text:
Tea Pairings & Winter Themed Books
01/12/2021 30/11/2021 / Dani Hoots Author	/ 5 Comments
Christmas is coming! I am happy to be a part of the 12 Bookish Days of Christmas blog tour! Below are the links and dates of all the posts! Also, don't forget to check out the end of the post for an amazing giveaway!
Day 1 – YA Christmas Reads + Sweets
Day 1 Bonus – Hosting a Secret Santa Gift Exchange with Your Bookish Friends
Day 2 – Gift Ideas for Friends who Read
Day 3 – Found Family Trope Reads
Day 4 – White Stag Review + Decadent Vegan Hot Cocoa Recipe
Day 5 – Book Room Christmas Decor + Favorite Christmas Reads
Day 6 – 12 Favorite Fantasy Books of the Year
Day 7 – A Christmas Playlist to Read To
Day 7 Bonus – Christmas Traditions + Favorite Holiday Reads
Day 8 – Tamales and Books!
Day 9 – Winter Book Review: Wicked Lovely
Day 10 – Derby Pie and Fond Memories
Day 11 – Mistletoe Myths & Stories
Day 12 – A Soul as Cold as Frost Review + Coffee Recipe
Day 12 Bonus – Tea Pairings & Winter-Themed Books
Wrap-Up – All the Stocking Stuffers + Big Giveaway
Tea & Book Pairing
To start off, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER by Kara McDowell is the perfect YA Christmas read! If you have ever been unable to make a decision and spiral into what-if's, you will related to Paige. She must make a difficult decision and in a crazy accident, she can see what happens in two of the decisions. This story is cute story that is great to read as a teen or even as an adult! I think it pairs well with a nice herbal tea by Traditional Medicinals. The ginger and chamomile is calming and warming and great this time of year.
BLURB: Sliding Doors meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in a sweet, smart holiday romance about a girl who decides to stop letting her anxiety stand in the way of true love.
The average person makes 35,000 decisions every single day. That's about 34,999 too many for Paige Collins, who lives in debilitating fear of making the wrong choice. The simple act of picking an art elective is enough to send her into a spiral of what-ifs. What if she's destined to be a famous ceramicist but wastes her talent in drama club? What if there's a carbon monoxide leak in the ceramics studio and everyone drops dead? (Grim, but possible!)
That's why when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she's paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family's romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about?
Just when it seems like Paige will crack from the pressure of choosing, fate steps in — in the form of a slippery grocery store floor — and Paige's life splits into two very different parallel paths. One path leads to New York where Paige falls for the city . . . and the charms of her unexpected tour guide. The other leads to the mountains where Paige might finally get her chance with Fitz . . . until her anxiety threatens to ruin everything.
However, before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she'll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety — and learn that you don't have to be "perfect" to deserve true love.
A CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS by Kerstin Gier is a great German novel about an intern that is stuck working at a hotel that is failing. It takes place in the Swiss Mountains, making the read feel like a fun vacation. It is full of mystery, a fun cast, and a great cat that isn't supposed to live in hotel. I think a great tea pairing is 500 Mile Chai by The Tao of Tea as it is warming, spicy, with the deepness of black tea. It is one of my favorites!
BLURB: Witty and charming, New York Times-bestselling author Kerstin Gier's contemporary young adult novel A Castle in the Clouds follows a girl as she navigates secrets, romance, and danger in an aging grand hotel.
Way up in the Swiss mountains, there's an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year's Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways.
Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure—and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.
THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE by Cynthia Hand is a great books about learning from mistakes, even after the fact. Holly Chase didn't listen to the ghosts that warned her and she dies. So she has to work for the Ghost of Christmas Past. It is a great, exciting read that you don't want to miss! I feel it pairs well with Fox Craft Apothecary's Krampus tea (which is actually my own company!). It is minty with chocolate, making it both warming but also chilling like ghosts. It is available on my Etsy!
Before I Fall meets "bah, humbug" in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.
On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn't. And then she died.
Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as their latest Ghost of Christmas Past. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable. But this year's Scrooge is different. This year's Scrooge might change everything…
The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a witty, poignant, and insightful novel about life, love, and seizing second (or third) chances, perfect for readers who loved Before I Fall or Dash & Lily's Book of Dares.
Discover imaginative indie reads, meet dedicated bookish friends, and win this incredible $750+ bundle for book lovers!
The Facebook group YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Addicts is here to brighten your winter by giving away a bundle of bookish merch worth more than $750. With one grand prize winner and two runners-up, there's 3x more chances to win this season!
Grand Prize includes:
4 Trader Joe's Hot Chocolate Spoons
TILISMA Book Page Holder
The Book Lover's Reading Journal, Hardcover-Spiral
2 Pack Handmade Vintage-Style Metal Feather Bookmark Gift Box
Bookish goodies like bookmarks and art
1 hardcover book
19 paperbacks (some of them are signed by the author!)
Two Runners-Up will also each receive:
Indie book swag like bookplates, a signed postcard, bookmarks, and stickers
3 audiobooks
Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity to discover, connect, and win!
This giveaway is open internationally. The nature of certain prizes may vary depending on the shipping location of the winner. Only members of the YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Addicts Facebook Group will qualify to win.
Please make sure you are joining, liking, and sharing what you say you are. We do verify this information when we pick winners!
By entering this giveaway, you consent to receive emails and correspondence from the YA SFF Newsletter hosted by yasff.com. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Book Review of In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund
29/07/2021 27/07/2021 / Dani Hoots Author	/ Leave a comment
Title: In the Hall with the Knife
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Genre: YA Thriller/Mystery/Dark Academia
Scarlet. Mustard. Green. Peacock. Plum. Orchid.
One storm will change their lives forever…if they survive the night.
When a killer storm strikes at Blackbrook Academy, an elite prep school nestled in the woods of Maine, a motley crew of students are left stranded at the aristocratic mansion on campus. House later, his lifeless body is discovered in a pool of blood.
Based on the classic board game CLUE, IN THE HALL WITH THE KNIFE kicks off a trilogy of young adult mysteries in which nothing is what it seems, and everyone has a motive for murder.
The Game is On. No One is Safe.
IN THE HALL WITH THE KNIFE by Diana Peterfreund is a YA novel based on the board game CLUE. I love the game and, of course, the movie. The cover caught my eye, and the fact that it was based on CLUE. All of the characters are colors, naturally, and it takes place during a story. Everyone is trapped inside the mansion, which is a dorm at their school, and they are stranded. I thought that was a creative twist, along with Mr. Body being the principal, and Mrs. White the dorm caretaker.
I enjoyed the mystery and how it was in multiple POVs. All of the POVs had different secrets, which is always fun to discover. My only problem is that some of the characters didn't feel they had much depth; however, since it was a bit of a take on the boardgame, it was still well written and intriguing. It was spooky and I feared for all the characters and what might happen.
The book does leave on cliffhanger, and I can't wait to read the next book! It was definitely a cliffhanger that made me want to know what happens next. I highly recommend to anyone who loves CLUE and YA books!
Book Review of One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
27/07/2021 / Dani Hoots Author	/ Leave a comment
Title: One of Us is Lying
Author: Karen M. McManus
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.
ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus is a great murder mystery that left me wanting more. At first, I wasn't sure how much I would love some of the characters, but found that I loved each and every one of them. There were a lot of secrets revealed for all the characters that kept me reading until late at night. It was a lot like BREAKFAST CLUB, but with a murder.
The first chapter begins the whirlwind with the murder. It was a really messed up way to kill that actually freaked me out. It was clever and realize later why it was so clever. Then from then on you see what happens to each of the characters and POVs of how they are dealing with being investigated for the murder. Each of them have different motives, and each have different resources, along with their own secrets that are being dug up. It was non-stop action!
My favorite character was Nate, but they were all amazing. Each one of them had a lot of layers, a lot character development, and I was rooting for each and every one of them. The story brings up a lot of issues high schoolers face, and I liked that there were a lot information provided for anyone that is suffering with the issues these characters faced. I can't wait to read more from this author! If you love murder mysteries and young adult novels, I highly recommend!
PS, I just found out while googling the cover image to put in, that it will also be a series on Peacock! Not sure how close it will be to the book, but check it out here.
Book Review of Down with this Ship by Katie Kingman + Q&A!
Title: Down with this Ship
Author: Katie Kingman
Genre: YA
Kole Miller is the best writer at the prestigious Crystal Lake High. But no one knows it—not her creative writing classmates, or even her academic arch nemesis Colin (aka Mr. Valedictorian). That's because Kole's best work is a secret fanfic based on The Space Game, her favorite show.
When Kole's fanfic wins a major contest, her readership skyrockets. Suddenly, Kole finds herself stuck in the heated ship wars, as her new readers pair characters from the show together as romantic couples. Worse yet, Kole's classmates discover that she's the fanfic's author. Now it isn't just The Space Game everyone is arguing about: they start shipping Kole with her classmates.
With her romantic life in shambles and her anxiety through the roof, Kole must face both her inner demons and the ones at her school. She has one chance to reclaim her fanfic—and the guy that Kole now realizes she's shipped herself with since episode one of the school year.
*I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review
This book is a great romantic comedy for anyone who loves to write stories or fan fiction. When I was in high school, I liked to write a lot and wrote fanfics, mainly Star Wars, so I really could connect to Kole. I didn't keep it a secret, since everyone already knew I was a big nerd, but I couldn't imagine what Kole went through when other people found out and she started getting bullied online with comments when her fanfic won.
I loved watching Kole figure out her demons and become a stronger person. I also loved the romantic elements and love triangle. Kingman does a great job of making you connect with the MC and rooting for her the entire time. I recommend this to anyone who loves romance, coming of age stories, and people who write fanfics!
Check out the Q&A with Katie Kingman below!
Q&A With Katie Kingman!
To start off, I have to know if you have ever written fan fiction?
I haven't really written fan fiction before, but I remember being super proud of fanart I drew of Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the 90s. I was a huge David Boreanaz fan — ha!
If so, what fandom? If not, what fandom would you consider writing fan fiction for?
If I were to write fanfic I would rewrite the entire last season of Penny Dreadful. There were some parts I liked, but there's no way I would let that ending slide! I'd do Ethan and Vanessa justice, and make the arc of her faith make sense. I would also give the side characters more justice — particularly the creature and Victor.
What made you want to write this book?
I was fascinated with the idea of a creator coming face to face with their critics — and not being able to shut them down because they're forced together; in this case, it made sense to make them in classes together. It makes the tension unavoidable, and I love to give my characters a hard time!
Is this the first book you ever wrote, or do you have another story hidden in a drawer somewhere?
This is the second — the first is actually THE SPACE GAME that Kole is obsessed with, or a space opera that was sitting on my drive called THE SEVEN SKIES. I wasn't ready to let go of the idea of it, and in that sense, DOWN WITH THIS SHIP is fanfic of that manuscript. The snippets in this novel are from that draft.
Have you always wanted to write, or did you decide later on that you wanted to become an author?
I remember saying I wanted to be a writer in high school, but that was because I'd impressed my teacher with a short story I'd written for an assignment. It wasn't until I was much older and a parent that I found myself needing an escape and writing provided that outlet.
What is your favorite ship in your favorite fandom? What about your book?
Well, I think the one I was most engrossed in first was Buffy and Angel (sorry Spike fans!), but then it evolved to many, many others. I also loved Luke Skywalker and Callista in the extended universe novels (not so much Mara Jade). My most recent, and most heartbreaking ship, is Bellarke. Unfortunately my ships don't often get happy endings. In my book, I love the rivals to enemies element, which means I'd have to side with Kole and Colin. But I adore Noah too!
Do you write with music? If so, do you have any songs from your playlist you would like to share?
Definitely! I'm always writing to film scores. Bear McCreary and James Horner are my favorites, but I love Hans Zimmer as well. I can't do lyrics when I write as I find them distracting.
Lastly, do you have any inspiring words for writers who want to be published some day?
Make connections and do not be afraid of critique! It's truly the best way to get better at the craft, but you have to find critique partners that you trust with your work first. Vet them and do a swap to see if you're a good match. How do you find them? Join the Pitch Wars and Author Mentor Match communities on Twitter. There's a ton of writers out there looking for critique partners and you may find the perfect match! Also, be careful about how much you share of your work online. Unfortunately concepts are stolen far too often, but even then your spin will be different from someone else's, so don't let it discourage you!
Book Review of Rogue: Untouched by Alisa Kwitney
Title: Rogue: Untouched: A Marvel Heroines Novel
Author: Alisa Kwitney
Genre: YA Fantasy/X-Men
Rogue's frightening new mutant powers keep her at arms-length from the world, but two strangers offer a chance to change her life forever, in this exhilarating Marvel Super Hero adventure
Young Rogue's life is a mess: she's on her own, working a terrible diner job and hiding from everyone. The powers she has started to develop are terrifying: when your first kiss almost kills the guy, it's hard to trust anyone – even yourself. Then two people arrive in town who could change her life, and she finally gets a choice: try her luck with the big-haired billionaire who claims to be scouting for gifted interns, or trust the rakish Cajun gambler with the eerie red eyes. But these two aren't the only ones interested in a mutant just coming into her powers. Rogue will have to master her abilities and decide her own fate – before someone else does.
This book made me fall in love with X-Men and Rogue again. I grew up watching X-Men, Wolverine, and X-Men Evolution and got into comics when I was in college. I go in and out of reading comics due to their being so many storylines and they get confusing as to where to start from, but after reading this book, I wanted to start again. This book follows Anna Marie as she begins to develop her powers in a small town in Mississippi. She wants more than anything to get away and go to college—that is, until a dashing young gentleman comes to town. You guessed it—it was Remy aka "Gambit". I was so excited when he cam in the book as he is one of my favorite characters. Now she is in the middle of whatever disaster he is running from. They figure out her powers together, and, of course, he has to try and kiss her since he can't.
I really enjoyed this book as we really got into the mind of Rogue and how she is figuring out her powers. In the comics, she seems very fickle sometimes, but this really dives in to what she is going through and how she is dealing with memories and everything. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves X-Men, Rogue, or Gambit.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL
Book Review of Glimpsed by GF Miller + Q&A & Giveaway!
Title: Glimpsed
Author: GF Miller
Charity is a fairy godmother. She doesn't wear a poofy dress or go around waving a wand, but she does make sure the deepest desires of the student population at Jack London High School come true. And she knows what they want even better than they do because she can glimpse their perfect futures.
But when Charity fulfills a glimpse that gets Vindhya crowned homecoming queen, it ends in disaster. Suddenly, every wish Charity has ever granted is called into question. Has she really been helping people? Where do these glimpses come from, anyway? What if she's not getting the whole picture?
Making this existential crisis way worse is Noah—the adorkable and (in Charity's opinion) diabolical ex of one of her past clients—who blames her for sabotaging his prom plans and claims her interventions are doing more harm than good. He demands that she stop granting wishes and help him get his girl back. At first, Charity has no choice but to play along. But soon, Noah becomes an unexpected ally in getting to the bottom of the glimpses. Before long, Charity dares to call him her friend…and even starts to wish he were something more. But can the fairy godmother ever get the happily ever after?
GLIMPSED follows Charity who helps others' wishes come true, but isn't sure how to deal with her own problems. She pushes people away, thinking that her duty is to others and feels pleasure making their wishes come true. But what if people's wishes don't turn out the way they wanted? And what if someone figures out her secret and begins to blackmail her?
This story was a beautifully written rom-com that I couldn't put down/stop listening too since I listened to the audiobook. Charity, although clearly flawed and doesn't know how to let people in, is relatable. Being a teen is hard as there are a bunch of new experiences thrown her way, on top of her finding out she is like a fairy godmother. I enjoyed learning about her and watching her grow as she helps Noah, and Noah helps her.
I really enjoyed the folklore surrounding Charity and how she is able to "glimpse" people's wishes. I found it to be very original, but won't spoil how it works. I liked the tie-ins to different fairy tales and how they were connected.
All in all, if you like cute rom-coms with a hint of magic, this is a story for you! I can't wait for GF Miller's next book and hope she continues writing more! Scroll down to enter the giveaway and check out the Q&A with GF Miller!
Enter for a chance to win the audiobooks GLIMPSED by G.F. Miller and ENDANGERED by Dani Hoots by clicking here! Giveaway ends 5/14/21!
GLIMPSED:
Charity is a high-school fairy godmother keeping her magic on the downlow and granting wishes like a boss. You want the bullies to give it a rest, a kiss from your secret crush, the lead in the school musical? Charity's got your back. But when Charity sets up one Cindy with an epic prom date, she inadvertently ruins Noah's life (or at least his prom). With Noah's… uh… "help" Charity discovers that every wish she's granted has had unintended consequences. To save everyone's happily ever afters, Charity will have to figure out what's gone wrong and reunite Noah with his true love. The problem is, she's starting to wish she were the one Noah wanted.
ENDANGERED:
Hidden in the Underworld all her life, Chrys, the daughter of Persephone and Hades, just wants to see what the mortal world is all about. She sneaks out with two of her best friends to have a little fun, but she doesn't realize that perhaps her father made her stay hidden for a reason. Will she be able to make it back before Zeus and the other gods find her, or will she come face to face with her fate?
*United States & Canada only
Q&A With GF Miller!
Is Cinderella your favorite fairy tale, and if not, what is?
Growing up, my family had a gorgeously illustrated fairytale book. It was something from my mom's childhood, and she was pretty precious with it. Like, we knew that she could have more kids, but she'd never get another copy of that book. Every chance I got, I'd look through it, though. Every page was a full-color work of art. It had the standard stories, like "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty," but also a couple of more off-beat ones. Like "Toads and Diamonds." I think my favorite one was "Snow White and Rose Red." It has nothing to do with the other Snow White… It's about two sisters—and shockingly they're both good people—who live with their mom (who's ALSO not evil, if you can believe it) in a house in the woods. They walk in the woods a lot because I guess there wasn't much to do for fun back then. And in the woods, they repeatedly help this grouchy dwarf out of sticky situations. But then something happens with a bear mauling the dwarf, but the sisters aren't afraid of it (stupid or fearless? You be the judge.). Actually, they're worried that the bear will be cold, so they take it home to live with them for the winter. And their mom is just cool with it. Then in the spring, the bear turns into a prince and—BAM, he has a brother!—and everybody gets married! The end! It's so random and, I don't know, I just like it.
What made you pick Star Trek for Noah to obsess over? Are you a Trekkie?
I can't claim to be a hardcore Trekkie like Noah and his family are. But I do enjoy the Star Trek universe, and especially its fandom. Some of my favorite people have been Trekkies. I chose it because a lot of fandom—like Marvel and Star Wars—has become very mainstream. No amount of geeking out about it would really feel that dorky. It was important for Noah to be super dorky. So I wanted something a little more niche, but well-known enough that readers wouldn't be completely lost.
Glimpsed was the book I wrote as a mental vacation after writing something very deep and heavy. I was exhausted from pouring myself into this difficult topic. So I said, "Okay, now I'm just going to make myself laugh." I had so much fun writing Glimpsed. And I loved exploring—in a really whimsical way—the question of "What does it mean to truly help others? How do we engage with people who are struggling without imposing our own will on them or diminishing their dignity?"
Glimpsed was my third completed novel-length manuscript. Every so often, I pull those first two out of the trunk and give them a cuddle. But I think if they are ever to be published, I'll need a whole new pen name, because they aren't "charming, sparkly rom-coms perfect for fans of Jenn Bennett." So, my friends, be on the lookout for a searing interrogation of the American Dream by F. G. Mirell and a heart-pounding thriller by Georgina F. Moonmore.
Even though I was a voracious reader growing up, and even though I've been writing for fun and as a job for…ever… for some reason it never occurred to me that "author" could be a career path—until I started hanging out with authors and suddenly realized that regular people write books and sell them. As soon as that clicked, getting traditionally published became my goal.
What made you want to tell the fairy godmother's POV instead of a Cindy's?
It honestly never even occurred to me that I might want to tell anyone else's story. Charity, the teen fairy godmother, came to me with her problems, so I started writing. It was fun because she has a lot going on, but in the first draft of the book, I wasn't even sure if I liked Charity. She is very flawed. She can be so pushy and insensitive sometimes. Thankfully my editor at Simon & Schuster, Jessica Smith, did an incredible job of helping me discover Charity's softer side and drawing that out. And now I can't help but love her despite all her questionable decisions. I hope readers feel the same!
I get easily distracted by music, so I usually write in silence. But in-between writing sessions, I had some inspiration songs:
ME TOO by Meghan Trainor – This pretty much feels like it should be Charity's anthem. The unapologetic self-confidence of the lyrics, the energetic vibe, the feeling that "everything is going my way"…that is totally Charity. She's at the top of her game as a fairy godmother, and she knows it.
WHITE AND NERDY by Weird Al Yankovic (parody of RIDIN' by Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone) – Noah deserves an anthem too. And nothing could be more fitting than this comic twist on gangster rap. Noah is a total nerd, and he just owns it.
PROBLEM by Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Charity has so many issues to deal with—both her own and other people's—throughout GLIMPSED. She is constantly hustling and putting out fires on the fly. The last thing this fairy godmother needs is an anti-wish zealot like Noah dogging her every move. If she could just get him off her case, she'd be singing, "I got 99 problems, but you won't be one." But, also, if she's being honest, there's a little part of her that's starting to feel that first part of the song too: "Even though I hate ya, I wanna love ya."
Lastly, do you have an inspiring words for writers who want to be published some day?
Yes! Here they are:
Don't forget to have fun. Sometimes we take ourselves so seriously or get so caught up in the hard parts of the process that we lose the fun and joy of sitting down and creating a thing. If writing's not joyful, why not become an electrician? There are literally a thousand other things you could do that would pay better. So if you're going to be a writer, enjoy it.
Book Review of Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer
Title: Into the Heartless Wood
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Epic, heartbreaking, and darkly atmospheric, Into the Heartless Wood is the story of impossible love between a monstrous tree siren and a boy who lives at the edge of her wood.
The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain.
When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch's wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren's quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.
*I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review*
Joanna Ruth Meyer does it again! She magically crafts a story with enchanting prose, wonderful characters, and a beautiful plot. I fell in love with Owen and how he wanted to help his family, and yet is drawn to Seren, a tree siren who has saved his life. He knows better than to trust her, but he can't help but wonder what she is truly about.
The prose for Seren is almost like poetry as she grows and learns more about the humans. She constantly is struggling on wanting to help Owen, but also her loyalty to her mother and sisters. Will she break tradition and help her new human friend, or will she succumb to fate?
The first book I read by Meyer was Echo North and I immediately fell in love with her writing style. This books follows the same style of weaving different folklore and fairytales, and yet being something completely different. I recommend it to anyone who loves YA fantasy!
Book Review of Aspiring and Becoming by Astrid V.J.
Title: Aspiring (Book 1)
Author: Astrid VJ
Title: Becoming (Book 2)
A coven of witches plots to overthrow a kingdom. One brave woman stands in their way.
At her mother's death-bed, Elisabeth learns her mother's illness is no accident and that her own life is in danger. Evil witches are plotting to take over the kingdom of Vendale. All alone, naive, and untrained, Elisabeth's determination is all she has to confront her mother's murderers as she discovers love at the same time. While Richard's behaviour sends distracting mixed messages, Elisabeth finds herself stuck in limbo: she is treated like a child but is forced to make adult decisions. Meanwhile, the witches' plot spins a fateful web around her.
Can Elisabeth succeed in the face of insurmountable odds?
*I am review book 1 and 2 together
Astrid did great in weaving the feeling of classic fairytales into her story for the modern reader. Elizabeth is a fun character who is relatable for anyone who has fallen in love, but then has to deal with her new powers and is given more responsibility than she ever thought possible. It definitely weaves in a few different class fairy tales from different areas of Europe, and I really liked that about it. Astrid writes very well and has a beautiful pose, although if you are looking for an action-packed story, this one might not be for you. This one is more lyrical and beautiful, versus other books in the genre.
The second book is great as it follows more of of the siblings' tale. I really liked Edvard and his devotion to his sister, but felt we didn't get enough of him in the last half of the book. Although the evil step-mother troupe is used a lot, it's definitely a classic and is relatable to some people *cough-cough*. She was quite evil, but I found her believable as I have seen some pretty messed up families in my life because of step-parents.
All in all, if you are looking for a beautiful prose that is based on fairy tales, I recommend these two books!
Book Review of Embers by Sky Sommers
Title: Embers
Author: Sky Sommers
A wolf cursed to be a horrible warning. A huntsman who hates to kill. His son loves red T-shirts and to roam the woods alone.
For failing to uphold her end of the bargain Ella's "wicked" stepmother Grace now walks the world on four paws. Her husband Peter has become the village huntsman to save his wife from the villagers. And his son from his wife.
Will Grace remember who she is as she is drawn to the boy? Will she find her way back to Peter? And how exactly do you lift a Fairy Queen's curse?
This adult retelling of Red Riding Hood weaves several classic fairytales together with a splash of darkness, can be read as a standalone novel and is aimed at an adult audience (heat level: mild). For those who wanted to know how Prince Charming's parents got together, keep an eye out for a nested story of Belle and Beast.
*I received this book from the author for my honest review*
This is a very beautiful retelling or Red Riding Hood with a mix of other stories such Beauty and the Beast and Hansel and Gretel. It is told beautiful, just like classic fairy tale stories, but set as a modern tale. I loved how it was changed into a boy representing Red Riding Hood because he always liked wearing the color red, and how he accepted the wolf and wanted to befriend her. As some who tries to support wolf activism (I literally just got a ding from my email from Grand Canyon Wolves as I wrote that haha), I appreciate not making wolves be the bad guy.
This is a continuation of a series, and I haven't gotten a chance to read the first book, but one could easily read this as a standalone if they wanted to. The only problems I had were that sometimes it was a little hard to follow and I got confused what exactly the conflict was. All in all though, it is a great beach read, lazy summer afternoon read, or a read next to a fire (depending on where you live, it's hot here). I recommend to anyone who enjoys fairy tales.


text:
Traveling 130 Miles Along the Northeast Texas Trail
Former train corridors pave the way for exploration and quietude through seven counties in this rural part of the state.
Wes Ferguson
https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/traveling-130-miles-along-northeast-texas-trail/
The Northeast Texas Trail crosses over Cane Creek in Roxton, in Lamar County.
Photograph by Darren Braun
From the May 2018 Issue Subscribe
This article originally appeared in the May 2018 issue with the headline "Along the Northeast Texas Trail."
The Northeast Texas Trail is a 130-mile shot across the forests and fields of seven counties. Following repurposed railroad lines, it will officially serve as the longest pathway in the state once completed, although it's not clear when that will be. Hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders who want to see it now have little reason to wait, as long as they don't mind rough patches along the way. And in such verdant country, where disused routes disappear into the wild, every footstep, every push of a pedal, is a vote for the trail's existence.
The trail—which most people call the NETT—cuts through cow pastures and accompanies quiet country roads. Some of it's paved; other portions are much rougher. It zips in and out of remote farming towns with names like Pecan Gap and Ben Franklin, crossing swollen creeks on wooden trestles where trains once came rolling round the bend. "You're riding along and thinking, in 1878 there was a steam locomotive going down the same path you're going down," says Gary Tucek, a cyclist who lives near the trail, in Avery, a community in Red River County. "You get out there in either direction from town, and there's hundred-foot-tall pine trees on either side, and total solitude."
The NETT starts in Farmersville, an hour or so northeast of Dallas, and ends in New Boston, eight miles from the Arkansas border on the Red River. Or maybe it starts in New Boston and ends in Farmersville; both towns claim trailhead status. Regardless, give yourself a week and a half to see the whole thing on foot, or four to five days via mountain bike. Some travelers have been known to hop on Amtrak's Texas Eagle in Dallas, ride the passenger train to Texarkana (24 miles east of New Boston), and then pedal back to the Metroplex on a round-trip journey with rail-to-trail symmetry.
The first rail tracks across Northeast Texas were built nearly 150 years ago. By the 1990s, they had fallen into disuse. Rather than abandoning the routes and losing the right-of-way easements, the Union Pacific and Chaparral railroads agreed to a legal process called railbanking, which allows for the lines' use as trails until they are needed for rail service again.
"It's a really peaceful place to be, something you can't find in too many other places," says Jack Neal, the executive director of the Northeast Texas Trail Coalition, a nonprofit group founded in 2012 by local governments and other advocates to oversee the trail's ongoing development as a whole. Over the past few years, the coalition has secured federal and state grants to grade, pave, and lay crushed granite along segments of the NETT, update some of the aging bridges, add signage and handrails, and much more. Over half of the trail will be fully improved by the end of 2019.
Tracking History
Texas is home to 34 completed rail-to-trail projects, like the nine-mile Historic Battlefield Trail, which connects Brownsville to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park, site of the first major battle of the Mexican-American War.
Many of the small communities along the trail owe their existence to the railroads, whose former routes cut through the middle of faded downtowns where vacant storefronts hint at more prosperous times. There are feed and junk stores, barns, rows of rusted cars so old they qualify as lawn art, and stately bank buildings long shuttered. It's not hard to find signs of life, though. The NETT Coalition maintains an interactive map on its website that offers information on dining, lodging, and camping near the trail, as well as hazards to avoid, like the occasional damaged bridge and the presence of unfriendly dogs, a scourge for pedestrians and cyclists.
"Sometimes dogs are loose, and they'll try to bite you," warns a twelve-year-old boy named Jaiden, who was fishing with his friend, Gage, from a gleaming metal bridge over a swift stream in New Boston on a late-winter Sunday afternoon. "I like how the trail used to be train tracks," Jaiden says. "And I really like this bridge."
New Boston is betting big on the trail's potential to breathe some life into its downtown. At the trailhead, a mile and a half east of the boys' fishing hole, the town of 4,500 has built a handsome visitors center and museum in the style of the original 1870s-era train depot, complete with a Victorian turret. The museum opened in early April across the street from a firearms dealer called Cowboy Guns and a consignment shop named Switcheroo. Here, the trail is newly paved and lined with crepe myrtles. West of town, however, the path turns to packed red dirt.
In Avery, about twenty miles west of New Boston, the route passes in front of the volunteer fire station, where the firefighters opened a bunk-room hostel about a year ago. "Our fire department survives on donations," says Tucek, who is also Avery's fire chief. He tells guests, "If you can afford to leave us something, we appreciate it. And if not, we understand." Most people leave $20. "It turned out to be a wonderful deal," Tucek says. "We've had quite a few bikers come through."
The trail "closes" half an hour after sunset, so travelers can't pitch tents or hang hammocks, but many of the towns allow primitive camping in their municipal parks. Or trail users can spring for a room in a bed-and-breakfast like the Courthouse Inn, a Queen Anne Victorian homestead built around 1881, in Clarksville, fifteen miles west of Avery, or Detroit's Whistle Stop Inn, another fifteen miles west.
A cyclist on the trail between Paris and Roxton.
Not far from Detroit, the trail cuts through lowland forests where the only sounds on a recent afternoon were rushing water, birdsong, and frogs calling from trailside puddles. The bridges felt sturdy enough, although some were pocked with holes in the decaying wood. The pavement resumes as the path approaches Paris, which serves as something of a midpoint for the NETT and, with a population of about 25,000, is the trail's only sizable city. Several people were jogging, riding bicycles, and pushing strollers on what felt like a sidewalk through woods half a mile north of the city's Eiffel Tower replica, which stands sixty feet high, a red cowboy hat adorning its top.
Someday, when it's officially completed, the NETT will be the fifth-longest trail in the United States. Complicating efforts to finish the project, however, is a three-mile gap in the trail near an industrial area on Paris's west side; coalition president Earl Erickson hopes to eventually secure an easement for the trail from Union Pacific and adjacent landowners. In the meantime, hikers and bikers are encouraged to use nearby roads to bypass this broken link. Another obstacle to unification is the railroad bridge over the Sulphur River, which collapsed in 2014, near Ben Franklin. Some folks brave the mud and wade across the river when it is low, but a second detour along the road is the safer option.
Another thirty miles down the trail, at the Pecan Gap Seed House, a farm-supply store in a red metal building, manager Louie Williams said his neighbors aren't fans of the NETT. "I don't guess it's a bad thing," he says, "but, boy, these people here, they just don't want it." He claims that when the trains stopped running, the community's landowners hoped the railroad easements would be returned to them. Instead, they've been forced to share the land with the few hardy travelers who pass through on one of the trail's more overgrown areas. "I imagine over the last year, I've had maybe five, six people—no more than ten—stop in here that used the thing," Williams says. "One guy that came through here, he looked like you'd drug him through a pile of bob wire. Boy, he was eat up."
Trail neighbors are more hospitable elsewhere. A quarter mile from the NETT in Ladonia, just west of Pecan Gap, Chris Porter rents out a vacation home at his Porter-O'Fannin Farm that he hopes riders and hikers will use as the trail grows in popularity; he also offers basic camping. "We've had the bike crowd coming through for a while, but they never really stop," he says. "The ones who did were just looking for someplace to crash. I was surprised they would do it, because it's just absolutely primitive camping. It's open fields in a working cattle operation."
Heading from the post oak savannah to the blackland prairie, the dirt path eventually gives way to crushed granite and then concrete as it approaches Farmersville, once known as the Onion Capital of North Texas for its bountiful harvests of a variety called Collin County Sweets. Here, in the thirties, agricultural workers toiled in big, open-air onion sheds, packing and loading the vegetables onto trains for shipment throughout the nation.
At one such onion shed around the corner from downtown Farmersville, the Northeast Texas Trail comes to an end. Or else it begins, depending on how you see it.
Tags: Outdoors, Travel, Nett, Northeast Texas trail, Paris
Would be great to see this trail come to a more complete status. More people would use it if it were more complete. Right now the only long trail in Texas (for backpacking) is the Lone Star Hiking Trail. It's 96 miles long, but has a lot of road walking where the trial is incomplete. Backpacking is hard in Texas because the areas just aren't developed and maintained. We have to go out of state a lot more than I'd like.
About Time: The French Honor the Films of Richard Linklater
By Kathy Blackwell
Parlez-Vous BBQ?
By Jeff Salamon
The Redneck Tenor
Let's Discuss This Iconic Texas Brand Bracket Going Around the Internet

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Flowers are intimate and personal and can often speak louder than words. That's why we love to create special arrangements that are designed just for you or your loved one.
Tell us a bit about who it's for, what the occasion is, their favourite colour or style and we'll put together something at your desired cost. The more you tell us, the better suited our design will be.


Rome is a big city, it really started to sprawl out after World War II and I think now we have more than five millions of inhabitants. Fortunately for the tourists though, the highlights are within the ancient Roman belt of walls built in the 3rd century A.D., but still that's a pretty vast area! The walls' perimeter is roughly 22 kilometers, so 12 miles! Wanting to see everything in one day, or wanting help to be introduced to such a large and complicated city, the best is to rent a driver/guide. Many people think that the Sistine Chapel is the most important site to see in Rome and they have to visit that first and then visit everything else. I don't fully agree with that, I recommend to dedicate a separate half day to the visit of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, to have just one full day for Rome and enjoy it thoroughly. But if you only have one day and you really want to see the Sistine, I have the tour for you here.
You meet your guide at your hotel, if it's the area of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, or reach by your own means the Arch of Constantine and meet your guide there.
Once on the spot you'll walk through part of the ruins of the Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and finally visit the Colosseum. At the end of the tour which will last 3 hours, the guide will take leave of you.
More sites and curiosities, less known than the places listed above, will be brought to your attention while driving. Remember: you'll always see more than you'll be expecting to see!
Roman Forum. The centre for all political, religious and commercial activity at the time of the Roman Empire, the heart of Rome and consequently the centre of the world in the classic era. The "Manhattan" of the Romans. You'll walk through it and see from close the buildings that represent the roots of western civilization, its way of life and politics. The Senate, the Basilicas the Treasury, the temples will be at hand. You'll be able to touch history and become part of it.
The Colosseum parallels in fame St. Peter's Basilica and the Fountain of Trevi, but while St. Peter's represents Christian Rome and the Trevi Fountain represents the most frivolous and carefree aspect of the city, the Colosseum witnesses the grandeur of the Roman Empire, standing there sturdy and austere, receiving the multitudes that go pay their respect to it daily. Built nearly two thousand years ago stills stands there in spite of the fact that for hundreds of years the nobles have been subtracting marble from it to build their churches and their palaces and the people have been stealing the metal that was keeping the blocks of marble linked together, making us think that sometimes men create things that last longer and leave a bigger mark in history than they would have ever thought.
The Fountain of Trevi, we'll get there before of after a stop in Piazza Venezia to take a picture at the Monument to the first King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II, and the balcony from which Mussolini used to harangue the crowds. Yes, the world known Trevi Fountain, Nicola Salvi, one of Bernini's disciples, designed it, but everybody goes there for the legend that says that if one throws a coin in it, he will surely return to Rome! By the way, should you be short of coins, it'll be my pleasure to provide them… it's my best investment!
But this is not all you'll see! Going from St. Peter's to the Colosseum for example you drive though half of Rome and you sure see a lot of things! I can't really promise it, because you may not be so lucky and take this tour in a day with a lot of traffic and/or with long waits to get into St. Peter's Basilica, but normally in four hours you fit in some more places like the Capitol Hill or Michelangelo's Moses.
If you only have one day to see Rome, this is your tour! In addition to the must-see highlights, St. Peter's, the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum we will be able to include in the full-day tour places like the Forum, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and even stop for an authentic Italian lunch.
Supposing we start from the Via Veneto area, we drive down the Via Sistina and stop to look at the famous Spanish Steps. We continue than to the Pincio Terrace and enjoy the beautiful panorama of Rome and the Vatican City. Driving down the hill, we arrive at Piazza del Popolo. Driving past the ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus, we arrive in Piazza Navona. Finally we arrive at St. Peter's Basilica. After visiting St. Peter's Basilica most people like to stop for lunch and I take them to a nice, typical, little restaurant nearby or, if they prefer, to a cafeteria for some pizza or sandwich. The afternoon is almost entirely dedicated to Ancient Rome. One can't miss the Pantheon, the best preserved of the Ancient Roman buildings. The Capitol Hill (Campidoglio) is normally the next stop. From the top of the hill you also see the incredible scenario of the Roman Forum, the ruins of the ancient centre of the city of Rome. Next we arrive at the Colosseum, certainly one of the must-see highlights of Rome. After a stop in Piazza Venezia to take a picture at the Monument to the first King of Italy and Mussolini's balcony. Finally we arrive at the Trevi Fountain, where you throw a coin in to make sure you return to Rome! By the way, should you be short of coins, it'll be my pleasure to provide them… it's a great investment for me! Naturally this is just a suggested itinerary, it would be planned differently if you stayed in a hotel that's in a different location rather than in Via Veneto or if you had been to some of these places already on your own or even simply for traffic reasons. There are hundreds of sites to see in Rome. We could go and see the view from the Janicolum Hill instead of the Pincio and the Moses instead of the Capitol. I'll never be short of places to show you, as we say here, it takes more than a life's time to see Rome.
minivan (6/7 persons) 530 €.
8 hours of touring (including pick up and drop off) in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and VAT (value added tax).
If we don't need to go to St. Peter's, which requires more than one hour to visit, not counting the eventual line to get in, we can use the time to see other places in the city and the Catacombs. This itinerary evolves just like the one described "Full day tour of Rome, including St. Peter's" and what we do is replace St. Peter's with the Catacombs and other places of your choice, time permitting. Starting the tour from the city center we drive down the Via Sistina and stop to look at the famous Spanish Steps. We stop than at the Pincio Terrace and enjoy the beautiful panorama of Rome and the Vatican City. Driving down the hill, we arrive at Piazza del Popolo. Driving past the ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus, we arrive in Piazza Navona. Next we visit the Pantheon and the Capitol Hill (Campidoglio) where, from the top of the hill you also see the ruins of the Roman Forum, the ancient centre of the city of Rome. After a stop in Piazza Venezia to take a picture at the Monument to the first King of Italy and Mussolini's balcony, finally arrive the Trevi Fountain, where you throw a coin in to make sure you return to Rome! Next we arrive at the Colosseum, certainly one of the must-see highlights of Rome. At this point we could take a brake and stop for lunch in a typical restaurant on the Appian Way or at a sidewalk cafeteria in the city. After lunch we visit the Catacombs and walk a little on the old cobblestones of the Appian Way. Returning to the city we'll stop to look at the Circus Maximus and the Palatine Hill from the Aventine. If there will still be time left we can stop at to see the Moses by Michelangelo, or some of the sites mentioned above in case there will not be time to see the in the morning.
Naturally this is just a suggested itinerary, sites will not necessarily be visited in this order, a lot depends on where you'll be staying, we'll start from your hotel, and how you move around. In case you'll have already seen some of these sites, we could go to other places instead. We could go and see the view from the Janicolum Hill instead of the Pincio, the Moses instead of the Capitol and so on. I'll never be short of places to show you, we say here that it takes more than a life's time to see Rome.
reservations for the Vatican Museums are available at 30 Euros per person.
Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini (drive), Via del Corso (drive), Trevi Fountain (stop), Four fountains crossing (drive), Quirinale Palace (drive), Piazza Venezia (stop), Colosseum (visit), Key Hole (curiosity), Aventine Hill and Circus Maximus (stop), Vatican (visit).
This tour is obviously centered on the Vatican and, be prepared, that's a tough one. The tour, which includes obviously St. Peter's Basilica, takes about three hours. During this time you'll not have the chance to take a brake and sit down. There's no air-conditioning, except when you're in the Sistine and in the Gallery of Tapestries, and so it's hot. And it's crowded, which makes it even more hot. Do I sound like I don't want to take you there? Wrong! I do, but I would love you not to go it within a tour of Rome. I'm used to all this, but I know you'll be exhausted. Anyway, if you decide to pay the 30 Euros to book your entrance, we can go first thing in the morning and that's a little better. It's better because it's cooler, but also because at the end we can go and sit down and have some lunch, so you rest before you start touring again. I said the tour of the Vatican takes about three hours, but between getting there, getting in and getting out, almost four hours easily pass. Then you go for lunch which takes at least another hour. At this point there will not be much time left to see other sites. I said from the beginning that including the Vatican in a full day tour of Rome forces you to leave out of the tour other sites, but I can guarantee we can include at least the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain. For the rest, it depends mostly on how you move around and how traffic moves around the day we'll do this tour.
minivan (6/7 persons) 600 €.
The sites that look best at night are: St. Peter's, Piazza Navona, Colosseum, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, Pincio, Janicolum, Capitol Hill, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps. But it will be the atmosphere that you'll love.
Dinner and/or drinks are not included. Dinner is available in selected restaurants for 25/35 € person, depending on the restaurant you choose, wine included.
You'll be met at your hotel or at the restaurant where you'll decide to have dinner at and you'll be driven around the city for two hours to see all the places lit up. You'll be making stops and walking around in Places like Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain for example, to get into the ephemeral atmosphere of the Roman night. I'm frequently asked: "what do people do in the evening here ?" Well, you'll see for yourself what they do: they just enjoy the city! Can any place be more romantic than Rome? It is so pleasant to stroll around the piazzas in the cool breeze of the evening after a hot summer day. You can enjoy a "Tartufo" ice cream at the "Tre Scalini" in Piazza Navona or a drink in Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon all lit up so much that you'll wish the evening would never end! Rome is not a dangerous city, you can walk all over at night without worrying about your own safety, but going with somebody who knows the city makes your evening touring even safer. Obviously if you're staying in a hotel in the very center of the city you can walk on your own to Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon or the Spanish Steps. You can still do the tour with me, we'll leave those places out of the itinerary and instead go to all the places that are further away and not too easy to get to, like St. Peter's, the Janicolum Hill, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill etc.
There is not a set time to start the tour, you can always decide for yourself at what time you want to go, but also there's a big difference in the time night falls over the year. In fall you can start the tour around 7:00 pm and have your dinner afterwards, while in the summer you'll have to wait until after 9:00 pm. There are two different types of tours you can do, one that lasts two hours and takes you to see the city illuminated and another one that includes time for dinner and take 4 hours.
The price for the dinner is never included but I can suggest a restaurant and take you there. I'll wait for you and then take you on the tour. Obviously in fall you can reverse that and have your tour before the dinner because it gets dark earlier. There are several pretty good restaurant I can take you to. restaurants with a show, outdoors in a beautiful garden or in a quant Roman "Piazza" or even out of town. Dinner at "Bucci's" in the little town of Castelgandolfo in a terrace overlooking the lake, is an unforgettable experience!
minivan (7/8 persons) 315 €.
Rates include: 2-hour tour or 2-hour dinner transfer and wait (including pick up and drop off), use of the requested vehicle and driving guide, VAT tax.
Eventual additional hours will be charged 55 € each (Vat included, for any vehicle).


text:
Jay Wright is the third-highest paid private school basketball coach
It isn't cheap to buy your suits bespoke, but Jay Wright can afford the services of Gabriele D'Annunzio to fill his expansive wardrobe with television-friendly looks.
By Brian Ewart@Brian_Ewart Dec 18, 2013, 1:32pm EST
Share All sharing options for: Jay Wright is the third-highest paid private school basketball coach
Some private colleges and universities have a lot of money. Out of the (approximately) 69 American universities and university systems that have reported endowments of over one billion dollars, 44 of those are private research universities. Among that group, a little more than half (24) also happen to sponsor athletics at the Division I level. That doesn't mean that they make those big endowment dollars available for athletics, however.
In fact, Villanova isn't even in the Billion-Dollar Club and the Wildcats manage to scrape together more money to pay their basketball coach than all-but-two of those schools. When it comes to private schools dishing out cash to coaches, Jay Wright, at around $2.5 million, comes behind only Georgetown's John Thompson III ($2.7 million) and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski ($9.7 million) -- according to a recent report in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Krzyzewski is a big outlier on the list. His compensation includes $5.6 million in bonuses that were paid out in 2011, putting his base salary a little over $4 million. That is still more than practically every private university President, however. Wright earns more than all-but-three of those executives.
Why Duke is willing to pay Coach K so much is probably not a conversation most people need to have. His track record at the North Carolina blue blood puts most coaches across the country to shame and he has lasted there for 33 years.
Just 30 head coaches in football and basketball made more than $1 million in compensation in 2011 at private universities. When Football coaches are included, Wright's paycheck drops him to fifth.
If you really want to get rich coaching college sports, however, you probably need to become a state employee. While Duke puts a lot of basketball coaching salaries to shame, most private schools aren't cutting big checks to their coaching staffs. Public universities, however, are a different story according to the Chronicle, where many of the highest-paid coaches and athletic directors reside.
Among public school coaches, Kentucky's John Calipari makes over $5.4 million before bonuses, while Louisville's Rick Pitino makes close to $5 million as well -- making the Commonwealth one of the biggest spenders on college hoops coaches. Kansas's Bill Self is also not hurting for cash, with a paycheck that is also nearly $5 million before bonuses are calculated.
In fact, chances are that a coach is the highest paid state employee in whatever state you live in.
That doesn't even factor in football coaches salaries, that reach sky-high (~$7 million) for the likes of Nick Saban. The top-paid private school football coach is TCU's Gary Patterson ($3.1 million).
Big business and big revenues mean big salaries for coaches hired to shepherd these showcase programs. For the athletic departments, that also often means spending big money to lock down great athletic directors. It is no shock then, that only three private schools pay their AD's over a million dollars per year (USC, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame) -- all of them sponsoring BCS-level football programs.
Athletic directors at most of the big spenders are charged not only with hiring coaches and settling schedules, but with marketing, branding and sales that can grow revenue and support the large salaries being paid to key personnel. For schools that skimp in the front-office, they may not be able to hire or retain the type of business-savvy AD who will grow department revenue enough to make these sort of super-salaries feasible for coaches.
Even so, schools don't need to turn a profit to cut big checks, they just need enough revenue. Villanova doesn't turn even a small profit, according to filings with the Department of Education (though, arguably, basketball alone does), but they manage to scrape up more than all-but-two private schools for the services of their head men's basketball coach. Wright's compensation was still just the 10th-highest in last season's NCAA Tournament, where the average coach's pay was $1.47 million -- a number much higher than most private schools pay out.
Private universities, by and large, have not been competitive spenders in college athletics. It is a positive for both Villanova and the Big East to see big spending on salaries for Wright and JTIII, but can these schools keep up with the Commonwealth of Kentucky? Revenues must continue to rise, which means television dollars, higher attendance figures and merchandise sales need to be the focal points for the athletics officials.
While Villanova ignites change, the athletics department needs to be stuffing it into their piggy bank at a faster and faster rate.
Follow @VUhoops Follow @Brian_Ewart
Villanova football recruiting: New Jersey RB Matt Gudzak commits to Villanova
Villanova Basketball at Syracuse: Game Time Update
BIG EAST Power Rankings: Pirates in the cellar
2023 and 2024 Recruiting Updates A lot of behind the scenes work looks to be shaping up for a busy "off-season" for Kyle Neptune and staff
Brunson to have 'Nova Jersey Retired He'll be honored during halftime of the Feb. 8 home game against DePaul at Finneran Pavilion.


RArm: RShoulderRoll - RShoulderPitch - RElbowYaw - RElbowRoll - RWristYaw - RHand.
LArm: LShoulderRoll - LShoulderPitch - LElbowYaw - LElbowRoll - LWristYaw - LHand.
Leg: HipPitch - HipRoll - KneePitch - Wheels: WheelFL - WheelFR - WheelB.
See also: Head joints, and diagnosis keys on HeadYaw.
See also: Head joints, and and diagnosis keys on HeadPitch.
See also: Left Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on LElbowYaw.
See also: Left Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on LElbowRoll.
See also: Right Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on RElbowYaw.
See also: Right Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on RElbowRoll.
See also: Left Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on LHand.
See also: Left Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on LWristYaw.
See also: Right Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on RHand.
See also: Right Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on RWristYaw.
See also: Left Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on LShoulderPitch.
See also: Left Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on LShoulderRoll.
See also: Right Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on RShoulderPitch.
See also: Right Arm joints and actuators, and diagnosis keys on RShoulderRoll.
See also: Leg joints, and diagnosis keys on HipRoll.
See also: Leg joints, and diagnosis keys on HipPitch.
See also: Leg joints, and diagnosis keys on KneePitch.
Joint angle (in radian) to reach.
Exception: for hands, aperture (in percentage); 0 means closed, 1 means opened.
if Stiffness > 0: the last position requested by a timed command.
if Stiffness <= 0: the same value as the Position/Sensor.
Hand aperture (in percentage) to reach; 0 means closed, 1 means opened.
Rotation speed (rad/s) to reach by wheels.
Stiffness of the joint (in percentage); 0.0 means 0% and 1.0 means 100% (full power).
In the motorboard, this percentage is directly applied to the max current. Setting the Stiffness to 0.5 means that the electric current limitation is reduced to 50%.
The Stiffness is sent to the motor board every DCM cycle time, so you can decrease/increase the control loop very fast. However, the current limitation may have some delay.
If the Stiffness is <0, the motor is free (no electromagnetic break), but due to hardware limitation, it's only possible when the two motors of the same board are <0 (both are then free). If not, it's still electromagnetic brake, but with a security that disable it when there is some movement, to protect the mechanics.
Stiffness may be automatically cut in case of problem (calibration, sensors …) seen at the DCM level or at the µc level, in order to protect the robot.
Angle of the joint (in radian).
The sensor used is a Magnetic Rotary Encoder (MRE), used like potentiometer. It's a 12bits precise value (from 0 to 4095) change in rad.
For further details, see: MRE.
Hand aperture (in percentage); 0 means closed, 1 means opened.
The sensor used is a Magnetic Rotary Encoder (MRE), used like potentiometer. It's a 12bits precise value (from 0 to 4095) change in percentage (0.0 to 1.0).
Rotation speed (rad/s) of the wheels.
Every motorboard has a current sensor for each motor that is a shunt resistor. The current is an absolute value in Ampere.
Every joint has an electric current limitation: if the current reach the "Max" value ("ElectricCurrent/Sensor/Max") the PWM (return by the control loop) will be decreased a bit until it returns under the maximum value, and it's increased again after. This is a kind of current control loop around the maximum value. The aim of this limitation is to protect the motor, the electronic board, and the mechanical part of the joint.
The motor temperature is a sensor placed on the motor housing. The motor board implements a temperature limitation to protect the motor. The temperature limitation depends on robot version.
The status is computed accordingly to the temperature limitation to protecting the motor. A non null value implies an automatic correction of the Stiffness.
1: means temperature has reach the max limit, start reducing stiffness.
2: means the joint is very hot, stiffness reduced over 30%.
3: means the joint is critically hot, stiffness value is set to 0.
See also: Head tactile sensor, and diagnosis keys on Head.
See also: Tactile Hands, and diagnosis keys on LHand.
See also: Tactile Hands, and diagnosis keys on RHand.
Touch sensors are capacitive sensors that return a 2 state float value 0.0 (unpressed) or 1.0 (pressed).
Depending on robot version, hands sensors are either inactive, or only one is active.
See also: Buttons, and diagnosis keys on ChestBoard.
See also: Bumpers, and diagnosis keys on Bumpers.
Switches are simple sensors that return a 2-state float value 0.0 (unpressed) or 1.0 (pressed). Beware that the value is read only every 10ms, and very fast change may be unseen.
See also: Inertial unit specifications, and diagnosis keys on Gyroscope.
See also: Inertial unit specifications, and diagnosis keys on Accelerometer.
Theses are direct rotation speed values in rad.s-1 from the inertial sensor in the center of the body.
The inertial board computes 3 inclination angles of the robot body with the gyro and accelero data. All angles are in radians.
Theses are 3-axis acceleration in m.s-2 from the inertial sensor in the center of the body (one g is approximately 9.81 m.s-2) Depending the robot version, the precision is 8 or 12 bits.
There are other deprecated values still returned.
See also: Eye LED specifications, and diagnosis keys on Eyes.
See also: Ear LED specifications, and diagnosis keys on Eyes.
See also: Shoulder LED specifications, and diagnosis keys on ChestBoard.
Unfortunately, having 3 RGB LEDs set to "1.0" does not mean that you'll see a perfect white: one or two LEDs will be brighter than others.
Chest LEDs are now located in the shoulder.
See also: Sonar specifications, and diagnosis keys on Sonars.
Continuous distance update from sonars, in meters.
See also: Battery specifications, and diagnosis keys on Battery.
Boolean: 1 if an obstacle is detected, 0 otherwise.
See also: Laser specifications, and diagnosis keys on Lasers.
The distances returned follow the robot's coordinate system, with the position of the camera, projected on the ground, as the origin.
Frames captured since the start of the robot. Rolls over after 65535.
The operation mode determines which lasers are activated. All cards contain the operation mode 0 and 1. The operation modes 2-7 are only available in the front sensor, they cannot be activated on the left+right sensors simply because they only have a horizontal laser.


text:
A Fővárosi régió (dánul Region Hovedstaden) a 2007. január 1-jén életbe lépett közigazgatási reform szerint Dánia öt régiójának egyike. Székhelye Hillerød.

Az új Fővárosi régió a korábbi Koppenhága és Frederiksborg megyéket, valamint Koppenhága, Frederiksberg és Bornholm megyei jogú községeket foglalja magába.

Községek

Dánia 98 községe közül a régió a következő 29-et foglalja magába:

Jegyzetek

Külső hivatkozások
 Hivatalos honlap

Dánia régiói

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
← [Video] Raja Salman (Arab Saudi), meninggalkan acara kenegaraan, karena telah masuk waktu shalat Ashar?
[Techno] Menguatkan Sinyal Modem dengan 3 CD Bekas ? →
True Story : Finds long-lost mom using Google Earth?
Posted on 29 Januari 2015 | Tinggalkan komentar
Saroo Brierley is reunited with his mother after 25 years. Photo: Europics
The remarkable story of an Indian man's odyssey from Australia to find his mom in his homeland using Google Earth after a quarter-century is headed to the big screen.
Saroo Brierley was 4 years old when he jumped on a train in rural India and ended up 1,000 miles away in the eastern city of Kolkata, where he became a beggar before being adopted by an Australian couple and taken to Tasmania.
Brierley graduated from college and became a successful businessman, but he never forgot his native country and spent countless hours studying Google Earth to find his way back.
The Winston Co. bought the rights for the movie, to be called "Lion," for $12 million at the Cannes Film Festival, Central European News reported.
The film, an adaptation of Brierley's book "A Long Way Home," will be directed by Garth Davis, and feature "Slumdog Millionaire" actor Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman.
Saroo Brierley at age 4 (left) and todayPhoto: Europics
Brierley said he rarely had enough to eat as a child and would often ride trains and beg with his brother. On a fateful day, he napped at a station and awoke to find he was alone.
"I opened my eyes and couldn't see my brother, but I saw a train in front of me with the door open and for some reason I thought he was on board," he said, CEN reported. "I ran over and jumped on the train just as the doors closed and it pulled out of the station, and it was only then that I realized he wasn't there. I think you could say that split-second decision changed my life forever."
He was later rescued and put in a juvenile home and then into an orphanage, where he was adopted and started his successful life as an Aussie — eventually deciding to pore over maps in his homesick quest.
"I traveled around a lot with my brothers so I had seen a lot of the area around the house," he said. "I remembered landmarks. For example, there was a waterfall where we used to play and the dam. But I didn't know the city or town's name and finding a small neighborhood in a vast country proved to be nearly impossible."
Brierley used memories from his childhood in India to search through Google Map satellite images for recognizable landmarks.Photo: Europics
But he persisted with satellite images and explored the vast network of rail lines across India — using his well-honed memory to recall landmarks.
"Everything just started to match. So I traced a road back that I would follow back as a child, and before I knew it, I was looking at the suburb where I had grown up, and just on the right of it was the house I had grown up in. I couldn't sleep for that whole night," he said.
He finally embarked on his journey, but was stunned when he found the house in Khandwa, a small city in Madhya Pradesh, empty and locked.
"I just thought the worst, I thought perhaps everyone's gone, my whole family's died, they've passed away," he said. "But lucky for me, this lady came out of a doorway holding a baby, and she said, 'Can I help you?' And I said to her, 'My name is Saroo and these are my family members' names.' Another person comes in and I sort of revealed my mantra to them as well."
After talking to several others, one said: "Now I'm going to take you to your mother."
"She looked so much shorter than I remembered when I was a 4-year-old child," he said. "But she walked forward, and I walked forward, and my emotions and tears and the chemical in my brain, you know, it was like a nuclear fusion."
You May Like :
1. AMAZING PHOTOS FROM HAJJ 1953
2. Objection : The Stonehenge was built in 1954 ?
3. 11 Amazing Photos : How Physics, explain its ?
4. The Floating City of The Solution to Global Warming ?
Pos ini dipublikasikan di history, kanzunQALAM dan tag Google Earth, humanisme. Tandai permalink.


Business class, coach or first class, Americans love to fly, as millions wing their way to various destinations around the country or world in any given year. And in an attempt to enable more people to enjoy the air up there, a leading aircraft developer seeks to ramp up its supply chain by producing more 737s than ever before.
In a recent fourth-quarter earnings call, Boeing executives stated that the company intends to both manufacture and deliver approximately 57 737s per month in 2019. It's previous record for monthly development was 52. Should the aircraft giant hit its projected annual target - approximately 684 - it would represent the lion's share of the company's assembly goal of between 895 and 905 during the fiscal year.
The fourth quarter was a successful one for Boeing in terms of revenue, amassing a grand total of $28.3 billion, with a Generally Accepting Accounting Principles earnings per share of around $6. The aircraft developer attributed its strong sales performance primarily to its commercial development division, particularly in comparison to the same three-month period a year earlier, when revenues equaled $24.7 billion.
Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive officer at Boeing, said everyone on the Boeing team had a role to play, and the encouraging numbers reflect that everyone came through.
"Across the enterprise, our team delivered strong core operating performance and customer focus, driving record revenues, earnings and cash flow and further extending our global aerospace industry leadership in 2018," Muilenburg explained in a press release. "Our financial performance provided a firm platform to further invest in new growth businesses, innovation and future franchise programs, as well as in our people and enabling technologies."
Boeing's CEO and president further stated that since 2013, the company has invested close to $35 billion in "key strategic areas," yet still been able to deliver a profit for shareholders.
"We remain focused on executing on our production and development programs as well as our growth strategy while driving further productivity, quality and safety improvements, investing in our team and creating more value and opportunity for our customers, shareholders and employees," Muilenburg added.
Boeing plans to expedite 737 production all throughout 2019.
The brunt of Boeing's deliverables, of course, go to commercial airlines and the airports that they and itinerant passengers frequent. November, the most recent month for which data is available, marked the 107th consecutive month of growth in domestic travel, rising 3 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to the U.S. Travel Association. International inbound activity rose nearly 4 percent when contrasted with the same period in 2017.
U.S. Travel Senior Vice President David Huether warned that in the short-term, flights headed toward the U.S. from overseas may pull back a bit, due to a confluence of factors, such as rising trade tensions and dollar values compared to other leading currencies.
There's also some question as to the degree to which the partial government shutdown will bear itself out in 2019 in terms of overall performance. Although flights themselves were largely uninterrupted, Transportation Security Administration officials were often left short-handed due to an uptick in unannounced absences among employees, many of whom were not paid over the 35-day period.
Airports most adversely affected by the shutdown seek to get the supply chain back up to par in the coming weeks and months ahead, with Boeing lending a hand by improving its production output.


text:
Recommendations for the Overdose Epidemic in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Home > News > News Releases > 2020 > Recommendations for the Overdose Epidemic in the COVID-19 Pandemic
A new report from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health offers recommendations aimed at federal, state, and local policymakers to address the opioid epidemic during the pandemic, which has seen sharp increases in fatal and nonfatal overdoses. The recommendations detail policy solutions in the areas of data and surveillance, harm reduction, and treatment, with special considerations for vulnerable populations.
The report, Saving Lives from Overdose During a Pandemic, draws from peer-reviewed research on opioid overdoses, as well as recommendations from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A majority of states—more than 40—have reported increases in opioid-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the ODMAP report, a mapping program that collects suspected fatal and non-fatal overdoses in real time across jurisdictions in the United States. Nationwide, there's been an 18 percent increase in overdoses since the beginning of 2020, according to ODMAP.
Among the new report's recommendations, the researchers provide guidance around increasing the capacity for state and local health departments to track and report changes in drug-related data during the pandemic. Specifically, they recommend using federal funding to support creating new data management systems that automatically assemble data to allow for more timely analysis. They also recommend that research focus on racial disparities and health inequities to inform equitable solutions to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic.
The authors call for state and local jurisdictions to declare syringe service programs—community-based organizations that provide support services, linkages to substance use treatment, and access to safer drug use supplies—to be essential services during the pandemic. Many of these programs have been disrupted due to pandemic mitigation efforts, leaving clients with fewer resources. In addition, the report recommends that state and local jurisdictions issue emergency orders that make it easier to distribute harm reduction materials such as clean syringes and naloxone, a medication that reverses overdoses, to community-based organizations and service providers.
"The pandemic compounded an existing crisis—the opioid epidemic—with high unemployment rates, social isolation, and despair, all known risk factors for substance use," says Sara Whaley, MPH, MSW, research associate in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management and lead author of the report. "We have to support treatment providers, health departments, and other services that support people with substance use disorder, so they can provide essential, lifesaving services to those most in need."
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in nearly 18 million total cases in the U.S., and nearly 318,000 deaths, since January 2020. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid-related overdoses accounted for over 47,000 deaths in 2018, the last year for which data are available. Drug-related deaths are four times greater than they were in the 1990s.
The report, issued by faculty at the Bloomberg School and several research collaborators, also drew from the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, open-source, and statewide data dashboards.
The report also recommends expanding access to substance use treatment, including medications like methadone and buprenorphine which are prescribed to reduce the negative effects of substance use. The researchers call upon Congress to appropriate additional funding to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to expand buprenorphine distribution via telehealth and delivery of methadone to patients at home. While federal rules now have more flexibility in these treatment options than prior to the pandemic, state restrictions may still be in place. The report calls for states to eliminate requirements that limit access to or billing for telemedicine. Finally, the researchers recommend increasing mobile treatment services to reach those living in poverty or experiencing homelessness as well as ensuring treatment providers have access to adequate personal protective equipment to protect themselves and the patients.
The researchers also suggest that states should utilize existing community health infrastructure of treatment and outreach programs to aid in the distribution of vaccines to critical populations of people who use drugs. They also recommend the release of people in jails and prisons who were arrested for low-level offenses, increased support of individuals released from jail or prison, and immediate provision of Medicaid coverage to individuals upon release. Additionally, they encourage states to prioritize emergency funding to establish COVID-19 shelters that accept individuals with substance use disorders.
"There are pathways to addressing the overdose crisis and the COVID-19 crisis together," says Joshua Sharfstein, MD, vice dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement, professor of Practice in Health Policy and Management, and director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative. "This report provides a roadmap for saving lives."
The report "Saving Lives From Overdose During a Pandemic" was led by Sara Whaley, N. Jia Ahmed, Amanda Latimore, and Joshua Sharfstein from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Contributors also include Daliah Heller and Eric Hulsey from Vital Strategies, and Sean T. Allen, Brendan Saloner, Susan Sherman, and Elizabeth Stuart from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The project was supported by the Bloomberg Opioid Initiative, with a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Media contacts: Caitlin Hoffman at choffman@jhu.edu and Carly Kempler at ckemple2@jhu.edu.
For more information on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 Expert Insights site.
New Mexico health secretary talks on at-home COVID-19 tests
Potential COVID-19 exposures in the North Country for the week of November 23
Trump's Aggressive Advocacy of Malaria Drug for Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community
Riverside Palm Sunday service includes message to Trump, who said he'd watch
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Announces Melissa Walls as New Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health


Honda Marine, a division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and marketer of a complete range of marine outboard four-stroke motors ranging from 2.3 to 250 horsepower, announced a new OEM supply agreement with Wildwood, Fla.
Honda Marine has announced a new expanded commercial and government warranty program for marine engines and related products. The new warranty doubles the current coverage from 12 months to 24 months and includes the rental business.
Louisiana Manufacturer will Replace Coast Guard's Small Response Boat Fleet. Metal Shark Boats has been awarded a contract to replace the U.S. Coast Guard's fleet of Response Boat - Small (RB-S) vessels.
21 Relentless Delivered to Pendleton Rescue Squad. Metal Shark Boats has completed delivery of a 21 Relentless fire, rescue, and patrol vessel for Pendleton Rescue Squad's operations in Kentucky. A custom-built derivative of the U.S.


The amount of 1 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 14:16 27.01.19. Batch: 244088508.
The amount of 12.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 05:54 28.01.19. Batch: 244143642.
The amount of 5.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 05:57 28.01.19. Batch: 244143891.
The amount of 1.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 18:14 28.01.19. Batch: 244225572.
The amount of 1 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 18:14 28.01.19. Batch: 244225594.
The amount of 1.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 05:27 29.01.19. Batch: 244260867.
The amount of 15 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 05:33 29.01.19. Batch: 244261462.
The amount of 5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 05:18 30.01.19. Batch: 244383718.
The amount of 7.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 05:25 30.01.19. Batch: 244384118.
The amount of 3.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 13:01 30.01.19. Batch: 244429978.
The amount of 1.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 16:26 30.01.19. Batch: 244455978.
The amount of 55 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 09:48 31.01.19. Batch: 244525618.
The amount of 21.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 09:51 31.01.19. Batch: 244525846.
The amount of 54.05 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 09:56 31.01.19. Batch: 244526455.
The amount of 12.5 USD has been deposited to your account. Accounts: U15868647->U2631114. Memo: API Payment. Withdraw to MYINVESTBLOGER from Invest Centre.. Date: 16:39 02.02.19. Batch: 245135737.


On the first Sunday of Advent the family can practice the old custom of "Stir Up" during the making of Plum Pudding. If your family isn't inclined to eat fruit cake or puddings, try mixing up a favorite recipe, and have all members of the family take a turn to stir and make a wish and prayer.
We use a recipe from Jubilee, November 1953. This recipe will make five pounds of pudding. Adolph Paganuzzi, chef of a well-known Greenwich Village, New York, pastry shop, reduced his famous recipe to family proportions for Jubilee.
See the link for this Plum Pudding and the recipe section of this site for variations on this recipe.


This leaflet contains technical regulations for ground-train radio systems in international traffic.
It defines the scope of the leaflet, describes operating modes plus minimal technical specifications.
Detailed provisions ensuring quality of communications are also given, with emphasis on: location of fixed installations, radio coverage, technical transmission/reception characteristics, fixed and mobile aerials, operating modes, quadri-frequency sets, auto-switching of mobile-set frequencies, cable links, loudspeakers and tractive-unit micro-telephone sets.
The leaflet then defines the frequency chart: setting-up and allocation of channels, joint frequency bands, distance between channels, duplex channels, numbering of channels, intermodulation, preferential channels, switchable channels and simplex channels aboard tractive units.
The different radio-control processes are also described: idle mode, connections, operating provisions and warning procedures.
The corresponding command signals are explained in detail.
Links between motive power unit and RIC coaches together with the corresponding communications between drivers, central control and train staff are explained in specific terms.
Finally, the leaflet describes the special features of the ground-to-train radio system with selective call and message transmission by digital code, as well as those of the radio-telephony system with simultaneous transmission of digital messages.


text:
Huge praise for Reds duo & Kuyt's big statement – Wednesday's Liverpool FC News Roundup
by October 18, 2019 Football
We round up the latest Liverpool news on Wednesday, as the weekend clash with Man United fast approaches.
Trent Hails Van Dijk as Greatest Teammate
Trent Alexander-Arnold is enjoying a memorable early few years in his career, starring for his boyhood club during a wonderful time to be at Liverpool.
The 21-year-old is surrounded by top-class talent, but it appears as though he cherishes Virgil van Dijk more than anyone.
Speaking to Guinness World Records, Alexander-Arnold hailed the Dutchman as the best footballer he has played alongside:
"He is a world-class player and the best I have played with.
"We benefited a lot last season knowing we have players like Virgil giving us the protection behind us."
It's hard to disagree with the right-back, even though he also shares a dressing room with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Klopp's Liverpool Pips Class of 2008/09, says Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt was a key man in Liverpool's 2008/09 side, a team that remains beloved by many Reds supporters.
Rafa Benitez's men came close to winning the Premier League title and, in Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, they possessed world-class players.
Speaking to LiverpoolFC.com, however, Kuyt believes this current side is better:
"We were very close to success. We just missed a small detail to go one step further.
"With the likes of Stevie and Carra, Mascherano, Torres and many other very good players, we just missed a little something.
"If you see the build-up of the team of Klopp, you see it progressing every time and it looks like it's now coming to success also in the Premier League. We were a particular team like that, only we couldn't go one step further at that time.
"Hopefully this team will do it because, in my opinion, this team now on the pitch is even better than ours."
The Dutchman is spot-on in his assessment, considering the faultless, relentless nature of this side and the quality in its ranks.
Enrique Lauds "Unbelievable" Robertson
Jose Enrique knows a thing or two about playing at left-back for Liverpool, with the Spaniard an up-and-down performer during his time at the club.
He has been full of praise for Andy Robertson, calling him the best player in the world in his position.
"He is unbelievable. I've said it before, for me, last year he was the best left-back in the world," Enrique told Sky Sports.
"He gives so much to that side. And him and Mane together [on Liverpool's left] – I wouldn't want to be on the right side for the other team."
Enrique also discussed the magnitude of clashes between Liverpool and Man United, saying being in the tunnel and taking part in such a huge fixture always felt special:
"It's an amazing feeling. I like the pressure when you play for big teams like Liverpool and Manchester United.
"Every player likes the pressure—that's why they play for these teams—but when you go there you forget about everything.
"You focus on the game and it is a really rough game, a lot of tackles, a lot of intensity but you feel privileged to be there. That is how I was feeling."
Besiktas Won't Keep Hold of Karius
Loris Karius is still trying to repair his reputation, following his disastrous performance in the 2018 Champions League final.
The 26-year-old is on a two-year loan deal at Besiktas currently, where there were rumours that he would have to be kept on when the deal ended.
Those claims have been rubbished by one of the Turkish giants' presidential candidates, Serdal Adali, who told Beyaz TV, via Sport Witness, that Karius will leave at the end of the season.
If true, it means the German will likely play a part in pre-season at Liverpool next summer, assuming he doesn't swiftly find a new permanent club.
He has no future at Anfield, with Alisson and Adrian now Jurgen Klopp's options in goal, not to mention youngster Caoimhin Kelleher and on-loan Kamil Grabara.
Gini's Brilliant Social Media Post
Alexander-Arnold entered the Guinness World Records book for 2020 on Wednesday, having chalked up the most Premier League assists (12) by a defender in a single season.
It is a great achievement by the youngster, but Gini Wijnaldum's subsequent social media antics could be even greater!
Responding to Liverpool's official Twitter account's post about Trent's accomplishment, Wijnaldum brilliantly replied:
fastest corner?
— Gini Wijnaldum (@GWijnaldum) October 16, 2019
Needless to say, it went down a storm with Reds supporters, bringing back special memories of that memorable set-piece against Barcelona.
What a team spirit there is at Liverpool these days.
Man City unhappy at festive fixture scheduling that hands Liverpool 'advantage'
Vancouver Whitecaps exercise 2020 options on Reyna, Nerwinski and Ricketts


Renowned physicist James Van Allen, who helped launch the United States into the space age and for whom the Van Allen radiation belts are named, has died. He was 91.
Interim University of Iowa President Gary Fethke announced the Van Allen's death Wednesday, but offered no details, the Des Moines Register reported.
Explorer I, the first successful U.S. space venture, carried, at Van Allen's insistence, a small Geiger counter. That led to a significant scientific finding: the discovery of two belts of intense radiation that surround the Earth.
Although his scientific accomplishments were myriad, he opposed manned space flight: "Man is a fabulous nuisance in space right now (1959). He's not worth all the costs of putting him up there and keeping him comfortable."
He once offered his own explanation of space: "It is that in which everything else is ... in other words, space is the hole that we are in."
In 1951 Van Allen became a professor and head of the University of Iowa's Department of Physics and Astronomy, the Register reported. He held that position until he retired from teaching in 1985.
Dr. James A. Van Allen, U.S. space pioneer and Regent Distinguished Professor of Physics in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, died this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006 at the age of 91. Arrangements are pending.
How cool it was to have such a tremendous discovery named after oneself.


Luckily Creamy the White Hart didn't need to manage the trivial inquiries and was served straight away.
Proprietor Lisa Bond took Creamy into the relevantly named White Hart, before treating him to a parcel of salt and vinegar crisps.
Also, his astounding visit was honored by two nearby vicars and proprietor William Saunders, who helped bolster him at the bar in Ludgvan, Penzance, Cornwall.
Lisa, 42, stated: 'We generally stop at a bar for a drink on most rides and as the White Hart is on our course we became acquainted with the proprietor great.
While the bar's regulars were charmed to see Creamy, he left the White Hart on a somewhat acrid note.
'It's only a disgrace he disfavored himself in transit out by eating the hanging wicker container,' Lisa said.