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Tag Archives: bdsm
Review of The Subs Club (The Subs Club #1), by J.A. Rock
I received a copy of J. A. Rock's The Subs Club from Netgalley.
A year ago, my best friend Hal died at the hands of an incompetent "dom." So I started the Subs Club, a private blog where submissives can review doms and call out the douche bags.
A perfect example of the kind of arrogant asshole I mean? The Disciplinarian. He has a pornstache. He loves meat, stoicism, America, and real discipline. And he thinks subs exist to serve him.
But . . . not everything about him is awful. His Davy Crockett act just seems like a cover for his fear of intimacy, and part of me wants to show him it's okay to get close to people. And, I mean, sue me, but I have fantasized about real discipline. Not role-play, but like, Dave, you're gonna be thirty in four years and you still work in a mall; get your ass in gear or I'll spank it.
Not that I'd ever trust anyone with that kind of control.
I'm gonna redefine "battle of wills" for the Disciplinarian. Or I'm gonna bone him. It's hard to say.
Sorry, this is a little bit of a discombobulated review, but I can't decide how to rate this book. In some ways I really liked it (it was funny and witty and subversive) but in others it fell flat for me. And I'm not certain how much of that is the book and how much is that a lot of it just isn't my kink. I get the pain aspect and thought some of it was hot, though it surpassed my comfort margins. But I can't blame the book for that; it's a subjective complaint. As is the fact that I don't really care for the discipline kink.
[Slight spoiler] But I think the book also felt a little heavy on the BDSM safety lectures and negotiations. This was problematic for me because I kind of thought it was a bit of a ripple in the plot. David started The Subs Club to keep subs safe, instead of going to the existing panel discussions, because the people who come to the discussions were the same-old, same-old and the people who were problematic don't come. But the happy conclusion to this was that he got to lead a regular panel discussion. OK, yeah, there was the new reporting path created too, but I have a hard time thinking the owners of the club hadn't been open to that to start with. So, it seemed like an unfortunate concession in the end, which it may have been, but it still left me less than satisfied. But again, am I just being overly critical because that aspect of the book didn't grab me enough to stop over-thinking it? I don't know.
Having said that, outside of David's 'this is how it should work' mental mastication (which, though heavy, was much less didactic than a lot of such books), I enjoyed Dave's insistence on his right to safe words, hard limits and to be treated as a person with agency even as a submissive. Really, in some ways this is what the book is about. How to maintain the passion and spontaneity and danger while also remaining safe, especially when your confidence has been shaken.
I've seen a number of reviews refer to David (Pornstash-David) as Ron Swanson. I've never even seen the show, but I've seen enough memes to get the picture and I couldn't help but picture him that way. It worked and I liked him a lot. I thought he and sub-David were funny together. I enjoyed the side characters and look forward to reading their books in the future. I loved sub-David's inner monologue and, though I'm not at all familiar with real life BDSM, I liked that mistakes were made, mold existed, toys had to be sterilized, negotiations happened, etc., etc., etc. I liked that this felt like less of a fantasy BDSM book than most. Though, that's just as likely to be the effect of a talented writer that can hide the fantasy element of the story as anything else.
This entry was posted in books/book review, Challenges, indiefever 2015 and tagged #indiefever, bdsm, book review, challenges, M/M, romance on December 9, 2015 by Sadie.
Review of Stalked (The Slayers #2), by H.C. Brown
I received a copy of Stalked, by H. C. Brown, from Netgalley.
Who's more dangerous – a stripper, an assassin, or a serial killer?
The Stripper Ripper is stalking the streets of New York City, preying on male strippers, and the press is making mincemeat of a helpless police force.
In desperation, the police refer the serial killer's case to the Slayers, a team of enhanced, undercover super soldiers. The commander of the Slayers puts his team on the streets to watch over the Ripper's favorite targets.
One of these targets is Micah, a twink stripper and a desirable sub. Micah's baby sitter is one of the newest members of the Slayers, Sorren, as cold-blooded an assassin as they come, and the last person you'd expect to harbor feelings for his charge.
True to form, Sorren is as surprised as anyone at his new infatuation, but Micah is hiding something. Will Micah learn to trust his protector, or is he destined to be the next victim on the Stripper Ripper's list?
When I finished this book and went to Goodreads, to write this review, I discovered that this is a second in a series. I wouldn't have picked it up if I had known that. I like to read series in order. But I don't think having read the first book would have made me like it any more. But I am always baffled why publishers don't put that information on book covers. It's freakin' important!
Anyhow, this book was a fail for me. My overall impression was of overpowering, almost unbearable cheesiness. Everything about The Slayers was too perfect. Sorren flashed cash constantly, bought Micah new clothes, pampered his cat, had an easy solution for everything, etc. As an example, at one point Micah demands $1,000 a night as a fee in order to accept a job. This is apparently the going rate for a skilled dancer. (I don't know.) The counter offer was an apartment in the five star building, food, living expenses (hair cuts, clothes, massages, sex are listed as examples), and $5,000 a show. Um….too good to be true and painfully unbelievable. But pretty par for the course of a book trying too hard to be like a fairy tale.
But my main complaint was with the characters. There was no depth at all, no history, no development. And as much as I like the occasional growly alpha a-hole, Sorren was just a dick. Here's a quote: "No! I refuse to discuss limitations, or contracts. I am a Dom and in my dungeon, we go by my rules. I will push you to the edge and you will trust me to give you pleasure." That pretty much sums the book up. That's the level of trust and communication presented as the norm. Keep in mind that these men have known each-other less than a day and this is his response to Micah's request for boundaries.
There's an earlier scene, in which they had known each-other less than an hour and Micah asks Sorren if he's into edge play, 'cause for Sorren Micah claimed to be willing to learn it. Micah had never done more than be spanked and they were no discussing kink, but hey let's throw this random one out as an invitation. No matter that less than an hour earlier he'd watched his best friend get his throat slit and been stabbed himself. Of course knife play is gonna be exactly what the reader expects him to be fantasizing about. WTF? What the actual f*ck?
Basically, I found the plot anemic, the use of "I'm a Dom" to excuse and explain almost everything in life irritating and artificially highlighted, the cheesy 'Dom-speak' like sandpaper, the villain cliche beyond words, the events predictable, Micah was TSTL, there are a number of inconsistencies/contradictions, and the whole thing (almost every aspect of it) rushed and underdeveloped. The actual writing itself was fine. The book is easy enough to read, but not much of what was written actually appealed to me personally.
This entry was posted in books/book review, Challenges, First Reads 2015, indiefever 2015 and tagged #indiefever, bdsm, book review, challenges, Indie, M/M on October 19, 2015 by Sadie.
Light a Candle (Club Velvet Ice #4), by V. J. Summers
I received a copy of Light a candle, by V. J. Summers from Netgalley.
Will broke Dusty's heart their senior year. One unexpected moment of passion between them, and Will freaked out. Not only wasn't he gay, but he wasn't kinky either—or so he insisted to Dusty. Their long friendship ended, and Dusty was left with only bittersweet memories of their last movie night together.
Ten years later, out as gay and a Dom, Will auditions for membership at Club Deviant, only to find that he's been assigned an all-too-familiar submissive. His scene with Dustin feels like fate, and he's determined to get back what they once had—and more.
Dustin had buried the pain of rejection deep, but playing with Will conjures all his memories of that one electric moment they shared and the friendship it destroyed. He's built walls around his heart high enough to keep out the Trojan Army, but together, he and Will may find the courage to move beyond their past and face their future together.
OK, to start with, until I sat down to write this review I didn't realize this was a fourth book in a series. I would never have picked it up if I had. I generally avoid latter books in a series, even if they are stand alone. But it's read now and, who knows, maybe I would have liked it better if I'd read the previous three books. Maybe not, because I don't know that my complaints resulted from anything related to the series itself.
Now, I don't want to infer that I didn't like the book, just that I had complaints. First, the characters are paper thin. Seriously, with the exception of the flashbacks, over the several weeks of the book, we don't get a single scene outside the club. So, the book is wholly focused on Will's pursuit of Dusty and Dusty's avoidance of giving in. Meh.
Second, I didn't think what happened between the two as teenagers deserved all that much angst. It just wasn't that big a deal. They certainly never had a relationship, so claiming Dusty's heart was broken seems a little extreme. We're told they'd been friends for years, but we're given one scene in which Dusty awkwardly invites WIll over to his house, as if they're just becoming friends. I didn't buy it.
Third, I get that wax play was supposed to be a big part of this, thus the title. But almost every single sex scene was a wax play scene. For an elite BDSM club they seem to have a very limited repertoire. The thing is, even if I found it super sexy, I'd have been bored with it. But really I thought it was pretty bland, especially Will and Dusty's big climax scene. Meh.
I hated the Dom-talk. Why do all Doms in these sorts of books have to talk in stiff, complete sentence, call every one 'boy' (which just squinks me out, like something that should be uttered only in Deliverance) and never use contractions. Meh.
So, in conclusion, while this was an ok book and some people might be thrilled with it, I remained only mildly interested throughout.
This entry was posted in books/book review, Challenges, First Reads 2015, indiefever 2015 and tagged #indiefever, bdsm, book review, challenges, erotica, Indie, M/M on June 1, 2015 by Sadie.


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justice 4 grenfell
Rice N Peas was established producing hard-hitting video documentaries about social issues.
In an era where mainstream journalism is often saturated with propaganda, convey accounts that accurately represent the lives and stories of the people without censorship, prejudice or distortion, aiming to question, to challenge and to educate.
Frank Crichlow's Funeral
Frank Crichlow (1932 - 2010) was a community activist and civil rights campaigner. He founded the Mangrove restaurant which became the centre for Black civil rights activism in Britain which led to the infamous Mangrove Nine trials of 1970 and the first admission of institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police force.
Spirit of Humanity captured by Israeli Navy
Video smuggled out of Israel that captures the Israeli Navy threatening to open fire on a boat containing human rights activists who were delivering aid, following the massacres in Gaza under Operation Cast Lead 2008/2009 during which over 1,400 people were killed and over 50,000 people displaced.
By Jill Bolstridge
With the US's political landscape under more scrutiny than ever before, citizens of the US are rapidly calling for change.
By Ishmahil Blagrove Jr
Will history ever stop repeating itself? A statement on the illegalities of war and the actions which should be taken to stop the outbreak of war.
The Media's Rules of Engagement for the Middle East
By Robin Miller
Robin Miller looks at some of the propaganda tactics used by the mainstream media to help shape public opinion and perceptions about the Israel/Palestine conflict.
The Scramble for Africa's Oil
By Dino Mahtani
With gas prices at an all-time high, oil conglomerates are, now more than ever, looking to Africa for its relatively untapped resources.
George Shire: A Different Zimbabwean Narrative
Zimbabwean political analyst George Shire talks to Ishmahil Blagrove, Jr. about the recent elections in his country, the cause of the crisis and the impact of Western interference on the democratic process of change in Zimbabwe.
The Politics of Language
A quarter of a century after the Soweto Uprising, the linguistic and social divides which underly the upheaval are still a pressing issue.
Pat Dodson: This Is Our Country Too
Pat Dodson, winner of the 2008 Sydney Peace Prize, talks to Ishmahil Blagrove, Jr. about the plight of Australia's indigenous people, the recent government apology and the opportunities for black and white Australians to resolve their differences.
Spirituality and The Death of Religion
With religious intolerance now at the ugly centre of many of the world's major conflicts, it is important to look at the concepts of spirituality and the clashes of conformity within the contexts of organized religion.
Nov 1 The UK's Saudi Royal Visit
Ishmahil Blagrove
Both the government and monarchy fail to acknowledge any hypocrisy in Britain's masquerade as a champion of human rights and democracy while simultaneously playing host to one of the world's most corrupt and infamous abusers of human rights: the dictator and ruler of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah.
The Saudi King, who arrived in Britain with an entourage of 400 helpers and servants, was feted and pandered to by none other than Queen Elizabeth II herself. He was a guest of honour at the Horse Guards Parade before heading off to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace to savour more of Britain's red carpet treatment.
In Saudi Arabia, homosexuality is punishable by public beheading. It is a country where women have very limited rights and are not even permitted to drive; yet I doubt Gordon Brown, the self-professed "defender of the people," would dare to utter in the presence of the King any statement with the remotest reference to these issues.
Gordon Brown and, might I add, David Cameron's moral convictions are apparently on temporary leave, at least until the Saudi Royals depart, whereupon we shall no doubt again hear the tempestuous speeches in defence of human rights and the call to bring rogues such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe to justice.
The Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable's decision to boycott the Saudi royal visit was lambasted by the conservatives as "juvenile gesture politics." Yet wasn't this the very same action described as "a moral stance" when Gordon Brown refused to attend the African/EU summit in protest of Robert Mugabe's presence?
The government has gone to great lengths to justify and explain its hypocrisy. We've heard how many jobs have been created in Britain, how many expats live and work in Saudi Arabia, how many defence contracts are worth billions, and how we share "common interests and common views"; and therein lies the basis for sacrificing the moral integrity of this country. Britain has become a political prostitute.
Editorial, editorial, saudi royal visit, hypocrisy, king abdullah, british government, corruption
Die Weiße Rose — German anti-nazi publishing activists faced capital punishment
Die Weiße Rose ("The White Rose") was a coalition of university students in Germany during the Third Reich who opposed Hitler by independently writing, producing, and distributing leaflets throughout Germany which sought to expose the tyranny of the Nazi party in a country otherwise totally controlled by government-produced news and propaganda.
Blind British Justice
The Crown Prosecution Service's decision to drop charges against Hans and Eva Rausing for possession of cocaine, crack, cannabis and heroin is shocking and makes a mockery of the British judicial system.
breaking news regarding The grenfell tower disaster and the movement for social justice in the face of RBK&C's lethal failings
Double Down News – George Monbiot on the larger corruption behind grenfell
We don't allow defendants in court cases to select the charges on which they will be tried. So why should the government set the terms of a public inquiry into its own failings? We don't allow criminal suspects to vet the trial judge. Why should the government approve the inquiry's chair?
Copy of the Letter to Prime Minister and Home Secretary on the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry
We are the residents of the Walkways surrounding Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate, forced to live in the shadow of the Grenfell disaster.
We support the survivors and mourn the dead – they are our families, friends and neighbours, many of whom are still missing.
We want to ensure that justice is served for everyone on the estate.
We therefore demand that our voices are heard and fully included in the public enquiry.
Nicholas Paget-Brown resigns as Leader of RBK&C
The Justice4Grenfell campaign welcome Nicholas Paget-Brown finally doing the right thing and stepping down as Leader of the Council, something the survivors, residents and broader community have been calling for since the Grenfell Tower disaster. His Deputy, Rock Feilding-Mellen, has also stepped down according to media reports.
How can this judge deliver justice for the victims of Grenfell Tower?
by Ishmahil Blagrove
co-written by Dan Parmenter
The limited nature of the inquiry and Moore-Bick's history raise doubts over whether decision-makers involved will be held accountable – and they must be
Nov 1 The Twilight Zone - Rod Serling
Oct 1 The Media Demonisation of Ahmedinejad
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Large museums can be overwhelming. I remember a while back, one of the writers at Maggie's Farm blog suggested that the best way to see large museums is to pick one limited section and plan to visit just that section. I have tried that a couple of times and it is an enjoyable approach, though as a completionist I have trouble walking away when I have not conquered every room (I am that guy, for example, that has to reveal every single square inch of dark space on a Diablo III map).
However, another alternative is just to visit a smaller museum. Sometimes smaller museums can be disappointing, because the average quality (or at least name-value) of what is being displayed may be lower than in the large museums. Not so the Frick Museum in New York City. This is probably my favorite small museum. The building itself is marvelous, the Fifth Avenue mansion of Henry Frick, Andrew Carnegie's right hand man (among many other ventures). I first went to the museum years ago because it houses one of my favorite paintings, the Comtesse d'Haussonville by Ingres. In addition in just 7 or 8 rooms, it has a virtual who's who of western art history, including Rembrandt, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Gainsborough, Turner, Holbein, Goya, Gilbert Stuart, Whistler, and many others. The ratio of big names to also-rans is just amazing. Walking the halls is like watching the actor list in the opening credits of the movie "A Bridge to Far". My only complaint on this visit is that the Comtesse has been moved to a poor spot for viewing.
On the far left, 4 or 5 floors up, is Per Se, one of the top restaurants in Manhattan and perhaps the country. Given how hard it is to get a reservation, this is probably as close as I will come to eating there.
Mayor Bloomberg in New York seems to think he has his own personal army he can order to do whatever he wishes, irregardless of Constitutional protections. Case in point is the egregiously unconstitutional stop and frisk program. The only way this program survives is that it is generally applied only to the powerless. I would love to see the policy applied randomly, rather than just to poor blacks, with officers tomorrow performing random stop and frisk at, say, the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Fiftieth Street. The outcry from the not-so-powerless would be so incredible that the program likely would not survive another 24 hours.


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Back making headlines the claim that Led Zeppelin's magnum opus 'Stairway To Heaven' was stolen from the track 'Taurus' by Spirit, has been taken to court. A trial is scheduled for 10th May for supposed copyright infringement. The whole debacle is an absolute farce; the family of the deceased Spirit guitarist Randy California have decided to sue over 40 years since the song's release, despite the fact that Randy himself never sought legal action. The two songs have nothing in common besides a very basic chord progression at the very beginning, something that occurs in innumerable songs. Any court with any sense should realise that the claim is a load of rubbish.


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Students Team Up With NASA To Study New Island
CAI | By Elsa Partan
Landsat 8, NASA, https://tinyurl.com/y4okdbfe
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai island, January 2017"
Meet the world's newest island. It was born in a volcanic eruption in 2015 and connected two existing islands, Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai in Polynesia. Once it cooled off, fishermen and scientists started taking a closer look at the new land mass.
We know that many islands in the Pacific Ocean formed from volcanic activity, but we haven't gotten a chance to watch the process happen very often. After all, it's not every day that a new island pops up.
And the fact that the new island is still around four years later is also pretty rare. It's only the third new island in 150 years to last more than a few months. The others soon crumbled back into the sea.
Because the island stuck around, scientists at NASA started to wonder if it could shed light on early volcanic activity on Mars. But rather than studying it with remote imaging and rovers, they've teamed up with Sea Education Association (SEA) to sail there and study it in person.
"We can get closer," explained Kerry A. Whittaker, assistant professor of oceanography at SEA. "It's scary. It's romantic. It really combines all of the elements of navigation, of the physics of the winds, of movement."
Because the island is new, there are no maps. The students, who will set sail this week, are literally sailing into uncharted waters. They'll also be collecting data that will help answer questions about how islands evolve over time and erode, Whitaker said.
It turns out that this could also teach us about the history of Mars.
"Mars may not look like it, but Mars is a water planet," said Jim Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "Its water stories are hidden in the rocks that we've been crawling over with robots. We'll have students act like our robots."
Scientists think Mars once had standing bodies of water on the surface and volcanoes that erupted into these bodies, much like the new island in Polynesia.
"However, the water is gone," he said. "It's either frozen out, oxidized rocks, or evaporated way into the current climate state."
The landforms on Mars are in a state of arrested development, he said. "Something happened. They formed. It's gone. The record books are gone."
On earth, the ocean is still here, so the new island can help scientists understand how Mars' features may have formed when it still had liquid water on the surface.
"That's a great natural laboratory," Garvin said.
Science & Environment oceanographyspaceSpace & Physics
Elsa Partan
"Elsa Partan is a producer and newscaster with CAI. She first came to the station in 2002 as an intern and fell in love with radio. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. From 2006 to 2009, she covered the state of Wyoming for the NPR member station Wyoming Public Media in Laramie. She was a newspaper reporter at The Mashpee Enterprise from 2010 to 2013. She lives in Falmouth with her husband and two daughters.
See stories by Elsa Partan
Aerospace museum takes flight on Main Street in Hyannis
Now We Know the Length of a Day on Saturn


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Footage Captures Poughkeepsie Hudson Heritage Demolition Progress
Simon Updated: June 17, 2020
Photo by Simon
Demolition work on the $300 million Hudson Heritage project in Poughkeepsie continues with some remarkable drone footage of recent progress made available.
According to a press release from PRWEB, the massive project will include housing, a hotel and conference center, retail, a supermarket, restaurants, entertainment options along with medical and office space.
Current demolition work on the Clarence O. Cheney Building continues as crews work to tear down the 12 story building made up of more than 360,000 square feet of space. It is the final structure to be removed before construction can commence on the property.
Efforts continue on the restoration of the old administration building on the Hudson Heritage site known as the 'Kirkbride'. It was damaged by a fire in 2018 and rehab efforts include the replacement of 360 windows and a new roof all while staying true to the original High Victorian Gothic architecture.
The former Hudson River Psychiatric Center was in operation from 1871 until 2012. A few months ago, developers began clearing the land. Once completed the project is expected to create 750 permanent jobs while generating $8 million in property taxes. Construction is expected to take three to six years.
And here's what it looks like now.
And here's some aerial footage of what it looked like previously.
Listen to Afternoons With Simon weekdays from 3 PM to 7 PM on 92.7/96.9 WRRV. Stream us live through the website, your Alexa-enabled device, Google Home or the WRRV mobile app.
Listen to Afternoons With Simon weekdays from 3 PM to 7 PM through your WRRV mobile app. Connect with WRRV on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Netflix Classic 'The Irishman' Filmed At Multiple Hudson Valley Locations
2019 WRRV Sessions Photo Rewind
How Did Poughkeepsie Get Its Name?
Two Hollywood Actors Co-Own Hudson Valley Candy Shop
Top 10 Celebrities Who Live In The Hudson Valley
America's Oldest Intersection Is In The Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley Drone Pilot Captures Haunting Footage Of The Old Psyche Center
Hudson Valley Restaurants
15 Places That Make Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie
No hindsight music unit displayed.
Filed Under: hudson heritage photos, hudson heritage video, Poughkeepsie
Categories: Around the Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley News


So as the old proverb goes, if I give a man a fish I feed him for a day, but if I teach that man to fish I feed him for a lifetime. So a lot of people have great intentions, their heart is coming from a good place like my client. I said what do you want to do? He says I want to take care of the poor and I want to feed the homeless. That is an admiral thing, but I ask you the question, what happens tomorrow? You feed them today and then what?


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Just a month ago, I couldn't imagine I'd ever be in a position to talk about this. Of course I've dreamed about it. I've even prayed that a miracle might happen and we'd come to a point where we could talk about taking apart this monstrosity. But the truth is that I never, ever thought it would actually happen.
And yet here we are. Against all the odds, we have a president-elect who has vowed—not just once but many times—to repeal the abominable (un)Affordable Care Act. We have a Republican majority in Congress, which means a repeal might actually pass—if their outrage over the past six years wasn't all political show. We have senators like Rand Paul saying that repealing Obamacare will be on the agenda for the first month of President Trump's term.
It could actually happen, folks.
It could actually happen. But whether it will or not may still be up to us. We may have to put pressure on our Congresspeople to make it happen. Yes, they voted to repeal last year, but it was a symbolic gesture. Each and every one of them knew that any attempt to gut Obamacare would be met with a big, fat veto, so passing that kind of legislation was safe. Now that it's a real possibility, we might have to hold their feet to the fire to make them put their money where their mouths are.
The bottom line is this: most of us hate Obamacare more than ever and want it gone.
Actually, we could. Health insurance existed long before the ACA passed, and it will exist long after the ACA is gone. We could repeal the ACA, pretend it never happened, and to right back to how things were before it.
Of course, that would leave a lot of people unhappy. Like all the people who suddenly became eligible for Medicaid. Or who were already sick and got insurance at the same rate as healthy people. Or the adults who got to be on their parents' insurance till they were 26. These are the people who are currently happy with Obamacare. And they're panicking at the thought of a repeal without a replacement.
But of course what we had before the ACA wasn't exactly ideal either—far from it. Even the most die-hard of Obamacare opponents admit this. And that's where we're in luck. Because our new president-elect, far from not having a plan (as the media has claimed), proposed a plan MONTHS AGO. And it's a plan that would not just get rid of the ACA but fix much of what was wrong with the system before the Obamination was foisted on us.
1. Completely repeal Obamacare. This is item 1 on the list, the first and foundational point of the plan.
2. Allow the sale of health insurance across state lines. This would create competition that doesn't currently exist, which in turn would drive down costs.
3. Allow each one of us—not just businesses—to write off insurance premiums on our taxes. As things currently stand, businesses can do this but you and I are stuck claiming those thousands we paid out on insurance as income.
4. Allow individuals to use health savings accounts. Let them be used by any family member without penalty. Make HSA contributions non-taxable. Let them accumulate. Let them become part of the estate of a person, and let them be passed on without any kind of penalty when a person dies.
5. Make pricing transparent. Require doctors, hospitals, and every other healthcare provider to tell us how much things actually cost so we can shop around for the best deal—something that's currently impossible. This would create real competition, and probably do more to cut healthcare costs than anything else.
6. Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Because the states know better than the Feds what their people need.
Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products. Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America. Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.
This last point is the one that Congress will have the most difficulty swallowing. With all the Big Pharma money floating careers and campaigns, Congress is going to turn inside out to avoid doing anything that will really cut the cost of drugs.
healthcare mess that gave us the ACA in the first place. We'd still have Medicaid for the poorest of us. Seniors would still have Medicare. And the rest of us—those of us subsidizing these same programs with our tax dollars—might actually have access to affordable health insurance ourselves…if we want it.
And if we don't—if we're young and healthy and would rather pay for the occasional doctor's appointment out of our own pockets, say—we'd have the RIGHT to do that as we should have all along.
We need to be vocal. We need to tell our Congresspeople in no uncertain terms that we want the ACA gone. Not just pieces of it, but all of it. We don't want it changed. We don't want it "improved." We don't want it "expanded upon." We want it GONE. Once it's gone, we can start afresh.
We need to be persistent. We need to contact our senators and representatives and soon-to-be President Trump himself by any method we can. You can find your senators here and representatives here, plus how to contact them.
Call. Write. Email. Don't just do one of these—do all of them. Tell them we want to see ALL these points put into action. And don't just do it once. We have two months for them to forget their promises so we need to remind them periodically.
We need to be evangelists. Too many people are frightened of repealing the ACA. We need to educate them on what the president-elect's plan actually is, and encourage them to contact their Congresspeople and support it too.
And most importantly, we need to be ruthless. We need to remind all these people that WE elected them. There may be rabid radicals burning down the house in protest right now, but it is WE—the quiet majority who goes to work every day and abides by the rules rather than rioting—who put them in office, and we can take them out too if they renege on their promise to repeal.


text:
Route 1 Reporter (https://route1reporter.com/2018/08/20/longer-terms-for-college-park-council/)
Longer terms for College Park Council?
By Michael Theis | August 20, 2018
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Michael Theis/Route 1 Reporter
"Four more years!" You don't hear those words in College Park's municipal political circles. That's because College Park City Council members, including the mayor, serve two year terms, with every council seat up for grabs every election. But College Park City Council members have begun to debate amending the city's...
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Insurrection attempt puts Mount Rainier police on high alert
Mount Rainier and Brentwood police departments said they deployed extra police officers at key intersections along Eastern Avenue and Route 1 as a show of force to disuade pro-Trump "caravans" from entering and causing disturbances in local neighborhoods as they returned to hotels along the Route 1 corridor.


text:
Justia Regulation Tracker Department Of The Interior Notice of Realty Action: Classification of Lands for Recreation and Public Purposes Act Conveyance of Public Land in Mohave County, AZ, 40332-40333 [2018-17384]
Notice of Realty Action: Classification of Lands for Recreation and Public Purposes Act Conveyance of Public Land in Mohave County, AZ, 40332-40333 [2018-17384]
Download as PDF amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 40332 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices identified the parcel as suitable for disposal in the Lower Sonoran Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan, approved September 2012, decision LR–2.1.1, which allows for the disposal of public lands suitable for disposal via any disposal method, including through sale procedures, on a case-by-case basis. The direct sale proposal meets the criteria for disposal of public land in Section 203(a)(1), (d) and (f) of FLPMA and regulations in 43 CFR 2710.0–3(a)(3) and 43 CFR 2711.3– 3(a)(5). The BLM proposes to offer the lands to Mrs. Barbara Lubich on a noncompetitive basis pursuant to 43 CFR 2711.3–3(a)(5), because a direct sale would resolve the unauthorized occupancy of these lands and best serve the public interest. Upon publication of this notice in the Federal Register, the above-described lands will be segregated from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including mining laws, except for the sale provisions of FLPMA. The segregation will terminate upon issuance of a patent, publication in the Federal Register of a termination of the segregation, or on August 14, 2020, by the BLM Arizona State Director in accordance with 43 CFR 2711.1–2(d) prior to the termination date. Terms and Conditions: All minerals for the sale parcel will be reserved to the United States. The patent, when issued, will contain a mineral reservation to the United States for all minerals. To clarify this, mineral reservation as it relates to mineral materials, such as sand and gravel, interested parties will be referred to regulation 43 CFR 3601.71(b), which provides that the owner of the surface estate of lands with reserved Federal minerals may ''use a minimal amount of mineral materials for . . . personal use'' within the boundaries of the surface estate without a sales contract or permit. The regulation provides that all other use, absent statutory or other express authority, requires a sales contract or permit. The public land would not be offered for sale to Mrs. Barbara Lubich until at least October 15, 2018, at no less than the appraised fair market value. A copy of the approved appraisal report is available at the address above, see ADDRESSES. The patent, when issued to Mrs. Barbara Lubich (who will become the patentee), will be subject to the following terms, conditions, and reservations: 1. A reservation of a right-of-way to the United States for ditches and canals constructed by authority of the United States under the Act of August 30, 1890 (43 U.S.C. 945); VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:13 Aug 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 2. All mineral deposits in the lands so patented, and to it, or persons authorized by it, the right to prospect for, mine, and remove such deposits from the same under applicable law and regulations to be established by the Secretary of the Interior are reserved to the United States, together with all necessary access and exit rights; 3. A condition that the conveyance be subject to valid existing rights of record, including right-of-way AZA–32517 to the Arizona Public Service Company, its successors or assigns, pursuant to the Act of October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761); 4. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United States from claims arising out of the patentee's use, occupancy, or operations on the patented land; and 5. Additional terms and conditions that the authorized officer deems appropriate. Any adverse comments regarding this sale will be reviewed by the BLM State Director or other authorized official of the Department of the Interior, who may sustain, vacate, or modify this realty action in whole or in part. In the absence of timely filed objections, this realty action will become the final determination of the Department of the Interior. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in your comment, you should be advised that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information— may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Authority: 43 CFR 2711.1–2) Edward J. Kender, Field Manager, Lower Sonoran Field Office. [FR Doc. 2018–17385 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–32–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [18X.LLAZC03000.L1440000.EQ0000; AZA007567] Notice of Realty Action: Classification of Lands for Recreation and Public Purposes Act Conveyance of Public Land in Mohave County, AZ Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of realty action. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00121 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for conveyance to Lake Havasu City (LHC) under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, section 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act, and Executive Order 6910, approximately 1,042.11 acres of public land in Mohave County, Arizona. The land is subject to a lease to LHC under the R&PP Act, and is used for a city park also commonly known as Special Activities Recreation Area (SARA) Park. This action will classify the lands for conveyance so they can be patented and title given to LHC. DATES: Interested parties may submit written comments regarding the proposed classification for lease and/or conveyance of public land on or before September 28, 2018. In the absence of any adverse comments, the classification will take effect on October 15, 2018. ADDRESSES: Address comments to Jason West, Field Manager, BLM Lake Havasu Field Office, 1785 Kiowa Avenue, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. Detailed information concerning this action is available at this address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheri Ahrens, Realty Specialist, at the above address; phone 928–505–1200; or by email at sahrens@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question for the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following described public lands in Mohave County, Arizona, are being considered for an R&PP conveyance. SUMMARY: Gila & Salt River Meridian, Arizona T. 13 N., R. 19 W. Section 20, N1⁄2SE1⁄4, SE1⁄4SE1⁄4, Section 21, S1⁄2, Section 22, Lot 4, N1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1⁄4, SW1⁄4SW1⁄4SW1⁄4, Section 28, N1⁄2, N1⁄2S1⁄2, Section 29, E1⁄2NE1⁄4, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4. The area described contains approximately 1,042.11 acres in Mohave County, Arizona. The lands are not needed for any other Federal purposes. Conveying title to the affected public land is consistent with current BLM land use planning and would be in the public interest. The patent, when issued, would be subject to the following terms, conditions, and reservations: E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1 amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices 1. Provision of the R&PP Act and to all applicable regulations of the Secretary of the Interior. 2. A right-of-way for ditches and canals constructed by the authority of the United States. 3. All minerals shall be reserved to the United States, together with the right to prospect for, mine, and remove such deposits from the same under applicable law and such regulation as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe. 4. All valid exiting rights. 5. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United States from claims arising out of the lessee's use, occupancy, or operation of the property. It will also contain any other terms and conditions deemed necessary and appropriate by the Authorized Officer. The land was previously segregated and continues to be segregated from all forms of mineral entry and appropriation under the public land laws except for leasing or conveyance under the R&PP Act. Classification Comments: Interested parties may submit comments on the suitability of the lands for a developed recreation area. Comments on the classification are restricted to whether the lands are physically suited for the proposal, whether the use will maximize the future use or uses of the lands, whether the use is consistent with local planning and zoning, or if the use is consistent with Federal and State programs. Application Comments: Interested parties may submit comments regarding the specific uses proposed in the application and plans of development, whether the BLM followed proper administrative procedures in reaching the decision, or any other factor not directly related to the suitability of the lands for recreation purposes. Any adverse comments will be reviewed by the BLM Arizona State Director. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made available to the public at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Authority: 43 CFR 2741.5) William Mack, Colorado River District Manager. [FR Doc. 2018–17384 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–32–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:13 Aug 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLORB07000.L17110000.AL0000.LXSSH 1060000.18X.HAG 18–0138] Notice of Subcommittee Meeting for the Steens Mountain Advisory Council Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC) subcommittee will meet as indicated below. SUMMARY: The SMAC subcommittee on Public Lands Access, will hold a public meeting on Thursday, September 27, 2018, and Friday, September 28, at the Frenchglen School, Highway 205 South, in Frenchglen, Oregon. The schedule for the two-day meeting is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, September 27, 2018, for a field tour on Steens Mountain, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, September 28, 2018, for a regular business session. A public comment period will be held from 2–2:30 p.m. on Friday, September 28, 2018. The meeting may end early if all business items are accomplished ahead of schedule, or may be extended if discussions warrant more time. ADDRESSES: The SMAC subcommittee on Public Lands Access will meet at the Frenchglen School, Highway 205 South, Frenchglen, Oregon, 97736. The field tour on Thursday, September 27, 2018, will leave from the Frenchglen School. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tara Thissell, Public Affairs Specialist, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738; 541–573–4519; tthissell@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1(800) 877–8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SMAC was initiated August 14, 2001, pursuant to the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 (Steens Act) (Pub. L. 106– 399). The SMAC provides representative counsel and advice to the BLM DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00122 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 40333 regarding new and unique approaches to management of the land within the boundaries of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA), recommends cooperative programs and incentives for seamless landscape management that meet human needs, and advises the BLM on maintenance and improvement of the ecological and economic integrity of the area. Agenda items include, but are not limited to: A field tour on September 27, 2018 to various areas on Steens Mountain; the annual recreation program report; review of one or more sections of the Steens Act; personnel, projects, and litigation update from the Designated Federal Official; discussion of the Nature's Advocate, LLC, inholder access Environmental Assessment, only if completed; a report on the BLM's Outcome-Based Grazing initiative; follow-up on member work between meetings on public land issues in the CMPA that may be pertinent to the BLM's capability and authority; a review of land exchanges, sales and purchases; information sharing about water rights and how they are issued, prioritized and processed; and regular business items such as approving the previous meeting's minutes, member round-table, and planning the next meeting's agenda. Any other matters that may reasonably come before the SMAC Subcommittee on Publlic Lands Access may also be included. All meetings are open to the public. The final agenda will be posted online at https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/ resource-advisory-council/near-you/ oregon-washington/steens-mac. During the public comment period, depending on the number of people wishing to comment, time for individual oral comments may be limted. Written comments may be sent to the Burns District office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, please be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4–2. Jeff Rose, District Manager. [FR Doc. 2018–17382 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–33–P E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2018)]
[18X.LLAZC03000.L1440000.EQ0000; AZA007567]
Notice of Realty Action: Classification of Lands for Recreation
and Public Purposes Act Conveyance of Public Land in Mohave County, AZ
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found
suitable for classification for conveyance to Lake Havasu City (LHC)
under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act,
as amended, section 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act, and Executive Order
6910, approximately 1,042.11 acres of public land in Mohave County,
Arizona. The land is subject to a lease to LHC under the R&PP Act, and
is used for a city park also commonly known as Special Activities
Recreation Area (SARA) Park. This action will classify the lands for
conveyance so they can be patented and title given to LHC.
DATES: Interested parties may submit written comments regarding the
proposed classification for lease and/or conveyance of public land on
or before September 28, 2018. In the absence of any adverse comments,
the classification will take effect on October 15, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Address comments to Jason West, Field Manager, BLM Lake
Havasu Field Office, 1785 Kiowa Avenue, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403.
Detailed information concerning this action is available at this
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheri Ahrens, Realty Specialist, at
the above address; phone 928-505-1200; or by email at [email protected].
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question for the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following described public lands in
Mohave County, Arizona, are being considered for an R&PP conveyance.
Gila & Salt River Meridian, Arizona
T. 13 N., R. 19 W.
Section 20, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\,
Section 21, S\1/2\,
Section 22, Lot 4, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\,
Section 28, N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\,
Section 29, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\.
The area described contains approximately 1,042.11 acres in Mohave
County, Arizona. The lands are not needed for any other Federal
purposes. Conveying title to the affected public land is consistent
with current BLM land use planning and would be in the public interest.
The patent, when issued, would be subject to the following terms,
conditions, and reservations:
1. Provision of the R&PP Act and to all applicable regulations of
the Secretary of the Interior.
2. A right-of-way for ditches and canals constructed by the
authority of the United States.
3. All minerals shall be reserved to the United States, together
with the right to prospect for, mine, and remove such deposits from the
same under applicable law and such regulation as the Secretary of the
Interior may prescribe.
4. All valid exiting rights.
5. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United
States from claims arising out of the lessee's use, occupancy, or
operation of the property. It will also contain any other terms and
conditions deemed necessary and appropriate by the Authorized Officer.
The land was previously segregated and continues to be segregated
from all forms of mineral entry and appropriation under the public land
laws except for leasing or conveyance under the R&PP Act.
Classification Comments: Interested parties may submit comments on
the suitability of the lands for a developed recreation area. Comments
on the classification are restricted to whether the lands are
physically suited for the proposal, whether the use will maximize the
future use or uses of the lands, whether the use is consistent with
local planning and zoning, or if the use is consistent with Federal and
State programs.
Application Comments: Interested parties may submit comments
regarding the specific uses proposed in the application and plans of
development, whether the BLM followed proper administrative procedures
in reaching the decision, or any other factor not directly related to
the suitability of the lands for recreation purposes. Any adverse
comments will be reviewed by the BLM Arizona State Director.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying
information, may be made available to the public at any time. While you
can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 43 CFR 2741.5)
William Mack,
Colorado River District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018-17384 Filed 8-13-18; 8:45 am]


text:
Talking to Strangers in a Pandemic
Meet Cart maven Emily Hope Dobkin, founder of a company called Betterish, brings people together by having them share their stories in online sessions.
Author: Barbara Palmer
Emily Hope Dobkin is the creator of the "Meet Cart," an actual cart that Dobkin once wheeled around Denver as a prop at the pop-up events and hands-on workshops that she presented at festivals and other events and venues. A one-time arts educator, last year Dobkin founded a company called Betterish, which brings diverse groups of strangers together to share their stories. "Everyone you meet," she says, "has something valuable to teach us."
The pandemic put a halt to Dobkin's mobile cart, but not to her efforts to connect strangers. "Amidst the pandemic, though we are finding new ways to connect with friends and family," Dobkin said, "we're not able to connect to new, fresh faces." That matters, because research shows that our interactions with strangers create what sociologists call "fleeting intimacy," and that people often are more open about their inner selves with strangers than they are with their friends and families.
Emily Hope Dobkin once wheeled around the Meet Cart in Denver as a prop at the pop-up events and hands-on workshops that she presented.
Her message resonates with me. The Zoom gatherings, Facetime sessions, group texts, and calls I share with my family and friends have kept me sane over the last six months. But I miss the influx of energy and ideas once shared with me by the people I meet when I travel to other cities or just around my neighborhood.
So when Dobkin offered a session called "When Unfamiliar People Become Unexpected Pals: Building Community With Strangers at the Virtual Meet Cart," I signed up. Dobkin's presentation was part of a series of free Virtual Field Trips, an offshoot of the monthly, global in-person talks organized around the world by Creative Mornings, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit founded as a networking platform for the creative community.
I wondered how Dobkin could create a sense of intimacy, especially in such a large group — the field trips attract hundreds of global participants. Her answer is to use Zoom's breakout groups and a game called "Seven-Second Stories." Dobkin asked us in advance to come prepared with pens and squares of paper, and then gave us a series of prompts, such as "Draw something you see that you like," and "Here's what the quarantine has been teaching me." She set a timer and gave us the hilariously impossible task of sketching out our responses in seven seconds. And then she divided us into breakout groups to talk about our drawings.
The exercise is less about drawing and more about sparking conversations, Dobkin said. Over the course of an hour, her prompts became more personal and our conversations more powerful. I heard at least a dozen stories that night about the ways in which people are responding to the pandemic, and, in many cases, making meaning out of it.
Dobkin organizes virtual 'Meet Cart' sessions on Mondays at the Betterish website. This summer, Dobkin has used them to hold space to talk about racism; after a summer break, the sessions will resume Sept. 21. She also facilitates "Seven-Second Stories" for virtual happy hours and celebrations.
Barbara Palmer is deputy editor at Convene.
This story is part of Convene's September CMP Series package on ways the world has changed since COVID-19 and what we hope will stick once the pandemic is behind us.
Planners Take a 'Wait-and-See' Approach to Omicron
Omicron: Another Bump in the Road to the Industry's Recovery?
DMOs Take on an Expanded Role


text:
Q: How do I replace this string in WP? There's this code in my wp theme. I know I'm supposed to simply make/add filters ecc to my child theme functions file...but I don't know php. Here's the code:
function astra_get_breadcrumb( $echo = true ) {

    if ( ! $echo ) {
        return '

' .
                astra_get_selected_breadcrumb( $echo ) .
            '

';
    }

    ?>

            <?php astra_get_selected_breadcrumb( $echo ); ?>

    <?php
}

In my theme functions file, I just want to add the class "demo" so that the html ends up being like this in the end

.
As far as I understand, it's a matter of replacing a string, but like I said, I'll only mess it up.

A: function astra_get_breadcrumb( $echo = true ) {

    if ( ! $echo ) {
        return '

' .
                astra_get_selected_breadcrumb( $echo ) .
            '

';
    }

    ?>

            <?php astra_get_selected_breadcrumb( $echo ); ?>

    <?php
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Figma to HTML: Code Up a Single-Page Design
by Kezz Bracey 10 Apr 2019
FREELessons:12Length:1.9 hours
FigmaHTMLLanding PagesCSS Grid LayoutFlexbox
2.1 Preparing to Begin
Before we get into the coding, we have a few preparatory steps to undertake. We'll begin by simplifying the template a little so it's more efficient to work with, and we'll also examine how to deal with templates that have a fixed-width design.
Knife Travel - Figma Template
Figma to HTML
2.Preparing the Groundwork
Preparing to Begin
Create the Basic Shell
3.Coding Up the Headers
Create the Top Header
Create the Main Header
Create the Hero Header
4.Coding Up the Main Content
Create the Tours Section Grid
Create the Best Offers Section
Create the Blog Section
Add the Footer
Hey, I'm Kezz Bracey for Tuts+. In this lesson, we're gonna start laying down the groundwork that we need to go through before we can really get into the guts of coding up this Figma site. The first thing that we're gonna do is a little preparation on the template that we're gonna be working with. Now the template itself comes from Envato Elements. We're gonna be using the one that you see on the screen here, Knife Travel Agency Web Design Template. There'll be a link to this in the of this video, so go ahead and download a copy of this template and then we gonna bring it to Figma. Once you downloaded the zip of the template from elements, and you extract it, you'll see these files here and the one you want is on the .fig. So fig, Figma, then you wanna open up Figma. You can do that in one of the desktop apps or you can do that in the browser, either way it doesn't matter. And then you just wanna drag and drop that .fig file onto the Figma interface, and it's gonna go through and import that file into Figma for you. Once the import's finished you can hit Done and then double-click on the file to go inside, and let's have a look at what we're working with. All right, so a template has several different sections. We are not actually going to create up every single one of these sections because it's gonna get a little bit redundant if we do all of them. We'll end up covering too much of the same ground. We wanna try and make it so that there's something interesting in you that you are learning, or working with, in each part of the coding, so we're actually going to remove a few of the design elements from this template. To do that, open up the collection of groups here. We're gonna keep the top header and the regular header, but we're going to turn off group six. Group six, just to show you. Is this form here, so we're not gonna be using that. We're keeping the Hero header. We are not gonna keep Upcoming Tours, so let's turn that off. Just hit Shift+1 to zoom out again. We're gonna keep the Discover Around section, the Best Offers section, and the Explore section, but we're going to turn off Testimonials, Instagram, and Newsletter. Now we just need to get rid of this empty space that we have in between our remaining elements. So I'm just gonna drag a select box around these three, hold down Shift and press the up arrow, until we get this into the right spot. Hit Shift + 0 to zoom in closer, so we can check on our alignment. Want to get about the same space above and below this heading, so that looks about right. Now, let's take a look at our footer down here. You wanna do the same thing, just gonna hit Shift + 1 to zoom out again. I'm gonna start dragging this and then I'm gonna hold down Shift to snap it into a locked horizontal position, we'll just drag this up a little bit. And now, because we don't have anything overlaying the top of this box, this background is a little bit bigger than we really need it to be, so we're going to shrink that down. Let's expand the footer, and we're gonna select this BG element here. Let's just shrink that down to, say, about 178 pixels ought to do it. And then we're just gonna reposition it. So that it snaps into alignment both vertically and horizontally. And then, now let's drag the whole footer up, I'll just select it here, drag it up a little bit more, to about there. And then that's all good. Now we've got this big empty spot at the bottom here but, right now, if I select this frame and try to resize it, it's gonna squash all the content we have inside here. So undo that. And we need to do to work around that is select all of our chart elements so like first one in the last panel here. Hold down Shift and then select the bottom one to get all of them. And now we're gonna change up the constraints over here. What we wanna do is change the vertical constraints, so that when we modify the height of the parent rapper, these chart elements stay where they are relative to the top of that parent rapper. So we're gonna change that to top. And then now when we select the panel, we can just drag in until it snaps to the bottom of our space. And now that frame perfectly fits our layout. The next thing that we have to do is figure out how we're gonna deal with this being a fixed width design in this template. If we select our parent wrapper again, we can see over on the right that this is designed at a width of 1440 pixels. But of course you're often going to have view ports of the 1920 pixels or larger. So we need to decide how we're gonna make this design behave, while we do have that bigger view point. Generally speaking with a design like this you've got two choices. You can have either each of the elements that are inside the parent, stretch their backgrounds out, the full width of the view point that they're in. So for example we have this sort of a gray, blue tone, In the background of this section, you could have that grey blue spread out to be a much wider rectangle in the background, while the content stays where it is. Alternatively, rather than have these content elements that are in here get wider, you can have them stay the same width and what happens instead is you have an empty space that gets created down the right and left sides and it's that empty space that expands with the v-port instead. In the case of this design, the decision is already kind of made for us and the reason is this background image here. This background image is already inserted in to the design at a width of 1440 pixels. That means if we try to stretch it up to 1920 pixels or higher, it's gonna become blurred and artifacted. And it's not gonna look very nice. So because we don't want to stretch this image out, we're gonna go with the option of creating empty space down the left and right side of this layout instead. The way we're gonna do that is hit Shift + 1 to zoom to fit again. We're gonna grab the frame tool and we're gonna draw another frame around the outside of the frame that we already have and that's gonna represent a larger view port. So I'm just gonna grab this, drag it all the way around. And that will automatically herent itself around the frame that we already had there. Then, we're gonna need to resize that parent frame, before we do that we're gonna need to change the constraints on existing frame just like we had to do with the chart elements that we were working with before. So we're gonna sit this first setting to center, meaning that this frame is just gonna stay in the center of the new frame that we just drew. And we're gonna set this one to top, meaning it's gonna keep itself stuck to the top. Now with this frame selected, we're just gonna click and drag until it snaps to the top and the center, and then we'll just move down to the bottom, select this new frame that we added in. And drag that up, until it snaps to the bottom there. Now we can change up the width. We'll just go with 1920, and now we have a wrapper that represents a pretty standard 1920 width view port. The next thing that we're gonna have to do is deal with the fact that now these white backgrounds here bleed into the rest of the design. We're gonna need to do something along these edges here to separate the existing design from this new background area that we've introduced. The first thing that we can do is set a background color on this new frame itself. And then the second thing that we can do is put a thin border around the entire design. So we'll do the background first. We're actually gonna set it to the same background color that we're using in this top header here and in this Best Offers section. So make sure you have this parent frame we've just added in selected. We can actually delete the stroke, we don't need a stroke there. And make sure you don't use the fill setting when you are doing this. If you add a fill then it's going to affect all the chart elements in your design so you don't want to do that. Instead you want to change the background setting instead. So make sure that you hit this colour palette button so that I can use the colour picker to grab this color from the background here, that's F2, F4, F6. So now, that's giving us some nice distinction between the white areas of the site and the bluish-gray areas. But we still need to separate the bluish-gray background areas of the content from the background as well. To do that, let's just collapse this layer here. And we can Shift + 1 to zoom out completely, and we're gonna grab the rectangle tool and we're gonna draw a rectangle, and we're going to snap it so that it's the same size as our content. And then we're gonna drag it down so that it's behind the Knife Travel frame. I'm just gonna hit Shift+0 to zoom to a 100% so you can see more clearly. We don't need to fill so we're gonna delete that. But we're gonna add in a stroke. And you'll notice at first you can't see that stroke. That's because it's set to show on the inside of the rectangle that we just added. So it should have shown the outside. Then, you'll be able to see that board clearly. Now, we're gonna give that stroke a color that's a darker version of the background color that we just added in to our parent wrapper. Just going to select that tangle again and the color that we're gonna use is D6E3F0. All right, so then now we've got that subtle separation. It just helps to distinguish where the content is and where the background is. Generally speaking, you don't need to do a really bold line to achieve that. It doesn't take much, it's just a little cue to help the eye quickly make sense of what it's seeing. So now it would not matter what size the viewport was, we can just have that constant area stay centered, and just decrease and increase the size of the space around the outside. And just a quick reminder, we're not gonna be doing a full responsive layout with this. I will link you through to some courses that we have on how to turn pretty much any design into responsive layout. It's a set of same steps every time. You just need to apply them depending on the content that your working with. But with this course, we're gonna be focusing more on the things that you need to know to work with Figma to do this type of process. And on the actual CSS and HTML that we're gonna need as well. All right, so that template is now ready to go. We've simplified it down to only the elements that we're gonna be using, and we've decided how we're going to handle the fixed width nature of this design. In the next lesson, we're gonna go through and pair the images. So we're gonna be exporting all of the photos that you see in here, so you'll see how to work with big amounts of export photos. We're gonna look at when you might need to downsize the images that you've exported from Figma, and we're gonna save that a couple of svg graphics as well. So we'll step through all those things in the next lesson. I'll see you there.
Hi there. I'm a designer & coder who works in the areas of web design / development, game development and digital art. In the web space I'm a front end all rounder but I have a particular specialization in theme creation, no matter the platform. I also love finding the latest most efficient, user focused design and dev techniques of the day. In game development I'm addicted to playing with every different engine, toolset and framework I can find. In digital art I love everything from painting to vector work to pixel art to 3D modelling. In short, if it's creative and you can make it digitally, I love it. If you need to contact me, please @ me via Twitter @kezzbracey
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Classic magnifier is a compact, easy to use reader for home or office. A great low-vision aid with an acrylic lens to give you a clear, distortion-free view for reading small print. 4" lens is protected by a wide rim and has an extended handle for gripping. 4" lens diameter has a 9" focal length and 4.5 (2.125X) diopter.


Virgin Atlantic has announced it is stopping flights between Dubai and London Heathrow. The airline will withdraw the route on March 31 next year, meaning no more of that famous purple mood lighting on those trips home.
The airline has been running flights between the UK and UAE since 2006, so it's the end of an era for frequent fliers. Virgin Atlantic said that it is stopping the route because of a "combination of external factors" that mean it is "no longer economically viable". Fortunately, new bookings will still be available until the last flight – so if you're keen to experience the service, now is your chance.
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Q: Computer turns on when something else is turned on in the room I have a desktop PC plugged into a wall power socket that wakes up from sleep when some other device is turned on plugged into a power socket in the room (different socket other side of room, but most likely power running from the one wall socket to the other). Seems to depend somewhat on the load of the device turning on. e.g. plug a heater in and turn it on and the computer will wake from sleep.
Is their a bios setting or something else I can do to stop the computer waking from sleep in this fashion?
UPDATE:
Ok spent the last 30 min trying all sorts of different combinations to rule things out. Computer only wakes up when keyboard and mouse are plugged into the USB hub. Hub itself with nothing plugged in doesn't have an issue, only when keyboard + mouse plugged in.
So somehow fluctuations in power in the room result in the keyboard/mouse waking the keyboard up when going through the hub. Very odd. Anyone know why?

A: Best guess would be that all the outlets are on the same circuit so a power drop on one outlet creates a power drop on all outlets.  Your computer is most likely plugged into a surge protector, not a UPS.  It is running in sleep mode so the processor is spun almost off, main power to all devices except for USB is mostly off.  Video, HDD... all spun down.  The USB power is kept for "Wake on USB".  Assumes USB keyboard and/or mouse.  Wake would bring system out of sleep when it detects keyboard input or mouse shake.
During the power blip, the USB 5 volt drops a bit since the power supply is mostly shut off.  Result is when the power comes back the USB sees almost like an input signal and wakes your computer.
Could try:  powered USB hub (maybe it won't be so sensitive to the power drop?) or UPS on computer.

A: You BIOS might be assuming there's power outage happened, as heater for example draws too much power, and most probably your "After Power Failure" option is set to Always On .
Try to find this option and set it to Power Off or Last State .
You might refer to this question for more info