Drawing heavily from her diverse musical roots and background in graphic design, Risik manipulates a wide range of genres and emotions to paint lucid images of dystopian cyberpunk cityscapes and vampiric dance floors. Armed to the teeth with an arsenal of music ranging from dubstep to dnb, mid tempo to experimental, risik weaves a vast array of genres into her own distinct sound that will satisfy the thirst of any dark bass fanatic.
risik also lends her graphic design talents and musical knowledge to her project "airplane mode" which is a collection of playlists curated by artists and musicians, comprised of the music that helps them personally cope with anxiety, depression, and stress, along with advice on how they deal with those feelings beyond music.
Additionally, risik is the host and organizer of a women's DJ workshop where women are given an opportunity to learn DJing and production in a hands-on environment designed to make them feel comfortable and confident.


You are here: Home / VIDEO BLOG / What's Holding You Back?
Here are 7 Self-Checks you can do that will help you let go of what's holding you back.
2 – Identify Sensitive Areas of Your Personality 3 – What is Your Heart Telling You?
6 – What Makes You Feel Afraid? 7 – What is the Most Important Thing You Have Done and What have You Learned from It?


This year, dairy farmers in Ireland are facing a superlevy bill of €100m, a drop of 35% in milk price and a tax bill in November, according to dairy farmer Michael Murphy.
Speaking at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, he said that volatility dips will happen every few years and many farm families will have serious cash flow difficulties, particularly if a low milk price year occurs as did in 2009.
In response, he said, banks need to be considerably more flexible and lobbying needs to continue in Europe.
Ireland, he said, will have a very good dairy industry going forward but it needs a superb industry.
However, he also said Ireland needs a strong advisory service and emphasis needs to be increased to getting research messages to farmers.
He questioned how good the story sounds of 600 students passing through agricultural colleges.
Dairygold, he said, estimates that it needs 75 people to manage dairy farms, while Kerry also needs 75. And, 16 against a demand of around 300 won't work, he said.
This, he says, shows that there is a need for money to be put into this sector.


text:
Q: Build task to set 'Build Action' to 'None' to automatically exclude debug CSS/JavaScript My web application project contains a various CSS and JavaScript files around the place, for example demo.debug.css and demo.debug.js.
On build, these files are all minified to demo.css or demo.js for example.
Many of the .debug.css/.debug.js files have their build action set to 'None' to ensure they are not included in the Published project, only the minified files are output as their build action is set to 'Content'.
What I want is a build task or action that will automatically scan the project and set this build action value to None, so as new files are added, they are not included by default.
The followiing was added to a build task, but 'None' was not a valid task name.
<None Include="**\*.debug.css" />

So I added this to the project file, but this duplicated all the affected files in Visual Studios Solution Explorer.
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="**\*.debug.css" />
  </ItemGroup>

I suspect I need a reference added to the build task, but can't find the where this task assembly is located. Neither of my two options set the build action of the files at any point.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Chiny news,English,Japonia news,Komentarz eksperta
P. Behrendt: Abe traces Hu
24 października 2013 07:33 / przez CSPA
Japans' growing interest in Central Europe comes not only from the quite good economic situation, but also the Chinese activity in that region. As always, the main object of interest is Poland. Prime Minister Abe's visit to Central Europe in mid July was seen as an attempt to "steal our partners." In a large part it is true; Tokyo directly said that it is trying to counter rising Chinese activity in the region. But the Japanese want to concentrate on energy issues, both from nuclear and renewable sources.
In a joint statement with the Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) they declared, in addition to energy cooperation, their willingness to hold regular summits and meetings at the level of Foreign Ministers. The Japanese side strongly emphasized the importance of using the experience of the power plant failure in Fukushima.
However, in the case of Poland, Japan wants, to a much greater extent, to follow in the footsteps of China. Tokyo and Warsaw are clearly interested in military cooperation. The visit of Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak to Tokyo, which took place on 14-16 March, was the first bilateral meeting at the ministerial level for 5 years. Minister Siemoniak met with his counterpart Itsunori Onodera and commander of Central Air Defense Force, Brigadier General Kiyofuji. Poland would like to cooperate with Japan in all areas, with particular emphasis on air and missile defense, air force and naval training, and cyber security. Both parties have devoted much attention to the security issues and possible cooperation between Japan and NATO. Particularly interesting seems to be the possibility of cooperation between the defence industries of both countries. After relaxing restrictive laws regarding the export of military equipment, Japan is actively seeking foreign partners. It now seems to be the biggest hope Tokyo associates with the United Kingdom and Poland. It's not just a common search for markets, but also the exchange of technology. A good starting point may be India, with which Poland has established cooperation (though not on such scale as wished by the New Delhi), and which develops cooperation with Japan. In addition, because of the close cooperation with the Americans, JSDF has a high degree of standardization with NATO, which significantly eases the eventual cooperation.
For its part, Poland has a particular interest in cooperation in the training of the Navy. Because of their experience, JMSDF are for the Polish Navy a much more attractive partner than PLAN. An introduction to this cooperation was the visit of the Japanese ships to Gdynia (7-10 August). Poland was one of the points from the Japanese group of training ships Kashima and Shirayuki and destroyer Isoyuki. In addition to training naval cadets, Japanese ships have to, of course, present the flag and promote mutual cooperation. The group left Tokyo on May 22 and visited Pearl Harbor, Manzanillo, Panama City, Halifax, Portsmouth, Helsinki, St. Petersburg.The next ports after Gdynia are Kiel, Brest, Barcelona, Taranto, Split, Djibouti, Colombo, Yangon, Sihanoukville and Da Nang.
Strengthening relations with Japan does not mean that Warsaw cools its relations with China it is quite the contrary. In late May, the Minister Siemoniak for second time in the half year visited Beijing, where he met with Vice Chairman of the CMC Fan Changlong and Defence Minister Chang Wanquan. Both sides expressed interest in further deepening of bilateral military cooperation. China is most interested in high-level visits, personnel training and medical exchanges. It is worth noting that the Polish MoD is eager to publish any information on the partnership with Japan and carefully omits meetings with the Chinese.
Abstinence MoD becomes clearer after the storm, which caused House of Representatives Speaker Ewa Kopacz to visit Beijing in early June. Because of fatal coincidence, the visit began exactly on the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown and the first post-war democratic elections in Poland. The opposition and the media demanded cancellation of travel, or at least changing the date. The protests have not been successful and everything was as planned. The main topic of the visit was parliamentary cooperation between the Polish Sejm, and the Chinese National People's Congress.
Developing Polish only Asia – policy from the very beginning is full of contradictions. President Bronislaw Komorowski as a strategic partner in the region considered China, while Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski pointed to Japan. In the case of an even greater deterioration in relations between Beijing and Tokyo, Warsaw could find itself in a very uncomfortable situation. The fact is that Japan has in Poland a much better opinion than China and cooperation with her is meeting with sympathy of media and public.
On the other hand, the Sino-Japanese rivalry moves into a completely unexpected place – Central Europe. Shinzo Abe traces Hu Jintao, who was the first Chinese leader since Mao to show a closer interest in the region. The question is where the Chinese trails will lead Japanese.
tagi:Chiny,Japonia,Paweł Behrendt,polska
Mongolia z wosku
Indie: Od 1980 roku lewicowy ekstremizm zabił około 15 tys. osób
P. Behrendt: Abe traces Hu Reviewed by CSPA on 24 października 2013 .
Japans' growing interest in Central Europe comes not only from the quite good economic situation, but also the Chinese activity in that region. As always, the main object of interest is Poland. Prime Minister Abe's visit to Central Europe in mid July was seen as an attempt to "steal our partners." In a large part
O AUTORZE / CSPA
P. Pendrakowska: Relacja z piątego szczytu think tanków w ramach 16+1
Antologia wietnamskiego rocka. Część I – Wprowadzenie
Obawa przed deflacją
Tajfun Neoguri zbliża się do Tokio
Tajwan: Organizator orgii w pociągu ukarany więzieniem
Uciekinierzy z KRL-D w Korei Południowej… wracają do domu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


People with intellectual disabilities have increased life expectancy compared to just a few decades ago, and there is a lack of knowledge about the experiences of transition into retirement for this group. In this study, semi-structured in-depth interviews with seven retirees with intellectual disabilities were conducted in order to investigate their reasons for retirement, experiences of the transition, their activities and satisfaction with their lives as retirees. Data was analysed with systematic text condensation. Most participants described that, although they experienced the retirement process and transition as abrupt, retirement had a positive impact on health, satisfaction and self-determination. Findings in this novel study in a Nordic context are need of increased knowledge on ageing and retirement among people with intellectual disabilities, and that individual guidance might improve their transition into retirement.


These 13 baking shortcuts will change your culinary life forever. Learn how to ripen bananas, salvage burned cookies, and more.
According to Urban Dictionary, the term "hack" has several meanings, among them "a clever or elegant technical accomplishment" and "a temporary, jury-rigged solution." These 13 baking shortcuts not only fit both of these definitions, but are ingenious enough to change your culinary life forever. Read on, and never cry over snafus like burned cookies or undecorated cakes again.
Chantal over at Paleoaholic suggested a simple but super-smart way to get errant bits of shell out of an egg you've over-zealously cracked into a bowl. "Wet your fingers before trying to get it out. It literally gravitates the shell to your fingers, so you can quickly remove all of the unpleasant crunch," she writes in a post dedicated to this do-it-all food.
You last bought brown sugar to make chocolate chip cookies for a holiday party. Now it's summer and you want to make another batch for a picnic, but your sugar looks and feels more like a brick than something you'd want to eat. No need to toss it in the trash. Place it in a baking dish, cover it with a moist paper towel and either microwave it on high for 20-second intervals or place it in a 300° F oven for five minutes.
Some recipes call for room-temperature eggs, since they are often easier to incorporate into batter when they aren't too cold. If you've forgotten to take them out in advance, Baking Bites suggests placing them in a bowl of warm water for five to ten minutes before using them.
Sometimes a banana-bread craving strikes but you might not have an overripe bunch stashed and ready to go. So follow this suggestion from Jill Nystul of One Good Thing by Jillee and roast whole bananas in the oven for 40 minutes at 300° F to ripen them. They'll end up soft, black and the perfect texture for baking a moist loaf.
There's nothing like opening the oven and realize that your highly anticipated cookies have been scorched — and the friends you're hosting are coming in a matter of minutes. Don't panic and dump them into the trash, instead, steal a tip from Brenda of Downtown Dish and shave off the bottoms with either a box grater or Microplane zester. What happens in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen, right?
Don't feel like frosting a batch of cupcakes? If you've got a bag of large marshmallows you'll barely have to lift a finger to gussy them up. About five minutes before the oven timer is due to ring, Toni Spilsbury places a large marshmallow on top of each cupcake for a melted, S'Mores-like topping.


As they race through the jungle in a bid for safety, the heat simmering between Steady and Abby could be a second chance for them-if they make it out alive.
Julie Ann Walker really knows how to pack in the action and her latest book also packs in the heat! I loved the main couple in this story and although they both seemed larger than life they were also so very realistic as if you would have no problem becoming friends with either of them. They both have strong personalities and they balance one another which made for interesting scenarios for the reader. I enjoyed how the story is told through various sets of eyes, giving me so many points of views. There were also a few characters introduced that I'm keeping my fingers crossed will make a reappearance in some future works. This was a page turning, rollercoaster ride full of passion and conflict, combat and commitment. If Alpha male heroes and smart, sweet heroines make you happy when they are evading enemies, dodging bullets, thwarting terrorists and igniting fires.


text:
YouTube Finally Bans Vaccine Misinformation. But How Far Did It Go, and Is It Too Late?
Robert Kennedy Jr. speaks at a rally against a bill disallowing children to opt out of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
As reported Wednesday in the New York Times, YouTube followed other major social media platforms in banning not just Covid-related misinformation but certain misinformation around all vaccines, including popular yet patently false videos about the alleged danger of measles, Hepatitis B, and other common vaccinations. Specifically, it banned the accounts of several individuals and organizations, including those of Joseph Mercola and the Children's Health Defense Fund affiliated with controversial anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (the son of the former Attorney General RFK). Breaking down the action further, the company banned videos that
claim vaccines generally do not reduce rates of transmission or contraction of disease,
make false claims about what's in the vaccines,
claim approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility, or
falsely state vaccines contain ID trackers.
YouTube, which is owned by Google, explained its move in a blog post:
Working closely with health authorities, we looked to balance our commitment to an open platform with the need to remove egregious harmful content. We've steadily seen false claims about the coronavirus vaccines spill over into misinformation about vaccines in general, and we're now at a point where it's more important than ever to expand the work we started with COVID-19 to other vaccines.
Long before Covid-19, anti-vaccine misinformation purveyors had found a comfortable home on YouTube. There were so many false or misleading videos that vaccine advocacy groups had been constructively pushed off the platform years ago. Attempts by the groups to get real information out would be undermined immediately by YouTube recommendation engines that suggested false anti-vaccine information to viewers, as if the two were somehow equivalent beliefs.
Many parents already are wary or skeptical of vaccines based on false things they heard from their families or friends. When they were spoon-fed misinformation, especially immediately after seeing a truthful video that might otherwise have cut against their existing suspicions, this ironically only reinforced their false beliefs. The fact that the platform itself had made the bad content recommendations provided even further credibility to what should have been a non-credible source.
"It has been incredibly frustrating to try and share good, science-based information about vaccines on YouTube, only to have the algorithms then suggest anti-vaccine content to our viewers," said Erica DeWald, communications director of Vaccinate Your Family, the nation's largest non-profit advocate for vaccines. "We're hopeful this is a positive step toward ensuring people have access to real information about vaccines and will signal other social media companies to follow suit."
The move comes after Facebook came under fire in July from President Biden, who criticized the platform for not doing enough to halt misinformation. "They're killing people," Biden had said to reporters. "Look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they're killing people." Asked later to clarify, Biden said he had read an article about how a majority of misinformation around vaccines was coming from just 12 bad actors, referred to collectively as the "disinformation dozen" by the Center for Countering Digital Hate for spreading vaccine misinformation and internet hoaxes. Facebook had already taken some enforcement action against certain pages and accounts connected to these dozen accounts.
Facebook protested the president's characterization vigorously, but apparently the message had been delivered and YouTube had heard it as well. Prior to yesterday's ban, YouTube had focused on removing "borderline" videos from recommendation algorithms, meaning people had to find them through specific searches. The problem was, links to these videos remained readily available and still spread rapidly across other social media platforms such as Facebook, where anti-vaxxers could simply post the links in their newsfeeds and in comments.
Asked why the company didn't act sooner, a spokesperson for YouTube explained that they had been focused on stopping Covid-19 related misinformation and only recently realized that false claims about other vaccines were contributing to unfounded fears about the Covid-19 vaccines. "Developing robust policies takes time," the spokesperson said. "We wanted to launch a policy that is comprehensive, enforceable with consistency and adequately addresses the challenge."
The move, late as it is, may have come just in time. According to some online misinformation watchdogs, anti-vax groups had been gearing up to use the uproar over vaccinations of school-aged children against Covid-19 as a springboard to grow their online audiences. "Anti-vaccine activists have been very vocal about the fact that they saw Covid as an opportunity to undermine confidence in the childhood vaccine schedule," said Renée DiResta, who heads anti-vaccine disinformation at the Stanford Internet Observatory. "Seeing YouTube take this action is reflective of the fact that it seems to be aware that that tactic and dynamic was beginning to take shape."
Too little too late
The greatest misinformation is to make the world believe that the vaccine is safe.


text:
IBM stays ahead of HP as server market stabilizes, Gartner says
IBM and HP servers won't stop x86 onslaught on Unix
Blades are server market's bright spot, says IDC
AMD reaches profitability for the first time in years
Unix server sales continue downward spiral
Sales of high-end RISC and Itanium servers fell in the fourth quarter of 2009, while x86 server revenue grew
U.S. Correspondent, IDG News Service |
Server shipments increased in the fourth quarter of 2009, but revenue fell as x86 servers continued to bite into the declining market for Unix servers with RISC and Itanium chips, Gartner said in a study released on Wednesday.
Worldwide server shipments totaled 2.2 million during last year's fourth quarter, growing 4.5 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. Worldwide server sales totaled $12.6 billion during the fourth quarter last year, a 3.2 percent drop from server sales in the same quarter of 2008. Worldwide sales of x86 servers rose 14.3 percent to $7.6 billion during the 2009 fourth quarter, while RISC and Itanium server sales declined by 20 percent to about $3 billion.
[ InfoWorld's Paul Krill took a look at Unix on its 40th birthday last year. | Keep up on the day's tech news headlines with InfoWorld's Today's Headlines: Wrap Up newsletter. ]
"The fourth quarter of 2008 was quite weak, so the fourth quarter of 2009 did not have to produce huge x86 server numbers to result in an increase," said Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice president at Gartner, in a statement. "At the same time, other segments like RISC/Itanium Unix and mainframes remained constrained and that exerted downward pressure on overall vendor revenue results."
IBM and Intel in early February released new chips for highly scalable servers that require high uptime. At the time of the Power7 chip launch, the senior vice president of IBM's Systems and Technology group, Rod Adkins, said the Unix market is a sizeable and healthy market to the tune of $14 billion or $15 billion annually. Adkins also said IBM will try to provide more competitive pricing options on its Power7 servers to take on the "traditional" server market.
Industry analysts went on to say that the new chips will have little effect on reviving the declining sales of scalable servers running on the Unix OS, analysts said. The x86 servers are cheaper, are getting more powerful and have a more readily available software stack.
The x86 server market was trending toward a larger use of blades, Hewitt said. Blade server shipments grew by 11.1 percent during the quarter, while revenue grew by 22.1 percent.
IBM was the top server vendor during the fourth quarter, with sales of $4.1 billion, a drop of 5.9 percent year over year and a 32.7 percent market share. In a close second was Hewlett-Packard, with server sales of $3.95 billion, recording a small growth of 0.4 percent and 31.3 percent market share. Dell's server revenue increased by 8.3 percent to $1.5 billion, putting it in third place. Sun Microsystems, which has since been acquired by Oracle, saw a massive 23.5 percent drop in server sales.
IBM was also first in Unix servers with a 40.5 percent market share during the fourth quarter of 2009. The company registered sales of $1.2 billion, a year-over-year drop of 11.1 percent. Hewlett-Packard was second, with sales of $876 million, a year-over-year drop of 19.9 percent. Sun shipped the largest number of Unix servers during the fourth quarter, but was third in revenue with sales of $753.8 million, a year-over-year drop of 29.1 percent. Fujitsu was fourth, recording the largest drop of 55.4 percent.
Hewlett-Packard topped the x86 server market with sales of $2.8 billion, a year-over-year growth rate of 15.7 percent, and a market share of 38 percent. In a distant second was Dell, recording an 8.3 percent year-over-year sales growth to reach $1.5 billion, for 20 percent market share. IBM was in third place, with its server sales growing 37 percent to reach $1.4 billion. Sun and Fujitsu were in fourth and fifth places, respectively.


Welcome to your private island escape. This 3bed/2bath pool home in Gumbo Limbo is surrounded by palm trees and acres of untouched conservation land. Invite your friends for dinner with plenty of space for gathering in the open living and dining room. Skylights illuminate the tall dining room ceilings that look up towards the loft and master suite. Pocketing sliding glass doors open out to the screen enclosed porch. A spacious kitchen with beautiful cherry-wood cabinetry and stainless steel appliances will inspire your inner chef. Retreat to the master suite upstairs, complete with a spacious walk-in closet, dual-sink bathroom, extra mirrored vanity, and office space just off the bedroom. Two sizable guest rooms are located on the first floor, along with a guest bathroom and laundry room. Fall in love with the pool and spa area, surrounded by tropical palms and vegetation. Utilize the fenced dog area just off the pool deck, or join the other dog walkers around the neighborhood.
I was searching for a Property and found this listing (MLS® #2181021). Please send me more information regarding 1807 Serenity Ln, Sanibel, FL, 33957. Thank you!
I'd like to request a showing of 1807 Serenity Ln, Sanibel, FL, 33957 (MLS® #2181021). Thank you!


…working capacities of 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 8, 17 and 45 mL . Sizes 5 mL to 45 mL have radial serrations on the lower portion of the pestle to deliver the homogenate into the cylindrical portion of the tube. * Stated clearances for the tubes and pestles are "total" not "annular".


At Turf Paradise, we value our horse owners as they enhance our product with the running of their horses. Our location in Phoenix, Arizona proves to be the "jewel in the desert" as we have mild winters, many days in the 60s, and lots of sunshine, making our racing meet attractive. This section is to help our owners, both in state and out, with details to make horse ownership at Turf Paradise a pleasant experience.
After receiving your license which is administered by the state, we ask that you visit the Horsemen's Relations office, located in the main building in the Horsemen's Bookkeeper's office, for validation stickers and credentials. Your license will receive a yearly validation sticker that reflects your participation in this year's race meet. You will also receive parking credentials for your car window. These validations will allow you access to the barn area to visit your horses. Security will ask for your license upon stable gate arrival and these validations will grant your access. Horsemen relations may be reached by phone at 602-375-6476.
The Horsemen's Bookkeeper is available to conduct business on live race days from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 602-375-6404. The Racing Office is open live race days from 8:30am until the last race.
For our out of town owners, Turf Paradise has hotels that offer "horsemen's rates" just by mentioning Turf Paradise. La Quinta Inns and Suites offers horsemen's rates and is conveniently located at I-17 and Greenway Road, just south and West of Turf Paradise.
On the day your horse races, we want you to be comfortable and worry free. Again, our Horsemen's Relations department can be of service. With just a phone call, you can reserve a table for four in our Clubhouse Horsemen's Section for no charge, as well as complimentary admission for you and your guests and, as always, free parking. Stake race entrants include a program and winning video for the victor!
We hope your racing experience at Turf Paradise is as riveting as it is successful. Besides Horsemen's Relations, our switchboard operator can connect you to each department you need to reach. 602-942-1101, 7 days a week 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and may be able to assist you with your questions.
Thank you for choosing Turf Paradise as your racing venue.


In the light of the recent budget announcement of a custom duty hike, while brands are rearing to jump the prices, Gionee on the other hand for its brand patrons and users is offering its products at steal-away price points.
With the onset of New Year, Gionee India, country's leading smartphone player to strengthen its pledge to add cheers amongst its users announced significant special prices on a range of devices.
Against the backdrop of the recent restructuring process announced by Gionee India, the value proposition offering a varied price range on an array of devices is the first step by the brand to add more cheers to its loyal user base. This value addition is also an extension of the Smile Squad initiative which is an exclusive community of Gionee users formed with an objective – to spread smiles and enrich the lives of brand loyalists with exciting goodies and gifts. The program has enabled Gionee to reinforce the brand philosophy to spread smiles and stay true to their commitment.
The campaign commenced on December 10th, 2017 has been extended till 28th February from 31st January, given the overwhelming response to the initiative. With every new Gionee purchase all customers, existing and new, get a chance to win bumper prizes such as couple trips to Thailand or brand-new bikes. Additionally, a customer also gets a scratch card with an assured discount coupon of up to Rs.500; redeemable on the next purchase or, gets a chance to win exciting gifts like gold coins and Gionee smartphones. Gionee India has recently felicitated winners with brand new bikes from Chennai, Ahmedabad and Bhatinda and looks forward to further enthusiastic participation in the days to come.


There is a road island in the middle of the carriageway (A415) that's been badly damaged and is unlit and has no reflective. PArt of the road furniture is in the carriageway. At night the street lights at that junction are turned off. This means there is a completely unlit obstacle in the middle of the carriageway. Its been like it for several days and I have twice witnessed a driver nearly collide with it. The situation is dangerous - that's not an exaggeration and needs urgent attention if only to make the hazard visible to road users until it can be repaired properly.
I can concur that this is serious hazard. Not only is the island unlit it has absolutely no reflective qualities at all.


A well balanced red vermouth - perfect for a Negroni!
Dark red in colour with a glint of caramel. The palate shows a vanilla-rhubarb character with notes of juniper and sweet spices. Wonderfully balanced, the finish shows delicious bittersweet medicinal notes.
Infused with 38 botanicals, 10 of which are used for Amaro, and natural spirit on a Trebbiano di Romagna wine base.


text:
require 'soundcloud'

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
  protect_from_forgery

  helper_method :current_user
  helper_method :user_signed_in?
  helper_method :correct_user?
  helper_method :sc_client

  private
  def current_user
    begin
      @current_user ||= User.find(session[:user_id]) if session[:user_id]
    rescue Mongoid::Errors::DocumentNotFound
      nil
    end
  end

  def sc_client
    @sc_client ||= Soundcloud.new(:access_token => current_user.access_token) if current_user
  end

  def user_signed_in?
    return true if current_user
  end

  def correct_user?
    @user = User.find(params[:id])
    unless current_user == @user
      redirect_to root_url, :alert => "Access denied."
    end
  end

  def authenticate_user!
    if !current_user
      redirect_to root_url, :alert => 'You need to sign in for access to this page.'
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Here's the rundown for the arts across the Triad this week.
Admission to Reynolda House Museum of American Art, which includes Star Power: Edward Steichen's Glamour Photography, is free to Wake Forest University faculty, staff and students on Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Faculty and students in the departments of music, and theater and dance at Wake Forest perform Cole Porter show tunes for the soiree.
The Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro screens In Organic We Trust, a documentary about the reality beneath the label that is part of the Sustainability Film Series on Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Michael Hylton, owner of Earth Garden Shop in Lawsonville, leads a post-film discussion.
Strictly Academic Part 3: Recent Works by Salem College Art Faculty opens on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
What Goes Around, Comes Around, an exhibit of art created from waste products salvaged from marine debris areas by UNC- Wilmington faculty member Bonnie Monteleone, opens at Founders Hall on the campus of Guilford College in Greensboro on Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
The Weatherspoon Art Museum offers a 20-minute, docent-led tour of the Diana Al-Hadid exhibit on March 12 from noon to 12:20 p.m. The exhibit runs through May 5.
Olio, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering appreciation and enjoyment of the arts, is close to launching at West End Mill Works on the north end of downtown Winston-Salem, according to a tip received by YES! Weekly. The nonprofit will include an apprentice program for young people ages 14-20, a hot glassblowing studio and a retail gallery. West End Mill Works, a former warehouse under renovation is also expected to include a yoga and reiki shop, a kickboxing studio, a furniture repair shop and a brewery and distillery.
Make art, see art, buy art — be art.


text:
Simply Sharia Wins Islamic Finance Firm Of The Year In Finance Monthly M&A Awards 2014
Nov 9, 2014 by admin
London – Simply Sharia Limited has been named the Winner of Islamic Finance Firm of the Year – UK in Finance Monthly Magazine M&A Awards 2014, the only independent business awards programme judged by members of the press and industry analysts.
The 2014 Finance Monthly M&A Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of deal makers, management teams, financiers and professional advisers who, over the 12 months, demonstrated their deal making excellence with the most prized deals.
Faizal Karbani, Founder & CEO of Simply Sharia said: "We are delighted to receive this award and to be recognised as the Islamic Finance Firm of the Year- UK.
"Our recognition with this award is a culmination of a lot of dedication, commitment and support from our staff, their families, our friends, partners, associates and the very amazing clients and collaborators we have the pleasure to work with.
"Our team has worked diligently over the last 12 months reinforcing our commitment to offer Sharia-compliant financial solutions to a wider audience because we believe the Islamic finance industry is an ethical alternative for people, while also offering a much broader growth potential.
"This Award has inspired great pride in us all, giving us the further confidence to continue engaging the wider community towards Islamic finance." This year's Awards built on the refreshed category list enabling Finance Monthly and its global readers to congratulate the key M&A deals and deal makers of 2014, including local, cross border and global deals; private equity, corporate and alternative finance providers and the best respected professional advisers and deal makers in the industry.
Over the past five months Finance Monthly's diligent research team has worked tirelessly to assess nomination entries, and conduct extensive research involving clients and peers. The end result is an awards publication which contains some of the most successful and trusted firms and individuals from across the globe.
Nyra Mahmood, Director
0208 945 3786 or [email protected]
ABOUT SIMPLY SHARIA
Simply Sharia is a FCA regulated firm of Independent Financial Advisors solely dedicated to the provision of Sharia compliant financial solutions and advice. It is committed to pioneering authentic, new and innovative Sharia compliant financial solutions which enhance the quality and range of Sharia compliant investments and other financial products available in the market. Along with advising individual clients on areas of personal financial planning such as investments & savings, pensions, Islamic Wills and Inheritance tax planning; Simply Sharia also assists companies to set up Sharia-compliant pension schemes for their employees, raise Sharia-compliant finance for their business and deliver Islamic finance training, education and recruitment mandates.
Originally published on www.zawya.com
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Family folklore goes that my first word was why, and while my vocabulary has since expanded, the word is still a clear contender for Most Spoken today.
It's this insatiable curiosity that set my path to becoming a journalist, and these days I'm lucky enough to make a living talking to incredible people who are changing the world. From scientists curing cancer to survivors of incredible adversity, I'm humbled when people let me into their world and allow me to share their story.
Each week I pen pieces about emerging social trends, women's issues, health breakthroughs and travel destinations for print and digital publications, plus corporate clients. My editors tell me they keep coming back because I write clean, meet deadlines and hassle them with endless ideas, but truth be told, I can't help but do this job. It keeps me grounded, inspired and challenged … and, frankly, gets me out of bed every morning.
Thanks for stopping by. Oh, and if you have a story you think the world needs to hear, drop me a line!


AREAS OF SMOKE FROM WILDFIRES WILL LINGER ACROSS THE EASTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS TODAY AND TONIGHT... SEVERAL WILDFIRES ACROSS THE REGION ARE PRODUCING AREAS OF SMOKE...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO ONE MILE OR LESS LOCALLY AT TIMES...AND PRODUCING UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS. AREA RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS OR LIMIT THEIR TIME OUTSIDE TO AVOID EXCESSIVE EXPOSURE TO THE SMOKE. THOSE SUFFERING FROM BREATHING AILMENTS WILL ESPECIALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WINDOWS ARE CLOSED AND AIR INTAKE SYSTEMS ARE SHUT DOWN. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION...PARTICULARLY IN AREAS NEAR WILDFIRES WHERE DENSE SMOKE AND FOG COULD DROP VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO THIS MORNING. AN AIR QUALITY ALERT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY ON MONDAY. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION AND THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK PAGES.


$10,000 BUYER INCENTIVE! RIVERSIDE PLANTATION on huge corner lot! New construction, move in ready! 5 bed, 4.5 bath home in final phase of sought after Shaw Woods (2 pools & clubhouse& neighborhood river access coming soon) Master on Main, secondary master on upper level. Open floor plan. On site finished 3/4" solid oak hardwood floors! Granite in kitchen and ALL bathrooms, large kitchen island, upgraded appliances. Finished basement w/ bath. Wrap around porch. Screened in porch. Beautiful lot w/ 3 car garage. This home has all the upgrades one could ever want!
DO NOT USE GPS...I-75, exit 288 C'ville/Main St, follow Main St thru town, veer L onto Etowah, Rt on Euharlee, 6 mi to Shaw Woods, TR Friendship, TR CJ TL on River Walk, (home on right corner of River Walk and Riverview...across the street from river).
118 River Walk Pkwy has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms located in Euharlee GA, Bartow County. This property is listed for sale at $405,900 and is currently active and accepting offers.


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Sandy Point Island (more commonly referred to as Sandy Point) is a  island in Little Narragansett Bay, lying mostly in Westerly, Rhode Island and partly in Stonington, Connecticut. Once an extension of Napatree Point, Sandy Point is now a  island that serves as an important nature preserve and recreation site. Sandy Point is the westernmost piece of land in the state of Rhode Island.

History

Before the Great September Gale of 1815, Sandy Point was the farthest extension of Napatree Point, forming a small, sickle-shaped peninsula on the western edge of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Following the storm, virtually all of the trees on the once-forested peninsula were destroyed, allowing the coastal vegetation to occupy the landscape.

Even during the period when it was connected to the mainland, Sandy Point was never built upon. Fort Mansfield, situated at the elbow of the peninsula, marked the end of the developed portion of the land. In 1926, following the closure of the fort, the federal government put Fort Mansfield and all the land beyond it (that is, Sandy Point) up for sale. A New York developer proposed Sandy Point be subdivided into 674 lots and in response a syndicate of Watch Hill residents purchased the land to prevent the construction of the "cheap little houses" that might change the exclusive character of their village.

Prior to the 1938 Hurricane making landfall on the Northeastern United States, Napatree and Sandy Points formed a single peninsula. When the hurricane struck the coast, it destroyed all the houses on Napatree Point and cut several channels into the peninsula. Only one of those channels proved to be permanent; that breach separated Sandy Point from Napatree Point just beyond the site of the former fort. To this day Sandy Point remains an island, leaving Napatree Point as the westernmost point on mainland Rhode Island.

In 1940, Sandy Point was deeded to Alfred Gildersleeve of Stonington, Connecticut. The Gildersleeve family gave Sandy Point to the Avalonia Land Conservancy in 1982 to be protected and used as a nature preserve.

Geography and geology

The present, shifting geography of the  island is the result of the 1938 Hurricane and the process of longshore drift. Sandy Point Island is a slender,  barrier beach in Little Narragansett Bay, an estuary of the Pawcatuck River in Fishers Island Sound. It lies about one mile north of Napatree Point, with very shallow waters in the area where the two were once connected.

The island is low-lying and geologically similar to Napatree Point. The northern and southern ends provide a dune habitat covered in beachgrass, shrubs, and a few trees. The middle of the island is a sandy washover area, with sparse (yet locally-rare) sand plain vegetation. Tidal flats extend into Little Narragansett Bay on both the bay and ocean sides of the island.

Aside from a few tiny dunes, the topography of the island is generally flat. Since its separation from Napatree Point, Sandy Point Island has been migrating in a northwestern direction; the northernmost five acres now lie within the boundaries of Connecticut, with the remaining thirty acres still in Rhode Island.

Sandy Point Nature Preserve

Following the Avalonia Land Conservancy's acquisition of the island in 1982, Sandy Point has served an important ecological role for wildlife in the region. It mainly serves as a place of refuge and a breeding ground for shoreline birds such as the piping plover, American oystercatcher, least tern, and several species of gulls. A large number of horseshoe crabs also come to the island to breed.

The Avalonia Land Conservancy sought assistance from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2009 to more effectively manage the preserve for the endangered shorebirds which nest there. In 2015, the Fish and Wildlife Service began its partnership with the Avalonia Land Conservancy in earnest, with the intention of incorporating Sandy Point into the refuge boundary of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. The property is currently managed by the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, which allows the Avalonia Land Conservancy to maintain ownership of the island and benefit from the management expertise of the USFWS.

Public Access

Sandy Point Island has been a popular recreation site for boaters and beachgoers who enjoy its soft sand and shallow waters. Striking a balance between conservation and public use of the property has been a primary focus of the Avalonia Land Conservancy and the USFWS over the last several years. Currently, the public is permitted to access those portions of the island on which birds are not nesting. Each year, once the birds have chosen sites for their nests, nesting areas are roped off during the breeding season (typically the northern and southern tips of the island, as well as a portion of the sandy middle). The remainder of the island is left open to the public, with the purchase of a permit to visit the site required from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Despite some initial opposition, increased educational outreach has led most Sandy Point visitors to accept the island's dual-purpose vocation and respect the boundaries established each year for nesting shorebirds. The Fish & Wildlife Service has installed informational kiosks on the northern and southern ends of the island, and rangers often walk the island to monitor the wildlife and engage the public.

As an island with no dock, Sandy Point can be somewhat difficult to access. The island is most easily reached by kayak or by a boat with a shallow draft. Larger boats can also be taken to the island, but boaters must drop anchor offshore and then row or swim to the beach.

See also
Napatree Point
Little Narragansett Bay
1938 New England Hurricane
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

References

External links
The Avalonia Land Conservancy, the organization that owns Sandy Point
 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service PDF brochure for Sandy Point
The Stonington Community Center, the organization which sells visitor passes to Sandy Point
"Landowners protect the beach and the birds of Sandy Point Island"

Islands of Rhode Island
Nature reserves in Rhode Island
Islands of Washington County, Rhode Island
Westerly, Rhode Island
Stonington, Connecticut
Protected areas of Washington County, Rhode Island
Coastal islands of Rhode Island

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Kitengela Residential 3 Bedroom House On sale.Quick sale for this beautiful residential house.
The house is located in Kitengela.Next to EPZ.
Built on an estate in a controlled development area.
The house sits on a 1/8th of land with ready title deed.
Security in the place is adequate and ample playing area for the kids.
The house is surrounded by a perimeter wall to bolster security.
There is ample space for the house and compound is adequately spaced.
Relaxing and holding family gatherings was thought into.
The backyard has enough space for laundry and other activities.
The front yard has space for parking.And also for trees planting for home beautification.
The house is a 3 Bedroom with master ensuite.The sitting room is both spacious and has a dining room extension.
The master ensuite bedroom.Also comes pre-built wardrobes.
The rooms are tiled and doors nicely done.
The sitting room has adequate lighting and metallic curtain rods.
Click here to view our land listings.
The toilet and bathrooms are separated.
The kitchen being the heart of the house is important.
Space was put in the thought process when building this house.
The water is supplemented with the plastic water tank outside the house.
The house is going for 8.1M and bank financing is accepted.
To arrange for viewing of the house fill the below form and our sales team will contact you as soon as possible.


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Is an IQ of 126 good for a 13-year-old?
Kevin Mai
How did you fare on this intelligence test? An IQ score of 140 or above suggests that you are a genius or almost such, whereas 120–140 is considered "extremely excellent intellect." The range of intellect from 110 to 119 is referred to as "excellent intelligence," whereas the range of intelligence from 90 to 109 is referred to as "regular or typical intelligence." An IQ of 70 or below is considered "intellectual disability" and represents the lowest 2% of the population. An IQ between 71 and 80 is considered "low average intelligence," which means that you have an average ability with some strengths and weaknesses. An IQ between 81 and 90 is called "high average intelligence," meaning that you have some skills that are more developed than others.
Based on your IQ score, we can say that you are very smart. However, because IQ tests measure only the reasoning ability that people use to solve problems, it says nothing about how well you know things or how effective you might be in real life situations where logic does not help as much. For example, if you scored highly on the IQ test but also reported having bad eyesight, then you would probably not be able to play football in a professional league.
The highest IQ recorded in the world is 228, which one man's name is Satoshi Nakamoto. He designed the original bitcoin software package, which was released in 2009, when he was only 25 years old. No one knows who he is but there are many theories about his identity.
What is the minimum IQ to be a genius?
What are the ranges for IQ?
How good is a 132 IQ?
What does it mean to have an IQ of 129?
What's an intelligent IQ?
Notably, the average IQ ranges from 85 to 115. A score of 140 or more, on the other hand, is deemed genius level. This means that if your IQ is below 70, you won't be classified as a genius.
However, it is possible to be a genius with an IQ below 70. The most famous example of this is Albert Einstein who had an IQ of 62 when he died. The general consensus among scientists today is that anyone who can produce ideas so revolutionary that they change our understanding of reality must have been a genius.
Geniuses throughout history have often been misunderstood, their work misapplied or even rejected by their peers, but that doesn't diminish its importance. Einstein is only one of many examples of this; Thomas Edison also fell into this category. He was once quoted as saying, "I have not failed 1,000 times; I've just found 1,000 ways that don't work." This shows that even great minds can miss opportunities if they are focused on achieving too many goals at once.
It is certainly possible to be a genius and suffer from depression, anxiety, or another mental illness. The role of genetics in creativity has led some psychologists to believe that there must be something special about the brain of a genius.
Tables of historical IQ categorization
IQ Range ("ratio IQ")
IQ Classification
Above 140 "Near" genius or genius
120–140 Very superior intelligence
110–120 Superior intelligence
90–110 Normal, or average, intelligence
Scores above 115 are deemed "high IQ," while those above 130 to 132 (depending on the test) are regarded "very talented" and belong to the top 2% of the population. These people are often called genius or prodigy. They are rare, especially among adults.
The majority of people with an IQ below 80 will continue to have poor academic and professional success because they will lack the motivation needed to achieve at high levels. However many individuals with an IQ between 90 and 110 can succeed in certain fields by applying themselves over a long period of time. Those with an IQ of 120 or more may experience difficulty understanding some complex ideas in history or literature, but they usually have no problem performing calculations or solving problems that other people find difficult.
The highest recorded IQ score on any standard or adaptive scale is 220, which corresponds to 1 in 8,500 people. The most common score on standardized tests is 100, which corresponds to 1 in 11,000 people. This shows that intelligence is distributed approximately according to a normal distribution, with most people having an IQ between 85 and 115, and a few people having scores that are much higher or lower than this.
The mean IQ of students entering primary school in England is 107. The standard deviation is 17.
A 129 IQscore is a good score, only one point below 130. A 129-point IQ What this score means: it is the result of a number of factors, either biological, environmental, or behavioral, reflecting greater levels of abstract thinking, rapid brain processing speed, and the capacity to develop correlations between seemingly unrelated data. Scores of 120 or above are considered genius level.
The term "genius" is used here rather than "smart" because the IQ test does not measure creativity or some other non-rational ability often associated with high intelligence scores. The two concepts are quite different and there are people who are extremely intelligent but not particularly creative. The highest recorded IQ on a standardized test was 188 (in a Russian boy named Boris Galenikov - see note below). The lowest recorded score is 35; this was measured in an 8-year-old girl named Anne Wojcicki (see note below) who died in 2007.
There are several ways that an individual can obtain a high IQ score. They can be born with brains that are already highly developed or they can grow up in an environment where education is freely available. The IQ test measures general intelligence so individuals with more specialized skills will perform better on certain questions. For example, someone who is good at math tests well on problems involving mathematics rather than statistics. There is also evidence that using your brain differently each day increases cognitive growth.
An IQ test yields a score of 100 on average. Intelligence ranges from 85 to 114. 115–129: Above average or brilliant. 130 to 144: gifted but not exceptional. 145 to 159: Extremely talented. 160 and above: Phenomenal intelligence.
So an intelligent IQ is one that falls between 145 and 159.
Now back to the question at hand: What's an intelligent IQ? An intelligent IQ is an IQ that is based on ability rather than age or education. It's someone who uses their intelligence to understand things, solve problems, and create ideas. This person should be able to think critically and make their own decisions. An intelligent person does not need others to decide for them what to do or how to act. Instead, they can look around them and find information from which to make a decision.
In other words, an intelligent person is self-directed; they know what they want to achieve and they go about this using their intelligence. They do not let others tell them what to do or give them orders. These are all signs of an intelligent person.
People use different terms for these various levels of intelligence. The most common ones are visual intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, and analytical intelligence. Visual intelligence is being able to see relationships between things, such as patterns.
Kevin Mai has been an avid user of social media since he was 16 years old. He has been able to grow his network and connect with people all over the world through his use of social media. Kevin has built his career around social media, and he now works as an influencer. He has been able to meet many amazing people through his work, and he enjoys meeting new people every day.
What is IQ and why is it important?
Author: Donald Evans
Is an IQ of 150 a genius?
What is the top 2% IQ?
Who has the highest IQ ever?
Author: Jason Benitez
What is a smart IQ?
Author: Michael Green
Who has the highest IQ rating ever?
By Evelyn Mcardle
What determines a high IQ?
By James Rocha
What is a good IQ test score?
Is 117 a good IQ for a 10-year-old?
By Richard Greene


A meddling horse, paper bag floors and a flying saucer on the town square. The little town of Mars has it all—including a brand new resident who might spell heartache for one of its own.
Twenty-something Penn Davenport yearns for an exciting life in the big city and wants to shed the label of orphan that she's worn for years. To achieve that dream, she must pass the CPA exam then move away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash.
When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn's view of herself, her life, and her dreams…which isn't such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he's a pilot.
Penn Davenport's goal in life is to be a CPA and live the big city life. At the time, she is living with the two aunts that have raised her since her parents died in a plane crash. Then John Townsend arrives in town, causing a lot of questions Penn hadn't thought about before. And then she finds out that he is a pilot. So much attraction, yet such different people.
Mars . . . with Venus Rising is a wonderful entertaining and light read. This is one of those books you can read in a day. Penn's aunt's were a hoot! With those two, the story was full of humor! And determined to do anything they could to make sure Penn and John spent time together. It was when several twists and turns happened that Penn's view on life begin to change. Was it really important to live in a big city with a big job? Or could Penn be happier in the little town she grew up in. This is a beautiful story, one that will give you several hours of enjoyment. Check out Mars . . . with Venus Rising. You will not be disappointed!
I received this book from Litfuse to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55.
Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master's degree in English and taught at East Carolina University as well as York Technical College. A member of ACFW, RWA and SinC, she writes for Almost an Author. Before writing novels, she published non-fiction articles on topics ranging from gardening with children to writing apprehension. She cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ACC basketball, and Army West Point Football. Hope and her husband, Kevin, live in North Carolina and chat with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo.
Travel to the small town of Mars, where you'll find a meddling horse, paper bag floors, and a flying saucer on the town square—in Hope Toler Dougherty's book, Mars . . . with Venus Rising. Penn Davenport dreams of passing the CPA exam and moving away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash. When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn's view of herself, her life, and her dreams . . . which isn't such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he's a pilot.
Celebrate Hope's Mars . . . with Venus Rising blog tour with a Kindle Fire Prize Pack giveaway!
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 18th. The winner will be announced May 19th on Hope's blog.
The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whale's Reef into turmoil.
Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch's heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David's grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island's land. And while Hardy doesn't enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate's assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island—and its traditional way of life—hangs in the balance.
Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .
Past and present collide in master storyteller Phillips's dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace, and of the dreams of men and women everywhere.
For me, The Inheritance was slow going at first, but I am glad I stuck with reading it, because it turned out to be a very good read! David made sure his uncle, MacGregor Tulloch was cared for, and everyone knew that David would be the heir of the estate and the next clan chief . But when cousin Hardy comes into the picture claiming his uncle's inheritance, tensions started flying everywhere, as well as questions from everyone on the island. There was news that Hardy wanted to start selling of things on the island, closing down the main workplace, things that would destroy the income of people there. What would happen to their small Scottish Island now that things are so up in the air.
This is the first book my Michael Phillips that I have read, and it took me a little time to get use to his writing style, and I will say, I will be looking for more Michael Phillips books in the future! The Scottish language threw me off for a bit, but after I started understanding it better, I actually enjoyed it. It is fun to pretend to be inside a book with the characters, and this was a great book to do that. The characters were wonderfully created and well developed, those some of them really got on my nerves. David and Hardy are completely different. With completely different motives. One we like, and one we dislike. And just about the time I was hoping for some confirmed answers to the story, the book ended! So now its wait until Book 2 of this series, and I can hardly wait to read the next installment of this story. This is an awesome read, and I am very impressed with the writing style of Mr. Phillips.
Michael Phillips is a bestselling author with more than 70 of his own titles. In addition, he has served as editor/redactor of nearly 30 more books. He is known as the man responsible for the reawakened interest in George MacDonald of the last 30 years. In addition to the MacDonald titles adapted/edited for today's reader, his publishing efforts in bringing back full-length quality facsimile editions also spawned renewed interest in MacDonald's original work. Michael and his wife, Judy, spend time each year in Scotland but make their home near Sacramento, California.
Music taught Lucy love and beauty. Could silence teach her hope?
Lucy and Charlie Tuttle agree on one thing: they're committed to each other for life. Trouble is, neither of them expected life to look like this. Charlie retired early, but Lucy is devoted to a long-term career . . . until the day she has no choice.
Forced to retire from her position as music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school, Lucy can only watch helplessly as the program her father started years ago disintegrates before her eyes. As the music fades and a chasm separates her form the passion of her heart, Lucy wonders if her faith's song has gone silent, too. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes.
When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything.
Lucy Tuttle loved her life as a teacher. She was honored to continue teaching in the music department at the school her father had started. But then came the dreaded day that the music department had been dropped and Lucy no longer had a job. And she didn't take this news well at all. Then the horrific accident happened that changed Lucy's life forever. How would she be able to handle loosing everything she enjoyed in life?
This ended up being a really sweet and heartwarming story, but a lot of twists and turns happened that threw me off course for a while, especially trying to figure out how Lucy was going to deal with her new lifestyle. And with a full house at that! Cunthia Ruchti writes a story that will grip your heart in the beginning, and wont let go until the end. Since I enjoy music, playing music instead of singing, I felt a special attachment to Song of Silence. Lucy and Charlie's story is a story of love, forgiveness, restoration and blessings. I highly recommend that you check out this wonderful read.
Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope. She's the award-winning author of 17 books and a frequent speaker for women's ministry events. She serves as the Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, where she helps retailers, libraries, and book clubs connect with the authors and books they love. She lives with her husband in Central Wisconsin.
When I speak to book clubs or people ask me why I started writing historical fiction, I tell them that as I grew up, my parents took me to numerous historical sites. I wondered who lived in an old house or town and what their lives were like. What treasures, what secrets, might I find if I could dig down to the bones of an old mansion? My active imagination kicked in, and I started scribbling stories in spiral bound notebooks. I knew from age eleven I wanted to be a writer, though for a time I considered historical preservation as a career. I found the perfect marriage of those desires in The Restoration Trilogy, my new series with Canterbury House Publishing.
The restoration my parents did on their own historic house and apothecary shop inspired White, Widow and Witch. While looking for a residence in a country community, Mom and Dad purchased a property they later learned belonged to a line of regionally famous doctors tracing back to Revolutionary War days. Watching them piece together stories from the past with the help of local historians nudged me to depart from the historical settings of my past novels (Redeeming Grace and The Georgia Gold Series) in favor of modern romantic suspense. Readers follow Jennifer Rushmore, a recent historic preservation graduate, and Michael Johnson, a brooding bachelor who has inherited property from ancestors he knows little about, as they restore a doctor's house, apothecary shop and log cabin. During the restoration of each, they uncover a story from a different century (1920, 1870 and 1790) containing a lesson of "heart healing" they need to apply in the present.
Most of us have been through hardships in our lives that God would use to refine our characters or expose and heal pain from our pasts. Sometimes we're tempted to just slap another coat of paint over a crack or build a cheap façade over a weakness. God knows that full restoration takes effort, time and expense, so He never goes to work without our permission. However, He is the only one who can bring us to wholeness.
Jennifer accepts the assignment in the eclectic community of Hermon while waiting for her dream job in Savannah, never imagining God might have other plans. Country neighbors determined to become friends, a handsome but secretive employer with conflicting ideas about how to conduct the restoration, and strange accidents hinting that someone doesn't want them working on the property strip away Jennifer's personal defenses. She comes to learn that when a person is open to the work of the Master Renovator, one can find blessings in the unlikeliest of places.
When Jennifer Rushmore accepts a brooding bachelor's job offer to act as coordinator for the restoration of his family's historic doctor's house (White), apothecary (Widow) and log cabin (Witch) in a rural Georgia community, little does she know it's her own heart that will undergo the greatest renovation. Three stories. Three centuries. Three lessons on the healing of the heart. And one buried mystery that threatens their redemption.
White: As historic preservationist Jennifer and brooding bachelor Michael restore his ancestors' historic doctor's residence in a rural Georgia community, they uncover the 1920s-era prejudice and secrets that caused Michael's branch to fall off the family tree. Recent graduate Jennifer is determined to fulfill her first professional position with integrity even if her employer lacks a proper appreciation of history. Far more challenging—and sinister—than the social landscape of Hermon are the strange accidents hinting that someone doesn't want them on the Dunham property. Yet Michael's and Jennifer's own pasts pose the biggest obstacles to laying a fresh foundation of family and community.
In addition to The Restoration Trilogy, native Georgian Denise Weimer is the author of numerous magazine articles about her home state, romantic novella Redeeming Grace, The Georgia Gold Series (Sautee Shadows, The Gray Divide, The Crimson Bloom, and Bright as Gold). Bright as Gold won the 2015 John Esten Cooke Award for authentic Southern literature. She holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University, is a wife and swim mom of two daughters, and always pauses for coffee, chocolate and old houses.
Amish widow Mattie vows never to love again . . . until a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into her fragile world.
Mattie Diener can barely keep it together. A young Amish widow and mother of two young children, she faces the lingering heartbreak of lost love, her son's mysterious illness, and a torrent of accusations that threaten to undo her.
Bo Lambright is a fast-rising social services investigator whose high-society mother won't rest until she finds his Mrs. Right. Despite Bo's worldly success, the raw ache of a shadowy past and a series of unsettling dreams have left him reeling.
When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible—not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo's dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away?
A Dream of Miracles was such a very good read. Mattie Diener was raising her two young children along, after she lost her husband. It was when Mattie's son became ill that her life took another drastic change. The Dr. on call was not Mattie's regular Dr., didn't know Mattie at all, and apparently wanted to make a name for herself, because she accused Mattie of abusing her children. How horrible for this young widow mother that loved her kids. And then there was Social worker Bo Lambright. Is there anything Bo can do to help Mattie. Does he believe what she is telling everyone?
My heart went out to Mattie, what a terrible thing this Dr. put her through. But the problem was the effects on her son's illness and the reactions he was having. When Bo started investigating, something was different about Mattie than most people he had to deal with. Even though his job was to make sure the children were safe, he didn't thing Mattie abused her kids. Tension was sure running wild throughout this book. I don't want to tell anything else about the plot to give it away. If you enjoy Amish fiction, you will want to check out this new book from Ruth Reid.
Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA bestselling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life.
Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucetta's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out.
Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows.
Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.
I love reading a Jen Turano book because it always has me laughing and wondering what will happen next! I have loved this series and can not wait until her next book comes out! Lucetta Plum is a well known actress, but a threatening fan causes her to run! and her friend Abigail has just the right place for her to go. Right to the home, or castle as we should say, of Abigail's grandson, Bram Haverstein. Brian is a really wonderful but suspicious young man. Everyone feels that he is living off his dad's money. Bram's staff didn't easily accept his grandmother and her friend, you will sure to be laughing and crying as well at the series of events that happens.
This book is so loveable and enjoyable. It is well written, the characters are the best and very well developed. When I finished this book, I felt like I knew Bram, Lucetta and the cast of characters for real. I love books like this because these are the ones that I keep to read a second and third time. Playing the Part is a sure keeper for me. And the title is so fitting, because Actress Lucetta Plum played her part so very well. There are surprises and many mysterious things going on at this house. But you need to read the book to find out. You will find youself for hours of entertainment and enjoyment reading Playing the Part.
Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Will Fleeing the Scottish Highlands Only Leave Her in More Danger?
Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she's never felt good enough–not for her father, not for the man she thought she'd marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she's willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping those threatening her life.
Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, yet the last thing he needs is the distraction of the newly introduced Lady Rowena. He has enough on his plate having recently come into possession of a rare treasure for which many would kill, yet those around him seem intent on pairing him with this desperate but beguiling girl.
Rowena is reluctant to marry this notorious flirt. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in some kind of questionable business with a stolen treasure, she fears she'll end up in more danger than she fled.
Though I've written nearly thirty books, thirteen of which will be out by the end of 2016, there's something very special about the Ladies of the Manor Series. The first book, The Lost Heiress, is a rewrite of the first novel I ever wrote—at the age of 12-13. Once I finished that first novel, I made it my goal to keep adding more manuscripts to my "finished" file. I started in immediately on the sequel . . . and soon ran into a problem. You see, I knew who I wanted these characters to be. Brice Myerston, a duke, whom readers would have met in the first book. And a young lady from Scotland who had suffered abuse.
That's it. That's all I knew. And it stymied 13-year-old me, who hadn't a clue what it felt like to suffer such things, and whose imagination, while rich, just lacked a certain basis in the realities of human nature. Probably a good thing that I gave up on the story back then, and didn't dust it off again until my mid-20s, when I was reworking the series. And better still that Rowena had many more drafts to go through before she finally took to the printed page in The Reluctant Duchess.
I narrowed my setting down, during those years, to the Highlands, and I chose Loch Morar because of how perfectly the region of Lochaber suited the story I wanted to tell. Isolated. Stark. Rugged. Beautiful. Sometimes cruel. This was a land utterly perfect for my heroine's family, for her back story. Then came the challenge of picking a clan for her to belong to—because lemme just tell you, one could quite easily offend with such choices, if not portrayed properly, LOL. And because I wanted her father to be chief of her clan, I ran the risk of people mistaking him for the actual chief, if I chose an actual clan.
A writing friend came to rescue and offered her last name for my heroine: Kinnaird (pronounced "kin-AIRD"), which is a sept (branch) of another clan in reality, so had no chief of its own, but was still a well-established Scottish name. Perfect!
So Rowena Kinnaird was born after many years of her character floating in and around my head and computer screen. And I got to pair this backward, sometimes shy, sometimes stubborn Scottish lass with the charming, suave, polished English duke I'd had planned out since I was 13.
I went to great pains in The Lost Heiress to make Brice Myerston a favorite character, so that readers HAD to read his story. Mwa ha ha ha. 😉 So far, so good on that score! Brice is a hero who has his faults, but he also has character. He has faith. He has a good heart, he's considerate, he's understanding. And he's also so accustomed to charming everything female that he doesn't quite know what to do when Rowena doesn't seem inclined to be charmed.
There are clashes. There is tension. There's much healing on Rowena's part. Many trials for them both. But I hope that through this story of The Reluctant Duchess readers see what it means to triumph over past hurts. And how brightly God shines against the darkness.
Loch Morar may be Lady Rowena Kinnaird's home, but it the last place she wants to be. Her father's abuse and her stepmother's disapproval of her was enough to make her want to leave, but when a surprise and shocking attack happen to her, Rowena had no other choice.
Duke of Nottingham Brice Myerston is still mourning the death of his father, he is trying to hide a set of rare diamonds that others are trying their best to get their hands on. And he sure doesn't need to distract himself with trying to help out Lay Rowena, even though that seems to be what God has in mind for him. But the circumstances bringing them together was a bit suspicious.
The Reluctant Duchess is the second book in this series, and I love, love it! Rowena captured my heart in the beginning, and in no way did she deserve the treatment she was getting from her father. My heart went out to her when the attack happened, because she thought that was it for her, all was lost, and her life was doomed forever. But God had other plans for her life! And Duke Brice Myerston was the main person in that plan. A quick marriage made their life a rocky start, and difficult decisions had to be made, but they were both determined to make it work. But then there are those who are after the diamonds plotting ways to make Brice hand them over, someone is watching the couple's every move, and one of the staff must be leaking information to make life miserable for the new couple.
This is such a good read! I love the setting, the Scottish Highlands in the Edwardian era has always been one of my favorite settings for stories. Roseanna White does a fantastic job weaving together so many emotions, difficult situations, and deception, ending in a story of love, forgiveness, and peace, with characters that are true to trusting the Lord with their lives, and following him! I loved reading Rowena and Brice's story. Brice was a sweetheart and his faith in following what God wanted of him was so touching, you had to fall in love with him! If you enjoy historical fiction, this is one you need to check out. And also check out the first book in The Ladies of the Manor series, The Lost Heiress.
I received this book from Celebration Lit Blog Tours to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55.
To celebrate the release of her book, Roseanna is giving away a few of Roseanna's favorite things. Click the link to enter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e146afbf20/?
Cindy KirkClick here to purchase your copy.
Ten years after what she thought was her almost-wedding, Hope Prentiss discovers that the ceremony counted—and, as fate would have it, the jilted John Burke has just ridden back into town. After spending some time with John and helping plan a Christmas wedding for a mystery couple, Hope begins to wonder if she really wants a divorce . . . or a real wedding of her own.
Revealing the beauty in other women might be Ginger Winters's specialty—but it will take an unexpected kind of love to help Ginger see the beauty in herself.
Ginger Winters will be the "beauty-maker" for the Alabama society wedding of the decade. But when high-school crush Tom Wells shows up looking for a haircut, Ginger's thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her from love once again . . . despite Tom's best efforts.
Meadow Larson is having the mother of all Mondays when her roof caves in during a blizzard, right before the most important wedding contract of her career. Renovation contractor Colin McGrath offers to fix Meadow's roof, even though he knows he is the last person she would accept help from.
But the more Meadow gets to know the new Colin, the more she realizes God may have something more permanent in store than a new catering kitchen.
Rachel Hauck is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her book, The Wedding Dress, was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Her book Once Upon A Prince was a Christy Award finalist.
Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at rachelhauck.com, Facebook: rachelhauck, and Twitter: @RachelHauck.
A Season to Wed is a collection of three short stories by authors Cindy Kirk, Rachel Hauck and Cheryl Wyatt.
"Love at Mistletoe Inn" by Cindy Kirk. Hope Prentiss and John Burke decide to have a quick wedding when they were 18, but when Hope her mind, they both go their separate ways and forget about the wedding, like it never happened. The years later, Hope finds out they are still married.
"A Brush with Love" by Rachel Hauck Ginger Winters's specialty is making ladies beautiful, but she will never be beautiful because of the scars she received from a fire. But when high school crush Tom Wells shows up in their little town again, he sees Ginger differently. But can Ginger accept her scars and come out of her shell?
"Serving Up a Sweetheart" by Cheryl Wyatt Meadow Larson is frantic when her roof caves in during a blizzard because she is suppose to cater the biggest wedding of her career. Her new neighbor across the street Colin McGrath just happens to be a contractor and offers to do the job for her. But the two knew each other from high school, though they were anything but friends back then. Can Meadow trust the new Colin to treat her fairly in doing the work in her house?
I loved all three of these stories, so I can tell you one is better than the other. All three of these author did an amazing job in capturing the lives of these three couples, and weaving together stories that will warm your heart. I love reading short stories once in a while, because I can read one story in one setting! This is a great book for those who don't have time to rad a full size book! Check out Season to Wed, and enjoy several hours of entertainment.
Bestselling author Max Lucado has teamed up with six authors to write the Pocket Prayers series for those in need of peace, renewal, rest, faith, hope, joy, direction, serenity, and courage.
This is a collection of 6 little pocket prayer books. Each is full of prayers for the different people in your life. Though I am not a fan of reading prayers as a way of talking to God, I think these prayers can help you in your prayer life by giving you ideas of how to pray for different things, different areas of your life. Since prayer is talking to God, read these prayers and then pray them to the Lord just as you are talking to Him.
Pocket Prayers for Dads has 40 prayers that bring strength and faith. Each prayer has a verse to go with it. For example, the first verse and prayer is about Psalms 18:10 and the prayer follows praying these words to the Lord. The cover of this book is just what a dad would love. Max Lucado wrote this book with Mark Mynheir. I have a dad to be in mind to give this book to!
Pocket Prayers for Moms has 40 prayers that bring peace and rest. This is a beautiful little book inside and out. The beige colors throughtout gives you a peaceful feeling. Each of these 40 prayers start with a verse to go with the prayer. Pocket Prayers for Moms with written by Max Lucado with Andrea Lucado. And I have a mom to be in mind to give this one too.
Pocket Prayers for Graduates follows the same as the other Pocket prayer books, with 40 prayers that bring hope and direction. I think this is especially awesome for someone you know who will be graduating this year. The prayers are really well written and will remind the grads to follow the Lord's leading in their lives. And I have several graduates that will be getting a copy of this one.
Pocket Prayers for Teachers will be going to my daughter in law, who teaches Spanish at a Christian school. The prayers in this book are written by Max Lucado with Jennifer K. Hale and the 40 prayers are to help bring peace and renewal. This is a special little book and the cover just looks like a teacher!
Pocket Prayers for Friends is a great little prayer book to give your friends to help bring them joy and serenity. Proverbs 15:22 is the verse that starts these prayers off, followed by 39 other prayers and verses to go with them. I have many friends that would enjoy one of these books, and the two coffee cups on the front cover speaks of friendship! Beautifully written prayers by Max Lucado and Betsy St.Amant.
Pocket Prayers for Military Life is an amazing little prayer book. I wish I could afford to send them to the many people I know in the military. This one will go to someone special. If you have someone in the Military, any branch, this would be an awesome gift for them. The 40 prayers here in this book with help bring them faith and courage. Another beautifully written prayer book by Max Lucado and Mark Mynheir.
I highly recommend all of these little pocket prayer books! I love gift books, they are so sweet and beautiful, and books that can easily be carried around with you. I encourage you to check out each one of these books.


The new Elegante LED Downlight is a design-driven, high quality luminaire that replaces standard CFL and halogen downlighters. Featuring an integral driver, it allows for quick and easy installation and provides a beautiful, natural symmetric lighting effect from its 60° beam angle and is designed to blend into the architectural style of the interior. The Elegante can be surface-mounted or suspended depending on its application, available in 15W, 20W and 25W models and in Natural and Warm colour temperatures. Featuring an aluminium reflector which diffuses the light gently, it is protected to IP20.
For accent lighting requirements, the new Goodlight Modula LED Downlight is a versatile, low voltage architectural luminaire with multiple aperture options to provide precision lighting performance using interchangeable Pinhole, Wide Spot, Square and Elliptical light guides. The Modula, with its effective thermal management, features a die-cast aluminium heat sink that draws excess heat away from the LED chip, improving the overall performance and longevity. With an anti-glare design, this architectural LED downlighter meets UGR˂19 and is protected to IP20. Available in 10W and 15W models, with Daylight, Natural and Warm colour temperatures.


Yu Kosuge will be returning to The Wigmore Hall this Saturday to perform an all Dai Fujikura programme.
The programme will feature works for shamisen (a traditional Japanese instrument), toy piano, violin, saxophone, and a quintet of oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano. It will also feature several UK premières.
This concert is part of the Avex Recital Series and Yu will be joined by musicians from all around the world.