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Things are a bit complicated between us. He never says he likes me, but when I tried to say goodbye twice he kept holding me back and told me he is still single.
Sometimes he is so sweet, but sometimes he’s just so cold. I thought maybe he was interested but just doesn’t want to be in a serious relationship. I told him I don’t want to have a boyfriend right now. (It’s a lie. I want him to be mine, but I can’t let him know that.)
I want to get to know him more, but he seems hard to become friends with. We keep meeting, but that’s it.
I just want to be nice and be friends with him, that way he might want me for more than sex. I want to see him every time he asks me. I don’t want to play games. It’s been nearly six months since we first met.
I try not to be too clingy or to text him all the time. I want to text him everyday, but I don’t do it.
Should I continue meeting him and treating him nice? I really like him. I want everything between us to get better. —Kim
You want to have a relationship with this guy, but you keep shooting yourself in the foot. You’ve been making mistake after mistake since the night you met him. Frankly, I’m surprised he’s still around.
When you sleep with someone you’ve just met, the message you’re sending is that you don’t respect yourself and you don’t see yourself as a “prize” which someone has to earn. Why would any guy want to be with someone who thinks so little of herself?
Then you told him you liked him on the second date, and you wonder why things are “complicated” between you now? Way to kill mystery and challenge. You basically handed yourself over to a stranger on a silver platter.
Guys are used to competing and having to work for what they want. There’s nothing for him to work for, so why should he be interested? By being the one to initiate contact (text messages, etc.) you continue to send the message that you have to chase him because he’s the prize and you’re just lucky to be in his presence.
This isn’t about being nice, it’s about being smart, and you’ve been anything but. If he’s still “seeing” you, it’s because you’re his booty call. Can this be turned around? I doubt it, but you can always try.
Do the opposite of everything you’ve been doing. Don’t initiate contact. Don’t always be available when he wants to get together. Don’t hang on his every word when you’re with him. Don’t appear too happy to be in his company. Don’t talk about the future.
I hope you’ve learned your lesson and will get it together for the next time.
I love dating or seeing older women. I love the way they handle themselves and look.
Twenty-one-year olds are fun but get old. An active, older woman who likes to go out and can turn heads with a great cocktail dress and heels is the most attractive thing I can think of.
I’d like to know why older women always ask why I like them and how come I am not “into” younger girls. Are all older women this insecure about this? —Brian
Luckily, not all older women are insecure about the age factor. Most know that they are the total package and have more to offer than younger women, because they’ve had more time to get their act together.
You may be meeting women who are recently divorced and back on the dating scene or who have always dated older men. The concept of a guy preferring an older woman is still quite new to a lot of people.
Tell them the same things you’ve told me, and that should help appease their concerns.
Remember: Love inspires, empowers, uplifts and enlightens.
Write to Lucia at email@example.com.
Read an excerpt from Lucia’s Lessons of Love at www.lessonsoflove.net.
Listen to Lucia live every Sunday at 3 p.m. PST on www.latalkradio


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Since its inception 40 years ago, the Peace and Conflict Studies Program (PACS) at the University of Waterloo has remained a leader in peace education. Through its innovative approach to learning, the PACS program creates the opportunity for students to express their engagement with peace in diverse and powerful ways.
On January 8th, in celebration of the PACS program’s 40th anniversary, the Grebel Gallery opened a brand new exhibit in partnership with PACS, “Beyond Essays: Approaching peace education differently”. Through this exhibit, we are celebrating many of the PACS students who have chosen to express their research findings through art. In doing so, we are celebrating the PACS department’s inclusive and creative approach to teaching, and are elevating the CPA’s strategic commitment to peace through artistic expression.
The arts-based pieces featured in the exhibit highlight a wide range of topics, from restorative justice, to religious conflict and violence, to social issues situated right here in the Waterloo Region. The diverse mediums used include paintings, photography, quilts, sculptures, and more, and demonstrate the PACS program’s inventive and well-rounded approach to peace education. At its core, the program endeavours to educate students toward developing a “moral imagination” – a concept coined by peace scholar John Paul Lederach. According to Lederach, the practice of building peace is a creative act – as much an art as a skill – as it requires imagining a world that does not yet exist amidst an in-depth understanding of that world’s current shortcomings.
In this spirit, the PACS program encourages students to engage with peace education in non-traditional ways, like exploring peace and justice through artistic expression. As Rachel Reist from the PACS department stated,
“Arts can touch you in a way that words can’t. It’s hard to convey the depth of knowledge in an essay that you can convey in art. By having an option for students to do arts-based assignments, it allows them to come to the classroom in their full self, and it allows the receiver of their work to access their work in a different way.”
One of the many pieces displayed in the gallery is “Piecing for Peace”, created by a student for PACS 101, “Peace is Everybody’s Business”. This student combined her love for quilting and passion for peace to make a quilt which conveys that, although everyone connects to it in different ways, people from nations around the world and all walks of life want to be a part of peace. Being part of an online quilting community, this PACS student asked people to send in quilt squares that depicted what peace means to them. In return, she received dozens of quilt squares from across the globe, accompanied by letters from quilters who shared stories about their journeys with peace, and the role quilting plays in that relationship.
The stories people shared with the PACS student through their letters speak volumes about the variety of ways people connect with peace. From finding peace and healing through quilting, to using quilting as a tool to promote peace, the varied yet influential presence of peacebuilding is represented in each story. The quilt serves as a reminder that even the seemingly little ways of approaching peace can have a profound impact. As one of the quilters who wrote to the student noted,
“Sewing, quilting included, is a beautiful pursuit that is lifting some of the most vulnerable people on earth out of desperate situations and teaching them that they can stand with dignity”.
Please join us for the exhibit reception on Thursday January 18th, 2018 at 4pm in the Grebel Gallery to celebrate the new exhibit, “Beyond Essays: Approaching peace education differently”. Please let us know you’re coming by registering for the event.

domain: artistic


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Our Cabin Resort Is the Perfect Place for a Girls’ Getaway in the Smoky Mountains
A girls’ getaway in the Smoky Mountains is an opportunity to create lasting memories with your friends in one of the most incredible places on Earth. At Oak Haven Resort & Spa, we would be happy to play host to your unforgettable retreat. You’ll find both luxury and comfort at our gated cabin resort, where we have private cabins and lodges that offer spaces for togetherness as well as alone time. With up to seven bedrooms available and features such as a full kitchen, cozy fireplace, soothing hot tub, and private porch, you and your tribe will truly feel like you’re in a home away from home. Whether you come as a church group, quilters, scrapbookers, or a family, you all are sure to feel welcome. And with our 24-hour customer service, gated perimeter, and clean facilities, you and your girls can relax knowing your stay will be comfortable!
When you’re not cooking meals together, soaking in the hot tub, or having a heart-to-heart by the fireplace, you’ll love experiencing all of the onsite and area activities you have to choose from. You and your group can:
You’ll find plenty of opportunities to soak up the outdoors at Oak Haven Resort & Spa. Lace up your sneakers and walk one of our beautiful nature trails, or throw on your bathing suit and take a swim in one of our seasonal outdoor pools. You can also drink hot chocolate by our fire pit or take your lunch outside at one of our picnic areas.
Of course, if you want to venture out from our resort, get ready for an adventure! At The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you can enjoy endless activities during any season. Whether you’re horseback riding in the spring, whitewater rafting or paddle boarding in the summer, taking a foliage tour or hiking in the fall, or visiting the frozen waterfalls in winter, you’re sure to experience the joy and awe that only Mother Nature can inspire.
Hit the Town
Gatlinburg’s downtown is home to the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Trail, which is comprised of more than 120 businesses selling locally made quilts, housewares, fashion, food, and visual arts. If you want some more contemporary finds, visit Pigeon Forge, which has outlet malls that sell all of your favorite brands. Want to grab a bite to eat? There are a bevy of restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and delis where you can get a taste of the delicious local fare.
Looking for some entertainment? Catch some live music or a comedy show in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, channel your inner kid on the rollercoasters at Dollywood, or enjoy any one of the magical seasonal festivals, including Winterfest and the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival. One thing is for sure; you’ll never be bored!
Our award-winning spa, The Spa at Oak Haven, is the perfect place for you and your group to relax and unwind. We offer an array of services, including massages, facials, and nail treatments, that will leave you serene and feeling your best.
Let’s Get Planning
If you want to get started on planning your girls’ getaway in the Smoky Mountains, contact Oak Haven Resort & Spa today. We would be happy to book your private cabin(s) and tell you more about the local activities in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN.

domain: travel


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18 May Social Media Vital For Small Business Throughout The COVID-19 Pandemic
As the market is changing dramatically due to COVID-19, this is the time when you should put more emphasis on communicating with customers. And, that's where social media is important.
Expert Carissa Hill shares her thoughts on this matter as she said it was imperative business owners embrace the instantaneous nature of social media to keep stakeholders and clients informed. Read more to find out.
And If you want to get your business or sales funnel launched fast to attract clients consistently, do check out our IGNITE Business Accelerator Program
With rapidly changing market conditions due to COVID-19, communicating with customers via social media has never been more important.
Expert Carissa Hill said it was imperative business owners embrace the instantaneous nature of social media to keep stakeholders and clients informed.
“Every business owner should have at least a pinned post on their Facebook page sharing where their business is in relation to the Coronavirus pandemic,” said Mrs. Hill.
“Regular and new customers should be able to find a business on Facebook or Instagram to see if the business is still open, how they have adjusted to social distancing measures and what products and services are still available,” she said.
“If you have a restaurant or cafe that is now offering a delivery service, make a video or post that can be shared via social media throughout the community.”
Mrs. Hill said business owners should ramp up their social media as more people stayed at home.
“So many people will be on social media and business owners should be proactive with offering quality content,” she said.
“True entrepreneurialism is following what the market wants.
“If your business closes or slows down, it is the ideal time to strategize, create content, and expand your online offering.
“You could write an eBook or provide a course, which you can sell online and promote it through your social media platforms.
Mrs. Hill’s tips for business owners using social media during COVID-19 lock-down
Mrs. Hill said business owners should also be looking towards the future and thinking about what their customers will need and want.
“Will your business model need to change? Can you offer your customers a package deal?” said Mrs. Hill.
“By building up a good relationship with your followers on social media throughout the pandemic, you will be in a better position to re-launch.”
“Think about how you will celebrate getting back-to-business on social media – maybe you can run a competition or invite followers to your re-launch party.”
An example of the significance of social media during the Coronavirus pandemic was when New York emergency room physician Kurt Kloss reached out to a Facebook group of about 20,000 colleagues seeking advice on how to handle the COVID-19 outbreak.
Global social media usage rates have grown by about 50 percent since 2014 and a significant spike is expected as people are quarantined or self-isolate in their homes.

domain: news


Clemson basketball loses at home
Shannon Hale intercepted an inbound pass for an uncontested jam with 25.6 seconds left to lift Alabama to a 51-50 victory over Clemson on Sunday.
The Crimson Tide (6-2) had given up an 11-point lead and trailed 50-49 in the final minute with Clemson in possession and looking to put the game away. However, after a Tiger timeout, Hale stepped in front of Donte Grantham's pass for the easy, go-ahead basket.
Clemson's Avry Holmes missed a floater around the basket and Jaron Blossomgame missed a layup before Alabama regained the ball with 3.3 seconds left to hold on for their fourth straight win.
Retin Obasohan scored a career-high 23 points including four 3-pointers for Alabama, which made only two of its last 14 shots.
Hale finished with 12 points.
Landry Nnoko scored 15 points to lead the Tigers. However, he missed two free throws that would've extended Clemson's lead.


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Olivia Rodrigo ADMITS it was 'frustrating to see people discredit' her amid songwriting controversy
Olivia Rodrigo in a recent interview revealed how she felt during songwriting controversy
Olivia Rodrigo knows how to give credit where credit is due, but it hasn't always been easy for the pop artist to hear people critique her creative process. Rodrigo, 18, had a big year in 2021, beginning with the release of her first song "Drivers License" in January and culminating with seven Grammy nominations, a global tour announcement, and, most recently, being awarded Time's 2021 Entertainer of the Year.
However, success has not been without controversy, including two occasions in which Rodrigo added extra authorship credits to tunes on her first album Sour when fans spotted similarities to other successful songs. As per PEOPLE, Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro of Paramore were granted songwriting credit on "Good 4 U" in August owing to similarities to their 2007 hit "Misery Business." Meanwhile, Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff were given writing credit on Rodrigo's song "1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back," which interpolated the melody from their song "New Year's Day," right away, and the pair were later credited on "Déjà Vu," too, because its melody was inspired by the bridge of "Cruel Summer."
"It was really frustrating to see people discredit and deny my creativity," Rodrigo told Time of having to revise her credits. Meanwhile, Dan Nigro, her co-writer and producer, had a different take: "It seems like people get funny about things when songs become really popular," he told Time. The "Drivers License" singer went on to say that in her opinion, she's in her own lane, and whatever inspiration she pulls from others isn't an invitation to compare.
Regardless of the criticism, Rodrigo told the site that putting her emotions into singing is normal for her. She said as per PEOPLE, "Songwriting is the thing I take most seriously in my life. It's the most personally gratifying, too."

domain: celebrity


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Wanda Gail Martin Howard
Published: Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 2:58 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 2:58 p.m.
THOMASVILLE | Wanda Gail Martin Howard, 63, of East Holly Grove Road, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, at Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at J.C. Green & Sons Chapel. Burial will be in Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.


I spoke with Elvira Guzman about her debut book titled, Your Blueprint: An Interactive Guide to Remembering Your True Purpose in Life, a book she wrote in only two days! Helping others is not unfamiliar to Guzman who already guides music artists, comedians, and more through her Elvie G PR & Branding company. Elvira opened up to me about her true purpose in life, how she didn’t let challenging situations prevent her from excelling, and what she would like you to take away from reading her book. Purchase your copy of Your Blueprint here.
Tune in to the conversation.
“You can be a millionaire and not know your purpose in life and therefore still feel empty, lonely and miserable.” Your Blueprint- Elvira Guzman
Hello Ashey, I think you have a really great website! I found your website because I was looking for more information about Elvira Guzman. I’m currently in school for New media Journalism at Full Sail University. I think your website makes great use of social media and the layout is really easy to follow. I’ve been watching the content you’ve been producing and I think your interviews are really interesting!


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Julie K. Brown
Julie K. Brown is an award-winning investigative journalist with the Miami Herald. Her pursuit of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking story re-opened the case ten years after Epstein wrangled a secret plea bargain from then Miami U.S. Attorney Secretary Alex Acosta. Her series in the Herald led to the federal indictments of Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, the resignation of Acosta as Labor Secretary and millions of dollars in compensation paid to his victims. For her reporting on Epstein, Brown was awarded the Hillman Prize for Journalism in the Common Good, the Reporter’s Committee Freedom of the Press Award, the Women’s Media Center Investigative Journalism Award, PEN America’s Dan Eldon Voice of Courage Award, the National Press Club’s Neil and Susan Sheehan award and a George Polk Award for the Justice Reporting.
Her previous investigative work, the 2014 series “Cruel and Unusual” exposed abuses and brutality in the Florida prison system, especially against mentally impaired inmates, prompting a federal investigation by the Department of Justice. For “Cruel and Unusual,” she was awarded the George Polk Award for Justice Reporting and a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.
Brown lives in Hollywood, Florida.


text: Holly Ringland grew up wild and barefoot in her mother’s tropical garden. When she was nine years old, her family lived in a camper van for two years, travelling across the national parks in North America, an experience that sparked Holly’s lifelong interest in cultures and stories. In her twenties, Holly worked for four years in a remote Indigenous community in the central Australian desert. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester, and her essays and short fiction have been published in various anthologies and literary journals. Her debut novel, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, will be published in April 2018 and has sold to 17 territories including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and France.

domain: geography


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By Al Petersen, St. Helens
I’ll be voting for Margaret Magruder for County Commissioner position 1 and I urge others to do the same. Margaret comes from a farming family in Clatskanie and maintains the family farm to this day. Margaret is concerned about the environment and has served on the Lower Columbia River Watershed Council for 20 years. Margaret has been involved in many wetlands and habitat restoration projects that have benefited the environment and at the same time allowed landowners to continue to work their farms. Margaret understands the balance needed to address social, economic, and environmental issues facing our rural county. Key to any county commissioner’s role is working with the many state agencies that regulate our counties. Margaret comes to the job with experience and continued connections at the state level, she will hit the ground running.
I urge everyone to vote for Margaret Magruder for County Commissioner position 1.

domain: politics


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Ten years ago, a series of events changed Johnny Merrimon’s quiet hometown life for good. He has tried his best to stay under the radar since then, but it’s nearly impossible to escape the spotlight when there are books being written about him and fans and groupies dying for a chance to meet him. After moving out to the wilderness past town, Johnny’s last tie to his old life is Jack—a friend from boyhood. They’re forever connected through the things they shared and those they lost.
Jack doesn’t believe Johnny is safe, and senses disquiet and unease in Johnny’s reclusive home. Though he refuses to speak of it Johnny is also aware of the danger that surrounds him; he is conscious of the abilities he possesses, and more importantly, the unspeakable fear that they ignite. Narrator Jeremy Bobb’s dramatic and bone-chilling delivery of the stunning story will stay with you long after you’re done listening. Listen to an excerpt of this unique secret world!

domain: literature


2010 release, a musical collaboration between the Irish Folk legends, guitarist Ry Cooder and guests. San Patricio rekindles their Grammy winning partnership with Cooder, illuminating musical and historical bonds between Ireland and Mexico. The Album tells the nearly forgotten story of the brave San Patricio battalion, a downtrodden group of Irish immigrants who deserted the US Army to fight on the Mexican side in the Mexican/American War (1846-48). Features guest appearances from Lila Downs, Linda Ronstadt, Carlos Nunez, Moya Brennan, Lost Tigres Del Norte and others.
Produced by Paddy Moloney and Ry Cooder


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Add Sale Alert
Loren Stewart shows an artful way to wear diamonds with this encrusted 14kt yellow-gold single earring. Five round-cut white diamonds embellish the curved design, which is tipped delicately with a domed end. Wear it curled across the lobe or facing down in a drop.
Loren Stewart is a contemporary fine jewellery label that's new to MATCHESFASHION.COM. These earrings are a beautiful example of the brand's modern aesthetic and made from 14kt yellow-gold to resemble arrows. Each is finished with a heart-shaped ruby at its centre.
The beauty of Loren Stewart's 14kt yellow-gold earrings lies within their delicacy. The understated design is encrusted with white-diamond pavé that adds a light-reflecting quality to the bar. Wear them with a twisted chignon and a cashmere sweater for classic chic.
For jewellery with a modern edge, look to Loren Stewart. These 14kt yellow-gold earrings are the perfect way to elevate every look, with a delicate shape and white-diamond pavé embellishment. Wear them pointed down for a drop effect, or curled up and across the lobe.
A round-cut white diamond, pear-shaped opal, rich emerald and pearl decorate Loren Stewart's beautiful single earring. 14kt rose-gold settings complement the design perfectly. Wear with a single stud in the opposite lobe for a unique everyday look.
No matter how simple your outfit, the perfect piece of jewellery can make every look feel luxurious. Take Loren Stewart's 14kt yellow-gold disc earrings for example understated and delicate, they work night and day. Wear your hair tucked behind the ears to allow the white-diamond pavé to catch the light.
For beautiful fine jewellery with a contemporary edge, look to Loren Stewart. These 14kt yellow-gold arrow earrings sit along the lobe, and can be twisted to point in a different direction. They're fully embellished with white diamonds for added sparkle.
Loren Stewart sterling silver curb chain bracelet with bezel-set diamond and gold ID plate. Polished 14k gold, polished sterling silver. 4mm band width, 2" maximum interior diameter; ID plate: 40mm length (approximately) . Lobster claw clasp with jump chain.
Exclusively Ours! Loren Stewart's Watts ID choker features a polished gold bar on a sterling silver curb chain. Necklace can also be worn as a longer style. Polished 14k gold, polished sterling silver. 16" maximum length, approximately; bar: 46mm length x 4mm width (approximately) . Lobster claw clasp with jump chain.
Loren Stewart is among a host of fine jewellery labels taking the safety pin earring and reworking it into something modern and luxurious. This 14kt yellow-gold pair is detailed with a row of small pearls down one side and makes a contemporary alternative to classic studs.
Loren Stewart's delicate, open-band ring is crafted of gold set with a petite white diamond, and oval turquoise and pear-shaped opal cabochons. Stones arranged in order of decreasing size, pronged settings, open band tipped with gold ball bead at each end. Polished 14k gold. 1mm band width, 6mm face width (approximately) .
Crafted of polished sterling silver, Loren Stewart's delicate Bolero necklace is anchored by a gold and bezel-set diamond bar. Chain tipped with gold arrowhead and tube charms. Polished 14k gold, polished sterling silver. 30" length (adjustable), approximately. Slips on.
Loren Stewart diamond and gold arrowhead "pin" drop earring and stud set. Tipped with an arrowhead, curved pin earring is crafted of gold set with five white diamonds; stud earring features a white diamond resting on arrowhead. Polished 14k gold. Round-cut white diamonds. 8mm-18mm drop, approximately. Stud secures with post back, pin with wire back.
Crafted of polished yellow gold, Loren Stewart's delicate arrowhead "pin" drop earring and stud set shines with round-cut white diamonds. Tipped with an arrowhead at each end, the whimsical pin follows the natural curve of your ear. A perfect complement, the petite stud earring features a round-cut diamond resting atop a single, polished gold arrowhead. Polished 14k gold. 8mm-28mm drop, approximately. Stud secures with post back, pin with wire back.


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Rio Cisnes (Upper)
Don’t be fooled by the low average gradient on the upper Cisnes. Its citadel rock walls reverberate with the roar of great whitewater rising from the abyss. Located east of the Carretera Austral, this precipitous canyon forms the southeastern boundary of Parque Nacional Queulat. Although off the beaten, dusty track, the magnificence of this canyon makes the added time and effort to reach it worthwhile.
Rapids of little consequence make up the first half of the trip. Below the confluence with Estero Quemas, an inviting, narrow side canyon from the north, the river begins to flex its muscles. Numerous scouts are required at blind horizon lines created by boulders polished white by millennia of rushing waters. As the gradient steepens, a portage or two may be prudent depending on the water level, although all the drops have been run. High water runs would be sketchy due to the presence of sieves, undercuts, and one unportagable rapid. In case of an accident, bailout possibilities in the gorge are arduous, if not impossible.
From Villa Amengual near Cisnes Medio, 288 km south of Chaitén on the Carretera Austral, drive east approximately 20 km on X-25 towards La Tapera and the Argentine border. Finding the arbitrary put-in and take-out requires your attention to the topography. After ascending a few switchbacks, look down at the end of the canyon. Take out shortly downstream from here (elevation 430 meters) by hiking up to the road. Put in 12 km upstream from this point at a pullout on the left (elevation 310 meters), where the road descends close to river level. Vehicle traffic is sparse in this region, so be prepared to “hoof it” on the shuttle.
Fishing is absolute amazing and you can see the fish in pools below you as you boat.
This 12 km class IV+•V- stretch is best run at early and mid summer flows of 300 to 700 CFS with average gradient of 10 mpk or 50 fpm
Topo map titled Laguna Las Quemas


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Screen Printed poster
Each one of these test prints are from a Master's of the Universe Poster by Tim Anderson and are unique. Select the actual version you want and we'll send it your way. There's only one of each, so truly one of a kind. *These are test prints, which are not typically "mint" prints. They are true working/setup pieces with character in every aspect.

domain: design


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Ekiti - The Ekiti Police have arrested a 45-year-old man, Lawrence Adedapo, for allegedly raping a 75-year-old woman in the state, Vanguard reports.
The victim said Lawrence asked her to come over to his place to receive some bunches of plaintain he brought from the farm, but forcefully pushed to her to the bed before raping her.
The suspect, however, denied the allegation. He said the septuagenarian has been her mistress for a long time and she only reported him to the police because of the disparity in the money he paid her after their sexual engagement.
The police in Ekiti said the suspect will remain in custody as investigation revealed that the woman was actually raped judging from the blood flow in her genitals.
Read more at Vanguard

domain: sociology


Save the Pine Bush Sues the Town of Colonie
Save the Pine Bush
Sues the Town of Colonie
by Lynne Jackson
Yesterday, October 7, Save the Pine Bush sued the Town of Colonie over its acceptance of the Lisha-Kill – Kings Road Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS).
This GEIS would have a devastating affect on the Pine Bush in the Town of Colonie, and SPB has sued to get it tossed out. Watch for a more comprehensive article about the GEIS and the suit in the next SPB newsletter.
Printed October, November, 1996


2010 Florida Statutes
Application for license; carriers.
Application for license; carriers.—
It is unlawful for any person to engage in business as a private or common carrier of motor fuel within this state or to engage in the business of transporting fuel by pipeline or marine vessel unless he or she is the holder of an unrevoked license issued by the department to engage in such business.
To procure such license, a person shall file with the department an application under oath and in such form as the department may prescribe, setting forth:
The name under which the person will transact business within the state.
The location, with street number address, of his or her principal office or place of business within this state and the location where records will be made available for inspection.
The name, federal employer identification number or, if such number is not available, the social security number, and complete residence address of the owner or the names and addresses of the partners, if such person is a partnership, or of the principal officers, if such person is a corporation or association; and, if such person is a corporation organized under the laws of another state, territory, or country, he or she shall also file with the application a certified copy of the certificate or license issued by the Department of State showing that such corporation is authorized to transact business in the state.
The application shall require a $30 license tax. Each license shall be renewed annually through application, including an annual $30 license tax.
Any person transporting fuel without first obtaining such license commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Such person shall also be subject to the provisions of s. 206.205.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this chapter, the department may grant a temporary fuel license for immediate use if:
The Governor has declared a state of emergency under s. 252.36; or
The President of the United States has declared a major disaster in this state or in any other state or territory of the United States.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter requiring a license tax and a bond or criminal background check, the department may issue a temporary license as a carrier to a person who holds a valid Florida wholesaler, importer, exporter, or blender license or to a person who is an unlicensed dealer. A license may be issued under this subsection only to a business that has a physical location in this state and holds a valid Florida sales and use tax certificate of registration or that holds a valid fuel license issued by another state.
A temporary license expires on the last day of the month following the month in which the temporary license was issued. The department may extend any temporary license on a month-to-month basis during the period of a declared state of emergency or major disaster as provided in this subsection. If the department extends a temporary license, the extended license expires on the last day of the month in which the temporary license was extended.
In order to procure a temporary license, a nonresident business must provide to the department the information required in subsection (2); the federal identification number of the business or, if such number is unavailable, the social security number of the owner; and any other information that is required by the department.
A temporary license authorized by this subsection may not be renewed if the licensee has not filed the required returns or made payment of the taxes required under this chapter.
s. 75, ch. 85-342; s. 1060, ch. 95-147; s. 3, ch. 95-417; s. 16, ch. 2007-106.


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Virtual Launch Blog Tour
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Writer’s Journey -
Deciding to Self-Publish Open Minds (Part One)
by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds
(Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)
I’ve talked about my decision to self-publish my paranormal/SF young adult novel Open Minds (you can read the whole post here), but in short I made a calculated career decision to self-publish for three reasons:
1) Publisher interest in paranormal is waning, even though paranormal YA novels are still burning up the charts
2) Price control
3) Writing investment diversification
(Plus I have to admit to a certain desire to try the shiny new gadget of self-publishing.)
My Logic Brain loves those three reasons, and they are truly the decision points that made me take the leap into self-publishing.
But finding the courage to make the leap was a whole different story. The theme of my writer’s journey to date has really been about overcoming fear, and that journey has taught me many lessons.
Fear of Sharing My Work
All good stories start at the beginning. For me, the beginning was December of 2008, when I decided to write fiction for the first time since I was a high school student passing serialized stories as furtive notes to my friends in class. But as an adult, I was terrified to share my work. It took me two months and a very encouraging phone call from my brother before I was willing to post my first stabs at writing online. For real people to actually read. The horrors! I quickly realized that in spite of the horrid quality of my craft, people didn’t care. They wanted to read the story. I also learned that having readers rocked my socks.
Lesson #1: Story matters more than craft and readers matter most of all.
Fear of Being Serious about Creative Work
Once the writing bug bit me, I was completely entranced. It was like discovering a new addiction, only more so. Writing had tapped into a creative side of me that had been dormant for many years, jolting my Creative Brain to life and sending it on a headlong rush of delirious creative work. I’m not saying the work was good, but my heavens, there was a lot of it.
I wrote day and night. My husband wondered what had happened to me. But I couldn’t stop; didn’t want to stop. I wanted to do this writing thing full-time, forever. I had a serious identity crisis for a while: how could someone with a Ph.D. in Engineering even consider writing as a career? I had always planned to go back to work in engineering, and now I was going to be a children’s writer?? I wrestled long and hard with that decision, but Creative Brain—once unleashed—was a force to be reckoned with.
Once again, my brother (the writer) came to my aid and said with no sarcasm that I had a moral obligation to write. That people who are capable of creating original work have an obligation to the world to do so. I completely thought he was joking. He wasn’t. It took me a long time before I finally understood what he meant. In fact, my understanding of that simple statement continues to evolve (my brother should run for Dalai Lama, in case the Dalai decides to make it an elected position).
Lesson #2: Creative work is as valuable in the world as “practical” work.
Fear of Publishing
Once I took the leap to being serious about writing, I started a novel with the intent of trying to get it published (this was Clone Runners). I got all serious about plotting and craft. I read agent and writer’s blogs. I started my own blog. And I continued to write like crazy. I entered that phase where you learn enough to know how much you REALLY don’t know. It was painful and long and arduous. And exhilarating and amazing. And mostly terrifying.
I was getting close to querying my middle grade science fiction story and was half-way through the first draft of Open Minds, when the unthinkable happened: someone (my publisher Omnific) wanted me to submit the first real novel I had written, Life, Liberty, and Pursuit (a teen love story). What? That wasn’t part of the plan, at all. I was going to be a SF writer, primarily MG, not a romance writer for young adults. And did I really want to take the risk of publishing with a small publisher? I had read all the blogs that said to be wary of small publishers, especially NEW small publishers (I was Omnfic’s 9th title).
I hurriedly revised and polished this novel I had never intended to publish, submitted it, and before too long they were offering me a contract. Meanwhile, I consulted my Mission Statement (#GeekAlert), the one that I had created for my writing career, and this popped out at me:
To create a body of work ... that reaches a large number of young readers, to provide the greatest impact on young lives.
This was what I really wanted: to connect with readers. To have readers, I needed to put work out where they could buy it. I decided to take the leap and publish Life, Liberty, and Pursuit.
Lesson #3: You can’t reach readers if you don’t publish.
These lessons were just the start of finding my Writerly Path. Read on to Part Two to see the rest of the journey (and see the full story below).
Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.
Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) by Susan Kaye Quinn is available in e-book (Amazon US (also UK, France and Germany), Barnes & Noble, Smashwords) and print (Amazon, Createspace, also autographed copies available from the author).
The Story of Open Minds (linked posts)
Epilogue: Finding Time to Write the Sequel
Susan Kaye Quinn is giving away an Open Books/Open Minds t-shirt, mug, and some fun wristbands to celebrate the Virtual Launch Party of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)! (Check out the prizes here.)
Three ways to enter (you can have multiple entries):
1) Leave a comment here or at the Virtual Launch Party post
2) Tweet (with tag #keepingOPENMINDS)
Example: When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. #keepingOPENMINDS @susankayequinn #SF #YA avail NOW http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds
Example: Celebrate the launch of OPEN MINDS by @susankayequinn #keepingOPENMINDS #SciFi #paranormal #YA avail NOW http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds
3) Facebook (tag @AuthorSusanKayeQuinn)
Example: Celebrate the launch of paranormal/SF novel OPEN MINDS by @AuthorSusanKayeQuinn for a chance to win Open Books/Open Minds prizes! http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds
There's a lot of partying go on today!
Follow the links and join in the celebrating!


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Jerry Strong is the son of a rich businessman, but wants to be a painter. He hires Kay Arnold, a good girl with a bad past, as a model. They fall in love, and plan to get married. But Jerry's parents raise strong objections. Written by
John Oswalt <firstname.lastname@example.org>
The play "Ladies of the Evening" by Milton Herbert Gropper opened at the Lyceum Theatre in New York on 23 December 1924 and closed in May 1925 after 159 performances. The opening night cast included Beth Merrill as "Kay," and James Kirkwood as "Jerry Strong." The play was produced by David BelascoSee more »
LADIES OF LEISURE, adapted to the screen from a play, is another in a long line of Frank Capra-directed films that pits the lower orders against the upper through the device of a romantic entanglement. In this case it's "lady of leisure" (read: prostitute or good time gal) Barbara Stanwyck against the slightly bohemian scion of a wealthy banking family (Ralph Graves). The theme of the movie is set right away as we see a bustling Manhattan street at night. Suddenly bottles fall from the sky and explode on the sidewalk, narrowly missing pedestrians. They are coming from a group of drunken young women who are tossing them over a penthouse terrace balcony for kicks. These party girls have been hired by dissolute swell Lowell Sherman, a friend of Graves, who, offended by the crudity of the party scene, hops into his roadster for a drive into the country. He stops by a lake where he sees a young woman (Stanwyck) dressed in an evening gown rowing herself ashore in a canoe. It turns out she too is a party girl and is also escaping a wild party, this time on a yacht. He finds her attractive and offers her a ride back to the city. As is her habit, she picks his pocket while he's driving. Thus the plot line is set. We know what will happen by the end. Along the way we are treated to a beautifully etched characterization by Stanwyck who covers a wide range of acting territory from crude and lowdown to transcendentally idealistic. The equally inventive Marie Prevost provides generous support as her overweight roommate. Lowell Sherman, playing the same type of hard-drinking, pleasure-loving sophisticate as he often did in other movies (Bachelor Apartment, What Price Hollywood), is also excellent.
For whatever reason, Ralph Graves cannot perform like a flesh and blood human being. His movements are stiff and unmotivated, his emotions seem forced and sudden. Even the expression on his face looks pasted on from some other character in some other movie. All wrong. One is not surprised to see that within a few years he was playing uncredited bit parts in third-rate movies. His silent film credits are numerous and go back to the teens so one can only wonder what his appeal was. He is not bad looking, so one must assume that his substantial silent film career owed a lot to his appearance.
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domain: entertainment


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Basmati rice is the world’s most expensive, with a typical serving costing around $50. However, the demand for this rice is growing, and India is the largest producer of Basmati rice. The world of agriculture is changing. New technologies are introduced to help farmers increase yields. The best of these technologies are under incorporation into farming equipment. Do you ever wonder who is bringing these ideas to life? Basmati rice manufacturers in India are the ones who are setting these new standards in the industry, and their work continues to influence the agricultural landscape.
Basmati means fragrant and safe for everyone to taste the flavor. It gives an excellent aroma to every dish uniquely. The texture of this rice is definite in a nutty taste. No other rice quality can beat the taste of this rice. Long rice grains do not require boiling for hours because it is delicate. It is fluffy to ensure the best taste of Basmati Rice from different manufacturers. Shree Krishna Exports check the grain maturity to deliver in the market for giving the best flavors.
Many people think that rice is not a good option for health because it makes them fat. It is an incredible choice to balance nutrition with health. Basmati rice sustains the energy for a longer time for the glycemic index. The energy releases slowly with steady paces considering it as super grain. The rice is low in fat, with no gluten and an absence of sodium. People with cholesterol can eat Basmati Rice because it is efficient for the heart.
Basmati rice takes low time to cook because it has delicate textures. All these grains are aromatic and do not become sticky. It does not lose its slender shape after cooking and remains steep. Rice is versatile as it is ready for different dishes in the country. It is included in recipes from Biryani to Kheer etc, on auspicious occasions
Supports weight loss journey
Basmati Rice is beneficial on a diet because it gives them adequate nutrition for shedding weight. It is low in fat content as boiled rice. The fiber in Basmati rice breaks down body fat, and people no longer crave food. It makes you eat less during your diet throughout the day
Improves heart health
The gut health improves from the Basmati rice as it contains fibers. It is beneficial for controlling heart health. There is time to include serving dishes in the diet weekly. Research studies have shown that fiber level is essential in the human body to protect the heart. Consume 25g of fiber regularly to prevent heart blockages or diseases. Basmati rice is a potential fiber with its nutty taste and delicate texture.
The Basmati Rice Exporter in India commits to preserving the rice for decades. Today, farmers are growing Basmati rice by nurturing the grains. It passes from one generation to another to store the precious grain. Experienced buyers tell customers about the benefits of Basmati Rice irrespective of price. People find it valuable to grow rice in fields and cook it. The legend lives from time to time with health benefits and aroma.

domain: agronomy


The high-end economy lines GSN & GFE combine high performance with financial efficiency: both lines are also built with helical ground gears, ensuring the very least noise level and smooth running. The entire needle bearing has been especially made to reach high torques that beat the competition for systems of the same size. All planetary carriers are manufactured as a cage made from solid material. This increases tranquil operating characteristics while at the same time improving positioning accuracy and reducing backlash. Yet another shaft sealing ring ensures maximum dust and splash water protection in accordance with protection course IP65 in every lines.
One way to reduce backlash is to use precision gears. The concentrate on production in precision gears can be tighter tolerances, so all over the gear is a tighter, more specific fit. And the tighter fit means less play in the apparatus teeth, which is the cause of backlash to begin with. Of course, precision gears are more costly, if the application demands high accuracy, after that precision gearing could be the way to go.
From a gear design perspective, a simple way to lessen backlash is to ensure one’s teeth mesh tightly together. That is typically carried out by shortening the guts distance between gears. As for pre-loading, this is often done utilizing a spring mechanism to carry the gears firmly set up. This also eliminates the play between the gear teeth and thus eliminates backlash.
Of course, the type of gears used can also have a large impact on the quantity of backlash. So for instance, some equipment types such as stress wave gears, or harmonic equipment drives, have zero backlash.
The GSD, GSB & GSBL high-end gearbox lines are constructed in a space-optimized, two-stage design. Because of the lower torque ideals, the input stage is definitely dimensionally smaller than the output stage. Its short style makes the GSD line the ideal high-end gearbox for space restricted applications. The low regular backlash of the GSD line makes it the perfect fit for highly dynamic applications where highest positioning and quickness accuracy is required. The flange result creates highest torsional rigidity. For the accommodation of especially high axial loads, taper roller bearings are optionally available in sizes with 90 mm diameter or higher. The GSB line stands for high performance in mixture with low backlash and high precision. Its robust, one-piece housing allows for a high gearbox rigidity and the zero backlash planetary gearbox absorption of high radial and axial loads. The angular gearboxes of the GSBL line provide same advantages as the GSB collection; the right angle form makes the GSBL collection an ideal match for all powerful applications where space is bound.
Incorrect tolerances, bearing misalignment, and manufacturing inconsistencies have a tendency to increase backlash.
AC motors and equipment motors include single-stage motors used with a single-stage AC power supply and three-phase motors used in combination with a three-stage AC power supply. A single-phase motor could be operated by simply connecting it to a single-phase power via the supplied capacitor. A three-phase motor does not need a capacitor. All you need is for connecting the motor right to a three-stage AC power supply.
The brand new planetary gearbox series includes the high-end gearbox lines GSD (flange equipment), GSB (inline) and GSBL (angle gear) and also the high-end economy GSN and GFE lines. Particularly ideal applications for the brand new range are those that place the highest demands on positioning accuracy, operating noises, working smoothness, bending rigidity and transmitted torque. The planetary gears are created to meet the highest creation requirements – all lines are equipped with precision floor helical gearing, single-piece planetary carriers and full needle bearings.


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By Jeff Shaner
AgVenture Soybean Product Manager
These pictures were taken just this past Friday in Eastern Illinois. The grower was taken aback at how severe this damage from Bean Leaf beetles has become and in such a short amount of time. At a time when many farmers are looking forward to harvest beginning a few weeks down the road, we cannot become complacent about what is happening in your fields. If the crop is not in the bin, the opportunity for loss is still present. At this moment, your soybeans fields look like an all-you-can-eat buffet for pests like bean leaf beetle, stinkbugs, Japanese beetles, grasshoppers, Corn Rootworm beetles, Fall Armyworm, and more.
Pod fill is the #1 portion of the soybean growing season where yield can be made or lost. Let’s look at several questions that need to be answered right now, starting with:
“What stage is my crop in?”
If you have weeks of pod fill yet to go, and your leaf-feeding across a large portion of the acreage is 25% or greater, then significant yield loss is a high probability. You cannot allow the bugs to decimate your crop at this highly yield-sensitive time of the year. Be prepared to act FAST. Waiting several days could be a major hit to your bottom line.
“Is the crop made at this point and treatment will be a waste of resources?”
Many soy acres across the Midwest are starting to mature. You can see the general canopy yellowing. Seeds in pods appear swollen and ready to start finishing off. You may have some fields in this stage, and others nowhere close to maturing. Just as you treat every crop year as possessing its own personality and set of playing rules, also treat each individual field as unique in its needs and subsequent course of action. Should you determine that leaf feeding is no longer going to cause great financial harm, then ask yourself this next question.
“Will these pests become pod feeders as well?”
Pods that once displayed great potential are now laying on the ground. Pods that started out with 3 or 4 seeds, only finished with 2 or 3 reaching maturity. What went wrong?
Bean Leaf beetles become pod feeders as leaves lose their tasty appeal. They will scrape off the pod wall and allow fungi to invade.
Grasshoppers aren’t so subtle. Their strong mouthparts chew right through pod walls and take bites out of seeds.
Stink bugs don’t cause great visual damage to the pod. Their piercing mouthparts leave little to be viewed except for the resulting damaged seeds from the digestive enzymes they inject.
Corn Rootworm beetles are now leaving corn fields looking for a fresher meal. Not only can they clip pods, but they may also be laying eggs to overwinter on your soybean residue.
Fall Armyworm came soaring in on weather systems recently and heard the dinner bell ringing at your farm. Tissue damage thresholds register at as little as 15% during pod fill. Finding 10-15 per 25 sweeps should have your attention, or more than 3 per row foot. Keep in mind that these may be resistant to some insecticides, and if most of your worms are more than an inch in length, you may be too late.
Never give up on the crop folks. Double-digit losses are a reality this late in the game. The cost of treatment for many of you will be less than the price of 1 bushel of soybeans. Talk to your AgVenture Yield Specialist. Get good advice. Make sound decisions with an eye towards Maximum Profit.


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Driving means you have less time to look around and definitely reduces your appreciation of the world about you. All I could see on the journey south from Market Harborough to Maidstone was the tailgate of trucks on the A14, M11, M25, M2, etc. What was visible of the countryside was that great monoculture of the cereal growing mega-farms. Some people call this a prairie, but that seems a little bit romantic for me. Whatever wildlife exists in these parts, must have to struggle for shelter, for food and contact with its own species to reproduce successfully. It suits a motorway backdrop, but it contributes to the monotony that they must have in mind when they warn that 'Tiredness Kills, Take A Break'. I wished there was a rest from the desert of modern agribusiness.
Today was not supposed to be as long a journey as the first day. I divided up the trip to make it easier and less of an ordeal, but there were so many points where we slowed to 50mph that after an hour and a half we were still way off reaching the M25 around London. We stopped at a services where there is a drive through Starbucks. Now, I'm all for multi-tasking, but the idea of juggling driving and scaldingly hot coffee while struggling with your small change on a motorway slip road is something you'd think those health and safety types might have put before the worlds biggest coffee sellers and tax avoiders.
We have taken to mixing our coffee drinking with the crossword and Sudoku. That's about as exciting as we want it to be. And it means you can avoid the contemplation of your surroundings, these great aircraft hangers, where you are encouraged to top up on your shopping addiction.
In 1976 we never made it to the Lakes. Coming out of our Manchester hotel and standing beside the road, we had no luck thumbing a lift. We walked a little way to a roundabout. There, after a long stretch of wasted travelling time, we flagged down a truck, only to be told that it was not going north, but west. I cannot remember if we hesitated or not, but it was surely only a few seconds later that the driver's companion was taking us around the back, to clamber up inside. There, as they closed the door behind, with warnings to hold on tight, we could see that we were in the back of an animal transporter. A recently used one at that.
At the first roundabout we were flung first to one side, then the other. As the truck began to gather speed, the wind coming through the slatted sides started a whirlwind of straw and animal dung, flying up to cover us. When it became clear that the driver and his wife in the sealed cab could not hear our calls for them to slow down, we attempted to get away from the storm by pushing and pulling each other up onto a ledge where equipment was stored.
It was much safer and healthier for us up there and we survived the rest of the journey by holding onto the walls and ourselves, at every bend.
Today, the only mess flying around inside our car was the stuff we left in it since setting off. We make it a point to have the car serviced before a long trip. That way you at least start with a valetted interior. It is incredible how much mess two people can create in one day of driving.
We left the service station after the usual search for the exit, where the circuit around the car park seems to yield very few clues, but lots of chances to be crushed under a truck that is randomly crossing the unmarked lanes. By the time you get out onto the road, the benefits of a stopover have been ruined by the stresses of finding the way out of there. It was on the acceleration lane that I discovered how low our fuel gauge had fallen. Either fuel evaporates in hot car parks, or slow driving is not as fuel efficient as VW claims for this car. It must be the former, because they can thoroughly verify the the fuel consumption of their cars, can they not?
Anyhow, this did not worry us unduly, as there must be lots of service stations around the M11, M25. Not as many as you'd think, it turned out. As the needle dipped well into the red, the tension in the car headed into its own danger zone. It was not helped by the impression that the last few litres in the tank are used up exponentially. We had no need of warning lights and displays to tell us how close we were to a breakdown in the middle of roadworks. It is these same roadworks that were partially to blame for us not getting off at the next services. We failed to appreciate that the lane going off between lines of cones, is for both the road junction and the fuel stop. You keep telling yourself that 'empty' doesn't mean empty, that manufacturers always put in a tiny space at the bottom of the tank. It's probably called the idiot reserve, or moron pot, something with a technical term like that.
Of course we eventually made the turn off to find a petrol station and I immediately felt the worry had been entirely overdone. “We were never really going to run out of petrol” I told Christina. She didn't answer, but her look managed to convey “Yeah, right”, without the need for actual words. Perhaps it is the release of tension, but all around the world looked different. No longer a uniform pattern of massive fields stretching away to the horizon, there are actual tree covered hills in this part of Kent and small green fields behind rich hedges. Even the air feels easier to breathe.
We had hoped to make it to Maidstone early enough to go on and explore a part of the world we have neither of us, visited for years. But once we poured ourselves into the hotel room and shut the door, we were not going to get out and face the traffic on the one-way system. So leaving Christina in the room overlooking the Medway river, I went out for a walk around town.
On our honeymoon, we had no idea where we were when the truck carrying us finally stopped and the doors at the rear opened. It was like being released from a kidnapping. We stumbled out into the daylight of North Wales. Only much later did we learn this was near Conwy, with family and possible refuge only a few miles away.
Our lack of planning showed up here in full. We had very little money to spend on ourselves. All we had was left over from a summer spent working in Cornwall. I had proposed to Christina in a shed we were living in and the day after we walked out of our jobs in a cafe on the beach. Two weeks later, we were married and standing beside a road, picking straw and animal dung out of our hair and clothing. We had, as I said, no idea where we were, and only a two person nylon tent and a single camping stove for accommodation and survival. Standing beside a road, deserted in both directions. Still, it was sunny, in the longest drought in living memory.
We chose the direction at random and began to walk, hopefully in the direction of a village or campsite even. A long while later, with nothing vaguely promising in sight, we came upon a group of lads. We immediately took them as saviours, for on questioning, they turned out to be Boy Scouts. What's more they were camping nearby and offered to lead us to the place. Gladly did we follow them.
They turned off the road, down a track, until we came to a railway line. Instead of crossing, they began to walk along it. We followed, reassured by their apparent local knowledge of train times. It is not easy walking on railway sleepers and ballast and it seemed like a long trek to this campsite. When we turned off the track and arrived at a clearing beside the river, we were so relieved at being out of any danger, that it was a few seconds before we began to appreciate the situation.
In 'Swallows and Amazons' it is fine to set up a camp on an island. In real life, there are questions like, what to do about water, how to make a toilet, what are we going to eat and what on earth were we thinking of pitching our tent two metres away from a bunch of adolescent boys for the night? There were no satisfactory answers to any of those questions, so we ate our last snacks from the day before outside the tent that was not big enough to sit upright inside. All other questions were resolved by our reluctance to risk the walk back along the railway track and the falling light. We had no choice but to crawl inside our tent and try and get some sleep. Amazingly, we did almost immediately.
The river outside Travelodge was a bit canalised, but climbing up onto one of the bridges, I saw what looked like old buildings and something green and park like in the distance. Soon, I was on the riverside walk and the old buildings turned out to be the old church and college, large parts of which are fourteenth century in origin. It was very good to see not only the riverside, but the presence of people making use of the shade to escape the sunshine. There is an amphitheatre and a large rose garden beside the path and I began to settle in for a fair walk in attractive surroundings.
This turned out to be a delusion, as almost immediately I came across a fence erected across the path, marking the boundary of a row of houses along the river. The path here turned abruptly uphill and I followed it, hoping that this was a minor obstacle that could be circumvented. However, at the top I came to College Avenue, which advertised itself as a private road, not open to, nor welcoming of vehicles and pedestrians. Reluctantly, I turned away and back along a road towards the town centre and the river.
Returning to a modern footbridge I'd passed earlier, this time I crossed over. There I found the leisure centre and the Medway Footpath. Casually strolling along with other locals, I found myself being saddened and then angry at the appropriation of the riverside by the large houses on the opposite bank. It wasn't just the size and grandeur of them, but the way in which many had constructed walls and fences between them and the very thing their privilege gave them access to. Or maybe the walls were there to prevent anyone using the river from mooring at the foot of their property. The satisfaction and enjoyment of the walk along this side of the river was never going to let this feeling spoil my walk and I soon found myself smiling at families strolling along with small children in tow and the sight of rows of fishermen hopefully casting into the sparkling waters beside us.
Following an excursion across the railway and through an estate of terraced houses, trying to find an alternative route back into town, I retraced my steps along the river, eating wild blackberries and listening to a pair of fishermen talking about the joys of gambling as I passed.
I didn't see more of the town beyond a few shops where I went to buy food for an evening meal, but it looked like it had more to offer a visitor and is not just a commuter town just off the route to Dover.


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A young resident’s recent article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) – as well as a more senior physician’s blog post, gives me hope that the calling of medicine lives on, and that professionalism by all those who care for others in need remains the key component in any healthcare system.
The article by Dr. Diane Chang, entitled “Scut,” starts by defining scut work:
“I want to talk about scut work, defined as trivial, unrewarding, tedious, dirty and disagreeable work; in other words, I want to talk about … the physical, backbreaking, day-to-day work of taking care of another person.”
It often is not pretty to care for another human being who is sick. It is filled with pain, and with sights and sounds that many would consider disgusting. Dr. Chang rightly points out that the job of tending to the needs of a person are not a doctor or nurse issue, but a human issue that is the job of every person in a caring role:
“I worked with an intern who, during her first month, took care of a 32-year-old patient with advanced HIV and intractable diarrhea. One day my intern told me that she had, alongside the nursing aide, cleaned him up, as well as his bed and the floor. Why did you do that, I asked. It’s not your job. She answered that often, they did not clean him up right away and she did not want the patient to have to lie in his own excrement for a minute more than he had to. Amid writing orders and discharge summaries, relaying information from consults back to the team, and learning how to be a physician, my intern also made it her job to clean up poo.”
The intern understood that the nursing aide was, in that moment, even more important to the patient's care than the physician and the doctor's job at that point of time was to help that nursing aide. To understand that simple fact is to have true passion for patient care. It requires understanding that the “small” issues like cleaning up a soiled floor and bed, can be more impactful on a human scale than the “big” issues.
On the other side of the generational divide comes a blogpost entitled "Playing Doctor" from Dr. James Salwitz, an oncologist who has been in practice for more than 25 years. In that piece, he talks about the need to get past the personal issues that a physician (and this applies to all health professionals) has on any given day even if it means “playing doctor.” Even when the passion wanes, the true professional understands the need to do whatever has to be done to help the patient.
“However, there are times when it gets to be too much. When one is tired, the paperwork piled to the ceiling, you are missing irreplaceable personal events, then the quality of patient interactions seems to deteriorate to completing disability forms, rescheduling already delayed procedures, rethinking diagnostic ideas, salvaging failed therapies and running late in a chaos of myriad minor delays. Then it is very hard to summon the needed insight, compassion and focus which are vital to being the kind of doctor towards which each of us strives. Then, the best you can do is ‘play doctor'."
For the physician in practice for 25 years, the paperwork and the disability forms are even worse than cleaning up the poo. But with the wisdom of experience, Dr. Salwitz understands that if you have the professionalism, you will act in the interests of the person in need.
“Nonetheless, you are just human, so those tough moments will occur, when you cannot really ‘be a doctor’. …. On those days, you just ’do your job,’ be there for the patient and suppress the loss and weariness. Paradoxically, it is that commitment to the doctor’s role, when you are just playing, which marks the great doctors, because even on their weakest day they put the patient first and their own healing later.”
One day at an airport, after I had left practice and was a health policy consultant, an elderly woman collapsed near me in the baggage claim area. I immediately went over, checked her airway and checked for a pulse. In other words, I put my fingers in her mouth and my fingers on her neck. I then started CPR which, at that time, called for mouth-to--mouth resuscitation in addition to chest compression. The consultant with me was impressed and said, “You really are a doctor!” I knew I was “playing” doctor. The thoughts going through my mind, while they included a desire to help this woman, also included my own fear of infection and my own wish that I was not doing what I found myself doing. I just knew that of all the people standing there, I had the training and the calling to help this woman.
Dr. Chang and Dr. Salwitz both show caring, one with the passion of youth, and the other with the wisdom of age. As I put together the passion of Dr. Chang and the wisdom of Dr. Salwitz, I see the wonder of medicine and the caring professions as a calling. These two people at different points in their careers share the mission of helping those in need and thus suggest that the light of care in health will continue perhaps in spite of the politics and the policy debates.

domain: medical


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For many centuries people of China used green tea for treating various diseases. However with the advancement of time, today people of west use green tea, realizing its several benefits. Green Tea has long been esteemed in China for its involvement to good health. Fame of Green tea in the United States persists to develop, viewing that green tea is an innate foundation of antioxidants. These antioxidants aid defend the body from accelerating aging and augmented danger of ailments. Years of research reveal that green tea restrains the expansion of objectionable cell colonies, thus building it the healthiest tea obtainable.
Let us take a look at the benefits of green tea:
Green tea has many health benefits, and it can be used for avoidance of the diseases: Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, High Cholesterol, Cardiovascular Disease, cataracts, Infection, and Impaired Immune Function.
Green tea helps in weight loss course. The green tea leaves augments metabolism in the body there fore consumption green tea helps you burn more calories.
Green tea has the capability to fight bacteria and this can be counted as one of the chief benefits of green tea. This...


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Location: Jamwa Ramgarh, also famous as Ramgarh, is situated in north east part of Jaipur city, around 28 km away. A number of attractions are present in this place, which served as a hunting ground for the Maharajas of earlier times.
Description: A big lake that exists in the vicinity serves as the main attraction of this place. This lake, surrounded by immaculate hills on all sides, is famous for the natural beauty that it possesses. This temple can be reached by bus from Jaipur bus stand to Sanganer; Sanganer has its own railway station so going by train is also possible. From railway station one can take a taxi, bus, tempo etc. Nearest airport is Santander, Jaipur the distance is 2.5 kilometers by bus.
Activities: You can see a hunting lodge in this area and it has now been converted into a very good heritage hotel. One can have an extensive view of the beautiful village side from this hotel. A number of migratory birds can be seen in the vicinity of the lake and the monsoon season sees the lake in its full charm and flow. One can see many species of birds in this lake and it serves as a nice place for ornithologists and nature lovers.


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Collard greens puff pastry recipe
Recipes / Collard greens puff pastry recipe (1000+)
in mind that the word recipe is used lightly here. Collard greens are one of those things
green recipes speak to me but this recipe dish notable. Spicy Collard Greens with Tomato
until smooth. Set aside. Collard Greens Preparation: Wash collards to remove any dirt
specifically greens. Collard greens have an amazing nutrition profile. Collard Greens 1/4
the next recipe on JuneGREENS! Short-Cut Collard Greens – serves 4 1 1/4 lb collard greens
several minutes. Add the collard greens and saute, coating the greens thoroughly in the
amazing Vegan Cornbread (recipe coming soon) Need: 1 bunch fresh collard greens Sea salt
of those days. Collard Greens with Adzuki Beans 1 lb. collard greens, washed and chopped
a pot of water to a boil, add collard greens and boil 4-5 min. till just tender- don't
recipe Collard Green Stew Serves 2 1 lb. pork shoulder 5-6 small turnips 5 collard greens
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Puff Pastry, Devoted to recipes made with puff pastry... sheets, shells, etc
your sugar buzz on with recipes & tips from a professional pastry chef. Need advice on the
bite-sized pastries to comforting dinner pies - anything goes! Share your pie recipes and
parts of Mexico. Both green and dried leaves canIf you have a recipe for the facials and
Bay Area to join, but please don't add any recipes that you don't think are wonderful
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Food!, Spice up this 4th of July with recipes sure to keep family and friends coming back
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Enter your email to signup for the Cooks.com Recipe Newsletter. ... Roll several green collars together then ... Put your collard greens into the pot. ...
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Crawfish Tomato Ã©touffÃ©e in Puff Pastry Shells Gourmet, February 1996 ... 10. collard greens bacon. Advertising. Recipe Of The Day. share. Chicken ...

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Quadrant Analysis of Shear Events in Open Channel Flows Over Mobile and Immobile Hydraulically Rough Beds
Sediment overfeeding may induce important changes in the structure of the near-bed region of gravel-bed river flows, mainly in what concerns exchange of momentum and mass between the flow within the riverbed roughness elements and the flow in the upper regions. Although the turbulent structure of flows over gravel- bed rivers is object of several previous studies, it is not well-known how statistics characterizing coherent turbulence events responsible by the generation of turbulent shear stresses are affected by bed load transport in flows over hydraulically rough beds with low relative submergence. This study is aimed at bridging this research gap. It is based on two-dimensional instantaneous velocity data, in the stream-wise and vertical directions, acquired with Particle Image Velocimetry in a laboratory flume. Two tests simulated framework gravel beds with sand matrixes, one of which fed with sand at near capacity conditions. The framework, immobile under the imposed flow conditions, consists of coarse gravel whose diameters range between 0.5 cm and 7 cm. Matrix and imposed sand feature a median diameter of 0.9 mm. For both tests, the quadrant threshold analysis technique was employed and transported momentum were analyzed and discussed in what concerns their intensity distribution for events in the four quadrants, and for several positions within the flow. It is shown that under mobile bed conditions, sweeps are dominant in the turbulence production in the pythmenic region of the flow. In the outer region of the flow, this is independent from the channel bed; in the overlapping intermediate layer, between the inner region and the pythmenic region, the flow characteristics depend on the position in relation to the crests and troughs of the bed.
Record created on 2014-12-01, modified on 2016-08-09


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Today Kim reviews The UnWind series by Neal Schusterman. I am sure you all know by now how much she loves him! He is becoming a favorite author of hers.
The UnWind Series by Neal Shusterman
Books in the Series:
Series Summary Description:
After the Second Civil War, the Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, a loophole allows parents to retroactively get rid of a teenager through a process called “unwinding.”
Three teens defy the system and run away from their unwinding: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents’ tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing.
As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Connor, Risa, and Lev must work together to survive—and they may change the fate of America in the process.
Published: June 2, 2009
In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would “unwind” them. Connor’s parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family’s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can’t be harmed — but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.
Published: August 28, 2012
Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simultaneously providing much-needed organs for transplanting might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished. Cam is made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds; he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles to find identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.
Published: October 15, 2013
Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the Graveyard, the last safe haven for AWOL Unwinds. But for the first time, they’re not just running away from something. This time, they’re running towards answers, in the form of a woman Proactive Citizenry has tried to erase from history itself. If they can find her, and learn why the shadowy figures behind unwinding are so afraid of her, they may discover the key to ending the unwinding process forever. Cam, the rewound boy, is plotting to take down the organization that created him. He knows that if he can bring Proactive Citizenry to its knees, it will show Risa how he truly feels about her. And without Risa, Cam is having trouble remembering what it feels like to be human. With the Juvenile Authority and vindictive parts pirates hunting them, their paths will converge explosively—and everyone will be changed.
Published: October 14, 2014
Proactive Citizenry, the company that created Cam from the parts of unwound teens, has a plan: to mass produce rewound teens like Cam for military purposes. And below the surface of that horror lies another shocking level of intrigue: Proactive Citizenry has been suppressing technology that could make unwinding completely unnecessary. As Conner, Risa, and Lev uncover these startling secrets, enraged teens begin to march on Washington to demand justice and a better future. But more trouble is brewing. Starkey’s group of storked teens is growing more powerful and militant with each new recruit. And if they have their way, they’ll burn the harvest camps to the ground and put every adult in them before a firing squad—which could destroy any chance America has for a peaceful future.
Published: December 15, 2015
Find out what happens to Connor, Risa, and Lev now that they’ve finally destroyed the Proactive Citizenry in this collection of short stories set in the world of the New York Timesbestselling Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman. Connor Lassiter’s fight to bring down Proactive Citizenry and find a suitable alternative to unwinding concluded in UnDivided. Now Connor, Risa, and Lev are free to live in a peaceful future—or are they? Neal Shusterman brings back his beloved Unwind characters for his fans to see what’s left for those who were destined to be unwound.
Kim’s Rating of the Series: 4.8 stars
Kim’s Review of the Series:
This series blew me away! Neal Shusterman is easily becoming one of my all time favorite authors. He manages to bring in philosophy without being pompous and boring. He takes controversial issues, keeps to neutral ground, and shows the reasoning behind both sides. You start out knowing exactly which side of the issue that you’re on, but then find yourself agreeing with some of the reasoning behind the other side. I didn’t think anything could top the Scythe series, but this one did.
I love Connor, Risa, and Lev so much. They are teens who start out with narrow viewpoints, as regular annoying teens and then are thrown into very adult situations, and they shine! The supporting characters are believable and fit the story perfectly. There are several rabbit trails that branched off of each story, but they were simple and easy to follow and keep track of. And as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that there’s a decimal up top in the rating. This was a difficult one to rate, mostly because I wanted so badly to give 5 stars. There were very small things that I didn’t like, a little teenage drama within the series, and some weaker short stories in UnBound that kept me from giving a perfect score. But overall, I loved this series, and I think this is the perfect series for teens. I might even be giving this series out as Christmas and birthday gifts this year! I would absolutely recommend this series to everybody!
Today Kim reviews The Merciless Series by Danielle Vega. The series is currently composed of three novels with a fourth coming out later this year! The information on it will be provided below and came from Goodreads. The Merciless Series by Danielle Vega
Books in the Series:
The Merciless II: The Exorcism of Sofia Flores
The Merciless III: Origins of Evil
Descriptions from Amazon:
Published: June 12, 2014
Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream. Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.
Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls…unless she wants to be next. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?
The Merciless II: The Exorcism of Sofia Flores
Published: July 5, 2016
Sofia is still processing the horrific truth of what happened when she and three friends performed an exorcism that spiraled horribly out of control. Ever since that night, Sofia has been haunted by bloody and demonic visions. Her therapist says they’re all in her head, but to Sofia they feel chillingly real. She just wants to get out of town, start fresh someplace else . . . until her mother dies suddenly, and Sofia gets her wish. Sofia is sent to St. Mary’s, a creepy Catholic boarding school in Mississippi.
There, seemingly everyone is doing penance for something, most of all the mysterious Jude, for whom Sofia can’t help feeling an unshakeable attraction. But when Sofia and Jude confide in each other about their pasts, something flips in him. He becomes convinced that Sofia is possessed by the devil. . . . Is an exorcism the only way to save her eternal soul? Readers won’t be able to look away from this terrifying read full of twists and turns that will leave them wondering, Is there evil in all of us?
The Merciless III: Origins of Evil
Published: July 11, 2017
Brooklyn knows that there’s no good without evil, no right without wrong. And when a helpless girl calls her teen helpline, whispering that someone is hurting her, Brooklyn knows that she needs to save her anonymous caller, even if it means doing something bad. Her parents and friends assure her the call was probably a prank—but Brooklyn has always had a tendency to take over, whether someone has asked for help or not. She discovers the call came from Christ First Church and finds herself plunged into the cultish community of its youth group. She’s especially drawn to Gavin, the angelic yet tortured pastor’s son. Torn between an unstoppable attraction to Gavin and her obsession with the truth, Brooklyn is forced to make a devastating choice to rid Christ Church of evil once and for all. . . . But the devil has plans for Brooklyn’s soul.
Series reviewed by: Kim
Kim’s rating of the series: 4 stars
I really enjoyed this series! It satisfied my horror craving, without being overly predictable. The characters were interesting and relatively relatable. I hated the people I was supposed to hate and sympathized with the characters I was supposed to sympathize with. I liked how Vega captured the duality of humanity. Yes, there is black and white in this life, but mostly, there’s a whole lot of gray! The reason I’m giving this series 4 stars is because 1. The suspension of disbelief wore a little thin by the time I got to the third book, and 2. I just hate teenagers. To be fair, the teenagers in this series fit the story very well, but I can’t help reverting back to my feelings of annoyance because teenagers are obnoxious and stupid. 😊 As for the suspension of disbelief, apparently exorcisms happen quite often in Mississippi! How many exorcisms happen in one group of people?? That was the only predictable part of this series.
Vega did add several twists that surprised the heck out of me! At first, Vega’s view of Christianity bothered me, as a Christian, but then I thought about most of the Christians I know personally, and while her descriptions are by no means the norm, she has the number of some of us! I liked that the books aren’t huge, so I was able to read the series in less than a week. I like this series a lot and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a creepy read. I would save this for older teens, there is language and some adult themes, but I think most older teens would enjoy this series.
There will be a fourth book in the Merciless series! All information on this upcoming novel comes from Goodreads:
The Merciless IV: Last Rites
Expected Publication: June 12th 2018
The fourth book of the scream-worthy cult series The Merciless combines Stephen King level terror with true crime stories like the Amanda Knox case.
The ropes tighten on Berkley Hubbard’s wrists. Blood drips down her fingers and lands with a smack on the cold floor of the church basement. She’s trapped, bound, and petrified by fear. A knife punctures her fragile skin as Berkley’s captors search for the mark of the devil on her body. They say they want to save her–drive the devil away and cleanse her soul–but will she make it out alive?
When Berkley arrived in Italy a week ago, the last thing she expected was that she’d end up fighting for her life. After spending six months at the Institute, confined to a room with the dangerous-yet-alluring Sofia Flores, Berkley was certain that a vacation in Italy with her two best friends would be the perfect getaway. But Berkley is hiding a terrible secret, one that threatens to undo everything. As she’s forced to face her wicked past, she learns that the devil is always watching, and no one is coming to save her.[Top]
This week Kim reviews M.R.Carey’s The Hungry Plague series which is better known as The Girl with all the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge. I have yet to read Boy on the Bridge but LOVED The Girl with all the Gifts. I awarded it 5 stars; In fact it made my Top 10 list in 2016. My review for it is here. I personally hope M.R. Carey continues with this series!
Books in the Series:
The Girl with all the Gifts
The Boy on the Bridge
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Review: 4 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children’s cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she’ll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn’t know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
I will admit that this book really surprised me! I listened to it on audiobook and some of it in the dark on my bike while I worked out. Yeah, you definitely shouldn’t read this book in the dark! There are some super creepy parts that had me wishing that I could pedal faster to get away from the story! And I’m not a zombie person at all! I had no idea that’s what “hungries” were until I started describing them to my husband. I told him that they were zombie like creatures who fed on human flesh and had virtually no brain function at all. “Kim, that’s what zombies are!” Oh! Ok, then! This book is my introduction to zombies!!! Yay!!!
Considering the mindlessness of the hungries, this book was a thinker. There were many philosophical predicaments that I had a great time working through along with the characters. Melanie is a character that I had no problem liking. She’s smart and perky and optimistic. From the very beginning, I expected to hate Sergeant Parks . . . but I didn’t. Believe it or not, there was something about him that I really liked and he ended up as one of my very favorite characters! And Miss Justineau was someone I thought I understood but she surprised me several times throughout the story. Honestly, the hungries were the only reason I gave this book 4 stars . . . I really don’t like zombies, they’re scary!! I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good apocalyptic thriller. I bet even teens would enjoy this book.
There is also a movie which Jessica really enjoyed! Yes, there are differences in the film, but M.R. Carey wrote the screenplay and kept the ending faithful to the novel. It is recommended as well. You can buy it on Blu-Ray here:
Kim’s Review: 4 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived.
I loved reading The Girl with All the Gifts, so picking up this book was a no brainer. I was able to get it from Audible and I was thrilled to find out that the same narrator was reading for both books. One thing that The Boy on the Bridge missed from the very beginning was the emotional connection to the characters. Sure, I liked Dr. Khan and hated Dr. Fornier, just like I was supposed to. I trusted Col. Carlyle and distrusted Lt. McQueen, just like I was supposed to. But it was more like I was being told, through the opinions of the other characters, whether to like or dislike a character. Thankfully, this got better as the book went along. By the time I got to the end of the book, I did feel a connection to several of the characters.
I also didn’t like how Carey almost undid the struggles and the scope of The Girl with All the Gifts in this book. It is a prequel, which is a very important thing to know. I wish I could elaborate more without giving away the story, but I can’t. So y’all will just have to read it! The second half of the book was definitely better than the first. The first was far too technical for me. There was a lot of science mixed with drama, that you would think wouldn’t exist in the face of a zombie apocalypse, and it dragged very slowly. However, the second half redeemed the book! All the emotions and philosophy and ethics were crammed in and I loved it! And I was in TEARS at the end of the book! It had such a beautiful ending! It was the perfect resolution to the “hungry saga.”
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who read The Girl with All the Gifts; I would suggest reading that before starting this book. Saying that, I would recommend the series to anyone who likes post-apocalyptic fiction. I think older teens would really enjoy this series as well.[Top]

domain: library