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Friday, 30 April 2010
Review: Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda
Publisher: Amazon Encore
Format: Paperback
Released: April 27th, 2010
Grade rating: B+/A-
Amazon summary:
A loner in his all-white high school, Chinese-born Xing (pronounced "Shing") is a wallflower longing for acceptance. His isolation is intensified by his increasingly awkward and undeniable crush on his only friend, the beautiful and brilliant Naomi Lee. Xing's quiet adolescent existence is rattled when a series of disappearances rock his high school and fear ripples through the blue collar community in which he lives. Amidst the chaos surrounding him, only Xing, alone on the sidelines of life, takes notice of some peculiar sightings around town. He begins to investigate with the hope that if he can help put an end to the disappearances, he will finally win the acceptance for which he has longed. However, as Xing draws closer to unveiling the identity of the abductor, he senses a noose of suspicion tightening around his own neck. While Xing races to solve the mystery and clear his name, Crossing hurtles readers towards a chilling climax.
Crossing is a debut novel that deals with a multitude of themes and issues, and I don't know what to start with first. It's a contemporary social commentary on high schools and their students, as well as a chilling whodunnit crime thriller that literally made me shudder. Newspaper clippings and news items are interspersed throughout the novel, which makes it that much more realistic, and I really enjoyed that extra look into the events unfolding.
Xing is a loner in school. He's quiet, reserved, and only opens up to his best friend Naomi. He's ignored and taunted for his less than perfect English language skills, and is one of those people who blends into any given background. To anyone who knows him, he's a thoughtful, caring boy with problems and regrets of his own, who just wants to be accepted for who he is and where he comes from.
Through Xing and his Chinese heritage, Crossing confronts bullying, and our perceptions of people around us. It delves into how we see things, and how we can have completely the wrong idea about someone, just by judging their appearance or mannerisms. It all goes back to the age-old lesson of treating our peers with respect, and not writing someone off before you get a chance to know them. It also shows what bullying can do to a family, and the extreme consequences of not thinking before you act.
Crossing comes to a fantastic conclusion, and one that I honestly didn't see coming. I'd be lying if I said it ended the way I wanted it to, because it didn't. It completely shocked me actually, because of the way certain characters acted, and the things they said to Xing. There are certain times in life when you find out who your friends are, and Xing unfortunately learns that at the most crucial moment of his existence. With so much going on in Crossing, it can occasionally feel too busy, as if it's trying to say too much at the same time. For example, it can suddenly shift focus from the student murders to something unrelated and, as a result, the narrative gets choppy, and loses some of its well-gained momentum.
Crossing is an important novel, and one that I think everyone should try. Fukuda has written a brilliantly grisly tale, and has provided me with one of the best debuts I've read this year. I can't wait to see what he writes next!
Thursday, 29 April 2010
US Vs. UK: The Named Covers
Natasa suggested I compare The Named by Marianne Curley, because of the lovely new cover due for release in the UK soon (and in the US, according to Amazon.com). I *think* the one on the left is the old US one, though I did have some trouble finding it, so let me know if it's wrong!
I really just want to get your thoughts on the new cover, because it's a departure from previous cover designs for this book. I really like it, and it's lovely in person, but my main concern is that it's yet another black cover. As far as black covers go, I don't think this one will have any trouble standing out, because of the silver foil and the eye-catching image.
I don't mind the US cover either, and am wondering if that too is nicer in person, maybe with a foiled title or something cool like that. I think it makes the book seem mysterious and a bit haunting, which it kind of is. It's a great book!
Anyway, new UK wins for me this week. How about you?
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Waiting On Wednesday: Withering Tights
Waiting on Wednesday idea from Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
* Published by: HarperCollins (UK)
* Format: Hardcover (UK)
* Release Date: July 8th, 2010 (UK)
* On Amazon: here
Amazon summary: Hilarious new series from Queen of Teen -- laugh your tights off at the (VERY) amateur dramatic antics of Talullah and her bonkers mates. Boys, snogging and bad acting guaranteed! Picture the scene: Dother Hall performing arts college somewhere Up North, surrounded by rolling dales, bearded cheesemaking villagers (male and female) and wildlife of the squirrely-type. On the whole, it's not quite the showbiz experience Tallulah was expecting! But once her mates turn up and they start their 'FAME! I'm gonna liiiiive foreeeeeever, I'm gonna fill my tiiiiights' summer course things are bound to perk up. Especially when the boys arrive. (When DO the boys arrive?) Six weeks of parent-free freedom. BOY freedom. Freedom of expression! cos it's the THEATRE dahling, theatre!!
I CAN'T WAIT for this book! The Georgia Nicolson series is one of my all-time favourites, and this is the first year for a long time that there hasn't been a new Georgia book. This new series sounds like it might just fill that void, and of course it sounds HILARIOUS.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
News: House of Night - Burned Trailer & First Chapter
To celebrate the release of House of Night: Burned by P.C. & Kristin Cast, the trailer and first chapter have been made available online.
Summary: [WARNING - SERIES SPOILERS] Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird's soul has shattered. With everything she's ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey's fading fast. It's seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left…
Below is the trailer, and if you like the song featured, you can download it here. You can also read the first chapter online here.
Summary: [WARNING - SERIES SPOILERS] Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird's soul has shattered. With everything she's ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey's fading fast. It's seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left…
Below is the trailer, and if you like the song featured, you can download it here. You can also read the first chapter online here.
Review: Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing
Format: Paperback
Released: May 18th, 2010
Grade rating: C+/B-
Amazon summary:
Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel. But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.
I've got a bit of a love/hate thing going on with Angel Star. There were parts of the story I really enjoyed, and other parts that made me want to stop reading in frustration. I did read it in one sitting, though, so I think that counts for something.
I'll start with the good first - the angels. I love me some paranormal YA, and I don't think that'll be a big surprise to anyone. I'm a big fan of Hush, Hush and Fallen, and thanks to them, I have an interest in angels, whether they be of the fallen, earth-bound or evil kind. There's something about these celestial beings that fascinates me, and I'm probably going to have to blame that on their wings. They sound beautiful and haunting, and something I would give an arm and a leg to see in real life.
Murgia's angels are of the beautiful variety, and are assigned to humans as Guardians. Of course, there's the odd evil one out there, and that particular personality trait falls to Hadrian, twin brother of Lucifer. The mythology of Angel Star is very interesting, and is different to the other YA angel books I mentioned above. Light and dark features a lot, with Garreth and Hadrian representing each side of the spectrum. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the angel plot, and it is something I'd like to read more about. For me, the problems lie with the rushed introduction and noticeable similarities to other books (if you read it, you'll see what I mean).
If Angel Star would have been written as a 400-page series opener, I think everything would have been fine. The first 30 pages could have been dragged out, and the events unfolding would have been more believable. I really struggled with Teagen's character, because of how fast she accepts her fate, Garreth's revelation and the truth about her destiny. Huge life-changing moments like these should come with time, ensuring at least some semblance of realism. As it is, everything progresses far too fast, and before you know it there are declarations of love all over the place, after only three or four days of Teagen and Garreth knowing each other. I'm pretty good at accepting that in paranormal YA, but this time it didn't work for me.
I realise that a lot of my problems with Angel Star are just personal preferences with how YA romance is handled, and I hope my review has succeeded in nicely explaining why I'm on the fence about this one. It's by no means the worst book I've ever read, but neither is it up there with the best.
Monday, 26 April 2010
News: Vampire Academy #5 Teasers & UK Triskellion Competition
Here's a quick round-up of some cool news I've received over the last week or so that you guys might be interested in...
Penguin Australia have just kicked off a teaser campaign for Vampire Academy book #5, Spirit Bound. They'll be previewing 7 important quotes from the book, the first of which you can see here. A new clip will premiere every 3 days, so keep checking back!
They've also just launched Penguin Paranormal Facebook Group, which will feature Vampire Academy, as well as other titles. Join here.
Walker Books UK are holding a cool Triskellion UK competition, to mark the release of the final book in the trilogy. From the email:
In the Triskellion books you can join twins Rachel and Adam in the search for the Triskellion amulets, brought to Earth millions of years ago by visitors from outer space. But there is still one Triskellion out there!
Enter the Triskellion Quest, watch the video clues and collect the amulets for your chance to win an iPod touch, iTunes vouchers and a signed set of books. Plus, get bonus content! Complete the Quest successfully and you'll receive an exclusive Amulet Finder certificate and a free eBook download of Triskellion, Book 1*
You can check out the cool Triskellion TV advert on Nickelodeon from 6 – 19 April; take a sneak peek here and if you like it, pass it on to your friends! Want to become a fan? Join our Facebook fan page here and get cool downloads, breaking news and extra behind the scenes content. Plus, for a limited time only** you can download the iphone app for the first in the trilogy, Triskellion, for free here.
Good luck in your quest!
*Terms and conditions apply. Closing date 14/5/2010
**Closing date 14/5/2010
Penguin Australia have just kicked off a teaser campaign for Vampire Academy book #5, Spirit Bound. They'll be previewing 7 important quotes from the book, the first of which you can see here. A new clip will premiere every 3 days, so keep checking back!
They've also just launched Penguin Paranormal Facebook Group, which will feature Vampire Academy, as well as other titles. Join here.
Walker Books UK are holding a cool Triskellion UK competition, to mark the release of the final book in the trilogy. From the email:
In the Triskellion books you can join twins Rachel and Adam in the search for the Triskellion amulets, brought to Earth millions of years ago by visitors from outer space. But there is still one Triskellion out there!
Enter the Triskellion Quest, watch the video clues and collect the amulets for your chance to win an iPod touch, iTunes vouchers and a signed set of books. Plus, get bonus content! Complete the Quest successfully and you'll receive an exclusive Amulet Finder certificate and a free eBook download of Triskellion, Book 1*
You can check out the cool Triskellion TV advert on Nickelodeon from 6 – 19 April; take a sneak peek here and if you like it, pass it on to your friends! Want to become a fan? Join our Facebook fan page here and get cool downloads, breaking news and extra behind the scenes content. Plus, for a limited time only** you can download the iphone app for the first in the trilogy, Triskellion, for free here.
Good luck in your quest!
*Terms and conditions apply. Closing date 14/5/2010
**Closing date 14/5/2010
Review: The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Released: March 23rd, 2010
Grade rating: B/B+
Amazon summary:
Lainey Pike can tell you everything you need to know about the people in her family just by letting you know how they died. Her reckless stepfather drove his motorcycle off the highway and caused the biggest traffic jam in years. Her long-suffering grandmother lived through cancer and a heart attack before finally succumbing to a stroke. And Lainey's mother—well, Lainey's mother hanged herself in the basement just days after Lainey's high school graduation. Now Lainey's five-year-old brother is an orphan and her estranged older sister is moving back home to be his guardian. Meanwhile, Lainey's boyfriend is thinking about having a family of their own, and her best friends are always asking the wrong sorts of questions and giving advice Lainey doesn't want to hear. As she tries to pull away from everything familiar, Lainey meets an intriguing new guy who, through a series of Slurpees, burgers, and snowballs, helps her to make peace with a parent she never understood.
From just reading the above summary, The Snowball Effect probably sounds like quite a depressing book about death, suicide and other such depressing parts of life. While it does touch on the deaths of Lainey's immediate family members, it's more about surviving what life throws at you, and appreciating what, and who, you have left.
Hoxter's writing is engaging and easy to become engrossed in, though it's her characters that are the true stars of the story. After Lainey's mum dies, older sister Vallery comes to live with Lainey and her younger brother Collin, who suffers from behavioural problems. Lainey's long-term boyfriend, Riley, is also in the mix, and he's the kind of guy I think anyone would be lucky to have. They end up forming a really tight family unit, and learning to trust and depend on each other. Hoxter writes each character with such care and precision that you're left feeling as if they could be your own family, friends and neighbours, rather than fictional people born from someone's imagination.
I don't have many problems with The Snowball Effect, besides the way Lainey treats Riley. As soon as new boy Eric comes into the picture, she seems to forget about the years she's spent with Riley, as well as everything he's done for her and her family, and treats him horribly. I know everyone makes mistakes, and the grieving process can affect people in different ways, but I just didn't understand why Lainey would be so rash with her strong, loving relationship. It didn't seem to fit with her overall personality - why build a life with someone to forget them because of a chance meeting with a stranger? It didn't make sense to me, but it does serve its purpose, as you'll find out later in the book.
I enjoyed The Snowball Effect; it's a good, solid debut to add to the list of 2010 releases. I'm not a fan of the cover at all, but that's besides the point. Don't let it put you off, though, because the content is so much better than what you might originally think, and Lainey is a character you'll definitely learn to love.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
In My Mailbox #66: New Books This Week
In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, and all links take you to Amazon.
I had a great week this week! I got some amazing gifts, quite a few signed books, and some that I've already read this week and really enjoyed. I went to a Melvin Burgess/William Nicholson event on Wednesday with Keris Stainton, which consisted of a 'Sex in Teen Lit' talk and a signing. It was really good - very interesting and funny. I bought a new copy of Doing It to get signed, and also got my copies of Junk, Rich and Mad and Della Says: OMG! signed (Thanks for this last one, Keris!).
I had a great week this week! I got some amazing gifts, quite a few signed books, and some that I've already read this week and really enjoyed. I went to a Melvin Burgess/William Nicholson event on Wednesday with Keris Stainton, which consisted of a 'Sex in Teen Lit' talk and a signing. It was really good - very interesting and funny. I bought a new copy of Doing It to get signed, and also got my copies of Junk, Rich and Mad and Della Says: OMG! signed (Thanks for this last one, Keris!).
For review:Happy reading, everyone!
- Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia (Blog tour)
- Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford (Want more info? Click here).
- Folly by Marthe Jocelyn
- Infinity by Sarah Dessen (Short story)
- Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden by J. Torres & J. Bone (June blog tour)
- Triskellion by Will Peterson
- The Named by Marianne Curley
- The Dark by Marianne Curley
- The Key by Marianne Curley
- No Moon by Irene Watts
- Now by Morris Gleitzman (Yay!)
- The Maharajah's Monkey by Natasha Narayan
- Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures by J. Torres & J. Bone (June blog tour)
- The Spook's Curse by Joseph Delaney
- The Magic Thief: Found by Sarah Prineas
- Girl 16: Five Star Fiasco by Sue Limb (UK proof/ARC)
- Wasted by Nicola Morgan
- Monstroso by Charlie Higson (Short story)
- Me & Death by Richard Scrimger
- Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
- The Host by Stephenie Meyer (US paperback with a new chapter!)
- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Signed. Thank you so much, Lauren! You ROCK!)
- The Toymaker by Jeremy De Quidt (Thanks Sammee!)
- Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner (Signed. Thanks Luisa! :) )
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Vampire Week: A Recap
So Vampire Week here at Wondrous Reads is now over *sniffle*, but here's a recap of posts in case you missed any. Big thanks again to Carolyn at Book Chick City for designing the lovely banner, and thanks to everyone that stopped by and read posts, commented, or complained about my Stefan over Damon preference... ;)
Guest post
- Blue Bloods Giveaway (UK only, ends 1st May 2010)
See you all next time, and happy hunting! I mean, err, reading. Grr Argh :)
Vampire Week: My Top 5 Vampires
I couldn't end my vampire week without telling you all about my favourite members of the fang gang. So, without further ado, here are my top 5 daylight-dodgers!
1. Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel
Spike is the baddest of the bad when it comes to vampires... until he falls for Buffy, that is. He called Riley such genius names as "Captain Cardboard", and referred to humans as "happy meals with legs", all while keeping his hair a radiant shade of peroxide and making sure his prize leather duster jacket stayed in tip-top condition. He consistently had some of the best dialogue on the show, and puts most other movie/TV vampires to shame. Played by the extremely talented James Marsters for seven years, Spike set the bar high when it came to vampire standards, and for that we have Master Joss Whedon to thank.
Best quote: [After Buffy asks for a 5 word or less explanation for why he's lurking outside her house] "Out. For. A. Walk. [pause] Bitch". - BtVS Season 5, episode 5, ' No Place Like Home'.
Favourite moment: Far too many to choose from, but his hand gesture to Xander in 'Hush' stands out!
2. Angel - Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel
Ahh, Angel. Just saying his name makes me sigh with extreme vampire love... you'd think I'd have gotten over him by now, but I haven't. He made famous the brooding wistful look, that hair (you know what I'm talking about) and the tortured vampire who wants to do good. Sure, there were others like him before Master Joss created him, but Angel did it better. MUCH better. David Boreanaz succeeded in making a whole load of ladies fall head over heels in love with him, and can you blame them? He rocked those tight leather trousers when he was playing big bad Angelus. *Wistfully stares at David Boreanaz calendar*
Best quote: [To Buffy] "I love you. I try not to, but I can't stop".- BtVS Season 2, episode 13, 'Surprise'.
Favourite moment: In the Buffy Season 3 finale, 'Graduation Day Part 2', when Buffy forces him to feed on her. It was oh so wrong, but it looked AMAZING.
3. Edward Cullen - The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
You may think Edward is my favourite vampire, and I can see why you'd think that: after all, I do spend a hefty portion of my day talking/thinking about him. As fantastic as he is, he can never beat the Buffy boys, who will forever own my vampire lovin' heart. Unlike a lot of people, I have no problems with Edward's stalkerish ways, and really my only complaint is that he chose Bella. Did he not know I was just an ocean and a fictional world away? I love Edward's hair (thanks, Robert Pattinson, for doing it incredible movie justice), his chivalry and his sparkle-in-the-sun ways. When he says "Marry me, Bella", I just want to shout "YES!" right back to him.
Best quote: [To Jacob] "But if you ever bring her back damaged again — and I don't care whose fault it is; I don't care if she merely trips, or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her in the head — if you return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in, you will be running with three legs. Do you understand that, mongrel?" - Eclipse, Chapter 15, 'Wager'.
Favourite moment: Saving Bella from Tyler's van in Twilight, Chapter 3, 'Phenomenon'. This is the moment when I fell unconditionally and irrevocably... okay, I'll stop now.
4. Stefan Salvatore - The Vampire Diaries (TV show)
I have yet to read the Vampire Diaries books by L.J. Smith, but I have them all waiting for me. I know, I know, what kind of a vampire fan am I?! I'm late getting to the books, but I have been religiously watching the show every week, and have well and truly fallen for chiseled, beautifully groomed Stefan (and Paul Wesley, of course). I'm also quite fond of his brother, Damon, and I often find myself debating between the two. At the moment, Stefan's winning, and my favourite moment mentioned below helped him take the lead. He's one of those broody, protective, tortured vamps, not unlike my man Angel. I've now given up resisting their charms, as it's clearly no use any more.
Best quote: [To Elena] "Do you want to know what i would write? I met a girl, we talked and it was epic. Then the sun came up and reality set in. Well this is reality, right here". - Season 1, Episode 2, 'The Night of the Comet'.
Favourite moment: In Season 1, episode 12, 'Unpleasantville', he briefly dances with Elena, then kisses her and raises one eyebrow. When I saw this, I audibly swooned.
5. Selene - Underworld movies
You may have noticed that Selene (portrayed by Kate Beckinsale) is the only female vampire in my list. That's mainly because I tried to not make it an essay on Whedon-y goodness, and also because the male vampires tend to spend more time in my head. That's not to say female vamps don't kick ass, though, because they do. Leather-clad Selene is proof of that, and if anyone needs to take down a lycan or two, they should definitely call her (Cullens, are you listening?). She rocks the vampire life like it's a gift, she doesn't whine and her fangs look cool. I'm a fan.
Best quote: [Selene: "Lycans are allergic to silver. We have to get the bullets out quickly, or they end up dying on us during questioning". Michael: "What happens to them afterward"?]
Selene: "We put the bullets back in". - Underworld
Favourite moment: Any of her action scenes sit well with me, but I do love it when she jumps off a very high roof, and still manages to land on her feet. It's a skill I often wish I possessed.
Vampire Week: Review - Killing Kiss by Sam Stone
Publisher: The House of Murky Depths
Format: Paperback
Released: September 12th, 2008
Grade rating: A-
Summary from back cover:
He's looking for a girl; not just any girl, and dark-haired, brown-eyed Carolyn is the one. But does Gabriele Caccini, a student at Manchester University, really know what he wants? When a beautiful blonde comes into his life, he starts to question his motives and emotions; even a seventeenth-century vampire can do that. Alone in the modern world, Gabriele reflects on the origins of his immortality, and questions why it is he who should have the vampire gene, when over four hundred women have not survived his killing kiss...
I had never heard of this book before last week, and I honestly didn't know what I'd think of it. I agreed to review it because it's about vampires, and no matter how hard I try, I can never say no to that. As soon as I started reading it, I was hooked, and didn't put it down until I'd got to the end. I absolutely loved it! A bit more action in the occasional slow section would have made it even better, but it didn't really suffer because of its slower plot pace.
The thing that really stands out when reading Killing Kiss is Sam Stone's fantastic writing and thorough characterisation. I haven't seen writing this good for a while, and as for the characters, they're so deep and layered they could almost be real. I feel like I know Italian-born Gabriele inside out; it's like there isn't anything I'm missing, or any extra information that could help me understand him further. He's one of the most fascinating vampires I've ever read about, and that's partially because of the way Stone delves into his entire 400-year history. His entire life is explained in great detail, with the first person narrative allowing his thoughts and feelings to take centre stage.
One other aspect of Killing Kiss that I loved was the setting. It's set in Manchester, around the Deansgate area, which isn't too far from where I live. In fact, I was there a few days ago, though sadly I didn't meet any vampires! I've never read a vampire novel set this close to home, and it was great to recognise the places and landmarks mentioned.
The vampire mythology is slightly different to other books I've read, and I like that Stone put her own spin on things. Gabriele flies, he can camouflage himself, and turning someone into a vampire very rarely works. He feeds once a year to avoid detection and, unfortunately, has been without a mate for most of his life. His story focuses on how he survives by himself, and just how lonely an existence being a creature of the night can be.
Killing Kiss is a brilliant, intricate story, with a loveable heroine and a fresh take on the vampire legend. I'm really glad it's the first in a trilogy, as that means I'll get to spend more time with Italy's finest!
Friday, 23 April 2010
Vampire Week: A Guide to Fanged Fiction
There are so many vampire books out there these days that it can be hard to know what to choose next. I've compiled a small list of fanged fiction, both new and old adult and YA titles, that I personally have read or own. Hopefully you'll be able to find something new to try! :)
Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Publisher: Far too many to list, including - Little, Brown (UK) / CreateSpace (US)
Read if: You want to see where it all started!
Movie adaptation: There are a lot, including - Dracula | Bram Stoker's Dracula
More info: Wikipedia
Title: I Am Legend
Author: Richard Matheson
Publisher: Gollancz (UK) / Tor Books (US)
Read if: You're looking for a really good vampire story with a fantastic premise.
Movie adaptation: The Last Man on Earth | The Omega Man | I Am Legend
More info: Wikipedia
Title: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Publisher: Headline (UK) / Berkley (US)
Read if: You're a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
More info: Laurell K. Hamilton.org
Title: The Drake Chronicles series
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Publisher: Bloomsbury (UK) / Walker (US)
Read if: You want to meet 7 hot vampire brothers.
More info: Alyxandra Harvey.com
Title: Let the Right One In
Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Publisher: Quercus (UK) / St. Martin's Griffin (US)
Read if: You like your vampires a little more creepy.
Movie adaptation: Let the Right One In
More info: Wikipedia
Title: My Swordhand is Singing
Author: Marcus Sedgwick
Publisher: Orion Children's (UK) / Laurel Leaf (US)
Read if: You're a fan of historical fiction, or different kinds of vampires.
More info: Marcus Sedgwick.com
Title: House of Night series
Author: P.C. & Kristin Cast
Publisher: Atom (UK) / St. Martin's Griffin (US)
Read if: You like YA series such as Twilight and Vampire Academy.
More info: House of Night Series.com
Title: The Vampire Diaries
Author: L.J. Smith
Publisher: Hodder (UK) / HarperTeen (US)
Read if: You love the TV show.
TV adaptation: The Vampire Diaries
More info: LJaneSmith.net
Title: Salem's Lot
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Hodder (UK) / Pocket (US)
Read if: You lean more towards the horror genre.
TV/Movie adaptation: Salem's Lot (movie) | Salem's Lot (TV)
More info: Wikipedia
Title: The Midnight Guardian
Author: Sarah Jane Stratford
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (US)
Read if: You like your vampires mixed with WWII.
More info: Sarah Jane Stratford.com
Title: Vampirates series
Author: Justin Somper
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (UK) / Little, Brown (US)
Read if: The idea of vampire pirates sounds awesome!
More info: Vampirates.co.uk
Title: The Saga of Darren Shan series
Author: Darren Shan
Publisher: HarperCollins (UK) / Little, Brown (US)
Read if: You want some new mythology and a younger main character.
Movie adaptation: Cirque du Freak
More info: Darren Shan.com
Title: The Vampire Chronicles
Author: Anne Rice
Publisher: Sphere (UK) / Ballantine Books (US)
Read if: You like your vampires on the tortured and romantic side.
Movie adaptation: Interview with the Vampire | Queen of the Damned
More info: Anne Rice.com
Title: Blue Bloods series
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Atom (UK) / Hyperion (US)
Read if: You're looking for an addictive new series to sink your teeth into!
More info: Melissa de la Cruz.com
Title: 30 Days of Night original novels
Author: Various
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (UK) / Pocket Star (US)
Read if: You want a book with brutal vampires and no romance.
Movie adaptation: 30 Days of Night
More info: Wikipedia
Title: The Morganville Vampires series
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Allison & Busby (UK) / Signed (US)
Read if: A town run by vampires intrigues you!
More info: Rachel Caine.com
Title: The Twilight Saga
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Atom (UK) / Little, Brown (US)
Read if: You like romance, action and Edward Cullen!
Movie adaptation: Twilight | New Moon | Eclipse
More info: Stephenie Meyer.com
Title: Vampire Academy series
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Puffin (UK) / Razorbill (US)
Read if: You want an original plot with seriously kick-ass characters.
More info: Vampire Academy Books.com
Title: Southern Vampire Mysteries series
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Gollancz (UK) / Ace (US)
Read if: You liked Twilight and want something similar.
TV adaptation: True Blood
More info: Charlaine Harris.com
Title: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series
Author: Heather Brewer
Publisher: Speak (US)
Read if: You prefer your vampires more on the humorous side.
More info: Heather Brewer.com
Title: Evernight series
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperCollins (UK) / HarperTeen (US)
Read if: YA is your genre of choice.
More info: Claudia Gray.com
Title: Vampire Kisses series
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (US)
Read if: You like romance, YA and vamps with a side of goth.
More info: Ellen Schreiber.com
Vampire Week: Review - Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
Publisher: Headline
Format: Paperback
Released: May 14th, 2009 (UK reprint)
Grade rating: B/B+
Amazon summary:
My name is Anita Blake. Vampires call me the Executioner. What I call them isn't repeatable. Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I've seen their victims. I carry the scars... But now a serial killer is murdering vampires – and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer.
I'm very late to the Laurell K. Hamilton party, and I'm not quite sure what took me so long to start this series. I've read some bad reviews of the later books over the years, and was also initially put off by the amount of books in the series so far. Despite all this, I'm really glad I read Guilty Pleasures, and I just wish I'd got to it sooner!
I really liked the character of Anita Blake, and she reminded me of Buffy, though not quite as kick-ass. Mentally she was one of the strongest people I've read about, and didn't even let 1000-year-old vampire master Nikolaos scare her away. Her initial meetings with vampire Jean-Claude were fun, sarcasm-filled interactions, and I'm guessing he might be a major love interest in future books.
While I got into the beginning of the book quickly, I thought it got quite slow during the middle section. Anita was focused on finding the person responsible for killing vampires, and there wasn't a lot of action to speak of. I also really didn't like the wererats -- werewolves and other shapeshifters I can handle, but giant rats? I just couldn't wrap my head around it. The last 100 pages or so were fantastic, and full of edge-of-your-seat undead action. I couldn't read the end quick enough, and there were some shocking plot twists that I didn't see coming.
I now see why the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series is so popular, and I'm definitely going to continue reading. The world Hamilton created, which sees vampires as a part of society, was thought-provoking and strangely realistic, and I can't wait to see what Anita will be up against next.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Vampire Week: Review - Vampires: The Complete Guide to Vampire Mythology by Charlotte Montague
Publisher: Sphere
Format: Hardcover
Released: March 4th, 2010
Grade rating: A-
Amazon summary:
In the West the vampire myth is widely thought to have been based on the life of Vlad the Impaler, a 15th century Wallachian warrior-prince whose devotion to cruelty and killing made the lives of his subjects miserable, bloody and short. However, bloodsuckers of all shapes and sizes feature in many cultures. VAMPIRES explores these diverse myths and legends, their impact upon popular culture and the possible explanations behind such phenomena.
Vampires is a lavishly illustrated look at vampire myths and legends, spanning hundreds of years and many different countries and cultures. Author Charlotte Montague has clearly meticulously researched the subject, and I can only imagine the time it must have taken her to accumulate all the relevant material.
It's a veritable source of information where vampires are concerned, and begins with an introduction into the undead, both in myth and the media. From there, it goes on to explore the origin of vampires, before moving on to myths and legends. I found the 'Myths and Legends' section fascinating, and especially enjoyed learning about the Chupacabra, which is an urban legend focusing on a "goat-eating beast". I'd never heard of a Chupacabra before, but it sounds pretty terrifying. Any creature that is said to run around like a one metre high dinosaur with long back legs and short front ones is sure to haunt anyone's dreams!
Vampires also has a section titled 'Vampire Devotees', which profiles people who actively pursue the vampire lifestyle, such as Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory. It's interesting to find out about the real side of vampirism, though it might take a little bit more to convince me that the undead really do roam the earth.
Next up is the last section, and probably my favourite, 'Vampires of the Imagination'. It covers everything from Bram Stoker's Dracula, modern vampire fiction, vampire novels, and vampires on screen, in movies and in music. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel get a couple of dedicated pages, as does True Blood and Twilight. While I do love this whole section, I think it could have been more in-depth. A lot of YA fiction, like The Morganville Vampires, Vampire Academy and Blue Bloods series, was missing, and I think they're important players in today's slew of vampire novels. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (which, by the way, is one of the best vampire books ever written) did get a big mention, though, so I can't complain too much.
Overall, Vampires is a fantastic tome of vampire lore, and is one I think any fan of the fanged will enjoy. I'm hoping Charlotte Montague might want to delve into vampires in entertainment in more detail one day, and if she does, I'll be first in line to pick up a copy!
Vampire Week: Author Interview - Richelle Mead
On Saturday 20th February, at the Eternal Twilight 3 UK convention, Puffin presented me with the amazing opportunity to meet and interview Richelle Mead in person. She talked about everything from her publication process to upcoming book Spirit Bound, and even told me a little bit about the 6-book Vampire Academy spin-off series. Read on to find out more, but make sure you're sitting comfortably... it's quite long!
[After many hello's and thank you's had been exchanged, Richelle (who, by the way, has the loveliest hair colour!) and I sat in my hotel room and talked books!]
Wondrous Reads: Okay, let's get started... Has your education had a big effect on your writing?
Richelle Mead: Not as big as people tend to think. I didn't major in English or anything like that, but I certainly took a lot of liberal arts classes that gave me some background rather than content matter. I learned to write more just by reading -- you read good writing and it helps you to pick it up.
WR: Weren't you a teacher as well?
RM: Very very briefly, yes!
WR: How long for?
RM: 6 months. I was writing while I was getting my teaching degree, and then my books sold well, I had my first job and I decided to quit teaching.
WR: How did you go about getting your books published? Did you go through an agent?
RM: Yes. For fiction, you pretty much have to go through an agent, or the publishers won't take it.
WR: Was it a quick process?
RM: Not that quick, but quicker than most. I never know how to answer that - people ask me was it easy but it's not easy for anyone. I was luckier than most.
WR: Well, we're very glad you got published! I've always wondered though, does writing 3 different series get confusing?
RM: Not confusing, just demanding because there's never enough time. I have to turn over a new 100,000 word manuscript every 2-3 months, and then I'm always editing the previous book while writing the next book. It's time more than anything.
WR: Is it a rush?
RM: Very much so.
WR: How do you get a balance - do you just not have a social life for 3 months?
RM: I have a social life but I work at weekends, there's no boss to tell me you can't have that day off or anything. I still get out and see people, but you've got to stay on track as an author. Some people think you can take time off when you want, and go out and enjoy yourself for a day, but the books don't get published if I decide not to get on with them.
WR: So which books do you prefer writing? Do you have a favourite?
RM: I like writing them all... they're all different. Some parts are harder in one series and easier in another. I enjoy it.
WR: What music, if any, do you like to listen to, and does any in particular inspire you?
RM: No, I'm not one of those authors who listens to music while I write, or has any particular inspiration. I'm old, I listen to a lot of 80s music - I never seem to have the radio on any more.
WR: Which 80s music?
RM: Oh, all of it - the cheesy bands were great.
WR: And still are! One question I have to ask you, have you always been a vampire fan, and do you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
RM: I never disliked vampires, but I didn't love them either. I was already writing about paranormal creatures before Vampire Academy, so they were kind of the next stage. I like Buffy, but I didn't watch it while it was on, I was never a die-hard fan - I watched the first couple of seasons.
WR: What do you think about the recent surge in vampire popularity?
RM: It's good, but people seem to think us vampire authors all hate each other, and people slam Twilight a lot. That's something I don't like - we're all contemporaries, and people read vampire books and look for others, so it's helped everyone's careers.
WR: Do you read other YA vampire books, like House of Night and Morganville Vampires?
RM: Morganville I do read sometimes, I'm a fan of Rachel Caine and I like her books. As a general rule, I avoid all the vampire stuff - I've never read Twilight or House of Night. When you write about vampires, you don't really want to read about them. It's not that they're going to influence me and I'm going to start writing Edward, I just don't want that in my head.
WR: A lot of authors say that when you write YA, you don't read YA, so that's interesting to know. When you started writing the Vampire Academy series, did you have it all planned out, or did you go one book at a time?
RM: It was planned. I can't be one of those authors without a plan and who makes it up as they go along. I know how each book is going to end, and a lot of the sub-plots are created along the way as I write. All the big plots and moments are planned - I always knew how the series would end.
WR: But you didn't have the last chapter written way in advance, like J. K. Rowling?
RM: Does she write them first?
WR: She had the very last chapter locked in a safe for years, apparently.
RM: No, I write the last chapter when I get to the last chapter.
WR: Has there ever been part of a Vampire Academy book you wish you could have re-written after publication?
RM: Nothing significant. As an author you always want to keep revising and revising, because I do write them so fast - to me there's never enough time to fully polish them, and that's what I wish for. I see flaws that I think one more round of editing could have fixed, but there's nothing traumatic I did to a character that I regret. I stand by it all, all the good and bad parts.
WR: So how long is the process between you writing a book, and it being published as a hard copy?
RM: Like I said, I have to write the first manuscript in 2/3 months, editing with the publisher takes about 4 months, then probably another 3 months when the book is turned into a book, y'know, it's printed and produced. There's a whole business side to publishing people don't know about, like there's someone at Penguin who works with Barnes & Noble, someone who works with Borders, who works with Amazon. They all have to communicate with each other during that lead time, because the books don't magically appear on the shelves - they talk orders and that's what the last few months are spent doing. Everyone's prepping for release, and then it shows up on the shelves. My books tend to run about 9 months - some authors can turn it over in 6 months, and some take a year.
WR: How far are you with Spirit Bound?
RM: Oh it's done, it's in pre-production now.
WR: In the editing process you mentioned, how much does the editor change?
RM: Each book is different, you know the editor doesn't change anything without my consent. And at the same time, something the editor hates doesn't go through either - we're very much a team. They may say this part could be cleaned up and you can change this, and I might agree to change one bit but not another bit. It's a group process.
WR: Do you have any say in your book covers?
RM: No, no. I have never had a cover I've hated so much. I like some better than others, but as an author you learn to pick your battles. I have had very good covers - I have known others who burst into tears when they see their covers, and vent at their publishers. I haven't had a cover that bad.
WR: Which is your favourite Vampire Academy cover?
RM: Blood Promise.
WR: Same here. Do you like the new UK ones?
RM: Yes they're very nice, they look much nicer in person. I can't see them properly when people send me digital images.
WR: When you've finished the Vampire Academy series, would you consider revisiting the character's lives in short story format?
RM: After this, there will be another 6 book cycle - there's going to be a spin-off. I mean we're not going to leave them, there will be more, but about a different character. Occasionally short stories will show up, but I really dislike short stories. It's a very different writing style than a novel, people don't know that and I don't have the short story mindset. But one is coming out in an anthology, it's about Lissa's parents. I'm not a fan of how that turned out, because I just don't like my short story style. Other people may like it, though.
WR: I like the story you wrote for the Immortal anthology.
RM: Yeah, people like that one, but I didn't like that either. Short stories have a very small word count, and to me you need a lot more to tell a story.
WR: You mean there's not enough time for development?
RM: It's very plot-orientated, a short story, whereas in a novel you can build characters. Maybe if I do more short stories, which I'm intending to decline now, there could be. But with the next 6 books, we'll see more people anyway.
WR: Can you say anything about the spin-off series?
RM: It'll be characters people already know, the only character I'm giving up, that's in there, is Sydney. The rest, you'll know who lives or dies when the current books stop, and I can't give that away.
WR: On the subject of future books, is there anything you can tell us about Spirit Bound? Is it a big Dimitri book?
RM: Oh, everyone's in there, it's a continuing story so it's all the usual characters. Spirit Bound is action-packed, and there are no tragic 'I'm going to cry' moments in it. Hopefully that'll cheer people up, because I know books 3 and 4 largely, and 2, upset a lot of people. There's nothing quite that traumatic in Spirit Bound, but there are a lot of 'OMG I can't believe that just happened' moments.
WR: One of my friends read Shadow Kiss, and she was in tears.
RM: You could have a support club, so many people cried over it.
WR: So which is your favourite Vampire Academy book?
RM: Shadow Kiss.
WR: I agree with you on that one! And going totally off-topic, what's your biggest dream?
RM: I'm living it. I'm happy with my career, if anything I'd probably want to finish these series and write 2 series. So that's my dream - most people would want to be putting out more books, but the schedule's too hectic at the moment, so I'd like to focus on my 2 series, to make sure I was writing the most best books that I can.
WR: Do you just want to carry on writing forever now?
RM: That's the plan. We all have bills to pay, and I enjoy my job. It's still a job, I think people have a much more glamorous image of an author, but it's a lot of work.
WR: Does going on tour like this set you back a lot?
RM: Well, the deadlines don't change. The deadlines don't move because I tour, so it falls back on me for time management, to deal with the loss. I can't write - partially it's time, and partially it's exhaustion - I can't write while I tour. So this is 8 days out of the cycle of book six, which doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. I mean, touring's great, it does its part, and so I'm very happy to do it.
WR: You must be like Superwoman!
RM: Well, y'know, it's just time management.
WR: I suppose you're used to it now, after doing it for so long?
RM: You fall into a certain rhythm after a while, and people ask me, are you enjoying the UK. And I am, but after a certain point, I could almost be in any city, because it's such a hectic cycle. You go from signing to signing, and I forget that I'm in another country. I could be in Miami or New York, y'know. It's a busy schedule.
WR: Do you enjoy meeting all your fans though?
RM: I do, that's the best part.
WR: And travelling around?
RM: I don't enjoy the travelling. This is luxurious, to be based out of London here. When I tour in the US, I'm in a different city every day, and there are so many travel hassles. The travelling is miserable, and then that signing I do every night is gold. I've never had a signing I disliked, and I really enjoy them. You hear about authors who resent their signings, but I've never been like that.
WR: You sell a lot of books at events though, and get to meet your fans.
RM: You do. So many people come with books they already own, but then they hear about other ones, so it spreads that way. Word of mouth is really what does it.
WR: Talking about word of mouth, do you think the internet has helped, like blogging and reviewing? Has that helped with your sales?
RM: Yeah, absolutely. The internet is just a whole new world for writers. I don't know if you guys have seen The Shining - y'know, the Jack Nicholson author who's locked away in his office - that's gone. We're all writers connected to each other, we're connected to our readers and social networking is just great for spreading the word.
WR: Like Twitter?
RM: Twitter's fantastic.
WR: I agree! Just going back to your writing for a sec, do you have a set time and place where you have to write, or does it all change?
RM: I try to write in the day, if only to sync up with my husband, so I can see him at night. I have to write in quiet settings - I prefer my office, I don't like to change it. So like I said, no music. I can't go to a coffee shop, because I'll people watch, rather than write. So I do like that routine every day.
WR: I have one more question: if you could be any character from any of your books, who would you be and why?
RM: I don't think I'd want to be any of them, their lives are so hard. I'm always fascinated that Georgina, who's in my Succubus series, shapeshifts. How cool would that be to not have to get ready every morning?
WR: Very cool! And that was that last of my questions, so thank you very much Richelle!
RM: No problem, I'm just glad we got through everything!
More info: Richelle Mead.com | Puffin UK
More info: Richelle Mead.com | Puffin UK
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Knight to Speak at HLGU Carroll Missions Week
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
by Carolyn Carpenter
Grant Knight, missionary and assistant men's soccer coach of Cedarville University, will be the featured speaker for the ninth annual Carroll Missions Week at Hannibal-LaGrange University, March 12-14.
Each year, HLGU celebrates their global vision through a week of emphasizing missions on campus. Missionaries from all over the world travel to the HLGU campus to interact with students. HLGU students have the opportunity to not only listen to missionaries from Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, and South America, speak but to sit down one-on-one and discuss their experiences and potential opportunities to serve. This year, Carroll Missions Week will feature Grant Knight, assistant men's soccer coach for Cedarville University during the fall, and missionary through sports in persecuted areas the remainder of the year.
Knight is a 2006 graduate from Cedarville University. He has served on the staff of Surge International, a soccer-missions agency out of Salem, Oregon, where he served as an outreach director. Since 2007 he has worked with churches in Vienna, Austria, to pioneer sports ministry and encourage the church-life in that region. Even though he is no longer with Surge International, he continues to travel to Austria to serve alongside the agency helping to build the church in that area and to share Christ with the persecuted.
God has blessed Knight with the opportunity to visit 41 different countries, live on 5 continents, serve others through sports, share the love of Jesus, and encourage authentic church life. At this time, he is not with any particular agency, but he says, "I frequently get invited to travel to countries to work alongside existing ministries and work with various organizations such as YWAM, YMCA, and the churches in that particular country." Knight is currently working on his coaching licenses and is praying that he can impact the world of soccer through a faith in Jesus.
The schedule for Carroll Missions Week includes 10:00 a.m. services on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (March 12-14) in the Parker Theatre of the Roland Fine Arts Center, and evening services on Monday and Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Carroll Missions Center. Guests representing several mission organizations will also be on campus during this special week dedicated to missions. The public is invited to all services.
Carroll Missions Week is a result of the vision and generous resources of Rheyma and the late Kenneth Carroll of Monroe City, MO. Before his death in 2008, Mr. Carroll said he wanted to do something that would make a difference in eternity. Through the establishment of the Carroll Missions Week and the building of the Carroll Missions Center, Mr. and Mrs. Carroll are touching eternity through the lives of thousands of HLGU students. Mrs. Carroll continues this vision by supporting student missionaries who go out from HLGU and impact the world for Christ.
Contact InformationCarolyn Carpenter
Director of Public Relations
573-629-3116 firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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When a pet goes missing or gets lost, many owners are left wondering where their animal is located. An Oahu start-up company has developed a new device to electronically monitor pets, but it now needs to track down votes to reach store shelves.
Click here to watch Paul Drewes' report.
Synette Tom-Gibi is enthusiastic about animals.
"I love pets, especially dogs," said Tom-Gibi.
Kale, a playful 19-month old Labradoodle puppy, is the latest pet for Synette.
"Our grandfather used to volunteer at the Humane Society. He didn't like euthanizing the animals, so we had dogs, cats, geese, chickens, pigs. We had our own farm," said Tom-Gibi.
After raising all kinds of animals in Windward Oahu, Tom-Gibi is now trying to raise a business that could help other pets.
"GIBI is developing a GPS service to help people quickly, accurately find their missing pets," said Tom-Gibi.
The GIBI electronic device clips onto a pet's collar and keeps owners connected to dogs or cats.
"You can press a button and up pops a Google map with the exact location of your dog, within 10 feet of accuracy," said Tom-Gibi.
With her background in electrical engineering, Tom-Gibi successfully designed the device to be lightweight and waterproof, but she's been dogged by the funding and marketing challenges nearly every start-up faces.
"Doing a start-up is really hard, but its also a great, great learning experience. I'm really passionate about this idea,"said Tom-Gibi.
GIBI is already a part of Hawaii's business accelerator Blue StartUp. Now, Tom-Gibi hopes to reach an international audience after becoming a finalist in Walmart's "Get on the shelf" competition.
"It's very hard to get into any big box storeand Walmart is doing this great thing for entrepreneurs," said Tom-Gibi.
Tom-Gibi's animal tracking device is one of 20 new products selected as finalists.
This week people will get to vote on what gadget they want to see in the store. The voting takes place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with the winner coming out as top dog.
"If we win this contest, Walmart will take pre-orders for GIBI," said Tom-Gibi.
GIBI is expected to be launched in April of next year, with a retail price of $99 and a monthly or annual service subscription.
Tom-Gibi is also working to have it offered as a pet insurance option in the future.


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from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. A demo that is loaded directly from the physical tracks of a floppy disk instead of loading through the file system.
- n. A demo whose visual effects follow a set timeline synchronized with a continuous soundtrack, much like a music video.
track + demo (Wiktionary)
Sorry, no example sentences found.


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WMC 2009 Day One Re-cap: Calvin Harris Cancels, Major Hipster Party at Electric Pickle
Justin Namon Miss you Benny Benassi. Click here to view the full slide show.
champagne early in the day at the Gansevoort's rooftop pool, I had to
go home to sleep off the buzz. Yes, I broke my rule of not drinking
early in the week. I woke up groggy and with back pain around 9 p.m.
Upcoming Events
TicketsFri., Dec. 9, 8:00pm
Ms. Lauryn Hill - The MLH Caravan: A Diaspora Calling! Concert Series
TicketsFri., Dec. 9, 8:30pm
South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble: Holiday Treasures
TicketsSat., Dec. 10, 7:00pm
Kany Garcia
TicketsSat., Dec. 10, 8:00pm
Symphony of the Americas: Holiday Magic
TicketsSun., Dec. 11, 2:00pm
Needless to say, last thing I wanted to be doing was go out on a
Tuesday night, but, eh, whatever.
I made it to the Major WMC party
at Electric Pickle around 11 only to find the place dead. Can't say I
was surprised. Tuesday night of WMC has always been an Achilles' heel
for the mainland. Also the party was run by a bunch of people from Los
Angeles, which is where this Major party is based out of, and Miami has
definitely never taken cues from LA as far as its own dance music scene is concerned -- that's not to say there aren't great LA DJs, but Miami and LA's dance scenes are worlds apart (2 a.m. closing time and celeb-obssessed crowds, no thanks).
Still the lineup was bangin' and people slowly filled up the lounge. How could they not? Acid Girls, Miami's own Danny Daze, Stretch Armstrong, Eli Escobar, Blu Jemz and more were just tearing up the speakers. Junior Sanchez also gave the decks at Electric Pickle a workout. Sanchez actually arrived with a Jay-Z-size entourage and dropped off at the entrance by a driver in an Escalade (at least, what look like a Escalade). Most of the other DJs opted for a taxi and hauling their own equipement into the club themselves.
My original plan was to go the Mansion Loves Electro party at some point, but unfortunately the back pain I had experienced when I woke up was only augmented by 2 a.m., so I decided to go home instead and not risk further injury the first night of Conference. However, my sources did let in on a few things happening across the causeway: Calvin Harris apparently canceled on the Mansion party for reasons unknown. Let's hope he makes it out tonight to the Institubes party at Louis.
Final message I receive from someone inside Mansion, "U better be comin shit off the wallllz." Like salt on a wound.
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TicketsWed., Dec. 7, 8:00pm
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Oh mah runnin' babies, do I have some fun for you!
You know that mud run I'm participating in and have been yappin' about? (go HERE for all the details) Sure you do! Well, come close 'cause I has a surprise for you: RACE TEXAS gave me an entry to GIVEAWAY to you! FOR FREEEEE!
So generous!
Watch this and learn all about it:
How are you eligible to win this giveaway? Glad you asked!
#1) Leave a comment below telling us if you have ever participated in a mud run.
#2) Become a fan (STALKER!) by Liking my facebook page (if you are already a fan (STALKER!), skip this step). Go Like HERE.
#3) LIKE Race Texas on their facebook page. Go Like HERE
BOOM! Easy cheesy, mud-run peasy.
Contest closes tonight: Tuesday 26th, 2013 at 5pm. Winner announced tomorrow.
Dem Rulez:
1) Only one entry is allowed. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
2) I am in no way responsible for whatever happens once you've won/lost or comments disappearing into the ether. If you win and accidentally knock over a lamp doing a happy dance, Momma is out. This also applies to your sad if you don't win. If you not so accidentally throw a lamp in your unhappy, Momma is out. Basically, I'm not responsible for anything, anywhere, anyhow. This includes before, during or after the giveaway and race. Oh, and neither is the Race Texas. By leaving a comment below, you agree to these terms. Yeah, you do.
3) The winner will be determined by a number generator. For those free with the "you're so pretty" and "wow, you're incredibly intelligent" compliments (no matter how true they may be), this tactic will be of no benefit for you here.
Whacha waitin' on….GO!
And the winner is…..picked by random number generator…..EVAN!
Email me at the firstname.lastname@example.com for details.
Thanks to all who played!


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ChipSight Slides
ChipSight is:
— a camera interface peripheral for microprocessors that outputs visual information including object shape and location.
— aimed at high volume products where small size, low power, and short development time for new features are critical.
— a collection of algorithms that perform the pre-processing (pre-vision, pre-cognitive) functions required by computer vision applications. ChipSight algorithms are efficient, have low memory requirements, and are designed to be used together as a microcontroller peripheral.
The advantages of the ChipSight peripheral are:
1. Eliminates most image processing for the developer
2. Eliminates FPGA
3. Eliminates frame buffers for region processing
4. Makes computer vision available to more developers and OEMs
5. Enables computer vision for consumer products
6. Scalable down to $1 cameras and $0.25 microcontrollers
7. Standardizes the image information interface
Example of changing megabytes of pixel data into a few bytes of information.
Internal functions of ChipSight.
Adjustable precision extents. Only as much information as the application requires.
Region extent for object location.
Low resolution shape information.
High resolution shape information.
Reading the values of currency.
Multi-touchless projector demo. Real gesture recognition, not phone rubbing.
How it works.


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Office du Tourisme de Hongrie (France)
- Overview
- Hotels
- Map
- Photos
Office du Tourisme de Hongrie, Paris (Building and administration)
Discover the rich heritage France has to offer by visiting great and important buildings of Paris and don't forget Office du Tourisme de Hongrie! Situated in the west of Paris, Office du Tourisme de Hongrie will charm you with its history, architecture but also with its beauty. Besides, thanks to the practical information TVtrip has gathered on the site, you can plan your visit right now and make your stay even more enjoyable. You might want to stay longer to explore Office du Tourisme de Hongrie surroundings. In that case, our great selection of hotels located close to Office du Tourisme de Hongrie will be very useful. Besides, thanks to our videos, you can visit your future room before booking at the best price with our various partners.
Practical Information
Address: 140, avenue Victor Hugo, 75116 Paris
Country: France
Phone 1: +33 1 5370-6717
Fax: +33 1 4704-8357
Official site: http://www.hungarytourism.hu/
Hotels nearby
It is situated at 85 rue de la Pompe in the west section of Paris, at only 9 minutes by car distance from the center.Of a Family category, the Hotel Villa Glamour Tour Eiffel has all the comforts suchRead more as : n.a..You can reach Orly in 34 minutes by car (the airport is 10 miles from the hotel).You will be able to visit nearby the hotel: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe.Practical information:The metro Rue de la Pompe is 2 minutes minutes away.Hide
Stop at Villa Glamour to discover the wonders of Paris. The hotel offers a high standard of service and amenities to suit the individual needs of all travelers. Shops, safety deposit boxes, coffee shoRead morep, room service, Wi-Fi in public areas are just some of the facilities on offer. Designed and decorated to make guests feel right at home, each room comes with ironing board, satellite/cable TV, television, non smoking rooms, shower. The hotel offers various recreational opportunities. Friendly staff, great facilities and close proximity to all that Paris has to offer are three great reasons you should stay at Villa Glamour.Hide
Set in a prime location of Paris, Melia Alexander Boutique Hotel puts everything the city has to offer just outside your doorstep. Both business travelers and tourists can enjoy the hotel's facilitiesRead more and services. All the necessary facilities, including 24hr room service, safety deposit boxes, business center, laundry service/dry cleaning, elevator, are at hand. In room safe, balcony/terrace, internet access – LAN, hair dryer, shower can be found in each guestroom. The hotel offers various recreational opportunities. Convenience and comfort makes Melia Alexander Boutique Hotel the perfect choice for your stay in Paris.Hide
Saint James Hotel Paris is a popular choice amongst travelers in Paris, whether exploring or just passing through. Featuring a complete list of amenities, guests will find their stay at the property aRead more comfortable one. All the necessary facilities, including babysitting, elevator, car park, airport transfer, valet parking, are at hand. The well-appointed guestrooms feature separate shower and tub, complimentary bottled water, air conditioning, bathtub, television. The hotel's peaceful atmosphere extends to its recreational facilities which include steamroom, gym, massage, garden, sauna. Friendly staff, great facilities and close proximity to all that Paris has to offer are three great reasons you should stay at Saint James Hotel Paris.Hide
With its central location, Citadines Trocadero Hotel is within easy reach of most tourist attractions and business addresses in Paris. All hotel's guestrooms have all the conveniences expected in a hoRead moretel in its class to suit guests' utmost comforts. These top-class facilities are complemented to excellent services to meet the needs of visitors to Paris. To book a room at the Citadines Trocadero Hotel, please select your dates of travel and complete fill out our secure online booking form.Hide
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Activities nearby
- Building and administration
- 479 yd Office Espagnol du Tourisme:
- Spa and swimming pools
- 527 yd Spa Villa Thalgo Paris Trocadéro:
- Convention and exhibition center
- 527 yd Business center of Citadines Paris Trocadero:
- Metro station
- 550 yd Avenue Foch (Rer):
- 580 yd Porte Dauphine:
- 385 yd Rue de la Pompe:
- Amusement park
- 389 yd France miniature:


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I get the same system of differencial equations.
Unless you want me explain how those numbers come from if you were not sure.
Solve the mixing problem. At t = 0, the volume of solution in both tanks is 60 L and tank 1 contains 60 g of chemical whereas tank 2 contains 200 g of chemical.
The system of differential equations I ended up getting is:
Is this right? How would I solve this?


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Let's get into the New York Giants that don't deserve a starting job.
This article is in no way saying that they don't have the ability to truly earn their starting positions, but as of right now, they don't deserve it.
I'm leaving the linebackers and offensive line alone for now due to the shuffling and basically the huge mess the Giants have to sort out there.
I do believe all three of these players could very well earn their starting spots one day in not just my eyes, but the world's eyes.
However, as of this very moment, they don't deserve their respective positions.


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Price paid: $ 1.58
Purchased from: Musiciansfriend
Features: This is a 100 watt head, all tube. This amp is very versatile. It has 2 channels, and it sounds amazing. I play alot of the old classic rock, and never has there ever been a better amp. I've not tried this amp at a gig yet but it is very loud! This head has 100 watts of power, I'm sure that's enough for anyone. // 10
Sound: I'm using a Charvel EVH Art-Series and other various pedals with this and and it sounds amazing. This thing can get very noisy so I suggest buying a variac to lower the voltage if this happens. The distortion is great, and the volume is very distorted at high volumes. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I could rely on this thing forever as it's built rock hard. The only thing this amp really needs is a replacement of tubes in a few years. // 10
Overall Impression: I play alot of AC/DC and Van Halen and this amp matches my style perfectly. If this was stolen I would murder to get it back. This is the king of rock n' roll amps. Get this! // 10
Price paid: A$ 1250
Purchased from: eBay - private seller
Features: The head I have was made in early 1990 (I think around 1992) and is still in excellent condition. It's a very simple amp compared to later series such as the JCM2000's which have loads of added channels and even built-in effects... I personally feel these things take away from the tone and soul of the amp, can sound too processed. It's a simple 2 channel Plexi, with four inputs that I tone-jump with a patch cable (most consider a neccessity with Plexis) and the sound is amazing! Basic features are the 4 inputs, Presence, Bass, Middle, Treble, High Treble (Loudness 1), and Normal (Loudness 2). Looks beautiful, I personally think it's the best looking of the Marshall series. // 9
Sound: I use a Fender USA Standard Stratocaster with lots of effects pedals (about 8 to 10, mostly distortions and wah and delay) and I plug the head into a custom made cabinet that has 2x Celestion G12T-75 speakers (same speakers as in Marshall 1960 cabs), it sounds incredible! You can get just about any sound out of this amp and the natural tube distortion you get when turned up full is phenomenal. I can't turn it up full in my usual band situations as it's far too loud, so instead I have it low and clean which sounds beautiful and use a BOSS DS-1 with distortion at minimum for the same slightly overdriven sound as having the amp turned up enough to crackle a bit, it sounds magnificent! Also with any addition of high gain distortion pedals you can get great heavy rock sounds (I like to use a Boss DS-2 Turbo and an EH Big Muff for bigger sounds). Very versatile and old-school amp! // 10
Reliability & Durability: Classic Marshall build! If you want an amp that you can trust and rely on all the time, this is it. Like all of the Marshall tube amps, it's built to actually last (unlike cheaper series that are built for mass-production and affordability). Not much has changed since the days when artists like Hendrix would kick these bad boys around for fun and they would still work! Only problems I have found is that one or two of the screws holding the amp chassis to the box has had the thread worn out, so doesn't properly hold like it used to, but that can be easily fixed and I think would be due to it's previous owners (being a second hand amp from the 90's) probably messing around with it or it being serviced regularly for the last 20 years. There has also been a weird high-pitch squeaking/whining sound sometimes that I fear might be the head, but it could also be a problem with the wiring in the cab too, I need to get that checked out... Amp still works great either way! // 10
Overall Impression: One of the best amps ever made by Marshall... It looks as great as it sounds! Definitely a great piece of music history, as loads of artists over time have used or at least owned this exact kind of Marshall amp (Hendrix, Clapton, The Who, etc)... Almost every music festival or big gig I've been to I've seen at least one of these amongst the amps onstage. I use this at gigs in all of my bands playing everything from rock to funk to indie/alternative and blues, and it works perfectly with the sound! I'm usually guaranteed at least one comment from either a sound tech or crowd member who has spotted the amp and complimented me on it. I also feel like a bit of a twat using it becuase I'm only 20 and it's usually a very very expensive and high-end amp... Though it only cost me just over a grand (AUD) second hand (RRP is up around $4000 AUD). I just can't go past it, it's the best thing I've ever bought! // 10
Spartan 117
Der Bomber


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142294.post6800484248542228770..comments2016-11-24T13:10:01.762+00:00Comments on Alternative Chat :: A Warcraft Blog: LANDMARK :: Dangerous GameAlternative email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142294.post-18621893459825940082014-03-28T13:32:38.735+00:002014-03-28T13:32:38.735+00:00Much better writeup than mine! It's a very fun...Much better writeup than mine! It's a very fun game, isn't it? I can't wait for EverQuest Next. :)Jaediahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142294.post-16743756006530734282014-03-28T13:21:43.780+00:002014-03-28T13:21:43.780+00:00Did you just use a B5 episode title for a picture ...Did you just use a B5 episode title for a picture title? Yes, I believe you did.

If they beef this up enough it might take off and provide an alternative to Second Life, which, sadly, looks its age, if it were fifty years old. I'm not sure I'm into it, being a more RPGish kind of person, but if it keeps the kids off the streets and outta my LFRs it's all good.Grimmtoothhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142294.post-13076602840349664132014-03-28T13:13:41.193+00:002014-03-28T13:13:41.193+00:00Excellent post about the game, I could not have wr...Excellent post about the game, I could not have written it any better. What I have over you right now is a lot of ancestral knowledge in the way things should work in the game, since I have played the alpha since January/February. That said the amount of progress they seem to make on a weekly basis is staggering, and if I go a week without playing I am back in learning mode trying to catch up.

The aspect that I find most interesting is how much each of the islands starts to feel like a community. Yesterday I had three separate people swing by my claim just to say hello, and announce they were somehow a neighbor of mine. That just seems really cool to me. One of my good friends is up the hill from me, across the way is a really nice person who has full crafting machines for the public to use.

Right now I am stuck in tool progression mode, but in part I am doing so because I know I will need massive amounts of stone to even begin to recreate Belgarde Keep. While I am off in the world gathering materials, I am also gathering stone as a byproduct, so that some weekend in the not so far off future I can have a massive build-a-thon while catching up on stuff from the DVR.Belghasthttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-9142294.post-73740276030241308672014-03-28T12:22:37.543+00:002014-03-28T12:22:37.543+00:00Do not want another time sink! It does, however, l...Do not want another time sink! It does, however, look very nice. I've seen some of Belghat's posts on it and it's hard not to be tempted..catinglasseshttp://email@example.com


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Effective Date: April 18, 2013
Expiration Date: April 18, 2018
|| TOC | ChangeHistory | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | AppendixE | AppendixF | AppendixG | AppendixH | AppendixI | AppendixJ | ALL |
1.1.1 Systems engineering at NASA requires the application of a systematic, disciplined engineering approach that is quantifiable, recursive, iterative, and repeatable for the development, operation, maintenance, and disposal of systems integrated into a whole throughout the life cycle of a project or program. The emphasis of systems engineering is on safely achieving stakeholder functional, physical, and operational performance requirements in the intended use environments over the system's planned life within cost and schedule constraints.
1.1.2 This document establishes the common technical processes for implementing NASA products and systems, as directed by NPD 7120.4, NASA Engineering and Program/Project Management Policy. Additionally, this NPR establishes the common NASA systems engineering technical model. This document complements the administration, management, and review of all programs and projects, as specified in NPR 7120.5, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements, NPR 7120.7, NASA Information Technology and Institutional Infrastructure Program and Project Management Requirements, and NPR 7120.8, NASA Research and Technology Program and Project Management Requirements.
1.1.3 The processes described in this document build upon and apply best practices and lessons learned from NASA, other governmental agencies, and industry to clearly delineate a successful model to complete comprehensive technical work, reduce program and technical risk, and improve mission success. The requirements and practices established in this NPR should be tailored and customized, respectively, per Paragraph 2.2.
1.1.4 Precedence
The order of precedence in case of conflict between requirements is 51 USC 20113(a) (1), National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended; NPD 1000.0, NASA Governance and Strategic Management Handbook; NPD 1000.3, The NASA Organization; NPD 7120.4, NASA Engineering and Program/Project Management Policy; and NPR 7123.1, NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements.
1.1.5 Figures
188.8.131.52 Figures within this NPR are not intended to be prescriptive but notional.
1.2.1 Institutional requirements are the responsibility of the institutional authorities. They focus on how NASA does business and are independent of any particular program or project. These requirements are issued by NASA Headquarters and by Center organizations, and are normally documented in NASA Policy Directives (NPDs), NASA Procedural Requirements (NPRs), NASA Standards, Center Policy Directives (CPDs), Center Procedural Requirements (CPRs), and Mission Directorate (MD) requirements. Figure 1-1 shows the flow down from NPD 1000.0, NASA Governance and Strategic Management Handbook, through Program and Project Plans.
1.2.2 This NPR focuses on systems engineering processes and requirements. It is one of several related Engineering and Program/Project NPRs that flow down from NPD 7120.4, NASA Engineering and Program/Project Management Policy, as shown in Figure 1-2.
Figure 1-1 - Hierarchy of Related Documents
Figure 1-2 - Documentation Relationships
1.3.1. The common systems engineering framework consists of three elements that make up NASA systems engineering capability. The relationship of the three elements is illustrated in Figure 1-3. The integrated implementation of the three elements of the SE Framework is intended to improve the overall capability required for the efficient and effective engineering of NASA systems. The SE processes are one element of the larger context to produce quality products and achieve mission success. This NPR addresses the SE processes. The larger SE framework also includes the workforce and tools and methods. Additional initiatives to address these other elements include revision of the NASA handbook on systems engineering and development of tools and an assessment model. Together, these elements comprise the capability of an organization to perform successful SE. Each element is described below.
Figure 1 3 - SE Framework
1.3.2. Element 1: Common Technical Processes. The common technical processes of this NPR provide what has to be done to engineer system products within a project and why. These processes are applied to the hardware, software, and human systems integration of a system as one integrated whole. In addition to the common technical processes, contributions to improvements of SE capability also come from the inclusion of:
a. Concepts and terminology that are basic to consistent application and communication of the common technical processes Agency wide.
b. A structure for when the common technical processes are applied.
1.3.3. Element 2: Tools and Methods. Tools and methods enable the efficient and effective completion of the activities and tasks of the common technical processes. An essential contribution of this element to SE capability is the improvement of the engineering infrastructure through the three Agency-wide activities listed below:
a. Infusion of advanced methods and tools in the SE processes to achieve greater efficiency, collaboration, and communication among distributed teams.
b. Provision of a NASA handbook on SE methodologies (NASA/SP-2007-6105, NASA Systems Engineering Handbook) that is a source for various methods and procedures that Centers can draw upon to plan implementation of the required processes in their projects.
c. Measurement of the SE capability of projects within NASA and assessment of the improvements of capability resulting from implementation of the SE NPR, use of adopted methods and tools, and workforce engineering training.
1.3.4. Element 3: Workforce. A well-trained, knowledgeable, and experienced technical workforce is essential for improving SE capability. The workforce must be able to apply NASA and Center methods and tools for the completion of the required SE processes within the context of the program or project to which they are assigned. In addition, they must be able to effectively communicate requirements and solutions to customers, other engineers, and management to work efficiently and effectively on a team. Issues of recruitment, retention, and training are aspects included in this element. The OCE will facilitate the training of the NASA workforce on the application of this and associated NPRs.
1.4.1 This SE NPR is organized into the following chapters:
a. The Preface describes items such as the purpose, applicability, authority, and applicable documents of this SE NPR.
b. Chapter 1 (Introduction) describes the SE framework and document organization.
c. Chapter 2 describes the institutional and programmatic requirements, including roles and responsibilities. Tailoring of SE requirements and customization of SE practices are also addressed.
d. Chapter 3 describes the core set of common Agency-level technical processes and requirements for engineering NASA system products throughout the product life cycle. Appendix C contains supplemental amplifying material.
e. Chapter 4 describes the activities and requirements to be accomplished by assigned NASA technical teams or individuals (NASA employees and NASA support contractors) when performing technical oversight of a prime or other external contractor.
f. Chapter 5 describes the life-cycle and technical review requirements throughout the program and project life cycles. Appendix G contains entrance/success criteria guidance for each of the reviews.
g. Chapter 6 describes the Systems Engineering Management Plan, including the SEMP role, functions, and content. Appendix D provides details of a generic SEMP annotated outline.
| TOC | ChangeHistory | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | AppendixE | AppendixF | AppendixG | AppendixH | AppendixI | AppendixJ | ALL |
|| NODIS Library | Program Formulation(7000s) | Search |


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|Chamaedorea elegans, Collinia elegans, Neanthe bella
Family: Arecaceae / Palmae
Parlour Palm
One of the most popular palms in the world, its ability to put up with low light, drought and general abuse is legendary. Additionally it flowers when still quite young. Too well known to need any description, it has been in use since Victorian times and is suitable for home or conservatory. A very attractive, small, single stemmed palm, to about 6ft tall, with light green colors, pinnate leaves. Its usually seen in clumps, since it looks more attractive this way, however this is just due to multiple seeds being sown together.
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Carrie spends the night with Aleksandr; Charlotte volunteers to help others; Miranda gives Robert elevator custody; Samantha reignites an old flame.
Carrie has a rendezvous in the exotic world of art; Charlotte receives surprising news; Miranda and Steve celebrate Brady's first birthday; Samantha tries to preserve her youth.
Aleksandr's old-fashioned romantic gestures irritate Carrie; Charlotte and Harry get sick from a French dinner; Miranda has an important conversation with Steve.


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Educating a Village the Healthy Way
What is health? By Merriam-Webster's definition, it is "the condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit, especially, being free from physical disease or pain." A large number of people understand this concept and know how to ensure their health, even in the most basic ways. However, an even larger number of people do not. Three years ago, the people of a rural village in Guatemala might have identified as the latter. Thanks to the work of Dr. Roxanne Amerson, the students from her community health class and a Creative Inquiry group, this small town in Guatemala is becoming more educated on the basics of good health.
Stemming from her travels to Guatemala to teach health, Amerson wrote a grant proposal to receive funding for health education in the community. With the help of Grace Wielicki and Joellen Spicer, two seniors in Amerson's Creative Inquiry group, the proposal was submitted to the National Institute of Health (NIH), and awarded funding for the project.
The funding provided will be used to develop a curriculum for the health education program in a rural village in Guatemala. Before developing the curriculum, Amerson and her team needed to better understand the culture and literacy level of the people by doing a community assessment. Amerson knew the importance of this assessment and, through reading other studies, had stumbled across the idea of creating a visual map of community resources and key facilities (also known as data mapping). Other researchers had used survey equipment to create graphic representations of communities. Amerson and her Creative Inquiry students began brainstorming about how to develop the same type of visual maps for their community in Guatemala.
Last fall, Wielicki and Spicer traveled with Amerson to Guatemala to begin the community mapping process which entailed mapping the coordinates of the clinics, pharmacies, casarios (villages) and water sources. The only map found in the area was hand drawn with markers, so the team had to get creative and develop a more accurate and efficient way of mapping the community. Using an iPhone and Google Earth, Wielicki and Spicer traveled to the different casarios, mapping out the rural community by dropping and labeling pins at the various locations. The completed data map shows the spread of the casarios, the resources available to the people and the number of people living in each area. The map not only shows the need of health education and resources but also ensures that Amerson and the Creative Inquiry group are able to educate people from all the regions.
Now that the initial data mapping is completed, Amerson and her coinvestigator, Dr. Rachel Hall-Clifford, have conducted interviews and focus groups to expand their knowledge of the eight regions so that the curriculum can be developed to suit the needs of the people. In July, Amerson will travel to the rural village to present the curriculum to twenty women from various regions in the community. Those twenty women will in turn go out and educate ten families within their community, spreading the health education throughout the area.
Through this Creative Inquiry, the students have been faced with many challenges, allowing them to combine what they learned in the classroom with critical thinking. Traveling to Guatemala has not only challenged Wielicki from an educational standpoint but has given her an appreciation for third world countries, both of which Amerson had hoped for her students when she began the Creative Inquiry. For Wielicki, the most exciting aspect was being able to see and imagine the impact that the program could make. "The potential difference that there is to be made is astronomical. If it's something that we can teach them about, and that it really can make a difference; the health of the entire community could change."


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Backpacker (US slang)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Backpacker (term))
For other uses, see Backpacker.
In US urban slang, a backpacker is one who listens to backpacker hip hop (alternative hip hop).[1]
In the 1980s, backpacker was a slang term for a graffiti artist who always wore a backpack containing his music collection and graffiti equipment. Typically, the music collection would consist of local alternative hip hop artists. The term gradually came to refer to someone with this musical taste, and now has almost nothing to do with graffiti (although certain "backpackers" may participate in graffiti "tagging.") It later became a derogatory epithet for alternative hip hop.
To the desert trackers of the American southwest, the term backpacker is slang for a drug trafficker.[2]
- ^ Hess, Mickey. Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. 2009. p568.
- ^ Jimmy Breslin The short sweet dream of Eduardo Gutiérrez 2002 - Page 62 "To desert trackers, the term backpacker means a drug carrier, not some Ohio State student on summer break. Sensors are often made futile by all these centuries of hunting and tracking that run in these border agents."
|This hip hop music/culture article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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I need a new project. The writing and working and new kitten stuff is simply not enough. So when I was reading Ron Pattinson's new book The Home Brewers Guide To Vintage Beer yesterday as the six year old did not do much during a kids' basketball practice at the Y, I was struck by this passage on page 11:
The earliest porters and stouts were brewed from 100 percent brown malt... It was custom to use straw as a fuel in the final stage of the kilning, where the temperature was increased dramatically.
See, in these hop-crazed times we worship a false idol, a flavouring agent. That error has spawned a thousand flavoured beers posing as craft. But we know that adding watermelon or lye or New Zealand hops to a beer only succeeds in making the beer taste of the adulteration. It is time that the focus of brewing returned to the making of better beer. And that means paying attention to the malt.
Which is the point of the LDBK. See, when I was a bad home brewer I liked to manipulate the malt, I would toast it immediately before mashing to make the oils more volatile and available. I used to let some malts soak for days in cold water in the fridge and pour the resulting tea into the boil right at the end. It worked. It was easy. But ever since I tried the 1855 collaboration porter brewed by Pretty Things and Ron, I have wanted to taste what should be considered the holy grail of brewing: pre-1800s beer made with proper diastatic brown malts.
That is where the LDBK comes in. See, what needs to be determined is how diastatic brown malt is made. What we know is that it was made of malt and that it was made by kilning. What has been forgotten is how the malt got darkened without destroying the enzymic properties of pale malt that allows the grains' natural starches to convert to fermentable sugars. This conversion is something that can and should happen in every home every second week. Through collective experimentation and statistical analysis of results, it may be possible to establish the practical point at which pale malt may be toasted and darkened to create brown malt as well as the manner in which it might be done to protect the enzymic action. That in fact is the motto of the LDBK. Protect the Enzymic Action. What is the Latin for that?
So, start kilning and mashing. It takes a kilo of pale malt, pots and pans, graph paper and curiosity. While it may be that the critical feature is pre-kiln, that mention of the use of straw and flash heating may be key. The trick might be to darken the outside so fast that the inside is not fully heated. Then mash it in small batches to see if the resulting 66C porridge goes sweet. Like a rare steak on the grill, the point might be to preserve both characteristics through the process. Just a theory. But that's where all great advances in human understanding begin. With a theory. And some graph paper. You in?


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Nats Stay Hot, Beat Bayhawks on Hall OT Strike
from staff reports
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Midfielder Jordan Hall scored with 1:55 elapsed in overtime to lift the Hamilton Nationals to a 12-11 victory over the Chesapeake Bayhawks on Saturday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Hall took a pass from attackman Joe Walters and fired a 10-yard shot past goalkeeper Kip Turner to put an end to a back-and-forth affair that featured 11 ties.
"It was great (to score the winner). Obviously, they are a very good team and they have a lot of talent," said Hall. "We had a system in place to battle them and neutralize it. I was kind of lucky to find myself in those positions both times."
Attackman Stephen Keogh fired in a career-high five goals as Hamilton (5-0) remained unbeaten and tied with Denver atop the Major League Lacrosse standings. Walters and fellow attackman Cody Jamieson both totaled a goal and three assists for the Nationals, who already have more wins this season than they did all of last season. Kevin Cunningham contributed five helpers.
"This is a good win for us. Any time you can beat the defending champs at home that is a good win," Hamilton head coach Dave Huntley said.
Second-year midfielder Matt Mackrides scored three goals and assisted another for Chesapeake (3-2), which suffered its second straight overtime loss. Attackmen Ben Rubeor, Drew Westervelt and John Grant Jr. scored two goals each for the Bayhawks, who outshot the Nationals 55-37 and finished with a 42-32 edge on ground balls.
"We haven't made the plays that we needed to make to win these close games," Chesapeake head coach Dave Cottle said.
Goalie Brett Queener finished with 14 saves for Hamilton. Chesapeake could not take advantage of the possession advantage provided by Adam Rand, who captured 16 of 27 face-offs.
Chesapeake trailed 10-8 going into the fourth quarter, but Mackrides scored consecutive unassisted goals 23 seconds apart to tie the score. A failed clear by the Bayhawks led to an unsettled goal for the Nationals with Hall firing in short shot from out front off a feed from Walters. With time winding down on the home team, Matt Abbott took a nice clearing pass from fellow defensive midfielder Dan Burns and finished a fast-break with a goal that tied the contest at 11.
Hamilton gained a power play with 47.2 seconds left, but Turner stuffed Keogh on a shot from the doorstep to preserve the tie. Chesapeake got the last shot of regulation with Queener turning away a cannon blast of a 2-pointer by Dixon that was on target.
Hamilton captured the opening face-off of overtime and called
timeout to set up a play, but proceeded to throw the ball out of
bounds without getting off a shot. Chesapeake did take a shot on
its lone possession of overtime, but the attempt by Mackrides from
out front was wide.
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