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Best cars for cyclists and bikes
Cycling is a popular hobby but you'll probably need a suitable vehicle for transporting your equipment. Here are 10 of the best cars for cyclists and bikes
Aside from grand pianos, there are few items more awkward to load into a car than bicycles. Wrangling the wheels, saddle and pedals of a bike into a configuration that’ll allow you to close the boot and accommodate passengers can provoke frustration at best, or chipped paintwork, damaged trim and oily upholstery at worst.
Carmakers know this, though, and many build external racks, internal rails and neat seating solutions to make life easier for cyclists. Many of these extras allow you to carry multiple bikes and passengers at the same time, negating the need for you to choose between your hobby and your friends.
Most of the cars we feature can be fitted with third-party bike racks, but we’ve concentrated on official manufacturer rails and racks to ensure compatibility. We’ve only included one full-size SUV in this list. That’s not because they’re inherently bad cars for cyclists, but because the typically high roof of an SUV means you’ll have to use a ladder if you want to load a bike onto the top rack easily.
We have, however, tried to think outside the box with our selections. Not all cyclists want a big estate car or a commodious MPV, for example, so we’ve featured a supermini and a supercar in our picks alongside more obvious choices.
So, if you’re a keen cyclist after the perfect car to take your bike or bikes on a cycling holiday, or just want to venture out to experience some of the UK’s excellent bike trails, read on for our rundown of the 10 best cars for cyclists and bikes available in the UK today.
If any car is going to be suitable for slinging mountain bikes in or on top of, it’s the hugely practical Land Rover Discovery. Fold down all the rear seats and you’ll fit one or two in the back with their front wheels removed, but the alternative is to specify some dedicated official Land Rover accessories. There are tow-bar mounted carriers available that can carry two or three bikes with a total weight of 40kg or 51kg depending which you choose, or – if you have a stepladder handy – there’s the choice of roof-mounted fork or wheel-mounted carriers (to be used in conjunction with roof rails and cross rails, both sold separately). Capacity for two bikes on the roof, three on the tailgate and about two in the boot means your Land Rover Discovery could easily deal with even the most ambitious cycling holiday – and if you don’t fancy pedaling up a hill, chances are the Discovery could do the hard work for you, both on and off-road.
The Skoda Superb Estate features frequently in our top 10 lists, and with good reason: it’s immensely practical, comfortable, well equipped, decent to drive and reasonably priced. It’s also popular with cyclists thanks to its huge boot. With the rear seats folded, this should easily accommodate two bikes with their front wheels removed. If you’d rather not risk getting the Superb’s interior dirty, a set of roof rails and a bike rack are available from Skoda, and will also let you pretend you’re a support vehicle for the Tour de France – an event that Skoda sponsors and supplies cars for. If you prefer mountain-biking to road-racing, meanwhile, ticking the four-wheel-drive option box adds expense and reduces fuel economy slightly, but means the car should get you where you need to go when the call of the wild beckons. Choose the 148bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine if you don’t cover many miles each year, any of the 2.0-litre diesels if relaxed cruising and economy are your priorities, or the faintly mad 4x4 276bhp 2.0-litre petrol if you want to get to your destination as fast as possible. The Superb Estate looks great in SportLine trim, too, if you can stretch to it.
The latest Mercedes E-Class Estate has taken all the best bits of the old one and improved it still further. Granted, it’s still got a smaller boot than the Skoda Superb Estate, despite costing considerably more. However, pay the price and you’ll be getting a luxurious, quiet and swift estate car. While the E-Class Estate loses out to the Superb Estate on ultimate carrying capacity by 20 litres, it still has a vast boot that’ll accommodate a couple of bikes with their front wheels removed and the rear seats folded. A tow-bar-mounted rack is another option for up to three bikes (about £700 for a towbar and £600 for a three-bike rack), while up to two can be carried on the E-Class’ roof using rails (£200 or so) and bike carriers (about £100 each). If you choose this last option, the bikes’ total weight mustn’t exceed 100kg, but this shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re transporting electric bikes. The 220d diesel engine offers excellent economy and brisk performance, while standard SE trim has plenty of bells and whistles. Go for the sporty-looking AMG Line if you’d rather, but you may be better off selecting individual options from Mercedes’ generously appointed options list.
The Honda Jazz is the second entry on this list for the Japanese brand, and it highlights Honda’s considered approach to usability. Despite being a small supermini, the Jazz boasts impressive practicality credentials. If you want to transport your bike inside the Jazz, its clever ‘magic’ rear seats flip up against the seatbacks to reveal a flat, wide and open rear storage area that’s remarkably easily to load a bike (with its front wheel removed) into. If that option doesn’t appeal, a bike without its front wheel will also fit in the boot with one portion of the split-folding rear seats dropped, allowing you to carry three passengers. If you want to carry your bikes outside, a Honda-certified Thule tow-bar-mounted two-cycle carrier will set you back around £400, or about £550 for a folding version. Honda also sells a roof rack for the Jazz for around £300, but with a maximum load of just 30kg – there’s no official bike carrier for the roof.
With decent handling, a vast interior and the ability to seat seven, the Ford Galaxy has a lot going for it. As long as you’re happy having a large MPV, it also offers near-limitless flexibility for carrying bikes. With all five rear seats folded, you should be able to fit two bikes complete with wheels. If, on the other hand, you need to carry more than one passenger, the boot is vast in five-seat configuration and should easily swallow a pair of cycles, albeit with their wheels removed. A tow-bar-mounted three-bike carrier will set you back around £480, and even fully loaded, will tilt out of the way at the press of a pedal when you need to open the boot. You’ll need to purchase a towbar if you want this option, though, and that adds around £440 to the Galaxy’s price if you want the detachable version. Roof rails and bike carriers can also be purchased, and are more reasonably priced at £200 or so for a set of rails and around £60-110 depending which Thule bike carrier you choose.
It costs some £10,000 less than an Audi Q5, but there’s little in it when it comes to practicality: the Nissan X-Trail is a very big car inside. And that means plenty of space for bikes. How big? Well, the fact that the X-Trail offers the option of seven seats. Choose that third row of seats and space is 445 litres; forgo them and capacity grows to 565 litres. Fold the second row and you’ll have access to very close to 2,000 litres of room. There’s no load lip to haul your gear over and all the seats fold almost completely flat. On the road, the car is easy to drive, nimble and offers enough ground clearance to cross muddy ruts to find the best mountain-biking trails. Four-wheel drive is an option for those that do so regularly.
The Kodiaq is Skoda’s first large SUV and it’s a cracker. It’s available as a five or seven-seater and sports a vast range of features to make your life that little bit easier. These range from the £90 optional handles to drop the second row of seats without having to reach inside or walk around to each side of the car; to the standard removable boot light torch, umbrellas inside the front doors and an ice scraper behind the fuel filler cap. The Kodiaq is great to drive on-road, and very capable off it in four-wheel-drive guise. Although there’s no boot lip, a relatively high boot floor is a minor black mark.
The Vauxhall Corsa is tiny in this company, but it offers an integrated two-cycle carrier. The Flex-Fit carrier is a pop-out platform that hides behind the rear numberplate when not in use. Pull a handle in the boot and it slides out. Lock it in place, attach the additional rear lights and you’re ready to go. It’s not perfect, though: its £670 price tag is a little steep and you can’t have it if you’ve chosen a rear parking camera or a spare wheel. And you need to ensure your bikes’ cranks aren’t too large. But the Corsa’s Flex-Fit option is a novel solution to a common problem and one well worth investigating.
If you apply the pound-per-inch formula to your new-car purchase, you simply can’t get more value for money than the Dacia Logan MCV. The big, estate-only car is priced like a supermini, but offers boot space comparable to a Volkswagen Golf Estate. That’s impressive, but not as much as the price: the cheapest Golf is almost three times the price of the Logan. Unsurprisingly, it’s not hard to see evidence of cost-cutting in the spartan interior, while both the ride and handling lack the finesse of pricier rivals. Still, pass by the entry-level 1.0-litre SCe petrol engine in favour of the 1.2-litre TCe petrol or 1.5-litre diesel and you’ll have a non-nonsense car capable of easy A to B travel.
Although the SsangYong Tivoli XLV is an SUV, it’s almost a foot shorter than some full-size 4x4s, so loading its roof shouldn’t pose too much of an issue. SsangYong charges around £200-300 for a roof rack or bar system and a two-bike carrier for £150. Factor in a huge boot that’ll take an adult’s bicycle with both wheels attached and the rear seats folded, optional four-wheel drive and reasonable running costs, and it’s clear that despite a slightly underwhelming driving experience, the Tivoli XLV has a lot to recommend it as a cyclist’s companion. There’s only one engine available with the Tivoli XLV – a 113bhp 1.6-litre diesel – but you can choose between two and four-wheel drive, as well as a manual or automatic gearbox. The manual two-wheel-drive model will help keep costs down and economy up, though.


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*FRERARD* After falling into a deep depression that is only numbed by drugs and alcohol, Gerard Way decides that he no longer wants to live. But before he takes his life, he runs away and is determ...
A very short parody (well, sort of) of the 'marriage/concubine/whatever contract' trope.
In: Harry Potter
- Authors: 609207
- Stories: 40303
Sequel to ‘Blood and Affection’. After a year has passed since Gerard turned Helena Sheridan int...
New assistant and new co-worker hired at Gerard's job but he finds them both incredibly attractive.
portable stage manufacturer
In: Linkin Park

domain: literature


text:
By Abigail Wood
The sunrise of the twenty-first century marked a turning interval for American Yiddish tradition. The 'Old global' of Yiddish-speaking jap Europe was once fading from residing reminiscence - but whilst, Yiddish track loved a renaissance of artistic curiosity, either between a more youthful iteration looking reengagement with the Yiddish language, and, such a lot prominently through the transnational revival of klezmer track. The final sector of the 20 th century and the early years of the twenty-first observed a gradual circulate of recent songbook courses and recordings in Yiddish - newly composed songs, recognized singers acting nostalgic favourites, American well known songs translated into Yiddish, theatre songs, or even a few forays into Yiddish hip hop; musicians in the meantime engaged with discourses of musical revival, post-Holocaust cultural politics, the transformation of language use, radical alterity and a brand new iteration of yankee Jewish identities. This publication explores how Yiddish track grew to become this type of effective medium for musical and ideological creativity on the twilight of the 20 th century, proposing an episode within the flowing timeline of a musical repertory - big apple on the sunrise of the twenty-first century - and outlining a number of the trajectories that Yiddish tune and its singers have taken to, and past, this element.
Read or Download And We're All Brothers: Singing in Yiddish in Contemporary North America PDF
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Extra info for And We're All Brothers: Singing in Yiddish in Contemporary North America
Here, beginning students, struggling to speak after only four days of Yiddish lessons, would have a first opportunity to sit alongside native Yiddish speakers and long-time Yiddish language devotees. Picnic aside, the evening’s activities focused on song. The group sang a crosssection of well-known Yiddish favourites. ‘Ale brider’ (All brothers), based on a poem written by Morris Winchevsky, illustrates the ideals of brotherhood and equality central to turn-of-the-century Jewish socialism. 1 On an upbeat note, the singing session ended with two RussianYiddish numbers: ‘A glezele lekhayim’ (A little toast), a Soviet Yiddish song whose melody derives from an early twentieth-century Yiddish theatre song, and ‘Geven a tzayt’ (Once there was a time) a 1970 translation by Yiddish singer Teddi Schwartz of Gene Raskin’s lyrics ‘Those were the days’, itself a contrafactum to another popular Russian song.
Many parodies were written in Boiberik, and were a source of fun. Some were written by Lehrer, others by talented campers and counselors. Many Boiberikaner will recall them. We sang them at campfires or on Kindertog (a day when counselors dressed and acted as children, and when Lehrer received a hazing). Some words were of a high calibre. I once heard a snippet of a parody of Oklahoma written by Uriel and Gaby Weinreich and Amik (Abe) Brumberg. These parodies should definitely form part of the Boiberik Songbook (Chana Mlotek, letter to ‘Sam’, February 1988.
However, from the outset the programme’s goals expanded beyond formal language acquisition to encompass a wider cultural agenda. 2001 programme director Yankl (Jeffrey) Salant writes: Priceless treasures that could immeasurably enrich the field of Jewish social science – and by the same token – the general domain of social science – remain 22 And We’re All Brothers: Singing in Yiddish in Contemporary North America to a large degree unutilised. For these treasures in the form of institutional records, minutes, books, epistolary collections, diaries, newspapers and journals are mostly in Yiddish, an adequate knowledge of which is uncommon among American researchers.
And We're All Brothers: Singing in Yiddish in Contemporary North America by Abigail Wood

domain: artistic


text:
National Monument1228 Votes Currently Open
- Address: Jalan Parlimen, Kuala Lumpur, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Timings: 07:00 am - 06:00 pm Details
- Phone: +60-326158188
- Time Required: 00:30 Mins
- Tags: Monument
The same man who sculpted the famous Iwo Jima monument in Washington sculpted this gigantic bronze monument. It was Felix de Wheldon, who, in 1966, made for Malaysia this symbol representing the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and peace. The seven human figures on top each denote one particular noble attribute - courage, leadership, sacrifice, strength, suffering, unity and vigilance. It’s also meant to commemorate the struggle between the Commonwealth Armed Forces and the communist forces of the Malayan National Liberation Army.
You don’t immediately see the monument on arrival. A wide stairway will first lead you up the hill, where a smaller monument describes relevant history and information. Only after that do you visit the actual monument. Want to spend a couple of days in this beautiful city? Follow this Kuala Lumpur itinerary 2 days.
National Monument Travel Tips
- It’s an open space. You might get sunburns.
- Check out the small sculpture park nearby.
How to Reach National Monument
- B115 WismaTani, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin.
- Bank Negara KMUTER Station.
Love this? Explore the entire list of places to visit in Kuala Lumpur before you plan your trip.
Fancy a good night's sleep after a tiring day? Check out where to stay in Kuala Lumpur and book an accommodation of your choice.
5.83% of people who visit Kuala Lumpur include National Monument in their plan
11 AM - 12 PM
37.04% of people start their National Monument visit around 11 AM - 12 PM
People usually take around 30 Minutes to see National Monument
62.5% of people prefer to travel by car while visiting National Monument

domain: geography


‘Homeland Security’ Blocks Road Salt Delivery
Another example of how government is the problem, not the solution.
Check it out:
The salt shortage persists in New Jersey. Officials have failed to get permission for a barge with 40 tons of salt to set sail for the tristate region
Angel Morales, a resident of Jersey City says her car just won’t go anywhere.
“Look, you see I went up and I started sliding back,” she said.
N.J. officials were hoping a barge with 40 tons of salt would arrive from Maine. But the vessel wasn’t flying the American flag and officials couldn’t get clearance from Homeland Security to come to the Port of Newark.
The problem is because of the 1920 federal Maritime Act. It prevents foreign vessels from moving cargo from one U.S. port to another. It was designed to protect the U.S. shipping industry from foreign competition.
The barge sailed empty, leaving the salt in Maine.


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The September employment report showed the first U.S. payroll decline in seven years as employers shed 33,000 jobs.
But economists are writing off the weak performance as a blip caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which devastated the Houston area and Florida in late August and early September.
Fortunately, the report highlighted other signs of a healthy labor market:
• The unemployment rate fell from 4.4% to 4.2%, the lowest level since February 2001. That rate is calculated from a different survey than the headline jobs total and revealed a big surge in employment. In that survey of households, people are counted as employed even if they missed work because of the storms.
• Average hourly earnings rose 12 cents to $26.55, bumping the annual gain to 2.9% from 2.5%. Much of the rise can be traced to the hurricanes, which prompted many lower-paid part-time and temporary workers to stay home, lifting average pay, says economist Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics. But at least part of the rise wasn’t caused by the storms, says economist Jim O’Sullivan of High Frequency Economics.
• A broader measure of unemployment fell. The measure includes discouraged Americans who have stopped looking for work and part-time employees who prefer full-time jobs, as well as the unemployed. It fell from 8.6% to 8.3%, the lowest since June 2007.
• Share of Americans working or looking for jobs rose from 62.9% to 63.1%, the highest since March 2014. That measure generally has trended down as Baby Boomers retire but it has edged higher the past two years as the improving labor market coaxes discouraged workers to look for jobs. That’s a positive development for an economy that has sidelined millions of workers since the recession of 2007-2009.
• Bars lost but other industries gained. Most of the month’s losses were traced to restaurants and bars, which shed 105,000 jobs. That industry is especially vulnerable to hurricanes, which kept both employees and customers from venturing out. Most other areas added jobs, though in some cases at a slower pace.
New data from CareerBuilder.com suggests low-wage jobs will grow faster than ‘middle-wage’ and ‘high-wage’ jobs over the next five years. Wochit

domain: news


text:
Most of our lives get lost in time, unrecorded,
our recollections packed up, buried, and distorted,
until that one thing you see or hear takes you back to long forgotten places,
a storied oasis- but when it’s played back, details are lost, some people are faceless.
The five senses of our memories are the first to hop the fences,
in the social media age its still hard to recall, without some special occasion, a mental benchmark, or other pretenses.
The era in my life, the vibes and the times,
I can ‘re-feel,’ then ‘re-see’ them, with closed eyes-
the present reigns supreme, but I revel in those moments
where a flashback is triggered and I’m suddenly transported.
Sometimes it takes something new to bring back old visions
and when nostaglia hits, it hits with power and precision.
Taste, touch, smell, sights, sounds might not last,
but your emotions will spark a memory and take you right back
to how the moon looked that night, how hard they smiled,
a first kiss, last words, or that 26th mile.
Our own life story plays back in our minds,
Emotions at the wheel of the memories they drive.-RSM


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- Feb 25, 2009
Sweet. And hopefully your DD played a key role in at least some of the wins.At least the coach didnt call you, invite you to come on a visit, then after you get there, she tells you to go tour the campus by yourself. Daughter works out with team for 3 hours, when it is over coach comes over, says she would really like to stay and chat but has some personal things to deal with and cant stay. Really would like daughter to come play for them, but she has already offered out all her money and wont know for 60 days if she has any left. She leaves and tells us one of the players we know will show daughter the dorms. We watch as assistant coach proceeds to verbally berate the girls for 30 minutes while running wind sprints dropping the F bomb about 100 times in the process.
Daughter chose not to go to that school, signed with another and beat 1st school about 8 of the 10 times they played them.
I doubt it's really different. People are just people. Some are nicer than others and sometimes the nice ones have a bad day. Count yourselves lucky to see this side of the coach now instead of later.Comp, what a terrible thing. I feel for you and your daughter. Yes, I guess I should look at it like I invited us. However, we drove almost 3 hours and so, some courtesy would be expected. We did see some great games and so, it was still worth it.
I've gone and talked to a lot of coaches as a head high school coach. I've always found them accessible but I do have a good reputation in baseball. I guess things are different to some degree in softball and do realize the focus is more on travel teams and recruiting. I just wasn't expecting this.
Yes, one of the things I tell parents and kids is, don't be shy. If they want you, they will be glad to get an email from you every time you have something new to tell them like a new scheduled game or a four hit game or some such. Coaches like to recruit kids who want to be there. Let them know that. If they don't want you and think you email or call too much, what do you care? If they are impressed with your play and you are often on their minds they may recommend you to another coach.You have to develop a thick skin when you want your kid recruited.
Very true...my DD ended up at Ohio U because the coach at Kansas decided to take another player, but the Kansas coach recommended my DD to the OU coach.If they are impressed with your play and you are often on their minds they may recommend you to another coach.

domain: sports


text:
Witness intimidation, a tactic normally associated with the mafia or drug cartels, continues to be an underreported aspect of the Boston Bombing trial. Recent court documents reveal a troubling pattern of harassment and surveillance against potential defense witnesses by the FBI.
The Boston Marathon bombing is much more important than has been acknowledged, principally because it is the major domestic national security event since 9-11 and has played a major role in expanding the power of the security state. For that reason, WhoWhatWhy is continuing to investigate troubling aspects of this story and the establishment media treatment of it. So even as it slips from the headlines, we will be exploring new elements of the story regularly as the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev approaches.
Since the Boston Marathon bombing a year and a half ago, the FBI appears to be intimidating, harassing, and silencing friends and acquaintances of the Tsarnaev brothers. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers have noticed it too—they’re having trouble getting anyone to talk to them, recent court papers reveal.
In what WhoWhatWhy previously described as the FBI’s “war on witnesses”, the Bureau seems to be employing a scorched earth strategy of destroying anything that might be of use to the “enemy.”
On August 29, Tsarnaev’s lawyers filed a motion requesting a continuance for more time to prepare their defense, noting the fact that they were given only half the median preparation time that federal courts have allowed over the past decade for defendants on trial for their lives. (The judge did grant a two-month delay while refusing the defense request to move the trial out of Boston.)
The lawyers cited “outpaced requirements” in building a proper defense for their client: (1) the international nature of the investigation—including language and geographic barriers, (2) the large amount of evidence that has to be scrutinized, and most tellingly, (3) the climate of intimidation and fear created by the FBI’s investigative efforts since the bombing. They write:
Domestic defense mitigation investigation has been conducted amid a growing atmosphere of anxiety and agitation generated by highly-publicized arrests, indictments, prosecutions, deportations (and, in one instance, the FBI killing) of members of Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s peer groups.
Most news reports brush over that last part. As if shooting to death an unarmed man involved in this case—as an FBI agent did to Tamerlan’s friend Ibragim Todashev—is not relevant to the difficulties the defense team has had in getting witnesses to talk to them. But even less extreme events are enough to silence potential witnesses, such as the mysterious closing of their bank accounts.
Prosecutors resisted this and an earlier attempt to have the trial delayed. The victims have a right to see justice done—swiftly, the thinking goes.
The victims and their families certainly deserve justice for this horrible atrocity. True justice should include a full accounting—something a hurried, one-sided investigation is not likely to produce. And of course Boston and the American public deserve, and need, the truth, whatever it may be.
Yet a close read of the motion document reveals FBI activities that seem more of an effort to conceal than to illuminate.
The FBI’s March to the Sea
Tsarnaev’s defense team makes reference to the most troubling—and most anxiety-producing—action by the FBI since the bombing: the shooting to death of Tamerlan’s friend, Todashev. (See our earlier story on the head-scratching circumstances surrounding that shooting, including the questionable history of the agent who pulled the trigger.)
Some of the FBI’s aggressive tactics described in the defense document look like outright intimidation. For instance, individuals “with lawful immigration status have been detained for hours and required to surrender their electronic devices upon re-entry to the United States.”
And take a look at this excerpt:
“The investigation has been further hampered by aggressive FBI follow-up tracking and questioning of potential witnesses, as well as by the unrelenting attention of the news media.”
It is one thing to be aggressively tracking and questioning individuals suspected of committing crimes, but to be doing this to presumably innocent witnesses reeks of intimidation. Witness intimidation is a tactic ordinarily associated with mafia or drug cartel defendants.
Notably, this “tracking” must have been brought to the attention of defense lawyers by witnesses themselves, indicating overt surveillance: “We’re watching you.”
Then, farther down in the document:
“These difficult circumstances are compounded by a continuing pattern of aggressive FBI re-interviewing of potential witnesses — on occasion within hours of an attempted contact by defense investigator [emphasis added].”
Within hours of an attempted contact by defense investigator? Is the defense team being watched too? (We reached out to Tsarnaev’s defense team hoping they could expand on that, but have not yet had a response.)
It wouldn’t be the first time the FBI was caught spying on defense lawyers in a high-profile terrorism case. Lawyers for accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed allege that the FBI has been surveilling them.
Whether legal counsel are being watched directly or simply getting caught up in the surveillance of Tsarnaev’s acquaintances, the effect is the same: the feds know who is talking to whom, and when.
That’s a Nice Immigration Status You Got There…
Witnesses who are not U.S. citizens—which describes the majority of Tsarnaev’s friends, family, and many in the local Muslim community—are particularly vulnerable to law enforcement manipulation. The threat of deportation is a clear and present danger to these individuals, “regardless of whether criminal charges are ever brought or proven against them,” Tsarnaev’s lawyers wrote.
Indeed, a handful of people loosely connected to the Tsarnaevs have already been deported, or had deportation proceedings initiated against them, despite having nothing to do with the Boston Marathon bombing. These include:
– Konstantin Morozov: friend of Tamerlan, arrested and jailed pending deportation reportedly after refusing to wear a wire for the FBI as the Bureau sought information on one of Tamerlan’s Chechen friends.
– Tatiana Gruzdeva: girlfriend of Ibragim Todashev, deported after speaking with Boston Magazine about the circumstances surrounding her boyfriend’s death.
– Ashurmamad Miraliev: friend of Ibragim Todashev, was reportedly denied a request for an attorney while interrogated by FBI for over six hours, and transferred to an immigration detention center where deportation proceedings were initiated.
– Khusen Taramov: friend of Ibragim Todashev, denied reentry to the United States after visiting Chechnya, despite having a Green Card.
Why hasn’t Boston’s “liberal” media made more noise about this? Arguably, the most newsworthy portion of Tsarnaev’s motion for continuance—potential witness intimidation—has been glossed over or ignored in most mainstream media accounts.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations reached out to the media and the public to expose the intimidation and harassment of Todashev’s friends and associates—and got a fair amount press coverage by their local media. The same cannot be said for the Boston area press.
Have they, albeit indirectly, been intimidated, too? The Boston media has historically had a close relationship with law enforcement, and when it ever so slightly challenged the police, found its usual (and needed) sources shut down.
However, if ever there was a moment for the local press to do the right thing, this is surely it.
[box] WhoWhatWhy plans to continue doing this kind of groundbreaking original reporting. You can count on us. Can we count on you? What we do is only possible with your support.
Please click here to donate; it’s tax deductible. And it packs a punch.[/box]


Very small samples from the Shroud of Turin have been dated by accelerator mass spectrometry in laboratories at Arizona, Oxford and Zurich.
This flood of neutrons may have imprinted an X-ray-like image onto the linen burial cloth, say the researches.
Now Carpinteri’s team have hypothesized that high-frequency pressure waves generated in the Earth’s crust during earthquakes are the source of such neutron emissions.
The scientists base the idea on research into piezonuclear fission reactions which occur when brittle rock is crushed under enormous pressure.
As Controls, three samples whose ages had been determined independently were also dated.
The Shroud of Turin , which many people believe was used to wrap Christ's body, bears detailed front and back images of a man who appears to have suffered whipping and crucifixion.
The machine used to examine the Shroud's fibres and test traction, allowed researchers to examine tiny fibres alongside about twenty samples of cloth dated between 3000 BC and 2000 AD.


text: Stem cells have a home in niche categories where spatially restricted indicators maintain a delicate stability between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. the stem cell specific niche market by giving localized Wnt proteins on man made areas. Localized Wnt protein make a difference cell destiny decisions and control asymmetric cell department (ACD), processes needed for tissues development and regenerative medication applications. 2.?Looking into Wnt signalling in the mammalian stem cell niche Many methods have already been implemented to recognize Wnt-responsive stem cells in various tissue. Each experimental strategy has its restrictions, and therefore a combined mix of strategies can enhance the characterization from the stem cell area. For instance, traditional useful assays like the knockout and overexpression of Wnts or Wnt regulatory protein (for instance, the Wnt antagonist DKK) have already been successfully utilized [9,40]. Nevertheless, these may possess off-target results including a systemic impact over the physiology of your body. Additionally, the knockout of the Wnt gene within a subpopulation of cells might not yield a clear phenotype . This is attributed to various other Wnts portrayed in the tissues that may compensate for the knocked out gene. Multimerized buy 94749-08-3 TCF sites or Axin2 structured reporters that are fused to EGFP or LacZ can Rabbit Polyclonal to p47 phox (phospho-Ser359) survey on the experience of Wnt/-catenin signalling [41C45] in discovered stem cells. Nevertheless, in the lack of stem cell markers and practical assays, utilizing these reporters to supply a proof the stem cell identification can be demanding. Recent solutions to label Wnt ligands and improvements in microscopy possess provided fresh insights into visualizing Wnts in the mobile level. These systems coupled with additional methodologies including RNA hybridization and lineage tracing possess advanced our understanding of Wnt signalling in the stem cell area. Therefore, Wnt-producing cells and Wnt-responsive stem cells is now able to be detected in a number of cells of your body at a higher mobile quality. 2.1. Modern methodologies for looking into Wnt demonstration and response The very best approach to research the localization of Wnt is usually by discovering the ligand straight. However, immunofluorescence strategies have became demanding. Nearly all existing Wnt antibodies usually do not faithfully identify the proteins  lately overcame this by genetically tagging Wnt3. A haemagglutinin (HA)-label was launched to a weakly conserved area in the N-terminus from the locus, therefore producing buy 94749-08-3 a tagged complete size allele. The HA-Wnt3 proteins indicated by knock-in mice didn’t display a insufficiency in signalling activity. MacDonald  also have effectively tagged V5 towards the C-terminus of Wnts lacking any observable lack of activity, thus providing a very important device to monitor Wnt dispersal in the stem cell specific niche market. Advances in the introduction of fluorescent probes may be useful for tagging Wnt protein without reducing their activity. For example, particular proteins within a proteins of interest could be genetically changed within a site-specific way by man made counterparts . When incubated with the correct fluorescent conjugate, these artificial proteins bind towards the probes and invite for precise recognition of the proteins appealing in living cells. Making use of these Wnt-tagging strategies together with advancements in microscopy and tissues handling can produce a comprehensive watch of the setting of Wnt display and dynamics inside the tissues. For example, the introduction of lattice light-sheet microscopy (LLSM) can generate a three-dimensional (3D) picture at a higher spatio-temporal quality . LLSM uses an ultra-thin organised light sheet to quickly cut through a specimen, thrilling just the fluorescent probes for the reason that particular plane. buy 94749-08-3 That is ideal for recording fast, highly powerful mechanisms with reduced photo-toxicity. Furthermore, the Clearness technique facilitates imaging by changing lipids with hydrogel-based buildings. This modification makes the tissue transparent while keeping structural elements, protein and nucleic acids . Researchers have also utilized transcriptomics to recognize potential Wnt-producing cells. Cellular transcriptomic profiling can be a powerful device to review Wnt expression. Nevertheless, it really is hard to recognize the precise area of Wnt-producing and getting cells after they have already been extracted through the tissues. RNA hybridization can circumvent this. Specifically, recent technology  offering a high mobile resolution with the chance to quantify transcripts have already been used to identify Wnt transcripts in various niche categories (for instance, the interfollicular and testicular niche categories) [9,24]. Significantly, Wnt transcripts (possibly in the Wnt-producing cell) could be co-detected using a Wnt.

domain: medical


text:
Kendra Wilkinson Baskett & Hank's Marital Problems Include Differing 'Parenting Styles': Source
“They love each other and the family dynamic they’ve built together but just aren’t on the same page when it comes to parenting styles,” a source close to Kendra — who shares son Hank IV, 8, and daughter Alijah, 3, with Hank — tells PEOPLE.
“Hank is definitely more of the disciplinarian, but they’ve been trying to work together. Kendra has always been focused on her career – but loves her kids. It’s a tough balancing act for her as with any working mom. She spent half of 2017 performing her play in Las Vegas but would fly home as much as she could. Hank would take the kids to see her often too.”
On Wednesday, the Kendra on Top star admitted on Instagram that she and her husband “are having issues,” denying that their “marital problems” are made up for cameras.
“1. How do u fake marital problems? Makes absolutely no sense,” she began the post, which accompanied a screenshot of an article titled, “Made-Up Marriage Problems?! Kendra’s Faking It for TV.”
“2. Yes we are having issues,” she continued. “3. My job has been reality TV for 13 years 4. My show was a comedy and light hearted [until] sad times happened then we had to change my show from comedy to drama. Not what I wanted but was a part of my journey and story.”
In a fifth point, Kendra shared that “these issues Hank [and] I are having in our home which we are trying to hard to over come, everyone knows about, including producers and network, friends and family.”
“6. My job is reality TV and I love my job unfortunately these issues at home are affecting my decisions cuz the last thing I want to do is hurt Hank,” she shared. “7. I hope to get back to the fun Kendra you all know. That’s all I want [and] aim for. I hate drama!!!”
She concluded by thanking fans for their “support and understanding.”
“I’ve been in a lot of therapy lately [and] hope all gets resolved for me, Hank, kids and even for TV,” she said.
On Thursday, an insider close to Kendra told PEOPLE that this isn’t the first time the couple has had issues: “Kendra and Hank are struggling, but they’ve always had issues.”
According to the insider, the two have “always been extremely proactive when it comes to working on their marriage,” both “for each other and for the kids.”
“They love each other very much and will always support one another,” the insider said. “Hank is such a blessing — he’s a great father. He’s always helping out and is very hands on.”
And despite Hank’s 2014 cheating scandal (he allegedly had an affair with a transgender model while Kendra was eight months pregnant), the insider told PEOPLE that the 35-year-old former football player is not being unfaithful.
The couple wed in 2009, and while their marriage was rocked by Hank’s cheating scandal, the two have remained committed to one another.
“We’re different people than we were years ago,” Kendra told PEOPLE last year. “You know, you change. But you have to change together. You have to grow together, not apart, and that’s the challenge.”
Last summer, Kendra shared how she and Hank were keeping their marriage strong while temporarily living long-distance.
“We’re dealing with a long-distance relationship right now. We have to communicate a lot,” she told E! News. “We’re eight years in a our marriage now, so communication is what we have to hang on to right now to keep our relationship strong.”

domain: celebrity


text:
Dreams of Creation Australia
'Peaceful and Loving Heart Blue Wren Free as a Bird' Original Painting by Mirree Contemporary Dreamtime Animal Dreaming
This product is sold out
This is one-of-a-kind Original painting 'Peaceful and Loving Heart Free As a Bird'.
You will receive 1 Original Painting ready to hang, Signed Certificate of Authenticity with 'Peaceful and Loving Heart Free As a Bird' story postcard & 'About Mirree' postcard.
Medium: Acrylic on stretched framed canvas, ready to hang!
15cm x 15cm x 1.8cm $149
Postage to QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, ACT, TAS in Australia = $10
Worldwide postage is available = $29
"Peaceful and Loving HEART FREE AS A BIRD" ~ Blue Wren ~ Love Vibrations
Take yourself into the heart of nature where you can unwind from your day and be one with the wind. Breathe it all in, let your spirit fly and be free, like a bird so high.
The wren has a high pitch sound that it makes when you listen to it's call in nature.
Containing the Flower of Life and Golden Mean Spirals.
Allow your heart to feel the vibration through the sounds, smells & colours within nature. You are peeling back the layers of your heart so that you can love yourself more and others that surround you.
By slowing yourself down you love yourself more, which allows for more growth to come.
Aim: Connection with Sun, Air & Earth to make a Heart Activation, Transport the Mind for more Healing & Balance to come in.
Size: 15cm x 15cm x 1.8cm
Media: Original Painting ~ Acrylic on Canvas, ready to hang
Includes: Detailed Story postcard, and About Mirree Card
Please Note: Additional Sizes are available upon request!
Picture & Story © by Mirree
Mirree is a Contemporary Aboriginal Artist from Wiradjuri country in NSW Australia. She has been painting since a teenager; she wishes to share her gift of painting & story telling to the world. Purchase Mirree’s Art here: www.dreamsofcreation.com OR follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbymirree


text: This was the first VRBO we have every stayed at, and we would do this again immediately. The owners have thought of everything, from transportation to the cottage, helping us rent a car, setting up a tour of the island, restaurant recommendations, and excursions ideas on the island. The cottage was spotlessly clean and very close to the beach. We didn't need a/c because of the ceiling fan and the ocean breeze. I would recommend this cottage to anyone. You will love the island of Nevis. I felt safe there and the islanders were the friendliest people I've met in a very long time. The owner was there when we stayed at this cottage and was extremely helpful to us and very kind. We loved it so much we have already re-booked another vacation at this property.

domain: travel


text:
Dirt textures and patterns have a wonderfully organic and tactile quality that's just perfect when you are creating a project that needs a natural touch.
Premium High-Resolution Dirt Textures From GraphicRiver
GraphicRiver is a terrific service that offers HD dirt textures and other premium digital assets. You can buy single downloads for one low fee.
This makes it a great choice for those on a budget. Let’s take a look at some of the top-quality high-resolution dirt textures from GraphicRiver.
Earth Tileable Dirt Texture offers a wonderful background texture of cinnamon-coloured earth with bits of vegetable matter embedded.
There are ten high-resolution seamless and tileable soil patterns in this awesome collection. Whatever colour earth you need, you are bound to find it in Seamless Photoshop Dirt Textures.
When you need that cracked look of dried-out earth, Tileable Fissured Soil Texture is a great choice. The high-res JPG file is easy to incorporate in projects of any size.
Cracked Tileable Dirt Texture gives you another option when you're looking for cracked earth textures. This one offers a sandier soil texture than the one above.
Clay HD Dirt Texture (JPG)
Looking for a clay texture? How about Clay HD Dirt Texture. The background offers an image that is 5184×3456 pixels in JPG format.
Seamless Texture Dirty (JPG)
This pack contains two high-resolution seamless textures of slush and dirt ground that you can use to create seamless backgrounds on your website or other projects.
Photoshop Dirt Texture (JPG)
This gorgeous Photoshop dirt texture comes in a 5184×3456 pixel JPEG file. Use it for your backgrounds, overlays, and more.
Cracked Dirt Texture Black and White offers eight stunning cracked earth backgrounds which combine closeups as well as more distant shots of dry fissures in arid soil.
10 Dirt Texture Seamless (JPG)
These ten Photoshop dirt textures have been designed at high resolution so that you can scale them as much or as little as you want for your project needs.
Tileable HD Dirt Texture (JPG)
Tileable HD Dirt Texture offers more of a rocky texture than a soil texture, but as the two are so related, we thought we would include the option here.
High Resolution Dirt Texture offers a clay soil type with plenty of decaying organic matter on the surface to create an authentic soil effect.
A tileable soil texture is great when you need to create a large background that supports infinite scrolling with any seams showing. For those occasions, give this texture a try!
This cracked dirt texture comes from a dry riverbed shot from a helicopter. The texture is offered in 5616×3744 px to offer you loads of flexibility when incorporating it into your own projects.
Looking for soil textures in different colours? Agriculture Texture Background is an excellent option. It offers a dazzling array of coloured soil textures in high-resolution JPG files.
10 Dirt Ground Textures (JPG)
What's great about this collection of ten cracked ground textures is that it offers you loads of options to choose from. Each texture comes in 300 dpi and 72 dpi sizes.
Unlimited High-Resolution Dirt Textures at Envato Elements
Envato Elements offers thousands of premium digital assets like textures, mockups, graphic templates, logos, photos, fonts, and much more. Unlike GraphicRiver, where you buy one item at a time, with Envato Elements you simply pay one low monthly fee and can download as many digital assets as you like, as often as you like.
Let's take a look at some of the amazing dirt textures available from Envato Elements.
Dirt and Soil Textures (JPG, PNG)
Dirt and Soil Textures offers detailed, handcrafted textures that you can use for all sorts of projects. The package contains high-res JPG and PNG files.
Grainy Grunge Dirt Textures takes a different spin on dirt textures. The grainy texture mimics the surface look of weathered stone to create a grainy grunge texture that is irresistible.
High Resolution Dirt Texture (EPS, PNG)
This pack contains 25 grunge textures in high-quality EPS and PNG formats that you can use to enhance the grainy effect found in dirt textures.
Grunge Wall Texture (JPG, PNG)
What does Grunge Wall Texture have to do with soil textures, you may ask? Well, this texture offers a great alternative to your dirt texture when you're looking for an image that has some of the qualities of dirt but is a bit different.
Grunge Wall Textures (JPG, PNG)
Here's a great grunge alternative to the one above. It will also act as an excellent complement to amplify your dirt textures.
Choose Your Favourite Dirt Texture
Now that you know just where to find the best high-resolution dirt textures when you need them, head to GraphicRiver and Envato Elements and download your favourite today. If you're interested in other fabulous textures, check out these articles from Envato Tuts+.
- 100+ Best Dust Textures (Overlays, Particles, Film, PNG, PSD, Vector)Nona Blackman30 Jun 2021
- 100+ Best Grunge Textures (Overlays, Film, PNG, PSD, Vector)Nona Blackman29 Jun 2021
- 1,000+ Best Wood Textures (PNGs, PSDs, Vector, EPS, Brushes, and More!)Nona Blackman18 Oct 2020
- 35 Best Print Textures (Screen, Printmaking, Canvas and More!)Nona Blackman16 Dec 2021
- 32 Best Rust Textures & Backgrounds (Rusty Metal Textures to Download)Nona Blackman22 Mar 2022
- 37 Best Cardboard Textures (High-Resolution Backgrounds, Overlays, and More)Nona Blackman18 Mar 2022

domain: hobby


Israel Aerospace Industries and UAE advanced technology defense company EDGE have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly design unmanned surface vessels (USV) for the entire range of military and commercial applications. The deal was signed one day after UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed visited the IAI pavilion at the Dubai Airshow.
EDGE unit ADSB will collaborate with IAI to develop the USVs. While ADSB will design the platform, integrate the control systems and payload, and develop the concept of operations (CONOPS), IAI will develop the autonomous control system and integrate various mission-payloads to the control system units according to the mission requirements.
With advanced sensors, sonars and imaging systems that are integrated into a unified command and control system, the USV will operate either remotely, semi-autonomously, or autonomously, requiring no human intervention.
EDGE Group CEO and managing director HE Faisal Al Bannai said, "It is an important milestone for EDGE to forge collaborations with leading defense players such as IAI to strengthen our advanced technology portfolio. Through this strategic alliance, we can ensure optimal autonomous operational solutions that minimize risk to human life, address key challenges for various industries, and enable a secure future for all. These developments will open many doors for us in local and global markets, military and commercial alike."
IAI president and CEO Boaz Levy added, "We are proud to join hands with EDGE in this endeavor, which is another step towards our growing efforts and partnership in the region. This MoU brings together the best technological knowhow from both companies - EDGE Group’s and ADBS’ naval and commercial vessel expertise, and IAI’s expertise in autonomous systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence - for a joint Made in UAE effort, maximizing both companies business opportunities and growth."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 18, 2021.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2021.


text: Sofia is Argentina, born in Buenos Aires. She studied Public and Institutional Relations at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa and did a Postgraduate in Marketing at the Universidad Católica Argentina. She worked as an online Marketing Coordinator at Ab InBev, in online Marketing for Restorando and Nissan Argentina. In 2012 she did a 6-month exchange to London, a journey that was deeply enriching and sparked her interest in other cultures. Eager to share this experience, Sofia seeks to encourage all those interested to take the leap and make immersion trips in Barcelona and Buenos Aires. In her free time she loves to be active, and enjoys exploring her artistic side with painting.


A24 and Demarest Films have teamed up on Kevin Smith's latest film Tusk. The film, which stars Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez, and Haley Joel Osment, was born out of one of Kevin Smith's immensely popular SModcasts. Currently in production, the modern-day monster movie was also written by Smith. Sam Englebardt, David Greathouse, and Shannon McIntosh are producing.
A24 plans for a wide release of the film in the third quarter of 2014. The studio had this to say in a statement.
"We had the privilege of visiting Kevin on the Tusk set and seeing some of his early footage. We can say with certainty that this movie will blow people's minds. Truly one you'll have to see to believe."
Writer-director Kevin Smith also released the following statement.
"I'm as happy as the day Miramax bought Clerks back in '94! We're so lucky A24 fell in love with our walrus picture and jumped in the pool with us. I was a big fan of how they released The Bling Ring and Spring Breakers, so I was praying Tusk would take root there. If anyone knows how to bring this flick to the masses, it's them!"
Demarest's Sam Englebardt added his own statement.


text:
Thursday, September 23, 2010
WHERE ARE ONORATO'S "SWIFT BOAT" ADS?
In a stroke of tactical genius, the Republicans in 2004 kept John Kerry out of the White House using campaign judo that turned a Kerry strength into a controversial liability. We're referring, of course, to the infamous "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads that called into question Kerry's Vientam War combat record.
Kerry's war record should have been an unassailable positive for the Democratic nominee, yet the Republican establishment funded a series of ads that recounted a different - and false - narrative of Kerry's service that muddied the waters just enough to cost Kerry in closely-fought states like Ohio.
Why aren't the Pennsylvania Democrats and the Dan Onorato campaign doing the same to Attorney General Tom Corbett and his seemingly unassailable strength - his "Bonusgate" investigation? Unlike the Swift Boat Veterans, Pennsylvania Democrats actually have the truth on their side.
Make no mistake: "Bonusgate" is one of the top two campaign issues for Corbett - otherwise he would not have emphasized it over jobs in his very first campaign ad. Polling on the issue was overwhelming enough that he blatantly broke a campaign promise never to mention it.
Given all the well-documented ammunition Onorato has to attack Corbett, it's a mystery why he hasn't.
Imagine, if you will, a Democratic Attorney General running for Governor. Imagine that his campaign centerpiece were a "corruption" investigation.
Imagine that he concluded a two-year reign of investigative intimidation by arresting Republican Senators Robert Jubelirer and David Brigthbill, along with "campaign guru" Mike Long, while leaving Mike Veon, Bill DeWeese and Mike Manzo off the hook.
Imagine that in the immediate wake of these arrests, Democratic campaign operatives used the scandal to unseat five incumbent Republican legislators.
Imagine that the Democratic Attorney General only began even to create the impression of investigating Democrats after prominent editorials accused him of partisanship.
Imagine that former Rep. Matt Wright had been arrested (only after the a newspaper revealed that Democratic A.G. had ignored the evidence against him, of course) while former Rep. Steven Stetler remained unindicted.
Imagine that a whistleblower had approached the Democratic Attorney General to report Democratic malfeasance, but was turned away, leaving a Republican District attorney to make the stunning arrest of a Democratic lawmaker.
Imagine that Republican Rep. Mauree Gingrich had been indicted for forging her nominating petitions, while Democratic Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones got off scot-free.
Imagine that overwhelming evidence of malfeasance against a Democratic legislative leader had been thoroughly documented by the media, yet that leader remained unidicted on that particular malfeasance (oh, wait; that already happened).
Imagine that the Democratic Attorney General had sent law enforcement agents to intimidate a Republican legislator who dared to criticize him publicly.
Finally, imagine that evidence revealed that this Democratic Attorney General and his taxpayer-funded staff were had used state resources for political purposes, all while prosecuting others for the same type of behavior.
Oh, and imagine that a major supporter and chair of the Democratic Attorney General's exploratory committee were a convicted felon.
You can bet that the Republican establishment in Pennsylvania would be peeing its collective pants in its rush to attack. You wouldn't see a campaign ad without the words "partisan hypocrite" delivered in a tone of voice reserved for biblical disasters. And convicted felon Bob Asher's millions would be bankrolling the effort.
In fact, we're sure that's why Corbett was so hell-bent on unmasking the merry pranksters here at CasablancaPA. He and his campaign staff surely saw the politically-damaging potential of the boneheadedness, hypocrisy and underhandedness we so happily document here.


Arm-based chips are ubiquitous today, but the company isn’t resting on its laurels. After announcing its ambitions for powering more high-end devices like laptops a few months ago, the company today discussed its roadmap for chips that are dedicated to internet infrastructure and that will power everything from high-performance servers to edge computing platforms, storage systems, gateways, 5G base stations and routers. The new brand name for these products is ‘Neoverse’ and the first products based on this IP will ship next year.
Arm-based chips have, of course, long been used in this space. What Neoverse is, is a new focus area where Arm itself will now invest in developing the technologies to tailor these chips to the specific workloads that come with running infrastructure services. “We’ve had a lot of success in this area,” Drew Henry, Arms’ SVP and GM for Infrastructure, told me. “And we decided to build off that and to invest more heavily in our R&D from ourselves and our ecosystem.”
As with all Arm architectures, the actual chip manufacturers can then adapt these to their own needs. That may be a high core-count system for high-end servers, for example, or a system that includes a custom accelerator for networking and security workloads. The Neoverse chips themselves have also been optimized for the ever-changing data patterns and scalability requirements that come with powering a modern internet infrastructure.
The company has already lined up a large number of partners that include large cloud computing providers like Microsoft, silicon partners like Samsung and software partners that range from RedHat, Canonical, Suse and Oracle on the operating system side to container and virtualization players like Docker and the Kubernetes team.
Come 2019, Arm expects that Neoverse systems will feature 7nm CPUs. By 2020, it expects that will shrink to 5nm. What’s more important, though, is that every new generation of these chips, which will arrive at an annual cadence, will be 30 percent faster.
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro flaunts Snapdragon 888 and a shocking price tag
Although it is Qualcomm’s best bet for 2021, very few phones so far carry its Snapdragon 888 chipset. Those that do also have rather high price tags, including the Xiaomi Mi 11 to some extent. The Chinese smartphone superstar, however, isn’t done with the Snapdragon 888 just yet and, at least for certain markets, it may have an even better offer in the guise of the Redmi K40 Pro and Redmi K40 Pro+.
The base Redmi K40 is actually the first of the brand’s K-series to use a Snapdragon 8-series processor. That said, Redmi opted for the Snapdragon 870 here instead, reserving the Snapdragon 888 for the “Pro” models. Both, of course, are 5G-capable and few users might see much difference between the two in real-world use.
The Redmi K40, Redmi K40 Pro, and Redmi K40 Pro+ do share many things in common, particularly the 6.67-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED display with a 2400×1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. This screen has a punch-hole cutout in the middle, hiding a single 20MP camera common to all three. The siblings also have the same 4,520 mAh battery that supports 33W wired fast charging and no wireless charging capabilities at all.
They naturally differ in some aspects, particularly the cameras. While they share the same 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP telemacro cameras, only the Redmi K40 Pro+ boasts of having a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2. The Redmi K40 Pro gets a 64MP Sony IMX686 while the Redmi K40 settles for a 48MP Sony IMX582.
As with many Redmi phones, price is where it’s at. The Redmi K40 Pro+, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, goes for 3,699 RMB ($570), lower than an equivalent Xiaomi Mi 11 at 4,699 RMB ($727). Of course, the Xiaomi Mi 11 has more features and some better hardware but the Redmi K40 Pro+ definitely covers the basics already. Xiaomi also announced the Redmi AirDots 3 for 199 RMB ($31) that will be launching on March 4 in China along with the Redmi K40 series.
Wear OS “OK, Google” bug is finally getting a fix soon
Smartwatches are rather curious little gadgets that are like miniaturized and watered-down versions of our smartwatches. For better or worse, that means that smartwatches can’t really use the same interaction conventions and UIs that are almost second nature on smartphones. While touch screens and buttons are always an option, Google has been pushing for more hands-free controls on Wear OS using Google Assistant. Unfortunately, an important part of the process has been broken for months before the company committed to working on a fix.
If Google’s vision is to be followed, smartwatches will primarily be controlled by voice with the screen simply providing visual feedback in addition to spoken responses. Google Assistant is perfect for that role and there are multiple ways to call it up on your wrist. The most convenient is, of course, to literally call it up with “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google” but, unfortunately, that is also the most broken method at the moment.
Users have been complaining that the wake words just don’t work on their Wear OS smartwatches, no matter the brand. It has apparently been the case since November last year but there are also claims that the problem was present even back in June 2020. During that period, Google has seemingly been silent, which naturally caused a lot of disappointment among Wear OS users.
The good news is that Google is no longer silent. It told The Verge that it is aware of users reporting issues and will work with its partners to address those. It doesn’t explain, however, why it took so long for it to even respond to the numerous and loud complaints.
Google also hasn’t given a timeline for the availability of the fix, which could still take weeks or even months. Unfortunately, the incident has opened up old wounds about the state of Wear OS and the dissatisfaction users have over its development or lack of it.
Galaxy Tab S7 Lite 5G specs give weight to its name
The tablet market today is mostly dominated by Apple’s iPads and only a few Android manufacturers have stuck to that device category through thick and thin. Samsung is arguably the biggest of those, launching a few tablets across different price tiers. Rumor has it that it has at least two more coming soon headed for the mid-range market. One of those may have appeared on a benchmark site showing that the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite 5G might indeed be light in almost every sense.
Samsung doesn’t always put out “lite” versions of its tablets and when it does, it doesn’t always use the same naming scheme. There was a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite last year but that was preceded by a Galaxy Tab S5e. Curiously, there was no “non-lite” Galaxy Tab S5.
There were rumors that a Galaxy Tab S7 Lite would be coming and, based on the most recent leak, it would have some heavyweight features like a large 12.4-inch screen and 5G connectivity. The latter, however, is no longer exclusive to high-end and expensive devices thanks to Qualcomm’s numerous 5G-capable chips and that seems to be the case with the mid-range version of last year’s high-end Samsung tablet.
Spotted on Geekbench is an entry for a certain SM-T736B, believed to either be the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite or a Galaxy Tab S8e. Although the entry doesn’t actually name the processor, MySmartPrice suggests that the specs, like the 2.21 GHz clock speed and Adreno 619 GPU, point to a Snapdragon 750G chipset. This is indeed one of Qualcomm’s mid-range processors capable of 5G connectivity.
The site also puts 3.28GB RAM in the tablet, which could either be 4GB or even 3.5GB in reality. The scores that this device gets on Geekbench aren’t exactly reassuring, especially for a tablet with a large screen and fast data connectivity.
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text:
Power Words: Igniting Your Life with Lightning Force
by Sharon Anne Klinger
Words carry powerful energy and have an astonishing impact on your life. With Power Words, you can generate new actions and lightning-fast results! Use them to sharpen your focus, start new projects, break old addictions, attract relationships, and succeed in any number of goals—from weight loss to finding a job. Each word triggers its own specific purpose and activity. Certain words elevate; others ignite action. And in just moments, they can be yours to direct. These high-energy words can immediately lift your power and alter every aspect of your reality—from the simple, such as your posture and sleep patterns, to the life changing, such as your creativity, personal wealth, and relationships. Choose the precise words that provide extraordinary success, and learn to direct profound force to all of your goals. Power Words can create an electrical current in your life that will light up your world!
What Do You Think?
Close your eyes and take a moment to command yourself, Think, think, think. You may feel like you’re being disciplined, almost like you’re supposed to remember or analyze something. Feel the force of thinking.
Now let that go and give yourself the command, Imagine, imagine, imagine. It immediately moves you from heaviness to lightness. Say the word imagine again. It seems to carry an air of expectancy and a freedom that lifts you. With it you become eager to find and create everything imaginable.
Only your imagination allows you to fully experience the books that you read. Even though books are made up of words, your experience of them is filled with images and concepts. When you see a film of a book that you’ve already read, the film images will be very different, because you’re seeing the director’s imagining of the book, not yours.
Reading not only relies on your imagination, it also helps build your imagination. The more you develop your imaging muscle through reading, the greater ease you will have in visualizing and in trusting all of your perceptions. So keep reading, keep imaging, keep imagining, and keep discovering.
Never invalidate any experience because it “only” feels like your imagination. It’s your most important mental resource, and it’s trying to tell you something. When you embrace the broader vision of your imagination, you find a deeper meaning in life that invites loftier ideas. As Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
It helps you discover loftier words, too. In working with words—imaging is also an immeasurable tool. You can use your imaging to experience a word’s deeper meaning and energy. You’ll also use it in working with Trigger Words. When Einstein used his imagination, he called it a thought experiment—a tool he used successfully throughout his life.
Thought Experiments from Einstein to You
Thought experiments are performed by anyone who uses the mind along with its imaging and conceptual faculties in order to create new ideas, draw conclusions, or solve problems. There are no petri dishes or microscopes in a thought experiment, except those that might be in your mind. For instance, Edison’s thousands of tests looking for a filament for the lightbulb were actual experiments, but theoretical physicists must rely on thought experiments to draw conclusions about M-theory, string theory, and so on.
Of course, theoretical physicists aren’t the only scientists who have used thought experiments to create breakthrough science. Almost every actual experiment ever done was preceded by an idea—a concept—in the scientist’s mind.
Accountants and businessmen often have a challenge with imaging and trusting their imaginations. I had one client who wanted to learn to work with words, but he, too, had trouble imaging. I gave my client, an accountant named Rob, the assignment to choose any word throughout his day that comes up in conversation, like book, cake, or pen. I asked him to take 30 seconds in that moment to use his imagination to see, feel, sense, or even taste and smell the imaginary book, cake, or pen. I asked him to do this with various words five to ten times a day for two weeks. Within one week, Rob had become much more comfortable with his imaging process and thought experiments.
Einstein seemed to live in a continuing process of thought experiments, one of which he revisited for years. He would imagine himself riding on a beam of light, looking in a mirror to discover what he would see. His conclusions from this imagery eventually changed what the world knows about time and space.
Spatial, conceptual, and imagery functions occur in the right hemisphere of the brain, the imaging center of the mind. Even if you don’t realize it, your mental meanderings are a sort of thought experiment, too. From Copernicus to Newton, from Einstein to you—thought experiments create the reality you know.
Everybody perceives things differently. Some people who are very left-brained and analytical by nature may have a little difficulty in allowing spontaneous perceptions to occur. Some people are more audial, yet others tend to be more visual.
However you perceive, you can expand your influence—and shift your personal energy—through Power Words. In fact, this undeniable force of words is already cascading through your energy and ceaselessly impacting your life. Even words that you’ve heard a million times have energies you might never realize—until you go within to tap their power.
“For all who but strive, who will but use untried forces, unknown energies, there are un-gathered riches, un-heard harmonies, ... un-won crowns yea, an unrevealed heaven.”
— Mary E. Bain
Excerpted from Power Words: Igniting Your Life with Lightning Force, by Sharon Anne Klinger, published by Hay House and available at bookstores or online at www.HayHouse.com.
Published by Hay House
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Medicaid Cost Containment on State's Agendas Across the U.S.
Press Release With most states coping with their fourth year of fiscal stress, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have planned or implemented Medicaid cost containment actions for fiscal year (FY) 2004.
The third annual survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) reveals that the continuing fiscal crisis in the states is having a far-reaching impact on health coverage for low-income individuals and families at a time when enrollment is increasing due to sluggish economic conditions. After three years of efforts to curb Medicaid spending growth, states report the average spending growth for Medicaid in 2003 was 9.3 percent, down from 12.8 percent in 2002. This marks the first time since 1996 that the growth rate has declined.
"The duration of the state fiscal crisis is impacting Medicaid coverage broadly and deeply. With 34 states reducing eligibility and even more restricting health care benefits over the last three years, the state fiscal crisis is putting health care for low-income families and the elderly and disabled at risk. Many will get less care and others will lose it altogether," said Diane Rowland, executive director of KCMU.
The Commission released two additional new reports on the states’ fiscal situation and on the factors contributing to Medicaid spending growth. The first study documents that the primary cause of the state fiscal crisis has been the sudden falloff in state tax revenue and Medicaid’s growth has played a much smaller role. The study concluded that states are likely to face continued fiscal difficulties for the next several years. The second study indicates that health care spending for individuals with disabilities and the elderly accounted for nearly 60 percent of Medicaid spending growth from FY2000-02.
Voice of the Editor
Which isn’t completely true. I mean, occasionally I drop by when I manage to sneak out of the nonstop frat party over at Going Concern, but I’m mostly a wallflower over there. I’m happy to say that I’ve been given express permission (or explicit orders, if you like) to wander over here to AccountingWEB more often.
Why is that, you might ask? My job is to replace the irreplaceable Gail Perry as Editor-in-Chief. What does that mean? I don’t really know! I think it’ll be fun getting a feel for things, throwing in my own thoughts here and there, and listening to the discussions you’re having about the accounting profession.


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Obviously one must hold oneself responsible for the evil impulses of one's dreams. In what other way can one deal with them? Unless the content of the dream rightly understood is inspired by alien spirits, it is part of my own being.
I have found little that is 'good' about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or to none at all. That is something that you cannot say aloud, or perhaps even think.
The goal towards which the pleasure principle impels us - of becoming happy - is not attainable: yet we may not - nay, cannot - give up the efforts to come nearer to realization of it by some means or other.
Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces.
Man has, as it were, become a kind of prosthetic God. When he puts on all his auxiliary organs, he is truly magnificent; but those organs have not grown on him and they still give him much trouble at times.
A man like me cannot live without a hobby-horse, a consuming passion - in Schiller's words a tyrant. I have found my tyrant, and in his service I know no limits. My tyrant is psychology. It has always been my distant, beckoning goal and now since I have hit upon the neuroses, it has come so much the nearer.
The voice of the intellect is soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing. Ultimately, after endless rebuffs, it succeeds. This is one of the few points in which one may be optimistic about the future of mankind.
Human life in common is only made possible when a majority comes together which is stronger than any separate individual and which remains united against all separate individuals. The power of this community is then set up as right in opposition to the power of the individual, which is condemned as brute force.
It is a mistake to believe that science consists in nothing but conclusively proved propositions, and it is unjust to demand that it should. It is a demand made by those who feel a craving for authority in some form to replace the religious catechism by something else, even a scientific one.
Civilization has little to fear from educated people and brain-workers. In them the replacement of religious motives for civilized behaviors by other, secular motives, would proceed unobtrusively. . . .
There is no doubt that the resistance of the conscious and unconscious ego operates under the sway of the pleasure principle: it seeks to avoid the unpleasure which would be produced by the liberation of the repressed.
The moment a man questions the meaning and value of life, he is sick, since objectively neither has any existence; by asking this question one is merely admitting to a store of unsatisfied libido to which something else must have happened, a kind of fermentation leading to sadness and depression.
When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession, the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life, we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of our nature.
The different religions have never overlooked the part played by the sense of guilt in civilization. What is more, they come forward with a claim...to save mankind from this sense of guilt, which they call sin.
Obsessional prohibitions are extremely liable to displacement. They extend from one object to another along whatever paths the context may provide, and this new object then becomes, to use the apt expression of one of my women patients, 'impossible' - till at last the whole world lies under an embargo of 'impossibility'.
The rest of our enquiry is made easy because this God-Creator is openly called Father. Psycho-analysis concludes that he really is the father, clothed in the grandeur in which he once appeared to the small child.
It would be one of the greatest triumphs of humanity, one of the most tangible liberations from the constraints of nature to which mankind is subject, if we could succeed in raising the responsible act of procreating children to the level of a deliberate and intentional activity and in freeing it from its entanglement with the necessary satisfaction of a natural need.
Civilization is a process in the service of Eros, whose purpose is to combine single human individuals, and after that families, then races, peoples and nations, into one great unity, the unity of mankind. Why this has to happen, we do not know; the work of Eros is precisely this.
No one who has seen a baby sinking back satiated from the breast and falling asleep with flushed cheeks and a blissful smile can escape the reflection that this picture persists as a prototype of the expression of sexual satisfaction in later life.
An intimate friend and a hated enemy have always been indispensable requirements for my emotional life; I have always been able to create them anew, and not infrequently my childish ideal has been so closely approached that friend and enemy coincided in the same person.
The ego refuses to be distressed by the provocations of reality, to let itself be compelled to suffer. It insists that it cannot be affected by the traumas of the external world; it shows, in fact, that such traumas are no more than occasions for it to gain pleasure.
The poor ego has a still harder time of it; it has to serve three harsh masters, and it has to do its best to reconcile the claims and demands of all three...The three tyrants are the external world, the superego, and the id.
Mans most disagreeable habits and idiosyncrasies, his deceit, his cowardice, his lack of reverence, are engendered by his incomplete adjustment to a complicated civilisation. It is the result of the conflict between our instincts and our culture.
The whole thing [religion] is so patently infantile, so foreign to reality, that to anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the great majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view of life.
The psychoanalysis of individual human beings, however, teaches us with quite special insistence that the god of each of them is formed in the likeness of his father, that his personal relation to God depends on his relation to his father in the flesh and oscillates and changes along with that relation, and that at bottom God is nothing other than an exalted father.
Another technique for fending off suffering is the employment of the displacements of libido which our mental apparatus permits of and through which its function gains so much in flexibility. The task here is that of shifting the instinctual aims in such a way that they cannot come up against frustration from the external world.
We find a place for what we lose. Although we know that after such a loss the acute stage of mourning will subside, we also know that we shall remain inconsolable and will never find a substitute. No matter what may fill the gap, even if it be filled completely, it nevertheless remains something else.
The individual does actually carry on a double existence: one designed to serve his own purposes and another as a link in a chain, in which he serves against, or at any rate without, any volition of his own.
The expectation that every neurotic phenomenon can be cured may, I suspect, be derived from the layman's belief that the neuroses are something quite unnecessary which have no right whatever to exist. Whereas in fact they are severe, constitutionally fixed illnesses, which rarely restrict themselves to only a few attacks but persist as a rule over long periods throughout life.
Properly speaking, the unconscious is the real psychic; its inner nature is just as unknown to us as the reality of the external world, and it is just as imperfectly reported to us through the data of consciousness as is the external world through the indications of our sensory organs.
A transference neurosis corresponds to a conflict between ego and id, a narcissistic neurosis corresponds to that between between ego and super-ego, and a psychosis to that between ego and outer world.
We may insist as often as we like that man's intellect is powerless in comparison to his instinctual life, and we may be right in this. Nevertheless, there is something peculiar about this weakness. The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it will not rest until it has gained a hearing. Finally, after a countless succession of rebuffs, it succeeds.
It sounds not only disagreeable but also paradoxical, yet it must nevertheless be said that anyone who is to be really free and happy in love must have surmounted his respect for women and have come to terms with the idea of incest with his mother or sister.
we are threatened with suffering from three directions: from our body, which is doomed to decay..., from the external world which may rage against us with overwhelming and merciless force of destruction, and finally from our relations with other men... This last source is perhaps more painful to use than any other. (p77)
I can imagine that the oceanic feeling could become connected with religion later on. That feeling of oneness with the universe which is its ideational content sounds very like a first attempt at the consolations of religion, like another way taken by the ego of denying the dangers it sees threatening it in the external world.
I should like to raise the question whether the inevitable stunting of the sense of smell as a result of man's turning away from the earth, and the organic repression of the smell-pleasure produced by it, does not largely share in his predisposition to nervous diseases.
Words have a magical power. They can bring either the greatest happiness or deepest despair; they can transfer knowledge from teacher to student; words enable the orator to sway his audience and dictate its decisions. Words are capable of arousing the strongest emotions and prompting all men's actions.
In almost every place where we find totems we also find a law against persons of the same totem having sexual relations with one another and consequently against their marrying. This, then, is 'exogamy', an institution related to totemism.
What psycho-analysis reveals in the transference phenomena of neurotics can also be observed in the lives of some normal people. The impression they give is of being pursued by a malignant fate or possessed by some 'daemonic' power; but psycho-analysis has always taken the view that their fate is for the most part arranged by themselves and determined by early infantile influences.
All elongated objects, such as sticks, tree-trunks and umbrellas(the opening of these last being comparable to an erection) may stand for the male organ...Boxes, cases, chests, cupboards, and ovens represent the uterus...Rooms in dreams are usually women...Many landscapes in dreams, especially any containing breidges or wooded hills, may clearly be recognized as descriptions of the genitals.
It would be very nice if there were a God who created the world and was a benevolent providence, and if there were a moral order in the universe and an after-life; but it is a very striking fact that all this is exactly as we are bound to wish it to be.
There is a psychological technique which makes it possible to interpret dreams, and ... if that procedure is employed, every dream reveals itself as a psychical structure which has a meaning and which can be inserted at an assignable point in the mental activities of waking life.
I am not aware, however, that patients suffering from traumatic neurosis are much occupied in their waking lives with memories of their accident. Perhaps they are more concerned with not thinking of it.


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Hihihihiii from Belfast! I know it’s been aaaaaages since I’ve posted, but things have been rather hectic with the move from Sydney back to the UK. In addition, I had quite a few writing projects going on during August (hence no books were read then!), and I’m now back to my PhD, which comes with its own set of eyeball-killing books… Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading over the last few months–some amazing titles, and some awful ones (unfortunately).
39. Lauren Oliver – Delirium (2 July)
40. Elizabeth Harrower – In Certain Circles (17 July)
41. Alice Munro – Dear Life (31 July)
42. Kim Harrison — Dead Witch Walking (12 September)
43. Natsume Soseki – Kokoro (trans. Meredith McKinney) (14 September)
44. Lois Lowry – Gathering Blue (20 September)
45. Lauren Willig – The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (28 September)
46. Classical Literary Criticism (3 Oct)
47. Cath Crowley – Graffiti Moon (4 Oct)
48. Anne Bishop – Written in Red (10 Oct)
49. Claudia Carroll – A Very Accidental Love Story (25 Oct)
Let’s deviate from our regular onslaught of book reviews and book love, and talk about food! Namely, the super amazing dinner I had with my good friend Anika on Wednesday, which still has me sighing in contentment at its recollection. And then I thought, well, why not write about my experience? (Yes, I’m blogging about food, and including loads of photos. What a sure way to make one hungry…)
I’ve been sitting on this update for aaaaaages, and, it being a Sunday evening, thought it’ll be a good idea to post this before a new week begins. I’m the lead (read: only) writer for Regency Love, a Regency-set iOS game/interactive novel, and have been working on new content for the app. It’s great fun, but significantly cuts down my reading time!
30. Gabrielle Zevin – The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry (19 May)
32. Amanda Hocking – Wake (1 June)
33. Annie Proulx – The Shipping News (7 June)
34. Jo Riccioni – The Italians at Cleat’s Corner Store (15 June)
35. Lois Lowry – The Giver (18 June)
36. Aeschylus – The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides (trans. Robert Fagles) (19 June)
(In case you’re wondering, 31 was The Theban Plays, about which I’ve already posted.)
Alas, I was unable to get through as many Classics as I would’ve liked in May, and only managed to finish one more book after the Aristotle. But hey, just because the month is over doesn’t mean the Ancient Awesomeness has to stop!
31. Sophocles – The Theban Plays (trans. E. F. Watling, Penguin) (23 May)
I finished the Nichomachean Ethics over the weekend, and have continued to process it throughout the week. It’s just such a tremendous work, and I can see myself revisiting it quite regularly in the future. I’ve already recommended it to a whole bunch of my friends, and I hope they—and you—will give it a go, because it’s really quite eye opening!
So, after the stunning introduction in Book I, Aristotle goes on to talk about the virtues of character and virtues of thought, and gives a very good idea of what each is and does.
Almost a week into the Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge, and I have an announcement to make: I am crawling through the challenge at a reeeeeally sloooooow paaaaaaaace.
So far, I’ve only managed to get through Book I of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (more commonly known as the Ethics). That’s not a lot of reading being done. However, there’s been a lot of thinking being done, and that has been incredible. Need a distinction between quantity and quality? Look no further.
I decided to make this special post because I was so inspired by what I’ve read and learnt so far that I wanted to share it with you, and because, oh boy, my mind has been blown, and I feel my life is about to be changed.
April was a rather quiet reading month with only five books, primarily because I was busy with the third draft of my manuscript, which is now complete and with my trusty beta-readers (yay!). By some stroke of luck, I enjoyed every single book I read, even if some of them took a while to complete—all of these have garnered at least a 4/5!
24. Rohinton Mistry – A Fine Balance (10 Apr)
25. John Green – The Fault in Our Stars (12 Apr)
26. Rene Denfeld – The Enchanted (15 Apr)
27. Ha Jin – In the Pond (18 Apr)
28. Nikolay Gogol – Dead Souls (Penguin Classics, trans. Robert A. Maguire) (3 May)
(Yes, the Gogol technically belongs to May, but I’m going to leave this month free for responses to my Ancient May-hem Reading Challenge.)
This year, because I have a bit of leftover brainspace for nerdtastic things, because it’s my birthday month, and because I simply can, I shall declare May to be one of Ancient May-hem! Essentially, I plan to read as many texts from Ancient Greek and Rome as time allows, and then post about each after I’m done. I currently only have a rather vague list containing the works of Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, and Plutarch, but I’ll have this consolidated by the beginning of May. In any case, I’m hoping to indulge in a great deal of Ancient May-hem!
I know it might be a little late to make this a “proper” reading challenge, but I’m going to try to hold an “improper” one anyway (whatever that means). If you’re interested in joining me, please sign up using the “Add a Link” thingy below—participants who read at least one text will be in the running for a book prize at the end of the month!
Today marks Shakespeare’s supposed 450th birthday (“supposed” because there are no records of his actual birth date, though all sorts of fancy schmancy scholars and historians have basically agreed that he was born three days prior to his baptism on 26 April 1564). As a teeny sapling of 25, I am quite overwhelmed by Shakespeare’s (literary) longevity—he’s exactly 18 times older than I am!
To commemorate this momentous day, I decided to put together a list of my three favourite Shakespeare plays—for now. And, since I’m a teeny sapling Shakespeare scholar, I’m even going to try to explain why I love these plays so much (but do prepare yourself for what will essentially be a super gushfest).


Pilar Sanders, reality TV star and Deion Sanders soon to be ex-wife, was attacked yesterday by one of Deion’s female friends.
And apparently Deion just stood by and watched it happen.
TMZ is reporting that law enforcement were called out to Deion’s mansion yesterday, where Pilar Sanders was allegedly was attacked.
A woman named Laura arrived at Sanders’ home to see Deion, and Ms. Sanders told her she was not welcome and she was asked to leave the property.
Deion’s lady friend refused, and apparently things became heated, escalating to a point where Pilar was struck in the eye.
911 was called, and TMZ is alleging that Deion was present during the altercation and did nothing to defuse the situation.
No arrests were made and police are currently investigating the situation.
Pilar’s Lawyer told TMZ, “Pilar was taken to the hospital emergency room as a result of the injuries she sustained during the assault…This is an opportunity for Deion to use his ‘Century-21 celebrity status’ to set an example as to how to lovingly care for his wife and children during divorce proceedings.”
What happened to this happy couple?
- BREAKING: Hot Air Balloon Crashes In Lockhart, Texas And 16 Are Feared Dead
- VIDEO: Rowlett Police Officer Has ‘Tea Party’ With Toddler Whose Life He Saved
- Justin Bieber And Nick Jonas Both Say Republicans Threw Millions At Them To Play
- Skydiver Will Attempt Jump Without A Parachute Or Wingsuit On Live Television Tonight
- 2 More Restaurants Refused Service to Police; One in Texas – Employees Promptly Fired
- Dallas Cowboys Jersey Sales Are Blowing Away the Competition
- Ex NFL Player And Wife Killed By Teenage Son!
- Oreo Rice Crispy Treats Are What You Need In Your Life!
- The Water In Rio Is So Polluted Olympic Swimmers Are Being Told To Keep Their Mouths Closed
- Florida Man Was Strip Searched, Arrested, And Jailed For Drugs That Turned Out To Be Doughnut Crumbs