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Kristen Brennand, PhD
Research & Publications
Kristen Brennand, PhD is the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Genetics at Yale University School of Medicine. She first established her independent laboratory in the Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2012, after having completed post-doctoral training at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and PhD studies at Harvard University. Dr. Brennand's research combines expertise in genomic engineering, neuroscience, and stem cells, to identify the mechanisms that underlie brain disease. Her focus lies in resolving the convergence of, and complex interplay between, the many risk variants linked to disease, towards the goal of facilitating the clinical translation of genetic findings. Dr. Brennand's work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, the Brain Research Foundation, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.
Education & Training
- Post-doctoral scientistSalk Institute for Biological Studies (2012)
- PhDHarvard University, Molecular and Cellular Biology (2008)
- BSc (Hon)University of Calgary, Biology (2002)
Professional Service
|Cell Stem Cell
|Editorial Board Member
|2022 - Present
|Biological Psychiatry
|Associate Editor
|2020 - Present
|Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
|Scientific Council
|2020 - Present
|Bioengineering of Neuroscience and Vision Technologies (BNVT) study section
|2019 - 2022
|Molecular Autism
|Associate Editor
|2019 - Present


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Ask someone what "cyber threat intelligence" is and they will probably point you in the direction of a shiny piece of software that costs a lot of money. Ask them what it does, and they'll likely tell you that it searches the dark web, provides real time threat information, and helps prevent incidents before they happen. It all sounds really impressive – and in many ways it is – but, ask that same person what they are trying to achieve with their threat intelligence programme, or even how they measure its success, and the crickets will start to chirp.
This would not be their fault. The landscape of cyber threat intelligence is confused right now, and it is exceedingly difficult to cut through the noise and work out how to add value to your cyber security initiatives. Part of the reason for this, is that the industry seems to have prioritised selling flashy subscriptions over helping organisations identify and understand their intelligence objectives.
Lessons from World War II
It's often useful to remember that when we think about modern cyber security, we really only have the last twenty years to look back on. And life functioned quite well long before computers were even an abstract concept. Because of this, more or less everything we do in cyber security has been borrowed from techniques and practices society has been developing for millennia.
When it comes specifically to discussions of cyber threat intelligence, consider the rapid developments achieved in signals intelligence during World War II. This was an environment of major technological change facilitated in large part by the use of radio, which accomplished far more than simply being used as a tool for communication. It led to the development of Radio Detection And Ranging (RADAR) and was even used as a navigational aid. Its use revolutionised warfare and this can be observed most powerfully through the intelligence and counter-intelligence operations that spanned across the war effort, all revolving around the use of radio.
For instance, using two directional antennas you can quite trivially locate the source of a broadcast, so even if you couldn't understand what someone was saying over the broadcast (due to their use of codes or ciphers), you could still identify where someone was saying it from. That is incredibly useful if part of what you want to know is where armies are and how they're moving around a territory.
Post-territorial threats
One of the major differences, however, between the signal intelligence of WWII and the cyber threat intelligence of today is territory. When you're interacting with tangible physical threats it's generally easier to understand if an identified entity poses a risk or not. If they are shooting at you or crossing territorial lines, then they likely don't have your best interests at heart. The rules of engagement are clear and well understood.
On the surface of it, we don't have this luxury in the cyber world. It is borderless and abstract. However, just like we are able to analyse a seemingly random collection of radio waves and identify a threat based upon their source and location, we also routinely use technical information to attribute cyber threat actors to a country using IP addresses, the timing of their activities, and even the tactics, techniques, and procedures unique to a particular country or known group. They may not align strictly to modern geopolitical boundaries and territories, but the theory is identical and it relies on an understanding of territory; you need to understand what you're protecting and where the attacks might be coming from before you can reap the value of any threat intelligence.
Drop the buzzwords
So, how can this idea help us in the here and now? Here is the trick: forget about the fancy technology for a moment, drop the buzzwords – don't worry about the dark web or artificial intelligence or blockchain – let's start by calling "cyber threat intelligence" what it really is: intelligence.
"You need to understand what you're protecting and where the attacks might be coming from before you can reap the value of any threat intelligence."
As a general subject area, often the objective of intelligence is to help answer the following questions:
- How do I know if someone is doing something I do not like?
- What is the most effective action I can take to minimise the impact of someone doing something I do not like?
- What happened, why, and how?
Now, perhaps unlike traditional intelligence areas, companies in the cyber world are swarmed with data from telemetry systems, user behaviours, technical analyses, vulnerability databases, and technical news bulletins. They have too much information, and, seeking to capitalise on this data asset, cyber teams are typically requested to "derive intelligence" from this bulk of raw information.
It's a big job, and there's a significant risk that you may not realise a return on your investment spent doing it. We've witnessed first-hand, companies undertaking bold initiatives to collect and analyse vast datasets only to be encumbered by the volume of manual work required to shape it into something usable.
So, rather than trying to pre-emptively mine your data for nuggets of truth you suspect exist, try prospecting the territory first and work out beforehand what decisions you would like to be data-driven within your organisation.
Integrating threat intelligence into the decision-making process
Day to day, any manager or executive will be faced with a multitude of decisions. These decisions can typically be divided into the following categories:
1. Operational decisions
These are made daily to ensure that things work as expected and any faults are quickly identified and remediated. An example might be to block an application that is demonstrating suspicious behaviour similar to a known malware type.
2. Tactical decisions
These are made less frequently and often have a medium impact, such as a decision to protect your external perimeter by prohibiting the use of Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) over the internet (a common cause of breaches).
3. Strategic decisions
These are made rarely and have long-term impacts, such as a decision to migrate all business services onto Cloud infrastructure.
Each of these decisions have deep relevance to cyber security, and must be informed by asking and answering questions. The table below details some examples of the questions we should be asking before making a decision. How we answer these questions is the process of generating intelligence.
Block a potentially malicious application
Prohibit the organisation's use of RDP
Migrate business services into the Cloud
Answering each of these questions requires access to sources of information. At the operational level, these sources usually include systems such as:
- Event and audit data from your devices
- Network metadata
- Alerts from security products, such as your anti-malware systems
- Telemetry data from your external perimeter
- Open source information
- Internal work products and expertise
The first challenge of any organisation is always to collect and capture meaningful information from these sources – think asset management (you cannot capture what you don't know about!) and central log databases. Then, they must structure these queries in ways that align to the questions they will naturally ask when making operational decisions. This can be done to great effect by simply workshopping the decisions you may be required to make and filling them in, as with the table above.
However, as we move further towards tactical and strategic decisions, our focus shifts towards assessing trends across various data sources, and then supplementing this with industry specific knowledge – such as changes or developments in the regulatory, legal, and commercial environments. Filling this knowledge gap requires talking to people and understanding where your intelligence sits against your industry peers and competitors.
This is one of the toughest challenges with intelligence, and it is often the bit that many organisations fail to get right – not least of all because everyone is scared of sharing information that may be sensitive, or used for malicious effect, or somehow fall afoul of legal or regulatory constraints. These issues are best navigated in the same way as with operational issues – map out what decisions you would like to make, figure out what information you need to reach those decisions, and then detail a plan for how you will identify and collect the information you require.
Back to basics
Initiatives such as this are not something you can purchase as-a-service through an intelligence vendor. They require you to develop and maintain relationships and think carefully about the value of intelligence to your organisation. This is why, at the end of the day, we encourage the organisations we work with to get back to basics, think about what you want to accomplish, and remember… we are all very much still at war. The same intelligence principles remain, it's just a different kind of battlefield.

subset: commoncrawl


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The en suite bathroom has a shower, and there is also a free-standing bath in the bedroom, which also has a small table and two chairs.
Capsule coffee machine to make your own coffee!
Bedroom facilities:
- Air conditioning
- Free Wi-Fi
- Hairdryer
- Netflix


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Custody / Bear Away – split lathe cut 7in (Brassneck Records / Disillusioned Records) Custody (Helsinki, Finland) and Bear Away (Scarborough, UK) are releasing aRead more
Milk Bath – s/t LP (Different Kitchen Records / Naked Time Tapes / World of Hurt, 2020)
Milk Bath hail from Oakland, California. They are a three piece combo. They sound nothing like anything you would associate with Cleopatra's oft-storied bathtime beautyRead more
7in and EP round-up (January 2020)
Legend has it that this blog / webzine was regularly updated back in the day. I want this piece to serve as a return toRead more
Warm Needles – Don't Tell Me How To Live EP / No Friends, No Enemies EP (Different Kitchen Records / Crapoulet / Tour Van Records, 2019)
I'm counting myself lucky enough to have received a copy of this hoss right here from my dude at Different Kitchen Records. This is aRead more
Abolitionist – Ugly Feeling (Different Kitchen Records / No Time Records / Between The Days Records / 1859 Records, 2019)
This follows on the heels of Abolitionist's recent A New Militance 10in EP which also dropped this year through Different Kitchen Records / 1859 Records.Read more
Warm Needles – Discardography 2011-13 LP (Different Kitchen Records, 2019)
The beauty of writing this blog is that I sometimes end up getting to check out shit I always meant to, but never quite foundRead more
Unknown River Driver / Rations Noise – Remains / Dronestruck split LP (Different Kitchen Records / Rad Girlfriend Records / 86'd Records)
Alrighty then. A split LP from two bands I've no prior knowledge of whatsoever. Rations Noise is an electronic offshoot of a punk band calledRead more
Abolitionist – A New Militance 10in (Different Kitchen Records / 1859 Records, 2019)
Chances are, like me, you've been peripherally aware of Oregon's Abolitionist for a while, without actually having given any of their shit a spin, mate.Read more


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Dine Around
Our Half Board supplement allows guests to enjoy a buffet dinner at F-zin Ivy League Restaurant. Here, you can choose from a wide selection of international and local cuisine. Open for relaxed, Cretan-style breakfasts and more formal evening dinners; discover a variety of dishes in casual yet elegant surroundings.
Should guests prefer not to dine at F-zin Ivy League Restaurant one evening, it is possible to exchange their place at the dinner buffet for a 25 Euro (per person) food credit. This credit must be used on the same day. Credits are valid in the resort's other four restaurants and for in-room dining.
Food lovers may dine around the world in any of our restaurants, including:
For the first time ever, the legendary Buddha-Bar Beach, neo-Asian concept, makes its home at Abaton on the beautiful island of Crete. Gastronomy, hospitality, wellness, music and mixology collide to create a unique summer lifestyle and culinary experience set against the backdrop of a breathtaking beachfront location and glittering Aegean sea.
Foodies, add sizzle and spice to your Abaton vacation. East meets West as Kobe and Black Angus prime steaks come together at WOW Steak House. A variety of vegetarian dishes and delectable desserts are also available for your dining pleasure. This awarded restaurant is a 2019 World Luxury Restaurant Award winner in the most luxurious Southern European Steak House division.
Bony Fish adds another dimension to your authentic Cretan culinary experience. Sample a taste of the Aegean with dishes made using the freshest fish and seafood caught daily from local waters. Behind the menu is a team of talented chefs who understand and pay homage to traditional island cuisine. All served in a cool and contemporary atmosphere.
Elemes is the perfect place to tease your taste buds and enjoy authentic Greek food at its finest. Talented chefs prepare hearty Cretan dishes using farm-fresh, locally-sourced ingredients putting their modern spin on the region's traditional cuisine. The true spirit of Crete comes to life in Elemes' picturesque outdoor setting.
For guests wishing to relax and retreat, in-room dining is available. Enjoy your favorite dishes in the comfort and privacy of your room, suite or villa. Indulge in a wide variety of international and local cuisine, hot or chilled as prepared by our award-winning chefs.
Special Menus
Ask us about our special menus crafted for Vegans and for our younger guests. Enjoy your favorite food style in all our restaurants.
Booking Conditions
Half Board Flexibility All of our food is freshly prepared and as an eco-conscious resort, we have a minimal waste ethos. Therefore, we respectfully request that guests inform reception on arrival should they wish to exchange their Half Board option in favor of food credits. Alternatively, guests may provide us with 48-hours notice of their intentions. Please note: Credits will be deducted from the final food bill at the restaurant of choice or in-room dining cost. Drinks are not included in this promotion.


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It took a little longer than expected, but I finished the Complete Ruby on Rails Developer Course on Udemy. Full disclosure though: I did not complete the optional final project. Through the course, I completed three rails projects, and I would definitely recommend the course to anyone starting out with rails as it guides you … Continue reading Bi-Weekly Learning Update (51!)
ruby on rails
Bi-Weekly Learning Update (49!)
Thanks to a schedule re-shuffle, after a hectic couple of weeks, I'm settling into a new routine, where I can double the number of hours I can spend each week working on computer stuff! [Yup- I'm one of those people: I love tracking things, especially when you can evaluate for progress afterwards!] I've decided that I … Continue reading Bi-Weekly Learning Update (49!)
Bi-Weekly Learning Update (47!)
I'm definitely starting to like Rails magic! I've been busy working away but I wanted to share a video I like: Click here to watch Ruby on Rails in 60 minutes In order to keep up, you should probably have a couple apps or tutorials under your belt. I wouldn't recommend the video to an … Continue reading Bi-Weekly Learning Update (47!)
Bi-Weekly Learning Update (44!)
I've been working away on the Rails course I decided to take- though as always, wishing I had more hours in the day to spend on it. It took a little longer than I would like to get through all of the setup and introduction videos, but I finally started the Ruby section last week! … Continue reading Bi-Weekly Learning Update (44!)


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Pete the Cat On the Bus Puzzle
Pete the Cat On the Bus Puzzle
This puzzle features artwork from the world-famous Pete the Cat books. In this puzzle, children get to see how Pete the Cat starts his groovy day! Perfect for ages 3 and up, this fun puzzle will allow your child to interact with the world of Pete the Cat.
Ages: 3 and up
Piece Count: 24
Puzzle Size: 10" x 13"
Buy now!
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Available at multiple locations
25 Elm Street Unit 106St. Thomas,OntarioN5R 1H5
Joleen first became interested in physiotherapy as a young athlete when she spent countless hours in rehabilitation for various injuries. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Kinesiology at Western University in 2005 and then graduated from McMaster University's Master of Science - Physiotherapy program in 2007. Joleen is pursueing a Master of Clinical Science and CAMPT fellowship at Western University
Joleen began working at Lifemark in 2008. She continues to pursue post-graduate education in orthopaedics, manual therapy, pain science and concussion management. In her practice, Joleen promotes healthy living and self management and strives to provide her patients with evidence-based treatment. She uses manual therapy, exercise therapy, acupuncture and patient education in her treatment.
She is active in the community with patient education sessions and is a committee member for the Railway City Road Races, a 5 and 10 km race in St. Thomas.


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World War II, the worst conflict in human history, was ending 75 years ago. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered, ending combat in Europe. The war in the Pacific went on for nearly four months longer, but the final act there was coming to a close. Germany had been the stronger combatant, more murderous and evil. From Rome and Paris to Moscow, much of an entire continent had been laid waste. Finally, the bullets and bombs stopped flying.
But anything but peace was the result. Six years of conflict destroyed governments, institutions, organizations, communities, associations, and families. Even functioning democracies confronted dramatic change: Franklin Delano Roosevelt was dead and Winston Churchill was out.
The presumptive democracies, most notably France and Czechoslovakia, were in far worse shape. The former faced a bitter battle over who and what would replace the collaborationist regime. The latter was occupied by the Soviet Union, "liberated" by a tyranny no less suffocating and brutal than the one destroyed. Within three years, Prague was fully absorbed into the Soviet Empire.
One of the worst betrayals of the freedom values espoused and supposedly defended by the West was Operation Keelhaul.
The fate of Eastern Europe was no different, only the pain came sooner. Soviet troops brought their political masters' oppressive system along. Not that there was much heritage of liberal democracy to preserve. "Western" values had been largely absent from the region, which was filled with strongmen of various tempers. Even victims, like Poland, had behaved badly; that authoritarian regime feasted on the territorial carcass of Czechoslovakia before being consumed by Germany and the USSR.
Poland suffered more than any other nation. Newly independent after World War I, Warsaw had to defeat the new Bolshevik state to survive. With the rise of Nazi Germany, Poland was squeezed between two aggressive, totalitarian powers. Before World War II Warsaw rejected Western proposals that envisioned Soviet transit through or military presence on Polish soil since the Poles understandably had no confidence the troops would leave.
The infamous Hitler–Stalin pact sealed Poland's fate. A generation after the latter's refunding, it was wiped out as an independent country when Germany opened World War II in the east. Nazi rule was particularly hideous. Perhaps six million people — half of them Jews — or about 17 percent of the population, died. Nazi mass murder was replaced by Soviet mass repression.
Moscow sought to wipe out those capable of resisting the USSR. Some 22,000 military officers, policemen, professionals, and other members of the intelligentsia were murdered — most famously in Katyn Forest, but also at Kalinin and Kharkiv prisons. The death toll was lower than that exacted by Germany, but the intent was similarly malignant. As the war wound down, nearly a score of Polish leaders from the government-in-exile and underground were invited to consultations by Moscow; in a further act of decapitation, they were arrested and convicted of various charges ranging from collaboration with Germany to criticism of the Soviet Union.
That presaged a brutal occupation, in which Soviet troops plundered the country of industrial equipment and other economic goods and annexed Polish territory east of the Curzon Line. Poland was in turn pushed west, with the forced cession of German territory. Millions of Poles either fled or were expelled from their homes by the Soviets.
The relationship between Poland and its oppressor was never friendly. An uprising by industrial workers in 1956 led to a threat of Soviet invasion and change in Polish leadership. Ultimately the government's economic failures and dramatic rise of the Solidarity Union undermined the regime's control, led to renewed Soviet threats of intervention, and triggered a crackdown, including imposition of martial law in 1981, orchestrated by Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, the defense minister elected as First Secretary of the United Workers' (Communist) Party. In 1989, Poland finally achieved true liberation.
A largely ignored humanitarian horror involved Germans forced from their homes after the war. Some seven to 10 million fled, some scared, some pushed, from lands given to Poland. Czechoslovakia emptied the Sudetenland of ethnic Germans. Millions more came from territory seized by the USSR as well as the Baltic States, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Since many ethnic Germans outside of Germany had cooperated with the Nazi regime, brutal retribution was not surprising, but it impoverished and harmed irrespective of guilt. Estimates as to the number of deaths ranged from a half million to 2.5 million.
The Balkans featured a civil war in Greece, where communists battled several Western-oriented groups backed by the United Kingdom and the United States. By 1949 the communists were defeated. Another fight developed in Yugoslavia, through which Josip Broz Tito triumphed. He was no more gentle than other communist dictators, exacting his vengeance against his opponents, but he did separate his nation from the Soviet Union in 1948.
That same year, the new state of Israel was created. The unimaginable horror of the Holocaust led many survivors to seek sanctuary in the location of the historic kingdom of the Hebrews. Perhaps unsurprisingly for the time, the Jewish homeland, a consequence of war, had to be born in war. But the new nation survived.
One of the worst betrayals of the freedom values espoused and supposedly defended by the West was Operation Keelhaul. The UK and U.S. governments forcibly repatriated tens of thousands of Soviet POWs to Stalin's not so tender mercies in late 1946 and early 1947. Hungarians and Yugoslavs also were transferred to their nations' new communist rulers. The returnees were commonly betrayed, since doing so was the most effective way to deliver them to prison or death, the inevitable fate for returnees. Also rounded up were some Russian émigrés, never Soviet citizens, who had fled after the Revolution and defeat of the Whites in the subsequent civil war.
Yet much of the drama and horror of this period took place beyond politics, one person and family at a time. Millions of people had been displaced. Poverty and hunger were pervasive. Masses of people, especially in German cities destroyed by bombing, were homeless. Survivors of labor and death camps were desperate to get back to homes and communities that might no longer exist. Millions of European civilians had been pressed into forced labor. Many German soldiers had surrendered or deserted far from home. Foreign POWs had been imprisoned in Germany. Collaborators faced revenge and retribution across occupied nations. Leaders old and new clashed over the political order to establish. And Nazi officials and criminals sought to escape responsibility and justice for the human and physical wreckage they left behind.
At the most fundamental level, civilization itself seemed to have disappeared.
Three score and 15 years later, that world is disappearing, increasingly left to declining memories, fading pictures, decaying newspaper articles, and history books. The experience must not be forgotten, however. There are too many crimes that must never be pardoned, too much evil that must never be excused, too many horrors that must never be minimized.
And, thankfully, there was also good. As well as heroism, charity, strength, fortitude, kindness, courage, resistance. Those too we must remember. Today and forevermore.
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Foreign Follies: America's New Global Empire.


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Good times were had last night! 🙂
I went out with Megan, Kelly, and Megan's friend Taylor. There's a really fun bar about 0.5 mile from Megan's place… perfect for walking home if you need to! 🙂
We hung out at Megan's new apartment for a little bit, doing the girl chat thing. Taylor brought her dog, Cal, over and we loved each other. He reminded me a lot of James, actually. Isn't he the cutest little man?
Oh, that's my new haircut! I got long layers and side bangs put in. I really like it. I chickened out of doing anything too drastic, though. 🙂
It was quite the evening… a few glasses of wine was drunk. We also got chips and fries at the bar to share. We literally got kicked out at last call, I slept on Megan's floor, and now I'm back home enjoying a stabilizing bowl of oatmeal.
It was a bigger bowl than normal… I felt really hungry this morning!
- 3/4 cup oatmeal
- 3/4 cup rice milk
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 sliced banana
- Toppings: almonds, coconut, brown sugar, flax, cinnamon
I'm off… the Husband and I are starting our Valentine's Day tonight because we love each other just that little extra. :) We're going to start things off by going to the gym, and then we're going out to dinner.


text: Hi, readers! I am beyond pleased to announce a very special post today on ILRB. Recently, I asked authors to come to the blog with a little background into their characters. Exactly what is it about them that keeps a writer up at night, composing those romance novels we love? I wanted to dig deep… Continue reading Heroes & Heroines Special Feature: Character Erica Timberly from LYRICAL EMBRACE by Amber Daulton


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If you saw Lily James during her recent filming in the film, you might even confuse her with Pamela Anderson, they were so similar! Lily James looked great in a red swimsuit. Her boobs looked so big and her peachy bottom was barely covered by the tight bottom of her swimsuit. By the way, this actress also posed topless for a perfume advertisement. Still, Lily James decided to cover her nude boobs with her hands, although she could not hide their beauty and juiciness.
- Post author:admin
- Post published:20.05.2021
- Post category:Lily James
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Crossing Rivers Health Seeks New Volunteers
Shawna Atterbury, Volunteer Services Coordinator at Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien, encourages area residents to consider becoming a volunteer at Crossing Rivers Health.
She explains, "Our volunteers are exceptional! They are a member of our team in every sense- they assist with projects and help departments in a variety of ways. Each volunteer offers a skill and talent that is valuable to the mission of Crossing Rivers Health to deliver high-quality personalized health care and education to people in every stage of life."
She adds, "There are many ways to volunteer at Crossing Rivers Health- from short-term to ongoing placement. We try to find the right fit for each volunteer, from helping with fundraising and educational events, assisting in the gift shop, or assisting a department with a project. Volunteers also have a high profile position every weekday morning as they provide a welcoming environment for patients and visitors that enter the north entrance at the medical center."
Volunteer training is scheduled at Crossing Rivers Health on Thursday, September 8, beginning at 8:00 a.m. The training will include introductions, mandatory instruction to ensure volunteers are compliant with standards of health, safety, infection control and patient privacy; and given a tour of the facility.
Area residents who are interested in volunteer opportunities may contact Shawna Atterbury, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 608-357-2621or email@example.com.


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Archaeologists have always used tools invented for other purposes. Our 'signature' tool, the trowel, was designed for brick-laying; our hoes, mattocks, shovels and wheelbarrows are gardening tools; and I doubt the inventors of the JCB dreamt that with the right bucket and a skilled operator their heavy earth-moving equipment could delicately strip off a few tens-of-centimetres of topsoil to cleanly expose archaeology in the subsoil beneath. What is true of physical tools is also true of technological ones; total stations and computer-aided design were created for construction; satellite imagery had its genesis in espionage; GIS were first used by geographers. Even our theoretical and methodological foundations are often borrowed from others. As archaeologists we specialise in taking something made for something else, and tweaking it to answer our questions. Adapting an existing tool to answer our research questions is as archaeological as brushing dirt from a precious artefact and, as I recently discovered, is widely applicable to a variety of situations beyond the excavation, lab or library.
Seeking petrol
At the time of writing, the UK is currently experiencing a temporary fuel shortage, resulting from a combination of panic-buying and a shortage in HGV drivers. I live in a suburban area, but public transport is limited and I have a pre-schooler, so I have always done a modest amount of driving. The fuel shortage caught us unawares with limited petrol in the car and after a few days of taking my little one to school we were running seriously short. At this time fuel deliveries were still being made, but the number of people seeking fuel and the intermittent nature of the deliveries meant that it was impossible to know which petrol station would have fuel. I needed to find a way to determine exactly which petrol station might have what I needed before I left. Where could I find real-time information on which petrol stations had fuel? How could I locate the closest one?
Real-time feedback in Google maps
Thanks to years of archaeological research, I have a long history of looking at maps and satellite imagery and I'm used to combining data, maps and visual imagery to address research questions. So when I was faced with a very real problem my brain automatically thought along the same lines. Since I was looking for the closest petrol station with fuel, the problem was obviously a question of mapping. Google maps is one of the most powerful mapping tools available for simple tasks and offers real-time information, it was a sensible place to start looking for a solution.
When teaching basic GIS I often use Google maps as an example of a deceptively simple but immensely powerful GIS. Behind the Google maps interface is an incredibly complex programme collating vast quantities of data, from satellite imagery and road maps, to data about speed limits and real-time information about traffic movements. Despite this complexity and vast processing power, it appears simple to us because the interface places substantial limits on what we can do with it; see a map of the area around us, search for a location, navigate from one place to another, or find a simple amenity, like a petrol station. Google Maps is immensely powerful but setup to be used in certain specific ways. It contains the locations of nearby petrol stations (as in the image above) and real-time traffic information (image below), but its not setup to find petrol stations with fuel. If I wanted do that I would need use it in a way its designers had never intended. I would need to adapt this tool to access the data I needed, just like generations of archaeologists before.
Adapting the tools
Adapting the data from Google Maps to answer my question necessitated current background knowledge of the situation and its impact on my society. The one thing everyone in any urban or suburban area knows about the petrol shortage is that any petrol station with fuel rapidly creates a jam along the adjacent road as people queue up to get fuel and block the road. So I combined the petrol station locations with the traffic information to identify petrol stations with queues outside. Since people don't queue outside a petrol station without fuel, those with queues must have fuel. In the image to the right Tesco Petrol Station and the West Street BP to the right of the map just above the 'Southend' label, both have queues outside. The Shell to the right of Tesco does not. We promptly went to the West Street BP and fuelled-up without difficulty.
'Improper use may cause damage!'
As when using any tool in a way its creators did not intend, a certain amount of local knowledge, experience and common sense is required. In the image to the right the BP with a Wild Bean Cafe in the bottom left also has queues shown to the west of it, but I can't be sure those indicate it has petrol. It's on the A13 and close to a junction. The A13 is a major road that is often slow and can have queues and jams almost anywhere on it for any reason, and the traffic lights often produce short local jams like those shown in the image. So if I was really desperate to go straight to a petrol station with fuel, seek out queues at petrol stations on a minor roads some distance from intersections. The BP petrol station on West Street, Prittlewell, is an excellent example. The West Street BP is centre right, just above the 'Southend' label in the image above right. When I checked traffic information against petrol stations I found a dark red tail leading away from the West Street BP (centre right in the image below). West Street is not a major road and the BP is not close to a major intersection. The only likely reason there's a queue leading straight to that petrol station at 8pm is that those people are waiting for fuel.
Checks and balances
Its possible to double-check that a petrol station has fuel using the powerful statistics held in Google maps. At the time of writing it is 1pm on a sunny weekday. There should not be a lot of unusual traffic or unexpected jams that are unrelated to fuel queues and might confuse me, but if it was rush-hour I'd have to be more careful. Checking the petrol situation at the present (image above) it seems that the Tesco Petrol Station and Shell in the centre right of the image have fuel, while the Esso MFG Kent Elms does not.
I can confirm that the traffic information reflects queues for fuel rather than any other traffic incident by checking the real-time statistics in Google Maps (this was Paul Barrett's idea). If you click on the little marker balloon for a likely petrol station and scroll down, there's a little graph showing popular times. If the queue on the traffic information is for fuel, the graph should show that the petrol station is currently 'busier than usual'. If we check on the Tesco Petrol Station for now 1pm on 4 October 2021, we find it is 'busier than usual' (image above left), confirming the evidence of the traffic information, that showed a queue outside it. This contrasts quite nicely with the BP on West Street, which is now running out or is out of fuel and is therefore 'less busy than usual' (image above right).
Adapting and mis-using tools
Aside from being an interesting use of an incredibly powerful free GIS, why is my solution to a personal fuel crisis of archaeological or Egyptological significance? I believe there are two reasons. The real-world value of humanities and social science disciplines like archaeology and Egyptology are often questioned and those who study them expected to explain how their supposedly arcane subject prepares them for the real world of work. I developed this particular method of solving my real-world fuel shortage problem because of my long history of looking at maps and satellite imagery and combining various sources of data and visual imagery to address research questions. While students learn many valuable skills studying archaeology or Egyptology, the ability to marshal varied sources of data in textual, statistical and visual formats; and judiciously adapt tools for new purposes, is highly valuable in many professions.
Secondly, my method of finding petrol stations with fuel follows the same model of adaptation that is common in archaeology and Egyptology. I took an existing, common tool (Google Maps) and combined two established features of that tool (real-time traffic information and the local search function) with specific cultural knowledge (that petrol stations with fuel attract queues) to extract information on which petrol stations were likely to have fuel. I improved the rigour of my method with additional background cultural and cartographic knowledge (of the main roads and traffic hotspots) and checked it against an independent dataset (Google Maps real-time statistics on how busy locations are). The result is an efficient and effective method of obtaining information I did not previously have direct access to but which was present in existing datasets, all without developing new software or diagnostic tools. For me this is what GIS, landscape and archaeological research is all about!


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Book #23 of 2021. This year I aim to read 60 books. This was one of them. Be sure to check out my Goodreads.
It's no surprise to anyone that's been following this blog that I'm a pretty big history buff and a self-taught one at that. I haven't formally studied history at GCSEs or A-Levels, so most of my knowledge comes from books and the internet (shout out Kings and Generals on YouTube). That being said, history is just that: a story. A narrative. The prevailing narrative of world history in the West goes a little something like this:
- The Birth of Civilisation: Egypt and Mesopotamia
- The Classical Age: Greece and Rome
- The Dark Ages: Rise of Christianity
- The Rebirth: Renaissance and Reformation
- The Enlightenment: Exploration and Science
- The Revolutions: Democratic, Industrial, Technological
- Rise of Nation-States: Struggle for Empire
- The World Wars
- The Cold War
- The Triumph of Democratic Capitalism
But what about other parts of the world? How do they view world history? That's where Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary comes in. Ansary attempts to retell world history from the Muslim perspective. A counter-narrative to the Western view of history that goes something like this:
- Ancient Times: Mesopotamia and Persia
- Birth of Islam
- The Khalifate: Quest for Universal Unity
- Fragmentation: Age of the Sultanates
- Catastrophe: Crusaders and Mongols
- Rebirth: The Three Empires Era
- Permeation of East by West
- The Reform Movements
- Triumph of the Secular Modernists
- The Islamist Reaction
Ansary does away with the diagnosis that the world's current political turmoil results from a "clash of civilisations"; instead, he argues that it is a "clash of narratives". Both the Western and Islamic world have gone through different experiences to get to where they are today. It is a failure to recognise these different experiences that have led to poor policy-making. Furthermore, the "clash of civilisations" diagnosis implies that Western and Islamic civilisation have mutually exclusive attributes. Secularism, democracy and science are not just attributes of Western civilisation. In fact, Ansary highlights how many things we consider to be Western achievements and ideas were actually predated in Islamic culture by centuries.
My favourite part of Destiny Disrupted would have to be chapters 2 to 4 detailing the early rise of Islam and the lives of Prophet Muhammad and the Rashidun. Ansary presents the facts, but he also explains the lessons that can be derived from them. After all, history isn't just about the past; it is also about what we can learn for the future. For this reason, Ansary refers to this early period of Islam as a kind of theological drama. A drama that Muslims and non-Muslims alike can learn from. Ultimately, the story of the Rashidun (and subsequent Muslim leaders ever since) is a story about people trying to work out the best way to run civilisation in accordance with the Islamic social project. They may not always get it right – more often getting it completely wrong – but that is the ultimate destiny and goal of the Ummah as a socio-political body.
Many religions say to their followers, "the world is corrupt, but you can escape it." Islam said to its followers, "the world is corrupt, but you can change it."
Of course, as with any book that claims to be a complete retelling of history, one must remain cautious not to take its claim at face value. *Cough* Our Island Story *cough*. And this is where I must put forth some criticism. For a book that claims to be A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes, Ansary has left out large swaths of the Muslim world from his narrative. Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population on Earth, is only briefly mentioned once in the entire book.
Furthermore, pretty much the entirety of Sub-Saharan Africa is left out of Ansary's narrative. Perhaps the greatest crime of his work was the complete omission of the Mali Empire of Western Africa, a contemporary of the three empires he mentions during the rebirth period (Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals). I would argue, therefore, that Ansary's work starts off as history of the world through Islamic eyes in its early chapters. But then ultimately morphs into a history of the world through Arab, Persian and Turkish eyes with some fair amount of time dedicated to South and Central Asia.
Despite its limitations, I would say that Ansary succeeded in presenting a counter-narrative to global history that proves very enlightening. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about early Islamic history and the Middle World (what we usually call the Middle East) from a non-Western perspective.


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Bitcoin Miner Marathon to Raise $250M in Direct Stock Offering
The Las Vegas company has agreed to a direct offering of 12.5 million shares of common stock at $20 per share.
Bitcoin mining company Marathon Patent Group (MARA)https://hashrateindex.com/stocks/mara shares were down after the Nasdaq-listed firm announced it plans to raise up to $250 million through a direct stock offering.
- The Las Vegas-based company said Tuesday it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with institutional investors for the registered offering of 12.5 million shares of common stock at $20 per share.
- Marathon shares dropped to $21.83 on the news, sliding 16.5% in Tuesday's pre-market session. In the past year, the company's shares have soared over 2,500%.
- Gross proceeds for this offering are expected to be $250 million.
- CEO Merrick Okamoto told CoinDesk in an email he intends to use the funds to, among other things, fund more mining machine purchases from Bitmain and expand his company's mining facilities amid the mining sector's ongoing "arms race" as manufacturers struggle to keep pace with demand.
- H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering, which closes on Jan. 15.
- The Las Vegas firm's shares surged last week to the highest in more than three years, bringing the firm a total market value of $1 billion. That number is now at $1.377 billion.
- The firm has recently invested heavily in new cryptocurrency mining equipment, making orders for 90,000 machines in October and December, expecting to reach a total mining capacity of 10.36 exahashes per second (EH/s) once the new machines are fully deployed.
Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.
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OK, everyone, let's take a deep breath for a moment and confess: November is not our finest month. October doesn't help by stuffing us with candy, pumpkin spice, and political advertising. November rises filled with the hope of celebrating the saints. Next, the votes of elections are tallied, which leads to parties or mourning. There's a burst of healthy gratitude around Thanksgiving, and then it's doused with consuming all the ads and leftovers of Black Friday. Now that December has arrived, hopefully most of us are recognizing the need for our Savior – which may actually be a great setup for the Advent season.
Advent is a great time to remember that just as all of creation waited for the birth of our Savior, the cosmos continue to yearn for the fruit of New Creation to be birthed. The things I've mentioned already are small compared to the suffering, the brokenness and the things that bind so many people and places today. Our world seems to get so excited over a deal on the hottest items of the season when, in reality, there are deeper needs for freedom and restoration that continue to be glossed over and unmet. There are thirsts that can only be quenched by Jesus-sourced love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The key phrase is "Jesus-sourced." These are not bad things inherently. Obviously, we'd love to have a world where more people would strive to be loving. A world filled with greater amounts of joy would put a smile on many faces. Peace is needed in so many areas and homes filled with conflict. You get the point without me finishing the list entirely – these are all good things. But Paul wasn't proclaiming these things as a list of "desirable character traits." He wasn't trying to encourage citizens to form a smoother society.
Paul declares earlier in Galatians 3:26–27, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." The next chapters continue to describe and give more reason for what God is doing. "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts" (Galatians 4:6)
Imagine planting a giant fruit garden filled with seeds. You spend months preparing the garden, tilling the soil, planting the seeds. Sometimes it takes months and even years later before the fruit begins to arrive. It would be silly to stop and declare, "Wow, I'm so glad we brought all of this fruit into existence," and then walk away. The whole point of bringing forth fruit, in our case, is that the world might taste and see God's goodness and the New Creation life found in Jesus made possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Why Gentleness?
Let's take just one fruit for an example to help us appreciate how each unique flavor of the Spirit's fruit reveals Jesus in ways for which our world is thirsty. There's one that might not be as obvious: gentleness. You might have seen the "golden retriever egg challenge" that was popular on social media earlier this year. Someone was trying to prove just how gentle a golden retriever's mouth is by showing a video of a dog holding a raw egg in its mouth. In response, people all over were trying to prove how gentle their own dogs (of all breeds) are by shoving raw eggs in their mouths. Obviously, there are health concerns here, but the point is that even animals can be described by their "gentleness" at times (aside from all the dogs who simply ended up chomping down or playing with the raw egg – much to their owners' dismay).
The great thing about gentleness is that it seems anyone can be gentle. It doesn't require amazing strength, and it doesn't require amazing weakness. We have video of our 2-year-old, Addison, holding her newborn baby sister. She was amazingly gentle with her, holding her with love while bending forward to kiss her face. This is the reaction most people would have when holding an infant. The sense is that something here in your arms is incredibly precious and worth being purposefully tender. Here is something that can be injured easily, and so it's worth caring about our actions, how we speak and how we direct our energy.
Gentleness is just one of the many-flavored fruit of the Spirit for people who are alive with the life of Jesus. Gentleness means using our physical and verbal abilities to communicate that this person and this moment are precious and valuable to God. Doesn't that seem to describe most of what comes to mind when you think about the life and words of Jesus Christ?
God With Us
We're not hoping to bear the fruit of the Spirit simply to show that we have such character traits. It's not about becoming people or families filled with such fruit for the fruit's own sake. It's about bearing the fruit of the Spirit for the sake of such fruit revealing, proclaiming and establishing the kingdom of God fully present right here and now. It's about believing when this happens, Christ is here — not just inspirationally or figuratively, but literally. By the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit, the incredible-ness of the virgin birth is born again through our lives. This is not merely celebrating Christmas, but offering ourselves to be those through whom God becomes "Immanuel" in our world today.
Chadwick "Wick" Anderson has a B.A. in Youth Ministry from Olivet Nazarene University and an M.Div. from Wesley Seminary. He is currently in his final months as pastor of family life for Moundford Free Methodist Church in Decatur, Illinois. He is preparing to serve full time with his wife, Sarah, and their four children as missionaries in Gyor, Hungary, through Free Methodist World Missions. They believe in the power of open hearts and open homes, and you can discover more or join their support team at andersonfamily6.com.2


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An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect in a Hays sexual assault that was reported early Sunday.
Tre Miekale Carrasco was last seen getting into a silver pickup mid-morning Sunday at a Colby truck stop that headed toward Interstate 70. According to press release from the Hays Police Department on Monday, authorities are no longer looking for the pickup, however.
Follow-up stories:
Charges filed against Carrasco in sexual assault
Charges pending against Carrasco in Colorado
Document details Corrasco's arrest in Colorado
Carrasco facing additional charges in Colorado


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The Ohio State basketball program isn't headed in an optimistic direction these days. The Buckeyes just got blitzed by a good — not great — Minnesota team to push their Big Ten record below .500. That was followed by a postponed game against Penn State because of COVID-19 issues within the Nittany Lion program.
And now, according to a statement from head coach Chris Holtmann, the team will be without the leadership and steady hand of senior point guard C.J. Walker indefinitely because of torn ligaments in his right hand.
🏀🗣 Coach Holtmann on CJ Walker's injury
More at https://t.co/He7w8aQLnY #GoBuckeyes https://t.co/AL4v1qUfRV pic.twitter.com/3d5skX6BJ2
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) January 7, 2021
"CJ has battled this hand injury since our first preseason scrimmage and as the pain and discomfort has increased it became clear to him and our medical staff that he needed to rest and rehab in hopes his hand will heal," head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. "His leadership and toughness in battling this through 11 games has been really impressive. Obviously he is very important to our team but I'm most disappointed for CJ because I know how much work he put in during the offseason. CJ will closely remain with our team while he rests and rehabs his hand."
This is another shot of adversity for a team that's already trying to get the team fully healthy to make a run towards the postseason. And while this year's team has more depth and ball-handling at the guard position than the most recent teams, the loss still leaves a huge hole.
Walker is the catalyst that gets the team into its sets by bringing the ball up the court in the midst of pressure, gets those involved around him, and has shown the ability to get in the lane and score when the team is in a scoring drought. Without him, the duties to bring the ball up the court will most likely now rely on guards Duane Washington, Jr. and Jimmy Sotos.
Walker is averaging 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Hopefully, he gets the rest he needs and gets back healthier and ready for an end of the season run.
Ohio State is next in action at Rutgers on Saturday.


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We're still less than 24 hours into the Pat Chambers era of Penn State basketball after his hiring was announced by the University late Friday afternoon, but reaction is already starting to flow in from a number of sources. Today, we'll use the post to take a spin around the sphere to see what people are saying.
Let's start off with the man himself. David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News talked to Chambers and reports the new coach expects administration will be supportive of his efforts.
"They've been unbelievable," said Chambers of the PSU administration. "In the whole interview process, in the meetings, they've laid out their plan of exactly how they're going to support the program. They've definitely stepped up and I think they want to see a great men's basketball team. They want to be in the top of the Big Ten. And they proved that today with everything that they offered."
Chambers also had interesting words when he spoke to Penn State alum and former Daily Collegian reporter Dana O'Neil, now of ESPN.com.
"I think (the program) is a sleeping giant, in my mind," Chambers said. "They have everything they need. They have more than Villanova had. Everything that they need to be a successful program is there. Ed did a great job and I think there isn't much for me to change. I just hope that maybe I can bring that new energy, that passion to the program."
In her own commentary, O'Neil offers a glowing review of the hire.
Chambers changes the dynamic. He is young, only 40, and finally gives a face to a faceless program.
Before I joined ESPN.com, I worked in Philadelphia and watched Chambers tutor alongside Villanova coach Jay Wright. His passion for basketball and his eagerness was so overwhelming that more than one person asked, "Is this guy for real?" The implication being that Chambers' personality might be somewhat disingenuous.
It is not. It is who he is.
Devon at Nittany Whiteout really likes the hire.
This is a phenomenal hire for Penn State, and as the news hits the national radar, we'll be sure to see the big-time analysts saying so. Don't let me understate this: this hire is the best thing that has ever happened to Penn State basketball. It's a bigger commit than the Nittany Lions have ever got from a prospect, and, well, there isn't exactly a huge win we can point to.
With Coach Chambers at the helm, better days are ahead for Penn State basketball.
Ben at Victory Bell Rings, known in these circles as NGameday11, is excited to see what Chambers can do for recruiting.
This Philadelphia connection is possibly the most important asset that Chambers brings to the table. Over the past several years, Penn State's biggest issue has been their inability to recruit in the Philly area. With Chambers' connections to the city and experience coaching for Villanova, he has the opportunity to create a recruiting path from Philadelphia to Penn State. If Chambers can establish any sort of pipeline from Philadephia while furthering recruiting areas Penn State has grown in Texas and New England it will go a very long way towards improving the quality of players on the roster. At their core, Penn State's problem has never really been the X's and Os rather just having the players to execute at a Big Ten level.
Finally, over at the recently launched Linebacker-U forums, which you should definitely check out if you like the message board format without the crazy, contributor Tim gives one last salute to Ed DeChellis.
When Ed took over eight years ago, the program was an absolute train wreck having come off of back-to-back seven win seasons, a roster full of guys that had no business playing Big Ten basketball, a lifeless and disorganized student section, woefully small and outdated offices for the coaches, no hoops-specific strength/conditioning coach, VHS technology when most other schools were using DVD by that time, amongst other things.
Fast-forward to today: The program is coming off an NCAA tournament appearance, there is talent on the roster to build around (albeit, rather young and inexperienced), a well-organized and vocal student section in the Nittany Nation, a basketball-specific S&C coach, [and] larger and better-looking offices.
Some Nittany Lions are also reacting to the hire, and they sound pretty positive.
Just got off the phone with my new coach. Sounds like a great guy
Shout out to Tim Curley for bringing in Pat Chambers to lead the new exciting era of Penn State Hoops. #We Are.....
Yeah he sounds like a great guy. very passionate QT @LBU_Eric: @Treylew3 have you talked to him yet? we all can't wait either.
Interestingly, waffling prospect Juwan Staten seems intrigued by the hire as well, retweeting a few followers here and there telling him to choose Penn State again now that Chambers is in place. Given Chambers guard friendly tendencies, he might just be back in the mix for the Lions.


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ah hah, so maybe that is where all our church shoes are and slippers. I'll go look..... hmmm..... nope. Any other ideas??? Oh yeah, ours are always on the big pottery jar in the living room. Thanks!!
It must run in the family. I always take my shoes of wherever I first sit down after coming in side. I have started taking them off at the front door, but sometimes I still forget.
Post a Comment


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On March 13, 2020, ER technician Breonna Taylor was shot six times by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove. Ever since then, a large group of Americans, including NFL players, have asked for justice.
On Wednesday, justice was decidedly not served. A Jefferson County, Kentucky grand indicted only Hankinson on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment because he shot into a neighboring apartment where a pregnant woman, a man, and a child were home.
None of the officers were charged in Taylor's killing, and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has said he expects no further criminal charges to be filed.
It's an agonizing specter of truth for any person of color to have it made abundantly clear by indictment that some in America believe that property is more important than the lives of Black people, but it's hard to look at this any other way. The city of Louisville settled with Taylor's family on a $12 million wrongful death lawsuit, so for no charges to be filed against any of the officers in question seems especially specious.
There have been protests in Louisville ever since the indictment came down, and several NFL players have made their feelings known on the subject. It's an especially charged story in the league as the police killing of George Floyd and the police shooting of Jacob Blake, both Black men, inspired a player-led charge of social justice statements the likes of which the NFL has never seen before.
"It's really disgusting to think about [no charges in this case] because of how fragile human life is and the importance of your last breath," Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins said Wednesday. "I feel like in situations like this we can't be too [desensitized] to it because you have to understand the importance of life. … [To] just think, 'Oh, whatever happened happened,' and to move on isn't fair. If it was my sister or my mom or my dad or if I have kids one day, even my kids, I'll be frank, I'll be pissed off. Very pissed off."
Haskins also encouraged people to look at this as something that is "bigger than just sports or politics or the color of your skin."
Per the Washington Post, Ron Rivera, one of four NFL head coaches of color in the NFL today, said that he was also dismayed, but also expressed encouragement because of the "Justice for Breonna Taylor Act." This is legislation that prohibits no-knock warrants, which have allowed law enforcement to enter a home without announcing authority or purpose.
"What that's going to do is it's going to prevent situations like this one from occurring," Rivera said. "That's the one thing that's going to be, unfortunately, her legacy. She was taken way too soon. She was a bright, brilliant young lady. It's very unfortunate and [a] very tragic situation. But again: I support the Black Lives Matter movement."
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner also spoke out on the matter on Wednesday.
"My initial thoughts is I can't really say I'm surprised," Wagner said. "I think there was a lot of hope that they were going to do the right thing. But at the end of the day, given how everything's happened historically, I can't say that I'm too surprised. It's unfortunate. You know I feel, obviously a lot of anger, but we have to try to figure out different ways to get what we want.
"We can't put it in anybody else's hands to make the right decision because historically they've shown that they will not do that."
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is one of several NFL players who have chosen to wear Taylor's name on his helmet as part of league-approved protests against police brutality.
"I have a daughter. I have a beautiful 3-year-old daughter," Wilson recently said. "And when I think about everything that has happened in our country, it has been an emotional time. An emotional time where there is a lot of hate in the world, a lot of disappointing things that are happening.
"And when I think about Breonna, I think about somebody who seemed to be a gracious person from what we hear and what we read—but also somebody who was just trying to be at home… When I think about my daughter, I get fearful. Because a young girl like Breonna having her life taken away is pretty difficult."
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who went to college at Louisville, spoke about it on Thursday morning during his usual press conference.
"When I got up this morning, I saw on social media her [Taylor] not getting no justice. But, you know, we got other things in the world that get justice that don't really need justice but people want to push that issue a lot more than our Black lives mattering. Breonna Taylor being one of them. It's crazy we don't get justice for serious things on our side. We're in America where it should be freedom of speech, the land of the free, but I don't really feel like it's been that way for us Black people sometimes."
"It's crazy we never get justice for serious things on our side. We're in America where it should be freedom of speech, the land of the free, but I don't really feel like it's been that way for us Black people sometimes." – @Lj_era8
via @Ravens pic.twitter.com/y7IM8PBJaF
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) September 24, 2020
For those who would prefer that these and other athletes just "stick to sports," it's blatantly obvious we're past that conceit. Sadly, the systemic issues that cause these words and feelings and protests have been innately American for hundreds of years, and they show no signs of receding at any time in the near future. And no matter their professions, these young men have every right to speak out about situations they could find themselves confronted with at any moment.


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Heel height 8.5cm.


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Several weeks ago, the New Jersey EPA issued a report outlining the steps that must be imposed on New Jersey residents to achieve the energy and climate change goals of The Murphy Energy Plan. The report reads like Central Planning lite. It will force transformation of energy production, restrict energy use and impose significant costs. Energy reliability and job impact are only a minor concern. Are the predictions correct or even feasible? Who knows?
Fortunately, another opinion has emerged and is explained in this article. This organization, Affordable Energy for New Jersey, defends the use of energy, particularly natural gas and its importance to human life and provides alternatives to the unreliable poor energy society of the NJEPA report.
No gas-powered cars, no heating oil for homes. Climate report calls for major action
We are a group of 150 ordinary citizens who mostly live near Atlantic City, New Jersey. We volunteer our time and money to maintain this website. We do our best to post accurate information. However, we admit we make mistakes from time to time. If you see any mistakes or inaccurate, misleading, outdated, or incomplete information in this or any of our posts, please let us know. We will do our best to correct the problem as soon as possible. Thanks.
Seth Grossman, Executive Director
(609) 927-7333.


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- Marti
A welcome return!
A warm welcome back to Pucela Escocia! It has been over three months since Real Valladolid last kicked in a ball in competitive league action and the world outside football has changed beyond comprehension in that time.
I would like to begin by expressing my sincere condolences to everyone who has been affected by the loss of a loved one during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, I would like to use this platform to extend my thanks to those involved in the fight against it; from frontline workers such as emergency services and healthcare staff (of which I am honoured to call myself one) to those who provide the day-to-day services required to keep some semblance of normality in our world. The shop workers, delivery drivers and postal workers are among those whose efforts have ensured that goods and services remain available to us to fuel our response to the outbreak. Their contribution should be as widely recognised as anyone's.
As a parent, I am grateful for the lengths teaching staff have gone to in order to provide engaging, fun, relevant work for my children at home to ensure their education has not been affected any more than is reasonable to expect. Their support has been invaluable.
It has been a trying time, fraught with emotions for so many people. I agree with the sentiment that football, in its most basic form, is a game. However, it is more than that too. It is a community and a way of life. So many people around the world share in the love for it. We debate it. It brings us joy. At times we despise it. However, at all times, we live it and it is part of who we are. Football's return is perhaps perceived by many to be too early, a risk and not a priority. I would offer the opinion that football brings us some sort of normality, an escape from the stresses of a global lockdown and a return to routine of kind. Managed correctly, the return of football brings us closer to a return to what life was like earlier this year and is another tentative step towards getting back to something akin to normality.
There is more to life than football, but football is also part of life for a huge number of people around the world; their passion, their employment and their way of connecting with other people. The latter is of utmost importance in the current climate.
With that being said, thank you for visiting Pucela Escocia and I wish you the very best of health as we continue through these testing times together.


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Pictograph Worksheets
- Math >
- Statistics >
- Pictograph
A picture is worth a thousand words is a famous proverb in English. Test this theory with our hand-picked pictograph worksheets. A pictograph is a graph that represents the data using either symbols or pictures. Our set of printable pictograph worksheets with different themes is a perfect resource to practice reading, creating and interpreting pictographs. These pdf worksheets assist students to decipher the key or legend that tells the number represented by each image.
Our free pictograph worksheets are designed exclusively for students of 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade.
Counting and Drawing a Pictograph
Bolster the skills of grade 2 and grade 3 students in drawing a pictograph with this pictograph worksheet pdf. Find out how many items of clothing of each kind are illustrated and then represent the data with categories in a pictograph using the key.
In this free worksheet, students of grade 3 and grade 4 read the pictograph which displays the number of seashells collected by each person. Each picture represents 4 seashells. Practice solving the variety of questions provided in this pdf.
Take a look at the tally chart on stationery items. Draw a pictograph by interpreting the data and represent the number of stationery items on the pictograph with the help of the key or legend.
Making and Interpreting a Pictograph
Use this printable worksheet to enhance your child's understanding of reading and drawing pictographs. With the help of the data set, students create a pictograph displaying the number of trees in the orchard.


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2022-2023 Chinese Government Scholarship Scheme
Welcome to apply for the 2022/2023 Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) Program.
Applicants from the Republic of Ireland need to apply to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ireland. Please note that our Program Category is A and the Agency Number is 3722.
Please read Chinese Government Scholarship Application on http://www.ihtiajati.com/ for details about CGS, eligibility and application documents required. For the universities and programs, directly click on https://www.campuschina.org/index.html.
Application needs to be done online and please read Instructions for Chinese Government Scholarship
Information System (CGSIS) on http://www.ihtiajati.com/.
As part of the application documents, a Foreigner Physical Examination Form should be included in the application package and it is available on http://www.ihtiajati.com/.
Online application and the corresponding application documents should be submitted no later than February 15, 2022.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all documents should be submitted online. The original or duplicate copy might be required upon request.
For further information, please contact Mr. Dawei Zheng of the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy at firstname.lastname@example.com or the contact person of CSC at email@example.com.


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Spread the word, our products are great!
As a small business it really helps us if you can spread the word about our products. We really appreciate it.
Orange Holo Pear Drops Glitter Amnesty Earrings
These earrings contain slight imperfections which shouldn't be noticeable when worn however, we didn't want to charge full price for them. One of these earrings has a matte finish and the other one doesn't.
Approx 16mm wide by 24mm pear drops.
The results of our Non Bioglitter® Amnesty! You donated your #guiltyglitter (the traditional plastic glitter) to us and we upcycled into fabulous jewellery so it can be enjoyed but not contribute to littering our waterways, rivers and oceans.
Necklaces and earrings - all totally handmade, upcycled one of a kind pieces which will shine and shimmer for years to come without having to wash any non-biodegradable glitter down the drain! Wear it again and again!
Delivery Times
For more details on Delivery and Shipping click here
As a small business it really helps us if you can spread the word about our products. We really appreciate it.


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TALLINN - The European Union's European affairs ministers on Monday held an informal video conference, with the ministers focusing on COVID-19 mitigation and Estonia also raising the issue of the arrest of Alexei Navalny.
The European Union's European affairs ministers on Monday held an informal video conference, with deputy secretary general for European affairs Mart Volmer representing Estonia. Portugal recently took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union and presented its priorities. The ministers also discussed coordination in COVID-19 mitigation efforts and the Conference on the Future of Europe, spokespeople for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Volmer affirmed Estonia's support to Portugal's priority concerning the swift implementation of the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. "In this regard, it is very important for Estonia that all aspects of July's European Council conclusions are honored. We support the presidency's plans to promote the digital agenda for Europe," Volmer said. "We stress the need to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, close cooperation and partnership with the UK and active engagement with the Eastern Partnership countries."
The meeting covered the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in depth and the ministers reiterated the continued importance of coordination among EU member states. "The European Commission has been successful in procuring vaccines, however, the first setbacks have made us concerned about the security of supply," Volmer said. "Estonia is working on a reliable digital Smart Vaccination Certificate to support vaccination campaigns worldwide. In the future, this could also provide citizens with an opportunity to travel without COVID-19 restrictions sooner.""
The ministers also discussed moving forward with the Conference on the Future of Europe. "We should focus more attention on the green and digital transitions, and we also need to strengthen the EU's role as a global leader. This should be an inclusive process and fully respect inter-institutional balance," Volmer said.
At the meeting, Volmer also raised issue of the arrest of Alexei Navalny. He reiterated Estonia's position that a joint statement by the European Union on the arrest of Navalny should be made as soon as possible. "We should also discuss and be prepared to introduce restrictive measures if Navalny is not released immediately," Volmer added.


text: Our Lady of Pompei's Election Day Spaghetti Supper celebrated 70 years Nov. 5. The volunteer-powered fundraiser sees parishioners and politicians fill the cafeteria at Cathedral Academy at Pompei, where all share a few handshakes and some delicious homemade food. Syracuse's new shepherd, Bishop Douglas J. Lucia (pictured center right), enjoyed his first spaghetti supper with a contingent of diocesan staff, including retired Bishop Robert J. Cunningham (pictured bottom right). (Sun photos | Chuck Waiwnright)


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"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." Romans 7:14
Do you remember what it was like before you became a believer, a follower of Christ? Even the early days as a new Christian? For years I had this idea that if I could just do all I could to not mess up, then I would be accepted as a Christian. When that became too much, I took to judging others by the law. Somehow it made my guilty heart feel less guilty if I could find others not as "good" as my outward behavior. I lacked grace and mercy that should mark every believer. Thankfully, the Lord has corrected me as a good father does.
When I look back at my way of thinking and how wrong I was, it makes me have so much more compassion for those with whom I disagree. When your mind and heart are not under the rulership of God and His Holy Spirit, self reigns. You become king and your thinking stems from the flesh and it's carnality. So if anyone tries to put a law on you, your natural response is rebellion. We see this playing out with the fight over our country. One ruled by the Spirit would say, one nation under God. The one ruled by self would fight not to be "controlled" by God or man.
Believers, truth will never change, but the laws of our country may. The way we respond will show the world who ultimately rules us. Will we join in the loud carnal followers or will we be led by the Spirit? May the Lord so capture our hearts that the choice will always be Him. For He has accepted us and calls us His. Why would we want to remain alone? And may we walk in the grace and mercy in the days ahead. For there are many whose lives are a constant battle and they do not even know it. The war against flesh and spirit is always raging.


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Double Mountain Brewery Releases Ol' Greg IPA
To kick off the year 2020, Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery has launched a new Experimental IPA Series. The first beer in this series is Ol' Greg IPA that is now available in refillable 500mL bottles and on draft at Double Mountain locations in Hood River and Portland along with in its full distribution footprint in the Pacific Northwest.
Matt Swihart, Founder and Brewmaster at Double Mountain Brewery wants to challenge his brew team in the new year. His goal is to have Head Brewer, Lead Brewer, and Barrel Manager at Double Mountain create beers using novel ingredients and techniques, challenging the brewers to leave their comfort zones. This challenge resulted in three IPAs that will test the brewer's boundaries.
First up in this series is Ol' Greg IPA, a 7.0% ABV and 80 BU beer that offers up aromas of spiced fruit and black currant. Ol' Greg is a reference to a sketch from The Mighty Boosh, if you haven't seen it yet, watch it a few times. It's disturbing, hilarious, and is said to be often quoted round the brewery.
"Do ya love me? Could ya learn to love me? Old world meets new with a Pacific NW IPA brewed with English hops and yeast. Big, bitter, and delicious." – Greg Balch, Head Brewer
Here's a letter from Double Mountain owner Matt Swihart on more details about this new Experimental IPA Series…
Happy New Year everyone!
Here at Double Mountain, we'd like to ring in 2020 with a lineup of experimental beers. Our senior brew team has been working feverishly. Greg Balch (head brewer), Jen House (aging and barrel funk master), and Matt Coughlin (lead brewer and lead vocals) are each creating an IPA using whatever malt, hops, yeast and techniques they desire. I'll follow with a single hop IPA in late spring. The first beer is Ol' Greg IPA, brewed with the "Riverside" yeast and some traditional English malt and hop choices. That yeast really comes through with some nice fruity overtones- it's an exceptional beer, the best beer I've had in a while.
With these beer releases, you'll notice the labels are a little in your face and might require more explanation, so here are my thoughts. We have two main goals: beer quality and environmental sustainability. On day one we chose the best tasting container available. Ladies and Gentlemen, that container is a glass bottle. It is 100% inert and has a small neck opening that doesn't allow oxygen ingress during the fill (unlike the gapingly large surface area of an un-seamed can) thereby preserving flavor stability. Also, worth mentioning is that all modern cans are lined with a thin plastic film to protect the aluminum from corrosively reacting with the beer's natural acidity. When you drink beer from a can, you, my friend, are drinking beer from a plastic- BPA or BPA like (BPS), lined container. Sunlight you say? Refillable bottles are thicker, blocking 10 times more UV light than a one-way brown bottle. On top of the better flavor in a glass bottle, our refillable bottles can be reused up to 25 times. In 2019 alone, we reused over 55,000 bottles. The life cycle carbon footprint of our Portland-made reusable bottle is less than 2% of an aluminum can. On the sustainability front, reusable containers are always best, and the best choice in the beer aisle. Hell, if you bring a case of empties bottles to one of our pubs, I'll get you a beer on the house. That's double the value of deposits. It's kind of a no-brainer.
The refillable bottle program is the hallmark of our sustainability efforts. In 2018, we used our warehouse roof to build the largest solar panel array in Hood River County. New this year, we are investing in C02 capture technology to grab escaping C02 during fermentation and reuse it in the brewery- another first for Northwest craft beverage producers. It's all just a start as we continue to look for more opportunities to reduce and reuse.
Please enjoy the coming year and our series of great IPAs. Cheers to everyone, cheers to great tasting beer.


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Effect of acute high-phosphate intake on muscle metaboreflex activation and vascular function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 317: H308 –H314, 2019. First published May 17, 2019; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00082.2019.—Increased consumption of inorganic phosphate (Pi), an abundant ingredient in processed foods, has been associated with elevated cardiovascular disease risk; however, studies investigating underlying mechanisms are limited. Recently, high dietary Pi was shown to exaggerate the pressor response to static muscle contraction in rodents in part because of overactiva-tion of metabolically sensitive skeletal muscle afferents. Whether acute high Pi consumption affects muscle metaboreflex activation in humans remains unknown. Furthermore, although acute high Pi consumption has been shown to impair vascular function in young healthy men, equivocal results have been reported. Therefore, we hypothesized that acute high Pi consumption augments mean arterial pressure (MAP) responses during muscle metaboreflex activation, impairs endothelial function, and increases arterial stiffness in young healthy men. Subjects performed 35% maximal voluntary contraction static handgrip (HG), followed by postexercise ischemia (PEI) to isolate muscle metaboreflex activation. Resting flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and arterial stiffness were assessed. Measures were made before (pre) and 60 min after (post) subjects consumed either a high-phosphate drink (2,000 mg phosphorus and 1,520 mg sodium) or a sodium drink (1,520 mg sodium; control). MAP responses during HG (pre = +23 ± 3 mmHg; post = +21 ± 2 mmHg; P = 0.101) and PEI (pre = +21 ± 4 mmHg; post = +18 ± 3 mmHg; P = 0.184) were similar before and after Pi consumption. In contrast, FMD was significantly attenuated following Pi (pre = 5.1 ± 0.5%; post = 3.5 ± 0.5%; P = 0.010), whereas arterial stiffness remained unchanged. There were no changes in any measured variable after control drink consumption. In summary, although the muscle metaboreflex remains unaffected following acute high Pi consumption in young healthy men, endothelial function is impaired. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study was the first to investigate the influence of acute high-phosphate consumption on the pressor response during isometric handgrip and isolated muscle metaboreflex activation during postexercise ischemia in young healthy humans. We demonstrated that a single high dose of phosphate (2,000 mg) did not augment blood pressure in response to exercise or isolated muscle metaboreflex activation, but endothelial function was blunted in young healthy men.
|Original language
|English (US)
|Pages (from-to)
|American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology
|Issue number
|Published - Aug 2019
- Blood pressure
- Brachial artery
- Flow-mediated dilation
- Handgrip exercise
- Postexercise ischemia
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
- Physiology (medical)


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Hey it's good to be back home again,
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend,
Yes, and hey it's good to be back home again.
John Denver had a way of combining words and music that moves my heart. In this song he describes exactly how I feel about my native land. To look all around you and see to the horizon in every direction a carpet of emerald green stretching all the way to the distant mountains in the west and the prairie in the east, the farmlands checkering the land, the cattle grazing in the fields, the plentiful trees and flowing rivers, the blue, blue sky arching overhead like a giant bowl… Alberta is incredibly beautiful. Coming home from Pincher Creek we watched a storm approaching. Dark clouds piled up thousands of feet on the horizon. The sun tore through the curtain of deep purple and sent golden rays from the west. A rainbow appeared, its colors translucent and shimmering, a promise that even in storm there is good — water for the crops, to wash clean the earth and renew the land.
My nephew's wedding was wonderful. Friends and family gathered to eat, dance, and congratulate the young couple, who were radiant with happiness. I was grateful to be able to see so many of my family, to connect with each one there in a meaningful way. All the work involved in the preparation, serving, and cleanup was worth it, for this nephew is dear to my heart. I spent the next day with my foster parents, who are so dear to me, who gave a lost and lonely girl a home long ago. We told each other stories and laughed and cried. Love wove its way through all our conversation.
There is in me a sense of completion. Like the Canada Goose I have come home to the north. I will fly back south, for my heart and home are also there, but every summer I must fly north, north to the magnificent beauty of Canada and the family that I hold dear.
Hey it's good to be back home again.
Alberta Beauty
Hey it's good to be back home again,


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Reverse hybridization assays offer a platform for highly specific probe hybridization.
Specific DNA probes are immobilized on a solid carried, such as nitrocellulose strips or LMNX beads.
The test procedure comprises three parts:
DNA or RNA derived amplification products can be denatured and hybridized to the immobilized probes. After stringent washing steps, the specific hybrids can be detected. On reverse hybridization strips, this results in a visible hybridization pattern. In the LMNX assay format, this can be measured by a specific LMNX reader.
Reverse hybridization assays have the following advantages:
Strip-based reverse hybridization
Probes can be immobilized on nitrocellulose strips as parallel lines. Each line represents a specific probe. After hybridization and stringent wash, specific hybrids can be detected by colorimetric reactions. By visually comparing the hybridization pattern on the strip to a reference read-out template, the test result can easily be deduced.
LMNX testing format
The LMNX platform is based on polystyrene color-coded microspheres. Each bead type can be coated with a specific reagent. This permits the specific capture and detection of specific analytes from a biological sample. Within the LMNX reading instrument, lasers excite the internal dyes that identify each microsphere particle, carrying a specific reagent into a specific bead type.
A second reporter dye can be generated upon reactivity of the biological analyte captured from the biological sample during the assay. Multiple readings are made on each bead set. In this way, LMNX microsphere technology allows multiplexing assays of up to 100 unique analytes within a single sample.
Just give us a call, send us an e-mail or make an appointment!


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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday urged Indians to work towards a 'Atmanirbhar' Bharat or self-reliant India, and said the country should strive towards bringing down its import bill and consume more locally manufactured products.
Reiterating his call for India to 'Make for the world' in his Independence Day speech, Modi said the slew of reforms and legal changes initiated by India over the last few years is seeing many global firms look to India to invest and set up their manufacturing units.
"We need to become self reliant to contribute more to the world … We need to increase value addition in the country," the Prime Minister said from the ramparts of Red Fort.
"For how long, will the country export raw materials and then import finished products? I admit that there are challenges towards making India a self-reliant nation, but 130 crore Indians can rise up to meet these challenges," he added.
Global mobile manufacturing firms like Samsung and Apple phone component manufactures like Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron have evinced interest in stepping up investments in India.
Also read: Posters on social distancing, kits with mask-gloves make up I-Day paraphernalia at Red Fort
Covid example, China impetus
Modi, in his speech, recounted how India managed to ramp up domestic production of items required in its Covid fight thereby reducing its reliance on imports of these items.
"Our policies, our processes and our products should be the best in the world," Modi said, pointing out that this will help in achieving India's aim of becoming "Ek bharat, Shreshta Bharat".
He also stressed on the need for India to move forward with new strategies and new customs in the 21st century, pointing out that "being ordinary" will no longer work.
The concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat was coined by the Modi government in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many measures towards meeting the government's aim of a self-reliant India were announced as part of the Rs 21 lakh crore economic package announced in May. These included three major agricultural reforms that would help the farmer get the right price for his produce as well as opening up the coal sector for commercial mining without any end use restrictions.
The India-China border tensions has also strengthened the call for the country to reduce its dependence on imports, especially from China, and consume locally made products. Swadeshi groups like the Swadeshi Jagran Manch and the traders group Confederation of All India traders have been at the forefront of raising these demands and calling for a boycott of Chinese goods.
India's imports have fallen in the last couple of months with the country reporting a trade surplus in June. But economists pointed out that this was more because of the complete halt in economic activity on account of the pandemic that led to a sharp fall in domestic manufacturing rather than India reducing its reliance on imports.
This was reflected by the return of the trade deficit in July on account of a marginal revival in economic activity.
"Today, many big firms are looking towards India. We need to Make in India and make for the world," Modi said.
The world is watching India's reforms closely, Modi said, pointing out that the foreign direct investment into India has "broken all records", registering a 18 per cent increase in FDI in 2019-20. He added that the FDI coming into the country is on account of the slew of reforms and legislative and administrative changes brought in by the government during this tenure.
The government has so far, taken many steps to reduce dependence on imports. These include curbing imports of 101 defence-related items as well as restrictions on imports of television.
Specific to China, the government has put investments by Chinese companies into India under the government approval route from the earlier automatic route as well as placed curbs on government procurement from Chinese companies.
Also read: India's population to cross 152 crore in next 16 years, more people will be of working age


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Teaser Tuesday ~ Dominant Persuasions
For years readers have asked for a book about Domination and submission that doesn't turn the lifestyle into a joke. This is that book. From the minds of 12 Best Selling Authors, Dominant Persuasions combines real life with fantasy, and highlights the positive side of BDSM. Escape into a world of powerplays and safewords with Dominant Persuasions.
12 Scintillating tales of Dominance and submission as told by your favorite Amazon, NYT & USA Today Bestselling Authors.
In a world of power plays, and safewords, only the strongest can find pleasure in submission. From strangers passing in the night, to lifetime loves that spark with new life; join us in the intriguing world of BDSM. No is not a safeword, and this deal is only available for a limited time!
Download the first 3 chapters of Submission Dance by Lori King now!
Webpage: http://DominantPersuasions.wordpress.com
Amazon: http://goo.gl/sfKnNu
Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/1tvvQl
Amazon CA: http://goo.gl/9DFjlm
Amazon AU: http://goo.gl/PJ0INF
B&N: http://goo.gl/CRmMDB
Kobo: https://goo.gl/AB0vbD
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1084734101
Join us on Facebook Tuesday March 29 for a release party!


text: This photo was photographed by M. Frank Miller, who provided the previous image of our Little Lord Fauntleroy. This child is wearing a lovely, long dress. It is interesting to note that the photograph seems to have an oval shape, much like a frame or album opening, right in the middle of the dress – where a face might have been. I wonder where it was placed to have developed such an odd marking.


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Ah, wintertime. Chillier days, cloudy skies. To some people, this sounds like a damper. To others, it seems like the perfect time to cozy up somewhere warm with a mug of tea and delve into a good book.
Bookworms, get your comfiest sweatpants ready, find a quiet spot, and get lost in the pages. Here at GR8NESS, we're all about finding the best books. Check out our GR8 reads of the month below.


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Join us at the Open House this coming Sunday, February 28th, from 1- 3 pm at 703 Northside Dr in Frederick, MD, 21701.
Ready to move-in with 3 bedrooms and 1F/1H bathrooms. Split Level Single Family Home And…. You Could Live Here for About $1,600 A Month! 😮😮😮 Come see it before is gone!