For such a small place, Aruba has a lot of missing people! The population is about the same as Huntsville, AL, and we very seldom have a missing person there.
Probably as one of the very few English-speaking publications on the island. I seriously doubt it has to do with journalistic integrity as we know they have none of that.
The police are looking into the mondi during a massive search yesterday afternoon and evening.
ORANGE CITY - Four suspects were arrested yesterday by the police after a large and long search through several units. Following is the statement of a suspect that they were involved in a robbery, said police spokesman John Larmonie morning against Amigoe .
During a patrol in Paradera met the police yesterday on the car of the accused, which showed that the hand of an occupant was bloodied. The police found a baseball bat full of blood. The driver was immediately arrested, but the other suspects fled and disappeared in the mondi. According to the driver they had a Chinese supermarket robbed, but later he declared that it was a robbery of a tourist at the Alto Vista chapel was.
In the car were drugs, guns and dollars were found. In Paradera, Seroe Janchi, Calbas, Jaburibari Gavilan and came hondenbrigade, maritime police, motorized police units and uniform in action. A helicopter searched both afternoon and evening the surroundings. At the time of the motorized police Paradera looking, was a suspect Toyota Yaris noted. They give chase. After police intercepted the car, the two suspects fled here again the mondi in. They were soon picked up by the units and arrested. The chauffeur was arrested during his flight. There is also evidence seized during which the action is found it. The investigation has the matter under investigation.
Yes, nothing says Welcome! to tourists like a bloodied baseball bat!
I see they still have their same regard for tourist safety.
I notice Joran only addresses what he did to Stephanie and makes no mention of Natalee.
This gives the appearance that this is more about his sentence than any true redemption.
While I do believe in redemption for normal people, I'm just not sure a sociopath such as Joran is capable of it. But I am glad to hear he is in therapy and working on his problems even if only in a superficial, self-serving way. Miracles do happen and should Joran actually come to realize what he has done, it should be unbearable for him.
More misery in his already miserable existence.
Hi Anna! It's good to see you!
The Dutch defense, Maximum Highness said that he was forced to confess to the murder and that he placed an official translator of the embassy.
Lima. By a legal the murderer of Stephany Flores, Joran van der Sloot, seek to annul the judicial process against him, and thus, the sentence of 28 years in prison.
A video presented exclusively by Day D shows van der Sloot talking with police in fluent Spanish, explaining how to play poker.
This was a strategy of the police, carrying a field that is to your liking demostar in order that I could speak in a language that is not their own.
Ohhhh, poor Joran! He seems a little unhappy these days.
Barcelona. (Writing and agencies). - Singer Tony Ronald , who rose to fame in the seventies thanks to single Help, help me , has died on Sunday in Barcelona at 72 years of age. His remains were found in the morgue of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, which opens Monday morning wake at 13.00, after which on Tuesday will be a farewell ceremony at 16.00, the family said. Ronald , born Den Boer Andre Siegfried Kramer in the Dutch town of Arnhem, was producer, singer-songwriter, and began his career at Barcelona in the 50s in gurpos as Krooner's and Tony & Charley. Later he began his solo career in which he achieved his great success, said Help, help me - and numerous successful versions of The Beatles.
The wife of singer, Mariló Dominguez said the program Telecinco What time so happy , Maria Teresa Campos, in a wiretap, that they were "very saddened" by the death of Roland , yet "very proud of his life, his career and how it has gone." Thus said it was "genius and figure to the grave. Till the last moment has maintained the type, has been strong, as it was" indicated Dominguez, who said that "his body has not responded more (...) but it has been at peace."
Born in Holland but settled down in the 60's in Barcelona, the idol of the '70s with "Help. Help" died the day his friends prepared a tribute.
Singer Tony Roland (Arnhem, Netherlands, 1941) died Sunday in Barcelona and announces its website. "Today we received the sad news of the death of Tony Ronald after a cruel disease. Recently said goodbye to his audience last week in the program Telecinco What time so happy in which he stated that his health prevented him from taking the stage to continue , as he would have liked, "reads the information. Ronald , whose real name is Andre Siegfried Kramer Den Boer , came from a humble family but very musical. From an early age he sang in church choirs and at age 16, after winning sailor, he bought his first guitar. In 1960 he moved to Barcelona, where he always lived and died with only 62 years.
I didn't find it but did anything say what he died from? He really does resemble Anita. Wonder if he's really her brother?
I'm wondering if it wasn't cancer, this was posted on his FB Feb 27th?
Valentijn Sloot with Sebastian van der Sloot.
Gretchen B Lurie Happy New Year, Valentijn!
Lois Romei Schlowsky Two handsome guys!!!!! You guys make your mom proud!!!!!!
Patrizia Gelvatti Belli come il sole!
Tony Ronald GROETEN VAN UNCLE TONY FROM BARCELONA.
Tony Ronald: "I would have liked to continue but I have major health problems"
Mariló, his wife: "Tony can not be assumed and nothing happens ... has left a great legacy and is an important man"
YWCA New Britain has a long history of helping people who have been victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. For Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, YWCA New Britain's Sexual Assault Crisis Services (SACS) hopes to raise public awareness about the pervasiveness of sexual assault and all types of violence that affect victims and their families every day. By raising this awareness, we hope to break the silence and end the violence.
YWCA SACS has partnered with Central Connecticut State University and the Hartford Marathon Foundation to host an event entitled ENOUGH! A Race to End Violence. The event will consist of a 5K race followed by an awards ceremony, and ending with our guest speaker. During registration and after the race there will be tables set up from local resources as well as food and a chance to participate in our clothesline project (www.clotheslineproject.org). All are encouraged to join together at the end of the race to help spread the message that violence is not acceptable.
This year we are pleased to announce that our guest speaker will be Beth Holloway, mother of Natalee Holloway the high school senior who was abducted on her graduation trip in Aruba in 2005. Since that tragic event, Beth has delivered her message of hope, faith and personal safety to young adults and people of all ages all across the United States and we are excited to have her with us.
The proceeds from the event will allow SACS to continue to provide comfort and counseling to individuals affected by sexual assault and abuse in 46 towns within Hartford, part of Tolland County, and Plymouth.
SACS's mission is to eliminate sexual violence in our community through crisis intervention, prevention education, and public policy advocacy. Advocates and volunteers answer hotline calls, work with law enforcement, accompany survivors at local emergency rooms and speak to community groups to ensure that victims' voices are heard.
Beth Holloway, known for her heroic efforts to find her missing daughter Natalee in Aruba in 2005, will be the special guest at the 2nd Annual ENOUGH! Race to End Violence on April 21st at 10 a.m. The YWCA New Britain's Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS) has partnered with Central Connecticut State University and the Hartford Marathon Foundation to host the event. Registration for the 5K race will begin at 9 a.m. and the race will start at 10 a.m.
Following the awards ceremony, Holloway, whose public struggle to search and then cope with her daughter's abduction during her high school graduation trip, touched many hearts. Since that tragic event, Beth Holloway has delivered an uplifting message of hope, faith, and personal safety to young adults and people of all ages all across the U.S.
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About a month ago, Shawarma Hut opened in the old Petworth Cafe space at 3657 Georgia Avenue NW, next to Reliable Tavern. It's a mostly takeout spot with Middle Eastern and Indian food, including a tandoor oven. A friend and I tried it for lunch the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's a pretty solid lunch option, and is also open very late, to 3am on Friday and Saturday nights -- good for a post bar snack. They deliver too via Grubhub and Seamless, and probably other services as well. They don't have a website, but here's their Yelp page.
And my favorite detail -- their logo looks like a certain pizza chain with "Hut" in the name.
Upshur Street Books, the nice store on its namesake street, was recently sold to a new owner, Hannah Depp, and renamed Loyalty Bookstore.
Depp describes herself as a career bookseller and the shop plans to focus on book clubs, workshops, having more children's books, and also expanding their stationery options, as well as connecting more with Petworth Citizen's Reading Room for events like the Literary Cocktails program.
Depp also says they've refreshed the interior and added more seating for both kids and adults, as well as interactive displays. Sounds cool.
And there are lots of events below, check them out! They're also looking to open a Silver Spring location in addition to the Upshur Street one.
If you've ever been a kid (I think that would be many of us) you probably remember having a favorite toy, maybe a bear or doll or other critter. A girl recently lost hers, let's help her out. A nanny walked for a while and lost the doll along the way.
The doll should be somewhere between the Mt. Pleasant library and Petworth. Our nanny was walking (via stroller) with my daughter and one other child. They walked from the Mt. Pleasant Library down 16th Street to Irving Street to the Columbia Heights metro, and then to the Petworth metro, and finally to our house on Quincy Street.
So… our little doll could be anywhere.
If you've seen the doll, email Drew.
I can almost taste the pizza. Sonny's Pizza (and the adjoining No Kisses Bar) at 3120 Georgia Ave NW from the Colony Club folks are looking really close to opening. The interior looks done or nearly done and their Instagram is posting lots of pictures of pizza, wine, etc. Both spots are also hiring, so if you're interested, contact them.
The menu leads with signature square-shaped pies, served by the slice or whole (ideal for three to four people). One standout is the Pesky Mario, which includes tomato, mozzarella, sausage, roasted onion, hot pepper, and pecorino. Customizable creations are also available.
There's also chicken parm on house-made bread (see below, yum), apps, salads and Italian wine.
This sounds fun! District Bridges and Georgia Avenue Thrive have organized a chili cook-off on Sunday, February 10th at Reliable Tavern, the great cocktail bar at 3655 Georgia Avenue NW. You can have a drink or snack, try a sample from the competitors and meet local businesses. Competitors include Looking Glass, Timber Pizza, Nu Vegan, DC Reynolds, Call Your Mother and Midlands. Bragging rights for local restaurants!
On Sunday February 10, local restaurants will be competing for bragging rights in the Second Annual Lower Georgia Avenue Chili Cook-Off. District Bridges' Lower Georgia Ave Main Street and Georgia Avenue Thrive have organized this free event where neighbors can try samples of each dish and vote on their favorites.
From 2:00pm to 4:00pm, Reliable Tavern will be hosting the Chili Cook-Off on the basement level (stairway entry). The featured local Lower Georgia Avenue restaurants are DC Reynolds, The Midlands, NuVegan Café, The Looking Glass Lounge, and a mash-up with Timber Pizza Company & Call Your Mother Deli. The competing chefs will each prepare a unique entry that is not available on their regular menus. A distinguished panel of judges will also be weighing in for the coveted Judges Choice Award.


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Kung Fu X-Files
The documents regarding the transfer of the status of National Sporting Organisation for the sport of Wushu from AKWF (Australian Kung Fu Wushu Federation Inc) to KWA (Kung Fu Wushu Australia Limited) are to be publicly released following the decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), Canberra, on 7 February 2018.
In 2015, following enquiries from members of its State associations, the Wushu Council Australia lodged a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). The purpose of the request was to access documents that could clarify how the status of the NSO (National Sporting Organisation) for the sport of Wushu was transferred from AKWF (Australian Kung Fu Wushu Federation) to KWA, a separate legal entity.
In response to the request, the ASC released some related documents but declined access to others. The Wushu Council then applied for a review by the Information Commissioner, who in March 2017 had set aside the decision of the ASC, and held that the ASC must provide documents with some necessary redactions
(see: http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/AICmr/2017/26.html ).
The KWA appealed this decision to the AAT arguing that release of the documents would place KWA at a commercial disadvantage against "an acknowledged competitor – and openly antagonistic – organisation".
On 19 January 2018, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) in Canberra heard the KWA's appeal.
The AAT was not satisfied with KWA's reasoning and arguments. The Tribunal found that no documents in question were entitled to exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act. Moreover, the AAT commented, despite objections of the KWA, that granting access to the documents is indeed in the public interest.
The Tribunal noted the following submissions from Wushu Council:
"Another factor in favour of disclosure is promoting effective oversight of public expenditure: s 11B(3)(c). NSOs are eligible for funding from the ASC, as well as a range of other benefits. The Recognition Agreement …describes some of the benefits to which [KWA] became entitled. However, the ASC only recognises one NSO for each sport. The selection of an NSO excludes other organisations from eligibility for that exclusive funding and benefits regime for that particular sport. As such, access to documents relating to the circumstances of recognition of NSOs has the quality of enhancing scrutiny of public expenditure. It enables the public and other organisations which do not have NSO status to see the circumstances in which entities are selected to be eligible for public funding.
[KWA] claims it does not currently receive funds from the ASC. Whether or not it actually does so at the moment is not the point. As an NSO, it is eligible to apply for funding from the ASC (as well as State government bodies) under an exclusive regime. And, by holding NSO status, [KWA] excludes other Kung Fu Wushu sporting organisations from occupying the seat of eligibility for such funding.
Even if the benefits conferrable on NSOs are not classified as public expenditure, there is a clear public interest in enhancing scrutiny of which bodies receive limited public goods which the government allocates to only one organisation per sport."
The AAT noted that "It is tolerably clear that, whether or not it receives grants from the ASC, KWA is the beneficiary of public expenditure directed towards sport. The public interest is served by a high level of openness and disclosure regarding organisations in the privileged position of being an NSO".
The outcome is that the decision of the Information Commissioner of 22 March 2017, to order the ASC to release the corresponding documents, has been affirmed. For the full decision by the AAT see:
https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/AATA/2018/157.html
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Phantom Intelligence's technology leads to auto innovation globally
June 22, 2016 Enter Target Markets
High-end vehicles use them already, but Jean-Yves Deschênes has a vision of all vehicles one day featuring collision-warning sensors to improve the safety of all on roads and highways.
And when they do, he hopes the technology they use is the one he and his business partner developed — a collision-warning sensor based on laser technology.
Phantom Intelligence, Deschênes's company, has developed a product that uses laser-based LiDAR sensors to identify obstacles around the car or truck and brake if need be.
"Right now, there are a bunch of very low-cost solutions, but a lot of them use cameras or radar," said Deschênes, who owns the company with Eric Turenne. "The problem with cameras is that you have safety systems that don't work in the dark. Our innovation is having sensors that compete cost-wise, but provide 24/7 reliability."
So how do a computer science consultant — Deschênes — and an electrical engineer — Turenne — end up selling futuristic automobile technology? Turns out it was a client who brought them to this market. The gents were working for a Korean tier-1 company on a consulting project to help it better understand the market for assisted driving technology.
"During those two years, we identified a lot of technology that existed and we noticed that laser-based technology was underrepresented," Deschênes explained.
At the end of the consulting contract, the client ended up going with a solution that combined camera and radar technology, but it acknowledged that the consultants had demonstrated some interesting potential for laser and said it would have bought that if it were available. Bingo! Phantom Intelligence was born.
"We decided to tap that niche where laser-based systems can be made very affordable," Deschênes said. "We started our company based on that."
It's early days for the company, but it's already sent prototypes to the U.S., Korea and France.
"Some of the stuff we export to the U.S. is for the American division of a large European manufacturer," Deschênes said. "All of our activities are very global."
At this point, the technology is still between three and five years away from being in production vehicles, but Phantom recently signed an agreement with a Korean manufacturer of dash-mounted cameras for its first volume production contract — a warning system for aftermarket applications. It also recently opened a South Korean branch office to support the growing business there.
"We're not just pre-revenue anymore," Deschênes said. "We're transitioning."
Phantom Intelligence is currently in discussion with Export Development Canada on what services it can access, but just knowing EDC is there has made the company's value proposition much more viable to its potential clients, Deschênes said. "Even though we haven't yet completed the EDC agreements, knowing we have EDC's support has given us the confidence we need to seek global customers."
"Don't try to do it all by yourself": Five questions with Jean-Yves Deschênes, President of Phantom Intelligence
What was your first export sale?
Our first small export sales were to the U.S.
How did that first export opportunity arise?
We were lucky enough to be able to convince our American client to buy the very first few prototypes. In the next few years, we have made inroads with tier-1, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket suppliers, who currently have programs in place to evaluate our sensor technology.
When it comes to exports, what do you know now that you wish you knew then?
We knew that the sales cycle in the automotive sector and adoption of technology would be long. What we did not anticipate was the complexity and time required to finance a production contract when there is still some development and customization to be made to meet client requirements. Even though the technology risks have been mostly ironed out, the introduction of customized features and new processes to facilitate production is still perceived as a "risk," and that limits access to a lot of financing sources.
How has the trading world changed since you started in business?
Communications are so much easier than they were 30 years ago when only the fax and mail could be used. Apart from the timezones, international collaborations are now pretty transparent. But even though it is easier, sometimes nothing beats a handshake or "touching" your product. So be prepared to travel a lot. (Fortunately, making travel arrangements is also much easier than it used to be.)
What is the #1 thing new SMEs need to know about export and trade?
Actually, three things: First, if your product is well defined and well differentiated, and you have targeted your clientele well, going global is not so scary. There is probably only a handful of people you need to be exposed to in order to generate business.
Second, don't try to do it all by yourself. Have a local representative steer you and represent you in each of the local markets. They can guide you through the local administrative and cultural obstacles. And they can provide a physical presence when you can't be there.
Finally, federal and provincial trade commissioners and local representatives should be your first contact into a new country. They can really accelerate your critical networking and are very pro-active.
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We are pleased to announce the official launch of Octomore 7.1, the benchmark of the seventh edition of our cult single malt. This is the latest expression in the world's most heavily peated whisky series.
Our maltsters face a challenge with each barley harvest destined for Octomore – to try and coax as many phenols into the grain as they can. This is delicate, inexact art rather than science, the results varying according to a complex suite of factors, each a celebration of points of difference. Each edition is therefore unique, limited, finite. It can never be reproduced.
7.1 continues this tradition. Each year's harvest is different, the creation of a new expression exemplifying the master distiller's art. Using only barley sourced from the Scottish mainland, 7.1 is peated to 208ppm, but Octomore is about much more than the raw power of massive phenols. It is an intellectual challenge, a sensory exploration of barley provenance, cask management and artisanal distillation techniques.
Each new Octomore generates a huge amount of anticipation and excitement from connoisseurs and collectors around the world who have developed an appreciation of the alchemical methods employed by the artisans who operate the tall elegant stills at Bruichladdich under the watchful eye of master distiller Jim McEwan.
Challenging conventional wisdom, 7.1 is released at five years old to maximise the awesome power and vigour of the phenols. Matured in American oak and bottled at 59.5%abv without chill filtration the spirit retains its unctuous mouthfeel and presents its natural colour as "summer sun on Hebridean sand".
Octomore 7.1 tasting notes & product information here.
Always Whittling We Believe Terroir Matters. And we are proving it.


PORTLAND, Maine - Pharmaceuticals....it's what's for dinner. And groups in the U.S. are suing the federal government over it. The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), the United Farm Workers of America and the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in San Francisco over a new "cocktail" of growth enhancing drugs and antibiotics.
At the center of the lawsuit is the drug Ractopamine as well as combinations of this drug with antibiotics, growth hormones and steroids, many of which have been banned in other countries such as China and Russia.
"What they actually showed was some real concern, especially when the drug is absorbed directly by a human," Connor says.


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Q: how to log all request in tastypie django I have used tastypie in django to handle REST api request. When ever I do GET/POST request it comes to dehydrate method by default. But for DELETE/PUT request it doesn't have any method tastypie handles it, so there is no way to log request information.
class ProjectResource(ModelResource):
    allowed_methods = ['get', 'put', 'post', 'delete']
    resource_name = 'project'
    queryset = Project.objects.all()
    validation = FormValidation(form_class=ProjectForm)
    always_return_data = True
    filtering = {
        'id': ALL,
        'slug': ALL,
        }

def dehydrate(self, bundle):
    import pdb;pdb.set_trace()   #--> get/post request hit this function
    logger.log('app.main','debug', 'Project info', bundle)
    bundle.data['name'] = cgi.escape(bundle.obj.name)
    return bundle

Is there any function to override ModelResource in tastypie.resource module? so that for all request i get the bundle data first and then i will pass that to logger before it is processed.

A: A bit late, but if you can describe what the purpose is, it might be easier to point you in the right direction.
You say you would like to log request information, but logging the bundle in the dehydrate method doesn't do that, as any changes such as adding the primary key on a POST request are already done.
You might be better off logging the request.body directly in the dispatch method.
If you actually would like to log the response you can also do that in the dispatch method.
def dispatch(self, request_type, request, **kwargs):
  logger.info('Project info [request method]: %s' % request.method)
  logger.info('Project info [request]: %s' % request.body)
  response = super(ClassName, self).dispatch(request_type, request, **kwargs)
  logger.info('Project info [response status]: %d' % response.status_code)
  logger.info('Project info [response]: %s' % response.content)
  return response

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text:
@interface CCPlayerView : UIView

- (void)setVideoPlayer:(AVPlayer *)player;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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2019 Agriculturalist, Cattleman and Cattlewoman of the Year Named
Three local farm and ranch leaders honored at California Mid-State Fair
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CA (July 18, 2019) – Local agriculture organizations recognized three San Luis Obispo County farmers and ranchers today during the Cattlemen and Farmers Day at the California Mid-State Fair. The 2019 award recipients are:
Kathy Arnold Loftus, Cattlewoman of the Year
Rex Swan, Cattleman of the Year
Jerry Lohr, Agriculturalist of the Year
The awards were selected by members of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, San Luis Obispo County Cattlewomen, and the San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen's Association. "We are grateful for the contributions these three people have made to San Luis Obispo County agriculture," said Farm Bureau Executive Director Brent Burchett. "Our county's nearly $1 billion agriculture industry is built on the hard work of farmers and ranchers, and today we are proud to recognize a few of our very best."
San Luis Obispo County Cattlewomen
2019 Cattlewoman of the Year
Kathy Arnold Loftus
The San Luis Obispo County Cattlewomen have selected rancher Kathy Arnold Loftus as the 2019 Cattlewoman of the Year. A longtime advocate for preserving the community's ranching heritage, Loftus has worked her entire life in San Luis Obispo County agriculture.
Today, she has turned over the family ranching duties to her son, Claude, who raises cattle on several ranches throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, including their home ranch in the Cuyama Valley. Loftus has two children, Claude Loftus (wife Bonnie) and Katie Cooley (husband Stan), and five grandchildren, Hazel, Elsie, Ada, Clayton and Grady.
She is the daughter of the late Claude and Hazel Kuhnle Arnold, who farmed and ranched at the Chimineas Ranch in Carrisa Plains since the early 1940s. Her father's family moved to the Pozo-Santa Margarita area in 1913, and the Kuhnle and Weir families on her mother's side moved into the Estrella and Shandon area in the 1880s. Both families were farmers and ranchers.
"The grandchildren will be the sixth generation of my family here in San Luis Obispo County working in agriculture," Loftus said with pride. She said her love of the ranching lifestyle goes back to her childhood with her twin sister, Claudia.
"My sister and I reminiscence about going to Bakersfield with my dad to receive cattle off the railroad cars, sometimes in the middle of the night. We'd fall asleep on the catwalk waiting to unload cattle and take them back to Chimineas." She said the ranch offered everything a kid could ask for growing up. "We'd take a drive on the ranch every night, or we'd have a picnic and go check cattle or look at wildlife, and for us, it was the best vacation we could have asked for. When you truly love the land, you just never want to leave it."
Through the 45 years she leased and lived at the Santa Margarita Ranch raising cattle, Loftus was also a champion for agriculture education and outreach. She worked to promote and preserve the community's ranching heritage by hosting and volunteering for countless farm tours, barbeques, and events.
From journalists to farmers from foreign countries, leadership groups, teachers, students, and even a Russian nuclear scientist, Loftus is proud of her legacy as an ambassador for agriculture. "No matter what the event, ag or otherwise, I always made sure people went away knowing they had been part of something special, and that it was because of agriculture, especially ranching, that they were there!"
She served in a number of leadership positions in agriculture, including a decade at the San Luis Obispo County Cattlewomen as a board member and chair of several committees, 16 years as a San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau board member, a Cal Poly Rodeo Booster director, Paso Robles Pioneer Museum Historical Society board member, San Luis Obispo County Agricultural Education Committee board member, and an Agricultural Liaison Representative for former County Supervisor Mike Ryan.
She also volunteered in local philanthropic causes, including as a founding board member of Hospice Afternoon at the Ranch and as a fundraiser for Jack's Helping Hand. Loftus said the importance of supporting people with terminal illness and their families "really hit home" when her husband Don Loftus passed away from cancer at the age of 36.
Her peers have long recognized Loftus' contributions to the community. Today, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous friend, she has the honor of presenting the Cattlewomen's annual college scholarship in her name. "Nothing has been as rewarding as serving on the Scholarship committee," Loftus said. "Reading all those applications gives you faith in the future of agriculture."
"My main passion was sharing the ranch history with children. Through the years, probably every fourth-grade class in the county toured Santa Margarita Ranch. I called it, 'Early California Rancho Days, Past, Present and Future.'"
Loftus' love for telling the story of cattle ranching continues today. "We started a museum on the ranch, and presently I'm in the process of turning a cargo trailer into a traveling ranch museum so I can go anywhere throughout the state and give presentations."
She treasures having opened up her home and the ranch to college students over the years. "I was extremely proud to have helped in a small way over 20 college kids live at the ranch with us, and of those, 17 went on to graduate at Cal Poly."
Looking back, Loftus said some the best times she ever had were at Cattlewomen events. "From making beef promotion videos at Caroline Bello's home, to volunteering with Lesa John to represent Cattlewomen at a Cal Poly cooking demo, only to find out we were just the dish washers, to preparing dinner for school teachers in the County, I am grateful for all the friends and good memories I've made."
San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen's Association
2019 Cattleman of the Year
Rex Swan
The San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen's Association has selected rancher Rex Swan as the 2019 Cattleman of the Year. Swan's legendary career advancing cattle genetics in San Luis Obispo County and the western United States included working with over 1 million cows.
He and his wife KC have been active citizens in the Templeton community for decades, volunteering for numerous civic and cattle industry causes. The Swans are the parents of three children, Ben, Lindsay and Ted, and several grandchildren.
Raised in California's Chino Valley, a region rich with Thoroughbred horses, farms and dairies in Swan's youth, he fell in love with the open country and cowboy lifestyle. There were 17 different farms and ranches in the Swan family when he was born, but "they were all gone by the time I came of age," Swan recalled. The summer before he began high school, Swan worked on a large cattle ranch in Central Nebraska, the Loop River Valley hard grass country. "It was the best summer of my life, cementing a lifelong love of Nebraska and the cattle industry."
Swan's leadership and service in agriculture started at Chino High School, where he played football and wrestled, was named to American Legion Boys State, and was heavily involved with FFA. His time in FFA would shape much of his future career. Aside from winning competitions for public speaking, parliamentary procedure, livestock judging, three Round Robin livestock contests, and earning his State Farmer degree, Swan attended the state FFA convention at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for two years.
He and 40 FFA State Farmer students toured farms in 13 European countries, including a divided Berlin and Communist Czechoslovakia and Poland, "with the likes of John Stone, John Tracey, Harry Miller and so many others who I would become great friends with at Cal Poly during the following four years," Swan said.
Rex put himself through Cal Poly as a professional artificial insemination (A.I.) technician in Chino and on the 75 dairies that were still operating in San Luis Obispo County at that time. His work in the field and in the classroom prepared him for a "Blue Chip" position on the Genetics, Inc. beef staff.
"During my five years at Genetics, I got to meet all of the cattlemen on the coast from Santa Rosa south to Imperial Valley, an opportunity of a career," Swan remembered. "Genetics was importing semen on all the European "exotic" breeds, impacting our beef industry." He helped build the Genetics Range Bull Program, which included 2,000 bulls grown out, gain-tested, and marketed in a three-year period, including Tehama Angus. The program was the model for the Cal Poly Bull Test program format for all the years since.
Rex's industry expertise continued to grow, serving as the first coordinator for Genetics' pioneering Embryo Transfer Program and leading the first section of the Angus National Sire Evaluation program, along with eight other breeds, as progeny testing coordinator. He left Genetics in 1975, starting his own business, California Cattle Services, where he helped field-trial UpJohn's Lutalyse synchronization drug in Oakdale. He ran the nation's first 1500-head heifer synchronized A.I. program with Wolfsen's in Los Banos.
Swan eventually performed A.I. on over 150,000 cows, and fertility-tested over 12,000 bulls. He froze bull semen for A.I. and conducted successful embryo transfers on his own. He earned an industry-renown reputation for accuracy in pregnancy testing, having tested over 850,000 cows in the last 45 years. Added all together, Swan has performed A.I. on over a million cows.
In his off-seasons, Swan taught short courses on genetic A.I. and created the International Herdsman School. For over 23 years, more than 1,200 students benefited from his technical skills and industry experience. His International Herdsmen School held trainings at the Templeton Livestock Market, and courses at Cal Poly, UC Davis, Sierra College and countless other venues all over the western states.
In traveling two million miles through the West, he found there was no other place he would have rather raised his family than Templeton and the California Central Coast. Swan has served as a volunteer and leader on numerous organizations, including the California Cattlemen's Association, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, and the Templeton High School Athletics Booster Support Club.
"The warm relationships with the coast cattlemen have given my family a livelihood and filled us with great memories," Swan said. "I want to thank all of my old friends and customers for a great career and for this Cattleman of the Year honor." But, don't put Swan out to pasture just yet. "I'll still be marketing great Swan Angus bulls for years to come."
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau
2019 Agriculturalist of the Year
Jerry Lohr
The San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau has selected local vintner and wine industry legend Jerry Lohr as the 2019 Agriculturalist of the Year.
"I am very honored to receive this award," Lohr said. "My life's passion has been to participate in vertically integrated agriculture."
The son of a hard-working South Dakota farming family, Jerry Lohr was born and raised on a farm near the town of Raymond in the northeast region of the state. "I started driving a tractor and hand milking cows at age six in 1943!" Lohr recalled.
Lohr's passion for agriculture has been passed on to his three children, Steve, Cynthia and Lawrence, who help lead J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines today.
He said the importance of planting each individual crop in its appropriate place was instilled in him from an early age, and he grew to understand that every crop has a natural ability to excel under very specific growing conditions. Lohr said this knowledge would later become instrumental in his success as a winegrower.
He graduated from South Dakota State University in 1958. He received an M.S. from Stanford in 1959, and completed all coursework for a Ph.D. in civil engineering by 1961 before joining the Air Force. As an Air Force captain, he was posted as a research scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, from 1961-1964. Returning to civilian life, Jerry opened a land development and custom home building business, but his passion for farming and an appreciation of wine soon led him to take on a new challenge, winegrowing.
In the late 1960s, Jerry dove headfirst into his new endeavor with an extensive investigation of California grape growing regions. Aware of the importance of climate, soil quality and location, he finally selected the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County for his first vineyard in 1972. He was also among the first to realize the untapped promise of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County, and in 1986 he began planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other red varieties there.
Today, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines farms approximately 4,000 acres of estate vineyards in Paso Robles and Monterey County, as well as 35 acres in the St. Helena appellation of Napa Valley.
He is respected universally by his peers for his intimate understanding of California winegrowing; and with his vast knowledge, he is able to address any facet of the winegrowing process, from the day-to-day details of vineyard management to leading-edge viticultural research. An industry leader and one of the few remaining substantial independents, he is a fervent advocate both for the Arroyo Seco area of Monterey County and for Paso Robles, regularly investing his energy and resources to champion these regions.
Lohr has worked on behalf of the entire wine industry, including posts as director and chair of the Wine Institute and chair of the Monterey Winegrowers Council. He is also one of the four founding members of Wine Vision, an industry group that promotes a long-range view of the wine industry. Additionally, Lohr founded the National Grape and Wine Initiative, a coalition representing grape growers, processors, wineries and academic institutions committed to improving the industry. Over the course of his career, he has served as founding director, four-time president, and chair of the marketing committee of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. He has also served as director and chair of the marketing committee for the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association, known today as the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
In 2007, UC Davis honored Jerry with its Award of Distinction, and the California State Fair presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The following year, 2008, he was named Wine Industry Person of the Year by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. In 2010, he received the Professional Excellence in Oenology award from the New York Institute of Technology, and in 2011 the California Association of Winegrape Growers honored Jerry with a Lifetime Achievement award. Lohr was also named the 2011 Volunteer of the Year by the District VI Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and was awarded the 2011 Merit Award from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.
In November of 2016, Jerry was honored by the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards as an "American Wine Legend." Hailed as an "industry icon" and "a pioneering winegrower," Lohr became only the third person in the sixteen-year history of the Wine Star Awards to receive this prestigious accolade. In bestowing the honor on Lohr, Wine Enthusiast's editor and publisher, Adam Strum, stated that, "What Robert Mondavi was to Napa Valley, Jerry Lohr is to the Central Coast, leading and elevating an entire viticultural region from Monterey to Paso Robles with perseverance, dedication and a passion for quality."
Please attribute photos to Tom Meinhold.
4875 Morabito Place,
San Luis Obispo, California 93401
Phone 805/543.3654 Fax 805/543.3697
Contact The Farm Bureau
© 2023 San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau.
Cleverly Made.


Listen Up! Black ministers/pastors need to focus their attentions on the economic divide between blacks and other races. This issue is causing more harm to blacks than who blacks are sleeping with and who they are marrying. We need to fight our own battles versus always joining in with somebody else's struggle. (What is the number of black men who are fighting to get married?) Forget about gays getting married and, instead, try to figure out how black ministers can keep their own marriages together—many of them are divorced, and for many who are not divorced, their wives are suffering from abuse and neglect. Probably many of them are afraid to get out because they are not in a financial position to do so.
Black ministers need to take their attention away from gays getting married and focus on trying to get more black men and women in their congregation "out of the financial ditch," and then to get married. Ministers need to focus on being a good role model for marriage that would motivate others to say "I Do." My final words are: Blacks are not an economic underclass because of who they are sleeping with or who they are marrying, but because of their economic conditions.
Blacks drop out of college for lack of finances—some cannot keep up because they cannot purchase their books early enough, and then fall behind in their grades. Drug use and drug selling is motivated by poverty. Black women are straying from their moral values and biblical teachings and are shacking up with a man who refuses to marry them, and this is motivated by poverty. Black men fear marriage because they fear the financial responsibilities associated with it. A man does not feel as bad getting evicted being a boyfriend as he would being a husband. The list is endless. I have much more to say, however, I will save it for later. Somebody better hear me up in here!


If you've not yet jumped in to Webzen's marquee real-time Action MMORPG, MU Origin's latest summer update is giving you plenty of reasons to do so. Chief amongst them being the addition of the all-server Guild League which pits only the very best joint factions against one another. The update also brings with it expect new pet opportunities, a bolstered domain system, and more.
The new headline feature the new MU Origin update introduces, as mentioned earlier, is what's known as Guild League. Exclusively accessible to guilds that are level 6 and higher, this all-server tournament challenges the best joint factions to capture as many flags on the battlefield of Olympus as possible. Does your guild have what it takes?
There's also a completely overhauled domain system that MU Origin veterans can look forward to. Whereas previously you may have been at a loss for things to do, the addition of three new building types to erect (Ruins, Fortress, and Duelfield) allows for a wealth of development activities. Simply collect as many energy cores as you can to start building.
Lastly, Webzen listened to how popular MU Origin's pets have been, now making them more useful by letting players take them into The Fortress to help you defeat bosses and complete quests. Suddenly those little critters could prove crucial in battle. And the fun doesn't stop there, with the update also ushering in other performance tweaks and enhancements.
Experience your own action fantasy epic the way it was meant to be, MU Origin and it update is free to download on mobile platforms now.


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Home / Featured / What Is USB-C?
What Is USB-C?
By Marksman on March 2, 2021@fizx
Landing on a single standard to rule them all is an aim in the field of personal technology. You end up in a format war at best, and one faction appears victorious for a few years until a completely new technology takes it out.
But USB-C is different…and maybe it's even as really universal as its acronym (Universal Serial Bus) recommends. USB Type-C ports are now found on all sorts of devices, from simple external hard drives to laptops and the most advanced smartphones. While every USB-C port looks the same, not everyone offers the same abilities. USB-C may now be everywhere, but it doesn't serve the same purpose everywhere.
Check out this guide to everything USB-C can do, and which of its characteristics you should look for when purchasing your next USB-C gadget.
USB-C is an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power on a single cable. The USB-C connector was developed by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), a group of companies that has developed, certified and shepherded the USB standard over the years. The USB-IF counts more than 700 companies in its membership, among them Apple, Dell, HP, Intel, Microsoft, and Samsung.
This broad acceptance by the big dogs is important because it's part of why USB-C has been so readily accepted by PC manufacturers. Contrast this with the earlier Apple-promoted (and developed) Lightning and MagSafe connectors, which had limited acceptance beyond Apple products, and became obsolete thanks in no small part to USB-C.
Is USB-C Like Micro USB?
The USB-C connector looks similar to a micro USB connector at first glance, though it's more oval in shape and slightly thicker to accommodate its best feature: flippability.
Like Lightning and MagSafe, the USB-C connector has no up or down orientation. Line up the connector properly, and you never have to flip it over to plug it in; the "right way" is always up. The standard cables also have the same connector on both ends, so you don't have to figure out which end goes where. That has not been the case with all the USB cables we've been using for the past 20 years. Most of the time, you have different connectors at each end.
USB-C and USB 3.2: The Numbers Beneath the Port
Where USB-C gets tricky is in the numbers that get attached to the ports. The most common speed that USB-C connectors are rated for is 10Gbps. (That 10Gbps is theoretically twice as fast as the original USB 3.0.) USB-C ports that support this peak speed are called "USB 3.2 Gen 1×2."
The minor wrinkle is that USB ports with 10Gbps speeds can also exist in the original, larger shape (the USB Type-A rectangles we all know), and are dubbed USB 3.2 Gen 2×1. With the exception of some desktops, though, it's more common to see 10Gbps-speed USB ports with Type-C physical connectors. Note: Some older USB-C ports support just 5Gbps maximum speeds, so it's important to look for a "USB 3.2 Gen 1×2" or "10Gbps" designation to verify that a given USB-C port supports 10Gbps transfers. That said, all of these ports are backward-compatible, just at the speed of the slowest element.
Further complicating matters: The number scheme around USB 3 has been in flux since 2019, which has made references to these ports something of a swamp. Until last year, many USB-C ports carried the USB 3.1 label ("USB 3.2" was not yet a thing) in Gen 1 and Gen 2 flavors, and some spec sheets continue to reference the older name, along with SuperSpeed branding. In a confusing twist, the USB-IF decided to eliminate the use of "USB 3.1" in favor of these various flavors of USB 3.2, as outlined below in this handy decoder chart…
The USB 3.2, USB 3.1, and SuperSpeed designations you see above on each line are equivalent, just differing in the name. If you see a USB 3.1 label, it's best to inquire about the maximum transfer speeds of the port directly with the device manufacturer or reseller.
The latest and fastest USB-C ports use the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 specification, with maximum speeds of 20GBps. The USB-IF decided on "2×2" because the new standard doubles the data lanes within a USB-C cable to achieve the 20Gbps transfer speed. These latest ports are not yet widely available, though PC builders and upgraders can find them on some high-end desktop motherboards.
Underlying Support: The Many Roles of USB-C
You might think of your old USB Type-A port simply as a data port for connecting drives or peripherals like mice. But USB-C, depending on the specific port's implementation, can do much more. One of USB-C's most useful skills, when designed thus, is delivering enough power to charge the host device, such as a laptop or smartphone. In fact, many lightweight laptops that have USB-C ports use them in place of a traditional barrel-style connector as the only option for attaching an AC adapter.
USB-C's support for sending simultaneous video signals and power means that you might be able to connect to and power a native DisplayPort, MHL, or HDMI device, or connect to almost anything else, assuming you have the proper adapter and cables. (See below for more on adapters.) The USB-C spec even factors in audio transmissions over the interface, but so far it has not replaced the 3.5mm headphone jack on computers to the same degree as it has on phones and tablets.
Make sure to check the specs on any PC you're thinking of buying because not all USB-C ports are alike. So far, everyone we've seen supports both data transfers and connected-device power delivery over USB-C (though not necessarily charging of the host device). But while the USB-C standard supports connecting DisplayPort and/or HDMI displays with an adapter (via the DisplayPort-over-USB protocol), not every PC maker has connected the ports to every system's graphics hardware. Some USB-C ports on a system may support video-out connectivity, while others may not; or none may. Looking at the details is important.
Thunderbolt 3: Layering More Speed on USB-C
Possibly the most beneficial protocol that a USB-C port can support is Thunderbolt 3. This continues support for up to 40Gbps of throughput, alongside decreased power consumption and the ability to move as much as 100 watts of power over the interface.
A USB-C port with support for Thunderbolt 3 means that a single cable is all you need to push power and transfer a large amount of information (up to and including video data for two 60Hz 4K displays) to and from even a complex device like a computer, something many laptop manufacturers have been quick to take advantage of. Some models of Apple's MacBook Pro boast four of these connectors, which is as many as we've seen to date, and it gives you more expansion potential than you ever had with earlier versions of USB.
Now, like with DisplayPort over USB-C, not every USB-C port you see necessarily has Thunderbolt 3 support. Check a device's spec sheet or documentation for the Thunderbolt 3 label to be sure. Some devices may have more than one USB-C port, with only some supporting the Thunderbolt 3 spec.
That Thunderbolt uncertainty will change with the upcoming USB 4 standard. USB 4 ports will support Thunderbolt 3 speeds by default while remaining backward-compatible with USB 3. Some new devices will likely have both USB 4 and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports, both of which will make use of the physical connector shape of USB-C. Mainstream devices with USB 4 ports aren't on the market yet, however.
USB-C is electrically fit with older USB 3.0 ports. But because of the new shape of the port, adapters or cables with appropriate plugs are indeed required if you want to connect anything that doesn't have the USB-C oval shape.
Sometimes a new laptop will come with these; in other cases, you may have to purchase them separately. Apple, for instance, sells a variety of USB cables and adapters for connecting USB-C to other technologies such as Lightning or Ethernet. You can also find a variety of these for PCs if you browse online retailers. Some even support older or more esoteric protocols, to ensure a device you have from years ago will work on today's hardware. It's easy to find USB-C-to-DVI adapters, for example, but we've also come across some that split into two RS-232 serial connections.
The good news, though, is that if you invest in a couple of normal USB-C cables, they will work with anything and everything that supports USB-C, regardless of generation.
Plus, newer docks for PCs and docks for Macs have now widely integrated USB-C. Having only one USB-C port is not a problem: You can find USB-C docking solutions available, both from PC manufacturers like Dell and HP, and from third-party accessory makers like Belkin and OWC. These docks can recharge your laptop, give you access to extra ports (including Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, and VGA), and add support for multiple monitors.
Do You Need USB-C?
The presence (or absence) of a USB-C port is increasingly becoming a consideration when buying a PC. If you buy an ultrathin laptop, it will almost certainly have at least one USB-C port, which will catapult you into the ecosystem automatically. If you prefer desktops, you're sure to find the ports there, as well, with at least one on the motherboard-side I/O panel and likely more on high-end and gaming desktops computers. Some desktops and aftermarket PC cases are putting one on the front panel, too.
Even if you don't need USB-C now, you will before long. We're only scratching the surface of what USB-C can do, but one thing is certain: The next generation of cross-platform connectors is fast replacing the old guard just as the original USB standard replaced Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), FireWire, parallel, PS/2, SCSI, and serial ports on Macs and PCs. USB-C truly is one port to rule them all.
Related ItemsfeaturedtechnologyUSB-C


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Home > England > London > Historic Landmarks > Royal Air Force Memorial, London
Royal Air Force Memorial, London
History, tourist information, and nearby accommodation
BY DAVID ROSS, EDITOR
HERITAGE RATING: ?
The gilded eagle atop the RAF Memorial
Standing on the edge of the Victoria Embankment looking out over the River Thames is the Royal Air Force Memorial, erected in 1923 to commemorate the men and women who fought with the RAF during WWI. The memorial was later adapted to remember RAF members who fought in the Second World War.
The aftermath of WWI saw a surge in military memorial building across Britain. It seemed an obvious step to erect a monument to those who served with the Royal Air Force during the conflict.
But that is NOT how the RAF Memorial came to be!
The RAF Memorial from the south
The memorial shouldn't really exist at all. In 1919 Major General JM Salmond suggested that the air force should have its own chapel in London. A shortlist of suitable architects was drawn up by the RAF Memorial Committee. When it became apparent that the cost of buying land in central London for a dedicated RAF chapel would be too high, the Committee's plans were scaled back and they concentrated on simply building a suitable memorial.
Prince Albert (later crowned as George VI) stepped in as patron. The Committee raised £40,000 from public contributions, but this sum included creating boarding schools for the children of RAF service personnel with bursaries for the children of officers, and offering medical care to disabled personnel.
The architect Sir Reginald Blomfield was called in to design a memorial. He suggested a pylon form, essentially a square column with diminishing steps. The first location considered was on the lawn outside Westminster Abbey but this request was turned down by the Dean of Westminster. The Committee's next choice for the new memorial was at the Whitehall Steps on the Victoria Embankment, opposite the Ministry of Defence building. The location was approved by the London County Council.
A carved wreath on the pylon
Blomfield was limited by the location; he needed to leave space around the memorial's base, and this, in turn, limited the size of the base. With a smaller base, the proportions of the column would suffer unless he added something to the top of the stone pylon. That 'something' was a gilded eagle atop a globe. The eagle was appropriate since it is the symbol of the RAF.
Blomfield's original design called for the eagle to be facing landward, towards the Ministry of Defence building, but at the last minute he changed the concept so that the eagle now appears to be taking off over the River Thames.
The eagle was based on an illustration by the ornithological artist Archibald Thorburn. The sculptor was William Reid Dick, who was selected by Blomfield. The eagle and globe were cast in bronze by the Parlanti foundry, located in Parson's Green Lane. The eagle was gilded while the globe was patinated. The pylon itself was carved from Portland stone.
The main inscription, facing the
Ministry of Defence building
The Committee was happy with the eagle but were not sold on the idea of gilding it. Lord Hugh Cecil, the committee chair, threw his support behind the idea and the rest of the members followed his lead.
The memorial was unveiled on 16 July 1923 by the Prince of Wales. In his speech, the Prince paid tribute to those who had 'played their part in the war, braving with high spirit the unknown dangers of warfare in a new element and dying to give us the final victory'.
Three sides of the memorial are carved with inscriptions. The side facing the Embankment has two inscriptions, one on the pylon and one on the base below. The upper inscription reads:
PER ARDUA AD ASTRA
ALL RANKS OF THE
ROYAL NAVAL AIR
SERVICE ROYAL
AND THOSE
AIR FORCES FROM
EVERY PART OF THE
WHO GAVE THEIR
LIVES IN WINNING
VICTORY FOR
THEIR KING
AND COUNTRY
I BARE YOU ON EAGLES
WINGS AND BROUGHT
YOU UNTO/ MYSELF
The base bears an inscription added after WWII. It reads:
THIS INSCRIPTION IS ADDED
IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE
MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
AIR FORCES OF
EVERY PART OF
THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND EMPIRE
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
On the east side of the globe it reads:
F(?) PARLANTI/ LONDON
while on the pylon facing the river are the words:
Evening light on the gilded eagle
Around the frieze of the pylon are the words 'PER ARDUA AD ASTRA' ('towards the stars'), the motto of the RAF.
Don't confuse the RAF Memorial with the Battle of Britain Monument a short distance south along the Victoria Embankment.
By far the easiest way to reach the memorial is from Westminster underground station. Simply take the Embankment exit and start walking north along the Embankment as you emerge from the station. You will pass the Battle of Britain Monument after 200 yards, and see the RAF Memorial straight ahead after another 200 yards. From the underground station to the memorial is less than 5 minutes walk.
About Royal Air Force Memorial, London
Address: Victoria Embankment, London, Greater London, England
Attraction Type: Landmark - Memorial
Location: On Victoria Embankment opposite the Ministry of Defence. The nearest undergound station is Westminster.
Website: Royal Air Force Memorial, London
OS: TQ303800
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
Nearest station: Westminster - 0.2 miles (straight line) - Zone: 1
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NEARBY HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low to exceptional) on historic interest
Battle of Britain Monument - 0.1 miles (Landmark)
Banqueting House - 0.1 miles (Historic Building)
Household Cavalry Museum - 0.2 miles (Museum)
London Dungeon - 0.2 miles (Museum)
London Eye - 0.2 miles (Family Attraction)
Boadicea and Her Daughters Statue - 0.2 miles (Landmark)
Benjamin Franklin House - 0.3 miles (Museum)
Churchill War Rooms - 0.3 miles (Museum)
Nearest Accommodation to Royal Air Force Memorial, London:
Self Catering - B&Bs/Guesthouses - Hotels
Nearest Self Catering Cottages
Balmoral Gardens, Windsor - 21.1 miles
Stay from: £551.00 - 2945.00
Coach House, Sevenoaks - 23 miles
Stay from: £466.00
Badger View, Culverstone Green - 23.3 miles
Culverstone Green, Kent
More self catering near Royal Air Force Memorial, London
Staunton Hotel - 1.1 miles
Bloomsbury, Greater London
The Garth Hotel - 1.3 miles
Welcome Inn - 1.5 miles
More Hotels near Royal Air Force Memorial, London
Nearest Bed and Breakfasts
Amber Residence Hotel - 1.8 miles
Marylebone, Greater London
Boston Court Hotel - 1.9 miles
The Castle Bar - 3.2 miles
Islington, Greater London
More bed and breakfasts near Royal Air Force Memorial, London
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Towns / villages
London (Hotel)
The Garth Hotel
The Garth Hotel is centrally located in the lovely Bloomsbury area of central London, a short walk from the world famous British Museum, Covent Garden, Oxford Street & Theatres. Euston and King's Cross rail stations & St Pancras Eurostar terminal are all nearby. more >>
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Staunton Hotel
A beautiful Grade II listed Georgian Town House with seventeen en-suite guest rooms the Staunton Hotel boasts an atmosphere more reminiscent of a welcoming club. more >>


We unfortunately don't know much yet about Manchester-based duo GIRL FRIEND (yup, that's two words) and their incredibly hard to google band name, but their infectious electropop sound had us here at BitCandy instantly smitten. According to their SoundCloud page, they were "inspired by the classic and refined electronic pop" sound, which totally comes through in their blissful neon-laced pop songs. If you're a fan of alt-pop artists like Robyn or new Carly Rae Jepsen, or even artists like Classixx, read on because GIRL FRIEND is sure to be your new favorite electronic pop duo.
"Nocturnal" grabbed a hold of us right away with it's pulsating synths, light and airy vocals, and drum machine beat that makes for a solid electropop track. The vocals push the track up to a whole other level just before the 0:40 mark with a crazy falsetto as magical electronic bloops sprinkle their way in, before distant echoing guitars and thumping bass add some intensity. "Come in closer/ I want you right now…Don't you ever stop" he croons in the chorus while you'll find yourself swaying back and forth to the beat. This track manages to be the perfect blend of moody electronics and uplifting synths that serves as a perfect example of their unique sound.
"Waste My Time" gets off on a bubbly start with sunshine-infused synths, a laid back beat, and breathy easy going vocals that make way for the track's chorus that packs an awesomely tropical punch. Just after the 2:20 mark, soft atmospherics, tropical electronics and softly plucked electronic guitar notes serve as the track's cool down period. I love when their joined vocals sing, "you were born to break my heart…waste my time/ hoping that you'll change your mind," before quickly throwing you back into the track's playful beat.
If you'd like to hear more from GIRL FRIEND, show them your love and support by liking them on Facebook and tell them we over at BitCandy say "hi!". And if you need even more awesome new music like this in your life, be sure to head on over here.


News about a Chinese parents trying to sell their son has been making rounds all over the internet. The couple who can't afford life-saving medical treatment for their sick daughter's leukemia decided to sell the latter's twin brother to raiseMONEY for her chemotherapy.
29-year-old mother Meng Xiangyan said her daughter badly needs medical treatment. She and her husband both love their children, but they are willing to sell their son to a good home so that both would have a good chance of life.
Xiangyan was spotted with a placard offering to sell her son to the highest bidder on the busy street of Weihai Road in Qingdao – Shandong, China.
But all that changed when my daughter was diagnosed as suffering from leukemia in August of last year and we spent all of our savings and borrowed everything we could from friends and relatives. It still wasn't enough, and now we are hoping to raiseCASH from the sale of our son.' she added.
Medical staff said the child is suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia and needs urgent medical treatment that includes chemotherapy every 10 days at the Rizhao Municipal Hospital.
The family had sold everything they had including their apartment and are now living in a tiny 10 sqm flat close to where their daughter is being treated.
Heating the tiny room has also become a struggle for the family, which is vital to prevent their sick daughter from suffering in the cold that could be fatal. Despite all their efforts on the street, passerby only gave a small amount of money and no one is willing enough toPURCHASE their son.
Stories like this really break my heart. If only we could do something to help them. We all know how hard it is to lose someone we love especially if you have to choose between two family members. Please share this story, and hope that we can reach goodhearted people who are willing to help.


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Trichodesmiella multiloba är en mångfotingart som beskrevs av Loomis 1964. Trichodesmiella multiloba ingår i släktet Trichodesmiella och familjen Chytodesmidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Banddubbelfotingar
multiloba

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The small-group Seattle Boeing Factory Tour starts when your professionally trained driver picks you up from your hotel. Once aboard, your driver will share some quirky and interesting facts about the Pacific Northwest. All drivers are happy to answer any of your questions, so ask away!
Visitors come from every walk of life and from every region of the globe, all with a common interest - to see the number one aerospace leader in the world: Boeing.
Note that the tour involves a walk of one-third of a mile, and some steep stairs.


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TWIFT | Lifestyle | The new record from the genius of Danish music Lukas Forchhammer
The new record from the genius of Danish music Lukas Forchhammer
Everyone knows the most popular little devil in Denmark musician Lukas Forchhammer from the Lukas Graham band. He falls in love with his awesomely cool music in his native land and abroad. Recently, the artist received a new recognition live. It's a reward for broadcasting the song "7 Years" more than 1 billion times.
No matter how many awards musicians have, a true fan is immensely glad to every merit for his work. Creativity is like fucking children: you take care of it, devote all yourself and won't exchange it for anything. Lukas Forchhammer from the band Lukas Graham received another award for a new musical record.
Danish musician's new record: God of fucking awesome hits
Hit musician Lukas Forchhammer from the band Lukas Graham set a new record. His track "7 Years" has been broadcast over 1 billion times. The song is the most popular on "Spotify". Anyway, it can be considered the best in the Lukas Graham band. We remind you that the musical band of Danish talent is called in his honor.
The lead singer of Lukas Graham is Lukas Forchhammer, Mark Falgren is the drummer, Magnus Larsson is the bass player, Morten Ristop is the keyboardist and they write in the pop-soul genre. Their debut album was released in 2012. Even then, the guys were able to reach the first position on the Danish chart.
The second album was released three years later and made them even more popular. So, they became one of the most popular Danish musicians. In 2015, the single "7 Years" reached number two on the "Billboard 100". On April 1, 2016, the debut album was released in the United States by "Warner Bros. Records". This is a success and you can get a star disease, but guys behave like normal mortals.
Let's talk about the composition "7 Years", which gave Lukas Forchhammer another recognition in his fucking cool talent. By the way, the song set a new billion record and will be demonstrated with honor in the studio where it was written. When the musician commented on this hit, he remembered a sensitive story about his childhood. It turns out that when he was seven years old, his mother insisted that the guy go chatting with children. She told him: make friends or be alone all your life. Many faced a similar situation, as evidenced by the popularity of the song. She touched hearts, touched at the same time a billion of the same sensitive hearts.
"7 Years" charmed the whole world
Already four years, "7 Years" hasn't stepped down from the leading positions in the charts and every time even more listeners fall in love with this song. Lukas Forchhammer is already over thirty, he is not afraid, as at seven years old, to go and make friends. He is famous, rich, has an open road to all the blessings of the world. The guy has matured! The constant rotation of the song, the recognition of the audience is, of course, fucking profitably. But most of all, it's only the musicians who will understand when your track really hits the public. Not only to fans who throw a bra in the crowd and want a child from you, but also to a thinking listener. It's such a fan who reads your lyrics, just imagine reading words and goes to your heart. It's fucking valuable!
With a billion plays on Spotify, the song "7 Years" set a new record as the most streaming song ever performed by a Danish band. By the way, Lukas Forchhammer heard the news while participating in a TV program. In the evening, live, you understand the unexpected thing should be at the most difficult moment. In such conditions, when you get unexpected news, you cannot play something. You just show the true face. In the case of the lead singer of Lukas Graham, an extremely sentimental person sits inside him.
Not the first merit of the song
"7 Years" doesn't bother the listener. Every year it is more confidently gets the leading positions. Maybe the composition causes addiction, probably there is cocaine in its notes? A strange phenomenon, but the track is really good.
It's worth noting that this song hasn't received its first award. In September 2016, the hit took second place on the official list of US tracks "Billboards Hot 100".
Even with more than 1 000 000 000 views, "7 Years" couldn't get around Ed Sheeran's hit "Shape of you." Well, you know, if there was no one to compete with on the musical Olympus, it would be really boring. Ed a good rival. A wonderful competitor in music can only be equal to him and a worthy performer. We remind you that then the hit from Sheeran "Shape of you" took the top of the charts. The song has been played over 2.26 billion times. In short, there is room for the Lukas Graham band to grow. And this is great news, so it's worth waiting for more awesome songs!
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Home/News/Senior/Priory Post 116 – Our General Election
Priory Post 116 – Our General Election
Posted: 27th August 2015
Our General Election
Voting Matters
It's General Election year and at St Augustine's Priory we held our own General Election ahead of May. Candidates were selected from the Sixth Form to represent the political parties, hustings were held, speeches were made, voting slips produced and ballot boxes were situated around the school. Then it was up to the pupils in the Senior School to cast their votes. In the event there was a majority turnout of the voting population, a great reflection on the commitment to the democratic process!
The ballot boxes being collected
For most of our pupils, casting their vote in a local or national election is several years away, but being aware that their right to vote at future elections is their hard-fought for right and responsibility is essential.
An organisation which has been founded to encourage and empower young women to participate in the democratic process and in Parliament is The Emily Tree www.emilytree.org and we are proud that one of the co-founders of The Emily Tree is Ciara O'Connor, a recent past pupil of St Augustine's Priory
The Emily Tree's website states, 'The Emily Tree project took shape in response to the need for greater gender balance in Parliament in the UK. The organisation works with young women to provide them with the skills, confidence and support to take action and raise awareness about the issues that matter most to them.' They go on to say, 'We provide training and advice to empower young women to speak out and campaign about issues that matter to them. We support young women to pursue opportunities in politics through work placements and training, helping them to make new and valuable connections in their communities and beyond.'
The Emily Tree runs several programmes which will be of interest to our Senior pupils – visit their website to find out more – www.emilytree.org
In the St Augustine's Priory elections, after collecting the ballot boxes, the votes were counted and the returning officers announced the results. Here is their speech:
'We, Pervin Kaur and Lida Ghanadian, being the Acting Returning Officers for the constituency of St Augustine's Priory, hereby give notice that the total number of votes given for each candidate at the election on the 19th March 2015 was as follows:
Jessica Francois-Davis (The Conservative Party): 23 votes
Alexia Kirov (The Labour Party): 73 votes
Rhiannon Phillips (The Liberal Democrats): 59 votes
Jasleen Deu (The Green Party): 16 votes
Nida Ahmed (UK Independence Party): 24 votes
We therefore declare that Alexia Kirov of the Labour Party has been duly elected to represent St Augustine's Priory.'
Congratulations to all our candidates on a well-fought campaign and well done to the victor, Alexia Kirov!
Categories: Senior


I have used Raspberry Pi for most of my IoT projects. Both arduino and raspberry pi is used for Home automations and IoT projects, I got of lot of queries on why not using Arduino boards. In this post I would like to cover difference between Arduino and Raspberry Pi, what differentiate between Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
Arduino and Raspberry Pi are the most popular IoT devices among the students, professionals and IoT project DIY peoples.Are you confused between them, like which board is easy to learn or which board to use for what projects or why should they use Arduino over Raspberry Pi? when to use Arduino vs Raspberry Pi?.In this article we will discusses all the features that can make you easy to choose the decision over Arduino and Raspberry Pi, Arduino vs Raspberry Pi which is better for your projects.
An Arduino is a simple micro-controller board which is capable of running a simple program to accomplish a desired function. Arduino runs on "bare metal". That it runs its software without an operating system.The Arduino boards are micro-controllers, not a full-fledged computer. simply write the code and execute as their firmware interprets it.
Arduino was born at the Ivrea Interaction Design Institute as an easy tool for fast prototyping, aimed at students without a background in electronics and programming. As soon as it reached a wider community, the Arduino board started changing to adapt to new needs and challenges, differentiating its offer from simple 8-bit boards to products for IoT applications, wearable, 3D printing, and embedded environments. All Arduino boards are completely open-source, empowering users to build them independently and eventually adapt them to their particular needs. The software, too, is open-source, and it is growing through the contributions of users worldwide.The Arduino Software (IDE) allows you to write programs and upload them to your board.
Find the step-by-step instructions to Install the Arduino Desktop IDE select one of the following link accordingly to your operating system.
The Raspberry Pi is a small computer that can do lots of things. You plug it into a monitor and attach a keyboard and mouse. Raspberry Pi is the third best-selling computer brand in the world. The Raspberry Pi is a credit card–sized computer that plugs into your TV or display, and a keyboard and mouse. You can use it to learn coding and to build electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word processing, browsing the internet, and playing games. It also plays high-definition video. The Raspberry Pi is being used by adults and children all over the world to learn programming and digital making. You can learn how to set up and use your Raspberry Pi here.
The following are the prices list.
You get the Raspberry Pi board itself. The official power supply and an SD card are not included, but they can be purchased at the same time from most places that sell the Raspberry Pi. You can also purchase pre-loaded SD cards.
Why Arduino and key features of Arduino ?
There are many other microcontrollers and microcontroller platforms available for physical computing. Arduino also simplifies the process of working with microcontrollers, it also offers some advantage for teachers, students, and interested amateurs over other systems. Below are advantages of Arduino.
Cross-platform - The Arduino Software (IDE) runs on Windows, Macintosh OSX, and Linux operating systems.
Simple, clear programming environment - The Arduino Software (IDE) is easy-to-use for beginners, yet flexible enough for advanced users to take advantage of as well.
Open source and extensible software - The Arduino software is published as open source tools, available for extension by experienced programmers.
Open source and extensible hardware - The plans of the Arduino boards are published under a Creative Commons license, so experienced circuit designers can make their own version of the module, extending it and improving it.
Easy to connect to the internet - Comes with inbuilt WiFi adapter.
Runs on Linux operating system - Fully installed operating system in Pi.
Can be programmed using a variety of programming languages - Can create own program to run on Python and other languages.
Choosing which IoT board completely depends on the type of project you want to make, and your experience in programming. If you have no experience in programming or electronics, you will find the Arduino easier to learn than the Raspberry Pi.
If you want to make a hardware project, then the Arduino is the best choice,If the project requires you to interact with a lot of external hardware, sensors, analog devices, then you should consider using Arduino.
If the project requires a lot to write a complex software code and complex requirements, then Arduino may not be the best options.
I hope you got a good understanding on arduino vs raspberry pi for IoT and you can also refer some of the discussion in raspberry pi vs arduino quora for more details.


I remember what it felt like when I bought my first property. I had floods of emotions running through me. I was terrified, excited and nervous all at the same time. I didn't know what I was getting myself into and the only real confidence I had was in my real estate agent. He calmed me down and walked me through the whole process start to finish. After seeing how my agent educated and helped me in the buying process, I became very interested in real estate. I studied more about becoming an agent myself. Now, I get to be the agent that walks my clients through the process start to finish. I get to calm my clients nervous at the closing table. It is an awesome feeling to know that you just helped someone make one of the largest buying decisions of their life.
I grew up in a small town about an hour from Eau Claire. Eau Claire was always the place my family came to for shopping and entertainment. After graduating from UWEC I fell in love with the small town feel of Eau Claire. I knew this was the place I wanted to start my career. I've never thought of myself as a "big city" person, and after being here for 10 years, I still think Eau Claire has the charm of a small town with the amenities of a large city.
Before moving to Eau Claire I'd never heard of Donnellan Real Estate. One of the classes I was attending at UWEC required me to interview a business owner in the community. I asked my professor if she had any recommendations and she suggested Ned Donnellan. I called Ned and he met with me for my assignment. Little did I know this would turn into a great friendship and mentorship for years to come. As I became more familiar with local businesses in the Chippewa Valley, it was clear that Donnellan Real Estate had an excellent reputation for high integrity and community involvement. Now, as a part of the Donnellan Real Estate team, I hear stories almost daily about Dave Donnellan's legacy in the Chippewa Valley. I feel honored to be part of such a community pillar in Eau Claire.


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Guest Post + Giveaway: The Notorious Pagan Jones by Nina Berry
I am thrilled to be a stop on the book tour for The Notorious Pagan Jones by Nina Berry hosted by Kismet Book Touring! Today, I have an guest post for your reading pleasure, but be sure to check out the tour schedule below, or click the banner above, for more!
Don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Title: The Notorious Pagan Jones
Author: Nina Berry
Series: Pagan Jones #1
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Pagan Jones went from America's sweetheart to fallen angel in one fateful night in 1960: the night a car accident killed her whole family. Pagan was behind the wheel and driving drunk. Nine months later, she's stuck in the Lighthouse Reformatory for Wayward Girls and tortured by her guilt—not to mention the sadistic Miss Edwards, who takes special delight in humiliating the once-great Pagan Jones.
But all of that is about to change. Pagan's old agent shows up with a mysterious studio executive, Devin Black, and an offer. Pagan will be released from juvenile detention if she accepts a juicy role in a comedy directed by award-winning director Bennie Wexler. The shoot starts in West Berlin in just three days. If Pagan's going to do it, she has to decide fast—and she has to agree to a court-appointed "guardian," the handsome yet infuriating Devin, who's too young, too smooth, too sophisticated to be some studio flack.
The offer's too good to be true, Berlin's in turmoil and Devin Black knows way too much about her—there's definitely something fishy going on. But if anyone can take on a divided city, a scheming guardian and the criticism of a world that once adored her, it's the notorious Pagan Jones. What could go wrong?
10 Things Readers Should Know Before Reading
Well, you can just jump in and read the book. Everything you need is in there. But, now that you're here, why not sit back and learn a few facts that will not only give you insider knowledge and insight as you read, but will allow you to wow friends and strangers alike with your savvy about Hollywood child stars, the Cold War, and espionage.
Pagan Jones was based partly on sixties teen stars Sandra Dee, Sue Lyon, and Hayley Mills, with a sprinkling of Drew Barrymore on top.
But Pagan has her own past and makes her own mistakes. And, as far as I know, none of those actresses became spies.
Not all spies work undercover. Some of them were (and perhaps still are) famous people.
I was inspired to create a character who was both a famous and a spy after I learned that Julia Child and Harry Houdini spied for the United States. Casanova, Josephine Baker, writers Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming, Mata Hari, mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Shi Pei Pu (aka M. Butterfly), and baseball player Moe Berg were all well known public figures who did clandestine work for their countries. We're used to thinking of spies as people working under the cover of a false identity, but many of these people used their fame to help their cause.
My version, Pagan Jones, is a child movie star whose fame, family, and bad reputation give her unique access to people and places that happen to come in handy for Western intelligence agencies, during the Cold War.
A high-profile Hollywood movie was shooting in West Berlin when the Berlin Wall went up in August of 1961.
Once I learned that, I knew I had a cover story to get teen movie actress Pagan Jones to Berlin. The real movie, a darkly farcical comedy titled One, Two, Three, was directed by the famous Billy Wilder and starred James Cagney. When the Wall went up the night of August 12, One, Two, Three was forced to move to sound stages in Munich. So I had the same thing happen to my fictional film, Neither Here Nor There, which is also a darkly farcical film directed by a fictional Billy Wilder-inspired director, Bennie Wexler. My imaginary nasty lead actor Jimmy Brennan, however, is nothing like the notoriously generous and kind James Cagney. The table read and film shooting scenes are based on research and my years of working in modern day Hollywood.
Pagan Jones is complicated. She's not perfect. I wanted her that way.
She's full of love, but guilty of a terrible sin. She's an addict working on her recovery, yet she's funny as hell. She has moments of great confidence and appalling weakness. She's trying to make the world a better place, but she can't play by the rules. She can read you like a book and manipulate you with a smile. There is no better liar with an honest heart.
So often it's the boys in stories who have the thorny past lives, who carry terrible burdens while changing the world. I wanted to write a teen girl that was as complex and full of regret and laughter as any man.
Other major characters in the book were inspired by actors popular in the early 1960s.
The mysterious Devin Black's dark hair and blue eyes were stolen from the ridiculously handsome young French actor Alain Delon, and Pagan's co-star in the movie, German actor Thomas Kruger, was an homage to heartthrob Tab Hunter.
But some character are taken right out of history. Pagan tangles with the real leader of East Germany and head of the East German secret service. I stuck as close to reality with them as I could. That was as chilling and dangerous as it gets.
The leader of East Germany threw a garden party the night the Berlin Wall went up – to keep any possible opponents from interfering with the Wall.
He held the party in a former hunting lodge once owned by infamous Nazi Hermann Goering, and essentially kept his "guests" captive there with armed troops while the Wall went up. My favorite historical detail about that party: the trapped guests were given lots of vodka and shown a Soviet comedy about a bunch of people trapped on a boat when captive circus animals escape called Each Man For Himself to keep them occupied.
Once I learned that and the fact that East German leader Walter Ulbricht had a teenage daughter, I knew that Pagan would go to that party, and that she'd be on the wrong side of the Wall the night it went up.
I became obsessed with the 1961 Dior suit-dresses while researching this book.
I normally don't give a rip about designer clothes or fashion. But then I saw a Dior suit-dress online and developed a strange obsession with it. Pagan Jones the clotheshorse was born (she's also a fan of Chanel and Givenchy), and the glorious Dior suit-dress serves her well during some very scary moments in the book. You can see it here on my Pagan Jones Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/58265388901902066/
The last one hundred pages of the book will take your breath away.
Once Pagan makes the decision to defy authority, hold onto your hats, socks and little white gloves. The entire East German army may stand in her way, but they've never dealt with anyone quite like Pagan before.
Women could not get their own credit cards in 1961.
Which is why I had Pagan find her father's stash of cash to buy her own plane ticket to Berlin. Women could only get credit if they were married, the credit was also in their husband's name, and if he co-signed the application. But unmarried women could not get credit or charge cards. That didn't change until the 1970s!
I dedicated the book to the person who first inspired me to create the character of Pagan Jones, my best girlfriend, who was an alcoholic.
Everything my friend went through helped me depict Pagan's struggle with her addiction. And my own experience as the close friend of an addict played a part in how Pagan's friend Mercedes, and other characters, interact with her. Unfortunately, my friend didn't get a happy ending. So I decided to write one.
Nina Berry has been working in Hollywood for years, and is no stranger to the glitz and glamour of movie and TV sets. She took her love of old movies, her knowledge from her day job as well as a heartbreaking personal story of the loss of a friend who succumbed to alcoholism to create the world of THE NOTORIOUS PAGAN JONES.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest
Thanks to the amazing team at Harlequin Teen, each stop on the tour will be offering up a copy of THE NOTORIOUS PAGAN JONES, so be sure and follow along for more guest posts, interviews and chances to win! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form.
Monday, July 20th - Reading Lark - Interview
Wednesday, July 22nd - Bookish Lifestyle - Guest Post
Friday, July 24th - Actin' Up with Books - Interview
Monday, July 27th - Rockin' Book Reviews - Interview
Wednesday, July 29th - Fiktshun - Guest Post
Friday, July 31st - Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post
Labels: Book Blog Tour, Guest Post Time, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Young Adult


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Rah Rah: "The Poet's Dead" (album review)
It didn't take long for Rah Rah to establish a reputation for reliably delivering infectious pop tunes. Striking a near-perfect balance between heart-wrenching and catchy, the Regina outfit have won many hearts, mine included.
The band is returning with their third full length, The Poet's Dead. It comes out digitally on October 2nd and in physical form on October 23rd.
On this third album the individual personalities of the band's honchos, Marshall Burns and Erin Passmore, are becoming more apparent.
Burns' contributions are earthy and organic. His slant towards roots rock is evident on tracks like the gloriously ramshackle "Fake Our Love". The twangy "First Kiss" is touching with Burns' slightly cracking vocals. He even seems to channel Crazy Horse on the sprawling basher "Dead Men".
Passmore's numbers are certainly more polished. There's the slick, grand "I'm A Killer" and "Run". The synth even comes out to propel the album closer "Saint". It all hits stride with the ethereal "20s", which is reminiscent of the shoegazer of Lush.
Pop is the bread and butter of the band though. While there's nothing immediately irresistible, there are some strong hooks on the heaving "Art & A Wife" and the clap-along title track.
Best tracks: "Fake Our Love", "Art & A Wife"
Track listing for The Poet's Dead:
Art & A Wife
Prairie Girl
The Poet's Dead
I'm A Killer
Fake Our Love
It's all relative: album review, rah rah


Tonight in New York City, the new play Little Rock, about the events in 1957, officially opens.
Written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, eleven years ago, he was in a residency at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. During that time, he created It Happened in Little Rock, which was performed at the Rep in September 2007. It was their contribution the community events commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High.
Wish I could be there for opening night; so talented…..loved his time in LR….wishing him the very best with the show.


The latest automaker to design and create a virtual vehicle for Gran Turismo 6 is Aston Martin. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month, Aston Martin revealed the Design Prototype 100 (DP-100). The concept shows what Aston Martin designers would do if given a "blank sheet of paper."
The DP-100 looks like an Aston Martin from the year 3000. The wide, hunkered-down shape features a number of Aston Martin cues such as the classic grille shape and taillights from the limited production One-77. Other cues to take note of include enormous front fenders, steeply sloped nose, large greenhouse, scissor doors, and oversized air diffuser. The interior features carbon fiber seats, dash, and steering wheel.
Under the skin is a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged V12 engine making around 800 horsepower. Aston Martin says they even developed a real suspension and a full electrical system for the DP-100, even though the concept will not go into production. Despite this, Aston Martin's Design Director Marek Reichman says certain pieces of the concept will go into future production models.
"As with the CC100 Speedster Concept, many of the design cues visible in DP-100, such as the light blade rear lamps, could also feed through into future sports cars that we'll launch in the offline world so the importance of this project should not be underestimated."
Now if you're interested in taking a virtual spin the in the DP-100, it will be available this month for owners of Gran Turismo 6.


Peepa's is always curating exciting, interesting, one-of-a-kind product! Our Novelty Collection is a fantastic assortment to shop one-of-a-kind gifts to treat yourself with or to gift to others. We are always on the look out for new, interesting novelty product. So check back regularly for new must-have items!