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Monday, April 30, 2012
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
This is my second memoir not counting Born to Run which I count as just a biography. I don't know. No one else says it's a memoir so I won't either. So I am really comparing it to both books because Born to Run was about long distant running while this one is about a young woman trying to heal after her mother's death after she sabotaged her marriage and then goes on a hike for oh lets see... Eleven hundred miles! I also compare it to my first memoir because well... it's a memoir and it's about a girl trying to heal with her mother's death as well which is the whole purpose of her going out there and roughing it so here it goes...
So Born to Run taught me new things. I'm absolutely a wannabe runner and as you can guess a hiker too if I read this book. It didn't really teach me anything new except that I really didn't want to go backpacking and getting all those sores over my back, shoulders, and hips plus my toenails falling off. Haha! Yeah I know. Ew, right? I know the same thing with the toenails happens to long distance runners but still. I guess I really like running more than hiking or I've actually actively ran to get better at distance and I've never hiked before in my life but it this book didn't strike a chord with me as much as Born to Run did. But putting it on its own in the hiking aspect I just wanted some more about actually getting into hiking. I know she just went and never hiked like that before in her life and she explained it all but I guess it wasn't as exciting as Born to Run because I didn't walk away mind blown or like I learned a lot. But I can tell you I did walk away wanting to hike even more. What would it be like to just go out there and let you and only you dictate your survival. It compels you to want to move.
Now the other book I was talking about was The Rules of Inheritance. If you remember this girl's mother died when she was eighteen and she went through some dark things. It was a masterpiece so you really should go check it out. Anyways I didn't feel as much as I did with that one. I guess since it was just mainly focused on her pain and it was just a lot. It also could be that this book was a lot more positive. She let it out there like the other author did but the whole thing was her actively going out and doing something to let her heal while The Rules of Inheritance was her basically just digging a deeper hole. Cheryl did do drugs and she did get an abortion which is the same but it was like nothing. The drugs I saw her look past it and that was fine but she didn't even think twice about getting an abortion and that's just messed up. She didn't even talk about it later after she told us about her kids. It annoyed me a bit but not my life I guess... I won't go into that more because I don't want to sound too... I don't even know.
You may think she must not like this book. Well you would be wrong. I rated those two other books 5 stars while I rated this one 4. I thought this book was fantastic. It made me want to get out there. I loved hearing about those sores, aching feet, and the blistering sun. I want that so I feel this book satisfied me in almost every single way. It is definitely a mover and shaker like Goodreads proclaimed last month and well worth the read.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Kickstarter #1
Hello everybody! I want to talk to you about Kickstarter. Kickstarter if you don't know already is a website for people to get funds for their projects. Many months ago I found a book there that led me to some great illustrators. It's called: A Rule Is To Break: A Child's Guide To Anarchy. Although I'm just a teenager in High School the least I can do is help spread the word about some awesome books that need funding. You may get an award so why not check these books out? I'll try to post new books as much as I can. Probably once a month... Well here are some new books I found today:
Here are some books who have reached their goal. Yay!
As you can see I like children's books. I've been thinking of reading and reviewing picture books because honestly I love them. I'm still thinking about it... So if you like any books please feel free to spread the word. Thanks guys (:
Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
|Release Date: May 1st 2012
I needed Chloe! I've become absolutely obsessed and in love with a book that has anything to do with music (it's more to do with radio but it's still in the same area as music). I was so scared it would disappoint. I wanted another A Little Wanting Song. I found not another A Little Wanting Song but the great Chloe. She's a nonstop talker ready with a joke in hand and her heart on her sleeve. When she said seriously with wide eyes "Free burritos" I laughed out loud! I was hooked. Chloe won my heart.
Duncan also was a great part of the story. I loved his scarves. He reminded me of Mako:
He seriously broke my heart this week... anyways Duncan had a hard life and Chloe had to deal with some stuff. "Stuff" being her grandmother slowly losing it with Parkinson's. Her grandmother is just like her well she's just like her grandmother. She's this great spirit but she's stubborn and doesn't want to leave her Tuna Can - that's what she calls her home by the sea. She deeply worries for her but with her mom and her arguing all the time she feels like nothing will ever be resolved. They'll be at odds forever.
I thoroughly enjoyed the bantering of Queen Chloe and her Jester but there was one thing lacking... They all had to deal with some big issues but I didn't really feel them. It was a lighthearted book so I get it but drug abuse? It should feel like the worlds shaking for them but I still understand because this type of story doesn't read well with dark subjects like that. You will love Chloe anyways because she absolutely entertaining and hilarious. This debut novel shows great potential of Coriell and it'll be great to see what she comes up with next.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
I've never read anything by John Grisham before so let me first say WOW. I love his writing style. I can even compare it to the great Rick Riordan. It doesn't have someone as funny as Percy or anything like that. It's just brilliant writing. I wonder how can he have missed my radar for so long. I was wary to read this because some people have considered it an adult read and I don't want to read a book about a kid lawyer and it be considered an adult read. It loses all values. Those people are crazy because this is definitely a middle school read and boy what a read!
Theo was this professional and very analytic type of person and you wouldn't think you'd be able to connect with a character like that especially if he's supposed to be a kid but you'd be dead wrong. Grisham creates this great character with all the qualities of an adult but also he creates a vulnerable side which you especially see when he gets in the thick of it. I would so love being his friend. I'd feel confident that he always has my back because he always does with the kids he helps again even when he is in the thick of it.
I expect great things with the next book... Theodore Boone: The Abduction. One this book was amazing and Two it just ended not as a cliffhanger but there's obviously so much more to add to the story. I expect it to be more dramatic too. You know in the first book how they are introducing the characters and giving you a feel on how they are, their personality, etc. It didn't drag on which I'm not saying. That aspect was perfect. I'm just saying there is so much more drama yet to come and I can't wait for it. And last but not least I expect more from his friend April well at least I hope. She has a lot of potential of being his number 2 and hopefully since I didn't see her being quite so strong in this book she can become a strong female character. So this book scored high for me. I even gave it to my friend to borrow so if you know if that happens the book is worthy of praise.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
My Name Is Olivia... and I Can't do Anything About It by Jowi Schmitz
|Release Date: May 1st 2012
Olivia's story is one I've come across plenty of times. Well not as quite as unique as her situation but a parent-dying-and-trying-to-pick-up-the-pieces type of story. She hasn't really let it out and let herself cry even though they are a "tolerant family." That right there and other things make the book really weird to me. Her father is always crying and I'm always thinking how the mother didn't get frustrated with him and yell at him because he acts just like a kid. And I mean JUST like a kid.
A lot of the story was a bit odd to me like it shouldn't be for someone in Elementary (well maybe fifth grade) more like Middle School but I still found it enjoyable at times like Sasha was an interesting part of it. I just wish I could have had more... I knew right away what was going on and don't like when that happens. I rather be surprised when the protagonist is but that's just me. All in all it was a nice read about a girl letting go.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Top Ten All Time Favorite Characters
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme by The Broke and the Bookish
Could not put this in an order this week. So the books rated are not in order well maybe the first one is correct (; Warning! A lot of males on this list.
10) Maia from Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. My favorite (sometimes) book ever. Maia loves to read... and she has to move far away and deal with evil sisters... She also is a explorer and is pretty resilient even if she is an orphan. So if you don't get why I love this book and character to death.. I don't know what else to say to you. She is just amazing and her and Finn make me happy.
9) Clay from Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Clay! My heart breaks for you. I just crumpled over this book and how great Clay was and what he had to deal with. Well worth one of my top favorite characters.
8) Ben Wolf from Deadline by Chris Crutcher. Another heart breaker. This guy was just incredible. He had a little bit of a complex because he was short. He's in love with this tall athlete and he's incredibly entertaining. He goes crazy with Malcolm X and just will win your heart over.
7) Maniac Magee from what else? Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. He runs away from home and runs everywhere. In love with him yet? He pushes the boundaries and he is incredibly strong and then he meets someone who bullies him into submission to stay with her and her family.
6) Thomas from The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner. What can I say about Thomas? He is a runner which if you haven't noticed till now is something I love in a runner. He also just has this quality about him like Percy Jackson and Jason from Rick Riordan books that makes him so likable. He is a leader through and through.
5) Percy Jackson from The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Well I have to add Percy! Leadership again but also he's incredibly funny. I have so many liked quotes by him in Goodreads. And then he is a demigod and his love interest is someone like Annabeth. He can do no wrong.
4) Danny from Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena. I feel like Danny's character was made for me. The whole feeling out of place in the Spanish culture and he's just adorable because he's so quiet all the time but has a killer arm for baseball.
3) Harry Potter... from you know where... um... Magic, orphan, one of the best series ever created? I think you get the point.
2) Charlie from A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley. She's this incredibly quiet person who's got soul. I love how she's such a good person and she blows everyone out of the water. I look for music books just because of her.
1) Puck from the Grimm Sisters Series. Puck is probably my all time favorite character... ever! He is so mischievous and evil. He's gross but also very protective of the sisters and the grandma. I can't describe how much I LOVE him and love him with Sabrina.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Zero by Tom Leveen
|Release Date: April 24th 2012
She loves the artist Salvador Dali (think clocks) after she was introduced to him by her all time favorite art teacher well Teacher period Mr. Hilmer who always told her she was doing a good job on her artwork. She doesn't like her body but it doesn't stop her from awkwardly trying to talk to the drummer with the killer eyes named Mike from Gothic Rainbow. He actually wants to hang out with her. (A lot of italicizing so far).
From then on out everything seems to be going right. Well she still isn't able to go to the school of her dreams but she's working on her art, her parents are still yelling but she's got the perfect Mike to distract her, and she's still on the outs with her friend but then again... she's got Mike to distract her. But not everything is what it should be. Throughout her summer Zero learns to discover who she truly can be.
LOVED Zero! Her personality was just so awesome and entertaining. She's just this teen that sometimes can be awkward and can be unsure of herself. It really doesn't make any sense to me how she had like no friends in school. There are always artists around. I guess since my school has art programs and music programs I'm used to people that would be otherwise known as outcasts which I really find super weird. I just wanted to kick her sometimes because seriously stop saying those things about yourself! But I'm one to talk since I've felt unsure and crappy about myself sometimes. The same thing with art. She can actually create it. I on the other hand can only copy an image that's already there. This book has made me want to draw again because even if I'll never be able to draw like others do...its fun! I love when books make me want to do things. I give thanks to books that make me want to do things!
Mike was cool. I didn't expect him. I mean I did because I obviously read the summary but I assumed he be more... into himself? I don't know why I think that of musicians sometimes, He is a punk skater boy so I just assumed... well he ended up being such a great guy with his own issues as well. He encouraged and I was like I love you dude! Such a great guy.
I didn't know who Dali was until she mentioned clocks and I assumed... correctly this time! I live in Florida so maybe I'll check out his museum in St. Petersburg this summer. The quotes in the beginning were very interesting. This guy was cool.
Definitely awkward with her friend. Didn't expect that but it was a nice twist. Later on too... I'd recommend that this book be read by older teenagers. Still if you are old enough to read it I'd recommend reading it. I absolutely loved it. Can't wait to read Party. Later Skater!
Socialpunk Blog Tour #5
What's your typical day like as a writer?
All of my days revolve around my dog, actually. I wake up and take her out, then feed her. She has another break at dinner and another before bed. She keeps me on schedule!
I usually try to get three things done per day. I'm a "burst of energy" type of person. So I will write a whole book in a week or two, then go back and edit it all in a week or two. And then I won't write as much for the next few weeks. On an average day I probably write a couple thousand words, during a book writing session I write closer to 5000 words a day.
On days when I'm not finishing a manuscript, I am catching up on a ton of marketing activities. Today, for example, is a "clear my inbox" day. So I've caught up on almost all my email plus about 25 interviews that have been sitting in my inbox from the last several days. I have to batch my work or else I spend forever switching between tasks.
Do you have any books that influenced you when you were growing up?
When I was a kid I loved this book called The Girl With the Silver Eyes. Here is the exact cover of the book I had: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Silver-Eyes-Apple-Paperbacks/dp/0590442481. It's one of my absolute favorite YA novels, and surprise! Maggie Stiefvater loves that book too. This was the first novel that made me want to write fantasy and science fiction.
When did you know you wanted to become a writer?
I started a Gen Y blog in 2007 called Twenty Set. It actually gained quite a bit of steam early on, but eventually I moved away from Gen Y topics. The reason I started the blog, though, is because I couldn't clear my mind! I literally just needed to get things out of my system. So I wrote that blog 4-5 times a week for about six months until my ideas stop churning so quickly. My love for writing as an adult grew out of that experience.
What made you want to write the Socialpunk Trilogy?
Socialpunk is a bit like The Truman Show meets The Terminator, except Mark Zuckerberg is president of the world. I wanted to do a cyberpunk and Socialpunk is classicly cyberpunk, down to its roots. I loved the idea of being trapped in a virtual reality, and then acclimating to the real world.
I was inspired by the city of Chicago, by social media issues in our current world, and by the cyberpunk genre. The book is a bit like the Terminator series and I reference that a couple times just for fun. James Cameron is basically my favorite director ever, and he really inspires me with his world-building and storytelling skills.
What was your favorite part in writing Socialpunk?
I enjoyed creating the Socialpunks world. The 2198 world is magical to me. So coming up with all the descriptions and thinking through how everything works in the future was very fun for me.
Why did you pick artists?
Socialpunk is very reflective of today's social media-driven world in terms of artists, curators, and influencers. It's definitely a physical reincarnation of the digital media world. I love the social media concepts embedded in the book because I used to work in digital marketing.
What character did you love writing about the most?
I would have to say Ima, she's the main character and the book is told entirely from her point of view. What I love about her is how much she changes from the beginning of the book to the end. She feels very guilty and is constantly struggling with right vs. wrong. She's probably one of my favorite characters out of all the ones I've written.
However, I think I would be Ember. She's one of the Socialpunks and she's very beautiful. She has long hair that is literally rainbow-colored--each strand is a different hue. She seems kind of terrible in the first book but hopefully she redeems herself with readers in later books.
Do any of the characters resemble you?
Nasser is also exciting because he's got such big ideas and he's so damn reckless. He's willing to completely derail his entire hash just to pursue a dream. I'm a bit like him at times, to be honest.
The setting is Chicago and you live there. What's the greatest thing about Chicago?
I love that it's a city with skyscrapers and a grid system and no need for a car. It's the perfect setting for a cyberpunk.
Is there anything you want to say to your present and future readers out there?
Thank you for giving my books a chance! I appreciate every reader, even if they don't love the books. I definitely listen to feedback and read every review so that I can improve as a writer.
So there it is. The end of the Socialpunk Tour here. Loved that Monica was able to do this review for me. Thanks Monica! I hope you guys enjoyed this. See ya!
What have I been up to...
Ugh. Sorry guys. Last week was bad for me. I just went home and fell asleep but not only that. I have this big project due. I've decided I'm not going to stress it so much anymore. Whatever happens happens. So sorry! I'll be a better blogger. It's just one of those weeks. I also had Grad Bash Saturday which was AMAZING! I stood in line for Harry Potter for 3 HOURS! So mad. I wanted to quit so many times and my friend was bothering me about it the whole time... it ended up being good but still.... Best time of my life! My mom was freaking out. I kind of hate it sometimes but this time I loved her for it. She's such a mom.... Now I'm back with the last bit of the Socialpunk Blog Tour... the interview! Plus I actually read Zero a week ago and will post the review soon. Sorry again guys.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Socialpunk Trilogy Blog Tour #4
Her father is controlling and hurts her if she goes too far while her mother decides to do nothing while her daughters in pain. She runs away to go to a concert- her father hot on her trails but she makes it there with Dash which is where she meets Nahum and another boy... One of the boys with black hoodies grabs her just before an explosion kills a mass of people. But no one seems to notice. It must be the drugs the black hoodies were giving them so why is this one helping her?
She discovers the impossible. Her home is a simulation. The world is completely different. The real world with artists and people who are immortal. There body is basically technology and there is no love. She must decided now if she should stay and start over or save everyone from her home because there is a conspiracy going on and she's the hero that they need.
Yay! Finally got to review Socialpunk. I thought Ima was kind of hopeless in the beginning. Only because she was being carried around everywhere by guys which I know girls wouldn't mind that much but still! She did grow out of it even though she's completely oblivious to the guys mooning over her and of course how beautiful she is. She takes the lead and I respect her for it.
The beginning again I had a problem with because it moved to fast. I couldn't get into the characters and what was going on but it transformed from there and I was able to see the vision of the author's creation. It was quite excellent-- the plot and how the world was. Artists everywhere. Who would have thought that was the future? But it did say that was just the industry there so there's that. I would love to have so many artists everywhere though. I'd stare at all the art all day.
I ruined the ending for myself because I found it weird that it said on Goodreads that it was like 200 pages and it ended being much less. It was a face palm hit to the forehead moment. Oh well... It was a pretty shocking ending to say the least. I know that the two others are supposed to come out soon too so I would like to see Ima's/Cinder's reaction.
She kind of accepted it all pretty fast. I would not have changed like that if I were her. I love how they run everywhere though. That's fun. I don't like how they all aren't really them. Their bodies are made and aren't real... it's pretty creepy. This is of course is one of the things that draws me in. I completely loved the whole city. I can't wait to see how the whole story enfolds. Thank goodness for indies!
Trouble Gary D. Schmidt
"Henry Smith's father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you."
Henry's brother was hit by a car one day while out running. They were supposed to go climb Katahdin together but it looks like that's not going to happen. His brother lies in the hospital--his once athletic unbeatable brother. His brother speaks one word and it's directed at him... Katahdin. And now when he's on his beach and feels a wave... a silence and knows his brother is dead he knows what to do. He must climb the mountain and do what his brother said he could not.
He can't convince his family of course. His family has been split apart. His father hasn't shaven in weeks which has never happened before and he won't leave the house. The house that was far from Trouble until Trouble finally found them. His mother is just sad. She doesn't like people getting into their business. The whole town goes on about how the Americans that have been there for generations and generation shouldn't be subjected to the new Cambodians. That Chay Chouan got away with murder but it was just an accident right? And his sister crying endlessly and never coming out of her room not even for her older brother's funeral. But he needs to climb Katahdin. It calls to him. So off he goes with his best friend Sanborn and his dog Black Dog to the mountain and along the way he finds himself going with his brother's killer. On a journey once met only for him and his brother trying to prove himself to him he finds Trouble and how Trouble will always find a way back to him.
Gary D. Schmidt (I love saying his name) has this signature I think. If you didn't know who wrote this book you would think it was him and you'd be write. I don't know what is about his books that make me feel they are all connected and familiar. Not like he repeats his stories... he does have something with two sides that are in conflict with each other. That's probably it but also his writing. Anyways I have had this book on my TBR list for at least 2 years now and so happy it didn't disappoint. It was close to an amazing book but not quite there. The whole thing with Trouble. I mean I didn't understand that. I could guess but I don't know why they were so obsessed with it.
Henry could have had a more dramatic realization with his brother but it was still okay. When everything was revealed about Chay I was just waiting till Henry realized or discovered what happened. I still couldn't believe it at the end because.. well you guys don't know what I'm talking about so I'll leave it there.
Chay was such a good guy and if I was Henry's mother I would consider forgiving him too. He did kill my son and I would have a little part of me die inside... but he deserved nothing from what his father gave him. I do understand though which is sad...
I want Black Dog! Even if she's all messed up. I love when I'm greeted by my dog and she's always happy so I'd be always happy too but I don't think I would handle her destruction that calmly...
I think Gary D. Schmidt fans will appreciate this book. It's older than the other two mentioned but I think it'll still resonate with them. And any others looking for books about a journey and conflict will like this book.
One last thing. To those Americans that didn't like how the Cambodians took their jobs and how they don't belong and how they are different and blah blah blah. You aren't special because your family has been here for generations. Immigrants are as much as Americans as you and in the words of Jack White's (The White Stripes) Icky Thump song "White Americans, what, nothin' better to do? Why don't kick yourself out? You're an immigrant too"
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Socialpunk Trilogy Blog Tour #3
Well enjoy!
PDF Format
I only know that the PDF works. If you need it in a different format let me know and I'll try to accommodate you.
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
Karyn has never been the same since. She cries constantly and won't leave their home. He has to take care of her and their eight year old sister Holly. His mother is no help. She's either sleeping or she's drunk. Now when he decides to find information about the rapist or get him alone he stumbles upon his sister. The same age as his sister. He knows what he needs to do now. She was there and he knows that the best way to get information is through her.
Ellie's brother is accused of rape. She tells the cops that she saw nothing. I mean her brother who has always protected her and always been there for her doesn't deserve this. He didn't do this. Her family walks in a blur like everything is normal when it's not. They want her to be strong but it's all too hard for her. And then comes in this cute boy who crashed his brother's party. She doesn't even know his name but she is at the very least intrigued by him and then she is like a whole different person with him. But what happens when she finds out the truth of who he really is?
Can you say AMAZING!? That word sums up everything. I had no idea which side was telling the truth or not until much later which kept me guessing throughout which I can't tell you how much I appreciate when an author is able to do that. Ellie's brother Tom was picture perfect I didn't know what to believe. In the beginning it all unfolded from their side that they were trying to cover everything up. Give him a surprise like it's no big deal of what he was accused of. Then the other side was poorer and the way Mikey described how the cops saw them and their house... like they turned up their nose at them... that made me feel for him instantly. But then Ellie is this incredible nice girl who is so unlike her parents. Ellie is not what I expected. She is sweeter than I expected but also wilder than I expected. She has different personalities. She can be quiet and serious one minute and spontaneous and determined the next. She was perfect for the role as protective younger sister.
I feel like Mikey is not appreciated as much as he should be. Especially towards the end on how they treat his friend versus him when he's always been on their side and always helping. He's been the man and mother of the house. So it was ridiculous how they treated him in the end even before they found out about Ellie. Mikey is a little bit of a player. The author describes it and his buddies agree but I didn't see much of it because he was trying to keep his family whole the whole time and Ellie comes along... I so agree with Mikey. I would have bashed his head in. I don't trust the justice system that much especially of it was concerning something like this. He would have already been dead. I'm glad he didn't do it though because he would have never met Ellie.
I really don't know what else to say but how I loved this book and so happy I was able to read it. The author wrote Before I Die which I've heard is good. I'll have to check it out especially because of the review from the New York Times..."The reader can finish its last pages feeling thrillingly alive.... I don't care how old you are. This book will not leave you." Just what I need in a book. I've seen You Against Me on Goodreads ads and I always wonder if those books on the ads are worth the hype. Well I can tell you confidently this one is.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Socialpunk Trilogy Blog Tour #2
A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn't be published reputably, now or in the future.
Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake--and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder--crushed pills--but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn't be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.
He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn't deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he'd thought. He'd meant for her to have it all--to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.
But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.
He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him--his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.
But he had done the unthinkable with this creation--he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He'd given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.
He had never done so with any of the others because of the dangers of investing too heavily in any one of his subjects. But who could he kid? He had not stayed objective thus far, watching some of his subjects more closely than others, wishing for the happiness of some a the expense of others. He had become an abomination, a monster of his own doing, who had created subjects only to watch them suffer.
In ancient stories, gods frequently gave their sons as gifts. Now, he would give his son as a gift to her. number 3281. So she could be happy in her last months on earth, before they destroyed her with the rest of them.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Socialpunk Trilogy Blog Tour #1
The Book:
Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what's beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.
The Author:
Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit. Monica's other books are Silver Smoke and the second book from the Seven Halos Series is Tin Soldier.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
Spinelli is almost one of my favorite authors. You may or may not know that I have a rule that if I like four of an authors books I can call them a favorite author. Unfortunately this wasn't in league with his other books i.e. Maniac Magee, Wringer, and Eggs. So I'm still waiting... This wasn't a bad book it was just a little bit too childish even for me. I mean the main character was different and I liked that he literally laughed in the face of danger but I don't know... it was too innocent.
One right after the other I read a book about bullying. Lucky me, right? Well this was a change of pace from what I just read because it was a YA read. Zinkoff was a real sweet kid and there was some nice sentimental things going on at times but it was just okay for me.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
I Forgot To Say....
Happy Easter everybody! Have a great day! Listening to some Christian music right now....
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
Daelyn was the "fat girl" everyone always teased her and she was even sent to the hell on earth that was fat camp. She had a neck brace and I'm sure you already know it's from an attempt or she likes to say failure. Her parents are always checking up on her and her mother is always trying. I understand that but the father has this thing where he can check the computer to see what sites she's on. The suicide website can't be shown and he keeps on checking it and I'm like Dude! Get rid of the computer! Actually that wouldn't help....
So Santana I loved from the beginning because he was acting like a dufus just to be nice to her. But then in the end he did act like a boy. I mean that IM comment. WOW. So I'm still kind of on the fence with him. A lot was revealed about him when she went over his house. YES that happened. That's where the change in him really showed not really when he really talked about himself... I do understand that he was dealing with things too. He was desperate too. And we all are selfish so I don't judge him to harshly.
So I have to talk about it... suicide. I really can't believe I just talked about religion and then I get into a book about suicide. I'm so weird... So I really think the people who say that killing yourself is a coward's act really don't understand how unhappy you can be. They are probably the bully type of people who grow up. I really wish that people would stop looking down on people that do end their lives and just HELP. You know when someone's down. At least I know because I'm pretty aware of people. You cannot tell me that no one ever had an inkling. Everyone does hurt. And anyone can help. Even just some interest can make someone feel so good.
Bullying is also the main theme here. Even saying something silly can hurt someone who's already down. Don't talk about someone especially if they are right there. It hurts. Your laughing can bring someone pain. Think if you were unhappy and someone was talking about you and laughing at you. Just sympathize for once. This book brings up the issues that are ridiculous because they shouldn't exist. It is a type of book that people need to read once in awhile to remind them that you aren't the only person that matters.
One last thing... I felt this book was so close to being great. When it started to go to the end... I don't know maybe it was Santana or Daelyn but it didn't wow me as much as I would have hoped. It still brought something to me and it's still a book I'm glad I read.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant
|Released: January 1st 2012
Then comes in Wes who she has been obsessively stalking. He is the brooding-leather-jacket-motorcycle-riding-get-away-from-my-daughter type of person. He's always around poodle girl as she likes to call his "girlfriend" and they are sure to be making out but Wes has caught Addison's eye and maybe he actually might like her.
Luke is the boy your mother and father would love to meet. He's always sweet to Addison but she has her eyes on Wes. Marta is a foreign exchange student who she deems a Godsend since she's always there and gives her great ideas unlike her best friend who ditches her. Now her EX-best friend.
So who will Addison pick? And what will she do when her holier than holy father starts humming and smiling everywhere since he's been going on dates with someone too close for comfort? And is she really as close to God as she is supposed to be?
YES! What am I saying yes to? I am saying yes to this book and how completely hard I fell for it. Addison for one really needs to cut down on the sugar because she's going to go in a sugar comatose one of these days. She was a bit of a pain... not pain pain. I mean she always attacked Wes on everything he did and I thought the author was trying to make him be the bad guy and say that he was so wrong in every way. It was frustrating. But then I liked that about the book. I liked that I didn't know what was going to happen and I'm staring at my screen thinking ummm.... how do I not know how this is going to end yet!? when I'm so close to finishing. This book made me really just think and keep wondering and I loved it for that.
Now I said that I thought the author was making Wes seem like a really bad guy but I was gung ho for Luke because dude... he is totally into you and he is a sweetheart. At the end it could have gone to anyone really especially since Luke is pretty much perfect. Marta, her friend I was talking about earlier, is a foreign exchange student from Germany and I felt it was so unreal when reading Ja from her all the time. I'm like what is this!? It took me awhile but I warmed up to her. And I was looking at it from her point of view and I would have thrown something at Addison a long time ago because she's ALWAYS having a crisis. And I felt Addison a little bit selfish because it was always about her but then I think I'm being too nitpicky because duh! self look at the title. Still think it sometimes.
Her father.... I kind of know the horribleness that is overprotective parents. I really loathe it because I feel like I can never really do anything. My life feels like it's not really started and I feel like such a loner especially with reading all the time and people saying oh she reads all the time. Why do you read all the time? Answer: I. Like. Reading. So I felt like I can relate to her in more than one aspect.
The God part was interesting. It was odd when she was talking about it. So.... sure. But with God everything is easy except when you get into the details. Details like how I could never believe in Purgatory, how people who are religious think my ideas are wrong (I know what they mean when you can't interpret/shape the message or the Bible of how you want it. I understand that but then if I don't believe some things it doesn't mean I don't believe at all), and more importantly the religious people or people in general who think being gay is wrong. It's none of your business. It isn't your life. God loves everyone especially since they love. Your the one hating. I think he would prefer those who love. I have yet to find a book with details like this including this one. I wish I could find someone struggling with the details not the main concept. I except God not so much the other parts...
So in the end this book was fantastic. As you can tell by this really long review that I enjoyed it and it made me think about God which I've been trying to find more in books. So I'm pretty content right now. Oh! When she made her realization in the end... it was perfect. I wanted to cover my mouth too. Addison Blakely won me over. This book is HIGHLY recommended.
Banished by Sophie Littlefield
Hailey lives with her Grandmother, Chub (a four year old she adopted as her little brother), and Rascal the dog. Her Grandmother is a mean old thing. She smokes and drinks, does nothing for Hailey and she sells drugs from her house. She had this hope... somehow maybe she could love her but no. She could never especially after she finds out she's been keeping secrets from her. How her mother really died, why Dun (a druggie) looks at her like that, and who she really is.
After an accident in gym class everything starts to unravel. She's a Healer and a good one too. She's never had to practice. She never needed to know anything... well she did actually break a cardinal rule. The only rule you should never break. Doing something unforgivable... An unknown woman to her, Prairie, comes to take her, Chub, and Rascal away while men are chasing her down but how would they knew who she was when she just found out herself?
This book was like a Hallelujah moment. It came to me and I couldn't be happier. It was like it was sent specifically for me. I've always wanted to read a healer book and I finally did! Did not see the whole rascal thing coming I can tell you.
Hailey had no one really. I mean the Morries had each other and they always stayed away from her which I can see why but she can basically save your life so I would say it's worth it to be her friend. Hit my head. HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP! All healed now! YES! I'm not going to die! See? Worth it.
I just wanted to grab Chub and hug him! He's a bit slow and oh so adorable! Also didn't expect what happened to him but I should have realized earlier. They basically told you plainly.
Ugh. The Grandma. I hope I wouldn't act that way if I was in her situation. I would probably be angry with the world too. I wonder why she wasn't a Healer too...?
The ending: :O! Loved it! So many possibilities and then I read the second book Unforsaken's summary and found out there is going to be romance! I kind of wish it was with the Morrie who was nice to her. I'm sure the author is not going to just let that slide. She's definitely going to go back to Gypsum. It's going to go down there. And then there are still so many questions lurking inside my head... like why are they called the Banished? What exactly did they do to get that nickname? Great YA book! So excited for Unforsaken!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen
I honestly felt completely blind sighted by this book. I mean I thought oh a prank war of football players and gymnasts and there are steroids so that should be interesting. THIS WAS NOT ABOUT STEROIDS!!! Well it was an underlying problem but I felt like the author just passed by it. One of the main characters, Kurt, took pills from his coach but then that was it... until nonchalantly two weeks later he just casually mentions that he is getting bigger because of the D-Bol (Steroids). It's weird that I know the name for steroids with reading Gym Candy and now this book. Gym Candy actually mentioning more. I understand that it can be used to say why the three football players were acting crazy but really it annoyed me that the author just waved it off. It's not cool to just use steroids. Kurt better be stopping! Other than that it was an amazingly powerful read that just.... wow.
Well I passed the summary... so what it's about: Kurt Brodsky is a new football player for the Knights. He's a Fullback which I've never heard of and I asked some guys and they didn't know (I know now that I definitely asked the wrong guys). It means he's a power blocker and runner for the other Fullback and the Quarterback (according to Wikipedia). Anyways he has had to take a lot of abuse. You can tell by just looking at him since he has a massive scar from the outside corner of his eye to his jaw as well as patchy skin that is confirmed later to be a burn mark. He's lived in foster homes and was accused of killing his best friend Lamar when it was actually the caretaker that did it. I'm still not sure if he did other things.... My first reaction to Kurt was that he sounded hot. A muscly guy who stutters. Super cute. I'm a girl. I get to react that way. I know this is a book geared more towards boys so they probably have a different first reaction more like Danny's reaction which is the second main character. Probably won't have the reaction to keep away from him because he'll probably end up going crazy and killing a bunch of people because he's a fictional character... it's probably more excitement because you know this guy will do some damage.
Danny is a gymnast. I don't know how the football players think that gymnasts are weaker than them. Have you seen their arms!? And what they can do!? Well Danny gets in trouble with the football players because he's in the gymnast group and is blamed for the pranks they have been pulling. I'm still angry at Danny for what he didn't do. I would have probably been freaking out too. But I would have yelled or something or maybe I would have been worried that I would get raped too... Yes. Rape. This has sexual abuse. I told you I was blind sighted. The whole scene was really messed up. I can't believe I got through that. The author has tortured me with that in my mind. Disgusting..... So then you know don't read this if you think you can't handle it. Seriously. It has rape. It's really messed up what happens. Think about it.
I still actually really loved this book. It went in a completely different direction than I thought it would but it definitely caught my attention. Crazy, powerful read. The ending was perfect. I noticed really late but the book's title has the word rage on it and it's red. I felt so stupid I didn't figure that out before. Awesome Cover by the way... So I'm off to find me some more YA Sports reads!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Top Ten Books To Read in A Day
Top Tuesday is a weekly Meme by The Broke and the Bookish
10) I Am The Cheese by Robert Cormier
The first book I read that made me discover the genius that is Robert Cormier. Has a huh kind of ending.
Made me want to attack Catherine if she DARED hurt David. Which she kind of did. Which made me a very unhappy person...
I read a ridiculous amount of chapters on Barnes and Noble which never happens late at night and then the next day I went to go buy it literally the next day. Barnes and Noble can be very sly. Loved the Goody-Two-Shoes Jack. Love the name Jack and he was 100% sweetheart!
7) The Death Cure by James Dashner
Because it was the last Maze Runner book I had to put it up here. This was one of those books that I had to finish and I ate my food with while I was cringing inside. I'm still sad that I didn't like it as much as the others.
I couldn't help but read this in one day. One of the most likable main characters ever and then her love interest the oh so interesting shapeshifter. And then the END!
One of those My Eyes! books. I HEART Clay so much!When it was his turn I was so freaking HAPPY! He started crying I started crying. It was beautiful.
4) Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Another My Eyes! and Why did I do this to myself!!!??? So deep and heartbreaking. There was crazy things going on here. Things that revealed myself that I didn't expect like Whoa! Back away. Ben took a piece of my heart with him.
*Swoon* The greatest love triangle ever! I love both guys and being my fist angel book I was definitely impressed.
2) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I was going to put Hunger Games on here but I put this one instead because it was the last and it was the one I most appreciated. It's a If you don't leave me alone right now you will be seriously injured type of book. Amazing ending. Love crazy Peeta.
Yes. I can read this in one day. This is a more I will curse you out leave me alone book, Lunch gets in the way of everything *whining*, and a very happy satisfying feeling.
Monday, April 2, 2012
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Getting ahead of myself there. Jace as you can tell is the love interest. Clarissa or Clary for short goes to a night club for all ages called Pandemonium (remind you of a certain book?) with her friend Simon who sounds really boring even though he can be helpful.... She sees a boy killed by these three invisible-to-everyone-but-her-tattooed-teenagers. From then on she gets sucked into the life of the Shadowhunters who help keep the Downworlders (regular people) safe from demons and werewolves, vampires, etc. who have gone rogue. But the thing is why can she see them and everyone else can't? What did her now kidnapped mom keep from her?
This actually ended up being pretty good. The whole premise and the characters were... fresh. That sounds weird but that's what they were. You couldn't say that Jace was exactly like this person and this book is just like blank. I'm talking about Jace too much aren't I? *smiles* At the end I couldn't believe how he was acting... pretty disappointing. Simon I knew about. It was pretty obvious but I don't really much care for him. Alec was a nice surprise. He started out cocky and so self assured and ended up being too... careful. I wish he just stayed the same. Well when he told Clary off that was something. Clary was cool... Honestly the book didn't WOW me but I still ended up liking it a whole bunch. Clary was just Clary. I liked how again she didn't resemble anybody else. She just has to get tougher. If she doesn't I'll probably not finish the series... I'm sure she will. I don't know why I'm being so harsh right now. It kept me reading that whole almost 500 page book and it was really good. I'm just expecting better for next time especially since that is A COMPLETE LIE with Jace and Clary at the end... It has to be. It better be.
March 2012 Cover Love
Another month another new batch of beautiful covers....
It annoys me that there aren't an even number of Cover Loves this time but whatever...
My picks for Cover Love for this month are Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Jump by Elisa Carbone, and The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith.
The cover of Paranormalcy is so fantastic but then the character is nothing like the stoic girl in the front image. I think it's her pink dress from the Prom... I have a thing with girls on covers. I know I have already admitted it but it's so true and then there are girl's in the cover withe dresses. Now THAT clinches it for a beautiful Cover Love.
So happy that Jump came into my life! There are hardly any YA Sports reads out there especially one with rock climbing. Loved the story and loved the bright colors and scenery that is the cover. Plus the Heart in the middle that I just noticed... *shakes head at themselves*
The picture of The Rules of Inheritance has become so symbolic now that I've read the book. It instantly drew me in. A rebel of a girl with short hair, a cigarette in her hand, and clearly something heavy on her mind. It's a moment. It is a perfect moment that captures the book perfectly.
Ah. I can't wait to find more beautiful covers.... already have some in mind (of course I do).
It annoys me that there aren't an even number of Cover Loves this time but whatever...
My picks for Cover Love for this month are Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Jump by Elisa Carbone, and The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith.
The cover of Paranormalcy is so fantastic but then the character is nothing like the stoic girl in the front image. I think it's her pink dress from the Prom... I have a thing with girls on covers. I know I have already admitted it but it's so true and then there are girl's in the cover withe dresses. Now THAT clinches it for a beautiful Cover Love.
So happy that Jump came into my life! There are hardly any YA Sports reads out there especially one with rock climbing. Loved the story and loved the bright colors and scenery that is the cover. Plus the Heart in the middle that I just noticed... *shakes head at themselves*
The picture of The Rules of Inheritance has become so symbolic now that I've read the book. It instantly drew me in. A rebel of a girl with short hair, a cigarette in her hand, and clearly something heavy on her mind. It's a moment. It is a perfect moment that captures the book perfectly.
Ah. I can't wait to find more beautiful covers.... already have some in mind (of course I do).
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text: For some unknown reason, my image file associations in Windows Explorer keep getting undone, such that they show up in Explorer without an associated application (or occasionally with a wrong association). For example, when I examine the properties of any .jpg file, the "Open With:" property says "Unknown application". My default image file viewer application is ACDSee Ultimate 8, and the registry key for .jpg files looks like this:Code:[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.jpg] [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.jpg\OpenWithList] "MRUList"="a" "a"="ACDSeeUltimate8.exe" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.jpg\OpenWithProgids] "ACDSee Ultimate 8.jpg"=hex(0): [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.jpg\UserChoice] "Progid"="ACDSee Ultimate 8.jpg" However, as I say, that never seems to get propagated from the registry such that Explorer will correctly open ACDSee when I double-click an image file (ALL image files are the same, not just .jpg). The question is: WHY? I've tried creating a .REG file that contains all the correct registry settings, but when I merge it, nothing actually changes! And naturally I've tried running the following command to force the registry to be freshly loaded: C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True But nothing seems to work! I trust you've seen that I'm a very knowledgeable user who is not struggling with primitive questions, but I'm at a loss. What, exactly, am I doing wrong? What do I have to do to FORCE a change to all the file associations such that they'll open in ACDSee when I double-click them?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cyber Attacks in 2017: Who is the Next Target?
Forrester Research Forecasters Predict Health Care Industry will be Most Heavily Targetted
We're getting close to the end of 2016 and people are already thinking about their New Year's Resolutions. Everyone at Sentar hopes you'll resolve to be a more secure cyber citizen. Change your passwords! Stop clicking on those links in email you receive from people or companies you don't know. Pick up the phone and talk more often.
2017 is expected to have severe issues caused by cyber attacks, including expectation that "hackers could hurt the American economy by, among other things, taking down huge parts of the national electricity grid."
Before you peer into the future, here's the facts on 2016 cyber attacks that we know of, to date, as reported in this article posted by 247WallSt.com:
"Identity Theft Resource Center reports that there have been 957 data breaches recorded this year through December 6, 2016, with more than 35 million records exposed. Since beginning to track data breaches in 2005, ITRC has counted 6,766 breaches, involving more than 886 million records."


text: "Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right and forgot about the ones who don't. Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance take it, if it changes your life let it. Nobody said that it would be easy... They just promised it would be worth it." I'm a rural Aussie girl, who hates the very idea of living in the confides of a city or any kind of suburbia. I love animals but I could never be a vet, I wouldn't be able to stand seeing them hurt. I love the idea of Happily Ever After but I know that life is far from a fairytale. I love being creative but am constantly pushing through the barrier of self-esteem and the fear of what people will think. I hate seeing people upset. And I hate that girl's believe that they need to be anything but themselves to fit in with society.


text:
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March 19, 1997
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New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - March 19, 1997, New Braunfels, Texas WEDNESDAY_New Braunfels Taft knocks Unicorns from playoffs. See Page 1B 50 CENTS Herald "irSr"..... ■MSO, 'X ''111 16 pages in two sections ■ Wednesday, March 19, 1997 Serving Comal County and surrounding areas for more than 145 years ■ Home of ...Jig Owens Vol 145, No 90 Inside Editorial........................... 4 A Sports......................................1B-2B Comics................................ 3B Market Place 4B 88 Dear Abby ............3A SLimmlisch th* Hwld ZiHungl The New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung extends birthday wishes to: PM Baker, Darld Owens, Johnny Romero, Josie Sanchez, Milton Franklin, Jamen Mutt, Bryce Houlton (9 years old. Minted), Key Gannett, Keith Butler, Laura Haley, J. J. Houlton (IS years old, belated), Amber Houlton (14 years old, Minted), Nancy Jackson, Inertly Zavala Jr. (9 years old). Happy anniversary wishes go to: Puny and Dave Supdver (20 ream, belated). To have a birthday or anniversary listed here, call 625-9144. Pollen Count Mold — unavailable (Posen weaned rn ports pm cubic molar of rn wmnrmoon pfOVKBO oy Dr rfwm rwnptN J awe. a—a----as-- nivff ivivw ivvOTOn Comal River — 246 cube leat per sec* and awns ae Tuesday Edwarde Aquifer Panther Canyon Wed — 524.31 teat above sea level, same Canyon Dam dtecharge — 761 cie Canyon Lake Inflow --066 cfs Canyon Lake level — 011 02 feet above aaa level. (Above ooneervation pool) NBU reports pumping 5264 muon gallons Brown Brr lunch tho inly or ooncoflod * Friday's regular brown bag lunch with New Braunfels Mayor dan Kennedy hat been canceled because of the Texas Legislative Conference The lunches will resume at noon April 4 at the Municipal Building. Visitor Center The Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce needs volunteers for the new Highway Visitor Center planned to open In mid-May. The Chamber cur rently has a great volunteer core, but new volunteers are needed to staff the new center Anyone interested can call Lyn di Moon at the Chamber office. 625-2385. VotMHtssrfiBt Books Your non-profit organization is invited to raise money April 19 by selling food or bake sale Items during Volunteerf-est 97 at the Wursthalle Please con tact Karen if your organization wishes to participate, fax 625 2984, phone 620-7520 UffOUp not STTVIISISO with Csrtcsr Society Be aware that the Pacific West Cancer Fund is not affiliated with the American Cancer Society Cancer funds and vol unteers being solicited for an April 1997 fund drive in Coma County are not sponsored by the American Cancer Society Comal County residents desiring to donate money to the American Cancer Society can do so by contacting your Comal County unit at 625-8619 or 625 3252. (Submined by Bob Peterson chairman, American Cancer Society, Comal County unit) Boy Scouti available foe odd jobs Boy Scouts will clean out your garage, room, closet, etc, to earn funds to attend summer camp, They will haul off unwanted items, Call 629-3811. Bush will address conference By ABE LEVY Staff Writer Organizers of thin year's T exas Legislative Conference expect at least 500 people to participate in the two-day event that will begin Thursday night with the presentation of the Texan of the Year Award to Kay Bailey Hutchison, the first female senator from Texas. Last week, organizers were notified that Gov. George W Bush was confirmed to attend the 31st annual conference to discuss his school financing plan. Other state officials are scheduled to speak or serve on one of the five panels friday, including Speaker of the House Pete l.ancy, state Rep. Rob Juncll, and state senators Bill Ratliff and David Sibley "It's really a high-level and informative conference," said Michael Meek, president of the Greater New Braunfels ('hamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the event. "There arc 24 speakers from across the state involved with the sessions." Questions from the audience will he taken in writing and passed to Turn to Bush, Page 3A SCHEDULE OF EVENTS George W. Bush The 31st Annual Texas Legislative Conference is sponsored by the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and is slated to begin at 7 p m Thursday at the Civic Center, 380 S Seguin Ave with the Texan of the Year Award in honor of Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. The cost of the reception is $40 per ticket and $40 for the Friday conference Call the New Braunfels chamber at 625 2385 for more information Friday morning's events include ■ 8:30 - call to order B 8:40 opening address by Hutchison, presentation of "City of Princes s" decree by chairman of the board Doug Miller ■ 9 05 - panel discussion on Federal Revenue Policy Impact on Texas ■ 9 50 - panel discussion on Deregulation of Electricity ■ 10:35 - panel discussion on Financing Texas Schools to the 21st Century ■ 11:20 - Gov. George W Bush address ■ 11 45 - panel on State and National Predictions on Major Issues ■ 12:35 p.m. - luncheon Bluebonnet romp Herald Zaitunqpftotf J try M* haul Oar nail Aldln and Chtoa Pamall run through a patch of bluebonnets Ty day naar Land* Strait and Loop 337. Tho abaction of wtldnowara ahould Incraaaa thla yaar ainea tha ralna hava incraaaad in raoant months. Rains hasten blooming of state flower By ABE LEVY Staff Writer Patches of beautiful purplish blue have begun to dot Ok ( mitral Texan landscape, an the mate flower responds to the gentle nudging of recent rains Locally, bluebonnet have started to bloom along North Loop 337 and should noon appear in tha Canyon Luke arca and other stretched in went C omal County, local lutanists said The Lone Star State flower in a favorite among young and old alike and markn the imminent approach of npring. Also known an the buffalo clover, wolf flower and el Conejo (rabbit in Spanish), bluebonnets became the male wildflowcr in 1901 on the suggestion by the Society of Colonial Damn in Texan and subsequent approval by the 27th Legislature Bill Schumann, a retired 22-year Comal County Extension agent, said the flower is blooming because of fall rams and a steady downpour throughout February. Schumann said bluebonnets, which arc of the Lupine claim, will continue to appear in such ( mitral Texan regions un Fredericksburg, Llano, Schulenburg, Flatonia and an arca northwest of Lampasas I wan in a field where they were so thick you couldn't walk without stepping on them," he said He said that bluebonnets provide a "splash of color" that catches people's attention "I think they arc the moat beautiful flower," he Maid, adding thai they have been found to lie white, maroon and even orange The noti-tradittonal colors were discovered shortly before 1986 when organizers of the suite's Sesquicentennial celebration were looking for variations of the state flower While die wildflowcr averages about six inches, he said the long-stern variation of the bluebonnet can reach about IK inches and grows naturally in the Big Bend area of Texas. In addition, the flower finds success on hillsides and sloped pastural because they need sufficient drainage Roger Huvluk widi lite (anility Extension (Mike said bluebonnets did lux thrive las! year because of the drought but dull this year tile rants liavc brought a change, 'Tin seeing a total turnaround," he said "It's just a mght-and day difference between this year and last" In today'i odium of New Horizons, tho Herald-Zeitung takes a look at the history and heritage of our community. From the people here long before Prince Gail to the area's first tourist attraction, explore the rich culture of our area. Board OKs after-school program By DENISE DZIUK Staff Writer In response to a survey sent out several months ago, the New Braunfels Independent School District hoard of trustees Tuesday night approved an cxtendcd-day program to be implemented in the 1997-98 school year. The hoard was presented with survey results in January that showed parents wanted an aflcr-school program for their children. The survey* were sent home with students in prekindergarten through the fifth-grade Of die 636 survey! returned. KO percent said there was a need for afterschool programs Of that KO percent, 56 percent said they would participate in die program A surprising 12 percent said they currently do not use any type of child care atter school. In addition to the need for an after school program, the survey also indicated parents' concerns, The top concern, with 43 percent, was that the program assist in academics. I he next two concerns were that the program involve qualified and trained supervision and planned Activities Debbie Fitsko, administrative assistant for career and technology, community mid adult education, said that in response to the survey, representatives from tour entities offering extended-day programs made presentations to principals and administrators. Fitsko said the consensus among the NBISD staff was ti ult the YMI A program wax hest suited for the district. "F.vcrythmg that our survey mdi cated as important, the YM( A program covered," Fitsko said Joe Bueno, executive director fix the Northeast YMI A, said the program would be run entirely by the YMCA arui its stall, and tile district would not luive any liabilities or costs He said the tuna si would he between $20 mid $27 a week, hut would he based on a sliding scale with scholarships available. "The tuition plus whatever we get from United Way plus other contributions we will seek will cover those costs (of the program),'* Bueno said. Bueno said the program will he an cxtendcd-day program, which means it will include academics, luminous snacks. Turn to Program, Page 3A 1 Students may choose to exempt two tests on the testing date ii they meet the following: a Students enrolled in regular classes may have an average of 70 or better and no more than one absence, an average of 80 or better and no more than two absences or an average of 90 or better and no more than three absences and be exempt from that final. b. Students enrolled in accelerated, honors or advanced placement may have an average of BO or better and no more than two absences and be exempt from BUIES FOR EXI MPTION that final Students enrolled in dual enrollment classes must take the final according to the contract with Die colleges offering the classes 2 Final exams must be given al the designated time No students will be allowed to take a final early to adjust his or her schedule to have a full day off Final exams will be given in one day on the last day of school A student that meets the exemption criteria may choose up to, but no more than two finals to be exempt A student must apply for exemption by completing a form and acquiring the appropriate signatures from Hie parent as well as ti ie teacher No student is exempt unless this process is accurately followed and all signatures are on tfie application, 3. A parent and/or student that wishes to have the exam administered to that student may state in writing this wish voiding the exemption policy for that student A form will be available for this purpose Source Now Braunfels Independent School District Exemptions in future of NBHS students By DENISE DZIUK Stat! Writer In an effort to boost attendance, New Braunfels High School will implement a policy that will allow student* to be exempt from taking a final exam NBHS assistant principal ( art Hall told the New Braunfels Independent School Distnct Niard of trustees Tuesday night tliat a committee wax formed in November to address concerns that attendance wax not high enough. He said the students needed an incentive to come to school on a regular basis, arui the chance to skip a final increased attendance in the past. 'That means they have tile* possibility of taking two less finals than they would ordinarily have to take," Hall said "They'll take any time off they can get." Hall said tile* original exemption policy had to be rewritten after the Texas Education Agency said the district Turn to NBHS Page 3A Board makes right decision on " a " program, Page 4A, ;
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By JOE PANTORNO
Minnesota United and the New York Cosmos remain perfect through two games this season as the North American Soccer League spring season's schedule slowly begins to take shape.
The defending Soccer Bowl champion Cosmos managed to escape Canada with three points, defeating FC Edmonton 1-0 thanks to a 37th minute strike from Sebastian Guenzatti. The Cosmos have not lost a game since Aug. 17, 2013 — the only loss since the franchise's rebirth last season.
Minnesota also had their hands full with a Canadian side, needing a 90th minute game-winner from Christian Ramirez to defeat expansion side Ottawa Fury FC.
Ottawa is one of two sides that remain point-less after two rounds of the NASL season. The other being last year's Spring Season Champions, the Atlanta Silverbacks.
Here is a recap of all the week two action from the NASL:
Ottawa Fury FC 1, Minnesota United 2
Christian Ramirez was the hero of the afternoon with a last-gasp winner despite Minnesota dominating most of the match. With 58 percent of the possession along with five corners compared to Ottawa's three, Miguel Ibarra's opener in the 36th minute for Minnesota was canceled out by Vini Dantas' equalizer for Ottawa.
It was the first goal scored for Ottawa's new franchise. Minnesota sits in second despite gaining maximum points in their first two games due to its +3 goal differential. League leaders New York are at +5.
Atlanta Silverbacks 1, San Antonio Scorpions 2
Atlanta's late rally fell short as the Silverbacks join Ottawa as the two remaining sides yet to record a point this season.
Greg Janicki had the away side on top after 34 minutes only to have Shaun Saiko double the lead 12 minutes later. Atlanta was able to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Junior Sandovals spark was not enough to ignite a draw.
Carolina Railhawks 4, Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1
Whatever momentum Fort Lauderdale had built after its week one win against Ottawa was quickly extinguished after a visit to Wakemed Soccer Park as the Railhawks recorded the largest victory of week two.
Pairs of goals from both Enzo Martinez and Zack Schilawski accounted for all of Carolina's goals as the Railhawks follow up an opening day draw to Indiana with an impressive win. All this despite being out-possessed 51 percent to 49 by the Strikers. The win shoots Carolina up to third in the standings.
Indy Eleven 1, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Another week in the NASL, another point for the Indy Eleven in their maiden season.
Last year's golden boot winner, Brian Shriver put Tampa Bay on top in the 48th minute. The goal was Shriver's first of the season after he scored 15 with Carolina.
The warm welcome, however, was put on hold when Indy managed to gain another point after Erick Norales scored in the 81st minute. Indy has managed to draw an impressive following through it's first two games. After a sold-out showing in their opener, over 10,400 came out to see game number two.
FC Edmonton 0, New York Cosmos 1
There might have not been as many fireworks as last week's 4-0 victory, but three points is three points for the league leading Cosmos as Sebastian Guenzatti's lone tally proved enough for New York.
The goal was Guenzatti's second of his Cosmos career.
Narrow margin of victory aside, Edmonton was outperformed for most of the evening, only seeing 44 percent of possession while mustering just one shot on target. Edmonton sits in eighth place with just one point through two weeks.
What did you think of Week 2 action in NASL? Which team impressed and which team looks to be in for a long season? Who is your player of the week?
Share your thoughts below.
It should be noted that the 10,400 is on the same night that the #1 seeded Indiana Pacers had a home game down the street and the minor league baseball team (also just down the street) also had a home game. It's a bigger deal than just saying the number when you realize what else was going on in town the same night.
Real tough test though playing on the road for the next two weeks though. Luckily the team has secured television rights to all the games so us fans can continue to cheer on our boys in blue.
Don't worry, other NASL fans are impressed with 10K in attendance already.
Alex Gates
Good to see others in NASL are impressed with our attendance numbers in Indy. The smallest crowd you'll see all year is 7,000. That's the total number season tickets sold (which was capped off to allow more common fans to attend games.) It's great to finally have Professional Soccer back in Indy, and being ran the right way this time, all the way from the ownership group, marketing, the players, the sponsors, and the guy selling beer and hot dogs. Soccer in Indy is here to say and we're proud to join the other fine NASL clubs. "Our City, Our Time, Forever Indy" COY11
Alex Gates
Arnie Q
Wow. Atlanta has turned into a dungheap and trainwreck. Glad they jacked up the parking fees and barred leaving at half time to force us to buy more overpriced concessions. Great timing!
David S
Arnie Q, care to elaborate on being barred from leaving at half time?
Aaron ATL
New Silverback Park rule this year – no re-entry. I was at the game and it was a great atmosphere despite the loss. Officially a sell-out, but there were empty seats – I'd say about 4,500 in attendance. Parking is $10, but tickets are only $13-15 for GA. Was at an Orlando City match a couple weeks ago and parking was free, but tickets start at $25 – about the same level of attendance there – 4,700. Can't wait for MLS, but I'll support NASL until then at least.
Samuel L Jackson
No leaving at half time, no bags coming in. Ostensibly for safety, but really because that's how people got around the overpriced concessions.
I agree with Arnie that all that sucks, but he forgot to mention the firing of NASL Coach of the Year Brian Haynes who led us to a 3rd place finish in the overall yearlong standings for 2013 in favor of a celebrity TV commentator who doesn't have time to do the job.
The front office is really batting 1000 so far, lol.
Arnie Q
I would hope Haynzie is at least getting a good chuckle out of all this.
Matt C
Except for the Carolina match, scoring this weekend was minimal.
Kudos to the IndXI for the attendance.
Can't wait to see my Rowdies back home next week. Hopefully we can score more than one goal in a match.
Alex Gates
Thanks for the congrats on attendance in INDY. Two sellouts in a row, and 7,000 season tickets (that were capped off to allow more general fans to attend matches). Looking forward to the spring and fall season ahead. Pretty pleased with the team so far, especially being it it's first year. We've been dying to get professional soccer in Indy for awhile now.
Great showing by the Rowdies. Great club you guys have. LOTS of speed and slick passers. If only Kleberson's disgusting free kick had found the back of the net for us….Assuming you saw that haha.
Cesar T
The lone cosmos goal by Guenzatti can't really be considered a strike. It was, as the Edmonton commentators referred to it – a flick into the goal. I would agree with that comment as well.
As far as week 2 action was concerned, looks like Minnesota is for real this season and the league should take note. Sensational come from behind victory to spoil Ottawa's opener! But my one question- why was the Ottawa goal keeper out so much?
The Cosmos shutout was their 4th straight shut out in NASL play dating back to the 2013 season. The last time they gave up a goal was to San Antonio, they opponent coming up this Saturday.
ESPN3 has been doing a great job with broadcasting the NASL game of the week. Hope to see that continue. Can't say the same for the NASL Live feeds- their broadcast of the Cosmos Edmonton match was horrible- hope to see that improve!
Not too sure the author watched Minnesota-Ottawa. Minnesota dominated the first half, but Ottawa dominated the first 40 minutes of the second half. Saying they dominated most of the match is false.
Ottawa had 4 shots total and 2 on goal and 42 % possession. Minnesota passed around them for almost the entire match.
Looking forward to the Rowdies game this coming Saturday, and hoping for a first win this season.
Samuel L Jackson
Seeing as how badly upper management has messed up the Silverbacks, you'll probably get it.


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Meet Kelly, the Blogger Behind Happy Wifey:
I couldn't be more happy to be a young wife! Most people looked at me weird when they learned I was tying the knot at only 24 years old. Now happily married at 27, I'm happy to share my experiences online with you.
I grew up in apartment life so naturally I was a bit shell-shocked when the daunting task of cleaning and maintaining an entire house popped up! My husband and I currently co-own my late grandparents' home with my older brother which is a blessing but at times can be stressful. After moving in and realizing that I may not just be as clean and organized as I think I am – I really decided that I need to start coming up with some organization!
…Who knew that it would be so easy to skip the laundry 5 days in a row?!
…Okay. You got me. 14 days in a row. This is going to be some adventure!
What else? I am a techie by nature. I graduated with a BS in Information Systems and love my day job as an IT Specialist (translation: webmaster with tons of other tasks!). I LOVE giving technology trainings and LOVE to see women succeed in technology.
Why Blog? I started this blog because I grew intrigued by all the amazing, creative posts added by amazing women on the web. I thought, "I could contribute to that!!", and here I am
Our Marriage: Michael and I were married in May of 2010 in central New Jersey. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day and a more amazing guy who gets ME.
Our marriage is a compromise for both of us and a learning experience all around. We support each other through thick and thin and support the other if sick, sad, or upset. We goof around, dance in kitchen to Michael Buble tunes, and try to keep each other in check (most of the time).
We also have three cats: Isaac, Calvin, and Jaime. Isaac was our first kitty, then Calvin came around our anniversary in 2011, and Jaime is much older and belonged to my dad before he moved out of our house in early 2012. We are definitely cat people. Say 'meow'!
Thanks for visiting and reading! I really appreciate it!
Drop me an email for any reason at kelly[at]happywifey[dot]net


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Laidlaw Energy Group, Inc. (LLEG) Video Chart for Wednesday, March 23, 2011
LLEG has been consolidating for months now and deserves to be on the breakout radar. The indicators are bullish, but some are relatively neutral because of the extended sideways movement. The 3-year weekly chart shows a very nice cup and handle pattern.
To view the video chart, visit the following link: http://www.qualitystocks.net/videocharts.php


text:
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GTA 4: Mods and Downsampling for possible GTA 5 graphics?
The visual quality of GTA 4 is still a highly discussed topic because of blur graphics and the missing Anti Aliasing. Downsampling and graphics mods deliver a noticeably better quality that shows, exaggeratedly said, what might be possible in GTA 5.
PC Games Hardware has already reported about the possibilities offered by mods and special methods like Downsampling. Now the user OC_Burner of the 3D Center Forum published new screenshots of GTA 4 that have been taken at a resolution of 6,400 x 3,600 pixels and the following settings: No Anti Aliasing, 16:1 AF and maximal details (draw distance is only 40). Furthermore the weather has been tweaked with a trainer and the graphics have been improved with the Visual IV modification. The latter one offers features like enhanced lighting, a Bloom effect, better reflections on cars and buildings as well as enhanced shadows. For more information see GTA-Extreme.
Preview on GTA 5 graphics?
The combination of Downsampling (see below), in-game tuning and modifications delivers a visual quality that exceeds almost anything seen on the common GTA 4 screenshots. Sharp textures, excellently smoothed edges, great weather effects and general enhanced realization of reflections, shadows and lighting make GTA 4 look much better than the game's default graphics. Reactions in the 3D Center Forum went as far as talking about a whole new game experience. Regardless of the huge improvements of the graphics - we recommend to download the file archive with the original sized pictures below, because the shots in our preview gallery are only 1280 pixels wide - it would be presumptuous to draw parallels to the possible graphics of GTA 5. Nevertheless it is a nice vision that the GTA 4 successor might hit the markets with such sharp textures, working Anti Aliasing and enhanced shadow and lighting effects.
More articles related to Downsampling in games:
• Crysis at 6,400 x 4,000: Ultra High-Res Gaming with 25.6 megapixels
• GTA 4: Higher visual quality with Downsampling
Grafikkarten-Rangliste 2017: 33 Radeon- und Geforce-GPUs im Benchmarkvergleich [Mai - jetzt mit Titan Xp und RX 580]


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NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
The NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms features 8,107 terms related to cancer and medicine.
- listen (… kord TOO-mer)
- A rare type of cancer that forms in the tissues that support the ovaries or testes. These tumors may release sex hormones. Sex cord tumors include granulosa cell, Sertoli cell, and Leydig cell tumors. Also called sex cord-gonadal stromal tumor and sex cord-stromal tumor.


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JENSON BUTTON won in Japan — but lost the Formula One world championship
war to Sebastian Vettel.
Button survived a dangerous 200mph track attack by the German at the start to
continue his stunning run of form.
But Vettel's third-placed finish was enough to make him the youngest
double champ in history.
British ace Button, 31, moaned: "Bloody Germans!"
And in a post-race exchange spat, he warned him: "I might not lift off next
time you pull across at the start."
Mild-mannered Button rarely hits out at fellow drivers, preferring to do his
talking on the track.
But he was clearly upset at Vettel's move when the red lights went out at
Button had a super-fast start from second and got his McLaren halfway
alongside Vettel, who started on pole in his Red Bull.
Vettel veered to the right and kept going in that direction, forcing Button
ever wider and eventually on to the grass.
Button backed off to avoid a high-speed collision that would have sent both
drivers out of the race and guaranteed Vettel the title.
The 2009 champ screamed over the radio "He has got to get a penalty for that."
But the stewards decided not to take any action.
Button said: "He should have had a penalty. He kept coming. I wasn't alongside
him but I had half my car up his inside.
"Sebastian was coming across more than I expected and didn't give me any room
and I was on the grass.
"If I hadn't backed off there would've been an almighty shunt. But it was
obviously fair as the stewards said it was fair, so that's it."
It was Button's third win of the season and fifth straight podium. He added:
"This was a hard race. The last five or six laps were extremely tough,
"It was an amazing victory. This is one of the most perfect grand prix
circuits so it feels special."
Vettel blubbed over the radio as he celebrated his place in the history books
aged 24 years and 98 days, breaking the record set by Fernando Alonso in
2006 by almost a year with four races to spare.
He said: "I never imagined I'd win the world championship. Or a second and
have Michael Schumacher drive past me giving me the thumbs up. That's really
weird because when I was a little boy he was already F1 world champion."
Alonso was second with Vettel's Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber fourth and
Hamilton fifth.


text:
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In 2008, Barack ObamaBarack ObamaMoney can't buy VA reform Healthcare saga shaping GOP approach to tax bill Is a wave election forming for Democrats? MORE won the national Latino vote 67-31. Given the rapid growth of this key demographic, those results augured well not just for Obama's reelection chances, but for the Democratic Party's future.
It was easy to see why Latinos were excited about Obama. After becoming the latest boogeyman for conservatives eager to divide and demonize entire segments of America, it was refreshing to hear rhetoric like this:
Of course, it turned out immigration reform didn't end up a top priority in the first year of Obama's presidency. Nor in the second. Latinos apparently had yet another president who made all kinds of promises to them on the campaign trail, but failed to live up to them in the White House — despite polls showing dominant majorities in favor of comprehensive immigration reform not just among Democrats, but independents and Republicans as well.
But an issue's nationwide popularity means little to our dysfunctional government in D.C. The subsequent inaction isn't just bad policy, but terrible politics for Democrats.
According to Pew polling, 71 percent of Latinos approved of Obama's job performance in January 2010 — above his support in 2008. Yet by June of this year, that number had fallen to 58 percent. Disapproval had risen from 18 percent to 33.
Gallup polling has shown a similarly precipitous drop in Latino support for congressional Democrats. According to their numbers, Democrats had a significant +32 net favorability among Latinos in the summer of 2010 (or a 2-1 advantage); by September, it was just +13 — or 51 approve, 38 disapprove.
Given the tough political climate, Democrats can ill afford to lose critical support from their key demographics. A Pew Study released Tuesday found that "Hispanic registered voters appear to be less motivated than other voters to go to the polls. Just one-third (32 percent) of all Latino registered voters say they have given this year's election 'quite a lot' of thought. In contrast, half (50 percent) of all registered voters say the same. And when it comes to their intent to vote, half (51 percent) of Latino registered voters say they are absolutely certain they will vote in this year's midterm election, while seven in 10 (70 percent) of all registered voters say the same."
It's clear: The Democratic Party's inaction on immigration reform has real-world electoral repercussions.
Of course, congressional Democrats will merely shrug and blame Republican obstructionism, citing the elusive 60-vote threshold. But Democrats promised to fight for reform, and that means more than making excuses. It means actually fighting, holding votes and forcing Republicans to openly obstruct progress on the issue. Instead, Democrats surrendered before firing a single (metaphorical) shot.
Spanish-language media has turned on Obama and the Democrats. Univision's Jorge Ramos, a Walter Cronkite-style media giant among Latinos, said back in August that Obama "has a credibility problem right now with Latinos." It's true. And given Latinos' social conservatism, this is a swing demographic if Republicans can convince them that Democrats can't — or won't even try — to deliver on economic and immigration issues.
Moulitsas is the founder of Daily Kos and author of American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right.


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John Hogan, 32, is facing a possible murder charge after his son, Liam, died and his daughter, Mia, two, was injured in the fall last Tuesday.
Mr Hogan and his wife, Natasha, from Bradley Stoke, Bristol, had been on holiday on the island. Mrs Hogan, 34, and Mia returned to the UK on Friday after the child was treated for a broken arm. Mr Hogan is under police guard in hospital on the island after suffering a broken arm and leg, and chest injuries .