Bestselling local novelist Jennifer Weiner is flying high—and coast to coast—with the release of her eighth book and the debut of her first TV show.
Considering Jennifer Weiner's compulsion to share stories—hysterical, heartfelt, human ones—one could argue that she had no choice but to write for a living. If so, then the fact that her stories have evolved into several bestselling novels, a major motion picture and, most recently, a promising new TV show, is just a bonus.
Her resulting first novel, Good in Bed, was published in May 2001 and hit The New York Times' bestseller list almost immediately. In Her Shoes came next, and was made into a movie starring Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz and Shirley MacLaine. Her latest book, Then Came You, will be Weiner's eighth release when it's published this month. Now, Weiner is also executive producer of State of Georgia, a sitcom starring Raven-Symoné that premiered on ABC Family in late June.
For the past eight months, the 41-year-old has been commuting weekly to and from Hollywood. Before Weiner jetted off again, South Jersey Magazine caught up with her to talk about her complex characters, her cross-country commute and what inspires her writing.
SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE: Your characters are so vivid and entertaining. How much of you is in your books?
JENNIFER WEINER: I think there's a little bit of me in every character I write—even the villains! With every book, there's usually a character who's very easy for me to relate to, who talks the way I talk and makes the kind of choices that I'd make in a given situation … but as my career has progressed, I've tried to push myself to create people who aren't just like me, to put myself in their skin and their shoes, and think about how they'd react or handle themselves. For example, in Fly Away Home, I had to think about being the kind of woman who'd marry a politician and resign herself to being constantly seen, but never heard, and then figure out how that character would react and behave if her husband cheated on her, and if his affair became national news. Then Came You, my newest novel, is written in the alternating voices of four different women, three of them in their 20s—a place I haven't been for a long time.
SJM: What do you enjoy about speaking engagements and book tours?
JW: Writing can be a lonely business: It's you, in a room, with a blank screen, listening to the voices in your head. I love connecting with readers, telling them stories and hearing how my books have touched them.
SJM: Did your childhood influence who you are as a writer?
JW: I'm the oldest of four, and I grew up in a suburb of Hartford, Conn.... I was a bookish kid, not very successful socially, but I was lucky enough to grow up in a house full of books, with parents who read to us and encouraged us to read. Books were my escape and my safety net. I always dreamed of being a writer, and some days I still can't believe I get paid to make things up!
SJM: Who inspires you in writing—and in life?
JW: Susan Isaacs has always been a role model. She writes great, entertaining, readable books that have heroines who are beloved because of their smarts and their humor more than their beauty … and she lets these girls get the guy, win the prize, save the world. As far as I can tell, she also seems to have a nice balance between work and family and public and private, which is something any writer and mother strives for.
My mother is one of my heroes. She's smart and funny and endlessly, amazingly, unbelievably cheerful. Once, we took one of those magazine "How Happy Are You?" quizzes that asked questions about whether you get upset if you get cut off in traffic or yelled at by a boss. The categories ranged from "not happy" to "somewhat happy," to "really happy," to "supremely happy," to "lobotomized." My joke was always that my mom fell into the last category!
SJM: What's next for you?
JW: Then Came You comes out on July 12, and I'll be on a book tour that week. I plan—I hope?—to spend the summer relaxing with my family. Then I'll start thinking about the next book.
SJM: What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
JW: That it was all going to work out fine.


text:
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (2012)
Rated PG-13. Our ratings: V 2; L -1; S/N-2. Running time: 1 hour 50 min.
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
Wesley wants to help the financially troubled Lindsey.
2012 Lionsgate Films
Putting on a business suit rather than a dress, director/writer Tyler Perry plays Wesley Deeds, an Ivy League graduate who rules the roost at the top of his family-owned computer software company. He has settled into a placid life with the expectation of marrying fiancée Natalie (Gabrielle Union), a girl with all the social credentials that will make her the ideal corporate wife. However, even she realizes that Wesley is too complacent when she glances at her watch and predicts almost precisely what he is doing at that minute. Wesley's well off existence has two blights, his jealous and resentful brother Walter (Brian J. White) often spoils a business deal by expressing inappropriate anger; and his mother Wilimina (Phylicia Rashad), who wants to control him.
Then comes the unpleasant day when he meets the troubled building cleaning woman named Lindsey (Thandie Newton). Late trying to get her young daughter Ariel (Jordenn Thompson) to school on time, and needing to secure from her supervisor an advance on her salary so she can pay her over-due rent, Lindsay has just pulled into the parking space closest to the elevators and stairway. Wesley is just arriving, and becomes upset when he sees her exiting her car parked in his reserved space. He yells after her, heated words are exchanged, resulting in the now angry Lindsey turning and rushing up the stairs on her errand. Her request for an advance turned down by the supervisor, Lindsay returns and is dismayed to see that the tow truck called by Wesley is about to tow her car away. Now devastated and even more angry, she returns to her apartment and subsequently finds her possessions moved onto the street by her landlord. That night she finds herself forced to take Erica with her to work. We learn that she is an Iraqi war widow forced to work long hours to support herself and her little daughter.
This is when Wesley, working virtually every night at his office, discovers that Lindsay cleans the suite of corporate offices. Later, upon leaving the building, he sees Lindsey and Erica in their car. Not wanting to reveal that this is where they will be spending the night (she fears that child welfare will take custody of the child), she tells him that she is waiting for a friend to help her with the stalled car.
How their relationship develops makes for absorbing watching, even though the arc of the story is very predictable. Perry eschews most of the over-the-top comedy of his Madea series for a much more sombre tale of poverty, love, and character transformation. We see how an essentially kind-hearted man, living the epitome of the American dream of possessing great wealth, regains his connection with the world in which so many are ensnared in a life of broken dreams. Thandie Newton excellently portrays a mother driven to despair by her series of bad luck events, to which her quick temper contributes a measurable share. Both Wesley and Lindsay are good for each other, each affecting the other in positive ways.
This is a film for romantics, especially the conclusion, which probably is too pat for some who prefer more realism to feeling good as the end credits roll. One of the best things about the film is that, like a number of other recent ones, the characters exist in a world in which some African Americans are depicted as successful and well off, faced, like the majority population, with life issues in which race is not a factor—instead it is the question of finding the life that is authentic and fulfilling.
For Reflection/Discussion
1. What kind of a person is Wesley Deeds at the beginning of the film? How is he practically on automatic pilot? What seems to be the "script" for his life? How is he depicted—not as an African American, but as a man? What other films have you seen recently in which all or most of the cast are African Americans, but race is not an issue? Indeed, what mixed race comedies have you seen in which the members of different races are best friends? (I am especially impressed by the series of films made by a "white" Baptist church in Albany, Georgia—the city that fought against The Albany Movement's desegregation campaign in 1961-62—in which blacks and whites are colleagues and friends, as in Courageous.)
2. What is Lindsey like when we first see her? How does her temper contribute to her problems?
3. What are the other characters like? Natalie? Mother Wilimina? Brother Walter?
4. How does Wesley learn that it's best not to judge a person until you know more of her story? How is Lindsey good for him? How do we see that he is he disconnected from the "real" or ordinary world? (Note how this has been a consistent charge made against one of the wealthy Presidential candidates.)
5. What do you think of the way in Which Natalie and Walter evolve? Do you find the ending believable? How might you rewrite the ending to make it so? Tyler Perry does not bring in gospel references as he has done in earlier films: and yet where do you see the hand of God at work?
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What can you say about a horror author who likes cats? Other than…awesome!!
Welcome, Mark. Thanks for joining me here on Creative Corner. What should my readers know about you?
Thanks for having me! Well, I'm an author from the south east of England. I'm married, and have a fur baby (who is plotting to kill me – cat, obvs). I'm a bit of a rapscallion, and being English I enjoy pies. And beer. And takeaways. And beer.
I write mostly dark and macabre fiction, but it bleeds from one genre to another. Horror is obviously a big factor, but science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, and bizzaro all have a place. I write mostly novellas and novels these days, but in the past, and still on occasion, I write short stories. While I'm totally wrapped up in a couple of novels (three to be precise) at the moment, I really want to write another short story collection.
I suppose Shutter Speed, as it was my first written novel. But I kinda want to mention Total Entertainment, a short story from my newest collection Strange from Eleventh Hour Literary Press. It's getting a lot of positive feedback.
I'm a massive film and TV fan. I love horror movies. I love Supernatural. I love to be scared, and to be honest I think there is a massive resurgence lately of really good horror movies. It sort of died a death in the early 2000's, but now it's back with a bang. 2014/15 has been a big couple of years, and I hope it goes on.
I think most people would be surprised to see anything that's not heavy metal.
Hm. I don't think I've ever had to ponder this one before. Um, Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen; Welcome to the Jungle, Guns 'n' Roses; and Ready to Roll, Jet Black Stare.
As soon as I met my wife Don't Stop Me Now became my mantra.
It would have been Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now? How about Statham?
Lord Percy (Blackadder II) – Getting' me some purest green.
Darth Vader has used the force to mind control Lord Percy into creating a potion that will cause Prince Jenson and Princess Jenson (Princess Jensonette?) to fall in love and begin an incestuous relationship which will bring shame to the kingdom and cause the downfall of modern civilization. I can't believe I just wrote that.
I persuade Jester Mack to break the spell by telling very British jokes about tea, failing the dark lord's plot and saving the day. While riding Toothless.
Bruce Willis and Terry Wogan. It's the only way to be sure.
I'm a sharp three piece sort of guy. Fitted. Shiny shoes. Pocket watch. You know, gangster. Like the Rat Pack.
Please God tell me we're all agreed that Star Trek is technically a soap. Otherwise, I'm out.
Who cares about people I find interesting? Support the charities, man. It doesn't matter if there's anyone there, it doesn't matter if it's a charity I support particularly, if it's a worthwhile cause that will benefit from my presence, I'm all over it.
What are these designers you talk of? Nah. JPG. I wanna look like I just dropped out of the Fifth Element.
Because I'm on the verge of bringing everyone together in a selfless act of creation. I will bring about world peace via art. By fiction. By writing. Because the world needs to sit down and be quiet for a moment, to just listen to itself, and that can only be achieved by everyone taking that moment. Because God Gave Rock and Roll to You.
Bruce Willis, Terry Wogan, Barbara Windsor, and Tony Hancock. And Harrison Ford.
Well, Star Wars. Lord of the Rings isn't REAL.
I'd like to think of myself as some amazing Dark Lord of the Sith, but honestly? I'm probably going to be the stormtrooper that buys it first.
Me and Harrison Ford team up to do in Jar Jar Binks.
Bruce Willis, Albert Einstein, Jean-Paul Sartre, Richard Laymon, Michelle Obama, Clive Barker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Boba Fett, Dorian Gray and Ellen Ripley.
Match.com has been introduced to Fairytale Land. Who are the 3 most unexpected couplings to come about?
You co-wrote Redemption with author Charles Day. What did you like best about co-writing a book with another author?
It's bouncing ideas around and having a constant sounding board. Being able to have the writing beta's constantly. It stops the process from being solitary. Man, writing can be solitary. Yay for Facebook!
For me, I think it was the time difference between the two of us. Charles lives in New York, I'm in the UK. It meant that our conversations took time, with replies usually coming over night.
Coincidentally, I have also written a book titled Redemption, though mine is a romantic suspense novel, involving a pop-star locked in a psycho rehab facility and repairing the love she feels for her ex, the movie star action hero who saves her. If our two Redemption novels were mashed into one book, what would the new story look like?
You have a number of short story collections. What appeals to you most about writing short stories?
I like the start/stop of short stories. I find I get less blocks with them, and I can move from one to another changing direction whenever I like. I also like to kill my characters. There's a lot less to consider when offing main characters in shorts.
What appeals to you most about writing novels?
The expanse that you can put into the landscape. The depth of character. The love…and the hate. The fact that you can see the whole picture and not just the scene.
Your stories deal with, shall we say, the darker side of humanity. What was the darkest moment in your own life?
The prospect of changing jobs. Employment in the UK was very difficult when I left school, and I was lucky enough to get temp work. I've only been out of work for six months, my whole life, but man, that was hard.
What was the most frightening?
I have dark, vivid, nightmares. So I don't get frightened easily anymore. But I was pretty terrified when I fell off my bike when I was young and broke my arm. I was only a wee lad. Couldn't grasp the fact my fingers were pointing the wrong way, I guess. Then there was the time I crashed my motorbike into a bus. That was scary I suppose. And when I lost control of it in the snow, once. I actually fell off my motorbike during my exam and they still passed me. I guess what's really scary is that I was allowed on the road on two wheels.
I have four wheels now, though.
Have you ever had any paranormal experiences? If so, what were they?
I'm afraid not. I'd love to though.
If you were going to fake your own death, how would you do it?
Agree or disagree: Revenge is a dish best served cold?
Because you have to have some cute in your life. My publisher said it was strange to see me posting kittens on my Facebook wall when I write horror, but it's not all horror, is it? I mean, most of it is…that's why kittens and daisies.
The best place is my website, updated often : www.authormarktaylor.com, or my blog: www.filingwords.blogspot.com.
You can always find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mark.Taylor.Author, or https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarkTaylor/, where I'm always happy to meet new people and chat, or of course Twitter: https://twitter.com/filingwords.
Thank you so much for joining me, Mark! Best Wishes on all your future endeavors!!


text:
Q: Py4JJavaError: An error occurred while calling o136.count I am trying to run a pyspark code where read a dataframe and trying to perform a simple .count() operation. But I am getting an error while running the code.
Please find my code below:
import pyspark.sql as spark
import pyspark.sql.functions as F
from pyspark.sql.functions import *
from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

spark = SparkSession.builder.appName('practice code').getOrCreate()
finance_urls_pd = pd.DataFrame(finance_urls_rows, columns=['company', 'url'])
finance_urls = spark.createDataFrame(finance_urls_pd).repartition(8)
finance_urls.count()

And below is the error:
Py4JJavaError: An error occurred while calling o158.count.
: org.apache.spark.SparkException: Job aborted due to stage failure: Task 1 in stage 14.0 failed 1 times, most recent failure: Lost task 1.0 in stage 14.0 (TID 57) (LP459054.cib.net executor driver): java.io.IOException: Cannot run program "python3": CreateProcess error=2, Le fichier spécifié est introuvable
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1142)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1073)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonWorkerFactory.createSimpleWorker(PythonWorkerFactory.scala:167)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonWorkerFactory.create(PythonWorkerFactory.scala:109)
    at org.apache.spark.SparkEnv.createPythonWorker(SparkEnv.scala:124)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.BasePythonRunner.compute(PythonRunner.scala:164)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonRDD.compute(PythonRDD.scala:65)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.shuffle.ShuffleWriteProcessor.write(ShuffleWriteProcessor.scala:59)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.ShuffleMapTask.runTask(ShuffleMapTask.scala:99)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.ShuffleMapTask.runTask(ShuffleMapTask.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.Task.run(Task.scala:136)
    at org.apache.spark.executor.Executor$TaskRunner.$anonfun$run$3(Executor.scala:548)
    at org.apache.spark.util.Utils$.tryWithSafeFinally(Utils.scala:1504)
    at org.apache.spark.executor.Executor$TaskRunner.run(Executor.scala:551)
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1130)
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:630)
    at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:831)
Caused by: java.io.IOException: CreateProcess error=2, Le fichier spécifié est introuvable
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.create(Native Method)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.<init>(ProcessImpl.java:492)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.start(ProcessImpl.java:158)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1109)
    ... 45 more

Driver stacktrace:
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.failJobAndIndependentStages(DAGScheduler.scala:2672)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.$anonfun$abortStage$2(DAGScheduler.scala:2608)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.$anonfun$abortStage$2$adapted(DAGScheduler.scala:2607)
    at scala.collection.mutable.ResizableArray.foreach(ResizableArray.scala:62)
    at scala.collection.mutable.ResizableArray.foreach$(ResizableArray.scala:55)
    at scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer.foreach(ArrayBuffer.scala:49)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.abortStage(DAGScheduler.scala:2607)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.$anonfun$handleTaskSetFailed$1(DAGScheduler.scala:1182)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.$anonfun$handleTaskSetFailed$1$adapted(DAGScheduler.scala:1182)
    at scala.Option.foreach(Option.scala:407)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGScheduler.handleTaskSetFailed(DAGScheduler.scala:1182)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGSchedulerEventProcessLoop.doOnReceive(DAGScheduler.scala:2860)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGSchedulerEventProcessLoop.onReceive(DAGScheduler.scala:2802)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.DAGSchedulerEventProcessLoop.onReceive(DAGScheduler.scala:2791)
    at org.apache.spark.util.EventLoop$$anon$1.run(EventLoop.scala:49)
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Cannot run program "python3": CreateProcess error=2, Le fichier spécifié est introuvable
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1142)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1073)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonWorkerFactory.createSimpleWorker(PythonWorkerFactory.scala:167)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonWorkerFactory.create(PythonWorkerFactory.scala:109)
    at org.apache.spark.SparkEnv.createPythonWorker(SparkEnv.scala:124)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.BasePythonRunner.compute(PythonRunner.scala:164)
    at org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonRDD.compute(PythonRDD.scala:65)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.MapPartitionsRDD.compute(MapPartitionsRDD.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.computeOrReadCheckpoint(RDD.scala:365)
    at org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD.iterator(RDD.scala:329)
    at org.apache.spark.shuffle.ShuffleWriteProcessor.write(ShuffleWriteProcessor.scala:59)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.ShuffleMapTask.runTask(ShuffleMapTask.scala:99)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.ShuffleMapTask.runTask(ShuffleMapTask.scala:52)
    at org.apache.spark.scheduler.Task.run(Task.scala:136)
    at org.apache.spark.executor.Executor$TaskRunner.$anonfun$run$3(Executor.scala:548)
    at org.apache.spark.util.Utils$.tryWithSafeFinally(Utils.scala:1504)
    at org.apache.spark.executor.Executor$TaskRunner.run(Executor.scala:551)
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1130)
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:630)
    at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:831)
Caused by: java.io.IOException: CreateProcess error=2, Le fichier spécifié est introuvable
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.create(Native Method)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.<init>(ProcessImpl.java:492)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.start(ProcessImpl.java:158)
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1109)
    ... 45 more

Could someone please help me with this issue?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 .. 11
Har'Luth was at the back, her head bent and the branch she had been carrying she now dragged on the ground behind her.
Waelin had maintained his position in the front in the hopes that she just needed a little time to think. His eyes were focused on the ground in front of his feet, not even watching where he was going.
Aero stopped in his tracks to allow Har'Luth to catch up with him. For a long while they walked in silence, until Aero finally spoke up. "He means well you know," he offered. "Honestly. He can't change who he was born as, but maybe he could change on the inside, you know? He's still Waelin, no matter what, and he still cares about you." He stopped for a moment. "Man, I'm sorry, I'm terrible at this sort of thing."
"You're the one called Aero, yes?" She didn't wait for an answer, and didn't turn toward him.
"It... It doesn't bother me so much that he's the prince. But how can you say that he means well when everything he's told me is a lie?" She sighed quietly, rubbing her face with a her free hand. "No. You're not terrible. But... if he cared about me, why lie?"
"Maybe he lied BECAUSE he cared," Aero said. "I had to lie to Flux once, and it hurt me terribly, but it was for her own good. And she forgave me for it after when she realised what had happened."
She sighed heavily. "You may be right. What had happened?"
{I haven't planned this out yet, so pardon me for taking forever to write something that makes no sense...}
"Well," he began, "I guess it's sort of similar to your situation. Actually it's really similar. It went like this: we were all traveling to a place where they keep lots of criminals, and our ship crashed. She was going to kill Helena, the other female one, but I lied and said that Helena was an old friend of mine. The two of them are best friends now, you see? And Flux forgave me for it because that's what friends do." He looked over at Har'Luth, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say.
"I, I guess that makes sense. But why did he have to lie at all? Why couldn't he have just told me who he was? It's not like it would have changed anything." She sighed again, running her hand through her hair.
Aero was momentarily confused. "Would you have been willing to travel with the Prince? Would you have treated him the same if you knew that they were the same?" he asked. The way he saw it, Har'Luth trusted Waelin, but had been mistreated by the Prince, therefore deemed him untrustworthy, but maybe he didn't know the story as well as he had presumed.
"I- well-" She sighed. "Okay, maybe not the same. But-" she groaned in frustration. There were no words for what she wanted to say. And why in the nine hells did she feel, what was that? Regret?
Aero smiled knowingly. "Talk to him," he suggested.
Her eyes downcast, she admitted quietly. "I don't know if he'll want to talk to me now, though."
Aero looked up at Waelin. By the way his eyes were glued to the ground in front of him, he was actually quite ready to talk to her. "He does," Aero said comfortingly. "If you could see him right now you would agree. He won't look up from the ground, he's dragging his feet. He looks practically miserable without you."
"I- alright." What she had wanted to say was that it was actually her fault to begin with that he was miserable, but there was no point in arguing. She slowly made her way back up to the front of the group with Waelin, er, Edan. For awhile, she said nothing, merely walked beside him. At the same time, they spoke. "I'm sorry."
Har'Luth continued first. "I'm sorry Wae- uhm. E- er." She sighed. "I'm sorry."
Waelin/Edan took a step closer, putting his arm around her shoulders. "No. I'm sorry, Har'Luth. I shouldn't have lied to you. But would you have treated me the same?"
Flux slowed down to let Aero catch up to her. "Impressive," she said, "we should just quit this whole time traveling, running from the cops thing, settle down, and become relationship counselors!" The two laughed, glad to see their friends were happy.
Friends? It had been a long time since any of them had made new friends. It felt... strange. In a good way. To trust someone who trusted you the same was a special thing, especially in their dangerous world. And living for so long only trusting four people, no matter how close you may be, got to be dull after a few years, or however long it had been.
Har'Luth and the Prince easily slid back into their old habits. It was decided to keep referring to him as Waelin, as anyone looking for him may recognize his real name. At about midday, Har'Luth spoke up.
"Isn't it about time we stop for lunch?"
"I guess," Aero said. "I'll go get the others." He turned around and headed back down the trail, leaving the other three standing near a small river in the middle of the vast plain.
Har'Luth smiled gently. "The sound of a river is always so soothing, isn't it Waelin?"
Not looking at the river, but at Har'Luth instead, "Aye, Lil. So beau- soothing."
Moving closer to the water, Har'Luth found a stable place to sit and removed her boots, dipping her toes in the cool water.
Flux stood in silence, watching Aero leave. After he had been gone a while, she realised that it may be a while before he got back, and, after removing her shoes and rolling up her pant leg, settled down on the bank of the river, her bare feet in the cool, sparkling water. She watched a few large fish swim by, and knew it was too great an opportunity to pass up.
Taking her scimitar from the sheath on her leg, she raised it into the air, and plunged it down onto the next fish. She made sure to pierce its heart quickly, as to make sure it didn't go through any pain. Raising the carcass onto the bank, she quickly descaled and deboned it, wrapped it in a piece of leather she had, and placed it in her pack. Moments later, Aero returned with the others.
Waelin moved quietly to sit beside Har'Luth. He didn't dangle his feet in the water, instead just stared at his reflection, a thoughtful look on his face. If he hadn't been born who he was, things would be a lot less complicated.
posted on 6-23-2010 at 10:54 AM
Aero walked over to where Flux sat, carrying a package of food for both of them. The others could find themselves something to eat.
"Here," he said, unwrapping the package and handing her some food. When she didn't say anything, he got worried. "Hey babe, look, I don't know what's gotten into your head, but it's gonna be alright, I promise." Flux nodded. He knew that she wasn't going to tell him what had happened, or at least not now. He stared into the blood-tinted water. "A little fishing practice?" he asked, wisely changing the subject.
"Aye," she said, looking up and smiling, "you never know." The two ate in a companionable silence.
Waelin reached into his pack and pulled out a couple of rations. He had pre-prepared them for the trip and handed one of them to Har'Luth. "Here, Lil. You need to eat."
She shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
He sighed, shaking his head, and put the food in her hands anyway. "I don't know what it is with you, but you can't travel for long periods of time with little to eat. You have to eat."
"What are you, my mother?" But she unwrapped it and nibbled on it anyway, just to make him happy.
Aero watched Waelin and Har'Luth in silence. "Har'Luth doesn't want to eat," he observed quietly to Flux.
"I noticed that last night. She barely ate anything, and when she did, it was just because he made her," Flux replied. "I'm yet to figure out why though."
"It's weird," Aero said, "you'd think with all the walking we're doing, she'd get tired or something." Flux just shrugged.
"How are Static and Helena holding up?" she asked.
"They aren't," he stated. "Helena's gonna cut it off soon, she told me."
"Good, she needs to draw a line soon."
Waelin sighed once and ate his own meal before getting up and walking a short distance away. Once there he bent down, scooped up a handful of rocks and began tossing them into the water, one by one.
The two sat watching Waelin and Har'Luth, listening to Helena and Static argue behind them. Flux shook her head. "She's about to send him off."
"Which one?" Aero asked sarcastically. "But I know. She needs to." Behind them, Static stormed off, not to return. Helena walked over to them and sat down next to Flux. "Good job," Aero said. Helena just shrugged.
After Waelin ran out of steam, he set to pacing.


text:
Fire Damage Reconstruction
Earthquake Damage Reconstruction
About Coast to Coast
Home » About Coast to Coast
Water Damage & Restoration, Inc.
Coast to Coast is a licensed general building contractor with offices throughout Southern California, serving Los Angeles, including Ventura County and Orange County. We specialize in all kinds of general building contracting, including water damage, residential & commercial construction, home remodeling and room additions. We have experience with building restorations that require new construction due to structure damage, and we also have experience project managing for specialized commercial buildings such as hotel construction or retail store construction.
Coast to Coast specializes in residential construction including new home builds, room remodels, room additions, full renovations and more.
Coast to Coast is a licensed general building contractor with expertise in hospitality, healthcare, government buildings and multi-unit residential construction.
& Earthquake Damage
Coast to Coast also specializes in residential construction due to damage from age, neglect, accidents and natural disasters.
Colleen Falvey
Colleen joined Coast to Coast with a strong business management background. Colleen worked for a "world-class" hotel chain as their Assistant Controller in their headquarters facility. Colleen spends considerable time volunteering her time for several worthy charitable organizations – Habitat for Humanity, Aids Walk, LA Works, and the Special Olympics.
Gary Aroutunian
Gary has over twenty years of construction supervision experience. Gary has, in the past, served as building superintendent on many high-end residential projects – such as the custom homes in the Lake Sherwood area. In Gary's "off-time", he enjoys restoring classic cars and motorcycles.
Boris Oganesian
Boris has several years of construction management experience before joining Coast to Coast. In addition, he has over fifteen years of plumbing industry experience and expertise. Boris is a family man who enjoys doing small projects around the house in his off-time.
Shawn Rennie
Project Estimator
Shawn brought over seven years of experience as a restoration manager and reconstruction estimator to Coast to Coast. His prior experience was in the land survey-civil engineering field. Shawn and his wife enjoy travelling to various parts of the world – visiting such diverse locations as Thailand, Italy and Costa Rica. Shawn and his wife recently became proud parents of their first daughter!
JT Adams
"JT" is an experienced restoration-construction estimator. Prior to joining Coast to Coast, "JT" participated in the cleaning up and rebuilding of the Lake Mendocino and Napa County areas following the devastating Valley Fire. "JT" earned an Associates Degree in Business Management and played four years of baseball at The Masters College.
Henry Nahabedian
Senior Project Estimator
Henry has joined the Coast to Coast team bringing years of varied construction experience and expertise: Henry is a licensed General Contractor, a licensed Insurance Adjuster and is FEMA Certified. Henry has consulted and participated in several regional disaster events. Henry is affiliated with the Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services and several Architectural & Engineering firms.
Call or Email for a FREE Consultation!
© 2015 Coast to Coast Contractors. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Q: JSF invalid behavior with jstl foreach with different jsf version I am not really sure how should I describe the problem.
I am currently learning JSF, and today tried to implement something like ajax reloaded table with pagination.
Here is my code in JSF:
<c:forEach var="pageNo" begin="0" end="${adapter.pagesNumber}">
<c:choose>
    <c:when test="#{adapter.currentPage == pageNo}">

<h:commandLink value="#{pageNo+1}" disabled="true" />

    </c:when>
    <c:otherwise>

<h:commandLink value="#{pageNo+1}" action="#{adapter.setCurrentPage(pageNo)}">
                <f:ajax render=":#{cc.attrs.tableId} @form" />
            </h:commandLink>

    </c:otherwise>
</c:choose>

And I am using JSF from:
<dependency>
     <groupId>org.glassfish</groupId>
     <artifactId>javax.faces</artifactId>
 </dependency>

My intention was to have buttons with page numbers, with currently active page button highlighted and disabled (no same page reloading).
Now, first screenshot shows my view before any action: (first page):

Lets say I clicked on page number 6,
And now, when I use JSF with version
     <version>2.2.4</version>

I got expected result:

But when I switch on versions above e.g.
     <version>2.2.5</version> // tested up to 2.2.11

I'm getting something like this:

After I've clicked on page no 9 i got another "pagination" sequence:
1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 6 10 11

but the current page in left bottom corner says it's 9th page. Table content is valid too.
Does anyone have ever faced with situaton like this or what am I doing wrong, if the same code works totally different with different JSF versions? What can be a reason of such weird behavior?

A: Solution for the problem which worked for me was remove the
<c:choose>
    <c:when>
    ....
</c:choose>

tags, and just put the content of c:when and c:otherwise with adding an attribute rendered which expects boolean expression eg.
<c:when test="#{page.currentPageNumber == pageNumer}">
    <h:commandLink ... />
</c:when>

replaced with:
<h:commandLink rendered="#{page.currentPageNumber == pageNumer" ... />

The root cause is I guess execution order of JSTL and JSF, pointed here.


text:
Q: iOS: self.view.bounds does not fill the whole window I am doing some simple testing of adding CALayer to a UIView. In my main controller class of an iPhone 4 app, I implemented the viewDidLoad method as such:
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];

    NSLog(@"%s", __PRETTY_FUNCTION__);

    CALayer* ca = [[CALayer alloc] init];
    [ca setBounds:self.view.bounds];

    [ca setBackgroundColor:[[UIColor blueColor] CGColor]];

    [self.view.layer addSublayer:ca];
}

The blue background only occupy 1/4 of the screen.

I wonder if it is because I did not take retina display into consideration? What is the best practice in this situation?

Added these debug messages:
NSLog(@"frame w:%f h:%f", self.view.frame.size.width, self.view.frame.size.height);
NSLog(@"bounds w:%f h:%f", self.view.bounds.size.width, self.view.bounds.size.height);

Output:
frame w:320.000000 h:460.000000
bounds w:320.000000 h:460.000000

A: setContentsScale has no effect
  [ca setContentsScale:[[UIScreen mainScreen] scale]];

However, if I use
  [ca setFrame:self.view.bounds];

it works.


our inflammation herb and spice tea blend can help with a variety of imbalance that most everyone could benefit from. very few (if any) people are immune to the potential damages of inflammation. enjoy a daily cup of organic herbs and spices known for their inflammatory moderating properties. we also produce this formula as a tincture for more convenience.
powerful blend of ayurvedic & adaptogenic herbs.
Our bodies are inflamed for countless reasons on a daily basis. Diet, sun exposure, weight lifting, hiking, etc. can inflame joints, the gut, veins and even the brain. Keeping inflammation in check and minimized is key to staying healthy, active and reducing the aging process.
Shake to make sure herbs are evenly mixed.
Scoop (for starters) 1 tbsp of tea into a loose leaf tea brewing method of your choice .
Pour 8oz of water at 195deg F and steep for 6-8 mins depending on your patience and desired strength.
Strain and pour. Add natural sweetener as desired (we use stevia).
If 195 is too hot for you to drink, add some cool water after tea is done brewing. Use common sense when consuming hot drinks.
my favorite way to drink inflammation tea is with some almond milk and a few drops of stevia. to make golden milk tea, brew the inflammation tea as described above, but with half the water you normally use for a tablespoon of herbs. pour the inflammation tea into your favorite coffee cup and top off with your favorite almond milk. if you're using unsweetened almond milk like me, add 6-10 drops of sweet leaf stevia to mellow out the spices and give your golden milk tea a little sweetness.
some people insist on using cows milk for their golden milk tea. this can be counter productive since cows milk is known to cause gut inflammation in most of the population. of course, prepare as you wish, but we recommend organic almond milk for best results.
We believe it's important to also audit your diet and lifestyle to minimize inflammation. You should never rely on a single product to minimize your inflammatory markers (c-reactive proteins and TNF). Please consider reading some of the works of David Perlmutter M.D. and Michael Greger M.D. who talk extensively about the origins of inflammation. While supplements like turmeric can help reduce the ravages of inflammation, preventing inflammation begins with a proper low inflammatory diet and a healthy microbial gut flora. Synergistic improvement in diet and lifestyle will compound the beneficial effects of Whole Body Apothecary's Anti-Inflammatory Tea.
Pretty amazing stuff. And I don't really like tea.
I cannot be safe on my period without this tea. It's literally a must. It helps me keep my bloating under control and just keeping that down has dramatically helped my cramps. I have endometriosis so I know about bad cramps! This is the real deal. Get some!


I'm over at FOT this morning talking about the legendary tale of Kitty Clark. Use your imagination to picture her.
Long straggly, dirty blond hair, gum chewing, ripped bell bottom jeans, flannel shirts, usually bare footed, trash-talking 8th grader. Even the teachers feared her. She never went to her classes. She was always roaming the halls looking for trouble. A smoker at the age of 11 or 12.
That's how my mom described her. Kitty Clark was bad news with a bad attitude.
Found out over the weekend she also had a henchman. The type that would help the lead bully corner you and then crack their knuckles and snarl their lip to let you know they meant business.
Click over to the post at Fistful to read the full story of Kitty and find out how it's related to talent management, HR, $3 billion to $35.4 billion, and new research.


text:
Nord-Lock Group Railway
The connections that keep the economy running on time
Ever since the industrial revolution, railways have formed the backbone of industrial societies with the development of the two going hand-in-hand. In that time, we've progressed from steam-powered locomotives to high-speed trains that travel beyond 300 km/h (175 miles/hour).
But the principle remains the same: trains need to be reliable and they need to be on time. Bolt loosening anywhere on railway infrastructure and rolling stock can be costly, and even fatal if a train is in motion. With hundreds of thousands of kilometers of tracks covering the earth's surface, along with numerous types of switches, checking and tightening bolted joints is time consuming and tedious work.
It is critical to ensure that your chosen bolt securing product will hold despite the elements. As trains and railway networks become more advanced, so do the demands on rail lines and train components. When a train is travelling at over 300 km/h, the whole carriage is rattled with constant vibration and strain, creating a host of challenges.
Bolt security is essential for safety and Nord-Lock products are used in production as well as in maintenance. Our Nord-Lock X-series washers provide maximum security for critical bolted joints that are exposed to bolt loosening and slacking – ensuring that they stay put, no matter how fast you are going.
Alstom and Nord-Lock Group: A secure coupling French multinational Alstom is a global player in the rail transport industry with a raft of international customers seeking the most comprehensive range of products and services on the rail market. Read More
Getting the best of both worlds On the face of it, building the Kienlesberg bridge was a real-life mission impossible. After all, how can you successfully bring together two completely opposing concepts? Read More
Reliability Is The Key To Running A Successful Railway Expander System pivot pin is the permanent solution to lug wear for moving mechanical parts and rod ends. This ensures reliability in the operation and safety of the railway industry worldwide. Read More
Renovating Nuremberg's metro – without affecting the timetable Renovating an underground railway system without weeks of construction and chaos caused by delays and diversions was previously unheard of. Read More
Video: Irish Rail safely secured with Nord-Lock washers Safety is key on the railways. Irish Rail replaced the locking-wire mechanism on their wheel sets with Nord-Lock washers, watch them share their experience. Watch now
Staying on track By using Nord-Lock washers, PT. INKA can now be sure that the bolted connections between the bogies and under frame of their trains are fully secured. Read More
Putting the X-series to the test The Challenge Wam Metals is a manufacturer and supplier of a wide range of specialized non-ferrous and ferrous components, servicing both the local South African and the international markets. The... Read More
End of the line for frozen rails Snow can trigger travel chaos for the hundreds of thousands of commuters who pour into London each day. One particular winter problem on southeast England's rail network is the vulnerability of the conductor rail (which runs parallel to the running rails and supplies the trains with electrical power) to cold weather, and in particular snow and ice. Read More
Safe travelling The City Tunnel is a rail link between Malmö and the Öresund Bridge in Sweden, with a six kilometre railway running under Malmö city centre. The glasswork company Skandinaviska Glassystem, was assigned the task of constructing the roof of the new Triangeln railway station situated in central Malmö. Read More
Built for Speed The world's fastest conventional trains run in France, and not just to break the April 2007 record of 574.8 km/h (under test conditions with a shortened train). The TGV regularly runs at 320 km/h and at those kinds of speeds it is absolutely vital that nothing falls off the rolling-stock to derail the train. This is where Nord-Lock comes into the picture. Read More
Tunnel vision Twenty meters beneath the streets of Malmö, Sweden, the new underground section of the city's central station is gradually taking shape. Read More
Recommended products for the industry
Superbolt Tensioners Replace or retrofit existing bolts to safely achieve accurate preload Read More
Expander System - Bolt Fastener with Washer Applications with no obstacles and pivot joint diameters > 38 mm Read More
Boltight Standard Bolt Tensioners Fits all standard Oil & Gas flanges and is easy to install Read More
Explore our solutions by brand
Nord-Lock wedge-locking technology secures bolted joints exposed to severe vibration and dynamic loads Superbolt technology eliminates unsafe and time-consuming bolting methods Boltight tensioning tools provide fast, accurate and safe tightening of multiple bolts simultaneously The Expander System provides a simple and cost-effective solution to lug wear
Get more than just the products you need Technical support Searching for certificates, data sheets or manuals? Download now Let us help you solve your bolting challenges Contact us


-- MULTI-MILLION COPY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER KAREN ROSE IS BACK WITH A BRAND NEW SERIES TO GET YOUR PULSE POUNDING --Special Agent Gideon Reynolds has tried hard to put his past behind him.
He escaped the violence of his cult upbringing when he was just thirteen, and since then routine and discipline have been his way of making sense of the world.
But when a petite blonde woman crashes into his life, he begins to realize that a little bit of chaos might not be so bad. Daisy Dawson has had more than her fair share of pain too - but she's done being a victim.
Daisy's determined to explore every new experience she can - including getting to know the dark and serious FBI investigator she meets when she fights off a masked attacker one night.
It soon becomes clear that Daisy's attack was just the beginning.


text:
Stocks to Buy / 5 Stocks to Buy That Have Severed Ties With Trump
5 Stocks to Buy That Have Severed Ties With Trump
Several companies stopped doing business with the Donald Trump in response to the riot at the U.S. Capitol
January 28, 2021	 By Faizan Farooque	Jan 28, 2021, 11:22 am EST	 January 28, 2021
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Jan. 20 in a star-studded event. However, Donald Trump continues to impact the national discourse, particularly when it comes to which stocks to buy.
Whatever you think of the former president, no one can argue he was a polarizing figure. That attitude has extended to the business community. However, the U.S. Capitol storming forced big businesses to take a step back and reassess. Various business groups and individual companies took actions to distance themselves from the pro-Trump mob that attacked the 117th United States Congress. Additionally, many companies suspended political contributions in the wake of the event.
The business world values stability. Hence, these moves shouldn't surprise anyone. However, it should give investors a chance to pause and reflect on which stocks to buy in this volatile environment. For instance, shares of Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) dropped more than 10% at the market open on Jan. 11 after the social network permanently banned Trump, leading to fears surrounding the financial repercussions regarding the removal.
So, clearly, it's a tricky time for investors. However, as is the case with any business decision, you should maintain a rational approach to picking stocks among the chaos. Businesses with a wide moat and solid outlooks will continue to do well.
8 Cheap Stocks to Buy With Your Next Stimulus Check
The following list contains five companies that have severed their ties with the president and his family business, the Trump Organization. The companies also happen to be excellent stocks to buy on their own, for their business models and solid returns. They are:
Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB)
Signature Bank (NASDAQ:SBNY)
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB)
Salesforce (NYSE:CRM)
Shopify (NYSE:SHOP)
Stocks to Buy: Deutsche Bank (DB)
Source: Martynova Anna / Shutterstock.com
Often referred to as "Trump's bank," Deutsche Bank will reportedly cease doing new business with Trump or his companies. It's a surprising move since the multinational bank has stayed with the former president through thick and thin, helping him finance his business empire for decades.
The German multinational investment bank and financial services company must be breathing a sigh of relief. It was the subject of subpoenas by New York prosecutors and was looking for ways to sever ties with the president due to negative publicity stemming from the relationship. It's worth noting that the former president owes the Frankfurt-based lender more than $300 million.
Now onto some non-Trump news. In the third quarter of 2020, Germany's largest lender reported a net profit of 182 million euros, resoundingly beating expectations of a 114 million euro loss and the 77 million euro net loss attributable to shareholders in the previous quarter. Total net revenue increased to 5.9 billion euros, compared to 5.3 billion in the year-ago period.
The quarter marks a much-anticipated return to form. The novel coronavirus pandemic heavily affected the financial services industry, from low-interest rates to pressure on bond yields. Still, you pretty much know what you are going to get with Deutsche Bank. It's an old, established name in the industry, and at 0.8 times price-to-sales, DB stock is an affordable one to have in your portfolio.
Signature Bank (SBNY)
Source: Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com
From one lender to the next. New York-based Signature Bank had closed two personal accounts in which Trump held about $5.3 million and called on the president to resign before his term officially ended on Jan. 20. Apart from Trump, SBNY also served Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Michael Cohen.
Much like Deutsche Bank, Signature Bank is a well-established name that performed consistently over the years. The past year was rough for the company. In the last six quarters, it beat Wall Street estimates just two times. However, things will get better next year. Sales and EPS are expected to grow at 16.6% and 13.6%, respectively. Considering that kind of growth, it's understandable why SBNY stock is treading at 13.7 forward price-to-earnings.
Out of 21 analysts covering the company, 18 have given either a "strong-buy" or "buy" recommendation. Shares have a 12-month price consensus target of $166 a pop. However, I lean more toward the bull case estimate of $210 per share.
Stocks to Buy: Facebook (FB)
Source: rvlsoft / Shutterstock.com
In the wake of the riot, technology platforms were the first business entities that severed ties with Trump. His Facebook page had 35 million followers at the time it was suspended. The social media giant has referred its decision to indefinitely suspend access to his account to its outside oversight board.
Regardless, this is not the first time Facebook found itself in the crosshairs of intense political debate. However, on its own, it's one of the best stocks to buy, owning the four most downloaded apps of the decade – Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. That's why in Q3'20, the company reported $21.5 billion in revenue, up 22% from the year-ago period and soundly beating analysts' expectations of $19.84 billion.
Facebook's recent figures show more than 2.74 billion users, a 12%, year-over-year increase. Daily, more than 1.82 million people are active on the social media platform, also up 12% over the year-ago period. Most importantly, advertising revenue came in at $21.2 billion, a 22% increase from a year ago.
As ace investor Louis Navellier said, that kind of advertising revenue is hard to come by, especially with so many social media businesses operating in the public sphere. That's why it's not surprising that FB stock has outperformed the S&P 500 by 65% and its sector by 116.6% in the past five years.
Looking ahead, Mark Zuckerberg's billion-dollar baby is projected to increase sales and EPS by 24.4% and 12.3% next year. If those targets seem ambitious, then you should keep in mind that revenue and EPS have a five-year growth rate of 34.5% and 46.9%, respectively.
FB stock has a 12-month price target of $325 per share, an 18.4% premium to the Jan. 22 close of $274.50 a share.
Salesforce (CRM)
Source: Bjorn Bakstad / Shutterstock.com
Salesforce.com is an American cloud-based software company specializing in providing a customer relationship management service. The business software maker owns the email marketing firm used by the Trump campaign and the U.S. Republican National Committee (RNC) to send emails. The company has said it had "taken action" to prevent its tools from being used by the RNC for the time being.
Salesforce has not gone into specifics regarding the preventative action taken regarding the RNC, which is a long-standing customer. Losing Salesforce tools is a major blow. It's a dominant force in customer service, marketing automation and analytics.
That's part of the reason why it's one of the best stocks to buy. Relative to the S&P 500 baseline, CRM outperformed the S&P 500 by 98.3% in the past five years. In the last 12 quarters, the San Francisco-headquartered company has beat analysts' expectations 10 times. In the last two quarters, it has delivered earnings beats of 388.5% and 394.7%. And that's not surprising.
While the pandemic has wrecked the operations of several businesses, CRM has actually seen usage rates surge. As more companies shift their work online, demand for its products and services will only increase. This is precisely why revenue is expected to jump 20.3% in the next year. Analysts expect the share price to increase by 21.8% in 12 months. And of 42 that are covering the stock, 34 are bullish on its prospects.
Valuation is an issue. CRM stock trades at 68.7 times forward P/E at the time of writing. However, tech stocks typically have sky-high valuations, especially with the pandemic acting as a tailwind. There are few, if any, chinks in CRM's armor. So, the premium valuation is justified.
Stocks to Buy: Shopify (SHOP)
Source: Burdun Iliya / Shutterstock.com
Canadian e-commerce software provider Shopify removed online stores run by the Trump Organization and Trump campaign from its sites in response to the riot at the U.S. Capitol. A Shopify spokeswoman said Trump violated its policy, prohibiting retailers from promoting or supporting organizations or people that promote violence. "As a result, we have terminated stores affiliated with President Trump," the company said.
The company previously defended the rights of any customer to use the platform. Chief Executive Tobias Lütke wrote back in 2017 that "commerce is a powerful, underestimated form of expression." However, earlier this month, it looks like the events taking place were the straw that broke the camel's back.
Regardless, SHOP is a big e-commerce brand now. When a stock trades at 328.3 times forward P/E, you know that investors really like it. Revenues have grown consistently, and the momentum will not stop. Sales are expected to rise 140.6% in 2021. Meanwhile, the company delivered 11 quarters of earnings beats in the past 12. You can well and truly understand why investors are going gaga over SHOP stock.
E-commerce is benefiting from secular trends, and we expect the pie only to get bigger moving forward. But out of 33 analysts covering the stock, 16 have it at "hold" and it's easy to understand why. There is a steep gap between valuation and fundamentals. Still, it's on my list of stocks to buy. That doesn't make SHOP stock a bad investment. It just means that you should wait for a better price point to take a dip.
On the date of publication, Faizan Farooque did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
Faizan Farooque is a contributing author for InvestorPlace.com and numerous other financial sites. Faizan has several years of experience analyzing the stock market and was a former data journalist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. His passion is to help the average investor make more informed decisions regarding their portfolio.
Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2021/01/5-stocks-to-buy-that-have-severed-ties-with-trump-db-sbny-fb-crm-shop/.


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If you have any questions, please contact our office at 843-249-5555 where RE/MAX Southern Shores agents are available every day to assist with all your Surfside Beach South Carolina real estate needs. We'll help you navigate the touring, selection, negotiation, and purchase process for the property that is perfect for YOU!


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HE Festival 2018
Members of the press
THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCKINGHAM
2 days / 60 speakers
Mike Nicholson
Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Bath
Mike joined the University of Bath in October 2014, having previously worked as Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach at the University of Oxford (2006-2014) and Head of Undergraduate Admissions and Student Recruitment at the University of Essex (1998-2006).
Mike heads the team responsible for managing undergraduate student admissions, student recruitment (UK and international), funding guidance, widening access and participation, learning partnerships, and student immigration.
He is currently a Trustee of the AQA Exam Board, and co-Chaired the Social Mobility Practitioners' Group established by Universities UK to advise the UK Minister for Higher Education on supporting progression from under-represented groups in society in 2016. In 2018 he joined the Evaluation Group for the Welsh Government's Seren Gifted and Talented Programme. He was UK Chair of the Higher Education Liaison Officers' Association from 2014-2017 and served as a member of the UCAS Council until January 2017. He represented English universities on the Welsh Qualifications Reform stakeholder group, and was involved in the SPA National Expert Think Tank on UK Qualifications Reform in 2015.
Mike graduated in 1990 from the University of Sheffield with a degree in English and History. He also attended Allegheny College, Pennsylvania for a year as an exchange student. He was the first member of his extended family to go to university, after attending state-funded comprehensive schools in Gateshead.
Festival of Higher Education
26- 27 June 2019
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@HEFestival - 3 weeks
RT @MylesJardine: Another brilliant day at the @HEFestival at @UniOfBuckingham today. Lots of interesting speakers, including a great talk…
RT @JonesDean77: Great discussion with Lord Kerslake @UniOfBuckingham @HEFestival on the 'Civic University'. A Civic University is one whi…
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This thick Front Closed gambeson made from cotton, comfortable to wear like a regular shirt. 5 no Leather fastener with brass buckle to close the front. Comfortable to wear under Chain Mail or Plate armor.
Available in Multiple choice of color.
* Design of brass buckle may vary depending upon stock.


In 2011, Mikalya Linebaugh lost her father to cancer. She decided to do something about it! With the help of family, friends and collegues, The B Foundation was formed. Their mission is: The B Foundation seeks to raise awareness and benefit families in the Belding community touched by cancer. All of the money raised stays in Belding helping these families touched by cancer. On behalf of the Robroy associates donations and the Robroy donation, we presented this very worthy charity with a check for $3000.00.


Edit B&A Tutoring and Accounting Dynamix.
We offer Tuition in Mathematics, Accounting and Economics for all grades as well as first year tertiary level in Accounting. In addition we also offer Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax Services.
SALES, MARKETING AND INSTALLATION OF COMPLIMENTARY ALARM SYSTEMS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND DOMESTIC HOUSES.
a supplier of scientific equipment and chemicals to both education and industry.
B.B COMPUTER BACK-UP SERVICES CC was established in 1990, to fulfill the need for an efficient business in SELLING, SERVICING, MAINTENANCE and REPAIRS of UPS and DIESEL GEN-SET systems. This includes BATTERY CHANGES.
b2b Research is a research agency specialising in b2b omnibus surveys in South Africa.We bring together leading b2b researchers, experienced executive interviewers and inspiring clients to provide successful business research.


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2017 Audi A4 Diesel Variant Set to Launch in February
39 Incidents of Aircraft Engine Damage in Last 4 Years - Civil Aviation Minister
IndiGo to Start Daily Flights from Mumbai to Singapore, Bangkok from August 22
Tata Nexon Diesel Long-Term Review: Mid-Report
News18 »	Auto
The current 2.0-litre diesel engine is Euro VI emissions norms compliant and is not available in India.
Updated:January 30, 2017, 2:25 PM IST
Audi A4 petrol variant (Image: News18.com)
So far only available in 150hp 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine, Audi India is about to launch the A4's diesel variant next month.
Originally launched in September 2016, the A4 has been due to get a diesel version. The delay in its launch was caused as the diesel engine had to be calibrated for lower grade fuel available in India, according to a report on Autocar India.
Also read: Audi A4 First Drive Review: A Tech Loaded Luxury Sedan
The new EA288 diesel engine is expected to develop 190hp, which is 15hp over what the old A4 35TDI delivered. It would come paired to a Audi S Tronic seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. A six-speed manual may be added to the line-up.
Also read: Audi A3 Expected to Launch in March 2017
The diesel variant is also likely to be offered only with front-wheel drive. When launched, the A4 diesel will rival the likes of the BMW 320d and the Mercedes C 220 d.
Audi India
| Edited by: Abhilasha Singh
Instagram is Now Hiding Likes on Photos in More Countries; No Point Buying Likes And Views Anymore


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Barbara Attacks Leslie On 'Gotham' & It's Clear Her Trauma Has Left Severe Emotional Scars
By Sam Rullo
Over the course of Gotham's first season we watched as many characters began down a path that would eventually lead them to villainy. From Oswald Cobblepot to Selina Kyle and many others, these characters' names alone let viewers know we were watching the beginning of something dark. Something we may not have anticipated, however, is that Jim Gordan's fiancée Barbara Kean would become a Gotham villain, yet that's exactly what the Season 1 finale seemed to imply. But unlike Cobblepot, whose evil was spurred on by his lust for power, the darkness shown in Barbara clearly stems from past trauma,which means there is still hope for her.
In the past two episodes, we saw Barbara get to know "The Ogre," Jason Lennon, a serial killer who first went after her in an attempt to scare Jim Gordon off his trail. But things quickly became complicated when Jason realized that Barbara and Jim were no longer a couple, and then after talking to Barbara, decided that she was the woman he had been looking for. When he first revealed himself as a killer, Barbara was clearly terrified of Jason, leading him to tie her up, and begin to torture and threaten her both physically and psychologically. In last week's episode, it seemed that when Jason pressed Barbara for someone he could kill for her, she said her parents, leading to the bloody scene Jim Gordon found, shortly after which he killed Jason. But in this week's episode, we learned that Barbara was actually the one who killed her parents, as she revealed to Jim's current girlfriend Doctor Leslie Thompkins during their trauma counseling session.
If that revelation wasn't shocking enough, things got even more twisted when Barbara followed up her confession by grabbing a knife and attacking Leslie. So is Barbara evil? I don't think so. To me, it seems that Barbara is just traumatized, and may not fully be aware of her own actions. Jason Lennon manipulated and tortured her immensely, leading her to kill her own parents. From the way she spoke to others to how she described her current dream-life state to her questioning of whether Jim had ever abused Leslie, it's clear that Barbara is suffering from some severe psychological damage following her traumatic experience, which can only be compounded by the difficult childhood she described.
Without Jason's influence, I don't think Barbara would have ever acted the way she did in Gotham's finale. Yes, she clearly was struggling with some issues, but she was never evil — just troubled and lonely. But Jason used that to take advantage of her, and though he's gone, his effects are not. Leslie was right when she insisted that Barbara undergo counseling, and while their session ended horrifically — with Leslie knocking Barbara unconscious in self-defense — I hope that when Gotham returns, we see Barbara seeking real treatment to deal with everything she's been through. Gotham may be a city filled with villains in training, but Barbara shouldn't become one of them.
Image: Jessica Miglio/FOX


Need to a place to retreat to? Then look no further than Pink Cheeks- a quintessential beach cottage! Conveniently located in Summer's Edge, one of the most popular beach communities along 30A, you are only 50 yards from the sugar sand beaches.
You will know you have found the perfect vacation spot as you approach the quaint white picket fence where lush palms and flora further enhance the charm of the property. Enter the front door and you are greeted by a bright and beachy décor while the floor plan is ideal for a casual beach lifestyle. Ten-foot ceilings set off by crown molding and oak hardwood floors boost the airy feel of the cottage.
There is plenty of room at Pink Cheeks for a large beach party! This home easily sleeps eight in the four bedrooms. All four bedrooms include en-suite bathroom with retro subway tile and custom vanities.
Cooking is sheer enjoyment in this modern kitchen complete with custom maple cabinets, glass tile backsplash, granite counters and other upgraded finishes. So, whether you are simply fixing snacks for the beach or creating a culinary masterpiece, every tool you need is provided.
You will find the community of Summer's Edge to have everything you need. When you are finished playing in the sand and surf, walk up to one of two community pools. Or gather the family for a bike ride along the bike paths along 30A. It an easy bike ride to Eastern Lake, restaurants and trendy Seaside. Be sure to look at the local eats and discover your new family hotspot.
Reserve your vacation home now and start discovering the beauty of Florida's Gulf Coast!


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Circling Raven extends spring playing rate through season's end
Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel golf amenity offers an array of programs, benefits and events in 2020
(Worley, Idaho; May 14, 2020) – Circling Raven, the No. 1-rated public course in Idaho, today announces that it will maintain spring green fees at the acclaimed 18-hole golf course throughout 2020. This will also be applied to stay-and-play packages this season.
"We've been able to provide a safe recreational outlet for a substantial number of players since opening in March, but given all that is transpiring societally, we felt this was the right thing to do," said Circling Raven's Dave Christenson, PGA, Director of Golf.
Peak season rates were to commence on May 21, but the golf club, owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, pivoted toward accessible value and support for its patrons during this challenging time. Additionally, Circling Raven is offering several special events this spring and season, complementing the critically acclaimed 18-hole golf experience.
An exciting event for young people is Free Kids Day with a special appearance by former LPGA star and U.S. Women's Amateur champion Wendy Ward, a Spokane resident. There will be two events, on May 17 and May 23, from 3-5 pm. Participants ages 7 – 15 will be introduced to golf by Circling Raven golf professionals and get to meet Ms. Ward. Each child will receive an hour lesson, including learning to putt, chip and drive the golf ball. This will be followed by a complimentary dinner and the opportunity to tour the golf course. To reserve a place in the limited participant event, RSVP with Head Golf Professional David VonBrethorst (dvonbrethorst@cdacasino.com or 800-523-2464 ext. 7262).
A partial list of Circling Raven events includes the following.
- May 17 and 23: Free Kids Day
- May 18: Family Day
- May 19 and 26: Practice Clinic
- May 20 and 27, and June 3: Ladies Nine & Wine
- May 30 – 10 am start – Demo Day
On Demo Day, representatives from equipment manufacturers Callaway and TaylorMade will be present from 10 am to 3 pm, to provide custom club fittings. Due to social distancing protocol, spaces are limited and there will be no walk ups. Participants must register in advance and can do so online. Advantage Card members receive priority reservation when signing up.
The Advantage Card is an ideal way to maximize receiving Circling Raven perks. Purchasing the card enables cardholders to receive a complimentary round this season, free entry into an Advantage Cardholder tournament, $10 off the lowest greens fee for each round, supervised practice on the range or clinics with Circling Raven pros, and more. For example, cardholders receive 20% off all shoes in the Golf Shop during May.
Circling Raven Stay-and-Play Packages begin at $249 and include one night's stay, double occupancy, and two rounds each at Circling Raven. The packages are complimented by pairing golf with other Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenities. From massages and other services at Spa Ssakwa'q'n (pronounced Sock-wah-kin), to immersing in Native American tradition through the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's cultural activities offered to guests and resort visitors, the options are many. Culture activities include touring a 17th Century Mission that the Tribe built (now a museum), eating authentic Native American foods, hiking ancestral homelands, learning how to weave baskets and create beaded bracelets, and much more.
Visit www.cdacasino.com for more information on golf and other resort options.
About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel
Owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Circling Raven is in the scenic Idaho panhandle approximately 55 minutes from Spokane International Airport (GEG). Measuring 7,189 yards from the rear tees, the 18-hole layout sprawls magnificently through 620 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and Palouse grasses. Its gleaming white sand bunkers are large and strategically placed and its hole variety ingenious. The course will host the Circling Raven Championship in August, a Symetra "Road to the LPGA" Tour event.
Other Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenities and activities include the full-service Spa Ssakwa'q'n (pronounced Sock-wock-en); 300 hotel rooms; bars, restaurants, lounges, and eateries; cultural immersion options; and more. The casino completed a $15 million renovation of its gaming floor and Events Center in 2019. Circling Raven has garnered numerous best-in-kind honors since opening, including being rated a Top 100 Resort Course, Best in State, and a Top U.S. Casino Course. Its golf shop has won national and regional awards for its excellence and its variety of products, displays, and performance.
Dan Shepherd, danshepherdpr@gmail.com, 703-403-5317
Yvette Matt, ymatt@cdacasino.com, 208-661-3698
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Hi, my name is Shigemi and I'm writing this on behalf of Adam.
Please let me know if there is a built-in function (or plan to add one) that can sanitize user input.
If not, an advise on finding a suitable HTML sanitizer would be appreciated.
We have documented our position and recommendations about preventing cross-site scripting (XSS) in the Preventing XSS help topic.
We're on ASP.Net and I'll look into Html Agility Pack.


This input module converts J, K Thermocouple and 4-20 mA Inputs to 0-2V Full Scale. These can be used for any voltage/current inputs too. The RTD module can be modified more easily for Voltage inputs. The control output can be On-Off or 4-20 mA/Proportional with another card. The 4-20mA I/O STC1000I is not complete in documentation.
This is a Input Signal Conditioning Card for the Temperature controller. The voltage levels from sensors are either too low or need to be translated in level and span. Then for greater accuracy some linearization methods have to be used for a more precise reading. This also increases the cost. The circuits here do no cover the linearization see others in this and my related pages.
The step or segment linearization can be done by transistor, diode or CMOS switches to accomplish varying attenuation/gain for stages of the curve or voltage levels. In Microcontroller systems it can be done by lookup tables or math.
In some older digital systems without a MCU, the A to D drives the address of an Eprom Array to get a Digital Data for Display, as a linearized Reading. This Corrected Data was in turn made into analog using a D/A and then on to a Chart Recorder. This was a Logic only System of the early days. Microprocessor systems was expensive, power consuming and use to frighten people by getting lost in loops or a short nap.(they have fixed that, make sure you code properly).


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Darjeeling - The World's Nicest Place
Darjeeling is the world's nicest place. The small tea-growing hill station in India is famous for its premium teas, but it is also home to unique cultures and people.
Some say it's because the people are nicer, others say it's the good weather and while others think it's the tea that makes Darjeeling so nice. But there's more to this place than meets the eye. This small town, perched on the lap of the Himalayas at an average elevation of about 2,042 meters above sea level is culturally and ethnically diverse.
These are the reasons why Darjeeling is the World's Nicest Place:
1. Strong Community: All strong communities share a common purpose. Kindness and affinity are our common values, purpose and motivation. No matter what befalls this small town the people come together and overcome anything that comes our way.
2. Beautiful Weather: Often referred to as the Queen of the Hills the Darjeeling weather completely lives up to this title. It is often pleasant, the air is different here and on a sunny day when Kanchenjunga decides to unveil itself the hills come alive.
3. Friendly Locals: It isn't just the amazing view in the backdrop that adds to the charm of this hill station. It also has to do with its amazing people. When you arrive in Darjeeling for the first time, you will notice how special this place is. You'll experience great hospitality at every corner and feel like you've known your new friends forever - and really, Darjeeling brings out a lot of kindness and good vibes.
4. Rich History: Chosen as a sanatorium for British soldiers. Darjeeling is steeped in history and tradition, this is a place rich with natural beauty, culture and music. It is an ideal destination for people who seek peace, tranquillity but also a peek into times gone by.
5. Good Amenities: There are plenty of places you can visit in Darjeeling. Many entrepreneurs and small businesses have started their own ventures – cafes, stores, adventure services and the like. If you are also planning on workations (work + vacation) many places provide free Wi-Fi and of course some free company while you complete all tasks at work. Another cool thing about Darjeeling is the walkability of the town infrastructure. You can take a stroll to the bank, restaurants, zoo, tea gardens, and actually everywhere. We assure you that its going to be wonderful walk around our scenic town.
Darjeeling is a safe, enchanting place – perfect for all kinds of people and families. But it's also affordable! Come visit the lovely town of Darjeeling. The nicest place on earth.
The Yellow Box is a homegrown is a design-led brand that designs,
manufactures, and sells products related to and from Darjeeling.
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Lombok offers many empty and often isolated dream beaches, friendly and interesting people and fantastic nature. While every year millions of tourists are attracted to Bali, many places on Lombok are still untouched as here mass tourism is still unknown.
One hour drive from Ubud we were dropped by Padang Bai, a small port where you can catch a ferry to Lombok. We found cheap accommodation at Bukit Senggigi – very basic rooms are for 15£ and you can access to pool area. In the end of the day you only need a descent place to sleep, right? The hotel also organises transfers to Gili Islands.
Lombok has probably one of the most beautiful waterfalls we have ever seen. This was one of the main reason to make our way to this unknown land. The cascades are located in the northen part of the island not far away from Mount Rinjani and around 2 hours along the coast makes the journey even more exciting. The trek to Sendang Gile will take more or less 15 minutes.
We were surprised how many locals this place gathers but apparently in Indonesia it's very common to spend weekends with the whole family in the nature. Walking 45 minutes to reach Tiu Kelep was already epic because we were only surrounded by the jungle. The waterfall itself is truly majestic – no words to describe! You can take the refreshing bath after hiking through the rainforest. With more than 40 meters high Tiu Kelep is still not well known! There is no need to hire a guide because the path is clear, well marked and it is easy to pass two streams along the way.
If we could only arrive earlier to avoid all the crowds who appeared after half an hour. Do yourself a favour and avoid the weekends.
We stopped by Senaru village which is the main entrance to the Mount Rinjani National Park. Senaru is one of the last traditional villages of Sasak indigenous tribe in Lombok. It was very interesting to get to see the local culture in their everyday lives.
Senggigi has not much in offer apart of few resorts and western style restaurants. We mainly ate pizza and pastas as there were no vegan or vegetarian spots in the area.
We recommend to go south and spend the whole day on the beach Tanjung Aan. Not too crowded, still untouched blue waters and golden sand was just perfect together with fresh coconut from one of the local eateries. We even climbed the hill to see the whole view from the cliff.
Not far away from Tanjung Aan there are two vegetarian restaurants. Felice's would be cheaper and more simple option. Ashtari Lounge & Kitchen is slightly more expensive but food is really delicious and your dinner is accompanied by amazing views!
We left Lombok with a huge enthusiasm. The idea of small and car-free island was making us really excited. Whoever traveled to Bali has definitely heard about Gili Islands – "the perfect sunset" spot!
The Gili Islands consists of three small islands just off the coast of Lombok in Indonesia and you can choose which one to visit depending on your taste and preferences. If your favourite time of the day is sunset and you think there is no better way to watch it on the beach then you definitely have to go to Gili Trawangan!
There are two main options to reach it – a boat from Sanur in south east Bali which will take around 3 hours or if you prefer more time on land and less time on water then you should book a boat from Padang Bay where boats only take 1.5 hrs to get to Gili. To fly there would be probably the easiest and fastest way however our driver recommended fast boat service.
This also included pick up from Sanur pier and drop to our hotel in Lombok.
We were dropped by the office less than 1 km from the port and we have been told to wait there. That time we waited inside the office without realisation about common and cruel scam at Bangsal harbour. At some point they told us our boat is ready to leave and we have been forced to take camino horse carriage to get to actual pier. We believed that our boat is about to leave so we agreed but in the end we still waited another 30 minutes.
The conditions of these horses are horrible, they are exposed to the sun for the whole day and look like they will collapse from dehydration. After our horrible experience we would advise everyone to get to Bangsal by cab or organised shuttle and once you get the ticket from the main office just walk towards pier, please don't support animal cruelty. Never buy the ticket from street seller. This also applies when you are on the Gili islands. We saw the heartbreaking scenes when one small horse was forced to carry family of four plus the driver in the front. We know exactly how heavy backpacks can be but why animal needs to suffer in order to comfort us – Trawangan is small enough to walk around by foot.
Trawangan is still a gorgeous paradise full of beachfront cafes and bars. We stayed at really cheap Lievera Bungalows which was almost a luxury experience comparing to our hotel in Lombok. Trawangan is the most popular from all the Gili Islands and well known on the hippy backpackers trial. Somehow we didn't feel it was too many people around which made our stay even more relaxing. Pitu Cafe became our absolute favourite place to rejoice – outstanding vegan menu featuring jackfruit curry and snickers dessert! This is the type of food you dream about when you are hungry.
Casa Vintage, Serene Sunset and The Exile are only a few examples yet all the beach bars on the other side of the island are perfect for the sunset view. You will find plenty of hammocks and the swings anywhere you turn. It's hard to imagine how people who live there could ever get used to this. Maybe Trawangan is slightly spoiled by tourists but it should be on everyone's bucket list to witness those cotton candy skies.


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The Wind That Exposes the Chicken's Nakedness, Blows From the Back
The old year 2017 has quietly but effortlessly slipped into the New Year 2018. Since many have been preoccupied with New Year resolutions, it goes without saying that "Change" is inevitably the flavour of the month. Many will have plans for changes in their jobs, finances, and personal lives. As a country, Sierra Leoneans will be going to the polls, to decide who takes control in shaping the destiny of the country for the next 5 years. The available options will be between a change and more of the same. Irrespective of the outcome of the general elections in March 2018, there is going to be changes in the political party or the personnel. One way or the other, things are going to change. Whether it's for better is for worse, will be anyone's guess. In the meantime, the electorate is breastfed on the concept of change for the better. That is the hope of all Sierra Leoneans; irrespective of our political inclinations. In the meantime, some politicians, or those who masquerade as one, including the so called KAMARAINBA, have been accusing other politicians of changing their political tunes, as if this is a new concept in our political DNA.
Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray has been known to be an ardent voice of opposition against the APC ruling party. He had gained respect from many quarters, for daring to stand up to the APC and criticising their policies and shortcomings. But like all opportunists, he failed miserably recently, when he turned his political cannons on the NGC; accusing KKY of changing his political allegiance. He even had the audacity to offer KKY some political advice; that he should have stayed with the SLPP for at least this term and vie for the presidential ticket in the future. To all intents and purposes, he was telling everyone and anyone who cared to listen to him, that KKY should not have deserted the SLPP. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black. Kamarainba is now living in a world where finding fault in others seems to be his favorite blood sport. In the meantime, the message that KKY seems to take to the people is that, "the first step in saving our liberty is to realize how much we have already lost, how we lost it, and how we would continue to lose it, unless fundamental political changes occur".
If Mohamed Mansaray needs any reminder, he entered the Sierra Leone political discourse as the presidential candidate for APC. Despite every attempt to sell himself as the answer to Sierra Leone's social-economic woes under the APC, the doors were shut in his face; lock, stock and two smoking barrels. Left with no option, he formed the Alliance Democratic Party. With such a breadth of fresh air, one would have expected him to attract those with alternative political views. Instead, he ended up as a "one man geng". With just the usual suspects on the political chessboard, his party was seen as the new kid on the block, getting all the attention that his theme of change could garner. His brush with the APC party, which has seen him arrested for alleged possession of a Taser, his car vandalised etc. made him the talk of the town.
But all that was before KKY burst on to the scene. It goes without saying that as the KKY movement continues to gain endless realms of media print, countless hours of air time on broadcast media, and perpetual presence on social media, Kamarainba has found himself relegated to the bottom tier of the Sierra Leone political premier league. The limelight he used to enjoy no longer exists. It is no wonder that many have concluded that his recent outburst against KKY was borne out of his frustration from his political relegation. Unfortunately for Kamarainba, there are no January transfer windows in politics. Left with little room to manoeuvre, he has since resorted to make himself politically relevant by attacking KKY, just to stay in the political discussion. And all this is coming from a man who tried to force his way into the APC cabal, failing which he formed his own group that is erroneously described as a political party. To all intents and purposes, the audacity of someone like Kamarainba to even consider himself as a presidential material for our country is nothing short of a national insult to our intelligence. Let's turn to serious matters here and avoid giving any relevance or oxygen to Kamarainba; self-proclaimed at that. But there is one lesson in politics that Kamarainba has failed to learn; that "Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party". KKY chose the former. What are your criminal charges for doing so?
As change is the theme of this piece, the APC has not passed up on the chance to be involved. It is obvious that the party is struggling to sell its presidential and vice presidential candidates to the people. Dr. Ernest Bai koroma has been heavily involved in the marketing exercise across the length and breadth of the country. It is also obvious that this is unprecedented, and it's a reflection of how unwise it may have been for the party to impose/select a presidential candidate, against the conventional wisdom. The fallout from the convention does not only continue to cause rancour across the rank and file of the party stalwarts, but there are strong indications that this feeling is seeping through the cracks at grass roots level. Social media has been washed with video clips of youths burning APC flags and banners; because their preferred candidates for positions of councillors and other political positions were not selected.
The issue of selection, as a political process in the APC party has been one of the main talking points in this cycle. Many would recall the APC's failed attempts to promote the prospect of a 3rd term for Ernest Bai koroma. The Ebola crisis was conveniently but unsuccessfully used as an excuse for a 3rd term, or extra time. Many excuses were peddled by way of Chinese whispers to the populace but failed. It is therefore not surprising that many see the selection of Dr. Samura as an extension of Ernest Koroma's reign. There are those who have accused Samura of being dull, wooden and suffering from charisma deficit. There are those who feel that he is so docile in manner, that he will just be a figure head with Ernest pulling the strings, as if by remote control, if he becomes the president of Sierra Leone. With Ernest declared as the lifelong chairman of the APC party, very North Korean-esque, there are those who feel that Dr. Samura will be subject to the whims of the APC party and Dr. Koroma by default. Remember who disrobed VP Sam Sumana from his VP Post? It was the APC party, not the government.
Let us continue with the wind of change that is taking place in our political stratosphere for a minute. It is interesting to note that it took the APC 10 good years to recall that our sacred constitution does not allow for people with dual citizenship to contest political positions in our country. Many are wondering why the APC party had not thought of this or invoked this until now. This must be rich, considering that this is coming from a party that had its VP serving as both ambassador and VP at the same time. Many have seen this latest political manoeuvre by the APC as either an attempt to throw a spanner in the works, or a case of abject desperation. So what happened to all those serving members of parliament, which at the last count was rumoured to be about 46 that hold dual citizenship?
We all know that the basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But there are many people who would want to know; WHY NOW? If this was a provision in the constitution, why was this not invoked when the going was good for the APC Party? There is no doubt, that the APC is finding itself in an unenviable and unfamiliar territory of being challenged by a formidable opposition. If situations on the ground are anything to go by, there is no doubt that, the traditional loyalty from its supporters can no longer be taken for granted and that the diet of TOLONGBO is fast becoming a putrid taste. The NGC genie is out of the box and someone needs to tame it. But is it too little too late?
The current political gymnastics that have been employed by the APC has left many wondering whether the APC has one last throw of the dice. Many would be wary of any irons left in the fire. It is not surprising that a lot of people are now turning to the NEC for divine protection from the antics of the APC. The hope against hope is that our country would be given an opportunity to participate in a FREE, FAIR & PEACEFUL ELECTION, come the ides of March. The hope is that Dr. Koroma would recall that the people of Sierra Leone gave him a mandate, not once but twice, to lead our country from the wreckage of a decade long war. You owe it to the people of Sierra Leone, You owe it to Posterity, You owe it to Humanity, You owe it to the Children unborn, and you owe it to your LEGACY, to deliver a FREE, FAIR & PEACEFUL DEMOCRATIC ELECTION. The people of Sierra Leone, the History of Sierra Leone, and Humanity will not forgive you, if you fail in this noble duty. Lonta.