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Is your Marriage Partner Cheating?
What are the most common signs of a partner who is cheating in the marriage? Here is a rapid analysis of the most common warning signs. Simply check off any traits you have seen in your relationship over the last 6 – 12 months. Be honest, because the future of your relationship together could depend on it.
____ You find your partner has been lying to you about a variety of topics
____ Your partner abandons their religious belief system
____ Your spouse seems more secretive or deceptive
____ Abandoning faith or previously held values or morals
____ Not trustworthy or constant violations of trust
____ Secrecy or unusual activity that is very out of character for them
____ Your partner is disrespectful or rude to those who hold traditional values
____ Mate is working longer hours on the job and not coming home as much
____ Your spouse has become lazy, especially with household responsibilities
____ Working late every day, with no noticeable increase of income or volume of work
____ Leaving very early for work
____ Increased use of the internet, emails, IM’s, texts, Facebook or Twitter
____ Unaccounted for time away from home
____ Additional mileage on odometer for no apparent reason
____ Smelling of perfume, nicotine or alcohol, like they have been to a club- not work
____ Increased use of alcohol/tobacco
____ Increased use of personal pager or cell phone, especially at odd times
____ New clothing or hair style, with tremendous attention to outward appearance
____ Increase in exercise/personal grooming
____ No longer wearing a wedding ring
____ Taking trips alone to the store or coffee shop, often for unexplained reasons
____ You notice charges on credit card statement that don’t make sense
____ Money becomes more of an issue between the two of you
____ Frequent fights over spending
____ Hiding phone bills or travel expenses
____ Lying about raises, bonuses, or overtime pay
____ Discovering secret checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, or PO boxes
____ Unexplained purchases on credit card bills
____ An increase in ATM cash withdrawals for no logical reason
____ Purchases of flowers, jewelry, lingerie, perfume, or other intimate gift items that the spouse didn’t receive
____ Discovering financial records (cancelled checks or utility bills) that indicate spouse has a separate residence
____ Your spouse in indifferent to family events like birthdays, holidays, or family vacations
____ Your spouse seems bored. Bored with you, with their job, with kids, with hobbies, and basically with home life in general
____ Your spouse seems to want danger or thrills in their life
____ Your spouse has low self-esteem or insecurity about themselves
____ You notice your spouse has a sense of confusion about their identity
____ Your spouse gets very defensive if you mention suspicion of infidelity or affairs
____ Saying “It’s in your imagination” is a common excuse for their actions
____ Your spouse is suddenly more attentive to others than usual
____ Your spouse is dressing nicer, looking nicer to everyone but you
____ They don’t want to go anywhere or do anything with you anymore
____ You feel as if you are being avoided by your spouse
____ You have considerably less intimacy in your relationship
____ You notice less affection, kindness or tender connections in your relationship
____ You sex life is practically non-existent
____ You can’t get your spouse to communicate with you
____ You can’t even get your mate to fight with you because they are so detached
____ You spot withdrawal or restlessness when they have home or church activities
____ Leaving home during an argument instead of staying and working it out
____ They have new friends that you’ve never met or are not allowed to meet
____ Hang up or anonymous phone calls at your house
____ No longer interested in you or the things important to you
____ New sexual techniques or the pressure to perform uncomfortable sexual behaviors
____ Finding birth control items hidden away in secret places
____ Finding new or hidden lingerie/ sexy undergarments
____ Unusually close to a ‘friend’ of the opposite sex who they talk about often
____ Saying “I need space” from the relationship or home responsibilities
____ Saying “You should go on with your life” or “I’m not good enough for you”
____ Separation is not only to move out – but clearly to move on
Predictable Stages of Adultery
Nearly all affairs follow very specific patters they generally fall into six stages, according to several leading researchers which can last for a period of weeks, months or in rare cases, for years.
Adultery Level One- Conversational
They develop a close emotional bond. Sometimes it occurs on the Internet, at work, or in the neighborhood. They get to know each other. There’s a spark. They want more.
Adultery Level Two- Secrets & Lies
Things are heating up by keeping feelings for the other person a total secret. Lies, deception and cover-ups fuel the fire of lustful desire even more. They don’t tell their spouse or friends that they are attracted emotionally or romantically to this person. Fantasy is very powerful and pushes the secret relationship deeper into the shadows and darkness.
Adultery Level Three- Romantic Dating
They meet for lunch, workout together or play tennis. Even though a casual observer would call this type of relationship ‘dating’ the new lovers may not see it that way and fiercely defend their actions as innocent. They start seeing and doing everything together. They begin to tell themselves that this is just a work pal, just a friend, but can’t deny that they dress special and look forward to being with them, even for the most mundane of activities.
Adultery Level Four- Fatal Attraction
The romance and secrets keep heating up the secret relationship until an explosion of physical desire creates sexual contact. They justify that it “just happened” and can’t explain their actions, yet want more of the forbidden fruit.
Adultery Level Five- Discovery & Decisions
The secret affair is discovered by someone and a decision must be made to stop the lies, set boundaries and seek professional help to restore or to move forward with the new person.
Adultery Level Six- Restoration or Separation
Research shows that an overwhelming majority of people caught in an affair decide to restore their marriage. They say good bye to the secret lover for good and take bold steps to restore trust into the relationship. In seriously damaged relationships they may move out and move on to begin the process of ending the marriage through divorce to start with someone new.
How can you tell if a Relationship is really Friends or Lovers?
You meet or talk with someone of the opposite sex you are romantically attracted to and feel that you can’t tell your spouse. This includes Internet, email, social networks, chat rooms, text messaging or Twitter.
Confiding things you are reluctant to tell your spouse creates emotional intimacy that grows greater in the new friendship than in the marriage. A common pattern is confining negative things about your marriage to the new partner. This is boldly signaling that, “I am vulnerable” or I’m available”, which tends to heat things up with the new person.
It can occur even if both people don’t actually touch. Saying suggestive things to a new person, like, “I’m attracted to you,” or “I thought about you last night, but because I’m married I can’t do anything about it.” This tremendously increases the sexual tension by creating the desire to taste the ‘forbidden fruit.’
Side by side or face to face?
Remember the old saying – “Friends stand side by side, while lovers stand face to face,” We all need friends who support us and who encourage us to honor our commitments. Lovers are motivated to use the relationship to meet their needs and neglect other family members. One relationship is about adding value to the other person to meet their needs in a healthy and appropriate way, while the other is about immediate gratification to indulge selfish desires.
Friends will tell you truth and protect you from going down roads that will destroy the good things in your life. Lovers often play along with the deception, but everyone knows that the secret will one day come out and often in a shame filled way. When that happens, the chemistry of the affair is usually replaced by the despair of trying to rebuild broken trust. It can be done, but usually can’t be done alone.If you, or someone you care about is facing a secret affair- get help now!
Marriages can recover from shattered trust in time, but it is essential to have some professional guidance to prevent more pain. There are many options available to those who want to rebuild and I believe that is always for the best, no matter how complex the situation, there is a way to work things out if both people are just willing to try. Hey, someone you know might benefit from this resource, so help us to help them by sending it along with our prayer that they take bold action today, to avoid regrets tomorrow.
Reprint Permission- If this article helped you, you are invited to share it with your own list at work or church, forward it to friends and family or post it on your own site or blog. Just leave it intact. Please include the following paragraph in your reprint. "Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group eNewsletter. Receive this valuable weekly resource by subscribing at www.LifeWorksGroup.org "

domain: psychology


Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) is an increasingly important tool in today’s business world. Especially when automating and streamlining contact center operations. It allows agents to make the most of their customer relationship management (CRM) software.
Salesforce, by integrating it with telephone systems using specialized adapters that can read incoming data from phone calls. CTI provides agents with more accurate insights into call quality trends and efficiently uses resources for incoming and outgoing communication needs.
Understanding Computer Telephony Integrations
Computer telephony integration is an integral part of running a thriving call center. It allows customer service agents to take calls and access data about the customer. Their account in real-time to resolve issues and make suggestions quickly and efficiently.
CTI systems also help reduce overall costs from managing large lists of customers and ensuring that information is always up-to-date. By integrating the telephone system with CRMs, contact centers are able to tailor their services to customers better while streamlining processes and reducing cost.
What is Salesforce CTI Integration?
Salesforce CTI Integration is a technology enabling teams to access essential customer data anywhere, anytime, from the CRM. This includes real-time transcriptions of phone conversations, call routing and agent analytics, enabling contact center agents to work smarter and more efficiently.
Salesforce CTI integrates with other service and sales systems, providing access to unified customer data within one platform. With automated bots and ML algorithms, Salesforce CTI even enables remote care centers with predictive matching on their inquiries or requests.
How Salesforce CTI works
Salesforce CTI offers a comprehensive solution for integrating your organization’s telephony system and Salesforce. It relies on two main integration patterns, bidirectional sync and aggregation, to facilitate data transfer across both systems. This provides seamless communication, allowing agents to access customer data quickly through their web browsers.
Salesforce CTI requires a suite of APIs that enable devices to easily communicate with each other, eliminating the need for manual input.
Contact Center benefits of CTI for Salesforce
1. Saves Cost & Resources
CTI for Salesforce is the perfect solution for contact centers looking to boost productivity while keeping costs low. It can significantly reduce the cost of customer database errors and dramatically lower telephone network toll expenses, and decrease customer service representative churn rates.
In addition, liability costs drop when implementing CTI, making it an even more attractive option. These cost savings and the improved resource savings that CTI provides make it a worthwhile investment for any organization.
2. Improves Customer Relationship
Salesforce CTI integration lays the foundation for delivering excellent customer service, helping organizations to increase customer retention and satisfaction. Customer agents are provided instant access to all the information stored in Salesforce, which helps them quickly address issues and provide personal attention. As a result, customers feel taken care of and loyal to the company.
3. Up-To-Date Call Reporting
Salesforce CTI integration ensures that call reporting is always up-to-date and provides an accurate picture of customer service activities within an organization. It allows agents to generate in-depth reports that span both inbound and outbound calls, including rich data that is gathered directly from Salesforce.
This is extremely helpful for agents in making better decisions, as they are able to look at more contextual information, such as customer history and preferences, when deciding how best to proceed with potential opportunities.
4. Reduce In-Call Handling Time
Salesforce CTI integration helps agents manage their call load more efficiently and offer a fast resolution to customers. With it, phone calls become more streamlined as critical customer data, such as recent purchase history, is presented before the call connects. This gives the agents an upper hand in understanding customer needs and addressing their queries quickly.
5. Reduces Aggravated Sessions
Salesforce CTI integration has greatly simplified the process for customers who no longer have to repeat their query to an agent in subsequent calls continuously. The technology automates record creation and can even call up customer details within seconds when the customer calls into support. This helps to quickly identify, resolve and address any issues the customer had faced previously, thus reducing instances of aggravated sessions significantly.
A Successful Salesforce CTI Integration
Salesforce CTI integration with b+s has revolutionized customer service for Daktronics. b+s has successfully integrated Salesforce CTI with its low-code solution for customization. This combination of Salesforce Service Cloud and b+s allows Daktronics to create intelligent and powerful ‘screen pops’ for their agents.
By gathering data from Cisco Contact Center, CRM information, and purpose-built logic. The right kind of info is offered to the agent without overburdening the customer. The cleverly designed Salesforce Flows and intelligent routing have allowed Daktronics to see an incredible 80% reduction in customer IVR prompts.


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COMEDIAN Billy Connolly has revealed his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease has brought him closer to his wife.
The 74-year-old Scotsman was diagnosed with the degenerative disease (which attacks the nervous system) three years ago.
He says that keeping a sense of humour has been crucial to dealing with the disease – and he has been looking for positives.
Billy says he is now dependent on his 67-year-old wife Pamela Stevenson, who he married in 1989, but that he is enjoying the new balance in their relationship.
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“It’s kind of drawn us together. I’m really dependent on her, you know physically, whereas I used to be the strong guy. Which is kind of pleasant. It’s a pleasant thing to lose the strong guy. You don’t need it. So it’s nicer,” the star told the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine.
He explained why finding comedy in his ongoing struggle has kept him upbeat.
“A sense of humour is absolutely essential. It’s the only thing that gets you through. Sometimes I get kind of dark about it. It’s because it’s forever, you know,” he explained.
The comic legend explained that Russian doctor had told him the disease is “incurable”, and Billy explained he would prefer the term “we have yet to find a cure” – but admits the disease does inevitably play on his mind.
“It’s the first thing I think about in the morning because getting out of bed is quite hard. It’s a weird thing because it stopped me playing the banjo and it stopped me smoking cigars,” he said.
Last month, Billy brought viewers of Comic Relief to tears as he reflected on his achievements with the charity over the past several decades.
He had helped raise money for good causes in the UK and in Africa.
Sounding contemplative of the achievements he had made in the past, he spoke of future involvement with Comic Relief, soberly saying: "And then who knows? Maybe back on the show, maybe not. But I’m very proud of the stuff we’ve done together, thank you."
A documentary about the star and his life titled Billy Connolly & Me: A Celebration is due to air on ITV on Tuesday 18 April 2017 at 9pm.
Got a story? email email@example.com or call us direct on 02077824220

domain: celebrity


Assuming Tropical Storm Arthur doesn’t rain (and then some) on our parades and pyrotechnic displays, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to be for the Fourth of July weekend than right here on Cape Cod.
For starters, fireworks, beaches and barbeques go together like fish and chips. And we have some of the best beaches in the country – certified by none other than America’s foremost beach expert, Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach.”
Besides ranking numerous Cape beaches on his annual Top 10 Best Beaches list over the years, here’s what the good doctor says of the state where the Pilgrims famously landed (http://www.drbeach.org/Massachusetts.htm): “Massachusetts is steeped in history; every school kid knows about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock. While beaches adorn much of the shoreline, the best and most famous beaches are found on Cape Cod, the great arm of land that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean.”
Of course, you already knew Cape Cod beaches are all that and a plate of fried clams. What most folks don’t know – including Dr. Beach apparently – is that, at a time when we all reflect on the founding of our nation, the reason most of us associate the Pilgrims with Plymouth Rock is because Plymouth has done a better PR job, promoting itself as America’s birthplace.
But the truth is: the Pilgrims first came ashore just outside of Provincetown, having come to this sandy hook in search of cod, as Mark Kurlansky’s details in his critically-acclaimed book (http://www.amazon.com/Cod-Biography-Fish-Changed-World/dp/0140275010), “Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World.”
Kurlansky notes that while Bartholomew Gosnold literally put Cape Cod on the map, it was a map made by Capt. John Smith in 1616 marking the fishing hot spots in New England that convinced the Pilgrims to ask for a land grant to “where there was this Cape Cod.”
The “merchant adventurers” who financed the Pilgrim’s voyage “expected to make a profit on this plantation. They expected to get their money back through the fisheries,” is what Peter Arenstam, manager of the Maritime Artisans Department at the Plimouth Plantation, told me last year when I interviewed him for the Cape Cod Times.
The Pilgrims, however, were horrible fishermen who almost starved to death if not for the indigenous Wampanoag helping them survive until the settlers learned how to fish. Yes, the ancestors of those same Wampanoags who now call Mashpee home. And it just so happens the Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow is held every year on Fourth of July weekend.
With this year’s theme “Honoring Our Waterways,” this year marks the 93rd Annual Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow (http://www.mashpeewampanoagtribe.com/powwow), a display of native culture that includes dancing, drumming and something called “fireball.” (Think World Cup soccer, except the kerosene soaked ball is on fire as tribal men “play” this sacred game/healing ritual).
Oh, and if you’re a foodie, the Pow Wow is also where you can feast on some of the best clams, lobsters, quahog chowder – and even frog legs – on the planet. Once you taste Wampanoag-style seafood, you’ll understand why they were instrumental in helping the Pilgrims stay alive.
Or, as Arenstam went on to tell me, “it took them (Pilgrims) a long time to catch on but they were eventually successful. It’s not a stretch to say cod is our founding fish. It’s what made money for many New England settlers and provided a livelihood for thousands of families.” And that explains why there’s a solid-pine “sacred” cod hanging in the Statehouse (http://www.celebrateboston.com/strange/sacred-cod.htm) today.
Now, even though July 4th commemorates one of the most important days in U.S. history, we shouldn’t expect everyone to be a Pulitzer-Prize winning historian like David McCullough, who also happens to live on Nantucket. Still, there’s a 252-foot piece of evidence that Plymouth has done a better PR job than Cape Cod in enlightening people about where the Pilgrims first made landfall.
It’s called the Pilgrim Monument (http://www.pilgrim-monument.org/), erected atop High Pole Hill in Provincetown. The cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt and officially dedicated by President William H. Taft. It’s the tallest, all-granite structure in the United States but one that, ironically, gets overlooked in the retelling of America’s birth. The Pilgrims didn’t first land on Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower and its passengers first anchored in the waters off Provincetown.
Five weeks later, unable to survive the harsh winter on the outer Cape even with the corn they stole from the natives, they set sail for Plymouth — 24 miles (as the crow flies) across Cape Cod Bay. If you made that trip by automobile today, it’s about a two-hour drive with the traffic, give or take.
Historical footnote: I’m not sure if First Encounter Beach has ever made it onto Dr. Beach’s list, but, just so you know: the beach where the Pilgrims first encountered the Wampanoags is on Cape Cod in Eastham, not Plymouth.
But here’s the real kicker: Plymouth keeps getting the First Encounter credit, which isn’t just historically inaccurate, it’s insulting, too. As countless visitors have attested, Plymouth Rock is one of the most anti-climactic, disappointing historical sites in the country. There’s no replica Mayflower, pressed up against some magnificent boulder. It looks like a long forgotten Plymouth businessman or town “father” rolled a rock over from the nearest quarry, dropped it into a shaft next to the harbor, put a cage on top, and plunked down a plaque that declared: “Plymouth Rock.”
When I asked the Pilgrim Monument and Museum’s executive director James Bakker about this, he said, “We want to get beyond our-monument-is-bigger-than-your-rock. There was a time when Provincetown wasn’t really acknowledged as the first landing place. But that’s changing.”
OK, fair enough. Still, this wouldn’t have been an issue if Provincetown, in particular, and Cape Cod in general, had a good PR team working this back when the monument was built. But, in any case, for those who actually consider Independence Day to be a historically significant holiday and not just a day-off from work to watch fireworks and eat hot dogs, Cape Cod is THE place to be.


Employed in the oil and gas industry for 60 years, simple and sturdy swamp and posted drilling barges have been a preferred method to drill in shallow water. This basic design has made it possible for the barge to drill in water depths from six through 24 ft., as well as the ability to be towed and to travel the Intercoastal waterway, lakes, bays and bayous. With the average drilling depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico ranging between 12,000 and 18,000 ft. in shallow water depths, the standard drilling equipment was designed to accommodate drilling depths to 25,000 feet. The new proposed drilling depth is 40,000 ft., which far exceeds the design of standard swamp and posted drilling barges. However, there is a solution. The Super Barge, patented by Herman J. Schellstede, has the ability to maintain vessel stability in soft bottom conditions, operating in surf zone ocean areas containing tidal wave conditions driven by hurricane winds, providing lifting equipment to drill to 40,000 ft. depth. In addition, Super Barge is designed to:Drill cluster wells and provide well protection systems;House solids control systems, which will provide drilling mud quality for 40,000 ft. drilling employing large diameter drill pipe; Provide an environmental center, which includes the disposal and treatment of cuttings; Maintain location in major storm conditions; Support 100 operational personnel; Lift casing and drill pipe bundles (100 ton capacity)Provide 4-3000 N.P
Parker Drilling Co. has received the newest member of the Parker international drilling fleet, drilling barge rig #75. Built by Oil Barges, Inc., the shallow water drilling rig will commence drilling operations in mid-August. The rig has a 25,000 ft., drilling depth rating with an SCR drive system. All drilling and mud processing equipment is installed on a multi-level barge measuring 240 ft. long and 70 ft. wide. The barge also includes an 82-person accommodation facility.
Ocean Rig UDW Inc., a global provider of offshore deepwater drilling services, signs contract with an oil major for the semi-submersible drilling rig 'Erik Raude'. The drilling contract is for a one-well program, with an estimated duration of up to 6 months, for drilling offshore Ireland, with an estimated backlog of approximately US$112 million, including mobilization and demobilization. The rig is scheduled to commence this contract in the second quarter of 2013
AGR Petroleum Services today signed a drilling contract, on behalf of Hyperdynamics Corporation (NYSE Amex: HDY), with Jasper Drilling Private Limited of Singapore to contract the drill ship Jasper Explorer for drilling in Hyperdynamics' concession offshore the Republic of Guinea. The Jasper Explorer is a modern Pelican Class self-propelled drill ship capable of operating in water depths up to 5,000 feet. "The conclusion of a drilling contract with Jasper Drilling Private Limited is a
ABB, a power and automation technology group, recently won six contracts collectively worth more than $150m to supply main electrical systems for drilling rigs and drill-ships built in Asia. The orders were booked during the third quarter of 2008. Among the new orders are three deepwater drilling rigs now under construction at the Jurong Shipyard in Singapore, two drill-ships (Stena DrillMAX ICE and the Pride #4 drill-ship) to be built at Samsung Heavy Industries and another drill-ship for
Aker Solutions wins Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering contract to supply two drilling epuipment packages to 'Cat D' rigs Aker Solutions has received a Letter of Award from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), to supply a further two drilling equipment packages to the 'Category D' drilling rigs the yard is building for the rig operator Songa Offshore. Contract value is undisclosed.
Aker Kvaerner has signed a contract with Jurong Shipyard Pte. Ltd in Singapore for delivery of a drilling system for one ultra deepwater drilling semi-submersible unit. The total contract value for Aker Kvaerner is approximately $113m. The contract is undertaken by the Aker Kvaerner subsidiary, Aker Kvaerner MH in Kristiansand. The scope of work is to deliver a complete drilling package consisting of engineering, drilling equipment deliveries and subsea equipment.
Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. in Korea has awarded Aker Kvaerner a contract for delivery of a new drilling rig to Eastern Drilling's West E-Drill project. The project will start immediately at Aker Kvaerner's subsidiary Aker Kvaerner MH, with delivery of the drilling equipment package in the second half of 2007. The new contract was an option in a contract Aker Kvaerner MH signed with Samsung in June 2005, and the scope is similar for both contracts The drilling system will be a
Aker Solutions has won a contract from Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd to supply a complete drilling equipment package for a new jack-up drilling rig, being built by the Chinese yard. The contract value is undisclosed. The new rig is of the 2000E jack-up design, and the contract includes options for a further three jack-up rigs of the same design. "We are pleased to see Aker Solutions' competitive position in the jack-up market, which we expect to be active in the future
Aker Solutions has been awarded a contract for the delivery of a deepwater drilling riser system to the DSME shipyard in South Korea. The riser package will be delivered to offshore drilling company Atwood Oceanics' drill ship. The contract value is approximately $50 million and includes an option for another two units. The 10,000 ft deepwater drilling riser system will be manufactured and delivered out of Aker Solutions' manufacturing plant in Port Klang, Malaysia
Denmark-based shipping and oil company A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S (Maersk)'s decision to split the group into two parts now get the credit rating agency for questioning to the light blue conglomerate's debt. It ends "probably" with a downgrade
Concerns were growing again over liquidity woes of Soth Korea's largest shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), as the Angolan oil major Sonangol EP is likely to delay the takeover of its drill ships once again.
The decision by A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S to split into two separate divisions - Transport & Logistics and Energy - reflects the challenging fundamentals in the sectors in which it operates, and diminishing counter-cyclical benefits of operating in them in the current economic cycle
Since 2004, well construction costs in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) have doubled, directly impacting drilling activity which is currently at an all-time low. However, collective industry efforts are already focusing in on how a reduction in core drilling costs of 50 per cent could potentially
China and Russia began week-long joint naval exercises in the South China Sea today. It is the first-ever South China Sea iteration of Beijing and Moscow Joint Sea exercises. The Joint Sea-2016 exercises between the two countries will involve surface ships, submarines
Large U.S. shale oil companies, flush with cash raised through stock offerings, are gobbling up properties in the Permian Basin straddling Texas and New Mexico, a trend that could boost U.S. oil output in the second half of 2017. Hess Corp and Devon Energy Corp are among oil and gas
Russian shipbuilder Krasnye Barrikady and Iran's Tasdid Offshore Development Company (TODC) have signed a deal worth $1 billion to build five offshore drilling rigs for oil and gas exploration in the Persian Gulf, reports Press TV.
DW’s recently released quarterly World Oilfield Services Market Forecast (OFS) and World Oilfield Equipment Market Forecast (OFE) continue to suggest 2016 will see the start of a barren period for the offshore OFS and OFE sectors.
Cosco (Dalian) Shipyard Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of its 51 percent owned Cosco Shipyard Group Co., Ltd., has delivered two jackups to the Foresight Group of companies through United Arab Emirates-based drilling and rig management services firm Hallworthy International FZC.
Canada may ask oil companies to contribute to the hundreds of millions of dollars or more the country has to pay to an international body if they drill far offshore, according to an internal government memo. If that happens, it could make the operations more expensive and strain talks
Cathelco will provide a marine growth prevention system (MGPS) for the latest in a series of jack-up drilling rigs to be built by Lamprell, the UAE based leading provider of fabrication, engineering and contracting services to the offshore and onshore oil and gas and renewable energy
South Africa has become the seventh state to ratify the 2012 Cape Town Agreement. The treaty, which implements the Torremolinos Protocol, covers various fishing vessel safety requirements including radio communications, life-saving appliances and arrangements, and emergency procedures
Semco Maritime has welcomed the recent arrival of two Maersk Drilling high specification jack-up rigs to its Invergordon shipyard facility. Maersk Reacher will be berthed in the Queens Dock facility for an undisclosed duration, carrying out necessary upgrades and modifications
Maersk Drilling delivered a profit of USD 164m (USD 218m) in the second quarter of 2016. The result is positively impacted by a strong operational performance with an average uptime of 98% and savings on operating costs, however partly offset by more idle days
Gazpromneft Shelf, a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft, brought on production two more wells in Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea, bringing crude oil output to more than 6,000 tonnes/day. The company now has four production wells at its ice-resistant rig, located 60 km offshore


One of the deadliest stadium tragedies in history occurred at an Indonesian football game, where at least 125 people perished in a crash.
In the aftermath of the host team Arema FC’s defeat to ferocious opponents at the packed stadium late on Saturday in Malang, East Java, some 180 people also sustained injuries.
After police used tear gas to disperse people who had entered the pitch, the crash occurred.
Thousands rushed towards the exits of Kanjuruhan stadium as panic ensued; several of them suffocated.
According to Fifa, which oversees football worldwide, neither stewards nor police officers at games should possess nor employ “crowd control gas.”
It was “a horrible day for those involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension,” according to Fifa President Gianni Infantino.
The disaster’s death toll was first reported by Indonesian officials to be as high as 174, however, this number was eventually lowered lower.
All games in Indonesia’s premier league must be postponed until an inquiry is completed, per a directive from President Joko Widodo.
After the final whistle signaled the home team’s 2-3 loss, fans can be seen surging onto the field in videos from the stadium, and police are shown responding by shooting tear gas at the crowd.
Social media videos depict supporters scaling barriers to get away. Videos from many sources seem to depict motionless victims on the ground.
The act, according to the Indonesian football organization (PSSI), has “tarnished the face of Indonesian football,” and an investigation has been opened.
In Indonesia, there has always been violence at football games between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.
Due to concerns about altercations, Persebaya Surabaya supporters were not permitted to purchase tickets for the game.
The match at Kanjuruhan stadium, which has a declared capacity of 38,000, had 42,000 tickets sold as of the time Mahfud MD, the chief security minister, posted on Instagram.
After directing that all Liga 1 matches be suspended while an investigation is conducted, President Widodo urged that this be the “final soccer tragedy in the nation.”


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How to Prepare Coriander Fennel Mix
Some of my recipes requiring the use of pounded Coriander seeds, Fennel seeds and Cumin seeds, to simplify my cooking I will prepare a batch of this spice mix and store them in air tight jar. It comes handy and cut down on preparing time.
- 200 gm Coriander seeds
- 100 gm Fennel seeds
- 100 gm Cumin seeds
- Combined all the three spices in a pan.
- With a low fire toast the spices. Toss or stir occasionally until they change colour slightly and you notice the aroma.
- Turn off the fire, transfer the spices into bowl to cool.
- Once cool, coarsely grind the spice mix and store them in an air tight jar.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

domain: food


text:
Banner Health Physician - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Job in Phoenix, AZ in Phoenix, Arizona
Physician - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Job in Phoenix, AZ
* OMFS Academic Faculty | Banner University Medical Center - PHX
Banner University Medical Center - Phoenix Phoenix, AZ 85006
Accepts J1s: No
Accepts H1Bs: No Response
Loan Assistance: No
Practice Type: Academic
Verified Date: 03/11/2019
Job ID: 538598
Employer Job ID: 21895
Seeking an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with Experience
Details of this Established Practice with 3 experienced physicians and 8 BUMC Residents:
Must be Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
DDS or DMD OMFS Certifications required
Qualified candidate must be well-versed in trauma
Clinic consists of two days/week with average patient volume: 25/day
Call schedule: 7 days/month
Experience in academic leadership and teaching
Ability and desire to teach dental school one day/week
Ability to work as a team and excellent interpersonal skills
WE OFFER YOU competitive base salary plus production incentives (wRVU) + paid occurrence-based malpractice + paid CME plus allowance + relocation assistance + 401k matching and 457(b) deferred compensation plans + a generous retention bonus + excellent health benefit options
Banner – University Medicine , with locations in Phoenix and Tucson, makes the highest level of care accessible to Arizona residents. Academic medicine provides patients the best health care has to offer in the areas of research, teaching and patient care. BUMC-P, formerly Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, is a nationally recognized academic medical center, highly regarded for its expertise to treat some of the most complex medical cases. It is the new home for medical discoveries, thanks to our collaboration with the University of Arizona College Of Medicine – Phoenix.
Phoenix is the United States’ sixth-largest city with a population of over 1.4 million. Greater Phoenix (which includes, among others, the cities of Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tempe) has a population of nearly 4.3 million. This region is home to more than 200 golf courses; Spring training home to 15 Major League Baseball teams, and offers Six Lakes within a 75-minute drive as well as museums to suit nearly every taste and is known for its casual patio dining, destination spas and upscale shopping.
Banner Health's Total Compensation package includes:
Competitive salary plus incentives
Paid CME plus allowance
Excellent benefit package options that provide security for you and your family
Please submit your CV and a letter of interest for immediate consideration.
As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, Banner University Medical Group (BUMG) recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences and backgrounds. BUMG is an EEO/AA - M/W/D/V Employer.
- Banner Health Jobs

domain: medical


text:
Payment & Shipping Terms:
|Category:||HOME Fertility Test||Format:||Midstream|
|Specimen:||Urine||Testing Time:||5-15 Minutes|
|Shelf Life:||24 Months||Application:||Pregnancy Test Home|
female fertility test kit,
pregnancy ovulation kit
High Accuracy HCG Pregnancy Home Fertility Testing Kits, 5.5mm midstream, private use, urine specimen,individual package
The One Step HCG Urine Test is a rapid pregnancy test, which you can easily carry out yourself. It detects the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (“HCG”), which appears in urine very early during pregnancy. For in vitro self-testing use only. For external use only.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone produced by the developing placenta shortly after fertilization. In normal pregnancy, hCG can be detected in both urine and serum or plasma as early as 7 to 10 days after conception.1,2,3,4 hCG levels continue to rise very rapidly, frequently exceeding 100mIU/ml by the first missed menstrual period,2,3,4 and peaking in the 100,000-200,000mIU/ml range about 10-12 weeks into pregnancy. The appearance of hCG in both the urine and serum or plasma soon after conception, and its subsequent rapid rise in concentration during early gestational growth, make it an excellent marker for the early detection of pregnancy. The hCG Pregnancy Rapid Test Cassette is a rapid test that qualitatively detects the presence of hCG in urine or serum or plasma specimen at the sensitivity of 25mIU/ml. The test utilizes a combination of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to selectively detect elevated levels of hCG in urine or serum or plasma. At the level of claimed sensitivity, the hCG Pregnancy Rapid Test Cassette shows no cross-reactivity interference from the structurally related glycoprotein hormones hFSH, hLH and hTSH at high physiological levels.
The hCG Pregnancy Rapid Test Midstream is a rapid chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in urine or serum or plasma to aid in the early detection of pregnancy. The test uses two lines to indicate results. The test utilizes a combination of antibodies including a monoclonal hCG antibody to selectively detect elevated levels of hCG. The control line is composed of goat polyclonal antibodies and colloidal gold particles. The assay is conducted by immersing the test cassette in a urine or serum or plasma specimen and observing the formation of colored lines. The specimen migrates via capillary action along the membrane to react with the colored conjugate. Positive specimens react with the specific antibody-hCG-colored conjugate to form a colored line at the test line region of the membrane. Absence of this colored line suggests a negative result. To serve as a procedural control, a colored line will always appear in the control line region indicating that proper volume of specimen has been added and membrane wicking has occurred.
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
Negative (not pregnant) :
Only one color band appears, in the Control Zone. No apparent band on the Test Zone. This indicates that no pregnancy has been detected.
Positive (pregnant) :
Distinct color bands appear in the Control and Test Zones. It indicates that you are pregnant. The color intensity of the test bands may vary since different stages of pregnancy have different concentrations of HCG hormone.
No visible band at all, or there is a visible band only in the test region and not in the control region. Repeat with a new test kit. If test still fails, please contact the distributor or the store, where you bought the product, with the lot number.
A multi-center clinical evaluation was conducted comparing the results obtained using the HCG Pregnancy Rapid Test Cassette to another commercially available urine hCG Rapid test. The study included 608 urine specimens, and both assays identified 377 negative and 231 positive results. The results demonstrated >99% overall accuracy of the hCG Pregnancy Rapid Test Cassette when compared to the other hCG Rapid Test.
|Method||Other hCG Rapid Test||Total Results|
|Rapid Test Cassette|
|Sensitivity: ＞99.9% (98.7%~100%)*||Specificity: ＞99.9%(99.2%~100%)*|
|Accuracy: ＞99.9% (99.5%~100%) *||* 95% Confidence Intervals|
|ORIENT NEW LIFE MEDICAL CO., LTD.|
|Email:||Jerry @ newlifebiotest .com|
Contact Person: Jerry Meng

domain: biology


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Time Out Dubai has had their ears very close to the ground recently, and we’ve picked up some exciting vibrations from London in the process…
It seems, chef Gordon Ramsay will be returning to Dubai within the year. This chef cannot get enough of the emirates, having opened his first Dubai restaurant Verre back in 2001, and he now has plans to return with the launch of his second ever Dubai venture.
This prolific chef has become one of the UK’s most famous culinary exports, with several Michelin stars, a global network of restaurants, and international TV appearances under his belt. Famously the protégé of the world’s first rock n roll chef, Marco Pierre White; Ramsay has himself been responsible for a number of prominent new chefs. Alongside the likes of Angela Hartnett and Marcus Wareing, Ramsay’s protégés include Jason Atherton. Atherton was responsible for opening Verre at Hilton Dubai Creek Deira, and will now be launching his own Dubai restaurant, Marina Social in September 2015. More Ramsay protégés include former Verre chefs Scott Price and Nick Alvis, who have both since become local celebrities in the UAE.
With Verre having had such an impact, and a new Ramsay restaurant on the cards for Dubai, we are excited to see the next generation of chef stars that this new restaurant might produce.
While the location of chef Ramsay’s new Dubai restaurant is currently under wraps, we can tell you that Time Out Dubai has a little more up their sleeves for you. Stay tuned and we will be exclusively revealing more in just a few days’ time.


The Washington Wizards could be in the market for a guard this coming offseason. However, they are reportedly not interested in D’Angelo Russell.
“The Wizards are not interested in Russell,” said Darren Wolfson during a recent episode of his podcast. “Yes, the Wizards are looking for a lead guard, and I am told no interest in D’Angelo Russell.”
This season, the former All-Star helped the Minnesota Timberwolves make a playoff appearance for just the second time since the start of the 2004-05 season. He recorded 18.1 points, 7.1 assists and 2.7 made 3-pointers per game in the 2021-22 regular season. His performance helped Minnesota nab a spot in the play-in tournament with a 46-36 standing in the West.
In the play-in tournament, the team beat the Los Angeles Clippers to gain the No. 7 seed and the right to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. But the Grizzlies proved to be too much for the Timberwolves, defeating them in six matches.
Russell did not play as well as he likely hoped he would against Memphis. He scored just 12.0 points per game on an inefficient 33.3 percent shooting clip. He also saw his production dip in the other departments, recording 6.7 assists and 2.0 made 3-pointers per contest.
It is unclear if a trade is in Russell’s future. The Ohio State University product is under contract until the end of the 2022-23 season. Furthermore, he is notably a good friend of Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
The team looks to have a bright future ahead of it. In addition to Russell and Towns, Minnesota has youngster Anthony Edwards.
Meanwhile, the Wizards might want to look elsewhere in their search for a guard. It also remains to be seen if they will continue building around star Bradley Beal or launch a massive rebuild by moving on from the three-time All-Star.


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Or, Glimpses away from Western Existence (1839), Forest Lifetime (1842), and you can West Clearings (1845), Caroline M
CAROLINE Meters. KIRKLAND (1801-1864)
Most commonly known on her three courses you to illuminate a distinct phase away from Western settlement of West, An alternate Family-Who’ll Realize? Kirkland situated a reputation while the a working and opinionated exponent out-of the woman’s view of a get older ruled of the male publishers. While most away from her fellow lady writers of several months were devoted to fiction, Kirkland popular the field of literary journalism, contributing multiple stuff so you can publications and dealing because a paper publisher-all of the throughout the a period when girls was in fact rarely active in the company stop out of publishing. Even when her really works, like that of numerous almost every other antebellum American girls writers, try branded „sentimental” and overlooked from the very early scholars, this lady reality just like the along with her effortless, honest layout won supplement and attract out of afterwards students.
Kirkland came to be Caroline Matilda Stansbury when you look at the Nyc. She attended a great Quaker college or university and you can began knowledge inside the Clinton, Nyc. About later 1820s, she Kirkland, with him centered a great girls’ college close Utica, Nyc. In 1835, the latest Kirklands moved to Detroit, where with her it going the brand new Detroit Females Seminary. Inside 1837 it purchased 400 miles out of belongings 60 miles west of Detroit, where they based the town out-of Pinckney-brand new community who would act as the latest design having Kirkland’s compatible partners visitors urban area regarding Montacute within the Yet another House. This new Kirklands returned to Nyc into the 1843, and you can after the William’s dying within the 1846 Kirkland gained currency thanks to teaching and writing, serving given that publisher of Partnership Journal off Books and you will Artwork up to 1850. Certainly one of a great many other literary triumph, Kirkland gathered around three collections off her mag content, The night Publication (1852), A book into House System (1853), and you may Autumn Hours (1854).
The design Sigourney created in their This new England farmer together with Connecticut address rhythms and served to influence Stowe’s very own portrait away from Uncle Package, usually the one profile within her basic outline who speaks when you look at the dialect
Stowe herself, in the Pearl out of Orr’s Island (1862), carry out offer women emails and you will viewpoints to your center of a good regional book. In this book specifically, Stowe shows the brand new dictate of Sigourney, whom typed the brand new memoir Drawing regarding Connecticut in Hartford an equivalent 12 months thirteen-yearold Harriet Beecher gone indeed there becoming students in the the woman brother Catharine’s Hartford Female Seminary. twenty two Inside the Outline from Connecticut, Madam L. tells Farmer Larkin, a local character just who tends to make a quick physical appearance, you to definitely she does not remember this new brands regarding his children. The guy reactions, „It’s no wonder one to ye usually do not Ma’am, discover such as for instance a great neest into the ’em. They’ve been while the dense because hops around the fire this cold temperatures. There is certainly Roxey and you will Reuey, these include next to Tim, and check for example twins. It pick the fleece, and you will cards pull, and cinch quills, and you will knit stockins and you will mittins to the fokes in the house; and You will find put some off beside me to-day, to see if they’ll buy ’em for the marchants’ sites, and you will let ’em keeps one or two o’ leetle brief shawls” (Sigourney 118). So it passing brings facts you to Stowe had realize Sketch out of Connecticut prior to she began The latest Pearl out of Orr’s Area, for she brands her very own characters Roxy and you can Ruey in that book adopting the girl from Character Larkin. In her research out of Outline from Connecticut, Sandra An effective. Zagarell contends you to Sigourney’s creating „was somewhat privately worried about this new fundamentals and you may providers away from public lifetime,” and therefore each other she and you will Sedgwick (from inside the Guarantee Leslie ) „handled a major governmental situation throughout the day, the sort of your own Western nation” („Expanding” 225). Hence Sigourney will get a model to own Stowe in 2 indicates: she even offers regional letters to have Stowe’s afterwards reflection and you will expansion within the „Sibling Package” plus the Pearl away from Orr’s Area, and you can she also confirms for Stowe that women keeps a keen inalienable claim to a growing Western political and social sight. Sigourney examines, as the Stowe create later on manage, the likelihood of literary expert for women.

domain: library


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It is not so hard to play at a live casino online. However, you have to follow specific guidelines to get good experience. Live casinos are different from othe china shore slot machiner online casinos because they offer real gambling experience with their unique set of rules and policies. So, use any recommended USA live casino provided online and be assured that you will get back your winnings whenever you ask for them.
When you’re choosing the online USA casinos, then be sure to locate an ideal one. This is because you will be playing against actual players who have been appreciating the actual gambling adventure at these live casino games. So, choose a site that offers dependable service concerning maintenance of casinos, customer support, games and applications. It is also possible to try any gaming software supplied via this website so that you can enhance your abilities.
Most of the online USA casinos will supply you with a few basic applications so you can play against other real players. But, you might have to upgrade some software characteristics to enjoy better benefits. For example, flash casinos are preferred by many players because they can enhance their skills and techniques to win cash. Therefore, consider upgrading your applications features if you do not need to lose money.
There is not as much difference between online and casinos that are online. However, many players feel that real players at a land-based casino sport require more time to react blood suckers on each other. Moreover, they find it interesting to play against someone else sitting in front of them. For them, online live casino on the internet is the perfect alternative. They may enjoy the sport without wasting any time.
Before you create live online casinos withdraws, have a look at their deposit or withdrawal policies. Generally, the majority of the sites allow you to make deposits or withdraws within a specific time period. A few of the sites might even restrict the timeframe and might refuse to give you these amenities.
You can play free blackjack, blackjack and baccarat games on most of the sites. Live roulette offers a good chance for gamers to practice and learn their moves prior to playing in real roulette table games like baccarat and craps. Live baccarat and craps also offer players a fantastic chance to improve their skills. That is because playing the game many times in a week can help you familiarize yourself with the sport. Live baccarat and craps tables are often available during pre-determined times on selected sites.
When you play live casino online, you need to follow the rules and regulations of the website. Usually, you may be required to enroll with an account in order to place bets. The majority of these websites offer their players with the choice to make deposits in addition to take payments out like payments for payments or wins for reductions. Some of the sites may enable you to set up multiple accounts. How you make payments and transfers is also an important factor to think about.
Many of the real-life casino sites have chat rooms and other interactive features that can ease communication between the players and the staff. But playing live roulette games in this way needs to be taken just in the event you know that you can meet all of the demands of a specific live dealer casino games. To put it differently, do not use these facilities if you don’t have prior experience of gambling online. You may end up losing money if you aren’t aware of the regulations and rules of online betting games.
In a number of the casinos that are live, the actual dealer plays with the video poker games against the players. The same is true about the video poker games available with internet dealers. However, there are certain drawbacks to play live dealers in online casinos. To begin with, the players have no control over the flow of this game and there is no way to allow them to gain an edge over the merchant.
Among the big disadvantages is that you cannot delight in playing the card games, baccarat, craps and other live games on line if you aren’t on the Internet. Live card games give you the opportunity to relish playing without leaving your computer or desk. Players can enjoy watching the action on a large screen TV monitor as well. The one thing you can’t do is participate in the live game shows and enjoy playing. Moreover, most live matches online are slow to load and take a very long time to complete.
So what you could do? In case you have a high speed internet connection and a browser that is up-to-date, you can try finding a live dealer at a live casino game’s website. You might have to pay a few dollars but at least you can observe the action and interact with the trader if you would like to. If you don’t want to squander money with this, then you can opt for the free live casino games. They’re good enough to keep you interested in the sport.

domain: entertainment


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‘Deep Blue', by BENO SARADZIC
"This is a shot one could only capture from a helicopter. I was flying towards Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi to shoot the container yard. It was a particularly beautiful, breezy winter morning. As I was getting close to the port, the wind became quite strong and the sea was getting choppy and foamy. Visibility was outstanding and the water looked like a dream. It reminded me of a slab of Azurite mineral. Anyone who's ever visited or lived in Abu Dhabi knows how amazing its waters are. I was about 400 meters above the sea level when I noticed a large flock of migratory birds, perhaps Socotra Cormorants, right below me. It was a majestic sight I just had to capture."
Location: Nearby Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi
Limited edition, exclusive to MONDA Gallery, printed on museum quality archival paper and high-grade matte canvas
- Mini: Open, numbered editions, 8 x 12 in (20 x 30 cm)
- Small: 150 editions, 30 x 45 cm
- Medium: 75 editions, 50 x 75 cm
- Large: 30 editions, 67 x 100 cm
This artwork is offered on extra white 300 gsm fine art paper or 380 gsm high-quality canvas.
Paper framed behind glass with 2 x 3 cm or 3 x 2 cm black fiber frame.
Canvas stretched on 2.5 cm deep wood or stretched & framed with 1.8 x 3.5 cm black L-shaped floating frame.
Please contact us for custom framing as desired.
Artist-signed certificate provided for "Small" size and above.

domain: artistic


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If the Writer Isn’t Having Fun, the Reader Probably Isn’t Having Fun
So . . . in 2003, JC and I launched a series staring a female vampire hunter—in a dark medieval fantasy setting—and the Noble Dead Saga was born. I’m the first drafter in our team, and I was having a blast. I “get” why readers enjoy stories about vampires and about vampire hunters, and I think as a result, the series did well.
About four years in—and four novels later—we had some other writers over for a dinner party, and one of them was a fairly bitter soul who’d taught creative writing for years and had not managed to land an agent or a publisher. When everyone at the party went outside to play croquet after dinner, I stayed in to wash the dishes, and this writer stayed behind to talk to me. I did feel bad for him. He really had hit that “bitter wall” of wondering if he’d ever find a publisher.
As I was loading the forks into the dishwasher, he said, “Well, I know that if I could just lower myself to writing a series about a vampire hunter, I could have a best selling series too.”
I’d just cooked this guy dinner.
However, I’m nice, and so I nodded sympathetically. But on the inside, I was thinking, “Yeah, baby, why don’t you try that and see what happens.”
If he’d tried to launch a series about a vampire hunter, it would have failed miserably because 1) he’d have hated doing it, 2) he wouldn’t have had any fun, and most of all, 3) because he didn’t remotely understand why people love those stories.
Fast forward a few years. The Noble Dead Saga was still doing fairly well, but JC had taken into it BIG epic fantasy, and I sort of missed the more emotionally intimate dark tales of the first three novels. Then . . . in a situation far too complicated to explain here, I was offered a chance to write an independent series based on a contemporary vampire novel I’d written back in grad school. My editor asked me, “Can you slant this into urban fantasy?” I answered, “Absolutely.”
I mean . . . how hard could it be to write urban fantasy? I didn’t know anything about urban fantasy or why readers enjoyed it, but I jumped in with both feet. Good God! What was I thinking? I was completely out of my element, and yet, I wrote four more books based on that early work from grad school. This was the Vampire Memories series. I had no business writing urban fantasy. I pulled the plug on that series myself—without waiting for my publisher to do it for me.
Then I started thinking about what I really wanted to do. I absolutely loved writing Sister of the Dead set in Droevinka, the land of Magiere’s birth, and I often thought that if I had the chance to write a new series, I’d go back there. I’m drawn to the medieval politics and the warlord princes. I love the heavy forests and cloudy skies and the traveling gypsies and superstitious villagers and the old stone castles. I mean . . . who doesn’t love traveling gypsies and old stone castles?
I also remembered how much I enjoyed working with main characters who begin to realize they have more power than they ever could have envisioned.
So, I sat down and wrote a proposal for a series called The Mist-Torn Witches about two sisters, Céline and Amelie Fawe, who start off in one of those grubby little villages in Droevinka, with Céline playing at being a “seer,” and soon, the sisters find themselves rushed into a rapid change of circumstance due to the ambitions of two of those warlord princes, and the sisters begin to discover a good deal more about themselves, their abilities, and their connections to the traveling gypsies . . .
Then I wrote the first three chapters, and I was just having a blast. I was having soooooooo much fun. I showed the proposal and sample chapters to my editor at Roc. She’s no hand-holder, and she pulls no punches, and after reading the submission, she nodded and said, “This is good.”
I’m now back to writing in a setting that I love, working on a series I find extremely fun, and as a result, I think the readers will have fun too.
Barb Hendee is the nationally best-selling co-author of the Noble Dead Saga (along with her husband J.C.). She is also the author of the Vampire Memories series and the newly launching Mist-Torn Witches series. She has a master’s degree in English and taught college for twelve years. She was born in the northwest, later migrated to Idaho and then Colorado, but she missed the rain and the moss too much and now lives just south of Portland, Oregon in the Willamette Valley with JC and their two yearling kitties, Ashes and Cinders. Visit her website at: http://www.barbhendee.org/


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I got this panel in 2020 right when lockdown began. The sentiment on it appealed to me at the time, and I did a phone order with my local quilt shop, Beginnings, and picked it up with curbside service. I wanted to do my small part to help keep them in business, so it worked nicely. This was the first of few additions to the stash that year. I pulled it out recently to finish, so I could add it to an article I was writing for MadamSew’s blog on using panels.
Originally, I got the panel to make placemats. The size of the motifs looked just right for a square center, and then I could add side panels with flying geese or a floral fabric. Great idea, right? And there it sat for two years.
When I pulled it out again, the idea of placemats didn’t appeal anymore. So, a wall hanging it would be. I began by squaring it up, straightening the sides.
Then I added two borders, one in gold to set off the center, and a second one in grey with words from the same fabric line.
Next, I loaded it on the longarm for quick quilting.
The backing is a remnant of a wide back also grey, so I decided on grey thread. The top thread is a medium grey Glide, with grey Bottom Line in the bobbin.
The pantograph is a nicely dense one with a bit of a heart motif called Je t’aime from Urban Elementz. I thought it went well with the sentiments on the panel. This pantograph is wide and has two passes printed, so I can quilt two rows without advancing the quilt. This made quilting go really fast.
The batting is Warm and White, the remnant from another project. It is great when a leftover piece is just the right size, isn’t it?
I like the way it turned out. The quilting adds texture to the background and disappears on the motifs.
The backing remnant was a great color match, showing the quilting nicely.
With the leftovers of the backing, I made binding and put it on by machine.
All finished. The lighter grey binding picks up the background in the panel. Here’s a closer view of the bottom.
The top has the Cultivate Kindness wording. I like the trucks full of flowers.
I’ll add a small sleeve to the back for hanging, and it will be for sale in the booth our longarm group is doing at the quilt show in May. To read my full article on using panels in quilting on MadamSew’s blog, click HERE. And check out their new arrivals and sale deals.
Whoopee, I’m counting four yards out for Stashbusters. Our next check in will be May 6th.
So, what is the Stashbuster Challenge 2022 you might ask? Well, it couldn’t be easier. Once a month, on the first Friday of the month, I’ll publish a post for us to log our fabric in and fabric out. You’ll do this in the comments. The goal at the end of the year will be to have more fabric out than fabric in. You don’t have to register, and you don’t have to take inventory of what you have now. Just keep track of how much fabric you buy or are gifted each month, and how much you use or give away. The totals will be monthly, and also cumulative, so at the end of the year you will know if you had more come in or more go out. At the end of the year, I’ll send a non-fabric prize to a random participant, the more months you participate, the more entries you get.
Do you like to sew with panels?
There is space available in my next Well Loved Quilt Repair class now scheduled for May 10, 2022. Class time will be 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time (3 pm Central, 2 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific) The class pulls together my tips and tricks, and organizes the program according to the types of repairs needed. Everything from small holes, and dog chewed corners up to major damage is covered, with advice on starting your own repair business. Class time runs about 75-90 minutes, class fee $30 invoiced from Paypal to the email address you provide. Click on this form and fill out if you’d like to register for the class on May 10. If that day/time doesn’t work for you, sign up HERE for the wait list for a class sometime this summer. Thank you!

domain: design


Italian PM Acknowledges Contribution of Indian Diaspora
India, Italy sign six MoUs during the two-day visit to the country of Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.
India and Italy signed six Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the two-day visit to the country of Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni — the first such visit in a decade. The agreements signed concern issues such as the safety of railways and energy, cultural exchange and mutual investment.
The agreements were signed after delegation-level talks were held on Oct. 30 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gentiloni.
One of the MoUs signed was related to the 70 years of diplomatic relations between the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Italy. Another MoU was signed between Italy’s Training Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Foreign Service Institute of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
Gentiloni also talked about the presence of the 170,000-strong Indian diaspora community in Italy and acknowledged their contribution to the country’s economy. Modi appreciated the measures taken by the Italian government in helping the Indians living there integrate with the society. The leaders also acknowledged the role played by the Italian business community in India’s economic development, and agreed to work together on migration and mobility between the two nations.
India and Italy also decided to set up a Joint Defense Committee for enhancing bilateral defense cooperation and encouraging structured dialogue. The Italian Prime Minister underlined his country’s industrial expertise in this sector, and the renewed interest of Italian industry in participating in defense manufacturing under the “Make in India” initiative.
The two sides also decided to uphold the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding on Political Cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries. Gentiloni also announced upcoming visits from various ministers of Italy to India, including that of the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Culture, Minister of Economy and Finance and the Italian Vice Minister for Economic Development.
Gentiloni also mentioned that Italy strongly supports a strengthened strategic partnership between India and the European Union (EU). He sought greater experience sharing between the two countries in the area of fighting corruption. Italy’s National Anti-Corruption Authority will soon visit India to enhance cooperation in this area.
Gentiloni’s visit to India is the first one to be undertaken by an Italian prime minister in 10 years. The relations between the two countries suffered a setback after India jailed two Italian marines following the death of two Kerala fishermen in 2012. The two marines — Latorre Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone – who were on board a ship named Enrica Lexie, are now in Italy, while the verdict by the arbitration court at the Hague is awaited.
The visit also coincided with multiple attacks on Indian students in Milan, where they were reportedly beaten with broken glass bottles and faced racial slurs.
Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8
— India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017


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Interiors & Designing
When designing the rooms of a home, how does one find the right ideas to create a perfect space? The challenge lies in trying to create the right look by incorporating the perfect colors, materials and design. At Area Infinity, we make it easy by presenting photographs and tips for every room and style, whether it’s a Scandinavian kitchen or a country-style bedroom. With interior design trends changing every year, it’s vital to be aware of the latest materials, colors and styles for decorating rooms. Irrespective of the size or the layout of the room, we present ideas that can be adapted.
Tell us how you want your interiors to be, and our expert designers will shape your vision, flexible as per your budget and needs.
Review your plans and your decisions about interior design, make changes the way you want and visualize in 3D how your home will look.
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Besides the purpose of the room and its location, the budget is a determinant of the type of floor for a house. For bathrooms and kitchens, easy to clean and moisture-resistant ceramic tiles might be the best choice whereas, for living rooms and bedrooms, wood or natural stone can bring in a cosier or earthier feel. The local climate should be considered before choosing the flooring for the room. Our team of professionals will advise you on the pros and cons of each type of flooring.
Our mission is to help people visualize, create & maintain beautiful homes. We bring to you inspiring visuals of cool homes, specific spaces, architectural marvels and new design trends.


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IRISH-IN-CHICAGO-L ArchivesArchiver > IRISH-IN-CHICAGO > 2002-09 > 1031630089
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 23:54:52 EDT
I am researching Ryan's from New York and Iowa. I have found a few who moved
to Chicago in the 1900's- this obit from 1930 mentiones ED RYAN. Also in
Chicago; Emma Ryan who was a dressmaker on Calumet Ave (1900-1930 for sure),
The Bennett's , O'Connell's and Carroll's (all women from the above families
are sisters, Emma and Ed were their neice and nephew).
From Corning Ia. (Adams Co.)
Catherine Ryan Obit
The passing of another pioneer of the county caused great sadnes to many
warm friends and sorrow to a devoted family when Mrs. Catherine Ryan passed
away July 2, 1931 at her home early in the afternoon. Mrs. Ryan had been in
poor health for some time, her death being attributed to complication of
diseases incident to old age. She had been able to be about with help until
just a short time before her death., and it has been a great comfort to her
loved ones that she suffered little and slept peacefully away at the last
with her loved ones about her. ervices were held Saturday morning, July 4th,
at 9 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Corning. Rev. Father M.J.
Powers conducted the services and Mrs. Ryan's six sons acted as pall bearers.
Interment was made in Calvary Cemetary.
Catherine Ryan, daughter of Patrick and Ellen Ryan, was born April 5, 1846
in Tipperary Ireland, and died July 2, 1931, at the age of 85 years, 2
months and 27 days. She came to America with her parents and nine brothers
and sisters in 1849. They made their home on a farm near Chateaugay, New
York, and a great grandson now lives on the farm, on which the Ryan's
settled when coming to this country.
She was married to Patrick B. Ryan December 15, 1863, at Marquette, Mich.
November 7, 1877, they came to Adams county and located on what is known as
the Burkhalter farm. The farm which is now the Scott farm east of Corning,
was their home for many years until Mr. Ryan retired 29 years ago and they
came to Corning where they resided continuously except for a few years spent
at Waukee, Iowa.
The six sons all live here except Ed, who lives in Chicago. The sons who
reside here are William, M., Timothy, John, Patrick and Mike. Three
daughters survive, these being Mrs. Hugh Comisky of Perry, Mrs. David Graham
of Cumming, Iowa and Mrs. Will Maloney of Corning. Mr Ryan preceded his wife
in death six years ago and two daughters died a number of years ago, Nellie
when she was twenty-seven years old, and Mary when she was nine. Twenty
grandchildren and three great-grandchildren also survive, and a large
company of friends who sorrow with the family. Mrs. Ryan was a member of the
Catholic Church during her lifetime and was devoted to the religion of her
choice. She was a devoted mother and neighbor of the finest sort.

domain: history


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CPE offers several courses related to polar ecology. Above all "Polar ecology course" consisting of two components, Life and Earth science. The course itself consists of 1 week intensive theoretical preparation in respective fields of interest and then especially 10 days field work on the Josef Svoboda research station in Svalbard.
PEC 2020 was opened!
Today's icebreaker opened this year's Polar Ecology Conference, which we organize in cooperation with the University of Tromso and with contributions from the Norway Grants >
Professor Josef Svoboda: an officer of the Order of Canada
Professor Josef Svoboda, a Czech-Canadian polar ecologist, whose name bears our station at Svalbard, is an officer of the Order of Canada now. >
2019 season is over
Our research vessel Clione is now on the shore so 2019 season is over! >

domain: geography


Engine Performance problem
1993 Saturn SC2 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Manual 200000 miles
Car starts without touching gas peddle and will set and idle, but when you rev the engine to around 3,000 rpm's it stalls
have the same problem?
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 AT 7:08 PM


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Japan’s latest TV Super Hero is a Fruit Ninja: Kamen Rider Gaim
So maybe not quite a Ninja… I wanted (and felt obliged) to make a Fruit Ninja pun! However the design as you can see is far more Samurai then Ninja! But the latest series of Kamen Rider has just started over in Japan and this year’s theme after last year’s magic based Kamen Rider Wizard is fruit!
I kid you not, in this show our heroes transform (or Henshin!) into armour forms based on fruit… with our main hero Giam’s main form being based on an Orange, but so far there’s been various other Riders with different fruit motifs. The power behind these transformations comes from magic locks that also summon monsters to battle in a similar way to Pokémon as rival groups fight each other as well as Riders which are all set up in the first episode to be at each other’s throats throughout the show.
So those of you who don’t know Kamen Rider it’s a series that like Power Rangers rebrands itself each year with a fresh cast and theme generally lasting around 50 episodes along with a movie or two mid-year. It makes it very open for new comers and by now has had enough series to be able to guarantee that there’s a series you’d be interested in, from detective noir, slap stick comedy and even the mostly despised anniversary cross over season Kamen Rider Decade.
It does make it hit or miss and unfortunate with only 2 episodes being shown so far it’s hard to gauge the overall quality of the show but based on the first episodes it feels very fresh (insert fruit based pun here). It’s colourful and a bit more light hearted so far, but this is still a children’s series despite worldwide adult audiences also watching where possible. But if you want a proper look at the show and its fruitiness check out my video on episodes 1 and 2 above where you’ll see many instances of cheap CG but tons of fun and imaginative vision on display!
Kamen Rider Gaim is here for the following year and if you want something a little fruity its right up your avenue, if not however I’d suggest doing a quick Wiki search to see if there is a series you might find yourself drawn into… I started myself with the Torchwood/X-files feeling Kamen Rider Kabuto and is my favourite to this day!


This test system is suitable for energy saving lamp, fluorescent lamp, HID lamp (high voltage sodium lamp, high voltage mercury lamp), LED, phosphor photometry and colorimetry analysis and meets the requirements of CIE for the measurement of photometry and colorimetry.
• Measure and display the relative spectral power distribution (UV-VIS-NIR)P(λ), chromaticity coordinate, correlated color temperature, rending index, color difference, peak wavelength, luminous flux, luminous flux efficiency and photometry parameters of light source and light material under the control of general PC.
• Automatically adjust high-voltage, it not only shortens the measurement time, but also reduces the wear and tear of the instrument
• Simultaneously measure the temperature in both environment and integrating sphere to make the data more visually and reliably
• Figure of chroma and color difference in test report can be exchanged freely
• Color display and print. The relative spectral power distribution (UV-VIS-NIR)P(λ), reports both in English. RS-232-C interface, compatible with all kinds of computer
• LSP-500 AC Power source PC RS-232-C interface. compatible with all kinds of computer
• Range of wavelength: 380nm～780nm(Special:200nm～780nm)
• Accuracy of wavelength: ±0.2nm
• Repeatability of wavelength: ±0.1nm
• Accuracy of chromaticity coordinate: ±0.0003(under standard illuminate A)
• Spectrum sample interval: 5nm(Special order:1nm)
• Luminosity linearity: 0.3%
• Accuracy of luminosity: 1 class
• Correlated color temperature measure range: 1500K～25000K
• Accuracy of CCT: ±0.3%(under standard illuminate A)
• Accuracy of rending index: ±(0.3%rd±0.3)
• Environment temperature measure range: -10℃～80℃
• Temperature measure range(In sphere): -10℃～100℃
Sorry, no attachment available !


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This is a good machine and I like it very much.
A few things to report : If you happen to catch a floor mat or a rug, the brush fuse will blow up. The normal color of the power on is YELLOW and not green as indicated on the owner's manual. Also not mentioned in the manual is that if the bush does not work, you probably blew the fuse. This is the one in the middle (4 A - Available at auto part stores).
The machine performs extremely well and the floor is mostly dry aftermath. Of course, it takes a bit of learning and you will need to dry the corners with some kind of mop.
In my opinion, it should be simpler to have the vacuum only set up. Also, moving the machine when the brush is not running is quite difficult.
Still a great machine. I would buy it again.

domain: hobby


text:
- 1 loaf pan
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 cup dates diced
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 egg
- 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
- 2 banana ripe mashed
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- STEP 1 Preheat oven to 165C fan-forced.
- STEP 2 Place water, dates, butter and spice in large saucepan and heat to boiling point, stir until butter is melted.
- STEP 3 Remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda.
- STEP 4 Allow to cool to room temperature and then add bananas, eggs, nuts, flour and cinnamon.
- STEP 5 Stir well and pour into a greased and lined loaf pan.
- STEP 6 Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- STEP 7 Allow to rest in tin for 20 minutes before turning out.
You can use white self-raising flour if desired.


text:
Jeffrey Gorsky is the author of the new book Exiles in Sepharad: The Jewish Millennium in Spain. He also has written Acts of Faith/Auto da Fe, Humpty Dumpty, and Rough Magic. He is a lawyer and diplomat with the U.S. State Department, and is based in the Washington, D.C., area.
Q: How did you first become interested in Spanish Jewish history, and why did you decide to write this book?
A: The 1980s were my Spanish decade. I worked as U.S. vice consul in Bilbao, Spain from 1982-1984, and from 1985-1987 I was the State Department intelligence analyst (in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research) for Iberia.
I had always wanted to write fiction, and my involvement with Spain inspired me to work on a historical novel set at the time of the Inquisition. I worked on it for five years, but could not get an agent.
One successful agent, who had retired to Italy, told me she would take me on if I agreed to rewrite the book, at her direction, in the “style of Siddhartha.” Another agent said he liked the book but it was a tough subject to sell--he sent me a David Ignatius novel and asked me to write a thriller like that.
My historical novel, Acts of Faith/Auto da Fe, is now available on Kindle. I took up the second agent’s suggestion and wrote a thriller based in part on my experiences as vice consul in Medellin and Bogota, Colombia in the early ‘80s (Humpty Dumpty, also on Kindle) and I then wrote a YA fantasy novel based on The Tempest called Rough Magic (also on Kindle), so that at least my two daughters could read one of my books.
The subject of the Spanish Jews stuck with me. It is a compelling story, one of the most important in Jewish history. About 20 percent of modern Jews descend from Spain.
The story made its mark on world history—everyone knows about the Spanish Inquisition. It may be the greatest modern trauma to the Jews after the Holocaust. But few people know the real story.
The only history in print, Jane Gerber’s The Jews of Spain, was written in 1990. It is well written, but because it covers Sephardic history until modern times it is more of a survey than a comprehensive history—it covers 1,000 years of Jewish life in Spain in only 140 pages.
So I started this book both out of personal compulsion, and the belief that there should be at least one book in print covering the history of the Jews in Spain. Even though I was not an historian, I thought that I could write the best history on the subject since there was almost no competition.
Q: How did you research the book, and what surprised you most in the course of your research?
A: Over the years I had had collected a large library of books on the Spanish Jews, including Yitzak Baer’s two-volume history of the Jews in Christian Spain, and Benzion Netanyahu’s (the father of the Israeli PM) Origin of the Inquisition in 15th Century Spain—I have two large plastic bins in my house filled with research material.
There is a lot of material available on-line, including H.C. Lea’s classic four-volume History of the Inquisition in Spain. I am a George Washington University alumnus (BA and JD), and work a few blocks from the school, so I could check out books there on my lunch hour or after work.
I also appreciate the Arlington County, Va., Library inter-library loan service, which provided me many books I couldn’t afford to collect on my own—many academic books cost over $100 a copy, but were available through the inter-library system.
My bibliography is over 10 pages long and contains books in both English and Spanish (and a few in Portuguese). Since I work full-time at the State Department I did my research after-hours and on week-ends—my youngest daughter was an athlete, and I even snuck in some reading during her soccer games or basketball meets.
I also read heavy history books on our annual summer beach vacations. It took me 10 years to complete all the research and writing.
My biggest surprise came when I first researched the subject, preparing my novel. I knew about the expulsion in 1492, but did not know about the importance of 1391.
In 1390 there were more Jews in Spain than all the rest of Europe combined, and they had achieved levels of power, wealth and a breath of cultural knowledge greater than anywhere else in the world.
All this ended in 1391, when a rogue priest named Ferrand Martinez incited anti-Jewish mobs through two Spanish kingdoms with the slogan “convert or die.”
This led to what might be the largest mass conversion of Jews in modern history. While many of the converts—called New Christians, conversos, or (as an insult) Marranos—enjoyed great success, tensions developed between the “new” and “old” Christians, which eventually led to the formation of the Spanish Inquisition, and was a major factor in the decision to expel the Jews from Spain. The story of the “conversos” became an important part of my history.
Q: You ask, “Was the history of the Spanish Jews a story of religious tolerance or of religious conflict?” How would you answer that question?
A: Today most books on this period look at it in the context of “convivencia,” a Spanish word that literally means “living together.” This term was popularized by the Spanish historian Americo Castro, who demonstrated how Spanish history and culture reflects the cooperation and blending of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures.
Some writers describe Spain as a kind of unique island of tolerance, the one place in the world where the three faiths met and worked and developed together.
While convivencia is a useful concept, it is only one side of the story. The traditional Spanish view of the history is very different. It viewed Spain as a nation of pure, devout Christians who struggled for centuries to rid their country of Muslim and Jewish invaders. So the traditional Spanish historical model is of ethnic conflict, not cooperation and tolerance.
I came up with a different way to describe this history: as a marriage of convenience. Special circumstances made it advantageous for Spanish rulers to make a place for the Jews, first in Muslim Spain, and later in the Christian kingdoms.
The Jews in turn benefited both in wealth and power, and in cultural growth, from this protection. But the Jews remained a separate community, and the underlying tensions between the different faiths remained.
As a result, at times of political instability, this “marriage” could break down, leading to anti-Jewish violence. Ultimately, this resulted in the end of Jewish presence in Spain, first in the Muslim region, and finally in all of Iberia.
Q: What is the legacy of the Spanish Jewish community today?
A: When I lived in Spain I remember listening to a Spanish radio program discussing the history of the Jews of Spain, and the final question on the program was, “What can we see in today’s Spain of the legacy of the Jews,” and the answer was: “solamente sangre, muchisimo sangre”—only blood, lots and lots of blood.
I interpreted this response as having two meanings—many of today’s Spaniards are descended from the Jews; and Spain bears the burden of the blood of thousands of Jewish victims of repression.
Many the synagogues remained after the expulsion, and were converted into churches. Spain is now actively promoting Jewish tourism, and restoring many of these buildings.
Probably the greatest of these is known as the Sinagoga del Transito, and had been built as the private chapel of Samuel Halevi, the Jewish treasurer to Pedro the Cruel of Castile. I used his coat of arms, which is carved in the synagogue and is a mix of Spanish heraldry with Hebrew lettering, for the cover of my book.
In the last section of my book I describe three ways in which the fate of the Spanish Jews and “conversos” made an important impact on world history.
Tensions between the “conversos” and “old Christians” led to the first racial exclusion provisions, discriminatory rules applied to Christians of Jewish descent. These provisions became known as “limpieza de sangre” or “purity of blood” rules, and “limpieza” became the template for racist practices against Africans and Indians in the New World.
These discriminatory practices, and prosecution under the Spanish Inquisition, alienated conversos from the Church and society. This alienation found expression in art, and books by these conversos, who invented the “picaresque” genre of literature, became a foundation for the modern novel.
Finally, the Spanish Jews played an important role in the colonization of the Americas, mainly under the Dutch. By 1640 the Dutch-controlled Brazilian city of Recife was a third to a half Jewish.
The Portuguese re-conquest of Brazil forced these Jews to flee, but many remained in the Americas. One small group in 1654 went to the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam—now Manhattan—where they received permission to form a congregation—the first Jewish congregation in what is now the U.S., and the first New York Jews.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am adapting some chapters of my book into an article called “The Invention of Race: How Spanish Anti-Semitism Gave Birth to Modern Racism.” I have a few other ideas, including an article on Trollope’s attitude towards the Jews called “The Hate that Dared Not Speak its Name,” but I’m not actively working on anything now.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I can give you some biographical trivia: I am a D.C. native. I went to GWU, getting a BA in English and a JD. After law school I became a “fifth streeter,” a court-appointed criminal defense attorney (I like to joke that I made my living on drugs and prostitution, but I was paid by the courts).
I did that for two years, and then joined the State Department Foreign Service, and did my initial service in Colombia—I was the last consular officer in history to be stationed in Medellin. Renee, my wife of 26 years, is from Sao Paulo, and I have two daughters, Laura and Adrianna.
I won 15,000 dollars on Jeopardy (after doing well on movie trivia Alex Trebek told me that my wife let me watch too many movies), and I received the President’s Award from the International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigator’s Association.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Jeffrey Gorsky will be participating in the Local Author Fair at the Washington DCJCC, Tuesday, October 27, 2015, at 7:30pm.


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WG Review: IP over Optical (ipo)
A new IETF working group has been proposed in the IETF.
The IESG has not made any determination as yet.
The following Description was submitted, and is provided for
informational purposes only:
IP over Optical (ipo)
Current Status: Proposed Working Group
To Subscribe: email@example.com
In Body: (un)subscribe
Description of Working Group:
The advent of switched multi-channel (e.g., WDM, DWDM, OTDM) optical
networks using OXCs (Optical Cross-connects) and other optical
switching elements presents many new opportunities for improving the
performance of IP networks and supporting faster and more flexible
provisioning of IP services. However, much needs to be specified
before interoperable products based on these technologies can be
deployed in service provider networks. The work needed in this area
- Document the use of existing framing methods, for IP over optical
channels, and as necessary specify additional framing methods.
- Identify and document the characteristics of the optical transport
network that are important for selecting paths for optical
channels, setting-up optical channels, and and tearing-down optical
- Document the application of the common control and measurement
protocols to the technology-dependent aspects of optical path setup,
teardown, and measurement of optical channels across networks with
- Document requirements for control of optical networks by
elements outside the optical network itself.
- Document the use of IP-based protocols for the controlled
dissemination of optical network topology, metric, and constraint
information. Such information can be used for inventory management,
path selection, and other purposes. The information to be exchanged
should accommodate both all optical and optical-electrical-optical
- If a need is identified to develop new protocols or make incompatible
modifications to existing protocols (e.g., routing and signaling
protocols) to accomplish the above goals, then a recharter must first
be approved before undertaking such work.
The IP over Optical WG will coordinate with relevant working groups
within the IETF to leverage existing work. The WG may also generate
requirements for other IETF WGs as needed.