As European society becomes more multiethnic and multiracial, Member States of the European Union are faced with the need to formulate adequate policy responses to immigration and integration issues. France has had a distinctive history, lasting over five decades, as a recipient country for non-European immigrants from the Maghreb region of Northern Africa. Over time, discrepancies in living conditions between Maghreb immigrants and the wider French society have only deepened. To investigate the current state of the Maghreb community in France, this analytical paper pursues the following questions: How does the persistence of political, economic, and social differences affect the position of Maghreb immigrants in French society? What efforts are being made by the French government to minimize disparities between the Maghreb population and the wider society? What is the relationship between the French model of integration and the policies of other EU states on immigrant integration?

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© 2015 Anahita Vasudevan, Kevin Ratana Patumwat, and Kevin Fulgham

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Alex Craft Series Reread and Notes

Thoughts on Reading and Writing: What Are Your Favorites and Why

This post has been pestering me for a while, but I’ve struggled to get it written because there are just so many different things to say and ways to say it that its hard to narrow it down below a novel level.  I initially thought this would be more about authors’ writing styles and creation processes or about character building and development or what makes a great writer stand out from just a good writer, but you have to note all of those things and more to really get to the meat of the subject.

Almost all of my reading material comes from the library, usually Kindle or ePub versions and only a very few am I willing to spend money on from my limited book buying budget.  Those are books written by authors that have proven time and time again to be exactly what I love and crave in a great story.  If I bought every book I wanted to read, I’d read myself right into the poorhouse, so I only buy what I know I’m going to love.

I have found that I like a pretty large variety of subjects and genres (all within the fiction realm) when it comes to reading, but I rarely love anything to the point where I know I’m going to read it over and over again.  It takes an extremely special and unique combination set of things to push any book near that coveted Favorite rating for me.  I will give a book a 5 star/Excellent rating, but it still won’t make it onto my Favorites list but even that is a pretty rare occurrence.

If you look at that list, I have quite a few, but in comparison to the total number of books I’ve read over the years, it is an extremely small percentage.  What there is is almost exclusively books that fall into the Fantasy genre.  I really do love a great book that involves the impossible, magic and shifters and worlds that are not the one we live in.  Where people are capable of things that we can only dream about. There are a crap ton of books out there that have all those things in their stories, but the ones that are truly awesome are the ones that are capable of making all that impossible real.

I’ve read a handful of interview questions or FAQs from a variety of different authors over the years and I noticed something that seems to be a common thread among my all time favorite authors that doesn’t appear to be there for authors that don’t make that list.  That is that their characters are real to them.  They have lives.  They have opinions.  They have discussions with the author.  They will have an all out hissy fit if the author tries to push them in a direction the character doesn’t want to go.  They are, in essence, real.  In just about any other group of the population, if someone said that they have voices talking in their heads they’d end up medicated and in a hospital somewhere.

At one point, I kind of thought that was some serious crazy talk until I was forced to understand it after making several custom pieces for clients that, while not quite so out and out words and conversations with me, had some seriously strong opinions as to what they were going to be.  I finally, really, truly got it at that point because those ended up being not only some of my favorite pieces, but some of my best.

I’ve compared authors to artists before and that is what they are, their medium is the written word instead of paint or clay or metal or some other physical, tangible medium.  Like musicians use notes and instruments, writers use words to paint their pictures and the most talented ones pull you so thoroughly into their pictures that you are living them right beside the characters.  It isn’t just characters, though.  Those are vivid, vibrant, deeply layered and complex beings that you know exist even if they really don’t.  The worlds they live in are just as rich and cultivated that, as a reader, there is very little need to truly imagine it because it has been painted is such detail it is hard to miss.  When I read a book, that is what I want.  I want the full experience.  I want all of my senses engaged, not just my eyes and my imagination.

It has been something of an unofficial goal this year to find at least one new author to add to my Favorites list.  I have yet to find one because there are so very few that seem to write to that level that I’m looking for.  So many authors write for quantity rather than quality and there are so very many that are cookie cutter or formula writers that it is amazing there are any decent books at all.  They aren’t awful writers at all, don’t get me wrong.  They just are the bare effort, riding on previous success writers that aren’t willing to put in the extra needed to make something great.  They are okay with just being okay.

I can’t begin to tell you how many books I’ve read that were so obviously in that cookie cutter/formula crowd.  The first book or two by an author you read, you may not notice and it is easy to think that you might have found something good, but then you read a few more and realize how wrong you are.  At one point, I actually watched my percentage mark as I read and found that the author I was reading literally had points where certain things had to happen in their story.  20% would have the first sexual event, 50% would have say some major drama point, 80% would have the big misunderstanding/breakup/separation and 90% would have the miraculous make-up and lets live happily ever after before the end of the book.  The only real differences would be the basic specifics like names, places personalities and scenario details.  It was like reading some plug and play book.  Ever since then (and after having something similar happen several more times), I’ve become leery of reading what I call bulk authors.  Again comparing to other types of art, it is like seeing mass produced costume jewelry sitting next to a custom, handmade piece.  You are going to notice a difference.

While I get hugely frustrated that my favorite authors don’t produce at a higher rater, I’m also extremely glad that they don’t because that means I’m still going to get awesome when they do put something new out.  It usually takes time to produce something amazing.  Look at pregnancy and gourmet cooking and gemstones like diamonds, they don’t come quick and easy.  Like fast food and quick meals, as a reader I’ll read those mass produced authors because I like to read and sometimes something that isn’t quite so full and rich is called for, but that doesn’t mean those will ever be read more than once or earn a spot on the Favorites list.  I will keep looking as I do want a broader range of authors I wait rather impatiently for new material, the ones I’m willing to spend my very limited buying budget on.  The rest, I’ll see you at the library during those long waits.

Peeves: Lacking Author Websites

Since I make the effort to link back to both the author’s main website and a direct link to the book when I’m writing a review, I see a whole lot of websites and, shockingly, a lot that are just not well designed at all.

As an artist, aesthetics are something that I tend to notice. It may not stick out as much to me if the site is nice and clean (which is really the goal, you want visitors to remember you for your content not the layout or design), but it sticks out like a sore thumb if the design looks bad or is difficult to navigate.  It is also pretty bad in my opinion if the site isn’t kept up to date with the newest releases or, even worse, a website doesn’t exist at all.

There are so many options available to create a decent looking website so I don’t think there is much of an excuse to not have at least something.  You don’t even have to be particularly computer literate to create one, nor does it even really have to cost you as there are tons of free options out there.  I’m not talking Twitter or Facebook either as you don’t have options there to provide easy to access book lists for published works.

Navigation is a huge peeve of mine.  No website should be difficult to find your way around.  Simple, easy to use and find, logical menus should be a priority on any site.  Not one person that goes to an author’s website wants to spend hours clicking every single link on their page to get the information they went there for in the first place.

From a design standpoint, since it is an author website, the focus should be on the author and their works not on flashy eye catching graphics and tons of wild fonts.  That is kind of another peeve of mine anyway, but I feel it is unprofessional and amateurish to have a whole bunch of stuff that is really unrelated and detracts from the focus of the website.  This is a technique that seems to pop up more on what I’d guess were self designed sites where the creative talent needs to remain with the writing rather than the graphics.  Again, with so many options out there, there is no excuse to have a super low quality design that makes the author look fly by night rather than professional and accomplished.  The image you portray with your website reflects on you and your abilities as it is part how you present yourself to the world as an author.  If your website is cheesy then I’m going to question the quality of your writing.

This is a huge point for me.  The majority of the time I visit an author’s website, I want to know what books they have written, if the book I’m looking at reading is part of a series and if so, where it falls in the reading order.  It drives me bat shit crazy when this is missing or worse, not clear.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up a book thinking it is the first in the series based on what I’ve seen on the author’s website only to find out it isn’t because they have some whacked out way of listing their books.

There are a couple of simple solutions to a book list and reading order, so I have never been able to understand why this is so difficult.  Easiest is to list the books in reading order first to last, top to bottom or left to right and grouped by series (if there is one) or genre if you write in several areas.  Basic, right?  It should be so basic it doesn’t even warrant a mention, but you’d be amazed.  Another is to simply put the order number somewhere in your listing.  Ideally it would be both a reading order list that has the number listed as sometimes there are novellas in there and noting a .5 or something to the order makes that pretty clear.

I honestly hate it when an author only lists books in published order, especially when they write multiple series.  I don’t want to have to run through two dozen books to find the one book I’m looking for.  It is even harder when they don’t bother even noting the series a book is in when putting that list together.  Sometimes offering up a couple of different lists and orders works best when there are lots of series or interconnected series as different people are looking for different things.

Having a poorly designed, hard to navigate site that isn’t kept up to date can lose an author readers.  I have actually not picked up a book after going to an author site and not been able to determine important information like series order.  The same goes for sites that aren’t kept up to date.  Yes it is a little bit of work, especially if you publish quite a few books, but it is an essential selling tool that is not being utilized if you don’t take that little bit of time.

It doesn’t matter if you have one book or 20 to your name.  Having a website is really important.  Making it comfortable for your readers is just as important since they are the ones that count.

Thoughts on Reading and Writing: Male vs. Female Authors

Most everyone has preferences when it comes to reading.  Those may be the genres and subgenres they lean towards, paperback/hardcover vs. ebook, specific authors or even writing styles.  Another big preference potential is male or female authors.

Male and female authors very often write from differing or even contrasting world views.  As I mentioned in a previous post on perspectives, readers bring their life experiences into what they read.  Authors do the same thing when writing a book.  Since men and women have very different struggles and obstacles in their lives, their base level life experiences are going to be different, so how they approach the stories and characters they create are also going to be different.

It has been my experience that, as a woman, I struggle to connect with books that are written by male authors.  I can absolutely enjoy them and appreciate the artistry that is behind those stories, but I have yet to find a male author that inspires me to be watching impatiently for their next book release.

I have found that books written by male authors (though I must say that my sampling is on the narrow end and really only range in a few genres) tend to focus more on action than emotion.  The big, exciting parts of those books fall heavily into that range.  When there is an emotional context, it is often times harder to actually grasp the emotion the author is trying to impart because it comes from a different perspective than mine.  It is also more of a punctuation to different points of their stories rather than a threaded part of the cohesive whole.

A female author tends to have that emotional thread underlying and permeating everything.  When a reader sees a character developing, that character’s thoughts, actions and personality is woven in along with their feelings about themselves and everyone around them.  This applies to male and female characters.

Male and female authors usually portray their male and female characters differently.  What a woman sees as important or appealing aspects to her male and female characters is often going to be different than what a man sees for those same characters.  While both tend to either overtly or subtly objectify the opposite sex in their characters, women are more likely to emphasize non-physical or imperfect physical traits in their characters.  I think that they are also more willing to place both women and men on equal or at least balanced footing.

Author Kim Harrison posted similar thoughts on male vs. female author character representation on her FB page.

There will always be exceptions to every rule, but in the broader spectrum, these generalities tend to run true from what I’ve noticed.  I can admit that I’m biased here as I prefer a female author and often will skip even reading the blurbs of books that are obviously written by male authors.  I know that I have a better chance of connecting to how the female authors have written their stories and portrayed their characters as they are coming from a similar world view and life experience.  This absolutely is not always the case, but it is often enough to allow that to impact my reading choices.

That doesn’t mean that I am a staunch male author hater.  I will read something if it looks appealing.  I am always on the search for new favorite authors to add to my collection.  I just haven’t found one that gets to me yet.

Thoughts on Reading and Writing: Perceptions

It is easy as a reader to think that when you open that book, you are starting with this blank space that the book fills completely.  That the book will succeed or fail entirely on its own merits.  That is great in theory, but theory and reality rarely ever travel along the same path.  In this, the theory breaks because while the book may be a blank slate, the reader is not.

We each bring our own issues, experience and history onto that slate before we ever even glance at the cover.  Our own well covered slate has us beginning to form thoughts and expectations on that first glance before the spine is even cracked.  It is impossible to not let our slate color the slate of the book.

Our slates help us to form opinions and perceptions about what we are reading.  It is what helps us to like characters, plot elements, settings, everything that make up that book.  It is also what can make us dislike all those same things if they don’t fit into our personal version of the perceptions we form.

A book may connect on a seriously deep emotional level with a reader that has a personal experience that resonates with the subject in the book.  While that same book may be incredibly unemotional to a reader that their own history doesn’t give them the background to create any kind of a bridge between them and the book  to help them empathize.  The second reader may still be able to enjoy the book, but they just won’t be able to connect in the same way or on such an emotional level.

As  reader, I try to keep in mind what my own slate has written on it and attempt to understand how a person with a different history may view a story that I’m struggling to connect with.  There are times when my imagination just isn’t good enough to stretch that far, but sometimes, I can get a different perspective on a story and understand it on a different level.

I find it fascinating to look at how differing perceptions form peoples opinions with regards to books.  There are times when I’m floored after I’ve read a book that I thought was stunningly written only to then go read how other people have reviewed that book and find out that they completely hated it.  A lot of times, if the review is well articulated, I can totally understand how someone might feel that way.  I many not agree, but I can understand it.  Other times, I’m on the opposite end of that concept when I’ve found a book I really didn’t like that is heavily praised.

Understanding how my perceptions influence my opinion has also helped me learn to articulate what or why I like or dislike certain aspects of the books I’ve read.  It still isn’t always easy, not by a long shot, but it does help.  Eh… sometimes.

Cainsville Series Overview

Peeves: Unlabeled Genres

There isn’t much that is more frustrating when reading a book, and about a 1/3 of the way into it, you realize the book isn’t what you expected because it was missing genre labels.  This is something that has happened quite a lot recently, though, after a tiny bit of research, I think I have to lay this particular peeve squarely on my library’s shoulders.

My library tends to omit genre labels on an awful lot of their books.  At first, I thought that was because for some reason, the publishers or those marketing the books left those labels off in an effort to gain a larger readership as some labels will keep someone from picking the book up in the first place.  But after looking at a few specific books that were missing labels at the library, Amazon had them notated correctly, so it probably isn’t anyone’s fault but the library.  The three biggest labels they tend to leave off are Young Adult, LGBT and Christian.

The LGBT label missing is frustrating because that is a genre I read and I may miss a book that I might want to read because that label isn’t there.  Honestly, if someone isn’t going to pick up a book with the LGBT tag, then they are probably the type that is going to be pretty ticked to get into the book and realize what the subject actually is.  Leaving it off is just as likely to keep readers away from it as they are to bring them in.

Both the missing labels for Young Adult and Christian tick me off because I’m just not interested in either of those genres.  The only YA books that I enjoy are those by authors that I already love, and even then it is a stretch, so I generally don’t want to pick up a YA book unless I’ve specifically looked for it.  The Christian books are much the same, but more so because I honestly don’t enjoy any book preaching to me, no matter the subject.  Since there is a specific genre for this, it should be labeled as such.  And yes, my library does have this as one of their labels, they just don’t always use it.  Same as all the others.

It gets frustrating when I feel like I’ve wasted time reading a part of a book that I picked up based on the information I had from both the genre labels and the blurbs only to find out it so wasn’t what I was expecting.  It isn’t often that I will finish books that weren’t properly labeled.  Even the times that I’ve forced myself to plow through them, I normally don’t even like what I’ve read by the time I’ve finished.

I like it even less that I now feel like I need to look up a book in multiple places to ensure that what I think the book is, actually is.  Maybe by taking the time to do this I’ll read less books that I don’t like and more that I do.

Peeves: Undeveloped/Unsupported Dialog

This is one that seems to have been bombarding me quite a bit lately, because apparently a lot of authors, even some that are generally well rated, do this.

What I mean by undeveloped or unsupported dialog is when you have characters having a conversation, but the only thing that conversation contains is the text involved in the dialog.  There is little to nothing that is added to that to help the reader connect with what is being said.  Little to no actions by the characters, almost no scene continuation or descriptions, and very little thoughts or emotions expressed by the characters during the dialog segment.

Yes, readers connect to the words written on the page, but part of being able to do that is by allowing them to feel immersed in the scene.  When you throw only the words the characters are speaking at them without adding color, texture, emotion or dimension to those words, they kind of feel like they are just floating out there unanchored.  You can kind of compare it to having a conversation on the internet.  It is really easy to mistake what a person is saying without any real context to back it up.  You can take it the wrong way or add your own emotional emphasis to the conversation that may not actually be there and that gives it a whole other meaning.

In books, readers need that extra information to connect better to the characters and what is actually meant and going on.  Often, if an author didn’t support their conversations, it is easy to feel that the characters lack emotion or that the emotion the writer is trying to convey isn’t genuine.  Sometimes a reader can totally miss out on subtle clues that the author is trying to impart as well.

An example of a bad conversation set up I read set the scene of the two main characters sitting down on a couch with drinks to talk.  After that little detail of what was going on outside of the conversation, there were about 3 pages of nothing but talking.  Not once was there a pause in the dialog to note that either character took a drink, shifted positions on the couch, neither touched the other character in any way (it was something of a romantic scene, or was supposed to be, there should have been small caresses and touches here and there).  There also weren’t any thoughts mentioned from either character’s perspective as to how they were taking the conversation, not even mentions of facial expression changes, something as simple as smiles or frowns or how something was said.  Because it was missing all of those things, what should have been a kind of deep and important conversation came across as dry and lackluster and I felt like I’d missed something.

There are so many places in a typical written conversation to add depth and context to a scene.  In a lot of cases, it doesn’t even need a whole lot, but just enough to give the conversation a fuller feel.  Without those things, it is so much harder for readers to connect to characters in an emotional sense.  Absolutely, dialog is integral to a good book.  But because we do not get to actually see the characters in front of us like we do in a movie, we cannot see the body language and the environment, the emotional impact the words are having on the participants.  We need to be told about those things by the author.  The ones that don’t take the time to even put bits of that into their conversations are lazy in my opinion.

For me, if the dialog is presented without those critical supporting features, it can nearly kill a book no matter how well the author writes everything else.  I can think of a few authors that tend to write this way and, even though I often like their books, those books tend to get pushed to the bottom of my To Read list until I’ve already read the better books on that list.  It is surprising to me how many professionally published authors just don’t do really good dialog.  If they would take that little bit of extra effort, those books could easily go from good to excellent.

Updated Ratings

After having written several reviews now, I realized that my previous rating system just didn’t quite cut it.  Apparently it is one thing to think, internally, that there aren’t that many slots to categorize books, but another entirely to be able to clearly define those slots when writing about them.  There are way more gray areas than I’d believed.  Because of that, I’ve decided to adjust my ratings to a more standardized form that, hopefully, will make it a bit more clear.

My previous rating scale and reasoning can be found here.  The new one isn’t a whole lot different, but it gives a bit more wiggle room that I felt I needed and didn’t have with some of my previous reviews.  I won’t go back and change any existing reviews, but all new reviews will follow the new system.

The House War, The Sacred Hunt and The Sun Sword Series Notes

Author: Michelle West
Series: The House War, The Sacred Hunt, and The Sun Sword

I have FINALLY gotten around to finishing all the re-reading I wanted to get in before I started on the latest book in this series.  I thought that before I actually wrote up the review for it, I needed to post a little about the series itself, which is actually listed as three separate series, though I’m not sure why as they are all pretty intimately connected.

The order that these books need to be read in also does not follow from series to series.  They overlap.  If you are not familiar with them, I recommend reading them in the order listed below:
The Hidden City – The House War
City of Night – The House War
Hunter’s Oath – The Sacred Hunt
Hunter’s Death – The Sacred Hunt*
House Name – The House War*
The Broken Crown – The Sun Sword
The Uncrowned King – The Sun Sword
The Shining Court – The Sun Sword
Sea of Sorrows – The Sun Sword
The Riven Shield – The Sun Sword
The Sun Sword – The Sun Sword
Skirmish – The House War
Battle – The House War
Oracle – The House War

The first note to the series that must be made is that Hunter’s Death and House Name are pretty much the same book.  I will admit that these were not the books that I took the time to re-read on this go round as I’ve already read the first several books in the series several times and felt that with the short time I had, I was okay to skip those.  Because of that I cannot say definitively, at this time, that they are exactly the same books (hey, it has been a while).  They are substantially enough the same that you could easily get away with only reading one.  The events in the last couple of books in the Sun Sword series happen at the same time as Skirmish and Battle from the House War Series.

These books are not the kinds of books that you can pick up one of the later books and not be totally lost.  You absolutely have to read them in order to be able to follow the story.  The entire storyline is incredibly intense and packed full of various different characters and places and political and personal interactions.  While each individual series has central characters, which are numerous, many of those characters are critical across the entire story line of all three series.  You could probably read the Sacred Hunt Series or the Sun Sword series alone, but if you want to read the House War series, you need to read them all in order to not miss out on something.

If you stop and think of what kind of mind can create the level of writing that is in these books, you just might break your brain.  Incredibly detailed world, phenomenally developed characters, intricately wrought and complex situations, relationships and political intrigues.  It is just so much to take in and absorb.  I actually described it to my husband as though you were reading about all of the residents in a small town, with all the details and personalities of each of those people and their interactions and relationships, except in a completely fantastical world filled with humans, magic, immortals, gods, and demons.  While this is a pretty dumbed down description, it is still pretty accurate.

In a way it is funny, because I’m not sure I would like a series like this written by any other author.  I don’t typically like reading books that are quite that intricately detailed and full while having to keep so close track of what is going on in a story, nor am I a huge fan of books that are that wed to the entire series that I would feel at a complete loss if I started in the middle somewhere.  In the case of these books, though, it is done so expertly that I cannot help but love every bit of it.  It is absolutely one of those “suck me in and devour me” kinds of series.

Key Essentials to a Great Romance Novel

A great romance novel is something that tugs at the heartstrings, yanks on the readers emotions and draws them into the story.  It is an escape and, in some cases, a hope that honestly great romances do happen.  There are several things that a story needs to have to become a truly great romance novel, essentials that really help connect a reader to the story emotionally.  Those essentials are some of the primary aspects that make a real romantic relationship work.

Yes, authors often use secrets and the withholding of information as a way to create tension and drama.  As long as you give a strong reason why that honesty isn’t happening, then it can work.  It can also work if it is one of the struggles the characters are dealing with and trying to do better at.  If it is not present just because, as a whim or because the character is ignorant, oblivious or just completely insecure, you had better do a really good job writing a story that makes those issues work or the integrity of your characters can fall apart and end up seeming stupid or week.

Trust ties in closely with honesty.  If your characters can’t be honest with each other, then the trust is going to be really hard to work with.  Absolutely, trust should be earned.  When you don’t take the time to build and develop that in the relationship, then it doesn’t come across as believable.  The characters are either blindly trusting, which can make them seem painfully naive, or they just never trust at all.  When you have a character that is so completely unwilling to build that trust or is unbending in their distrust of their romantic partner, no matter the actions or honesty the other has displayed, then that makes your character seem harsh, cold, uncaring or even something of fool.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander.  All parties in the romantic relationship should have the same rights and expectations of behavior, otherwise there is a huge double standard allowed and things can get really ugly.  If one part of the romantic couple gets upset about the behavior of the other, don’t have that one turn around and do the exact same thing and not allow the same kind of fallout to be addressed or dealt with.  All parties should have to compromise and develop or the relationship isn’t balanced and won’t appear very realistic.  You cannot have only one person expected to or be making all the changes or taking the difficult steps or having to deal with the difficult decisions.  That just isn’t that realistic.  Even though we are buying into the fantasy of the story, it still needs to feel possible.

Any good story is going to have some conflict, even in a really lighthearted story.  You cannot expect it to all be rainbows and rose petals and utterly, completely perfect.  On the other hand, the flawed characters, have to have growth as well.  In their situations, their personalities, even how they view the world around them or their belief in how relationships should work.  If you get to the end of the book and the characters are still the same as they started, then part of the point of the story got missed.  That goes for all characters, that whole equality/balance/compromise thing.

If the issues and conflicts within the relationship are the exact same ones throughout the entire book with zero progress toward improvement or change, the reader is going to get frustrated really quickly.  In a real relationship, if one or another of those in that relationship continue to keep making the same mistakes over and over, or continue to hurt their partner over and over again, eventually that relationship is going to break.  If it doesn’t, it isn’t a healthy relationship and that kind of defeats the purpose of a good romance.  You also cannot have it be the same throughout the entire book to only have the characters have a miraculous epiphany in the last chapter and all those problems are magically resolved.  It does take a bit of time to deal with and go through those changes.

Strong Characters
Make them flawed.  Make them imperfect.  Allow them to make mistakes, even big ones.  Allow them to feel insecure.  Allow them to be a little broken. Give them great personality.  Allow them to have emotions.  Just don’t make them so much of any one of those things that they are unlikable or that their attitudes and behaviors are just painfully unappealing.

If your character is confident in who they are on page 50, do not make them suddenly, for no reason, feel differently on page 120.  Don’t have your characters hate each other in the beginning, then have absolutely nothing change at all but they suddenly have the hots for each other.  Have motivations and reasons for the personalities you create and make sure they work together.  Back up any changes with specific and clear reasons.  It doesn’t work for someone to be a total badass, but is unable to function without someone holding their hand or cries at the drop of a hat.  A character can be conflicted, that is fine.  Don’t make them seem like they have multiple personalities, unless you are actually writing a multiple personality character.

There are always exceptions.  Different scenarios can allow for these aspects to not necessarily all be prominent in a story or allow for exceptions, but you have to have some hint of them.  Either that or have a great reason to allow for those exceptions to make a story work well.  Sure, you can produce an okay or even a good romantic story without some of those aspects, but chances are you aren’t going to be able to pull off that really great one without them on some levels.  The biggest thing that is going to make the difference between okay and great is believability.  You don’t want your reader laughing at your characters like they are that bad horror movie actor that does that obviously stupid thing that everyone knows is going to get them killed (because, come on!  Everyone knows you don’t look under the bed).

Besides providing entertainment, romantic stories can also often be a launching platform for how expectations begin to form in younger generations.  It is something of a peeve of mine for a romance novel to set an extremely bad example of what is okay in a relationship.  No, not all romance stories showcase healthy relationships.  The ones that are well written make sure it is pretty clear that the story is about a relationship that isn’t healthy.  Others that aren’t so well written can send the wrong message altogether, allowing impressionable or inexperienced readers to get the idea that some incredibly unhealthy, even harmful behaviors, attitudes and actions are actually okay.  Not much will drop a book onto my Don’t Like list faster than books that don’t make it clear that certain behaviors are unhealthy or worse, promote those ideas and behaviors.

Safe sex falls into that category.  I’ve mentioned it before.  There is zero excuse for an author to not include safe sex practices in their writing, with a very, very few exceptions like authentic representation of a time period and the rare time when a story warrants it.  Most authors are good about making it clear when an unsafe sex situation has occurred that the characters should have been safe/made better choices, but not all authors do this.  I personally respect the author and characters a lot more when they take the time to be responsible.

Oh, and for me?  A real romance has a happy ending.  That can be approached from a lot of different ways.  It doesn’t always mean a traditional Cinderella, happily ever after.  As long as, in the end, the characters are happier in themselves and/or their relationships or better off overall then it qualifies.

Peeves: Cover Art

They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we totally do.  The cover of a book is a reader’s very first impression of the book.  It gives the reader a first taste of what may be inside those pages and an indication of the writer’s style and personality.  As an author, I would think that you’d want your cover to be either interesting enough to grab a reader’s attention and draw them in or, at the very least, be generic enough to not matter.  Either approach will work.

In a lot of  cases, the cover isn’t going to make or break a book.  BUT… if your cover is done in such a way that it strikes a bad first impression, you are going to have a very hard time getting a reader, especially a reader that is new to you as an author, to actually get past whatever it is about the cover that bugs them enough to pick up that book and take a chance on reading it.  There are several things that bug me when it comes to cover art on books, enough so that I will often not even bother to read what the book is about and completely pass it up unless I’m just desperate for something to read.  A lot of times, I still won’t even look at it no matter how desperate I am.

Copycatting:  When a cover is, or contains, the exact same or very closely the same photo/image/design of another cover by another author.  This is something that I’ve noticed an awful lot recently and it annoys the crap out of me.  Not always so much that I won’t read a book because of it, but enough that I struggle to view the authors as more serious or professional.

I usually don’t always notice until I’ve read one book and then later see another book by a totally different author with a nearly identical image or a design that is so close, I think it is another book by the first author.  A lot of authors will use a similar design style throughout a series and that helps the reader to quickly identify it as being in that same series.  When you run across a situation where that isn’t the case, it feels deceptive and unoriginal.  I have no idea why this is so prevalent at the moment, but I am wondering if those books are being produced by the same publisher, one that isn’t willing to invest in unique cover art for their different authors, or if they fall more in line with self published works where the author has to provide their own cover art and they are getting images from free or low cost image services.

If you cannot get a full design work up with unique graphic images and/or photos for whatever reason, be it cost or lack of creativity, I would much rather see a generic design with a little color and just a title and author.  If you aren’t creative enough to show an original cover image, then how am I as a reader to believe that the story inside is going to be any more special or interesting than that cover, or even better, worth my time?

Cartooning:  Cartoon/childlike drawings.  This is definitely a peeve of mine.  If you are a mature, professional author writing mature stories for adults, why are you putting out books with covers on them that make them look like children’s’ books?  I will admit that not all covers that have cartoonish images on the cover come across as childlike, but most of them do.

I don’t read kids books unless it is something for my kids for some reason.  I also very rarely read a young adult book unless it is by an author that I already love their adult books.  This is because those just aren’t the kinds of books I usually want to read.  If your book cover appears that your book belongs in those genres, I’m not even going to take the time to read what the book is supposed to be about let alone take the time to read the book itself.

Cheap/Poor Computer Graphic:  Images or designs that look like my high school-er put together in his first graphic design class.  Sadly, in a lot of these cases, my high school-er could have done a better job.  Seriously, if it is going to look like completely amateur work, there is no way I am ever going to look past that cover.  Never.  Why even bother with a cover if that is what you are going to put on there?

Back to the point about a generic cover.  You will get a crap ton more looks and interest if you have even a very simple, basic, clean cover with zero images over something that is bad.  The goal is to generate interest, not turn it away.  I have a feeling (though I haven’t taken the time to research this for any kind of actual evidence), that books with covers like that are very poor cousins within the self published realm.  Even if it isn’t, that is the impression that those covers give.  I seriously doubt a publisher with a very good reputation is going to put out a book with a cover that isn’t at least partially well thought out, let alone so utterly terrible that it does the opposite of the job it is supposed to do which is get a reader wanting more of what it sees.

A book cover, when it has anything other than that simple, generic design, is suppose to tease and tantalize its readers into wanting to pick it up and explore what is beyond that cover.  It is supposed to draw you in, not cause you to go running and screaming in the opposite direction.

How I Rate Books

There are several things that I believe will either make or break a book with tiny variations along the way being the only difference between a good book and one that is awesome.  Or… along the other spectrum, awful.

I categorize books based mainly on whether or not I’d be willing to spend the money on the book, or as is most often the case as I read the majority of books from the library, if it is worth re-reading (which that list has become incredibly narrow as of late). This type of book is one that I will read multiple times, has such great content that I find myself so absorbed in the story that I’m so disappointed when the book is over because I want more.  These are the books that are in my all time favorites list.  There is a big divide between this level and the next because there just aren’t many at all that will land in the top.

The next level is where a book is really good; excellent story/characters/world, but isn’t quite unique or special enough for me to want to take the time out of reading new material to want to read it again.  It would definitely be something I’d recommend to others if asked.

Editing is something of a peeve of mine and can actually make the difference between a good/mid-level book and a great book.  For me, if the story is excellent and I’m reading along and there is a glaring editing mistake, it trips me up.  I have to stop, usually re-read to try and figure out what was actually meant before I can move on.  This disrupts the flow of a book and bugs me to no end.  I don’t always know if those great books are just exceptionally well edited or if the story is just so amazing my mind skims over whatever mistakes are there, but the times it is noticeable can really effect where I place a book on my good/bad scale.

There will always be that mid-level book that is okay, but to me seems like a replay of every other storyline out there.  It may have mostly decent writing, but often one major aspect seems weak or not well thought out or fully developed.  I wouldn’t consider them a waste of time, but are right there on the border.  Cookie cutter writers eventually fall into this category, no matter how much I may have liked the first book or so.  There are only so many times you can read the same story with only slightly different characters/scenarios before it gets really old.  This level also covers books that just weren’t for me, now matter how well written they may have been.

It may seem that there is a huge gap between those last two, but there really isn’t.  Most books that I’m not a huge fan of will fall in that second to last group.  Just because I don’t necessarily like or enjoy it doesn’t make it a bad book.

I guess if I had to put a label or name on those levels, they would be Excellent/Favorite, Really Good, Mediocre/Didn’t Like, Garbage.  Though I really hate using the last term for that label as I don’t like to slam anyone, but there really just isn’t a nice way of saying it when a book is actually that bad.


Security Audit and Assessment

Risk assessments is an integral part of managing risks. Organizations need to develop procedures to ensure that this aspect of their information security program is not neglected. Procedures should be implemented to help ensure that these risks are periodically discussed and understood and that the most significant risks are identified and addressed.

With the increased reliance on networked computer systems in recent years it has accentuated serious and real vulnerabilities that should prompt organizations to bolster their efforts to assess information security risks.

The critical success factors, methods and tools, and benefits are illustrated in the following diagram.

Visio Diagram


Fazenda São Francisco do Corumbau

Bahia still holds secrets, little explored seas hidden between the sky and the forest. Corumbau, "distant place" in the language of the Pataxós, is a stone's throw from paradise.

A beautiful farm in the middle of the coconut trees, with more than 1.5 km of beach. Facilities offering total privacy, with suites and bungalows by the sea and a service exclusively aimed at your comfort and tranquility.

Welcome to São Francisco do Corumbau Farm!

Winner of the Prize - Condé Nast Johansens 2013: Best beach hotel in South America.


SpaceX successfully launched and landed its reusable rocket! This achievement was the first time we’ve ever managed to launch, land, refurbish, and re-use a rocket for a second launch. SpaceX is calling the rocket, a Falcon 9, “flight-proven” as opposed to “secondhand,” “used” or “reused.” The entire launch and landing went off without a hitch, making this the first time in history a firm has launched an orbital rocket that did what the Falcon 9 did last night. Blue Origin has previously demonstrated a sub-orbital rocket takeoff and landing, but Elon Musk made the history books. “It’s been 15 years to get to this point,” Musk said. “It’s taken us a long time. A lot of difficult steps along the way.”

Scientists have put forth a possible explanation for how Enceladus got its “tiger stripes.” In short, something huge could have smashed into the icy moon. “If it was heated by tides, the north and south should look the same,” says Angela Stickle of Johns Hopkins University. “So the fact that Enceladus’s south has these crazy regions with plumes and heat flows is enigmatic.” But the heating and the cracks could be explained by a formidable impact: something that hit hard enough to smash in the icy crust like an eggshell. The assailant could then have melted right through the ice, which would have refrozen around it, leaving little trace of its presence beyond the rapidly cooling crush zone and its fissures.

Also, there’s a new hypothesis that proposes a relationship between gravity, dark matter, and black holes. Here’s how it goes. Right now the axion is our best candidate for a WIMP that could crack the dark matter problem. Except it’s hard to find axions. How do you find something scarce? Go to where it’s common. And scientists expect that axions should be more densely concentrated near black holes.

“The basic idea is that we’re trying to use black holes… the densest, most compact objects in the universe, to search for new kinds of particles,” project spokesperson Masha Baryakhtar told Gizmodo. Especially one particle: the axion. “People have been looking for it for 40 years,” Baryakhtar said.

What makes the hypothesis eye-opening is the metaphor it draws between black holes and the structure of an atom. Think of a black hole as a kind of atomic nucleus, except on a huge scale. The authors suggest that axions might behave en masse like electrons behave in pairs, jumping between energy levels and occupying expected clouds around the nucleus.

But wait: there’s more. The rotation of the black hole could create a phenomenon called superradiance, which could produce 1080 axions, the same number of atoms as we think there are in the entire universe, except all those axions would be orbiting around a single black hole. If we can confirm these hypotheses with LIGO data, it could advance our understanding of dark matter by leaps and bounds, and put us one step further to understanding the why and wherefore of the universe. Whoa.

Now read: The 25 best Hubble Space Telescope images


Dictatorship Countries

Add ⊕
1 Countries
1.1 Asian
China, Philippines
1.2 European
Germany, Russia
1.3 African
Nigeria, Zaire
1.4 North American
Not present
1.5 South American
Argentina, Mexico
1.6 Others
Not present
1.7 Ancient Regime
1.7.1 Asia
Not Available
1.7.2 Europe
Ancient Rome, Germany, Italy, Soviet Union
1.7.3 Africa
Not Available
1.7.4 North America
1.7.5 South America
1.7.6 Other
Not Available

List of Dictatorship Countries

The popularity of a type of government depends on how widely that government type is adopted or had been adopted across the world. We provide a complete list of Dictatorship countries which gives you a measure of how well Dictatorship is/was accepted across the globe. The list given above includes all the past and present Dictatorship countries.

Countries with Dictatorship

Since its origin years ago, Dictatorship has been applied as a type of government in many countries. Knowing countries with Dictatorship is significantly important to get an idea about presence of Dictatorship countries around the globe. Get a complete list for all the Dictatorship countries in the past and current times. Also find out Dictatorship Definition, History of Dictatorship, Characteristics of Dictatorship and a brief Dictatorship summary to get the idea of entire government system. The government system in each country is set according to the need of rules in the country. If there is no political system to regulate the country, it would suffer due to unjust practices of society.

Countries that have Dictatorship!

When a nation adopts a type of government, the factors taken into consideration include the social and economic conditions of that country. Hence, countries that have Dictatorship as their form of government, have found it beneficial in improving the social and economic conditions prevalent there. You get a complete scenario about the development and current day Dictatorship only by knowing the Dictatorship countries.

Dictatorship Countries List

Dictatorship has been adopted by a lot of countries in different continents in the past centuries and it is still prevalent. A continent wise Dictatorship countries list can be given as follows.

  • Dictatorship Countries in Asia: China and Philippines

  • Dictatorship Countries in Europe: Germany and Russia

  • Dictatorship Countries in Africa: Nigeria and Zaire.

  • All North American Dictatorship Countries: Not present

  • Dictatorship Countries in South America: Argentina and Mexico

Let Others Know


Healthcare facilities are about as complex a building type as you can get, making a career in the healthcare planning and design field far from a cakewalk. And market conditions are only complicating matters. Hospitals and health systems are responding to the financial realities of reform (and remaining unknowns tied to the Affordable Care Act), implementing measures to support population health, and trying to figure out what to do with an aging building stock—each priority shaping expectations for new building projects and, more importantly, the project team members delivering them.

Healthcare A/E/C firms are responding to the new climate that’s been created, one where shorter schedules are the norm, collaboration is key, and expertise is a must. Healthcare Design asked healthcare design leaders to shed light on the business side of the industry today—specifically, what challenges are top of mind, from talent acquisition to streamlining project delivery to answering evolving client expectations.

In this special report, we profile not just those challenges identified, but the drivers behind them and the solutions being implemented. Here, Michael McLaughlin, executive vice president of Southland Engineering, discusses his firm’s efforts to tackle engineering leadership.

Name: Michael McLaughlin
Title: Executive Vice President
Firm: Southland Engineering (Phoenix)
Number of firm employees: 300
Healthcare revenue in 2016: $300 million (construction revenue)

Business challenge: Engineering leadership
Too often healthcare building owners don’t get the results they expect from engineers and builders. Budgets are exceeded and schedules are missed. They’ve grown tired of the traditional project pattern of “design, bid, value engineer, re-design, and build,” which essentially results in a new facility that’s considered a compromise. The process is inefficient, disjointed, and noncollaborative, and often leaves facility leaders and staff dissatisfied. At root is the fundamental issue of leadership.

Healthcare MEP systems have grown to account for nearly 50 percent of a healthcare facility’s first costs and a significant portion of the ongoing operational costs. Project outcomes are therefore heavily dependent on the success (or failure) of the MEP systems. The role and expectations of the MEP engineer, however, haven’t kept pace with this change. It’s time for the MEP engineer to serve in a leadership role, which will help enable projects to meet and exceed owners’ expectations.

What’s behind it
The traditional expectation of MEP engineers is to provide a technical solution that satisfies the code, standards, and functional needs of a facility. MEP engineers are well-equipped and trained to solve these technical challenges. However, solving a technical issue without regard to cost, constructability, or maintainability is a fundamental flaw that leads to poor project outcomes. The technical solution ultimately defines the cost, constructability, and maintainability of the project and must be considered an equal “input” into the equation if a project team is to expect better results.

Due to the level of complexity required to design, construct, operate, and maintain today’s modern healthcare facilities, the input of owners, architects, engineers, contractors, estimators, facility operators, and a host of other stakeholders that directly influence the outcome of a project must shape MEP designs. This comprehensive contribution in the formative stages of design is crucial to avoid costly re-design or value engineering later, which is a fundamental indication of poor collaboration.

The solution
As part of an engineering, construction, and maintenance company, Southland is in the position to observe projects delivered via a variety of contractual methods over their entire lifecycle. Over the years, we’ve identified and defined success factors that result in better outcomes for clients, regardless of contract type.

Technical expertise. Engineers are faced with regular changes in healthcare codes, standards, technology, and operating procedures. At minimum, our engineers are expected to keep pace with those changes and the variety of potential solutions. Our expectations, however, transcend technical expertise. Engineers must seek to understand what makes the owner’s business successful, how MEP systems can benefit or improve the jobs of medical staff, and what needs and preferences the facility operators hold to ensure the features of the MEP solution remain functional.

Cost. Every line and every word engineers place on drawings and specifications affect the cost of the project. Therefore, it’s critical that engineers understand the impact of their decisions. Since engineers aren’t traditionally trained on cost, they need a partner to provide that insight. Within Southland Engineering, our engineers have real-time access to full-time MEP cost estimators.

Constructability. Since the engineer’s drawings and specifications define what’s to be built, it’s imperative that engineers seek out MEP contractors to help shape the designs. To take it a step further, MEP engineers must design for construction, and this can be done only when trusted construction experts work with MEP engineers at the start of design. We’ve provided our engineers with access to sheet metal, pipefitting, plumbing, and fire protection tradespeople to inform solutions.

Maintainability. MEP engineers aren’t experts in facility maintenance and must rely on facility operators to help shape their designs into a maintainable solution. This is a purposeful choice and requires MEP engineers to engage facility operators during the design stages. If those individuals aren’t available, having access to a trusted facility partner is a critical resource.

Leadership. Given the significant effect that MEP systems have on the outcomes of healthcare projects, MEP engineers must expand their capabilities to become experts at solving technical challenges as well as collaborating, communicating, seeking input, creating valued relationships, taking responsibility, and being accountable for results.

Words of wisdom
MEP engineers have an opportunity and the responsibility to become leaders in connecting engineering decisions to project cost, constructability, and maintainability to improve overall results. Better outcomes can be achieved by engaging stakeholders and using our expertise to optimize solutions on multiple dimensions.


07/16/2014 10:38 am ET Updated Sep 15, 2014

Is Your Business' Confidential Information Legally Protected?

Consider a spectrum of business information from the most specific and publicly disclosed to the most abstract and undisclosed. Traditional registration of copyrights and patents requires the public disclosure of an idea that has been reduced to expression in words or in a device. Trade secrets, in contrast, are unregistered and not publicly disclosed ideas, devices, or processes not otherwise known to the public that provide an economic competitive advantage. A trade secret might not meet the statutory requirements to be patented but is still protected. General and undeveloped ideas, such as recognizing the importance of anticipating what a consumer will need five years in the future, are not recognized as property. Confidential information, such as ideas for expanding a specific business, falls between general unprotected ideas and protected trade secrets. While copyrights, patents, and trade secrets are broadly legally protected from third-party appropriation and use, confidential information may not be legally protected in the absence of an agreement between the parties in question. Entrepreneurs, inventors, and small businesses must not overlook this important issue.

Confidential business information held by certain individuals, such as the directors and officers of a corporation, may be protected from disclosure by fiduciary obligations. Fiduciary obligations require the utmost loyalty, honesty, and fair dealing. However, many non-fiduciary individuals may have access to confidential information. While a very few courts have recognized a tort of breach of confidential information in a business setting, many do not. The court decisions that recognize this tort tend to involve special relationships in a professional-client setting. The tort is related to protected personal privacy. Carefully written contracts prepared by an experienced attorney are necessary to protect confidential information in a business setting.

In 2010 the Hawaii Supreme Court held that the Hawaii Uniform Trade Secrets Act "displaces non-contract civil claims based upon the alleged acquisition, disclosure, or use of confidential information that does not rise to the level of a statutorily-defined trade secret" (BlueEarth Biofuels, LLC v. Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.). The Court noted that most states and commentators have concluded that non-trade secret confidential information may only be protected by a contract. A 2013 Texas Court of Appeals decision stated: "If the subject manner appropriated by the defendant is not a trade secret, there is no liability for misappropriation, no matter how reprehensible the defendant's conduct" (Lamont v. Vaquilla Energy Lopeno LTD, LLP). These cases involved a voluntary disclosure of information that allegedly was subsequently misused.

A related situation involves lawsuits against governmental agencies for their disclosure of the confidential information and trade secrets submitted to them. The Freedom of Information Act exempts from disclosure "trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential." Additionally, a variety of agency rules address these disclosures.

If information has been acquired by unlawful hacking or theft, criminal and civil legislation provides protections. However, if a business makes a claim of improper access, courts will examine the business's information protocols. Information acquired "with permission" is not stolen. A confidential information contract with the individual or entity in question that specifically addresses the permissible limited uses of disclosed confidential information may be critical.

Labeling information a "trade secret" does not make it a trade secret. It must meet the statutory definition of trade secret. Confidential information that is voluntarily disclosed to another without an obligation of confidentiality is not a trade secret. Potential business strategies or goals may be confidential information but not trade secrets. At some point these ideals may become sufficiently developed and specifically implemented to be considered a trade secret.

Particularly in the employment context, employees are free to leave an employer and utilize their professional skill and knowledge. Depending upon the jurisdiction, a non-competition and non-disclosure agreement may provide some limitations on a departing employee who has acquired confidential information. It may be important to document the extent of the employee's knowledge prior to beginning employment. An employee may have preexisting knowledge that a current employer considers confidential. Non-disclosure cases frequently hinge upon a factual determination of what is general knowledge or already publically disclosed and what is confidential. Non-competition agreements that are considered reasonable as to duration, geographic area, and scope of business are typically enforced by courts.

A business should review its protocols concerning access to and dissemination of information. It is equally important that informal systems not develop that subvert the formal rules. When developing intellectual property, it is helpful to consider when an idea has been refined to the point that it should be confidentially protected. While brainstorming or informal beta testing with clients and other professionals may surface some excellent ideas, who will own the right to refine and commercially exploit them? Contracts with employees and third parties may be the best method of protecting business confidential information. Courts are reluctant to create implied contracts protecting information. After all, public policy generally favors the discrimination of ideas and information. Unstated assumptions about commercial confidentiality practices in an industry may not be legally enforceable. Consult an experienced attorney to prepare and review appropriate agreements.


Do You Wish To Look Younger & Energetic? Visit Nimba Naturecure!

By NimbaExperts // 16 August, 2018//318 Views //

Who doesn’t want to look young and energetic?

But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find it is closely dependent on a person’s overall health. If a person is healthy then the skin glows automatically and the body language looks positive. But if a person is suffering from some sort of illness, it reflects on their skin.

Today, the drugs and medicines are created to merely mask the symptoms of any health problem. And while the underlying problem persists, people have the false assurance of being healthy when they are not.

And no matter how much a person tries, that hidden problem makes them look aged and energy-less. On the other hand, the traditional system of medicines like Naturopathy Treatment, Ayurveda, and Yoga helps a person stay healthy and protected from the diseases.

This is the only way you can stay healthy, look younger and remain energetic all your life!

So, here are a few “Scientifically Proven” ways to stay healthy. If you incorporate them into your lifestyle and follow them, you can surely experience the eternal bliss of good health.

1. Panchakarma

Panchakarma is a detoxification therapy. It is a group of five different therapies which are aimed at internal cleansing of different body systems. Once the toxins are out of your body, the energy can flow freely within your body as the blocked channels are again open and the body can utilize the nutrient in an effective manner.

2. Meditation

Meditation is the best way to bring your mind into a more comfortable and stress-free place. Because of our personal and professional life, and also due to the external factors such as environmental factors, our mid experiences extreme stress. Meditation helps our mind to clear out the stress and feel healthy and happy.

3. Naturopathy Diet

Naturopathy is based on the principle that the body has innate capacity to heal itself, provided it has the power and atmosphere required within. Naturopathy diet is decided as per any individual’s body type, health history, and hereditary factors. But you can feel the difference as it reflects on your looks and body language profoundly.

4. Massage Therapy

Massages help a lot in boosting the blood circulation in the body which in-turn boosts the natural healing and repair mechanisms of the body. Also, massages help in relaxing the muscles and removing the toxins from the skin. The result is a new you! More energetic, younger, and healthier version of yourself.

5. Ayurveda

Ayurveda has answers to almost everything that one might ever need. Ayurveda has described the herbal remedies which can eliminate any disease condition from its roots. This is the most effective way to be healthy from the inside. Ayurveda can help you be healthy and remain healthy, young, and energetic throughout your life.

Nimba Naturecure is a unique Naturopathy Centre offers you the comprehensive package of Naturopathy Treatments which will help anyone look young and stay healthy and energetic. Nimba is the best Naturopathy centre in India. Nimba is the winner of ‘Today’s Traveller Award 2018’ for Best Naturopathy and Wellness Retreat in India. Come to Nimba and get young from inside and outside both.

Take a First Step contact Towards Wellness


Sugar dear?

At Auckland Zoo there’s an elderly primate whose unobtrusive presence and minimalist surroundings understate her significant role in our history. Isolated from the other chimps, she looks lonely, but this is her choice. She doesn’t get along with her fellow primates and prefers her solitary enclosure to their park-like surroundings. When her longtime friend, Bobbie, died four years ago, Janie, 58, became the last of the famous tea party chimpanzees.

Written by

Alexander Turnbull Library

Live animal performances such as the chimp tea parties and elephant rides immediately boosted the zoo’s income when they were initiated in the 1950s.

New Zealand Herald files of 1956 show a bunch of subdued, travel-weary chimps arriving from London. Janie, Bobbie (the only male), Minnie and Josie were sent to Auckland Zoo while Yoka, Molly and Breena went to Wellington. The chimps, captured as juveniles in Africa, had to adjust to an entirely new way of life, obliged to practice their tea-party routine constantly at Regents Park Zoo and even aboard the ship on the passage to New Zealand.

If they were malleable when young, the chimps became less obliging as they matured. Former Zoo Supervisor Derek Wood recalls: “Sometimes they could be quite obstreperous, especially Bobbie. Often they refused to come out of their cages, and there was a time when one decided he wasn’t going to sit at the table.” Consequently, the aging actors were retired in 1959 and more amiable chimps arrived from London to replace them.

The tea parties continued until the early 1970s, when public attitudes towards performing animals had changed. Zoos, similarly, had shifted their focus from public entertainment to animal welfare, and an era of massive upgrades began. The chimpanzees and their descendants were moved from their barren cages to large vegetated enclosures, where they could interact with their kind without human intrusion. But Janie and Bobbie had learned to interact almost exclusively with humans—and behave like them—and had lost the social skills of their species. Old, and socially impaired, they preferred their outdated but familiar enclosures.

These days zoos attract the public by offering animal encounters and safari nights. And Janie’s life is made as comfortable and as interesting as possible, with devoted zoo staff keeping her entertained with toys, books, even movies. She prefers animal documentaries, especially TV2’s The Zoo series, presumably because she recognises the people and places. The former tea party star also has a range of beverages to choose from, her favourites being apple and blackcurrant juice, herbal tea and hot chocolate.

More by


My heroine's journey

A road less travelled

The women of Angkor Wat

As a fitting choice for the journey, I chose SuperSoul conversations, with Oprah Winfrey and Elizabeth Gilbert. The discussion harked back to the book that started it all, "Eat, Pray, Love". (The Love section of the book's title taking place in Ubud, Bali).

This is a 2-part conversation where Elizabeth Gilbert introduces her heroine's journey. Seems like a simple enough concept, just change the classic hero's journey to a woman character and you are done. If we do away with personal pronouns, any sense of controversy disappears. Or, does it?

As Elizabeth points out, (and she maintains her loyalty to Joseph Campbell as a huge fan of his work), there are no female hero stories to mentor us. They just don't exist. We are the first generation of women who are writing the guidebook on this heroine's journey. We are building on the work of historical feminists, and rewriting the male version of the hero's journey into something for our time, for modern women.

However, times have changed. The women who are answering the call are doing it now, in modern times. We are a new breed, living in a new age and we are rewriting what it means to be a woman, to be feminine. Now, we can look to each other, our sisters, and find the heroine's journey everywhere. We can even see traces of it in women who have had to overcome incredibly difficult circumstances. It may not have been the entire arc of a women's life, but they survived significant trials.

So what is the heroine's journey?

Maureen Murdock received acknowledgement from Jospeh Campbell, he reportedly said, “Women don’t need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize that she’s the place that people are trying to get to.” Luckily, Murdock didn't accept Campbell's answer and went on to create her version of the heroine's journey.

  1. Heroine separates from the feminine - I chose to focus on my education, then pursue my career full-time while my husband looked after our children.
  2. Identification of the masculine and gathering of allies - I worked in male dominated companies, with very few other like-minded women.
  3. Roads or trials - my children had teachers in school who claimed I was a neglectful mother. The path is so lonely at times, it is hard to stay on course.
  4. Experiencing the boon of success - I stuck it out, got promoted, made more money as time went on. (This is where the story ends for some).
  5. Heroine awakens to feelings of spirituality aridity/death - my success started to feel increasingly shallow and required a betrayal of my sense of self, something which was getting worse over time.
  6. Initiation and descent to the goddess - I had always thought I didn't need to surround myself with women, that the company of men was preferable. As the years passed by, I began to question this wisdom and I began to think that a significant part of my feminine self was being left to die.
  7. Heroine urgently yearns to reconnect with the feminine - If I continued on the corporate path, the majority of my time would continue to be spent with men. Reconnecting with my feminine side and with other women would be difficult.
  8. Heroine heals the mother/daughter split - my mother had taught me to be creative and crafty, she lit the flame in me as a child. I spent my career at a distance from all that, it was time to revisit that decision.
  9. Heroine heals the wounded masculine within - TBD, Heroine makes peace with the “masculine” approach to the world as it applies to herself.
  10. Heroine integrates the masculine and feminine - TBD, to face the world or future with a new understanding of herself and the world/life. Heroine sees through binaries and can interact with a complex world that includes her but is larger than her personal lifetime or geographical/cultural milieu.

Join me in this creative journey. I think it will be worth your time. I look forward to hearing from you! Use any form of communication which feels comfortable. Email, social media or even, if you want to give me a call, I can reached at cwestermark on Skype. Together, let us see where we can take this.

Until next time, please direct and email to [email protected]

As well, connect on these social networks:

Daily Creatives Resources:
: : "Fruitless at 40: Rediscovering My Creative Power"
: : After 25 years, why I walked away from my beloved career
: : What would an epic creative retreat look like for you? Add your insights to the survey!
: : Be bold! Join, start or share in a social movement


,The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles and is  recognized as one of the primary instruments in blues, country, flamenco, rock music, and many forms of pop.


Stray current investigation

The effects of stray currents from direct current (DC) sytems (railways, tramways, mines, HVDC transmission, cathodic protection, etc.) are so well known that investigation and implementation of remedial measures is an integral of CP projects. However, some CP systems may face unique problems which require more detailed and sophisticated investigation.

In most cases, it is not until some damage has already been caused that analysis is made of the effects of stray currents and the remedial measures needed to solve the problem. We can also provide risk assessment and mitigation planning for proposed new CP systems so that any necessary remedial measures can be implemented in advance. This helps avoid delays which often arise when interfering systems are being operated by different owners.


average cost of a semi private fence

fence styles are available and their average price per foot. quick links . semi-privacy fencing + click to shrink/expand . semi-privacy fence offers many of the same benefits as solid privacy fence but allows air to still move freely in confined spaces.

why choose pvc fencing? a wide variety of types of pvc fencing are now available, including: picket fences. rural post and rail. privacy fences. semi-private fencing. pool fencing. balustrades. they come in a variety of styles and colours, too. for example, if you're looking for a picket fence, you can find .

average costs and comments from costhelper's team of professional journalists and community of users . with professional installation a semi-privacy or privacy wooden fence can be $8-$100 or more a foot; a basic 6' tall wood privacy fence typically costs $10-$30 a foot, for $1,000-$3,500 for 100' and $3,000-$10,000 for .

fences offers aesthetics that are more interesting than standard privacy fences though without providing quite the same level of seclusion from the world beyond. they're available in a variety of materials in a range of styles and prices. you've got a selection of material options to meet your budget or give you the .

fencing cost over the lifetime of the product? we shopped around and did some homework on fence pricing. we determined the average fencing costs of pressure treated wood and stacked the lifetime maintenance costs against vinyl fence prices. the results may surprise you. don't forget that after .

privacy fence, a contractor will spend around 23 hours installing a fence of the average length of 150 linear feet. this equals out to around $30 to $33 per hour in labor costs. while that can add nearly $800 to the total cost of the job, most homeowners will find that paying someone .

privacy fence with pickets typical cost. cost of wood picket fence - calculate 2017 prices install wood picket fence total average cost per square foot, $14.25, $16.52, $19.05 . a vinyl fence cost? vinyl privacy fencing cost calculator · pvc fencing cost. cost to install a wood fence - estimates and prices at fixr .

fence staining cost non-discounted retail pricing for: oil based, semi-transparent stain. quantity includes typical waste overage, material for repair and local delivery. 267 square feet, $78.20, $213.71. fence staining labor, basic basic labor to stain privacy yard fence with favorable site conditions. remove loose or .

average cost to install a wood fence is about $3000-$5700 (¼ acre 3'-4' picket fence with a medium quality wood and a gate) . popular styles include ranch fences, picket fences , privacy and semi-privacy fences, they are made with several different types of wood like pressure treated pine, spruce, tropical hardwoods , .

fences will almost never rot, chip, peel, fade or rust. it never needs to be repainted or re-stained. termites and other wood-eating insects are not a threat; they don't like vinyl. vinyl fences are available in a variety of styles and colors. you can opt for a privacy fence, a semi-privacy fence, a picket fence or even a pool .

average costs and comments from costhelper's team of professional journalists and community of users . a 4'-6' tall vinyl semi-privacy or privacy fence typically costs $12-$25 or more a foot for materials, or with one gate about $1,300-$3,000 for 100' and $3,600-$8,000 for 300', depending on height and .

a nearby fencing company with something very similar to our inspiration photo would not give us a pricing estimate and told us that the price would scare us away . by installing this fence, we are actually expanding the backyard by enclosing our large side yards as well and adding a lot of privacy, too.


Partnersuche im kreis sömmerda real verlieben

Adjudication The decision of a court with respect to matters of dispute; used most often with regard to judgment of incapacitation or incompetence.Administrator The individual or institution appointed by a court to oversee the settlement of the estate of a person who has died without a will.

529 Plan A form of college savings accounts the Internal Revenue Code permits universities and states to establish that provides several tax benefits, including a five year acceleration of annual exclusion gifts; also known as a qualified state tuition program (QSTP).

Abatement The reduction of a gift (bequest) in a will because the estate's assets are insufficient to satisfy all the gifts after the estate's debts, claims, and taxes have been paid; all gifts of the same class abate proportionately unless provided otherwise.

Accelerated Return Enhanced Note A security that provides an investor no downside principal protection against adverse performance of the underlying linked asset or index of the note while providing potential for increased participation (i.e., 200%-300%) additional return linked to the performance of the underlying asset or index if held to maturity.

The note is fully exposed to the credit risk of the issuer and their ability to pay (or inability to pay due to credit default/bankruptcy) at expiration.

Active Management An investment management strategy in which an attempt is made to outperform the market,as measured by a particular benchmark or index.

The manager takes an active decisionmaking role in choosing which securities to purchase and sell.Absolute Return The actual appreciation or depreciation (return) of a security, expressed as a percentage, in positive (absolute) terms.Abstract of Trust A document that briefly outlines a trust's key provisions and existence; also called an affidavit of trust.Accredited Investor For individuals, the criteria is met by a net worth of more than million or an income of more than 0,000 for the current and each of the previous two years.Other entities such as corporations, partnerships, trusts, and employee benefit plans with at least million in investments.Against the Box A short sale of a security which the seller does own but does not want to close out his/her position in, for tax or other reasons. Such agencies were created to reduce borrowing costs for certain sectors of the economy. Examples include the Federal home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Fannie Mae (FNMA), and the Student Loan Marketing Association (SLMA).


Page 1 of 1

Combine SPARQ Scores

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:28 am
by dead_poet
SPARQ is an athleticism metric that was developed by Nike and subsequently adopted by current Seattle Seahawks management in their player evaluation process. It’s a way of understanding in simple terms how a given player compares athletically relative to their peers, both in their draft class and on a league-wide basis.

Terms to know:

pSPARQ – The SPARQ formula isn’t published, but there’s a significant data set available from SPARQ high school camps. From this data, I back-calculated a formula that’s very close to SPARQ. I then worked to keep the SPARQ weighting the same while applying the tests that we use for NFL athletes. The eight inputs for my metric, pSPARQ, are as follows: player weight, bench press, broad jump, vertical jump, forty-yard dash, ten-yard split, short shuttle and 3-cone (L) drill.

simScore – This is a measure of how a given player compares to another using a SPARQ-based similarity algorithm. As far as I know, the idea of similarity scores is originally credited to Bill James, a pioneer in baseball sabermetrics. With my metric, a simScore of 60 shows a vague similarity, 80 represents a significant match, and 90 is a near-exact result.

Z-Score of 0 is an average NFL athlete of that position.

Z-Scores are based on positional averages. So that means that a Z-Score for a wide receiver is comparable to another wide receiver, but you can't compare a Z-score of WR with a RB, because each position has different SPARQ averages. Also it's better to compare players to other players of their own position or else it's meaningless because each position does something different. For example a lineman not being as athletic as a wide receiver is normal because their job is obviously different.

This profile is based on the following metrics: WT, 40 yard dash, Bench Press, Vertical Leap, and 20 yard shuttle. Also the scores above are of players who participated in the 5 exercises. I can't generate a score if they're missing one them.

...via ... thleticism

Wide receivers:

Defensive linemen:

Doctson is #1. Several are incomplete due to choosing not to do some drills (ex. Treadwell).

What is SPARQ? ... in/4125461

Re: Combine SPARQ Scores

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 3:10 pm
by S197
This is the test that McKinnon scored very highly on, correct?

Re: Combine SPARQ Scores

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 4:23 pm
by dead_poet
S197 wrote:This is the test that McKinnon scored very highly on, correct?
McKinnon's SPARQ score of 147.5 was one of the top scores among all running backs over the last 16 years.

No other running back has an athletic profile similar (i.e., over 80) to that of Jerick McKinnon. Backs with McKinnon’s speed, lower-body explosiveness and upper-body strength just don’t exist.

An average NFL skill position player will ring in at around a 110 pSPARQ, a good athlete at 120, and very good at 130. Elite is about 140, and the 150+ range is reserved for Calvin Johnson, Vernon Davis, and a select few others. McKinnon’s 147.5 is one of the top scores among all running backs over the last 16 years.

Out of 1000+ RBs in the analyst's database shows that only 56 have recorded a sub-4.4 40-yard-dash at either the combine or their pro day. The top 6 pSPARQs from those 56 are: Willis McGahee (tests taken pre-ACL), Chris Johnson, Edgerrin James, Jamal Lewis, Reggie Bush and Jerick McKinnon.

32 bench press reps, 11'0" broad jump, 40" vertical, 4.41 40, and a 4.12 shuttle.


World Bank chief warns no region immune to European crisis

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - World Bank President Jim
Yong Kim on Wednesday warned that most regions of the world will
was vital to protect the strong economic gains of the past
decade in the developing world.

In his first public speech since taking the helm of the
World Bank three weeks ago, Kim said even if the euro zone
crisis is contained, it could still reduce growth in most of the
world's regions by as much as 1.5 percent.

A major crisis in Europe could slash gross domestic product
in developing countries by 4 percent or more, enough to trigger
a deep global recession, he said.

"Such events threaten many of the recent achievements in the
fight against poverty," he said.

Outlining his vision for the global poverty-fighting
institution, Kim said his priority was to protect development
gains from global economic risks, such as the euro zone crisis,
which has begun to weigh on growth in large emerging economies
like China.

For now, the world's poorest nations appear to be somewhat
insulated from the euro zone crisis because they have limited
exposure to global financial markets.

But Kim said not everyone would be spared, and he urged
European leaders to act quickly to ensure the crisis doesn't

"To put it starkly, what's happening in Europe today affects
the fisherman in Senegal and the software programmer in India,"
Kim told the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington.
"Therefore, it is urgent that European countries take all
necessary measures to restore stability."

Kim said the bank needed to play a role in broadening
development to fragile states or countries afflicted by
conflict, and ensuring that growth in developing regions is
lasting and benefits everyone, not just a few.

He said reforms are needed to sustain high rates of growth
even in fast-rising economies. Middle-income countries need to
modernize their economic structures and create jobs to meet the
growing expectations of their people, Kim added.

"Even as an unprecedented number of people in the developing
world are ascending into the middle class, segments of the
poorest populations are being left behind, and other segments of

Copyright © 2018, Chicago Tribune


Saudi Arabia agrees to supply Sudan with oil for five years

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese government has signed a draft agreement with Saudi Arabia under which the gulf country will supply Sudan with oil for five years at an annual rate of 1.8 million tons for a preferential price.

Quoting what it called a “Presidential source”, the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) said the agreement would be finalized in the coming days after the completion of the financial aspects of the deal.

It further quoted the unnamed Presidential source as saying that the Sudanese Minister of Petroleum and Gas, Abdul Rahman Osman, the Minister of State for Finance, Abdul Rahman
Dhirar, and the Governor of Central Bank of Sudan, Hazim Abdul Gadir, paid a visit to Saudi Arabia in response to an invitation by the latter for discussion on petroleum cooperation between the two countries.

Sudanese main towns are currently witnessing acute fuel shortage with trucks and cars queuing for miles in some areas to get gasoline or benzene.

The government attributed the shortage to routine cleaning of the oil refinery outside Khartoum, which means it has to depend on bringing fuel direct from the red sea to the rest of the country.

The process occurs each year in the April-May period.

Sudan lost over 75% of its oil riches when South Sudan gained independence in 2011,
-0- PANA MO/VAO 8May2018

08 may 2018 13:10:02

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Why ZeroedIn?

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What gets measured, gets funded.

effect cause and impact

If you're trying to defend your budget without baseline metrics, forecasts, and monetized outcomes, then you're at risk of losing credibility, and your budget.

It's a simple idea, but difficult to do consistently and efficiently without the right help. ZeroedIn helps you speak the language of business... money.

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Often times, clients are faced with the challenge of not having HR or IT resources available, which can delay the implementation of much-needed business solutions.

For this reason, our Workforce Analytics Concierge is here to remedy resource constraints, whether its maintaining user accounts, researching a data issue, or creating new insights and dashboards. We are your team of data scientists and product specialists, getting to real insights, real value, and real ROI more quickly, cost effectively, and painlessly.

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Maximum Interval on Fixed Schedule?

What is the maximum interval setting for a fixed schedule? I have some zones that need water once a month, but I read somewhere in here that the maximum interval was 21 days.

21 days is currently the largest interval. You could build an IFTTT recipe that only runs a disabled schedule once per month.


Mumon's Introduction

Zen has no gates. The purpose of the Buddha's words is to enlighten others. Therefore Zen should be gateless.

Now, how does one pass through this gateless gate? Some say that whatever enters through a gate is not family treasure, that whatever is produced by the help of another is likely to dissolve and perish.

In the year 1228 I was lecturing monks in the Ryusho temple in eastern China, and at their request I retold old koans, endeavouring to inspire their Zen spirit. I meant to use the koans as a man who picks up a brick to knock at a gate, and after the gate is opened the brick is useless and thrown away. My notes, however, were collected unexpectedly, and there were forty-eight koans, together with my comment in prose and verse concerning each, although their arrangement was not in the order of telling. I have called the book The Gateless Gate, wishing students to read it as a guide.

If the reader is brave enough and goes straight forward in his meditation, no delusions can disturb him. He will become enlightened just as did the patriarchs in India and China. But if he hesitates one moment, he is as a person watching from a small window for a horseman to pass by, and in a wink he has missed seeing.

The great path has no gates,
Thousands of roads enter it.
When one passes through this gateless gate
He walks freely between heaven and earth.

Mumon's introduction to the classic collection of Zen koans known as The Gateless Gate. Transcription by gn0sis.


The Use of NLP to Extract Unstructured Medical Data From Text

In this contributed article, Luke Potgieter, tech advisor for John Snow Labs, discusses the important of NLP for the healthcare industry, and offers two common AI-in-healthcare use cases. NLP is a very useful and important tool for use in AI in dealing with unstructured data.

8 Ways 8 Billion Data Points Can Lower Diabetes Costs

In this contributed article, David Conn, Chief Commercial Officer at Glooko, discusses how dealing with diabetes requires data, and how data science provides deep access to key aspects of chronic disease progression and treatment. Insights created by the data collected is key to improving overall care and avoiding risk in diabetes management.

Big Data and the Opioid Crisis

When Data Quality meets Context, Health Wearables Find Their Power

AI Will Not Replace Radiologists

In this special guest feature, Elad Walach, CEO of Aidoc, offers four important reasons today’s budding radiologists need not fear AI displacement. Given mounting workloads and the severe shortage of radiologists in the face of rising demand, AI augmentation will be a tremendous boon to the profession—not an existential threat.

Apixio Launches HCC Auditor, AI-Powered Risk Adjustment Auditing Solution

Apixio Inc., the data science company for healthcare, announced availability of the AI-powered solution to help health plans and provider organizations to undertake internal audits of their risk adjustment payment data with increased accuracy and in far less time than traditional methods.

AI for Pharma R&D – Creating Anti-cancer Drugs Faster, Reducing Process from Years to Days

The costs and process of developing anti-cancer drugs has been an extreme challenge for decades. Today one company, AccutarBio, is harnessing the power of AI to accelerate drug discovery and reform the current “hit-to-lead” drug discovery scheme. The company recently received $15 million in funding (including money from Chinese AI/facial recognition company YITU) and is now partnering with Amgen.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Treat Addiction

In this contributed article, digital marketer Tiago Lacerda discusses the various ways AI can be used to help treat addiction. It makes sense that utilizing the potential of AI would reach a hotly discussed but woefully unaddressed issue in societies across the planet: substance abuse and addiction.

Advancements in Health-Related Data Tracking

In this contributed article, freelance human Avery Phillips takes a look at the advancements in health-related data tracking and what they look like. The rise in popularity of wearable devices that are capable of tracking personal health and fitness-related data has been beneficial on both a personal and professional level.


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Ability to delete deleted documents - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...There should be a way to delete all deleted documents by having the other details constant.Due to the immutability of a segment in Lucene, the current way for a document that is updated is t...    Author: antonpious , 2018-04-29, 16:57
Ability to stop and start a cluster without shard movement - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...While we have both a  Rolling Updates and  Full RestartWhat is needed from a cost perspective is the ability to stop a cluster and then start it again without having to have any re...    Author: antonpious , 2018-04-26, 04:22
Ability to have a memory and cpu water mark for shard movement similar to the disk water mark - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...Currently elastic search moves shards to different nodes which has free disk space based on a water mark.The similar logic is also needed for moving shard based on the memory availability in...    Author: antonpious , 2018-03-15, 13:57
Hot and Warm architecture to be extended for Disk Allocation within Nodes - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...In Elastic search one can store data, the data can be divided into multiple types, to name a few important data, data that is regular etc.The current hot /warm feature splits the nodes which...    Author: antonpious , 2018-03-15, 13:57
Ability to limit the bitset filter cache size - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...When using queries on nested documents, there is a  bitset filter cache that grows uncontrollably. We should have levers to control how much memory is allocated to this cache. This coul...    Author: antonpious , 2018-03-09, 15:00
Ability to decouple a document shard allocation with its ID - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...The current logic of allocating a document to a shard in a node by its Id should be enhanced to have another id for shard allocation and provide an api to allow a document to be directly all...    Author: antonpious , 2018-02-13, 19:22
Ability to have levers to control memory structures when amount of data indexed is more than the memory available - ElasticSearch - [issue]
...Lets say we have a Node with 8 GB RAM and 100 GB disk with 1 index with 4 GB allocated to Heap and 4 GB allocated on heap.We have a constraint on the amount of memory to be allocated to a no...    Author: antonpious , 2017-12-18, 09:19