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Now that I've poked, prodded, played with, dropped, and otherwise abused my Sony PRS-700 eReader (thanks again to the generous folks at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books for giving me the opportunity to test drive one of these babies!) it's time for The Review.
In order to fit my review in the wordcount requested by the Smart Bitches, I basically had to resort to bulleted lists and incomplete sentences. It was horrifying. Worse than that, it was boring. Drier than the thanksgiving turkey at Aunt Edith's.
Taking pity on me, the Smart Bitches graciously permitted me to ramble.
*cracks her knuckles* Obviously, they had no idea what they were getting into.
"Hold on to yer lug nuts, it's tiiiiiime for an overhaul!"
The faint of heart will find the original bulleted lists at the bottom of the post, nestled lovingly in the TLDR (too long, didn't read) section.
Quick Start Guide
As noted in The Arrival, a Photolog, the "Quick Start Guide" is anything but. I have an easy guideline for any company compiling a user guide – if it is more frustrating and complex than a road map, you have failed. Even roadmaps nowadays are coated in plastic and easy to unfold and refold. The Quick Start Guide had every detail of legalese in multiple languages, printed on both sides of super thin paper the size of my living room. I didn't figure out how to use the eReader, but I did find a shortcut to Albuquerque.
I'll grant you that any user guide tends to be fairly unpopular. The number of people who read the average "Quick Start Guide" is probably pretty slim.
However, the target audience of the Sony eReader is *gasp* readers! And guess what? I'll bet most of us who just spent a metric boatload of milk money on an eReader are probably going to read the instructions, at least once.
I vote that the design of the widget, machine, or doohicky should be user friendly enough to not need explicit instructions, but that's beside the point.
The POINT is that I actually have a few questions whose answers may lie buried somewhere within the dizzying expanse of tiny printed text on that Quick Start Guide, and I am afraid to open the ruddy thing as I may not get it refolded again. Which observation brings up another guideline for technical writers – do not terrify your readers. Even The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy followed THAT rule.
Charging the Batteries
Before I could use the device, I had to charge the batteries.
This may seem like an innocent statement, but it takes a long time to charge up. I was unprepared to wait until tomorrow (when it comes to new toys, tomorrow is always CENTURIES from NOW) before I could start truly twiddling with all the bits and bobs, adding content and wiping away the drool.
Overnight is enough to charge the battery from empty. I believe some users clocked it in at around 4 hours, but this is why I like to cook in the crock pot. Set it up and forget it. Anything longer than one hour is "overnight" by my internal clock.
I've used up the batteries from full to empty in about 3-5 days of light/medium reading, with pretty heavy use of the backlight feature. I'm happy with the battery life.
Additionally, I cannot use the eReader while it is charging.
I'm sure there's a reason for this, but it's very frustrating when every other machine I own is still usable while it's sipping on its electric margaritas. This is the first device I've ever had that sulks in the corner and refuses to talk to me, as if recharging were some dirty and sacred act.
How Does it Feel
I love deadtree books. I do. The smell, the sound of the pages turning, the feel of the book in my hand – a myriad of details and sensory input which meld together in my head and equal "reading".
Can the eReader possibly stand a chance when measured against such a love?
The eReader is slim and slightly larger than a paperback book. It is an excellent size for holding in my hand, and has just enough of a surprising heft to it to make it feel solid. I liked the heft – I hope that as the eReaders get more advanced, they don't lose that extra weight.
The 700 I'm test driving came with a black leather(ish) case. I don't even know why they bother to sell the cases separately. I can't imagine having the eReader without it – as far as I'm concerned, it's a necessary expense that should be calculated into the cost of the reader itself.
The leather case is incredible. Very nice feel, slight texture, no sign of popping seams or scarred edges despite my being less-than-gentle with it when plopping it in bags and purses. I'm a notorious seam-popper, so I probably find that more impressive than some people would. Sometimes I feel guilty walking into a shoe store, as my very presence no doubt causes a tiny symphony of ping, sproing, pop sounds as the shoe seams spontaneously rupture.
The reader feels good. It doesn't feel like a regular book, granted, but it does have a stylish air to it. I feel quite prosh carrying it around in its trendy little case, and it satisfies at least some of the handfeel of carrying around a book, without the concern for bending and ripping pages, or the worry that the book will be too large for the Purse Of The Week.
The Screen
The eReader came with some free sample material, including the first chapter or so of a variety of books, some music, and some photos. I'd like to note that having your book as a free, pre-loaded sample on the eReader is some pretty genius marketing. I read every one of those samples.
Anyrate, the screen is very easy on the eyes. I did feel that the text versus background contrast could have been sharper. I have perfect vision (much to my foolish youthful dismay – I always thought glasses looked so classy and distinguished). I cannot imagine what someone with dodgy eyesight might think of the contrast, but I doubt it would be complimentary.
The magnify feature of the eReader worked well where it worked well, and worked miserably where it did not. Another note for those with poor eyesight – the quality of the eBook really shines in this arena, as all of the "official" eBooks and pdfs that I got worked well, and many of the freebies tended to have some formatting issues when magnified.
The screen glares badly when exposed to direct light, making it difficult to read in sunlight or with bright overhead lighting.
The built-in lighting on the eBook see-saw'd drunkenly between awesome and pathetic.
I love that it is part of the machine, and not some other widget I have to keep track of and try not to lose or break.
The lighting hugely improved the visibility of the text in low-light conditions, but it isn't a true back-light. "Track lighting" along the left and right sides of the device with two brightness levels illuminated the text, but because they were "spotlights" shooting in from the sides, I ended up with uneven lighting across the eBook, which, in turn, gave me the only eye strain or headache I felt when using the eReader.
I still feel that the convenience of having it on board the machine itself outweighed the small bit of discomfort when using it, but I believe it could be better designed.
Turning The Page
The most obvious and lauded feature of the PRS-700 is its touch screen. My friends all have iPod Touches and I'm jealous, so I requested the 700 model specifically for its touch screen.
If you are expecting iPod touch-esque sensitivity from the 700, you will be disappointed.
I felt like I had to put far too much pressure on the screen when using my finger to navigate and submit commands to the screen. I'm also nervous when it comes to expensive technology, and felt that digging my finger into the screen every time I wanted to turn the page might cause pixels to erupt or displace the magic fairy goo inside the screen that makes it work.
By the time the first week had passed, I was using the little stylus for all of my touch-screen needs. The stylus seems to require very little pressure, and I never did get used to how hard I had to press using my fingers.
Speaking of the stylus, could I get something a little more…solid? I feel like an ogre trying to use a tool designed for a fairy every time I pick it up. I handle it delicately, as if it might snap in half at any moment. Plus, I dropped it once. It was like playing Where's Waldo, only this time Waldo is wearing camo gear and huddling beneath a pile of dead leaves, snickering at my inability to locate him. He probably also had a sniper rifle.
Again, designers, do not terrify your users.
The page turn is slow. Sometimes alarmingly so, and I found myself re-turning the page mid-motion and thus accidentally turning TWO pages because I wasn't patient enough for the page turn to go. I have somewhat gotten used to the delay, but every time I turn the page, I get tipped, juuuust a little, out of the story. Page turning should never be intrusive.
And speaking of intrusive, the page turn also causes the screen to flash in a semi-epileptic way. This contributed to my concern that I was actually damaging the machine when using my finger to turn the page, and I've only semi-gotten used to even now.
Much better would be a page-turn animation, and maybe a turn-offable audio clip of a page turning. Lose the flashing, and up the reaction speed of a page turn.
Navigating Through The Book
I did finally find a way to bookmark a page, but it takes somewhere in the neighborhood of five clicks to bookmark a page. Really? Five? Website usability cautions against more than three clicks to perform a common function, I can't imagine that device usability is all that much different. Give me a little circle at the bottom right hand corner of the page that I can tap with the stylus to bookmark a page. There, wasn't that easy? Also, because I didn't read the Quick Start Guide and still break into a cold sweat at the thought of opening it, it took me a few weeks to even find the Bookmark feature.
Turning multiple pages is a pain. More than once, the book randomly decided to skip forward or backward a few pages after I closed the cover. Some might argue that I bumped or nudged it, thus causing the page turns, but that's preposterous. Obviously, I am innocent of these charges.
Regardless, "finding where I was" is easy for me in a deadtree book, as it's easy to flip through the pages and skim it. Additionally, I have a physical indicator of "how far into the book was I" by remembering how the book felt – were there more pages on the left than the right side when I was reading? This is a learned behavior, sure, but I do it without truly thinking about it.
With the eBook, I have to think about it. There is a little page gauge at the bottom, but I don't read what page I'm on at the end of each page – I eagerly flip forward to the next page. That's how I read. That's how authors WANT me to read.
Trying to skim back to find what page I'd actually been on is difficult, as the delay and page flash makes it nearly impossible to skim pages to find out where I was. The page slider and "go to page" functionality were nice, but don't get the job done. Unfortunately, I don't also have a suggestion on fixing this one, though removing the flash and delay will help.
The Table of Contents (now with clickable hyperlink karate-chop action!) was fabulous on those eBooks that provided it. Another great feature that makes them worth buying rather than snagging from a freebie site.
The eReader allows the loading and unloading of music. I tried a few mp3s that I own, though I'll admit that I didn't try any with DRM that I'd purchased through iTunes. I imagine they wouldn't work. The reader isn't intended to be an mp3 player, so I didn't really evaluate it on that. I could, however, plug in some headphones and listen to music while I read, which was great for those times I want to read somewhere annoying and noisy. Like the bus. Or times that I want to just be left alone. Like the bus. (Granted, you could use the headphones without actual music to accomplish the second).
The music player was minimal and functional…but I couldn't figure out how to delete songs without going through the "back door" and using the USB connection to directly edit the files on the reader.
In addition to music, I was surprised to find the eReader allows pictures. The photos flash twice (seriously, cut it out with the flashing) and take a while to load, but the end result is crisp and pleasant…and black and white. Sorry, no color allowed. I uploaded my favorite picture of the hubby and some of my art, and I was pleased with the result. I don't know when I'd actually USE this, but it's neat. No good for actually displaying a portfolio, though. Too small, and no color.
A small irritant was the inability to set the display orientation for each picture independently. If I moved it to landscape orientation, it shifts the entire eReader to landscape orientation – books, menu, and all.
User Interface
The user interface of the device was clunky at best. Requiring multiple clicks to accomplish common tasks is one thing, but requiring a combination of button presses and screen presses needlessly complicates the use of the eReader. The menu should be totally accessible from the touch screen.
The touch screen was nice, but that doesn't mean its okay to put the page turn buttons in the most inconvenient spot on the book. Using them is awkward rather than intuitive.
When deleting a book, the "Are you sure you want to delete this book?" message is nice, but how much nicer would "Are you sure you want to delete 'Getting Rid of Bradley' by Jennifer Cruisie?" (NOOOoOooOoO! I don't! It was a mistake! *flail*)
Is it really necessary to make it so difficult to delete music and pictures?
A lot of key functionality is hidden behind that unassuming "Option" button. As Ulla would say from The Producers – "If you've got it, flaunt it!" Make it easier to access, really work on the UI and usability of the device. We're paying a lot of money for this thing, it shouldn't feel like the UI was an afterthought.
The UI isn't terrible, by any means, but it's not as great as it could (and should) be.
I can do a text-search on a book.
Let me pause for a moment as a choir of angels descends to dedicate a glorious aria to the searching of eBooks.
Okay, we're back. I may not do a search on the latest romance novel that I've read, but I by golly wish I could do searches on textbooks, or on my own manuscripts, or any informational books that I buy. When I'm hanging ten with google, the ctrl+f feature is never more than a quick keystroke from my fingers. If I want to know where a word is, I can find it. The lack of a Find function on paper books is sometimes a staggering disappointment to me.
Also, you can add notes to a book. Find a particular passage hilarious? See a point in your manuscript that needs to be edited? Just add a note! Highlight the text, and the eReader stores it for easy access from the main menu, and immediately jumps you to the page the note was on.
It remembers where I was. I can go to the menu, tool around in the images and music, or even turn the thing OFF, and it knows where I was. The last page of the last book I read is accessible from the main menu, or if I turned off the reader on that page, it immediately starts up there. I love this more than peanut butter.
It is, and I cannot overstate this enough, convenient. It is very convenient for me to store multiple books in one tiny container, and be able to take it anywhere without worrying about the size of the book or bending/tearing pages. It is convenient for me to sit down and read at work without Nosy Nellies or Chatty Cathy's gossiping about just how risque my book cover is. Is the blush in my cheeks from reading War and Peace? Perhaps it's a sci-fi thriller, or a swashbuckling adventure, or a sultry vampire romance? IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, that's what it is! MUAHAHAHAHA!
One thing I didn't expect is the feeling of power that I got. I can read -anything-. I've always wanted to read some of the classics – Count of Monte Cristo, Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, but I've always had something holding me back. Somehow, a digital book makes me feel free to read whatever I want, and I've found that I'm reading quite a lot using this handy little device. Some of the free Valentine's Day Harlequins, and free Baen eBooks have been gathering pixel dust on my laptop but are now being ruthlessly devoured.
How handy would it be for a bible? No large book to tote around, and you can highlight passages and get your bible study done, then neatly flip over to the newest Steven King novel when you're done!
I feel empowered by the eReader, and I cannot think of a better word for it. I am drunk on it, giddily adding book after book and throwing caution to the wind, shocking librarians around the globe with my hedonistic behavior.
File Types
The Sony PRS-700 eReader allows what I would term an acceptable number of file types. PDF, TXT, RTF, and then the proprietary Sony book types as well.
I can't imagine the frustration of purchasing a library's worth of eBooks in a particular format, only to upgrade your reader and find that they no longer display properly.
JPG is the standard for image types, MP3 is the standard for music…why can't eReaders all get along and join in one big happy family and choose a gorram file type, already? The concern about whether or not an eBook works on an eReader is stupid, backwards, and exceptionally damaging to publishers. Readers just want to read the friggin book already, they don't want to have to worry about whether or not the book they bought is only going to work on SOME readers but not others.
And let's not get started on the stupidity of DRM, or we'll be here all day.
*hops off her soap box* One of the reasons I advocate the Sony rather than the Kindle is the file type issue, but it's still not perfect. However, that being said, I was content with the file types I was able to load.
Plus, I use Scrivener for my writing, which exports the manuscript in RFT format. I was able to load my manuscript on the eReader, which was seventeen different flavors of awesome.
Loading Content
First off, the lack of a direct USB port on the eReader boggles my mind. Seriously? That's like having a taxicab with a roll-up door. Let me plug a flash drive into this puppy.
Sony does get kudos for making the "loading content" USB cord the same as the "charge my batteries, baby" cord, although an extra cord if I wanted to charge via a wall socket would have been a nice touch.
As to actually loading the content – I admit, I cheated.
When you plug the eReader into a machine, it becomes a new drive, just like a USB drive. I tooled around in the folder structure, found the folder that stored the books, and drag-dropped my darlings directly into it. (Sony, please make this easier by not obscuring the folder names.)
Sony wants you to use their software.
And that, my friends, is where things start to get sticky.
The eReader came with Sony-specific software – eBook Library (EBL for short. EBL is pronounced ebil which sounds like evil. It's science.)
First off, if you aren't running Windows XP, expect some hoop-jumping. I won't regale you with the sordid tales from the other Smart Bitches Test Drivers (no doubt they will do so themselves) but let's just say it's ugly. Vista users have a workaround, but it's not built into the CD that was sent with these readers. Although Sony has reported upcoming Mac-compatibility, Mac users are currently SoL.
I guess Sony figured Mac users didn't read, I dunno. My assumption is that Mac users are willing to pay more for quality electronic equipment, but hey, what do I know? I'm only a Mac user.
Luckily for me, I actually DO have Windows XP running on my home desktop computer, so I was able to bypass the install-induced headache. Sony, however, appears to be an equal-opportunity headache inducer, so I got my fair share regardless.
I was a bad little test driver and I did not attempt to load my existing eBooks onto the eReader via the eLibrary software. All of my existing eBooks were on my Mac laptop, so it was easier for me to just plug and drag-drop.
Buying from the Sony eBook Store
First and foremost – I love my browser. I've known my browser for years. We've bonded, like peas and carrots.
I really, really, really, really (was that enough 'really's? No, one more, I think) really dislike it when I am forced to use someone else's software, for no reason I can fathom, to do browser-like activities.
The Sony eBook store is set up similarly to Amazon (good call there, book readers are already accustomed to the user interface of Amazon), but it's got its own quirks and failures.
There are a lot of books in the Sony eBook store, which is good. It is difficult to filter/sort/navigate those books, which is bad.
Harlequin, in an awesome gesture of generosity, awarded the test drivers $25 gift certificates for Harlequin books in the Sony eBook store. Rock on, right?
Well, it would have been on like Donkey Kong, if it weren't for the fact that I couldn't filter the results by "Harlequin". I had to click on "Romance" and then page through a dizzying array of books, scanning for those with "Harlequin" in the details. This meant that what should have been a 30 minute book-buying session turned into a three hour slog-fest.
In addition, the book descriptions were all oddly formatted and broken – I don't think I looked at a single book with a pretty and complete book description. The author information was usually blank, and the reader reviews were sporadic at best.
It was as if someone put me on a tiny, leaky rowboat and equipped me with an eyedropper. "Fill the eyedropper with only the BEST drops of water, Tami!" they yelled as they untied the rope and set me adrift.
In the end, I managed to cross reference some reviews (and some recommendations from fellow Test Drivers helped!) and I found myself with $25.64 worth of eBooks. While attempting to pay the sixty-four cents, my credit card was rejected. "Something is wrong with your card," they said, and I was too tired and irritable to fix it, so I dropped one of the books rather than attempt to find out which exact bit of data they disagreed with.
And I had to do all of this without the comfort of my browser and the ability to open new tabs or look at multiple books at a time.
Help me to help you, Sony. Help me to help you.
Authorizing the Reader
In order to actually put some of those painstakingly acquired books onto the eReader, I had to authorize it.
Simply plugging the device in caused it to appear in the eLibrary software, which was nice. However, I couldn't right click on the device and Authorize, which was my first guess at how to do so.
Dropping the books onto the unauthorized device resulted in a message box saying that I needed to Authorize the device (gee, ya think?) and a query as to whether I'd like to do that now. (You bet yer sweet bippy I do!) Unfortunately, every time I tried this, the eLibrary software cranked for a while and then spat out a Page Not Found error. Awesome.
The Quick Start Guide of Doom simply said that I should "follow the instructions". Great.
So I went to the Sony eBook store home page and saw not one link, ad, or image that attempted to give me a breadcrumb trail to follow so that I could authorize the blasted thing.
(*sob* I just want to REEEEEEAD!)
Thankfully, someone else in the Test Drive circle had already solved the problem – I had to go into my account and Authorize the device there. Once I knew that, the process was quick and simple.
If only it had been quick and simple from the start.
The Sony PRS-700 appears to have quietly disappeared from digital shelves everywhere, but I recall the price as being over $300. The 505 model is still available, and it's clocking in around $280.
That's a lot of money, folks. If you think about it, there are laptop computers in this price range.
This is an eReader. It reads eBooks. Sure, it also plays music and stores music, but it's not a phone, it's not a speech-to-text note taker, it's not a gaming device. It is a single-purpose displayer of electronic text. Don't get me wrong, it does that one thing very well, and far better than a laptop or any other device currently does, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a lot of money.
This price puts the eReader in the "Luxury" category. Publishers should want an eReader to be considered a "Necessity" for readers, not a "Luxury". Luxury items are rarely accessible to the average consumer, and the fact that the eBooks are priced similarly to paperbacks (and sometimes hardcovers, for shame!) means that right now, it is a luxury to have enough money to not only buy the reader, but also buy books to put on the reader.
All of the other negatives, foibles, and hitches that I've mentioned about the eReader would be acceptable in a bargain-priced device, but I find them somewhat horrifying in such an expensive one.
If you spend the money on a luxury hotel, you're paying for everything from a bellboy in a suit who offers to help carry your luggage to the expensive Egyptian cotton towels stored in the bathroom. You're paying to be pampered.
The Sony 700 eReader, for all that I love its convenience, gives you bargain functionality at luxury prices. I would absolutely buy this device at a lower price point. eReaders are incredibly, wonderfully, marvelously useful. It's cool to be living in the future, where devices such as this are even dreamed of, let alone available. Even so, the price tag makes my poor little wallet shrivel and whimper, and my negatives are just strong enough to outweigh the positives.
The way I see it, it would take one of two things to make me buy one (and I'd actually prefer the latter).
- Drop the price
- Get rid of DRM
- Pick a standard eBook format
- Fix the UI
** SBSarah: This was written before Sony announced they were adopting the ePub format for their bookstore. ]
I believe we're not far off from the day that I will buy an eReader (though that could just be the hope talking). They will never replace my love of a deadtree book and I will always get my "keepers" in hardcover as often as I can, but the everyday business of reading is easier and (dare I say it?) more fun when using an eReader.
TLDR (Too Long, Didn't Read)
The Good
- The convenience of the eReader is indescribable. I'd expected to find it neat to carry multiple books in a single reader, but I was unprepared for just HOW convenient it would be.
- The Sony PRS-700 eReader is slim, tidy, and lightweight without sacrificing a solid feel. It slips easily into even my small purse, and it's just a swift motion and I'm back at the exact point I'd left my adventure.
- I can bookmark pages.
- I can magnify the text if it's difficult to read.
- The built-in lighting flicks on easily.
- I can do a word search on the book (bliss!).
- I can highlight and make notes.
- I can take my WIP manuscript with me wherever I go, without breaking my back or needing a second bag.
- It plays music.
- It stores images (black and white only, but very crisp).
- I can read anything. Classics, romances, erotica, fantasy, sci-fi. No heavy phonebook-sized books frighten me, no risque book cover betrays my pleasure, no wrinkled and torn pages mar my enjoyment.
- Adding books to the eReader using the drag/drop method was easy.
- I want an eReader now, more than ever.
The Bad
- The page-turn flickers alarmingly and has a slight, annoying delay.
- The user interface is clunky and bloated – too many "clicks" required to do common tasks, such as bookmarking.
- Some user interface actions (such as skipping forward through multiple pages) are difficult to find.
- Accidental page-turning still happens, just often enough to be irritating.
- Using the stylus on the 700 touch-screen ended up being my method of choice – I felt like I had to press too hard in order to use my finger, and I feared I might damage it otherwise.
- The "Quick Start Guide" needs to be completely revamped to be more user-friendly.
- The screen glares
- Although the built-in lighting is nice, it's uneven and thus imperfect.
- The stylus seems too delicate (even though it's not, it SEEMS to be).
The Ugly
- The Sony eBook store and software is a mess. Requiring software which doesn't work on a Mac and only grudgingly on Vista is silly when a website works for everyone.
- The store isn't user friendly. Books are difficult to search and filter, reviews are spotty, book descriptions are improperly formatted and often incomplete. Authorizing the device was a trial. In short, the Sony eBook store sucks swampwater. Fix it, or you'll scare away paying customers.
- DRM is stupid – the only people it restricts are the good guys. Pirates know ways to get around it, and DRM just makes normal shoppers become pirates out of self-defense. Learn from the mistakes of others, I beg of you.
- The price. Honestly, with all the UI issues, I can't even comprehend a price tag of $200 to $400 dollars, snazzy touch screen or no. The extreme fabulousity of an eReader notwithstanding, the price is too high for what the device does. The eReader is specifically tailored to read books and is thus more convenient than a laptop, but it's still a difficult price tag to swallow.
The Summary
I want one, but not at today's prices. The "bad" items are all things I expect to be fixed or tweaked as the eReader hardware and software matures (and are all inconveniences or irritations at worst), and the "ugly" items are beyond my control.


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Looking for pictures...
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Re: Looking for pictures...
I got started on the motor today and I cant say things went well. The pictures from the Honda shop manual are pretty cool, step by step (for the carburetor) and a few shots of the impeller replacement too. Well first bad sign was when I noticed that the inboard and outboard gaskets were marked do not reuse in the illustrations. Called all over looking for them till finally the guy up in Everett suggested that I just be REAL careful taking em off. I did that and was feeling better. Then I got to the part where I was starting to transfer hardware from the old carb to the new one and found out that they sold me the wrong part.
Ah well, at least Ive got that task almost half done AND Ill be able to get new gaskets, a fuel filter and an oil filter while Im in there.
So after a fair break, I tackled the impeller replacement. I got confused cause I thought the impeller mounted down by the prop. The steps say to take off the prop and the prop shaft holder and the gear case assembly I didnt have pictures of the pages that detail how to remove those last two, so I kind of winged it. I removed the prop and then the 5 bolts that seemed to be holding on the lowest chunk of the lower unit. When I removed these, after a bit of banging, it dropped down . Maybe 2 inches . And then kind of hangs there.
So now Ive got the bottom of the motor dangling there and I dont want to use any force cause I dont want to break anything. In looking at the pictures again, I just realized that the 2 inch gap that I opened up is giving me access to the impeller housing and the four bolts that secure it. So I feel like Im close to being on track, but Id sure feel better if Id done this before. Im not sure if the gear case assembly is the part that I have dangling or not. Guess Ill see what happens if I remove those four bolts tomorrow. Or who knows, I sprayed the whole thing with nut cracker before I quit for the day, maybe the whole thing will be laying on the floor tomorrow
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Jeffosaurus Rex
Junior Member
Today, while I was typing in my password to log in, my computer restarted. I figured it was unrelated to League of Legends, so I tried again. It crashed again. On the third try, I typed in my password very quickly and I was able to log on with no crash. After some serious League pwnage, I took a break before coming back. I decided to wait at the log in screen to see if it was still crashing and, of course, it crashed. But, this time, the crash apparently reset my BIOS to default settings. (This crash was the first time it actually gave a blue screen, as far as I remember.) That disabled my sound (which I fixed). I am highly confused, but I believe if I type in my password quickly, I can avoid this situation.
Senior Member
I'd just like to bump this because the same thing has been happening to me as well. This has happened three times in succession on the loading screen. Unfortunately my password is rather long, so I can't solve it like OP. If it helps, one time the blue screen gave a IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.
same here i know it's not my video card cuz every other game works fine both my brother and i have tried to log in several times over the course of the last few days and we have had bsod every time
JJ Says Nay
I've posted several times about this but to no avail. I know it's definitely this game because nothing else does it. I've kind of narrowed it down to it being related to flash. My computer has only frozen or blue screened when I would either start the LoL loader, when the match exits into the post chat (once again, the loader) or if I have the loader up when browsing Youtube videos. I've tried reinstalling flash, clearing out the registry, and even letting LoL repair itself but to no avail. It could be possible that the latest flash builds are botched for certain hardware, but I know it's definitely not faulty hardware.


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After the holidays it gets hard to find things to do. Lucky for me i have my girls. I called Bree to see if she wanted to do lunch, went to pick her up and found a 5 foot 3 inch surprise. She brought Kenna out to play. What a treat. And they both wanted to do more than lunch! It was no time before we were licking and playing in Kennas pussy and smacking her round ass. Those titties got some licks too and there was more than enough toy action to keep our pussies full.


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Recipes in this Collection
This quick and healthy side dish takes just minutes to prepare! And as a bonus, it's an easy way to get the kids to eat their vegetables. Submitted by MATCM81 Carbs: 7.3g | Fat: 1.6g | Fiber: 2.5g | Protein: 3.2g | Calories: 51.6
A yummy way to start the day with very little fat and lots of flavor! Submitted by JOJOMKE Carbs: 23.6g | Fat: 0.5g | Fiber: 1.7g | Protein: 3g | Calories: 93.2
The same great taste of the Italian favorite, but this one only has five grams of fat! Submitted by CONNIE563 Carbs: 13.6g | Fat: 5.4g | Fiber: 0.9g | Protein: 17g | Calories: 173.3
A quick and easy dinner that is also low in fat, this chicken casserole is perfect for busy nights. Submitted by LYZ219 Carbs: 15.8g | Fat: 7.3g | Fiber: 3.1g | Protein: 36.8g | Calories: 284.2
A hearty side or a light meatless entree, this savory dish is packed with flavor and fiber! Submitted by SPARK_RECIPES Carbs: 39.4g | Fat: 2.3g | Fiber: 8.5g | Protein: 9.6g | Calories: 216
Very Good 4.4/5
(82 ratings)
This is one of our family favorites! Although it's pretty low in calories and fat (for fettuccine alfredo), it has plenty of flavor. This looks really good, too, so we make it sometimes when company comes. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Submitted by MOPSMOM3 Carbs: 16.3g | Fat: 8.1g | Fiber: 0.8g | Protein: 16.5g | Calories: 206.3
Very Good 4.5/5
(6 ratings)
This is one of my family's all-time favorites. It tastes more like tender veal than chicken. For an even healthier version, omit the butter and use your favorite health-conscious oil. Submitted by SLIMDUCK Carbs: 16.1g | Fat: 10.2g | Fiber: 3.3g | Protein: 59.3g | Calories: 391.6


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Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort & Spa(5 stars)
Göltürkbükü 48452 Bodrum View on map Show on map:
- Hotel
- Things to do and see
Hotel review overview
Definitely no Hilton standard!
- Recommended hotel
- Families
- Translated
- Beach holiday
- September 2013
The hotel has a very nice bay, either beach or jetty and is located outside of Bodrum. Unfortunately the hotel has a very bad bus connection into the city. An easy drive to the city Bodrum costs per person 8 tl (circa 3-4 Euro). read hotel review
Information about Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort & Spa
Hotel Information
hotel.de *
Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort and Spa will be closed beginning 31 October 2012 until 15 April 2013. Set within the forested region of Golturkbuku on the Northern tip of Bodrum Peninsula and featuring stunning views of the turquoise Aegean Sea the luxurious Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort - Spa is only 45 km from Milas-Bodrum Airport and 22 km from the marina and the vibrant nightlife of Bodrum*s city center. All of our bright Guest Rooms and Suites at this Turkish resort are decorated to reflect the serene natural beauty of the area and feature beautiful sea views and a wide range of modern amenities. Hold a celebration or business meeting in one of 15 meeting spaces or choose our ballroom for larger events all of which offer the very latest in audio/visual technology and internet access. Food lovers will be spoiled for choice at this Bodrum resort where you can breakfast in the Main Restaurant savor authentic Turkish and Ottoman specialities at the exclusive Sultan*s table and dine under the stars on the freshest seafood in our outdoor deck restaurant Seaport. Relax on the palm fringed golden sands of the beach with a cocktail swim in one of this Turkish resort*s several pools dance the night away at one of the lively nightclubs nearby or simply relax and indulge in a pampering treatment in our tranquil Spa.From the North Follow highways E87 and D525 as far as Mugla. Then take highway D330 to Bodrum. From the crossroads take the Torba-Golturkbuku road after 22 km. Hotel is situated to the west. From the East Follow the E90 highway heading west following signs to Denizli and Mugla. Then take Highway D330 to Bodrum. From the crossroads take the Torba-Golturkbuku road after 22 km. Hotel is situated to the west .Parking
* Neither HolidayCheck nor the provider assumes liability for the accuracy and completeness of the content displayed above. Please take note of the hotel description of the respective operator and bear in mind that the services included in an offer may differ from the catalog description presented here. We are obliged to offer solely those services available at the time of booking as shown on the booking form. © 2013 Giata
Hotel amenities
- Terrace
- Meeting/Banquet Facilities
- Non-smoking room
- Shops in the hotel
- Hairdressers/Beauty salon
- Playground
- Lift
- Central heating
- Air conditioning
- Free parking
- Car park
Room amenities
- Writing bureau
- Phone
- Satellite TV
- Minibar
- Free minibar
- Minibar: alcoholic
- Safe
- Balcony
- Bathroom
- Shower
- Electronic room keys
- Inside access
- Wake up call/Alarm clock
- Connecting rooms
- Restaurant
- Hotel bar
- Cafe
- Number of cafes altogether: 1
- Breakfast buffet
- Packed lunches
A choice of sports
- Fitness centre
- Outdoor pool
- Aqua park
- Tennis court
- Number of tennis courts: 2
Spa offers
- Spa centre
- Massages
- Special massages
- Sauna
- Steam room/ turkish bath
- Tanning booth
Other hotel information
- 24 hour reception
- Evening programs and entertainment
- Babysitting/Child services
- Kids club (6-9 years)
- Check out no later than: 12:00
- Non-hotel guests can/cannot access the area: open
- German
- Airport transfer
- Shuttle bus transfer from the airport: charged
- Express check in and check out
- Cash payment
- English
- 24 hour security
- Car hire
- Information desk
- Currency exchange
- Children welcome
- Wifi
- Free Wifi access included
- Laundry service


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Join Free High Quality School Serving Scholars from PreK to Grade 8! Entering its 10th year of operation, University Heights Charter School has a track record of educational excellence. Our Lower and Upper Schools, across the street from each other, afford all students access to multiple gyms, computer labs, outdoor play spaces, and more!
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Rolls-Royce moves global Marine headquarters to Singapore
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, today announced that it is moving the global headquarters for its Marine business to Singapore from London. The move recognises the increasing importance to Rolls-Royce of Asia-Pacific markets, where a significant proportion of global commercial shipping activity takes places. It also underscores the significance of Singapore as a hub for the Group's regional operations.
Rolls-Royce has been active in Singapore's marine industry for more than 30 years. The company also plays a major part in Singapore's aerospace industry, accounting for over 15 per cent of the country's aerospace output. The Group selected Singapore for its well developed infrastructure, human capital, central location within Asia and the fact that it is already home to a number of other Rolls-Royce operations.
John Paterson, President Marine, who is relocating to Singapore, said: "Rolls-Royce is a global business and while Europe remains a significant market for Marine, headquartering our business in Singapore further enhances our global position and will facilitate the development of growing markets in Asia. Working closely with key customers and suppliers in the region we will capitalise on Singapore's central position and maritime expertise as we continue to develop our business."
Lim Siong Guan, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board, said: "We are delighted that Rolls-Royce has decided to locate the global headquarters for its Marine business in Singapore. It is a very welcome addition to Singapore's growing presence as a home for world-class companies to manage and drive their global businesses. This significant decision underlines our long-term partnership with Rolls-Royce, Singapore's position as a hub for the marine industry and our focus on high value-added manufacturing."
In 2008 Rolls-Royce established a global head office for its Marine services operation in Singapore and today's move builds on that progress. The new Marine headquarters will have global responsibility for business development, marketing and corporate services.
- Rolls-Royce, a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
- The Rolls-Royce Marine business employs over 8,000 people worldwide, including 500 in the Asia Pacific region, and has major manufacturing operations in the UK, the Nordic countries, North America, China and South Korea.
- By weight, around 80 per cent of all commercial shipbuilding in the world takes place in Asia.
- Rolls-Royce has been active in Singapore's marine industry since 1977. The Group's marine global services business is managed from Singapore and it houses one of Rolls-Royce's global repair and overhaul service centres. Singapore is also the regional headquarters for the Marine Commercial business, covering Asia, Middle East, India and Australia.
- A ship design office was established in Singapore in 1999 which carries out work for offshore supply vessels, merchant, tugs, over 35 UT design vessels and specialist naval sectors in Asia. The office also offers conversion and modification of offshore vessels. Linked to the global design centre in Norway, the Asia centre creates customer specific turnkey solutions locally.
- Singapore is a key business hub for the Group. It is base to the regional headquarters of the company's Asian Energy business, its Advanced Technology Centre and Procurement office which handles the management of suppliers in South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, India and South East Asia.
- Through the company's joint ventures with key local industry partner, Singapore Airlines Engineering Company and activities in the Energy and Marine sectors, Rolls-Royce currently employs over 1,300 people in Singapore.
- Rolls-Royce is engaged in the building of its Facility of the Future, a S$320 million (US$225 million) Trent aero engine facility in at the new Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore. The Facility of the Future will be the most modern Rolls-Royce production engine assembly and test facility for large commercial aero engines, and the company's first in Asia.
- The Rolls-Royce naval business will continue to be managed from the US and the submarine business will continue to be managed from the UK. In addition, the Group's offshore and merchant businesses will continue to be run and managed from the Nordic countries.


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28. Chapter 28
She hid herself deeper beneath the furs and blankets upon her bed when she heard the soft tapping at her door.
"Adlanniel?" Thranduil's voice called to her gently.
"I wish to be left alone!" She called back angry.
"I came to apologise...."
Throwing the blankets and furs back from herself she sat upright and stared at the door for a long, hard moment.
Her eyes were hurting for the amount of tears she had shed due to the king's previous animosity towards her.
"Gi fuion! Ego!" She snapped, wiping away the burning tears that now sprung once again at her eyes with the velvet of her dress sleeves.
Thranduil sighed deeply as he leant his arm against the door and his forehead upon it, knowing that he would perhaps have more difficulty getting through to the elleth than what Legolas had had.
"Gin iallon, hiril vuin..." He pleaded with her after a moment. He truly regretted having somewhat lost his temper at her and having handled her so roughly. Yet he wished that she too would be more understanding and less difficult in her manners.
"Díheno nin. It was horrible for me to have treated you the way I had, and for me to have hurt you so."
She had risen from her bed and was now standing between it and the door, listening intently. The king's apology had sounded sincere and genuine, she thought, yet she was still feeling the inner grudge towards him from within; her stubbornness wound not abate.
"I do not know what came over me Adlanniel. Perhaps I am too weary of war and the horrors and pain that it begets. Perhaps I worry about losing those I love again...I worry about losing my son....I worry about losing you...They are deep burdens I am bearing..."
His words brought fresh tears to her eyes. She could hear through his voice that he was troubled by and tired of all that had befallen them. It made her hardened heart soften for him for she empathised completely with what he was feeling.
Slowly she made her way to the great mahogany door and stood before it. Gently she clicked open the lock and brought the door open towards her, the king looking down at her sadly as she appeared from the shadows of her room to stand before him.
"We both have burdens to bear, do we not?" He asked her softly as he reached down to wipe the tears from her soft cheeks, her eyes remaining ever downcast.
"May I come in?" He asked her softly then as he continued to stroke her soft skin with his thumb. Giving a slight nod she moved aside and allowed him entrance, to which he quietly closed the door as she walked back to sit on her bed.
"I do not want you to leave without me. I do not want to be left alone here." She sobbed.
"I know you do not, my dear child." He replied sympathetically as he moved to sit beside her.
"But you know for well that I can not allow you to come with us. It is far too dangerous, especially now that you are with gwanûn in your womb. I can not possibly risk your safety. Or theirs." He spoke with a more serious tone which only sought to dishearten Adlanniel more. Thranduil could sense this easily enough and so took her into his strong arms to try to offer some form of comfort and solace.
"And I can not risk losing either of you; the two ellyn that I can not live without.....the two ellyn that I love with my whole heart..."
Her heartfelt words then struck a new cord within him. She just admitted to loving them both. Of course she loved Legolas, he was her soul-mate, but did she really feel love for her kingly lover as well? Indeed, they both knew they loved each other but not in the way soul-mates love each other. Yet her voice then could have proven otherwise.
"If I was to lose either of you, or the both of you, I too would surely wither and die...." Her voice was choked with tears.
Thranduil, letting out a short, doleful sigh, took her into a tighter embrace and kissed her reassuringly on the top of her head.
"You will lose neither of us, sellig." Thranduil looked deeply into her sullen, emerald eyes then.
"Gweston, Adlanniel. Av'osto, dandengir."
"What is it with you ellyn? Always making promises you can not keep..." She said almost bitterly, taking Thranduil back slightly by her sudden biting tone.
"I have never been one to break a promise." Thranduil replied soberly. "Have faith..."
"How?" She snapped as she turned to look up at him, her face flustered. "How can I have faith when you will both be off in a war? Do you not remember what happened to your own father?"
Her statement then stung him. He remembered all too clearly what had happened on that fateful day...
"Circumstances were much different then Adlanniel. You know that. Besides, I survived did I not? And I have survived every battle preceding it and thereafter. As will Legolas. He already has Haldir and Glorfindel protecting him and when I arrive there nothing will dare come between us. I am confident in my skills and confident in theirs as well. Nothing will befall any of us."
"Overconfidence is what gets men and elves alike killed..." She replied coldly.
Thranduil, frowning at her, sighed again yet this time in frustration as he moved away from her and stood to leave. Her stubbornness and lack of faith in them made him weary and he did not want to continue arguing with her.
"Though I understand your feelings, hiril vuin, I have my duty to uphold as you have your duty to obey. You would be wise to do so. No vaer i dhû, Adlanniel." And with that he turned to walk towards the door.
She felt her face flush hot when he turned away from her so suddenly, she did not expect that he would snub her so easily. It hurt enough for her to break out of her stubbornness to reach out to him.
"Wait, Thranduil!" She cried as she ran towards him, embracing him from behind before he had the chance to reach for the door handles.
"Do not go....do not leave me alone on this cold, dreadful night...." She sobbed helplessly into the back of his robes as she pressed her face into his soft, flaxen hair.
"Please do not leave me. Díheno nin...."
Thranduil stood there for a long moment as she continued to sob into his back, staring at the intricate carvings of her bedchamber's doors as if he were in a daze. Slowly he turned his head to look down at her, his eyes once more saddened for her plight. He did not want to cause her any grief, yet his duty as king surpassed any feelings of those he adored.
"What would you have me do then?" He asked her as he looked into her desperate and pleading eyes. "What can I do to possibly comfort you?"
"Melo nin..." She whispered softly, still clinging to him. She knew that if they made love again, it would perhaps only seek to worsen their situation for she would only want and miss him more. Yet she needed to feel his warmth, she needed to feel him envelope her with his body so that she could feel secure. She simply needed him...and perhaps he needed her too.
"I know you need it too...to feel comforted from all of this pain...." She began as she turned him to face her.
"Melo nin, aran vuin. Like it were to be our last time...."
Her words then saddened him deeply for he knew that soon would indeed have to be their last time; despite how deeply they felt for each other they could not continue their lascivious liaison forever.
Taking her face gently into his hands he leant down to kiss her deeply and with strong passion. He was going to miss her terribly, that was for absolute certain.
"I don't want to leave you either Adlanniel..." He admitted softly as he planted gentle kisses upon the soft skin of her cheek.
"But you know I must..." His fingers began to untwine the cords of her bodice.
"I know..." She replied, her lips too brushing against his skin. As he leant forward into her to pull free her bodice, she was able to reach up to run her tongue along his pointed elven ear.
He sighed in arousal as she did, then slowly untying the strings of her skirts after he had allowed her bodice to fall to the floor as to allow her tongue to play with his ear for a little longer.
She ran her lithe fingers down his strong torso after she had pulled open his velvet coat, tracing her fingertips along the contours of his muscles. As she did, Thranduil traced his fingertips up along her slender arms to caress her face once more. Closing her eyes she leant in to his tender touch, brushing her soft lips against his skin as she did. She wanted to bask in his adoration for her which was evident by the way his touch fell upon her skin.
Gently he lifted her up to his body as he carried her to her bed, his lips locked with hers as he lay her down softly upon the maroon velvets and furs.
Her body shivered with delight as his delicate kisses moved from her mouth down the side of her slender neck, to which he slowly began tracing his tongue down to her supple breasts.
She gasped when he took one of her taught nipples into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue as he did so.
He played her skin with his sensual kisses as he turned her onto her stomach once more. He knew that she wanted him to envelope her, to be as one and as close to her as they could possibly be.
Sensually he traced his lips along the pearl like bumps of her spine, running his fingers along her skin as he moved down her body. She moaned through pursed lips as he reached between her delicious thighs to ply her with his fingers, his feathery kisses sensually caressing the soft skin of her buttocks. She was already wet and wanting.
They both breathed a unified gasp as he entered her slowly. He wanted to be gentle with her for she had been feeling so much emotional pain. The fact that she was too with child also helped spur his more gentle side. He wanted her to feel that she was adored over just being a slave to his carnal desires. Indeed, he did adore her for she made him remember what it was like to be youthful again; she made him remember what it was like to feel love from another....and how it felt to reciprocate it.
Brushing her ebony hair from her shoulders he began to caress her skin with his lips once more, focussing his lavish kisses upon the nape of her neck to which she was undoubtedly sensitive.
She grasped the velvet duvet beneath her as she let out a long moan of engulfing pleasure; Thranduil was pushing into her slowly but deeply enough to push against the limit of her inner being. Coupled with his sensual lips upon her skin the sensations she felt were impassioned and strong.
Reaching round, he took hold of her forehead with one hand and her slender neck with the other to hold her up to him. He wanted to feel her close to him, to take in the lovely scent of her hair and skin, to listen closely to the passion which escaped her lips. She managed to arch her head around enough for him to lean down to kiss the side of her mouth tenderly for but a brief moment. As he held her to him he allowed his moans of venereal pleasure drift into her ear; something which utterly aroused her. She could not help but allow her own sighs of passion escape her lips as he continued his deep yet slow thrusts against her voluptuous rear. The angle to which he had them positioned allowed for his strong member to push hard against her inner sweet sanctum; the pace of his thrusts allowing their euphoria to endure until it had reached a sensational height. Even after her body had began to quiver during her oncoming peak, he continued to push her past the limits of her bliss.
"Please...." She begged through her feverish moans.
"Allow me to look up into your beautiful eyes so we may reach our zenith together." Despite their lustful passion then, her words were heartfelt and sincere which burned his heart with affection for her.
As he lovingly turned her over, she leant up to catch his lips with hers, allowing her tongue to dance lavishly within his mouth. Grasping his buttocks, she thrust her hips up harder against his as they rode together, giving cause to increase their momentum as they edged ever closer to their peak.
Their eyes were locked in a deep and adoring gaze, gleaming like precious gems as they began to glaze over in utmost ecstasy.
"I do not think I can withhold much longer..." Thranduil breathed into her ear as he too felt his body begin to quiver with the onset of orgasm.
"Pathro nin!" She panted, wrapping her arms tightly around his strong body as she felt a blinding wave of euphoric pleasure engulf her.
They cried out as one as he spent his seed deeply into her burning womanhood. Clenching her womb ever tightly around him he gasped, his arms beginning to feel weakened as she elicited every last drop of his crystalline liquid to enter her.
After he had spent himself entirely, he slowly he crawled to slump down beside her on the bed, taking her into his arms as he did to keep her close to his heart.
Their coitus, which was often savage and raw, was usually lustful and wanton in nature; they fulfilled the guilty pleasures and unwavering desires of each other. However, their lovemaking then had been of a different ilk. It had been full of emotion and passionate adoration for each other. One could easily be mistaken that the most fulfilling yet dangerous emotion of them all had been involved...
As she curled her head towards his chest she listened for his heartbeat as she usually did. Its strong rhythm made her feel content after their previous, satisfying ordeal.
They lay for a long while in each other's warm embrace, not exchanging words as the relished in the quiet that surrounded them that night. The chirping of birds as they settled to slumber and the distant splashing of the flowing river near the halls were the only sounds the two elves focussed on. The serene sounds of the outside nature reminded them that there was peace in the world, despite whatever evil lurked in the shadows.
However the peace did allow for Adlanniel's mind to drift after a while for there were deeper, much troubled thoughts within. She began to worry again for the two ellyn that she cherished; how she would miss them and fret about them. It pained her heart deeply as her thoughts darkened into images of loss and death. How could she allow them to be so far away from her in a different world, a world of war and suffering? How could she allow them to suffer through such darkness? She could not approve of such a fate for them. Though she knew it was inevitable and thus did not want them to experience it without her. The three of them were one after all.
Although Thranduil had begun to drift off into sleep due to the physical and emotional warmth of their embrace, he could still sense she was thinking troubled thoughts.
"Adlanniel..." He began has he opened his eyes wearily. "Do not trouble yourself with dark thoughts now. All foul things come to pass when darkness arises, you know that. Yet it is our duty as the free peoples of Arda to bring light back into the world when the foulness dares to tarnish it. Our kin are dwindling and are sailing to the West because of such evils. Though I believe that the Age of the Eldar has not yet passed. We are still needed here. So as the last Elvenking of Arda, I will do everything I can to protect this world for as long as I am here and still draw breath. I ask for you to respect that."
Adlanniel gave a doleful nod against his chest.
"I do." She replied honestly, though with slight reluctance laced in her voice.
"I just wish I could do something as well."
"But you are!" Thranduil smiled as he sleepily looked down at her.
"You will bring new life to replenish that which has been lost."
She allowed his wisdom to sink into her thoughts then, she knew he was right and very wise in his sentiments.
"But will it be enough?" She questioned, still feeling that she needed to do more - still wanting to follow her loves to the ends of the world.
"Each individual can only do so much, sellig. Your contribution to the cycle of life will be more than adequate." Thranduil then settled himself down more comfortably once more.
"I do ask that you do what I ask of you and stay here so that you may remain safe; safe so that your contribution to the world can be witnessed and relished by all." Though his voice was gentle to her then, it was stern enough to remind her of his position.
"I will, aran vuin." She promised.
"That is a good girl." He replied, satisfied as he gave her a light kiss on the top of her head. "Now let us sleep, it will be morning before we both realise."
As she settled herself against him, she felt a great wave of guilt flow over her. She had just lied to him despite his wise and gentle words to her. Now two kinds of guilt would entwine themselves around her.
Though despite the guilt of the deception she would commit in the coming days, she knew she had to follow her heart. But to what consequence, only time would tell.
Elvish - English
Gi fuion! Ego! = I am disgusted with you! Go away!
elleth = Elven maiden (female)
Gin iallon, hiril vuin = I beg of you, my lady
Díheno nin = Forgive me
gwanûn = twins
ellyn = Elven men
sellig = my girl
Gweston, Adlanniel = I promise, Adlanniel.
Av'osto, dandengir = Do not fear, we will return.
hiril vuin = beloved lady
No vaer i dhû, Adlanniel = Good night, Adlanniel.
Melo nin = Make love to me.
aran vuin = beloved king
Pathro nin! = Fill me!
Arda = The world of Middle-Earth.
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.


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August 3, 2011 By The Writer
This adorable little robot can make a very complex cup of coffee. I can just see these popping up at coffeehouse across America, putting Liberal Arts College kids out of work. Just think how much more Starbucks could charge if they had robots making their coffee.
Robot Bird
July 27, 2011 By The Writer
Festo, a German engineering company, have developed a robot that can fly just like a bird. We've reported on other such flying robots (Robot Juggle & Robot Heli-Bi-Wheel), but none that actually mimic the exact flight abilities of a real bird. SmartBird is built from a superlight material, which gives it a weight of less […]


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A trip into one of Tiki Image?s tanning beds treats clients to sun-kissed skin. Six levels of beds include extras such as facial tanners or a sound system with a subwoofer. For those with a sunless preference, the salon offers both custom airbrush and spray-tan booths that coat bodies in a skin-darkening formula without pesky streaks or squiggly lines. Yet another booth at the salon emits red light, which works to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes. Along with tanning services, Tiki Image offers fit body wraps to burn calories, relieve stiff muscles, and detoxify the body.
Beach Bum Tanning's high-tech beds, sunless booths, and tailored beauty treatments regularly appear in press outlets such as Allure magazine. The salon's heated Mystic HD booths spritz bodies with vibrant pigment while warming skin to ensure optimal and even color saturation without having to bear-hug King Midas. Certified Airbrush Artists also implement customized airbrush tans over 150 ways by using a combination of fine-point-guided and wide-point-guided guns to shade and contour a custom-tinted tan to the body's curves, bends, and highway overpasses.
Although most people want a glowing tan, no one wants burnt, painful skin. That's why the Smart Tan-certified professionals at Bronze Couture Tan & Spa guide clients through the tanning options available in their salon, ensuring clients select the tanning method and lotion that will best darken their individual skin type. The staff members desire to help clients reduce the negative effects of tanning, and thus educate them on how to enhance tanning sessions with accelerating lotions, chocolate syrup, or the salon's higher-tiered UV beds. The Level 3–7 Ergoline beds build up tans over time, whereas the salon's high-pressure Magic 636 bed condenses eight hours of sunshine into 12 minutes.
As an alternative to UV tanning, certified airbrush artists offer custom spray tans that last for 5–10 days. The salon also offers complementary services such as teeth whitening, tan-prolonging hydration treatments, and red light–therapy facials.
The swirling suns embossed on the golden walls of Sole Sano Airbrush Tanning Salon remind you of what you're getting: a natural-looking glow. They also call to mind what you're not getting: harmful UV rays.
The salon's private rooms don't contain a single tanning bed or inaccurate depiction of the sun wearing sunglasses. Rather, the certified technicians focus exclusively on airbrush tanning. They chat in the studio with patrons during skin evaluations and customize DHA-based solutions to match each client's unique coloring before misting them evenly across the full body.
The sun simply cannot match the quality of work performed by Sunkissed Airbrush Tanning's technicians. Whereas the star bronzes everyone with the same generic rays of UV light, airbrush techs gild skin with pigments that account for personal factors including body type, skin tone, and preferences. To begin, Sunkissed's airbrush artists meet with clients to create a custom sunless-tanning product. Each resulting formula contains all-natural, organic ingredients such as sugar cane or melted fudgesicles that darken skin without unpleasant odors, orange hues, or streaking. After preparing the bronzer, the technician takes about 15 minutes to shade the whole body, upper body, legs, face, or décolletage in a superfine mist.


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(Adds Indian comment on naval incident in sixth paragraph.)
Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Philippine President Benigno Aquino said China is pushing for a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea, a move that may reduce confrontations in the waters claimed by several countries.
China wants clear rules for operating in the seas that go further than the non-binding guidelines they agreed to at a July meeting with Southeast Asian nations in Bali, Indonesia, Aquino said after meeting with President Hu Jintao. China's official Xinhua News Agency cited the Chinese leader as saying disputes in the waters should be resolved peacefully.
"It's significant that they will be pushing for that code," Aquino told reporters in Beijing last night. "Not just as a statement of principle, but rather a binding agreement as to how each and every party in the dispute will conduct themselves."
China has used patrol vessels in recent months to thwart efforts by Vietnam and the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, to explore for oil and gas in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned in July that increased confrontations in the area are a threat to sea lanes that are "absolutely essential" to world trade.
"I don't think China is going to make such a major concession anytime in the near future," said Arthur Ding, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Taiwan. "Minor friction is likely to continue."
'Entering Chinese Waters'
India's Foreign Ministry today denied a Financial Times report that said a Chinese warship confronted an Indian navy vessel after it left Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea in late July. A caller identifying himself as "Chinese Navy" contacted India's INS Airavat and stated "you are entering Chinese waters," the ministry said.
"No ship or aircraft was visible from INS Airavat, which proceeded on her onward journey as scheduled," the statement said, adding that the incident took place 45 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast. "There was no confrontation."
China received no diplomatic protest over any naval incident, said Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu in response to questions about the report at a regular briefing today in Beijing. He said he has made inquiries about the report but has no information on any incident.
Chinese vessels in May sliced cables of a survey ship doing work for Vietnam, the second such incident in a month. In March, Chinese ships chased away a vessel working for U.K.-based Forum Energy Plc off the Philippines.
'Properly Handle'
"Previous to this, all of those incidents with us and Vietnam made people pause," Aquino said yesterday. The sentiment in the meeting with Hu was that it's time for "an actual code of conduct that guides everybody as to how to behave within these disputed territories."
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Aquino during a meeting in Beijing today both governments must "properly handle the disagreements between us."
China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed in July to a framework for implementing a 2002 agreement on behavior in the sea. That document calls on signatories to avoid occupying disputed islands, inform others of military exercises and resolve territorial disputes peacefully.
China's claims to most of the sea are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. In a 1988 skirmish over the Spratly islands, China killed more than 70 Vietnamese troops and sank several ships, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Joint Development
China is open to jointly developing energy resources in the sea, Ma said today. Vietnam and the Philippines have rejected China's map of the sea as a basis for cooperating to exploit the resources.
The Philippines, with an economy about 1/30th the size of China's, plans to boost hydrocarbon reserves by 40 percent in the next two decades to reduce its almost total reliance on imports, according to a department of energy plan. Mineral fuels accounted for 17 percent of total monthly imports on average last year, from 11 percent in 2000, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Vietnam's domestic gas demand is set to triple by 2025, according to World Bank estimates.
Chinese studies suggest the waters sit atop more than 14 times estimates of its oil reserves and 10 times those for gas.
--James Rupert, Daniel Ten Kate, Editors: Ben Richardson, John Brinsley
To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story:
To contact the reporters on this story: James Rupert in New Delhi at email@example.com; Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at email@example.com


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It's hard to believe 2010 will be history in a few short days. What a year it has been! It was exciting to be open for a full season, which was a first for me. It was a big leap to go from a full time job away from the farm to being here full time, but I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and the elimination of my work position was just a way to show me that I was ready for this new challenge. It gave me the time to expand the different products I make here, and it's amazing to look back (or in the pantry!) and see the variety of goodies that came from the garden and the kitchen. Making vinegar was a new adventure, and one that turned out very well. I really got more comfortable in the kitchen with old and new recipes and have really come to enjoy cooking with cast iron, something that was pretty much foreign to me at this time last year. I only hope to get a good industrial blender for mustard making in the new year, as I ruined not one, but two this past year trying to blend up experimental new batches that were a bit on the thick side!
We had a nearly ideal growing season for almost everything this year. While the nights didn't get quite cool enough for the sweet corn and we did get hit by the late blight (thankfully it was at the end of tomato season anyway) the garden was amazing. It's nearly unbelievable how much food came out of such a small space. We had heaps of beets, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, rhubarb...the list could go on! Of course, there is always room for improvement...I'd like to hope I'll do better weeding the garden next year, and find a better way to keep the birds (sparrows and the like, not my birds) from carrying off the blueberry crop. All in all though, the hardest part of the garden this year will be the same as last, and that is narrowing down all the seeds I'd like to buy to a list we can afford, both financially and with garden space!
There were changes in the livestock, too. We got out of the goat breeding business but added heritage turkeys. We doubled our permanent Dexter cow herd to two brood cows. Peachicks (baby peacocks) hatched here for the first time. The sows continue to deliver healthy litters of piglets and the sheep had a nice crop of lambs. I continue to get more comfortable driving the horses and using different machinery. Running the plastic mulch layer was a fun first this year.
The meats went well too. Our little farm produced not only a nice variety, but an amazing quantity as well. We couldn't keep our chickens in stock, which is a great thing! I have really improved my plucking skills, too- practice makes perfect! Pork continues to be our #1 meat, and folks come looking for the Italian sausages now too, which is neat. The beef and lamb also sell well, and I think I've gotten to the point where I really understand each cut of meat, how to prepare it, and what cut to recommend if a customer is looking to make a particular recipe. That was something completely overwhelming to me not that long ago, but since we rely on what we raise for our own groceries, I can say I've learned how to use everything by trial and error in my own kitchen! We also renovated our meat processing kitchen, putting down a new easy-to-clean floor and repainting. We also made a huge improvement when Dan installed an industrial sink & spray faucet and built a new, larger meat cutting area. Those improvements will serve us well for years to come.
So after all this success, how can I possibly hope for more next year? Because I want to continue to grow, both as a person and as a business. I'm looking forward to hatching our own little Bourbon Red turkey poults and transitioning to only heritage turkeys for sale at Thanksgiving. We'll also be butchering a Dexter for beef at some point (Lil's male calf from this year, not one of the girls), and again, we're looking to make a transition towards farm-raised heritage breeds. Lil and Finni are both expected to have a calf in late spring or early summer, which is also really exciting. I've never seen a calf born here, and Dan misses it from the days when this was a dairy farm. And speaking of dairy, we're expecting to transition our household to Dexter milk when this happens, so milkmaid (and possibly amateur cheese artisan!) will be yet another title to add to my job description. We'll try more heirloom vegetables in the garden this year. I hope to finally build a new rabbit hutch. Dan is working on setting up a place to do blacksmithing here. There are always lots of repairs to be done and although we did lots last year, there is still a long list of things we'd like to see completed in the coming year, like repairing the milkhouse, replacing the steel roof on the upper side of the barn and painting everywhere-house, barn, hog house, etc. I'm sure some of it will get done and some will be on the list for 2012, we'll just wait and see which is which!
Finally, I have a new challenge/adventure for the coming year. I would love to incorporate what I do now with the skills I have from college and away-from-farm work. I'd love to be able to supplement the farm income by going out and speaking about why farms are important, why how your food is grown matters, and all the things that I, as an educated adult, really never thought about or knew anything about before I came to the farm. I'd like to be not only a speaker, but an advocate for farming. It's an idea I've tossed around for a while, and I'm really excited to announce that this too is coming to fruition. In March, I'll be putting on an hour-long presentation about Heritage Livestock breeds and why they matter at the Farm to Table conference in Pittsburgh. I'll be sure to post all the details when I get them, and I hope some of you will come out to see me there.
A sincere thanks to everyone who has supported our farm over the past year through your patronage or just by following our adventures here online. We couldn't do what we love without you! We hope to see you again in 2011, and send our wishes for a healthy and happy New Year to your family!


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Cecil Seizes Toledo Bend Lead
MANY, La. – Now this is what the spawning season is supposed to look like. Sight-fishing specialist Russell Cecil hauled a massive stringer of bass weighing 29 pounds, 2 ounces to the scales and took over the lead on day two of the Rayovac FLW Series Texas Division tournament on Toledo Bend.
The Willis, Texas pro, who made a big move up from 13th on day one, tallied a 2-day total of 45-15. Cecil said he worked new water today.
"It seems to me like you have to find new ones every day," Cecil said. "It's not a tournament where you can pick out a few big ones to run to. I actually like this better because you don't end up with a bunch of boat races and people on top of one another so it's been a really enjoyable way to fish.
"The other part is that this lake is so big, it is so much fun to fish here. It's one of the best tournament lakes in the country. At least the best in Texas, in my opinion, because of the fact that (the field) can get so spread out. You can win this thing from the dam, 80 miles up."
Fishing toward the lake's lower end, Cecil said he's targeting new arrivals to the bedding scene. Here, the abundant grass keeps the water relatively cleaner – a distinct benefit to the way he's fishing.
"The clearer water allows me to see a little deeper and those big ones tend to be deep," he said.
Cecil caught his fish on a Texas-rigged Big Bite Warmouth – a soft plastic imitation of the small panfish that terrorize spawning bass by attempting to eat their newly-laid eggs. Naturally, impersonating these little nest raiders plays upon the largemouth's protective instincts. (The bluegill color pattern helps sell the deal.)
"It seems to be getting those females aggressive," Cecil said. "Today, I had one male and four females. I had two in the 6- to 7-pound range and then a 9 1/2 (the day's Big Bass winner).
"My whole theory is that I want to throw something in there that will make them territorial and aggressive."
Unlike hardbaits, jigs or any other lure with exposed hooks, the Big Bite Warmouth allowed Cecil to fish a realistic baitfish profile without snagging worries.
"You're able to fish this bait as light as you want and then it's Texas-rigged so there's no exposed hook," he said. "It won't get hung on a stump or grass or anything."
Cecil said he did a lot of pocket-hopping – moving from one spawning area to another throughout the day. His bites increased later in the day.
"I think right now the afternoons are a little better because the water has not been warm and the afternoon sun is helping. By the afternoon, more of those fish are moving in and they're getting more aggressive because the water's heating up."
A flurry of activity from about 1-3 p.m. kept Cecil busy. This period also produced his biggest bass.
Castledine goes to second
After leading day one with 24-4 – the second-heaviest bag of the tournament – Todd Castledine added 19-14 today and dropped a notch to second with 44-2. As he did on day one, Castledine spent his time looking for bed fish, but his day-two bite commenced a little earlier.
"I went looking in totally different places," the pro from Nacogdoches, Texas said. "This morning, I went to a couple of the males I found yesterday and caught them and I had a limit before I had one yesterday. I wanted to make sure I had that so I could spend some time on a big one.
"I found one or two (big bass) but I don't think I've come across an easy one yet. I've had to catch males and then wait for the (larger) females to move in. It's been alright; it's just a normal day of sight fishing, but I haven't had one of those where you just roll up and catch them."
Castledine caught his fish on a Texas-rigged Kicker Fish Kicker Craw. He occasionally varied his presentations between the larger version and the smaller.
With Saturday's forecast calling for cloudy conditions, the sunlight needed for sight-fishing may be dimmed considerably. If that's the case, Castledine said he'll likely throw a frog.
Reehm steady at third
Texas pro Clark Reehm caught a limit of 18-10 today and held on to the third-place spot he secured on day one with a total weight of 40-2. With only six fish today, Reehm had slim opportunity, but he made the most of what came his way.
"I actually caught one right off the bat that helped out," he recalled. "At 2:30, I only had four fish in the box and at 2:40 I caught my fifth one. It was one of those that I was hoping would squeak by, but I decided to go check one little area, so I ran through there and at 2:55, I caught my last one."
That final fish, Reehm said, took him to the absolute end of his fishing time.
"I knew how long it took to get back and the wind started blowing and I said, 'Alright, at 2:50, we have to go.' And that fish started nipping (my bait) and I said, 'At 2:55, we have to go.' At 2:55, I stuck that fish and we ran back."
Reehm said he saw lots of fish actively engaged in spawning activity. Rolling and twisting, the fish are easily spotted from a distance as their shifting positions tend to reflect sunlight more than fish sitting upright in the water.
Wagner slips to fourth
Ronnie Wagner, of Houston, Texas, got off to a strong start with a second-place bag of 22 pounds on day one. Today, he added 17-4 and slipped to fourth with 39-4.
Wagner said he mostly sight fished again on day two, but he also started throwing some moving baits around secondary points and channel bends for prespawn fish. This, he said, was as much about day-three preparation as it was day-two productivity.
"I feel like the fish are really starting to move in, but with the front we have coming tomorrow and all the wind and (possibly) rain), it's going to make sight fishing a lot harder. Tomorrow, I'm probably going to change it up and throw more moving baits.
"I caught 90 percent of my fish today sight fishing. But I needed to get on something for tomorrow because I think the game is going to change tomorrow. But it may not. All the conditions are right for (spawning), so we'll see what happens."
Upshaw improves to fifth
Andrew Upshaw, of Tulsa, Ok., improved from eighth to fifth on the strength of a 19-pound, 7-ounce bag that raised his total to 37-10. He spent most of his day bed fishing, but decided to shift gears toward the end of his fishing time in an effort to upgrade his limit.
"I was really fortunate to catch that fish and it was probably one of the biggest topwater blow-ups I've ever had in my life," he said. "I needed a big change, so I was running something I used to catch them on a long time ago. It was a pattern and I ran it right at the end of the day. I caught that big one and another one that culled.
"I knew I had to make an adjustment from bed fishing because I just wasn't seeing a giant. I needed a giant and I didn't have a whole lot of time – I had about an hour left. So I said 'This is what I have to do,' and I went and did it."
Of his sight-fishing program, Upshaw said he's confident that his areas have new fish pulling in daily. Nevertheless, he'll start day three by running the pattern that produced the day-two afternoon drama.
Best of the rest
Rounding out the top-10 pro leaders at the Rayovac FLW Series Toledo Bend event:
6th: Ricky Guy, of Humble, Texas, 37-7
7th: Troy Broussard, of Beaumont, Texas, 35-14
8th: Lendell Martin Jr., of Nacogdoches, Texas, 35-11
9th: Jim Tutt, of Longview, Texas, 35-1
10th: Nick Lebrun, of Tyler, Texas, 34-12
Adjustments key to Kitchens' co-angler lead
Jeff Kitchens, of Henderson, Texas earned his final-round berth by shooting up the standings from 10th to first. Adding 17-12 to his day-one weight of 10-4 gave him a total of 28-0.
Fishing the mid-lake area, Kitchens and his pro partner found fish in the mornings, but making an afternoon move is what really delivered the opportunities.
"We made a move later in the day that really paid off," Kitchens said. "The area that we were fishing is really obscure and there aren't a whole lot of people in there. We had quite a few fish that are moving up – they're staging fish. They're really thick right now."
In addition to a location change, Kitchens said that adjusting his technique also proved beneficial. Slowing down his soft plastic presentations was the key.
Day-one co-angler leader Kerry Barnett, of Waldron, Ark., dropped to second with 25-3, while Ronnie Ray Jr., of McKinney, Texas took third with 22-15. In fourth place, John Martin, of Buna, Texas, had 21-12 and Mike Power, of Conroe, Texas, took fifth with 21-3.
Best of the rest
Rounding out the top-10 co-angler leaders at the Rayovac FLW Series Toledo Bend event:
6th: Dan Wilson, of Pilot Point, Texas, 20-6
7th: Ryan Bailey, of Humble, Texas, 19-5
8th: Clint Lipham, of Conroe, Texas, 18-6
9th: Neil Herline, of Silsbee, Texas, 18-6
10th: Travis Kelehan, of Broussard, La., 18-5
Mack McCoy earned Big Bass honors for his 8-7.
Day three of Rayovac FLW Series Texas Division action on Toledo Bend Reservoir continues at Friday's takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7:00 a.m. (Central) at Cypress Bend Park in Many, La.


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reviews & comments (1)
Every component of this recipe was delicious, there wasn't a single piece left of anything. The only revision I would make is to cut back slightly on the peppercorns, especially if you are making the sauce for less than 1.5 lbs of steak. I also made the onion rings first and kept them in a warm oven while I made the sauce and steak. I used walnut oil which was pricey but worth it for the vinegarette. This one is saved in the recipe box.


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Arizona Diamondbacks
Vasgersian: Not first time someone hasn't vibed with Montero
It's no secret that Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero didn't take to pitcher Trevor Bauer last season as well as most baseball fans did. With his unorthodox warm-up style and refusal to submit to his catcher's pitch calls, Bauer certainly rubbed Montero the wrong way.
At Saturday's Diamondbacks' Fan Fest, Montero admitted he had some issues with the young phenom in 2012, saying Bauer refused to listen to him.
Wednesday, Bauer posted a rap song online titled, "You Don't Know Me", responding to claims made by the Arizona backstop with lyrics such as, "You hide behind a mask to facilitate a task, but you don't know me."
The war of words between the two athletes led MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian to chime in on Arizona Sports 620's Burns and Gambo about the situation. Vasgersian told the show the D-backs should have seen warning signs of Bauer's "what you see is what you get" persona before signing him last year.
"Trevor Bauer put out there this is what I am, this is who I am and I'm not going to change, so draft with that in mind," he said. "The Diamondbacks did, and when he refused to change, as he said he wasn't going to, there was a problem with that."
Vasgersian said Montero has had issues in the D-backs' clubhouse before.
"This isn't the first time that a pitcher or somebody involved with the D-backs organization hasn't vibed with Montero," Vasgersian said. "There was the whole philosophy when he was a younger catcher, when he was splitting time with Chris Snyder that Bob Melvin, who was the manager then, preferred Snyder's game calling to Montero's. Again, his prerogative, as an ex-big league catcher and as the guy who managed the team at the time he felt more comfortable with Snyder.
"Now that Montero is a little older, the roles are reversed and I guess Miguel Montero feels that he should be the guy that should be deferred to in situations where there's a young pitcher."
With reports that the song was recorded last December, well before Montero spoke out, Vasgersian said it only makes the drama more interesting in the midst of a media flurry around the two.
"The whole thing, it's been good for business as we like to say because it's really fascinating to talk about and if this rap song in fact was recorded before Montero made the comments� at Fan Fest last weekend, then it's really interesting, then it tells you it's really been burning for a while," he said.
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