text:
All Locations
Administrative Center (PAC)
Anderson Island
Bonney Lake
Gig Harbor
Key Center
Milton Edgewood
Parkland Spanaway
South Hill
University Place
Community Events
Bonney Lake 7:00 PM
Event audience: Adult
All are welcome to share good books with this discussion group.
"Shirley Jones: A Memoir" by Shirley JonesThe actress and singer explores her life and career, examining the real flesh-and-blood Shirley Jones, not just the movie star or Mrs. Partridge.
Sumner 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Learn English in a fun environment. ESL classes will be led by professionally trained tutors from the Puyallup/Sumner Area Literacy Council.
Aprende inglés en un ambiente divertido. Las clases de ESL serán dirigidas por tutores profesionales de Puyallup/Sumner Area Literacy Council.
Parkland Spanaway 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Stuck? Need more help? Bring your questions to get answers on using Microsoft Office, e-books and e-readers, email and any Pierce County Library e-source.
Bonney Lake 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Event audience: Family
Residents donated used books, CDs, tapes and DVDs for the sale. Funds from the book sale will help the Friends sponsor programs for kids and adults as well as furnishings and other needs at the library.
South Hill 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Gain skills in Word and Excel, create a new resume and cover letter, and meet with WorkSource experts on your next step towards employment.
Check out a Chromebook as your textbook. Learn at home (5-7 hours of homework per week) and get help from library staff at a required weekly Roundhouse.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com to reserve your seat. Class space is limited.
South Hill 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Gain skills in basic web development using Treehouse and lynda.com to create your own, customizable WordPress website.
Lakewood 7:00 PM
In and out of the persona of American composer and big band leader Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, actor and playwright Cedric Liqueur brings to life the story of this celebrated jazz musician through vintage vinyl records and a slide show.
South Hill 12:00 PM
Have you set up a LinkedIn profile and wonder what's next? Expand your network, search for advertised jobs and research employers. Must have a current LinkedIn profile and familiarity with Internet and computers. For help setting up a LinkedIn account, ask a librarian.
Current Availability: 148
Sumner 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Ages 7 - 13
Event audience: Children, Tween (ages 9-12)
Play, build, learn and compete with other Minecraft fans. 10 laptop computers available; please bring your own laptop if possible. Snacks provided.
Gig Harbor 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
You are invited to join in Spanish conversation with El Grupo.
Washington Relay TTY:
© 2015 Pierce County Library System All rights reserved.


text:
Scalp Psoriasis Center - Springdale, AR
WebMD Physician Directory
Springdale, Arkansas
Scalp Psoriasis
What is scalp psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the skin that is estimated to affect about 2.2% of the adult population. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to psoriasis. The genes affected seem to be involved ...
Other Related Scalp Psoriasis Articles
Emergency Contact for Springdale
Nearby Springdale Hospitals *
Northwest Medical Center
Willow Creek Womens Hospital
Vista Health
Washington Regional Medical Ctr
Healthsouth Rehab Hospital
Veterans Healthcare Of Ozarks
Mercy Medical Center
Fayetteville City Hospital
Northwest Med Ctr Bentonville
Siloam Springs Memorial Hosp
Ozarks Community Hospital
Eureka Springs Hospital
Mercy Hospital-Berryville
*Provider Directory Terms of Use:
The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BOONE, N.C. -- Boone investigators charged a woman with four felonies after allegedly taking money from a church.
Janet Marie Culley, 41, took money from the First Baptist Church of Boone while working as an administrative assistant, according to police.
Culley is charged with four counts of felony embezzlement.
She s being held on a $10,000 secured bond.
Read or Share this story: http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/02/11007672/


text:
The reduction in the death rates for coronary heart disease and stroke equates to approximately 160,000 lives saved in 2005 (the most recent year for which data is available) compared to the 1999 baseline data. If the current mortality trends hold (which will not be the case if the current trends in risk factors are not improved and current quality of care improvements do not continue), the American Heart Association analysts projects that there may be a 36 percent decline in the age-adjusted coronary heart disease death rate and a 34 percent decline in the age-adjusted stroke death rate when the 2008 data are released in a few years (in comparison with the 1999 data). The population size in 2008 will also be larger, so it is projected that the estimated lives saved in 2008 will be approximately 240,000.
Multiple factors appear to have led to the reduction in deaths. Ongoing scientific research has led to improvements in medications and in technology. The development of evidence-based practice guidelines has helped healthcare providers know what is effective both for the treatment and prevention of heart attacks and strokes. Some of the advances are complex and others are quite simple, though important.
We know that getting patients to the hospital quickly for the appropriate treatment is crucial to saving lives. We know that timely angioplasty to open blocked coronary arteries, or thrombolysis when primary angioplasty is not available or appropriate, is making a difference. The development of more hospitals into primary stroke centers and providing more rapid and better care for stroke victims have all made positive impacts, Jones said. Improving the quality of care through the dissemination of evidence-based clinical guidelines can help patients benefit from the research that we and others have supported, helping them live longer and reducing their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Associations Get With
|Contact: Cathy Lewis
American Heart Association


text: We came here on Sunday for Dim Sum but there was a long queue. We dropped by again on Thursday and there was a short waiting list, this place must be popular. We had the crispy fried dough rice roll, the egg yolk lava bun, the steamed BBQ pork bun and the steamed pork ribs - all very good. We... read more


text: Results from The Twitter Blog for: April 2013 An invitation to #ComedyFest (BYOB) Monday, April 29, 2013 | By Fred Graver (@fredgraver), Head of TV 04/29/2013 - 15:00 Tags: entertainment, live events, TV, and voices Read more… This Week on Twitter - Apr. 29 Monday, April 29, 2013 | By Alexandra Valasek (@AlzValz) 04/29/2013 - 12:00 Tags: entertainment, sports, This Week, and TV Monday, Apr. 29 - May 3; 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT This week kicks off #ComedyFest from Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral). Mel Brooks (@MelBrooks) and Carl Reiner (@CarlReiner) will answer questions in an "in-Tweet" Livestream event hosted by Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow). Fans should follow @ComedyCentral and @MelBrooks (who will be posting his first Tweet on Monday) for more information. The rest of the festival will celebrate comedy, comedians and everyone who likes to laugh.Read more… #OnlyOnTwitter: A Presidential Week Friday, April 26, 2013 | By Bridget Coyne (@bcoyne) 04/26/2013 - 22:33 Tags: #OnlyOnTwitter and politics It's been a historic week on Twitter, as two former U.S. Presidents let their presence be known on Twitter. Bill Clinton joined the ranks of President Barack Obama, all 100 U.S. Senators and 95 percent of the House of Representatives, while the dedication of George W. Bush's new Bush Center brought us closer to all 5 living presidents via Twitter.Read more… New improvements to Twitter for Mac Thursday, April 25, 2013 | By Ben Sandofsky (@sandofsky) 04/25/2013 - 22:33 Tags: announcements Today we're announcing a few improvements to Twitter for Mac:Read more… This Week on Twitter - Apr. 22 Monday, April 22, 2013 | By Alexandra Valasek (@AlzValz) 04/22/2013 - 22:33 Tags: entertainment, sports, This Week, and TV Monday, Apr. 22; 8:00 p.m. ET / PT It's a hashtag war! Tune into Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and vote on the characters' actions with hashtag #LHHATL. Follow @LoveHipHopVH1 for the questions and after the show for results.Read more… Now playing: Twitter #music Thursday, April 18, 2013 | By Stephen Phillips (@huntedguy) 04/18/2013 - 12:29 Tags: announcements, entertainment, and music Today, we're releasing Twitter #music, a new service that will change the way people find music, based on Twitter. It uses Twitter activity, including Tweets and engagement, to detect and surface the most popular tracks and emerging artists. It also brings artists' music-related Twitter activity front and center: go to their profiles to see which music artists they follow and listen to songs by those artists. And, of course, you can tweet songs right from the app.Read more… This Week on Twitter - Apr. 15 Monday, April 15, 2013 | By Alexandra Valasek (@AlzValz) 04/15/2013 - 14:12 Tags: entertainment, live events, This Week, and TV Saturday, Apr. 20; 12:00 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT Comedy legends Cheech and Chong (@CheechandChong) will host a Twitter Q&A in celebration of their new animated feature-length film, "Cheech and Chong's Animated Movie". Fans can follow the conversation or participate by using the hashtag #CC420.Read more… Cast your votes for the MTV Movie Awards Friday, April 12, 2013 | By Grace Chu Lee (@gracelee) 04/12/2013 - 17:13 Tags: entertainment, live events, movies, and TV For this year's MTV Movie Awards, the judges are stepping aside and letting the viewers' voice be heard: fans can now cast their vote via a Tweet. As movie buffs tune-in, they can also tweet-in as they vote, comment on their favorite acceptance speeches, share their picks for best dressed, or join the conversation as their favorite actors live-tweet the show. Viewers can check out the MTV Movie Awards Discover page, for specially-curated content live, leading up to and during the show.Read more… Trends in 160+ locations Thursday, April 11, 2013 | By Royce Cheng-Yue (@rchengyue) 04/11/2013 - 21:09 Tags: announcements Today, we're introducing Trends in more than 160 new locations. Included in that list are a number of countries that will be getting Trends for the first time: Belgium, Greece, Kenya, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Ukraine, plus more than 130 new cities in countries that already have Trends.Read more… Tweet Week on CBS Thursday, April 4, 2013 | By Grace Chu Lee (@gracelee) 04/04/2013 - 16:44 Tags: entertainment, live events, and TV Day in and day out, tuning in with Twitter makes watching TV all the more enjoyable. You can talk to the stars of your favorite scripted shows, see behind-the-scenes peeks of what happens on talk show sets, or receive exclusive color commentary about a big game. Bridging its primetime, daytime, and sports programming, CBS is kicking of #CBSTweetWeek today, offering viewers an exclusive weeklong tweetstravaganza.Read more… Load more PagesOlder posts


text:
SFJAZZ Center Exterior
Miner Auditorium
Joe Henderson Lab
SFJAZZ Center Interior
Far more than a master percussionist, John Santos is an invaluable educator and cultural activist, a keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame steeped in Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric traditions as well as salsa and Latin jazz. Born and raised in San Francisco's Mission District amidst an extended family of Puerto Rican musicians, he's been at the center of the Bay Area's Latin music scene for nearly four decades. As a visionary bandleader and noted historian, he has served on the Smithsonian Institution's Latin Jazz Advisory Committee.
Santos has played an essential role in expanding Latin jazz's rhythmic lexicon beyond the foundational Cuban grooves. His programming as a Resident Artistic Director reflects his pan-Caribbean sensibility.
As a member of SFJAZZ's Development team, the Corporate Sponsorship Manager works closely with the Director of Development to develop a strategy to attract and maintain corporate sponsorship gifts, including cash sponsorships of $1,000 and above, and in-kind sponsorships. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Corporate Sponsorship Manager will execute all aspects of the plan, including research and identification of prospects; cultivation and relationship management for the portfolio; proposal development and solicitation; and overseeing benefits fulfillment of all sponsorship agreements. The Manager is also responsible for the promotion of SFJAZZ's Corporate Sponsorship programs, income reconciliation, and budget management.
This list of duties and responsibilities is not to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to
include other duties or responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time
to time.
B.A. required; 3-5 years experience in development with corporate giving experience or
sales experience; arts fundraising experience is highly desirable.
We offer a competitive salary based on qualifications, excellent benefits, and a dynamic,
casual San Francisco office. Evening work is often required. The ability to speak
business-level English and a California driver's license are also required.To be considered for this position, submit resume and cover letter to firstname.lastname@example.com.
SFJAZZ now offers Members the exclusive opportunity to pre-purchase parking for all evening performances in Miner Auditorium, Thursday – Sunday. The cost of pre-paid parking is $20 per parking ticket and guarantees a space at the Performing Arts Garage (301 Grove St. @ Gough.) Parking must be purchased two weeks in advance.
To purchase parking for specific shows, contact the Box Office by phone (415-788-7353), by email (email@example.com) or in person (Franklin Street, between Fell and Linden.) The Box Office is open Tue - Sat 11AM-5:30PM and also 90 minutes prior to shows. Once you purchase parking, we will mail you a ticket for your reservation that you will need to present to the garage attendant when you first arrive at the Performing Arts Garage. No substitutes will be accepted. Tickets are only valid at time of entry and cannot be redeemed upon exit.
General Public: 866-920-5299Members: 415-788-7353Administration: 415-398-5655
SFJAZZ Center • 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102Copyright © 2015 SFJAZZ • San Francisco Jazz Organization


text:
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
From the Publisher
"I found [Brewer's work] full of interest and have certainly learned a great deal from it. The idea of drawing upon and applying Mills to [this] field of study is one which I liked and it works...a scholarly piece of work on a timely topic."--John Eldridge, University of Glasgow
"There is an inevitable tension between writing about C. Wright Mills and doing the kind of comparative analysis done here...it works. I ended up with a much better understanding of what Mills was on about [and] the Northern Ireland-South Africa comparison worked very well. I learnt a lot."--David McCrone, University of Edinburgh


text:
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"She is."
Alex West
"Are you ok? Bad dream?"
Arrives back at the inn to see Marie cleaning at the door ''Look who it is!''
Abbey nods slowly
Marie sees Antoinette and James together. "She found someone already?" She mutters to herself.
Alex West
"What happened?"
''I was in a torture room''
James sets Antoinette down
Alex West
"A torture room?!?" Alex says worryingly.
"Thank you Master." She curtsies.
James looks at Marie, half expecting her to say something
''Yes, when the bandits captured us remember?''
"G…good for the both of you."
Alex West
"They put you in a torture room?"
''We were in a torture room, remember?''
''Marie, what is wrong. Your master will sort it for you''
Alex West
Alex thinks back. "I…I can't remember."
"You're not my master." She says annoyed.
James looks back at Antoinette surprised at what her sister just said
''Oh well…'' Abbey turns on her side
Alex West
"That was a bit strange."
(I need to go for about 1-3 hours >.< sorry)
''Well, never mind then'' James walks away
''Don't apologize''
…I can't even stand Eminem. White rap is a joke. There is only one group I hate more than Eminem and that's ICP. Fat, white trailer park trash trying to rap is the best description…and their fans, the Juggalos and Juggalettes…I'd consider it a service to the music industry if I killed those people…
I think for a moment.
…Sorry for spouting off my hate toward Canadians, rap and ICP. Every time I talk about this stuff, I get agitated…
"It's okay, it's really cute when you become flustered. We'll leave the topic of music alone for a while, it's one of those things I like to argue about."
I laugh for a moment.
…Oh god, I'm in love with a musically-argumentative woman who likes when I become flustered due to my distinct prejudice towards the rap genre, white trash and Canadians…
I take my shirt off because it's humid and hold Emi tight while looking down her shirt every now and then.
…It's okay though. There are a lot of things and people I despise for one reason or another. You like the view, babe?…
[Would you say Gerry looks like this?]
"Of course," I reply, checking out his arms and chest. "The ocean is okay too, I guess."
I stared at him for a little while longer before looking away.
"I'm glad I'm on your good side. Remember when that building collapsed on us? I was certain I was going to die."
…It mainly collapsed on me. I was of greater stature, after all. Not only that, it was nigh impossible to kill me. The most it would have done was knocked me out. I don't have that perk anymore. I just have a nice body, a sexy girlfriend, and an entire dilapidated town under my command. I think we actually developed feelings for each other after I gave you my infection…
"Or after you caught me in the ocean without my clothes. No offense baby, but everyone knows what goes on inside a man's head. It was fun while it lasted, being infected and all, but I don't think I could live like that for the rest of my life. Sure we're nowhere near as strong, but with the right weapon nothing's impossible. Speaking of which, who did you give the chainsaws to?"
…There's a secret area in the church where the pastor, West, James, Miguel and I discuss important matters in a discreet manner. It's a soundproof room that locks on the inside. There's plenty of room down there to store two chainsaws. Looking at them, I acknowledged that they are battery chainsaws. The batteries get charged with a built in plug…
I start stroking Emi's hair.
…You know I like catching you without clothes on…
"So that's why you can't keep your hands off of me," I replied, feigning ignorance. "Suddenly it's all so clear to me."
"Wait for me Master." Antoinette tries to catch up to James.
Alex West
"Is it bad to apologize?"
(Well that took a lot longer then I thought it would)
"You shouldn't apologise, you haven't done anything"
James arrives at his base
…What are you talking about, Emi? I put hands on you because I have a high libido and because I cherish you and your body. You know I love you so-…
As I was speaking there, I started crawiling toward Emi. My knee had hot a sharp rock, causing me to land on top of her. Looking down at her I continue.
…Ow…You know I love you so knock the ignorance off…
"I know silly, I was only joking… Is your leg okay?"
I shifted uncomfortably under his weight. The sand was rubbing my wound in an abrasive manner, and I stopped moving to ease the pain a little bit.
…Yeah, my leg's okay. Some sand probably got in your wound. We should get it cleaned off…
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text:
Like the butcher the baker
The candlestick maker
from Run-D.M.C. – Peter Piper Lyrics on Genius
Remix of "Rub-a-dub," the English nursery rhyme:
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they were?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
They all sailed out to sea,
'Twas enough to make a man stare.
To help improve the quality of the lyrics, visit Run-D.M.C. – Peter Piper Lyrics and leave a suggestion at the bottom of the page


text:
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
While swords of lightning slashed and stabbed murderously across the scarred shield of sky, Bart Minnock whistled his way home for the last time. Despite the battering rain, Bart's mood bounced along with his cheerful tune as he shot his doorman a snappy salute.
"Howzit going, Mr. Minnock?"
"It's going up, Jackie. Going way uptown."
"This rain could do the same, if you ask me."
"What rain?" With a laugh, Bart sloshed his way in soaked skids to the elevator.
Thunder exploded across the island of Manhattan, midday commuters sulked under overpriced umbrellas bought from enterprising sidewalk hawkers and maxibuses spewed up walls of wet. But in Bart's world the sun beamed in golden rays.
He had a hot date with the sexy CeeCee, which in itself was nothing to sneeze at for a self-proclaimed nerd who'd been a virgin until the somewhat embarrassing age of twenty-four.
Five years later, and largely because of the success of U-Play, he could have his pick from a bevy of eager women—even if the eager was mostly due to the money and media his company generated.
He didn't mind.
He knew he wasn't especially good-looking and accepted his own awkwardness in romantic situations. (Except for sexy CeeCee.) He didn't know art or literature, didn't know a good vintage from a bottle of home brew. What he knew were computers and games and the seduction of technology.
Still, CeeCee was different, he thought as he turned off the locks and security on his trilevel apartment with its four-star view of downtown. She liked gaming, and didn't care about vintage wine or art galleries.
But even the evening with the sweet and sexy CeeCee wasn't the reason for the whistling or the big, bright grin on his face as he reset the door locks.
He had the latest version of Fantastical in his briefcase, and until he tested it, played it, approved it, it was all his.
His in-house intercom greeted him with a cheery Welcome home, Bart, and his server droid—custom-made to replicate Princess Leia, classic Star Wars, slave-girl mode (he was a nerd, but he was still a guy)—strolled out to offer him his favorite orange fizzy with crushed ice.
"You're home early today."
"I've got some work to do in the holo-room."
"Don't work too hard. You need to leave in two hours and twelve minutes to arrive at CeeCee's apartment on time. You're scheduled to pick up flowers on the way. Will you be staying the night?"
"That's the plan."
"Enjoy. Your shoes are very wet. Would you like me to get you a fresh pair?"
"No, that's okay. I'll grab some on the way up."
"Don't forget," she said with the quick Leia smirk that always tickled him. "Should I give you a reminder about your date closer to departure time?"
He set his briefcase aside, shook back the light brown hair that forever fell into his eyes. "That's okay. I'll set up a buzz in holo. You can just shut down for the night."
"All right. I'm here if you need me."
Normally, he'd have used his personal Leia for some conversational practice, might have had her keep him company while he unwound from the day and talked about current projects. There was nothing like a droid as far as Bart was concerned. They never judged, unless you programmed them to.
But Fantastical called him. He opened his briefcase, took out the disc, gave it a friendly kiss as he started up the stairs.
He'd decorated his spaces to his own whim and taste, so toys abounded. Props, weapons, costumes, and art from vids and games served as decor and amusement with every room on every level outfitted with various game systems, vid systems, screens, and comps.
It was, for Bart, a dream realized. He lived, as he worked, in a big e-playroom.
His second-floor office was a to-scale reproduction of the bridge of the galactic warship The Valiant, from the vid of the same name. His work on the gaming discs for the vid had given his fledgling U-Play its true start.
He forgot about changing his shoes, or changing his wet shirt, and went straight to the third floor.
Security on the holo-room required his thumbprint, voiceprint, and a retinal scan. Overkill, he knew, but it was more fun that way, and fun was always the name of the game. He might have opened up the space regularly for friends and guests, but he liked having the superspy aspects in place.
He reactivated them on entering, then shut down all outside coms. For the hour—okay maybe ninety minutes—he intended to play, he wanted no interruptions.
The whole point of gaming, to Bart's mind, was the immersion of self in the fantasy, or the competition, or just the fun. And Fantastical would take that immersion of self several steps beyond what was on the market in mid-2060.
If the latest adjustments and enhancements worked, the businessman inside the gamer reminded him.
"They'll work. It'll be mag to the nth," he muttered as he inserted the disc and ran through the startup. Once again he used his voiceprint, then his password. The new version was totally top secret. He and his partners hadn't built U-Play on geek alone. He understood, very well, the cutthroat business in the gaming field, and actually found the corporate espionage kind of a rush.
He was a player, he thought. Not just in games but in the business of games. U-Play's success provided everything he and his friends, his partner, had talked about, dreamed about, worked for.
With Fantastical, they'd be kicking it all up—and—fingers crossed—become major players.
He'd already decided on the scenario, a favorite, and the level. He'd practiced, studied, refined, and reworked this fantasy, the elements of it countless times during development, and now set for the game he code-named K2BK. He'd take the role of the battered and cynical hero, battling the evil forces of the beleaguered kingdom of Juno on the endangered planet of Gort.
The mirrored walls of the holo-room reflected him as the light began to swirl and dim, as his damp and wrinkled khakis and Captain Zee's T-shirt, his wet skids transformed into the scarred battle gear and boots of the warrior king.
In his hand he felt the hilt, and the weight of the broadsword. And that rush, yes, that new rush of his embodiment of the hero, and the battle to come.
Excellent, he thought. Excellente primo. He could smell as well as see the smoke of battle, and the blood already spilled. He reached up, felt the bulge of biceps, the pucker of an old scar.
Twinges and aches throughout his body spoke of wounds barely healed, a lifetime of combat.
Best, he felt strong, bold, brave, fierce. He became the courageous warrior king about to lead his exhausted, wounded, and unnumbered people into battle.
He let out a war cry—because he could—and heard the power of his voice shake the air.
It rocked completely.
A scruff of beard covered his face, and a tangle of hair tickled his neck and shoulders.
He was Tor, the warrior, the protector and rightly King of Juno. He mounted his warhorse—on the second try, which wasn't bad—and charged into battle. He heard the cries of friend and foe as swords clashed and fire lances spewed death. His beloved Juno burned so he hacked his way through the lines while blood splattered and sweat streamed down his skin.
At his partner Benny's suggestion they'd added an optional love interest. In order to reach his woman, a brave and beautiful warrior courageously defending the castle walls, he had to fight his way to the front and engage in the ultimate battle—mano a mano with the evil Lord Manx.
He'd reached this level countless times during development, had gone beyond it only a handful as he programmed the challenge to the top of the scale. It took skill, timing, agility to fight through, to dodge the flames from lance and arrow, to deflect the slash of sword—or what was the point?
Any hit would lower his score, potentially send him into humiliating retreat, or a valiant death. This time he wasn't looking just to beat the level, but to hit a new record.
His horse screamed in challenge as they galloped through the stink of smoke, leaped over bodies of the fallen. He braced and clung when the horse reared, and still was nearly unseated.
Every time that happened, he met Manx on foot, and every time he met Manx on foot, he lost Juno, the woman, and the game.
Not this time, he swore, and gave another booming cry as he broke through the smoke.
And there, the walls of home where the brave fought those who tried to destroy it. And there, the dark, fearful visage of Lord Manx, sword red with the blood of innocents. He felt a pang—for loss, for the happier times of his childhood before murder and deceit had sullied it.
"Your trap failed," Bart called out.
"I would have been disappointed otherwise." Manx grinned, his black eyes shining with death. "It was always my wish to meet you here, to end you and your line on this ground."
"It will end here, and with your blood."
The men charged; swords met. A snap of lightning Bart had added for drama spurted and sizzled from the cross of the blades.
Bart felt the impact race up his arm, and the bolt of pain in his shoulder had him making a mental note to lower the levels on the default. Realism was important, but he didn't want gamers bitching because they'd programmed it too hot.
He turned into the next strike, blocking it, and he felt a wrenching pop in his shoulder. He nearly called for a pause in the program, but was too busy dodging a swipe.
What the hell, he thought as he struck out and nearly got by Manx's guard, winning wasn't winning until you worked for it.
"Your woman will be mine before nightfall," Manx snarled.
"She'll dance on your—hey!" His sword slipped, and his enemy's blade sliced his arm. Instead of the quick jolt to mark the hit, the pain seared. "What the hell. Pause—"
But for Bart, it was game over.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas badged the shell-shocked doorman and breezed by. The sun and sultry heat left over from the night's storms boosted her mood. At her side, her partner, Peabody, wilted.
"A couple months ago all you did was bitch about the cold. Now you bitch about the heat. Never satisfied."
Peabody, her dark hair pulled back in a stubby tail, continued to bitch. "Why can't they regulate the temperature?"
"Who are they?"
"The weather people. We must have the technology. Why not give us at least a couple weeks of steady mid-seventies? It's not too much to ask. You could get Roarke to work on it."
"Oh yeah, I'll tell him to get on that, right after he buys up the last ten percent of the universe." Eve rocked back on her heels as they took the elevator up, and thought of her husband of almost two years.
Actually, he probably could figure something. "If you want regulated temps, get a job where you work inside with climate control."
"June's supposed to be daisies and wafty breezes." Peabody waved a hand in the air. "Instead we're getting thunder boomers and humiture to kill."
"I like the boomers."
Peabody's dark eyes narrowed as she studied Eve's angular face. "You probably had lots of sex last night. You're almost perky."
"Shut up. I'm never perky."
"Almost. You're verging on perk."
"You're verging on a boot up the ass."
"That's better anyway."
Amused despite herself, Eve straightened her long, lean frame, then strode out the elevator when the doors whisked open.
The uniforms in the hallway came to attention. "Lieutenant."
"Officer. What have we got?"
"Victim's Bart Minnock, the U-Play guy."
"You play what?"
"U-Play, sir, it's the comp and holo-game company. The girlfriend found him this morning. He stood her up last night, she says, and she came to read him the riot act. House droid let her in, and when she got here he was locked in his holo-room, got the droid to open it up." The uniform paused. "I think you're going to want to see for yourself."
"Where's the girlfriend?"
"CeeCee Rove. We've got her inside, and an officer's with her. Got the droid on hold."
"We'll take the scene first." She stepped inside, scanned. What she could see of the first level struck her as a clubhouse for a very rich, very indulgent adolescent boy.
Bright, primary colors with more cushion than structure, walls of screens, games, and more games, toys—heavy on the war toys. Not a living area so much as a big playroom. She supposed, given his profession, it fit.
"Third floor, LT. There's an elevator."
"We'll take the stairs."
"It's like a personal fun park," Peabody commented as they started up. "McNab would weep with joy and envy," she added, thinking of her main man. "I've got to say, it's pretty frosty."
"He might live like a kid, but he had very grown-up security on the door." She detoured on the second level long enough to determine the master bedroom was another playground, the guest rooms equipped for plenty of entertainment. He kept a home office that reminded her of a small version of Roarke's home computer lab, but with more fanciful touches.
"Serious about his work," she murmured. "Lived his work." She backtracked to the stairs and up to the officer on the door of the holo-room.
"This door was secured?"
"The girlfriend states it was, sir, and the coms shut down. The droid confirms. It had emergency bypass clearance. The log shows the victim entering, then securing the room at sixteen thirty-three. No other entry or attempted entry until nine-eighteen this morning."
"Okay." Both Eve and Peabody opened their field kits, sealed up.
"Record on," she said and stepped to the doorway.
She wasn't often surprised. She'd been a cop nearly a dozen years, and though she knew she hadn't seen it all—you never did—she'd seen plenty.
But her long brown eyes widened briefly as she took in the scene.
"Now, this is something you don't see every day."
"Man. Oh, man." Peabody sucked in a sharp breath.
"Don't even think about booting."
"Have to think about it." Peabody swallowed hard. "Won't do it."
The body lay sprawled, arms and legs splayed in the bloody pool that spread over the floor. The head sat several feet away, the filmed eyes wide, the mouth in a gaping O.
"It must be said the victim lost his head, which is a pretty good guess for cause of death. Alone in a secured holo-room, no weapons. Interesting. Well, let's have a look."
She heard Peabody swallow again.
"Take the play board, see what he programmed," she ordered. "And I want all security discs and logs, building and for this unit."
"On that," Peabody said, grateful for the reprieve as Eve crossed to the body.
For the record, Eve verified the fingerprints. "Victim is identified as Bart Minnock of this address, age twenty-nine." She pulled out a pair of microgoggles. "From the on-scene exam, it appears the head was severed with a single, powerful blow. No signs of sawing or hacking." She ignored the discreet gagging sound from Peabody's direction. "In addition, the victim incurred a six-inch gash on his left forearm. There's some bruising, but none of those wounds would've been fatal. ME to confirm. Morris is going to love this one," she added, then rose to examine the head.
"Had to be a hell of a blade—big, sharp bastard, to decapitate this clean. A lot of force behind it. The secondary gash could've come from the same weapon. Glancing blow sort of thing. Defensive wound. The bruising's pretty minor."
She sat back on her heels, the head at her feet. "There's nothing in here that could've caused these wounds. No way he could've cut his own head off, deliberately or by accident with what he had to work with."
"I can't get it to run," Peabody told her. "The program. The disc won't even eject without the proper security sequence. All I've got is the log-in time and program end time. It ran for just over thirty minutes, and ended at seventeen-eleven."
"So he came home, came up here almost directly, programmed the game. It looks like it, and he, ran for the thirty minutes. We need an e-team and the sweepers in here. I want the ME to red-flag the tox screen. Maybe somebody slipped him something, influenced him to bypass his own security, somehow keep it off the logs. Set it up, then take the droid. I'll take the girlfriend."
Eve found CeeCee in the media room on the first level. A pretty blond with an explosion of curls, she sat in one of the roomy chairs. It dwarfed her, even with her legs tucked up, and her hands clasped in her lap. Her eyes—big, bright, and blue—were red-rimmed, puffy, and still carried the glassiness of shock.
Eve dismissed the officer with a nod, then crossed over to sit.
"Ms. Rove?"
"Yes. I'm supposed to stay here. Somebody took my 'link. I should tag somebody, shouldn't I? Somebody."
"We'll get that back to you. I'm Lieutenant Dallas. Why don't you tell me what happened?"
"I told somebody." CeeCee looked around vaguely. "The other police. I've been thinking. Is Bart playing a joke? He does that sometimes. Plays jokes. He likes to pretend. Is this all pretend?"
"No, it's not." Eve took the chair facing so her gaze would be level with CeeCee's. "You were supposed to meet him last night?"
"At my place. At eight. I made dinner. We were going to have dinner at my place because I like to cook. Well, sometimes. But he didn't come."
"What did you do?"
"He can be late. It's okay. He gets caught up. Sometimes I'm late, so it's okay. But he didn't come, and he didn't answer the 'link. I tried his office, too, but Benny said he left a little after four to work at home for a bit."
"Benny Leman. He works with Bart, and he was still there. They work late, a lot. They like to."
"Did you come over here to find out what he was doing?"
"No. I almost did. I got pretty steamed because I went to a lot of trouble, you know? I mean I cooked, and I got wine and candles, everything." She drew in a breath that hitched and stuttered. "And he didn't come or let me know he'd be late. He forgets, and that's okay, but he always answers his 'link, or remembers before it's really late. He sets reminders. But I was pretty steamed, and it was storming. I thought, 'I'm not going out in this.' So I drank some wine and I ate dinner, and I went to bed. Screw it."
She covered her face, keening a little, rocking herself while Eve stayed silent. "I just said screw it, screw you, Bart, because I'd made a really nice dinner. But this morning, I was really, really steamed because he never came or tried to reach me, and I didn't have to be to work till ten, so I came by. I thought, okay, that's okay, we're going to have our first big fight because that's no way to treat somebody. Is it?"
"No. How long have you been seeing each other?"
"Almost six months."
"And this would've been your first big fight? Seriously?"
CeeCee smiled a little even as tears continued to drip. "I got a little bit steamed once in a while, but you can't stay mad at Bart. He's such a sweetie. But this time, I was laying it down. Leia let me in."
"Who's Leia?"
"Oh, his house droid. He had her designed to look like the Star Wars character. From Return of the Jedi."
"Anyway, she said he was in the holo-room, fully secured, and had the coms down. DO NOT DISTURB. That according to her morning log, he'd been in there since about four-thirty or something the day before. So I got worried. Like maybe he'd gotten sick in there, or passed out, and I convinced her to bypass."
"You convinced a droid?"
"Bart programmed her to listen to me after we'd been tight for a few months. Plus he'd been in over his twelve-hour limit. Then she opened the room, and . . ."
Her lips trembled; her eyes welled anew. "How can it be real? First I thought it was, and I screamed. Then I thought it was a joke, or a droid, and I almost got steamed again. Then I saw it was Bart. It was Bart. And it was horrible."
"What did you do?"
"I think I kind of fainted. But, like, on my feet. I don't know, for a second or a minute everything went black and swirly, and when it wasn't, I ran." Tears streamed down her cheeks even as she flushed. "I ran downstairs. I almost fell, but I got downstairs and I called nine-one-one. Leia made me sit down, and she made me tea. She said there'd been an accident and we had to wait for the police. That would be in her programming, I guess. But it can't be an accident. How can it be an accident? But it has to be."
"Do you know anyone who'd want to hurt Bart?"
"How could anyone want to hurt Bart? He's just a big kid. A really smart big kid."
"How about family?"
"His parents live in North Carolina. He bought them a house on the beach because they always wanted one, once U-Play took off. Oh God, oh God, his parents! Somebody has to tell them."
"I'll take care of that."
"Okay, okay." She shut her eyes tight. "Good. Because I don't think I could. I don't know how. I don't know how to do any of this."
"What about you? Old boyfriends?"
Her eyes popped open. "Oh God, no. I mean, yes, I had boyfriends before Bart, but nobody who'd . . . I never had the kind of breakup that would . . . I wasn't seeing anybody special or regular before I hooked up with Bart."
"How about at his business? Did he have to let anyone go recently, or reprimand anyone?"
"I don't think so." She swiped at her cheeks now as her brow furrowed in thought. "He never said anything to me, and he would've. I think. He hated confrontations, except in a game. He'd have told me if he'd had trouble with anyone at work, I really think. He's a happy guy, you know? He makes other people happy, too. How could it happen? I don't know how this could happen. Do you?"
"Not yet."
She had CeeCee escorted home, then began her own room-by-room. Plenty of them, she thought, and each designed so the occupants could play in comfort. Roomy chairs, oversized sofas shouted out in their bright colors. Nothing dull for Bart. The menus of the AutoChefs and Friggies ran to those adolescent tastes again—pizza, burgers, dogs, chips, candy. Fizzies and soft drinks outnumbered wine and beer and liquor.
She found no illegals, and only the mildest of over-the-counter chemical aids.
She'd nearly completed her initial search of the master bedroom when Peabody came in.
"No illegals that I've come across," Eve began. "No sex toys either, though he's got some porn on vid and on game discs. Most of the comps throughout are passcoded, and those that aren't are game-only. No data, no com."
"The droid confirms the girlfriend's statement to the first-on-scene," Peabody told her. "The vic told her to shut down for the night after he got home, and her log confirms she did. She has an auto-wake for nine, which activated as the vic didn't start her up prior. She's a little spooky."
"Efficient. Plus she doesn't look like a droid. She doesn't have any of the tells, like the occasional stuttering, the blank stare while it processes data. Definitely cutting-edge there. I know she didn't actually feel shock and grief, but it seemed like she did. It did. She asked me if someone would contact his parents. That's active thinking. It's not droidlike."
"Or it's careful and thorough programming. Let's find out more about U-Play. You don't get a trilevel in this neighborhood for chump change. Let's find out who gets the money, and who's lined up to take over the company. We need to know what he was working on. And who was as good as he was."
She paused, looked around the room again. "Somebody got in here, got past the droid, got into that holo-room without leaving a discernable trace."
She only knew one person who'd be able to pull that off—and she was married to him. Maybe Roarke would know another.
Priority is to get that disc out of the holo-room unit, run it."
"E-team's on the way, and so are the sweepers. One of the uniforms got all security discs for the last twenty-four."
"You keep on the room-by-room. I'm going to notify next of kin via' link. We'll see what EDD can do for us, then we'll pay a visit to U-Play."
She took a few moments after the notification to let it all settle. She'd just crushed the lives of two people she hadn't known existed less than an hour before, Eve thought as she sat on the side of Bart Minnock's bed. They would never really be the same, nothing would ever be as it had been for them.
Murder did that. Took lives, crushed others, changed still others forever.
So why had someone needed or wanted to end Bart Minnock's existence? And why had they chosen the method used?
Money. Jealousy. Revenge. Secrets. Passion.
From all appearances, he had money, she thought, and ran a quick, standard financial. Okay, he had money, and U-Play was a strong, young company. Her first instinct was to take CeeCee at her word. No jealous exes. But money often generated jealousy. Revenge might come through a competitor, or an employee who felt shafted or underappreciated.
Secrets, everyone had a few. Passion? Gaming had certainly been the victim's.
Method . . . Murder during game play. Kind of poetic in a sick way. Decapitation. Sever the head—the brain—and the body falls. Minnock was the brains of U-Play it seemed from her quick run. Would the body fall without him? Or was someone ready and waiting to slip in and take over?
Whatever the answers, the method had been bold, purposeful, and complex. God knew there were easier ways to kill. It was very likely the killer was just as serious and devoted to gaming as his victim.
Posted December 5, 2009
Four partners founded the computer-gaming firm U-Play. One of them Bart Minnock is the glue that holds the group together. He comes home one day, locks his door, enters his inner sanction and begins to play the new cutting -edge word-wielding warrior game Fantastical, the firm's newest which is cutting edge and not yet released to the public.. He is shocked when his hologram is hit and he feels the pain.
The next day NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is assigned the locked room murder of Bart Minnock, who was found lying on his blood soaked floor. Eve struggles with figuring out how the victim was killed before she can focus on who the culprit is. Until the police entered, the door was locked with no evidence of any tampering yet someone entered and left leaving in spite of a security droid who it says no one was there. However her investigation forces the killer to target the persistent cop and her wealthy spouse and "technical consultant" Roarke.
J.D. Robb consistently writes a strong futuristic police procedural with a deep romantic subplot enhancing the mysteries; now at an incredible thirty tales. Eve is a strong stubborn individual who refuses to quit though progress in terms of resolving opportunity is lacking. Recurring characters make appearances, which provide a feel of continuity to long term fans. Filled with action, Fantasy in Death is a terrific five decades in the future locked door whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
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Fantasy in Death follows the murder of Bart Minnock one of the co-owners of U-Play, a company in the midst of creating a new game that would change the gaming world. Bart is murdered inside a locked room with no murder weapon or person present. Eve's introspection on friendship, partnership and love is an interesting feature. She's really starting to get the hang of being married and is lovable, sweet and funny. Enjoyed the investigative journey to find the murderer.
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Refreshed from her previous caseload, the ever-ready Lt. Eve Dallas isn't quite so ready for the scene she finds at gaming guru Bart Minnock's supped up apartment.
Apparently the late Bart Minnock, co-founder and face of up and coming gaming company U-Play, was on the verge of finishing up and marketing a game that would catapult his company to tops of the gaming industry and would have been considered "to die for," and he did, when someone decided to take a chop at him. Now, the strong and sexy Eve Dallas must use all of her wits and resources to track a killer that, by all rights, doesn't exist.
With a victim everyone seemed to love, a very short short list, no witnesses or physical evidence and another member of U-Play's founding team in the ICU, Eve is racing the clock to catch a killer who just may be better at the game than she; but can she do it without losing her head?
This was a great read, as are all of the In Death books. If you have read all the books in the series and have become familiar with the twists and turns and thought process of Lieutenant Eve Dallas, the book may become a little predictable towards the middle and continue on to the end.
I was not very impressed with the way the book ended and have come to expect more of a shock value from J.D. Robb's writing. While the book is still as good as any another installment of the In Death legacy, with this succeeding Promises In Death (which was phenomenal), I was expecting a bit more of a challenge.
The vivid imagery and ideological technology the plot surrounds gives the book a very nice edge that geeks everywhere will appreciate; myself included. While the ideas of the future presented in each In Death installment are always interesting and thought-provoking-especially beginning with Divided In Death where more technological focus was brought in-this book centers on it!
Being a geek doesn't mean you have to love flying cars. While I'm not a huge fan of what many peoples ideas or thoughts of the future are, I have always enjoyed that J.D. Robb does not focus on that element, but makes it blissfully apparent what the environment will be like-to her mind or simply for this series-in 2059-2060. You don't have to be afraid of being inundated with "sci-fi" when you read these books. She (J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts) pours it on with the skill of a pastry chef! Just enough to keep your sweet tooth from aching from the onslaught of sugar.
Speaking of sugar, I have always respected the love scenes in the In Death books between Roarke and Eve. Scenes filled with love and passion and, at times, fun and lust. But not filth. The love scenes neither diminish the books themselves nor the plots therein. They have a way of sucking you in and making you feel the emotions between them.
Even if you're not satisfied 100% with the way the book ends, you'll love it. J.D. Robb delivers again. Whatever the book may be lacking in certain areas, it makes up for in others. And it gives us hope for the next! Check it out for yourself. A DEFINITE recommend!! Enjoy!!
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While a lot of readers have complained how the series has run into a rut, I believe "Fantasy In Death" proves that there are still plenty of things to write about in 2060 New York City. I tried to pace myself,I really did! This particular story has is much more of a "thinker's" story,and is packed with more E-info than normal. Eve, Peabody, Feeney and the EDD Division geeks(as well as Roarke, my favorite "expert consultant, civilian") are are wrapped up in a classic Christie style locked room mystery. It's fascinating to see how the grand dame's plot of the early 20th century finds itself in mid 21st century New York. A headless corpse,no weapon, a locked secure room...Read very carefully! A quick cameo by Nadine, Mavis, Leonardo and Belle is just enough without taking away from the story's pace. My only complaint is how the story seems to completely wrap up exactly by the last chapter,and the whole thing seemed rushed.
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Posted March 12, 2010
I have read all of J.D. Robbs' In Death series, she continues to amaze me with her quick wit, exquisitely consistant characterisation, and truly devious plots. And this book Fantasy in Death, was another #1 in my opinion example of her writing.
If you haven't read any of her prior books, you don't need to because she does an excellent job, given the readers enough information without being boring or wordy to introduce her characters. I find that ability a huge plus and it does help get the reader back into her series, even though you haven't read one of the other books in a while.
As for this book specifically, and no I don't do spoilers, I will have to say -- this was an incredibly clever plot that left me guessing who had done it until she revealed the 'whom' in the book.
Well written, lots of fun, and a very enjoyable read.
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Posted June 8, 2011
I'm a big fan of the In Death series, and of Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb's writing in general. And I have to respect anyone with guts enough to juggle THREE different genres at once: romance, police procedural, and science fiction. Roberts long ago retired the trophy for romance writing, and as J. D. Robb her police procedure is as good as any I've seen. But when she steps into the sci-fi world, she stumbles. All too often, she refers to some "futuristic" component of her world that is actually way out of date, such as the ubiquitous use of computer discs. Most major computer manufacturers stopped making computers with floppy drives a decade ago. Most of the time we can overlook this, because the focus is on the characters, the mystery, the who and the why. But in Fantasy in Death, Robb puts the focus on the how, and this is where she drops the ball. I don't want to spoil the book. But the solution to this mystery is, basically, implausible. It's Star Trek science, where mysterious mumbling substitutes for honest science. Yes, the "fiction" in "science fiction" allows great leeway for a writer, but there comes a point where the fiction outweighs the science, and the reader's suspension of disbelief crashes to the ground. Physics simply does not work the way Robb wants it to in this novel. If it did, her future world would be a LOT weirder than it is. When I was reading this book, I started to suspect early on where Robb was taking this story; I said, "No, she knows better than that. She's not going there." But she does. I kept thinking she was fooling us with red herrings and misdirection, but no, she winds up presenting us with an ending that would have gotten a first year physics student sent to the back of the class.
I'm certainly willing to stretch a point for a writer who has given me so many hours of entertainment. But when I read 270-odd pages with a growing sense of disbelief and disappointment, I have to conclude that this one confused even the author.
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i enjoyed this book and it was an easy read. I am not sure there are many more plot lines for Robb to get Dallas and Rourke into. In my opinion her story lines are running thin. Eve Dallas is either going to have a baby or find Rourke out of money.
There are just so many murder plots. This book follows a kind of "cookie cutter plot"
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Posted March 12, 2010
Having read all of the Eve Dallas "Death" series books, I have yet to be disappointed. As the lead characters grow as individuals and as the best crime-stopper team in literature, we learn to love and respect them more and more. This latest edition continues to show the Eve/Rourke struggle with their "perfect love" and the evolution of a fascinating "cop crew" of supporting characters.
This edition mingles the present-day love we have for all things gaming with the futuristic possibility of turn a fun experience into a deadly game of betrayal. Each book leaves me wanting more and this one was no exception.
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Posted March 12, 2010
As always, Nora Roberts comes through with the newest of her In Death series. Entertaining, fast past and with enjoyable characters. The only issue I have is that I sometimes wonder how Roarke can run a multi-billion dollar business when he spends so much time as an "civilian expert". But that aside, it is a great kickback and relax read.
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This is the latest strong Eve Dallas book and stands up to the series' reputation of being fast-paced, strong, and a good balanced mix of romance and thriller. Lead character Eve Dallas explores yet another facet of her own personality, her relationship with her husband Roarke, and her relationships with her friends and partners as she works to solve a puzzling and frustrating case. Her theory about cause of death is a fascinating change from her usual seeing is believing attitude and makes for an interesting scene when she has to sell it to the kind of people most likely to have thought of it in the first place but who are reluctant to consider it--probably because they didn't think of it first! There isn't a lot of such favorite characters as Mavis and Nadine in this book, but plenty of Peabody and McNab to make up for it!
I initially bought the audio version of this book and since I have listened to it twice since I bought it, I plan to purchase it for my nook as well. I highly recommend this book, and the entire series, for any reader of mystery, thriller, or romance...no matter what format you prefer.
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Posted March 11, 2010
I thought this book did a great job of making the characters seem alive once more. This is the first book in awhile of hers that I read cover to cover without putting down. The plot line is interesting and the characters are smart and funny. I love Eve and Roarke and think that any person reading this and looking for a little romance will love them too. If you regularly read the in Death series by J.D. Robb you may have not liked the last couple books, but this book will make you enjoy them once again. I would highly recommend this book to not only regular readers but for any person looking for a little mystery, a little romance, and a lot of fun!
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Posted January 11, 2010
I have been reading Nora Roberts/JD Robb for over 25 years (sometimes I find that hard to believe too) I started back when she was writing romances for different romance lines. I have never not bought her books since my first purchase. I have them all. I was so delighted when she came out with the In Death series (which I didn't know about until book 4 - I had to go to the book store and order the first 3). I NEVER read the back or inside of the book when it has either of her names on it - I just buy it because I know the quality of her work and it is tremendous. I look forward to each and every one of them and as soon as I buy them I have to read the whole thing - can't put it down. My love of my family and friends are the only thing above my love of reading and escaping into a world that this author creates - I'm either laughing, crying, or scared depending on the circumstance. Thank you Nora/JD, and please keep them coming.
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Posted May 5, 2014
First time in the series I got bored with the story. Took me forever to get through this book. Not very exciting or interesting like the books usually are
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Posted April 12, 2014
One book I could not bother to finish A complete waste of money
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Posted February 14, 2014
That book was absolutely fantastic! I enjoyed it from beginning to the very end!!! That was a hard one to come to the realization of who the guilty person was in the story line. It is absolutely a MUST READ BOOK, especially for mystery lovers.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted December 11, 2013
yada, yada, yada.
There are thirty-some titles in this series, all around $8.00. You can save yourself some time and money by reading the 1st couple, the last couple, and skip all the in-betweens.
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Posted December 10, 2013
Boring, predictable and annoying. I started skipping paragraphs when the "hip" vocabulary like 'link appeared in every sentence. Obvious suspects and even the action scenes were boring. No wonder this book is being sold brand new at the Dollar Tree where I found it.
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Posted August 4, 2013
J.D. ROBB books are fantastic. I love her style of writing. You will thoroughly enjoy reading them.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted January 18, 2013
don't know, I never bought this
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Posted July 22, 2012
Anothet great jd robb bookWas this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.


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Sara Hennessey's is the 2013 Canadian Comedy Award (CCA) winner for Best Female Stand Up in Canada. She's also a member of the highly acclaimed Toronto comedy collective Laugh Sabbath. Other stand up highlights include: performing at JUST FOR LAUGHS Montreal, where she opened for Todd Barry's 'The Crowdwork Show'; Andy Kindler's Alternative Show, and recorded an ALL ACCESS TELEVISION special, hosted by Hannibal Buress (Broad City, outing Bill Cosby as a rapist). Sara was also a featured performer at JFL42, 2014, and has performed on several other comedy festivals such as NXNE, Boston Comedy Festival, Halifax Pop Explosion, and San Francisco Sketch Fest!
Sara's also a two-time CCA Nominee for her web-series 'Goodbye Sara Hennessey' & short film 'Secret Clubhouse'. She's also a household name to Canadian teens for her regular appearances on Video On Trial (FUSE TV & MUCH). Catch Sara's 'All Access' debut on The Comedy Network this summer, and on CBC's new show 'Fool Canada', starring Will Sasso. Sara was a staff writer on the CTV sitcom 'Spun Out', starring Dave Foley. She's also written for many other television series, including City TV's new sketch show 'Sunnyside', and CBC's comedy website 'Punchline'.
"Watch Goodbye Sara Hennessey, lady of Toronto who is hilarious" -Maria Bamford.


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text: SPECIAL TO THE TIMESSPEEDWAY, Ind. - When Reed Sorenson talked to reporters Wednesday after setting the fastest lap in testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he wasn't terribly excited."It's not really a big deal," Sorenson said. "We've got to have a car that will run good on long runs, and right now we don't really have that."Prestonsburg native Loren Ranier, a longtime member of Ganassi Racing, works closely with Sorenson.Sorenson's top testing speed was 181.892 mph. Rounding out the top five for what ended up becoming a two-day test this week were Kurt Busch, Scott Wimmer, Ken Schrader and Elliott Sadler.Granted, no money and no points are awarded to the teams and drivers that turn the fastest laps in testing at the legendary 2.5-mile oval. But most importantly for Sorenson and his team, they know from history that high speeds in July testing at IMS offer little more than false hope on Allstate 400 at the Brickyard weekend if the team doesn't return with a game plan to go even faster.The statistics on success in finding speed at the traditional July NASCAR tests at Indianapolis Motor Speedway versus finishing well at the race a few weeks later are striking, and the moral of the story is: You may run well in July, but if you don't do your homework between then and early August, you may get run over.In fact, from 2000 to 2005, only five drivers have posted top-five speeds in July testing and then managed a top-10 finish in the race: Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner in 2000, Rusty Wallace in 2002-03, Matt Kenseth in 2002 and Kyle Busch in 2005.Conversely, the race winners have often barely registered a "blip" on the radar screen during testing. Bill Elliott, who won in 2002, had the 35th- and 36th-fastest cars in testing that year, and in 2004, when Jeff Gordon won for a fourth time and led a record 124 laps, he was ninth fastest in testing.The science of speed isn't always focused on being the speediest team on the track on a given day. Nextel Cup Series teams take a regimented approach to testing at Indy and all other tracks."Just trying a lot of things, really," said defending race winner Tony Stewart, in describing his Joe Gibbs Racing team's approach to testing. "You don't set your benchmark strictly on the test itself and speeds you run. You set it more on what you're trying to accomplish and trying new things is what we're here for."Monday was sunny and hot, creating slick track conditions, while Wednesday was perfect racing weather: cloudy and cooler. The difference in track conditions was apparent on the speed chart, as Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 177.518 on Monday was no better than 21st overall.Brian Vickers was Hendrick Motorsports' fastest driver in testing, placing 19th overall at 177.637. Kyle Busch and Gordon were 30th and 31st, respectively, and current points leader Jimmie Johnson was 36th out of 51 drivers.In four starts at the Brickyard, Johnson has finished ninth, 18th, 36th and 38th."It would be nice just to run halfway competitive," said Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief. "We've never run very well here, and it's always been kind of a sore thumb to us, to be honest."


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Posted :
Tuesday, October 04, 2011 8:42:38 PM(UTC)
Rank: Advanced Member
Posts: 37
September 25th was the Honolulu Century Ride. I have ridden the full 100 miles a half dozen times but never really trained for it, and in recent years I rode with my wife, who could only do 50 miles. I always approached it as a fun ride, a cycling social event.
A few years ago I fell on wet pavement and much to everyone's surprise, broke my left femur. It was a clean break and healed quickly, but my recovery was lopsided due to so much bike riding. Eventually I turned to a sports theripist to help straighten me out, and a bit later I found a wonderful yoga teacher. I have made a lot of progress, but my left side still has problems.
Last Christmas I gave myself a Timex Race Trainer HRM. That got me started on Training Peaks. I had a lot to learn. I had already been logging rides on MapMyRide and was using their Android phone app to log routes. I investigated most of the Android GPS apps and settled of Google's MyTracks for adding route data to Training Peaks. Little by little I began to learn the TP approach to training. The improvements in my leg led me to get started running, to balance out my muscle development. Eventually I tired of having to flip between the two different data displays (HRM and GPS) and my phone's limited battery life, so after a lot of shopping I decided to purchase a Garmin Edge 800, with cadence and HRM. Despite everything I read about the 800, it surpassed my expectations. Extremely well thought out. I still use the watch for running.
During the summer my wife injured her foot. Apparently the damage was to connective tissue because it has been slow to heal. When it became apparent she would not be ready for the Century Ride I decided to step up my training and prepare for a full 100 miles. A bit late, but I was already in pretty good shape.
Thanks to my Garmin I was able to keep close tabs on my HR as I rode. The plan I settled on was to try to maintain 145BPM as much as possible, and fall back to 135 when needed. I budgeted a little rest and gossip time at the aide stations, and came up with a ride plan of eight hours, by the clock. As it turned out I got stuck in traffic quite a bit (cars on my left, a pack of slow bikes in front), and I spent longer than planned at the aide stations waiting in line for the bathroom or just kibitzing with friends. I ended up with a nine hour twenty minute day, but I felt terrific the whole way.
Earlier this year I has major seat problems. A new seat, plus increased use of chamois cream made the difference, no problems on this ride. I still think I sit skewed and am considering a professional bike fitting.
I did notice some stiffness in my left side during the week leading up to the ride, and on ride day, after about mile seventy, I felt my left shoulder hurting a bit. Hands and arms were fine.
I drove to work on Monday because I had scheduled a post-ride massage for Monday after work. The only tender places were my hamstrings and calves. On Tuesday my left shoulder was sore again, but I rode to work, ran and did yoga in the afternoon. After yoga my shoulder was too sore to ride. I stayed off the bike for the rest of the week, ran a little, and skipped yoga, all the while with a painful shoulder. The next Monday (yesterday) was my regularly scheduled massage, and we worked exclusively on the shoulder. Turns out I have a touch of tendonitis and muscles that refuse to unlock, so I will be getting acupuncture on Friday.
My experience this summer has been so satisfying that despite this little setback I have set myself the goal of running the Honolulu Marathon next year (first time), and getting back to swimming for a shot at a triathlon or two, next year or the following. I know it sounds crazy to live in Hawaii and not swim; the issue has been my extremely poor eyesight. I hope to solve that with corrective goggles. If fact, I was so inspired by my accomplishments that I signed on to Training Peaks as a full fledged member.
My goal is not to beat anyone. I just want to have a great time. For rides like the Century Ride that includes talking to old friends and folks from out of town. I had a great chat with a Japanese guy using a Sony smartphone and MyTracks, even though my Japanese is practically non-existent. I want guests to feel welcome. If all I do is ride fast, that won't happen. I train enough so that the last twenty miles are not a death march, and this year I did very well. Next year I want to finish in under six hours, but not at the exclusion of all incidental personal interaction. I hope I can find a balance.
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Biography All Music GuideWikipedia
All Music Guide:
Wielding a rich, deep voice, Rick Astley became an overnight sensation in the late '80s with his well-crafted dance-pop. Astley was discovered by producer Pete Waterman in 1985, when the Merseyside native was singing in the English soul band FBI. After that, Waterman's production team -- Stock, Aitken & Waterman -- took Astley under their wing, writing and producing such impeccably crafted pop singles as "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Together Forever." After two hugely successful albums in the U.S. and the U.K., Astley grew tired of being labeled Stock, Aitken & Waterman's "puppet" and severed his connections with the team; he resurfaced in 1991 with the soul-injected Free, which contained the Top Ten hit "Cry for Help."
Free didn't fare as well as its two predecessors, however, and the follow-up effort, Body & Soul, was an outright flop. Astley retired from music shortly thereafter, only to return in the 2000s with several new releases. He also became the subject of "Rickrolling," an Internet phenomenon involving the video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" and a series of bait and switch tactics.
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley (/ˈɪ ˈæ/; born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and radio personality. Widely known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", a No. 1 hit single in 25 countries, Astley is the only male solo artist to have his first 8 singles reach the Top 10 in the UK. By the time of his retirement in 1993, Astley had sold approximately 40 million records worldwide.
Astley made a comeback in 2007, becoming an Internet phenomenon when his video "Never Gonna Give You Up" became integral to the Internet meme known as "rickrolling". Astley was voted "Best Act Ever" by Internet users at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.^ "Biography". Mike Stock Music. Retrieved 11 June 2013. ^ Rickastley.com – Biography Retrieved 28 April 2010.^ US (29 July 2008). "Rick Astley". MySpace.com. Retrieved 11 June 2013. ^ Shropshire Star.com – 7 June 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2010.^ Liverpool Echo – 12 November 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2010.^ Rick Biografia. VH1 Spañol (undated). Retrieved 27 December 2006.^ "Astley shortlisted for MTV award". BBC News. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
Early life[edit]
Richard Paul Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England, the fourth child of his family. His parents divorced when he was five, and Astley was brought up by his father. His musical career started when he was ten, singing in the local church choir. During his schooldays, Astley formed and played the drums in a number of local bands, where he met guitarist David Morris. After leaving school at sixteen, Astley was employed during the day as a driver in his father's market-gardening business and played drums on the Northern club circuit at night in bands such as Give Way – specialising in covering Beatles and Shadows songs – and FBI, which won several local talent competitions.^ "Rick Astley: The pop idol returns". London: The Independent. 13 October 2005. Retrieved 16 May 2010. ^ "Rick Astley – About". lookstudio.com. Retrieved 16 May 2010. ^ Cite error: The named reference RickBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ Cite error: The named reference BBC12523570 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Signing to Stock Aitken Waterman[edit]
In 1985, Astley was performing as a drummer with a soul band named FBI, with Morris on guitar. They were a well-known local band writing and performing their own music, gigging in pubs and clubs. When FBI's lead singer left the band, and Morris left to concentrate on his career in hairdressing, Astley offered to be the lead vocalist. This was when he was noticed by the record producer Pete Waterman, who persuaded him to come to London to work at the PWL recording studio, with RCA Records publishing his records. Under the tutelage of the production team of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, known as Stock Aitken Waterman, Astley was taught about the recording process and groomed for his future career, supposedly starting off as the recording studio "tea boy". The reason for Astley to be hired initially as a "tape op" was to overcome his shyness. SAW also hired most of FBI, including Morris as a guitarist/songwriter.^ "MP David Morris on his journey from pop to politics". BBC. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011. ^ Cite error: The named reference RickBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ "YouTube – Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up (1987)". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 11 February 2010. ^ "YouTube – Rick Astley Interview in 1987 (TVam) (1987)". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
His first single was the little-known "When You Gonna", released as a collaboration with Lisa Carter, with little promotion. It did not chart. His first solo offering was "Never Gonna Give You Up", recorded on New Year's Day 1987, and released eight months later, in August. Astley's distinctive rich, deep voice combined with dance-pop, made the song an immediate success, spending five weeks at the top of the British charts and becoming the year's highest-selling single. The song was also a worldwide number one hit, topping the charts in 24 other countries, including the U.S., Australia, and Germany. It would become the first of 13 (worldwide) top 30 hit singles for him. "Never Gonna Give You Up" won Best British single at the 1988 BPI awards (now called the BRIT Awards), and he performed the hit in front of a global audience of 100 million.
His next single was "Whenever You Need Somebody", which was released in October. The single was a recycled Stock, Aitken, Waterman song, originally recorded by O'Chi Brown in 1985. It became a successful European hit, reaching No. 1 in seven countries, including Germany and Sweden, following up the success of his debut single. It also reached No. 3 in the UK. It was not released in North America.
In November 1987, the album Whenever You Need Somebody, containing four Astley-written tracks, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, and No. 10 in the U.S. It was certified 4x Platinum in the UK and Canada, and 2x Platinum in the US. Overall Whenever You Need Somebody sold 15.2 million copies worldwide, making him the top-selling British act of the year.
In December 1987, Astley released a cover version of the Nat King Cole classic "When I Fall in Love". This single is mainly remembered for a closely fought contest for UK Christmas Number 1. Rivals EMI, hoping to see their act the Pet Shop Boys reach No. 1, re-released the version by Nat King Cole. This led to a slowdown of purchases of Astley's version, allowing the Pet Shop Boys to reach the coveted top spot. Despite selling over 200,000 copies and gaining a Silver certification from the BPI, it peaked in the UK at No. 2 for two weeks. The re-release of Nat King Cole's version reached No. 4. The B side was a dance number "My Arms Keep Missing You", which was successful in mainland Europe.
Astley's fourth single release would be "Together Forever" in 1988, reaching No. 2 in the UK. It was denied the top spot by Neighbours sensation Kylie Minogue's debut "I Should Be So Lucky". "Together Forever" was more successful state-side, topping the U.S charts, making it his second U.S chart topper, which meant Astley was one of the few British acts to crack the American market. In 1989 he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, but lost to Tracy Chapman.
His fifth and final release from his debut album was "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man". It was a more soulful song, when compared to his other releases, and was mainly intended for the North American market. Thus, it was not released in Britain. It was another hit for Astley, reaching No. 10 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 in Canada. During the period between his debut release and his fifth single, Astley outsold every other artist in the world. In the UK, he was in the Top 40 every week for the first 6 months of his career.
A fire in the PWL studios destroyed much of Astley's new material, causing a delay in the release of his second album. Hold Me in Your Arms was eventually released in January 1989, containing five singles, and reached No. 8 in the UK and No. 19 in the US, being certified platinum in the UK and gold in the US.
Astley's relationship with British media deteriorated significantly after the release of Whenever You Need Somebody, with the media calling him a "puppet" of Stock Aitken Waterman. This was despite Astley writing five of his new album's tracks. The negative press inevitably affected the sales of his singles. The first single from the album to be released was "She Wants To Dance With Me", a number penned by Astley himself. It was another successful single, reaching No. 6 on both the UK and US charts. "Take Me to Your Heart" was the next single to be released from the album. It reached No. 8 in the UK and was not released in the US. The Astley-written ballad "Hold Me in Your Arms" reached No. 10 in the UK and was also not released in North America. The next two singles released from the album were intended for the North American market. "Giving Up on Love" and a cover of The Temptations song "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" charted at No. 38 and No. 89 in the US respectively.
In December 1989, Astley set off on his first world tour, touring 15 countries including the UK, US, Australia, and Japan. By the end of the tour, he was tiring of the negative press, and wanted to explore alternative paths as a musician. Thus, he left his producers Stock Aitken Waterman, with RCA records buying out his contract with PWL.^ "allmusic – Rick Astley – Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 14 May 2010. ^ "Rick Astley – Biography". TalkTalk. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ Cite error: The named reference RickBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ "YouTube – Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up (live) 1988". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 17 May 2010. ^ "Discography – Whenever You Need Somebody". www.rickastley.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "The Ultimate Collection by Rick Astley". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "Discography – When I Fall in Love". www.rickastley.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "Certified Awards Search". BPI. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "Singles Chart 12/03/88". chartstats. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "Ask Rick Astley". Sunday Sun. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "Discography -Hold Me in Your Arms". www.rickastley.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
Switching to soul and AC[edit]
By 1990, Astley had parted company with Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. He also decided to leave his dance-pop days behind him, moving towards his passion, soul. This shift in musical genre led him to change his image too, ditching the boy next door look, presenting himself as a mature and passionate musician. His third album, Free, was released in 1991 containing collaborations with Elton John. The album contained three singles, and reached No. 9 in the UK and No. 31 in the US.
He achieved one more major success with the 1991 ballad "Cry for Help", which reached No. 7 in both the UK and the US. This would place Astley in The Guinness Book of Records, as he became the first male solo artist to have his first eight singles all chart in the UK Top 10. This record still stands to this day. The other two singles from Free were not as successful. "Move Right Out" reached No. 58 in the UK and No. 81 in the US; and "Never Knew Love" reached No. 70 in the UK and did not chart in the US. Free would mark the end of Astley's successful period, and "Cry for Help" would be the last Astley single to make the Top 10 in either the UK or US to date.
His next album, Body and Soul, was released in 1993, and was largely an Adult Contemporary album. By the time the album was released, Astley had decided to retire from the music industry. As a result, the album did not get a lot of promotion, not charting in the UK but managing to make the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 182. The two singles, "The Ones You Love" and "Hopelessly", performed very well on the US adult contemporary chart, peaking at No. 19 and No. 4 respectively. "The Ones You Love" peaked at No. 48 in the UK but did not chart in the US. "Hopelessly" also crossed over and peaked at No. 28 on the US Billboard 100, staying in the US top 40 for five weeks, and No. 33 in the UK. It was named as one of the most performed songs at the 1994 BMI Awards, and is one of the few songs to achieve BMI 'Million-Air' status.^ Cite error: The named reference talktalk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ Cite error: The named reference RickBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ "The Eighties Club". Eightiesclub.tripod.com. Retrieved 11 June 2013. ^ "BMI Million-Airs". Chartts.tripod.com. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
After 1993, Astley decided to retire from the music industry at the age of 27, deciding that family life was more important. During Astley's time out of the music business, he raised his daughter Emilie, born in 1992. Thus, for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Astley remained largely out of the spotlight.^ Cite error: The named reference NGGYU was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Return to singing[edit]
Almost 10 years after Body and Soul, Astley finally returned to the music world, signing a co-publishing deal with Polydor and releasing Keep It Turned On in 2002. The album featured the single "Sleeping", which became a minor club hit, thanks to a set of remixes from U.S. house producer Todd Terry. Keep It Turned On was only released in Continental Europe.
Astley's first compilation album, Greatest Hits, was released in 2002, and reached No. 16 on the UK Albums Chart. With no promotion from Astley, it sold over 100,000 copies and was certified Gold by the BPI. After retirement in 1993, Astley continued to write songs for various acts and in 2003 he managed to chart at No. 10 in the UK as a songwriter with "Shakespeare's (Way With) Words" performed by short-lived boy band One True Voice.
In 2004, Astley toured for the first time in 14 years, which led him to a record contract with Sony BMG.
In March 2005, Astley released the album Portrait, in which he covered many classic standards such as "Vincent", "Nature Boy" and "Close to You". Both Astley and Sony BMG were unhappy with the end result so the album was poorly promoted, yet managed to reach No. 26 on the UK Albums Chart.
In April 2008, the album The Ultimate Collection: Rick Astley was released by Sony BMG and by early May it had reached #17 on the UK Top 40 Albums Chart, again with no promotion from Astley.
In September 2008, Astley was nominated for the 'Best Act Ever' award at the MTV Europe Music Awards The push to make Astley the winner of the award continued after the announcement, as well as efforts to encourage MTV to personally invite Astley to the awards ceremony. On 7 November, following a massive Internet campaign by fans, Astley won the award in Liverpool, but was not there in person to receive it. Perez Hilton collected the prize on his behalf. On the back of this, "Never Gonna Give You Up" returned to the UK charts, over 21 years after it was released, peaking at No. 73 during the Christmas period.
During the late 2000s, Astley continued touring across the globe, touring with various other 1980s acts, such as Boy George and Belinda Carlisle, in the Here and Now Tour. In April 2009, he wrote an article for Time about moot.
Astley was a special guest throughout Peter Kay's new tour, The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour...Now on Tour, from 27 April to 22 May 2010. To mark the occasion, Rick Astley released a new single "Lights Out" on his own label. It was released on 7 June 2010. This was Astley's first release in the UK Singles Chart in 17 years. It was well received by radio, peaking No. 15 on the UK Airplay Charts, but failed to become a commercial hit, reaching only No. 97 on the UK Singles Chart.
During the summer of 2010, Astley became a radio DJ for London's Magic FM, presenting a Sunday show. Initially the contract was 8 weeks, but he proved popular with listeners and his contract was extended till the end of the year. In December 2010, Astley co-hosted the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 with Peter Kay, and in March 2011 appeared in Comic Relief's Red Nose Day telethon on the BBC.^ Cite error: The named reference RickBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ Astley, Rick. "Vincent (Live)" (VIDEO). YouTube. ^ "Madonna celebrates chart double". BBC News. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ Bestactever.com 10 October 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.^ "US stars scoop MTV Europe awards". BBC News. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008. ^ "The 2009 Time 100". Time. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010. ^ "Rick Astley Returns With Peter Kay". Fame Magazine. 28 April 2010. ^ "Rick Astley's Summer Soundtrack". Magic FM 105.7. ^ Halliday, Josh (5 July 2010). "Rick Astley to host Magic 105.4 Sunday show". London: The Guardian. ^ "Magic 105.4 Extends Rick Astley's Show". Bauer Media. ^ "Friday – It's Kay Day!". BBC. ^ "The Chefs Choir Sing "Never Gonna Give You Up" – Red Nose Day 2011". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 29 March 2011. ^ "Celebrity choir sing Take That classic to wrap up Red Nose Day 2011". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
Personal life[edit]
Rick Astley is married to Lene Bausager, and the couple have a daughter, Emilie, who was born in 1992. Astley met Lene when she was working as a promoter with RCA in 1988. Lene is a film producer, and was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for the Sean Ellis film Cashback, where she was the main producer. The family lives in the London suburb of Richmond.^ Cite error: The named reference Independent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).^ Lene Bausager – IMDB at the Internet Movie Database^ "Photo 29 Lene Bausager and Rick Astley | 78th Annual Academy Awards". Digitalhit.com. Retrieved 22 May 2010. ^ "RICK ASTLEY: 'I'M TOO NICE TO BE A POP IDOL'". Daily Express.
Rickrolling Internet phenomenon[edit]Main articles: Rickrolling and Never Gonna Give You Up
In 2007, Rick Astley became the subject of a viral Internet meme known as rickrolling. This is where internet users are tricked into watching Rick Astley's video "Never Gonna Give You Up" by following a link that claims to be something else. Views of this video on various websites are now in the millions. The phenomenon became so popular that on 1 April 2008, YouTube pranked its users by making every single featured video on its front page a rickroll.
Later in April 2008, Shea Stadium in New York was rickrolled. Fans quickly drowned out the music with boos.
On 27 November 2008, Astley himself participated in a live rickroll during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, while the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends characters were singing "Best Friend", the theme from the 1970s TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Midway through the song, Astley emerged from the float and began to lip sync his signature hit. At the end of Astley's performance, Cheese (a character from Foster's) shouted out "I like Rickrolling!".
Despite the video garnering millions of hits on YouTube, Astley has earned almost no money from the meme, receiving only US$12 in royalties from YouTube for his performance share.^ "Rick Roll related Google Trends". Google Trends. Google. Retrieved 4 April 2008. ^ Savage, Mark (1 April 2008). "Rickrolling and the league of web fame". BBC News (BBC). Retrieved 2 April 2008. ^ "YouTube RickRolls Users". TechCrunch. Retrieved 1 June 2008. ^ "Mets Rick Roll". YouTube. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2014. ^ North, Jesse (27 November 2008). "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Best and worst moments". Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "YouTube – Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Rickroll". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 15 May 2010. ^ "German judge chides Google over YouTube freeloading". The Register. 31 August 2010.