text:
X-ray computed tomography has been used to track the behaviour of individual pores found in selective electron beam melted additive manufactured titanium. Porosity was found to shrink below the detection limit of X-ray microtomography (< 5 μm) upon hot isostatic pressing. Spherical argon containing gas pores, which have a high internal gas pressure following hot isostatic pressing, have been found to progressively reappear and grow in proportion to their original as-built size during high temperature (β-anneal) treatments, whereas larger irregular low pressure pores did not reappear. The implications of these observations in terms of additive manufacturing are discussed.
- Additive manufacture
- Heat treatment
- Hot isostatic pressing (HIPing)
- Selective electron beam melting (SEBM)

domain: chemistry


text:
Listen back to Sunday’s appearance on @AllFM, mastered for podcast by yours truly! 🎙
Enjoyed supporting community-radio. Will cut highlights this week if you ain’t got an hour!
If you do dive in, Ruth @CaramelCharmz so insightful!
I’m a 20-something Brit named Laurence Warner, better known to the world as performing-artist Cerulean, and I write about The Arts & Tech.

domain: artistic


text:
The dark net : Inside the Digital Underworld. / Jamie Bartlett.
View other formats and editions
- ISBN: 9781612194905 (electronic bk)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource
- Publisher: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 2015.
An Independent and New Statesman Book of the YearBeyond the familiar online world that most of us inhabit--a world of Google, Facebook, and Twitter--lies a vast and often hidden network of sites, communities, and cultures where freedom is pushed to its limits, and where people can be anyone, or do anything, they want. This is the world of Bitcoin and Silk Road, of radicalism and pornography. This is the Dark Net.In this important and revealing book, Jamie Bartlett takes us deep into the digital underworld and presents an extraordinary look at the internet we don't know. Beginning with the rise of the internet and the conflicts and battles that defined its early years, Bartlett reports on trolls, pornographers, drug dealers, hackers, political extremists, Bitcoin programmers, and vigilantes--and puts a human face on those who have many reasons to stay anonymous.Rich with historical research and revelatory reporting, The Dark Net...
Electronic reproduction. New York : Melville House, 2015. Requires OverDrive Read (file size: N/A KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 1901 KB) or Amazon Kindle (file size: N/A KB).
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domain: literature


text:
I was asking myself earlier "What is the strangest food item currently in our kitchen?" That's a difficult question, not only because we have a lot of strange food stuffs, but also because we so familiar with them that they don't seem strange anymore. I'm not sure pickled turnip really qualifies (see "The Turnips Does What?" entry.), as turnips aren't a strange item here in the US. I went trawling through the shelves, uncovering a great many unusual items like mahlab and roasted blachen, and then I found it:
I remember this box. It was in the remainders section of the store. They wanted to get rid of it, which made me doubt the wisdom of buying it. But we were curious.
The back reads: "Yu Yee vegetarian foods series are popular with the customers for it's high quality material choice, sweet smell, unique flavor and full nutrition. Seasoned Gluten Puff are made of choice quality of the rare matieral and special flavoring. They are superior in delicious and highly nutritious. They are a nice dish used in banquet, travel and as a gift to friends."
Hmmm... okay. Well, it's lunch time, and I don't have a lot of time to cook something from scratch.
The cooking directions give me three options:
1) open the package and eat them cold
2) boil them in the package for five minutes
3) open the package and microwave them
I don't know about eating puffed gluten cold on an empty stomach, so I opt for option 2. While the water comes to a boil, I cook up some breakfast links as a fall back option. I'm hungry, and I'm not taking chances.
And here we are with the cooked gluten. Hmmm... looks like chopped beef, but the proof is in the taste:
Salty. Sweet. Fennel. Faint cinnamon. A slightly spicy after-taste. Not bad. A bit too salty to eat much of it at any one time, but I could grow to like this stuff.

domain: food


text:
The Niger coup – the fifth in the Sahel and sixth in the broader west Africa region in three years – has pushed the region further into political unrest and insecurity.
Several interests converge there at the intersection of international, regional and local security dynamics.
The Sahel stretches from the Atlantic Ocean eastward to Sudan and Eritrea. It cuts through Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, north-eastern Nigeria and Chad.
The complexity of the Sahel means that the Niger coup has major implications for security in the entire region. Based on years of research and analysis, I see four main potential effects of the Niger coup on the Sahel region and west Africa.
a threat to cross-border development projects
a weakening of the regional body, Ecowas
a shift in power relations and more global confrontations
derailing cooperative efforts across the Sahel.
None of these would be good outcomes. They would worsen existing humanitarian crises, including food insecurity, environmental disasters, transnational crime, population displacements and widespread poverty.
Cross-border development projects
The Sahel region is home to several critical transnational development projects, many of which involve Niger. Instability poses a threat to their completion.
An example is US$25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, one of the most ambitious projects in west Africa. It aims to connect gas producers in Nigeria to various west African countries, ultimately reaching Morocco and Europe.
Another example is the Trans-Saharan Road. This is a major trade route to boost economic activities across six African countries, including Niger.
Nigeria’s leadership of the Ecowas intervention agenda in Niger can also threaten joint initiatives and bilateral agreements. For instance, there is an arrangement for Nigeria to export power to other countries, including Niger. In exchange, these countries won’t dam the waters that feed major power plants in Nigeria.
Niger is a crucial partner and transit country for the cross-border projects and inter-country agreements. The collapse of trust between countries will severely compromise the future of these projects and agreements. The Niger crisis can delay or derail efforts to enhance regional connectivity and trade.
Regional rifts and a divided Ecowas
Growing mistrust among west African countries would weaken the regional bloc Ecowas, while the possibility of future coups remains. Ecowas has insisted on forcing the junta in Niger to reinstate the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, including threatening military intervention.
The immediate support offered to the Niger coup leaders by their counterparts in Burkina Faso and Mali points to serious fissures within the bloc.
With these countries’ shared opposition to France and its western allies and a growing preference for Russian partnership, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are merging into a de facto anti-west francophone faction within Ecowas.
This new alignment could reshape the political dynamics of west Africa, creating rifts within a region that has historically aimed for unity. The strong warning issued by the military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso to Ecowas not to interfere in Niger is a notable escalation.
Such posturing hints at a willingness to openly confront the regional body, possibly impairing its diplomatic mechanisms. If Ecowas, which has a history of military intervention to enforce democratic norms, decides to act against the interests of this emerging bloc, the military showdown that becomes conceivable would severely compromise regional unity.
A weakened and divided Ecowas could undo regional economic agendas like the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The coup and regional confrontation would hinder collaboration and threaten ongoing and future joint initiatives.
The dominance of foreign and international actors is one reason for the proliferation of security interests in the Sahel. The Niger coup is threatening to shift alliances. This could trigger security priorities and responsibilities being outsourced even more than they are now.
Several western countries – the US, France and their EU partners – have scaled back their support for Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in response to coups. This leaves a gap in the region’s security architecture.
In the vacuum, Sahel governments have sought alternative partners. Russia, through the Wagner Group, has emerged as a player.
The Wagner Group raises concerns due to its history of alleged human rights abuses and mercenary behaviour in other conflict zones. Its increasing influence in the Sahel could have severe implications for human security.
For western actors, Niger assumes great importance for two reasons. The first is that it’s seen as a bulwark against jihadism and a bastion of democracy. This explains the presence of western troops and facilities in the country. The second is that it is the world’s seventh-largest producer of uranium and the second-largest supplier of uranium to France.
Niger is therefore a country that western countries cannot afford to lose because of who will win: Russia. The Sahel will be a turf for more global superpower confrontations.
Chaos and counter-coups
Niger shares its borders with seven nations and is a critical player in regional security initiatives. The coup could hurt cooperative efforts across the Sahel to respond to extremist groups and terrorism.
Each coup creates a new vacuum and adds new layers to the environment of distrust. The addition of Russia would add complexity and another actor into a “security traffic jam” – where the presence of several actors but with little coordination has created a congested and chaotic security landscape.
The danger is that security forces are spread thinner, allowing extremist groups to expand their territories and influence. Niger has experienced its first post-coup jihadist attack – the first in one and a half years.
The coup culture in francophone countries also risks causing further instability. Military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger do not have the support of all their militaries. This creates an environment for additional coups and counter-coups.

domain: geography


text:
Nearly two dozen illegal immigrants arrested in a recent nationwide sweep for dangerous criminal aliens had previously been approved to remain in the United States under President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Under the program, illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as kids can apply to remain in the country if they meet a number of requirements, one of which is no criminal history. These children are warmly embraced by amnesty supporters as “Dreamers,” a reference to the Democratic Party’s failed pro-amnesty DREAM Act.
Since August 2012, more than 675,000 illegal immigrants have been approved under the program, according to The Associated Press.
Homeland Security said on Wednesday that 23 “Dreamers” were arrested earlier this month as part of Operation Cross Check.
The Washington Times reported that 15 of the 23 were actively approved for deferred action — in other words, they were in the country illegally with Obama’s blessing. Eight had lost their deferred action status for various reasons.
Overall, federal agents arrested 2,059 convicted immigrants in the sweep, including more than 1,000 who had multiple convictions, the Associated Press reported.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Sarah Saldana said the operation focused on “the worst of the worst criminals.”
Obama touted the success of the program one year after the introduction of DACA, saying it would help the administration focus on criminals.
“By removing the threat of deportation for people brought to the country as children, we were able to continue to focus our enforcement efforts on criminals who endanger our communities rather than students who are pursuing an education,” he said in a statement at the time.
Little did the president know that the “focus” on criminals would include a few Dreamers.
Or did he?
Critics have long questioned the vetting process of approving applicants.
“With few fraud detection measures and effective background checks in place, it’s no surprise that ICE arrested over a dozen DACA recipients last week, most of whom had already been convicted of a crime,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte said, according to the Associated Press. “I and other members of the House Judiciary Committee have expressed concern about this for years.”
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domain: news


text:
94481 82987 / 94800 76376 / 9742896744
Located at the be base of the Kemmangundi hills Rangers Camp is and ideal getaway that offers both adventure and comforts. Your can relax on the hammock in the cashew plantation and listen to the soothing music of birds or go for a trek to the near by waterfalls.
Rangers Camp offers well furnished cottages with all modern facilities. The cottage is surrounded by cashew, silver, teak and other plantation trees.
Bird watching -more than 100 species
Game round in Bhadra
Tour of Kemmangundi
Chikmagalur is situated in south western part of Karnataka. Carved against a mountainous canvas this beautiful malnad district is full of surprises... lofty peaks... delightful dales... racing rivers... sparkling streams... captivating cascades... and the bracing mountain air - a balm to the work-weary. Climb high above the world where the mountains seem to touch the sky. Marvel at the unspoilt beauty of the snow-white coffee blossoms.
Belur & Halebedu
Temple @ Sakleshpur


text:
- Russian Krivoy RogCity (pop., 2001: 669,000), southeast-central Ukraine.Founded as a village by Cossacks in the 17th century, it grew slowly until a railway was constructed to the Donets Basin in 1884; it soon became a significant iron-mining city. It was seized by Germany in 1941 and retaken by the Soviet Union in 1944. Terny, which was annexed to the city in 1969, has a major uranium mine. The city is now a centre of industry as well as mining, with metallurgical plants, foundries, mills, and chemical works.
* * *▪ Ukrainecity, southern Ukraine, situated at the confluence of the Inhulets and Saksahan rivers. Founded as a village by Zaporozhian Cossacks in the 17th century, it had only 2,184 inhabitants in 1781. In 1881 a French company began to work the local iron-ore deposits, and a railway was constructed to the Donets Basin coalfield in 1884. After that date Kryvyy Rih became a significant iron-mining city.Kryvyy Rih, with its suburbs, stretches for more than 18 miles (29 km) in a long, narrow belt along the iron-ore deposits. The local high-grade hematite ores have been for the most part worked out except at great depth, but there are reserves that have a lower iron content. Several ore-enriching and pelletizing plants were built to support the ironworks and steelworks. Terny, which was annexed to Kryvyy Rih in 1969, is the site of a uranium mine. Other industries have included coking and machine building (especially for the mining industry); the production of diamond drills, cement, and foodstuffs; and timberworking. A canal brings additional water supplies from the Kakhovka Reservoir, on the Dnieper River. Kryvyy Rih has institutes for teacher training and for study in mining. Pop. (2001) 668,980; (2005 est.) 696,667.
* * *
Look at other dictionaries:
Kryvyy Rih — Original name in latin Kryvyy Rih Name in other language Krivij Rig, Krivoj Rog, Krivoy Rog, Kriwoi Rog, Kryvyi Rih, Kryvyj Rih, Kryvyy Rih, Кривий Ріг, Кривой Рог State code UA Continent/City Europe/Kiev longitude 47.90966 latitude 33.38044… … Cities with a population over 1000 database
Kryvyy Rih — or Krivoy Rog geographical name city SE central Ukraine NE of Odessa population 724,000 … New Collegiate Dictionary
Kryvyy Rih — … Useful english dictionary
Kryvyi Rih — Infobox Settlement official name = Kryvyi Rih / Krivoy Rog native name = Кривий Ріг / Кривой Рог nickname = imagesize = image caption = image shield =Coat of Arms of Kryvyy Rih.png nickname = motto = mapsize = 250px map caption = subdivision type … Wikipedia
Kryvy Rih — Kryvyï Rih Kryvyï Rih Кривий Ріг … Wikipédia en Français
Kryvyi Rih — Kryvyï Rih Kryvyï Rih Кривий Ріг … Wikipédia en Français
Kryvyï Rih — Кривий Ріг Géolocalisation sur la carte : Oblast de Dnipropetrovsk … Wikipédia en Français
Кривой Рог — (Kryvyy Rih, Krivoy Rog)Kryvyy RihKrivoy Rog, город на Ю. Украины, на р.Ингулец; центр железнорудного бассейна; 717000 жителей (1990). Металлургия, машиностроение (горное оборудование), пищевая и цементная промышленность … Страны мира. Словарь
Ukraine — /yooh krayn , kruyn , yooh krayn/, n. a republic in SE Europe: rich agricultural and industrial region. 50,684,635; 223,090 sq. mi. (603,700 sq. km). Cap.: Kiev. Russian, Ukraina. Formerly, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. * * * Ukraine… … Universalium
Dnieper River — Russian Dnepr ancient Borysthenes. River, eastern central Europe. One of the longest rivers in Europe, it rises west of Moscow and flows south through Belarus and Ukraine, emptying into the Black Sea after a course of 1,420 mi (2,285 km). More… … Universalium


Hey guys! I am so glad you are excited about the new show! I work with ABC Family, so Iâll be back to share all the latest series info and assets, like this Entertainment Tonight interview with our stars Nikki Blonsky and Hayley Hasselhoff! They are so cute! Donât forget, the premiere is coming up this Monday at 9/8c!


Published DateLACONIA — Although Mayor Mike Seymour remains undecided, all six incumbent city councilors said yesterday that they intended to stand for election again in November.
Seymour, who has served two terms as mayor, said that he was still weighing his decision whether to seek re-election. "I don't feel that during last six months or so I have done the best job I can do," he confessed, explaining that the demands of his position as senior vice-president of marketing and retail services at Franklin Savings Bank have consumed a growing share of his time and energy. In making his decision, he said that he would ask himself "can I do the job appropriately?"
Having cast the deciding vote to introduce mandatory recycling for a trial period of six months beginning on July 1, he acknowledged that should he choose to step down the restructuring of the curbside collection of trash and recyclables would be left to his successor. "I do understand that," he said, but added "there are decisions that the council makes every day that carry on after terms expire. There could always be something hanging out there."
If re-elected five of the six councilors — Matt Lahey (Ward 2), Henry Lipman (Ward 3), Brenda Baer (Ward 4), Bob Hamel (Ward 5) and Armand Bolduc (Ward 6) — would serve their fifth terms together. The sixth, Ava Doyle (Ward 1) was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Greg Knytych, then elected in her own right in 2012.
"As its stands now, I plan on running again," said Doyle, a native Texan who with her husband David has owned and managed Sun Valley Cottages at The Weirs since 1993 and is a founding member of the Weirs Action Committee.
Something of a fixture in city government since 1991, Lahey, a local attorney, has been returned as either mayor or councilor at ten of the twelve elections since, serving five terms in each office. After leading the effort to acquire the former Laconia State School property, he said that he would like to see that initiative through to its conclusion.
Lipman, Baer and Hamel joined the council in 2005. Lipman, senior vice-president of LRGHealthcare, chairs the Finance Committee and is expected to run and contribute to steering the city through fiscally trying times.
"I plan on running," Baer remarked, "as long as I have that fire in the belly. You have to have one anti person." At 87 with an artificial knee, she said "the legs don't bother me if the brain is working." Baer sees herself as a representative of senior citizens as well as those of modest means, who she believes deserve a strong voice on the council.
A city councilor for three decades, Bolduc said he was ready to begin another "unless the people of Ward 6 tell me it's time for you to go. I enjoy doing it," he continued, I really do and I'm not a quitter. If they want me there, I'll be there." He said that he would like to see this set of councilors "finish everything we started," particularly the renovation and expansion of the high school and the acquisition of the state school property.
The filing period for candidates for city council opens on Wednesday, June 5 and closes on Friday, June 14. City Clerk Mary Reynolds reminded all residents and candidates that no changes can be made to their voter status during the filing period.


For more than 30 years, LarkFest has been one of the most anticipated events on the calendar for Albany residents and nearby university students.
Much of those three decades have been marred with inordinate amounts of public drunkenness and noise complaints spurred by rambunctious college students who make their way to Lark St. for the biggest one-day street festival in New York State.
This year was a bit different. The rambunctious college students were still there, but the amount of public drunkenness was much more manageable than inordinate.
“I missed LarkFest my freshman year—last year—so I’m pretty pumped to finally check it out. All my friends got there earlier today. I had to cut out of work early to get here,” said Saint Rose student Paul Quinones as he closed in on Lark St.
While it’s fun to walk around Lark St. looking at the plethora of street vendors and musical acts, the scene is much different for someone who is of legal drinking age.
“Ever since I was a freshman, LarkFest has always been my favorite Saturday of the year, but it’s even better now that I can get into the bars on Lark St.,” said Ali Faber, SUNY Albany senior.
Her partner in crime for the day was Anika Janssen, who was a bit more blunt about what her activities for the rest of the day would consist of. She said, “I’ve been here since noon and I’m not leaving until the bars close.”
According to the official LarkFest website, there were some 80,000 people in attendance. That number would suggest that several attendees would have run-ins with the law, but according to WNYT.com’s Dan Levy (via the Albany Police) there weren’t any incidents reported as of Monday morning.
LarkFest is considered a local event, but that didn’t stop some people from traveling a couple of hours up I-87 to see the festival for themselves.
Michelle Falese, a Junior at SUNY New Paltz, heard about the legend of LarkFest and decided to take the two-hour drive north up the interstate.
“Even the people at my school talk about how fun Larkfest is. I drove here from New Paltz just to see the bands here today,” she said, as she put on a Pocahontas-esque bandana that she had recently bought from a street vendor.
There’s no doubt that LarkFest is the biggest attraction that the Capital District has to offer, but the secret has been pretty well-kept. Binghamton University student Matt Polistina had no idea what he was in for when he decided to partake in LarkFest for the first time.
“I tagged along with a couple of my friends from Binghamton to check out what this was all about. I looked it up online and thought that it was basically just a small party in the street, but it’s obviously more than that,” he said, taking a swig from his Poland Spring bottle that may or may not have been Poland Spring water.
To put it simply, LarkFest is a mob scene. Everywhere you walk, you’re shoulder to shoulder with the person next to you. Despite the claustrophobic atmosphere, you won’t find many people without a smile on their face.
The ban on alcoholic beverages worked exactly how Albany Police wanted it to. After the Kegs and Eggs debacle nearly two years ago, it was nice to see the Albany residents and university students in the same vicinity without any major issues.
Translation: LarkFest was a success for everybody involved.


Where small business wants stimulus
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TEXT OF STORY
Bob Moon: President-elect Obama will be in northern Ohio today, touring a plant that makes parts for wind turbines. He’s spotlighting the alternative-energy funding that’s part of the $800 billion-plus he plans on spending to stimulate the economy.
We’re still trying to follow all that money this morning, but as we’ve mentioned before, it’s not going to be easy because so many people are grabbing for a piece. Small business advocates are arguing that half of the country’s jobs are on their payrolls, so the stimulus needs to address their needs, too. Here’s Marketplace’s Mitchell Hartman from the Entrepreneurship Desk at Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Mitchell Hartman: What small-business lobbyists usually tell lawmakers is some variation on the script: “cut taxes, trim the deficit, and stay off our backs.” We don’t expect to hear them telling the government to “spend, spend, spend.” But things are different now.
Susan Eckerly: We’re certainly pushing for some type of stimulus that would help small business owners, because as you know, no one’s spending money.
That’s Susan Eckerly of the National Federation of Independent Business.
Eckerly: Our members aren’t replacing inventory, they’re not hiring new workers, they’re not planning to make capital expenditures. So we’re looking for ways to stimulate sales.
First order of business: a few hundred billion for fixing roads and bridges, making government buildings more energy-efficient, and the like. That’s considered a good deal, since a lot of the work will be done by small local contractors.
A temporary payroll tax cut — basically, suspending Social Security taxes for employers and employees — is on the agenda, as well as new deductions for business investment and health insurance for the self-employed. And there’s broad support for a lot more Small Business Administration lending.
Todd McCracken is president of the National Small Business Association. His group wants 25 percent of any future bailout money for banks under the Troubled Assets Relief Program, or TARP, to target small-business lending.
Todd McCracken: We think that if the federal government is shoveling out huge sums of money to shore up the banks, they need to make sure those banks are making loans where they’re most needed — putting the money back out the door to small businesses and consumers. In addition, they need to be buying up some of these guaranteed SBA Small Business Administration loans.
And regardless of how much more is spent on SBA loans and infrastructure, there’s one simple action that would deliver stimulus right were it needs to go, says Chris Gunn of the American Small Business League.
Chris Gunn: And that’s actually just stopping the diversion of small business contracts to large corporations, providing more oversight within the federal government, supplementing the SBA with an increased budget, and increasing their staffing.
By law, 23 percent of federal contracts are supposed to go to small businesses. Gunn says multiple government and independent investigations have found that around half that work is actually going to big companies instead, through fraud, loopholes, and inadequate oversight.
I’m Mitchell Hartman for Marketplace.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
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Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.


text:
I am delighted to welcome Sheila Rance to the RNA Blog today. Sheila was born and grew up by the sea which is probably why Maia’s adventures in SUN CATCHER start among the cliff dwellers who live at the edge of the ocean. When she’s not thinking about Maia’s adventures, she works with dyslexic pupils in a mainstream comprehensive school, and is currently working on the second book in the trilogy, STORM CHASER.
Sun Catcher is your debut children’s novel. Tell us how it came to be picked up by Orion.
I was incredibly lucky. I’d recently completed an MA in Writing for Young Adults at Bath Spa University and used part of Sun Catcher as the final dissertation. It won the United Agents prize for my year and was shortlisted for a Chicken House competition. I found an agent, John McLay, who was starting up a new agency for children’s authors. He liked Sun Catcher and agreed to take me on as his first client if I was prepared to refine the story, which at the time was much too long at 100,000 plus words. We had a meeting with the editor, Fiona Kennedy, at Orion, who felt it suited their children’s list. Now, two years later, Sun Catcher is being published on World Book Day. It’s already been taken by a German publisher, which is fantastic. I’ve been sent a copy of the book – just to hold it is amazing. A dream come true.
What would you say were the major influences that inspired you to write Sun Catcher?
In short: children, the Bronze Age, silk, lizards, eagles.
I’ve taught in comprehensive and primary schools and wanted to write a gripping, ripping adventure for this crossover age group. I think the rite of passage from small to big school is fascinating; friendships, loyalties, popularity, responsibilities, all the themes in the book exist in the turbulent teen coming of age. Of course, I’m hoping adults will love the book too. RNA’s lovely Katie Fforde is a fan. On reading a proof copy she wrote: “exciting and beautifully written. I found this unputdownable. It’s brilliant”. I’ll take that review!
The Bronze Age has fantastic resonance. I think, maybe naively, that it offers a simpler world where understanding and respecting the environment was key to survival – a good model for us.
Silk is a gorgeous fabric with an amazing history. Who isn’t captivated by the image of the Silk Road crossing different lands and cultures? Maia’s journey eastwards to meet her destiny has an element of those epic, exotic journeys along ancient trade routes.
I didn’t believe my eyes when I saw two monitor lizards swimming in a muddy waterway in Malacca. They were huge and slightly scary. They had to be in a story, as did eagles. Watching their flight is amazing, and there are still Eagle Hunters in Mongolia.
Did you love fantasy and adventure as a child?
Yes. I lived between the sea – long beaches, harbour, pier, lighthouse – and the countryside with a river, woods, castle and lake. A great place for adventure games with my brother and sister. Saturday morning pictures were also a huge fund of adventure stories. So was the library with its museum, cases of pottery, fossils and rocks, glass-topped drawers full of butterflies and a terrifying stuffed grizzly bear. I read adventure, cowboy books, historical novels, Arthurian legends. I didn’t read Lord of the Rings until my late teens, then Strider was my hero. I loved Peter Jackson’s interpretation in the epic films. I still love Aragorn, but maybe Sam Gamgee, a gardener like my husband, was the true hero – as is he.
What are the particular challenges in writing for young adults?
To capture and keep their interest from page one. No saggy middles or flabby bits. Keeping the chapters short with cliff hangers so that readers will be desperate to come back to it. Not being tempted to write down while making the language and structure accessible. As with adult fiction, to have great characters, a problem to solve, tight dialogue, an intriguing setting, and to make the story as gripping, vivid, and as good as you possibly can. And to have fun while you write.
Are there limitations on language, or subject matter such as political correctness in today’s world?
Children’s fiction has always dealt with everything, real life and imaginary. You only have to read excellent books by Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo to see the range of issues they deal with – war, abuse, loss, divorce, bullying, death. Having said that, I think we all have a duty of care and responsibility to protect as well as entertain. Freedom to write carries responsibilities. A book should be a safe place to explore life, to have adventures, be a hero and be reassured that others are dealing with familiar even scary issues.
Have you suffered rejections? If so how did you deal with them?
Of course. Childishly, I might weep, shout, sigh, sulk. I toss the reject in a drawer out of sight. Then when I’m over feeling unloved and a terrible failure, I start all over again.
I’ll see if I still love the story, and then try to do the sensible thing, which is to check the market and send it off again. I might re-write bits, trying to make use of any helpful critique there might have been on the rejection slip (usually none because editors are frantically busy). I cross my fingers and hope that it will arrive on the right slush pile in time for the right reader. But some rejects are destined to be practice pieces, exercises from the writing gym.
Can you work anywhere, or do you have a favourite place to hide away and write?
Anywhere. Huts and trains are good. Occasionally in cafes. In the car waiting for family and inspiration. I always have a notebook with me just in case. I use the laptop for manuscripts though, as my handwriting is almost illegible. With a laptop I can follow the sun round the house. My dream is to blow my advance and build a writing hut in the garden. This could well turn out to be a recycled wooden pallet with an umbrella and cushion, wedged in the apple tree if the blackbirds don’t mind.
What piece of music is most likely to make you feel happy?
This is subject to change and depends what I’m doing. Music to cook to is different from music I put on when I write, which I then never hear because the story takes over. The first bars of By The Sleepy Lagoon because it’s the theme tune for Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, and I know I’m going to listen to half an hour of fascinating chat and music and that makes me happy.
Where will the story take us next?
At the moment to a Sun Catcher sequel. Storm Chaser sends Maia on a perilous adventure back to the silk garden hidden above the Sun Deeps where she grew up. She must find the last of the moon moths which make the whispering silk. And discover which of her friends will betray her and steal the powerful silk.
The song of silk tells of destiny and danger. Prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.
Maia, flame haired daughter of the silk Weaver, has always been an outsider, and when danger threatens her cliff top village, she’s swept up in a perilous quest.
But, who should she trust? Tareth, her father and keeper of secrets? Razek, the weed boy and storm chaser she has known all her life? Or Kodo the lizard boy the cliff dwellers call Untouchable?
All the while the silk sings her destiny, and Maia learns that though the sun’s fire may be dangerous... so is she.
ISBN 978 1 4440 0620 9
Publication date 7th March 2013
Find out more about the upcoming trilogy:
Thank you, Sheila, for sparing time to talk to us today. We wish you every success with your debut novel.
Best wishes, Freda
Interviews on the RNA Blog are for RNA members, although we do occasionally take guests. If you are interested in an interview, please contact me: email@example.com


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Maybe Next Time to play for last time at Park Theatre
If there’s no “next time” for pop-punk’s Maybe Next Time, band members will still carry with them some treasured remembrances from six years of recording and performing across Michigan.
“The best memories of being in Maybe Next Time all center around connecting with each other and with listeners. We have met so many amazing people and made lifelong friendships along the way,” guitarist Riley Aalderink said as the Grand Rapids group prepared to play its farewell show Saturday at Holland’s Park Theatre.
The band — featuring Aalderink, bassist-singer Matthew Grodus, guitarist Sam Engelsman, drummer Miles Foster and keyboard player Mark Avery — announced earlier this year that it planned to take “an indefinite hiatus” from writing, recording and performing.
“After much discussion, we determined we can no longer apply the necessary time, effort and passion to Maybe Next Time as we once did,” the band wrote in an announcement to fans. “There are no hard feelings between any members, and we plan to stay very close friends for several years to come.”
During its heyday, the pop-punk band released two albums — 2012’s “Safe to Say” and 2013’s “Nothing on the Surface” — and has opened for popular acts such as The Wonder Years, Hawthorne Heights, Hit the Lights and Knucklepuck. Aalderink described release shows for Maybe Next Time’s albums as “two of the best nights” of band members’ lives.
Consequently, Aalderink said fans are “saddened” by the decision but “extremely supportive” at the same time.
“Our lives are pulling us in different directions, and it has become increasingly difficult to make Maybe Next Time work to the extent we wish it could,” he said. “We hope everyone will join us in celebrating all the things Maybe Next Time has meant to fans and ourselves at our farewell show.”
Interestingly, that “final blowout party” at Park Theatre will feature the release of a new band single, “Clarity,” as well as a guest appearance by the band’s original bassist, Josiah Samy.
“We will be putting all of our hearts into Saturday's show, and we can't wait to share the experience with our family, friends and fans,” said Aalderink, noting Maybe Next Time plans to play an extended set Saturday.
As for future musical endeavors, synthesizer/keyboard player Mark Avery already has two side projects, The Local News and AudioSoma. Other band members “plan on continuing to play and write music,” Aalderink said.
And fans, of course, can still hold out hope that Maybe Next Time might eventually reunite down the road.
Said Aalderink: “We aren’t ruling out a next time.”
— Find more listings and news about West Michigan’s music scene at John Sinkevics’ LocalSpins.com.
If you go
Maybe Next Time
WHEN 7:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE Park Theatre, 248 S. River Ave.
COST $10; $15 at the door
If you go


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Energy prices have dominated media headlines – not to mention everyday conversations – for what feels like months now. There is little sign of let-up either. Many businesses are now paying, in some cases, triple what they were paying a year ago for their energy.
The Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) was unveiled in September and was designed to secure lower energy costs for eligible businesses and bring protections closer in line with those applicable to domestic customers. This was initially set for a six-month period covering October to April. Now, the Government has unveiled its plans for post-April, with the so-called Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS). However, will the EBDS provide the relief that manufacturers are seeking? And what can businesses do if they are unhappy with their existing contracts?
Here, we examine some key points businesses need to be aware of when it comes to energy contracts, their rights and what the EBDS proposals mean for them.
Business energy contracts
There are a variety of different types of contract for commercial energy consumers and much depends on the size and type of the business, its energy needs and its appetite for risk.
Fixed contracts, where charges are based on a set rate per unit (or KwH) of energy have historically been an attractive option for businesses. Bills will vary depending on usage, but the charges should, at least in theory, remain based on a fixed price for the contract term, providing certainty.
The EBRS offers a different level of support for fixed contracts compared to variable contracts and is weighted in favour of fixed contracts. However, the new EBDS does not have such a distinction.
The new Government proposals no longer seem to encourage fixed rate contracts. Under the EBDS, businesses will get a discount on the wholesale price of energy rather than costs being effectively capped, as they were under the EBRS. The help available under the EBRS was argued to be too expensive to be maintained in the medium to long term.
While wholesale prices have started to drop compared to the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they remain up to four times higher than their long-term average – so the newly-proposed discounts may not provide all that much relief for businesses, and likely less than they have been used to under the EBDS. There is additional support available however, on application, for intensive users of energy in sectors such as steelmaking, food production and glassmaking. Nonetheless, manufacturers across the country will no doubt be reviewing their existing energy agreements and considering how to prepare for the future. It will therefore remain important for businesses to understand the nature of the contracts they enter into, to avoid getting caught out.
Is a fixed contract really fixed?
One thing to be wary of is whether a contract is actually fixed, or whether it has a variable element (so-called “pass-through” contracts). Even when a fixed tariff is agreed though, it may still be possible for suppliers to look to increase their rates if their contract terms allow for it. For example, a contract may state that a supplier can pass on increased costs if the cost of supply would outstrip the revenue being earned. Business customers do not benefit from the same protections as domestic customers so a dispute concerning such price hikes would ultimately come down to what the contract actually said.
The first step for any firm on the receiving end of such a hike is to make sure that any relevant terms have been properly incorporated into the contract, as well as checking what representations were made before the contract was agreed. If the contract was procured on the basis of a misrepresentation, they may have legitimate grounds for challenge.
What if businesses want to move supplier?
Given the continuing market volatility, businesses may still want to shop around. Cancelling a commercial energy contract is, however, more complicated than cancelling a domestic contract. One of the main pitfalls to watch out for is failing to notify your supplier that you want to terminate your contract within any specified window. Depending on the size of your business and the supplier in question, the supplier may not be obligated to notify you that the contract is ending and it may automatically “roll over”, meaning you may end up being locked into another long-term contract on higher rates. Seeking to terminate in that scenario could then be an expensive business.
Whatever you do, it always pays dividends to make sure you understand exactly what contract terms you are signing up to, before you sign on the dotted line.

domain: law


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Reviews // 2 Articles
The Best Indie Pop of 2008
9 Dec 2008 // 3:00 PM
There are many bands making music by their own means, on their own terms, enough so to be labeled “independent”. But in today’s music-industry climate, what does that independence mean?
The Capstan Shafts: Revelation Skirts
2 Jan 2011 // 4:00 PM
At a time when all the kids are going back to hiding behind tape hiss, one of the lo-fi OG's used the studio to get louder and, amazingly, a whole lot better.
The Capstan Shafts: Environ Maiden
18 Dec 2007 // 3:59 PM
The Capstan Shafts' sophomore outing of lo-fi pop tunes is a no-brainer for fans of early Guided by Voices.


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The FOFA Gallery’s latest moves
Thirty years ago, when Concordia first began showing undergraduate work, most artists used one medium and exhibitions were put on by a single curator. Today, the annual undergrad show, held at the FOFA Gallery, is a cross-disciplinary team effort.
This year’s exhibition, entitled Making Spaces, not only involves curators, faculty and students from the departments of Studio Arts, Art History and Design and Computation Arts — it will also feature contemporary dance pieces.
“This reflects the reality of artistic productions today,” says Jennifer Dorner, director of the gallery located on the ground floor of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV). “Many Canadian artists integrate a diversity of art forms as a way to express themselves.”
Under the guidance of assistant professor Angélique Willkie, contemporary dance students have paired up with those in visual art to create a short piece inspired by an artwork that also responds to the gallery space.
“It’s about students dealing with unknown quantities,” Willkie says.
“They have to learn how to work outside the black box because that’s what they will do once they graduate. In contemporary dance, we see more and more performers presenting in art spaces and other non-traditional spaces.”
Dorner adds that the FOFA Gallery is trying to stimulate collaboration between visual and dance artists. “We want to envision the ways in which various contemporary art forms can develop alongside one another.”
Selected performances will take place every Thursday from January 19 to February 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. Check the event listing for a full description of the exhibition, including artist bios and artwork samples.
The Making Spaces undergraduate student exhibition runs from January 16 to February 17 at Concordia’s FOFA Gallery.
Performance evenings will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on January 26 and February 2, 9 and 16.


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The Addams Family to Make Its OC Premiere at Segerstrom Center, 12/18-30
The national tour of the new musical The Addams Family, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will make its Orange County premiere on December 18 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts as part of the Broadway Series.
Single tickets, which start at $20, will go on sale Sunday, November 4 at 10 a.m. PST. Tickets will be available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236.
The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, December 29 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation. The Addams Family played Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre from March 2010 – December 2011 where it grossed more than $85 million. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described the production as “classic, full-tilt, fast paced, old-fashioned musical comedy!” and John Simon of Bloomberg News called it “Uproarious! A glitzy-gloomy musical entirely worthy of the macabre drawings by Charles Addams.” The North American tour of The Addams Family premiered in New Orleans in September 2011 and has played more than 350 performances to date. Richard Ouzounian of the Toronto Star called the production a “wackily entertaining musical […] that moves with breezy style and an open heart” and Robert Trussell of the Kansas City Star praised it as “first class [with] unexpected pleasure at almost every turn.”


Pelican Wireless Systems in Pleasanton
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Some of our client’s most-loved features include:
- Ventilation management
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While most buildings have no environmental management systems and thus are at the mercy of regular thermostat settings, our clients can enjoy intuitive programming designed to keep spaces at optimal comfort levels, but only when they’re in use.
In this way, your business can recoup energy expenses and use that money to fund growth initiatives and other projects. It’s better for business and better for the environment, so it’s a win-win solution that more and more local companies are adopting.
Are you ready to determine if your business is a good candidate for our industry-leading Pelican products? Reach our specialists today to schedule an appointment to consult with us without risk or obligation to you.
Pelican HVAC Controls are Compatible with Almost All Heating and Cooling Equipment
Whether you are considering climate management solutions for an existing commercial space or you’d like to have Pelican HVAC controls engineered into the construction of a new facility, we’re confident in our ability to streamline your installation process. We aim to provide you with a finished product that lets you keep your finger on the pulse of your building’s energy consumption patterns, adjusting for comfort and cost reduction that are customized to your business’s needs.
Our technology is compatible with new and most retrofitted HVAC infrastructure, including:
- Commercial furnaces
- Commercial boilers
- Commercial heat pumps
- Commercial boilers
- And more!
While most commercial spaces fail to take advantage of the cost and energy-saving opportunities associated with installing smart climate controls, Pelican Wireless Systems allows you to disrupt the status quo. These systems reduce your company’s environmental footprint and connect you with long-term cost reductions on energy expenses that are simply too good to ignore.
Connect with us to learn more about how our energy-saving technology can help your business grow and thrive. Reach out to our representatives today to schedule an initial non-committal consultation at your convenience.
Pelican Wireless Setup: Flawless Results from Licensed Installers
Allow our authorized installation specialists to take the reins on your Pelican wireless setup. You’ll be glad you did. When you choose our well-established professionals, you can be sure all your bases are covered and that we’ve personalized your setup to your facility so everything works the way you expect it to.
- Data is secure
- You can easily access control via the Pelican app online
- Real-time monitoring
- Usage reports
- Identification of opportunities for cost and energy reductions
We invite you to allow us to demonstrate our professionalism and passion for helping building owners connect with tangible solutions that protect our environment and your bottom line. Call today to book a consultation that poses no risk or any financial obligation.
Cloud-Based Energy Management Systems for Businesses
Our cloud-based energy management systems are already in place in a number of local businesses, including:
- Government buildings
- Medical centers
- And more!
Schedule a consultation for more information on how you can use our products to easily leverage savings while fostering a greener future. Book a risk-free appointment today.
ABOUT PELICAN WIRELESS SYSTEMS
Pelican wireless systems are the 21st century solution to streamlining heating and air conditioning control. A Pelican system involves simple thermostat installation by our technicians.
Unlike similar heating systems which connect to a Wi-fi network, Pelican systems require no such network. Each Pelican router serves as its own wireless router, to receive and transmit climate information.
Because Pelican wireless systems operate on their own network, there is no need to worry about security breaches or vulnerabilities.
Using a smartphone, computer, or tablet, you can view your entire facility’s layout and temperature at each router. Each of these can be raised and lowered at the touch of a button to ensure a comfortable environment at all times.
Each router also contains its own historical data. You can graphically and numerically view the climate history of each point, which is useful for comparing and analyzing. You’ll be able to view temperature maintenance in your facility like never before.
The single greatest benefit to the Pelican wireless systems are the energy savings. With high-efficiency, properly programmed thermostats, the running time of your HVAC will be reduced.
This will also keep your unit running more efficiently, and contribute to its long lifespan.
Using Pelican’s historical data, you can observe which areas of your facility are consuming the greatest amount of energy, and adjust accordingly to maximize your efficiency.
Without any sort of energy-efficient renovation or remodeling, a Pelican wireless system can significantly reduce both your facility’s energy costs and environmental footprint.
Benefits of the Pelican Wireless System
What separates this wireless thermostat system from its competitors? Well, first you’d have to find other companies competing in the same league as Pelican. Other wireless thermostats like Honeywell’s Prestige are incomparable to the powerful and versatile PWS. They’re not suitable for commercial use and are best left in the confines of a family home. How many thermostats can the PWS gateway control? Up to 2,000!
Here are just a few of the many benefits that come with the PWS:
- 35% Annual Energy Savings
- User-Friendly Interface
- Small and Convenient Gateway Panels
- Real-Time Monitoring Capabilities
- Easy to Install
- Zero Interference with Other Wireless Frequencies
- Holds up to 2 Years of Data
- Informative Usage Graphs
- Mobile Access from Anywhere!
Save Money with a Professional Installation
Want to make sure you reap every possible benefit you can? Then make sure your climate control system is properly installed. If your HVAC contractor fails to install it properly, you might lose out on a world of wonderful opportunities.
Thankfully, we are only a phone call away. With years of experience dealing with Pelican systems, we’ll never have a problem setting yours up. What’s more, we’ll even give you a thorough tutorial after we’ve completed the installation. Other contractors might make a mad dash for the door after they’ve finished their work, but not us. We want to make sure you get the most out of your new PWS and its innovative web-based management tools.
Save Money with Pelican Wireless Systems
Once you have total control of your facility’s climate at your fingertips, you are bound to see a reduction in energy costs. On average our clients see an upwards of 35% in energy savings and those percentages aren’t just estimates. Pelican collects data in real-time and stores it for you to view whenever you wish. Their graphs show as much as 1/10th of every change in temperature.
This data, and more, is stored in cloud servers for two entire years. You’ll be able to look at this data when you wish and if you’re ever curious to see where in your facility you could further reduce your energy use.
The PWS also sends out automatic maintenance alerts, ensuring that you’ll always catch any small issues before they require costly repairs.
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Whether you’re looking for systems maintenance, heat pump repairs, or a complete retrofitting, we are able to give you an accurate estimate on our services. In the world of business, the bottom line is always important. Rest assured, we won’t surprise you with unexpected costs or hidden fees at the last minute.
ABOUT AIRTEKS.COM INC
Airteks.com Inc offers a complete range of HVAC services in Pleasanton and the surrounding areas. We provide full-service commercial installation and maintenance of heating and cooling systems, as well as air duct cleaning.
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Our team of fully trained technicians has the expertise and experience to install a state-of-the-art system for your business.
Whether you own a school, corporate office, or industrial warehouse, a Pelican system offers tremendous short-term and long-term benefits at a reasonable cost.
What are you waiting for? Call Airteks.com Inc today for a free consultation!


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Have you read any good books lately?
Recently, I read the book The Power of One More By: Ed Mylett and was amazed at how much it got me to think about everyday things in such a different way. I have been listening to his podcast now for about a year (you should, too) and love his stuff, so reading his book was a natural progression. This book helps you get into a very unique mindset and helps you stay committed to the choices we make. In the #CJJblog this week, I give you some highlights and things I learned from this fantastic book. Enjoy.
- Concept. It’s in the title, The Power of One More. Do you give up on things easily? Are you someone who second-guesses their decisions? He tells a powerful story about his father’s battle with alcoholism and motivates you to always give it another shot.
- One more try. Try to always be in the one more try mindset, where if you are not succeeding at something, just give it another shot. You never know what is going to happen. He really speaks to the power of perseverance very well.
- Time management. Ed talks about the importance of time management and I have three big takeaways: 1) He breaks his days into three blocks (6am to Noon, Noon to 6pm, and 6pm to midnight) and treats them as separate days, 2) Successful people tackle their daily tasks with sprints (go hard, then rest), and 3) Attack the first 30 minutes of each day (time block).
- One more association. Always refine your peer group. Most people look to add individuals who bring value to them or their network, but are you also assessing your peers for who might be hindering you as well?
- One more higher standard. If you are not reaching your goals, raise your standards. Once you have the correct standards, hitting your goals will be automatic. Do you have high enough standards?
- One more question. Are you asking the right questions? 1) To your family members: “What is one more thing I can do to make you feel supported?” 2) In leadership: “How can I show appreciation to those I work with?” 3) To yourself in thought: “How can I adjust my thinking to make fewer excuses?”
- One more inconvenience. Convenience and greatness cannot coexist. If you want to be great, start by doing something different or inconvenient first.
Did You Know? Coach and his podcast team recently released their 50th episode and eclipsed the year mark since their first release. Check out highlights from their first year HERE.
Life Tip #14: Develop a personal growth plan that focuses on you getting a little better each day.


David Lawrence Brewster Jr., better known by his stage name Dave East, is an American rapper and actor from Harlem, New York. Dave East started rapping in 2010 and sold drugs throughout Harlem to support himself and his music, releasing over 6 mixtapes.. Dave East new songs, albums, biography, chart history, photos, videos, news, and more on Billboard, the go-to source for what's hot in music. Billboard Subscribe. Here you can download Album - P2 2018 by Dave East. You can buy Album - P2 - Dave East. Listen online top songs Dave East. You can buy Album - P2 - Dave East. Listen online top songs Dave East. SongsLover – 3d Songs – Latest Tracks – Latest Albums 3d Songs – Top Quality music website we have 320 kbps music files, every month we release our top and best of the month tracks, every latest track and latest music album.
Dave East hottest songs, singles and tracks, Headaches and Migraines, Slippin', Don't Try Me, Out Of Center, Panda Remix, Time Ticking, Everybody Say, Loud. Dave East Songs mixtapes-icon. 2018/01/14 · Dave East - Paranoia 2 Album Download. Dave East is really not playing out here. The Harlem-bred rapper is keeping the momentum going, barely taking a breath between releases. It all started with his Paranoia EP in.
Here is a new song, the audio clip was released by “Dave East ” and the song has it’s name titled “Family” Quality – Mp3 HQ. Scroll down to Stream And Download this new audio track “ Dave East – Paranoia 2 Album Stream. Better than Karma and Paranoia 1. East's bars are better in this project and his story telling is much better too. East is in his bag when he's on his classic New York lyricist flow, when he tries to make radio songs or trap music the. Dave East & Styles P drop off their joint project "Beloved," featuring The Lox, Dyce Pane, Jazzy and Tish Hyman. Red Cafe releases the new project "Less Talk More Hustle" featuring Cardi B, Wiz Khalifa, Dave East, Fetty Wap. LONG LIVE MALIK & MUGGA FTD/@massappeal/@defjam General info@ Digital firstname.lastname@example.org daveeast.lnk.to/Survival.
Dave East has dropped Paranoia 2. The 15-track project features guest appearances from Tory Lanez, T.I., Lloyd Banks, Marsha Ambrosius, Matt Patterson, Bino Rideaux, and Pimp Pimp P. Production is handled by Reazy. Artist: Dave East Styles P Album: Beloved Release: 2018 Country: USA Genre: Hip-Hop Quality: mp3, 320 kbps Tracklist: 1. Beloved feat. Dyce Payne 2. Its Lit 3. For All My Niggas 4. Shout Out My Hood 5. Don't Cross Me feat.
2018/11/29 · Dave East is signed to Def Jam but yet to release an official debut album. He dropped Paranoia 2 in January, then followed it up with Karma 2 and recently released his collaborative album with Styles P, Beloved. December 23, 2018 / Leave a Comment by Suave There are so many acts in today’s hip hop market. Harlem’s very own, Dave East, demands attention in this overcrowded market. ‘P2’ is the sequel to last year’s exquisite. Styles P and Dave East released a collab album titled "Beloved" in 2018 Personal life Styles is a vegan and co-owns 4 juice bars in New York along with Jadakiss. Styles married his wife Adjua on July 31, 1995. Together, they. 2018/01/16 · Less than two months after the release of his mixtape Karma, Dave East is setting the tone for 2018 with the release of his Paranoia 2 album. Paranoia 2 is a 15-track project with a unique list of features including T.I. The latest Tweets from Dave East @DaveEast. Info@. You expect a real-deal approach from Harlem MCs, and from the get, @daveeast has kept it all the way uptown with his fluid rap style Watch the master.
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Description: Senior recital presented at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Music (BM) in Performance degree.
Date: July 31, 2023
Duration: 45 minutes 59 seconds
Creator: Maher, Emily
Item Type: Refine your search to only Sound
Location: 33.210901 -97.149939
Partner: UNT Music Library

domain: library


1320 8TH STREET – GREELEY, CO
• Fully renovated building with large parking lot and great signage.
• Great opportunity for restaurant or brew pub.
• 12,936 SF building with 25,850 SF lot.
• Build to suite options.
• Be part of gentrifying downtown Greeley.
• Warehouse door at rear of building.
• 800 new residential units planned in the area.
• Proximate to University of Northern Colorado, City & County Office, downtown business district.


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Jimi Hendrix – The All-Time Legendary Guitar Icon!
Why Jimi Hendrix is still considered as the Guitar Icon, even after 50 years?
The African-American composer is constantly cited as the grandest guitarist in the rock record. Year after year, the six-string gods’ charts set him in pole position.
Jimi Hendrix – An Extra-ordinary Legend
The first impression that we have in the notice of Jimi Hendrix is his incredible stage appearances. He repeatedly left the crowd speechless. Indeed, he was not the first to do so, but his acrobatic composition attributed him the best. Behind the head, in the back, with the teeth or with the tongue, over the shaft, or even while rolling on the ground, he gave so many memories.
Hendrix revived himself with the mainstream rock concert fans. Conforming to those who appreciated him, James Marshall Hendrix was a calm man. The antithesis of his appearance on stage is grandiose and overwhelming.
Jimi Hendrix – A perfect Sound Alchemist
The other outstanding innovation of Jimi Hendrix is sound balancing. Never had a guitar sang like this before Jimi. And above everything, a Stratocaster means a producer of the crystal-clear and stylish guitar.
The powerful “twang” sound with a load of reverb, plus a little smack of the vibrato block at the end of each expression. But Jimi Hendrix was doing something altogether different with it. Yes, the vibrato bar! Jimi twirls it and employs it in profusion to make his tones move up and down amazingly.
Unique Guitar Effects
One song that unquestionably involves the most guitar effects is Machine gun. The notes seemed to come from another world. One of the conditioned segments of Hendrix’s music is obviously the feedback effect. It got by twisting the music of the amps via the guitar strings.
His technician insisted he could not adjust his guitar as he merely got an evaluation. The volume of the amps was so loud. Solely the brilliant left-hander mastered this unique sound plus incorporated it into his solos.
An Aesthetic Left-Hander
Jimi Hendrix undid the strings when he was performing a right-handed guitar. No matter what, Mick Taylor, the guitarist from Rolling Stones, conveys that Jimi showed up to perform with them backstage during 1969. Obviously, there was no left-handed guitar. But Jimi started playing guitar as he shifted the strings without him bearing any obstacle!
Jimi Hendrix wished to play right-handed guitars since he felt their excellence was much better. Playing this instrument backward made it an easier approach to the strength and strength knobs, plus the vibrato bar.
A Complete Musician
Passionate about literature and poetry, he created compositions of outstanding ballads, noble of the finest writers. An inspired musician who recognized how to mix many musical and classical shapes. Finally, Hendrix united black and white crowds and granted universal melody, many times before a Bob Marley, for instance. His compositions did not whirl around the guitar yet reached a humanist theme.
His interpretation of the American song to Woodstock remains always typical of the flower power. He is none less than a complete artist, a musician, a composer, and a performer!


text:
Vols’ Jones doesn’t expect QB Ferguson to return
DESTIN, Fla. (AP) – Tennessee coach Butch Jones doesn’t expect quarterback Riley Ferguson to return to the Volunteers.
Speaking at the Southeastern Conference spring meetings Tuesday night, Jones said that “Riley’s no longer with the program.” Earlier Tuesday, Volquest had reported that Jones indicated he didn’t expect Ferguson to remain with the Vols.
Ferguson, a redshirt freshman, was expected to compete with senior Justin Worley and sophomores Joshua Dobbs and Nathan Peterman for the starting job. Although a leg injury prevented Ferguson from playing last season – he was the only one of the four quarterbacks who didn’t start at least one game – he impressed coaches with his arm strength and upside.
Jones hasn’t named a leader in Tennessee’s quarterback competition. The Vols open the season Aug. 31 against Utah State.


This is GAIA 160 Elite hybrid drone upgrade version, in which we update the fuel tank to 7L and the fuselage is more stronger. The take off weight of this hybrid drone is only 13.7kg with no payload. The high strength and high performance makes the drone adaptive to extreme weather conditions, e.g 17m/s wind, -40℃ low temperature, +40℃ high temperature, heavy rain, fog etc. The closed fuselage structure protects GAIA 160 Elite from the rain and dust, and also protect other load equipments like flight control and battery.
GAIA 160 Elite hexacopter is equipped with high efficient power system, including T-MOTOR U8 Lite KV85 motor, 2880T propeller and T-MOTOR Flame 60A ESC. The power system ensures large loading capacity and a very stable flight performance. Gaia 160 Elite has good power redundancy, it can still fly or land in case one propeller or motor is gone.
The highlight of GAIA 160 Elite is the gasoline-electric hybrid power system. GAIA 160 Elite has an onboard 2400w generator that offers plenty of power to the six very high efficiency motors to ensure a long flight time. The max flight time is about 5 hours with 7L fuel. An internal combustion engine consumes gasoline and spins a generator to ensure a 48V output. Besides this, a 12S lipo battery package is also installed onboard to offer emergency back-up power for quick climbing and quick maneuvering.
NOVA-2400 generator system is a high efficiency, high output and very light generator. The continuous output power of this generator is 2400w, and it is suitable for high payload or working at high altitude. Max taking off weight of Gaia 160 by using 2400w generator reaches 23kg. With this generator you can lift 5kg payload and fly about 3-4 hours.
GAIA 160 Elite hybrid drone is also installed with redundancy flight controllers, three GPS and a full range of optional equipments like RTK GPS, 20km datalink, parachute, secondary radio control and more to make this drone very reliable and very safe.
A longer flight time coupled with good stability and high performance of GAIA 160 Elite opens a wide range of new commercial possibilities for businesses such as inspection of offshore platforms, search and rescue, power line inspection and survey etc.
Version: Gaia 160 Elite 2400W
No payload weight: 13.7kg
Take-off Weight: 22.5kg
Flight time: 4.8hours(7L Fuel)
Max. Flying Speed: 14m/s
Max. Climbing Speed: 5m/s
Max. Descent Speed: 4m/s
Suggested Flight Altitude: 2000m
Generator output: 2.4kw(continuous); 2.4kw/1000m,1.9kw/1500m,1.8kw/2000m
Generator weight: 4.2kg
Fuel tank: 7L
Fuel consumption: 2.5L/H(Max))(at 2400W output)
Working Temperaure: -10℃ ~ +55℃
Back up battery: 2x 6S 5000mah
- Gaia 160 Elite has good power redundancy. Hexa-copter can still fly or land in case one propeller or motor is gone.
- Gaia 160 Elite's main body is made of full carbon fiber featuring light weight and high strength. Gaia 160 Elite adapts to extreme weather conditions, e.g 17m/s wind, -10℃ low temperature, +55℃ high temperature, heavy rain, fog etc.
- Gaia 160 Elite uses cutting edge technologies on the power system, its motors, ESCs and propellers are all optimized and tested for long duration and long range flight.
- Gaia 160 Elite's generator module is isolated from other electric equipments giving advantages for maintenance, working stability and safety.
- Gaia 160 Elite uses flight controllers with triple redundancy. 3X IMU, 3X GPS and 3X Mag sensor. Both A3 PRO and Pixhawk 2.1 are all proved reliable and widely used on professional drones.
- All Plugs used on Gaia 160 Elite are anti-spark type, all wires are optimized for long duration flight.
- Gaia 160 Elite is rain-proof, it’s possible to fly in mid moderate rain.
Your Purchase Includes:
1x GAIA 160 Elite Pro Frame
1x 2400W Generator
1x 7L Fuel Tank
1x Generator Control Unit
6x T-MOTOR U8 Lite KV85
3x Foxtech Supreme 2880T
6x T-MOTOR Flame 60A ESC
1x Pixhawk 2.1 Standard Set with Here 2 GNSS
1x Foxtech DA16S+ 16-Channel Radio Controller
2x Foxtech 6S 5000Mah Battery
1x Plug/Cable/Wires/Shrink Tubing etc
1x Tools(fuel mixer, generator starter with 3s lipo etc.)
1x Assembly and Fly Test Package
1x NOVA-2400 Generator Maintenance Kit
1x PWM to RSSI Signal Converter
1x Liquid Level Display
1x Hand pump
1x Foxtech Supreme 2880T


text:
[This vignette, which takes place right after chapter 24
of DRAWING BLOOD, originally appeared in the online erotica
magazine NECROMANCE. I canít remember if I wrote it for them
or if I just wrote it because my dick was hard and then they
wanted it. Ten years later, I still think itís kind of a nice,
hot little piece. -- PZB]
Fuck It, We're Going To Jamaica!
By the time they got to Negril, Trevor and Zach were too
tired to register more than the sapphire-warm air and the lush
green scent of the island around them. They went with Dougal
and Colin to a beachside stand where they all had fried fish
and bammy, a cassava-root turnover that reminded Trevor of
fried grits and Zach of gnocchi. Late that afternoon, Dougal
dropped them off at a small hotel that faced Negril's white
sand beach, leaving them with a ridiculously huge stash of
ganja and a promise to meet them the following evening. The
sun was setting over the
ocean, bleeding into the dark water. The room was plain and clean, painted
white, the bed huge and soft. They fell into it and slept for sixteen hours,
occasionally changing position but never once breaking contact.
The clear light of dawn woke them. For a moment Zach had
no idea where he was: he might have been in his New Orleans
apartment with a rainy morning filtering through the windows;
he might have been back in the house in Missing Mile, with
everything yet to happen. But from the instant he woke -- before
he woke -- he knew who was beside him, intertwined with him.
And that was all that mattered.
He propped himself on one elbow and stared out the sliding-glass
door. They had been given a second-floor room that overlooked
the beach, and the sand was as white as milled sugar, the water
a translucent blue-green deep enough to bathe the eyes and
soothe the heart. Zach watched the light break over the beach,
and then he watched Trevor watching it, barely awake. He would
have sobbed with joy, but he could not bear to disturb the
Trevor turned his head on the pillow and looked at Zach.
His gaze was as clear as the water, as the air. Zach seized
Trevor's good hand and pressed it to his lips. "We won," he
whispered. "Trev, we WON!"
"The dream vacation..." Trevor murmured.
"And the set of steak knives too," Zach finished.
He lowered his head to Trevor's chest, kissed the hollow of
his collarbone, tasted one creamy nipple. Trevor's left arm
encircled him. Trevor's right hand, bandaged and splinted,
was cradled in a nest of pillows. Zach ran his fingers up the
inner arm, dared not stray farther than the wrist. "Does
"Want a Percocet?"
Zach eased out from under the cool sheet into the hot, wet
morning. He searched through Trevor's backpack, found the bottle
of painkillers they'd gotten at the hospital in Raleigh. That
delirious dawn, that stark emergency room seemed very far away.
As he unzipped his own bag and retrieved a small vial of almond
oil, he reminded himself happily that they were.
Zach got a glass of water from the bathroom and climbed back
into bed. He removed a single white pill from the bottle, placed
it on his tongue, and leaned over to kiss it into Trevor's
mouth. Trevor received the kiss hungrily, gulping down the
bitter pill, then sucking at Zach's tongue and biting at his
lower lip. Trevor liked to kiss rough and deep sometimes. He
would leave Zach's lips swollen, slightly raw, the pale skin
around them a deeper shade of pink. It felt wonderful.
Trevor's whole manner of loving was part tentative, exquisitely
gentle, and part brutal. Once he started doing something he
liked, there was no stopping him until he was done. Zach couldn't
imagine wanting to stop him. Trevor kept finding ways to penetrate
him, to engulf him with fingers, tongue, wet silken throat.
The space-time continuum tilted again, and Zach did not know
what year it was, what hemisphere he was in, whether there
was a mattress beneath him or a yawning void. He was only aware
of sensation, and gradually of the position of his body: lying
on his side, his back arched, his penis deep in Trevor's mouth,
Trevor's left hand cupping his buttocks, the middle finger
teasing his asshole, slick with saliva, sliding slowly in
and out, one inch, two, then up to circle the waiting prostate that throbbed
and sang at his touch. No one had ever made Zach feel this good inside before.
He'd gotten fucked, sure, partly because he'd found the idea of it sordidly
hot and partly because it was hard to resist when you were drunk and horny
and someone was simultaneously shoving his tongue down your throat and trying
to stick his greased cock up your greased asshole. But after the first few
times, when it had stopped hurting, there hadn't been much to it at all.
With Trevor it was totally different. He wanted Trevor's
cock inside him, wanted to squeeze Trevor deep in his guts
and drive him mad with pleasure. And it felt so damn good.
Zach had been amazed to discover that he could actually come
that way. Even if he didn't shoot off, even if he didn't have
a hard-on at all, it seemed that his sphincter and groin muscles
and prostate gland could have their own mind-shattering orgasm.
And, of course, Trevor didn't rely too heavily on lubricant.
He had developed an absolute passion for rimming, better described
in his case as ass-eating, and he practiced it with the same
intensity and determination he must have used drawing at five.
He was a veritable ass-eating demon, was formerly virginal,
celibate Trevor, and he seemed to be trying to make up for
the twenty-five years he hadn't had Zach's ass to chew on.
Zach wasn't complaining at all.
Trevor sat up, grabbed one of Zach's hipbones, and turned
him over on his stomach. Zach arched his back, made the graceful
ridge of his spine ripple. Trevor pressed his cheek against
velvety-pale skin, rubbed his lips across a nub of vertebrae,
then worked his way lower, kissing each small bone, flicking
with his tongue when he reached the downy hollow just above
the buttocks. Zach shuddered and raised his sweet ass, offering
it like the delicacy it was.
Trevor touched his tongue to the very top of the crack, tasted
only a tinge of clean sweat caught by fine black hairs. Farther
down it had a spicy flavor he could not quite define, and the
skin was very soft, faintly puckered, ever so slightly damp.
Then his tongue slid into the molten honeyed center of the
asshole, and that was possibly his favorite taste in the world,
the taste he still could not believe even existed. Zach
made a sound of abject contentment, part sigh, part whimper,
spread his legs wide. His asshole opened to Trevor's mouth like a ripe firm
fruit. The meat inside was slick, tender, a deep, intensely vulnerable pink.
Trevor made the tip of his tongue into a pointy dart and slid it in as far
as it would go. Zach gasped and ground his ass into Trevor's face, trying to
impale himself on the warm slippery tongue. Trevor grabbed a handful of asscheek,
kneading the fine smooth flesh in a fit of tactile ecstasy, pulling Zach wider
open, fucking Zach with his tongue until the small connective membrane on its
underside felt ready to tear.
Then he got a finger in again, and feeling Zach's asshole
rippling in joyous waves around it, sucking it instinctively
deeper, he couldn't wait to put his cock in there. His concentration
had been so fully centered in his lips and tongue that he had
to check to see if his cock was hard. It was desperate, fairly
weeping with desire.
Catching Trevor's intention, Zach rolled over and retrieved
the vial of almond oil from the bedside table. He stroked a
few drops onto Trevor's cock -- Trevor's eyelids fluttered
at the touch, and his sigh was almost painful -- then rubbed
some on his own asshole, snaking a finger inside. He raised
his legs in invitation and wrapped them around Trevor's hips,
positioning the tip of Trevor's cock against his fragrantly
oiled asshole. Trevor lowered himself carefully, managing to
get his injured
hand off to the side and forget about it. Zach's ass surrounded him, silky-slick,
sliding and squeezing, so hot, so generous. This seemed the most intimate invitation
anyone could offer: sink into my insides, let your pleasure grow in my gut,
explore my convoluted maze.
They settled into a slow, deep rhythm. Trevor felt the Percocet
beginning to kick in. It made his muscles feel watery and dreamy, made his
cock pulse with his heartbeat. Cradling Zach in his arms, a perfect intact
package of flesh and blood and bone, Trevor thought he had never been so
purely alive. When he came, he stared into Zach's green eyes and saw everything
he felt reflected there.
Afterward, they smoked a joint of fresh, fragrant ganja and
walked down to the beach in the silent dawn. The sand was so
soft that their footprints made almost no impression. The clear
blue ocean was as warm as blood. They were home for a while.


On Saturday, the state police ramped up security around the temple, where the treasure enumeration is going on, inside the secret vaults. Two platoons of armed police are standing guard, round the clock. CCTV cameras are getting installed outside the temple. The police is hesitant to extend security within the temple interiors, mindful of the religious feelings of stakeholders and pilgrims.
This was bound to be a headache, from the moment the Supreme Court asked the state government to take over the administration of the temple, said chief minister Oommen Chandy. The previous LDF government had voiced its inability to undertake the huge responsibility.
On top of the security issue, the rationalist outfit Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham has opened a debate that the entire gold and jewel treasure in the Padmanabha temple be handed over for productive investment in the country. How would a temple run by a royal house have accumulated so much wealth, except taking it from people What is the source Shouldnt this be returned to society, asks U Kalanathan, president, Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham. There are also suggestions that the treasure should be transferred to a public museum.
The Vishu deity is said to have been installed over 1,000 years ago. By the temple documents, the foundation for the temples present granite structure, including a 100-ft, seven-tier tower and the monolith womb chamber, was set up in 1566. The collection of jewels and coins could have been built up over a long period of time, surviving attacks on Travancore by enemy countries. It could have been offerings from devotees from various lands, says Malayinkeezu Gopalakrisnan, Travancore history researcher. How can a government seize the property of a Hindu temple, without being sensitive to the sentiments of the believers and the legal ramifications he asks.
The temple is now run by a panel, which has representatives from erstwhile Royal House of Travancore. Following a petition by advocate TP Sundararajan, alleging mismanagement of temple finances, the Supreme Court had asked a seven-member expert panel to prepare an inventory of articles in the six vaults of the temple.
The temple records had documented the location of six secret vaults, named A, B, C, D, E and F. A and B had not been opened for over 100 years and so fire service and safety experts are on standby as the enumeration is on. From vault A, on Saturday, a jewel-studded Padmanabha idol was found. Vault B and F will be opened in the coming days.
Nobody has been authorised to evaluate the finds. The only brief is to list. Amounts under discussion are based on plain speculation, insists VK Harikumar, executive Officer at Sree Padmanabha Temple. According to him, the report of the panel will be in public domain, only when the Supreme Court decides so. Media cameras have not been allowed to record the operations at the treasure vaults. The panel, including two retired magistrates, is stripped of camera-phones before entering the temple.
Meanwhile, the countrywide public is mesmerised by hearsay of bunches of 18-ft long gold necklaces, 535 kg of 18th century coins, jewel-studded idols and even a solid gold barrel for a ritual bath. Each piece of news about new valuables is a matter of concern for the state government. The security bill is mounting, without a clue as to who will pay for it. And this would be only jackknifing out other hot socio-legal and economic questions like who can keep the treasure and how. Till the Supreme Court downs its gavel on this glittering dilemma, the Kerala government is on tenterhooks.


text:
How many more blogs can I ever write with the title “Meaning Of Life”?.
As I was sitting in the subway yesterday, my eyes fell on this old man holding a laptop bag. He looked really tired, it was the end of a working day, so fair enough. But he didn’t only look tired, he looked drained from his daily life. BUT who am I to judge, maybe I just didn’t see it well, OR I just misunderstood what I saw.
I just felt sorry for this old man, he looked like he was 60 years of age, maybe a bit older. I started wondering what he had done with his life. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Not that I am living the life that I have always wanted. I still don’t know my complete destiny, and there are many days where I doubt myself and feel down. But I cannot complain, I thank my God every day. I just feel that I have to make people aware of life and the meaning of it while I am looking for it myself and share my experiences.
BACK to the point! I wish that people will find their own meaning of life, as in asking themselves what they think life is and actually follow their path to freedom. I wish that for everyone because we are all souls that want to discover life and not work ourselves to death and regret the things we have not done in our healthy years.
My meaning of life is going back to the core of your soul, developing and being as spiritual as you can be. That means, accepting life as we see it, help to make the world a beautiful place for yourself and for others, and follow your destiny.
Being the light 🙂


text:
A key proposal to set up a commissioner for human rights was opposed by several leaders, including South Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
"With these discussions and the significant reforms we have agreed, I believe we've made a major contribution towards ensuring the Commonwealth is an institution that is well-positioned for the future," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters on the final day of the summit.
But critics said those measures fell short, and focused on the leaders' inaction over Sri Lanka which will be host of the next summit in 2013. Canada has already threatened to boycott that meeting unless Sri Lanka improves its human rights record.
"It is an absolute disgrace that Commonwealth leaders have agreed to hold their next meeting in Sri Lanka in spite of its appalling human rights record," Amnesty International's national director Claire Mallinson said...
The Commonwealth failed to take action on two other issues on its agenda-- child brides and HIV-AIDS. Twelve of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child brides are in the Commonwealth. Sixty percent of the world's HIV-AIDS population live in the Commonwealth and health advocates say laws in 41 Commonwealth states making homosexuality illegal have hindered the fight against the disease.Since, clearly, "human rights" aren't do-able, the Commonwealth moved on to something easier:
In its final communique, the Commonwealth committed to helping small island states, which make up more than half of its membership, cope with the effects of climate change and said there was a need to work towards legally binding measures like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Many small island nations fear being wiped off the map by global warming and were pressing for a strong statement ahead of the international summit on climate change in South Africa next month.
"Climate change issues are not something that is happening in the future. It is happening now and we must deal with it now," Mohamed Nasheed, the president of the small island nation of Maldives said. He applauded Australia's recent carbon tax as a model for other nations.In sum: apparently, we can't make any headway on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but we can make oceans recede via an onerous carbon tax?
If you say so, Mo.


text:
(Bloomberg) Republican Representative Paul Ryan unveiled a $1.014 trillion U.S. budget plan that envisions revamping the tax code and social-safety net in a declaration of party priorities seven months before the midterm election.
The House Budget Committee led by Ryan called its proposal for fiscal 2015 a “blueprint for the country’s future.” The plan released today sets a goal of a top individual tax rate of 25 percent, compared with the current 39.6 percent, and calls for increases in defense spending and cuts in non-defense discretionary spending on programs such as national parks and the National Security Agency.
“This is a plan to balance the budget and create jobs, and it builds off a simple fact: We can’t keep spending money we don’t have,” Ryan of Wisconsin said in a statement.
“Ultimately, the budget is more than a list of numbers,” according to a committee outline of the proposal, which will be considered by the panel tomorrow and reach the floor of the House of Representatives next week. “It’s an expression of our governing philosophy.”
Ryan’s proposal may serve as a road map for Republicans to follow in the November election that will decide party control of Congress. Lawmakers will soon begin considering appropriations for fiscal 2015 under a deal Ryan reached in December with Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who heads the Senate Budget Committee.
Their two-year agreement ended months of partisan stalemate over spending and revenue. It set the budget at $1.014 trillion for fiscal 2015 starting Oct. 1, up from $1.012 trillion this year. The Ryan budget plan also includes $85 billion for war funding.
Ryan’s proposal is written to comply with that accord. Murray has said the Senate won’t consider a budget plan because the top-line spending deal has already been reached.
“I believe we’ll abide by the budget agreement that we’ve already made,” House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, told reporters March 25.
President Barack Obama released a budget proposal for fiscal 2015 last month that highlighted Democratic priorities in the election year, including spending to boost low-income families, college students and infrastructure projects. It also envisioned asking more from U.S. multinational companies and higher earners, who would pay a “fair share tax.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement that Ryan’s plan would “raise taxes on middle-class families with children by an average of at least $2,000 in order to cut taxes for households with incomes over $1 million.”
The $1.014 trillion total doesn’t include mandated spending on entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security that total about two-and-a-half times the discretionary spending.
Including that spending, the budget would reach about $3.7 trillion. Ryan’s plan would balance in the 10th year if one assumes the policies in total yield enough economic growth.
“We owe it to the American people to demonstrate how we will allocate their tax dollars and balance the budget,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said in a March 21 memo.
Ryan’s budget calls for increases in defense spending and cuts in non-defense discretionary spending to stay within the caps agreed to with Murray, said Loren Duggan, chief legislative analyst for Bloomberg Government. Domestic programs would be reduced by $791 billion from fiscal 2016 to 2024, while defense spending would be $483 billion more than envisioned under current law, he said.
Democrats say that balance is built on fuzzy logic and cuts that would harm the economy.
“As in previous years, Chairman Ryan relies on gimmicks, magic asterisks, and spurious accounting assumptions to presume that his budget will achieve its anticipated deficit savings,”
Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the second-ranking House Democrat, said in a statement. “His budget simply doesn’t work—and would lead to significant harm for our country.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said on the Senate floor that Ryan’s plan would be a path to prosperity for “the really rich” only.
Referring to billionaire energy executives Charles and David Koch, supporters of the small-government Tea Party, Reid called the plan a blueprint for a “Kochtopia.”
“We might as well call it the Koch budget because that’s what they’re doing, protecting the Koch brothers,” Reid said.
The $1.014 trillion cap in fiscal 2015 gives Ryan more spending room than his proposed total last year of $966 billion, which would have required cuts so deep that they weren’t supported by most Republicans.
Proposed spending cuts in future years, intended to balance the budget while avoiding large tax increases, may be a political liability in the Nov. 4 election that will determine control of the Republican-held House and Democratic-held Senate.
Last year, Republicans retreated from Ryan’s plan to cut food-stamp spending by about $135 billion, or almost 18 percent, over 10 years. Anti-hunger advocates and Democrats said it would hurt children. Lawmakers eventually agreed to $8.6 billion in cuts over 10 years, though several states have found ways to avoid the cuts entirely.
Ryan is seeking to avoid that sort of opposition and allow Republicans room to make cuts and revise the social safety net. He branded as a failure the U.S. “war on poverty,” which began in the 1960s and now includes 92 anti-poverty programs costing $799 billion annually, and urged lawmakers not to measure success by what they spend.
“For too long, we have measured compassion by how much we spend instead of how many people get out of poverty,” Ryan said March 3. “We need to take a hard look at what the federal government is doing and ask, Is this working?’”
Even so, budgets don’t actually spend money, appropriations bills do. House committees may consider spending bills for military construction and the Veterans Affairs Department, as well as for the legislative branch itself, as soon as this week.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, a Kentucky Republican, said his panel intends to write spending bills to the levels in the Murray-Ryan budget deal, with a goal of passing all 12 before government funding expires Sept. 30.
—With assistance from Kathleen Hunter and Michael C. Bender in Washington.
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