text:
Where some stand out, I stand back
This was a creepy book and teaches you the lesson of change your locks after moving into a new house.
The main character, Mr. Hemings, is a realtor in a small town who prides himself on knowing everything about the town and the people. How does he do this? Well, in part because he's been there for awhile and as a realtor he's responsible for selling many people their homes, so he gets to know them. But the other part is that he's a super creepy crazy person who keeps copies of everyone's house keys so he can go in and rifle through their stuff whenever he feels like it. (Don't worry, this isn't a spoiler.)
One day a dead body is found in the backyard of one of the houses he's sold and dun dun duuuuun! Murder mystery plus worry that people are going to discover his secret.
I believe I have determined for myself that reading creepy books from the POV of the villain is not my thing. And I don't mean in the style of Wicked where you're seeing a different perspective that even if you disagree with the villain, you understand perhaps why they made those decisions. Those are fun. I mean, when you are in the head of a psycho, of a murder, of a legit creepy person and no. Think American Psycho or Zombie. I now have a third example to add to that, so now it is a trend and no thank you.
That doesn't mean the book isn't good. I mean, it's not great and certainly not a favorite, but it kept me reading. Sure, I never sympathized with the character, despite all the flashbacks to a troubled childhood and spent pretty much the whole book wanting him to get caught, but I wanted to know what happened. I've read reviews that say this is funny (including the back summary which calls it "darkly funny" but I tend not to believe those anyway) and...I mean, no? I certainly never found it funny but I also never got the feeling it was supposed to be. Maybe it was but he failed so spectacularly that it didn't harm the story. Or maybe if the funny stuff had landed I would have had a very different opinion of the book. I guess some of the stuff Mr. Hemings does is so crazy that it runs into the absurd and that's the darkly funny part. Here's an example
Mr. Hemings sees a man from the neighborhood hit a woman's car and drive off without leaving a note. Mr. Hemings already doesn't like the guy and believes he doesn't belong in the neighborhood, so he confronts the guy, who claims he didn't hit the car and refuses to pay for the damages. OK, that is a super asshole thing to do. Here's how Mr. Hemings responds.
Fixes the woman's car secretly (so that's sweet).
Breaks into the guy's house and loosens the buttons on his shirt so they'll ping off when he puts it on (haha, OK that's funny)
Cuts the guy's shoelaces (still in the fine, creep you broke into his house but mostly harmless)
Steals the guy's favorite Rolex and pawns it (slightly less harmless but I mean, the guy had multiple so he can afford to be without one)
Continuously breaks the radiator in the house so they keep having to get it fixed (OK, multiple breakins now)
Keeps breaking fuses so electricians have to keep coming in (haha OK now, maybe we're done?)
At this point he quits breaking into the house and starts having stuff delivered, like a 14-year-old-troll. This includes: a washing machine, rowing machine, teak furniture, electric piano, wedding dress, statue, and horse saddle (the guy and his wife have to keep canceling credit cards and arguing with company's about these crazy purchases)
THEN he starts signing them up for things (again, using the credit cards that he keeps stealing from them): vacations to Mauritius, New Zealand, Norfolk, multiple tickets to musicals, tickets to sports festivals (which again, the guy and his wife have to keep canceling credit cards and arguing to get their money back)
OH DID YOU THINK HE'S DONE COS HE'S NOT. When the couple are gone for a long weekend he breaks into the house, lures a bunch of cats in and then locks them in so when they get back their house is ruined and full of cats
Mr. Hemings pays a landscaper to rip up their expensive paving stone driveway and lots of hedges
Lastly he steals the man's car, fills it up with gas but drives off without paying and returns the car to the house so the police show up.
Because Mr. Hemings is internet vigilantism. By the way, none of the above has to do with the body or any of that story line. This is just to explain the type of guy you're dealing with. BUT despite the above and the weird creepiness, the guy at times is painted as this super sexy guy that some women just can't wait to jump and that stuff does NOT work for me. You can't make your guy out to be creepy and off-putting and then suddenly women are like "Yes, that is the one for me!". Even the author at one point concedes this makes no sense by having the character say "Perhaps there are still those who find it hard to reconcile my unconventional lifestyle to my success with women" and yeah. Of course. He claims it's cos he's not constantly trying to sleep withe women that he gets to constantly sleep with women.
So this has gone on long enough. The book was fine. Not great, obviously. But fine. And change the locks on your house.
Title quote from page 92
Hogan, Phil. A Pleasure and a Calling. Picador, 2014.
Labels: Phil Hogan, Pleasure and a Calling
Phil Hogan|Pleasure and a Calling|
You are a servant of Destiny, not its agent. Get o...
Thaaaaaaanksgiving
I see [the Icarus story] as a lesson about the lim...
Wander every day
Everyone needs to be part of something
How do you discover the identify of a spy...who ha...
October Reading Wrap Up


Newest Single: "Alone With You"
Jake Owen was born in Winter Haven, FL, but was raised on the east coast of Florida in Vero Beach. So, this was a homecoming of sorts for Jake and his fans.
In 2005, Jake went from performing in Florida bars to moving to Nashville and within months he had a Music Row song-publishing contract. Less than a year later, he was signed by RCA Records and was on the charts with his first two singles, "Yee Haw" and "Startin' with Me." He went on the road with Kenny Chesney and then Brad Paisley. Owen scored his third hit, 2007's "Something About a Woman." In 2008, Owen opened shows for Sugarland and in 2011 went on tour with Keith Urban on the Get Closer 2011 World tour.
In September 2011, Owen achieved his first number one hit on the country charts with the title track to his third album "Barefoot Blue jean Night", as did his current single "Alone with You".
Rodney Atkins was born in East Tennessee where he was put up for adoption. He always finds time to give back to the Holston Methodist Home for Children in Greeneville, TN, from which he was adopted.
His first studio album "Honesty" was released in October, 2003 and produced the top 5 single "Honesty (Write me a List)". In 2006, he release "If You're Going thru Hell" which has been certified Platinum. This album put him on the country map with 4 straight #1 singles: "If You're Going thru Hell", "Watching You", "These Are My People" and "Cleaning this Gun". His 3rd studio album "It's America" produced another number 1 by the same name.
Now on his 4th studio album "Take a Back Road", the hits keep on coming with "Take a Back Road" and "He's Mine".


Make your Race Fan party guests know where the winners circle is and hand out our fun Racing Pit Passes. The pass is 4" x 2 3/4" and can be customized for your race car fans. Use as a place card, favor or just for fun. Our racing pit pass is on a 36" lanyard and is sold by the piece. Please order in increments of 1 piece.


Punjab Revenue Authority targets the entire food chain through prize plan.
A bus, truck collision in Faisalabad - 19 reported to be killed.
PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PPP's Aitzaz Ahsan to meet today to decide course of action to take on the Panama Leaks.


text:
Luigi de' Medici, né le  à Naples et mort le  à Madrid, est un juriste et homme politique napolitain. Il a été président du Conseil des Ministres du royaume des Deux-Siciles.

Biographie

Famille et études
Luigi de' Medici est le fils cadet de Giuseppe III de' Medici d'Ottajano,  Prince de Ottaviano et  Duc de Sarno, et de Carmela Filomarino, de la famille des princes de la Rocca. Sa famille descend de Bernardetto de Médicis, cousin de Cosme de Médicis, grand-duc de Toscane, et frère du Pape Léon XI, qui a acheté en 1567 le fief d'Ottaviano et qui est parti vivre à Naples avec sa femme Giulia de Médicis et leur famille.

Il fait ses études auprès du Collège des Jésuites de Nola, à la suite desquelles il embrasse une carrière militaire dans le but de se rendre indépendant de sa famille. N'écoutant pas les prières de sa mère, il entreprend donc en 1776 de nouvelles études auprès de l'Académie Royale de Turin, puis il voyage à travers l'Europe pendant quelques années. Il séjourne ainsi à Paris en 1778.

En 1780, il rentre à Naples où il commence un cursus à l'Université de Naples - Frédéric-II au terme duquel il obtient un diplôme de jurisprudence lui permettant d'exercer le métier d'avocat dans sa ville natale.

Carrière de juriste
Au milieu des années 1780, il est parmi les premiers nobles napolitains à ouvrir sa maison à plusieurs personnalités lettrées appartenant au courant des Lumières, en faisant de sa demeure un des premiers salons littéraires du royaume de Naples. Il fréquente ainsi les milieux progressistes et libéraux, où il devient l'ami des juristes et philosophes Gaetano Filangieri et Francesco Mario Pagano.

En 1783, il devient l'un des plus jeunes juges à la Grande Cour de la Vicaria (Gran Corte della Vicaria), la plus importante cour d'appel pour les causes criminelles et civiles du royaume. Grâce à l'appui de son beau-frère le marquis Cavaniglia de San Marco, il est nommé conseiller de la Royale Audience de guerre en 1786, puis conseiller du Conseil Royal Sacré en 1789. Il est également gentilhomme de chambre à la cour en 1790.

En 1790, il est chargé par le ministre John Acton de mener une enquête sur les troubles à l'ordre public en Calabre. En 1791, il est nommé régent de la Grande Cour de la Vicaria ainsi que chef de la Police urbaine de la cité de Naples, charge qu'avait déjà occupée son arrière-grand-père le prince Giuseppe de' Medici d'Ottajano.

De' Medici s'intéresse de près à la chute de la monarchie française en 1792 lors de la Révolution française, ainsi qu'aux changements politiques et aux réformes progressistes qu'elle permettrait de faire à Naples pour moderniser le royaume.

Aux alentours de 1790, il devient le protecteur-académicien de l'Académie de Chimie et Mathématiques fondée quelques années plus tôt par Lauberg et Giordano. Cette même académie sera fermée en 1793 à la suite des accusations de jacobinisme portée contre la plupart de ses membres. Vers 1794, ses correspondances épistolaires sont surveillées secrètement sur ordre de John Acton qui le suspecte de sympathie envers les jacobites révolutionnaires. En , il est par conséquent arrêté et enfermé dans la prison de Gaète jusqu'en 1798. Il est de nouveau incarcéré en 1799 et est définitivement libéré en .

Carrière politique
En 1803, il est nommé président du Conseil des Finances royales et l'année suivante, sur demande personnelle du roi, directeur du secrétariat d'État aux Entreprises. Avec le début de l'occupation napoléonienne et l'instauration du royaume de Naples napoléonien en 1806, Luigi de' Medici s'enfuit en Sicile à Palerme avec la cour royale. En 1811, il est exilé à Londres à cause de son opposition au Parlement sicilien et à Lord Bentinck.

Il retourne à Naples en même temps que le gouvernement à la chute du règne napoléonien. Il devient ainsi une figure emblématique du nouveau royaume, le royaume des Deux-Siciles, dont il est le représentant plénipotentiaire, mandaté par la monarchie des Bourbons, au Congrès de Vienne en 1815. La même année, il est nommé ministre des Finances du royaume, charge qu'il maintiendra jusqu'à sa mort en 1830. Il obtient également le ministère de la Police par intérim.

Le , il est nommé président du Conseil des Ministres du royaume des Deux-Siciles (plus haute charge après celle du roi) et en devient ainsi le premier en succédant au marquis Tommaso di Somma qui l'avait été pour les royaumes de Naples et de Sicile. Il laisse cette charge le  et un gouvernement provisoire lui succède.

Il redevient président du Conseil des ministres pour la seconde fois en succédant de nouveau au marquis Tommaso di Somma en . Au début du mois de , encore président, il suit le roi François  des Deux-Siciles) à Madrid en Espagne à l'occasion du mariage de la princesse Maria Cristina. Le , il décède à Madrid et le marquis Donato Tommasi de Casalicchio lui succède le même jour.

Distinctions
  Chevalier de l'ordre de Saint-Janvier (Naples).
  Chevalier de l'ordre de l'Éléphant (Danemark, 1829).

Voir aussi

Crédits de traduction

Bibliographie
 .

Maison de Médicis
Royaume des Deux-Siciles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Where is Cookie Monster gonna get his fix now?
It seems like marijuana busts have been a weekly occurrence on Highway 287, but now it's turning into a daily one it seems like. We reported this 80-pound weed bust yesterday. Today, we're reporting another weed bust, but this time, the weed has a bit of a sweet tooth. Weed was confiscated in the car, along with cookies and gummies infused with marijuana oil.
Both are charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana in the Wichita County Jail.
NEXT: What's Happening this Week in Wichita Falls?


Vented battery box for standard size, Series 24 batteries(10-1/8" max. height). Meet the ABYC standard E-10 and U.S. Coast Guard Specification Number 183.420 as an OEM-installed battery hold-down system. Polypropylene construction for total acid resistance. Hold-down straps resist 350 lbs. of force, nearly four times the USCG requirement. Drop tested in temperatures ranging from -20 degrees F to 120 degrees F. Mounting hardware included.


text:
Eastern europeans steal chewing gum for currency
Gangs of Eastern Europeans are stealing chewing gum from supermarkets because it can be used as currency in their home countries.
In Romania chewing gum is often given as change in shops Photo: ALAMY
10:28AM BST 28 Oct 2011
Packs are being stolen in bulk before taking it home where it has a tangible value as currency - particularly in Romania where it often given as change in shops.
In Shropshire alone, police have revealed how supermarkets are being robbed of chewing gum, with branches in Shrewsbury, Telford, Market Drayton and Bridgnorth all falling victim of significant thefts since early summer.
Constable David Walton, a police officer in Shrewsbury, today urged county supermarket bosses to be on their guard.
The officer said it was believed gangs of Eastern Europeans were coming into the country to steal chewing gum.
He said himself and Safer Shrewsbury Scheme manager Richard Goodchild attended a Midland Retail Crime Partnership meeting in when representatives from the North East of England had identified a series of bulk chewing gum thefts.
Sussex Police broadcast live video streaming of its work
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Man questioned over Stuart Walker murder
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Constable Walton said a subsequent check through Shropshire police records revealed a dozen or so similar offences here.
He also found evidence of cars used in the crimes which were registered in Eastern Europe.
He said: "I found we had quite a few incidents ourselves. They were Eastern European nationals and there have been some arrests subsequently.
"I have done some investigations and in Romania if you go into a shop and purchase goods, as opposed to change they will give you sticks of chewing gum.
"This is perhaps why they are stealing chewing gum because it's effectively stealing money. People come across for a couple of weeks, they are tasked with doing a number of thefts and then they go back on a ferry.
"They are gangs and this is organised crime."
Constable Walton said the thieves were hitting the likes of Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys, which carry a lot of stock.
He said: "There has certainly been a dozen or so incidents.
"The highest value theft of gum was £750 - £800. It beggars belief that they could load up a trolley and walk out with it."
UK News »
In Crime
Mexican mugshots
Hatton Garden heist
Brits on the run
Bizarre smuggling attempts
World's worst serial killers
30 criminal cases involving 'Fake Sheikh' to be reviewed after Tulisa drugs trial
Motorway tailgating blackspots: where are the worst?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Cet article fournit diverses informations sur la saison 2010-2011 du MO Constantine, un club de football algérien basé dans la commune de Constantine.

Championnat

Classement

Points du règlement sur le championnat

Calcul des points :
 3 points pour une victoire.
 1 point pour un match nul.
 0 point pour une défaite.

En cas d'égalité de points, les critères suivants sont appliqués :
 Différence de buts
 Nombre de buts marqués
 Différence particulière
 Classement du fair-play

Résultats

Coupe

Notes et références

Constantine MO
2010-2011
Football en Algérie en 2010
Football en Algérie en 2011


The Polymath Chronicles: The Cherry on Top!
I was just about to post something similar to Jen, above. I LOVE rotisserie chicken. There was a restaurant in Ensenada that had an entire window of birds revolving. We'd get a chicken, a bag of fries, and some fresh tortillas - make a pico and bam, dinner!
My fantasy splurge item would be a personal chef that looks like Tom Hiddleston (or maybe Nathan F!) and cooks like Marcus Samuelsson.
Damnit! Another thing to put on the list!
I want a standup freezer.
I'd take Nathan as a chef!


MeatEat was formed to offer a unique reference point on meat and meat farming methods.
MeatEat focuses on meat, livestock farming and how to judge the quality of meat products as well as offering a guide to the many welfare labelling systems that aim to inform consumers about the lives and welfare of farmed animals.
Many of us want to choose healthy meat products from animals that have led happy productive lives. MeatEat helps you achieve that goal and takes you through choosing, cooking and serving meat to produce fantastic healthy meals whatever your budget, dietary concerns or level of cooking experience.
In addition, MeatEat explores key issues in food production: sustainability, additives, organic labelling, food miles etc and walks you through buying meat from supermarkets, butchers shops, farmers markets and direct from the farm, so that you can feel totally confident about your family's meat intake.
MeatEat is a resource that pulls together facts, tips, tricks and ancient wisdoms about meat, animal husbandry and cooking to give you a UK centred guide to everything meat-related.
Our concern was that there was no single UK resource for interesting features and practical advice on this subject.
Our features and articles are written by experts - who have experience, or a particular interest in this area.
MeatEat was founded by John Rowlinson, the founder of PtS.
John, through PtS, is involved in a number of ventures including software and property companies. A percentage of revenue from these activities goes towards funding MeatEat and a number of similar sites.
Our focus is simply on having experts create the highest quality information possible that is widely read.


Even as work progresses on its massive 10,000 seat, 1.5 Million SF campus at Technopark Phase II, Indian IT giant Infosys has approached the Government for upwards of 50 acres of land at Technocity to set up a second sprawling facility in Trivandrum, possibly making Kerala's IT hub its biggest operation across the world. Earlier TCS had acquired 82 acres of land at Technocity for a Rs 1500 Crore, 15,000 seat Global Training Center campus.
Things are hotting up at Kerala's biggest IT infrastructure project!
Your are a genius. I have learned a lot from your posts in trivandrum forums and blogging. Your are quite in writing.
Like you, I too love trivandrum as much as my mother and father.
By the way, I would like you to bring the attention of our policy makers (politicians and bureaucrats) and other trivandrum bloggers about the following projects.
1. TREST - Research park at CET. Not much was heard since last kerala budget. Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys are supposed to invest here.
2. National Center for Molecular medicine. No news after its announcement last year.
If this is going to be the case then GoK better start looking for further land to expand Technocity. When it was first proposed Technocity was proposed in 700+ acres and then later scaled down to 450. So we have another 250+ potential acres which CAN be included in the plan given the rate at which biggies are gobbling up the land. We better start the notification and acquisition ASAP given the red-tapes and endless procedures associated with the process.
We dont want a situation where some Corporation requests for some 25+ acres and GoK had to say "Nothing available" or "take deviation" policy which has happened with a couple of companies before.
Another Bid for Vizhinjam + Mad Ideas Prosper!


text:
Saints vs Cowboys NFL Week 13 Odds & Pick for Thursday Night
Written by Jordan Walters on November 27, 2018
It's another terrific Thursday night matchup this week in the NFL and a potential playoff preview as the New Orleans Saints put their 10-game winning streak on the line when they visit the NFC East co-leading Dallas Cowboys. The red-hot Saints are just over a TD favorite at Mybookie Sportsbook.
How to Bet Saints vs Cowboys NFL Week 13 Odds & Game Info
In just four games with the #DallasCowboys Amari Cooper has made an immediate impact on the team. Following the Thanksgiving day win, Coach Garrett shared his thoughts on the wide receiver with Bill Jones. pic.twitter.com/zDpRQs0qzI
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) 26 de noviembre de 2018
When: Thursday, 8:20 PM ET
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
TV: Fox/NFL Network
NFL Week 13 Odds: New Orleans Saints -7.5 (Total 53)
NFL Week 13 ATS Betting Picks
Clear: 15°C/59°F
Cloud Cover: 3%
Wind: 5 mph SW
In Week 4 of the 2015 season, the Saints beat the Cowboys 26-20 in overtime. Drew Brees hit C.J. Spiller (now out of NFL) with a short pass that the running back turned into an 80-yard touchdown on the second play of overtime. Brees completed 33 of 41 throws for 359 yards and two TDs. Mark Ingram gained 128 yards from scrimmage. The Cowboys QB back then was the forgettable Brandon Weeden. Dallas' two best offensive players now, QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott, were both still in college.
Why Bet on New Orleans?
What more can you say about the Saints? They have won 10 straight games and covered the past nine. They were 31-17 winners on Thanksgiving over Atlanta and would clinch the NFC South with a win here and a Carolina loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Drew Brees completed 15-of-22 passes for 171 yards, four touchdowns and one pick in the win over Atlanta. Brees hit four different undrafted free agents — Tommylee Lewis, Dan Arnold, Austin Carr and Keith Kirkwood for touchdowns Thursday.
New Orleans forced five fumbles and coasted behind stellar defense and explosiveness up the middle from Alvin Kamara (14/89) and Mark Ingram (11/52). Brees tied an NFL record by hitting 13 different receivers for TDs this year. Michael Thomas caught 4-of-6 targets for 38 yards. His 38 yards were a season-low mark.
The Saints allowed 26 rushing yards to the Falcons, their fewest in a game since 2000. They are allowing an NFL-low 73.2 rushing yards per game this season. No running back has run for 70 against them. Falcons running backs Tevin Coleman and Ito Smith combined for just 6 yards on 12 carries. The Saints haven't finished a season higher than 10th in the NFL in run defense since 1992.
"When you can hold a team to 1.6 [yards] a carry, they may as well not even try to run the ball anymore," Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said of Atlanta's average yards per rush, which was boosted by quarterback Matt Ryan's two scrambles for 16 yards.
Saints kicker Wil Lutz is quietly having an All-Pro caliber season. He's leading the NFL with 109 points this season after making 22-of-23 field goal attempts and 43-of-44 extra points. Gone are the days where the Saints burned through 11 kickers in 11 years under coach Sean Payton.
Why Bet on Dallas?
The Cowboys won their third straight last Thursday, 31-23 over Washington. Dak Prescott completed 22-of-31 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Prescott added 18 yards and a third touchdown on the ground. His two passing scores were 40- and 90-yard strikes to Amari Cooper, who went for 180 yards. The 289 pass yards is a new season-high for Prescott, and he's topped 200 yards passing in all four games with Cooper after failing to reach that mark several times before the deal. Cooper has seen at least eight targets in 3-of-4 games with the Cowboys and has put together a 22-349-3 line for Dallas.
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 121 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries. He added five catches for 22 yards on six targets. Elliott waltzed through a gaping hole untouched into the end zone for his 16-yard rushing score. Elliott has 643 yards and four touchdowns over his last four games since the bye, three resulting in Cowboys wins. Elliott had a season-high 31 touches during the Cowboys' 3rd straight win. Since drafting him in 2016, Dallas is 6-1 when Elliott has at least 30 touches in a game.
Jason Garrett said Elliott is dealing with some hip soreness, which is why the running back did not practice on Sunday but Elliott did on Monday. Elliott said he was given a day of rest after so much work in three games over a 12-day span with 68 carries for 394 yards and three touchdowns and 18 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. "We're just making sure we are taking care of my body, so I'm fresh going into this game on Thursday," Elliott said.
Elliott has three straight 100-yard rushing games and leads the NFL in rushing. Prescott has completed 70.7 percent of his passes in the three-game winning streak and has not been intercepted in three straight games, his longest streak since the middle of last season.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expects Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith (neck, elbow) to play in Week 13. Smith was active but didn't play any snaps on Thanksgiving. Smith's play hasn't dropped off despite dealing with multiple injuries this year, grading as a top-10 tackle at PFF.
NFL Week 13 Over/Under Picks
Saints vs Cowboys NFL Week 13 Betting Trends
Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Dallas
Underdog is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 meetings
Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings
Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings
Saints are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games
Expert Prediction for Saints vs Cowboys
We like Dallas for an upset but of course will take those points.


text:
— L.A.'S Oldest Independent Bookstore, Est. 1940 —
2020 BOOK GUIDE
Friday, October 2 at 7:00PM
A PLACE REMOTE
by GWEN GOODKIN
with RICH FERGUSON
"Gwen Goodkin's debut short story collection follows in the tradition of other meteoric writers like Jayne Anne Phillips, Mary Gaitskill, Lauren Groff, and so many before them, heralding a new, sui generis voice that promises so much to come."
—Rex Pickett, author of Sideways and The Archivist
Missed it? Watch the event here.
Buy a copy of the book online*
From farm to factory, alcoholism to war wounds, friendship to betrayal, the stories in
A Place Remote take us intimately into the hearts of people from all walks of life in
a rural Ohio town. Whether they stay in their town or leave for distant places, these
characters come to realize no one is immune to the fictions people tell others—and
themselves—to survive.
In each of these ten stories, Gwen Goodkin forces her characters to face the
dramatic events of life head-on—some events happen in a moment, while others are
the fallout of years or decades of turning away. A boy is confronted by the cost of the
family farm, an optometrist careens toward an explosive mental disaster, a mourning
teen protects his sister, lifelong friends have an emotional confrontation over an
heirloom, and a high school student travels to Germany to find his voice and, finally, a
moment of long-awaited redemption.
*Email us at
chevaliersbooks@gmail.com
if you'd like to pick up a copy in store.
Missed it? Watch it here.
GWEN GOODKIN
Gwen Goodkin is the author of the short story collection, 'A Place Remote.' She has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has won the Folio Editor's Prize for Fiction as well as the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.
RICH FERGUSON
Rich Ferguson is the State of California Beat Poet Laureate (20-22) and the author of the novel New Jersey Me as well as two poetry collections, 8th & Agony and Everything is Radiant Between the Hates (Moon Tide Press, 2021). His poetry and award-winning spoken-word music videos have been widely anthologized, and he was a winner in Opium Magazine's Literary Death Match, L.A.
133 N Larchmont Blvd
Chevalier's Books


activities." From Article 2 of the Preschool Act.
The nursery school is the first level in the schooling system, and is for children under the age of compulsory school attendance, i.e. under the age of 6. It is for all children, irrespective of mental and physical ability, culture or religion.
Parents bear primary responsibility for the raising of their children, while the nursery school is an additional developmental tool.
Parents apply for nursery-school placements for their children in the local community where the child has legal residence. Nursery schools are variously operated by local authorities, private entities, or privately operated with a service agreement with the local authorities.
Some local authorities allow applications on the birth of a child, although the majority have age limits.
Nursery-school placement applications are made via the websites of service centres, local authorities and nursery schools.
Parents need to pay a certain fee for the nursery-school placement of their children in the majority of municipalities. The nursery-school fee is collected for 11 months per year, as the child is expected to take four consecutive weeks off during the summer. Information on nursery-school fees may be found on municipal websites.
Single parents and students are entitled to a discount on nursery-school fees. Sibling discounts are also provided. Information on discounts for particular groups may be found on municipal websites.
The advisory and psychological assistance service of neighbourhood service centres in Reykjavík are responsible for providing special services to nursery schools in the city. In other municipalities the service is often handled by education and family departments. Schools refer cases to the service with the approval of parents, and parents may, moreover, apply directly for assistance.
The nursery school shall build the foundations for Icelandic language skills for children whose native language is not Icelandic, and introduce them to Icelandic society.
Many of the nursery schools have waiting lists, and parents and their children may have to wait some time for placement. Children are generally listed in order of age on waiting lists, with the eldest at the top. Placements are often allocated during the period between March and May each year.
Generally, children attend nursery school from the age of 18 months until they go to primary school. The children stay for between four and nine hours, Monday to Friday, in the nursery school.
When a child begins attending nursery school, a placement agreement is made between the school and the parent, with a one-month mutual notice of termination.
Staffed playgrounds are operated in the majority of the larger municipalities, and their opening hours change according to the season. They are intended for younger children, and age limits vary. Further information can be obtained from municipal websites.
By law, disabled children are entitled to nursery-school placement. These placements shall be in general nursery schools with the necessary support services, or in specialised departments.
Regional offices for the disabled provide advice, information and services.
The disabled receive a discount on the nursery-school fee. Further information on discounts for particular groups may be found on municipal websites.
Lists of available childminders and information on them are available on local community websites.
Get information about a childminders childcare circumstances and facilities. The childminder price list is unregulated.
Find out about rules for day-care fee subsidies through local community websites.
Inform the childminder about the child's daily habits, health and any changes in circumstances.
Apply for a nursery school placement in the local community where the child is domiciled.
how to give notice of changes to a child's circumstances.


text:
package topdown

import (
	"bytes"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"strconv"

	"net/http"
	"os"
	"strings"
	"time"

	"github.com/open-policy-agent/opa/ast"
	"github.com/open-policy-agent/opa/topdown/builtins"
)

const defaultHTTPRequestTimeout = time.Second * 5

var allowedKeys = ast.NewSet(ast.StringTerm("method"), ast.StringTerm("url"), ast.StringTerm("body"), ast.StringTerm("enable_redirect"))
var requiredKeys = ast.NewSet(ast.StringTerm("method"), ast.StringTerm("url"))

var client *http.Client

func builtinHTTPSend(bctx BuiltinContext, args []*ast.Term, iter func(*ast.Term) error) error {

	req, err := validateHTTPRequestOperand(args[0], 1)
	if err != nil {
		return handleBuiltinErr(ast.HTTPSend.Name, bctx.Location, err)
	}

	resp, err := executeHTTPRequest(bctx, req)
	if err != nil {
		return handleBuiltinErr(ast.HTTPSend.Name, bctx.Location, err)
	}

	return iter(ast.NewTerm(resp))
}

func init() {
	createHTTPClient()
	RegisterBuiltinFunc(ast.HTTPSend.Name, builtinHTTPSend)
}

func createHTTPClient() {
	timeout := defaultHTTPRequestTimeout
	timeoutDuration := os.Getenv("HTTP_SEND_TIMEOUT")
	if timeoutDuration != "" {
		timeout, _ = time.ParseDuration(timeoutDuration)
	}

	// create a http client with redirects disabled
	client = &http.Client{
		Timeout: timeout,
		CheckRedirect: func(*http.Request, []*http.Request) error {
			return http.ErrUseLastResponse
		},
	}
}

func validateHTTPRequestOperand(term *ast.Term, pos int) (ast.Object, error) {

	obj, err := builtins.ObjectOperand(term.Value, pos)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	requestKeys := ast.NewSet(obj.Keys()...)

	invalidKeys := requestKeys.Diff(allowedKeys)
	if invalidKeys.Len() != 0 {
		return nil, builtins.NewOperandErr(pos, "invalid request parameters(s): %v", invalidKeys)
	}

	missingKeys := requiredKeys.Diff(requestKeys)
	if missingKeys.Len() != 0 {
		return nil, builtins.NewOperandErr(pos, "missing required request parameters(s): %v", missingKeys)
	}

	return obj, nil

}

func executeHTTPRequest(bctx BuiltinContext, obj ast.Object) (ast.Value, error) {
	var url string
	var method string
	var body *bytes.Buffer
	var enableRedirect bool
	for _, val := range obj.Keys() {
		key, err := ast.JSON(val.Value)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, err
		}
		key = key.(string)

		switch key {
		case "method":
			method = obj.Get(val).String()
			method = strings.Trim(method, "\"")
		case "url":
			url = obj.Get(val).String()
			url = strings.Trim(url, "\"")
		case "enable_redirect":
			enableRedirect, err = strconv.ParseBool(obj.Get(val).String())
			if err != nil {
				return nil, err
			}
		case "body":
			bodyVal := obj.Get(val).Value
			bodyValInterface, err := ast.JSON(bodyVal)
			if err != nil {
				return nil, err
			}

			bodyValBytes, err := json.Marshal(bodyValInterface)
			if err != nil {
				return nil, err
			}
			body = bytes.NewBuffer(bodyValBytes)
		default:
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid Key %v", key)
		}
	}

	// check if redirects are enabled
	if enableRedirect {
		client.CheckRedirect = nil
	}

	if body == nil {
		body = bytes.NewBufferString("")
	}

	// check if cache already has a response for this query
	cachedResponse := checkCache(method, url, bctx)
	if cachedResponse != nil {
		return cachedResponse, nil
	}

	// create the http request
	req, err := http.NewRequest(strings.ToUpper(method), url, body)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	// execute the http request
	resp, err := client.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	defer resp.Body.Close()

	// format the http result
	var resultBody interface{}
	json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&resultBody)

	result := make(map[string]interface{})
	result["status"] = resp.Status
	result["status_code"] = resp.StatusCode
	result["body"] = resultBody

	resultObj, err := ast.InterfaceToValue(result)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	// add result to cache
	key := getCtxKey(method, url)
	bctx.Cache.Put(key, resultObj)

	return resultObj, nil
}

// getCtxKey returns the cache key.
// Key format: <METHOD>_<url>
func getCtxKey(method string, url string) string {
	keyTerms := []string{strings.ToUpper(method), url}
	return strings.Join(keyTerms, "_")
}

// checkCache checks for the given key's value in the cache
func checkCache(method string, url string, bctx BuiltinContext) ast.Value {
	key := getCtxKey(method, url)

	val, ok := bctx.Cache.Get(key)
	if ok {
		return val.(ast.Value)
	}
	return nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Boston Media Makers is a group of area videobloggers, podcasters, photographers and even plain-old text bloggers who get together once a month to meet, have a coffee and talk technology and its application. This group was formed largely by Jamaica Plain's very own Steve Garfield – the Paul Revere of videoblogging – and has attracted some very impressive members, including filmmaker David Tames and Amy Carpenter, a very talented Boston artist.
Tell Steve that Carl sent you.


Here's what we enjoy best about living between Lymington and Poole. If you'd like to share your favourite place or pastime then get in touch. The best ideas will win a hamper of tasty goodies to enjoy on the beach.
Where to get the best Fish and Chips?
Regardless of the weather a walk or run along the beach is always an uplifting experience. The best spot is known as Lane One, where the beach meets the sea. Turn on some music or just listen to the waves and you will go home reinvigorated and have a spring in your step.
Sprats caught off Bournemouth pier, delivered hours later to Poole Quay. £2 per bag, yum yum. One bag for dinner, one for the freezer. Look for the signs to see when the next boat comes in. They're only around when the water's cold, so if you see the sign, STOP!
Why lay in bed wishing you could get back to sleep when the fireworks start on Poole Quay. Hop out of bed and go to watch them, no one will mind if you've still got your pyjamas on. Its on every Thursday during the summer and goes on tour for a couple of weeks in the summer, down to Sandbanks. You're loving the coast too.


text:
College athlete activist Ramogi Huma discusses Northwestern union, more
National College Players Association founder Ramogi Huma discusses the Northwestern union case and more.
Alex Putterman
On January 28, 2014, Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter and college athletes' rights activist Ramogi Huma stood next to each other at a press conference in Chicago and announced the formation of the College Athletes Players Association. CAPA would serve as a union for Northwestern football players, who had—by "an overwhelming majority," according to Huma—elected to sign union cards and petition for a union.
After several days of hearings in February to determine whether the players were eligible to unionize, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled in CAPA's favor, proclaiming that the relationship between players and universities legally fit the criteria for an employer-employee relationship. As Northwestern appealed the ruling, the players voted on whether or not to form a union.
The results of that vote will not be revealed until the NLRB rules on Northwestern's appeal, a decision originally expected to be released in December.
Huma, a former UCLA linebacker and president of CAPA and the National College Players Association (NCPA) advocacy group, has watched carefully as changes have begun to take place at the NCAA level, from unlimited snacks for college athletes to autonomy for the five major conferences.
In a 30-minute phone conversation in June, Huma said he does not know when to expect a ruling on the Northwestern appeal but remains confident in CAPA's case. A recent report from The Wall Street Journal said a decision is expected "in coming weeks."
How is college football addressing its new safety crisis? Punt, Pass & Pork
SI: If the NLRB ruling on the Northwestern union is upheld, the players' votes will be revealed. A number of mediareports from around when the vote was taken indicated that the vote would most likely be "no." Is that your expectation as well?
Ramogi Huma: We're hopeful for a positive outcome. Northwestern put a ton of pressure on the players, so we'll only know the answer to that if and when the results are revealed.
But I think it's important to point out that really it's a win-win situation. Number one, the Northwestern football players have already created change. If you look at the amount of pressure they've put on the system, a system that's been refusing to address basic protections for so long, now all of a sudden they have motivation to actually grant some of the things we've been fighting for. Just in the last year there have been significant changes in policy.
I will point out, those policies are not legally binding. There's still a way to go. That's the difference between a collective bargaining agreement and a conference or NCAA policy. An NCAA policy is not enforceable, it can be changed on a whim, just as we saw in 2011 with the $2,000 stipend, which the NCAA initially approved only to take it away weeks later. Policies come and go, but I think college athletes are in need of legally binding protections. But it's a major step in terms of the progress we've seen over the past year, and all of that credit goes to [former Wildcats quarterback] Kain Colter and the Northwestern football players who stood up.
In terms of the legalities and legal rights of players, it's also a win-win, as long as we win the ruling. The ruling itself is the most important thing. If the board rules in our favor and says "yes college athletes are employees with the right to unionize," that is the most important decision. As long as we win that ruling, this movement is in pretty good shape. You have a scenario where we win the ruling and win the vote, well then Northwestern players are that much closer to an actual union, although we expect Northwestern would try to challenge that and take it into federal court. But if we win the ruling and the players didn't vote to join a union at that time, well then we have a precedent, a standing at that time, as employees, for private school football players in the nation that the federal government considers them employees with the right to unionize.
SI: We haven't heard much from you and the NCPA recently. Are you waiting for the Northwestern domino to fall to see what happens next?
Well we never comment on our organizing strategy, but obviously this board ruling is going to set the tone in terms of the landscape of unionization for college athletes.
SI: Do you see unionization for college athletes as the way that this reform is going to happen, or are you still looking into other ways of accomplishing your goals?
RH: I think unionization is the best way for reform to occur and for players to have a vehicle to maintain legal protections. If we just look at the pro leagues, and I'll just say the other pro leagues, we're not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We're trying to use a model that's tried, tested and proven. Not only effective in protecting players but at the core of what helps industries remain stable and prosperous. All the pro leagues are very healthy.
SI: Do you think it's good that threats to the NCAA are coming from all different directions, between the Ed O'Bannon case, the Jeffrey Kessler case and all the various activists chiming in? Or would it be better if everybody on the same team, so to speak, were united on one front?
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RH: Well, I think there's a core of unity. Even among players and advocates that have not met, the unity is that we are all united in trying to reform NCAA sports to give players a better deal in terms of basic protections and leverage and a voice. So I see all these difference challenges as positive. I haven't seen a challenge yet that would undermine that cause.
SI: In the Ed O'Bannon case, the judge ruled that players can profit from the rights to their names, images and likenesses but capped compensation at $5,000.
They didn't actively. They left the door open for the NCAA to impose a cap. Whether or not the NCAA chooses to impose a rule to act on that, that's another story. Which we would expect them to do, but the judge did not impose the cap herself.
SI: So in your opinion, was that a total victory for reform, or was it kind of a qualified victory?
RH: I think it was a solid victory, but granting the NCAA limited anti-trust exemption to implement a $5,000 cap, I think that's a step in the wrong direction. I don't know that that part of the ruling will withstand additional scrutiny. I think at some point it's going to be challenged.
With college sports at crossroads, unspoken problem facing NCAA is race
SI: What do you think when you see college athletes, like Simon Cvijanovic from Illinois or Garrick Sherman from Michigan State and Notre Dame, kind of going rogue and calling out the NCAA or their individual programs? Is that advancing the cause, or is there a better way to do that?
RH: I definitely think it's advancing the cause. These players are using their voice, they have first-amendment protection. They're using their right to point out what they see as injustices or what they see in NCAA sports or both. I think it's definitely positive. The more players that speak out, the quicker change will come. You know, I didn't start the union at Northwestern. I can't. I'm not a current player. It takes current players to stand up for themselves.
SI: Is reform needed more on the campus level, like we've heard about at Illinois, or is it needed more at the NCAA level or both?
RH: Both. I think we've done a good job over the years of laying out all the issues at the national level, the NCAA level, even the conference level. And we've also zeroed in on whether or not schools do enough to protect their athletes even under NCAA rules. Because the schools could be doing more, even if none of the NCAA rules changed.
And then you look at the accusations coming out of Illinois. There was just a lawsuit announced a couple days ago from a softball player that echoed some of the accusations of medical mistreatment of her concussion. And so clearly there are concerns at Illinois, and it really has teased out that coaches and administrators that can't really handle these issues can really be abusive. Players can be mistreated in many different ways, not just by policies but also whether there's inappropriate treatment of injuries or there's blackmail in a sense where someone is getting their future or their scholarship held over their head in terms of pressuring them to play with serious injuries. Emotional abuse, potential racism. There's a lot of ugly things that have been discussed.
How do you deal with that? They definitely need protections. I don't necessarily think those are policies. Those are just the need to protect these people as human beings first and foremost and not treat them as property whose bodies are expendable. So how do you wrap your head around that, how do you address that?
So I think Simon, and these other players that have spoken out are advancing that at Illinois. I don't see any scenario where Illinois walks away from this without serious changes, and that would have never happened had the players not spoken out.
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
SI: The North Carolina academic fraud scandal presents an interesting ideological dilemma. Many people are outraged by the revelations of institutional dishonesty at a top school, and others have taken the attitude of, "they're not there to study anyway, let them play sports in peace." Where do you fall?
RH: I think there are too many extremes in that conversation. At the end of the day, it's healthy to recognize that these players are subject to serious athletic time demands. In the Northwestern case, we used Northwestern's itineraries. We didn't make this stuff. You had players spending 50 hours a week on their sport alone. And on top of that they're expected to be fulltime students? It's very difficult.
Another issue is that most universities allow players in with relaxed standards in terms of academic performance—and they do that for other students on campus as well—but I believe there's a responsibility if they admit a student, they have to do everything they can to give that student a realistic opportunity to get a quality degree. If you're going to let these students in you've got to educate them. And in terms of athletes, you have to accommodate for their athletic schedules.
What we've advocated for is to put some of these resources toward educational trust funds that would allow people to complete their degree if they needed another semester or two to graduate and to incentivize them. If they complete their degree on time they can get an ear-marked amount of money, and if they don't, that money can be used by the player to complete their degree.
SI: What would you say to an athlete who expresses the Cardale Jones, sentiment, the "We ain't come to play school" kind of idea?
You can't mandate on intent. That's what the NCAA tries to do, and every time I shake my head. The NCAA says, "Well they come here for an education and to be amateurs and to uphold the NCAA values." How do they know? They haven't asked the players. And clearly there are players out there that, that's not the primary reason they come to college. There are some that are and some that aren't. You can't pigeonhole all the players in the nation under a certain ideology. There's a segment of players, some players especially in basketball, they're now forced to go to college in order to go to the NBA.
The one-and-done phenomenon is true in that not all players want to go to college and not all players would rather stay in college and earn a degree rather than go pro. The NCAA is full of hypocrisy. And if you step away and look at all the rhetoric, the only thing that makes sense is that if you have the perspective of, this is a business trying to maximize revenue, and they will say anything and do anything they want in order to maximize revenue, then everything makes sense. But if you try to follow the NCAA's logic then you're ultimately going to be advocating for hypocritical policies and practices.
Sizing up Mississippi State's financial planning program; Punt, Pass & Pork
SI: Many people, smart people, instinctively cringe at the idea of college athletes being paid. Why is the concept so hard for people to wrap their minds around?
RH: I think they've been conditioned to think that way for 65 years of spin that the NCAA has been paying for. And the NCAA has been trying to label "pay-for-play" as something dirty. But when they began to pay players in the 1950s in the form of a scholarship, they knew that this was pay-for-play. But what they did was try to wrap it up, put it in a bow and say, "Oh this is just a scholarship." But they did that to avoid workers' compensation liability.
So all those people, if they were to sit back and realize that we've already arrived at pay-for-play, that there is an employee-employer relationship, then I think it would be less taboo in their minds.
SI: What will college sports look like in 10 years?
I would say 10 years from now college athletes will have a real seat at the table, a real voice. I think that they will have legally guaranteed protections, and I think that some of the value that they generate will go to them in some way, whether it be a trust fund for them after they're done.
I don't think it'll be either extreme. I don't think you're going to see college athletes with multi-million-dollar salaries, but they're not going to be living below the poverty line like they are now. The graduation rate isn't going to be hovering around 50% for football and basketball players like it is now. And I think players are going to have long-term support for the injuries they suffer in college sports. I think that there are going to be mandated rules to minimize traumatic brain injuries and other serious injuries.
I think we'll be in a much better place.
Cardinals Make Official Decision on Watt Before Facing Rams
Arizona's defense is getting a major boost on Monday night.
Jones Reacts to Cowboys Fans Throwing Trash at Officials
Jerry Jones's son discussed the rough scene at AT&T Stadium immediately after the game.
Hunter Johnson's college football career will end with the Tigers.
Cowboys EVP Shares His Thoughts on Mike McCarthy's Future
Jerry Jones's son addressed the situation with McCarthy, who faced criticism after the Cowboys' loss to the 49ers in the wild card.


Welcome to Mayfair Furniture, we supply a range of contract furniture including restaurant furniture & hotel furniture to the hospitality and leisure industries across all areas of the United Kingdom, Ireland, & Europe.
We stock a fantastic range of commercial seating in a variety of styles to suit all kinds of establishments. Including B&B, Restaurant seating, Café seating, Pub, Bar, Spa, Leisure Clubs and many more.
We have a range of services that enable us to fulfil a variety of bespoke furniture orders including custom table sizes, specific colours in furniture chosen by you and bespoke handmade premium quality contract furniture and upholstery.
As well as our huge variety of new contract commercial furniture, Mayfair Furniture is also a leading full service clearance company to the hospitality industry. We buy used furniture from hotels and restaurants, which our professional refurbishment team and upholsterers will restore. We give you the opportunity to buy high quality, often bespoke items at a heavily marked down prices from our used furniture range.
Don't worry we hate spam too. We won't share your details with anyone.


A swallowtail butterfly has been keeping me company today as I water the new street trees along the trail by the railroad tracks. The sun is shining and it is another beautiful day to be spending at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary/Tanners Pond Environmental Center. My name is Victoria Grover. I am going into my junior year at nearby Adelphi University. Currently, I am a Physics major en route to Civil Engineering. I want to develop a focus on water systems, soil and water conservation, hydraulic power, and erosion control. This summer I am serving as the preserve's summer Field Intern. Through a coalition between Adelphi's Community Fellows Program and Garden City Bird Sanctuary I have found a place at the preserve. On a daily basis, I am here to welcome visitors, give tours, and work alongside our many community service volunteers. The number of projects that are simultaneously going on within our gates is always staggering to me.
As an environmental center our job is not only to provide a nearby "backyard habitat" for local and migrating birds, but also to educate people about the dangers of pollution and the importance of environmental preservation. Accordingly, another large part of my job consists of sharing the preserve with local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops that often come to explore the park and learn what we are all about. Not only do we explain to them the purpose and mission of the Environmental Center, but we provide them with opportunities to take a personal part in the betterment of our preserve. Young scouts fill bird feeders and plant colorful flowers such as zinnias and other annual flowers to attract birds, while older scouts fill whole garden beds with sun loving herbs and flowers or, design their own projects. We have had numerous project installations by Eagle Scout and Girl Scout Gold Award recipients. Some of these include chimney swift nesting towers, a native birds' nest display, an amphibian pond, and label posts for many of the trees within the preserve. This last project is part of our work to create an expanding arboretum within our boundaries. This is a preserve that caters to the interests of so many individuals in our community. Not only birders and scouts come here but also joggers, photographers, and even bicyclists!
There is always something new and wonderful going on here, not to mention the everyday maintenance and upkeep of the preserve. That in and of itself is a backbreaking job! Lucky for us it is well orchestrated by our dedicated directors Mr. Robert Alvey and Mr. Anthony Cenzoprano. They along with Mr. John Cronin (president), Ms. Elizabeth Bailey (vice president), Ms. Annette Seltzer (secretary), Mr. Eugene Martens (treasurer), and all the other wonderful people on our Board of Directors strive to keep the park blooming and beautiful. I am also very excited to be a part of our upcoming "Nature Camp" in July that we run with the Village Recreation Department. I am sure that it is going to be a terrific summer for me, and I hope to see some of you as visitors to our backyard habitat or working right alongside me as volunteers. If nothing else come watch our birds, they can put on quite a show!


text:
The Machine Making sense of AI
Drone Racing League launches $2 million autonomous drone competition
Khari Johnson@kharijohnson	 September 5, 2018 2:05 PM
Image Credit: Drone Racing League
The Drone Racing League (DRL) will host a series of races and competitions where autonomous drones will try to beat a professional drone pilot. Teams of university students and other drone enthusiasts will be invited to compete for more than $2 million.
The Artificial Intelligence Robotic Racing (AIRR) Circuit will produce four AI vs. AI races in its inaugural season and will use the same video game-inspired courses as the kinds used by pro drone pilots in the DRL Allianz World Championship, DRL CEO Nicholas Horbaczewski told VentureBeat in an email.
Both the AIRR Circuit and the AlphaPilot Innovation Challenge, which pits human versus machine, will take place during the 2019 season.
The first drone from an autonomous team to beat a human will receive $250,000, and the winning team of the AIRR Circuit will receive $1 million. Full details on team requirements will be made available when applications are accepted in November.
"The AIRR Circuit will be the premier, global autonomous drone racing circuit. It will challenge teams of the most talented AI engineers and researchers from around the world to design an AI framework that's capable of racing a drone — without any pre-programming or human intervention," Horbaczewski said. "By having AI and humans compete on the same track and comparing their times, we'll also be able to measure the gap in performance between man and machine, and see how quickly it closes."
Above: Jet, the 2016 and 2017 DRL Allianz World Champion.
The competition is being funded by Lockheed Martin as part of a multi-year partnership with the DRL, but it's not the first instance of human-machine competition to be the best drone pilot. Last fall, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) held a race between pro drone racer Ken Loo and a set of autonomous drones that made their decisions based on feedback from cameras. Overall, the drones were slower but more consistent than the human pilot.
Plans to launch an AI-fueled circuit and competition comes just a day before the season premiere of the third season of the Drone Racing League. The premiere will be broadcast at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.
The 2018 season for human drone pilots will take place in a range of locations, from a biosphere in Arizona and The Adventuredome at Circus Circus Las Vegas to the Allianz Riviera soccer stadium in Nice, France and a BMW factory in Munich, Germany. The DRL season will culminate with a championship competition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The 2019 season will culminate with a winner-take-all race between the winner of the AIRR Circuit and the DRL world champion.
"In 2019, we're fairly certain the human pilot will win. By 2020, it's anyone's race," Horbaczewski told VentureBeat in an email, adding that an autonomous drone could join the DRL as soon as 2021. The DRL could also use AI in the future to help human drone pilots improve their skills or for autonomous drone teams to work with simulators.
Above: Standardized drones will be employed by both autonomous systems and humans.
Hundreds of drones will participate in the initial AIRR Circuit on drone courses around the world. Participating teams will be asked to construct their frameworks using Nvidia's Jetson platform for autonomous vehicles.
From DeepMind's AlphaGo win to reinforcement learning that teaches autonomous systems to work together like teammates to AI that plays Starcraft or Dota 2, games and challenges have been key to many breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.
Join us for the world's leading event on applied AI for enterprise business & technology decision-makers, presented by the #1 publisher of AI coverage.
VentureBeat Homepage	The Machine


text:
Road construction Saude-Storkjær.
Image from Road Director Hans H. Krag's foto album, 1900; courtesy of the Norwegian Road Museum
In The Tertiary History of the Grand Cañon District (1882), US surveyor Clarence E. Dutton writes: "Great innovations, whether in art, literature, in science or in nature, seldom take the world by storm. They must be understood before they can be estimated, and must be cultivated before they can be understood."[1]
Dutton himself cultivates his experience of the Grand Canyon by making imagination a tool for fascination. He describes the impression of geologic forces upon himself. In order to explain how he perceives the magnificence of the rock faces he sets them in motion to encourage an understanding both of their making and their aesthetic impression: "the Vermillion Cliffs send off buttes," "the entablature […] breaks into lofty truncated towers," "the towers of Short Creek burst into view" (53, 54). The vocabulary is architectural. The canyon is abundant with columns, buttes, terraces, promontories, bays, towers, churches, temples, theaters, and avenues: "As we move outwards towards the center of the grand avenue the immensity and beautiful proportions of the walls develop" (87).
The impression of movement seems first and foremost to come from the geologic masses' own agency. The canyon is a plastic scenario of ripping forces and flowing substances: "The […] escarpments stretch their courses in every direction, here fronting towards us, there averted; now receding behind a nearer mass, and again emerging from an unseen alcove" (60). When Dutton describes a wall as "stretching athwart the line of vision" (86), he describes not the agency of the phenomenological gaze, but a geology that blocks that gaze's access. Dutton's animated perception displays the canyon as an active agent, as something showing itself to him. The canyon stages an unprecedented meeting between man and geologic forces and presence at unimaginable scales. Dutton is being confronted with earth's time.
Tertiary History of the Grand Cañon District fully demonstrates how knowledge and recognition of geological processes may enrich the experience of a particular tract of land, in this case the "veritable wonderland" (36) that is the Grand Canyon, much like Eric W. Sanderson's Mannahatta (2009) and smudge studio's Geologic City (2011) adds to New York, activating an imagining of its past state and human making, and not the least, activating an imagining of its future.[2]
By "leaps of the mind" and "slight effort[s] of the imagination" Dutton cultivates his sights in order to render them conceivable. As part of a detailed procedure for visualizing a reconstruction of the Grand Canyon's smooth Carboniferous platform, Dutton performs an imaginary depression of the freshwater beds of Eocene age, which are now located between 10,000 and 11,000 feet above sea level: "To find their position at the beginning of Tertiary time we must in imagination depress them that amount" (71). Imagination also carries Dutton to unforeseen terrains: "Could the imagination blanch those colors, it might compare them with vast icebergs, rent from the front of a glacier and floating majestically out to sea, only here it is the parent mass that recedes, melting away through the ages, while its offspring stands still" (54).
Robert Smithson performs a very similar exercise of setting geologic material in motion by help of imagination in his essay on Frederick Law Olmsted and Central Park:
"Imagine yourself in Central Park one million years ago. You would be standing on a vast ice sheet, a 4,000-mile glacial wall, as much as 2,000 feet thick. Alone on the vast glacier, you would not sense its slow crushing, scraping, ripping movement as it advanced south leaving great masses of rock debris in its wake. Under the frozen depths, where the carousel now stands, you would not notice the effect on the bedrock as the glacier dragged itself along."[3]
The "slight effort of the imagination" employed by Dutton and Smithson, helps illuminate that almost inexplicable fascination we feel when looking at exposures of geologic stratification revealed by present day engineering and construction--such as road cuts and surface mines. One could say that fascination with elemental and geologic presence in our environment is a fascination in the face of what is not us, what is not human, and which has its own agency. For French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy, it is a fascination with something that is not landscape.
To Nancy, that which escapes the category of landscape also escapes us. The ground of the landscape, its base materiality, is always mediated by landscape as a cultural construct. We have no access to the ground as unmediated. To explain this, Nancy compares the relationship between "landscape" and "land," to how the image stands in a relation to that which it is an image of. The image is an image of the world, of the world it is made in and arises from. Once pictured however, this world, or ground if you like, disappears in the image. This is simpler than it sounds: the image lets go of what it portrays by portraying it! The image is something else, it has changed what it saw and it occupies place with the same authority.
Nancy further launches the idea of country (pays) as something that is not a politically, nationally, culturally and socially formed imaginary construct. It is a corner of land (of the earth) that one might belong to. Landscape (as image), on the other hand, is something that distances us from the country. As Christianity took its hold on landscape and substituted the noisy pagan gods living in the landscape with the ephemeral true God, it expelled all presence from it. The modern era provides no immediate relation to land, no unmediated reciprocity, compared to what the pagan gods offered by being a live part of the landscape. And this establishes a distance between the land and the culturally produced onlooker. To the extent that we are wrapped up in a notion of landscapes as visual and perspectivized scenarios, we are missing a sense of the world as an abundance of material without meaning, except for the differences that exist between shapes and forms, between tree and rock. Nancy opens up the possibility for a sense of the empty, meaningless landscape that the pagan gods surrendered to the Christian God, of land as nothing more or less than mass and presence. When the distance of culturally produced meanings and perspectives is absent, we sense the ground in its desolateness, its lack of meaning and of gods: "there is no presence, there is no access to an 'elsewhere' that is not itself 'here.'"[4]
The American sublime, as suggested by David E. Nye, lies in novelty, and corresponds with Dutton's impression of sublimity while facing the Grand Canyon's "forms so new to the culture of civilized races" (90). For Dutton, the sublime lies exactly in encountering forms not yet part of the human categories for understanding: "In this far-off desert are forms which surprise us by their unaccustomed character. We find at first no place for them in the range of our conventional notions" (90-91).
Today, it is through and by technological and mechanical work that the earth is revealed. But the novelty for us, now, does not consist in the mechanized revelation of its unseen forms. It consists in the formlessness of the matter revealed, as well as in the deep time that it prompts us to imagine. How might we, expanding on Dutton's imaginary animation of geologic form and, by way of Smithson's imaginary animation of Central Park, move on to a conception of the "geologic now" as a new mode of awareness?
At the Norwegian Road Museum lies an old photo album. It was found in the office of the famous road director Hans H. Krag, the Norwegian equivalent to the obsessed "master builder" of New York, Robert Moses, only lacking the latter's more outrageous sides. Krag was responsible for most of the Norwegian highways built 1880-1903 in which time span the gross part of the country's mountain pass roads were built. His album of photographs shows planned roads, indicated by a red line drawn straight across a vertical slab running into a fjord, newly finished roads, and exotic road engineering forms, like half tunnels and glacial tunnels. The photos do of course most of all display the fascination with engineering possibilities, the marvel of human made forms in a nature not easily conquered. They also however testify to the marvel of geology released in the road building practices of the late 19th century.
Tunnel work by the Jøssing fjord.
Two photos stand out as something more than documentation of conquest, and they are astonishingly similar. Both are shot from inside of newly blasted tunnels, roads not finished. In both photos there are figures standing inside the tunnel gazing out of holes through which light flows in. The figures have an air of contemplation. These are not just construction scenarios. Rather they display an artistic wonder in the face of a new landscape or landscape situation, that of looking at the landscape from inside of its matter. The road construction site has formed a space in which nature seeps in and is displayed: an inverted museum.
And still the photos show an attention to the geologic presence of the inside of the mountain. The unknown photographer's sense for material form, light effects and scale recalls romantic painting from a century before, like those of Caspar Wolff's "Eine Jura-Höhle" from 1773, or Joseph Wright of Derby's "Cavern in the Gulf of Salerno," 1774, or his "A Cavern, Morning" from the same year.
Caspar Wolff: Eine Jura-Höhle, 1773.
Road cuttings are human made structures that allow us to co exist with a legible trace of deep time as rock faces, stratification, old riverbanks and just plain dirt is shoveled up and thus displayed. However, they also project into the deep future, Steven Ian Dutch claims in "Geosphere, The Earth has a Future." Structures likely to exist in a million years do not contain steel (as it would corrode). Instead, they include "open-pit mines, earth-fill flank dams, and large landfills." He also adds "large highway and canal cuts."[5]
To enjoy road cuts however, one must not only have a sense of geologic presence, but for the ordinary, for repetition of views, and not the least for that which we pass at great speeds.
Norwegian artists Ingrid Book & Carina Hedén displayed their series Produced Landscapes at Oslo School of Architecture and Design in 2009. For their exploration of roadside landscapes they have chosen the least spectacular stretch of motorway in Scandinavia, the E6 between Oslo and Gothenburg. The road cuts through a semi-industrial cultural landscape broken by shorter stretches of grove--and cuttings. The rock faces are marked by industrial process; the slabs are brutally cracked and bear marks of drilling and blasting. Book & Hedén's 30 photographs catch the generic landscape of the motorway cuttings, the typicality of the Scandinavian gneiss and granites. However, as always in series based on typology, this series manages to display the untypical of each cutting: colors, geologic composition, and rock qualities vary in the tableaux revealed by the photographer. The project thus achieves some of the same effects as some of the typology studies in Gerhard Richter's Atlas.[6] His series of slightly shifted views of gardens, rubble, shrubs, and mountain views unfold the immense variety produced by a slight shift of perspective, and thus reflect a deep desire to say something of how ordinary, often messy, landscapes affect us, and how we are drawn to them. Book & Hedén ask the same question: why are we attracted to haphazardly blasted roads cuts?
From the series Produced Landscapes by Ingrid Book & Carina Hedén.
Reproduction courtesy of the artists.
The photographic closeness to the rocks produces surprising effects as one projects one's imagination onto their materiality. One of the cuttings looks soft, like draped velvet flowing down the slope. Another one looks like a cut-out part of El Capitan, wide red slabs of sandy granite, yet another a roadside "mesa" displayed to northern hemispheres. Still others are framed by dirt and stone masses. The decorative grasses so typical of roadsides in Europe have not yet been planted and the sites thus retain a construction quality. The ground is exposed in a more raw way and thereby the sites escape the leveled character that Uvedale Price shunned as it concealed "the ground itself."[7]
The exposed rock of cuttings like these, or by the one on the Canadian Shield shot by Jamie Kruse, exhibit to us a time that we have no access to: the slow time of geology. The temporality of the rock has been transgressed in and by the blasting of it. As happens in the Grand Canyon, the rock becomes legible as its layers, patterns, and composition is revealed in the cutting. The cut, or incision in the rock, which we will not see clearly at speeds from the car, but all the more clearer in the camera's still frame, defies the extreme slowness and gravity of the rock. Thus the road cut displays an encounter between the slow geological process and a rapid perception of the material--one could say between the 19th century's fascination for geology as science and technique and our time's dependency on high speeds. They allow us access to a temporality and a materiality that our common speeds tear us away from. Ironically it is our infrastructure that allows us both.
Road cut at the Canadian Shield.
Image courtesy Jamie Kruse.
In the post Digging Vermont. What lies beneath the green mountain state, The Center for Land Use Interpretation observes the mountains of slate pieces formed by excavation residue from mines in the territories of Vermont. They recognize something that we might call an implicit fascination: "[R]emarkably few seem to mind how it looks." In conclusion to this post CLUI proceeds to deliver what is, for them, a rare statement of aesthetic evaluation:
Maybe we will decide, though, that terrestrial excavation's honest depiction of our collective consumption can be alluring, or even beautiful, like the picturesque old quarries that litter the state already. Maybe one day the extraction of the mineral resources of the Green Mountain State will be more highly appreciated, as unlike ski condos, it operates, for the most part, below grade, in the gray area under the green.[8]
Here, in one of quite few places where CLUI actually offers an aesthetic evaluation of the many landscape typologies they document, they give expression to the need for a process of habituation not altogether different from Clarence E. Dutton's credo. The cultivation of contemporary landscape typologies like those produced by ground activities of Vermont, contributes to develop and uncover strategies to re-conceptualize our landscape. They also display the necessity of imagination in articulating the significance of contemporary landscapes, as does Book & Hedén's images. This does not, and maybe should not imply investing them with meaning, or even assigning them specific uses. It could mean simply recognizing their agency to produce an effect in us by their mere presence.
Clarence E. Dutton, Tertiary History of the Grand Cañon District (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2001), 142. First published by the U.S. Geographical Survey (Washington, DC: 1882). Hereafter referred to by page number parenthetically throughout essay.↑
In Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, Eric W. Sanderson and his team of scientists reconstruct Manhattan of 1609 and thus add a layer to present day geography and the experience of the city. In Geologic City, smudge studio brings our attention to urban "events" featuring geologic matter and significance, brownstown buildings, scaffolding, Manhattanhenge and the city's closeness to the "canyon" in its waters. ↑
Robert Smithson, "Frederick Law Olmsted and the Dialectic Landscape (1973)," in Robert Smithson, The Collected Writings, ed. Jack Flam (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996), 157.↑
Jean-Luc Nancy, The Ground of the Image, trans. Jeff Fort, (New York: Fordham University Press, 2005), 59. ↑
Steven Ian Dutch, "The Earth has a Future," Geosphere 2.3 (2006): 113-124; doi:10.1130/GES00012.1↑
Specifically in the series' Hahnwald 2006 and Sils Maria 2006; see Gerhard Richter, Atlas (Köln: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2006), 757-783. ↑
Uvedale Price, Essays on the Picturesque, As Compared with the Sublime and the Beautiful: And, On the Use of Studying Pictures, for the Purpose of Improving Real Landscape (London: J. Mawman, 1810). ↑
CLUI, "Digging Vermont: What Lies Beneath the Green Mountain State," The Lay of the Land Newsletter, Winter 2011, http://www.clui.org/lotl/v34/digging_vermont.html ↑


Is your agency prepared for the impact of technology on the insurance industry?
Technological advancements have changed the way we work and play, especially for those working in the insurance sector. Consumers are using their mobile devices and GPS functionality to customize online searches and personalize shopping experiences. And with the increase in social media engagement, using the latest tools has never been of greater importance. This isn't surprising though, given how commonly businesses analyze customer data to add brand value that keeps their customers happy. Is your business prepared for the impact of technology on the insurance industry?
Over the last few years, many insurance firms have expanded and enhanced the way their customers are buying insurance. People are demanding a change from the more traditional way of purchasing coverage to a method that is faster and more convenient for them. Big data and advanced user experience analysis have revolutionized the way people buying. More customer data allows insurance companies to now turn policy due dates and coverage terms into actionable sales follow-up tasks. Valuable customer insights also provide the potential for insurance agents to substantially increase their cross-selling and upselling sales opportunities. Keeping up with the impact of technology on the insurance industry is necessary as new cutting-edge technologies emerge each year.
Increase sales follow up at your insurance agency with our easy-to-use follow up software! Blitz is reasonably priced and is packed with the tools your company needs! Learn what pricing plan fits best with the needs of your company and get started using Blitz today!
How has technology impacted auto insurance?
Several years ago, ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft did not exist. However, as the use of these apps has grown among consumers, so have the number of people enjoying the benefits of making a living or earning some extra money has a driver for one of these companies. This has created a shift in automobile insurance needs and the potential for policy changes for those covering these ride-share drivers. For example, a driver for Lyft will likely have different insurance needs than someone who uses their vehicle for strictly personal purposes. But that isn't the only way auto technology has impacted insurance. As NPR pointed out after an accident last year in Arizona, self-driving cars have raised a question about liability. Typically, in a car accident, the insurance company of the individual found to be at fault is usually the one who pays after a car accident. But when there is no driver, this complicates how victims are compensated or who can be deemed at fault. Those impact questions will likely continue to impact the insurance world for several years into the future.
Tech has also given rise to more computerized devices, which have made our vehicles smarter. Cars, trucks, and SUVs are packed with an array of blind-spot detectors, touchscreens, built-in sensors, and backup cameras. These high-tech devices strive to make drivers safer and reduce accidents; however, this also raises the question if they increase the potential for distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2016, 3,450 people were killed due to distracted driving and 391,000 were injured in 2015 alone. While this is a sobering reminder of the impact of technology, it reminds us that insurance companies should try to use technology in a positive way, to better engage and add brand value for their customers. For example, Progressive's Snapshot program uses mobile app or plug-in device to monitor the customer's driving. And when the drivers remain accident-free, they can earn discounts. Talk about a win-win! This is just one of the ways that companies are using customer data and is likely to evolve as technology becomes smarter and more refined.
How has technology affected the way agencies operate?
While the impact of technology on the insurance industry has been substantial for personal automobile policies, it has also extensively changed what kind of insurance jobs are available and the software used to handle general operations. Technology has influenced not just customer communications and marketing, but also the areas of underwriting and claims adjusting. According to Insurance Risk Services, some insurance agencies are now using drones to explore areas that have been hit by natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. This visibility provides a way to analyze damage and process claims for large buildings and properties safely and more efficiently than ever before. Technology now allows insurance agencies to track not just policy dates but also demographical and psychographic information about their customers to uncover potential areas at risk. But in order to interpret the data, companies must have an analytics team or individual who can help determine where those opportunities exist and why. Data analysis is growing in importance for many insurance agencies as they review how tech has impacted their staffing needs.
What do you feel has been the impact of technology on the insurance industry? How is your insurance agency leveraging mobile applications, CRM systems like Blitz, and data to engage your customers? We would love to hear from all of you working in the insurance industry. Please share your thoughts and post your questions by commenting below.


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Published July 12, 2018 10:26am EDT
Tennessee pastor allegedly rapes teen at worship center
By Katherine Lam , | Fox News
A Tennessee pastor is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl at a worship center. (Cocke County Detention Center)
A Tennessee pastor was arrested Saturday after he allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl at a worship center, police said.
James "Ronnie" Messer, 46, a pastor in Morristown, was taken into custody after the teenage girl's family reported the allegations.
Messer and the girl were initially supposed to go swimming, but their plans were put on hold because of bad conditions.
Messer then took the girl to Crossway Worship Center, where he raped the 17-year-old in the men's bathroom, according to police.
He later told police he believed the encounter was consensual.
The pastor was released on bond on Tuesday. It's unclear whether he has a lawyer.


text:
Q: surefire-junit47 from parent POM prevents JUnit 5 test detection Due to company policy, my project must inherit from a parent POM, which I cannot change. The parent POM defines the following surefire plugin in the pluginManagement section:
<build>
   <pluginManagment>
      <plugins>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>3.0.0-M4</version>
          <dependencies>
            <dependency>
              <groupId>org.apache.maven.surefire</groupId>
              <artifactId>surefire-junit47</artifactId>
              <version>3.0.0-M4</version>
            </dependency>
          </dependencies>
        </plugin>
      </plugins>
   </dependencyManagement>
</build>

This forces the surefire Provider to JUnit Core (4.7+). However, my project uses JUnit 5.7.0 exclusively. I can run unit tests from the IDE, no problem. But when I run mvn clean test, none of the unit tests are detected:
[INFO] Tests run: 0, Failures: 0, Errors: 0, Skipped: 0

*

*To debug, I removed the reference to the parent POM and copied the contents of the parent POM to my project's POM and got the same results. When I deleted the surefire plugin definition above from pluginManagement, everything worked as expected. All tests detected and run.

*Back to the original setup with parent POM, in my pluginManagement section, I tried overriding maven-surefire-plugin without the surefire-junit47 dependency. I added a junit-platform-surefire-provider dependency, but get a ForkedProcessEvent error, since both JUnit 4 and 5 providers conflict. It seems like my dependency is just added to the one from parent POM.

How can I exclude or override the parent POM's maven-surefire-plugin dependency from the child POM?

*

*maven version: 3.6.3

*maven compiler version: 3.8.1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home » Featured, Premier League
Owen Hargreaves reveals what is so special about Liverpool
Owen Hargreaves points to Liverpool's under-reliance on one goalscorer as being the root of their success this season.
When the 2016/17 season began, I don't think anyone but Liverpool's own supporters were expectant of great things and yet pundits and opposition fans have come to expect football of the highest order from the Merseyside bunch.
Between Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana and Mane, the quartet has scored 15 of Liverpool's 24 goals in the Premier League and there is very little sign that they are slowing down. Against Crystal Palace, although Coutinho didn't get on the scoresheet, his two corners assisted goals for Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip and this proves that he can be effective even if he isn't scoring.
Liverpool's deadly front four has terrorised the Premier League this season and seems to be a match for any team, except Burnley, that is. Versatility up front has wreaked havoc for static defences like Leicester and Hull City – the interchangeability up front is so hard to track that playing man-to-man isn't viable but zonal marking doesn't work either as Coutinho and Mane exploit the slightest hint of space.
Owen Hargreaves believes that Liverpool's under-reliance on one goalscorer is their main strength this season.
"What makes this Liverpool team so special is that they are so versatile," Hargreaves told BT Sport.
"They don't rely on one player to get them goals: Firmino, Lallana, Mane and Coutinho. They've got so many attacking players."
Joel Matip and Emre Can got their first goals of the season against Crystal Palace and it just emphasises that Liverpool don't look to one star striker anymore to lead the line and win the game. When Luis Suarez was at the club, the forward won games on his own regularly, but those days are long gone.
With Klopp building a team geared purely toward working for each other, it would be a bit odd to have one superstar who stood out above the rest and stole the show. The team spirit and sense of unity is impressive and it can only serve to help in Liverpool's aim to challenge for league this season.
Even if Firmino stops scoring goals, Klopp has the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi to turn to, so it's not like he's short of options either.
Liverpool face Watford next in the Premier League and there is plenty to be optimsitic about with the Reds looking to make it 12 games unbeaten in all competitions. Read Alex Roger's article on why Liverpool have plenty of reason to be optimsic when facing the Hornets.
The best photos of Liverpool's win at Selhurst Park
Analysts give Liverpool low percentage chance of Premier League title


Environmental Charter Schools (ECS) provides free, interdisciplinary education to underserved communities in the Southern Los Angeles region with a creative, environmental lens. In addition to being a distinguished U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School, Environmental Charter High School has a 98% graduation rate. 91% of students are from low-income families and 63% are first-generation college students.
This project aims to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of the high school's current curriculum. To do so, we will focus on Intersession, during which students spend one month apart from their usual academic schedule to explore real-world, environmental issues and demonstrate their newfound knowledge via presentations in a community forum at the end of the month. The objective of Intersession is for students to demonstrate environmental leadership and to prepare students both for college and as community leaders. By surveying students about their Intersession experience, we will be able to assess the curriculum and produce an improved metric system of evaluation for both students and teachers that in turn will be used in further development of ECS as a whole.


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