October's PS Plus Games Now Available: Laser League, Friday the 13th and More
By Sam Quirke, 9 months ago
October's PS Plus games are now available to download from the PlayStation Store. In case you missed the announcement, there are several games now available for free if you have a PS Plus subscription, available until Tuesday 6th November:
Friday the 13th: The Game
PS4 only
Friday the 13th: The Game will strive to give every single player the tools to survive, escape or even try to take down the man who cannot be killed. Each and every gameplay session will give you an entirely new chance to prove if you have what it takes not only to survive, but to best the most prolific killer in cinema history, a slasher with more kills than any of his rivals! Meanwhile, Jason will be given an array of abilities to track, hunt and kill his prey. Stalk from the shadows, scare your targets and kill them when the time is right in as brutal a fashion as you can imagine. Take control of the legendary killer that is Jason Voorhees and terrify those unfortunate enough to cross your path!
We've got the full list of Friday the 13th: The Game Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
Claim Your Free PS Plus Games Here
Vaporise the opposition in the light-speed future of sport. An all new multiplayer experience - easy to pick up, but near impossible to put down, Laser League starts as a simple test of your reflexes, but soon becomes a strategic showdown with deep team tactics. Combine your class abilities, dominate the pitch, eliminate your opponents and claim your place on the podium. Beat Mastery challenges and level up to unlock hundreds of kits and customisations. Rise up the leaderboards and become a sports legend of 2150. Laser League, like nothing you've played before.
We've got the full list of Laser League Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
Go head-to-head against your friends and family in this quirky, quick-fire quiz game where all you need is a mobile, a TV, your PS4™ and a brain full of general knowledge, trivia, tricks and tactics... Part of the exclusive PlayLink for PS4™ range, Knowledge is Power challenges up to six brainboxes, bluffers and guessers to pick up a smartphone or tablet to swipe, type and tap in those all-important answers/random guesses. • Battle to the top of the gameshow's Pyramid of Knowledge, answering questions on a wide range of categories. • Vote for quiz categories in which you'll excel - or veto those you dread. • Hurl crazy Power Plays into the mix to slow your opponents down - forcing them to tap through ice or rub away gunk before they can even answer.
We've got the full list of Knowledge is Power Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
PS4, PS3 and Vita
The Bridge is a 2D logic puzzle game that forces the player to reevaluate their preconceptions of physics and perspective. It is Isaac Newton meets M. C. Escher. Manipulate gravity to redefine the ceiling as the floor while venturing through impossible architectures. Explore increasingly difficult worlds, each uniquely detailed and designed to leave the player with a pronounced sense of intellectual accomplishment. The Bridge exemplifies games as an art form, with beautifully hand-drawn art in the style of a black-and-white lithograph. * 48 thought-provoking puzzles, each unique from the rest, all requiring an innovative solution. * Gravity manipulations, gravitational vortexes, parallel dimensions, and many more mind-bending concepts in a world where the laws of physics are not what they seem. * M. C. Escher-esque worlds with impossible architecture set in the style of beautifully hand-drawn black-and-white lithographic art.
We've got the full list of The Bridge Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution
PS4 and Vita
This Story Tastes nothing like chicken! - Step into the webbed feet of "Hardboiled Chicken", the series' undeniably plucky superchicken secret agent and venture into the game's full Story Mode campaign. Thanks to the return of the evil penguin despot, iL Putzki, Hardboiled must hunt down and eliminate him once and for all using jetpacks, new guns, disguises and skills only fit for the Bond of super-chicken agents. Rescue 'em All! - Assemble a strike force of great magnitude and go on rescue missions behind enemy lines in the game's 1 - 4 player dropin / drop-out, online/offline Rescue Mode. Leave no bird behind! Evolution is Delicious! - Featuring enhanced, nuanced controls, new combat systems, an expanded arsenal, slick graphics and the cordon bleu of musical soundtracks, the sequel has truly evolved!
We've got the full list of Rocketbirds 2: Evolution Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
2064: Read Only Memories
2064: Read Only Memories is a cyberpunk thriller that merges classic adventure gaming with ultramodern storytelling. A struggling journalist turns reluctant detective, teaming up with the world's first sapient machine. Together they will uncover a shocking conspiracy that could shake the foundations of Neo-San Francisco.
We've got the full list of 2064: Read Only Memories Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
Master Reboot
Imagine a world where death is no longer final, where precious memories are saved to enjoy forever, where your soul is immortal, welcome to the Soul Cloud. Upload your soul to our dedicated servers and relax knowing that a part of you will live on for eternity. That favorite holiday, happy moments from your childhood, meeting that special someone for the first time. All these memories saved for your digital soul for your family to revisit again and again. The Soul Cloud - saving your past to secure your future. Master Reboot is a haunting first person sci-fi adventure game set inside the Soul Cloud. It's an exploration game with action and puzzle elements set across unique dream like world. The game features a distinctive visual style, intriguing story-line, psychological adventure-game action and a dynamic atmospheric soundtrack. Get prepared for upload......Where am I?.....Who am I?......It's time to piece your life......and death back together.
We've got the full list of Master Reboot Trophies  -  check the list for guides to unlocking them.
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Brand Leadership - Volkswagen Promotes Brand Chief to CEO
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The Brand Value Equation & How Most Businesses Get It Wrong.
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Dark Mofo and David Walsh's remarkable attempts to put Tassie on the map
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Last week, the second largest American drugstore chain, CVS, announced that it was dropping tobacco products from its 7600 nationwide stores. It's the first move by any of the big drugstore chains to stop selling tobacco products, and the effects will likely be far greater...
Back to basics for reality TV brand rebuild
In 2009, MasterChef took the Australian television landscape by storm. It dived head first into an empty field and reaped every possible reward. From something completely unknown to a viewership of 4 million (or roughly 18% of the population), MasterChef created a household brand name...
Ikea parody reflects brand's cultural standing
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13 Days Uganda Safari
Uganda Tours /
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport
Arrival at Entebbe international airport which is 36 km from Kampala the capital city of Uganda and you will be picked by Gecko safaris Driver guide who will transfer to Kampala for dinner overnight at cassia lodge.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison via Ziwa rhino
After your breakfast, we drive through the famous Luwero triangle. You a brief stopover and track White Rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This sanctuary has now been established to breed black and white rhino, and restore Rhino populations in Uganda's protected areas in a later stage.)after the trekking you will have and continue to the top of the falls which is a fantastic sight. Here the Nile, the longest river in the world, is forced through a narrow gap in the rock (only 7 meters wide), before ferociously plunging down 43 meters. From here we will continue to Pakuba game lodge.
Murchison Falls National Park is the largest in Uganda at 3840 square kilometres. Here is the awe inspiring Murchison Falls where the River Nile hurls itself in convulsions through a narrow crevice and then plunges 40 metres in one breathtaking leap. The park has a variety of vegetation ranging from riparian forests and swamp lands to broad savannah, and provides visitors the opportunity of seeing large concentrations of wildlife including lion, leopard, civet, hyena, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, a host of smaller game, small primates and many bird species, including the rare shoebill stork.
Day 3: morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls and then hike to the top of the falls.
After breakfast, you will set out for game drive on the northern sector of the Park. Here you will search for the early risers where you will be able to spot animals like Lions, Elephants, after breakfast you will enjoy the free time at the lodge and in the afternoon, you will set out for the launch cruise along the Albert Nile where you will enjoy the cruise and can be able to spot animals like hippos, crocodiles, Oribis, buffalos and the wonderful bottom of the falls then hike to the top of the falls and the drive will pick you from the top to Return back to your lodge for dinner and overnight at pakuba game lodge
Day 4: checkout of Murchison and Transfer to kibale national park.
Check out of Murchison falls national park and you will be traveling on both asphalt and unpaved roads, you pass through traditional Ugandan Villages where you see people at work tending their traditional crops of millet, sorghum, beans and maize. The lush rolling hills of this region provide good "photo opportunities". As you approach Fort Portal in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you enter Uganda's famous tea plantation region. A carpet of green spreads before you, as far as the eye can see, and seems an unusual contrast to the countryside through which you have just passed. Have a brief stop for lunch and stretch for the last 1 hours drive to kibale national park the home of chimpanzees. Overnight at kibale forest camp.
DAY 6: chimpanzee trekking and afternoon bigodi swamp walk
Assemble at Kanyankyu ranger station at 0800hours to go for the most popular activity in this park which is Chimpanzee tracking. Chimpanzees are human closet cousins though they are one of the most threatened primate's species. More primates like Black and white Columbus monkeys, L'Hoest Monkeys, Grey cheecked Mangabey, Red tailed monkeys, bush babies, pottos and many bird species like the yellow spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, Little greenbul, green breasted pitta, the crowned eagle, black bee eater and mammals like Elephants can be seen in this walk.
Kibale National park, which averages about 3,300 feet in elevation, is an extension of the great rainforests of central Africa. It is inhabited by three large "communities" of chimps, each numbering more than 100 individuals. Each community has a complicated social structure. The big adult males dominate the group and defend the community territory against incursions by male outsiders; the females usually wander in small family groups. You will stay with them for some time and then retire back to the lodge for hot lunch as you wait the evening Swamp walk of bogodi to see more of primates and birds and after you will be back to kibale forest camp for dinner and ovenight.
DAY 7 :checkout of kibale national park and priceed to Queen Elizabeth national Park
Breakfast at leisure and check at around 10:00 am and travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park famous for a number of wildlife like the hippos, buffaloes, elephants, kobs and a number of bird species. Queen Elizabeth National Park holds other wildlife including the predators, Lion, Leopard and Spotted hyena. Other mammals include Giant forest hog, a variety of antelope, elephant and hippo. The park's bird species number more than 600, quite likely higher than any other destination in Africa.
You shall visit the crater lakes like Lake Katwe famous for salt and continue for lunch at the Marakfik game lodge. Afternoon you will have a game drive to increase the chances of seeing the wildlife.
DAY 8: morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on kazinga channel
We set out early in the morning for a game drive in the northern part of the park on the Kasenyi Track in search of lions, elephants, solitary buffaloes. This is the best time for opportunities of viewing the cats in action owing to the vast population of Uganda Kobs. We have an excellent chance to view just about every animal here at very close range.
Return to the lodge for your breakfast, before heading out for a launch trip along the Kazinga Channel. This gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippo's huff and spray at a mere feet away from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others. Camp fire at the Marafiki game lodge with dinner under the sky.
Day 9: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi forest national park
After an early morning game drive, we continue to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Bwindi's chief claim to fame is its resident, habituated population of Mountain Gorillas. These spectacular primates now number only around 650, most of which live either at Bwindi or across the border in Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans. (Bwindi holds some 280 - 320 Gorillas, in 15 groups.) This ancient rainforest has 120 mammal species, perhaps more than any other national park in the country except Queen Elizabeth. Primates include L'Hoest's, Red-tailed, Blue and Colobus monkeys and the Olive baboon. Antelope include bushbuck and 5 species of forest-dependent Duiker. Birders come to Bwindi to seek the 23 Albertine Rift Endemics which thrive here. Of those, 14 are found nowhere else in Uganda. Some 200 species of butterfly have been recorded in the park and the colourful clouds of butterflies and check in at Gorilla valley lodge in Bwindi national park for dinner
DAY 10: gorilla trekking and afternoon village walk
Today enjoy gorilla tracking in Bwindi. After breakfast, proceed for the morning briefing before enjoying the highlight of the trip- Gorilla trekking, which may last the entire day. We trek the gorillas through the rainforest and bamboo covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. When the gorillas are sighted, visitors will be guided to within 6 metres from the gorillas, sit around them for a whole hour while gazing into their big round eyes.
While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 types of mammal including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla. Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa and then back to gorilla valley lodge for dinner overnight.
Day 11: cross to Rwanda : Take breakfast and depart for Rwanda. You will cross the border via Kisoro then clear at the boarder Rwanda is 1 hour behind Uganda. Located in the far northwest of Rwanda, the Parc des Volcanoes is home to the steep slopes of this wonderful mountain range home of the rare mountain gorillas. This cuddles evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath. Check in at peakspot kinigi hotel for dinner overnight.
DAY 12: Exploring the volcanoes national park
You can either take a nature walk with a guide from the park, learning about the flora and fauna of the forest. Alternatively, you could go on a short trek to search for one of the troops of golden monkeys which inhabit the forest (this would need to be pre-booked, and is an additional cost).Or climb the bisoke/Muhavura volcanoes, or, if you wish, you can visit the Iby'Iwachu Cultural Village, which will give you a fascinating insight into the traditions and history of Rwanda's people., or walk to Lake Bulera or another gorilla trekking at a cost of $750. And then you will be transferred to paradise Marahide which is overlooking congo on Rwanda side..
DAY 13: Kigali city tour and checkout of Africa
Depart from the park in the afternoon to Kigali. You have a Kigali city tour today and visit the Genocide Memorial Museum before you transfer to the airport for your onward international flight. The city tour includes the old town (Nyamirambo) and Muslim quarter, the new handicraft village and other shops, the Batwa pottery and dance centre and the Gisozi Genocide Memorial. The memorial is very moving - the tour takes a couple of hours - and will be of interest to anyone who has spent some time in this enchanting country.


The primary objective of this study is to identify and assess areas with drainage related issues within the Village of Palm Springs, provide site evaluations and analysis for each area, provide schematic designs and determine proposed improvements to alleviate the drainage issues and provide estimated construction costs related to the drainage improvements.
Areas with drainage related issues were identified by Village Staff, reports from Village residents or identified by field reviews following rainfall events. In addition to field observations, the assessment for these areas included various research and tasks including:
1. Review of GIS information and record drawings provided by the Village.
2. SFWMD records research
3. FDOT records research
4. Meetings and coordination with regulatory agencies
5. Topographic LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
6. Official Records and Plat review
In general, a large number of the isolated drainage issues could be partially or completely alleviated by re-establishing the originally-intended drainage swales and the implementation of routine maintenance protocols. A comprehensive condition assessment of the Village's drainage system should be conducted to catalog the assets, assess the condition, forecast replacement needs and costs, develop a maintenance plan, and to clean and televise inlets and culverts to determine when future improvements or maintenance activities will become necessary.
Hydraulic and hydrological analyses were conducted to determine the extent of the drainage basins, evaluate impacts to surrounding or downstream drainage systems and evaluate proposed improvements.
Recommendations for improvements were provided for each area of concern and are depicted on the schematic design exhibits. The recommended improvements were prioritized for future implementation based upon several factors such as density/use, severity of flooding, safety, etc.
The following is a list of the prioritized areas with the estimated costs for the proposed improvements:
In addition, it is recommended that the Village conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Village's drainage infrastructure to assess and evaluate needed improvements and replacement to the existing drainage assets and establish a routine maintenance protocol.
The Village has been experiencing standing water conditions and other various drainage concerns in localized areas throughout the municipality. The Village of Palm Springs authorized Keshavarz & Associates, Inc. (Village Task Order No. 212) to conduct a drainage system assessment and evaluation for the areas of concern. These areas were preliminary identified by Village staff and residents and have been confirmed through field visits where standing water has been observed more than a day after rainfall events.
The scope of work associated with this assessment included various levels of investigation ranging from:
1. Review of construction / record drawings provided by the Village
2. Review of the Village GIS database
3. SFWMD records research and review
4. FDOT records research and review
5. Official Records and plat research and review for easements, ownership and encumbrances.
6. Field visits in wet and dry conditions
7. Meetings with regulatory agencies
8. Topographic survey acquisition
9. GIS database updates
10. Hydraulic/Hydrological analysis
11. Drainage evaluations and assessments
12. Prioritization
13. Schematic design
14. Estimates of probable construction costs
Areas of Concern and Village of Palm Springs Municipal Boundary
South Florida Water Management District Permits within Village
The primary objective is to provide the Village with an assessment of each area of concern with recommendations necessary for the development of implementable drainage improvement projects. Towards this objective, areas of concern will be assessed and recommendations for improvements and repairs will be provided along with associated estimates of probable construction costs for budgetary purposes.
Areas of Concern Reviewed and Assessed in the Field
Please note that areas 26-30 were excluded from the schematic design phase.
PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF AVAILABLE RECORDS, DATA & DOCUMENTATION
The initial phase of this assessment included familiarization with the existing drainage infrastructure and facilities within the Village. A GIS database was generated with available information and data used to review the drainage facilities and infrastructure throughout the Village as whole. The Village provided GIS based information with their known drainage infrastructure including:
Catch basin locations
Stormwater pipe and culvert locations
Weir and outfall locations
Swale locations
Stormwater retention areas
A GIS database was created with this information and other information collected and obtained for this analysis including:
Roadway centerlines and identification of the public agency responsible for maintenance of each roadway
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD or District) surface water management and environmental resource permits
2017 Aerial Photographs
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser parcel and right-of-way outlines and property owner information
FEMA Flood Zones
Municipal boundary lines
Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data for topography and approximate land elevations, dated 2007-2008, as made available by SFWMD
The GIS database was used to evaluate the drainage facilities and infrastructure throughout the Village. Road rights-of-way and other areas of Village responsibility were reviewed with existing Village drainage infrastructure and SFWMD permitted stormwater management facilities. Based upon this review, sections of the Village were identified with little to no known or permitted drainage facilities, which were closely reviewed in the field with the goal of identifying potential drainage issues, verifying connections between areas, locating the point of final outfall (if any), and evaluating potential improvements to the system.
Additional records were obtained and reviewed consisting of:
PBC roadway construction plans
10th Avenue North
Kirk Road
FDOT construction plans
Military Trail
Lake Worth Road
Village Land Development Records
Official Records and Plat review
Topographic Survey Acquisition
Historical Aerial Photographs
A sample of some of the information contained within the GIS database can be viewed on the following page. This exhibit displays the catch basins and drainage pipes throughout the Village. The catch basin are displayed based upon the ownership and maintenance entity responsible for the asset. Village catch basins are displayed slightly larger in green, FDOT in blue, PBC in magenta and privately owned in red.
GIS Drainage System Map
AREA ASSESSMENTS
Field investigations occurred in multiple stages throughout the assessment process. First, the areas of concern originally identified by the Village were reviewed following rainfall events. Standing water and other various drainage related concerns were photographed and documented for further evaluation. The remaining portions of the Village were also reviewed in the field with emphasis on areas previously identified as having little to no known drainage infrastructure. Additional areas were identified during these field investigations, which were later confirmed by the Village staff and included for assessment and evaluation. General characteristics regarding the location and severity of the observed issues, existing drainage infrastructure and outfall configuration were considered. Standing water conditions, when observed, were characterized by the type of area affected (swale, shoulder, driveway entrance, roadway, private property).
Example of standing water observed. This photograph is looking at the intersection of Davis Road and Jamaica Road. Areas of Concern / Improvement Project No. 6
Each area of concern was also reviewed in dry conditions to observe the existing drainage infrastructure, if applicable, adjacent or nearby drainage facilities, and to determine possible solutions to address the observed conditions. Exhibits generated from the GIS information were field-checked during observations of the affected areas and associated drainage systems. The GIS database was updated to reflect all field-acquired data of the drainage infrastructure.
Based upon the observed conditions, further analysis was performed as needed to provide schematic design and recommendations for improvements. A list of areas requiring maintenance related attention was provided to the Village for immediate implementation, which included Line Drive and Forest Lane.
Further investigation and site-specific evaluations were conducted for areas requiring:
1. Modifications to the existing drainage system
2. Areas that could have adverse impacts on surrounding areas
3. Require direct connections to drainage systems owned by others (FDOT/LWDD)
4. Where existing drainage systems and historic drainage patterns were not evident from available records or field observations.
Where necessary, additional review of record drawings, property records, permits, and land development files was conducted to establish historical drainage patterns, locate platted easements and restrictions, or establish the intended outfall location of an area. In some cases, additional survey data was acquired to verify the existence of connections between various surface water management components, drainage basins and outfalls.
Drainage basin boundaries were determined based upon topography as depicted in the available Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data dated 2007-2008. The results of the site-specific evaluations are contained within the individual project areas section of this report.
1960 Record Drawings for Lake Worth Road and the rerouting of the LWDD L-12 Canal from the south side of Lake Worth Road south ¼ of a mile. This records search along with meetings and coordination with FODT led to understanding the historic drainage patterns within the area and available capacity with FDOT's system.
SCHEMATIC DESIGNS
Conceptual-level schematic designs were generated for each area based upon the available information (GIS records, record drawings, field observations, etc.). The intent of these schematic designs is to illustrate the pertinent features of the drainage area, outline the general construction classifications and procedures for addressing the issues, and establish an approximate magnitude of financial commitment required to address each area.
Schematic Design for Improvement Project No. 8 Boatman Street
It should be noted that the accuracy of topographic LiDAR information used in this study is not suitable for construction drawings. For the purposes of this analysis, full replacement of existing driveways and regrading of swales was assumed. The locations of the proposed drainage improvements, driveway improvements, etc. will need to be reviewed based upon topographic survey information obtained within the design phase of each project.
Cleaning and videoing existing drainage pipes will restore the system's designed conveyance capacity, provide a thorough inspection for scheduling maintenance activities, serve as a sound basis for planning inevitable system upgrades and replacements, and help establish approximate financial parameters for future operation of the system. It is in the interest of the Village to prepare an inventory of its stormwater system for the purposes of developing a maintenance plan.
Collection of suspended solids is a result of most swale systems function, and periodic inspection and maintenance is required for the removal of these materials to maintain suitable performance. Development of a protocol for routine inspection, assessment and maintenance is recommended for all overland and piped components to prevent costs associated with drainage system failures.
Improvement Project Recommendations
Specific recommendations have been provided for each of concerns within the respective project areas. Recommendations based on available data are outlined in each improvement project and are illustrated on the associated schematic designs.
Schematic designs, quantities and estimated costs go beyond simply alleviating the immediate symptoms of drainage system underperformance and establish a permanent, constructible, and manageable infrastructure to address both present and future issues that may arise in these areas.
These recommendations are intended to serve only as guidelines for the future development of detailed engineering solutions. From a design standpoint, final implementation of these recommendations will require topographic survey acquisition, engineering design, maintenance activities (inlet/pipe cleaning), or additional modeling. From an administrative standpoint, decisions made by the Village regarding the extent, timing, and financing of specific remedies may also result in changes to the design, construction, or associated costs.
Ranking priorities were assigned based on several criteria including (in no particular order):
1. Severity of the issue as depicted in photographs
2. Extent of the issue as depicted in photographs and in conjunction with examination of GIS data for existing stormwater management features
3. Recent additions to the Flood Insurance Rate Map areas of increased flood risk
4. Flood Zone as listed in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) designations
5. Indications from topography that the elevation of the area is generally lower than those of adjacent and surrounding areas based on 2007-2008 LIDAR data
6. Intensity of use and/or number of residences affected
7. Potential risk to health, safety, and/or property
Generalized priority rankings were assigned to the remaining areas to assist the Village in decision making activities related to scheduling, funding, and implementing proposed improvements; the first phase of project 1 and project 2 have been implemented and should be constructed this year:
EXCLUDED AREAS
Areas were excluded from this study for the following reasons:
1. Issues appear to be non-drainage related (i.e., pavement failure)
2. Where simple maintenance activities are recommended (such as removal of sediment from a blocked catch basin, etc.)
3. The correction work does not require permits or engineering design
4. Responsibility for the affected roadway lies with another public agency.
Improvement Projects have been developed for each area of concern to alleviate the associated drainage issue. The following tabs contain the information associated for each Improvement Projects organized to provide independently comprehensive overviews of each specific area and sorted by priority. Tab 1 contains the information associated with 2nd Avenue North: Lake Worth Road to South Congress Avenue. Sections within the tabs for each Improvement Project include:
 Description of the drainage issue(s) observed
 Photographs
 Existing drainage conditions within or adjacent to the project area
 Recommended Improvements
 Regulatory agencies with jurisdiction
 Estimates of costs for the proposed improvements


Grus (Gru, Crane) is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the crane, a type of bird. The stars that form Grus were originally considered part of the neighbouring constellation Piscis Austrinus (the southern fish), with Gamma Gruis (Gamma Gru, γ Gruis, γ Gru) seen as part of the fish's tail.
The stars were first defined as a separate constellation by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius, who created twelve new constellations based on the observations of the southern sky by the Dutch explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, who had sailed on the first Dutch trading expedition, known as the Eerste Schipvaart, to the East Indies. Grus first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1598 in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. Its first depiction in a celestial atlas was in the German cartographer Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. De Houtman included it in his southern star catalog the same year under the Dutch name Den Reygher, "The Heron", however Bayer followed Plancius and Hondius in using Grus.
An alternative name for the constellation, Phoenicopterus (Latin "flamingo"), was used briefly during the early 17th century, seen in the 1605 work Cosmographiae Generalis by Paul Merula of Leiden University and a c. 1625 globe by Dutch globe maker Pieter van den Keere. Astronomer Ian Ridpath has reported the symbolism likely came from Plancius originally, who had worked with both of these people. Grus and the nearby constellations Phoenix, Tucana and Pavo are collectively called the "Southern Birds".
The stars that correspond to Grus were generally too far south to be seen from China. In Chinese astronomy, Gamma and Lambda Gruis may have been included in the tub-shaped asterism Bàijiù, along with stars from Piscis Austrinus. In Central Australia, the Arrernte and Luritja people living on a mission in Hermannsburg viewed the sky as divided between them, east of the Milky Way representing Arrernte camps and west denoting Luritja camps. Alpha Gruis (α Gruis, α Gru) and Beta Gruis (β Gruis, β Gru), along with Fomalhaut, Alpha Pavonis and the stars of Musca, were all claimed by the Arrernte.
Piscis Austrinus | Microscopium | Indus | Tucana | Phoenix | Sculptor
LISTS OF STARS IN Grus


How Children Cope with Grief
The cognitive and emotional levels of development from infant through adolescent cover a wide span of grief. The age of a child/adolescent and a child's/adolescent's perception of death must be understood before the caregiver or facilitator starts interacting with the child.
A grieving child at each different level of development will need assistance in building coping skills and finding a sense of closure to his/her loss. Children at all developmental stages experience grief on different chronological and emotional levels.
Children younger than four can sense that something is wrong as they experience the grief of their primary caretaker. The absence of the mother may cause a clear biological reaction. Anger, crying, searching, lack of appetite, and finally quiet resignation are the ways in which a child will grieve for the loss of the mother/primary caretaker.
The child should not be passed from caretaker to caretaker.
What one does is far more important to the child this young than what one says. Generally, a grieving infant or toddler needs large doses of tender, loving care--holding, cuddling, and stroking.
Four- to Six-Year Olds
Bereaved children between four and six have a limited and literal understanding of death. For a child in this age range, death may be explained in physical terms. Because thinking is very literal and bodily oriented, death may be best explained as follows:
His/her heart stopped beating and no one can make it start again. Therefore, we won't be seeing him/her move or talk anymore. We will bury the body in the ground, because (identify the person, using their name) is not able to do or say anything anymore.
Children will often note the discrepancy between burial of the body and the description of "going away" or "going to Heaven." While the young child probably can't grasp the concept, one might address the distinction as the part that we love--the part that smiled and laughed and loves us-is the part that has gone to heaven. The old, broken body is now what is in the ground.
Caretakers can facilitate therapeutic role-play by sitting with the child as he or she plays with dolls, stuffed animals, puppets, toy cars, and doll houses. Look for aggression in play and explore where the anger is focused.
Seven- to Eleven-Year Olds
Children ages seven to eleven are still primarily oriented to the family, and although they've begun to relate to and gain self-identity through their peers, play is still a mode of self-expression. Children this age also express themselves quite well orally, especially the primary feelings of mad, glad, and sad.
They have begun to grasp more abstract concepts such as truth, time, space, and death, although magical thinking still plays a role. Most commonly, seven-or eight-year-olds become fearful of death because they realize for the first time it's real.
No matter who dies, they may feel devastated at the thought of losing a parent. Obviously, the death of a parent is extremely traumatic at this age. Some of their questions may indicate fears of their own death. Death is seen as an attacker who takes life.
Free expression of grief must be encouraged, and children must be told over and over that they didn't cause the death and that the dead person did not choose to die. A child of this age may also fear that death is a punishment for improper behavior. They may fear that their naughty behavior has brought about the death of a loved one, and they are being punished for it. They may also believe that they or another loved one will be the next to die.
A more adult concept of life and death develops roughly between the ages of nine and eleven. At this developmental level, the children have learned that only people, plants, and animals live and die. Children of this age are not only sensitive to their own feelings, but can now enter into the feelings of others.
As a result, they are more understanding of what the loss may mean to others, and they are able to show empathy. Children in the upper end of this range not only need support and comfort, but also can be a source of support and comfort for others. Opportunities to be helpful to others
during the crisis can actually help children deal with their own feelings.
Adolescents 12-17
To the emotionally healthy adolescent, death is foreign; it's something they simply do not want to think about. Sometimes their self-destructive behavior, such as alcohol or drug abuse or playing chicken in an automobile are means of saying "I'm not afraid of death; it's a game--I'm making a plaything of it."
However, the real meaning beneath the behavior is that they're trying to control their fear and insecurity by making it a game. Moving fast and keeping the music loud can be an escape from having to face their fears.
When met with the loss of an important relationship, the adolescent's self-centered values may cause them great fear, guilt, anxiety, and anger. Adolescents have the capacity for empathy with other grieving family members or friends, so their pain is doubled.
Because an adolescent forms more intimate relationships with peers than with parents, it's advisable that networks or groups be make available for adolescents who have experienced the death of a loved one.
The adolescent may respond well to another adult who is willing to listen and assume a surrogate parent role with them. While reluctant to participate in their own family grief or support groups, they may respond well to
a pastor, school counselor, or another adolescent who "understands."
Caretakers of a grieving adolescent should not be discouraged if their teen reaches to someone other than family. That's normal at this stage of development.
Authored by Yvonne Butler Clark, author, It's Okay to Cry
Coping Through the Holidays
Grief/Healing
Grieving Process
Helping Children Understand Death
Helping Parents Cope with Losing a Spouse
Losing a Child
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Chord Company gets Active for better HDMI sound and vision
New cable has built-in high-frequency filter network for improved performance
And while the high-frequency filter network built into all lengths of the new cable is said to improve all aspects of picture performance, Chord says that it also gives it a "more detailed, dynamic and crucially musically coherent sound".
The filter network is there to reduce the intra-/inter-channel skew between the four pairs of TMDS (transmission minimised differential signalling) carriers in the cable, and this, along with traditional Chord design elements, has delivered the performance improvements.
Indeed. the company says that in factory and field tests, comparing both stereo and multichannel audio performance, "participants consistently chose a 15 metre Chord Active HDMI cable over a similarly priced 1 metre cable".
Video tests were also carried out using Denon, Arcam and Yamaha DVD and BD hardware, and the Sony PS3.
The cable conforms to the latest HDMI 1.3c/CAT 2 specification, with 340MHz bandwidth and 10.2Gbps speed allowing future developments giving higher resolutions and frame-rates. It also supports Deep Colour up to 48-bit depths.
The conductors are 26AWG silver-plated oxygen-free copper, with overlapped foil shielding on all signal paths plus double outer shieding and heavy duty braid to further reduce external interference.
Chord HDMI Active is available in a 0.75m length at £95, with 1.5m at £115, 3m £130, 5m £150, 8m £200, 10m £230 and 15m £300. The maximum run is 20m, which will cost you £450.


Home Home Buyers Guide This has never happened in Canadian CRE before
This has never happened in Canadian CRE before
For the first time the industrial property vacancy rate in Canada has fallen below 4%.
As demand from all industry sectors increases the availability of suitable industrial space is tighter than ever and developers are responding with a new wave of construction.
A new report from real estate firm CBRE shows that unit-starved markets such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are seeing an uptick in construction activity as builders respond to tight inventory and rising rents.
"As we carefully consider the ramifications of trade uncertainties between Canada and its closest trade partners, the heightened activity from all industry sectors is encouraging, with distribution, food and e-commerce leading the pack. As last mile delivery becomes increasingly important, tenants from these sectors are expressing interest to be closer to major Canadian urban centres in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. However, with limited product available, many users are reverting to suburban options," commented Werner Dietl, EVP and GTA Regional Managing Director at CBRE Canada.
Across Canada, positive net absorption in the latest quarter was up 29.4% quarter-over-quarter to more than 6.6 million square feet while new supply was 3.9 million sqf.
The construction of new industrial units has surged 47.1% quarter-over-quarter to 19.4 million square feet.
"Availability in Canada's major industrial markets continue to plummet, which is putting pressure on tenants. However, it's important to remember there is still 70.6 million sq. ft. of available industrial space in Canada. While tenants still have options, the game has changed and it is important to identify a property's potential and be able to make an offer quickly," added Dietl.
Regional hot spots
Toronto remains the tightest industrial market in North America at 2.2% availability, the lowest on record, followed by Vancouver at 2.4%.
In these cities rents have increased to new record highs with an 8.3% year-over-year rise in Toronto to $6.55 per sqf and Vancouver soaring 26.1% to $11.59 per sqf.
In Montreal, availability of industrial space hit a 16 year low of 5.3% with absorption outpacing supply by almost 6 times.
"Availability in Canada's major industrial markets continue to plummet, which is putting pressure on tenants. However, it's important to remember there is still 70.6 million sq. ft. of available industrial space in Canada. While tenants still have options, the game has changed and it is important to identify a property's potential and be able to make an offer quickly. Like the residential real estate market, it is common for all types of industrial properties, regardless of clear height, to have multiple purchase or lease offers on the table. Tenants, big and small, need to be nimble, strategic and be ready to jump on opportunities that suit their needs," said Dietl.
Robust sales for Montreal CMA in second quarter
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Home Armadale Club celebrates its long history
Club celebrates its long history
Kelmscott Roos Soccer Club president Dennis Warwick and founding member Brian Robb. Photograph - Catherine Bryant.
The Kelmscott Roos Soccer Club has grown in many ways since its foundation some 50 years ago.
Founding member Brian Robb together with a few friends floated the idea of starting a club in the district, which eventually got off the ground thanks to the support of students from a local school.
The club has grown from a one-team club in 1969 to now playing 18 seniors, juniors and masters teams week in, week out against strong opponents from across the metropolitan region.
President Dennis Warwick said the club has a very family orientated welcoming vibe.
"We have amalgamated the junior and senior club together, which means all teams are now in the same playing strip," he said.
"I would like to see the club grow and focus on ensuring juniors are developing in a safe and fun environment and having the ability to grow them into strong semi-professional sides."
The club briefly merged with Gosnells and Ferndale United to form Southside United in 1995 but later broke away and reformed as the Kelmscott Roos in 2005.
Among one of the club's many successes was the recruitment of former England international footballer Sir Trevor Brooking who played in the club's semi-professional second division side from 1973 to 1985.
The club hosted a celebration on May 4 with several of its past and present members.
The event saw the Kelmscott Roos state league reserves side go up against Gosnells for the Southside Cup, with Kelmscott coming out victorious on the day.
Member for Armadale and former Kelmscott Roos Soccer Club player Tony Buti tossed the coin at the start of the state league versus Gosnells City Football Club match. Photograph - Catherine Bryant.
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Friday 03 Aug 2018 @ 09:25
techUK
jHub looks for medical ideas and innovations
jHub has an opportunity for the world's most innovative medical suppliers to present their solutions to the UK armed forces through an open call for innovation.
jHub, the innovation centre for UK Joint Forces Command (JFC), which aims to find world-class technology and talent to get them into the hands of the user, is undertaking an open call for innovation in the field of defence medicine. With a £20m innovation fund (FY18/19), jHub aims to fast-track successful proposals through the procurement process within 1 year or less.
The Med Surge initiative provides a unique opportunity for businesses to submit medical solutions that could be used by the UK armed forces in the future. Importantly for suppliers, if successful, they will be fast tracked through the procurement process with pilots and awarded contracts taking place within six months to one year.
The call for cutting-edge medical solutions is open to companies from the UK and overseas and is specifically looking for innovations that fit into six categories:
prophylaxing combat trauma
physiological and anatomical disruption
predictive algorithms
future transfusion strategies
total wound care and telemedicine
augmented reality and virtual reality
Proposals are now being accepted and companies can also meet with the jHub at Medical Innovation in October in Birmingham. The event, organised in partnership with the UK Defence Medical Services, focuses on developing the medical capability of tomorrow that will help save lives in the future.
Air Vice-Marshal Bruce Hedley, Director Joint Warfare within Joint Forces Command, commented:
"jHub has been designed to help the UK Armed Forces seek out the world's most innovative solutions that will help overcome specific challenges. By working with Medical Innovation we're hoping to expedite the process of identifying unique new healthcare concepts and technologies that we can put into the hands of the user within a year."
If your company would like to submit a proposal for the Med Surge initiative, you can do so by accessing the online form on Medical Innovation website here.
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Original article link:
CDEI publish interim report on online targeting
techUK looks at the recently published Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation interim report on online targeting.
techUK comments on the appointment of a new Prime Minister
Julian David, techUK's CEO, comments on the appointment of the new Prime Minister.
Tory Leadership candidates respond to techUK's priorities for sector
The Conservative Leadership candidates respond to techUK's letter outlining its priorities for the tech sector.
techUK's Cloud Week comes to a close!
A look back at techUK's annual Cloud Week and the release of the Cloud 2020 & Beyond report.
What does VDL mean for EU tech policy?
Sabina Ciofu, techUK Head of EU Policy, looks at what new Commission President Ursula von der Leyen means for EU tech policy.
Consequences and Compromises: House of Commons Report into No Deal
techUK Associate Director of Policy, Giles Derrington, looks at the new report into the impacts of No Deal from the Exiting the European Union Sub Committee.
Joint Forces Command becomes Strategic Command
At the RAF Air and Space Power Conference, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt has outlined changes to Joint Forces Command along with an ambitious space programme.
Home Office Statistical Bulletin released
The Home Office has released Crime Outcomes in England and Wales for year ending March 2019.
Get Help to Retrain - National Retraining Scheme launches in Liverpool
Adults whose jobs could change due to advances in tech will get support to retrain and get on a path to a new career with the scheme's first service.
New head of the local digital collaboration unit at MHCLG announced
May-N Leow from Southwark Council appointed to lead the future work of the Local Digital Collaboration Unit at the Ministry for Housing and Local Government.
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NEWS WIRE FAX
Students want to save the climate: There's nothing to learn for a future that is
John Torrendo
"We are here, we are loud, because you are stealing our future" - this call was heard on Friday in Berlin, according to to. While the coal Commission debated about the exit from the fossil fuels, say in front of the Federal Ministry for economic Affairs and then in the Chancellery, thousands of students from all over Germany, the policy your opinion. It is a joyful, peaceful and powerful Demonstration for climate protection. Now had to be traded, "because tomorrow is too late," says a spokeswoman for the Initiative "Fridays for Future" (free days for the future).
The Alliance and the Green youth, the youth organization of the Greens, have called for the Demonstration. Young people from all over Germany to travel and leave for their classes fail. While the organizers are reports of 10,000 demonstrators, called the police a number of participants in the middle of the four-digit range. Many have self-made posters.
A girl has a green umbrella clamped. On the There is no planet B, "" (There is no planet B). Student Pauline from Cologne, Germany, says: "I'm angry that the Federal government has squandered our future." The 14-year-old Hannah from a high school from Berlin-Friedrichshain to find the environment more important than school. "There's nothing to learn for the future." David from Bielefeld drove the Only one in his class to Berlin. "Coal must be totally abolished," he decided. Public transport should be free.
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We all want one thing- to take education forward. As much as we may disagree, we still want what's best for our future thinkers and creators. Education has never received the voice that it's truly deserved- just check any online newspaper and look for the education section. Keep looking- because you won't find it there. But you will find that section here. We are that culture, and here's what we're all about
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The Gardens Between review: Be kind, please rewind
By Nathan Bowring • 7 months ago
It's hard for me to imagine time travel as anything but a harrowing experience. Maybe going into the future wouldn't be the worst, but the past is terrifying. There's the constant worry of creating some universe-ending paradox, and the knowledge that even one wrong move could result in you never being born. Conceptually speaking, being the young duo at the center of The Gardens Between would be terrifying. Time is continuously shifting around them while they seem to be none the wiser, meaning the successful linear timeline they experience will be an endless string of paradoxical phenomena. To suddenly be carrying an object they won't pick up until the future is just such a fact of life to them that they don't even recoil in shock. They just go on their merry little way, enjoying the time they're spending together in their surreal surroundings. Breaking the natural laws of the universe shouldn't be a calming experience, but The Gardens Between makes a strong case that it can be.
Turn back time - If you didn't know better, you might think this is any other modern indie sidescroller - A 3D world explored on a linear path, emotional story, environmental puzzles - all the hallmarks are there. Yet, if you try to play it how you'd expect it becomes something very different. Moving the joystick left and right will only move the characters indirectly - they're acting on their own accord, you're just providing the flow of time that lets them progress. Played across a series of islands, you must guide the duo safely through to the end of each area by rewinding and fast-forwarding their journey through each level. The goal of each island is to reach the exit at the top, making sure to grab the exit-unlocking orb somewhere along the way. This may sound incredibly simple, but it's a lot more in-depth than just scrubbing through a Youtube video. There's always something blocking their progress, leaving it up to you to be the all-knowing guide, finding the problem's source in the time stream and ironing it out. A tower fell over on the path? Rewind it back to its former glory! Controlling time has the wonderful side-effect of never hitting a fail state and having endless attempts at solving puzzles.
Find a way - Most of your interaction with the game will be through rewinding and fast-forwarding using either the joystick or triggers, but the game continually introduces new ways to use this tool. Each new mechanic adds a new wrinkle to the premise, giving you more agency in each scene for and building on the puzzle complexity. Some objects can have their time altered separately from the whole scene. Others aren't affected by time at all, remaining unaffected no matter how time flows. While I wouldn't say this game is hard, the scenarios presented here are incredibly clever and require some brain power to overcome. The game wastes no time, intuitively weaving in new ideas at a steady clip and making sure each new level is an interesting visual experience.
Reach the stars - Not controlling the main characters was a fantastic decision story-wise, as it gives them more room to be actual characters. Through extensive use of animation, these two are full of personality despite never talking. You'll see them playfully interacting with each other and exploring their surreal world with childlike wonder in ways that would feel intrusive if you had direct control. The game world itself is also full of storytelling, each level a fantastical mishmash of childhood memories. Overall art direction is just flat-out great, crafting scenes with many moving parts that always look stunning in slow-mo or standing still. Sound design is also rather impressive, as it's able to keep up and match perfectly no matter how badly you're scrambling the scene.
The words that hurt you - There's not a whole lot to dislike about The Gardens Between. It only takes a few hours to complete, but those few hours are well produced, incredibly polished and contain any useless filler. The closest thing I had to a problem with the game were a few sections where I wished time could be moved at a faster pace. The characters reacting to everything is cute and all, but watching them stop and smell the roses as you go back and forth through the same scene diminishes the fun of solving a puzzle.
Wrap-up:
The Gardens Between is one of those games that's oddly hard to review, and that's not just because describing the gameplay may make it sound like it's played with a TV remote. It's a fairly simple game, but it does everything so well it almost feels effortless. Controls are easy for anyone to grasp, new concepts and increased difficulty unfold so naturally, you may not even notice. The narrative may be cliché but comes across sincere, brought to life with a charming interpretation of childhood imagination. It's the gaming equivalent of a warm, cozy blanket - a relaxing and welcoming experience built for anyone to enjoy.
Score: Must Buy
The Gardens Between was developed and published on Xbox One by The Voxel Agents. It was released November 29, 2018, for $19.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.
The Gardens Between The Voxel Agents
Nathan Bowring
I'm a software developer who enjoys gaming, and I know how cliche that sounds. I've been playing XBLA games for some time now, and I'm a huge fan of the price and creativity of these games. Writing about them is almost as fun as playing them. Almost.
Strange Brigade coming to Xbox Game Pass this December


But I Said Forever tour!
Jennifer Gilby Roberts is unleashing the second book in the fabulous Parker Sisters series! She will be doing the rounds with this soul-searching romance, which will bring you reviews, guest posts and a gorgeous giveaway!
Plus, for the duration of the tour, But I Said Forever will be available for just 99p/99c!
What they say: After a whirlwind courtship, Brittany Beresford married her Prince Charming and looked forward to living happily ever after. Five years later, she's been reduced to a not-quite-desperate housewife, with a husband who spends more time flossing his teeth than holding meaningful conversations with her.
She braves his disapproval and turns working mother and, other than feeling far more drawn to a handsome baker she works with than him, things seem to be looking up. But then she discovers that his "hobbies" include something even worse than golf - and he expects her to put up and shut up. Fairy tale illusions shattered, but still believing marriage is for life and wanting the best for her son, Brittany has a choice to make: should she follow her heart, or her conscience? ~~~~ But I Said Forever is the second book in the Parker Sisters series (first book The Dr Pepper Prophecies), but can be read as a standalone.
I give it - 4.5/5
My review - This story was really great! It took me a few chapters to get into it but once I did I loved it.
The characters where fantastic. This had me laughing quite a lot with some of the characters.
Brittany is a strong character, even though at the beginning she wasn't that strong or able to stick up for herself, throughout the book she became more strong-minded and was able to not let herself be controlled anymore.
I really enjoyed the story-line, how she thought she found her prince charming but all he wanted her for was someone pretty on his arms at events.
I wont write a spoiler but I really enjoyed the ending and I really can't wait to read more from Jennifer!
Click Here To Buy This Book - UK
Click Here To Buy This Book - US
Don't forget, But I Said Forever is just 99p/99c for a limited time!
Author Bio: Jennifer Gilby Roberts has a degree in physics and a postgraduate certificate in computing, so a career as a chick lit author was inevitable really. She was born and grew up in Surrey/Greater London, but now lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire with her husband, small daughter, two middle-aged cats and a lot of dust bunnies.She can be found getting red-faced at zumba class, reading historical porn (as her husband calls it - Regency romance to the rest of us) and humming nursery rhymes while going round Tesco.
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Giveaway is international. Jennifer Gilby Roberts and CandleLit Author Services reserve the right to cancel or amend this giveaway at any time and without prior notification. No responsibility is taken for non-delivery of prizes.
Hollywood & Vine tour!
In the land of Hollywood, bright lights cover lies, truths hide in shadows, and the lives of the rich and famous are illusions created by smoke and mirrors.
When costume designer Josie Bane first lays eyes on Anders Ellis, she hates him instantly. Conceited and arrogant, he's the epitome of a Hollywood playboy. So it's much to Josie's dismay when he becomes the star of her sexual fantasies.
Never expecting to see him again, she gives in to her desires for a night she'll never forget. However, Josie soon learns that life is full of surprises. When their paths cross again, sparks fly. With three little words, Anders changes everything.
He's after one thing.
She refuses to give it to him... again.
When Josie realizes she's falling for a man that will never let her in but refuses to let her go, she must decide if the risk is worth the reward.
With a relationship shrouded in secrets and outside forces poised to tear them apart, did they ever stand a chance? Before the smoke clears and the curtain falls, Josie and Anders must distinguish between what's fact and what's fiction in a place where the truth is never black and white.
Olivia Evans is a dreamer by day, writer by night. She's obsessed with music and loves discovering new bands. Traveling the world and watching the sun set in every time zone sounds like heaven to her. A true Gemini, she follows her heart blindly and lives life to the fullest with her husband, son, and friends. Her other loves are: Chuck Taylors, Doc Martens, concert tees, gangster movies, sports, wine, craft beer and her shih tzu's.
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My review - This was a fantastic story!
I'm literally in love with this story and I just can't get over how amazing it was! Everyone really needs to go and read this story.
I never really care for guys in stories who are arseholes but Anders was an only exception. I really loved his character and even though he stayed a bit of a jerk he did grow but stayed the same which was great to read.
Josie was a fabulous character! Even though she got burned a few times she was able to put herself first which sometimes you never really read in stories, about a girl putting her feelings first instead of staying in a relationship that you know will end badly, and I liked that, her character really grew as well and she was able to get what she wants and not let herself be controlled.
Strong woman yes!
Olivia has written something truly brilliant and I need more stories from her.
I also need this book as a paperback so it can sit proudly on my bookshelf.
If anyone is looking for a story with a bit of erotica, heartache, funny moments and about two characters who are polar opposites but are more a like then you know, this is the story for you.
You won't regret it!
"It's my turn." Josie grabbed the remote and hopped off the couch.
"No way, Ivy." Anders shook his head and rose from the couch. "We're not watching that shit."
"You picked what we watched last night. It's my turn."
"Why can't you pick something that's at least useful? Like, I don't know, a cooking show or something. Lord knows you need all the help you can get." Anders scrunched his face as he thought about her recent attempt at cooking. When she said she was a horrible cook, he didn't think it could be that bad. Even he could make something edible. Josie, however, couldn't cook at all and would surely die if ever forced to survive on her own cooking.
"You dick!" She laughed, putting the remote behind her back when he came closer.
"I'm not watching that show. Let's play cards or something."
"I'm never playing cards with you again. You are a cheating cheater who cheats."
"I do not cheat." It was only cheating if he got caught, and even then it was still up for debate if he could talk his way out of it.
"You do cheat. Now, it's my turn, and we're watching what I want." Josie nodded and moved behind the couch, pressing the buttons on the remote until the television came to life.
"You can't be serious. Honey Boo Boo? This has to be the most annoying fucking show on television."
"It's my guilty pleasure. Now shut up and sit down. Chicken Nugget just got a pet chicken."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Anders looked from the television to Josie with wide eyes and an incredulous expression.
"We can watch the Real Desperate Housewives of Atlanta instead." Josie cocked a brow and sauntered to the couch.
"It can't be worse than this," Anders muttered, falling beside her in defeat.

Hollywood and Vine Book Trailer from Heather Maven on Vimeo.
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Blind Date Bride blog tour!
Nearly a decade ago, accountant Kari Parker shed 220 pounds of dead weight  -  her hulking, abusive college boyfriend. The last thing she wants in her life is another man  -  especially one as tall as a Windy City high rise. Yet when her best friend enters her in Romance TV's "Get a Love Life" contest, another man is exactly what she gets. As much as she'd love to just say no, she can't turn down the prize money that will allow her to help her parents save the restaurant they've run all her life. Sparks fly between Kari and her bogus groom, and as she and Damien share close quarters, intimate meals and  -  gulp  -  his bed, Kari doesn't stand a chance of resisting his considerable charms. Even worse? She might not want to. But building a real future out of their sham marriage will be tougher than baking a wedding cake from scratch ... with no flour ... in a broken oven.
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Arlene Hittle is a Midwestern transplant who now makes her home in northern Arizona. She suffers from the well-documented Hittle family curse of being a Cubs fan but will root for the Diamondbacks until they run up against the Cubs. Longtime friends are amazed she writes books with sports in them, since she's about as coordinated as a newborn giraffe and used to say marching band required more exertion than golf.
"I think I'm going to be sick."
Kari jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom. Used to living alone and desperate to reach the commode before she threw up all over the hall, she didn't think about the fact that the bathroom door was partially closed. She simply pushed it open and made it to the toilet just in time.
As she kneeled in front of the toilet bowl, resting her forehead on the cool porcelain, the memories receded and the world started to come back into focus. It was then she realized the water in the shower was running. Scratch that: It was shutting off. The shower curtain rings clinked together as the curtain whooshed back.
"What the - ? Kari? Are you okay?"
Her face still buried in the toilet bowl, she mumbled an affirmative. No way was she going to turn her head and get an eyeful of her naked, wet husband. As much as the thought tempted a part her, she didn't need any more fodder for dreams that'd only go bad.
"I'm sure," she told him. "Last night's dinner must not have agreed with me." She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping he didn't remember that they'd shared a frozen pizza. How often did people get sick from eating pizza?
Silence. It stretched out for so long that Kari started scrambling for another, more plausible excuse. No way was she going to attempt to explain the ugly truth. She and Damien were only going to know each other for a couple of months  -  not nearly long enough for her to trust him with her past.
"Then you think you could move?"
"M-move?"
"Out of the way," Damien explained. "I can't leave the shower with you there."
Figuring there'd be nothing too embarrassing at her eye level, Kari carefully slanted a glance sideways and realized that she was indeed near the edge of the bathtub. She also was treated to a side view of Damien's calf.
A very nice calf it was, too. Muscular but not overly so, and sprinkled with just enough hair.
"Kari?"
She felt her face heat the not-so-cool-anymore porcelain. "Sorry," she mumbled. Still on her knees, she edged toward the door. Behind her, she heard Damien step out of the tub. A few seconds went by. "Okay."
"Off your knees, Kari. It's safe now."
As she slowly stood upright, Kari thought she detected laughter in Damien's voice. She whirled to face him. "Don't you dare laugh at me!"
"Do I look like I'm laughing?"
Kari's eyes roamed over Damien, taking in the droplets of water glistening on his broad chest and the dark green towel slung low on his hips. If it slid an inch or so ...
She gulped and shook her head. "That towel should be banned."
"Oh yeah?"
Kari nodded. "Yeah."
Damien grinned lazily at her, reaching for the terrycloth. "I can take it off, if you'd like."
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Hosted by Worldwind Virtual Book Tours


Winter Wolf tour!
The Hunted Wizard
When Nicole dabbled in the occult, she lost it all: Her voice, her family, and her name. Now on the run from the Inquisition, she must prove to herself - and the world - that not all wizards are too dangerous to let live.
The savage murder of a bookstore employee throws Nicole into the middle of Inquisition business, like it or not. Driven by her inability to save the young man's life, she decides to hunt the killer on her own. Using forbidden magic to investigate the past, she learns that the murderer is in fact a disease that could kill the entire werewolf race.
Forced to choose between saving lives and preserving her own, Nicole embraces the magic that sent her into exile. Without werewolves, the power of the Inquisition would dwindle, and she could live without being hunted.
Nicole's only hope for success lies in the hands of the werewolves she hates and the Inquisition she fears, but finding someone to trust is only the beginning of her problems. There are those who want to ensure that the werewolves go extinct and that the Inquisition falls.
But, if she fails to find a cure, her family - including her twin sister - will perish...
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RJ's Website / Goodreads / Google+ / TwitterRJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
Favorite Books & Series
Anne McCaffrey's Pern
Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar & Gryphon Series
Jim Butcher's Codex Alera
Brandon Sanderson's Elantris
Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega & Dragon Bones
Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time
My review - first thing first, I adore the book cover! It's so beautifully done! Second thing, the reason I gave 4 out of 5 was only really because I couldn't get into for the first few chapters but once I did I thought it was a fantastically written book! It's so descriptive and so different from what I thought it was going to be about and it was just brilliant!
What I really love about the story is how descriptive it is and how amazing it was when I was reading it and it was just so wonderful.
I think everyone will enjoy this story.
The Union tour!
fter global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes - the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn't have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.
When she's kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is turned upside down. What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in everything she's ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union itself.
Now Evan must choose whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she's in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she's ever known. But when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.
Amazon | The Union Goodreads
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they're still figuring out life.
When I'm not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I'm obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
My review- I LOVED THIS STORY! I can't get over how amazing it was!
I was interested from the very first page and couldn't stop reading, it was none stop action and something always was happening so it never had a dull moment.
I really enjoyed the characters and finding out about their back stories and how they grew as a person and it was just really great character development.
Hernandez is such a brilliant writer that I really want to read more from her as this book was just fantastic and I really want to re-read it over and over.
I really need it as a paperback.
I think everyone would enjoy this story as it was totally different from what I thought it was going to be and with all the twist and the amazing story-line it just made for one extraordinary story!
Christmas At The Cove tour + giveaway!
Rachel Brimble brings you the perfect winter romance to warm your hearts with Christmas at the Cove! The romance author will be doing the rounds with reviews, a guest post and a hefty giveaway.
What they say: More family for Christmas? Scott Walker doesn't have time for a relationship. The sexy mechanic has career ambitions, not to mention a mother and three sisters to take care of. The last thing he needs is Carrie Jameson, the beauty he never forgot, arriving in Templeton Cove over the holidays with some unexpected news. Scott still finds Carrie irresistible, and he's not one to shirk responsibility. Scott's issues with his own dad make the prospect of parenthood a minefield. But if he and Carrie can overcome their fears, this Christmas could bring them the best gift of all.
My review - I ADORED this story! It was so adorable and just wow.
This is my second Christmas story and I'm so glad I signed up for the blog tour because this story was so cute! I don't read that much Chick-lit but this one was just that amazing. I really loved the writing technique!
The character growth is always a great thing to read in stories and this one does it perfectly and the ending was just everything I wanted it to be.
No changes at all needed to be made to this story. If you're looking for a cute Christmas story with the two main characters overcoming their fears to be together this is the story for you.
I can tell I will re-read this near Christmas!
It was so an enjoyable read! I was intrigued from the very first page and couldn't put it down at all until I finished it.
To all of those who love their Christmas reads go give Christmas At The Cove a read and you will not be disappointed. Rachel has written such a beautiful story that I now want to read more from her especially if she writes this good.
Click Here To Buy This Book - UK Click Here To Buy This Book - US Author Bio: I live with my fantastic husband, our two young daughters and my beloved black Labrador, Max in a small market town near the famous Georgian City of Bath. Having always 'played' with writing, I didn't seriously sit down and write toward publication until I became pregnant with my second daughter - then I told myself to get my butt in the chair and get on with it before she grows up and I'm forced to get a real job! Lots of short stories followed as did lots of rejections! I took a few distance learning courses, joined some online writers groups and basically, learned my craft. Finally deciding short stories weren't working for me (they are an art form in themselves!), in 2006 I decided to embark on my first novel and voila Searching For Sophie was born! Since then, my other books have followed each year. And when I'm not writing? You'll find me with my head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with my family. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused.
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Eight Days A Week Blog Tour
by Amber L. Johnson
A "manny" should always mind his own business. And he definitely shouldn't fall in love with his boss.
Release Date: November 6 , 2014
Published by The Writers Coffee Shop
Genre: Romance / Contemporary
ISBN e-book: 978-1-61213-329-4
Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH
~~SUMMARY~~
Gwen Stone has secrets she's not ready to reveal. After a recent promotion at work, she needs a caretaker for her children. She's frenzied and in a lurch and pretty much ready to hire the first person who comes along. So she does. Andrew Lyons needs to get out of his sister's apartment, and a Craigslist posting may be the answer to his prayers. But what he thought was an ad for a room rental turns into a job offer he can't refuse. Accepting the nanny position could change his life, if only he had a clue how to be a grownup. A working mother, a shirtless "manny" who looks good in a towel, two children who need more than a babysitter, and hours of kids' TV can only spell disaster for everyone involved. Because a manny should always mind his own business. And he definitely shouldn't fall in love with his boss.
Goodreads * Add to Want To Read List
~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~
Amber is a full-time mom and a full-time wife who is employed full time and writes when she can. She believes in Happily Ever Afters that occur every day - despite the obstacles real life serves up on a regular basis. Or perhaps they're sweeter simply because of them. She always has two rubber bands on her wrist, a song in her head, and too much creamer in her coffee cup that reads 'Cocoa,' because she's a rebel. If she's not at her desk, with her boys, or behind the computer, she's supporting live music with her arms raised above her head and her eyes closed, waiting for the drop.
~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~
Twitter * Facebook * Website
Praise for Eight Days a Week
"Laugh-out-loud story about a guy who goes to look at a room to rent and discovers it comes with a job - that of live-in nanny to two damaged kids. So Andrew Lyons accidentally becomes the "manny". Written in his POV, this book chronicles his hilarious escapades as he looks after and grows to love Bree and Brady, and his employer, Gwen. His pranks and spot-on observations about kids' TV shows had me giggling, but there were a few serious moments worthy of a sniffle as well. The star of the show may be Don, though - you'll just have to read this book to find out about him! Highly recommended."
- Andrea Goodreads Review
My review - What a beautiful, heartwarming, funny story!
I really enjoyed this story right from the beginning. It really grasped my interest! I've read many nanny stories where the female nanny falls in love with her boss so I like that Amber wrote that it was a male nanny and it was just different from all the rest.
Andrew is now my favourite character, his humor was amazing and especially Don ;D
I really liked the character growth in this story, not just Andrew but Gwen and the kids and it really made the ending that more special when you remember how much they've changed for the better to get there.
This story made me laugh so much, my boyfriend kept looking at me cause I was laughing out loud.
I was awwwwing at certain moments mostly with Brady as he was just adorable and Bree and her sassiness!
I did tear up a few bits but then it was right back to making me laugh.
I haven't read that much from Amber but after reading this and her writing skills, she has a new fan! Can't wait to read more from her!


The British Paraorchestra and Friends, The Nature of Why at Bristol Old Vic
Posted: May 22nd, 2018 | Author: Ian Abbott | Filed under: Festival, Performance | Tags: Alex McCabe, Caroline Bowditch, Charles Hazlewood, KJ Clarke-Davies, Marta Masiero, Mayfest, The British Paraorchestra, Victoria Fox, Will Gregory | Comments Off on The British Paraorchestra and Friends, The Nature of Why at Bristol Old Vic
The British Paraorchestra and Friends, The Nature of Why, Bristol Old Vic, May 12
The Nature of Why (photo: Paul Blakemore)
"Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough." - Richard Feynman
Set amongst the giddy theatrical delights of Mayfest is the world premiere of The Nature of Why by The British Paraorchestra and Friends; a physics-crunching, joyous, 70-minute musical adventure on the stage of the Bristol Old Vic. Commissioned by Unlimited it features a new score from Goldfrapp's Will Gregory, choreography and co-direction from Caroline Bowditch and is conducted and co-directed by Charles Hazlewood. The Nature of Why is framed by The British Paraorchestra as 'merging dance and live music into an epic performance that brims with emotion and physical beauty...it takes inspiration from the unconventional curiosity of Nobel prize-winning theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, and his search for meaning in the world around us. The Nature of Why promises to be an up-close-and-personal dance experience like no other.'
The choreography embellishes the idea of a magnet and how it attracts or repulses bodies, not only between the dancers but also in their intermingling with the audience which leaves a playful and non-threatening level of interaction in its wake: The Nature of Why revels in the intimacy and connections it forges between the audience and performers. Before we enter the auditorium there is a clear invitation from Bowditch and Hazlewood that viewing and altering our perspective is welcome and will create different sonic and visual opportunities for us. Set across nine distinct orchestral movements, audience members are invited to move in and around the stage in between the clearly defined sections whilst a pre-recorded conversation from Feynman talks about magnets and why; watching the dancers (KJ Clarke-Davies, Victoria Fox, Marta Masiero and Alex McCabe) twine, mesh and envelop themselves around each other and audience members or standing next to Adrian Lee as he shreds his electric guitar whilst the 10-piece string orchestra is dialing up the intensity four feet behind you is a rare privilege.
"The body is an instrument which only gives off music when it is used as a body. Always an orchestra, and just as music traverses walls, so sensuality traverses the body and reaches up to ecstasy." - Anais Nin
The British Paraorchestra is the world's only large-scale ensemble for disabled musicians and Gregory's rousing and anthemic score is executed with aplomb. It delivers a musical environment that enables the dancers to dig into and under their innate fibrous musicality; Masiero demonstrates an ease in playing and improvising with the young children in the audience who are present in the matinee performance. Gregory's score, whilst fulfilling the needs of the performers, also leaves a residue of sonic satisfaction with the audience that left my body moving and pulsing with an emotional connection amplified by the intimacy created by the performers.
Bowditch and Hazlewood highlight that Audio Description (provided by Rationale Productions) is available for each performance and you can take up the invitation if you want. It is wise to do so as the voice and performance of the live audio describer adds an additional layer to the performance which reinforces the choices and intention of the creative team; the joy and tone in hearing a smiling voice subjectively describe abstract choreography in plain English is both a challenge and a delight. When a dancer merges with a double bass and is wheelbarrowed across the stage I close my eyes listening to the audio voice, the score and the reaction of the audience. Rationale Productions are doing some pioneering work with Audio Description and it is clear they are woven into the creation process from the beginning; the integrity of, and familiarity with all parts of the production delivers a level of performance equal to those on stage.
"My soul is a hidden orchestra; I know not what instruments, what fiddlestrings and harps, drums and tamboura I sound and clash inside myself. All I hear is the symphony." - Fernando Pessoa
The Nature of Why has a number of scenographic and thematic echoes from two recent productions: Marc Brew Company's BrewBand (in which Masiero and McCabe featured prominently) fluidly exchanges the roles of dancer and musician and blurs the roles of each skill set, and Claire Cunningham's and Jess Curtis's The Way You Look (at me) Tonight which brought the audience on stage, had a depth of intimacy and asked a suite of complex philosophical questions. Bowditch, Cunningham and Brew are a trio of dance makers who have spent a number of years in Scotland forging a reputation for delivering ambitious and emotionally resonant work; with Brew's departure to Oakland as Artistic Director of Axis Dance (USA) and Bowditch's forthcoming appointment as Executive Director of Arts Access Victoria (AUS), it leaves Cunningham as the last of the trinity in Glasgow and Scotland, choreographically, a poorer place.
As a wider Mayfest observation, MAYK (co-directed by Matthew Austin and Kate Yedigaroff) have trusted and amplified a significant suite of makers from Bristol; that investment in the people based in the city is exemplary and an antidote to the majority of other UK-based theatre, dance and performance festivals that buy in work from out of town much to the detriment of the artists in their own city. Alongside The British Paraorchestra, there were works from Verity Standen, Sabrina Shirazi, Caroline Williams and Hannah Sullivan.
For a work with so many collaborators, constituent parts and a roving audience, The Nature of Why is a remarkably coherent experience; it creates a space where people can feel comfortable and connected to others, nourishes our ears, bodies and minds whilst nestling itself in the cracks of our memories as we leave the stage in high spirits.