text:
St. Clement's Roman Catholic Parish
St. Clements, Ontario
3619 Lobsinger Line
St. Clements, Ontario, N0B 2M0
stclementsparish@sympatico.ca
About St. Clement
St. Clement's Church was appropriately named in 1852 after the great Pope and martyr, St. Clement. Clement is a Latin name meaning "he who is mild in temper and disposition; gentle, kind, tender, modest." St. Clement, according to tradition, was ordained by St. Peter himself. He is Peter's third successor, the fourth Pope. He occupied the Sea of Rome during the last ten years of the First Century.
St. Clement, a Roman, was well educated. His literary training had been outstanding.
He was martyred, although not in Rome. This is all that is proven of Clement's death. It is believed that St. Clement was exiled by the Emperor Trajan to the Chersonese, modern Crimea. There the holy Pope worked with such zeal, among the prisoners, labouring in the mines, that he was condemned to death. He was thrown into the sea with an anchor tied around his neck.
The feast of St. Clement is celebrated on November 23.
History of St. Clement's Parish
The first Catholic settler were Blasius and William Beysang, who settled slightly west of Heidelberg - both of whom were included in the early 1830's. Mass was celebrated in Blasius' home and instructions were given in religion and education for a few years.
Many of the first settlers had emigrated from Alsace-Lorraine, Germany and Bavaria. The majority of the early settlers were Catholics. Adolph Schickler is considered the first to have settled in St. Clement's Village. In the early days, St. Clements was known as "King's Bush". "King" referred to King William V of England, who reigned from 1830 - 1837. The name became "Queen's Bush" in 1837, when Queen Victoria ascended to the throne. "Bush" indicated the state of the land.
Joh Stroh, First Postmaster, Justice of the Peace and tavern owner, who was a supportive friend of the priests, often received letters written to him by bishops and priests, on matters dealing with the events of the church up until 1852, when Father Columban Messner became the first resident priest.
Adam Koebel, along with three of his brothers, amid poverty, hunger and unemployment, left Alsace-Lorraine in the 1830's. Adam arrived in St. Clements around 1837. He was later sent to confer with the Bishop of Toronto, in regards to securing land for an appropriate church location. Mr. Koebel was unanimously chosen to represent the people of St. Clements because he was able to speak English most fluently. Mr. Koebel walked to and from Toronto on this important mission. It took him two weeks to reach his destination. The deed for this land, which was approximately six acres, was not obtained from the Crown until 1853. The price paid for the land was 5 pounds and 5 shillings. In those days a pound was worth approximately $4.00, therefore, the cost of the land was slightly more than $20.00.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I never ever thought I'd go to a European football game, but Barcelona FC's b team (which is apparently really good) had a game on Thursday night, so a few of us went. They won!
There was a guy with a megaphone in the cheap seats (on the ground behind the goal) who was extremely motivated to foment the crowd, and he brought 20 of the biggest flags I have ever seen and his friend with the drum. They kept the crowd peppy with the Catalan versions of Yellow Submarine and what we think may have been The Offspring's Get a Job, among many other things. It was an absolute blast.


In recent times, the usage of stylish and smart banners or signs has been smarter marketing strategy for most businesses across the country. You may have known different ways to find or select stylish and attractive banners or signs for stores. The easier and smarter solutions to get banners or signs to be designed would be referring best online network. There are wide ranges of online networks available in market that helps people with designing banners and signs. But most online networks out there in the market lack quality of designs and unique signs being offered to users. So, make sure that you check out best and quality online site that help people in quality and stylish designs for banners or signs. There are online networks that uses use top-quality, professional materials so you could promote your business at your storefront location, from your vehicle, or on printed materials. The online networks out there in web also specialize in three-dimensional signs, which come in plastic or metal in any size, from one to 48 inches. Three-dimensional lettering is also available in plastic, metal, wood, and foam. If you were looking to find online network for storefront signs or banners, then make sure that you have referred quality online sites available.


We decided to settle here because this place is full of authenticity, quietness and well being.
All our senses are awaken : you can feel the warmness of the sun on your skin, the sea breeze that cuddles your face, you can deep breath this pure air mixed with smells of pines, rosemary and sea smell, listen to the hipnotic sound of the waves and the cigadas ... it's a place where you feel alive and connected to nature.
Practicing yoga helps to become aware of your body, to breath better, in one word, to free yourself.
We choose to propose you a practice that fits everyone, with no esoterism thoughts and no complicated words.
Our yoga lessons are focused on breathing and on a flow of poses that help to get rid of tensions while taking care of sensible areas such as back, neck and joints. Our method is the famous kinesitherapeute Olivier Fernandes's one (creator of Yoga Style : www.yogastyleparis.com).
Power Yoga Style basic : the perfect one to discover Yoga, a bit physical but adapted for everyone. A real PE lesson that is totaly respecting your body.
Yin Yoga Style : Dedicated in clearing tensions, especialy in the back and hips areas. Based on a flow of short sequences / of few static poses that are maintained 5 to 10 minutes in order to stretch deeply muscles and facias.
Suitable for everyone, even for pregnant women.
Kundalini : Focus on breathing, for a deep relaxation (detente), and to get rid of stress. Suitable for everybody, especialy people who wants to focus more on (detente) than PE.
While we are waiting for the opening of a dedicated place in front of the sea in Pirate Deluxe, our instructor Alexandra (Certified Yoga Alliance) is available for private lessons at home.


I meant to post this video yesterday but ran out of time. Hope it makes you laugh. I got a lot done today, a highly productive day. Phil my photographer friend popped around and I had a visit from some lovely customers, one who lives down Cornwall and pops in on his annual holiday up here. Another big list for me to tackle tomorrow but I feel I'm getting there. I want to get all the things that are thrown decorated and turned and so drying out while I am away. Paul and me are having some time away next week on a thing which I believe is called a 'holiday' which I am looking forward to as I don't remember the last time I stopped working and as much as I love my work and what I do and I'm sure there will be a lot of pot thinking and talking when I'm away I do sometimes need to take a step away. So that's what we are doing. Paul has had a very busy year so far too so we'll probably spend the whole time sleeping but we are looking forward to it.
This entry was posted in chaos, Phil McMenemy. Bookmark the permalink.
Chaos, always. I am a pig in my own studio. Thank god there's no one else who shares the space.


text:
Detroit Auto Show Will Move To June in 2020
By Chris Chase
North America's most important annual auto industry event, Detroit's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is moving to June in 2020 from its current January dates in a bid to bring back some key automakers and boost the show's relevance.
The date change is part of a major refresh the show's organizers, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, or DADA, have been working on for months; when we last reported on it, NAIAS was mulling moving its dates to October.
But while scheduling the show in the fall could have set up a conflict with the Frankfurt and Paris auto shows -- the former being a major piece of Europe's auto show circuit -- DADA says moving to June will help them save money and add new features to the show.
Ford to Launch 2019 Edge in Detroit
Detroit Auto Show Mulling Move To October
Audi Backs Out Of Detroit Auto Show
According to Automotive News, cost savings will come from no longer having to pay overtime to the staff doing show setup over US Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Moving to June will also help NAIAS escape intense competition for attention from the media and public from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which has seen a significant uptick in automotive content in recent years.
DADA also hopes a June auto show will be enough to entice high-profile brands like Mini, Volvo, Porsche and Jaguar back to the event's Cobo Hall home.
According to a preview of an official announcement to be made tomorrow, planned new show elements include outdoor vehicle demonstrations, a food truck plaza and automaker-sponsored outdoor concerts, as depicted in the renderings seen here, originally posted to the auto show's website.
Holding NAIAS in June will also put the show closer to other auto industry events, like the Detroit Grand Prix, held every June on nearby Belle Isle, and automaker-sponsored music festivals and fireworks displays.
January 2019 will be the Detroit show's last winter occurrence before a year-and-a-half hiatus ahead of its summertime debut.
About Chris Chase
All Articles by Chris Chase
As a child, Chris spent most of his time playing with toy cars in his parents' basement or making car sounds while riding his bicycle. Now he's an award-winning Algonquin College Journalism grad who has been playing with real cars that make their own noises since the early 2000s.


To help answer some of your questions, we've provided a list of frequently asked questions, as answered by our Brothers. We hope these are helpful. Please feel free to contact Brother Ron Lau, CFA or Zeke Mapa. for additional information at 847 463 8904.
1. How did you know you had a religious vocation?
Well, let me begin by saying, "I didn't see a heavenly sign and there wasn't any lightening!" It's a leap of faith. You don't enter formation to definitely become a brother; you enter to discover whether this is what the Lord really wants of you. However, paying attention to your feelings when you are praying, corresponding with religious orders and visiting them is very important. One of the ways a man knows if he has a religious vocation is by the interior peace and calmness he experiences when thinking about pursuing a religious vocation. That peace came to me in the comfortable feeling of "being at home" with the Alexian Brothers. It was and still is a feeling of belonging that assured me that God was calling me to be an Alexian Brother.
2. Why didn't you get married? Didn't you want to have children?
So often when we think of a vocation we think of someone becoming a priest, brother or sister. These are certainly worthy and wonderful vocations. All of us, though, have a vocation to be God's followers. As men, we can have a vocation as a husband, father, or single person. Giving ourselves to God does not necessarily require us to commit to the life of a priest or brother. Rather, it requires that we give ourselves to God fully in each thing we do. It requires us to see Christ in all of our brothers and sisters — especially in those where it is most difficult to find Him.
If you have started and committed to a process of striving to follow God's will in everything you do, and have done so for quite a while, you may be at the right moment in your life— a moment in which God is clearly calling you to investigate making a full time commitment to Him— as an Alexian Brother. When I was at that point in my life, an Alexian Brother told me, "If you would be a good husband and father, you would make a good religious." In many ways, that freed me because from the time I was very young, I imagined myself married with lots of children. His comment helped me to see the overlap in gifts of these two vocations. As I continued to discern, I felt God leading me to religious life. As I began meeting the Alexian Brothers, I learned that some of them had been married and did have adult children.
3. Do you enjoy being a religious?
Absolutely! Yes, I very much enjoy being a religious. I believe that when we try to live our lives with God as the center, we will always experience happiness and joy. Having the opportunity to help make a difference in someone else's life really gives meaning to my life.
Vows are our promises to God of what we will do. The vows we profess are poverty, chastity and obedience. Many people view these vows as restrictions of what we cannot do. We know them to be life giving.
Poverty: I will live simply and see that all that I have as coming from God. I will accept everything with gratitude and be a good steward of all that I have.
Chastity: God is the center of my life and I will love all people without distinction.
Obedience: As I make decisions in my life, I listen for the voice of God through prayer and by looking at the needs of God's people, the needs of my religious congregation, and using the guidance of those who serve in community leadership.
As we live these vows, we experience many blessings and graces, which help us to grow closer to God. In reality, living the vows give us great freedom.
5. Why do some religious wear habits and others do not?
During Vatican II, religious congregations were asked to research their roots and live according to the spirit of their founder. Many communities learned that they were originally founded to wear the dress of the common man of the day. Thus, they do not wear a habit. Others, including the Alexian Brothers, found the opposite to be true and wear a habit. Our religious habit is a sign of our consecration and dedication to God. Our habit signifies humility of heart. Alexian Brothers normally wear habits on Sundays and during ceremonial occasions. Most Alexian Brothers wear clerical clothing while they minister to others and casual clothing when they are at home.
6. What is a day in the life of an Alexian Brother like?
A day is made up of 24 hours. Each of those hours contains 60 minutes and each minute contains 60 seconds. Now if you want to get carried away in this downward mathematical spiral you can get all the way down to something called a nanosecond which is actually a billionth of a second! For me, I prefer to look at the day as a collection of moments, more precisely one precious moment connected to the next.
Being a Brother frees me in many ways to be present to more people than perhaps I could otherwise. I get to meet and relate to many people everyday and share in precious moments at really important and key moments of their lives...holy moments... sacred moments.
These moments are truly gift and they might pass unrecognized if our lives weren't energized by personal and communal prayer and rooted in community living. We live in the conviction that without the spirit of prayer our lives are meaningless. Without prayer in union with the Church and a genuine love of God and neighbor, our labors on behalf of the people of God will be fruitless.
So we begin each day in communal Morning Prayer. We also participate in a daily Mass and we pray Evening Prayers together after our ministry assignments are completed. Prayer is the most important part of an Alexian Brother's day. Time for private, personal prayer and time for spiritual reading are also part of a Brother's daily life to develop a closer relationship with God. Prayer is the center of our lives.
Today, each Alexian Brother uses his gifts and talents where appropriate in ministries sponsored by the Congregation. The ministry schedule is similar to that of the staff members who work beside us to serve God's people. This provides many opportunities for Alexian Brothers to experience the precious moments.
As a Brother continues to open himself to the needs of others and to God's intentions for him in response, his ministry assignment may change. Thus, our ministries have evolved to meet the changing needs of our society. New men who enter the Congregation bring their unique gifts, skills and awareness to continue our ministries.
A Brother's day is not all work and prayer however. We usually come together for breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening. After dinner, we try to balance life by relaxing with other community members, recreation, reading, walking, talking, laughing and sharing our day's activities. No matter what the recreation, a Brother finds the gift of friendship in community, supported by men who share a personal relationship with God and the Congregation's charism of healing and reconciliation.
Before going to sleep, a Brother concludes his day with private reflection or contemplation.


This watch fits well; looks nice and i receive many compliments on it This user was entered into a sweepstakes after submitting their honest review.
Featuring a beautiful Roman numeral markers as well as color complementing hardware, this Roman Numeral Classic Leather Cuff Watch by Olivia Pratt is a lovely complement to any outfit. This watch has a stylish cuff bracelet with a leather construction and reliable Chinese quartz movement.


text:
jon rognerud
Another Important Way Google Determines Page Quality
Learn to provide the right content to the right market (and at the right time)
After the recent and multiple changes in Google's algorithm, and the Panda updates this year – confusion has overtaken webmasters.
The most common question is "now, what do I do?". "The article directories got devalued, paid links are frowned upon, directories don't seem to matter anymore, blog commenting and forum postings are bogus, and social media is an unknown." Plus, big brands and Google Adwords seems like the only way things work now. The entire screen real estate on Google is changing, and even Google instant is "forcing" people to select more lucrative keywords for the search giant.
They continue, "how can I build out my website so that Google gives me (back) the love that I once had? I need tons more of it!".
Understandably so, it is complex now – and since nobody knows the absolute, definitive ways to get ranked, and therefore attain traffic – you must go by history, new discoveries, and test "best practices" to see what sticks. Then, you have to keep doing that, and stay on top of changes…just in case.
But, there is one true, tried & tested approach for Google that will ALWAYS work for your website. Do you know what it is?
You probably have heard it before.
It's more important than ever.
It's "content", actually "quality content".
But – what is quality anyway? I mean, you have a great website, provide daily, weekly (monthly?) updates and relevant changes to your market, but it still seems slow going. You should search on this site for tons more detail on web page ranking tips and secrets for traffic. This post is not getting into all that detail.
However, the question I have for you today is: "how well have you studied your user behavior?". Do you know what they are doing on your website, and when (how fast) they exit? This is something called "bounce rate". It is not just when they exist (in seconds, minutes), but what they are actually doing. For example, if a visitor is coming to your page, how long do they stay on that page, and where do they go? And, what is your goal for that visitor? What do you want them to do? Are you showing them (easily)?
If one of your goals is to have the visitor sign up for an email newsletter, course or special download, how many visitors are following that path, per day? Example, if you have 100 visitors today, how many signed up?
Google looks at this behavior also. I mean, it's like the popular high-schooler… the one who had the most friends, who they hung out with, and what they were doing. These signals matter, and you may not have been thinking (or known) about them.
For example, in the last 30 days, I had a 3% bounce rate for new sign-ups to my free keyword research course, and the people who signed up, spent an average of almost 11 minutes (!) per visit. That's pretty cool.
How do I do that? It's the answer to the "page quality" question in the headline….you know it….: CONTENT & PROMOTION.
So, your action steps should be to produce content that your audience wants (yes, from keyword and market research), and combine it with images, video, audio, free downloads and email marketing + follow-up.
Users and search engines will love you for it.
You know this. It's called "marketing to your target market with a targeted message, using different media". How are you doing in this area?
About jon rognerud
INTERESTED in working with me on your Facebook Ads Business Acceleration? Sign up for a FREE breakthrough session! Learn More About Our Online Sessions.
Entrepreneur Magazine says Jon Rognerud is one of the most sought-after Digital Marketing Experts. His clients extend from high-end brands and middle-tier businesses in both B2B and B2C. His SEO website optimization book, "The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Website" from Entrepreneur Press is in bookstores now. Act fast, to get his free Facebook Ad Template checklist here.
Why Retargeting Pixel On…
SEO Authority Rules – Live…
6 Steps For An Effective SEO…
7 Tips To Increase Web Traffic To…
INTERESTED in working with me on your Facebook Ads Business Acceleration? Sign up for a FREE breakthrough session! Learn More About Our Online Sessions. === Entrepreneur Magazine says Jon Rognerud is one of the most sought-after Digital Marketing Experts. His clients extend from high-end brands and middle-tier businesses in both B2B and B2C. His SEO website optimization book, "The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Website" from Entrepreneur Press is in bookstores now. Act fast, to get his free Facebook Ad Template checklist here.
Hey, give me your thoughts below:
Copyright © 2019 Jon Rognerud Media & Advertising · All Rights Reserved.
0 Flares Twitter 0 Facebook 0 Pin It Share 0 LinkedIn 0 Buffer 0 Google+ 0 0 Flares ×


Underwriting is the most important aspect of the life insurance procurement process – and the least understood by consumers.
The insurance industry promotes the perception that underwriting is a fact-based assessment of risk. However, closer examination reveals that life underwriting is more an art, than a science.
The first category includes just the facts, while the second category could include inaccuracies that the underwriter thinks are facts. (The line between these categories is usually invisible.) The last category may include information that the underwriter would like to see, but can't. For instance, the underwriter might want to see the pathology report on the lesion that was removed from your back 10 years ago, but can't because the report is not in your physician's file and the dermatologist you were referred to has long since retired.
Before rendering a decision, underwriters need to gather evidence and information on the health, finances and lifestyle of an applicant. This information comes in the form of test results, medical files, reports from physicians and specialists, tax returns, motor vehicle reports, etc.
Here's where the problems start. Medical records can be tricky to assess for a number of reasons. It is not uncommon for one's medical records to include incomplete, inaccurate or entirely incorrect information or diagnoses. And medical records can be difficult to interpret and understand. If you've ever had a prescription, you know what a doctor's handwriting looks like – not pretty. How is an underwriter supposed to make any sense of this?
Underwriters are not medical professionals making decisions about your health. They are business people making risk decisions for an insurer that is entering into a policy contract to provide a benefit to you.
As in any business, underwriters have internal business objectives against which they are monitored through regular audits. No underwriter wants their audit to show that they have accepted bad risks and charged too little premium. So, when confronted with any uncertainty about a risk, the underwriter looks better if they add ratings to pad premiums.
In Canada, most underwriters are under enormous pressure to process more files, faster and faster. As a result, they cannot afford the time to contact a physician to clarify medical facts or dates (not to mention, their illegible handwritten notes). Nor do they typically contact an applicant to clarify a situation. It just doesn't happen.
Whether or not they are able to obtain the information they need, underwriters still need to render timely decisions on insurance applications.
Thus, many underwriting decisions are as much a result of what the underwriter thinks they know and don't know, as it is about what they, in fact, do know.
IPS has a developed an effective alternative to traditional insurance application process – one that strives to clarify the facts, while eliminating any inaccuracies and uncertainties surrounding an applicant's risk.
We achieve this by collecting all the evidence required to render an underwriting decision, so that we can ensure the information is accurate. Any gaps can be clarified with you and your physicians before any evidence is submitted to the insurers. And contextual information can be added to help insurance company underwriters understand the big picture – why are you seeking insurance coverage, what are you doing to promote your health and well-being, why you have so many traffic violations, etc.
Then, we submit your case to multiple insurance carriers in a structured, competitive bidding process. This forces the underwriters to be accountable to you. No longer can they afford to pad your premiums because of their uncertainty. If they do, they risk losing your business to one of their competitors.
Using this exclusive methodology – we call it Advocacy Underwriting – IPS ensures that your insurance premiums are fair and based only on the facts.
This entry was posted in Underwriting. Bookmark the permalink.


Fact: I've only had 1 Levain cookie in my life and I still dream about it. It was fall 2016, I was on a work trip to NYC and of course ate all the good things the Big Apple has to offer. I ate countless 99 cent pizza slices at all hours of the day, housed bagels like they were the reason for waking up in the morning (everything with veg cream cheese are my jam), waited in loooooong lines for cereal milk ice cream (typical) and of course a Levain cookie made its way into my hot little hands. AND IT WAS EVERYTHING I DREAMED IT WOULD BE.
I get that certain slice & bake and thin pan-banged cookies with molten pools of chocolate are whats vogue for 2018, but in all seriousness, if I was offered a thin cookie or a thick cookie, you know I'm going to choose that thick chewy cookie. Because to me, chocolate chip cookies should be thick, chewy, and oh so gooey in the center. Enter these Copycat Levain Bakery Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
So that one Levain Bakery cookies I had wasn't vegan. I knew immediately I want to recreate a vegan version, but then life happens, and here we are 2 years later and I'm finally sharing it with you. I feel like vegan cookies have a bad rap for being tough or crunchy instead of the gooey and soft like the butter filled cookies out there. Well I'm here with a delicious blend of coconut oil and almond butter that is just as good, if not BETTER, than your run of the mill buttered up recipe. The almond butter in this recipe replace some of the butter as well as eliminates the need for eggs, AND it keeps the cookies softer than if they were purely coconut oil based. WIN WIN WIN. The only tough part about these cookies is not eating all the raw dough.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together coconut oil and almond butter until combined (1-2 minutes). Add in both sugars and cream until very fluffy (roughly 5 minutes). Add in vanilla extract and almond milk, blend another minute until combined. With the mixer running on low, pour in all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch) and mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand mixer and use a spatula to fold in chocolate chunks or chips.
Use a large cookie scoop (I like this 3 tablespoon or 4 tablespoon cookie scoop) to scoop dough and place on a parchment of silicone mat lined baking sheet. DO NOT roll your cookies, leave them in their scooped shape. Chill cookie dough balls for at least 1 hour. After chilling, you can bake the cookies as is, or to achieve a more knobby looking cookie (like mine above), use your hands to turn cookie dough balls inside out, bringing chunks/chips to the top of the dough.
Bake cookies at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until middles are just set and edges browned. When in doubt, its better to under bake because nothing is worse than an over baked, dry vegan cookie.
Yields 16-18 cookies. Store in airtight container at room temperature 3 to 4 days, refrigerate up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze the dough balls up to 2 months. Enjoy!
I used a combination of 100% cacao chunks and 65% cacao chips.
Your coconut oil should be room temperature, not melted.
Those looks out of this world! Can I ask which chips you used? I'm always looking for the perfect chocolate chunks.


text:
Why the Supreme Court Should Rule in U.S. Foreign Affairs (Martin Flaherty)
Some argue that U.S. foreign affairs should be left to Congress and the President. But as more executive and legislative actions arise in…
E-cigarette Regulations Increase Prenatal Cigarette Use among Teen Smokers, New Study Shows
Earlier studies have shown that the passage of minimal legal sale age (MLSA) laws regulating the purchase of e-cigarettes among teens…
Initially Threatened by Change, People Adapt to Societal Diversity Over Time
President Donald Trump recently introduced immigration reforms that would prioritize education and employment qualifications over family…
Politics & Polls #133: Women of Color in the Digital Space Featuring Kimberly Bryant
The technology sector is an important part of the economy, yet there exists a dearth of women in the field — especially females of color…
Politics & Polls #131: 'Mass Human Caging' Featuring Alec Karakatsanis
There are unprecedented rates of incarceration in America today, with hundreds of thousands of people being jailed annually. How does the…
Princeton Researchers Awarded Funding for Innovative Education Research Projects
A group of researchers at Princeton University will receive funding to work on innovative, cross-disciplinary education research projects…
Currie Wins NOMIS Foundation's Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award
Princeton University's Janet Currie is winner of the NOMIS Foundation's Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award, which comes with a…
Project to Collect Real Portraits of American Life
Today, only half of children grow up to earn more than their parents, as opportunities for upward mobility continue to decline. Meanwhile…
WWS Reacts: Following Texas Ruling, What's Next for the ACA?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) appears to be on the chopping block again after a federal court judge in Texas ruled the law…
Assault During Pregnancy Can Lead to Low Birth Weight and Pre-Term Babies
Physical assault during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, can significantly increase the rates of babies born at very low…
Mental Health Declining Among Disadvantaged American Adults
American adults of low socioeconomic status report increasing mental distress and worsening well-being, according to a new study by…
Boosting Employment Rate Is Unlikely to Curb Opioid Use
Improving job prospects for people in economically depressed parts of the United States is unlikely to help curb the opioid epidemic,…
Reinhardt, Cheng Recognized for Contributions to Health Policy
The late Uwe Reinhardt was awarded the Chair Award by AcademyHealth, the country's leading national organization for health services…
"Impassioned Debate" Results in Noteworthy Journal
While producing the annual Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA) is no small task, a review of this year's 26th edition…
Nancy Duff Campbell: A Path to Public Service
Nancy Duff Campbell is the founder and co-president of the National Women's Law Center. This fall, she visited the Woodrow Wilson School…
Currie Wins Carolyn Shaw Bell Award
Janet M.


It's been an incredible year! So grateful for the acknowledgement of the WCSH 6 Who Care Agency of Distinction award, being selected as the Maine recipient of the Tom's of Maine 50 States for Good, being granted by the highly competitive Next Generation Foundation paying off our 40-year mortgage, and being recognized as Mainebiz's Nonprofit Business Leader of the Year… WHEW!
Thank you so very much! We love our kids to the moon and back! !


FCD comments CH-18 and US-85 request the state of moved-from objects be clarified. They are closely related but not identical. This proposal provides proposed wording in one place to ensure consistent resolution of both.
The general approach on moving is that a library object after moving out is in a "valid but unspecified state". But this is stated at the single object specifications, which is error prone (especially if the move operations are implicit) and unnecessary duplication.
Consider putting a general statement to the same effect into clause 17.
US-85 = LWG-1374. [FCD] Clarify moved-from objects are "toxic"
20.2.1 Table 34 "MoveConstructible requirements" says "Note: rv remains a valid object. Its state is unspecified". Some components give stronger guarantees. For example, moved-from shared_ptrs are guaranteed empty (20.9.11.2.1/25). In general, what the standard really should say (preferably as a global blanket statement) is that moved-from objects can be destroyed and can be the destination of an assignment. Anything else is radioactive. For example, containers can be "emptier than empty". This needs to be explicit and required generally.
State as a general requirement that moved-from objects can be destroyed and can be the destination of an assignment. Any other use is undefined behavior.
Howard Hinnant provided the following rationale. The proposed resolution was crafted accordingly.
There are two versions of what is required of moved-from objects. One version for std::defined types. One version for user-defined types.
The version for std::defined types is stricter and represents what I believe is "best practice". I.e. it is effectively a coding guideline which leads by example. It implicitly tells people the best way to code with respect to move semantics. And we should require just what Beman has written with std::vector as an example.
The version for user-defined types is weaker. It is the weakest requirements you can reasonably get without breaking std algorithms. std::algorithms generally can't perform anything but a limited set of operations on a user-defined type. These operations are listed in the requirements for each individual algorithm or class. We should require that these operations always work, whether involving a moved-from state or not. We should not require that the user get anything else working in a moved-from state. Except for the container adaptors, we have no algorithms that will call empty() or front() on user-defined types (and in only that case do user-defined types have to have reasonable behavior for those members).
an object state that is not specified except that the object's invariants are met and operations on the object behave as specified.
Objects of types defined in the standard library may be moved from ([class.copy]). Move operations may be explicitly specified or implicitly generated. Unless otherwise specified, such moved-from objects shall be placed in a valid but unspecified state ([defns.valid.unspecified]).
Effects: Replaces the target of *this with the target of f , leaving f in a valid but unspecified state.
21.4.2 basic_string constructors and assigment operators [string.cons] fails to mention the moved-from state for several other move constructors and move assignments. It is thus an example of why moved-from state should be specified in the clause 17 front matter rather than on a function by function basis.
The array created by this constructor has the same length as the argument array. The elements are initialized with the values of the corresponding elements of the argument array. After construction, v is in a valid but unspecified state.
Effects: *this obtains the value of v. After the assignment, v is in a valid but unspecified state. If the length of v is not equal to the length of *this, resizes *this to make the two arrays the same length, as if by calling resize(v.size()), before performing the assignment.
Effects: Move-constructs an object of class match_results from m satisfying the same postconditions as Table 141. Additionally, the stored Allocator value is move constructed from m.get_allocator(). After the initialization of *this, sets m to an unspecified but valid state.
Effects: Move-assigns m to *this. The postconditions of this function are indicated in Table 141. After the assignment, m is in a valid but unspecified state.
Alisdair Meredith, Daniel Krügler, and Howard Hinnant were instrumental in preparing this paper. Many thanks!


text:
Working With KIm
"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen." Frank Lloyd Wright
A successful return to work
Anna is a mother of twins and was looking to return to work as her children started school. Before having children, she had worked for many years as a secretary for a chartered surveyor. Anna realized just how far technology had moved on and that much of the secretarial work she had carried out was now redundant. She had little confidence about returning to the workplace and wondered if her skills were still relevant. Kim carried out a skills audit for Anna.
The skills audit focused on Anna's transferable skills, picked up from years of organising events, managing diaries, and working to tight deadlines. Kim also picked up on Anna's interest in the property market and the knowledge she had built up while working in a surveyor's office. Kim used all this information to develop a functional CV. Anna's confidence was built up via mock interviews, attending networking sessions and completing training courses in Microsoft office suite.
Anna is now happily employed part-time as a lettings agent for a large chain of estate agents.
Learning the value of networking
Peter was a mid-career researcher in a major pharmaceutical company struggling to get back into the work force after being made redundant. Previously, jobs had come very easily to Peter so his confidence was low and he wasn't convinced of the value of the networking process.
Working with Kim through a step-by-step process, Peter regained confidence in his own abilities and learned the real value of networking meetings, how to approach contacts and how to maintain relationships.
The two-way nature of networking meetings led to an introduction where, although he went through a formal recruitment process, the recommendation by a company insider undoubtedly helped with his application.
Identifying the right career path
Kevin was a recent graduate with a BA in management from a leading UK university. Every summer he had worked with an international student organization. He also founded and ran a student online forum. He wanted to secure a graduate-level position within one of the top investment banks but had not been successful during the graduate recruitment cycle. Kevin had excellent quantitative skills and felt he ought to make a career in banking.
Kim first looked at Kevin's career motivators via a psychometric assessment and found that he had significant entrepreneurial flair and was particularly motivated by intellectual challenge and variety. Talking through his options, it became clear Kevin was very interested in business development and was passionate about technology. Kim worked with Kevin to tweak his CV and revise his standard application form questions and cover letter, specifically targeting technology companies.
Kevin is now working as a Financial Analyst at Google.
Frank had been CEO of various SMEs during his career, mostly in retail focusing on the baby products industry. Various life events had made Frank re-evaluate how he wanted to work. Kim and Frank identified and analysed the various career drivers important to him – such as lifestyle, work-life balance, and making use of his considerable industry expertise.
He now writes for, and maintains, a website reviewing baby products.
Refocusing interview skills
Franco was an Italian Master's student with excellent analytical skills and an economics degree from the most highly ranked Italian university. He is enormously creative and full of fun and this quality, while extremely endearing, often led him to digress enormously in interviews.
Kim conducted a number of mock interviews and over time Franco learned how to combine his wonderful sense of humour and creativity with intellectual rigour when answering questions as well as remaining structured and concise.
Franco now works for a top consultancy in London.
To request a free 30-minute introductory consultation or to simply talk things through, please contact Kim Katz.
© 2011 Careers Insight
ˆ Back to top


text:
Q: Combine and sum all the total_amount with same month? I want to combine and sum all the total_amount, quantity and total_order with the same month.
 SELECT DATE_FORMAT(tbl_date.date, '%b') AS Month,
  COUNT(tbl_purchase_received_details.purchase_received_id) AS Total_Order,
  SUM(IFNULL(tbl_purchase_received_details.received_quantity,0)) AS Quantity,
  IFNULL((tbl_supplier_medicine.price) *
  SUM(tbl_purchase_received_details.received_quantity),0) AS Total_Amount,
  tbl_supplier.supplier_name AS Supplier
 FROM
  tbl_date
 LEFT JOIN
  tbl_purchase_received ON tbl_purchase_received.date_received = tbl_date.date
 LEFT JOIN
  tbl_purchase_received_details ON
  tbl_purchase_received.purchase_received_id =
  tbl_purchase_received_details.purchase_received_id
 LEFT JOIN
  tbl_supplier_medicine ON tbl_supplier_medicine.supplier_medicine_id =
  tbl_purchase_received_details.supplier_medicine_id
 LEFT JOIN tbl_supplier ON
  tbl_supplier.supplier_id = tbl_supplier_medicine.supplier_id
 WHERE
  YEAR(tbl_date.date) = YEAR(NOW())
 GROUP BY
  DATE_FORMAT(tbl_date.date, '%b'),
  tbl_supplier_medicine.supplier_medicine_id
 ORDER BY
  tbl_date.date, tbl_supplier_medicine.supplier_medicine_id

Month  Total_Order  Quantity  Total_Amount  Supplier
Jan    0            0         0             NULL
Feb    0            0         0             NULL
Mar    0            0         0             NULL
Apr    0            0         0             NULL
May    0            0         0             NULL
Jun    0            0         0             NULL
Jul    0            0         0             NULL
Aug    0            0         0             NULL
Aug    2            200       2000          Unilever
Aug    1            100       1200          Unilever
Sep    0            0         0             NULL
Oct    0            0         0             NULL
Nov    0            0         0             NULL
Dec    0            0         0             NULL

I want this result
Month  Total_Order  Quantity  Total_Amount  Supplier
Jan    0            0         0             NULL
Feb    0            0         0             NULL
Mar    0            0         0             NULL
Apr    0            0         0             NULL
May    0            0         0             NULL
Jun    0            0         0             NULL
Jul    0            0         0             NULL
Aug    3            300       32000         Unilever
Sep    0            0         0             NULL
Oct    0            0         0             NULL
Nov    0            0         0             NULL
Dec    0            0         0             NULL

A: Your GROUP BY does not match the query. In your selected columns you fetch totals for each month/supplier, but you are grouping by the supplier_medicine_id.
Not sure what you want the GROUP BY to be. What if there are multiple suppliers for a month? Do you want to show them as separate rows or summed up together?
As a rule of thumb: If you mix aggregate functions with non-aggregate columns the GROUP BY uses all non-aggregate columns. In your case you have non-aggregate columns:

*

*DATE_FORMAT(tbl_date.date, '%b')

*tbl_supplier.supplier_name
So, your group by should be:
GROUP BY DATE_FORMAT(tbl_date.date, '%b'), tbl_supplier.supplier_name
If on the other hand you wish to have only one row per month, you need to prepare for the fact that multiple suppliers can appear on same month. In that case you can use GROUP_CONCAT(tbl_supplier.supplier_name) AS Supplier

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The report below - and the witness testimony contained within it - does not necessarily reflect the views of Liverpool FC. Please be aware that the reports on these pages will contain evidence about the day of the disaster which may be distressing.
The coroner in the Hillsborough inquests summed up the evidence of off-duty medics who came to the aid of injured and dying fans on the day.
Sir John Goldring continued his summing up of the case for an 18th day and reminded the jury of evidence about the response to the disaster on April 15, 1989.
The jury heard evidence of Dr Glyn Phillips, a GP and Liverpool FC fan who had been in pen three.
Dr Phillips, who needed stitches to his head after he cut himself as he got out of the terrace, went onto the pitch to provide assistance.
Sir John said: "Almost immediately on the pitch he came across a young man lying parallel to the perimeter track.
"That was, we know, Gary Currie.
"We know that Gary survived.
"Dr Phillips said that when he first saw Gary, he looked to be in a severe state of collapse.
"He was motionless, deathly pale and deeply cyanosed or blue.
Dr Phillips said he asked for a defibrillator and oxygen cylinder but he was told there was no defibrillator and was given an oxygen cylinder which he said was empty.
He said after 10 to 15 minutes of CPR Gary's heartbeat returned and he took him to an ambulance where he started breathing again after mouth-to-mouth.
The court was also reminded of the evidence of Dr Brian Timney, who had been in the Spion Kop before he went to assist casualties inside and outside the gymnasium.
Dr Timney said he went to the police room near the gymnasium and told an officer he was a doctor.
Sir John said: "He said 'very clearly' he wanted assistance in organising triage for the injured.
"As Dr Timney put it in his 1989 statement, the officer said he did not know what was going on, he could not help.
Dr Timney said before the gymnasium was opened for use as a casualty clearing station there was "really no management, no organisation or direction".
Fourth year medical student Dr Niall Wilson had told the court he had gone to the rear of the stand to help after the disaster.
He said: "No one seemed to be assisting the injured, so I just did what I could.
"I reassured people and checked their pulses and placed them in the recovery position.
The coroner said Frederick Eccleston, a senior nursing manager, described the situation on the pitch as "completely chaotic".
Sir John said: "He said the police, including senior officers, and fans were doing their best to help.
In his 1989 statement, Mr Eccleston said: "With better leadership, perhaps more could have been done and more saved.
The court was reminded of the evidence of Professor John Ashton, now president of the Faculty of Public Health, who was sitting in the stand above the terraces and went to the inner concourse to help.
Sir John said: "He said it was chaos. There was no one to report to.
"There were a certain number of police officers.
"There was no evidence, he said, of any health service people.
Police formed cordons across the pitch at Hillsborough as the emergency response to the disaster was going on, the inquests heard.
Coroner Sir John Goldring continued summing up evidence relating to the police response to the disaster at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989.
The jury was reminded of evidence from officers who had been called to the pitch after the crush in the central pens of the Leppings Lane terrace started, including some of those who formed cordons aimed at prevented fans fighting.
The court was shown footage of a cordon of officers moving from the Kop end of the pitch to the halfway line between 3.38pm and 3.40pm, around the same time as a second South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (SYMAS) ambulance drove onto the pitch.
The court heard Inspector Brian Wallace was initially in a cordon in front of the North Stand of the Sheffield Wednesday ground and then moved to join officers across the halfway line.
Mr Wallace had said that fans were screaming at officers: "What are you doing? Get over there and help".
He said he was not told the nature of the problems.
The jury was reminded of evidence of former superintendent David Chapman, which had been read as he was not well enough to attend.
Mr Chapman, who was the sector commander of Nottingham Forest fans, had formed officers into a cordon in front of the Spion Kop and then moved them into a cordon on the halfway line after speaking to Chief Superintendent John Nesbit.
The jury was also reminded of Mr Nesbit's evidence about forming the cordon.
Sir John said: "He said he noticed a number of Liverpool supporters were starting to drift towards the halfway line.
"He decided to put officers across the halfway line.
"The last thing he wanted was any confrontation between Liverpool and Nottingham fans.
"It was, he said, a preventative measure.
"He had not witnessed or had any reports of fighting between fans on the pitch.
"The cordon was not, he said, an obstruction for people who may well have wanted to go to the gymnasium or make enquiries or anything like that.
Click here for a full transcript from March 15.


The Wacoal Awareness Seamless Wire Free Bra offers fantastic support without an underwire.
The Wacoal 85276 bra is a new version of their best-selling Everyday Soft Cup bra. This style is made of extra soft, comfortable fabric covered in a pretty jacquard print which is designed to not show through your top. The Awareness Seamless bra has wide, lightly padded straps. The bra's full coverage cups and wide band help keep your breasts supported and the bra in place all day long. If you find bras with an underwire uncomfortable, the Wacoal Awareness is a great choice. It's a favorite around-the-house, everyday bra!
From petite to full busted, you'll look as good as you feel in the Wacoal Awareness Seamless Wirefree Bra.


Janey is an orphan and has had no one to love her. When a near-stranger, Mr Rosendale, announces he is "in love" with her, she is so dazzled by having someone love her that she consents readily to the marriage. Now after a week of marriage she has discovered that his "love" is sexual passion and possessiveness - he cares only for her beauty. Her dream of a loving companion is gone.
As the couple travel through France on their wedding tour, an unexpected opportunity arrives for Janey to be alone for a few hours, and to think seriously about what she wants for her future.
This is the first story in the "John R" series - see the link below for more information on the series.
In this story Mrs Oliphant refers to a French village as "St Honorat" (which is actually a small island off Cannes), but refers to the same village in the second story as Cagnes-sur-Mer, a real village located in the south of France on a bay between Antibes and Nice.


When one word appears four times in one partial sentence, God has my attention! We must read the short epistle of Jude in context. Jude wanted to write of common salvation things, but found it necessary to exhort that his readers contend for the faith. Volumes have been written about contending for the faith. What does Jude say?
Jude warns about godless men who change grace into license, giving an excuse for immorality. Jude warns against godlessness which denies the deity of Jesus as Sovereign and Lord. Such godlessness stands in a long line of wilderness unbelievers, rebellious angelic beings, even Sodom and Gomorrah. The mark of such ungodliness is pollution, antinomianism (literally against law, e.g. rejecting authority), slander, and abusive speech.
God will get such! Judgment is sure. When our actions, methods, and words are ungodly, be certain we ourselves have become unlike God. Does it make us just a little uncomfortable that such ungodliness is characterized by grumbling, fault-finding, evil desires, boasting, and flattery?
Maybe we need to broaden our efforts to contend for the faith. Perhaps we need to speak as clearly about actions, methods, and words as about doctrinal teachings. Jude connects contending for the faith with a clear word against ungodliness! Let us seek to live godly lives.
Last updated October 11, 2002.


text:
Tag: heart
Some people are genuine, some people are fakes,
They slither and slide like poisonous snakes. 🐍
Someone is bitter and can give you a shake,
Someone is sweet, as sweet as a cupcake.
Some people are sensitive and can easily break,
Some people melt just like a snowflake ❄
Some people are harsh and can give you heartache,
Some have hard hearts, they can even make the ground shake.
Some people are sincere, they do it for His sake,
Throughout the night they will stay awake,
They pass every trial and great patience they will undertake,
They attain a great status and palaces in Jannah they will make.
So dear brother, don't you ever make this mistake,
Don't ever hurt a soul nor let it ache.
That person may be a sinner or maybe a Shaykh,
But even Allah may not want that heart to break. 💔
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah's forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
15 Shaban 1440
By IsmailSatiain Poems April 20, 2019 April 15, 2019 161 WordsLeave a comment
I don't wear a Hijab, but my heart is clean!"
"All of my Ummah will be forgiven except those who sin openly…" [1]
Sinning privately is between Allah and His servant and a struggle that only He knows about and which In sha Allah He will give His servant the Tawfiq to repent for. Openly sinning with no remorse is tantamount to a public challenge to Allah and it doesn't just remain between a servant and his Lord, but with the people too. One is to unashamedly disobey Allah and then to further justify the sin, but "Allah will not help a people until they help themselves." [2]
Lately, I seem to have come across many sisters who give reasons for their Hijab – or lack thereof!
"I'm not ready for the Hijab yet!"
"So what if my hair is uncovered? My heart is clean!"
"Don't tell me to wear Hijab, only Allah can judge me."
Naturally, it led to many debates where not everyone agreed. Hence, this is merely an opinion.
At random, I started looking at other commandments of Allah. His order to fulfil the obligation of Salah comes with the condition that one has reached the age of puberty, is sane, and is a Muslim. Similarly, the donning of Hijab becomes compulsory once a woman reaches the age of puberty. But why are sisters so quick to make excuses like, "I'm not ready yet" and, "But my heart is clean," when we don't make the same excuses for our Zakah and fasting the month of Ramadhan?
My mind is at awe with the women around my Nabi ﷺ who dropped all they had in order to comply to another commandment of Allah with the hope of coming closer to Him. Fatimah Al-Zahrah (R), the queen of the women of Jannah, was the epitome of modesty at the time of Nabi ﷺ and continues to serve as an example until the end of time. Similarly, Umm Khallad (R) who upon hearing of the martyrdom of her beloved son on the battlefield, rushed to it whilst veiled. When asked how she managed to cover in such a state, she responded, "I have lost my son, but I have not lost my modesty." [3]
Such women had the purest of hearts and yet they did not make the excuses we make because it is not befitting for a Muslim woman to ask for a concession in a matter that Allah and His Nabi (S) have ordained for us!
It may be true that a sister without the Hijab may have a heart purer and Taqwa stronger than that of a sister fully covered. However, when a Muslim woman CHOOSES not to wear the Hijab out of her own free-will (without a valid Shar'i reason), she becomes another fallen brick in the wall that divides us as an Ummah because she has chosen to hide her identity. Those who wear the Hijab (despite their struggles) are then labelled fanatics and extremists because another side has presented a "liberal" image which shows the world that it clearly isn't mandatory to wear the Hijab and it can't really be part of the faith! And so in this manner, she makes it harder for her "Hijabi" sister to practice her faith.
Those who refuse the Hijab claiming only Allah can judge them, remember that indeed Allah WILL judge them. Let's help one another to become stronger in our faith and show the world that we are proud of our identity. May Allah help each of us in our struggles and only He knows what they are.
Do you agree? Disagree? All comments welcome, but please be courteous.
[1] Bukhari and Muslim
[2] Surah Ra'ad (13:11)
[3] Abu Dawud
Zainab Bint Husain (Allah protect her)
10 Muharram 1440
By IsmailSatiain Muslim women September 27, 2018 September 27, 2018 621 WordsLeave a comment
"I've come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It's my personal approach that creates the climate.
It's my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized."
― Haim G. Ginott
By IsmailSatiain Miscellaneous September 3, 2018 95 WordsLeave a comment
~ It was just a few words!
Ponder over the following examples where very few words unlocked the greatness of three great people.
= The first:
Imam Ishaq Ibn Rahawayh RH once said during a study circle of Hadith,
"من ينشط منكم لجمع الصحيح؟"
"Whom here is willing to take it upon himself to compile for us the authentic Hadith?"
Imam Al-Bukhari RH was present and said, "His words fell onto my heart"
Imagine that! It was just those words which sparked off the most beneficial Hadith project in History!
= The second:
Imam Ash-Shafi'i RH was most interested in poetry in the earlier parts of his life. One scholar heard him speak poetry and so he asked him, "أين أنت من الفِقه؟"
"Why don't you focus on the study of Fiqh (jurisprudence) instead?"
This had a profound effect on Imam Ash-Shafi'i RH and because of these words, he completely changed the course of his study and turned to the study of Hadith and Fiqh till he became an Imam. All of this was because of one simple encounter with a wise well-wisher.
= The third:
Have you heard of Imam Adh-Dhahabi RH? His handwriting was once spotted by Imam Al-Barzali RH so he said to Adh-Dhahabi RH, "إنَّ خطك هذا يشبه خط المُحدِّثين"
"Your handwriting resembles the handwriting of the scholars of Hadith"
Imam Adh-Dhahabi RH said,
فحبَّب الله لي علم الحديث
"After hearing that, Allah placed the love of Hadith in my heart!"
You have no idea of the potential influence which your words may have on your children, students, family members or friends, even if your words are few!
Coupled with your sincerity and wisely tailored words of encouragement, plant the seed of inspiration within their hearts and leave it to grow. This person may develop to become the next scholar, a ground-breaking caller to Islam, the mother of the next revivalist or the founder of a revolutionary project for the Ummah.
You may end up forgetting all about this seed.
But this reformed individual will never forget. More importantly, Allah will never forget.
1st Dhul Hijah 1438
By IsmailSatiain Du'aas August 27, 2017 August 23, 2017 324 WordsLeave a comment
A man was born…
A man was born 69 years ago,
Brave, courageous, a fighter for the truth,
Who was no ordinary man, not a weak man but strong and valiant.
Who was kind, loving, warm and friendly,
Who had a heart of gold, but stayed firm and bold.
Who loved helping people, but never asked for help,
Who was thoughtful and caring, but fierce and daring.
He couldn't see wrong in front of him, didn't matter if it was his own kith and kin,
Selfless, sacrificing, noble and respected.
This man left us three years ago,
Silently, returned to his Lord SWT,
Our lips were silent, but our hearts spoke
Even if we tried to forget him, it's difficult to hide the painful tears.
In Memory of Abba
27 Safar 1437
By IsmailSatiain Dhulm/Oppression, Poems November 27, 2016 September 26, 2018 200 Words9 Comments
Finding Peace and Contentment
By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh
Besides the remembrance of Allāh ta'ālā there is no other way for the heart to find peace, contentment or tranquillity. The patient suffering from eczema may attain a transient pleasure by scratching, but when he stops scratching, the discomfort returns and the future bodes nothing but difficulty. Likewise, temporary pleasure may be attained by one who disobeys Allāh ta'ālā, but as soon as he concludes the impermissible activity he is involved in, his heart once again becomes discontent and restless.
No one in the world has a cure for restlessness of the heart. Allāh ta'ālā has complete control over this condition and has kept its cure solely with Himself. If contentment of heart is lost, the combined efforts of all the world's doctors, mashā'ikh and resources will be of no avail. Peace and contentment come from one place and one place only – they descend upon the hearts of man directly from the Court of Allāh ta'ālā; no one else has been allowed power over them.
It is He who sent down peace upon the hearts of the believers… (48:4)
Allāh ta'ālā is the one who causes peace, tranquillity and happiness to descend, and furthermore, they only descend upon hearts that are capable of accommodating them.
The Airport of the Heart
This concept can be understood by the following analogy. Aeroplanes of different designs do not indiscriminately land at any available airport. Airports are assessed to see what types of aircraft they are suitable for. If the airport is large, of sophisticated design and having a large runway of the best quality then the largest and most advanced aeroplanes will be able to land there. If the airport is not so well equipped then lighter aircraft will use it. If the airport is decrepit, with a runway full of potholes, then even the lightest aircraft will not be able to make use of it.
Our hearts are also airports, with a runway upon which the aeroplane of sakīnah (tranquillity) from Allāh ta'ālā is designed to touch down. If the airport of our heart is small or if its runway is full of holes and cracks, then the aeroplane of sakīnah from Allāh ta'ālā will not land. We will need to exert every effort to remove the cracks on the tarmac that have appeared due to our sins. We will need to refrain from sins to stop more cracks appearing. We will need to repent and submit to the commands of Allāh ta'ālā, for it is with the tarmac of repentance and submission that the cracks of the runway are sealed.
Only after this effort will the aeroplane of tranquillity descend upon the heart. Then, for as long as an individual continues to maintain and rectify the airport of the heart, the aeroplane of sakīnah will continue to land. Its schedule will become fixed and its landings will be continuous.
Those who say: 'Allāh is our Lord,' and then remain steadfast, angels will descend upon them and say: 'Do not fear nor grieve, and be happy with the good news of Jannah that you have been promised.' (41:30)
At the time of death, Allāh ta'ālā will send angels with sakīnah to the believers and as a result, they will not fear or grieve. Some mufassirīn state that those believers who strive throughout their lives to keep their hearts pure and clean and shun sin and repent if they slip are visited by angels bringing peace every day. Mufti Shafī'rahimahullāh has quoted Abū Hayyān rahimahullāh as saying that angels descend upon the believers every day, the effects of which are manifested in their good deeds. The only difference is that until the moment of death, a believer is unable to see or hear the angels as they descend.
This is an extract from the booklet 'Real Pleasure' published by
the Islāmic Da'wah Academy.
Remove your address from our mailing list. Unsubscribe.
By IsmailSatiain Shaykh Saleem Dhorat June 22, 2016 June 22, 2016 696 WordsLeave a comment
From the depth of my Heart. . .
Praise be to Allah.
Mankind was one nation, believing in Tawheed, then they differed. Some of them believed and some disbelieved. So Allah sent the Prophets AS with glad tidings and warnings, so whoever believes will enter Paradise and whoever disbelieves will enter Hell. The conflict is still going on between belief and disbelief, truth and falsehood, and will continue until Allah inherits the earth and everyone on it.
Islam is the religion for all of mankind, and Allah has commanded us to convey it to all people. This can only be achieved if we are strong, and strength is based on faith and unity. Hence Allah has commanded all the believers to adhere to His religion and to be united, and not to be divided. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Qur'an), and be not divided among yourselves
[Aal 'Imran 3:103]
Division, differences and disputes are the cause of the ummah's defeat, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Saabiroon (the patient)"
[al-Anfaal 8:46]
Unity and coming together are among the basic principles of Islam, and there are many aspects of unity in Islam, such as One Lord, one Book, one Prophet, one religion, one qiblah, one ummah.
In order to achieve the unity of the ummah, Islam urges us to adhere to the jama'ah (the group which follows the Qur'an and Sunnah). The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained that the hand of Allah is with the jama'ah, and that whoever deviates from that will be in Hell. Allah has enjoined coming together for all acts of worship in order to achieve this unity. Allah addresses the Ummah as one group in all rulings to indicate that they are one ummah, like one body. There is no difference between them; the commands and prohibitions are addressed to all.
Dearest brothers and sisters of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him), when we look around the globe today we see the Ummah has become selfish. We don't see anyone caring for the Ummah, looking out for others and showing empathy towards those who are needy and the suffering. We see an Ummah suffering form individualism, everyone cares about 'his own'. His own family, his own house, his own children, his own job, his own life and his own future.
The Ummah is devoid of men and women who stand up for the Ummah, who cry for the Ummah. Or even brothers and sisters who PRAY for the Ummah – Allahul Musta'aan.
I absolutely loathe selfishness and self-centred, self-absorbed, self-conceited individuals. If everyone is going to just care for themselves, who will stand up for the oppressed? Who will speak up for those who have been wronged? Who will stop injustice? Who will free the innocent prisoners? Who will protect the orphans and the widows? Who will be there for the lonely ones and the elderly? If you and I refuse to help them and ignore their cries, then I swear by Allah on His Majestic throne – nobody will help them! Nobody! Simply because we were too bothered and busy about earning the next dollar! We were too engrossed in keeping ourselves in shape. Wealth made us negligent. Materialism deceived us in thinking the world is forever.
If the above is true, then may I ask, what difference is there between us and animals? Animals just eat and rest and sleep, so do we. So do those who disbelieve in Allah.
"Let them (disbelievers) eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know." (15:3)
This story may only be an anecdote, but it reflects a very powerful lesson:
In a forest, there lived three bulls: a red bull, a black bull and a white bull. Among them lived a lion. The lion never felt he was king of the forest. He felt outnumbered by three bulls, which he was.
One day, the lion said to the red bull and the black bull: "That white bull is so large and white and can be spotted easily in through the trees of our forest. My colour is similar to yours. Let me eat the white bull, and the three of us will blend in well together. Then we will be safe in the forest."
The red bull and the black bull said: "Go ahead, eat him."
So the lion ate the white bull.
A few days later, the lion said to the red bull: "You and I look alike, your colour and mine are similar. What do you say I eat the black bull, and the forest will be ours."
The red bull replied: "Go ahead, eat him."
And so the lion ate the black bull.
A few days later the lion said to the red bull: "Today I think I will eat you."
The red bull said: "Let me call my friends to rescue me!"
The lion replied: "Go ahead, call them."
But the red bull cried out instead in dismay: "I know was eaten the day the white bull was eaten."
Now reflect upon this Hadith:
Thawban – radiallahu 'anhu – the freed slave of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. He related that the Messenger of Allah said: "The nations are about to call each other and set upon you, just as diners set upon food." It was said: "Will it be because of our small number that day?" He said: "Rather, on that day you will be many, but you will be like foam, like the foam on the river. And Allah will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will throw wahn (weakness) into your hearts." Someone said: "O Messenger of Allah! What is wahn?" He said: "Love of the world and the hatred for death."
Sahih: Related by Abu Dawud (no. 4297), Ibn 'Asakirin in Tarikh Dimashq(2/97/8) and others.
This hadith explains the first form of weakness, which has befallen the 'Ummah in all corners of the world, as being a result of inclination to this world, love of it, and being preoccupied with it, whilst turning away from the Hereafter, being distant from it and hatred of death. Hatred of death is a sign of loving this world, since the one who loves this world, hates death. Since, with death, comes the meeting with Allah – the Most Perfect.
Some Benefits of this Hadith
From the hadith, we can conclude the following:-
That the disbelievers attentively observe the Muslim 'Ummah and study their condition, when they see a weakness they strike at it and if they see a barrier, they destroy it. When they see that the 'Ummah cannot defend itself, they do not show mercy, since they are the enemies of Allah. So they hate the Muslims because they (the Muslims) call to the worship and obedience of Allah.
The Muslim lands possess many riches, being sources of goods and blessings. This is why the enemies of Allah desire these lands and try to conquer them.
The 'Ummah has reached a level where it cannot defend its honour, riches nor wealth from its conquering enemies.
The disbelievers have divided the conquered lands of the Muslims between themselves, just like diners when gathered around their dish – what do they do? Each of them takes their portion until he is full; and he will not be content with that which is in his plate, except with that which fills. The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam, warned us about this fact – the cutting up of the Muslim lands, for he said: "You will form different armies, an army in Greater Syria (ash-Sham), an army in 'Iraq and an army in Yemen." I asked: "Which one shall I be with O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "I advise you with the (army) of ash-Sham and whoever refuses then let him join Yemen and beware. For indeed Allah – the Mighty and Majestic – has guaranteed ash-Sham and its people for me." Sahih: Related by Ahmad (5/33), Abu Dawud (1/388).
That the disbelievers do not fear the Muslims. At the time of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam when the disbelievers heard that the Prophet was preparing to engage them in battle, they would become fearful and turn on their heels. This is what happened at the battle of Tabuk. At this battle, the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam travelled a months journey to fight the Romans, when they heard of the Messenger of Allah's, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, approach they fled. So the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "I have been given five (things) which no one else before me has been given. I have been aided with fear – a distance of one month's traveling… " Related by al-Bukhari (1/436) and Muslim (5/3-4) from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah radiallahu 'anhu. Allah the – the Highest – states: "Soon We shall cast terror into the hearts of the disbelievers, for that, they made shirk, for which He had sent no authority." [Al-Qur'an 3:151]
Indeed, fear is a weapon, which Allah implants in the hearts of His enemies. This is why the strength of the Muslims, is not in their great numbers – weapons or wealth – but it is in their 'aqidah (belief) and they're adhering to it. For today there are plenty of Muslims, but they are like foam, like the foam carried by the waves. And their riches are many but cannot be for them. Rather, it has become the possession of their enemies. For example, The Muslims today approximate over one billion and they grow in number every day. However, at the same time they are the weakest of nations in every country they are in, being persecuted – why?
Because they have become like foam, like the foam on the waves. Also, the lands of the Muslims possess many riches and minerals, but where does it all end up? With the disbelievers in Europe or America, or it goes to the Jews of Palestine. The Muslim oil constitutes approximately one-third of the world's reserves, but the Muslims are the poorest of people – why?
Because they do not possess anything from their Din (religion), except a name. So they call to it, but all their riches now belong to their enemies.
O Lord of the Worlds, O Ever-living One, O Self-Existing One!
O Allah! Unite the Muslims.
O Allah! Save us from disunity.
O Allah! Make us brothers like the Ansaar RA and the Muhajireen RA.
O Allah! Protect us from Racism and Nationalism.
O Allah! Save us from differences.
O Allah! Help us to be One.
O Allah! Grant us sympathy and empathy for the Ummah.
O Allah! Save us from selfishness.
Ameen Ya Rabbal-Alameen.
1 Muharram 1437
Ya Rabb! Place the reward of this article in the scales of my Late Father RH, in his mizaan of Hasanaat. I believe he was a man who stood up for the Ummah, he wasn't a selfish man. He believed in Unity and empathy. He taught me dignity and self respect. I learned from him not to 'go with the flow', rather be a force against the tide – no matter what the pressure, no matter what the odds are. And never fear the criticism of the critics. Most importantly, he taught me how to place all reliance on Allah. Because, if Allah can't help you, nobody can! Two years after his demise, his legacy remains in sha Allah…
By IsmailSatiain Current Affairs articles October 14, 2015 December 18, 2018 1,974 Words3 Comments


text:
Vanessa's Books
VK Sykes
Guest Author: Patricia Burroughs & Gift Card Giveaway!!
March 15, 2016 May 20, 2014 by VanessaKelly
I'm so pleased to welcome bestselling romance and epic fantasy author Patricia Borroughs to the blog today. Pooks, as she's called, is here to talk about her latest book, This Crumbling Pageant–which has an interesting movie-related twist.
Remembering Gigi
I never consciously thought about Gigi when I was plotting and writing This Crumbling Pageant.
I was a very small girl the first time I saw that lush, gorgeous movie musical describing a different world and a different culture from my own. I had no idea what a courtesan was, or what Gigi was being raised to be. I just knew that I fell in love with the tale and several times since have watched it again, a bewitching romance in the old school way—a young girl raised to be a courtesan, who brings the hero to his knees both figuratively and literally.
They first met when she was a young girl, and part of the fun for me was watching scenes like this one, and anticipating the moment when he would see her—really see her—for the first time as a woman.
I certainly wasn't remembering Gigi when I was plotting the early part of my trilogy, when Persephone is smitten with Sir Robin Fitzwilliam and he sees her as a precocious young lady deserving of his protection and affection but certainly not a love interest. The plot required that moment, and that age difference. And yet, I also didn't shrink back in dismay. Historically, matches were frequently made between young women and more mature men.
I understand being turned off by the idea of a relationship that began, innocently, when Persephone was too young, even though it didn't progress as a love relationship until she's old enough to be presented to the queen. But in the 21st Century few of our readers would be thrilled to have their 17-year-old daughters fall in love with thirty year-old men. I get that.
But even though This Crumbling Pageant does tell a complex and complicated—and ultimately, passionate—love story, it is first and always a fantasy. I can tell my story as it needs to be told, with the ages and situations demanded by the plot, without worrying about contemporary rules that might stand in the way if I were writing only about Persephone's romantic story arc—an arc, I must add, that won't end until the entire trilogy is written.
Alas, a youtube search did not turn up the moment when Louis Jordan takes a look at Gigi and realizes she is a woman, when he experiences that gut-clench of possession and realizes that she means far more to him than he ever dreamed. I guess I'll have to watch the entire movie again. (As if that's a sacrifice!)
In the meantime, I will give you that moment for Persephone and Robin.
Robin stepped onto the first floor landing to realise that from below him, people were gathered, looking up. Guests who had been milling near the ballroom entrance were now turned, also looking up expectantly. He followed their gazes up the stairs.
Persephone's brothers—Dardanus and Cosmo—descended, Dardanus's expression one of ill-masked concern that caused Robin's heart to leap.
Cosmo, however, exuded confidence, his eyes glittering.
And why did that leave Robin uneasy?
The Duke Regent descended next, as regal as if he already bore the crown. The slight rigidity around his eyes was all that betrayed that he, too, might have concerns. It was a detail few would detect.
When the three reached the foot of the stairs, they turned as one and awaited the announcement of her name.
And finally, the slow, graceful descent of Apollo Fury and his daughter.
A soft gasp echoed through the assemblage.
And he… he could do nothing but stare up as Persephone came into view…
Wearing a dress of purple so dark, it was almost black.
Her hair was unfashionable, a sleek fall of ebony. Usually so flat in colour, it shimmered, with a silver laurel wreath its only adornment.
Her skin wasn't the milky white of her sister, but in this light, against such a dress, it had a honeyed cast that glowed with life. The wide neck of the gown was low on her shoulders, exposing the delicacy of the joining of sinew and bone, the hollow at the base of her throat. Her mouth was wide and tinged with rose.
But it was her eyes, large and liquid, that dominated her face with their dark intensity.
Her presence was magnetic. There was no way any eye could have been on any other woman in the room.
She appeared to have stepped from a medieval portrait at Erinyes Manor, despite the fact that her dress was of the most recent fashion, with snow-white gloves that covered her from fingertip to above where sleeve met wrist—an effect obviously created by a modiste of the first stare. Down to the finest detail, it could not be faulted in any way.
Except for its hue that no young lady of fashion would ever choose.
A hue that made her glow.
The blood-draining grip at his elbow, the carefully composed expression on Electra's face as she looked—simply looked—at Cosmo, and his return smirk told Robin everything.
This presentation was Cosmo Fury's doing.
And Persephone's sister Electra, the Duchess of Aubyn, was rigid with rage.
Persephone drew closer. Robin looked into her eyes, and his breath caught at the intensity of her apprehension.
Oh yes, her chin was high, her shoulders straight, her posture impeccable. Few would know that she reeked of tension, only those who knew her well.
And yes, he knew her so well.
And it hit him.
Persephone didn't know. Electra had yet to recognise. The first shock had not worn off.
None of them with the exception of Cosmo had quite yet realised.
Persephone Fury was stunning.
Whether trope of cliché, this is one of those moments I love to read and to write, that moment when an awkward duckling appears as a swan to the man she's been yearning for.
How does Gigi hold up today? I didn't even address the fact that she was raised to be a courtesan here.
Can you still enjoy it as a love story, or does it squick? Is it still a fabulously romantic tale of a girl who rises above her 'station' and wins the world be bring the hero to submission? Or is it one of those stories best left behind to another time and place, a guilty pleasure at best and a glamorization of a dark time for women at worst?
Vanessa, here. Readers, what do you think of Pooks' question? I love the idea for this book and I also love Gigi, so let's talk about it! Pooks will give away a $10 gift card and I'll give away a copy of my latest book, Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom, to one person who comments.
This Crumbling Pageant
Persephone Fury is the Dark daughter, the one they hide.
England, 1811. Few are aware of a hidden magical England, a people not ruled by poor mad George, but by the dying King Pellinore of the House of Pendragon.
The Furys are known for their music, their magic, and their historic role as kingmakers. When Fury ambitions demand a political marriage, Persephone is drugged and presented to Society—
Only to be abducted from the man she loves by the man she loathes.
But devious and ruthless, Persephone must defy ancient prophecy and seize her own fate.
Get swept away into the first book of a dark fantasy series combining swashbuckling adventure, heart-pounding romance, and plot-twisting suspense.
Categories Contests, Fantasy, Guest Author, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Regency Romance, Uncategorized Tags Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom, fantasy, Gigi, Historical Romance, Patricia Burroughs, This Crumbling Pageant 59 Comments
Guest Author – Jennifer Stevenson & Giveaway!!
March 15, 2016 September 9, 2013 by VanessaKelly
I'm really pleased to invite fantasy romance writer Jennifer Stevenson to the blog today, for a fun and fascinating interview. Let's get right to it, shall we?
You write fantasy romance with crazy fun stories. What drew you to work in this particular romance sub-genre? What do you like about it?
I've always loved comedy. My favorite authors all write comedy—PG Wodehouse, Georgette Heyer, Carl Hiaasen, Daniel Pinkwater, Jennifer Crusie, Terry Pratchett. (Quite a few of them are Brits. Dunno what to make of that. I suppose it helps take me out of ths world!) Comedy makes me relax. The world isn't so bad while you can laugh at it. Plus, stories about mean people wake me up screaming, which is hard on my husband. I read my favorites aloud to him, and he reads them to me.
As for the Hinky Chicago series, for twenty years I had this idea for a possessed brass bed. I wanted to write it for Harlequin Spice, if I could bang it into shape…a paranormal romance with a sex demon and the woman who gets hold of his bed.
But then I got one of those amazing opportunities nobody ever gets. The editor in chief of Del Rey books wrote me and said she had heard from a mutual friend, Nalo Hopkinson, that I had this wack idea about a brass bed, and had I sold it yet? I had not. I didn't have much story, either. I had thirty pages of dark, angsty, broody fantasy focused on the hero, and thirty pages of fluffy funny romcom about the heroine. I sent 'em both. The editor picked fluffy.
What's the premise for your Hinky Chicago series? Does it have two heroes?
To clarify, the series didn't have a name at first. It's usually called "The Brass Bed series," after the first book. The other titles featured a velvet chair and a bearskin rug, but you really can't hustle "The Furniture Series."
So the books are now The Hinky Brass Bed, The Hinky Velvet Chair, The Hinky Bearskin Rug, The Hinky Genie Lamp, and A Hinky Taste of You. The Hinky Brass Bed came out September 3. The rest are launching weekly until October 1 at Book View Cafe.
So Jewel is a fraud cop with the Department of Consumer Services in a version of Chicago—and the world—where magic is invading cities and making messes. Pigeons smoke cigarettes (and set fires by dropping their lighted butts everywhere). Magical pink smog covers the highways at rush hour; people vanish, or grow tails, or have other weird things happen to them. Jewel's job is to investigate "hinky stuff," try to make the citizens of Chicago happier about it, and keep them from reporting it to the media. Other cities have collapsed because they overreacted to magic. But Chicago is da city dat woiks. Da mayor's Hinky Policy, unspoken but fiercely enforced, is "Don't ask, don't tell, cope."
Then Jewel is sent undercover to bust Clay, a fake sex therapist. Turns out, he's not all that fake—his "treatment bed" is possessed by a sex demon, and she accidentally releases him from the bed.
The sex demon Randy was once an ordinary English lord. He was also bad in bed. His mistress complained. He pissed her off by claiming, "You women don't enjoy sex anyway, you just use it to get money or marriage or children." Turns out his mistress was a magician with a short temper. She turned him into a sex demon and bound him with a curse: "You don't get out of this bed until you have satisfied a hundred women."
Fast forward two hundred years. Jewel is the hundredth woman.
There's a sting in the tail of the curse. The hundredth woman must love Randy, and he must love her, before the curse is resolved. Until then, if he freaks out or has a fight with her, he ends up zapping into the nearest bed. Or car seat. Or massage table. You should read the scene where he vanishes into the Home Furnishings department on the eighth and ninth floors of Marshall Field's. Clay has to sneak them into the store after hours so Jewel can find the bed where Randy is imprisoned, lie on it, and give him an opportunity to…satisfy her. That was fun to write.
As for the two men in Jewel's life—the editor wanted an open-ended fantasy series, not a one-off romance. I knew she was thinking about Laurell K. Hamilton and Janet Evanovich. Plus, the only way to keep the romantic side of the story moving was to throw in a second hero, right? Otherwise it sort of collapses into a happily-ever-after and boom, the story's kinda over.
So Clay was added in. I've had lots of lovely conflict out of Clay's introduction to this romantic triangle.
You're someone who grew up close to nature, but your heroine is a savvy, urban fraud investigator? How did you come up with the idea for Jewel?
Cities are fascinating. I adore Chicago and I'm a bit of an infrastructure geek, so I love writing about how things work in cities.
But I kind of miss writing nature, actually. My first book was very nature-oriented (Trash Sex Magic, from Small Beer Press). I've been thinking lately about how to add nature to Jewel's stories. Of course, she and Randy are always having sex in "demonspace" and he often provides her with nature-based settings for their carryings-on.
Jewel was hard for me. I needed a heroine who would drive this particular hero crazy. The usual virginal girlygirl wouldn't do. (Do I ever do girlygirls? Or virgins? Actually, yes, sometimes.) If she were the kind of woman who had her first orgasm and fell in love with the guy, she'd be no use here, because the story would be over too soon. I needed somebody with a "lifestyle problem," a girl whose little black book is a foot thick. She wants to tell Randy, "That was nice, now go home, I have a strict no-sleepover rule." She's allergic to relationships. She needs her space. For an alpha male with a compulsive woman-pleasing curse, this is ideal torment.
Of course, because Randy is liable to zap into a bed anytime they fight, they're pretty much joined at the hip. Because she's not mean enough to condemn him to eternal sex slavery in someone else's bed. So Jewel suffers too.
This is how authors think.
What's up next in your writing life?
Next I embark on rewrites for the last book in my Slacker Demons paranormal romance series. I thought of calling it Gods Just Wanna Have Fun, but my editor says no. Now I'm overhauling one of the two heroes and maybe one of the two heroines.
The slackers are five guys living in a man-lair in Chicago. They're all hot, all sex demons, all working for different hells in different religions, all this close to losing their jobs. Because, while they're good at meeting girls, they suck at the paperwork. The first one's called It's Raining Men.
In the last book I settle the hash of Baz AKA Ashurbanipal, a warrior-god who lost his job and is still mooching around the planet. He's assigned to get the virtue of a hard-working young rock star who is willy-nilly turning into a love goddess. At the same time I've still got Veek AKA Vicomte Montmorency on my hands. Veek ran away from his stuffy French aristocratic family because they hated that his mother was black. Then he ran away from his mother's voudou family because he pissed off a voudou god. He's got to stop running now, and I've got just the heroine to make him stand and deliver something besides amazing sex demon sex. Sophie is another out-of-control heroine. I love those!
Find me on Facebook and let's talk.
http://www.facebook.com/JenniferStevensonAuthor
For my readers today, Jennifer is giving away a copy of The Hinky Brass Bed. Just tell us what's your favorite comic novel, TV show, or movie for a chance to win!
Categories Fantasy, Guest Author, Paranormal Romance, Uncategorized Tags Book View Cafe, fantasy, Hinky Chicago Series, It's Raining Men, Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Stevenson, Laurell K Hamilton, paranormal romance, The Hinky Brass Bed, Trash Sex Magic 10 Comments
SALE FOR THE IMPROPER PRINCESSES!
Celebrating Highlanders Contest!
SALE FOR THE DUKES OF VAUXHALL!
Goodreads Giveaway for THE HIGHLANDER WHO PROTECTED ME!
Clan Kendrick Book Club
Monthly Archives Select Month October 2018 (2) September 2018 (2) July 2018 (1) March 2018 (1) February 2018 (1) October 2017 (1) September 2017 (1) July 2017 (1) June 2017 (2) May 2017 (3) March 2017 (2) February 2017 (2) January 2017 (1) December 2016 (2) November 2016 (2) October 2016 (4) September 2016 (3) August 2016 (6) July 2016 (3) June 2016 (4) May 2016 (6) April 2016 (6) March 2016 (6) February 2016 (8) January 2016 (6) December 2015 (4) November 2015 (11) October 2015 (4) September 2015 (5) August 2015 (6) July 2015 (8) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (9) April 2015 (9) March 2015 (9) February 2015 (17) January 2015 (15) December 2014 (11) November 2014 (9) October 2014 (11) September 2014 (11) August 2014 (10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (15) April 2014 (18) March 2014 (20) February 2014 (13) January 2014 (20) December 2013 (19) November 2013 (19) October 2013 (16) September 2013 (17) August 2013 (16) July 2013 (18) June 2013 (16) May 2013 (9) April 2013 (10) March 2013 (11) February 2013 (14) January 2013 (8) December 2012 (12) November 2012 (13) October 2012 (17) September 2012 (14) August 2012 (19) July 2012 (17) June 2012 (18) May 2012 (19) April 2012 (18) March 2012 (25) February 2012 (20) January 2012 (24) December 2011 (20) November 2011 (22) October 2011 (22) September 2011 (26) August 2011 (27) July 2011 (26) June 2011 (21) May 2011 (16) April 2011 (16) March 2011 (14) February 2011 (14) January 2011 (18) December 2010 (11)
Categories Select Category A Gentleman for All Seasons (12) Actors (10) An Invitation To Sin (25) and Royal (1) Anthologies (24) Authors (104) Bigger Than Beckham (9) Blog Hops (66) Books (484) British History (27) CaddyGirls (6) Charity (9) Clan Kendrick (6) Conferences (4) Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom (62) Contemporary Romance (210) contest (30) Contests (612) Curveball (8) Ebooks (275) Erotic Romance (18) Excerpts (62) facebook (129) Fantasy (7) Fashion (7) Fastball (22) Food (5) goodreads (13) Guest Author (360) Hardball (28) His Mistletoe Bride (46) His Wicked Revenge (5) Historical Fiction (5) Historical Romance (387) History (37) Holidays (84) Hot Number (11) How to Marry a Royal Highlander (30) How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy (43) Inspirational Romance (2) Japan (1) Kensington Books (1) Lethal Confessions (7) Libraries (1) Lost in a Royal Kiss (25) Mastering The Marquess (16) Meet Me at the Beach (28) Movies (22) Music (1) My Fair Princess (30) My Favorite Countess (45) Mysteries (4) NetGalley (1) New Adult (3) Paranormal Romance (94) Payoff Pitch (9) Pinterest (4) Play Hard (3) Poetry (1) Recipes (4) Regency Romance (51) Research (5) Reviews (12) Rock*It Reads (16) Romance (8) Romancing The Holidays (4) Romantic Suspense (91) Royal Wedding (3) sale (5) Sample Sunday (17) Scoring Position (5) Seashell Bay (20) Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard (60) See You at Sunset (8) Self-publishing (58) Sex And The Single Earl (15) Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills (79) Social Media (198) sports romances (19) Stanton Family Series (2) Summer at the Shore (13) Tall (1) Tall Dark and Royal (8) The Buccaneer Duke (2) The Dukes of Vauxhall (4) The Highlander Who Protected Me (4) The Highlander's Princess Bride (7) The Improper Princesses (25) The Philadelphia Patriots Series (19) The Renegade Royals (110) The Season for Loving (2) Three Weeks With A Princess (9) Travel (9) TV Shows (18) Uncategorized (59) Urban Fantasy (12) Vacation (1) Vanessa's Vixens (1) VK Sykes (128) Women's Fiction (5) Writers (15) Young Adult Fiction (6) Yukon (3)
Preferred format for email messages:
SALE FOR THE IMPROPER PRINCESSES! October 28, 2018
Celebrating Highlanders Contest! October 2, 2018
SALE FOR THE DUKES OF VAUXHALL! September 13, 2018
Goodreads Giveaway for THE HIGHLANDER WHO PROTECTED ME! September 10, 2018
Clan Kendrick Book Club July 10, 2018
The Buccaneer Duke Now Available as a Standalone! March 22, 2018
My Fair Princess Sale! February 15, 2018
Goodreads Giveaway! October 18, 2017
Contest Alert!! September 25, 2017
Summer Beach Read Sale! July 28, 2017
Copyright © 2020 by Vanessa Kelly. Privacy Policy
SIGN UP AND RECEIVE A FREE SHORT STORY!