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Project Description We require an experienced Murex Datamart Consultant to work across our client base. The role will suit a techno/ functional resource with extensive knowledge of the Murex Reporting setup. You will work with business users to understand requirements and create functional and technical specifications by working with the business to understand process while advising on Murex best practice. Need to support Bank in enhancements and change the bank support for reporting related requests.
Responsibilities You will provide Murex Datamart consulting support with extensive experience of MX.3
The role will require a strong financial markets background across a range of asset classes (IRD, Fixed Income, Commodities) and exposure to CVA . The position will work closely with the existing Luxoft delivery team and face off to the business & client technology functions.
Skills Must 4 years' experience of Murex 3.1 datamart module Strong Database Knowledge Strong PLSQL and SQL concepts Should possess an understanding of financial markets Basic knowledge on financial instruments such as Commodities, Interest Rate Derivatives, Credit Derivatives,Currency Derivatives,Swaps, Futures, Options, FRA, etc
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Wynton Marsalis: Jazz king of the jungle
In 1979, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis arrived in New York from his home town New Orleans to study at the Juilliard School. Since then his career achievements are legion: prolific recordings, several Grammys, successful international tours, a major influence as an educator and a reputation as one of the finest living jazz musicians.
His greatest achievement, however, was co-founding the jazz program at New York’s Lincoln Centre in 1987. That event has led to unprecedented influence, not only for himself as a performer, but also for the convictions that have inspired him for 40 years: a vision of what jazz is. Or, for that matter, what jazz is not.
In 1988, the 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra became resident at the centre. But it wasn’t until 1996 that Marsalis’s project was solidified. In that year JALC became independent, and bought its own building in Columbus Circle. Simultaneously it was installed as a new constituent of the Lincoln Centre, and given equal parity with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet.
Jazz, now regarded as “America’s music”, had finally arrived. It had become part of the cultural establishment.
“I felt it was a sign of maturation for Jazz at Lincoln Centre as an institution and also for Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts”, Marsalis tells Review. “We had all worked towards that goal and there was a sense of achievement for the art, the arts, our New York community, and for the country.”
Since then, JALC has enhanced its prestige. In 2004 its Frederick P. Rose Hall, the world’s first performance, education and broadcast facility devoted to jazz, was opened.
Investment broker Robert J Appel became chairman of the JALC board in 2012. In 2014, he gifted $US20 million to JALC, the largest philanthropic contribution in support of jazz in US history.
Marsalis’s vision for jazz is now manifest. The principles he has long stood for appear in JALC’s mission statement: “We believe jazz is a metaphor for democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism.”
Marsalis will be touring Australia this month with the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra primarily to perform the trumpeter’s Symphony No 4 (The Jungle) with the Sydney and Melbourne symphony orchestras.
Marsalis says The Jungle is a musical portrait of New York City — the “most fluid, pressure-packed, and cosmopolitan metropolis the modern world has ever seen”. Marsalis points to the city’s many challenges — social and racial inequality, tribal prejudices, endemic corruption — and is concerned that “we may not be up to overcoming the challenges”.
Running at more than an hour and five minutes, and in six movements, the symphony is a substantial work. The opening movement, The Big Scream, is about dispossession. “It deals with the Native American spirit,” says Marsalis.
“Wherever you have native peoples who are displaced and conquered by people who have more technology, but with a Christian mandate, you have a scream.”
Displacement also exists in today’s world, he says. “You have people who are displaced when an expressway is built, people who can’t pay their rent, people who can’t keep up with the pace of the city. There’s a lot going on …”
Other themes explored in the five other movements — The Big Show, Lost in Sight, La Esquina, Us, and Struggle in the Digital Market — include city life and human relationships. The symphony explores various genres, including ragtime and Afro-Latin rhythms.
La Esquina, the fourth movement, means “hang spot”, and Marsalis says he is scoring many classic Latin rhythms here for the first time. “Latin music is an essential part of the American persona,” he says.
The musician says the five upcoming performances of The Jungle in Melbourne and Sydney will be invaluable. The work has had just a handful of performances since its world premiere in New York in December 2016, and the Australian tour will enable Marsalis to experience the symphony once again in the concert hall setting.
The trumpeter says he is mostly concerned that the sound of 80 musicians playing together is well-balanced.
• • •
Wynton Marsalis has been responsible for some of the most interesting controversies to energise the minds of jazz buffs for years. The mother of such dramas occurred in 1988, when he was executive consultant for the famous 19-hour Ken Burns documentary Jazz.
This was part of Burns’s trilogy on American culture, the other two having dealt with baseball and the American Civil War. The African-American experience was the common thread in each documentary.
The main bone of contention for many enthusiasts was that, in Jazz, the documentary marginalised many musicians who, after the 60s, in the opinion of Marsalis, had diminished the music by adopting rock rhythms, losing the essential sense of swing and, especially in the case of free jazz, removing the music from its roots in the blues. As Burns’s chief adviser, Marsalis took a lot of stick.
Now aged 57, Marsalis sounds very much like an elder statesman in relation to such historic issues.
“I seldom talk about those things now,” he says. “If you listen to The Jungle, you’ll see all those notes I put down. That’s what I think about now; I think about notes.”
Marsalis’s pre-eminence has largely enabled jazz to be brought in from the margins to a central position in American culture. There is perhaps no better example of the marginalisation of jazz than a notorious episode in 1965 when the Pulitzer board, despite the unanimous recommendation of its music panel, failed to award the Pulitzer Prize for Music to Duke Ellington, America’s foremost jazz composer of the 20th century.
Ellington was deeply hurt by the snub. Still, it took more than 30 years for this to be rectified when, in 1997, Marsalis himself became the first jazz composer to receive the Pulitzer for Music, for his oratorio Blood On The Fields.
Since that belated milestone, posthumous Pulitzers have now been awarded to Ellington, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane.
Marsalis’s CV includes pages of awards and he has been the recipient of 30 honorary doctorates from US academic institutions. Marsalis’s take on this is decidedly personal.
“I’m honoured by any award, but I think the award that I’m most proud of is just people who’ve come out, taken their time, brought their kids to hear us play, supported the music we play, invited me into their homes, cooked meals for me, and showed me unbelievable levels of respect. There’s been 40 years of it. I’m filled with an unbelievable humility and gratitude,” he says.
“The other reward I’ve had is to play with the level of unbelievable musicians I play with, and the type of dedication they show. We rehearsed today for four or five hours. We’ve been here a long time.
“Everywhere I turn it’s an unbelievable blessing. I’m truly grateful for it, and I try to let my work ethic, and the type of respect I treat people with, speak to that gratitude.”
Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra commence their tour with four nights at Sydney Opera House from February 21, then go on to Melbourne and Brisbane.
by Eric Myers
Source: The Australian

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Here is the interview with author Michelle Gordon that I have been promising you guys. Ok, so just a really quick intro. Michelle Gordon is the author of 7 published works. I came across one of her books on Goodreads. Someone had written a review on it that caught my eye. After reading the description of the book, I was really intrigued and decided that I wanted to read it. For some strange reason that I can’t explain, I decided that I would write the author and request a copy of the book. I felt soooo bold! I had NEVER done anything like that before!
I did NOT expect a response. I certainly didn’t expect the one that I got. Michelle responded to me quickly and said that she would love to send me a copy of the book even though she had already sent out all of the complimentary copies she had planned to give. She even agreed to send me a print version when I let on that I prefer the real thing to ebooks. She even signed it (Love and Light) and included a cool bookmark! Yay!
We started chatting back and forth on Goodreads and then through email. it was like having a penpal. What was even cooler is that we actually have a lot in common. We’re like soul sisters, lol! Thanks, internet!
Anyways, Michelle was awesome enough to let me do an interview for my blog. I must warn you, we both talk a lot, so the interview is quite long. But I never got bored for a single minute, so I hope you don’t either. Read on to get to know a bit (or a lot) about Michelle Gordon, her books, her writing tips, and some fun tidbits.
Oh….and here’s a picture of her smiling face if you need visuals to go with the names. You can pretend like it’s a movie. Inside your head.
Single Mommy Warrior: Hi Michelle, Thanks for agreeing to do this.
Michelle Gordon: Thank you for doing it! I haven’t even begun my marketing plan for my new book, everything helps.
Single Mommy Warrior: Awesome! So hopefully this can help a bit. For starters, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Michelle Gordon: Anything specific? I could fill a book.
Single Mommy Warrior: Sure. Things like where you grew up. What you were like as a child.
Michelle Gordon: Well, I was born and raised in South Wales. I spent the first ten years of my life living in a house at the top of a hill in the welsh valleys, and then the next nine years living five minutes from the sea. I’ve always been very creative (my whole family is) but reading was my absolute favourite thing to do. I spent every break-time at school reading books, and kept away from the other kids!I did start a magazine in primary school, which I had a little following for. It had articles and an agony aunt column and a serial story in it. I used to write it, lay it out, print it out at home and then photocopy the copies on my dad’s massive photocopier. I did several issues, then decided to tell the teachers and headmaster about it, and they promptly banned it, and forbade me from making and selling any more of them. (I was selling them for 10p a copy, hardly extortionate!)
Single Mommy Warrior: Haha…we really could be twins separated at birth. Except I didn’t do anything as impressive as writing a magazine. That is really impressive! But I did spend my lunch breaks in the library. Eventually they put me to work!
Michelle Gordon: Lol! That’s funny. In comprehensive school I spent most of my time in the library. I must admit, the banning of the magazine did stop me for a bit. I should have rebelled and done it anyway, but teachers were scary creatures in those days.
Single Mommy Warrior: Why did they ban it?!
Michelle Gordon: Because it was written in English, and I was in a Welsh school. Though I did introduce some Welsh articles into the ones I showed them.
Single Mommy Warrior That’s lame of them.
Michelle Gordon: Unfortunately, in Welsh schools, they’re militant about the use of English. You’re pretty much only allowed to speak it in English class.
Single Mommy Warrior: When in Rome, I suppose. But at least it didn’t stop you forever. What do you do when you aren’t writing? Your novels, I mean.
Michelle Gordon: Besides the normal every day stuff, I try to do creative things. I like taking photos, painting cards, making jewellery, my latest project is to make a pair of shoes!
Single Mommy Warrior: Wow, shoes?
Michelle Gordon: I love watching movies too, and spending time chatting with my friends. Yes, they’re only ballet flats
Single Mommy Warrior: I am so NOT crafty, it’s a bit pathetic.
Michelle Gordon: Everyone is creative. You just haven’t found your craft yet. Other than writing, of course.
Single Mommy Warrior: I could make some of those really fancy electric tape shoes. That is the extent of my skills. Lol
Michelle Gordon: Electric tape shoes?!
Single Mommy Warrior: I guess it’s actually duct tape. It’s horrible.
Michelle Gordon: Omg that’s hilarious!
Single Mommy Warrior: Haha! It is!
Michelle Gordon: Going back to your question – I usually only actually write for a couple of months out of the year. The rest of the time is spent publishing and marketing the books that I write, and helping other Indies to publish their work too, which is what I do for a living.
Single Mommy Warrior: Nice! What is the name of your publishing company?
Michelle Gordon: The Amethyst Angel
Single Mommy Warrior: That’s really cool of you to help others like that. Reaching back and pulling forward. So, it seems like you have been writing forever. Can you remember the first story you wrote?
Michelle Gordon: Well, I don’t know if it was the first ever story, but I have a school book from when I was 8 or 9, and we had been asked to write a story in English. Mine was called Mystic Island (I drew a map and everything!) and at the end of it, my teacher wrote that it was well-written, I had a good vocabulary, and that he was looking forward to reading my first novel.
Single Mommy Warrior: Awesome! Has he read any of your work?
Michelle Gordon: I thanked him in the acknowledgements of my first novel, and I sent him a link, I don’t know if he ever read it though.
Single Mommy Warrior: Awesome. At least you remembered him and gave him a shout out.
Michelle Gordon: I have had some great teachers, most of them were my English teachers. They encouraged me to write.
Single Mommy Warrior: I can relate to that. I had a teacher named Ms. Calhoun that really encouraged me to write. And a drama teacher named Ms. Poisson that encouraged my storytelling abilities on stage. Speaking of your first novel, can you tell us a bit about your published works.
Michelle Gordon: I have so far published 7 books, one small non-fiction, one novella, and five novels. Three of the novels are a series about Earth Angels, and the other two novels and novella are part of a collection I have called the Visionary Collection. They are all visionary fiction, and they cover metaphysical subjects like life after death, parallel universes, alternate realities and past lives.
Single Mommy Warrior: That’s a pretty unique genre, I think. What draws you to those themes?
Michelle Gordon: It’s a growing one. I sometimes call them Spiritual Fiction too. I have been writing about these themes ever since I was a teenager, and to be honest, I didn’t choose to. When I write, I channel the words, so I just have to go with whatever comes through.
Single Mommy Warrior: That’s cool. I was actually going to ask you about that. Whether you actively come up with ideas or just let them come to you. So sometimes you have no clue how the story will progress or end?
Michelle Gordon: The interesting thing is that I quite often don’t remember what I have written. I used to find poetry and stories in my handwriting that I had no recollection of writing! I still don’t retain the words, which makes the editing process a bit tricky sometimes. I never have any clue where the story is going. I have to wait and see just like the readers.
Single Mommy Warrior: I remember you being surprised when I mentioned a bit in The Elphite. You said something like “that happened?” It was sort of like the story wrote itself and you were just the vessel.
Michelle Gordon: To be honest, when you wrote to me and quoted parts of the book, I had to read them a couple of times before I realised they were my words!
Single Mommy Warrior: Haha…that is both weird and cool
Michelle Gordon: Although technically, I don’t think they are my words. They do just come through. I think I need to put ‘Spiritual Secretary’ on my business card
Single Mommy Warrior: I often lament that I can never reread a book for the first time (if that makes sense). Haha…you should!
Are you working on anything new right now?
Michelle Gordon: My eighth book will be out in May (hopefully!) It’s part of the Visionary Collection, and for the first time, I actually know where the words are being channelled from. It’s called ‘I’m Here’ and is the story of a girl who is haunted by a guy she used to go to school with.
Single Mommy Warrior: That sounds interesting! What’s different about this one that you know where it’s being channeled from?
Michelle Gordon: I was told by the spirit that I would write the book. He told me about it several times for a year before I started writing, and I have to admit I missed the messages. Finally he pretty much shouted at me to write it. But it took three attempts over more than a year to actually get it written.
Single Mommy Warrior: Oh, wow. So you seriously are a messenger.
Michelle Gordon: Well I’ve never properly admitted to channeling the books before. Not online anyway! Only to spiritual types in person
Single Mommy Warrior: So was The Elphite was channeled as well?
Michelle Gordon: Yes, it was. I’m not a trained medium. I don’t do readings, but I have prophetic dreams. I channel my books and I hear the occasional spirit.
Single Mommy Warrior:I have weird prophetic dreams too! But they never happen quite the way they do in the dreams. There’s always a twist.
Michelle Gordon: Well sometimes they’re metaphorical. I dread dreaming of tornadoes.
Single Mommy Warrior: So here comes The Elphite questions. Can you tell us about the plot for The Elphite?
Michelle Gordon: Essentially, it is about a girl who is living her life over and over. Like Groundhog Day, but it lasts a lifetime
Each time, she tries to change things, but there are things that happen regardless of what she does.I originally started writing it in 2010, and wrote the first 6,000 words. I didn’t write the other 50,000 until August 2012. So it probably would have been a totally different story if I had written it all in 2010.
Single Mommy Warrior: You said that you started it in NaNoWriMo? (Note: This is National Novel Writing Month for those not in the know. Happens every November and it’s pretty awesome! Check it out sometime)
Michelle Gordon: I got the idea while on a train home one day, when I had a conversation with a guy opposite, who was struggling to un-knot his headphones. I wrote the first 6,000 words, then nearly three years later, I wrote the 50,000 words during Camp Nano in August 2012.
Single Mommy Warrior: Was that experience the inspiration for the scene where Ellie and Luke meet on the train in one life?
Michelle Gordon: Yes it was. And the term ‘Elphite’ came to me in that train journey too. I still have the original notes in a notebook somewhere.
Single Mommy Warrior: And that was actually the next question but you had already touched on it
Michelle Gordon: About the name?
Single Mommy Warrior: About the inspiration for it. Tell us about the main character, Ellie.
Michelle Gordon: Ellie is tough, or at least she pretends to be. She is mostly just tired of living her life over and over and not being able to change the ending. She can be quite sarcastic and is quite cynical at the beginning of the book.
Single Mommy Warrior: Do you feel as though there are bits of you in the character or is she wholly herself?
Michelle Gordon: There are definitely parts of myself in her. I’m quite sarcastic, especially when I get annoyed. I’m quite independent, and if I were in her position, I would be feeling pretty jaded at that point. The futility of trying to change things but not being able to would just get to me.
Single Mommy Warrior: I can definitely understand that. I hate feeling like I have no control over things.
Michelle Gordon: I also used to write a diary.
Single Mommy Warrior: So did I! Funny story…I used to LOVE this guy for maybe 8 years. And I would write the most mortifying things about him in my journal. Like “Nathan looked at me today and I felt like we connected!” Well, we ended up dating when I was 16 and he told me that they had found my diary, read it, and buried it so no one would find it. Some years before. Lol! I died 5 times when he told me that.
Michelle Gordon: He buried your diary?!
Single Mommy Warrior: Yeah, he and my cousin did. He was my cousin’s best friend. lol They buried it somewhere in my great-grandmother’s backyard. Do you believe in fate/destiny or do you feel like we have control over our outcomes.
Michelle Gordon: That’s hilarious. Do you know what’s a tiny bit freaky?
Single Mommy Warrior: Hilarious and mortifying. What is?
Michelle Gordon: My new book? The spirit? His name is Nathan. I believe that there is a higher power at work, I believe we all have destinies, but we also have free will. And if we choose a different path, we may be able to change our own destinies.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ooh, freaky. About Nathan.
Michelle Gordon: Yeah…
Single Mommy Warrior: That’s really similar to what I believe as well. I think that some things may be fixed, but that we have a lot of control over the paths we take to get to those pit stops or final destination and some things are totally fluid.
Michelle Gordon: Yes. There are many parallel universes, and we are experiencing the one we choose. We could choose to experience a different one if we wished to.
Single Mommy Warrior: Are you enjoying the one you are experiencing now?
Michelle Gordon: Yes I do, very much, even though every psychic I know keeps telling me to choose a different one, but that’s a whole different story!
Single Mommy Warrior: Teasers!!!
Michelle Gordon: Hehe. I didn’t say I would be writing a book about it though!
Single Mommy Warrior: Well, that’s even worse, lol. I think I can guess the answer to this one, but I’ll ask anyway. Did you know how The Elphite was going to end or were you just as surprised as I was about the twists and turns?
Michelle Gordon: I had no idea. After a few chapters, I got stuck, and didn’t have any idea if there would even be enough to write, to make it into a novel. So I walked away from my computer, and just as I reached the front door to go out, the idea for the first major twist just appeared in my mind. But after that, the rest of the twists were complete surprises.
Single Mommy Warrior: I know that I always have favorite scenes/quotes from the books that I read. What is your favorite scene from The Elphite?
Michelle Gordon: I like it when they meet again on the train, but Luke is different, and she pretends to be psychic, and tells him things about his life and he gets a bit freaked out.
Single Mommy Warrior: Haha. Playing mind games, ha. But ultimately so he isn’t freaked out. If the Elphite were turned into a movie, who would you love to see play the characters?
Michelle Gordon: This was tricky! I think Ellie would be played by Britt Roberston, I haven’t really seen her in anything, but I think she looks right, and for Luke, I was torn between the two Narnian kings! William Moseley and Ben Barnes. But I opted for William in the end.
Single Mommy Warrior: I love Britt robertson! She plays in this Disney Channel movie called Avalon High and The Secret Circle. Also love my Narnian kings.
Michelle Gordon: One of my readers told me I needed to read my own books more often, because they contained things I needed! I love Narnia.
Single Mommy Warrior: Yes! I have reread the series a lot. I actually read them all too my son when he was still too young to crawl away from me.
Michelle: I must admit, I hated The Secret Circle tv show. The books were my FAVE when a teenager. Read them a zillion times,
so the show was disappointing. But I like her; she’s what Ellie looks like in my head.
Single Mommy Warrior: I didn’t finish The Secret Circle. Still in my queue. I actually didn’t know it was a book.
Michelle Gordon: I have a pinterest board with pics that are Elphite inspired. [The Secret Circle] is a trilogy, and it’s awesome. Nothing like the tv show, though.
Single Mommy Warrior: What is your favorite quote from The Elphite?
Single Mommy Warrior: That picture actually touches on my next question. From reading The Elphite and talking to you, one theme in your life seems to be remaining positive and focusing on the present? How important are those things to you and how have practicing them influenced your life?
Michelle Gordon: Writing about something and doing it in your own life are two very different things. I do try my best to remain present, but I do very easily slip into the past or worry about the future, and I think that writing about characters who are trying to remain present is the universe’s way of reminding me to do it too.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ok, so here come the writing questions. What is your writing process when it comes to getting the story out and editing it?
Michelle Gordon: I use the NaNoWriMo method, of setting a deadline and also telling people when it will be published, which are both good motivating factors!
Single Mommy Warrior: Accountability, yes.
I write all my books straight onto a laptop, usually my small netbook, so I can sit anywhere. It also keeps my writing separate from my work.I use Scrivener to write on, and have recently discovered Scapple which I will use for timelines from now on.
Single Mommy Warrior: I loved Scrivener and will look into Scapple.
Michelle Gordon: I usually listen to music; often the same song on repeat. But when I wrote The Elphite, I had the house to myself, so I wrote it in silence (you will just adore Scapple!!)
Single Mommy Warrior: Any songs in particular that are good for your writing mood?
Michelle Gordon: For The Awakening and parts of The Other Side, it was O’Children by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I also listened to a lot of Ray LaMontagne while writing The Other Side. I like songs that are quite slow and melodic, nothing heavy. I sometimes listen to instrumental soundtracks too.
Single Mommy Warrior: Here’s a two-fer. what are the easiest and hardest things about writing?
Michelle Gordon: Easiest thing – is that I don’t plot or plan or research. So when I want to write, I just sit down and write, there’s not a whole lot of prep work. The hardest thing is that I never know what’s going to happen, or how long the book will be, or if it will even come out! So it’s unpredictable. Also, I often get in the way, when I start thinking about where it is going. When I get in the way, the words stop flowing.
Single Mommy Warrior: Are there any authors in particular that you look up to?
Michelle Gordon: I love JK Rowling, as you know, I also like Stephenie Meyer (yes I am a Twilight fan) and I also like Lindsey Kelk and Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. I like my fiction to be fairly easy to read, so that I can lose myself in another world. I’m not a fan of the classics, and I think my own writing reflects that. My books are easy to read, and not laden down with too much description or poetic prose. I get to the point and move things along.
Single Mommy Warrior: I’m a Twilight fan as well. *ehem* Team Jacob
Michelle Gordon: Hell fuckin yeh.
Single Mommy Warrior: HAHAAA!!!!! I assume we are on the same team?
Michelle Gordon: Absolutely. 100% Team Jacob.
Single Mommy Warrior: How has your life changed since becoming a published author?
Michelle Gordon: I now know far more about publishing than I ever wanted to. I now know people all over the world because they have read my books.
Single Mommy Warrior: Always a good thing. You now have a friend in the middle of Arkansas.
Michelle Gordon: Hehe. I do. And I am finally living my life’s purpose.
Single Mommy Warrior: And THAT is great!
Michelle Gordon: Yes it is. Wouldn’t change it for anything.
Single Mommy Warrior: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Michelle Gordon: Write what you are passionate about. Write what comes naturally. Don’t write what is currently trending. And write several books before beginning to publish. That way, if your first book is a massive success, you won’t have to worry about writer’s block on the next book because you will have already written it.
Single Mommy Warrior: Great advice! You’ve pretty much answered all of the other questions people suggested I ask, but here’s one: “Ask her about marketing. It’s easy to write a book. The hard part is marketing it. What successes and failures has she had with promoting?”
Michelle Gordon: I have still not quite figured out the marketing part. I’m learning every day. All I can suggest is get on all the social media platforms; link them together so you don’t have to spend your whole life on them. More importantly, connect with people in real life. I love going to fairs and selling my books to people in person, because then you make an impression on them. Weirdly, local media has been one of my biggest successes – a piece in the local paper spiked my sales up and made me a new friend. Also, I do notice a correlation between sales and my blog post views. So writing a blog is a good idea. But be authentic! Be yourself, and follow my other advice – write about what you are passionate about. I haven’t done a lot of paid advertising or promotion. I prefer word-of-mouth advertising, because I actually believe that people will find my books when they need to, and not because it’s everywhere they look.
Single Mommy Warrior: I found out about your book when someone else did a review of it on Goodreads. And luckily you were kind enough to send me a copy. And now, here we are promoting it some more. More great advice.
Michelle Gordon: And the person who reviewed it on Goodreads only read it because a lady (who I have never met, but was at the same event as me in London) told her about me.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ok, so the fun questions: I know you are a huge Harry Potter fan. What is your favorite book and which scene is your favorite?
Michelle Gordon: My favourite Harry Potter book is the final one, and my favourite scene was when Harry and Hermione visit Harry’s parents’ graves at Christmas. That always made me sad. I also liked the sign outside his old house, that appeared.
Single Mommy Warrior: Yeah, that was a nice scene. All of the supportive messages people left over the years really cheered him up and bolstered his spirits and resolve.
Michelle Gordon: Yes I liked that, I wish it had been in the movie.
Single Mommy Warrior: Yeah, there are a lot of scenes I wish had made it into the movies. Like the full scene in the department of mysteries during Order of the Phoenix. What is your earliest memory?
Michelle Gordon: It’s very fuzzy, and also a bit weird, but when I was really young (just checking with my mum old I was, I don’t know) I got very ill, very suddenly, and was taken into hospital, and I was in a room with just my dad, there were big windows all around, and I remember floating out of my body and watching my dad and myself.
Single Mommy Warrior: Oh wow. An out of body experience.
Michelle Gordon: Yeah. Because I think years later I recounted it, and they didn’t know how I knew, I was so little.
Single Mommy Warrior: That’s interesting.
Michelle Gordon: When I find out my age, I will let you know
Single Mommy Warrior: I’ve read about OBE’s before
Michelle Gordon: I used to travel astrally at night. And fly down the stairs. In the day I would run down them as fast as possible, wondering why I couldn’t fly.
Single Mommy Warrior: OMGGGGG!!!!! We are soooo twins! I swear I have astral travelled before! It was kinda scary. I flew as well. Through stars and all types of things. And then zoomed back in my body.
Michelle Gordon: Yeah not all of my astral travel was fun.
Single Mommy Warrior: If you could transform into any animal, what would it be?
Michelle Gordon: My totem animal is a fox, but if I could be any animal, it would be a cat. So I could eat and sleep all day
Single Mommy Warrior: Haha.
Michelle Gordon: Not that I’m lazy…
Single Mommy Warrior: I like foxes. They’re beautiful and smart. Or cunning.
Michelle Gordon: Well, I’d like to be. And crafty!
Single Mommy Warrior: Oh, I am lazy. I should be a sloth, lol.
Michelle Gordon: I was very much afraid of foxes when I was a child. They used to come into the garden and I would be so scared. Then, in 2007, I did a meditation where I met my totem animal, my spirit animal, and it was a fox. I was afraid of it at first, then I realised it was afraid of me, so we made friends and I’ve liked them ever since. Every time things are going well, I see live foxes.
Single Mommy Warrior: How does that work? Meeting your spirit animal?
Michelle Gordon: It was a visual meditation. We went into the woods and our spirit animals met us there.
Single Mommy Warrior: You have done some interesting things. That’s for sure. If I ever actually make it to England it’d be cool to meet. If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Michelle Gordon: Hmmm, superpower…It would be to make everyone I met feel loved, and for them to love themselves.
I have no doubt that would change the world.
Single Mommy Warrior: That’s a good one. Sort of like Jasper’s but longer-lasting.
Michelle Gordon: Yes 🙂
Single Mommy Warrior: If you could spend a day with any public figure, past or present, who would it be?
Michelle Gordon: Hmmm. Louise Hay.
Single Mommy Warrior: That seems to fit your personality.
Michelle Gordon: Going back to the earliest memory OBE. I was 15 months old, and I was in an isolation room.
Single Mommy Warrior: Whaaaaat? WOW!!! I was not expecting you to say you were that young!
Michelle Gordon: I knew I was quite young, which is why it was weird I remembered it. But I remembered watching it, not experiencing it.
Single Mommy Warrior:Yes, that is very surreal. 15 months!!! What is your favorite quote?
Michelle Gordon: “If you don’t like where you are, then change it. You are not a tree.” – Jim Rohn
I like it because I used to jokingly say ‘I want to be a tree’. There was an advert on tv years ago, asking kids what they wanted to be
and one of them said “I want to be a tree”. It’s become a bit of a jokey thing to say.
Single Mommy Warrior: Well, I suppose trees are strong and rooted and bear fruit. But…meh. Haha.
Michelle Gordon: But they are stuck in one place.
Single Mommy Warrior: Exactly. Watching the whole world move around them.
Michelle Gordon: Unless they are an Ent.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ha! Well, yes. Then they are slow but awesome.
Michelle Gordon: Lol. And talk too much. Maybe I am an Ent.
Single Mommy Warrior: I talk TOOOOOO much. It takes people by surprise because I’m laidback and seem shy. But I will talk your ear off if you let me. Like now, lol! Finish this sentence: If I weren’t afraid, I would ______.
Michelle Gordon: I would … hmm. I would go to LA and find someone to make my books into movies and not take no for an answer.
Single Mommy Warrior: Good one! Speaking of LA, If your life were a reality show, what would it be called?
Michelle Gordon: Oh goodness, um… “Doing it Indie-Style”
Single Mommy Warrior: Haha! Catchy! Do you have any quirky habits or personality traits?
Michelle Gordon: I always wear my socks inside out, I love marzipan, and will eat it by the block.
Single Mommy Warrior: I sometimes wear my shirts inside out,. but it’s not on purpose. Ha. Why do you wear your socks inside out? You like the smooth side better?
Michelle Gordon: I don’t like the seam of the socks against my toes. Also, I’ve been a vegetarian all my life and feel physically sick if I try to eat meat. I don’t like fake meat either.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ew, fake meat?
Michelle Gordon: You know, veggie meat. Fake burgers and bacon, etc.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ohhhh… gotcha
Michelle Gordon: Oh and I love singing really loudly while driving. Helps me to concentrate.
Single Mommy Warrior: Lol…I love singing loud period. I am not very good at it, though,
Michelle Gordon: Me either, I’m flat as a pancake. I just love singing.
Single Mommy Warrior: lol! That reminds me of a hilarious scene from Stepbrothers
Michelle Gordon: I never saw that movie.
Single Mommy Warrior:
I generally avoid Will Ferrell movies. His face bothers me for some reason. I love riding with people who think it is perfectly normal to sing Broadway music very loudly while driving.
Michelle Gordon: That was funny! I don’t normally crash, though. Lol
Single Mommy Warrior: Ok, last question. Wooh! Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Michelle Gordon: I think I would like to say thank you. To everyone who has read and reviewed my books, and especially to those who have written to me about them. When I receive their feedback and their thoughts, it actually keeps me writing. I have all my reviews stuck on the wall about my computer to remind me why it is I write. I don’t think my readers really understand how much their words mean to me. So thank you, to all of them.
Single Mommy Warrior: Ok, so, I think I’ve “talked your ear off” enough. Thanks again for doing this!
Ok, folks! That’s the end of the interview. At least the end of what I’m sharing with you guys. Haha! If you would like to check out Michelle’s books, you can find info on them on her Goodreads page. I will also be posting my review of her AMAZING book, The Elphite, very soon and linking it to this interview. She is about to rerelease her Visionary Collection with brand new (and really neat) covers and I’m going to help her reveal them. So keep an eye out for that. Like, maybe even tonight. 😀
In the meantime, here are the books from her Earth Angel series — all of which are on my must-read list. Right-click the image to be taken to the Goodreads page. She also writes a blog and has an official website that you guys can check out.

domain: literature


text:
Great place, very homely. Adrians a star!! The food was out of this world, wine flowed, even the skiing was brilliant, returning for another dose over the New year 10/11.
- Also Known As:
- Ski La Cote France/Haute-Savoie
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com so you can book your Ski La Cote reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.

domain: travel


text:
When: Fri., June 12, 5 p.m. 2015
Through June 14. With Christian McEwen & Barbara Bash. Explore the practical and the imaginative possibilities of letter-writing: letters to a spiritual or artistic mentor, letters to the beloved dead, letters to the word “yes,” the color blue. Participants will have the opportunity to work with and settle into their own handwriting, and everyone will have the chance to write (and perhaps to illustrate) several letters for themselves.


text:
80807 München, de
+49 (89) 993887-26
Juniper Networks and IBM Expand Relationship with OEM Agreement to Advance the Economics of Networking
Adds High-Performance Networking Solutions to IBM's Data Center Portfolio
The addition of Juniper's products to IBM's data center networking portfolio provides customers with a best-in-class networking solution and accelerates both companies' shared vision of advancing the economics of networking and the data center by reducing costs, improving services and managing risk.
"With Juniper's Ethernet technologies added to our data center portfolio, IBM is able to offer customers more choice and flexibility in their networking solutions to address the growing demands being placed on their IT environments," said Jim Comfort, IBM VP of Enterprise Initiatives. "This new OEM agreement with Juniper will help support IBM's data center networking initiatives through unparalleled network scalability, carrier-class reliability and operational simplicity, accelerating the deployment of our customers' virtualized applications and services, and extending the value of their networks."
Today's data centers require higher performance and less complex networks as an essential element of their evolution. While there are extreme cost pressures on IT budgets, the demand on data centers only increases with exploding data volumes, demand for new services, speed and security, and always-on reliability. In addition, cloud computing will further drive the need for massive scale, efficiency and elasticity from networks and data center architectures. The broadened IBM and Juniper relationship is further evidence of the growing importance of the high-performance network in the progression of data centers toward cloud computing or cloud-like infrastructures. Both companies agree that a high-performance network is vital to the backbone for both the data center (enabling service production) and the global network (enabling service delivery).
"This OEM agreement represents a continued deepening of our relationship with IBM, and a significant new route to market for Juniper," said Hitesh Sheth, executive vice president and general manager, Ethernet Platforms Business Group, Juniper Networks. "Our focus on delivering fast, reliable, secure, simplified networks fits perfectly into IBM's dynamic infrastructure initiative to help customers accelerate growth and innovation, while creating operational efficiencies and overall savings."
"Today's enterprise must balance IT budgets and growing network complexity with increasing end-user demands and market competition," said Mark Fabbi, vice president - distinguished analyst, Gartner. "Increasing enterprise options for integrated data center solutions will allow enterprises to more easily achieve more efficient and agile data center networking architectures. The industry will clearly benefit from the innovative, open solutions coming from a range of viable sources."
The OEM agreement allows IBM System & Technology Group (STG) to brand, label and sell select Juniper EX Series Ethernet switches and MX Series Ethernet Services routers.
Helping Customers Reduce Costs, Become More Green
Juniper's EX and MX Series products are designed to advance IT initiatives for data center consolidation, server virtualization and sustainable information technology. The combined product offering can significantly reduce network complexity and total cost of ownership by up to 61 percent in capital expenditures, up to 46 percent in power, up to 46 percent in cooling and up to 33 percent in rack space in the data center. With the EX and MX Series, customers can achieve greater operational simplicity, agility and efficiency for accelerating the deployment of new applications and services.
In 2007, IBM and Juniper signed a pan-IBM agreement with IBM's Global Technology Services (GTS) group that allows GTS to resell Juniper's product portfolio as part of their Service Product Line (SPL) solutions, including routing, switching and security technologies. This reseller agreement will continue. IBM also offers their Managed Maintenance Services (MMS) on the Juniper product portfolio. The companies have since looked for opportunities to expand its relationship including today's OEM announcement with IBM's STG. IBM and Juniper have also been working together on joint technology solutions, standards development, network management and managed security services.
For the past year, IBM and Juniper have been working together on the Stratus Project, Juniper's initiative to create a single data center fabric that will deliver a quantum jump in scale, performance and simplicity, with the flexibility to support fully converged and virtualized data center environments.
The two companies have jointly collaborated on a global technology demonstration highlighting how enterprises can seamlessly extend their private data center clouds. Through this collaboration, IBM and Juniper continue to install advanced networking capabilities into IBM's ten worldwide Cloud Labs for customer engagements. Once installed, IBM and Juniper will be able to seamlessly move client computing workloads between private and publicly managed cloud environments enabling customers to reliably deliver on service level agreements.
Continued research and innovation in cloud computing security has been another focus for IBM and Juniper. The companies are jointly researching cloud computing security models to highlight how customers can mitigate attacks on corporate data and computer systems.
Learn more about the IBM and Juniper relationship.
Die Nutzung von hier veröffentlichten Informationen zur Eigeninformation und redaktionellen Weiterverarbeitung ist in der Regel kostenfrei. Bitte klären Sie vor einer Weiterverwendung urheberrechtliche Fragen mit dem angegebenen Herausgeber. Bei Veröffentlichung senden Sie bitte ein Belegexemplar an firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: news


text:
Health Department provides checklist for safe summer gatherings
Health officials said the summer months provide many benefits in northwest Michigan, including lower transmissions of viruses such as COVID-19. As residents resume small and large gatherings, the Northwestern Michigan Department of Health offers a checklist to help plan safe summertime celebrations.
“Just like planning what to pack on a trip or what to pack to a festival or concert, the health department shares our at-a-glance checklist to stay safe. this summer,” Dan Thorell, acting health officer for the health department, said in a statement. “In addition to having a great time with your friends and family at the event, we want to make sure you can enjoy healthy summer days after the celebrations.”
- Consider the number of COVID-19 cases and vaccinated people in your community or the community you are visiting. Consult the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID data tracker when making decisions about travel and event attendance.
- Review and update your vaccination status to ensure you are up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines. HDNW continues to offer free vaccines at its clinics and extends hours of operation as needed to meet public needs.
- Although there is no longer a federal order requiring masks when using public transportation, the CDC recommends that people wear masks when using public transportation modes.
- If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and choose to travel, get tested before and after travel.
- Continue to wash your hands thoroughly and use hand sanitizer when traveling and attending group gatherings.
- Avoid group gatherings if you are sick and get tested.
“While deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 are currently low in counties Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego, clusters of the BA.2 variant continue to appear in higher populations of people who interact inside,” said Dr. Joshua Meyerson, physician. director. “Feel free to take advantage of the Test and Treat option which helps to minimize the personal impacts of the virus.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is offering a new tool for Michigan residents and healthcare providers to help locate COVID-19 treatments statewide. Users can search to find places where oral treatments are available for those who qualify.
Retail chain pharmacies that have oral antivirals in stock include Meijer, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS, in addition to some independent pharmacies. It is important to contact your health care provider if you test positive, as you must present a prescription from a physician or advanced practice clinician to obtain medication from a pharmacy.
Number of cases
As of May 3, the Northwest Michigan Health Department reported that Otsego County had 5,693 cases of COVID-19 and 100 deaths from the disease. As of April 27, Otsego County had 5,666 cases and 100 deaths.
County Antrim was reporting 4,401 cases and 65 deaths while Charlevoix County had 4,959 cases and 60 deaths. Emmet County has recorded 6,484 cases and 86 deaths.
On April 27, County Antrim was reporting 4,373 cases and 65 deaths while Charlevoix County had 4,932 cases and 60 deaths. Emmet County has recorded 6,443 cases and 86 deaths.
Statewide, Michigan had 2,444,891 confirmed and probable cases and 36,064 deaths as of Wednesday, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
The state was reporting 2,425,946 cases and 36,002 deaths as of April 27.


text:
MP-1978.107.150 | Moving Day(?), Eviction(?), Montreal, QC, about 1930
Moving Day(?), Eviction(?), Montreal, QC, about 1930
Anonyme - Anonymous
About 1930, 20th century
Silver salts on glass - Gelatin dry plate process
12 x 17 cm
Purchase from Napoleon Antiques
© McCord Museum
Keywords: basin (1) , chair (2) , Cityscape (3948) , cityscape (422) , Eviction ? (1) , furniture (3) , Montreal (409) , Moving Day ? (2) , Photograph (77678) , stove (2) , streetscape (1737) , streetscape (187) , table (2) , tarpaulin (1)
Keys to History
For many Canadians, housing was a pressing problem. Relief payments, though they crippled municipal finances, were too low to cover the rent on all but the smallest, filthiest and most run-down apartments. Many of those who were still working part- or even full-time could not afford much better.
The inability to make rental payments led to many involuntary moves. Families often shared sub-standard dwellings in the slums found in all the larger towns. The lieutenant-governor of Ontario, Dr. Herbert B. Bruce (1868-1963), reported in 1934 that Toronto needed at least 25,000 new dwellings if the city's population was to be adequately housed. Similar reports could have been made of Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
The caption of this picture leaves up in the air whether the owners of this furniture chose to move or were evicted. In the absence of a moving van, the latter seems likely.
Montreal had large slums in the eastern and southern sections of the city. North and west of Mount Royal the neighbourhoods were much better.
The 1945 novel Bonheur d'occasion (The Tin Flute) by Gabrielle Roy (1909-1983), describes Saint-Henri, a Montreal neighbourhood with many slum dwellings, just as war was ending the Depression.
A populist Conservative, Camillien Houde (1889-1958) was the mayor of Montreal in 1928-32, 1934-36 1938-40, and again for six years after the Second World War.

domain: geography


text:
REGIONAL-The dairy industry is full of highs and lows.
But, much due to the global economic crisis, U.S. dairy product prices are slumped in a deep valley.
Yet, dairy producers and analysts remain hopeful for the future.
“Historically, the dairy industry would be described as a very volatile industry in terms of prices paid to dairy farmers for milk produced,” said Iowa State University Extension dairy field specialist Chris Mondak. “They move up and down radically, and sometimes without warning.”
Dairy producers are paid per hundredweight basis, rather than by gallon of milk, meaning every 100 pounds of milk sold, a producer will be paid.
Sometimes, the prices are at a healthy level, which would pay producers enough to cover their operation plus a little more. Usually, that price is in the $12-$13 range.
“The dairy industry is a supply and demand industry, so the price that the dairy producers receive depends on the market forces of supply and demand,” Mondak said. “Dairy producers are not price setters, they are price takers.”
Prices were at an all-time high last year due to factors ranging from an increased dairy demand in Europe and Asia, a decreased supply coming out of Australia, U.S. markets expanding globally and a good economy.
“On the flip side, we’re seeing a crash this year,” Mondak said. “We’ve gone from $18-$20 per hundredweight being paid to producers, to now about $10 per hundredweight.”
So, dairy producers are getting paid nowhere near their cost of production, which is making it difficult for them to remain in operation nationwide.
Mondak said a number of factors have contributed to the decline:
Because of the overall global economic slump, consumers have been pulling back, especially in the United States, where dairy products have decreased and people are being more careful with their money.
Australia and New Zealand are recovering from a drought, causing their milk supply to come back up.
“That increases the supply in Asia and causes a decreased demand for U.S. exports,” Mondak said.
The value of the dollar, which had been strong compared to other currencies, weakened, making U.S. products less attractive to buy.
“It is a dire financial situation for dairy farmers across the nation, including our local dairy farmers,” Mondak said. “While they are feeling the stress, they are also trying to remain optimistic. This is the business they know, the business they believe in, the business they are dedicated to. They are all about producing wholesome food for people, maintaining the occupation and lifestyle they have chosen. They want to stay in business.”
While dairy producers are accustomed to the highs and lows of the dairy industry, Mondak said the most important thing they can do is remain hopeful.
“The USDA forecasts are talking about a bottoming out in the middle of 2009 and a prediction that there will be some improvement in the third and fourth quarters,” Mondak said. “Our producers are hanging on for that.”
But, besides remaining hopeful, the specialist said producers also should maintain a good relationship with their banker.
“The producers are being advised to let the banker know what’s going on, what their plans are and see if there are any strategies they can do to get through this time period,” Mondak said.
She said it also is a good time for producers to control costs and be efficient in their inputs.
And, that could come from providing a balanced ration for cows at the best prices possible,
“Those producers who own their own land and do some of their own production of corn silage or hay may have an advantage right now over those who are having to buy in everything. Producers and nutritionists are looking for opportunities where they can buy some of their feed inputs at good prices,” Mondak said. “They are just being good businessmen right now. They are having to be good shoppers.”
Despite the hardship many U.S. dairy producers are facing, those in N’West Iowa have somewhat of an advantage.
“One of the reasons why this area has attracted dairy producers to move in from other places is because it has some of the elements that create good opportunities for a dairy farm,” Mondak said.
Dairy producers in N’West Iowa have access to land, a good water supply and the opportunity to have feed grown locally.
“Having feed grown locally is a huge advantage, because feed is the No. 1 expense on a dairy farm,” Mondak said. “Producers here in the Midwest region are situated close to the fields that grow the forage and grain crops needed to create balanced dairy rations and have an opportunity to get feed at costs lower than in some other places in the country that are not located close to a feed supply.”
And while there always will be dairy operations coming in and going out of the state, from an economic standpoint, Mondak said that can be a good thing.
“The dairy industry, including production and processing, is what some have called an ‘economic engine,’” Mondak said. “As an economic multiplier, it stimulates the region’s economy.”
She said economists calculate the dairy industry has having an economic multiplier effect of 2.29. So, for every $1 generated by dairy production, $1.29 is generated in economic growth, or every cow generates $15,000-$17,000 in economic activity.
“Given all major industries in Iowa, no other industry has an economic multiplier effect of this magnitude,” Mondak said.
This article appeared in the May 23, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.

domain: economics


text:
Rising country music star Luke Bell passed away at 32 after allegedly going missing for more than a week. Bell’s friend and fellow country singer Matt Kinman confirmed the “heartbreaking” news to the music site Saving Country Music.
Born in Kentucky and raised in Wyoming, Bell was found dead in Tucson, Arizona, yesterday, near where he had been reported missing on Aug. 20, according to the Tucson Police Department.
As of yet, the singer’s cause of death remains “unknown,” per authorities currently probing the tragedy. However, Kinman told music blog the Boot that his buddy had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, adding that a recent change in his medication might have “played a role” in his disappearance.
Born in Lexington, Kentucky, on Jan. 27, 1990, and raised in Cody, Wyoming, Bell dropped out of the University of Wyoming and moved to Austin, Texas, to pursue a career in country music. He regularly performed at honky-tons and saloons across the Lone Star State’s capital, before doing a short stint in New Orleans, the Boot reported. He then made his way to Wyoming before ending up in Nashville.
The honey-throated nomad finally got his big break after getting signed by Thirty Tigers in 2016. Bell released his eponymous album later that year, which garnered him nationwide recognition.
During the course of his short but impactful career, the country star collaborated with the likes of Alabama Shakes, Margo Price and Langhorne Slim, and even played support slots for Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam and other country icons.
“To be honest, I live in the day, and I count smiles,” Bell said while describing his success to the Boot in 2016. “That’s it. Listen, half the time, I end up drinking beer with my neighbors. Life’s not that bad.”
With his untimely death, Bell leaves behind a legacy as one of the most “authentic” country artists in modern times, with tunes that capture a bygone era. The singer’s unique sound and style earned him comparisons to the late, great Waylon Jennings, who inspired country music’s Outlaw Movement.
Many fans deemed Bell a true original in a music scene oversaturated with sterile, derivative pop songs.
Friends and fans were crestfallen over the musician’s passing.
“Man…Luke Bell…what the f–k,” wrote fellow country star Joshua Hedley on Twitter. “RIP to a real one. Been a long time since I saw him and I was just talking about him the other day wondering what he’s been up to. Truly a sad night for country music.”
Meanwhile, band Mike and the Moonpies penned a moving Facebook tribute.
“Word just came down on the passing of Luke Bell and we’re heartbroken over the news,” they wrote. “I can vividly remember the first time I met Luke at Hole in the Wall over a decade ago, down to the clothes on his back.”
They added, “The man (and his music) left an impression. He was a real deal traveling troubadour out there on that lost highway. Do yourself a favor and put on some Luke Bell tunes tonight in his memory. Rest In Peace, friend.”


text:
Photo Gallery 3 Images
REDDING, Calif. - A number of communities came out to rally against the proposed Delta Conveyance Project.
Tribal communities from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa Valley Tribe, and a number of other community members went before the Department Of Water Resources AND spoke against the Delta Conveyance Project. Public comment even reached its maximum capacity.
The DWR said the project would help with water recycling, recharge depleted groundwater and improve water quality.
Action News Now spoke to people in Redding who said this project doesn’t benefit the North State.
“We are talking more water out of the rivers every year,” said Rick Paz, a Redding resident. “There's less water for the fish, the natural environment, and all the other animals that depend on the water.”
Action News Now reached out to the Department of Water Resources.
In a statement, the DWR said, “We look forward to another public meeting to engage with to incorporate the community's feedback into the project as we work to secure an important water supply for people, businesses, agriculture, and the environment."


text:
When Mark Foyer covered his first Half Moon Bay High School event for the Half Moon Bay Review in 1997, he could have never guessed that his vocation and avocation would meld so beautifully. But in no time Foyer became a familiar face at the high school and the face of the newspaper at many community events. Over the next 20 years, Foyer would be on hand for wins and losses that span generations of Cougars. He values every sport and every competitor, not just high-profile Central Coast Section champions.
He holds a special place in his heart for track and field. His coverage of the Artichoke Invitational is just one example of how he raised the profile of Cross Country within the community and well beyond.
Mark has won a closet-full of writing awards over his tenure. In 2009, he received the Central Coast Section Distinguished Service Award. More recently, in 2015, he was honored with the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside’s “From the Heart” award, which goes to a community member who goes the extra mile for area youth. It isn’t surprising that Mark hesitates when asked to remember particularly special moments. They are all special to Mark.
“It’s been my honor to watch the athletes reach goals they didn’t think were possible,” he said. “There are so many special moments to mention that I don’t want to miss anyone.”
Mark says he couldn’t have done all that he has done for the community without the support of his family. He also wants to thank some mentors from his past—Chris Stave, who was the San Mateo County sports editor of the San Mateo County Times, San Francisco Examiner prep writer Merv Harris and College of San Mateo journalism teacher Al Alexandre.


- A woman has moved to court claiming she dated Itumbi between January and August 2018
- Their relationship ended abruptly after she disclosed to Itumbi she was expecting his child
- The mother of one said she tried to meet the blogger to discuss child support but instead he sent a friend
- She demanded that he be compelled to provide his national ID for his name to appear in the child's birth certificate
State House Digital Director Dennis Itumbi is a man in trouble after a woman dragged her to court over child maintenance.
In her court papers, the woman claimed Itumbi deserted her after giving birth to their child and has never provided any form of support despite the fact that he knew she was an orphan and had to quit her job before delivering the baby.
Through her lawyer Enricah Dulo, the woman said she had tried to meet up with Itumbi to discuss their child's welfare but the holder of Head of State Commendations instead has been sending his friend on his behalf, Daily Nation reported.
“She is seeking KSh 50,000 monthly subsistence allowance for the minor to cater for food, clothing, medicine, and house help salary,” lawyer Dulo said in court papers.
The woman also wants Itumbi to provide his national identity card so that his name can appear in their baby's birth certificate.
She disclosed that the two dated between January and August 2018 before they parted ways after she told him she was expecting his child.
“He ended the relationship sometime in August 2018 when the lady informed him that she was pregnant with his child. She successfully delivered a female child on June 14, this year,” said Dulo.
The child's mother said the State House man exhibited cruelty and he even tried to convince her to abort when she told him she was pregnant.
“Itumbi has since blocked her and she is unable to engage with him on any meaningful communication in regard to the welfare of the minor,” the suit papers stated.
Itumbi's love life is full of controversies given there were rumours that he once dated former Citizen TV journalist Jackie Maribe.
However, the communication specialist dismissed the rumours saying there was nothing romantic between them and that their relationship was bigger than mere love.
Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through firstname.lastname@example.org or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly


Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch Driver
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Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch Driver
Loaded your choice of either an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor and a blazingly fast solid state drive, this little laptop might just give Apple a run for its money.
The sizeable palm rests beneath Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch keyboard are made of magnesium and covered with soft touch paint. The lower half of the chassis Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch made of a carbon fiber composite to help keep the weight down and prevent heat transfer from the internal components to your lap. The XPS 13 is no exception.
You'll find fan vents and plenty of screws if you're the type of IT professional or tech enthusiast who wants to completely disassemble the notebook. Unfortunately, even if you do disassemble the XPS 13 there isn't much you can do to upgrade it. Keep in mind that clicks directly on the "Most Viewed Laptops" list do not count toward the total - keeping the list as fair as possible each month. The only clicks that count toward the monthly totals come from web searches like Google or from visitors who have clicked on a laptop after visiting our "Notebook Database" or inside our forums.
The average business professional is content with two USB ports and a port to connect an external monitor or projector for a presentation. To that end, Dell didn't pack the XPS 13 with anything more.
You get one USB 3. No docking station connector, no ExpressCard slot, and not even an SD card slot. One nice addition to the design of the XPS 13 is a battery life indicator on the right side. This works even if the XPS 13 is turned off.
It's not the Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch accurate way to measure how much charge is left in the battery, but it's a nice way to find out if you need to bring your AC adapter without turning on the ultrabook just to see a battery meter. You can use an external USB. A second viewer who looks at the screen from the side will have problems in recognizing text or images properly. The performance compared to the latest processors is not very low but sufficient for office use, watching HD movies and browsing the internet.
Acer Aspire One 8. When the TK85 performs a task, it sometimes takes a little more time than more modern Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch.
This is also reflected in the HDD benchmark where you get lower transfer rates. Acer Aspire One With an average transfer rate of The access times and burst rates prove to be below average.
ASUS U41SV Notebook Windows 7 64bit Drivers, Applications, Manuals
Both graphics solutions are still not fit for gaming but serve to relieve the CPU in HD Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch playback. Acer as10d75 battery While three year old games are playable in medium to high details, recent games may only be played if details are either minimum or turned down completely.
Acer as10d31 battery In idle mode, the review sample remains mostly quiet at Acer as10d battery The hard disk drive is not audible most of the time and a faint rattling can be heard during write operations. The fan does turn up Asus U41SV Notebook Scene Switch the noise level during web browsing for short periods.
The device can be quite noisy with a maximum of The optical drive for DVD playback is significantly audible measuring Acer as10d81 battery The TK85 is pretty ineffective when it comes to dispering the heat generated during the operation of the laptop. The hottest spots are located near the mouse pad and right palm rest, which can be particularly inconvenient in summer.
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Use on the lap is possible with low workloads but the device does heat up pretty rapidly. In this stress-test scenario, CPU throttling is observed after 10 minutes. Throttling is not observed for normal workloads.
The maximum volume range is good enough for a room of about 15 square meters in size. In terms of sound quality, the lack of bass and treble is emphasized and overall sound quality is unconvincing.
Competing models do have better solutions. When playing through the 3. Acer as10d51 battery The power consumption of the laptop in idle mode was acceptable but not outstanding. The laptop consumes a minimum of 8 W which is pretty good and is comparable to more frugal notebook solutions available today. During benchmark tests using 3DMark 06, the power consumption went up to 49 W.
The 65 W power adapter allows for charging of the battery at an adequate rate.


text:
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.
In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.
Signs and symptoms of SAD may include:
- Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Having low energy
- Having problems with sleeping
- Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
Fall and winter SAD
Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include:
- Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Tiredness or low energy
Spring and summer SAD
Symptoms specific to summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include:
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Poor appetite
- Weight loss
- Agitation or anxiety
Seasonal changes in bipolar disorder
In some people with bipolar disorder, spring and summer can bring on symptoms of mania or a less intense form of mania (hypomania), and fall and winter can be a time of depression.
The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown. Some factors that may come into play include:
- Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.
- Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.
- Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
Seasonal affective disorder is diagnosed more often in women than in men. And SAD occurs more frequently in younger adults than in older adults.
Factors that may increase your risk of seasonal affective disorder include:
- Family history. People with SAD may be more likely to have blood relatives with SAD or another form of depression.
- Having major depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms of depression may worsen seasonally if you have one of these conditions.
- Living far from the equator. SAD appears to be more common among people who live far north or south of the equator. This may be due to decreased sunlight during the winter and longer days during the summer months.
Take signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder seriously. As with other types of depression, SAD can get worse and lead to problems if it's not treated. These can include:
- Social withdrawal
- School or work problems
- Substance abuse
- Other mental health disorders such as anxiety or eating disorders
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Treatment can help prevent complications, especially if SAD is diagnosed and treated before symptoms get bad.

domain: health


text:
Very happy to see three of my paintings on show at the CO3 gallery in Colchester. Do go and have a look ! Fifteen artists are on show. Show running every weekend in February.
I am running two workshops with CO3 Gallery in March. On March 7th come and join me to learn about creating more expression in your work. Learn some new techniques to loosen up and explore colour, rhythm and emotion in your paintings.
On March 27th we will be taking a deep dive into the wonderful world of colour! The day will be about really getting to know the impact of colours, exploring different colour combinations and creating intuitive paintings through selected colours. Come prepared to find the colour combinations that speak to you!
Be great to see you!
Another lovely day with Ruth and Brenda making the most of a beautiful Autumn day at Flatford. I found a lovely old tree stump to sit on as my studio for an hour or so and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of being by the river stour. The ducks seemed to be having a great time too and the cows decided to have a lie down in the sun…
Its been a lovely summer being out and about with our sketchbooks with visits to Wormingford, Arger Fen and Tollesbury- all on the North Essex/Suffolk border. We plan to continue through into the Winter with a wet weather option and a coffee shop close to hand!
I’m just back form a freedom in painting holiday with Ashley Hanson in beautiful Cornwall. Having a love of Cornwall- particularly the cliffs and beaches- walking and painting, it was a great combination for me!
The first sketching day we were in one of my favourite places, the Camel estuary and later that day we headed to Port Quinn which has a wonderfully textural beach. Day two we were in Charlestown and Fowey on a somewhat overcast misty day. As you will see, I was playing with colour and abstraction in my sketches. We were in the studio for the last couple of days – a couple of paintings are evolving…
All in all some great inspiration with some of my own trips to see the standing stones and mine shafts in Bodmin Moor, to the Eden project, Pentire and Rumps Head and the wonderful Bedruthan steps and Watergate bay! Plenty of inspiration for the studio this winter!!
Thanks to everyone that came along to Cuckoo Farm this weekend for our annual open studio. It was great to see so many new people to the farm! Here are a few pics of my studio and a few of my fellow artists! With thanks to Wendy Bailey for some of the photos!
It is that time of year where I will be opening up my studio as part of the Colchester and Tendring Open Studios at Cuckoo Farm, Colchester.
Come along and have a look around and meet me and my fellow artists (27 in all!) at the Studios. To plan your visit download the OS13 brochure.
If you would like to make a day out there will be further studios open across North Essex that weekend and you could also take a visit to some of our lovely local countryside and visit the home of Constable’s The Hay Wain at Flatford Mill and have a wander around Dedham, just 20 minutes drive away.


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Netflix has acquired the worldwide rights to Sam Levinson’s witty, lush, romantic drama MALCOM & MARIE starring Zendaya and John David Washington
Quote from Sam Levinson: “I am so grateful to this cast and crew, many of whom are my EUPHORIA family, for coming together during such uncertain times. We felt privileged to be able to make this film together and we did so with a lot of love. We are all thrilled that it has ended up with Netflix which is unparalleled in allowing filmmakers the freedom to tell their stories that reach audiences all over the world.”
Director/Writer/Producer: Sam Levinson
DP: Marcell Rév
Producers: Producers: Kevin Turen and Ashley Levinson of Little Lamb Productions
Executive Producers: Zendaya, John David Washington, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Will Greenfield, Aaron L. Gilbert and Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi)
Co-Executive Producers: Harrison Kreiss, Katia Washington, Stuart Manashil and Kenneth Yu
Cast: Zendaya, John David Washington
Editor: Julio C. Perez IV
Production Designer: Michael Grasley
Costume Designers: Law Roach & Samantha McMillen
Synopsis: Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love. Working with cinematographer Marcell Rev, Levinson creates a film of rare originality; an ode to the great Hollywood romances as well as a heartfelt expression of faith in the medium’s future.
Shooting took place between June 17-July 2 at Feldman Architecture’s Caterpillar House, an environmentally conscious glass architectural marvel in Carmel, CA – the producers worked with doctors and lawyers to make sure that the production was fully compliant with WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA approvals and COVID-19 safety protocols. The film was shot on 35mm in black and white. Fotokem was critical to the production providing processing and support.
The cast and crew of MALCOLM & Marie will share a portion of the proceeds of this sale with FEEDING AMERICA.

domain: entertainment


As official partner of Major League Soccer, DoorDash has delivered its latest campaign inspired by its fans with ‘Passion Should Never Go Hungry.’ With sound crafted by award-winning music and sound production company SOUTH, the project centres on a rousing soccer chant poised between raw authenticity and cinematic splendour.
The spot follows a diverse crowd of soccer fans, following the lead of an impassioned capo. As he drives the chant, set to the tune of ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ with playfully tweaked Spanglish lyrics, the horde marches through the street, demanding what they most desire: food. Singing about their love of pizza and fries, the chant deepens with increasing layers of harmony and instrumentation, transforming into a full-blown musical experience as it reaches its crescendo.
The DoorDash in-house team approached SOUTH directly for the project, involving the music and sound production company heavily from the outset. With the song and lyrics already chosen by DoorDash, SOUTH were tasked with all the rest, from original music and voice casting to arrangement, sound design, and final mix.
Striving for authenticity, DoorDash’s team was keen for a raw, guttural performance from people with real connections to soccer culture. Leaving no stone unturned in their search, SOUTH managed to rally together a team of vocalists with the right experience to deliver an authentic performance. A testament to the success of the casting process, the team found a Spanish-speaking lead to sing the bilingual lyrics, with a voice that uncannily matches the actor on screen.
Building the chant up in layers, the audio features predominantly pre-recorded vocalists with captured sound from the set sprinkled in for added realism. Collaborating closely with the DoorDash team to craft a more full-bodied experience, SOUTH adapted the sound to meet their needs as they evolved with each cut, incorporating additional voices for a more diverse sound, and more people singing in tune for greater musicality.
During post, the teams worked to strike a balance between raw power and cinematic grandeur. Crafting two versions of the audio, one truly raw and one perfectly polished, SOUTH worked to incorporate both into the spot, evolving from guttural to musical through the addition of a subtle orchestra halfway through. By adding this cinematic touch, SOUTH managed to imbue the sound with a level of playfulness that manages the chant’s humorous lyrics. Increasing that magical element as the chant goes on, the final composition guides the audience, subtly heightening the emotion as it reaches its peak.
Dan Pritikin, partner and creative director at SOUTH, comments: “This project was a truly positive experience from beginning to end. DoorDash were such collaborative creative partners, and we really appreciate the trust they had in us to deliver a pitch-perfect performance that balances raw power with musicality. Nothing compares to that little moment of anticipation when you’re about to receive the cut, and the relieved joy you feel when you realise it's really going to work.”
Ann Haugen, partner and executive producer at SOUTH, adds: “Each new project we do requires us to bring fresh perspectives to the table and go above and beyond the traditional music track - and we absolutely thrived off the challenge of this one. I felt such a rush figuring out how to meet all the different criteria to make something amazing. Seeing it slowly come together and end up better than imagined is priceless - it’s definitely one of my favourite projects we’ve done this year.”
The campaign will air from Friday, June 10th across broadcast, social, and streaming.


I’m trying to install opengl 4.5 on windows 10 but I don’t know how. Please give me instructions
OpenGL isn’t software - install the drivers for your graphics card.
You can use opengl like NVIDIA drivers right? for performance and Frames per second?
NVidia is one graphics card manufacturer, yes. If you have an NVidia GPU, grab the latest drivers for it from here:
IF you have an NVIDIA graphics card. If you don’t - you can’t.