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Sovereign Rich in Spiritual Symbolism
- Glenn McCarty Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2013 2 Jul
Author: Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee
Title: Sovereign
Publisher: Faith Words
Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee's sprawling, futuristic The Books of Mortals trilogy winds to an epic conclusion with Sovereign, a dense, meditative volume that isn't quite as action-packed as one might expect, but still manages to provide closure to the rich thematic questions raised throughout the series.
Set 500 years in the future on Earth, the series follows the aftermath of a mutual global decision to strip all emotions except fear from humanity. The discovery of a vial of blood which could restore emotions set the plot in motion, culminating in the "resurrection" of those humans who received a transfusion from a ruler – or Sovereign – named Jonathan. This occurred at the close of book two, Mortal, but not before the evil Saric and an alchemist named Pravus had developed their own restorative serum which gave them control over anyone infused with it. Jonathan's death plunged the world into darkness, under the control of a new Sovereign named Feyn.
Sovereign finds the remaining inhabitants of the world divided into three factions. The Sovereigns, numbering only three dozen, are Jonathan's legacy, still loyal to his cause but camped under the city of Byzantium and awaiting rescue. They are led by Jordin, Jonathan's lover, and Rom Sebastian, the man who discovered the original vial of blood. Above the city, Feyn broods inside her walled fortress, surrounded by an army of Dark Bloods made from her own blood. The third group –powerful nomadic warriors called Immortals – seeks to stamp out Dark Bloods, but is not loyal to the Sovereigns either.
Jordin, previously a supporting character, takes center stage, as she struggles to make sense of a world seemingly abandoned to evil after Jonathan's death. The action in Sovereign is punctuated by only a select few moments of intensity, since much of the plot surrounds Jordin and her fellow Sovereigns planning a way to wrest control back from Feyn and debating various strategies, many of which involve transfusion.
Like its predecessors, Sovereign is full of rich metaphysical and spiritual symbolism. Occasionally, the figurative elements are a bit too overt, as in the obvious Jonathan/Christ parallels, but the way in which literal transfusion of blood is allowed to stand for a change in one's spiritual state, is particularly compelling. And a climactic scene in the desert where Jordin encounters a spiritual world beyond her physical realm, then must overcome several temptations, is one of the book's strongest sections, especially as it enables the reader to see clearly way in which the spiritual and physical realities in our own lives intersect.
When the dust settles from the book's climactic battle scene, it seems that Dekker and Lee were actually most interested in exploring the age-old question, "How, then, shall we live?" Through the various main players in the story, and the roving point of view and deliberately decelerated pacing, the reader is allowed to consider whether a purely physical existence, or an existence with all emotions, or one with sacrificial love as the center, is most desirable. While the last option is the one ultimately chosen by Jordin and a few other characters, the novel explores the advantages and disadvantages of all choices.
The first two volumes in The Books of Mortals have already found an audience, and there's nothing in Sovereign to disappoint loyal readers or fans of Dekker or Lee individually. For those waiting for a reason to dive into the series, its culminating story might be the perfect occasion.
*This Review First Published 7/2/2013

subset: commoncrawl


text: Newly returned to linux after a few year absence. Knoppix seems to work fine on my laptop however could not get it to connect wirelessly or or hardwired. Run "netcardconfig" and let it do it's thing. It will now connect flawlessly everytime with cat5 or wireless. I had the same problems as others. Could connect to router but not internet. Anyway's if I switch from one to other just run netcard config again and all is good


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SEPTEMBER 27, 2016, NORFOLK, Va (NNS) – Thousands of people from all over the world migrate to the United States seeking the 'American Dream' of achieving success and prosperity through hard work, determination and the initiative of living well.
Data collected by the Department of Homeland Security in 2014, showed that people from various countries migrated to the United States to become citizens; the majority of immigrants came from Mexico, India, Philippines, and the People's Republic of China.
And in the pursuit of the American dream immigrants sometimes join the United States Navy.
For one Bataan Sailor Airman Bo Lu, a Chinese immigrant, moving to the U.S. meant a better quality of life. The pursuit of his dream became a reality in 2011, when Lu, then 24, finally made it to Los Angeles, from Shijiazhuang, China.
A year after being in the U.S. he met his wife, Queena, and in March 2015 and they had a son, Daniel. Knowing that washing dishes in a restaurant couldn't provide the life he came to the U.S. for, he started driving commercial trucks for a living. However, Lu wanted more for himself and his family. After learning from friends and family that he was eligible to join the military he decided to talk to a Navy recruiter at Navy Recruiting Station Pasadena, Calif.
"When people told me I could join the United States military I didn't believe them," said Lu.
When he walked into the recruiting station he was welcomed by a recruiter, who was glad to explain to Lu all the benefits and opportunities of joining the Navy. After visiting the recruiting station Lu and his wife decided that him enlisting was a good decision for them.
Lu reported to Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill., Feb. 24, 2016. After basic training he went to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. for his Airman schooling. Once his training was complete in June Lu reported to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5).
"We are the greatest Navy in the world because we have people from very diverse backgrounds in our forces," said Lu.
Joining the military also made becoming a citizen much easier, Lu mentioned. He said without the military it could have taken him over five years to be granted citizenship.
"Serving on the Bataan has been a positive experience and inspires me to continue my career in the Navy," said Lu.
Bataan has approximately 126 immigrants serving aboard. Lu is just one of many who are important assets to the ship.
According to the Department of Defense more than 65,000 immigrants were serving in the U.S. military in 2008, with one of them being Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handler) 2nd Class Orlando Murillo, a flight deck supervisor aboard Bataan.
Murillo who was born in Honduras, moved to Miami, Fla., with his father in 1993, when Murillo was 15.
"We moved to the United States searching for a better life," said Murillo.
Murillo joined the Navy in Nov. 2003, and arrived at his first command in April 2004, which happened to be the Bataan. He served aboard the ship until 2009.
"I liked the chain of command on Bataan and I left with a good impression because it was very organized,' said Murillo.
When he chose his latest set of orders he saw Bataan was available and immediately chose it and checked-in May 2016.
"It's a great experience being on the Bataan," said Murillo, "Not many people have the opportunity to see what we see or do what we do."
Immigrants like Lu and Murillo come to the United States and find their "American Dream" in the Navy.
"The United States has a lot more equal opportunity than China", said Lu "I like serving in the military of this country, because this is my country now; I'm a citizen."


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Written by Jenna Weiner
Published: 10/7/2010
SBA Administrator Mills says businesses got more loans in fiscal year 2010
Thanks to provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the more recently passed Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, small businesses were able to gain more access to funding than in the recent past.
The U.S. Small Business Administration guaranteed some 54,833 loans valued at more than $22 billion in fiscal year 2010, which was higher than the $17 billion lent out in fiscal year 2009. The SBA also reported that the average weekly loan volume for fiscal year 2010 was 29 percent more than in 2009, at $333 million.
"SBA-backed lending continued the rebound started in fiscal year 2009 as a result of the fee reductions and higher loan guarantees made available last year under the Recovery Act," SBA Administrator Karen Mills said regarding the news for small business. "The success of these loan enhancements has meant tens of thousands of small businesses have been able to get the capital they needed."
While the SBA was celebrating an increase in loan guarantees, some of the funds may have gone to large corporations instead of small businesses. GTSI, which is one of the top 50 government contractors in the country, was recently investigated for using small businesses as fronts in order to get access to an SBA fund.
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The polls have swung in an unprecedented manner, but keep an eye on the leaders' personal ratings. They could determine the result on Thursday
George Magnus / June 6, 2017
As a corruption scandal rumbles on, Brazil struggles to emerge from recession. Where's a commodity boom when you need one?
There is nothing useful in asking a disparate and diverse set of people to solve a problem they have little or no control over
George Magnus / June 1, 2017
Warnings about rising debt have not gone down well with China's leaders. But without some drastic action a similar crash to the west's 2008 will become increasingly likely
Peter Kellner / May 30, 2017
They both pretended to answer difficult questions when in fact they wriggled out of them. The electorate would respect some candour
Peter Kellner / May 30, 2017
Tim Farron's party has a history of campaign surges, but on 8th June it could lose more seats than it gains. Here's why
Peter Kellner / May 23, 2017
The party has a history of picking the wrong person for the job
George Magnus / May 22, 2017
Is the "Trump trade" toast? It remains to be seen whether scandal will prevent the president enacting his economic policies.
Jessica Abrahams / May 19, 2017
"There are various ideas the UK might borrow from its neighbours in Europe"
Jay Elwes / May 18, 2017
It is the US President's disdain for his intelligence services which has brought about the current existential crisis in the White House


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At Christmas I saw this commercial, and I was debating buying yet another toy for the kids. For some reason, I stopped myself. Probably because it was one of those "call now and be one of the first 500 callers" things. Except, it isn't like that at all. The commercial I saw was for the Glow Crazy Doodle Dome.
Now, I didn't buy it, but the nice people at Glow Crazy did send me a different product recently. And THAT is what made me realize I should have trusted my gut and bought the Glow Dome. Things that glow in the dark are infinitely entertaining for all involved.
So, when we got the Glow Crazy Distance Doodler, I didn't exactly know where to put it. I debated sticking the glow sheets to the top of the bunk bed so the princess could play with them there. But, I'm super glad I didn't because she'd never go to bed with that much fun in her face. Also, it glows pretty bright at first. We hung it on the bulletin board in her room, still usable from bed, but not quite in your face. (This is after we spent an hour in the bathroom playing with it first while it was still daylight.)
So, you use the magic light up pen thing and start doodling from across the room. AMAZING! We fought about whose turn it was to doodle. What we would draw… really, I may like it more than she does. Or, I like it as least as much as she does. Serious fun.
Being the inventor of all fun spelling activities, I figured out that you can totally practice spelling words in magic glow in the dark fun! (Glow in the dark spelling — I did that.) The only draw back here is space. When writing words from 5 feet away, you tend to write pretty big. So, we flipped the glow wand around and used the paint brush thing from a little closer. But, still way more fun than writing them on regular paper that doesn't glow in the dark.
The Glow Crazy Distance Doodler has become a toy we play with nightly. For my tween, that's a big deal. She struggles with growing out of toys all together, but this is way to cool to worry about that. I personally use it with her three times a week. We play Pictionary, write notes to each other, tic-tac-toe….endless opportunities. I may need an intervention soon, because I'm hooked.
I did receive the Glow Crazy Distance Doodler for free, but the opinion is all mine (and the princess too). I was not paid for this review. I did, however, buy the Doodle Dome for the little man. It will be arriving soon. I promise if you buy one too you won't regret it.
Or, you could WIN one here — I'm giving away a Glow Crazy Distance Doodler! Simply leave a comment here, and tell us about your favorite in-the-dark games for kids. You can earn additional entries by:
- Subscribing to our site by email or RSS
- Following @MiscMom and @FairyTaleMom on Twitter
- Writing about this giveaway (blog, forum, public Facebook note)
- Sharing this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest (Sample tweet: Win a Crazy Glow Distance Doodler from @MiscMom! {link})
For your extra entries to be counted, be sure to leave an additional comment directing us to your entry. Only one additional entry per method (i.e. While multiple tweets are appreciated it, only one will count as a drawing entry.) The contest runs until 3/12/13 at 11:59pm est. One winner will be notified by email on 3/13/13 and receive a Crazy Glow Distance Doodler. Winner will have 48 hours to complete the claim form or a new winner will be chosen.
I was provided with a free Crazy Glow Distance Doodler to facilitate this post, but the opinion is 100% real.


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We would like to invite you to our church if you are new in the community or lookng for a church home.
Faith Bible Church is an Independent Church with a heart to please God and reach the Community
with the Gospel Message and a helping hand.
If you have any questions feel free to call me or stop in any time.
Pastor John Karle
John Karle
585-367-3230 (church)
585-229-7687 (home)
9:45 am - Sunday School classes for all ages
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Service
6:00 pm - Sunday Evening Service
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105


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Deloitte announces Cindy Hook as new Australian CEO has been saved
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Deloitte announces Cindy Hook as new Australian CEO
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12 December 2014: Deloitte Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of Cindy Hook as its new CEO, effective 1 February 2015.
Cindy has been a key member of Deloitte's executive and leadership team since 2009 and will take over from Giam Swiegers, who has led the firm with distinction for 12 years, moving Deloitte from a distant fourth in the Big Four rankings to number two in 2014.
Announcing Cindy's appointment, Deloitte Chairman Keith Jones said: "Cindy is an exceptional leader. Her track record in transforming our audit practice has been extraordinary."
"Cindy was chosen in a competitive selection process from a strong field of internal candidates. She is a highly impressive talent known for her collaborative leadership style and for building high performance audit and advisory teams," Keith Jones said.
Commenting on Cindy Hook's appointment, outgoing CEO Giam Swiegers said: "Cindy is a brilliant colleague and a great friend. I am personally delighted to be handing over the reins to such an outstanding leader."
Reflecting on her appointment, Cindy said: "I am honoured and excited to have been selected to lead this wonderful firm.
"We have a great culture, the broadest capability in the market and a winning strategy that has enabled us to grow strongly. Building further on our success is a challenge I accept with confidence, determination and fierce ambition for the firm. I am passionately committed to placing our clients at the absolute centre of everything we do.
"I am determined to continue Deloitte's momentum based on our differentiated offering, which is resonating so strongly in the market — our unique blend of culture, innovation, diversity and, perhaps most importantly, our adventurous and competitive spirit. My mission is to lead Deloitte to even greater things. As a marathon runner, I've always loved a challenge. The bar I set for myself and my team is high.
"Filling the shoes of my great mentor and friend, Giam Swiegers, will be no easy feat. Giam's support, and that of my colleagues, has helped me reach this landmark in my career. I thank them and will work my hardest to reward their faith in me.
"Our firm is in great shape and has a very solid base on which to build. Our capability extends to leadership in digital, data, design, economics and risk. These broader capabilities are essential for solving the increasingly complex problems facing organisations everywhere."
"Since joining us from the US firm in 2009, Cindy has distinguished herself as a highly talented, inspiring and energetic leader whose creativity and positive attitude are among her greatest strengths," Keith Jones said.
"As audit leader Cindy fully embraced Deloitte's differentiation program, enabling us to win in the market. Under her leadership, Deloitte increased its share of listed company audits, was recognised as the Audit Firm of the Year in the 2013/14Financial Review CFO Awards, while also winning an Australian International Design Award for audit services, a first for a professional services firm," he said.
Cindy Hook is also Deloitte's executive sponsor for Responsible Business and the Deloitte Foundation.
"Deloitte explicitly links the firm's business success with wider social progress. It is one of the ways we attract and retain the best talent – our people find a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in what they do," she said.
Cindy, who was born and educated in the US, lives in Sydney with her husband and two teenage sons.
About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/au/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms.
Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte has in the region of 200,000 professionals, all committed to becoming the standard of excellence.
About Deloitte Australia
In Australia, the member firm is the Australian partnership of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. As one of Australia's leading professional services firms, and winner of both the Australian Financial Review/CFO Audit Firm of the Year and Accounting Firm of the Year awards 2013, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and its affiliates provide audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through approximately 6,000 people across the country. Focused on the creation of value and growth, and known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programs, we are dedicated to helping our clients and our people excel. Formore information, please visit Deloitte's web site at www.deloitte.com.au.
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Karima Records have set the 16th September as the release date for "Contrapasso", the second full-length album from Norwegian Prog Rockers SEVEN IMPALE, and if the band's debut album, "City of the Sun", is anything to go by, it is a date that many fans will be looking forward to.
Having earned itself seventh place in the Progarchives.com best albums of 2014 poll, "City of the Sun", with the unique SEVEN IMPALE sound still in the early stages of development, showed the promise of things to come from this young band. And with "Contrapasso" SEVEN IMPALE are well on the way to fulfilling that early promise, with an album that shows a new maturity, and the confidenceto explore their sound further, imbuing it with more complexity and harder soundscapes, along with tracks that are more catchy and upbeat . Genre boundaries are not something that concern these musicians, allowing them to create a sound that is interesting and varied, and which is still full of SEVEN IMPALE's youthful enthusiasm.
The nine-track album was recorded at the Solslottet Studio with producer Iver Sandøy, known for his work with bands like ENSLAVED and KRAKOW. Artwork for "Contrapasso" is by the Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu. Tracklisting is as follows:
1. Lemma
2. Heresy
3. Inertia
4. Langour
5. Ascension
6. Convulsion
7. Helix
8. Serpentstone
9. Phoenix
SEVEN IMPALE was formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010, and its relatively young members bring with them a considerable diversity of musical disciplines, from classical orchestra to big band, metal to jazz, and rock to electronic. The lineup of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards demonstrates how easily these musicians are able to fuse together all these influences to give the band its fresh, original, approach.
More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found on the band's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale
SEVEN IMPALE's "City of the Sun" can be heard below and at http://sevenimpale.bandcamp.com/album/city-of-the-sun


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HHB Communications hosted the world débuts for a host of broadcast audio products with partners Røde, TC Electronic, Dynaudio Professional, Roland and Mogami at the 2014 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC).
TC Electronic's aNorm normalisation algorithm provides innovative loudness adjustment features that HHB says "offer a new approach for user-defined targets for program loudness and loudness range". Complementing aNorm (pictured) is the new Butterfly Processing Meter, which offers both graphical and numerical displays of program loudness and loudness range parameters at all stages of the process.
The aNorm algorithm and Butterfly Meter are part of the new LoudnessWizard II license for TC Electronic's DB6 Broadcast Audio Processor.
Meanwhile, the new flagship Røde Stereo VideoMic X (SVMX) provides the highest level of performance of any stereo microphone from RØDE by providing broadcast-quality audio via an acoustically matched pair of true-condenser capsules.
Housed in a lightweight aluminium body, SVMX (pictured right) maintains high levels of resistance to RF interference. The capsule and shoe-mounts are precision-machined to ensure the tightest possible tolerances, thereby minimising any acoustic resonance.
These launches were in addition to new and enhanced versions of Nugen Audio's range of loudness plug-ins – including the latest version of the LMB Loudness Management Batch processing plug-in featuring DynApt loudness-compliant dynamic adaptation – several of Roland's newest AV technologies, including the début of the REAC-enabled S-2416 digital snake and the R-1000, a 48-track audio recorder and player designed to work with the V-Mixing Systems or any MADI-enabled digital console, and other products from Mogami, Yellowtec, Dynaudio and Wohler.
HHB Communications' director of sales, Martin O'Donnell, commented: "We have an enviable collection of leading-edge equipment for a variety of broadcast audio applications at IBC," adding that 2014 was "a banner year for [HHB] product débuts".


text: Subscribe to our newsletter Sep 28, 2018 #58: The Writing Box ✍ Type friends! These last couple of weeks, we've seen some very interesting things happening on the ty #58: The Writing Box ✍ By Coffee Table Typography • Issue #58 • View online Type friends!These last couple of weeks, we've seen some very interesting things happening on the typography world. The release of Times Newer Roman (you've read that right) is a fun one — an improved Times New Roman, with wider characters and spacing which make it a bit more readable (and useful for those school essays where length matters).The 3rd part of the long-awaited Font Purchasing Habits Survey is also out, as usual, by the caring people at Monotype. This last exhaustive survey focuses on feelings and customer segments regarding type, and there are quite a few interesting finds there.For example, when asked about feeling association, Adobe got a 37% attribution of the word "Monopoly", compared to only 19% of Google Fonts, which I personally find striking. These stats are deeply fascinating and I encourage everyone in the design industry to grab a cup of coffee (maybe not an espresso, as this is lengthy) and go over it in its entirety.Recently, I've been pretty fascinated by examples of Incunabula, which I can't stop looking at and am making a collection of my own. What the heck is an Incunabula, you ask? These are typical early printed books, before the year 1501, and you'll find them to be just stunning. Wikimedia Commons have plenty of examples for your own pleasure and delight; pay it a visit. Books about nature are typically wonderfully: just look at this page which is actually a woodcut about cardamom and chervil plants. Does it get more beautifully random than this?Last but most definitely not least, Bethany Heck published yet another beautiful typeface review on Font Review Journal — this time, Champion Gothic. I wouldn't even dare to try to summarise this review, so please do take the time to do so; always inspiring to see such an elegant reviewing craft.Until next time, 🙏—Ricardo Shaped Text: An Aesthetic Whole From ancient practice to contemporary children's books, the endeavour to form text into image can be found in a lot of unexpected sources. What's sometimes called Pictoral Typography or Shaped Verse, is a true art form when laying out a page which can be fully admired as an artistic piece on its own. Paintings meet text, text shapes painting. But where did it start, and how is it still used today? This practice of arranging text to appear as an image is old and varied, and has many names but no single origin. Scribes of medieval manuscripts fashioned text into the likeness of the cross, and writing masters twisted words into knots. Surviving examples of this kind of poetry and prose exist independently in both Eastern and Western writing systems dating back as early as the Hellenistic Greek era.Dick Higgins has a book fully dedicated to this art form. In 1987, over 2,000 pieces of shaped text were analysed in a book called "Pattern Poetry: A Guide to an Unknown Literature", in which he describes this wonderful tradition as "the story of an ongoing human wish to combine visual and literary impulses, to tie together the experience of these two areas into an aesthetic whole." The Letterform Archive, (the publishers of this article), have a wide array of these pages available, and they describe it as such:Also called pattern or visual poetry, this genre is characterized by the visual arrangement of textual elements — the text of the poems functions simultaneously as copy and image.) Our visual language collection is abundant with works like these by Gomringer and Nikuni.Some of these are more creative than others, however. In Slovo Predostavliaetsia Kirsanovu (1930), some text is literally shaped in human-form — the back of a collection of Russian poetry designed by Telingater. Every page of his book is full of interesting Russian avant garde typography, but on the very last page, a tiny man greets you.But perhaps the most endearing and beautiful usage of this art form is in children's books:[authors] employ shaped text to engage early readers, facilitate literacy, and, like any good storybook, it creates bonding experiences for adults and kids. A Child of Books, the team effort of Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, is worth a special mention. Excerpts from classic literature become textual illustrations of the narrator's story and invitation to use your imagination.Below, a scan of Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston's A Child of Books. On this spread, our main characters flee from a monster Winston creates by arranging and overlaying quotes from Frankensteinand Dracula. Their rope is a line from Rapunzel.Many more examples are available in this article, including a curated gallery by Letterform Archive themselves. Don't miss this! letterformarchive.org • Share A Child of Books (2016) features fur from words...! Space Yourself — A Primer On Spaces by Marcin Wichary "There's more to spaces than the key you instinctively hit with one of your thumbs between words."This is an oldie, but a goodie. I keep coming back to this article as I believe most of us in the development and design world don't pay spaces their much deserved attention. A space isn't, in fact, just a space — and there's no one else better than Marcin Wichary to provide us with a deep dive on the subject. I promise you it's fascinating.It's useful to think back to the old typesetting days, where spacing was a conscious decision:Whitespace was not the absence of atoms, it was just atoms… of a different kind. For your page composition to stay in place as it went through the press, you needed not just to put space blocks between sentences, but also pack the entire remaining area with blocks of lead or wood. What today you'd call letter spacing, line height, padding, margins… they were all physical.In this world, running left-aligned (ragged) text required almost the same effort as full justification, since the spaces still needed to go somewhere. Every fraction of an inch had to be accounted for.However, traces of the fascinating physical world of white space has been transferred, sort of, into the digital world, and boy, is there a lot to learn from it. It an also be genuinely useful, and we'll see a few examples why. Here's all the possibilities for your pleasure and delight: But why should we use different spaces, rather than just hitting the spacebar every time? Marcin gives us an example directly taken from Medium:Spaces of different sizes can be used to fine-tune how elements fit together. For example, Medium (where I work) uses hair spaces around em dashes so that those dashes don't touch the letters in some gross way: Em dashes surrounded by hair spaces Different, thinner spaces, can also be used to create a better contrast between slashes/between words, for example, or even a date range. But you can learn more about these in Marcin's article, in more detail. Further up, let's now make a note that there are 3 "magical" spaces which have unique capabilities. They are: All of these act as if glued to the characters around them. That means mostly one thing: they will keep things together if they need to wrap to a new line. This is useful if you want to prevent those solitary words or even characters that would look ridiculous if they just dropped to another line.Then we have the ever so acclaimed zero width space. It's essentially an invisible (to the eye) white space, which can be very good at making things look broken. It can prevent Twitter or Slack mentions from forming their links; or emojis from conjuring. There is so much more to unpack on this article, I'd love for you to pay it a full read no matter what your discipline is. Marcin has a way of going into the nitty gritty details while leaving them fascinating. Writers Have Always Loved Mobile Devices The Atlantic brings us an interesting piece on… portable word processors, from the 17th century. Writing boxes, popular from the 17th century, provided the same pleasure as today's laptops and custom word processors: to make the experience of writing pleasurable. Writing is a mobile art. People do it on laptops, tablets, and phones. They write—or type—while walking, waiting for a doctor appointment, commuting to work, eating dinner. Although writing's mobility might seem a product of modern digital gadgetry, there's nothing new about writing on the move. Digital tools are but the latest take on a long tradition of writing in transit. These writing boxes, mind you, were in fact actual boxes; typically made of wood, light and portable but big enough to store writing materials like paper, inks and envelopes, these were sloped to provide you with the best writing angle on the go. Perhaps more than efficiency, they created a certain kind of glorious aura around the art of writing — which surely still holds up today, in different forms.In 17th- and 18th-century Europe and America, storage boxes of all kinds proliferated: Bible boxes, bridle boxes, voting boxes, keepsake boxes for a baby's first tooth and lock of hair, and photo boxes, among others. Writing boxes stored physical writing tools as well as ephemeral fruits of writing—traces of literacy, ritual, and memory.I was baffled to learn that so many artists had them: Lord Byron, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens. Alexander Pope even insisted that his own, personal writing box was to be placed on his bed before he woke up, so he could immediately start writing before he even got up and out of his bed. These boxes were, then, a device that enabled the writing mood despite its surroundings; it wouldn't matter if you were on your writing box on a bedroom, or a tent in the battlefield. Writing would just happen, in its own beautiful dedicated invisible bubble.These were not just plain wood planks put together, oh, no. With time, these got to be personalised, highly decorated and fashionable portable items, even coming with "themes" to suit the personality of their owners and writers:Mechanically, writing was still a complicated affair in the 1700s and 1800s. The writing box thus solved a practical problem. People needed a way to carry dip pens, pen nibs, and inkwells, as well as paper, stamps, and envelopes. As practicality led to widespread use, writing boxes became decorative, too. Designed and built by skilled artisans and woodworkers, writing boxes were embellished with high-quality velvet interiors, brass details, leather slopes, engravings, and clever hidden drawers. Writing boxes were personal possessions as much as emblems of social position.Online testimonials about writing boxes make plain the aesthetic, evocative power these objects accord to writers and writing. On an online forum in 2012, one commenter posted, "I have at long last managed to get round to taking some photos of my victorian writing slope. It gives me such immense pleasure to write on it!" So much to write about… a box. I wish I was writing this newsletter on one, too, but sadly, just my boring Macbook, which is neither sloped or made of wood. It also has no room for wax, inks, or even postcards. Let's make writing boxes come back, please. In case you're wondering, you can buy one from a very shady, vintage looking website. www.theatlantic.com • Share Typeface Du Jour ✍ GT Zirkon — Tobias Rechsteiner GT Zirkon is… something else. Not only for its incredible specimen page (seriously, you just got to see it, it literally grows alive) but for its originality and unique design concept. Created by Tobias Rechsteiner over a nine year period, for Grilli Type, it freely mixes historical and contemporary ideas in this new sans serif design. Unlike more modern sans serif designs, the light weights don't aim for neutrality but instead embrace the stroke contrast from the heavier weight, leading to an elegant look. The two middle weights – Book and Regular – are both equally suited for body copy usage, with their design showing more restraint and a lower stroke contrast.It unites aspects typically associated with typefaces optimized for body copy sizes with more exuberant details usually found in display type. Have I mentioned its specimen website? Right, you just gotta see it. Grilli Type have done an incredible job with both typeface and website, it's no wonder that 9 years in the making needed to pay off with something so great. You can trial the fonts, too, as well as other GT variants, before committing to buying it. On the Coffee Scene ☕ You Can Bathe In Coffee At This Japanese Spa In coffee news, there's now a way for you to be surrounded by more coffee in your life. In fact, your entire body. The Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Spa and Resort offers a swimming pool-sized spa filled with coffee, although the article doesn't specify if it's Arabica or Robusta. Because, surely, that has an impact on your skin? sprudge.com • Share Did you enjoy this issue? By Coffee Table Typography A love for words, letters, language—and coffee. A digest of curated resources, articles and knowledge sharing about the beauty of typography; in design, on the web, or books. You will read these over your morning cup of coffee, while the aromas of freshly ground beans are still in the air, quickly realising that words are beautiful and that you might need that second cup after all. Tweet Share If you don't want these updates anymore, please unsubscribe here. If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe here. Powered by Revue With 💙 from Montreal, Canada Share Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Subscribe to our newsletter


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STL file for T(2,3): http://www.geekhaus.com/makerhome/day150_trefoil_torus23_40_25_3.stl
STL file for T(3,2): http://www.geekhaus.com/makerhome/day150_trefoil_torus32_40_25_3.stl
Thingiverse link: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:234107
Settings: MakerWare .3mm/low in 20-25 minutes per knot, with the custom slicing profile from Day 110.
Technical notes, math flavor: Torus knots are knots that can be wrapped around a torus (inner-tube or donut shape) without any self-intersections. The torus knot T(p,q) wraps p times around the torus like a clock at the same time that it wraps q times around the handle of the torus. The knot T(p,q) is always equivalent to the knot T(q,p), even though the two conformations can at first glance appear to be quite different. In the picture below from Paul Aspinwall at Duke University, the torus knot T(3,5)=T(5,3) wraps 3 times around the outside and 5 times around the handle.
The parametric equations for a torus with handle radius a and large radius c are (see Wolfram):
x = (c + a cos v) cos uIf we substitute u=pt and v=qt then as t runs from 0 to 2휋 we obtain a curve that traces the T(p,q) torus knot around the surface of the torus (and if p and q are reversed then we get the T(q,p) torus knot).
y = (c + a cos v) sin u
z = a sin v
Technical notes, OpenSCAD flavor: The knots are made using parametric equations that trace out a curve along the surface of a torus. The code below samples points along this curve, puts spheres at those points, and then connects adjacent points with a hull. You can control the thickness of the curve by changing the radius of the spheres. Much thanks to kitwallace who had the idea to model curves this way in OpenSCAD. Making knot models that can export to STL files is easy to do in Mathematica (see Day 110), but Mathematica is not a free tool and not everyone has access to it. In addition, Mathematica does not always export reliable STL files. OpenSCAD is free and makes fairly stable STL files; the only penalty is that it is SLOW. Here is the commented OpenSCAD code that produced the two models in this post:
// mathgrrl parametric knots - torus trefoils
// tubify module based on tube module from kitwallace// http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:230557/
// remove comments for the one you want to compile
// trefoil as the torus knot T(2,3)
// http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Torus.html
// take parameterization of torus (u,v)->R^3
// and let u=2t, v=3t
// scaled to 40mm before tubifying
function f(t) =
[ 3.9*(3+1.6*cos(2*t))*cos(3*t),
// create the knot with given radius and step
tubify(2.5, 12, 360);
// trefoil as the torus knot T(3,2)
// http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Torus.html
// take parameterization of torus (u,v)->R^3
// and let u=2t, v=3t
// scaled to 40mm before tubifying
function f(t) =
[ 3.9*(3+1.6*cos(3*t))*cos(2*t),
// create the knot with given radius and step
tubify(2.5, 3, 360);
module tubify(r, step, end) {
for (t=[0: step: end+step]) {
hull() {
translate(f(t)) sphere(r);
translate(f(t+step)) sphere(r);


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USA – 31 Mar, 2017 – When a prospective client contacts me to inquire of my services, we discuss what it is they have to sell, how quickly, or not, they need to sell, the price they have in mind and the value of said property. If a business is included, the discussion continues with the financials and the potential for expansion for new owners. In short, these business-oriented conversations provide the factual aspects of a property for sale by owner here in Costa Rica. But there is usually more to a property, a back story, which gives not only a personal feel to the property but to the people involved.
Recently, I visited with clients who have an established specialty vacation rental business along with a home they built for themselves; the property is located within the township of Puerto Viejo situated on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast at Playa Negra…literally steps from the ocean. Although I'd been employing a marketing strategy to generate leads for months previous, time restraints had not permitted meeting with the sellers and experiencing the property first-hand.
Upon arrival to the small, underdeveloped town of Puerto Viejo, I felt life's stress melt from my shoulders. Shuffling through the sand at the turquoise water's edge I came upon an open air restaurant, reggae music playing softly in the background, ordered a fresh maracuya fresco and walked about to get a sense of the town and her people before venturing forth to my final destination, Mother Dear.
I met helpful and friendly people working, living, and visiting this laid back Bohemian beach town. A plethora of restaurants, offering a wide variety of foods, infamous spots known for their Caribbean specialties, and bakeries, tempted me. As I sallied through the town's businesses, I was impressed with the high quality of local art, boutiques and crafts; and the wide range of ubiquitous tours ranging from sustainable cacao farms to wildlife refugios, water and jungle adventure activities. Clearly, there was much to eat and many experiences to be had which my short business trip did not, unfortunately, allow for.
Chatting with costarricense locals, tourists, and expats living in the area from other countries, from business owners to back-backers to surfers to middle-aged folk reinventing their lives, I asked what they liked most about Puerto. All responded that is was the relaxed atmosphere, the friendliness, and the natural beauty of the place that appealed most.
Moreover, behind the tourist theme of the town, I learned of the dedication of many of Puerto Viejo residents to that of programs and efforts improving education, stewardship of the land, recycling and farming practices. There is a true sense of community and camaraderie among locals and those who came from distant lands.
Time to meet with my clients; a local taxi drove me the 5 minutes drive to the property. After a warm welcome, I was shown to my cottage for the two nights stay and marveled at the ocean view, recognizing the interior from photographs and videos. Leaving me to settle in, we agreed to meet at sunset in their home, next door.
And this is when my clients' back story became known to me. HE was born in Costa Rica to British parents, SHE an American from New Jersey. His father had been honored and decorated by the Queen for years of work on the British-American Railway and serving as a reporting officer during WWII. Born in Limon, HE spent his early childhood years, along with his three siblings, under the watchful and loving eye of a local Caribbean nanny. Eventually, HE was shipped off to the United States to attend both prep school the University of North Caroline.
It was 1974 at a party in Costa Rica that HE and SHE met. They would return to the U.S. where they remained for fourteen years before returning to Costa Rica with their eight-year old son in 1989.
Upon retirement from their respective jobs in Costa Rica, SHE as a secondary English and Ancient History teacher at Costa Rica Academy (now known as American International School), HE as a hospitality manager, the decision was made to move to the Caribbean coast and search for the right opportunity, in the right spot. What came about was that of purchasing a concession beachfront lot and the idea of creating a supplemental income. It was never about making big money or flipping a property; in fact, they simply wanted an idyllic location to build a comfortable home and run a small, manageable business.
Anyone who has done so will tell you that building in Costa Rica has its challenges. This couple was fortunate to have found some of the best artisans in the area to realize their conceptual ideas. And although it wasn't all smooth sailing, two ocean-view cottages were built as vacation rentals to help offset the cost of building their dream home. Meanwhile, and for five and half years, they lived in a sparsely converted container on-site.
As the evening continued so did their remarkable story. And it was one of success… success as they wanted, unmeasured by high profits. Through their network of family and friends and with a bit of marketing, the business began to receive referrals and repeat guests. The main house was completed two years ago where the couple enjoys their ocean view.
Mother Dear was named in honor of two highly-regarded women in the owners' lives – HER beloved mother who offered support and inspiration and HIS nanny from those early Limon days. When as a young man, HE went searching for his nanny in her Limon neighborhood he asked residents what had happened to "Tougha" or "Victoria." People shook their heads, not knowing to whom HE was referring with these names. Finally someone said, "Oh, you must mean Mother Dear!" It turned out that this was the nanny's nickname among her friends. Thus, two dear mothers from different worlds became the inspirations for the name of a very special place on Black Beach in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/l2SNdz6quYo
Media Contact
Company Name: Rebecca Wheeler Marketing
Contact Person: Rebecca Wheeler
Email: email@example.com
Phone: +506.8894.4601
Country: United States
Website: http://costaricafsbobiz.com


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In the previous post, I wrote about migrating SSISDB database. When we migrate the database the packages still have the version of the source SSIS catalog. When you start the execution of the migrated package, you get the information like "The package was migrated from version 6 to version 8. It must be saved to retain migration changes." This information is written to the log no matter which logging level we choose (also with None). The question is: will it blend should we upgrade the packages (or better – the projects)? And if the answer is 'yes' – why should we do it and what are the options? Should weContinue reading
T-SQL Tuesday #96: Folks Who Have Made a Difference
This post is a part of T-SQL Tuesday series started by Adam Machanic in 2009. Ewald Cress (b | t) asked to give a shout-out to people (well-known or otherwise) who have made a meaningful contribution to your life in the world of data. As I was thinking about the people that had the most impact on my career I have to give the biggest kudos to my friend, Leszek Kwaśniewski (t). About six years ago I attended the SQL Server courses about T-SQL programming and database administration where Leszek was one of the trainers. During one of the breaks, he told about user group meetings about SQL Server andContinue reading
So, you want to migrate SSIS(DB)?
Excellent! I wanted to, and after few trials and errors I finally did! And it's pretty easy (as with all things you know when you learn it). For a start I will warn you a bit – SSISDB isn't the database you just backup on one server and restore on another. There are some more steps to do. The same procedure will work for migrations from version 2012 to 2017 or 2016 to 2017, I didn't check (yet) 2014 to 2017. I also tested the migration of 2012 to 2016 version but had some problems with this when it came to upgrading database part. Will investigate it later (probably someContinue reading
Learning something new: getting information from SSIS packages with PowerShell
In the series of learning something new, I started with analysing of the SSIS package XML. I know what I want to extract, so let the fun begin. I will use Powershell to get the data from the .dtsx files and save it to the database. The whole script is presented below with comments. For more information scroll down. #I will use Out-DbaDataTable and Write-DbaDataTable from dbatools, so import it Import-Module dbatools # find recursively all Executable nodes in .dtsx file function Find-Executables($fileName, $executable) { foreach($item in $executable) { # are we there, yet? (if no – recursion) if($item.Executables) { Find-Executables $fileName $item.Executables.Executable } # if yes –Continue reading
Connect to SQL Server on Ubuntu Linux VirtualBox machine
For my everyday tests with SQL Server I use VirtualBox. SQL Server 2017 is/will be a huge thing – mostly because it will be available on Linux. If so – I should get comfortable with using it on Linux. I start with Ubuntu Server (because of the name – I used Ubuntu Desktop in the past), Installation of VM on VirtualBox comes down to adding ISO image as the CD-ROM (DVD-ROM?) and selecting almost only the default options. I don't want to build a cluster or do sophisticated things – I just want the Linux Server to be up and running.Continue reading
Learning something new: connections in SSIS package
Starting to learn something new – first step. Let's analyse the code of SSIS package. How does it store the information about the element connections? How can I get that data as graph's edges and nodes? Step by step – building the packages from empty one to more complex I will find how they are stored.Continue reading
Learn something new – Power BI + SSIS + SQL Server 2017 Graphs
Recently I attended the AppDev PASS Virtual Group webinar about graphs in SQL Server 2017. When the demo about car manufacturing structure appeared in Power BI (49th minute of the recording – using Force-directed graph plugin) the idea struck: how about visualising SSIS packages' relations using graphs and Power BI?Continue reading
Get the passwords from SSIS Environment variables
SSIS has a neat feature – it encodes all the sensitive data when you set it as – well – sensitive. It's a great thing for environment variables – you write once, use it to configure the project and then you can forget the password. Or write it down for later use. In the future. Some day. Maybe. But what if you need to do the configuration on another server? Or you're just curious how to decode encrypted data? SSIS has to do it somehow, right?Continue reading
What happens during SSIS deployments?
When you deploy SSIS project basically you have two options – right click on project name and standalone tool (let's skip SMO and stuff). Both mean the same: IsDeploymentWizard.exe. I was curious what happens during deployment and why mode/Silent finishes deployment very quickly, so I started digging.Continue reading
SQLBits 2017
This year I attended SQLBits for the first time. I wanted to go to the event last year, but didn't manage, so this time it was a must. And I have to tell you – great event in all aspects. First – the content I wanted to learn something new, or look at the things from different angle. Touch something, break and repair. So I went for the workshop by Mark Broadbent (b|t) about high availability with clusters and Always On Availability Groups. I did play with clusters before (using VirtualBox), this time we used Hyper-V and Windows Core servers what was new for me. Building from the ground up,Continue reading


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Coronavirus Statement
Coronavirus Statement 19-03-2020 We will be following the government's directive that Early Years settings must close from Friday 20th March. We are h...Company News No comment 1 Like
Each of our nurseries has its own character and is designed with children in mind. Our nurseries provide bright, spacious yet warm welcoming environments where learning is fun. Our ethos is that all learning is achieved through play, which is promoted by our highly motivated staff teams who share a love of working with children. The staff teams are well qualified, ensuring the highest standard of care and education for your child.
I have been very impressed with my daughter's care whilst at this nursery. The only reason I am moving my child is because I needed an additional day and they didn't have availability due to being so popular! The staff are very friendly and professional and made a great effort to get to know me and my daughter personally...
Katie C
Daisy Chain Middleton has been an excellent nursery for my child. She has attended it since September 2014 and has loved every minute of been there. The staff are wonderful with her & so friendly to all parents, they have so much time for everyone, it's a lovely environment for children. I would definitely recommend Daisy Chain Middleton as a perfect pre-school.
Lisa H, Daisy Chain Pre-school Middleton
Daisy Chain is a wonderful nursery. They have completely made me feel at ease when I went back to work 3 months ago. My son has a fabulous time, has great meals and has made lots of friends. It's lovely to get updates and seeing his progress. All of the staff are fantastic and very helpful.
Sarah H
Education and Development for your child is at the core of what we do. Learning through play in a nurturing setting.
A key-person will keep you informed. We pride ourselves on communication and working together.
There are numerous funding options that could be available to you. We'll advise which are suitable for you.
"Parents are made welcome and suitable information is collected
and shared regularly with them to ensure children's care is consistent"
• Rothwell 2011 • Rothwell 2019 • Lofthouse 2019
Coronavirus Statement 19-03-2020 We will be following the government's directive that Early Years settings must close from Friday 20th March. We are h...Company News No comment 1 Like
Daisy Chain Childcare has retained the Scope Quality Inclusion Mark Achieving this award validates that our practices and procedures are inclusive to ...Company News No comment 0 Likes
We've achieved the Food for Life Early Years Accreditation across all nursery sites Daisy Chain in Adel has followed our Rothwell and Lofthouse nurse...Company News No comment 1 Like


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This novel is a classic retelling of two misfits who come together and find solace in each other. Together, they fight through their demons as they charge towards normalcy together.
I really liked it! I felt that it depicted the daily struggles of people that are plagued with mental illness in a way that both humanizes them and empowers them!
I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys teen romances with a bit more substance. It is a novel that will keep you thinking.
Hannah, 17
Find at the Library
Thirteen Reasons Why is about a teenage girl who commits suicide. Before she dies she records thirteen tapes, thirteen reasons why she killed her self. Those tapes are then passed to select number of people, until everyone on those tapes has heard them.
I liked this book because it made me realize how much can affect a person. Also how depressing someone can be without showing any signs. I thought it was an emotional book and it was hard to read but it's worth it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about mysteries/crime. Also it's really interesting to read about why someone committed suicide, even if it's just a story. A lot can be learned from reading the book, like how to spot signs of someone who is suicidal.
Sandra, 16
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about a quiet 15 year old named Charlie. The books starts with him writing to an unknown recipient about his life and two traumatic experiences he has gone through. Charlie eventually becomes friends with two seniors and starts experiencing drugs and parties while dealing with his own thoughts and problems.
I really liked this book because it made me think about how many people deal with traumatic experiences. The plot was emotional with some comedy, overall is makes you want to keep reading.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading books about coming of age. But be warned, this book has content that includes: suicide, sexuality, adolescents and drug use.
Craig Gilbert is a 15 year old boy who attends a prestigious high school. He soon starts feeling overwhelmed, starts using pot and becomes depressed with suicidal thoughts. He is then admitted into a hospital where he makes friends and discovers he is good at drawing. At the end, he leaves after learning to appreciate the little things that make him happy.
I really liked this book because it deals with depression and I can relate to how the main character felt overwhelmed over school. It made me think about little things that make me happy and how easy it is to fall into depression without happiness.
I think this book should be read by everyone. I think a lot of people can relate to this book, especially teens. We all need to keep in mind that everyone gets down sometimes and we have the power to help that person, even if it's just talking.
Me Before You is about two people who are nothing alike but fall in love anyway. He is a disabled man who misses his fast-paced life and she is a quirky girl stuck in a boring town. She teaches him that life does not have to be perfect to be good and he teaches her that life is an adventure.
I loved this book, it was thought-provoking and funny at the same time. I laughed and I cried. Any book that can make you feel emotions like that must have been written in such a way as to make you feel like you are part of the story.
If you like tear jerkers and stories about life's imperfections, you would love Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I highly recommend this book to fans of Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl and The Fault in Our Stars.
Amanda, 16
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it laying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate, and crush; who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his their town with Hannah's voice as his guide. He becomes a first -hand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.
I liked this book it was very interesting. I also liked the way it was written. The bad thing about it is I can't get it out of my head I just feel sorry for Hannah and it made me see that even the most littlest thing can really affect someone, it was sad.
Yes, I would recommend this books others because it teaches you how a couple of rumors could ruin someone's life. I think it's a very good book and everyone would like it.
Yessica, 14
The world rests in the hands of two rebels facing a problem that might end life as we know it. The Treatment is a story of two lovers who struggle to stay alive, as they face a suicide epidemic.
The Treatment is an amazing book because it helps motivate you to not give up, no matter how bad the situation is. I loved the way the author depicted the scenes. The well thought-out descriptions allowed me to imagine what is going on in my head.
I would recommend this book to people ages 14 and older because of its romance. Its uses a lot of sexual content that I believe would be inappropriate to readers less than 14 years old. It also uses inappropriate language.
Sara, 14
Clay Jensen comes home to find a package addressed to him. In it, he finds casette tapes. When he plays the first one, he learns that they are recordings of Hannah Baker, a girl he had a crush on and who had recently committed suicide. Hannah states that there are 13 reasons why she decided to end her life and Clay is one of them.
13 Reasons Why is an excellent novel. It's a very disheartening story that conveys how much words and actions can affect people, no matter how seemingly insignificant and meaningless the actions may be. Jay Asher's novel, which is written exceptionally, is very haunting, somber, yet interesting and thought provoking.
I would definitely recommend 13 Reasons Why to teens. A myriad of kids these days suffer and witness bullying. Many would be able to relate with the adversities Hannah Baker faced. This story inspires people to act instead of be bystanders because doing nothing also has grave consequences. Although the story is very tragic, it leaves a positive impact on ones life.
The Virgins Suicides is an eerie yet intriguing tale about 5 beautiful sisters who one night decided to kill themselves. The story is told from the perspective of a group of teenage boys who are infatuated with the girls.
The Virgin Suicides is a fantastic book. It is very unique and intriguing. The reader finds themselves as drawn to the girls' lives as the teenage narrators. Eugenides's technique of telling the haunting story of the girls is very masterful. There isn't a part of the novel that readers will find monotonous at all. From the first page to the last, the reader is captivated.
I would recommend the novel to more mature teens. It deals with a very serious subject and it also has some sex and violence. I believe they would enjoy the book because it is written exceptionally and the story is incredibly mysterious and compelling.
Suggest the Library purchase this book
Charlie is writing to a stranger about his experiences in high school. What Charlie sees and what he endures are many hardships that incidentally make him feel sad.
I loved this book because emotionally you can connect to Charlie when he begins talking about how he feels about high school. Charlie says what your innermost thoughts really are.
This book is great. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a bit on the sad side but an overall a wonderful book.
Liam, 15


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By Lakhvinder S. Madahar
This month it's only right to begin with a tribute to one of the best known martial arts champion/movie star of our times – Jim Kelly.
Along with millions of other martial arts fans, I grew up watching him in the all-time martial arts classic 'Enter the Dragon' then in his own starring roles in 'Black Belt Jones', 'Three the Hard Way' plus many more., etc. He was a positive influence on our earlier years in training.
It was a shock to learn about his death vis a Facebook post from Ron Van Cliff (martial artist and actor) and it was unexpected as he looked really fit and healthy in the recent Youtube videos.
Jim Kelly died from cancer on 29th June 2013 – condolences to his family – may he rest in peace.
In part six of 'Learning Curves' I briefly touched upon developing attributes in the martial arts. If you aspire to be a well-rounded martial arts athlete, then the development of attributes are essential. Paul Vunak's article on attribute development had a huge influence on my training back in the early 1980's.
"You cannot open a book without learning something" - Confucius
The article made me realise that developing the attributes are just as important as developing the techniques in my chosen arts, hence I re- arranged my workouts in favour of developing the attributes as it's the other side of the coin and fights are not won by technique alone.
If fights are simply won by technique then the fighters with the greater number of techniques would win all the time. I refer to this point in my classes quite often. I ask: "Now suppose: student -'A' knows one hundred moves and student 'B' knows one hundred and one. Does this mean student 'B' will always be the victor over student A, just because he/she can do an extra move?"
It's always interesting to see the response from the newer members of our academy - always quality over quantity!
"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times". – Bruce lee
I've had a couple of emails last month asking for more information, plus my own students have shown an increased interest in developing their own attributes to a higher level, so it's only right for me to expand on it a little.
In all fairness, the subject of developing attributes in the martial arts could possibly fill a couple of issues of this magazine! But since that's not possible, I'll go through one or two each month.
Here is Paul Vuank's all-important list once again, it has helped me improve my martial art skills and I'm sure it can help others too.
Awareness- To see the opponent's intentions.
Sensitivity - To feel the opponent's intentions.
Proper Mental Attitude - A combination of calmness, killer instinct and self-confidence.
Body Mechanics - Knowing how, when and where to position the body at all times; moving without wasted motion or energy.
Strength -The ability to overwhelm the opponent through manipulation.
Footwork - The ability to put oneself where one needs to be through dancing, shuffling forward, sidestepping to right or left, circling to left or right, crossing, dropping and elevation.
Speed - This encompasses perception and awareness of the initiation, performance and alternation of an action.
Timing - The ability to launch an attack at the proper moment.
Coordination - The ability to perform a movement with efficiency, ease and balance.
Balance - Correct body alignment during motion (controlling one's centre of gravity).
Spatial Relationships - The control over distances (ranges) of all kinds.
Agility - Being light on one's feet with limberness, quickness and speed.
Stamina - A combination of endurance and wind.
[*] 15. Conditioning - The ability to take punishment to the hands, forearms, stomach, thighs, elbows and shins.
[*] 16. Limberness - Having loose-stretched muscles (improving high kicks).
[*] 17. Rhythm - Deals with faking, cadence breaks, changing tempos, single beats, and 11/2 to 31/2 beats.
[*] 18. Precision - Accuracy and exactness in projection of force.
[*] 19. Explosiveness - The ability to relay destructiveness in a sudden manner.
20. Flow - A combination of awareness and sensitivity, uninterrupted concentration.
Before I begin on the attributes, let's take a look at our computer system - the human brain. It weighs about three and a half ponds and as far as we know is the smartest thing on the planet!
As we are aware, everything begins with a thought, a mental picture, repetition of a single thought (task or idea) is a form of visualization. An average person has about 12,000 thoughts per day and a deep thinker can have as many as 60,000 per day When we write, we think 2,500 thoughts in an hour and a half. Our thoughts are the blue prints of our actions we should be careful about what you think.
Since negative thoughts produce negative results, then positive thinking is the only way to produce positive results - Be what you desire.
"Unless we find beauty and happiness in our own backyards, we will never find them in the mountains" – Charlie Greer.
Ask a childat school leaving age, about what their plans are for the future and you may find that the answer is "I don't know" or "I don't care".
An old anonymous quote goes: Any fool can wonder through life, it's the wise man that plans his journey" – be clear about setting your goals!
A direction in life is important - just ask yourself, what do I really want to be? A little basic but it could help you find your way in life.
Here is the 'ultimate success formula' from 'Unlimited Power' by Anthony Robbins. I've used it many times and it has helped me achieve the desired result.
1. Decision – knowing your personal reason for training will hep you to have a clear focus on your goal. Whether it is to become a fighter, self – defence, simply training for the experience, sociable, keep-fit, making new friends, the philosophy, mediation and/ orcultural understanding.
2. Action – take action and work hard towards the goals.
"Hard sweat is the lubricate to Success" – Erik Paulson.
3. Analyses – assess the action taken. Is the action taking you closer to the goal or further away? Are you training often enough? Have you joined the right academy? Do you have a genuine black belt instructor? Have you joined a mac – dojo so the list goes on!
4. Adjust – if the action is taking you away from the goal, change your action or find improved training methods to get the results even sooner!
Generally speaking, if you're training at the right place with the right instructors a few times per week, you're getting closer to your goal with every training session.
Visualisation of the decision has got to be one of the most powerful means of achieving goals.
When I was in the process of purchasing our new academy, I used to visit the building and spend about twenty minutes visualizing every day. Some days it was several times a day with friends and students, discussing the lay out, the reception, how the move was going to happen who was going to help us, all the fine detail as if it was actually happening.
In reality it was nowhere near completion as I wasn't even sure if I was actually going to get it.There were some major obstacles but all I knew was I had to get it and there was no other option. It did have a positive ending as TMA now hasthe largest premises for a martial arts academy than anywhere else in Coventry!
"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning". - Benjamin Franklin
Children's imagination is their form of visualisation. Like many seven year olds I was well into my super heroes and I let my imagination run wild. I would imagine flying like Superman or zipping down a rope and climbing the side of a building like Batman. In one incident I was actually about to zip down our washing line as one side was tied to the very high end of the garden, thankfully I didn't have the bottle to jump off, I could have been killed if I had actually carried it through.
A few months later I did climb up the wall while playing Batman and Robin with a friend, the washing line snapped and I was lucky to escape with just cuts and bruises.
Although, everyone wants to be like their heroes to a point, in my case it was despite the dangers, after the fall it was best my superheroes stayed in the comic books and on television.
As I grew up, I swapped my superheroes for real life sports and martial arts legends; they were less dangerous to my health!
I still enjoy watching the movies based on people using special powers!
The first set of squats and press ups I ever did occurred when I heard about Dara Singh - the World Wrestling Champion. It was something he did to get strong; a case of monkey see, monkey do!
Later on as I discovered Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace, Joe Lewis, Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez and Arnold Schwarzenegger, I added them all to my list of inspirations and guides to my training.
These champions and many more have shared their knowledge and experiences and it was due to these amazing individuals who got us into the gyms and the dojos, which have improved our health and strengthened our character beyond our imagination.
I aspired to the impossible task of trying to be like them all and failed by not even becoming close to one of them, but with the bar so high even a failure is a success. I still gained a lot more by following their example than otherwise. It was a lot of fun trying and my life is richer through the experience. The training is usually uncomfortable and at times even painful, but the images of these great individuals at the peak of human development in my mind helped me visualize that one day if I trained hard, I too could be like them – Charles Atlas programme's selling point was just that "you too could be like me"!
"Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose". - Bo Bennett
Our five senses (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory) are the organs by which we place ourselves in association with peripheral objects.
Mental Attitude - combination of calmness, killer instinct and self-confidence – Paul Vunak.
A few years ago, in the Muay Thai class at University of Warwick, two girls, Sandy and Jasmine, from Singapore asked me if they could fight in the next Muay Thai interclub.
I was a little surprised as they didn't come across as the fighting type. (Shouldn't judge a book by its cover as they say).I told them to start training harder: We do had about three months before the next interclub so I woud see how they shaped up.
Three months had passed and I felt they could hold their own without serious self-injury. On the day of the interclub I had picked them up and although they were putting on a brave face, the nerves were very evident which is normal. It was also Sandy's birthday on the same day; I gave her a birthday present (a club T-shirt) to lift up her sprits a little.
At the interclub Jasmine's fight was before Sandy's and as I was cornering. I noticed that Sandy was almost tearful, waiting in anticipation while very supportive of Jasmine. Sandy went next and had her fight and both girls did as well as expected and continued the rest of the day with birthday celebrations. It was a sense of all round achievement They did well in their fights and for me they were the first girls to fight from our academy for over twelve years!
In the following six months the girls had fought a couple of more times and they had toughened up and were a lot more relaxed; maybe a bit too relaxed as I noticed Sandy eating Jaffa Cakes just 30 minutes before her fight -which I confiscated!
We have trained and cornered over two hundred fighters over the years and have notice after a certain number of fights the attitude changes the fighters are able to deal with the pressure a lot better and they enjoy the experience. Generally speaking good fighters are also good listeners; poor fighters are usually poor listeners and full of self-importance – ego makes you blind!
"Nothing can stop the man/woman with the right mental attitude from achieving his/her goal; nothing on earth can help the man/women with the wrong mental attitude". - Thomas Jefferson
Paul Vanak's suggested training methods for developing the right Mental Attitude in his articles, Full-contact training with loud abusive language, use of vivid imagery during training recalling a previous fight.
Until next month – God Bless!
Contact detail:
Total Martial Arts Academy,
Unit B1 Endemere Road;
Coventry, CV6 – 5PY
Tel: 024 76 666988
Lakvinder Madahar mobile: 07834 767 487
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"TMA is what it says, a Total Martial arts Academy. First and foremost, it is a place where you are respected and helped to grow, in a safe environment. As the many reviews say, it is thanks to Lucky (Lakhvinder) that a place like this exists and students can feel at home, in a world that can be cruel - that's a gem and frankly, a life saver! I'm going into my second year here now and I love training here and seeing everyone's journey. Be it for fun, confidence, fighting or so many other reasons. The instructors are some of the finest in Coventry and very approachable. You will be totally looked after during your first free visit and throughout your training here."
Sarah Shenton
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With a child on the way, we have lots to think about. What to name him/her, how to get all the proper nutrients, natural birth vs. C-section, and how to pay for college
It might be a little early to be thinking about college, but that is the point of biggest concern shared in comments on the blog and on reddit about our estimate for the cost of raising a child. In general, people are concerned that I am too optimistic about stock returns and not pessimistic enough about the rate of growth in tuition
Let's investigate
Growing Tuition
College tuition is a large cost that families face, and it has been rising rapidly over the past 20 or 30 years as more people attend college
A graph similar to this one is often used to express this point, which shows that the rate of growth of tuition expenses at a 4-year nonprofit University has increased much faster than the general cost of living
In 2013, a gallon of milk costs more than 3x what it cost in 1979. Tuition at a 4-year nonprofit University costs almost 10x more
That looks pretty dire, but when compared in equivalent dollars, milk costs less today than it did 35 years ago. But does it matter if tuition has increased in cost by a greater percentage than a bicycle, a pint of beer, or a pair of socks? This is definitely the wrong way to think about it.
What matters is the value of the education, and if we choose to get a degree, how to pay for it and how much to pay for it (there is no use crying over spilled milk)
Advocates of getting a college degree claim that college graduates (generally) earn more income, have greater workplace benefits, and have lower rates of unemployment than peers that don't have a college degree. But this comes at a price… 4 years of studying instead of earning an income, and the expense and possible debt load of paying tuition and related expenses. This interesting and beautiful tool helps visualize the comparison (although I would like to see some changes to improve its accuracy: include student loan interest, taxes, and investment returns for the early investor.)
Saving for Future Tuition Payments
Let's assume that we've decided that a degree was worth pursuing, either because of expected financial benefits or social or family pressure. This is most likely the case if we've decided to get a degree in Computer Science or Law, and less likely to be the case if we study 19th Century French Poetry (except perhaps for those families descending from famous French poets.)
(Watch through at least 40 seconds)
In our case, we are planning 20 years into the future and expect to use the stock market as our primary investment vehicle. When comparing stock returns of the past 35 years to tuition and cost of living increases, this looks like a reasonable way to go
This is our baby's college fund we are playing with, we aren't going to spend those dividends, we are going to reinvest them!
From 1979, consumer prices increased 3.4x. Tuition increased 10x. The S&P500 increased 18x. And with dividends reinvested, the S&P500 increased 45X!
With a 20 year investment horizon, investing in the stock market seems like the way to go. In all periods from 1979 to 2013, investing less than 50% of a median families income in the year of conception (and often much less) would have provided enough funds to fund 4-years of tuition 20 years later
Based on 2013 median family income, we would need to invest only ~$25k to pay for college in 20 years. This is even more optimistic than the $55k funds I estimated we would need to invest here
What is a Degree Worth?
At some point, tuition increases exceed a reasonable point and it is no longer financially rewarding to pursue higher education
If tuition continues to increase as it has over the past 35 years, what will tuition look like when our child is ready to entire the ivory towers?
Annual tuition in 2034 would exceed $120,000 per year in 2013 dollars. 4 years of tuition payments would have cost a 1979 family the equivalent of 10.5 months of income. A 2013 family would pay the equivalent of 24 months of income (2 years.) In 2034, a family would pay the equivalent of 20 years of income
But wait! Saving 25 years of annual expenses is sufficient to allow early retirement!
Since 20% of median income earnings will go to taxes, just give your kid the cash instead of paying tuition and let them retire at age 18. This will allow them to live a median income lifestyle forever, without working a single day (and just maybe they will sit at home reading 19th Century French Poetry.)
Clearly historical tuition increases are not sustainable
But what is reasonable?
It depends on income. If a college degree would come with a "guaranteed job in the field of study or you don't pay" clause, and a college degree was guaranteed to pay more than a high school degree, then a for profit university could be expected to obtain the equivalent of a professional recruiter or agent… 10-20% of income.
Since a degree has neither of these guarantees, the fees would be less, more in the neighborhood of 3-5%. Since future income must still be earned, trading hours for dollars, this should be reduced further
Since a university wants up front payment, we have to determine the present value of a 40 year career with annual salary increases that exceed the cost of inflation. This is basically the Present Value of an Annuity
If a degree were to provide a job that pays 2x the median income (~$100,000), and annual salary increases of 2% greater than inflation (5%), then an equivalent annuity would have a present value of $1.7 million. Half of that is because of the college degree. The university can have the agent fee of at most 5%, or $43,000. Tuition would then be about $11,000 / year, more for high income jobs and less for low income jobs
This is a bit more than the tuition at most public universities for in state students (average $8,900 in school year 2013-14.) Despite the rapid rise in State College tuition, and the relative simplicity of this pricing model, it seems reasonably priced
Tuition has long been rising faster in price than general cost of living, but even at today's prices state schools seem reasonably priced for jobs that will earn $100k/year or more. For jobs that earn less than that, we should question if a college degree is the right solution (which it may be for non financial reasons.) Private 4-year university's appear to be substantially over priced
Recent trends in tuition increases are not sustainable, but continued increases in price in line with general income trends would be expected. I expect new business models (and the internet) to provide substantial price pressure on the current education models
Even at today's prices, with the US model of government subsidization of student loans, students are facing unreasonable debt loads. Either relative prices come down or fewer students attend college.
The stock market is by far the best investment medium for long term financial gains. With a 20 year investment horizon for our child's tuition, the stock market is where we will invest. Based on historical returns, investing a minimum of $25k today should provide sufficient funds to pay for tuition. This assumes worst performance return over a 20 year period in the stock market, and that tuition continues to increase at much faster than inflation, and that our child chooses a private 4-year university with no scholarship.
This should be sufficient margin, but to further eliminate risk, we have already mentally set aside much more than the minimum required
Do you think college is worth it? What would you do to save for a future child's education, if anything?
Data sources:
College Board's Tuition data
The US Census data on Median Income
Robert Shiller's data from his book Irrational Exuberance on:
Stock market returns
Stock market dividends
Median income


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I recently finished writing my 21st novel which is a definite cause to celebrate! It feels so unreal to have written that many books. I remember feeling startled upon finishing my first novel. As I wrote those last few words, I blinked at them with genuine surprise and realized I had no more words to say for that book. How was running out of words possible?
It took me several years to write another book because I truly believed I had run out of words, but when that book was accepted for publication, it occurred to me to write a second book (I know, I know. How pathetic that it took me so long to figure it all out).
And now I know that running out of words is impossible. If I wrote one book a year and lived to be 100 years old, I would still die with novel ideas never fully realized and written.
My guru grandma once told me something that really stuck with me (most everything she said stuck with me because she was my best friend), but this particular nugget of wisdom is my talisman when things get hard and the idea to maybe run out of words on purpose becomes a terrible temptation. She said, "Be a finisher, Julie. If you care enough about something to start, then care enough to finish."
Every time I finish a novel, I smile to myself, toss a wink heavenward, and think, "I finished again, Grandma!"
A career as a writer is not always perfect or smooth or everything you dream of, but if you care enough to start, then care enough to finish. If you're having trouble coming to grips with your own writing career and need a boost of finishing energy, email me, and I will tell you all the reasons you should stay the coarse and just get it done all the way to . . .