text:
The publisher will be giving away 200
galleys of Janice Kaplan's The Gratitude
Diaries and 200 of The Courtesan by
Alexandra Curry, a debut novel about Sai
Jinhua of the Qing dynasty.
There are four major galley giveaways
here: Patrick deWitt's
Undermajor-domo Minor ( 100 galleys); The Girl
from the Garden by Parnaz Foroutan, a
debut novel about a wealthy Persian
Jewish family in early 20th- century Iran
( 100 galleys); Above the Waterfall by
Ron Rash (200 galleys); and The Lost
Landscape: A Writer's Coming of
Age, Joyce Carol Oates's memoir of her
girlhood ( 100 galleys).
The big giveaway here is 300 copies of
Elena Ferrante's The Story of the Lost
Child, the much-anticipated fourth (and
supposedly final) installment of her
Neapolitan novels. Also available are 150
copies of Animals by Emma Jane
Unsworth. Jennifer Tseng will sign
Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness, and
Chantel Acevedo will sign The Distant
Marvels ( 60 galleys each).
Jonathan Franzen's new novel Purity will
be a must-get galley, with 200 copies
available. Also for giveaway: 200 copies
of H.S. Cross's debut novel, Wilberforce.
In addition, Sloane Crosley will sign 100
copies of The Clasp.
The publisher will offer 100 copies each
of The Lufthansa Heist by Daniel
Simone and Henry Hill, and The Dog
Merchants, with an in-booth signing by
Kim Kavin (and her dogs)!
Available for giveaway: 50 galleys of The
Phantom Punch by Robert Sneddon.
Stacks of galleys include 750 copies of
Oscar Hijuelos's Twain and Stanley
Enter Paradise, and three other titles
with print runs in the hundreds of thousands: Killing Monica by Candace
Bushnell (500 galleys), The Three-Year
Swim Club by Julie Checkoway (450
galleys), and Second Chance Summer
by Jill Shalvis ( 100 galleys).
One hundred galleys will be available of the
Man Booker–longlisted novel The Wake
by Paul Kingsnorth, a postapocalyptic
novel set 1,000 years in the past.
This publisher has star power: actor Jesse
Eisenberg will sign his debut book, the
story collection Bream Gives Me
Hiccups (400 copies) and National Book
Award winner Lily Tuck, signing her new
novel, The Double Life of Liliane (300
Giveaways here include Captain in
Calico by George MacDonald Fraser, and
The Dead Student by John Katezenbach
(150 each).
On offer will be 350 copies of a debut
novel by New York Times reporter Jonathan
Weisman, No. 4 Imperial Lane, about an
American in Thatcher's England.
Mitch Albom will sign 200 galleys of
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.
Giveaways include 100 copies of Mary
Karr's The Art of Memoir and 100 copies of The Art of Crash Landing by
Melissa DeCarlo, and Adriana Trigiani is
appearing with 100 excerpt galleys of All
the Stars in the Heavens.
For giveaway here: 200 galleys each of
Lawrence Osborne's novel Hunters in
the Dark and Jeanette Winterson's The
Gap of Time, the debut title of the
Shakespeare series, an international project that has the bard's plays retold by
novelists for a 21st-century audience
(Winterson does The Winter's Tale).
For Keep Calm, a debut thriller by
Michael Binder, the publisher is giving
away 200 galleys, along with 200 galleys
of Pretty Is, Maggie Mitchell's fiction
Piles of galleys include 1,000 for Girl
Waits with Gun, bestselling nonfiction
Click to subscribe to this magazine


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We had returned to Jacqueline's the next day, taking X with us for the trip. Jacqueline and X didn't like each other at all, even from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. We sat around politely in a terribly tense atmosphere until X made an excuse and left, for the Eastern Seas. After he had left the room the air changed and we all relaxed. Jacqueline looked at us harshly and said, 'He's into Voodoo, that one.'
'Oh, really?' I asked.
'Yes, did you see the way that he moves all the time in that slow, hypnotic way? That's a voodoo thing.' She looked around nervously and asked James some questions about X - where he met him, how long ago, what his apartment looked like, if he had ever been to Africa.
We she had finished she offered us a warning: 'Be careful of him.' And then went to make us a new cup of tea.
When she had returned to the room and passed around the tea, Jacqueline rummaged in a bag, finally bringing out two books, which she passed to me.
'Read them,' she said and turned to James and Dan, chatting about Dusseldorf and the dark energy around the city.
I opened up the first of the two books. It was a typed affair, a small book, entitled 'Smiler'. It was by Jacqueline. I took a deep breath and opened up a world of child abuse and misery. Jacqueline, it seemed, did not have a happy childhood. It took me perhaps forty-five minutes to read it all. Each chapter had a poem at the beginning or end - a depressingly dismal poem. My spirits were low when I finished.
'What do you think?' She asked.
I thought.
'Very interesting.' I came up with.
'Read the other.'
'Ah, Okay.' I opened up book number two.
Book number two was a book consisting entirely of the dismal poetry. I tried but couldn't get through a single poem to the end, they were full of trees and life and energy and butterflies. I stared at the pages, unfocused, for another half an hour, drinking tea occasionally. Dan rolled a joint and passed it around.
I finished my staring and made to hand the books back to Jacqueline. She didn't take them and they hovered in mid-air, shaking slightly.
'No, you keep them.' She said with finality.
'What? Ah, no, I can't keep them,' I spluttered, 'they're… they're your books!'
'No, you keep them. And could you make me a promise too?' She said.
'Ah, um, what?' I sensed something bad coming.
'Promise that you'll try and get them published for me?' She said, as if it was nothing.
Before I knew what was happening, I said, 'Okay,' and put the books on the floor beside me.
What the hell was I thinking? Publish them? I was shaking now. I didn't tell her when I would try and publish them, I reasoned to myself. I could take twenty years and then just send them to a publishing house. No problems, I tried. I felt better.
I may have felt better, but at that moment I accepted a gift that would hang around my neck like a leaden weight for many years to come.
Jacqueline sat down on the floor, between my legs and facing me, and then all the lights went out.
Time passed.
When the lights came back on, we were all snapped out of another world and brought back rudely into this one. We were all somehow separate in the room, each excluded from the other's trips. I was still sitting on my chair, Jacqueline between my legs, staring into my face; James was sitting like a vulture in another chair, staring into space; and Dan sat upright with a jolt from a prone position on the sofa. The light was harsh and we all blinked slowly.
I was the first so speak, a mundane, 'What just happened?'
No one answered, there was an electric, tense atmosphere in the room. James looked scared, Dan looked confused and agitated, only Jacqueline looked serene. I decided we should leave and talk about this without Jacqueline being present.
'We've got to go now.' I said, bleakly, to Jacqueline.
She wasn't happy with this idea. She protested. She told me that I had to stay, that I needed to sleep with her to complete our bond. How could I leave her now that we had found each other? She gestured to the bed where this act was to take place. All eyes followed her finger and contemplated the bed.
I thought about it for a second or two. I thought, this is Big Patrick's girlfriend, I wondered what would happen. I admitted that I was intrigued by the possibilities of sex with this woman. I looked at James and Dan, their eyes pleaded with me to refuse and leave with them.
'No, we have to leave. Come on,' I got up and moved towards the door, as if in a dream.
The others slowly rose and glided towards the exit, and escape from the intense atmosphere.
Jacqueline's face grew wicked, 'You can't leave,' she said, and then stood aside, leaving the route out free.
We stumbled out of the room, pushing at each other in the hurry.
As we stepped out into the street and the fresh night, the world changed again. Peace and calm descended upon us, protective and warm. It was the early hours and the streets were dark and deserted. Without a word we began to walk away from the apartment block and back towards the X's flat, and sleep. We walked silently for about ten minutes, each digesting the events and trying to put them into words to tell the others.
Dan began.
Dan's Story
When the lights went out I found myself in a dark and comfortable bed. I knew I wasn't in the apartment any more, but didn't care because I was so warm and comfortable. I knew that I had had entered another dimension, a dimension which is inhabited by vampires (vampires was best word he could come up with, after a struggle). I was being invited to join them and live in this dimension with them. It was an incredible feeling. I was tempted to stay.
I looked around and discovered that I was actually in a coffin without a lid. Outside the coffin was an enormous hall with endless columns stretching into the distance. Then I noticed a group of vampire monks who were carrying the lid of the coffin, they were bringing it towards me, to close me in. Then they were pushing down the lid and I was pushing up against it with all my strength. I knew that if I closed the lid then I would be trapped there forever. I was losing, the strength of the vampires was too much for me, the lid was almost closed when the light came back on in the room and I was saved.
Ralph's Story
The lights went out and all I could see was Jacqueline's face, floating in the dark in front of mine. She began to speak softly, but without using words.
-- This is communing, she said.
She told me that we had known each other before, in a past life, and that we had been lovers, and would be again too.
As she spoke, her face began to change shape. She became another person, and then another -- many different faces (I paused here and remembered the stones of Bailrigg). She laughed and told me that my face was changing too.
-- These are the faces of our past lives, she told me.
She asked me if I had missed her.
She said that I had something to make her complete: I knew something, she wanted to know what it was. I thought of bubbles of light meeting in the dark, the ideas became real and we watched them together.
-- I don't know what you want from me.
-- Yes, you do.
I felt that she thought I was keeping a secret from her. She told me that she was chaos and I was calm. Together we could achieve anything in this world. I had visions of power that surprised me, she seemed right.
The lights came on, and I was once again staring at Jacqueline.
James's Story
I saw monsters.
He would say no more.
Article Fpa 1 Hits 3420 | Last Modified 2007-06-13

subset: commoncrawl


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It has been a while since my last post I must admit, however much has happened at work and with wedding planning. That and the 1/2 Marathon that we finished today. Even though we were close to missing it due to sever traffic and poor event planning, we made it in time for the countdown.
Thankfully, we survived the course and enjoyed the victory. If training for and competing in a 1/2 marathon (or any long distance race), is that it changes your perspective of what is possible with yourself and your capabilities. Its a confidence creating experience and something that I am very proud of. Although Design and Running are two different things, one affected the other in this case. I can definitely say that it has improved my ability to assess problems and develop design solutions, knowing that are many many possibilities. Its a good feeling.


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A New Orleans Hotel Near the Parade Route But Far From the Circus
Gentedimontagna editorial director Jeralyn Gerba parades on down to NOLA and checks into a Lower Garden District Gem.
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? I've been humming that line ever since I got back from a blissful week at the . Named for the journeyman carpenter and influential architect who left his mark on much of the city, Howard's 1860s Greek Revival building in the residential Lower Garden District offers just the right mix of high-design aesthetics and low-key charm in a boutique hotel package.
Inside the striking HHH townhouse are three floors of rooms with custom wallpapers, twelve-foot windows, sparkling chandeliers, upholstered furniture, and inviting parlor for socializing with a Sazerac.
The building is neighbors with shotgun houses, po' boy delis, an above ground cemetery, and a steel structure that used to be part of the Eiffel Tower (it's a restaurant and lounge). All are in various states of bohemian decay — overgrown and highly spirited — and a quick walk in any direction reveals antebellum columns, cast-iron balconies, hidden courtyards, and last year's Mardi Gras beads caught on the branches of magnolia trees. This is a place where live oaks split the sidewalks and fans whir softly on the porches of grand dame mansions. It's romantic and old-world and offers first-time tourists and obsessive repeat visitors alike another, more local version of NOLA.
Rates from $169. .
Nola's Lower Garden District is a residential neighborhood flanked by the shopping street Magazine and iconic St. Charles Avenue, which has its own vintage streetcar line. It's a terrific area for strolling, with notable architecture, new shops, and old-school joints. It's a 30-minute walk or ten-minute cab ride to the heart of the French Quarter.
Hotel Style
Furniture is a mix of vintage and contemporary styles, sourced from local designers and antique shops. On the walls: custom toile wallpaper and shiny second-line instruments. Beautiful wood floors are covered with Persian rugs. Ceilings are soaring, porch chairs are rocking, and cocktails are flowing.
This Place Is Perfect For
The location is a for those looking to blend in with the locals, explore beyond the French Quarter, or have prime access to Mardi Gras party routes. The suite is great for a family. During parade season, you can practically hear the rat-a-tat of a snare drum summoning the marching band on nearby St. Charles Avenue.
What's on Site
The parlor feels like a well-appointed living room — with a bar. Guests and staff chat, drink, and snack day and night, but the vibe is mellow and homey. No one seemed to mind my toddler adorning herself with reams of beads while occupying the best seat in the house — a green velvet sofa in front of the large windows.
Number of Rooms
There are 18 rooms with modern canopy beds and an incredibly spacious three-bedroom suite on the top floor.
In-Room Amenities
There's strong WiFi, TV, a powerful shower, and a mini bar that includes a feathered voodoo doll, Tabasco brand chocolates, and wildly addictive local Zapps potato chips. The top floor suite has a bass drum and mallet for impromptu rhythm sessions (just not at night, please). Evening turn-down service includes fresh-baked cookies on a plate.
Seeing as everyone's in town to dine and drink (and take home leftovers), the lack of an in-room mini fridge feels like an oversight.
Standout Detail
The reception is warm at all hours of day and night. The staff go out of their way to make sure guests are comfortable. They say it's Southern hospitality, but the down-home friendliness felt more genuine than that.
Back in the 19th century, when the area was the French colony of Louisiane, the nouveau riche (gauche!) Americans found themselves unwelcome in Creole New Orleans, a strange city of French-Spanish-Caribbean hybridism. So they settled on the other side of Canal Street, building manor houses with lush gardens — hence, the Garden District.
What to Do Nearby
What's not to do? Old-school imbibing at . Oyster slurping at . Po-boy slamming at . Lunching at . Tippling at . King Cake-tasting at . Ghost-hunting at . And catching the .
Good to Know
Let the good times roll.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport is a quick 20-minute drive from HHH. Pockets of New Orleans are very walkable. Uber quickly, easily, and affordably fills in the gaps. The St. Charles streetcar is one block from the hotel and is cinch to access for a ride to the French Quarter.
Cocktail Nerd's Drinking Guide to NOLA
Cochon Oysters Are a Beautiful Thing
The Pop Artist's Guide to NOLA


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We believe you do not have to spend a fortune when replacing some or all of your current office furniture. Our knowledge and expertise in advising you of the correct products to buy we believe sets us apart from our perceived competition. Here are some of the reasons why: –
- Our extensive showroom and working offices here in Lincolnshire receive visitors throughout our working week which allows our Clients to physically see and appraise a wide range of products on display.
- If you cannot get to us, we can arrange a visit to one of our manufacturing partners, which may be more local to you and easier for you.
- Our Sales Managers can even make a trip to come see you at your office, and advise on what products best suits your needs.
- We also endeavour to offer very competitive prices whether you are looking for a new chair or a full office suite.
- We not only carry a vast stock of new products at good prices, but if you are working to a tight budget, we may be in a position to meet them, by offering products from our ex-hire or refurbished product ranges.
Whatever the nature of your furniture enquiry, whether it is from a canteen area to a boardroom, we believe we are confident we are able to help save you both time and money. Give our offices a call today and see for yourself – you may be pleasantly surprised of our approach.


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Berkhamsted have their first SSML Premier Division game for nearly a month when they entertain newly promoted FC Broxbourne Borough on Saturday.
Josh Chamberlain returns after a one-game suspension, and the enforced rest will also have eased Berko's recent injury crisis.
Berko follow up on Tuesday with a home Challenge Trophy tie against Aylesbury United Reserves – a side from two divisions below them in the non-league pyramid.
Berko's progress in other cups has given them new fixtures; in the FA Vase on Saturday, October 3 at home to Northampton ON Chenecks, and on Wednesday, October 14 at Hadley in their defence of the Premier Division Cup.
Meanwhile, Berko's reserve side conceded three goals in each half at Broadwater on Saturday as they went down 6-0 to a physically stronger North Greenford United side in the Suburban League North.
Bradley O'Donovan and Alex Foster made their comebacks for Berko in this game, but they couldn't prevent the heavy defeat.


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hagfish reading
by Feng
Feeding (a la wikipedia)
Two Pacific hagfish actively feeding on a dead sharpchin rockfish, Sebastes zacentrus, while one remains in a curled position at the left of the photo.
While polychaete marine worms on or near the sea floor are a major source of nutrition, hagfish can feed upon and often even enter and eviscerate the bodies of dead and dying/injured sea creatures much larger than themselves. They are known to devour their prey from the inside.[11] Hagfish have the ability to absorb dissolved organic matter across the skin and gill, which may be an adaptation to a scavenging lifestyle, allowing hagfish to maximize sporadic opportunities for feeding. From an evolutionary perspective, hagfish represent a transitory state between the generalized nutrient absorption pathways of aquatic invertebrates and the more specialized digestive systems of aquatic vertebrates.[12]
Like leeches, they have a sluggish metabolism and can survive months between feedings;[13][14] their feeding behavior, however, appears quite vigorous.
In captivity, hagfish are observed to use the overhand-knot behavior "in reverse" (tail-to-head) to assist them in gaining mechanical advantage to pull out hunks of flesh from carrion fish or cetaceans, eventually making an opening to permit entry to the interior of the body cavity of larger carcasses. It is to be expected that a healthy larger sea creature would be able to outfight or outswim this sort of assault.
However, this energetic opportunism on the part of the hagfish can be a great nuisance to fishermen, as they can devour or spoil entire deep-drag netted catches before they can be pulled to the surface. Since hagfish are typically found in large clusters on and near the bottom, a single trawler's catch could contain several dozen or even hundreds of hagfish as bycatch, and all the other struggling, captive sealife make easy prey for them.
The digestive tract of the hagfish is unique among the vertebrates because the food in the gut is enclosed in a permeable membrane, analogous to the peritrophic matrix of insects.[15]


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Trust no one
"Trust affects kids' patience" (SN: 11/17/12, p. 10) refers only to children. But based on my own experience, I'd expect it to apply to adults as well. If you tell me I can have $100 now or $200 in an hour, what I do will depend on whether or not I trust you to come through with the $200 in an hour. I'd expect this to apply to anyone who is old enough to have a concept of the future and has had experience with trustworthy and untrustworthy people.
Ted Grinthal, Berkeley Heights, N.J.
Updated writing tips
Thanks for the reprint of the 1950 "Hints for writing science" mentioned in the letter from the editor (SN: 12/1/12, p. 2). The list of "stories that should be handled with care" has to be updated; quite a few concepts previously thought wacky are now mainstream. Her


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Holiday Inn® Brand and HLN Collaborate on New Television Series Growing America: A Journey to Success
Series Follows Three MBAxAmerica Teams as They Embark on Extraordinary Journeys
October 28, 2014 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA – The iconic Holiday Inn® brand, part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and HLN (a Turner Broadcasting network), today announced the production of the six-episode original series, Growing America: A Journey to Success, premiering on Sunday, November 16th at 9:00 pm EST on HLN. Hosted by Ty Pennington, (known for Trading Spaces, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, On The Menu), the documentary series follows teams of MBA students from the MBAs Across America (MBAxAmerica) program, who are given one week to use their expertise to transform businesses and positively affect communities in cities across the U.S.
"We were fortunate enough to work closely with Casey Gerald, co-founder and CEO of MBAxAmerica, this year as part of our Journey to Extraordinary campaign, and were in awe of the impact he and his MBAxAmerica teams are having on businesses and cities across the U.S. The entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on the communities in which our hotels do business is the foundation on which the Holiday Inn brand was built, so the relationship was a perfect fit," said Maurice Cooper, vice president, Holiday Inn® brand, the Americas, IHG. "Together, we approached HLN to create a TV series that would further showcase on a national level the personal journeys of these MBA students and the entrepreneurs they are helping, and how the Holiday Inn brand has enabled them along the way – all while hopefully inspiring viewers on extraordinary journeys of their own."
Over 50% of the working population in the U.S. is employed by a small business[1], making the success of entrepreneurs a vital part of the success of the American economy. Against this backdrop, the stakes are high as the MBAxAmerica teams are challenged each episode to leverage their education and expertise to help three entrepreneurs, who are about to get the opportunity of a lifetime, take risks and transform their business in just five days. From a Denver tech company seeking to revolutionize the nonprofit world and a barbershop striving to become a community centerpiece in Detroit to a family owned café in Little Rock aiming to become a leader in the local organic food movement – these small business are all on extraordinary journeys which the Holiday Inn brand is committed to enabling through Growing America: A Journey to Success.
"This collaboration speaks to the strength of both brands and how we connect with millions of Americans on a daily basis. This partnership also represents an important step forward for both HLN and the Holiday Inn brand in the way in which we now connect with our audiences – in person, on television and through digital channels," said Katrina Cukaj, executive vice president, CNN/HLN Ad Sales.
Digital media will play a key role in Growing America: A Journey to Success. After each episode airs, viewers will be encouraged to visit HLNtv.com/GrowingAmerica to vote for the most inspirational small business of the television series, with the winner announced during the show finale, airing on Sunday, December 21st. The Holiday Inn brand and HLN also co-created a companion digital series, which will explore the challenges of small businesses in Boise, Idaho and Nashville, Tennessee. This series, along with profiles of the business owners and MBA teams, and tips for small business owners, will round out the content featured online. To join the conversation throughout the series and share their own extraordinary journeys, viewers can visit the Holiday Inn brand's social channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube; dedicated HLN social channels for Growing America: A Journey to Success including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube; and are encouraged to use the hashtag #GrowingAmerica across all channels.
About MBAxAmerica and Holiday Inn Partnership
MBAxAmerica is an innovative program that takes MBA students from some of America's most prestigious universities and challenges them to take a journey across the U.S., learning from and working with visionary entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their communities. With 32 students traveling to 27 cities over four months, MBAxAmerica needed a like-minded partner to enable the teams to complete their journeys. The Holiday Inn brand has always played an important role in the community – both as a local gathering place and as an opportunity for an entrepreneur to realize the American dream of being a small business owner. Today, in supporting its owners and communities, the brand continues living up to its heritage of helping small business owners achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions. Throughout the partnership, the Holiday Inn brand has provided hotel accommodations for the MBA teams, while also giving them a place to relax, refresh and collaborate and enable their journeys across the country. The brand also documented and shared the extraordinary journeys of these MBA teams and the entrepreneurs through a "Signature Stories" series as part of the Holiday Inn brand's Journey to Extraordinary campaign.
About the Holiday Inn® brand
With over 1,149 hotels worldwide, the Holiday Inn® brand is the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world. In fact, the Holiday Inn brand was one of the first international hotel brands to establish a presence in China in 1984. The Holiday Inn brand provides the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable atmosphere where all people can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers and comfortable lounges. The casual atmosphere and amenities such as meeting and on-site business facilities, and Kids Stay and Eat Free programs, demonstrates the long-standing commitment of the Holiday Inn brand to serving travelers and have helped to establish the brand as "America's Favorite Hotel." For more information about the Holiday Inn brand, visit www.holidayinn.com or call 1-800-HOLIDAY. Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/holidayinn or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnhotels.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc .
About HLN
About HLN: HLN rebranded itself in 2014 as the first U.S. TV home for the social media generation (millennials and the millennial-minded). Inspired by the national passion for sharing 'news,' and the technology that makes the flow of information instantly accessible, HLN rips its headlines from social media and actively interacts with consumers and what they are searching, playing, sharing, shopping, creating and watching.HLNtv.com is designed to be the digital home for the nation's most popular social media content. HLN is a CNN Worldwide network reaching more than 100 million households in the U.S. CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information.
About MBAs Across America (MBAxAmerica)
MBAs Across America (MBAxAmerica), is a national movement to revitalize America by mobilizing the nation's top business school students to support startups and small businesses in some of our most overlooked cities and communities. The program challenges MBAs to take a journey across America to work with visionary entrepreneurs who are making a difference every day in their communities. Breaking the mold of traditional business school internships, MBAxAmerica believes the future of business school is hands-on; on the ground; and must prepare a new generation to drive real progress. The MBA students are able to apply their education and skills in the real world while helping hard working entrepreneurs in America--in the process creating a new generation of business leaders who can be a central force for good in the world.
[1] Forbes.com, 16 Surprising Statistics About Small Businesses, 9 September 2013
About IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization with a broad portfolio of nine hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts.
IHG manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 82 million members worldwide. The program was relaunched in July 2013, offering enhanced benefits for members including free internet across all hotels, globally.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,700 hotels and 697,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries, with almost 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihg,www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.
SOURCE IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
Media Contacts:
Jordan Worrall
Holiday Inn® Portfolio of Brands
(770) 604-5010
Jenn Toner
Turner Broadcasting
(212) 275-6642


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Have a safe trip!
To insure a trip a motorhome there are three types of options to consider:
- The vehicle insurance and accident insurance.
- A travel insurance (not offered by ORSONRENT)
- A trip cancellation insurance (optional in ORSONRENT)
In ORSONRENT we work with the insurance company Metropolis through the insurance broker Zalba-Caldú, specialised insurance broker for the motorhome and caravan industry.
The insurance covers all damages to third parties without limits and proper damages with a franchise of 600,- Euros. All damages with a maximum of 600,-Euros caused to the vehicle by the renter during the rental period will be charged and subtracted from the deposit.
We recommend to thoroughly revise the vehicle at the pick-up and at the return of the vehicle at the end of the rental period. Declare all damages on the contract to avoid any dislikes when returning the vehicle and reimbursement of the deposit.
The deposit exists as a provision for damages. ORSONRENT reserves a period of 2 labour days after the return of the vehicle for revision of possible damages. In case the damages need a third party assessment or in case of involvement of the insurance company due to damages incurred, ORSONRENT reserves a period until conformity about the repair is reached by all parties. The total or partial deposit amount will be returned to your bank account.
Accident Insurance:
Accident assistance is covered by Metropolis and ARAG Auto. Ask for a copy of the insurance policy and consult your own insurance for its covers.
Consult ORSONRENT.
The driver and all authorised by the owner, as well as all others occupying an authorised seat in the vehicle.
Consult ORSONRENT.
The vehicle insurance as mentioned above does not cover any damages or robbery of any belongings inside the vehicle. We therefore recommend to consult your own travel insurance/credit card company of its covers and if not sufficient, to contract your own specialised travel insurance.
In ORSONRENT you can contract a trip cancellation insurance. Principal covers of the cancelation insurance:
Attention: the following summary is merely informational and has no contractual value. The policy will be handed over at the check-in of the vehicle or at request of the client before contracting.
ORSONRENT will reimburse the cancellation costs with a limit of 1500,- Euro in the following cases:
1. Decease, hospitalisation, serious sickness or grave accident by the insured or direct family.
2. Obliged presence business owner.
3. Involuntary job dismissal.
4. Start new employment.
5. Act of piracy, land or naval, preventing initiating the trip.
6. Surgical intervention of the insured.
7. Call for urgent medical examination of the insured.
8. Serious complication in pregnancy obliging inured to rest or hospitalisation.
9. Premature delivery.
10. Official retention of insured.
11. Summon of insured for divorce process.
12. Urgent call for incorporation to the armed forces, police or fire workers.
13. Cancellation of people accompanying the insured on the trip, registered at the same moment and insured by the same contract as long as the cancellation of the trip is based on the same causes mentioned above.


text: Change: Learn to Love It. Learn to Lead it by Richard Gerver has been a part of my weekend reading, and I just can't get one sentence out of my head. "It is no accident that, as times become more uncertain and susceptible to change, so our desire grows for the past, for a time of familiarity and security." There has been a tremendous amount of change in education and throughout Affton over the last decade, and it has caused a huge amount of excitement coupled with anxiety. There are many days when I long for the past as well. There was comfort, understanding, and stability in that space. Gerver's book pushed me to remember that even if we could return to the past, it isn't there. That truth is really hard for me, but it reminds me that I need the strength, support, and superpowers in each of you to make the road forward less bumpy and worth it for kids.


text:
Arizona Volleyball Match Notes
Aug. 26, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
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Raising Arizona: Over the past three seasons the Arizona volleyball program has steadily improved on a national level and this season's senior class has played a major part in helping raise the Wildcats to an elite level among Division I schools. As a group, Lisa Rutledge, Stefani Saragosa, Shannon Torregrosa and Rachel Williams have played in 12 NCAA Tournament matches, been to the Sweet Sixteen three times, the Elite Eight twice and all contributed heavily in Arizona's first Final Four berth last season. The four seniors have combined to play in 347 matches, make 187 starts, play 1,103 games and record 2,309 kills.
The Schedule: In an attempt to prepare his squad for the always brutally tough Pac-10 season, head coach David Rubio has put together one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. The Wildcats are slated to play 29 matches in the regular season in 2002, including 18 against schools that took part in the 2001 NCAA Championship Tournament. The Wildcats will take on NCAA Tournament participants Louisville, American, UT-Arlington and Sweet Sixteen foe No. 12 Pacific on the road prior to the opening of conference play. Among the teams slated to visit Tucson and the desert southwest in the pre-conference season are fellow Final Four participant no. 2 Nebraska and Sweet Sixteen member no. 8 Pepperdine. The conference season gets no easier for Arizona. Laying in wait in the Pac-10 for the Wildcats are only the defending national champions and top-ranked Stanford, Elite Eight finishers no. 3 USC and no. 11 UCLA, tournament participants Washington State and Oregon State, as well as much improved teams from Cal, Arizona State and Washington.
Milestones To Watch For: Head coach David Rubio needs just three more wins for his 200th as the top man at Arizona ... Lisa Rutledge needs 29 starts this season to become the all-time school leader in matches started ... Although Barb Bell's school record of 1,859 career kills appears safe, a top three finish for Rutledge is not out of the question. Already seventh on the kills list, the senior outside hitter needs just 218 more to move into third all-time.
Pac-10 Coaches Preseason Poll: The Pac-10 coaches have placed Arizona third in their annual preseason poll. The Wildcats garnered 73 votes in the poll, trailing only defending Pac-10 Champion Stanford and USC. The coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own team, have correctly named the conference champion eight times in 13 tries.
Season Openers: In the 20 season opening matches since 1982 the Wildcats are 15-5 (.750) ... They have swept 11 opponents in their first match to start a season ... Arizona is 7-3 in season openers under David Rubio ... 2002 will mark the seventh straight season Arizona will open its season either on the road or on a neutral court ... Arizona is 8-3 on the road or on a neutral court in a season opener since 1982.
Arizona vs. The Louisville Invitational Field: The Wildcats will face UT-Arlington, American and Louisville in its first three matches this season. Arizona is 2-1 all-time against the three schools, having defeated American and Louisville each once and fallen to UTA. The Wildcats and UT-Arlington last met in 1988 with the Mavericks pulling out a 3-2 victory over the Wildcats in Arlington, Texas. UA and American met up in 1995 resulting in an Arizona sweep in the opening round of the Wildcat Classic. Invitational host Louisville was also a 3-0 victim to Arizona last season in the Wildcat Classic.
UT-Arlington Quick Hits: The Mavericks return all six starters and nine letter winners from last season's NCAA First Round team ... UTA went 22-12 overall in 2001 and finished fourth with a 13-7 mark in the Southland Conference ... UTA fell 0-3 to NCAA Tournament First and Second Round host and Elite Eight finisher Texas A&M ... The Mavericks are 138-117 in eight seasons under head coach Janine Smith ... UTA returns four players that tallied 300+ kills apiece in 2001, including senior Carol Bozikis who led the Mavericks with 364 kills last season.
American Quick Hits: The Patriot League champions return 10 letterwinners from last season's NCAA First Round team ... The Eagles finished last season 26-4 overall and a perfect 14-0 in conference play ... The Eagles fell 0-3 to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2001 ... AU is 326-128 in 13 seasons under head coach Barry Goldberg ... Senior middle blocker Judit Szekelyhidi is the Eagles returning kills leader having tallied 238 last season .. Also returning in sophomore setter Sabrina Vasconcelos who dished out 1,010 assists in her freshman season for an average of 11.35 per game.
Louisville Quick Hits: The Cardinals return four starters and five letterwinners from last season's NCAA Second Round team ... UL finished last season 26-7 and second in Conference USA with a 13-3 mark ... Louisville defeated Georgia Tech in the first round of the postseason last year before falling to eventual Arizona victim Pacific, 1-3, in the second round ... Head coach Leonid Yelin has guided the Cardinals to a 142-49 record in six seasons ... Leading hitter, senior Sonja Percan, returns after posting an impressive 611 kills in 2001
We're #1: The 2002 freshman class at Arizona is easily the most highly regarded incoming crop of athletes in the program's 31-year history. Ranked the top recruiting class in the nation by Volleyball Magazine, all four players in the class are in the publication's Fab 50 for 2002, including the top two and three of the top six freshman players in the country. The class is composed of Jennifer Abernathy and Meghan Cumpston from California, Kim Glass from Pennsylvania, and Bre Ladd who opted to stay in Southern Arizona after attending Canyon Del Oro High School.
Arizona and Volleyball Magazine's 2002 Fab 501. Bre Ladd2. Kim Glass6. Jennifer Abernathy34. Meghan Cumpston
Returning Player Points:
Lisa Rutledge: Has started on the outside all three years ...2001 All-Pac-10 ... Was named AVCA All-Pacific Region last season ... Established career highs in kills (417) and attempts (1,004) last season ... Is seventh on Arizona's career kill list with 1,056... Is averaging 3.47 kills per game, third-best in school history.
Stefani Saragosa: Three-year starter at middle blocker ... 2001 honorable mention All-Pac-10 ... Has the second-best career hitting percentage (.345) for any Arizona player with 1,000 or more career attempts ... Is averaging 1.06 blocks per game for her career, fifth best at Arizona ... Is seventh on the career list with 266 block assists and 11th in total blocks with 299 ... Will miss the first weekend due to a sore shoulder.
Shannon Torregrosa: Was named Arizona's first-ever AVCA National Player of the Week after averaging 5.83 kills per game and hitting .418 against No. 3 USC and No. 6 UCLA last season ... Established career-highs in kills (362) and attempts (900) in 2001.
Rachel Williams: Three-year starter at DS ... Will challenge for the role of Libero this season ... Has recorded 453 career digs in three seasons ... tallied a career-high 162 digs last season.
Christina Frost: Versatile player can fill into a number different roles ... Will see time as Libero/DS and in the front row as an OH ... Made four starts for the Wildcats in 2001 and was impressive in all.
Jolene Killough: A shot changer in the middle, Coach Rubio has been impressed with her development since her arrival at Arizona ... Saw limited action last season (26 games played).
Kelli Mulvany: 2001 honorable mention Freshman All-Pac-10 ... Provides a steady presence in the back row ... Will challenge for the Libero/DS role ... Recorded 212 digs in her first season, fourth most for a freshman player in school history.
Rochelle Ruen: Saw limited action in 2001, but will be called upon to challenge for the starting setter position this season.
Newcomer News:
Jennifer Abernathy: Ranked No. 6 in Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 for 2002 ... 2000 and 2001 High School All-American ... 2001 Contra Costa Times Athlete of the Year for all sports ... 2000 Contra Costa Times Volleyball Player of the Year ... High school MVP in 2000 and '01 ... 2001-02 Deer Valley Senior Athlete of the Year for all sports ... Was a member of the 2001 US Junior National Team along with current Arizona teammates Bre Ladd and Kim Glass.
Cassidy Crum: Transferred to Arizona from ACC Champion Duke University ... Recorded 37 kills in 68 games played at Duke ... Tallied 121 digs for a 1.78 dpg average before transferring ... Is the daughter of former Arizona football player Bob Crum.
Meghan Cumpston: Ranked no. 34 in Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 for 2002 ... Holds the school record for the most kills in single a season ... Was a two-time Eastern Athletic League All-League selection and was also named all-section in 2000 and 2001 ... 2001 all-tournament MVP ... 2001 team captain.
Laurie Gardner: Transferred to Arizona from Indiana University ... A three-year starter at setter for the Hoosiers, she will provide experience and depth in a critical position for the Wildcats ... Dished out 3,500 assists in three seasons in Bloomington ... Named 1999 Freshman All-Big Ten.
Kim Glass: 2001 Gatorade State Player of the Year for Pennsylvania ... Ranked second in Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 for 2002 ... Was named all-state three times (1999-2001) ... Three-time All-Lebanon League selection (1999-2001) ... Was twice honored as the Lebanon League MVP (2000-01) ... Twice helped Conestoga to District III titles (2001, 00) and a runner-up finish in 1999 ... 1999 and 2000 All-District III first team member ... Was member of three league title winning teams (1999-2001) ... Played for the 2002 US Junior National Team in Puerto Rico ... Was a member of the 2001 US Junior National Team along with current Arizona teammates Bre Ladd and Jennifer Abernathy.
Bre Ladd: 2001 Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year ... Top ranked high school recruit ... Ranked first in Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 for 2002 ... Tucson Citizen and Arizona Republic Arizona State Player of the Year ... 2001 Arizona 5A South MVP as voted on by the coaches ... Team captain in 2000 and 2001 ... Owns Canyon Del Oro High School records in kills in a match (21), kills in a season (428), career kills (971), career aces (146) and career blocks (146) ... Led CDO to the Class 5A state tournament quarterfinals in 2001, the furthest CDO has gone in school history ... Was a member of the 2001 USA Junior National Team along with current Arizona teammates Kim Glass and Jennifer Abernathy.
Head Coach David Rubio: Entering his 11th season as the top man at Arizona, Rubio has elevated the Wildcat volleyball program to one of the elite in all of Division I. Taking a team that did not win a conference match the season prior to his arrival, he has built a 197-97 record in 10 years. He has led the Wildcats to eight NCAA Tournament berths, including the last six straight, 15 tournament victories, five Sweet Sixteens ('93, '94, '99, 2000, '01), two Elite Eights (2000, '01) and Arizona's first-ever Final Four (2001). His efforts last season earned him Volleyball Magazine National Coach-of-the-Year honors.
Volleyball Match NotesOct 7 '03
Volleyball Match NotesSep 30 '03
TODAY | 6:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
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Airing on:
- Pac-12 Arizona


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text:
When a fan recommended Juliette Ashby for the show I admit I had to find her music because, although I had heard the name, I wasn't familiar with er sound. It wasn't long before I was very familiar with her sound - she is irresistible. Her voice has a curl in it that I have never hear anywhere else. She moves from childlike mischief to mature (and sometimes explicit) world-weary mature woman. Every song is full of complexity, even when it is just Juliette on her guitar. Ashby wrote her first song when she was 7 years old, in the car while on holiday in Greece. It was a country song called "Place In My Heart". She met her best friend Amy Winehouse at nursery when they were 4 years old and by the time they were 10 they were writing and performing songs, dances and raps. They recorded 3 self written songs together; "Spindarella", "Glam Chicks" and "Boys …Who Needs Them". Juliette now resides in London and continues to record and write music .
Ashby has just returned to London after performing several critically acclaimed showcases at t SXSW, including an exclusive press dinner for Russell Simmons and Steve Rifkind's new label launch ADD52, plus Perez Hilton's One Night In Austin show at Austin Music Hall. She has just released her debut album, Bittersweet and it rocks. The first single to be taken from the album is "Over & Over" produced by So So Def's Mike Kalombo.
She was schedule for 5.9.16 but we have to postpone because of last minute travel plan change and she is on a trian. Juliette will reschedule for later in teh month.


text:
Author Interview with Robert Swartwood, new horror/thriller release THE INNER CIRCLE – and a GIVEAWAY
UPDATE: Winners announced, check the bottom of the comments. Thanks everyone!
I've met some great fellow authors online over the past couple of years, but in this social media day and age, the vast majority of them have been online. Certainly nothing wrong with that, it's the way of the world, but I consider it a rare privilege to be able to get together in person with some of these fine folks. One fine folk I call a friend is Robert Swartwood, the successful self-published author of several horror and thriller novels, the latest of which is THE INNER CIRCLE, and someone who was a woman the first time I met him.* This is the second in his horror/thriller trilogy, and he was kind enough to put together an interview about this, and the first in the series (MAN OF WAX).
* Okay, I can't put that statement out there and leave it hanging… One of the first e-books I bought was NO SHELTER by a new female author, Z. Constance Frost, who I "met" in an online writers forum (and you know how those 'meeting online' things can be…mysterious). I had numerous conversations with her, noticed she was very good friends with Robert Swartwood (and even did some interviews with him!), promoted each other's books, and so on. I even encouraged young Z. Constance to join Twitter, where so many other helpful authors reside! So imagine my surprise when Z up and turned into a man. (Robert wrote No Shelter under a pseudonym because it was a different type of novel than he normally wrote.) It took several days before I stopped feeling dirty… (Cut to bathroom scene from The Crying Game.)
Robert and I live less than two hours from each other, so we had a fantastic couple of hours at lunch (in a brewpub…writers don't mess around) discussing writing, marketing, and other highbrow activities. Looking forward to doing it again. Make sure to visit his site and take a peek at his books, all very highly rated.
Short and Sweet Third-Person Bio
Robert Swartwood was born in 1981. His work has appeared in such venues as The Los Angeles Review, The Daily Beast, Postscripts, ChiZine, Space and Time,Wigleaf, and PANK. He is the editor of Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer, which was chosen by The Nervous Breakdown as one of their favorite books of 2010, and was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon.
Oh, and check out these covers…they drip professionalism. Love 'em (click to enlarge):
Now without further ado, my interview with Robert, and a SPECIAL GIVEAWAY at the end (so read all the way through, folks…no cheating):
SU: If someone put a gun to your head and said, "Send a promotional 140 character tweet about The Inner Circle, and make it good", what would you type?
RS: "The Inner Circle is The Hunger Games meets The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo but even better!" … or something like that. I'm not good at promotional tweeting.
So is The Inner Circle (not to mention Man of Wax) horrific? Very much so, yes. In fact, I have received some one-star reviews of Man of Wax where readers make it about 15% into the book and stop because, they claim, it's so "dark and disturbing" and "disgusting." Personally, I don't think it's THAT dark and disturbing and disgusting, but I can see where some people would think so. Thing is, though, I am not one to show the dark and disturbing and disgusting. I'm not a fan of "torture porn"; in fact, I find myself almost bored by it, because it's the same thing again and again. Some might argue there are instances where torture porn applies to these two books, but that again comes down to what your definition of torture porn (and horror) is. The books deal with a secret group of people who get off watching other people tortured and put through extreme situations, but the books are much more than that. In many ways they're about survival, about the dark depths of human nature, while at the same time trying to show there is still hope.
So, to get back to your question, more horror than thriller or more thriller than horror? That, again, would have to depend on each reader's definition of what horror (not to mention thriller) is. But the books are very fast-paced, so there's that. I try to keep the action going as much as I can. At the same time … well, as some other readers have noted, they are dark and disturbing.
Now, let me clarify something: I had just graduated college, I was still living at home, my two jobs were substituting for a middle school and high school and working as an assistant manager at a movie theater. So, with all those factors, I had the opportunity to write as much as I could. There were mornings when I would get called to take a subbing job and would turn it down. When I went to work at the theater, I would take my laptop along and work up in the projection booth and write between sets. My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) understood how hard I was working on the novel and didn't press me to spend time with her … well, okay, not that much time.
Anyway, so when I started Man of Wax, I knew a little about Ben Anderson's character, but none of Carver Ellison until he showed up halfway through the book. And then … everything just happened to fall into place. I didn't have trouble getting into their heads because they were already there, just waiting to be written.
But in The Inner Circle, two years have passed and Ben has changed drastically. He hasn't found his family yet, and doesn't think he ever will, so he doesn't have much left to live for. Instead he becomes a soldier in Carver's army against Caesar, and he steps up in a major way — in fact, he almost becomes that Jason Statham character we all like to think we would become in dire situations.
As for Carver, he is still doing whatever he can to get to Caesar and those in the Inner Circle. We do, however, learn more about his back story, and why and how he has become man he is.
Thanks for having me here, Steve!
GIVEAWAY TIME: Easy stuff here. Robert has generously donated a free e-book copy of the first in the series, Man of Wax, to ANYONE who helps spread the word about this interview and comments below. Simply link to this blog page, retweet it, share on Facebook or Google+, even post it on your MySpace wall. Then make a quick comment below saying "I did it!" or something creative along those lines, and you'll find yourself with a horror/thriller book in your hands (e-reader).
And ONE LUCKY RANDOM winner will receive an AUTOGRAPHED copy of BOTH novels.
Ready? Go share!
Just published some short stories – need some horror or scifi in your diet?
Well, lookie here… I snuck some published works in without the publicity frenzy of the media circus that usually surrounds my novel releases*.
* Disclaimer: I've never had a media circus. Not even a flea circus, actually. I totally made that part up.
Over the past year, I've done some short fiction, sometimes based on prompts, sometimes for informal 'writing contests', and sometimes just for fun. (I'll ignore the short fiction that resulted from me writing a Chapter 1 and abandoning it…that doesn't count, though lord knows I've done that enough.)
I took two of those works, polished them up, put together a cover, blurb, etc. and whipped up some ebook files. And here they are:
Now, coincidentally (or not*), both of these were from two different prompts/reasons from my good friend Al Boudreau. Special Delivery was his personal challenge to me (and keeping me in practice – the way a writer gets better is practice..therefore, writing) to write outside my usual genre. He gave me 24 hours, and if I remember correctly, I had it back to him in three. He gave a few lines to open it, and told me to run with it. It ended up just over 1700 words, and was quite different to step outside my usual scifi mindset.
The second one, The Awakening, was part of Al's "Cage Match", where two writers in similar genres are given the same prompt and 24 hours to write a short story under 2,000 words. Much more back in my wheelhouse, and very enjoyable. I was honored to go up against one of the most successful independent scifi writers today, Michael Hicks (he of the In Her Name series and Season of the Harvest).
* Coincidence that what I feel are my two best shorts came from Al's prompts? Not if you know Al, a fantastic supporter of the community who tends to bring out the best in many a writer.
Both are now available for public consumption for all e-book platforms. Unfortunately, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble make it difficult-slash-impossible to publish a book for free all the time (first person to suggest KDP Select gets keelhauled), and I honestly have a hard time justifying charging anything for these stories. Therefore I also posted them on Smashwords, and eventually they'll feed through to iBooks, Sony, Kobo; they are listed for free. Free as in beer.
Here are the links:
Special Delivery: Amazon Kindle ($.99) • B&N Nook ($.99) • Smashwords (free)
The Awakening: Amazon Kindle ($.99) • B&N Nook ($.99) • Smashwords (free)
Enjoy…would love to hear your thoughts.
Watched The River last night…yeah, creeped me out. You?
Yes, finally watched the premiere of The River on ABC last night….as you may remember, I'm a timeshifter (no, it's nothing scifi – I just always watch shows on DVR, never live…can't stand commercials, which is ironic considering I have a marketing background). I have to say – I loved it.
I heard a lot about "it's Blair Witch in the jungle", or "manufactured & clichéd chills", but what really caught me up in it was the documentary-style filming. I loved the third person narrative as told by a "film crew" – not necessarily documenting the overall story, but bits and pieces. I was impressed with the way they used stationary cameras mounted on the boat (it's not a ship, contrary to what the mechanic says – that little sucker is a boat. Ask Chief Brody.) to film the scenes not being filmed by the camera crew, and the way they were able to stitch the entire story together using combined footage.
The River, in a phrase used by the young girl in one of the opening scenes, "It is [UNTRANSLATABLE]" (coolest closed caption ever). Oh, and did I mention the dolls?
I have an innate fear of those kind of dolls. Actually more of a fear of ventriloquist dummies, but that's probably a blog post for another time.
I was creeped out, and the previews for the remaining six episodes look even creepier. How about you, anyone see it? Like it, love it, loathe it??
Special Delivery – A short piece from WAY outside my normal genre
Maybe a second glass of wine will help my nerves, thought Kerry Jensen as she changed channels for the umpteenth time, finally settling on a cheesy horror movie. Must be from the 70's, judging from the bell bottoms and big hair the girl being chased sported, she mused.
She splashed a few more ounces of cabernet into her glass and set the bottle down on the side table with an audible thunk, which echoed through her sparsely-furnished studio apartment. The sound startled her a bit, as she had muted the television's audio several channel flips ago. The apartment was small, as suited to a single woman new to the area, but tonight, with the thunder outside the window and the anticipation building inside her, it felt cramped; claustrophobic, almost.
She checked her watch. Ten more minutes, she thought, her stomach churning a bit more. She picked up her wine glass to take a sip, when a knock sounded at her door.
"Oh shit, early. Here we go," she said out loud, her last syllable echoing off the plaster wall. She stood from the couch, punching the Off button on her television remote, and walked to the door.
Kerry was new in town, having just transferred from Springfield two months ago for her job. The only people she knew in Waukegan were the twelve people she worked with in the new office, and her overbearing, borderline sexually-harassing boss. Her cousin knew some people in Waukegan from years past, and had convinced her to give a blind date a shot; a friend of an old friend, she had called him. Thomas. Sounded harmless enough. Thinking back to the movie she had just turned off, she thought, No undead or serial killers would ever be named Thomas, right?
She reached the door, and with one last straightening of her new blouse, she turned the knob and opened it, and was greeted by a dazzling smile.
"Kerry?" the man asked, extending his hand.
She was caught off guard by his gentle voice, his crisp shirt and muted tie, and his whiter-than-white smile. And his gorgeous green eyes.
"Ah, yes, sorry," she stammered, taking his hand. "Thomas?"
"Yes," he said, his smile growing inconceivably wider. "Pleased to meet you. Mag told me so much about you."
She felt herself blushing, and tried to turn aside. "Only the good things, I hope."
"Are you ready to go, or am I too early?"
"No no, this is fine, let me just grab my coat," she said.
Thomas dipped his chin to the carpeted floor next to him in the hallway. "Is this yours?" he asked.
Kerry looked down and saw a large package, wrapped in plain brown paper with a small handwritten mailing label on it. She narrowed her eyes and leaned down slightly. No, it couldn't be…that doesn't make any sense.
"That's bizarre," she said, cocking her head. "That looks exactly like the package I just dropped off at the post office."
Thomas leaned over and read the label. "It's from Heffernan Corporation, to a Liberty Media?"
Kerry shook her head, trying to clear the fuzziness. "That is the same package I dropped off. That creepy little woman behind the counter kept giving me a hard time because it wasn't in the proper box for Priority Mail. She kept on and on about it. 'White box only' and all that. And she had this weird eye that kept looking up at the ceiling." She giggled. "I think she saw me staring at it too."
Thomas chuckled. "Maybe she was a witch, and sent this back here as a punishment for making fun of her."
She laughed in return. "Yeah, maybe! I guess I shouldn't have made the 'going postal' comment either."
"Ooh, be careful with that one," Thomas said, holding up a finely-manicured hand. "My brother worked in a post office. Joking about going postal is something they take very seriously. Here," he said, bending over to pick up the box. "Let me bring it inside for you."
Kerry was about to tell him to not worry about it when she saw Thomas's body go rigid as his hand touched one corner of the box. A groan escaped his lips.
"Thomas, are you okay?" she asked, taking a step forward.
His groan became a growl, and he began to shake. Kerry looked on in horror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed onto the floor, white froth bubbling from a corner of his mouth. A last gasping breath wheezed from Thomas, and he was still.
"Oh my God!" she screamed, stepping back. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the man's body begin to disintegrate, skin sloughing off his face, exposing bloody bone and muscle tissue. She covered her mouth, frozen to the spot as if witnessing a train wreck in slow motion.
Thomas's eyes bulged from their sockets, extending farther and farther, until they dropped from his face with a wet popping sound, a sick green vapor rising from the empty holes. More green vapor was coming from his formerly-starched shirt collar, which was already seeped through with bodily fluids.
The hallway was beginning to fill with the green haze, and finally Kerry snapped from her hypnotic state. She turned back into her apartment and slammed the door behind her, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Omigod, omigod, omigod," she said in a high-pitched tone, frantically searching her apartment for something, anything to latch onto, anything to make the nightmare end. Looking down at her feet, she saw a wisp of green vapor slip from under the door.
"No!" she screamed, running from the door to her kitchen. The panic was really beginning to set in, and she felt it. She was shaking and crying, tears streaking down her face, leaving rivulets of beige foundation in their wakes.
She grabbed a large kitchen knife from the wooden block on the counter and backed up to the refrigerator, watching the green haze seeping into her apartment. Looking down at the knife, it dawned on her that it was most likely going to do her no good against vapor. She dropped it with a clatter.
The sound of the knife falling crystallized her mind. Out, she thought. I need to get out.
She spun, heading for the back door, the one that led to the complex's alley entrance. She ran through her study, knocking over a flimsy bookshelf on the way. Reaching the door, she flung it open, only to be knocked backwards at the sight that greeted her.
On the landing that led to the stairs sat an identical package to the one in the front hallway.
She screamed, holding both hands to her face, staring at the package. It lay motionless, waiting, she thought. Watching her. Out, she thought again, logic once again cutting through her fear.
She slammed the door and ran to her bedroom, towards the window that led to the fire escape. She had come in that window several times over the past few weeks, having forgotten her apartment keys on more than one occasion, and knew it was an easy way out.
As she entered the bedroom, her heart leapt into her throat. There, propping open the window, sat the package. Waiting. Her scream this time could have woken the dead.
She stumbled back into her kitchen, the mind-numbing fear now taking control of her body. Her vision was growing gray as she struggled to maintain a grasp on reality. She saw the phone sitting on the end of the counter. Help, her mind said as she reached for it. I can get help.
She picked up the receiver from its cradle, but instead of a dial tone, soft instrumental music was playing through the speaker. It was the overhead muzak from the post office, she realized, the dread now nearly overwhelming her.
She threw the phone down onto the counter, watching more and more vapor oozing under the door. Her front living room was now almost completely enshrouded in the green fog. She frantically looked around her kitchen, now the only safe haven from the haze in that section of her apartment. She saw her purse on top of the wine fridge. Cell phone, she thought, her spirits rising.
Kerry covered the ten feet in two long bounds, snatching her purse and spilling the contents onto the counter. Spying her phone, she grabbed it, swiped to unlock, and hit the phone key. A pop-up notification appeared, and upon reading it, she nearly fell over in shock.
"No service. Phone has gone postal."
Her crying intensified and she dropped the phone onto the floor. Between sobs she heard a faint creaking sound, and she looked up for the source, hoping beyond all possible hope that someone was here to help.
The creaking seemed to be coming from the large white plaster wall adjacent to the kitchen. She squinted through her tears. The wall appeared to be changing color, taking on a brown shade. The creaking intensified, and she rubbed her eyes to try to clear her vision. No, she thought. It couldn't be.
A handwritten label appeared where a small painting once hung. The wall had become the package. And it was moving towards her.
She backed away, knocking over a fruit basket and stack of mail as she scrambled towards the far side of the apartment. She turned to run that direction, but stopped dead in her tracks. She gasped as she saw the far wall had also turned brown and was bulging outwards.
The dread and horror finally got the best of her, and she collapsed onto her knees, crying and sniffing. She held her head in her hands and began rocking back and forth as the walls closed in. She heard pieces of furniture sliding and crashing into each other as the walls pushed inexorably towards her.
As the walls approached their final destination, Kerry Jensen heard an echo of her boss, the last thing he had said to her as she left the office.
"Make sure to use Fed-Ex."
A big thanks to Al Boudreau for shooting me the prompt and the motivation. It was a fun write to go way outside my usual genre. As a scifi/technothriller author, it was a tough leap to go into a scary horror story, but after reading R.A. Evans's Asylum Lake, I thought maybe I'd give it a shot. I know I've got several horror writers as friends (including R.A.), so if you read this, be gentle on me…
Here is the prompt Al gave me:
Kerry Jensen's blind date arrives at her place. She opens the door and sees her evening companion lean over to pick up a package left for her at her doorstep. No sooner does he lift it off the porch floor, when he is stricken and falls to the ground dead.


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Proto Labs, Inc.
5540 Pioneer Creek Dr.
Maple Plain, MN 55359 US
- Visit Company Website
- 877-479-3680
- Contact
As Seen In Plastics Technology
3D-Printed Headphones Receive Cool Idea! Award from Protolabs
The grant helps Tucson startup meet customization requirements during device's trial stage.
'Digital Manufacturing' Evolves from Prototyping to 'On-Demand' Short Runs
Protolabs has built a business on speed. Today its "digital manufacturing" model is accelerating from rapid prototypes and first-run production parts to "on-demand" short-run manufacturing.
Additive Manufacturing at NPE2018: Lots of Prototyping…and Some Manufacturing Too
As a growing industry, there will be lots of 'firsts' at NPE, including a new zone and workshop.
Molders: Where Is 3D Printing Now; Where Is It Headed; Should You Come Along?
As the capabilities of injection molding and 3D printing continue to converge, when does additive manufacturing shift from a nice-to-offer to a must-provide for molders?
New 3D Printers at NYC Show
Affordability, speed, and improved mechanical properties appeal to early adopters.
Prototyping Specialist Upgrades Services For Short-Run Production Molding
Proto Labs, a "digital manufacturing company" known for its rapid injection molding prototyping services, has expanded its injection molding capabilities to address the market for short-run "on-demand" manufacturing.
Proto Labs Finds Millennials Upbeat on Manufacturing's Future
Survey indicates increased optimism and changing perceptions about the industry among those from their late teens to late 30s.
What's Out There, What's Coming and Trying to Know What You Don't
Leading companies do three things consistently when it comes to technology.
Spotlight On 3D Printing at K 2016
During K 2013, Arburg captured everyone's attention with its novel Freeformer machine for additive manufacturing. We'll find out soon what will be the next showstopper, but in the meantime, here's a preview of some cool and innovative 3D printing technologies that you'll see in Dusseldorf.
Two-Component Parts in 15 Days Or Less
Proto Labs has added a quick-turn overmolding service in response to customer requests for cost-effective prototyping or low-volume production of overmolded parts.
Rapid Mfg Brings Innovative Irrigation System to Market
An innovative irrigation system went from art-to-part in two weeks thanks to rapid manufacturing from ProtoLabs.
Protomold Injection Molding
Our Protomold rapid injection molding service is the fastest, easiest and coolest way to transform your new part design into real molded parts.
Good design feedback is hard to find.
First Cut CNC Machining
Our First Cut CNC machining service is as fast, easy, and automated as SLA and FDM, but your parts are made from your choice of over 30 real engineering resins, including aluminum.


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Mothership "the most authentic-sounding Zep tribute in the UK"
Mothership - Led Zeppelin Tribute
Saturday 6th October 2018
Prices from:
Led Zeppelin tribute MOTHERSHIP - described in Classic Rock Magazine as "the most authentic-sounding Zep tribute in the UK" - present a brand new show celebrating the music of the greatest rock band in history.
Join us to celebrate more than two hours of live classic Zeppelin – complete with spectacular laser and multi-media support. Kashmir, Achilles Last Stand, No Quarter, Black Dog… expect all the classics, but expect the unexpected, too! A show not to be missed for any Zeppelin fan.


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|News & Announcements
|Creation date
|August 29, 2013
Your request has been sent to the content admin. here
RAP4 wants you to be well armed, well taken care of...and absolutely confident in your gear. That's why we make all of our DMags with pride right here in the United States, using a patent design that is a marvel of simplicity. And to make sure you have enough of them when you need fresh magazines most, we've put together some 10-mag packages for you...at about the cost of two of our competitors' magazines.
DMags are marvels of simple engineering, ease of use, and aesthetics. Their exteriors are designed to look like the high capacity magazines familiar on modern large-caliber combat weapons, while their interiors are engineered to provide the most reliable, repeatable performance possible...while minimizing weight and cost.
While other magazines use the last generation's technology of a u-shaped, curved track through which the paint is pushed by a long spring, DMags have twin, straight wells for the paint. This reduces drag and eliminates spring binding for superior performance and higher feeding rates. Plus, each column of paint is completely independent, so if your magazine is damaged on one side, odds are it'll work fine from the other side as you blast your way out of a tough spot.
Competing magazines are generally made of metal or chunky plastic, which adds weight and a lot of cost...without adding any significant strength. Our DMags are made out of resilient polymer similar to that used in manufacturing AK and M4 magazines, meaning that our DMags are as durable as those modern military magazines. Who needs the cost and weight of metal?
Competing magazines come with premium prices that don't reflect any significant performance gain. The low price point of DMags - $58.95 for a 10-pack of either 14 or 20 round mags - makes them accessible in large quantity to everyone. Never again will you have to choose between buying paint or the magazines to load it. Never again will you have to carry a pod to reload your mags during a firefight. Never again will you spend more time hunting for dropped magazines than shooting - if you drop a DMag somewhere in a big game, just let it go...they cost about the same as a good pod.
And whoever finds it can use it in their DMag-ready paintball gun, because odds are that DMag will survive the fight just fine.
DMags are tough. They're inexpensive. Let your opponents baby their expensive, finicky magazines, while you load ten DMags onto your vest for less than the cost of one case of entry level field paint.
Then you can experience the mag-fed revolution with the most realistic, durable, and reliable equipment available.
Real Action Paintball - As Real as it Gets!
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Coming Up
Poetry: Wild Over Tombs Does Grow by C.S.E. Cooney 06:20
Fact: Tour of the Abattoir by Mike Allen 15:52
Main Fiction: Black Glass by Gary McMahon 34:45
Narrator: Gareth Stack
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Coming Up
Poetry: Wild Over Tombs Does Grow by C.S.E. Cooney 06:20
Fact: Tour of the Abattoir by Mike Allen 15:52
Main Fiction: Black Glass by Gary McMahon 34:45
Narrator: Gareth Stack
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Thanks to Claire, Mike, Gary and Gareth. No. 3 is up and out there. Number 4 in the works. Still looking for stories, for narrators, for poets and academics…or just people who love this stuff and want to listen. Share the wealth. Tell a friend.
My pleasure, Larry!
C.S.E. Cooney, the only thing wrong with your poem is that is didn't go on and on and on … for I could have listened to it forever.
I only wish all Dark Fantasy could be half as good as yours!
Absolutely great story. I don't normally listen to or read female author's except for horror. You rock. Thanks for the story.
" I don't normally listen to or read female author's except…" WTF??!! Do you normally avoid reading black authors too? Asians? Latinos? Oh, I have news for you — almost without any doubt, you have read and/or listened to several female authors who use male pseudonyms. And I bet you can't identify which ones those are…
For all who peek here, below the Play Bar…there is C.S.E. Cooney, herself. Say hello all.
I'll say Howdy to Cooney anytime! 😉
Aloha Terror Tribe!
Beautiful poem. I have a special warm place in my heart for child / dog bonding, and even more so for supernatural shape-shifting dog lovers and surly goth chicks guarding a graveyard.
Is that Mike's "real" voice or his "radio/pod cast" voice? No worries, just wondering. I love that he was mentally scarred by his 3rd grad teacher reading Poe to his class for a Halloween treat. Ah, the golden days of childhood. Love it! I remember my first reading of Poe and being amazed that a "book" could hold such terror. Dark magic in the worlds, changing my little young dreams to nightmares. Such a special time in any horror fan's life. Thanks for sharing Mike. U rawk!
I have a weakness for Goth girls. In the 90's I had friends heavy into the vampire club scene in LA, and every once in a while I'd leave the seclusion of my art studio & I'd tag along to the clubs. Wow. What a scene. No matter how much black I'd wear or bootleg absinthe I'd drink I always felt out of my depth. So Black Glass by Gary McMahon felt weirdly real for me.
Great show! Thanks for the creeps! Keep it up Mister Larry Santoro!
I'd like to find out more? I'd love to find out some additional information.
[…] Gigantic by Steve Aylett The Serial Murders by Kim Newman – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & 4. Black Glass by Gary […]


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All in our club wish Paul Regan, Keith Regan, Graham Boysouth and Andrew Walsh well as they soon depart for foreign shores. The drain of players from our club, like so many others, is of concern but we hope they will return in the not too distant future to again don their club jersey.
[Untitled] >


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Queen of the South defeated Arbroath for the third time this season with a 3-2 victory at a blustery Gayfield Park to extend their lead at the top of the Second Division to six points.
Goals from Nicky Clark and Chris Higgins gave the league leaders a two-goal lead before Steven Doris netted from the penalty spot on half-time. The second half saw Queens take more control of the game and they extended their lead through Mark Durnan before Doris scored his second penalty of the afternoon with the last kick of the game.
The players had to adapt to some tricky weather conditions in the first half as a bitter wind blew off the North Sea and the low sun made things difficult as both teams struggled to take control in the early period.
It was Queen of the South that created the best of the early chances as twice they were denied by goal-line clearances within a minute. The move stemmed from a Chris Mitchell corner from the right that found Gavin Reilly completely free in the area. The striker controlled before seeing his goal-bound effort blocked and Nicky Clarks headed rebound was also cleared from under the crossbar by the Arbroath defence.
Arbroath came into the game in the following minutes through a series of set-pieces that caused Queens keeper Lee Robinson problems as they flooded the six-yard box making it impossible for him to come and collect. Pushing and shoving from both sides was largely ignored by the referee and the Queens defence were able to escape some hairy moments to keep the score level and broke to devastating effect on 22 minutes.
The Queens midfield stole possession on the halfway line allowing Derek Lyle to find Nicky Clarks dart behind the home defence. The striker was under pressure from the centre-back as his first effort was saved by the goalkeepers feet but the rebound fell kindly and Clark showed his composure in taking a touch around the goalkeeper to slot home into the empty net.
The goal settled Queens and they started to take control of the contest and extended their lead on 28 minutes through captain Chris Higgins. The ball dropped to the big centre-back after a bit of pinball in the Arbroath area following a corner kick and his volley from the edge of the box found the bottom corner.
At the other end the Queens defenders were having the better of it as Arbroath were only able to really threaten from set-pieces but that changed just before half-time as Paul Currie won a penalty. Chris Mitchell was the man that was adjudged to have fouled in the area although the Queens players were adamant that the full-back won the ball. The referee was not about to change his mind and Steven Doris stepped up to send Robinson the wrong way to give his side a way back into the match.
Into the second half and the away side were looking to keep the ball on the floor. They retained possession well and kept Arbroath at arms length before making it 3-1 through Mark Durnan.
The goal came from another corner as Nicky Clark fired a shot back across the goalmouth to find centre-back Durnan in the six-yard box and the former St Johnstone man made no mistake as he smashed home.
The away side were looking comfortable as Arbroath struggled to put together any kind of cohesive attacking move and their best chances dropped to substitute Lee Sibanda but his two efforts did not threaten Robinsons goal.
Derek Lyle missed a gilt-edged chance late on as Queens counter-attacked at speed. Substitutes David Hopkirk and Willie Gibson broke into the Arbroath half and Gibsons square pass found Lyle free at the back post but his finish was wild as the ball flew wide of the post.
Into the final few minutes of the match and Arbroath were unable to put the Queens defence under any real pressure as the league leaders defended well although the home side were awarded a last-minute penalty.
A long-range shot from Paul Sheerin was blocked by Ryan McGuffies arm and the referee pointed to the spot. Steven Doris stepped up to slam into the top corner but it was only a consolation as the final whistle went immediately after the restart.
In the end it was a steady if unspectacular win for the league leaders but with Alloa dropping points at home to Brechin the Doonhamers increased their lead to six points with a game in hand to put themselves into a strong position after eleven games played.
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Grosjean reveals Lotus exit clause
Romain Grosjean has revealed an exit clause will allow him to walk away from Lotus at the end of the season.
Insiders believe the Frenchman, obviously frustrated by the Enstone team's struggles in 2014, is waiting for the Fernando Alonso situation to clear before re-committing to Lotus for another season.
Some think he is obviously hoping for a seat at McLaren, where his mentor Eric Boullier is now the team boss.
Asked by France's RMC if he will benefit from Lotus' switch from Renault to Mercedes power for 2015, 28-year-old Grosjean answered: "I can actually be with this project.
"Since May or June I've been screaming that the 2015 Lotus must be better than 2014, and many things have been done in the right way.
"There is a good chance I will stay at Lotus, but there are still a few opportunities elsewhere. I will not say more," Grosjean insisted.
Then, in the official FIA press conference in Austin, Grosjean declared that the fact Lotus is testing a Mercedes-style 2015 nose ahead of the US grand prix is "a strong sign" of the team's impending recovery.
"I have a contract with the team," he revealed. "I have the option to leave if I want to -- this is from some performance clause.
"So far there are still places available at top teams or they haven't been confirmed and that's where I want to be in the near future and that's what we try to do," Grosjean added.
In yet another interview in Austin, this time with F1's official website, Grosjean repeated his possession of an "option to walk out" on Lotus.
"It is no secret that I want to be part of a big team - which is Ferrari, McLaren or Mercedes - and some of them haven't announced their 2015 lineup yet, so there is still hope as I want to join such a team by 2015, latest 2016," said the Frenchman.
"If I stay (at Lotus) I am happy to stay as I think we can probably taste champagne again -- a few times! But I want to be champion and to achieve that I have to move on," Grosjean added.
Although undoubtedly waiting on Alonso's next move, Grosjean also admitted he is keeping an eye on the 'three cars' story for 2015, given the recent collapse of backmarkers Caterham and Marussia.
"If you put it (a third car) on a good team and you're racing in the same cars as what we call the superstars, then it gives you an opportunity to show how strong you are and then get called one of those superstars," he smiled.
"A third car would certainly help some of us to have a good reputation."


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Sunday, May 20, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Jengas's Cooking Show Part III
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Hi guys, this is a segment that I produced for the jengas cooking show, is a kind of parody of discovery's chanel planet earth and take place in harvard square. you will be able to see all the entertaining caracters surrounding the Harvard square train station. I hope you enjoy it. THanks.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Friday, May 4, 2007
The Jenga's cooking show part I
Hi guys this is the first part of Dead Air Live episode #524, cablecasted live this past May first, in SCAT (Somerville comunity access television). This episode is about a cooking show that includes a mexican traditional recipe "mole", a segment that is a parody of planet earth called "planet perv", a segment of traveling in New England featuring the annual iron bridge dinner of Shelburne Falls, and for last but no least a great music talent and real king of the Nueva Trova in New England Victor Buey.
I was the host and producer of the show (including the video segments) and i counted with the colaboration of Alison Keehn as co-host, and the Somerville producers group as a crew.


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Core Charge: This item has a $50 core charge included in the price.
Old parts removed from your machine are always yours to keep. There are a few exceptions for items such as computer boards or transmissions that carry a core charge from the supplier. On these items, you may still keep the part if you wish, however if you choose the return the part and a copy of your order confirmation, we will refund the core charge amount back to you once we receive it. Please email email@example.com with any questions.


text:
Yoga Teacher Training Forum
Yoga Instructors: Would you like to network with fellow teachers worldwide? Here is a resource to find answers for every possible question regarding continuing education, improving your classes, student safety and much more.
April 27, 2015
Namaskar Everyone,
Great subject and it brings out the diversity in yoga teachers. Good to have different opinions, but I wonder are your insurance rates going up when you jump on your students? Not that I'm going to start doing that, but it reflects badly for all of us when somebody is out there playing drill sergeant. Why doesn't Bikram teach martial arts? At least students would know what their getting. The word "yoga" should be removed from classes that have nothing to do with yoga.
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Chavs at the ready! As those craaaaaaaazy bastards at Tameside Council are at it again, this time with a competition for Tameside residents to dress up their house in tacky Christmas tree lights and annoy the person across the road from you. The following press release has been issued on the Tameside Council website:
Tameside Christmas lights could soon be seen across the world thanks to a competition being launched by the Council today.
Residents are being encouraged to submit pictures of their lights. A public vote during the Christmas period will decide which are the best.
"We're looking for the brightest and most colourful home in the area. If you have decorated your house, garden or business with lights, nativity scenes and giant festive characters please send us your photos now to enter this competition" said Cabinet Deputy responsible for IT Services, Councillor Margaret Oldham.
The winner will be invited onto stage at next year's prestigious Christmas Lights Switch On in Ashton town centre.
Anyone living in Tameside can enter but residents can only enter their own home or business.
Entries sent on behalf of a friend or relative will not be considered.
The closing date for entries is midnight on Thursday, 20th December 2007. A judging panel will shortlist and the public will then be able to vote for the winner which will be announced on 2nd January 2008.
Photos can be sent via email to email@example.com (only attachments of 15MB or lower will be permitted) or should be sent by post to Webmaster, Tameside MBC, ICT Services, Room 6.5, Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6DL. Please ensure you include your name, full address and telephone number.
Pardon my ignorance at this not yet so festive period but isn't Tameside Council currently trialing to dim the street lighting across the borough? Is this a subliminal way so people crank up the wattage on their house and the residents pick up the electricity bill? Or is that what council tax is supposed to be for in the first place? I can't believe that Tameside Council is promoting such a scheme, not only does it look fucking awful and annoying, but it is now socially irresponsible with the energy used by these lights which add to carbon emissions and spiralling energy costs.


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Events between 06/13/2018 and 06/30/2018
Lomba Foto Kementerian Koperasi & UKM RI 2018
Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs Republic of Indonesia again held a photography competition in order to anniversary # KemenkopUKMke-71. The theme of this competition is: "Innovation of Creative Cooperative and Young Creative SMEs".
Asian Agriculture & Food Forum (ASAFF) 2018
INDONESIA is one of the countries that has the potential to become one of the main producers of food in the world. With 39,5 million hectares of agricultural land, consisting of 8,1 million hectares of paddy fields, and so on
Jakarta Convention Center (JCC)
DKI Jakarta


text:
Bloomberg: JPMorgan Sues London Whale's Boss
Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan Chase sued the executive responsible for supervising Bruno Iksil, the trader nicknamed the London Whale, for market-moving wagers at the division responsible for a $6.2 billion trading loss.
According to Bloomberg, Javier Martin-Artajo, Iksil's boss in the chief investment office, is a defendant in a London lawsuit filed October 22 by the bank. The court filings didn


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Proposed Amendments to the Queensland Retirement Villages Act
25 Aug 2017
On 10 August 2017, the Housing Legislation (Building Better Futures) Amendment Bill 2017 (the Bill) was introduced into the Queensland Parliament. The Bill was referred to the Public Works and Utilities Committee and the Committee is due to report to the Parliament by 28 September 2017.
The Bill if passed by the Parliament in its present form or substantially in its present form (Amending Act) will significantly amend the Retirement Villages Act 1999 (RV Act). The proposed amendments relating to the RV Act in the Bill are extensive, comprising 65 sections and 73 pages of the Bill.
Due to the extent of the proposed amendments, we will issue a series of brief summaries on the major changes proposed by the amendments affecting the Retirement Village Industry and operators. This is the first in the series.
There are some matters in the proposed amendments that will have a retrospective effect for operators. However, the only matter we are addressing today that has a retrospective impact on operators is the change in the timing of payment of exit entitlements which is explained below. We will raise other matters that have a retrospective effect for operators in future summaries on the proposed amendments.
- Village Comparison Document (VCD) – replaces the Public Information Document (PID)
- All operators of registered villages prior to the commencement of the Amending Act (Commencement) must prepare a VCD
- The VCD is to be published on the Scheme's website (every operator must maintain a website) and be included in any promotional material
The VCD provides information about the Scheme to potential residents including:
- types of accommodation, facilities and services; and
- amounts payable by or to residents or the operator.
PIDs in effect before the Commencement will continue in effect for residence contracts in force before Commencement.
- New Prospective Costs Document for the Residence Contract – provides a summary to prospective residents of the estimated costs of moving in, living in and leaving the Village.
- New Unit Condition Reports: Start of Residency/End of Residency - a new process for operators and residents to complete condition reports on units at both commencement and termination of residence contracts.
- Residence Contract – operators must not enter into a residence contract until 21 days after the operator has given the prospective resident the residence contract, VCD and Prospective Costs Document.
However, there is an exception. A prospective resident may sign a residence contract in less than 21 days of receiving the residence contract, VCD and Prospective Costs Document if they have signed a waiver stating they have received legal advice from a lawyer about entering into the contract.
It is important to note that despite the above amendments, the Bill in its current form does not:
- remove the cooling-off provisions available to residents to rescind residence contracts; or
- alter the start dates of the cooling-off period.
- General Services Charge/General Services Charges Fund – for the first time these terms will be defined under the RV Act. The definitions do not result in any material change to how general services charges are currently treated by operators.
- Exit Entitlement – These amendments will require operators to pay residents their exit entitlement 18 months after the residence contract is terminated, unless to do so would cause the operator undue hardship. The amendment will apply to new and existing residence contracts ie where a resident has already left the village the 18 month period of payment of the exit entitlement will commence from the date of assent of the amendment, not the date of the resident's departure.
An operator must pay the exit entitlement at the end of the 18 month period and if the parties do not agree on the resale value, the operator must obtain a valuation not more than 14 days before the payment date.
An operator may obtain an order fixing a later date to pay the exit entitlement (or pay by instalments), if QCAT is satisfied the:
- operator is unlikely to sell the unit prior to the end of the 18 month period;
- operator is likely to suffer financial hardship; and
- order would not be unfair to the former resident (QCAT may have regard to submissions from the former resident).
- Proposed Approved Forms – the Bill proposes that the Department of Housing and Public Works will issue approved forms for use by operators for the following documents:
- Village Comparison Document (VCD)
- Prospective Costs Document
- Unit Condition Reports
- Residence Contract
- Waiver - for the 21 day waiting period before entering the residence contract
- Maintenance Reserve Fund Budget
- Capital Replacement Fund Budget
- General Services Charges Budget
If you have any queries related to the content of this article, please contact us.
This article is for information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.