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A new report published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research presents an overview of the clinical findings concerning the effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of anxiety. While the report suggests that CBD may offer a safe and effective treatment for anxiety, the authors highlight the need for additional research among the female population.
The research team behind the review, led by Madison Wright, notes that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. Despite the pervasiveness of anxiety disorder diagnoses, existing behavioral treatments offer limited effectiveness and the current pharmacological treatments carry unwanted negative consequences.
A growing research trend has focused on the anti-anxiety properties of cannabidiol (CBD) — a compound found in the Cannabis plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not produce a “high”, and studies have yet to uncover any evidence of abuse or dependence in humans.
“Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent worldwide and treatment options tend to have adverse side effects and the majority of patients do not achieve complete remission,” explained Wright, a doctoral student affiliated with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto.
“Following the recent push to legalize cannabis in many jurisdictions, CBD has gained a lot of attention from the public and scientific community for its potential therapeutic properties. Given the data demonstrating that CBD is well tolerated and demonstrates little potential for abuse or dependence in humans, we were interested in reviewing the animal and human literature on its use as a treatment option for anxiety disorders.”
Wright and her colleagues reviewed the current findings from both pre-clinical and clinical trials to shed light on the potential role of CBD in the treatment of anxiety.
First, findings from pre-clinical animal studies show that low to medium doses of CBD produce anxiety-reducing effects, while high doses increase anxiety. Animal research also offers evidence that the anxiety-relieving effects of CBD involve the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A. While on the whole, this research shows compelling support for CBD as an anxiety treatment, the researchers note that these studies have only been conducted among male animals.
Next, clinical studies among patients with social anxiety disorder have found anxiety-reducing effects with single doses of either 400 or 600 mg of CBD. During a public speaking simulation task, these doses were found to lower anxiety symptoms, reduce cognitive impairment, and reduce discomfort associated with one’s speech performance. A collection of brain imaging studies additionally revealed that CBD intake alters blood flow in the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cingulate cortex — four brain structures implicated in anxiety.
“The main takeaway from this review is that early research indicates that CBD may reduce anxiety in healthy volunteers,” Wright explained. “The results from studies in animals are promising, suggesting that CBD may reduce anxiety, stress, panic and compulsive-like behaviors.”
“Preliminary evidence from human studies demonstrates that CBD may reduce anxiety in healthy participants and patients with social anxiety disorder. It is important to emphasize that this data is preliminary and more research is required.”
“There are still many questions that need to be addressed and rigorously studied,” Wright said. “The only human studies examining CBD as a treatment for anxiety have been conducted in patients with social anxiety disorder, therefore, research is needed in patients with other anxiety disorders, such as generalized-anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Secondly, much remains unknown about the use of CBD as a treatment for anxiety, such as the most effective route of administration, appropriate doses to be used, and its long-term safety and efficacy.”
While reviewing these findings, Wright and her colleagues also pinpointed another important issue. Although males and females appear to experience anxiety differently, no clinical trials have examined sex differences in the anxiolytic effects of CBD. Most studies have examined male participants, but evidence suggests that women tend to experience worse symptoms and a higher likelihood of having an additional diagnosis. Males, on the other hand, are more likely to experience anxiety alongside alcohol and substance abuse.
“The rates of anxiety disorders are nearly doubled in females compared to males, there are differing anxiety-related symptoms and responses to psychotropic medications between the sexes, and CBD has different effects on the body in males and females,” Wright explained. “Therefore, it is important that future research examines sex and gender differences in the utility of CBD as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders.”
The researchers noted that additional trials will be important to examine the outcomes of CBD among patients with other anxiety-related disorders, such as general anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. They also suggest that future studies should explore the optimal dose and administration route for CBD and assess its safety in the long term.
“Although this area of research appears to be promising, it is far too early to unequivocally conclude that CBD can be used to treat anxiety. More research is needed to guide physicians and the public in the safe and effective use of CBD as a treatment for anxiety,” Wright concluded.
The study, “Use of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Short Synthesis of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence”, was authored by Madison Wright, Patricia Di Ciano, and Bruna Brands.

domain: psychology


Pink is currently on a worldwide tour that extends to the end of the summer. This is her Beautiful Trauma tour. There are 158 shows on this tour, and you can expect one of the best concerts you have ever seen, the entire tour has been met with critical acclaim since it opened on March 1st of this year. You’ve no doubt seen P!nk sing in the awards shows, and her live performance is no different – it’s a singing, flying, acrobatic spectacle that is more than a concern. It is an entertainment experience to be remembered. She has a list of hit songs so long that she can’t even fit them into a single set without cramping out songs from the new album. For more than two hours you will hear her soaring vocals, pyro, dance routines, and more! You’ll see lots of sass, and yes P!nk is funny too! Her banter on stage will really crack you up.
Find the best tickets for Pink:


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Cyndee Meyers Free Drawing, 2020-01-18 08:19:20. You should produce the artwork say something about you too. Face painting is an extremely common activity amongst kids. Art is not the same world in itself. It’s possible to also make cool art in the shape of graffiti. However good your artist is, they won’t tell you which tattoo would be ideal for you. You may be a trained artist or a little child or a homemaker.
Chelsea Tillman Free Drawing, 2020-02-03 06:21:04. Some things are extremely clear cut. If you wish to earn a huge piece, the yarn might become expensive purely on account of the total involved, but for smaller projects the materials aren’t going to cost much. Everybody should draw a sheet of paper from a hat. You will require a sheet of paper for each man playing the game.
Marleigh Murphy Free Drawing, 2020-02-03 06:21:05. There’s no secret formula for producing excellent podcast for children, or even much roadmap. The ideal way to start an excellent podcast for children is to begin. The net is the new fridge to place your art on. Particularly if you’re not able to obtain what you’re searching for online. With all these vectors readily available online, you’re never going to struggle to discover what you’re searching for. Vector 4 Free is the small brother of absolutely free vector image sites. You must pay a premium for business rights of the graphics.
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Beryl Parsons Free Coloring, 2020-02-03 06:21:05. Once you are finished, close the window. The toolbar contains all of the drawing tools. Rather than buying generic coloring books it’s possible to use image-editing software tools to make your own coloring pages. There are lots of sites on the internet that present you a wide array of pages for you to chose from and select.
Brett Barker Free Coloring, 2020-02-03 06:21:05. Click the link above and or the image, and it’ll take you into the printable. Coloring his picture ought to be a challenge and provide you with an amazing work of art when completed. In order to earn kids printable coloring pages you should send a picture to print. It’s neat that we’re able to create our very own decorative pictures from nature’s awesome scenes.
Asia Cote Free Coloring, 2020-02-03 06:21:05. Nowadays you’re able to acquire many vary color by number computer games, which might be totally beneficial. Coloring is an easy exercise. It is also a great way to keep the kids busy and engaged, and provide some quiet time for everyone. It is all the rage don’t miss all the fun coloring pages. Apart from that, it isn’t always your kid will fill the items with the appropriate colours. There are several amazing colours, it took me some opportunity to determine which to get.
Marleigh Murphy Free Coloring, 2020-02-03 06:21:05. You will finally have a jpeg on which to utilize your print function. Just click the image you prefer to print. Your pictures are stored on our site, but they’re based on your distinctive computer’s identifier. Only the past ten pictures are saved. If you can’t locate the specific picture they were searching for, don’t worry we are always upating so return and visit later and we’re guaranteed to receive it whenever possible. Nowadays color by number printables arrive in a multitude of artistic forms. You’re able to watch the colours of her or his selection gone the colours of the objects in actual world.
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No plans to repair Sidmouth street with alternative surface after concerns
- Credit: Archant
A business owner has offered his solutions to stop the problem of heavy vehicles driving on the pavement in Fore Street.
Highway bosses have announced there are no plans to repair a Sidmouth street with an alternative surface after opposition from the town council and local businesses.
Devon County Council (DCC) had proposed using Bitmac to replace paving slabs in Fore Street which had been damaged by heavy vehicles mounting the pavement.
The idea to resurface in the conservation area was labelled as a ‘cheap nasty solution’ by business owner Steve Clarke and raised concerns it would ‘cheapen’ the area by the town council.
Mr Clarke, who runs The Rendezvous with his wife Lyn, supported DCC’s decision to not to Bitmac but said a solution was needed to stop vehicles driving on the pavement.
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The businessman said: “The problem is caused by parked vehicles in the loading bay, whether it is a van the lorry will go up the pavement or vice versa.
“The answer to the problem has already been recommended by the local council and to move the loading bay to the wider section of road on the high street, but Fore Street will need to become a no stopping zone as any obstruction would force the HGV vehicles up the pavement.”
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He said the pavements had been poorly maintained over the last few years resulting slabs to become a trip hazard for pedestrians.
“It does not take into account broken paving slabs or those that are just loose and some of these are appearing in sections of the pavement where cars and trucks do not mount the pavements.” Said Mr Clarke.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC’s cabinet member for highways, said suggestions to enforce stopping regulations or move loading bays would need to be looked at by the council’s traffic orders process. He added: “The safety of the public has always been our primary concern and a common complaint is that rocking and cracked paving, damaged by heavy vehicles, is a trip hazard.
“The use of metal bollards to deter large vehicles on Fore Street’s pavement isn’t viable because the street is too narrow, so we asked businesses and the town council if they would support replacing the slabs with Bitmac.
“This surface when trafficked on a regular basis by large vehicles greatly outperforms paving and doesn’t crack and produce hard edges which can increase the potential for accidents.
“This was not supported.”

domain: news


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Dubai: Hundreds of expat students in the UAE received their Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Grade 10 and Indian School Certificate (ISC) Grade 12 exam results on Sunday.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), New Delhi, declared the ICSE and ISC results on the official websites.
Dr Sheela Menon, principal, Ambassador School in Dubai, said the school’s students once again lived up to the high expectations they had set for themselves.
The school topper for Grade 10, Shreyan Sinha scored a whopping 98.8 percent with centums in Mathematics, History, Civics and Geography, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Applications, followed closely by Yashvi Agarwal with 98.4 percent with centums in English Literature and Computer Applications.
The school quoted the duo as saying: “Celebrating our success in the very first milestone, now we are in a stronger position to say that consistent hard work along with a balanced approach towards life in general, pays off. Of course, all this gets further strengthened with blessings of our teachers and parents.”
Grade 12 school topper Nishil Agarwal scored 97.75 percent, followed closely by Dimira Kinjal with 97 percent. Nishil will be pursuing Economics and Business Administration at the prestigious University of Warwick.
Twice the topper
Nishil, who was also the school topper when he was in Grade 10, said: “Without sounding pretentious, honestly, I am not surprised because my efforts and planning were aimed in this direction. But this astounding success definitely would not have been possible without the strongest support system that I had in the form of my teachers, school and my parents”.
Dr Menon added: “We are enraptured with the exemplary performance of our students. Achievement of this stature once again proves the effectiveness of the unabated hard work of our students, unflagging efforts of our devoted teachers and unwavering support of the parent community.”
All 58 students who appeared for ICSE and 34 students for ISC maintained 100 per cent pass result with the school average of 89 per cent. In ICSE, 30 centums were scored.
JSS International School
Lata Nakra, principal, JSS International School, Dubai, congratulated all the students, teachers and parents for the achievement by the school’s students.
“All students have yet again displayed their unwavering commitment to excellence, determination and hard work which has brought this exceptional result. Their remarkable scores and achievements reflect the collective efforts of our dedicated educators, supportive parents and the nurturing environment provided by the teachers and school. Our heartfelt appreciation to our dedicated team of teachers for their commitment to academic excellence year after year. What’s encouraging is we have beaten our own previous records in several areas to bring up our Grade average up to 90.9 in ICSE,” said Nakra.
As many as 114 students appeared for ICSE and 61 students appeared for ISC with all of the reporting 100 per cent pass.
Aayush Sushil Jethaliya and Armaan Aravazhi became the ICSE Grade 10 toppers with 98.8 per cent marks each.
Karishma Kamalahasan, the ISC Grade 12 topper, who also scored 98.8 per cent marks, said: “As a part of the post-COVID batch, attending our board exams for the first and last time was a nerve-wracking experience, but the constant support and guidance of my principal, teachers, and parents were invaluable in helping me reach this achievement. Moving forward, I am excited to continue my academic journey and pursue my passion for Computer Science at Georgia Tech in the US.”
Rudhira Harish and Ratan Chandru Gangatkar grabbed the second place with 98.6 per cent marks in ICSE while Manoj Manikandan became their counterpart in ISC with 96.8 per cent marks.
The ICSE Grade 10 exams had begun on February 27 and ended on March 29 while the ISC Grade 12 exam started on February 13 and concluded on March 31. This year, nearly 238,000 students were registered for the ICSE, while about 98,000 students were registered for ISC examinations. Of these, 770 students were from foreign countries including the UAE for ICSE whereas a total of 311 overseas students including those from the UAE took ISC exams.
GEMS Modern Academy
Nargish Khambatta, Principal/CEO of GEMS Modern Academy, and Senior Vice President – Education, GEMS Education, Dubai, said: “We are immensely proud of the achievements of the ISC batch of inexorables - our extraordinary graduating students and our Grade 10 students who have proven themselves to be a force to reckon with.”
She added: This year, we fielded 16 students with Special Education Needs all of whom have done exceedingly well. This is a triumph of their perseverance, courage, and resilience, as much as a thumping ratification for the pastoral care and learning support systems deeply ingrained in the school.”
• 100% Pass Rate
• 121 students appeared for the ISC (Grade 12) including, 7 students with Special Education Needs.
• The Batch Average is 88.2%
• 64 students (52.9%) scored above 90% and 31 students (25.6%) obtained 95% and above.
• 12 perfect scores of 100 in various subjects including Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Computer Science.
• Anwesha Mukherjee topped the batch with 99.25% and Nandita Suresh Babu came in close at 98.5%.
• The outcome has been a truly astounding achievement given the circumstances the students have faced in the wake of a global pandemic and the absence of grade 10 board examinations.
Anwesha plans to pursue a double major in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, having received the President’s Scholar of Excellence, University of of Toronto International Scholar Award and The Principal’s Entrance Award.
While Nandita has received acceptances from 5 universities in the UK- including Imperial college London, UCL, University of Edinburgh, Manchester, Warwick as well as the University of Waterloo in Canada with two scholarships: a President’s scholarship of Distinction and a Faculty of Mathematics Global Scholarship.
She plans to take up the offer for Computer science at Georgia Tech, since her heart lies in computer science and she has been an avid advocate of STEAM activities in school. She credits her results to her parents, teachers and a disciplined lifestyle.
Harshit Seth and Karthik Saravanan were KHDA Rahaal programmme candidates this year and have successfully completed their schooling through this flexible academic arrangement.
• 100% Pass Rate
• 248 students appeared for the ICSE (Grade 10) examination, including 9 students with Special Education Needs.
• The Batch Average 91.9%
• 187 students (75.4%) scored above 90% and 116 students (46.8%) obtained 95% and above.
• 106 perfect scores of 100 in various subjects including, thirty 100s in History, Civics and Geography, 14 in Math and 62 students with a perfect score in Computer Applications.
• Kimberley Ann D’Souza topped the batch with 99.4% and Gayathri Ranjit Menon and Chinmay Vipin Raj coming in close with 99.2%.
• Rahaal students Aditi Gulati scored an average of 93.8%, Pranjal Pandey scored an average of 92% and Raghav Gulati scored an average of 94.2%. Aditi’s best International Tennis Federation World Ranking is 1100 while her twin brother Raghav’s best Men’s World Gold Golf Ranking is 1562, and his best Global Junior Golf Ranking is 115.
In February 2023, a few weeks before his board examinations Pranjal represented Madhya Pradesh in the Khelo India Youth Games and later represented the Swimming Federation of India at the 58th MILO MAS/NSC Malaysian Championship at Kuala Lumpur, in April.


TikTok is essentially a musical place. It is on TikTok that we see people doing all sorts of lip-syncing to some trendy song or dancing on a beat that has chills.
Music can’t be separated from TikTok. If it had not been for the music, the TikTok app wouldn’t be the thing, it is today.
It is because of this fact that many people associated with music professionally are on TikTok. They also promote their songs here and it is here that their music reaches wider audiences.
Have You Ever Been in Love TikTok?
Have You Ever Been in Love TikTok trend is a solid example of the way music and TikTok combine to provide us the best mixture that’s possible.
So far, many people have uploaded their videos on TikTok under this song. All of these videos have been received by the viewers with some interest. It is manifest in the likes and comments that videos under this song have garnered.
If you have heard this song and watch videos using the same song, and wondered where this song comes from, you have come to the right place.
In this post, I will tell you what is the ‘have you ever been in love’ trend on TikTok. By knowing all about it, you will be able to perform the same for your followers to enjoy?
What is Have You Ever Been in Love on TikTok?
The trend ‘have you ever been in love’ on TikTok has inundated the internet. There are two things that make this such a hit.
First, the lyrics of the song are so cute and romantic that it steals the heart of the people who view it. The lyrics of the song goes:
“Have you ever been in love?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Do you want me to describe it to you?”
After this question, a piece of music plays before the person says: “That’s what love feels like.”
Here you can read another article TikTok Lite Event
People have used these lyrics to record their videos to share them with the people they are in a relationship with.
I have talked about the fact the what makes this song a hit. The first one has to do with the beauty of the lyrics that are striking a chord with the TikTokers.
Second is the fact that there is so little known about the origins of this song. Once people listen to this song, they want to have it in full. This curiosity has also contributed to the song’s popularity.
Where ‘Have You Been in Love’ TikTok Sound Came From?
You probably have heard this dialogue of a song on TikTok and now want to know more about it.
This song has been taken from a British TV show by the name of ‘Skins’. This song was played in the Sason2, Episode 5.
This dialogue happens between two of the most important characters of the Skins, namely, Cassie and Jay.
The music that is used amidst the dialogue is taken from Kanye West’s track ‘Runaway’ that had a run on the TV show “West World”.
The song wouldn’t have been this popular had it not been for the TikTokers who have used it so frequently that it became a trend.
It isn’t the first time that TikTok has done something like that, though. Neither it is the last time!
TikTok has so much to offer. It has a bit of everything. There is dance, there is a comedy, and then, there is music.
The trend ‘have you been in love is doing the rounds on TikTok. Join this ‘musically’ trend and have the time of your life.


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Paws in Training4 Medbourne Farm Cottage, Medbourne Lane, Liddington
Tel: Click Here for Phone Number
Paws in Training is a Swindon based dog training and dog behaviourist company. We have over 35 years of experience with all breeds of dogs. If your pet is in need of re-training or just shown how to have some manners in the home, please call us today. If you feel you cannot cope or need help because your pet is not behaving we can show you why the behaviour exists and how to correct it. We offer classes, private lessons, puppy socialisation, residential training, dog grooming and lots more.
Dog training Swindon, Dog training WiltshireTo add your free business listings see our Free Advertising page.
Paws in Training are listed in; Dog training Directory : Dog training in Wiltshire : Dog training in Swindon : Wiltshire Business Directory : Swindon Business Directory : Dog training Listings
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domain: pet


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Upload & Sell: Off
Full topside view with nicely fanned tail, great head angle, beautiful detail and color... P E R F E C T
Excellent work Arash.
Wow, that's impressive. Definitely one of those images where I say to myself, "yes, perfect IF shots are possible, and I've gotta keep getting better. Maybe someday I can get one like that . . . "


Police officer was on Sunday morning shot dead by an armed civilian who he had gone to arrest at Kooni village, Turkana County.
Police said the incident happened on Sunday morning at around 21/11/2021 at 11am at koono village just few kilometres from the police station.
According to Police Constable Robert Maina service number 250404 who led the case of assault which had been filed by Awaar Esekon under OB number 33/18/11/2021, said he they toured the home of the suspect to arrest him, accompanied by police constable Simon Orangi service number 235951 and Police Constable Maxwell Okwanya of service number 253815.
They were taken by the complaint and her spouse Peter Esekon. It was reported that just 30 metres before getting to the home of the suspect identified as Lokucha Louriyen, who hails from Turkana and believed to be in his late 30s, he came out in one of the Turkana traditional hut armed with an AK47 firearm started spraying live bullets sporadically. He was surrounded by several children and two women believed to be his wives. No. 235951 PC Simon Orangi was shot on the abdomen and right arm.
The Complainant's spouse Peter Esekon was shot on his leg just before his knee. The accused then disappeared into the nearby thickets. However, the Complainant survived the shooting incident.
The two police officers fought tirelessly and moved the two injured to lodwar County and referral hospital for emergency treatment.
The deceased, Police Constable Simon Orangi was pronounced dead on arrival at the same hospital.
Peter Esekon was treated and he is responding well to the treatments.
The firearm belonging to the deceased, Simon orangi service number 68006 AK 47, was seized alongside a bullet mark next the magazine slot.
The magazine had no rifle with 27 rounds. The crime scene toured by ten armed police cops together with Ocs.
Rest in peace, sir Simon Orangi.
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EPUB EBook by Cormac Cullinan
EBook DescriptionWe are rapidly destroying our only habitat, Earth. Wild Law EPUB EBook It is becoming clear that many of the treaties, laws and policies concluded in recent years have failed to slow down, let alone halt or reverse, this process. Cormac Cullinan shows that the survival of the community of life on Earth (including humans) requires us to alter fundamentally our understanding of the nature and purpose of law and governance, rather than merely changing laws.
In describing what this new 'Earth governance' and 'Earth jurisprudence' might look like, he also gives practical guidance on how to begin moving towards it. Wild Law fuses politics, legal theory, quantum physics and ancient wisdom into a fascinating and eminently readable story. It is an inspiring and stimulating book for anyone who cares about Earth and is concerned about the direction in which the human species is moving. Like this book? Read online this: Lords of Middle-Earth Vol 2 (Middle Earth Role Playing Game, #8003), One Wild Night (Forever Wild, #1).
- OpenLibrary Wild Law EPUB download
- Wild Law
- Free EPUB online book - Download

domain: library


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Vishakha Jadon, an 18-year-old student in Kota, was meeting her close friends after a long time. She had distanced herself from them and did not even use a cell-phone for the past two years to concentrate on her studies and clear the NEET. Her maternal uncle has gifted her the phone for clearing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test on her second attempt with an All India Rank of 3,974.
The daughter of a welder father, Vishakha said Rajasthan government’s scholarship programmes helped her in clearing the NEET to become a doctor, which would be a first in her family. Her grandfather’s pension, who worked as a driver at Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant, helps run the family. Being in a city, known as the coaching hub of India, always appealed her. During the time she remained away from her friends, books became her companion.
Studying in a private Hindi medium school, Vishakha obtained her first district merit in Class 10 in 2014 by securing 96.17 per cent marks. The triumph bagged her the state government’s Priyadarshini award of Rs 75,000. The award honours girls who score the highest in their district in Class 10 and 12 exams of the Rajasthan board. The amount of the awards has since been increased to Rs 1 lakh.
In Class 12, Vishakha secured 84 per cent marks, prompting her to study Science (Biology) to become a doctor. She, however, failed to secure admission in a reputed medical college on her fist attempt but she did not give up. Her family stood by her despite severe economic pressure. Her Dadaji, Narsingh Lal came forward with his savings and she decided to move to another coaching institute of Kota, where she received a 30-per cent concession in fee. Vishakha wants to become a neurosurgeon after completing MBBS.
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Atlas VI Capital Ltd. (Series 2011-1) – Full details:
SCOR are returning to the cat bond market with another deal using their Dublin, Ireland domiciled Atlas VI Capital Ltd. entity.
This latest Atlas VI Capital 2011 cat bond transaction will provide SCOR with industry loss based cover for $100m of U.S. hurricane and U.S. earthquakerisks and €75m of European windstorm risks.
The deal comprises $50m Atlas VI Capital Ltd. Series 2011-1 Class A notes and $50m Class B notes which are exposed to U.S. hurricanes and earthquakes, and €75m Atlas VI Capital Ltd. Series 2011-2 Class A notes which are exposed to European windstorm. The U.S. hurricane and earthquake exposure cover will run from January 2012 until the end of December 2014 while the European windstorm cover will run from December 2011 until the end of March 2015, securing an extra full Euro windstorm season of protection. The cover afforded is fully collateralized, multi-year and measured on an annual aggregate basis over the risk periods.
This deal will provide SCOR with partial replacement cover for the U.S. hurricane and earthquake cover from their soon to mature Atlas V cat bond transaction. That deal afforded them $200m of cover for those risks so we could see the 2011-1 notes grow before close if SCOR seek to fully replace that cat bond through this deal.
Series 2011-1 Class A notes provide cover for losses above an index value of 350 up to an exhaustion point of 450 on the index on an aggregate basis. These notes have an annualized probability of attachment of 4.53% over the term of the deal.
Series 2011-1 Class B notes provide cover for losses above an index value of 450 up to an exhaustion point of 550 on the index on an aggregate basis. These notes have an annualized probability of attachment of 3.25% over the term of the deal.
Both the Series 2011-1 notes have an index deductible of 45 index points which will be applied to all events contributing to the aggregate.
Series 2011-2 Class A notes provide cover for losses above an index value of 450 up to an exhaustion point of 550 on the index on an aggregate basis. These notes have an annualized probability of attachment of 4.23% over the term of the deal. The index deductible for these notes is 30 index points per qualifying event contributing to the aggregate.
For the Series 2011-1 notes, risk modeller AIR will calculate a county weighted PCS index using specific event parameters from either the National Weather Service or the U. S. Geological Survey depending on the peril.
For the Series 2011-2 notes, AIR will obtain the PERILS reported loss figures for each CRESTA zone.
For all risks AIR will then calculate a transaction index value for each event, using deal specific payout factors.
Pricing guidance for the notes is as follows:
Series 2011-1 Class A: 1525 – 1625 bps
Series 2011-1 Class B: 1250 – 1350 bps
Series 2011-2 Class A: 750 – 850 bps
Collateral will be invested in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) floating-rate notes.
Update: The transaction has upsized significantly during the marketing phase. Overall it is now going to provide SCOR with approximately $337m of cover. The tranches are now sized:
Series 2011-1 Class A: $125m
Series 2011-1 Class B: $145m
Series 2011-2 Class A: €50m
It’s not known why the European windstorm cover tranche actually downsized but it does pay a much lower premium than the others. All tranches priced at the lower end of the expected ranges we are told.

domain: geography


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Bavarian Pretzel Bakery 121
Address: 42 Diamond Run Mall Pl
Contact Manager: Stotha Green
Web site: unknown
SIC code: 546199 Industry group: FOOD STORES, Business category: RETAIL BAKERIES, Subcategory: Retail Bakeries, Not Elsewhere Classified
Gross Annual Sales (Revenue): Unavailable
Description: Bavarian Pretzel Bakery 121 is a business categorized under retail bakeries, not elsewhere classified, which is part of the larger category retail bakeries. Bavarian Pretzel Bakery 121 is located at the address 42 Diamond Run Mall Pl in Rutland, Vermont 05701-4914. The Manager is Stotha Green who can be contacted at (802)773-5131.
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about: Bavarian Pretzel Bakery 121 (Meat, Fish, Fruit, Grocery Food Stores)

domain: economics


text:
Mezhdunarodnoye the unlicensed name
Is not present
the Dosage form
One tablet contains
pumpkins of seeds of powder, fat-free
pumpkins of seeds of powder of the fat-free extract (5-10:1)
extractant: Natrii hydrocarbonas/sodium
extract goldenrod chloride/water 100.00 dry (5-8:1)
extractant: ethanol 60 about. %
leaves of an aspen of extract dry (5-8:1)
extractant: ethanol 60 about. %
excipients: cocoa powder fat-free, lactoses monohydrate, sucrose, calcium hydrophosphate dihydrate, silicon dioxide high-disperse, talc, gelatin, glycerin of 85%, sodium chloride, K-25 povidone (cellulose).
of the Tablet of round shape, with a biconvex surface, brown color, with a specific smell, taste of nut and cocoa.
Drugs for treatment of urological diseases. Drugs for treatment of a benign hypertrophy of a prostate. Other drugs for treatment of a benign hypertrophy of a prostate.
ATX G04CX code.
Pharmacokinetics In properties the researches conducted with the products containing a goldenrod it was found out that active agents a goldenrod do not influence an expression of R-450 cytochromes of CYP1A2 and MDR1 enzymes, but vyzvat 1.9±0.2-кратную an expression of genes of CYP3A4
drug PROSTAMED contains the globulin received from seeds of pumpkin ordinary. From 15 amino acids emitted from this globulin and identified so far particular importance is attached to glutaminic acid. By means of a catalysis of oxidizing deamination, glutaminic acid reduces the increased level of free amino acids in hypertrophied fabric of a prostate. As a result the amount of amino acids which can be used for biosynthesis of proteins decreases, and prostate fabric proliferation is slowed down. Seeds of pumpkin contain kukurbitin, phytosterols in a free and connected form, tokoferola and also mineral substances, including selenium. The goldenrod increases filtrational ability of kidneys and by that counteracts the beginning formation of residual urine in adenoma of a prostate of the II stage. Increase in a tone of muscles of a bladder leads to improvement of symptoms of disorders of urination (especially dysurias) and to reduction of amount of residual urine. The goldenrod possesses anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic and diuretic actions. The aspen contains a set of phenolic glycosides, especially salicin, populin and salipopulin. Salicin is oxidized in a human body and turns into the salicylic acid possessing antiseptic action in an urethrocystitis. The phenolic glycosides having anti-inflammatory properties reduce pains in a prostate and a bladder hyperesthesia.
of Disorder of urination in a benign hyperplasia (adenoma) of a prostate of the I-II stages:
– the complicated urination, frequent urination, including, at night, feeling of incomplete bladder emptying (presence of residual urine)
– insuperable desires to urination
– as a part of complex treatment of acute and chronic prostatitis.
A route of administration and doses
On 2–4 chewable tablets 3 times a day. Tablets should be swallowed entirely or previously having chewed, washing down with a small amount of liquid.
Duration of use of medicine is defined by the doctor depending on character and a course of the disease. The recommended treatment duration not less than 3 months.
are Seldom or never possible reactions of hypersensitivity.
– hypersensitivity to drug components
– hypersensitivity to salicylates
– heavy renal, liver, heart failure
– children’s and teenage age up to 18 years
– pregnancy and the period of a lactation
– persons with hereditary intolerance of fructose, deficiency of enzyme of lapp-lactose, malabsorption,
do not have glucose galactose Medicinal interactions of Data on interaction of the drug Prostamed with other medicines
At long symptoms of a disease it is necessary to consult the doctor. Consultation at the doctor is especially necessary at emergence of blood in urine, an infection of urinary tract, exacerbation of disorders or a sharp delay of urination.
About cases of overdose and intolerance
it was not reported so far.
The form of release and packing
On 60, 120, 200 tablets place in the container from polystyrene closed by a corrugated polyethylene stopper.
On 1 container together with the instruction for medical use in the state and Russian languages put in a pack from cardboard.
At a temperature from 15 ºС to 25 ºС.
To store out of children’s reach!
not to apply a period of storage after an expiration date.
of Proizvoditel Dr .Gustav Klein GmbH & Co. KG
of 3 D-77736 Tsel-am-Harmersbakh, Germany
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domain: medical


text:
Recipe by Boiler77
A grilled shrimp and pasta recipe that you are sure to love. Not spicy but kind of sweet and zingy. I normally just leave the shrimp on the skewers and let people eat them on the side with the pasta. The shrimp are also great by themselves.
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3⁄8 cup wild wings asian zing sauce
- 1⁄2 cup butter
- 3 garlic cloves
- Montreal chicken seasoning
Directions See How It's Made
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Mix in crushed garlic and 1/2 cup of olive oil and cook for a couple minutes.
- Add shrimp to the mixture and leave them to marinate for least 20 minutes (Toss around ocasionally to better marinate the shrimp).
- Put the shrimp on skewers (typically 6 or 7 each) and sprinkle McCormics Montreal Chicken on one side of the shrimp. About a pinch per two shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp on the grill until pink and slightly crispy on the outside.(Remember to turn them ocasionally so they dont burn on one side).
- Cook a pound of pasta.
- In a saucepan combine the 1/2 cup olive oil and 3/8 cup Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zings Sauce and cook for 5 minutes. (The olive oil will simmer a little bit and that is when you are done).
- Combine the sauce and pasta and mix well. serve with the skewers of shrimp.

domain: food


text:
15 June 2018
Featuring ArtistsRichard Searling
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
The Inspirations - Your Wish Is My Command
Chapter Five - You Can't Mean It
Carl Douglas - Serving A Sentence Of Life
The Just Brothers - Carlena
Joey Heatherton - When You Call Me Baby
John Leach - Put That Woman Down
The Combinations - What' Cha Gonna Do
Connie Clark - My Sugar Baby
Vickie Baines - Country Girl
Matt Lucas - Baby You Better Go-go
The Honey Bees - Let's Get Back
The Appointments - I Saw You There
The Group - I Don't Like To Lose ( Feat Cecil Washington )
Billy Woods - Let Me Make You Happy
Alfie Davison - Love Is Serious Business
Outta Sight released Richard Searlings Music and Memories From Wigan Casino 1973 1981 on 15 June 2018. The 16 track vinyl features artists including Richard Searling.
Richard Searling has released vinyl on Outta Sight, Expansion.
The record label Outta Sight has released vinyl by Huey Piano Smith, James and The Famous Flames Brown, Major Harris, Willie Tee, Jackie Weaver, Swb, Linda Lloyd, Bk Anderson, Bobby Adams, The Mar Kets, Al and The Teenagers Supersonic, Glen Miller, The Electrifying Cashmeres, The Nightriders, The Formations, Marry Clayton, Chuck Wood, Betty Orien, Willie and The Mighty Magnificents, Ernie K Doe.
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The local record store was always a great venue of music discovery for us; and place to learn and discuss music that became staples of our collection.
We want to enable online collectors to continue to buy from independent stores, regardless of their location, to keep the entire vinyl experience alive and kicking.
Hundreds of thousands of record diggers use Sound Shelter to find a store to buy their new favourite record from.
Listen to clips of 150,000+ records, get instantly alerted when your favourite producers release a new record, and get personalised music recommendations based upon the music you love.


text:
America marks 50th anniversary of “Nixon Shock,” when the president suspended the gold standard
About 50 years ago, the 37th president of the US, Richard Milhous Nixon, suspended the convertibility of the US dollar into gold. On the 15th of August, 1971, the former president and the Treasury introduced the “Nixon Shock” to citizens. Since then, the action has greatly impacted the US economy, and there is a belief that Nixon introduced a new era of uncontrollable fiat currency creation.
President Nixon announces dollar to gold convertibility suspension
When the 37th president announced the immediate suspension of the dollar to gold convertibility, a large percentage of citizens did not know the reason behind Nixon’s move. Notably, Nixon called for the suspension because the US could not hide the huge war expenditure backing the Vietnam War. The US was spending huge on war, attracting the attention of other countries such as France. The countries were aware that the US was printing a lot of USD.
Reports showed that a part of the Bretton Woods deal was designed to put the US in charge of three-quarters of the world’s total gold. Reports and testimony revealed that Nixon and members of the Treasury held a secret and contentious meeting at Camp David on the 13th of August, 1971. After the meeting, Nixon and its administration concluded on discontinuing the Bretton Woods agreement. As a result, the former US president announced on television on the 15th of August that he had given instructions to the 61st US Secretary of the Treasury, John B. Connally, to act swiftly on the suspension of gold convertibility to the USD.
While speaking on TV, Nixon mentioned the relationship between a nation’s economy and its currency. He referred to the American economy as the “strongest in the world.” Speaking further, the 37th US president continued:
I have directed Secretary Connally to suspend temporarily the convertibility of the dollar into gold or other reserve assets, except in amounts and conditions determined to be in the interest of monetary stability and in the best interest of the United States. Now, what is this action- which is very technical- what does it mean for you? Let me lay to rest the bugaboo of what is called devaluation.
Investors adopt gold and crypto as USD crumbles
However, the USD began to crumble even faster following the suspension in 1971. The “Nixon Shock” started a world of fiat printing like never. Also, it encouraged the growth of the unaudited Federal Reserve and the country’s military-industrial complex.
In addition, the US national debt has since surged to $28.6 trillion under presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, GW Bush, Obama, Trump, and the current president of the US, Joe Biden.
Fast-forward to 2021, the US economy is not performing well and has raised investors’ concerns. Now, investors are going back to gold investment, with more investors resorting to crypto-assets like Bitcoin

domain: history


text:
'They told me I was within 20 minutes of expiring.'
(TNS) - Lake Placid resident Barbie Coleman had always wanted to ride in a helicopter, but when she did, it was a lot different than what she had envisioned.
Not long before her two flights in 2007, Coleman had been admitted to Florida Hospital Sebring for an operation to stretch her esophagus and to correct a condition that may have been hereditary.
After a complication during the surgery, Coleman ended up being transported by helicopter to Orlando Regency Medical Center in a trip that was literally life or death for her.
“They told me I was within 20 minutes of expiring,” Coleman said.
Weeks later after returning home, an inflammation resulted in Coleman being transported a second time to Orlando Regency Hospital for emergency care.
John Scott, business manager for Aeromed, which is based at Tampa General Hospital but has a helicopter stationed at Sebring Regional Airport, said Aeromed typically transports patients like Coleman, who are in desperate need of advanced medical care.
“We transport the very sick, very acutely ill people,” he said. They also often take people who have experienced traumatic injuries and need the advanced level of care provided by trauma centers. Someone who breaks a leg would not be the type of patient transported by Aeromed, he explained.
Aeromed’s helicopter in Sebring has room for a pilot, a paramedic, a nurse and a patient. Some helicopters have room for a second patient.
Aeromed’s purpose is to support Emergency Medical Services personnel in the field.
While hospitals and highways may be hot zones for Aeromed landings, at times the helicopters will go directly to residential and agricultural areas to pick up a patient.
“We have landed in nearby yards to people’s homes,” said Matt Burnett, a paramedic stationed in Sebring. They can do that as long as there’s enough room, he added.
“We can do that, especially here where it’s a little more rural,” he added.
Every flight includes a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic, Burnett said.
Aeromed says all crew members have training in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, basic life support, neonatal resuscitation, advanced trauma life support and water egress.
Although Aeromed is headquartered at Tampa General Hospital, Burnett said, they transport patients to the nearest medical facility that can provide the services they need. Under normal circumstances, one of its goals is to provide the most timely response available, Burnett said.
“Our goal is to be off the ground within five minutes,” he said.
However, Aeromed has guidelines in place that would prevent or delay flights during bad weather, windy situations or low visibility, he said.
Burnett said that’s a key to reducing the number of medical helicopter flight crashes
At times, he said, the decision has to be made to transport the patient on the ground because of the weather conditions.
Burnett said crashes typically may result from other medical flight services “pushing the limits,” in flying patients.
With Aeromed, he said, “If we don’t meet the minimum (conditions) for a safe flight, we will decline the flight because we want to transport the patient safely and arrive back safely.”
The most typical transports include people who suffered heart attacks and strokes and those who were in car accidents, he said.
Personnel on the helicopter flights are trained and equipped to provide an advanced level of care during the trip, he said. The helicopters carry a large supply of medicines.
The helicopters serve as mobile emergency rooms with the medical personnel able to insert chest tubes, do EKGS and provide medical infusion, among other services.
This level of care is what particularly impressed Coleman, although she has limited memories of the trips.
“They were phenomenal,” she said of the medical personnel on the flight. “They were doing everything they could to ease my pain.”
She during the second trip, “pretty much a few of the things that stand out were the beautiful lights below as we flew in the night air and I remember telling one of the medics I had always wanted to take a helicopter ride, but this wasn’t how I expected it to be. The other memory is simply of the incredible pain and they kept pumping me full of medicine.”
Burnett said that providing an advanced level of care to patients like Coleman is why he wanted to be involved in providing medical transport by helicopter.
“It’s always something I wanted to do,” he said. “It’s the level of care we’re able to provide.”
Noah Connell, who works as a paramedic on flights, said he has been working for Aeromed for about seven years, starting in Punta Gorda.
But, since he lives in Lake Placid, he embraced the opportunity to move to Sebring.
He said he enjoys working on a helicopter.
It’s nothing personal, but Coleman indicated she would prefer her next helicopter flight doesn’t have a need for services from Connell or other medics.
“By the way, I’m looking forward to one day taking that helicopter ride… the right way,” she quipped.
©2016 the Highlands Today (Sebring, Fla.)
Visit the Highlands Today (Sebring, Fla.) at www.highlandstoday.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Asia’s leading Singtel’s data-free premium subscription news service – Singtel Newsstand has expanded its offerings. It has added 12 SPH lifestyle magazines to its current stable of local and international publications.
The postpaid mobile customers of Singtel can now opt to subscribe to any of the following lifestyle titles: CLEO, Harper’s Bazaar, Female, Home & Décor, Her World, HWM, Nuyou, Shape, Men’s Health, Torque and Young Parents and The Singapore’s Women Weekly.
Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We are happy to extend our partnership with SPH magazines through Singtel Newsstand. Customers can now get the latest news and enjoy their favourite lifestyle magazines using their mobile devices, and we will continue to grow the selection of titles on Singtel Newsstand to offer customers a variety of the best local and international publications at discounted rates.”
The price of a digital issue starts from S$2.30 per month with a 12-month subscription which is 40% lower than the cover price.
Customers can also choose between digital-with-print and digital-only subscriptions. They will have the flexibility of mixing the titles under the digital-and-print option.
Loh Yew Seng, SPH Magazines’ CEO, said, "This latest digital package will give our readers and advertisers the added advantage of accessing our titles anytime, at their convenience. With no local data charges, subscribers can take utmost advantage of the magazines’ multimedia offerings.”
Furthermore, all customers will enjoy one month of free subscription.


text:
You may have read my writing craft essay about Budd Friedman’s autobiography/biography of The Improv. It occurred to me that many folks may not have seen the work of some of the standups who figure into the book. That isn’t funny at all. So here’s a journey through a very, very small fraction of the comedians who figure into the story of The Improvisation.
Comedy, GWS Companion
In the mood to watch some great standup comedy? I’ve compiled a GWS Companion that features 20 of the comedians who figure into the long and storied history of The Improv. Click here if you wish to laugh.
There are so many reasons that I love comedy, but I think the primary one is that comedians have always been the true conscience of a society. The court jester is the only person who can speak truth to the king. Comedians push boundaries and shape how we view the language. (Just this morning, I heard an NPR commentator mention how a politician was using rhetoric that “ratcheted the tension to 11.”)
So much of today’s comedy can be traced to Budd Friedman and his Improv, the first comedy club of its kind. The brick wall in the background? The cutthroat competition and dysfunctional friendships between comics? That was all him. The Improv was the incubator for comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Lewis, Andy Kaufman, Elayne Boosler…everyone. Continue Reading
Budd Friedman, Comedy, Jerry Seinfeld, Standup
Caleb is not experiencing one of the high points of his life. His estranged wife died, leaving him to care for two kids. He broke his leg in an accident and cannot properly tend to his dairy farm. And worst of all, his wife’s sister has arrived from her own Amish enclave to help out in the household. Caleb isn’t a big fan of Jessie; perhaps she reminds him of Alice, the wife who abandoned the family before returning when she was close to death.
Jessie did her best to reach out to her sister, but failed. And she has a secret of her own: she had a huge crush on Caleb before Alice, the prettier sister, captured his attention. Spending time around him is painful, even all these years later. (Purchase the book from the publisher, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon. Here’s her Facebook page and web site.) Continue Reading
Amish, Amish inspirational, Romance
Several months ago, I was briefly a guest at the fictional Troyer farm, where Heidi and Lyle offer you their hospitality and their love of humanity. Their farm is a calm and peaceful place: plenty of sunshine, plenty of nature. Yes, things sometimes go wrong for the Troyers and the people around them, but there are no politics. People are focused on growing in love for others. They want to nourish their bodies, hearts, and minds.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, Heidi is teaching more of her famous cooking classes. Wanda E. Brunstetter was kind enough to chronicle what happened in her new book, Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing. Here’s the book trailer.
You can book your own return trip (or your first) to Walnut Creek by purchasing the novel from your local indie, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.
When the first book ended, Heidi was expecting to adopt the child of one of her students. At the beginning of this book, Kendra has changed her mind. Heidi is understandably disappointed, but decides not to dwell on her grief. The formula holds; there are six more students, including a caterer and a food critic, a wife who feels neglected, and a teenage girl whose mother took off. Do I even need to say that Heidi and her six students will have meaningful experiences that bring them closer to each other and to their faith?
The great charm of this novel (and of many Amish inspirational romances, however you wish to label them) is that the conflicts are very meaningful to the characters, but everything usually works out. The characters are sometimes cross with each other, but always in a relatable manner that doesn’t kick up too much of the reader’s own psychological pain. Ms. Brunstetter offers us a passage into another world, where we can escape…all of the things.
Ms. Brunstetter also takes her time. Her prose is always clear, and she often explains things that don’t need to be explained. I sometimes wonder what an MFA workshop might say about the prose. (MFA workshops, of course, are also known as the “Circle of Love,” so dubbed by the great Lee K. Abbott.) Some might say that there are “inefficiencies” in the prose. I contend that the prose fits the tone of the novel and the story its author is trying to tell.
Here’s an example. It’s the very first paragraph, in fact:
Loving and good-hearted workshop members may wonder:
- Do we need to know that Heidi peeled and cut the onion? Why not just say “cut?” Isn’t it a given that a person peels an onion they are going to cut and use as an ingredient?
- Is “savory” necessary? Isn’t meat loaf inherently savory?
- Do we need to know the reason Heidi is feeling the gust of wind? Do we need to know that the room is being aired out?
- Does Heidi need to go to the window to look out the window? It’s a window; windows are generally transparent. Why couldn’t she just look?
There are a lot of examples of this kind of prose, and I make the case that the “inefficiencies” are a great benefit to the book. Ms. Brunstetter’s novel, it seems to me, has two goals, give or take:
- To tell an uplifting story that helps people in some spiritual manner. (Ms. Brunstetter seems like a kind woman, so I’m guessing she’d prefer the reader feel a Christian kind of love, but she’d take whatever she can get in that regard.)
- To transport the reader to Walnut Creek and immerse them in the Amish world and and way of life.
When you consider these goals, the “inefficiencies” are anything but. Why do Amish people use buggies instead of cars? So they can devote more thought and time to hard work and faith. (Among other reasons.) The Blessing is not the kind of book in which the author wishes to experiment with narrative or to force the reader to do a lot of work. No, Ms. Brunstetter wants the book to be a happy comfort, and her prose style helps her achieve that goal.
Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing is a welcome return to Walnut Creek. Ms. Brunstetter avoids the pitfalls of writing the second book in a series; this one is sufficiently different from the first to remain interesting though it follows the same formula. The reader finds themselves pulling for all of the characters because we can all relate to their concerns in one way or another. (We want our significant others to love us, we want to fulfill our need to nurture, we sometimes struggle with forgiving those who have abandoned us…)
There are many great writers in the Amish genre, and Ms. Brunstetter is one of those near the top. If you’ve never read in the genre, consider giving this or another of her books a try.
BONUS: Here is a great talk that Ms. Brunstetter gave to a library gathering. She is not the same kind of writer as we hear in the “MFA crowd,” and that is a good thing. She is very much a writer and storyteller, and we would all benefit from understanding more of the industry that we inhabit. (Or to which we aspire.)
Amish, Amish inspirational, Romance, Wanda E. Brunstetter
The course of true love never did run smooth, even in an Old Order Amish community. Miriam has been in love with Saul Fisher since they were children. Now they are on the cusp of adulthood, the time when young men and women must decide which paths in life they will take. Miriam expects she and Saul will marry and remain in the community. Saul, on the other hand, has a job offer from a Pittsburgh restaurant and can’t wait to leave, though it means abandoning his brothers.
Beth Wiseman very much does her job in Plain Proposal, part of her Daughters of the Promise series. Yes, the book is a romance novel, and not even the kind that features “naughty.” Yes, this is a Christian novel, and one of Ms. Wiseman’s explicit desires is to buffet the reader’s belief in Christianity. If you don’t avail yourself of these kinds of novels on occasion, you’re really missing out. Writers such as Ms. Wiseman are great because they make promises to the reader and then fulfill them. What else do you want from a storyteller? (Please consider purchasing the book through Ms. Wiseman’s web site, from your local indie store, from Kobo, from Barnes and Noble, or from Amazon.)
Okay, so because this is an Amish/romance/Christian/inspirational novel, we can be pretty sure that the book is not going to feature a worldwide alien invasion or a Silence of the Lambs situation. Still, Ms. Wiseman must find a way to fulfill her responsibility to the reader. She must give us a story in which the events matter very deeply to the characters. There must be something important at stake.
Now look what Ms. Wiseman does in Chapter One. We learn that the book is structured in such a way that there are alternating sections from the viewpoints of different characters. It’s immediately clear that Miriam and Saul fancy each other. Boooooooring. That’s not enough to make a good book, and Ms. Wiseman knows it. After we hear about the impending arrival of Miriam’s pretty Englisch cousin (potential love rival?!?!?), the author ends the chapter from Saul’s perspective thus:
But as she looked up at him with a smile that threatened to melt his resolve, he knew that he was going to do the unthinkable–date her for the summer. Then leave her in August. God, forgive me.
Oh, snap! You don’t need to be Amish to know that this is a SERIOUS situation. (And it’s a serious situation, regardless of your religion or way of life.) We don’t know Miriam or Saul very well because we’re only in Chapter One, but Ms. Wiseman sets up some very big stakes:
Miriam and Saul are both in their rumschpringe, the “running around” time in which a young person decides whether he or she wishes to be baptized into the Amish way of life permanently. Both have been running around for a while…time is running out before they must make a decision.
Miriam wants to live in the community and to marry Saul.
Saul wants to leave the community but also wants to have a sweet, romantic summer with Miriam.
These two goals are contradictory! If one of them gets what he or she wants, the other will be heartbroken!
I loved the end of Chapter One because of how succinctly and powerfully Ms. Wiseman established the stakes. I was reminded of a very different work of art: The Terminator. After Kyle Reese and the T-800 shoot up the Tech Noir nightclub around Sarah Connor, Kyle makes the stakes of the story very, very clear: “Come with me if you want to live.”
Miriam’s cousin Shelby is also a young woman, but she’s not Amish. Her parents are splitting up, and Shelby has made some poor decisions. (Unfortunately, this is an Amish/romance/inspirational-type novel, so the reader does not get any of the dirty details. I suppose Ms. Wiseman leaves it to your imagination.) As another of the book’s main characters, SHELBY NEEDS A REASON TO BE IN THE RABER HOME. SHE NEEDS TO HAVE SOME STAKE IN THE NOVEL. So the author is careful to give her one at the end of Chapter Two. Shelby writes in her diary:
…Maybe I’m being punished. I don’t know. I just know that I feel bad all the time. I want to be loved, but my heart is so empty and my faith in life, in God, is gone. I don’t have anything to live for.
So what is Shelby’s arc through the rest of the book? Of course. She’s going to find a reason to live. (It’s not a spoiler alert to reveal that God is a part of the reason.)
Ms. Wiseman’s book is a fun and quick read because she made the characters’ goals so clear, even though she puts poor Miriam and Saul through a lot of changes of minds and hearts. Even though the story and characters evolve (particularly Miriam’s mother, Rebecca!), the reader always has a firm grasp of what the characters want and why it matters to them.
Amish, Beth Wiseman, Romance
Friends, my GWS QuickCraft posts are a way for me to bring attention to more works and more authors. (Sadly, more people are likely to see these bits of writing craft advice than the regular essays I write, but that’s the way things are now…)
In a recent post, I wrote about Boris Fishman‘s most recent novel, a critically praised book called Don’t Let My Baby Do Rodeo. (Purchase the book from your local indie store, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Amazon.)
Here’s what I posted on Facebook and Twitter:
I was curious about the reasoning behind one of the choices Mr. Fishman made on his crucial first page. Well, Mr. Fishman responded to me and explained why he chose the word he did. Even better, he was happy to share his thought process with all of us. (Check out his Facebook author page.)
So why did Mr. Fishman plop that prefix on “humid” instead of choosing one of the words that would easily do the job?
“Arid” would not work there, I think — when the humidity briefly lets up in New Jersey, it’s drier, but I wouldn’t say “arid,” a word that calls up the desert. “Dry” works a little better, but it also doesn’t quite capture the feeling, I think. I think the most salient aspect of the experience is the sense of reprieve from an onslaught. It’s conditioned by the onslaught. So you’re not dry so much as briefly non-humid. At least that was my mind process, I think.
What an interesting explanation! Remember: we can make any choice we like, so long as the choice achieves the desired effect.
How’s this for an appealing story? It’s about a young woman whose body will be a vessel that will save untold numbers of lives. Unfortunately, a powerful company wants to take her out if they can’t control her, so they assign someone to do the former. Fortunately, a dark and handsome man is ready, able, and willing to protect the young woman, no matter the cost.
What story am I talking about?
The Terminator, of course.
Why do I bring up James Cameron’s 1984 classic? Because Body Parts operates in a manner that is similar and dissimilar in interesting ways. (And if you haven’t seen The Terminator or Terminator 2: Judgment Day, do yourself a favor and go see them now, whether or not you like action movies. They are marvelous examples of storytelling.)
Body Parts, a novel by Jessica Kapp, tells the story of Tabitha, a young woman who begins the novel as the ward of a seemingly perfect orphanage. Everyone in the Center is extremely healthy and well cared-for. Tabitha herself, with her long, red hair, is perfect…aside from a slight issue that affects her heart. The Act One 15 Minutes In Turning Point of the novel occurs when Ms. Preen takes Tabitha for a ride to meet her new foster parents. Yay! Everything is fantastic! Until Ms. Preen gives her a knockout drug. When Tabitha wakes up, she discovers that there never was a foster family. The Center, you see, carves up these incredibly healthy young people to get their…body parts. (I liked the book a lot! Purchase it from your local indie store! Or Kobo. Or Barnes & Noble. Or Amazon.)
Don’t worry; divulging that much of the plot doesn’t ruin anything. After all, here’s some of the description from the book jacket:
Raised in an elite foster center off the California coast, sixteen-year-old Tabitha has been protected from the outside world. Her trainers at the center have told her she’ll need to be in top physical condition to be matched with a loving family. So she swims laps and shaves seconds off her mile time, dreaming of the day when she’ll meet her adoptive parents.
But when Tabitha’s told she’s been paired, instead of being taken to her new home, she wakes up immobile on a hospital bed. Moments before she’s sliced open, a group of renegade teenagers rescues her, and she learns the real reason she’s been kept in shape: PharmPerfect, a local pharmaceutical giant, is using her foster program as a replacement factory for their pill-addicted clients’ failing organs.
So, unless a friend blindfolded you and put the book in your hands and forced you to start at the first page, you knew the basic thrust of the first several chapters of the story. You knew the big reveal that changes Tabitha’s life forever.
Same thing with The Terminator or Terminator 2. Unfortunately, the surprises from the films are no longer surprises. Everyone is fully aware that Arnold Schwarzenegger is the bad-guy Terminator who wants to terminate the nice waitress woman named Sarah Connor. Everyone knows he’s a cyborg. In 1984, you may have been lucky enough to see the film without knowing a single detail other than the title. Every twist and turn would be a revelation! In Terminator 2, James Cameron took great pains to conceal the fact that Arnold was the good guy. Alas, in Body Parts and in The Terminator, the audience knows much more about the protagonist’s life than she does for quite some time. (Think about it; Body Parts is “that book about the teens who are sold for parts, but one of them escapes, etc.” The Terminator is “that movie about that woman who will give birth to the guy who will save humanity, so robot Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to kill her, etc.”)
I thought it would be interesting to discuss these two works in conjunction with each other because they approach their conceits so differently. In The Terminator, you’ll recall, Arnold uses the phone book to track down all of the Sarah Connors in L.A. The important one, of course, has a fortunate middle name that makes her last on the list. Sarah sees this creepy-looking dude scoping her, so she ducks into Tech-Noir, a cheekily named disco. Shootout. Then it turns out that the creepy, sweaty guy was actually protecting her. Now, Sarah is no fool. She (and the audience) need some exposition. What the heck is going on? Kyle Reese hotwires a car and tells her about the Future War, that her son will one day be the savior of all mankind.
Then more car chases and action interspersed with some romantic scenes and powerfully drawn characters.
Chapter 5 of Body Parts is the equivalent to the above exposition-in-the-car scene. Tabitha has woken from her pharmaceutical slumber and meets Gavin and the other members of the team dedicated to liberating young people from the grip of the Center. Gavin lays it all out in some healthy paragraphs set in the group’s “headquarters” and Tabitha accepts her new reality. “Parts,” she says. “I was being raised for parts.”
As I read the novel, I was wondering why Tabitha believed so easily and quickly. Now, to some extent, I am perfectly happy to just go with it. It’s a book. Sarah Connor believes Kyle Reese’s insane time travel/all-powerful computers narrative because she just had a giant Austrian man shooting at her. Ms. Kapp does something smart that forces Tabitha to deliberate more. After Gavin’s explanation, Tabitha (on her own) meets Mary, a much younger girl who was rescued–but not before the bad guys took her cornea and kidney. Writers must give the audience a reason to believe, just as much as characters must convince each other what is really happening to them.
The narrative of Body Parts is far looser than those of the Terminator films, which is both good and bad. On one hand, those movies are awesome. On the other hand, Body Parts doesn’t want to be a non-stop, pulse-pounding action story…and that’s okay. Instead, Ms. Kapp has other freedom and responsibilities. The looser story just means that she’s not as high on the scale with respect to plot. That’s perfectly fine, so long as she kicks up some other elements of her book. Here’s another way to think of it. This is a chart I made for Lee Martin’s wonderful Late One Night. That book is not at all a plot-heavy Tom Clancy book. Instead, Mr. Martin focused more time and attention on character and style than plot. It’s okay to go easy on some elements of our work so long as we compensate in another way.
Body Parts is an entertaining near-future science fiction novel that will entertain its YA audience, but will also appeal to those who are not very Y. Tabitha is a compelling character, and Ms. Kapp ensures there is a lot going on around her. Tabitha experiences her first love triangle! Her first…love feelings! Her first escape from people who want to cut her up and sell her organs! Ms. Kapp juggles her plot and its subplots in a felicitous manner and wraps things up in a way that I’ll just say that I wasn’t expecting.
James Cameron, Jessica Kapp, Lee Martin, Terminator, Young Adult
Ladies and gentlemen, when the Founding Fathers sat down in a sweltering room in Philadelphia to devise a new system of government, they had a lot of weighty decisions to make. They needed to ensure that the people maintained the power, but that government at all levels could ensure domestic tranquility and protect the general welfare. They had to decide what it meant for the people to have representation and how best to make it as fair as possible.
Most of all, they needed to decide which rights would be guaranteed by the government. Think of that word choice: rights. Not “privileges.” A right is guaranteed to you, no matter what. A privilege must be earned. Then they needed to decide which right deserved to be mentioned first. What did they come up with?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Isn’t the First Amendment beautiful? Those few words are the most important in the entire document because they protect all of the other rights and laws that make up our system of government. Think about it: you’re not happy with the American health care system and you want to tell your elected official that a change is in order? Can’t do that without the First Amendment… Continue Reading
Comedy, First Amendment, Free Speech, Humor
Did you ever hear that story about the young boy who doesn’t have any parents? He lives in a place that he hates and dreams of doing something more with his life. One day, an older figure intrudes into his life and reveals a secret: the boy has powers that he didn’t know about. The mentor takes the boy to a place where he can learn more about his power. He makes friends who eventually help him out on his ultimate quest: to restore the balance between good and evil.
Can you identify the story?
If you said Harry Potter, I would tell you that you are wrong in an effort to confuse you and to make you think.
If you said Ender’s Game, I would do the same.
Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Odyssey…even The Hangover. To some extent, these are the same story.
No, friend, there are very few original stories. The great challenge for the writer, then, is to devise a new way to tell old stories. There’s nothing wrong with this kind of “borrowing.” Nothing at all! In fact, every single writer does it, but few have done it as well as Stan Lee, the living legend who created (or co-created) characters that have made approximately eleventy trillion dollars at the box office.
In Stan Lee, Bob Batchelor tells the story of the remarkable man who started out wanting to write the great American novel and ended up creating a universe instead. (Purchase links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, the publisher.) Mr. Batchelor takes a standard approach to the structure of the book; he begins with a prologue scene that represents the turning point of Mr. Lee’s life and then rewinds to the 1920s, when little Stanley Lieber (later Stan…Lee) entered the world. From there, the author engages in a linear description of Mr. Lee’s life, from his New York City upbringing to his Los Angeles second act.
Mr. Batchelor had a couple pretty big problems. First of all, the details of Lee’s life are fairly well-known. He’s been a celebrity for fifty years and has given about a million interviews. Second, Stan Lee’s life is fascinating and historic in relation to comic books and superheroes and modern mythology…but unless there’s something I don’t know, Mr. Lee was a pretty boring guy. In a good way. He was married for several decades, he and his wife had two children (one of whom lived to adulthood) and he wrote comic books and outlined comic books for others. I’m willing to bet that Mr. Lee is like the rest of us and has made some big mistakes, but it’s not like he was an evil scientist ninja or drove monster trucks from state to state in between liquor store robberies.
How did Mr. Batchelor tell a story that all comic book aficionados know in a new way and how did he make a comfortably mundane life interesting? The author took a step back from the protagonist of the biography and described the world and conditions that shaped Mr. Lee, allowing the reader to explore their own understanding of the character. The son of Romanian immigrants, Mr. Lee was part of a wave of Eastern European Jews who came to the United States in the first couple decades of the twentieth century. These people were amazing; they were crucial to the development of musical theater, standup comedy, and comic books. What about his origin story helped Mr. Lee become what he did? How did his experience as a child of financially insecure parents shape him in later life, and how did it shape the X-Men and Spider-Man and the Hulk and the Fantastic Four? Mr. Batchelor compensates for the relative mundanity of Mr. Lee’s life by hinting toward a greater, grander story about the combined nature of culture and creativity.
There are a lot of flashy and interesting moments in the Marvel universe and in Mr. Lee’s life, but Mr. Batchelor devotes a lot of page space to the everyday necessities of life that constituted the bulk of Mr. Lee’s days. We can all relate to the events around Marvel’s beginnings:
- The tightwad boss who somehow manages to have enough money for himself
- The young, ambitious kid who may or may not have screwed the established co-workers
- The desperate desire to keep up with marketplace trends
- Unnecessary governmental and societal intervention
- The conflict between ambition and the desire to put food on the table
Mr. Batchelor offers us a book worth reading because he does more than distill Mr. Lee’s many interviews. Stan Lee teaches us that powerful writing comes out of adversity. Without the restrictions and worries that surely influenced Mr. Lee’s work, our shared cultural heritage would be different.
Perhaps most importantly, the author doesn’t skimp on the parts of Stan Lee’s life that you really want to know about. We get detailed tellings of the creation of the Fantastic Four, of Mr. Lee’s working relationship with Jack Kirby, and his somewhat unfocused later years. (Where do you go when you become a living legend by your fifties and live into your nineties?) Whether or not you’re a comic book person, Mr. Batchelor’s book is a worthwhile chronicle of a writer’s life and offers other writers the opportunity to see what it’s like to have your creative dreams come true in ways you didn’t expect.
Bob Batchelor, Comic Books, Stan Lee
First things first. I hate when you can’t find the table of contents for an anthology. So here it is, with an assist from editor Jonathan Strahan. I’ve organized the stories in Volume 11 of The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year in order of appearance.
Introduction, Jonathan Strahan
“The Future is Blue”, Catherynne M Valente (Drowned Worlds)
“Spinning Silver”, Naomi Novik (The Starlit Wood)
“Mika Model”, Paolo Bacigalupi (Slate)
“Two’s Company”, Joe Abercrombie (Sharp Ends)
“You Make Pattaya”, Rich Larson (Interzone 247)
“You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay “, Alyssa Wong (Uncanny 10, 5-6/16)
“A Salvaging of Ghosts”, Aliette de Bodard (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, 01/03/16)
“Even the Crumbs Were Delicious”, Daryl Gregory (The Starlit Wood)
“Number Nine Moon”, Alex Irvine (F&SF, 1/16)
“Things with Beards”, Sam J Miller (Clarkesworld 117, 6/16)
“Successor, Usurper, Replacement”, Alice Sola Kim (Buzzfeed, 10/26/16)
“Laws of Night and Silk”, Seth Dickinson (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, 26 May 2016)
“Touring with the Alien”, Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld 115, 4/16)
“The Great Detective”, Delia Sherman (Tor.com)
“Everyone from Themis Sends Letters Home”, Genevieve Valentine (Clarkesworld)
“Those Shadows Laugh”, Geoff Ryman (F&SF, 9-10/16)
“Seasons of Glass and Iron”, Amal El-Mohtar (The Starlit wood)
“The Art of Space Travel”, Nina Allan (Tor.com)
“Whisper Road (Murder Ballad No. 9)”, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Sirenia Digest 125, 7/16)
“Red Dirt Witch”, N.K. Jemisin (Fantasy/PoC Destroy Fantasy)
“Red as Blood and White as Bone”, Theodora Goss (Tor.com)
“Terminal”, Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com, 04/16)
“Foxfire Foxfire”, Yoon Ha Lee (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, March 2016)
“Elves of Antarctica”, Paul McAuley (Drowned Worlds)
“The Witch of Orion Waste and the Boy Knight”, E Lily Yu (Uncanny 12)
“Seven Birthdays”, Ken Liu (Bridging Infinity)
“The Visitor from Taured”, Ian R. MacLeod (Asimov’s, 9/16)
“Fable”, Charles Yu (The New Yorker, 5/30/16)
As Mr. Strahan points out in his introduction–and don’t you love the introductions to best-of volumes?–science fiction and fantasy are fields in the midst of a great number of changes. Science fiction was one of my early loves. I started very early with Asimov and Ellison and Bradbury and other giants of the genre and loved Asimov’s and Analog and F&SF. I loved the way that ideas drive the field. Great SF is all about the truly extreme WHAT IFs.
What if the Axis won WWII and each took possession of half of the United States? (Dick’s The Man in the High Castle.)
What if there were a medical procedure that could make you and your husband young again; you both undergo the procedure, but it only works on your spouse? (Sawyer’s Rollback.)
What if a little kid general were Earth’s only hope against hostile aliens? (Card’s Ender’s Game.)
Everything changes, unfortunately. (I don’t like change.) Over the past twenty years, it seems to me, science fiction and fantasy have evolved in the same direction as literary fiction. Less focus on plot, more focus on atmosphere. More emphasis on playing with language. Keeping the reader by inviting them to resolve the abstract.
There are, of course, many ways to tell a story and Mr. Strahan presents a volume of work that engages a wide range of protagonists, settings and ideas. I thought it would be interesting to compare two of my favorites to demonstrate how we can take different routes to the same destination.
Rich Larson’s “You Make Pattaya” announces itself in an interesting manner and establishes character, setting and tone in a felicitous manner. Let’s take a look at the first paragraph:
Dorian sprawled back on sweaty sheets, watching Nan, or Nahm, or whatever her name was, grind up against the mirror, beaming at the pop star projected there like she’d never seen smartglass before. He knew she was from some rural eastern province; she’d babbled as much to him while he crushed and wrapped parachutes for their first round of party polls. But after a year in Pattaya, you’d think she would have lost the big eyes and the bubbliness. Both of which were starting to massively grate on him.
What do we learn immediately and what do we love?
- There’s sex going on. Many people like reading about that sort of thing. (Subject matter)
- This is science fiction. There’s some kind of TV show playing in the mirror. (Genre)
- Nan or Nahm is a rural girl in the big city. She must be relatively poor and probably has found a lot of ways to make money, regardless of whether or not she’s being exploited. (Theme)
- Pattaya. City in Thailand. Where there’s lots of water and therefore lots of boats. A place where, as I understand it from Law & Order: SVU, there are slightly different attitudes about the connection between sex and money. (Setting.)
- Her bubbliness “grates” on him. Dorian isn’t the world’s sweetest guy. (Characterization.)
Mr. Larson gets the narrative off and running very quickly and packs all of the elements of our writers’ toolbox into as few sentences as possible. The story speeds along nicely, while still allowing the reader to enjoy the setting and the technology.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story, so I’ll be circumspect. It’s clear that Dorian feels great lust for Nahm. He also understands how hard she has worked to provide for herself; he’s a scammer, too. (He skims personal information from the unprotected devices tourists carry around.) The story takes place over a short period of time and drops the characters into a taut, compelling plot: Dorian and Nahm are going to team up and engage in a lucrative caper. (Capers are so much fun! Things happen! There are big stakes!
I also admired that Dorian and Nahm are not pushed into straitjackets and forced to act according to their…”demographics.” Sure, Nahm’s English is accented. That makes sense. But accents don’t mean as much about a person as their actions, right? Instead of writing Nahm to be a cartoonish virtuous victim of circumstance and economics, Mr. Larson allows her to be good and bad. Just like real human beings.
Ian R. MacLeod’s “The Visitor From Taured” is an interesting counterpart to the Larson story. A character named Lita tells the story, split into a number of different sections. Lita’s tale takes place over the course of several decades and is really about her relationship with Rob Holm, a handsome rogue who devoted his life to astrophysics. Lita, you see, is one of the rare old-fashioned people who goes to college to learn about those archaic, non-interactive narratives that people called “books.”
This story is not a whiz-bang caper. The narrative covers a massive amount of time in only twenty-four pages and a lot less actual stuff happens. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If the plot is not as big and flashy, the author must simply make sure that he or she offers the reader something else in return. How did Mr. MacLeod keep my attention, even though there wasn’t as much plot as a Star Wars movie?
- Lots of book and English grad student talk. I guess this won’t work for everyone, but it did work for me because I could relate so well.
- Romance! We all love romance. Lita tells us very early in the story how handsome and temperamental Rob is. My study of Hugh Grant movies has convinced me that is the magic combination to win over the ladies.
- Seeds are planted and allowed to grow. Humans love beginnings, middles, and ends. Lita convinces Rob to try reading one of those confusing paper-based books. He soon likes books. His tastes evolve and change. Literature becomes a way for them to relate. See how this development can keep the reader’s attention?
- Consummation. It’s pretty clear how Lita feels about Rob–and why she’s telling us the story in the first place. It’s altogether fitting and proper that she and he come together.
These two stories are, in a way, romance stories, but they’re helpful to us because of their differences. We can take our time with a narrative or we can zoom along, but we must always serve our specific characters and plot in a manner that will keep the audience’s attention.
Mr. Strahan has assembled a diverse roster of stories and seems to have taken great pains to search beyond the Big Three magazines. I’ve always thought of the O. Henry collections of literary short stories as the literary, experimental cousins of the slightly more staid Best American series. Perhaps Mr. Strahan’s collections are where you can turn when you are more in the mood for poeticism than plot or in a time when you have a hungrier heart than mind.
Fantasy, Jonathan Strahan, Science Fiction


Lightly raced Silentio, a stylish winner of his stakes debut to begin the Santa Anita season in December, will be part of a packed starting gate for his first start as a 4-year-old in the $150,000 Arcadia Stakes (gr. IIT).
Overlooked at 10-1, Society Rock benefited from a savvy ride by Kieren Fallon to capture the $349,000 Betfred Sprint Cup (Eng-I) at Haydock Park Sept. 8.
Undefeated Frankel will get the Royal Ascot meeting started off with a bang when he faces ten challengers in the $542,500 Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-I) June 19.
Mutual Trust kept his perfect record intact when he edged out Zoffany and Strong Suit to take the $316,614 Prix Jean Prat (Fr-I) at Chantilly July 3.
Dream Ahead swept to the front with a furlong to go and stormed home a decisive nine-length winner of the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket Oct. 1.
Zoffany came charging with a late run under Johnny Murtagh to capture the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (Ire-I) by a half-length at the Curragh Aug. 8.
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text:
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. It is a practice that is designed to help individuals achieve a state of balance, harmony, and peace in their lives. The practice of yoga is based on the idea that the body, mind, and spirit are interconnected, and that a healthy body and mind are essential for a happy and fulfilling life.
The physical practice of yoga involves a series of postures, known as asanas, that are designed to help individuals increase their strength, flexibility, and balance. These postures are typically performed in a specific sequence, and are often accompanied by controlled breathing techniques, known as pranayama.
The mental practice of yoga involves the cultivation of mindfulness, or the ability to be present in the moment. This is achieved through the practice of meditation, which involves focusing the mind on a specific object or idea. Meditation is often accompanied by the use of mantras, or repeated phrases or words, which are used to help individuals focus their minds and achieve a state of relaxation and calm.
The spiritual practice of yoga involves the exploration of the self, and the development of a deeper understanding of the nature of reality. This is achieved through the study of ancient texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which provide guidance on how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
There are many different styles of yoga, each with its own unique emphasis and approach. Some of the most popular styles of yoga include Hatha yoga, which focuses on the physical postures and breathing techniques; Vinyasa yoga, which emphasizes the flow of movement between postures; and Kundalini yoga, which focuses on the awakening of the energy centers in the body.
Regardless of the style of yoga, the practice is designed to help individuals achieve a state of balance, harmony, and peace in their lives. It is a practice that can be adapted to meet the needs of individuals of all ages and abilities, and can be practiced in a variety of settings, from a yoga studio to a park or even in the comfort of one's own home.
In addition to the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga, there are also many other benefits that can be gained from the practice. For example, yoga has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, increase energy levels, and boost overall health and wellbeing.
Overall, yoga is a practice that can help individuals achieve a greater sense of balance, harmony, and peace in their lives


The Taiwanese company Gigabyte is listing a new gaming screen called the GS34WQC, which appears to be a sister model to the better-equipped Gigabyte G34WQC-A.
The Gigabyte GS34WQC boasts a 34-inch VA panel featuring a crisp UWQHD resolution of 3440 x 1440 pixels. It offers a 1500 R curvature for an immersive viewing experience, although it slightly lowers the refresh rate to 135 Hz, as opposed to the typical 144 Hz. While it supports HDR, it doesn’t carry the DisplayHDR 400 certification.
Among its notable features are FreeSync Premium and an Aim Stabilizer mode designed to reduce motion blur, although these two functions cannot be used simultaneously. The specifications sheet also indicates an 8-bit color depth, 300 cd/m² typical brightness, a wide color gamut covering 120 percent of sRGB, and an impressive 4000:1 contrast ratio, ensuring deep black levels. Additional options like a black stabilizer, picture-in-picture, picture-by-picture modes, and crosshair overlays are accessible through the OSD.
For connectivity, the monitor provides two HDMI 2.0 inputs, a DisplayPort 1.4, and a headphone output. In terms of ergonomics, users can adjust the monitor for tilt, height, and VESA mounting (100 x 100 mm). It also features blue light filtering and a flicker-free backlight for added comfort during extended use.
Price and availability
The Gigabyte GS34WQC 34-inch curved gaming monitor is currently available for pre-order via Bhphotovideo.com for $329.99.
Updated on September 20, 2023: the Gigabyte GS34WQC 34-inch curved gaming monitor is now listed on Amazon.com for $329.99 only.
|GIGABYTE GS34WQC 34" 120Hz 1440P Curved Gaming Monitor, 3440x1440 VA 1500R Display, 1ms (MPRT)...||$319.99||Buy on Amazon|
Gigabyte GS34WQC specifications
- Display: 34-inch VA panel, Non-glare
- Curvature: 1500R
- Display Viewing Area (HxV): 797.22 x 333.72 mm
- Color Saturation: 120% sRGB
- Resolution: 3440 x 1440 (WQHD)
- Pixel Pitch: 0.23175 x 0.23175
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2 (TYP)
- Contrast Ratio: 4000:1
- Viewing Angle: 178°(H)/178°(V)
- Display Colors: 16.7M
- Response Time: 1ms (MPRT)
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz / OC 135Hz
- Features: AMD FreeSync Premium, HDR Ready, Flicker-free, Low Blue Light, HBR3, OSD Sidekick, Aim Stabilizer, Black Equalizer, Crosshair, Timer, PiP/PbP
- Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Displayport 1.4, 1 x Earphone Jack
- Stand: Tilt (-5°~+20°), Height Adj. (100mm)
- VESA Mount: 100 x 100mm
- Dimensions: 808.9 x 488.8x 234.8 mm (with stand)
- Weight: 8.38 kg (with stand)


‘I admire him, but…’: Eshwarappa’s CM defence as Nadda gives him an earful on saffron flag row
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that Congress leaders are “selectively quoting” part of KS Eshwarappa's statement to mislead the southern state and the assembly.
Amid continued protests in the Karnataka Assembly over KS Eshwarappa's saffron flag remark, the minister said on Tuesday that while he “admired” BJP national president JP Nadda, the issue had been taken care of by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. He, however, added that it is the duty of all BJP workers to “listen to what Nadda says”.
Eshwarappa's statements came a day after Nadda, in an interview to a news platform, said he had reprimanded the Karnataka minister over his “saffron flag at Red Fort” comment.
“As a worker, I admire him (Nadda). But, our CM (Basavaraj) Bommai has already replied to what I said and what was wrong or not wrong,” Eshwarappa was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Congress has been protesting and demanding Eshwarappa's dismissal and a sedition case against him over his recent statement that the saffron flag (representing the right wing) may become the “national flag” one day and the same can be hoisted at Delhi's Red Fort.
Responding to Nadda’s statement, former chief minister Siddaramaiah said, “BJP national president Nadda yesterday made a statement that whatever Eshwarappa said about the national flag is an insult to (it),” he told ANI, adding the minister statement was “very wrong and irresponsible”.
Recently, Opposition MLAs, led by Siddaramaiah and state Congress president DK Shivakumar staged an overnight protest inside the assembly.
Earlier this month, Eshwarappa had told reporters that after “100 or 200 or 500 years” the saffron flag may replace the Tricolour.
“People used to laugh at one point when we said Ram Mandir will be constructed in Ayodhya, aren't we constructing it now?” the BJP leader had further said.
Soon after, Bommai said Congress leaders were “selectively quoting" only a part of Eshwarappa's statement and “misleading” the state and the Assembly. The chief minister added that Eshwarappa had also clarified that hoisting of the saffron flag at Red Fort may not happen “immediately”, but in “300 or 500 years”.
Bommai has refused to take any action against Eshwarappa, stating he did not commit any mistake “legally”.


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Part #ARP100-7507 MFG#: 100-7507
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