Carts.WriteFile("Error in payment_success.IsDuplicateID(): " + ex.Message)
            Return False
        End Try
    End Function

End Class

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
< Back to Staff picks
The mysterious Benedict Society and the riddle of ages
Trenton Lee Stewart
ON ORDER LARGE PRINT
Kids, Science Fiction
"After starring in three adventures, the inimitable quartet of Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance haven't had a mission together in some time. But with the arrival of a new Society member--and a new threat--they must reunite to face dilemmas more dangerous than ever before, including the return of the villainous Mr. Curtain and his Ten Men and a formidable enemy with a mystifying ability to track their every move." -- publisher's description.
Added by Anne W
jFICTION Lowry, Lois
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
jFICTION L'Engle, Madeleine
Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin are guided by unearthly strangers as they go on a journey through space and time to search for Meg's and Charles' scientist father who disappeared while experimenting with a new form of space travel.
The wild robot escapes
jFICTION Brown, Peter
Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings--but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island? After being captured by the Recons and returned to civilization for reprogramming, Roz is sent to Hilltop Farm where she befriends her owner's family and animals, but pines for her son, Brightbill.
Roz the robot discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island with no memory of where she is from or why she is there, and her only hope of survival is to try to learn about her new environment from the island's hostile inhabitants.
This is how you lose the time war
Amal El-Mohtar
SCIENCE FICTION El-Mohtar Amal
Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them.
Any description of this book will sell it short, but I will say this--don't let the Sci-Fi aspect scare you off if it's not your thing. This is a beautifully written romance wearing Sci-Fi clothing. -Brian
Wanderers : a novel
SCIENCE FICTION Wendig Chuck
A decadent rock star. A deeply religious radio host. A disgraced scientist. And a teenage girl who may be the world's last hope. In the tradition of The Stand and Station Eleven comes a gripping saga that weaves an epic tapestry of humanity into an astonishing tale of survival. Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and are sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other "shepherds" who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead. For on their journey, they will discover an America convulsed with terror and violence, where this apocalyptic epidemic proves less dangerous than the fear of it. As the rest of society collapses all around them--and an ultraviolent militia threatens to exterminate them--the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart--or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.--
Added by Meredith


Caretaker manager Lee Carsley will be assisted by Paul Robinson and Paul Williams as he works with Birmingham City's first team.
The club announced the news on their website on Monday morning, as Carsley took control of the Blues squad for the first time since Harry Redknapp's departure.
Blues wrote: "After a short meeting addressing the squad, Carsley got to work on the training pitches beginning preparations for Blues' next match.
"And he has enlisted help from within and outside the Club to bolster his staff.
Paul Groves remains as coach and goalkeeper coach Kevin Hitchcock is also staying at Blues.
Robinson is the club captain and still registered as a player, while Williams worked with Carsley when he took over at Brentford in September 2015.
Williams made 395 league appearances during a playing career that saw him turn out for Derby, Coventry Southampton and Stoke City.
His playing days finished with a short spell in the United States with Richmond Kickers and he cut his teeth in management with Fredericksburg Academy.
He then returned to the UK where he had coaching roles at Wolves, Aldershot, Southampton, Eastleigh, Gosport, as well as working alongside Carsley at Brentford.
He has worked in the England youth set-ups and most recently he was at Nottingham Forest where he had a short spell as caretaker, before joining Swansea City as assistant manager.


Within the EUMOSCHOOL project, the original Didactics of Emotions methodology has been transferred to an openly accessible e-learning platform in order to spread it as widely as possible. In this chapter you can read about how the methodology was adapted to this e-learning approach, and what we have done to test it and adapt it at local level.
From October 2016 to January 2017 45 teachers from 5 countries (Italy, Austria, Romania, Hungary and Turkey) have learned about the theoretical basis of the DoE, its techniques and how to manage and implement them in their schools and during their lessons.
The course is available in 6 languages (Italian, English, Romanian, Turkish, German, Hungarian), hosted by the Moodle platform.
The name Moodle is an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment and it is a e-learning platform. It is the most used e-learning platform in the world due to its being versatile, flexible and open source. The platform gives a wide range of plug-in to be used, allowing teachers or other educational institutions to create their course, tailored to specific learning needs of their users. It allows to assess the learning of the students and create a specific learning environment, adaptable for every topic. For further information, check the following website: www.moodle.com .
finally, it is a chance to exchange expertise and good practices with your colleagues – also coming from different countries – and enlarge your professional network.
(Source: UNESCO, The positive Impact of Learning).
The course has been designed as a modular one: it has been divided into 4 modules, with a total duration of 40 hours of learning (to include: the complete reading of all the resources, the exercises and responses to tasks ).
Overview/Introduction: an introduction for each module, showing the main contents, the objective and the expected learning outcomes teachers would reach on completion of the module.
Resources: resources are included, aimed at providing the theoretical knowledge on the topic of the specific module. These are the basis of the activities of the next module's sections.
Tasks: in this section, teachers will be assessed and reflect on their understanding of the module's main contents, through questions, quizzes and exercises. This is an important part of the course in order to evaluate understanding key learning objectives related to the topic.
Collaboration: this is a forum that teachers can use to open a discussion on the topic of the module and discuss with the other colleagues, exchanging feedback and opinions relating to the contents presented in the module as well as sharing good practice.
Self – assessment: Opportunity for individuals to reflect on their learning outcomes applied to their specific contexts.
All the sections are presented in consecutive order. Teachers need to complete all the tasks in order to pass from one module to another, guaranteeing completion of the training.
During Pilot I, monitoring and evaluation has been structured around the online course, allowing feedback from users in order to improve the experience in the final version of the EUMOSCHOOL OER.
Pilot I Online course online questionnaire at the end of each module with open answers, likert scale, ratings.
These monitoring and evaluation activities have been carried out by a tutor, who has been in touch with the teachers during the period of Pilot I. The tutor has provided support to the teachers, both for the organization and planning of the DoE implementation in the classrooms and to respond to any questions or theoretical uncertainty during the use of DoE techniques with students. The tutor has organized online and face-to-face meetings with each teacher as necessary, in order to understand specific needs and give support for the interventions in the classroom.
Teachers provided feedback during the meetings with the tutors and through the online course: generally, the majority of teachers enjoyed the online course; though, they suggested some developmentsto be taken into account in order to improve the learning experience. The level of success in the final assessment suggests that there is clear implementation within schools. The E-Learning experience – as specified is flexible and can be adapted to the learning needs of the target audience. Pilot I has allowed the partnership to further develop the contents of the online course, enhanced with support tools.
Following the feedback provided by teachers, some changes have been made. The final version of the online course now includes a glossary of the most specific terms used in the theoretical resources, as well as infographics and new activities to facilitate and enrich the learning experience of the teachers. The structure already presented in the previous overview has been developed in order to make it self-sufficient for the future (quizzes with automatic corrections have been added, together with exercises supporting peer learning). These developments provide greater sustainability for the course, enabling teachers to increase their knowledge of the DoE.
Always follow the structured order of the sections in the modules: Overview >>> Resources >>> Tasks >>> Collaboration >>> Self-assessment. Each section is preparatory for the following one, so don't skip any part of it.
Exploit the infographics at the end of each "book resources": they will help you to have an overview on the topic you have read about.
If it is hard for you to read on the screen: download the text on pdf format at the end of each module. This will help you to focus on topics andsources of information as necessary. There are also some Powerpoint (PPT) resources available to be downloaded.
If you find some terms hard to understand, click on the highlight word on the text: an explanation or definition of the term you have clicked on will appear.
Access to our e-Twinning group in order to compare your experiences with the one of your colleagues.
For any other questions or queries, contact your national contact point (see the list of contacts at the end of this handbook).


text:
Central Team
Renaldi Renaldi
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Renaldi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Energy and Power Group at the Department of Engineering Science, and a Fellow of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Cooling. His main research interest is the sustainable provision of thermal energy for both heating and cooling purposes. He has worked on academic and industrial research projects in Indonesia, Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK.
After a Mechanical Engineering degree from Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), Renaldi completed an MSc in Sustainable Energy Technology at Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands), where he was involved in biomass combustion and solar thermal research. During his PhD study at the University of Edinburgh, Renaldi investigated the role of thermal energy storage in decarbonising residential and district heating systems. Before joining Oxford, Renaldi worked at the Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research at Newcastle University, looking at energy systems integration and low-carbon heating technologies.
Contact Renaldi at Renaldi.Renaldi@eng.ox.ac.uk
Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Cooling
Oxford Martin Fellow
Cooling for sustainable development
Publications - 19th October 2020


Boise State's Blue Turf has been a house of horrors for Wyoming, and Saturday night's 24-14 loss added to those bad memories.
But this was a game the Cowboys had a chance to win, which makes the outcome sting even more.
Here the replay from my live chat from the University of Wyoming's 24-14 loss at Boise State in front of 35,565 at Albertsons Stadium Saturday night in Boise, Idaho.
UW fell to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain West. Boise State improved to 5-2, 3-0, and outscored the Cowboys 21-7 in the second half.
With the late kickoff, all of the coverage from Saturday's game will be online at wyosports.net.
If someone calls you "a pest" you wouldn't think it's a compliment.
It is if you're Wyoming junior point guard Jeremy Lieberman.
Over his last six games, the 6-foot-1 Lieberman has averaged nearly five points per game, and his assist-to-turnover-ratio is 2-to-1. Those numbers aren't eye-popping, but isn't the only thing first-year coach Allen Edwards has seen from Lieberman.
Here's the replay of WyoSports senior editor Robert Gagliardi's live chat from the University of Wyoming's 30-28 win over No. 13 Boise State in front of 24,023 at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium Saturday night.
For more UW and local sports coverage, see the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Laramie Boomerang and log on to wyosports.net.


Most of what Hollywood calls family entertainment isn't suitable for the family, contends Joe Camp, creator and producer of the latest Benji film, "Benji: Off the Leash," that opens Aug. 20.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--After a 16-year hiatus from the big screen, Benji is back. A new movie starring the winsome pup -- actually the fourth dog to be cast as Benji -- will be in theaters starting Friday, Aug. 20.
Understandably, Joe Camp, creator and producer of "Benji: Off the Leash!" and all of its predecessors, is asking that people yearning for family entertainment go see the movie, especially this weekend. In doing so, they will send a message to Hollywood that wholesome movies can be successful, said Camp, who spent three months traveling the country looking for the next Benji in animal shelters.
He discovered the brown-eyed star of the latest Benji movie in a humane society shelter in Gulfport, Miss., and he believes he has the best Benji yet. The film spotlights three unassuming heroes -- a soft-hearted dog catcher, a determined boy and a lovable stray, played of course by Benji.
ATHENS (BP)--Dan Browne will become the first U.S. Olympian in 32 years to compete in both the marathon and 10,000 meters this month in Greece. The last person to do it, Frank Shorter, won the marathon in 1972 and finished fifth in the 10,000 meters.
Browne would love to duplicate Shorter's success. But regardless of the outcome, he holds forth an even greater goal.
MULKEYTOWN, Ill. (BP)--Brandon Slay missed out on his chance for Olympic gold four years ago in Sydney, Australia. Or so he thought.


I feel totally inspired now, I walk away with my mission and purpose in life having spent the last year trying to figure it out!
Pendulum Summit is the fastest way to supercharge yourself, your team and your business. We all need inspiration, we all need new strategies and we all need fresh energy. Pendulum gets this better than anybody I've seen in Ireland, hence the fantastic line up of speakers. Every year we send more and more of our staff because we can see the benefits to them personally and to our business.
Since attending the summit our company has gone on to growing our business by 100% in turnover and opening up offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. The event brought us closer as a team and helped us grow as people.
This is our second Pendulum Summit and we loved last year's one. It's an amazing event and I have experienced positive outcomes as a result of going last year.
Book contracts signed, advance paid. And a lot of fun to be had! Hand on heart, the difference was Pendulum.
Sensational! The Pendulum Team have a genuine urgency to make the world a better place and it makes me very proud to be part of such a movement.
Pendulum compared very favourably with the best conferences I have attended in the US. The line-up of high calibre thought leaders and Irish business leaders was outstanding. The audience participation gave visibility and voice to other high profile experts.
One of the most innovative, yet authentic, high spec production events I have had the pleasure of doing. The calibre of business leaders and vast amount of international companies, the level of energy and vibration was immense.
I have never attended a more inspirational event in 20 years of business. My team and I discussed it until the early hours of the morning, and we have committed to personal and team change, and very specific behavioural changes that are measurable are now built into our objectives.
A magic day! As a speaker I left with as much inspiration as the participating delegates. Every now and then that special event happens. Everybody including the speakers go home with that sensational feeling of having experienced something special.
I found the summit inspiring as the variety of speakers were able to convey how they personally try to raise their performance levels and ensure a positive work life balance. Success is built on features such as performance with pride, culture over strategy, and a focus on being the best at what you do.
Motivational type events are not my thing or so I thought. I first brought 10 of my management in 2014 and was astonished at the quality of speakers and more importantly the delivery of their fascinating content. The contagious energy exuding from the room was mind blowing and the productivity of my team went through the roof afterwards. I now am a raving fan and return with all my management and top clients every year.
An exceptional day. Each speaker had their own special message each one delivered passionately and credibly, these people seized opportunities that came their way and battled many obstacles to reach their goals. You left the room thinking anything is possible if you put your mind to it and make the decision to work hard, give more and decide to chase your dreams and ambitions in life.
We invited 13 clients from US, South Africa and across Europe for the 2016 Pendulum Summit. The feedback was incredible – a lot of great insights, learnings, very well organised and a lot of fun. An annual event in the calendar for Dansko and its clients.
In the heart of Ireland's capital city, the iconic Convention Centre Dublin offers an unrivalled experience for our delegates and speakers year upon year. As a truly world-class venue in every sense, the venue has become a world favourite for leaders, innovators and dreamers to share, create and celebrate ideas that change lives.


CLIPPER Übersetzungen Ltd was established 23 years ago. The company's founder members brought a great deal of experience of the demanding translation market into the business, and CLIPPER Übersetzungen Ltd has been able to grow rapidly. The company's success and results prove that our concept is correct: we fit into the medium price segment, choose our translators carefully and operate a customer-oriented policy.
Giovanna Vazquez and Andrea Weidmann took over the helm of the CLIPPER ship in 2013. Between them, these two dedicated young businesswomen already had ten years experience at CLIPPER Übersetzungen Ltd. They are familiar with the market and the wishes and requirements of our customers. Quality and reliability come first for them, and you can count upon a competent, well-proven team of translators.
CLIPPER Übersetzungen Ltd is able to offer practically any combination of languages. As well as specialists in the European languages, we can also call upon a wide-ranging network of translators who work into and out of most modern languages.
These days, CLIPPER Übersetzungen Ltd co-operates with a variety of translation departments within large-scale companies. However, we are also proud of our function as an external translation service for small and medium-sized businesses – a service fulfilled for over ten years in some cases.


At Martha's Table, we believe that every child – regardless of zip code – deserves the opportunity for their brightest future and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success. We recognize that the neighborhood a child grows up in is a critical determinant of their future outcomes and that a complex web of social, governmental, physical, and economic factors impacts their success.
After years of planning and community engagement, we completed the transition in June 2018 to move our headquarters from 14th Street Northwest to the heart of Ward 8, on Elvans Road Southeast, in order to be deeply embedded in the community where we can have the greatest impact. Here, we are redoubling our effort to ensure every child in the community is set up for success with expanded access to quality education, nutrition, and family resources. The Commons at Stanton Square (The Commons) was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Horning Family Fund, Horning Brothers, Community of Hope, and Martha's Table. The Commons serves as our new headquarters and hub for programs in the Fort Stanton/Hillsdale area of D.C.'s Ward 8.
In March 2019, our 14th Street programs moved to a satellite location in D.C.'s Ward 1. In partnership with Jubilee Housing, we will offer additional early childhood education programs and food supports at the historic Maycroft building in Columbia Heights.
This expansion is an extension of our history. We have always gone where the need is greatest. When we opened our doors in 1980 at the corner of 14th and W streets, we were stationed at the epicenter of great need in the city. Nearly four decades later, the 14th Street Corridor and the surrounding area have changed dramatically. Yet, many neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River have not benefited proportionately from the economic prosperity enjoyed across the city. Moving our headquarters to the Fort Stanton/Hillsdale area in Ward 8 will allow us to stand directly with children and families in a neighborhood that has been under-resourced for generations, while also maintaining our commitment to families in Ward 1, an area we have called home for nearly 40 years.
In keeping with our dedication to a collective impact model, both of our new centers will be co-located with highly effective nonprofits with expertise in critical issues which our families face. In Ward 8, we share our headquarters with Community of Hope, while in Ward 1 we will be located within a Jubilee Housing facility, expanding our ability to offer families access to a wide range of supports. In addition to these exciting new partnerships, we have also been collaborating with the Capital Area Food Bank since 2015 on our Joyful Food Markets, a network of no-cost markets that bring access to healthy food to families east of the Anacostia River. Finally, we are working with Georgetown University, across all our programs, to improve our methodology, measure impact, and expand our reach.


text:
Lionsgate Announces Plans For A Film Reboot Of The Original 1990's 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' TV Show
Yeah, you read that headlight right. No this isn't an extremely late attempt at an April Fools joke, or another one of our fancast ideas (Although now that it's been brought to our attention, we'll certainly take a crack at it), this is a legit piece of news. After years of several new approaches to the Power Ranger brand being introduced to new generations of children around the world, it seems Lionsgate is planning on taking the franchise back to it's roots with a reboot of the very first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. That sound you just heard is the rejoice of millions of nineties kids around the world, and that second sound you just heard is all of them groaning once they remembered how campy the original show was.
Suffice to say the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is certainly going to have to undergo a modernized make over to hold it's own against our current generation of action movie blockbusters. While tons of us might've woken up early Saturday mornings just to catch a new episode, collected each action figure till we had three versions of the same color ranger, or dressed up as a different ranger just about every Halloween, would we all really buy tickets to see a rebooted version of this franchise? Well, it depends. In recent years we've seen over the top and campy films like Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim take a few pointers from the old school Power Rangers show, and it's more than proven there's a lot more you can do with these monsters and Megazords with right amount of budget.
Lionsgate has recently found a lot of success with young adult franchises such as Twilight, Divergent, and The Hunger Games is no stranger to a teen oriented franchises like Power Rangers. Like the original Power Rangers TV show, there's certainly an opportunity to sign on an impressive cast of young well known talented actors for this film, or even some slightly lesser known up and comers. The studio has worked with both big name and small name stars in their recently films such as Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Theo James, and Shailene Woodley, and could draw their interest to this film with the right approach and director on board.
There's of course reason for concern amongst the original fans of the TV show who are worried that the current modernized Hollywood may have it's way with the source material, and put it into the hands of Michael Bay (Transformers series). While it's arguable that Bay was able to modernize the Transformer series into a blockbuster power house, and hopes to do the same with the highly anticipated (And decently looking) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but he hasn't exactly stayed to true to the original cartoon. That being said, Lionsgate will be working with Saban, the original creators of the Power Rangers, on this project, so we can hopefully expect them to keep the classic vibe of the show intact.
So what do you think of the idea of a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers film? Who would you like to see star as the Rangers themselves? Let us know below?
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text:
KLM-HOUSE
NO. 97 THE HISTORY OF THE GRAND OLD...
ART TRAVEL
FINALLY FOUND; THE LOCATION OF VERMEER'S 'LITTLE STREET'
SECRET TIME CAPSULE INSIDE ATLAS' GLOBE
View basket "EBOOK HOE DAN?! FAVORIETE RECEPTEN UIT DE 7 KEUKENS VAN MAROESKA METZ" has been added to your basket.
LIMITED EDITION 'KINGDOM BY THE SEA, 500 YEARS OF DUTCH DESIGN'
Limited Edition 'Kingdom by the Sea: 500 Years of Dutch Design'. The cover of this high-end coffee table books is made of porcelain, by Royal Goedewaagen.
The famous Delft blue KLM houses are modelled after original designs from the grand masters of Dutch architecture, from Hendrick the Keyser and Jacob van Campen to Hein Berlage, the Godfather of modern Dutch architecture. This book presents an overview of 500 years of building history, reveals the stories behind the facades of about hundred monuments across the Netherland and offer an exclusive peak inside the lives of the inhabitants of heritage houses, like Rembrandt, Mata Hari and the founding father of Heineken.
LIMITED EDITION 'KINGDOM BY THE SEA, 500 YEARS OF DUTCH DESIGN' quantity
Limited Edition Kingdom by the Sea, 500 Years of Dutch Design offers an exclusive peek behind the facades of heritage houses and landmark buildings which modelled for the iconic Delft blue KLM house collection (including house no. 99)
Lavishly illustrated, engagingly presented and richly detailed coffee table book Kingdom by the Sea: 500 years of Dutch Design is the perfect gift for any KLM house collector and history and architecture buff. In this Limited Edition bursting with 1800 illustrations, page after page is dedicated to significant architectural movements, time lines that explore the rise of a country limited in size but great in cultural achievements. The high-end coffee table book capsule the stories of great Dutch architects and examines the masterpieces and architectural wonders we continue to marvel at today.
The 99 KLM houses and 10 collectors items are produced after original designs by the grand masters of Dutch architecture like Hendrick de Keyser, Jacob van Campen (the architect of the Royal Palace), Philips Vingboons (the inventor of the neck gable), Pieter Post (who designed the Gouda Weigh house), Dolf van Gendt (the architect of the Royal Concertgebouw Building) and Hendrik Berlage, the godfather of modern Dutch architecture.
For the very first time, the collection of KLM miniatures is placed in ranking order of the year of construction of the original monument. This book represents at least 500 years of building history and reveal the stories of the people who once lived in the houses upon which the KLM collection is based; famous pioneers such as Anthony Fokker, bold adventurers like Hendrick Hamel and Herman Boerhaave, innovative entrepreneurs (among others Gerard Heineken) and legendary figures (Anne Frank, Mata Hari). They all made their mark on history. This unique reference book places their houses in a social, cultural and historical setting representing a range of periods and architectural styles.
Extensive archive research and interviews with (architectural) historians and current residents of the properties have yielded a wealth of great anecdotes and unique and entertaining stories. Kingdom by the Sea invites you to an unprecedented tour of stunning and architecturally significant Dutch mansions, and private homes that have been meticulously preserved, and inaccessible to visitors. At a time when more travelers are rediscovering Holland, this lavishly illustrated volume offers a different view of the nation's cultural achievements.
The cover of the Limited Edition of Kingdom by the Sea: 500 Years of Dutch Design has been made of precious porcelain, produced and partly hand painted by Royal Goedewaagen (est. 1610). The procelain tile (with an design inspired by Dutch artist Piet Mondriaan) comes with a certificate of authenticity. Each copy is numbered from 1/250 to 250/250, signed by the author and wrapped in a beautiful gift box.
432 pages, 1800 photos and other images
head and tailband and ribbon
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text:
No. 15/17 Bulldog Football Suffers 18-21 Loss at Chapman
Redlands (4-1) 0 3 7 8 18
Chapman (4-0) 0 21 0 0 21
Photo credit: Stephanie Schoppe
Pa: Reed Vettel - 92
Ru: Marcos Reyes - 102
Rec: Caleb Henshaw - 39
Pa: Nathan Martinez - 80
Ru: Mason Carvalho - 108
Rec: Noah McFadden - 34
Rushing Yards
Time of Poss.
In a tale of two halves, the No. 15/17 University of Redlands football team suffered its first setback of the season in a difficult 18-21 loss on the road to the Chapman University Panthers. After facing a first-half deficit, the Bulldogs made a valiant push in the second stanza but fell just short of the comeback during Saturday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown.
"We're proud of the way our guys kept fighting and clawing to get back into this game," Head Coach Mike Maynard stated.
After neither team scored in the first quarter, the Panthers jumped on the board and built a 21-3 halftime lead. Redlands' only points came off of senior Alex Raya's (Jamul, CA) 34-yard field goal with 3:34 left in the second quarter.
Redlands regrouped in the locker room and came out in the third quarter with a renewed spirit of determination, which began with the Bulldogs' defensive stop on Chapman's opening drive. During this possession, six different Bulldogs made a tackle, including senior defensive lineman Elias Hackney's (Santa Monica, CA) for a loss of five yards on first and 10.
The Maroon and Gray worked to change the tide and ultimately scored a touchdown on an efficient five-play drive. Junior quarterback Nathan Martinez (Redlands, CA) connected with junior wide receiver Kai Kang (Sammamish, WA) on a 20-yard strike before Martinez carried the ball 16 yards to set up the score. First-year running back Mason Carvalho (Menifee, CA) made his way into the end zone from 26 yards out and Raya split the uprights to make it 10-21.
Another defensive stand kept Chapman off the board and allowed the Redlands offense to go back to work. Over the course of their six-minute possession, the Bulldogs marched downfield with gritty persistence. Carvalho gained critical yards on the ground before Martinez found junior wide receiver Noah McFadden (Puyallup, WA) for a 13-yard touchdown catch. After going for two, the Maroon and Gray trailed by only three points early in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, Redlands' late-game chances missed the mark and left it on the short end of the 18-21 final score.
"We had our opportunities to win but we just didn't make enough plays in the second half to dig us out of the hole," Maynard said.
With incredible resolve, the Bulldog defense shut out the Panthers in the second half. By the end of the game, four players had recorded seven tackles, including senior defensive back Jeff Hector (Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA), who earned a sack for a loss of seven yards and forced two fumbles.
Redlands (4-1, 1-1 SCIAC) heads to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday, October 19, for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Stags.


text:
package com.robomigos.squadgames.robomigos.Scenes;

import com.framework.FileIO;
import com.framework.Game;
import com.framework.Graphics;
import com.framework.Input;
import com.framework.Pixmap;
import com.framework.Screen;
import com.framework.Sound;
import com.robomigos.squadgames.robomigos.AnimatedPixmap;
import com.robomigos.squadgames.robomigos.Button;
import com.robomigos.squadgames.robomigos.DisplayBar;
import com.robomigos.squadgames.robomigos.Enemy;
import com.robomigos.squadgames.robomigos.NumberDisplay;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.Random;

/**
 * Created by Carlo Albino on 2016-11-14.
 */

public class BattleScreen extends Screen {

    public static Pixmap battleEnvironmentImage;
    public static Pixmap buttonBackgroundImage;
    public static Pixmap fireButtonImage;
    public static Pixmap leafButtonImage;
    public static Pixmap waterButtonImage;
    public static Pixmap runButtonImage;

    public Button fireButton;
    public Button leafButton;
    public Button waterButton;
    public Button runButton;

    public static Pixmap playerArrow;
    public static Pixmap enemyArrow;

    public static Pixmap exp;
    public static Pixmap plusSymbol;
    public static Pixmap levelText;
    public int expGained;
    public NumberDisplay expGainedDisplay;
    public NumberDisplay levelDisplay;
    public static Pixmap numbers;

    public static Pixmap petImage[];
    public AnimatedPixmap player;

    public static Pixmap smlEnemy1;
    public static Pixmap smlEnemy2;
    public static Pixmap smlEnemy3;
    public static Pixmap smlEnemyBoss;
    public static Pixmap lrgEnemy1;
    public static Pixmap lrgEnemy2;
    public static Pixmap lrgEnemy3;
    public static Pixmap lrgEnemy4;
    public Enemy[] enemies;
    public int currentLevel;

    // Battle control
    private int currentEnemy;
    private float currentTimer;
    private boolean step1;
    private boolean step2;
    private boolean step3;
    private boolean showStats;
    boolean attackChosen;

    public static Pixmap barBackground;
    public static Pixmap barForeground;

    public static Pixmap[] attackIcons;
    private int currentPlayerAttack;
    private int currentEnemyAttack;

    public DisplayBar playerHealth;
    public DisplayBar enemyHealth;

    private Sound damageSound;

    public BattleScreen(Game game, int level)
    {
        super(game);
        Graphics g = game.getGraphics();

        // Load the bitmaps
        battleEnvironmentImage = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/battleenvironment.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        buttonBackgroundImage = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/BattleBackground.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        fireButtonImage = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/FireButton.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        leafButtonImage = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/LeafButton.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        waterButtonImage = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/WaterButton.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        runButtonImage = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/RunButton.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);

        // Load the player bitmaps
        petImage = new Pixmap[3];
        petImage[1] = g.newPixmap("robotman.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        petImage[0] = g.newPixmap("frog.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        petImage[2] = g.newPixmap("cyborgbird.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);

        // Load the enemy bitmaps
        smlEnemy1 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/bluecube.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        smlEnemy2 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/greencube.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        smlEnemy3 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/redcube.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        smlEnemyBoss = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/boss1.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        lrgEnemy1 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/badguy1.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        lrgEnemy2 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/badguy2.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        lrgEnemy3 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/badguy3.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        lrgEnemy4 = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/badguy4.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);

        // Load Attack bitmaps
        attackIcons = new Pixmap[3];
        attackIcons[0] = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/FireIcon.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        attackIcons[1] = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/WaterIcon.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        attackIcons[2] = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/LeafIcon.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        // -1 is no attack
        currentPlayerAttack = -1;
        currentEnemyAttack = -1;

        // Load the healthbar bitmaps
        barBackground = g.newPixmap("BackBorderUI.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        barForeground = g.newPixmap("HealthBar.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);

        // Load the arrows
        playerArrow = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/PlayerArrow.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        enemyArrow = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/EnemyArrow.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);

        // Load the battle feedback
        exp = g.newPixmap("WinScene/BonusExp.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        plusSymbol = g.newPixmap("WinScene/PlusSign.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        levelText = g.newPixmap("BattleScene/PlayerLevel.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        numbers = g.newPixmap("numbersBlack.png", Graphics.PixmapFormat.ARGB4444);
        expGained = 0;
        expGainedDisplay = new NumberDisplay(g, numbers, 40, 5, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        levelDisplay = new NumberDisplay(g, numbers, 40, 10, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);

        // Get the background to screen ratio
        bgToScreenRatio = (float)g.getHeight() / (float)buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight();

        // Create buttons
        fireButton = new Button(g, fireButtonImage, fireButtonImage, 52, 64, 0, 0, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        waterButton = new Button(g, waterButtonImage, waterButtonImage, 2, 64, 0, 0, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        leafButton = new Button(g, leafButtonImage, leafButtonImage, 2, waterButton.Bottom() + 3, 0, 0,g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        runButton = new Button(g, runButtonImage, runButtonImage, 52, fireButton.Bottom() + 3, 0, 0,g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);

        // Create Health bars
        playerHealth = new DisplayBar(g, barBackground, barForeground, 2, 32, 0, 0, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        enemyHealth = new DisplayBar(g, barBackground, barForeground, 52, 55, 0, 0, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);

        if(game.getData().GetPetChoice() == 1)
            player = new AnimatedPixmap(g, petImage[game.getData().GetPetChoice()], 6, 35, 8, 3, 256, 256, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        else
            player = new AnimatedPixmap(g, petImage[game.getData().GetPetChoice()], 6, 35, 8, 2, 256, 256, g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);

        enemies = new Enemy[5];
        currentLevel = level;

        SetEnemies();

        currentEnemy = 0;
        currentTimer = 0;
        step1 = false;
        step2 = false;
        step3 = false;
        showStats = false;
        attackChosen = false;

        LoadNewBackgroundMusic("Audio/Music/Battle.ogg");
        damageSound = game.getAudio().newSound("Audio/SFX/Hit.ogg");
    }

    @Override
    public void update(float deltaTime) throws InterruptedException {
        List<Input.TouchEvent> touchEvents = game.getInput().getTouchEvents();

        int len = touchEvents.size();
        for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
        {
            Input.TouchEvent event = touchEvents.get(i);
            if(event.type == Input.TouchEvent.TOUCH_DOWN)
            {

            }

            if(event.type == Input.TouchEvent.TOUCH_UP)
            {
                if(!attackChosen) {
                    if (fireButton.IsInBounds(event)) {
                        ProcessResult(CheckResult(0));
                        attackChosen = true;
                        currentPlayerAttack = 0;
                    }

                    if (waterButton.IsInBounds(event)) {
                        ProcessResult(CheckResult(1));
                        attackChosen = true;
                        currentPlayerAttack = 1;
                    }

                    if (leafButton.IsInBounds(event)) {
                        ProcessResult(CheckResult(2));
                        attackChosen = true;
                        currentPlayerAttack = 2;
                    }

                    if (runButton.IsInBounds(event)) {
                        game.getData().AddHappiness(-0.2f);
                        game.getData().SaveGame(game.getFileIO());
                        game.setScreen(new HomeScreen(game));
                        return;
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        if(attackChosen)
        {
            currentTimer += deltaTime;
            // Wait
            // Show Attacks

            // Wait

            // Player Animate?
            // Enemy Damage Anim

            // Wait
            if(currentTimer > 1 && !step1) {
                // Update enemy health bar
                damageSound.play(1);
                enemyHealth.fillAmount = (float) enemies[currentEnemy].GetCurrentHP() / (float) enemies[currentEnemy].GetMaxHP();
                step1 = true;
            }
            // Wait

            // Enemy Animate?
            // Player Damage Anim

            // Wait
            if(currentTimer > 2 && !step2) {
                // Update player health bar
                damageSound.play(1);
                playerHealth.fillAmount = (float) game.getData().GetHP() / (float) game.getData().GetMaxHP();
                step2 = true;
            }

            // Wait
            if(currentTimer > 4 && !step3) {
                // Check for enemy death
                if (enemies[currentEnemy].GetCurrentHP() <= 0) {
                    if (currentEnemy < enemies.length - 1) {
                        game.getData().SetPetExperience(enemies[currentEnemy].GetExpGiven());
                        game.getData().AddHappiness(0.05f);
                        game.getData().AddHunger(-0.1f);
                        expGained = enemies[currentEnemy].GetExpGiven();
                        currentEnemy++;
                        enemyHealth.fillAmount = (float) enemies[currentEnemy].GetCurrentHP() / (float) enemies[currentEnemy].GetMaxHP();
                        currentPlayerAttack = -1;
                        currentEnemyAttack = -1;
                        showStats = true;
                        step3 = true;
                        game.getData().SaveGame(game.getFileIO());
                    } else {
                        // Player has won
                        game.setScreen(new WinScreen(game, currentLevel));
                        return;
                    }
                }
            }

            if((currentTimer > 8.5 && showStats) || (currentTimer > 4 && !showStats)) {
                // Check for player death
                if (game.getData().GetHP() <= 0) {
                    if (game.getData().GetNumOfItem1() > 0 ||
                            game.getData().GetNumOfItem2() > 0 ||
                            game.getData().GetNumOfItem3() > 0 ||
                            game.getData().GetNumOfItem4() > 0 ||
                            game.getData().GetMoney() > 20) {
                        // Player has blacked out, but has items to heal
                        game.setScreen(new LoseScreen(game));
                        return;
                    } else {
                        // Player loses the game
                        game.setScreen(new GameOverScreen(game));
                        return;
                    }
                }
                currentPlayerAttack = -1;
                currentEnemyAttack = -1;
                currentTimer = 0;
                step1 = false;
                step2 = false;
                step3 = false;
                showStats = false;
                attackChosen = false;
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void present(float deltaTime) {
        Graphics g = game.getGraphics();
        // Draw background
        g.drawPixmap(battleEnvironmentImage, 0, 0, 0, 0, battleEnvironmentImage.getWidth(), battleEnvironmentImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        g.drawPixmap(buttonBackgroundImage, 0, 0, 100, 100, 0, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight());

        // If the player has attacked display the attack image
        if(currentPlayerAttack > -1)
        {
            g.drawPixmap(attackIcons[currentPlayerAttack], 2, 5, 0, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        }

        // If the player has attacked display the attack image
        if(currentEnemyAttack > -1)
        {
            g.drawPixmap(attackIcons[currentEnemyAttack], 60, 5, 0, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        }

        if(showStats)
        {
            g.drawPixmap(exp, 4, 5, 246, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
            g.drawPixmap(plusSymbol, 33, 5, 0, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
            g.drawPixmap(levelText, 5, 10, 281, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
            expGainedDisplay.Draw(Integer.toString(expGained), 2);
            levelDisplay.Draw(Integer.toString(game.getData().GetPetLevel()), 2);
        }

        // Draw player and enemy
        player.Draw(deltaTime);
        enemies[currentEnemy].Draw();

        // Draw health bars
        playerHealth.Draw();
        enemyHealth.Draw();

        // Draw buttons
        fireButton.Draw();
        leafButton.Draw();
        waterButton.Draw();
        runButton.Draw();

        // Draw arrows
        g.drawPixmap(playerArrow, playerHealth.Left() + 9, playerHealth.Top() - 7, 0, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);
        g.drawPixmap(enemyArrow, enemyHealth.Left() + 15, playerHealth.Top() - 7, 0, 0, buttonBackgroundImage.getWidth(), buttonBackgroundImage.getHeight(), g.getWidth(), g.getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio);

    }

    @Override
    public void pause() {

    }

    @Override
    public void resume() {

    }

    @Override
    public void dispose() {

    }

    private int CheckResult(int playerChoice)
    {
        Random rand = new Random();
        int enemyChoice = rand.nextInt(3);
        currentEnemyAttack = enemyChoice;

        if(playerChoice == enemyChoice)
        {
            // Tied
            return 0;
        }
        else if (playerChoice == 0 && enemyChoice == 1)
        {
            // enemy wins
            return 1;
        }
        else if(playerChoice == 1 && enemyChoice == 2)
        {
            // enemy wins
            return 1;
        }
        else if(playerChoice == 2 && enemyChoice == 0)
        {
            // enemy wins
            return 1;
        }
        else
        {
            // player wins
            return 2;
        }
    }

    private void ProcessResult(int result)
    {
        float playerMultiplier;
        float enemyMultiplier;
        if(result == 0)
        {
            // tie
            playerMultiplier = 1;
            enemyMultiplier = 1;
        }
        else if(result == 1)
        {
            // player loses
            playerMultiplier = 0.5f;
            enemyMultiplier = 1.2f;
        }
        else
        {
            // player wins
            playerMultiplier = 1.5f;
            enemyMultiplier = 0.5f;
        }
        // Damage the enemy first
        enemies[currentEnemy].Damage((int)((float)game.getData().GetAtkPower() * playerMultiplier * (1.0f + (game.getData().GetHappiness() * 0.5f))));
        // If the enemy is not dead damage the player
        if(enemies[currentEnemy].GetCurrentHP() > 0) {
            game.getData().AddHP(-(int) ((float) enemies[currentEnemy].GetAttackPower() * enemyMultiplier));
        }
    }

    private void SetEnemies()
    {
        // Set enemies based on the selected difficulty
        switch (currentLevel)
        {
            case 1:
            {
                enemies[0] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 10, 3, 50);
                enemies[1] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy2, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 10, 3, 60);
                enemies[2] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy3, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 16, 4, 70);
                enemies[3] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 16, 4, 80);
                enemies[4] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy3, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 19, 5, 200);

            }
                break;
            case 2:
            {
                enemies[0] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 28, 8, 150);
                enemies[1] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy2, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 28, 8, 150);
                enemies[2] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy3, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 31, 9, 200);
                enemies[3] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy2, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 31, 9, 200);
                enemies[4] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 34, 12, 300);
            }
                break;
            case 3:
            {
                enemies[0] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy3, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 46, 13, 450);
                enemies[1] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 46, 13, 450);
                enemies[2] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 49, 15, 550);
                enemies[3] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy3, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 49, 15, 550);
                enemies[4] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemyBoss, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 70, 8, 600);
            }
                break;
            case 4:
            {
                enemies[0] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), smlEnemyBoss, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 70, 10, 650);
                enemies[1] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy1, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 58, 15, 650);
                enemies[2] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy2, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 61, 16, 700);
                enemies[3] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy3, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 58, 17, 700);
                enemies[4] = new Enemy(game.getGraphics(), lrgEnemy4, 68, 35, 0, 0, game.getGraphics().getWidth(), game.getGraphics().getHeight(), bgToScreenRatio, 64, 17, 900);
            }
                break;
            default:
                System.out.println("ERROR! Setting enemies failed.  Passed in level is incorrect.");
                break;
        }
    }
}


Poignant, emotional, and heartbreaking alternately with savage bits of humor. Savage or sarcastic? Caustic? Sardonic and derisive; perhaps we are talking Greek tragedy here. The narrator-protagonist, Cynthia, is at that mid-life crisis in her life and a reliable if vulnerable narrator. She is ready to stir up her pat and boring life as an accountant and retires. But to do what? At fifty and unmarried, she is also lonely. She has a strong family network, two (older) sisters who couldn't be more polar opposites and a solid Catholic upbringing. It all seems to begin so innocently. She gets that "third sign" so many of us have gotten and learned not to ignore and her life takes a ninety-degree turn–right off the deep end, which usually happens with these things!
that this might actually work.
I must warn of the censorable dialogue, raw, raunchy, and many times unrestrained language, perhaps expected of the fourteen-year-old (these days). Not so much with the narrator, although an albeit mature inexperienced woman suddenly plunged into this nightmare scenario, may end up parroting the child's language. (I do remember trying to pick my battles too.) Still, I had to applaud the many positive and creative ways she carefully handled the girl (and wished I'd been that wise). Difficult enough to be a mother, let alone stepping into shoes this size required.
These characters are so real, so engaging. I loved Cynthia's sister, Angela. Perfect name for the character even if you did have to "wait for it." A unique plot, compelling and flawed characters, a believable family drama, and just enough hope to keep the pages flipping. Totally recommended.
The Author: Nancy Roman grew up in Bristol Connecticut, attending local schools and graduating from the University of Connecticut, an English major with an MBA.
Her essay, "My Perfect Mess," recounting her sweet experience with her sixth-grade teacher was included in Marlo Thomas' best-selling collection, THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME, VOLUME II.
Nancy writes weekly about aging, kindness, and living a happy life on her popular blog, "Not Quite Old" (http://notquiteold.com).
Her first novel, JUST WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED, is a poignant story of adoption, told with humor and honesty.
Nancy's recent release is LUCINDA'S SOLUTION, a love story of changing mores and the role of women after World War I.
Roman lives in Litchfield Connecticut with her husband, four mysterious cats, and one disobedient but adorable dog.
Thank you, Nancy. I do appreciate your comment. I always assume that the author for whom I review gets a notification of the post. Thinking I'll have to be more careful now that the author knows about the post. In any case I'm glad you liked it and I do continue to read your blog. Thanks again.
This sounds very interesting. I retired at 53 and adopting a teenager was definitely not on my list. Great review Virginia.
Thank you Carla. Yes I couldn't imagine trying to adopt at that age, much less a damaged child.
Great review. I do like the sound of this. 50 years young, a distressed teenager to shake things up… I like it.
Thank you! Fourteen-year-old daughters can be difficult enough. I can't even imagine trying this situation. Talk about a page-flipping book!